Category Archives: Health

What is new in the field of Health. Trending topics, and cutting edge research in the are of Health. Press Releases that give us updates on Health.

WeInfuse releases “Navigating COVID-19” podcast series


Podcast guests include Callie Turk, Dr. Vikram Sengupta, Dr. Barry Stein, Dr. Robert Roteman and Debby Rowland.

The response to COVID-19 is showing how important ambulatory infusion centers are.

Infusion software solution company WeInfuse is helping infusion center operators navigate the COVID-19 epidemic through a series of podcast episodes.

“We want to help our clients and others in the infusion industry navigate the current health crisis anyway we can,” said Reece Norris, COO of WeInfuse. “In addition to guidelines published by NICA (National Infusion Center Association) and the CDC, some of the best resources right now are other infusion center operators on the ground.”

Dr. Vikram Sengupta, Chief Medical Officer of Thrivewell Infusion in New York City, is one of the guests the WeInfuse podcast has spoken with.

“The response to COVID-19 is showing how important ambulatory infusion centers are,” said Dr. Sengupta. “We’re providing a high standard of care in a safe setting where we can better contain and prevent transmission.”

In addition to upping standard cleaning procedures, Dr. Sengupta and his staff are also pre-screening patients via phone and before entering the infusion center.

“We’re calling every patient before their appointment,” said Dr. Sengupta. “We’re also checking patient vital signs at the door. It’s exhaustive, but we’re being thorough.”

As many infusion patients are immunocompromised or considered “at-risk”, thorough pre-screening and emergency preparedness procedures are allowing ambulatory infusion centers to continue safely infusing.

“There are patients who receive infusion therapy who are particularly vulnerable to these types of infections and viruses,” said Dr. Robert Roteman of CIVIC Infusion Center in Wilton, CT. “We’re working to ensure patients who need infusion therapy are still able to receive it.”

Infusion centers are also implementing other strategies to promote social distancing, helping keep patients and staff safe.

“We’re trying to limit visitors on a case-to-case basis,” said Callie Turk, COO of FlexCare Infusion in Oklahoma City, OK. “Many of our patients bring a caretaker or spouse with them to appointments. Right now, we’re trying to limit it to just patients, staff and delivery.”

FlexCare is also maintaining the CDC recommended 6-foot distance between people by utilizing private rooms and limiting the number of patients in any semi-private space.

Their efforts to promote a safe environment are not going unnoticed.

“Everyone feels better when they know why we’re doing what we’re doing,” said Turk. “Communication is key right now.”

WeInfuse’s COVID-19 podcast series is available to listen to for free on their website and iTunes.

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Stevie® Winners Announced in 18th American Business Awards®


Stevie winners on stage

American Business Awards winners will be celebrated at a virtual ceremony on August 5.

The Stevie® Awards, organizers of the world’s premier business awards programs, today announced the Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie winners in The 18th Annual American Business Awards®.

All organizations operating in the U.S.A. – large and small, public and private, for-profit and non-profit – are eligible to submit nominations to the ABAs in a wide range of categories, honoring achievement in every aspect of work life, from customer service and management to public relations and product development. More than 3,600 nominations were reviewed in the judging process this year by 230 professionals worldwide, whose average scores determined the winners.

Winners of three or more Gold Stevie Awards include:

Cisco Systems (San Jose, CA), CitizenNet & Magnitude Digital (New York, NY), Comcast Business (Philadelphia, PA), Crocs (Niwot, CO), Fazoli’s Italian Restaurants (Lexington, KY), George P Johnson Experiential Marketing (Auburn Hills, MI), Harman International (Stamford, CT), Hearts & Science (New York, NY), Hilton Grand Vacations (Orlando, FL), Humana (Louisville, KY), Jeunesse Global (Orlando, FL), John Hancock (Boston, MA), London Computer System (Cincinnati, OH), Mastercard (Purchase, NY), National Association of REALTORS® (Chicago, IL), Newberry Tanks and Equipment (West Memphis, AR), Nexxt Gen Corporation (Irving, TX), POWERHOME (Mooresville, NC), Red Hat (Raleigh, NC), State Farm (Bloomington, IL), Toft Group (San Francisco, CA), and United Imaging (Houston, TX).

