The NITRO Interbody Fusion Cage System Family are made entirely of silicon nitride.

The products in this new silicon nitride family feature all the unique biomaterial properties the market has grown to love, with innovative enhancements for an even greater osteogenic and bacteriostatic response.

DALLAS (PRWEB)
May 18, 2023

CTL Amedica Corporation has received 510k clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the NITRO Interbody Fusion Cage System Family, designated K220513, made entirely of the fusion biomaterial silicon nitride.

“We’re excited to announce the FDA 510k clearance to exclusively market the next generation of silicon nitride implants, the NITRO Interbody Fusion Cage System Family, which we believe will be of even greater benefit to spine surgeons and their patients,” said CTL Amedica CEO Daniel Chon. “The products in this new silicon nitride family feature all the unique biomaterial properties the market has grown to love, with innovative enhancements for an even greater osteogenic and bacteriostatic response.”

CTL Amedica continues to be the world’s exclusive provider of silicon nitride spine products, which demonstrate greater protein absorption, increased osseointegration and better bone growth, enhancing the osteogenic response and accelerating fusion. In addition, the material has unique bacteriostatic properties, provides artifact-free imaging, and is compatible with all imaging modalities.

In addition to the innate fusion characteristics of silicon nitride, the products in the NITRO Interbody Fusion Cage System Family incorporate a number of advanced features:

•      Precisely drilled axial pores promote capillary action and a pathway for integrated bony through-growth
•      Macro texturing throughout the implants’ expanded surface increases the area of bony contact and enhances the innate bacteriostatic properties
•      Robust variety of integration options, lordotic offerings, and size configurations provide greater operative flexibility

The NITRO Interbody Fusion Cage System Family consists of the following:

•      MATISSE NITRO™ Anterior Cervical Interbody Fusion (ACIF) Cage System
•      MONET NITRO™ Standalone ACIF Cage System with Supplemental Fixation
•      MONDRIAN NITRO™ Lumbar Interbody Fusion Cage System

             — MONDRIAN NITRO™ ALIF/OLIF

             — MONDRIAN NITRO™ DLIF

             — MONDRIAN NITRO™ PLIF

             — MONDRIAN NITRO™ TLIF

Chon adds that the MATISSE NITRO ACIF Cage System will be the first-to-market, with launch expected in Q3 2023. The remaining systems will follow throughout the remainder of 2023.

CTL Amedica is a forward-thinking medical device design, development and manufacturing company. CTL Amedica maintains a Texas-based headquarters and in-house manufacturing facility, along with a Pennsylvania-based R&D Center of Excellence. A leader in the medical device technology and biomaterials space, CTL Amedica provides a full line of cervical, thoracic and lumbar fusion and fixation products. For more information, visit https://www.ctlamedica.com/.

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Operation Smile Co-Founder Kathy Magee at Operation Smile Philippines

As Operation Smile expands its volunteer family and continues to grow globally, volunteer nurses will continue to act as the guiding force of the organization.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (PRWEB)
May 18, 2023

Since its inception, as Operation Smile has developed and evolved its mission spanning over four decades, skilled nursing professionals have always been a vital element to the fabric of the organization. Operation Smile was founded in 1982 by Dr. Bill Magee, a plastic surgeon from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and his wife, Kathy Magee, a registered nurse. The couple built Operation Smile out of the need to treat cleft conditions in communities that lacked the necessary resources and nurses have been an integral part of this journey since the very beginning. This inspired what is now one of the world’s largest medical volunteer-based nonprofits with over 6,000 medical volunteers helping to carry out Operation Smile’s vision to create solutions that deliver safe surgery to people where it’s needed most through the organization’s expertise in treating cleft lip and cleft palate. Operation Smile volunteer nurses are also responsible for training their in-country counterparts, helping build local capacity and increasing access to health care for their patients.

