Archives for October 2018

NVFS CARE Awards with Stephanie Berkowitz and George Lane

(Oct. 31, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Stephanie Berkowitz, Executive Director of Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) along with George Lane, chair of the NVFS CARE Awards Advisory Committee. They discuss the 23 year history of the NVFS Care Awards, what makes an employer eligible for an award, along with the upcoming awards event in November.

Dating back to 1992, the NVFS Care Awards have been given to employers in the Northern Virginia region who demonstrate a great deal of emphasis on investment in employees, as well as best practices regarding making work “family friendly”. NVFS noticed an increased level of work related stress, and wanted to raise awareness amongst employers that their work policies could have a direct impact on employees and their families. NVFS also had the goal of promoting the fact that it is more profitable to invest in employees and retain them, as high employee turnover can be costly to the bottom line.

When the awards were established, many of the policies revolved around flexible work schedules and telecommuting, which was new thanks to the advent of the Internet. Over the years other goals have been added, such as low cost health insurance, flexible work schedules, strong work/life balance, and new this year corporate social responsibility. Studies have shown that employees really want their employers to be good corporate citizens, and give back to the community and are socially engaged.

Additionally, now that the workforce employs people from multiple generations, a flexible work schedule can mean more than just working from home. A millennial might want to leverage technology to get their work done remotely, a baby boomer might want to work four, ten hour days and have an extra day off and a Gen X-er might need more flexibility to come in late or leave early for their children’s activities at school, or to accompany an elderly parent to the doctor. It is important for employers to remain flexible and understanding to their employees’ needs, while still maintaining business and ensuring that work is able to get done in a timely manner.

In order to be eligible for an NVFS Care Award, an employer must go through a rigorous 3-part process. First they must submit a written application, then their employees take a survey, and finally someone from the NVFS Care Awards advisory committee will do a site visit. Where they used to only award one winner to each category of business, the awards have evolved over time and NVFS now grants awards to all employers who meet the objectives.

This year there are 23 companies receiving awards, and the winners will be recognized at the NVFS Care Awards Breakfast on November 8^th at the Sheraton Premier in Tysons Corner. The morning will begin at 7:30am with a networking opportunity for businesses, where they can talk and discuss best practices. They will then get down to business with the recognitions. Berkowitz and Lane are thrilled to award 13-time winner National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and 10-time winners Custom Ink and Consumer Technology Association their awards, along with the other 20 companies who will be getting called up. They will also host an Community Engagement Panel discussion moderated by Charlie Niebauer of the Washington Business Journal, and featuring Charles Kuhn of JK Moving and Storage, Sheila Murphy of Flex Professionals, and Darcy Smith of Custom Ink.

by Rachel Simon

Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN) of Greater Washington

(Oct. 24, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with Barbara Guterman, Board Member of Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN). KEEN’s mission is to empower youth with disabilities by providing free, non-competitive, one to one programs of exercise, fitness and fun led by volunteer coaches. Their vision is to foster self confidence, self esteem and community inclusion for youth with disabilities, strengthen communities through education and volunteers, and provide families with respite and a supportive network.

Elliot Portnoy, who imported the concept of the organization from England 26 years ago, established KEEN with 5 kids and 5 volunteers. His vision was to have a world where all youth have equal opportunities for recreation, fitness and friendship – regardless of their abilities. KEEN believes that a strong, healthy body and mind are connected to one another, and KEEN gives kids of all abilities a safe place to explore, try new things and have fun at the same time.

The organization has grown exponentially since 1992, and now serves approximately 500 kids throughout the Washington metro area. KEEN recently opened up new locations in Virginia, and is actively looking for more opportunities to grow their partnerships in the Virginia suburbs. They are in search of schools, community centers and companies who can help them grow their programming and volunteer base in order to serve more children.

