The Paid Leave Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Difficulty Diagnosing and Treating a Rare Disease. Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

The last day of February is Rare Disease Awareness Day. You may not know much about rare diseases, but they do affect 1 out of 10 people across the world, and half of those are children. There are more Americans (30 million) who have a rare disease, more than all the people who have either HIV, heart disease or stroke.
Having a rare disease can be a long and frustrating road for the patient and the family, with the average diagnosis taking 5 years or more. Rich Horgan is the founder and CEO of Cure Rare Disease in Woodbridge Connecticut. He founded the company after his brother Terry was born with a rare disease, and there was no known cure. Rich talks about joining forces with scientists at Yale and other hospitals and working with clinicians and the FDA to try to create a drug to help his brother and other people fighting a rare disease. Rich talks about his choice to be in Connecticut, and how CT Paid Leave plays a strategic role in helping patients and their caregivers during this tough diagnosis to possible clinical trials and treatments.
To find about more about Rich Horgan and Cure rare Disease: Cure Rare Disease
Rare disease at the National Institute of Health: Home - Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (nih.gov)
Rare diseases at Yale: Rare Disease Research at Yale: Learn about our research and help us raise awareness. < Yale School of Medicine
For more information about how to apply for benefits go to: CT Paid Leave

https://ctpaidleave.org/s/?language=en_US
https://www.facebook.com/CTPaidLeave

https://www.instagram.com/ctpaidleave/
https://twitter.com/CTPaidLeave
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ct+paid+leave

Eating Disorders and Navigating Recovery. Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

Eating Disorders Awareness week is from February 26th to March 3rd. Something you may not know, is that eating disorders affect people of every age, race, size, gender identity, sexual orientation and background and about 28.8 million Americans will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. Eating Disorders have the highest mortality rate of any other psychiatric illness (aside from the recent increase of opioid related deaths).

Lending her expertise in this field is Rebekah Bardwell Doweyko, who has over 20 years of clinical experience with eating disorders. Rebekah is the Assistant Vice President of Clinical Operations, Ambulatory Services, at Walden Behavioral Care in Middletown CT. She earned her Master's degree in mental health counseling and is a licensed professional counselor in CT and other states, and she is a certified eating disorder specialist. Rebekah says that eating disorders are complex, and for some people social media can be difficult to manage in treatment. "Social media is an avid partner in contributing to the power of diet culture and weight stigma. We encourage our clients to discontinue, pause, or edit whom they follow on social media in order to limit the images, stories and/or reels that can be activating for their eating disorder. We have a group called "Eating Disorders in the Media", that focuses on teaching our folks how to develop a "fact checking" lens for social media use." Rebekah also says that CT Paid Leave a lifesaver, because it is instrumental in getting people into lifesaving treatment. Rebekah has worked with several patients and caregivers who have used the CT Paid Leave program. She feels it is a lifesaver as it gives patients and their families the time to engage in proper treatment, without worrying about lost income.
For information on Walden Behavioral Care in Middletown CT: Eating Disorder Treatment Programs | Walden (waldeneatingdisorders.com)
Walden phone # (888) 228-1253.

Admissions email address is Admissions@WaldenBehavioralCare.com

For Rebekah Doweyko: rdoweyko@waldenbehavioralcare.com

For information or benefits go to: CT Paid Leave

Our CEO's Personal Struggle with Cervical Cancer Jan 28, 2024

Show notes

January is National Cervical Health Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society says about 13,820 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed this year and about 4,360 women will die from cervical cancer. CT paid Leave can help women going through any stage of this disease with income replacement benefits, and flexibility with different types of leave options. You can get up to 12 weeks of income replacement to take care of your own serious health condition or that of a loved one.
Dr. Jennifer Jorgensen is an OB-GYN at UConn Health Center and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UConn School of Medicine. She is a Gynecological Oncologist and treats cervical cancer. She says it's important to do all your screenings to catch anything in the early stages. She also thinks CT Paid Leave is really important for patients to be able to take time off for radiation or chemotherapy treatments. She also thinks allowing caregivers time off to help the patients is vital to improving the outcome of treatment.

