Tag Archives: Hospitals and Nursing

How Intermountain Healthcare Is Making Care More Affordable

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- Making healthcare more affordable for the people it serves is a top priority for Intermountain Healthcare. That's what Intermountain CEO Marc Harrison, MD, said at meetings held this summer with managers from across the Salt Lake City-based health system.

Harrison told managers that Intermountain is well-positioned to lead the nation in providing the best care at an affordable cost, and, with the help of each caregiver, it's a goal that can be achieved.

"We have a crisis in American healthcare right now," Dr. Harrison said. "Healthcare is unaffordable. The existing healthcare system is oriented toward driving volume. As an industry we do too many things to too many people that they really don't need, which hurts them economically, and sometimes physically. But Intermountain has a great history of innovation and together we can drive change."

Dr. Harrison shared some alarming national statistics about the cost of healthcare:
* One in four people will forego medical care this year because it's too expensive.
* One in three Americans ration their prescription drugs because they can't afford them.
* About half of Americans worry an unexpected healthcare expense will bankrupt them.
* Healthcare expenses are the number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States.

Dr. Harrison says the statistics are better in Utah and Intermountain's charity care program is helping those who can't afford care, but he says more needs to be done. Last year, Intermountain provided more than $246 million in charity care to patients in need of financial assistance.

"We're doing a great job with the cost of healthcare and Intermountain is as competitive and cost-effective as any large system in the United States," he said. "But we have a long way to go and we're going to drive this forward together. How are we going to get there? By keeping people well, by providing the most accessible and affordable care, and by creating a sustainable model."

Examples of innovative solutions at Intermountain that are reducing costs and improving care, which Dr. Harrison shared with managers:

* Civica Rx, the not-for-profit generic drug company banded together by Intermountain and other healthcare systems and philanthropists to fight the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs by providing low-cost generic drugs to participating hospitals.
* Reimagined Primary Care, the team-based care model that focuses on preventive care to keep patients well. The model already has about 25,000 patient members enrolled and has seen impressive results, such as a 60 percent decrease in hospital admissions, 35 percent decrease in emergency department admissions, and a 20 percent decrease in per member per month costs.
* Addressing social determinants of health such as stable housing, food, transportation, and employment.
* Reducing opioid misuse. Intermountain has reduced the number of opioid tablets prescribed for acute care by more than 30 percent in the last year and is working hard to make further reductions.
* Integrating mental health care into clinics as part of each patient's primary care experience.
* Finding and implementing caregiver ideas. Intermountain caregivers implemented nearly 49,000 continuous improvement ideas in 2018 - more than 130 ideas each day. Many of these ideas both improved quality and reduced expenses.

"We didn't do these things for our self-aggrandizement," Dr. Harrison said. "We did them for our neighbors. And we're in just the right position to continue to be an innovator."

Dr. Harrison added that although helping people stay well and out of the hospital is a key part of Intermountain's strategy moving forward, that doesn't mean we won't continue to provide the best possible hospital care when our patients need it.

"We'll still focus on helping people when they're in a car accident, have a heart attack, or get cancer," he added. "But we have the opportunity to do that in conjunction with a 'keep people well' system. We're still going to have great trauma programs, great heart surgery programs, great cancer care programs, and great neuro ICUs, but won't it be terrific if we can actually keep people out of some of those places? And have them stay as close to home as possible in the least restrictive environment?"

Dr. Harrison emphasized that Intermountain is making changes from a position of strength.

"Intermountain, in a really tough environment, is really doing well. Our quality and safety have never been better. Our patient experience is on the rise. At a time when a lot of other health systems are struggling economically, we're strong. But we need to continually innovate and change to remain a model healthcare system. If not us, who? If not now, when?"

Other things Intermountain and SelectHealth (Intermountain's insurance arm) are doing to reduce costs and return money to its patients and members:

• Lower annual rate increases. Intermountain reduced annual price increases in 2019 by $15 million.
• Lower-cost care settings. Intermountain is reducing unnecessary ER visits by increasing access to appropriate care in lower-cost settings such as InstaCares (urgent care clinics), physician offices, and Connect Care virtual visits.
• Lower individual premiums. SelectHealth reduced individual plan premiums by an average of 2.7 percent in 2019.
• Affordable SelectHealth Share premiums. Intermountain guarantees a premium rate increase for new clients of SelectHealth Share of only 2.5 percent in years two and three of their three-year contract. For current clients, the guaranteed premium rate increase is only 2 percent for all three years. This compares to an industry-wide premium increase of more than 5 percent.
• Stork Savers. Intermountain's Stork Savers program offers a lower-cost cash price to patients without health insurance for mom and baby care associated with uncomplicated births.
• Supply initiatives. Intermountain has a set ratio between what it pays and what it charges patients for supplies and drugs. When Intermountain reduces its costs, it can directly lower charges to patients for those items. Intermountain negotiated better prices on supplies in 2018 that resulted in more than $32 million in cost savings.
• Financial assistance. Intermountain expanded its financial assistance program to cover needed health services for families with income levels up to 200 percent of the national poverty level. The 2019 national poverty level for a family of four is $25,750.

About Intermountain Healthcare:
Intermountain Healthcare is a not-for-profit system of 24 hospitals, 215 clinics, a Medical Group with 2,500 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians, a health insurance company called SelectHealth, and other health services in Idaho, Utah, and Nevada. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes and sustainable costs.

For more information, visit: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/

Making healthcare more affordable for the people it serves is a top priority for Intermountain Healthcare. That's what Intermountain CEO Marc Harrison, MD, said at meetings held this summer with managers from across the Salt Lake City-based health system.