With a passion for the nursing profession, Kathy Magee wanted to ensure that nurses were a vital part of Operation Smile surgical programs. And today, Operation Smile’s volunteer nurses make up over 70% of the organization’s more than 6,000 medical volunteers. Operation Smile welcomes nurses from all different backgrounds and specialties to join the organization in treating patients on surgical programs, mentoring local health care professionals, and even inspiring students to pursue careers in medicine through volunteer involvement in the nonprofit’s Student Programs division.

One of these talented nurses is Kristi Neiswender, a pediatric nurse from West Jordan, Utah whose experience living with a cleft condition inspired her to become a nurse and volunteer her time to Operation Smile. “For the first half of my life, my cleft was something I tried to hide and didn’t want to deal with,” Kristi said. “It wasn’t until I was about 22 that I had an awakening that helped me realize my cleft was actually a gift and I needed to use it to help others.” Kristi has been spreading joy within the organization for over 18 years, volunteering on over 18 international surgical programs and attending countless International Student Leadership Conferences (ISLC) as a conference nurse. Her love for the organization started when she was in high school, when her mother, who is also a nurse, encouraged her to volunteer with Operation Smile. Kristi has even had the unique opportunity to volunteer alongside her mother at ISLCs and on surgical programs.

Kristi isn’t the only nurse who has an infectious enthusiasm for the work she does with Operation Smile. Denver, Colorado local, and registered nurse, Mamta Shah exudes positivity and generosity that inspires all she surrounds. When asked why she enjoys working with Operation Smile, Mamta expressed, “Operation Smile fosters a thriving educational platform to offer opportunities for nurses, anesthesiologists, and surgeons in several countries. Career paths are expanded. Operation Smile also makes a gigantic contribution to the global economy by building a more cohesive, safer, and stronger community.”

Bryan Manalo is a volunteer nurse from Chicago, Illinois who splits his time volunteering with Operation Smile and managing the Division of Ambulatory Services at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital. During his time with Operation Smile, Bryan has volunteered on ten surgical programs to the Philippines, Haiti, Mexico, and Madagascar and with each patient he cares for, his love for nursing grows more and more. “When I look into the eyes of those children, I see their future of boundless opportunities,” said Bryan. “I believe that it is my duty to help them reach their full potential one smile at a time. This is what I love most about nursing.”

Another volunteer nurse with a deep passion for her profession is Stacie Goodrich from Salt Lake City, Utah who found her calling at an early age by the influence of her mother and grandmother who are also registered nurses. Stacie’s mother was an Operation Smile volunteer in the 90s. She often returned from surgical program trips enthusiastic and with a different outlook on life. While Stacie has only recently started volunteering with the nonprofit, she already feels inspired and more connected to her passion for nursing. “From my experience, working closely with local nurses during the surgical programs is so important. We learn from each other and collaborate to give these kids the best outcome possible,” Stacie says. “From doctors to nurses to dieticians, we get to see our patients taken care of more than just the here and now. We work with local health care providers to make sure they’re prepared for future cases and are still able to get the resources they need.”

In addition to providing care, Operation Smile is educating future generations and local health care providers on the proper treatment and comprehensive care for cleft conditions to create an even bigger impact in the communities they work. To facilitate this education, Operation Smile has created mentorship initiatives like, Women in Medicine and the Champion Program which partners medical volunteers with local health care providers in low-and-middle income countries where Operation Smile works. These programs intend to increase access to health care, empower individuals all over the world to pursue careers in medicine, while strengthening health systems.

Carrying out these mentorship initiatives are volunteer nurses, Maryjose and Rodney Kapunan. Maryjose and Rodney are husband and wife from Jacksonville, Florida and together they have volunteered on over 25 Operation Smile surgical programs and have already been on four surgical programs this year! Last year, Rodney got the opportunity to join the organization on one of the Champion Programs in Riohacha, Colombia. “My favorite memory during my last surgical program in Colombia is the enthusiasm of the in-country volunteers to learn and be credentialed as Operation Smile volunteers,” Rodney said. “They all have regular jobs that require them to work for 5 days a week minimum and yet they still came over to help and learn during the 2-day surgical program. They all came in good spirit, great enthusiasm, and eagerness to learn.”