Among other winners, organizations with five or more Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie wins include:

Bank of America (Charlotte, NC), BMO Financial Group (Chicago, IL), Curion (Deerfield, IL), Fannie Mae (Washington, DC), LifeVantage (Sandy UT), Medical Marijuana, Inc. (San Diego, CA), Merkle (Columbia, MD), Metro Development Group (Tampa, FL), MONAT Global (Miami, FL), Pareto Intelligence (Chicago, IL), Passageways (Lafayette, IN), SoftPro (Raleigh, NC), TBI (Chicago, IL), Tek Leaders Inc (Plano, TX), Tinuiti (New York, NY), United Imaging (Houston, TX), and Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. (New York, NY).

For a complete list of the Stevie Award winners announced today, visit http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

2020 Stevie winners will be celebrated and presented their awards during a virtual awards ceremony on Wednesday, August 5 at 2pm ET. Details of the event are available on the website.

The categories that recognize outstanding new products and services introduced in the USA are among the most heavily subscribed in the ABAs, and every new product or service nominated in The 2020 American Business Awards is included in voting for the People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products, a worldwide public vote. Voting opened today at http://peopleschoice.stevieawards.com and will conclude on July 15. People’s Choice Stevie winners will be announced the week of July 20 and will be honored during the August 5 virtual presentations.

“Despite the toughest business conditions in memory, American organizations continue to demonstrate their commitment to innovation, creativity, and bottom-line results,” said Stevie Awards President Maggie Gallagher. “This year’s Stevie-winning nominations are full of inspiring stories of persistence, ingenuity, resourcefulness, and compassion. We celebrate all of their stories and look forward to showcasing them during our virtual awards ceremony on August 5.”

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors of The 2020 American Business Awards include John Hancock Financial Services, Melissa Sones Consulting, and SoftPro.

Evolver, LLC Awarded Five Year USDA Contract through its Joint Venture, Ideation Solutions JV, LLC


Evolver, LLC, a Converged Security Solutions (CSS) company, has announced that its joint venture, Ideation Solutions JV, LLC, has been awarded with a five-year end user support services contract with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Ideation Solutions JV is an SBA 8(a) Mentor-Protégé Joint Venture between Evolver and Key Concepts Knowledgebase, LLC whose combined expertise creates the synergy required for increased efficiency and lowered costs for clients.

Ideation Solutions JV was the successful bidder for the National Capitol Region End User Support Services solicitation, a five-year, $37 million, fixed-price contract, which will provide USDA end users with IT services and solutions in the greater Washington, DC area.

This award, under the Chief Information Officer – Solution and Partners (CIO-SP3) Small Business On-Ramp contract vehicle, represents the culmination of many years of combined project experience between Evolver and Key Concepts Knowledgebase.

Bill Sabo, President of Evolver, said, “We are thrilled to be a part of this winning team and this new effort with USDA. This award is a direct result of our past performance, technical competence, and proven track record with the federal government. We look forward to helping USDA achieve their mission and business results through our agile, secure, and reliable technology services.”

About Ideation Solutions JV

Ideation Solutions JV’s client-focused IT approach creates reliable, flexible, and repeatable solutions through expertise and innovation for government and Fortune 50 clients.

Evolver is Ideation Solutions’ mentor, an ISO 9001:2008/27001-certified, and CMMI Maturity Level 3-appraised company with nearly twenty years of experience providing information technology and cybersecurity to government and Fortune 50 corporations.

Ideation Solutions’ managing venturer, Key Concepts Knowledgebase, has a seven-year record of success delivering customized software solutions, business & technical architecture, systems engineering & design, software development & testing, cybersecurity, cloud migration, and project management expertise.

About Evolver, LLC

Evolver, LLC, a Converged Security Solutions (CSS) company, is a technology company serving the government, commercial, and legal industries by addressing client challenges in the present and transitioning clients to the future through the introduction of efficient and effective IT solutions. We specialize in cybersecurity, infrastructure, end-user support, application development, and legal technology services.

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The Good Feet Store Announces Donation of N95 Masks to First Responders and Nursing Homes


“The Good Feet Store remains committed to everyone staying safe and healthy and is grateful for the frontline workers fighting the COVID-19 crisis. We had recently purchased more than enough of the masks for our employees and wanted to donate and say thank you to the people who are working during this pandemic,” said Arnold Pereira, CEO of Good Feet Midwest.

Officer Brandon Sierra from the St. Louis County Police Department picked up the masks today from The Good Feet Store located in Creve Coeur on Olive Road. The masks will be distributed through the EOC to first responders and nursing homes in the St. Louis Area.

