This webinar explores essential strategies and techniques for mastering FOG compliance and equipping participants with the knowledge needed to navigate regulatory landscapes efficiently. From innovative technologies to best practices in maintenance and disposal, attendees will gain actionable insights to enhance operational efficiency and ensure sustainable practices in FOG management.
The expert speaker will also address the unique environmental and operational challenges posed by FOG. They will also provide practical insights into strategies and techniques for managing FOG, including latest innovations and best practices in the field. Moreover, they will explore sustainable practices for FOG disposal and maintenance, emphasizing their contribution to long-term environmental stewardship and sustainability goals.
Register for this webinar today to delve into the intricacies of regulatory compliance for managing FOG and discover how proactive measures can lead to long-term environmental stewardship and regulatory success.
Join Scott Forsyth, National Business Development, ACO North America, for the live webinar on Thursday, August 15, 2024, at 1pm EDT (10am PDT).
Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars and digital content to the global life science, food, healthcare and medical device communities. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food, healthcare and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps professionals stay current with industry developments, regulations and jobs. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.
BrightStar Care, The Leading Senior Care Agency, Shares Life-Saving Advice
GURNEE, Ill., July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Summer is a season of sunshine and outdoor activities. However, it also brings high heat, increased sun exposure sunshine, and humidity, posing significant safety risks for seniors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) even lists “older age” as a risk factor for skin cancer, underscoring the importance of taking extra precautions during high-risk months. For those caring for aging loved ones, BrightStar Care offers essential tips.
Sun Safety
Protecting seniors from overexposure to the sun is crucial, as it can lead to dehydration, sunburn, heat exhaustion, and even skin cancer. When planning to go outside, it is important to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Sunscreen should be applied even during cloudy weather as UV radiation can damage skin even through cloud cover. Hats and loose, comfortable clothing that covers as much skin as possible such as long-sleeved shirts and pants can also provide extra protection from the sun. For even more protection against the sun, there are clothes made with UV-blocking fabric that are breathable enough to keep seniors cool and protected against the sun and heat.
Hydration Tips
Staying hydrated is vital, but it’s especially critical for seniors. As we age, our bodies lose some ability to conserve fluids, and older adults may not always feel thirsty. Many seniors also take medications that can lead to dehydration, increasing the risk of hospitalization, especially during the summer months. To help seniors stay hydrated, consider offering water flavored with fruit, cucumbers, or a dash of lemon and lime juice to make it more enjoyable. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into their diet can also help, as these foods are naturally hydrating. For additional support, seniors can carry a water bottle to help them hydrate regularly or set alarm reminders to remind them to take regular hydration breaks throughout the day.
Indoor Activities to Beat the Heat
While outdoor activities are a summer staple, extreme heat can be dangerous for seniors. Staying indoors can be a safe and enjoyable alternative. Going to the movie theater or visiting a museum are great options for getting out of the heat while enjoying culture. Many museums and movie theaters also offer senior and child discounts, making for a budget-friendly outing the whole family can enjoy. At-home activities including board games, cards, and puzzles can be great excuses to interact with friends or neighbors while enjoying the refreshing air conditioning.
Founded in 2002, BrightStar Care is a national home care agency with more than 396 corporate-owned and franchised locations nationwide that provide medical and non-medical home health care services to clients and supplemental care staff to businesses. BrightStar Care corporate and franchise agencies across the country employ more than 15,000 caregivers and 5,700 registered nurses who oversee the care and safety of each individual client. BrightStar Care offers custom medical staffing solutions to corporate entities and holds national accounts with government agencies across distinct patient populations providing healthcare staff anywhere care is needed. Female-founded by Shelly Sun, BrightStar Care is committed to providing a higher standard of care through its clinical nurse-led care model. As a member of Moving Health Home, BrightStar Care also actively advocates to change federal and state policies that prevent the home from being an accredited clinical care site. Network-wide BrightStar Care agencies are Joint Commission accredited – the gold standard within the health care industry. BrightStar Care has also consecutively received The Joint Commission Enterprise Champion for Quality award for more than a decade.