Guterman speaks passionately about the strong bonds and friendships formed between the volunteer coaches and the athletes who they train. The unique aspect of having 1:1 ratio enables these bonds to grow deep and strong. They get to know one another, and very much look forward to the time that they spend together every week. This program also serves as a wonderful respite for parents, who sometimes just need a break to grocery shop or rest with a cup of coffee, while their child gets worn out while exercising. Many times these children might not have any other opportunity to participate in an extracurricular exercise program, so both parents and kids very much look forward to the weekly KEEN sessions.

The KEEN website has a full calendar of sessions, so parents can simply signup online to bring their child to a session. There is no cost involved in this program. Likewise, anyone looking to volunteer can register online, and then get paired with a local session. All first time volunteers get a 15-20 introductory training, as well as receiving a written profile of your athlete. This helps you understand your athlete and how to best work with them.

Guterman is the chair of the annual KEENFest gala, to be held on November 3^rd at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC. This year’s theme is KEEN’s Got Talent, and will showcase a number of their athletes who will perform everything from singing to dancing to a fashion show. The kids are extremely excited to participate in the program and showcase their talents. She is expecting over 400 people, and is extraordinarily grateful to their sponsors Marriott and Total Wine. Gutenberg welcomes anyone who would like to join them for this special evening or sponsor the program. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities can be found on the website.

by Rachel Simon

Successful Children & Youth Policy Team (SCYPT)

(Oct. 22, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with Megan McLaughlin (Braddock District) and Tamara Denerak-Kaufax (Lee District) of the FCPS School Board. Their wide-ranging discussion covers a variety of topics, but focuses on the work being done by the Successful Children and Youth Policy Team (SCYPT). This joint effort of the Board of Supervisors and the School Board, established in 2013, utilizes a collaborative approach to ensure that children and youth in Fairfax County thrive and reach their fullest potential.

Prior to 2013, the Board of Supervisors and the School Board operated virtually independent of one another, even though there was often overlap in the services that were being delivered. SCYPT was created to bring these two organizations together, and look at services that need to be delivered in a more strategic way. This ensures efficiency in the operations for both agencies. The collaborative approach allows them to be align objectives and initiatives, as well as work together in forming strategic plans and think about shared goals.

Over the past 10 years Fairfax County has seen big changes in demographics. There are pockets of deep poverty in certain regions, which pose challenges to teachers and administrators. FCPS has the goal of offering a world-class education to all students, no matter where they live in the county. In order to do this, the county recognizes that certain needs must be met. For example, children are not able to thrive if they are hungry, or do not have access to medical care. Therefore, part of the SCYTPT program is to identify what the needs are and think about how services are delivered to students and families.

The SCYPT committee is comprised of 2 School Board Members, 2 Board of Supervisors members, local police and community representatives as well as Fairfax County government employees. The committee covers a range of issues, including early childcare and school readiness, racial and social equity, access to mental health resources, attendance policies and the prospect of expanding the use of community schools. They have been very busy since the committee was formed in May of 2013.

Pre-Kindergarten Initiatives

Beginning with some of the youngest students, SCYPT has taken a multi-pronged approach to early childcare and school readiness. They have successfully cut the wait time for student’s access to Pre-K in half. In the last six years FCPS has opened 30 new pre-K classrooms, and they continue to look for any opportunity that they have to expand. They know that for every $1 invested in high quality Pre-K, they can save $10-15 later on the child’s education.

Currently there are 3 ways for Pre-K to be delivered. Students can attend center-based programming in schools funded by Head Start or the Virginia Pre-K initiative, through licensed in-home daycare providers who receive strong support and guidance from the county to ensure that these children are ready for Kindergarten, and private preschool for families who are able to afford this.

For students who are not able to access the centers or in-home programs, FCPS has established a free 3-week “Bridge to Kindergarten” program offered in August of each year, which gives students an introduction to school and a basic education on how to thrive in a Kindergarten classroom.

