Bloomberg Philanthropies Launches 2016 Mayors Challenge in Latin America and the Caribbean

January 20, 2016

NEW YORK, Jan. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Michael R. Bloomberg today launched Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2016 Mayors Challenge, a competition to inspire Latin American and Caribbean cities to develop bold new ideas that solve major problems and improve city life – and that ultimately can be shared with other cities. The competition includes a $5 million USD grand prize and four $1 million awards to four other cities that generate powerful ideas. The competition is one of the foundation’s flagship programs, reaching hundreds of cities in the U.S. and Europe.

“Cities around the world are pursuing bold policy innovations, and those in Latin America and the Caribbean are helping to lead the way. Expanding the Mayors Challenge to Latin America and the Caribbean provides new opportunities for progress on a wide range of issues that impact the lives of citizens. We’re looking forward to seeing what exciting new ideas emerge from creative city leaders throughout the region,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and three-term Mayor of New York City.

Cities with 100,000 or more residents in Latin America and the Caribbean are invited to compete in this year’s competition. More than 900 cities are eligible within the following countries – Argentina; Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; Guatemala; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; Jamaica; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Uruguay; Suriname; and Venezuela.

All cities competing in the 2016 Mayors Challenge must submit ideas that do one or more of the following:

Address a major social or economic issue in the local area
Improve customer service for citizens or businesses
Create government efficiencies
Improve citizen engagement in local government

Winners will be selected based on their idea’s vision, potential for impact, implementation plan, and potential to spread to other cities. By design, the Mayors Challenge prompts participating cities to leverage resources, talent, and creativity from residents and from other sectors.

Key moments in the 2016 Mayors Challenge for those interested in participating include:

By March 15, 2016, all cities must sign up for the competition at mayorschallenge.bloomberg.org
By April 15, 2016, all cities must submit their ideas
In late spring 2016, approximately 20 finalists will be announced
In July 2016, teams from the finalist cities will attend Ideas Camp, a two-day gathering where finalist cities work with experts to stretch and strengthen their ideas
In fall 2016, the five winning cities will be announced

Bloomberg Philanthropies will be supported by a selection committee of innovation and urban policy experts, largely from Latin America and the Caribbean, to help select the winning cities. The selection committee will be announced in the coming months.

All Mayors Challenge winners receive robust assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropies and its partners to support implementation and document lessons learned. Bloomberg Philanthropies has proudly partnered with the Centre for Public Impact (CPI) to implement this year’s challenge, provide related supports to city participants, and oversee coordination with other program partners. CPI is a not-for-profit, funded by The Boston Consulting Group, and dedicated to improving the positive impact of governments.

Facts on Prior Mayors Challenge Competitions

The Mayors Challenge is designed to surface bold new solutions, enable cities to test the best of these ideas, and help those ideas that work spread. To date, 465 U.S. and European cities have participated in the competitions. Highlights include:

Providence Talks, the grand prize winner from the U.S. Mayors Challenge, aims to address the fact that low-income children hear millions fewer words than their peers from wealthier families by the time they reach kindergarten, negatively impacting future educational attainment. That program’s pilot showed promising results in increasing the number of words heard by program participants. Providence Mayor Elorza is aggressively ramping up the program to reach thousands of children.
Santa Monica, a winner from the U.S. Mayors Challenge, successfully became the first city in the United States to conduct a wellbeing survey in early 2015. City officials are now using these data to align resources, programs, and policies to improve the health and wellbeing of residents. The survey will be conducted once every two years moving forward.
Athens, Greece, a winner from the European Mayors Challenge, has established a robust program to unleash the power of civil society to solve community problems, and to reform outdated regulations that make it difficult for citizens to contribute. Over a thousand community activities have been promoted through the program.
Barcelona, the grand prize winner from the European Mayors Challenge, aims to coordinate the activities of family members, neighbors, volunteers, and professional care givers around individual at-risk seniors to reduce isolation. The city has prototyped the technological platform and collected significant end-user feedback. An expanded pilot will take place in 2016 as they move toward their ultimate goal of reaching 20,000 seniors.
Seven finalists from the European competition that did not receive funding are nonetheless pursuing their ideas: Amsterdam, Brno, Bologna, Bristol, Lisbon, York, and Stara Zagora. Three of the finalists from the U.S. competition that did not receive funding implemented their ideas: Milwaukee, WI; Cincinnati, OH; and Highpoint, NC, while five other finalists continue to pursue the concepts.
Winners from the U.S. and European competitions have received over 300 requests for information related to replication from other cities, universities, and civil society organizations.

