Chicago Pride Fest 2025 taking over Northalsted this weekend amid heat wave
The festival runs from June 21 to June 22, on Halsted Street between Addison and Grace streets. The event is free to attend, but a $20 donation is suggested to support festival organizers, equipment, and performers.
Performances will be on three stages throughout the weekend.
On Saturday, catch Jesse McCartney on the North Stage at 2 p.m., followed by the Pride Fest Drag Show. Deborah Cox will headline on the North Stage on Sunday at 2 p.m., followed by a performance by Aluna at 7:15 p.m.
Confidence Man, Hayla, Chrissy Chlapecka, and The Aces are also among the performers on this year's lineup.
A full Chicago Pride Fest lineup can be found here.
Pride Fest will dedicate a Teen Pride Space near the Waveland + Broadway entrance for LGBTQ+ teens and allies ages 12-18.
Dangerous heat this weekend in Chicago
Festival goers will want to prepare for the extreme heat this weekend.
Highs will be in the mid-90s on Saturday, with a heat index over 100 degrees. By Sunday, highs are expected to reach near 97 degrees with sunny skies.
It is easy to become overheated and dehydrated in high temperatures, so it is essential to make sure you are drinking enough water. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke will be the main risks.
Heat exhaustion develops after several days of exposure to heat and inadequate or unbalanced fluid replacement. Heatstroke is a serious illness that happens when the body begins to lose its ability to regulate its own temperature and functions.
Heat exhaustion symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, irritability, thirst, heavy sweating, high body temperature and decreased urine output.
If you or someone you know is experiencing heat exhaustion move into a cool indoor space or shade immediately, give them liquids to drink, remove unnecessary clothing including shoes and socks, used cold water or a cold compress to cool the person down on their head, face and neck, and frequently sip cold water.
The CDC also encourages calling 911 or taking the person to an urgent care clinic or the emergency room for treatment.
contributed to this report.
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Forbes
16 hours ago
- Forbes
Yes, You Should Brush Your Teeth For 2 Minutes, Twice A Day. Here's Why.
Maintaining good oral hygiene practices is key to keeping your teeth and gums healthy—and spending two minutes brushing twice a day is a crucial part of any routine. This may seem like a simple mandate, but there are several factors to keep in mind when you're brushing for optimal results: Technique, toothpaste, pacing and more will make a difference. The ultimate goal of brushing your teeth is to remove bacteria, which can otherwise build up to cause decay and disease. '[For] oral disease, whether that's cavities or whether that's gum disease, reducing the amount of bacterial load in the mouth is a critical piece of that prevention measure,' says Jennifer Cullen, clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. We spoke to three dental experts to learn the best tips and tricks for keeping your teeth sparkling ... More clean. Illustration: Forbes / Photos: Retailers To help you make the most of your two-minute toothbrushing sessions—and learn why we should brush at this cadence in the first place—I spoke to three dental experts to get their advice: Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhD, Morton Amsterdam dean and professor of the division of restorative dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania; Jennifer Cullen, clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, and director of the division of dental hygiene; and Matthew Messina, DDS, associate professor, clinical and clinic director at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry, and ADA spokesperson. These experts shared their insights on how to brush most effectively, and why brushing teeth is important, to help you stay motivated. Here are the tips and techniques they recommend. Multiple clinical studies show that brushing for two minutes is key to removing plaque so you can keep your teeth and gums healthy. 'There's clinical studies that have shown two minutes of brushing to be highly effective in reducing [tooth] decay,' says Dr. Wolff. A key reason for the two-minute mandate is so you can actually reach the surface of every tooth in the mouth with your brush, and tackle all of the plaque on your teeth. Cullen explained that there are multiple layers of plaque on teeth, and that the longer you brush, the better you can get to the bottom-most, stickiest layers. The experts I spoke with maintained that thoroughly brushing the surface of every tooth takes time: You want to make sure you get the cheek and tongue surface and the back and front of each one. Wolff advises softly placing the bristles right at the gumline to start brushing. How can you ensure you're getting each tooth? 'Brush methodically, not randomly,' says Wolff. Approaching each quadrant of the mouth in 30-second intervals can help you hit all the areas of your mouth, too. Some of the best electric toothbrushes we've tested, like the Oral-B iO Deep Clean + Protect, our pick for the best smart electric toothbrush, and the Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige, our pick for best splurge electric toothbrush, not only buzz at 30-second intervals to move you along but also have apps that track your brushing to show you any spots you're missing. Let Fluoride Do Its Job The other crucial reason to brush for two minutes twice a day is to let the fluoride in toothpaste take effect to help prevent tooth decay. Cullen notes that hygienists and dentists recommend that people use some sort of fluoridated toothpaste, and that 'there is evidence for the benefits of that increased duration with respect to fluoride delivery.' The experts I spoke to said that fluoride is key to protecting tooth enamel, and that longer exposure to fluoride makes it harder for bacteria to build back up on the tooth. 