You set down a document and, minutes later, can’t quite recall where you put it. You walk into a room with a distinct purpose — but that purpose now eludes you. You start to tell a story and lose track of the plot.
With dispensaries opening across Mississippi, the state’s medical cannabis program is now in full swing. But there are still some bumps in the road.Medical marijuana may not be a cure-all, but it could bring relief to thousands of Mississippians suffering from diseases that cause chronic pain."I really noticed since I’ve been medicating, just with this medical cannabis in Mississippi, I mean, my life quality has really, really improved," said cannabis patient Joshua Gee.People who suffer from more than two dozen qualifying conditions now have access to the state’s new medical cannabis program."I’m grateful to the legislature for getting this, you know, up and going and available to us patients," said cannabis patient Stephanie Gray.But some patients are having a hard time finding help."At the end of January, we had over 10,000 patients searching our website for information about medical cannabis cards, practitioners and dispensaries," said Angie Calhoun, with the Mississippi Cannabis Patients Alliance.Calhoun said there are more than 100 practitioners across the state, but it’s not easy for patients to find one of those practitioners."What we need is our practitioners to really promote themselves," Calhoun said. "Because most of our patients think that any practitioner can certify them for medical cannabis, and that’s just not the case."According to state law, a medical practitioner must first take an eight-hour course and get certified by the Mississippi State Department of Health. Only then can they issue a written certification to a patient who wants a cannabis card.Another big drawback is cost."I’m getting a lot of emails from patients saying the prices are really too high for them to afford," Calhoun said.Patients like Gee, who was diagnosed with PTSD years ago after serving in the Iraq war."I have three different types of insurance and I still have to pay out of pocket," Gee said.Neither private insurance nor Medicaid or Medicare will pay for medical cannabis. Calhoun said dispensaries are charging anywhere from $35 to $65 for a single unit."And so, when we break this down, we're looking at, you know, on the higher end that's $30 a day for a person to use medical cannabis, which, you know, that comes up to over $1,500 a month," Calhoun said."And that's absurd. I mean, we're talking about people with disabilities that are so detrimental to their daily life and the bad things they may experience that they can't work. So, I honestly don't know how people are going to be able to afford it at that price," Gee said.Calhoun worries desperate patients who can’t afford cannabis could go to the street looking for illicit marijuana, and that could be a health risk."I’m going to encourage our dispensaries and our brands, 'Please, let’s work together to find a way to lower the price for our patients,'" Calhoun said.Some believe prices could drop when large out-of-state companies open more dispensaries in Mississippi.
With dispensaries opening across Mississippi, the state’s medical cannabis program is now in full swing. But there are still some bumps in the road.
Medical marijuana may not be a cure-all, but it could bring relief to thousands of Mississippians suffering from diseases that cause chronic pain.
"I really noticed since I’ve been medicating, just with this medical cannabis in Mississippi, I mean, my life quality has really, really improved," said cannabis patient Joshua Gee.
People who suffer from more than two dozen qualifying conditions now have access to the state’s new medical cannabis program.
"I’m grateful to the legislature for getting this, you know, up and going and available to us patients," said cannabis patient Stephanie Gray.
But some patients are having a hard time finding help.
"At the end of January, we had over 10,000 patients searching our website for information about medical cannabis cards, practitioners and dispensaries," said Angie Calhoun, with the Mississippi Cannabis Patients Alliance.
Calhoun said there are more than 100 practitioners across the state, but it’s not easy for patients to find one of those practitioners.
"What we need is our practitioners to really promote themselves," Calhoun said. "Because most of our patients think that any practitioner can certify them for medical cannabis, and that’s just not the case."
According to state law, a medical practitioner must first take an eight-hour course and get certified by the Mississippi State Department of Health. Only then can they issue a written certification to a patient who wants a cannabis card.
Another big drawback is cost.
"I’m getting a lot of emails from patients saying the prices are really too high for them to afford," Calhoun said.
Patients like Gee, who was diagnosed with PTSD years ago after serving in the Iraq war.
