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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ferring Pharmaceuticals, a Swiss biopharma firm, focuses on worker well-being and DEI.</li><li>Purvi Tailor, head of human resources in its US business, is on BI's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/workforce-innovation-board-tackles-topics-such-as-c-suite-innovation-ai-worker-wellness-2024-8">Workforce Innovation board</a>.</li></ul>A lot of companies say they are like a family, but at Ferring Pharmaceuticals, a privately owned biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Switzerland, family-centrism is part of doing business."In the US, we are a leader in several therapeutic areas, including reproductive medicine, orthopedics, and gastroenterology," said Purvi Tailor, Ferring's head of human resources in the US. "Our mission is to help people build families and live better lives. It's a purpose that the employees that work here can feel very connected to."Tailor joined Ferring in 2021 following roles at Johnson &amp; Johnson, American Express, and JP Morgan.She said that Ferring has grown more intentional about focusing on worker well-being, which is particularly important for the highly competitive field of healthcare. "The war for talent is always on and the best talent always have options," she said.The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.What are the benefits for companies focused on worker well-being?Our overarching philosophy is that if our workers have a good sense of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flexibility-can-increase-worker-well-being-2024-8">well-being</a>, ultimately, it helps our business be that much more successful. We've defined well-being in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/employee-wellbeing-programs-help-companies-perform-better-and-manage-cost-2024-7">holistic way</a>, so it's not just about physical well-being; it's also about mental well-being and financial well-being. We've implemented various initiatives in the last two to three years that focus on each of those.You can provide a lot of tools and resources, but if you don't have the right culture within the company that people are experiencing, that obviously has a much more detrimental impact on employee experience. So, our approach is twofold. First, the benefits and the policies. And second, creating the right type of workplace that people want to be a part of.What specific programs are targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion?Relative to other companies that I've worked for, in some ways we've had the luxury to start a little bit later. Whereas some companies have been doing this for 20 years, for us it became more of a burning platform over the last couple of years.Since Covid and all the various things that have happened since, having an inclusive culture has really become one of the more important things for us.Because inclusion is something that can be very personal and difficult, we're partnering with an external event vendor to create smaller group experiences. We put a lot of things on the table and really try to make it an inclusive environment for understanding, sharing stories, and talking about different scenarios that happen in the workplace.We used scenarios that we've seen either happen at Ferring or outside, but real, lived, everyday kind of things that actually happen. Leaders found that really meaningful because it gave them an opportunity in a very safe environment to explore those situations and recognize them when they see them.The goal is to make sure that when they go back to their offices or desks, they're like, 'Okay, actually, I'm gonna be able to use that as I start to see things.'As Ferring has grown in the US, you've had to start many programs from scratch. What advice do you have for other companies that are just getting started thinking about DEI and worker well-being initiatives?What's really important is to ensure that whatever you're doing, you can connect it with the values of your company.With all of the various things that we're doing, especially in the wellness and DEI space, they align well with our values and our mission of helping people live better lives. It needs to come from an authentic place. Because it's sort of obvious when people are faking it.Our head of DEI in the US has so much passion for this space, and that really drives her as an individual and her purpose. The quality of what she puts out is remarkable, and she's able to create the right narrative that employees and leaders who are in positions to share it are able to grab some of that enthusiasm.What policies demonstrate your focus on worker well-being?One of the biggest things we've done in the last two years is a fertility benefit program called Building Families at Ferring with unlimited financial support for your journey, whether that's IVF, surrogacy, or adoption. So it covers all the many pathways that people could take to build a family.It also offers 26 weeks of paid parental leave and the policy is agnostic of your marital status and your family structures. It's truly a benefit for all that want to build a family.It's so core to our business. We thought we needed to give back to employees in the same way that we want to show up in the marketplace.What workforce issues are commonplace in the pharmaceutical industry?Attrition is systemic; it's just the norm. Over the last few years, we've managed to really stabilize the organization from an attrition perspective more so than we ever have in the previous five years.For us, retention of our talent is critical, as I know it is for all companies. You want to retain the best and make sure that they're developing and getting to whatever their aspirations are. Pharma is very competitive.We recently launched a uro-oncology business, and in the early part of this year, we hired about 60 people with roles across functions, including sales, marketing, finance, and medical. If the pharma market is generally very competitive, oncology is even more so. The things that we can do to make this a great place to work are a big part of how we approach that piece of talent management.

