Recovery Community Combats Isolation Of Social Distancing
Online meetings are providing a life-line to addicts of all kinds, in this time of global pandemic
LOS ANGELES, March 20, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — From Refuge Recovery: In the next 12 months, at least 158,000 people are expected to die in the United States, not from the coronavirus outbreak, but from the scourge of addiction. Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. have reached 70,000 per year, while another 88,000 people are dying each year from alcohol abuse. Study after study shows that isolation and loneliness are among the main causes. It is not surprising then, that connection and community have been proven by most studies to be among the most critical factors in recovery.
With the social distancing and isolation required by the onslaught of the coronavirus, addiction recovery organizations have been forced to adapt to the challenge, to try to avoid the death toll from addiction climbing much higher. Non-profit organizations such as Refuge Recovery, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Smart Recovery, and others rapidly have moved most, if not all of their recovery meetings — the heart of the recovery process — to online platforms.
Peer-led Refuge Recovery meetings in particular, which are critical to that organization’s mindfulness meditation-based approach to recovery, are now available for free online, around the clock, at www.refugerecovery.org. In those meetings, as in all Refuge Recovery meetings, participants are offered guided meditation, a reading from the Harper Collins book, “Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovery from Addiction,” and perhaps most importantly, an opportunity to share their personal accounts from the front lines of the battle for recovery.
Smaller Refuge Recovery meetings are continuing in person, in compliance with government guidelines regarding social distancing. But many are too large, so they’ve gone online.
Ironically, by forcing thousands of recovery meetings online, the coronavirus might be opening the addiction recovery process to millions of people who, for whatever reason, did not or could not attend in-person meetings.
ABOUT REFUGE RECOVERY:
Refuge Recovery, a non-profit organization, is grounded in the belief, based on over a decade of its own experience, and 2,600 years of Buddhist practice in general, that Buddhist principles and practices can create a strong foundation for the addiction recovery process, especially for addicts who have difficulty with other programs. Wisdom and compassion enable those struggling with any form of addiction to become more mindful of their mental processes, while also developing a deep understanding of the suffering that addiction has created, and compassion for their own pain. We foster free-of-charge meetings and communities that practice regular meditation, offer mentorship, and use Refuge Recovery literature to educate and provide free, Buddhist-inspired guidance for anyone seeking recovery from addiction.
The international network of hundreds of Refuge Recovery meetings is strong and growing every week. More information is available on our website at www.refugerecovery.org, and on our two main Facebook pages with the @refugerecovery handle.
Press Contact:
Joseph Souhrada, Refuge Recovery World Services
Seattle, Washington
+1 (206) 913-9625
[email protected]
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SOURCE Refuge Recovery
Kia Telluride Named A Top Pick For Families By U.S. News & World Report
IRVINE, California, March 19, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — U.S. News & World Report awards the 2020 Kia Telluride its Best 3-Row SUV for Families accolade.
“Telluride being named the Best 3-Row SUV for Families by U.S. News & World Report is the latest in a string of awards that have been bestowed on Telluride and is further validation of Kia’s relentless commitment to ‘Give It Everything’,” said Michael Cole, president, Kia Motors America. “The flagship SUV’s rugged luxury and an abundance of tech combined with comfortable seating for up to eight passengers continues to exceed customer expectations.”
Winners were selected based on excellent professional automotive reviews, safety and reliability ratings, and the availability of family friendly features that keep occupants safe, connected and entertained. Vehicles with the highest composite score in their class were named the Best Car for Families in their respective categories.
U.S. News & World Report executive editor Jaime Page Deaton said, “Kia made the right choices when they loaded the Telluride up with family friendly options and plenty of cargo space. Safety features like a surround view camera, front automatic braking and lane keeping controls keep everyone safe. Features like tri-zone climate control and heated and cooled front and rear seats keep everyone comfortable. Kia’s UVO app is also impressive for how it helps parents coach their teens toward safe driving habits.”
For more information on the award, visit cars.usnews.com/cars-families.
About Kia Motors America
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia Motors America has been the highest ranked mass market brand in initial quality for five consecutive years according to J.D. Power1 and is recognized as one of the 100 Best Global Brands by Interbrand. Kia serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA and offers a complete range of vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including cars and SUVs proudly assembled in West Point, Georgia.*
For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert.
*The Telluride, Sorento and Optima (excluding Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid) are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.
