SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA), and Alcohol Justice, held #CAPASummit2020 – the 5th Annual CAPA Summit – The Movement Toward Social Justice in Public Health over the first three Fridays in November. The successful virtual event took place via Zoom and was attended by 296 public health experts and advocates.

“Rising to overcome the challenges of COVID, this year’s summit was an exciting success,” said Richard Zaldivar, Board Chair of Alcohol Justice. “CAPA has developed an intersectional approach to alcohol policy that has earned the respect of public health and safety-minded activists and lawmakers throughout California. We look forward to supporting CAPA’s continuing participation in crafting public policy that places community health and safety over alcohol industry profits.”

#CAPASummit2020 was spread over three successive Fridays that began on November 6^th.  In addition to participating in the virtual sessions, CAPA attendees were acknowledged in inspirational video messages by California State Assemblymember Tom Lackey and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer.

“It’s important that we have thoughtful conversations about the potential impact alcohol can have on our health and our communities,” stated California State Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez. “I applaud CAPA for being a unified voice for diverse organizations in California that want to prevent substance abuse and other alcohol-related harm through statewide action.”

Session topics and speakers included:

DAY 1 – Equity, Alcohol Injustice

• Chanchanit (Chancee) Martorell, Thai Community Development Center
• Kandee Lewis, Positive Results Corporation
• Jose Guevara-Johnson, The Wall Las Memorias Project
• Tasha R. Fridia, JD, Tribal Law and Policy Institute
• Yvette Lopez-Ledesma, The Wilderness Society
• Dinora Heredia, A.K.A. Fémina Fatal, Batallones Femeninos

DAY 2 – COVID-19 and Alcohol

• Dr. John Connolly, Chief Strategist, L.A. County Department of Public Health
• Dr. Lello Tesema, L.A. County Department of Public Health Division of Substance Abuse Prevention & Control (SAPC)
• Diana Zúñiga, L.A. County Department of Health Services, Alternatives to Incarceration Workgroup
• Nicolle Perras, L.A. County Department of Public Health
• Nelly Arias, L.A. County Department of Mental Health
• Franklin Romero, L.A. County Department of Mental Health
• Raul M. Herrera, AJUPEME USA – Turtle Island, International Ulama Mesoamerican Hip-Ballgame association
• Carson Benowitz-Fredricks, MSPH, CHES, Alcohol Justice
• Vanessa Ramirez Garcia, Future Leaders of America
• Xavier Flores, Pueblo y Salud, Inc.

DAY 3 – Social Justice-Informed Policy

• Antonio Cortez Appling, The Long Beach Poetry Slam
• Brian “SuperB” Oliva, Multi-title slam champion, Slam Poetry Coach
• Kat Magill, 2x National Poetry Slam finalist, HBO Def Jam Poet,
• Brenda Villanueva, Co-chair, Los Angeles Drug and Alcohol Policy Alliance
• Gilbert Mora, MS, Co-chair, California Alcohol Policy Alliance
• Jorge Castillo, Alcohol Justice
• Raul Verdugo, Alcohol Justice
• Veronica De Lara, MPA, Co-chair, California Alcohol Policy Alliance
• Mayra Jimenez, Alcohol Justice

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that public health needs to be reevaluated to provide fair access to all, especially for low earning communities and communities of color,” said California State Assemblymember Monique Limón. “A pandemic of this magnitude comes with many risks and concerns beyond the virus. Losing a loved one, a job, and not interacting with those around you can be very difficult, and for many, it is challenging to seek help. I applaud CAPA for having conversations about the risk of alcohol abuse during these times and interconnecting social justice with public health as we continue seeing the need for improvement in our system.”

“Even though COVID made it impossible to come together physically with activists from throughout the state, we were still able to celebrate past CAPA victories and plan new strategies,”  stated Gilbert Mora, Co-Chair of CAPA. “The virtual turnout produced unexpected moments of deep insight and inspiration. CAPA is ready to move forward with confidence and strength to demand social justice in public health in California.”

CAPA Member Organizations:

CAPA Mission:
The California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA) shall unite diverse organizations and communities in California to protect health and safety, and prevent alcohol-related harm through statewide action.

CAPA Platform:
Current core issues leading to specific advocacy and policy change action items.

• Raise the price of alcohol through taxes and fees, supporting the “Charge for Harm” concept that the industry should pay for treatment, prevention and all other costs to government.
• Limit alcohol advertising in all media, especially on government-controlled property and where children or targeted populations are exposed.
• Make the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control effective, efficient, transparent, and accountable to public health and safety concerns of the community, and not to cater to industry profits and license expediency, through policies that reduce alcohol outlet density and increase funding for alcohol control, regulation, and enforcement.
• Eliminate product lines (such as alcopops and malt liquors) oriented to underage youth and vulnerable or targeted populations.
• Reduce the allowable blood alcohol content for drivers as “Point .05 Saves Lives”
• Improve labelling and out-of-home advertising of all alcohol products to ensure a) no marketing to youth, b) no indications of unsubstantiated health claims, c) display of alcohol content by volume and percentage and d) display of harms.