In the competitive world of pharma, companies need to focus on worker well-being to retain top talent, says Ferring's HR exec

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Soula app has an AI chatbot, Dua, that aids mothers with postpartum depression support.</li><li>AI chatbots like Dua aim to reduce healthcare burdens and improve mental health access.</li></ul>Caring for a month-old newborn and two-year-old son felt overwhelming for LeRonika Francis.During her first postpartum period, Francis said she experienced a heavy wave of depression while dealing with a baby with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/parenting/why-is-my-newborn-crying">colic</a>. She ultimately sought the help of a counselor. It was not until her most recent pregnancy that she also started to use an AI chatbot on the fem-tech app Soula, which she said helped with reducing depressive symptoms and reassuring her about her mental health."It tells me: 'Welcome back, LeRonika. Your reactions are natural,'" said Francis, who is based in New Iberia, Louisiana.The AI chatbot called "Dua" also sent her some videos that she could watch about self-hugging, a practice that could reduce stress levels."I feel like Dua is there more than anything. It really showed me: OK, this is what you could do. Make sure you make time for yourself, too, because that's important as well," said Francis.Soula was co-founded by Natallia Miranchuk and Andrei Kulik, who conceptualized a 24/7 AI doula that could close the gap in mental health support for mothers during pregnancy and postpartum periods. Rather than replacing medical providers, apps such as Soula aim to increase broader access to maternal healthcare. Healthcare providers said that these apps could also help reduce the burden on the healthcare system, where wait times can be long and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-nurses-strike-labor-union-staffing-shortage-covid-2023-1">workers face burnout</a>.Business Insider spoke with OB/GYN doctors and doulas, who largely welcomed the rise in AI chatbots because they can make information more accessible to patients.According to data obtained from Sensor Tower, Soula now has more than 35,000 downloads. The startup has fundraised over $750,000 and is backed by investors such as Andrey Mikhaylyuk, the former vice president of product at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unicorn-pitch-deck-flo-health-raises-200-million-series-c-2024-7">Flo Health</a>, a period tracking app.Miranchuk told BI that her experiences as a single mother of two and her work as a former maternity photographer inspired her to develop a supportive app for women. Initially conceptualized as a hub to connect doulas worldwide to those in need, the generative AI boom shifted the startup's focus to integrating a chatbot that could serve more populations."Women are shy to ask questions, even in the community, because they have the feeling that maybe 'as a mom, I should have known that, but I don't.' And she doesn't know where to go," Miranchuk said.The ease of customizing ChatGPT has spurred a wave of new AI-based chatbots like Soula. According to Sensor Tower, the companion apps <a target="_blank" href="http://Character.ai">Character.ai</a>, Talkie, and Paradot have more than 73 million collective downloads, soaring more than 130% between 2023 and 2024. AI therapy apps such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wysa-mental-health-startup-raises-fresh-vc-funding-expand-coverage-2021-5">Wysa</a> and Woebot received over 1 million downloads, the data said.Corenia Smith, director of the Birth Justice Collaborative in Minnesota, said that while popularizing tools like chatbots can help broaden healthcare access, it is important to avoid a "one size fits all" and ensure that AI can reflect the communities it serves."There are cultural practices that exist and have existed for thousands of years that people still use," Smith said. "A human could talk about all their experience and what they've seen and give referrals. When you reach that limitation with an AI, it has to have the ability to hand over care or make a referral in a way where people don't feel dropped."<h2 id="245c9b56-b4a4-4a1a-abbc-5f6bbf950f49">The role of a doula</h2>The AI chatbot Dua aims to function like a doula, providing mothers with information about the pregnancy experience during a time of transition.Doulas are trained professionals who can provide non-medical, continuous physical, emotional, and information support for women before, during, and after childbirth, helping to <a target="_blank" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10292163/">reduce</a> mental health-related morbidity for the mother and reduce infant mortality rates.Access to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/reproductive-health/what-is-a-doula">doulas</a> can be costly. While there's Medicaid coverage for doulas in several states, not all private health insurance plans cover these expenses. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266613821003120">Long wait times and socioeconomic inequality</a> also contribute to increased levels of stress and lack of healthcare usage among mothers and pregnant people."Traditionally, it's been something that's been available only to folks with a lot of money and a lot of resources. The people that benefit the most from doula care are those that might not trust the healthcare system," said Dr. Devon Rupley, an attending physician and OB/GYN specialist at NYC Health. "That tends to be people of color who've had previously negative experiences with racism and bias that can really harm their experience in the healthcare system generally."Rupley added that using an AI healthcare app to address basic questions can allow patients to spend higher-quality time with doctors by asking high-level questions and discussing their healthcare issues.<div type="image" title="Dua, an AI chatbot, talks to the user with texts." height="3000" width="4000" msid="114502558" hostid="261" sizebytes="72158"></div><h2 id="7b015d0f-002f-4d99-8f8d-2ae73851d6bc">How to design an empathetic AI chatbot</h2>Soula enlisted real-life doulas to help train its chatbot and strike the right tone."We can't create it to be as personable as talking to a real-life person, but we can try to create that as much as possible," said Lexi Pacheco, a doula from Arizona who worked to help refine the dialogue in Soula's chatbot Dua. For $22 per hour, she helped improve the chatbot by using it "hand-in-hand" during her pregnancies, adding in her expertise.While asking questions on Google could yield more informational responses, Pacheco said mothers would want something that provided "more of that reassurance that Google wouldn't."For Armani Grant, a Soula user who became pregnant at 18, Google felt overwhelming. The chatbot allowed her to ask questions that she wouldn't feel comfortable asking her mother. Pacheco said many women she's worked with reported similar experiences."They might even feel incompetent to ask the question, which no woman should ever feel, but with my history of working with people, they definitely tend to revert to: I'm sorry, I'm asking this question for some reason, and that might just be because of the societal pressure that more medicalized doctors have put on people that they don't give the time and day to us," Pacheco said.The app isn't meant to completely replace a doula. Moreover, retention rates of AI healthcare chatbots can be low, said Johannes Eichstaedt, a computational social scientist and assistant professor of psychology at Stanford University. The high dropout rates for healthcare apps are "an elephant in the room," he said.At the same time, Pacheco said AI bots can help "calm nerves" and fill the gaps when patients feel they are "bothering" their healthcare providers."AI isn't like a healthcare provider to give you guidance, but it's supposed to be there to give you a little bit more comfort," Pacheco said.