Related link: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/

The Everest Foundation Supports Puerto Rico’s Teaching Hospitals Post-Hurricane Maria

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- It's been nearly two years since the deadly impact of Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 storm that devastated Puerto Rico, Dominica and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A vital part of the region's infrastructure, medical facilities, were among the hardest hit. The Everest Foundation was one of the only non-profit, private foundations focused on helping Puerto Rico's main University Teaching Hospital get back on its feet.

"There was a time right after Maria hit when weeks would pass and we couldn't get a hold of anyone at the hospital to even offer assistance," Greg Heffernan, Professor and Vice President of Foundation Relations at Everest Foundation, says. "Their communication infrastructure was decimated - cell phones and all."

Earlier that year, prior to Hurricane Maria, The Everest Foundation had sent an envoy to determine if the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine was a fit for its Everest Scholars and funding parameters.

"We had just come to an agreement with this institution, but Mother Nature hit," Heffernan says.

Soon after the one-two punch of Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma, medical students and graduates were fleeing the island and making their way to the mainland. The Everest Foundation quickly learned that medical school leadership was in dire need of volunteers to help take care of the population. It offered support - both professionally and financially. The Everest Foundation prepared its Everest Scholars to help the university-affiliated, Puerto Rico Children's Hospital, with material and practical support which were within the foundation's mission parameters and sphere of influence.

While the Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations worked hard to help, they could only do so much. Puerto Rico teaching hospitals needed doctors that were committed to staying and helping. The staff at hospitals throughout the U.S. Territory were overworked, living in tough conditions with little or no electricity, and getting by with the basics while the infrastructure was rebuilt.

Dr. Sanah Ruhullah, one of The Everest Foundation Scholars who was sent, went on to accept a medical residency in Pediatrics where she has been part of helping the vulnerable population of Puerto Rico's children.

"It takes a special type of young doctor to leave the luxuries of home to help those in need," Heffernan says.

While choosing who to send, The Everest Foundation also had to take into consideration the need for bi-lingual doctors as Spanish is the region's primary language. There was only a very specific demographic that could go to assist. Dr. Ruhallah was one of the first Everest Foundation Scholars who volunteered her time and then was invited to interview for a residency spot.

Things are slowly getting back to normal in Puerto Rico, however, the doctor shortage is getting many times worse. Many young medical students, after graduating medical school, can't resist the temptation to find a medical residency in the lower 48. As a result, Puerto Rico needs individuals who want to train in Puerto Rico, and residents who, after training, will stay and build their practices and help the local economy and patient base.

The Everest Foundation continues to help Puerto Rico rebuild its Graduate Medical Education infrastructure, its teaching hospitals and is dedicated to doing so for many hurricane seasons to come.

About The Everest Foundation:

The Everest Foundation supports medical schools and teaching hospitals, globally, by funding their initiatives and providing recipients and partners with Everest Foundation Scholars. The foundation's goal is to create tomorrow's doctors with an emphasis on academic medicine. More information: https://www.theeverestfoundation.org/

It's been nearly two years since the deadly impact of Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 storm that devastated Puerto Rico, Dominica and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A vital part of the region's infrastructure, medical facilities, were among the hardest hit. The Everest Foundation was one of the only non-profit, private foundations focused on helping Puerto Rico's main University Teaching Hospital get back on its feet.

Related link: https://theeverestfoundation.org/

New Stanford Hospital First to Install OSP Seismic Rated Diesel Particulate Filters

FRANKLIN, Mass. /ScoopCloud/ -- RYPOS, Inc., developer and manufacturer of advanced, exhaust filtration systems that reduce harmful emissions from diesel engines, and Stanford Medicine, a leader in pioneering research, creative teaching protocols and effective clinical therapies, are pleased to announce the first installation and approval of an OSP special seismic certification pre-approved diesel particulate filter for the new emergency power station at New Stanford Hospital medical center.

The filter systems, which are verified to the Level 3+ reduction standard by the California Air Resources Board, are now operational providing the hospital environment with clean, reliable and seismic tolerant emission control.

The Rypos Active DPF is a filter that traps and burns soot reducing particulate matter emissions by more than 85 percent. Unlike other particulate filter technologies, the Rypos system is self-monitoring and completely autonomous ensuring that the filter is continuously clean and able to accept the full exhaust load of the emergency generator at any time. At the request of Stanford Medicine and other critical medical facility operators, Rypos pursued and obtained the OSP special seismic certification in an effort to streamline the approval and installation process for these mission critical systems.

"People often forget that the diesel particulate filter is capable of degrading or preventing the supply of emergency back-up power should it malfunction in a seismic event. By testing the Rypos DPF to the highest seismic levels, we are able to provide New Stanford Hospital and our other hospital customers with peace of mind that their filters will remain fully operational in the event of an emergency," said Peter Bransfield, RYPOS' CEO.

Bert Hurlbut, Vice President of New Stanford Hospital, commented; "We are pleased to be the first to put the Rypos seismically certified filter into service. Stanford Health Care's commitment to sustainability and our common interest with Rypos in advancing clean air technology have resulted in a product that is ideally suited to our needs."

About RYPOS:

RYPOS - https://www.rypos.com/ - is a privately held Company with operations in Franklin, Mass. They have designed and developed a number of leading-edge diesel exhaust filtration products for small and large engines that utilize their patented electrical regeneration strategy and technology.

About Stanford Health Care:

Stanford Heath Care seeks to provide patients with the very best in diagnosis and treatment, with outstanding quality, compassion and coordination. With an unmatched track record of scientific discovery, technological innovation and translational medicine, Stanford Medicine physicians are pioneering leading edge therapies today that will change the way health care is delivered tomorrow.

