“We hear from families every day who are struggling to provide their loved ones with the care and social engagement they need this winter given the challenges of COVID-19. I’m honored to be able to use my expertise to help people in Waltham and our greater communities.” -Rafael Wainhaus

WALTHAM, Mass. (PRWEB)
February 10, 2022

Benchmark Senior Living at Waltham Crossings, an award-winning assisted living and Mind & Memory Care community in Waltham, Mass., and the Waltham Council on Aging, today announced the two organizations have partnered to offer education and expertise for caregivers and family members of aging parents.

The Caring for Aging Family Members virtual support group is being led by Rafael Wainhaus, LHNA, LCSW, executive director of Waltham Crossings and a social worker specializing in older adults.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to partner with Waltham Crossings to offer a much-needed service,” says Marybeth Duffy, a licensed social worker and director of the Waltham Council on Aging. “Adult caregivers have always had the challenge of balancing all aspects of their lives. During the pandemic, it’s become even more stressful. This type of support group is very much needed at this time. Rafael brings his expertise and kind heart to this program.”

The Caring for Aging Family Members forum will begin on February 13, 2022, at 4 p.m. Attendees will benefit from insight on how to deal with managing COVID-19 stressors and best practices for stress management for caregivers, family members and their loved ones. To RSVP, email rwainhaus@benchmarkquality.com and the Zoom link will be emailed.

Wainhaus has a master’s degree in social work and a bachelor’s in psychology. As a licensed nursing home administrator, he’s worked for and managed several communities in the Boston area, including Chelsea Jewish Lifecare.

Wainhaus assumed leadership of Waltham Crossings nearly a year ago when he returned to Benchmark. Since joining the community, he’s enhanced their award-winning care and experiences with refreshed living spaces.

“We hear from families every day who are struggling to provide their loved ones with the care and social engagement they need this winter given the challenges of COVID-19,” says Wainhaus. “I’m honored to be able to use my expertise to help people in Waltham and our greater communities.”

Benchmark Senior Living at Waltham Crossings is an 89-apartment assisted living community conveniently located off Route 128. Residents enjoy 24/7, personalized care, if needed, and daily experiences that nurture their interests and goals. The community has a wide variety of common spaces residents enjoy together including a wellness center, sunroom, movie theatre and demonstration kitchen. The staff includes plenty of long-term associates, many who have been there for over 20 years.

About Benchmark Senior Living

Benchmark is a leading provider of senior housing in the Northeast, providing independent living, assisted living, memory care, and respite care options in 63 communities and across seven states. The Waltham-based company’s core values of Called to Care, Better Together and Be the Benchmark guide its mission to stay connected to who and what matters most: our residents, their families and our associates.

Benchmark is one of only two companies to be named to The Boston Globe’s Top Place to Work all 14 years that the honor has been given. Throughout its history, Benchmark has continually been recognized as a top workplace. The Great Place to Work Institute certified Benchmark for two straight years, and the company earned a place on FORTUNE’s 50 Best Workplaces in Aging Services list each of the two years that the magazine published the list.

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DETROIT (PRWEB)
February 10, 2022

Women’s Excellence announced that it has teamed up with two Detroit radio stations to provide important women’s health information to listeners.

Through this collaboration, Women’s Excellence will host “The Healthy Truth” segment on 96.3 WDVD every Monday to bring listeners answers to specific women’s health questions. In addition, Women’s Excellence hosts “The Healthy Woman Show” on WJR 760AM radio for the fourth straight year.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with these two entities to provide the women in our community with information regarding their health,” said Dr. Jonathan Zaidan, MD, FACOG, President of Women’s Excellence. “We cover women’s health topics that are listeners want to know about, which could be things that they are too embarrassed to talk about with their doctor or topics that just aren’t talked about enough with women. These endeavors showcase our commitment to providing women with credible health information to improve their quality of life and keep them healthy!”

Tune in to 96.3 WDVD each Monday to listen to the newest segment of “The Healthy Truth” or visit the Women’s Excellence facebook page and watch Dr. Jonathan Zaidan and Lauren Crocker discuss the new weeks topic.