About The Good Feet Store

Good Feet Midwest serves fourteen markets throughout the Midwest and provides a non-surgical solution to the thousands of people who seek comfort, energy, performance and pain relief. We offer a FREE, personalized fitting & test walk to anyone that stops in. No appointment needed. You’ll be personally fit and there’s absolutely no obligation. WE ARE FOLLOWING CDC GUIDELINES INSIDE THE STORE.

The Good Feet Store- 12349 Olive Blvd. – St. Louis, MO 63141

Illinois Location: 3244 Green Mount Crossing Dr. – Shiloh, IL 62269

http://goodfeetstlouis.com

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snapIoT Announces Another Successful mHealth Integration in One Week


Our partnership with ActiGraph brings an industry leading integration to Sponsors and CROs offering a greater ability to quickly deliver a patient-centric experience

snapIoT announces a successful integration of its mClinical platform, snapClinical™, with ActiGraph’s CentrePoint™ System. This integration gives Sponsors and CROs improved power in data collection and insights for clinical trials.

ActiGraph’s medical-grade wearables and cloud-based data management platform provide a modern solution for collecting and delivering high-quality, objective data points in real-time. These validated measurements provide insight into activity intensity, steps, energy expenditure, sleep time, and sleep efficiency. snapIoT’s mClinical platform delivers patient-centric mobile solutions to facilitate the collection of surveys and ePROs (electronic Patient Reported Outcomes) as well as monitor the daily operations of decentralized clinical trials. The COVID-19 crisis has made clear the need to leverage digital technologies to sustain clinical trials and protect the health of patients when normal trial operations are interrupted. The combination of digital patient monitoring along with smart sensors provides safes and reliable methods to continue data collection via virtual outlets.

The data collected from ActiGraph’s wearables seamlessly uploads to the Cloud where snapClinical can securely retrieve and store the data. With different types of measurements being collected through the sensors, snapIoT makes visualizing data simple by creating graphs that have the flexibility to overlay data points. snapClinical also allows users to easily compare these data points with other types of collected measurements, such as surveys and diaries. Sponsors and CROs can get full insight into patients and ensure that they are engaged and compliant with the study protocol.

With the sophisticated and innovative technology of snapIoT and ActiGraph, the integration between the two companies was accomplished in less than a week. The seamless connectivity also makes it easy for newly validated algorithms to be implemented into the system as updates or other requirements are added. The integration provides simplistic efficiencies as the sensors are implemented directly into the snapClinical workflow engine. The power of snapIoT’s workflow engine ensures that the integration can be quickly deployed into new study protocols with minimal effort.

“We continue to drive more market leading wearable and sensor integrations into our snapClinical platform in record timelines to fully support decentralized clinical trials. Our partnership with ActiGraph brings an industry leading integration to Sponsors and CROs offering a greater ability to quickly deliver a patient-centric experience,” said Isaac Eteminan, CEO of snapIoT.

“We were very impressed with snapIoT’s ability to quickly develop a platform integration to address our mutual customers’ requirements. As digital endpoints have become more prevalent, we know that providing contextual insights into patient behavior in tandem with objective sensor data is crucial in establishing the baseline for our pharma clients to make definitive regulatory claims. We’re excited about future opportunities with snapIoT, and this integration is a great start,” said Jeremy Wyatt, President & COO of ActiGraph.

About snapIoT

snapIoT, a San Diego-based company, is a market leader in decentralized mClinical trial innovation. Their mClinical platform, snapClinical™, provides unlimited capabilities in developing and deploying patient-centric engagement solutions such as eConsent, eCOA, Telemedicine, and various other patient engagement solutions to support decentralized trials. snapClinical™ functions as both a SaaS/PaaS model to allow CROs & Pharma companies to build self-service solutions on Android, iOS, and HTML5 via intuitive visual “drag-and-drop” tools, or as a full turnkey service with no software programming required. For more information, visit https://snapiot.com/ and follow snapIoT on LinkedIn.

About ActiGraph

ActiGraph’s mission is to help people live longer, better lives. We do that by providing our clients with high resolution, digital data that can be used to explain, influence, and predict human health outcomes. ActiGraph is a leading provider of medical-grade physical activity and sleep monitoring solutions for the global scientific community. Our FDA-cleared wearable activity monitors and robust data management and analytics platform have been used extensively to quantify human movement in academic and population health research for two decades. More recently, ActiGraph technology solutions have been widely adopted by pharmaceutical and life sciences organizations seeking to capture and monitor real-world physical activity, mobility, and sleep behavior for patients enrolled in clinical trials. For more information, visit https://actigraphcorp.com and follow ActiGraph on LinkedIn.

