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D�melo Radio Program talks Disability Rights

Zulma Turner, Outreach Specialist with Disability Rights Center of the Virgin Islands joins Dímelo Moderator Lucie Rodriguez.

AARP continues to reach the vast Hispanic population of the Virgin Islands with useful information and helpful topics on Dímelo, AARP VI’s monthly Spanish radio program. This month’s topic was the rights of the disabled. The invited guest was Zulma Turner, Outreach Specialist at the Disability Rights Center of the Virgin Islands.

The Disability Rights Center of the Virgin Islands (DRCVI) advocates for people with disabilities. DRCVI performs a number of services to include investigating abuse/neglect complaints, and visiting the prisons, youth rehabilitation centers and other group homes. DRCVI educates the disabled community about the services that they are entitled to under the law. DRCVI trains parents to understand the laws and enables parents to advocate for themselves and their children.

During election years, DRCVI works with the Elections office staff to make sure that the polls are accessible.

DRCVI assists the territory’s AD-HOC committee that meets every month. This committee serves as the ADA watchdog of the Virgin Islands. Electric lifts at the airport, ramps in public places, lower public telephones, increased parking for people with disabilities, accessible aisles at supermarkets and an elevator at an inaccessible restaurant are all achievements of the AD-HOC group. DRCVI also has a PAIMI (Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness) advisory council that meets four times a year.

AARP applauds the work that DRCVI is doing to help and assist the disabled residents of the Virgin Islands.

Dímelo Radio Program airs the first Tuesday of each month, on Latino 98.3 FM. Be sure to tune in!

Added: September 2, 2009
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Public is Invited to a Health Care Policy Forum

The Legislature of the Virgin Islands’ Committee on Health is sponsoring a “Speak Up: Know Your Rights to Health Care” Policy Forum. The goal of the forum is to improve access to health care and to educate patients about their rights.

This important gathering will be held on Thursday, September 17, 2009, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm at the Department of Human Services’ Head Start Sugar Estate Multipurpose Complex on St. Thomas.

Speakers and panelists include Health Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Simeon Sprauve, Amelia Headley Lamont of Disability Rights Center of the VI, Denyce Singleton of AARP VI, Dr. Cora Christian, MPH of VI Medical Institute (and AARP National Board Member) and Barbara Lee Jackson of VI Perinatal Inc. Dept of Health Commissioner Julia Sheen has also been invited.

Two featured guest speakers will be coming from off-island. They are:

Wendy Jones, M.Ed., MSW

Director, Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs Project,

National Center for Cultural Competence

Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development

Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center

Ms. Jones is a research instructor in the Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. She has been associated with the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD), University Centers of Excellence, National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) for the past 14 years and has served in various capacities. She is a bilingual (Spanish/English) special educator and social worker with specific expertise in cultural and linguistic competence. Her areas of focus include advocacy, support, and training for providers serving individuals and families with limited English proficiency, as well as individuals and families with chronic health conditions, special health care needs, and developmental, educational and emotional disabilities.

Isabella Lorenzo-Hubert, M.Ed.

Senior Policy Associate, Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs Project, National Center for Cultural Competence

Bilingual Special Educator/Research Instructor, Georgetown University Center for Child & Human Development, Georgetown University Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics

Ms. Lorenzo-Hubert is a Research Instructor in the Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. She has been on the faculty of the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD), University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (GU-UCDD) for the past 13 years and has served in various capacities. Ms. Lorenzo-Hubert was born and raised in Uruguay, South America and her professional experience has involved extensive work in supporting the strengths, needs and resiliency of families who are of Latino/Hispanic heritage. As a team member of the National Center for Cultural Competence, Ms. Lorenzo-Hubert has combined her knowledge of cultural and linguistic competence and her bilingual (Spanish/English) ability to good use in the conduct of interviews, focus groups, translations and adaptations of materials, training and technical assistance, and community outreach and engagement activities.

The Public is welcome but seating is limited. Please call 713-1606 to RSVP and for more information.

