Latest news with #Gerth
Hamilton Spectator
09-07-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Desiree's Angels hosts annual golf tournament
Desiree's Angels held its seventh annual golf tournament in Scotland on Saturday, July 5, 2025. Despite the summer heat, around 30-plus players arrived at Fescue's Edge Golf Club ready to participate in the afternoon's nine-hole tournament and to help raise funds for Victim Services of Brant. The event was held in honour of Susan Gerth's daughter, Desiree Gallagher. The then 21-year-old was the victim of an assault back in May of 2013. 'Desiree was a victim of crime. She was brutally assaulted and fell seven stories from a balcony,' said Gerth. 'She survived for two years, but was left blind and in a wheelchair with short-term memory loss. She passed away from her injuries but she was very strong and very determined… she never gave up.' The year of the assault, Gallagher's best friend Sheraya Stanford and Sheraya's mother, Lisa Ellison-Stanford, held a fundraiser to help the family cover her medical needs and rehabilitation, but the support didn't stop there. 'The following year in 2014, John Kormos here, who also started this golf tournament, organized Desiree's Ride, which at the time was called 'Ride for Des,' and they raised $10,000 for her rehabilitation and medical costs as well,' said Gerth. 'Even though she's passed on now, that ride and this tournament have continued on ever since and we continue to try to raise awareness.' Over the years, Desiree's Angels: Victims for a New Start, the non-profit organization founded by Gerth, has raised over $100,000 for Victim Services of Brant. Reflecting on what happened and everything that's followed since, including the loss of her son, Dwayne, just five years ago, Gerth said she's grateful for the continued support of her friends and family. 'It's been a rough journey, but I have great support,' she said. 'These people… they lift me up and they're always there. They really are a wonderful group and I couldn't have done it without them. They're just amazing.' Gerth announced on social media the next day that the golf tournament raised a total of $2,200. For those looking to get involved with the cause, the tenth annual Desiree's Ride will take place on Saturday, August 16, 2025. To learn more, visit: Kimberly De Jong's reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I'm a pediatric heart doctor. Medicaid cuts put half of Kentucky kids at risk.
As a pediatric cardiologist, my specialty is treating children's hearts, but as a pediatrician, I also recognize that surrounding each heart is a child. My job is to take care of both. Part of my job includes having hard conversations with expecting families about their child's abnormal heart, often trying to describe the complex heart diagnosis with a poorly drawn sketch on a sheet of printer paper. Through teary eyes and tissues in a claustrophobic exam room, I watch as plans for baby showers and nursery décor are quickly replaced by talk of heart surgery and hospital stays. When this diagnosis pulls the rug out from under these families, I hope to offer a soft landing place, a team of specialized pediatric providers to take care of these children as they undergo heart surgery — sometimes, in the first week of life. The reality, too, is that as families worry about their child's health, many are also often worried about the cost of care. This is a fear no family should face when it comes to getting the care their child needs. Gerth: Shouldn't police only violently assault people who commit crimes? | Opinion Many of these children will need access to specialized providers throughout their life to help them grow and thrive. Luckily, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) — here in Kentucky, called KCHIP — serve as the backbone for caring for children with special health care needs, and approximately half of children I care for with heart disease rely on these programs for specialized care. Yet, right now these programs are at risk for sweeping cuts as Congress negotiates the budget. Any proposed funding cuts to Medicaid and CHIP would place these children at risk, and so many more in our state and across the country. I wish that these conversations I had with families were a rarity. However, heart disease that children are born with is the most common birth defect, occurring in almost 1% of births. Approximately a quarter of children born with abnormal hearts will need heart surgery or other interventions to survive. In Kentucky, Medicaid and KCHIP cover nearly half of children overall and more than half of children with special health care needs. These are the children whose hearts are represented by my drawings. I yearn for these children's smiling pictures as they live and grow with battle wounds of surgical scars, but I know that these heart warriors need our help. As someone who sees the importance of Medicaid and CHIP first-hand, I urge our Kentucky lawmakers to reject cuts to these vital programs. Because of these programs, my patients and so many more Kentucky children grow up healthy in our communities. Medicaid and CHIP are lifelines for children and families in our state, including the children who belong to these special hearts. We must protect these programs so patients like mine can thrive. Congress must do what's right and protect Medicaid and CHIP. Opinion Ark Encounter offers top canine training to police. Bible studies are optional. Allison K. Black, MD, FAAP is a pediatric cardiologist in Louisville. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Medicaid cuts could leave half of KY children without care | Opinion
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Big, beautiful bill' Medicaid cuts don't honor Preamble to the US Constitution
When I was in fifth grade, I was caught cheating on a test. The test was identifying the state capitals, and it was my third time taking the test. I still can't tell you the state capitals. Shortly after that, we had a test on the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Of course, I could not memorize that. My brain doesn't work that way. So, in true Catholic school fashion, I had to write it numerous times. In the middle of who knows how many iterations, I finally connected what I was writing with the School House Rock song on TV. I never forgot it from that moment. There has been a lot of talk about the U.S. Constitution over the last few years, and I think it is the Preamble that has been lost. We are so focused on the rights provided to us that we forgot why they were provided to us. Here's what it says and how I interpret what it says: "We the People (all of us, not kings, rulers) of these United States, in order to form a more perfect Union (better than where we came from), establish justice (Supreme Court; federal, appeals, state courts), insure domestic tranquility (so we can all live and flourish in peace), provide for the common defence (Department of Defense to protect our country), promote the general welfare (Congress, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security), and secure the blessings of liberty (freedom) to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." Opinion: No, Democrats don't need