“Although mental health and medical conditions can be equally congruent, insurers and employers typically only focus on the primary diagnosis when determining the time away from work,” said Ms. Bloom-Pugliese. “What’s missing is the analysis and understanding of the broader impact of mental health conditions as co-morbidities for physical diagnoses. We look forward to sharing recommendations for how workers’ compensation professionals can better manage these claims moving forward.”
For those interested in attending National Comp, registration details and additional information can be found at: https://wcconference.com/.
About ODG ODG, an MCG Health company, (http://www.mcg.com/odg) provides unbiased, evidence-based guidelines that support workers’ comp, disability, and auto liability claims and medical management in their efforts to confidently and effectively return people to health. The clinical guidelines and analytical tools within ODG are designed to improve and benchmark return-to-work performance, facilitate quality care while limiting inappropriate utilization, assess claim risk for interventional triage, and set reserves based on industry data.
About MCG MCG, part of the Hearst Health network, provides unbiased clinical guidance that gives healthcare organizations confidence in delivering patient-centered care. MCG’s artificial intelligence and technology, infused with clinical expertise, enable its clients to prioritize and simplify their work. MCG’s world-class customer service ensures clients maximize the benefits of licensing MCG solutions – demonstrating improved clinical and financial outcomes. For more information visit http://www.mcg.com.
He continued, “The utilization of IVL in clinical practice continues to increase and our commitment to differentiated, procedurally-efficient, and cost-effective systems is unwavering. I’m thankful for our board of directors and their recognition of the significant upside for our company . In addition, I’m grateful to have such an impressive list of physician KOLs and medical device industry professionals demonstrate their confidence in our team as we aim to seize the tremendous opportunities ahead for FastWave.”
The company’s journey began just two and a half years ago with a clear vision: to address the challenges of artery calcification, a significant predictor of adverse cardiac events, through differentiated IVL platforms. An aging global population that calls for effective and minimally invasive solutions has never been higher. FastWave’s charge to this cause has led to the development of multiple IVL systems, providing physicians with more treatment options that are economical and easy to use.
Dr. Arthur Lee, a renowned Interventional Cardiologist and Advisor with High Circle Ventures, shared, “IVL is an impressive therapy and FastWave’s team is moving remarkably quickly. Their inventive IVL systems promise to fill much-needed gaps with existing technologies and I’m excited about the prospects of treating my patients with FastWave’s devices.”
The recent infusion of capital will bolster the continued development of FastWave’s IVL systems, propelling the company’s key pre-clinical and clinical initiatives into new horizons. The financing round, graced by participation from esteemed physician KOLs and leading industry stakeholders, highlights the medical community’s trust in FastWave’s transformative capabilities.
FastWave Medical’s rapid progression, exemplified by this oversubscribed fundraise, reinforces its growing momentum in the cardiovascular sector. The innovative nature of its IVL systems presents a significant opportunity, heralding a new era for clinicians and drawing keen interest from investors.
“I’m involved in numerous medtech startups and the pace at which FastWave is advancing is unparalleled, and this financing is a testament to that,” commented JC Sun, a FastWave co-founder and board member. Another board member and co-founder, Brady Hatcher, added, “The potential for FastWave is incredibly exciting, and both the medical community and investors recognize this. Our team is firing on all cylinders and I’m thrilled to be a part of something special.”
About FastWave Medical Inc.
FastWave Medical is at the forefront of developing IVL systems for calcific artery disease. With an emphasis on procedural efficiency and cost-effectiveness, FastWave aspires to redefine the sector by introducing next-generation IVL technologies that elevate patient care and the clinician experience. For more insights, please visit https://fastwavemedical.com.
About Big Sky Biomedical, LLC
Big Sky Biomedical, established by seasoned medical device entrepreneurs with robust industry expertise, is renowned for its rapid, capital-efficient therapy development. With an unwavering mission to swiftly introduce groundbreaking medical technologies to the market, Big Sky Biomedical is a beacon of innovation in the minimally invasive medical devices domain. Discover more at https://bigskybiomedical.com.
About High Circle Ventures
High Circle Ventures is an alternative investment platform that provides high net worth individuals access to venture capital and private equity opportunities in companies with groundbreaking technologies. To learn more, visit https://www.highcircleventures.com.
