BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (PRWEB)
September 11, 2019

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System has expanded its use of a digital application for patients undergoing colorectal, gynecologic oncology, cardiac and thoracic surgeries.

SeamlessMD, a platform for patient engagement, remote monitoring and virtual care, was implemented in 2017 as a part of UAB’s Enhanced Recovery After Surgery initiative, which began with colorectal surgery. The ERAS program is a patient-centered approach to integrate evidence-based interventions across the entire surgical pathway, leading to better patient satisfaction and health outcomes.

“Surgery is often a confusing and overwhelming process for patients,” said Daniel Chu, M.D., UAB’s ERAS medical director and associate professor in the Department of Surgery. “Our patients can stay connected on their desktops, laptops and mobile devices with SeamlessMD so they are engaged with the recovery process both before and after surgery.”

With this expansion, UAB now provides a digital experience that guides more patients from surgery preparation through recovery. Patients can access the digital application through their mobile phone, tablet or computer, and they receive reminders to help them follow the ERAS care plan. Patients can also access an education library to learn about what to expect from their surgery and the recovery process. Upon discharge from the hospital, patients can report their pain scores, symptoms and wound photos from their own devices, enabling them to stay connected with the care team.

“The many unknowns around surgery can cause a lot of anxiety for patients and their families,” said Haller Smith, M.D., a fellow in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “We can help reduce that anxiety by providing easy access to information through a platform that helps patients prepare for surgery and to know what to expect when they get home. The daily health checks within the app are very helpful as they can either reassure a patient that their recovery is on track, or prompt them to contact their surgical team to flag issues that are outside of the norm, hopefully enabling us to catch any potential complications early.”

Trina Smith, lead certified registered nurse practitioner for the cardiovascular surgery clinic, wants to see how the technology will impact UAB’s cardiac program.

“We need tools to objectively assess how we can provide the highest standard of care,” she said. “Patient-reported outcomes and compliance data collected by the SeamlessMD platform will enable us to pinpoint where we need to focus our attention for quality improvement.”

In addition to patient engagement, UAB aims to increase patient compliance with ERAS protocols, which is correlated with faster recovery times. The UAB Health System will leverage the technology to deliver a standardized ERAS pathway, as well as personalized educational resources for each patient based on their unique medical profile.

“We are thrilled to partner with UAB to scale the platform across many departments within the UAB Health System, helping more patients and effecting positive change for the industry,” said SeamlessMD CEO Joshua Liu, M.D.

About UAB

Known for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, the University of Alabama at Birmingham is an internationally renowned research university and academic medical center, as well as Alabama’s largest employer, with some 23,000 employees, and has an annual economic impact exceeding $7 billion on the state. The five pillars of UAB’s mission include education, research, patient care, community service and economic development. UAB is a two-time recipient of the prestigious Center for Translational Science Award. Learn more at http://www.uab.edu. UAB: Powered by will.

About SeamlessMD

SeamlessMD is the #1 platform for patient engagement, remote monitoring and virtual care used by leading health systems to engage, educate and track patients before, during and after a procedure. Evidence from academic medical centers has shown SeamlessMD to reduce hospital length of stay, readmissions, ER visits, SNF use and costs. The platform is accessible for patients via smartphone, tablet or computer, and keeps patients on track from preparation through recovery with reminders, multimedia education, progress tracking and Patient Reported Outcomes data collection. Providers can access real-time dashboards to measure compliance and outcomes, intervene sooner for patients at-risk and drive quality improvement across the organization. For more information, please visit: http://www.seamless.md.

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SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB)
September 11, 2019

Verge Genomics, a biotechnology company utilizing human genomics to develop effective therapeutics for CNS disorders, today announced the appointment of Jane Rhodes, Ph.D., M.B.A. as its Chief Business Officer. In this role, Dr. Rhodes will lead the business and strategy functions and serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team.

Dr. Rhodes brings more than 23 years of drug discovery, company building, and business strategy leadership in the biotechnology industry. Dr. Rhodes most recently served as Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Strategy at FORMA Therapeutics, where she spearheaded the establishment of an emerging neuro-therapeutic area through a network of strategic partnerships. Prior to that, Dr. Rhodes spent 18 years at Biogen, where she held positions of increasing responsibility across both scientific program leadership and new strategic initiatives with oversight for programs from pre-clinical through regulatory submission, approval and commercialization.

“The addition of Jane to our leadership team reflects our growing commitment to partnerships that can maximize the utility of our platform for patients suffering from complex diseases,” said Alice Zhang, CEO and co-founder of Verge Genomics. “Jane has a stellar record as both a neuroscientist and strategic business leader. Her cross-functional company building, drug hunting, and business experience will accelerate our vision of leveraging machine learning to more effectively bring medicines to patients in need.”