The AI app Soula seeks to improve healthcare access for pregnant women

<keyword id="20713053" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Canadian-Prime-Minister" source="keywords">Canadian Prime Minister</keyword> Justin <keyword id="19898710" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trudeau" source="keywords">Trudeau</keyword> announced Thursday that Canada will scale back its immigration targets after acknowledging his government’s struggle to balance labour demands and <keyword id="20421922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="population-growth" source="keywords">population growth</keyword> following the pandemic. The decision comes after widespread criticism of the government’s initial plan to welcome 500,000 new permanent residents annually over the next two years. Trudeau now aims to reduce this number to 395,000 in 2025, with further cuts to 380,000 by 2026 and 365,000 by 2027. “In the challenging post-pandemic environment, we didn’t strike the right balance between labour needs and sustainable population growth,” Trudeau stated. “While immigration is crucial to Canada’s future, it must be controlled and sustainable.” Trudeau has faced growing pressure, even from within his <keyword id="20339137" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Liberal-party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Liberal party" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Liberal party">Liberal party</keyword>, not to pursue a fourth term. Critics argue that the rapid population growth has exacerbated Canada’s housing affordability crisis, adding strain to essential services. The Prime Minister emphasised that freezing population growth over the next two years will allow the government to better address housing, healthcare, and social service needs before scaling up again. Canada’s population reached 41 million in April, up from 37.5 million in 2019. Adding to his critique, Trudeau pointed to “exploitation” of Canada’s temporary <keyword id="23681096" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="foreign-worker-program" source="keywords">foreign worker program</keyword>, where certain corporations have prioritised hiring foreign workers over Canadians at fair wages. He also highlighted issues within certain educational institutions, which he said over-enroll international students beyond what communities can sustain. Immigration Minister Marc Miller expressed that reducing immigration targets would help alleviate housing shortages and acknowledged changing public sentiment on immigration. “Canada remains an open country, but not everyone can come,” Miller said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ambitious but adjusted immigration targets. Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre blamed Trudeau’s policies for undermining Canada’s longstanding immigration consensus, arguing that Trudeau has damaged public trust in the system. Political analysts like <keyword id="19935890" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="University-of-Toronto" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="University of Toronto" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="University of Toronto">University of Toronto</keyword>’s Nelson Wiseman agree that while the government’s goals to support economic growth and counter an ageing population were sound, the lack of provincial-federal coordination on housing and welfare issues fueled public discontent. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113486894" title="Canada to cut study permits for International students by 35%, Indian students to be impacted" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Canada to reduce immigration targets by nearly 30% by 2027 as Trudeau acknowledges his policy failed

<ul class="summary-list"><li>101-year-old William is active and lives independently.</li><li>He shared what he thinks are some of his secrets to becoming a centenarian.</li></ul>A 101-year-old man who worked until he was 85 shared his secrets for living a long, healthy life.Born in 1922 in the UK, William (who didn't share his last name) is older than Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, where he's a patient. There, doctors from the geriatrics department treat any healthcare issues that come up and provide support to help him <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/healthy-habits-fit-throughout-life-personal-trainer-2024-7">stay healthy</a> and live independently at home.William is one of a small, but growing, group: centenarians. In 2024, 0.03% of the US population was 100 years old or over. But the Pew Research Center, using data from the US Census Bureau, estimates this will grow to 0.1% by 2054.Dr. Samir Sinha, William's doctor at Mount Sinai Hospital, told Business Insider that he hopes to live as long as William and mirror his optimism and curiosity.<div type="image" title="101-year-old William sitting with his doctor, Dr. Samir Sinha." height="1176" width="1580" msid="114171537" hostid="261" sizebytes="68842"></div>Although a team of doctors helps William stay healthy, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lifestyle-choices-live-100-lifespan-expert-longevity-2024-5">lifestyle factors</a> can also play a huge role a person living past 100. (Their genetics likely helps, too.)Sinai Health, the parent company of the Mount Sinai Hospital, shared what William thinks has helped him live so long.