InterCaribbean Airways new Services in Haiti, Jamaica and Dominican Republic
InterCaribbean Airways new Services in Haiti, Jamaica and Dominican Republic
With new flights offer non-stop Port au Prince to Kingston and Santo Domingo Flights
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands, Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — interCaribbean Airways is pleased to announce the commencement of new non-stop services to and from Kingston, Jamaica and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to Port au Prince, Haiti .
interCaribbean Airways begins scheduled services on December 13th 2014, between Kingston Normal Manley International Airport and Port au Prince, Haiti, and also Port au Prince to Santo Domingo International Airport. With high hopes for this service, the business and leisure traveler will be able to enjoy this new service in just an hour of travel time.
In concert with the mission of the Ministry of Tourism, and Minister Stephanie Villedrouin to increase flights and build Haiti as a leisure destination, these new services will extend the travel options for the visitors to neighboring islands as an easy means to travel to Haiti and extend their vacation stays.
|
FLIGHT No. |
FROM |
TO |
FREQUENCY |
DEP |
ARR |
|
JY 217 |
PAP |
PLS |
Wed Sun |
01:25 PM |
02:35 PM |
|
JY 623 |
PAP |
SDQ |
Thu Sat |
11:25 AM |
01:20 PM |
|
JY 217/250 |
PAP* |
KIN |
Wed (*via PLS) |
01:25 PM |
04:50 PM |
|
JY 624 |
PAP |
KIN |
Fri Sat |
03:20 PM |
04:40 PM |
|
JY 217/250 |
PAP* |
KIN |
Sun (*via PLS) |
01:25 PM |
04:50 PM |
Seats are on sale, and bookable immediately at interCaribbean.com or calling our call centers and visiting our airport locations. Customers may also visit their preferred travel agency.
Said Trevor Sadler CEO of interCaribbean Airways, we are pleased to offer these new routes to give the more choices and more connectivity across the Caribbean and support Haiti as it grows its appeal to the vacation visitor, while facilitating new business opportunities. We look forward to increasing the frequency and number of destinations we serve in the new year.
About InterCaribbean Airways
interCaribbean Airways is based in the Turks & Caicos Islands, operating for the last 23 years to connect you and the Caribbean. Services are via EMB 120 and BE99 aircraft connecting the Turks & Caicos to the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. International services also connect Jamaica to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico. Domestic flights are operated in The Turks & Caicos Islands and Jamaica. With new services planned to the Eastern Caribbean we look forward to connecting more of the Caribbean.
Honda Releases “Green Dealer” Guide to Help Auto Dealers Measurably Reduce their Energy Consumption and Environmental Impact
Honda Releases “Green Dealer” Guide to Help Auto Dealers Measurably Reduce their Energy Consumption and Environmental Impact
– Comprehensive Honda “Green Dealer” Guide capitalizes on learnings from the company’s Environmental Leadership Program; download the Guide at greendealer.honda.com
– 45 U.S. Honda and Acura dealers have reduced their energy consumption by 10% or more, including seven that have cut energy use by at least 50%
– In January, a Honda dealer became the nation’s first to achieve “Electric Grid Neutral” status
– A 10% reduction in energy use by America’s 17,000+ new car dealerships would eliminate nearly 800,000 tons of CO2 annually, or the equivalent carbon footprint of the electricity needed to power approximately 96,000 homes for a year
TORRANCE, California, Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — To help auto dealers adopt more environmentally responsible business practices while also reducing costs, Honda is publicly releasing the Honda “Green Dealer” Guide. This comprehensive, 93-page energy efficiency roadmap was developed specifically for dealerships and similar commercial buildings with high energy loads. The company is encouraging auto dealers – across all brands – to download the Guide and reduce their environmental footprint.
Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141211/163788-INFO
Logo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100923/HONDALOGO
The Honda “Green Dealer” Guide synthesizes the company’s experience over the past three years helping its U.S. dealers reduce their energy consumption through its Environmental Leadership Program. So far, the program has helped 45 Honda and Acura dealers collectively reduce their annual CO2 emissions by approximately 5,000 tons, the equivalent annual footprint of the electricity needed to power more than 600 U.S. homes.i In addition, dealers have cut their cumulative annual operating costs by more than $800,000. If all 17,000 automotive dealerships across the country were to reduce their electricity consumption by just 10%, nearly 800,000 tons of CO2 emissions would be eliminated annually.ii
“In researching existing green building programs, we found there was nothing ideally suited to the unique operational needs of auto dealerships, especially existing dealer facilities. We decided to create a roadmap that any dealer can use to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions and cut overhead costs,” said Steven Center, Vice President of American Honda’s Environmental Business Development Office. “The bottom line is that green business is good business, and this guide gives dealers the tools they need to become more efficient and profitable at the same time.”
Dealerships have unique energy use characteristics that differ from other commercial or industrial energy users. Abundant parking lot and interior lighting, an auto service and repair operation, and an on-site car wash are all common features that can contribute to high energy and water demand. Approximately 46% of the average dealer’s energy use can be attributed to interior and exterior lighting, while 43% comes from building heating and cooling.iii
After finding that existing green building programs did not specifically focus on measurably reducing energy and water consumption without disrupting operations, Honda began developing and testing its own program, which includes a path to achieving zero net energy use. Highest impact improvement areas include installing high-efficiency lighting systems and motion sensors that turn lights off when they’re not needed, optimizing programmable thermostats, replacing older air-conditioning and heating systems with newer, more energy-efficient equipment, and installing low-flow water fixtures. Adding solar panels is another great way to significantly offset energy usage.
The Honda and Acura Environmental Leadership Programs
Independently owned and operated Honda and Acura dealers who participate in the company’s Environmental Leadership Program follow the four-step plan outlined in the Guide. Step one involves tracking of electricity, natural gas and water consumption data to identify trends. Next, a professional engineer supervises the dealership’s environmental assessment and provides improvement recommendations with a simple payback. Recommendations can be implemented on-site in as little as one day, or over a period of months if larger capital investment projects are required. Finally, post-implementation performance tracking verifies that the desired energy savings have been achieved.
Honda and Acura dealers who have verifiably reduced their energy and water consumption while adopting other sustainable practices earn an Environmental Leadership Award – silver for a 10% reduction in energy use, gold for 30% reduction and platinum for a 50% reduction. To date, seven Honda and Acura dealerships have received platinum awards, while 11 have received gold and 27 have received silver awards. More than 280 Honda and Acura automobile and Honda powersports dealers are currently enrolled in the program.
In January 2014, Rossi Honda of Vineland, NJ, became the nation’s first dealership to achieve “Electric Grid Neutral” status by producing as much as or more energy from renewable energy sources than it consumed from its local electric utility over a one-year period.iv
Expanding the Honda “Green Dealer” Program
Honda is encouraging auto dealers across all brands, as well as other commercial businesses, to download the Honda “Green Dealer” Guide on a new website. Interested consumers can also locate Honda and Acura dealerships that have received Silver, Gold, or Platinum Environmental Leadership Awards.
The Honda and Acura Environmental Leadership Programs and the Honda “Green Dealer” Guide are the products of American Honda’s Environmental Business Development Office (EBDO). Honda established EBDO in 2011 to reduce the environmental impact of Honda’s operations and create achievable pathways to enable a low carbon lifestyle for Honda customers. Among other projects, EBDO established Honda Smart Home U.S., a transportation-integrated zero net energy residence in California, and Honda’s partnership with SolarCity. Honda utilized the professional engineering services of Altura Associates, Inc. to complete dealership environmental assessments and to help design the Honda and Acura Environmental Leadership Programs.
