Category Archives: Industry: Healthcare

Healthcare is an ever evolving industry, and field. These Press Releases, will keep you up to date on the newest, greatest, best, solutions available.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Product Earns Top Spot from TopConsumerReviews.com


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We’re pleased to give this product our highest ranking among IBS products in 2020

TopConsumerReviews.com recently awarded their highest five-star rating to IBS Therapy, a market leader in Irritable Bowel Syndrome products.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, can be challenging to deal with. For the more than 30 million people who suffer from this condition, relief can be as elusive as the causes of IBS. For some, symptoms include constipation and diarrhea, while for others the syndrome may manifest itself as abdominal pain and cramping. While making changes to the diet, managing stress, and undertaking other lifestyle modifications may help some people with IBS to feel better, an increasing number of patients are looking to over-the-counter products to ease their discomfort without the hassle and expense of seeing a doctor for a prescription medication – which may be costly or come with unwanted side effects.

“Irritable Bowel Syndrome Therapy offers an effective, all-natural solution for your IBS,” explained Brian Dolezal, of TopConsumerReviews.com, LLC. “Manufactured by The Relief Products, this product contains an impressive blend of homeopathic ingredients which include Asafoetida for bloating and cramping, Nux vomica for irritability, and several more. Taken as a fast-dissolving tablet, IBS Therapy is easy to use and can be taken safely in conjunction with other medications. Some users have said that this IBS product has worked for them when all else failed. Best of all, you’re covered by a 30-day refund policy, giving you plenty of time to try it risk-free and determine if it brings you the relief you’re looking for. Irritable Bowel Syndrome Therapy is affordable, but more importantly, it delivers results. We’re pleased to give this product our highest ranking among IBS products in 2020.”

To find out more about IBS Therapy and other online retailers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome products, including reviews and comparison rankings, please visit the Irritable Bowel Syndrome category of TopConsumerReviews.com at https://www.topconsumerreviews.com/irritable-bowel-syndrome/.

About IBS Therapy

Since 2005, The Relief Products has consistently raised the bar for homeopathic remedies on the market, now offering over 25 different products spanning a variety of categories including Eye Care, Ear Care, Digestives, Pain Management, Diet and Nutrition, and Cold and Cough. The company prides itself on providing products that contain 100% natural active ingredients designed to help you Stay Healthy, Naturally.

About TopConsumerReviews.com

TopConsumerReviews.com, LLC is a leading provider of reviews and rankings for thousands of consumer products and services. From Irritable Bowel Syndrome to Acid Reflux and Colon Cleansers, TopConsumerReviews.com delivers in-depth product evaluations in order to make purchasing decisions easier.

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The Lynx Group Announces Key Leadership Changes and New Appointments


AONN+ is excited to have the addition of new leadership, which will cultivate accelerated growth and engagement within our membership and partnerships.

The Lynx Group, a global strategic alliance of medical communications and education companies, and the official association management and marketing company of the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+), is pleased to announce important changes to the organization’s leadership, effective January 1, 2020. The changes include 1 major leadership shift and 2 appointments to senior roles.

Sharon Gentry, RN, MSN, CBCN, CBEC, HON-ONN-CG has been named AONN+ Program Director. In this new role, Sharon takes over the former duties and responsibilities of Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, who previously held the position for 10 years. Lillie will continue in her role as AONN+ Co-Founder and supporter.

Sharon has been a member of the AONN+ Leadership Council since its inception in 2009 and speaks at the organization’s annual and midyear conferences on nurse navigation issues. From 2012 through 2017, she co-chaired the annual AONN+ Conferences as well as served on the teams for certification and metrics. Sharon currently sits on the editorial boards of AONN+ publications The Oncology Nurse-APN/PA (TON) and CONQUER: the patient voice and is the breast cancer editor for the Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship (JONS). She has authored several pieces in JONS, Cancer, TON, Journal of Psychosocial Oncology and CONQUER, as well as chapters in Delivering Patient-Centered Care Across the Continuum, Nurse Navigation Case Studies, and Team-Based Oncology Care: The Pivotal Role of Oncology Navigation. She also has been instrumental in the development of local navigation networks across the US and internationally. She speaks nationally on the topic of patient navigation.

AONN+ welcomes Emily Gentry, RN, BSN, OCN, HON-ONN-CG as Senior Director of Education and Program Development and Co-Director of Certification. In her role as Senior Director of Education and Program Development, Emily will work on building processes and defining outcomes that will enable nurse navigators to work as part of an integrated care team. Emily has been engaged in supporting patients with cancer and their families for more than 30 years. Her most recent position was Navigation Director at Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute at Medical City Healthcare in Dallas/Fort Worth. She served on the AONN+ Leadership Council in 2016 and founded the AONN+ North Texas Regional Local Navigator Network in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in 2013. Emily also currently serves on the national AONN+ Conference planning team and has worked over the past several years to elevate the relevance and define the role of the oncology nurse navigator within the community hospital setting. She has also authored several articles in JONS and co-authored chapters in Team-Based Oncology Care.

