“We are incredibly proud of our team for becoming an Accredited Geriatric Emergency Department. This accreditation solidifies our ongoing commitment to serve all our patients with the utmost of care,” said Felicia Turnley, CEO, Memorial Hospital Pembroke. “Our team delivers compassionate attention to the specialized care needs of our older population, as outlined by standardized evidence-based clinical practices.”
The GEDA program is the culmination of years of progress in emergency care of older adults. In 2014, ACEP, along with Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Emergency Nurses Association and American Geriatrics Society, developed and released geriatric ED guidelines, recommending measures ranging from adding geriatric-friendly equipment to specialized staff to more routine screening for delirium, dementia and fall risk, among other vulnerabilities.
To achieve this accreditation, Memorial’s team focused on standardizing approaches to care for commonly seen geriatric concerns.
“We recognize that our older patients who enter the emergency department are out of their home environment, and it’s important for our care teams to be trained in offering them supportive services,” said Dr. Estreicher. “This includes understanding their social environments and supports at home, helping the patients with mobility aids and fall prevention and conducting cognitive screenings for dementia or delirium.”
A priority goal of geriatric accredited emergency departments is to anticipate the medical, social, and emotional needs of older patients and develop innovative care delivery to meet their needs in the hospital and at home. This begins on arrival and continues throughout the emergency visit and discharge, signaling the importance of a rapid and accurate diagnosis, assessment of unmet needs, and identification of specific at-risk indicators. One of the key priorities involves a care team from various specialties who are trained to identify potential risks that trigger interventions to link the patient to crucial services.
The voluntary GEDA program, which includes three levels similar to trauma center designations, provides specific criteria and goals for emergency clinicians and administrators to target. The accreditation process provides more than two dozen best practices for geriatric care. The GEDA Level 3 signifies excellence in older adult care as represented by four or more geriatric specific initiatives that are developed to elevate the level of geriatric care, implemented by nurses and physicians who have achieved certification in geriatric emergency care.
About Memorial Hospital Pembroke: Part of Memorial Healthcare System, Memorial Hospital Pembroke is a community-based hospital offering worldclass care through its Emergency Department, freestanding 24/7 Emergency Care Center, medical and surgical services, Memorial Weight-Loss Surgery Program, Comprehensive Wound Healing Center and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, and among many other services.
Jonathan Hogan, MD, Medical Director, Cabaletta Bio & Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Pennsylvania;
Barbara Gillespie, MD, VP and Therapeutic Head of Nephrology, Fortrea & Adjunct Professor, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of North Carolina School of Medicine;
Frederick Derosier, DO, Vice President and General Manager, Rare Disease, Advanced Therapies and Pediatrics Team (RAPT), Clinical Lead, Enterprise Cell and Gene Therapy, Fortrea;
Paulla Dennis, Senior Director, Rare Disease, Advanced Therapies and Paediatrics Team (RAPT), Fortrea.
Fortrea is a leading global provider of clinical development and patient access solutions to the life sciences industry. We partner with emerging and large biopharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic companies to drive healthcare innovation that accelerates life changing therapies to patients in need. Fortrea provides phase I-IV clinical trial management, clinical pharmacology, differentiated technology enabled trial solutions and post-approval services. Fortrea’s solutions leverage three decades of experience spanning more than 20 therapeutic areas. Our talented and diverse team of more than 19,000 people working in more than 90 countries is scaled to deliver focused and agile solutions to customers globally.
ABOUT XTALKS
Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.
Redaction: Learn how AI-powered tools can identify and remove personally identifiable information (PII) from clinical trial documents, ensuring compliance with regulations such as the general data protection regulation (GDPR). Explore the potential for automated redaction, reducing the burden on investigator sites and contract research organizations (CROs) while maintaining data integrity.
Data completeness and validation: Discover how AI can review site provided documents and resulting event dossiers, providing an assessment ensuring that all data necessary to adjudicate events and endpoints have been provided. This automated data quality enhancing process will make initial reviews more agile, reducing queries and delay risks.
Process analysis and optimization: Explore how AI can help to analyze adjudication processes by looking at meta-data about how long individual steps are taking in long, multi-constituency workflows. AI can help determine where there may be bottlenecks as well as which areas could benefit from further training or workload balancing.
