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UK MEDTECH COMPANY TO HELP PROTECT US HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND US CITIZENS FROM 1 MILLON NEEDLESTICK INJURIES EACH YEAR

NeedleSmart

SAFETY INITIATIVE AND COMPLIANCE WILL SAVE AMERICAN HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY $1 BILLION British smart MedTech company NeedleSmart, which is pioneering disruptive technologies in the global healthcare sector, is expanding into the US healthcare market to protect American healthcare workers and patients from the rising tide of needlestick injuries (NSI). In the US alone, more than 1 Million NSI are reported each year, affecting frontline nurses, healthcare workers and patients. However, it is estimated that the more accurate figure may be five times that number, due to a culture of underreporting. Initially NeedleSmart will focus their efforts on helping the US healthcare system reduce Needlestick injuries (NSI). Pre Covid-19, NSI cost the US healthcare industry more than $1Bn each year. A cost built on treatments (both physical and mental), absenteeism, agency staff and in many cases law suits. Approximately 5.6 million healthcare workers in the US are at risk of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens via NSI or other sharps-related injuries, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration every year. Needlestick injuries are caused when a hypodermic needle accidentally punctures the skin. These injuries – which can happen at any time, however the NSI which carry the most significant risks are those that happen after exposure to the patient. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that at least 385,000 NSI occur each year to hospital-based healthcare workers, amounting to more than 1,000 NSI per day amongst hospital healthcare staff. Many more of those NSI also occur through emergency services, homecare and nursing homes. The CDC has also targeted the elimination of NSI as an agency priority, with both federal and state laws increasing enforcement of NSI injury prevention. Over 41% of NSI occur during use, with 41% occurring after use and before disposal, 15% occurring during and after disposal and 4% in other settings. NeedleSmart is working closely with lawmakers and Government agencies in the US to inform, advance and extend legislation that will protect healthcare workers and frontline staff. US based NeedleSmart Chief Operating Officer Michael Barron said: “Needlestick injuries were already a serious global problem pre Covid-19, with more than 3 million reported cases each year and rising. The introduction of a global vaccination program has added significantly to this with pandemic with NSI statistics yet to be made publicly available. The global supply and use of needles is at an all-time record, which means the risk of becoming injured by a NSI has also greatly increased. If we factor into this equation that hospitals, emergency services and healthcare staff are under even more pressure, facing longer shifts and suffering from burnout and chronic fatigue, this creates the perfect storm for an unprecedented increase and risk of NSI to US healthcare and frontline emergency services staff. While the reported figure of NSI in the US is 1 Million, it is believed that the actual figure could be considerably more due to a culture of under reporting NSI. With NeedleSmart, we can not only reduce and prevent NSI to key frontline healthcare staff, EMS personnel and patients, but we can increase staff efficiencies as we link our bespoke software solutions directly to the NeedleSmart Pro hardware and eliminate significant amounts of pre and post procedure administration and in-efficiency. Our audit and compliance software runs alongside the safe destruction technology to create a singular end to end workflow. NeedleSmart will significantly reduce post procedural PPNSI, directly targeting and reducing the $1Bn per year associated costs.” NeedleSmart, which has offices in Liverpool, England and Philadelphia USA, is already at the forefront of pioneering disruptive technologies with the British National Health Service (NHS) to prevent NSI to NHS healthcare workers and clinicians. It is also developing carbon reduction strategies in clinical waste disposal, as well as digitising vaccination programmes NeedleSmart has achieved FDA approval as a Class II medical device, making it the first UK company to achieve FDA 510(k) approval (Class II for Sharps Needle Destruction Device (NDD)). The NeedleSmart Pro device destroys a contaminated hypodermic needle in a sealed chamber in just 6 seconds, minimizing post-procedural NSI. The device heats the needle to 2372 degrees Fahrenheit, killing potentially harmful pathogens, viruses and bacteria adhering to the needle. Within seconds, the needle is compressed into a tiny ball and released from the NeedleSmart device as a safe sphere of metal at the tip of the syringe. The product can be seen here https://youtu.be/C968RkWtSi8 Aligned with this Needle Smart have set the ambitious goal of re-purposing this waste away from plastic sharps containers to a 96% recycled cardboard clinical waste container in the near future. NeedleSmart has developed a ground-breaking set of disruptive technologies in digital data and AI for medical and clinical records, healthcare worker safety and carbon reduction programs in clinical waste. To learn more about how the Needle Smart Pro works with the DVS system can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIAzsMwyBDc NeedleSmart’s disruptive smart MedTech technologies are focussed on: Safety: The reduction and hopeful elimination of harmful post procedural NSI to US healthcare workers and patients Sustainability: Reducing the associated carbon footprint by up to 95% Efficiency: The digitalization of vaccination programs, medical treatments, clinical workflows and associated records. Cliff Kirby, NeedleSmart’s Global CEO, added “Not only is this the world’s first safe needle destruction technology that also has FDA 510 (k) approval as a Class II medical device (Sharps Needle Destruction Device (NDD)), but it is the only Smart MedTech to have a unique compliance and audit software each time a needle is used. “When used as part of a vaccination program, our system offers 30-50% increased efficiencies, providing unique compliance with a digital audit trail from the point of when the needle is unwrapped from its sterile packaging. This provides a full audit trail and compliance including, vaccination batch and manufacturer, the healthcare professional administering the vaccination, date, time and patient details – right through to the safe destruction of the needle. This firmly puts healthcare and EMS worker safety at the forefront.” ENDS For more information on Needle Smart, visit www.needlesmart.com www.digitalvaccination.com The Needle Smart process explainer https://youtu.be/C968RkWtSi8 The Needle Smart DVS explainer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIAzsMwyBDc ABOUT NEEDLESMART NeedleSmart is a market-leading, British-patented needle destruction technology engineered in the UK, with offices in Knowsley and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its award-winning NeedleSmart Pro needle destruction device has achieved FDA approval as a Class II medical device, being the first UK company to achieve FDA 510(k) approval (Class II for Sharps Needle Destruction Device (NDD)). As well as contributing to the reduction of needlestick injuries and their consequential costs, the NeedleSmart process has the potential to reduce the cost and increase efficiency of used needle disposal. NeedleSmart’s innovative technology also offers the opportunity to move hypodermic needles, syringes and consumables associated with the injection/vaccination process, away from conventional sharps bins to a solution that allows recycling to become a possibility. NeedleSmart technology compresses the needle, significantly reducing the needle footprint leading to a minimum of 50% increase in needle count per sharps bin. After the unexpected Covid-19 pandemic and the mass vaccination program that followed, NeedleSmart's Digital Vaccination System (DVS) was created to support mass vaccination program, digitalizing the vaccination process, with every detail being automatically recorded in the cloud. DVS delivers a single solution that can coordinate every individual vaccination initiative into a single, coherent vaccination program. ABOUT MICHAEL BARRON CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER NEEDLESMART US Michael Barron has spent the last 30 years helping to build, scale, and lead high growth companies. As both an investor and executive, he has helped take several firms from inception to over $1Bn in assets. Michael has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and Investor’s Business Daily. He has been a regular guest on Bloomberg and CNBC. He is a board member at The Foreign Policy Research Institute and The Satell Institute. He a graduate of Villanova University. For more information https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbarron100/ MEDIA NOTICE NeedleSmart assets and images can be downloaded here https://we.tl/t-NQfuq4O9tr Contact Details NeedleSmart Gerard Franklin +44 7791 039636 gerard@i5media.co.uk Company Website https://www.needlesmart.com/

