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.

BKD CPAs & Advisors Launches New Physician Time Study Tool


“Not only does the time study tool help with compliance for Medicare regulations when claiming physician costs on the cost report, it also has the potential to help improve appropriate reimbursement amounts,” said Partner Chris Clark.

BKD National Health Care Group is rolling out a mobile-friendly physician time study tool, which assists hospitals in capturing reimbursable expenses on Medicare and Medicaid cost reports.

BKD’s physician time study tool allows organizations to measure how time is spent over a specific duration on various activities and provides a snapshot of a physician’s actions during the designated period. By simplifying the allocation process, this mobile-friendly app offers customizable time entry screens, multiple-user interface for convenient administration, nonphysician time study support (cost reports, uncompensated care and organ acquisition) and more.

“Not only does the time study tool help with compliance for Medicare regulations when claiming physician costs on the cost report, it also has the potential to help improve appropriate reimbursement amounts. We also have the opportunity to utilize this tool for other time-related statistics. I’m very excited to share this tool with our clients,” said Partner Chris Clark.

Time studies are required to allocate physician and midlevel costs between Part A and Part B. Conducting a physician time study can help health care organizations identify reimbursable expenses on the cost report that aren’t otherwise noted. Physician compensation costs are nonallowable without completed time studies.

Visit bkd.com/timestudy to learn more, request a demo and connect with BKD’s team directly.

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Seattle’s Infectious Disease Research Institute Announces Amended License Agreement With Merck


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Seattle’s Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) today announced that an agreement has been reached, to amend and restate IDRI’s license with Immune Design, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck (known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada). Under the amendment, the parties have agreed to modify the licensed fields and indications under which Merck has the rights to use IDRI’s Glycopyranosyl Lipid Adjuvant (GLA) technology (including the GLA and SLA adjuvants), in exchange for potential milestone and royalty payments. The amendment also permits IDRI to conduct research and development of GLA and SLA to treat cancer in low resource regions, itself or through collaborations and partnerships in this area in the future.

“This is an important milestone for IDRI with a premier global vaccine manufacturer,” said IDRI’s CEO Dr. Corey Casper. “This represents an incredible opportunity for our adjuvants continued availability to people around the globe.”

IDRI is committed to sharing technology to ultimately create vaccine platforms and technologies to combat the world’s most devastating infectious diseases and cancers, with a special focus on those that affect women and children. Licensing agreements such as this permit other research organizations, universities, foundations and in this case, pharmaceutical companies, to utilize IDRI’s intellectual property, adjuvants and specific processes/formulations, all with the goal of developing new solutions for treating infectious diseases and cancers.

For more information about IDRI, visit http://www.idri.org.

About IDRI

As a nonprofit global health organization, IDRI (Infectious Disease Research Institute) takes a comprehensive approach to combat infectious diseases and cancer, combining the high-quality science of a research organization with the product development capabilities of a biotech company to create vaccines and therapeutics. IDRI combines passion for improving human health with the understanding that it is not just what our scientists know about disease, but what we do to change its course that will have the greatest impact. Founded in 1993, IDRI has 55 employees headquartered in Seattle with more than 100 partners/collaborators around the world. For more information, visit http://www.idri.org.

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University of Medicine and Health Sciences Launches State-of-the-Art Virtual Tour


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We’re proud to showcase our world-class facilities on the beautiful island of St. Kitts and provide an in-depth look at what it’s like to be a student at UMHS.

University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS), a small, mission-driven medical school with a commitment to student support and a legacy of successful residency placements in the United States and Canada, today announced the launch of a new, fully-immersive virtual tour of its campus on St. Kitts, West Indies. Leveraging state-of-the-art technology, the tour provides a 360-degree walkthrough of the campus, lab tours, classroom visits, a welcome message from President Warren Ross, and interviews with students and faculty. Prospective students and their families are encouraged to visit https://www.umhs-sk.org/virtual-tour.

