The evolution of a charity support services team

Our charity's mission is dedicated to beating blood cancer by funding research and supporting those affected. Since 1960, we have invested over 500 million in blood cancer research, transforming treatments and saving lives. Since 2015 there has been a Support Services team within the charity. This service was established to provide information that the blood cancer community can trust, in a language they can understand. By connecting and listening to our community they deepen our understanding and help shape our work. Research suggests that blood cancer patients are more likely than any other patients to leave their diagnosis appointment feeling they do not fully understand their condition. Our service can often consolidate the information given by clinicians. Patients also need advice and support on how to adapt to day-to- day life after their diagnosis. There are challenges that are unique to blood cancer, such as living with cancer as a chronic condition, being on 'watch and wait' or fluctuating remissions and relapses. In 2023 the Support Services team have a 7 day presence on our phone line, email and social media platform where people can communicate with one of our trained blood cancer support officers, or one of three Registered Nurses, all who can provide information about blood cancer diagnosis and help with emotional and practical support. We also run an online community forum where people affected by blood cancer can connect, share experiences and provide peer support. The highly experienced haematology nurses provide a clinical aspect to the support of the Blood Cancer Community that enhances the established patient centred support given historically by the charity. The nurses advanced knowledge and experience of haematological cancers, treatments, side effects, holistic care and NHS process can further guide the community. This is in addition to the invaluable information from their treatment teams. In 2023 the Support Services team are now reaching thousands of the blood cancer community. We understand that in the past 3 years the COVID-19 pandemic and the work of our charity around this will have influenced the significant increase in contacts but equally the robust and trusted services provided through this charity has contributed too.

Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Community College Students. Research Report. RR-A2552-1

The United States faces an unprecedented mental health crisis, with youth and young adults at the center. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 50 percent of college students reported at least one mental health concern. The COVID-19 pandemic notably exacerbated these issues and underscored the urgent need to identify and implement ways to ameliorate the youth mental health crisis. In 2021, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine called on the field of higher education to address growing concerns about student mental health by identifying and elevating emerging and promising approaches that offer a more holistic way to support students' mental health. Serving as the main entry point for more than 40 percent of students seeking a postsecondary degree, community colleges represent a tremendous and untapped opportunity to better address mental health in the United States, particularly for students who have been traditionally underserved (e.g., students of color, first-generation students, and low-income students). However, community colleges have limited evidence and guidance to inform the implementation of multilevel, holistic approaches to support students with varying mental health needs. To address this knowledge gap, this report shares a descriptive study of eight community colleges at the forefront of implementing multilevel approaches (a combination of prevention, early intervention, and treatment services) to support student mental health, as well as key facilitators for and barriers to their success. [For "How Community Colleges Can Support Student Mental Health Needs. Research Brief. RB-A2552-1," see ED627489.]

How Community Colleges Can Support Student Mental Health Needs. Research Brief. RB-A2552-1

The United States faces an unprecedented mental health crisis, with youth and young adults at the center. Even before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, nearly 50 percent of college students reported at least one mental health concern. Without adequate mental health support, college students, including those at community colleges, may be at risk for a variety of academic and nonacademic consequences that negatively affect their overall well-being, including lower college completion rates, higher rates of substance use, and lower lifetime earning potential. This research brief describes a study examining eight community colleges from across the United States which found that, although the institutions did offer mental health services, most lacked a clear organizing framework for those efforts, and that financial challenges limited the support offered to students. The research also highlighted the importance of community college leaders explicitly prioritizing student mental health, as well as broad staff buy-in to the effort. [For the full report, "Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Community College Students. Research Report. RR-A2552-1," see ED627480.]

COVID-19, uncertainty and acceleration of innovation

The aim of this Special Issue is to review and discuss, through practical examples from different countries, the rapid and effective responses of industries, societies and governments to the high level of uncertainty and risks created by the COVID-19 pandemic. This unprecedented health crisis has pushed managers, scientists, policy makers and many other social, economic and health actors to think ‘out of the box' and provide quick solutions by reducing the process of innovation, introducing new business models and new ways of ‘doing things' in many areas such as medicine, finance, retailing, communication, teaching, supply chains and sustainable development. This Special Issue also highlights the importance of holistic approach and collaboration between different disciplines and stakeholders.

