Emergency medicine chairman honored with leadership award

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Michael L. Carius, M.D., of Stratford, chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Norwalk Hospital, has been honored with the 2012 John G. Wiegenstein Leadership Award from the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Established in 1975, the award is presented to a current or past national leader for the American College of Emergency Physicians for outstanding contributions to the organization and to the profession. The award was named in honor of Dr. John G. Wiegenstein, founding member and first president of the ACEP and past president of the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

Carius is a former president of the American College of Emergency Physicians and was a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians Board from 1996 to 2003. He was previously honored with an award from the American Board of Emergency Medicine for having served as an ABEM oral board examiner for 32 examinations, with the first one occurring in 1990, and is currently a senior oral board examiner. He was elected to the ABEM Board of Directors in 2009 and was re-elected to a second four-year term this summer.

Carius joined Norwalk Hospital as chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine in 1995. He is an associate clinical professor in the Department of Traumatology and Emergency Medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington.

He holds a Bachlor of Science degree from Trinity College in Hartford and medical degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver. He completed his internship at the Naval Regional Medical Center in San Diego, Calif., and his emergency medicine residency training at USC/LAC Medical Center in Los Angeles. Carius also fulfilled an aerospace medicine primary course as a flight surgeon at the School of Aerospace Medicine in San Antonio, Texas.

He is a diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine and the American Board of Family Practice, as well as the National Board of Medical Examiners.

Carius is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and a member of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut College of Emergency Physicians, where he held posts as secretary, treasurer, president-elect, president and councilor. He is also a member of the Fairfield County Medical Association and Connecticut State Medical Society and serves an Alternate Delegate to the American Medical Association House of Delegates.

Carius is the recipient of numerous teaching awards and lectures frequently at emergency medicine symposiums. He is a past recipient of the Phil Stent Award for Outstanding Contributions to Emergency Medicine presented by the Connecticut College of Emergency Physicians.

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Emergency medicine chairman honored with leadership award

When should medicine talk about race?

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Race is everywhere in medicine. Mosthealth statistics are broken down by race. We routinely characterize diseases by which populations they affect more and less and medications by which ethnicities respond better or worse.

Its so ubiquitous that its easy to take for granted as justified. But the use of race in medicine is a subject that is vigorously debated. Whenever a new study comes out stratifying results by race, there are inevitably supporters and critics.

The question under debate: is there a place for race in medicine?

Theres a growing number who say we should toss this way of thinking entirely. Many scholars now contend that race is closer to a social construct than a biological category, and theres the legitimate fear that pointing out differences between races sends the message that the difference is biological. Even if there are certain genetic differences among populations, we know that self-reported race is at best a crude proxy for indicating them. Moreover, studies often do not adjust for all other variables besides genetics, such as socioeconomic status, culture, and discrimination meaning if differences are shown, the knee-jerk tendency to think biology might overshadow important environmental disparities that deserve our attention. There are social concerns too, in that historically ethnicity in research has been abused by pseudoscientists with racist agendas of demonstrating the superiority of certain people over others. In light of that history, profound sensitivity toward using race as a variable in medicine is understandable and warranted.

Part of the problem may be that some simply do not give it enough thought. There are some who stratify any data they collect on any health-related subject by race because thats what others did before them, along with others before that. But when you do any data analysis, you need to justify its being done. Theres no such thing as just laying out the facts because there is no such thing as a predetermined set of facts that we either expose or hide. We make choices with everything. Collecting, breaking down, and representing data all involve choices. When comparing groups, we can draw the lines wherever we want. Telling of this point is that many studies that talk about race still only compare blacks to whites, ignoring all other groups along with cases of mixed ancestry.

When the choice lies with the researcher, she has an obligation to use it responsibly. As such, its not enough to enough to justify a project with some ambiguous version of: this will contribute to the literature by showing something we do not know. We dont know infinite numbers of things. Research has to have value. At the forefront of every decision should be the questions: Whats the point? Are the differences Im trying to show relevant to anything? Are there implications for disease prevention, diagnosis, management, or treatment?

