Alabama
Medicaid extension in Alabama will reduce maternal mortality, say area leaders
By Ryan Michaels
The Birmingham Occasions
Leaders from throughout Birmingham and different areas within the state this week applauded Alabama’s new extension of postpartum Medicaid protection that can cut back maternal mortality and enhance well being for households throughout the state, they are saying.
Gov. Kay Ivey signed into regulation this month the fiscal 2023 Normal Fund finances that features $8.5 million to bolster postpartum care and cut back maternal mortality charges.
These funds will lengthen Medicaid protection for brand new moms in Alabama, offering them entry to well being look after 12 months post-delivery. Moms on Alabama Medicaid now lose their protection and entry to care simply 60 days after childbirth.
Alabama has the nation’s third-worst maternal demise fee. Every year, practically 40 new moms within the state die inside one yr after supply. The toll on Black moms is almost 3 times that of white mothers.
Robyn Hyden, government director of Alabama Rise, a Montgomery-based nonprofit, which focuses on coverage to assist these struggling with poverty, mentioned the Medicaid extension will “save and enhance lives” and urged Alabama Medicaid to increase the care additional.
“[This extension] will assist cut back long-standing racial disparities in well being care which have plagued our state for generations. It additionally will promote extra steady households, vibrant communities and a more healthy future. This is a vital step nearer to the day when all Alabamians can get the well being care they should survive and thrive,” Hyden mentioned.
Rachel Bunning, vice chairman of exterior affairs for the Ladies’s Basis of Alabama mentioned the extension of Medicaid for moms will give 30,000 mothers entry to “needed follow-up care,” which is a vital transfer to deal with the maternal well being disaster in Alabama.
“This significant first step towards expanded protection not solely advantages girls and their youngsters however complete communities as a result of we all know when girls succeed, households thrive, and communities develop,” Bunning mentioned.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) gave states an incentive to extend Medicaid protection from 60 days to 12 months through a state plan modification.
Dalia Abrams, program operations government director for BirthWell Companions Group Doula Venture, mentioned she immediately sees the necessity for the care the funding will present.
“Our doula program helps these households throughout being pregnant, labor, start and the early postpartum interval. We see firsthand the significance of continued medical protection for the well being of moms, and by extension, for the well being of their infants. This main step towards fairness will play a giant half in addressing disparities in maternal and toddler well being outcomes,” Abrams mentioned.
Mary Spears, who works in communications for the Capshaw, Alabama-based United Ladies of Colour, mentioned new moms must concentrate on forming closeness with their youngsters in the course of the first yr after start.
‘We hope that this is step one of many to make sure that moms who bear youngsters and are eligible for SOBRA Medicaid have entry to inexpensive, dependable well being care. In the course of the first yr of their new child little one’s life, bonding and toddler mind improvement ought to be prime issues for moms, not worrying about well being care wants.”
Birmingham nurse Lindsey Harris, who additionally serves as president of the Alabama State Nurses Affiliation, mentioned the extension of care will permit new moms to concentrate on what’s vital, as a substitute worrying about funds.
“Alabama nurses have skilled moms who as soon as the protection ends have uncared for to hunt look after themselves as the main target shifts to caring for the toddler and never themselves as now, they have to pay for well being care wants out of pocket. This growth of protection will permit moms to stay within the care of the maternal well being care supplier to make sure optimum wellness,” Harris mentioned.
Alabama
16-year-old 'Baby Driver' actor dies after fall from moving vehicle in Alabama
ATLANTA – Hudson Meek, a rising teen actor best known for his role as “Young Baby” in the 2017 Atlanta-filmed blockbuster Baby Driver, has tragically passed away at the age of 16.
Meek died on Saturday from injuries sustained after falling from a moving vehicle in his hometown of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, according to multiple sources. The Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that he suffered blunt force injuries in the incident, which occurred last Thursday on the 1900 block of Canyon Road. The circumstances surrounding the accident remain under investigation by the Vestavia Hills Police Department.
Meek’s family shared the heartbreaking news on his Instagram account, writing, “Our hearts are broken to share that Hudson Meek went home to be with Jesus tonight.”
Hudson Meek was a graduate of Vestavia Hills High School and had a blossoming career in the entertainment industry. In Baby Driver, filmed and set in Atlanta, he portrayed the younger version of Ansel Elgort’s main character in the Edgar Wright-directed action film. His talents extended to appearances in NBC’s Found, the MacGyver reboot, and voice acting roles. Alongside his brother, Tucker Meek, he also appeared in the 2014 Lifetime movie The Santa Con.