A breath of fresh air

Submission content Introduction: This is a story about the day I wheeled a patient outside. I know, it sounds somewhat underwhelming. But little did I know that this short trip down a hospital corridor and beyond the entrance foyer would mark a profound shift in perspective both for me and my patient, which I hope will influence me for the rest of my career. Main Body: "Paul" was in his 50s and severely afflicted by COVID-19, resulting in a protracted ICU admission with a slow and arduous ventilator wean. Throughout his time on the unit, Paul had seen no daylight;no view of the outside world. He was struggling to make progress and was becoming exasperated. His deteriorating mood in turn affected his sleep, which further undermined his progress. Due to COVID-19, visiting was not permitted and Paul's cuffed tracheostomy meant that he couldn't speak to his family. One day, witnessing Paul's psychological decline, I asked him if he fancied a trip outside. Despite initial reluctance, he eventually gave in to some gentle persuasion from the staff nurse, with whom he had developed a close bond. So there we went;Paul, his nurse and me. And as we wheeled his bed through the door into open air, Paul's whole demeanour suddenly changed. He appeared as though the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders and his face lit up with awe, a tear emerging in the corner of his eye. In that moment he rediscovered life. Not as a hospital patient, but as a person. Watching the world go by, he remembered what it was like to be a member of the human race, not the subject of endless tests and treatments. He tasted freedom. Conclusion(s): Awakened by his experience of the forgotten outside world, when we eventually returned to the ICU Paul was an entirely different man. To Paul, the trip outside symbolised progress. After weeks of frustration and despair, he finally had a purpose;a motivation to get better. Meanwhile, I was having my own quiet realisation. I now understood what it truly meant to deliver holistic care. It can become all too easy to focus on the clinical aspects;to obsess about the numbers. But in fact, often what matter most to patients are the 'little things', to which no amount of medication is the solution. I now try to consider during my daily review: what matters to this patient? How are they feeling? What are they thinking? What else can I do to help their psychological recovery? And as for me personally? Having witnessed Paul's reaction to the outside world, I suddenly became aware of how little attention I normally pay to the world around me. How little I appreciate the simple ability to walk outside, and the fundamental things we take for granted. Now, when I'm feeling annoyed or frustrated about something trivial, I stop and think of Paul. I then thank my lucky stars for what I have to be grateful for. Ultrasound Ninja.

COVID-19: Adapting to change, general surgery at a district general hospital in the United Kingdom

The Coronavirus pandemic has caused major change across the world and in the National Health Service. In order to cope and help limit contagion, numerous institutions recognised the need to adjust clinical practice quickly yet safely. In this paper, we aim to describe the changes implemented in a general surgery department at a district general hospital in the United Kingdom. Across the surgical specialties, frameworks, protocols and guidelines have been established locally and nationally. The aerosol generating procedures involved in general surgery required us to alter our daily activities. Modifications to patient management were necessary to try and reduce viral spread. Staff wellbeing was heavily promoted in order to help maintain the frontline workforce. A holistic approach was required.

Scientific rationale of Indian AYUSH Ministry advisory for COVID-19 prevention, prophylaxis, and immunomodulation

The current outbreak of COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that has affected > 210 countries. Various steps are taken by different countries to tackle the current war-like health situation. In India, the Ministry of AYUSH released a self-care advisory for immunomodulation measures during the COVID-19 and this review article discusses the detailed scientific rationale associated with this advisory. Authors have spotted and presented in-depth insight of advisory in terms of immunomodulatory, antiviral, antibacterial, co-morbidity associated actions, and their probable mechanism of action. Immunomodulatory actions of advised herbs with no significant adverse drug reaction/toxicity strongly support the extension of advisory for COVID-19 prevention, prophylaxis, mitigations, and rehabilitation capacities. This advisory also emphasized Dhyana (meditation) and Yogasanas as a holistic approach in enhancing immunity, mental health, and quality of life. The present review may open-up new meadows for research and can provide better conceptual leads for future researches in immunomodulation, antiviral-development, psychoneuroimmunology, especially for COVID-19.Copyright © 2021, Institute of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University.

Towards gold standard care for peripartum women admitted to general intensive care units

