JESI: Pedicone 16, Centanni 4, Buscarini 1, Ruggiero, Sanna 11, Zandri 6, Arceci, Figueras Oberto 12, Zalalis 17, Brutti ne. Coach: Surico.
CHEMIPHARMA: Brighi A. 15, Ruscelli 10, Sampieri 3, Rossi 8, Grassi 6, Lombini black, Baldisserri, Brighi L. 9, Fin 6, Bracci M. 11, Galarza black, Bracci J. 8. Coach: Tumidei.
They go through to the next round Baskérs Forlimpopoli and they do it thanks to a solid performance in the central quarters on the pitch of Taurus Jesi: 67-76 is the final that projects the Forlimpopoli team towards the semifinal against Porto Sant'Elpidio who liquidated Urbania in two games (80-64 in game 2) overturning the home field advantage.
Starting from Saturday 10th we will return to the field at PalaDimensione Vending, with the aim of continuing the march, arrived at 28 wins in 28 seasonal games. It must be said that the playoffs do not give direct access to the interregional B but to a group that will promote the three best from all over Italy.
Tonight, once again, the contribution of an increasingly leading group will be decisive for Forlimpopoli, with the return of Jacob Grassi will be able to count on eight seniors of absolute value, capable of making an impact both in attack and in defense, and on a handful of under-18s who have always responded when involved.
A victory would allow the Baskérs to access the semi-finals, where they will meet the winner of Urbania-Porto Sant'Elpidio: the Fermo team won away 50-67 and tonight, at home, they will try to close the series and overturn the predictions.
Before looking further, however, the Artusians will have to think about how to limit the totem of Jesi, Gediminas Zalalis, a high-quality Lithuanian forward (averaging 21 points this season) with a solid career in his country's youth national teams where he played alongside Sacramento Kings pivot Domantas Sabonis and Roseto (formerly Imola) striker Lukas Aukstikalnis, as well as various wingers Alessio Zandri and Luca Sanna, as he did in the first leg.
by Arturo Castellini /// August 31
I am a curious explorer from Emilia-Romagna and usually spend my time planning my next trip
searching for the most authentic traditions of the Italian hinterland
For information, contact us: inemiliaromagna@aptservizi.com
This article is part of After Corona
a series exploring how the pandemic has changed the world
Italy — There may be no better place to see the future of Italian health care than a small medical center in the town of Forlimpopoli
Italians prided themselves on having one of the best national health systems in the world
They told themselves that despite the endemic corruption
a flat-lining economy and rickety tax and justice systems
at least the network of hospitals and physicians was
especially after Lombardy — one of Italy’s richest regions
which had invested heavily in state-of-the-art
centralized hospitals — became the first European hot spot in the early days of the crisis
As waves of illness and death swept northern Italy and even the most well-funded hospitals struggled to care for the sick
some in the county started to argue for a reboot of the Italian public health care system — one focused less on high-tech facilities and more on making care available to patients where they need it
"The United States has the best hospitals in the world
but they don't have the best national health system," said Guido Marinoni
where coffins piled up so quickly they had to be sent to other areas of the country to be cremated
It has excellent hospitals — maybe the best in Europe — but that doesn't mean they can hold up to a stress test," he added
As Italy looks to rebuild in the wake of the pandemic
the model is no longer Lombardy but next-door Emilia-Romagna
where policymakers took a different approach in the decade before the pandemic
Rather than concentrate resources in expansive medical complexes
Emilia-Romagna invested in a network of clinics and small medical centers dotting its towns and villages
Dubbed case della salute — “health homes” — they serve as the first point of contact for patients
offering regular care from a team of general practitioners
Only more serious cases that require intensive care and technology are referred to hospitals
Forlimpopoli's health home is nothing special to look at
A concrete public building typical of those erected in Italy after the war
elderly patients can be found milling outside or sitting on benches waiting to be called back in for their medical results
Here family doctors — who in Italy have traditionally provided their services as independent professionals in one-person offices — work side by side
centers like the one in Forlimpopoli offer the town's population the possibility of frequent checkups and more personalized care
healthy and in their homes as long as possible instead of filling up emergency rooms and hospital beds
And while in the case of Forlimpopoli an existing facility was converted
new clinics have also been opened in areas that lacked dedicated health centers
Emilia-Romagna’s network of clinics wasn’t planned with a pandemic in mind
but it turned out to be well-suited to the challenges posed by the coronavirus
The medical center in Forlimpopoli offered doctors a place to meet and swap notes as the coronavirus rampaged across the region
Patients who weren’t seriously ill had beds where they could be monitored
More critical cases were moved to the nearest city hospital in Forlì
The clinic also proved valuable when an outbreak took place in a nearby nursing home. Where care homes in other parts of Europe suffered high death tolls
doctors from the health home next door were able to tend to the elderly residents and keep infections in check
The center was also a meeting point for organizing and distributing aid
Charity volunteers delivered medicines from the center to where they were needed
The health homes helped organize contact tracing as well as PCR testing across the region
And they pitched in with the vaccination drive when the first shots arrived.