Rypos Contact: Trish Jacobs, 508-429-4552 or email tjacobs@rypos.com. RYPOS, Inc. ( https://www.rypos.com/ ), 40 Kenwood Circle, Franklin, MA 02038.

Stanford Health Care Contact: Bert Hurlbut, 650-380-6858 or email bhurlbut@stanfordhealthcare.org

RYPOS, Inc., developer and manufacturer of advanced, exhaust filtration systems that reduce harmful emissions from diesel engines, and Stanford Medicine, a leader in pioneering research, creative teaching protocols and effective clinical therapies, are pleased to announce the first installation and approval of an OSP special seismic certification pre-approved diesel particulate filter for the new emergency power station at New Stanford Hospital medical center.

Related link: https://www.rypos.com/

A Day of Self Discovery and Soulful Inquiry for Care Providers

GREENSBORO, N.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- Creative Aging Network-NC is excited to announce its 2019 Creative Aging Symposium: Building Creative Communities Across Generations coming up April 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bell Campus in Greensboro, the event will be repeated on May 1 during the same hours at the Harris Conference Center in Charlotte.

With National Nursing Care Week just around the corner, many aging service leaders are seeking ways to recognize the significant contributions of their staff and express their appreciation. What better way to treat caregivers and activities staff than by giving them a day full of meaningful engagement to reconnect with their inner spirit and experience the joy of unfettered self-expression at the Symposium.

Sponsored by Southminster and funded in part by the North Carolina Arts Council, the Symposium, the event will provide valuable information about establishing, implementing and sustaining intergenerational programming in aging service communities.

Legendary Russian painter and art theorist Wassily Kandinsky (December 16, 1866-December 13, 1944) published Concerning the Spiritual in Art back in 1910. Writing about creative expression as an "internal necessity" that impels artists to create as a spiritual impulse and audiences to admire art as a spiritual hunger, Kandinksy noted, "That is beautiful which is produced by the inner need, which springs from the soul." The experiential sessions at the Symposium will help care providers discover, or rediscover their innate creativity and learn ways to incorporate it in their daily work.

The theme for the 2019 National Nursing Care Week is "Live Soulfully." In line with this theme, the Creative Aging Symposium will provide interactive sessions for healthcare staff to engage with their peers in more meaningful and authentic ways. They will learn how these creative sessions can be replicated in their own communities to build stronger care teams and improve the overall well-being of the older adults they serve. They will also learn how creative self-expression builds confidence, increases social connection and strengthens communities in powerful ways.

Registration is just $35! For more information or to register visit http://www.can-nc.org/creative-aging-symposium/.

You may also contact Lia Miller at lia@can-nc.org or 336-253-0856 (email preferred).

About Creative Aging Network-NC (CAN-NC):

A North Carolina nonprofit, CAN-NC works to enhance the well-being of older people through creative arts programming, education, and training. They offer programming in visual, performing and literary arts, and provide services for artists and healthcare professionals including on-site training, personalized consultations, educational workshops, and interactive presentations. Learn more at: http://can-nc.org/.

Twitter: @CreativeAgingNC #CreativeAgingSymposium #CareProviders

Creative Aging Network-NC is excited to announce its 2019 Creative Aging Symposium: Building Creative Communities Across Generations coming up April 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bell Campus in Greensboro, the event will be repeated on May 1 during the same hours at the Harris Conference Center in Charlotte.

Related link: http://can-nc.org/

Integrity Home Care + Hospice Today Opens Doors of Fort Scott Location

FORT SCOTT, Kan. /ScoopCloud/ -- Integrity Home Care + Hospice today announces the opening of its Fort Scott location, offering quality post-acute care and hospice throughout the region. The home health and hospice provider is at 902 South Horton Street, where it will provide acute rehabilitation and hospice services.

"Families with a loved one facing a serious, life-limiting illness or extensive rehabilitation will want and need to know that quality services are available," says Amy Ford, vice president of operations for certified services at Integrity.

Integrity Home Care + Hospice is a faith-based, privately held leader in quality, post-acute health care. Committed to quality patient and family experiences wherever people call home, the healthcare provider offers a comprehensive range of compassionate, client-centered home care, hospice, and home health rehabilitation services in Missouri and Kansas.

"People in this community can feel secure knowing they have a provider who is committed to meeting their home health and hospice needs," says Ford.

Integrity's partners in Bourbon and Crawford counties and surrounding areas include forward-thinking regional providers which meet the needs of patients who wish to remain in their home during times of serious, life altering illness or at end of life.

Due to an aging population the knowledge that family members can get the post-acute care they need is now critically important to the region.

"Our goal is to keep patients safe. By providing quality care, we can keep them out of the hospital so they can remain wherever they call home," she says.

Individuals who have exhausted acute treatment options may struggle with their care plan after being told there's nothing else doctors can do. When that time comes, Integrity's team works closely with patients and families to develop a plan of care which helps them to meet their goals.

"When it's time to ask for help, they can receive it right here at home," Ford says.

Working side by side with caregivers, Integrity addresses challenges in managing chronic and serious illness, facing problems head-on, and customizing solutions for issues faced by each patient in the community they serve.

"Working together, we ensure each person maintains the quality of life they want and deserve," she says.

Integrity Home Care + Hospice is located at 902 South Horton Street. For more information on hospice, call (620) 223-1191, or to explore home health options, call (620) 223-1195.

About Integrity Home Care and Hospice:

Integrity Home Care and Hospice - https://www.integrityhc.com/ - is a faith-based, privately held leader in quality, post-acute health care in Missouri and Kansas. Integrity offers a comprehensive range of compassionate, client-centered home care, hospice, and home health rehabilitation services. We partner with forward-thinking regional providers to ensure the future of health care resides at home.

