Disparities

Advocates Applaud Extension Of Postpartum Medicaid Eligibility

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Dr. Veronica Maria Pimentel, who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology at Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford, recalls a patient who suffered a stroke soon after delivering her baby prematurely. The woman’s Medicaid eligibility ended just two months after she gave birth, despite the complications caused by her stroke and the baby’s premature birth. Although the woman’s medical coverage ended, Pimentel said, her needs didn’t. “She still needs physical therapy. She still needs occupational therapy.

Generation Health

Poll: 21% Of Generation Z Self-Identify As LGBTQ+

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A new poll shows that, with one in 10 millennials and one in five Generation Z members in the U.S. identifying as LGBTQ+, the proportion of that population should exceed 10% of the total U.S. population in the near future. The Gallup poll found that roughly 21% of Generation Z — those born between 1997 and 2003 — identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual (LGBTQ+). That’s nearly twice as many as millennials, and the gap gets even bigger among older generations. Overall, the poll found that the percentage of U.S. adults who identify as LGBTQ+ has increased to a new high of 7.1%, double the percentage from 2012, when Gallup first began tracking LGBTQ+ stats. As part of the demographic information it collects on all U.S. telephone surveys, Gallup asked people in 2021 whether they believe they are heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

Generation Health

Legalized Online Gambling Sparks Increase In Younger People Seeking Help

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The number of Connecticut residents seeking help for gambling addiction is growing larger and younger, according to problem gambling experts and mental health providers, who say they are fielding an influx of new patients following the state’s legalization of some forms of online gambling. Professionals say that the widespread accessibility of gambling has exacerbated addiction since online and mobile sports betting and virtual casinos opened in October. The largest increase? Young men participating in sports betting. “If you asked me six months ago, the normal person who you think is a problem gambler would have been that little old lady at the slot machine.

ctwatchdog.com

Shingles Vaccine: Important After Age 50

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You might be tired of being lectured about getting vaccinated against Covid, but I’m going to suggest you consider another vaccine – for shingles. If you are older than 50, your chance of getting shingles is much higher than catching Covid. I wasn’t familiar with shingles until two acquaintances got it and their symptoms were terrible, each had it on their face and suffered from it for months. Go here to read the rest of this story on ctwatchdog.com.

Generation Health

Crime On CT College Campuses Drops By 29% in 2020; Pandemic Credited

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New college safety data revealed a 29% decrease in all crimes reported across Connecticut’s 10 largest four-year undergraduate institutions from 2019 to 2020, including a 42% decrease in sexual offenses. This 29% decline marks the steepest drop in recent years. Between 2018 and 2019, reported crimes among the 10 largest universities decreased by 11% and sexual offenses decreased by 17%. University of Connecticut spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said that the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted the spring semester and moved classes online in March of 2020, can explain that year’s dip in crime. “The coronavirus pandemic significantly decreased the on-campus population at Storrs and the regional campuses for much of the 2020 calendar year, and the number of incidents reported during that period decreased as a result. Previous figures from 2019 and next year’s 2021 figures are expected to be more representative of a typical year,” Reitz wrote in a UConn press release.

Generation Health

‘America Ended As I Knew It’: A Dad’s Journal Tells Story Of 9/11

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“As you have learned in school and from us, this past week will never be forgotten by the people of the United States. Your mother and I thank you, Alison, for helping us get through this time. Thankfully no one in our immediate family or friends were hurt by the terrorist attack, however we were all touched. It started as a normal day but around 8:50 on Tuesday morning, America ended as I knew it.”
— From the journal of John Cross, Sept. 16, 2001
My family never talked about the Sept.

Generation Health

Communication, Trust Needed To Reassure The Vaccine-Resistant

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The Community Health Center Inc. set up shop inside the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Waterbury on a Friday in mid-July. Armed with 24 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, the team of six staff and volunteers sat ready for patients from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Not one person showed up. The turnout was not surprising, according to the vaccination site leader and nurses at the mobile clinic. Last month, new vaccinations across Connecticut fell to the lowest numbers since January, a predictable outcome when nearly 65% of the total state population has received at least one vaccine dose. But in Waterbury, only 46% of residents are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Generation Health

Legalization Of Recreational Marijuana Brings Worries About Risks Of Child Poisoning

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Each day at the Connecticut Poison Control Center (CPCC) brings calls about someone suffering the adverse effects of cannabis poisoning. Most often, those calls involve children, said Dr. Suzanne Doyon, medical director of the CPCC. “We get calls about this daily. Absolutely,” Doyon said. “There was even a day two weeks ago, where we had five children in different hospitals in the state of Connecticut, all with edible marijuana exposures.

Our Events

Join Us For A Free Community Forum, April 7

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Beating Diabetes: Food, Fitness and Focus
The Conn. Health I-Team, in collaboration with ConnectiCare and the Hispanic Health Council, is hosting a panel discussion on the latest developments in early screening and treatment of diabetes, and adopting a healthy lifestyle – with a special appearance by Chef Jay Lewis, who will present a sampling of healthy food choices. Thursday, April 7, 5:00-7:30 PM • Chrysalis Center, 255 Homestead Ave., Hartford • Free on-site parking available • Live Spanish translation provided

WALK-INS WELCOME!! Panelists

Dr. Robert M. Oberstein
Endocrinologist and Medical Director
Diabetes LifeCare, Hartford Hospital

Dr. Jorge Diez
Endocrinologist and Internal Medicine Specialist,
Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center

Elizabeth Caffrey MPH, RD, CDE
Registered Dietitian and Educator
Diabetes LifeCare, Hartford Hospital

Migdalia Texidor-Huertas
Nutrition Educator and Research Assistant,
Hispanic Health Council

Moderator: Diane Alverio
Publisher,
CTLatino News

5:00-6:00 PM: Meet Executive Chef Jay Lewis
Author of “The Gentleman’s Cook Book”

Thanks to our sponsors! Supporters

Media Partners

Special Recognition: This event is supported by a grant from the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.