BREWSTER Second-year University of Washington School of Medicine student Antonio Guadamuz spent part of his summer serving the largely Latinx population of Brewster.

Born in Nicaragua and raised in Miami, Guadamuz knows exactly what racism looks and feels like.

Its the open stares in grocery stores. Its the awareness of being followed by store employees while doing your shopping. And unfortunately, it can lead to difficulty in getting a correct diagnosis when youre sick. Thats what drew the 33-year-old to medical school.

Five years ago, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, but it was a circuitous, complicated process because as a person of color, they assumed I had Type 2 diabetes, said Guadamuz, who explained current medical algorithms indicate Hispanics are at greater risk of developing the Type 2 form of the disease.

The frustration he experienced as a patient propelled him toward a career as a physician.

I see the potential to address the inadequacies in society, he said. Medicine meshes with my worldview and ideals about what I want to do with my life.

At the end of his first year at UWSOM in Seattle, Guadamuz had the opportunity to participate in a summer training program known by the acronym RUOP: Rural Underserved Opportunities Program; its open to all medical students between years one and two of medical school.

During the four-week summer program, students live in rural underserved communities, working alongside local physicians in hospitals, clinics and private practices.

Our students develop a profound appreciation of what life is like for physicians practicing rural medicine, said John McCarthy, MD, assistant dean for Rural Programs at UWSOM.

Guadamuz served in Brewster, population 2,300, working with Dr. James Wallace at Family Health Centers.

We serve all of Okanogan County and part of North Douglas County, said Dr. Wallace. Brewsters population doubles in size during harvest season. We have a huge influx of migrant workers from Mexico, Central America and even Jamaica. It adds a unique flavor to the cultural melting pot of the town.

Wallace, a North Carolina native, was drawn to underserved communities while in medical school at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

My medical school class voted me, Most Likely to Practice Rural Medicine in North Carolina, he laughed.

Okanogan County is a long way from North Carolina, but it meshed with Wallaces goals.

I was drawn to the needs of rural areas, he said. And serving in a community health center fits my vision of how I want to practice.

He was delighted to work with Guadamuz.

Antonio is one of the best students Ive had, said Wallace. He was thirsty for experience and very intentional in the clinical skills he wanted to learn.

While Wallace learned Spanish during his residency, he said watching Guadamuz converse easily with patients was eye-opening.

Seventy-five percent of my patients speak Spanish. They really appreciate someone who speaks their language, he said. Because Spanish is his first language, Antonio could convey empathy, humor and a depth of cultural understanding that I cant. Seeing him work with our Spanish-speaking patients was an experience that drove that home for me.

McCarthy understands how vital that kind of doctor/patient interaction is.

Its incredibly important to have providers with whom patients can identify. Much of what we do is based on trust and relationships, he said. This is easier when we have shared experiences.

Guadamuz was glad to be of service while he was learning about rural medicine.

I really enjoyed my time and training in Brewster. Its a beautiful area. he said. I received a great clinical education, and I was able to use Spanish frequently to help patients feel more comfortable.

But because of earlier small-town experiences, Guadamuz had some reservations.

I was apprehensive about being in a rural, conservative area, he said. Id already experienced stares and being followed in stores in my travels to smaller communities throughout the state. Rural areas often feel like unsafe, unwelcoming places for people of color.

Its a conundrum McCarthy is well aware of.

Our goal is to develop students into physicians who appreciate and respect diversity, said McCarthy. At the same time, its important to cultivate a workforce which mirrors the populace of the communities we serve. Ive seen patients light up when they see a provider who mirrors their culture and experiences.

However, attracting minority physicians to places they may feel unwelcome can be difficult. Wallace says conversations with medical students like Guadamuz are an important place to start.

Antonio helped me to recognize my own deficiencies and to explore ways to make up for them, Wallace said. Traditionally, the best health care wasnt available to people of color which led to worsening health outcomes. Were trying to hire health workers who are part of these communities to provide feedback about how to better serve our patient population.

To be clear, Guadamuz didnt feel unwelcome everywhere he went. Patients felt at ease with him, and the medical staff was very open to important dialog.

Racism is an uncomfortable topic, he said. But its an uncomfortable experience too, and its important to keep talking about it.

He valued observing how Family Health Centers is actively meeting the needs of the communities it serves.

When you are among only a handful of doctors in a small town, its important to build long-term relationships with patients, Guadamuz said. That was a key takeaway from my RUOP experience.

His hope is that conversations about discrimination will become part of a larger dialog that centers on the voices of the people most marginalized.

Wallace agreed, citing the dire need for physicians that fit their cultural population.

Antonio gives me hope that there are students out there who are endeavoring to explore rural areas despite the expectation that they might experience racism, he said. I appreciate that through RUOP and other rural programs, UWSOM is addressing two of the most vexing problems facing our societyracism and improving the physician workforce in underserved areas of our state.

Guadamuz feels its way to early in his medical education to know what kind of medicine he will one day practice, or where he and his family will settle, but he does know this: Wherever I practice I hope to have real conversations about how to address inequities in health care, and how physicians can better meet the needs of the entire community.

Cindy Hval is a freelance writer who writes for the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Link:
He speaks their language: UW medical student trained in Brewster this summer - wenatcheeworld.com

In summary

Without clear guidance from the state, coronavirus testing remains a contentious and costly issue as more school districts inch toward reopening.

As schools throughout California tiptoe toward reopening, decisions about whether to routinely test teachers, staff and even students for the COVID-19 virus are proving controversial and potentially costly.

In addition to prevention measures like mandatory masks, handwashing and social distancing on campus, regular testing of school employees could help prevent new outbreaks if the virus is still circulating in the community, public health experts say.

California public health officials largely have left testing choices to individual counties, suggesting only that school districts work with county health officers to periodically test teachers and staff, depending on community transmission levels and as lab capacity allows.

In its guidance for schools, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the usefulness of routine testing of school employees and students is unknown and declined to recommend it. But some U.S. lawmakers are investigating whether the CDCs guidance was compromised by political interference from the Trump administration, which has pushed for schools to reopen quickly, the Washington Post reported.

