I am aware of the coronovirus situation we are facing. This is more serious than people are taking it. As a Respiratory therapist I am considered to be most exposed to these type of patients. Rather intubating a patient who comes in with respiratory distress, or administering nebulizers, placing patient on Bipap or Vapotherms, High flow oxygen devices. I am the one who manages the Ventilator. I am the airway I will be in the patients face and be at risk. Like many times before with other situations a patient comes in and the whole ER staff is exposed later finding out that we were exposed to this patient and now have to get testing and take special medications for example being exposed to TB and having to be medicated for 3 months; or meningitis and having to be medicated. This Coronovirus is much more serious and has proven to be more deadly. We are supposed to be at social distancing however as a healthcare provider I cannot stay home we have to come to work in any situation and care for patients. I love what I do however I don’t feel we are recognized enough for what we do. Please allow us a raise or at least HAZARDOUS PAY throughout the healthcare system immediately! Thanks 

Daylight Saving Time is a practice that was created over 100 years ago to increase the amount of workable hours during summer months.  By artificially "extending" day into the evening, the amount of literal daylight one had to work was increased exponentially. Today, this practice is absolutely foolish, as agricultural workers are the vast minority among all working Americans,  totaling 1~2% in most states,  less so in others. There are several medical complications that have been attributed to the practice of Daylight Saving Time such as increase in heart attacks.  The impacts of DST are likely related to our body's internal circadian rhythm, the still-slightly-mysterious molecular cycles that regulate when we feel awake and when we feel sleepy, as well as our hunger and hormone production schedules. Light dictates how much melatonin our bodies produce. When it's bright out, we make less. When it's dark, our body ramps up synthesis of this sleep-inducing substance. Just like how jet-lag makes you feel all out of whack, daylight saving time is similar to scooting one time zone over for a few months. The problems with DST are the worst in the spring, when we've all just lost one hour of sleep. The sun rises later, making it more difficult to wake in the morning. This is because we reset our natural clocks using the light. When out of nowhere (at least to our bodies) these cues change, it causes major confusion. Like anytime you lose sleep, springing forward causes decreases in performance, concentration, and memory common to sleep-deprived individuals, as well as fatigue and daytime sleepiness. Night owls are more bothered by the time changes than morning people. For some, it can take up to three weeks to recover from the sleep schedule changes, according to a 2009 study in the journal Sleep Medicine. For others, it may only take a day to adjust to this new schedule. All in all, we should allow our bodies to adapt to time changes just as they always have.  With the initial point of DST having become entirely unnecessary in the states which it is now still in effect, it is the most logical path to make it non-standard throughout America. 

TikTok currently is not meeting its own community standards.  For example, they are hosting a video that promotes a "challenge", encouraging users to mock and belittle individuals with disabilities.  This is in direct violation of their stated community standards: Attacks on protected groups (along with those with disabilities, some other groups include Race, Religion, Gender Identity, etc.) TikTok goes on to say: "We define hate speech as content that does or intends to attack, threaten, incite violence against, or dehumanize an individual or a group of individuals on the basis of protected attributes. We also do not allow content that verbally or physically threatens violence or depicts harm to an individual or a group based on any of the following protected attributes including but not limited to: claiming that they are physically or morally inferior referring negatively to them as animals, inanimate objects, or other non-human entities promoting or justifying exclusion, segregation, or discrimination against them A protected group, as listed by TIkTok, includes “Serious disease or disability.“ Too often, TikTok hosts videos which imply physical or mental inferiority, dehumanizing individuals with a disability, a group already predisposed to bullying and a group that TikTok claims to want to protect. This petition was not our first step. We attempted to resolve this through TikTok's customer support and this is the response:  “We reviewed your report. We found that the reported content doesn't violate our Community Guidelines. We understand that you may not want to see this type of content, and you have the option to block the account that posted it.” TikTok has had issues in the past in regards to their service to the disabled, and they vowed to do better.  We are asking that they live up to the standards that they have set for themselves. As TikTok behaves today, it is a not a safe environment for many wonderful people who live with disabilities. They need to protect people as well as speech.They can and must do better.

