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.

Health: Addiction

Red Oak Recovery® Celebrates 6 Year Anniversary

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It is an honor to celebrate this joyous occasion and to continue to serve clients, families, referring professionals, our community, and our team members, particularly during this extremely difficult and challenging time.


ASHEVILLE, N.C. (PRWEB)

Red Oak Recovery® began as a discussion with industry experts around a small table at a coffee shop with a notepad and pen in 2014. Now celebrating their six year anniversary, Red Oak Recovery® has expanded their clinical treatment services to three gender-specific campuses to meet the needs of young adult men, young adult women, and adolescent boys.

Since its inception in 2014, Red Oak Recovery® has provided clinically dynamic treatment to families and individuals struggling with trauma, substance use, and mental health issues through developmentally specific and evidenced based treatment modalities that consider each person’s unique needs. With full-time dually licensed (mental health and substance abuse) Masters level clinicians, clients receive 30 hours of clinical care per week as well as participate in outdoor experiential activities throughout beautiful Western North Carolina. Red Oak Recovery provides individualized care to the client, as well as the family, to help ensure positive and lasting change.

“It is an honor to celebrate this joyous occasion and to continue to serve clients, families, referring professionals, our community, and our team members, particularly during this extremely difficult and challenging time,” says Jack Kline, MS, LCMHCS, LCAS, CCS, CTT-2, MAC, Founder and President.

Red Oak Recovery® programs are located throughout Western North Carolina and include clinically-driven and gender separate trauma focused mental health and substance abuse treatment for young adult men (http://www.redoakrecovery.com), young adult women (http://www.thewillowsatredoak.com), and adolescent boys (http://www.foothillsatredoak.com). Learn more by reaching out to: 866.457.7590.

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Health

MasterControl’s Latest Software Release Increases Efficiencies and Ease of Use for Life Sciences Companies

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“Every product release contains features suggested by our customers,” said Matt Lowe, president of labs at MasterControl.


SALT LAKE CITY (PRWEB)

MasterControl, a global provider of software solutions for life sciences and other regulated industries, today announced the latest updates to the MasterControl Platform. This release, version 2020.1, is available to the company’s cloud customers that update quarterly.

Many of these updates aim at providing improved user experience, enhanced integrations and better security. Most notably:


  • Platform Enhancement: Okta authentication and security enhancements


All cloud users on the MasterControl platform are now authenticated using Okta. There are also new user profiles which designate password policy and security requirements for users. This enhancement delivers improved accessibility, identity management, security and interoperability across the platform – including in MasterControl’s Quality Excellence solution which has been the gold standard for quality management systems (QMS) for over 20 years.

  • Solution Enhancement: Cloud tagging for manufacturing


This feature lets Manufacturing Excellence solution users tag phase steps with customizable labels. The data entered into those steps and the tag can be retrieved and used by another system, eliminating the need for manual data entry and keeping disparate systems in sync. The functionality will automatically deprecate the amount of materials used in a production run. It can also update the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with the expiration date of the product.

These are far from the only features in this update. According to Matt Lowe, president of labs at MasterControl, “Every product release contains features suggested by our customers. In some cases, these suggestions come via one of our Hackathons, but most of them come from UserVoice. Our customers are a great source of ideas to improve the software and our goal is to give them the features they need to make their jobs easier.”

One example of a new feature is when users delete a form attachment, they will now be asked to confirm that they want to delete the attachment. This will result in fewer attachments being unintentionally deleted. Customer requested features for the MasterControl Platform are typically focused on making the user experience more convenient and seamless – so they can focus bringing their life changing products to market sooner.

About MasterControl

MasterControl Inc. is a leading provider of cloud-based quality and compliance software for life sciences and other regulated industries. Our mission is the same as that of our customers – to bring life-changing products to more people sooner. The MasterControl Platform helps organizations digitize, automate and connect quality and compliance processes across the regulated product development life cycle. Over 1,000 companies worldwide rely on MasterControl solutions to achieve new levels of operational excellence across product development, clinical trials, regulatory affairs, quality management, supply chain, manufacturing and postmarket surveillance. For more information, visit http://www.mastercontrol.com.