Integrity Home Care + Hospice today announces the opening of its Fort Scott location, offering quality post-acute care and hospice throughout the region. The home health and hospice provider is at 902 South Horton Street, where it will provide acute rehabilitation and hospice services.

Related link: https://www.integrityhc.com/

The C Diff Foundation Has Declared an Urgent Need to Raise Clostridium difficile Infection Clinical Trial Awareness Worldwide

TAMPA, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- The C Diff Foundation announced today that their organization has implemented a global campaign to raise awareness of Clostridioides difficile clinical trials, clinical studies, clinical research and observational studies evaluating interventions for C. difficile prevention, treatments, and environmental safety.

Clostridioides difficile is also known as C.difficile, C.diff, CDI (Clostridioides difficile infection), CDAD (Clostridioides difficile-associated disease) and formally called Clostridium difficile.

In the USA: Nearly half a million Americans suffer from Clostridioides difficile (C. diff.) infections in a single year according to a study released in 2015 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Approximately 29,000 patients died within 30 days of the initial diagnosis of C. difficile. About 15,000 deaths were estimated to be directly attributable to C. difficile infections making it a very important cause of infectious disease death in the United States.

"The broad range of new therapies for Clostridium difficile (C.difficile) is being intensely studied in several essential global clinical trials. This continued research underpins the current clinical needs with both preventing and treating C.difficile," stated Glenn S. Tillitson, Ph.D., FRSM, FCCP.

Individuals volunteer to participate in clinical trials in hopes of improving their own health, to access treatments that might not be available otherwise, often because they are new and not yet widely available. They help others by contributing to advances in medicine. There can also be potential risks participating in clinical trials and clinical studies. All of the known risks associated with a particular trial and or study will be discussed during the informed consent process. It will be thoroughly explained in the informed consent document that a volunteer will receive from the research staff prior to participating in any study.

To learn more about clinical research (e.g., Clostridioides difficile formally Clostridium difficile, also known as C.diff. C.difficile. CDI, CDAD) visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/ or telephone 1-800-835-4709, and visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/.

"Clinical trials are vital to improving our knowledge about how best to prevent and treat C. difficile infections. Informing patients of clinical trials is important, and in recent years several clinical trials have led to significant improvements in the treatments available for patients with C. difficile infections. Clinical trials are a vital way of making progress in our search for new therapies to prevent and treat a CDI," stated Mark Wilcox, MD, FRCPath, Consultant Microbiologist, Head of Microbiology and Academic Lead of Pathology Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Professor of Medical Microbiology University of Leeds Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Lead on Clostridium difficile for Public Health England, UK.

About the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring that foods are safe, wholesome, sanitary and properly labeled; ensuring that human and veterinary drug, and vaccines and other biological products and medical devices intended for human use are safe and effective. FDA's responsibilities extend to the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and other U.S. territories and possessions.

About ClinicalTrials.gov:

ClinicalTrials.gov is a Web-based resource that provides patients, their family members, health care professionals, researchers, and the public with easy access to information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies on a wide range of diseases and conditions.

About the C Diff Foundation:

The C Diff Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, founded in 2012 with a global mission of providing education for C.difficile infection prevention, treatments, environmental safety and support through research being conducted by the government, industry, and academia and provide better advocacy on behalf of patients, healthcare professionals, and researchers worldwide.

For information please visit http://www.cdifffoundation.org/.

The C Diff Foundation announced today that their organization has implemented a global campaign to raise awareness of Clostridioides difficile clinical trials, clinical studies, clinical research and observational studies evaluating interventions for C. difficile prevention, treatments, and environmental safety.

Related link: https://cdifffoundation.org/

Canada’s Medical Residency Crisis

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Canadians are finding it difficult to land medical residencies in Canada and that's leaving their career in limbo. But there are solutions and working with Residents Medical, an education, preparatory, consulting, and placement organization, is an effective one.

In order to practice medicine in Canada, a medical school graduate must complete nationalized board tests and hands-on post graduate training in a Canadian accredited university-affiliated teaching hospital - a medical residency. The problem is that there are fewer than a dozen accredited university-based teaching hospitals from which to choose. Unlike in the U.S. where any hospital can apply for medical residency training accreditation through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), training in Canada is much more limited.

As a result, more and more Canadian medical school graduates are applying for residencies in the U.S. where there are more than 500 hospitals and thousands of specialty positions within those hospitals that offer graduate medical education training.

However, this influx is only adding to a residency bottleneck problem that already exists in the U.S.; there are many more applicants than there are accredited residency slots. And even though there are two integrated application services that help applicants apply for residencies - the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CRMS) and the National Residency Match Program (NRMP), the reality remains that there are still too many applicants for residency programs in both countries.

The unsung and marginalized victims of this cross-border residency training bottleneck are specifically Canadian International Medical Graduates (IMGs). These are Canadian citizens who go abroad to study and then return to Canada to find a residency and eventually start practicing medicine. It's more difficult for them than a Canadian Medical School graduate due to a host of issues such as visa problems, lack of USMLE preparation courses, sub-par M3 medical school rotations, no U.S. clinical or research experience or letters of recommendation.

So, what happens to this group of Canadian citizens who have gone abroad, graduated and not been matched into a medical residency in Canada or the U.S.? There are ways for a Canadian IMG to stand-out and increase their chances.

Residents Medical helps solve visa issues, integrates IMGs in relevant and paid research tenure, preps them for the USMLE's Board examinations so they can get better scores, provides hands-on insured externships, helps IMG's obtain letters of recommendation (based on performance) from respected individuals in their specialty, along with other nuanced preparatory and educational strategies.

