Latest news with #RushUniversityMedicalCenter
Vogue
03-06-2025
- Health
- Vogue
To Keep Your Brain Young, Follow the MIND Diet
Brain health is trending—even in the travel industry. To wit: The resort Kamalaya in Koh Samui recently launched a Brain Enhancement Program aimed at optimizing neurological function and preventing cognitive decline; Lanserhof Tegernsee in the Bavarian Alps recently launched a Brain Health Program that combines neurofeedback therapy with a holistic approach. Combining brain wellness with a wellness vacation makes sense—after all, keeping the brain in top shape not only reduces the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, but helps keep the entire body healthy, too. Plus, rates of Alzheimer's and dementia have been steadily increasing: One study predicts that the number of people with dementia worldwide will increase from 57 million in 2019 to 152 million by 2050. If that kind of freaks you out, keep this in mind: The right diet can have a positive impact on aging—and that includes the aging brain. One easy and affordable diet that's been shown to keep the brain functioning at its best for as long as possible is the MIND diet, an eating regimen entirely focused on brain health. According to recent studies, including one published in Neurology in 2024, the MIND diet helps prevent cognitive decline, keep the brain young, and the memory active. Read on to find out what it is—and how to follow it. What is the MIND diet? The MIND diet is an amalgamation of two diets recognized as among the healthiest on the planet: The Mediterranean diet The DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diet, aimed at combating high blood pressure This dietary approach was first identified in 2015 by Dr. Martha Clare Morris and her colleagues at Rush University Medical Center, and encourages the consumption of natural, unprocessed foods that are rich in brain-protecting nutrients. In particular, it focuses on plant-based foods, which have been shown to reduce inflammation and help the body maintain a healthy weight. The diet recommends limiting foods of animal origin, which are rich in saturated fats and associated with inflammation and brain decline. The benefits of the MIND diet Protects against cognitive decline, keeping the brain young Prevents degenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's Helps maintain a resilient memory According to some recent studies, it may protect against cardiovascular disease May protect against high blood pressure May help prevent diabetes Fights systemic inflammation, a risk factor for cognitive decline Helps with weight management Who should follow the MIND diet? Because the diet is a blend of two well-studied and respected diets, it's considered safe for almost every. That said, it is always a good idea to consult a doctor or nutritionist before embarking on any new wellness plan. What foods can you eat on the MIND diet? The MIND diet is easy to put into practice and sustainable over a long period of time. It identifies nine categories of 'mind healthy' foods that are beneficial for the brain and recommends that they're included in a weekly menu. It also discourages the consumption of six other categories of foods that are linked to brain deterioration. The MIND diet primarily prioritizes vegetables and fruits of all colors and varieties because they are rich in fiber, high in nutrients, and offer anti-inflammatory properties. These foods are high in a range of antioxidants, such as carotenoids and flavonoids, which fight free radicals and oxidative stress, protecting the neurons in the brain. The MIND diet puts berries at the top of the list for their extraordinary antioxidant properties. Here's what else is on the list:
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 hospital supply chain directors explain how AI is helping them manage critical inventory
Hospitals face frequent disruptions in inventory for supplies like IV fluids and medications. Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Rush University Medical Center leaders talk about managing that with AI. This article is part of "How AI Is Changing Everything: Supply Chain," a series on innovations in logistics. When Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina in late September, it caused more than $59 billion in damages. Among those businesses damaged was one of the US's main manufacturers of IV fluids, used to rehydrate patients and give them medicine. The resultant shortage forced hospitals to conserve and reduce their use of IV fluids, which led to canceled surgeries and treatment delays. Such disruptions to hospital inventory have long been hard to predict and difficult for hospitals to navigate. At the same time, keeping too much of a given item on hand is wasteful. In 2019, hospitals spent about $25.7 billion on supplies that they didn't need, the consulting firm Navigant found in a study of over 2,100 hospitals — about $12.1 million for an average hospital. To reduce waste, while ensuring providers have the medical supplies they need, some leading hospital systems are using automation, predictive analytics, and other forms of artificial intelligence to manage inventory. Business Insider asked supply chain managers from three systems — the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic, and Rush University Medical Center — about how they use machine learning, generative AI, sensors, and robotics to anticipate shortages and help with contracting and ordering. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider: What are some of the most effective and innovative ways that you're making use of AI? Joe Dudas, Mayo Clinic's division chair of supply chain strategy: We've deployed autonomous delivery and robotic warehouse fulfilment — robots that pick orders. We're advancing our algorithms for auto-replenishment to be even more accurate. We're also using AI to explore savings opportunities and understand the sustainability of those opportunities over the length of an agreement, based, for example, on demand. We're doing advanced analytics in high-spend categories — we're just getting a lot smarter about what's happening with a little bit more precision. Even our expense management, we're looking at profit and loss, and supply expense, to understand what's happening from a budgetary perspective. Based on the present and what's happened in the past, we can look forward with some degree of accuracy. Geoff Gates, Cleveland Clinic's senior director of supply chain management: In some of our tools, instead of having someone click lots of buttons and type data into 20 or more fields, for example, we have been able to automate that process with AI, which saves employees 20 minutes every time. Those are the tasks that are the biggest benefit from a pure efficiency standpoint — they let people focus on other things. We also use AI for document recognition and have been using it to manage invoices through our ERP inventory-management system for the last four years. If a medical-supply rep has a bill sheet that needs to get processed — to create a purchase order — the rep submits it, and our tool automatically creates a requisition. With distribution, our goal is to create a better view of what we have within our health system and the hospital. Our goal with key suppliers is to be able to see which supplies they have in their warehouses and to predict disruptions. For instance, if we can see that a supplier doesn't have a shipment coming in, the system would alert us that we'll have a problem in two weeks. Jeremy Strong, Rush University Medical Center's vice president of supply chain: For inventory management, we have weighted bin systems in all heavy-volume areas. When a nurse takes something out and puts something back in, we know it. Once we implemented that, we could start to be proactive. We have a system that includes our distributor's data about inventory coming into their distribution center. They can see where our utilization patterns are changing. Then AI reviews all that. A back-order dashboard creates alerts when automatic supply-refill levels across the system are low, inventory is low at the distribution center, or shipments from manufacturers are taking longer than anticipated. We can anticipate that we're going to run out in a week from now or going to have a back-order problem. We also use it in contract management. When a contract is loaded in, AI will send it to the category manager with a summary and potential clauses to review. It can also automatically send contracts to the cybersecurity team for approval. If it has patient information, it sends it to the risk lawyers. If it has indemnification, it sends it to our regular lawyers. What are some of the advantages of automation that your system has realized? Dudas: Our automation gives us agility. We can see things sooner and adjust faster because of our technology but also because of our talent. Somebody asked me the other day, "Where are you advancing?" I said, "We're not advancing. We're keeping up with all of the curveballs we get thrown on a day-to-day basis." Gates: At this point, the tools have touched almost everyone in the supply chain. Even a specific process that only impacts one or two people who were doing those tasks allows us to be more efficient and accurate. Strong: The goal was to move from being reactive and putting out fires to being more predictive, to prevent fires from happening, see things ahead of time, and be more efficient. We've also sped up contract review. We cut the time it takes to review them in half and more than doubled the number of reviews each contract gets. What advice do you have for other companies interested in implementing AI to streamline inventory? Dudas: Recognize that you can't do everything yourself. Even as big as our organization is, it's not big enough. Scale is your friend in the supply chain. Gates: Some things weren't necessarily the biggest opportunities to start with, but they were low-risk processes that gave us the skillset needed to leverage AI. We're most focused on finding the right solution for the problem rather than forcing a solution. Strong: The best tasks or processes to tackle are ones that are repetitive or require pulling and summarizing data from multiple digital sources. Tackle these, and you can gain efficiencies, improve productivity, and be proactive. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
If You Want To Age Well, Experts Say You Should Start Doing These Very Simple Things Immediately
