Lauren Deluca is the Founding President and Executive Director of the Chronic Illness Advocacy & Awareness Group (CIAAG), a national nonprofit organization that advocates for systemic changes in the nation’s approach to managing the healthcare needs for people with painful illnesses/conditions who are being denied access to pain medications and left in a state of inhumane suffering. She is passionate about her work and together with her team drives activities to advance awareness around this issue and influence a positive change in society.
Having launched her career in commercial insurance, Lauren worked her way up the ranks in risk mitigation for large and middle market accounts in a wide variety of industries. When a rare condition flared up and brought her to the emergency room, she saw firsthand how medical personnel could discriminate against people with chronic illness and deny them medication, validation and pain relief.
In facing her own fight, Lauren discovered a real lack of mobilization and even willingness on the part of industry groups to stand up for people with chronic illness, many citing due to fears of government reprimand via the withholding grants or even being falsely accused of fueling the opioid crisis. She knew the time had come to take matters into her own hands, and founded the CIAAG.
Today, Lauren has built of a thriving community of people and given thousands a platform upon which to research, advocate and work together to help build a better healthcare system that works for all of us.
As the spokesperson at CIAAG she is responsible for business partnerships, the strategic mission and participated in media appearances and events.
Since founding CIAAG, she has spoken numerous times at the United Nations Office of Drugs & Crime and has been featured in Fox News, USA Today, Politico, Times Union, Prevention Magazine, Telegram & Gazette, Hampshire Gazette, MetroWest Daily News, Lowell Sun, Sentinel & Enterprise, Milford News, Boston Business Journal, Boston University News. BATV's Foundations of Change, FATV's Barbara & You, The Jordan Levy Show, Worcester Speaks Out, and Narcotica, Matt Connorton Speaks Out.
As a part of her work she co-hosts a video blog with the Vice President of CIAAG, Shasta Harner, on YouTube, where they discuss all things politics, healthcare and the news. Available at: https://ciaag.net/issues.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Lauren is based in Rutland, Massachusetts, where she is mother to a young daughter.
Women’s Networking Association Member Lauren Deluca can be found on the Association Directory, where she is looking forward to networking with you.
Category Archives: Press Releases
Chastity Strange is Director, Clinical Programs for ObjectiveHealth, https://objective.health, an integrated Research company based out of Franklin, Tennessee . As Director of Clinical Programs at ObjectiveHealth locations located throughout the United States, she oversees Study start up and Sponsor Program Management for new and existing clinical research trials.
As Director of Clinical Programs for numerous OGI locations, she also oversees Sponsor Program Management for new trials across all OGI locations.
Prior to her current role, she served as certified Clinical Research Lead Coordinator for Objective Health(formally ObjectiveGI) where she worked her way up to Senior Lead, then Associate Director, Clinical Operations, Director, Clinical Operations and now Director, Clinical Programs. Prior to switching her career path to research she worked as an oncology certified nurse at Huntsville hospital. She credits being in oncology and wanting to help patients further their quality of life as her motivation to start working with clinical trials.
Chastity specializes in clinical research, protocol, and educating staff and patients on trials available. She has knowledge in the area of calculation of chemotherapy and phases 1-4 featuring breast, pancreas, kidney, lymphomas, prostate, liver, glioblastoma, leukemia, and ovarian cancers. She is also an expert in the NASH/NAFLD Indication and the clinical trials and investigational products for this disease.
She earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2008. In her spare time she enjoys giving back to her community, travel, and spending time outdoors.
Women’s Networking Association Member, Chastity Strange, RN, BSN, CCRC, can be found on the Association Directory, where she is looking forward to networking with you.
Imagine…from off the coast of Maine and it’s rocky shores to the sandy beaches of tropical Caribbean islands, the sound of the wind and the rock of the waves send us messages about life. If we listen. And if we look, we will see the sea’s majestic sunsets, starry nights, and feel the warm wind on deck; every voyage becomes an experience to realize with all your senses – and your heart.
“I can’t escort you personally, but I will design a journey, one with exclusive experiences you could not get on your own.” Our cruises come fully equipped with all the amenities and are designed with comfort, luxury, and style in mind. We can and will build your dream vacation to your exact specifications, whether as an individual or as a group.
Furthermore, as many of you know, accessible tourism is the ongoing endeavor to ensure tourist destinations, products and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities, or age.
Presto Magic Travel was created, designed, and implemented by a blind travel advisor who has travelled the world for many years. “Although my eye impairment has been a personal challenge, it’s also been as asset, in terms of living the true experience and the shocking realization of the travel needs of the disabled. I know because I have been there!”
Armored with this knowledge and with cutting edge technology, Sue Slater has developed and researched ways in which to provide suitable solutions and attractive benefits. “ I am here to utilize and apply those to your personal needs, and with an extra touch of luxury.
She has extensive knowledge of travel destinations and travel requirements in all destinations and Covid policies which are ever changing.
To have her plan a trip for you or your company go to her web site, www.prestomagictravel.com, and send her an inquiry form.
