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AmeriLife Now Offers SimpliNow℠ Legacy from AIG

AmeriLife

AmeriLife Group, LLC (“AmeriLife”), a national leader in developing, marketing, and distributing annuity, life and health insurance solutions, today announced that its agencies and affiliates are now offering SimpliNow Legacy SM from AIG (issued by American General Life Insurance Company), a simplified issue whole life insurance product specifically designed for middle-market American seniors. SimpliNow Legacy was designed to help policyholders lessen the burden of final expenses--including unpaid debt, medical bills or other household costs--on their loved ones. The product offers a unique limited-pay feature and death benefit coverage ranging from $5,000-$35,000. SimpliNow Legacy was created with middle-market Americans (ages 50 to 80 with a household income of $75,000 or less) in mind, including seniors, to help provide this growing demographic an additional layer of financial protection. For agents, SimpliNow Legacy was built for speed. This product features an instant-decision underwriting process, no post-sale paperwork, and the ability to draft credit card payments in real-time to instantly issue policies. This process includes: Electronic applications that tell agents early-on the type of coverage their clients can receive Instant underwriting decisions 100% of the time and early in the application process, with no additional underwriting, ever Instant issue capabilities for IGO and current dated apps paid with credit cards SimpliNow Quoter allows agents to easily quote their clients’ premiums before or during the application process “In the U.S., the median cost of a funeral is around $9,000*, and many older Americans are doing what they can to avoid passing those expenses onto their loved ones,” said Pat Fleming, Executive Vice President of Product Innovation and Corporate Actuary for AmeriLife. “We’re proud to be one of AIG’s exclusive partners in offering a groundbreaking product that provides consumers with the confidence that their final expenses will be addressed. The speed of the process at the point-of-sale is something that will help our agents work quickly and efficiently to help their clients secure coverage that will aid in preserving their legacies.” For more information on SimpliNow Legacy, visit www.amerilife.com to get in touch with an AmeriLife agency or affiliate. ### About AmeriLife AmeriLife’s strength is its mission: to provide financial 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 agents and advisors, more than 40 marketing organizations, and 50 agency locations. For more information, visit AmeriLife.com, and follow AmeriLife on Facebook and LinkedIn. *Source: National Funeral Directors Association. Policies issued by American General Life Insurance Company (AGL), Houston, TX. Policy Forms: ICC21-21445, 21445, 21445-5, 21445-10, 21445-35, 21445-42, ICC21-21447, 21447, 21447-5, 21447-10, 21447-35 and 21447-42. Rider Numbers: ICC21-21468, 21468, 21468-5, 21468-10, ICC21-21469, 21469, 21469-5, 21469-10, ICC21-21470, 21470, 21470-5, 21470-35 and 21470-42. Issuing company AGL is responsible for financial obligations of insurance products and is a member of American International Group, Inc. (AIG). Guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. AGL does not solicit, issue, or deliver policies or contracts in the state of New York. Products may not be available in all states and product features may vary by state. Please refer to the policy. This is not a preneed insurance contract or agreement. Benefits are payable to the beneficiary or beneficiaries as directed by the owner of policy. Premiums paid may exceed amount of coverage. For an estimate of the year the premiums may exceed the amount of coverage, divide the face amount by the annual premium. SimpliNow Legacy offers a limited death benefit in the first two years of the policy. Should death occur in the first two years, a death benefit will be equal to 110% of the premiums paid. In the event of suicide, the death benefit is limited to a refund of premiums paid less any outstanding loan amount. THIS POLICY DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT ITS PROCEEDS WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO PAY FOR ANY PARTICULAR SERVICES OR MERCHANDISE AT TIME OF NEED OR THAT SERVICES OR MERCHANDISE SHALL BE PROVIDED BY ANY PARTICULAR PROVIDER. American General Life Insurance Company 2929 Allen Parkway, Houston, TX 77019, United States © 2022 American General Life Insurance. All Rights Reserved. AGLC201559 Contact Details AmeriLife Jeff Maldonado +1 321-297-1112 jmaldonado@amerilife.com Company Website https://amerilife.com/

February 15, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

CURE Token Launches CURE Chain Development by Securing Technical Advisor Jim Nasr