Attendance and Discipline

McLaughlin and Derenak-Koufax both agree that it is important to look at creative ways to solve problems. They continually are looking to other jurisdictions for success stories, and to see if those practices can be replicated in Fairfax. One initiative regarding attendance and discipline reform revolves around Restorative Justice practices. Having alternative accountability in place for students, that recognizes some of the challenge that they face and inspires the students to improve and do better, is just one of the areas that is being worked on. Allowing students some space to learn from their mistakes, without facing automatic suspension, can go a long way in making them better students and citizens. It has been documented that students of color are disproportionately disciplined in a harsh way.

Social Services and Mental Health

When considering social services related issues, SCYPT aims to have a wrap-around approach to delivering care. Over the past few years there have been a record-number of cases of students reporting higher levels of stress and anxiety, leading to an uptick in attempted suicides. FCPS is addressing this through a new behavioral health model that employs a multi-pronged approach to this challenge.

Mental health services are delivered in the school by increasing the number of substance abuse counselors, health advisors and contracting with outside providers to help deliver care and to keep students healthy and ready to learn. Programs directed at students are designed to assist them in identifying signs of depression in their friends, and ensure that they know where to turn if that does happen. Additionally, a crisis text line was established so that teens can easily and anonymously access support when they most need it

The school system now runs a Mental Health and Wellness Conference as a resource for students, families and school personnel. The school system is also working side by side with PTA’s to help make sure that they are meeting the ever-changing needs of the community. This wrap-around approach to social services is intentionally designed to meet the students and families where they are and deliver services in a timely and efficient manner.

Community Schools

McLaughlin and Denerak-Kaufax acknowledge that due to the great diversity of our school system, that the same approach will not be effective in every community. Therefore, they look to other jurisdictions and models to see if successful best practices can be employed in Fairfax. One of those models is the use of community schools. A community school can be defined as both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Its integrated focus on academics, youth development, family support, health and social services and community development leads to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities.

This year, FCPS and SCYPT is piloting this model in two schools, Mt. Vernon Woods Elementary School and Whitman Middle School, two of the schools in FCPS that are faced with the highest rates of poverty and face some of the biggest challenges. A high percentage of students in these schools are living in poverty and also qualify for ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages), which pose great challenges to teachers and administrators.

The idea behind this type of approach is that the school and the county would bring wrap-around social services to the families via the school, in order to ensure that they are meeting the needs of these families, as opposed to asking the families to find these services out in the community. It is a shift in mindset, and the work of SCYPT is to bring together the county resources and use them strategically in partnership with the school to make them accessible to children and families.

United Community Ministries is slated to manage the program, and each of the schools will have a community organizer assigned to them. The school system recognizes that the greatest opportunity for upward mobility is through public education. For the most vulnerable students, who are living in poverty and don’t have a strong support network, a community school can offer them the things that they might not be able to find at home. Both McLaughlin and Derenak-Kaufax are excited about this new endeavor and are eager to see positive outcomes in these schools that can be replicated elsewhere in the county.

by Rachel Simon

Optimist Club of Greater Vienna with Susan Bauer

(Oct. 17, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with Susan Bauer, President of the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna. The Optimist Club is a community service club, fueled by volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to serve the youth of the greater Vienna area. The club focuses its attention on students attending James Madison, Marshall and Oakton High Schools, and the feeder schools in their pyramids. Founded in 1955, the club is 63 years young and continues to focus on its mission of “bringing out the best in youth, the community and ourselves”.

JOI (Junior Optimist International) clubs in the local schools enjoy healthy memberships and robust programming. These community service school groups, ranging from elementary to high school, organize service projects that are completely run by the students. Typical projects include coat drives, food drives and a variety of projects outside the schools within the greater Vienna community. At the end of every year, these groups come together and make presentations on their accomplishments. This is a wonderful opportunity for groups to learn about success stories, and has led to collaboration between student groups at various schools and age groups.

