MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. (PRWEB)
May 13, 2020

Manhattan Beach Toyota is updating its hours and safety precautions, in an effort to keep up with best practices. The showroom has hand sanitation stations throughout, and the staff have been instructed on the best social distancing and hygiene standards to prevent the spread of disease.

Drivers who want to learn more about the latest vehicles at Manhattan Beach Toyota can speak with a professional over the phone or online, as well as at the dealership. Visitors must wear a mask or some face covering before entering the building.

The hours at Manhattan Beach Toyota have also changed to prioritize the health of guests and employees. The Sales Department is open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. every day of the week. The parts and service departments are open from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. The showroom is also being regularly cleaned to help shoppers stay healthy and safe. The showroom vehicles, keys and commonly touched surfaces are cleaned often to better protect visitors and employees. All of these changes are designed to help guests stay safe and find a new Toyota vehicle that fits their needs.

Interested parties can learn more about the safety precautions and change in hours by visiting the dealership website, manhattanbeachtoyota.com. Readers can schedule an appointment with Manhattan Beach Toyota through the dealer website or by calling 855-995-7001 for more details on the latest updates and Toyota vehicles inside their inventory.

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ISPE drives industry-wide clarity of new regulations and guidance, advising on potential impact and facilitating practical solutions, seeking harmonization of regulatory expectations where desired and possible.

NORTH BETHESDA, Md. (PRWEB)
May 13, 2020

The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) announced featured presenters representing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at the 2020 ISPE Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Virtual Conference. Taking place 1–2 June 2020, this first of its kind fully interactive digital event features timely and topical presentations and panel discussions from 40+ global experts representing FDA, GSK, Kite Pharma, Novartis, Roche, and more.

Featured FDA presenters will provide updates on regulatory expectations, considerations, and perspectives on biotechnology and biological products.

“ISPE drives industry-wide clarity of new regulations and guidance, advising on potential impact and facilitating practical solutions, seeking harmonization of regulatory expectations where desired and possible,” said Tim Howard, PE, CPIP, President & CEO, ISPE. “It’s vital that the biopharmaceutical industry pay close attention to what the regulators have to say and that we continue to develop constructive relationships.”

FDA Presenters:

Wilson Bryan, MD, Director, Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies, FDA/CBER

Dr. Bryan’s keynote presentation will provide insights into current developments in regenerative medicine, future trends, and challenges.

Patricia Hughes, PhD, Branch Chief, Division of Microbiology Assessment, FDA/CDER

Dr. Hughes will share regulatory considerations of innovations in sterile manufacturing and will also join the closing Fireside Chat.

Richard Friedman, Deputy Director, Science & Regulatory Policy, FDA/CDER

Friedman will provide updates on sterile products and change management.

Raj Puri, MD, PhD, Director, Division of Cellular & Gene Therapies, FDA/CBER

Dr. Puri will participate in the closing Fireside Chat featuring global regulatory and industry leaders who are working to frame the strategy for the era ahead.

In addition to regulatory insights, industry experts will share their knowledge and lessons learned on critical topics, including:

• Cell and gene therapies
• Emerging technologies
• Supply chain challenges
• Aspects of automation and digitalization in biomanufacturing
• Challenges facing vector-based gene therapies
• Harmonization

To explore the educational agenda and to register, please visit ISPE.org/Bio20.

About ISPE

The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) is the world’s largest not-for-profit association serving its members through leading scientific, technical, and regulatory advancement across the entire pharmaceutical lifecycle. The 18,500 members of ISPE are building solutions in the development and manufacture of safe, effective pharmaceutical and biologic medicines, and medical delivery devices in more than 90 countries around the world. Founded in 1980, ISPE has its worldwide headquarters and training center in North Bethesda, Maryland USA, and its operations center in Tampa, Florida USA. Visit ISPE.org for more information.

For more information, contact:

Amy Henry

Marketing Communications Manager

International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE)

Email: ahenry@ispe.org

ISPE.org

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Health system and hospital leaders are recalibrating their strategic plans for the post-COVID-19 “new normal”.