Monica Dean is appointed Director of Patient Navigation Program Development and Co-Director of Certification. As Director of Patient Navigation Program Development, Monica will work on strengthening as well as forging relationships with advocacy groups to advance collaborative projects. In addition, she will liaise with pharmaceutical interests to develop funding and support specifically for patient navigation educational initiatives. Monica’s most recent position was as the Director of the National Navigation Roundtable (NNRT) at the American Cancer Society Global Headquarters. She was responsible for supporting, planning, and implementing initiatives of the NNRT; overseeing long-term activities; and enacting strategic plans and task group action plans, while creating and maintaining collaborative relationships with external partners and roundtable member organizations.

As Co-Directors of Certification, Emily and Monica will govern, oversee, and direct the process of AONN+ Certification.

“With the addition of both Monica and Emily to the AONN+ team, we are reaffirming our dedication to strong leadership for the nurse and patient navigators that make up the membership,” said Lynx Group CEO Brian Tyburski. “Their extensive experience in the navigation space bolsters their deep understanding of the needs of AONN+ members. I am confident they will invigorate the ongoing certification and accreditation efforts as we continue on our growth trajectory.”

“AONN+ is excited to have the addition of new leadership, which will cultivate accelerated growth and engagement within our membership and partnerships,” said Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN-CG, OCN, Chief Nursing Officer, Sr. Director of Strategic Planning and Initiatives. “The mission remains focused on professional development of our membership that impacts and drives value-based quality cancer care,” she added.

About the Lynx Group (http://www.thelynxgroup.com)

The Lynx Group is a rapidly growing global strategic alliance of medical communications and education companies. Through its unique business model, The Lynx Group strives to provide pivotal and contemporary information and education for all stakeholders in healthcare.

The Lynx Group is the official association management and marketing company of the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators, Association for Value-Based Cancer Care, and Association for Oncology Practice Management.

About the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators® (http://www.aonnonline.org)

The Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators, Inc. (AONN+) is the largest national specialty organization dedicated to improving patient care and quality of life by defining, enhancing, and promoting the role of oncology nurse and patient navigators. The organization, which has more than 8,600 members, was founded in 2009 to provide a network for all professionals involved and interested in patient navigation and survivorship care services in order to better manage the complexities of the cancer treatment process.

The Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship® (http://www.jons-online.com) is the official publication of AONN+. JONS seeks to strengthen the role of nurse and patient navigators in cancer care by serving as a platform for these professionals to disseminate original research findings, exchange best practices, and find support for their growing community.

CONQUER: The Patient Voice Magazine™ (http://www.conquer-magazine.com) is the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators’ (AONN+) premier forum for patients with cancer. CONQUER features articles written by and for patients with cancer, survivors, nurse navigators, and other oncology team members. This magazine addresses the issues that patients, their family members, and caregivers face every day in an easy-to-read format. Issues include interviews with patients with cancer, information on access to care, and articles on lifestyle topics such as nutrition, stress management, personal finance, and legal and employer issues. CONQUER also features patient stories that are nominated for the AONN+ HERO OF HOPE™ award, which is presented at the AONN+ Annual Conference. All stories are compiled in a special issue of CONQUER at the end of the year.

Survey and Feedback Platform Calibrater Health Launches Calibrater Performance Insights for Urgent Care Businesses


Calibrater Health, the leading feedback management platform for multi-unit healthcare businesses, announced today the launch of Calibrater Performance Insights, designed specifically for urgent care. A breakthrough in data-driven patient understanding, Calibrater Performance Insights uses automation to drill down to the core of the patient experience, providing a real-time, multi-level analysis of a wide array of interactions that contribute to overall patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes.

Processes that need improvement can be hard to accurately identify through mere intuition or surface-level data. Armed with Calibrater Performance Insights, however, organizations can laser-target these opportunities and build an action plan.

“Providers know that listening to patients is critical, yet finding meaning in feedback data remains difficult,” said Tim Dybvig, CEO of Calibrater Health. “Using Calibrater Performance Insights, urgent care centers can go beyond simply collecting patient data to finding actionable wisdom that transforms their business. This is a key step in developing an effective strategy for service recovery and marketing.”

Fueled by advanced algorithms, Calibrater Performance Insights can break down patient feedback and performance data into a multitude of categories, topics, and positive and negative sentiments. Topic examples include Provider Attitude, Reception Attitude, Prescription Issues, and Billing Issues.

Furthermore, organizations can take advantage of robust benchmark data included in the tool. With this data, organizations can not only stack up their performance to industry peers in several categories, but also use it internally to compare their individual locations’ performance on a site-by-site basis. This data can be accessed by region, and changes in the data can be examined over time.

Calibrater Health launched the beta version of Performance Insights in August 2019 and is thrilled to release the full version of this powerful feature today. To learn more about Calibrater Performance Insights, visit https://www.calibrater.com/calibrater-performance-insights/.

About Calibrater Health

Calibrater Health’s AI-powered tools help distributed healthcare organizations improve customer service and team culture to accelerate business growth. We send short text-message surveys after every patient visit, and our purpose-built platform uses machine learning to mine that valuable feedback for actionable insights targeted to the specific needs of your business. Start using our platform today and never miss another chance to repair a patient relationship, improve your team, and grow your healthcare business. Learn more at http://www.calibrater.com.

