Bates first entered into the healthcare technology industry with Validic, where he spent more than 5 years building a remote patient monitoring platform and the associated IoT infrastructure required to support it. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Engineering at Ilumivu, where he oversaw product and technology efforts, including the development of the flagship direct-to-consumer heart health application, Cardiogram.
“I’ve always been excited by problem-solving, and the maternal healthcare space presents some of the most glaring and urgent problems of our day — and some of the greatest opportunities for tech solutions,” said Bates. “Babyscripts is on the front lines of addressing these challenges, and I’m thrilled to channel my expertise to meet them head on.”
“Bill brings an incredible breadth and depth of experience to Babyscripts,” said Anish Sebastian, CEO and co-founder of Babyscripts. “He’s an expert in all things RPM for providers and payers — he understands their workflows and their pain points, and he knows how to successfully develop and execute effective solutions for those challenges. We’re thrilled to add his expertise to our team.”
Bates holds a degree from the University of Maine. With a strong background in technology team building and leadership for startup and growth companies, he is committed to guiding Babyscripts’ product initiatives to address some of the greatest challenges facing pregnant and postpartum patients today.
About Babyscripts
Babyscripts delivers a patient-centered, clinically-supported maternity care program that educates, engages, and empowers pregnant and postpartum patients and their care team with the help of intelligent technology. Founded in 2014, Babyscripts offers the most-implemented mobile clinical solution for remote management of pregnancy and postpartum, with the mission to eliminate maternal mortality and improve access to care for all. For more information on our maternity care program, to access our research portfolio, and to request a demo, visit babyscripts.com.
“The ill effects of loneliness and social isolation, particularly for older adults, are well-documented, and more strategies are needed to improve health outcomes for this population,” said Dr. Don Scott, MD, MHS, Campus Director of Geriatrics and Palliative Care and Associate Professor of Medicine at August University-University of Georgia Medical Partnership, and co-investigator on this research project. “This project shows that fostering cats can make a measurable difference in the lives of older adults living alone.”
“Our results show that by removing some perceived barriers to pet ownership, including pet deposit fees, pet adoption fees, pet care supplies and veterinary support, we can not only help older adults live healthier, happier lives but we can also spur the fostering and adoption of shelter cats into loving homes,” added Dr. Sanderson.
Study participants were recruited through in-person presentations and flyers posted at The Athens Community Council on Aging (ACCA), regional community organizations, senior living facilities and local and regional publications. Participants completed health surveys before placement with cats and completed follow-up surveys at 1-month, 4-months, and 12-months post-adoption. Participants were given supplies to ensure they could care for the cat for the duration of the study and received monthly check-ins and veterinary care to ensure human and feline participants remained in good health. Assistance to the study participants included cat food, litter and supplies provided by Nestle Purina Pet Care. All cats were spayed/neutered, vaccinated, dewormed and treated for fleas and microchipped before entering the study. Shelter cats were provided from either the Athens Area Humane Society or Campus Cats Rescue.
Findings from this feasibility study reveal that when adjusted for physical health, loneliness scores were observed to significantly decrease at the 4-month mark after the cat fostering began. A similar 4-month improvement that approached statistical significance was observed for mental health. Almost all (95.7%) of study participants decided to adopt their foster cat at the completion of the study. At the 12-month follow-up, loneliness scores were no longer statistically significant. It is theorized that the 12-month follow-up results were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a substantial proportion of older adults experiencing elevated levels of loneliness and social isolation during that time.
“HABRI is proud to support this first-of-its-kind research which provides promising evidence that a cat fostering program for older adults has the potential to create a lasting human-animal bond that benefits both human and cat health,” said Steven Feldman, President, HABRI. “We’re thankful for the tireless efforts of Dr. Sanderson and her research team who faced significant challenges in completing this important project during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Citation: Sanderson, S. L., Emerson, K. G., Scott, D. W., Vidrine, M., Hartzell, D. L., & Keys, D. A. (2023). The Impact of Cat Fostering on Older Adult Well-Being and Loneliness: A Feasibility Study. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, gbad140.
About HABRI HABRI is a not-for-profit organization that funds innovative scientific research to document the health benefits of companion animals; educates the public about human-animal bond research; and advocates for the beneficial role of companion animals in society. For more information, please visit http://www.habri.org.
About University of Georgia Chartered by the state of Georgia in 1785, the University of Georgia is the birthplace of public higher education in America—launching our nation’s great tradition of world-class public education. What began as a commitment to inspire the next generation grows stronger today through global research, hands-on learning and extensive outreach. A top value in public higher education, Georgia’s flagship university thrives in a community that combines a culture-rich college town with a strong economic center.
“I spent my career managing change and growth, while navigating crises, which was helpful training for serving on corporate Boards, where it is often said that the fundamental function is insight, foresight and oversight,” said Dr. Massey. “It is the ethos of EWA to give back and I am grateful for the opportunity that my Board roles provide me to help other women to serve in this role.”
In her other board roles for public and private companies, Dr. Massey serves as Lead Director of an NYSE-listed company, Chair of Nominations & Governance, and also sits on the Audit, Compensation and M&A Committees.
The Exceptional Women Alliance (EWA) is an invitation only peer mentorship organization where high-potential, high-level Exceptional Women from across multiple industries are hand-selected and invested in, to grow, learn, share, and succeed. In addition to the achievement of significant success, the criteria for acceptance include character traits that are defining of the EWA Culture – Kindness, the Spirit of Generosity, Transparency, Gratitude and Willingness to Share their Networks. The Foundation is a powerhouse of peer-to-peer mentoring that provides guidance, deep connection, and leadership, propelling each woman to sustainable success – one woman at a time. The year-long program enables each member to be connected as alumnae for life in the ever-expanding EWA global network, as their fellow women leaders continue to move into positions of significance. Learn more at https://www.exceptionalwomenalliance.com/ Follow us on Facebook
In 10 years, more than one-quarter of California’s population will be over 60. Kinary’s training covers essential topics often overlooked when caring for a loved one, such as environmental safety, maintaining good hygiene, creating an emergency plan, or navigating the legalities of caring for someone else. According to a study by the Alzheimer’s Association in 2023, an estimated 720,000 people in California live with Alzheimer’s disease dementia, more than in any other state in the country. And in 2022, the Michael J. Fox Foundation estimated that 116,900 people live with Parkinson’s in California – the highest in the U.S.
“Caregiving isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Rohit Maheshwari, CEO, and founder of HealthiPeople. “For example, caregiving for someone with a chronic condition like diabetes can present a different set of challenges than caring for someone with a neurodegenerative condition, making it harder to seek help.”
Since the program’s launch, Kinary has designed and developed 24 training modules for caregivers in three languages [English, Spanish, and Mandarin]. Trainings are offered in self-driven, online, and in-person formats. To date, Kinary has helped train over 300 caregivers across California and expects several hundred more before the end of the program next year.
“Our mission is to reduce caregiver burnout and make it possible for caregivers to give great care while living the life they need. Both caregiving and self-care can co-exist,” said Maheshwari. “Caring requires more than love – it takes time, organization, skills, and a lot of energy – and most caregivers fall into the role unprepared.”
All trainees gain free access to Kinary, a mobile assistant [available on the App Store and Google Play] that helps caregivers manage day-to-day caregiving activities and share the load amongst a support network.
In addition to the caregiver training and to complement this skillset development, HealthiPeople is also hosting free training on how to take advantage of its Kinary mobile app technology to stay on top of tasks, manage all medications, plan for appointments, and engage others in care.
For more information on downloading the Kinary app or California Caregiver Training courses, visit kinary.io.
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About HealthiPeople
The Kinary mobile application is part of the HealthiPeople family. HealthiPeople is an at-home digital healthcare platform for patients, providers, and caregivers to drive positive health outcomes. By empowering the people in the center of care with comprehensive, practical, and secure technology, HealthiPeople’s vision is to create healthier societies across generations. The Kinary mobile app is a cornerstone product of HealthiPeople’s vision, focused on uplifting the family caregiver experience.
Vyne Dental and Subscribili join forces to increase patient access to care and empower dentists nationwide with flexible in-house dental plans.
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Vyne Dental®, a leading provider of dental revenue technologies, claims processing, and electronic health information exchange for dental practices of any size, is excited to announce Vyne dental plans powered by Subscribili. This innovative partnership is set to elevate the dental experience, for both patients and providers, to unprecedented heights by offering accessible and comprehensive oral healthcare.
Vyne® dental plans empower providers to diversify their patient base, better serve their uninsured and self-pay patients, and accelerate patient retention and case acceptance while boosting the top line. All from the convenience of the trusted Vyne Trellis® platform.
Committed to excellence, Vyne Dental remains steadfast in actively and strategically shaping the future of the dental industry. These next-generation membership plans combine Vyne Dental’s one-of-a-kind revenue acceleration platform with Subscribili’s advanced custom dental plan platform, allowing patients and their family members to access subscriptions covering preventative care and reduced pricing on other treatments and services. By enhancing both the patient and provider experience, the membership plan fosters a stronger relationship between patients and providers, while helping to increase the flow of cash within the practice.
As the industry faces an ever-evolving landscape, Vyne Dental emerges as a reliable partner, empowering 50,000 dental practices across the nation with highly efficient solutions that accelerate revenue.” This partnership reinforces Vyne Dental’s commitment to revolutionizing dental billing and simplifying processes that have long burdened the industry. By collaborating with innovative partners, like Subscribili, Vyne Dental builds upon its legacy of success, delivering solutions that elevate dental practices nationwide.
To gain early access to Vyne Dental Plans powered by Subscribili, register today at: vynedental.com/plans.
About Vyne Dental
Vyne Dental is part of the Vyne® family of industry-leading information exchange, revenue acceleration, and communication solutions for healthcare. Vyne Dental strategically develops solutions, for dental practices, healthcare providers, and insurance plans and payers, that facilitate the secure exchange of health information in a digital, end-to-end revenue accelerator that optimizes cash flow while helping to reduce associative costs. Vyne Dental continues to drive the dental industry forward by innovating intelligent technologies to improve workflow, reduce administrative costs, engage patients, and streamline reimbursements. Learn more at vynedental.com.
Patient advocate, Irisaida Mendez, speaking about her clinical trial journey and how it inspired her advocacy for affordable and inclusive healthcare.
Dr Ifeyinwa Osunkwo, Chief Patient Officer, Novo Nordisk, on how they built a blueprint for cultural shifts, internal adoption, and demonstrating the impact of patient engagement.
Bari Kowal, SVP, Development Operations and Portfolio Management, Regeneron, on their journey to answering scientific questions through patient engagement.
Linda Moir, former Head of Customer Service at Virgin Atlantic and former Head of Events Services for the 2012 London Olympics, shares innovative strategies challenging conventional service approaches.
“This is a community that shares common ideas and open dialogue about the challenges we need to overcome so that we can work together and amplify the patient voice,” said Rebecca Vermeulen, Head, Global Patient Partnership, PD Medical Affairs, Genentech, a Member of the Roche Group, and 2024 co-chair.
Key topics addressed include:
Diversity & Inclusion
Early Patient Engagement/Operationalizing Patient Engagement
About Patients as Partners: Patients as Partners is co-produced with patients, industry, academia, government and nonprofit organizations to establish a well-rounded program that addresses the needs of all stakeholders seeking to implement and advance patient involvement, access and diversity across the entire clinical development continuum.
About the Conference Forum: The Conference Forum is a life science industry research, conference development and marketing firm. The company brings the full spectrum of executives together to share ideas and information on how to advance efficient medicine development and delivery, patient diversity and access. They produce trusted conferences, webinars, podcasts, digital editorial and provide marketing services
The first two Atlanta churches implementing the RPM program are Impact Church and Word of Faith Family Worship. Currently, 350 patients are enrolled in the program, of which 80% are African American, 35% are male, 65% are female and average around the age of 55. The patients have access to a nurse practitioner and registered dietitian on the weekend to aid in managing their chronic condition, while also providing ongoing patient education around nutrition. Within the program, the clinical staff at the church also develop benchmarks for each patient and provide blood pressure cuffs that connect back to the Rimidi platform, where the clinical team can remotely track blood pressure, receive notifications about concerning readings, and monitor trends. Patients are then able to work with their clinical team on a regular basis to monitor levels and nutrition, adjusting treatment plans appropriately.
“Chronic diseases are some of the most prevalent, yet challenging conditions to manage, especially when social determinants of health can create barriers to care. Therefore, it’s our responsibility as a clinical management platform to reduce those barriers through innovative technology, such as RPM,” said Lucienne Ide, MD, PhD, Founder and CEO of Rimidi. “Our partnership with Brighter Day Health Foundation is aiming to meet patients where they are–literally–in their communities. Together, we will seek to provide individuals who currently may have limited access to healthcare within the Atlanta community with new tools and services to better manage their chronic conditions and improve their health overall.”
“Our goal at Brighter Day Health Foundation is not to take the place of the primary care provider, but to provide timely secondary interventions that help preclude ‘rising risk patients from becoming high risk patients.’ Our faith-based model brings people into the healthcare system by creating new care access points and removing the non-clinical barriers to care that have historically plagued minority and underserved communities,” said Eric Nixon, MPH, President and CEO of Brighter Day Health Foundation. “I’m excited to collaborate with Rimidi to provide these communities with the patient education, clinical staff, RPM tools and long-term support they need to improve or better manage their chronic conditions, all within a trusted environment.” One patient enrolled in the program reported that, “with the support of the clinic and my primary care doctor, I have been able to lose 50 pounds this year and my A1C is out of the prediabetic range and my blood pressure has normalized.”
To learn more about this program and become involved with the Brighter Day Health Foundation, visit http://www.providencialmd.com. For more information on Rimidi and how healthcare organizations within underserved communities can leverage its cloud-based software solutions, visit rimidi.com/solutions.
About Rimidi Created by doctors, for doctors, Rimidi is a digital health company that supports healthcare providers in the delivery of remote patient monitoring and chronic disease management with EHR-integrated software, services, and connected devices. By combining clinical data from the EHR with data from connected devices and patient surveys, Rimidi presents a complete picture of the patient and supports care delivery across the continuum from the clinic to the home to allow for proactive, guideline-based management and prioritization of highest-need patients. For more information, visit rimidi.com and follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, and LinkedIn.
About Brighter Day Health Foundation As the not-for-profit arm of ProvidencialMD, Brighter Day Health Foundation is building a national network of church-based wellness clinics to provide a safe and trusted place in which to receive the secondary interventions patients need – but their doctors may not have time to provide. Our integrative care model combines the four essential elements of wellness and good chronic disease management – medical care support, fitness training, nutrition therapy, and health coaching. For more information, visit http://www.providencialmd.com or email us at [email protected].
The BUBS Naturals name pays homage to the late Glen “BUB” Doherty, a Navy SEAL and national hero who sacrificed his life while saving American lives in the 2012 Benghazi attack in Libya. Sean founded BUBS Naturals in 2017 to preserve Glen’s legacy. Now, as a mission-focused organization in Glen’s honor, BUBS Naturals always donates 10% of all profits to charities that support veterans, with 100% of proceeds donated on Veterans Day.
Last year, BUBS Naturals wrote a check for more than $19,000 to the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation from Veterans Day proceeds. To date, the industry-leading, clean label supplement company has donated nearly a quarter of a million dollars to the veteran community, funding more than 100 college degrees through Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation scholarships.
“We’re honored to be entrusted as the recipient of these donations year after year,” said Kate (Doherty) Quigley, president of the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation. “These funds have greatly contributed to the more than $875,000 in veteran scholarships we have awarded to date. We are grateful to BUBS Naturals and its generous donations, and look forward to supporting more veterans and their families.”
BUBS Naturals offers a variety of clean-label, Whole30-approved supplements, including pasture-raised collagen peptides, organic specialty coffees, electrolytes derived from nature and vegan-friendly MCT oil powder. BUBS’ legacy has brought together thousands of professional athletes, including this year’s World Series champs the Texas Rangers, fitness performers, extreme sports enthusiasts and Navy SEALs who rely on its clean, NSF Certified Sport goods.
For more information on the BUBS Naturals mission, products, or how you can give back to our heroes, visit bubsnaturals.com. To learn more about the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation and how BUBS Naturals donation supports its scholars, visit glendohertyfoundation.org.
About BUBS Naturals
BUBS Naturals is an innovator in health and wellness supporting veterans’ transition back to civilian life through every purchase of all-natural supplements. BUBS was founded in 2017 in honor of Glen ‘BUB’ Doherty, a Navy SEAL and national hero tragically killed in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012. The BUBS ethos pays tribute to the passionate and adventure-seeking life Glen lived. 10 percent of all profits are donated directly to The Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation, and other veteran causes, with 100% of proceeds donated on Veterans Day. Since inception, BUBS’ mission has always been to equip veterans – and consumers – with the fuel, resources and community to help you live a fuller life. BUBS’ collection of clean-label, Whole30-approved products are derived from sustainably sourced ingredients and include pasture-raised collagen peptides, organic specialty coffees, electrolytes derived from nature, and vegan-friendly MCT oil powder. BUBS’ legacy has brought thousands of professional athletes, fitness performers, extreme sports enthusiasts and Navy SEALs together who rely on BUBS’ clean, NSF Certified Sport goods. To date, the BUBS family has donated nearly a quarter of a million dollars to veteran communities, funding 100+ college degrees that help ease the transition from military work to civilian life. For more information on BUBS Naturals, or how you can give back to our heroes, visit bubsnaturals.com and follow along @bubsnaturals.
Join this webinar in shaping a future where diversity is the cornerstone of progress in Alzheimer’s research.
Join Katie King, Associate Director, Patient Engagement, Biogen; and Zack Metcalf, Senior Director, Global Business Solutions, StudyKIK, for the live webinar on Monday, November 20, 2023, at 1pm EST (10am PST).
Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars and digital content to the global life science, food, healthcare and medical device communities. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food, healthcare and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps professionals stay current with industry developments, regulations and jobs. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.
Although the featured speakers will touch upon science and analytics, their focus will be on the practical implications of this paradigm shift for managers and executives — both in clinical research and in healthcare delivery. They will provide practical advice and lessons learned for managing these changes.
Join this webinar to gain insights into the many benefits of personalizing digital biomarkers and healthcare management.
Join Arthur Combs, MD, Medical Advisor; Dr. Stephen Smith, Co-Founder, ClearSky Medical Diagnostics; and Geoff Gill, CEO, Verisense Health, for the live webinar on Monday, December 4, 2023, at 11am EST (4pm GMT/UK).
Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars and digital content to the global life science, food, healthcare and medical device communities. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food, healthcare and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps professionals stay current with industry developments, regulations and jobs. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.
