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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI USA: February 26th, 2025 Heinrich Responds to Latest Developments on Health Care Center in Southern New Mexico Denying Medical Care to New Mexicans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    In a post published to his social media this morning, Heinrich condemned Ben Archer Health Center for turning away patients without birth certificates on-hand at their clinics
    Heinrich: “What Ben Archer was pulling at its health clinics wasn’t just wrong, it was illegal.”
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement today after constituents notified his office that Ben Archer Health Center was denying medical care to individuals unable to provide “proof of citizenship”:
    “What Ben Archer was pulling at its health clinics wasn’t just wrong, it was illegal. I am glad they reversed course, and that they did it quickly. Let this be a lesson to all health care providers that we will hold you accountable for following the law,” said Heinrich.
    “The idea that kids should have to take their birth certificate to school to get care at the school health clinic? It’s just ludicrous. We have skyrocketing grocery prices, a housing crisis, and now, a measles outbreak in New Mexico and Texas. We need our elected officials focused on fixing real issues and our health care providers focused on providing health care,” Heinrich concluded.
    Background
    Heinrich’s office was alerted by constituents to Ben Archer Health Center’s new practice of requiring “proof of citizenship” today. His office then verified that Ben Archer was employing this practice at school-based health clinics, for scheduled appointments at standalone clinics, and for same-day appointment requests. In defense of their actions, Ben Archer leadership pointed to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,”which was issued on February 19, 2025, but has no bearing on the provision of health care to non-citizens. In fact, New Mexico and federal law both require Ben Archer and other similarly funded health centers in the United States to provide health care to all residents of the area the center serves, regardless of immigration status. Relevant statutes include NMSA 24A-1-20 and 42 U.S.C.§ 254b.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Scott Move to Reauthorize Sickle Cell Treatment Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced legislation to reauthorize the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program, which was last reauthorized in 2018.

    Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder predominantly affecting African Americans, Latinos, and other minority groups. Individuals with SCD have a significantly lower life expectancy than the overall population. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sickle cell affects 100,000 individuals in the United States.

    “Since 2018, the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program has expanded access to care for people suffering from SCD and saved lives,” said Senator Booker. “Reauthorizing this crucial program will allow us to continue allocating resources for research and treatment of sickle cell disease. I’m proud of the progress we have made and urge my colleagues in Congress to reauthorize this program so we can continue to make advancements and improve care for SCD patients across the nation.”

    “Reauthorizing this program will allow us to expand access to research and treatment for rare blood diseases and reduce the number of people in already overwhelmed emergency rooms. I am glad to play a small role in easing the burden that SCD has on too many individuals and their families,” said Senator Scott. “This legislation will help ensure continued innovation and advancement of life-changing SCD care.” 

    The Sickle Cell Disease Treatment and Demonstration Program:

    • Increases the number of clinicians knowledgeable about SCD care;
    • Improves the quality of care provided to individuals with SCD;
    • Develops best practices for coordination of services during the pediatric to adult care transition; and
    • Improves care coordination with other providers.

    To read the full text of the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Maryland State Supervisors Vote Overwhelmingly to Join AFSCME Maryland

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    Vote signifies one of the largest expansions of collective bargaining rights in Maryland in decades

    Annapolis – After three weeks of voting, nearly 5,000 supervisors employed by the State of Maryland have joined AFSCME Maryland, Council 3. This new bargaining unit is made up of supervisory employees who belong to Unit S in agencies across the state. Now, they will begin the process of bargaining their first union contract.

    “We work alongside state employees who are working towards the same agency goals as we are but they had a stronger voice and a union contract to ensure their hard work was rewarded and respected,” said Walter Moore, Jr., a Security Attendant Supervisor at Springfield Hospital Center. “Now that we’ve certified our union, we can finally work on solutions like overtime pay, workload levels, and more.”

    The result of the mail-in ballot election conducted by Maryland’s Public Employee Relations Board showed that an overwhelming majority of supervisors voted for AFSCME Maryland Council 3.

    “We are proud to welcome nearly 5,000 state supervisors into the AFSCME family and congratulate them on winning their union,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders.  “They know a voice on the job is essential for ensuring workers have what they need to continue delivering critical public services and strengthening our communities. Now that they officially have a seat at the table, they can advocate for — and win — workplace improvements that will benefit all Marylanders.”

    “For decades, AFSCME Maryland has been the largest union for state employees,” said AFSCME Maryland Council 3 President Patrick Moran. “Now, nearly 5,000 state supervisors finally join the rest of their AFSCME family in securing a union contract. Together, we will build on the power of the AFSCME Green Machine and continue to win the raises, rights, and respect that workers deserve.”

    “Safe working conditions, proper staffing levels and ensuring every one of my coworkers makes it home to their family at the end of their shift – those are reasons why we need a strong union voice and why I worked so hard to secure today’s win,”said Yolanda Downing, a Correctional Officer Lieutenant at the Chesapeake Detention Facility. “We have built a strong team that is ready to get to work to negotiate the best union contract possible for supervisors.”

    Today’s election is the result of a process that began more than a year ago with state supervisors working with AFSCME Maryland to pass HB 260/SB 192, legislation that  granted Unit S state employees collective bargaining rights. Governor Wes Moore signed the legislation, one of the largest expansions of collective bargaining rights in the state in the last few decades, in April surrounded by AFSCME Maryland Supervisors Union leaders.

    Nationally, state supervisors in Maryland join other supervisory employees in Connecticut, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, Minnesota, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Florida as having organized with AFSCME, as have county supervisors in Prince George’s, Baltimore City, and Howard County. 

    “With our union, we as supervisors can finally have a say in workplace policies that affect us, such as expanded hours, how our scheduling works, how comp time works, and more,” said Michael Lawson, Acting Assistant Superintendent/Bus Maintenance Supervisor at the Maryland Transit Administration. “We are experts at how our agencies and offices operate, and now we have a seat at the table to weigh in on decisions that shape our work, our services, and our agencies.”

    ###

    About AFSCME Maryland Council 3

    AFSCME Maryland Council 3 represents more than 50,000 public service workers in local, city, county and state government as well as in higher education who provide the valuable public services that our communities rely on. From Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, we make Maryland happen.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: People before private health funds

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: People before private health funds

    Published: 27 February 2025

    Statement by: Treasurer

    I congratulate Federal Health Minister Mark Butler for delivering a health insurance premium decision that puts people before private health funds.

    The Minister has rejected the private health insurers’ wild bid to slug their own members with a 6 per cent premium hike during this cost-of-living crisis.

    These funds made record profits in recent years while campaigning for endless subsidies from NSW taxpayers.

    Last year the government took action to make sure private insurers paid their bills in full when using public hospitals – saving NSW $140 million per annum.

    The NSW Liberal and National Parties backed the big health insurers as they tried to continue avoiding paying their bills.

    Mark Speakman should now either promise to reintroduce taxpayer subsidies for the big health insurers, or he should instead apologise for aiding and abetting their disgraceful misinformation campaign.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Amid ‘Hellscape’, Uptick in Violence in North Darfur, Senior Humanitarian Official Urges Security Council to Take Immediate Action to Protect Civilians in Sudan

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    12 Million People Displaced, 24.6 Million Face Acute Hunger Nationwide, Yet Aid Groups Forced to Suspend Operations in Zamzam Displacement Camp Due to Insecurity

    The “already catastrophic” situation in Sudan has worsened in recent weeks, a senior United Nations humanitarian official warned today, as she outlined alarming developments in North Darfur, and urged the Security Council to take immediate action to ensure all actors abide by international humanitarian law and protect civilians in Zamzam camp and beyond. 

    “Nearly two years of relentless conflict in Sudan have inflicted immense suffering and turned parts of the country into a hellscape,” said Edem Wosornu, Director, Operations and Advocacy Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.  Ms. Wosornu briefed the 15-member body on behalf of Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. 

    More than 12 million people in Sudan have been displaced while 24.6 million people are experiencing acute hunger, she told the Council.  In North Darfur, violence in and around the Zamzam displacement camp — which hosts hundreds of thousands of civilians — has further intensified.  Satellite imagery confirms the use of heavy weaponry there in recent weeks.  Many have been killed, including at least two humanitarian workers, she said. 

    Earlier this week, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the main provider of health and nutrition services in Zamzam, announced that it has been forced to halt its operations in the camp due to the deteriorating security situation.  The World Food Programme (WFP) has also confirmed the suspension of voucher-based food assistance due to insecurity and the destruction of the market at Zamzam. 

    Moreover, the UN Human Rights Office has verified reports of summary executions of civilians in areas that have changed hands, she went on to say.  In the south of the country, fighting has spread into new areas in North Kordofan and South Kordofan.  “We have also seen shocking reports of further atrocities in While Nile state, including a wave of attacks earlier this month reported to have killed scores of civilians,” she said, welcoming the decision by the Sudanese authorities to extend the authorization of the use of the Adre crossing for humanitarian aid. 

    United Nations 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan Requires $6 Billion

    She said that the UN’s 2025 response plan for Sudan and the region requires $6 billion to support close to 21 million people in Sudan and up to 5 million others in neighbouring countries.  “The international community — in particular members of the Council — must spare no effort in trying to mitigate this,” she stressed. 

    In the ensuing discussion, Council members expressed alarm over the increasing attacks on civilians, underscoring the harrowing plight of the Sudanese people, particularly children, and urging all parties to the conflict to put down their weapons. 

    World’s Greatest Crisis of Displaced Children 

    “Sudan is experiencing one of the most devastating conflicts of our times,” said Panama’s delegate, noting that the country is home to the world’s greatest crisis of displaced children.  Slovenia’s delegate echoed a similar sentiment, saying that Sudanese children are left with the deepest scars of this war.  “These young lives plead for an end to the massacre, for the guns that keep them awake to be silenced, and they ask for food,” he added. 

    ‘Unspeakable Violence’ against Women and Girls Must Stop 

    “This conflict has unleashed a wave of unspeakable violence against women and girls,” Denmark’s delegate also added, underscoring that survivors need urgent access to healthcare and post-rape support.  The “entrenched impunity” has become one of the main drivers of conflict, she said.  Greece’s representative said that addressing the crimes against women and girls requires gender-sensitive interventions such as specialized healthcare, psychosocial support, and legal assistance. 

    Delegates Condemn Rapid Support Forces’ Attacks in Internally Displaced Persons Camps 

    Pakistan’s representative condemned the Rapid Support Forces’ attack on the only functioning hospital in the besieged El Fasher — the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital — which killed over 70 people.  “RSF must immediately stop its killing campaigns in Zamzam and Abu Shouk IDP camps,” he asserted, calling on the Council to ensure the implementation of resolution 2736 (2024). 

    “It does not need to be this way”, said the delegate from the United Kingdom, urging the parties to end their military ambitions and focus on creating the conditions for peace.  While welcoming the Sudanese Armed Forces’ decision to keep the Adré border crossing open, she underscored that — with over 30 million people in humanitarian need — “it is simply not enough”. 

    The representative of the Russian Federation said that the “shortest way to settle” the humanitarian situation is via “very close cooperation” with the Sudanese Government and its related parties.  “We cannot recall a single instance where the authorities refuse to cooperate with the humanitarians,” he said.  Sudanese authorities are working on simplifying logistical chains and streamlining document processing for humanitarian cargo.  No one will provide more support to the peaceful civilians in Sudan than their Government and the army. 

    “Both belligerents have committed atrocities,” emphasized the representative of the United States, expressing concern over attacks on the Zamzam refugee camp by the Rapid Support Forces and the use of civilians as human shields by militias allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces.  “We cannot let Sudan again become a permissive environment for terrorists and transnational criminal organizations,” he added.

    The humanitarian crisis is the direct result of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, France’s delegate echoed, adding that it is vital to respect the territorial integrity of Sudan.  All actors must engage in good faith in an intra-Sudanese political dialogue, facilitated by the African Union and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

    Speakers Urge Ceasefire during Holy Month of Ramadan 

    Several speakers highlighted the upcoming holy month of Ramadan as an opportunity for all parties to lay down their arms, with the representative of the Republic of Korea urging all parties to immediately seize hostilities.  “If both parties to the conflict in Sudan continue to rely on a military solution and persist in the belief that political victory can be achieved on the battlefield the fragmentation of Sudan may soon become a reality,” he warned. 

    African Solutions, African-Owned Initiatives Key to Resolving Conflict 

    Algeria’s delegate also speaking for Guyana, Somalia and Sierra Leone, echoed the call for a ceasefire during Ramadan, and welcomed the transition road map announced by the Government, which includes “the formation of a civilian Government to be led by a civilian technocratic personality”. Expressing concern over the announcement by the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces to establish a parallel authority, he stressed the need to coordinate diplomatic initiatives, while preserving the central role of the African Union and the United Nations. “Foreign interferences” remain a persistent challenge in the search for a lasting solution to the conflict in Sudan, he said. 

    African solutions and African-owned initiatives must continue to play a leading role, added Angola’s delegate.  “While the root cause of this conflict is reportedly linked to the internal ethnic tensions, we must recognize that it has been exacerbated by a few external factors,” he added.  The Jeddah Process, facilitated by Saudi Arabia and United States, and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council Ad Hoc Presidential Committee on Sudan remain hopeful prospects.  

    International Community Must Do More to Alleviate Suffering 

    Several Council members called on the international community to do more to alleviate the suffering in Sudan and warned that the conflict could spill over.  China’s delegate stressed the need to fund the 2025 Humanitarian Needs Response Plan in order for Sudan to meet the challenges of food insecurity, refugee displacement and conflict spillover. 

    “We all share the responsibility of supporting the Sudan so that its crisis does not turn from a regional crisis with repercussions limited to neighbouring countries in Africa to a crisis that threatens international peace and security,” said Egypt’s delegate.  The crisis in Sudan could threaten the safety of navigation in the Red Sea, increase illegal migration to Europe, and turn Sudan into a haven for criminal groups or armed militias. 

    Kenya’s delegate said that his country has received and engaged “official delegations” from Sudan, “who reaffirm their commitment to end the war and restore Sudan to civilian administration”.  Spotlighting the recent signing of a peace charter in Nairobi — which “must be viewed in that context” — he noted that a collective of 24 groups, drawn from an inclusive cross-section of civilian, political and military actors, associated themselves with that instrument.  He emphasized, however:  “Neither President William Ruto nor the Government of Kenya has recognized any independent entity in the Sudan or elsewhere.”

