Today we have a follow-up conversations with Dr. Joseph Chow, Medical Director of WNY Immediate Care and President of TeamHealth Ambulatory Care. We talked to Dr. Chow about COVID-19 myths, symptoms and best practices back in January, and we all know that so much has changed since then with the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccines, lifted restrictions and new variants. During today’s conversation we will learn some updates around the illness, the vaccines and how to protect ourselves during the upcoming flu season.

It’s still extremely important to receive your COVID-19 vaccine if you have not yet, and for those who are immunocompromised or have underlying health conditions, it is possible to start looking into receiving a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot. As Dr. Chow mentions, it is okay and recommended to receive your flu vaccination whether you have the COVID-19 vaccine, do not have it or will be getting both shots at the same time.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information:

To schedule a COVID-19 or flu vaccination, or speak with a WNY Immediate Care Representative, please visit www.wnyimmediatecare.com

To stay up to date on the latest vaccine information, please refer to the Lung Association’s Vaccine Tracker.

Are you or someone you know hesitant about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine? Download our Better For It Vaccine Toolkit to learn conversation starters, accurate information about the creation of the vaccines and more!

Respiratory diseases remain a significant health issue for firefighters and emergency responders who face increased exposure to gases, chemicals and smoke in the line of duty. Each year, over 250 local firefighters from paid and volunteer departments raise funds and  participate in our Fight For Air Climb, racing the steps in full gear to raise critical awareness for occupational exposure and increased risk for lung disease in first responders. Firefighters should go through periodic lung function tests, or pulmonary function tests (PFTs), to ensure they are healthy enough to do their job safely and help identify early warning signs of lung disease.

First responders have higher rates of many cancer types, including bladder, brain, colon, leukemia, lymphoma, non-hodgkin lymphoma, lung, kidney, melanoma, multiple myeloma, prostate and testis. The longer you’re on the job, the greater your risk. Here to talk more about this today is Dr. Mary Reid, Chief of Cancer Screening, Survivorship and Mentorship at Roswell Park Comprehensive Care Center. 

To learn ways to keep your lungs protected as a Firefighter or First Responder, visit our resource page here. 

To read more about Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center's First Responder Lung Cancer Screening program, click here. 

You can also read a local article about How Firefighters can Reduce their Cancer Risk featuring Lackawanna Fire Department.

As COVID-19 has recently completed it's first year around sun in the USA, we have made many strides in research, treatments, prevention to help us continue to learn about this disease and work towards bringing COVID-19 to an end. Many questions have arose over this last year - what long-term effects are we seeing from COVID-19? How might certain populations be effected differently?

Join us for our conversation today with Dr. Jennifer Walsh, Associate Medical Director of Independent Health as we share updates and findings around COVID-19 in our community. Check out our Better For It vaccine toolkit to take place at the forefront of vaccine education in minority populations.  

Independent Health is the Presenting Sponsor of the LUNG FORCE Walk Buffalo, which we are excited to announce is coming back in-person and taking place this year on Saturday, September 11th at Buffalo Harbor State Park! Register with your family, friends or workplace, and raise your voice against lung cancer and lung disease, and for lung health! Register at www.LUNGFORCE.org/buffalo 

Cars, trucks and other forms of transportation are one of the biggest producers of air pollution in our country. Emissions from the transportation sector significantly contribute to ground-level ozone pollution (also called smog) and particle pollution, both of which are very harmful to health, and can even be deadly. Cars and trucks also emit carbon dioxide, which is one of the greenhouse gases responsible for driving climate change. Each year, the American Lung Association releases its State of the Air report, which shows that nearly half of Americans live in unhealthy environments. 

Tune in to today's episode to hear from two experts from our partners at Robert Basil Cadillac on all things electric vehicle! Electric Vehicles give off zero emissions, making them a safer alternative to gas and diesel fuel cars, trucks and busses. Besides environmental benefits, owning or leasing an electric vehicle can benefit you personally. EVs can be cheaper, less maintenance and more efficient! Take a listen and learn from Adam Beck, General Manager and Will Basil from the Management Training Program.