1 Kia received the lowest rate of reported problems among mass market brands in the J.D. Power 2015-19 U.S. Initial Quality Studies of new vehicle owners’ experiences with their own vehicle after 90 days of ownership. Visit jdpower.com/awards for more details.
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SOURCE Kia Motors America
Media Statement From Southwest Gas
LAS VEGAS, March 18, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — During these unprecedented times, Southwest Gas continues to be an essential part of the communities we serve. We remain committed to our two million-plus customers and will continue our normal hours of business operations during the current COVID-19 pandemic. As a cornerstone of the community, the company provides the essential service of delivering energy to our customers, many of who are home-bound and rely on natural gas to cook, heat water and homes, and dry clothes, more now than ever before. That’s why we’ve also ceased disconnections indefinitely, until the COVID-19 situation improves, as we know that many of our customers will be affected by recent closures. In addition, we have adopted enhanced hygiene protocols, including mandating that our technicians wear safety glasses and gloves, as well as exercise social distancing and remain at least six feet away from customers in a home or business. We also want to remind customers that our public offices and payment kiosks remain open for customer business. Per the CDC’s recommendation, no more than ten people will be allowed inside the office at once. Customers can still manage their account from the comfort of their homes using our website swgas.com and our mobile app. We also provide assistance programs for income-qualified customers.
SOURCE Southwest Gas Corporation
Full-Time or Part-Time, Domino’s® is Hiring
Join Domino’s team in helping to feed America
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, March 19, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Domino’s (NYSE: DPZ), the largest pizza company in the world based on global retail sales, and its franchisees are working hard to serve local communities and provide reliable, hot pizza to everyone looking for a meal. Staffing is critical at times like this. Open store positions generally include delivery experts, pizza makers, customer service representatives, managers and assistant managers. Domino’s U.S supply chain centers are also hiring Class A CDL drivers.
“While many local, state, and federal rules are closing dine-in restaurants, the opportunity to keep feeding our neighbors through delivery and carryout means that a small sense of normalcy is still available to everyone,” said Richard Allison, Domino’s chief executive officer. “Our corporate and franchise stores want to make sure they’re not only feeding people, but also providing opportunity to those looking for work at this time, especially those in the heavily-impacted restaurant industry.”
Those who are interested in applying for a position should visit jobs.dominos.com.
All stores now have the ability to execute contactless delivery, while carryout remains open for those who prefer that option. For more information on what Domino’s is doing regarding COVID-19, please go to biz.dominos.com. As always, for ordering, either use the website (dominos.com); Domino’s ordering apps for iPad®, iPhone® and Android™; or Domino’s AnyWare ordering through Google Home, Alexa, Slack, and Facebook Messenger.
About Domino’s Pizza®
Founded in 1960, Domino’s Pizza is the largest pizza company in the world based on retail sales, with a significant business in both delivery and carryout pizza. It ranks among the world’s top public restaurant brands with a global enterprise of more than 17,000 stores in over 90 markets. Domino’s had global retail sales of over $14.3 billion in 2019, with over $7.0 billion in the U.S. and nearly $7.3 billion internationally. In the fourth quarter of 2019, Domino’s had global retail sales of over $4.5 billion, with over $2.2 billion in the U.S. and over $2.3 billion internationally. Its system is comprised of independent franchise owners who accounted for 98% of Domino’s stores as of the fourth quarter of 2019. Emphasis on technology innovation helped Domino’s achieve more than half of all global retail sales in 2019 from digital channels, primarily online ordering and mobile applications. In the U.S., Domino’s generates over 65% of sales via digital channels and has developed several innovative ordering platforms, including those developed for Google Home, Facebook Messenger, Apple Watch, Amazon Echo and Twitter – as well as Domino’s Hotspots®, an ordering platform featuring over 200,000 unique, non-traditional delivery locations. In June 2019, through an announced partnership with Nuro, Domino’s furthered its exploration and testing of autonomous pizza delivery. In late 2019, Domino’s opened the Domino’s Innovation Garage adjacent to its headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to fuel continued technology and operational innovation – while also launching its GPS technology, allowing customers to follow the progress of the delivery driver from store to doorstep.
Order – dominos.com
AnyWare Ordering – anyware.dominos.com
Company Info – biz.dominos.com
Twitter – twitter.com/dominos
Facebook – facebook.com/dominos
Instagram – instagram.com/dominos
YouTube – youtube.com/dominos
Please visit our Investor Relations website at biz.dominos.com to view news, announcements, investor presentations, earnings releases and conference webcasts.
