Month: August 2023

Originally published on Illumina News Center

After earning a graduate degree in genetic counseling, Zoë Milgrom’s first job immediately exposed her to the difficult reality of putting her education into practice. In various obstetric and pediatric units at a major public hospital in Sydney, she supported families managing high-risk pregnancies or navigating diagnostic odysseys.

“I remember many family meetings where the neurologist or pediatrician had to deliver really awful news which had fatal implications for these beautiful babies,” she says. “I watched the parents’ hearts just hit the floor. On so many occasions it was left to me to tell them that, unfortunately, based on the information and the results, their child would not survive.” She developed relationships with these families and was often the person they called at the end.

One such relationship sparked her lightbulb moment. “It occurred to me that genetic testing and counseling is so powerful, and the impact it has on the individual who’s diagnosed, their family, and their community so all-encompassing, that it needs to be less taboo and feel less rare.”

Milgrom eventually left that hospital to work in a private fertility clinic. “Patients had more choices to preempt or avoid the loss. Yet there was still so much heartache that had led people to come into the clinic.”

As time went on and genomic sequencing decreased in price, Milgrom continued to ask, why is it so hard for people to access carrier screening? In Australia, couples can endure wait times of up to two years for genetic counseling and carrier screening tests.

During Milgrom’s own maternity leave, she met an entrepreneur named Kunal Kalro who was also passionate about making genetics accessible. They wanted to deliver clinical genetic testing and counseling to the general population. In 2017 they founded Eugene, and they started seeing clients for reproductive carrier screening the next year.

Screening made accessible 
Eugene, which exists completely in the digital space, serves individuals in Australia and New Zealand. Clients go online to provide family history and book a genetic counseling appointment where they learn about the benefits and limitations of testing and review their information. The counselor orders the saliva test kit, which arrives in the client’s mail, and then gets sent to a lab. Finally, Eugene’s genetic counselors and geneticists review the lab results.

The results are delivered directly on a video call. According to Milgrom, it’s a quick conversation for the majority of clients. But for someone who is identified as having a higher chance of passing on a genetic condition, Eugene counselors will provide guidance and support; they also liase with the patient’s healthcare provider. Eugene counselors pride themselves on being able to communicate scientific information into options that clients can use to make informed decisions. The clients own their genetic information and the choices they make based on the results are theirs.

“Pregnancy is risky” 
About 70% of people tested on an expanded carrier screening panel are found to be healthy carriers of at least one significant genetic condition. Those conditions are usually recessive and rarely have implications for the person being tested. Family history, Milgrom explains, is not a good predictor. In fact, 90% of children who are born with an inherited genetic condition have no family history of it.

About 2%–3% of couples1 tested are found to have a higher chance of having a child with a significant inherited genetic condition. This is where genetic counseling is crucial in reproductive carrier screening, because having this information can affect what choices the couple makes. “There are lots of choices out there,” Milgrom says, “and we really need to support the couples to feel empowered so they can make informed decisions, based on their own personal values and beliefs.”

Today, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (better known as RANZCOG) recommends that anyone planning to become pregnant or in their first trimester should be made aware of the availability of reproductive carrier screening. In Australia the most common carrier screening test is a three-gene test, but Milgrom says it has lower detection rates for people of non-European ancestry, so expanded panels are a much more comprehensive way of identifying carrier couples, regardless of ancestry.

Diverse populations are underrepresented in the body of existing genomic data, which limits the scope of our knowledge of disease and the potential for precision medicine. Seventy-eight percent of the genome-wide association study data in the public GWAS Catalog comes from individuals of European descent. “If we’re moving towards the future of precision medicine, the genomic data needs to include people of diverse backgrounds,” Milgrom says.

About 90% of pregnant people will do another kind of screening, known as non-invasive prenatal screening, or NIPS (NIPT in the US). Milgrom notes that the different NIPS tests, which are often done in the first trimester, vary in terms of chromosomes tested, technology used, and accuracy level.