Introduction: Critically-ill obstetric patients admitted to general intensive care units (ICU) are a rare and unique population for whom excellent care is essential to prevent devastating physical and psychological morbidity. Admissions are often unanticipated and can present challenges to obstetric and intensive care MDTs. 2018 Enhanced Maternal Care (EMC) Guidelines provide standards for caring for these women, and the 2022 Ockenden review exposed the association of peripartum ICU admission with undertreated psychological trauma and a desire for individualised debriefing [1,2]. We audited the care of obstetric admissions to general ICUs in our quaternary centre. We sought evidence of psychological morbidity to improve follow-up pathways in line with 2022 Ockenden actions. Method(s): Retrospective online case note review of maternity admissions to general ICUs between 1/1/2021-1/1/2022 compared to EMC audit standards. Exclusion criteria: <22/40 gestation, >6/52 postpartum and admissions to our level 2 labour ward high dependency unit. Result(s): 25 patients were admitted to general ICUs over 12 months. Median age was 35-39 years, mean parity was 1. The commonest indication was obstetric haemorrhage (n = 10). 15 of 25 patients required level 3 care, median length of stay was 1.5 days. Documentation of daily obstetric MDT ward round was variable, as was mother-baby contact. 0 of 25 women were seen in obstetric anaesthesia clinic after discharge, only 1 received outpatient ICU follow-up. 50% of postnatal admissions (n = 14) had documentation of significant psychological distress. In response a local checklist was developed with key colleagues to support collaborative working and standardise quality care. It includes automatic referral into obstetric anaesthesia clinic and access to a novel perinatal mental health service. Discussion(s): A peripartum admission to ICU is highly likely to be experienced as traumatic [2]. The incidence of obstetric ICU admissions may increase in the context of greater clinical complexity of the UK pregnant population and COVID-19, whilst the non-anaesthetic ICU workforce may have little obstetric training. Obstetric anaesthetists are therefore uniquely skilled to facilitate quality resuscitation and referral to ICU, but gold-standard holistic care extends beyond admission. We believe regular audit and dedicated local care pathways which incorporate proactive debriefing and psychological health can improve the care of this important group of women.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

Sex differences in COVID-19 susceptibility – Reductionistic and holistic perspectives

Infection with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is associated with different clinical outcomes in men and women. Rates of hospitalization and mortality are higher in men, but late post-COVID complications may be more frequent in women. A variety of differences in comorbidities, behavior, and biology between males and females, in particular sex-related differences in the immune system, have been implicated. This review discusses how the integration of holistic and reductionistic research perspectives is providing a comprehensive understanding of the impact of sex on COVID-19 susceptibility and underscores the need to incorporate sex-specific reporting and analysis in future research. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploring Hybrid EAP Writing Facilitated by the Holistic Shepherd Leadership Approach for SDG Issues

What has English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing had to encounter during the Covid-19-induced distance education in addition to the common challenges of students' difficulties in the face of a lack of social collaboration? This study drew upon the theoretical framework of the Holistic Shepherd Leadership Approach (HSLA) to address these issues in a junior EAP course in a hybrid mode, and to examine learners' perceptions of their experiences of writing an opinion letter regarding Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The researcher employed tests of entry and exit-level writing proficiency assessed in terms of quality and quantity, a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire, and stratified interviews to collect 34 participants' responses. The results showed positive pedagogical, cognitive, and affective results, linked with mixed conceptions regarding technical issues, and emerging challenges related to the holistic needs of different levels of learners. Implications and pedagogical strategies are offered. © 2022 Taiwan English for Specific Purposes Association. All rights reserved.

Dancing in the dark: how food governance can support resilience in Portland, Oregon

According to various scholars, resilience (i.e., the capacity to adapt and evolve in unpredictable situations) implementation becomes most effective when it involves several civic institutions, agencies, and individual citizens working together toward common goals within a common strategy. Such networks can work together and weather unexpected crises as the current COVID-19 pandemic. Key aspects of this process are the development of a more integrated and holistic approach, meanwhile, the metropolitan resilience requires more collaboration across urban and rural boundaries. Food governance can help to promote resilience: since food system governance manifests the need to implement an integrated approach. Moreover, food system governance stimulates redefinition of the territorial scale and of the criteria for assessing resilience on such a scale. This paper provides a critical analysis of the above issues. Having experimented with food policies, integrated approaches, and redefinition of urban-rural relationships for several years, Portland proves to be a good vantage point for observing mechanisms relating to these issues. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Food, Culture & Society is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Factors affecting the implementation of employee whole health in the veterans health administration: a qualitative evaluation.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing recognition of the need to focus on the health and well-being of healthcare employees given high rates of burnout and turnover. Employee wellness programs are effective at addressing these issues; however, participation in these programs is often a challenge and requires large scale organizational transformation. The Veterans Health Administration (VA) has begun to roll out their own employee wellness program-Employee Whole Health (EWH)-focused on the holistic needs of all employees. This evaluation's goal was to use the Lean Enterprise Transformation (LET) model for organizational transformation to identify key factors-facilitators and barriers-affecting the implementation of VA EWH. METHODS: This cross-sectional qualitative evaluation based on the action research model reflects on the organizational implementation of EWH. Semi-structured 60-minute phone interviews were conducted in February-April 2021 with 27 key informants (e.g., EWH coordinator, wellness/occupational health staff) knowledgeable about EWH implementation across 10 VA medical centers. Operational partner provided a list of potential participants, eligible because of their involvement in EWH implementation at their site. The interview guide was informed by the LET model. Interviews were recorded and professionally transcribed. Constant comparative review with a combination of a priori coding based on the model and emergent thematic analysis was used to identify themes from transcripts. Matrix analysis and rapid turnaround qualitative methods were used to identify cross-site factors to EWH implementation. RESULTS: Eight common factors in the conceptual model were found to facilitate and/or hinder EWH implementation efforts: [1] EWH initiatives, [2] multilevel leadership support, [3] alignment, [4] integration, [5] employee engagement, [6] communication, [7] staffing, and [8] culture. An emergent factor was [9] the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on EWH implementation. CONCLUSIONS: As VA expands its EWH cultural transformation nationwide, evaluation findings can (a) enable existing programs to address known implementation barriers, and (b) inform new sites to capitalize on known facilitators, anticipate and address barriers, and leverage evaluation recommendations through concerted implementation at the organization, process, and employee levels to jump-start their EWH program implementation.