To listen to podcast episodes of “The Healthy Woman Show” visit https://www.womensexcellence.com/podcast/.

For more information about Women’s Excellence or to schedule an appointment, visit http://www.WomensExcellence.com. Appointments can also be made at (248) 693-0543.

About Women’s Excellence

Women’s Excellence is the most comprehensive obstetric and gynecologic office in Michigan. Additionally, they specialize in menopause, weight control, bladder control, endometriosis, robotic surgery, oncology, and midwifery services. Women’s Excellence is committed to staying at the forefront of innovation with cutting edge technologies utilizing robotic surgery and minimally invasive surgical options when possible. The knowledgeable, compassionate physicians and healthcare providers of Women’s Excellence focus on patient-centered processes to deliver the highest quality of care. They are affiliated with most insurances. They offer seamless medical record access via a state-of-the-art patient portal and use the latest technology for record keeping and sharing, making the patient experience easier and more efficient. Women’s Excellence is a proud partner of WDVD 96.3 Detroit and WJR 760AM radio, serving as the team of women’s health experts for both stations. Women’s Excellence is currently accepting new patients and is conveniently located throughout southeastern Michigan in Birmingham, Clarkston, Lake Orion, Lapeer, Royal Oak, and West Bloomfield. For more information, visit http://www.WomensExcellence.com.

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Dr. Julie Russak is an expert injector.

Living in the Zoom era, more than ever, people are paying attention to how all aspects of the face and neck look… Russak Dermatology Clinic is thrilled to offer the most advanced, non-invasive aesthetic treatments to keep skin young and healthy.

NEW YORK (PRWEB)
February 10, 2022

Living in the Zoom era, more than ever, people are paying attention to how all aspects of their face and neck look. Most people want to be tight, toned and youthful yet natural. The focus has shifted solely from just the face, to all areas visible daily such as face, neck, chest, and hands. As it has become more prevalent to keep all visible skin in balance.

What causes skin to wrinkle and sag? As we age, the body produces less collagen, which is critical for providing structure to the skin, as well as the bones, ligaments, muscles and tendons. Elastin, another key component in maintaining youthful, supple skin, also diminishes with time. As there are less of these important building blocks available to provide support for the skin, the appearance wrinkling, thinning, sagging and crepey skin are more noticeable. These changes in combination with fat loss and gravity result in jowls, under eye hollows, prominent folds around the mouth, loss of a sharp jawline and the appearance of a ‘turkey neck’. Luckily, today is time where it is possible to gracefully and naturally address all of these changes without drastically changing the natural face shape and anatomy.

What can be done about it? At Russak Dermatology Clinic, we are thrilled to offer customized treatment plans for each patient based on their individual needs to specifically target each of these concerns. Here’s a glimpse into a few of the incredible nonsurgical treatments our staff can provide with little to no downtime.

1. HYALURONIC ACID FILLER INJECTIONS

Where it’s used: Face, neck

What it is: Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a sugar that naturally occurs in the skin and other parts of the body. It helps keep tissues hydrated due to its ability to bind with up to 1,000 times its volume in water. Precisely injected as a dermal filler, HA immediately plumps skin and smooths lines and wrinkles while improving skin hydration. On the cheek and jawline, it adds definition and mimics bone structure.

Common side effects: Temporary redness, bruising and swelling.

2. RADIESSE FILLER INJECTIONS

Where it’s used: Face, neck

What it is: Radiesse is a hypoallergenic, nontoxic filler made of calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) gel spheres. CaHA is created from phosphate, calcium, hydrogen, oxygen and carbon, all of which occur naturally in your body. CaHA stimulates your own body’s collagen production, while filling in wrinkles, unfolding skin and filling in areas of fat loss on the face. By stimulating collagen production on the neck, it can diminish crepey skin, sagging and wrinkles. The injections take less than 15 minutes. Results can be seen immediately, though it takes a few weeks to a month for the full effects, which is a result of new collagen production. Eventually CaHA absorbs back into the body, but the treatment can last up to two years.