"I have three different types of insurance and I still have to pay out of pocket," Gee said.
Neither private insurance nor Medicaid or Medicare will pay for medical cannabis. Calhoun said dispensaries are charging anywhere from $35 to $65 for a single unit.
"And so, when we break this down, we're looking at, you know, on the higher end
that's $30 a day for a person to use medical cannabis, which, you know, that comes up to over $1,500 a month," Calhoun said.
"And that's absurd. I mean, we're talking about people with disabilities that are so detrimental to their daily life and the bad things they may experience that they can't work. So, I honestly don't know how people are going to be able to afford it at that price," Gee said.
Calhoun worries desperate patients who can’t afford cannabis could go to the street looking for illicit marijuana, and that could be a health risk.
"I’m going to encourage our dispensaries and our brands, 'Please, let’s work together to find a way to lower the price for our patients,'" Calhoun said.
Some believe prices could drop when large out-of-state companies open more dispensaries in Mississippi.
It can be tough to access front-line health care outside the cities and suburbs. For the seven million Australians living in rural communities there are significant challenges in accessing health care due to serious workforce shortages, geographic isolation and socioeconomic disadvantage. This results in rural people having poorer quality of life, and long-term poor health outcomes.
Primary health care is the entry point into the health system. It includes care delivered in community settings such as general practice, health centres and allied health practices. It can be delivered via telehealth where face-to-face services are unavailable.
But there is a critical shortage of general practitioners (GPs) in rural areas. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) paints a grim picture of an ageing GP workforce, a declining interest in general practice as a career choice and unequal distribution of GPs between urban and rural areas.
Experts are searching for ways to“fix the gp crisis”, but we can look at the broader picture and ask:“How else might we address the primary health care needs of rural communities?” Highly trained nurses in rural areas could be part of that response – if we support them properly.
Read more: medicare reform is off to a promising start. now comes the hard part
What makes a nurse practitioner?There are more than 2,250 nurse practitioners currently trained, qualified and registered to provide services in Australia. Nurse practitioners are the most senior and experienced clinical nurses in the health care workforce.
nurse practitioners complete a master's degree and have a minimum of eight years of consolidated clinical practice and expertise.
But nurse practitioners can't access Medicare rebates or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme unless they enter into a collaborative arrangement with a GP.
Under this arrangement, GPs effectively“supervise” the work of nurse practitioners. This fails to recognise nurse practitioners' high levels of clinical expertise and skills, which should allow them autonomy.
Read more: the physio will see you now. why health workers need to broaden their roles to fix the workforce crisis
What nurse practitioners can doIn Australia, nurse practitioners are not working to their full capacity or“scope of practice” according to the australian college of nurse practitioners . This scope gives them the legal authority to practice independently and autonomously, unlike registered nurses.
They can assess and diagnose health problems, order and interpret diagnostic tests, create and monitor treatment plans, prescribe medicines and refer patients to other health professionals. Nurse practitioners are qualified to admit and discharge patients from health services, including hospitals.
At the public health level, nurse practitioners can collaborate with other clinicians and health experts to Excellerate health care access, prevent disease and promote health strategies, improving outcomes for specific patient groups or communities.
The federal government's Strengthening Medicare Taskforce lists nurse practitioners as primary carers and puts general practice“at the heart of primary care provision”. But the racgp and australian medical association (ama) say nurse practitioner care should be GP-led. They contend any change to this arrangement would lead to inferior care, a disruption in continuity of care, fragmentation of the health system, and increased care complexity, inefficiency and cost. We have looked closely at these arguments and found they are not supported by evidence.
Read more: how do you fix general practice? more gps won't be enough. here's what to do
What works overseasNurse practitioners have been working as lead practitioners internationally for many years, which means there is a body of evidence looking at patient outcomes and satisfaction .
Experts found nurse practitioners provide equivalent and, in some cases, superior patient outcomes compared to doctors across a range of primary, secondary and specialist care settings and for a broad range of patient conditions.
Nurse practitioners were more likely to follow recommended evidence-based guidelines for best practice care and patients were more satisfied with the care they received, reporting communication regarding patient illness was better compared to GP care.