California recently contracted with a Massachusetts diagnostics company to double the states COVID-19 testing capacity, allowing our schools, not just to open, but to stay open and with some confidence, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said at a Sept. 15 news conference.

But so many questions remain: Should testing be mandatory for teachers and staffers to return to school? Should students be tested? What about school volunteers? Who will pay for the testing? How often should it take place, if at all?

I think regular testing would make me feel a little bit safer, but only if it was part of a full set of precautions and only entered into at a point where community transmission was low enough, said Sarah Ciccarello, who remotely teaches third grade at James Franklin Smith Elementary School in San Jose and is secretary of her local teachers union.

COVID-19 testing remains a contentious topic as public schools negotiate with teachers unions. In a strongly worded letter, the California Federation of Teachers demanded that state lawmakers ensure that school staff and students are regularly tested to prevent outbreaks. But some union representatives told CalMatters that some teachers are concerned about mandatory tests and their medical privacy.

Ciccarellos district, which recently extended distance learning until January, hasnt yet finalized its return-to-school plans.

All we really want is to get back into the classroom and have things be normal again, but in the meantime weve got to do what it takes to keep our kids safe, said Ciccarello, who recently tested negative for COVID-19 after experiencing respiratory symptoms.

Other states and large school districts have announced widespread COVID-19 testing programs for schools. Rhode Island has promised 5,000 tests daily just for school employees and students. Boston will test a rotating 5% of its unionized teachers each week. Minnesota is sending all private and public school employees a saliva test kit that they can use before returning to school, or save if they develop symptoms.

But the sheer scale of school surveillance testing in California is daunting. Some school districts serve more students than entire states. More than 6.1 million students attend more than 10,000 California public schools, taking classes from nearly 320,000 public school teachers. That doesnt even include tens of thousands of other public school employees and employees of the states many private schools.

Nobody has the money for this. Schools do not have money for it. And neither does the county, said Napa County health officer Dr. Karen Smith, who served as Californias health officer from 2015 to 2019. Theres a little bit of an impasse. Its certainly making everyone nervous.

In California, schools can reopen or have reopened in 11 counties, according to state reopening criteria. Schools in another 17 counties placed in Californias moderately restrictive red tier, including heavily populated Orange and San Diego counties, may reopen if their countys COVID-19 transmission rates remain stable or decline over 14 days.

Nobody has the money for this. Schools do not have money for it. And neither does the county.

Health officers also approved 527 elementary schools, most of them private, to open for in-person instruction under local waivers.

Ever Flores, a Healdsburg High School counselor and teachers union president, said no testing provisions are included in the unions temporary labor agreement with the Healdsburg Unified School District, where classes are still online. District officials did not believe it was their responsibility, said Flores who is also running for the school board in Santa Rosa, where he lives. The agreement, known as a memorandum of understanding, will be revisited soon. District officials did not immediately respond to a CalMatters request for comment.

I dont want to be responsible for infecting someone not knowing that Im asymptomatically positive, Flores said, noting that he and other school employees are sporadically getting their own COVID tests because they sometimes need to work on campus. Having the ability to do (testing) once a week or every other week to make sure were all keeping each other safe would be ideal, mostly because we have an aging teaching staff. Id hate for something to happen to anybody at risk.

Spats over school COVID-19 testing have frayed tempers in already-stressed communities. In Placer County, school officials in politically conservative Rocklin announced that they could not reopen campuses because the county health officials said there was not enough timely access to COVID-19 tests and results. Some parents were furious. The turmoil continued: After the county board of supervisors lifted the countys state of emergency two weeks later, county health officer Dr. Aimee Sisson resigned in protest.

There was a lot of finger pointing between school and county health officials, said Rocklin Teachers Professional Association President Travis Mougeotte, a high school history and geography teacher. He said some of the unions members were concerned about testing only school staff and not students.

Were not doing anything if it compromises student or staff safety, Mougeotte said. The unions stuck in the middle. The parents have turned on us accusing the union of holding the kids hostage. The ugly side of the community has come out. I truly dont believe its a majority, but theyre very loud.

Earlier this week, the union filed a grievance against the Rocklin Unified School District alleging that the district had not implemented precautions it promised before reopening schools, including air filters in classrooms. In-person classes are supposed to start on Monday.

In the meantime, the Placer County Office of Education has started to train health staff and set up COVID testing sites for school personnel.

State officials have suggested school staff tests be paid for by the employees health insurance. Although insurers are required under state emergency regulations to pay for COVID testing for these essential workers, there is no agreement on how frequently they should be required to pay for surveillance testing, and employees could be asked for co-pays.

The stakes couldnt be higher. As schools have reopened across the nation, recent news reports of at least six teachers dying from COVID-19 have intensified fears of deadly new outbreaks originating on campus.

In California, more than 61,000 school-age children have been infected since the pandemic started, about 8% of all cases, even though schools were ordered to shut down in March. One Marin City school recently delayed its reopening for a week upon learning that a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 just days before students were to return.

San Jose Unified School District, with more than 30,000 students, cited concerns over the ability to pay for and provide enough COVID-19 testing among the reasons it chose to extend remote learning through December.

Orange Countys public health laboratory does not have the capacity to do surveillance testing for schools, and the load might strain even private labs, particularly during flu season, Marc Meulman, chief of operations for the county health agencys public health services division, told CalMatters in an emailed statement.

Some school districts instead have turned to university health systems, with their sophisticated labs, for help.

The parents have turned on us accusing the union of holding the kids hostage. The ugly side of the community has come out. I truly dont believe its a majority, but theyre very loud.

Stanford Health Care is working with Bay Area school districts, including a district in Burlingame, to test school staff. And some of the universitys medical school faculty are consulting with the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the country.

Dr. Christina Kong, medical director of pathology at Stanford Health Care, told CalMatters the health system would use pooled testing, in which individuals samples are combined for testing, then retested if there is a positive result, to lower costs and speed results. School employees would be tested on a rotating basis so that everyone is tested once every two months, per state recommendations. The results would be reported to the employees and, if positive, to public health officials to begin contact tracing but not to school administrators.