Sometimes, indeed the answer is yes. There have been cases where thinking about race, even as a rough guide, have led to benefits for patients. Knowing that sickle cell anemia is more prevalent among populations of sub-Saharan African ancestry can tip physicians off for earlier and thereby more effective diagnosis and management. Since Tay-Sachs is a genetic disease with increased prevalence among Ashkenazi Jews, Jewish communities early on welcomed genetic testing for prospective parents and by doing so dramatically reduced the incidence of the disease. Individuals of Asian descent are more likely to carry certain genetic polymorphisms resulting in slower drug metabolism meaning patients need lower doses to achieve the desired effects and avoid toxicity. There are many more examples. While it is such an important point that Ill say it again that race is only a very imperfect proxy for genetics there has been demonstrated medical value in being aware of these trends.

The reason is that medicine is a field that uses heuristics simple rules of thumb that help home in on best guesses when comprehensive searches are not feasible. These shortcuts are so frequently employed because medicine is the perfect storm of information overload combined with limited time. Best guesses in medicine are probabilistic; doctors collect clues from various sources to select more likely and less likely options. Every test, every new piece of information contributes to that ranking. Thus, some argue that just as doctors clue into best guesses based on a patients constellation of symptoms and test results, so too can race be used as an approximate guide. With the recognition that heuristics can lead to biases, the solution is not to discard them but rather to make doctors more cognizant of biases so they can work to eliminate them and use heuristics more effectively.

The use of race in medicine is a deeply sensitive issue and should be treated as such. One thing to note is that in contrast to shameful periods in history that focused on race with unethical agendas, the vast majority of current research is completely well-intentioned, toward the goal of optimally tailoring medical care to a diverse patient population. Those on both extremes of the debate are looking out for patients. So where does that leave us? While there is a place for race in medicine, the literature also remains rife with studies with seem to point out differences with no valid reason for pointing out differences, and my sense is that theres a greater tendency to overuse race when its not appropriate than to neglect it when it is. The burden should be on every medical researcher who wants to talk about race to be explicit as to what contribution this data would make to the world. And, if those measures fail, it would behoove readers and patients to apply just as critical an eye.

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When should medicine talk about race?

Los Angeles Sparks up next: vs. New York Liberty on Saturday

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Alana Beard passes the ball around San Antonio Silver Stars forward Sophia Young. (Bret Hartman / Associated Press / August 23, 2012)

August 25, 2012

Where: Staples Center.

On the air: NBA TV, TWC 101.

Records: Sparks 18-6, Liberty 9-13.

Record vs. Liberty (2011): 1-1.

Update: In Thursday's 101-77 win over San Antonio, the Sparks ended the Silver Stars' 12 game win streak while extending theirs to eight. The Sparks have clinched a playoff spot and are only one game behind Minnesota, which is first place in the Western Conference and has the best record in the league. The Sparks will play New York in the last game of a three-game homestand before starting a five-game trip. The Liberty is in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Liberty is led by Cappie Pondexter, who is averaging 20.8 points, four rebounds and four assists a game.

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Los Angeles Sparks up next: vs. New York Liberty on Saturday

Sun.Star Essay: Of islands

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Saturday, August 25, 2012

VIETNAM opposes Taiwan drills in Spratly Islands was a news headline a few days ago. There is Taiwans plan to conduct military live-in drills in Babinh island, which is part of Vietnams Truong Sa archipelago, the countrys name of the Spratly Islands the Philippines calls Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) or Kapuluan ng Kalayaan.

Of the dispute on the ownership of the shoal with the Philippines and China, the recent tension started with a report of the sight of Chinese ships seen in the lagoon without permission.

Express your condolences to DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo's family

And the standoff started, and the Philippines sent its own ships there.

Turf disputes in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) have as island claimers the Philippines, the Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan). But there are other countries claiming an island or two, which includes Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Brunei.

It can be confusing to find out which islands which country claims and standoffs would be like a fuse that could blow up right where you are, among islands.

Islands have owners, the disputes seem to say.

One thing interesting about the earth are the islands, as though at one time in the far past, a whole worldfor deep reasons of change through the yearsbroke into big and small continents, into islands, islets, shoals.

Thats the attraction of the Philippine archipelago7,107 islands, much of the space untouched as only a total of 2000 islands and islets are peopled.

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Sun.Star Essay: Of islands

Prescription 'donut hole' closing for many on Medicare

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Prescription 'donut hole' closing for many on Medicare

Freedom Conference speaker emphasizes truth and justice

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Photo by Matt Stensland

Hannah Giles, of the American Phoenix Foundation, speaks Saturday during the Freedom Conference at The Steamboat Grand.