Employing nurse practitioners also resulted in reduced waiting times and costs .
Finally, these studies found while patient consultations were slightly longer for nurse practitioners and the number of return visits slightly higher compared to doctors, there was no difference in the number of prescriptions or diagnostic tests issued, attendance at Emergency Departments, hospital referrals or hospital admissions.
Clearing the wayGP practices are closing in rural communities all over Australia, leaving people without access to vital, cost-effective primary health care services. Yet the majority of nurse practitioners are ready and willing to work in rural areas, with 2019 workforce distribution data clearly showing many nurse practitioners already work in rural, remote and very remote communities.
A new way of working is required, one that includes nurse practitioners working both independently and in collaboration with health care teams in rural communities.
International evidence shows allowing nurse practitioners to lead patient care and work with greater flexibility and freedom will not fragment the primary health care system, it will enhance it.
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Dear Annie: Your advice for “Lost but Still in Love” was perfect. Being a health care professional, I had an understanding of what was transpiring when my wife started to enter pre-menopause, and I could support her during this transition into menopause. I honestly have no idea how so many women go through this with so little support from health care professionals. So, thank you for your response and giving a sound explanation as to what may be transpiring. This leads me to another concern. Why do women’s health care professionals not include the patient’s partner in educating them? There is no literature in the waiting room for men to read to learn more about their female partners. No practitioner asks me to join them to discuss any future plan of care for my wife so that together we can meet her needs. So, it doesn’t surprise me that the writer doesn’t know what to do to help his wife and calm his own fears. I am hopeful that women’s health education will Excellerate significantly for women and their partners. -- Supportive Husband
Dear Supportive: Thank you for your letter. Knowledge is power, and the more you can educate yourself from professionals about pre- and peri-menopause, the better. That is assuming, of course, that your wife says she wants you to know.
Dear Annie: You gave good advice to the husband exasperated by his wife’s behavior of late due to pre-menopause. If I could, I would like to say to him and to her, “See a doctor!” I thought I could “tough it out” and handle it on my own, but finally, when my brain was so fogged I couldn’t think clearly and I was so depressed, I went to a doctor, which brought great relief. It was so bad I couldn’t even make decisions. I asked her to decide for me whether I needed antidepressants or hormone replacement therapy, which isn’t like me at all. I normally would never leave such a huge decision for myself to someone else, but that’s how desperate I felt. She chose antidepressants. I have major hot flashes. Still though, I am so grateful for having had any help with the shape I was in. Pre-menopause and menopause are some of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. A supportive spouse, talking with other women, walking (even short walks) daily all really help, and educating yourself on what you are going through makes all the difference, too. My best to them both! And thank you, Annie, for helping people going through hard times. -- Grateful
Dear Grateful: I am glad that you were able to get help to relieve your symptoms.
“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology -- featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Dear Annie: Your advice for “Lost but Still in Love” was perfect. Being a health care professional, I had an understanding of what was transpiring when my wife started to enter pre-menopause, and I could support her during this transition into menopause. I honestly have no idea how so many women go through this with so little support from health care professionals. So, thank you for your response and giving a sound explanation as to what may be transpiring. This leads me to another concern. Why do women’s health care professionals not include the patient’s partner in educating them? There is no literature in the waiting room for men to read to learn more about their female partners. No practitioner asks me to join them to discuss any future plan of care for my wife so that together we can meet her needs. So, it doesn’t surprise me that the writer doesn’t know what to do to help his wife and calm his own fears. I am hopeful that women’s health education will Excellerate significantly for women and their partners. -- Supportive Husband
Dear Supportive: Thank you for your letter. Knowledge is power, and the more you can educate yourself from professionals about pre- and peri-menopause, the better. That is assuming, of course, that your wife says she wants you to know.