<h2 id="40f27f00-0ac0-44aa-a145-96fbc66bcd9a">Keeping active</h2>William would swim four or five times a week when he was younger. Now, he walks and lifts 15-pound weights daily."Beware of inactivity," he said. "I don't allow myself to become immobile."Dr. Sinha said that the mix of resistance and aerobic exercise that William does every day is "ideal" to "maintain his vascular and brain health as well as to keep his muscles and bones strong."Research suggests that just <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/daily-exercise-prevent-death-sitting-all-day-2023-10">20 minutes of walking</a> a day or<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/30-minutes-strength-exercise-week-lowers-disease-risk-study-2022-2"> 30 minutes of exercise</a> that strengthens muscles a week could help you live longer.<h2 id="f8276fe1-7372-44b7-8e53-fb7500bb1c1e">Eating home-cooked meals — and lots of sardines</h2>William said that he still prepares all his meals. Home cooking can make it easier to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ways-cut-down-ultra-processed-foods-even-when-busy-2024-1">eat fewer ultra-processed foods</a>, which were linked to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ultra-processed-foods-health-problems-study-2024-2">higher risk of 32 health issues</a>, including type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj-2023-077310">study</a> published in The BMJ earlier this year.William has also always eaten sardines, starting at the age of six, "before they discovered <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/omega-3-foods">omega 3s</a>," he said.Sardines contain lots of nutrients necessary for our bodies to function, such as potassium, iron, and calcium, and were linked to better cardiovascular health and lowered blood pressure in a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition.<div type="image" title="Close-up headshot of 101-year-old William." height="1394" width="1184" msid="114171534" hostid="261" sizebytes="64024"></div><h2 id="9f84b392-3161-4ceb-96e0-6fd91402cf31">Having a long and varied career</h2>William has had various jobs and didn't retire until he was 85.He started as a primary care physician, then moved into public health and workers' compensation, and was a psychotherapist by the time he retired."Change in careers is good for anybody," he said, adding, "You can't sleep through life. You have to stay interested."Dr. Sinha said that a long and varied career allowed William to stay engaged and maintain a purpose, but it is also beneficial to volunteer, have hobbies, and social stimulation.Healthy aging expert Dr. Heidi Tissenbaum, a professor in molecular, cell, and cancer biology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, previously told BI that keeping your mind busy is a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-you-can-do-to-live-longer-healthier-2023-9">basic tenet of longevity</a>.

A 101-year-old former doctor who worked until he was 85 shared his 3 longevity secrets — including eating sardines

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Online platforms reflect a growing demand for menopause care like hormone-replacement therapy.</li><li>More research is needed to better tailor virtual clinics' treatment plans.</li></ul>When Jodi Miller was 49, she started to experience mood swings, hot flashes, weight gain, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teledermatology-future-of-skincare-musely-ceo-jack-jia-2024-6">adult acne</a> — some of the many <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/reproductive-health/menopause-age">symptoms of menopause</a>.When Miller, then a middle-school teacher in Rochester, New York, sought care from her OB-GYN, she said she felt dismissed."I was told to stop focusing on the negative and to start focusing on the positive," Miller, who is turning 50 this month, told Business Insider.Levels of estradiol, or estrogen produced by the ovaries, typically drop to below 20 picograms per milliliter, compared with the 40 to 300 pg/mL produced during a normal menstrual cycle, according to Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, an OB-GYN and clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the Yale School of Medicine.This hormonal shift can lead to hot flashes and night sweats and negatively affect bone health, cardiovascular function, cognition, and skin elasticity. It can also lead to discomfort during sex because these hormonal shifts contribute to the thinning and drying of a woman's vaginal walls, Minkin said.Frustrated by the lack of support for her menopause symptoms, Miller reached out to Midi Health, a virtual care clinic that specializes in helping patients navigate <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/perimenopause-symptoms-tech-founder-shares-treatment-2024-9">perimenopause</a> and menopause, or the stages in midlife when a woman's hormones fluctuate and then decrease drastically.Since launching in September 2022, Midi Health says it has served more than 100,000 patients. It's one of a few dozen <a target="_blank" href="https://sjfventures.com/sjf-ventures-market-analysis-outlines-startups-disrupting-menopause-care-and-opportunities-for-investors/#_ftn3">menopause-care startups</a> that have launched since 2010 and one of a handful of virtual and hybrid clinics that offer menopause-symptom support, such as hormone-replacement therapy, to women.An estimated 1.3 million women in the US reach menopause each year. Now, as millennials — one of the country's largest generational groups — enter their 40s and many begin to experience perimenopause symptoms, some health professionals anticipate an uptick in patients seeking this specialized care.