The rollout comes at a time when interested students typically visit the campus, but are currently unable to plan in-person tours as a result of COVID-related travel restrictions. By utilizing the latest technology that provides an in-depth look at UMHS as filmed over a five day period pre-shutdown, visitors can now navigate the Caribbean campus, see lectures come to life, and hear firsthand about the UMHS experience at any time by going online.

“We’re proud to showcase our world-class facilities on the beautiful island of St. Kitts and provide an in-depth look at what it’s like to be a student at UMHS,” said Warren Ross, president of UMHS. “UMHS has invested more than $100 million to build a state-of-the-art medical school, and combined with our robust student support services, including tutoring, mentoring and advising, we’ve created a program where the vast majority of our students go on to graduate and obtain a residency. We invite everyone to take a virtual tour to learn more about our school and what makes our program unique.”

The virtual tour is now live on the UMHS website and can be accessed by visiting https://www.umhs-sk.org/virtual-tour.

About UMHS

The University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS), is a small, mission-driven medical school with a commitment to student support and a legacy of successful residency placements in the United States and Canada. UMHS was founded in 2007 by medical education pioneers Warren and Robert Ross to deliver a highly personalized school experience. Graduates of UMHS earn a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD) and qualify to practice medicine throughout the United States and Canada. Students begin their Basic Science studies in St. Kitts, West Indies, and complete their clinical training in the United States. With an unprecedented 96% student retention rate, the vast majority of students that begin their medical studies at UMHS go on to obtain residencies. For more information visit https://www.umhs-sk.org/.

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Aging Media Announces 2020 Future Leaders Awards Honorees


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“We are thrilled to showcase these leaders across the care continuum with the Future Leader designation,” said Aging Media Co-Founder George Yedinak.

Aging Media Network, Inc. (“Aging Media”) is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Future Leaders Awards, recognizing high-performing employees who are shaping the next decade of care delivery across the senior housing, skilled nursing, home health and hospice industries.

These individuals are recognized as dynamic leaders, age 40 years or under, who are shaping the next decade of the care continuum. These passionate workers know how to put vision into action for the good of seniors and aging industry professionals, and they are committed to the wellbeing of the aging population and the industries they serve.

“We are thrilled to showcase these leaders across the care continuum with the Future Leader designation,” said Aging Media Co-Founder George Yedinak. “As the aging population grows and care models continue to shift, we need Future Leaders more than ever to pave the way for the future of senior care.”

This year’s Future Leaders class recognizes more than 20 individuals in their respective industries, all of whom will be featured in upcoming Aging Media publications, and will be recognized at Aging Media’s FUTURE virtual event to be held September 16-17.

The 2020 awards program is sponsored exclusively by PointClickCare Technologies, the leading cloud-based software platform for the senior care market today.

“PointClickCare is honored to be the exclusive sponsor for this year’s awards program,” said Dave Wessinger, Co-founder and President, PointClickCare. “Together with Aging Media we are committed to recognizing these well-deserving future leaders and their organizations. We applaud them and look forward to seeing the continued impact they have on care delivery and the senior care industry.”

For more information about the Future Leader Awards and to view the complete Future Leaders Class of 2020, please visit https://futureleaders.agingmedia.com/.

Aging Media is pleased to announce the following Future Leaders Awards honorees:

Senior Housing News

Isabelle Guarino, COO, AL Family

Kari Onweller, Vice President of Partner Relations & Portfolio Management, Invesque, Inc.

Jason French, Administrator, Western Reserve Masonic Community

Zach Rigby, Director, JLL

Kristopher Yetman, Senior Development Director, Benchmark Senior Living

Home Health Care News

Qiana James, Founder/CEO, Friendly Faces Senior Care

Sara Wilson, CEO and President, Home Assist Health

Leah Connachan, Chief Revenue Officer, MedBridge

Kunu Kaushal, Founder and CEO, Senior Solutions Home Care/The Independent Home Care Alliance

Sharon Vogel, Division Director of Strategy and Innovation, Skilled Nursing Unit, BAYADA Home Health Care

Jamie Brown, Vice President of Home Services, Eden Health

Andrew Matthews, Vice President of Business Development, 24 Hour Home Care

Jessica Treat, Director of Community Relations, Josephine Caring Community

Vincent Amazona, Specialized Trainer, Care Indeed

Skilled Nursing News

Bryan Hickman, SVP- Investments, Invesque, Inc.

