The resource fair, featuring 15+ recovery support agencies, will be held at the new Ideal Option clinic in downtown Tacoma on Friday, August 25, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.

TACOMA, Wash., Aug. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Ideal Option, a national leader in outpatient medication-assisted treatment for opioids, methamphetamine, alcohol and polysubstance, is partnering with local organizations to host a Recovery Resource Fair for residents of Pierce County. The fair will be held at their new addiction medicine clinic located at 1702 Tacoma Ave S, Suite A, just two blocks from St. Joseph Medical Center.

According to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, opioid-related overdose is now the most common cause of accidental death, outnumbering motor-vehicle collisions and firearm deaths. In addition, fentanyl-related deaths in Pierce County during the first half of 2022 increased by 81.8% compared to the same period in 2021.

Ideal Option data support the effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. Among Washington state patients who continued treatment with Ideal Option throughout 2022, urine drug testing revealed a remarkable 98% reduction in fentanyl use and a 94% reduction in total opioid use.

The Recovery Resource Fair will take place on Friday, August 25, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. at the Ideal Option clinic in downtown Tacoma. Attendees will learn more about local resources, meet the staff, gain insight into treatment options, explore the clinic, and network with others who are working to find solutions for the escalating opioid crisis in Pierce County.

Participating organizations include:

• Ideal Option
• Advanced Recovery Systems
• Molina Healthcare
• Rainier Recovery
• RISE Center
• Tacoma Rescue Mission
• Tacoma Needle Exchange
• Peer Kent
• Parenting Child Assistance Program
• Puyallup Tribe Re-Entry Program
• Telecare
• Hair cutting services
• Free phone services

For questions about this event, email Marketing Director Olivia Roe at [email protected].

About Ideal Option 

Headquartered in Kennewick, Washington, Ideal Option was founded in 2012 and has since helped more than 70,000 patients through a network of 90+ office-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinics across 11 states. With a mission to serve under-served communities, Ideal Option accepts all forms of insurance including Medicaid and Medicare. Financial assistance and payment plans are also available. 

Ideal Option’s team of medical providers carry certifications in Addiction and Emergency Medicine, Internal, and Family Medicine, among other specialties. The company also employs social workers, caseworkers, counselors, and mental health practitioners. This holistic approach helps drive positive outcomes, including family stability, stable housing, improved overall health, and reduced rates of recidivism. 

In all the communities it serves, Ideal Option collaborates with existing stakeholders and providers to improve the continuum of care. This approach includes partnerships with emergency rooms and county jail systems, where individuals with substance use disorder often appear, as well as collaborating with numerous support agencies and municipal programs addressing social needs such as housing, mental health, and nutrition support. 

Media Contact

Olivia Roe, Ideal Option, 1 9199466644, [email protected], www.idealoption.com

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SOURCE Ideal Option

Dr. Robert Keefer highlights the link between hearing loss and Alzheimer’s and the need for immediate change in new book

RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — 38 million Americans are currently suffering from hearing loss. Of those 38 million, about 80% are not using hearing aids which is resulting in up to 500% higher likelihood of Alzheimer’s and dementia which carries a significant, but avoidable, financial burden.

Hearing industry insider and PhD scientist, Dr. Keefer knows firsthand how patients and their families are being failed not only by hearing aid dealers and audiologists, but Medicare and insurance industries.

“Currently, Americans are spending $240 billion per year on Alzheimer’s care alone and this will grow to $1 trillion in 10 years unless we make the policy changes detailed in this book,” Dr. Keefer said.

Dr. Keefer’s original intent was to write a simple guidebook which people could use to find the best hearing health care providers in the US. However, when research at NIH and Johns Hopkins University showed that 80% of the 38 million Americans with hearing loss have up to 500% higher risk of Alzheimer’s, and don’t use hearing aids, he expanded his mission: put pressure on Congress and Medicare to start covering hearing aids for everyone in need.

“We need to put pressure on Congress and Medicare;” Dr. Keefer said, “to start covering well-performing hearing aids for everyone in need which will improve the quality of life for millions of people while saving hundreds of billions of dollars for our healthcare system.”

“The Alzheimer’s/Hearing Aid Paradox: In Search of Sanity”
By Robert Keefer, PhD
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3321-2 (softcover); 978-1-6657-3319-9 (hardcover); 978-1-6657-3320-5 (electronic)
Available at Archway Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author
Dr. Robert C. Keefer has worked in the US and German hearing industry for over 15 years and is the Owner and CEO of a leading hearing aid and audiology clinic in Raleigh, NC. He earned a doctorate degree in biochemistry from the University of Nebraska Medical School and has worked for over 30 years in the international medical device, pharmaceutical and diagnostics industries acquiring FDA product clearances and approvals, marketing and business development. To learn more, please visit http://www.hearinsanity.net.

Media Contact

Jeff Johnson, Lavidge, 480.998.2600, [email protected]

SOURCE Dr. Robert Keefer

Larry Hayes, a senior executive in the medical device industry with a strong background in wound closure products, joined KitoTech as its Chief Executive Officer.

SEATTLE, Aug. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — KitoTech Medical, manufacturer of microMend® and microMend® PRO Wound Closure Products, announces today that Larry Hayes has joined the company as its President and CEO. He brings over 20 years of experience in the medical device industry most of which was at the senior executive level. He has helped build several successful companies and introduced many innovative surgical products including wound closure products onto the market. Most recently, Larry served as VP of International Sales and Marketing at Intocare and EziSurg, two companies with innovative surgical stapler products which he launched onto the market. He started his career at W.L. Gore and rose to VP of Sales where he sold many types of sutures. With the hiring of Larry, Dr. Ron Berenson has moved to the position of Executive Chairman where he will continue to play an active role in KitoTech.

Larry Hayes said, “I am excited to join KitoTech, which is establishing its microMend PRO line of medical products as a new standard for closing wounds. It has demonstrated outstanding clinical results and early sales traction with physicians, clinics, and hospitals throughout the US. With this strong foundation, I look forward to building KitoTech into a major company in the wound closure business.”

Ron Berenson, MD, President and CEO, stated: “We are honored to have someone with the experience and track record of Larry who has helped build a number of successful medical device companies. He has built several commercial organizations from scratch and introduced many innovative wound closure products onto the market. Larry is the ideal candidate to lead KitoTech as we enter the next phase of growing our business not only in the US but internationally where he has a vast amount of experience.”

About KitoTech Medical and microMend Consumer and microMend PRO Medical Products

KitoTech Medical is a medical device company that is using its patented Microstaple Technology to develop and commercialize products for wound closure. These products include microMend and microMend PRO for the consumer and medical markets, respectively. They comprise an array of miniature staples (Microstaples) attached to an adhesive backing that combines the holding strength of a suture with the simplicity of applying a bandage. The products provide an easy-to use, time-saving, and cost-effective option for closing wounds. microMend PRO includes a broad range of products to close nearly all wounds including lacerations, skin tears, surgical incisions, and port sites. Additional information about the company and its products can be found online at www.micromendskinclosure.com. microMend PRO is being sold by Corza Medical.

Media Contact

Paul Leung, Kitotech Medical Inc, 1 8774201502, [email protected], https://www.micromendskinclosure.com/

SOURCE Kitotech Medical Inc