Among the key findings were the following highlights:
Bola was quick and easy to set up. Offices that set up within 10 days all did over 100 periodontal charts with Bola during the course of the pilot period.
Dental offices recorded an average time savings of 18.5 minutes per hygienist per day. For offices with three hygienists, that averages out to one hour per day.
The percentage of hygienists who used another team member to record probing results decreased by 63%.
Return on investment was 9x, with a monthly return of $22,500 for a monthly cost of $2,500.
Practices recorded a total value of $36,000 per office in treatment revenue.
“The results of this Heartland Dental case study show exactly how our technology is revolutionizing dental care in offices across North America,” said Rushi Ganmukhi, founder and CEO of Bola AI. “Our solution is built upon the two main goals of saving time and generating revenue. This case study proves our model is producing those results in a dramatic way.”
Bola AI’s Voice Perio system enables dental staff to seamlessly record periodontal data directly into client PMS and EHR systems in real time. Additionally, Clinical Notes allows for a fast, accurate voice transcription, freeing up dentists, hygienists and front-office staff to better serve the needs of patients.
In addition to opening up extra time for hygienists and others in the office, Bola AI’s voice solution also piqued the interest of patients listening as their periodontal probe numbers were read out loud, generating further questions and increasing case acceptance for corrective treatment. According to the Heartland study, Bola AI was shown to boost practice revenue through increases in the diagnosis, case acceptance and treatment of periodontal disease.
“Using Bola Voice Perio in my private practice has increased SRP acceptance rate by 40%,” said the business manager of an office participating in the case study. “The hygiene team have become power users and don’t want to chart any other way. It’s been great!”
“It really does make a difference with patient education,” said one hygienist from the study. “They are engaged and curious about numbers.”
Heartland Dental is the nation’s largest dental support organization providing nonclinical, administrative support services. Heartland Dental supports over 2,600 dentists in more than 1,600 dental offices throughout the U.S.
“We are thrilled to see how our technology is making a real-life difference in the offices currently using it,” said Ganmukhi. “As this study makes clear, Bola provides a big benefit to dental practices, hygienists and patients.”
As part of the Heartland-Bola relationship, a special discounted rate is available for all Heartland Dental offices to sign up for Bola’s solution at this link: https://bola.ai/partners/heartland/. Other practices can learn more about Bola AI’s cutting-edge technology and how it can save dental practices time and generate additional revenue by visiting bola.ai.
About Bola AI Bola AI is the leader in voice-AI software for the dental practice. By harnessing the power of advanced technologies, this platform can provide efficient, fully integrated and accurate speech (99%) solutions for periodontal charting, clinical notes and more. With Bola AI, practices can empower themselves to create a smarter patient experience while improving operational efficiency and driving revenue. Headquartered in Boston, MA, Bola AI partners with Dentrix and Dentrix Ascend, Curve, Patterson and more. For more information, visit bola.ai.
“Health risk assessment data is a goldmine of information for healthcare payers and brokers that is often siloed away from the rest of their data,” said Michael Clayton, CEO and president of VBA. “By incorporating this information into our VBAnalytics solution, we are giving our customers a powerful tool that helps them take early action to improve population health and manage healthcare costs.”
Payers can use powerful reporting and filters to drill down into the predicted spend, social determinants of health, and future risk modeling of a given member population. Payers can then leverage these insights to create evidence-based programs to target specific health risks and lifestyle behaviors, track and measure the effectiveness of established programs, and make more personalized recommendations to groups and members.
“Health risk assessment data unlocks real-time insights that empower health plans to target interventions earlier, without the delay created by solely using a historical claims-based-data model,” said Jennifer Jolley, CEO and president of PDHI. “By integrating this leading data set into the VBAnalytics platform, VBA customers have access to an out-of-the-box solution, providing them a more relevant and deeper understanding of their members.”
About PDHI
PDHI is a software organization that develops and distributes the ConXus Platform to support population health management, point of care, and wellness programs. With a 25-year track record of success, PDHI is trusted by hundreds of companies including health plans, wellness providers, and large employers across the United States. Learn more at pdhi.com.