When it comes to getting older, there are many factors that help you live a fulfilled, healthy life — ones that go beyond working out and eating your vegetables (although that's part of it, too). 'Aging well, in my opinion, consists of three different components,' said Dr. Parul Goyal, a geriatrician at Vanderbilt Health in Nashville. These categories are physical health, emotional connection and mental support, Goyal said. These elements come together to help you live a life that's rewarding, lively and healthful. Doctors say there are lots of behaviors that contribute to your physical, emotional and mental health as you grow older, and some clear signs that you're taking care of yourself in these ways. Below, geriatricians share the indicators that someone is aging well, along with a little advice if you feel like you're not hitting the mark. You take time to learn new things. The older we get, the fewer chances we have to absorb new information; many of us are far out of school or work. The opportunities to learn are limited if those opportunities aren't sought out. 'We also look at their cognitive health in this ... making sure that they are staying mentally strong, they are using their mind, they are engaging in exercises to stimulate their mind, which means they are learning like a new skill,' Goyal said. She encourages her patients to learn something new, whether it's a new game, exercise, language or musical instrument. 'That will help form new pathways in the brain so that they can continue to stay cognitively strong,' she said. You're honest about your needs. 'So often, people don't age well because they're not upfront about what their needs are,' said Robyn Golden, the associate vice president of social work and community health at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. 'How do we make it OK for people to say, 'This is what I need, I'm feeling lonely, I need someone to go out with on a Tuesday night.'' Rampant ageism makes it easy for people to feel like a burden or invisible, Golden said, which can encourage silent suffering. But it's important to push against that and let folks know when you're having a tough time. So if you're someone who can share your thoughts and needs with your family and friends, that's a good sign. What's more, if you're struggling with depression and anxiety, it's important to let your doctor know. There's often a false belief that anxiety or depression after a certain age is more 'normal,' but Golden said this is not true. 'Depression can be treated at any age, and not just with medication, with counseling, with group interventions, you name it. So, I think that's part of how you age well, being open to being able to say, 'This is who I am, this is what I need,'' she explained. You have a community. Loneliness and isolation are a big problem, so much so that the surgeon general of the United States declared an epidemic of isolation and loneliness throughout the country. 'As you know, with the COVID pandemic, this has become really important. There was a lot of social isolation among our geriatric patients because they were confined to their homes,' Goyal said. To combat feelings of loneliness and isolation, it's important to bolster your social connections, whether that's with friends, family, your church group or your community, she said. Related: People Are Sharing The Wildest Medical Self-Diagnoses That Actually Turned Out To Be Correct There isn't one right way to connect with your community, either. Golden said this could look like anything from volunteering at a local food bank to helping a neighborhood child learn to read. Socializing can help your brain health, too, said Dr. Lee Lindquist, the chief of geriatrics at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. 'We think of the brain as a muscle, so if you sit in a room with four walls all day and not talk to anybody, you're almost living in a nursing home ... your brain is going to go to sludge because it's not getting any stimulation,' Lindquist said. Socializing, whether that's talking to people in person or on the phone, interacting with folks on Zoom or joining a book club, is a way to exercise your brain and make it stronger, said Lindquist. You prioritize your physical health. Eating nutritious foods and exercising are important all throughout your life, including when you reach an older age. Goyal said she talks with her patients about eating a healthy diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, and one that aligns with a combination of a Mediterranean diet and a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. According to Goyal, the DASH diet is 'a low sodium diet that is recommended for people that have high blood pressure.' The Mediterranean diet is a well-studied meal plan that is full of whole grains, healthy fats, lean meat and plant-based foods. Drinking enough water is also part of this, Goyal said. And, beyond what you eat and drink, it's important to keep yourself physically fit, too. 'I want people to keep moving, exercising. If you haven't moved in a long time, or you've been sitting down for a long time, it's sometimes useful to ask your doctors for a physical therapy order to help you with your gait and balance,' said Lindquist. Related: 17 People Shared How They Put "Microfeminism" Into Practice Daily, And We Should All Take Note She noted that many of us may be afraid to move around as we get older because of a fear of falling, but exercising — whether you're walking or joining a tai chi class — can help with your fall risk. 