Computer-aided adjudication and eligibility reviews: Discuss how future AI models different may help evaluators to focus on the right data to increase consistency and reduce the time it takes to reach consensus. Examine whether models could reproduce for adjudicators what AI-enhanced systems have achieved in medical imaging analysis.
Discover how AI and large language models are revolutionizing the industry, and learn how AG Mednet’s Judi platform, alongside the right CRO and academic research organization (ARO) development partners, can empower an organization to drive efficiency, compliance and success in clinical development.
Register for the live webinar taking place on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at 11am EDT (3pm GMT/UK) featuring expert speakers Abraham Gutman, CEO and Founder, AG Mednet; Catherine Tyner, Executive Director, Adjudication Services, Fortrea; Kimberly J. Brown, RN; and Venugopal Menon, MD, Section Head of Clinical Cardiology, Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute, to discover how to unlock the potential of AI in clinical trial workflow management.
Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.
But, how can we be sure that sensor readings — even when carefully validated, calibrated and monitored — reflect how patients are truly feeling and functioning? Take fatigue, for example: A sleep monitor may indicate that a patient has had a long sleep cycle. That same patient may provide subjective report the next morning stating they feel exhausted. Each of these datapoints offers important information, so how do we balance the two in the context of drug development?
How do sponsors ensure that wearable measurements are not just accurate but also meaningful to patients? What should be done when sensor and ePRO data contradict each other?
In this session, we’ll take the audience on the journey of digital data capture, from eCOA to wearables, and discuss key questions, including:
Tactics for successfully incorporating digital device data collection into your trial
How to reconcile point-in-time ePRO data with continuous device data
How to manage and monitor the vast quantities of data transmitted by sensors/wearables
When to consider novel endpoints
How to address concerns about data privacy and security
This webinar offers a unique opportunity to gain critical insights into the selection and integration of fit-for-purpose digital instruments, as well as how to ensure accurate data collection in ways that maximize the signal-to-noise ratio and patient comfort.
Register for the live webinar taking place on Thursday, October 5, 2023, at 10am EDT (3pm BST/UK) that will feature expert speakers Florence Mowlem, PhD, Vice President of Science, ObvioHealth; Helen Shaw, PhD, Co-founder, Director, Head of Clinical Operations, VCTC; and Ryan Kennedy, Global Vice President of Product (Life Science Global Business Unit), Oracle.
ABOUT XTALKS Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.
Through December 1, 2023, college or college-affiliated swim teams will compete in the Swim Across America College Cup, a fundraising competition among collegiate teams in the U.S. Teams can participate by registering for one of Swim Across America’s open water charity swims, joining or starting a pool swim, or participating virtually through the SAA My Way program. Participants must be affiliated with a U.S-based college or university to be eligible to compete in the College Cup. Teams may consist of current college students, alumni or a mix of both, and can be as small as one person.
To date, more than 30 teams consisting of 1,000 participants are currently enrolled in the College Cup’s inaugural year. As the college swim season peaks, Swim Across America expects those numbers to increase and encourages teams, clubs and alumni groups who want to join to do so at swimacrossamerica.org/collegecup.
“One of the exciting aspects of the Swim Across America College Cup program is that it offers a new way for alumni to stay engaged with their college swim teams,” noted John O’Neill, head coach of the Providence College men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs and a long-time participant in Swim Across America open water swims. “It allows them to lead the next generation of athletes in the swimming world and instill a philanthropic mindset.”
Fundraising by the College Cup teams will support cancer research and clinical trials in the community in which teams register to swim. If teams are participating in a national pool swim, funds support the Swim Across America pediatric cancer research fund. Swim Across America offers 24 open water swims across the country and hundreds of pool swims each year.
The College Cup brings several exciting partnerships to Swim Across America, including the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) and Vasa, a fitness and rehabilitation company focused on peak performance for swimmers, surfers and triathletes.
As part of their partnership, CSCAA will recognize the top individual College Cup fundraiser at their annual awards ceremony.
“We are thrilled to rejuvenate the partnership between Swim Across America and the CSCAA,” said Samantha Barany, executive director of CSCAA. “The philanthropic efforts of Swim Across America are impressive and impact nearly everyone in some way with the fight against cancer. The open water events hosted by Swim Across America are an excellent opportunity for our college teams and athletes to engage in charitable endeavors within a familiar and loved environment – the water. We will continue to find more ways to collaborate and I believe this is just the beginning!”