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ACT.md’s CareHub™ Platform Selected for Medicaid Care Coordination by Oregon’s Advanced Health CCO


ACT.md, a nationally-recognized provider of integrated health and social care solutions, today announced a partnership with Advanced Health in Oregon. Advanced Health is a coordinated care organization, or CCO, comprised of health care providers serving more than 20,000 Oregon Health Plan (OHP) Medicaid members living in Oregon’s Coos and Curry counties. Advanced Health is a leader among CCOs for its strong financial and health outcomes and has been working to address the social determinants of health since its founding.

As part of the State of Oregon’s “CCO 2.0” initiative, CCOs are increasing their strategic investments in efforts to address social determinants of health, health equity, and health disparities in local communities. Advanced Health’s System of Care is designed to encompass physical health care, addictions, and mental health care and dental care providers, and incorporates a host of member-directed and evidence-based strategies, such as:

  • Primary-care case management and licensed Behavioral Health specialists deployed in every primary care setting.
  • Assertive Community Treatment programs offered in multiple community settings.
  • Significant investment in growing the workforce of traditional health workers in their clinics and across the community.


“Over the next five years, Advanced Health is transitioning more than 70% of our health care costs to value-based payments, which is radically transforming how we operate,” said Ben Messner, Advanced Health CEO. “As we continue to improve the scope of our offerings and integrate services, ACT.md’s CareHub platform will play a critical role in supporting our hub-and-spoke model of coordinated care for all our members and providers.”

Within the ACT.md platform, care providers across the Coos County and Curry County communities will leverage their cloud-based CareHub™ to assess members’ health and social needs, create member-centered and goal-oriented care plans, refer members to health and social care organizations across the continuum, and manage programs like Advanced Health’s Intensive Care Coordination and Exceptional Needs Care Coordination offerings.

“Medicaid members rely on Advanced Health’s modern and whole person approach to delivering high-quality care, and ACT.md stands ready to help them bring personalized care to more members,” said Ted Quinn, CEO and Co-Founder, ACT.md. “Across Oregon, CCOs are working on a local level to bring better health, quality care, and lower costs to Oregonians, and we look forward to seeing how their success will inform community-based health models for ACOs across the country.”

About ACT.md®

ACT.md’s cloud-based CareHub™ platform connects patients, families, care teams, and community partners on the journey to health and well-being. With ACT.md, everyone can act together to make healthier lives happen, wherever they are. Headquartered in Boston, Mass., ACT.md is privately held and venture-funded by the disruptive innovation investment firm, Rose Park Advisors. For more information, visit https://www.act.md.

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Nourishing Biologicals Helps Support Women Entrepreneurship Within the Skincare Industry


Nourishing Biologicals’ Skin Institute trains spas and aestheticians on the latest non-surgical face lift.

I’m so thankful for what the Nourishing Biologicals’ Skin Institute has offered me. They provided individualized onsite training for all my estheticians. I have been able to increase my client base as a result, said Julia Aroyan, owner of Aesthetix Plus in Ponte Vedra, FL.

Nourishing Biologicals, a Bio-Science company, created by North Florida surgeon, George Sadowski, M.D., to treat the cause, not the symptom, of aging skin with advanced Miracular Cellular Communication™ announces its commitment to support women entrepreneurship within the skincare industry.

“Our goal at Nourishing Biologicals is to help women ‘change their skin, change their lives’. When one feels good about how she looks, she naturally radiates confidence. Her outlook becomes more hopeful and positive. She can accomplish just about anything,” said Natalia Sadowski, Director of Aesthetics and Education at Nourishing Biologicals.

“We decided to take our mission one step further to help women owned businesses succeed. We have committed to support women entrepreneurship within the skincare industry with our ‘Grow Your Business, Increase Your Revenue’ campaign,” continued Sadowski.

Nourishing Biologicals and the NB Skin Institute is training women owned spas and aestheticians on the latest anti-aging non-surgical facelift procedure, Plasma Fibroblast. With this training, these spas and aestheticians are able to better compete in the marketplace.

“I had clients asking for the Plasma Fibroblast treatment, but I couldn’t take time away from my spa business to travel far for a training. I’m so thankful for what the Nourishing Biologicals Skin Institute has offered us. They provided individualized onsite training for all my estheticians. I have been able to increase my client base as a result, said Julia Aroyan, owner of Aesthetix Plus in Ponte Vedra, FL.

Nourishing Biologicals is focused in helping women kickstart successful skincare businesses, providing products, services and training that will help them grow and succeed. They have also helped women kickstart ecommerce companies, as well as beauty salons stand out from the competition.

Jessie Zhou, founder of San Francisco based BeautysTouch.com states, “Our goal is to find products from around the world that have better performing, safer and more distinctive combinations of ingredients, so we were excited to find and learn about Nourishing Biologicals. We are thrilled that we can offer our clients a science-based skincare line that uses Nobel Prize-winning technology. Our clients can’t seem to get enough of the NB products.”