What Im surprised by is how many logistical hurdles schools have to go through to get testing, Kong said. I didnt think it would be this complicated.

In the San Diego region, hundreds of students and school employees in the Solana Beach School District received COVID-19 tests this week as the districts elementary schools prepare to reopen for in-person learning on Monday. Theyll be tested periodically throughout the school year under the districts new testing partnership with UC San Diego Health.

The coastal school district serving about 3,000 students estimates it will spend between $500,000 and $2 million on re-entry and surveillance testing this year. The district will use money from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help with the costs, said superintendent Jodee Brentlinger.

On a Facebook page for parents of Solana Beach students, Dr. Richard Sacks, a local physician who treats COVID-19 patients, admonished parents whom he said were disputing the need to test, questioning the motives of the (district) and UCSD Health regarding this testing and even implying that they would not get their children tested.

Some testing is better than none, Sacks wrote. If the schools identify even one asymptomatic individual who tests positive, we would potentially avert unfettered spread of the virus throughout our school and disruptive shutdowns.

See more here:
COVID testing of teachers, staff hotly debated as California schools reopen - CALmatters

The Gadsden Times

Area students Merit Scholarship semifinalists

Five students from Northeast Alabama high schools are among 16,000 students nationwide who earned semifinalist status in the 66th annual Merit Scholarship Program.

They are Joel T. Bishop, Cherokee County; Benjamin C. Johnson, Sardis; Arturo Rodriguez Lopez, Fort Payne; Lauren A. Taylor, Westbrook Christian; and Anna C. Tumlin, Gadsden City.

Semifinalists now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million that will be offered next spring. They must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition.

Wilson earns NAACP scholarship

The Etowah County (Gadsden) Chapter of the NAACP recently awarded its Elaine Harris Spearman, Esq., Academic Character and Service Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 to Taurus Levelle Wilson Jr.

Wilson is a graduate of Gadsden City High School and the son of Taurus and Towanna Wilson Sr.

The award was presented to Wilson at Gadsden State Community College, with participation by Dr. Leslie Worthington, Dean of Academic Programs and Services.

Wilson will be attending Gadsden State for two years with plans to transfer to a four-year university to complete his degree. His area of concentration is Business/Public Administration.

The coronavirus pandemic prevented the presentation from being made at the organizations annual Freedom Fund Dinner.

Gadsden State releases honors lists

The Summer Semester 2020 Presidents and Deans Lists at Gadsden State Community College were released by Interim President Gregg Bennett.

Full-time students who earn a semester grade point average of 4.0 (with all As) and complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of college-level work are named to the Presidents List. Full-time students who earn a semester grade point average of 3.5 or above but below 4.0 (with all As and Bs) and complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of college-level work are named to the Deans List.

PRESIDENTS LIST

ALBERTVILLE: Jasmine Soto, Cheston Sweat

ALEXANDRIA: Jodi Argo, Casey Brooks, Kristin Kilgore, Micah McGuffey, Wayne Reynolds

ANNISTON: Wesley Boyd, Cary Brand, Christian Coggins, Emily Foster, Krymson Grace, Brandon Hawkins, Jewel Henson, Denham Johnson, Shaquille Jones, Jessica Karns, Ana Logan, Joseph McKay, Sierra Nolen, Jessica Rollins, Kaitlyn Sanders, Kyle Spears, Amanda Stallings, Brandy Taylor, Alyssa Tims

ASHLAND: Holland Hardegree, Nathaniel Hill-Magouirk

ASHVILLE: Kennedy Carter, Annaleisha Hardrick, Britany Mcginnis

ATTALLA: Robert Lowery, Conner Morgan, Justin Saxon, Richard Sims

BIRMINGHAM: Kaitlynn Lively

BOAZ: Dylan Montejo, Marty Parker, Juan Piceno, Stephanie Redwine, Leonard Trammell, Marshall West

CENTRE: Christopher Bourne, Brian Brock, Rebekah Hill, Bret James, Jenifer Prater, Jeffrey White

COLLINSVILLE: Trevor Arnold, Haley Looney

CROSSVILLE: Adrian Hernandez Ruiz

DAWSON: Lisa Thompson

DECATUR: Jenna Halbrooks

FORT PAYNE: Jesus Lopez

GADSDEN: Nethania Amangoua, Allyson Britton, Alexis Burton, Charlotte Byers, Gregory Carnes, Jerry Cothran, Angelica Dandridge, Derek Duncan, Cory Dunn, Adam Goodrich, John Grable, Nakia Jelks, Matthew Johnson, Kalyn Jones, Maria Juarez, Ashley Latimer, MiKayla LeCroy, Shannon Ledbetter, Gabriel Lopez, Kimberly Mason, Benito Matias, Jahmal May, Bethany Mullinax, Wesley Nail, Kevin Rigby, Jana Rowell, Brionna Taylor, Angela Townsel, Janice Underwood, Lisa Vaughn, Chris Vickery, Kaycee Warsham, Beverly White, Etrus Williams

GALLANT: Lloyd Pratt

GARDENDALE: Mallory Goode

GAYLESVILLE: Tabitha Landis

GLENCOE: Avery Brown, Jeremy Mitchell

GUNTERSVILLE: Andrew Williams

HARTSELLE: Molly Green

HEFLIN: Jackie Blackburn, Monica Harman, Bailey Howle, Caleb Ivester, Jakson Spurlin, Joseph Stephens, Claire Trotter, Tesla Wheeler

HOKES BLUFF: Timothy Black, Erin Ford

HOOVER: Rowen Akers

JACKSONVILLE: Ashtyn Burbank, Connie Dotson, Jordan Hardy, Levi ODell, Katrice Patterson, Mackenzie Prickett, Elizabeth Shelton, Joshua Womack