Common side effects: Temporary swelling, tenderness, redness and bruising around the injection site.

3. ULTHERAPY

Where it’s used: Face, neck

What it is: Nicknamed “the non-surgical facelift”, Ultherapy uses ultrasound to lift and tighten skin, commonly under the chin and on the neck. It stimulates collagen production and the supporting structures deep within the skin without damaging the outer layers. There’s virtually no down time. The treatment takes up to 90 minutes during which small amounts of ultrasound are directed at specific problem areas. Some people liken the sensation to snapping rubber bands. The lifting effect is not instantaneous. It takes a few months for collagen to build, tightening and smoothing the jawline and neck.

Common side Effects: Red skin with some swelling and tenderness for a short time.

4. BOTOX/ DYSPORT/ XEOMIN

Where it’s used: Face, Neck

What it is: Commonly known as neuromodulators or muscle relaxants, Botox, Dysport and Xeomin are purified proteins produced by clostridium botulinum bacteria. Yes, that’s the same bacteria that causes deadly botulism, but in the form of Botox, Dysport or Xeomin, it is a safe way to temporarily smooth expression lines caused when facial or neck muscles contract over and over again in the same way. When injected into those muscles, neuromodulators prevent them from continuing the pattern. Nowadays, the dosage is smaller, so the injected areas appear relaxed rather than frozen, and the skin feels normal and smooth. This helps treat forehead lines, eyebrow furrows, crow’s feet, neck bands, and will tighten and lift the jawline and neck. The effect wears off after three to six months.

Common side effects: None.

5. KYBELLA®

Where it’s used: Under the chin, fat pockets on the lower face

What it is: Got a double chin? Kybella®, an injection that breaks down fat, may be the answer. Kybella® contains deoxycholic acid, which the body produces to break down and absorb fat from food. When injected under the chin, it permanently gets rid of fat cells after two to four treatments. A defined jawline is achieved without the need for surgery. The face looks slimmer, younger and more balanced.

Common side effects: Temporary numbness, hardening at the injection site, swelling, redness or bruising of the treated area.

6. THREAD LIFTS

Where it’s used: Face, neck

What it is: While results are not as dramatic or as permanent as a surgical facelift, thread lifts are less invasive, less risky and have minimal recovery time. The doctor inserts dissolvable, medical-grade threads with microscopic barbs into the sagging area, then pulls up and sculpts the skin by tightening the threads. In addition to the instant lift, the body senses the threads, producing more collagen around them, which then supports and improves elasticity of the skin long term. The procedure takes under an hour, but the effect lasts up to 1-2 years. It is often done in conjunction with other anti-aging treatments described in this post.

Common side effects: Temporary redness, bruising, sorenes and swelling.

7. RADIO FREQUENCY AND MICRONEEDLING

Where it’s used: Face, Neck

What it is: Microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure that creates tiny punctures in the skin’s surface. In reaction, the body produces collagen and elastin to heal itself, which tightens the skin and improves skin tone and texture, diminishes fine lines, wrinkles, blemishes and acne scars. When paired with radio-frequency, the procedure builds even more collagen deep in the skin and provides intensive skin tightening and toning results.

Common side effects: Mild swelling, bruising and redness.

Now that warmer months are coming, there’s no better time to look and feel your best! Russak Dermatology Clinic will work with patients to achieve all aesthetic goals, many of which ways can be accomplished naturally. The staff here takes pride in developing relationships with our patients and helping people feel more radiant and confident.

For more information on our customized approach to anti-aging treatments, contact Russak Dermatology Clinic at (646) 873-7546.

Based in Denver, Colorado, The Flourish Lab offers practical, easy-to-use strategies and tools for youth-serving adults grounded in proven social-emotional practices.

“We want to ensure that before ever engaging with young people, every adult has access to expert guidance. Why? So, these educators can understand how best to work with youth, and experience what a remarkable honor that is.”