'It's actually making the enamel less soluble to acids,' says Wolff. Many of the best electric toothbrushes have timers to track your brushing. Some, like the Oral-B iO Deep Clean + Protect, display time clearly on the brush's LED interface and offer cartoon faces (ranging from a frown to starry-eyed smile) to indicate where you stand with your time goal. This brush also works with an app to help you track time, and uses a buzzer in 30-second increments to cue you to move around your mouth. Other brushes use an automatic shutoff feature, or similar buzzing notifications, to let you know when you've reached your full two minutes. Timers And Apps There are multiple ways to time your brushing. Cullen suggests a sand timer for kids or patients with special needs. Dr. Messina recommends using a timer on your phone. He also notes there are apps that are especially helpful for kids to guide them to brush around their mouth over the course of two minutes. Break It Up By Quadrant To break up the two minutes, you can also count for 30 seconds while brushing each quadrant of your mouth, if you don't have an electric toothbrush that does this automatically. This can help keep track of time while making sure you're getting to every tooth. Sing A Song Both Cullen and Messina suggest one way to track your time is to either sing or play a favorite song that lasts around two minutes. This can help gamify your brushing—and make it more enjoyable, a technique that can be especially helpful for kids. Be Gentle Though it's important to be thorough while brushing, experts advise against brushing too hard. 'You don't want to wear the teeth away by scrubbing like this is a floor,' says Wolff. Brushing too hard can actually damage your teeth and gums. To avoid that, opt for a brush with soft bristles. Many electric toothbrushes also have pressure sensors to indicate if you're brushing too aggressively, or if you're hitting the sweet spot. In our electric toothbrush tests, we preferred the easy-to-see sensor on the Oral-B iO Deep Clean + Protect, which uses a light around the neck of the toothbrush to flash green, white or red to indicate pressure. Other brushes can have pressure sensors that will buzz or light up to tell you to ease up. Don't Forget To Floss Brushing is just one key component of a great oral hygiene routine; it can't act alone. Flossing is crucial to reach every surface of the tooth to remove food and debris. 'Brushing itself only reaches 60% of your tooth surfaces,' says Cullen. 'Everywhere a tooth touches another tooth, that toothbrush can't get to.' She recommends floss or an adaptive aid to help get into those hard-to-reach spaces. We've also tested the best water flossers at Forbes Vetted, and these devices can help reach in between teeth to clear debris. The Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser won as best water flosser overall in our tests. Water flossers may be especially useful for people with orthodontia or those who have difficulty using traditional dental floss. Consider The Swish, And The Social Brush All the experts I spoke to recommended brushing at least twice a day—but what if you want, or need, to brush more frequently? In general, that's fine, and some people may need to brush more frequently due to medical conditions or orthodontia. Wolff advises being mindful of not brushing too hard, however. 'There's nothing wrong with too much or too frequent brushing, as long as you do it gently and you don't wear away the gums [or] damage the tooth with a hard toothbrush,' he says. He also warned of compensating with frequency versus technique. 'Doing it three times a day badly does not make you less likely to get cavities or less likely to have gum disease,' he says. If you don't have access to a sink or brush after every meal, there are still easy things you can do to help keep your mouth cleaner. 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Sometimes electric toothbrushes can help people brush more effectively, but other assistive devices, like a universal cuff, can also help with holding a toothbrush independently. Cullen also said that caregivers may need to give patients breaks or adjust the location for brushing. 'If you're a caregiver, maybe you're doing it at the kitchen table,' she says. 'Maybe you're able to brush for 60 seconds and that person needs a break.' Check in with your hygienist, dentist and care team for the most relevant advice for your needs. Some Brushing Is Better Than None Building new habits like brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day takes time, and starting a new routine can be intimidating. Messina notes that some patients can feel overwhelmed by the guilt of not brushing enough, and encourages people to do the best they can. Brushing isn't all or nothing; even if you can't reach the full two minutes, Messina says it's still helpful to brush in the first place, no matter how long the duration. 'I know if you start small, that you'll realize how much better it feels and then you'll do more and more,' he says. And remember, brushing is key to overall health. 'It seems like such a small thing to brush your teeth twice a day, but I think people should be encouraged that they're really making a big impact on their overall health when they do that small thing,' says Cullen.