"Let's Talk About Wellbeing!”: Fostering Interdependence in Doctoral Communities

The Ph.D. genre captures the complexity and plurality of practices generally confronting doctoral scholars, creating challenges and at times contributing to wellbeing concerns. The arrival of COVID-19 has exacerbated such challenges with its associated mandatory self-isolation and other imposed measures, leading to explicit and implicit impact on members of the doctoral community. This autoethnographic study draws upon the collective reflections of a group of researchers as they explored practical ways of fostering and supporting mental health and wellbeing within the doctoral community. Our study highlights three aspects for consideration: (a) a holistic understanding of doctoral wellbeing as key, (b) the interconnection between doctoral scholars' and staff members' well-being, and (c) communities serving as avenues to psychological wellness. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

Every penny counts: The effect of holistic-analytic thinking style on donation decisions in the times of COVID-19

This research explores how individual differences in holistic-analytic thinking style affect people's donation intentions and decisions. Specifically, we find that individuals with a more holistic thinking style are more likely to make donations compared to individuals with a less holistic thinking style, and the effect is mediated by the belief that every penny counts. In the first two studies, we examine the impact of cognitive style on donation for a Covid-19-related cause. This context is important because ensuring that individual donors believe their contributions matter is crucial when raising donations for a cause that impacts a large number of beneficiaries, such as fighting Covid-19. We establish the underlying mechanism of the impact of cognitive style on donation intention and donation amount. A third study shows that our findings can be extended beyond the context of Covid-19 and generalized to other nonprofit projects. In conclusion, taking into account an individual-difference variable, such as holistic-analytic thinking style, is important to explain donation decisions and might be worth considering when designing and implementing social interventions, especially during pandemic situations like the one produced by Covid-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Yoga for Preventive Health: A Holistic Approach.

Yoga has been prevalent for over 5000 years; it originated in India and has become an essential lifestyle ingredient for achieving optimal health. The goal of this article in lifestyle modification is to increase awareness about the benefits of yoga and how its practice can reduce the overall risk of chronic diseases. Yoga has been proven to be therapeutic for enhancing immunity and support management of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine disorders, obesity, cancer, and metabolic syndrome. Yoga techniques called asanas, such as pranayama for breathing regulation and dhyana for meditation, boost innate immune response, interrupt inflammation, and thereby prevent the manifestation of chronic diseases. Yoga also provides symptomatic relief for chronic arthritis by increasing joint flexibility and microcirculation. Yoga and meditation regulate neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, hormones, and cytokines that mediate interactions between the central nervous system and the immune system. These techniques reduce the psychological and physiological effects of chronic stress. Serotonin, oxytocin, and melatonin released directly due to practicing yoga have been shown to better manage anxiety and fear, especially during the pandemic. We believe the current trends of chronic disease management will become more effective with the implementation of lifestyle changes using yoga.

A holistic approach to remote digital work: from the inconveniences suffered by employees to a comprehensive 'fair compensation'

The unprecedented surge of employees working remotely in Europe during the COVID-19 crisis, shone a spotlight on some related disadvantages. Focusing on employees of the private sector, the most relevant of these include additional professional costs, informal overtime, and psychosocial risks. Their significant impact on employees seems to contrast with the EU model of digital transition and encourages us to look for possible remedies. In light of this, the author suggests adopting a holistic perspective. He proposes, thus, a vision of 'fair compensation' aimed at thoroughly neutralizing the negative impact of remote digital work on employees. Moving from a comparative analysis of the legal framework of France, Italy, and Spain - three EU medium/large economies which most used remote digital work during the pandemic - the contribution provides a definition of fair compensation, identifies some of its current highest standards and provides some insight into its possible practical implications.