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Health

Madico® Begins Production of Face Shields for First Responders

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TAMPA BAY, Fla. (PRWEB)

Madico Inc, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of materials-based solutions, has introduced Safe-Gard® Face Shield, a new product designed to protect first responders. The manufacturer reacted quickly to the urgent need for increased production of personal protective equipment, developing and testing more than a dozen prototypes in just a matter of days.

Safe-Gard Face Shields are disposable and can be used for many different personal protective applications including police, firefighters, nurses and doctors.

The Safe-Gard Face Shield protects against splashes during medical procedures while providing complete peripheral vision. It includes a comfortable, water-resistant, closed-cell, foam front with adjustable head fasteners and Velcro ®closure to ensure a good seal. The shield also can be used to extend the life of N95 face masks. Made in the United States with a patent pending, the Safe-Gard Face Shield is ANSI Z787.1-2015 certified against droplet hazards, verified through independent laboratory testing.

“The decision to start manufacturing face shields happened very quickly. We recognized the need and developed prototypes, modified the design based on local hospital and medical professionals’ input, and had it certified at rapid speed,” said Madico CEO Shawn Kitchell. “We’re proud to utilize some of our manufacturing capabilities to help keep people safe during these unprecedented times and have been astounded by the urgent need with three local hospitals and our local municipalities ordering 100,000+ units over a two-day period.”

Madico just recently started mass production and set a goal to produce 10,000 face shields each day. Madico will be running its production line 24 hours a day, 7 days per week to meet the demand for its core products as well as to keep up with the significant new Safe-Gard face shield demands. The company also is in the process of hiring new manufacturing floor employees to work exclusively on the assembly and packaging of the shields.

For more information on the Safe-Gard Disposable Face Protection Shield by Madico, visit http://www.madico.com/safe-gard.

About Madico, Inc.    

Madico is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of innovative window film, coating, metallizing and laminate solutions. Headquartered in Tampa Bay, Florida, Madico, Inc. innovates, manufactures, and distributes a broad range of protective, functional and decorative materials-based solutions including films, coatings and laminates for various industries worldwide from automotive and architecture to healthcare and aerospace. Since 1903, Madico has pioneered industry-first products with an unrivaled commitment to quality and dedication to its customers. Madico is a fully owned subsidiary of Lintec USA Holdings, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.madico.com.

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health and fitness

Alcohol Consumption Report Points to Dramatic Change in Americans’ Drinking Patterns During Coronavirus Pandemic

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Alcohol Consumption Report Points to Dramatic Change in Americans’ Drinking Patterns During Coronavirus Pandemic

“We suspected people were drinking more on weekdays while sheltering in place and in analyzing our BAC data, confirmed this to be the case,” said Keith Nothacker, president and founder of BACtrack.


SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB)

BACtrack®, the leader in personal and professional alcohol testing, examines how drinking patterns have changed during the past month with the majority of Americans sheltering-in-place to slow the spread of the COVID-19.

Anonymous BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) data collected in March and April 2020 and aggregated from BACtrack smartphone-connected breathalyzers reveals a dramatic shift in daily drinking patterns. On average, there’s a notable increase in drinking on weekdays and a decrease on weekends. BACtrack data also indicates drinking increases significantly just after shelter-in-place orders are issued.

Shifts in Weekday and Weekend Drinking

Average BAC levels have increased significantly on weekdays, especially on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which are historically low drinking days. People are drinking at home more and perhaps due to anxiety, boredom, or not being required to wake up early and head out to work. At the same time, average BAC levels are decreasing on weekends, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays, with restaurants and bars closed. These drinking patterns are the complete opposite of typical drinking patterns and those identified previously through BACtrack’s alcohol consumption reports.

“We suspected people were drinking more on weekdays while sheltering in place, and after analyzing our BAC data, confirmed this to be the case,” said Keith Nothacker, president and founder of BACtrack. “The most surprising finding is weekend drinking is actually decreasing in many areas,” Nothacker adds. “It’s the first and only time we’ve seen such a shift in Americans’ drinking patterns.”

BACtrack data also indicates there’s an overall increase in drinking in many regions. This finding is in line with other public reporting: surging alcohol delivery sales, the rise of video happy hours, and Nielsen data, which reports a 55% increase in U.S. sales of alcoholic beverages for the week ending March 21st.

