Wow: Deborah Birx admits covid vax was sold on a lie, ‘not following the science'—Robby Soave
Robby Soave delivers radar on Dr. Deborah Birx's recent admission about the Covid-19 vaccines. #Covid19 #Pandemic
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Business Upturn
an hour ago
- Business Upturn
Excell Celebrates Over 25 Years of Delivering Compassionate Home Care and Hospice Support
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Excell, a name synonymous with compassionate and comprehensive care in Oklahoma, is celebrating over 25 years in the space. It is a major milestone that marks a journey of purpose, progress, and people-first service. With two distinct divisions: Excell Private Care Services (PCS) and Excell Home Care & Hospice, the company has grown exponentially over the past eight years under the leadership of the Pennant Group, which acquired the organization in 2017. What began as a unified home care and hospice service has evolved into two powerhouse branches operating with a shared mission: to be Oklahoma's one-stop-shop solution for in-home medical support across all ages and stages of life. Excell Private Care Services Since the Pennant Group acquisition, Excell PCS has seen unprecedented growth. Now operating three additional locations across Oklahoma with numerous patient flows annually, this branch has become a trusted resource for families seeking up to 24-hour support for loved ones, whether recovering from surgery, managing chronic illness, or navigating the challenges of aging. With a huge team of skilled professionals, including nurses, caregivers, and case managers, Excell PCS has also introduced new service lines tailored to veterans and families on a budget to ensure high-quality care that isn't reserved only for the privileged few. In an industry often criticized for financial barriers, Excell stands apart by eliminating deposits, upfront nurse visit charges, and long-term contracts. 'When someone is ill or nearing the end of life, it's already an emotional and financial strain,' said Crystal Warner, CEO of Excell PCS. 'We believe care should ease stress, not add to it.' Excell's 24-hour nurse access, critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, remains a cornerstone of its approach, allowing families to avoid unnecessary ER visits and receive immediate advice in the comfort and safety of their homes. Excell Home Care & Hospice On the hospice side, Excell has redefined what end-of-life care looks like in Oklahoma. The organization has expanded its nursing team, built strong community partnerships, and, most importantly, prioritized keeping patients at home longer and out of hospitals. Unlike traditional home health and hospice models, Excell offers 24/7 support, not just to patients but to their families as well, sending caregivers to sit with loved ones so relatives can rest, grieve, or simply breathe. 'Families often fear hospice because it signals the end,' said Kristina Tell, RN and Executive Director of Excell Home Care & Hospice. 'We see it as an opportunity to bring peace, presence, and support when people need it most, without hidden costs or confusing red tape.' Whether serving seniors or younger individuals with terminal conditions, Excell's care plans are individualized, flexible, and always aimed at preserving the dignity of the patient and the well-being of their families. Locally led and operated, Excell's team includes nurses, therapists, aides, social workers, chaplains, volunteers, and administrative staff who see their work as a calling. This internal culture of collaboration translates into external excellence, where patients receive wraparound care, and families feel supported from the first call to the final farewell. Looking ahead, Excell reflects on its over 25 years of service and sees the future is filled with opportunity. The company is actively seeking acquisitions and preparing to open new private care and hospice locations throughout Oklahoma to meet growing demand. 'Our goal is simple,' said Warner. 'We want to continue being Oklahoma's go-to resource for life-changing home care and hospice services, known for accessibility, affordability, and always delivering with heart.' Media Contact Name: Crystal Warner Email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
If You're Confused by the New COVID Vaccine Guidelines for Kids & Pregnant People, Read This