Honda and the Environment
Based on its vision of “Blue Skies for our Children,” Honda is working to advance technologies that address society’s environmental and energy concerns through a diverse lineup of products and technologies, including more fuel-efficient gasoline engines, natural gas, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs).
Today, Honda is targeting a 30-percent reduction in CO2 emissions from its U.S. automobile product lineup by 2020, compared to 2000 levels. In pursuit of its vision for a zero-carbon future, the company is advancing electromotive technologies in many forms, and is slated to introduce an advanced fuel-cell vehicle in 2016.
In keeping with its commitment to produce vehicles with the lowest CO2 emissions at plants with the smallest environmental footprint, the company is broadly addressing emissions, energy, water use and waste in all phases of its products life cycles. In the manufacturing realm, this includes a 95 percent reduction in waste sent to landfills in North America. Honda is working to extend its “green factory” and “green purchasing” initiatives to its more than 650 parts suppliers in North America.
Honda is also demonstrating its vision for zero-carbon mobility and living with the creation of the Honda Smart Home US, in Davis, California, which was opened in early 2014 and is capable of producing more energy on-site from renewable sources than it consumes annually, including enough energy to power a Honda Fit EV for daily commuting.
i Honda Internal calculation based on data from the US EPA and DOE
ii Honda Internal calculation based on data from the US EPA and DOE
iii Based on Honda research
iv Based on Honda research
Florida Atlantic University Poll Finds Hispanic Consumers More Optimistic About Their Current and Future Conditions
Florida Atlantic University Poll Finds Hispanic Consumers More Optimistic About Their Current and Future Conditions
BOCA RATON, Fla., Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Hispanic consumer confidence has rebounded as the nation comes into the holiday season, rising to 81.3, up from 73.4 in October, and its highest level since August when the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economic Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI) started calculating the index. The gain was due to improved personal finances and a more favorable outlook for businesses and the country as a whole.
The Current Conditions Index was 80.8 in November, up from 74.6 in October. The entire gain was due to more favorable buying plans for big ticket items such as furniture, refrigerators, ovens or televisions by Hispanic consumers. The gains in buying plans were due to large gains among younger and higher income Hispanics.
“This is good news for manufacturers, retailers and the economy as a whole as the nation enters the holiday shopping season,” said Monica Escaleras, director of FAU BEPI.
The Expectations Index also rose to 81.6 in November from 72.9 one month ago. When asked about perceptions of personal finances a year from now, 61.6 percent of Hispanics surveyed expect better personal financial situation in 2015, up from 57 percent in October.
Republican Hispanics are feeling good after the election with 58 percent saying they are better off financially than a year ago, compared to 47 percent of Democrats. Both groups have similar positive expectations for the future.
Regional locations appear to affect consumer sentiment with Hispanics in the midwest (74 percent) and west (75 percent) reporting they are better off than a year ago compared with Hispanics in the south (55 percent) and the northeast (33 percent). The northeast also has the lowest consumer expectation for the future with a score of 59.7 compared with the other three regions (midwest 91.5, south 79.5 and west 87.6).
“A possible explanation for the pessimism in the Northeast is that cost of living is higher in this region relative to the other regions in the country, and the lower educated Hispanics could be feeling the effect of the higher cost,” Escaleras said.
For more information about this survey and the initiative, visit www.business.fau.edu/bepi, or contact Monica Escaleras at 561-297-1312 or [email protected].
New Spanish-Language Cartoon and Calculator to Help Consumers Understand Health Insurance
New Spanish-Language Cartoon and Calculator to Help Consumers Understand Health Insurance
MENLO PARK, Calif, Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire- HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Kaiser Family Foundation today released two new Spanish-language tools to help consumers better understand health insurance as they shop for plans during open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces and in other venues.