Notable insights comparing pre- and post-shelter-in-place drinking patterns are detailed below. Results, including interactive data, can be viewed on our BACtrack-COVID-19 page and raw data can be found here.


  • In the SF Bay Area, weekday average BACs are up 45%.

  • In California, weekday average BACs are up 47% while weekend average BACs are down 51%.

  • In Chicago, weekday average BACs are up 52% while weekend average BACs are down 26%.

  • In Washington, weekday average BACs are up 72% while weekend average BACs are down 16%.

  • In Arizona, weekday average BACs are up 63% while weekend average BACs are unchanged.

  • In San Diego, weekday average BACs are up 57% while weekend average BACs are down 19%.

  • In Texas, weekday average BACs are unchanged while weekend average BACs are down 21%.


Significant Increases in Drinking Post-Shelter-in-Place

BACtrack data also indicates a significant increase in drinking the very first day shelter-in-place orders are issued compared to the same day two weeks prior. It’s interesting to note drinking increases regardless of the day of the week.

Notable insights are detailed below and can be viewed on our BACtrack-COVID-19 page; raw data can be found here.

  • In Washington, average BACs skyrocketed 426% the first day after the shelter-in-place order was issued and 79% the following day.

  • In North Carolina, average BACs shot up 200% the first day after the shelter-in-place order was issued.

  • In Arizona, average BACs increased 160% the first day after the shelter-in-place order was issued.

  • In the SF Bay Area, average BACs increased 125% the first day after the shelter-in-place order was issued.

  • In Massachusetts, average BACs increased 65% the first day after the shelter-in-place order was issued.

  • In Ohio, average BACs increased 83% the first day after the shelter-in-place order was issued and 86% the following day.

  • In Oregon, average BACs increased 83% the first day after the shelter-in-place order was issued.


BACtrack has been releasing alcohol consumption reports for several years to provide insight into Americans’ drinking habits. See our past reports here.

Methodology

Data was collected anonymously from users of the BACtrack app, which syncs with BACtrack smartphone breathalyzers, and represents thousands of unique BAC tests collected from March 3, 2020, to date. Data used in the report was collected from users in the U.S. with location services turned on and does not represent data from all users.

About BACtrack

San Francisco-based BACtrack is the leader in personal and professional alcohol testing in North America, offering a full range of innovative products for both personal and professional use. Founded in 2001, BACtrack helps people monitor their blood alcohol content and make informed decisions about alcohol consumption. BACtrack has won Popular Science’s ‘Best of What’s New’ Award for its innovation in health, a Good Design award for best in category, among other awards, and has been named the top breathalyzer brand by Car & Driver. In 2016, BACtrack created the first wearable alcohol monitor, BACtrack Skyn, which won the NIH ‘Wearable Alcohol Biosensor Challenge’ and launched BACtrack View, a remote alcohol monitoring system. BACtrack products have been featured in USA Today, The New York Times, WIRED, Fast Company, and other national and international publications. BACtrack breathalyzers are available in 20 countries and at over 15,000 store locations including Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, and Best Buy. BACtrack products can also be purchased online at BACtrack.com, Amazon, Walmart.com and Target.com. Connect with BACtrack via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For more company information, explore our site http://www.bactrack.com.

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Health

Omixon Founder, Attila Berces Returns as CEO, Aims to Roll-Out New Products

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Dr. Berces Attila, CEO

We have an ambitious vision to expand our product portfolio by developing new products in-house, as well as by licensing and acquiring new innovative technologies.


BUDAPEST, Hungary and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (PRWEB)

Global molecular diagnostics company Omixon, headquartered in Budapest with US offices in Cambridge, MA, announced today that Omixon’s founder and chairman Dr. Attila Berces returns as CEO. Outgoing CEO Dr. Peter Meintjes led the early commercialisation of Omixon’s flagship product Holotype HLA since 2014 before stepping into the CEO role in 2017.