We believe the question is already being answered by the innovative adaptations healthcare has made to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, and the willingness of consumers to embrace new and different ways of engaging with their providers – Kevin Fleming, CEO, Loyale Healthcare

LAFAYETTE, Calif. (PRWEB)
May 13, 2020

Well before the $3 Trillion American health system was brought to its knees by the COVID-19 outbreak, many healthcare providers were already struggling financially. A just-published report from Bloomberg titled, “Virus pushes America’s hospitals to the brink of financial ruin”, finds that “America’s already-ailing hospitals are being pushed even further into financial ruin, threatening to force a growing number of them to file for bankruptcy or even close.”

The report goes on to describe how even larger, financially stable health systems like HCA Healthcare Inc. and their investors have been affected in this uncertain environment. In their fourth quarter earnings call, HCA leaders announced the withdrawal of guidance for the rest of the year, suspending quarterly dividends and share repurchases. Also announced was a three-phased “reboot”, a sequence of management actions labeled: response, restart and recovery. The company’s CEO, Sam Hazen, said, “We will get back to normal in time, but we realize it may be a new normal.”

The three-trillion-dollar question, of course, is what will healthcare’s “new normal” look like?

We believe the question is already being answered in part by the innovative adaptations healthcare providers have made to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, and the willingness of healthcare consumers to embrace new and different ways of engaging with their providers. Digitally-empowered patient engagement offers the scalability, flexibility and outcomes that hospitals and other providers must achieve in order to recover financially from the COVID-19 crisis.

Case in point: CVS Healthcare, which early this month reported a 600% surge in use of its retail health clinics via telehealth during its first-quarter earnings call, with “net income jumping 41 percent compared to the same period a year ago. The boost in profits and sales comes as CVS converts hundreds of its more than 9,800 retail locations to HealthHub locations with new healthcare services…as well as additional services at its MinuteClinics.” The report goes on to observe that, “The move to add new healthcare services comes as rival retailers in the healthcare space like Walgreen Boots Alliance and Walmart look to fill the emptying space in their brick and mortar stores in the face of changing consumer shopping habits driven by online retail giant Amazon and others.”

Healthcare consumers’ expectations for healthcare were already changing before the crisis, a topic we explored at some length in an article titled, “We The Patients: Consumerism, Convenience & Technology.” Now, personal health concerns, social distancing and stay-at-home rules have served to accelerate and expand the pre-crisis trend toward more convenient and affordable care. As a result, the trend toward more digital patient engagement and alternative care delivery settings has taken a steep turn upward.

Healthcare financial experts agree that healthcare’s changing economic landscape requires a commitment to sustained innovation. Writing for the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), Deirdre Baggot, PhD, RN; Bruce Mamory, MD; John Rodoy, PhD and Dan Shellenbarger, recently published analysis titled, “The journey back from COVID-19: A guide to economic recovery for health system CFOs”. In it, healthcare providers are urged to embrace a number of business practices to achieve or restore their organization’s financial health. These Critical Strategic Decisions include:

1.    Don’t squander the opportunities resulting from the crisis. Empower critical problem solving and decision making throughout the organization in order to sustain the nimbleness and creativity stimulated by the crisis.

2.    Make smart human capital choices to shape an optimal workforce for the post-pandemic future.

3.    Proactively restore lost revenue and work with payers to unlock new sources of value.

4.    Avoid scattershot cuts, target the sacred cows and reimagine the cost structure.

5.    Invest smartly to preserve partners and build a system that will thrive after the pandemic

In the area of telehealth, the authors recommend that, “Providers and payers should collaborate in developing an economic model that can sustain – and even accelerate – the adoption of telehealth and digital care channels, now that both consumers and providers have seen the value of these modalities.” In this critically important area, we believe providers should be especially mindful of the needs of the consumers of healthcare, e.g. patients – who now represent more than one third of overall provider revenue.

Critical Innovations to Optimize Performance of Hospital Patient-Pay for COVID-19 Recovery

As mentioned above, CVS’s and others’ success growing telehealth enterprises is attributable in no small part to the success of Amazon and other major online retailers. Simply put, we as consumers are more than comfortable doing business online. With COVID-19, many of us actually now prefer it. That’s why, as a category, “Retail Health” is uniquely positioned to seize the advantages of digitally-delivered healthcare and its efficiencies, scalability and personalization to drive revenue and earnings growth.

