Rhode Island
An appreciation of Joe Biden; RI’s underpaid doctors | Letters
Thank you, Joe Biden
Trump has learned that if he tells lies often enough and loudly enough, they will be believed. He keeps repeating that Joe Biden has been a terrible president.
In fact, President Biden has accomplished much. He tackled the COVID crisis by helping hospitals get supplies, getting COVID vaccines distributed, making free testing kits available, sending checks to all Americans, and helping people return to work and students return to school.
He revitalized the U.S. participation in NATO and supported Ukraine vs. Putin.
He recognized climate change and rejoined the rest of the world in battling its effects.
He appointed the first Black female Supreme Court justice.
He initiated projects to improve the nation’s crumbling infrastructure.
He oversaw the U.S. economy’s rebound from the pandemic.
The list goes on.
But, best of all, he stopped the daily flow of lies that had been streaming from the White House.
Cindy Kaplan, West Warwick
Better compensation for doctors
What is happening to the health-care system in America? The quality of care seems to be diminishing. One of the reasons is the abysmally poor salaries we pay to our medical residents and fellows, doctors who have already spent years in medical school and are now honing their skills in hospitals throughout the country.
The problem is especially acute in Rhode Island where these young doctors are paid an average of less than $70,000 per year at our hospitals (“Resident doctors make union bid,” News, Nov. 21).
How can these doctors’ patients and hospital management expect them to excel while trying to survive on such meager wages for four to seven years of residency and fellowship, especially with the high cost of housing in Rhode Island and with their average quarter-million-dollar student loan debts?
The only thing that keeps at bay the hounds who are constantly calling for the nationalization of our health-care system is that our country provides the best medical care in the world. Nationalization would destroy our system as it has done in the UK and Canada.
Poor pay and overly arduous working conditions foisted upon residents and fellows in the U.S. will lead to fewer quality doctors entering the profession. Nationalization will eventually follow.
I have opposed unions in the past, but when we pay our young doctors less than what we pay electrical and plumbing apprentices, something is terribly wrong.
If we want our citizens to continue receiving the world’s best medical care, we better start properly compensating residents and fellows and allowing them a bit of time off. Otherwise, they will enter other professions and the quality of medical care in America will deteriorate to that provided by nationalized health systems.
Lonnie Barham, Warwick
Saving RI’s forests
Many environmentalists are concerned about the upcoming administration being filled with individuals who do not take climate change seriously. While, unfortunately, these next four years will probably take us backwards in the fight against climate change, we can still protect the environment here in Rhode Island.
Currently, Rhode Island is the only state in New England with no protected forests on state-owned land. Rare and endangered species are threatened due to their habitats being destroyed by DEM and solar developers through forest clear-cutting.
By joining the Save Rhode Island’s Forests Campaign, you can help in the effort to get legislation passed to create laws to finally protect our state forests and endangered species. In Rhode Island, you can save the environment.
Nathan Cornell, Warwick
The writer is president of the Rhode Island Old Growth Tree Society.
Rhode Island
When will Santa Claus be in RI? Follow the 2024 Santa Trackers from NORAD and Google
How NORAD tracks Santa on Christmas Eve
Every year, for the past 68 years, NORAD tracks the global progress of Santa and his sleigh. John Cornelio from NORAD explains how they track this highly anticipated mission.
It was the night before Christmas and all through the house, the children were wondering where’s that guy Claus?
If you’re looking to track Santa Claus’s flight over Providence and Rhode Island’s other cities and towns this Christmas Eve, there are a few ways you can track the big guy with nearly the same accuracy as a late Amazon package.
The military is on it with the NORAD Santa Tracker, and Google, which often feels all-knowing, is also on the case with its own Santa Tracker.
Check out the trackers to see Santa’s location:
See Santa’s location with the NORAD Santa Tracker
NORAD is the most reliable name in Santa tracking. On the job since 1955, when a young child from Colorado Springs accidentally called in (he meant to call a number advertised by a local department store), they’ve been following Santa’s journey using their radar technology ever since.