Throughout the year, the Optimists sponsor and participate in a variety of community service events. One of the largest events each year is the sponsorship and participation in Ethics Day at Marshall High School. Volunteers work as table captains and support high school students in understanding the importance of ethics in their day-to-day lives. They also sponsor an oratory contest for students, an essay contest, and new this year a communications contest for the deaf and hard of hearing. All of these events are designed to help students learn and grow, as well as give them confidence. The winners of these local events then advance to compete at the district level.

The club also gives scholarships and youth appreciation awards to students in a variety of categories. Students are recognized for academic achievement, citizenship, fine arts, athletics and technology. Vocational students who excel in areas such as automotive repair, plumbing and electrical are also recognized. They have recently added an award for a student in the Special Education program. A full list of scholarship opportunities are listed on the organization’s website. The Optimists also recognize citizens who give back to their community, with the Partners in Education, Respect for the Law and First Responder awards.

The Optimist Club focuses on bringing out the best in the youth of their community, so you will see them out in the community in a variety of places. In just over a week the club will be present in support of the Vienna Halloween parade, where they provide a number of volunteers to help facilitate the event and donate funding on an annual basis. The club also maintains the Vienna Caboose by giving tours and handling the maintenance. Recently the caboose needed both interior and exterior painting, and the club is supporting the town by taking care of these needs.

In order to support all of their ambitious activities the club has several fundraisers throughout the year. They sell beer and wine at the Chilling on Church summer block party, they are responsible for organizing and renting space for the Vienna Farmer’s Market, and during the holidays, the club sells Christmas trees from the parking lot of the Vienna Giant grocery store. Bauer truly enjoys this project, as it brings together club members, along with students who participate in the youth led JOI clubs, and members of many local sports teams to help man the sales booth. In addition to raising money for their efforts, the Christmas tree sales is a wonderful community building opportunity.

by Rachel Simon

VA Senator Scott Surovell on Inside Scoop

(Oct. 15, 2018) Catherine Read interviews State Senator Scott Surovell (D-36), in a discussion ranging from transportation to predatory lending to environmental reforms regarding coal ash. Sen. Surovell represents the 36^th district, including parts of southeastern Fairfax, eastern Prince William and northern Stafford counties. Surovell is a native Virginian and graduate of West Potomac High School, James Madison University, and University of Virginia Law School. He is proud to represent the area in which he grew up.

Throughout his tenure in the Virginia General Assembly, Surovell has worked hard to expand opportunities and help solve problems for his constituents. He was first elected to office as a Delegate in 2009, followed by a successful bid for the state Senate in 2015. He recognizes the great disparity and income inequality in his district, which very much mirrors what is happening throughout Northern Virginia.

Transportation

One of the areas that Sen. Surovell has paid particular attention to is the Rt. 1 Corridor, stretching through the Alexandria portion of Fairfax County. Year ago, this corridor used to be a vibrant commercial district, but has been left behind as much of the rest of the area experienced economic growth. The result is that these neighborhoods are now some of the poorest and are home to some of the most vulnerable residents of Fairfax County.

Starting in 2009, Surovell brought his big ideas to VDOT regarding redevelopment along the corridor. He successfully lobbied VDOT to fund a study of the area south of the Huntington Metro. This led to a set of recommendations that were given in 2015 to ultimately widen Rt. 1 to 6 lanes and to institute a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to facilitate traffic flow. Accordingly, the land needs to be rezoned along the corridor to allow for increased density. In order for the region to qualify for grants through the Federal Transportation Administration, the number of residents needs to increase from 40,000 to 100,000 in order to support the investment in transportation upgrades.

One of the biggest concerns that surround a redevelopment project of this scope is to ensure that residents are not displaced during the construction of the project. There is already a shortage of affordable housing in the area, and when planning the redevelopment it will be crucial to ensure that affordable housing remains available. In order to qualify for the federal funding, there is a provision that there is no net loss of affordable housing after the project is complete. Additionally, public officials need to be very careful that communities are not displaced and torn apart.