She adds that people confuse NIPS, which can be done each time a given person becomes pregnant, with carrier screening, which is typically only done once because it shows whether the parents could have a genetic condition to pass on. She says people are also quick to conclude that everything is fine after one all-clear genetic test result, when in fact, new genetic changes can happen during any pregnancy. “The most important thing to communicate to families is that no genetic screening test can provide definitive diagnosis or ever remove all risk. Pregnancy is risky. But there are ways to identify whether you’re in an increased risk group, so you can then make reproductive choices in an empowered and proactive way.”

Looking back at Eugene’s first five years, Milgrom feels a great sense of pride in having helped couples across Australia and New Zealand on their path to parenthood.

“No one chose their DNA,” Milgrom says. “It’s what makes us who we are. So I have sort of a personal crusade to celebrate genetic diversity by making people know that we all carry variations in our DNA, and if we know about them we can choose whether we act on them or not.”

1Archibald AD, Smith MJ, Burgess T, Scarff KL, Elliott J, Hunt CE, McDonald Z, Barns-Jenkins C, Holt C, Sandoval K, Siva Kumar V, Ward L, Allen EC, Collis SV, Cowie S, Francis D, Delatycki MB, Yiu EM, Massie RJ, Pertile MD, du Sart D, Bruno D, Amor DJ. Reproductive genetic carrier screening for cystic fibrosis, fragile X syndrome, and spinal muscular atrophy in Australia: outcomes of 12,000 tests. Genet Med. 2018 Apr;20(5):513-523. doi: 10.1038/gim.2017.134. Epub 2017 Oct 26. Erratum in: Genet Med. 2018 Feb 01;: PMID: 29261177.

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

With nearly 24,000 My Special Aflac Ducks delivered free of charge in the United States, Northern Ireland and Japan to date, it’s no surprise to see one in the hands of a pediatric cancer or sickle cell patient. But in April, the cuddly companion was a special guest at the General Meeting of the Japan Medical Association.

Held every four years, this meeting brings together Japanese physicians, medical experts, researchers, students and the general public for an open discussion. As part of an exhibit, Aflac Japan Division Manager Yuichi Kase held a hands-on session where children could interact and play with My Special Aflac Duck and create beautiful artwork that was displayed around the exhibit. Meanwhile, parents learned about the needs of pediatric cancer patients and how the features of this robotic companion can help comfort kids with this disease.

Features of My Special Aflac Duck include an interactive mobile app that allows children to virtually bathe and feed their duck, customizable soundscapes that provide soothing visuals and sounds, smart sensors that enable touch and awareness of light and sounds, and a calming heartbeat and breathing vibrations. To help children express themselves, the duck also comes with seven feelings emoji discs that, when tapped to a sensor on the duck’s chest, prompt My Special Aflac Duck to emulate each emotion.

Introduced in 2018 after 18 months of research, My Special Aflac Duck is an award-winning social robot initially designed to help bring comfort and joyful moments to children with cancer; in 2022, the Aflac expanded the program to included various medical equipment designed specifically to address the sickle cell disease experience. Since the first delivery in 2018, Aflac has distributed nearly 24,000 My Special Aflac Ducks free of charge to kids above the age of 3 who are diagnosed with cancer or sickle cell — more than 1,400 have been given to pediatric cancer patients in Japan.

Learn more about My Special Aflac Duck and Aflac’s 28-year, $168 million-plus commitment to support children with cancer and sickle cell disease and their families at myspecialaflacduck.com.

Aflac | WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999

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Some of the most important work KeyBank does happens in the communities we serve. To make a lasting difference, Key teammates make it a priority to engage with community members and community leaders to understand their needs and ideas, develop plans and then take action.

In Northwest Ohio, Key recently awarded three organizations with grant funds totaling more than $50,000. The grant funds will be used to support an array of programs from workforce development to offering free services to community members.