For more information on CAPA, go to: https://alcoholpolicyalliance.org/  and follow on:
Twitter @CAPA_Alcohol
Instagram @caalcoholpolicy
Facebook @AlcoholPolicyAlliance
California Alcohol Policy Alliance is a project of Alcohol Justice

CONTACT: Michael Scippa 415 548-0492
Jorge Castillo 213 840-3336
Mayra Jimenez 323 683-4687

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SOURCE Alcohol Justice; California Alcohol Policy Alliance

BRONX, N.Y., Nov. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Today, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine opened the doors to its new COVID-19 vaccine unit, which will enroll people in clinical trials that will test the efficacy of vaccines against the novel coronavirus. The unit is led by Barry Zingman, MD, professor of medicine at Einstein and clinical director, infectious diseases, at the Moses division of Montefiore Health System.

The vaccine unit opening comes as global coronavirus infections are rising sharply, with nearly 200,000 cases reported daily in the United States. Montefiore’s goal is to ensure more than half of all trial participants are adults most affected by COVID-19 with a focus on people older than 65. Across the country, older individuals and communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

“Montefiore and Einstein have a legacy of providing inclusive access to cutting edge care,” said Andrew D. Racine, M.D., Ph.D., system senior vice president and chief medical officer at Montefiore and professor of pediatrics at Einstein. “By ensuring that historically underrepresented patients are included in COVID-19 vaccination research, this effort will help ensure the efficacy and safety of vaccines for these underrepresented patient groups.”

The new vaccine unit builds on Montefiore and Einstein’s leadership conducting COVID-19 trials and providing lifesaving clinical care to thousands of people in the community and has already started enrolling people in the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine AZD1222 trial. Dr. Zingman is the principal investigator at Montefiore for the vaccine, which is one of 13 COVID-19 vaccines in phase III trials and the first to be evaluated at Montefiore and Einstein. He was also the principal investigator at Montefiore and Einstein for the ACTT-1 and ACTT-2 National Institutes of Health trials, which evaluated remdesivir (now FDA-approved as a treatment for people hospitalized with COVID-19) and remdesivir plus baricitinib, respectively. 

Since March, physician-scientists at Montefiore and Einstein have studied COVID-19’s impact on almost every major health condition, ranging from asthma to cancer; examined health inequities in local communities; and helped determine which treatments work best against COVID-19.

Among its notable research, Montefiore and Einstein faculty:

–  Published the first major U.S. study on the use of steroids, which confirmed the findings of the large-scale British RECOVERY trial showing that steroids are effective in treating COVID-19; the study also revealed which patients can be harmed by steroids

–  Led the first-ever study comparing the immune responses of adults and children with COVID-19 and detected key differences that may explain why children have milder disease than adults

–  Led the development of a monoclonal antibody therapy to neutralize COVID-19—and potentially other emerging coronaviruses—clinical trials will begin in December

–  Created a blood test for detecting COVID-19 antibodies, used clinically and for research

–  Launched the first randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of convalescent plasma with NYU Langone Medicine Center, which has expanded to include the University of Miami and the University of Texas-Houston, among other locations across the country

–  Was the first New York City medical center to enroll participants in the ACTT-1 remdesivir trial and the second highest enrolling site worldwide

–  Will offer the first randomized controlled trial of dexamethasone versus baricitinib (NIAID ACTT-4 study) for the hyperinflammatory state in COVID-19

“Words cannot express my appreciation for the many people who worked so hard to establish the new COVID-19 vaccine unit, making sure underrepresented communities will have access to the most promising protection from COVID-19,” said Dr. Zingman. “To the healthcare providers and investigators who enthusiastically joined the effort and to the people who are coming in to participate in these critically important trials, we thank you for your role in helping the world end this pandemic.”

The AstraZeneca/University of Oxford vaccine is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial in which two people will get the vaccine for each person who receives a placebo injection. Two injections will be given during the first 29 days.

An independent analysis of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine found it successfully provoked a powerful immune response against COVID-19. The study will not include people previously diagnosed with COVID-19, people whose immune systems are suppressed due to disease or medications, people with cancer, people who are pregnant or nursing, and anyone under age 18.

About Montefiore Health System
Montefiore Health System is one of New York’s premier academic health systems and is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. It is comprised of 10 hospitals, including the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and more than 200 outpatient ambulatory care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information please visit www.montefiore.org. Follow us on Twitter and view us on Facebook and YouTube.

About Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine is one of the nation’s premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2019-20 academic year, Einstein is home to 724 M.D. students, 158 Ph.D. students, 106 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 265 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 1,800 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2019, Einstein received more than $178 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, cancer, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States through Montefiore and an affiliation network involving hospitals and medical centers in the Bronx, Brooklyn and on Long Island. For more information, please visit www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and view us on YouTube.

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SOURCE Montefiore Health System; Albert Einstein College of Medicine