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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI USA: Malliotakis Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Support Seniors Mental Health

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)

    (WASHINGTON, DC) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis alongside coleads Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-04), and Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11) introduced the Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective (COMPLETE) Care Act. Rep. Tom Suozzi (NY-03) and Mike Carey (OH-15) also joined as original sponsors.

    The legislation supports primary care providers in expanding access to mental health care for Medicare beneficiaries by increasing reimbursement rates for three years to encourage the integration of services like psychiatry, psychology, and substance abuse care into primary care.

    “Improving access to quality mental healthcare is essential, I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation alongside my colleagues to incentivize doctors to offer mental health services under Medicare,” said Rep. Malliotakis. ” With the increased rates of depression, substance abuse, and suicides, I remain committed to introducing and supporting legislation that will improve access to care for our seniors and all individuals suffering from these conditions.”

    “Expanding mental health care access is one of the most important things we can do to improve and save lives of people struggling with mental health issues,” said Rep. Fletcher. “It is critical that we build on our efforts to improve access to mental health resources, and I am glad to partner with Congresswoman Malliotakis, Congressman Pfluger, and Congressman Horsford in this important effort.”

    “Addressing significant gaps in our healthcare system is crucial in making treatment more accessible, more affordable, and more effective,” said Rep. Pfluger. “This is why I am proud to co-lead the COMPLETE Care Act which will support integrated care models in primary settings. This isn’t just about expanding services—it’s about transforming how we deliver care to treat the whole person, removing stigma, and ensuring every American can receive the comprehensive support they need, when they need it.” 

    “Mental health care is health care – it should be as accessible as possible for Nevadans and the American people,” Rep. Horsford said. “I’m proud to co-lead the COMPLETE Care Act to expand access to these critical behavioral health services and supports. By helping primary care providers broaden their coverage, this legislation will help prevent mental health from going undiagnosed and untreated.”

    “Mental health care, especially helping those dealing with drug addiction, is an important facet of the overall health care infrastructure, and expanding access to it through Medicare is an important effort,” Rep. Carey said. “I am proud to join with my colleagues to lead the COMPLETE Care Act and encourage its passage.”

    “So many Americans are struggling to access mental health and substance use services, and we know that there are innovative models of integrated care that can help,” said APA CEO and Medical Director Marketa M. Wills, M.D., M.B.A. “APA thanks Rep. Malliotakis for introducing the COMPLETE Care Act, legislation to enhance the Collaborative Care Model and reach patients in primary care with early identification and timely treatment of mental health and substance use disorders.”

    “America is facing an unprecedented behavioral health crisis, and we can only address the magnitude of the needs if we make mental health screening and care as common a practice as blood pressure or heart disease screening and care. This bipartisan, common sense legislation will do exactly that, by helping to treat more people earlier and more effectively in primary care,” said Andy Keller, president and CEO of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.

    View the Bill Text HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Wicker Lead Bipartisan Group Of 60 Senators In Introducing Legislation To Expand Telehealth Access, Make Permanent Telehealth Flexibilities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    Current Flexibilities Set To Expire September 30 Without Congressional Action

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) led a bipartisan group of 60 senators in reintroducing the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act. The CONNECT for Health Act will expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors. Current flexibilities are set to expire on September 30 unless Congress extends them.

    “While telehealth use has rapidly increased in recent years, our laws have not kept up,” said Senator Schatz. “Telehealth is helping people get the care they need, and it’s here to stay. Our comprehensive bill makes it easier for more people to see their doctors no matter where they live.”

    “We live in a digital world, and our health services should reflect that. In the past decade, telehealth has made medical care more accessible for patients across the state and country,” said Senator Wicker. “It is time to make telehealth coverage permanent for Medicare recipients so that more Americans, especially those in rural Mississippi, have access to health care.”

    In addition to Schatz, Wicker, Warner, Hyde-Smith, Welch, and Barrasso, the bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Angus King (I-Maine.), Jim Justice (R-W.V.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and John Boozman (R-Ark.).

    Telehealth provides essential access to care with nearly a quarter of Americans accessing telehealth in a month, according to the most recent available data.

    The CONNECT for Health Act would:

    • Permanently remove all geographic restrictions on telehealth services and expand originating sites to the location of the patient, including homes;
    • Permanently allow health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services;
    • Allow more eligible health care professionals to utilize telehealth services;
    • Remove unnecessary in-person visit requirement for telemental health services;
    • Allow for the waiver of telehealth restrictions during public health emergencies; and
    • Require more published data to learn more about how telehealth is being used, impacts of quality of care, and how it can be improved to support patients and health care providers.

    The CONNECT for Health Act was first introduced in 2016 and is considered the most comprehensive legislation on telehealth in Congress. Since 2016, several provisions of the bill have been enacted into law or adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including provisions to remove restrictions on telehealth services for mental health, stroke care, and home dialysis.

    “Telehealth services have proven to be a safe and effective form of medical care. Through the expansion of telehealth services in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more patients have received quality, affordable care. I’m glad to introduce legislation that will make permanent some of these services and ensure Virginians continue to access affordable health care when they need it, and where they need it,” said Senator Warner.

    “Even before the pandemic, Mississippi recognized the vital role of telehealth. Across America, rural communities, the elderly, and those with mobility challenges have long struggled to access traditional healthcare,” said Senator Hyde-Smith. “This legislation is essential to delivering affordable, accessible, and quality care that Americans deserve, and I’m proud to continue this years-long effort to expand telehealth services.”

    “The COVID-19 pandemic proved that telehealth not only works, but is essential,” said Senator Welch. “Rural and underserved areas in Vermont and across the country desperately need solutions to address the widening gap in health care access, and increasing telehealth services must be part of the answer. This bipartisan bill takes commonsense steps to help bridge that gap and make sure that our policies adapt to the capabilities of our technology.”

    “Telehealth is a critical for rural states like Wyoming,” said Senator Barrasso. “It has given folks access to specialized care no matter where they live. This important bipartisan bill will make it easier for Medicare patients, especially those in remote areas, to continue to have access to the health care they need.”

    Companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Mike Thompson (D- Calif.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), and Troy Balderson (R-Ohio).

    The CONNECT for Health Act has the support of more than 150 organizations including the American Medical Association, AARP, American Hospital Association, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, and American Telemedicine Association.

    The full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Davis, Bonamici, Moore, Plaskett, Horsford Champion Bill to Increase Guaranteed Child Care Funding while GOP Plans to Cut Federal Child Care Dollars

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Danny K Davis (7th District of Illinois)

    Building Child Care for a Better Future Act expands guaranteed child care funding and creates grants to improve child care workforce, supply, quality, and access.  

     

    In contrast, Republican-proposed funding cuts to pay for tax giveaways to the wealthiest individuals and corporations would eliminate child care for 40,000 children. 

     

    Washington, D.C.- Representative Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI), Representative Stacey E. Plaskett (D-VI), and Representative Steven Horsford (D-NV) announced the introduction of the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act (H.R. 2595) to dramatically increase guaranteed child care funding to address child care needs and create grants to enhance child care workforce, supply, quality, and access.  Senators Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren will introduce companion legislation in the Senate. 

    The need to rebuild a stronger, more robust and more equitable child care system is more important than ever as working families across America struggle to access affordable, quality child care. Alarmingly, Republicans are threatening to eliminate child care for 40,000 children to pay for their massive tax giveaways for the wealthiest individuals and corporations. Additionally, the mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the offices at the Administration for Children and Families that administer child care and Head Start programs, will make child care even less accessible and affordable, as well as less safe. The long-term solutions in this bill complement the other Democratic bills that address the immediate child care cliff created by Republican inaction.

    High-quality, affordable child care is essential to the economic well-being of families, businesses, and our country. Yet, child care places a major financial burden on American families. The price of child care can range from $5,357 to $17,171 per year depending on location and type of care. Astoundingly, the cost of center-based care for two children is more than the average mortgage in 45 states and more than the average annual rent in all 50 states plus DC.  Households under the poverty line spend nearly one third of their income on child care, and increases in median childcare prices are connected to lower maternal employment rates.  Further, the child care crisis hits families of color disproportionately hard.  For a single parent who has never been married who is Black, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or American Indian/Alaska Native, child care can cost 36%, 41%, or 49% of the median income, respectively, compared to only 31% for single White parents.  Further, Latino and American Indian and Alaska Native parents disproportionately live in child care deserts. 

    The Building Child Care for a Better Future Act addresses the child care needs of families and long-term stability of the child care system. Specifically, the bill:

    • Helps working families with their child care needs by expanding guaranteed child care funding by increasing the Child Care Entitlement to States to $20 billion per year, over a five-fold increase in funding from the current $3.55 billion per year. Further, the bill increases funding for tribes, tribal organizations, and territories. The bill builds on the Democrats’ permanent increase in guaranteed child care funding to states in 2021, which also provided the first-ever guaranteed funding allotments for the U.S. territories in the Child Care Entitlement to States. 

    • Creates new grants to improve child care workforce, supply, quality, and access in communities experiencing child care shortages. Funds could be used for any purpose under the Child Care Development Block Grant to address local needs, including:  increasing child care slots; supporting workforce training and expansion; expanding operations of community or neighborhood-based family child care networks; and recruiting providers and staff.

    “High-quality, affordable child care is essential to the economic well-being of families, businesses, and our country,” said Rep. Davis.  “The Building Child Care for a Better Future Act would provide $20 billion in guaranteed grants to states, tribes, and territories to make child care affordable.  Further, the bill would create $5 billion in new grants to improve child care workforce, supply, quality, and access in communities experiencing child care shortages. It is critical that Congress acts now to help working families by stabilizing our nation’s child care system and to reject the dangerous Republican cuts to child care.” 

    “Too many families in Oregon and across the country struggle to find affordable child care, and child care providers often do not make a living wage,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “The Building Child Care for a Better Future Act will strengthen our child care system by investing in families, child care providers, and early childhood educators. The investments in this bill will open up opportunities for children, families, childcare providers, and the economy.”

    “The cost of childcare continues to squeeze families and is even more burdensome for low-income families.  At the same time, too many childcare workers don’t earn a living wage and are struggling to get by. Our legislation would help make high-quality childcare more accessible and affordable and invest in its workforce,” said Rep. Moore.

    “As part of the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021, Congress expanded the Child Care Entitlement to States program to include U.S. territories like my district for the first time,” said Rep. Plaskett.  “The Building Child Care for a Better Future Act significantly increases investments in childcare for American families living in U.S. territories and enhances our commitment to equity. The annual average cost of childcare ranges from $4,000 to as high as $25,000, depending on location. I am proud to partner with my colleagues and respond to the critical need nationwide for available, accessible, and affordable childcare.”

    “Across Nevada and the nation, working families are caught in a tough balancing act – juggling skyrocketing costs of child care while trying to earn a living,” said Rep. Horsford. “For the poorest households, child care isn’t just expensive: it’s a crushing burden, often costing more than rent or a mortgage. If we truly believe in the American dream, we must eliminate the barriers holding families back from opportunities of economic mobility and progress. This bill strengthens our child care infrastructure by providing grants to lower costs for working families, enhance the child care workforce, and improve the quality of care in our communities.”

    “At a time when families are struggling to find affordable child care so they can work and pay their bills, Republicans in Congress are making their priorities clear with 40,000 kids about to lose their child care to pay for another handout to billionaires. Taken together with the absolute gutting of HHS and the offices responsible for Head Start and child care, America’s child care crisis is on track to only grow worse,” Wyden said. “It doesn’t have to be this way, our bill invests in working families by making sure more families can get child care, and that new child care centers can be built to increase slots while also guaranteeing a living wage for the essential workers who staff them. That is where priorities should lie.”

    “Parents shouldn’t have to choose between breaking the budget, cutting back their work hours, or settling for lower-quality care to make sure their kids have child care,” Warren said. “I am grateful for Senator Wyden’s and Representative Davis’ partnership and commitment to investing in child care so working parents have a fighting chance in our economy.”

    The Building Child Care for a Better Future Act is supported by 50 organizations, including:  American Academy of Pediatrics; American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO); American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); American Federation of Teachers (AFT); Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy; Caring Across Generations; Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); Child Care Aware of America; Child Care for Every Family Network; Communications Workers of America (CWA); Community Change Action; Early Care & Education Consortium (ECEC); Family Forward Oregon; Family Values at Work; First Children’s Finance; First Five Years Fund; First Focus Campaign for Children; Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children; KinderCare; Little Miracles Early Development Center; Maine Association for the Education of Young Children; Maine People’s Alliance; Maryland Association for the Education of Young Children (MDAEYC); Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children (MAAEYC); MomsRising; Montana Family Childcare Network; National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC); National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC); National Education Association (NEA); National Indian Child Care Association (NICCA); National Women’s Law Center; New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children; NJ Communities United; OAEYC, Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children; ORAEYC Oregon Association for the Education of Young Children; Our Children Oregon; Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children; Pennsylvania Child Care Association; Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children; Prevent Child Abuse America; Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children; Save the Children; SEIU; South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children (SCAEYC); Southwest Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children; Small Business Majority; Trying Together; Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children; Virginia Organizing; Wisconsin Early Childhood Association; and ZERO TO THREE.

    A copy of the legislation is available HERE. 

    A summary of the bill is available HERE.

    Organizational Quotations: 

    Center for Law and Social Policy

    “The Building Child Care for a Better Future Act will make child care more affordable for families and invest in the workforce that makes it all possible. By ensuring sustainable and reliable funding and bolstering the supply of child care, we can build a stronger, more equitable child care sector. This legislation is an essential step toward a much-needed child care system that meets the diverse needs of all children and families.”  Stephanie Schmit, Director of Child Care and Early Education, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)

    Child Care for Every Family Network

    “Right now, this country is facing a serious child care crisis–parents are struggling to find or afford child care, child care workers are making poverty wages, and child care providers are struggling to keep their doors open and make ends meet. Republicans’ only proposal is to make this crisis even worse by cutting child care funding and putting more wealth in the hands of billionaires over supporting our families,” said Andrea Paluso and Erica Gallegos, Executive Directors of the Child Care for Every Family Network. “But there is another way. Senator Wyden and Warren’s Building Child Care for a Better Future Act will boost child care funding, instead of taking a hatchet to it. We are proud to endorse this critical bill that will invest in our child care supply, support the child care workforce, and help make child care easier to find and afford. The contrast couldn’t be clearer: support for care or support for cuts. Instead of non-stop Republican threats to cut child care, Congress must pass the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act.”