    Sudan’s Speaker Cites Cooperation with UN Special Envoy, Urges Militias to End Attacks on El Fasher 

    Sudan’s representative said that on his Government’s cooperation with the Special Envoy, Sudanese authorities have facilitated meetings with the leadership in the political, civilian and diplomatic spheres without interference.  “We have facilitated a briefing for him on the dynamics of the conflict […] and presented our readiness to reach a peaceful settlement,” he said, emphasizing the neutrality and centrality of the UN.

    However, “certain elements behind the scenes” sabotaged his Government’s efforts with the aim “to achieve their demonic aims”, he cautioned, noting that the main reason for the continuation of the war is the United Arab Emirates’ support for the Rapid Support Forces. For its part, Khartoum presented a national plan to protect civilians and implement the Jeddah Agreement and resolutions 1591 (2005) and 2736 (2024).  It has also designated airports in several areas for air transport of humanitarian assistance.  Calling on the militias to end their attacks on the Sudanese capital of El Fasher — which target civilians, health facilities and basic infrastructure — he stated:  “We welcome any practical and implementable humanitarian pause.”  Nevertheless, “any ceasefire is rejected if El Fasher’s siege is not lifted”, he asserted, urging the rebels to withdraw from the areas they occupy.

    Sudan’s Government is exerting great efforts to fulfil refugee and internally displaced persons’ needs through coordination with organizations active in Sudan as well as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. To that end, he spotlighted several projects, including rehabilitating schools, higher education and rural hospitals, providing health services, repairing water networks and restoring police stations.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New appointments to Australia Council Board and Maritime Museum

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The Australian Government is making appointments to arts bodies and collecting institutions to ensure they remain under strong leadership.

    Ms Lauren Moss has been appointed as a member of the Australia Council Board of Creative Australia for a four-year term, replacing Ms Christine Simpson Stokes AM.

    The Hon Don Harwin has been appointed as a member of the Council of the Australian National Maritime Museum for a three-year term.

    Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the appointees would lend a deep well of expertise to guide the administration of these important organisations.

    “Lauren has extensive experience having previously worked in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for almost a decade. Her sound understanding of governance, arts and cultural issues within the Northern Territory will provide another great regional perspective to the Board.

    “Don served in the NSW Parliament for many years and his time spent as Minister for the Arts will be a great asset for the Council’s governance.”    

    Creative Australia plays a vital role in growing Australia’s cultural infrastructure, through investing in creative talent and stimulating the market for Australian stories to be told on a national and international scale.

    The Australian National Maritime Museum is dedicated to exploring Australia’s maritime history through topics of migration, archaeology, ocean science, commerce, culture and lifestyle, and  honours the stories of First Nations peoples’ living cultural connection to ancestral waters. 

    Ms Lauren Moss was elected at 27 years old as a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, having served as the Member for Casuarina for almost ten years. She has held portfolio positions in Equality and Inclusion, Environment, Climate Change and Water Security, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Youth and Seniors, Education, Children, Women, Tourism, Sport and Culture, including the Arts. As Minister for Tourism, Sport and Culture, Ms Moss was responsible for initiatives including the establishment of Arts Trail funding and the Street Art Festival, increased funding for the screen sector and promotion of the economic value of the Territory’s Creative Industries. Before entering Parliament, Ms Moss was involved in various roles focusing on youth advocacy, alcohol harm minimisation and mental health, and was involved as a Youth Ambassador, Advisor and member to a number of youth mental health and youth affairs organisations. 

    The Hon Don Harwin served in the New South Wales Parliament for 23 years in a range of roles, including five years as the Minister for the Arts and 6 years as President of the Legislative Council. Mr Harwin has considerable background and experience in leadership, governance, policy, and arts advocacy. Mr Harwin currently holds a number of Board memberships including Chair of Music in the Regions Ltd and as a director of the Australia Youth Trust which supports initiatives to secure better health and education outcomes for young people in developing Commonwealth countries. Mr Harwin previously served as a Member of the Australia Council for the Arts, now operating as Creative Australia.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Appointments to National Gallery of Australia Council

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The Australian Government has appointed Mrs Penny Fowler AM and Mr Jay Weatherill AO and reappointed Ms Ilana Atlas AO as members of the Council of the National Gallery of Australia for three-year terms.

    The Council is responsible for overseeing the Gallery’s strategic and organisational goals and positioning it for the future so it can continue to deliver on its aim to inspire all Australians through art.

    Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, congratulated the new and returning appointees.

    “Ilana has been serving on the Council since 2022 and was appointed as Deputy Chair by the Council in November 2023 and we’re thankful she’s agreed to continuing lending her talents. 

    “I’d also like to welcome Jay and Penny. As former Premier of South Australia and Minister for the Arts, Jay was a strong advocate for the sector and will be an excellent addition to the board. 

    “Penny has been the Chair of the National Portrait Gallery Board and understands the important role institutions have in preserving and showcasing some of our nation’s greatest treasures.”

    The National Gallery is dedicated to collecting, sharing and celebrating art from Australia and the world. It is home to the country’s most valuable collection of art, with 155,000 works worth around $7 billion. This includes the world’s largest collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.

    Ms Ilana Atlas AO has served on the National Gallery of Australia Council since March 2022 and was elected Deputy Chair by Council members in November 2023. She is Chair of Jarwun Limited and Scentre Group Limited and is a non-executive director of Origin Energy Limited, the Paul Ramsay Foundation and is also a Panel Member of Adara Partners and a director of Adara Development. Her previous non-executive director roles include Chairman of the Bell Shakespeare Company and Coca-Cola Amatil Limited and Director of ANZ Banking Group and the Human Rights Law Centre. Prior to serving on these Boards, Ms Atlas had a 10 year career at Westpac. Ms Atlas was also a partner in law firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now known as King & Wood Mallesons). In 2020 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the financial and manufacturing sectors, to education, and to the arts.

    Mr Jay Weatherill AO is the former Premier of South Australia from 2011 to 2018. He currently leads the Thrive by Five campaign within the Minderoo Foundation and is an Ambassador for Reggio Children. He will soon join the Susan McKinnon Foundation pursuing their democracy reform agenda. Previously Mr Weatherill worked as a lawyer between 1987 to 1995 becoming the founder and principal  of his own firm between 1995 and 2002. In 2002 he became a member for the Parliament of South Australia and later Premier where he oversaw various portfolios including Minister for the Arts. Following his term Mr Weatherill became an Industry Professor at the University of South Australia from 2019 to 2024. He serves on several government and industry and philanthropic boards. In 2021 Mr Weatherill was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the people and Parliament of South Australia, particularly as Premier, and to early childhood and tertiary education.

    Mrs Penny Fowler AM is Chairman of the Herald & Weekly Times and is News Corp Australia’s Community Ambassador. Mrs Fowler has been a member of the National Portrait Gallery Board since March 2016 and served as Chair since January 2022 (her term will end on 8 March 2025). She chairs the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and the Tourism Australia Board. She is also on the Advisory Board of Visy/Pratt USA and is a board member of Tech Mahindra & the Bank of Melbourne (St. George) Foundation. Mrs Fowler is a member of Chief Executive Women and an Ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation and SecondBite. In 2024 Mrs Fowler was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the community through a range of organisations.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Unlocking Career Potential: Nursing Roles in Connecticut’s Executive Branch

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    UConn Nursing’s leadership capstone course (NURS 4282), led by Laura Eiss, RN, MSN, NPD, CNE, explores alternative career options for nursing students outside of the traditional hospital trajectory. 

    The second presentation in this series allowed the graduating seniors to engage with health care agency representatives about opportunities for nurses within the State of Connecticut. 

    Health care services are provided across various public health facilities, correctional institutions, schools, and state-run hospitals. Nurses working for the state have the opportunity to serve a diverse population while contributing to the overall well-being of Connecticut residents.  

    The state offers positions for registered nurses (RNs), nurse practitioners (NPs), nurse educators, and other roles in various settings, including the Department of Public Health, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the Department of Correction. 

    David Schmardel, Chief Nursing Officer at the Department of Children and Families speaking to students in breakout session (contributed photo)

    Nurses in these positions may provide care in state hospitals, clinics, community health centers, and correctional facilities. They also contribute to public health initiatives and educational outreach programs. Agencies such as the Departments of Developmental Services, Social Services, and Veterans Affairs employ nurses to work with specific populations, including veterans, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, offering specialized care and support.  

    Nurses within the Department of Children and Families play a crucial role in ensuring the wellness of children and families in high-risk situations. They work closely with social workers, counselors, and medical professionals to coordinate care and provide therapeutic interventions.  

    Moreover, nurses at the state level may receive industry-leading benefits, including comprehensive medical and dental coverage, a pension plan, paid time off, professional growth opportunities, and a strong work-life balance. 

    You are leading as soon as you touch the floor – Lakisha Hyatt ’97 (NUR)

    The School of Nursing assistant clinical professor Amisha Parekh de Campos, Ph.D., MPH, RN, CHPN, teaches clinical groups at MacDougall Prison with the Department of Corrections (DOC). MacDougall is an all-male maximum security prison. She and her students work with the nursing staff in the infirmary, outpatient treatment center, and expansion locations. Here, students are exposed to a unique patient population and feel safe working and learning in a supportive setting. 

    Lakisha Hyatt, CEO, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services speaking to nursing leadership capstone course (contributed photo)

    “Taking students out of the hospital setting opens their eyes to all the different types of nursing positions, the roles of different nurse leaders, and populations that have specific needs,” says Parekh de Campos.   

    She goes on, “I also think this exposure could lead to interest in pursuing a career in corrections nursing because they are able to see what the real job is instead of the fictional, dramatic portrayals that may be in film and television. Also, the benefits are great. The DOC encourages further education, and I find that there is a special camaraderie among the staff.” 

    The nurse leaders who spoke to the capstone class are Gloria Jones, MSN, MDIV, CPE, CJML, RN, Director of Health and Clinical Services; Lakisha Hyatt, MSN, RN, Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services; David Schmardel, MSN, RN, CHEP, Chief Nursing Officer at the Department of Children and Families; Jessica Teker, BSN, RN, CCHP, Nurse Consultant in Education at the Department of Correction; and Jazmin Johnson, APRN, MSN-Ed, PMHNP-BC, Nurse Practitioner at the Department of Social Services. 

    Hyatt ’97 (NUR), a UConn alumna said, “My career has widely been in state government. What I wish I knew when I first started is that you are leading as soon as you touch the floor.”  

    She said, “I want you to understand that your leadership has to have intentionality and advocacy – always say something for the person who can’t say it. Most importantly, be your most authentic self as you show up as a leader in health care.” 

    Gloria Jones, Director of Health and Clinical Services, speaking to students in breakout session (contributed photo)

    Johnson shared, “Nursing is so diverse, and there are so many things you can do. I encourage you to empower each other and continue to challenge the process. Never stop asking: is there a better way?”

    During the breakout sessions, seniors in the capstone class rotated between stations to engage with each leader and learn more about their respective agencies.  

    “Inspire a Shared Vision” was the leadership practice discussed in student group sessions before the nursing executives arrived; the prompt was for students to connect what they are learning with practices implemented by the state leaders and their institutions.  In this course, the focus is on the Transformational Leadership theory by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner.   

    To learn more about the capstone leadership course, please email Laura Eiss at laura.eiss@uconn.edu. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Law Partners Calls for Independent Inquiry Into Deaths at Latrobe Regional Hospital

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MELBOURNE, Australia, Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Michael Passaro, a Managing Solicitor at Law Partners in Victoria has written a letter to Mary-Anne Thomas, Victoria’s Minister for Health, calling for an independent inquiry into recently publicised deaths at Latrobe Regional Hospital in eastern Victoria. Michael is currently representing his client, Nadine Lont, in a related medical negligence matter.

    Contributing to a stronger and safer community
    This case directly relates to recent media coverage about three baby deaths which occurred within a six-week period at Gippsland’s Latrobe Regional Hospital in eastern Victoria. 

    (Coverage around this topic includes stories in the ABC news, Canberra Times, Herald Sun, and Latrobe Valley Express).

    Less than a week after giving birth at Latrobe Regional Hospital, Nadine lost her daughter, Lacey, in heartbreaking circumstances.

    We believe the care Nadine and her child received may not have been satisfactory, and we understand that Nadine’s experience may not have been an isolated case.

    Latrobe Regional Hospital is reviewing these deaths in consultation with Safer Care Victoria. However, Safer Care Victoria operates as an administrative office under the Victorian Department of Health and its independence and efficacy has recently been called into question.

    The benefits of an independent inquiry
    We believe further action is necessary to protect the health and interests of the Australian community in eastern Victoria.

    Michael Passaro, said, “The community is currently in the dark about what’s going on at Latrobe Regional Health, and this needs to change. We’re not saying what Latrobe Regional Hospital should have done differently, or what systemic changes need to take place. We don’t yet know, and that’s the point.

    “We believe an independent inquiry will help shine a light on the truth in an impartial manner, so the right changes can be made which help to safeguard the community and prevent more needless tragedies”, concluded Mr Passaro.

    Nadine Lont said, “Our beautiful girl Lacey Grace paid the ultimate price with her life, so the bare minimum she is owed is answers and accountability from Latrobe Regional Hospital. My family and I are grateful for the support and legal representation that Michael, Renee and the team at Law Partners are providing in helping us to seek these answers.”

    Advice and resources following medical negligence
    If you or someone you know has been impacted by potentially negligent medical care, contact Law Partners to discuss your options.

    For more information about birth injury legal representation, visit this page.

    You can also contact the Australian Patients Association based in Melbourne for additional information and guidance.

    About Law Partners
    Law Partners is more than just Australia’s largest specialist personal injury firm. We’re a team of dedicated lawyers, paralegals and legal assistants who believe in personal service, asking more questions, and building deeper relationships to understand the true impact of injuries and illness. Our client-focused approach, combined with our legal expertise, has resulted in a case success rate of over 99%, more than 1,200 5-star Google reviews, consistent Doyle’s Guide awards and recognition, and the honour of being named Lawyer Monthly’s Australian Personal Injury Law Firm of the Year for three consecutive years (2022 to 2024).

    For more information or to arrange a media interview, visit Law Partners or contact Charlotte O’Brien at 02 9264 4474 or charlotte.obrien@lawpartners.com.au

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: New report flags severity of US funding cuts to global AIDS response

    Source: United Nations 2

    Health

    Shuttered clinics and health workers laid off around the world reflect the widespread, negative toll the United States funding freeze is taking on the global AIDS response, according to a new situation report released on Wednesday by the UN agency charged with responding to the disease.