CURE Token, LLC

Jacob Beckley, visionary founder of CURE Token and THE BECKLEY FOUNDATION philanthropist, has set his sights on another new and exciting venture in his quest to upend traditional approaches to medical research and to enable universal access to medical care, especially for the underserved. As COVID hampered the The Beckley Foundation's fundraising events and efforts, Beckley needed innovative, alternative ways to fund its commitments to active medical research programs. CURE Token was launched to fill funding gap, and instead exploded in a short time to a $52M market cap, enabling the expansion of the Beckley foundation's mission to include supplementing the devastating patient and family costs associated with childhood cancer care. "Supporting childhood cancer research, patients and their families is a compassionate effort, and I'm pleased we are able to make even a small difference", says Beckley, "but it's the tip of an iceberg fraught with underlying problems in an industry disinterested in change". He goes on to describe two fundamental healthcare industry problems at opposite ends of the delivery system. "Researchers need to share data, every day, real-time, in an anonymous, secure system. COVID vaccines are an example of the speed and acuity that can be brought to bear through real-time collaboration. That same process needs to be replicated every day, in every way, on every research project. By the time professional papers are published and peer reviewed, it's already old news". At the other end of the spectrum Beckley talks about his primary goal: patient access. "All the medical research, innovation and development in the world is worthless if patients are unable to access it due to economics or geography. Healthcare access should not be limited to the wealthy, the insured, or the geographically well located. Healing is for everyone." CURE Chain, Beckley's visionary concept to address both of these goals is becoming a reality, and he's harnessing the horsepower to make it happen sooner rather than later. Jim Nasr, a well-respected tech innovator and CEO of Acoer, an award-winning tech firm specializing in user friendly blockchain development will join Beckley in structuring and launching CURE Chain. Nasr is well versed in the healthcare industry, from his role as chief software architect for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the US, his collaboration with Mayo Clinic's development of their connected diagnostics platform, and positions on a variety of key healthcare technology committees and related boards. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5af858de1aef1df75ada4dce/4a886ac6-bbde-4bf9-8a2e-d191eabccf97/cure-chain-leadership.png?format=1000w "CURE Chain provides a novel opportunity to address the issues that Jacob has identified. As example, through use of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) on a public Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) network, we intend to reference clinical research and patient data uniquely, securely and in a privacy preserving manner. This DLT “anchoring” will significantly increase confidence on the authenticity of the underlying data and accountable monitoring and usage it," says Nasr. “We firmly believe that properly conceived DLT and blockchain integration as an underlayer of computational trust can lead to decentralized healthcare delivery and the leveling of the playing field—reducing the gap between the developed and underdeveloped health systems, the insured and uninsured, and the wealthy and the poor." Full CURE Chain implementation will proceed after the conclusion of the already underway key design activities. These include: Technical architecture design—on schedule, with the technical team already hard at work, identification of research organizations for piloting clinical trial data exchange, and the development of patient user experience models. "Financial institutions tried to thwart cryptocurrency development and growth, but it happened anyway by mass demand. CURE Chain will change a healthcare industry that doesn't know it's broken and has no motivation to change, and it will do it by mass demand," Beckley explains. "Once it catches on and people, both researchers and patients, see the value change will be monumental". A pretty bold, futuristic statement, but it comes from someone whose title is "Senior Vice President of Innovation, Product and Technology" at one of the country's acclaimed digital innovation firms, Fusion92. Perhaps it's time to pay attention. Contact Details Eric Brown +44 7960 044904 eric@curetoken.net

February 15, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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QX Global Group Acquires Management Consulting & Advisory Services Firm Chazey Partners