Added: September 1, 2009
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AARP VI Announces the 2009 Andrus Award Recipient

AARP Virgin Islands congratulates Steve R. Abrants on being the recipient of the 2009 Andrus Award for Community Service. This award is AARP’s most prestigious volunteer award, and goes to an individual who makes a meaningful contribution to our local community.

Steve originally hails from Rhode Island and moved to St. Croix in 2001, quickly becoming active in the VI community. Soon after he arrived, he was elected as president of St. Croix’s AARP Chapter 3167 and served three terms. He has been extremely active in sending key AARP messages to local residents, educating many on key healthcare and financial security issues. Annually, he volunteers at AARP’s most important activities: Agrifest, the Legislative Roundtable, Day of Service and CareForce, the territory’s largest preventative health screening event for seniors.

In past years, Steve assisted as a computer class instructor for AARP volunteers, and served as a volunteer English instructor for Hispanos Unidos, helping Spanish speaking students to better their English. There’s rarely an AARP event that Steve won’t sign up for. He’s participated in Festival parades on St. Croix and St. John, and walked the streets sending campaign messages in AARP’s troupes.

Steve served as the VI’s Driver Safety State Coordinator for 2007-2008. He aggressively marketed the program, and successfully increased awareness and the number of class participants.

Outside of AARP, Steve volunteers with the American Cancer Society, and whenever asked, wears the costume of Mr. Colon Polyp to message cancer awareness. Steve currently serves on the professional advisory committee for Sea View Health Care Services Inc.

Added: August 21, 2009
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AARP Volunteers at Community Health Screening Event

Dr. Bert Petersen, Medical Director of the DOH Community Health Screening campaign (We Care) and Tracy Sanders, CEO of Continuum Care, Inc. review AARP health care reform educational materials.

The Department of Health has launched a program that will bring free health screenings throughout Virgin Islands communities. The preventative health screening events were developed to have health care professionals visit low income areas with free diagnostic tests.

AARP volunteered at the first event which was held on August 8^th at Williams’ Delight housing community in Frederiksted. During the day-long event, 99 residents from the community signed up for a battery of simple screenings, including mammograms and pap smears that can detect serious health problems. The program was so well attended not everyone could be seen that day. A waiting list for appointments had to be developed.

Volunteers providing care at the event agreed that this type of prevention is essential. Catching the tell-tale signs that someone may be in the earliest stages of a disease process can often make the difference between a lifetime of costly medical care and medication or living disease free.

AARP Virgin Islands was on hand at the event to assist with client registration and discharge. AARP also had the opportunity to disseminate information and educational material on the national health care reform campaign.

Be sure to listen out for information on the date and time of the screening event coming to your neighborhood. Participate and get to know your important numbers.

Added: August 12, 2009
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Town Hall Discussion with President Obama

Health care is everyone’s business and citizens must stay informed because the changes that Congress makes will ultimately impact you and your loved ones. On Tuesday, July 28^th, AARP CEO Barry Rand hosted an hour-long tele-Town Hall meeting with special guest President Barack Obama. The discussion aimed to help Americans stay informed about the progress being made to reform America’s broken health care system

In preparation for the telephone meeting, the National AARP office requested names, phone numbers and email addresses of state activists to be included on the call. These individuals received emails instructing them when to stay by the phone to receive a call connecting them to the meeting. These AARP volunteers had the opportunity to ask questions of the President live, on-air and in real time. Between 300,000 and 500,000 AARP members participated in Tuesday’s call. The town hall meeting was also broadcast live on the internet and on CNN.

Dr. Cora Christian, who sits on AARP’s National Board, submitted a two part written question in advance of the tele-Town Hall asking that the Territories receive equal treatment and benefits as all other American citizens and that the Medicaid cap be permanently lifted. While the question was not addressed on the air, it will be shared with the president.

If you were not on the call, you can still let your voice be heard and have your health care question, opinion or comment made known to AARP. AARP established a special phone line specifically to gather input from our members, their families and the general public. The health care reform phone number is 1-866-AARP-449 (1-866-227-7449).

Added: July 28, 2009
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Dimelo Spreads Health Care Reform Message

Hispanic residents on the island of St. Croix are receiving information on the current health care reform debate in Washington, along with information on AARP’s “six asks” of Congress as a result of small, personalized presentations at churches and civic groups.