In concert between the incoming and outgoing CEOs, as well as Omixon’s Board of Directors, the company has restructured its executive team with Gregory Werner as VP Commercial Operations, Elmar Schilling as CTO, and Judit Kósa as CFO. Gregory Werner joined Omixon from Thermo Fisher where he was responsible for the entire One Lambda portfolio (Transplant Diagnostics) in Europe. Prior to the acquisition by One Lambda, Greg built the European operations for Linkage Biosciences, successfully introducing LinkSeq™ and dominating the market. Elmar Schilling has joined Omixon from Eurofins Genomics, where he led the NGS Manual Innovation Facility at its DNA Campus near Munich. Judit Kósa, joins Omixon after more than a decade in the pharmaceutical industry including Teva Pharmaceuticals and AMRI and more than a decade in CFO roles. “Together with Zoltán Simon (COO), who has been with the company for over 10 years, Omixon’s executive team is ready to take Omixon to a new level,” says Dr. Berces.

Omixon came to the market with the first HLA genotyping test using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) in 2014 and has grown revenues at a compounded annual rate of 100% for four consecutive years. “During the fast pace of market expansion we had failed to listen to some customer requirements. We are now addressing this and will provide laboratories with an improved customer experience. We recently released a software update that solved a serious software performance issue. We are committed to continue with our outstanding customer support. We have an ambitious vision to expand our product portfolio by developing new products in-house, as well as by licensing and acquiring new innovative technologies,” says Dr. Berces.

Omixon’s R&D lab continues to operate during the current lock-down. It is an excellent time to gather customer input, improve existing products and develop new ones. The Early Access Program of the 11-locus multiplex Omnitype product is already underway with feedback from 8 labs and while partly interrupted by COVID19, the product versions tested in the second phase of the EAP will incorporate the feedback from those first 8 labs with minimal impact to EAP. We aim to fulfil laboratory expectations and we strive to bring at least one new product on the market every year.

Despite the general economic uncertainty of COVID19, Omixon’s profitability and excellent relationship with its long-term investors allows the company capitalize on growth opportunities with new products in 2020.

Contacts at Omixon

Gregory Werner

VP Commercial Operations

gregory.werner@omixon.com

+41788606847

Nora Nagy, MBA

Market Development Manager

nora.nagy@omixon.com

+36306333050

About Omixon

Omixon is a global molecular diagnostics company, headquartered in Budapest, Hungary, with US offices in Cambridge, MA that commercializes disruptive technologies for clinical and research laboratories. Omixon’s flagship product, Holotype HLA, is the world’s leading NGS-based HLA genotyping product that delivers the most accurate high-resolution HLA genotyping available, and is used in more than 50 hospitals worldwide. Omixon’s research software, HLA Explore analyzes data from any sequencing technology and determines HLA genotypes from Whole Exome/Genome Sequencing experiments. Omixon maintains an active grant-funded research program with a product pipeline focused on pre- and post-transplantation, and HLA genotyping applications beyond transplantation. For more information, visit http://www.omixon.com.

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Health

Citus Health Partners with Virtue Technologies to Provide Seamless Delivery Tracking

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“The integration of VirtueScript with Citus Health further develops this patient engagement tool in a way that provides patients valuable information in today’s digital times.” Intramed Plus


NEW YORK (PRWEB)

Citus Health, a leading digital health solutions provider for the post-acute industry, announced today that it will partner with Virtue Technologies, a provider of post-acute mobile technology workflow management solutions. The partnership will enable home infusion and specialty pharmacy providers with seamless access to the VirtueScript electronic delivery and notification system via the Citus Health platform for improved staff efficiency and patient satisfaction.

“With the increasing need to enable patients with the ability to sign delivery tickets in a contactless fashion and the greater demand for digital patient communications, we are thrilled to partner with Citus Health to deliver an integrated solution with our VirtueScript platform,” said Gibran Ameer, PharmD, CEO, Virtue Technologies. “We look forward to enabling our joint customers with the robust capabilities these two solutions bring to the marketplace.”

Virtue Technologies offers VirtueScript, an innovative electronic delivery system that maximizes efficiency and safety through courier and shipping coordination, route optimization, electronic proof of delivery, reporting, one touch GPS and dialing for couriers. Integrated with the Citus Health platform, home infusion, and specialty pharmacy providers will have access to real-time patient notifications on order status through text messaging or push notifications within the Citus Health mobile application. Providers will also have convenient access to all delivery history for expedited billing, reimbursement, and easy third-party audit requests.