QX Global Group

Together QX Global Group and Chazey Partners will provide end-to-end Business Transformation, Digital Services & Intelligent Automation, and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) for Fortune 1000 companies and public sector organizations, including higher education, across the globe. QX Global Group, a Top 100 Business Process Outsourcing company, announced the acquisition of an 80% stake in Austin, Texas-based Chazey Partners, a world-class management consulting and advisory firm specializing in business and digital transformation. The Chazey Partners team brings decades of experience in implementing and operating world-class business support and shared services organizations around the globe, with expertise in Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Together, QX and Chazey Partners will work to deliver innovative solutions that cover transformative consulting, digital services, and business process outsourcing, customized to meet each client’s specific needs. “At QX, we have always focused on enabling transformation of our client’s businesses using our unique 3P approach of people, process, and platform, and we are thrilled that the addition of Chazey will allow us to help organizations solve their most significant barrier to growth – digital adoption and business transformation at scale, said Frank Robinson, Group CEO of QX Global Group. “Adding Chazey furthers our vision to provide integrated, end-to-end solutions to help our customers take advantage of the latest operating models and emerging technologies. I am also delighted to officially welcome Phil Searle onto QX Global Group’s Board as Chief Transformation Officer.” Chazey brings to the QX Global Group management consulting and advisory services with a global reach. Founded in 2006, Chazey Partners has demonstrated consistent and significant growth, with global representation in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ireland, Turkey, and India. Chazey’s consultants provide advice, support, and implementation expertise, covering strategy setting, business case production, program management, process optimization, technology enablement, training, and change management. “ Since founding the company, we have significantly expanded and evolved Chazey’s solutions to help numerous businesses and public sector organizations achieve operational excellence by transforming their business operations,’’ said Phil Searle, CEO and Founder of Chazey Partners. ‘’With QX, we have found a shared passion for empowering our clients to achieve world-class performance. By joining forces with QX, we will augment our near-shoring and offshoring capabilities by opening new Centers of Excellence (COEs) in India and Latin America. This is an exciting new chapter for Chazey Partners, our employees, and our customers.” The partnership of both trusted brands comes at a time when enterprises across the globe are adjusting to the post-pandemic world. In this environment, Chazey Partners is at the forefront of offering needed transformation solutions, helping enterprises optimize business operations and adopt the latest technologies for sustained growth. The QX-Chazey partnership will enable all clients to achieve a faster return on investment and add more value to their customers and employees. Barbara Hodge, Global Digital Editor at the Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON), said, “This marks an exciting and timely development in the shared services and outsourcing space. SSON has collaborated with Chazey Partners for many years, and I am pleased to see such a highly respected group in the field of business transformation push forwards in extending its services to provide enterprise customers with the more holistic solutions they need right now. Adding Chazey Partners’ transformation capabilities to QX Global Groups’ BPO services, drives an end-to-end solution that connects consulting, digital and business process outsourcing. This aligns perfectly with the move to integrated business services, digitalization – driven by intelligent automation – and data analytics, that we are seeing across the shared services landscape. It’s also consistent with service providers moving to a ‘one-stop-shop’ solution for business transformation and digital needs. I am delighted at this news and look forward to engaging with the new partnership.” For QX Global Group: Corbett Keeling, London, and J. Sloan & Co, Dallas, Texas, provided corporate finance and transaction advice for QX Global Group; BDO LLP provided Due Diligence support across all entity geographies; legal support was provided by Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. For Chazey Partners: Sett & Lucas acted as transaction advisor, and Jackson Walker LLP provided legal support. About QX Global Group QX Global Group is a leading provider of business process management services. With over 17 years of accounting and recruitment process outsourcing experience, we help our clients unlock business value by improving process efficiencies and automation in the accounting and recruitment functions to enable business transformation. We have offices in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and India. About Chazey Partners Chazey Partners is a practitioner-led, global management consulting and advisory services firm. We bring real-life, practical, hands-on experience, empowering clients to strive for world-class performance, through Business Transformation, Shared Services, and Intelligent Automation. We help businesses and public sector organizations achieve operational excellence in the provision of mission-critical business services, including Finance, Human Resources, IT, Procurement, Contact Centers, Marketing, and Facilities Management. For over sixteen years, Chazey Partners has helped clients implement successful service delivery solutions; in the US & Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, and Asia. Contact Details QX Global Group Vishal Kurani +44 20 8146 0808 vishal.kurani@qxglobalgroup.com Chazey Partners Leigh Knowles +1 855-692-6229 LeighKnowles@chazeypartners.com Company Website https://qxglobalgroup.com/

February 14, 2022 09:55 AM Eastern Standard Time

Six talented women climate scientists from developing countries awarded the 2022 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award

Elsevier

Six researchers have been awarded the 2022 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World for their contributions to research that is helping tackle climate change and advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including: SDG13 (Climate Action), SDG14 (Life Below Water) and SDG15 (Life on Land). The winners’ research explores a wide range of environmental impacts and their potential solutions: from turning waste into man-made soil; transforming plastic pollution into viable products for community trade; harnessing the power of microbes to improve carbon storage and soil quality; and using the right types of plants with roots to help prevent soil erosion and encourage soil ‘plasticity’. The prize also acknowledges the scientists’ commitment to leadership, mentoring and engagement within their communities, including the use of innovative technologies in their research. President, Jennifer Thomson, of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) said: “What our 2022 winners are doing is absolutely outstanding. Climate change is the most pressing challenge of our time, and these women are finding innovative and effective ways to address it in their local contexts. We hope this award is the first of many for them.” This year’s winners are: Myriam Mujawamariya of the University of Rwanda; in Biological Systems and Organisms. Abeer Ahmed Qaed Ahmed of Al-Saeed University, Yemen; in Biological Systems and Organisms. Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury of the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh; in Biological Systems and Organisms. Heyddy Calderon of the Instituto de Geología y Geofísica, Nicaragua; in Engineering Sciences Ashani Ssavinda Ranathunga of University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka; in Engineering Sciences. Flor de Mayo Gonzalez Miranda of San Carlos University, Guatemala; in Engineering Sciences. Those interested can meet the winners for the first time, as they appear virtually in the upcoming panel, “ Minority and Women in STEMM Awards,” at the upcoming AAAS Annual Meeting. First awarded in 2013, the award is given in partnership by the OWSD and Elsevier Foundation. OWSD chairs a panel of distinguished scientists to select the winners, and the Foundation awards a cash prize for each winner of USD $5,000, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to attend a prominent scientific gathering to provide them with vital networking opportunities. This year’s award ceremony will take place on March 24, both virtually and in-person as part of the International Conference on Gender Action and Climate Change in Istanbul, Turkey at Istanbul Aydin University (IAU) on March 24, 2022. Ylann Schemm, Director of the Elsevier Foundation said: “We have reshaped our award this year to respond to the key challenges of our time, such as climate change, and supporting the progress being made around the UN SDGs. We know that a quarter of all women are engaged in agriculture, which makes them more vulnerable to both climate change and resource scarcity. We want to reflect the critical role that women can play in successfully addressing climate shifts.” Past Award winners have been invited to meet their country’s presidents, and have been celebrated by local, national and international media, while other winners have gone on to receive other prestigious awards and fellowships including L'OREAL-UNESCO’s For Women in Science Fellowships and the British Council Award. Read more about this year’s OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award on Elsevier Connect. --- Notes for editors Reference sheets for each award winner, with a more extensive biography and description of their work, are available upon request, please contact the Elsevier Newsroom at newsroom@elsevier.com. For interview requests, journalists can contact Domiziana Francescon, Elsevier Foundation & External Partnerships Manager at d.francescon@elsevier.com. Short bios of the 2022 winners: Myriam Mujawamariya in Biological Systems and Organisms. For her research on the responses of native tree species in Rwanda to climate change. Her work will inform the most effective approach to reforestation and land restoration and identify the best tree species to facilitate soil stabilization, climate regulation, biodiversity, and bioenergy. ''Receiving this prestigious award is a great recognition and driving force to expand my research. This is also an inspiration for young girls in advancement of their career to ensure equity in Climate action and the Environment in the developing world,” said Dr. Mujawamariya Abeer Ahmed Qaed Ahmed in Biological Systems and Organisms. For her work on microbiology- and nanotechnology-based solutions to pressing problems such as carbon emissions, drug-resistant pathogens, and fossil fuel dependence. She has studied the use of microbes in agricultural land to increase carbon sequestration and improve soil quality, the use of microbes to convert biomass into pharmaceuticals, and the effects of environmental and nutritional conditions on microbial biological processes to inform treatment against multi-drug resistant microorganisms. “The OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award gave me encouragement and recognition during an important time on my journey as a scientist. This recognition will inspire me to keep going and inspire young people who are looking up to us to light their paths. This award gave me confidence and showed me that I am going in the right direction,” said Dr. Ahmed. Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury in Biological Systems and Organisms. For her work on conservation of aquatic ecosystems and threatened species in Bangladesh. In particular, she focuses on assessing the extent of and the risks from plastic pollution, which is closely linked to climate change. Dr. Chowdhury is leading an effort to educate women in poor and marginalized fishing communities about how discarded Nylon-6 fishing nets can be turned into value-added products such as carpets and clothing, creating an alternative income source for the communities while protecting the wetland habitats. “Winning this Award is like a promise to continue my research and teaching with new hope. This award gives me a scope to prove what women in science and conservation can achieve while working hard with sincere commitment. I believe this award will inspire my daughter, my students and everyone here in Bangladesh to showcase that with different limitations, scientific research can be done and achieved recognition worldwide,” said Dr. Chowdhury. Heyddy Calderon in Engineering Sciences. For her work to provide secure and sustainable water sources for vulnerable populations in Central America. Dr. Calderon works with local communities in dry regions to increase their capacity to cope with climate variability and climate change, as well as with decision makers and local stakeholders to help them plan and prepare for the future. “This award is an inspiration to me. I am joyful and honored by the recognition of my work; but also, I feel the responsibility to keep pushing boundaries for the women who come behind us,” said Dr. Calderon. Ashani Ssavinda Ranathunga in Engineering Sciences. For her work turning industrial and agricultural waste into anthropogenic (man-made) soil for soft ground improvement and mine rehabilitation. Her research findings enable the effective utilization of locally available waste and by-products for economical and ecofriendly construction and development projects. “This award recognizes my contribution to the field of geo-environmental engineering and encourages me to follow my passion and inspire young women in developing countries to take the initiative to work for the advancement of science, irrespective of their circumstances,” said Dr. Ranathunga. Flor de Mayo Gonzalez Miranda in Engineering Sciences. For her work engineering better landslide prevention for vulnerable areas in Guatemala. Dr. González Miranda is investigating how specific grasses in the vetiver can help to prevent landslides. Through soil tests, X-ray diffraction, and other techniques, she has shown how the plants' roots alter the chemical, physical and mechanical behavior of the soil, reducing the speed of soil infiltration as well as soil plasticity. “This award allows me to say that all living organisms are a system that must follow its natural evolution. It also gives me back my voice to tell politicians that corruption takes away human development and pushes the great masses to emigrate, expressing my urgency to legislate on measures to protect the environment: that these laws are not dead words,” said Dr. Gonzalez Miranda. To find out how the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award helps shape our understanding of the Global South, find out more about 2021’s winners below: Harnessing nanotechnology for cancer drug delivery and ecofriendly fertilizers How my teacher said I asked too many questions: From curious to award winning researcher Using mathematics to solve practical problems: It's elementary Seeking the secrets of the universe in the particle Ghanaian chemist is finding toxic substances in unusual places About OWSD The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) provides research training, career development and networking opportunities for women scientists throughout the developing world. Headed by eminent women scientists from the South, OWSD has more than 7,000 members and runs various programs, including a PhD fellowship programme with over 330 successful graduates from Least Developed Countries and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as an Early Career fellowship programme providing research grants of up to USD$50,000 in addition to leadership training. OWSD is the first international forum to unite women scientists from the developing world with the objective of strengthening their role in the development process and promoting their representation in scientific and technological leadership. OWSD is affiliated with The World Academy of Science (TWAS), a program unit of UNESCO, and is based in Trieste, Italy, with national chapters throughout the developing world. www.owsd.net About The Elsevier Foundation The Elsevier Foundation is a corporate not-for-profit 501(c)(3), funded by Elsevier, a global information analytics business specialized in science and health. Since 2006, the Elsevier Foundation provides over $1.5 million USD a year in grants to knowledge-centered institutions around the world, which address the UN Sustainable Development Goals through tech-enabled innovations in inclusive health and research. The Foundation offers a comprehensive matching gift and volunteering fund to enable employees to work with Foundation partners and support their communities. The Elsevier Foundation is part of Elsevier’s larger corporate responsibility program which centers on our unique contributions to sustainable development in gender, health, climate and reducing inequalities. elsevierfoundation.org About Elsevier As a global leader in information and analytics, Elsevier helps researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. We do this by facilitating insights and critical decision-making for customers across the global research and health ecosystems. In everything we publish, we uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity. We bring that same rigor to our information analytics solutions for researchers, health professionals, institutions and funders. Elsevier employs 8,100 people worldwide. We have supported the work of our research and health partners for more than 140 years. Growing from our roots in publishing, we offer knowledge and valuable analytics that help our users make breakthroughs and drive societal progress. Digital solutions such as ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath support strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and health education. Researchers and healthcare professionals rely on our 2,500+ digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell; our 40,000 eBook titles; and our iconic reference works, such as Gray's Anatomy. With the Elsevier Foundation and our external Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Board, we work in partnership with diverse stakeholders to advance inclusion and diversity in science, research and healthcare in developing countries and around the world. Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.elsevier.com Contact Details Erin Johnson OWSD Communications ejohnson@owsd.net Jonathan Davis j.davis.1@elsevier.com Elsevier Communications, Europe newsroom@elsevier.com Company Website https://www.elsevier.com/

February 11, 2022 09:05 AM Eastern Standard Time

Patient Safety Authority Announces Winners of 10th Annual I AM Patient Safety Awards

Patient Safety Authority

Healthcare professionals from across Pennsylvania and the nation have been honored as winners and runners-up of the 2022 I AM Patient Safety award. The contest recognizes advancements, outcomes, and commitment to patient safety. Since its inception in 2013, the I AM Patient Safety achievement awards have honored hundreds of programs and individuals who stepped up to positively impact patient safety. “Even amidst the pandemic, there are innumerable healthcare professionals who remain focused on speaking up, transforming the system, and making changes to improve patient outcomes,” said Patient Safety Authority executive director, Regina Hoffman. “This is an opportunity to applaud and honor those who care so deeply that they take positive action, no matter how difficult or challenging the circumstances.” The awards are judged by a cross-section of national and regional healthcare executives; patient safety advocates; and government, university, and patient representatives. The award criteria include innovation, impact, sustainability, and scalability. The 2022 award winners are: Executive Director’s Choice: HAI Focus Team at WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital developed and implemented a plan that reduced the number of central-line–associated blood stream infections to zero for nearly a year and decreased overall hospital-acquired infections by 28%. The intervention included unit level observations, daily assessments, blood culture order sets, clinician education and real-time coaching. Ambulatory Surgery/Care: Jesse Hixson, MSN, Greg Purnell, MD, and the AHN-Monroeville Ambulatory Surgery Center team identified a suture problem at their facility related to healing and infections. Expanding the investigation across the hospital network and finding similar concerns, AHN converted to a different product and resolved the problem. Runners-up: Bethel Park Surgery Center Team, Allegheny Health Network at Bethel Park Surgery Center; and Jamie Hallam and Front Office Staff at Spartan Health Surgicenter. Improving Diagnosis: Joyce Litwak, RN at Lehigh Valley Health Network discovered emergent symptoms in a patient who was admitted and treated for a hip fracture, leading to a new diagnosis of stroke, which required emergency, life-saving surgery. Runners-up: Dr. Jaber Monla-Hassan at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery; and Anila Gidwani, Rebecca Topping, and Bethany Dieffenderfer at WellSpan Dixon Foundation Health Center. Individual Impact: Kristin Keane, RN at Phoenixville Hospital creatively used FaceTime to teach a patient’s family member to provide care at home and recorded the video, which they used as a reference in emptying the patient’s surgical drains. Runners-up: Theresa Lasko, RN and Deborah Gruntz, RN, Welcome Center Senior Teammates at Advanced Surgical Hospital; and Adrienne Bellino-Ailinger, RN at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery - Einstein Endoscopy Center Blue Bell. Long-Term Care Facility: Desiree Schuler, LPN at Hometown Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is a true safety champion, consistently providing staff education, serving as a role model for peers and championing efforts to prevent all incidents and accidents, including a 25% reduction of resident falls in the facility in 2021, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Runners-up: Alicia Elvidge, NHA, Chief Executive Officer at South Mountain Restoration Center; and Kimberly Krall of Thornwald Home. Nationwide Warriors: Perioperative Surgery at Northwell Health piloted remote video auditing (RVA) with non-punitive, real-time feedback to promote surgical quality improvement and patient safety in the OR. The result: a dramatic increase in acceptance and compliance with time-out surgical safety procedures and improving surgery outcomes. Runners-up: The Second Victim Committee at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System; and Rinisha Thomas, RN & Tatiana Ziegler, RN at Delaware Valley Veterans Home. Physician Offices: Melissa Bauman, CRNP at Lehigh Valley Physician Group Family Medicine–Bath saved a 33-year-old patient’s life when she noted a heart murmur and insisted on follow-up diagnostics. This resulted in the diagnosis of a chronic type A dissection involving the aortic root, which required an emergency chest scan and surgery. Runners-up: Tammy Bowman, Office Coordinator, LVPG Hematology/Oncology Office at Lehigh Valley Physician Group; and the Outpatient Falls Prevention Team at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery. Safety story: Registered Nurses on 5 Cathcart/Schiedt (Medical-Surgical Unit) at Pennsylvania Hospital spoke up about a safety concern regarding dispensing of oral liquid methadone from the pharmacy to the unit, which resulted in a hospital-wide shift to storing the drug in unit-based dispensing machines. Runners-up: The PAR (Patient At Risk) Bundle Team at Pennsylvania Hospital; and the Monitor Technician Department at UPMC Community Osteopathic. Sepsis: St Luke’s Allentown’s Emergency Department Team, Dr. Christopher Stromski and Ryan Kloss consistently achieved high sepsis bundle compliance by engaging in process improvement, reviewing opportunities, and providing timely assessment and intervention in the sepsis patient population. Runners-up: WellSpan Health Sepsis Team at WellSpan Health and Dr. Jaber Monla-Hassan, Dr. Robert Czincila, Kim Mikula, Kim Vitelli, Olivia Johnson and Scott Urbinati at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery. Time-Outs: The Pre-Procedure Time-Out Taskforce at Pennsylvania Hospital was created in response to a troubling increase in safety events occurring prior to patients’ arrival in the OR. The team designed and implemented a process that ultimately reduced consent and wrong-site/wrong-patient safety events per day by over 87%. Runners-up: Radiology Department at Chester County Hospital; and The Allegheny Health Network Perioperative Education Team at Allegheny Health Network. Transparency and safety in healthcare: A multi-disciplinary team at UPMC Carlisle and Central Pennsylvania Hospitals developed an order set in response to an adverse event related to continuous urinary bladder irrigation. Implemented at all hospitals in the region, the order set, nursing education and information sharing showed how transparency and collaboration can result in system improvement for patient safety. Runners-up: Central Sterile Processing Department — UPMC Hamot; and Rosanna Catania-Venuto, MSN, RN — Chester County Hospital About the Patient Safety Authority The PSA is an independent state agency that 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/

February 10, 2022 03:35 PM Eastern Standard Time

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The Greeley Company Names Greg Kopulos as President

Greeley

The Greeley Company (Greeley), a division of The Chartis Group (Chartis) and a leader in clinical quality and patient safety services and solutions, is pleased to announce that Greg Kopulos has joined the firm as its new President. Kopulos will serve as a member of both Chartis’ and Greeley’s executive leadership teams. As President, Kopulos will be responsible for all of Greeley’s financial, operational and service areas including Patient Safety and Clinical Compliance, Medical Staff Services Optimization, Physician Education and Interim Staffing Solutions. He will also lead the company’s growth strategies and drive Greeley’s commitment to materially improve patient safety, quality and outcomes. “We are delighted to welcome Greg as Greeley’s new President,” said Ken Graboys, CEO of The Chartis Group. “Greeley has long been an essential resource for leading healthcare organizations who rely on the company’s expertise to meet their clinical quality and patient safety objectives. Greg’s proven leadership comes at an exciting time as Greeley continues to grow and serve US providers in their most mission-critical areas.” Kopulos joins Greeley from GE Healthcare (GEHC) where he most recently served as Senior Vice President of Strategy focused on leading GEHC’s global go-to-market transformation. He held multiple senior leadership roles within GEHC during his 19-year tenure, including Senior Vice President and COO – Global Services, and Chief Operating Officer – US & Canada Region. “I’m humbled and energized to join a company guided by its mission to serve” said Kopulos. “With the deep expertise of our practice leaders and a proven reputation in the market, Greeley is committed to the advancement of clinical quality and patient safety and will continue to make a material impact for the clients we serve.” Kopulos assumes the role as part of Greeley’s and Chartis’ growing investment in their Clinical Quality and Patient Safety offerings and capabilities. Andrew Resnick, MD, a nationally recognized leader in clinical quality and safety, recently joined Chartis as Chief Medical and Quality Officer. Dr. Resnick comes from Mass General Brigham where he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Quality and Safety Officer at Brigham Health. Christian Dankers, MD, recently joined Chartis as Associate Chief Medical and Quality Officer, following his role as an Associate Chief Quality Officer at Mass General Brigham. Sheri Winsper, RN, MSN, MHA recently joined Greeley as Vice President of External Peer Review/Clinical Quality & High Reliability, following her role as Senior Vice President, Quality Measurement at the National Quality Forum (NQF). Prior to his time at GEHC, Kopulos served as Vice President, Business Development for an equipment maintenance insurance firm and Vice President of Finance at a long-term care company. Greg obtained his CPA and started his career with Arthur Andersen providing consulting services to middle market clients. Kopulos earned a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He earned a Master’s in Business Administration with International Focus from Marquette University. About The Greeley Company The Greeley Company (Greeley), a division of The Chartis Group®, is a leader in patient safety and clinical quality consulting. Greeley has utilized its proven methodology to help organizations improve efficiency, comply with regulations and standards, achieve practitioner engagement and alignment, and excel in delivering high-quality, cost-effective patient care for more than 30 years. For more information, visit greeley.com. About The Chartis Group® The Chartis Group (Chartis) provides comprehensive advisory services and analytics to the healthcare industry. With an unparalleled depth of expertise in strategic planning, performance excellence, informatics and technology, digital and emerging technologies, and health analytics, Chartis helps leading academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks, children's hospitals and healthcare service organizations achieve transformative results. Chartis has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, Minneapolis and San Francisco. For more information, visit chartis.com. Contact Details Hot Paper Lantern Brooke Ferreri +1 212-931-6182 bferreri@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://greeley.com/

February 10, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

FreshEdge Launches New Website

FreshEdge

FreshEdge, a family of produce and specialty food companies, has launched a refreshed and expanded www.freshedgefoods.com. FreshEdge partnered with DMA Solutions (Dallas, Texas), a marketing agency dedicated to exclusively serving the fresh produce industry. The website creates opportunities for connecting with FreshEdge’s operating companies and engaging in what makes their family unique. FreshEdge now operates with 1,640 employees, approximately 700,250 square feet of warehouse space, with a fleet of more than 650 trucks, delivering fresh food to customers in 22 states. Through rapid growth and consistent execution, FreshEdge has quickly amassed a reputation for adding value throughout the fresh foods industry. “FreshEdge’s new website is a splash of freshness,” said Steve Grinstead, CEO of FreshEdge. “It also symbolizes who we are – a growing family of customer-obsessed fresh food companies who care.” Greg Corsaro, President and COO of FreshEdge, added, “The revamped website reflects FreshEdge’s value proposition of providing dependable, customized solutions with cutting-edge technology for consistent, reliable delivery of fresh food with a sense of family and trust.” “We’re excited about the unique space this new website delivers for connecting FreshEdge, its family, and our industry partners,” said Daniel Corsaro, President of Indianapolis Fruit (FreshEdge retail operating company) and participant in the development of the new site. About FreshEdge FreshEdge was formed in 2019 through the combination of Get Fresh Produce (Bartlett, IL, founded in 1982) and the IF&P Foods family of companies, primarily composed of Indianapolis Fruit (founded 1947) and Piazza Produce (founded 1970). McCartney Produce (Paris, TN) joined the FreshEdge family in November 2020 followed by Valley Produce (Knoxville, TN) in June 2021, Vine Line (Grand Rapids, MI) in October 2021, and Monteverde’s (Pittsburgh, PA) in November 2021. Collectively, these leading fresh food distribution companies have several hundred years’ combined experience serving the grocery and food service industries. In addition, FreshEdge includes two Garden Cut branded fresh-cut processing facilities, a tomato re-packer, a USDA fresh kitchen (CIBUS Fresh), and two transportation companies. Today, FreshEdge is a category leader in providing both the foodservice and retail industries with fruit, vegetables, fresh grab-n-go offerings, dairy, floral and specialty products. For more, visit www.freshedgefoods.com. Contact Details FreshEdge Greg Corsaro +1 317-981-3440 gcorsaro@freshedgefoods.com Company Website https://www.freshedgefoods.com/

February 10, 2022 07:43 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Regenerative Medicine Company Vascudyne Relocates to High Capacity GMP Manufacturing Facility

Vascudyne, Inc.

Vascudyne, Inc., a biotechnology trailblazer in regenerative medicine, announced today that it has relocated to 15,000 sq. ft. of recently remodeled manufacturing, warehouse, laboratory, and office space. This new facility is needed to meet increased demand for research and development and manufacturing of Vascudyne’s TRUE™ Tissue technology that is unique and 100% natural. Nothing synthetic or artificial is ever used in the manufacturing process, in contrast to other regenerative medicine cardiovascular devices with synthetic polymer-based scaffolds that slowly degrade in the body and may lead to adverse immune response. Vascudyne announced in July the successful first human use of its TRUE™ Graft for hemodialysis access in end-stage renal disease patients. “The addition of a dedicated 5,000 sq. ft. ISO 7 Cleanroom manufacturing facility is paramount for the successful continuation of our TRUE Graft clinical studies,” said Cory Pries, Director of Quality at Vascudyne. “The expandable manufacturing capacity we have added is designed to support our current pilot clinical studies all the way to initial commercialization.” "We are dedicating 2,500 sq. ft. of the ISO 7 Cleanroom space to our new product development pipeline for coronary artery bypass graft, heart valves, and surgical patches," added Dr. Zeeshan Syedain, Vascudyne’s Chief Scientific Officer. “While we are initially focusing on cardiovascular applications for our TRUE Tissue technology, we can readily manufacture products and delivery systems for a range of medical devices, implantation sites, and geometries. We are excited to develop implantable biomaterials that are ready to use, off-the-shelf, and regenerative.” Vascudyne announced in December the closing of its Series A financing round for $10M that has fueled its growth and enabled the company’s relocation to the new facility. “Our investors’ continued support and promising early results from TRUE Graft’s first in man pilot study have propelled our growth,” said Rick Murphy, Vascudyne’s Chief Operating Officer. “We are establishing a strong presence in the epicenter of the Medical Alley, the Silicon Valley of Healthcare, and are creating excellent employment opportunities for talented people in the area. The move to this new facility positions us well to meet growing global demand for our products.” Vascudyne licensed its proprietary TRUE Tissue technology developed by world renowned tissue engineering leader Robert Tranquillo, PhD, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, and his colleagues from the University of Minnesota in 2017. TRUE Graft is not available for commercial sale. About Vascudyne Headquartered in the heart of Medical Alley in Minnesota, Vascudyne is on a mission to improve patient care with regenerative biomaterials that are inspired by nature. Vascudyne, a privately held company founded in 2014, uses the TRUE™ Tissue technology to develop TRUE to Nature™ biomaterials for soft tissue repair and replacement. For more information, please visit https://www.vascudyne.com/. About TRUE Tissue Technology TRUE™ Tissue is developed from cells isolated from donor tissue and is 100% biological. There are no synthetic materials or chemical fixation used, and implanted tissues are completely cell-derived and acellular. The TRUE Tissue technology can be readily shaped into tubes, sheets, and other geometries making it suitable for many soft tissue applications, is mechanically comparable to native tissues, and is a ready to use, off-the-shelf allograft. Forward Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements. Such statements may include, without limitation, statements identified by words such as "projects," "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "potential" or similar expressions. These statements relate to future events or Vascudyne’s clinical development programs, reflect management’s current beliefs and expectations and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Vascudyne’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different. Vascudyne undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future presentations or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Contact Details Sandy Williams, Marketing Director swilliams@vascudyne.com Company Website https://vascudyne.com/

February 09, 2022 09:23 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Shatterproof Receives $5 Million Gift from MacKenzie Scott

Shatterproof

Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States, today announced that it is a recipient of a $5 million grant from MacKenzie Scott, American philanthropist, to expand its work on addressing substance use disorder. The gift will be used to scale Shatterproof’s work using science-based solutions to make change by revolutionizing the addiction treatment system, breaking down addiction-related stigmas, educating and empowering our communities and addressing policy change at the federal and state level. Between April 2020 and May 2021, the CDC reported that United States experienced more than 100,000 overdose deaths which is a 30 percent increase from previous years. According to a study by SAMSHA on substance use and health, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the nation’s well-being and alcohol and drug use is impacting nearly 40 million Americans. “Our country is suffering, and it is critical that Shatterproof scale the implementation of its science-based strategies and get our tools and resources into the hands of as many of our loved-ones in need as possible,” shared Gary Mendell, Shatterproof Founder & CEO. “Thanks to the generosity of MacKenzie Scott, we will be able to continue to further grow our life-saving work. While we are proud of our results to date, there is so much more work to do to meet the needs of the millions of families impacted by this disease.” We are so grateful that she has recognized the importance of addressing this urgent need in our country and investing in Shatterproof.” In 2020, Shatterproof launched www.TreatmentATLAS.org, an Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment and Standards (ATLAS®) platform, which aims to empower the public to find high-quality treatment services and ultimately drive the delivery of quality addiction treatment nationally. ATLAS is currently available in six states (DE, LA, MA, NY, NC, WV) and will expand to five more states this year (CA, FL, OK, NJ, PA). Shatterproof also launched the Movement to End Addiction Stigma, an evidence-based national strategy to address widespread stigma toward those with substance use disorder. Additionally, Shatterproof, in collaboration with The Hartford, released the Shatterproof Addiction Stigma Index a first-of-its-kind measurement tool, was designed to assess attitudes about substance use and people who use substances. Educational materials and helpful assessments and resources are available at www.Shatterprooff.org for individuals and families in need of help and support. 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 Shatterproof Vanessa Shimer +1 203-954-8053 vshimer@shatterproof.org Company Website https://www.shatterproof.org/

February 08, 2022 03:02 PM Eastern Standard Time