As Operation Smile expands its volunteer family and continues to grow globally, volunteer nurses will continue to act as the guiding force of the organization. This National Nurses Month, Operation Smile expresses gratitude to the exuberant and dedicated volunteer nurses that provide love and support to the organization’s patients and their families and to the in-country counterparts they work alongside during Operation Smile’s surgical and education programs.

To learn more about Operation Smile and its volunteer opportunities, visit https://www.operationsmile.org/medical-volunteers.

About Operation Smile

Operation Smile is a global nonprofit specializing in expert cleft surgery and care. Over the last 40 years, we have provided medical expertise, research, and care through our dedicated staff and medical and student volunteers around the world, working alongside local governments, nonprofits, and health systems, and supported by our generous donors. Learn more at https://www.operationsmile.org/ or by following @operationsmile on social media.

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Now that we have helped clinicians read one million studies and reach one million patients, we’re only doubling down on our mission to positively impact patient care and make healthcare more accessible and affordable – to reach the next 10 million patients that need help.

MADISON, Wis. (PRWEB)
May 18, 2023

EnsoData, the AI healthcare technology company, announces it has assisted clinicians in diagnosing the one millionth patient supported by its AI/ML sleep scoring solution, EnsoSleep, marking a key milestone in its mission to make healthcare more accurate and affordable.

Supporting a network of more than 130 leading provider organizations, EnsoData is helping clinicians diagnose patients more quickly and accurately, allowing them to get patients the treatment they need for deadly sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA affects an estimated 22 million Americans and one billion people worldwide. Critical yet often overlooked, the condition is highly comorbid with many of the chronic conditions leading American death rates and healthcare costs, including depression, heart disease, and obesity.

The impact of this work is enormous: Earlier and more accessible diagnosis and treatment of OSA will dramatically transform the healthcare economy and save lives. Controlling healthcare costs and medical debt will transform the overall economy.

“Accelerating OSA diagnosis to this level was only possible through the team here harnessing the power of AI to automate a time-consuming and costly manual process,” said Justin Mortara, President and CEO of EnsoData. “Our EnsoSleep AI solution creates efficiencies for health systems and clinicians that enable reinvestment in patient care and education, reduction in readmission rates for patients with comorbidities, and development of better screening programs to identify people with undiagnosed OSA.”

EnsoData is considered a pioneer in the clinical use and adoption of AI and machine learning (ML) technology in healthcare, supporting leading providers and health systems like Rush University, Advanced Sleep Management, and CHI St. Joseph Health. The team published more than 30 peer-reviewed AI and ML research publications to uncover the extent of sleep’s profound role and influence on health and disease, with another five publications coming at SLEEP 2023 in June.

“Long before AI solutions were mainstream, EnsoData persevered to earn trust and commercial adoption of our AI-based solution in the change-averse healthcare space,” said Chris Fernandez, co-founder, Executive Chairman, and Chief Research Officer of EnsoData. “Now that we have helped clinicians read one million studies and reach one million patients, we’re only doubling down on our mission to positively impact patient care and make healthcare more accessible and affordable – to reach the next 10 million patients that need help.”

The pandemic has driven burnout among clinicians to crisis levels – causing hundreds of thousands of them to leave the workforce. Due to these staffing shortages, health care systems now face difficulties finding and retaining quality staff and serious financial challenges. EnsoData supports teams dealing with these challenges by automating the time consuming process of scoring Polysomnography (PSG) and Home Sleep Apnea Test (HSAT) sleep studies.

With over 450,000 PSG studies reviewed to date, at an average time savings of 28.1 minutes per PSG, down from 47.5 minutes before EnsoSleep to just 19.4 minutes after, that translates to 210,750 hours, or just over 24 years. For HSATs, time spent dropped from 25.5 minutes on average to just 8.3 minutes, saving 17.2 minutes per test.