Vasa will award a Vasa Swim Ergometer to two participating teams. One will be awarded to the top College Cup fundraising team and the second will be awarded to a randomly selected team participating in the College Cup. All teams have the opportunity to win through their participation.
Swim Across America College Ambassadors
Swim Across America is also excited to announce another new college initiative, the Swim Across America College Ambassadors program. College Ambassadors will be the face of Swim Across America at their college or university and lead efforts to raise awareness of Swim Across America’s mission to fund cancer research, clinical trials and patient programs by hosting charity swims. College Ambassadors are passionate about Swim Across America and help engage their peers, promote the Swim Across America mission and brand, and encourage their local communities’ involvement.
Earlier this year, Swim Across America invited college students to apply for the Swim Across America College Ambassadors program. Applicants were asked to share why they are passionate about Swim Across America, highlight any previous leadership experience, and outline their aspirations for participating in the program. More than 30 applications were reviewed by a Swim Across America selection committee and 21 college students were selected to be College Ambassadors for 2023. Students selected represent colleges across the country, including University of South Florida, Roger Williams University and Northeastern University.
Beyond their role as ambassadors, these students also serve as team captains for teams participating in the College Cup or any Swim Across America event. To learn about the Swim Across America College Ambassador program, visit swimacrossamerica.org/ambassadors.
Swim Across America was founded in 1987 with its first open water event in Long Island Sound. Since that time, the nonprofit organization has raised more than $100 million to fight cancer. In its 36 years of making waves to fight cancer, more than 100,000 swimmers and 150 Olympians have swum the circumference of the earth three times, uniting a movement to fight cancer that has created a groundswell of support spanning all generations. Today, more than 24 communities hold open water swims and hundreds of charity pool swims each year, from Nantucket to under the Golden Gate Bridge, which support innovative cancer research, detection and patient programs.
Swim Across America’s funding of clinical trials for patients helped contribute to four FDA approved life-saving immunotherapy cancer treatments: Yervoy, Opdivo, Tecentriq and Keytruda. In June of last year, a clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering was published in The New England Journal of Medicine that showed a 100 percent success rate in treating patients in a phase 2 clinical trial for advanced rectal cancer with dostarlimab, an immunotherapy treatment produced by GlaxoSmithKline. The clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering was funded by early-stage grant funding from Swim Across America. More than 60 scientific grants are funded each year and there are now ten dedicated Swim Across America Labs at major institutions including: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, John Hopkins Medicine Atlanta, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, Infusion Center at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and San Francisco, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, The Swim Across America Pediatric Research Lab at Columbia University Medical Center New York, and The Swim Across America Laboratory at Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine.
About Swim Across America
Swim Across America, Inc. (SAA) is dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment through swimming-related events. With the help of hundreds of volunteers nationwide and past and current Olympians, Swim Across America is helping find a cure for cancer through athleticism, community outreach and direct service. To learn more visitswimacrossamerica.org or follow on Facebook @SwimAcrossAmerica or on Instagram or Twitter @SAASwim.
About CSCAA
Founded in 1922, the CSCAA is the nation’s first professional coaching association for intercollegiate athletics. The CSCAA boasts more than 2,000 member coaches and assistant coaches, recognizes All-American swimmers and divers, NCAA record-breakers and Scholar All-America athletes and teams, as well as outstanding coaches and contributors, and helps oversee the welfare of collegiate swimming and diving. Learn more about CSCAA at cscaa.org.
About Vasa
Vasa empowers swimmers, surfers and triathletes to become stronger, better, faster in sports, fitness and injury rehab. Vasa offers specific equipment such as swim ergometers, trainers, sport benches and other accessories to provide athletes with safe, effective training methods. Founded by Rob Sleamaker, an acclaimed exercise physiologist and author, who has worked with Olympians, biathletes and triathletes as well as some of the world’s most respected swim coaches to reinvent their training practices. Learn more about Vasa at vasatrainer.com.
DFI Digital Marketing Transforms Emerging Tech Companies into industry Leaders
TORONTO, Sept. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The DFI Group, a leading digital marketing and communications agency specializing in serving emerging tech, healthcare and e-commerce companies, is thrilled to announce the launch of its cutting-edge, integrated growth marketing service. The service is designed to empower emerging businesses with a holistic approach to digital marketing and communications, delivering a competitive edge in today’s crowded, fast-evolving landscape.