The American Lung Association addresses the health threat of climate change and air pollution with clean transportation through our Electric Vehicle Solution. You can also read more on Clean Air Outdoors, Climate Change, Air Pollution and much more on our website. 

If you're interested in learning more about Electric Vehicles, would like to test drive one or receive more information, you can find contact information to your local Robert Basil Cadillac Dealership at www.robertbasilcadillac.com. To find more information on the NY State Drive Clean, click here!

American Lung Association in Western New York social accounts: LUNG FORCE Walk Buffalo, Fight For Air Climb Buffalo, Fight For Air Climb Rochester. American Lung Association in Western New York - Community Conversations is sponsored by Independent Health.

Do you have asthma, or are not sure if you have asthma? Are you noticing asthma symptoms in your child, or not sure what to look for? Then this episode is for you!

Join us for today's conversation where we hear from Dr. Jamie Wooldridge, Professor of Pediatric Pulmonology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Wooldridge has worked with the Lung Association to implement Project BREATHE throughout Erie County in conjunction with the Asthma Coalition of Erie, Monroe and Niagara Counties. 

Asthma is one of the most common respiratory illnesses affecting over 26 million people annually, 6.1 million of those being children. Asthma results in millions of lost days of school and work, and is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children. Today you'll learn some more of the symptoms, the difference between controlled and uncontrolled asthma, asthma exacerbation triggers, emergency care for asthma and medications. 

Visit our website to find more information on asthma symptoms & risk factors, managing your asthma, asthma medications and treatments, and more. You can also find our Asthma Basics program - a learning module designed for healthcare professionals, school nurses, individuals with asthma, parents, coaches, teachers and friends to recognize triggers, understand an asthma action plan and recognize and respond to a breathing emergency.

The 2021 Fight For Air Climb Buffalo and the 2021 Fight For Air Climb Rochester are both happening this year at Highmark Stadium on May 22nd! Registration is still open through May 14th, and you can sign up at FightForAirClimb.org/Buffalo or for our Rochester folks, FightForAirClimb.org/Rochester. 

Recently we held our regional Climb Kick-Off event for some of our top fundraisers, where we featured stories from different Climbers around the region that have been affected by lung cancer and lung disease who shared why they climb . From IPF to lung cancer, asthma, COPD and more, we all have a different reason for supporting the Lung Association that’s near and dear to our hearts, and we wanted to share them with you today! Today’s conversation is our Why We Climb segment from our Climb Kick-Off event, we hope you enjoy!

Make sure to follow our Fight For Air Climb Facebook account for more Why We Climb stories, and any updates about our event!

The 2021 Fight For Air Climb Buffalo and Fight For Air Climb Rochester are both taking place on May 22 at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, NY! Right now registration is only $21 until Friday, April 9!

We're excited for you all to meet our Development Director here in Buffalo, Kaelyn Gates, as she runs us through what the Fight For Air Climb Buffalo and Fight For Air Climb Rochester will look like this year with our first ever outdoor event. You'll also learn more about our Climb Your Way Climb21 challenge, why fundraising is so important, tips & tricks to hitting your fundraising goals, sneak peaks to our 2021 Fight For Air Climb prizes and incentives and much more!

To climb with us on May 22nd, make sure to register for the Buffalo Climb or the Rochester Climb and raise $100 minimum! With any questions about the Fight For Air Climb Buffalo or Rochester event, call 716-271-6386 or email [email protected]

Feeding off of our last episode around tobacco products and associated health risk factors, this episode we introduce to you Anthony Billoni, Program Director of Tobacco Free WNY and Jenna Brinkworth, lead of WNY Anti-Vaping Coalition to discuss advocacy, policy and tobacco industry related issues around tobacco control. We have already discussed the importance of quitting cigarettes and e-cigarettes, however we do know that not everybody smokes - and some of our listeners may be wondering why it's so important to continue research and advocacy in this area. Trends in tobacco products effect our entire community at a population level, by targeting certain demographics and opening that door to addiction, damaging our air and our earth, and reaching us or our children on a secondhand or thirdhand level sometimes in our homes or even schools. Over the last several decades, organizations in communities across the nation have worked hard to reverse the prevalence of tobacco and nicotine, increase cessation and prevent the onset of smoking in youth and adults. Listen along today as we focus on New York state tobacco regulation over the years and look to the future, including ways to advocate for tighter tobacco control such as smoke-free air law and tobacco sales, why tobacco control is necessary, the rise of e-cigarettes, what parents should know about smoking and teens, tobacco industry advertising and targeting youth and much more!