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Definitive Healthcare’s Industry-Leading Customer Service and Satisfaction Recognized for the Second Consecutive Year


News Image

“Winning awards for what we do for our customers and how well and collaboratively we do it, is a tremendous point of pride for all of us at Definitive,” said Jason Krantz, founder and CEO of Definitive Healthcare.

Definitive Healthcare, the leading provider of data, intelligence, and analytics on the healthcare provider market, was today named the winner of three 2020 Stevie® Awards in the 18th Annual American Business Awards®: Achievement in Customer Satisfaction (Gold), Customer Service Department of the Year (Silver), and Customer Service Executive of the Year (Bronze). This is the second year in a row that Definitive Healthcare received awards for its excellence in Customer Success.

“Everything we have built, delivered and supported in this business has been considered with our clients at the center. We work hard to ensure our customer’s success through the entire customer journey with Definitive, from onboarding and training to advanced analytics and strategic business partnership, and I have heard countless times from our clients that the difference really comes from the frontline Customer Success team and the amazing individuals who comprise it,” said Jason Krantz, CEO of Definitive Healthcare. “At Definitive Healthcare, we all come to work with the shared goal of providing our customers with an excellent experience with both our products and our people. Winning awards for what we do for our customers and how well and collaboratively we do it, is a tremendous point of pride for all of us at Definitive.”

The Stevie® Awards, founded in 2002, have become a premier worldwide business award, recognizing the achievements and positive contributions of businesses in seven specific functional areas. More than 3,600 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration by over 230 judges, made up of prominent industry and organizational leaders.

This year, Definitive Healthcare’s Customer Experience Team won a Gold Stevie award for “Achievement in Customer Satisfaction” and, for the second year in a row, a Silver Stevie award in the “Customer Service Department of the Year”). The entire customer experience department at Definitive is devoted to customer facing roles serving the complex needs of its broad base of 2,500 organizations in the medical device, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare technology, staffing/recruiting, finance, construction, and facility services verticals.

In 2019, Definitive Healthcare’s customer experience department was responsible for introducing multiple innovative products and features to its client base including new solutions acquired from HIMSS Analytics and PatientFinder. In addition, during this year of rapid growth and change, the customer experience department onboarded 625 new clients and achieved a 92% revenue renewal rate.

“The fact that Definitive Healthcare retained 92% of the business’ revenue in a year – in which 25% of its customers were onboarded, and in which two businesses were acquired – is absolutely incredible. It means that Definitive was crisp and deliberate with its customer communication. Establishing an alignment between customer support and sales is critical to this outcome, and Definitive seemingly nailed it,” said an anonymized judge on the results portal.

The head of Definitive Healthcare’s customer experience department – Allastair Meffen, Associate Vice President of Customer Experience – also won a Bronze Stevie Award for “Customer Service Executive of the Year.” Since joining Definitive Healthcare in 2017, Allastair has scaled the customer experience team from 18 to 52 employees, increased the company’s net promoter score (NPS) by 16 points, and has maintained an average 92% gross revenue retention percentage. In 2019 alone, Meffen guided the company’s customer experience team to achieve a 95% customer satisfaction rating based on 33,500 online customer tickets

“Allastair Meffen’s efforts in 2019 are best represented by the 92% gross revenue retention and expansion of customer wallet share by $6M. When customers vote with their wallets, it means they are happy. While great products and services certainly contribute to this success, people buy from people. The satisfied team members that Meffen leads are the tip of the spear for upsell conversations,” said an anonymized judge on the results portal.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2020 Stevie winners are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

About Definitive Healthcare

Definitive Healthcare is the most comprehensive and accurate source for data insights and analytics on the healthcare provider market. Its product suite provides the most comprehensive and highest quality data available anywhere on 8,800 hospitals and IDNs; 135,000 physician groups; 1.7 million physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals; 11,000 ambulatory surgery centers; 15,800 imaging centers; 85,500 long-term care facilities; 40,000 clinics; 1,800 ACOs and HIEs; and 5.7 billion medical commercial claims covering 315 million patient lives. The company’s data provides its 2,500 clients with the analytics and insight needed to effectively segment and research the healthcare provider market. Definitive Healthcare is backed by 22C Capital, Advent International, and Spectrum Equity. For more information, or to trial the service, visit https://www.definitivehc.com/.