Respiratory Therapists are often the unsung heroes of medicine. Most of the general public doesn't even know that we exist . We were hoping that would change during a respiratory pandemic. Sadly, it has not. When a patient in the hospital is deteriorating Nurses and Doctors alike scream, "Where is Respiratory?" Respiratory Therapists are screaming that now. When healthcare workers are mentioned, it's always Doctors and Nurses. The much needed ventilators are even mentioned but rarely the skilled professionals that manage them. Respiratory Therapists are very crucial  as we intubate the patients,manage the vents and breathe for these patients during code blues. Because of this care, we are at high risk for exposure. We do this willingly because if the patient isn't breathing then little else matters. The federal government doesn't  list us as caregivers or providers along with Doctors, Nurses or other Therapists. We're listed as Hospital personnel and even then, we're last like we were thrown in as an afterthought. This affects our being able to qualify for healthcare caregiver loans and grants. This also affects morale. None of us went into medicine for glory or fame but I would be less than honest if I said that this slight isn't hurtful.  By signing this petition  you may be helping Respiratory Therapists get the classification and recognition that we have rightfully earned and deserve.   Please consider reaching out to your elected officials as well.  Thank you!

We the friends, family of Noor Mukaddam and concerned citizens of Pakistan, demand justice for the brutal murder of our Noor at the hands of Zahir Jaffer son of business tycoon Zakir Jaffer of Ahmed Jaffer and Company and therapist Asmat Adamjee. Noor Mukadam, the daughter of Shaukat Mukaddam, ex Ambasssador to South Korea, was murdered at Zahir Jaffer’s residence in Islamabad’s upscale Sector F-7/4 on Tuesday 20 July, 2021. Noor and Zahir were childhood friends, and Zahir upon expressing his romantic interest and having been rejected by Noor, exacted his revenge. He called Noor on the pretext of speaking to her one last time before he moved to the US, and Noor ever trusting and kind, obliged to meet on the afternoon of Chaand Raat. At that point, Zahir took her in and held her hostage at gun point, and brutally murdered and decapitated her. Reports indicate another person was also critically injured when trying to restrain Zahir Jaffer. The Police confirmed that Zahir Jaffer showed no remorse and was fully in his senses at the time. Zahir Jaffer has a history of violent abuse, and as per reports he was deported from the UK for rape. Rather than keeping him away his family put him at the helm of his company business, the Ahmed Jaffer and Company, as its Chief Brand Strategist. He also was licensed as a therapist, by Therapyworks who didn’t vet him, and paved the way for him offering counselling sessions at school. Zahir Jaffer’s family and his economic privilege hid the dangerous criminal it had been harboring. Zahir Jaffer was abusive towards Noor, towards women, and is an abusive and violent human being. He was able to operate freely because of his family’s wealth and influence. He committed this crime because he felt that he could evade the law. Noor was an artist, she was pursuing a degree in International Relations. She had recently been commissioned her first paid mural, which she will never get the chance to finish. She was adored by her friends and family. She was a ray of light, and her loss has left the world a darker place. She strove for women’s right and championed them. She loved animals, and would took care of them. She was the kindest, and gentlest among us, and that was exploited by her murderer Zahir Jaffer. We demand that the Supreme Court of Pakistan, International Human Rights Comission and Prime Minister Imran Khan bring justice for Noor Mukaddam. We urge: * Put Zahir Jaffer and Family on the Exit Control List.* Hold Zahir family accountable for knowing all facts and enabling Zahir Jaffer* To provide swift justice to Noor Mukaddam and punish Zahir Jaffer, to make an example out of him* To provide justice to Saima Raza and QuaratulAin Umar, and any victims of the rampant femicide in Pakistan* We urge the US government to not harbour Zahir Jaffer and not let him set foot on US territory For long the elite in Pakistan have abused their power to commit horrific crimes and escape punishment. We hope that Zahir Jaffer’s punishment at the hands of law has the potential to turn the tide of judicial evasionand hold perpetrators of violence responsible. We demand justice. We demand it swiftly. We demand it for Noor. We demand it for all women. We couldn’t save her while she lived, but your contribution will help make sure that we can at least take this to its rightful end. https://gofund.me/7e8a83ad

      The Trump-Pence administration plans to completely erase the work put forth by the LGBTQ community by destroying any reinforcement of non-discrimination laws. A report from the New York Times stated that The Department of Health and Human Services is spearheading this movement to define sex under Title IX. In doing so this will discriminate and negatively impact the lives of 2 million people. Our hope with this petition is to bring awareness to the head of this administration as well as the current Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, that there are millions of Americans who refuse to stand for this. This isn't about democrats or republicans, it's about people in our own country having the freedom to simply live their lives. People who have no agenda other than to live out their lives in such a way that allows them to be happy. It is in times such as these where we must rally around those in need and speak out for the well being of all citizens who inhabit this great nation. The people themselves hold the power to create something more than a country, more than a nation simply trying to prosper. We can create a brotherhood, a family, a sense of unity and a willingness to understand that will allow for Americans to live with pride. Sheltering those in need and supporting each other in our darkest hours. My hope is that in creating this, it will at the very least reach those of you who want to know you are not alone. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. --Mark Twain       