El seguro de salud, explicado – los YouToons lo tienen cubierto, is a Spanish version of the five-minute cartoon video Health Insurance Explained – The YouToons Have It Covered, a light-hearted treatment of a difficult and important topic. It breaks down important health insurance concepts, such as premiums and provider networks, and explains how individuals pay for coverage and obtain medical care and prescription drugs when enrolled in various types of health insurance, including HMOs and PPOs. Pamela Silva Conde, a six-time Emmy Award-winning journalist who co-anchors the Univision Network’s Primer Impacto, narrates the video, which is the third written and produced by the Foundation featuring the YouToons. All three videos are available in both English and Spanish.
Additionally, Calculadora del mercado de seguros de salud, the Spanish version of the Foundation’s Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator, now includes zip code-specific data on 2015 marketplace plans. It allows consumers to generate estimates of their health insurance premiums and government subsidies based on zip code, household income, family size and ages of family members. The calculator also helps people determine whether they could be eligible for Medicaid.
The Foundation developed the video and calculator to aid Spanish-speaking consumers as they make decisions about health coverage for 2015 — whether through the ACA marketplaces, job-based coverage, or Medicaid. Organizations and individuals are encouraged to embed both tools on their websites, as well as share them via social media. Detailed instructions are available for embedding the calculator. The YouToons video can be embedded via YouTube’s share button.
The previous two Spanish-language videos, La reforma del cuidado de salud llega al publico and Los YouToons se preparan para Obamacare, also are available.
For other consumer resources, visit the Foundation’s Understanding Health Insurance web page.
Filling the need for trusted information on national health issues, the Kaiser Family Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Menlo Park, California.
Pregnancy Germs: Friend Or Foe?
Pregnancy Germs: Friend Or Foe?
How The Maternal Microbiome Influences Pregnancy Health
WHITE PLAINS, New York, Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Some of the bacteria and other microorganisms that exist in a woman’s mouth, digestive system, reproductive organs or other body parts may be essential for a healthy pregnancy, as well as to the development of the baby’s own collection of microbes. But some – or too many of certain ones — may lead to a premature birth.
The microbiome, a community of microorganisms on and in the body, is an unchartered area for research that may help explain health issues as different as preterm birth, asthma and arthritis.
Two experts in the microbiome, Kjersti Aagaard MD, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine and Jacques Ravel, PhD, Institute for Genomics Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, discussed their latest research, how the placental and vaginal microbiome may affect the length of a pregnancy, and when those germs may be helpful or not at a March of Dimes luncheon today.
For more than a century, a pregnant woman’s uterus and placenta were thought to be sterile environments that protected the fetus from bacteria elsewhere in the body. But research recently has determined that the human placenta has its own microbiome, and that the bacterial cells in the placenta likely came from other areas of the mother’s body.
Understanding the role of the microbiome is of great interest to scientists seeking to learn what triggers labor in a preterm birth. There are differences in the bacteria found in the vagina of pregnant and non-pregnant women and the bacteria in the placenta are different at different weeks of pregnancy.
Although there may be a link between a woman’s diet and lifestyle and her microbiome, the research has not yet yielded specific advice for patients beyond general guidelines to eat a healthy, low fat diet and make judicious use of antibiotics.
More than 450,000 babies are born too soon each year in the United State. Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and babies who survive an early birth often face serious and sometimes lifelong health challenges, such as breathing problems, jaundice, developmental delays, vision loss, and cerebral palsy. Even babies born just a few weeks too soon have higher rates of death and disability than full-term babies.
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. Our mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and health information, visit our websites marchofdimes.org and nacersano.org and learn more about the Prematurity Research Centers at prematurityresearch.org. Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Proyecto Alimento: Leche Para America
Proyecto Alimento: Leche Para America
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — This holiday season, give the gift of a gallon. Milk is one of the most requested items by food bank clients year-round, but even more so during the holiday season when Feeding America food banks – including those in your community – are at their busiest. Yet, there’s a nationwide shortage of milk in food banks because it is rarely donated. That’s because Americans are generous with canned and dry goods, but milk is much harder to donate because it’s perishable.