Dear Annie: You gave good advice to the husband exasperated by his wife’s behavior of late due to pre-menopause. If I could, I would like to say to him and to her, “See a doctor!” I thought I could “tough it out” and handle it on my own, but finally, when my brain was so fogged I couldn’t think clearly and I was so depressed, I went to a doctor, which brought great relief. It was so bad I couldn’t even make decisions. I asked her to decide for me whether I needed antidepressants or hormone replacement therapy, which isn’t like me at all. I normally would never leave such a huge decision for myself to someone else, but that’s how desperate I felt. She chose antidepressants. I have major hot flashes. Still though, I am so grateful for having had any help with the shape I was in. Pre-menopause and menopause are some of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. A supportive spouse, talking with other women, walking (even short walks) daily all really help, and educating yourself on what you are going through makes all the difference, too. My best to them both! And thank you, Annie, for helping people going through hard times. -- Grateful
Dear Grateful: I am glad that you were able to get help to relieve your symptoms.
“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology -- featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Dear Annie:
Your advice for “Lost but Still in Love” was perfect. Being a health care professional, I had an understanding of what was transpiring when my wife started to enter pre-menopause, and I could support her during this transition into menopause. I honestly have no idea how so many women go through this with so little support from health care professionals. So, thank you for your response and giving a sound explanation as to what may be transpiring. This leads me to another concern. Why do women’s health care professionals not include the patient’s partner in educating them? There is no literature in the waiting room for men to read to learn more about their female partners. No practitioner asks me to join them to discuss any future plan of care for my wife so that together we can meet her needs. So, it doesn’t surprise me that the writer doesn’t know what to do to help his wife and calm his own fears. I am hopeful that women’s health education will Excellerate significantly for women and their partners. — Supportive Husband
Dear Supportive:
Thank you for your letter. Knowledge is power, and the more you can educate yourself from professionals about pre- and peri-menopause, the better. That is assuming, of course, that your wife says she wants you to know.
Dear Annie:
You gave good advice to the husband exasperated by his wife’s behavior of late due to pre-menopause. If I could, I would like to say to him and to her, “See a doctor!” I thought I could “tough it out” and handle it on my own, but finally, when my brain was so fogged I couldn’t think clearly and I was so depressed, I went to a doctor, which brought great relief. It was so bad I couldn’t even make decisions. I asked her to decide for me whether I needed antidepressants or hormone replacement therapy, which isn’t like me at all. I normally would never leave such a huge decision for myself to someone else, but that’s how desperate I felt. She chose antidepressants. I have major hot flashes. Still though, I am so grateful for having had any help with the shape I was in. Pre-menopause and menopause are some of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. A supportive spouse, talking with other women, walking (even short walks) daily all really help, and educating yourself on what you are going through makes all the difference, too. My best to them both! And thank you, Annie, for helping people going through hard times. — Grateful
Dear Grateful:
I am glad that you were able to get help to relieve your symptoms.
“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
You set down a document and, minutes later, can’t quite recall where you put it. You walk into a room with a distinct purpose — but that purpose now eludes you. You start to tell a story and lose track of the plot.
These kinds of everyday mental miscues are often referred to as “senior moments” (though one needn’t be a senior to experience them).
They’re routine and often humorous byproducts of the aging process that generally don’t warrant real concern. But sometimes they do.
That’s why Dr. Rajarajeswari (Raji) Majety says it’s important for seniors and their caregivers to be able to distinguish between simple forgetfulness and incidents that may portend something more serious.
“There’s a difference between normal aging and serious cognitive decline,” explains Majety, medical director for Franciscan Senior Health and Wellness. “Normal forgetfulness like misplacing your keys or walking into a room and not knowing why is fairly common. But things like forgetting how to get back to your house or putting the remote in the refrigerator — or suddenly not being able to do something that you’ve always been able to do — may be signs of more serious cognitive issues.”
The challenge, of course, is determining what gaffes rank as no-big-deal senior moments and what might signal possible cognitive decline.
“Common signs may include forgetting things more often, like appointments and social commitments,” adds Jolene Gelarden, a family nurse practitioner at Hartsfield Village in Munster. “People with cognitive decline may have difficulty finding words during routine conversation. For example, a person may know what a table is, but the word doesn't come easily. They may get lost or forget addresses, streets and directions more frequently.”