As part of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) Act that passed in 2013, which raised the gas tax and grantors tax in order to fund local transportation initiatives, the Rt. 1 corridor is finally seeing some money flowing down to fund projects. The NVTA is making a $370 million down payment to begin the work on this development. The process of getting this work done is long and complex; Surovell said we can expect to see a shovel in the ground in 2026.

Additional projects in his district include widening of Rt. 1 in Dumfries and the bottleneck of traffic on I-95 South when crossing the Occoquan. The hangup with that particular project includes having to renegotiate the contract with Transurban, who maintains the HOT lanes on I-95, as they will suffer in lost toll revenue if the road is being worked on.

Coal Ash

Sen. Surovell has worked hard over many years to bring reform to the power industry in regards to how they dispose of coal ash. Coal ash is the residue that is produced after burning coal for power. For years, standard operating procedure allowed Dominion Energy, the state’s main power provider, to bury this coal ash in the ground. Holes were dug, filled with water and the ash was dumped in them. Several years ago those coal ash “ponds” burst, and that coal ash flowed into the adjacent rivers, polluting the Potomac, Occoquan and James Rivers. The EPA then ordered the state to shut down the practice and clean up the sites, which all show evidence of arsenic, cadmium, lead and hexavelant chronium, mercury and selenium. Up to this point, Virginia was the only state that did not require power companies to recycle coal ash.

The good news about this is that the coal ash that is being dumped is a key ingredient in the production of concrete. So much so, that the concrete companies are actually importing coal ash from Italy in order to meet their supply needs. Dominion will eventually be able to sell this as a product to the local concrete companies. The ash that needs to be cleaned up could also be marketable, however the challenge is that the coal ash that the ash will need to be dried out and the problem chemicals will need to be extracted from the ash before it can be sold.

The question faced today by lawmakers is how much will this process cost, and how much can Dominion will be allowed to hike rates to cover their costs. There are currently a small group of delegates and senators who are working on coming to a consensus on how to best handle this multi-billion dollar issue.

Predatory Lending

Another very prevalent issue in Sen. Surovell’s district is the practice of predatory lending. There is a high concentration of predatory lenders located in the Route 1 Corridor, including a variety of Pay Day and Car Title loan companies. Over the past several years there have been numerous restrictions on these practices, and it seems like each time there are rules put in place to curb the practice, new companies pop up in a different iteration with another way to scam borrowers.

In 2009 the state put a 36% rate cap on payday loans. Then, in 2010 the car title companies showed up to offer an alternative to those in need. In 2011, the laws put in place were not well constructed, which opened up the door for these companies to lend to car title holders in MD and DC (where this practice is greatly restricted) for up to 267% APR. The people who are seeking these loans are desperate and often do not understand the implications of what they are doing. They often borrow to pay off other loans, and the situation can tend to snowball for them. If you have feedback for Sen. Surovell he is open to hearing from constituents, and would like to work with his colleagues to curb these practices.

by Rachel Simon

Stop Child Abuse Now with Leah Fraley

(Oct. 10, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Leah Fraley, Executive Director of Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN). SCAN works to ensure that every child in Northern Virginia grows up in a safe, stable, nurturing family, with the supports that they need to contribute to stronger communities today, and as adults in the future. Their mission is to promote the well-being of children, improve parent-child relations and prevent child abuse and neglect.

Since 1988, SCAN has worked hard to accomplish their mission through three primary activities. The first is to educate the public about the scope, nature and consequences of child abuse and neglect, and the importance of positive, nurturing parenting. The second is to provide direct parent education opportunities, and the third is to advocate for the children in the community, the legislature and the courts. This effort requires them to collaborate with many community partners; and SCAN always aims to meet parents where they are in the community so that programming is accessible to all who need it.

For example SCAN’s parenting education classes are offered at a variety of locations throughout the region. SCAN will provide either childcare for children under the age of four, or will offer parallel programming for school aged children, designed to help them build strong relationships with their parents and siblings. These classes are aimed at improving family communication and help parents and children both develop skills to deal with challenges and stressors that can lead to abusive behaviors.

