What began with a book about helping young professionals navigate the ‘corporate jungle’ has evolved into a community coming together to support one another and create positive change for our environment and those affected by the autoimmune disease Lupus.

Drawing on 30 years of experience carving out his path in the corporate jungle, author Chuck Saia wrote YOU GOT THIS, KID! Words of Advice for Young leaders to share his experiences and learnings with young professionals looking to develop the skills needed to build self-confidence, navigate uncertainty and achieve their greatest goals.

Chuck’s passion for mentoring young professionals shines through in his speaking engagements, but it’s his compassion for family, friends, colleagues and every person he connects with that has inspired our foundation’s board to mobilize our mission of inspiring action to reduce toxins in our environment that have a particularly adverse effect on those with autoimmune diseases.

The Saia family has closely witnessed the trials and tribulations the autoimmune disease Lupus can place on a family. Chuck, Allison and their two sons, Ethan and Matthew, have supported Allison’s sister Amy Szoke and her family, through two lupus induced strokes, daily joint pain and fatigue as well as a recent diagnosis of Lupus Nephritis.

The Saia and Szoke families are just two of the thousands of families and millions of people impacted by Lupus in the United States alone. There’s not a cure nor even a trivial understanding of the root cause.

The latest research studies, however, are discovering more about how our environment plays a role in our health. Environmental toxins’ effect on Lupus activity is part of the 2021 Pre-Matriculation program at Quinnipiac University where Professor and YGTK Board member Courtney McGinnis. will be teaching pre-med students about the connectivity. The students will also hear from other board members Amy Szoke and Karin Wagner in a fireside chat discussing the patient provider relationship and their personal journeys with Lupus.

Our foundation’s influence has only just begun, and we welcome you to join us in our journey to drive positive change for young professionals, those affected by Lupus and all of our local communities to make for a brighter tomorrow.

“What started with a book became a community of people coming together to build this foundation and mobilize our mission.”

-Chuck Saia

#yougotthiskid #chucksaia #alexiapapavasilakis #michaeljuergens #henryristuccia #karinwagner #joediskin #michellekhan #olamidegbotosho #monicalalani #courtneymcginnis #alexiapapavasilakis #allisonsaia #amyszoke #ingriddillon #davewagner

The post You Got This Kid!! appeared first on Good News!.

Clinical Pharmacist talks about ways seniors with cognitive disabilities can avoid medication errors

Seniors who take multiple medications are seven times more likely to require hospitalization because of an adverse drug event, say experts at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the ASHP Research and Education Foundation. During National Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 3-19), the pharmacist groups want the public to know that pharmacists are crucial resources for managing medications correctly and avoiding problems, and they are sharing important tips that can help family caregivers protect their elderly loved ones from dangerous medication errors.

The risk of a medication error increases when cognitive disabilities, such as dementia, are involved. The Alzheimer’s Foundation estimates that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease and that about a half million Americans younger than age 65 have some form of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, more than 65 million people (29 percent of the U.S. population) provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend during any given year. Fifteen million Americans provide unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

“These patients are at greater risk for having medication safety problems at home after hospital discharge,” says Dr. Allison Paquin, a clinical pharmacist at VA Boston Healthcare System in Massachusetts, who works regularly with older patients with cognitive difficulties. “They often have more complex medication regimens and a decreased ability to follow those regimens. It is important for caregivers to know how to help them use their medicines safely.”

Dr. Paquin and a multidisciplinary team at VA Boston Healthcare System were responsible for an initiative that helped seniors with cognitive disabilities manage their medications, greatly reducing the rate of hospital readmissions and emergency department visits. This initiative, The PILL Service, earned the VA Boston Healthcare System the ASHP Foundation’s 2012 Award for Excellence in Medication-Use Safety. The award is sponsored by a grant from the Cardinal Health Foundation.

This interview is sponsored by the ASHP Foundation and ASHP.

The post Allison Paquin, Pharm D. appeared first on Good News!.