Eli Mirlis, CEO, RegalCare

Justin DiRezze, CEO, Theoria Medical x 5-Star Telemed

Courtney Cooke, Director, Clinical Social Work, MPAC Healthcare

Christa Kelly, Vice President of Business Development, Villa Healthcare

John McFarlane, Chief Clinical Officer, Ignite Medical Resorts

Gina Bruno, Vice President of Value-Based Care, naviHealth

Hospice News

Mandy Cogswell, Chief Clinical Officer, St. Croix Hospice

About Aging Media Network

Aging Media Network is an innovative publishing company based in Chicago, Illinois, and is the publisher of Senior Housing News, Reverse Mortgage Daily, Home Health Care News, Hospice News and Skilled Nursing News.

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Tamara Sawicz, Director of Lifestyles, Vi at Lakeside Village, Receives 2020 Argentum Hero Award


Tamara Sawicz, Director of Lifestyle at Vi at Lakeside Village in Lantana, Fla., has been honored with a 2020 Hero Award from Argentum, the leading national association exclusively dedicated to supporting companies operating professionally managed, resident-centered senior living communities and the older adults and families they serve.

The Hero Awards, presented by Benchmark, recognize ideal representatives of people serving in the senior living field. Nominated by regional company executives and executive directors, these individuals to show the highest levels of excellence, caring, and dedication.

Sawicz was honored for inspiring others, contributing to the community, and changing the lives of residents. In her nomination, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Learning and Organizational Development Judy Whitcomb said: “With an enthusiastic and genuinely friendly attitude, Tamara exudes a passion for delivering value and benefits to those she works for and with.”

With a background that ranges from television production to social work, Sawicz continually takes action to help residents realize their dreams — whether it is helping veterans share their stories, enabling a resident to realize her life-long goal of publishing a book, or leading creative writing classes to share her love for writing and inspire others. A video project she created on veterans in her community was selected to be part of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives in Washington, D.C.

“We are so grateful for Tamara’s dedication and the many everyday heroes who work to serve, protect, and care for residents in the best of times and the most challenging of times,” said James Balda, Argentum president and CEO.

All 2020 honorees are profiled in the July/August issue of Senior Living Executive magazine.

About Vi

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Vi operates 10 continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) across the United States. With more than 30 years of experience as the owner and operator of residential communities for older adults, Vi continues to work toward providing quality environments, services and programs to enrich the lives of those they serve. In 2019, Vi was recognized by Great Place to Work and Fortune as one of the Best Workplaces for Aging Services and was ranked as one of Glassdoor’s “Top 100 Best Places to Work”.

About Argentum

Argentum is the leading national association exclusively dedicated to supporting companies operating professionally managed, resident-centered senior living communities and the older adults and families they serve. Since 1990, Argentum has advocated for choice, independence, dignity, and quality of life for all older adults.

Argentum member companies operate senior living communities offering assisted living, independent living, continuing care, and memory care services. Along with its state partners, Argentum’s membership represents approximately 75 percent of the senior living industry—an industry with a national economic impact of nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars and responsible for providing over 1.6 million jobs. These numbers will continue to grow as the U.S. population ages.

Argentum’s programs and initiatives are driven by its membership. For more information about joining Argentum, please visit argentum.org/membership. Learn more at argentum.org.

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InfraScan Inc. Announces Issuance of US Patents for Brain Diagnosis


InfraScan, a medical device firm specializing in brain injury and stroke diagnostic products, announced today the issuance by the US Patent Office of three additional patents that cover internal bleeding, brain trauma and stroke detection technologies.