SCAN builds strong relationships with those in the public sector, including schools, the court system and the local government agencies, to deliver their services to those in need. They aim to be a resource to anyone who thinks that there is a child in trouble, and is happy to offer guidance and best practices to those who need help in getting families the needed supports.

Fraley points out that our region is unique in that we have a very multi-cultural region. There are families who come here from many different places, and bring their own way of life with them. This requires flexibility and understanding that there is more than one way to do things. She stresses that the programs that they offer give people of all cultures an opportunity to improve their family relationships in both small and large ways.

Recently, they have worked with refugee families who are being reunified after spending much time apart. Some parents have not seen their children in years, and need to get to first get to know their child again. They may have been good at parenting a 10 year old, but if has been years since they were together and the child is now a teenager, the parents will have different challenges ahead of them. Additionally, the child might be upset that the parent left them behind. SCAN aims at helping these families navigate this difficult process and learn to function in their new environment.

Fraley notes that SCAN is an organization that is run primarily by volunteers, who do everything from run classes, work with Court Appointed Special Advocacy Programs, provide childcare and transportation, and advocate on the local and state level for changes to improve our system. On November 3^rd SCAN is holding its annual Toast to Hope event in Springfield to bring the community of volunteers and donors together to raise money for the cause. More information can be found on the website if you are interested in supporting SCAN or becoming a volunteer.

by Rachel Simon

National Woman’s Party with Zakiya Thomas

(Oct. 8, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Zakiya Thomas, Executive Director of the National Woman’s Party (NWP). Founded in 1913, the NWP originally focused its work on the passage of the 19^th amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. As the centennial celebration of the 19^th amendment approaches, the NWP is being reimagined to continue the fight for women’s equality envisioned by their founders more than 100 years ago.

The founder of the NWP was Alice Paul, who dedicated her life to the advancement women’s rights and equality for all. After the successful passage of the 19^th amendment, the NWP went on to push, with laser-like focus, for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. The NWP lobbied on the Federal and State level, and successfully got the measure passed on Capitol Hill and ultimately in 37 states.

Thomas is now hoping that her home state of Virginia will be the final state to put the measure forward. Although the NWP used to be primarily a lobbying outfit, they recently became a 501C-3 nonprofit organization. Their mission now is to build a coalition, and work arm in arm with the community to inspire action and advance women’s equality.

Zakiya Thomas comes to the NWP with a wide variety of experiences that makes her well suited to lead the organization into the future. After a successful academic career at William and Mary and Columbia University, she ventured off into the world of consulting. As she traveled the world and the country, she began to understand how policies affected people. She chose to work to advance good policies and the people who make them, to in order to have real and deep impacts on her community.

This led her to organizing the successful campaign of Sheriff Stacy Kincaid, the first female to be elected Sheriff in the 276-year history of Fairfax County. Sheriff Kincaid has transformed her office to have her officers be more engaged in the community, has implemented a Diversion First program designed to help officers recognize people with mental illness, and has pushed for increased educational opportunities for inmates. Thomas believes that by helping to get Kincaid elected, she has helped to improve the lives of those living in Fairfax County.

After achieving success in 2015 with Sheriff Stacy Kincaid, she moved on to manage the campaign of Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax in 2017. Fairfax was the first African American to be elected to the post in the commonwealth’s history. He was a descendent of a slave who was freed from Lord Fairfax, the original landowner of Fairfax County. Thomas is proud of the work she has done to help elect these two public servants, and is pleased to see how they have made impacts for the people who they represent.

Today, Thomas plans to lead the NWP by inspiring its partners nationwide to adopt policies that help advance women’s equality. While the organization is a nonprofit and cannot lobby Congress or State Legislators for specific measures, they can be a resource for those who do. Their goal is to highlight the history, including their vast collection of historic documents and artifacts, to spark a conversation about the women’s equality movement. Their headquarters at the Bellmont House on Capitol Hill is now listed as a historical monument, and is managed by the National Park Service. Tours are given of the Bellmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, and it will serve as a centerpiece in the 100^th celebration of the 19^th amendment.