Strategic funding and leadership additions position the company for further growth and expansion of its in-home addiction treatment services
WALLINGFORD, Conn., July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Aware Recovery Care, a trailblazer in in-home mental health and substance use disorder treatment, today announced it has secured new funding in a round led by Connecticut Innovations (CI), the state venture capital arm. The company also announced new additions to its executive team including Roy Sasenaraine as Chief Operating Officer and Kara Gaylord as Senior Vice President of Business Development.
“While Aware now operates in 11 states, the company’s roots are in Connecticut,” said Brian Holzer, CEO of Aware Recovery Care. “With our new strategic relationship with Connecticut Innovations, we are well-positioned to reach more patients in need of the innovative addiction services we provide.”
This infusion of funds, coupled with strategic collaboration with CI, will help Aware drive further innovation and expansion while fostering greater collaboration with state government entities, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), physician groups, and self-insured employers. Notably, the Governor’s Innovation Lab at CI will facilitate connections with state partners to secure pilots and contracts over the next year.
“Aware Recovery Care is the latest addition to our growing portfolio of companies enhancing Connecticut’s reputation as a leading hub for innovation and impact,” said Matthew McCooe, CEO of Connecticut Innovations. “With its groundbreaking programs and seasoned team of industry leaders, we are excited to support Aware as the company expands the availability of its transformative in-home addiction treatment services.”
Roy Sasenaraine joins Aware with more than 20 years of diverse experience in healthcare operations and management. He brings to the COO role a proven track record of strategic planning and a history of operational excellence.
Gaylord has 20 years of experience as a multi-state behavioral health executive building and leading business development teams, opening new locations, and maintaining high census rates. As SVP of Business Development, she assumes responsibility for driving growth initiatives, expanding Aware’s market presence, and leading the business development team across our existing eleven states and future expansion markets.
“Roy and Kara are seasoned executives each with long track records of success leading multi-state, high-performing teams in the field of behavioral health. I am excited to have them join our already strong executive team to direct operations and drive future growth efforts,” said Holzer.
About Aware Recovery Care: Aware Recovery Care helps people affected by addiction recover at home through its groundbreaking, evidence-based in-home addiction treatment (IHAT) model. By transforming the home into a treatment center and delivering collaborative care with lived experience to those in need, Aware empowers individuals and their loved ones to thrive and make sustainable recovery possible. The program helps clients learn new skills and daily habits to achieve and maintain recovery, health, and wellness while remaining in their community, thereby avoiding the often-difficult return home seen from traditional treatment options. Aware now operates in 11 states (CT, FL, GA, IN, KY, ME, MA, NH, OH, RI, VA) and is poised for further expansion in partnership with established national and regional payors, employers, and other stakeholders. Aware was certified as a “Great Place to Work” in August 2022.
About Connecticut Innovations: Connecticut Innovations (CI) is the state’s strategic venture capital arm and the leading source of financing and ongoing support for Connecticut’s innovative, growing companies. CI provides access to capital and its network of talent and partners to help companies grow. For more information, please visit Connecticut Innovations.
Ricovr Healthcare secures NIH grant to develop XALIVA®, an innovative cannabis screening device, aiming to revolutionize drug testing with accurate, point-of-care THC detection.
PRINCETON, N.J., July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Ricovr Healthcare is proud to announce that it has been awarded a competitive Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the development of its groundbreaking cannabis testing platform, XALIVA®. This innovative device aims to revolutionize drug screening and enhance public safety by providing accurate THC quantification in saliva using its automated point-of-care platform.
The NIH grant will support Ricovr in creating an effective, scalable, and accurate device that aims to address the growing need for reliable drug screening solutions. XALIVA® strives to be a game-changer in the industry, offering precise and immediate results for cannabis detection.
Dr. Joseph Seimetz, Director of Research and Development at Ricovr Healthcare, will serve as the Principal Investigator for this project. Dr. Seimetz remarked, “We are thrilled to receive this NIH SBIR grant, which will enable us to advance our technology with the goal to bring a much-needed solution to the market. Our aim is to provide an easy-to-use, accurate, and reliable device that enhances public safety and addresses the challenges of on-site drug testing.”