'Because what happens is if we choose not to walk or choose not to move, then it puts you at a higher risk for falling. So it's almost like a catch-22,' added Lindquist. When exercising, Goyal said it's also important to work on your muscle strength, since muscle mass is lost as you age. Lifting weights, pilates, yoga and tai chi can all be a part of a good muscle-building exercise routine, Goyal said. Additionally, cardio fitness — like walking, biking, swimming and running — are important for your heart health. You do things you enjoy. 'I love people who are doing activities and enjoying life, and doing it in a way that brings them enjoyment,' Lindquist said. It's not realistic to think that you'll never deal with an illness or an injury, but that doesn't mean you can't do the things you love to do, whether that's traveling, learning new recipes or playing games with your family. 'From my end, people get chronic illnesses throughout their life, but it's all about managing their care and doing the best they can,' Lindquist added. And if you're doing things you enjoy, you likely won't find yourself bored, and boredom can be a red flag as you age, Golden explained. 'Feeling like the day is very, very long is not a good sign.' Hobbies, volunteer work and spending time with loved ones are all good ways to combat boredom. You talk to your doctor about the medications you take. Just because you were prescribed one medication in your 50s doesn't mean it's still serving you 20, 30 or 40 years later. 'Many times, we end up taking too many medicines for what we actually need,' Lindquist said. 'Your body is always changing, it may not need [certain] meds.' She said it's important to talk to your doctor about de-prescribing any unnecessary medications. For example, if you were prescribed medication for stress when you were working in your 50s, you may not need it after you retire. 'And so it may be that they don't need these medicines, or that these medicines might actually be bad for them as they get older. So, it's imperative that you talk to your physician [or] a geriatrician ... specifically looking at what drugs are unnecessary or can be dangerous as you get older,' Lindquist noted. You plan for the future. 'The other thing I always tell people is to plan ahead because as much as we all want to age well into our hundreds, healthy and happily, there is a very good chance that something might happen that you need to be hospitalized, or that you might need more support in your home,' Lindquist said. It's important to talk to your family and friends about what you want to happen if you are hospitalized, if you fall or if you experience memory loss. This way, your loved ones will be prepared if any unplanned, stressful situations occur. 'It's not planning for end of life, which is like hospice, or [planning] you're going to die in six months ― this is planning for the 20 years before you need help,' Lindquist explained. This is a way to ensure your voice is heard as you get older, and that those around you don't make decisions for you. This could look like having a conversation with your kids about what kind of support you want if you get to a point where you can't care for yourself. Or it could look like talking with your partner about downsizing to a one-story house that won't require frequent stair use. Lindquist said it's good to start this kind of planning when you retire, but it's also important to know that these plans may change as your life progresses, and that is OK. As plans change, it's crucial that you keep the conversation going and inform your loved ones. If you need future-planning advice or tips on how to talk to loved ones about these potentially stressful conversations, Lindquist and her colleagues created Plan Your Lifespan, a free future-planning resource for older adults that's backed by research, studies and funding from the National Institutes of Health. If you haven't done any of these things yet — or you haven't prioritized them like you should — don't panic. Now is always a good time to begin; the sooner you start focusing on these things the better. And even if you still think you have time, Goyal stressed that you still should make these behaviors a priority. 'The important thing I want to really communicate with this topic is that oftentimes people will ask me this question: 'How do I age well?' when they're well in their 60s or their 70s,' Goyal said. 'I really want people to start thinking about aging well from the time they're in their 30s and their 40s.' If you start focusing on healthy habits earlier in your life, you can carry them along into your golden years, Goyal said. Additionally, as you age, don't focus so much on the number. That has nothing to do with aging well. 'Chronological age doesn't mean a whole lot — so, 65, 75, 85, it's how you're feeling that makes that difference, not that number,' Golden said. If you prioritize your relationships, your physical health, your mental health and your future plans, you'll be set up to feel good no matter what year you were article originally appeared on HuffPost. Also in Goodful: "It's Soul-Crushing": People Are Revealing The TellTale Signs Someone Has Been Through A Lot Of Shit In Their Life, And Some Of These Might Surprise You Also in Goodful: "I'm Sitting There With My Jaw On The Floor": Guys Are Sharing The Minor Things Women Say, Do, Or Wear That Drives Them Wild, And I Didn't Expect Any Of These Also in Goodful: 21 "Fatal" Safety Mistakes People Make Every Day (And How To Avoid Them), According To First Responders