“The integration of VirtueScript with Citus Health further develops this patient engagement tool in a way that provides patients valuable information in today’s digital times. Our patients have instant access to their team of clinicians, ease of submission of inventory, a hearty education center, and now the ability to receive status updates related to their upcoming delivery. This platform is a powerful commitment to our patients, healthcare professionals, and the entire medical community. The integration of the two platforms continues to prove our commitment and delivery of our mission to provide exceptional patient-focused infusion care,“ added Erica Smith, BSN, RN, Director, Nursing Services and Michael Bedenbaugh, PharmD, MBA, MS, Director, Pharmacy Services, Intramed Plus.

“During this unprecedented time, it is more important than ever to enable our healthcare providers with the solutions they need to provide the highest levels of remote care,” commented Melissa Kozak, RN, CRNI, CEO and Co-Founder, Citus Health. “We consistently look for innovative partners who complement our solution set and can help drive more value for our mutual customers, which is why we are delighted to partner with the Virtue Technologies team. This partnership will enable our joint home infusion and specialty pharmacy customers with an integrated solution that provides both their organizations and their patients with a seamless experience and real-time access to their critical medication delivery information.”

About Virtue Technologies

Virtue Technologies is a provider of cloud-based software committed to solving the challenges of the highly fragmented pharmacy market. The solutions strive to drive out cost and improve a pharmacy’s revenue cycle by improving staff efficiency, removing waste, increasing patient satisfaction, and providing unparalleled visibility to pharmacy operations. In an environment of shrinking reimbursements, growing audit risk, and persistent demand from patients and caregivers, Virtue Technologies provides the solutions the market demands. For more information, visit http://www.virtuescript.com.

About Citus Health

Citus Health is a digital health transformation leader that enables real-time, secure collaboration between patients, care teams, care partners, and family members to optimize the patient experience and positively impact the financial outcome of the care provider. Founded by a post-acute care nurse with domain expertise, and an internationally recognized digital health expert, Citus Health delivers the only comprehensive on-demand digital and mobile platform that sets a new standard of patient, caregiver, family, and partner engagement. For more information, visit citushealth.com.

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Health

Tyme Global Technologies Leverages Partnership with T2 Tech Group to Pivot Business in Response to New York State’s Call for COVID-19 Testing Support

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T2 Tech Group


LOS ANGELES (PRWEB)

In response to the New York State Department of Health’s call for help scheduling appointments for residents to receive COVID-19 testing, Tyme Global Technologies, the largest provider of remote services to hotels in New York, immediately pivoted its business focus from hospitality to healthcare to re-employ, train and fully deploy more than 100 staff members within 48 hours. Through its long-standing partnership with T2 Tech Group, an industry-leading IT consulting, advisory and project management services provider, Tyme Global was positioned with the technology infrastructure and staffing to begin conducting outbound calls to thousands of New Yorkers to schedule COVID-19 tests.

“While the hospitality industry shuttered almost overnight in light of COVID-19, we had an incredibly talented team whom we wanted to find opportunities for,” said Ryan Levin, CEO of Tyme Global Technologies. “We explored our current and former staff databases and reached out to our partner T2 Tech Group, who was instrumental in tapping into its large network of healthcare executives throughout the country to identify furloughed healthcare support personnel to step into these roles. In a matter of days with the right resources to reach talented personnel and the infrastructure in place, we were able to re-employ, train and deploy dozens of people with this new line of meaningful work.”

T2 Tech was a vital partner in advising Tyme Global on the business and technology considerations, and integration of systems to support the shift in business, ensuring solid connectivity, processes and scalability to accommodate thousands of additional remote employees, when needed.

Kevin Torf, Managing Partner of T2 Tech Group, said, “We’re proud to partner with and advise Tyme Global on the shift to make a meaningful difference right now. Because of this immediate pivot, Tyme Global has remained resilient during this pandemic and reinvented its business to not only stay relevant, but to literally help save lives. When you bridge technology and people together, incredible outcomes can be achieved.”

Levin continued, “Critical to the success of this pivot was leveraging T2 Tech’s deep understanding of the healthcare industry, IT infrastructure needs, and in-depth remote workforce development. When combining that expertise with Tyme Global’s experience, management and resourcing efficiencies, we were well-positioned to provide staffing rapidly.”