Nourishing Biologicals goes out of their way to empower women business owners – making training easy and affordable, providing marketing support, and ultimately growing their businesses and increasing revenue.

“Nourishing Biologicals is helping differentiate my salon from the salon down the street. The products go hand-in-hand with the high-quality hair care services and products our customers are used to. They now can come to Salon Mirror Mirror and take care of a number of their beauty needs,” said Dawn Martinez, owner of Salon Mirror Mirror in Solana Beach, California.

To learn more about how to partner with Nourishing Biologicals and the NB Skin Institute please visit http://www.nourishingbiologicals.com.

About Nourishing Biologicals:

Introduced by George E. Sadowski, M.D., Nourishing Biologicals is a leading Bio-Science company bringing together a science-based approach and beauty to treat the signs of aging beneath the surface. We provide the highest quality and most effective products carefully formulated with Nobel Prize winning ingredients and bio-natural proteins that match those of the human body to defend and reverse the signs of skin aging at the cellular level and before skin damage is visible to the naked-eye, Miracular Cellular Communication™. Visit Nourishing Biologicals or connect via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube or LinkedIn.

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GIOSTAR Announces Medical Breakthrough in Biotechnology and Lifesciences To Manufacture Abundant, Safe Red Blood Cells From Stem Cells


India Prime Minister Modi Discusses Stem Cell Therapy with Dr. Anand Srivastava of GIOSTAR

“The world is experiencing a critical shortage of blood the WHO Global Study reveals. Strategic investments are needed in many low-income and middle-income countries to expand national transfusion services, blood management systems, and alternatives to blood transfusions.”

GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN has developed and secured patented technology to manufacture lifesaving mature red blood cells from stem cells. The red blood cells are made utilizing a bioreactor that permits the production of mature red blood cells, under strictly controlled conditions, for transfusion therapy and replaces the need for a human blood donor. GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN mature red blood cells are safe and not compromised by inadequate pathogen detection and inactivation of diseases such as hepatitis C, HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis. The red blood cells are O-Negative (Universal Donor) to eliminate incompatibility and allosensitization reactions. Trauma situations often do not allow for adequate blood typing due to time restrictions, so the GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN red blood cells address that need effectively.

“There are three main problems for blood transfusions,” stated Dr. Anand Srivastava, founder and CEO of GIOSTAR. “First we have to match the blood type. Second, there’s not enough blood available every single time. And third, when we transfer blood from one person to another person, there is always a chance of the transfer of disease.”

Watch a feature interview with Dr. Anand Srivastava on The DM Zone with host Dianemarie Collins.

The World Health Organization (WHO) published the first detailed analysis on the global supply and demand for blood in October 2019 and found that 119 out of 195 countries do NOT have enough blood in their blood banks to meet hospital needs. In those nations, which include every country in central, eastern, and western sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania (not including Australasia), and south Asia are missing roughly 102,359,632 units of blood, according to World Health Organization (WHO) goals. While total blood supply around the world was estimated to be around 272 million units, in 2017, demand reached 303 million units. That means the world was lacking 30 million units of blood, and in the 119 countries with insufficient supply, that shortfall reached 100 million units.

The global market opportunity for GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN technology presents not only a profitable and scalable business opportunity but also a significant social and environmental impact. The global market is estimated to be at least $ 85 Billion/year.

GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN has identified early entry global markets to include Military, Trauma, Asia (replace Hepatitis C contaminated blood products), Africa (AIDS contaminated blood), Newborns, Thalassemia patients, Allosensitized sickle cell disease patients. South Sudan was found to have the lowest supply of blood, at 46 units per 100,000 people. In fact, the country’s need for blood was deemed 75 times greater than its supply. In India, which had the largest absolute shortage, there was a shortfall of nearly 41 million units, with demand outstripping supply by over 400 percent. Strategic investments are needed in many low-income and middle-income countries to expand national transfusion services and blood management systems. Oncology is a major user of blood transfusion but if countries don’t have the capacity to manage the bulk of oncology, it will limit complex surgery options.

GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN has acquired the exclusive license to the patent for the technique for stem cell proliferation from University of California San Diego (UCSD). The founding team of GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN is comprised of the scientists and clinicians who were involved in creating the Intellectual Property at UCSD and has already achieved PROOF OF CONCEPT – the optimized lab scale proliferation of mature red blood cells – at UCSD as part of their research.

GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN is currently looking for strategic partnerships (Contact Doug@DMProductionsLLC.com) to accelerate the development of donor-independent red blood cells manufacturing capabilities and advance the proof of concept work already done (patented) around the manufacture of safe, universal donor, human red blood cells. GIOSTAR/HEAMGEN will also develop a full automated proprietary bioreactor using robotic technology to produce abundant quantities of red blood cells with a goal for cost-effective commercialization of fresh, human, universal donor Red Blood Cells (RBCs).