DENVER (PRWEB)
February 10, 2022

Afterschool or Out-of-School time (OST) programs such as 4-H or Boys & Girls Clubs provide children and teens a safe environment and the social, emotional, cognitive and educational development that in turn helps them to become well-rounded adults.

There are many benefits. According to youth.gov, “attending high-quality afterschool programs and regular participation can lead to improved social and emotional competencies, including prosocial behavior, intrinsic motivation, better concentration efforts, and higher sense of self-worth.“

The positive presence of caring and effective adult educators add to the success of these programs. According to a paper done by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, it found that “even one strong relationship has been shown to help young people avoid developmental disruption and build resilience.” Research by The Search Institute on developmental relationships found that “youth with more strong developmental relationships are more motivated in school, demonstrate more personal responsibility, have higher social-emotional competence, and are less likely to engage in risky behavior.”

Knowing how important their roles are in their interactions with participants, one public benefit corporation is launching a special online workshop experience to equip these OST professionals with the tools, techniques and easy-to-use approaches to strengthen their approach with young people, help them become more inspired with their lessons and fortify their connections with their participants while supporting their emotional and social growth.

Powered by the Denver-based organization StandUP, The Flourish Lab’s mission is to be a high quality resource for OST educators. The mission of StandUP is to use a unique relationship-building approach to work across sectors and age groups to offer impactful community-centered coaching and training.

In the Flourish Lab Program, participants focus on three pivotal areas: Positive Relationships, Inspired Planning and Powerful Presence. Amy Brady, StandUP’s founder as well as the program’s creator, explained the primary goal for the program.

“We want to ensure that before ever engaging with young people, every adult has access to expert guidance,” she said. “Why? So, these educators can understand how best to work with youth, and experience what a remarkable honor that is. We see these facilitators playing a very important role from the moment they are meeting these young people at the door to engaging in positive, meaningful interactions and activities to wrapping up the day.”

In the Relationships module, there is an emphasis on building positive, healthy connections with young people while understanding the importance of building a sense of belonging and restoring belonging if it becomes broken.

The Presence module focuses on choosing to show up with a heightened level of awareness. Here, participants learn mindful strategies to show up positively, how their presence impacts relationships with young people and what the ripple effect is of adult attitudes and behaviors.

The Planning module helps adults get control of their lessons, time, space and materials and gives them opportunities to focus on children in the moment. This module highlights unique lesson-planning strategies and practical time and materials management techniques that keep young people engaged.

Lana Hailemariam, partner with The Flourish Lab, explained how this program can be a valuable resource to organizations that are struggling with training OST professionals and job retention.

“We want to be accessible to the communities who need or want our program,” she said. “Afterschool programs provide community connection where OST educators are engaging in meaningful ways with young people and their families. We want OST programs to succeed and the way to do that is equipping the adult educators with the tools and techniques they need to give young people those social, emotional and reasoning skills to become confident adults.”

For further information about The Flourish Lab’s mission, please click on this link for a press kit.

Additionally, more information is on The Flourish Lab’s website.

About The Flourish Lab

The Flourish Lab offers practical, easy-to-use strategies and tools for youth-serving adults grounded in proven social-emotional practices.

In a series of guided experiences, adults turn the focus on themselves first, in order to show up as their best for the children they serve. This experiential workshop series offers accessible tools and strategies for self-discovery – you’ll be putting them into play right away.

The Flourish Lab incorporates three pivotal areas of focus: Relationships, Planning, Presence – which we believe when mastered, can generate remarkable results.

For more information, visit http://www.theflourishlab.org. ###

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The elaborate and circuitous pulmonary complex of the sauropod, with the hypothetical route of infectious pathway in MOR 7029. Source: Woodruff et al. (2022) and Francisco Bruñén Alfaro.

“This fossil infection in ‘Dolly’ not only helps us trace the evolutionary history of respiratory-related diseases back in time, but gives us a better understanding of what kinds of diseases dinosaurs were susceptible to.” – Cary Woodruff, PhD, of the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum in Malta.

POMONA, Calif. (PRWEB)
February 10, 2022

The fossilized remains of an immature diplodocid – a large, long- necked herbivorous sauropod dinosaur, like “Brontosaurus” – may provide the first evidence of a unique respiratory infection in a dinosaur, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. The findings increase our understanding of the illnesses that affected dinosaurs.

The specimen, nicknamed “Dolly,” was discovered in southwest Montana, USA, and dates back to the Late Jurassic Period of the Mesozoic Era (approximately 150 million years ago). Cary Woodruff, PhD, of the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum in Malta, Western University of Health Sciences Associate Professor Mathew Wedel, PhD, and their colleagues examined three of the cervical vertebrae (the bones from the neck) from “Dolly” and identified never before seen abnormal bony protrusions that had an unusual shape and texture. These protrusions were located in an area of each bone where they would have been penetrated by air-filled sacs. These air sacs would have ultimately connected to “Dolly’s” lungs and formed part of the dinosaur’s complex respiratory system. CT imaging of the irregular protrusions revealed that they were made of abnormal bone that most likely formed in response to an infection.

“Given the likely symptoms this animal suffered from,” Woodruff said, “holding these infected bones in your hands, you can’t help but feel sorry for ‘Dolly.’ We’ve all experienced these same symptoms – coughing, trouble breathing, a fever, etc. – and here’s a 150-million-year-old dinosaur that likely felt as miserable as we all do when we’re sick.”

Based on the location of these abnormal bony protrusions, the researchers suggest that they formed in response to a respiratory infection in “Dolly,” which ultimately spread into these neck vertebrae via the air sacs and caused the irregular bone growths. The authors speculate that this respiratory infection could have been caused by a fungal infection similar to aspergillosis, a common respiratory illness that affects birds and reptiles today and can lead to bone infections. In addition to documenting the first occurrence of such a respiratory infection in a dinosaur, this fossilized infection also has important anatomical implications for the respiratory system of sauropod dinosaurs.

“This fossil infection in ‘Dolly’ not only helps us trace the evolutionary history of respiratory-related diseases back in time,” Woodruff said, “but gives us a better understanding of what kinds of diseases dinosaurs were susceptible to.”

The researchers suggest that if “Dolly” had been infected with an aspergillosis-like respiratory infection, it likely experienced flu or pneumonia-like symptoms such as weight loss, coughing, fever, and breathing difficulties. As aspergillosis can be fatal in birds if untreated, a potentially similar infection in “Dolly” could have ultimately caused the death of the animal, they add.

“This tells us more about respiratory diseases themselves. The kinds of respiratory diseases that we get, and that birds get today, have been around a long time,” Wedel said. “We are seeing this disease process in air-filled bones that are a long way up the neck from the lungs. So that confirms something we suspected, that the air spaces that connected the skeleton to the respiratory system in dinosaurs were similar to what we see in living birds. An animal the size of a school bus from the Jurassic Period, and a chicken from someone’s backyard – under the hood, they look basically identical, and were subject to the same diseases.”

In addition to Woodruff, the research team included a paleopathologist/veterinarian—Ewan Wolff, PhD, DVM, DACVIM (University of New Mexico), a veterinarian—Sophie Dennison, BVM&S, MRCVS, DACVR, RCVS (TeleVet Imaging Solutions, Oakton, VA), and two paleontologists who are also medical anatomists— Dr. Wedel (who is an associate professor in WesternU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific and College of Podiatric Medicine, Pomona, CA), and Lawrence Witmer, PhD (Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, OH).

“This is a great example of interdisciplinary science – respiratory disease in a 150-million-year-old dinosaur. You need more than one person’s expertise to figure all that out,” Wedel said. “It was a really great collaboration, and we’re already thinking about what projects we can do next.”

The final article, this news release, and related images can be downloaded from the following Dropbox link: https://bit.ly/3IWPCTG

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LAKE ORION, Mich. (PRWEB)
February 10, 2022

Women’s Excellence is pleased to announce that the Women’s Radiology Center has successfully met certification standards from top insurance payors through DiagnosticSite.