To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/players/Spanish/7396951-proyecto-alimento-leche-para-america/
As you give thanks for what you have this year, you can take action against the issue of hunger by donating to Proyecto Alimento: Leche Para America , the first-ever nationwide program to help deliver highly desired and nutrient-rich gallons of milk to hungry families who need it most.
WHAT IS THE GREAT AMERICAN MILK DRIVE? Proyecto Alimento: Leche Para America is an effort created by American dairy farmers and milk companies in partnership with Feeding America that makes it easy to donate gallons of milk to hungry families in local communities with a simple click of a mouse or text message.
WHY SHOULD I GIVE MILK VS. OTHER FOODS? On average, food bank clients receive the equivalent of less than one gallon of milk per person per year, leaving many families without access to its essential nutrients, including 8 grams of high-quality protein per serving and three of the top nutrients most likely to be missing in the American diet – calcium, vitamin D and potassium.
WHY GIVE NOW? One third of annual giving happens during the holidays, and while many people donate canned goods and nonperishable items to food banks, it’s fresh, nutritious foods like milk that are most requested by food bank clients.
This time of year, the need for nutrient-rich milk is felt even more as food banks work to help deliver some holiday comfort to those that rely on their feeding programs.
HOW CAN I HELP? Beginning on Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving on December 2, America’s dairy farmers and milk companies will make milk multiply throughout the holiday season. You can help deliver milk to food banks across the country one of two ways:[1]
- Make a donation online. Starting Giving Tuesday through December 31, America’s dairy farmers and milk companies will match all donations made at www.LecheParaAmerica.com, making milk gallons multiply at your local food bank this holiday season. By entering your zip code, you can ensure that milk is delivered to a local food bank to help nourish children in your own community.
- Spread the word. For every share of this Video de Proyecto Alimento: Leche Para America , a one-gallon donation will be made to one of the more than 200 food banks served by Feeding America.
HOW HAS THE GREAT AMERICAN MILK DRIVE HELPED MY COMMUNITY? You can help drive more of these gallons to your local food bank, by visiting www.LecheParaAmerica.com and making a donation. Entering your zip code ensures your donation is delivered to the food bank that serves your community.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Janessi Trillas, [email protected], 786.433.4098
[1] The Great American Milk Drive will match, one to one, each individual financial donation made to Feeding America® through The Great American Milk Drive between 12/2/14 – 12/31/14. The Great American Milk Drive will also donate one coupon redeemable for up to one gallon of milk (retail value $4.50) for each share of The Great American Milk Drive holiday video via social media between 12/2/14 – 12/31/14. Both efforts will be up to a maximum total donation of $75,000. For every contribution of $5, one half gallon of milk or more based on local retail prices will be secured and delivered by Feeding America® on behalf of its national network of food banks.
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act Goes to President for Signature into Law
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 1281, the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act. The bill now goes to President Obama to be signed into law.
“Passage of this legislation is a major victory for newborns and families, and it shows that the health of our nation’s infants crosses all boundaries of party, geography, and political viewpoint,” stated March of Dimes President Dr. Jennifer L. Howse. “Given that one in every 300 infants has a condition that can be detected through this screening, newborn screening represents an indispensable investment in health, families, and our economy. The March of Dimes is deeply grateful to Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA) and Mike Simpson (ID) and Senators Kay Hagan (NC) and Orrin Hatch (UT) for their tireless commitment to this vital legislation.”
“I introduced the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act because all babies deserve the same opportunity to be screened and treated for life-threatening illnesses, no matter where they are born or how much money their families have,” said Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, the original sponsor of H.R. 1281. “Newborn screening tests are able to detect genetic and metabolic diseases in about 12,000 babies each year. By identifying and treating these conditions as early as possible, we give children the best chance to lead long, healthy, and active lives. The programs in this bill will promote newborn screening policies that are high-quality and available to all. I am very glad that Congress has reauthorized this critical bill, and I look forward to the President signing it into law.”