    UNAIDS said that at least one status report on the impact of cuts has been received from 55 different countries up to the start of this week.

    That includes 42 projects that are supported by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and 13 that receive some US support.

    Two days after President Trump’s executive order in late January declared a 90-day pause to all foreign assistance, the Secretary of State issued an emergency waiver to resume “life-saving” humanitarian assistance, including HIV treatment.

    UNAIDS reported just over a week later that there was widespread “confusion” over how the waiver was being implemented on the ground.

    The 16 reports received from UNAIDS country offices around the world during the week of 17 to 21 February show that these waivers have led to the resumption of some clinical services, such as HIV treatment and prevention of vertical transmission, in many countries that are highly dependent on US funding.

    © UNICEF/Rindra Ramasomanana

    A mother-to-be is tested for HIV in the Analanjirofo region of Madagascar.

    Many projects ineligible

    However, it’s unclear how long funding will last amid multiple reports that key US government systems and staff responsible for paying implementing partners are either offline or working at greatly reduced capacity, the UN agency said.

    In addition, critical layers of national AIDS responses are ineligible for these waivers, including many HIV prevention and community-led services for key populations and adolescent girls and young women, according to the UN agency.

    At the same time, data collection and analysis services have been disrupted in numerous countries, according to reports received last week, which note that the overall quantity and quality of HIV prevention, testing and treatment services has been eroded.

    © UNICEF/Olivier Asselin

    In Côte d’Ivoire, a woman living with HIV holds three pills she takes daily as part of antiretroviral therapy.

    Waiting times increase

    Staff working in health facilities are facing increased workloads, and patients are experiencing increased wait times to receive lifesaving services, UNAIDS said.

    Other concerns persist, from hobbled health systems to addressing gender-related priorities.

    “US Government statements to UN system organizations suggest US-funded programmes focused on gender equality and transgender populations may not resume,” according to the UNAIDS situation report.

    Fresh data analysis

    The situation report covers more granular analysis on the global AIDS response’s heavy reliance on US foreign assistance, extracted from the datasets managed by UNAIDS.

    For example, more than half of HIV medicines purchased for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Haiti, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia are purchased by the US.

    Before the freeze, the US Government provided two thirds of international financing for HIV prevention in low and middle-income countries, according to estimates from the Global HIV Prevention Coalition.

    The report also named the 20 countries that rely most heavily on funding from Washington: DRC, Haiti, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Nigeria, Rwanda, Angola, Kenya, Ukraine, Burkina Faso, Burundi, El Salvador, Zimbabwe, Togo, Nepal, Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini and Benin.

    Services at a standstill

    Civil society and community-led interventions are central to ending AIDS and to sustaining the gains into the future, according to UN agency.

    People living with HIV and key populations at higher risk of infection, play a crucial role in maintaining the local services needed to stay healthy, UNAIDS said.

    Yet, many critical services have ground to a halt. Here are some examples:

    • Mozambique: Community workers and test counsellors supported by PEPFAR funding are not being paid. As a result, HIV testing is unavailable in most parts of the country, enrolment of new patients is on hold and efforts to support people living with HIV to adhere to their treatment have been compromised
    • Tanzania: Young people working as peer educators, community health workers or lay counsellors funded by PEPFAR have been issued temporary job termination notices
    • Rwanda: Community-level and facility-based HIV-prevention services targeting populations at high risk of HIV infection, including adolescent girls and young women, gay men and sex workers were not covered by waivers received from the US Government
    • South Africa: US-funded facilities that support gay men, such as Engage Men’s Health, remain closed
    • Ghana: All civil society organizations funded by PEPFAR have halted services to people living with HIV and key populations

    Learn more about UNAIDS here.

    On the ground in Côte d’Ivoire

    Here is an emblematic snapshot of how the UN funding freeze has already affected this West African nation of 27 million, where Washington has supported more than half the total response to assist more than 400,000 adults and children living with AIDS.

    © UNICEF/Frank Dejong

    A mother, holding her two-year-old in southwest Côte d’Ivoire, discovered she was seropositive during her pregnancy. (file)

    • The stop-work order triggered a complete shutdown of services funded by the PEPFAR programme, which covers 516 health facilities in 70 per cent of the country’s health districts and 85 per cent of people living with HIV on treatment (about 265,000 people)
    • More than 8,600 staff were affected, including 597 clinical workers (doctors, nurses and midwives) and 3,591 community workers
    • Distribution of medicines and transport of diagnostic samples ground to halt
    • US-funded services partially resumed on 12 February following receipt of waivers, but the majority of US-funded HIV-prevention services for people at high risk of infection, remain shut
    • Other national health programmes and systems are affected by the freeze, including the malaria and tuberculosis control programmes and another serving mother and child health alongside the supply chain system for medicines and diagnostics

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Whangārei Hospital transit lounge open to patients

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Whangārei Hospital’s new transit lounge, where patients can prepare to leave hospital after treatment. 

    “The Government’s $3.75 million investment into this lounge provides an important space for patients who are medically fit to leave the ward. It helps with their timely discharge while they wait for medication, discharge papers, or transport.

    “I know that being in hospital can be challenging for patients and their families and how important it is to get home following treatment. 

    “The lounge provides patients a calm, transitional environment where they continue to be cared for by nurses as they wait to transition to their home or another facility. 

    “It will also be used for incoming patients who are only staying for a short period of time, such as a person coming from a rural hospital for a test or a patient being transferred to another hospital, which means they don’t need to be accommodated in the emergency department.   

    “Alongside the benefit the lounge will bring to patients, it will also free up bed availability and help to improve hospital flow, which are key to achieving the Government’s health target for shorter stays in emergency departments. 

    “Improving health infrastructure is a priority for this Government. The previous transit lounge was not fit-for-purpose, which is why I am pleased to see projects like this being prioritised. The new transit lounge has capacity for eight chairs, six beds, and other services including shower facilities.  

    “There are currently 19 hospitals around the country that have a dedicated transit lounge, including sites as small as Wairau Hospital and as large as Auckland City Hospital. 

    “I’m pleased for the patients who will get to experience this transit lounge in the future, ensuring those that come through Whangārei Hospital receive access to timely, quality healthcare,” Mr Brown says. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australian Deputy PM: New appointments to Australia Council Board and Maritime Museum

    Source: Minister of Infrastructure

    The Australian Government is making appointments to arts bodies and collecting institutions to ensure they remain under strong leadership.

    Ms Lauren Moss has been appointed as a member of the Australia Council Board of Creative Australia for a four-year term, replacing Ms Christine Simpson Stokes AM.

    The Hon Don Harwin has been appointed as a member of the Council of the Australian National Maritime Museum for a three-year term.

    Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the appointees would lend a deep well of expertise to guide the administration of these important organisations.

    “Lauren has extensive experience having previously worked in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for almost a decade. Her sound understanding of governance, arts and cultural issues within the Northern Territory will provide another great regional perspective to the Board.

    “Don served in the NSW Parliament for many years and his time spent as Minister for the Arts will be a great asset for the Council’s governance.”    

    Creative Australia plays a vital role in growing Australia’s cultural infrastructure, through investing in creative talent and stimulating the market for Australian stories to be told on a national and international scale.

    The Australian National Maritime Museum is dedicated to exploring Australia’s maritime history through topics of migration, archaeology, ocean science, commerce, culture and lifestyle, and  honours the stories of First Nations peoples’ living cultural connection to ancestral waters. 

    Ms Lauren Moss was elected at 27 years old as a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, having served as the Member for Casuarina for almost ten years. She has held portfolio positions in Equality and Inclusion, Environment, Climate Change and Water Security, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Youth and Seniors, Education, Children, Women, Tourism, Sport and Culture, including the Arts. As Minister for Tourism, Sport and Culture, Ms Moss was responsible for initiatives including the establishment of Arts Trail funding and the Street Art Festival, increased funding for the screen sector and promotion of the economic value of the Territory’s Creative Industries. Before entering Parliament, Ms Moss was involved in various roles focusing on youth advocacy, alcohol harm minimisation and mental health, and was involved as a Youth Ambassador, Advisor and member to a number of youth mental health and youth affairs organisations. 

    The Hon Don Harwin served in the New South Wales Parliament for 23 years in a range of roles, including five years as the Minister for the Arts and 6 years as President of the Legislative Council. Mr Harwin has considerable background and experience in leadership, governance, policy, and arts advocacy. Mr Harwin currently holds a number of Board memberships including Chair of Music in the Regions Ltd and as a director of the Australia Youth Trust which supports initiatives to secure better health and education outcomes for young people in developing Commonwealth countries. Mr Harwin previously served as a Member of the Australia Council for the Arts, now operating as Creative Australia.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australian Deputy PM: Appointments to National Gallery of Australia Council

    Source: Minister of Infrastructure

    The Australian Government has appointed Mrs Penny Fowler AM and Mr Jay Weatherill AO and reappointed Ms Ilana Atlas AO as members of the Council of the National Gallery of Australia for three-year terms.

    The Council is responsible for overseeing the Gallery’s strategic and organisational goals and positioning it for the future so it can continue to deliver on its aim to inspire all Australians through art.

    Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, congratulated the new and returning appointees.

    “Ilana has been serving on the Council since 2022 and was appointed as Deputy Chair by the Council in November 2023 and we’re thankful she’s agreed to continuing lending her talents. 

    “I’d also like to welcome Jay and Penny. As former Premier of South Australia and Minister for the Arts, Jay was a strong advocate for the sector and will be an excellent addition to the board. 

    “Penny has been the Chair of the National Portrait Gallery Board and understands the important role institutions have in preserving and showcasing some of our nation’s greatest treasures.”

    The National Gallery is dedicated to collecting, sharing and celebrating art from Australia and the world. It is home to the country’s most valuable collection of art, with 155,000 works worth around $7 billion. This includes the world’s largest collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.

    Ms Ilana Atlas AO has served on the National Gallery of Australia Council since March 2022 and was elected Deputy Chair by Council members in November 2023. She is Chair of Jarwun Limited and Scentre Group Limited and is a non-executive director of Origin Energy Limited, the Paul Ramsay Foundation and is also a Panel Member of Adara Partners and a director of Adara Development. Her previous non-executive director roles include Chairman of the Bell Shakespeare Company and Coca-Cola Amatil Limited and Director of ANZ Banking Group and the Human Rights Law Centre. Prior to serving on these Boards, Ms Atlas had a 10 year career at Westpac. Ms Atlas was also a partner in law firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now known as King & Wood Mallesons). In 2020 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the financial and manufacturing sectors, to education, and to the arts.

    Mr Jay Weatherill AO is the former Premier of South Australia from 2011 to 2018. He currently leads the Thrive by Five campaign within the Minderoo Foundation and is an Ambassador for Reggio Children. He will soon join the Susan McKinnon Foundation pursuing their democracy reform agenda. Previously Mr Weatherill worked as a lawyer between 1987 to 1995 becoming the founder and principal  of his own firm between 1995 and 2002. In 2002 he became a member for the Parliament of South Australia and later Premier where he oversaw various portfolios including Minister for the Arts. Following his term Mr Weatherill became an Industry Professor at the University of South Australia from 2019 to 2024. He serves on several government and industry and philanthropic boards. In 2021 Mr Weatherill was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the people and Parliament of South Australia, particularly as Premier, and to early childhood and tertiary education.

    Mrs Penny Fowler AM is Chairman of the Herald & Weekly Times and is News Corp Australia’s Community Ambassador. Mrs Fowler has been a member of the National Portrait Gallery Board since March 2016 and served as Chair since January 2022 (her term will end on 8 March 2025). She chairs the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and the Tourism Australia Board. She is also on the Advisory Board of Visy/Pratt USA and is a board member of Tech Mahindra & the Bank of Melbourne (St. George) Foundation. Mrs Fowler is a member of Chief Executive Women and an Ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation and SecondBite. In 2024 Mrs Fowler was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the community through a range of organisations.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Woman Previously Convicted of Fraud and Identity Theft Offenses Sentenced to Additional Prison Time for Violating Supervised Release Conditions

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JESSICA STUART, 42, last residing in Thomaston, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 10 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of her supervised release that followed convictions and prison term for health care fraud and identity theft offenses.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Stuart does not have a college degree, was not a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or licensed medical practitioner, and did not have any formal training in applied behavior analysis for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  Between approximately May 2019 and September 2020, Helping Hands Academy, LLC, a Bridgeport-based provider of applied behavior analysis services to children diagnosed with ASD, paid Stuart at least $146,0000 and submitted to Medicaid numerous fraudulent claims for applied behavioral analysis services that Stuart performed but was not qualified to provide.  Stuart stole the professional identity of a legitimate BCBA so she could impersonate a BCBA and make a BCBA’s salary.  Stuart caused Medicaid to pay out on over 1,900 fraudulent claims related to 12 children with ASD.  Medicaid suffered a loss of approximately $369,439 as a result of Stuart’s conduct.

    Stuart pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of using false identification in connection with health care fraud and, on October 15, 2021, was sentenced to 27 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay full restitution.  She was released from federal prison in April 2023.

    In January 2025, Stuart was arrested by Bristol Police for offenses related to her alleged misuse of a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits card that belonged to a resident of the Bristol Adult Resource Center (BARC) where Stuart had been employed.  BARC is an organization that provides services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities that require full-time care.  The investigation further revealed that Stuart had submitted weekly certifications for, and subsequently received, state unemployment benefits for nearly a month after she began working at BARC in June 2024.  Stuart also failed to timely notify the U.S. Probation Office of her contact with Bristol Police.

    Stuart has been detained in federal custody since January 23, 2025.

    The original investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Miami Man Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Connected to Overdose Death

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – This week, South Florida’s United States Attorney charged a 20-year-old Miami man with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death, and with one count of possession of a machinegun in the form of a “Glock switch” machine gun conversion device. (A Glock switch is a small device that, when attached to the rear or slide of a semi-automatic pistol, can convert the pistol into a fully automatic weapon). 

    According to allegations in the information, from at least as early as January 2024, through October 30, 2024, Domenic Pedre conspired to distribute fentanyl in South Florida, including the fentanyl dose associated with the August 2024 overdose death of a victim in Miami-Dade County.