Bloomberg Philanthropies has a strong history of work in the Latin America and the Caribbean region. In 2015, the foundation launched its Data for Health program in Latin America which will enable countries to vastly improve their public health data collection and use. Cities in Brazil and Colombia are participating in a new phase of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Global Road Safety Initiative, and the foundation is also assisting the region through its Vibrant Oceans Initiative, the largest philanthropic commitment to internationally reform fisheries management.

To learn more about the Mayors Challenge, visit mayorschallenge.bloomberg.org and @BloombergCities on Twitter and Instagram.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies works in over 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2015, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed over half a billion dollars. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat: Bloombergdotorg and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg.

Media Contact

Bloomberg Philanthropies, Rebecca Carriero, (212) 205-0182, [email protected]

Statement by Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)/CONEL Regarding the SCOTUS Decision to Hear the Case Involving President Obama’s Executive Actions on Immigration

January 19, 2016

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — “God created every human being in His image. Every person has dignity. As so many try to use this case for political ends, we must look with compassion upon the families whose lives and futures are at stake. With certainty regarding these programs, we can move forward side by side.

“However the court rules, Congress has the ultimate responsibility to provide the greatest certainty, in the form of an immigration process that respects individuals and families, strengthens the rule of law, builds our economy and makes us safer.”

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NHCLC/CONEL is the world’s largest Hispanic Christian organization. It serves as a representative voice for the more than 100 million Hispanic Evangelicals assembled in over 40,000 U.S. churches and another 500,000 congregations spread throughout the Spanish-speaking diaspora. For additional information, visit http://www.nhclc.org.

The Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council (SFMSDC) Changes Name to Reflect Expanded Service Area of the Entire State of Florida

January 19, 2016

MIAMI, Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council (SFMSDC), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing access and growth for minority businesses in Florida, announced today that it is changing its name to Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council (FSMSDC) to reflect an expanded service area that now includes Central and Northern Florida. The Council is led by Beatrice Louissaint, whose role as SFMSDC CEO and president has expanded to cover the entire state as CEO and president of the FSMSDC. The organization is set to roll out a variety of new services and programs to its corporate members and MBEs statewide. FSMSDC, an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council Inc. (NMSDC), will be headquartered in Miami with regional offices and staff in Orlando, Tampa and Tallahassee.

“NMSDC remains committed to providing the highest level of service to its members and certified MBEs in central and north Florida. We have every confidence in Beatrice Louissaint’s leadership and her team’s ability to serve the complex needs of the state of Florida,” said NMSDC President Joset Wright-Lacy. “Under the leadership and vision of Ms. Louissaint, we will continue to foment new opportunities for members and implement next-level programs to develop and accelerate Florida businesses.”

Since its founding in 1975, SFMSDC’s mission has been to increase purchasing from Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) by corporations and government entities, while increasing MBEs’ operating capacity through hands-on business assistance, training and access to technology and capital resources. The newly formed FSMSDC will maintain the same core values with the aim of serving a larger number of MBEs—now an estimated 918. The organization will expand the services and programs it provides, such as the Technical Assistance Program (TAP), which offers certified MBEs unprecedented access to much-needed technical and professional services in the legal, marketing and finance areas; the Partners in Business Progress Mentor Protégé Program, in which a major corporation or large MBE works one-on-one with a certified minority-owned business for a specified period of time; loan programs and many others. All of these programs will now be offered statewide with the support of a greater number of stakeholders, national corporate members, local members and top Florida businesses.

“The new name, Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council, communicates that we are now one state, one council, with a mission that extends throughout Florida—to link corporations and government agencies with MBEs in order to foster business development and expansion,” said Beatrice Louissaint, president & CEO of the FSMSDC. “We are thrilled to be able to offer broader products and services across the state, which will not only help MBEs become certified, but will also propel their success and connect them to customers that will increase their profitability.”