Forbes
16 hours ago
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Change control, release management and a deep understanding of current operations, especially when replacing legacy systems, are essential before customizing. Building depth late risks delays and failure! - Trisha Swift, Mula Integrative Health & Wellness 8. Maintaining HIPAA Compliance With Digital Content One challenge healthcare startups face when scaling tech is managing digital content while staying HIPAA-compliant. Hospitals need more than stock photos and shared drives—they expect secure, role-based access to branded visuals that convey authenticity and protect patient privacy. Without a digital asset management strategy, startups risk falling short on compliance, credibility and growth. - Andrew Fingerman, PhotoShelter 9. Ensuring Consistent Performance And Compliance Across Disparate Systems Healthcare startups often struggle to scale because hospital environments vary widely in terms of infrastructure, workflows and data systems. Without a unified data architecture, real-time metrics, and built-in security and governance, it's hard to ensure consistent performance—or meet privacy requirements like HIPAA and business associate agreements governing protected health information. - Dave Albano, Diliko 10. Working Within Complex Pricing And Claims Rules One of the challenges is the integration of new tech into strict hospital billing and compliance processes. Hospitals have complex pricing and claims rules, and startups must work within these rules. They can't disrupt revenue or patient data safety. Doing this right builds trust and helps a solution scale faster. - Abhishek Sinha, Accenture 11. Processing Both Structured And Unstructured Health Data Integrating structured data (EHRs; lab results) and unstructured data (clinical notes; imaging; video) can be a major challenge. 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Working Within Legacy Hospital Systems One major challenge healthcare startups face when scaling tech solutions is integration with legacy hospital systems. Many hospitals rely on outdated EHRs or siloed IT infrastructure, making interoperability difficult. Startups must ensure compliance, data security and seamless integration to gain trust and adoption at scale. - Srikanth Bellamkonda 16. Clearly Demonstrating ROI And Pathways To Reimbursement Healthcare startups often struggle to clearly demonstrate a return on investment and secure reimbursement pathways. Without established billing codes or tangible cost-savings data, hospitals hesitate to allocate budget. Startups must invest heavily in economic validation, health economics and outcomes research, ensuring payers and finance teams see sustainable revenue models before adoption. - Manav Kapoor, Amazon 17. Creating An Internal COE Establishing an internal center of excellence with deep industry experience in scaling healthcare systems is vital, but costly. A key challenge lies in selecting vendors that align with the company's DNA. Bridging the gap between emerging tech and the unique demands of healthcare requires thoughtful planning and a nuanced understanding of both innovation and patient-centric outcomes. - Hari Sonnenahalli, NTT Data Business Solutions 18. Overcoming Resistance To New Tech I've regularly observed the challenges clinical sites face when adopting new technologies. There is often reluctance or resistance to change; staffing shortages further exacerbate these issues. A more effective approach may be to 'mirror' site-level data. This would allow AI-driven platforms to build a harmonized system that enables forward progress without disrupting existing workflows. - Rachel Tam, Bristol Myers Squibb 19. Accounting For Integration Issues When Building Solutions The biggest hurdle to overcome when scaling tech solutions across hospitals or healthcare systems is not technical; rather, it is integration—into provider workflows, clinical practice guidelines, financial models and revenue cycle management programs. Unless the issues around integration are considered and covered when building the solution, scaling will not occur. The landscape is littered with misaligned HealthTech startups. - Mark Francis, Electronic Caregiver 20. Completing Vendor Risk Documentation Post-ransomware, hospitals demand extensive vendor risk audits with hundreds of security controls, SOC 2/HITRUST docs, and custom BAAs. Completing these lengthy questionnaires stretches sales cycles to 18 to 24 months, burning cash and pulling engineers from product work to compliance, blocking scale. - Mohit Menghnani, Twilio
Yahoo
17 hours ago
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GE HealthCare launches new advanced digital X-ray system to enable access and increase efficiency in high throughput settings
