Month: January 2019

When the Bough Breaks: African American infant mortality rates reflect a health inequity

Infant mortality (the death of a child before the age of 1) is often viewed as an indicator of a society’s overall health, and the United States has a growing discrepancy between its racial/ethnic groups. The highest rate of infant mortality in the United States, according to the CDC, is among non-Hispanic blacks with a […]

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The Bus Is Turning

Last issue, we spoke with Bonnie Nickerson, director of the PVD planning department, about their future plans for our fair city. One of their plans for the spring is to change bus routes and traffic patterns around Kennedy Plaza, which would require Washington Street to become a bus-only road (see motifri.com/futurepvd). Since their announcement, a group of […]

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Opened and Closed

Opened Fearless Fish Market: Rhody’s new fresh fish market opens Jan 29at 425 W Fountain St. fearlessfishmarket.com The Green Room: Rhody’s latest smoke shop opened last month. 895 Post Rd. Fl 2, Warwick. Closed Ken’s Ramen: The beloved noodle shop slurped its last drop last month.  AS220 Food Bar: Closed until March for renovations. Bar area […]

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Don’t Gluten Me, Bro!: Celiac is a thing, not a fad, and restaurants need to step up their game

For fad diets, gluten-free means cutting out bread, pasta and beer; it’s a preference, not a necessity. Celiac disease, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disorder. When someone with celiac disease ingests gluten, the body’s immune reaction is to inflame the lining of the small intestine, damaging it and preventing the absorption of nutrients, […]

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Sojourn for the Vulnerable

  Sojourner House started as a women’s shelter, but has expanded in recent years. One of its newest programs is aimed at LGBTQ+ populations. They have three shelters, one for female identifying and gender non-conforming victims of domestic violence, one for male identifying and gender nonconforming victims of domestic violence and human trafficking (and their children), […]

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Cannabis: Doctor, Doctor!: Prohibition causes people dealing with medical conditions to needlessly suffer

With the increasing cost of healthcare and the prevalence of chronic disease in the United States, it’s really no surprise that many people have decided to take their health into their own hands and look for better alternatives to modern Western medicine. Science has proven that cannabis is an excellent option; it’s natural, effective and has […]

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ACA CPR

While the current administration crows about the ACA’s natural death while holding a pillow firmly over its face, we here at Motif work to ensure the old girl gets a little air. Yes, the (shortened) open enrollment period has ended. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck ’til next year. There are certain qualifications and life […]

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All Are Welcome: PVD continues to declare itself a sanctuary city

Rhode Island has been a sanctuary state since 2014, when then-Governor Lincoln Chafee made the official declaration. If you Google the words “Providence Sanctuary City,” you’ll see a host of conflicting information, but this is mostly based on how one defines a sanctuary city. If, like Trump, you define it as a place that harbors […]

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Human Guinea Pig: Are clinical trials the answer to your prayers?

I was browsing Facebook when an ad caught my eye: “Crohn’s Study – Diagnosed Volunteers Needed.” Crohn’s Disease is incurable, and it can make a patient’s life a living hell. I have it. I was intrigued, so I clicked on the link. The link took me to the trialsworld.com site, which is a patchwork quilt […]

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