About VBA
VBA is a proactive, leading-edge software design company providing comprehensive solutions to the insurance industry. Uniquely delivered on a secure, cloud-based platform, VBA provides one common architecture for all benefit administration. Our software development process focuses on continuous improvement to address market demands and ever-changing industry requirements. This empowers our clients to focus on business strategy and growth while streamlining their operations. Learn more at vbasoftware.com.
Join this webinar to learn the challenges of conducting clinical research in pediatric rare diseases. The featured speakers will discuss the potential applications, risks, key considerations and future trends of DCT approaches in pediatric rare disease studies.
Register for the live webinar taking place on Thursday, September 28, 2023, at 11am EDT (4pm BST/UK) that will feature expert speakers from Premier Research, Betsy Reid, Senior Vice President, Pediatrics; and Adam Bloomfield, MD, FAAP, Executive Director, Medical Affairs, Rare Diseases and Pediatrics.
Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.
In this webinar, the panel of experts will highlight findings from the pharma R&D report and go beyond the data to explain what they mean for drug developers across the globe. Attendees will hear about the keys to success and prepare to successfully navigate the evolving drug development landscape. In addition, attendees will learn what industry leaders are facing today, and how their outlook on pharmaceutical research and development will influence the industry moving forward.
Join this webinar to get insights into how clinical research professionals are approaching key issues and where the industry is headed.
Register for the live webinar taking place on Friday, September 29, 2023, at 11am EDT (4pm BST/UK) that will feature the following expert speakers from the PPD clinical research business: Matt Latey, VP, Head of Development Operations, Biopharma; Jenny McIlnay, Executive Director Project Management, Peri- and Post-approval Studies and RWE; Tim Peters-Strickland, MD, VP, Global Medical Officer; and Anuj Kapadia, VP, Strategy and Corporate Development.
Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.
After 25 years in practice, new partner takes leadership opportunity in his hometown community.
MELVILLE, N.Y., Sept. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Professional Physical Therapy, the largest provider of certified Hand Therapy in the Northeast, announces they entered a strategic partnership with Evan Ludin, MS, OTR/L, CHT in their Hauppauge NY location. After nearly 25 years in practice and being with Professional for over seven years, Evan became part of Professional’s strategic partnership program that provides a unique affiliation solution to clinicians and leaders who are vested in ownership and operations. The collaboration represents a leadership opportunity for Evan and the ability to lead and further enhance the occupational therapist-patient experience.
The new Clinical Director Partner and Occupational Therapist, Evan Ludin, MS, OTR/L, CHT is excited to partner with Professional and adds “After 25 years in practice, I chose to redirect my patient care experience as a partner & clinical director in Hauppauge, my hometown community, with Professional PT. My passion for providing expert patient centered care in the private sector affords me the opportunity to provide upper extremity rehabilitation and splinting for patients. I draw upon the importance and understanding of radiographic healing and tissue equilibrium when considering all stages of rehabilitation. These principles guide my patient’s readiness for return to all aspects of life from basic self-care to competitive sports, work, and Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s).”
Evan completed his master’s degree in occupational therapy at Touro College. He has extensive experience working with patients of all ages. His specialty services include occupational therapy, custom splinting, and post-surgical rehabilitation of the elbow and hand.
Additionally, the Hauppauge clinic:
Accepts most major insurance plans.
Accepts same day referrals.
Takes custom hand splinting walk-ins.
Schedules each initial evaluation quickly, walk-in evaluations welcome.
Provides ongoing patient education on diagnosis, treatment plans and prescribed home-exercise programs.
Professional Physical Therapy currently operates widely across five of the Northeast states. For more information and a list of all Professional Physical Therapy locations and hand therapy services, please visit http://www.professionalpt.com
About Professional Physical Therapy Professional Physical Therapy was founded in 1999 and is an industry leader, providing private outpatient physical and hand therapy services throughout the Northeast. Our clinical team is comprised of multi-specialty Physical, Hand and Occupational Therapists who can treat a wide variety of orthopedic injuries and conditions with excellence. Today, Professional has grown to include over 190 facilities in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
A selection committee evaluated 20 esteemed nominees through a rigorous evaluation criterion, ultimately naming five Team Leader of the Year Award finalists:
“We are thrilled to recognize these five outstanding leaders as our distinguished finalists for the Team Leader of the Year Award,” said CEO of Confluent Health, Dr. Kristi Henderson, DNP, FAAN. “Their dedication to our organization’s mission and their genuine care for both our patients and team members is truly inspiring. Each one of them epitomizes the values we hold ourselves to at Confluent Health.”