Erin Choquette is the CEO of CT Paid Leave and is a survivor of cervical cancer. Erin tells her personal story and how she found out she had cervical cancer at a follow-up medical appointment after the birth of her daughter. She said cervical cancer screenings are important, but knowing and trusting when something just isn't right with your body is vital for an early diagnosis. Erin says she had a great support system and that helped her to get through the treatments and allowed her to focus on her healing. Erin says CT Paid Leave is so important for women going through a cervical cancer diagnosis to be able to take time off from work for treatment and recovery.
For information about Cervical Cancer at UConn Health go to: Cervical Cancer | Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center (uconn.edu)
For Cervical Cancer prevention go to: Cervical Cancer is Preventable - UConn Today
For information about CT Paid Leave and to apply for benefits go to: CT Paid Leave

How Paid Leave Can Help Support Moms and Babies With Complications. Jan 14, 2024

Show notes

January is National Birth Defects Awareness Month. Every 4 ½ minutes, a baby is born with a birth defect in the United States according to the CDC That means nearly 120,000 babies are affected by birth defects each year. Birth defects can occur during any stage of pregnancy. Most birth defects occur in the first 3 months of pregnancy, when the organs of the baby are forming. However, some birth defects occur later in pregnancy. During the last six months of pregnancy, as the tissues and organs continue to grow and develop.
Erin Jones is the Director of Legislative and Strategic Counsel for the March of Dimes and says that CT Paid Leave is essential to help the mother and the child if complications should arise. She says the extra two weeks provided in addition to the 12 weeks of income replacement for complications with pregnancy gives the necessary support that is needed in these stressful situations.
For more information on the March of Dimes: Help us improve the health of all moms and babies | March of Dimes
For information or to apply for benefits go to: CT Paid Leave

Endometriosis is a Painful Chronic Disease That is Difficult to Diagnose. Dec 26, 2023

Show notes

Endometriosis is a painful chronic disease that affects over 160 million women worldwide, 10 million across the United States and in Connecticut 1 in 10 women have it. The only way to get an accurate diagnosis is with surgery and that can cost somewhere between 20 and 30 thousand dollars or more. The cost of the surgery can be a huge barrier to get treatment for this debilitating condition.
Connecticut is leading the way in research and is the first in the nation to get a law passed, House Bill 6672, "An Act Concerning Endometriosis". In June, the General Assembly passed the legislation creating a first-of-its-kind endometriosis data and biorepository program to bring greater awareness, action and care options to those suffering from endometriosis. The person behind the law is State Representative Jillian Gilchrest who decided something had to be done for the women in the state suffering from this disease. She talks about the Working Group she created to help women with the challenges of living and working with the disease, the importance of having better care from medical professionals, and the need for continued research.
Kailey Mitchell is an advocate, and a support group founder and she talks about her own battle with endometriosis and the challenges she faced in her life and with working. She talks about the troubles with diagnosis, the mental health component of the disease and why she formed her own support group in Connecticut.
Finding time to see your healthcare provider or the maintenance of your condition are some of the many challenges of living with a chronic disease. CT Paid Leave can help with income replacement for this serious health condition. You can get up to twelve weeks of income replacement so you can focus on your health.
For more information or to apply for benefits go to : CT Paid Leave
For Endometriosis support groups go to: (20+) CT Endometriosis Support Group | Facebook
For more information on the Endometriosis Working Group: Endometriosis Working Group | Connecticut House Democrats
Endometriosis Reasearch: Endometriosis Research at JAX

How to Live a Healthy Life with HIV Dec 08, 2023

Show notes

December is HIV/Aids Awareness Month. While the treatments for HIV have prolonged life expectancy, there is no cure yet. HIV it is considered a chronic illness or a chronic health condition. Since the first cases of HIV were reported more than 40 years ago, 78 million people have become infected with HIV and 35 million have died from AIDS-related illnesses.
Kayce Harding is the director of the Center for Key Populations, which is part of Community Health Center inc. Kasey says that people can live healthy full lives after an HIV diagnosis. Treatments have also changed with daily medications that can keep the HIV detection in your blood very low. The new medications have less side effects and new research is being done on a monthly injection that will be easier than taking pills every day. Kasey says CT Paid Leave can help ease the burden for people with HIV. Being able to use paid leave for your continuing care gives peace of mind to patients, and it's important people know this service is available to them.
CT Paid Leave can help patients take time off from work who qualify, with up to 12 weeks of income replacement for their own serious health condition or that of a loved one. HIV is considered a chronic health condition and CT Paid Leave can help with being flexible with the time off when you need it. If you need more time you can use block leave and take all 12 weeks at once , or there is intermittent leave and reduced schedule leave.
To get in touch with Kasey Harding: Our Locations (chc1.com)
or call 860-347-6971
For home HIV test kits: 5 best at-home HIV tests: A comparison guide (medicalnewstoday.com)
FREE HIV Self-Tests! - Greater Than HIV
Together TakeMeHome
To find out more or to apply for benefits got to : CT Paid Leave