Dear Members of Congress: Our nation has failed to control the coronavirus pandemic on multiple fronts. Many states are facing increasing cases, hospitalizations, and ultimately deaths. The politicization of wearing a mask to prevent the spread of this contagious virus has resulted in polarizing and dangerous rhetoric across the nation.  Masking is not a political issue but a public health one. Universal masking is effective at curbing the spread of COVID-19. It is imperative our nation implement a NATIONAL MANDATE to wear a mask or face covering in public, especially in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained. The current national guidelines for Opening Up America Again do not require masks or face coverings, leaving the issue to individual states. Unfortunately, state leaders have been inconsistent in advising or enforcing masking, contributing to increased community spread.   We, the undersigned, as health professionals and concerned Americans, implore you to urgently implement a national mandate for masking to halt the spread of COVID-19.   We are a united states, and the decisions made in one state impact many. A national mandate for universal masking will save lives, revitalize our economy, allow our children to return to school, and unite the country against our common enemy, COVID-19.  On Behalf of the Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative  (IMPACT): Shikha Jain MD FACP, Eve Bloomgarden MD, Ali Khan MD MPP FACP, Laura Zimmermann MD MS FACP, Amisha Wallia MD MS, Garth Walker MD, Seth Trueger MD, Maylyn Martinez MD, Emily Landon MD, Vineet Arora MD MAPP On Behalf of GetMePPEChi: Tricia Pendergrast On Behalf of Masks Now Illinois: Emma Davenport On Behalf of Lindsey Leininger PhD MA, Nerdy Girl in Chief at Dear Pandemic On Behalf of NeedMasksToday: Katherine Kennedy MD, Abhirami Janani Raveendran MD M.Ed. On Behalf of GetUsPPE: Megan Ranney MD MPH On Behalf of Helen Burstin MD MPH, CEO Council of Medical Specialty Societies

We can not allow the continuos of gases emanations affecting the global temperature. If we the people of the world took care of the fires of the Amazon, we also want to push the Mayor Nations of the world to stop this now!  But Now!

Celgene, recently acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb, raised prices on its top selling cancer drug, Revlimid.  Announced January 3rd, the price of a 10 milligram dose of Revlimid will increase by 3.5%, totaling $719.82 per pill. Almost 10 years ago, at the end of 2007, the same pill at the same dosage cost $247.28. Celgene has continued year after year to routinely increase the price of its top selling drug.  Cancer patients require many treatments of Revlimid per year. This price increase means patients will pay over $200,000 to receive cancer treatment that they need to stay alive.  We need to hold Celgene responsible for their actions and bring to light their aggressive price increases. Sign this petition to tell Celgene and Bristol-Myers Squibb that they cannot unjustly raise prices on life saving drugs while needy cancer patients are suffering because they cannot afford treatment. 

On 26 February 2020 US President Donald J. Trump named Vice President Mike Pence to lead the US response to the deadly coronavirus, COVID-19.  As of the evening of 26 February, there had been over 81,000 cases worldwide with 2400 deaths.  To name Vice President Pence to lead the US response suggests a lack of seriousness in the administration's handling of this looming crisis.  Pence has a history of rejecting science while Governor of Indiana. In 2015 he was responsible for the exacerbation of an outbreak of 200 cases of HIV in a small rural county.  Local health officials requested a temporary needle exchange program as the cases were related to IV drug abuse and the sharing of needles.  Pence delayed for months due to his values not aligning with a policy of needle exchange, resulting in the outbreak.  In 2000, he wrote in a Op-Ed that "smoking doesn't kill". He has repeatedly denied the overwhelming science that climate change is real and is caused, in part, by human activity. With such a dubious record in the area of public health, a lack of understanding of basic science, and zero experience in disaster management, it is clear that Vice President Pence is uniquely unqualified for this important position. It would be more appropriate that an individual with experience in disaster management and/or public health be tasked to lead the US response to this emerging public health emergency.