    Early Care & Education Consortium

    “As a national coalition of child care providers, education service providers, and state child care associations, ECEC is pleased to endorse the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act. This legislation recognizes that the child care workforce is the workforce behind the workforce—without well-qualified and compensated child care educators and staff, many parents cannot go to work with the comfort that their children are being educated and cared for in safe and healthy environments. Furthermore, the legislation takes needed steps to help provide support to providers that serve communities that are most in need of high-quality early education. The long-term investments proposed in the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act will better equip our nation’s child care system to serve all who rely on it every day, and support the continued growth of the American economy.” – Radha Mohan, Executive Director, Early Care & Education Consortium (ECEC)

    Family Forward Oregon

    “Child care is the workforce behind our workforce. It is essential infrastructure in our communities, and is an essential industry. We must fund child care just like libraries, schools, and other public services. When we invest in child care through the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act, we invest in our families, our economy and our future.” – Candice Vickers, Executive Director, Family Forward Oregon 

    National Women’s Law Center

    “At a time when President Trump and congressional Republicans are proposing dramatic cuts to child care, the Building Child Care for A Better Future Act provides meaningful investments that would make a real dent in addressing the child care crisis,” said Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center. “With families at a breaking point with the soaring costs of child care, we need real, sustained investment to make care more affordable and to invest in the early learning workforce. If Congress is serious about lowering child care costs, they’ll pass this bill instead of pretending that small tax credits—which provide only a fraction of relief that families need—are a real solution.”   

    Prevent Child Abuse America

    “Access to quality childcare alleviates parental stress, enabling parents to create positive home environments for their children,” saidMelissa Merrick, President and CEO of Chicago-based Prevent Child Abuse America. “This legislation, Building Child Care for a Better Future Act, addresses both the immediate needs of families, supporting working parents while strengthening the childcare workforce, and the broader goal of improving childcare access. When parents have the resources and supports they need to care for their children, we help parents foster positive home environments where their young children can thrive.”

    ZERO TO THREE

    “Child care is essential for parents who are continuing to struggle with long waitlists and skyrocketing costs. Providers are barely scraping by due to the ever-rising costs of providing safe and quality care,” said Samantha Cadet, Legislative Director for ZERO TO THREE. “ZERO TO THREE is proud to support the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act, which addresses the root issue of chronic underinvestment by increasing mandatory funding for child care so that states, tribes, and territories have the resources they need to build a child care infrastructure that works for everyone.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DeGette Demands RFK Jr. Appear Before Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01) released the following statement after it was reported that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. might be sending staff to brief the Energy & Commerce Committee on his extreme and drastic cuts to HHS.

    “The massive cuts at HHS, directed by Elon Musk and his DOGE cronies, are illegal and will cause the most harm to public health I have seen throughout my time in Congress. Secretary Kennedy is going to set back American biomedical research a generation, delaying cures for cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes, and he will devastate our ability to stop the next pandemic.

    “A briefing is the bare minimum that Secretary Kennedy can offer, but instead, he would reportedly send staff rather than do it himself. While a staff briefing is better than nothing, it has not been scheduled, and there is no assurance that it will be bipartisan. 

    “As the top Democrat on the Health Subcommittee, I am calling on Secretary Kennedy to appear at a hearing immediately to explain his careless cuts and assure our Subcommittee that science—not discounted conspiracy theories—will guide his department’s decision-making. This is not about politics. It is about preserving Congress’s Constitutional role and promoting the health and safety of every American.” 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Replacing gas vehicles with electric cars could prevent new cases of childhood asthma

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Harshit Gujral, Ph.D. Student, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto

    Up to one-third of all new asthma cases each year are attributed to the harmful air pollutants that are emitted by gas-powered automobiles.

    To address this, our recent study has found that replacing around half of all gas-powered vehicles with electric vehicles could be sufficient to minimize childhood asthma cases linked to pollution from vehicle exhausts.

    As researchers studying the intersection of transportation, climate change and public health, we wanted to understand whether electric vehicle sales were having any impact on human health. Given the growing electric vehicle market in the United States, we investigated the impact this growth is having on population health.

    We chose childhood asthma as a proxy due to its widespread impact on the population. Around five million American children suffered from asthma in 2019. This statistic hasn’t changed considerably since then.

    Numerous studies have shown that exposure to air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, which are emitted from the tailpipe of gas-powered automobiles when they burn fossil fuels, is linked with an increased risk of developing asthma. Our study builds on this by examining the number of gas-powered and electric vehicles on the road, and the number of new childhood asthma cases annually.

    Numerous studies have found a link between gas-powered automobiles and increased asthma risk.
    (Shutterstock)

    Examining vehicle sales

    We used publicly available data on childhood asthma from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Then, we built a burden-of-disease model to isolate new cases of childhood asthma that were linked to traffic-related air pollution. We included data collected between 2013 and 2019 from all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

    We found that for every 1,000 new gas-powered vehicles sold, there was one new case of childhood asthma. Our research revealed that replacing approximately 21 per cent of these sales with electric vehicles appears to be sufficient to halt rising asthma rates caused by new vehicle sales. However, this number varied depending on the state and various factors — such as population density and the number of existing gas-powered vehicles on the road.

    For instance, in some states, replacing just seven per cent of gas car sales with electric vehicles might be enough to halt rising asthma rates caused by new vehicle sales. But in other states, 42 per cent of new car sales had to be electric vehicles in order to have any impact.

    States with a higher population density and a larger proportion of older, gas-powered vehicles on the road would likely see the greatest health gains from switching to electric vehicles.

    Our findings indicate there’s already a measurable public health benefit being seen in the U.S. from the increase of electric vehicles on the road. This impact would be profound in states with a zero-emission vehicle program, because 63 per cent of all new electric vehicles were sold in states with these mandates between 2013 and 2019.

    In 2021 (at the time of this study), 10 American states had rules promoting electric vehicles, including: California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont.

    Our findings underscore the urgent need for policies that accelerate the replacement of older, fossil-fuel powered vehicles with electric vehicles. It will also be important for policymakers to find ways of making electric vehicles more accessible for lower-income households, as they’re disproportionately affected by traffic-related air pollution.

    Not the only solution

    We don’t want readers to assume that putting more electric vehicles on the road is the only solution for improving children’s health.

    First, it’s important to note that a reduction in childhood asthma rates only manifests when electric vehicles are sold as replacements for gas-powered vehicles. This means that when people buy an electric vehicle as a second car, it won’t be linked to the same health benefits.

    Second, electric vehicles — as with any other vehicle — still contribute to air pollution emissions in other ways. This is why our research doesn’t point towards completely replacing all gas-powered automobiles with electric vehicles for the sake of public health.

    Replacing half of gas-powered cars with electric vehicles appears to minimize childhood asthma caused by traffic-related air pollution.
    (Shutterstock)

    While a 36-77 per cent fleet share of electric vehicles should minimize the asthma burden due to reducing the amount of nitrogen dioxide emitted from gas-powered automobiles, this doesn’t eliminate all the pollutants that are produced by vehicles.

    For example, particulate matter from brake wear, tire wear and road dust are all linked with adverse health impacts — such as respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. The actual reduction in pollution also depends on driving behaviours, as plug-in hybrids can operate on both gas and electricity.

    Alternative forms of transportation are still important for reducing the total number of cars on the road and ultimately improving public health.

    For electric vehicles to be truly beneficial, it’s also important to ensure the electricity needed to charge their batteries comes from clean sources. If the electricity comes from coal or other fossil-fuel-based sources, then we’re just moving the pollution from the urban centres to communities living near power plants.

    Other critical limitations of electric vehicle technology include battery recycling, social injustices in acquiring raw materials for battery production and restrictions on the right to repair.

    The bottom line is that while electric vehicles are needed to move away from fossil fuel-based vehicles, they aren’t the whole solution. We need to promote and invest more in public transit and biking infrastructure to improve air quality and public health.

    This research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC, RGPIN-2019-07042) and the Data Sciences Institute at the University of Toronto (grant no. DSIDSFY3R1P22).

    Meredith Franklin received funding from NSCERC for this research.

    Steve Easterbrook received funding from NSCERC and UofT DSI for this research.

    – ref. Replacing gas vehicles with electric cars could prevent new cases of childhood asthma – https://theconversation.com/replacing-gas-vehicles-with-electric-cars-could-prevent-new-cases-of-childhood-asthma-252244

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Love in the age of conspiracy: 5 tips to deal with disinformation and political polarization in relationships

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kara Fletcher, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Work, University of Regina

    The current socio-political environment has created a context where conspiracy narratives about COVID-19, vaccines, election fraud and other misinformation appear to be flourishing everywhere. (Shutterstock)

    If you’re in a relationship with someone who believes in a conspiracy theory, you might find yourself feeling like you don’t know the person you’re in a relationship with anymore. And you might be thinking about whether things will get better or wondering if you should leave them.

    The World Health Organization has declared we are living in an infodemic, where misinformation is spreading like an infectious disease. A Leger opinion poll conducted in November 2023 found that nearly 80 per cent of Canadian respondents and almost 85 per cent of Americans believed at least one conspiracy theory.

    While older adults often struggle to detect online misinformation, the poll found people between the ages of 18 and 34 were also likely to believe some conspiracies. Recent research has also found youth aged 13-17 are more susceptible to misinformation than adults.

    The current socio-political environment has created a context where conspiracy narratives about COVID-19, vaccines, election fraud and other misinformation appear to be flourishing everywhere. However, there are steps you can take if you see your partner going down a conspiratorial rabbit hole.

    No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

    Read more from Quarter Life:

    Conspiratorial beliefs

    Conspiracy theories refer to beliefs relating to secret plots orchestrated by groups who are considered to hold power and have bad intentions. Misinformation refers to information that contradicts the best expert evidence available at the time. Lastly, political polarization describes ideological conflict between two (or more) opposing groups. Political polarization can create antipathy and prejudice among groups that don’t agree with one another.

    One of the authors of this article, Kara Fletcher, is a couples and family therapist. In her practice, she has noticed an increase in clients sharing their confusion and hopelessness at their partner’s gradual adoption of conspiracy theories and misinformation. They’ve shared that their partners’ viewpoints initially became more conservative and then escalated into believing misinformation and conspiracy theories over time.

    Clients have reported that their romantic partner has started to follow movements like QAnon, a far-right American political conspiracy theory. Or, more insidious and less obvious initially, their partners have started to consume podcasts like Infowars, Joe Rogan’s podcast or conservative websites like the Daily Wire. These podcasts and news sites have all come under scrutiny for spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories.

    Our research team has undertaken multiple projects to better understand the impact of misinformation and conspiracy theories on couple well-being. While existing research is slim, there is some evidence of relationship disruption and harm.

    We are currently conducting a scoping review of studies assessing the impact of QAnon involvement on interpersonal relationships. Participants in one research study described QAnon as a “malignant force in their relationship” which caused distance and distress. Participants however, reported a desire to understand their loved one and attempt to heal the relationship.

    Similarly, emerging research also indicates that loved ones experienced emotional distress and a negative impact on their relationship since their “QPerson” started following the beliefs of QAnon. Anecdotally, the Reddit forum QAnonCasualties has more than 280,000 members.

    A Leger opinion poll conducted in November 2023 found that nearly 80 per cent of Canadian respondents believed at least one conspiracy theory.
    (Shutterstock)

    What you can do

    So, what can you do if you just don’t recognize your romantic partner anymore? If this sounds like a familiar experience for you, or someone you love, here are a few tips to try:

    1. Keep your feet on the grass. Stay connected to family and friends. Living with or dating someone who espouses conspiracy beliefs and misinformation can be confusing and disorienting. You may start to question your own belief system when your partner is so convinced of theirs. Maintain your social supports and relationships outside of your romantic relationship. This will help keep you connected with other viewpoints and ideas and ground you.

    2. Model and maintain a healthy social media and news diet. If your partner is only listening to far-right news sources, put on the radio, leave a newspaper on the table. Expose them gently to a wide range of ideas, while maintaining your own exposure to legitimate news sources.

    3. Try not to shame and blame. Emotional arguments do not work and may cause the opposite intended effect. Your partner may feel that you are unsupportive and judgmental and not understand your well-intentioned concern. Individuals who feel judged for their beliefs may double down on adherence to those beliefs while under pressure.

    4. Prevention. Where possible, encourage and practise critical thinking skills. One study found that teaching critical thinking to college students for a period of three months lowered students’ beliefs in conspiracy theories. Teaching critical thinking appears to be the best inoculation against adopting conspiracy theories and misinformation.

    5. Get support if needed. You may love your partner deeply but find navigating this situation alone to be too much. You can speak to a therapist or connect with supports such as the Evolve Program and Life After Hate.

    As our research develops, we hope to offer support that will bring couples with these experiences together to find solutions for their divergent belief systems and experiences.

    Kara Fletcher receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.

