Latest news with #Choices
Daily Record
26-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Young Falkirk cop who died suddenly has police-themed playpark named after him
Aiden Joyce was just 28 when he died suddenly in 2023, and local residents wanted to so whatever they could to honour his memory and the work he did helping local children. The parents of a young police officer who died aged just 28 say he would have thought the police-themed playpark that will bear his name was "absolutely brilliant". The Aiden Joyce Community Park in Bantaskine will officially open on Saturday May 31 thanks to the efforts of Bantaskine Residents Association who pushed to get much-needed facilities for the area. The group's chair, Jacqueline Hannah, said community police officer Aiden was very supportive of the project and it is very fitting that all of the good work he did in the area is being remembered in this way. Not only did locals get behind the project by voting for it to get £80,000 of Community Choices funding from Falkirk Council, another vote confirmed that they wanted it to be named in Aiden's honour. Residents were also involved in voting for the colourful design by Hags, with its special police theme. Aiden's untimely death, on March 7, 2023, came as a total shock to everyone who knew him. A fit and healthy 28-year-old, his death was caused by an undiagnosed anomaly of the coronary artery and now his parents actively campaign to raise awareness and funds to get young people tested every year. Their charity's banner will be proudly displayed as the playpark is officially opened by Aiden's grandparents on Saturday. His mum and dad, Lorraine and Campbell, will be on holiday so will join online. But they got a preview of the colourful new park and were in no doubt that Aiden would have given it his approval as they 'cut the ribbon' to mark the occasion. They were also able to hear from Jacqueline just how much their son had meant to the community. During Covid, a group of residents got together to talk about a number of issues facing the community and Aiden made it clear that he wanted to help and support them. One of the most pressing issues was the fact that there is "nothing in Bantaskine for the kids to do". Aiden - along with local councillors Lorna Binnie and Euan Stainbank, who is now an MP - was encouraging "right from the start" and even helped them fill out the paperwork to get funding. It has taken four years to get to this point, and while the process has sometimes been frustrating, Jacqueline now says the park is "more than we could ever have hoped it would be". "We were just looking for some swings and maybe a wee roundabout but it is absolutely amazing!" she said. It not only has play equipment for children - including inclusive equipment for children with disabilities - there is also gym equipment that adults can use and a seating area for older people. "There's something for everybody!" said Jacqueline. There will also be 24-hour CCTV to make sure that it is looked after. Dad Campbell said the family feels "honoured and privileged" that the park will bear their son's name. "He just loved his job and being involved with the community," said Lorraine. The opening event, which starts at 2.30pm, promises to be a real community celebration with snacks for the children, local musicians playing and Police Scotland have promised to be there too.
Malay Mail
22-04-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Watsons Joins Forces with Customers to Offset 4,000 Tons of CO2 to Fight Against Climate Change
2 HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 22 April 2025 - On Earth Day, Watsons, the flagship health and beauty brand of AS Watson, announces an expanded partnership with ClimatePartner to enhance its carbon compensation initiative. For every purchase of selected Watsons Sustainable Choice products, we aim to offset over 4,000 tons of meet the growing customer demand for Sustainable Choices products, Watsons launched its carbon compensation initiative with ClimatePartner in 2023, initially featuring 7 product ranges. Now, this effort is expanding to include 30 product ranges, further advancing our unwavering commitment to sustainability. The initiative is launched at Watsons O+O (offline plus online) stores throughout Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Turkey, and GCC is committed to offering more sustainable products while ensuring that every purchase makes a meaningful and impactful difference. In addition to ongoing reforestation efforts in Rimba Raya, Indonesia, Watsons is focusing on crucial afforestation in Dingxi, Mainland China— an area affected by desertification, droughts, and severe soil erosion. This initiative involves planting native tree species, selected for their resilience in semi-arid conditions, with the goal of transforming degraded farmland into thriving environmental benefits, the initiative creates employment opportunities for local residents in tree planting and forest maintenance, with a significant portion of roles filled by women, promoting gender equity and empowering local launch, the initiative has been well received by customers and has garnered positive feedbacks., a customer from Malaysia, shared,, a customer from Hong Kong, said,from Thailand added,Inspiring customers to choose Sustainable Choices products is a vital step towards combating climate change and preserving the biodiversity that sustains us all. Together, we can create a ripple effect of positive change, shaping a brighter, greener future for generations to come. This Earth Day marks another significant milestone in Watsons' journey toward climate action, empowering customers to Look Good. Do Good. Feel #ASWatson The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
CBC
24-02-2025
- General
- CBC
There are 200 youth on a housing waitlist in St. John's. Choices for Youth is asking for help