LEESBURG: Patricia Long

LINCOLN: Amanda Schlieger, Gabrielle Thomas

MUNFORD: Ashlynn Farmer, Tyler Gallahar, William McGuire

MUSCADINE: Leonard Konvicka

ODENVILLE: Austen Stubbs

OHATCHEE: Logan Chandler, Stephen Martin, Kyle Taylor, Kelsee Thrower

OXFORD: Blaise Adams, Mason Blakeney, Edward Bogan, Michael Boyd, Rebecca Boyd, Kaitlin Carroll, Robert Corker, Kyle Curry, Jennifer Dopson,

Jonathon Gatlin, Jilaine Head, Helenia Hess, Veronica Martinez Cuevas, Matthew Mizzell, Courtney McCormack, MaCaden Timmons, Shila Wheeler

PELL CITY: Domenic Carney

PIEDMONT: Kellye Blanchard, Andrew Conner, Savannah DeVoe, Billy Gaddy, Savannah Rogers, Shayla Swain

RAGLAND: Heather Clark

RAINBOW CITY: Connor Butler, William Leach, Prince Patel, Kaylyn Rozelle, KC Scott, Matthew Smith, Megan Walker

SOUTHSIDE: Stanley Brasher, Lauren Clemons, Shauna Fuhrman, Courtney Garner, Lindsey Griffin, Jason Hendon, Caleb Jacobs, Laney Owens, Michael Pentecost, Hannah Turner

SPRINGVILLE: Dewayne Nolin, Ronnie White

STEELE: Julia Rodgers

VESTAVIA HILLS: Zachary Evetts

WEDOWEE: Daniel Morris

WELLINGTON: Justin Garrard

HONDURAS: Yhasser Eulisses Rodriguez Nunez

DEANS LIST

ALBERTVILLE: Marshall Cofield, Evan Delahoussaye, John Eddings, Anderson Taylor

ALPINE: Savona Garrett, Mylea Gash

ANNISTON: Donna Coley, Landon Curvin, Andrew Gattrell, Sarina Gibson, Alex Hernandez, Dayiell Johnson, Savannah Martin, Greg McBrayer, Sam Shaw,

Darrial Stanford, Xerxes Stanford, Robert Wadsworth

Ashland: Lukas Ferguson

ATTALLA: Eric Anderson, Shaina Ayers, Taylor Bush, Elizabeth Lopez, Cierra Shull, Hunter Steele, Ryan Turner, Tianna Watkins

BOAZ: Nicholas Keeper

CEDAR BLUFF: Savanah Clifton

CENTRE: Brittany Blanks, Corrina Edge, Emma Huffman, Sarrah Hunter

CHELSEA: Taylor Hackett

COLLINSVILLE: Miguel Arellano, Alma Palacios, Zachary Warnken

EASTABOGA: Dustin Chumley, Gabriella Lowery

FOLEY: Ashley Ramsey

FRUITHURST: Olan Pryor, Logan Wright

FORT PAYNE: Thomas Killian

GADSDEN: Jonathan Alexander, Julie Ballenger, Douglas Bohannon, Kayla Brooks, Joel Bunton, Jacqueline Chapman, Aymen Chebbi, Jordan Davidson, Jahvaronze Dillard, Keeley Fletcher, Elena Francisco, Ronaldo Gaspar, Katlyn Glass, Samuel Goldthreate, Dakaesha Greer, Beverly Hardy, David Henry-Oki, Justin Mayfield, Robin McDuffie, Makai Morgan, Julie Street, Darin Westcott, Donovan Wilson, Katherine Yohe

GALLANT: Javin O Barr

GAYLESVILLE: Sarah Landis, Tray McMeekin, Jonathan Smith

GERALDINE: Hayden Young

GLENCOE: James Garmany, Addie Gentry, Payton Hicks, Christian Summers

HEFLIN: Charles Lee, Caden Lines, Eric McClenton, Austin Rollins

HOKES BLUFF: Montrez Mostella, Maria Shew, Madelyn Stinson

HORTON: Tyla Sanders

JACKSONVILLE: Catelynn Alford, Jessica Boling, Truett Cagle, Shelley Johnson, Haleigh Moody, Dalton Payne, Jashayla Wheeler

LEESBURG; Trena Lyles, Ethan Tillery

LINCOLN: Emma Baker, Anna Barnett, Christopher Swain, Matthew Wright

MUNFORD: Shaina Hicks, Jayden Nunn

ODENVILLE: Nathan Speights

OHATCHEE: Kelly Davis, Dexter Headrick

OXFORD: Matthew Dabit, Cobie Grizzard, Jeremy Shierling, Christopher Taylor, Jarrett Webb

PELL CITY: Simon Adkins, James Powell

PIEDMONT: Quineisha Higgins, William Jones, Stephanie Morgan, Waylon Parris, Karen Stewart

PRATVILLE: Nicholas Stokes

RAGLAND: Taylor Seawright

RAINBOW CITY: Cody Aultman, Krystal Aultman, Jamie Bradley, Robert Day, Ayih Edoh, Daniel Loudermilk, Blane Payne, Chris Robinson, Mark Sketoe, Savannah Smith

RAINSVILLE: Paul Griffin

RANBURNE: Devon Chambers

ROANOKE: Riley Jones

SOUTHSIDE: Colby Abernathy, Colen Ellis, Jordan Mabrey, Jeffery Rich, Wesley Speegle, Anna Thomason, Jason Cox

SPRINGVILLE: Sheyanne Butler

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Local residents in the news - Gadsden Times

With a lack of certainty surrounding the future, being and feeling healthy may help bring the security that you need during these unpredictable times.

When it comes to your health, there is a direct relationship between nutrition and physical activity that play an enormous part in physical, mental, and social well-being. As COVID-19 continues to impact almost every aspect of our lives, the uncertainty of the future may seem looming. Sometimes improvisation is necessary, and understanding how to stay healthy and fit can significantly help you manage your well-being during these times.

Gyms, group fitness studios, trainers, and professionals can help you to lay out a plan that will either keep you on track through all of the changes and restrictions or help you to get back on the ball so that all of your health objectives are met.