June 20, 2022 12:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Modern Weight Loss: What is Personalized Weight Care and Why You Should Try It

YourUpdateTV

According to the CDC, overweight and obesity are risk factors for many serious diseases and health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, all of which are among the leading causes of preventable death. Recently Dr. Rekha Kumar from Found conducted a satellite media tour to talk about personalized weight loss and its benefits. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/ZEx5tcYjrlQ It is time we push back against harmful and outdated weight loss culture and start thinking about our overall health and weight care. A poll of 2,000 adults conducted by weight care platform, Found, revealed that 91% have tried at least one strategy for weight loss, with half revealing that they’ve tried 11 different methods of weight loss. According to that same poll: ● 25% of people even confessed to doing up to 16 diets in their lifetime! ● But only 15% described their weight loss experience as “rewarding” ● Respondents felt that losing weight required more sacrifice than having kids ( 33% )! ● 9 in 10 Americans have tried at least one weight loss strategy ● 33% wished they had access to prescription weight loss medications ● Almost four in five (79%) want to be healthier, not skinnier. Found is an evidence-based weight care solution that combines the best of modern medicine with personalized coaching and community. Centered around clinical care and lasting behavior change, Found provides its members with a comprehensive weight loss program that delivers long term, sustainable results. Found designs personalized treatments around every factor that makes people unique — from biology, medical history, mental health, existent lifestyle, goals, and more. Found’s members are supported by the best of consumer technology, and a team that includes doctors to prescribe safe medication, and coaches to guide them on nutrition, movement, sleep, and emotional health. They call this weight care. When diet and exercise don’t lead to effective weight loss, sometimes it’s our biology that’s holding us back. Much of how your body loses, gains, and maintains weight is predetermined by your biology. This means no amount of working out, eating healthy, or sheer willpower can sustain weight loss if your biology’s not set up for it. Medication can, which is why Found offers more medication options than any other program. Online weight loss means Found took the doctor's office out of the equation. The telehealth platform provides one-on-one medical, nutritional, and movement guidance from their experts, through an app that can be accessed anywhere and at any time. Found’s proprietary weight care platform is available via the App Store, Google Play, as well as on joinfound.com Rekha Kumar bio: Dr. Rekha Kumar is recognized as an international leader in the field of Obesity Medicine. She is Chief Medical Officer at weight care platform Found, as well as a practicing endocrinologist at an academic medical center in New York City. She also served as the former medical director of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Dr. Kumar has lectured internationally on the topic of the medical assessment and treatment of obesity. She has published several papers and textbook chapters in her field and serves as an Associate Editor of the journal Obesity. She is frequently quoted in the media on topics ranging from the diabetes epidemic in the United States to discussing fad diets, exercise trends, and the complications of Covid-19 in patients with obesity. Dr. Kumar’s areas of expertise include the clinical assessment of patients obesity and metabolic syndrome, the effect of obesity on reproductive health and fertility, as well as thyroid disease. Dr. Kumar completed her undergraduate studies at Duke University then received her master’s degree in Physiology from Georgetown University. She continued on to receive her M.D. from New York Medical College and completed her residency training in Internal Medicine at the New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill-Cornell Medical College. Dr. Kumar obtained her clinical fellowship in the combined Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism program at the Weill-Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Kumar has traveled abroad to India, China, and Tanzania to understand the scope of metabolic disease globally. She serves on the board of advisors of the Duke Global Health Institute. Dr. Kumar is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism, and Obesity Medicine. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 17, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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2022 GUIDE TO SUMMERTIME FUN

