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Patient Safety Authority Expands Education, Infection Prevention Support, and Reporting Within Pennsylvania and Beyond

Patient Safety Authority

The Patient Safety Authority (PSA) released its 2021 annual report, highlighting the agency’s expansion of education and reporting efforts to improve patient safety throughout the Commonwealth. Among the 2021 accomplishments is a new internet-based patient safety Learning Management System (LMS) which is free to access and offers continuing education credits to Pennsylvania nurses. PSA also added mandatory demographics questions to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS), including race, ethnicity, sex assigned at birth, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ZIP code. “PSA’s vision—safe healthcare for all patients—cannot be fulfilled without evaluating and addressing disparities,” said Regina Hoffman, executive director of the PSA. “Being inclusive and identifying important patient safety issues affecting specific populations are essential.” Other key accomplishments in 2021 include development of a comprehensive assessment tool to measure organizational maturity across key domains of diagnostic excellence. The tool will be piloted among select Pennsylvania hospitals in 2022. PSA also grew global readership of its award-winning journal, PATIENT SAFETY. The publication includes original scientific research and patient commentaries to advise healthcare systems, researchers, and frontline staff. It was read by more than 50,000 people in 165 countries. In conjunction with the Annual Report, the PSA released its annual data articles—an aggregate review of trends in PA-PSRS—the largest repository of patient safety data in the United States and one of the largest in the world with 4 million reports. Access them here. Established under the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (MCARE) Act of 2002, the PSA, an independent state agency, collects and analyzes patient safety data to improve safety outcomes and help prevent patient harm. http://patientsafety.pa.gov/ About PSA Established under the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (MCARE) Act of 2002, the PSA, an independent state agency, collects and analyzes patient safety data to improve safety outcomes and help prevent patient harm. http://patientsafety.pa.gov/ Contact Details Bev Volpe +1 609-230-4696 bev@madisongall.com Company Website http://patientsafety.pa.gov/

May 06, 2022 08:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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AmeriLife Celebrates the Nominations of its Women Leaders to Chief

AmeriLife

AmeriLife Group, LLC (“AmeriLife”), a national leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities and retirement planning solutions, announced today that a slate of its top women leaders have received invitations to Chief. Chief is the only organization specifically designed for the most powerful women executives to strengthen their leadership, magnify their influence, and pave the way to bring others with them. The nominations follow the launch of AmeriLife’s Distribution Women’s Leadership Council (DWLC), part of the company’s ongoing efforts to increase and elevate leadership diversity within AmeriLife and throughout the broader insurance and financial services industry. “Empowering the next generation of women leaders is central not only to AmeriLife’s diversity efforts, but is critical to our future business success,” said Mike Vietri, chief distribution officer of AmeriLife and executive champion of the DWLC. “Like the launch of our Distribution Women’s Leadership Council, today’s announcement marks yet another milestone in the growth and development of our women leaders, and we couldn’t be more excited to take advantage of the tremendous resources that Chief has to offer.” AmeriLife leaders receiving invitations to Chief include: Dana Ballenger, vice president of administration and financial reporting for AmeriLife Benefits Christy Boyd, executive vice president of operations for Senior Market Advisors Angela Palo, chief operating officer and co-owner of AmeriLife affiliate Pinnacle Financial Services Candice Wood, market leader who oversees AmeriLife’s agency offices in Greensboro, Cary and Wilmington, North Carolina, and Roanoke, Virginia “This group of women exemplifies what leadership is all about; we couldn’t have asked for better ambassadors of AmeriLife,” added Kiersten Burstiner, chief human resources officer of AmeriLife. “We’re excited for their journey as members of Chief and are equally as eager to bring their learnings back to AmeriLife to support the continued growth of our women in leadership.” ### About AmeriLife AmeriLife’s strength is its mission: to provide insurance and retirement solutions to help people live longer, healthier lives. In doing so, AmeriLife has become recognized as the leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities and retirement planning solutions to enhance the lives of pre-retirees and retirees across the United States. For more than 50 years, AmeriLife has partnered with top insurance carriers to provide value and quality to customers served through a national distribution network of over 300,000 insurance agents and advisors, more than 50 marketing organizations, and 50 insurance agency locations. For more information, visit AmeriLife.com, and follow AmeriLife on Facebook and LinkedIn. Contact Details Jeff Maldonado +1 321-297-1112 jmaldonado@amerilife.com Company Website https://amerilife.com/