Confused about the new COVID-19 vaccine guidelines for children and pregnant people? Trust us, you're not alone. It all started on May 27, when Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the U.S. would no longer recommend COVID-19 shots for healthy children over 6 months or healthy pregnant people — a move that shocked most healthcare providers. Not only did the announcement upend the typical vaccine recommendation process, it also targeted a vaccine with good safety and efficacy data. Then, just a few days later, the CDC walked back part of RFK's statement regarding children's vaccines. The agency announced COVID shots would stay on the schedule for healthy children 6 months to 17 years old, as long as the children and their caregivers consulted with a doctor or provider — a caveat even doctors found confusing. 'My neck still hurts from the whiplash,' Dr. Molly O'Shea, MD, FAAP, an official spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and a faculty at the Children's Hospital of Michigan General Pediatrics Continuity Clinic, said on a briefing hosted by the non-profit HealthyWomen this week. More from SheKnows Elon Musk's Daughter Vivian Reveals One of Their Last Tense Interactions - Nearly 5 Years Ago RFK is a known vaccine skeptic, but it's highly unusual for the Health Secretary to make such decisions unilaterally, as multiple experts pointed out during the briefing. So ultimately, what does this mean for children and pregnant people when it comes to getting vaccinated for COVID? Are these shots still necessary, and will insurance still foot the bill for them if without this government backing? Here's what we know so far, according to experts in the briefing. The COVID vaccine is still considered very effective for children and pregnant people, with lower risks than the infection itself. Early in the pandemic, pregnant people and children often suffered significant outcomes from COVID, explained Dr. Margot Savoy, MD, MPH, FAAFP, senior vice president of education, inclusiveness and physician well-being at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). 'For pregnant people, in particular, the risk of ending up in the ICU, the risk of ending up on a ventilator, and the risk of death were just remarkably high, much more than you would expect,' she explained during the briefing. Once the vaccine became available, 'those rates declined,' Dr. Savoy said. In fact, the serious outcomes that many worried would be side effects from the vaccine — things like miscarriage, preeclampsia, blood clots, or premature delivery — were actually more likely to happen as side effects from COVID itself, not the vaccine. 'If you find yourself vaccinated, the rates of all of those things actually go down to almost none,' Dr. Savoy explained. Plus, there's the fact that vaccinated pregnant people pass their immunity to their fetus. That means that the vaccine protects the pregnant person themselves; their fetus, against stillbirth and premature delivery; and the baby, once they're born, by conferring protection in their first six months, Dr. Savoy explained. That's a good thing, because 'babies are very high risk' when it comes to respiratory infections like COVID, added Dr. Alice Sato, MD, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the Advocacy Task Force at the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. 'Because they have such small airways… just a little bit of inflammation can make a baby get into trouble with their breathing a lot faster,' Dr. Sato explained. '[Babies] had very high hospitalizations, even with the last wave [of COVID-19.]' Children of any age can also experience long COVID — Dr. Sato said the most recent estimate was that 6 million children in the US were suffering from it — leading to symptoms like fatigue and fussiness. COVID can also lead to missing crucial periods of time from school or preschool. Getting vaccinated can help shorten those periods and protect them from those kinds of complications. 'In my vaccinated patients who get COVID, they get mild COVID, if they get it at all — and they aren't as apt to get long COVID,' Dr. O'Shea said. The vaccines are also still considered safe, the doctors agreed. In short, 'the recommendations have changed, but the science hasn't changed,' said Kate Connors, senior director of public affairs at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. So what are those new recommendations? The CDC no longer recommends COVID vaccination during pregnancy, which 'seems to be following a unilateral decision from the HHS Secretary,' Connors noted, referencing RFK Jr. 'It was made without any of the input of the experts at the CDC, the members of ACIP [the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices], certainly without feedback from organizations like ACOG, and so we're very concerned about this.' She noted that ACOG continues to recommend COVID vaccination for pregnant people. For children, the new recommendations are less cut-and-dry. After initially saying the US no longer recommends COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children over 6 months (with exceptions for children with certain medical conditions), the CDC now says it recommends a 'collaborative decision-making [approach] with your pediatrician,' explained Dr. O'Shea. 'Healthy children with no underlying health conditions can, in collaboration with their pediatrician, make a decision about whether or not they want to have their child vaccinated this coming fall against COVID-19.' However, this unusual caveat leaves the door open for insurance companies to rescind coverage of the vaccine, possibly forcing parents to pay out of pocket to vaccinate their children (more on that below). For Dr. Savoy, the 'really deeply troubling' part of these decisions is the lack of evidence to support them. 