Longtime couple Mert LaBounty and Tammy Yonkers never met an obstacle as large as the pandemic-related U.S.-Canada border closure. Since March 20 of last year, the couple have had to rely on technology to communicate. This reached a breaking point for LaBounty, which he recounted. “I got into this wicked depression where all I couldContinue reading “U.S.-Canada Border Separates Couple During Pandemic”
Tag Archives: covid
Hudson Valley Parents Debate Masks in Schools
As the Delta variant rages on, so does the debate over students wearing masks in schools come fall. Children across the country, especially those ineligible for the vaccine, are ending up in the intensive care unit for COVID-19. This is a concern for Tameka Arroy-Santiago, a Hopewell Junction parent of two school-aged children under theContinue reading “Hudson Valley Parents Debate Masks in Schools”
Connecticut Native Seeks to Brighten Up Community
New Haven, Connecticut brought longtime medical professional Doreen Abubakar positive memories as a child. Today, Abubakar makes the revitalization of one of its deprived neighborhoods her life’s work. The Newhallville area was a thriving working-class community before the 1980s. Like many working class areas across the country, an economic downturn left the area in direContinue reading “Connecticut Native Seeks to Brighten Up Community”
New Jersey Teen Inspires Mental Health Movement
When Jersey City teenager Hunter Reinholt died tragically at 15 after an accidental overdose in 2019, his mom Tracy decided to take action. She gathered his group of friends to figure out how to honor his legacy. “Everyone was focused on how he lived,” she said. “We decided to start something that focused on that,Continue reading “New Jersey Teen Inspires Mental Health Movement”
COVID Survivors for Change Founder Shares Story
Lawyer and gun control advocate Chris Kocher pivoted when the pandemic hit New York City the hardest last spring. After seeing friends survive COVID-19 or lose loved ones, Kocher knew there was a need to address the emotional trauma. “I wanted to see if there was something I could do to support families most impacted,”Continue reading “COVID Survivors for Change Founder Shares Story”
Orange County Farmers’ Markets Add to Communities
While the rest of the county shut down, farmers’ markets were alive and well last year in Orange County, New York. As an essential business during the COVID-19 pandemic, farmer’s markets across the country boomed last year with new foot traffic. The large number of farmers’ markets in Orange County were no exception. Kristy Apostolides,Continue reading “Orange County Farmers’ Markets Add to Communities”
On the Frontlines: New York City Nurse Liza Billings
By: Mallika Rao Last year gave nurse Liza Billings a new perspective on life. While working at the emergency room in Manhattan’s Lenox Health Greenwich Village hospital, she lost her brother Leo to the COVID-19 virus. On top of that, Billings, 42, braced the early months of the pandemic at an overwhelmed hospital. Pre-pandemic, sheContinue reading “On the Frontlines: New York City Nurse Liza Billings”
Spotlight On: Hudson Valley’s Dr. Denise Morett
As people begin to embrace a post COVID normal, Hudson Valley psychologist Dr. Denise Morett gives her take on having a balanced mind. Dr. Morett practices bioenergetic medicine, which emphasizes how one’s mental state impacts energy. “Everything is energy and affects energy,” she said via email. “Not just having ‘energy’ to take actions, but whereContinue reading “Spotlight On: Hudson Valley’s Dr. Denise Morett”
On the Frontlines: Nuvance Health’s Dr. Paul Wright
By: Mallika Rao While the COVID-19 virus began to ravage Nuvance Health’s New York and Connecticut facilities, another mysterious medical issue arrived not too long after. As the senior vice president and system head of the Neuroscience Institute, Dr. Paul Wright quickly noticed how patients fully recovered from COVID-19 reported other physical and mental healthContinue reading “On the Frontlines: Nuvance Health’s Dr. Paul Wright”
NYU Bioethics Expert Discusses Vaccine Hesitancy
Vaccine hesitancy remains an issue among conservatives across the United States, according to the latest Morning Consult poll. With 45.1 percent of the country fully vaccinated against COVID-19, rates for some conservative-leaning states are lower than the national average. This comes as the Delta variant poses an ominous threat of case increases, especially in vulnerableContinue reading “NYU Bioethics Expert Discusses Vaccine Hesitancy”