While the first deployment of this new remote call team is focused on New York, Tyme Global and T2 Tech are poised and ready to help industries, state and local governments, hotels and hospitals across the country with remote turnkey services, secure technology infrastructure, and access to experienced and available remote employees, working from the safety of their homes now and as virtual workforces continue to evolve moving forward.

Some of Tyme Global’s hotel clients have converted their premises to house healthcare workers, quarantined patients, and even overloaded hospital beds. As a further step in assisting with the pandemic, Tyme Global’s operators also manage these hotels’ call traffic to assist internal and external people with any information and assistance needed.

About Tyme Global Technologies

Tyme Global Technologies is a New York-based company that specializes in software and communications solutions for the hospitality industry. With a combined 40+ years of hotel experience and servicing more than 400 hotels with their technological and amenity requirements, its management team understands how to provide a quality guest experience. Tyme Global specializes in remote services such as pbx operators, guest service agents, data entry and email inbox management, text messaging, room service order taking, restaurant reservations, website livechat, and traditional hotel reservation phone calls. Tyme Global also has their own back of house and guest ticketing software called HotelExpert, and also offers Voice over IP PBX and backup voice solutions. For more information, visit tymeglobal.com.

About T2 Tech Group

T2 Tech Group is a leader in the practical application of technology for healthcare and a range of other industries. Since 2006, T2 Tech has consistently delivered quality consulting and management advisory services to executives and IT leaders. The T2 Tech team balances business and IT needs, uses a proven methodology, oversees projects from assessment to post-implementation and practices transparency in everything they do. For additional information, visit: t2techgroup.com, or visit T2 Tech Group on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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Lifestyle: Self Help

New Book Demonstrates That Self Awareness Is Key for Healthy Work Environments and Business Success

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“Why Aren’t You Listening to Me?: Elevate Your Emotional Intelligence and Connect with Your Team” by Teresa Lodato, CPCC

“This book will help people shift the paradigm in their life allowing them to realize and utilize their innate gifts while taking ownership of their life and realizing healthier relationships with the people around them,” Lodato said.


PLEASANTON, Calif. (PRWEB)

Conscious leadership and relationship coach Teresa Lodato, CPCC, recently released: “Why Aren’t You Listening to Me?: Elevate Your Emotional Intelligence and Connect with Your Team.” This self-awareness guidebook encourages readers, especially those who are in high-stress business roles, to develop a healthy relationship with their bodies and connect with their inner wisdom to thrive.

“In my work, I coach leaders and their teams to achieve greater results using cutting edge techniques to lead with focus, heightened self-awareness and increased connection especially in challenging times,” Lodato said.

People tend to blame others for stress in their lives but Lodato teaches the importance of shifting the focus back to themselves and healing their own lives. She encourages readers to practice autonomy from the people in their surroundings since it is beneficial for the individual to focus on their internal power. With this book, Lodato hopes readers will find their true, authentic selves by using the techniques outlined and dig further to who they are at the core of their being.

“I developed ‘Why Aren’t You Listening to Me?’ as a guide for people to choose their viewpoint,” Lodato said. “This book will help people shift the paradigm in their life allowing them to realize and utilize their innate gifts while taking ownership of their life and realizing healthier relationships with the people around them.”

By extending this shift to their work relationships, readers can strengthen team connections, become better leaders and increase overall productivity in the workplace. They will no longer be focused on shifting blame to others but on presenting their own powerful presence that is independent of those around them while creating new opportunities for novel solutions.

“Why Aren’t You Listening to Me?: Elevate Your Emotional Intelligence and Connect with Your Team”

By Teresa Lodato, CPCC

ISBN: 978-1-9822-4207-7 (softcover); 978-1-9822-4206-0 (hardcover) 978-1-9822-4208-4 (e-book)

Available at the Balboa Press Online Bookstore, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the author

Teresa Lodato, CPCC is a conscious leadership and relationship coach who helps her clients create and strengthen healthy and supportive relationships with themselves and others, identify blind spots and improve communication skills so they realize more success with less effort. She is an expert in conscious and transformative studies, ecotherapy, dream therapy (mentored by Jeremy Taylor), neuroscience of coaching and Reiki. Lodato offers her services to support the United Nations staff and other organizations working around the world through the Humanitarian Coaching Network. Currently, Lodato resides in Pleasanton, CA. To connect with her, please visit her website: http://www.teresalodato.com.