And crucially, across the region, a number of health homes were designated as COVID-19-free. This ensured that patients could continue to get their regular care, even as disruptions to regular services for chronically ill patients became a major worry for health experts in other regions. That stands in contrast to much of Europe, where missed care is thought to have contributed to further avoidable deaths
Forlimpopoli's mayor Milena Garavini said the pandemic had validated Emilia-Romagna’s approach
which has also been trialed in the regions of Tuscany and Lazio
"The presence of the health home here in this community … has shown a response to the challenges thrown up by COVID-19 that was much more effective compared to those where the rate of centralized hospitalization was higher," she said
Over the coming years, Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s government plans to use its portion of the EU's recovery fund — the largest in the bloc — to roll out similar programs across the country
The government plans to add 800 new homes and upgrade 500 existing facilities
creating a network of over 1,300 centers like the one in Forlimpopoli
The first new ones are planned to be rolled out in 2023
The health ministry said it plans on making use of older
underused existing real estate scattered throughout the country
as well as building new sites for the program
In a country where mega-projects routinely run into delays and cost overruns
European Commission officials tasked with signing off on the recovery plan appreciated the focus on cheaper
Italy is investing €20 billion to help reform its health system
The health homes program — rebranded “community homes” — will get €3 billion
which also includes 400 intermediate structures called community hospitals
Another roughly €4 billion will go into at-home care and tele-medicine
meant to bring the health system closer to patients
The idea is to keep patients near their families and friends who can take care of them
Italy has one of the oldest populations in the world
much of it distributed in small towns and villages that aren't served by any nearby health facilities
making travel to the nearest hospital difficult
General practitioners will work in teams with nurses and disease specialists to provide care close to patients who don’t need to be hospitalized but do have complicated health needs. Psychologists or dieticians will be on hand to provide specialized care
Older people also need frequent care for multiple recurring illnesses
such as cardiovascular problems or Alzheimer's
40 percent of the population suffers from chronic illnesses
the facilities aim at improving people's health and stopping bad habits
the health home organizes classes on nutrition and smoking cessation.
who can help patients access government services
there is often a health problem behind it," said Barbara Borelli
who is in charge of the Castelfranco Emilia health district near Modena
who manages staff at the Forlimpopoli facility
said the move from "reactive medicine" to a proactive care saves money and has better long-term results
"We try and act so the patient will use fewer diagnostic and therapeutic resources," she said
lives a five-minute drive away from the Forlimpopoli health home
he started receiving treatment at the clinic in 2015
He said he appreciates its personal touch and the opportunity for frequent contact
He attends the center every two to three months
so doctors can monitor his health and discuss diet and exercise to keep him fit
"you feel that it's closer to you as a person," Bartolini said
“It's a structure that is smaller and more reassuring.”
It’s not just Italy that’s moving toward community care
the government has introduced incentives for local government
effectively paying them for the patients they treat outside hospitals
associate professor at the department of public health at the University of Copenhagen
really expensive to run," explained Jervelund
"It's better to try and keep patients at home or in smaller clinics as long as possible
And the patients themselves prefer "close tight and more local
potentially could be one of the more successful stories in the near future," said Christos Lionis
a professor of primary health care in the University of Crete and a member of the European Commission's Expert Panel on health investment
"A model based on such a decentralized form has still not been largely tested."