Media Contact

Tory Waldron

PR Manager

twaldron@definitivehc.com

(781) 454-6822

About the Stevie® Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

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Roopal Luhana Appointed to Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for Zantac MDL


Roopal Luhana

“I’m honored that Judge Rosenberg appointed and entrusted me to assist in steering this litigation. I believe the position allows me and my firm to actively advocate for our clients and plaintiffs generally.”

Chaffin Luhana LLP, a national plaintiffs-only law firm, is pleased to announce that Founding Partner Roopal P. Luhana was recently appointed by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC) in the In re: Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability Litigation (S.D.FL.), MDL 2924. Luhana was also named Chair of the ESI/Document Production Committee.

The Zantac MDL was established by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) on Feb. 6, 2020. All federally filed Zantac lawsuits are now consolidated (and future federal cases will be transferred) to Judge Rosenberg in the Southern District of Florida, where pretrial proceedings will take place.

“I’m honored that Judge Rosenberg appointed and entrusted me to assist in steering this litigation. I believe the position allows me and my firm to actively advocate for our clients and plaintiffs generally,” said Luhana, one of 13 women chosen for leadership. “You should be able to trust that when taking a medication – prescribed or over the counter like Zantac (ranitidine) – that you would be safe from potential exposure to carcinogens resulting in cancer, which is what is alleged in this case. I’m excited and ready to move this litigation forward with my colleagues, so we can resolve these issues efficiently and fairly for all plaintiffs.”

Most recently, on April 1, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) requested that manufacturers withdraw all prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) ranitidine drugs from the market immediately.

This was the latest step in an ongoing investigation of a contaminant known as N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in ranitidine medications (commonly known by the brand name Zantac). The FDA has determined that the impurity in some ranitidine products increases over time even under normal storage conditions, and when stored at higher than room temperatures, the NDMA levels increase significantly and may result in consumer exposure to unacceptable levels of this impurity. As a result of this immediate market withdrawal request, ranitidine products will not be available for new or existing prescriptions or OTC use in the U.S.

People who used Zantac for years to treat various conditions such as ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), common heartburn, and more, are now understandably concerned about their potential exposure to NDMA, and what that means for their health. Some have already been diagnosed with cancers linked to NDMA.

Plaintiffs filing lawsuits against Zantac manufacturers argue that the defendants were aware of the risks associated with ranitidine for decades, yet concealed these risks from healthcare providers and the general public.

Chaffin Luhana currently represents thousands of consumers who used Zantac/ranitidine and were diagnosed with cancer. For more information, please visit ChaffinLuhana.com.

About Chaffin Luhana

Chaffin Luhana LLP is a plaintiffs-only law firm with a national trial practice focused on representing injured victims in catastrophic and complex cases, and drug and products liability litigation. With over 115 years of experience and over $1 billion recovered by our attorneys, our hard-working team includes former federal and state prosecutors, former state and federal judicial law clerks, former large defense firm attorneys, court-appointed leaders in the national plaintiffs’ bar and an on-staff social worker.

Yet, despite our tremendous success inside and outside of the courtroom, our attorneys and staff remain grounded and true to our humble roots. We pride ourselves in being compassionate and empathetic toward our clients and communities, and treat them like family.

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Willow® Partners with Aeroflow Breastpumps to Offer Its Life-Changing Wearable Breast Pump Through Insurance


Willow Generation 3 Breast Pump

The Willow Wearable Breast Pump currently retails for $499.99. Now at Aeroflow Breastpumps, Willow will be offered as an insurance upgrade option, potentially drastically reducing the out of pocket portion and giving even more moms access to the innovative, popular Willow Pump.

Aeroflow Breastpumps, a durable medical equipment (DME) provider and subsidiary of Aeroflow Healthcare, today announced the addition of the Willow® Wearable Breast Pump, the world’s first quiet all-in-one, in-bra pump, to its selection of top-quality breast pumps available to to new and expectant mothers through insurance.

The Willow Wearable Breast Pump currently retails for $499.99. Now at Aeroflow Breastpumps, Willow will be offered as an insurance upgrade option, potentially drastically reducing the out of pocket portion and giving even more moms access to the innovative, popular Willow Pump.