More information on the new FSMSDC structure, staffing and service offerings is forthcoming; however, current corporate members and MBEs should not experience any delays or reduction in service during the transition. A transition advisory committee has been established and is chaired by April Harley of Duke Energy, with corporate and MBE representation from the entire state of Florida. The committee’s main role is to guide a smooth transition during the next few months. In addition, committee members will be integrally involved in providing recommendations on the statewide staffing model, new programs and services, board governance and marketing and engaging community stakeholders in the expanded areas.

The Council is currently in the process of updating its branding with new logos, website, e-mail addresses and more – which will be rolled out in the coming weeks. For additional information, please visit www.sfmsdc.org. To access the online media kit please visit https://goo.gl/BABl4P.

ABOUT FSMSDC
The Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council (FSMSDC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing access and growth for minority businesses in Florida. The organization’s goal is to increase purchasing from minority businesses by government entities and corporations, while increasing MBEs’ operating capacity through hands-on business assistance, training and access to technology and capital resources. Founded in 1975 in Southern Florida (formerly named the Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council—SFMSDC) and expanded to cover all of Florida in 2016, it is one of 23 regional councils affiliated with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). The FSMSDC acts as a liaison between corporate America and Minority Business Enterprises in the state of Florida.

ABOUT NMSDC
The National Minority Supplier Development Council—(NMSDC)—is the global leader in advancing business opportunities for its certified Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American business enterprises and connecting them to member corporations. NMSDC was chartered in 1972 to provide increased procurement and business opportunities for minority businesses of all sizes. The NMSDC network includes a national office in New York and regional councils across the country. There are 1,700 corporate members throughout the network, including most of America’s largest publicly-owned, privately-owned and foreign-owned companies, as well as universities, hospitals and other buying institutions. The regional councils certify and match more than 12,000 minority-owned businesses with member corporations that want to purchase their products, services and solutions.

(Español) Luego de la dolorosa pérdida que sufrieron el año pasado, Carlos Baute y su esposa Astrid Klisans confirman que esperan un bebé, en un reportaje EXCLUSIVO para HOLA.com

January 19, 2016

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Fabian Is Not A Marley

January 19, 2016

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — A series of DNA tests prove definitively that the man who calls himself Fabian “Marley” is without question not related to Bob Marley. Instead, the tests demonstrate conclusively that Fabian is the natural born son of Othneil Stanford.

“The DNA tests show with scientific certainty that Fabian Marley is not the half-brother of either Rohan Marley, Stephen Marley or Robert N. Marley. In addition, similar DNA tests show the probability of Fabian Marley being the son of Othneil Stanford is 99.99%,” said Dr. Karl A. Reich, Scientific Director of Independent Forensics DNA Testing & Technologies. Independent Forensics is a fully accredited and well renowned DNA testing laboratory in Illinois.

The Marley family has repeatedly maintained that Fabian was an imposter who only asserted his familial relationship to Bob Marley in order to advance his music career. But for years Fabian had refused to undertake a DNA test with an accredited forensics laboratory. His most recent manager, Clayton Thomas, finally convinced Fabian to undergo the DNA test in October 2015 at an accredited DNA laboratory, and the results unequivocally demonstrate that Fabian cannot be the son of Bob Marley.

Fabian’s mother, Ms. Raphie Munroe, said about her son, “This is crazy talk. I never in my life told my son that Bob Marley was his father. I don’t know how he came up with this, but it is not true. It never happened. I don’t know where he got this from, but no one in the family ever said this even once.”

Fabian’s eldest sister, Sandra Stanford Walker, confirmed, “Something is wrong with him, this is not normal behavior. Everyone knows he is not a Marley. His family, his friends, everyone in our community knows he is not Bob Marley’s son. Fabian is troubled and we want to put an end to his lies.”

A spokesperson for the Marley family stated, “The Marley family is pleased to finally have this matter behind us. We have said repeatedly that this man who calls himself Fabian is not the son of Bob Marley. The tests now prove we were correct. We hope he can finally accept the truth of his own true heritage.”

Fifty-Six Hope Road Music, Ltd., is the company founded by Bob Marley’s wife and children and the legal entity holding the trademark, publicity, persona and other intellectual property rights to legendary reggae artist Bob Marley.