Living and Working With Epilepsy. Nov 27, 2023

Show notes

About 3.4 million people have epilepsy nationwide, and about 36,000 people have epilepsy in Connecticut.
Monica Anzelone is the Program and Services Manager for the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut. Monica talked about the many programs and services offered to patients and family members at the foundation, including behavioral health. Monica brought along epilepsy patient 32-year-old James who has had some challenges in regard to his employment but now is currently happily employed. He was seizure free for almost 20 years but has recently suffered from seizures and has some memory issues that sometimes comes from the seizures.
CT Paid Leave can help patients who have epilepsy, and the caregivers who help them. Epilepsy is considered to be a chronic condition. You can take up to 12 weeks away from work to focus on your own health condition or that of a loved one.
For information about the Epilepsy Foundation of CT go to: Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut (epilepsyct.com)
For information or to apply for benefits please go to: CT Paid Leave

A Caregiver Used Paid Leave and Helps Take Care of Her Sister Out of State. Nov 10, 2023

Show notes

November is National Family Caregivers Month. 58% of caregivers are women. Almost one-third of caregivers provide care at least 20 hours a week. About 80 percent of caregivers care for adults aged 50 or older, and one in 6 non-caregivers expects to become a caregiver within two years.
Caregiver leave under CT Paid Leave allows you to take time away from work to care for a loved one who is undergoing a serious health or family issue. Caregivers can be blood related but don’t have to be, they can also be related by affinity. That means that the person is like a family member, and it could be a best friend or a cousin or a neighbor or someone you live with but aren’t married to. You are allowed to take up to 12 weeks of income replacement in a calendar year.

My guest is caregiver Mya Baldwin. Mya cared for her sister who was diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer while she was pregnant with twin boys and living in New Jersey. Mya talks about how paid leave gave her 12 weeks of income replacement to help her sister with chemo treatments, and to help after the birth of her twin boys. Mya says that caregiver leave allowed her the flexibility to take time away from work so she could focus on the health and well-being of her sister.
To find out more about caregiver leave, or to apply for benefits go to: CT Paid Leave

Domestic Violence and How Survivors Navigate the Court System Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

In Connecticut, 1/3 of all criminal court cases involve domestic violence. Everyday dozens of victims seeking help can’t get it and are turned away from critical services, including shelters. Earlier this month a report claimed that Connecticut shelters were at 150 percent capacity. Some agencies were trying to get hotel rooms because of a lack of space. Whether you call it family violence, domestic violence or intimate partner violence it is a serious health crisis in Connecticut.
Jennifer Lopez is the Interval House Director of Court Advocacy Programs in Hartford. Jennifer has worked for 30 years on behalf of domestic violence victims in the court system both in criminal and civil proceedings. She says COVID created a backlog in the court system, and they are still catching up with all the cases. She says every case in court is different but the most important part of leaving an abusive relationship is having a safety plan.
Jane Doe is a domestic violence survivor and is going through both criminal and civil court proceedings and says CT Paid Leave is invaluable. She says there are many court dates, and it makes it hard to take time away from work to attend them.
The Family Violence provisions that CT Paid Leave offers to eligible workers in Connecticut includes 12 days of income replacement along with the Family Violence Leave Act that offers 12 days of job protection for these reasons:

1. To seek medical care or psychological or other counseling for physical or psychological injury or disability for the victim (survivor)

2. To obtain services from a victim services organization on behalf of the victim(survivor)

3. To move or relocate due to such family violence

4. To participate in any civil or criminal court proceeding related to or resulting from such family violence.
If you or someone you know is the victim of family, domestic or intimate partner violence the statewide 24-hour toll free # in English call 888-774-2900 for Spanish call 844-831-9200.

If you are in danger, please call 9-1-1.

For more information about interval house: intervalhousect.org or call (860) 246-9149.

For information or to apply for benefits go to CT Paid Leave.org

A 30-year old's survivor guide to living and thriving with Breast Cancer. Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

One in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Most are over the age of 50 when they are diagnosed, but not all of them are.
Bianca was 2 days shy of her 30th birthday. She had a 2-year-old son, when she got her diagnosis. She was diagnosed with invasive ductal breast cancer and found it herself during her monthly self-breast exam. Her journey of survival began with chemo, radiation and further ways to curb a recurrence. Bianca is 6 years cancer free but is always looking over her shoulder. She continues to educate her community with her own story.
The Komen New England Executive Director Nicole Marohn says education is key to a better outcome with breast cancer. She says that black women still have a 4 percent lower incidence rate of breast cancer than white women, but they have a 40 percent higher breast cancer death rate. Komen does outreach in underserved communities to ensure a better outcome.
Resources:
CT Paid Leave
CT Paid Leave
Susan G. Komen for the Cure Connecticut
http://www.komenct.org/

The Connecticut Breast Cancer Coalition/Foundation
http://www.cbccf.org

Breast Cancer Resource Guide for Connecticut
http://breastcancer.uchc.edu

Breast Cancer: What Science Knows, What Women Think
http://www.ehhi.org/reports/breast_cancer/

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