“With EnsoSleep prescoring the studies, we’re cutting into our backlog, and our patients have much shorter wait times for results. It’s a win-win,” said Dr. James Herdegen, Rush University Medical Center.

Extrapolate that time savings to the roughly 550,000 HSATs EnsoSleep supported, and the total is just under 18 years of saved time. In total, EnsoSleep saved approximately 42 years of time for clinicians and RPSGTs to repurpose into improving operational efficiency and enhancing patient care.

“EnsoSleep cuts the time in half for report preparation and it is vital to consistent scoring and reaching our volume goals,” said Laura Linley, EVP of Clinical Operations, Co-Founder, Advanced Sleep Management.

As noted, EnsoSleep Study Management provides clinicians with a single, cloud-based platform for reviewing, editing, and reporting on sleep studies, leading to increased efficiency across the sleep lab workflow. The customizable, dynamic reports also simplify the report generation process for sleep labs, getting results back into patient hands more quickly.

“Reaching one million patients is just the beginning. Our dream is now a reality,” said Sam Rusk, EnsoData co-founder, Chief AI Officer, and Member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine AI Committee. “The one million patients analyzed by EnsoSleep have spent approximately 36 years of collective time in REM sleep, the stage where we dream. Here’s to the next big goal for this dream team: 10 million patients.”

About EnsoData

EnsoData strives to make healthcare more accurate, efficient, and affordable through waveform artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Using AI and machine learning, the software analyzes billions of data points collected from sensors placed throughout the human body. EnsoData’s first solution, EnsoSleep, reduces the time clinicians spend analyzing, scoring and managing sleep studies. This results in a simplified and accelerated patient testing, diagnosis, and treatment workflow. The AI-powered technology has the capability of informing a future of health decisions beyond sleep medicine, from monitoring patient health in the ICU or through wearables, to detecting and capturing seizure data, to providing earlier detection of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer’s.

Learn more at ensodata.com.

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Allina Health and MedSpeed

By creating a connected and integrated network, MedSpeed has improved an important part of our infrastructure. MedSpeed’s partnership and expertise will be tremendous assets as Allina Health enhances supply chain efficiencies for future cost savings.

MINNEAPOLIS and ELMHURST, Ill. (PRWEB)
May 18, 2023

MedSpeed, the market-leading provider of same-day logistics services to the healthcare industry, and Allina Health, a nonprofit healthcare system dedicated to enhancing the health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin, have formed a new partnership. MedSpeed now provides the system-wide, last mile movement of Allina Health’s physical materials, such as specimens, supplies, pharmaceuticals and more.

“Each day, medical couriers play a critical role in health care delivery, for example, a patient’s diagnosis relies on a specimen safely getting to the right place in a timely manner,” said Sarah Charai, System Director, Allina Health Supply Chain Operations. “MedSpeed is a proven leader in health care logistics with a committed team of experienced employees. We look forward to having their team complement our current staff as together we deliver on our mission to provide exceptional care to the communities we serve.”

MedSpeed’s nearly 25 years of expertise will enable Allina Health to more effectively utilize its scale, mitigate risk and enable the health system to focus on care delivery.

“When we formed this partnership with Allina Health, their goal was to streamline operations into a singular strategic network while also improving quality and service reliability,” said Kent Creasman, Chief Commercial Officer, MedSpeed. “We created a customized and integrated network for them that standardizes quality control and chain of custody across all departments. The data and analytics we deliver provide greater oversight for their leadership team enabling Allina Health to deliver a better patient experience.”

“By creating a connected and integrated network, MedSpeed has improved an important part of our infrastructure. MedSpeed’s partnership and expertise will be tremendous assets as Allina Health enhances supply chain efficiencies for future cost savings,” said Charai.