"The Italian experience will be looked at with a lot of interest from everyone," said Guglielmo Bonaccorsi
a doctor specializing in public health and an academic at the University of Florence
the head of Italy’s national doctors' association
called the government’s plans an “important first step” but warned they could still be derailed by two obstacles familiar to would-be reformers: Money and paperwork.
The government’s recovery plan provides funding for infrastructure
but it hasn’t yet budgeted for the staff necessary to run multidisciplinary teams
The health ministry has said that it’s already in part covered staffing costs with investment in nurses last year
and that the remaining shortfall will be made up by increased health spending in the years to come.
While community homes are smaller than hospitals
they’re bigger than the one-person offices many family doctors operate in — and they require them to operate as part of a larger team instead of having the freedom to work solo
Anelli said the risk of too much top-down control could change the job into an "obstacle course."
"We prefer it if the relationship between professionals is one of collaboration
The worry is shared by the Italian Federation of General Medicine Doctors (FIMMG)
which represents GPs and family doctors and opposes the reforms
They've bristled at moves by the government to take them under more direct control and turn them into salaried employees
FIMMG Deputy Secretary Domenico Crisarà said the organization "is absolutely conscious of the fact that how general medicine is done is old and needs to be evolved." But community homes will aggravate the issues they're trying to solve
"A family doctor wants to be near his patients," he said
"If instead you stick him inside a big office
divisions between medical practitioners scotched an effort to set up a health home
"There was just too much conflict between the family doctors," said Umberto Castellani
a doctor working at the Forlimpopoli health center
There was resistance to change in Forlimpopoli as well
and some doctors were suspicious of working with one another
But caring for patients under the same roof
Doctors were able to coordinate their shifts
making sure that there was always someone on duty and avoiding any single person working long hours
Doctors and medical staff in the town are now delighted that their small clinic is being held up as an example across the country
"I think if you went to one of the GPs now and asked if they'd like to go back to working isolated
they'd say they wouldn't dream of it," said Stefano Boni
who directs the medical district that includes the town
This article is produced with full editorial independence by POLITICO reporters and editors. Learn more about editorial content presented by outside advertisers
This article is part of POLITICO’s premium policy service: Pro Health Care. From drug pricing, EMA, vaccines, pharma and more, our specialized journalists keep you on top of the topics driving the health care policy agenda. Email [email protected] for a complimentary trial
Spain was easily the top performing major economy in the eurozone
Spain’s core settlement infrastructure continues to operate normally
Washington and Beijing are trading tariff blows
The EU could come out on top ― if it can rise to the challenge
But the Fund gives its implicit backing to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plans to stabilize U.K
Already tomorrow evening, we return to the field, at the PalaTriccoli in Jesi, for game 2: for the Baskérs it is a great opportunity to close the series and prepare as best as possible for the semifinals.
Scoreboard: Brighi A. 11., Ruscelli, Sampieri 2, Rossi 10, Grassi, Lombini, Baldisserri 2, Brighi L. 22, Fin 8, Bracci M. 12, Galarza 4, Bracci J. 9. Coach: Tumidei
World of Opera with host Lisa Simeone brings listeners the world of tragedy and triumph
jealousies and dreams — the world of opera — every week
Winning will be essential for Brighi and his teammates, considering that they will be back on the court for game 2 on Wednesday: now everything is at stake and, for the Baskérs, there can be no mistakes.