The organizations which received funds from the KeyBank include: 
 

Organization                                      Program                                             Amount

Inclusive For Women Inc.                   Economic &                                        $10,000
(Women of Toledo)                             Workforce Development

Cherry Street Mission Ministries      Workforce Development                  $12,500

YMCA Of Greater Toledo                    Wayman Palmer YMCA                    $35,000             
                                                                Community Hub                                                                                                      

“These three organizations are representative of what we believe in at KeyBank: establishing safe, healthy, affordable, inclusive communities,” said Dan Dower, KeyBank’s Northwest Ohio Market President. “We hope our support can assist in creating more opportunities for of our neighbors and help build even stronger neighborhoods. We are proud of these organizations and the work they’re doing to prepare individuals for thriving futures.” 

Nina Corder, Managing and Program Director for Women of Toledo, said KeyBank’s contribution will help their organization build capacity and elevate women’s economic empowerment. 

“Women-founded businesses are not a new phenomenon in the region; throughout our history, strong, visionary women have established and grown businesses, but their stories have seldom been told,” said Corder. “Our Economic Development initiatives establish a new tradition, by which we dedicated space to recognizing a diverse group of female entrepreneurs’ success and supporting them by telling their encouraging stories. This will inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.” 

Gordon MacRitchie, Chief Development Officer at the YMCA of Greater Toledo, called the Wayman Palmer Community Hub a safe source of activity and programming that provides support families and individuals of all ages. MacRitchie said they plan to use grant funds to expand the hub – providing even more services to community members. 

“KeyBank has been a valued partner of the YMCA of Greater Toledo for decades.” MacRitchie said. “The monetary support as well as advocacy that KeyBank has given to the YMCA and in particular, the Wayman Palmer branch, has been vital to the success of the branch and programs. We could not make the impact in this Urban Core branch without KeyBank’s support. We value Key as a community partner very highly and could not ask for a better advocate for our work.” 

Cherry Street Mission Ministries plans to use Key’s gift to expand their workforce program.

“Cherry Street Mission Ministries is so much more than a bed and a meal for many of our guests,” said Ann Ebbert, CEO and President of Cherry Street Mission Ministries.  “With donations like we received from KeyBank for our Workforce Development Programs, we are able to provide a total pathway out of poverty.  Hundreds of individuals have accessed the certificate programs that include not only great marketable skills such as welding and building trades, but also include support groups to learn the soft skills that make a person able to succeed professionally.”

Learn more about KeyBank’s commitment to helping clients and communities thrive 

 

Gildan is pleased to share that it has partnered with McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management in support of their Sustainable Growth Initiative, a cross-faculty venture that unites academics, students, and industry and policy leaders towards building actionable solutions that businesses can adopt to transition to more sustainable practices. Over the course of the 3-year collaboration, the Company has committed to donating CAD $150,000 to McGill’s newly established Annual Grand Challenge on Sustainability, powered by Gildan.

Open to university students across Canada, the goal of the Challenge is to tackle current and predominant sustainable growth issues faced by the apparel industry. Throughout the competition, participants will have the opportunity to engage directly with, and receive mentoring from, subject-matter experts in the industry. The theme of this year’s inaugural challenge is managing waste in fashion supply chains, and as the title sponsor and a leading sustainable apparel manufacturer, Gildan ESG leaders will have the opportunity to sit on the panel of judges and hear firsthand from the students themselves.

“In line with our Next Generation ESG strategy of creating meaningful advancements in the communities where we operate, Gildan is pleased to encourage a new generation of Canada’s driven and solution-oriented students to focus their potential towards making tangible environmental and social differences,” says Peter Iliopoulos, Senior Vice-President, Taxation, Sustainability, and Governmental Affairs at Gildan. “We are very grateful for the opportunity to support McGill University in the realization of their newest sustainability initiative, and we are excited about the innovative ideas that this competition will generate.”