About Allina Health

Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A nonprofit health care system, Allina Health cares for patients from beginning to end-of-life through its 90+ clinics, 12 hospital campuses, 15 retail pharmacies, and many specialty care centers and specialty medical services, home care, and emergency medical transportation services. Learn more at allinahealth.org and join us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About MedSpeed

MedSpeed integrates healthcare organizations through the system-wide, last mile movement of physical materials: specimens, pharmaceuticals, supplies and more. It transforms transportation into a strategic asset that more effectively utilizes scale, reduces risk, eliminates redundancies and centralizes services. The company has grown from a Chicago-based startup into a national enterprise with over 150 hub operations across 32 states. Its client base includes 29 of the top 100 health systems in the country. http://www.medspeed.com

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“The work Sunwave has done to streamline integration, ensure data consistency and completeness, and educate its provider clients, will ultimately help guarantee the best data and inputs into the FoRSE database.”

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (PRWEB)
May 18, 2023

Sunwave Health (Sunwave), the unified addiction treatment technology platform, has completed a turn-key integration for its substance use disorder and behavioral health clients into the Foundation for Recovery Science and Education (FoRSE) database. This integration adds Sunwave-collected insights derived from approximately 80,000 treatment episode data points annually into the FoRSE database and brings rich industry benchmarks to Sunwave clients.

Developed by the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP), FoRSE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is committed to assessing treatment effectiveness, legitimizing addiction healthcare, and helping providers improve care. FoRSE developed a Centralized Data Repository (CDR) and Application Programming Interface (API) to enable treatment providers to share data from various technology systems. Using de-identified standardized data about the persons served, services provided, and patient outcomes, FoRSE drives insight into addiction treatment success.

“We are thrilled to have Sunwave as a FoRSE technology partner,” said Annie Peters, Ph.D., executive director of FoRSE. “The work Sunwave has done to streamline integration, ensure data consistency and completeness, and educate its provider clients, will ultimately help guarantee the best data and inputs into the FoRSE database. And we believe this program will ultimately lead to better patient care and improved outcomes.”

Sunwave’s dynamic integration delivers comprehensive data insights into the FoRSE database, accelerating provider connection. With pre-seeded standard FoRSE templates and no required customer configuration or IT support, providers can access a complete support package, including training, communication templates, and quick guides. The integration also offers enhanced insight into benchmarked performance and enriched analytics to help providers understand outcomes performance compared to peers and the broader treatment community.

“This market-leading integration is a game-changer for our clients,” said Wayne Johnson, vice president of special operations at Sunwave. “It enables our clients to gain greater insights into the effectiveness of their treatment programs and benchmark themselves against other providers in the industry. We are excited about the potential positive impact on the treatment community, patients, and society as we grapple with rising rates of substance use disorder and behavioral health needs.”

For more information on Sunwave’s FoRSE integration: http://www.sunwavehealth.com.

About Sunwave Health

Sunwave Health drives healthy results for behavioral health and SUD providers through a unified platform that eases documentation and answers clinical and operational questions, leading to better outcomes. Sunwave provides client and referral tracking, electronic medical records, billing, patient engagement tools, and an advanced analytic engine to deliver immediate visibility into performance and risk. As a result, providers can better manage increased demand, improve clinical and non-clinical resource utilization, increase patient retention, and optimize reimbursement. Sunwave Health–driving healthy results.

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KidneyTalk® Magazine, Lori Hartwell, RSN Founder and President © Renal support Network

Hearing another patient’s experience and point of wisdom to live successfully and navigate care is vital for success. “An Illness is too demanding when you do not have hope,” says Lori Hartwell

GLENDALE, Calif. (PRWEB)
May 18, 2023

Renal Support Network (RSN) wants to congratulate RSN Founder and President Lori Hartwell for leading the non-profit for 30 years. She is featured on the cover of KidneyTalk® magazine, which has a reach of 45,000 readers.