Read more about the Bikers' trip to Italy.Biker and cameraman bonding in Italy
Venice receives more than 14 million tourists a year
Built on a series of low mud banks amid the tidal waters of the Adriatic
and its exclusive trading links brought immense wealth and power
This wealth and success is in evidence all over the city
with stunning works of art and architecture at every turn
Venice finally became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1866
The gondola has been part of Venice since the 11th century
Even today a gondola ride down the Grand Canal is the classic introduction to Venice - but it isn't a cheap option
Ironic then that it was a decree of 1562 that ensured all gondolas would be black - to stop people making an ostentatious show of their wealth
A more affordable tip is to take advantage of the traghetti
gondola ferries that offer a cheap and convenient way of crossing the Grand Canal
An intriguing bit of gondola trivia is that they have a slight leftward curve to the prow
which counteracts the force of the right sided oar - hence preventing the gondola from going round in circles
Cannaregio (where the bikers cooked their focaccia) is the 2nd largest of Venice's six districts
It is located to the north and east of the Grand Canal
Traditionally a working class area of the city
largely tourist free way to experience this one-off city
PELLEGRINO ARTUSI AND FERRARA'S PASTA PIE
Cobbled together from separate papal states in 1860
modern Emilia Romagna was given its present borders in 1947
historical cities and thriving industry make it one of Italy's most prosperous regions
Pellegrino Artusi was born in the small Emilia Romagnan town of Forlimpopoli in 1820
His working life as a silk merchant allowed him to acquire considerable wealth
which was used to fund his passions: literature and food
He self-published the now famous Italian cookbook 'La Scienza in Cucina e L'arte di Mangiare Bene' (The Science of Cooking and the Art of Eating Well) in 1891 which sold over 200,000 copies before his death
Writing only two decades after the unification of Italy
Artusi was the first person to include recipes from all the different regions of Italy in a single cookbook
he helped establish a truly national Italian cuisine and with it a national Italian identity
Full of the author's wry reflections and anecdotes L'Artusi
a source of inspiration for generations of cooks
and a family heirloom passed from mother to daughter
Ferrara is one of Emilia Romagna's great walled towns
a superbly preserved example of Renaissance architecture
And it is in Ferrara that the Osteria al Brindisi offers the ‘Pasticcio di Maccheroni’
(‘pasta pie’) featured in Artusi's great book
The scenic route from Faenza to Florence is route 302
rising into the hills separating Emilia Romagna from Tuscany
and descending to Florence (with spectacular views of the city en route)
Run in the opposite direction is a punishing road running race called '100km del Passatore'
Started in 1973 this endurance run has become a national event and is known affectionately as 'the Olympics of the foolish'
The race takes its name from a local bandit
who became known as 'Il Passatore' (‘The Shepherd')
This villain's life crossed with our hero Pellegrino Artusi's on January 25th 1851
when Pelloni and his gang came to Forlimpopoli
They took all the town's wealthier people hostage
The hapless victims were held captive in the town's theatre while their homes were looted
The following year the family moved - to Florence
The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera
"The Five Lands" is composed of five villages: Monterosso al Mare
and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and form a UNESCO World Heritage Site
and cars cannot reach them from the outside
The Cinque Terre is a very popular tourist destination
offer the perfect conditions and climate for growing hazelnuts
Hazelnuts had always been an important crop for the region but in the 19th century high taxes on another local crop
Someone had the bright idea of mixing crushed hazelnuts with what cocoa was available
The result was a paste called 'pasta Gianduja' (named after a Piemontese carnival marionette character)
The chocolate made using this paste - infused with the flavour of hazelnuts - proved popular and became a famous product of the area
decided to market the pasta gianduja - as a paste
so it could be sliced and placed on bread for mothers to make sandwiches for their children
Ferrero altered the product into a paste that came in a jar
This new variation became known as "supercrema gianduja," because it was a spreadable version of the gianduja
In 1964 "Supercrema gianduja" was renamed...'Nutella' and the rest is history
Set against the spectacular snow-capped peaks of the Alps
it has strong links with central Europe yet is home to the quintessential Italian institutions of La Stampa newspaper
In fact Turin played a key role in Italy's unification
housing the country's first national parliament
yet its baroque and art nouveaux architecture
excellent food and modern outlook make it a city awaiting discovery
it was designed by the architect Giacomo Matte Trucco
Building work started in 1917 and when it opened in 1923 it was the largest car factory in the world
cars were built on a line that went up through the building
Le Corbusier called it 'one of the most impressive sights in industry'
When the building was closed in 1982 there was much public debate about its future
which was eventually awarded to Renzo Piano
who envisioned an exciting public space for the city