    Pedre faces a minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison for distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death or serious bodily injury. The United States has further alleged that Pedre is subject to forfeiture of $105,563 in cash proceeds related to the fentanyl distribution conspiracy.

    Pedre also faces a maximum term of up to 10 years in prison for possession of the Glock switch machinegun conversion device.

    The charges contained in the information are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.    

    United States Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

    This case was investigated by the DEA, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and the City of Miami Police Department’s Gang Intelligence Unit, with assistance from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Department of Corrections, Probation Services.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sterling M. Paulson.

    Synthetic drugs such as fentanyl are poisoning the nation. Fentanyl has proven to be a deadly poison that does not discriminate. Its victims include every gender, race, age, and economic background, and its debilitating effects are the same across all demographics. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, fentanyl can be deadly. Just one fentanyl pill can kill, as noted in DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The State of Florida has also seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. In 2022, more than 5,622 people died from overdoses involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in Florida.

    For more information visit:  https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MEC/Publications-and-Forms/Documents/Drugs-in-Deceased-Persons/2022-Annual-Drug-Report-FINAL-(1).aspx; https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html#; and https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl.

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-CR-20077.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Busiest hospitals in Australia reducing wait times

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Published: 27 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Health

    Some of the busiest hospitals in Australia have significantly reduced the time people are waiting for treatment to commence in emergency departments.

    Liverpool ED – which receives more than  90,000 presentations each year – has halved average time to treatment for triage 2 emergency patients, from 18 minutes to 9 minutes over the past year.

    Westmead ED – which receives close to 80,000 presentations each year – has reduced average time to treatment for triage 2 emergency patients by over a third, from 15 minutes to 9 minutes.

    Nepean ED – which receives close to 90,000 presentations each year – has seen the percentage of patients transferred from paramedics to ED staff on time increase from 65.1 per cent to 82.2 per cent. This figure also indicates significant a improvement to ambulance access at the hospital.

    Triage 2 emergency cases are categorised as people with an imminently life-threatening condition.

    People in this category could be suffering from chest pain, difficulty breathing, stroke, or severe fractures.

    Meanwhile, Gosford ED – which receives almost 80,000 presentations each year – has seen a reduction in wait times for non-urgent conditions from 86 minutes to 72 minutes.

    It follows the Minns Labor Government’s investment of half a billion dollars to relieve pressure on NSW EDs – designed to create more pathways to care outside the hospital, as well as improve patient flow inside the hospital – which includes:

    • $171.4 million to introduce three additional virtual care services helping 180,000 avoid a trip to the ED;
    • $100 million to back in our urgent care services to become a mainstay and key instrument of the health system in providing a pathway to care outside of our hospitals for an estimated 114,000 patients;
    • $70 million to expand ED short stay units to improve patient flow to reduce ED wait times by nearly 80,000 hours;
    • $15.1 million for an Ambulance Matrix that provides real time hospital data to enable paramedics to transport patients to emergency departments with greater capacity and reducing wait times;
    • $31.4 million to increase Hospital in the Home across the state allowing over 3,500 additional patients each year to be cared for in their home rather than a hospital bed; and
    • $53.9 million to improve patient flow and support discharge planning by identified  patients early on that are suitable to be discharged home with the appropriate supports in place.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:

    “I don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves because these figures while encouraging, will fluctuate.

    “Our EDs continue to grapple with record pressure and demand, and we mustn’t forget that.

    “These reduced wait times are a testament to the hard working health staff in some of the busiest hospitals in one of the busiest health systems in the world.

    “I want to remind people who struggle to find a GP, you can ring HealthDirect on 1800 022 222 where you will speak with a registered nurse who can direct you to an urgent care service or clinic.

    “It’s free and it could save you waiting unnecessarily in an ED.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Scott Moves to Reauthorize Sickle Cell Treatment Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced legislation to reauthorize the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program, which was last reauthorized in 2018. 

    Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder predominantly affecting African Americans, Latinos, and other minority groups. Individuals with SCD have a significantly lower life expectancy than the overall population. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sickle cell affects 100,000 individuals in the United States.

    “Reauthorizing this program will allow us to expand access to research and treatment for rare blood diseases and reduce the number of people in already overwhelmed emergency rooms. I am glad to play a small role in easing the burden that SCD has on too many individuals and their families,” said Senator Scott. “This legislation will help ensure continued innovation and advancement of life-changing SCD care.” 

    “Since 2018, the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program has expanded access to care for people suffering from SCD and saved lives,” said Senator Booker. “Reauthorizing this crucial program will allow us to continue allocating resources for research and treatment of sickle cell disease. I’m proud of the progress we have made and urge my colleagues in Congress to reauthorize this program so we can continue to make advancements and improve care for SCD patients across the nation.”

    The Sickle Cell Disease Treatment and Demonstration Program:

    • Increases the number of clinicians knowledgeable about SCD care; 
    • Improves the quality of care provided to individuals with SCD; 
    • Develops best practices for coordination of services during the pediatric to adult care transition; and
    • Improves care coordination with other providers. 

    The full text of the legislation can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Access to Rural Healthcare

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Thom Tillis, alongside Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), introduced the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, bipartisan legislation to increase the number of doctors working in rural and medically underserved areas. 

    “Too many rural areas in North Carolina and across the country lack the health care workforce needed to provide quality and timely care,” said Senator Tillis. “This bipartisan legislation will allow American-trained doctors to help fill those gaps so we can expand access to critical health care in medically underserved and health professional shortage areas.”

    “The Conrad 30 program continues to be a vital lifeline for rural and underserved communities facing physician shortages,” said Ram Alur, M.D., President, Physicians for American Healthcare Access. “However, without reforms, recruiting and retaining international medical graduates (IMGs) will become increasingly difficult. This reauthorization strengthens incentives for IMGs and streamlines the waiver process for employers, making it easier to recruit physicians in areas with persistent shortages. These updates will strengthen the U.S. position in the global competition for top medical talent and uphold access to care in underserved areas. Physicians for American Healthcare Access applauds Senators Klobuchar, Collins, Rosen, and Tillis for their leadership on this bipartisan legislation.” 

    Background: 

    The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act would reauthorize the Conrad 30 programs, which allows international doctors who have completed their residency training in the U.S. to remain in the country under the condition that they practice in areas experiencing physician shortages 

    Generally, doctors from other countries working in America on J-1 visas are required to return to their home country after their residency has ended for two years before they can apply for another visa or green card. The Conrad 30 program allows doctors to stay in the United States without having to return home if they agree to practice in an underserved area for three years. The “30” refers to the number of doctors per state that can participate in the program. 

    This legislation extends the Conrad 30 program for three years, improves the process for obtaining a visa, and allows for the program to be expanded beyond 30 slots if certain thresholds are met, while protecting small states’ slots. The bill also allows the spouses of doctors to work and provides worker protections to prevent the doctors from being mistreated. The legislation also allows physicians who serve in a Veterans Affairs (VA) facility or health professional shortage area for 5 years to get expedited consideration for a green card. 

    The legislation has been endorsed by more than 50 organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the American Academy of Neurology, the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment, and Physicians for American Healthcare Access. 

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Klobuchar, Agriculture Committee Democrats Press USDA on Indiscriminate Layoffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, joined U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, and all Committee Democrats in pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to explain recent mass layoffs at the Department. The Senators asked how many USDA employees were fired and for a breakdown by state, agency, job position, and veteran status—all details the Administration has not provided to date.

    In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, the Senators wrote: “These widespread layoffs jeopardize USDA’s ability to respond to the ongoing avian flu outbreak, process farm loans, disaster relief and other assistance for farmers, and distribute grants and loans for infrastructure and services that rural Americans rely on.”

    The Senators continued: “We have deep concerns that the termination of thousands of nonpartisan USDA employees and contracts in less than a month will hinder the Department’s ability to address the challenges facing American agriculture and rural America.”

    In addition to Senators Luján and Klobuchar, the letter was joined by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

    Full text of the letter is available here and below.

    Dear Secretary Rollins,

    Amid layoffs across the federal government, we write to express grave concerns regarding the recent layoffs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and how they will affect the Department’s ability to serve farmers, ranchers, and rural America.

    On February 14, USDA issued a statement outlining the actions USDA has taken to eliminate positions at the Department and has reportedly terminated or put on administrative leave thousands of nonpartisan public servants across the Department, including at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) National Animal Health Laboratory program office, the Forest Service (FS), the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Farm Service Agency (FSA), and the Rural Development mission area (RD).

    These widespread layoffs jeopardize USDA’s ability to respond to the ongoing avian flu outbreak, process farm loans, disaster relief and other assistance for farmers, and distribute grants and loans for infrastructure and services that rural Americans rely on.

    We request that USDA respond to the following questions:

    1. Please provide a list of the total number of USDA employees terminated or placed on administrative leave since January 20, 2025, with a break down by state, by USDA agency or office (e.g., APHIS, FSA, RD’s Rural Utilities Service and Rural Business and Cooperative Service, FS, NRCS, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Agricultural Research Service, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of General Counsel) by job position, and by veteran status. Please include any individuals whom USDA may have rehired after February 14, 2025.
      1. For the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, please provide a breakdown of the number of employees terminated or placed on leave who worked as part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, worked in an office handling animal disease prevention or control, or worked as a veterinarian.
      2. For the Food Safety and Inspection Service, please provide a breakdown of the number of employees terminated or placed on leave who worked as a veterinarian.
      3. For the Agricultural Research Service, please provide a breakdown of the number of employees terminated or placed on leave who worked on research related to animal diseases.
      4. For the Farm Service Agency, please provide a breakdown of the number of employees terminated or placed on leave in each state who processed or handled farm loans.
    2. What criteria and process did the Administration use when determining which employees to terminate or put on leave?
      1. Please provide examples of the termination notices sent out by each USDA agency or office, with any personal identification information removed.
      2. Please provide details on any employees exempted from terminations or leave.
    3. Has the Administration conducted any assessments of how the terminations will impact the services provided by each USDA agency and office? If so, please provide a copy of any such assessments.
    4. Has USDA rescinded any termination letters or rehired any individuals who were terminated on or after January 20, 2025?
      1. If so, what is the total number of individuals USDA attempted to rehire? Please provide a list of the positions that USDA rehired or rescinded termination letters to, with a breakdown by state, USDA agency or office, whether the individual was successfully rehired, as well as an explanation for why the individual was rehired.
    5. Does USDA intend to hire new employees to replace the employees who have recently been terminated? If so, please describe in detail the timeline and expected hiring process to replace employees.
    6. Does USDA have any plans to terminate any additional employees? If so, please describe in detail what criteria and process USDA will use to terminate additional employees and the estimated number of employees that will be terminated in each USDA agency and office.

    We have deep concerns that the termination of thousands of nonpartisan USDA employees and contracts in less than a month will hinder the Department’s ability to address the challenges facing American agriculture and rural America. Please provide responses to the information requested in questions 1, 2, 3, and 4 not later than Friday, February 28, and responses to questions 5 and 6 not later than Friday, March 7. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Going for Growth: Multi-million dollar benefits possible for farmers and growers

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have today released the Ministry for Regulation’s recommendations to cut red tape on products used by the agriculture and horticulture sectors.
    “HSNO and ACVM products used to manage animals and plants like veterinary medicines and agrichemicals are absolutely critical for farmers and growers. Technological developments in these products can be the difference between surviving, or thriving,” Mr Seymour says. 
    “Some farmers and growers told us they had waited over five years for their applications for new products to be approved by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). That’s completely unacceptable and it’s costing the economy millions in lost productivity.
    “The Government is cutting red tape to ensure farmers and growers can quickly access the high-quality products they need so we can grow the economy.
    “Faster access to new products for farmers and growers will lift primary sector productivity and growth.
    “The review found that halving approval times for new products is estimated to generate benefits of $272 million over 20 years for New Zealand farmers and growers. 
    “Cabinet has accepted all 16 recommendations, including:

    Setting targets to accelerate assessments and reduce application queues
    Increasing the use of HSNO rapid pathways, ACVM registration exemptions and self-assessments for appropriate applications
    Reducing ACVM efficacy requirements for inhibitors to the minimum required to manage risk
    Using international regulators’ assessments to save time
    Exploring a strategic pathway for priority products 
    Updating EPA’s outdated risk assessment models.

    Minister for the Environment Penny Simmonds says the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has already been working to improve the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) system. 
    “This has included looking to appoint additional staff in the hazardous substances applications area, creating a prioritisation framework for the approval queue and developing new group standards for low-risk hazardous substances,” Minister Simmonds says.
    “These are good first steps to help achieve some of the review recommendations, and I expect improvements to continue at pace.”
    Minister for Food Safety Andrew Hoggard says the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will be addressing review recommendations as part of a wider Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Modernisation work programme.
    “Eight out of the 13 recommendations that are applicable to MPI are already in progress or can start now,” Minister Hoggard says.
    “MPI has been extremely proactive, working alongside the Ministry for Regulation to start work on the recommendations and I look forward to seeing further progress this year.”
    The Agricultural and Horticultural Products Regulatory Review ran from August to December 2024. The review was of the approval process for new agricultural and horticultural products and was triggered by concern that additional regulatory burden on these products was worsening New Zealand’s international competitiveness.  
    Notes to editors: 
    Agricultural and Horticultural Products Regulatory Review Report: https://www.regulation.govt.nz/assets/Publication-Documents/Agricultural-Horticultural-Products-Regulatory-Review-full-report.pdf
    Agricultural and Horticultural Products Regulatory Review Summary Report: https://www.regulation.govt.nz/assets/Publication-Documents/Agricultural-Horticultural-Products-Regulatory-Review-summary-report.pdf
    Agricultural and Horticultural Products Regulatory Review Summary of Engagement https://www.regulation.govt.nz/assets/Publication-Documents/Agricultural-Horticultural-Products-Regulatory-Review-summary-engagement.pdf
    Sense Partners Scenario analysis of economic impacts: https://www.regulation.govt.nz/assets/Publication-Documents/Agricultural-Horticultural-Products-Regulatory-Review-scenario-analysis.pdf
    Other information about the review can be found on the Ministry for Regulation’s website: Agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review | Ministry for Regulation cultural Products Regulatory Review – briefings to joint Ministers 
    All information can be found in the ‘Our publications’ section of the Ministry for Regulation’s website here: https://www.regulation.govt.nz/about-us/our-publications/
     
     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Trupanion to Participate in the 46th Annual Raymond James Institutional Investor Conference

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SEATTLE, Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Trupanion, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRUP), a leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs, announced today that Fawwad Qureshi, Chief Financial Officer, will present at the 46th Annual Raymond James Institutional Investor Conference on Monday, March 3, 2025, at 8:05 a.m. ET and will participate in meetings with investors throughout the day.