During her tenure at Biogen, Dr. Rhodes’ notable achievements include founding the Value Based Medicine (VBM) Innovation Hub. As Senior Director of New Initiatives, Dr. Rhodes led efforts to develop digital assessment tools that are now used as standard of care in neurology clinics across the US and Europe. This work prompted Dr. Rhodes to co-found Qr8 Health, a software development company pioneering the development of patient assessment tools for the measurement of neurological and motor function.

“Having witnessed the challenges of CNS drug development first-hand, I believe that the next breakthrough requires a truly bold approach,” said Dr. Rhodes. “As our understanding of both human genomics and neurobiology continue to advance, we have a remarkable opportunity to change the way we discover and develop new drugs. Verge has the right people, the right science, and the right culture to shift the paradigm to deliver treatments faster to patients that need them now. I am thrilled to be working with Alice and her exceptional team to help realize the transformative potential of Verge’s platform.”

Dr. Rhodes holds a doctorate in neuropharmacology from the University of Manchester and an M.B.A. from Babson College. In addition to these credentials, she is a sponsor and advocate at the Arlington Academy of Hope, which partners with communities in rural Uganda.

Dr. Rhodes joins Verge Genomics during a period of significant productivity having progressed the lead program from target ID to lead optimization in less than 18 months, and built a robust pipeline in multiple diseases. The company aims to expand its preclinical pipeline and to pursue strategic partnerships towards its goal of developing new medicines for patients in need.

About Verge Genomics:

Verge Genomics is a next-generation biopharmaceutical company that uses machine learning algorithms on patient data to develop new drugs for CNS diseases. Instead of focusing on one gene, their platform surveys hundreds of genes to find new, better intervention points. Their vision is to build an “all-in-human” therapeutics engine that will deliver treatments for neurological diseases with high unmet needs including Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and ALS. Verge Genomics was launched in 2018 with a Series A of $32M funded by DFJ, WuXi AppTec, ALS Investment Fund, and Agent Capital.

Verge Genomics is headquartered in South San Francisco. Learn more at vergegenomics.com or connect on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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Day for Tomorrow Poster

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (PRWEB)
August 30, 2019

Day for Tomorrow, a parallel to Earth Day or “People Day” will launch September 22 with events at the Mall in Washington, DC around the country and the world. People with disabilities, the elderly, and on the frontline are disproportionately impacted during disasters and are ignored with respect to climate change. Day for Tomorrow focuses on climate justice and taking action now in community. People are encouraged to join the gathering in DC or meet their neighbors on this day in order to know those next door who have disabilities or are elderly so they can assist them in a disaster. Individuals are encouraged to learn about the climate emergency and take action by not driving, eating vegetarian or turning off the lights for some or all of the day. Communities can hold educational events or other activities in order to promote climate justice.

Day for Tomorrow is necessary because people with disabilities are actively impacted now by climate change. Persons with spinal cord disorders cannot control their body temperature and are forced to stay indoors during extreme heat or cold. During disasters, persons with disabilities and the elderly are most vulnerable, being unable to go to shelters with wheelchairs or personal care assistants. Inadequate accommodations are also available for persons with head injuries and autism who cannot tolerate large open areas with many people.

Marcalee and Craig Alexander left their jobs as a rehabilitation physician and psychologist to launch Day for Tomorrow. Thus far, since June, they have walked from Canada to Atlantic city, evaluating roads for sidewalks, searching for persons with visible disabilities and visiting cities to have some parts underwater by 2060. “We have only seen 11 people in wheelchairs on the road. Sidewalks are only there in towns and in front of commercial establishments. We need to change this as the US moves forward in to conquer the climate emergency. More walking will help American’s physical and mental health”.

The Alexander’s overall goal is to bring attention to the issues of persons with disabilities pertaining to climate change and extreme weather. They have spoken at medical schools and facilitated community events such as a climate justice walk in New York. Their next stops are Atlantic City, Brigantine, Ventor City, Margate City and Ocean City, all deemed to be partly underwater by 2060 by the Wall Street Journal. Next, they are walking to Philadelphia where there will be a walk/roll from Sidney Kimmel Medical College to Love Park on September 8th.

“The earth will always be here, albeit uninhabitable. During this sixth mass extinction, we need to be concerned about people, especially those with disabilities, the elderly and others on the front line. Every person needs to take action as individuals and in community to be prepared for disasters such as hurricanes or floods. The climate emergency is a human justice issue that we need to address now.”