For years, Residents Medical has helped Canadian medical school graduates and IMGs to find solutions so they can enter into a top residency training program in the U.S.

Residents Medical has a holistic and well-rounded protocol. They provide much-needed innovation to address the national doctor shortage. Organizations such as Residents Medical are showing compassion when coming up with real solutions for the medical residency crisis. Residents Medical is doing this by giving MD holders an opportunity to advance their careers.

About Residents Medical:

Residents Medical is an innovative educational organization with its sphere of influence in medical education. Residents Medical prepares, educates through its proprietary courses, counsels, consults, and has placement services for its candidates. Residents Medical's Residency Placement Program is highly sought after and highly competitive. Only qualified candidates are accepted. RM works with The Everest Foundation, nominating a selected few of its candidates for an Everest Foundation Scholars tenure in research, post graduate unaccredited training, and other medical residency candidacy CV building procurements.

This proprietary process helps the candidate prove themselves to the residency programs where they are given interviews for a coveted ACGME accredited residency position.

Visit: https://residentsmedical.com/ or call 310-444-9700.

Canadians are finding it difficult to land medical residencies in Canada and that's leaving their career in limbo. But there are solutions and working with Residents Medical, an education, preparatory, consulting, and placement organization, is an effective one.

Related link: https://residentsmedical.com/

NY Law Firm Levy Konigsberg LLP Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Rockefeller University Hospital Related to Decades of Alleged Sexual Abuse

NEW YORK, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- New York-based law firm Levy Konigsberg LLP has filed a class action lawsuit against Rockefeller University Hospital based on allegations related to the Hospital's handling of sexual abuse claims made against Dr. Reginald Archibald, a faculty member who served on the University's faculty between the 1940s and 1980s.

According to the complaint filed February 13, 2019, Archibald was a pediatric endocrinologist at the hospital and saw more than 9,000 patients over the course of his career.

The lawsuit alleges that Archibald likely molested thousands of patients in hospital examination rooms and his office and also made pornographic photos of his victims, which were kept on Rockefeller property. Furthermore, the complaint alleges that staff members were aware of both Archibald's conduct and the existence of the photographs and did not disclose either.

LK lawyers representing the plaintiffs allege that complaints regarding Archibald go back to at least the 1990s, and Rockefeller University admits that it has been aware of the abuse since 2004 at the latest.

The complaint further claims that the University waited until 2018 to contact former patients and that the shock of receiving an unsolicited communication from the facility that facilitated Archibald's abuse caused severe emotional distress and invaded patients' privacy.

The lawsuit is seeking compensatory, punitive, and exemplary damages for past and future pain and suffering and past and future emotional distress and mental anguish, costs of future counseling, therapy, and medical treatment related to the injuries inflicted by the defendant, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, attorneys' fees, and various other forms of relief.

About Levy Konigsberg LLP:

Levy Konigsberg LLP is a New York-based law firm that represents plaintiffs throughout the United States in a variety of matters, including lead poisoning litigation, sex abuse cases, mesothelioma litigation, and actions against pharmaceutical companies. Prospective clients can schedule a free case evaluation by calling the nationwide toll-free line at 1-800-988-8005.

Information: https://www.levylaw.com/rockefeller-university-hospital-reginald-archibald-sexual-abuse-lawsuit/

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Media Contact:
Corey Stern
Levy Konigsberg LLP
800 Third Avenue, 11th Floor
New York, New York 10022
Telephone: 212-605-6298

New York-based law firm Levy Konigsberg LLP has filed a class action lawsuit against Rockefeller University Hospital based on allegations related to the Hospital's handling of sexual abuse claims made against Dr. Reginald Archibald, a faculty member who served on the University's faculty between the 1940s and 1980s.

Related link: https://www.levylaw.com/

CARR Welcomes New Board Member, Ms. Susan Valoff

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform (CARR) is pleased to welcome Ms. Susan Valoff as its newest member of the Board of Directors. Ms. Valoff was installed in this role at the organization's last board meeting on 14 November 2018.

Ms. Valoff is an owner and Vice President of Windward Life Care (formerly Elder Care Guides), with over 20 years' experience working in clinical settings serving older and disabled adults. She is a graduate of Brown University and earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Chicago. Her extensive background working as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), and as a certified Aging Life Care Manager make her particularly well-suited to participate in the governance of the organization.

She sits on San Diego County's Aging & Independence Services Advisory Council and is a member of several national organizations. Her broad set of skills and knowledge of the elder care industry will add depth and insight to CARR's advocacy issues and serve to make the board's collective experience more diverse, better positioning CARR to serve an increasingly heterogeneous aging population.

Ms. Valoff replaces the vacancy left by the resignation of former board member Judith Wenker, Esq; we extend our sincere appreciation to Judy for her many contributions to CARR's growth over the span of her term.

With the addition of Ms. Valoff, CARR moves into 2019 with a full board including Dr. Joaquin Anguera, California Commission on Aging, Col. Richard Shigley, USMC/Ret., and Ms. Cindy Hasz, Geriatric Care Manager and President of Grace Care Management.

About CARR:
Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform (CARR) is a San Diego-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public benefit corporation that is the only statewide organization dedicated exclusively to assisted living research, education and consumer advocacy.

Learn more at: https://rcfereform.org/

Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform (CARR), P O Box 82123, San Diego, CA 92138.

Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform (CARR) is pleased to welcome Ms. Susan Valoff as its newest member of the Board of Directors. Ms. Valoff was installed in this role at the organization's last board meeting on 14 November 2018.

Related link: https://rcfereform.org/

Integrity Home Care and Hospice Exceeds National Averages for Patient and Family Experience

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. /ScoopCloud/ -- Integrity Home Care and Hospice exceeded the national and regional averages in each of six areas of distinction for patient and family experience, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMMS).