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SOURCE Domino’s Pizza
Blue Shield of California Offers Digital Hospital-Triage Tool to Network Health Systems to Help Handle Anticipated Surge of COVID-19 Patients
OAKLAND, California, March 18, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Blue Shield of California is offering a new digital tool to its network hospitals at no additional cost to help them triage the influx of patients seeking advice on coronavirus (COVID-19) or other medical care.
This is the latest effort by the nonprofit health plan to support public health during the ongoing coronavirus crisis by helping hospitals be more effective and efficient in caring for their patients.
The “COVID-19 Screener and Emergency Response Assistant” (COVID-19 SERA) is a tool that patients can access via Internet-connected smartphone, tablet or computer on a participating hospital’s website. COVID-19 SERA can be customized for each health system’s emergency response plan, and it is updated in real-time with latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). GYANT, a San Francisco-based company providing virtual triage and patient navigation services, developed this tool.
Patients would access COVID-19 SERA on a hospital’s website, answer a few basic questions, and based on their reply, they would be directed to the appropriate medical settings for their health situation. The idea is to point patients in the most appropriate care setting so hospitals can better manage the inflow of patients.
The COVID-19 SERA service can be implemented on a hospital’s website within 48 hours. Blue Shield will cover the costs for its network hospitals to implement, update and be licensed to use COVID-19 SERA system for three months during the pandemic.
“The tool provides relief to hospitals’ overburdened call centers and front-desk resources. It can direct low-acuity cases to the appropriate medical settings and provide relevant information to patients affected by COVID-19 so that they can quickly receive medical care and help curb community transmission,” said Terry Gilliland, M.D., executive vice president, Healthcare Quality and Affordability at Blue Shield. “These are trying times for everyone and we believe this system can make a difference for hospitals as they do their best to provide medical care for patients.”
The COVID-19 SERA is developed by GYANT, a San Francisco-based company that uses artificial intelligence to provide digital services that help people access appropriate care.
About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of our family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association with over 4 million members, 6,800 employees and more than $20 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $500 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation since 2002 to have an impact on California communities.
For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com.
Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.
About GYANT
GYANT, the patient engagement and care navigation company, drives more meaningful patient-doctor encounters while improving care utilization and pathways. Leveraging its customizable, artificial intelligence-enabled platform, which integrates into any EHR system, GYANT creates easy to navigate and enjoyable experiences for patients that equate to cost and time savings, and improved patient conversion rates for health systems. GYANT’s unique combination of deep intelligence, physician oversight and a human-driven, empathetic approach allows health systems to solve for traditional complex care issues, ensuring that patients receive the right care – anytime and anywhere, increasing engagement, trust and loyalty along their entire healthcare journey. PR Contact: Abbey Clark, (631)-834-1070
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CONTACT: |
Matthew Yi |
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Blue Shield of California |
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510-607-2359 |
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SOURCE Blue Shield of California
The Home Depot Temporarily Adjusts Store Hours and Extends Paid Time Off in Response to COVID-19
ATLANTA, March 18, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Home Depot®, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, announced today it is temporarily adjusting store hours to better serve customers and communities in response to COVID-19. Beginning Thursday, March 19, stores will now close daily at 6 p.m., while opening hours will remain unchanged.
As an essential retailer to the communities it serves, The Home Depot is committed to keeping stores open just as it always does during times of crisis and natural disaster. Homeowners and businesses depend on The Home Depot for urgent needs such as hot water heaters, refrigerators, cleaning supplies, electrical and plumbing repairs, and harsh weather items like tarps, propane and batteries.
The adjusted hours will give stores the ability to staff appropriately and provide additional time to restock shelves and perform cleaning. As many items across our store are in high demand, the Company’s merchants and supply chain teams are prioritizing replenishment and restocking as quickly as possible.
The Home Depot is also expanding its paid time off policy to address the needs of hourly associates to help alleviate some of the challenges they may be facing as a result of COVID-19. Starting this week, all hourly full-time associates will receive an additional 80 hours of paid sick or personal time, and part-time hourly associates will receive an additional 40 hours of paid sick or personal time. These hours can be taken anytime from now until the end of the year. If associates are diagnosed with COVID-19 or advised by health or government officials to self-quarantine due to direct COVID-19 exposure, they will continue to be paid during that time.