The American Lung Association is committed to ending the death and disease caused by tobacco use. We encourage everyone to view our State of Tobacco Control state highlights for NY state to learn more about cessation funding & services, smoke-free air laws, taxes and flavored tobacco products in our area. To learn more about Lung Association work in tobacco control, check out our tobacco initiatives. 

Help us End the Youth Vaping Epidemic by educating ourselves on e-cigarettes, spreading awareness of these harmful products, and becoming involved in our Vape Free Schools Initiatives. You can also learn more about the dangers of e-cigarettes and how to spot vaping in your children to ensure healthy lives for all. 

Make sure to give us a follow on Facebook at LUNG FORCE Walk Buffalo, Fight For Air Climb Buffalo and Fight For Air Climb Rochester!

Millions of people in today’s world are still smoking tobacco and nicotine every day. Although traditional cigarette smoking rates are on the decline - thanks to our strong policy, education and cessation efforts, the rate of e-cigarette smoking is rapidly increasing, especially in our youth.  When inhaled, smoke from cigarettes and e-cigarettes touches nearly every organ in your body, leading to adverse, severe and even deadly health effects including lung cancer, heart disease, COPD, stroke and many other health outcomes. Today we’ll cover local prevalence, risk factors, secondhand smoke, disproportionate smoking rates, facts about e-cigarettes, vaping trends, current e-cigarette studies and imperative research, and more. We will have two guest speakers joining us today, Dr. Andrew Hyland discussing tobacco health effects and trends, and Dr. Maciej Goniewicz sharing e-cigarette facts and research, both from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Make sure to tune in for our next episode as we continue our conversation around tobacco & vaping control in our communities, recent successes on a state and federal level, targeted marketing by the tobacco industry to youth and minority populations, and ways to advocate for current policy topics!

If you are interested in learning more about the WNY Center for Research on Flavored Tobacco E-Cigarette Flavor Study or would like to become a participant, please visit the CROFT website.

The American Lung Association has many tips for quitting smoking including resources on benefits of quitting, how to help a friend quit, health risks of smoking, and more as well as our cessation services for adults including our Freedom From Smoking program. Additionally, you can find information on e-cigarettes including information for both parents and teens, as well as cessation tools for communities and schools such as our Not on Tobacco Program and INDEPTH Program - both which are a part of our Vape Free Schools Initiative.

Make sure to follow us on Facebook at LUNG FORCE Walk, Fight For Air Climb Buffalo and Fight For Air Climb Rochester - and reach out to [email protected] with any questions!

Have you heard of the term “sleep apnea” but never quite understood what it entails? Have you ever noticed sleep patterns such as snoring or abnormal breathing in your partner, family or friends? Maybe you have even been told that you exhibit some of the symptoms described in this episode! We want to shed some light on the stigma around sleep apnea and being treated with oxygen - because as you will find out during this episode, it’s extremely important that those with symptoms, do go visit their doctor and receive appropriate treatment.

Listen to our interview with Dr. Archana Mishra, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine , at the Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, as she dives into the health effects and risks of sleep apnea, describes symptoms, identifies high-risk individuals, covers treatment options and more!

You can learn more about sleep apnea types, symptoms and questions to ask your doctor - please visit Lung.org/sleep-apnea, and can learn more about Dr. Archana Mishra at http://medicine.buffalo.edu/faculty/profile.html?ubit=amishra.

Make sure to follow us on Facebook at LUNG FORCE Walk Buffalo, Fight For Air Climb Buffalo and Fight For Air Climb Rochester, and email [email protected] with any questions or feedback!