Buzz Feed
10-05-2025
- Health
- Buzz Feed
7 Signs You're Aging Well, According To Geriatricians
When it comes to getting older, there are many factors that help you live a fulfilled, healthy life — ones that go beyond working out and eating your vegetables (although that's part of it, too). 'Aging well, in my opinion, consists of three different components,' said Dr. Parul Goyal, a geriatrician at Vanderbilt Health in Nashville. These categories are physical health, emotional connection and mental support, Goyal said. These elements come together to help you live a life that's rewarding, lively and healthful. Doctors say there are lots of behaviors that contribute to your physical, emotional and mental health as you grow older, and some clear signs that you're taking care of yourself in these ways. Below, geriatricians share the indicators that someone is aging well, along with a little advice if you feel like you're not hitting the mark. You take time to learn new things. The older we get, the fewer chances we have to absorb new information; many of us are far out of school or work. The opportunities to learn are limited if those opportunities aren't sought out. 'We also look at their cognitive health in this ... making sure that they are staying mentally strong, they are using their mind, they are engaging in exercises to stimulate their mind, which means they are learning like a new skill,' Goyal said. She encourages her patients to learn something new, whether it's a new game, exercise, language or musical instrument. 'That will help form new pathways in the brain so that they can continue to stay cognitively strong,' she said. You're honest about your needs. 'So often, people don't age well because they're not upfront about what their needs are,' said Robyn Golden, the associate vice president of social work and community health at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. 'How do we make it OK for people to say, 'This is what I need, I'm feeling lonely, I need someone to go out with on a Tuesday night.'' Rampant ageism makes it easy for people to feel like a burden or invisible, Golden said, which can encourage silent suffering. But it's important to push against that and let folks know when you're having a tough time. So if you're someone who can share your thoughts and needs with your family and friends, that's a good sign. What's more, if you're struggling with depression and anxiety, it's important to let your doctor know. There's often a false belief that anxiety or depression after a certain age is more 'normal,' but Golden said this is not true. 'Depression can be treated at any age, and not just with medication, with counseling, with group interventions, you name it. So, I think that's part of how you age well, being open to being able to say, 'This is who I am, this is what I need,'' she explained. You have a community. Loneliness and isolation are a big problem, so much so that the surgeon general of the United States declared an epidemic of isolation and loneliness throughout the country. 'As you know, with the COVID pandemic, this has become really important. There was a lot of social isolation among our geriatric patients because they were confined to their homes,' Goyal said. To combat feelings of loneliness and isolation, it's important to bolster your social connections, whether that's with friends, family, your church group or your community, she said. There isn't one right way to connect with your community, either. Golden said this could look like anything from volunteering at a local food bank to helping a neighborhood child learn to read. Socializing can help your brain health, too, said Dr. Lee Lindquist, the chief of geriatrics at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. 'We think of the brain as a muscle, so if you sit in a room with four walls all day and not talk to anybody, you're almost living in a nursing home ... your brain is going to go to sludge because it's not getting any stimulation,' Lindquist said. Socializing, whether that's talking to people in person or on the phone, interacting with folks on Zoom or joining a book club, is a way to exercise your brain and make it stronger, said Lindquist. You prioritize your physical health. Eating nutritious foods and exercising are important all throughout your life, including when you reach an older age. Goyal said she talks with her patients about eating a healthy diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, and one that aligns with a combination of a Mediterranean diet and a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. According to Goyal, the DASH diet is 'a low sodium diet that is recommended for people that have high blood pressure.' The Mediterranean diet is a well-studied meal plan that is full of whole grains, healthy fats, lean meat and plant-based foods. Drinking enough water is also part of this, Goyal said. And, beyond what you eat and drink, it's important to keep yourself physically fit, too. 