This accelerated change in consumer sentiment represents an opportunity for hospitals as they plan their post-COVID-19 financial recoveries. For the purpose of this analysis, we’ll focus on our area of expertise – patient-pay revenue cycle, a domain that we believe is ripe for innovation as patients look for rewarding digital experiences and providers seek ways to responsibly cut costs and restore revenues.

A hypothetical timeline describing the healthcare journey of one patient provides an illustration for how digitally integrated, revenue-optimized care delivery might work:

1.    The individual is experiencing symptoms and wonders about seeking care. To begin with, there is a very good chance that – even at this early stage – the prospective patient is already thinking about whether they can afford the out-of-pocket. At this stage, the consumer reviews projected cost estimates online and compares them to other providers in their area. The provider with the best value (excellence + price) is selected and an appointment is scheduled online.

2.    The consumer (now a patient) receives a text message that their appointment is confirmed, with details for how to prepare for their visit to ensure their personal safety. The same system is used to notify the patient if there are any changes and is adjustable to the patient’s channel of choice – email, phone (via Interactive Voice Response), even paper.

3.    The appointment completed, the patient then receives a diagnosis and proposed treatment. At this stage, a more defined pre-treatment cost estimate is made available to the patient, either by hospital admissions staff or direct online on a safe, personal patient portal. At this stage, the system’s data-driven patient segmentation capabilities generate multiple payment scenarios for the patient’s consideration. These may include discounts for early or prompt payment, short-term interest free payment plans or longer-term plans financed by reputable third-party lenders.

4.    The patient selects and agrees to a payment plan, storing their preferred tender type (credit card, Apply Pay, PayPal, checking, savings and others). Treatment commences. If the patient is prepared to pay their estimated balance, they do so with just a click.

5.    The patient is in recovery and billing has begun. Here again, the clinical and financial dimensions of the patient’s care experience are integrated so the patient is delivered a single presentation of all their financial obligations. Instead of getting five bills from the anesthesiologist, radiologist, physician, hospital and physical therapist, they get one “bill”. One that is easy to understand and easy to pay. Throughout the care journey, patient communications align with patient preferences and are personalized to optimize deliverability and patient behavior outcomes.

Throughout the patient care journey, the experience – clinical and financial – aligns with modern consumer expectations while meeting provider requirements for cost containment and scalability without compromising on care or quality.

Through our strategic partnership with Parallon, Loyale Healthcare is proud to be the patient financial engagement platform for HCA Healthcare. As we work with our clients to overcome the many challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis, we are inspired and encouraged by the ingenious ways new and existing technologies are being leveraged to create healthcare’s “new normal”. We are grateful to be a part of it.

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 is proud to have an enterprise-level strategic partnership with Parallon which includes the deployment of Loyale’s industry leading technology at all HCA hospitals and Physician Groups.

Flora makes KN95 masks available online for sale now.

With this surplus of KN95 particulate-dust masks available to buy right now, Flora is able to service both small orders of just a single box or larger orders at improved bulk pricing, upon request.

SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB)
May 13, 2020

With the ongoing disruption of life relating to coronavirus and the seemingly perpetual need for increased safety among front-line and essential service workers in America, a surplus of KN95 masks from Flora Med Supplies comes at an opportune time for all. Flora is an international organization that works to supply critical medical supplies to governments, hospitals, and essential service workers throughout America.

“It is truly fortunate that we have access to this surplus of KN95 particulate masks,” said a Flora representative. “We have the ability to help with the supply of millions of 3M 1860 series N95 masks, but only to governments, hospitals, or healthcare workers, so these KN95s can now go to work for the countless others who need them so badly.”

With this surplus of KN95 particulate-dust masks available to buy right now, Flora is able to service both small orders of just a single box or larger orders at improved bulk pricing, upon request. Flora also sells hand sanitizers, 3-ply masks, and some other select items to the general public, but reserves most hospital, surgical & procedural-grade supplies for qualified buyers during these times of shortages.

Flora Med Supplies’ KN95 air filter masks are made of a tri-layer nonwoven material that has been tested to meet strict 95% filtration and is ideal for use in commercial buildings, construction, food processing, food safety, general manufacturing, heavy machinery use, mining, oil & gas, transportation and more. They are CE certified as an FFP2 protective mask under EN 149-2001 and meet KN95-level requirements under GB 2626-2006.