White men to win elections, actually Think about this when you vote. Is the person you are voting for living up to the Preamble? Or are they taking bits and pieces of the Constitution, mixing them up to make it sound like it's what they are doing? Watch what they do and how they vote, not what they say. Kentucky, a focal point of the "big, beautiful bill" is "nearly $800 billion in reduced spending in the Medicaid program." This will result in many Kentuckians being removed from insurance provided by Medicare and Medicaid (also known as Aetna Better Health of KY, Anthem KY Managed Care Plan, Humana Health Plan, Molina Healthcare of KY, Passport Health Plan, United Healthcare of KY, Wellcare Health Insurance, Passport, the Affordable Care Act). That includes doctor visits, personal care homes, mental health services and physical therapy services. Gerth: Former political powerbroker now spending millions on a religious shrine | Opinion Don't think you are safe just because you have commercial insurance. Remember the days of pre-existing conditions? I do; I was in $20,000 debt for medical bills. I have no doubt insurance companies will again be given free rein to cover only what they want to cover, and charge you a fortune for it. Here's how our congressmen voted. Are they protecting you? Agree or disagree? Submit a letter to the editor. Angela Schardein is a licensed clinical social worker. Schardein has worked in community mental health for 22 years, including rural and urban areas in and around Louisville and Eastern Kentucky. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky will hurt from Medicaid cuts in proposed bill | Opinion
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Measles misinformation is hurting our kids while Trump government self-destructs
It is not surprising that the Trump administration is dismantling the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Anti-government and pseudo-science sentiment permeated his campaign. What is surprising is the rapidity and depth to which it took place. With constituent anger boiling over, new leaders were chosen who opted to destroy with a chainsaw rather than support and fix existing infrastructure. All of this is occurring while our nation is under siege from an all but extinct contagion — measles. Anti-vaxxers have increased their influence and have minimized the dangers of measles infections, while exaggerating the risks of vaccinations. Just this year, we have lost two unvaccinated healthy children to measles. One to two in every 1,000 cases will die. Measles can cause delayed symptoms, blindness, deafness and impaired cognitive performance. Measles can also suppress the immune system for at least a year, eliminating 11% to 73% of one's antibody reserves. Of concern are two recent studies that found that immune damage can persist for years. Patients can also develop a rare but almost always fatal brain disease, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), 10 or more years after their infection. We do not have an effective plan to stop this epidemic. Instead, our new leaders are providing misinformation and fueling conspiracy theories. Gerth: Where's Craig? Greenberg created this tennis center mess. He must fix it. | Opinion Below are the facts: The vaccine provides decades if not a lifetime of protection. Parents have been told that the measles vaccine's protection 'wanes very quickly." In fact, if you received the two-dose attenuated live virus vaccine after 1968, you should have lifelong immunity with 97% efficacy. The vaccine is much safer than getting the infection. According to the Infectious Disease Society of America, there have been no deaths from the vaccine in healthy children. Importantly, the vaccine should not be given to immunocompromised individuals. However, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll (KFF), 19% of the public mistakenly believes the measles vaccine is probably or definitely more dangerous than getting an infection. This is a disturbing finding for a disease which requires a 95% rate of immunity to prevent outbreaks. The vaccine does not cause autism. A Danish study of 657,461 children found there was no difference in autism between those vaccinated and unvaccinated. Statements that controlled studies regarding the risks of autism and vaccines have not been done are false. However, according to the KFF Poll, 25% of the public mistakenly believes the measles (MMR) vaccine probably or definitely causes autism. Unfortunately, to sort out this debacle, a man who the State Board of Maryland reportedly found worked as a medical doctor without a license or even attending medical school was appointed to restudy vaccines and autism. Vitamin A does not prevent or cure measles. It will reduce complications in malnourished children, but its effect on children without a deficiency is unknown. What is known is that too much Vitamin A can be dangerous and that some children with measles in Texas have been treated for Vitamin A toxicity. The recent KFF Poll found 25% of the public mistakenly believe Vitamin A was probably or definitely effective in preventing measles. Andy Barr: Trump needs a proven winner to replace McConnell. That's me. The federal government's response to this disinformation and falling vaccination rates has not only been muted, but profoundly counterproductive. The secretary of Health and Human Services even praised a doctor who was treating patients while he was infected with measles. This not only placed children at risk but downplayed the dangers of the infection. At the same time, the CDC has been hobbled with massive budget cuts and layoffs. The agency reportedly had to scrap plans to help one Texas school system because of layoffs. CDC funds to state health departments, including $150 million in Kentucky, are at grave risk of being cut. Another federal government self-destructive behavior is not collecting needed data, the old "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. This has affected everything from drug use to maternal mortality to climate change. Public health has been directly affected, with the FDA recently not publicizing an E. coli outbreak in our food supply, and the CDC suppressing their measles forecast, which also encouraged vaccinations. Hyper-politicization of the measles epidemic is also hindering our ability to stop the virus' spread. Seventh-six percent of Democrats are worried about the measles outbreak, compared to only 28% of Republicans. Vaccines are one of the greatest success stories of modern medicine. Since 1975, an estimated 154 million lives have been saved with vaccines. The consequences of our abandonment of public health are only now becoming apparent. Unfortunately, it is our children who appear to be paying the heftiest price. A price which for some will be paid with interest for decades to come. Agree or disagree? Submit a letter to the editor. Kevin Kavanagh is a retired physician from Somerset, Kentucky and chairman of Health Watch USA. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Trump government destruction worsens measles misinformation | Opinion
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
We have money to fight Kentucky's opioid crisis. Let's not waste it.
