Maine Journal - January 2022

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Page 8 ANA Maine Journal January, February, March 2022 Surgeon General’s Report About the Threat of Health Misinformation U.S. Surgeon General Issues Advisory During COVID-19 Vaccination Push Warning American Public About Threat of Health Misinformation Juliana L’Heureux U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is issuing the first Surgeon General's Advisory of this Administration to warn the American public about the urgent threat of health misinformation. Health misinformation, including disinformation, have threatened the U.S. response to COVID-19 and continue to prevent Americans from getting vaccinated, prolonging the pandemic and putting lives at risk, and the advisory encourages technology and social media companies to take more responsibility to stop online spread of health misinformation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have been exposed to a wide range of misinformation about masks and social distancing, treatments, and vaccines. As of late May, 67% of unvaccinated adults had heard at least one COVID-19 vaccine myth and either believed it to be true or were not sure of its veracity. Health misinformation has already caused significant harm, dividing families and communities and undermining vaccination efforts. An analysis of millions of social media posts found that false news stories were 70 percent more likely to be shared than true stories. And a recent study showed that even brief exposure to misinformation made people less likely to want a COVID-19 vaccine. "Health misinformation is an urgent threat to public health. It can cause confusion, sow mistrust, and undermine public health efforts, including our ongoing work to end the COVID-19 pandemic," said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. "As Surgeon General, my job is to help people stay safe and healthy, and without limiting the spread of health misinformation, American lives are at risk. From the tech and social media companies who must do more to address the spread on their platforms, to all of us identifying and avoiding sharing misinformation, tackling this challenge will require an all-of-society approach, but it is critical for the long-term health of our nation." Health misinformation is information that is false, inaccurate, or misleading according to the best available evidence. It is not a recent phenomenon, and persistent rumors about HIV/AIDS for decades have undermined efforts to reduce infection rates in the U.S. During the Ebola epidemic, misinformation spread rapidly on social media. A 2014 study - PDF found that Ebola-related tweets that contained misinformation were more likely to be politically charged and have content promoting discord. This advisory lays out how the nation can confront health misinformation by helping individuals, families, and communities better identify and limit its spread, and issues a number of ways institutions in education, media, medicine, research, and government stakeholders can approach this issue. It also underscores the urgent need for technology and social media companies to address the way misinformation and disinformation spread on their platforms, threatening people's health. Surgeon General's Advisories are public statements that call the American people's attention to a public health issue and provide recommendations for how it should be addressed. Advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that need the American people's immediate attention. Read the full Surgeon General's Advisory here: surgeongeneral.gov/healthmisinformation For more information about the Office of the Surgeon General, please visit: www.surgeongeneral.gov. Portland Sea Dogs Host Nurse Appreciation Night at the Hadlock Field We have openings in: Float Pool Medsurg Community Living Center (Recruitment incentives up to $15K for some positions) Contact: Melissa Lasley, RN Nurse Recruiter VA Maine Healthcare System Building 203, Room 307B 1 VA Center | Augusta, ME 04330 Melissa.lasley@va.gov 207-387-3870 Join ANA-Maine at the Portland Sea Dogs Nurse Appreciation Day on May 6, 2022 On Friday, May 6th, The Portland Sea Dogs are pleased to welcome nurses to be recognized before the game against the Reading Fightin' Phils. We appreciate all that nurses do and especially their efforts over the past two years. We welcome all nurses to the field during our pregame to be honored in front of the Hadlock crowd. (on-field recognition subject to current state, local and league guidelines) The game is scheduled for 6:00 PM and the gates will open at 4:30 PM To be recognized on the field, please check in at the first base gate by 5:10 PM Ticket Prices for this special event: General Admission: $6.00* Reserved seating: $8.00* *+$2.00 processing fee per order Visit www.anamaine.org to purchase your tickets. For orders of 10 or more tickets, please call the ticket office at 207-879-9500 and ask for Alan. If you have any questions, please email Abarker@seadogs.com for more information. We look forward to seeing you at the ball game!