The first patent for invention number US 2020/0229712 A1 is for an optical probe for oximetry measurements. The second patent for invention number US 2020/0170554 A1 is for a non-invasive device for brain edema and autoregulation monitoring device and method. The patent was developed in collaboration with Drexel University, which owns the patent and licensed it exclusively to InfraScan. The third patent for invention number US 10,292,598 B2 is for devices and methods for detection of internal hematoma. This patent was developed in Hadassah Hospital in Israel, which licensed it exclusively to InfraScan.

“The latest patents make claims in connection with near-infrared technology that allows local hypoxia and edema detection in addition to hemorrhage detection,” said Baruch Ben Dor, PhD, president and CEO of InfraScan. “Detecting changes from normal baseline as well as monitoring those parameters in trauma and stroke victims is crucial. It further expands our technology platform portfolio.”

The patents cover the technologies to expand the capabilities of InfraScan’s Infrascanner™, a hand-held, point-of-care device to detect bleeding in traumatic brain injury patients.

InfraScan has over 1,000 devices deployed in the US and internationally, including with some of the world’s leading neurotrauma and trauma experts. InfraScan also licensed a variety of patents that apply to hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke detection and brain hemorrhage monitoring.

In the general population, an estimated 1.5 million individuals seek medical treatment for head trauma in the U.S. each year, and a total of 25 million individuals sustain head trauma annually worldwide. The Infrascanner has obtained FDA clearance, the CE mark, TGA, KFDA, and is now being marketed all over the world.

About InfraScan – InfraScan, Inc. is a medical device company that focuses on developing, commercializing and distributing portable brain scanner for head injury and stroke assessment based on near infrared (NIR) technologies. The company has received funding from the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity, U.S. Marine Corps, Office of Naval Research, BioAdvance, the Biotechnology Greenhouse of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, and from the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation. For more information visit http://www.infrascanner.com.

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Teresa Duvall, Jewish Family Home Care CEO, Featured in South Florida Hospital News


Teresa Duvall, Jewish Family Home Care CEO, Featured in South Florida Hospital News COVID-19 Q&A

“In this challenging time, the wellness & safety of our clients and team is our top priority,” said Teresa Duvall, President & CEO of Jewish Family Home Care. “Good communication with our clients and their families and healthcare providers continue to be a high priority.”

Teresa Duvall, President & CEO of Jewish Family Home Care, was recently featured in a question and answer-style story published by the South Florida Hospital News.

The Q&A featured article discusses how the home healthcare organization is actively dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. With Florida seeing continual increases in the number of individuals testing positive for the virus, this news is more pertinent than ever.

South Florida Hospital News is a monthly publication whose goal is to produce top quality healthcare journalism that focuses on the geographical area. It has a readership of over 32,000 healthcare professionals in the region, which includes Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach Counties.

Duvall is the founding CEO of Jewish Family Home Care (JFHC), having started the company in 2015. She has over 30 years of administrative experience in the home healthcare field and dedicates her life to improving the quality of others.

The detailed Q&A with Duvall was a part of the South Florida Hospital News’ July 2020 issue. Among the worries that Duvall discussed in the article is the fact that the organization’s clients have experienced challenges keeping up their strength. “Our clients simply cannot be as active as they previously were, due to COVID-19 mandates and restrictions,” Duvall explained.

During the middle of the outbreak, JFHC experienced some difficulties finding enough personal protective equipment (PPE), although they had proactively stocked enough beforehand to ensure that everything still went smoothly until the supply chain resolved itself.

JFHC’s home health aides are continuing to encourage and assist seniors and their loved ones during the pandemic. Their top priority is the wellness and safety of their 600 plus elderly clients and team.

For more information about Jewish Family Home Care and Teresa Duvall’s interview featured in the South Florida Hospital News’s July 2020 issue, please visit the South Florida Hospital News website.

More About Jewish Family Home Care, Inc.

Even as one of Broward County’s largest home care agencies, each of Jewish Family Home Care caregivers operates with the hands-on touch of a family-managed, not-for-profit organization. Jewish Family Home Care provides a range of reliable and compassionate home care services for seniors, including companionship, personal care, light housekeeping, meal preparation, errands, and respite for family caregivers.

