June 24, 2021  – Mass General Brigham today announced that it will require its 80,000 employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants approval of one of the three vaccines. More than 85 percent of Mass General Brigham employees have already been vaccinated—one of the highest rates nationwide among health care systems.
 
“Over the past 16 months we have come together as a system to care for our patients and each other as never before and the efforts of our employees have been extraordinary and inspiring,” said Anne Klibanski, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mass General Brigham. “The evidence of COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness is overwhelming. Getting vaccinated is the single most important and responsible step each of us can take to put an end to this devastating pandemic and protect patients, families, and each other.” 
 
As the largest academic health system and private employer in Massachusetts, Mass General Brigham has administered more than 450,000 vaccine doses to patients and employees, helping to make Massachusetts among the top-vaccinated areas in the country. Clinical data and trends clearly demonstrate that the vaccines have proven central to reducing the spread of the virus, hospitalizations and deaths across the Commonwealth. 
 
Mass General Brigham joins many other leading health care systems in the United States in making COVID-19 vaccination a requirement, ensuring that patients are being cared for in the safest clinical environment possible. The decision is consistent with Mass General Brigham’s approach to the flu vaccine, which became a requirement in 2018. As with other vaccines, employees will be able to request exemption for medical and religious reasons and employees who are pregnant or who intend to become pregnant may also request an exemption. A deadline for vaccination will be determined after FDA approval. 
 
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Mass General Brigham has treated nearly 19,000 COVID-19 positive inpatients and administered more than 1.1 million COVID-19 tests. At the same time, Mass General Brigham researchers have worked around the clock to develop and assess new approaches to test for, treat, and prevent COVID-19.
 
About Mass General Brigham
Mass General Brigham is an integrated academic healthcare system, uniting great minds in medicine to make life-changing impact for patients in our communities and people around the world. Mass General Brigham connects a full continuum of care across a system of academic medical centers, community and specialty hospitals, a health insurance plan, physician networks, community health centers, home care, and long-term care services. Mass General Brigham is a non-profit organization that is committed to patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community. In addition, Mass General Brigham is one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations and a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. For more information, please visit massgeneralbrigham.org.
 


June 24, 2021 – The Dr. M. Lee Pearce Foundation, Inc., established in 1984, has announced a donation to the University of Miami’s School of Medicine in support of its research on aging and cognitive function. The funding of the research study “Epigenetic Clock as a ‘Fountain of Youth’: Is the Epigenetic Age more Important for Cognitive Function than Chronological Age?” is part of the foundation’s mission to fund breakthrough research with an emphasis on aging. 
 
Dementia is the leading cause of disability and dependency among the elderly. The UM study will further assess how the epigenetic clock, or biological age, can be affected by behaviors such as diet, exercise, and environment.  Could this become a better marker of cognitive function than chronological age alone? If biological age is indeed a better predictor for cognitive decline, this will aid in identifying individuals at high risk for dementia for early intervention.  The study will leverage past genetic and clinical research obtained from multiethnic populations.
 
Research into the causes of dementia and Alzheimer’s has increased as the population ages and as concerns are raised that they will become a major public health burden.    
 
“We are committed to supporting this critical research which affects a growing number of the population worldwide,” said Charles W. Douglas, chairman and president of The Dr. M. Lee Pearce Foundation, Inc.  “One of Dr. Pearce’s passions was research on aging. We see the potential for clarity on how to start the modification of age-related epigenetic changes that will benefit future generations.”  
 
Additional foundation grants were awarded to the Mayo Clinic – Macular Degeneration Clinical Study, and Harvard Medical School.  
 
In addition, because of Dr. Pearce’s passion for classical music, the foundation has also provided funding to numerous classical music programs including the New World Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Metropolitan Opera.
 
 
About The Dr. M. Lee Pearce Foundation, Inc.
The Dr. M. Lee Pearce Foundation, Inc. was established in 1984 by physician, entrepreneur, and business executive, M. Lee Pearce.  The foundation is dedicated to the support of classical music and to improving medical care with an emphasis on aging.  
 


On Saturday June 19 2021, Broward Health Imperial Point joined partner iHeartRadio and thousands of people to recognize love and diversity during the Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival in Wilton Manors. The Fort Lauderdale hospital’s caregivers educated festival attendees on recommended health screenings, stroke care and an HIV prevention medication.
 
“We were proud to be a sponsor of the Stonewall Parade and Street Festival to not only celebrate with our community but to educate the public on how to maintain their health,” said Randy Gross, CEO of Broward Health Imperial Point. “It’s been a challenging year with the pandemic, and we want the community to know that we are here for their preventive and acute care, which includes using the emergency department if needed and resuming annual physicals and screenings that we have all put off.”
 
Broward Health Imperial Point is a 204-bed hospital in Fort Lauderdale dedicated to providing advanced and high-quality care to the community. With a focus on personalized care and attention, the hospital offers many specialties such as bariatric services, cardiac care including interventional cardiology and heart failure care, primary stroke care, senior care, total joint procedures, urology care, wound care and hyperbaric medicine, as well as minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery.
For images captured at the festival, click here.
 
 
 
 
ABOUT BROWARD HEALTH
Broward Health, providing service for more than 80 years, is a nationally recognized system in South Florida that offers world-class healthcare to all. The Broward Health system includes the statutory teaching hospital Broward Health Medical Center, Broward Health North, Broward Health Imperial Point, Broward Health Coral Springs, Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital, Broward Health Weston, Broward Health Community Health Services, Broward Health Physician Group, Broward Health Urgent Care, Broward Health International, and Broward Health Foundation. For more information, visit BrowardHealth.org.