Thomas also plans to “take her show on the road”. She is working hard to establish relationships and partnerships with organizations nationwide, and plans to bring the collection out into the community. The broader goal is to work with these partners to amplify their voice and spark a national dialogue about equal rights for women, as well as expand programming and conversations around the Equal Rights Amendment. Their first stop will be in Charlottesville, where she will be speaking with a League of Women Voters about Diversity Inclusion in the fight for equal rights. They also have a variety of events planned locally, including books talks about Code Girls and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics. The website has further information about these events.

Many are not aware that the very first March on Washington was the Women’s March for the Vote, held on Pennsylvania Avenue on the eve of Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration in January of 1913. In recent years we have seen the rebirth of the Women’s March, and the NWP is looking to raise their profile during these events. This year’s Women’s March will be held on January 19, 2019 and Thomas indicates that the NWP will be looking to plug into programming and use this event to reintroduce the NWP to the public. Thomas wants everyone to know that the NWP is recommitted to the cause, has a new, fresh look and is ready to bring the NWP into the 21^st century.

by Rachel Simon

Medicare with Ridge Multop of AARP

(Oct. 3, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with Ridge Multop, community ambassador with AARP, to discuss information regarding the Medicare program. October through December is open enrollment season, and it is important for seniors to understand the ins and outs of the system before committing to a plan.

President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law 53 years ago. At the time the country was facing a healthcare crisis. Many seniors were living longer than ever before, and were unable to secure medical coverage from private insurers, due to their age or their preexisting conditions. The Medicare system was established as a safety net in order to provide hospital and outpatient care to all Americans over the age of 65. This original program is known as Medicare parts A and B.

Establishing Medicare was a huge undertaking, and critical to providing a safety net to seniors in America. Legislators recognized, however, that there were gaps in coverage. Therefore, they established Medicare Part C plans (also known as Medicare Advantage plans) as an option for seniors. These plans are sold by private insurers, and are designed to complement Medicare parts A and B. These are supplemental plans that seniors can purchase for additional monthly payments. More recently, Medicare Part D was created in the early 2000’s. This program specifically targeted the rising cost of prescription drugs, in an effort to make medications more affordable for the elderly. Multop points out that there are still certain benefits that are not covered through Medicare, including vision, hearing and dental care.

Forty-eight million Americans are covered through the Medicare program, with a total cost topping $680 billion dollars. As people are living longer and the baby boomers age into the program, the rising rolls will increase the costs to maintain Medicare. Multop points out, however, Medicare is not an entitlement. It is a benefit program that people have paid into their entire working life. As expenses increase faster than funding, the Medicare trust fund is projected to run dry by the mid 2020’s, unless changes are made to sustain the program.

Multop shares that today, 75% of the funding for Medicare comes out of the general treasury fund, combined with the payments from the monthly premiums. If the President and Congress fail to come up with a funding formula that will sustain the program, than the result will be premium increases.

In the most recent AARP Bulletin, Multop note that there are three critical questions that voters need to ask their Congressional candidates before heading to the polls this November:

Do you believe that Medicare should be cut to reduce the deficit? (follow-up question can be should Social Security be cut to reduce the deficit?)
Do you prefer converting Medicare to a voucher program?
What changes would you make to ensure that people will continue to get the promised Medicare benefits that they have earned?

Lastly, Multop wants people to know that Medicare recently sent out new cards to all members in April through June of 2018. The old cards contained social security numbers, which put people at risk of identity theft. If you did not receive a new card, contact your local office to get a replacement. He also shares that Medicare will never ask you for a social security number anymore. If you encounter someone requesting this information, it is most likely a fraudulent scam. Should you need help or assistance with understanding Medicare or Medicaid benefits, he encourages people to reach out to the Virginia Insurance Counseling Assistance Program (VICAP). They are available to work with Virginia residents to help understand the various benefits and programs.

by Rachel Simon

NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia with Tarina Keene

(Oct. 1, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Tarina Keene, Executive Director of NARAL (National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws) Pro-Choice Virginia. Tarina has been with NARAL for 10 years, and has overseen tremendous growth of the organization during her tenure. Her work focuses on protecting the rights of women to make their own healthcare decisions through policy, training and education, in addition to electing politicians who are committed to protecting this right.