    The presentation will be webcast live and can be accessed on Trupanion’s Investor Relations website at http://investors.trupanion.com.

    About Trupanion:

    Trupanion is a leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs throughout the United States, Canada, certain countries in Continental Europe, and Australia with over 1,000,000 pets currently enrolled. For over two decades, Trupanion has given pet owners peace of mind so they can focus on their pet’s recovery, not financial stress. Trupanion is committed to providing pet parents with the highest value in pet medical insurance with unlimited payouts for the life of their pets. With its patented process, Trupanion is the only North American provider with the technology to pay veterinarians directly in seconds at the time of checkout. Trupanion is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol “TRUP”. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA. Trupanion policies are issued, in the United States, by its wholly-owned insurance entity American Pet Insurance Company and, in Canada, by Accelerant Insurance Company of Canada. Trupanion Australia is a partnership between Trupanion and Hollard Insurance Company. Policies are sold and administered in Canada by Canada Pet Health Insurance Services, Inc. dba Trupanion 309-1277 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver, BC V7J 0A2 and in the United States by Trupanion Managers USA, Inc. (CA license No. 0G22803, NPN 9588590). Canada Pet Health Insurance Services, Inc. is a registered damage insurance agency and claims adjuster in Quebec #603927. Trupanion Australia is a partnership between Trupanion and Hollard Insurance Company. For more information, please visit trupanion.com.

    Contact: 

    Laura Bainbridge, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications
    Gil Melchior, Director, Investor Relations
    Investor.Relations@trupanion.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NVIDIA Announces Financial Results for Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Record quarterly revenue of $39.3 billion, up 12% from Q3 and up 78% from a year ago
    • Record quarterly Data Center revenue of $35.6 billion, up 16% from Q3 and up 93% from a year ago
    • Record full-year revenue of $130.5 billion, up 114%

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) today reported revenue for the fourth quarter ended January 26, 2025, of $39.3 billion, up 12% from the previous quarter and up 78% from a year ago.

    For the quarter, GAAP earnings per diluted share was $0.89, up 14% from the previous quarter and up 82% from a year ago. Non-GAAP earnings per diluted share was $0.89, up 10% from the previous quarter and up 71% from a year ago.

    For fiscal 2025, revenue was $130.5 billion, up 114% from a year ago. GAAP earnings per diluted share was $2.94, up 147% from a year ago. Non-GAAP earnings per diluted share was $2.99, up 130% from a year ago.

    “Demand for Blackwell is amazing as reasoning AI adds another scaling law — increasing compute for training makes models smarter and increasing compute for long thinking makes the answer smarter,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA.

    “We’ve successfully ramped up the massive-scale production of Blackwell AI supercomputers, achieving billions of dollars in sales in its first quarter. AI is advancing at light speed as agentic AI and physical AI set the stage for the next wave of AI to revolutionize the largest industries.”

    NVIDIA will pay its next quarterly cash dividend of $0.01 per share on April 2, 2025, to all shareholders of record on March 12, 2025.

    Q4 Fiscal 2025 Summary

    GAAP
    ($ in millions, except earnings
    per share)    		 Q4 FY25 Q3 FY25 Q4 FY24 Q/Q Y/Y
    Revenue $39,331 $35,082 $22,103 Up 12% Up 78%
    Gross margin 73.0% 74.6% 76.0% Down 1.6 pts Down 3.0 pts
    Operating expenses $4,689 $4,287 $3,176 Up 9% Up 48%
    Operating income $24,034 $21,869 $13,615 Up 10% Up 77%
    Net income $22,091 $19,309 $12,285 Up 14% Up 80%
    Diluted earnings per share* $0.89 $0.78 $0.49 Up 14% Up 82%
    Non-GAAP
    ($ in millions, except earnings
    per share)    		 Q4 FY25 Q3 FY25 Q4 FY24 Q/Q Y/Y
    Revenue $39,331 $35,082 $22,103 Up 12% Up 78%
    Gross margin 73.5% 75.0% 76.7% Down 1.5 pts Down 3.2 pts
    Operating expenses $3,378 $3,046 $2,210 Up 11% Up 53%
    Operating income $25,516 $23,276 $14,749 Up 10% Up 73%
    Net income $22,066 $20,010 $12,839 Up 10% Up 72%
    Diluted earnings per share* $0.89 $0.81 $0.52 Up 10% Up 71%


    Fiscal 2025 Summary

    GAAP
    ($ in millions, except earnings
    per share)    		 FY25 FY24 Y/Y
    Revenue $130,497 $60,922 Up 114%
    Gross margin 75.0% 72.7% Up 2.3 pts
    Operating expenses $16,405 $11,329 Up 45%
    Operating income $81,453 $32,972 Up 147%
    Net income $72,880 $29,760 Up 145%
    Diluted earnings per share* $2.94 $1.19 Up 147%
    Non-GAAP
    ($ in millions, except earnings
    per share)    		 FY25 FY24 Y/Y
    Revenue $130,497 $60,922 Up 114%
    Gross margin 75.5% 73.8% Up 1.7 pts
    Operating expenses $11,716 $7,825 Up 50%
    Operating income $86,789 $37,134 Up 134%
    Net income $74,265 $32,312 Up 130%
    Diluted earnings per share* $2.99 $1.30 Up 130%

    *All per share amounts presented herein have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the ten-for-one stock split, which was effective June 7, 2024.

    Outlook
    NVIDIA’s outlook for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 is as follows:

    • Revenue is expected to be $43.0 billion, plus or minus 2%.
    • GAAP and non-GAAP gross margins are expected to be 70.6% and 71.0%, respectively, plus or minus 50 basis points.
    • GAAP and non-GAAP operating expenses are expected to be approximately $5.2 billion and $3.6 billion, respectively.
    • GAAP and non-GAAP other income and expense are expected to be an income of approximately $400 million, excluding gains and losses from non-marketable and publicly-held equity securities.
    • GAAP and non-GAAP tax rates are expected to be 17.0%, plus or minus 1%, excluding any discrete items.

    Highlights

    NVIDIA achieved progress since its previous earnings announcement in these areas: 

    Data Center

    • Fourth-quarter revenue was a record $35.6 billion, up 16% from the previous quarter and up 93% from a year ago. Full-year revenue rose 142% to a record $115.2 billion.
    • Announced that NVIDIA will serve as a key technology partner for the $500 billion Stargate Project.
    • Revealed that cloud service providers AWS, CoreWeave, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) are bringing NVIDIA® GB200 systems to cloud regions around the world to meet surging customer demand for AI.
    • Partnered with AWS to make the NVIDIA DGX™ Cloud AI computing platform and NVIDIA NIM™ microservices available through AWS Marketplace.
    • Revealed that Cisco will integrate NVIDIA Spectrum-X™ into its networking portfolio to help enterprises build AI infrastructure.
    • Revealed that more than 75% of the systems on the TOP500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers are powered by NVIDIA technologies.
    • Announced a collaboration with Verizon to integrate NVIDIA AI Enterprise, NIM and accelerated computing with Verizon’s private 5G network to power a range of edge enterprise AI applications and services.
    • Unveiled partnerships with industry leaders including IQVIA, Illumina, Mayo Clinic and Arc Institute to advance genomics, drug discovery and healthcare.
    • Launched NVIDIA AI Blueprints and Llama Nemotron model families for building AI agents and released NVIDIA NIM microservices to safeguard applications for agentic AI.
    • Announced the opening of NVIDIA’s first R&D center in Vietnam.
    • Revealed that Siemens Healthineers has adopted MONAI Deploy for medical imaging AI.

    Gaming and AI PC

    • Fourth-quarter Gaming revenue was $2.5 billion, down 22% from the previous quarter and down 11% from a year ago. Full-year revenue rose 9% to $11.4 billion.
    • Announced new GeForce RTX™ 50 Series graphics cards and laptops powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, delivering breakthroughs in AI-driven rendering to gamers, creators and developers.
    • Launched GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 graphics cards, delivering up to a 2x performance improvement over the prior generation.
    • Introduced NVIDIA DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation and image quality enhancements, with 75 games and apps supporting it at launch, and unveiled NVIDIA Reflex 2 technology, which can reduce PC latency by up to 75%.
    • Unveiled NVIDIA NIM microservices, AI Blueprints and the Llama Nemotron family of open models for RTX AI PCs to help developers and enthusiasts build AI agents and creative workflows.

    Professional Visualization

    • Fourth-quarter revenue was $511 million, up 5% from the previous quarter and up 10% from a year ago. Full-year revenue rose 21% to $1.9 billion.
    • Unveiled NVIDIA Project DIGITS, a personal AI supercomputer that provides AI researchers, data scientists and students worldwide with access to the power of the NVIDIA Grace™ Blackwell platform.
    • Announced generative AI models and blueprints that expand NVIDIA Omniverse™ integration further into physical AI applications, including robotics, autonomous vehicles and vision AI.
    • Introduced NVIDIA Media2, an AI-powered initiative transforming content creation, streaming and live media experiences, built on NIM and AI Blueprints.

    Automotive and Robotics

    • Fourth-quarter Automotive revenue was $570 million, up 27% from the previous quarter and up 103% from a year ago. Full-year revenue rose 55% to $1.7 billion.
    • Announced that Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, will build its next-generation vehicles on NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin™ running the safety-certified NVIDIA DriveOS operating system.  
    • Partnered with Hyundai Motor Group to create safer, smarter vehicles, supercharge manufacturing and deploy cutting-edge robotics with NVIDIA AI and NVIDIA Omniverse.
    • Announced that the NVIDIA DriveOS safe autonomous driving operating system received ASIL-D functional safety certification and launched the NVIDIA DRIVE™ AI Systems Inspection Lab.
    • Launched NVIDIA Cosmos™, a platform comprising state-of-the-art generative world foundation models, to accelerate physical AI development, with adoption by leading robotics and automotive companies 1X, Agile Robots, Waabi, Uber and others.
    • Unveiled the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano™ Super, which delivers up to a 1.7x gain in generative AI performance.

    CFO Commentary
    Commentary on the quarter by Colette Kress, NVIDIA’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, is available at https://investor.nvidia.com.

    Conference Call and Webcast Information
    NVIDIA will conduct a conference call with analysts and investors to discuss its fourth quarter and fiscal 2025 financial results and current financial prospects today at 2 p.m. Pacific time (5 p.m. Eastern time). A live webcast (listen-only mode) of the conference call will be accessible at NVIDIA’s investor relations website, https://investor.nvidia.com. The webcast will be recorded and available for replay until NVIDIA’s conference call to discuss its financial results for its first quarter of fiscal 2026.

    Non-GAAP Measures
    To supplement NVIDIA’s condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, the company uses non-GAAP measures of certain components of financial performance. These non-GAAP measures include non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP other income (expense), net, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income, or earnings, per diluted share, and free cash flow. For NVIDIA’s investors to be better able to compare its current results with those of previous periods, the company has shown a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures. These reconciliations adjust the related GAAP financial measures to exclude stock-based compensation expense, acquisition-related and other costs, other, gains from non-marketable and publicly-held equity securities, net, interest expense related to amortization of debt discount, and the associated tax impact of these items where applicable. Free cash flow is calculated as GAAP net cash provided by operating activities less both purchases related to property and equipment and intangible assets and principal payments on property and equipment and intangible assets. NVIDIA believes the presentation of its non-GAAP financial measures enhances the user’s overall understanding of the company’s historical financial performance. The presentation of the company’s non-GAAP financial measures is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the company’s financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP, and the company’s non-GAAP measures may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies.

     NVIDIA CORPORATION 
      CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME 
     (In millions, except per share data) 
     (Unaudited) 
                       
          Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
          January 26,   January 28,   January 26,   January 28,
            2025       2024       2025       2024  
                       
    Revenue $ 39,331     $ 22,103     $ 130,497     $ 60,922  
    Cost of revenue    10,608       5,312       32,639       16,621  
    Gross profit   28,723       16,791       97,858       44,301  
                       
    Operating expenses              
      Research and development     3,714       2,465       12,914       8,675  
      Sales, general and administrative   975       711       3,491       2,654  
        Total operating expenses   4,689       3,176       16,405       11,329  
                       
    Operating income   24,034       13,615       81,453       32,972  
      Interest income   511       294       1,786       866  
      Interest expense   (61 )     (63 )     (247 )     (257 )
      Other, net   733       260       1,034       237  
        Other income (expense), net   1,183       491       2,573       846  
                       
    Income before income tax   25,217       14,106       84,026       33,818  
    Income tax expense   3,126       1,821       11,146       4,058  
    Net income $ 22,091     $ 12,285     $ 72,880     $ 29,760  
                       
    Net income per share:              
      Basic $ 0.90     $ 0.51     $ 2.97     $ 1.21  
      Diluted $ 0.89     $ 0.49     $ 2.94     $ 1.19  
                       
    Weighted average shares used in per share computation:              
      Basic   24,489       24,660       24,555       24,690  
      Diluted   24,706       24,900       24,804       24,940  
    NVIDIA CORPORATION
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (In millions)
    (Unaudited)
                 
            January 26,   January 28,
            2025   2024
    ASSETS        
                 
    Current assets:        
      Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities   $ 43,210   $ 25,984
      Accounts receivable, net     23,065     9,999
      Inventories     10,080     5,282
      Prepaid expenses and other current assets     3,771     3,080
        Total current assets     80,126     44,345
                 
    Property and equipment, net     6,283     3,914
    Operating lease assets     1,793     1,346
    Goodwill     5,188     4,430
    Intangible assets, net     807     1,112
    Deferred income tax assets     10,979     6,081
    Other assets      6,425     4,500
        Total assets   $ 111,601   $ 65,728
                 
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
                 
    Current liabilities:        
      Accounts payable   $ 6,310   $ 2,699
      Accrued and other current liabilities     11,737     6,682
      Short-term debt     –     1,250
        Total current liabilities     18,047     10,631
                 
    Long-term debt     8,463     8,459
    Long-term operating lease liabilities     1,519     1,119
    Other long-term liabilities     4,245     2,541
        Total liabilities     32,274     22,750
                 