The Health Hexagon Model: Postulating a holistic lifestyle approach to mental health for times and places of uncertainty

Professional-driven mental health services are often predicated on westernized beliefs of mental health and distress. This presumptuous view results in treatment solutions that are not suitable to (many) non-western contexts because they are neither culturally valid nor practically sufficient. Instead of promoting imported ideas of mental health, we encourage communities, including Hong Kong, from and for where the authors primarily theorize the current thesis, to turn to and strengthen the resources they employed before the medicalization of distress and suffering. Basic foundational elements in one's everyday life, which we present here as the Health Hexagon Model, should be promoted, especially healthy sleep, healthy diet, regular physical activity, closeness with nature, supportive kinships and friendships, and a sense of purpose, meaning, or sacredness. These elements are not novel;the importance of these basic elements has been recognized, distilled, and transmitted generation after generation. We advocate for communities to identify the missing or hampered fundamental elements in their lives and focus on finding methods that would help them adopt a lifestyle conducive to individual and collective health. This call-to-action is particularly timely as the global community fights for its survival against the coronavirus and ponders ways to cope with the seismic changes in lifestyle it has brought.Copyright © 2022 The Authors

Silver Linings? Teachers' Reappraisals of Children's Education in England During the First COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown

In many countries around the world, including in England, efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the closure of schools for the majority of students, with remote learning replacing face-to-face teaching. Rightfully, there has been much media and academic attention focused on the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's educational opportunities, attainment, and mental health. However, such discourse backgrounds concerns about children's mental health and wellbeing, and the narrowing of the school curriculum, which were growing prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This chapter, which draws upon interviews conducted remotely with 30 teachers across England during March and April 2020, highlights some of the ‘silver linings' of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some teachers noticed an improvement in student behaviour, and were able to explore innovative teaching approaches and provide additional support for students;one spoke of regaining a joy in teaching without the focus on outcomes which had dominated teaching prior to the pandemic. These comments provide a springboard for discussion about the type of educational recovery which should take place once the immediate threat of the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022

Learning design for holistic student formation

A longstanding area of disagreement among theological educators has been whether the holistic formational goals of theological education can be adequately addressed through non–face-to-face learning modes. This study explored student perceptions of how their experience of studying theology in an asynchronous online context contributed to their holistic formation. Student participants were enrolled in one or more of 22 new online units of study which were developed and offered over three cycles as part of larger design-based research project. The study, initiated and conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, found a broad range of design elements contributed to five dimensions of student formation (theological understanding, personal dispositions, ministry dispositions, ministry skills, identity), suggesting that purposeful learning design can facilitate holistic student formation in online and distance learning contexts. Although this study examined learning design for holistic student formation in theological courses, the results may be of interest for other disciplines with similar holistic formational aims. © 2023 Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia, Inc.

Social Media Sentiment Analysis on Third Booster Dosage for COVID-19 Vaccination: A Holistic Machine Learning Approach

Over a period of more than two years the public health has been experiencing legitimate threat due to COVID-19 virus infection. This article represents a holistic machine learning approach to get an insight of social media sentiment analysis on third booster dosage for COVID-19 vaccination across the globe. Here in this work, researchers have considered Twitter responses of people to perform the sentiment analysis. Large number of tweets on social media require multiple terabyte sized database. The machine learned algorithm-based sentiment analysis can actually be performed by retrieving millions of twitter responses from users on daily basis. Comments regarding any news or any trending product launch may be ascertained well in twitter information. Our aim is to analyze the user tweet responses on third booster dosage for COVID-19 vaccination. In this sentiment analysis, the user sentiment responses are firstly categorized into positive sentiment, negative sentiment, and neutral sentiment. A performance study is performed to quickly locate the application and based on their sentiment score the application can distinguish the positive sentiment, negative sentiment and neutral sentiment-based tweet responses once clustered with various dictionaries and establish a powerful support on the prediction. This paper surveys the polarity activity exploitation using various machine learning algorithms viz. Naïve Bayes (NB), K- Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), and Valence Aware wordbook and sEntiment thinker (VADER) on the third booster dosage for COVID-19 vaccination. The VADER sentiment analysis predicts 97% accuracy, 92% precision, and 95% recall compared to other existing machine learning models. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.