Hartwell understands her peers needs because she herself has been through the many stages of the disease. She suffered kidney failure at the age of 2, survived 50-plus surgeries and was on dialysis for 13 years. She is now living with her fourth kidney transplant.

Hartwell founded RSN to empower people who have kidney disease to become knowledgeable about their illness, proactive in their care, hopeful about their future and make friendships that last a lifetime. “There is very little support available for people who are in the late stages of CKD, dialysis or have a kidney transplant,” Hartwell says. “People with CKD experience a myriad of challenging emotions that living with a chronic illness puts them through, and that’s why we provide them with the educational tools to learn about the illness and let them know they are not alone in their journey and to hang onto hope.

“RSN was a life-saving source for me when I suddenly found myself on dialysis.” says Judy R. “Their zoom gatherings, podcasts and interest groups have answered many questions my doctors don’t have time to discuss, and I learned many tips to make life easier. This group is a must for anyone dealing with chronic kidney disease at any level.

Psychological adaptation to CKD is crucial. People with CKD tend to have higher levels of anxiety and depression than other people, and it is vital that they be offered appropriate resources to help them develop active coping strategies and increase their perceived control.

Another popular program Hartwell created is RSN’s annual Essay Contest that was established in 2002. Since then, thousands of essays have been submitted by people living with CKD. From the first, we knew that we had struck a goldmine of literary talent.

Past essay contest first place winner, Kristin B. said, “Writing an essay about my diagnosis was cathartic for me. Being able to share my story with others is an honor. I am very open about my diagnosis and limitations with everyone. It is a part of who I am, but it does NOT define who I am.”

Lori knew the loneliness she felt as youth and so she wanted to help connect her younger peers, so she came up with a plan in 1999 to host an annual prom just for them. This coming-of-age event is currently planning the 25th year! RSN’s Renal Teen Prom gives youth the opportunity to meet each other and create life-long friendships.

“If it wasn’t for you guys, with all your help and joy. I honestly would not be here. I was suffering from depression along with my kidney disease and to be honest I tried to take my life a few times, but when I went to the Prom, it gave me hope. I always looked forward to getting a beautiful dress, meeting friends, meeting celebrities, and having a great time,” says Sarissa V.

Lori has been the host of KidneyTalk® podcast since 2006. The best thing about an interactive podcast is that the host can ask questions; if a guest says something that is not clear or that would be better served by an expanded explanation, Lori can ask for clarification. Verbal communication can generate a sense of hope.

John H. says, “Treasuring each day that I’m not on dialysis. Love your podcast! It is educational for the days ahead.”

There’s nothing like shared experiences to give people hope and help them feel connected. RSN has a five-day Hope Week National Educational Meeting in October and hosts several Zoom support groups, and more online activities like the Get Creative group and Kidney Kin Fitness classes.

RSN encourages innovation and research and works with the community to provide the patient perspective. RSN also strives to make a lasting and positive difference in the lives of people with kidney disease and ensure that healthcare professionals, regulatory agencies and legislative leaders that serve us hear our needs so that we may have the best care and health possible.

Through RSN’s vast reach, patient engagement programs and prolific library of patient experiences, Hartwell’s mission continues. Hearing another patient’s experience and point of wisdom to live successfully and navigate care is vital for success. “An Illness is too demanding when you do not have hope,” says Lori Hartwell

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The Renal Support Network (RSN) is a nonprofit organization founded by Lori Hartwell in 1993 to empower people who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) to become knowledgeable about their illness, proactive in their care, and hopeful about their future. Their life-enriching programs help families and individuals who live with kidney disease, whether they are experiencing the early stages of the disease, are on dialysis, or are preparing for, or have had a transplant. RSN is the leading organization in engaging people who have kidney disease through its vast reach and prolific library of documented patient experiences. Visit http://www.RSNhope.org to learn more.

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“I am very honored to present and discuss VistA modernization to HIT industry leaders, which is timely given recent news about further delays in commercial off-the-shelf EHR deployments at VA,” said Whitmer.

