Helping reduce energy costs improve profitability with environmental responsibility...
Categories
Featured
Recently Added
Helping reduce energy costs improve profitability with environmental responsibility...
You're standing in front of your Family and Friends prepared to make your dreams of a lifetime come true. It's at that moment that you are grateful that you have a professional guiding your ceremony. The Supreme Court has finally ruled upon this issue. Now is the time to plan your perfect LGBT Wedding. I have been performing Commitment Ceremonies since the beginning, and I am so pleased this has opened up for everyone to marry the one they Love.
Contact Reverend Jacqui Weiks, Your LGBT Wedding Officiant
We are an open and affirming, multi-racial and multi-cultural, assessable to all, peace and justice oriented body of faith. We go into the community and God's disciples. Grounded by the teachings of Jesus the Christ, we uplift Christ's goodness, create spiritual community, and care for God's people and God's world. Dynamic hope, incredible compassion, extravagant hospitality, and radical love are our core values.
Latest Posts
Daniel Pillai’s He/She Project Growing up in a traditional south Asian community in Canada, Daniel Pillai didn’t quite fit in. “There was an inherent non-acceptance to who I was and how I acted,” he says. “I stuck out like a sore thumb.” Pillai spent his childhood in what he calls a “conservative atmosphere,” surrounded by […]
Addiction Treatment and the Recovery Process By Matt Gonzales, writer and researcher for DrugRehab.com Drug addiction is a chronic disease that affects your physical and mental health, job status and relationships. Once you’re hooked on a drug, your whole life revolves around it. Substance use disorders are common in the United States. Heroin use in […]
Who pays after the devastating Orlando shooting? After a tragedy, who pays the bill? There has been a lot of talk lately about medical costs and medical debt, even as the Affordable Care Act helps more Americans get the treatment they need without taking on crippling debt. Even with more people covered, medical treatment is […]
Making a Legal Case for Bisexuality Bisexuality is widely misunderstood. Bisexuals are often dismissed or used as a punchline by the straight community and sidelined in conversations about LGBT rights and equality, often while experiencing many of the same struggles and setbacks as the rest of the queer community. And for some–like Ray Fuller, a […]
Olympic Coverage Criticized as Homophobic? One of the most memorable moments of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio didn’t occur during an event. Instead, just after the women’s rugby event on Monday night, Brazil’s Isadora Cerullo’s partner, Marjorie Enya, surprised her with a proposal. As reported by CNN, Enya said in her emotional speech “I […]
Who pays after the devastating Orlando shooting?
After a tragedy, who pays the bill? There has been a lot of talk lately about medical costs and medical debt, even as the Affordable Care Act helps more Americans get the treatment they need without taking on crippling debt. Even with more people covered, medical treatment is still a massive expense. The medical costs weren’t discussed much in the aftermath of the Orlando shooting at the Pulse nightclub. However, the financial impact of the Orlando shooting could have set victims back for years.
Luckily, those who are still recovering from the horrific Orlando shooting can now rest a little easier. As reported by Out Magazine, local hospitals will forgive Pulse victims’ medical debts that are not covered by insurance, absorbing an estimated $5.5 million in healthcare costs.
David Strong, CEO and President of Orlando Health, explained the reasons behind this debt forgiveness, telling the Orlando Sentinel, “During this very trying time, many organizations, individuals and charities have reached out to Orlando Health to show their support. This is simply our way of paying that kindness forward.”
For victims still dealing with ongoing medical issues and psychological trauma–as well as the families of those who died while being treated by local hospitals following the shooting–the elimination of medical debts related to the shooting will be a big relief, allowing victims to focus on healing and recovery instead of worrying about being saddled with debt.
After the Orlando Shooting, An Unknown Future
While most of the injured Pulse victims have now returned home, there is still a long road to recovery for many. In fact, one victim is still hospitalized and receiving ongoing care. A tragedy like the Pulse shooting can leave many needing lifetime care, as long-term effects of the shooting may not emerge for years.
Orlando hospitals have pledged to work with victims to ensure they receive the care they need. “We can’t predict the future needs of these patients,” Orlando Health spokeswoman Kena Lewis said. “We will use our very generous charity and financial assistance policies to assess the best way to help.”
The community’s response to the Pulse shooting has been overwhelming, from the initial rush to donate blood and support charitable organizations to the outpouring of support in the weeks following the attack. The hospitals’ forgiveness of the victims’ medical debts is an important show of generosity and support.