Worries heighten for Choices for Youth executive director Jen Crowe as she thinks about where young people in St. John's are spending their nights during the cold winter months. Crowe says there are 200 youth on a housing waitlist, and Choices for Youth's nine-bed emergency shelter is consistently full. The city's housing shortage is also an issue. Crowe says it's nearly impossible to move people from the emergency shelter to other housing options because "there is nowhere to move them." "We are at an absolute mount in terms of where we are with homelessness and housing insecurity in our community alone," said Crowe, adding that there is a record low of rental unit vacancies in the city. To help with these problems, the organization's annual Coldest Night Of The Year fundraising event was held on Saturday. Over 300 people gathered at Atlantic Place to complete a 2.5-kilometre walk through downtown. About $80,000 was raised, exceeding the group's original goal of $60,000. That money goes directly ino programs and services to support youth experiencing homelessness. "Today is a day of visibility," said Crowe. "It's only together that we can really, truly address this and make a dent in the issue of homelessness in our community." Funding problems continue In August, the organization was forced to cut 16 staff members after federal funding fell through. Choices had asked for $20 million over four years, but only received $4 million. Then, in October, they were able to negotiate an agreement to use the $4 million in one year instead of over four. However, that funding will run out by August. "Ultimately we've received a quarter of what we're used to in terms of federal funding," said Crowe. Since getting federal funding, the organization has hired several staff into its education, employment and social enterprise teams, as well as youth completing pre-employment training. "We have been able to offer new positions to some of the staff who we laid off in the summer," said Crowe. She says there's evidence to prove that the group's programming works. Within a year, half of the youth that have come to Choices for Youth without stable housing, have received housing. And half of the youth seeking mental health support, said they have improved mental health. "We really need to invest in what's working, what's evidence-based," said Crowe. 'Demand is ever increasing' Crowe says Choices for Youth has helped house 150 youth a year in units they operate themselves, and units owned by private landlords. These youth still receive support including therapy, basic needs, skills development and employment support. However, those services are generally booked full, Crowe said, and there aren't enough options in St. John's. Crowe says they also need more "wrap-around supports," which include primary care, mental health support and ways to make an income. In St. John's, half of the people experiencing homelessness first experienced homelessness before the age of thirty, she said. Crowe says the key to stopping homelessness is looking at factors that contribute to it, like substance use, mental health challenges and lack of affordable housing. "I think if we can really narrow in on those baseline fundamental issues, then we have a shot at ending homelessness in our community," she said. To do that, Crowe says, more sustainable funding is needed.
Politico
12-02-2025
- Health
- Politico
Ozempic boom weighs on state budgets
Presented by the Coalition for Medicare Choices Driving The Day DIET DRUGS DRIVE UP COSTS — Soaring costs of weight-loss drugs are leading some states to scrap the benefit for state employees, your host reports. After Colorado's spending on the highly effective but costly drugs classified as GLP-1s, which include Ozempic and Wegovy, more than quadrupled from 2023 to 2024 — with usage doubling every six months — the state health plan is proposing ending coverage, arguing it's financially unsustainable. The potential removal of coverage is sparking blowback among state workers. The state employees' union argues that ending coverage will cost the health plan in other ways: an increase in spending on obesity-related diseases and a less healthy workforce. '[State employees] are very upset about this,' Hilary Glasgow, executive director of the union, Colorado WINS, said. 'Long-term obesity drives a lot of the major fatal diseases in America, and the employees I've talked to feel like they're losing a lifeline that got thrown to them.' Why it matters: Colorado's case illustrates the broader struggles states that choose to cover the drugs for employees face as many states deal with budget shortfalls: Keep covering the drugs and risk depleting their budgets — and potentially increase premiums for everyone on their plans — or eliminate a benefit many employees rely on. At least two others — North Carolina and West Virginia — have already eliminated coverage due to cost concerns. That means those states' employees seeking the drugs for weight loss will have to pay up to $1,500 a month for the treatments. The dilemma also comes as states face their toughest budgetary pressures in years, largely because the federal cash they received during the pandemic has been spent. 'The problem is the near-term cost is so high, and the benefits that you would gain are over a longer-term period,' said Charles Sallee, director of the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, which is exploring options to reduce the costs of covering the drugs for state employees. 'But is that person still going to be in your health plan five years from now?' Key context: GLP-1s are growing increasingly popular: The number of Americans taking the drugs for weight loss rose more than 700 percent between 2019 and 2023, according to a recent study. Michigan, which covers about 49,000 state employees, spent $5.2 million on weight-loss drugs in 2022. That number skyrocketed to $17.5 million in 2023 and $36 million in 2024. The state's Civil Service Commission said one struggle in designing coverage is that the drugs are new, so data on the effects of long-term use is limited. 'If weight loss isn't sustained with or without GLP-1s, we aren't going to have good health outcomes, and plan costs are going to go up,' said Bethany Beauchine, director of the Bureau of Benefits Administration at the Michigan Civil Service Commission. 