January, February, March 2022 ANA Maine Journal Page 9 Dr. Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act Zachary Levine and Keziah Proctor ANA- SILVER SPRING, MD- SILVER SPRING, MD — The American Nurses Association (ANA) hails the passage of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S. 610/H.R. 1667) by the U.S. House of Representatives. This bipartisan legislation will Dr. Lorna M. Breen direct $140 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (H.R. 1319) to train current and future health professionals on how to prevent suicide, burnout, and substance use disorders. The legislation will be sent back to the Senate, which passed the bill this summer, to approve the final text. The bill is named for Dr. Lorna Breen, who tragically died by suicide after being consumed by feelings of helplessness and despair while treating COVID-19 patients. Key provisions in the bill will establish a national evidence-based education and awareness initiative to encourage health care professionals to seek support and care for their mental health and substance use concerns. This initiative will also teach health care professionals how to identify and respond to the risk factors associated with suicide, mental health issues, and substance use disorders while reducing the stigma associated with seeking help for them. A reporting mandate also requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide an update on the progress of this initiative to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives no later than two years after the bill is enacted. “I am pleased that the U.S. Congress recognizes the importance of this legislation and is committed to investing in the mental health of our nursing and health care workforce,” said ANA President Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN. “Our nation’s nurses have been working under extraordinary duress created by the COVID-19 pandemic for nearly two years, and this legislation will provide critical resources and programs to help relieve suffering from fatigue, burnout, and depression. Thank you to Representatives Susan Wild (D-PA) and David McKinley (R-WV) for their unwavering leadership, and to all the members of Congress who supported this bill.” ANA is committed to advocating for the needs of nurses and supporting their mental health and wellbeing. According to a survey of more than 9,500 by the American Nurses Foundation (the Foundation) in October of 2021, close to half (42%) of nurse respondents answered “yes,” when asked if they have had an extremely stressful, disturbing, or traumatic experience due to COVID-19. ANA’s Nurse Suicide Prevention website offers resources, toolkits, and information to mitigate the risk of nurse suicide. The Foundation has developed the Well-being Initiative, a collection of resources designed to help nurses take the necessary steps to manage the stress and overcome the trauma caused by COVID-19. Dr. Lorna M. Breen, was the medical director of the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital. She died in Charlottesville, VA, where she was staying with family, her father said in an interview. Dr. Breen, 49, did not have a history of mental illness, her father told The New York Times. COVID in Maine message from Maine Senator Angus King Senator Angus King This message was published in the December, 2021, newsletter by Senator Angus King: Protect yourself and your loved ones. It is roughly twenty months into the pandemic, and COVID-19 is as great a threat to Maine people as it has ever been. Indeed, the Omicron variant has been driving record highs in both new cases and hospitalizations, taking lives and putting Maine’s most vulnerable citizens in jeopardy. Moreover, I fear the risks to health have the potential to become even greater. This dangerous surge is stretching the capacity of Maine’s hospitals and healthcare providers and threatening to affect vital care for Mainers who have non-COVID related needs. We can’t keep traveling down this path – with cold weather setting in, it is absolutely critical that Maine people take steps to protect themselves and reduce the danger of spreading the virus. The most effective way to reduce your risk is simple: get vaccinated. It is clear at this point that we are fighting two different wars against this virus – one by those who have been vaccinated and have resiliency, and one by those who have yet to get this proven protection and are at far greater risk of serious illness. Hospitals across Maine are reporting that the overwhelming majority of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated – and unvaccinated people make up an even larger share of patients in ICUs and on ventilators. Getting your vaccine – and, when possible, your booster – is the most effective way to prevent a potentially life-threatening case of COVID-19. Also, I urge Maine people to continue to wear masks while indoors and in close proximity to others, whether they are vaccinated or not. We all want to take off the masks, but it’s a small sacrifice to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. I know that many of us want to be done with the pandemic – but it is clear that the pandemic is not yet done with us. Maine people must take the safe, proven and commonsense steps that will protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities from infectious COVID and the Omicron variant.
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Maine Journal - January 2022

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