Steamboat Springs Freedom Conference attendees on Saturday got to hear what drove Hannah Giles to investigate corruption at an agency that was supposed to be advocating for low-income families.

Giles was a 20-year-old aspiring journalist who had landed an internship in the Washington, D.C., area during summer 2009. While out for a jog, she ran past the housing barracks for the The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN.

It hit me, Giles said. I could do an investigation. Theyre right here.

She said she had written investigative pieces that were critical of ACORN and its political ties during college, but the articles did not change the national perception of the organization.

By the time Giles had finished her jog and returned to her apartment, she said she had formulated a plan to investigate ACORN.

She joined with James O'Keefe, who along with Giles is generally described as a conservative activist. Together, at a cost of $1,500, they produced a number of undercover videos that drew national controversy and led to the organizations downfall. One of the videos was shown at the beginning of Giles speech Saturday. It showed O'Keefe, posing as a pimp, and Giles posing as a prostitute. An ACORN employee was offering them advice on how to avoid paying taxes on their prostitution ring.

ACORN lost its government and private funding and declared bankruptcy in 2009.

Today, Giles helps lead investigations for the American Phoenix Foundation. According to its website, the goal of the foundation is to recruit and train select young potential leaders to transcend the traditional media by becoming independent truth-seeking journalists who relentlessly pursue truth with courage and creativity.

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Freedom Conference speaker emphasizes truth and justice

Freedom Rally in Eighth to Keep Win Streak Alive

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August 25, 2012 - Frontier League (FL) Florence Freedom Florence, KY-The Florence Freedom (51-38) continued their winning ways Saturday night as they put together clutch hits late in the game for a 3-1 win against the Washington Wild Things(38-51).

It was the Freedom's seventh straight win as they remain tied for the final wild card spot with Lake Erie, and Schaumburg with just seven games left in the season.

The Wild Things took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd on an RBI single by Jovan Rosa. The Freedom then tied it in their 2nd on a leadoff solo homerun from Eddie Rodriguez. It was Rodriguez's 14th homer of the season and his seventh in his last seven games.

The game remained 1-1 until the 8th inning. Pierre LePage led off with a single against reliever Chandler Barnard. David Harris then drove a pitch to deep center field which scored LePage from first on the RBI double. Peter Fatse also contributed in the inning with an RBI single of his own to make the score 3-1. Fatse drove in his team high 65th RBI of the season.

Andres Caceres started for the Freedom and turned in a quality start. The lefty went 7 innings allowing 2 hits on 1 earned run. He also matched his career high in strikeouts with 6 as he walked 5.

Caceres earned a no decision as Matt Kline(3-3) earned the win out of relief. Kline retired the only batter he faced Darian Sandford in the 8th on a pop out to second base.

Jorge Marban nailed down his 14th save of the year and his fourth in as many games.

The Freedom will go for the series sweep Sunday night against the Wild Things. Washington will feature RHP Casey Barnes(5-7, 3.70)as the Freedom will counter with RHP Andy Clark(1-1, 1.90).

The games can be heard starting at 5:50 with Steve Jarnicki on Real Talk 1160 AM and realtalk1160.com.

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Freedom Rally in Eighth to Keep Win Streak Alive

Those heading to coastal beaches are asked to keep an eye out for tsunami debris

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In the months ahead many people will be hitting the coastal beaches to go fishing or razor clam digging which is set to open sometime in late October.

With that in mind the Washington State Marine Debris Task Force wanted to make the public aware on how to report potential Tsunami debris they may encounter.

According to the Task Force, many Pacific Northwest coastal beaches are seeing an increase in marine debris, which likely came from the March 2011 Japan tsunami.

Tsunami debris is expected to hit the shores intermittently over the course of the next several years, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predictions.

The Task Force - a group of state agencies led by the state Military Department's Emergency Management Division - has established a marine debris information listserv for Washington residents and coastal visitors. To join, go to the state Department of Ecology website and choose "marine/tsunami debris."

The public can also call the toll-free line at 1-855-WACOAST (1-855-922-6278).

Report oil and hazardous items to the National Response Center and Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) by pressing "1."

Report large floating debris items that might pose a boating or navigation hazard by pressing "2."

Or get instructions for reporting debris that is not large or hazardous.

Hazardous materials to watch out for include spilled oil, drums and barrels, fuel tanks and gas cylinders, chemical totes and other containers with unknown fluids. Do not touch or attempt to move such items.