Definium™ Pace Select ET, a new floor-mounted digital X-ray system, enables access to affordable, high-quality medical imaging technology while easing workflow burdens in high-volume environments This new X-ray system, designed to act as a personal assistant for technologists, provides automation of in-room workflows and motorization of manual, repetitive tasks to increase throughput and reduce technologist learning curve CHICAGO, July 24, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE HealthCare (Nasdaq: GEHC), today announced commercial availability of an advanced floor-mounted digital X-ray system, Definium™ Pace Select ET1, designed to deliver high-image quality and optimize efficiency in highly demanding environments while enhancing access and affordability. X-ray exams often serve as the entry point to diagnostic imaging, accounting for 60% of all imaging studies conducted, resulting in an ever-increasing workload for radiologists and technologists2 3. This increased demand, combined with acute staffing challenges where 80% of healthcare organizations are short-staffed and radiology technologists have the highest vacancies3, high burnout levels and work-related injuries, creates critical barriers to providing timely, effective diagnostic imaging for patients in need of X-ray imaging. GE HealthCare's new Definium Pace Select ET solves for many of these challenges by automating manual, repetitive steps and helping to reduce physical strain. The system leverages AI to ensure accurate patient positioning and consistent image quality across various clinical conditions while streamlining the technologist workflow to maximize the patient experience and throughput. "Burdened with the stress and pressure to keep radiology departments running smoothly and profitably, we aim to empower technologists with a system that consistently makes the first image count," said Sharad Sharma, Global General Manager, X-ray, at GE HealthCare. "With its advanced digital capabilities and automation, Definium Pace Select ET allows technologists of all experience levels to deliver consistent high-quality images to serve the full range of anatomies and patient populations." Easy-to-use features allow technologists to focus on patient care Building on the trusted Definium platform from GE HealthCare, the Definium Pace Select ET system brings advanced automation and workflow features to a flexible, floor-mounted system with elevating table, in-room exam control, and common user interface to assist technologists. "This launch reinforces our commitment to provide accessible, efficient, and high-quality care for patients, while alleviating stress from the technologist's workday by minimizing repetitive tasks and automating steps," said Jyoti Gupta, PhD, President & CEO of Women's Health and X-ray at GE HealthCare. "We remain dedicated to advancing our technology through transformative digital and AI-enabled capabilities that will remove barriers to timely and effective diagnostic imaging for any patient in need of X-ray imaging." The Definium Pace Select ET system brings the same high image quality typically seen in more expensive overhead tube suspension (OTS) systems to the affordability focused floor-mounted market. Designed and developed with extensive customer feedback, the system brings: Advanced automation to reduce workflow steps and physically demanding movements for technologists, potentially minimizing work-related injuries. Image variability reduction through the AI-enabled Helix™ Advanced Image Processing to provide consistent high-quality images. Prevention of errors before they occur through automated positioning, protocol selection, patient size (body habitus), and collimation via the Intelligent Workflow Suite, and a quality check prior to radiation exposure. To learn more about the new X-ray system, visit About GE HealthCare Technologies Inc. GE HealthCare is a trusted partner and leading global healthcare solutions provider, innovating medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics, and integrated, cloud-first AI-enabled solutions, services and data analytics. We aim to make hospitals and health systems more efficient, clinicians more effective, therapies more precise, and patients healthier and happier. Serving patients and providers for more than 125 years, GE HealthCare is advancing personalized, connected and compassionate care, while simplifying the patient's journey across care pathways. Together, our Imaging, Advanced Visualization Solutions, Patient Care Solutions and Pharmaceutical Diagnostics businesses help improve patient care from screening and diagnosis to therapy and monitoring. We are a $19.7 billion business with approximately 53,000 colleagues working to create a world where healthcare has no limits. GE HealthCare is proud to be among 2025 Fortune World's Most Admired Companies™. Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, and Insights for the latest news, or visit our website for more information. _______________________________ 1 510(k) cleared. Not CE marked. Cannot be placed on the market or put into service or used with human beings until it has been made to comply with CE marking and/or regulatory approval. Not all features available in all markets. 2 MV 2019 X-ray CR / DR Market Outlook Report) page 9, 37 3 Pearson, Dave. "Radiology techs in especially high demand as 85% of hospitals seek 'allied' health workers", 23 Oct. 22. View source version on Contacts GE HealthCare Media Contact: Katie ScrivanoM +1 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