ABOUT GIOSTAR

Dr. Anand Srivastava is a Chairman and Cofounder of California based Global Institute of Stem Cell Therapy and Research (GIOSTAR) headquartered in San Diego, California, (U.S.A.). The company was formed with the vision to provide stem cell based therapy to aid those suffering from degenerative or genetic diseases around the world such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Autism, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Stroke, Spinal Cord Injuries, Paralysis, Blood Related Diseases, Cancer and Burns. GIOSTAR is a leader in developing most advance stem cell based technology, supported by leading scientists with the pioneering publications in the area of stem cell biology. Company’s primary focus is to discover and develop a cure for human diseases with the state of the art unique stem cell based therapies and products. The Regenerative Medicine provides promise for treatments of diseases previously regarded as incurable.

GIOSTAR is world’s leading Stem cell research company involved with stem cell research work for over a decade. It is headed by Dr Anand Srivastava, who is a pioneer and a world-renowned authority in the field of Stem Cell Biology, Cancer and Gene therapy. Several governments and organizations including USA, India, China, Turkey, Kuwait, Thailand, Philippines, Bahamas, Saudi Arabia and many others seek his advice and guidance on drafting their strategic and national policy formulations and program directions in the area of stem cell research, development and its regulations. Under his creative leadership, a group of esteemed scientists and clinicians have developed and established Stem Cell Therapy for various types of autoimmune diseases and blood disorders, which are being offered to patients in USA and soon it will be offered on a regular clinical basis to the people around the globe.

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GHX Vice President of Healthcare Value and Lead Data Scientist to Explore Key Industry Issues and New Technologies at 2020 Health Care Supply Chain Summit


Global Healthcare Exchange, LLC (GHX) today announced its Vice President of Healthcare Value, Karen Conway, and Data Science Lead, Bryan Loughry will be featured speakers at the 14th Annual Health Care Supply Chain Summit, taking place January 27-28 in New Orleans. Conway will present on how supply chain can support programs to manage population health.

The presentation, Managing Population Health: A Supply and Demand Challenge, will take place January 28 at 11:30 a.m. and will address:

  •     How leveraging foundational supply chain skills can enable population health management objectives
  •     The value of integrating population health initiatives into current procurement activities rather than creating new programs at added costs
  •     How several leading healthcare systems are already leveraging their supply chains to optimize population health initiatives

In addition, Conway and Loughry will participate in a panel discussion, “Digitizing the Supply Chain through the Application of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics,” that will look at the ways in which supply chain executives can leverage artificial intelligence to optimize supply chain management across the continuum of care. The panel, moderated by Healthcare Purchasing News publisher Kris Russell, will take place January 28th at 8:45 a.m.

Conway and Brent Petty, former System Vice President, Supply Chain for Wellmont Health Systems, will also help facilitate roundtable discussions on mergers and acquisitions, UDIs, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and Emergency Preparedness. The roundtable discussion will take place on January 27th at 4:15 p.m.

About GHX

Global Healthcare Exchange, LLC (GHX) is a healthcare business and data automation company, empowering healthcare organizations to enable better patient care and maximize industry savings using its world-class cloud-based supply chain technology platform. GHX brings together healthcare providers, manufacturers and distributors in North America, and Europe, who rely on proven healthcare-focused technology and comprehensive data to automate business processes and make more informed, timely and fact-based decisions. Solutions span procurement and accounts payable automation, contract and inventory management, vendor credentialing and management, business intelligence, payment management and other supply chain-related tools and services. For more information, visit http://www.ghx.com and The Healthcare Hub.

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Dr. Alejandro Badia, renowned hand and upper-limb surgeon and founder of Badia Hand to Shoulder Center & OrthoNOW®, Upper-Limb Experts Know Best; Offers Tips


Dr. Alejandro Badia

Hand specialists are also experts in microsurgical techniques, having undergone additional, rigorous training in repair of the hand’s minute blood vessels and nerves which requires the use of an operating microscope.

“It’s complicated.” The phrase may apply to some human relationships but certainly holds true for the complex architecture providing function to a person’s hand, wrist, arm and shoulder. “Which is why patients should contact an experienced upper-limb specialist – not just an orthopedic surgeon — when anything goes wrong up or down this superhighway of interconnected bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, muscles and nerves,” says renowned hand and upper-limb surgeon Alejandro Badia MD. Dr. Badia and many of his colleagues note that our patients are often unaware that the specialty of hand surgery even exists and often ask, “What type of issues do you treat?”. This fact even led to the development of ISSPORTH (International Society of Sport Traumatology of the Hand), where a group of colleagues in Europe noted that many elite athletes seemed unaware of the specialties’ importance when it came to assessing and treating their sports-related wrist or elbow issues. Badia served as the international societies first president in 2011-12.

Of course, orthopedic surgeons, in general, address injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. However, “hand specialists are also experts in microsurgical techniques, having undergone additional, rigorous training in repair of the hand’s minute blood vessels and nerves which requires the use of an operating microscope” explains Dr. Badia. Arthroscopic and minimally invasive techniques involving the wrist, hand and elbow are also the domain of the hand surgeon, and like Badia, many also focus on the shoulder due to its importance in controlling the entire upper limb function by placing the hand in space.

Badia completed fellowships in hand and trauma surgery following four years of orthopedic and surgical residency at New York University, preceded by a general surgery internship at the historic Bellevue Hospital.