Flora’s KN95s are available online now.

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“The demand for lactose-free milk is growing rapidly across North America and we see Bonlacta™ as critical to meeting that need,” said Clementina Dellomonaco, global product line manager, dairy enzymes at DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences

NEW CENTURY, Kan. (PRWEB)
May 13, 2020

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences (DuPont) today announced the North American launch of Bonlacta™, its latest enzyme for the lactose-free dairy market. This unique product allows for process optimization and cost reduction, enabling production of a wide range of lactose-free dairy products at competitive costs across North America.

Among the numerous benefits Bonlacta™ offers, it is fast acting under refrigeration conditions and is able to withstand high temperatures to enable new, optimized processes with even faster lactose hydrolysis targets. The unique thermal properties makes it optimal for flash pasteurization or high-temperature short-time (HTST) processing. This process is widely used for perishable beverages found in supermarket aisles, such as fruit and vegetable juices, beer, kosher wine and – where Bonlacta™ comes in – fluid milk and milk-derived products.

The opportunity for lactose-free producers has never been greater; today it is the fastest growth segment in the dairy industry. In markets around the world, lactose-free products are no longer niche, which is among the top claims in new milk product launches.

“The demand for lactose-free milk is growing rapidly across North America and we see Bonlacta™ as critical to meeting that need,” said Clementina Dellomonaco, global product line manager, dairy enzymes at DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences. “We know the exceptional performance of Bonlacta™ can create cost-competitive products, allowing more dairy producers to go mainstream with lactose-free milk.”

Bonlacta™ offers manufacturers many more unique advantages. Superior filterability during in-line milk processing reduces down time and delivers considerable cost savings during production. Its high purity ensures a clean taste in products stored at refrigerated or ambient temperatures. Less undesired off-flavors and less undesired reactions bring opportunities for use in new products such as hybrid milks with many added ingredients. The fast lactose hydrolysis process is further accelerated by salt addition, making Bonlacta™ ideal for use in fresh cheese and related dairy applications. Additionally, its high enzyme stability, relative dose reduction, and lactase addition flexibility during processing are significant advantages for milk and dairy product producers.

“This is great news for dairy producers and lactose intolerant consumers,” Dellomonaco added. “Between the lower costs and consistent flavors, Bonlacta™ is helping to eliminate numerous barriers to entry for lactose-free dairy products.”

Bonlacta™ is part of the DuPont™ Danisco® full suite of lactase enzymes with a wide variety of producer and consumer benefits.

To learn more about Bonlacta™ and other DuPont lactase offerings, visit https://www.dupontnutritionandbiosciences.com/products/lactase.html.

About DuPont™ Danisco®

DuPont™ Danisco® is the brand for a range of products that help provide enhanced bioprotection, an improved nutritional profile, and better taste and texture with greater cost efficiency and lower environmental impact, meeting the needs of manufacturers of food and beverages and dietary supplements. Through the work of the global network of food scientists and technologists in DuPont, the Danisco® range is supported by a uniquely broad spectrum of know-how across applications and processing.

About DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences applies expert science to advance market-driven, healthy and sustainable solutions for the food, beverage, dietary supplement and pharmaceutical industries. We also use cutting-edge biotechnology across a range of markets to advance bio-based solutions to meet the needs of a growing population, while protecting our environment for future generations. We are innovative solvers who help our customers turn challenges into high-value business opportunities. For more information: http://www.dupontnutritionandhealth.com or http://www.biosciences.dupont.com

About DuPont

DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials, ingredients and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, health and wellness, food, and worker safety. More information can be found at http://www.dupont.com/.

# # #

05/13/2020

DuPont™, the DuPont Oval Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with ™, SM or ® are owned by affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. unless otherwise noted.

For further information contact:

Francis Stalder                     

M: +31 6 30 96 58 52                 

Francis.Stalder@dupont.com         

Mariah Saerndahl

M: +1 715 210 2509

Mariah.Saerndahl@dupont.com

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The GWI announced that they have been chosen by the Vatican to collaborate on a new initiative to create a better, healthier and less unjust world in the aftermath of the Coronavirus epidemic.

