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SullivanCotter Develops Powerful New Clinical Compensation Management Capabilities for its Growing PPMT™ Platform

SullivanCotter

SullivanCotter, the nation’s leading independent consulting firm in the assessment and development of total rewards programs and workforce solutions for the health care industry and not-for-profit sector, announces the addition of highly anticipated new Clinician Pay functionality to its growing Provider Performance Management Technology™ (PPMT) platform. PPMT™ is an industry-first, cloud-based solution that enables provider engagement through transparent performance-based compensation administration and analytical capabilities. Clinician Pay enables administrative stakeholders to easily manage annual compensation draws and payroll adjustments through a centralized, secure and auditable source within PPMT™. The new functionality can be added as part of the platform’s comprehensive Compensation Management Analytics module for an additional licensing fee. This module’s broader capabilities allow organizations to integrate physician compensation earned from all sources, review dollars paid and balances due, facilitate settlement reporting, project year-end results, model improvement scenarios and generate accruals for Finance. “With this automated new functionality, health care organizations can significantly reduce manual intervention and potential for human error when managing important pay adjustments for a large clinical workforce. Not only does this help to free up administrators to work on more critical projects, but it also helps to ensure data quality and instill greater trust in the reporting process by seamlessly communicating important information straight to payroll for payment,” said Shelly Slowiak, PPMT™ Product Director, SullivanCotter. PPMT’s Compensation Management Analytics module plus the new Clinician Pay feature also provides the option to utilize payroll data for settlement processing - allowing for a comprehensive end-to-end solution for processing clinician payments and compensation adjustments. “To help organizations navigate an increasingly complex and uncertain health care environment, we are continuously refining our product roadmap and enhancing PPMT™ based on the evolving needs of our clients. Clinician Pay is an exciting new addition to the platform and demonstrates our commitment to developing one of the industry’s most innovative clinical compensation and performance management solutions,” said David Schwietz, Chief Information Officer, SullivanCotter. Designed to address a spectrum of physician, leadership and other key stakeholder needs, PPMT™ combines years of health care compensation insight and expertise with an intuitive and automated technology platform to help drive provider performance and support the transition from volume- to value-based care. For more information on Clinician Pay or our entire suite of Provider Performance Management Technology™, visit www.sullivancotter.com/PPMT or contact us at 888.739.7039. About SullivanCotter SullivanCotter partners with health care and other not-for-profit organizations to understand what drives performance and improve outcomes through the development and implementation of integrated workforce strategies. Using our time-tested methodologies and industry-leading research and information, we provide data-driven insights and expertise to help organizations align business strategy and performance objectives – enabling our clients to deliver on their mission, vision and values. Contact Details Becky Lorentz +1 314-414-3719 beckylorentz@sullivancotter.com Company Website https://sullivancotter.com/

September 01, 2020 04:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Global Business Ethics Survey: Top managers twice as likely to experience pressure to bend the rules in organizations.