<h2 id="cabb2b87-466e-4def-9596-2a67fa519cac">Patients are demanding solutions for common and debilitating menopause symptoms</h2>The menopause market — which includes supplements, medical devices, HRT, and telehealth services — is valued at an estimated $5.3 billion in the US and projected to grow by about 4.8% each year until 2030, according to an analysis from Grand View Research, a US- and India-based consulting firm for the energy, healthcare, and technology industries, among others.One reason menopause-care initiatives are gaining visibility is women's increasing presence in executive roles in the workplace, said Dr. Neel Shah, the chief medical officer of Maven Clinic, a digital platform that employers and health plans use to provide care for women and families.With more women in top decision-making and hiring roles — many experiencing perimenopause or menopause themselves — there tends to be more awareness and empathy for employees seeking this type of midlife health support, Shah said.And <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-employers-can-help-menopausal-women-2022-1">companies need to retain talent</a>, so preventing absenteeism and attrition due to employees' severe perimenopause or menopause symptoms could motivate employers to seek solutions like telehealth clinics for their workers, Shah said.Miller, for example, said that her hot flashes and heart palpitations made it difficult for her to teach her classes. She was also transitioning to a career in higher education at the time and becoming an empty nester."I felt so horrible, and my energy levels were so low that I was ill-equipped to manage it all," Miller said.Shah added that millennials entering perimenopause and menopause may be more willing to advocate for the care they want than previous generations experiencing the same symptoms.Fortunately for Miller, a combination of treatments — including low-dose HRT for estrogen and progesterone, another sex hormone — helped her manage tough-to-handle symptoms. After undergoing the therapy, she said she experienced fewer hot flashes and an increased sex drive. Miller's doctor also prescribed her a low-dose antidepressant to help get rid of her mood swings and a GLP-1 medication to help her lose about 60 pounds, which helped regulate her blood pressure.According to Joanna Strober, Midi Health's CEO and cofounder, doctors may also prescribe supplements and lifestyle changes to patients who want to manage their symptoms.<h2 id="4b765042-0d6a-48bb-8bfe-e17b54eb8608">Ramping up menopause research</h2>As the demand for women's midlife-healthcare support grows, research and education are critical to improving treatments and support."We started Midi out of a realization that very few doctors or medical providers are trained in understanding the issues of women in this age category, particularly with regard to their hormones," Strober said.Knowledge about perimenopause and menopause is still evolving, so more research into effective treatments and interventions is needed to improve and tailor treatments, Minkin said.Researchers are collecting data as part of two long-term National Institutes of Health projects: "The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation" and "Menopause Strategies: Finding Lasting Answers for Symptoms and Health." These studies aim to develop a better understanding of women's menopause symptoms like depression, insomnia, and hot flashes, with the goal of developing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/reproductive-health/how-to-stop-hot-flashes">more helpful treatments</a>.Another influential — but controversial — piece of research has been the Women's Health Initiative. Study results published in 2002 described some types of HRT as increasing some health risks, such as breast cancer and blood clots. In response, doctors resisted prescribing the therapy, Shah said.However, the interpretation of the data in the media and in clinical practice lacked nuance, and secondary research papers have since demonstrated HRT's benefits in most women, according to Shah. "To be honest, the medical profession is still catching up on the data," Shah said.To further address the need for perimenopause and menopause research and medical care, Congress introduced in May the bipartisan Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women's Health Act. The bill is being reviewed by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. If it's passed, the legislation would boost federal research and public-health promotion of menopause care. Additionally, in his 2024 State of the Union address, President Joe Biden called on Congress to invest $12 billion in women's health research, which would include menopause.Most recently, a phase 3 Bayer study found that the nonhormonal treatment elinzanetant can help reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes, according to a September 10 press release from the pharmaceutical company.<h2 id="4a418015-96ba-41b3-bf0f-9ec33fffe2f5">Expanding treatment options and providers for patient satisfaction</h2>Overall, Minkin said, advancing women's health during perimenopause and menopause requires a comprehensive approach that blends technological innovations like online care platforms with strong research and educational initiatives.An estimated 30% of residency programs in the US offered a formal menopause curriculum, according to a 2023 report published in the journal Menopause. Minkin said this may be a lingering effect of the Women's Health Initiative's preliminary results. She added that an increased focus on menopause across all levels of medical training was needed."Addressing the physiological, mental-health, and social-support needs of women during these stages of life demands a multifaceted strategy," Minkin said. "By integrating technological tools with a strong foundation in research and education, we can work toward closing this gap and improving menopause care for all women."After roughly a year of treatment for her menopause symptoms, Miller is flourishing."I'm getting my doctorate in higher educational administration, and I would have never been able to navigate such an enormous responsibility without menopause care," Miller said. "I feel like anything is possible now."

Women are demanding better menopause care. Online platforms are heeding the call.