'What we're trying to figure out is whether the plan costs will stay manageable with the use of the GLP-1s.' WELCOME TO WEDNESDAY PULSE. We hope our D.C. readers are staying warm amid the snowy weather. Send tips, scoops and feedback to khooper@ and ccirruzzo@ and follow along @Kelhoops and @ChelseaCirruzzo. AROUND THE AGENCIES CMMI TO SCRAP DEMOGRAPHIC DATA — The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation will stop collecting data from its payment model participants on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and preferred language, your host reports. The new policy is aimed at implementing executive orders from President Donald Trump that instruct federal agencies to remove policies and activities that promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, the organization said Tuesday in an email to CMMI managers and obtained by POLITICO. CMMI was created as part of the Affordable Care Act to test alternative payments and care delivery under Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. The organization will also 'consider' continuing to collect self-reported disability status 'pending further review,' the email said. 'In keeping with President Trump's Executive Orders, [the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] is reviewing all of its programs and publications to make sure they align with the President's priorities,' said CMMI's parent agency in a statement. Key context: Trump has called DEI policies discriminatory and said they undermine 'the Constitution's promise of colorblind equality.' Why it matters: Health experts have argued that collecting demographic data, including on race and ethnicity, can help identify and correct health disparities. The Biden administration in 2021 launched a strategic redesign of CMMI with a major focus on improving health equity and encouraging rural and underserved medical providers to sign up for value-based care payment models. A key part of the strategy required payment model participants to collect data on the demographic characteristics of beneficiaries to help address health disparities. Eye on Insurers HUMANA DEFENDS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE — Humana CEO Jim Rechtin on Tuesday defended insurers and Medicare Advantage amid a 'volatile few months,' as the industry has come under intense public and congressional scrutiny over care denials and high costs. 'Americans understandably want high-quality, affordable care that is easy to navigate,' he said during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call. 'Too often, that is not what they are receiving today. There is no one company and there is no one sector that is responsible for this. It is a system challenge.' Rechtin touted what he called the benefits of Medicare Advantage — the privately run alternative to Medicare that enrolls more than half of the eligible population — over traditional Medicare, including more affordable care and better access to care. But he emphasized the need to improve the program, including simplifying navigation for patients and providing better customer service. Rechtin said the company will invest heavily over the next year in improving operations and quality of its MA plans. Why it matters: The comments come as insurers have come under fire for how often they deny care, especially after the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December, with the incident sparking outrage on social media pointed toward the industry. Lawmakers in Congress also have grown increasingly critical of insurers' prior authorization practices. Other major insurers, like Cigna, have since announced plans to focus on and improve customer satisfaction rates. Key context: A forecast profit for 2025 that fell below Wall Street's expectations accompanied Rechtin's comments. Humana and other MA insurers continue to deal with elevated medical costs and an uncertain regulatory environment. Rechtin said the company isn't yet providing an outlook for 2026 because of those uncertainties, including not knowing what CMS' final payment rate notice for 2026 will be and ongoing litigation against the agency over a downgrade in Humana's star ratings — a key metric assessing plan quality that the government uses to determine bonus payments. In Congress PRESSURE IS ON ARRINGTON — House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) has the opportunity to make the enormous cuts to federal spending he's always wanted, POLITICO's Rachael Bade and Meredith Lee Hill report. But the Texas Republican is at risk of being outmaneuvered by fellow chairs, senior leaders and the Senate as frustration mounts over his struggle to advance President Donald Trump's vast policy agenda. The House Republicans' budget blueprint, blessed by Speaker Mike Johnson, has long been stalled in the chamber. On Tuesday, Arrington called for a Thursday committee meeting to resolve vast differences on and advance the plan — and he now has less than 48 hours to figure out how to make it all work. 'We'll soon find out if Jodey is in over his head,' one GOP lawmaker, granted anonymity to speak candidly, texted shortly after Arrington announced the Thursday markup. Arrington will have to take on the difficult task of bridging the deficit-minded politics of the hard right with the more pragmatic concerns of swing-district Republicans wary of political blowback. He's also facing increasing pressure from top House leaders as they try to swiftly deliver Trump's legislative agenda. Key context: Arrington made clear that his heart lies with the panel's most conservative members, who want to seize the opportunity to get the nation's fiscal trajectory on track. He's long agitated for Republicans to get control of skyrocketing spending on the mandatory programs — including Medicare and Medicaid — that largely drive federal budget deficits. Names in the News Dr. Daniel Knecht is joining EmblemHealth as chief medical officer. Knecht most recently served as chief clinical innovation officer at CVS Caremark. Marvin Figueroa is joining BGR Group as a vice president in the health and life sciences practice. Figueroa was most recently chief of staff to former Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.). WHAT WE'RE READING POLITICO's Kyle Cheney reports on President Donald Trump's escalating clashes with federal courts. STAT's Sarah Owermohle and Rachel Cohrs Zhang report on how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could revive a dormant task force to scrutinize vaccine safety. KFF Health News' Daniel Chang reports on the big perks a small Florida town is offering to attract a new doctor.