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Those heading to coastal beaches are asked to keep an eye out for tsunami debris

Experts: Several Naples, Florida…

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NAPLES, Fla. - Southwest Florida beaches left battered by a tropical storm earlier this summer are set for another lashing from Tropical Storm Isaac.

Isaac, on a track that could send it just west of Southwest Florida or right over it, could further erode beaches already in need of renourishment and could wash out what's left of a successful sea turtle nesting season.

"I have no clue what to expect from this," said Maura Kraus, manager of the sea turtle monitoring program for Collier County. "We are just hoping for the best."

In June, Tropical Storm Debby plowed through the Gulf of Mexico on its way to a landfall in the Florida Panhandle. Along the way, the storm hammered Southwest Florida beaches for three days.

Almost 600 sea turtle nests, each with as many as 100 eggs, were flooded or washed away from Collier beaches in Debby. Fewer than 500 nests are left on the beach, Kraus said, and more are hatching every day. More than 1,200 sea turtle nests were laid on Collier beaches this year compared to 751 last summer, according to county figures.

In south Lee County, monitors have counted 129 sea turtle nests, 43 of which already have hatched. Another 20 nests have been lost, according to the nonprofit Turtle Time.

Because turtles that nest on Southwest Florida beaches, mostly loggerheads, are protected species, state and federal rules don't allow the nests to be moved out of harm's way, Kraus said.

Since Debby, sea turtles have been mostly laying eggs high on the beach, but it remains to be seen whether that will be far enough from the Gulf of Mexico to be protected from Isaac.

At the Vanderbilt Beach Resort, manager Mick Moore is worried that not enough beach is left between the hotel and Gulf to keep Isaac from overtopping the seawall.

Moore was concerned enough to install a giant sandbag, called a TrapBag, about 2 feet tall and 100 feet long, on top of the seawall to try to buy some insurance, he said.

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ST Aerospace adds luxury interior unit

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Pop stars, heads of state and Fortune 500 companies will have another reason to look to San Antonio now that Singapore-based ST Aerospace has opened an affiliate dedicated to customized, interior renovations of VIP-style aircraft.

Need an extra bedroom or media center for your wide-body jet? Aeria Luxury Interiors, the new company ST Aerospace started, can do that. Dining rooms, lounges and medically equipped transport capabilities also are among the upgrades Aeria can offer select customers.

It's high-end, luxury interiors, said Ron Soret, general manager of completions at Aeria, and the lead manager of the team pulling the company together.

Our clientele have not been as affected by the downturn in the market as other sectors have been, he said. I think this is going to be a very successful venture for (ST Aerospace).

Gore Design Completions is another San Antonio company that has established itself in the market for high-end aircraft interior refurbishments. Thomas Moore, chairman of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce's aerospace committee, said the market has been red hot for Gore Design, and he believes it will create strong opportunities for Aeria as well.

Aeria already is in operation on a limited basis at a 100,000-square-foot hangar. The hangar is still under renovations to make it ready for the company to operate at full speed.

Soret said one small interior refurbishment job already has been completed using employees from ST Aerospace San Antonio, the repair and maintenance affiliate of ST Aerospace.

Bids are out on four other projects, and Aeria expects to learn within a few weeks whether any were accepted.

At full capacity, the company could handle up to five renovations a year and employ about 300 people, Soret said. It expects its hangar to be completed by the end of September and will add employees as contracts are signed.

Aeria's hangar once was part of Dee Howard Aircraft Maintenance, an aerospace firm that filed for bankruptcy protection in 2002 and became part of ST Aerospace a year later. Interior aircraft renovations were part of its mission, and its demise left a pool of talent that ST Aerospace and other aerospace companies have utilized.

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ST Aerospace adds luxury interior unit

Letter: Spirituality vs. religiousness

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To the editor:

This letter is in response to F. Neil Folks I aint religious, but I am spiritual column appearing in Fridays Craig Daily Press.

Neil, this aphorism is not an oxymoron as you purport. There is a huge difference with spirituality and religiousness.

The word religion is rooted in the Greek word for rule. Spirituality or faithfulness is an individuals belief system or faith based philosophy on life.

Im not (sorry, I wont say aint because Im not redneck either) religious, but I am spiritual and faithful.