We are deeply honored by the opportunity to contribute to this important Vatican initiative. Wellness is a vital concept to reset the world after COVID-19. Not only does wellness link mind, body, and spirit, it connects our individual self with community and planetary wellbeing.

MIAMI (PRWEB)
May 13, 2020

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI), a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower wellness worldwide, today announced that they have been chosen by the Vatican to collaborate on their ambitious new initiative to create a better, healthier and less unjust world in the aftermath of the Coronavirus epidemic.

In early April, Pope Francis announced a new COVID-19 commission focused not only on confronting the current crisis but also to visualize the world we need to build post-virus. The future of health and wellness is a key pillar of the Vatican initiative (in addition to ecology, economics and public security), and the GWI has been selected to provide a series of eight white papers proposing how a holistic concept of wellness could transform human life, including our workplaces, our built environment and our mental wellbeing.

The series is called “Resetting the World with Wellness.”

“We are deeply honored by the opportunity to contribute to this important Vatican initiative. Wellness is a vital concept to reset the world after COVID-19. Not only does wellness link mind, body, and spirit, it connects our individual self with community and planetary wellbeing and to our personal search for meaning, purpose and transcendence,” said Katherine Johnson and Ophelia Yeung, GWI’s senior researchers and directors of the Vatican project.

The Vatican’s COVID-19 Commission:

Pope Francis created the Vatican’s COVID-19 commission to “express the Church’s love for the entire human family during the pandemic” and because he’s convinced that we’re living through “a time of epochal change” and have an unprecedented opportunity to reflect on how to solve the socioeconomic, environmental and health challenges looming in our future. The commission is led by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD); coordinated by Cardinal Peter Turkson (DPIHD Prefect), Mons. Bruno-Marie Duffé (Secretary), and Fr. Augusto Zampini (Adjunct Secretary); and divided into five working groups, each addressing a different aspect of the pandemic.

GWI is part of Working Group 2, which brings together public and private institutions, universities, the pontifical academies, social movements, and leading economists and entrepreneurs to create new research and thinking about a post-COVID future.

As Cardinal Turkson put it: “Group 2 has the task of night watch, like the sentry, to perceive the dawn. To do this, it is necessary to connect the best minds in the areas of ecology, the economy, health and public security. We need the concreteness of science…and prophecy and creativity.” On top of supporting medical providers, the health taskforce has a mission of addressing the flaws in modern healthcare systems and promoting “integral health” (or wellness) and all its components: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social and environmental wellbeing.

The new resources will reach church leaders and the Vatican network, as well as global leaders and ordinary people, bringing GWI’s research to a vast audience.

GWI’s Vatican papers:

GWI’s white papers for the Vatican integrate facts, data, and best practices; employ interdisciplinary thinking; and are a call to action, recommending strategies that could help “reset” the world post-pandemic—with a new focus on prevention and a proactive wellness-based mindset.

Eight papers will be published; three are available now.

1) “A New Vision for a Post COVID-19 Future” summarizes the key concepts and practices of wellness and outlines how wellness can provide a roadmap for healing and growth as the world emerges from the pandemic.

2) “Healthy Built Environments for Healthy People” describes how our unhealthy built environment can cause both chronic and infectious diseases, as well as the roles that communities, businesses and governments can play in building healthier homes and communities for healthier people.

3) “Work, Health and Dignity” spotlights how the dangerous, unhealthy, inequitable and stressful work conditions that have been exposed by COVID-19 can spark a collective will for radical change that is necessary to bring health and dignity back to our working lives and workplaces.

In the coming weeks (each Wednesday), GWI Vatican papers on the following topics will be released: mental wellness (May 13), physical movement (May 20), social wellness and community (May 27), food and nourishment (June 3), and travel and wonder (June 10).

About the Global Wellness Institute: The Global Wellness Institute™ (GWI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the leading research and educational resource for the global wellness economy. Through its five pillars—research, industry initiatives, roundtable discussions, Wellness Evidence and The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease—the GWI informs and connects key global stakeholders who impact the health and wellness of our planet and its citizens. The GWI’s mission is to empower wellness worldwide.

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