Follow her on tik-tok: travelmagician46@tiktok.com or email cruiseaway2001@yahoo.com
cruiseaway2001@yahoo.com
314 541 8400: Presto Magic Travel
cruiseaway2001@yahoo.com
Women’s Networking Association Member, Sue Slater, can be found on the Association Directory, where she is looking forward to networking with you.
Ms. Slater has extensive certifications and awards.
Her Certifications are extensive, and listed below:
Sue Slater Certifications
• UP Lift 2020 Advisor
• Special Needs Certification
o Facebook interview with the Special Needs Group and Karen Leonard
• Featured in the October 2020 travel Pulse online magazine
• Speaker on making travel more accessible for the visually impaired at the first Travelability Summit in San Francisco in November 2019
• Certified Sandals Agent
• Certified Hawaii Specialist
• Certified with all major all-inclusive resorts
• Certified with all major cruise lines
• European Specialist
• Specialist in Switzerland and France
• Certified honeymoon and destination wedding specialist
• Groups specialist of all size groups
• Elite Cruise Counselor with Cruise Lines International Association
• Member of Travel Leaders
• Member of ASTA
• Member of CCRA
• Member of The Women’s Networking Association
• Member of POWER
• Affiliated with Travel Quest Network (host agency)
• Speaker at Blind Groups
• Speaker at conferences
After 25 years of practicing law, Diane Sherwood is now a certified Forgiveness Coach via Eileen Barker at the Path of Forgiveness in San Francisco. Diane’s technique of Forgiveness Coaching can best be described as unilateral, secular forgiveness. In layman’s terms, she teaches forgiveness without the other person being present and without religion. It is a life skill her clients will carry with them.
Known for her excellence as a Mediator and Attorney, Diane began her career working with emotionally disturbed children at the National Children’s Rehabilitation Center in 1983. She then worked with her family’s construction company from 1984-1990 as Personnel Director and 1993-1998 as the VP of Human Resources. She left the company to become an Alternative Dispute Resolution specialist at her center, The Conflict Resolution Center. Between 2002 and 2007, she also taught Mediation in the School of Applied Social Sciences at Newman University while working on her Master’s Degree. In 2005, Sherwood pioneered Collaborative Family Law in Kansas, and soon thereafter began litigating divorces.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Sherwood became a Forgiveness Practitioner and now trains others how to heal the pain of their anger at her new center, The Center for Peace and Forgiveness.
Passionate about her work, Sherwood credits her success to dedication, drive and perseverance. She looks forward to networking with likeminded professionals worldwide.
Sherwood earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the Colorado College in 1983, her Juris Doctor from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1993 and her Masters of Social Work from Newman University in 2008.
Her work has not gone unrecognized. She was American Institute of Family Law Attorneys “10 Best” in client satisfaction 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, & 2020, earned Best of the Best Award, and Top 10 Family Law Attorney. She was also the first woman president of her local chapter of the American Inns of Court in 2015, leading them to platinum status for the first time.
See attached full brochure to learn more about her current endeavors: Diane Sherwood-Cocking_Brochure
Women’s Networking Association Member, Diane Sherwood-Cocking, can be found on the Association Directory, where she is looking forward to networking with you.
Celes Currie is Vice President of Operation for RenViva. She has received her Bachelor of Science Business – Healthcare Management from Western Governors University, Associates in Science from Mercer County Community College, Nursing Degree from Mercer County Community College, and her Master of Business Administration Healthcare Management from Western Governors University. She is a Registered Nurse specialized in nephrology, she is a dedicated black professional woman who loves to collaborate and share her knowledge to assist other women to thrive.
She is proud to say she has scaled the corporate ladder and now holds a leadership position as Vice President of Operations for her organization. With an appreciation for continuous growth, her mission is to help make a difference. She realized if she wanted to see change, she had to help make change, and be that change agent.
Holding her nurse certification in dialysis through the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission, Celes offers vast experience in the field of Nephrology and has serviced many renal care patients. Her roles while scaling the corporate ladder included, In-Center Clinical Manager, Acutes Clinical Manager, Clinical Improvement Manager and Director of Operations for Home Therapies. Her many accomplishments while in these roles included team engagement with developing an automated QAPI program and implementing it throughout the organization, serving on the policy and procedure committee team, implementing processes and procedures to maximize and sustain quality outcomes, spearheading the Network 5 diamond project with multiple facilities, community renal education and outreach to inmates at the Kyle correctional facility in the state of Texas and presented a presentation at a nurses conference in Dallas Texas for the End Stage Renal Disease Network of Texas. The topic presented was on “Patient Centered Care.” Celes is an expert in Quality Improvement, Process Management, Relationship Building, and she has a deep passion for helping people.
She is looking to connect with out of the box thinkers and ready to take excellence to a whole new level. She and her husband have 5 daughters and 3 grand-daughters. In her spare time she enjoys being outdoors enjoying God’s scenery, reading, listening, viewing documentaries, servicing the community, and vacationing with her family.
Women’s Networking Association Member, Celes Currie, RN, CDN, MBA, can be found on the Association Directory, where she is looking forward to networking with you.