    Carlos Alberto Rosas-Jiménez and Jiaxing Li do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Love in the age of conspiracy: 5 tips to deal with disinformation and political polarization in relationships – https://theconversation.com/love-in-the-age-of-conspiracy-5-tips-to-deal-with-disinformation-and-political-polarization-in-relationships-251797

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch, Rounds Introduce Legislation to Prevent Rural Hospital Closures

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    Legislation would codify a USDA pilot program that provides technical assistance to hospitals
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced legislation to help rural hospitals that are at risk of being closed. The Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program Act would codify an existing pilot program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides technical assistance to rural hospitals to prevent closures, improve their financial and operational performance and strengthen essential healthcare services in rural communities.
    “The health and wellbeing of Vermont’s rural hospitals impacts the health and wellbeing of every Vermonter. Our rural hospitals need help to keep their doors open for our patients,” said Welch. “I’m proud to partner with Senator Rounds on this bipartisan bill, which will strengthen hospitals across the United States and help improve care and services.”  
    “Rural hospitals are a lifeline for the communities they serve, and far too many are struggling to keep their doors open,” said Senator Rounds. “Providing technical assistance to rural hospitals at risk for closure gives providers and administrators a fresh set of eyes on their operations and allows for new ideas to help stabilize their operations. The Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program Act would codify this pilot program and help rural hospitals continue to provide the critical care that South Dakotans need.”
    Through an agreement with USDA, the National Rural Health Association provides several types of technical assistance to include expert guidance on optimizing billing processes, addressing reimbursement delays, improving collections and maximizing available reimbursement opportunities. Any rural hospital is eligible under this program, with preference given to hospitals in persistent poverty communities of less than 20,000. Participating hospitals are provided with a contractor specializing in rural health care delivery, who then reports back on goals and next steps to get the hospitals to financial and operational stability. To date, 17 hospitals have participated in the pilot version of the program, which has been highly effective in assisting rural hospitals.
    “The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) applauds Senator Rounds for his introduction of the Rural Health Care Facility Technical Assistance Program Act to expand and codify the existing USDA pilot program,” said Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association. “This legislation will help prevent hospital closures, improve financial and operations performance for facilities, and strengthen essential healthcare services in rural communities. NRHA looks forward to working with Congress to keep hospital doors open and continue providing care for the 60 million residents living in rural America.”
    Since 2005, 186 rural hospitals have closed nationwide, and over 400 rural hospitals are currently vulnerable to closure. Many rural hospitals face significant infrastructure needs, including updates on aging facilities, implementation of electronic health records and expansion of facilities to meet the changing needs of their service area.
    Read the full text of the bill

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/HAITI – Mirebalais: Two nuns killed by armed gangs

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 3 April 2025

    Port-au-Prince (Agenzia Fides) – Two nuns of the “Little Sisters of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus” were murdered in Mirebalais, in central Haiti, by members of armed gangs who infiltrated the area since last Monday. The Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Max Leroy Mésidor, confirmed this to local media, adding: “This is a huge loss for the community.”Sister Evanette Onezaire and Sister Jeanne Voltaire were killed on Monday when the city of Mirebalais was attacked by the “Viv Ansanm” coalition of criminal gangs. Attacks also targeted shops, police stations, and a prison, from which more than 500 inmates reportedly escaped.According to local media reports, the two nuns were working at the school in Mirebalais and had taken refuge in a house with a girl during the attacks. However, members of the armed gangs entered the building, opened fire, and killed the two nuns and all the other people present.To this day, the situation in Mirebalais remains chaotic. The government delegate to the region, Frédérique Occéan, said that the city’s streets are littered with corpses that emit a foul odor. Municipal authorities are reportedly absent, and many residents have fled.Haitian media also reported that armed gangs had also attacked the Mirebalais University Hospital in recent hours. Yesterday, thousands took to the streets in the capital to protest the deteriorating situation and the increase in gang attacks.The protests also included displaced people living in camps near Port-au-Prince, forced to flee their homes, as well as residents of the Canapé-Vert neighborhoods (where the population is fighting back against the threat of armed groups attempting to enter the area), Turgeau, Carrefour-Feuilles, Pacot, Debussy, Delmas, and neighboring areas. Haitian police used tear gas to disperse the crowd gathered in front of the “Ville d’Accueil,” the headquarters of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) and the government.Last year alone, violence in Haiti left at least 5,600 dead (a thousand more than the previous year), over 2,000 injured, and approximately 1,500 kidnapped, according to the United Nations. Just hours before the outbreak of violence in Mirebalais, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, reported that between July and February, at least 4,239 people were killed and 1,356 wounded in Haiti with weapons illegally imported from abroad, despite the embargo imposed by the UN Security Council. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 3/4/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: This mucus-loving gut bacteria is important for health – here’s how to keep it happy

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lucy Crouch, Research Fellow, Institute of Microbiology and Infection, Department of Microbes, Infection and Microbiomes, School of Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health, University of Birmingham

    _A muciniphila_ needs fibre-rich foods for fuel. marilyn barbone/ Shutterstock

    The microbial community living within our large intestine is a highly dense and complex ecosystem. While some of these microbes cause illness and disease (such as bacteria and viruses), others are friendlier to us and help keep us in good health.

    Akkermansia muciniphila is one of these friendly bacteria.

    Researchers have known for years that A muciniphila is associated with good health. One of the important roles it plays in our gut is maintaining the function of our gut barrier. This keeps the bad bugs out while making sure we can still absorb the important nutrients from our diet that keep our cells working as they should. But when there’s an imbalance of A muciniphila in the gut, it can lead to problems with our health.

    This unusual bacteria lives in our large intestine and survives off of mucin — the layer of mucus that covers the large intestine’s surface.

    Mucin provides a small but important separation between the human cells and microbial cells that call the large intestine home. If this mucus layer is disrupted, microbes can come into direct contact with the human cells. This may result in inflammation as the human cells react to the bacteria – potentially leading to the development of disease, such as inflammatory bowel disease.

    Akkermansia muciniphila is a very fussy eater. It only uses the glycoproteins (molecules containing protein and carbohydrates) in mucin as an energy source. But just how this bacteria extracted energy from glycoproteins was a mystery until recently. Research conducted by myself and colleagues discovered that A muciniphila deploys a range of different enzymes that work together in order to unlock the sugar found in mucin.

    Using mucin taken from a pig, we analysed both enzyme activity on the surface of cells alongside their genes to understand which enzymes were involved in breaking the glycoproteins in mucin down.

    We discovered that A muciniphila uses 66 different enzymes to extract the important energy it needs from the glycoproteins in order to do its important work. We are the first group to describe this process.

    Important for health

    Studies looking at A muciniphila’s interaction with the immune system in mice have revealed that it calms the immune system down and may prevent obesity and diabetes from developing.

    Researchers have highlighted specific peptides (a type of molecule) that it secretes which have this effect on the immune system. Due to its friendly nature and calming effect on the immune system, Akkermansia muciniphila has even been used to develop probiotics.

    Akkermansia muciniphila lives in the large intestine.
    nobeastsofierce/ Shutterstock

    Researchers have also found that people who have a metabolic disease, such as diabetes or fatty liver disease, have fewer Akkermansia muciniphila in their large intestine. The more lean and athletic you are, the more A muciniphila you have.

    Although Akkermansia muciniphila only eats mucus, our diet does still affect it – though indirectly.

    Colon-dwelling bacteria such as A muciniphila use the carbohydrates they extract from the fibre-rich foods in our diet as fuel. In return they produce substances called short-chain fatty acids. These compounds feed the top layer of human cells in the colon. In fact, 10% of our energy comes from this process.

    Akkermansia muciniphila also supports other bacterial species in the microbiome by giving them broken-up mucus so they can survive – a process known as “cross feeding”. But, if we don’t eat enough fibre as part of our diet, mucins become a much more heavily used source of nutrition.

    This can lead to the depletion of the large intestine’s mucus layer – throwing the microbiome’s delicate ecosystem out of balance. This increases the chance of developing inflammatory diseases. So, although Akkermansia muciniphila is not a pathogen, it can remove too much mucus under the wrong conditions.

    Our research is the first complete example of how mucus is broken down by this bacterial species. It’s important to understand this process, as it’s key in the way our microbes interact with each other – and with us. The enzymes that we described from Akkermansia muciniphila can now also be used as tools to analyse how these complex mucin structures vary across different body sites and between people.

    The more researchers learn about Akkermansia muciniphila and the other microbes that live in the colon, the more we understand the importance of eating a variable, high-fibre diet.

    Lucy Crouch receives funding from the Wellcome Trust, Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences.

    – ref. This mucus-loving gut bacteria is important for health – here’s how to keep it happy – https://theconversation.com/this-mucus-loving-gut-bacteria-is-important-for-health-heres-how-to-keep-it-happy-248829

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub (MITIH) has been awarded new funding to boost the innovation ecosystem and support innovative businesses, start-ups and scale-ups in Greater Manchester

    Source: City of Salford

    The one year investment will foster further collaboration between businesses, research institutions and local government. The funding includes a grant which is part of a £30m funding extension of Innovate UK’s Innovation Accelerator (IA) programme, which focuses on locally-led innovation to drive economic growth and technological advancement in three key regions – Greater Manchester, Glasgow City Region and the West Midlands.

    MITIH was launched in 2023 to rejuvenate the region’s innovation ecosystem through collaboration, co-investment, and partnerships with the aim of providing innovators and businesses with access to expertise, funding and state-of-the-art technologies and facilities.

    Paul Dennett, Salford City Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Greater Manchester said: “I am delighted that through The Landing company, Salford City Council colleagues will continue to play a pivotal role in leading, fostering, and supporting innovation through the use of immersive and creative technologies across many sectors of Greater Manchester’s economy.

    “MITIH’s success in revitalising the innovation ecosystem at MediaCity and supporting creative businesses across the city region exemplifies true collaboration and proves the power of devolution. I welcome the confidence the Government has placed in us through this extension and look forward to working with businesses, and local and national Government colleagues, to shape a robust Industrial Strategy that reflects the importance of the creative and cultural industries, not only for Salford and Greater Manchester, but for the whole of the north of England.”

    Professor Simon Green, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Salford, said: “This new investment in the MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub is a significant step forward for Greater Manchester’s innovation ecosystem. By fostering collaboration in this way, we are creating a dynamic environment where cutting edge ideas can thrive. “The funding will provide vital support to innovators, start-ups and scale-ups, ensuring they have access to the expertise, resources and technologies needed to drive economic growth and technological advancement in the region. As an institution, we are proud to play our role in this and look forward to seeing the impact it will have on the future of innovation in Greater Manchester.”

    Martin Chown, Interim Managing Director, MediaCity, added: “Innovation is embedded in the fabric of MediaCity and the continued presence of MITIH is crucial to its long-term success as the UK home of immersive media. The next cohort of innovators, technologists and creators will break boundaries on a global scale and we’re proud to support their presence here.”

    To date, MITIH has engaged and supported over 250 businesses, channelled more than £1million into 26 innovative projects, employing 99 staff and 77 subcontractors, and launched a new innovation lab which has assisted more than 50 businesses and artists. It launched the Cultural Accelerator programme, delivered in partnership with Future Everything, which supported eleven digital artists. The programme has reached more than 4,000 people through partnerships in events across the animation, broadcast, media production, music, audio, immersive experience, games, advertising, marketing, built environment, health and education sectors.

    Anthony Hatton, MITIH Programme Director, The Landing at MediaCityUK said: “The new funding will allow us to continue to support entrepreneurs and innovators and grow our creative economy. We’ve already worked with hundreds of creative and digital businesses to connect them with fellow professionals, test and develop their ideas and to bring their innovations to market.

    “We aim to increase our impact by leveraging local assets and national programmes, such those delivered by the CoSTAR and Creative UK Enterprise teams, to offer local businesses the technical and research expertise and access to state-of-the-art facilities at MediaCity and across Greater Manchester to maximise their economic opportunities.”

    Professor Mandy Parkinson, Professor of Business Innovation, University of Salford said: “Over the next year we aim to assist a further 40 businesses to fast-track their innovative ideas through tailored support and collaborations building on our network of academic and industry experts.

    “MITIH will continue to nurture our growing community and expand our expert network to ensure that the best ideas can be identified, developed and commercialised. We will also leverage programmes at the University of Salford’s Centre for Sustainable Innovation and increase our collaboration with other GM programmes such as the Centre for Digital Innovation, Turing Innovation Catalyst and Health Innovation Manchester.”

    Any companies or talented individuals who wish to take part in or contribute to the programme can contact the MITIH team via Office Forms.

    Share this

    Date published
    Thursday 3 April 2025

    Press and media enquiries

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Environment Agency grants permit for Whitestone landfill site

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Environment Agency grants permit for Whitestone landfill site

    The environmental permit sets out strict conditions on operation of the proposed inert landfill site at Lower Hare Farm

    An environmental permit sets the conditions which GRS Stone Supplies Ltd must adhere to when operating the inert landfill site.

    Following extensive public consultation, the Environment Agency has granted an environmental permit to the operators of a proposed landfill site at Lower Hare Farm in Whitestone, Exeter today.

    In reaching the decision, after considering all feedback from the local community and interested groups, the agency agreed that GRS Stone Supplies Ltd had met all of the necessary criteria required for the environmental permit to be issued.

    Chris James for the Environment Agency said:

    We have carefully considered all of the submissions and feedback we received during our public consultations, and we thank everyone who took the time to contact us with their views.

    This permit will ensure that robust levels of environmental protection are applied. Our permitting decision process is objective and based on the applicant demonstrating they will meet the legal requirements outlined in the permit.

    Where an application meets the requirements of the Environmental Permitting Regulations (2016) the agency must issue a permit.

    An environmental permit sets the conditions which GRS Stone Supplies Ltd must adhere to when operating the inert landfill site.  It covers the management and operation of the site and the control and monitoring of emissions.    

    When the Environment Agency considers a permit application, it reviews the design of the proposed site, how it will be operated, the emissions it will generate (to air, water and land) and whether it will meet the required standards. Partner organisations, including the UK Health Security Agency, are also consulted as part of the process.  

    Issues such as suitability of the location, operating hours and traffic management are matters for the planning authority, not the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency can only consider issues covered by the environmental permit and can only refuse a permit application based on technical information.   

    The final permit, decision document and our review of other documents received during consultations, can be viewed on our public register. You can request these by calling our Customer Contact Centre on 03706 506 506 or emailing DCISEnquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bilirakis and Fletcher Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Stop Brokering of Body Parts, Preserve Integrity of Organ Donation Process

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)

    Washington, DC – This week, U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) re-introduced the Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act, which will protect the dignity of those who donate their bodies to education or research. Specifically, the Act would create standards for registration, inspection, chain of custody, labeling and packing, and proper disposition.  It would also create a registration and tracking system for bodies and body parts donated for research, thus preventing body brokers and bad actors from taking advantage of donors and donor families.  When a family donates a loved ones’ organs or tissues for transplantation, the process is transparent and heavily regulated.  However, in comparison, there is currently no federal law — and few state laws — governing the process when a body is donated for use in medical research or education.  In almost every state, it remains legal to sell the human remains of adults, and worse, under current law, almost anyone — regardless of expertise — can dissect and sell human body parts.  Because of this, grisly abuses of donor bodies abound.

