I am thrilled that the tireless efforts of ASDSA in advocating for legislation allowing kids to use sunscreen in school has been recognized with such a prestigious award.

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. (PRWEB)
October 22, 2019

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association (ASDSA) was presented with the 2019 Excellency in Advocacy Award for Excellence in a State Issue Campaign by the Professional Women in Advocacy Conference.

The award recognized ASDSA’s advocacy initiative, SUNucate, and the contributions of ASDSA’s Advocacy team: Kristin Hellquist, Director of Advocacy and Practice Affairs; Emily Besser, Manager of Advocacy and Practice Affairs; and Jenny Zales, Associate of Advocacy and Practice Affairs.

In partnership with Women in Government Relations, the conference recognizes everyday women advocates with an annual award. Awards were also given in a number of other categories.

The legislation known as SUNucate is designed to eliminate barriers that prohibit students from possessing and using over-the-counter sunscreen in school. Sunscreen often falls under broad reaching “medication bans” that require a physician’s note or prescription to utilize in school. SUNucate-related measures have successfully passed in 24 states and the District of Columbia with pending bills in three additional states.

“I am thrilled that the tireless efforts of ASDSA in advocating for legislation allowing kids to use sunscreen in school has been recognized with such a prestigious award. The lifelong impact this legislation will have on children across the country by teaching sun-safe behavior now cannot be underscored,” said ASDSA President Murad Alam, MD, MBA. “I look forward to the continued success of ASDSA in working to pass this important legislation in other states in 2020.”

The need for such legislation arose after concerns were raised by dermatologists and reports in the national media about students being required to bring a note or prescription from a physician in order to possess or use sunscreen, which is classified as an over-the-counter drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Preventive Services Task Force both believe that children should have access to sunscreen and other sun-protective measures in order to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

To learn more about SUNucate, visit https://asds.net/SUNucate.

About ASDSA

With a membership of 6,400+ physicians, ASDSA is a 501(c) (6) association, dedicated to education and advocacy on behalf of dermatologic surgeons and their patients. For more information, visit http://asds.net/ASDSA.

Follow @ASDSAdvocacy on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

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We needed a strong, innovative partner with Blues experience to unify multiple care management functions onto one member-centric platform. Raelene Knolla, DO, Department Vice President and Senior Medical Director for Blue KC

RESTON, Va. (PRWEB)
October 22, 2019

Altruista Health, an innovative provider of care management technology solutions for health plans and provider organizations, today announced that a comprehensive vendor evaluation process by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) concluded with the choice to use Altruista’s technology platform, GuidingCare®, for care management of its 1 million members.

Blue KC serves 32 counties in Missouri and Kansas and has a strong community focus as the largest locally based plan in their market. Blue KC looked for a single platform to integrate care management, utilization management, pharmacy, reporting, and coordination with members and providers. They found it in GuidingCare.

“We needed a strong, innovative partner with Blues experience to unify multiple care management functions onto one member-centric platform,” said Raelene Knolla, DO, Department Vice President and Senior Medical Director for Blue KC. “Having a 360-degree view of the member meshes well with our community-based approach to care.”

The GuidingCare technology platform seamlessly brings together all the information needed for comprehensive care plans that serve vulnerable members.

“We are delighted that a values-driven organization like Blue KC sees the potential to leverage GuidingCare on behalf of their members and providers,” said Ashish Kachru, Altruista’s chief executive officer. “Our commitment to innovation resonates with their desire to break new ground in creative, thoughtful ways.”

GuidingCare integrates preventive and acute care, chronic disease management, behavioral health, long-term care and community services. This patient-centered model of care is portable through the award-winning Mobile Clinician app and is particularly well-suited for Blues plans trying to engage members who may be transient or who live in rural areas.