The welcome announcement comes as Integrity finalizes its Nov. 1 agreement with Mercy Health System to assume leadership of its home-based post-acute care services. The much-anticipated closure comes after months developing the high-value partnership which will integrate Integrity's leading home care and hospice services with Mercy's top-ranked hospital and clinic services throughout southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas.

Integrity Home Care and Hospice is a faith-based, privately held leader in quality, post-acute health care. Committed to quality patient and family experiences wherever people call home, the healthcare provider offers a comprehensive range of compassionate, client-centered home care, hospice, and home health rehabilitation services throughout Missouri.

Provider partners include forward-thinking regional providers, like Mercy Health System, to meet the needs of patients who wish to remain in their home during times of serious, life altering illness or at end of life, wherever they call home.

"We don't provide care just to check a box," says Cliff Stepp, president of Integrity Home Care and Hospice. "What matters most is the commitment to compassionate quality care at the core of every decision we make."

Integrity exceeded the national and Springfield-based regional providers overall by more than 2 percent, according to survey results. Additionally, 84 percent of respondents were willing to recommend Integrity to others.

The data set includes experiential feedback from family caregivers in the areas of communications with family, receiving timely help, treating patient with respect, emotional and spiritual support, pain and symptom management, and training family caregivers.

Released in October, the Hospice Compare reports provide transparency of care quality amongst healthcare providers.

About Integrity Home Care and Hospice:

Integrity Home Care and Hospice - https://www.integrityhc.com/ - is a faith-based, privately held leader in quality, post-acute health care in Missouri and Kansas. Integrity offers a comprehensive range of compassionate, client-centered home care, hospice, and home health rehabilitation services. We partner with forward-thinking regional providers to ensure the future of health care resides at home.

Integrity Home Care and Hospice exceeded the national and regional averages in each of six areas of distinction for patient and family experience, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMMS).

Related link: https://www.integrityhc.com/

Papa Continues to Expand Across Florida to Stop the Loneliness Epidemic

ORLANDO, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- As of August 2018, Papa expands to the Orlando and Jacksonville markets to assist seniors and elders with transportation, household chores, and technology. Papa's mission to cure loneliness for seniors is aligned with their goals to bring on energetic college students who aspire to bridge the generational gap and give companionship to senior citizens. There are no signs of stopping the growth as they are currently in 11 cities throughout Florida.

Because of their expansion to the Orlando and Jacksonville markets, Papa will be recruiting qualified candidates at University Central Florida, Rollins College, Full Sail University, Valencia College, Seminole State College, University of North Florida, Jacksonville University, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Edward Waters College, and Chamberlain College of Nursing in the upcoming weeks.

"I am excited to say that we are on track expanding Papa throughout the state of Florida by the end of year," says CEO and Founder Andrew Parker. "We have realized that loneliness in America is an epidemic not many people are talking about. As the life expectancy keeps increasing we are also finding more people with the feelings of isolation and desolation. Our Papa Pals are well-trained companions and we listen to our members' feedback to keep improving for them."

He adds, "Through our data we noticed that a first visit may last an hour or two, but recurring users of Papa show longer visits up to 10 hours. This shows us that we are on our way to curing senior's loneliness while two generations connect through board games, technology, daily errands or doctors' visits."

COO, Alfredo Vaasmonde says, "We are seeing great growth. As we notice more demand is needed in different markets we strategically get after it and make it happen. We are excited to help seniors in these areas and make a difference."

More than 40 percent of seniors experience loneliness on a regular basis, according to a recent University of California, San Francisco study and more than half of these respondents said they would like providers to connect them to people or activities in their community to help them stay healthy (*see note 1). In an AARP study it stated that loneliness is also linked to health issues and can lead to death (*see note 2). Papa has been listening to these studies and is taking action to prevent these issues and show seniors that no matter their age they can still participate in activities and feel accepted.

Cited Information:

Note 1: Perissinotto, C. M. (2012, July 23). Loneliness in Older PersonsA Predictor of Functional Decline and Death. Retrieved from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1188033
Note 2: Anderson, G. Oscar. Loneliness Among Older Adults: A National Survey of Adults 45+. Washington, DC: AARP Research, September 2010. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00064.001

About Papa:

Papa, Inc. is a Miami based startup that opened late 2017. Papa provides assistance to its senior members throughout South Florida, Sarasota, Tampa, Fort Myers, Naples, Jacksonville and Orlando. Papa plans to expand to 4 different states at the beginning of next year.

URL: https://www.joinpapa.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/join_papa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinpapa/
Download App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/join-papa/id1105425605?mt=8
Instagram: @join_papa

As of August 2018, Papa Inc. expands to the Orlando and Jacksonville markets to assist seniors and elders with transportation, household chores, and technology. Papa's mission to cure loneliness for seniors is aligned with their goals to bring on energetic college students who aspire to bridge the generational gap and give companionship to senior citizens.

Related link: https://www.joinpapa.com/

Rural Iowa Veterans Gain Better Medical Access Through New Telemedicine Partnership

OSCEOLA, Iowa /ScoopCloud/ -- Clarke County Hospital in Osceola, Iowa and the Veterans Administration in Des Moines recently partnered in a telemedicine exchange offering a rural Veteran a much-needed cardiology consultation. While telemedicine services are not unique to Clarke County Hospital nor the V.A. - both of whom have offered the services for almost a decade each - a new collaboration between the two organizations offers potentially life-saving opportunities for rural veterans needing access to V.A. consultations and diagnostics.