“Our customers rely on us for urgent repairs, products, and materials, and we’ve always been committed to serving them during times of crisis and natural disaster,” said Craig Menear chairman, CEO and president. “I want to thank our associates and suppliers for their dedication and hard work to ensure we’re there for our communities during this challenging time.”
About The Home Depot
The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,292 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2019, The Home Depot had sales of $110.2 billion and earnings of $11.2 billion. The Company employs more than 400,000 associates. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index.
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SOURCE The Home Depot
Blue Shield of California Offers Digital Hospital-Triage Tool to Network Health Systems to Help Handle Anticipated Surge of COVID-19 Patients
OAKLAND, California, March 18, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Blue Shield of California is offering a new digital tool to its network hospitals at no additional cost to help them triage the influx of patients seeking advice on coronavirus (COVID-19) or other medical care.
This is the latest effort by the nonprofit health plan to support public health during the ongoing coronavirus crisis by helping hospitals be more effective and efficient in caring for their patients.
The “COVID-19 Screener and Emergency Response Assistant” (COVID-19 SERA) is a tool that patients can access via Internet-connected smartphone, tablet or computer on a participating hospital’s website. COVID-19 SERA can be customized for each health system’s emergency response plan, and it is updated in real-time with latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO).
Patients would access COVID-19 SERA on a hospital’s websites, answer a few basic questions and based on their reply, they would be directed to the appropriate medical settings for their health situation. The idea is to point patients in the most appropriate care setting so hospitals can better manage inflow of patients.
The COVID-19 SERA service can be implemented on a hospital’s website within 48 hours. Blue Shield will cover the costs for its network hospitals to implement, update and be licensed to use COVID-19 SERA system for three months during the pandemic.
“The tool provides relief to hospitals’ overburdened call centers and front-desk resources. It can direct low-acuity cases to the appropriate medical settings and provide relevant information to patients affected by COVID-19 so that they can quickly receive medical care and help curb community transmission,” said Terry Gilliland, M.D., executive vice president, Healthcare Quality and Affordability at Blue Shield. “These are trying times for everyone and we believe this system can make a difference for hospitals as they do their best to provide medical care for patients.”
The COVID-19 SERA is developed by GYANT, a San Francisco-based company that uses artificial intelligence to provide digital services that help people access appropriate care.
About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of our family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association with over 4 million members, 6,800 employees and more than $20 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $500 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation since 2002 to have an impact on California communities.
For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com.
Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.
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CONTACT: |
Matthew Yi |
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Blue Shield of California |
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510-607-2359 |
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SOURCE Blue Shield of California
Ismael Cala publishes seven free meditations on the app “Escala Meditando”
MIAMI, March 17, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — This Tuesday, communicator, strategist and best-selling author Ismael Cala published seven free meditations on his app Escala Meditando.
“We are experiencing a wave of uncertainty, fear and anxiety; but we can handle situations better if we learn how to manage fear. We must not let fear paralyze us. We must be proactive and get the best from ourselves,” Cala explained.
The free guided meditations available to everyone are: “Point of light,” “Be like bamboo,” “Handling stress,” “Life’s treasure,” “More love against intolerance,” “Calm from peace,” and “Feel, release and smile.”
Scientific investigations have shown that meditating is beneficial for physical and mental health, regardless of age. It increases self-esteem, helps with depression and lethargy, releases negative energy, alleviates suffering and combats stress.
Ismael Cala’s personal growth and mindfulness meditation app is completely in Spanish and is available for Android and iOS.
ABOUT ISMAEL CALA
Life and business strategist. He presents and directs the interview show, CALA, which is broadcast in twenty countries. For five and a half years, Ismael Cala hosted the show CALA at prime time on CNN en Español. Businessman and social entrepreneur. Author of eight best-selling books in the areas of leadership, enterprise and personal development, including “El poder de escuchar,” (The Power of Listening), and “Despierta con Cala” (Awaken with Cala). Cala was born in Santiago de Cuba (1969) and has a degree in Art History from Universidad de Oriente. He is coauthor of the book “Beat the Curve,” with Brian Tracy. He graduated from the School of Communication at the University of York in Toronto, and has a diploma from Seneca College in Television Production. He is President and founder of Cala Enterprises Corporation and the Ismael Cala Foundation.
SOURCE Cala Enterprises