Gelarden says another sign of cognitive decline may be a change in personality. “They can become cranky, get angry or become defensive more easily.”
Such changes in behavior can present safety hazards especially for seniors who live on their own.
Majety notes that dementia tends to gradually move through stages of severity, meaning that seniors with mild dementia are often very functional, and people around them therefore rarely think to have them checked out. But when undiagnosed dementia progresses, she says safety can quickly become a bigger concern.
“Driving is often one of the most dangerous situations for seniors with cognitive issues. I’ve had patients who wound up in a different state,” she says, noting that for patients with more advanced cognitive decline she usually recommends that family members look into some form of 24/7 care.
“They may forget simple safety measures like turning off the oven or stove or forgetting to blow out candles,” adds Gelarden. “They also may forget to take medications or take them twice, or they may dress inappropriately for the weather.”
This makes a strong case for maintaining cognitive fitness as one ages.
As Majety notes, getting old and developing dementia are two different things. There's no inevitability in play. There also is no proven way for seniors to stave off dementia if it is on its way. But the general recommendations for staying mentally fit can benefit almost everybody in some way.
• Despite calls to publish formulary, drug regulator still relying on UK, US parameters
• Inconsistencies exist between locally available guides, foreign standards
ISLAMABAD: Knowing which drugs are available in the market to treat particular conditions is one of the basic functions that doctors are required to carry out. Having prior knowledge of which molecules are sold under what brand name in the local market is, then, a key requirement for medical practitioners, including pharmacists.
Globally, pharmaceutical directories or formularies are devised by medical boards to streamline this process and ensure that the most appropriate drug is prescribed to each patient, keeping in mind all contra-indications.
But while most developed countries, such as the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Scandinavian countries have their own national formulary to help guide medical practitioners and patients, no such official directory exists in Pakistan — at least not one authorised by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap).
In the absence of an official and authoritative formulary, one of the most widely used guidelines is the PharmaGuide, a printed reference of all medicines available in Pakistan, which is also available as a mobile application.
However, there are inconsistencies and even contradictions in the way such guides represent certain medication, when compared to their foreign counterparts.
For example, a drug bearing the formula name Pizotifen, commonly sold in Pakistan under the brand name ‘Mosegor’, is frequently prescribed by local physicians to help children with their appetite. The PharmaGuide categorises medicines containing Pizotifen, such as Mosegor, Lematite and Cestonil, as ‘appetite stimulants’.
But the British National Formulary (BNF) — an authoritative resource on drug information and a mandatory reference for those practising in the UK — describes Pizotifen as meant for “prevention of vascular headache including classical migraine, common migraine and cluster headache.”
Side effects of Pizotifen listed in the BNF include “dry mouth, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, increased appetite, weight gain, aggression, insomnia, depression…”.
A Drap official Dawn spoke to revealed that the regulator has also advised the pharmaceutical company not to market Mosegor as an appetite stimulant.
Similarly, the BNF says that Mefenamic Acid is a painkiller, but in Pakistan, medicines manufactured with this formula — such as Ponstan — are commonly prescribed for fever.
This, the Drap official said, was not out of place as painkillers can be given to patients with fever to reduce their discomfort.
But there are several serious safety hazards that come with using medicines incorrectly. Ponstan, for example, cannot be given to pregnant women after their first trimester.
However, this piece of information is never clearly mentioned in the drug’s advertisements or on the packaging. “It is correct that [Ponstan] cannot be given to pregnant women and this must be mentioned somewhere on the leaflet,” the Drap official said.
Another example is Tegaserod, which is supposed to be used only by women younger than 65 years of age for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. Some countries require that it be prescribed to even younger women — less than 55 years of age.
However, the Pakistan Drug Manual — another unofficial guide being used locally — simply states that it is meant for adults. There is no mention of any age limit.
“Hiding such information can be considered misbranding,” an official of the Ministry of National Health Services said, noting that in both India and Singapore, Tegaserod is clearly specified to be used only by women below 55 years of age.