The addition of meQuilibrium enhances Florida Blue’s suite of mental well-being resources
 
June 23, 2021 – Florida Blue, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plan of Florida, announced that it is now offering 1.2 million of its health plan members access to meQuilibrium, a personalized stress-management solution, to strengthen their resilience and support their mental well-being journey. Florida Blue began offering the tool to employees in 2018. Recently, its availability was expanded to include all Florida Blue members who have an Affordable Care Act (ACA)-compliant individual or small group health plan.
 
meQuilibrium’s personalized approach leverages cognitive behavioral therapy to help people manage stress and optimize emotional well-being. The digital solution can be accessed on a computer or through a mobile device, allowing users to access the platform anytime, anywhere.
 
“We recognize that everyone has experienced unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Nick Dewan, vice president of behavioral health for Florida Blue. “As part of our holistic approach to care, we are committed to providing science-based resources and digital capabilities to help our members and our employees manage both their physical health and mental well-being.”
 
While behavioral health integration is designed to improve health outcomes, it can also reduce health care costs — a top priority for both consumers and employers. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, combining medical and behavioral health care services, could save $37.6 billion to $67.8 billion a year. 
 
Members in ACA-compliant individual and small group plans can sign up for the program through Better You Strides, Florida Blue’s online health and wellness program, which is accessible through the Florida Blue member website. Once members sign up, they can take an assessment to learn about their unique thinking styles, stress triggers and their individual stress personality, and then discover techniques to help manage their responses to stressful thoughts and situations. 
 
“People can’t always change what’s happening in their lives but they can take control of their response – and that’s what meQuilibrium helps people do,” said Jan Bruce, CEO of meQuilibrium. “We’re excited to partner with Florida Blue to help their employees and members manage stress, build resilience and improve their overall mental well-being and quality of life.”
 
Since Florida Blue rolled out meQuilibrium to employees three years ago, usage has increased 25fold. Among those who are enrolled, 61% are engaged and using the tool 10 times per month. These employees have also had significant improvement in their resilience scores. It is one of many resources Florida Blue provides to employees to support them on their journey to optimal well-being. 
 
Florida Blue plans to offer all fully-insured commercial members access to meQuilibrium by the end of the year.
 
 
 
About Florida Blue
Florida Blue, Florida’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield company, has been providing health insurance to residents of Florida for more than 75 years. Driven by its mission of helping people and communities achieve better health, the company serves more than 5 million health care members across the state. In total, Florida Blue and its affiliated companies serve more than 28 million people in 45 states. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., it is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
 
About meQuilibrium
meQuilibrium is the #1 digital solution for building employee resilience at scale, used by hundreds of thousands of people globally and helping businesses innovate and navigate uncertain times. meQuilibrium harnesses the science of resilience, AI, predictive analytics, biometrics and neuroscience to help businesses build workforce wellbeing and potential. meQuilibrium continues to grow at a rapid pace, with revenue increasing at a three-year compound annual growth rate of 50%. meQuilibrium has been recognized for its growth by the Inc. 5000 list two years in a row and has been honored with numerous other awards including The Financial Times and Statista Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies 2021, a 2020 HR Tech Innovation Award and Deloitte’s 2020 and 2019 Technology Fast 500 Award. Learn more at https://www.meQuilibrium.com.
 


June 23, 2021 – This Saturday, as part of its virtual “Discover ALZ” program series, the Alzheimer’s Association will bring together professionals from across the state of Florida to focus on brain health in the Black community. 
 
Sponsored by AARP “Bridging the Brain Health Equity Gap” will explore health equity, the importance of brain health and community resources. 
 
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, older Black Americans are not only twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as their White counterparts, but they are also less likely to receive a diagnosis. Further, when they do get diagnosed, it is typically in the later stages of the disease, when their medical needs are greater.
 
“Although the rate of Alzheimer’s and other dementias in African Americans is much higher than in Whites, they are less likely to have a diagnosis of the condition,” said Yarissa Reyes, special guest speaker and director of diversity, equity and inclusion engagement for the Alzheimer’s Association. “Delays in diagnosis mean that African Americans are not getting treatments when they are most likely to be effective at improving quality of life, as well as taking critical steps to educate themselves on Alzheimer’s and establish support networks. As we continue to advocate for more research, programs, services and funding, we want to be sure that everyone we serve has access to all the information they need to feel empowered and confident in facing the many challenges that this disease presents.”
 
Another topic of discussion will be ways to reduce risk of Alzheimer’s – a subject that will be addressed by Tequesta Alston, Alzheimer’s community educator and community liaison for Brain Matters Research. 
 
“Since African Americans have a higher incidence of cardiovascular risk factors, they may gain greater benefit from interventions that promote cardiovascular health, such as diet, exercise, and medications to treat high blood pressure or diabetes,” Alston said. “It is never too early to start taking care of your brain because even our lifestyle choices in midlife can change our risk trajectory.”
 
Other featured panelists will include Rev. Patricia Smith Wallace, presiding elder of the St. Petersburg District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and Rebecca Jacques, president of the Haitian American Nurses Association of Palm Beach.
 
The free program will begin at 10:30 a.m. EDT on June 26. To register, visit https://bit.ly/BrainHealthEquity or call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at (800) 272-3900.