    “This important legislation provides safeguards to ensure that human remains are disposed of in a manner that preserves the dignity and choices of the patient or next of kin,” said Rep. Bilirakis.  “The industry has been largely unregulated and sadly many families have been exploited for profit.  Our bill gives family members the peace of mind of knowing that their wishes are being honored.”  

    “Families who choose to donate a loved one’s body for scientific research or educational use do so believing that they are benefitting others and that their loved ones will be treated with dignity and respect,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “Sadly, many families have been taken advantage of by a largely unregulated industry.  I am glad to partner with Congressman Bilirakis, Senator Murphy, and Senator Tillis to ensure that donor bodies are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, while providing accountability and transparency.”

    Currently, bodies and body parts ostensibly donated for medical research can be bought, sold, and leased again and again, making it extremely difficult without proper reporting requirements to consistently track what becomes of donors’ bodies, to ensure that they are handled with dignity, and to guarantee their return to their loved ones after cremation.  Brokers make money — anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 — by providing bodies and dissected parts to companies and institutions that specialize in advancing medicine and other trades through training, education, and research.  The Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act of 2023 would transform the landscape of tissue and whole-body donation by preventing body brokers from taking advantage of the generosity of donors and donor families by directing anyone who acquires or transfers a human body or human body part for education, research, or the advancement of medical, dental, or mortuary science to register with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, maintain a complete record for each case, ensure proper label and packaging of the remains, and dispose of them by returning them to a donor’s relative or personal representative.

    Following are a few examples of the treatment donor bodies have been subjected to due to the lack of regulation of the process, as reported by Reuters:

    1. In 2016, more than 20 bodies donated to an Arizona broker were used in U.S. Army blast experiments — without the consent of the deceased or next of kin.  Some donors or their families had explicitly noted an objection to military experiments on consent forms. 

    2. In Honolulu, police were called twice to storage facilities leased by body broker Bryan Avery in 2011 and 2012.  Both times, they found decomposing human remains, but both times, police concluded that Avery committed no crimes because no state law applied.

    3. Health inspectors who visited Southern Nevada Donor Services, which offered grieving families free cremation in exchange for donating a loved one’s body to “advance medical studies,” found a man in medical scrubs holding a garden hose, thawing a frozen human torso in the midday sun.  As the man sprayed the remains, “bits of tissue and blood were washed into the gutters.”

    The Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act of 2025 is supported by the National Funeral Directors Association, the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: CLIK Announces Closing of $8.28 Million Public Offering of Ordinary Shares

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Hong Kong, April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Click Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: CLIK) (“Click” or the “Company”), a provider of human resources (“HR”) solutions in Hong Kong specializing in Seniors Nursing Care, Logistics, and Professional HR services, today announced the closing of its public offering of 13,800,000 ordinary shares at a public offering price of $0.6 per ordinary share.

    Gross proceeds, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses, were approximately $8.28 million.

    Pacific Century Securities LLC and Revere Securities LLC acted as co-placement agents in connection with this offering.

    The securities described above were offered pursuant to a registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-285922) (the “Registration Statement”), which was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 31, 2025. The offering was being made only by means of a prospectus which is a part of the Registration Statement. A final prospectus relating to the offering has been filed with the SEC. Copies may be obtained from Pacific Century Securities LLC, 60-20 Woodside Avenue Ste 211Queens, NY 11377 (+1)212-970-8868 and from Revere Securities LLC, 560 Lexington Ave 16th floor, New York, NY 10022, at +1 (212) 688-2350.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

    About Click Holdings Limited

    Click Holdings Limited is a holding company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, and all of its operations are carried out by its operating subsidiaries in Hong Kong, JFY Corporate Services Company Limited and Click Services Limited. The Company is a human resources solutions provider, specializing in offering comprehensive human resources solutions in three principal sectors, namely (i) professional solution services, (ii) nursing solution services, and (iii) logistics and other solution services. The Company provides services to a broad range of customers including Certified Public Accountant firms, charitable organizations, non-governmental organizations, small and medium-sized businesses and Hong Kong listed companies.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. In addition, from time to time, we or our representatives may make forward-looking statements orally or in writing. We base these forward-looking statements on our expectations and projections about future events, which we derive from the information currently available to us. You can identify forward-looking statements by those that are not historical in nature, particularly those that use terminology such as “may,” “should,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “contemplates,” “estimates,” “believes,” “plans,” “projected,” “predicts,” “potential,” or “hopes” or the negative of these or similar terms. In evaluating these forward-looking statements, you should consider various factors, including: our ability to satisfy the closing conditions related to the offering, our ability to change the direction of the Company; our ability to keep pace with new technology and changing market needs; and the competitive environment of our business. These and other factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement.

    Forward-looking statements are only predictions. The forward-looking events discussed in this press release and other statements made from time to time by us or our representatives, may not occur, and actual events and results may differ materially and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about us. We are not obligated to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release and other statements made from time to time by us or our representatives might not occur.

    For enquiry, please contact:

    Click Holdings Limited
    Unit 709, 7/F., Ocean Centre
    5 Canton Road
    Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
    Hong Kong
    Email: jack.wong@jfy.hk
    Phone: +852 2691 8900

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Announces State Grants to Municipalities for Maintenance of Neglected Cemeteries

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration is awarding state grants to 37 municipalities across Connecticut for the purposes of providing maintenance to neglected cemeteries.

    “Cemeteries are solemn places, and taking care of them is essential to respecting those who have passed and preserving the heritage of our communities,” Governor Lamont said. “Our local cemeteries are the final resting places of veterans, local leaders, and ancestors of current town residents. Maintaining them helps to ensure that the deceased are remembered in a respectful manner.”

    The grants, totaling $8,000 each, are being released under the state’s Neglected Cemetery Account Grant Program, which is administered by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM). Established in 2014, this program is funded from revenue collected by the Connecticut Department of Public Health through the issuance of death certificates. To be eligible for a grant, towns and cities must have submitted an application to OPM.

    Grants can be used by the municipalities to support basic maintenance of cemeteries, including the clearing of weeds, briars, and bushes; mowing of the ground’s lawn areas; repairing the ground’s fences or walls; and straightening, repairing, and restoring memorial stones.

    The following municipalities have been selected to receive a grant under this application round, contingent upon the successful submission and approval of required contractual documents:

    • Andover
    • Berlin
    • Bethel
    • Bloomfield
    • Branford
    • Canaan
    • Canterbury
    • Chester
    • Darien
    • Eastford
    • Easton
    • Glastonbury
    • Granby
    • Greenwich
    • Groton
    • Guilford
    • Haddam
    • Harwinton
    • Ledyard
    • Marlborough
    • Middlefield
    • New Canaan
    • New Milford
    • Newington
    • Plymouth
    • Redding
    • Ridgefield
    • Roxbury
    • Salisbury
    • Seymour
    • Southington
    • Stonington
    • Thompson
    • Tolland
    • Union
    • Vernon
    • Waterford

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: April is Second Chance Month: Exploring North Dakota’s Collaborative Approach to Reentry Success for Justice-Involved Individuals

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Reentering society after incarceration presents a host of challenges, from securing stable housing and employment to accessing health care and recovery resources. In North Dakota, a robust partnership between multiple state agencies and community organizations is making a tangible difference in the lives of justice-involved individuals. Through collaboration between the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR), North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS), Job Service North Dakota (JSND), the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT), and various community partners, providers, nonprofits and faith-based organizations, reentry efforts are more coordinated and effective than ever before.

    “Reentry isn’t just about leaving incarceration—it’s about having the right support in place to build a stable future,” said Reentry and Recovery Commissioner Jonathan Holth. “By working together, we’re creating stronger pathways for people to succeed.”

    In recognition of Second Chance Month this April, here’s a deeper look into the collaborative network supporting reentry success and an effort to reduce new victims of crime in North Dakota.

    Breaking Down Barriers

    DOCR’s reentry initiatives are built on the principle that successful reintegration requires a network of support. Affordable housing, overcoming the stigma of a criminal record, and maintaining engagement with support services post-release are ongoing hurdles this public-private network collaborates on together to address. By bridging gaps in housing, employment, healthcare, and recovery services, these initiatives aim to reduce recidivism and promote long-term success. The commitment of these agencies and organizations ensures that justice-involved individuals have the tools they need to rebuild their lives.

    According to DOCR Reentry Manager Robyn Schmalenberger there’s both an evidence-based approach and personalized aspect to support reentry success for each individual.

    “Every person has a different pathway into the choices they make, and every person is going to have somewhat of a different pathway out of it,” said Schmalenberger. “This underscores the need for flexible, personalized services and support systems.”

    The Power of Partnerships

    DOCR Community Resource Manager Travis Collins joins Schmalenberger in supporting DOCR and the state’s reentry efforts. Collins underscores the importance of early intervention as a key factor in reentry success for justice-involved individuals.
    “By bringing services into the facilities, we’re not just preparing people for release—we’re helping them build relationships and access the resources they need to succeed from day one,” said Collins.

    Collins’ work includes numerous initiatives to connect with external businesses and organizations. For example, he regularly hosts resource fairs held inside correctional facilities. These events connect individuals with service providers before release, easing their transition back into the community.

    HHS is one agency that plays a significant role in a variety of initiatives by sending team members into correctional facilities to establish these early connections with individuals, increasing the likelihood of post-release follow-through with programs that support housing, job training and medical care.

    NDDOT plays a crucial role in ensuring individuals leaving incarceration have proper identification. Without a state-issued ID, securing employment, housing, and other essential services becomes significantly more difficult. NDDOT staff visit correctional facilities to process ID applications before release, reducing barriers and helping individuals transition more smoothly into society.

    Healthcare

    Ensuring access to healthcare upon release is a critical component of successful reentry. Through a collaborative effort between DOCR and HHS, incarcerated individuals can apply for Medicaid before their release. For eligible participants, this ensures uninterrupted access to essential medical and behavioral health services. This proactive approach helps individuals secure necessary medications, continue treatment for chronic conditions, and access mental health or substance use support as they transition back into the community. By eliminating gaps in coverage, this initiative reduces the risk of health-related setbacks that could contribute to recidivism, promoting stability and long-term success.

    Employment Support

    JSND plays a vital role in supporting both justice-involved individuals and the employer community. Through career readiness classes, JSND support reentry by providing essential job search skills, including resume building, interview techniques, and strategies for addressing justice involvement. Within 90 days of release, participants can attend job fairs to connect with potential employers. Those who complete the Career Readiness class and meet specific criteria may be referred by DOCR to the Job Placement Pilot Program (JP3). Launched in July 2023, JP3 helps individuals secure and retain employment by providing assessments, goal planning, and support services to remove barriers to work. Additional programs, such as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), offer training for in-demand jobs in North Dakota.

    JSND’s efforts are yielding strong results, with program participants achieving employment rates of 75-80%. Data through September 2024 shows that individuals who complete the program earn an average of $9,480 per quarter—significantly higher than those who did not complete it ($2,928) or those who never enrolled ($3,902).

    “The positive impact of this program is evident, not just for individuals but for North Dakota’s workforce as a whole,” said Amy Arenz, JSND Bismarck workforce center manager.

    To further support employers, JSND offers resources such as Federal Bonding, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, and funding for on-the-job training. Additionally, JSND provides education on hiring justice-involved individuals, recently hosting the webinar, “Breaking Barriers: Hiring Justice-Involved Individuals,” where experts and employers shared insights on creating second-chance employment opportunities for a stronger workforce and community.

    The HHS Vocational Rehabilitation program partners with DOCR to support individuals preparing for release by offering vocational assessments, job search training, and career counseling. Services begin three to six months before release to ensure a smooth transition into employment.

    Additionally, DOCR’s Rough Rider Industries (RRI) program provides incarcerated individuals with employment and skill-building opportunities. Those who engage in RRI for at least six months have a significantly lower recidivism rate of 7.9%, compared to the overall DOCR recidivism rate of 37.2%.

    Child Support

    North Dakota Child Support, administered through HHS, recognizes the financial challenges that can arise when a parent is incarcerated and unable to earn income. To support successful re-entry and reduce long-term barriers, HHS pursued a law change that ensures that a parent’s child support obligation is automatically terminated if they are sentenced to 180 days or more. This change helps parents reintegrate and regain financial stability upon release, ultimately benefiting their children in the long run.

    Additionally, an HHS agency rule provides a six-month adjustment period after release before child support obligations are reinstated, allowing time for parents to secure employment and establish financial stability. These updates aim to create a fair and supportive path forward for families while balancing the needs of both parents and children.

    JSND administers the Parental Responsibility Initiative for the Development of Employment (PRIDE) working with individuals referred from child support who are non-custodial parents. This program helps individuals obtain employment or better paying jobs to meet child support obligations.

    Housing, Basic Needs and Recovery Support

    Helping individuals secure stable housing to prevent homelessness upon reentry is another critical dimension of wellness that supports success.

    The Recovery Housing Assistance Program (RHAP) is an HHS state-funded program that provides up to 12 weeks of housing expenses for individuals in recovery, paid directly to participating providers, to help them access safe and stable living environments. Working with a network of approved RHAP providers, the program aims to increase the number of supportive recovery housing environments available in North Dakota, establish and reinforce evidence-based best practices in recovery housing, reduce homelessness, expand individual options for recovery experiences, and provide housing stability, which indirectly impacts employment.

    Recovery housing aims to provide a safe, structured, and supportive environment with peer support, access to community resources, and opportunities for personal growth and recovery.

    Launched in 2018, Free Through Recovery (FTR) is a partnership between HHS and DOCR. The program is designed to increase access to recovery support services for individuals engaged with the criminal justice system who have behavioral health concerns. Participants engage with a Care Coordinator and Peer Support Specialist who help them identify their needs and find creative, effective ways to meet them. Peer support specialists—many of whom have lived experience—serve as mentors, offering guidance and motivation as individuals rebuild their lives.

    Heather Brandt, HHS manager behavioral health community supports, emphasizes the role of recovery services in successful reintegration.