The winner of the Team Leader of the Year Award will be announced on the evening of Saturday, September 23rd during the organization’s annual Team Leaders Conference taking place in Austin, Texas.
What is the Team Leader of the Year Awards: Confluent Health’s Team Leader of the Year Award is our most prestigious award given annually at the Team Leaders Conference. The award is given to an exceptional team leader, specifically a clinic director, who has displayed extraordinary leadership skills, dedication to team and clinic growth, operational excellence and a passion for fostering an inclusive and thriving team environment during their tenure with the organization.
What are the Criteria for the Team Leader of the Year Awards: Nominees of the Team Leader of the Year Award are submitted by Confluent Health partner company leadership, with each partner company allowed to nominate one candidate. The selection committee then reviews all nominations through a blinded process, redacting all names, genders and identifying information from the submission forms.
What is the Team Leader Conference: Confluent Health’s Team Leaders Conference is a celebration of our clinical visionaries, change-makers and leaders who demonstrate remarkable leadership and dedication. This year’s conference will be held in Austin, Texas with electrifying speakers, plenty of surprises and the anticipated Team Leader of the Years Awards!
About Confluent Health Confluent Health is a family of physical and occupational therapy companies. We are transforming healthcare by strengthening private practices, developing highly effective clinicians, innovating new services and technology to improve the quality of care for patients, and lowering costs via more effective treatment, workplace wellness, and injury prevention. For more information, visit goconfluent.com or find us on Facebook at @confluenthealth.
The center will serve as a hub for AHN’s nationally recognized clinical programs addressing the complete spectrum of neurological diseases, including stroke, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, headaches, neuromuscular disease, traumatic brain injuries, brain cancer and movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s Disease. It will also be home to the organization’s neurosciences research efforts.
Construction on the new facility officially began in January, with completion of the project expected by late-2024.
“The demand for comprehensive neurological disease care is growing in our region, and across the country, as the population ages and as the number of innovative therapeutic options available to patients provides the hope of living longer, healthier lives,” said Donald Whiting, MD, Chair of the AHN Neuroscience Institutes and AHN’s chief medical officer.
Dr. Whiting said the Neuroscience Center will provide a VIP-like experience for every patient and build a life-long link to the comprehensive clinical and holistic services they and their families will need. Nurse navigators assigned to each patient will provide close, personalized care guidance, helping them adhere to their treatment plans and conveniently access all the resources they need, including in-person, virtual health, and community-based services.
“This significant investment in our Institute’s capabilities is another great example of the unique, blended health strategy and Living Health model that AHN and Highmark Health are advancing to improve the quality of healthcare, reduce the costs of care and help patients live their best lives while managing chronic diseases,” said Jim Benedict, AHN President. “Our new facility will not only greatly enhance a patient’s access to care, but it will also transform the nature of that care by creating a center of excellence where leading caregivers from across many disciplines work collaboratively to develop effective, individualized care plans and improve outcomes.”
The new facility will feature advanced neurodiagnostic capabilities and an infusion center for patients who receive IV medications for chronic neurologic conditions. Onsite ancillary services will include speech, physical and occupational therapy, behavioral and mental health support, nutrition and exercise therapy, financial/insurance counseling and liaisons to other community resources that can help patients and their families better navigate the challenges of living with a chronic neurological condition.
“Neurological diseases often require a patient’s whole family to become part of the caregiver team,” Dr. Whiting said. “That’s why it’s essential that we also address every social determinant of health concern for our patients and their families, such as food, housing and transportation needs, and conveniently provide a full spectrum of services onsite that connect them to those vital resources.”
The new facility’s patient-centered design – developed with considerable input from AHN caregivers and patients themselves – mirrors that which AHN has incorporated into other recently opened programs and facilities, including the AHN Cahouet Center for Comprehensive Parkinson’s Care, the AHN Cancer Institute hub at AGH and the AHN Autoimmunity Institute at West Penn Hospital.
