September 2009 Archives

What is one thing children and their pets have in common?  They both need vaccinations to stay healthy.  Not long ago, the Cleveland County Health Department in North Carolina came up with a clever idea to address that need: a drive-through clinic for vaccinating children and their dogs and cats.  The result?  Cars lined up for blocks and, at the end of the day, about 1,000 animals and more than 260 people had been vaccinated.

This is just one of the great ideas being recognized today in North Carolina with the GlaxoSmithKline Child Health Recognition Awards. The awards were announced in Asheville during the North Carolina Public Health Association's annual meeting.  The awards are a showcase for innovative public health programs.

And what a great competition it is.  There are nutrition programs for premature babies, campaigns against childhood obesity, screening for oral health, and outreach to children who are poor and homeless or in foster homes.

We salute the tireless (and creative) efforts of these public health professionals to improve the health of our children and families.  They are exemplified by  Jennifer Garrett, school nurse supervisor in Macon County.  Children know her as Princess Leah in "Tar Wars," a tobacco prevention program.

Thanks to all of these public health advocates whose vision for better child health inspires us all.

A weekly post from a busy mom concerned about raising healthy children.

I'm pretty sure no one enjoys getting shots.  Certainly children don't look forward to shots and I'm aware of a few adults who have a serious needle phobia.   So my decision to load up the family and drive to a pharmacy clinic for flu shots was not made lightly.   Historically, I've gotten my flu shot at GSK; the kids get their shots at the doctor.  My husband has been left out--though, not surprisingly, I've not heard one complaint from him.  But with the CDC's estimate that about 36,000 people die of seasonal flu-related causes each year--no one in my family would be left out this year!

Last week, I started looking for a reasonably close CVS Minute Clinic and found one in New Jersey that we drove to this past Saturday.  After signing in the whole family, we made our way to the Halloween aisle to pass the time.   My daughter knew why we were there--and kept asking the same question: 

"We're all getting flu shots?  Even Daddy?"  Interesting observation!

After about forty minutes, we were called into a small room, squished ourselves onto the bench, and began the paperwork with the technician.  I quickly realized this was going to take much longer than a minute.  After all paperwork was completed and our moment of panic passed--they couldn't find the dosage for toddlers--my husband took my son out of the room while my daughter and I got our shot.  She was such a trooper...not one tear!  My husband was pleasantly surprised that he didn't even feel the shot (we've made progress)!  My son, well he is 19 months, and although he did shed a few tears he recovered quickly. 

So, although our visit lasted close to 90 minutes, it was a success.  I've told some family and friends about our adventure and they wanted to know more.  I emphasized how important it was to get their flu shots and think I will be hearing about their visits to the minute clinic--husbands and all!

Big news in HIV/AIDS today!

For the first time, an experimental HIV vaccine seems to cut the risk of infection, researchers say. The vaccine--which was a combination of two earlier experimental vaccines--was given to about 16,000 people in Thailand, in the largest vaccine trial of its type.

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia.)

A weekly post from a busy mom concerned about raising healthy children.

Today GSK is announcing new standards for funding accredited, continuing medical education for healthcare professionals.  These are the programs that doctors and other healthcare professionals must take to maintain their licenses and hospital privileges.

Some critics believe the pharmaceutical industry should no longer subsidize these programs.  But we at GSK believe that we have a legitimate role to play in supporting education for healthcare professionals that enhances their knowledge and competence to best prevent, diagnose and treat disease.

The goal of these new funding standards is to increase the quality of medical education programs.  We want to demonstrate that they are improving care for patients.

This means that in 2010, GSK will invite grant applications from about 20 medical education providers with strong track records for delivering high quality programs.  We will no longer fund programs offered by commercial providers but will continue to fund offerings from academic medical centers and their affiliated teaching and patient care institutions.  We will also work with national-level professional medical associations to deliver accredited programs.

This is one more step in our efforts to be more transparent about the way we operate our business and interact with healthcare providers.

How did we get from having HIV activists chaining themselves to a desk in Burroughs Wellcome offices to having 65 HIV community activists travel from across the US to meet with GSK clinical and commercial leaders in Denver this year?  It was not easy.

The cooperative relationship that GSK has developed with the HIV community over the last 20 years parallels the company's successes in helping support the battle against HIV.  Successes like providing the first treatment for AIDS, developing an effective therapy to dramatically reduce mother-to-child transmission, and providing the first fixed-dose combination treatment for HIV were all brought to patients by GSK scientists.

We've found that sitting down and engaging in two-way conversations with activists was a critical and productive step in helping us understand the needs of our patients. 

This year was the 11^th HIV Summer Summit hosted by GSK.  Sixty-five activists, advocates, educators, and writers met with us in this annual event, which provides a forum for scientific exchange and education on issues that affect the treatment and lives of people living with HIV.

We recently announced that we're joining with Pfizer to form a new company focused exclusively on HIV and we received a lot of direct, candid feedback from the community regarding what they want to see from a new HIV company. 

We've been involved with HIV since the epidemic started.  And our commitment to the community has never been stronger. 

GSK has some good news for patients: It is now easier for people who are unemployed, without insurance or facing financial challenges to enroll in our free medicine program, Bridges to Access.

Patients who do not need their medicine right away can now enroll themselves by completing an easy one-page form.  They no longer have to enroll through their doctor, nurse or pharmacist.   On the other hand, patients needing immediate access to medicine can still enroll with the help of their healthcare advocate.

The best parts of the program continue to be that it is:

• Fast. A free 90-day supply of medicine is mailed to eligible patients two days after receipt of the application, a prescription and verification of income. Immediate access to medicine is available for patients who enroll by telephone with the help of a healthcare advocate. They can go to a retail pharmacy and pick up a 60-day supply of medicine for a $10 copay. 
• Complete. Most GSK medicines used in an outpatient setting are covered. There is a separate program for oncology medicines and specialty pharmacy products.
• Generous.  Every day we give away medicines valued at more than $1.3 million wholesale acquisition cost (WAC).  We have provided medicines valued at $2.5 billion (WAC) to more than 1.4 million patients.

GSK offers a number of other programs to help patients get access to the medicines they need. Information on all of the programs can be found at www.gskforyou.com.

A weekly post from a busy mom concerned about raising healthy children.

I gave myself a parental pat on the back as I read the CNN article on the benefits of a regular bedtime for children.  I am of the frame of mind that a nighttime routine for kids (and parents!) is good.   Ours is simple, it works (95% of the time) and it ends with a 7.30 bedtime.  This is nice for the whole family; our kids get the sleep they need, and my husband and I are able to finish conversations, exercise, or watch an episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and imagine a time when we can go back to Spain for two weeks...but I digress.     

With the lack of sleep linked to obesity, especially in children, we need to recognize and embrace simple solutions--like a regular bedtime--ensuring our kids get the right amount of sleep.    My kids get 10-14 hours of sleep each night--my daughter is on the lower end and could use another hour to make it through the day without a melt-down, but for the most part the regular bedtime ensures well-rested, usually happy kids.

Without question, more research needs to be done to understand the correlation of lack of sleep and childhood obesity but until we have all the answers, we'll stick to our routine.

Imagine the challenges of coping with psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune condition that can cause thick, red skin and scaly patches. Pretty tough, right? Now imagine being a child with this condition who, like any kid, just wants to fit in.

I found myself thinking about how difficult that must be when reading a story recently on abcnews.com. The article cites a recent study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology which found people with psoriasis are less likely to react to expressions of disgust than people without the condition.

Many employees at Stiefel, a GSK company, have witnessed the impact skin disease can have on the emotional wellbeing of a child. Through our work with The Children's Skin Disease Foundation (CSDF), we interact with children every summer who have skin diseases that range from mild eczema to Epidermolysis Bullosa, a severe skin disorder that causes the skin to blister and can often leave children wheelchair bound. Stiefel has established a 5-year endowment with CSDF's Camp Wonder to help fund the California -based children's camp and each year we send volunteers to camp with the sole responsibility of ensuring the kids are playing and having fun. While we are proud to donate to this worthy charity, our giving is far outweighed by what we receive in return.

The children often tell us that their favorite part about camp is spending seven whole days free from the stares they regularly endure in the outside world. In moments like these at camp, Stiefel volunteers have the ability to see straight through to the hearts of some very special young people. We see campers, much like the psoriasis patients referenced above, who have found inner strength to rise above the curious stares brought on by their skin diseases. While their conditions have forced them to grow wise far beyond their youthful years, at camp they get to enjoy the simplicity of being a kid. They participate in activities that may be difficult in the outside world-like swimming, rock climbing, even wearing shorts. It is a privilege to be part of such an uplifting experience.  It reminds us why our work in dermatology is so important and it reminds us all to appreciate good health.

We're now on our way back downtown to the Beacon Theater.  To conclude the day, Deirdre Connelly will speak at a tribute to the 9/11 community and those who participated in the nationwide "United We Serve" initiative launched by First Lady Michelle Obama on June 22. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Secretary Clinton is the keynote speaker for tonight's event, which is exciting.  There is a pretty amazing lineup of entertainers, lawmakers, and first responders, too. 

I remember after 9/11 people seemed to work together, and seemed a bit nicer, for lack of a better word.  We shared a sense of community by helping each out.  Having a National Day of Service and Remembrance every year on this date will (I hope) help to ensure that sense of shared purpose continues. 

Tonight, Deidre will be introducing Deputy Chief FDNY (Retired) Jim Riches. I am amazed by those folks--nothing compares to the heroic actions of the men and women who run toward the disaster zone to save the lives of strangers while they themselves face death, injury, or ailment as a result of their heroism.

In support of the first federally recognized 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, GSK was invited to partner with My Good Deed, the Children's Health Fund and New York Cares to share our employees' time and talents on volunteer projects in recognition of this historic day.

Today is the first 9/11 National Day of Service, and I think it is a good time to talk about the benefits of volunteering. 

As we've mentioned, service is in GSK's corporate DNA.  Through our Orange Day program, employees receive a paid day off for volunteering.  We believe that once our employees experience the power of giving back to the community through volunteerism, they will be hooked for life, and the cycle of giving will continue.   

It feels good to lend a helping hand--and it makes a difference.  For example, for the last year we've had a number of GSK teams take a day to work with Habitat for Humanity of Philadelphia, filling an entire block on Stiles Street in West Philadelphia with new, LEED certified homes.   

This July, a GSK team spent the day installing sheets of drywall. If you've ever done that, you know it is something that takes time to learn. But they did a pretty good job.  Usually when Habitat has groups come out to volunteer they are able to install about 3 sheets in a day because it's difficult to measure, cut and get it right.  But our group installed 54 sheets that day!   

Personal involvement like that breeds commitment.  In fact, according to Meghan Tidwell, Habitat Philadelphia's volunteer coordinator, the experience that day was so rewarding for one of our GSK volunteers that she called the following week and became a regular Habitat volunteer.  "That has never happened before," Meghan said, "where a corporate team has come in and really nailed it like GSK did--and inspired people to volunteer on their own." (I am assuming her pun was intended.)   

And today, I am happy to report, the last three houses on Stiles Street will be dedicated, and three families are moving into new homes.  What was once an abandoned city block is now entering a new chapter as its residents begin to rebuild their community.

I am actually headed to New York today to report on a few volunteer projects that GSK has going on.  Eventually, I'll end up at the tribute program for the first 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.  GSK North American Pharmaceuticals President, Deirdre Connelly, is speaking right after the keynote--Secretary of State Hillary Clinton!

A weekly post from a busy mom concerned about raising healthy children.

It sounds made up but this is in fact how our bedtime story ended last night as my daughter went to sleep with a cough that makes parents cringe.  As our kids head back to school, we need to encourage that they hear what we are saying, and then of course, do it ourselves.  I must have said 'cough in the crook of your elbow' and at least ten times on the way home--and yet I forgot to do it myself and got reminded--'Mom, crook!'  (Really.)

Cold and flu season are upon us and it is important to remind our kids to wash hands and cover up - no matter how much we might sound like broken record.  Unfortunately, this can be mundane and quite boring for lots of kids--and mine occasionally do not do as they are asked.  I'm trying to make it fun.  I'm following the CDC recommendations  and encouraging my kids to sing Happy Birthday (once slow, twice fast) while we wash our hand hands, to really be effective.  Or make up silly games--Ultimate Germ Stopper--to help my kids remember that even though it might look silly coughing in your crook is really cool, even for me, and then we can all live happily ever after.

If needed--the federal government has enlisted Elmo on the washing hands action so when my kids have heard enough from me I can just have them watch Elmo--somehow he always seems to get through to them.

Recently, the GSK Oncology team volunteered as Guest Chefs at the Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia.  The Ronald McDonald House is a home away from home for families and their seriously ill children who are being treated at area hospitals.

What makes the Ronald McDonald House special is its caring environment where families find physical and emotional support from one another and the volunteers. Our GSK Oncology volunteers were Dinner Guest Chefs on two separate evenings, preparing our theme "Comfort Foods" for more than 80 people each night. There was turkey and stuffing, lasagna and garlic bread, ham and mashed potatoes, and even dinosaur chicken nuggets for the kids. Team GSK Oncology served more than 160 family members and volunteers.

It was really special for all of us to meet these families--especially the young patients with so much heart and so much hope.

The experience reminded us how important our health is, and more importantly, how significant our jobs are here at GSK!  It was an amazing experience and it's nice to know that activities such as this are run by GSK employees all over the world.

(Photo courtesy of Ronald McDonald house of Philadelphia.)

Congress will soon be back to work on healthcare reform and we will again be working for passage of comprehensive reforms that ensure every American has access to first-class healthcare.  We share the concerns of many Americans, as mentioned before, that legislation approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee is unfortunately not headed in the right direction.

A bill passed by that committee includes a public plan option, run by the federal government, that would use a one-size-fits-all national drug formulary to control prices.  Our principle concern is that this would in turn greatly reduce a doctor's discretion and a patient's access to necessary medicines.  There is no requirement in the bill that the public plan have experts or physicians involved in determining what medicines would be included in the formulary or that it ensures adequate access to a sufficient number of medicines in each class.

The Veterans Affairs drug formulary and Medicaid drug coverage suggest how access and options could be restricted if this public plan is enacted into law.  The VA covers far fewer drugs than Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit enacted in 2006. 

Any healthcare reform must be rooted in a commitment to giving more Americans better access to healthcare.  For us, limiting access to potentially life-saving medicines is not an appealing option, and not in the public interest.  

A new weekly post from a busy mom concerned about raising healthy children.

Frank Bruni's article in the New York Times last weekend really struck me. I am not a good cook and for years it's never been an issue.  Times have changed. Along with being older and wiser I have two kids (!!) and   struggle with the dreaded 'What's for dinner?' 

As I said, I don't have the culinary instinct, but I do want my children to eat well-balanced healthy meals.  I try to lead by example and still my four year old turns her nose at the snap peas and asparagus and dives directly into the pasta. So what's a mom to do when the kids want Mac-n-cheese for dinner? She does her best. 

I've gotten pretty good at making my own Mac-n-cheese using whole grain pasta and low-fat ingredients and, according to my diners, it's "really good."  The added bonus is that it is better for them and my kids are watching and helping me cook(!) with real ingredients(!!).  

I am keenly aware of the rise in childhood obesity. Because I work at a company whose mission includes helping people feel better and live longer, with a commitment to educating the public to live a healthier life, I feel an even stronger sense of responsibility.  Each day it seems a new study is released warning us about childhood/teen/adult obesity--which makes it more important to take action now, even if that action is as simple as learning a healthy recipe.  What could be the result if we don't?  A sicker population, higher rates of chronic diseases, and increasing healthcare costs.

So I'll put on the chef hat and do my part to expose my children to healthy foods and help them to make the right choices. Maybe macaroni and cheese isn't the ideal choice but until the day my kids willingly eat the steamed asparagus instead of pushing it aside (or throwing it on the floor) it will have to do.

I live in Philadelphia, and recently have not been able to avoid these fairly odd commercials for Pennsylvania's state "readiness" initiative ReadyPA.  The commercials struck me as incredibly vague, talking about "preparedness" and being "ready."  I mean, I know ReadyPA is about helping people understand how and why to be prepared in the event of an emergency, disaster, or pandemic, but still, a little clarity in a public service announcement goes a long way.

Then today I discovered that it is National Preparedness Month, and the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is out and about talking about being prepared--and using H1N1 as an example.  It really comes down to the basics: wash your hands, sneeze into your arm, wash your hands, if you are sick they stay home and wash your hands.  Oh, and remember to wash your hands.