About Altruista Health

Altruista Health delivers care management and population health management solutions that support value-based and person-centered care models. Our GuidingCare® technology platform integrates care management, care coordination and quality improvement programs through a suite of sophisticated yet easy-to-use web applications. GuidingCare is the largest and most widely adopted platform of its kind in the United States. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area, Altruista Health has grown into a recognized industry leader, and was named twice as one of the Top Population Health Management Companies to Know by Becker’s Healthcare. Health plans and healthcare providers use GuidingCare to transform their processes, reduce avoidable expenses and improve patient health outcomes. For more information, visit altruistahealth.com.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, the largest not-for-profit health insurer in Missouri and the only not-for-profit commercial health insurer in Kansas City, has been part of the Kansas City community since 1938. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City provides health coverage services to more than 1 million residents in the greater Kansas City area, including Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and 30 counties in Northwest Missouri. Our mission: to provide affordable access to healthcare and to improve the health of our members. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information on the company, visit BlueKC.com.

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Dr. Jon D. Holmes, Clark Holmes Oral Facial Surgery of Alabama, says patients are the most important part of the practice and a driving factor behind the partnership.

It’s the best solution we’ve seen in the marketplace.

IRVING, Texas (PRWEB)
October 22, 2019

U.S. Oral Surgery Management (USOSM) – a specialty management services company headquartered in Irving, Texas, that exclusively serves premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons – has formed a new partnership with Clark Holmes Oral Facial Surgery of Alabama, an oral and maxillofacial surgery practice with four locations throughout the state, and USOSM’s first partnership in Alabama. This news comes on the heels of last week’s announcement of the company’s partnership with Dakota Valley Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, USOSM’s first partner practice in Minnesota.

“Clark Holmes Oral Facial Surgery of Alabama is one of the oldest and most well respected practices in the state of Alabama. It is an honor for us to partner with them. We intend to develop additional relationships in Alabama and throughout the Southeast,” says Richard Hall, USOSM president and CEO. “USOSM now has partner practices that span six states: Texas, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, Minnesota and Alabama.”

Clark Holmes Oral Facial Surgery of Alabama has three surgeons operating out of four Alabama offices: one in Trussville, one in Gardendale and two in Birmingham. The surgeons of Clark Holmes Oral Facial Surgery of Alabama practice a full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery with expertise ranging from corrective jaw surgery to wisdom tooth removal. In addition, they can diagnose and treat facial pain and facial injuries and perform a wide range of dental implant and bone grafting procedures. The surgeons are Dr. Mark Clark, DMD, MD; Dr. Jon D. Holmes, DMD, MD, FACS, FICD; and Dr. Blake Smith, DMD, MD.

“At Clark Holmes, our patients are the most important part of our practice,” says Dr. Holmes. “That’s why we chose to partner with U.S. Oral Surgery Management. Some management services companies have a reputation for coming in and taking over practices. USOSM does not. The people there have a reputation for doing what they say and for doing things right. When they say they’ll leave patient care up to us, they’ll leave patient care up to us; and that’s why we want to partner with them. It’s the best solution we’ve seen in the marketplace.”    

A shared services organization, USOSM collaborates with premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons to offer a partnership solution for continued and accelerated practice success. USOSM provides operational, marketing and administrative support services, reinvests resources, and applies best practices to improve clinical and financial performance and produce steadier, more profitable growth for all.

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“Seth has a proven track record of increasing market share and profitability for health systems and publicly traded companies,” said Michael Abramoff, MD, PhD, the founder and CEO of IDx.

CORALVILLE, Iowa (PRWEB)
October 22, 2019

IDx Technologies, a leading AI diagnostics company, today announced that it has appointed former LabCorp executive Seth Rainford as President of Global Markets. In his newly created role, Rainford will be charged with expanding market opportunities and driving operational excellence at IDx.

“Seth has a proven track record of increasing market share and profitability for health systems and publicly traded companies,” said Michael Abramoff, MD, PhD, the founder and CEO of IDx. “His breadth of experience will be a valuable asset as we work to accelerate our growing portfolio of customers. It is exciting to have him on board.”

Rainford joins the company during a rapid stage of growth, shortly after the company received a breakthrough FDA clearance for the first autonomous AI diagnostic system in any field of medicine. The AI system, called IDx-DR, is designed to detect diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness, in primary care without requiring an eye care specialist to interpret the results.