For more information, call 954-908-5677 or visit https://www.jfcares.org/ to learn more about the personalized home care provider.

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Ideal Credit Union Waives Origination Fee on Community Heroes Mortgage Product


Ideal CU is waiving origination fees on its Community Heroes Mortgage Program loans to provide relief to eligible heroes who have done so much to serve us during these challenging times.

Ideal CU is waiving origination fees on its Community Heroes Mortgage Program loans to provide relief to eligible heroes who have done so much to serve us during these challenging times.

Our community heroes have always been on the front lines to serve and protect. As we continue to navigate our way through the pandemic, we wanted to thank them for their dedication and in return help them with their home financing needs. – Faith Tholkes, Ideal VP of Mortgage

Ideal Credit Union is waiving the origination fee on its Community Heroes Mortgage Program loans to provide relief to eligible heroes who have done so much to serve us during these challenging times. The no origination fee offer is good on applications received between August 1 – October 31, 2020.

The Ideal Community Heroes Mortgage Program offers eligible heroes a special 1% down payment option and is available to applicants employed full or part-time in the following areas: Public or private educational institution, Fire Department, Federal, State or Local Government Law Enforcement Agency, Nursing (all designations), Active or former Military, EMTs and Paramedics. The mortgage is restricted to the primary residence (purchase only) and proof of current employment and/or former military service is required. Full disclosures and terms will be provided during consultation with an Ideal Mortgage Loan Advisor.

“Our community heroes have always been on the front lines to serve and protect. As we continue to navigate our way through the pandemic, we wanted to thank them for their dedication and in return help them with their home financing needs,” said Faith Tholkes, VP of Mortgage. “Through the Ideal Community Heroes Mortgage Program, we provide a meaningful way to give back to these brave, selfless individuals and help them to achieve their goal of homeownership.”

Ideal Credit Union offers a full range of mortgage solutions to fit the needs of borrowers, including fixed rate, FHA/VA, adjustable rate, refinancing options and more. Ideal CU also offers the HomeAdvantage® program, an exclusive, free service that can help users search, buy, sell and save on their next home. HomeAdvantage provides the tools and expertise needed to find and finance a home, and offers an attractive a rebate program that enables home buyers to earn cash back at closing. Since its inception, the HomeAdvantage program has paid out over $334,490 in rebates to hundreds of Ideal CU members. The average rebate per transaction is $1,481.    

Founded in 1926, Ideal Credit Union is a member owned financial institution that is dedicated to providing financial services driven by a sincere and personal interest in the needs of our employees, members and community. Ideal CU offers a complete range of services, including a full suite of digital banking products, savings, checking, loans, mortgage products, business services, investment services and more. Offices are located in Eagan, Hugo, Inver Grove Heights, North St. Paul, Stillwater and Woodbury. Visit idealcu.com for details and directions. Ideal has been voted “Best Credit Union in the East Metro” four years in a row by readers of the Stillwater Gazette, “Best Credit Union in the Forest Lake Area” by readers of the Forest Lake Times, and was named a 2020 Star Tribune Top Workplace. Equal Housing Lender.

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CyberMaxx MAXX Network Now Available for AWS and Azure Environments


CyberMaxx

CyberMaxx is excited to announce the release of MAXX Network for cloud-based environments. As the world embraces a new standard of business operations, organizations seek the flexibility of cloud-based computing. At CyberMaxx we know that you need the ability to protect your cloud-based data. To do that, you need expertise in cybersecurity and cloud solutions.

There are many misconceptions regarding the security of the cloud. One is the cloud service provider provides your perimeter security and you don’t need a threat-based blocking technology deployed there. However, after examining hundreds of cloud-based deployments, the evidence clearly shows you are responsible for blocking those threats. You need an intrusion detection/prevention system (IDS/IPS) developed specifically to address your security needs in today’s cloud-based environments. Our newly developed AWS and Azure-based virtual machine leverages the proven technology of our on-premise sensor in those cloud environments.