Willow’s patented technology mimics a baby’s continuous suction, making it the only pump that can offer true spill-proof mobility in any position, from multitasking to catching a few minutes of rest laying down. According to a recent survey, 93% of women say that Willow reduces the stress of pumping, with 94% reporting that Willow improved their outlook on pumping. Willow is also the only wearable pump that provides the flexibility to pump directly into both spill-proof, self-sealing storage bags and reusable Milk Containers.

“Aeroflow Breastpumps is excited to be partnering with Willow to expand access to this game-changing breast pump for nursing moms across the country,” said Jennifer Jordan, Aeroflow Healthcare Director of Mom & Baby. “The advancement in technology and design of the breast pump alleviates some of the struggle associated with a daily pumping schedule and we are proud to be offering it through insurance.”

“Partnering with Aeroflow will help hundreds of thousands of moms each year get access to our life-changing breast pump through insurance,” said Vickie Mrva, President and CMO at Willow. “In times like these, motherhood is even more challenging, and the need to multitask and pump hands free is so important. We’re excited to make our most advanced, most productive Willow Pump yet now available through insurance.”

Willow Generation 3 is now available on aeroflowbreastpumps.com/willow-generation-3-wearable-double-hands-free-electric-breast-pump.

About Aeroflow Breastpumps

Aeroflow Breastpumps, a subsidiary of Aeroflow Healthcare, is a Durable Medical Equipment (DME) provider specializing in helping pregnant and nursing women qualify for their breast pump through their insurance and the Affordable Care Act. To learn more about Aeroflow Breastpumps and getting a breast pump through insurance, visit https://aeroflowbreastpumps.com.

About Willow®

Willow forever changed the way women pump with the world’s first quiet all-in-one, in-bra wearable breast pump. Willow ditches the long tubes, cords, dangling bottles and loud sucking sounds so moms can pump wherever their day takes them. Because of its proprietary, patented technology, Willow is the only pump that lets women pump in any position without losing a drop of milk. Learn more at http://www.willowpump.com.

*Experienced Willow users who pumped at least 20 times, compared to prior generations

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Kessler Foundation Awards COVID-19 Emergency Grants to Grantees Serving People with Disabilities in New Jersey


“Being in the front lines of serving people with disabilities, a population at higher risk for infection complicated the ability of our grantees to adapt to this new reality. To help these organizations remain viable, we knew we needed to respond immediately.” – Elaine Katz, Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation awarded nearly $1 million in COVID-19 emergency grant funding for nonprofits faced with the challenges of serving people with disabilities in New Jersey. The recipient organizations were current or former grantees of Kessler Foundation’s employment grant program. Since 2005, the Foundation’s grants program has awarded more than $49 million to nonprofits that expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities striving to work, adding diversity to American workplaces and boosting productivity.

“When the pandemic reached New Jersey, the effects on our grantees were devastating,” noted Elaine E. Katz, senior vice president of the Center for Grant-making and Communications at the Foundation. “Being in the front lines of serving people with disabilities, a population at higher risk for infection complicated the ability of our grantees to adapt to this new reality. To help these organizations remain viable, we knew we needed to respond immediately.”

Kessler Foundation quickly established the COVID-19 Emergency Fund, which provided 37 emergency grants of $10,000 to $40,000 to help with unanticipated needs and expenses. A rapid response team was formed to review and approve applications. Technology was often the priority for organizations rapidly converting to remote operations – for their staff, as well as for their clients with disabilities who now needed alternatives to connect with their families, teachers, and counselors.

Grants also helped cover costs of personal protective equipment, and supplies and services to meet new federal and state requirements for sanitation and safety measures. Furloughs and layoffs continue to affect staff and the people with disabilities they serve, increasing the need for employment services, and creating demand for assistance with applying for unemployment and other benefits. For the many organizations dependent on in-person contact, the emergency funding is being used to develop new ways to continue their work, according to Katz. They are adopting alternative ways of connecting people with one another and with online resources, which is accelerating the acceptance of remote training and education, working from home, and telehealth and teletherapy.

The Newark-based GI Go Fund received a grant for its Jackson Drysdale Veterans Center, which anticipates tripling of the number of veterans needing employment services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Drysdale Center is the only one of its kind in New Jersey, according to Jack Fanous, the Center’s executive director and GI Go Fund’s CEO. “The Center also serves as an incubator for veteran-owned small businesses,” said Fanous, “helping them succeed as profitable and sustainable enterprises.”