This partnership aligns with Gildan’s Long-Term Value Creation area of focus as part of its Next Generation ESG strategy, and its goal to incrementally increase allocation of capital towards purposeful and value-driven projects in regions where the Company operates and to gradually reach a contribution of 1% of its pre-tax earnings by 2026. Find out more about Gildan’s community investment efforts, here.

Originally published on principal.com

DES MOINES, August 9, 2023 /3BL/ – A recent survey from Principal Financial Group® shows a disparity between U.S. employers and their employees in financial health and well-being. As employer sentiment and business health remains steady, there are opportunities for employers to support employee financial health. 

According to the latest Principal Financial Well-Being IndexSM, while both employers’ and employees’ top concerns include rising costs and macroeconomic challenges, employers feel more satisfied with their business’s present financial situation than employees feel about their personal finances. And although employees and employers largely report they’re able to meet their respective financial obligations, that doesn’t translate into workers feeling as satisfied with their current financial situation. Only 34% of employees are “always” or “often” satisfied about their personal finances compared to more than 70% of employers who are “always” or “often” satisfied about their business’s finances. 

“As business owners continue to see growth, it’s important to recognize their employees may feel less confident about their financial growth and there are ways to provide greater support,” said Amy Friedrich, president of Benefits and Protection at Principal®. “Employer support could be offering financial wellness tools or providing a holistic benefits package that meets their employees’ needs. This support can be a key differentiator for employers, helping them retain talent, while also making a real difference in the financial lives of their employees.” 

According to the survey, nearly two thirds of employees wouldn’t be able to cover expenses for longer than three months if they lost their main source of income. When examining this trend based on demographic differences, over half (55%) of Gen Z and 44% of Millennial employees wouldn’t be able to cover expenses after the first month without their main source of income. Additionally, women are more likely to say that they couldn’t cover expenses for more than one week, while men are more likely to say they’d be able to cover expenses for six months or more.

Businesses continue to experience high levels of growth 
Employer sentiment remains high, despite persistent concerns about inflation and the stability of the U.S. economy. More businesses are currently growing compared to this time last year (64% vs. 52%). Small businesses1 also reported year-over-year increases in growth (58% vs. 46%). However, while most businesses report growth, they’re less optimistic about the overall growth of the U.S. economy. 

“Small businesses continue to demonstrate positive sentiment and steady cash flow,” said Friedrich. “However, when you move beyond their specific business or region, employers are less confident about the broader economy.”  

Employer support for financial well-being 
Employers play a critical role in the financial well-being of their employees2. With more than half of employees more stressed about their finances than last year, there are opportunities for employers to pass on their positive sentiment and build a foundation that enables employees to plan for their financial futures.

The survey found the more optimistic a business is about the next 12 months, the more likely they are to add certain benefits such as critical illness, childcare support, financial wellness programs, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to name a few.

Financial wellness programs are expected to emerge as an additional plan resource to further personalize the employee experience3. Outside of retirement savings programs, top financial wellness benefits small businesses believe should be offered include helping employees establish a budget and financial plan, retirement income planning, and investment education. These benefits are key to boosting how secure employees feel across life and work. 

See all results and insights from the latest Principal Financial Well-Being IndexSM (PDF).  

About the Principal Financial Well-Being IndexSM  
The Principal Financial Well-Being IndexSM surveys business owners, decision makers and business leaders aged 21 and over who work at companies with 2 – 10,000 employees. The nation-wide survey, commissioned since 2012, examines the financial well-being of American workers and business employers. In 2020, the Well-Being Index was transformed from an annual survey to a regular pulse, offering three waves, revisiting questions and measuring sentiment regarding timely issues in the small and midsized business marketplace. In the first pulse of the Well-Being Index in 2022, the employee audience was added to the survey to compare and contrast key sentiment from employers. The survey was commissioned by Principal® and conducted online by Dynata from June 5 – 12, 2023, with a total of 500 business owners, decision makers and business leader participants and a total of 200 employee participants. The research report focuses on providing a holistic perspective on key trends and timely issues in the small and medium business market.  