Having been declared a global health emergency by <keyword id="6366244" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="who" source="Orion">WHO</keyword> just a few weeks ago, the dreaded <keyword id="20965747" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mpox" source="keywords">Mpox</keyword> (formerly <keyword id="7616951" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monkeypox" source="Orion">monkeypox</keyword>) has slowly been closing in on India. And now, days after our neighbour <keyword id="19899252" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pakistan" source="keywords">Pakistan</keyword> confirmed its second Mpox case this month, India has also reported its first one this season. While feeling uncertain is understandable, the situation is far from dire just yet. On Monday, September 9, 2024, the <keyword id="19896140" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-ministry" source="keywords">Health Ministry</keyword> confirmed that a previously suspected case of Mpox was a travel-related infection. The patient, a young male, recently returned from a country experiencing ongoing Mpox transmission. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the West African clade 2 of the Mpox virus, which is distinct from the more dangerous clade 1 currently under a public health emergency. In its statement, the Ministry emphasised that this case is isolated and in line with the 30 previous Mpox cases reported in India since July 2022. The Ministry clarified that this case does not contribute to the WHO-declared public health emergency associated with clade 1 of Mpox, which has spread primarily in parts of <keyword id="19924003" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="africa" source="keywords">Africa</keyword>. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112542249" title="WHO has declared mpox a global health emergency. What happens next?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>Patient condition and response measures </h2>The infected individual is isolated at a designated tertiary care isolation facility. The Ministry reports that the patient is clinically stable, with no systemic illness or pre-existing conditions. Public health authorities have initiated contact tracing and monitoring to ensure the infection remains contained, stating that no widespread public health risk exists at this time. <h2>Mode of transmission and symptoms </h2>The global Mpox outbreak has primarily affected young males, with a median age of 34. The main mode of transmission has been sexual contact, followed by non-sexual person-to-person contact. The most commonly reported symptom is a rash, which can manifest either systemically or in the genital region, followed by fever. WHO data shared by the Ministry indicates that approximately 51.9% of Mpox cases involve individuals living with HIV. This underscores the need for targeted healthcare and awareness, especially in high-risk populations. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112561654" title="WHO calls for increased surveillance, sharing of data, vaccines to combat monkeypox outbreak" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>Increased vigilance and preparedness </h2>Following the confirmation of this case, the Health Ministry has issued directives to all states and union territories, urging healthcare workers, particularly those in skin/STD clinics and NACO (<keyword id="20887701" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-aids-control-organisation" source="keywords">National AIDS Control Organisation</keyword>) clinics, to stay alert to the signs and symptoms of Mpox. These clinics must be prepared for immediate isolation, clinical management, and treatment of complications, adhering to established protocols. The Ministry has also advised enhanced screening and testing of suspected Mpox cases, especially at airports and other points of entry, to prevent further transmission. <h2>Awareness and risk communication </h2>The Ministry has issued guidelines to state AIDS control societies, urging them to be vigilant in identifying suspect cases, especially among vulnerable populations such as female sex workers (FSW) and men who have sex with men (MSM). Communities must be made aware of the disease’s transmission and symptoms, as well as the importance of timely reporting. Clear risk communication, particularly to healthcare workers and intervention sites such as skin and paediatric clinics, is crucial to prevent the spread of the virus. While the Ministry advocates for robust preventive measures, it also stresses the importance of avoiding undue panic among the general public. For now, the Ministry’s actions aim to ensure that India remains well-prepared to handle isolated Mpox cases, while working to prevent any major outbreak in the country. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112550492" title="Danish monkeypox-vaccine maker surges 17% after global health emergency declared" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Mpox has finally infiltrated India, but how worried should we be about the viral disease?

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/starbucks">Starbucks</a> is at a crossroads with former <keyword id="20334200" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chipotle" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Chipotle" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Chipotle">Chipotle</keyword> CEO <keyword id="22045435" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Brian-Niccol" source="keywords">Brian Niccol</keyword> set to take the helm this month.</li><li>One longtime employee says that <keyword id="19913226" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Starbucks" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Starbucks" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Starbucks">Starbucks</keyword> has become more like fast-food rivals.</li></ul>In 2008, Starbucks investors were pressing CEO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-coffee-howard-schultz-steve-jobs-bill-gates-acquired-podcast-2024-6" target="_blank">Howard Schultz</a> to cut costs at the coffee chain. One had a novel idea for saving money, Schultz said in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://money.cnn.com/2010/06/07/news/companies/starbucks_schultz_healthcare.fortune/index.htm">a 2010 interview</a>: Why not end healthcare benefits for part-time Starbucks employees? Schultz turned the suggestion down, he told Fortune, and suggested that the investor consider selling his stock. Schultz has since come under fire for everything from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-helped-organize-starbucks-recent-union-drive-heres-why-2021-12">Starbucks' treatment of unionizing workers</a> to the chain's olive-oil coffee drinks. But for one <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-and-worst-starbucks-drinks-according-to-baristas-2021-6">Starbucks worker</a> at a North Carolina café who has spent 19 years at the company, Schultz's decision on healthcare benefits symbolizes what Starbucks once was. "It used to be a great place to work," the employee said. "People wouldn't leave Starbucks unless they were college students and went up into a higher career, or they retired with the company." The employee asked not to be identified in this article, citing fear of retaliation from Starbucks, but Business Insider has verified his identity and work for the company. Starbucks is at a crossroads. The company has spent several years fighting employees at hundreds of stores as they attempted to form unions and negotiate contracts — though Starbucks said this year that it would sit down to bargain with those employees. The company is also in the midst of a CEO change. Starbucks said last month that Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol would replace Laxman Narasimhan as CEO as of September 9. The switch comes as Starbucks faces slumping sales in the US, long customer wait times, and challenges in its business in China. Besides the continued healthcare option for part-time workers, the North Carolina employee pointed to the company's stock grant program, called Bean Stock, as well as its decision to call store employees "partners." Starbucks began both in 1991, during Schultz's early years as CEO. The employee, who