Meek’s obituary highlighted his passion for acting and his love for working on set, saying, “He absolutely loved spending time on set and having the chance to learn the names and stories of every member of the cast and crew.” Several of his projects are set to be released in 2025.
READ THE OBIT
J Pervis Talent Agency, which represented Meek, paid tribute on Instagram: “Hudson was an extraordinary young talent, whose dedication, passion, and promise shone brightly within our industry. Over the past 10 years, he contributed so much to the spirit of our agency, and his loss leaves a void that will be deeply felt by all of us.”
Baby Driver (2017) is a stylish action-crime film directed by Edgar Wright. The movie revolves around Baby, a young and talented getaway driver with a passion for music. Played by Ansel Elgort, Baby uses his carefully curated playlists to drown out the tinnitus he developed from a childhood car accident and to synchronize his driving, making him one of the best in the business.
Baby works for Doc, a mysterious crime boss played by Kevin Spacey, who organizes heists with rotating crews of criminals. Baby is reluctantly tied to Doc due to a debt, but he dreams of leaving the criminal world behind. His plans are further solidified when he meets Debora, a kind-hearted waitress played by Lily James, and the two begin to imagine a future free from crime.
However, Baby’s path to freedom is complicated by a dangerous heist crew and escalating tensions with volatile criminals like Bats (Jamie Foxx) and Buddy (Jon Hamm). As the stakes rise, Baby must use his driving skills, quick thinking, and determination to protect Debora and escape the life of crime once and for all.
Alabama
Alabama quadruplets out of NICU and home for Christmas
AUBURN, Ala. (WSFA) – When Becca Bryant found out she was pregnant, she was excited to add a fourth child to her family. What the family didn’t expect is it wouldn’t just be adding a fourth kid, but also a fifth, sixth and seventh.
The quadruplets – Kali, Koen, Laney and Lennon – were born premature at 23 weeks and four days.
Because of their early birth, they had to spend five to six months in the neonatal intensive care unit. The last one was brought home on Dec. 10, just weeks before Christmas.
“We get closer to Christmas and our last one’s still in the NICU, and I’m like come on, come on, come on, let’s go home, let’s go home,” Bryant said. “So now that we’re all here, I’m so excited. I cannot wait to get all of them in front of the tree and take a picture.”
Having three more kids than you’re expecting is sure to put a financial strain on any family, but the community has made sure the Bryant family has all of its needs covered.
“We are very blessed to say that we have not bought a single diaper yet, and we’ve had people send gift cards, and we’ve had people send cash,” she said. “We wouldn’t make it without that.”
The parents are also getting much-needed help from their older kids.
“Once they started trickling home, they were all excited, and they just couldn’t wait. They wanted to hold them, they wanted to help, they wanted to get their clothes, they wanted to do their bottles, and they still want to do all that stuff,” said Bryant.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 148 sets of quadruplets or higher-order births in 2023. That’s the lowest number since it started collecting data in 1998.
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Alabama
South Alabama adds Samford wide receiver transfer Brendan Jenkins for 2025
South Alabama on Wednesday picked up its first transfer portal commitment of the current cycle, from former Samford wide receiver Brendan Jenkins.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Jenkins caught 89 passes for 888 yards and seven touchdowns in two seasons with the Bulldogs, and was Southern Conference Freshman of the Year in 2023. A native of Hochston, Ga., he has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
South Alabama has a major need at receiver, with four seniors among its top five pass-catchers in 2024. First-team All-Sun Belt selection Jamaal Pritchett has used up his eligibility, as have Salute to Veterans Bowl Most Valuable Player Jeremiah Webb, tight end DJ Thomas-Jones and No. 4 receiver Shamar Sandgren (though it’s now possible Sandgren could return next season after a recent NCAA ruling involving former junior-college transfers).
Devin Voisin, who caught 34 passes this past season, is expected to return for a seventh year at South Alabama in 2025 after receiving a medical redshirt following an early-season knee injury in 2023. Also eligible to return are Anthony Eager (10 catches, 2 TDs as a redshirt freshman in 2024), program veteran Keyshawn Woodyard and a host of less-experienced receivers including Micah Woods, Noah Toster, Jeremy Scott and Jerrian Graham.
South Alabama is expected to add a number of other portal transfers before spring semester classes begin on Jan. 13. The transfer portal closes for new entries on Dec. 28, though a player already in the portal by then may commit to or sign with his new school at any time.
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