May 05, 2022 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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ThreatModeler Recognized as Silver Stevie® Award Winner for Best Cloud Platform by the 2022 American Business Awards®

ThreatModeler Software, Inc

ThreatModeler, a leader in securing cloud infrastructure from design to deployment, today announced that CloudModeler has earned a Silver Stevie® Award for Best Cloud Platform as part of the 20th Annual American Business Awards®. Optimizing ThreatModeler’s automated capabilities, CloudModeler enables organizations to implement true DevSecOps, providing actionable insights through continuous monitoring and empowering teams to discover unknown flaws in real-time. Designed with cloud migration in mind, CloudModeler enables DevOps teams to detect security flaws before they become code vulnerabilities, enabling instant remediation, mitigating risk and ensuring compliance post-deployment. “ThreatModeler is dedicated to creating a collaborative platform where security experts or non-security professionals alike can visualize design flaws within a few hours or minutes instead of weeks,” said Archie Agarwal, Founder and CEO, ThreatModeler. “This award highlights the value we have been able to deliver with CloudModeler, enabling enterprises to develop and deploy cloud architectures quickly, confidently and compliantly.” The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – large and small. More than 230 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s American Business Awards® winners. ThreatModeler’s distinction as a best cloud platform was clear to the ABA judges, who provided the following comments as part of their assessment of the CloudModeler solution: “A product designed with the specific pain point or niche market needs in mind, and solutioning implemented in a way that is easy to use, light to implement and maintain, brings efficiency and cuts cost from day one! ThreatModeler fits every category of this type of product. With the cloud being the top platform and destination for services and cybersecurity being the top priority and concerns of almost all businesses with a presence in cloud, threat modeling is a crucial part of the development cycle that ensures the product is secure and robust enough to protect both the business and the customers. I am impressed by the result metrics and statistics provided in the submission demonstrating how ThreadModeler has helped shorten the whole development efforts, cut costs, and avoid cyber risk and threats for its customers.” “[This submission] clearly demonstrates the success and growth of the company. ThreatModeler’s suite of products empowers DevOps to measure, design and validate threat drift from development to deployment within a fraction of the time and cost tied to other tools. Optimizing ThreatModeler’s automated capabilities, CloudModeler enables organizations to implement true DevSecOps, providing actionable insights through continuous monitoring, empowering teams to discover unknown flaws in real-time.” To learn more about ThreatModeler, CloudModeler and more, click here. Details on The American Business Awards and the list of Stevie winners are available here. About ThreatModeler Software, Inc. ThreatModeler Software, Inc.’s suite of products empowers DevOps to measure their threat drift from code to cloud. With a fraction of the time and cost tied to other tools, users can design, build and validate threat drift from development to deployment. Teams can instantly visualize their attack surface, understand security requirements and prioritize steps to mitigate threats. CISOs can make critical security-driven business decisions to scale their infrastructure for growth. 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 Clayton Murtle ThreatModeler@luminapr.com

May 05, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Web3 Solidity Engine, tEVM 2.0 - Ahead of Schedule