Now, NORAD, the joint U.S.-Canada command responsible for protecting the skies over both nations, staffs up for the big night, with a number available for children to call for status reports and an online tracker.
When does the NORAD Santa Tracker start?
On Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, of course.
How do I follow Santa’s journey with the NORAD tracker?
Santa is on the move, as you can see below. If it doesn’t load, it can be found at www.noradsanta.org
You can also call NORAD directly at +1 (877) HI-NORAD.
See Santa’s location on the Google Santa Tracker
In 2004, Google started tracking Santa as well, because, well, there’s a lot of interest in Old St. Nick. Google has a website. While you’re waiting around for Santa, Google’s guide includes a family guide, quizzes and various Christmas-themed games to play.
Why might the NORAD Santa Tracker and Google Santa Tracker disagree?
All of our tracking technology is made for mere mortals, but Santa is magic, and he likes to create a little bit of mystery. It wouldn’t do for children all over the world to be catching him as he comes down the chimney to deliver presents. He would never get any work done! So sometimes, to keep the magic alive, he throws off the trackers, just a little bit.
Rhode Island
Up to $5,000 reward offered for tips on who dumped emaciated dog’s body in trash bag in Rhode Island
Lincoln, RI – PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction on cruelty charges of the person(s) responsible for dumping a dead dog at Barney’s Pond on Smithfield Avenue.
On December 14, the Lincoln Police Department responded to a report of a dead animal in a trash bag in the parking lot of the pond and discovered the body of a severely emaciated dog with visible signs of trauma. They believe the body was left between the evening of December 13 and the morning of December 14. A white Toyota RAV4 may be connected to the case and is considered a vehicle of interest.
Police are searching for this vehicle of interest, a Toyota RAV4. Photo: Lincoln Police Department
No leads or suspects have been identified, so PETA is asking for the public’s help.
“This poor dog was apparently starved, abused, and then dumped on the side of the road like garbage,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “There may be other animals in the perpetrator’s possession, so PETA asks anyone with information to come forward immediately—other lives may depend on it.”
Anyone with information about the deceased dog or the vehicle should contact Detective Lieutenant Brad Stewart at 401-333-8485.
Rhode Island
The Miriam Hospital In Providence Getting Key Upgrades
PROVIDENCE, RI — The Miriam Hospital in Providence will undergo a renovation project, which will upgrade its emergency department and inpatient units, hospital officials said Monday.
The upgrades were approved with a certificate of need from the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) based on a recommendation from RIDOH’s Health Services Council, a spokesperson for Brown University Health, which owns the hospital, said.
“Receiving this approval marks a crucial step forward in our steadfast commitment to delivering exceptional patient care and advancing medical excellence,” Miriam Hospital President Maria Ducharme said. “Our current building, now over 100 years old, can no longer adequately support the demands of modern patient care. In addition, our emergency department is a fragmented space that no longer supports efficient patient flow and the highest levels of communication we strive to deliver to those who have come to rely on us for their care. These much-needed renovations will create a safe, comfortable, environment that prioritizes the health and well-being of our community.”
Work is scheduled to begin spring 2025 and will be carried out in three phases throughout the next three years. Hospital officials said this phased approach is designed to minimize disruptions to ongoing patient care and the surrounding communities.
The first phase will involve demolishing the hospital campus’s oldest building to create space for a new emergency department and private patient rooms. The renovation project has an estimated cost of $125 million for completion, the majority which will be funded through a centennial capital fundraising campaign.
“As a cornerstone of our community, the Miriam Hospital has always been committed to delivering exceptional care,” Brown University Health President John Fernandez said. “This investment reflects Brown University Health’s unwavering dedication to modernizing our facilities, advancing healthcare and improving outcomes for everyone we serve.”
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