    Shareholders’ equity     79,327     42,978
        Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 111,601   $ 65,728
     NVIDIA CORPORATION 
     CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS 
     (In millions) 
     (Unaudited) 
                     
          Three Months Ended     Twelve Months Ended 
         January 26,   January 28,   January 26,   January 28,
           2025       2024       2025       2024  
                      
    Cash flows from operating activities:              
    Net income $ 22,091     $ 12,285     $ 72,880     $ 29,760  
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash              
    provided by operating activities:              
      Stock-based compensation expense   1,321       993       4,737       3,549  
      Depreciation and amortization   543       387       1,864       1,508  
      Deferred income taxes   (598 )     (78 )     (4,477 )     (2,489 )
      Gains on non-marketable equity securities and publicly-held equity securities, net   (727 )     (260 )     (1,030 )     (238 )
      Other   (138 )     (109 )     (502 )     (278 )
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:              
      Accounts receivable   (5,370 )     (1,690 )     (13,063 )     (6,172 )
      Inventories   (2,424 )     (503 )     (4,781 )     (98 )
      Prepaid expenses and other assets   331       (1,184 )     (395 )     (1,522 )
      Accounts payable   867       281       3,357       1,531  
      Accrued and other current liabilities   360       1,072       4,278       2,025  
      Other long-term liabilities   372       305       1,221       514  
    Net cash provided by operating activities   16,628       11,499       64,089       28,090  
                      
    Cash flows from investing activities:              
      Proceeds from maturities of marketable securities   1,710       1,731       11,195       9,732  
      Proceeds from sales of marketable securities   177       50       495       50  
      Proceeds from sales of non-marketable equity securities   –       –       171       1  
      Purchases of marketable securities   (7,010 )     (7,524 )     (26,575 )     (18,211 )
      Purchase related to property and equipment and intangible assets   (1,077 )     (253 )     (3,236 )     (1,069 )
      Purchases of non-marketable equity securities   (478 )     (113 )     (1,486 )     (862 )
      Acquisitions, net of cash acquired   (542 )     –       (1,007 )     (83 )
      Other   22       –       22       (124 )
    Net cash used in investing activities   (7,198 )     (6,109 )     (20,421 )     (10,566 )
                      
    Cash flows from financing activities:              
      Proceeds related to employee stock plans   –       –       490       403  
      Payments related to repurchases of common stock   (7,810 )     (2,660 )     (33,706 )     (9,533 )
      Payments related to tax on restricted stock units   (1,861 )     (841 )     (6,930 )     (2,783 )
      Repayment of debt   –       –       (1,250 )     (1,250 )
      Dividends paid   (245 )     (99 )     (834 )     (395 )
      Principal payments on property and equipment and intangible assets   (32 )     (29 )     (129 )     (74 )
      Other   –       –       –       (1 )
    Net cash used in financing activities   (9,948 )     (3,629 )     (42,359 )     (13,633 )
                      
    Change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash   (518 )     1,761       1,309       3,891  
    Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period   9,107       5,519       7,280       3,389  
    Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period $ 8,589     $ 7,280     $ 8,589     $ 7,280  
                      
    Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:              
    Cash paid for income taxes, net $ 4,129     $ 1,874     $ 15,118     $ 6,549  
    Cash paid for interest $ 22     $ 26     $ 246     $ 252  
       NVIDIA CORPORATION 
       RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES 
       (In millions, except per share data) 
       (Unaudited) 
                         
             Three Months Ended      Twelve Months Ended 
            January 26,   October 27,   January 28,   January 26,   January 28,
              2025       2024       2024       2025       2024  
                             
      GAAP cost of revenue $ 10,608     $ 8,926     $ 5,312     $ 32,639     $ 16,621  
      GAAP gross profit $ 28,723     $ 26,156     $ 16,791     $ 97,858     $ 44,301  
        GAAP gross margin   73.0 %     74.6 %     76.0 %     75.0 %     72.7 %
        Acquisition-related and other costs (A)   118       116       119       472       477  
        Stock-based compensation expense (B)   53       50       45       178       141  
        Other (C)     –       –       4       (3 )     40  
      Non-GAAP cost of revenue $ 10,437     $ 8,759     $ 5,144     $ 31,992     $ 15,963  
      Non-GAAP gross profit $ 28,894     $ 26,322     $ 16,959     $ 98,505     $ 44,959  
        Non-GAAP gross margin   73.5 %     75.0 %     76.7 %     75.5 %     73.8 %
                             
      GAAP operating expenses $ 4,689     $ 4,287     $ 3,176     $ 16,405     $ 11,329  
        Stock-based compensation expense (B)     (1,268 )     (1,202 )     (948 )     (4,559 )     (3,408 )
        Acquisition-related and other costs (A)   (43 )     (39 )     (18 )     (130 )     (106 )
        Other (C)     –       –       –       –       10  
      Non-GAAP operating expenses $ 3,378     $ 3,046     $ 2,210     $ 11,716     $ 7,825  
                             
      GAAP operating income $ 24,034     $ 21,869     $ 13,615     $ 81,453     $ 32,972  
        Total impact of non-GAAP adjustments to operating income   1,482       1,407       1,134       5,336       4,162  
      Non-GAAP operating income $ 25,516     $ 23,276     $ 14,749     $ 86,789     $ 37,134  
                             
      GAAP other income (expense), net $ 1,183     $ 447     $ 491     $ 2,573     $ 846  
        Gains from non-marketable equity securities and publicly-held equity securities, net   (727 )     (37 )     (260 )     (1,030 )     (238 )
        Interest expense related to amortization of debt discount   1       1       1       4       4  
      Non-GAAP other income (expense), net $ 457     $ 411     $ 232     $ 1,547     $ 612  
                             
      GAAP net income $ 22,091     $ 19,309     $ 12,285     $ 72,880     $ 29,760  
        Total pre-tax impact of non-GAAP adjustments   756       1,371       875       4,310       3,928  
        Income tax impact of non-GAAP adjustments (D)   (781 )     (670 )     (321 )     (2,925 )     (1,376 )
      Non-GAAP net income  $ 22,066     $ 20,010     $ 12,839     $ 74,265     $ 32,312  
                             
      Diluted net income per share (E)                  
        GAAP   $ 0.89     $ 0.78     $ 0.49     $ 2.94     $ 1.19  
        Non-GAAP    $ 0.89     $ 0.81     $ 0.52     $ 2.99     $ 1.30  
                             
      Weighted average shares used in diluted net income per share computation (E)   24,706       24,774       24,900       24,804       24,936  
                             
      GAAP net cash provided by operating activities $ 16,628     $ 17,629     $ 11,499     $ 64,089     $ 28,090  
        Purchases related to property and equipment and intangible assets   (1,077 )     (813 )     (253 )     (3,236 )     (1,069 )
        Principal payments on property and equipment and intangible assets   (32 )     (29 )     (29 )     (129 )     (74 )
      Free cash flow   $ 15,519     $ 16,787     $ 11,217     $ 60,724     $ 26,947  
                             
       
                             
      (A) Acquisition-related and other costs are comprised of amortization of intangible assets, transaction costs, and certain compensation charges and are included in the following line items:
            Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
            January 26,   October 27,   January 28,   January 26,   January 28,
              2025       2024       2024       2025       2024  
        Cost of revenue   $ 118     $ 116     $ 119     $ 472     $ 477  
        Research and development   $ 27     $ 23     $ 12     $ 79     $ 49  
        Sales, general and administrative   $ 16     $ 16     $ 6     $ 51     $ 57  
                             
      (B) Stock-based compensation consists of the following:      
            Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
            January 26,   October 27,   January 28,   January 26,   January 28,
              2025       2024       2024       2025       2024  
        Cost of revenue   $ 53     $ 50     $ 45     $ 178     $ 141  
        Research and development   $ 955     $ 910     $ 706     $ 3,423     $ 2,532  
        Sales, general and administrative   $ 313     $ 292     $ 242     $ 1,136     $ 876  
                             
      (C) Other consists of IP-related costs and assets held for sale related adjustments
     
      (D) Income tax impact of non-GAAP adjustments, including the recognition of excess tax benefits or deficiencies related to stock-based compensation under GAAP accounting standard (ASU 2016-09).
                             
      (E) Reflects a ten-for-one stock split on June 7, 2024
     NVIDIA CORPORATION 
     RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP OUTLOOK 
         
         Q1 FY2026 Outlook 
        ($ in millions)
         
    GAAP gross margin   70.6 %
      Impact of stock-based compensation expense, acquisition-related costs, and other costs   0.4 %
    Non-GAAP gross margin   71.0 %
         
    GAAP operating expenses $ 5,150  
      Stock-based compensation expense, acquisition-related costs, and other costs   (1,550 )
    Non-GAAP operating expenses $ 3,600  
           

    About NVIDIA
    NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the world leader in accelerated computing.

    Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements as to: AI advancing at light speed as agentic AI and physical AI set the stage for the next wave of AI to revolutionize the largest industries; expectations with respect to growth, performance and benefits of NVIDIA’s products, services and technologies, including Blackwell, and related trends and drivers; expectations with respect to supply and demand for NVIDIA’s products, services and technologies, including Blackwell, and related matters including inventory, production and distribution; expectations with respect to NVIDIA’s third party arrangements, including with its collaborators and partners; expectations with respect to technology developments and related trends and drivers; future NVIDIA cash dividends or other returns to stockholders; NVIDIA’s financial and business outlook for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 and beyond; projected market growth and trends; expectations with respect to AI and related industries; and other statements that are not historical facts are risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: global economic and political conditions; NVIDIA’s reliance on third parties to manufacture, assemble, package and test NVIDIA’s products; the impact of technological development and competition; development of new products and technologies or enhancements to NVIDIA’s existing product and technologies; market acceptance of NVIDIA’s products or NVIDIA’s partners’ products; design, manufacturing or software defects; changes in consumer preferences or demands; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of NVIDIA’s products or technologies when integrated into systems; and changes in applicable laws and regulations, as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the most recent reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on the company’s website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

    © 2025 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, GeForce RTX, NVIDIA Cosmos, NVIDIA Spectrum-X, NVIDIA DGX, NVIDIA DRIVE, NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin, NVIDIA Grace, NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano, NVIDIA NIM and NVIDIA Omniverse are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change without notice.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aabe86db-ce89-4434-b83c-495082979801

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NTA and Enlight Sign a $22m Power Purchase Agreement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NTA, a government-owned company building the light rail and metro in the Tel Aviv metropolitan region, will operate the mass transit network using clean energy supplied by Enlight

    The agreement significantly reduces NTA’s electricity costs

    TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enlight Renewable Energy (“Enlight”, “the Company”, NASDAQ: ENLT, TASE: ENLT.TA), a leading renewable energy platform, announced today that NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System Ltd. (“NTA”) has signed a 5-year PPA with an aggregate value of $22m, and also includes an option to significantly increase purchase volumes through the life of the contract.

    The agreement was signed within the framework of Israel’s deregulated electricity market, which allows independent power producers to enter into direct sales agreements with consumers. The agreement follows others reached by Enlight in recent months, with NTA joining Big Shopping Centers, SodaStream, Applied Materials, Amdocs, and other noteworthy companies in purchasing green electricity from Enlight. Serving as examples of environmental responsibility, these firms’ decision to switch to clean energy consumption will positively impact Israel’s economy. In January 2025, the Weizmann Institute of Science, based in Rehovot, signed an agreement with Enlight to supply all of the Institute’s electricity needs for the next 12 years.

    The agreement with Enlight will help NTA, which is building the light rail and metro networks in the Tel Aviv metropolitan region, to reduce its electricity costs significantly. It will also reduce annual carbon emissions equivalent to the planting of approximately 380,000 new trees per year or removing about 9,000 private fuel-powered vehicles from the road annually.

    Itamar Ben Meir, CEO of NTA, commented, “We welcome this important agreement with Enlight. The mass transit system being built by NTA is good news for the congested Tel Aviv region, and is similar to advanced countries around the world in its use of renewable energy. Green power dramatically cuts air pollution as well as representing a significant cost savings. Each light rail train removes more than 100 private cars from the road, reducing traffic congestion and wasted time, while increasing comfort and safety.”

    Gilad Peled, CEO of Enlight MENA, commented, “Enlight congratulates NTA on its transition to clean and environmentally friendly energy. The deal with Enlight will allow NTA to save millions of Shekels of public funds on its electricity bill, while simultaneously serving as an environmental leader. The agreement drives Enlight MENA’s growth further after doubling our revenues in Israel last year to over $150m. This agreement further reinforces the fact that today, clean energy is also the cheapest form of energy. Moreover, clean energy’s rising share of the deregulated power market leads to greater competition and lower electricity prices for all Israeli consumers.”

    About NTA

    NTA is a government-owned company building metropolitan Tel Aviv’s mass transit network as part of the largest infrastructure project ever initiated in Israel. The network comprises three light rail lines, including the Red Line, which already transports millions of passengers every month, and the Green and Purple Lines, which are expected to begin commercial operation in the coming years. The light rail network will be joined by three metro lines that will connect into the Tel Aviv region from Rehovot in the south and Kfar Saba in the north. With an annual expected ridership of 850 million passengers and 2 million trips per day, the project’s total cost is estimated at approximately ILS 200bn.

    About Enlight Renewable Energy

    Founded in 2008, Enlight develops, finances, constructs, owns, and operates utility-scale renewable energy projects. Enlight operates across the three largest renewable segments today: solar, wind and energy storage. A global platform, Enlight operates in the United States, Israel and 10 European countries. Enlight has been traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange since 2010 (TASE: ENLT) and completed its U.S. IPO (Nasdaq: ENLT) in 2023. Learn more at www.enlightenergy.co.il.