Missing resource
Drap CEO Dr Asim Rauf admits the lack of an official formulary or guide prepared by the regulator, saying that most of the ones currently in use have been prepared by ‘non-profit’ organisations.
“Drap is in the process of making an online registry, after which people will be able to check or countercheck drug-related information on the internet,” he told Dawn.
However, he disagreed with the notion that drugs were being mislabeled or falsely marketed, saying: “It is possible that their claims [regarding the use of their drugs] might not be available in the British National Formulary, but they may be available in some other formulary, as the companies provide us the same details they have been providing elsewhere in the world as well”.
“That said, off-label usage is also a normal practice: if a health practitioner believes that a medicine can be useful for other diseases than it was originally intended for, he can prescribe it,” Dr Rauf said.
This refers to the practice where a physician prescribes a drug for a purpose other the approved treatments. This, in the view of many medical professionals, depends on where they have studied, i.e. UK graduates would prefer the BNF, while US graduates may follow the United States Pharmacopeia.
Noor Mahar, president of the Drug Lawyers Forum, who has also worked with the US Food and Drug Administration, noted that Section 8 of the Drug Act of 1976 clearly states that a formulary should be published. Unfortunately, one has not been published since 1981.
Mr Mahar noted that there were a number of cases in which huge fines were imposed on companies for urging off-label usage of medicines in the US and other countries. “Here, drug inspectors cannot even take action over pricing issues as there is no drug formulary with the actual prices in it,” he claimed.
Interim Punjab Health Minister Dr Javed Akram also echoed the sentiment, saying that producing a drug formulary biannually was the need of the hour.
“Provinces cannot publish formularies as it will create issues, so it should be published at the federal level. I will write to the Drap to publish formulary in a printed form and send it to all stakeholders. Drap can charge for it, as it will be in the best interest of patients,” he said.
‘No wrongdoing’
Representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, however, maintain there is no wrongdoing on their part. Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) Chairman Syed Farooq Bukhari said the industry follows British and American pharmacopoeias, and quote both to Drap while applying for drug licences.
Pharma Bureau Executive Director Ayesha Tammy Haq told Dawn she was shocked to hear that medicines were being sold for indications for which they were not registered.
“Drap is responsible for checking such issues. Unfortunately, Drap only focuses on the prices of drugs rather than on quality and other issues. Pharmaceutical companies only manufacture drugs; it is Drap’s job to ensure that doctors are prescribing medicines only for the indications which are registered with the regulatory body,” she said.
Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2023
A grant program for artists and cultural practitioners through the city of San Diego and regional partners went live Wednesday.
The program is funded through a $4.75 million California Creative Corps grant from the California Arts Council, and will grant recipients funds to “develop artistic content and carry out public campaigns that increase regional awareness of issues impacting San Diego and Imperial counties, including public health, energy and water conservation, climate mitigation, civic engagement and social justice matters,” a city statement said.
“The Far South/Border North program offers artists and cultural practitioners in our region an extraordinary opportunity,” said Jonathon Glus, executive director of the city’s Commission for Arts and Culture. “We know artists and cultural practitioners bring an important engagement perspective to intersectional work in environmental, civic and community health, and we appreciate the California Arts Council’s investment in San Diego and Imperial counties’ most disproportionately impacted communities.”
The funding is intended to help support communities in the lowest quartile of the California Healthy Places Index in the two counties — all while continuing to enrich creative, artistic and cultural practices.
“We are pleased to partner in this work that will shine a light on and grow public and private funding for artists and cultural practitioners,” said Megan Thomas, president and CEO of Catalyst of San Diego and Imperial Counties. “We are excited about this opportunity to artistically and creatively elevate the dialogue about equitable resources for health, environmental, and other social justice issues across San Diego and Imperial counties.”
Grant guidelines and information sessions to assist potential applicants are available at farsouthbordernorth.com. Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. on March 22.
A second round of grant applications for organizations to regrant to artists and cultural practitioners will be released in the spring.
City News Service contributed to this article.