Ethics & Compliance Initiative

Employees are twice as likely to experience pressure if they are top-management than compared to line-level employees, according to the Ethics & Compliance Initiative’s ™ (ECI) latest Global Business Ethics Survey Report ™ (GBES) . The data suggest that the higher up the “totem pole” an employee is, the more likely they are to experience pressure to bend the rules. Overall, about 1 in 5 employees experience pressure to bend the rules. Pressure to bend the rules, as defined by the GBES report , can be caused by meeting performance goals, attempting to save one's own and others' jobs, supervisory pressure, advancing one's career or financial interests, and demands from people who support or invest in the organization. According to the data, of those that experience pressure, 30% are top management employees, 25% are middle management, 22% are first-line supervisors and 17% are individual contributors. The first 2020 report of ECI’s premier, longitudinal study on global workplace behavior, published four times per year, also found that when top management show a strong commitment to ethical leadership and organizational values, their employees are 3X less likely to experience pressure. “The data continue to suggest that high-pressure environments are not only stressful for employees, but they can actually cause a negative ROI when it comes to ethical behavior,” said Patricia Harned, CEO of ECI. “Expanding KPIs and stretching financial goals may result in a short-term gain, but the long-term consequences to the organization is a net negative.” Other Findings and Key Indicators of Pressure The report found that employees experiencing pressure was linked with the prevalence of observing various types of misconduct found in organizations across the globe, all of which were about twice as likely to occur in pressure environments versus non-pressure environments. Employees are twice as likely to observe misconduct in organizations where they feel pressure to compromise ethics standards. “As companies around the globe respond to the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the important research in ECI’s Global Business Ethics Survey (GBES) report presents a timely and accurate overview of pressure in the workplace,” said Michele M. Brown, SVP, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer and Deputy General Counsel, Leidos. “These findings provide best practices to balance organizational change while upholding the highest ethical standards. Leidos is proud to support ECI research, which is helping the member community build and maintain strong ethical cultures.” Download the latest GBES report at ethics.org/gbes Methodology The 2019 GBES is the 15th iteration of the GBES (formerly the National Business Ethics Survey). In 2019, the GBES surveyed over 18,000 employees in 18 countries (approximately 1,000 employees per country). ECI established the survey questions and sampling methodology. About the Ethics & Compliance Initiative The Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI) is a non-profit organization that empowers organizations to build and sustain high-quality ethics and compliance programs. The organization provides research and a best practice community, as well as certification opportunities for ethics & compliance professionals. Through its membership, ECI represents entities across nearly every industry, located in 37 countries on six continents each dedicated to promoting the highest levels of integrity. Visit www.ethics.org to find out more about our research, membership or funding the GBES. The GBES is made possible with the support of its funders: Google, Boeing, Eli Lilly & Company, Altria, BP, GE, KPMG, Pacific Gas & Electric, L'ORÉAL, Leidos, University of Arkansas and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Contact Details Brad Fulton +1 210-278-4809 brad@ethics.org Company Website https://www.ethics.org

August 31, 2020 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Uyghurs for Sale

21Wilberforce

Seventy-five years after the Holocaust concentration and labor camps are still in existence. Today the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is interning more than one million Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps – striping them of their fundamental rights to peacefully practice their faith. Now new information has surfaced showing that not only is the Communist Party oppressing Uyghur Muslims, they are profiting from them – and worse – Americans are at risk of being duped into paying for it . Groups working on international religious freedom issues have now added their voice to a coalition of civil society organizations and trade unions calling for fair labor practices. Spearheaded by 21Wilberforce and other organizations working through the International Religious Freedom Roundtable , religious freedom advocates are asking Congress to quickly pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (H.R.6210 / S.3471). This legislation would make it more difficult for products produced by people enslaved by the CCP because of their faith to enter Western markets . “We commend Congressman McGovern (D-MA) and Senator Rubio (R-FL) for their bipartisan efforts to confront this horrific exploitation of people because of their religion,” said Randel Everett, President of 21Wilberforce. “One hundred fifty (150) organizations and experts of different beliefs and ideologies have come together to ask Congress to pass this important legislation.” 21Wilberforce encourages Americans to reach out to their representatives in Congress and ask them to enlist more co-sponsors, give speeches, and make statements in support of stopping the Chinese Communist Party from exploiting and profiting from religious discrimination and slavery. Citizens can make a difference by using and sharing a free online tool that directly connects Americans with their elected representatives. Dr. Everett noted that “Our namesake, William Wilberforce, was a man of faith who stood up to free people who were enslaved based on their race. Today we stand up to free those enslaved for their faith.” 21Wilberforce is a Christian human rights organization dedicated to defending the universal rights of religion, belief, and conscience for all people. Our vision is to empower people to collaboratively support persecuted communities, challenge repression, and expand freedom of religion and belief globally. Contact Details Lou Ann Sabatier +1 703-216-2941 Lsabatier@21Wilberforce.org Company Website https://21Wilberforce.org

August 26, 2020 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Companies spending £674m a month to welcome staff back but workers are wary

Huma

Getting businesses back up and running is critical to the UK economic recovery, however, there is a significant disconnect between employers and employees on how this is working out. UK digital health and therapeutics company Huma (formerly known as Medopad) asked 5,000 UK workers and 2,000 UK employers about their views[1] on returning to work. Employers viewpoint Businesses are planning to return to work. Almost half (45%) of workplaces will be ready to accommodate staff back in the office before the end of August. However, a fifth (19%) will only be ready in the first half of 2021. Of the business that are already up and running, almost two-fifths (38%) of their employees are going to a physical workplace, with the majority working at least 4 days from there. Employers reported spending £674m every month to ensure a safe workplace for their employees (£58.55 on average per employee per month). They have rushed to put in place various plans and procedures to ensure a safe workplace, ranking new hygiene protocols, socially distant layouts and staggered work shifts among their top changes. Worryingly, only one in five businesses feel suitably informed on the exact policies / procedures they need to have in place to ensure a safe working environment for their employees. Most employers believe that it is the responsibility of employees to self-report health concerns citing resource constraints. However, the overwhelming majority (70%) are willing to pay for COVID-19 tests should an employee request one. Importantly, employers fear the biggest disruption to restarting their business operations will be the willingness of more staff to return to the workplace owing to safety concerns. Workers viewpoint Over half of workers (54%) are reluctant to return to work fearing they will unknowingly contract COVID-19 and mistakenly pass it to friends and family at home. Bosses have offered a host of incentives to encourage employees back to work. The top ranked bung made has been extra holidays, free lunches at work and paying for commuting costs. Of the employees who have returned to work, over half (57%) are not confident with the measures in place to ensure their safety and well being. The same applies to people who have not returned to work yet. This is possibly why almost a third (29%) felt their health and safety would be compromised in the workplace. Employees ranked interactions with commuters (29%), co-workers (24%) and being in meetings (23%) as the top risk factors to catching COVID-19. The workplace ranked as lowest risk (8%). Missing links The research identified two insights, if acted on quickly could enable businesses to get up and running faster and accelerate the economic recovery. Firstly, addressing the ‘people interaction’ concern of workers. Both employees and bosses are willing to track their health for COVID-19 symptoms providing them with a peace of mind over their well-being. Overwhelmingly, two-thirds (67%) of employees would be willing to do a daily symptom check-in with their employers and the majority (71%) would be comfortable with employers tracking their symptoms. Moreover, nine in ten businesses (88%) are comfortable with monitoring and tracking their employees' symptoms to ensure a safe workplace environment for everyone. However, they don’t have the means to do it themselves and will encourage employees to self-report on symptoms. Secondly, employers are not talking to their staff. Only a quarter (24%) of employees felt fully informed about the new safety protocols and procedures at their workplace. Similarly, only a quarter (24%) of businesses prioritised communicating these changes to their employees. Dan Vahdat, founder and CEO of Huma, commented : “There seems to be a breakdown of communication between employers and employees and this is leading to some unrest and possibly delaying the economic recovery. Trust building is now more critical than ever. “Meanwhile, bosses are spending millions and feel they are doing a lot to ensure their workplace is a safe environment for staff but they are more concerned about people interaction than the actual workplace. The common ground on monitoring and tracking the health and well being of people in the workplace seems to be the solution. Employees are comfortable with this and employers are up for it but lack of resources means they are relying on workers to self-report on symptoms.” “We are driving the adoption of digital remote monitoring solutions to help users be better informed and engaged in their health concerns. In the workplace, Huma Health Shield is a revolutionary app that gives employees greater knowledge and control over their health at work . The solution encourages employees to confidentially track vital signs, and their exposure risk, so they can better manage their health. This hasn’t started with COVID-19 and won’t end once a vaccine is found, I believe the work being done now will set in motion behaviours that will transform how people manage their health and wellbeing.” Huma’s digital solution incorporates wearable devices and other sensors to provide doctors with a stream of data on patients’ health. The data enables healthcare teams to monitor patients’ evolving symptoms, to advise on what care is required and to alert them to when a visit from a clinician or a hospital admission is needed. Ends Notes the editor [1] Research findings based on a survey of 5,000 UK employees and 2,000 UK companies in July/August 2020 by LMRMC (Market Research Society approved partner and ESOMAR corporate member). About Huma Huma partners with scientists, technologists and healthcare professionals to understand, treat and ultimately prevent ill health. Giving knowledge and power to those with medical conditions, while saving clinicians time, energy and valuable resources. Because, by collectively benefiting from the data we individually generate, we can all live our longest, fullest lives. www.huma.com Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 bilal.mahmood@huma.com Company Website https://huma.com

August 26, 2020 03:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Webinar Discussing How Lyme Disease Affects Children to Be Held Aug. 27 and Hosted by Quidel Corporation

Quidel Corporation

Summer is Lyme disease season; and while no age group is immune from potential infection, the disproportionate incidents in children is a stark reality that needs addressing. In response to this troubling fact, an important webinar focused on how Lyme disease affects the pediatric patient population will be held on Thursday, Aug. 27. The free webinar is part of an ongoing series hosted by Quidel, the California-based diagnostic health care manufacturer known for successfully developing rapid diagnostic health solutions. Conducting the webinar will be Robert A. Dracker, M.D., medical director at Summerwood Pediatrics and Infusacare Medical Services in Liverpool, New York. Dr. Dracker currently serves as chair of the heart, lung and cancer committee for the Medical Society of New York State and is a board member of the Office of Professional Conduct for the New York State Department of Health. Since 2014 he has been a member of the Pediatric Advisory Committee of the FDA and served as chairman of the committee from 2018-2019. The Aug. 27 webinar will discuss how Lyme disease presents in children (often flu-like symptoms including fever, chills, malaise and headache), how it progresses and tick-exposure management. Also discussed will be how to test for Lyme disease, including the innovative Sofia 2 Lyme FIA test. This in-office test provides a patient as well as physicians with indicative results within minutes as opposed to days, which has historically been the norm. “Disease presentation in children is extremely variable and may present with confounding symptoms, suggestive of various other infectious or rheumatologic illnesses,” said Dr. Dracker. “Confounding the challenge is that most patients and their parents never remember or notice a tick bite, since most are nymph related. But the reality is that, for the most part, children are more engaged on a regular basis than are adults in outside activities that could expose them to tick bites, which is why being on guard and testing for Lyme disease is so important.” Among those expected to attend the webinar are pediatricians, representatives of physician office laboratories, urgent care centers and any other allied health professionals or health care researchers interested in hearing the latest regarding the prevalence of Lyme disease in children. The free, Aug. 27 webinar will take place from noon-1 p.m. (EDT). To register, visit quidel.com/webinars . About Quidel Corporation Quidel Corporation serves to enhance the health and well-being of people around the globe through the development of diagnostic solutions that can lead to improved patient outcomes and provide economic benefits to the health care system. Quidel’s products aid in the detection and diagnosis of many critical diseases and conditions including not only Lyme disease but, among others, COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, strep A, herpes, pregnancy, thyroid disease, fecal occult blood, myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, pulmonary edema, deep vein thrombosis and drug abuse. Quidel’s research and development engine is also developing a continuum of diagnostic solutions from advanced immunoassay to molecular diagnostic tests to further improve the quality of health care in physicians’ offices and hospital and reference laboratories. For more information about Quidel, visit quidel.com . Contact Details Jim Yeager +1 424-644-0225 jim@breakwhitelight.com Company Website http://Quidel.com

August 25, 2020 08:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

US Athlete Matt Ludwig jumps to 5.53 meters with mask at Fine’s virtual pole vault competition

Fine Hygienic Holding

Earlier this week, four of the world’s top pole vault champions competed head-to-head in Fine’s first ever live steam competition. Over 2.5 million viewers world-wide, watched a spectacular display of athleticism and skill at the global live stream pole vaulting competition by Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH), one of the world’s leading wellness groups and manufacturers of hygienic paper products. This was the first time that the athletes have competed wearing masks, with the aim to raise awareness on safety at this time. Brazil’s Thiago Braz placed first vaulting to an impressive height of 5.70 meters. The Brazilian Olympic Gold Medallist holds a personal best of 6.03 meters. Philippine’s EJ Obiena came second with a height of 5.60 meters. The athlete is set to make his Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2021 and currently holds the Asian Gold Medalist and the Asian Athletics Championships record with his best at 5.71 meters. Matt Ludwig, US Indoor Champion and NCAA Championship qualifier with a personal best of 5.90 meters claimed third place at a height of 5.53 meters, and in fourth place, Paweł Wojciechowski at 5.20 meters. Pawel is the current European pole-vaulting champion and previous world champion with a personal best of 5.93 meters. Fine Hygienic holding gave away a total cash prize of USD 50,000 to the athletes, as a recognition of their efforts and time. “It was both an honor and a privilege to work with these four incredible athletes and to be able to watch them perform at their absolute best as they prepare to compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. Our vision for this event was so much more than simple entertainment; it was about kindling excitement and optimism for people all over the world at a time when it is needed the most. I believe we accomplished that vision and I look forward to many more live virtual competitions in the future,” said Fine Hygienic Holding CEO, James Michael Lafferty. Matt Ludwig said, “At a time when social distancing and wearing masks are the safest things we can do to protect everybody, I would like to immensely thank Fine Hygienic Holding for bringing us together virtually and pulling off a safe, exciting, global event. We as athletes are grateful to have the support from such a great company. Personally, it was interesting and difficult to compete without having any of the competitors in the same venue. Overall, my jumps were not as dynamic as usual however it showed me that I have a lot to work on, which I’m looking forward to as we approach the Olympic season.” The health and safety of the athletes and all organizers was given top priority throughout every phase of the event. In addition to providing all participants with essential hygienic products, Fine supplied each athlete with a Fine Guard Sports Mask, which allowed them to compete with the utmost protection while not inhibiting their performance. Fine Guard Sport is the world’s only reusable hygienic face mask enhanced with the Swiss patented Livinguard technology, proven to effectively kill germs, bacteria and viruses, including Coronavirus, while allowing the user to breathe freely during strenuous physical activity. About Fine Hygienic Holding Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH), one of the world’s leading wellness groups and the MENA region’s leading manufacturer of hygienic products, serves consumers in more than 80 countries around the world. With its commitment to becoming “the shining star of the Arab FMCG business world,” FHH focuses on wellness, sustainability, state-of-the-art production processes, pioneering CSR programs, and award-winning products. The company offers a diverse array of products including facial tissues, napkins, kitchen towels, toilet paper, baby diapers, adult briefs, jumbo rolls, as well as away-from-home products to accommodate all types of private and public institutions in addition to personal protective equipment (PPE). Contact Details Maggie McGarvey +1 312-357-6120 mmcgarvey@apcoworldwide.com Company Website https://www.finehh.com/

August 21, 2020 07:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Covid in Pets; Pets & Cannabis and West Nile: The Next Pandemic in Wildlife to People

Default company name

The AVMA Conference is coming up August 20-22, and Covid itself will be among the featured topics along with cannabis and its effect on pets; use in medicine; etc. New and current info can be found HERE . I'm happy to connect you with current and future AVMA Presidents Dr. John Howe (Covid) and Dr. Douglas Kratt (Cannabis) for comment. Note that the ASPCA reports an over 700% increase in hotline calls due to edible ingestion in pets. Also, Among the speakers is Dr. Tracey McNamara, DVM, DACVP, who helped identify West Nile Virus when she worked at the Bronx Zoo and is now sounding the alarm on the need for more biosurveillance to detect impending disease outbreaks in animals before they spill over to humans. While we're monitoring for Covid in both domestic animals and humans, Wildlife has gone unmonitored. There are outbreaks of West Nile in these animals that is becoming more of an issue and can spread to humans. There is very little research on this--and this could possibly be the cause of the next pandemic and a threat to many species. In spite of repeated wake up calls, dogs, cats, shelter animals, zoos and local wildlife, all species that can and have given early warning of emerging public health threats, continue to be left out of any formal surveillance in the United States Contact Details Wendy Gordon +1 202-412-6268 wendy@flashprdc.com

August 19, 2020 12:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Daniel Gaston Promoted to Vice President at Cloud Conventions/Convey Services

Convey Services

Convey Services, parent company of Cloud Conventions a full featured virtual event technology solution today announced the promotion of Daniel Gaston to Vice President of Business Development. Gaston is chartered with developing and expanding the marketplace for virtual events, creating both a direct and channel focus to offer capabilities to event managers, associations, nonprofits, tradeshow operators and channel resellers. “Danny joined Convey five years ago and has been pivotal in growing the marketplace for Convey’s channel program for master agencies and suppliers, as well as for InterAct LifeLine’s addiction and recovery platform,” said Carolyn Bradfield founder of Convey. “Now that Convey has expanded its Cloud Conventions technology to address the explosive need for virtual conferences, tradeshows and events, Danny will drive the effort to grow revenue and expand the customer base for fully managed or self-managed virtual and hybrid events.” Prior to COVID, the marketplace for live expositions globally exceeded 33,000 with $50 billion in revenue annually. Although thousands of live events cancelled in 2020 and should begin to return in 2021, the demand for a virtual solution will continue to strengthen as event operators offer virtual-only or hybrid event options. Cloud Conventions automates every aspect of delivering a virtual event from attendee onboarding to exhibit booths, creating a content-rich environment with enhanced views of marketing materials, educational classes and product resources. The platform analyzes every attendee interaction and delivers detailed reports to the event host and their exhibitors. “Danny brings a unique skill set in being able to strategically understand how to address an emerging market, combined with the tactics needed to generate an appropriate sales process,” added Bradfield. “He has been integral in every aspect of our development of Cloud Conventions from product design, to creating processes for managing an event, to offering strategic support to clients that are creating their first virtual experience. He has identified market segments with the greatest need and a process to address them effectively.” Gaston graduated from Kennesaw State University summa cum laude with a degree in Applied Science, Industrial and Organizational Psychology. About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions is a Virtual Trade Show and Conference Platform from Convey Services that brings new capabilities to a marketplace looking for solutions to replace the thousands of live trade shows, annual conferences and association meetings cancelled in the wake of COVID-19. Originally launched as ConveyLive, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, attendee registration, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. Trade Associations and event managers can explore all of the Cloud Conventions solutions by visiting https://cloudconventions.com or contacting info@cloudconventions.com or call 888-975-1382. Cloud Conventions™, Conduct™, One-Touch Email Share™, Hub & Spoke™, 360° Virtual Exhibit Hall & Lobby Experience™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