DFI’s services encompass an integrated range of digital marketing and communications programs, including SEO (Search Engine Optimization), SEM (Search Engine Marketing), E-commerce, Owned media, Earned media, and specialized support for startup launches. SEO programs have increased client website traffic 10-100x, and SEM programs have achieved up to 20x Return On Ad Spend (ROAS).
This comprehensive approach ensures that startups and emerging companies can quickly ramp up awareness and demand – wherever their target customers are – and on whatever key channels they use.
DFI Founder, David Finkelstein has over two decades of tech communications and marketing experience in Silicon Valley and Canada. While DFI partner, Li Lu of LL BrandLab is a digital marketing expert, and best-selling author, with expertise driving growth and sales from zero to 7-figures. DFI’s services are tailored to help tech companies accelerate customer adoption, increase visibility, and establish industry leadership positions in emerging markets.
“We believe in a data-focused approach to digital marketing that begins with meticulous testing, to gain actionable intelligence, and then quickly scale based on initial results,” said Li Lu, Partner, The DFI Group. “We work with clients to be as flexible as possible, always with an eye on their objectives, and the best strategies to meet them.”
“Li’s advice and skills in marketing really helped us to start well and gain users quickly,” said Huayi Gao, CTO and co-founder, Lila Composter. “Their team works faster and is more affordable than bigger companies. They have extensive digital marketing expertise, which simplified our launch and digital journey.”
DFI’s services guide companies through every stage of the marketing funnel, from building awareness to consideration, conversion, and ultimately, the closing of sales. This holistic approach ensures that marketing efforts are aligned with business goals and serve to optimize marketing spend.
About The DFI Group
The DFI Group is a digital marketing and communications agency dedicated to helping emerging tech, e-commerce and healthcare companies succeed in a hyper-competitive landscape. Based just north of Toronto, The DFI Group is comprised of senior consultants with extensive Silicon Valley and Canadian communications and digital marketing experience. The DFI Group has a track record of helping emerging companies build visibility in North America and globally, while facilitating funding, growth and industry leadership.
“With our proprietary platform, MedReview has grown from a services company to a tech-enabled payment integrity platform. Kathy’s unmatched industry knowledge and experience will help lead us to the next evolution of payment integrity,” said Spencer Young, MedReview’s Chief Executive Officer.
In her new position, Gonzales, a recent featured speaker at the HPRI East Congress, will work collaboratively with MedReview’s executive leadership team to assess, develop, and direct company expansion strategies and drive excellence throughout the organization.
Prior to joining MedReview as Chief of Staff in 2019, Gonzales served as Vice President of Revenue Recovery at Cotiviti. Earlier in her career, she worked many years as a consultant including holding leadership roles in healthcare revenue cycle, process improvement, and organizational effectiveness with Accenture and Ernst & Young.
Gonzales has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) and Health Care Administration and Finance from Widener University.
About MedReview Headquartered in the financial district of New York City and serving all U.S. states and territories, MedReview has been a leading provider of payment integrity, utilization management and quality surveillance services for more than 40 years. A physician-led organization with a passion for ensuring that health care claims fairly represent the care provided, MedReview provides timely independent hospital billing audits and clinical validation reviews on behalf of health plans, government agencies and Taft-Hartley organizations, saving millions of dollars for its clients each year. For more information, please visit http://www.medreview.us.
Tim and Jennifer Bauernfeind, the franchise owners and local residents behind this upcoming TruBlue location in Minneapolis, say they are equally excited about the opportunity.
Jennifer, an existing franchise owner with senior care franchise Comfort Keepers, saw the potential of coupling her current enterprise with TruBlue, a franchise dedicated to providing maintenance and home modifications to seniors allowing them to age safely and comfortably at home. Agreeing with his wife on her decision to add TruBlue to her service offerings, Tim, who previously worked in data forecasting, will be working alongside his wife managing the TruBlue franchise.
TruBlue is looking forward to expansion opportunities throughout the state of Minnesota, with the capacity to fill a number of future territory agreements in the state.