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/eB9T1JYMnNI The hot and long days of summer are upon us and families from coast to coast are eager for some fun in the sun. In fact, more Americans plan to travel this year, with 73% of consumers expected to take an average of two trips. Hitting the road remains popular, while confidence in flying has increased from last year. According to recent stats, 79% of people plan to drive to at least one vacation destination, while air travel accounts for 45%—increasing by 5% compared to 2021. However, staycations remain popular due to record-high gas prices, escalating airfares and the war in Ukraine. It’s been found that 25% of Americans will travel shorter distances and 23% plan on less expensive activities. Whether traveling near or far, spending time with family and friends ranks high on the list of anticipated summer activities, including beaches, ball games and barbeques. Grilling season has always been a favorite with many backyard chefs expected to cook up and serve 50 billion hamburgers and 20 billion hotdogs this year. Wellness is also a high-priority, with many Americans engaging in healthful summertime habits, like running, biking, and including supplements into their diets. Braun-Silva has some unique ways to enjoy the summer while building special memories with friends and family. TRAVEL SMART: Summer travel is here and it is going to be a busy season. New Amex Trendex data found that more than half of respondents agree they plan to travel more this summer than in previous years. Braun-Silva’s first tip is to travel smart, saying, “Most of us are looking for added flexibility and confidence when booking a trip. Whether visiting white sandy beaches along crystal blue waters or hiking a national park, there are services available to help make traveling easy and convenient." One way to travel smart is through American Express' Trip Cancel Guard, a new benefit for American Express U.S. Card Members that truly allows travelers to cancel flights for any reason. The smart travel tips don't stop there - from building a dream itinerary to finding the best offers on flights and hotels, consider booking your travel with American Express to up the ante. American Express Travel is a one-stop-shop for planning a vacation thanks to their world-class customer service, 24/7 access to expert travel consultants, exclusive programs and benefits, and more. For those who want an elevated travel experience without breaking the bank, Braun-Silva says U.S. Platinum Card Members can get access to the International Airline Program through Amex Travel which gives travelers savings on international flights for First, Business and Premium Economy seats across more than 20 world class airlines. For more information, visit AmexTravel.com to book. Terms apply. Direct link: AmexTravel.com Social media handles: @AmericanExpress Hashtags: #AmexTravel PRIORITIZE WELLNESS: Overall wellness is a high-priority for many of us. Braun-Silva points out that there are many ways we can engage in healthful summertime habits. “This time of year is perfect for walking, hiking, running, and biking. To support these outdoor activities, it’s helpful to include supplements into our diets,” says Braun-Silva, “As we age our bodies produce less collagen, which helps with healthy joints and skin elasticity. I’ve been adding collagen into my daily routine for years.” MD Logic Health’s Marine Collagen with COFACTORS is made from the highest quality wild-caught non-GMO white fish, which promotes lean muscle mass, strong bones, hair, skin, and nails, supports gut health, and promotes new Collagen production. Braun-Silva adds, “It easily dissolves and has no fishy taste or smell so you can add it to fun summertime drinks, like smoothies, and your meals, to boost your protein intake, at any time without the unnecessary calories.” MD Logic Health, Marine Collagen has a special blend of cofactors including Vitamins A, C, Zinc, and Copper, and also includes Biotin, so that your health can radiate from the inside out. For a limited time, use code COLLAGEN for 15% off. For more information, go https://www.mdlogichealth.com/products/marine-collagen. Direct link: https://www.mdlogichealth.com/products/marine-collagen Social media handles: @mdlogichealth Hashtags: #mdlogichealth #supplementinglife KEEP IT COOL: As the temperatures heat up, Braun-Silva says look out for ways to make summer a bit cooler, adding, “This is one of my favorite tips and it’s really a no brainer—ice cream!” According to a new national poll, 34% of respondents say eating ice cream in summer makes them feel like a kid again. The lifestyles expert says, “One of my favorite summer desserts is a delicious ice cream cake—perfect for pool parties, backyard BBQs, Father’s Day, or any fun summer gathering. Everyone loves them.” There are several cakes to choose from, like Carvel Sheet Cake and Lil Love Strawberry Crunchie Cake to OREO. Braun-Silva recommends picking one or two up at your local grocery store by looking in the bakery freezer case or by going to ILoveIceCreamCakes.com for a store locator. For more information, visit ILoveIceCreamCakes.com for a store locator. Direct link: ILoveIceCreamCakes.com Social media handles: @ILoveIceCreamCakes Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 16, 2022 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Modivcare Honored as Stevie Award Winner In 2022 American Business Awards®