German philosopher Immanuel Kant referred to the critical importance of the human hand by calling it “the visible part of the brain.” The same description could hold true for the wrist, arm and shoulder, which provide the necessary fulcrums and levers to give the hand motion and the strength to grasp, hold, lift, turn, work and play. The shoulder, for example, is one of the most complex joints in the body, powered by a collection of muscles and tendons (rotator cuff) and able to assume as many as 1,000 different positions.

The capabilities of the upper limbs are what set aside humans from other animals, states Dr. Badia, whose professional memberships include the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) and multiple international orthopedic, hand and arthroscopic surgical societies. The human thumb function specifically separates us from other simians, for example.

“Considering the upper anatomy’s importance to overall quality of life, why wouldn’t patients contact an available surgeon who specializes in the care of the upper extremity for treatment of problems, including pain, that affect the function of their hand, wrist, arm or shoulder?”

Emergence of hand and upper-limb surgery as a subspecialty of orthopedic surgery is fairly recent, dating primarily to World War II when large numbers of battle-related hand injuries brought together a variety of specialists – general, orthopedic, vascular and plastic surgeons, as well as neurosurgeons – to treat and return function to soldiers’ hands. This multidisciplinary approach served as a model for development of special centers – and, later, professionals — for care of the hand.

Today’s rapid, ongoing changes in medical and surgical procedures for musculoskeletal disorders and development of new biomaterials — like tissue-engineered substitutes as replacements for skin or tendon grafts – to repair joints, ligaments and muscles make subspecialization within the field of orthopedic surgery almost mandatory. “No one physician can know and learn about study findings and advancements affecting every area of the skeleton,” Dr. Badia says.

As founder and medical director of the Florida-based Badia Hand to Shoulder Center and OrthoNOW®, a walk-in orthopedic care clinic, Dr. Badia speaks from experience, having become internationally known for his treatment of a wide array of upper-limb disorders and injuries, including complex trauma, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar nerve entrapment, shoulder impingement, wrist disorders, distal radius fractures, post-injury reconstruction and outpatient upper limb joint replacement. His patients have included well known sports professionals and corporate executives from Europe, South America and even Asia.

“Musculoskeletal pain is a leading reason why people visit doctors,” Dr. Badia says. “That’s why it is important patients select the right specialist to ensure quick, accurate diagnosis and receive the optimal therapy for resolving their problem.”

Just because a patient sees a hand and upper-limb surgeon – or any orthopedic surgeon, for that matter – does not mean surgery will be the recommended course of action. Conservative approaches, including anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroid injections, splinting, physical therapy, or recommended stretching and home exercises, are often first line of treatment for many musculoskeletal conditions.

Surgery is only required when debilitating pain or disease persists, says Dr. Badia, who is also expert in use of alternative, nonsurgical approaches like orthobiologics – the harnessing of a person’s own biologic substances, including blood platelets and adult (mesenchymal) stem cells — to mitigate inflammation, relieve chronic musculoskeletal pain and repair orthopedic injuries when standard therapies fail.

Dr. Badia’s advice to patients:

  • Do the research. Learn about the training and experience of specific doctors and clinics before selecting.
  • Match the specialist with the problem. Consider a 2nd opinion with an upper-limb specialist should the problem involve the hand or upper extremity.
  • Ask questions about treatment options.

Enhance the potential for treatment success by following the specialist’s directions.

“As specialists and subspecialists in orthopedics, we do more than mend bones and fix joints,”

Dr. Badia adds. “We apply the latest therapies to treat a myriad of disorders affecting nerves, muscles, ligaments and other structures of the musculoskeletal system.”

Alejandro Badia, MD, FACS, internationally renowned hand and upper-limb surgeon and founder of Badia Hand to Shoulder Center and OrthoNOW®, a walk-in orthopedic care clinic. He is a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Association for Hand Surgery and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and an honorary member of many international professional hand societies. Dr. Badia specializes in treating all problems related to the hand and upper extremities, including trauma, sports injury, joint reconstruction, nerve injuries and arthroscopic surgeries. Go to OrthoNOWcare.com and drbadia.com.

J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference 2020 – Innovation, Efficiency & the Consumer – Industry Analysis by Loyale Healthcare


Attendees to the 2020 JP Morgan Healthcare Conference help define the future of healthcare in America

Providers must find ways to improve efficiencies, leverage technology to reach more people at lower cost and employ data to continually sharpen operating practices. – Kevin Fleming, CEO, Loyale Healthcare

The 2020 JP Morgan Healthcare Conference took place in San Francisco last week. One of the largest and most influential events focused on the business of healthcare, the conference brings together leaders from across healthcare and financial companies to explore emerging ideas and technologies and learn from some of the industry’s most innovative and successful practitioners.

Last year, we published an analysis of conference highlights based on insightful commentary from Dan Michelson, CEO of Strata Decision Technology writing for Becker’s Hospital Review. In 2020, Mr. Michelson and Becker’s have again published what I consider the definitive JPM2020 summary titled “The top 10 questions from the 2020 J. P. Morgan Healthcare Conference that every CEO must answer.”