Dr. Himanshu Bhatia, CEO and founder of Ricovr Healthcare, will serve as the Co-Investigator. Dr. Bhatia commented, “We are extremely proud of securing this grant. This further validates our technology and underscores the importance of our mission. With the support of the NIH, we are confident that XALIVA® can set a new standard in drug screening and help ensure a safer environment for all.”
Ricovr Healthcare’s grant award from the NIH will accelerate development of the XALIVA® platform and is a significant milestone in the company’s efforts to advance point-of-care testing across the healthcare technology sector. As the demand for a reliable and scalable THC testing solution increases, the market potential for XALIVA® expands, positioning Ricovr at the forefront of this critical industry.
Research reported in this press release was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under award number 1R43DA059318. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Ricovr Healthcare is a leading innovator in point-of-care diagnostics, committed to enhancing public health and safety through its advanced optical detection technology. The company’s flagship product, XALIVA® THC, represents the next generation of cannabis testing, providing accurate and immediate results for THC quantification in saliva. The Company’s product pipeline includes rapid point-of-care tests for THC, drug screening, reproductive health, and infectious diseases. The Company boasts an excellent management team of scientists and engineers, a distinguished advisory board, and excellent academic and industry partners around the globe all committed to improving diagnostics.
As expected and required for a cGMP, FDA inspected and regulated laboratory, all of the current changes and improvements were documented as part of a formal Management of Change quality process. The overall program was a complete team effort that not only included key CS Analytical Team Members, but also relied on a host of outside vendors to include Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G), a commercial electrical contractor and a commercial rigging company that specializes in installation and relocation of laboratory equipment.
About CS Analytical Laboratory The world’s only cGMP, FDA-registered contract laboratory exclusively designed and dedicated to container testing for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries, the CS Analytical Team includes world-leading experts and thought-leaders on FDA and EU regulatory expectations and USP and EP primary package testing requirements inclusive of container closure integrity (CCI) testing (CCIT). Test services include CCI method development, validation, and analysis, USP/EP/JP physical and physicochemical testing, and Comprehensive and Complementary services for all common or unique primary packaging components and systems inclusive of glass, plastic, elastomeric, and more. CS Analytical is the single source to ensure a regulated industry product-package system meets strict, complex, and ever-changing regulatory requirements.
Positive Approach to Care, led by Teepa Snow, has been at the forefront of developing compassionate and effective strategies for dementia care. The segment will highlight how understanding communication and support techniques can lead to better outcomes for all involved by transforming caregiving into care partnering.
“Don’t contain me, restrain me, or just entertain me. Engage with me in life”, stated Teepa Snow.
The episode will cover several key topics, including:
Innovative Approaches to Cognitive Change and Dementia: Exploring the latest strategies and techniques in dementia care.
Effective Communication and Care Partnering: Highlighting the importance of understanding how to communicate and support everyone involved.
Teepa Snow’s Approach or Skill: Featuring an in-depth interview with Teepa Snow, who will share her insights and experiences in the field.
Positive Outcomes for People Living with Dementia and Those Who Offer Support: Discussing how compassionate, informed, and skilled care can lead to better outcomes for everyone involved.
Viewers are encouraged to stay tuned for updates on the broadcast details of this enlightening episode. Join Dennis Quaid and the Positive Approach to Care team as they delve into the innovative world of dementia care.
About Viewpoint: Viewpoint is an educational program dedicated to exploring significant topics and innovations across various sectors. Hosted by Dennis Quaid, the program provides viewers with in-depth insights into the advancements and trends shaping our world today.
About Positive Approach to Care: Positive Approach to Care, founded by Teepa Snow, is dedicated to providing compassionate, practical, and effective dementia care strategies. Through education, training, and advocacy, Positive Approach to Care aims to improve the quality of life for all individuals experiencing dementia.
American Legion members who are eligible for the activity benefit can use it to offset participation costs associated with their activities. American Legion members are then encouraged to remain active so they can receive ongoing benefits. This is a timely collaboration for American Legion, which has recently prioritized suicide prevention for its members through the Be The One campaign. Instead of focusing on the staggering number of veteran lives lost each day, veterans, caregivers and others are encouraged to “Be The One” to save the life of one veteran.