August 13, 2020 04:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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InterAct Unveils Addiction Support Platform to Address Opioid Crisis in Rural America

Convey Services

InterAct LifeLine , today launched the InterAct Opioid Resource Platform , an addiction education knowledgebase designed to support Rural Health Initiatives at the federal, state and local level. The Opioid Resource Platform delivers patient and family support tools and telehealth resources to provide relief from the opioid crisis in rural communities where access to treatment is often unavailable. The InterAct platform complies with HIPAA regulations and ADA accessibility and is custom branded for state, regional, municipal or school districts, along with private treatment programs. Each portal is connected to a centralized online library populated with current educational resources on a wide range of drug-related topics, family support and wellness strategies. Community organizations can use the InterAct Opioid Resource Platform to connect and refer individuals to local resources, community contacts and virtual support groups. “The Rural Opioid Crisis has brought increasing levels of addiction and overdose deaths to America’s heartland, while the resources needed to support families facing addiction rarely reaches beyond the urban centers,” said Carolyn Bradfield , CEO & founder of InterAct. “COVID-19 is only making this worse as overdoses increased 18% in March, 29 % in April and 42 % in May according to a July 2020 Washington Post article. The use of technology to provide more services to people suffering with the disease of addiction, in both urban and rural areas has been glaringly absent. The InterAct Opioid Resource Platform can be rolled out and managed by federal, state or county organizations who can direct and focus the content and resources available at every level.” In addition to parent and family educational content and access to localized services, the InterAct Opioid Resource Platform interfaces with Medicaid/Medicare supported telehealth services for online psychiatric and psychological counseling. Professionally moderated group sessions are available online to provide expanded support to rural communities when geography, mobility or personal presence is restricted. Monitored regional public forums let users ask questions and receive feedback from their peers or professionals. Portals can also provide fund raising tools and sponsorship opportunities to make them financially self-sufficient. “Rural America continues to take the brunt of the opioid crisis, with minimal access to resources and services, coupled with out of control addiction rates,” added Bradfield. “Families bear the burden of trying to support an adolescent or adult family member facing addiction, but they are the last to receive any education or counseling. Fighting COVID has diverted funding and public attention away from the Opioid Crisis, while rural America continues to address this decade-long addiction pandemic. The Opioid Crisis will still be here when COVID is contained, and the death toll will continue to mount.” According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) , “Rates of drug overdose deaths are rising in rural areas, surpassing rates in urban areas. Although the percentage of people reporting illicit drug use is lower in rural areas, the effects of use appear to be higher. In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses, making it a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. Of those deaths, almost 68% involved a prescription or illicit opioid. About InterAct LifeLine Founded in 2019 by Carolyn Bradfield following the overdose death of her daughter, InterAct is a technology telehealth platform delivering education and content on addiction and wellness strategies to promote recovery, connections to community through discussion forums and virtual support groups, and continuous outreach to its members. InterAct’s portal technology is integrated with a HIPAA compliant mobile platform offering applications to families to engage individuals, organize their schedule with reminders and check ins, send secure messages and monitors vital signs through wearables to detect risk for overdose. InterAct’s technology produces detailed data used for treatment program outcomes studies. For information visit www.interactlifeline.com , info@interactlifeline.com or call 866-274-7539. InterAct LifeLine is a wholly owned subsidiary of Convey Holdings Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@interactlifeline.com Company Website https://interactlifeline.com

August 12, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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