A study conducted by the University of Michigan for Healthcare Policy and Innovation revealed that 88% of people between the ages of 50 and 80 said it was very or somewhat important to them that they live in their homes as long as possible, but only 15% said they’ve given a lot of consideration to how their home may need to be modified as they age, while 47% have given it little or no thought. Considering these statistics, TruBlue is in a prime position to come in and help those seniors in need. TruBlue assists seniors with home modifications and maintenance, both inside and out, so they can stay in their homes longer. Services encompass a wide variety of home modifications for safety and convenience ranging from installing grab bars, ramps and new lighting to updating door handles and modifying bathtubs for easy access.
TruBlue’s highly sought-after Home Ally Maintenance & VIP subscription services guarantees regularly scheduled visits from a handyman to handle home maintenance tasks and to-do list items like storing patio furniture, changing batteries and lightbulbs, fixing holes in walls, hanging mirrors, or caulking sinks and tubs. For seniors in particular, TruBlue is dedicated to ensuring aging adults avoid potentially dangerous situations, like climbing ladders.
“Just like it’s important to maintain your car, it is equally as important to maintain your home, typically our customer’s most valuable asset,” said Fitzgerald. “For busy adults and seniors, it can be hard to keep up with the demands of their homes. With various customizable, subscription-based services, customers can select a TruBlue home maintenance service package that fits the specific needs of their home and family, so they can enjoy hassle-free living.”
With affordable startup costs between $65,000 and $91,000, TruBlue franchise owners can take advantage of the efficient operational model to offer their community three sought-after services: general handyman assistance, ongoing home maintenance programs, and senior home modifications for aging in place. This versatility also makes TruBlue an attractive addition for entrepreneurs already involved in the home services industry.
“We are a high-margin, low overhead business,” said Fitzgerald. “When you have a low cost of operations monthly, with high demand and high margins, that’s a great formula for success. Every location is fully scalable — there’s no limit to the amount of home services a franchise owner can provide, so you don’t have to open a second location in order to grow.”
Now, as awareness around aging in place continues to increase, TruBlue intends to keep the momentum going as it makes major gains toward its goal of over 200 units by 2025. The brand was recently ranked on Entrepreneur’s Fastest Growing Franchises list at No.127 and was also featured at No. 491 on the publication’s Franchise 500 ranking earlier this year.
“The senior population is increasingly in need of our trustworthy and premium home services, which is why TruBlue has been expanding rapidly over the past few years,” said Fitzgerald. “We are looking for qualified, passionate and community-driven professionals to help us expand our footprint and establish ourselves as the leading provider of handyman, home modification and maintenance services for busy adults and seniors.”
TruBlue is actively seeking new franchise owners in markets across the country and has identified Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville and Naples, Florida, as well as Houston and Dallas, Texas, as key development markets.
Bristol Hospital invites all local vendors to visit http://www.bidnetdirect.com/connecticut/bristolhospital and register to receive access to its upcoming solicitations as well as the upcoming bids and RFPs. Registered vendors have the option to upgrade their service to receive customized bid alerts, notification of term contract expiration, and notification of a real-time addendum.
About Bristol Health:
Founded in 1921, Bristol Health is the leading health provider for those who live and work in the Greater Bristol area. Bristol Health has earned national recognition for its commitment to patient safety and for providing outstanding patient care. With now more than 20 locations throughout central Connecticut, Bristol Health has grown from a 154-bed community hospital to an integrated healthcare network providing a full-continuum of services – from emergent, primary and specialty care to skilled nursing, home care and hospice and emergency transportation. For more information, please visit: https://www.bristolhealth.org/
About Bidnet Direct:
Bidnet Direct, powered by mdf commerce, is a sourcing solution of regional purchasing groups available at no cost to local government agencies throughout the country. Bidnet Direct runs regional purchasing groups, including the Connecticut Purchasing Group, across all 50 states that are used by over 1,600 local governments. To learn more and have your government agency gain better transparency and efficiency in purchasing, please visit https://www.bidnetdirect.com/buyers
Most participants were victimized by strangers (56 percent), but a large minority (40 percent) said they were victimized by someone they knew, with at least 13 percent being family members.
Revictimization was also prevalent in the three cities (83 percent in Atlanta and Chicago each; 86 percent in Philadelphia) where qualitative focus groups were conducted. For those who experienced financial loss, most lost at least $500.