Rainford most recently served as Regional Vice President & General Manager of LabCorp in the Greater Chicago Area, leading a strategic transformation of the Midwest business unit. Previously, he served as Vice President at Northwestern Medicine, where he drove the commercialization and scaling of their outreach diagnostics business.

About IDx

IDx is a leading AI diagnostics company on a mission to transform the quality, accessibility, and affordability of healthcare. Founded in 2010 by a team of world-renowned clinician scientists, the company is focused on developing clinically-aligned autonomous algorithms that detect disease in medical images. By enabling diagnostic assessment in primary care settings, IDx aims to increase patient access to high-quality, affordable disease detection.

The company’s first product, IDx-DR, is an FDA-cleared AI-based diagnostic system designed for use at the front lines of care to detect diabetic retinopathy. IDx is developing additional AI-based diagnostic systems for the detection of macular degeneration, glaucoma, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke risk.

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TUCSON, Ariz. (PRWEB)
October 22, 2019

Radiology portal AuntMinnie.com, part of Science and Medicine Group, today announced the winners of the 2019 edition of the Minnies, an annual event recognizing excellence in medical imaging.

Now in their 20th year, the Minnies awards enable medical imaging specialists to acknowledge the contributions of their peers to the field of radiology. Minnies candidates are nominated by members of AuntMinnie.com, with winners chosen by a panel of radiology experts after two rounds of voting.

The 15 Minnies categories range from Most Influential Radiology Researcher to Best New Radiology Device and also include categories such as Best Educational Mobile App and Best Radiology Image.

The 15 categories are as follows:

• Most Influential Radiology Researcher
• Most Effective Radiology Educator
• Most Effective Radiologic Technologist Educator
• Most Effective Radiology Administrator/Manager
• Best Radiologist Training Program
• Best Radiologic Technologist Training Program
• Most Significant News Event in Radiology
• Biggest Threat to Radiology
• Hottest Clinical Procedure
• Scientific Paper of the Year
• Best New Radiology Device
• Best New Radiology Software
• Best New Radiology Vendor
• Best Educational Mobile App
• Best Radiology Image

View the full list of Minnies winners, or visit minnies.auntminnie.com.

About AuntMinnie.com

AuntMinnie.com is the premier online destination for radiologists, radiation therapists, interventional radiologists, and related professionals in the medical imaging industry, while AuntMinnieEurope.com serves the European radiology community. AuntMinnie.com and AuntMinnieEurope.com feature the latest news, communities, continuing medical education, and board review education for medical imaging physicians, clinicians, residents, and medical students across the world. AuntMinnie.com and AuntMinnieEurope.com are part of Science and Medicine Group.

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The Most Fundable Companies is a highly competitive initiative that provided us with a data-driven analysis to vet our company strategy and business planning

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB)
October 22, 2019

nQ Medical, Inc. of Cambridge, MA, was recognized in the top 5 at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School’s 2019 Most Fundable Companies List which was announced at a showcase event yesterday in Los Angeles. nQ competed against 3,500 early-stage U.S. companies with less than $10 million in annual revenue, strong business plans, and impressive near-term growth projections to be named one of the most fundable companies in America. The Graziadio School invited the top 15 Most Fundable Companies to its Malibu campus for the final pitch event.

“The Most Fundable Companies is a highly competitive initiative that provided us with a data-driven analysis to vet our company strategy and business planning,” said R. A. Bavasso, nQ Medical Co-Founder. “We are excited that Pepperdine Graziadio Business School is recognizing entrepreneurs from across the country, providing resources to assist startups in realizing their market potential, and support in securing private investment to accelerate growth.”

nQ Medical is a computational biotechnology company with expertise in digital phenotyping through AI-aided analysis of personal device interactions. It has developed digital biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease in early and newly diagnosed/untreated stages of disease. In addition to PD, it is currently conducting a number of separate clinical trials to develop digital biomarkers individually relevant to Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, and mTBI (concussion) with industry partners and academic centers including Cleveland Clinic and Massachusetts General Hospital. Our AD trial has advanced to yield early and promising results measuring early detection of cognitive decline and delineating PD and AD symptomatology.