Please keep in mind that an aphorism is a terse saying embodying a general truth. Hence, you have already acquiesced that there is general truth in the statement that I am not religious, but I am spiritual.

Given that you accept there is general truth in the statement, I feel confident that you can understand that because I choose not to accept an archbishops, popes or pastors interpretation of Gods words, but do choose to accept the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ as my personal savior and follow the Ten Commandments as prescribed in Leviticus, I am spiritual and faithful but not religious.

Going to church every Sunday, not eating meat on Fridays and judging others that dont agree with our teachings (ie: following rules), does not make a good Christian. Walking in Christs footsteps and living as he taught us does.

I would rather be faithful than religious.

Paul Auwaerter

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Letter: Spirituality vs. religiousness

Spirituality May Boost Mental Health: Study

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Latest Mental Health News

THURSDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Spirituality can be uplifting for your mental health, according to a new study.

University of Missouri researchers examined the results of three surveys that asked Buddhists, Catholics, Jews, Muslims and Protestants about their personalities, levels of spirituality and physical and mental health.

Among people in all five faiths, a greater degree of spirituality was associated with better mental health -- specifically lower levels of neuroticism and greater extraversion. After considering personality variables, the researchers concluded that forgiveness was the only spiritual trait predictive of mental health.

The study recently appeared in the Journal of Religion and Health.

Spirituality may help people's mental health by reducing their self-centeredness and developing their sense of belonging to a larger whole, said study co-author Dan Cohen, an assistant teaching professor of religious studies.

"In many ways, the results of our study support the idea that spirituality functions as a personality trait," Cohen said in a university news release. "With increased spirituality, people reduce their sense of self and feel a greater sense of oneness and connectedness with the rest of the universe. What was interesting was that frequency of participation in religious activities or the perceived degree of congregational support was not found to be significant in the relationships between personality, spirituality, religion and health."

"Our prior research shows that the mental health of people recovering from different medical conditions, such as cancer, stroke, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury, appears to be related significantly to positive spiritual beliefs and especially congregational support and spiritual interventions," Cohen said. "Spiritual beliefs may be a coping device to help individuals deal emotionally with stress."

The relationship between spirituality and health could prove helpful in health care, the researchers suggested. For example, treatments and rehabilitation programs could be tailored to accommodate a person's spiritual beliefs.

Although the study found an association between spirituality and mental health, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

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Would-be doctor arrested; practiced medicine in Midlands

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Authorities say a Georgia man, arrested Friday for practicing medicine without a license, worked at five Midlands-area senior centers and rehabilitation facilities run by West Columbia-based Agape Senior. The company operates 23 assisted living, skilled nursing care, rehab and hospice facilities in the state.

Ernest Osei Addo, 48, was arrested at his home in Austell, Ga., on Friday, two days after he quit his job with Agape Primary Care, the Lexington County Sheriffs Department said.

Addo was hired by Agape in February 2012. He presented the credentials of an Orangeburg man who is licensed to practice medicine in South Carolina, Sheriff James Metts said.

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While working for Agape Senior, Addo allegedly provided medical services for as many as 500 patients at the five local Agape facilities: Agape Senior West Columbia, 2705 Leaphart Road, West Columbia; Agape Senior Kathwood, 4520 Trenholm Road, Columbia; Agape Senior Harbison, 990 Columbia Ave., Irmo; Agape Senior Lexington, 5422 Augusta Road, Lexington; and Agape Rehab, 300 Agape Drive, West Columbia.

Addo came to the attention of authorities when the doctor in Orangeburg reported that Addo, a friend, had stolen his identity and was practicing medicine and using credit cards in the doctors name.

The sheriffs department declined to release the name Addo assumed. Addo did resemble the Orangeburg doctor, Lexington County Sheriffs Department spokesman Major John Allard said.

Lexington County authorities are trying to determine whether Addo had some medical training that allowed him to convincingly impersonate a doctor. They have found no evidence that Addo is licensed to practice medicine anywhere in the United States, Allard said. There is also no indication that Addo is wanted for any crimes anywhere in the U.S.

Addo was being held at the Cobb County Detention Center in Marietta, Ga., awaiting extradition to Lexington County, Allard said.

Agape Senior declined to take questions about the case. But in a statement released by its chief clinical officer, Janet DiNino, the company said it was cooperating with law enforcement and only learned of the alleged deception on Aug. 22.