Contact: Lonnie Soury, Soury Communications, Inc. (212) 414.5857, [email protected]

Antena 3 premieres signal in HD and Atreseries gives itself a makeover

January 19, 2016

MADRID, Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Two of Atresmedia’s international channels – Antena 3 and Atreseries – are beginning the year with major new releases. The veteran signal of the group, Antena 3 international, will begin to broadcast in quality HD throughout all of Latin America. The U.S. audience is already receiving the channel in high definition. As a result, starting this month, operators will have the signal available and it will soon be reaching households, substantially improving the viewer experience.

Logo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160118/323322LOGO

Coinciding with the audiovisual Natpe (Miami) fair, Atres Series is giving its corporate image a makeover and changing its name to Atreseries. On the air since 2014, and with a presence in all Spanish-speaking countries as well as the U.S., Atresmedia’s newest international signal is also the only one on the market that is 100% dedicated to series in Spanish.

In the channel premieres, Atreseries will present ‘Mar de Plástico’ at the Miami fair; a drama in 13 chapters set in a fictitious location called Campoamargo, a coastal town in the south of Spain whose economy depends on winter vacationers, where a veritable melting pot of different cultures thrives. ‘Mar de Plástico’ (#MardePlásticoA3S) premieres exclusively on January 20^th. Shortly afterwards, in February, Atreseries is broadcasting the second season of ‘Bajo Sospecha,’ (‘Under Suspicion’)’ a police thriller that managed to attract more than 3.5 million viewers in Spain.

Another key development is the strengthening of both channels’ web presence (www.antena3internacional.com y www.atreseries.com), to offer viewers new content options on the small screen. Along the same lines, with a view towards interaction with viewers, both Antena 3 as well as Atreseries have profiles on the main social networks.

Mar Martínez Raposo, International director of Atresmedia said, “We’re coming back to Natpe very excited to find out first-hand what operators’ plans are for 2016. For our part, we’ll also be presenting lots of new releases on our channels that we’re certain are not going to disappoint.”

(Español) Univision invierte en The Onion

January 19, 2016

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Deserving Military Veteran Kevin McPeek Receives a New Smile From Rodeo Dental and Orthodontics

January 19, 2016

DALLAS, Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Many United States military veterans are eligible for healthcare benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). However only a few of those veterans are eligible for dental benefits, and many others cannot afford the premiums for the optional VA Dental Insurance Program. In fact, the Homeless Veterans Dental Program reports that dental care is ranked as one of the top three unmet needs for homeless veterans.

Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160112/321491
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Kevin McPeek is one of those veterans. He served in the Army as an 82^nd Airborne Paratrooper from 1973 to 1977, but became disabled later in life by a sudden health condition that left his family in poverty and without access to dental care. When Kevin began having trouble with his teeth, his wife, Cindy, tried desperately to get him some help.

“I took him to a dentist and they told me all the work that needed to be done on him,” she said. “The kids kept chipping in [money] to get him into the dentist and have work done. We tried to keep up, but we just couldn’t.”

Kevin and Cindy now live with their daughter in Texas and get by on Social Security Early Retirement Disability. “It’s only $1209 per month,” says Kevin. “And of that, the IRS takes out $189. We don’t have a lot of money.”

In order for veterans to qualify for full dental benefits through the VA, they must have developed a dental condition during their service, be 100 percent disabled, or have been a prisoner of war. Many families, like the McPeeks, do not meet these criteria and are left trying to live with painful dental problems or pay the costs out of pocket.

Cindy recounts their struggle vividly, which began after Kevin suffered from three brain aneurysms and underwent brain surgery.

“He spent seven weeks in the ICU,” she says. “Not knowing if he was going to make it was the worst part of that – it was really hard. Kevin was able to move to a different floor in the eighth week, and he was able to come home.”

Today Kevin suffers from permanent memory problems, but otherwise has recovered remarkably. And although the family feels fortunate that he can read, walk, and talk in just the same way as before his aneurysms, they have suffered significant hardship from the medical bills. The McPeeks lost their home, sold their cars, and began racking up credit card debt. And soon afterwards, Kevin’s daily medications began taking a toll on his oral health.

“Kevin started having terrible trouble with his teeth,” says Cindy. “He was in pain, then his teeth started breaking off at the gum line. And it’s my understanding that it’s from the inhalers, which just eat at the teeth. He’s on three different ones and a nebulizer every day, so it just ate them away.”