Over time, Keene notes that although Roe v Wade has not been repealed, some states have worked hard to chip away at a woman’s right to choose. This makes it harder for women to exercise their right to be in control of their own bodies. With the rise of the Tea Party starting in 2010, there was a wave of conservative politicians swept into office on the promise of rolling back abortion rights.

Some states, like West Virginia, have only one clinic in the entire state. This makes it economically unfeasible for poor women to incur the expense to travel to the clinic and possibly need overnight accommodations. Other states have put restrictions such as minors being required to have parental approval, or a 24-hour waiting period for the procedure. These laws are all designed to be harmful and burdensome for women, which can ultimately put women at risk. Abortion is proven to be one of the safest medical procedures on the books, yet there are those in power who choose to put women in harms way by not allowing safe access.

Research conducted over the past four years shows that six in ten women who are getting an abortion already have a child at home. This disproves the myth that the majority of women who are having this procedure are teenage girls. In any case, for whatever reason, all women should have legal access to a safe abortion if that is what they decide is right for them. Keene also believes strongly in all women having access to family planning and affordable birth control, because that reduces women having to be in the position of making this difficult decision.

Here in Virginia, we have seen progress on these issues over the past several years. In 2010, under Republican leadership in the legislature and the executive branch, some of the most restrictive laws were passed in regards to women’s health. The Virginia Senate passed the very controversial mandatory trans-vaginal ultrasound bill, requiring all women who wanted access to an abortion to undergo an invasive procedure and have a mandatory 24 hour waiting period. Additionally, in 2011, we saw the TRAP regulations put in place (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers). These required all abortion facilities to be treated as hospitals, and forced closure of many clinics, reducing access to many women throughout the state.

Since then, these laws have been repealed under the leadership of former Governor Terry McAuliffe and now Governor Ralph Northam. Keene continues to work hard to elect more pro-choice candidates. Today, there are 49 pro-choice legislators in the House of Delegates and 19 pro-choice State Senators. She is looking to 2019 with hopes of turning the legislatures to a solidly pro-choice majority.

When that happens, Keene’s next goal is to enact a constitutional amendment in Virginia that enshrines a woman’s right to choose. If the state elects a pro-choice majority in 2019, then a constitutional amendment can be introduced in 2021 (the year of a Governor’s race in Virginia), which would allow the measure to be brought to the ballot box in 2022. It is a lofty goal, but one that Keene is ready and anxious to take on.

Keene is very nervous about what the Supreme Court will decide regarding Roe v Wade in the upcoming months and years. With the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, coupled with campaign promises by President Trump to overturn Roe v Wade and put laws in place that punish women and criminalize abortion, NARAL is gearing up for a fight to preserve a woman’s right to choose. Keene admits that much work will need to be done on the state level, as the shocking prospect of Roe v Wade being gutted is now on the table. There are many cases working their way up through the court system as we speak. With Kavanaugh being sworn in this week, we now have an Associate Justice who has referred to Roe v Wade as “rotten precedent”.

Keene invites all who are willing to stand with her to speak up and protect a woman’s right to choose. She is excited about the prospect of more women representing Virginia in Congress. She hopes that all men will stand with her, especially in today’s climate, to denounce the patriarchal aspects of our society and bravely support women who want to have autonomy over their bodies. NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia will be holding a “Men for Choice” event at Port City Brewery in Alexandria on October 17^th. Check out the website for details, and make the choice to come together and support women’s reproductive rights here in the commonwealth.