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Would-be doctor arrested; practiced medicine in Midlands

CSU Channel Islands holds anniversary convocation

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Calling CSU Channel Islands a "testament to a dream," President Richard Rush celebrated the university's 10th anniversary at a convocation Friday.

Friday, in fact, was the 10-year anniversary of the first day of classes at the Camarillo state university. Anniversary events, however, are planned throughout the year.

"Higher education is the pathway to a better life," Rush told a crowd of faculty, staff, students and parents, past and present. "But the state has reduced (CSU) funding by $750 million and is threatening another $250 million if tax proposals don't pass this year. It's a dismissal of our children's and grandchildren's future."

But Rush and other speakers, including Greg Sawyer, vice president of student affairs, talked about triumphs as well.

"It's the Channel Islands way," Sawyer said after the convocation about the university's founding. "We gathered together people who are resilient and motivated, and it was the right combination of people. It wasn't one of us, it was all of us working seven days a week 10 to 12 hours a day."

"When you strip it all away," Rush said after the ceremony, "we answered the challenge of building a university for students. We built it for student success. It's on mission statements all over the campus, and everybody here believes in that mission."

Rush said he was proud of the public and private partnerships built at the university. "I'm not intimidated by public-private partnerships," he said. "I was told when we started that we faced an uphill battle in funding, and I knew what that meant."

Retired Capt. James McHugh, former commander of Naval Base Ventura County, said, "I've seen this university grow and it's been great the way they've reached out to veterans and have been successful in partnering with the U.S. military.

"If I or any base commander recommends a veteran to the school, they work with that person or those people and it's a great partnership," he said.

David Ashley, a senior majoring in biology and the current student body president, agreed "there's an enormous sense of community at Channel Islands. We have civility in our discourse and we respect each other and it's given me so much."

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Jeffrey Epstein, Financier, Fights For The Only Disabilities Advocacy Group In The US Virgin Islands

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NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --On the heels of an unprecedented class action lawsuit by disabled citizens in the US Virgin Islands against their government (VI Alliance v. the Government of the US Virgin Islands), financier, Jeffrey Epstein and the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation, have provided critical funding for the Disability Rights Center of the Virgin Islands (DRCVI), the only legal advocacy organization for the disabled in the US Virgin Islands.

Established by Congress in 1977, to provide legal aid to the disabled in the US Virgin Islands, the DRCVI was originally called the Committee on Advocacy for the Developmentally Disabled, Inc. Today, the DRCVI is a member of the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), the largest provider of legally based advocacy services for people with disabilities in the United States. With the success of the lawsuit, the DRCVI is closely monitoring and supporting the US Virgin Island's obligation to implement a host of reforms for the disabled under a five year plan.

Founded in 2000, the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation supports science education and youth based programs around the country and is based in St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands.

Areas that the DRCVI will be monitoring include: improving disability access in schools, government buildings, restaurants, shops, theaters and bathrooms, improving public transport access, accessible voting and election processes, reducing abuse and neglect in facilities and community settings, reducing physical and chemical restraints, seclusion, and other methods of containment for the disabled, informing the disabled of their rights, increasing the number of disabled who vote, improving quality healthcare, employment opportunities, assistive technology devices and services and emergency preparedness planning.

"The best way to help any segment of the population is to empower them," Jeffrey Epstein remarked. The DRCVI does just that, by focusing on accessibility, voting power and education." Indeed, the DRCVI's mission statement is to: "advance the legal rights of people with disabilities in the U.S. Virgin Islands."

"We have already seen vast improvements under this five year plan," Amelia Headley LaMont noted who is the Executive Director of the DRCVI. "From voter participation to entry ramps in all buildings of a certain size."

http://www.jeffreyepstein.org

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Jeffrey Epstein, Financier, Fights For The Only Disabilities Advocacy Group In The US Virgin Islands

Brave New Healthcare World – Video

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24-08-2012 12:35 Wayne Keathley, President, Mount Sinai Medical Center, weighs in on improving hospital capacity & patient flow with GE Healthcare. Excerpt: "With all the talk about the rise in health care costs and the expense, associated with health care, the reality is, for most hospitals in most parts of the country, even those that are considered the most successful, they operate with very thin operating margins. So, in fact, we have to be even more efficient and more effective in managing our capacity than ever before. And that's not gonna change."

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Brave New Healthcare World - Video