'I want people to keep moving, exercising. If you haven't moved in a long time, or you've been sitting down for a long time, it's sometimes useful to ask your doctors for a physical therapy order to help you with your gait and balance,' said Lindquist. She noted that many of us may be afraid to move around as we get older because of a fear of falling, but exercising — whether you're walking or joining a tai chi class — can help with your fall risk. 'Because what happens is if we choose not to walk or choose not to move, then it puts you at a higher risk for falling. So it's almost like a catch-22,' added Lindquist. When exercising, Goyal said it's also important to work on your muscle strength, since muscle mass is lost as you age. Lifting weights, pilates, yoga and tai chi can all be a part of a good muscle-building exercise routine, Goyal said. Additionally, cardio fitness — like walking, biking, swimming and running — are important for your heart health. You do things you enjoy. 'I love people who are doing activities and enjoying life, and doing it in a way that brings them enjoyment,' Lindquist said. It's not realistic to think that you'll never deal with an illness or an injury, but that doesn't mean you can't do the things you love to do, whether that's traveling, learning new recipes or playing games with your family. 'From my end, people get chronic illnesses throughout their life, but it's all about managing their care and doing the best they can,' Lindquist added. And if you're doing things you enjoy, you likely won't find yourself bored, and boredom can be a red flag as you age, Golden explained. 'Feeling like the day is very, very long is not a good sign.' Hobbies, volunteer work and spending time with loved ones are all good ways to combat boredom. You talk to your doctor about the medications you take. Just because you were prescribed one medication in your 50s doesn't mean it's still serving you 20, 30 or 40 years later. 'Many times, we end up taking too many medicines for what we actually need,' Lindquist said. 'Your body is always changing, it may not need [certain] meds.' She said it's important to talk to your doctor about de-prescribing any unnecessary medications. For example, if you were prescribed medication for stress when you were working in your 50s, you may not need it after you retire. 'And so it may be that they don't need these medicines, or that these medicines might actually be bad for them as they get older. So, it's imperative that you talk to your physician [or] a geriatrician ... specifically looking at what drugs are unnecessary or can be dangerous as you get older,' Lindquist noted. You plan for the future. 'The other thing I always tell people is to plan ahead because as much as we all want to age well into our hundreds, healthy and happily, there is a very good chance that something might happen that you need to be hospitalized, or that you might need more support in your home,' Lindquist said. It's important to talk to your family and friends about what you want to happen if you are hospitalized, if you fall or if you experience memory loss. This way, your loved ones will be prepared if any unplanned, stressful situations occur. 'It's not planning for end of life, which is like hospice, or [planning] you're going to die in six months ― this is planning for the 20 years before you need help,' Lindquist explained. This is a way to ensure your voice is heard as you get older, and that those around you don't make decisions for you. This could look like having a conversation with your kids about what kind of support you want if you get to a point where you can't care for yourself. Or it could look like talking with your partner about downsizing to a one-story house that won't require frequent stair use. Lindquist said it's good to start this kind of planning when you retire, but it's also important to know that these plans may change as your life progresses, and that is OK. As plans change, it's crucial that you keep the conversation going and inform your loved ones. If you need future-planning advice or tips on how to talk to loved ones about these potentially stressful conversations, Lindquist and her colleagues created Plan Your Lifespan, a free future-planning resource for older adults that's backed by research, studies and funding from the National Institutes of Health. If you haven't done any of these things yet — or you haven't prioritized them like you should — don't panic. Now is always a good time to begin; the sooner you start focusing on these things the better. And even if you still think you have time, Goyal stressed that you still should make these behaviors a priority. 'The important thing I want to really communicate with this topic is that oftentimes people will ask me this question: 'How do I age well?' when they're well in their 60s or their 70s,' Goyal said. 'I really want people to start thinking about aging well from the time they're in their 30s and their 40s.' If you start focusing on healthy habits earlier in your life, you can carry them along into your golden years, Goyal said. Additionally, as you age, don't focus so much on the number. That has nothing to do with aging well. 'Chronological age doesn't mean a whole lot — so, 65, 75, 85, it's how you're feeling that makes that difference, not that number,' Golden said. If you prioritize your relationships, your physical health, your mental health and your future plans, you'll be set up to feel good no matter what year you were born.