“The new advancements in our MAXX Network platform empowers our customers to move their workforce to the cloud without the worry of a security breach on top of the other challenges COVID-19 brings,” says Thomas Lewis, CEO of CyberMaxx. “This shift has fundamentally changed how cybersecurity teams need to protect their employees and sensitive data.”

The Verizon Data Breach Report indicates that cloud hacking will be one of the new ways cybercriminals enter our systems—stealing credentials and hacking into cloud-based email servers. While cloud-computing offers your business cost savings, operational efficiencies and general agility, network protection should not be overlooked.

Cybercriminals will continue to take the path of least resistance. “Just like us, cybercriminals try to be efficient,” says Jason Riddle. “If they find an easier way to get into your systems, they’ll take it.”

“The implementation of MAXX Network for AWS went smoothly. We didn’t have to think about it once it was live, CyberMaxx took care of everything. It was a completely natural extension of the traditional IPS approach we already had in place, but now in the cloud,” says CyberMaxx customer and VP of Technology & Infrastructure.

Contact us at (615) 309-2500 to see how our tailored, scalable solution is the best fit for your cloud security needs, and in the meantime, visit CyberMaxx.com to learn more about our other services.

About CyberMaxx

CyberMaxx prevents, detects, and responds to cyberattacks for healthcare organizations. CyberMaxx equips its customers with a 24/7/365 security operations center with services including endpoint threat detection and response, network-based threat detection and prevention, security information and event management (SIEM) with advanced data analytics, vulnerability risk management, and incident response services.

Contact CyberMaxx for more information about healthcare cybersecurity solutions by visiting CyberMaxx.com or call (615) 309-2500.

Media Contact

Erin C. Kennedy | CyberMaxx | 615.309.2514 | ekennedy@cybermaxx.io

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Fighting Against Racism in Nursing Will Require Both Organization and Personal Commitments, Nurse Leaders Say


There is still much work to be done to make hospitals and health systems more inclusive for nursing staff. That was the message from a powerhouse team of healthcare experts who shared their insights about the state of race and inclusivity in the nursing profession during Tipton Health Communications’ July 28 webinar, “A Discussion on Race, Inclusive Practice and Nursing.”

Ena Williams, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Yale New Haven Hospital, served as moderator and was joined by Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, president of the American Nurses Association. Martha A. Dawson, DNP, RN, FACHE, president of the National Black Nurses Association; and Alana Cueto MSN, RN, CNL, president of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN).

“Leaders have the power in their hands,” Williams said. “You can be the change, whether you’re a CNO or the manager of a unit. These experiences may be uncomfortable, but you have to lean in and change the healthcare profession.”

The strategies laid out included providing sponsorship of novice nurses, creating avenues for open discussion, reviewing workplace policies and offering diversity training. The panelists also shared tips on how to respond to racial bias constructively as a minority nurse to help educate and build understanding with non-minority nurses.

“The best way to respond constructively is to know yourself–understand how you’re going to control and react to a situation,” said Dr. Dawson. “In situations where I’ve been called a slur or discriminated against, I had to take the power back and decide not to let them influence my emotions. I respond by saying, ‘Thank you. So many of my ancestors and forefathers gave up their lives for me not to have to respond to you. I want you to know that I’m very proud of that.’”

For more information on this webinar and the experts who weighed in, please visit tiptonhealth.com/webinars. Tipton Health encourages all healthcare leaders to view the full conversation.

About Tipton Health Communications

Tipton Health Communications is a leading provider of executive nurse consulting and mentoring; nursing excellence program development; and Magnet®, Pathway to Excellence® and Practice Transition Accreditation Program™ consulting support to the nation’s hospital and healthcare systems. In addition, Tipton Health supports clients nationwide with award-winning communications services, including employee communications, human resources communications, public relations, marketing communications, intranet and Internet design, graphic design, and strategic communications. For more information, please visit tiptonhealth.com.

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