Fifty-three (53) percent of participants across the focus groups expressed emotional and psychological impacts after becoming a victim, as well as challenges accessing financial accounts, securing tax returns, obtaining identity PINs and dealing with penalties for reporting identity fraud.
“This research is an important step in gathering more data around identity theft victimization in Black communities,” said Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center. “In 2018, when the ITRC identified a dramatic increase in the number of victims from Black communities contacting the Center for assistance and searched for existing research that might indicate why, there was none. That led to this multi-year, multi-phase study.
The findings in this report show that identity theft is a growing concern and that Black communities face distinct challenges. Action must be taken to reduce victimization, particularly repeat victimization, but it is also clear that Black communities need more support to adequately address the issues surfaced here.
We are eager for the next phase of this initiative so we can begin developing and testing specific identity crime materials and advice that will lead to meaningful change.”
Other findings in the report include the following:
Twenty-five (25) percent of identity theft cases remained unresolved, revealing the prevalence of identity theft incidents lacking closure. Only 11 percent of participants reported successfully resolving their issue with minimum barriers.
Of those who were a victim of an identity crime in the last five years, 25 percent were victimized during COVID-19.
Recommendations for the next steps highlighted in the research include:
The need for comprehensive financial support and recovery mechanisms
Educational awareness, like government workshops focused on credit and the integration of identity theft awareness into the K-12 curriculum
Legal and regulatory measures such as higher penalties for identity crimes and identity verification for tax filing
Support and empowerment, emphasizing spaces to share experiences and empathy from customer service representatives
This three-year initiative looks to develop culturally aware identity services in Black communities, including specific identity education and protection programs. The initiative is similar to a program previously funded by the U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Victims of Crime that focused on developing identity protection programs for the blind/low vision and deaf/hard of hearing communities.
The ITRC is proud to release this report before Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023. Founded in 2004 and held each October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is the world’s foremost initiative aimed at promoting cybersecurity awareness and best practices.
“The ITRC has been a supporter of Cybersecurity Awareness Month from the beginning,” Velasquez said. “We hope that releasing this report prior to Cybersecurity Awareness Month will help bring recognition to the lack of assistance programs around identity theft victimization that take into consideration the unique issues required to be effective in assisting Black communities.”
For Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023, the ITRC will also release its Q3 2023 Data Breach Analysis, which looks at the data breach findings from the third quarter of the year, and 2023 Business Impact Report, which analyzes the impacts of identity crimes and cyberattacks on small businesses.
Anyone who believes they are the victim of an identity crime can contact the ITRC toll-free by phone (888.400.5530) or live chat on the company website idtheftcenter.org.
About the Research
In the spring of 2023, the Black Researchers Collective (BRC) conducted six focus groups – two in each city – with people who both self-identified as Black and reported being a victim of an identity crime across three major cities in the Midwest, East Coast and the South. Across the focus groups, BRC met with a total of 55 participants, the average age of whom was 44 years old. Although the age profiles were fairly balanced across all three cities, most focus group participants (82 percent) were under the age of 55. The majority of participants who participated in the focus groups were cisgender women (71 percent), while 29 percent of participants were cisgender men. Most of the focus group participants (80 percent) had household incomes under $75,000, and over half (56 percent) made under $50,000 a year despite over half of the sample also being college-educated with degrees (53 percent). The majority of participants (71 percent) also experienced what BRC defined as compounding factors, meaning that in addition to being a victim of an identity crime, they were also experiencing one or more of the following factors while also experiencing victimization: recently justice-involved, recently homeless, recently housing insecure (moving more than two or more times in a calendar year; spend more than 35 percent of income on housing), or had at least one minor (dependent) in their household they care for.
About the Identity Theft Resource Center
Founded in 1999, the Identity Theft Resource Center® (ITRC) is a national nonprofit organization established to empower and guide consumers, victims, business and government to minimize risk and mitigate the impact of identity compromise and crime. Through public and private support, the ITRC provides no-cost victim assistance and consumer education through its website live chat idtheftcenter.org and toll-free phone number 888.400.5530. The ITRC also equips consumers and businesses with information about recent data breaches through its data breach tracking tool, notified. The ITRC offers help to specific populations, including the deaf/hard of hearing and blind/low vision communities.
Media Contact
Identity Theft Resource Center Alex Achten Director of Communications & Media Relations 888.400.5530 Ext. 3611 [email protected]