    “Having stable housing and recovery support in place can be the difference between success and returning to the system,” noted Brandt. “Our goal is to create a bridge that helps people find the services and supports.”

    Faith-based organizations and nonprofits also play a vital role in this ecosystem, offering support services, mentorship, and community-based reentry meals at places like Trinity Lutheran Church. DOCR also hosts reentry simulations to give policymakers and community members a firsthand look at the challenges faced by individuals upon release, highlighting the need for structured support systems.

    “Collaboratively, all of these programs are foundational to supporting basic needs, critical dimensions of wellness and overall success,” said Schmalenberger. “Through collaboration, we’re not just reducing recidivism—we’re giving people real opportunities to rebuild their lives.”

    DOCR Director Colby Braun echoed this sentiment.

    “When people return to our communities with the right resources in place, it benefits everyone as it leads to stronger families, safer communities, and better outcomes for all. Successful reentry is more than the success of an individual, it is the success of a community. This is public safety,” said Braun.

    For more information on North Dakota’s reentry initiatives, visit docr.nd.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Heinrich, Luján Join Senate Democrats in Demanding Trump Rescind Illegal Executive Order Threatening Federal Employee Collective Bargaining Agreements

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Washington, D.C. – Wednesday, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in urging President Donald Trump to rescind his March 27 executive order to end collective bargaining agreements between public employee unions and dozens of federal agencies and bureaus. In their letter, the Democratic Senators blasted the move as a “gross overreach” of presidential authority, asserting that the executive order is a clear attempt to gut the federal merit-based civil service and implement a system of political cronyism. They stressed that the order poses a grave threat to the ability of over 1 million federal workers to carry out their missions and deliver important services for the American people – and thus should be rescinded immediately.
    “We write today in outrage over your recent executive order entitled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs, a gross overreach of the authority granted in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA). This order is an insult to the hardworking public servants who go to work on behalf of the American people,” the Senators began.
    “The executive order effectively classifies two thirds of the federal workforce as having national security missions, a blatant misuse of a limited authority intended to provide operational flexibility to address legitimate security needs,” they continued. “There is no evidence that the long-standing collective bargaining agreements at these agencies have jeopardized our nation’s security in any way; to the contrary, the protection collective bargaining has provided for employees allows them to conduct their work on behalf of the American people—including blowing the whistle on fraud or abuse—without political interference.”
    “This Administration clearly does not have even a basic understanding of the legally binding nature of federal collective bargaining agreements and is actively trying to bend the law to undermine protections for federal civil servants. We urge you to immediately rescind this illegal executive order so that our dedicated public servants can continue to work on behalf of the American public without fear for their job or political retribution,” the Senators concluded.
    The Senators’ letter is endorsed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
    Led by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Senators Heinrich and Luján were joined on this letter by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    A copy of the letter is available here and below.
    Dear President Trump: 
    We write today in outrage over your recent executive order entitled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs, a gross overreach of the authority granted in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA). 
    This order is an insult to the hardworking public servants who go to work on behalf of the American people. They care for our veterans, deliver disaster assistance, prevent wildfires, help farmers improve crop yields, manage health benefits for 9/11 first responders, research treatments and cures for diseases, keep air travel safe, process tax returns, staff our national parks and much, much more. Nearly one third of these dedicated civil servants are veterans seeking to continue their service to our country out of uniform.  
    The executive order effectively classifies two thirds of the federal workforce as having national security missions, a blatant misuse of a limited authority intended to provide operational flexibility to address legitimate security needs. The national security exemption has existed for nearly 50 years and has been used only sparingly by Republican and Democratic Administrations—including during your first term—to exclude federal offices with an unquestionable core function in intelligence, counterintelligence, or national security. There is no evidence that the long-standing collective bargaining agreements at these agencies have jeopardized our nation’s security in any way; to the contrary, the protection collective bargaining has provided for employees allows them to conduct their work on behalf of the American people—including blowing the whistle on fraud or abuse—without political interference. 
    Federal employees’ collective bargaining agreements are critical to ensuring they continue to serve the American people with the peace of mind that comes with being protected from unfair labor practices. Unlike in the private sector, federal employee unions in most cases cannot negotiate pay or benefits, which are set by Congress, and they are legally prohibited from striking. The federal collective bargaining agreements do, however, protect federal employees from illegal firings, retaliation, and discrimination. They also promote resources for whistleblowers and veterans. These federal union contracts give employees in the civil service protections from retaliation so they can serve the American people fairly and effectively without partisan political interference.  
    This executive order, which ruthlessly strips collective bargaining agreements for over one million federal workers, is the most recent attack your Administration has levied against our merit-based civil service in the effort to cut the workforce and replace them with political cronies. While the CSRA does give the president the authority to limit collective bargaining agreements due to national security concerns, the executive order’s direction to terminate mass swaths of federal employee collective bargaining agreements is clearly intended to broadly dismantle the CSRA, which is specifically designed to grant federal employees the right to collective bargaining as a means to resolve workplace issues while maintaining the smooth functioning of government operations.  
    When the Secretary of Labor testified in February in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Members of Congress asked her both in-person and through questions for the record whether she and the Administration would commit to honoring all legally binding collective bargaining agreements signed by federal agencies and labor unions, and whether federal employees have the right to organize and collectively bargain without fear of retaliation. The Secretary answered, “if confirmed, I will follow the law and work with the experts at the Department to understand the collective bargaining process at the Department and the terms and conditions of the collective bargaining agreements in place.” This Administration clearly does not have even a basic understanding of the legally binding nature of federal collective bargaining agreements and is actively trying to bend the law to undermine protections for federal civil servants.  
    We urge you to immediately rescind this illegal executive order so that our dedicated public servants can continue to work on behalf of the American public without fear for their job or political retribution.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 3 April 2025 Departmental update WHO unveils bold commitments at Nutrition for Growth Summit

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Paris, France – The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced 13 ambitious commitments across 8 key areas at the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, hosted by the Government of France. The Summit raised US$ 28 billion in global funding for nutrition – an increase from the previous milestone of US$ 27 billion in 2021. This represents positive and hopeful moment for global solidarity amidst major funding crises faced in the development aid sector. It also showcases growing commitments from countries to improve health and well-being for all through nutrition.

    Malnutrition remains a global crisis, affecting every country. In 2022, approximately 390 million adults 18 years and older worldwide were underweight, while 2.5 billion were overweight, including 890 million living with obesity. Additionally, 148 million children under 5 years suffered from stunting, and 37 million were overweight or obese. Nearly half of all deaths among children under 5 are linked to undernutrition, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries.

    WHO commitments aim to accelerate progress towards ending all forms of malnutrition and achieving the Global Nutrition Targets and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

    “Malnutrition in all its forms is one of the greatest global health challenges of our time. WHO is answering the N4G call for bold action with concrete, time-bound commitments that will drive measurable impact and accelerate progress,” said Dr Luz María De Regil, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO.

    WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gave closing remarks, expressing gratitude to the Government of France for their leadership in organizing the summit and emphasizing that “nutrition is the foundation of health, and therefore of thriving individuals, families, communities, societies and economies … by contrast, where there is malnutrition of any form, disease follows close behind.” Dr Tedros also underscored WHO’s commitment to ensuring global access to essential nutrition services and safe, healthy and sustainable diets.

    Key WHO commitments:

    Anaemia: WHO will enhance the prevention, diagnosis and management of anaemia, building off the 2023 Accelerating anaemia reduction: a comprehensive framework for action and collaborating with UNICEF and partners of the Anaemia Action Alliance. This will include updated guidance on anaemia management in pregnancy and postpartum patients along with updated estimates on the global prevalence of anaemia in high-risk groups.

    Healthy diets: By 2027, WHO will release comprehensive guidance on optimal animal-source foods tailored to specific age, gender and country contexts. WHO will also address ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption with updated definitions and recommendations.

    Monitoring: Annual updates on country scorecards for trans–fatty acids, sodium and sugars will be provided through the Global database on the Implementation of Food and Nutrition Action (GIFNA). These scorecards shows country progress towards recommended policies as outlined in the WHO Best buys for preventing NCDs as well as technical packages including REPLACE and SHAKE. In addition, by 2026 WHO will develop a dashboard illustrating country progress towards SDG2.2 and the 2030 Nutrition Targets, including operational targets. 

    School nutrition: By 2030, WHO will support 10 countries in adapting the WHO Guideline on School food and nutrition policies and work with partners to ensure school food and nutrition policies are in line with existing nutrition standards.

    Sodium reduction: WHO will assist at least 10 countries in adopting global or regional sodium benchmarks and support 20 countries in implementing priority interventions for salt reduction in line with the SHAKE technical package and country scorecard indicators.

    Obesity: By 2026, WHO will publish normative guidelines on the clinical management of obesity in children, adolescents and adults and support 34 frontrunner countries of the WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity in reducing obesity prevalence by 5% by 2030. This will include developing an accountability framework to track progress towards national obesity roadmaps across health systems and food and activity environments.

    Wasting: Based on the Global Action Plan on Child Wasting: A framework for action to accelerate progress in preventing and managing child wasting (GAP) and the  WHO guideline on the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema (‎acute malnutrition)‎ in infants and children under 5 years, WHO will aim to improve the prevention and treatment of wasting and nutritional oedema by developing implementation tools and supporting 25 frontrunner countries to scale up actions in collaboration with UNICEF and GAP partners.

    Climate change: By 2030, WHO will assist 40 countries to integrate nutrition and health into their climate action plans, aligning with global efforts to achieve SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and well-being), and SDG 13 (climate action). In addition, WHO will publish new guidance on sustainable procurement standards for nutritious and sustainable food in health settings with dedicated support to 20 countries. This will be accomplished through the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate Action and Health (ATACH) in partnership with the Initiative on climate action and nutrition (I-CAN).

    These commitments reflect WHO’s dedication to tackling malnutrition and promoting health and well-being worldwide. A replay of Nutrition for Growth Summit sessions can be found here. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VA names nine additional facilities that will deploy Federal EHR in 2026

    Source: US Department of Veterans Affairs

    Skip to content

    Sites are located in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Alaska

    WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs today announced the complete list of additional medical facilities at which it will deploy the Federal Electronic Health Record system in 2026 under its accelerated deployment schedule.

    The nine additional VA medical centers and their associated clinics that will go live with the EHR in 2026 are as follows:

    • Cincinnati VAMC-Fort Thomas (Fort Thomas, KY)
    • Chillicothe VAMC (Chillicothe, OH)
    • Cincinnati VAMC (Cincinnati, OH)
    • Dayton VAMC (Dayton, OH)
    • Louis Stokes Cleveland VAMC (Cleveland, OH)
    • Fort Wayne VAMC (Fort Wayne, IN)
    • Marion VAMC (Marion, IN)
    • Richard L. Roudebush VAMC (Indianapolis, IN)
    • Alaska VA Healthcare System (Anchorage, AK)

    The nine sites announced today were chosen following planning sessions among officials from VA’s Electronic Health Record Modernization Integration Office, regional and local VA medical leaders, VA clinicians and EHR vendor Oracle Health.

    “We are excited to bring Veterans in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Alaska a modern medical record system that will result in improvements to care, coordination and convenience. The Federal EHR is integrated across all VA and Department of Defense components, enabling seamless data exchange while enhancing care, safety and customer service for patients,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins.

    The Federal EHR system VA will deploy at a total of 13 sites in 2026 is the same electronic health record that is already operated by the Department of Defense, and the system will improve customer service and convenience for both VA and DOD patients.

    The department previously announced in December 2024 that four VA sites in Michigan — VA Battle Creek Medical Center, VA Detroit Healthcare System, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, and VA Saginaw Healthcare System — would go live with the EHR in 2026. Full implementation of the Federal EHR system at every VA facility is expected as early as 2031.

    VA is pursuing a market-based approach to site selection for its deployments going forward. This will enable the department to scale up the number of concurrent deployments, while also enabling staff to work as efficiently as possible.

    VA will adopt a standard baseline of products, workflows and integrations aligned with subject-matter-expert recommendations. The standardized national baseline will ensure successful Federal EHR implementation, accelerate deployments, simplify decision-making and support future optimizations.

    For more information about VA’s overall EHR modernization effort, see here.

    Reporters and media outlets with questions or comments should contact the Office of Media Relations at vapublicaffairs@va.gov

    Veterans with questions about their health care and benefits (including GI Bill). Questions, updates and documents can be submitted online.

    Contact us online through Ask VA

    Veterans can also use our chatbot to get information about VA benefits and services. The chatbot won’t connect you with a person, but it can show you where to go on VA.gov to find answers to some common questions.

    Learn about our chatbot and ask a question

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Connecticut District 26 Locals Open Pratt & Whitney Negotiations With Call for Fair Contract

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    Negotiations are underway for thousands of IAM members at Pratt & Whitney in the greater Hartford, Conn., area. IAM Locals 700 and 1746 (District 26) have joined together with a shared purpose: to advocate effectively for their members’ rights and needs.

    Pratt & Whitney produce and maintains jet aircraft engines for military and commercial jets, such as the KC-46 air refueling tanker, the F-35 joint strike fighter, and the A320 commercial airliner. 

    “This committee will ensure that our membership’s voice is heard at the table during negotiations with Pratt & Whitney,” said Jeff Santini, IAM District 26’s Directing Business Representative and Organizer. “We are a highly skilled workforce that builds, tests, and maintains the world’s best commercial and military engines.”

    Healthy wages that are in line with the rising cost of living and inflation are top priorities in these negotiations. Furthermore, the committee is focused on improving language on guaranteed work protections and ensuring retirement security, which the membership has voiced as top concerns.

    IAM members are part of a highly skilled workforce that undergoes rigorous training, guaranteeing that every engine meets the precision and durability required for military and commercial operations. 

    Additionally, union contracts help secure fair wages, benefits, and job stability, reducing turnover and maintaining a knowledgeable workforce with deep expertise in aerospace manufacturing. This stability is essential for maintaining a consistent production pipeline, preventing delays, and ensuring that military and commercial customers have the necessary equipment to remain operational and practical. 

    “IAM members at Pratt & Whitney are pivotal in building engines for military aircraft that are crucial to ensuring the highest standards of quality, safety, and reliability in national defense,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “Securing an industry-leading contract isn’t just beneficial to our members; it’s also beneficial to the company.”