About Principal Financial Group®   
Principal Financial Group® (Nasdaq: PFG) is a global financial company with 19,000 employees1 passionate about improving the wealth and well-being of people and businesses. In business for more than 140 years, we’re helping more than 62 million customers1 plan, protect, invest, and retire, while working to support the communities where we do business, and build a diverse, inclusive workforce. Principal® is proud to be recognized as one of the 2023 World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere2, a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and a “Best Places to Work in Money Management3.” Learn more about Principal and our commitment to building a better future at principal.com. 

1 As of June 30, 2023 
2 Ethisphere, 2023  
3 Pensions & Investments, 2022

Dynata is not an affiliate of any company of the Principal Financial Group® 

Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Co (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Co. Plan administrative services offered by Principal Life. Principal Funds, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. Securities offered through Principal Securities, Inc., member SIPC and/or independent broker/-dealers. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392. 

© 2023 Principal Financial Services, Des Moines, IA 50392, USA.  

Contacts
Ashley Miller, miller.ashley@principal.com, 515-878-6295
 

Dozens of U.S. companies and investors, along with leading national power providers, are backing the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to address greenhouse gas emissions from new and existing fossil fuel-fired power plants under the EPA’s iron-clad authority in the Clean Air Act.

In a letter submitted today to the EPA, 31 businesses made the case that strong standards are critical to achieve national climate, energy, and economic goals. The signatories noted their own ambitious commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and emphasized the importance of strong standards to leverage recent historic federal investments in clean energy—including last year’s landmark Inflation Reduction Act’s investments—which have made it even more cost-effective and technologically feasible to decarbonize the power sector.   

Signatories of the letter include Avocado Green Brands, Danone North America, New Belgium Brewing, Vail Resorts, among others.  

“As the costs of the climate crisis and the cost-effectiveness of clean energy have each become increasingly clear, so too has the need for a more rapid transition in the power sector towards affordable, reliable American-made decarbonized energy,” the companies wrote. “Moreover, these standards are achievable and will provide the clarity and certainty that the economy — and that we as major power sector customers and investors — need.”

In a second letter from the Clean Energy Group (CEG), a coalition of U.S. power providers serving more than 100 million Americans in 47 states promoted their support for the EPA’s regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. CEG’s members—which include Austin Energy, Calpine Corporation, Constellation Energy, Entergy Corporation, Exelon Corporation, National Grid, NextEra, NiSource, PG&E, and PSEG, among others —have all set ambitious commitments and made significant investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Their letter underscored the value of strong standards and offered feedback to ensure a “cost-effective, scientifically sound, and legally durable rule” that would allow for the delivery of decarbonized and reliable electricity across the country.

The EPA’s proposed standards, which fall under Clean Air Act sections 111(b) and (d), would impact both new and existing coal and natural gas power plants. The 111(d) rule addresses existing power plants, the second biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions nationwide. The 111(b) rule addresses new power plants with recent technological innovations and has the potential to lower their emissions by as much as 90% under a strong standard.

In addition to curbing greenhouse gas emissions, the proposed standards will reduce air pollutants such as particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide, that negatively impact public health. As a result, the proposed rules are expected to result in $85 billion in net climate and health benefits.

“The historic investments in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 have accelerated the transition to affordable, reliable, and secure clean energy—and they put the U.S. in reach of critical climate goals. Now, the EPA is moving us further in the right direction with ambitious yet achievable standards under its most critical, proven, cost-effective tool for protecting public health and the environment,” said Anne Kelly, vice president of government affairs at Ceres. “Power purchasers and power providers alike recognize the need to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from new and existing power plants—to mitigate the risks of climate change and ensure the U.S. remains a leader in the clean energy economy. We hope EPA finalizes strong standards to bolster the U.S. economy as well as the health and wellbeing of communities across the country.”

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews. 

Media Contact: Helen Booth-Tobin, booth-tobin@ceres.org, 617-247-0700 ext. 214