Modivcare

Modivcare Inc. (“Modivcare”) (Nasdaq: MODV), a technology-enabled healthcare services company that provides a platform of integrated supportive care solutions, has been named the winner of a Stevie® Award in The 20 th Annual American Business Awards®. Modivcare won in the highly competitive category of Community Relations PR Campaign of the Year for its collaboration with Access Gallery, a Denver-based non-profit organization that provides empowerment and economic opportunities for artists with disabilities, including the ability to earn money from their art. Access Gallery artists designed pieces that embody Modivcare’s values, vision, and purpose: to connect people to care by eliminating barriers to transportation, personal care, remote patient monitoring, and meals. The Modivcare communications and marketing team, the Access Gallery marketing team, and Modivcare's external PR agency, Amendola Communications, collaborated on a campaign that would focus on the March 2022 installation of the “Connecting Communities to Care” collection in Modivcare’s new Denver headquarters. Key elements of the campaign employed media relations, social media, and internal communications tactics to secure television and print coverage, as well as leveraged social media and internal communications to increase overall exposure. As a result of these tactics, local Denver Fox affiliate KDFR, shared a story on March 16 about the Access Gallery and Modivcare collaboration. In addition, the team published multiple posts on LinkedIn, with each post performing exceptionally and significantly above the industry average. Along with helping raise awareness of Access Gallery, Modivcare’s joint project with the Denver non-profit: Funded more than $150,000 in economic opportunity for local artists with disabilities Involved more than 25 artists with disabilities Offered a creative outlet for artists to express themselves, earn money, and showcase their skills Will result in more than 100 unique pieces of custom art developed by July 2022 “Our company is honored to receive a Stevie® Award from the Annual American Business Awards®,” said Dan Greenleaf, President and Chief Executive Officer of Modivcare. “Access Gallery is a fantastic organization that provides opportunities to incredibly talented people. We’re proud to have helped raise Access Gallery’s profile by displaying its unique art in our building and offering economic empowerment to its artists. The art serves as a visual reminder of our purpose of Making Connections to Care for the underserved and inspires us every day.” “‘Connecting Communities to Care’ is the perfect name for this collection,” said Damon McLeese, Executive Director of Access Gallery. “Modivcare connects the underserved to quality care and now they are connecting the same group to economic opportunities by filling their corporate office space with their artwork.” Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 230 professionals worldwide in a three-month judging process with more than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry. Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word meaning “crowned,” the awards were presented to winners at a gala ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Monday, June 13. The American Business Awards® list of 2022 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA. About Modivcare Modivcare Inc. (“Modivcare”) (Nasdaq: MODV) is a technology-enabled healthcare services company that provides a platform of integrated supportive care solutions for public and private payors and their patients. Our value-based solutions address the social determinants of health (SDoH), enable greater access to care, reduce costs, and improve outcomes. We are a leading provider of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), personal care and remote patient monitoring. To learn more about Modivcare, please visit www.modivcare.com. About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com. Contact Details Kate Zerone Director, Ombudsman & Communications kate.zerone@modivcare.com Marcia Rhodes Amendola Communications mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com

June 16, 2022 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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All Things Bugs Achieves World First with US Patent for the use of Insects in Sustainable Food Production

All Things Bugs LLC

All Things Bugs LLC, the world’s leading innovator in the insect industry, today announced that it has received a US patent for its unique production method as it continues to develop pioneering products and research in the use of insects as sustainable food ingredients. US patent No. 11,337,451, issued on May 24, is the first US patent specifically focussed on insects as a food source, and it confirms All Things Bugs and its Founder and President Dr Aaron T Dossey as leaders in their field. The firm also has similar issued patents in Canada and Mexico. All Things Bugs is the world’s first insect-based food wholesaler, and, for the last decade, the company has developed products, services and research to promote insects as a viable alternative to traditional protein sources such as meat and dairy. All Things Bugs has focussed its efforts in four key areas: 1) Food product development 2) Insect processing and ingredients 3) Cutting-edge insect farming automation 4) Insect genomics and genetic engineering The patent provides recognition of the company’s spray-drying technology, and opens up new opportunities for the use of insects in global food production. All Things Bugs’ patented breakthrough involves the development of a new wet-grinding and drying technique that ensures edible insects can be ground into a fine powder. It is a process that works equally well with all insects including superworms, crickets, mealworms, grasshoppers, locusts, katydids, caterpillars or flies - emphasizing its versatility, and making it cost-effective to produce. Crucially, it is an environmentally-friendly and sustainable way to increase protein content across a whole range of foods. The end product is a super fine, light-colored powder with a neutral aroma and flavor, which can be blended with other ingredients to make numerous food and beverage products, such as pasta, baked goods, shakes, smoothies, meat alternatives, puffed extruded snacks, bars, cereals, tortillas, pet food / treats and many others. The growing need for a sustainable source of protein. Global food production has long relied on meat and dairy products as its main source of protein. This has had a devastating impact on the environment, with costly resources required to sustain it. Huge amounts of land are cleared every year for farming and agriculture, with water and feed production for cows, pigs, chickens, and even most plant-based proteins generating massive land and water use as well as vast energy consumption on a global scale. By comparison, insects make up the largest most diverse group of organisms on Earth. They are nature’s most sustainable protein source, yet very little has been done to utilize insects for people and for our planet. All Things Bugs takes a holistic view of the benefits insects can bring to humankind. As well as food production, the company is using genetic engineering technologies such as CRISPR to develop insects as a vehicle to manufacture non-food bioproducts for livestock and wild animal vaccines, antibiotics, biomaterials, enzymes and other applications. Its valuable work continues to benefit researchers, entrepreneurs, farmers, policymakers, and anyone interested in sustainable food production and the industrial use of insects. “This patent represents a historic opportunity for a shift in mindset towards an overall healthier planet,” said Dr Aaron T Dossey, Founder and President of All Things Bugs. “It proves the potential for turning insects into high quality ingredients efficiently and cost effectively. But, more than that, it is an ethical and sustainable solution to the ongoing challenge of scaling up food production without damaging life on earth in the process.” Dr Dossey published the first text book on the subject, Insects as Sustainable Food Ingredients, and is a leading authority in the field, providing valuable guidance on how to develop the insect-based agriculture, food, and biomaterial industries. For further information, contact info@allthingsbugs.com or visit https://allthingsbugs.com/ About All Things Bugs LLC All Things Bugs is the world’s leading innovator in the insect industry. Insects make up the largest most diverse group of organisms on Earth. They are the most sustainable protein source on the planet, beating out other animal and even plant protein sources. They also require far fewer resources such as land, water and feed to produce than animals and most plants, but very little has been done to utilize insects for the benefit of people and our planet. All Things Bugs develops sustainable insect-based solutions, technologies, and products for agriculture, food, and medicine. Contact Details All Things Bugs LLC Dr. Aaron T. Dossey +1 352-281-3643 info@allthingsbugs.com