    In the face of evolving global security threats, relying on union workers helps safeguard the integrity of defense technology and the well-being of those who manufacture it. Moreover, commercial customers maintain an efficient fleet with highly engineered and manufactured products.

    “The IAM is committed to securing a fair and just contract for our members at Pratt & Whitney. Our highly skilled workforce is the backbone of this company’s success, and they deserve an agreement that recognizes their dedication and contributions,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “We will continue to stand strong, united, and determined to achieve the best possible outcome for our members and their families.”

    The current contract expires at midnight on May 4, 2025.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Bio-Convert Receives Positive Feedback from The Danish Medicine Agency (DKMA) on its Lead Drug Candidate, QR-02 for Oral Leukoplakia

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BEVERLY HILLS, California, April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bio-Convert A/S (“Bio-Convert”), a subsidiary of Nordicus Partners Corporation (OTCQB: NORD) (“Nordicus” or the “Company”), a financial consulting company specializing in supporting Nordic and U.S. life sciences companies in establishing themselves in the U.S. market, announces it has received positive and constructive feedback from the Danish Medicine Agency (“DKMA”) for its lead drug candidate, QR-02 for the treatment of oral leukoplakia.

    DKMA’s feedback paves the way toward a First in Human trial, with a high likelihood of animal studies rendered dispensable for the proposed formulation and route of application.

    Allan Wehnert, CEO and Founder of Bio-Convert commented: “DKMA gave valuable and clear guidance, providing us with a clear pathway towards the initiation of the First in Human trial with QR-02 which is expected to start end of 2025.”

    Bio-Convert has developed a unique and proprietary mucoadhesive oral topical formulation for the treatment of oral leukoplakia with moderate to severe dysplasia.

    The unique feature of the gel formulation (QR-02) is its ability to stay in the oral cavity for 12-24 hours, which is significantly longer than conventional gel formulations which only stay in the oral cavity for 15-20 minutes due to the large washout effect caused by mouth saliva. The active ingredient is imiquimod which is approved for the treatment of Actinic Keratosis, External Genital Warts and Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma (sBCC).

    The goal for QR-02 is to cure and reduce the level of dysplasia so patients with oral leukoplakia potentially can be cured from their disorder.

    For further information, contact:
    Mr. Henrik Rouf
    Chief Executive Officer
    hr@nordicuspartners.com
    Tel +1 310 666 0750

    About Bio-Convert
    Bio-Convert’s mission is to develop the preferred treatment for oral leukoplakia. Our innovative therapeutic agent, QR-02, uses a novel drug delivery technology, that enables more precise, effective and efficient treatment.

    About Nordicus Partners Corporation
    Nordicus Partners Corporation is the only U.S. publicly traded business accelerator and holding company for Nordic life sciences companies. Leveraging decades of combined management experience in domestic and global corporate sectors, Nordicus excels in corporate finance activities including business and market development, growth strategies, talent acquisition, partnership building, capital raising, and facilitating company acquisitions and sales. In 2024, Nordicus acquired 100% of Orocidin A/S, a Danish preclinical-stage biotech company developing next-generation therapies for periodontitis and 100% of Bio-Convert A/S, a Danish preclinical-stage biotech company dedicated to revolutionizing the treatment of oral leukoplakia. For more information about Nordicus, please visit: www.nordicuspartners.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Threads and BlueSky.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
    This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate,” “intend,” “continue” or “believe” or the negatives thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they discuss our plans, strategies, prospects and expectations concerning our business, operating results, financial condition and other similar matters. We believe that it is important to communicate our future expectations to our investors. There may be events in the future, however, that we are not able to predict accurately or control. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date on which we make it. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Yarralumla Nursery banks seeds for the future

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Yarralumla Nursery’s staff carefully monitor the conditions of the seed bank.

    When bushfire swept through Yarramundi Reach in 2003, it took with it Roman Cypress trees first planted in 1916.

    While that exact type of Cyprus could well have disappeared from the ACT, Yarralumla Nursery’s seed bank came to the rescue.

    “Yarralumla Nursery’s seed bank is a wonderful resource that has been used to create Canberra’s urban forest,” the nursery’s Senior Director Matt Parker said.

    “We were able to propagate the same genetic Cyprus from our seed bank.”

    The seed bank is a living record of every seed collected, purchased and stored at the Yarralumla Nursery since 1913.

    The latest to be added are the seeds of the Bunya Pine tree.

    Native to Queensland, these large conifers hold sacred values for First Nations peoples and come from a plant family dating back to the Jurassic period.

    Bunya Pines can be found throughout Canberra – from the National Arboretum to Lanyon Homestead.

    The seed bank is a valuable historical asset for the nursery and the role it has played in establishing Canberra’s green spaces.

    It now contains over 200 genus of seeds, with relevant information painstakingly recorded.

    Seeds are stored in alphabetical order, in old glass ‘lolly’ jars of all shapes and sizes.

    They are hand-labelled with the species weight and seed registration number and consistently maintained at 20–22°C.

    “If seeds are dried and stored correctly, there are minimal issues,” Yarralumla Nursery Production Operations Manager Belinda Ryan said.

    “Our propagation staff specialise in monitoring the conditions of the seed bank and storing the seeds. For example, jars need to be at least two-thirds full of seed to maintain temperature and reduce air moisture and you can’t put seed into warm jars as this may break seed dormancy, meaning they could start to grow.”

    Around 15,000 plant cards – which staff refer to as birth certificates – feature seed information dating back to 1913.

    While these were once housed in wooden draws at the nursery they have since been digitised and are available on the Archives ACT website.

    “Some Eucalyptus species from the ’60s are still viable and germinating,” Belinda said.

    “The seed bank at Yarralumla Nursery is an amazing space full of nostalgia; I like searching through and finding the oldest seeds,” Matt said.

    And now the newest are safely stored under B for Bunya Pine.

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Expanding Inpatient Capacity at State Mental Health Facilities

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that 125 new beds have opened at state-operated psychiatric centers over the past four months, boosting New York’s capacity to provide intermediate-level care to individuals living with mental illness. Opened statewide since December 1, 2024, the new beds represent more than a third of the capacity added at state psychiatric centers since Governor Hochul took office in 2022 — the largest inpatient expansion at these facilities in decades.

    “New Yorkers living with longer-term psychiatric challenges need access to care they can count on and that’s what these new beds promise to deliver,” Governor Hochul said. “Adding new capacity complements other critical investments we’re making in mental health care, including an expansion of outpatient supports, services and specialized housing to help individuals in recovery live safely in their community.”

    OMH has added 125 new beds split between five state psychiatric centers during the first three months of 2025. This expansion added 60 adult beds, 15 children’s beds and 50 forensic beds, including:

    • 25 beds at the Greater Binghamton Psychiatric Center in Binghamton
    • 25 beds at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens
    • 10 beds at Capital District Psychiatric Center in Albany
    • 15 beds at Rockland Children’s Psychiatric Center in Orangeburg
    • 25 beds at Kirby Psychiatric Center in Manhattan
    • 25 beds at Rochester Psychiatric Center in Rochester

    With these additions, Governor Hochul has brought 875 beds online since taking office, including 325 new beds at state-operated psychiatric centers, and 550 beds restored at community-based hospitals. An additional 75 beds are in planning for three Transition to Home units slated to begin opening at the Creedmoor campus in 2026.

    The first 25-bed Transition to Home unit opened at Manhattan Psychiatric Center in late 2022, with a second 25-bed unit opening several months later. These units provide recovery-focused treatment specifically designed for individuals with severe mental illnesses who are experiencing homelessness.

    In addition to this expansion at state facilities, Governor Hochul has helped restore 550 beds that were offline at community-based hospital beds statewide. These hospitals typically serve individuals requiring shorter term care –often several weeks or less –while the state psychiatric centers provide longer-term treatment that can last months.

    Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “Our focus is to ensure all New Yorkers can access the right level of care whenever and wherever they need it. In addition to expanding both acute and intermediate inpatient capacity, we are also investing in outpatient supports and specialized housing to help people receive mental health care in the setting most appropriate for their need. Governor Hochul’s continued commitment to strengthening our mental health system is creating one that is truly responsive to the needs of all New Yorkers.”

    Governor Hochul’s signature $1 billion investment into strengthening New York State’s mental health care system and her subsequent budget initiatives have resulted in a significant expansion of outpatient services. This includes tripling the number of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics statewide from 13 to 39, which provide mental health and substance use disorder services to anyone who walks in the door.

    This plan has added 24 new adult and young adult Assertive Community Treatment teams, with an additional 16 teams under development. This ongoing expansion will significantly increase the capacity of these teams to treat New Yorkers most in need within their communities, rather than in more restrictive hospital settings.

    Governor Hochul’s plan has funded 22 new Youth ACT teams. These multi-disciplinary teams are designed to address the significant needs of children ages 10 up to 21, who are at risk of entering, or are returning home from high intensity services, such as inpatient settings or residential services.

    Additionally, the State has added 31 new Critical Time Intervention teams under the Governor’s initiative to provide care management services and support that help people during transitions in care, including when they leave inpatient settings. An additional 19 teams are in planning.

    Governor Hochul’s mental health initiative has also expanded the ‘Safe Options Support’ program to operate in all five boroughs of New York City and throughout the state, helping more than 970 chronically homeless individuals into permanent housing. There are now 17 teams operating throughout New York City, one on Long Island and 10 in communities in upstate.

    To date, the plan has provided funding for 1,276 units of new specialized housing, with an additional 2,224 housing units in the pipeline. This housing includes community residence-single room occupancy units, supportive housing-single room occupancy units and short term transitional residential units.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Industry leaders launch new hospitality sector hiring toolkit

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Industry leaders launch new hospitality sector hiring toolkit

    Safeguarding industry experts have collaborated to launch an industry best practice ‘Better Hiring Toolkit’ for the hospitality sector.

    The Disclosure and Barring Service has collaborated with The Better Hiring Institute (BHI), along with other safeguarding industry experts, to launch a free to use industry best practice ‘Better Hiring Toolkit’ for the hospitality sector.

    The resource provides best practice advice and guidance on how to hire quickly, fairly, and safely, and to tackle modern slavery in the sector.

    BHI has collaboratively created the toolkit, alongisde DBS and experts at the Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), the Institute of Hospitality, Disclosure Scotland, and Reed Screening.

    The new toolkit – which can be accessed here – provides practical, simplified guidance to support hospitality businesses with hiring new employees by utilising UK best practice.

    It provides advice on vetting potential new recruits including checking and verifying their qualifications, as well as information for employers on their obligations when it comes to issues like modern slavery.

    Helen Chandler, Acting Associate Director of Strategy and Business Development for the Disclosure and Barring Service, said: “The Disclosure and Barring Service helps employers make safer recruitment decisions, and our collaboration with Better Hiring Institute represents important steps forward in supporting the hospitality industry in safeguarding best practice.

    “The toolkit provides guidance for employers and highlights how incorporating Basic checks into recruitment practices can be a tool to build trust, safety and reliability across the workforce.”

    Keith Rosser, Chair of the Better Hiring Institute and Director of Reed Screening, said: “I am delighted to have worked collaboratively with key bodies to provide the hospitality industry with this best practice guide to help hard working organisations who are facing multiple challenges on a daily basis.

    “The hospitality industry is vital to the UK economy and I hope that the toolkit will assist organisations to hire to the best possible standard. My thanks go to the Institute of Hospitality and our Hospitality subcommittee for their valuable insights and feedback to create this industry standard.”

    Those responsible for recruitment within hospitality organisations are being urged to download, implement and share the toolkit within the hiring community: Access the Better Hiring Toolkit here.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Prof Thomas Hartung – Exposome Moonshot Project

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Human Exposome Moonshot Project is a bold initiative to map how environmental exposures shape human health from conception to old age. Much like the Human Genome Project transformed genetics, the Human Exposome Project seeks to revolutionize our understanding of disease origins, public health, and environmental policy. Today, we know that up to 90% of chronic diseases are linked to environmental factors—ranging from pollutants and diet to social stressors. However, a comprehensive understanding of these exposures remains elusive.

    Prof Hartung is on the Organising Committee of the Exposome Moonshot Project. He will be in the UK, ahead of the first Human Exposome Moonshot Forum in Washington in May, speaking at the International Network for Governmental Science Advice conference.

    Journalists were invited to attend this briefing to meet Prof Hartung and learn more about how the Human Exposome Moonshot Project will redefine environmental health and public policy on a global scale over the next decades. He covered:

    • What is the Human Exposome, and why is it as significant as the Human Genome Project?
    • How do environmental exposures contribute to major diseases, and what percentage of disease burden can be attributed to these factors?
    • Why is now the right time for a Human Exposome Moonshot? What technological breakthroughs make it feasible today?
    • What key advances in artificial intelligence, exposomics, and real-time exposure monitoring are driving this initiative?
    • How will the project impact healthcare, drug development, and regulatory science?
    • What role will governments, industry, and public health organizations play in shaping and implementing the exposome agenda?
    • How can stakeholders—scientists, policymakers, businesses, and the public—get involved in this initiative?
    • What are the expected short- and long-term outcomes of the Human Exposome Project, and how will success be measured?