“The American Legion’s partnership with Grouper is instrumental in enhancing support for veterans and providing them with the resources and social connections they need to thrive,” said Dean Kessel, American Legion’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We want to make it OK for veterans to ask for help, and one way we can do that is by building a community of support.”
Legionnaires: Check Your Eligibility For Grouper!
American Legion members: to find out if you qualify for the activity benefit administered by Grouper and to join the social fitness movement, visithttp://www.hellogrouper.com/al,
About Grouper:
Grouper partners with health plans that offer their members activity benefits. We help you connect to social activities that match your passions. As you stay socially active and participate in qualifying in-person activities with your group, we work with your health plan to support the cost of your membership dues and make other benefits available to you related to your social activity. For more information about Grouper, please visit https://hellogrouper.com.
About American Legion:
As America’s largest veteran service organization, the American Legion strives to enhance the well-being of approximately 19 million veterans, their families, our military, and our communities by a devotion to mutual helpfulness.
From local community service to advocacy on Capitol Hill, American Legion’s success is a result of the selfless service of nearly two million members from 12,000 posts worldwide. For more information about the American Legion and how you can support veterans, please visit https://www.legion.org/.
Beyond providing insight on the wellbeing of caregivers and their families at scale, Cleo’s Family Health Index™ enables early, targeted interventions to help parents and caregivers at greater risk of burnout — thereby allowing employers and health plans to avoid excess spend and increase productivity and improve emotional wellness.
“Validation Institute verified and validated Cleo’s Family Health Index™, which is the first tool I’ve seen that can assess employees who are on the verge of burnout, with poor mental health and loss of productivity,” said Linda Riddell, Chief Data Scientist at Validation Institute. “This tool accurately measures participants’ health that correlates with productivity, and Cleo’s interventions after-the-fact raises participants’ Emotional Wellness (PHQ-4) scores and overall FHI score, which in turn correlates with lower medical costs for their employer.”
“At Cleo, we take a population health approach to supporting caregivers, which includes using advanced analytics to identify families who are at higher risk of burnout, so that we can deliver evidenced-based interventions to mitigate that risk while supporting the holistic needs of the family unit,” said Madhavi Vemireddy, Chief Executive Officer of Cleo. “Our data shows that Cleo’s interventions and employee support leads to happier, healthier, more productive workplaces, as observed by our customers. We’re thrilled that such an esteemed third party as Validation Institute has demonstrably measured the impact of our Family Health Index™, so that we can bring these results to even more companies and families.”
Validation Institute reviewed Cleo’s Family Health Index™ measurement tool and associated data, and found the following:
Cleo’s Family Health Index™ accurately measures key dimensions of participants’ health and assesses their need for support for parenting and caregiving.
The Family Health Index™ score also accurately reflects and correlates to the participant’s work productivity, giving Cleo the ability to identify people who are more likely to lose time from or be less productive at work due to parenting or caregiving.
Engagement with Cleo improves higher risk members’ overall Family Health Index™ scores and Emotional Wellness (PHQ-4) scores.
Cleo’s cost saving analysis offers an evidence-based estimate of Cleo’s emotional wellness support impact on medical costs.
Within the last year across Cleo’s book of business, Family Health Index™ (FHI) scores show — from an n-size of 8,000 — that 33% of Cleo’s parenting and caregiving members are at higher risk for burnout, primarily among school-aged parents, high school parents, and adult caregivers. The risk rises to 47% for sandwich generation members, underscoring the necessity for a unified platform to comprehensively identify and support all caregiving journeys. Moreover, a lower overall FHI score, indicating a higher risk for burnout, correlates with greater productivity losses (such as presenteeism & absenteeism).
As verified by the Validation Institute, when these members engage with Cleo’s experts and high-value digital interventions, 69% of members who initially were identified as higher-risk for burnout improve their overall FHI score. Additionally, Cleo’s evidence-based cost savings analysis reveals that improvements in PHQ-4 scores can yield an average cost savings of $5,079 for each maternity member and an average of $1,293 for each parent or caregiver member for employers.