Based on my own experiences at this year’s event, the Becker’s summary presents an excellent starting point for Loyale’s analysis of emerging practices and products affecting hospital finances. Most particularly, the constituency with the greatest influence over hospital financial performance – patients.

The Future is Already Here

In his analysis, Mr. Michelson dismisses the notion that this year’s conference was merely “more of the same”. Quoting futurist William Gibson, he points out that “The future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed.” At Loyale Healthcare, our experience in working with some of healthcare’s largest and most successful companies attests to that simple truth.

The markets, technologies, practices, policies and ideas that will transform healthcare are all present – even if nascent. The challenge now is for healthcare providers to identify the path forward that works best for them and their patients. Unless and until that transformation begins to take shape, I expect these themes will continue to dominate the conversation in healthcare.

Last year our analysis, “Creating the Frictionless Healthcare Platform” presented a readiness checklist designed to help hospitals and health systems evaluate their preparedness for a more expansive, consumer-friendly way to do business. The promise of Platform-based business models was prominent again at this year’s event, with the Mayo Clinic being singled out for its strategic decision to embrace the platform model.

The first Mayo platform initiative, as described in this recent article, is the launch of its new Clinical Data Analytics Platform. The first of what Mayo envisions will be many platform-based initiatives, the AI platform will “apply advanced analytics on deidentified data from across Mayo and other organizations and comb scientific literature to gain insights into new treatments that could improve patients’ outcomes.”

The potential of a platform-based business model is not confined to clinical disciplines. From an operating standpoint, platforms hold great promise for the transformation of hospital administration and finance. The Loyale Healthcare platform is one example. Working with companies like HCA Healthcare and U.S. Anesthesia Partners, we’re integrating Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems with dozens of other healthcare technologies, leveraging data to help providers deliver seamless experiences to patients and staff. Platform outcomes include: improved patient engagement, lower operating costs, higher patient revenues and better overall operating performance across the enterprise. These systems all exist today, Loyale unifies them all in a single, user-optimized digital experience that drives results.

Are Healthcare Leaders Asking the Right Questions?

Mr. Michel’s analysis frames his observation of, and conversations at, the JPM2020 conference with ten questions shared by industry executives, many of which are embedded in this year’s conference content. These ten questions, along with our own qualifiers, follow:

1. Will we think differently and truly leverage our platform? As discussed above, are we prepared to invest financially, culturally and strategically in the platform model? Do we believe platforms represent our best path to sustainable success?

2. Market share: Are we leveraging a share of cup strategy? Are hospitals taking a big picture approach to knowing and serving “their markets?”

3. Are we a holding company or an operating company? Are hospitals and health systems realizing the scale and benefits of mergers and acquisitions?

4. Do we have employees or a team? How will hospitals overcome healthcare’s operating silos to develop an enterprise-wide, cross-disciplined approach to care?

5. Physicians: Are our physicians optimistic or pessimistic? What are providers’ plans to overcome systemic flaws that can lead to burnout and turnover?

6. Customer: Do we treat sick patients or care for consumers? Are providers practicing a B2B or B2C business? Are patient relationships a critically valuable business asset? The answer, if you don’t already know, is yes.

7. Data: Will we make data liquid? How will you use data to understand your business, make better decisions and improve care and performance?

8. Cost: Are we serious about reducing the cost of care and delivering value? How will you respond to the call for improved affordability?

9. Capital: Do we have an “asset-light” strategy? Are there ways to leverage existing assets to broaden markets and deliver more services?

10. Performance: Do we want our team to build a budget or improve performance? Are you wasting valuable time and effort on outdated, non-performing business practices? Are there better ways?

Each of these questions prompts crucial self-analysis for healthcare leaders and their teams. In my view, they’re the right questions. That’s partly because they reach across the industry and enterprises to address all of the most vexing issues facing healthcare. Also because these are precisely the kinds of questions that led Loyale’s clients to search for and select Loyale.

Because our domain expertise resides in the areas of healthcare revenue cycle and patient engagement, let’s take a closer look at questions 1, 3, 6 and 8, specifically as they pertain to patients’ financial experiences and provider financial outcomes.

Question one, “Will we think differently and truly leverage our platform?” is addressed above. Loyale clients are motivated by a desire to integrate disparate, disjointed systems and processes to deliver more holistic experiences that benefit team members and patients. Some are even exploring wider business implications for developing platform-enabled, revenue-generating shared services.

Question three, “Are we a holding company or an operating company?” addresses a frustration that’s all too common as consolidation in the healthcare industry continues to accelerate. The best results are achieved by providers who are ready to make the hard decisions, implementing enterprise-wide standards and protocols designed to improve efficiencies and drive growth. Loyale clients demonstrate this concept by implementing our platform technology across their entire ecosystems – delivering superior patient (and staff) financial experiences throughout each patient’s care journey – in every setting, every time.

Question six, “Do we treat sick patients or care for consumers?” confronts the largely transactional nature of provider-patient interactions. We’re all consumers of healthcare. Some more, some less. But when asked, most of us agree that, while the clinical dimension of care is usually good or even exceptional, when it comes to the administrative and financial dimensions of care, the experience deteriorates dramatically.