Telos Foundation

As the Goliaths of crypto continuously crash ( Solana ), fail to deliver ( Ethereum ), or live in their white papers ( Cardano ), David ( Telos ) continues to defy them all and over-deliver. The Telos story is very much a David vs. Goliath story. Why? Because Telos is tens and even hundreds of billions of dollars smaller than its peers in market cap, yet still manages to significantly lead them in speed, costs, true capacity, credible neutrality, front running protection, fair governance, and energy efficiency ( Net Zero ). The tEVM Version 1.0's capabilities are already a quantum leap ahead of its peers and are clearly demonstrated in this video. Now, less than a year later, version 2.0 is set to elevate the tEVM's performance further. Jesse Schulman (Lead Architect and TCO), alongside Kersten Wirth (Program Manager), will be providing detailed insights into the development of Telos EVM 2.0. This hybrid "Super-Node" solution will be even easier to operate and integrate than the previous version, offer top-notch history management, and tie in with the best available Ethereum clients. The dev-duo will also be discussing the many benefits and successes of the existing tEVM Version 1. Since its launch, the tEVM’s ecosystem is closing on six months of strategic growth. On the DeFi side, it has already launched multiple Dex/AMMs, Price Oracles, Farming dApps, multi-Chain bridges, Lending dApps, and everything else that a vibrant DeFi ecosystem requires to level up its TVL and end-user occupancy. Telos’ TVL is now where the market cap leading chains were not long ago but with far superior governance, no front running, credible neutrality, true decentralization, and an ESG compliant EVM that is several multiples faster. In utopian fashion, Telos’ ecosystem is now ready to scale its occupants and its TVL simultaneously. About Telos Live since 2018, Telos Blockchain (ticker: TLOS) is a third-generation smart contract platform that offers compatibility with Solidity, Vyper, and Native C++ smart contracts. Telos provides full EVM/Solidity support with fixed low-cost gas fees and no front running and, more uniquely, offers a path to fee-less transactions via its robust native C++ smart contract support. Even while operating as a Net Zero Blockchain, Telos still sustainably supports hundreds of millions of transactions per day, produces blocks in 0.5 second intervals (on a first-in-first-out basis, eliminating front running on the network), and securely validates transactions via a credibly neutral and globally decentralized block producer network. As a result, the Telos blockchain has the throughput needed to facilitate and scale the thriving Metaverse / Web 3.0 landscape better than any other blockchain in existence. Its performance is unrivaled in the industry and was purpose-built to offer speed, scalability, cost-effectiveness, credible decentralization, and end-user fairness. Telos harnesses its power by utilizing tight C++ on the frontend and a custom WASM runtime environment on the backend. About The Foundation The Telos Foundation is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization established as a promotional and funding body to advance the Telos Blockchain Network and provide support to network applications. Not investing advice. Contact Details The Team hello@telosfoundation.io Company Website https://www.telos.net/

May 04, 2022 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Altais Names Nishant Anand, M.D., as President and CEO