“I am so pleased to see the House pass the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act and send it to the President for his signature,” said Congressman Simpson. “I have repeatedly said that this bill is as important as any we will pass this year. These crucial screening tests detect conditions that are too often undetectable at birth and if left untreated can cause disability, developmental delay, illness, or even death.
“Besides the obvious benefit to families who suffer an enormous emotional and economic burden when a one of these conditions goes undiagnosed for too long, this legislation is a powerful tool for savings in our already overburdened health care system,” added Simpson. “As a former dentist, I have seen the value of diagnosing and treating a condition early in a child’s life, and this bill will help strengthen newborn screening across the country.”
The Senate passed H.R. 1281 on Monday, December 8 after months of delay were resolved by the addition of an amendment related to the privacy of newborn screening samples. The Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act will renew federal programs that provide support for state efforts to ensure that every newborn is tested for at least 31 conditions present at birth which, if undetected and untreated, can lead to serious disability or death. The bill reauthorizes federal programs that provide assistance to states to improve and expand their newborn screening programs; support parent and provider education; and ensure laboratory quality and surveillance for newborn screening programs.
“I am pleased that, through cooperation with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, these important programs will be reauthorized and more newborns and their families will benefit from the early detection of treatable illnesses,” said Senator Hagan, Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families. “As a mother and grandmother, this legislation is close to my heart, as no child should have to suffer from a condition that can be easily cared for.”
Senator Hatch stated: “When I first sponsored this bill in 2008, we created national newborn screening guidelines and helped improve comprehensive newborn screening in every state. Today, I’m proud that 42 states and Washington D.C. require screening for at least 29 of 31 treatable core conditions. Reauthorizing this program means that newborns will have a better shot at dealing with these conditions thanks to early diagnosis. I’m pleased to support it once again.”
In addition to the provision noted above, the legislation would reauthorize the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (SACHD), a committee of experts that reviews newborn screening tests and makes recommendations to the Secretary as to whether to add them to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP). The SACHD’s authorization expired in April 2013, compelling the Secretary appoint a temporary, two-year discretionary version of the committee so its important work could continue. It also tasks SACHD with providing recommendations to ensure timeliness in transporting and processing newborn screening tests and communicating results to health care professionals and families. Delays in this process can result in death or severe lifelong adverse consequences for newborns.
The Senate added brief language designating any federally-funded research involving newborn bloodspots collected after March 2015 to be considered human subjects research for the purposes of the Common Rule. This means that such research will require informed consent from parents before these bloodspots can be used for research; it does not, however, apply to the screening of individual newborns for the required disorders. This provision does not require such consent to be obtained before the initial bloodspot is collected and tested. Bloodspots collected prior to March 2015 will not be covered by the amendment.
In the U.S., newborn screening is a state-run public health program that identifies infants who may have genetic, metabolic, hormonal or functional conditions that may not be apparent at birth. If left untreated, these conditions can cause serious illness, lifelong disabilities and even death. In many cases, early diagnosis and treatment can prevent or reduce the severity of these conditions. Currently, the Secretary recommends that every state screen newborns for 31 core conditions; another condition, Pompe disease, has been recommended by the SACHD and is awaiting Secretarial approval. Approximately 1 in every 300 newborns in the U.S. has a condition that can be detected through screening.
In 2008, Congress passed the original Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act (P.L. 110-204), which established national newborn screening guidelines and helped facilitate comprehensive newborn screening in every state. Prior to passage of P.L. 110-204, the number and quality of newborn screening tests varied greatly from state to state. In 2007, only 10 states and the District of Columbia required infants to be screened for all the recommended disorders. Today, 42 states and the District of Columbia require screening for at least 29 of the 31 treatable core conditions.
About March of Dimes
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose volunteers and staff work to improve the health of infants and children by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education and advocacy. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.org or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.