June 15, 2022 07:00 AM Central Daylight Time

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As Substance Use Disorder Numbers Rise, a New Tool is Available to Help Those in Oklahoma Find Trusted, High-Quality Addiction Treatment

Shatterproof

For almost 10 years, Gary Mendell’s son Brian battled the disease of addiction and its cycle of shame, isolation, and failure. He enrolled in eight different treatment facilities over the ten years and Gary spent countless hours navigating through misinformation, stigma, and a complex system to help Brian. As a father, Gary saw that the system was overwhelming to navigate and that it was difficult to find evidence-based treatment. In 2011, Brian lost his battled, and Gary began his work to spare other families the tragedy his had suffered. He founded Shatterproof. Shatterproof is a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the country’s consciousness about substance use and addiction. It is building a national movement to treat addiction like the chronic disease it is and offering evidence-based resources for prevention, treatment and recovery. This movement is fostering tolerance and compassion, and dismantling the discrimination and judgment associated with this devastating disease. Part of this effort is helping those in need, individuals and families, to navigate a maze of treatment systems that for many is difficult, confusing and impossible for them to make work. That is why ATLAS® was created, an Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment, and Standards Platform, www.TreatmentATLAS.org, that evaluates addiction treatment facilities’ use of evidence-based best practices, includes an assessment to understand the appropriate level of care, and offers an easy-to-use dashboard to allow those in need and their loved ones to search for and compare facilities using criteria such as location, services offered, and insurance accepted so they can find the best treatment for their unique needs. ATLAS also gathers and displays anonymous feedback from patients on their experiences at facilities. Just as we use consumer reviews to select goods and services in other areas of healthcare, this feedback helps to inform others’ care decisions. Anyone who has received treatment from a facility in Oklahoma is encouraged to visit www.TreatmentATLAS.org to search for the facility and leave a patient review. “During a time when our nation’s addiction crisis is tragically at an all-time high and access to quality treatment is often hard to find, ATLAS is a critical new resource. When my son Brian needed addiction treatment, my family agonized trying to find him the right care. It was impossible to know who to trust,” says Shatterproof Founder and CEO, Gary Mendell. “ATLAS is a sea change in the addiction world. It will give those in need and their families the transparent and trustworthy information my family never had and will help put more people on the path to recovery.” Shatterproof and their team working on ATLAS are working with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to ensure that Oklahoma certified treatment providers are included in the online service directory, to promote treatment currently available in the state, and to expand opportunities for all Oklahomans to find the right services. ATLAS is fully available in English and Spanish and has several unique features including: Display of facilities’ use of best practices based on the Shatterproof National Principles of Care, evidence-based standards derived from the Surgeon General’s Report on Addiction, using data gathered through a combination of validated sources; Feedback from other patients once a minimum threshold of 20 responses for the facility is met, that is updated every 24 hours; An expert-agreed upon Addiction Treatment Needs Assessment, created in collaboration with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and OpenBeds, to help guide a treatment search based on the individual’s needs and severity; Ability to search and filter using criteria such as location, services offered and insurance accepted, as well as compare the facilities. The ATLAS team strives to continuously improve. ATLAS has had several changes over the past year to make this resource more patient-centered and evidence-based, including: Link added to state-specific websites as an additional resource; Simplified display of insurance information; Updated educational content; Continuation of the Continuous Quality Improvement Learning Series – a free technical assistance series for ATLAS providers; Launch of the cross-functional National Addiction Treatment Quality Committee (NATQC) to advise on future ATLAS changes. ATLAS was created by Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in America. ATLAS is currently available in Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and West Virginia, reaching 28% of the U.S. population. It will be coming to California in 2023, which will bring the population reach to more than 40%. About Shatterproof: Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States. Shatterproof harnesses the models of business, the rigor of science and the power of a national movement to create change and save lives through three pillars of work: revolutionizing the addiction treatment system, breaking down addiction-related stigmas and supporting and empowering our communities. To learn more visit www.Shatterproof.org. Contact Details Holly Jespersen +1 646-334-1024 hjespersen@shatterproof.org Company Website https://www.shatterproof.org/

June 14, 2022 09:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time

ALDERHEY@NYWHERE™ CREATING A HOSPITAL OF THE FUTURE: “A HOSPITAL WITHOUT WALLS”