DiagnosticSite is an imaging network that promotes quality and patient safety through facility ranking. This evaluation sets high standards for policies, procedures, equipment, and personnel of medical imaging facilities. This certification reflects our dedication to patient care, safety, and efficiency with imaging services.

The Women’s Radiology Center in Lake Orion offers convenient mammography services, bone density scans, and ultrasound services for pregnancy and gynecologic care. Along with this newest certification from DiagnosticSite, the Women’s Radiology Center is also ACR (American College of Radiology) and AIUM (American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine) accredited as a result of providing efficient, high-quality imaging services to women in southeastern Michigan.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit http://www.WomensExcellence.com. Appointments can also be made at (248) 693-0543.

About Women’s Excellence

Women’s Excellence is the most comprehensive obstetric and gynecologic office in Michigan. Additionally, they specialize in menopause, weight control, bladder control, endometriosis, robotic surgery, oncology, and midwifery services. Women’s Excellence is committed to staying at the forefront of innovation with cutting edge technologies utilizing robotic surgery and minimally invasive surgical options when possible. The knowledgeable, compassionate physicians and healthcare providers of Women’s Excellence focus on patient-centered processes to deliver the highest quality of care. They are affiliated with most insurances. They offer seamless medical record access via a state-of-the-art patient portal and use the latest technology for record keeping and sharing, making the patient experience easier and more efficient. Women’s Excellence is a proud partner of WDVD 96.3 Detroit and WJR 760AM radio, serving as the team of women’s health experts for both stations. Women’s Excellence is currently accepting new patients and is conveniently located throughout southeastern Michigan in Birmingham, Clarkston, Lake Orion, Lapeer, Royal Oak, and West Bloomfield. For more information, visit http://www.WomensExcellence.com.

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Not a Number is an interactive child trafficking and exploitation prevention curriculum developed for youth ages 12-18, and is inclusive of all genders and diverse backgrounds.

“As a field that is now more than 20 years old, we believe that we owe it to the children we serve to ensure that our programs are having the intended impact. Preventing the trafficking of children cannot be achieved by one organization alone or our best intentions.” – Aria Flood

HOUSTON (PRWEB)
February 10, 2022

Child trafficking has gained increased attention over the last several years, with growing community consensus that resources must be allocated towards targeted and effective solutions. To end child trafficking, we must prevent it from occurring in the first place. While many prevention education curricula have been developed, to date, no child trafficking prevention curriculum has undergone a rigorous external outcome evaluation to show evidence-based impact – but that is about to change. After years of curriculum development and implementation, Love146’s Not a Number prevention education curriculum will be evaluated by Lisa Jones, Ph.D. and her team at the University of New Hampshire’s Crimes Against Children Research Center.

Child trafficking impacts children across the United States, in every type of community. Based on research, as well as Love146’s own work with survivors of child trafficking, the Not a Number curriculum was launched by Love146 in 2015, and is currently being used in 22 states. Not a Number is an interactive child trafficking prevention curriculum designed to provide information, build skills, and help youth use healthy support systems to decrease their vulnerabilities.

The evaluation of the Not a Number program will take place through partnership with Houston area public schools. This milestone is also made possible with the forward-thinking and strategic investment of Love146’s funders, including the Salah Foundation, a private foundation that operates by invitation only. Evaluations such as this are difficult, resource intensive, and require significant collaboration between nonprofits, academic institutions, school districts, and funders.

Aria Flood, Director of U.S. Prevention at Love146 shared, “It is our hope that this evaluation will not only demonstrate the efficacy of Not a Number but also inspire others in the anti-trafficking movement and beyond to undergo similar rigorous evaluations. As a field that is now more than 20 years old, we believe that we owe it to the children we serve to ensure that our programs are having the intended impact. Preventing the trafficking of children cannot be achieved by one organization alone or our best intentions; we must come together to ensure that our solutions are effective.”

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