Linda Beth Lawson fully embraces our 1199SEIU retirees’ motto of being “Retired but Active” and credits her ability to do many of the things she loves to her monthly pension benefit.
With hobbies that include line dancing and playing the violin and the clarinet, Linda Beth Lawson knows that she needs to stay healthy to maintain her active lifestyle. Fortunately, she eats a nutritious diet and doesn’t have to worry about the few extra dollars that fresh fruit and vegetables may cost her. “Without my pension, I’d be lost,” she said. “I can tell you from experience that eating healthy foods costs more than eating junk food, and Social Security alone would leave me without any choice.”
Linda Beth, who retired from Interfaith Medical Center as a Registration Clerk in 2011, enjoys the extra time she has to spend with her son and her daughter. A Brooklyn resident for 37 years, she participates in many of the activities at the retiree chapter near her home and also makes regular visits to the Retired Members Department at the Benefit and Pension Funds’ Manhattan Headquarters. Her defined benefit pension, she said, has allowed her to remain in her home. “If I didn’t have my pension, I don’t even know where I’d call home,” Linda Beth said. “We truly have the best benefits around, and I don’t know how I’d survive without them.”
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with any type of cancer, you already know that hearing the news can be frightening. But your Benefit Fund wants to help you get the best, most appropriate care for your condition. Not every cancer requires chemotherapy, but some do. Similarly, some cancer diagnoses call for intensive interventions right away, including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy treatments. That’s why we’ve expanded our partnership with eviCore healthcare, a company that uses established, evidence-based processes to support your doctors in pursuing the most effective course of treatment for you. This helps maintain consistency in diagnoses and treatment plans, and also helps limit your exposure to unnecessary and potentially harmful treatments. 
The annual Pre-RN Program Lab Coat Ceremony took place on May 23, 2016, and featured 12 graduating students. The students received official lab coats and were given Florence Nightingale pins to acknowledge their accomplishment. The ceremony showcased the students’ Capstone Project: a three month long assignment where they participated in a series of video production workshops and conducted interviews focusing on new and emerging diseases. At the ceremony, students presented their findings in three short videos.
Did you know that some people pay hundreds of dollars for a single session with a personal coach to help them lose weight or quit smoking? Fortunately for you as an 1199SEIU member, you can take advantage of the Benefit Fund’s free Health Coaching Program by calling (866) 935-1199, Option 2. If you’re trying to lose weight, your health coach will show you how to eat a healthier diet — and reduce your risk for Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Want to kick the cigarette habit for good? Your coach will help you schedule a quit date and manage nicotine cravings.