AlderHey Innovation / i5 Media

ALDER HEY LAUNCHES GROUND-BREAKING HYBRID DIGITAL HEALTH PLATFORM IN COLLABORATION WITH MICROSOFT AND MINDWAVE. “TODAY’S CHILD, TOMORROW’S HEALTHIER ADULT” Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, one of the world’s leading paediatric healthcare institutions, has today launched a ground-breaking digital platform that is set to revolutionise the way in which patient care is delivered to children and young people. The hybrid health platform AlderHey@nywhere™ is being championed as a “hospital of the future”, where patient and clinical care is delivered in a hybrid world, both physical and virtual, to create a “hospital without walls”. The interactive and immersive digital platform provides a hybrid point of access and patient care for families, children, young people and clinicians to manage, treat, educate and coordinate delivery of their healthcare. Most importantly, it will focus on preventative healthcare and will make patient care more accessible and personalised. https://www.alderheyinnovation.com/alderheyanywhere The technology was developed by Alder Hey Innovation in collaboration with Microsoft and Mindwave as a solution to addressing the finite capacity of hospital and community resources, including both physical space and workforce. This was also paired with an increased demand of accident and emergency admissions, long waiting times for outpatient appointments, and increasing lengths of stay. Alder Hey has a dedicated innovation centre within the hospital and campus, focused on using cutting-edge technologies and innovations to solve the real-world, day-to-day problems faced by children and young people. Alder Hey Innovation believes that by leveraging innovative health tech, digital platforms, data and AI, it can revolutionise the way healthcare is delivered to children and young people. It seeks to break down the traditional barriers for patients when accessing care and personal health information, as well as when receiving therapies and seeking education, creating a future of healthcare that is a “hospital without walls ” with the focus of care being the individual, taking a more personalised and tailored approach. Commenting on the launch of the new digital health platform, Managing Director of Alder Hey Innovation, Claire Liddy, said: “At the moment, healthcare is most often about treating people that are ill. What we want to do is to shift to a more preventative model of care that is individualised and tailored and that empowers children and young people to take ownership of their healthcare and treatment. There are so many different technologies out there now, including wearable technology and devices such as smartwatches that enable you to monitor your health at home. What we needed was a hybrid platform to bring it all together into one place so that families, children and young people could access it, alongside their clinicians at the hospital. “We think the AlderHey@nywhere™ platform will allow us to elevate the level and access to care for children and young people who tell us that they want to be empowered to understand and manage their own healthcare and treatment. It also allows us to move to a more preventative healthcare modelling, making healthcare more individual and personalised.” AlderHey@nywhere™ is a co-development with Microsoft and tech SME Mindwave. The collaboration came together to co-create a hybrid healthcare platform that will create a way of delivering healthcare for children and young people that is far more tailored to the individual, giving them better life chances. Claire Liddy added: “The Innovation Centre at Alder Hey Children’s hospital is a really special and unique place. It’s a dedicated team, all focussed on bringing new technology into healthcare for the benefit of children and young people. We work with a wide range of private sector partners, including tech giants, SMEs, entrepreneurs and universities, to co-invent new technologies and innovations. We have a different mindset and culture of innovation; we are able to move fast and think big, which allows our innovation path to accelerate much faster than the traditional pathways. We are able to fuse healthcare and tech innovation with industry. This fusion brings something special and unique, creating faster-paced technologies.” AlderHey@nywhere™ provides a unique digital platform that is designed with children young people and their families in mind, making it visually aesthetic, engaging and immersive, but also intuitive. At the same time, its dual purpose is engineered for clinicians to monitor, assess and optimise data and clinical workflow in the management and delivery of patient care. Mindwave – which has previously worked with Alder Hey to develop other tech platforms, including AlderPlay and mental health platform CYP As One™ – have been the lead developers on the visual interface of the portal, as well as the interconnectivity and operability of data. Founder and CEO, Kumar Jacob, said: “It has been a privilege to work with Alder Hey Innovation Centre and Microsoft to be responsible for the design and development of the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of AlderHey@nywhere™. Our role has been to ensure that the portal is visually appealing and immersive, making sure the experience that young people, children and their families have is engaging, enjoyable, simple-to-use and easy-to-understand. At the same time, we want the complicated data and AI to flow seamlessly to ensure that the data flow of information is interoperable and sent across multiple devices, making the experience seamless, functional and easy for clinicians to use.” AlderHey@nywhere™ enables the interoperability of multiple systems using FHIR, remote devices and resources for management of acute and chronic conditions. Furthermore, it collates a new unique data set for longer-term, AI-augmented decision-making for preventative intervention, personalised care and long-term disease prevention. Umang Patel, Chief Clinical Information Officer at Microsoft, also offers a unique perspective thanks to his dual role at Microsoft and as a paediatrician working in the NHS at Frimley Park Hospital. "It's been a real privilege to work with Alder Hey to develop the AlderHey@nywhere™ platform," he says. "Microsoft always loves projects that gets its staff excited - to be given the opportunity to help children and young people - was one such project. Hopefully we have been able to bring some new insights, skills and innovations that will help Alder Hey