With as many as half of Americans avoiding or delaying care because they’re afraid they can’t afford it, this egregious disconnect impairs a provider’s ability to compete for patients and to improve the probability of being paid for it. Healthcare is the only industry where the consumer lacks basic information to make informed decisions. Loyale clients are working to fix that. From pre-treatment price transparency to personalized, interactive payment plans. Loyale is making it possible for providers to connect with patients the way many of today’s most successful B2C companies connect with their customers.

Question eight, “Are we serious about reducing the cost of care and delivering value?” underscores something we have written about extensively over the last year. No healthcare-related issue has had a higher profile in the public eye than healthcare affordability and its adjacent issues – surprise medical bills and aggressive collection tactics. Despite the rhetoric of the current U.S. presidential campaign, few if any presenters or attendees at JPM2020 expressed any serious concern about the possibility of Medicare for All or some other single-payer model being adopted in the foreseeable future.

Providers and the pharmaceutical industry, therefore, must find ways to improve efficiencies, leverage technology to reach more people at lower cost and employ data to continually sharpen operating practices. At Loyale, we’re working with healthcare enterprises and specialty providers to bring patient financial practices into the 21st century – with price transparency, interactive self-serve or full-service payment planning, patient financing and personalized digital communications on a clinically integrated “digital front door”. All so patients can get the care they need at a payment they can afford.

I am pleased to report that, based on our experiences with Loyale clients and with many of the forward-looking people I met with at this year’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, leaders are indeed asking the right questions. And the promising future whose elements are already present is slowly but surely coming into view. We’re proud to be a part of that future and look forward to sharing our progress at JPM2021.

Kevin Fleming is the CEO of Loyale Healthcare

Loyale Patient Financial Manager™ is a comprehensive patient financial engagement technology platform leveraging a suite of configurable solution components including predictive analytics, intelligent workflows, multiple patient financing vehicles, communications, payments, digital front doors and other key capabilities.

Loyale Healthcare is committed to a mission of turning patient responsibility into lasting loyalty for its healthcare provider customers. Based in Lafayette, California, Loyale and its leadership team bring 27 years of expertise delivering leading financial engagement solutions for complex business environments. Loyale currently serves approximately 12,000 healthcare providers across 48 states. Loyale recently announced an Enterprise level strategic partnership with Parallon including deployment of its industry leading technology to all HCA hospitals and Physician Groups.

Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Schildhorn Launches New Website


Dr. Jeffrey Schildhorn NYC Orthopedic Surgeon focusing on arthroscopic shoulder surgery

Dr. Jeffrey Schildhorn NYC Orthopedic Surgeon

I get to put people back together and help them get their lives back. I just want to communicate that message, and maybe even help people who may never step foot in my office.

Park Avenue based orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Schildhorn is celebrating the launch of his new website jschildhorn.com. Dr. Schildhorn is excited to bring this new digital portal for patient education to his existing and future NYC patients. Dr. Schildhorn is a graduate of Duke and attended medical school at Temple University. With over 12 years of hands-on experience, Dr. Schildhorn has built his reputation through word of mouth and professional referrals. Dr. Schildhorn is a lauded trauma surgeon and also operates on many wrist and ankle fractures.

For over a decade he has also excelled at shoulder hip and knee replacements. At his NYC practice, he routinely performs a wide variety of arthroscopic procedures which include sports medicine based ligament reconstruction. His key focus is on appendicular procedures, and he has earned a reputation as a go-to surgeon for shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and ankle issues. An avid, life long athlete himself, he has made it a point to get his patients not only fully recovered, but able to live their lives as they did before surgery. His goal has always been to restore function and return his patients to their pre-injury level of performance.

“I knew I wanted to communicate with my patients, and people looking to research their pain and injuries using new media and multimedia.” Said Dr. Schildhorn. He goes on to add “I wanted to allow patients to get to know the practice and what I do as an orthopedic surgeon even before coming to the office. To provide resources and understanding of injuries and the types of procedures that we do, and to know what to expect from the recovery process. I love my job, I get to put people back together and help them get their lives back. I just want to communicate that message, and maybe even help people who may never step foot in my office.”

Dr. Schildhorn’s message is simple, he understands that surgery is a big deal to most people. Today, medical and specifically surgical procedures are advancing at a breakneck pace. No matter how simple the procedure, Dr. Schildhorn understands that having any type of surgery is always somewhat inconvenient. Anyone can tolerate the short term pain associated with a surgical procedure. Deciding whether surgery is absolutely necessary depends on a patient’s goals and the amount of time and energy they are willing to invest in the process. Regardless of the simplicity of a given procedure. Dr. Schildhorn hopes that his new website can help ease some of the anxiety that may come with arthroscopic surgery.

Additionally, there are several options aside from surgery that can help relieve pain and aid in healing joints and skeletal tissue. The most popular among them being PRP and stem cell therapy. While Dr. Schildhorn offers these and other procedures at his Park Avenue practice, in some cases these modalities may simply serve as a stopgap, while the surgeon works with the patient to plan a comprehensive surgical and rehabilitative program.

To learn more about Dr. Schildhorn visit his website https://jschildhorn.com

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