Click here to download the Validation Institute report, which includes more information about Validation Institute’s review process or to learn more about how Cleo can help your organization meet its goals for a happier, healthier, more productive workplace.
Cleo and Validation Institute, along with Cleo customer Genentech, will be hosting a webinar on August 7 at 1:00pm Eastern entitled You Can’t Improve What You Don’t Measure: How to Understand — and Improve — Parent and Caregiver Health and Productivity. Learn more and register for this webinar here.
About Cleo
Cleo is the only global, end-to-end, comprehensive family care platform supporting individuals throughout every life stage.
Whether individuals are growing their family; raising babies, children, or teenagers; caring for an adult loved one; or taking care of their own health, Cleo provides virtual coaching, concierge support and navigation to resources and benefits so that they can be happier and healthier both at home and at work.
Cleo’s expert global Guide network combined with advanced analytics and a personalized digital platform supports members in more than 70 countries around the world through 17+ languages spoken by our Cleo Guides with an additional 250+ live translated languages. Cleo delivers evidence-based interventions to improve the health & wellbeing of the family unit, decrease caregiver burnout, increase productivity, and reduce healthcare spend.
Cleo is trusted by more than 200 employers and health plans. For more information, visit www.hicleo.com.
About Validation Institute
Validation Institute provides unbiased, data-driven insights on healthcare solutions and services by validating performance claims made by solution providers and educating purchasers to drive transparency in the marketplace and maximize cost-savings.
Beginning July 31, Momcozy will embark on a Feel Better, Feed Better Tour with Pumpspotting, a community-driven breastfeeding and infant feeding support platform, featuring a 36-foot bus as a breastfeeding support platform. This tour will visit multiple cities including Boston, New York City, Austin, Dallas, and Washington DC. At these locations, Momcozy will host special events fostering meaningful connections among moms and professionals in the breastfeeding community. They will also showcase innovative feeding products designed to enhance the breastfeeding experience.
“Momcozy’s mission this August is clear: to illuminate the unique and diverse journeys of breastfeeding mothers, acknowledging their challenges while celebrating each story’s beauty and significance with real support,” said Lalaina Rabary from Momcozy. “We also honor organizations that provide solutions and walk alongside parents with compassion and care in their breastfeeding journey. We look forward to meeting breastfeeding mothers from around the country and hearing their stories.”
In addition, Momcozy will sponsor and exhibit at the August 1-4, Pediatric Hospital Medicine Meeting, the premier educational conference for pediatric hospitalists and other clinicians who care for hospitalized patients.
Partners for Momcozy’s breastfeeding awareness campaign include:
Nurture by NAPS: Momcozy will conduct a four-part breastfeeding webinar series for families in collaboration with parenting experts NAPS.
American College of Nurse-Midwives: will host a webinar to focus on assisting providers in better supporting individuals with mental health challenges in creating breastfeeding plans.
Mama Glow: a global maternity education organization offering services such as doula support, fertility assistance, and more, will host a webinar during Black Breastfeeding Week, August 25–31, with Momcozy to commemorate and amplify the voices and journeys of Black birthing families.
About Momcozy
Since 2018, Momcozy has been bringing the best in comfort to mothers around the world with innovative wearable breast pumps, nursing bras, and other mom-care essentials. Available in over 40 countries, Momcozy aims to make moms’ lives easier from pregnancy to early motherhood with continuous product innovation and a commitment to cozy, comfortable designs. Learn more at www.momcozy.com.
Companies from across the U.S. entered the rigorous two-part survey process to determine the Best Places to Work in Collections. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration, survey and analysis process and determined the final rankings.
About State
State improves the financial picture for healthcare providers by delivering increased financial results while ensuring a positive patient experience. Rooted in a tradition of ethics, integrity and innovation since 1949, State uses data analytics to drive performance and speech analytics with ongoing training to ensure patient satisfaction. A family-owned company now in its third generation of leadership, State assists healthcare organizations with services spanning the complete revenue cycle, including Pre-Service Financial Clearance, Early Out Self-Pay Resolution, Insurance Follow-Up and Bad Debt Collection. To learn more, visit: www.statecollectionservice.com.