On Friday, July 10^th, members of AARP’s Dimelo (Hispanic Speakers’ Bureau) met with 20 members of the Iglesia Metodista La Santa Cruz for a two hour AARP and health care reform discussion. Luz E. Rodriguez, Carmen Quiñones and Noemi Garcia-Taha came prepared with an AARP Health Care Reform PowerPoint presentation created in Spanish so that all participants could read along and ask questions in their native language.

“The presentation was well received and participants were very engaged in the issues,” stated Garcia-Taha, AARP Senior Operations Administrator and Dimelo Coordinator, “Many attendees were unaware of the benefits available through AARP or the issues being addressed in the national health care reform debate. The Dimelo group plans to do a series of these small, informal presentations so that we can familiarize more Hispanics to the issues and respond more directly to their concerns.”

If you would like to have the Dimelo group come to your church or civic group, please contact the AARP office in St. Croix at 713-2002 to schedule a presentation.

Added: July 16, 2009
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AARP Says 'Health Action Now!' for St. John Festival

Members of St. John’s Chapter 4777 gathered in the mid morning sun to form the AARP Festival troupe for this year’s Festival parade. The group’s theme was Health Action Now! (HAN) inspired by AARP’s ongoing national campaign for Health Care Reform. The group wore white t-shirts emblazoned with the official HAN logo and straw hats with bands that proudly displayed AARP’s logo. Participants carried large placards that displayed the six key objectives that AARP is fighting for in legislation to reform health care. AARP Executive Council member Archie Jennings and his daughter Arielle led with the troupe’s banner.

Before the parade began, the group was visited by Governor John P. deJongh enabling volunteers to express to him the importance of AARP’s theme. Joan Bermingham, Chapter President, presented the Governor with his own HAN t-shirt.

Along the parade route, AARP gave impromptu interviews to media representatives about the troupe’s HAN theme and how health care reform is of critical importance to all Americans.

As the troupe rounded the corner near the Myrah Keating Health Clinic, troupe participants stopped to talk with the VI Delegate to Congress. Joan Bermingham presented the Delegate with one of the troupe’s t-shirts and listened to the Delegate’s opinion on the status of things with health care reform in Washington.

The troupe appealed to all ages, including the teenagers who helped carry the AARP banner and helped with distributing water.

Many thanks go to Beverly Biziewski – the St. John Chapter’s past President, who for the third time has organized the event and made it a tremendous success. All in all, the AARP troupe and parade spectators alike had a great time listening to music, watching the fabulous parade costumes, and meeting with old friends.

Added: July 7, 2009
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AARP Attends GERS Summit

AARP Virgin Islands commends Governor John deJongh (D) for his recent move to assemble those who have a stake and interest in the Government Employee Retirement System (GERS) of the VI. GERS has been a major focus of AARP over the years and as a major lobbying organization in the Virgin Islands, AARP fully appreciates the significance of gathering all interested stakeholders to the table to conduct an open and frank dialogue on GERS issues.

The day-long GERS Summit brought together representatives from the Governor’s financial team, the 28^th Legislature, the GERS Board of Trustees and top management, GERS’s actuary and investment manager advisor, representatives from numerous government unions and semi-autonomous government agencies. Those in attendance ranged from residents very knowledgeable about the issues facing GERS to those who had no knowledge whatsoever about pension programs or the current investment environment. Regardless of their level of financial or investment knowledge, all participants were invited to ask questions and provide input during the discussion portion of the program.

The GERS Summit proved to be a prime example of how important it is to hold public discussions on key issues. All stakeholders must be included in order to hear all sides and get things accomplished. The AARP State Director, Denyce Singleton, and Ginny Dargan, Associate State Director for advocacy, attended the Summit on behalf of AARP’s more than 20,000 members, many of whom are VI Government retirees.

The Summit was “by invitation only” due solely to the limitations posed by cost, space and accommodations. The Summit’s intent was never to limit input from stakeholders, but instead to identify key organizational representatives who could voice concerns and questions on behalf of their membership and then carry back the information presented to their group.