started working at Starbucks in the mid-2000s, said the company had a reputation for treating workers well when he joined. But changes over the last couple of years, such as cuts to staffing levels at his store and an increasing stream of mobile orders, have changed that image, he said. The Starbucks location where the employee works now has two or three people on duty most shifts, down from up to five a few years ago, he said. That leaves partners more stretched, especially with a constant stream of orders placed through Starbucks' app, and less time to serve customers who order in-store. "It started out as a trendy, quirky coffee shop job, and it's just morphed into this soulless <keyword id="20731460" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fast-food" source="keywords">fast food</keyword> empire since that time," the employee said. "Ever since Howard left, I said things have just really gone downhill," he added, referring to the period after Schultz stepped down as CEO in 2017. A Starbucks spokesperson said that the company seeks feedback from employees through surveys and meetings between employees and leadership. Store employees "have multiple opportunities throughout the year to voice their opinions, share their experiences, and suggest areas for improvement," the spokesperson said. Wall Street analysts have lauded incoming CEO Niccol as the turnaround expert that Starbucks needs, citing Chipotle's severalfold stock price increase during his tenure. But the Starbucks worker at the North Carolina store isn't as optimistic. He told BI he's skeptical that Niccol will address the problems he sees at his store, including a chronic shortage of worker hours and the surge of mobile orders that tend to overwhelm the employees on duty. The Starbucks spokesperson declined to comment on any early plans that Niccol has for employee compensation or working conditions. The spokesperson noted that barista wages range "from $15.25 to $26 per hour." The North Carolina employee also pointed to another reason he's not hopeful: The Chipotle near the Starbucks where he works. "No matter what time of day I go in, they always look pissed off," he said of the Chipotle employees he sees there. "And it looks like sometimes they don't have enough people working." Correction: September 6, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled <keyword id="20366267" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Howard-Schultz" source="keywords">Howard Schultz</keyword>'s name in the first paragraph. Do you work at Starbucks or another major restaurant chain and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com

A Starbucks worker of nearly 20 years says the chain has gone from 'quirky coffee shop' to 'soulless fast food empire'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>85,000 Kaiser Permanente workers are voting on whether to authorize a strike.</li><li>If the Kaiser strike is authorized, it would be the nation's largest healthcare strike in history.</li></ul><ul class="summary-list"></ul>As this summer — already <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ups-teamsters-union-reach-deal-avoid-strike-contract-pay-2023-7">jam-packed</a> with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-unemployment-benefits-union-workers-strike-hollywood-sag-aftra-wga-2023-8">labor activity</a> — turns to fall, tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers could find themselves on the picket line.The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions will conduct a strike authorization vote beginning August 26. The vote will last through mid-September, said Dave Regan, president of the SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, at a press conference on Thursday.If union members vote to strike, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions could walk as early as October 1. With 85,000 members in its ranks, it would be the largest healthcare strike in the country's history, organizers say.The <a href="https://www.unioncoalition.org/home/">Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions</a> is a collection of healthcare worker unions at Kaiser Permanente facilities in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, DC, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington. Kaiser Permanente is known for providing its patients with both coverage plans and healthcare under the same company.Kaiser Permanente has <a href="https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/learn/what-is-kaiser-permanente">hundreds of facilities</a> across the country — including 39 hospitals and 715 medical offices — serving more than 12 million people. The Coalition represents workers in 95% of these facilities, Regan said, meaning more than 11 million Kaiser Permanente users could be affected.The call for a strike authorization vote comes five weeks before their contract with Kaiser Permanente expires. Union leaders say they are calling for <a href="https://www.seiu-uhw.org/kaiser-campaign-updates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased staffing to protect patients</a> and workers alike, a raise in pay differentials for evening and night shifts, and stability for remote workers."If Kaiser does not come correct in the next 45 days or so before the expiration of this agreement, there will be a nationwide strike and that will be something that is avoidable," Regan said. "It would be a tragedy. It is not what this workforce wants to do, but it is what we are being left no choice to do."Wayne Davis, a spokesperson for Kaiser Permanente, told Insider that union members should reject the call to strike."We take any threat to disrupt care for our members seriously and have plans to ensure continued access to healthcare by our members, patients, and the communities we serve, should any union call for a strike," Davis wrote.Union representatives said they understood that a strike would affect patient healthcare but that staffing issues at the company were already negatively affecting patients — and workers. "A strike would cause delays. But do you know what else causes delays in patient care? Not having the staff to treat the patients waiting six months in Colorado for a radiology appointment. That causes delays in care," Caroline Lucas, executive director of the Coalition, said at the press conference. "We would go on strike because we care about fixing those things."The strike would happen on the grounds of unfair labor practices, including Kaiser Permanente's failure to bargain in good faith and failure to provide relevant information as required by law, Regan said.Davis said these reports are "unfounded.""We remain committed to bargaining with our Coalition unions in good faith and in the spirit of partnership," Davis wrote. "We will focus our energy on frank and productive discussions that lead to an agreement, and to doing our part to ensure there are no disruptions to the high-quality care we provide."Organizers say that ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began, healthcare workers have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/healthcare-workers-nurses-long-covid-impact-careers-labor-shortage-2022-5">under immense strain because of limited staffing</a> — and it isn't getting better.Liz Grigsby, a respiratory therapist and union member, said memories of patient deaths due to staffing shortages haunt her. She spoke about one patient in particular, a mother battling COVID-19 after giving birth."I made a promise to her to stay by her side to come back and to provide the support she desperately needed, but the painful reality of short staffing prevented me for fulfilling that promise," Grigsby said at the press conference. "When I came back, she already died."Davis says the company has worked with the Coalition to accelerate hiring, and that they have already filled 6,500 positions.Catherine Engler, a licensed vocational nurse and union member, said patients are slipping through the cracks as staffing shortages continue."I lie awake at night wondering if I did everything I'm supposed to for both my family and my patients," Engler said at the press conference. "It scares me that we don't have enough staff. Healthcare workers are leaving the industry because they can't take it anymore, making the existing short-staff crisis worse and hurting our patients."