Altais

Altais, a healthcare services and technology company, today announced the appointment of Nishant Anand, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., as its new president and CEO, effective May 31, 2022. In this role, Dr. Anand will lead the three-year-old company that is pioneering integrated, scalable health technology solutions and transformative business models designed to enhance the patient experience, improve health outcomes, reduce cost and drive professional gratification among physicians. Dr. Anand will report directly to the Altais Board of Directors. He succeeds Altais founding President and CEO Jeff Bailet, M.D., who is retiring. “We are excited to welcome Dr. Anand to steer Altais into its next phase of growth,” said Dr. Toluwase Ajayi, Altais board member and medical director of palliative medicine at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego. “His background as a board-certified physician with extensive strategic business experience makes him the perfect leader to advance Altais’ mission to cultivate the well-being of physicians, patients and the entire clinical community.” Dr. Anand comes to Altais from BayCare Health System in Florida, where he has served as executive vice president and chief medical officer since 2018. In that role, Dr. Anand had full profit and loss accountability for the physician group, a strong clinical leadership role for the system of 15 hospitals and an expanded scope of responsibility in response to the pandemic. Before BayCare Health System, Dr. Anand served as chief transformation officer and chief medical officer for population health at AdventHealth System, as well as chief medical officer to the entire Banner Health Network. Over the course of his career, he has led population health initiatives and accountable care organizations in multiple roles. Dr. Anand currently serves on the National Quality Foundation MAP Committee, a joint committee reporting to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as well as on the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board. He has authored several peer-reviewed publications and has received numerous awards for clinical competency, his work with underserved populations, patient satisfaction and innovation. “I am thrilled to join Altais as the company leads the way in next-generation clinical services and support to physicians and communities throughout California,” said Dr. Anand. “The stresses on healthcare professionals and health systems have only escalated in recent years. Altais is uniquely positioned to provide solutions that enable independent physicians to focus on what they’ve always wanted to do, which is to provide excellent patient experiences and improved health outcomes. Personally, I am also looking forward to returning to the San Francisco Bay Area.” Dr. Anand is a board-certified emergency medicine physician, who earned his medical degree from the Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minnesota, and completed his residency training in emergency medicine at Stanford/Kaiser Emergency Medicine Program. He has served on the faculty of the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, as well as the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Dr. Anand also served as a team doctor for the San Francisco 49ers. *** About Altais Altais is a healthcare services company that helps physicians and the clinical community maximize the health and well-being of their patients in an affordable and sustainable way. Altais has two divisions. Altais Clinical Services offers a range of affiliation and employment models for physicians and high-quality, affordable care for patients. Altais Health offers a broad platform of clinical support tools and technology, along with high-touch support. Ultimately, Altais seeks to enhance the vibrancy of physician practice and strengthen the heart of medicine – physicians connecting with patients and providing personalized, high-quality care. For more information about Altais, please visit www.altais.com. ### Contact Details Robin Carr +1 415-971-3991 altais@landispr.com Company Website https://altais.com/

May 04, 2022 03:12 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Hong Kong Baptist University joint research reveals that gut microbial enzymes reactivate triclosan which induces colitis

Hong Kong Baptist University

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 3 May 2022 - A Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) collaborative research study has revealed that certain gut microbial enzymes mediate the reactivation of triclosan (TCS) from its inactive glucuronide metabolite. TCS is an antimicrobial agent commonly used in a wide range of consumer products, and it is associated with the development of colitis. Professor Cai Zongwei, Chair Professor of the Department of Chemistry and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis at HKBU, points out that according to the research results specific gut microbial enzymes drive the conversion of TCS metabolites to TCS which increases the chance of developing colitis. The research results have been published in Nature Communications, an international scientific journal. Mechanism of TCS exposure leading to colitis previously unclear TCS is widely used as an antimicrobial agent in consumer products such as toothpaste, mouthwash, hand sanitisers, cosmetics and toys. It is a major environmental contaminant, and it has been shown that TCS exposure increases the risk of colitis. Once TCS enters the human body, it is rapidly metabolised to form the biologically inactivemetabolite TCS-glucuronide (TCS-G), which is easily eliminated from the body. Due to this characteristic, the mechanism of how environmental exposure to TCS leads to gut toxicity in the human body has previously remained unclear. To answer this question, a research team co-led by Professor Cai Zongwei, Chair Professor of the Department of Chemistry and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis at HKBU; Professor Matthew R Redinbo from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Professor Zhang Guodong from the University of Massachusetts Amherst conducted a research study based on the hypothesis that certain gut microbial enzymes act on TCS-G in the gut, leading to the reactivation of TCS and the subsequent development of colitis. TCS concentration uniquely high in the gut To begin with, the research team sought to determine whether the gut has a different TCS metabolic profile compared to other body tissues. A group of mice were fed food that contained TCS. After four weeks, it was found that the biologically inactive TCS-G was dominant in their liver, bile, heart and small intestine, while the colitis-inducing TCS was dominant in the gut (cecum and colon). The results showed that the gut has a uniquely high concentration of TCS compared to other body tissues. The research team then analysed the relationship between TCS-containing products and the concentration of TCS in the human body. In a group of human subjects who used TCS-containing personal care products for four months, both TCS and TCS-G were detected in their stool and urine samples, with TCS being dominant in stool and TCS-G being dominant in urine. However, TCS and TCS-G were not detected in the control group who used TCS-free personal care products. The results showed that the use of TCS-containing products leads to a high level of TCS, specifically in the human gut. Gut microbiota significant in TCS-G conversion The question remains why the human gut has a uniquely high TCS concentration. To answer this, the research team put forth the hypothesis that gut microbiota participate in the conversion of TCS-G to TCS, leading to the accumulation of TCS in the gut. To test this hypothesis, the researchers observed that in an in vitro setting, cultured gut bacteria from both mice and humans were able to catalyse the conversion of TCS-G to TCS. To investigate whether the same phenomenon appears in an in vivo setting, the research team found that the inhibition of gut bacteria from mice by applying an antibiotic treatment almost reduced the concentration of TCS in their guts by half, and it increased the concentration of TCS-G by six-fold. The results affirmed that gut microbiota play a significant role in the conversion of TCS-G to TCS in the gut. Specific enzymes catalyse TCS-G conversion To investigate the mechanism by which gut microbiota catalyse TCS-G conversion, the research team focused on the intestinal β - glucuronidase (GUS) enzymes produced by gut bacteria in both mice and humans, because they have been shown to catalyse a wide range of metabolite conversions. Using a series of screening techniques, two types of GUS, namely “Loop 1” and “flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-binding” GUSs, were found to be most effective at converting TCS-G to TCS in vitro. The research team then applied a GUS inhibitor, a drug that inhibits the function of Loop 1 and FMN-binding GUSs, to TCS-exposed and TCS-free mice. It was found that the GUS inhibitor could curb the conversion of TCS-G to TCS by the GUS enzymes. Colitis in TCS-exposed mice was also relieved after the application of the GUS inhibitor. The results support the notion that specific microbial GUS enzymes drive the conversion of TCS-G to TCS, and as a result, the chance of developing colitis is increased. More stringent TCS controls needed Professor Cai said: “Our research results clearly defined the mechanism by which gut microbiota are involved in the metabolism and toxicology of TCS, and the study offers a way to prevent the development of colitis following environmental exposure to chemicals. “Regulatory bodies should consider imposing more stringent controls on the use of TCS. Although the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the marketing of TCS in over-the-counter antiseptic products in 2016, the chemical remains approved for use in a wide range of products. Transparency on TCS ingredients in product labelling and illustrations should also be improved so that consumers can be aware of the potential risks and make informed choices.” #HongKongBaptistUniversity #HKBU Contact Details Winnie Shum of the Communication and Public Relations Office +852 3411 5262 hkbunews@hkbu.edu.hk Company Website https://www.hkbu.edu.hk/

May 03, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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CognitiveCare Inc. Receives a Grant of Nearly $1 Million to Advance Maternal and Fetal Health

CognitiveCare

CognitiveCare, a Healthcare AI startup and pioneer in maternal and infant health, today announced it has received a $965,871 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to provide antenatal risk stratification AI support for the ARC’s pregnancy surveillance efforts. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), global maternal mortality is an unacceptably high 810 deaths per day, primarily from preventable or treatable causes. Further, 10–15% of all infants born are preterm and are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality. As part of this grant, CognitiveCare will detect and quantify propensity for critical adverse outcomes during antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum stages, by leveraging CognitiveCare’s Maternal Infant Health Insights & Cognitive intelligence “ MIHIC ” solution. MIHIC incorporates granular insights and patterns that interplay with clinical and social determinants of health to help detect and quantify risks at individual and population levels. CognitiveCare will first validate its models with local data and will then integrate MIHIC into both the Kenya PRiSMA (western Kenya) and the Aga Khan University & VITAL Pakistan ARC sites’ existing production environments. A segment of this grant is dedicated to train the ARC sites to use MIHIC, ensuring sustainable impact. “With the foundation’s grant support, our aim is to support caregivers in understanding propensity for risk early enough to help reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality,” said Dr. Suresh Attili, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer, CognitiveCare. “Decisions on patient care rest with physicians; however, risk scores generated by MIHIC support triaging patients early. The models will further provide explainable AI functionality to help caregivers understand the ‘why’ behind each MIHIC Score TM.” “ G iven that 94% of all maternal deaths occur in low- and lower-middle-income countries, CognitiveCare is committed to ensuring that low resource settings have access to MIHIC,” said Sheena Gill, President, Americas for CognitiveCare. “With this grant, we take another important step toward our vision to eradicate maternal and infant mortality globally.” About CognitiveCare: CognitiveCare is working at the forefront of science to build the world's first comprehensive health risk quantification solution that integrates AI, advanced math, and stats at the intersection of medicine, biology, genomics and social determinants. CognitiveCare's MIHIC Score™ platform assesses propensity for risk of maternal, fetal and infant health risks categorized as antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum risk scores early in the pregnancy cycle to empower proactive care. To learn more about CognitiveCare, please visit: www.cognitivecare.com. Contact Details CognitiveCare Vivek Singh vivek@cognitivecare.com Company Website https://cognitivecare.com

May 03, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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MetroPlusHealth And NYC Health + Hospitals', Dr. Eric Wei, Named to City & State's "2022 Power Of Diversity: Asian 100."

MetroPlusHealth

Eric Wei, MD, MBA, Board Member and Chair of the Quality Assurance & Performance Improvement Committee of MetroPlusHealth and Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals has been named to City & State’s “2022 Power of Diversity: Asian 100” list. He will be featured in a special edition of City & State published today, recognizing the most influential Asian Americans in New York. The prestigious Asian 100 list has included leaders such as Congress Member Grace Meng, State Senator John Liu, and former Presidential candidate Andrew Yang. “I am honored to be recognized by City & State, and I am proud to see the accomplishments of New York’s vibrant Asian-American community being celebrated on such a prominent platform,” said Dr. Wei. “As challenging as the last two years have been, I am grateful to be a part of a public health care system that is committed to the values of diversity and inclusion. I want to thank my amazing team at NYC Health + Hospitals, colleagues at MetroPlusHealth, and family for their unwavering support.” In addition to Dr. Wei’s achievements, he has been a strong advocate for the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. He will be a featured speaker at a May 18 th press conference on the steps of City Hall, addressing the lack of resources and the critical importance of mental health and wellness among AAPI New Yorkers. Dr. Wei was a panelist at the Stop Anti-Asian Hate Crime Town Hall in 2021, hosted by MetroPlusHealth. He presided over the Grand Opening of MetroPlusHealth’s flagship community office in Flushing, Queens, bringing needed resources to the neighborhood’s large Asian population. “Congratulations to Dr. Wei on being recognized as City & State Diversity: Asian 100 recognition,” said Dr. Talya Schwartz, President and CEO of MetroPlusHealth. “Dr. Wei has been an incredible leader and advocate in the AAPI community, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. His work in creating an equitable future for the health of the AAPI communities is a key component to closing the gaps in health care disparities.” “Dr. Wei is incredibly deserving of this recognition, and we are happy to celebrate this wonderful achievement with him,” said Dr. Mitchell Katz, President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. “Eric’s heroic leadership during the pandemic has solidified him as one of the most influential people in this great city we are so proud to serve.” The special recognition comes at the start of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness month. In early May, MetroPlusHealth will release the findings of a research project surveying Asian females in New York City about their mental health concerns. Additionally, MetroPlusHealth will partner with community-based organizations providing mental health services to the AAPI community. Dr. Wei will participate in video interviews with these organizations to raise awareness of seeking help to improve mental health and wellness. Dr. Wei’s focus during the pandemic included strategic planning to quadruple ICU capacity, reconfiguring emergency departments to accommodate the needs and patient volume demands and leading the patient level-loading system that moved over 850 COVID-19 patients in the first NYC wave to ensure each hospital was operating safely considering high patient volumes. He also oversaw more than $35 million in donations to the public health system to help with employee accommodations, such as meals, transportation, and childcare. The expansion of the Helping Healers Heal program supports employees’ emotional and psychological well-being. Dr. Wei is the fellowship director for the NYC Health + Hospitals Clinical Leadership Fellowship and launched Healthcare Administration Scholars Program (HASP) across 5 NYC Health + Hospitals sites. He is a practicing Emergency Medicine physician rotating through all 11 Emergency Departments in NYC Health + Hospitals. He serves as faculty for the Greater New York Hospital Association/UHF Clinical Quality Fellowship Program. Dr. Wei received his bachelor’s degree in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2003. He completed the combined MD and MBA program at the University of California, Irvine, in 2009. Dr. Wei completed his Emergency Medicine residency and the Healthcare Administration Scholars Program at the University of Michigan in 2013. He is certified in Lean Healthcare, Six Sigma Black Belt, and TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer. He is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Dr. Wei was named to Modern Healthcare’s “50 Most Influential Clinical Leaders” list and Forbes 40 Under 40, both in 2021. As with many New Yorkers, the pandemic has raised the mental health challenges faced by the AAPI community during these difficult times. New York City offers free, private mental health support in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and more than 200 languages. Support can be accessed 24/7, 365 days a year. To speak to a counselor and get access to services, call 888-NYC-WELL (888-692-9355) or text “WELL” to 65173. City & State Diversity: Asian 100 list: https://www.cityandstateny.com About MetroPlusHealth Since 1985, MetroPlusHealth Plan has built a reputation for providing access to affordable, quality health care to residents across New York City. MetroPlusHealth is the plan of choice for over 600,000 New Yorkers and has a five-star rating based on the State’s 2020 Consumer’s Guide to Medicaid and Child Health Plus Managed Care Plans in New York City. The health plan’s robust network of primary care doctors and specialists includes many independent community providers. Culturally sensitive and fluent in more than 40 languages, MetroPlusHealth’s staff is as diverse as the great city it serves. For more information about MetroPlusHealth plans, benefits, and services, visit www.metroplus.org and join the conversation at facebook.com/metroplushealth and Twitter @metroplushealth. MetroPlusHealth is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NYC Health + Hospitals, the nation’s largest public health system. About NYC Health + Hospitals NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 42,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or Twitter at @NYCHealthSystem. Contact Details Divendra Jaffar, MetroPlusHealth 212-908-3380/646-952-3243 jaffadi@metroplus.org Company Website https://www.metroplus.org/

May 02, 2022 02:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Youth Nicotine Vaping is a Mental Health Crisis

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/PzinsT6mmYA Two health crises among youth — a mental health crisis and a vaping epidemic — pose increasing threats to a generation of young people. A recently published study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that youth depression and anxiety doubled during the pandemic, compared to pre-pandemic estimates. Meanwhile, youth vaping remains at epidemic levels with nearly 20% of high schoolers vaping nicotine, with nearly 40% of those who use e-cigarettes, doing so on a regular basis. Truth Initiative ®, the organization behind the highly effective truth ® youth smoking, vaping and nicotine public education campaign organized a Moment of Action for Mental Health as part of its latest Breath of Stress Air effort to bust the fantasy that vaping nicotine is a stress reliever. The Moment of Action for Mental Health comes on the heels of Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issuing an advisory on the state of mental health among young people as an “urgent public health crisis,” and coincides with the on-going youth e-cigarette epidemic. According to the latest December 2021 Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF) report, nearly 20% of high school seniors used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. A Truth Initiative survey found that 93% of e-cigarette users reported that vaping negatively affected their lives because it made them feel more stressed, depressed, or anxious, while 90% of those who quit said they felt less stressed, anxious, or depressed. Young people nationwide can text “ ACTION ” to 88709 to participate and join in the movement. Those looking to get help quitting e-cigarettes can get free and anonymous help from This is Quitting from truth. It is a free and anonymous, text-message based quit vaping program designed for young people. Teens and young adults can join for free by texting “ DITCHVAPE ” to 88709. Learn more about Truth Initiative, the Moment of Action for Mental Health and see get resources by visiting truthinitiative.org. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 02, 2022 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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