Cindy wrote to Rodeo Dental and Orthodontics to ask for help for her husband. By then the family had already paid $3000 for a dental bridge that was falling out, and they were desperate to find a dentist who would offer them a payment plan. She had already written to at least 10 dentists without success.

“I told them I’m not asking for charity – I’m asking that you take care of my husband’s teeth and let me pay out what I owe,” says Cindy. “And Rodeo responded to me. I was so thankful. Justin called me from Rodeo and he said they had looked at our letter, and they try to help with the community, and they felt like we were deserving of having a little help. Never once did they make me feel like a charity case.”

Rodeo Dental’s Dr. Zarrabi and Dr. Mansour led a team of more than 30 people including doctors, dental assistants, schedulers and staff members who all came together to help Kevin. He would need multiple rounds of surgery to fix his dental problems, relieve his pain, and restore his health.

“This was a complete team effort,” says Dr. Zarrabi, dentist and CEO/co-founder of Rodeo Dental and Orthodontics. “We’ve got the most incredible team in the world. They came together – everybody got behind the McPeeks. And when they came in we heard their story and they’re just wonderful people. We felt like we had to give back. Especially with Mr. McPeek being a veteran, we thought it was really important to take care of him.”

Dr. Mansour is the oral surgeon who worked on Kevin, and he shares a similar sentiment.

“When Kevin and Cindy first walked in it broke my heart to see him in such pain and agony. It was tough for him to smile and for him to eat as well,” says Dr. Mansour. “And he’s such a brave soul. For him to go through that just really broke our hearts. We knew with modern dentistry, with modern medicine, and a great patient and a great team we could fix this.”

Dr. Mansour began a two-month long treatment plan to restore Kevin’s smile. When asked if he was nervous about undergoing dental treatment, Kevin says not at all. “His whole office, all the people who work for him, are just absolutely marvelous. He was above and beyond anything I expected from a dentist.”

Kevin recently received his brand new set of teeth and he can’t stop smiling.

“I feel wonderful!” says Kevin, laughing. “I look in the mirror and I smile at myself. I can’t believe that’s me! And being able to smile at people, and they smile back. I don’t scare them anymore.”

His wife has also observed the changes that have occurred for her “miracle man,” as she likes to call him.

“Oh, he’s so proud of his teeth! He’s so proud of them,” says Cindy. “He looks in the mirror and he went for so long with bad teeth, then no teeth, and he got in the habit of covering his mouth with his hands when he would laugh. He loves his teeth! The people at Rodeo Dental are just amazing, amazing people.”

As told to Elizabeth C. Haynes.

MassMutual and the Hispanic National Bar Association launch national “Su Negocio” program

January 19, 2016

5-city tour provides Latino small business owners pro bono access to financial education

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts, Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) have announced a 5-city tour across the U.S. to deliver pro bono access to financial education to empower Latino small business owners at all stages of business foundation and expansion.

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Through the Su Negocio program, MassMutual and the HNBA will deliver a free financial education workshop which aims to deliver education, pro bono, and public services to the Latino community. The series kicks off on January 19 at Florida International University in Miami, with similar events to be held throughout the country in 2016. The Su Negocio agenda covers topics such as how to protect your business from the unexpected, knowing what your business is worth, getting your financial house in order, and tips to obtain business financing.

Financial and business education are critical pathways for the future of the Latino community. MassMutual’s 2015 Business Owner Perspectives study revealed that the need for financial knowledge and preparation, as well as cultural differences, may be stumbling blocks in the pathway of Latinos fully realizing and protecting their dreams.

“Latino business ownership is on the rise, and many Latino communities remain underserved with regards to access to legal services, financial information and other resources necessary to start and grow a business,” said Dr. Chris Mendoza, Latino Markets Director at MassMutual. “Together with the HNBA, we hope to provide prospective and current Latino small business owners with pro bono access to information to help serve this fast-growing population.”

Joining MassMutual and the HNBA will be SCORE, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and related community organizations to provide Latino small business owners with the expertise, guidance and resources that will assist them to succeed in either launching a new commercial enterprise or expanding their existing business operations. The program will provide “How To” seminars and materials in English and Spanish. Attendees will leave the workshop with best practices in how to obtain business financing, better manage the financial aspects of their business, and protect their businesses for the long-term.