Through Clarke County Hospital's outpatient clinic, patients in south-central Iowa and surrounding communities now have access to V.A. telemed services that before were only available through central Iowa, metro V.A. locations. These metro-based consultations often required patients to drive or to be transported for hours each way for important, sometimes life-saving, diagnostics.

With their first co-op telemed visit in June, the V.A., Clarke County Hospital, and the ailing Veteran were able to complete a cardiology session within a fraction of the travel and time previously needed for such a visit.

Brian Evans, Clarke County Hospital's CEO said, "CCH is the first Critical Access Hospital in Iowa to partner with the VA through Telemed Services. We are very excited about this new service opportunity because it allows these patients to be able to stay closer to home for visits."

Clarke County Hospital has committed to offering Cardiology telemed visits at this time and look to add other VA providers in the future.

Telemedicine services through Clarke County Hospital are currently available Monday-Friday in their newly remodeled Outpatient Clinic at 800 S. Fillmore, Osceola, IA 50213.

For more information about the Clarke County Hospital Telemedicine services, contact Ashley Davis, RN BSN, Patient Care Coordinator / Telemedicine at 641-342-5333 or Dennis Blazek, IT Manager at 641-342-5393.

Learn more at: http://www.clarkehosp.org/

Clarke County Hospital in Osceola, Iowa and the Veterans Administration in Des Moines recently partnered in a telemedicine exchange offering a rural Veteran a much-needed cardiology consultation.

Related link: http://www.clarkehosp.org/

National Behavioral Health Conference Scheduled in New Orleans, October 28 – 31, 2018

NEW ORLEANS, La. /ScoopCloud/ -- The 2018 59th Annual National Dialogues on Behavioral Health (NDBH) conference will be held in New Orleans at the Renaissance Arts Hotel from October 28 - 31, 2018, and is titled "Reinventing the Behavioral Health Workforce: Implementing Innovative Solutions."

Conference topics are designed for: psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, psychologists, counselors, addiction counselors, case managers, policy makers, behavioral healthcare providers, peer recovery workforce, state and county administrators, law enforcement/justice professionals, emergency/disaster response professionals, educators and school based counselors.

National Dialogues Conference partners are the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD), the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Mental Health Program and the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD).

The focus of this year's conference is particularly timely as it addresses issues of behavioral health workforce shortages and challenges.

"By 2025, shortages are projected for psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, school counselors, and marriage and family therapists," says Mary E. Smith, Ph.D., NDBH president. "The current behavioral health workforce is characterized as being part of an aging population with high turnover rates, maldistributed, and inadequately compensated."

At the same time, behavioral health systems are evolving so that there is a priority on the delivery of evidence-based services, a recovery orientation, quality and accountability, and integration with primary care. These system inadequacies have resulted in shifting the responsibility for care to other social service and law enforcement agencies. The future for the behavioral health workforce is dire.

So, the question is: What is to be done to address this behavioral health workforce disaster?

The National Dialogues on Behavioral Health Conference which begins Monday, October 29, will address the following questions:

* How can one "resource shift" and better utilize the current behavioral healthcare workforce?
* How can technology and telehealth be used as workforce extenders, especially in rural areas?
* How can the use of peer specialists, family caregivers, school counselors, primary care providers, and providers in the child welfare and criminal (and juvenile) justice systems be optimized?
* How can effective behavioral health community collaborative entities be formed?
* What are effective funding and reimbursement strategies to support needed workforce initiatives?

The pre-conference program, which will be offered on Sunday, October 28, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., is dedicated to the innovations in artificial intelligence and its use to support and/or provide increased access to behavioral health care.

The conference will include the opportunity for participants to have direct dialogue and discussion with the expert national speakers throughout the agenda.

The fee for the general conference Monday through Wednesday is $325. The pre-conference fee for Sunday, October 28, is $175.

Conference registration, hotel reservations, detailed session descriptions and additional information on presenters can be accessed at: http://nationaldialoguesbh.org/.

Conference registration questions may be directed to Brittany Copithorn at bcopithorn@wiche.edu. Early registration is encouraged.

The 2018 59th Annual National Dialogues on Behavioral Health (NDBH) conference will be held in New Orleans at the Renaissance Arts Hotel from October 28 - 31, 2018, and is titled "Reinventing the Behavioral Health Workforce: Implementing Innovative Solutions."

Related link: http://nationaldialoguesbh.org/

Advalent Partners with Novus Healthcare to Close the Gap in Value-Based Care

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. /ScoopCloud/ -- Advalent Corporation signed a partnership in early 2018 with Novus Healthcare to identify patients who could benefit from value-based care and implement that approach using Advalent's Value-Based Care Platform and Novus' population health management programs.

Together they provide preventative benefits to risk-bearing entities, such as ACO's, Payers, and Payviders who are moving into a value-based care model. Advalent's care management platform has hundreds of care plans to help patients manage living with chronic disease. Novus is the service arm that develops education and engagement to patients who are typically on Medicare living with two or more chronic diseases.

Their partnership drives home on preventative services, giving more information to physicians through analyzing claims data with Advalent's analytics algorithm to map conditions to specific care plans for patients, ultimately reducing crisis and acute care to give better outcomes to patient's healthcare. Together they piece together the complexities of the industry on both sides and create a massive opportunity to provide better health outcomes at lower costs.

"It is my pleasure to announce that Novus Healthcare's patient engagement and comprehensive assessment platform is now aligned with Advalent's analytics and technology," said Damon Kenton Ph.D., the CEO of Novus Healthcare. "We have been able to create a comprehensive turnkey solution that provides better data and information for the insures and care providers, while also reducing the burden on primary care providers allowing them more time for direct patient care and improving patient outcomes."