not only solve problems locally but scale beyond the Liverpool region. What they have done at Alder Hey is great for many reasons, but two stand out: first, the Alder Hey team has managed to keep it simple. If you ask 100 doctors what they want in an ideal system, they will tell you a million important things. The team has managed to scale that back, kept it usable, and brought the most important things to the front. Second, is the momentum they have generated- it's trailblazing innovation at its best.” AlderHey@nywhere™ was based around a model of prevention and intervention. The digital health platform allows for: A true hybrid of both physical and virtual patient care Remote real-time monitoring of patient care for intervention Creating a platform of care that is tailored and self-managed Digital Bio-markers and IoMT for preventive real time augmented clinical decision making Children and young people want to be empowered to engaged interactively with gamification to understand and manage their care To download our images for AlderHey @nywhere image assets available here https://we.tl/t-IYVZFHiWwj ABOUT US ABOUT ALDER HEY INNOVATION CENTRE – Todays Child, Tomorrows Healthier Adult Alder Hey Innovation is the largest, dedicated, purpose built, hospital led innovation centre in the UK. Alder Hey Children’s NHS Trust has a proud history of innovation spanning over a hundred years. Today we continue that legacy pioneering the use of cutting-edge technology and innovating to save lives and improve the life chances of today’s child. Our ambition is to be the world leader in advancing child health with innovation, utilising our unique hospital-based innovation centre, disrupting, discovering and disseminating to have real impact. Our mission is to solve the real-world healthcare problems children and young people face today, creating fair access to care and enabling a healthier future for all. Our unique strengths lie in our experience to innovate and disrupt, with a strong track record of rapid problem solving, creating an end-to-end pipeline and process from problem identification and solutions through to commercial income. Our strategy is fueled by a bespoke open innovation system, to rapidly identify real-world problems and bring the right partners together to solve those with innovative and disruptive technology. Our co creation approach involves scouting and partnering with local and international industry and academia, bringing the most innovative technology and solutions to Alder Hey, where we strive for excellence and breakthroughs in healthcare. www.alderheyinnovation.com ABOUT ALDER HEY Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust provides care for over 330,000 children and young people every year. Alder Hey delivers clinical excellence for all children, for routine illnesses as well as very complex and rare conditions. One of four stand-alone children’s hospitals in the UK, it is a national centre for neuro and craniofacial surgery, a regional centre for burns injuries and a Centre of Excellence for children with cancer, heart, spinal and brain disease. Alder Hey as an NIHR funded Clinical Research Facility (CRF) that specialises in the design, and delivery, of early phase drug trials in children with a wide range of conditions. The Trust is one of only four epilepsy surgical centres in the UK and one of only two accredited major trauma centres in the North West. Alder Hey is also a respiratory Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) surge centre and is the referral centre for the treatment of congenital heart defects in North West England, North Wales and Isle of Man. It became the first UK Centre of Excellence for Childhood Lupus in 2010. Alder Hey is the first accredited Investing in Children hospital in the UK. It has a dedicated patient experience programme which includes the award-winning Alder Hey Arts involving music therapy, dance programmes, storytelling and animation projects. It is also one of a few hospitals to have a Children and Young Person’s Forum. Alder Hey opened a new hospital ‘Alder Hey in the Park’ in 2015. Europe’s first hospital in a park, the new facility provides a purpose-built, unique and world class healing environment for children and young people. Alder Hey is supported by The Alder Hey Children’s Charity which aims to raise vital funds for lifesaving equipment, research projects and patient experience initiatives. For more information visit www.alderhey.nhs.uk and www.alderheycharity.org ABOUT MINDWAVE Mindwave (Mindwave Ventures Limited) designs and develops digital applications for healthcare. Mindwave works with NHS organisations, charities and universities to help them develop innovative digital products to deliver healthcare and carry out health research. Mindwave's patient portal is currently deployed in over eight organisations. The company has grown to around 95 staff based in the UK and Pondicherry (South India). Mindwave's designers based in the UK are steeped in user centred design. Design and development follows Government Digital Service (GDS) guidelines and Agile principles. Born out of the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), Mindwave was founded in 2014; the brain-child of Kumar Jacob MBE, who trained as an accountant and then operated in different guises across a broad range of sectors, including charity, education, health and technology. Having worked with creative teams that brought out hugely popular video games such as Burnout, Singstar, WipeOut at Criterion and Sony, whilst also serving as a non-exec director at SLaM and as the chair at the Maudsley Charity, Kumar could see a disparity between the way that the public sector and the technology sector were solving problems. Enter Mindwave. Over the years, the team has grown from a handful of designers to a full-service provider, supplying expert health design and technology consultancy alongside end-to-end digital service development. To date, Mindwave has worked with a wide range of health focused organisations, including multiple NHS trusts and ICS regions, health focused charities, and a large number of clinical academic teams. Mindwave also works with and supports a number of health-tech startups, providing consultancy, design, development and project management to support peers to successfully enter the market. Mindwave is known for going above and beyond, and for the team’s eagerness to help, converse and collaborate. www.mindwaveventures.com Contact Details Alder Hey Innovation /i5 Media Gerard Franklin gerard@i5media.co.uk

June 10, 2022 02:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

New Survey Shows the Next Generation Embraces Remote Work for College to Career Transition

Velocity Global

Seven out of ten U.S. college-aged adults are likely to consider an entirely remote job One out of four never expect to hold a traditional 9-to-5 office job, and 85% see themselves holding a side gig Nine out of ten express anxiety about entering the workforce A survey released today by Velocity Global, the leading provider of global talent solutions, shows that U.S. college-aged adults embrace remote work in their career transition plans. The College to Career Survey examined 1,000 college-aged respondents’ attitudes on remote work and their work-life balance expectations as they prepare to transition into the workforce. “The next generation wants to work remotely, balance their ‘personal’ and ‘work’ lives, and prioritize flexibility and mental well-being. Companies should take notice: The old way of doing business is over,” said Sarah Fern, chief people officer at Velocity Global. “Put simply, students want the flexibility to work with anyone, anywhere, anytime, and they expect employers to meet them where they are.” Key findings on remote work: 69% of respondents are somewhat or extremely likely to consider a job that is entirely remote 80% of students would consider taking less money for their job if it allowed a remote option The majority (57%) say being remote increases their productivity Nine out of ten respondents report work-life balance as being either the most important factor (53%) or a somewhat important factor (37%) in selecting a career Fewer than 1 in 5 (18%) say they prefer to work from an office five days per week Fewer than half (44%) of respondents plan to have a traditional (Monday-Friday, 9-to-5) in-person job, and 1 out of 4 (23%) never expect to hold a traditional office job Impacts on emotional well-being: The survey also found a large impact on the emotional well-being of respondents as a result of the move to remote work and learning over the last several years. 56% of respondents acknowledged remote work/study negatively impacted their mental health “a lot” (14%) or “somewhat” (42%) 86% reported a high level of stress or anxiety about entering the workforce, including 35% who indicated they are “very” anxious about entering the workforce, and an additional 51% said they are “somewhat” anxious about doing so Participation in the gig economy: An overwhelming majority of students intend to supplement their primary job with a side gig. 85% of respondents said they either definitely (27%) or possibly (58%) expect to have a side gig in addition to their primary job “That number is staggering, and the C-suite needs to harness the possibilities of tomorrow’s workforce who have varied interests, skills, and allegiances,” said Fern. “Talent is telling us how they will succeed, and it includes full-time, part-time, contract, and freelance work - and sometimes a combination of these. It is entirely possible for you to get the best from your talent while they also pursue other interests. It works for both of you.” International results: The survey also gathered input from 500 students and recent graduates in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and 500 in Brazil, with very similar results. 72% in the U.K. said they would consider an entirely remote position, and a staggering 85% in Brazil say the same 84% of respondents in the U.K. and 82% in Brazil said they would be willing to consider a position that paid less money if it offered the flexibility to work from anywhere “These trends with college students and recent graduates in the U.S. are mirrored in other parts of the world, highlighting the accessibility of a global workforce. In the U.K. and Brazil — where Velocity Global clients increasingly seek supported talent — work flexibility is seen as one of the most compelling factors considered when entering the job market,” said Fern. Methodology: This survey was conducted on behalf of Velocity Global by Rep Data. All selected samples were subjected to stringent quality control standards, including technological controls such as automatic geographical IP detection, tracking and deduplication, open-end pre-screening, and re-captchas. Rep Data sourced multiple suppliers to ensure a representative sample, each supplier possessing its own unique recruitment model and incentive structure, which increased sample source diversity and quality. About Velocity Global Velocity Global accelerates the future of work for anyone, anywhere, anyhow. Its Global Work Platform TM simplifies the employer and talent experience through its proprietary cloud-based talent management technology, backed by personalized expertise and unmatched global scale. The platform offers a full suite of talent solutions, including global Employer of Record and Contractor Management, to help companies onboard, manage, and pay talent in more than 185 countries and all 50 United States. Thousands of brands rely on Velocity Global to build international teams without the cost or complexity of setting up foreign legal entities or state registrations. Velocity Global was named a "Leader" in Global Employer of Record Services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall. Founded in 2014, the company has hundreds of employees across six continents. For more information, visit velocityglobal.com. Contact Details Velocity Global Chris McGrath +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

June 09, 2022 07:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time

Video Image

QUIDEL CORP.—DEVELOPER OF ONLY FDA-CLEARED FIA RAPID POINT-OF-CARE DIAGNOSTIC LYME DISEASE TEST—TO PARTNER WITH RENOWNED GLOBAL LYME ALLIANCE TO DRAMATICALLY HEIGHTEN LYME DISEASE AWARENESS

Quidel Corporation

With Lyme disease season in full-swing across the United States and as the public continues spending increasing time outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic, Quidel’s recently formed Lyme Task Force Team—the only one of its kind—today announced a multitiered collaboration with Global Lyme Alliance to dramatically heighten public awareness to a health condition afflicting nearly half a million Americans each year. Quidel is the nation’s leading developer of the only rapid point-of-care diagnostic Lyme disease test. In recent years the company launched the critically acclaimed and award-winning LymeDiseaseAnswers.com website and Lyme Quick Takes online video series. “The Global Lyme Alliance has been a passionate and important partner for Quidel in our fight against Lyme disease,” said Judi Tilghman, Ph.D., vice president of technology assessment at Quidel. “Over the years they have helped fund the most urgent and promising research in the field while expanding education and awareness programs for the public and physicians. We’re honored to have this collaborative partnership.” As part of its collaboration, Quidel will serve as sponsor for GLA’s Lyme awareness month as well as a series of educational PACE-accredited webinars. These events provide new information on various Lyme topics in an open discussion format, all designed to bring awareness around the Lyme disease epidemic, with rapid ways to diagnose and treat it. In addition, Quidel will be a sponsor for the GLA Global Gala 2022, the organization’s premier fundraising event to be held in October. About Quidel Corporation Quidel Corporation (Nasdaq: QDEL) is a leading manufacturer of diagnostic solutions at the point of care, delivering a continuum of rapid testing technologies that further improve the quality of health care throughout the globe. An innovator for over 40 years in the medical device industry, Quidel pioneered the first FDA-cleared point-of-care test for influenza in 1999 and was the first to market a rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen test in the U.S. Under trusted brand names, Sofia®, Solana®, Lyra®, Triage® and QuickVue®, Quidel’ s comprehensive product portfolio includes tests for a wide range of infectious diseases, cardiac and autoimmune biomarkers, as well as a host of products to detect COVID-19. With products made in America, Quidel’ s mission is to provide patients with immediate and frequent access to highly accurate, affordable testing for the good of our families, our communities, and the world. For more information about Quidel, visit quidel.com. Contact Details Jim Yeager +1 818-264-6812 jim@breakwhitelight.com Company Website http://Quidel.com

June 09, 2022 06:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Healthcare