Most facilities and providers are setting plans to provide for their clients and customers to accommodate the unpredictable future. The key to remaining consistent is to have solid plans in place. This means setting a plan A, plan B, and perhaps even a plan C. An enormous amount is on the table for this coming fall and winter; if your gym closes again, what is your plan? If outdoor exercising is not an option due to the weather, what is your plan? Leaving things to chance will significantly increase your chances of falling off of your regimen and will make consistency a big problem.

The key to remaining consistent is to have solid plans in place. This means setting a plan A, plan B, and perhaps even a plan C.

The rise of stress and anxiety as a result of the uncertainty around COVID-19 has affected everyone in some way. Staying active by exercising helps alleviate stress by releasing chemicals like serotonin and endorphins in your brain. In turn, these released chemicals can help improve your mood and even reduce risk of depression and cognitive decline. Additionally, physical activity can help boost your immune system and provide long term health benefits.

With the new work-from-home norm, it can be easy to bypass how much time you are spending sedentary. Be aware of your sitting time and balance it with activity. Struggling to find ways to stay active? Start simple with activities like going for a walk outside, doing a few reps in exchange for extra Netflix time, or even setting an alarm to move during your workday.

If you, like many others during the pandemic shift, have taken some time off of your normal fitness routine, don't push yourself to dive in head first, as this may lead to burnout, injury, and soreness. Plan to start at 50 percent of the volume and intensity of prior workouts when you return to the gym. Inactivity eats away at muscle mass, so rather than focusing on cardio, head to the weights or resistance bands and work on rebuilding your strength.

Be aware of your sitting time and balance it with activity.

In a study published earlier this year, researchers found drug-resistant bacteria, the flu virus, and other pathogens on about 25 percent of the surfaces they tested in multiple athletic training facilities. Even with heightened gym cleaning procedures in place for many facilities, if you are returning to the gym, ensuring that you disinfect any surfaces before and after using them is key.

When spraying disinfectant, wait a few minutes to kill the germs before wiping down the equipment. Also, don't forget to wash your hands frequently. In an enclosed space where many people are breathing heavier than usual, this can allow for a possible increase in virus droplets, so make sure to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Staying in the know and preparing for new gym policies will make it easy to return to these types of facilities as protocols and mutual respect can be agreed upon.

From work to working out, many routines have faltered during the COVID pandemic. If getting back into the routine seems daunting, investing in a new exercise machine, trainer, or small gadget can help to motivate you. Whether it's a larger investment such as a Peloton, a smaller device such as a Fitbit, or simply a great trainer, something new and fresh is always a great stimulus and motivator.

Make sure that when you do wake up well-rested, you are getting out of your pajamas and starting your day with a morning routine.

Just because you are working from home with a computer available 24/7 doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your entire day to work. Setting work hours, just as you would in the office, can help you to stay focused and productive.

A good night's sleep is also integral to obtaining and maintaining a healthy and effective routine. Adults need seven or more hours of sleep per night for their best health and wellbeing, so prioritizing your sleep schedule can drastically improve your day and is an important factor to staying healthy. Make sure that when you do wake up well-rested, you are getting out of your pajamas and starting your day with a morning routine. This can help the rest of your day feel normal while the uncertainty of working from home continues.

In addition to having a well-rounded daily routine, eating at scheduled times throughout the day can help decrease poor food choices and unhealthy cravings. Understanding the nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy can help you stay more alert, but they do vary from person to person. If you are unsure of your suggested nutritional intake, check out a nutrition calculator.

If you are someone that prefers smaller meals and more snacks throughout the day, make sure you have plenty of healthy options, like fruits, vegetables and lean proteins available (an apple a day keeps the hospital away). While you may spend most of your time from home, meal prepping and planning can make your day flow easier without having to take a break to make an entire meal in the middle of your work day. Most importantly, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

While focusing on daily habits and routines to improve your physical health is important, it is also a great time to turn inward and check in with yourself. Perhaps your anxiety has increased and it's impacting your work or day-to-day life. Determining the cause and taking proactive steps toward mitigating these occurrences are important.

For example, with the increase in handwashing, this can also be a great time to practice mini meditation sessions by focusing on taking deep breaths. This can reduce anxiety and even lower your blood pressure. Keeping a journal and writing out your daily thoughts or worries can also help manage stress during unpredictable times, too.

While the future of COVI9-19 and our lives may be unpredictable, you can manage your personal uncertainties by focusing on improving the lifestyle factors you can controlfrom staying active to having a routine and focusing on your mental healthto make sure that you emerge from this pandemic as your same old self or maybe even better.

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5 Most Desirable Medical Specialities Around the Globe - SWAAY

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS, WVAH)

Two Kanawha County student-athletes are being recognized for their hard work in the classroom and in their respective sports.

Mary Lyle Smith has been selected as the Todd Judy Ford Scholar Athlete for George Washington High School, and Anna Lantz was chosen for the same honor for Huntington High School.

George Washington and Huntington were slated to play Friday, Sept. 18, in a Par Mar Friday Night Rivals Sponsored by Rallys football matchup, but the game was canceled. Kanawha County was designated as orange on the state county alert system map and could not participate in sports competitions that week.

Mary competes in soccer and basketball and in her freshman year, played lacrosse. Of the three, she particularly enjoys soccer a sport she has been playing since she was in third grade.

With soccer, it definitely began when all my friends played soccer. My family is pretty athletic. My dad and my brother both played college sports. That was more of a social thing for me when I was younger, but I got more serious about it when I joined the travel team, became more accustomed to my position and started learning more about it, Mary said. With basketball, I think it was more of a seasonal sport that I could play in the winter and stay in shape, but then I grew to really love basketball as well.

Mary said both games have taught her a lot about self-discipline.

Just having to be at every single practice and put forth my best effort even sometimes putting in hours on top of that to try to reach my full potential and reach my goals, she said.

Her drive also shows in her school work. She has a grade point average of 4.77. While she acknowledges it was difficult juggling her school work with sports, her coaches always reminded her that academics should always come before athletics.

The George Washington senior isnt sure what college or university she will end up at, but she does know she wants to major in exercise science, specifically in sports medicine.