JUNO BEACH, Fla. (PRWEB)
May 18, 2023

Document Storage Systems, Inc. (DSS, Inc.), a leading provider of health information technology (HIT) solutions for federal, private and public health care organizations, today announced that it is presenting at The Spring 2023 DoD/VA & Government HIT Summit on May 24-25. DSS is also a platinum sponsor to this event in National Harbor, Md.

Titled, “VistA Modernization: An approach for evolution, not revolution,” this session will highlight how the modernization of Veteran Integrated Service Technology Architecture (VistA) and Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) Electronic Health Record (EHR) are a necessity to ensure the safety and quality of patient care.

VistA is the existing comprehensive, full-featured Health Information System and Electronic Health Record. Its purpose is to better focus on patient care and clinician needs.

David Whitmer, FACHE and vice president for product operations (federal) at DSS, will present and lead this discussion on Thursday, May 25 at 10:45AM to 11:15AM.

“I am very honored to present and discuss VistA modernization to HIT industry leaders, which is timely given recent news about further delays in commercial off-the-shelf EHR deployments at VA,” said Whitmer. “By service enabling VistA in the Cloud, our Veterans don’t have to wait for over a decade to see the benefits of modernization. Modernization of VistA in an incremental, sustainable, and cost-effective manner is within reach and already taking place.”

Whitmer shared that DSS, and other industry partners must be ready to help VA achieve their HIT goals and honor the commitment to providing the best care anywhere.

David Whitmer is a board-certified health care executive with 30 years of public health experience, including 20 years in C-suite positions directing facilities and operations for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), along with 10 years as a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES).

About Document Storage Systems, Inc. (DSS, Inc.)

Document Storage Systems, Inc. (DSS) is a catalyst for health care innovation, keeping pace with evolving technologies as a solutions provider, systems integrator, and services contractor to the Department of Veterans Affairs. DSS is committed to assisting VA in its High Reliability Organization journey and delivering care quality for Veterans by meeting top initiatives, changing regulatory requirements, and implementing enhanced business transformation across VA enterprise. For more information, visit https://www.dssinc.com.

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Middle School Science Teachers Participate in National STEM Scholar Program

“The National STEM Scholar Program is an excellent way for teachers to learn new strategies and new ways to engage students to help them become and stay interested in science and math.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (PRWEB)
May 18, 2023

Ten middle school teachers from eight states have been selected to participate in the prestigious National STEM Scholar Program, a unique professional development program providing advanced STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) training, national network building and project support for middle school science teachers nationwide.

Created in partnership between the National Stem Cell Foundation and The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science at Western Kentucky University (WKU), the National STEM Scholar Program selects ten teachers each year from a national pool of applicants based solely on the description of a “big idea” Challenge Project the applicant would implement in their classroom if funds were available. Selected projects are chosen for maximum impact in middle school classrooms where research shows lifelong STEM career decisions are being made. STEM Scholars convene on WKU’s campus for a week of advanced STEM training and finalize their projects with input from their STEM Scholar class colleagues.

The 2023 National STEM Scholar class will be hosted by The Gatton Academy from May 29th to June 2nd on the campus of WKU in Bowling Green, KY:

• Laura Cummings, Haleiwa, HI – Sunset Beach Elementary School
• James “JJ” Frye, Leitchfield, KY – Grayson County Middle School
• Emily Harer, St. Paul, MN – Global Arts Plus – Upper Campus
• Erin Hullinger, Buxton, ME – Bonny Eagle Middle School
• Patricia “Pati” Huntington, San Diego, CA – Farb Middle School
• Jennifer “Jenny” McCall, Lexington, KY – Winburn Middle School
• Michele Mitnitsky, Sanibel, FL – The Sanibel School
• Teresa Robertson, Munfordville, KY – Munfordville Elementary School
• Sarah StCyr, Sulphur, LA – W.W. Lewis Middle School
• Kandice Taylor, Jackson, MS – Brinkley Middle School

Studies show that middle school students who become excited about science are the ones who will pursue STEM courses in high school and major in them at the technical and college level. At a pivotal time in decision-making that will open or close the door to opportunity, however, nearly 50% of 8th graders in America lose interest in pursuing the STEM-related subjects increasingly required for 21st-century jobs.