    Speakers included:

    Prof Thomas Hartung, Professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Whiting School of Engineering, Georgetown University, Washington D.C., and University of Konstanz, Germany and Director at the Centers for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) in the US and Europe. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/HAITI – “Foyer Saint Camille” inaugurates ward for premature babies

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Thursday, 3 April 2025

    Madian Orizzonti

    Port-au-Prince (Agenzia Fides) – “Providing modern care environments that are better adapted to the needs of the population and adequate for staff is one of the key elements of our health plan to make the network of health and social services more humane and efficient,” said Father Robert Daudier, Director of the “Foyer Saint Camille” Hospital in Port-au-Prince, at the recent inauguration of the ward for premature babies or babies with birth defects which took place on Tuesday, 25 March.In a country like Haiti, which is in chaos, this new ward is an important sign of hope and rebirth, according to a statement sent by the aid organization “Madian Orizzonti Onlus,” an association active in Italy and in the Camillian missions abroad.”Despite the many setbacks that prevented the hospital from meeting its deadlines,” the hospital director continues, “many goals have nevertheless been achieved that facilitate patient care. Examples include the acquisition of new medical equipment and devices, operating tables, anesthesia machines, monitors, incubators, medical imaging equipment, among others, as well as an important room for the oxygen production plant, which was made possible at the cost of great sacrifices. And now, we are finally inaugurating the Neonatal Unit. We are very proud of the new unit, which is a concrete example of our commitment to providing modern infrastructure that better meets the needs of our city’s suffering and poor population. The unit has a capacity of six incubators and nine cots. This new space is a place of life and hope for premature babies and their parents. It is a place of welcome, love, and tenderness, which we wanted to call the ‘foyer,’ a place of security and shared love, but also a unit with new facilities, suitable for welcoming newborns who are entering life with difficulties, and where the nursing staff is also specialized and prepared to provide appropriate medical care, as well as special attention in the general care of the new family.”In conclusion, the missionary extends special thanks to “all those who help us accompany life in such a difficult country and reaffirms our trust in those who collaborate with us in such valuable work for the Haitian people. In our daily work, we strive to save lives by following the guidelines of the Ministry of Public Health through our various competencies, aware that the challenges are increasing every day.” (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 3/4/2025)
    Madian Orizzonti

    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Lessons from El Salvador for US university leaders facing attacks from Trump

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Annmarie Caño, Professor of Psychology, Gonzaga University

    Salvadorans participate in a procession on Nov. 14, 2015, to commemorate the 26th anniversary of the murder of the Rev. Ignacio Ellacuría, five other Jesuit priests and two employees at Central American University in San Salvador. Marvin Recinos/AFP via Getty Images

    Even before President Donald Trump took office, university presidents expressed concern about the impact of his agenda on higher education.

    Now they must lead their institutions in the wake of executive orders and directives that appear to undermine their authority and autonomy.

    They include cuts to research grant funding and the prohibition of diversity programs. The Trump administration has also proposed the dismantling of the Department of Education.

    These mandates contradict most university missions, which often include references to advancing knowledge in service of democracy. But few university leaders are taking public actions to oppose these directives.

    As a psychology professor and a former dean focused on equitable educational access, I believe U.S. higher education leaders in Trump’s crosshairs would do well to reflect on the courage of university leaders in El Salvador who, during the 1980s, opposed injustice despite facing grave personal risks for doing so.

    The Central American context

    El Salvador in the 1970s and 1980s was at the center of Cold War politics. In the name of preventing the spread of communism, the country’s U.S.-backed oligarchy and military waged a repressive campaign against people who pushed for human rights.

    The ensuing civil war saw about 75,000 Salvadorans killed.

    Before and during the conflict, universities that took the side of the poor and marginalized experienced intense backlash, including the revocation of funding and attacks on the reputation of university leaders.

    These actions feel eerily similar to those being taken against U.S. universities today.

    As I write in my forthcoming book, the heads of the Central American University in El Salvador offer a model of courageous leadership.

    The university president, Ignacio Ellacuría, was a Jesuit priest and a renowned theologian and philosopher. His second in command, Ignacio Martín-Baró, also a Jesuit priest, was a social psychologist. Martín-Baró developed the field of liberation psychology, which argues that oppression in society must be addressed to enable mental health and well-being.

    These leaders advanced ideas to create a more just society.

    They didn’t serve the elite by reproducing a wealthy and educated upper class that would support the status quo. Instead, Ellacuría called for universities to center the needs of poor community members in their teaching and social outreach.

    These university leaders and their faculty immersed themselves in impoverished communities to understand their plight and work toward a common, empowered future.

    Their leadership was remarkable. They persisted in their work despite being wrongfully labeled as Marxists and communists. They were threatened with deportation and targeted with death threats and bombing attacks on campus.

    Because of their efforts to promote justice, Ellacuría, Martín-Baró and six other people were assassinated on campus in 1989 by U.S.-trained military forces.

    A mural pays homage to six Jesuit priests and two university employees murdered during El Salvador’s civil war.
    Marvin Recinos/AFP via Getty Images

    Elements of liberatory leadership

    The Central American University leaders understood the power of their authority as scholars. But they didn’t use it to dominate others. They exercised their authority in service of the poor.

    Martín-Baró created the Institute for Public Opinion to collect and disseminate survey data about citizens’ experiences. In a 1988 survey, respondents in the countryside reported high unemployment and the widespread sentiment that their condition had worsened over the past decade.

    He also published research on the psychological impacts of political violence and war in El Salvador, including post-traumatic stress in children and families.

    The university leaders and faculty did not distance themselves from the people.

    Instead, they listened to their struggles and supported community groups such as the ecclesial base communities that organized to resist oppression.

    A fundamental reason for the university’s involvement in the country’s struggles was its belief in the “preferential option for the poor.”

    The theological concept upholds God’s love for all of humanity, which requires that God take sides. According to the theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez, a contributor to the development of Latin American liberation theology, God does not remain neutral when people are oppressed, so neither should human leaders.

    US higher education

    These elements of liberatory leadership, I argue, can provide lessons for U.S. higher education leaders, even at U.S. secular institutions.

    Rather than refrain from communicating with faculty and students, university leaders might acknowledge the fear and pain people are feeling in response to anti-immigration and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.

    University leaders might hold listening sessions to learn how executive orders are impacting faculty and students. In my experience as an executive coach, such listening sessions are uncommon due to fear of reprisal from politicians and other powerful stakeholders.

    Rather than not discussing the impact of federal orders, they might conduct surveys to publicize the scope of the effects. Leaders could make public statements, rooting their arguments in the values espoused by their university mission statements.

    That would run counter to declaring institutional neutrality, which more than 140 higher educational institutions have adopted.

    Yet, some leaders – Patricia McGuire of Trinity Washington University and groups such as the American Council on Education, for example – are “taking sides.” They are affirming the value of diversity and inclusion in a mission-aligned manner that is akin to voicing a preferential option for the poor.

    To be sure, there are risks to this kind of leadership.

    U.S. academic leaders may not face the same outcome as their counterparts in 1980s Central America, but they do risk their reputations and livelihoods for speaking out.

    They may be called names or added to online watch lists. Their institutions may be threatened with investigations and the cancellation of critical funds. They may be fired.

    The Central American University leaders faced the same risks, yet they empowered people to continue to resist unjust actions. Among the ecclesial base communities, they remain an important example of leadership during troubled times.

    Fear did not guide their actions. Freedom and truth did – values that are foundational to democracy.

    Annmarie Caño is the founder and owner of Annmarie Caño Coaching & Consulting, LLC. In the past, she has received funding from the National Institutes of Health. She is a member of the American Psychological Association.

    – ref. Lessons from El Salvador for US university leaders facing attacks from Trump – https://theconversation.com/lessons-from-el-salvador-for-us-university-leaders-facing-attacks-from-trump-249251

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Vitamin D builds your bones and keeps your gut sealed, among many other essential functions − but many children are deficient

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jacqueline Hernandez, Assistant Professor of Dietetics and Nutrition, Florida International University

    Most people in the U.S. get their vitamin D from Sun exposure. Stockbyte/DigitalVision via Getty Images

    You’ve likely heard about vitamin D’s important role in maintaining strong bones and teeth. But it also plays several other important roles to keep your body healthy – including the function of your gut.

    As part of our research on how a dietary fiber supplement affects bone mass in children and adolescents, the MetA-Bone Trial, we are also studying gut health.

    For this study, we recruited 213 children and adolescents from South Florida, primarily Hispanics, though some were Black. Before having them start taking the fiber supplement, we measured their vitamin D levels to ensure they had adequate amounts. Surprisingly, we found that 68% of these children had suboptimal vitamin D levels.

    Considering South Florida is an area with plenty of sunshine year-round, this was both startling and concerning. While vitamin D can be obtained from foods, most people in the U.S. get this vitamin primarily from skin exposure to sunlight. For youth approaching or experiencing puberty – a period of profound physiological changes, including rapid changes in bone mass – vitamin D deficiency could lead to several health issues.

    Vitamin D deficiency can have significant health consequences.
    Hrant Khachatryan/Unsplash, CC BY-SA

    Connection between vitamin D and health

    Vitamin D is involved in so many bodily functions because there are vitamin D receptors in different organs. These receptors act like docking stations for vitamin D to bind to and trigger different effects in the skin, intestine, bone, parathyroid gland, immune system and pancreas, among others.

    Vitamin D regulates calcium levels in the body, which is key for not only building and maintaining bone mass but also the basic functioning of the nervous system.

    Vitamin D also stimulates cell differentiation, a process in which cells become specialized to carry out specific functions. It is also essential to insulin secretion to control blood sugar levels, blood pressure regulation, muscle repair and regeneration, immune function and nutrient absorption, among many other functions.

    Vitamin D and gut health

    The vitamin D receptors in your gut improve calcium absorption and strengthen your intestinal barrier.

    The intestinal barrier is a layered wall that allows your gut to absorb nutrients and keep out harmful bacteria. This wall is composed of intestinal cells and proteins called tight junctions that act like bricks sealing these cells together. Tight junctions play an important role in maintaining the structure of your intestinal barrier.

    Tight junctions keep the cells of your intestine together, forming a selective barrier.
    VectorMine/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Vitamin D receptors help your gut produce tight junctions to maintain your intestinal barrier. Research suggests that vitamin D deficiency reduces production of the receptors the nutrient binds to, subsequently reducing the seal of the intestinal wall. This weakening of the gut barrier may allow substances from the intestine to pass into the blood, causing inflammation. Disruption of the intestinal barrier is linked to many diseases, including liver disease, Type 1 diabetes, obesity and gastrointestinal conditions such as celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.

    After discovering that so many of the participants in our MetA-Bone Trial had suboptimal vitamin D levels, we became interested in understanding how this nutrient might be affecting their gut health. For this, we also measured the strength of their intestinal barrier and associated this to their vitamin D levels in blood.

    We found that children with suboptimal vitamin D levels had a higher risk of damaging their intestinal barrier compared with children with optimal vitamin D levels. This finding suggests that even in healthy children, suboptimal levels of vitamin D may compromise the gut and potentially increase the risk of developing chronic diseases at an early age.

    Getting enough vitamin D

    Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in the U.S. and around the world. Roughly 15.4% of children and adolescents in the U.S. were vitamin D deficient in 2017. While vitamin D deficiency has slightly decreased over time in the general U.S. population, it remains high among teens, especially children with darker skin.

    How can you ensure you are getting enough of this important nutrient?

    Only a few foods naturally contain vitamin D. For example, vitamin D is naturally found in fatty fish – such as trout, salmon, cod and tuna – egg yolks and mushrooms. Vitamin D can also be found in many fortified foods, such as dairy products like milk and cheese, plant-based milks, breakfast cereals, some orange juice brands and infant formulas. Dietary supplements are also good sources of vitamin D.

    Some foods are good sources of vitamin D.
    happy_lark/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    For most people in the U.S., Sun exposure is their main source of vitamin D. However, how much Sun exposure you need depends on several factors, such as the melanin content of your skin. Melanin is a pigment that protects your skin from ultraviolet radiation. People with more melanin – and therefore darker skin – produce less vitamin D from Sun exposure than those with less melanin and may thus require longer Sun exposure to meet minimum requirements.

    Since excessive ultraviolet radiation is associated with skin cancer, clinicians typically recommend you meet your vitamin D requirements through foods and beverages. For healthy children and adults, the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D is 600 IU, with an age-based upper limit of no more than 1,000 to 4,000 IU. You can usually meet this through a healthy diet that includes a variety of whole and unprocessed foods.

    Researchers continue to uncover the extensive benefits of vitamin D in the body, supporting its indispensable role in nutrition and health. For growing children and adolescents, enough vitamin D is important for healthy development.

    Jacqueline Hernandez receives funding from National Institute of Health and National Dairy Council

    Cristina Palacios receives funding from the National Institute of Health, the World Health Organization, and the National Dairy Council

    – ref. Vitamin D builds your bones and keeps your gut sealed, among many other essential functions − but many children are deficient – https://theconversation.com/vitamin-d-builds-your-bones-and-keeps-your-gut-sealed-among-many-other-essential-functions-but-many-children-are-deficient-249562

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Lowering the cost of insurance in Colorado – a new analysis of the Peak Health Alliance

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mark Meiselbach, Assistant Professor of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University

    Health insurance premiums have continued to rise in the U.S. MoMo Productions/GettyImages

    A community-led partnership in Colorado designed to negotiate health care prices lowered health care premiums in 2020 and 2021, we find in our new paper in the Journal of Risk and Insurance. The nonprofit organization is called the Peak Health Alliance.

    As health care premiums continue to rise nationwide, many employers have formed so-called purchasing alliances in hopes of collectively reducing health care costs for their employees. Despite their popularity, to date there has been limited evidence to show these alliances work to control costs.

    We are health economics professors who have extensively studied policies that affect the design and cost of health insurance. Our work includes an earlier study we published in the American Journal of Managed Care that found large individual employers generally lack the ability to negotiate lower prices for their employees.

    In this most recent study, we evaluated Peak Health Alliance, which initially launched in Summit County, Colorado, in 2020 and then expanded to seven other rural Colorado counties in 2021.

    Our findings provide the first clear evidence that purchasing alliances like Peak can successfully reduce health care costs.

    Why it matters

    Peak Health Alliance was started in response to a Kaiser Health News report that found Summit County, which includes the ski destinations of Breckenridge and Keystone, was one of the most expensive counties in the country for health care. In collaboration with an insurance partner, Peak aimed to negotiate lower prices with hospitals in their networks and offer insurance plans on the individual market.

    One key advantage of Peak was its relatively small and clearly defined geographic area – a single county with a population of roughly 30,000 people. This simplified management and likely increased Peak’s bargaining power, as it allowed Peak to capture a large share of the population using a local insurer. Larger-scale initiatives, in contrast, often face greater administrative complexity as they manage more partners and geographies, potentially lowering their ability to negotiate effectively.

    Peak was also different because it worked with both individuals and employers.

    We used data from the Colorado Division of Insurance on health plans to compare changes in premiums from 2017 to 2021 between counties where Peak expanded to and counties where it did not.