    Contacts:

    Yonah Weisz
    Director IR
    investors@enlightenergy.co.il

    Erica Mannion or Mike Funari
    Sapphire Investor Relations, LLC
    +1 617 542 6180
    investors@enlightenergy.co.il

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s expectations relating to the Project, the PPA and the related interconnection agreement and lease option, and the completion timeline for the Project, are forward-looking statements. The words “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “target,” “seek,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “contemplate,” “possible,” “forecasts,” “aims” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: our ability to site suitable land for, and otherwise source, renewable energy projects and to successfully develop and convert them into Operational Projects; availability of, and access to, interconnection facilities and transmission systems; our ability to obtain and maintain governmental and other regulatory approvals and permits, including environmental approvals and permits; construction delays, operational delays and supply chain disruptions leading to increased cost of materials required for the construction of our projects, as well as cost overruns and delays related to disputes with contractors; our suppliers’ ability and willingness to perform both existing and future obligations; competition from traditional and renewable energy companies in developing renewable energy projects; potential slowed demand for renewable energy projects and our ability to enter into new offtake contracts on acceptable terms and prices as current offtake contracts expire; offtakers’ ability to terminate contracts or seek other remedies resulting from failure of our projects to meet development, operational or performance benchmarks; various technical and operational challenges leading to unplanned outages, reduced output, interconnection or termination issues; the dependence of our production and revenue on suitable meteorological and environmental conditions, and our ability to accurately predict such conditions; our ability to enforce warranties provided by our counterparties in the event that our projects do not perform as expected; government curtailment, energy price caps and other government actions that restrict or reduce the profitability of renewable energy production; electricity price volatility, unusual weather conditions (including the effects of climate change, could adversely affect wind and solar conditions), catastrophic weather-related or other damage to facilities, unscheduled generation outages, maintenance or repairs, unanticipated changes to availability due to higher demand, shortages, transportation problems or other developments, environmental incidents, or electric transmission system constraints and the possibility that we may not have adequate insurance to cover losses as a result of such hazards; our dependence on certain operational projects for a substantial portion of our cash flows; our ability to continue to grow our portfolio of projects through successful acquisitions; changes and advances in technology that impair or eliminate the competitive advantage of our projects or upsets the expectations underlying investments in our technologies; our ability to effectively anticipate and manage cost inflation, interest rate risk, currency exchange fluctuations and other macroeconomic conditions that impact our business; our ability to retain and attract key personnel; our ability to manage legal and regulatory compliance and litigation risk across our global corporate structure; our ability to protect our business from, and manage the impact of, cyber-attacks, disruptions and security incidents, as well as acts of terrorism or war; the potential impact of the current conflicts in Israel on our operations and financial condition and Company actions designed to mitigate such impact; changes to existing renewable energy industry policies and regulations that present technical, regulatory and economic barriers to renewable energy projects; the reduction, elimination or expiration of government incentives for, or regulations mandating the use of, renewable energy; our ability to effectively manage our supply chain and comply with applicable regulations with respect to international trade relations, tariffs, sanctions, export controls and anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws; our ability to effectively comply with Environmental Health and Safety and other laws and regulations and receive and maintain all necessary licenses, permits and authorizations; our performance of various obligations under the terms of our indebtedness (and the indebtedness of our subsidiaries that we guarantee) and our ability to continue to secure project financing on attractive terms for our projects; limitations on our management rights and operational flexibility due to our use of tax equity arrangements; potential claims and disagreements with partners, investors and other counterparties that could reduce our right to cash flows generated by our projects; our ability to comply with tax laws of various jurisdictions in which we currently operate as well as the tax laws in jurisdictions in which we intend to operate in the future; the unknown effect of the dual listing of our ordinary shares on the price of our ordinary shares; various risks related to our incorporation and location in Israel; the costs and requirements of being a public company, including the diversion of management’s attention with respect to such requirements; certain provisions in our Articles of Association and certain applicable regulations that may delay or prevent a change of control; and other risk factors set forth in the section titled “Risk factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and our other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC.

    These statements reflect management’s current expectations regarding future events and speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. Except as may be required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Freedom camping certification extended

    Source: New Zealand Government

    There will be more time to get self-contained vehicles green-certified, with an extension of the transition period, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston has announced.
    “This extension will be reassuring for people who enjoy freedom camping as a way to get off the beaten track and explore everything our beautiful country has to offer,” says Louise Upston.
    “Following public consultation, we’re extending the certification transition period for private self-contained vehicles out by a year to June 2026. Currently only 23,000 vehicles of the estimated 73,000 have been certified.
    “During consultation, individual freedom campers, certification authorities and vehicle inspectors voiced concerns about the limited time and capacity to certify all private vehicles currently on the road.  
    “Extending the period provides confidence that all vehicles needing to be self-contained can be certified within the transitional period.
    “That gives reassurance that laws can be properly enforced when they need to be in the future. “We’re announcing the extension now, to give certainty to both the sector and travellers as they make the most of the end of summer and start to prepare for the ski season. 
    “Approximately 12,000 rental vehicles are already certified self-contained, which represents the bulk of the national fleet, so holidaymakers can be confident about finding a suitable rental vehicle, wherever their destination. 
    “Extending the period for certification doesn’t detract from our Government’s commitment to the environment. It remains absolutely essential for freedom campers to respect their surroundings.
    “If you’re planning to freedom camp, always check the specific rules at each location where you want to stay,” Louise Upston says. 
     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Reintroduces Legislation to Protect Rural Seniors’ Access to Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Today, U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), reintroduced the Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act. The legislation would reverse a Biden-era nursing home staffing rule that will harm facilities across rural America and could force many to close.
    The legislation would also establish an advisory panel on nursing home staffing that includes voices from both urban and rural communities. The panel would submit a report to Congress that analyzes workforce shortages and makes practical recommendations to strengthen the workforce.
    U.S. Representative Michelle Fischbach (MN-07) introduced identical companion legislation in the House.
    “Nursing homes across the country face historic staffing shortages, and nowhere are those challenges more real than in rural states like Nebraska. This mandate from the Biden administration is on track to force many facilities to shut their doors, depriving America’s seniors of care. My legislation will reverse this staffing rule and create solutions that will protect rural facilities,” said Senator Fischer.
    “Oklahoma seniors, especially in rural communities, deserve quality, safe health care. CMS has proposed a one-size-fits-all staffing mandate that has significantly threatened the ability for patients to receive post-acute care in rural communities. My colleagues and I are taking all available steps to stop the overreaching staffing mandate from CMS—they are not in our communities and clearly do not adequately understand the problems families and seniors are facing when finding care in rural America,” said Senator Lankford.“The Biden Administration’s HHS nursing staff mandate was a half-baked, one-size-fits-none plan that will not solve the nursing staff shortage and will hurt nursing home facilities all across Minnesota’s Seventh District,” said Congresswoman Fischbach. “A report commissioned by CMS itself found that there is no single staffing level that guarantees quality care, and a mandated ratio will force facilities to turn away patients or close their doors altogether across communities like those in greater Minnesota. I am proud to lead the efforts of Congress to keep a potentially disastrous policy from being implemented and I look forward to working with The Trump Administration and stakeholders on policies that support nursing staff recruitment and retention to solve the ongoing workforce shortage in this country.”
    Nebraska Stakeholder Support:
    “Every Nebraskan should be concerned about this federal mandate because it directly impacts the viability of their local nursing home,” said Nebraska Health Care Association President and CEO Jalene Carpenter. “Eighty-eight percent of Nebraska’s nursing homes won’t be able to meet the new rule’s 24/7 RN requirement, and 90 percent won’t be able to meet every one of the rule’s requirements. Senator Fischer’s Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act would prohibit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from finalizing a rule that will force even more facilities to close, especially in our rural communities. The workforce to implement this rule doesn’t exist, making Senator Fischer’s bill the most viable solution. We are grateful for Senator Fischer’s leadership and understanding that the mandate isn’t a path to quality; it’s a path to closure.”
    “The CMS nurse staffing mandate fails to account for the stark realities of rural Nebraska. It is a one-size-fits-all regulation that will stretch already thin resources to a breaking point, forcing closures and leaving our most vulnerable patients without access to critical care. The Nebraska Hospital Association is grateful for Senator Fischer’s leadership on this issue,” said Nebraska Hospital Association President Jeremy Nordquist. 
    National Stakeholder Support:
    “Seventy percent of the residents we serve live in rural towns. These are communities of 500 to 5,000 people, where our residents are retired teachers, farmers, pastors, business owners and veterans. Only five percent of our locations meet the requirement to have an RN on-site 24 hours a day. It’s impossible to imagine how a skilled nursing facility in a town of 1,500 people will be able to find 24-7 coverage for an RN when they already have open RN positions they can’t fill today. This unrealistic and unfunded staffing mandate will not improve quality. Instead, it will force rural nursing homes to close their doors when they can’t meet the minimum staffing requirements – taking seniors away from their loved ones, and the lives they know. We appreciate Senator Fischer’s leadership on this issue and look forward to continuing to work on meaningful common-sense solutions to attract, retain and grow the long-term care workforce and protect access to high-quality care for our nation’s seniors, particularly those living in rural areas,” said Good Samaritan President and CEO Nate Schema. 
    “We thank Senators Fischer and Lankford for their leadership in safeguarding seniors’ access to care by reintroducing this bill. The Biden Administration’s staffing mandate threatens to displace tens of thousands of nursing home residents in communities across the country. The concerns in Congress we’ve seen on both sides of the aisle reaffirm what the profession has been saying for years: these unrealistic standards will only force more nursing homes to downsize or close. There is a better way to support our nation’s seniors, and we look forward to working with members of Congress on more productive solutions to grow our workforce,” said American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living President and CEO Clifton J. Porter II.
    “Ensuring access to quality care is a top priority for our nonprofit and mission-driven nursing home members. Quality care and staffing are tightly connected. However, the federal minimum staffing rule for nursing homes, while well-intentioned, will only exacerbate the current challenges that providers, particularly those serving rural communities, must navigate: a shortage of qualified workers and a highly competitive labor market,” said LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan. “The federal staffing mandate does not include any funding to help pay for staff recruitment and training. Without staff, there is no care; shortages force providers to make difficult choices, including limiting admissions, taking beds offline, or, worse yet, closing wings or even ceasing operations. Solutions to address longstanding workforce issues in aging services are needed. We commend Senators Fischer and Lankford for their leadership on the Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act to stop implementation of this unworkable staffing rule and also create an advisory panel to tackle the ongoing workforce shortages facing aging services providers.”
    Background:
    On September 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a rule that would mandate new minimum staffing standards for long-term care (LTC) facilities. According to CMS, 75 percent of nursing homes would have to increase staffing to comply with the proposed standards. This standard will be even harder to meet in rural areas, which already face historic staffing shortages.
    While CMS estimates that the cost for this rule is $4 billion, LeadingAge, the association for nonprofit providers of aging services, believes that the CMS proposed budget is significantly underestimating real costs. LeadingAge estimates that the rule’s staffing requirements will cost providers nearly $7 billion in the first year alone.
    According to the Nebraska Center for Nursing, 73 of Nebraska’s 93 counties have less than the national average ratio of registered nurses (RNs) to patients. Nine counties in Nebraska do not have any practicing RNs available. Furthermore, 66 of Nebraska’s counties have been deemed medically underserved. Nebraska nursing facilities are already being staffed by temporary workers, and many positions are being filled by LPNs. LPNs do not contribute to the number of staff required by the proposed rule.
    On September 15, 2023, Senator Fischer and the Nebraska congressional delegation sent a letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure opposing the staffing rule. 
    On December 5, 2023, Senator Fischer first introduced the Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act to stop the rule from being finalized. Despite bipartisan opposition, the CMS staffing rule was finalized in April 2024.
    On May 31, 2024, Senators Fischer and Lankford led a bipartisan group of 29 colleagues in introducing a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to keep nursing homes open. 
    Read the full text of the bill here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, Gillibrand Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Increase Transparency of Milk Pricing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act. This bipartisan legislation would require manufacturers to report dairy processing costs every 2 years, which would help dairy farmers make sure that their prices accurately reflect the costs of production.
    “Maine’s dairy farmers work hard to produce high-quality milk, but they often don’t have clear information on how processing costs affect the prices they receive for their product,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would increase transparency across the dairy industry by requiring processors to report the costs of turning raw milk into products like cheese, butter, and yogurt, giving farmers the information they need to advocate for fairer pricing.”
    “New York dairy farmers deserve to be paid a fair price for their milk, and they need a milk pricing system that they can count on,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Requiring manufacturers to report dairy processing costs on a biennial basis will give dairy producers, processors, and cooperatives the data they need to ensure that their prices accurately reflect the costs of production. After successfully championing dairy pricing reforms in the last Congress, I look forward to supporting New York’s dairy industry by passing this vital bipartisan bill.”
    The Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act is endorsed by the International Dairy Foods Association, the National Milk Producers Federation, and Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives.
    “Timely authorization for regularly updated cost of processing surveys will provide dairy processors and producers the transparent data to ensure that the Federal Milk Marketing Orders accurately reflect ‘make allowances’ for manufacturing dairy products,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. “This is critical to ensuring more accurate milk pricing, supporting continued investment in dairy, fostering innovation to meet consumer preferences, and driving overall demand for milk. IDFA is grateful to Senators Gillibrand and Collins for their leadership to advance this issue on behalf of the entire dairy industry.”
    “We thank Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, and Susan Collins, R-ME, for once again writing bipartisan legislation to require USDA to conduct mandatory dairy manufacturing cost surveys every two years,” said the National Milk Producers Federation. “Regular studies on the costs of processing raw milk into manufactured dairy products would make future dairy pricing conversations more accurate and based on better information, allowing future adjustments to reflect market conditions. We look forward to working with the bill’s sponsors to enact it into law this year, as soon as possible.”
    “The Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives (NDFC), representing dairy farmer families in New York and New England, supports the Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act,” said Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives. “We commend Sens. Gillibrand (D-NY) and Collins (R-ME) for their prodigious leadership in introducing this legislation, which will empower the USDA to conduct mandatory, auditable surveys every two years. This will ensure accurate cost data to stabilize dairy programs and support systems.”
    Senator Collins has long been a champion for fair market practices in the dairy industry. Senator Collins is an original cosponsor of the DAIRY PRIDE Act, bipartisan legislation that would combat the unfair practice of mislabeling non-dairy products using dairy names by requiring non-dairy products made from nuts, seeds, plants, and algae to no longer be mislabeled with dairy terms such as milk, yogurt, or cheese.
    Additionally, Last September, Senator Collins, along with Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), James Risch (R-ID), and Peter Welch (D-VT), sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture urging the Departments to carefully consider any changes to the upcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans that could add plant-based imitation products into the dairy category, despite their nutritional differences.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 8 Charged in North Charleston Public Corruption Schemes, including 3 City Councilmen

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Eight people have been charged in federal court for a series of bribery, kickback, extortion, and money laundering schemes following a public corruption investigation in North Charleston. Three of the individuals charged are elected members of the North Charleston City Council.

    Four individuals have been charged by Information and have agreed to plead guilty:

    Jerome Sydney Heyward, 61, North Charleston City Councilmember;

    Sandino Savalas Moses, 50, North Charleston City Councilmember;

    Donavan Laval Moten, 46, founder of Core4Success Foundation; and

    Aaron Charles-Lee Hicks, 37, resident of North Charleston.

    A federal grand jury returned indictments against four others:

    Mike A. Brown, 46, North Charleston City Council Member;

    Hason Tatorian (“Tory”) Fields, 51, a Goose Creek resident;

    Rose Emily Lorenzo, 65, a North Carolina resident; and

    Michelle Stent-Hilton, 56, a North Charleston resident.

    Heyward is charged in three separate schemes with corruptly using his position as a North Charleston City Councilman to personally enrich himself through bribes, kickbacks, and extortion and to deprive the citizens and the government of North Charleston of their intangible right to the honest and faithful services of the North Charleston City Council. In the first scheme, Heyward extorted a businessman by soliciting payments in exchange for his official action as a City Councilman. In the second scheme, Heyward conspired with Mike A. Brown and Aaron Hicks to solicit and accept bribes from Aaron Hicks—working on behalf of a company with business before North Charleston City Council—in exchange for his support of the rezoning of the Baker Hospital site. In the third scheme, Heyward conspired with Donavan Moten, Rose Lorenzo, and Michelle Stent-Hilton to embezzle funds belonging to North Charleston by soliciting and accepting kickbacks from non-profit organizations run by Moten and Stent-Hilton that received violence reduction grant funds from the City.

    Heyward has agreed to plead guilty to: extortion under color of official right and using fear of economic harm; multiple counts of conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud; multiple counts of bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud; theft with respect to programs receiving federal funds; and multiple counts of money laundering. Heyward faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $500,000, and a term of supervised release of three years. Heyward has agreed to cooperate with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

    Mike A. Brown is charged with conspiring with Heyward and Hicks to commit bribery and honest services wire fraud. The indictment alleges that Mike A. Brown, while serving as a North Charleston City Councilmember, solicited and accepted bribes from Hicks—working on behalf of a company requesting the rezoning of the Baker Hospital site—in exchange for his support of the rezoning application. Mike A. Brown faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of three years. He will be arraigned on these charges in March.

    Aaron Hicks is charged with a conspiracy to pay bribes to Mike A. Brown and Jerome Heyward and a separate conspiracy with Hason Tatorian Fields to bribe Sandino Moses in exchange for their influence on North Charleston City Council and their support of the rezoning of the Baker Hospital site. Hicks has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud; bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, and honest services wire fraud. Hicks has agreed to cooperate fully with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Hicks faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of three years.

    Hason Tatorian (“Tory”) Fields is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud, bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, and honest services wire fraud. The indictment alleges that Fields conspired with Hicks to pay bribes to Sandino Moses. Thereafter, Fields paid Moses two bribes in an attempt to influence him in connection with his official action regarding the rezoning of the Baker Hospital site. Fields faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of three years.

    Sandino Moses is charged with misprision of a felony. The Information alleges that Moses knew that Fields and others attempted to bribe him and paid him bribes but he failed to disclose that criminal conduct and instead took steps to conceal the bribes by returning the money to Fields. Moses has agreed to plead guilty and to cooperate fully with federal state and local law enforcement agencies. He faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three years, a fine of $250,000, and a maximum term of supervised release of one year.

    Donavan Laval Moten has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud, theft with respect to programs receiving federal funds, bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud, and money laundering. The information alleges that Moten conspired with Jerome Heyward and Rose Lorenzo to kick back a portion of funds that Moten’s nonprofit received from North Charleston to Heyward, who at the time was on North Charleston’s City Council. The indictment further alleges that after receiving the money from North Charleston, Moten laundered Heyward’s portion through Lorenzo. Moten has agreed to cooperate fully with federal, state, and local enforcement officials. Moten faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $500,000 and a term of supervised release of three years.

    Michelle Stent-Hilton is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud, theft with respect to programs receiving federal funds, bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud, and money laundering. The indictment alleges that Stent-Hilton, who is affiliated with a non-profit and served as Jerome Heyward’s personal assistant, promised to pay Heyward a portion of money the non-profit received from the city of North Charleston. At the time, Heyward was serving on North Charleston City Council and voted on the grant proposal to distribute funds to non-profits, including Stent-Hilton’s. The indictment further alleges that after receiving money from North Charleston, Stent-Hilton laundered Heyward’s kick back through Rose Lorenzo. Stent-Hilton faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $500,000 and a term of supervised release of three years.

    Rose Emily Lorenzo is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud, theft with respect to programs receiving federal funds, bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud, and money laundering. The indictment alleges that Lorenzo conspired with Jerome Heyward and others to kick back a portion of City of North Charleston grant funds that were awarded to non-profits affiliated with Donavan Moten and Michelle Stent-Hilton to Heyward. The indictment further alleges that Lorenzo agreed to launder the funds by acting as an intermediary who received the funds from Moten and Stent-Hilton, and then wired them to Heyward for the purpose of concealing the true purpose of the transaction. Lorenzo faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $500,000 and a term of supervised release of three years.

    Heyward, Moten, Hicks, and Moses are scheduled to plead guilty before the Honorable Richard M. Gergel on Friday, Feb. 28.

    “When elected officials take their oath of office, they make a sacred promise to the people they serve.  They pledge to uphold the law, to act with integrity, and to place the public interest above their own,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “Public service should never merely be a job – it is a public trust. The allegations in this case describe a profound betrayal of that trust.”

    “Public corruption at any level of government cannot be tolerated,” said Steve Jensen Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “Citizens have a right to expect honesty, fairness, and integrity from their leaders. The FBI, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, is dedicated to aggressively investigating corruption and ensuring those responsible are held accountable.”

    “SLED Agents worked hand-in-hand with our federal partners to ensure that justice will be served,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel. “No matter who you are, or what position you hold, you will be held accountable for breaking the law. Elected officials and citizens should be working together to better their community, not exploiting others.”

    The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse and Whit Sowards are prosecuting the case.

    All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: BRADFORD COUNTY – Governor Shapiro, DDAP Secretary Davis-Jones to Visit Sayre Hospital, Discuss Proposed Investments to Solve Rural Health Care Workforce Shortage

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    February 27, 2025 – Sayre, PA

    ADVISORY – BRADFORD COUNTY – Governor Shapiro, DDAP Secretary Davis-Jones to Visit Sayre Hospital, Discuss Proposed Investments to Solve Rural Health Care Workforce Shortage

    Governor Josh Shapiro will visit Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Bradford County to talk about the major investments his 2025-26 Budget Proposal would make to address rural health care workforce shortages and his plans to expand Pennsylvania’s rural health care workforce.

    The Governor’s budget proposal includes $10 million to provide support to rural hospitals that have been forced to cut or shutter services – and proposes making significant investments in loan forgiveness specifically for rural health care workers, modeled on the success of the substance use disorder (SUD) loan repayment program at the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP).

    WHO:
    Governor Josh Shapiro
    Dr. Latika Davis-Jones, Secretary of Drug and Alcohol Programs
    Senator Gene Yaw
    Representative Tina Pickett
    Dr. Sabanegh, President and CEO of the Guthrie Clinic
    Barbara Vanaskie, LCSW, SUD loan repayment program awardee
    Deb Raupers, MSN, RN, Chief Nurse Executive for Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital
    Kevin Gibbs, Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital patient

    WHEN:
    Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 10:45AM

    WHERE:
    Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital
    1 Guthrie Square,
    Sayre, PA 18840

    **Please RSVP for exact location and arrival logistics.

    LIVE STREAM:
    pacast.com/live/gov
    governor.pa.gov/live/

    RSVP:
    Press who are interested in attending must RSVP with the names and phone numbers for each member of their team to ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Executive Director Is Sentenced For Stealing Thousands of Dollars From Gastonia Non-Profit

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Stephanie L. Roberts, 55, of Gastonia, N.C., was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for stealing thousands of dollars from a non-profit corporation for cancer patients, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Roberts was ordered to serve two years under court supervision, and to pay $157,722.69 in restitution to the non-profit victim and $62,612 to the Internal Revenue Service.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron is joined by Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI), Jason Krizmanich, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees Charlotte, and Chief Trent Conard of the Gastonia Police Department in making today’s announcement.

    According to court documents and court proceedings, Roberts was the executive director of Cancer Services of Gaston County, a non-profit corporation that provides support and resources for cancer patients. Beginning no later than January 8, 2016, through January 21, 2022, Roberts embezzled more than $136,000 from the non-profit corporation. Roberts also admitted that she failed to pay more than $200,000 withheld from the paychecks of the non-profit corporation’s employees for federal income, Medicare, and Social Security taxes to the IRS. In addition to the embezzlement scheme, Roberts made and subscribed, under penalty of perjury, U.S. Income Tax Returns that falsely stated the amount of tax withheld from her wages, and falsely claimed that amount was paid to the IRS.

    On March 22, 2024, Roberts pleaded guilty to theft in connection with health care; failure to truthfully account for and pay over trust fund taxes; and making and subscribing a false tax return. Roberts will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron commended IRS-CI, USPIS, and the Gastonia Police Department for their investigation of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Savage of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Intense heat changes our biology and can make us age significantly faster: study

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rongbin Xu, Research Fellow in Health and Epigenetics, Monash University

    PorporLing/Shutterstock

    Heat takes it out of you. After a long, hot day, we feel tired and grumpy.

    But sustained periods of heat do more than that – they age us faster. Cumulative heat stress changes our epigenetics – how our cells turn on or off gene switches in response to environmental pressure.

    Now, new research from the United States explores the pressing question of how extreme heat affects humans. The findings are concerning. The more days of intense heat a participant endured, the faster they aged. Longer periods of extreme heat accelerated ageing in older people by more than two years.

    As the climate heats up, humans will be exposed to more and more heat – and our bodies will respond to these stresses by ageing faster. These findings are especially pertinent to Australia, where heatwaves are expected to become more frequent and intense in a warmer world.

    How, exactly, does heat age us?

    Ageing is natural. But the rate of ageing varies from human to human. As we go through life, our bodies are affected by stresses and shocks. For instance, if we don’t get enough sleep over a long period, we will age faster.

    While heat can directly sicken or kill us, it also has a long tail. Sustained heat stresses our bodies and make them less efficient at doing the many jobs needed to stay alive. This is what we mean when we say it accelerates biological ageing. This deterioration is likely to precede the later development of diseases and disabilities.

    What does that look like on a genetic level? You might think your genes don’t change over your life, and this is mostly true (apart from random mutations).

    But what does change is how your genes are expressed. That is, while your DNA stays the same, your cells can switch some of its thousands of genes off or on in response to stresses. At any one time, only a fraction of the genes in any cell are turned on – meaning they are busy making proteins.

    This is known as epigenetics. The most common and best understood pathway here is called DNA methylation (DNAm). Methylation here refers to a chemical our cells can use to block a DNA sequence from activating and producing proteins with various functions. Cellular changes in DNAm can lead to proteins being produced more or less, which in turn can flow on to affect physiological functions and our health status. This can be both bad or good.

    Heat stress can alter the pattern of which genes are turned off or on, which in turn can affect our rate of ageing.

    Severe heat stress can be remembered in cells, leading them to change their DNAm patterns over time. In laboratory testing, the effect is pronounced in fish, chickens, guinea pigs and mice.

    To date, much research on how heat affects epigenetics has focused on animals and plants. Here, the evidence is clear – even a single episode of extreme heat has been shown to have a long-lasting effect on mice.

    But only a couple of studies have been done involving humans, and they have been limited. This is the gap this new research is intended to help fill.

    Sustained heat changes how our cells express genes – accelerating ageing.
    aleks333/Shutterstock

    What did the study find?

    The study by researchers at the University of Southern California involved almost 3,700 people, with an average age of 68 years.

    Heat affects older people more than younger people. Our ability to control our body temperature drops as we age, and we are less resilient to outside stresses and shocks. We also know periods of extreme heat trigger a wave of illness and death, especially among older people.

    The study set out to better understand what happens to human bodies at a biological level when they’re exposed to intense heat over the short, medium and longer term.

    To do this, the researchers took blood samples and measured epigenetic changes at thousands of sites across the genome, which were used to calculate three clocks measuring biological age, named PcPhenoAge, PCGrimAge and DunedinPACE.

    Ageing is natural – but the speed at which we age can change.
    Bricolage/Shutterstock

    Then, they looked at the levels of heat each participant would have been exposed in their geographic areas over the preceding six years, which was 2010–16. They used the US heat index to assess heat, from caution (days up to 32°C), extreme caution (32–39°C) and danger (39–51°C). They used regression modelling to see how much faster people were ageing over the normal rate of ageing.

    The effect of heat was clear in the three biological clocks. Longer term exposure to intense heat increased biological age by 2.48 years over the six year period of the study according to PCPhenoAge, 1.09 years according to PCGrimAge and 0.05 years according to DunedinPACE.

    Over the period of the study, the effect was up to 2.48 years faster than normal ageing, where one calendar year equals one biological year of ageing. That is, rather than their bodies ageing the equivalent of six years over a six year period, heat could have aged their bodies up to 8.48 years.

    Importantly, the biological clocks differ quite substantially and we don’t yet know why. The authors suggest the PCPhenoAge clock may capture a broader spectrum of biological ageing, covering both short term and longer term heat stress, while the other two may be more sensitive to long term heat exposure.

    The way these researchers have conducted their study gives us confidence in their findings – the study sample was large and representative, and the use of the heat index rather than air temperature is an improvement over previous studies. However, the findings don’t account for whether the participants had airconditioning in their homes or spent much time outside.

    We need to know more

    Perhaps surprisingly, there has been little research done to date on what heat does to human epigenetics.

    In 2020, we conducted a systemic review of the science of how environment affects human epigenetics. We found only seven studies, with most focused on the effect of cold rather than heat.

    Now we have this new research which sheds light on the extent to which heat ages us.

    As we face a warmer future, our epigenetics will change in response. There is still a lot of work to do to see how we can adapt to these changes – or if we even can, in some parts of the world.

    Rongbin Xu received funding from VicHealth.

    Shuai Li receives funding from NHMRC, Cancer Australia, Victorian Cancer Agency, Cancer Council Victoria and NIH.

    – ref. Intense heat changes our biology and can make us age significantly faster: study – https://theconversation.com/intense-heat-changes-our-biology-and-can-make-us-age-significantly-faster-study-250784

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –