All posts by imreal

Technology: Electronics

People Power Equips Premier Senior Care Agency with a 24/7 Home Monitoring Care Solution

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“The relationship we’ve built with TheraCare provides a channel to market capable of bringing our senior care support solutions to the people who need it most, and quickly,” said Gene Wang, CEO and cofounder of People Power Co.


PALO ALTO, Calif. (PRWEB)

People Power, developer of smart home and senior care services today announces a strategic relationship with TheraCare Inc., a popular caregiving agency focused on safe home environments and customized care for seniors and persons with disabilities. The relationship will result in a remarkably powerful combination of advanced senior care smart home solutions by People Power, and TheraCare’s expertise in delivering high-value services with their staff of accomplished physical therapists, geriatric care managers and highly trained care professionals. TheraCare will facilitate the deployment of the Presence Family Care solution through their home care provider channel to enable services designed for improved connectivity, transparency and collaboration with clients and their families. The companies are working together toward commercializing today’s best smart home technologies to better serve the home care industry and people in need of care.

“The relationship we’ve built with TheraCare provides a channel to market capable of bringing our senior care support solutions to the people who need it most, and quickly,” said Gene Wang, CEO and cofounder of People Power Co. “With a decade-long track record of smart home technology advancements – particularly in the area of caregiver and family-centric design with integrated social connectors – our senior care solution is perfectly suited to address the overwhelming market need to help seniors live in their homes longer.”

Presence Family Care gives agencies like TheraCare the ability to quickly offer an additional product line that provides remote monitoring 24 hours a day, seven days a week to supplement in-person resources featuring easy-to-install devices, automated alert distribution and emergency call center connectivity. With data pulled into the system through in-home sensors, care providers can now gain important insights to help qualify the amount of support their clients need as they age. Presence Family Care provides home care agencies new revenue streams and important market differentiation while reducing the need for additional staffing.

“Since we began in 2012, TheraCare has specialized in serving clients with higher physical care needs, especially those transitioning to home care from a therapy setting,” said Greg McCarthy, CEO of TheraCare. “To do that successfully, it’s essential to provide caregivers with additional training and tools so they’re able to replicate the services that were being provided to clients prior to transition. Partnering with People Power to enable new, highly efficient home care tools gives our company the ability to grow and stay at the forefront of our industry without the additional staff demands commonly associated with new service offerings.”

The system’s intelligence is fueled by continuous streams of sensor data which automatically creates a pattern of normal daily activities and can generate alerts to a Trusted Circle of caregivers and family members about situations of concern. The Presence Family Care solution brings together agencies, caregivers, clients and their families for improved visibility and superior senior care services. It can warn caregivers about incidents including falls and inactivity, wandering, sleep monitoring, bathroom activity, medicine adherence, refrigerated medicine monitoring, water leak detection and more. Presence Family Care reminds family and friends to connect with their senior loved ones to reduce isolation and loneliness. The solution is expandable with today’s popular devices including Amazon Alexa and Google Home, smart plugs, sirens, video cameras, smart lighting and more.

“At long last, we believe technology – as seen with the People Power solution – is now capable of addressing the needs of the senior care industry. Helping professional caregivers to better serve their clients by providing 24/7 monitoring and perfectly tuned care services at a much lower cost has long been the goal. We now have the solution,” said Mark Dunning, CEO of AHI Group, Inc. “While the cost of 24/7 senior care ranges between $10,000 and $25,000 per month, the remote monitoring capabilities of Presence Family Care enable seniors to confidently stay in their homes longer at a significantly reduced cost.”

About People Power

An IoT software company specializing in the development of consumer and institutional services for senior care, energy management and home security, People Power leads the industry with advanced AI-powered connected home solutions delivered through brands seeking recurring revenue business growth. For more information visit http://www.peoplepowerco.com

About TheraCare

TheraCare provides professional, affordable, and caring in-home living assistance for seniors and people with disabilities in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information visit http://www.therahomecare.com

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health and fitness

The #1 reason people won’t return to a fitness class is a sub-par playlist, according to this music tech company

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According to the consumers surveyed, the quality of the workout playlist is more important than the quality of the instructor, the time or location, or even the total cost of the class.


SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB)

Today Feed.fm, the technology platform that makes it easy for brands to seamlessly harness the power of music, share the results of a survey of 1,000 Americans about what moves them when they work out.

The surprising results? The music that moves us can also keep us from coming back to a gym or group fitness class. According to the consumers surveyed, the quality of the workout playlist is more important than the quality of the instructor, the time or location, or even the total cost of the class.

“With boutique fitness locations charging upwards of $30 a class, it’s surprising that people wouldn’t return just because they don’t like the music, but it speaks to how important a great soundtrack is to the quality of a workout,” said Feed.fm COO Lauren Pufpaf. “People would rather eat the cost of an expensive class than suffer through a playlist that clashes with their taste.”

Survey respondents nearly unanimously reported that listening to music had a positive impact on the frequency, quality and intensity of their workouts:


  • 66% said that they’d skip a workout altogether if they couldn’t listen to music;

  • 93% said that music moderately or majorly impacts the quality and intensity of their workout;

  • And 88% agreed that listening to the right mix of music improves their physical performance.

The top 10 artists powering their playlists include an eclectic mix of country (Luke Bryan), hip-hop (Eminem, Drake, Tupac), rock (AC/DC) and pop (Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Rihanna). 62% said that there was no such thing as a guilty pleasure when it came to their workout playlists – just great songs.

In the age of specialty gyms and boutique fitness, what is perhaps more surprising is that ¾ of respondents reported that they primarily workout at home, and ⅔ reported using health and fitness apps to guide their workouts. The most popular workouts? Half of survey respondents run, closely followed by weight lifting, with yoga and cycling tied for the third most popular exercise format.

“For fitness brands, whether they’re building studios or digital experiences (or both!), these survey results show they need to be investing in a second-to-none music experience to keep members engaged,” said Pufpaf. “These results echo scientific research and direct customer feedback that directly ties how frequently and intensely we work out with the music we listen to.”

Feed.fm creates easy-to-integrate, uniquely curated music stations that power 40+ of the most popular at-home health and fitness platforms has seen similar results in their own customer data. According to the company, by baking curated music stations into the fabric of their client’s apps, 79% of their customers double their 90-day subscriber retention rate. Other key metrics, including frequency of use, length of session times, and conversion from trial to paid all see huge improvements ranging from 50% – 1,000%.

About Feed.fm

Feed.fm is a technology platform that makes it easy for brands to legally and seamlessly harness the power of music to engage and retain their customers. Feed.fm’s team handles the licensing and technical integration of curated music stations to help brands increase key growth and customer retention metrics. Based in San Francisco, Feed.fm was co-founded by Jeff Yasuda (CEO), Lauren Pufpaf (COO) and Eric Lambrecht (CTO), and is backed by investors that include Crunchfund, Core Ventures Group, KEC Ventures, and Fyrfly. For more information, visit https://feed.fm/.

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Industry: Healthcare

Sarasota Pain Doctor a Patented Innovator in Spinal Cord Stimulation Technology

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Amitabh Goel, MD

Dr. Goel is a dedicated innovator in the advancement of SCS technologies.


SARASOTA, Fla. (PRWEB)

When more conservative therapies have failed, pain management physicians often recommend spinal cord stimulation (SCS or neurostimulation therapy) for chronic pain relief.

SCS technology involves an implantable device that interrupts pain signals before they reach the brain, replacing those signals with a more pleasant sensation. This innovative treatment method has helped thousands of people significantly reduce their pain so they can return to their normal activities.

Dr. Amitabh Goel of Sarasota Pain Relief Centers has a special interest in the field of spinal cord stimulation. He has directly contributed to the advancement of this remarkable technology, having a number of innovative patents on improving the devices used for spinal cord stimulation.

Dr. Goel’s patents include:


  • Patent for a paddle lead for spinal cord stimulation introduced percutaneously. This is a method for introducing a paddle lead without performing the traditional open surgery used currently for inserting a paddle lead. [US Patent No.8620456]

  • Patent for a novel steering head for percutaneously inserted spinal cord stimulation leads. This is a new lead design with significant advantages in terms of steering the lead inside the spine. [US Patent No. 9114249]

  • Electrode Assembly for Spinal Cord Stimulation. Novel electrode configuration for delivering spinal cord stimulation. [US Patent Application No. 0056070]

Dr. Goel has proven to be a dedicated innovator in the advancement of SCS technologies. Sarasota Pain Relief Centers is pleased to have his expert contributions to our team of pain management specialists.

ABOUT DR. GOEL

Dr. Amitabh Goel has an extensive background in musculoskeletal medicine, having completed residency training in both orthopedics and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Additionally, he has practiced as an interventional physiatrist for more than 15 years.

Dr. Goel is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation with subspecialty certifications in pain medicine and neuromuscular medicine. He is also board certified by the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Scotland. He has received numerous accolades from medical publications over the years, including “America’s Best Physicians,” “America’s Top Physicians” and “Top Doctor.”

In addition to serving as head of the pain management department of Via Christi Clinic in Wichita, Kansas, Dr. Goel has trained residents and fellows from Kansas University Medical Center. He has several first-author publications, which are widely cited in medical literature.

Dr. Goel believes in approaching each patient with compassion, and he’s committed to diagnosing and treating their underlying cause of pain rather than just their symptoms. He currently practices at the Florida Pain Relief Centers Sarasota location.

CAN SPINAL CORD STIMULATION RELIEVE YOUR PAIN?

Sarasota Pain Relief Centers’ board-certified physicians are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and a comprehensive, multi-modal approach to treating your chronic pain.

Whether the solution for your pain is spinal cord stimulation or another minimally invasive treatment method, our specialists maintain a focus on providing comprehensive, personalized care for each patient to determine the best treatment option for your individual pain condition.

At SPRC, our top priorities are relieving your pain and ensuring your comfort. If you are tired of living with chronic pain and want more information about options for minimizing or eliminating your suffering, contact Sarasota Pain Relief Centers today at (941) 363-9400 or visit http://www.YourPainReliefCenters.com to schedule a consultation at one of our clinic locations.

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Business: Insurance

New Guide That Will Help Senior Drivers Get Cheaper Car Insurance

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“Although insurance companies consider senior drivers to be high-risk drivers, they can still obtain affordable coverage if they apply several money-saving methods.”, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company


LOS ANGELES (PRWEB)

Cheapquotesautoinsurance.com has launched a new blog post that explains how senior drivers can easily obtain affordable car insurance rates.

For more info and free quotes, please visit: https://cheapquotesautoinsurance.com/5-useful-tips-for-the-seniors-looking-for-cheaper-car-insurance/

A person’s age is extremely relevant to the insurance companies. After a certain age, the risk of developing some diseases or functional impairments becomes higher. Car insurance providers are aware of that and keep a close eye on their elderly policyholders. Senior drivers are usually regarded as “high-risk”, thus having to pay more expensive premiums. However, there are several ways to get the prices lower:


  • Attend and graduate an approved defensive driving course. Graduating an approved defensive course will help senior citizens secure a discount. These driving courses are usually cheap. Furthermore, some courses are streamed online, allowing senior drivers to watch them from the comfort of their own homes. Senior drivers will learn how aging and medication can affect their driving skills and they will learn how to adapt to the changes.

  • Protect the car against thieves by installing anti-theft devices. This is recommended to be done by all drivers, not the seniors only. Aftermarket anti-theft devices like electronic alarms, kill switches, GPS tracking systems, electronic immobilizers, and other devices will deter thieves. However, before installing any of these devices, drivers should check with their insurers and see which one is approved by them.

  • Stay away from flashy, sports or muscle cars. Owning and driving a really fast car after a certain age, will make the premiums sky-rocket A really fast car is really hard to control when the reflexes are not that sharp anymore.

  • Look for some usage-based insurance program. UBI programs are getting popular all over the United States. Usually, insurance companies will install a small telematics device in the senior driver’s vehicle. This device will monitor the driving habits and will send real-time data back to the insurer. Senior drivers who display good driving habits and limit their driving time will get better rates and cheaper premiums.

  • Use online car insurance quotes. With the help of the internet and various brokerage websites, senior drivers can get multiple insurance quotes from different insurance companies. To obtain accurate insurance estimates, senior drivers should make sure they provide the correct info when they complete the online questionnaires. It is recommended to compare at least three insurance quotes. Make sure to use the same info when requesting quotes, in order to have a fair price comparison.

For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/

Cheapquotesautoinsurance.com is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.

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Business: Executives

Howard Fischer Associates Helps Comcast Cable Recruit Shawna Erdmann as Senior Vice President of Learning

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PHILADELPHIA (PRWEB)

Howard Fischer Associates (“HFA”), one of the leading executive and board search firms in the nation for more than 35 years, partnered with client Comcast Cable to recruit Shawna Erdmann as Senior Vice President of Learning.

At Comcast Cable, Shawna will define the strategic direction, development, execution, and evaluation of all aspects of functional, broad-based, and high-potential learning and development efforts with seamless business alignment with functional and business unit senior executives, HR partners, and other key stakeholders across the organization.

Shawna brings more than 23 years’ experience in education, learning and talent development, and training from her previous roles at Liberty Mutual Insurance, Intel Corporation, Apple, NetApp, and Cisco Systems. In her most recent position at Liberty Mutual Insurance, she served as the Chief Talent and Learning Officer, where she pioneered the company’s first globally deployed leadership program and creation of effective management tools.

Comcast Cable is one of the United States’ largest video, high-speed internet, and phone providers to residential customers under the Xfinity brand, and provides these services to businesses. To learn more about Comcast Cable, please visit http://www.corporate.comcast.com

About Howard Fischer Associates

Howard Fischer Associates (HFA) is one of the leading executive and board search firms in the nation, committed to helping clients achieve their goals by identifying outstanding leaders who will effectively fit or help change their culture. The HFA process has been well-honed after 35 years of sustained excellence in the industry. HFA is headquartered in Philadelphia, with additional offices in Boston, Silicon Valley, and Chicago. For more information, visit http://www.hfischer.com.

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Health

Senior Living Professionals Reveal Trends Impacting the Future of Operations

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Dude Solutions logo

“As indicated by survey responses, the needs of residents, operational processes and tools for planning have changed in the world of senior living operations, but one thing remains certain: Leveraging technology is key to a strong future.”


CARY, N.C. (PRWEB)

Dude Solutions, the leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider of operations management solutions, today released their 2019 Senior Living Operations Report, a collection of unique data and survey results providing insight on the trends affecting the future of operations at senior living facilities.

In a market expected to triple in size by 2040, the chief concerns going in to 2020 include workforce shortage, compliance and resident service, while 97% of respondents agree that consumer demands and expectations are increasing. Two-thirds of the surveyed organizations are concerned about facilities failure, yet 30% do not have a capital plan that looks out beyond five years.

Almost half of respondents reported they lack well-documented policies and procedures for their maintenance activities but agree that technology is crucial to their operations. For example, organizations are harnessing facilities-related data for benchmarking by measuring staffing, response time and maintenance cost and rely on software to stay on top of safety inspections and compliance regulations.

The Senior Living Operations Report is a compilation of data collected from over 300 operations leaders and executives at skilled nursing, memory care, CCRC/LPC, senior living and independent living institutions ranging from 1-26+ locations in size. Survey questions focused on the factors impacting today’s operations, including market dynamics, how organizations are differentiating themselves to stay competitive, employee turnover, harnessing data and technology for decision-making, and capital planning.

“As indicated by survey responses, the needs of residents, operational processes and tools for planning have changed in the world of senior living operations, but one thing remains certain: Leveraging technology is key to a strong future,” said Josh Malbogat, director of senior living at Dude Solutions. “With tools like software to track and manage record-keeping, staffing, planning and using data, senior living operators can take their current challenges and turn them into opportunities for growth.”

Key Insights from the 2019 Senior Living Operations Report include:

Middle Market

Addressing the rapidly growing middle market, residents or future residents who fall in the middle of the income spectrum, is a big concern for leaders. Fifty-two percent of respondents offer a product to this consumer today, while 27% are interested in addressing this market segment.

Human Capital & the Changing Workforce

Staffing, turnover, communication and scheduling is the second-most important concern for communities today, but 41% of surveyed organizations do not have a succession plan in place for facilities managers. Respondents ranked resident satisfaction (92%) and compliance (84%) as the top areas of impact for the facilities team.

Technology & Data

The need for technology and data information collection is growing in impact of daily decision-making. Benchmarking data is used with staffing, response time and maintenance costs with over 53% of organizations using it to reduce energy and utility costs.

Safety & Quality

Safety inspections are conducted on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis at 94% of the surveyed organizations. When it comes to quality audits, 86% of respondents indicate they are completed, but at intervals varying from monthly to bi-annually.

Capital Planning

Three-quarters of respondents are concerned about potential risks associated with resident safety, aging facilities and facilities failures. The Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer are most often responsible for creating the capital plan, however, Regional Directors and Facilities Managers are occasionally tasked with this function.

Visit the Dude Solutions website to download a copy of the 2019 Senior Living Operations Report and to learn more about the company’s award-winning CMMS (computerized management system), TheWorxHub(TM).

ABOUT DUDE SOLUTIONS

Dude Solutions is a leading provider of operations management software to senior living organizations, including CCRC/LPCs, assisted living, independent living, skilled nursing and memory care. We combine innovative, user-friendly technology with the world’s smartest operations engine, empowering operations leaders to transform the most important places in our lives. Today, more than 1,000 senior living communities use TheWorxHub to manage maintenance, housekeeping, inventory, transportation, room bookings, security, benchmarking and more. For more information, please visit dudesolutions.com.

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Technology: Computer

Isos Technology Launches Holiday Toy Drive to Benefit Cardon Children’s Medical Center

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In the spirit of the holidays, we are so pleased to be able to donate to an incredibly valuable resource in our community, and to hopefully put smiles on the faces of the many pediatric patients at Cardon this December.


TEMPE, Ariz. (PRWEB)

Isos Technology, a leading Atlassian Platinum and Enterprise Solution Partner, today announced that it has organized a holiday toy drive for Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona, a pediatric healthcare facility affiliated with Banner Health®, one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. Isos hosts an annual toy drive every December as part of its commitment to Pledge 1%, a movement that empowers companies to donate 1% of product, 1% of equity, 1% of profit or 1% of employee time to improve communities around the world. Spearheaded by organizations such as Atlassian, Rally, Salesforce, and Tides, Pledge 1% has generated 5 billion dollars in philanthropy through its top companies. It consists of over 8,500 businesses in 100 countries. Pledge 1% has experienced a 150% growth rate since its inception.

To fulfill its promise to Pledge 1%, Isos called upon its employees, as well as the community, to celebrate the annual holiday season of giving by donating items from an Amazon.com wish list, which were specifically requested by Cardon Children’s Medical Center. So far, over 120 gifts have been purchased. Isos has also agreed to match employee and community donations. In total, close to 250 gifts will be delivered to the pediatric medical facility on December 12th at 11:00 AM.

“One of our core values here at Isos Technology is to be generous within the community, and our employees support and volunteer at a variety of philanthropic organizations,” says Thad West, CEO of Isos Technology. “I’m absolutely thrilled that our company was able to set this valuable initiative in motion. In the spirit of the holidays, we are so pleased to be able to donate to an incredibly valuable resource in our community, and to hopefully put smiles on the faces of the many pediatric patients at Cardon this December.”

Ryan Guard, of Isos Technology, recently recounted his experience as a 10-year-old patient at Cardon. Ryan remembers the impact that the facility’s selection of video games had on his stay, and says that “Cardon Children’s Medical Center depends on “the generosity of people like you and me to provide toys and games for the kids.” He and his fellow co-workers initiated this toy drive to ensure “that every kid at Cardon Children’s has the most enjoyable experience that they can while they’re getting the care that they need.”

About Isos Technology

Isos Technology is a premier Atlassian Platinum and Enterprise Solution Partner and was recognized as the Atlassian Partner of the Year: 2017 for Jira Service Desk. We help our clients, both private and public sector, adopt the Atlassian tools for DevOps, ITSM, Agile development, and business processes. Our process experts, coupled with a world-class technical team, craft custom solutions, integrations, and training for our clients. Isos also has a strong software development team that delivers custom solutions across a wide array of industries to help solve some of the toughest business problems. Isos is based in Tempe, Arizona, with offices across the U.S., from San Diego to Washington, D.C. For more information, visit http://www.isostech.com.

About Cardon Children’s Medical Center

Cardon Children’s Medical Center provides pediatric care for children, from newborns to teens. Services include immediate access to Level I trauma services and emergency care, a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, general pediatrics, surgical and rehabilitation services, hematology/oncology, urology, gastroenterology, neurology, and outpatient services. For more information, visit http://www.BannerHealth.com/CardonChildrens.

About Banner Health

Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health is one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns and operates 28 acute-care hospitals, Banner Health Network, Banner – University Medicine, academic and employed physician groups, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services; including Banner Urgent Care, family clinics, home care and hospice services, pharmacies and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit http://www.BannerHealth.com.

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Technology: Electronics

Tripp Lite Makes it Easy to Adjust the Height of Desktop Monitors

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“Tripp Lite’s display solutions allow you to change the height of your monitor without interrupting your workday,” said Karenann Brow, Director of Product Marketing for Surge, Power Strips and Display Mounts.


CHICAGO (PRWEB)

Tripp Lite, a global manufacturer of power protection and connectivity solutions, has made it easy to adjust the height of desk monitors at home or the office.

Adjusting the height of desktop flat-panel displays often requires fasteners or knobs to be loosened, the display adjusted manually and then the fasteners or knobs tightened to secure the position. Tripp Lite’s newest desk mounts (DDR1732SC and DDR1727DC) offer height adjustment with a simple turn of the easy-grip knob, which raises or lowers the display to the desired height. The mounts include a clamp for attachment to the edge of a desk or table, as well as a grommet for mounting through the desktop.

Tripp Lite’s vertical-lift stand (DDV1727S) offers another option for easy height adjustment. Detents along the vertical support provide 10 height settings. Pulling the display to the uppermost position and then lowering it to the desired height is all it takes to position the display at a comfortable viewing level. A heavy-duty base keeps the mount stable on a desk or table during adjustment.

“Tripp Lite’s new display solutions allow you to change the height of your monitor without interrupting your workday,” said Karenann Brow, Director of Product Marketing for Surge, Power Strips and Display Mounts. “Swivel, tilt and screen rotation adjustments also help you achieve the perfect viewing angle. The slim profile of the mounts makes them great accessories for sit-stand desks and workstations.”

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Key Features of Tripp Lite’s New Display Mounts

  • Models for flat-panel screens from 17 to 32 inches

  • Single- and dual-screen mounts with easy-grip knob for height adjustment

  • Single-screen stand with vertical-lift height adjustment

  • Screen rotation, swivel and tilt adjustments

  • Compatibility with VESA mounting hole patterns

  • Included mounting hardware

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Society: Disabled Issues / Disabilities

Gallaudet University Receives $4.6 Million Grant for a Research Center to Improve Technology Accessibility and Usability for People Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

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WASHINGTON (PRWEB)

Gallaudet University announced today that its Technology Access Program has received a $4.6 million grant for a Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology for People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH-RERC) to support its ongoing efforts to improve the accessibility, usability and performance of 21st century technologies for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The new five-year grant was awarded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, under the Administration for Community Living at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The DHH-RERC, one of 23 nationwide RERCs, is led by Gallaudet University’s Technology Access Program (TAP) and includes partnerships with the American Institutes for Research (AIR), the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), the University of Colorado-Boulder, the University of Iowa and the University of Minnesota.

“On behalf of the entire DHH-RERC team, I want to express how excited we are to have been awarded this substantial grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research,” said Dr. Christian Vogler, principal investigator for the DHH-RERC and Director of the Technology Access Program at Gallaudet University. “We are in the middle of a communication and computing revolution. There are so many amazing opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing consumers to completely change the way they communicate, use technology, and access services. This new funding will be absolutely critical to making these changes happen, under deaf and hard of hearing leadership.”

“Our partners bring exceptional talent and creativity to the planned research and development program the DHH-RERC will undertake,” added Linda Kozma-Spytek, co-principal investigator for the DHH-RERC and Senior Research Audiologist in TAP. “This coupled with our long-standing cooperation with deaf and hard of hearing consumer organizations ideally positions us to address new challenges with technology access and tap the potential made possible through advances in computing, while remaining firmly user-centered.”

The $4.6 million grant will support six research and development projects focused on the intersection of technology and disability that can have immediate positive impact on people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Collectively, the six projects will cover pressing needs relevant to the vast spectrum of the deaf and hard of hearing communities, including:

  • user experience research to make voice assistants accessible to people who use sign language, gesture or whose speech is not well understood by computers;

  • auditory brain training to improve speech recognition and cognitive outcomes for older adults with cochlear implants;

  • developing technology and proof-of-concept applications to integrate hearing aids with the internet of things and cloud-based applications;

  • a platform to let consumers and clinicians evaluate hearing devices in realistic listening scenarios;

  • data-driven approaches to assessing and predicting intervention outcomes for children with hearing devices;

  • a consumer-industry alliance to make technology products accessible and usable from the ground up

About DHH-RERC

The DHH-RERC mission is to support consumers in adopting 21st century technologies: changing how they use technology and services, helping them to take control of their communication, and ultimately achieving greater access in all aspects of their lives through research, development and knowledge translation activities. The center is led by the Technology Access Program at Gallaudet University and has been funded since 2019. The current center succeeded the previous RERC on Improving the Accessibility, Usability, and Performance of Technology for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, which also was led by Gallaudet University’s Technology Access Program from 2014-2019.

This project is supported in part by grant number 90REGE0013, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. The dollar amount of federal funds awarded is $925,000 for the period of September 30, 2019 through September 30, 2020. The percentage of total cost of the project financed with federal funding is 91%. The percentage and dollar amount of the total costs funded by non-governmental sources is 9% at $90,973.

About Gallaudet University

Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals through American Sign Language and English.

Media contacts:

Robert Weinstock

Gallaudet University

robert.weinstock@gallaudet.edu

Karen Durkin

The Durkin Agency

karen.durkin@thedurkinagency.com

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Industry: Healthcare

GNO Snoring and Sinus Offers Compounded Nasal Sprays for Chronic Sinusitis

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“By providing this treatment option to select patients with persistent sinus symptoms, we have been able to reduce their need for aggressive oral steroid therapy and also reduce the need for surgery, it’s a win-win for patients.”


NEW ORLEANS (PRWEB)

GNO Snoring and Sinus, the New Orleans area experts in office based treatments for sleep apnea and sinusitis, has enhanced its medical treatment of Chronic and Recurrent Sinusitis by administering patients compounded steroid/saline nasal irrigations. Traditionally, steroid nasal sprays such as Flonase® and/or Nasonex® have been utilized to treat sinusitis. However, these medications suffer from not being able to penetrate the depths of the paranasal sinus region, limiting their effectiveness. Saline irrigations such as NeilMed® Sinus Rinse or Neti Pot have been far more effective at delivering irrigation to the sinus passageways.

“In our practice, we have always sought a way to topically deliver the anti-inflammatory benefits of steroids to the sinus tissue – in an effort to reduce the symptoms of sinusitis. We have successfully treated thousands of patients with sinus disease, however, some patients will require ongoing medical treatment to prevent their symptoms from recurring,“ said Dr. Akash Anand of GNO Snoring and Sinus. “Traditional steroid sprays do not carry the delivery power of saline irrigations. Therefore, we have combined the anti-inflammatory benefits of steroid therapy along with the effective delivery of saline irrigations. By creating our compounded steroid/saline irrigation mix, patients are now able to effectively cleanse their sinuses and receive topical medical steroid therapy as well. This also allows us to avoid the increased cost of using a compounding pharmacy and therefore keep the cost to patients at a minimum.”

“By providing this treatment option to select patients with persistent sinus symptoms, we have been able to reduce their need for aggressive oral steroid therapy and also reduce the need for surgery, it’s a win-win for patients.”

For more information about GNO Snoring and Sinus, call 504.309.8615 or visit http://www.gnosnoring.com.

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