85,000 healthcare workers are voting to authorize a strike. If they do, it will be the largest healthcare strike the nation has ever seen.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>75,000 Kaiser Permanente employees have gone on strike after failing to reach a contract agreement.</li><li>The strike began Wednesday morning and is the largest healthcare strike in US history.</li></ul>More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare employees across the country went on strike Wednesday morning.It is the largest healthcare strike the US has ever seen.The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and the healthcare company failed to reach a contract agreement by the September 30 deadline. As a result, healthcare workers across five states and Washington, DC, walked out to join the picket line. The strike will last through October 7, according to union officials, barring a contract agreement.This historic strike comes over a month after the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions announced they'd be holding a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kaiser-permanente-strike-largest-healthcare-walkout-us-history-2023-9">strike authorization vote</a> among their 85,000 unionized employees in eight states and Washington, DC, throughout September. Now, strikes are happening in California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Virginia and Washington, DC.Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition negotiated late into the night Tuesday ahead of the strike, Wayne Davis, a spokesperson for Kaiser Permanente, told Insider. The two parties reached agreements on several specific proposals, according to Davis. Yet, there is still no contract as of Wednesday morning.<div type="image" title="Kaiser Permanente workers on the picket line." height="3024" width="4032" msid="104165776" hostid="261"></div><h2>Kaiser Permanente employees say short-staffing hurts workers and patients alike</h2>One of the top priorities for Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers is addressing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kaiser-permanente-worker-strike-union-patient-health-risk-2023-9">short-staffing in healthcare facilities</a>.Nahid Bokaee, a Kaiser Permanente pharmacist in Virginia for 20 years, told Insider she initially chose Kaiser Permanente over other job offers because they had a reputation for providing a high quality of life.Now, Bokaee says things have changed."I used to be so happy," Bokaee told Insider from a Virginia picket line. "Now, fast forward to 2023 — the conditions are so bad that we have to go on a strike. We don't want a strike, but we have no choice."<div type="image" title="Nahid Bokaee, a Kaiser Permanente pharmacist in Virginia for 20 years, poses with her sign." height="2584" width="3446" msid="104165777" hostid="261"></div>David Hawa, a pharmacist for Kaiser Permanente's Virginia Medical Center, has worked at the company for 28 years. The last several years have been some of the hardest of his career, Hawa told Insider from the picket line. "Life has changed since COVID, and we've seen no adjustment in our demands," Hawa said.Hawa and Bokaee both agreed that short-staffing is one of the biggest problems for staff and patients alike."The staffing crisis affects us, the frontline healthcare workers, and it affects our patients," Hawa said. "Patients stand in line longer, they're frustrated, they don't get the service they deserve."Sarah Levesque, secretary-treasurer for OPEIU Local 2 — which represents hundreds of Kaiser Permanente workers in Washington, DC and Virginia — told Insider the impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare staff continue to affect Kaiser's quality of care. "They got into healthcare because they care about their patients," Levesque told Insider from the picket line. "And for some of these healthcare workers here on the line, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kaiser-permanente-worker-strike-union-patient-health-risk-2023-9">their patients are waiting three months</a> to get an appointment."<div type="image" title="David Hawa, a pharmacist at Kaiser Permanente for 28 years, poses with his sign." height="3024" width="4032" msid="104165779" hostid="261"></div>Hilary Costa, a spokesperson for Kaiser Permanente, told Insider on Sunday the company has already filled 9,000 Coalition-represented positions this year and expects to hit 10,000 by the end of October, if not sooner, and they will not stop hiring once they reach that goal.<h2>Millions of patients could be impacted by the Kaiser strike</h2>Costa said Sunday the healthcare company has contingency plans in place to ensure members continue to receive care during the strike. Their hospitals and emergency departments will also remain open.Kaiser did not provide further details on their plan to minimize disruptions to patient care when asked by Insider on Wednesday morning.Kaiser Permanente, a private healthcare company with <a href="https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/learn/what-is-kaiser-permanente" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hundreds of facilities</a> across the country — including 39 hospitals and 715 medical offices — serves more than 12 million people. The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions represents workers in 95% of these facilities. That means more than 11 million people who rely on Kaiser Permanente will be affected by the strike.While they will remain open, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kaiser-permanente-worker-strike-union-patient-health-risk-2023-9">hospitals could see disruptions</a> because of the strike, Insider previously reported. That's because the Coalition represents employees across dozens of roles at the company, including registered nurses, admissions staff, cleaners, phlebotomists, surgery assistants, and others. The union doesn't represent the company's doctors.

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