Meanwhile, Huntington High School senior Anna Lantz competes in volleyball. She hits the court with the same focus and determination she does with her schoolwork. Lantz is a senior and maintains a GPA of 5.0.

She loves the team sport - ever since she began playing volleyball in middle school.

I honestly traveled to so many places I would never have gone to. Ive done so many different things. And you really learn whats important to yourself when youre doing this, Lantz said. Because, with volleyball taking up so much time in your life, you decide whats important to you. You decide what youre going to spend time on.

Lantz has only one class left to take in her senior year because she began taking Advanced Placement courses in her sophomore year and pushed in her junior year to take all AP or dual credit courses. She opted this year to go virtual when school started Sept. 8.

It is rough, but you have to have good time management. You do your schoolwork at school and whenever you have time, to do homework in-between that, because you just treat homework like its a job. You do it, lets say 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You do nothing else in-between. You dont get on your phone or television, Lantz said.

Lantz plans to major in biology in college and then advancing to medical school school to become a psychiatrist.

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George Washington, Huntington high school students named as Scholar Athletes of the Week - WCHS-TV8

New hires and promotions in the metro Augusta business community.

Kelly McCauley

Employer: Cherry Bekaert LLP

Title: Senior Manager

Responsibilities: Provide comprehensive tax compliance and provision services, particularly in the manufacturing and technology industries

Experience: Is a licensed as certified public accountant in Georgia and has more than 13 years of public accounting experience working with clients throughout the Southeast

Mallory Eickhoff

Employer: Cherry Bekaert LLP

Title: Senior Manager

Responsibilities: Serving clients representing nonprofit organizations, manufacturing and distribution companies, financial institutions and captive insurance companies

Experience: Was previously a manager for the firm; has more than 10 years of experience in both public accounting and private industry; is licensed as a certified public accountant in Georgia

Timothy Lansdowne

Employer: Cherry Bekaert LLP

Title: Manager

Responsibilities: Providing tax compliance services for individuals, partnerships, S-Corporations and C-Corporations

Experience: Was previously a tax senior with the firm; has more than five years of public accounting experience for clients in sectors including real estate, construction, manufacturing, distribution, technology and professional services

Dr. Michael Hocker

Employer: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

Title: Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education

Responsibilities: Develop, implement and assess programs and services to meet strategic goals for residency and fellowship programs; also will serve as MCG's designated institutional official, leading the medical school and health system's 51 residency and fellowship programs

Experience: Was previously vice chair of clinical operations and business management for the Department of Emergency Medicine

Dr. Michael Groves

Employer: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

Title: Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education

Responsibilities: Develop, implement and assess programs and services to meet strategic goals for residency and fellowship programs; also will serve as MCG's assistant designated institutional official, helping leading the medical school and health system's 51 residency and fellowship programs

Experience: Is an otolaryngologist who directs the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgerys residency training program

Dr. Stephen Shiver

Employer: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

Title: Vice Chair of Clinical Operations for the Department of Emergency Medicine

Responsibilities: Supervising all clinical care provided within the department, including the emergency rooms at AU Medical Center and the Childrens Hospital of Georgia, pre-hospital clinical care and emerging telehealth initiatives

Experience: Previously served as the department's residency program leader

Dr. Natasha Savage

Employer: Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

Title: Vice Chair for Academic Affairs for the Department of Pathology

Responsibilities: Oversee the departments academic endeavors, including continuing to direct the residency program, engaging residents in scholarly pursuits, advising medical students who are pursuing a career in pathology and helping build out the pathology and hematology parts of MCGs new curriculum; will also serve as chief of staff elect for Augusta University Health

Experience: Serves as residency program director in the Department of Pathology

Submit your news: Send in On The Move and Biz Bits items to augustachronicle.com/send-us-your-news.

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On The Move: New hires and promotions in the metro Augusta business community - The Augusta Chronicle

Students from the Wayne State University School of Medicine will make up more than one-third of the student projects accepted to the Michigan chapter of the American College of Physicians Annual Scientific Meeting next month.

Of 84 student posters accepted from the seven allopathic and osteopathic medical schools across the state, 32 of them, or 38%, will be presented by School of Medicine physicians in training. The meeting will be held virtually Oct. 15-18. Students will present in categories that include quality improvement, clinical vignette and research.

Our students have always been exceedingly active, and the trend is for increased involvement of our students, said Professor of Internal Medicine Diane Levine, M.D., FACP. The joyous thing is, I believe that many of these represent people who are interested in going into Internal Medicine, and this helps advance their career.

Dr. Levine is the departments vice chair for Education, directs the Internal Medicine Clerkship and advises the Internal Medicine Interest Group at the school of medicine.

Weve always had wide participation in the American College of Physicians, but I think this year we seem to have done really well in acceptances in the abstract section for students, she said. Im really proud of our students and our faculty who have mentored them.

This years mentors include recent Wayne State University School of Medicine graduates who are now residents.

Our students are working collaboratively with residents as well as with faculty, she said. In addition to the usual rare cases and unusual cases, we did also see some aspects of medical error in a couple of these cases, as well as a significant number of fourth-year students participating, which may reflect the new curriculum with early clinical exposure.

ACP is a national organization of internists, the largest medical specialty organization, and the second-largest physician group in the United States. Its 163,000 members include internists, internal medicine subspecialists, medical students, residents and fellows.

Students scheduled to present work include:

Fouad Abdole

Madeline Adelman

Abdelwahab Ahmed

Noel Akioyamen

Joshua Brady

Connor Buechler

Fiona Clowney

Sawsan Edriss

Bassem Farah

Aria Ganz-Waple

Megan Harrison

Luke Horton

Inara Ismailova

Janice Lau

Eric Lisznyai

Lucia Luna Wong

Ahila Manivannan

Arif Musa

Hailey Olds

Aaron Panicker

Kelley Park

Jaya Parulekar

Dhruvil Patel

Daniel Quan

Tyler Russeth

Siri Sarvepalli

Vinoja Sebanayagam

Kathren Shango

Rebecca Sturgis

Bhavana Tetali

Chloe Theeuwes

David Tran

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Wayne State makes up nearly 40 percent of student presentations accepted to American College of Physicians annual meeting - The South End

Whats the news: The AMA is supporting S. 4375, the Telehealth Modernization Act of 2020, which would permanently remove many of the regulatory restrictions on telehealth that were temporarily lifted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and have enabled patients to receive care without leaving their homes.