“As a force for positive change, the HNBA is firmly committed to successfully cultivating and empowering Latino business owners,” said Robert T. Maldonado, National President of the Hispanic National Bar Association. “We are proud to work with MassMutual to offer the resources necessary to help Latino business owners thrive.”

To learn more about MassMutual’s commitment to helping Latino small business owners, visit MassMutual.com/Latino. To meet with a local MassMutual financial professional, visit MassMutual.com.

About MassMutual
Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyowners. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyowners consistently since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities. In addition, the company’s strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

For more information, visit www.massmutual.com or find MassMutual on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+ and Pinterest.

About the Hispanic National Bar Association:
The Hispanic National Bar Association is an incorporated, not-for-profit, national membership association that represents the interests of Hispanic attorneys, judges, law professors, legal assistants, law students, and legal professionals in the United States and its territories. Since 1972, the HNBA has acted as a force for positive change within the legal profession by creating opportunities for Hispanic lawyers and by helping generations of lawyers to succeed. For more information, please visit www.hnba.com.

CRN201801-199000

CONTACT: Maria Fernanda Trochimezuk
310-696-9585
[email protected]

CVS Health Announces Strategic Partnerships with Two National Multicultural Nursing Associations

January 19, 2016

WOONSOCKET, Rhode Island, Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — As part of an ongoing commitment to develop a diverse workforce that reflects the patients and communities it serves, CVS Health today announced strategic partnerships with two leading national organizations whose mission is to advance the multicultural nursing populations in the United States: the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) and the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN).

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Through these newly formed alliances, CVS Health, the nation’s largest pharmacy innovation company, will establish workforce development programs and strategies that facilitate multicultural talent acquisition to further develop the company’s own diverse nursing populations through education, training and colleague engagement. With a unique continuum of health care products and services, CVS Health supports a broad nursing workforce that includes: Nurse Practitioners who see patients through the company’s MinuteClinic network; Nurse Patient Care Specialists who serve the company’s specialty patients; Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) Nurses who provide in-home education and infused medication therapies; and Patient Education Nurses who deliver disease education and case management to patients over the phone.

Additionally, these partnerships will enable CVS Health to increase the number of internships and scholarships that the company extends to multicultural candidates.

“At CVS Health, we recognize the strong connection between a culturally diverse nursing workforce and the ability to provide quality, culturally competent patient care,” said David Casey, Vice President, Workforce Strategies, and Chief Diversity Officer at CVS Health. “We value the multicultural communities, customers and patients we serve and we look forward to working closely with NBNA and NAHN, as we continue to help bridge the current nursing shortage in the United States and enhance access to quality care to underserved populations.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be more than one million open positions for registered nurses across the country by 2022. Moreover, while U.S. Census Bureau statistics show that ethnic minority groups account for 37 percent of the U.S. population, industry research shows that nurses from minority backgrounds represent only 19 percent of the RN workforce, with African-American and Hispanic nurses representing 6 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

“CVS Health and NBNA share the common goal of supporting the development of African American nurses which is reflective of our nation’s diversity,” said Eric J. Williams, DNP, RN, CNE, President, NBNA. “This new partnership will allow our two organizations to work collaboratively to increase access to care and improve the health of the communities we serve.”

“We’re grateful to CVS Health for partnering with NAHN to help achieve our mission of improving the quality of health care for Hispanic consumers,” said Celia Besore, Executive Director, NAHN. “We look forward to working together to provide equal access to educational, professional and economic opportunities for Hispanic nurses in our country.”

As one of the largest employers of pharmacists and nurse practitioners, CVS Health is committed to helping advance the education of talented students pursuing careers in the field. The CVS Health Foundation has provided scholarships to pharmacy students for many years and, in 2016, the Foundation will begin awarding funding to nursing and physician assistants schools to support the pipeline of much-needed nurse practitioners in local communities across the country.

About CVS Health

CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,500 retail pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with more than 70 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, and expanding specialty pharmacy services, the Company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable, effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.

CONTACT:
Mary Alfieri
1-401-770-9811
[email protected]

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