As a winner on the Most Fundable Companies List, nQ will be featured in the December 2019 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine.

The Most Fundable Companies initiative involved a multi-phase assessment that evaluated several company variables including financial projections, market opportunity, intellectual property and the strength of the management team, all of which were used to produce a fundability score. Companies were evaluated and selected in partnership with The Venture Alliance (TVA) based on their readiness for private investment.

More than 3,500 early-stage U.S. companies spanning 46 states participated in the Most Fundable Companies initiative. Honorees on the list are located across the country and come from a variety of industries, including medical devices, software services, and agriculture technology.

“One of the most challenging aspects of transforming an idea into a viable company is securing adequate funding,” said Craig Everett, assistant professor of finance and director of the Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Project. “The Most Fundable Companies initiative is designed to help exceptional entrepreneurs secure the visibility they need with the investment community as well as help angel and venture capital investors identify startups that are worthy of investment. We’re proud that companies named to the list last year so far have raised close to $17 million in aggregate.”

The Most Fundable Companies assessment evaluates several company variables including financial projections, market opportunity, intellectual property, and the strength of the management team, all of which are used to produce a fundability score for every company that participates.

Pepperdine Graziadio 2019 Most Fundable Companies List ®

#1: Enertiv (New York)

Enertiv is a real estate technology company that leverages the IoT and machine learning to bring a data-first approach to building performance in commercial properties.

#2: IronYun, Inc. (Stamford, CT)

IronYun provides the next generation of artificial intelligence video surveillance and video analytics software, ensuring the safety of individuals and businesses across multiple industries.

#3: Lumedica Vision (Durham, NC)

Lumedica is developing an affordable, accurate, and accessible retinal imaging device to assist eye care professionals across the globe with early detection of eye disease.

#4: nQ Medical (Cambridge, MA)

nQ Medical is a computational biomarker using AI and passive data from personal electronic devices to detect, monitor, and manage neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

#5: Purlin Co. (Torrance, CA)

Purlin is the first company that uses AI to make it easier for buyers to find the right home.

#6: MyShoperoo, Inc. (Aliso Viejo, CA)

Offered as a perk by employers, MyShoperoo is a digital shopping concierge service that runs errands for employees while they are at work.

#7: Hue.Ai (Tysons, VA)

Hue.Ai combines AI with chemistry expertise to develop the next generation of lens products for optimal visual acuity, visual health, and visual performance.

#8: Moving Analytics (Los Angeles, CA)

Moving Analytics is a convenient and cost-efficient telehealth cardiac rehabilitation service and prevention program for heart disease, increasing lifespan and health.

#9: Carii, Inc. (Pilesgrove, NJ)

Carii is a B2B community and market networking platform that enables organizations to engage stakeholders, connect members, manage their brand, and, importantly, own their data.

#10: Catapult HQ, Inc. (Charlotte, NC)

Catapult streamlines the request for proposal (RFP) process for both creators and responders, helping both businesses and government agencies achieve better outcomes and standardize workflows.

#11: Prenatal Hope (Gurnee, IL)

Prenatal Hope is a biotech innovations company that has developed an in utero testing device that reads fetus pH levels to reduce risk during childbirth.

#12: Giftz (Westlake Village, CA)

Giftz is a platform where shoppers can liquidate points, miles, and eGift cards for cash or exchange between programs, increasing perceived rewards value and customer satisfaction.

#13: Vection Group, Inc. (West Hollywood, CA)

Vection Group’s data intelligence platform uses real-time services to collect, store, analyze, and secure information critical to both the private and commercial sectors.

#14: echoAR, Inc. (New York, NY)

echoAR is a cloud platform for augmented reality that provides tools and server-side infrastructure to help developers and companies quickly build and deploy AR apps and content.

#15: IPG (Infrastructure Proving Grounds) (Buellton, CA)

IPG is pioneering IoT Defined Networking through its flagship product GearBox. GearBox is an on-premises computer appliance that manages, synchronizes, orchestrates, and secures networks.