During the pandemic, telemedicine has allowed physicians to provide care to patients while supporting physical distancing efforts and reducing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious diseases by avoiding unnecessary outpatient visits, AMA Executive Vice President and CEO James L. Madara, MD, wrote in a letter to Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the sponsor of the bill and chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Earlier this year, theCoronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act enacteda general waiver provision enablingthe Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)to temporarily lift outdated originating site and geographic restrictions onMedicare's coverage of telehealth-enabled services.Before this action, Medicare physicians were prohibited from offeringmosttelehealth services outside of rural areas, and Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas were not able to receivemost ofthose services unless they traveled to a health care facility.

Alexanders bill would permanently remove Medicares telehealth geographic and site restrictions.

It would also give the HHS secretary the authority to help patients access telehealth from physical therapists, speech pathologists and other health professionals, and allow Medicare hospice and home dialysis patients to begin receiving care through a telehealth appointment without an initial in-person visit.

Learn why theAMA presented its Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service to Alexander.

Why it matters: It is critically important that Medicare beneficiaries continue to be able to access telehealth services from their physicians without arbitrary restrictions throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency and beyond, Dr. Madara wrote.

Alexander noted in a press release that, in his home state, Nashvilles Vanderbilt University Medical Center went from 10 telehealth visits a day before the pandemic to more than 2,000 daily telehealth visits during the emergency.

Similar anecdotes are being shared throughout the nations health care system.

Physicians and other health professionals are seeing 50 to 175 times the number of patients via telehealth than they did before the pandemic, according to a report from McKinsey & Company Health Care Systems & Services. The report also states that virtual visits could potentially account for $250 billion, or about 20%, of what Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurers spend on outpatient, office and home health.

In remarks made while introducing his bill, Alexander noted the explosive adoption of telehealth services during the pandemic.

Because of COVID-19, the health care sector and federal and state governments have been forced to cram 10 years worth of telehealth experience into almost 5 months, Alexander said.

Dr. Madara said there should be no turning back now that telehealth has proved its value.

The success of telehealth technology adoption during the COVID-19 public health emergency has made it abundantly clear that this technology should be available to all Medicare patients regardless of where they live or how they access telehealth services, Dr. Madara wrote.

Telehealth technologies allow physicians to increase continuity of care, extend access beyond normal clinic hours, and help overcome clinician shortages, especially in rural and other underserved populations, Dr. Madaras letter adds. This ultimately helps health systems and physician practices focus more on chronic disease management while enhancing patient wellness, improving efficiency, providing higher quality of care, and increasing patient satisfaction.

The bill would also give the HHS secretary authority to give Medicare flexibility in paying for more telehealth services. Alexander noted that, during the pandemic, Medicare is covering 135 telehealth servicesmore than double what it did before. This includes emergency department and home visits, plus physical, occupational and speech therapy services.

Learn more: Congress took swift and decisive actions to ensure that telehealth services would beavailable to all Medicare patientsearly in the COVID-19 pandemic. But these actions will expire when the public health emergency is over. The AMA has told Congress that theprogress seen in the use of telehealth services will be erasedif it fails to act.

Alexander noted that his bill incorporates recommendations he received after asking health care experts which of the 31 federal health policy changes made during the public health emergency should be made permanent.

The AMA responded to Alexander with a 20-page letter telling the senator that the AMA strongly supports all efforts to increase, maintain, and expand patients access to telehealth services.

Previously, the AMA joined more than 70 other health care-related organizations, advocacy groups and companies ina letter to Congressional leadersto permanently remove geographic and site restrictions and other statutory limits on telehealth.

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Senate bill would nix geographic, site restrictions on telehealth - American Medical Association

Laughlin, of Millcreek Township, R-49th Dist., is seeking his second four-year term in the Pennsylvania Senate.

Dan Laughlin had plenty of doubts about politics and what he could accomplish in Harrisburg.

In January 2017, when the Millcreek Township contractor and former union steelworker was sworn in as the Erie regions newest state senator, Laughlin was still processing his successful bid, three months earlier, for the 49th District seat.

Laughlin derailed Democrat Sean Wileys bid for a second term with a campaign that emphasized Laughlins blue-collar background the candidate was rarely seen without his signature Carhartt jacket.

Laughlin also promised to bring a common-sense approach to state politics that would reject partisanship.

Heavily funded by then-Republican state senator and gubernatorial candidate Scott Wagner, Laughlin cast Wiley as a tax-and-spend liberal who feasted on Harrisburgs perks while positioning himself as someone who would put the publics interests before partisan politics.

That message resonated with local voters.

But Laughlin admits he launched into his new job while grappling with lots of uncertainty.

"To be honest, I was not sure how effective I would be," said Laughlin, who is seeking a second four-year term in the Nov. 3 general election. His opponent is Democrat Julie Slomski, a former northwest regional director for Gov. Tom Wolf

"I come from the private sector. I am probably one of the most blue-collar guy we have in the Senate. I didnt just own my business, I was in the trenches with my guys. But I also had not done this before," he said.

"What I quickly found out was that this job, like everything, is about building relationships. Thats how you get stuff done in Harrisburg, and theres no magic to it," Laughlin said. "So I sat down, listened to people about what their issues were and put some effort into creating relationships."

Forging those relationships, Laughlin said, was key to helping secure an additional $14 million annually for the Erie School District at a time when the district was on the brink of financial collapse.

Erie County native Tom Ridge, the former Republican governor and the nations first director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, cited Laughlins work on the Erie School District issue this past week when he endorsed Laughlin for re-election.

Laughlin called his work on the districts fiscal woes "probably the single most significant thing I accomplished in my four years. ... I was meeting with (state Education Secretary) Pedro Rivera about this before I was even sworn in."

That approach, Laughlin said, has brought other successes as well, several of which are listed on Laughlins campaign website, http://www.votelaughlin.com.