At the heart of the matter is the fact that over the last decade GERS has amassed a debt that is now over $1.3 billion dollars and growing every day. This debt, known in pension circles as an unfunded liability, was created by the Virgin Islands government as a result of over a decade’s worth of early retirement programs. These programs were not funded by the government when they were implemented. Subsequently, the VI government did not make the necessary contributions to the system to absorb the cost of these early retiree programs and still make annuity payments to retirees who worked their 30 years and contributed their full share.

AARP feels that the Summit was a good start in the process to get the public debate going on potential solutions. We applaud the Governor and his staff for the wisdom and foresight they employed when deciding to make this Summit as “stakeholder inclusive” as economically possible. AARP looks forward to participating in the next step of the process to select the best solution from those offered by stakeholders.

Added: July 6, 2009
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Hispanic Volunteers Receive Training on Health Care Reform

AARP's Hispanic Speakers Bureau team, Porta Voces, receive training on AARP's health care reform initiative, Health Action Now!.

AARP has begun a public education initiative locally and throughout the nation to help citizens better understand the health care reform debate going on in Congress. AARP’s campaign, Health Action Now!, is working hard to address fixing America’s broken system. In the Virgin Islands, AARP has started reaching out to its English and Spanish Speakers’ Bureau to conduct health care reform Train the Trainer presentations.

The first training sought to help members of the Hispanic Porta Voces (Speakers’ Bureau) understand AARP’s “6 Asks”, and was recently conducted in St. Croix. The “6 Asks” form the foundation for AARP’s health care reform movement and specifically identifies the six things which AARP feels must exist in the final version of the Act. These priorities include:

Guaranteeing access to affordable coverage for Americans age 50 to 64;
Closing the Medicare part D coverage gap or “doughnut hole”;
Creating access to generic versions of biologic drugs used to treat cancer and other serious diseases to reduce the price of these costly treatments;
Preventing costly hospital readmissions by creating a follow-up care benefit in Medicare to help people safely transition home after a hospital stay;
Increase federal funding and eligibility for home and community based services through Medicaid so older Americans can remain in their homes and avoid more costly institutions as they age; and
Improving programs that help low income Americans in Medicare afford the health care and prescription drugs they need.

Ten members of Porta Voces recently attended an hour long training that fully explained each of the six key health care issues, answered all their questions and readied them to develop of schedule for presentations throughout the St. Croix community.

If you are interested in having either a Spanish or English presentation for your church, civic organization or other group, please telephone 713-2002 to schedule a presentation.

Added: June 30, 2009
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New State President Begins Assignment at AARP Virgin Islands

Paul Simmonds, PhD, has been selected as the Virgin Islands State President. He is a Virgin Islands native originally from the island of St. Thomas, but currently resides on St. Croix. Simmonds is an accomplished Professor and businessman, and brings a wealth of strategic planning, business, management and teaching experience to the VI State Office. His experience, background and skills will help staff and volunteers identify social issues, develop solutions and campaigns, recruit volunteers, and educate the public. He will advocate among legislators, Government House and other public opinion leaders to help improve the quality of life for all Virgin Islanders.

As a lifelong educator, Dr. Simmonds has taught business on the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels. In addition to his teaching career, Dr. Simmonds has also held top level executive positions as: Chief Executive Officer with TRW Turbine Overhaul Services Pte., Ltd, in the Republic of Singapore; Financial and General Manager of TWR, Inc. Airfoil Overhaul, SBU in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Cost Accounting Supervisor for Monsanto Company, Inc. in Akron, Ohio; and Distribution Accountant with Scott Paper Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

He is an extensively published author of numerous articles on business, management, organizational structure, and strategic decision making. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Business in Developing Nations.

Throughout his career, Simmonds has received honors that include: Most Valuable Mentor, Who’s Who in Black Corporate America; and Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honor Society. The VI State Office is pleased to welcome this local talent to our organization.

When asked about his new assignment, Simmonds replied “It’s great. This is something I can do to give back to my Virgin Islands community. My family believes in service, and being able to give service to someone else matters a great deal to me”.

Added: June 17, 2009
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My Journals (41)