CBS News
01-05-2025
- CBS News
Former Chicago nurse sentenced to 5 years for cyberstalking, harassing man he met on dating app
A former Rush University Medical Center nurse has been sentenced to 5 years in prison, after he pleaded guilty to harassing and cyberstalking a man he met on a dating app, including setting up fake online profiles impersonating the victim, leading to hundreds of men showing up at the victim's home seeking sex. Cruz also admitted to sending nude photographs of the victim to his family, and falsely telling the victim's mother that he'd committed suicide. Kevin Cruz, 34, of Oak Park, Illinois, pleaded guilty last year to one count of sending electronic communications with the intent to harass and intimidate. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Seven Seeger sentenced him to 5 years in prison, and ordered him to pay the victim more than $17,000 in restitution. According to the charges, Cruz met the victim on Grindr in August 2021. The victim, a personal trainer, initially exchanged phone numbers with Cruz, provided personal training sessions to him, and sent him nude photos of himself. After a few months, when Cruz pursued a deeper romantic relationship, the victim said he wasn't interested, and Cruz began setting up several profiles on various dating apps, impersonating the victim, and sharing near-nude photos of the victim. Cruz then began communicating with users on those dating apps to set up meetings at the victim's house for sex, resulting in hundreds of men showing up at the victim's home seeking sex between December 2021 and February 2023. In some cases, the people Cruz had contacted were told they should enter his home without knocking, and if the victim told them to stop, it was just part of a roleplaying game, and they should try to have sex with him anyway. At one point, the victim moved out of his Oak Park apartment and moved in with his parents, but men kept showing up unannounced seeking sex. As a result, police stationed a patrol car outside his home to stop men from going in. Cruz also sent the victim's boss and family members nude photos of him multiple times in 2022, including his mother, brother, cousins, and aunts. He also sent the victim's mother a text message in April 2022 falsely claiming the victim had committed suicide. The victim obtained an order of protection against Cruz in Cook County Circuit Court in July 2022, prohibiting Cruz from contacting the victim in any way, or from coming within 1,000 feet of his home, or sending out any photographs of the victim, but the harassment continued, according to prosecutors. As part of the FBI investigation into Cruz's harassment, the victim arranged for a meeting on May 5, 2023, at a Starbucks in Villa Park. Wearing a hidden camera while undercover agents set up surveillance, the victim asked Cruz to "Admit that it's you like abusing my family . . . like all the messages from fake numbers to my family and to me. Like, it's hundreds in a day," according to the charges. Cruz admitted, "It was all me. Is that what you want to hear?" After walking out of the Starbucks and approaching the victim's car, the victim asked Cruz "Ok, one last question is who wrote who wrote 'ho' on my car right here? Who wrote this on my car?" When Cruz admitted it was him, the victim asked, "you keyed my car?" and Cruz said yes, according to the charges. Cruz then tried to block the victim from getting into his car, and FBI agents contacted local police, who escorted Cruz back to his own car. After that meeting, Cruz continued to harass the victim, sending him text messages from "spoofed" phone numbers, sending flowers and food to his home, and leaving a handwritten message on his car, begging his forgiveness. Cruz was arrested at his home on May 16, 2023, after he was spotted outside the gym where the victim worked, placing a note on the victim's car. Cruz has been accused of stalking other men. Cook County Circuit Court records show a Chicago man obtained an order of protection against him in 2011, only to have him send hundreds of text messages over the next two years. A former co-worker at Rush also obtained a workplace protection order against him in 2022 after Cruz was fired by the hospital, which had launched its own independent investigation into Cruz's harassment of the victim, who also worked at Rush at the time. After he was fired, Cruz began sending repeated messages to former colleagues vowing to fight his termination and seeking their support to get his job back, prompting at least one former co-worker to obtain an order of protection against him.