They include helping to facilitate conversations between Millcreek Township and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine that kept the medical school from relocating to Florida; pushing for tax incentive programs like the states City Revitalization and Improvement Zones, which allows certain tax revenues generated by businesses to be used to fund development; and working to lower prescription drug costs statewide.

"I didnt know what to expect, but I knew I had a good work ethic and that I could apply it to this job," Laughlin said. "I think I have been an effective voice for our region in Harrisburg and Ive worked in a fairly bipartisan manner down there."

Verel Salmon, chairman of the Erie County Republican Party, called Laughlin "the ideal candidate" and an excellent legislator.

Salmon said Laughlins financial advocacy on behalf of the Erie School District funding and his work to craft child care-specific legislation following a 2019 fire at the Harris Family Daycare in Erie that killed five children were both "remarkable" examples "and they say a lot about the man.

"That was a wrestling match to get that state funding for the Erie School District. For a Republican to take that active of a stand for the city says a lot," Salmon said.

If re-elected, Laughlin said a bill he co-sponsored, Senate Bill 580, will be among his top priorities.

If passed, the bill would allow for paid family leave for working Pennsylvanians.

Asked about his opponent, Laughlin said "I got to know Julie Slomski four years ago when I was campaigning. She was a pretty good staffer for (Wolf)"

However, Laughlin said, Slomski would be in lock-step with Wolf if elected. A Laughlin television ad proclaims that "Erie doesnt need another Harrisburg lifer in office."

Laughlin, who is married with three children, said he expects to need about $1 million for his re-election campaign and that he has raised about $700,000 so far.

Most of that is being spent on media advertising for digital, television, print and direct mail. His campaign has also been going door-to-door to reach voters, with the candidate and volunteers wearing masks to adhere to COVID-19-related safety guidelines.

"I think were also up to about 40,.000 people that weve reached by phone," Laughlin said.

The message, Laughlin said, is simple.

"There is still work to be done," Laughlin said.

Contact Kevin Flowers at kflowers@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ETNflowers.

Link:
Laughlin says he's been 'effective voice' for Erie region - GoErie.com

As physicians, we are well-conditioned to deliver difficult truths to our patients whenever the situation demands it. We are not as comfortable accepting such truths about ourselves, even when we know that physicians can suffer from the same physical and emotional ailments that affect our patientsincluding depression and suicide.

The third annual observance of National Physician Suicide Awareness Day on Sept. 17 offers an opportunity to shine a light on this troubling issue, strip away the stigma that surrounds it, and encourage physicians and other health care professionals who are struggling with burnout and depression to seek the help they need.

The facts are devastating. U.S. physicians have one of the highest rates of suicide of any profession. Multiple factors fuel this tragic situation. The modern working environment for physicians and other health professionals can best be described as high-stakes dysfunction. Physicians are under increasing demands and scrutiny to deliver quality care amid ever-changing rules and administrative hassles that interfere with their primary mission.

Starting in medical school, or even earlier at the undergraduate level, an emphasis on physical stamina and mental toughness leads to a normalization of high levels of stress, sleep deprivation, excessively long workdays and a lack of free time to spend with family or friends.

Many physicians face anxiety that stems from crushing levels of student debt, the hassles posed by a poorly designed digital workplace, administrative burdens and red tape, and a host of other stress-inducing factors, plus the added strain that comes with raising children and other responsibilities in the home.

All of this and more leads to higher levels of stress, burnout and depression within our physician ranks. Such feelings of stress and anxiety may never factor into a persons decision for self-harm. But it is also true that our profession is becoming more complex, more burdensome and more challenging by the day.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this situation and brought physician wellness to a crisis point through increased social isolation, reduced access to community support and fewer opportunities to seek counseling or other mental health resources, among other factors.

Our AMA is well aware of the physical and mental demands that modern medicine places on medical students, residents, practicing physicians and their colleagues. We continue to speak out against the long-held stigma placed against those who might otherwise choose to seek care for behavioral health issues, partly because they fear doing so might jeopardize their medical licenses and careers.

Long-standing AMA policy encourages state licensing boards and other credentialing bodies to ensure confidentiality when physicians seek out counseling or other services to address their feelings of burnout, career fatigue, stress or depression. A physicians mental health should only factor into licensing and credentialing when it currently adversely affects his or her ability to practice medicine in a competent, ethical and professional manner.

Earlier this year, the Medical Society of Virginia played a key role in securing a new state law creating the SafeHaven program, which provides confidential behavioral health resources and ongoing wellness support to physicians in a manner that does not place their medical license at risk, except in extraordinary circumstances.

Texas, Idaho and other states provide confidentiality protections for physicians undergoing the care of a mental health professional; these protections should be available to physicians in every state. The AMA has also drafted model legislation to raise awareness of this critical issue and to influence policymakers.

Additional resources designed to reduce stress and foster well-being can be found in our AMA STEPS Forward practice-improvement strategies and elsewhere on the AMA Ed Hub. For example, one of the evidence-based online modules focuses on assessing risk factors and warning signs for suicidal ideation, while another helps identify at-risk physicians with an emphasis on prevention strategies and facilitating access to care.

Finally, I urge physicians to join the movement to change the way we talk about suicide. A great deal of stigma and a sense of shame surrounds the phrase to commit suicide. The verb commit frequently has a negative connotation, and is often used when discussing crimes or sins. It needlessly distinguishes a self-inflicted death from all other types of death, conveys guilt and culpability, and depicts the person who died as an offender rather than a victim of a mental health condition. Saying that someone died by suicide helps dispel the sense of shame that still surrounds it.

If we are to end the devastation wrought by physician suicide, a single day that calls attention to this crisis is merely a starting point. We must be vigilant for signs of burnout and depression within ourselves and among our colleagues, and we must not hesitate to seek help when we recognize something is amiss. Physicians have resilience and self-reliance in abundance, but when we rely on those traits above all others, we put our own well-being and that of our patients and colleagues at risk.

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Now's the time to have a difficult talk about physician suicide - American Medical Association