Public transparency at care homes; Celebrating EMS workers in our community; City workers on extended paid leave; Breakthrough science of Alice Ball
Public transparency at care homes
It's been two months since care facilities across the state restricted visitors in an effort to protect our most vulnerable; our elderly and medically compromised seniors.
We have been watching clusters break out across the country and how some states have been willing to identify where positive cases are turning up. We talked to AARP Hawaii director Keali'i Lopez about the transparency issue. It sent a letter to the state last month expressing the need for public disclosure and guidance for the hundreds of care homes under state jurisdiction
Celebrating EMS workers in our community
The theme of Emergency Medical Services week is EMS STRONG: Ready Today, Preparing for Tomorrow. Honolulu EMS Chief Chris Sloman tells us one of his big worries was making sure training classes could continue so the city could work at filling the 20 or so paramedic and emergency technician staff vacancies. Click here to learn more about the open EMS jobs that are available.
City workers on extended paid leave
Do you know how much taxpayer money is used to cover the paycheck for seven City workers on extended paid? Today's Reality Check takes a deep dive into the numbers. Click here to read Christina Jedra's story at CivilBeat.org.
Breakthrough science of Alice Ball
In this time of distance learning, students at University of Hawaii were able to screen a documentary about Alice Augusta Ball. She was the first black female chemist to earn her master’s degree at the University of Hawaii in 1915. Her groundbreaking research on the Chaulmoogra tree was one of the first treatments to try and cure Leprosy.
She is the subject of “The Ball Method,” a short narrative film that debuted at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles this year. It was also featured on Science Friday in February.
Alice Ball’s research, with the oil of the chaulmoogra tree as a treatment for leprosy fascinated retired UH librarian Paul Wermager, He is working on her biography and was behind an exhibit at Hamilton library before the closure because of COVID 19.
Thanks to Science Friday, producer Charles Bergquist, and host Ira Flatow for today's excerpt from the 2/7/20 show.
