KPA Unveils Configurable Compliance Calendar for More Effective EHS Program Management


KPA launches new Compliance Calendar feature in KPA EHS software.

“KPA EHS’s Compliance Calendar streamlines EHS professionals’ management responsibilities and helps ensure their company’s compliance and regulatory requirements are managed on time, and that all aspects of their safety programs are tracked effectively,” stated Chris Fanning, KPA President and CEO.

Today, KPA, a leading Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) software, training, and services company, unveiled a new compliance calendar capability in its KPA EHS software platform. The completely configurable Compliance Calendar offers more effective EHS program management with its actionable and organized view of tasks, deadlines, and updates to ensure EHS administrators can monitor all EHS activities.

Configurable Compliance Calendar Views Save Time, Streamline Activities, & Protect Deadlines

KPA’s Compliance Calendar can be configured to view, organize, and track all EHS activities – from regulatory deadlines and events to compliance tasks and employee activities – in a single, actionable calendar dashboard. Tasks and subtasks can be assigned to different employee groups, branches, or locations, with accompanying reports on completions and surface-level reminder notifications.

“KPA EHS’s Compliance Calendar streamlines EHS professionals’ management responsibilities and helps ensure their company’s compliance and regulatory requirements are managed on time, and that all aspects of their safety programs are tracked effectively,” stated Chris Fanning, KPA President and CEO. “KPA EHS continues to rapidly expand its user base because of innovative new capabilities like Compliance Calendar that integrate seamlessly into our mobile-first, highly configurable platform architecture.”

As part of the high-level view, Compliance Calendar pulls in other aspects of KPA EHS software with the ability to upload forms to events, pull in training dates and compliance tasks, and use preloaded dates and reminders for OSHA and EPA regulatory requirements. Additionally, a universal search function allows managers to find precisely what they need when they need it, cutting down on wasted time to find an item.

“We want people to be able to pull from a library of deadlines, permits, and policies and organize with color-coded tags, subtasks, reminders, or pending actions. Everything that can then be broken down by location, activity, regulation type, employee group, and more,” commented Jade Brainard, KPA’s Senior Director of Product Management. “We wanted to build a powerful management tool that gives greater visibility into what’s happening right now plus what’s coming up in the days, weeks, and months ahead.”

Improving Overall Program Performance with KPA EHS Software

KPA helps organizations build a comprehensive safety and compliance program with an all-in-one software solution that captures everything from incident management, compliance training, a mobile app, and safety data sheets through workflows, forms, and data that drives real-time action to keep employees safe. The Compliance Calendar enhances KPA EHS software with immediate insights and a better perception of the performance and management of a safety program.

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About KPA

KPA provides Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) software, consulting, and award-winning online training to help organizations stay compliant with state and federal regulations and maintain a safe and productive workplace. The KPA EHS software platform is easy to use, highly configurable, and designed for a mobile workforce, which encourages broad adoption and an improved culture of safety across the organization.

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Trialbee Honey™ Adds New Features to Optimize Omnichannel Capabilities for ROI Reporting Across All Patient Recruitment Sources and Vendors


Robust and visual dashboard reports show which tactics are performing best

“Trialbee Honey’s agnostic reporting features ensure sponsors achieve the same level of insights no matter which recruitment partners they choose to work with.”

Trialbee, the leader in data and technology-based patient recruitment for global clinical trials, has enhanced its Omnichannel recruitment strategy by adding features for unprecedented transparency into performance across all channels, sources, and recruitment partners.

Available in the Trialbee Honey™ platform, these vendor-agnostic insights provide powerful real-time ROI data so sponsors can make critical decisions about where to invest and where follow-up is required in order to meet enrollment goals faster. With Honey Omnichannel, customers can:


  • Understand the current status, progress, and trajectory of their enrollment milestones.
  • Objectively evaluate partner performance including third-party recruitment providers, CROs, patient advocacy groups, and more.
  • Dive deep into the relative value of specific social channels (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), digital mediums (email, social, programmatic), and individual campaigns by each referrer in their recruitment ecosystem.

By aggregating and analyzing all referrer channels into a single funnel with visual dashboards and insightful analytics, Trialbee Honey™ enables better enrollment outcomes through stronger candidate sourcing.

“Omnichannel is changing recruitment for clinical trials by expanding pathways to meet patients where they are in their journey — and this strategy is optimized by using one stand-alone platform to track results not just from a single campaign for a particular study, but to evaluate all recruitment efforts across entire global programs and multiple vendors,” said Martin Kilsgard, Head of Product at Trialbee. . “It is a single source of truth that further clarifies the ROI for all recruitment activities. Having higher transparency of data leads to well-informed decisions and a comprehensive strategy that drives better, more economical enrollment outcomes.”

The enhancements put data insights front and center, thereby alleviating the need for study teams to separately calculate the resources that went into successfully recruiting candidates into a clinical trial.

“Trialbee Honey is already a one-of-a-kind technology platform for patient recruitment, and these new agnostic reporting features ensure sponsors achieve the same level of insights no matter which recruitment partners they choose to work with,” said Oskar Daniel, Product Owner and Designer at Trialbee. “With Honey, sponsors will now receive even greater visibility into the success of their recruitment campaigns so they can decide with confidence where to prioritize future recruitment efforts to meet and exceed their goals.”

Launched in November, Trialbee Honey™ Omnichannel simplifies recruitment by offering consistent messaging, pre-qualification, and real-time analytics for multiple recruitment sources. It reduces the burden of managing referrals at research sites and empowers study teams to optimize results.

Visit https://www.trialbee.com to request a demonstration of Trialbee Honey™.

About Trialbee

Trialbee is the leading global data and technology platform for patient recruitment and enrollment in clinical trials. Trialbee Hive™ operationalizes real-world data (RWD) and applies data science to find patients globally. Trialbee Honey™ simplifies the journey into clinical research for patients, reduces the burden of enrolling patients for sites, and provides real-time, data-driven insights to sponsors and CROs so they can optimize enrollment timelines. Partnering with sponsors, CROs, and virtual/decentralized sites and software providers, Trialbee is achieving patient enrollment goals and driving enhancements in diversity in clinical trial populations. We are the smartest way to match and enroll patients for your clinical trial. For more information, visit https://www.trialbee.com or contact us at solutions@trialbee.com.

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FAILSAFE Health Proudly Announces Their New CEO Keith Hovan


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I am pleased to be named to lead this organization with its diverse team combining to achieve better outcomes for both those receiving and, those paying for healthcare.

Failsafe Health, an innovative healthcare technology start-up comprised of a cross functional team of executives from both the technology and healthcare verticals, is pleased to announce the appointment of Keith A Hovan as President and CEO of this exciting new enterprise.

Ray Romagnolo, Founder of Failsafe Health said, “We feel fortunate to have Keith Hovan formally join our leadership team after working with us since early 2022. Failsafe Health is leveraging technology to create a hybrid digital/physical medical services network and Keith brings a vast amount of experience and expertise from his many years as one of the most respected healthcare leaders in the country.”

According to Mr. Romagnolo, Keith Hovan’s successes include operational turnarounds, performance improvements, care quality and patient safety enhancements, cost reductions, improved governance, deepened community relations, and medical staff engagement and realignment. “I was personally and positively impacted by the work Mr. Hovan accomplished in his most recent CEO level position at Southcoast Health where he made dramatic improvements in an organization that serves the region I live in and that will benefit the community for years to come.”

Mr. Romagnolo continued, “The movement to new payment models that require healthcare providers to take financial risk for the cost and quality of the services they render means that Provider organizations must rethink and remake their models for healthcare delivery. This a difficult challenge and one that the industry has not been able to accomplish, but is necessary to ultimately achieve the cost containment and affordability that results from access driven health equity”. Keith’s understanding of the underlying intricacies of this process will be invaluable.”

Keith Hovan, the new CEO of Failsafe Health stated, “I am pleased to be named to lead this organization with its diverse team combining to achieve better outcomes for both those receiving and, those paying for healthcare. As I have worked with Ray and his team over this past year it became clear that they want to do something that will have the potential to profoundly and positively effect healthcare access, health equity and costs.” Hovan further stated, “What makes the platform a true breakthrough in health innovation is how our proprietary, real time, dynamically changing localized data is acquired and simultaneously operationalized to create high value to the User, while helping to reduce unnecessary Emergency Room visits, and the associated often prolonged waits to receive the same information.”

Prior to joining the team at Failsafe Health Keith Hovan served in a variety of senior level executive roles. He most recently served for thirteen years as President and CEO of Southcoast Health System in Massachusetts; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Danbury Health System in Connecticut; various roles at Montefiore Medical Center in New York and Bridgeport Hospital in Connecticut. Keith is a highly experienced senior healthcare executive with clinical and administrative leadership experience across community, teaching, and academic medical center settings, and an expert in health system operations, strategic planning, business development, population health and building high performance teams.

About Failsafe Health:

Failsafe Health is a consumer centric health-technology management platform that promotes healthcare access, health equity and cost containment. The platform is architected and designed as a method and systems approach for successful transformation of the healthcare services industry from its traditional Fee for Services (FFS) business model to its future “Full Risk” models.    

For more information go to: http://failsafehealth.com/

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Marc Fischer of Dogtown Media Attending CHI Fly-In Event Focused on Telehealth and Connected Healthcare


I’m excited to be part of these critical discussions on improving healthcare outcomes through technology.

Marc Fischer, CEO and Co-Founder of Dogtown Media, is attending the Connected Health Initiative (CHI) Member Fly-In event that is currently being held in Washington, DC from May 15th through May 18th, 2023. The event is focused on telehealth, remote patient monitoring, support for digital transformation in healthcare, and better quality of care for communities in urban areas that benefit from recent Telehealth initiatives.

As a long-standing member of the CHI Steering Committee since 2016, Fischer has been actively involved in shaping and driving the organization’s yearly goals and agenda. His extensive experience in the mobile app development industry, as well as his commitment to improving patient engagement and health outcomes through technology, makes him a crucial participant in the CHI Fly-In event.

The four-day event is taking place in Washington, D.C., and includes a series of meetings and discussions on health-focused policy issues. Participants will have the opportunity to share their stories and expertise with federal agencies, the administration, and policymakers at a critical time for health care regulation.

The CHI Fly-In event kicked off on Monday, May 15, with a networking happy hour and introductory dinner. On Tuesday, May 16, attendees participated in a policy briefing and breakfast in the morning, followed by lunch with health tech reporters and meetings with federal agencies and the administration in the afternoon. On Wednesday, May 17, the focus will shift to Capitol Hill, where participants will engage in meetings with policymakers, committees, and key health policy staff.

Connected health technology is revolutionizing how healthcare is delivered. The Connected Health Initiative works to clarify outdated health regulations, incentivize the use of connected health technologies, and ensure an environment in which patients and consumers can see improvement in their health. Through events like the CHI Fly-In, the organization aims to facilitate discussions and collaborations that will ultimately shape the future of healthcare.

Telehealth and remote patient monitoring are among the top priorities for the CHI Fly-In event. With the increasing adoption of telehealth services, there is a growing need for regulatory clarity, as well as support for digital transformation in healthcare. The event will provide an opportunity for industry leaders like Fischer to discuss ways to improve access to care for underserved communities, particularly in urban areas that can benefit from recent telehealth initiatives.

Marc Fischer: “I’m thrilled to be attending the CHI Fly-In event this year, as it offers a unique opportunity for industry leaders to collaborate on improving healthcare outcomes through technology. Telehealth and remote patient monitoring are vital to the future of healthcare, and I’m excited to be part of these critical discussions.”

As a recognized leader in mobile app development and healthcare innovation, Dogtown Media is dedicated to improving patient outcomes and addressing critical healthcare challenges. As an mHealth app developer Dogtown Media has created over 250 mobile apps in industries including Healthcare App Development, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence.

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Strategic Radiology Grows Western Contingent with 2nd Oregon-Based Group


Stephan Thiede, MD

In becoming members of Strategic Radiology, we join a community of like-minded practices to help us strategize, improve efficiencies, and protect our independence.

Strategic Radiology (SR) welcomed 23-radiologist Radiology Associates of Eugene, OR, to the national coalition of private radiology practices, bolstering its independent presence in the Pacific Northwest with a strong, patient-centric practice in the state’s second largest city.

“Radiology Associates is a progressive, engaged, entrepreneurial practice that shares our interest in excellence,” said Scott Bundy, MD, FACR, CEO and Chair, Strategic Radiology (SR). “We are excited to have them and look forward to working together toward our common goal of strengthening independent practice.”

The Eugene, OR-based group provides subspecialized interpretations for five health systems and nine hospitals and medical centers in Oregon, as well as teleradiology interpretations for two hospitals in Alaska. It provides imaging services for dozens of imaging centers and provider offices, including University of Oregon Athletic Medicine, home of the Oregon Ducks football team and an elite Track & Field program.

“Our world-class team of radiologists combined with the latest state-of-the-art imaging tools provides rapid, high-quality medical interpretations precisely targeted to the needs of physicians, hospitals, clinics, administrators, and above all, patients” said Stephane Thiede, MD, president, Radiology Associates. “In becoming members of Strategic Radiology, we join a community of like-minded practices to help us strategize, improve efficiencies, and protect our independence.”

Radiology Associates has provided radiologic care to Eugene and Lane County since 1971, establishing a strong presence in the community with excellent and innovative service. It operates a full-service imaging center, Oregon Imaging Center, as a joint venture with partner Peace Health and a minimally invasive surgical center, ReNew Institute, that provides a full range of interventional procedures to treat vascular, oncologic, and musculoskeletal conditions, as well as men’s and women’s health issues. Radiology Associates also implemented a community PACS that facilitates access to imaging studies and reports for patients and referring physicians.

About Strategic Radiology    

Strategic Radiology (SR) is a national coalition of 33 privately owned, independent, radiology practices representing 1500+ radiologists that have come together to improve quality, gain operational efficiencies, and innovate the future of radiology’s private practice model. SR established the nation’s first imaging-specific Patient Safety Organization listed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and also provides its member groups value through shared savings via a group purchasing program, strategic partnerships, and proprietary products and services, including SR Health, an independent health insurance plan for members. To learn more, visit http://www.StrategicRadiology.org and follow SR on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

SR Members:

  • Advanced Radiology Services; Grand Rapids, MI
  • ARA Health Specialists; Asheville, NC
  • Casper Medical Imaging and Outpatient Radiology; Casper, WY
  • Catawba Radiology Associates; Hickory, NC
  • Central Illinois Radiological Associates; Peoria, IL
  • Chesapeake Medical Imaging; Annapolis, MD
  • Delaney Radiology; Wilmington, NC
  • Diagnostic Imaging Northwest; Portland, OR
  • Gaston Radiology; Gastonia, NC
  • The Hill Medical Corporation; Pasadena, CA
  • Huron Valley Radiology; Ann Arbor, MI
  • Mecklenburg Radiology Associates; Charlotte, NC
  • Mountain Medical Physician Specialists; Salt Lake City, UT
  • Naugatuck Valley Radiological Associates; Waterbury, CT
  • Northwest Radiology; Indianapolis, IN
  • Quantum Radiology; Atlanta, GA
  • Radiologic Medical Services; Iowa City, IA
  • Radiology Associates; Corpus Christi, TX
  • Radiology Associates; Jeffersonville, IN
  • Radiology Associates; Eugene, OR
  • Radiology Associates of Albuquerque; Albuquerque, NM
  • Radiology Associates of Macon; Macon, GA
  • Radiology Associates of North Texas; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
  • Radiology Associates of Richmond; Richmond, VA
  • Radiology Associates of Tallahassee; Tallahassee, FL
  • Radiology Consultants of Lynchburg; Lynchburg, VA
  • Rome Radiology Group; Rome, GA
  • Southeast Radiology, Ltd.; Glen Mills, PA
  • Southern Radiology Consultants; Baton Rouge, LA
  • Tower Imaging Medical Group; Santa Monica, CA
  • Triad Radiology Associates; Winston-Salem, NC
  • United Imaging Consultants; Mission, KS
  • X-Ray Consultants; South Bend, IN

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Ashland Farm at North Andover Associate Awarded YMCA of Northeastern Massachusetts Tribute to Women Award


Maureen Healy, programming director, Ashland Farm at North Andover

“We are so fortunate to have Maureen’s great passion and dedication benefit our residents and their interests. I can’t think of anyone who is more deserving of this award than she.” -Nick Barash, acting executive director, Ashland Farm at North Andover.

Ashland Farm at North Andover, a Benchmark assisted living and Mind & Memory Care community, today announced that programming director, Maureen Healy, has been awarded the YMCA of Northeastern Massachusetts Tribute to Women award. Each year, YWCA chapters across the country accept nominations and honor a select group of remarkable women who contribute to the communities within their service areas.

Healy, who lives in Haverhill, was selected for her undying support of seniors, veterans and women’s issues, a passion that started when she was a child.

Having grown up in North Andover as part of a big Irish family with a mother who was a nurse and a father who was a teacher, from a young age, together they would visit nursing homes and other older people in the community. For hours, they would spend time chatting, giving out their homemade goodies and having tea.

When Healy was in high school, she spent a lot of time at her grandparents’ farm. When they developed Alzheimer’s disease and moved to a senior living community, she would spend hours playing cards and taking walks with them.

“I learned a lot of patience from my mom and that quality time with older people was important,” said Healy. “I also learned that older people have history and developed a love of history. In those days, we didn’t have any formal Alzheimer’s education, so we really fell into our own way of managing it and connecting with them.”

It was when she was visiting her aunt who was a resident at Ashland Farm that she was inspired to become an associate. Since 2017, she’s worked at Ashland Farm, first as Mind & Memory Care coordinator, and now as programming director for the entire community.

At Ashland Farm, Healy enjoys organizing veterans’ recognition programs and other events where the entire community comes together to give back. Making sandwiches for the homeless and stuff-the-bus events, where residents can recycle their clothes while raising money for good causes, are all in a day’s work for Healy.

“I love not just fulfilling the residents’ lives, but helping families be a family again,” said Healy.

In her free time, she also serves as the fundraising chair for Soroptimist International’s Haverhill/Merrimack Valley chapter, where she’s raised thousands of dollars for scholarships and causes like human trafficking and battered women.

“We are so fortunate to have Maureen’s great passion and dedication benefit our residents and their interests,” said Nick Barash, acting executive director of Ashland Farm. “I can’t think of anyone who is more deserving of this award than she.”

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About Benchmark Senior Living

Benchmark is New England’s largest senior living provider with 65 independent living, assisted living, memory care and continuing care communities and over 5,000 dedicated associates providing compassionate care and outstanding experiences throughout the Northeast. The Waltham, Mass.-based company was founded over 25 years ago by Tom Grape with the purpose of Transforming Lives Through Human Connection. Since then, Benchmark has continued to set the industry standard, having won over a hundred local, regional and national awards for its care, programs and as a top workplace. Benchmark has been named one of the Top Places to Work for 15 straight years in The Boston Globe’s annual employee-based survey and received repeated recognition in FORTUNE’s Best Workplaces for Aging Services list. For more information, visit BenchmarkSeniorLiving.com.

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Dental Care Alliance Welcomes Dr. Mark Arooni DDS of Arizona


I wasn’t looking for just any partner, I was interested in a company with a great reputation, happy dentist partners, progressive and very successful in their own business, shared Dr. Arooni

Dental Care Alliance (DCA) proudly welcomes the latest addition to its growing portfolio of world-class allied practices, Dr. Mark Arooni DDS and Lakeview Dental Care, a general dentistry practice located in Chandler, Arizona.

Founded in 1998 by Dr. Mark Arooni, the Practice has consistently been awarded “Top Dentist” by Phoenix Magazine and prides itself on patient satisfaction.

For over 25 years, Dr. Arooni and his team at Lakeview Dental Care have been providing superb dental care in Chandler, Arizona. As a graduate of the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, Dr. Arooni has exceptional skills with cosmetic and restorative dentistry. An advanced residency with Nobel Biocare provided him with hands-on training and experience in placing and restoring implants, including the life-changing All-on-Four implant system.

Guided by a compassionate and expertly trained team of professionals, patients of Lakeview Dental Care can explore a bright future for their smiles. Through advanced technology and a focus on patient comfort, the team strives to provide an unparalleled experience through a full range of services including preventative dentistry, emergency dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, periodontal therapy, restorative dentistry, as well as root canal therapy, and tooth extractions.

“I wasn’t looking for just any partner, I was interested in a company with a great reputation, happy dentist partners, progressive and very successful in their own business,” shared Dr. Arooni. “After reviewing multiple DSO’s and communicating with them, I chose DCA because the company check marks all qualities that I had been looking for. As promised, the transition has been very professional. I look forward to a stress-free, supportive, and prosperous partnership for years to come,” he added.

This affiliation continues the rapid growth and momentum for the organization and expands DCA’s footprint in Arizona to five allied practices, and DCA’s total footprint to over 400 allied practices across the US.

“Dr. Arooni and his team are unwaveringly committed to providing comfortable and positive experiences for all their patients, earning the practice an unrivaled reputation for high-end care in the Chandler community and beyond. Combined with an enthusiasm for growth and development, Dr. Arooni, the Lakeview Dental Care team, and DCA are ideal partners as we seek to expand our complimentary network of the region’s premier dental providers,” commented Mike Calder, DCA Vice President of Business Development.

Dental Care Alliance’s mission is to advance the practice of dentistry by partnering with and supporting dental professionals to create a lifetime of healthy smiles. DCA currently supports over 400 allied practices, and over 900 dentists, across 22 states. DCA’s allied practices represent all dental specialties and treat patients under more than 150 brand names.

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Charleston, SC, Personal Injury Attorney, Taylor Anderson, Achieves AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell


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“It is so rewarding to receive this honor for the third consecutive year. I am dedicated to helping my clients receive compensation to cover medical expenses, repairs, lost wages and pain and suffering,” says Attorney Taylor Anderson.

Time and time again, personal injury lawyer Taylor Anderson has demonstrated the legal leadership and trusted client commitment that injured individuals and families need. With a strong record of advocacy throughout Charleston, South Carolina’s, low country, as well as Georgia, well-respected attorney, Taylor Anderson has once again received the top AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. From investigating and seeking compensation for injured individuals to litigating complex construction defect cases, Mr. Anderson is a well-known personal injury attorney who fights for justice for his clients who have suffered serious injuries in car accidents, truck accidents, and other types of accidents and negligence cases.

Martindale-Hubbell collects data and profiles of lawyers and law firms across the United States and Canada. An AV rating is the highest rating granted to attorneys under this system. This rating indicates that the attorney’s peers rank him/her to be practicing law at the highest levels of excellence. An AV rating indicates that Mr. Anderson possesses ethical standards, exceptional ability and significant legal experience.

“It is so rewarding to receive this honor for the third consecutive year. I am dedicated to helping my clients receive compensation to cover medical expenses, repairs, lost wages and pain and suffering,” says Attorney Taylor Anderson.

More About Taylor Anderson:

The Taylor Anderson Law Firm, located at 507 Savannah Hwy in Charleston, SC, is a successful law practice established by attorney Taylor Anderson. A native of Augusta, GA, Taylor Anderson graduated from the University of Georgia Law School in 2004. Taylor is a member of the South Carolina Bar and the State Bar of Georgia and has lived in the Charleston area since 2008. Always willing to accept a challenge, Mr. Anderson represents clients in a wide range of cases including personal injury, car and truck accidents, termite damages, business disputes, class actions, maritime accidents, insurance coverage, nursing home neglect and more. In both South Carolina and Georgia, Taylor has obtained favorable results in both state and federal courts.

For additional information about Taylor Anderson Law Firm, or to schedule a consultation with Taylor Anderson, please visit http://www.andersonlawfirm.law or call (843) 277-1176.

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Draper’s Microfluidic Gingival Model, a Breakthrough for Oral Health Research


With funding from Colgate-Palmolive, a team of engineers and clinicians used Draper’s PREDICT96 device to grow and maintain gingival tissue in the lab for 28 days. Credit: Draper

“Draper’s MOUTH model gives customers a 28-day stable culture window, providing a robust platform for evaluating therapeutic agents and disease progression,” says Else Vedula, Ph.D., a principal member of the technical staff at Draper.

New research from Draper indicates that gum tissue grown in the laboratory can remain viable for 28 days—three weeks longer than existing models. The duration is a potential boon to the R&D efforts at pharmaceutical and oral care companies that can benefit from a month-long investigation window.

“Draper’s MOUTH model gives customers a 28-day stable culture window, providing a robust platform for evaluating therapeutic agents and disease progression,” says Else Vedula, Ph.D., a principal member of the technical staff at Draper. Vedula’s research focuses on microtissues, also known as organ-on-a-chip technology or microphysiological systems. The paper was published in the Nature journal Communications Biology.

Nearly half of American adults suffer from gum disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gingivitis, periodontal disease and other gum diseases are among the top reasons patients visit a dentist.

Draper’s microtissues are revolutionary because researchers can run dozens of tests on hundreds of tiny organ tissue models at once. Scientists grow the microtissues, which are about the size of an apple seed, using actual human tissue. A special high-throughput device, called PREDICT96 by Draper, keeps the microtissues “alive” for weeks, infusing them with nutrients and tracking their reactions in real-time. Draper’s PREDICT96 sets a new standard as an automated, high-throughput and reproducible platform for tissue engineering.

Funding for Draper’s MOUTH gum tissue model was provided by Colgate-Palmolive. Working hand-in-hand with Draper scientists, Colgate scientists recommended integral oral cell types to include in the research and shared their own experimental research on oral physiology, structure and function with the Draper research team. Colgate scientists also supported the experimental design and strategy, as well as contributed to the interpretation of results.

In the study, researchers modeled healthy and disease states of gum tissue, establishing a multi-week window that meets the test-and-recovery rate of many gum disease therapies. The microtissue model, named MOUTH, stands for “Microfluidic model of Oral physiology for Understanding Tissue Health.”

Draper’s MOUTH model in PREDICT96 consists of three cell types that naturally make up human gum tissue. The tissues were viable for 28 days and supported by each other, recirculating fluid flow and a Draper custom media. Draper’s microtissues formed a multi-layer tight barrier structure that replicated healthy human gum tissue with relevant protein expression, accurate response to inflammation and the longest available recovery window for drug screening.

The MOUTH model is the first physiologically relevant high-throughput gingival, or gum, tissue model with near real-time readouts of tissue health and inflammation. Researchers established a “multi-week experimental window in which transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was stable, indicating mature, homeostatic barrier function over an extended length of time in vitro,” according to the paper. They also demonstrated an inflammatory disease state of MOUTH, in which cytokine secretion increased and barrier function decreased in response to an initial inflammatory stimulus.

The fact that TEER was sensitive to states of inflammation is noteworthy, says co-author Ashley Gard of Draper’s Tissue Engineering group, “because it indicates that Draper’s MOUTH model is versatile enough for disease modeling. The near-real time readout of TEER (barrier function) is important since the main function of gum tissue is to serve as the primary protective barrier in the mouth. Our research opens the door for all sorts of preclinical investigations and R&D efforts, including infections impacting the lungs and mouth, such as influenza and COVID-19.”

Microphysiological systems, like Draper’s MOUTH, are a more recent addition to the dental, oral and craniofacial research communities, says Tim Petrie, head of Strategy and Business Development, Pharmaceutical R&D Technologies at Draper. “Draper MOUTH, with its high-throughput and 28-day culture time, sets us leagues apart from competitive models in this space,” Petrie said.

Draper’s PREDICT96 microtissue platform is currently being used by Draper and its customers and partners to develop and validate individual tissue models of the liver, kidney, vasculature, lung, tumor and colon and to evaluate immune-oncology approaches.

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Shore Quality Partners Taps Spatially Health to Incorporate Innovative Technology to Improve Health Equity and Address Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)


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Hillit Meidar-Alfi, Ph.D. CEO of Spatially Health

We are thrilled to partner with Shore Quality Partners, enabling transformative impact on health equity. Spatially’s technology empowers progressive risk-bearing organizations to effectively allocate resources and break barriers to equitable care,” said Hillit Meidar-Alfi, CEO at Spatially Health

Spatially Health a cloud-based, health equity platform focused on identifying and addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) and health equity barriers has been tapped by Shore Quality Partners, an Accountable Care Organization comprised of more than 200 physicians and 42,000 Medicaid patients in New Jersey.

Spatially Health will support Shore Quality Partners in identifying and tackling health equity obstacles that affect its patients. This will be achieved by using Spatially Health’s Equity Equalizer™ platform, which will identify patient-specific health equity barriers and recommend customized interventions. This approach will encourage patient engagement and help optimize medical management initiatives, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes

Shore Quality Partners will incorporate Spatially Health’s advanced technology platform, to conduct a thorough assessment of each patient’s social determinants of health (SDoH) and propose personalized interventions to overcome their specific barriers. The platform adapts dynamically with every new patient dataset, ensuring precise and enduring recommendations for enhancing patient health outcomes.

“Having SDOH data that is local, focused, and actionable is our reason for working with Spatially Health so that we can better serve our patients. By knowing the challenges our patients individually face, we can better develop responses including referrals to social service agencies, better ways of delivering care, and better clinical outcomes. Actionable data can help us improve patients’ lives,” said Cliff Frank, CEO and Founder of Shore Quality Partners ACO.

“We are excited to embark on this partnership, which demonstrates how our platforms can have a transformative impact on progressive risk-bearing organizations and advance the cause of health equity. In joining efforts with Shore Quality Partners, an Accountable Care Organization comprised of more than 200 of the area’s finest physicians, Spatially’s technology will enable them to more effectively identify barriers to health equity and allocate resources to patients who require the most care,” said Hillit Meidar-Alfi, co-founder and CEO at Spatially Health.

“Spatially Health is dedicated to closing the health equity gap and enhancing the quality of care, and this partnership represents a significant step forward in achieving those goals. This collaboration highlights our unwavering dedication to the mutual goal of enhancing health outcomes and fostering a more equitable healthcare system”.

Shore Quality Partners joins the Spatially Health roster of organizations already using the Equity Equalizer™ platform to address SDOH. Earlier this year, Spatially welcomed ACO Health Partners, in Jacksonville, Florida, to the Spatially family and Asaar Medical, a Boca Raton FL-based ACO Reach Organization.

The platform has undergone significant enhancements, now equipped to measure the cost implications of health barriers, meet CMS compliance standards, and offer advanced tools to mitigate risks and improve quality in the context of SDOH health barriers. Spatially Health will continue to work hand in hand with its partners to introduce these capabilities gradually and ensure that they are fully leveraged to achieve the shared goal of advancing health equity.

For high-resolution images, click here.

About Shore Quality Partners

SQP aims to achieve clinical integration through the collaboration of independent physicians, employed physicians, and the medical center. SQP allows community physicians to remain independent while forming a cooperative model that responds to local and national healthcare reform and competitive pressures. SQP is designed to help its participants improve patient care through quality and cost improvements. For more information, visit https://shorequalitypartners.com/ and connect with SQP on social media.

About Spatially Health

Founded in 2019, Spatially Health provides intelligent decision support and guidance platforms for risk-based organizations that are focused on improving the quality of health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Spatially Health is a female-founded and female-lead team, founded by Hillit Meidar-Alfi, Ph.D., and Adi Segal. Spatially Health is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

The company’s Equity Equalizer Platform™ helps risk-based entities lower compliance and financial risks while improving the quality of health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Spatially Health is an SDOH expert whose platform ties SDOH factors to health outcomes and costs. The platform’s proprietary models leverage location intelligence and spatial analytics that go beyond ZIP codes and provide granular patient insights at the hyper-local level. Spatially helps identify and quantify SDOH health barriers at the individual level, guiding decision makers on where and how to allocate resources to maximize positive impact and promote equity.

For more information on Spatially Health, visit http://www.SpatiallyHealth.com or connect with Spatially Health on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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