For Interview Requests & Review Copies, Please Contact:            

LAVIDGE – Phoenix                        

Krista Tillman

480-648-7560

ktillman@lavidge.com

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health and fitness

Highmark Expands Telehealth Opioid Treatment Program to Pennsylvania, Delaware during COVID-19 Crisis

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“The COVID-19 crisis has created even more treatment access challenges, while also fueling feelings of isolation and despair. By expanding this program, we’re harnessing technology to support our members on their path to recovery during this period of social distancing.”


PITTSBURGH (PRWEB)

Highmark today announced that its commercial, Affordable Care Act and Medicare Advantage members in Pennsylvania and Delaware now have access to a comprehensive, technology-enabled opioid use disorder (OUD) program. The program, which was first rolled out to Highmark’s West Virginia members in January of 2020, will help preserve treatment access and promote recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

“In the communities that we serve and across the country, patients face extremely limited access to opioid use disorder treatment and medication–assisted treatment (MAT) therapy,” says Dr. Caesar DeLeo, vice president and executive medical director of strategic initiatives for Highmark. “The COVID-19 crisis has created even more treatment access challenges, while also fueling feelings of isolation and despair. By expanding this program, we’re harnessing technology to support our members on their path to recovery during this period of social distancing.”

The OUD treatment program is offered in partnership with Bright Heart Health, an organization that offers nationally-recognized teleaddiction services. More than 90 percent of patients are retained in OUD treatment one month after beginning services, according to Bright Heart Health. More than 90 percent of patients are negative for opioids within 90 days of beginning treatment, and more than 85 percent are negative for other stimulants and sedatives. Health related costs are reduced by $20,000 annually when opioid dependent patients are on MAT.

Highmark members can access services and meet on-demand with medical staff and counselors through a smart phone, tablet, or computer. Members may access Bright Heart Health services via self-referral or through a warm hand-off, a process of transitioning a patient with a substance use disorder from an intercept point, such as an emergency department, to a treatment provider once the patient is stable.

Following an initial intake and assessment process, members are connected to a multidisciplinary care team that includes a physician, therapist, case manager, care manager and a wellness coach. The program offers individualized treatment plans and MAT that allows individuals to stop abusing opioids without experiencing powerful drug cravings or severe withdrawal symptoms.

“We are proud to partner with Highmark in expanding access to high-quality opioid use disorder treatment in Pennsylvania and Delaware, in addition to West Virginia,” says Jon Ciampi, president of Bright Heart Health. “In this time of crisis and limited in-person treatment options, Bright Heart teleaddiction services will help ensure that individuals in need still have a supportive care team.”

The expansion of technology-enabled OUD treatment is Highmark’s latest step to support the communities it serves during the COVID-19 crisis. Highmark has also waived members’ out-of-pocket costs for telemedicine, COVID-19 testing and in-network inpatient COVID-19 treatment; provided $2 million for COVID-19 relief efforts related to food insecurity, financial stability and safety net health care in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia; and assisted local primary care physicians by advancing more than $30 million in payments earned through Highmark’s True Performance value-based reimbursement program.

About Highmark Inc.

One of America’s leading health insurance organizations and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Highmark Inc. (the Health Plan) and its affiliated health plans (collectively, the Health Plans) work passionately to deliver high-quality, accessible, understandable, and affordable experiences, outcomes, and solutions to customers. As the fourth-largest overall Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated organization, Highmark Inc. and its Blue-branded affiliates proudly cover the insurance needs of more than 5.2 million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia. Its diversified businesses serve group customer and individual needs across the United States through dental insurance and other related businesses. For more information, visit http://www.highmark.com.

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Health

NeoTract Designates Dr. Thomas Chun as UroLift® Center of Excellence

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“We are proud to name Dr. Thomas Chun as a UroLift Center of Excellence and provider of care for men with enlarged prostate symptoms using the UroLift System treatment,” said Dave Amerson


PLEASANTON, Calif. (PRWEB)

NeoTract, a wholly owned subsidiary of Teleflex Incorporated (NYSE:TFX) focused on addressing unmet needs in the field of urology, today announced that Thomas Chun, M.D., New Jersey Urology in Cliffside Park, NJ, has been designated as a UroLift® Center of Excellence. The designation recognizes that Dr. Chun has achieved a high level of training and experience with the UroLift® System and demonstrated a commitment to exemplary care for men suffering from symptoms associated with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate.

Recommended for the treatment of BPH in both the American Urological Association and European Association of Urology clinical guidelines, the FDA-cleared Prostatic Urethral Lift procedure using the UroLift System is a proven, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to BPH. The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue.

The UroLift Center of Excellence program is designed to highlight urologists who are committed to educating their patients on BPH and the UroLift System as a treatment option and consistently seek to deliver excellent patient outcomes and experiences.

“We are proud to name Dr. Thomas Chun as a UroLift Center of Excellence and provider of care for men with enlarged prostate symptoms using the UroLift System treatment,” said Dave Amerson, president of the Teleflex Interventional Urology business unit. “The UroLift System is a safe and effective treatment that allows physicians to treat men in-office under local anesthesia, so they can experience lasting symptom relief within days after receiving treatment.”

Over 40 million men in the United States are affected by BPH, a condition that occurs when the prostate gland that surrounds the male urethra becomes enlarged with advancing age and begins to obstruct the urinary system. Symptoms of BPH often include interrupted sleep and urinary problems and can cause loss of productivity, depression and decreased quality of life.

Medication is often the first-line therapy for enlarged prostate, but relief can be inadequate and temporary. Side effects of medication treatment can include sexual dysfunction, dizziness and headaches, prompting many patients to quit using the drugs. For these patients, the classic alternative is surgery that cuts, heats or removes prostate tissue to open the blocked urethra. While current surgical options can be very effective in relieving symptoms, they can also leave patients with permanent side effects such as urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and retrograde ejaculation.

About the UroLift® System

The FDA-cleared UroLift System is a proven, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a minimally invasive transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue. Clinical data from a pivotal 206-patient randomized controlled study showed that patients with enlarged prostate receiving UroLift implants reported rapid and durable symptomatic and urinary flow rate improvement without compromising sexual function*1,2. Patients also experienced a significant improvement in quality of life. Over 100,000 men have been treated with the UroLift System in the U.S. Most common adverse events reported include hematuria, dysuria, micturition urgency, pelvic pain, and urge incontinence. Most symptoms were mild to moderate in severity and resolved within two to four weeks after the procedure. The Prostatic Urethral Lift procedure using the UroLift System is recommended for the treatment of BPH in both the American Urological Association and European Association of Urology clinical guidelines. The UroLift System is available in the U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada, Mexico and South Korea. Learn more at http://www.UroLift.com.

About NeoTract | Teleflex Interventional Urology

A wholly owned subsidiary of Teleflex Incorporated, the Interventional Urology Business Unit is dedicated to developing innovative, minimally invasive and clinically effective devices that address unmet needs in the field of urology. Our initial focus is on improving the standard of care for patients with BPH using the UroLift System, a minimally invasive permanent implant system that treats symptoms while preserving normal sexual function *1, 2. Learn more at http://www.NeoTract.com.

About Teleflex Incorporated

Teleflex is a global provider of medical technologies designed to improve the health and quality of people’s lives. We apply purpose driven innovation – a relentless pursuit of identifying unmet clinical needs – to benefit patients and healthcare providers. Our portfolio is diverse, with solutions in the fields of vascular and interventional access, surgical, anesthesia, cardiac care, urology, emergency medicine and respiratory care. Teleflex employees worldwide are united in the understanding that what we do every day makes a difference. For more information, please visit http://www.teleflex.com.

Teleflex is the home of Arrow®, Deknatel®, Hudson RCI®, LMA®, Pilling®, Rusch®, UroLift® and Weck® – trusted brands united by a common sense of purpose.

For Teleflex Incorporated:

Jake Elguicze, 610.948.2836

Treasurer and Vice President, Investor Relations

Media:

Nicole Osmer, 650.454.0504 nicole@healthandcommerce.com

*No instances of new, sustained erectile or ejaculatory dysfunction

1. Roehrborn, J Urology 2013 LIFT Study

2. McVary, J Sex Med 2016

MAC00968-01 Rev A

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