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Tag: health

  • Wyclef Jean’s – Yele Haiti Earthquake Relief

    Wyclef Jean Yele Haiti FoundationIn 2005, Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean created the grassroots charity organization Yéle Haiti. The founder of the Grammy-winning group The Fugees coined the term Yéle in a song which was deemed to mean, “A Cry For Freedom.”

    Initially, the goal of the foundation was to restore pride and hope to the Haitian people through the launch of initiatives that would allow Haiti’s citizens to empower themselves. Scholarships were created, as well as endowments for arts and culture, food distribution services and emergency relief.

    While these investments were made at a time that the people of Haiti deemed to be arduous, suffering from tropical storms, hurricanes, political revolutions and other natural disasters and health disasters, they could not have anticipated the devastation that was to beset them on January 12, 2010.haiti earthquake

    Haiti, one of the poorest and most under developed nations in the world, was hit with a mammoth earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale decimating it’s capital Port au Prince. Among the structures damaged in the quake were the Haitian Presidential Palace, the United Nations Embassy (which was a 5 story edifice), and several hospitals. Already plagued with poor health care services, the destruction of existing medical facilities will only further exacerbate a bleak situation in aid and recovery of injured victims. A consensus on the death toll has not yet been tallied but fatalities are estimated to be in the tens of thousands. Unfortunately, among the confirmed dead is the chief of the UN mission in Haiti, Ambassador Hedi Annabi.  Haitian President Rene Preval is reported to be safe and in contact with President Obama to coordinate the rescue efforts.urn:newsml:dpa.com:20090101:100113-11-10177

    President Barrack Obama has pledged unwavering support from the U.S. and has deployed air craft providing food, water, clothing and medical supplies, while Haitian celebrity, Wyclef Jean and his Yele Haiti Foundation have taken to the internet with pleas for donations. On the official Yele Haiti Foundation facebook page it’s posted status is:

    “Yele Haiti Please help Haiti in their time of need. You can donate $5 by texting YELE to 501501 or get more info by visiting www.yele.org”

    Undoubtedly, Wyclef Jean will also be donating funds from his personal fortune and it has been reported that he will be donating proceeds from the sale of  his  records and  ringtones during this period to the Haiti relief effort. Digicell, an Irish company that provides cellular coverage in the Caribbean pledged to donate $5 million to the rescue efforts. The U.N. has released $10 million in emergency funds to establish immediate operations in Haiti.  Its World Food Program is sending a cargo plane full of high energy biscuits to the island today. Each biscuit packs enough nutritional value to feed a person for an entire day. The first shipment should feed 30,000 people for a week. Reports are coming in that numerous countries are gearing up to lend support.

  • Bill Clinton Meets with Senate Dems on Health Care

    Former President Bill Clinton knows just how high the political stakes are in the fight to overhaul America’s health care system. His failed attempt to revamp the delivery of medical care contributed to the Republican takeover of the House and Senate in 1994.

  • House Health Bill Unacceptable to Many in Senate

    Don’t look for the Senate to quickly follow the House on health care overhaul. A government health insurance plan included in the House bill is unacceptable to a few Democratic moderates who hold the balance of power in the Senate. They’re locked in a battle with liberals, with the fate of President Barack Obama’s signature issue at stake.

  • Is Health Care Reform Going to Cost you More or Less Money?

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    All of us are confused about health care reform. Many of us support the idea because we support the president. Some of us support health care reform because we know that the current system is terribly flawed. Well, getting informed on the issues might be a great way to ensure that you know what you are backing.

    One of the great problems with health care reform is that most Americans can’t trust it in the first place, given that there are so many special interest groups who’ve hooked their fangs into a corrupt and dysfunctional system. Pharmaceutical companies charge incredibly high prices for drugs and work with lawmakers to keep consumers from having other alternatives. Every day, there is a senior citizen moving one inch closer to death because he/she can’t afford their medication. Most of us know that this system has to be altered.

    Dr. Elaina George is a prominent Otolaryngologist at the Peach Tree ENT Center in Atlanta Georgia. In the audio below, Dr. George breaks down the health care reform package that is being debated in Congress this week. So, while the news might be muted by the mass shootings that have recently occurred, we should not allow this distraction to keep us from the issues that are going to affect our lives.

    Click here to listen to Dr. George.

    Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of the book, “Black American Money.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

     

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  • Buy quality teeth whitening products online

    The dental hygiene is must to be taken care of to avoid any kind of dental decay that may affect the over all health of the people. Tooth whitening is considered to be an effective way for fighting against the abuse of foods and tobacco for maintaining th…

  • Eagles RB Westbrook still questionable (AP)

    With two starters ruled out and two others, including running back Brian Westbrook, listed as questionable, the Philadelphia Eagles go into their biggest game of the season with key health issues. The Eagles (4-2) host the New York Giants (5-2) on Sunday with first place in the NFC East at stake. But Westbrook is questionable after suffering a concussion in last Monday's victory over…

  • No Guarantees on Senate Health Bill’s Public Plan

    The focus of the health overhaul debate now shifts to whether Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid can persuade a handful of moderate senators to get behind his new proposal for a government-sponsored insurance plan.

  • How to start and successfully manage your Own Nursing Agency Business

    Nursing shortage is expected to grow yearly. Based on the number of nurses that we have today, we will have 2%-3% increase of nursing deficit yearly. United States already has 135, 000 nursing vacancies. If there will be no changes on our health care syst…

  • Key Senators May Rebuff Obama on Health Care

    The Democrats’ control of a hefty majority in the Senate – plus the House – would suggest that President Barack Obama is within reach of overhauling the nation’s health care system this fall.

  • Down But Not Out

    If you find yourself in need, or someone you know is in need of home, career, or health assistance, check out this roundup of low-cost and free programs that could be your lifeline.

  • Shunned Illinois Senator Suddenly Relevant

    For Democrats determined to get a health care bill, Sen. Roland Burris is like the house guest who couldn’t be refused, won’t soon be leaving and poses a plausible threat of ruining holiday dinner. Suddenly, he can no longer be ignored.

  • Adviser: Obama Awaiting Finished Healthcare Bill

    The White House will not commit to health care legislation that would cap insurance premiums or tax benefits, taking a wait-and-see approach as congressional negotiators seek a deal, advisers said Sunday.

  • HOT COPY: Toni Braxton Facing Foreclosure

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    Toni Braxton Facing Foreclosure

    In addition to battling health issues over the years, Toni Braxton has also been plagued with financial woes. Earlier this month, the Grammy Award winner was slapped with a counter suit by insurance firm Lloyd’s of London after she sued the company for refusing to pay her when she canceled a show in 2006 due to heart problems. To make matters worse, the ‘Another Sad Love Song’ singer has also defaulted on her mortgage payments and is facing possible foreclosure on a California residence. Head over to TMZ for more details.robin givens

     

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  • AP Poll: HealthCare Overhaul Has a Pulse

    The fever has broken. The patient is out of intensive care. But if you’re President Barack Obama, you can’t stop pacing the waiting room. Health care overhaul is still in guarded condition. The latest Associated Press-GfK poll has found that opposition to Obama’s health care remake dropped dramatically in just a matter of weeks. Still, Americans remain divided over complex legislation that Democrats are advancing in Congress.

  • DC Budget Cuts Can’t Overcome a Mother’s Love

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    My mother gave birth to me when she was 17-years old. As a teen mother who didn’t have a lot of money, she didn’t know the first thing about raising a child, taking care of her health, or preparing for her economic future. Fortunately, there were adults in community-based programs who cared enough to teach her the things that she didn’t yet understand.

    It is for that reason I support programs like The Health Babies Project in Washington, DC. There is no more important job than that of a mother, and The Healthy Babies Project understands that. The great challenge for the organization is that politicians seem to remember that babies don’t vote. So, when the funds are low, programs like this one are among the first to be killed.

    Due to recent budget cuts, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty has allowed for the program’s budget to lose a whopping $500,000 per year, well over half of the funding that the program needs in order to operate. Dr. Pierre Vigilance, Director of the Department of Public Health, has played his role in the process by allowing funding to be cut that had been previously promised to the organization. What’s worse is that the program has been doing a better job than the Department of Health itself when it comes to reaching benchmarks on the elimination of infant mortality.

    The unborn babies can’t quite speak for themselves, but their mothers aren’t taking this lying down. The organization is planning a rally Tuesday, October 6 in Freedom’s Plaza, located on Pennsylvania Avenue. The women being supported by the program are also working the phones to hold local officials accountable and are even pushing to get the attention of First Lady Michelle Obama.

    Programs like The Healthy Babies Project are important, since infant mortality in the black community is 2.3 times greater than that for white Americans. Additionally, persistent problems in the DC area, such as HIV infection and malnutrition require continuous dedication from public officials. One can understand the idea of cutting a program that isn’t working. But if a program is doing well, and goals are being reached, why would this be the program that gets one of the most significant funding cuts in the city?

    Perhaps we are getting a chance to see DC politics at its finest. Politicians are going to be political, but our children need our support.

    Dr. Boyce Watkins is a professor at Syracuse University and author of the forthcoming book, “Black American Money.” To have Dr Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

     

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  • Lose Pounds How Should One Start

    One of the most pressing tasks of humans living today is the issue of health and correct weight standards. Being a rather subjective matter, since proper weight would basically be relative to a persons height, age, and maybe even general build, reducing …

  • Obama Wants Control of Health Debate

    President Barack Obama will deliver a major prime-time health care address to Congress next week, opening an urgent autumn push to gain control of the debate that has been slipping from his grasp under withering Republican-led attacks.

  • Go Green East Harlem

    Celebrate great food and healthy eating with the residents of East Harlem. Restaurants, caterers, farmers’ markets, members of community groups and a group of darned good cooks, with the help of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, have pooled their resources to come up with scrumptious recipes that can also boast health benefits. From Greenmarket’s tangy peach-corn salsa, to Mo-Bay’s delicious collard greens, to Rao’s famous Lemon Chicken, ending with Debbie Quinones lovely limbel de el Caribe, Go Green East Harlem covers the map when it comes to world cuisine. The book also features information on health benefits of certain foods, ways to make takeout food healthier, how to stock a kitchen and how to steer clear of the double threat of obesity and diabetes.