'I actually don't know what data was used to make the decisions that we're talking about today,' she said. 'The data that I have been able to see most recently continues to mark pregnant people as being incredibly high risk. There would be no situation in the data that I saw that would make me think that it makes sense to remove that recommendation.' The same goes for children, she added. COVID-19 remains a threat, Dr. Savoy emphasized. 'We keep having new variants show up. We keep having people end up in the hospital. We keep running out of beds in the ER. There's things that are still happening, even though they don't show up on the news.' This is one thorny question to come out of the changing guidelines. 'We don't know what's going to happen with insurance coverage, and we're very, very worried about it,' Connors said. That's because there's a direct connection between government vaccine recommendations and insurance coverage of those vaccines, Dr. Savoy explained. Insurance companies typically use government recommendations as a sign that a vaccine is safe and essential; when those recommendations are removed or weakened, the companies may see it as a sign (or an opportunity) to stop covering that vaccine. Connors also pointed out that we're only a few months from flu and RSV season, when vaccines become all the more essential for public health. 'This is a really tough time for these conversations, for these unanswered questions,' she said. All four experts continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for everyone, including pregnant people and children. Dr. Sato cited the 'incredible, robust' data that shows that the COVID-19 is safe, effective, and presents fewer risks of complications than an infection itself. 'The science has not changed,' added Connors. 'The COVID vaccine is safe and it is effective… [It's] the best tool that we have to prevent severe outcomes associated with COVID infection.' Dr. Savoy agreed. 'I would still strongly recommend that if you're a pregnant person, that you get vaccinated, not just to protect yourself, but… to protect the fetus and to protect your newborn infant on the other side of that delivery,' she stressed. 'I'm still willing to stand on that hill… And if you were bringing your child in for their visit, I would still say that your child needs to have at least that primary series as a routine recommendation.' Before you go, shop these products to soothe your child's cold symptoms: Best of SheKnows Amanda Seyfried, Megan Fox, & More Celebrities Who Have OCD 18 Baking Soda-Free Natural Deodorants That Won't Irritate Your Sensitive Pits 24 Celebrities Living With Autoimmune Disorders
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nova Scotia Health approaching goal of reduced surgical waitlist
The interim head of the provincial health authority says enough progress has been made to reduce the surgical backlog in Nova Scotia that she's not looking over her shoulder. In December of 2022, Karen Oldfield vowed before the legislature's health committee — first asking for a Bible to swear upon before crossing her heart in the absence of the Good Book — that the backlog would be reduced by 10,000 people by mid-2025. At the time, the list stood at about 22,000 people. Such a decrease would bring the province in line with national benchmarks for surgical waitlists. "I'm not going to hell," Oldfield joked with reporters Friday following an appearance on a panel at a Halifax Chamber of Commerce luncheon to discuss innovation in health care. "We are 1,500 surgeries away from what we would consider to be an appropriate [waitlist]. With any luck, we will hit that this year." Statistics released by Nova Scotia Health show the province's waitlist as of April 1 of this year was 15,769 people. That's down from 17,369 people the same time the year before, and 19,917 people as of April 1, 2023. The procedures with the largest number of people waiting are cataract extraction (3,564), knee replacement (1,274) and hip replacement (783). Oldfield said the progress comes down to the health authority's ability to make a plan and stick to it. "There's no magic," she said. "It's focus and discipline to do it." Although the health authority announced in 2023 a premium for doctors willing to work outside traditional hours in order to cut into the backlog, Oldfield said the biggest factor in making progress has been getting staffing levels back to where they needed to be coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We did lose a lot of staff. Not just because of COVID, but people — they burn out, they age out, they retire. So we've been through a period of resurgence." Oldfield said she would like to see more surgeries happening during off-hours, but there needs to be a certain level of staffing to be able to make that work and take full advantage of available operating room time and equipment. "When we have assets, you want to use your assets," she said. "And when they sit idle, that's not a good thing. So we still have lots of time across the province that these could be used." MORE TOP STORIES