For decades, Kentucky has been on the front lines of the opioid crisis, suffering deeply as addiction, overdose and despair ripped through our communities. But today, for the first time in a generation, we have the tools — and the funding — to finally fight back. Thanks to landmark settlements with pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors, states and municipalities across the country will receive over $50 billion in opioid abatement funding over the next 18 years. Kentucky alone is poised to receive more than $800 million. These funds represent an unprecedented opportunity to reverse the damage done and build a recovery system that works — not only for those battling substance use disorder (SUD) today but for future generations as well. But with this opportunity comes a responsibility that we cannot afford to squander. Already, we're seeing the warning signs. A yearlong investigation by KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) Health News, along with researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and the national nonprofit, Shatterproof, found many jurisdictions used settlement funds on items and services with tenuous, if any, connections to addiction. These choices may help balance ledgers, but they fundamentally betray the purpose of these funds. This money was not awarded to maintain the status quo. As Robert Kent, former general counsel for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, put it, 'Certainly, the spirit of the settlements wasn't to keep doing what you're doing. It was to do more." Kentucky must not follow this path. To be sure, the temptation is real. Counties face budgetary constraints, state agencies are stretched thin and public servants are overdue for raises. But the long-term cost of misusing these funds will far exceed any short-term relief. Not only could such decisions lead to clawbacks of funds or disqualifications for future disbursements under the terms of the settlement agreements, they would also represent a tragic missed opportunity to finally turn the tide in our battle against addiction. Gerth: I work with people battling addiction. Trump's tariffs won't stop fentanyl. | Opinion Fortunately, Kentucky has already shown it knows how to lead. In 2022, our legislature passed a landmark initiative — the Behavioral Health Conditional Dismissal Program. Backed by $10.5 million in opioid settlement funds, this four-year pilot program provides an alternative to incarceration for individuals charged with certain non-violent, non-sexual misdemeanors and Class D felonies. Instead of jail, eligible participants are evaluated by medical professionals and offered treatment for SUD and/or other mental health conditions. The goal is to use data to create a replicable, collaborative model that breaks the cycle of addiction, reduces recidivism and restores lives. Early signs are promising, and the legislature is rightly considering expansion. This is exactly the kind of innovative, evidence-based programming that Kentucky should prioritize as we distribute settlement funds. Other models from across the country offer inspiration as well. In several jurisdictions, police departments are now pairing with mental health professionals for real-time crisis intervention. These partnerships reduce trauma for both officers and individuals in crisis, lead to more humane outcomes and, ultimately, save taxpayer dollars by reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and incarcerations. The opioid epidemic has already claimed more than 600,000 lives nationally. While recent data from the CDC show a hopeful 17% decline in opioid overdose deaths between July 2023 and July 2024, this drop is not a sign to become complacent — it's a sign that smart policy and targeted investment can work. Opinion: Pope Leo and the Catholic Church, not Trump, should point the way for our future And we'll need them. More potent synthetic opioids like nitazenes and dangerous additives like xylazine ('tranq') are beginning to enter the illicit drug supply. Without aggressive investment in innovative treatment options and infrastructure, public education, harm reduction and law enforcement support, we risk falling behind again just as we're beginning to catch up. Let this be a turning point — not a footnote. Kentucky's business leaders, health care providers, civic institutions and elected officials must all align around one unifying principle: These funds will be used for their intended purpose — to address the opioid crisis. That means rejecting the temptation to misuse funds to paper over fiscal problems or bankroll unrelated projects. It means providing accountability and transparency. And it means staying focused on building a future in which fewer families grieve, fewer children are left behind and more Kentuckians live free from the grip of addiction. This is our shot. Let's not waste it. Vickie Yates Glisson is a lawyer and arbitrator who focuses her practice on health care and health insurance issues. She is president and founder of VYBG Consulting, PLLC and former secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KY can't afford to waste funds to fight the opioid crisis | Opinion