Some of the Drysdale Center’s businesses have already adapted to serve their communities, producing masks and sanitation supplies, and providing virtual fitness classes to families sheltering at home. “With this additional support, we can provide microloans to our veteran entrepreneurs, and assist them with applications for disaster relief, including options available through the Small Business Administration, specifically the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL),” Fanous added. “Once again, Kessler Foundation has shown its commitment to those who have served.”

“The new reality affects all of us,” said Katz, “but people with disabilities are being affected disproportionately. Our COVID-19 emergency grants are giving New Jersey organizations that serve this population a chance to adapt to this new reality, so we can continue toward our collective goal – helping individuals with disabilities reach their goals of independence and self-sufficiency.”

About Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.

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Press Contacts

Carolann Murphy, PA

Senior Staff Writer

973.324.8382

CMurphy@KesslerFoundation.org

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OPM Announces Proprietary Technology for Applying Nanoscale PEKK Coating to Orthopedic Devices


Oxford Performance Materials, Inc. (OPM), a materials science company and industry leader in advanced biomedical polymers and high-performance additive manufacturing (HPAM®), announced today that it has been awarded a patent for its proprietary coating technology.

OPM’s patented OXPEKK®-SC (Solution Casting) product – first commercialized in April 2018 – delivers a sub-micron thin film with medical applications as a coating for various implantable devices and instrumentation during production processes. OXPEKK®-SC is a water-based solution that when applied, produces an ultra-thin film designed to provide the full range of the biological features of poly-ether-ketone-ketone – including osseoconductivity, antibacterial characteristics and biocompatibility – in addition to PEKK’s mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. OXPEKK®-SC film tenaciously bonds to most substrates and can be applied via spray or dipped with a minimum thickness of 75nm.

Studies have demonstrated that OPM’s OsteoFab® implant technology (3D printed PEKK) promotes bone ongrowth and possesses inherent antibacterial characteristics, and this exciting new coating process may provide similar benefits on implantable devices pre-treated with OXPEKK®-SC. The primary use for such thin coatings would be on the surfaces of implantable orthopedic devices. These devices are generally fabricated using metallic materials like titanium, cobalt chrome, and iron alloys. Over time, these metals have been shown to corrode within the body, releasing metal ions that can degrade device performance and impose systemic side effects in patients. An application of a corrosion-resistant OXPEKK®-SC coating would be expected to reduce the rate of implant deterioration. In the realm of surgical instrumentation, an OXPEKK®-SC coating would be similarly expected to reduce deterioration rates, especially for those metal instruments that experience pitting and failure as a result of repeated cleaning and re-sterilization.

“The genesis of this technology goes back over 15 years when we made some important discoveries in a PEM fuel cell membrane project,” said Scott DeFelice, Chief Executive Officer of OPM. “We were thrilled to be notified of this new patent issue, which provides OPM with a broad market path as the leader in PEKK coatings and the ability to substantially improve the performance of orthopedic devices and the lifetime of surgical instrumentation across the entire industry.”

For industrial applications of OXPEKK®-SC, OPM has ongoing developments with large glass and carbon fiber producers underway. Production quantities of this product are currently available. 

About Oxford Performance Materials, Inc.  Oxford Performance Materials is a materials science company founded in 2000 to exploit and commercialize the world’s highest performing thermoplastic, PEKK (poly-ether-ketone-ketone). OPM’s Materials business has developed a range of proprietary, patented technologies for the synthesis and modification of a range of PAEK polymers that are sold under its OXPEKK® brand for biomedical and industrial applications. The Company is a pioneer in 3D printing. OPM Biomedical’s OsteoFab® technology is in commercial production in numerous orthopedic implant applications, including cranial, facial, spinal, and sports medicine devices. OPM is the first and only company to receive FDA 510(k) clearance to manufacture 3D printed, patient-specific polymeric implants of any type, and the company has six 510(k) clearances in its portfolio. OPM Industrial produces 3D printed OXFAB® production parts for highly demanding applications in the energy, transportation, and semiconductor markets. OXFAB® structures offer significant weight, cost, and time-to-market reductions that are defined in a set of specified performance attributes in the exhaustive OPM B-Basis database, developed in conjunction with NASA. For more information, please visit: http://www.oxfordpm.com 

Company Contact:

Bernie Plishtin 

Oxford Performance Materials 

860-656-9446 

bplishtin@oxfordpm.com

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