“The face of the climate change in the US must change from Polar Bears and people from other countries to include people in our communities of all ages, colors and abilities. The climate crisis is here and your grandmothers and neighbors. If you do not have a disability now, you are likely to have one in 20-30 years when the impact of climate change is worse. This is everyone’s problem and we all need to get our heads out of the sand and work to conquer it. Come join us on Day for Tomorrow and take action”

For further information contact, Marcalee Alexander at canadatokeywest@gmail.com or 775-343-9322.

Canadatokeywest.org

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SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (PRWEB)
September 11, 2019

About the Session

Medical conferences provided by health care professionals and researchers have become more visible to the public than ever through the rise of online social media platforms. The internet gives an outlet for individuals to see new information that researchers provide and express thoughts and ideas about that information within the public eye.

Derdowski proposes that pharmaceutical companies can take advantage of the social media phenomenon for the betterment of the medical industry and communities everywhere. By using services to collect and analyze relevant social media data, industry leaders can learn more about reactions and influences of specific information along with the topics that users share and debate the most. Derdowski will then discuss the ways that companies can incorporate these strategies and make them effective tools for improving the industry.

Derdowski has an extensive education in multiple disciplines, including a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology as well as a background in university teaching and experience with scientific and medical writing. As an expert on research and client management for pharmaceutical companies with a variety of projects on his resume, he has the background to help him understand and discuss medical and pharmaceutical strategies.

This Year’s Pharma CI Conference

Derdowski’s presentation will be one of many held during the three days of this year’s Pharma CI USA Conference. This event is the largest annual conference and exhibition for competitive intelligence issues and developments facing the pharmaceutical industry today. Making room for the voices of a diverse group of international companies, the Pharma CI Conference is a place for these company representatives to meet and share ideas over sessions, workshops and networking events.

Dozens of informative insights on the latest competitive strategies in pharmaceuticals this year will strengthen the industry and help leaders make more effective business choices.

Working With Proactive Worldwide

Proactive Worldwide is a consulting firm for research and business strategy development with over 25 years of experience behind it. With clients leading many different types of industries, Proactive Worldwide offers services in scenario planning, competitive response modeling and more, based on insights and evidence gathered by the company.

At the Pharma CI Conference, the company will discuss the power of online tools to gather information about consumers. Proactive Worldwide representatives such as Derdowski make it possible for clients all over the world to market and serve individuals and communities with more effective technologies, predictions and planning. Contact us today for more information about our experience with competitive intelligence and strategic planning.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (PRWEB)
September 09, 2019

The Brian Grant Foundation (BGF) has launched Team Grant, an easy-to-use online tool that allows people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) to set fitness goals, track their exercise activities, earn badges for working out, and connect with others in the PD community.

At team-grant.briangrant.org, Team Grant members can create a profile where they can set fitness goals, track their exercise activity and monitor their progress. Each time a Team Grant member logs an activity on their profile, they are one step closer to earning a fun fitness badge. Users can also integrate their Team Grant fitness activity with a Fitbit wearable device.

Members of Team Grant will receive the latest information about managing Parkinson’s symptoms through diet and exercise, including fitness and nutrition tips, interviews with experts, profiles of people in the Parkinson’s community, and more. They’ll also get updates from BGF founder Brian Grant, a former National Basketball Association player who was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s in 2008.

“Playing in the NBA taught me about accountability to my teammates,” said Brian Grant. “Together, we were able to overcome great odds. I believe Team Grant can build that same culture for the Parkinson’s community so that we can live our lives to the fullest.”

Team Grant is based on a former project of BGF and the World Parkinson Congress (WPC), called the Power Through Project, which was a marketing campaign for the WPC in September 2016. Power Through Project users formed teams to track their activity on a web-based map from Montreal, the site of the WPC 2013 to Portland, the site of the WPC 2016. The success of the Power Through Project campaign inspired the recently launched Team Grant network, where users can now set their own individual fitness goals and track their success toward achieving them.

Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects cells in the brain that produce dopamine, a chemical messenger that helps to control movement. The outward signs of Parkinson’s may include tremors, slowness of movement, balance problems and rigidity. Though there is no cure for Parkinson’s, research has shown that physical activity, healthy eating and social connections are important aspects for managing the condition and improving quality of life with the disease.

About Brian Grant Foundation

Founded in 2010, the Brian Grant Foundation (BGF) provides proven tools to improve the well-being of people with Parkinson’s. BGF’s efforts focus on wellness, specifically exercise, nutrition, and emotional health programs. Visit http://www.briangrant.org to learn more.

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