    In 2024, the national average annual premiums for a private insurance health plan is close to $9,000 per year for single coverage. Peak’s savings of 13% to 17% translate to over $1,000 of savings per year per person enrolled in Peak’s plans.

    Premiums also dropped in the seven counties added during Peak’s 2021 expansion. Those counties were Dolores, Grand, Lake, La Plata, Montezuma, Park and San Juan.

    Our research strongly suggests that these premium reductions resulted primarily from lower health care prices. In other words, the costs insurers paid to health care providers for their services went down. When total costs are lowered, premiums for people enrolled in the plan also dropped.

    What still isn’t known

    It remains uncertain whether Peak Health Alliance can maintain its initial success following significant challenges with its insurance partners.

    Peak initially partnered with Bright Health, now NeueHealth, which initially offered individual and Medicare Advantage plans. But Bright Health stopped offering health plans across the U.S. in 2022 due to profitability struggles across its entire business. As a result, Peak was forced to stop offering insurance plans in Colorado for the years 2022 and 2023.

    Peak has since secured a new insurance partner in Denver Health Medical Plan, but it is unclear whether this new partnership will enable Peak to continue reducing health care costs.

    What’s next

    It’s not clear if similar alliances can replicate Peak’s success in different market conditions and geographic regions.

    Additionally, researchers need to examine the long-term effects of purchasing alliances on health care quality and consumer satisfaction, ensuring that cost savings do not compromise patient outcomes.

    The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

    Mark Meiselbach receives funding from Arnold Ventures. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of Arnold Ventures

    Matthew Eisenberg received funding for this work from Arnold Ventures. Matthew Eisenberg recieved funding outside of this work from the Commonwealth Fund, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Institute on Nursing Research. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors.

    – ref. Lowering the cost of insurance in Colorado – a new analysis of the Peak Health Alliance – https://theconversation.com/lowering-the-cost-of-insurance-in-colorado-a-new-analysis-of-the-peak-health-alliance-252473

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Susan Monarez, Trump’s nominee for CDC director, faces an unprecedented and tumultuous era at the agency

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jordan Miller, Teaching Professor of Public Health, Arizona State University

    The Trump administration laid off thousands more employees at the CDC on April 1, 2025, as part of its workforce reduction. Anadolu/Getty Images

    The job of director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention carries immense responsibility for shaping health policies, responding to crises and maintaining trust in public health institutions.

    Since the Trump administration took office in January 2025, the position has been held on an interim basis by Susan Monarez, whom Trump has now nominated to take the job permanently after his first nominee, former Florida Congressman David Weldon, was withdrawn, in part over his anti-vaccine views.

    Monarez, in contrast, is a respected scientist who endorses vaccines and has robust research experience. While she is new to the CDC, she is an accomplished public servant, having worked in several other agencies over the course of her career.

    Monarez’s nomination comes at a time when the Department of Health and Human Services is in the midst of mass layoffs, and health professionals – and many in the public – have lost confidence in the federal government’s commitment to supporting evidence-based public health and medicine.

    After having already cut nearly 10% of the CDC’s employees earlier in the year, the White House laid off thousands more HHS employees on April 1, gutting the CDC’s workforce by more than 24% in total.

    As a teaching professor and public health educator, I appreciate the importance of evidence-based public health practice and the CDC director’s role in advancing public health science, disease surveillance and response and a host of other functions that are essential to public health.

    The CDC is essential to promoting and protecting health in the U.S. and abroad, and the next director will shape its course in a challenging era.

    A critical time for public health

    In addition to the massive overhaul of the country’s public health infrastructure, the U.S. also faces a multistate measles outbreak and growing concerns over avian flu. Cuts to both the workforce and federal programs are hobbling measles outbreak response efforts and threatening the country’s ability to mitigate avian flu.

    The Trump administration has also brought in several individuals who have long held anti-science views.

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment to head of the Department of Health and Human Services was widely condemned by health experts, given his lack of credentials and history of spreading health misinformation.

    So the stakes are high for the CDC director, who will report directly to Kennedy.

    Two CDC workers – one who has been at the agency for 25 years and the other for 10 – protest mass layoffs on April 1, 2025.
    AP Photo/Ben Gray

    An abrupt pivot

    Prior to his inauguration, Trump had signaled he would nominate Weldon, a physician who has promoted anti-vaccine theories.

    But in March, Trump withdrew Weldon’s nomination less than an hour before his confirmation hearing was set to begin, after several Republicans in Congress relayed that they would not support his appointment.

    Instead, Trump tapped Monarez for the top spot.

    The role of a CDC director

    The CDC relies on its director to provide scientific leadership, shape policy responses and guide the agency’s extensive workforce in addressing emerging health threats.

    Prior to January, the CDC director was appointed directly by the president. The position did not require Senate confirmation, unlike the other HHS director positions. The selection was primarily an executive decision, although it was often influenced by political, public health and scientific considerations. But as of Jan. 20, changes approved in the 2022 omnibus budget require Senate confirmation for incoming CDC directors.

    In the past, the appointed individual was typically a highly respected figure in public health, epidemiology or infectious disease, with experience leading large organizations, shaping policy and responding to public health emergencies. Public health policy experts expect that requiring Senate confirmation will enhance the esteem associated with the position and lend weight to the person who ultimately steps into the role. Yet, some have expressed concern that the position could become increasingly politicized.

    Who is Susan Monarez?

    Monarez holds a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology. She has been serving as acting director of the CDC since being appointed to the interim position by Donald Trump on Jan. 24.

    Prior to stepping into this role, she had been serving as deputy director for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, since January 2023, a newer initiative established in 2022 through a US$1 billion appropriation from Congress to advance biomedical research.

    Monarez has robust research experience, as well as administrative and leadership bona fides within the federal government. In the past, she has explored artificial intelligence and machine learning for population health. Her research has examined the intersection between technology and health and antimicrobial resistance, and she has led initiatives to expand access to behavioral and mental health care, reduce health disparities in maternal health, quell the opioid epidemic and improve biodefense and pandemic preparedness.

    Monarez has not yet laid out her plans, but she will no doubt have a challenging role, balancing the interests of public health with political pressures.

    Reactions to her nomination

    Reactions to Monarez’s nomination among health professionals have been mostly positive. For instance, Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, remarked that he appreciates that she is an active researcher who respects science.

    But some have advocated for her to take a more active role in protecting public health from political attacks.

    In her interim position, Monarez has not resisted Trump’s executive orders, even those that are widely seen by other health professionals as harmful to public health.

    Since taking office, the current Trump administration has issued directives to remove important health-related data from government websites and has discouraged the use of certain terms in federally funded research.

    Monarez has not pushed back on those directives, even though some of her own research includes key terms that would now be flagged in the current system, like “health equity”, and that health leaders expressed concerns in a letter sent to Monarez in January.

    One of the duties of Susan Monarez, the nominee to lead the CDC, is to communicate critical health information to the public.
    NIH/HHS/Public domain

    CDC staff have said that Monarez has not been visible as acting director. As of early April, she has not attended any all-hands meetings since she joined the CDC in January, nor has she held the advisory committee to the director meeting that is typically held every February. One agency higher-up described her as a “nonentity” in her role so far. Monarez has also reportedly been involved in decisions to drastically cut the CDC workforce.

    While some have commented on the fact that she is the first nonphysician to head the agency in decades, that may actually be an advantage. The CDC’s primary functions are in scientific research and applying that research to improve public health. Doctoral scientists receive significantly more training in conducting research than medical doctors, whose training rightly prioritizes clinical practice, with many medical schools providing no training in research at all. Monarez’s qualifications are well-aligned with the requirements of the director role.

    A time of change

    The CDC was founded at a time of great change, in the aftermath of World War II.

    Now, in 2025, the U.S. is again at a time of change, with the advent of powerful technologies that will affect public health in still unforeseeable ways. New and emerging infectious diseases, like measles, COVID-19 and Ebola, are sparking outbreaks that can spread quickly in population-dense cities.

    A shifting health information ecosystem can spread health misinformation and disinformation rapidly. Political ideologies increasingly devalue health and science.

    All these factors pose real threats to health in the U.S. and globally.

    The next CDC director will undoubtedly play a key role in how these changes play out, both at home and abroad.

    This story is part of a series of profiles of Cabinet and high-level administration positions.

    Jordan Miller does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Susan Monarez, Trump’s nominee for CDC director, faces an unprecedented and tumultuous era at the agency – https://theconversation.com/susan-monarez-trumps-nominee-for-cdc-director-faces-an-unprecedented-and-tumultuous-era-at-the-agency-250356

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From business exports to veteran care − here’s what some of the 35,000 federal workers in the Philadelphia region do

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Todd Aagaard, Professor of Law, Villanova School of Law

    Federal layoffs have affected employees at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. Ryan Collerd/AFP via Getty Images

    Layoffs of federal employees and cutbacks to federal agencies have direct consequences for the Philadelphia area.

    I am a law professor at Villanova University outside Philadelphia, and my research focuses on the work of the administrative agencies that compose the federal government.

    I believe that understanding the federal government’s presence in the Philly metro area can highlight some of the potential consequences in our region for the rapid changes currently underway.

    Over 65,000 federal employees in PA

    More than 80% of federal civilian employees work outside of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. There are about 66,000 federal employees in Pennsylvania and 35,000 in Philadelphia.

    Over a dozen federal agencies have offices in the Philadelphia region. These include the Internal Revenue Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Agricultural Marketing Service, Food and Drug Administration, Economic Development Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal Transit Administration and the Census Bureau.

    Here are some examples of the broad variety of services that federal employees in the Philadelphia region provide to the public.

    Services to businesses

    Several federal agencies in the Philadelphia area provide expertise, advice and resources for businesses.

    For example, the U.S. Commercial Service, part of the Commerce Department, has an office in Philadelphia and assists U.S. businesses with exporting their products for international markets.

    The Small Business Administration, which has a district office in King of Prussia, provides resources and support for small businesses.

    And the Economic Development Administration operates a regional office in Philadelphia that distributes federal funds for construction, workforce training, manufacturing, disaster relief and other purposes.

    Benefits for retirees and veterans

    Other federal agencies administer government benefits programs. The Social Security Administration disburses benefits for retirees and the disabled, providing more than US$13 billion in benefits to almost 8 million people in the Philadelphia region each month.

    About 3,800 Pennsylvanians work for the Social Security Administration in offices located around the state.

    The Department of Veterans Affairs operates the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Medical Center in West Philadelphia. The center provides primary and specialty health care for veterans.

    Statewide in Pennsylvania, about 17,000 federal employees work for the Veterans Health Administration. Another 1,500 work for the Veterans Benefits Administration, which provides veterans with education and training, home loans, life insurance and pensions.

    Census data collection

    The Census Bureau operates an office in Philadelphia to collect and disseminate data in a region that stretches from Tennessee to Pennsylvania.

    The Census Bureau conducts the constitutionally mandated census of the U.S. population every 10 years, as well as an economic census of businesses every five years, and numerous surveys about communities, health, housing, crime, education and more.

    In addition, regional census employees answer questions from local media, work with local organizations to encourage participation in censuses and surveys, and educate the public about census data. This work is of particular importance because census data determines how federal funding is allocated.

    Military logistics

    The Defense Logistics Agency’s Troop Support Command is headquartered in Northeast Philadelphia. Troop Support is responsible for creating and maintaining military supply chains. This includes securing food, clothing, equipment and medical supplies.

    It is also responsible for procuring medals and ribbons for military awards, such as the Medal of Honor.

    About 5,000 federal employees, many of them military veterans, work for the Defense Logistics Agency in Pennsylvania.

    Bridges, dams and seawalls

    The Army Corps of Engineers has operated its district headquarters in Philadelphia since 1866.

    In addition to its role in supporting the military, the Corps of Engineers also constructs and maintains civil works projects. Its first civil works project in the Philadelphia region was the construction of a breakwater near Cape Henlopen, Delaware, in 1829.

    These days, employees of the district inspect and maintain bridges, operate flood control dams, build beachfill and seawall projects along coastlines and maintain 500 miles of navigation channels.

    The vast majority of federal civilian employees don’t work in D.C.
    Carol M. Highsmith/Library of Congress Domain

    National historical sites

    The National Park Service manages numerous historical sites and parks in the Philadelphia region, including the Independence National Historical Park, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, the Flight 93 National Memorial and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

    At these locations, National Park Service personnel educate visitors, maintain facilities, protect park resources and keep the public safe.

    Environmental cleanup

    The Environmental Protection Agency is perhaps best known as an environmental regulator, enforcing limits on air and water pollution and toxic substances. But it also is active in other areas, such as cleaning up contaminated sites in the Philadelphia area through the Superfund program.

    EPA’s National Priorities List includes almost 40 contaminated sites in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. For example, EPA manages the cleanup of the Philadelphia Navy Yard in South Philadelphia, where part of the Navy Yard had historically been used to dispose of waste from ships. EPA’s cleanup has remediated the onsite landfill and prevents contamination from seeping into the Delaware River.

    EPA also supervises the cleanup in Havertown of the site of a former wood treatment operation that contaminated the soil and groundwater with the highly toxic chemical pentachlorophenol, or PCP. Because of the cleanup, part of the contaminated site is now a widely used YMCA that serves the recreational and fitness needs of the community.

    Tax help

    The Internal Revenue Service, another agency known for its enforcement activities, also provides services in the Philadelphia area to support taxpayers. These include, for example, taxpayer assistance centers in Horsham, King of Prussia, Media and Philadelphia.

    The IRS also has a Taxpayer Advocate Service office in Philadelphia. The Taxpayer Advocate Service is an independent office that advocates for taxpayers who are having difficulties with the IRS.

    Read more of our stories about Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.

    Todd Aagaard is a visiting fellow at Resources for the Future in addition to his faculty position at Villanova University. From 1999 to 2007, he served as an attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice.

    – ref. From business exports to veteran care − here’s what some of the 35,000 federal workers in the Philadelphia region do – https://theconversation.com/from-business-exports-to-veteran-care-heres-what-some-of-the-35-000-federal-workers-in-the-philadelphia-region-do-251457

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –