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Unvaccinated healthcare workers hope to go back to work

Sandy Hartman is frustrated. She’s not allowed back to work at the London Health Sciences Center because she’s not been vaccinated against COVID-19. “At this point in time, the policy is outdated, and I’m hoping we can see some changes,” said Hartman. A staff nurse at LHSC for the past 12 years, Hartman, who is eight months pregnant, has been put on an unpaid leave of absence by the hospital because of her vaccination status. She believes the softening of other COVID regulations recently, like mandatory masking and patient screening, means she should be allowed to return to work. “We’re…
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How vulnerable is your neighborhood to excessive heat?

Extreme heat has a way of exposing society’s vulnerabilities. And as extreme heat events become more frequent in the United States, data shows that the poorest Americans will be most at risk. People living in the largest, most densely populated metropolitan cities and those living in the most remote, rural parts of the country face similarly high risks during severe heat waves, an NBC News analysis of US Census Bureau and US Department of Agriculture data found. But while the risks are high, the reasons often differ. Use this interactive map to explore the country and see how vulnerable the…
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Biden picks Mandy Cohen, the architect of NC’s COVID-19 response, as CDC director

Mandy Cohen, who led North Carolina’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is President Joe Biden’s choice to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this role, Cohen, who served for five years as the secretary of the state’s department of health and human services, will now lead federal efforts to track and manage health problems and diseases. Biden made the announcement Friday, saying he chose Cohen because she is “one of the nation’s top physicians and health leaders with experience leading large and complex organizations, and a proven track-record protecting Americans’ health and safety.” Cohen is replacing Rochelle…
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A windfall in health insurance rebates? It’s not as crazy as it sounds

“Americans will get $1.1 B in rebates from health insurance companies this year cuz of a provision I wrote in the ACA.” [–Former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), in a tweet on May 17, 2023 [–Former Democratic Sen. Al Franken tweeted recently that Americans will receive “$1.1 B in rebates from health insurance companies this year” because of a provision he wrote into the Affordable Care Act. [–The tweet prompted many comments, including some from people who said they had never seen such a check from their insurers. That got us wondering: Is Franken’s tweet correct and, if…
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Health unit issues tick prevention advice

Breadcrumb Trail Links News Local News Published May 29, 2023 • Last updated 4 days ago • 2 minute read The Blacklegged Tick was the subject of some discussion at a Monday meeting of the Haldimand-Norfolk Health and Social Services Advisory Committee meeting. Article content There was a lot of talk about ticks at Monday’s meeting of the Haldimand Norfolk Health and Social Services Advisory Committee. Advertisements 2 This advertisement has not been loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “It is quite challenging to eradicate them,” Sarah Titmus, a program manager at the Haldimand Norfolk Health Unit,…
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Tina Turner died before getting to meet her grandchildren and great-grandchildren

Tina Turner never got to meet her grandchildren or great-grandchildren before her death aged 83, it has been revealed (Getty Images) Tina Turner never got to meet her grandchildren or great-grandchildren before her death, according to reports. A representative for the music legend confirmed that she died “peacefully” at her home in Switzerland aged 83 on May 24. The Proud Mary hit-maker had long been battling high blood pressure and kidney failure and passed away from natural causes. News of her death sent shockwaves across the world, including to some of her nearest and dearest who had no idea how…
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Fraser Health acknowledged the issue as 2 more hospitals raised the alarm

On Monday, Fraser Health provided two senior leaders to address the latest letter outlining risks to patients, allegations of muzzling, and pleas for help from emergency physicians in the health authority’s hospitals. Emergency doctors at the sister hospitals of Royal Columbian and Eagle Ridge have sent an open letter warning to their community of “the critical situation that is currently creating risk for our patients and undermining our ability to provide timely and safe, quality care” that has left them “at a breaking point.” They say patients who need admission to hospital fur further treatment are waiting up to 72…
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Nova Scotia ends COVID-19 Health Protection Act order

The Health Protection Act order that came into effect in Nova Scotia during the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic has been dropped, effective today. A news release from the Health Department on Tuesday morning said the changes were prompted in part by the World Health Organization’s determination that the virus is no longer a global emergency. “By no means does today’s update mean that the COVID-19 virus is gone, but rather that it is now at a stage that we can respond to it and live with it, like we do with all other respiratory diseases,” Dr. Robert Strang,…