The old factory was rebuilt into a modern complex
a modern restaurant and Turin's only five-star hotel
2022 marks the centenary of the birth of Gisella Galassi
Her professionalism was enhanced by the INDIRE initiative dedicated to frontier teachers of small schools
Gisella Galassi has collaborated with the Faculty of Educational Sciences of the University of Bologna and with professional associations such as the MCE (Movement for Educational Cooperation) and the CIDI (Centre for the Democratic Initiative of Teachers) in which she carried out a rich training activity
she devoted herself to research on language education and historical investigation
she was also awarded an honour by the President of the Republic
Her reflections on language are collected in the text “More facts than words”
written together with Francesca Rossi Gardelli
with whom she shared an interclass didactic experience since the 1960s
Their example continues to be a source of inspiration for a school that is committed to promoting cooperation through participated experiences of democracy
a conference entirely dedicated to the teacher Gisella will take place in Forlimpopoli and online in live streming
The round table will be attended by Pamela Giorgi
Giuseppina Rita Jose Mangione and Laura Parigi
INDIRE researchers of the two research structures who together carried out the research and documentation work dedicated to the teachers involved in the literacy process which has been painstakingly carried out even in the most remote places of the Italian territory: the frontier territories
not only for those who have known and esteemed her
but also because remembering her work becomes an opportunity for discussion
exchange and research for teachers and trainers
Fin, you have worn important jerseys such as Fortitudo, Livorno and Rieti. How is it to play for a small reality like Forlimpopoli?
"A great confirmation. I had already played there as an opponent in the past years and I had known the warm climate of this reality. In the summer I chose to embrace this cause and I must say that the organization is of a superior category and never lets us lack anything".
Have you ever finished a championship undefeated? What are your feelings about it?
"It's a new situation for me: I've won a lot before, but not like this. We're definitely very motivated and I think winning helps you win: we have a clear goal and we'll do everything we can to continue pursuing it."
Aren't you scared by the idea of finding yourself in difficulty for the first time, in a situation that leaves little margin for error like a playoff?
"Over the course of these months, things haven't always gone smoothly and in difficult moments we've always reacted well, knowing where we had to go and holding on to our certainties. Of course, anything can happen in a playoff, but we have a coach who prepares the games very well and with great precision: if we stick to what we have to do, I think we'll always be able to put our opponents in difficulty".
In the first round you face Jesi, perhaps one of the teams that has put you in trouble the most in this second half of the season. How do you judge them?
"I have to say that Jesi was one of the teams, among those likely to meet in the first round, that I would have gladly avoided: they have a high-level quintet, a talented foreigner, two imaginative players like Sanna and Zandri. They certainly have great potential, but we know what ours is: we train hard, we know where we want to get to. No one can and should scare us".
Are you the main favourites for promotion?
"During the playoffs, anything can happen: an injury, a bad night or a particularly brilliant night by an opponent can be enough to change the outcome of a match and a series. There are many quality teams, but we just have to think about playing all the matches, one by one, until the end: we know that there is less and less time left to reach that goal we have set ourselves".
Serra, you have had a practically perfect season so far, but you have always been second. How does it feel?
"It's something incredible: we've had a great season so far, but there are always those who have done better. However, we must say that we would have signed if in the summer they had told us that we would have arrived at this point of the year with only two defeats, or in second place. For this reason, we can only be happy with our path".
"We're fine. We've had a month and a half of objectively rather simple matches, but on Saturday in Fossombrone we had to show our claws, overturning a match in which we often trailed, on a difficult pitch and gaining a heavy victory. We're happy with our growth, that of our young players and now we have to try to raise the bar".
"They are a solid team with clear points of reference. They have great physical strength, many alternatives in the roster and are well trained. To prepare for the match I worked hard to find point-to-point situations and this represents a great unknown: whenever there is balance, they have the ability to break it with great authority. But this could also mask their true strength a little. We will have to try to put a few pebbles in their gears and see what happens."
You and your opponent coach Tumidei were assistants of Pallacanestro 2.015 for two seasons, from its foundation to the first salvation in A2: have you spoken to each other in recent days?
"With Ale we have a beautiful friendship, but also great respect. We like to talk about basketball, even tease each other, but we both know how much we want to win. Of course, a victory or a defeat won't change our relationship."