Dr. Paula Grisanti, CEO of the National Stem Cell Foundation, said, “we added education to our mission and partnered with The Gatton Academy in 2015 to support the development of a new generation of scientists in academic research, advanced technology, and infrastructure engineering. Supporting teachers who inspire and motivate middle school students at this critical decision-making age will directly impact how many choose to pursue the STEM skills essential for living wage jobs. By investing in the influential middle school STEM teacher now, we reach thousands of students in classrooms today and far into the future.”

Dr. Julia Link Roberts, Executive Director of The Gatton Academy, added, “this partnership will accrue benefits for the National STEM Scholars, middle school students in their classrooms, and the middle school science teachers with whom they collaborate. The National STEM Scholar Program is an excellent way for teachers to learn new strategies and new ways to engage students to help them become and stay interested in science and math.”

Now in its 8th year, there are 80 National STEM Scholars representing middle schools in 33 states. 91% teach in public schools, 41% teach in mid- to high-poverty schools and 38% teach in communities with a population under 15,000. A unique requirement of the program is the responsibility for STEM Scholars to share lessons learned with colleagues in their home schools, districts or states, magnifying impact over multiple classrooms and years. By June 2023, National STEM Scholars will have directly and indirectly impacted more than 104,000 middle school students in the U.S.

About the National Stem Cell Foundation

The National Stem Cell Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that funds adult stem cell and regenerative medicine research, underwrites the National STEM Scholar Program for middle school science teachers inspiring the next generation of STEM pioneers nationwide, and covers copays and deductibles for children of limited means participating in clinical trials for rare diseases. For more information, visit http://www.nationalstemcellfoundation.org.

About The Gatton Academy

Established in 2007, The Gatton Academy is Kentucky’s first residential two-year program for gifted and talented juniors and seniors. The Gatton Academy’s students enroll as juniors and are full-time WKU students pursuing their interests in advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Gatton Academy is a recipient of the 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight Into Diversity Magazine and the Innovation Partnership Award from the National Consortium for Secondary STEM Schools.

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The featured experts will also discuss the recent US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance and share their vision on the future of Lupus research and opportunities to drive research forward.

TORONTO (PRWEB)
May 18, 2023

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) clinical trials are complex and can be challenging to conduct. The use of multiple questionnaires, assessing the same symptoms, each with different scoring systems and criteria, can complicate data collection and analysis. But, with direct data capture technology and a fit-for-purpose Electronic Lupus Assessment Suite of tools, clinicians can streamline the data collection process and ensure SLE research is straightforward, efficient and reliable.

Learn from a panel of clinical experts at the forefront of Lupus research, explore traditional data collection challenges that can arise in Lupus clinical trials and hear first-hand experiences solving these challenges.

The featured experts will also discuss the recent US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance and share their vision on the future of Lupus research and opportunities to drive research forward.

Join today and hear from clinical experts on how the Electronic Lupus Assessment Suite helps solve data collection challenges in Lupus clinical trials.

Join Rinah Yamamoto, Principal Scientist, Clinical Ink; Neil Solomons, Chief Medical Director, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals; and Ed Vital, Associate Professor in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, University of Leeds & Chair of BILAG and the Lupus Forum, for the live webinar on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at 11am EDT (4pm BST/UK).

For more information, or to register for this event, visit Solving Data Collection Challenges in Lupus Trials with the Electronic Lupus Assessment Suite.

ABOUT XTALKS

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Contact:

Vera Kovacevic

Tel: +1 (416) 977-6555 x371

Email: vkovacevic@xtalks.com

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