Healthcare

Skolnik: Open Letter To LAPS School Board On Its July 11, 2023 Meeting

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RICHARD SKOLNIK
White Rock

During the last school year, the LAPS faced an exceptionally high rate of absenteeism, at least an important part of which appears to have been due to health issues, such as COVID, RSV, and a range of other viruses.

In addition, COVID is not over, much of the US population has waning immunity to COVID, and the latest studies make clear that children are major spreaders of COVID and can suffer both short-run and long-run consequences from it.

Moreover, Los Alamos seems to be in the grip of a fentanyl epidemic, which has led to the tragic deaths of a number of young people.

In Read More

LAHS Student Emily McLaughlin Completes Girl Scout Gold Award Project … ‘Being Human: A Down Syndrome Story’

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Cover of ‘Being Human: A Down Syndrome Story’, written & illustrated by Emily McLaughlin. Courtesy photo

COMMUNITY News:

Emily McLaughlin, an incoming senior at Los Alamos High School, has just completed her Girl Scout Gold Award Project, which includes the writing, illustrating and publishing of her children’s book “Being Human: A Down Syndrome Story”.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve with only 5.4 percent of eligible Girl Scouts fully achieving their award. To be eligible for the Gold Award, scouts must be of the senior or ambassador level (11th-12th Read More

Dannemann: It’s Our Meat And Our Safety

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By MERILEE DANNEMANN
Triple Spaced Again
© 2023 New Mexico News Services

Is it better to have meat inspections conducted by a state agency or a federal agency? What do you think?

Some New Mexicans who understand the economics of cattle growing and meat processing want to reinstate the state program. Legislation has been introduced a few times, most recently in this year’s legislative session. The previous program was terminated in 2007 after negative reports by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Federal law requires that meat sold to the public must be inspected by a government inspector to Read More

Speakers Emphasize Need For Empathy In Addressing Fentanyl Issues

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The public filled Fuller Lodge to take part in the Fentanyl Awareness Harm Reduction event Thursday. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com

In addressing something as complex as drug use and drug addiction, it would appear the one most effective response is also the most simple: exercising empathy.

During the Fentanyl Awareness Harm Reduction event held Thursday at Fuller Lodge, participants heard from Los Alamos Police Department Det. Jemuel Montoya and Cpl. Jaime Gonzales and from The Mountain Center’s Harm Reduction Read More

LANL & SNL Face Off On World Blood Day To Save Lives

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LANL employee Martin Ward smiles as he gives blood during the World Blood Day competition with SNL last month. LANL won the competion by one unit and the two labs agreed to a rematch in 2024. Courtesy/LANL

SNL employee Zuzana Patterson, center, chats with Jacquelyn Chavez, left, and donor care tech Santa Vallejos while giving blood as part of the World Blood Day competition last month at SNL. Photo by Craig Fritz

SNL News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)  faced off last month in a friendly battle to see who could bring in the most blood donations Read More

Sen. Heinrich And Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation: Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) Act

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U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is joining Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) to introduce the Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) Act, bipartisan legislation that would establish a program to award grants to nonprofit organizations to assist them in carrying out programs to provide service dogs to eligible veterans.

The legislation builds on the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act that Sen. Heinrich helped pass into law.

It is estimated that upwards Read More

State Auditor: Shedding Light On Opioid Settlement Funds … A Path To Transparency And Accountability

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By JOSEPH MAESTAS
New Mexico State Auditor

More than a billion dollars from opioid lawsuit settlements are heading to New Mexico coffers, with some monies already hitting state and local government bank accounts. These funds represent a golden opportunity to mitigate the devastating impacts of the opioid epidemic—but making sure the money is spent the way it is intended is critical to ensuring that this opportunity and money aren’t wasted.

Opioids have taken a heavy toll on our State, claiming the lives of hundreds, shattering families and exacting long-term economic and social damage on Read More

LACF Presents Grant To Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service

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Gathered for a recent grant check presentation from left, LAVNS Executive Director Jack Allison, RN, JoAnn Temple, RN; Danielle Williams, CNA; Julie Banaszek, RN; Poem Swentzell, MSW; Melissa Williams, RN; Stephanie Lucero, MD; Nancy Coombs; Elizabeth Ortega, RN; Steve Laurent and Rebecca Leacock, MFT. Courtesy/LACF

LACF News:

The Los Alamos Community Foundation (LACF) has awarded a $5,000 grant to the Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service (LAVNS) to support their marketing efforts in competing with for-profit corporate home health agencies.

The grant will enable the non-profit Los Read More

Los Alamos County Council Honors Dr. Michael Nichols

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Dr. Michael Nichols, left, holds up his certificate of recognition along with Los Alamos County Councilor Keith Lepsch during Tuesday night’s meeting. Nichols retired this year after 40 years working as a pediatrician. Courtesy/LAC

COUNTY News:

Los Alamos County Councilor Keith Lepsch recognized Dr. Michael Nichols for his 40 years of service as a pediatrician during Tuesday night’s meeting.

Lepsch stated:

WHEREAS, Dr. Michael W. Nichols, having practiced pediatric medicine at the Children’s Clinic in Los Alamos County for 40 years, has retired; and

WHEREAS, during Read More