“At AHN, we understand that the best architects of clinical programs and health care facilities are the actual caregiving teams who will work within them and who know intuitively what kind of settings and resources enable them to perform at the highest level and, in turn, create the best overall health experiences for their patients,” said Benedict. “This incredible new Neurosciences Center is another tangible step we are taking to fulfill that promise and bring our Living Health model to life.”
The layout of the Neuroscience Center places related departments together to create multidisciplinary clinics that can share talent, resources, and best practices – minimizing the burden of patients traveling between locations and on different days to see the variety of specialists who may be involved in their overall care.
The center will feature accommodating exam rooms uniquely designed for patients with disabilities and sensory issues – including sensitivity to light and sound. The rooms will also allow both in-person and virtual visits with multiple providers during a single visit. Other amenities designed to enhance the patient experience include valet parking, expedited facial recognition check-in, iPhone wayfinding, a grab-and-go café, a health and wellness education center, and multiple conference rooms for patient support groups, educational sessions, and community meetings.
“Whether you have a newly diagnosed neurological issue or a chronic condition, patients and their families can rest assured that the doors to our new facility will open the window to an unprecedented, life-changing care experience,” Dr. Whiting said. “There is nothing else like it for this patient population in the tri-state region, if not the entire country.”
Under Dr. Whiting’s leadership, the AHN Neuroscience Institute is a regional and national referral center for patients with complex neurological health issues. The program over the years has helped pioneer and refine breakthrough medical and surgical therapies for a wide gamut of such conditions, from traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, to brain tumors, stroke, myasthenia gravis, MS, ALS, epilepsy, and movement disorders, including Parkinson’s, essential tremor, and dystonia.
The institute comprises more than 50 physicians and 54 advanced practice providers, offering care at more than 30 clinical locations across Western Pennsylvania.
To learn more, visit ahn.org/services/neuroscience.
Media Contact
Sarafina James, Allegheny Health Network, 412-609-2902, [email protected], ahn.org/services/neuroscience
The Webinar will be held on Tuesday, October 3rd from 4:00pm to 5:00pm EST. The key topic will focus on the increasing complexity of current regulatory expectations in the qualification process for drug delivery devices. Mechanical testing will be highlighted, which is performed to evaluate the device’s performance, inclusive of container closure integrity, dose verification, and functionality tests such as break loose and glide. Attendees can expect to leave the webinar with an understanding of:
General regulatory requirements and industry best practices in container / device development and qualification.
The role of functional and mechanical tests in product design, validation, and commercialization of such systems.
Differing requirements stemming from the increased complexity of drug delivery systems, such as vials, prefilled syringes, and automated drug delivery systems.
A review of relevant standards and guidance documents specific to mechanical testing, including USP 382 and 1207, ISO 11607 and 11608, and an array of ASTM standards, as well as the interconnections between them.
Strategies to reduce risk by incorporating relevant studies throughout the full lifecycle of a product-package system.
This educational webinar is free of charge to attend. To register as a formal attendee, please click here.
About CS Analytical Laboratory The only FDA regulated, cGMP laboratory dedicated exclusively to the complex world of drug and medical device container and package qualification testing, the CS Analytical Team includes the world’s leading experts on all relevant USP and EP requirements and the thought leaders and pioneers on CCI (container closure integrity – CCI) testing. Offering a full suite of laboratory services to include all USP, EP and JP procedures specific to glass, plastic and elastomers as well as complete USP 1207 services that span basic feasibility studies, component qualification programs and advanced method development and validation for helium leak testing, vacuum decay, high voltage and headspace analysis leak testing. CS Analytical is the one source that can ensure your medical product container and package system meets the strict and complex regulatory requirements.
About Instron Instron is a leading global manufacturer of testing equipment for the material and structural testing markets used to evaluate materials ranging from native tissue to advanced high-strength alloys. Instron systems perform a variety of tests such as compression, cyclic, fatigue, impact, multi-axis, rheology, tensile, and torsion. Instron is a wholly owned subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works Inc. For more information, visit http://www.instron.com.