Currently there are 27 million Baby Boomers using Medicare who are living with two or more chronic diseases, and it is estimated to grow to 53 million people by 2020. With Advalent's ability to stratify members by using advanced analytics on financial and clinical data, they are able to map patient or members to condition/s specific care plans.

"Novus Healthcare is a contract preferred provider for physician practices, ACOs, and health plans in more than 15 states, enabling a strategic partnership with them to help make the switch for doctors to practice preventive measures and payers to continue their push towards value-based care," said Brian Lichtlin, CEO of Advalent.

"At Advalent, our data analytics platform enables us to identify the open care gaps a patient needs to close, and Novus has a team of Nurse Practitioners and care coordinators to help close care gaps, engage patients and reduce the primary care doctors non-reimbursable work load, allowing them to concentrate on direct patient care. Our care platform and claims administration technology creates better outcomes to reduce costs and provide better outcomes."

The partnership is a strong strategic fit, leveraging two innovative companies' respective strengths across these main areas:

* Chronic Care Management provides savings for Medicare patients because they use less inpatient and outpatient care. Their care is value-based through telehealth, chatbots, and AI.

* The average medical practice time spent providing clinical services is 1.32 hours annually. Currently it is 45 minutes less than the average per patient requires annually.

* Only 55 percent patients receive recommended preventative and chronic services.

* Average medical practice revenue impact with Novus $198,534.

* 86 percent of surveyed providers also said chronic care management would help their practice score higher on quality measure for value-based care models. Ref: https://revcycleintelligence.com/news/half-of-pcps-aware-of-medicare-reimbursement-for-chronic-care-mgmt

* CAQH found if health plans were able to effectively automate all their administrative transactions they could generate nearly $1.7 billion in savings annually. Payers and providers would experience the biggest returns by automating benefit eligibility determinations and moving them to an entirely electronic process.

* Patients with chronic illnesses do not routinely receive the care they need. Abundant research has demonstrated that individuals with chronic illnesses regularly receive substandard health care. (ix, CSG.Org) Ref: https://www.csg.org/knowledgecenter/docs/SOG03ChronicIllness.pdf

According to a survey of over 800 primary care physicians and Medicare patients, 84 percent of the providers said chronic care management services would improve care quality at their practice but are at a loss on how to provide these services in a cost-effective manner.

"The key to a successful care management platform and improved patient outcomes is having preventive care programs that engage patients to take a pro-active approach in their care and integrate the programs with seamless technology, Novus was looking for the right technology and analytics partner with user-friendly patient and provider integrations and Advalent has the best platform in the market place," added Lichtlin.

"Working together to create a comprehensive care platform and provide Chronic Care Management services seemed like a no brainer; our improved patient outcomes and reduced care expenses show I was right."

About Advalent:
Advalent was founded in 2013 with the mission to advance technology payers use to manage their complex businesses. They have created a flexible, easy-to-use product that connects the disparate systems that make healthcare reimbursement challenging. Advalent was able to create true care administration, for modern new products including the most complex value-based products. More information: https://www.advalent.com/.

About Novus Healthcare:
Novus Healthcare was founded in 2013 and is a national medical practice that collaborates with physician practices, ACO's and health plans. and specializes in comprehensive Annual Wellness Visits. The Novus Engage360 patient assessment fulfills all Medicare Annual Wellness Visit requirements, thoroughly documents ICD10, RAF/HCC coding, improves HEDIS outcomes and star ratings, identifies liabilities, closes non-reimbursable care gaps, performs necessary screenings, reduces medication errors and reduces non-reimbursable work-loads on practice providers by over 45 minutes per patient annually. More information: http://novushc.com/.

Advalent Corporation ('Advalent') signed a partnership in early 2018 with Novus Healthcare to identify patients who could benefit from value-based care and implement that approach using Advalent's Value-Based Care Platform and Novus' population health management programs.

Related link: https://www.advalent.com/

6th Annual International C.diff. Conference and Health EXPO in Philadelphia PA November 8-9

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. /ScoopCloud/ -- The C Diff Foundation is honored to welcome 20+ leading topic experts joined by Dale Gerding, MD, FACP, FIDSA, Professor of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Illinois and Research Physician at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital and Mark Wilcox,B Med Sci, BM, BS, MD, FRCPath-, Head of Microbiology and Academic Lead of Pathology at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTHT), Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Leeds, and Lead on Clostridium difficile for Public Health England (PHE).

Dale Gerding, MD, FACP, FIDSA and Mark Wilcox, B Med Sci, BM ,BS, MD, FRCPath- will be this year's Conference Chairs of the upcoming 6th Annual International "C.diff. Awareness Conference and Health EXPO," taking place on November 8 and 9, 2018 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Philadelphia Airport - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dale Gerding, MD, FACP, FIDSA and Mark Wilcox,B Med Sci, BM, BS, MD, FRCPath- join the internationally recognized experts in health care, academic, and industry leaders to discuss the burden of Clostridium difficile infections (C.difficile, C.diff., CDI) Prevention, Treatments, Diagnostics, Research, Clinical Trials, with Microbiome Research, Infection Prevention, Sepsis Prevention, Environmental Safety, Fecal Microbiota Restoration, Antibiotic Stewardship, Scientific Poster Presentations and more.

To learn more about this extraordinary conference, agenda and guest speakers: https://cdifffoundation.org/2018-guest-speakers/

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Clostridium difficile infection (C. difficile) "has become the most common microbial cause of healthcare-associated infections in U.S. hospitals and costs up to $4.8 billion each year in excess health care costs for acute care facilities alone." Statistics provided by the CDC suggest that C. difficile cause nearly 500,000 infections in patients in the U.S. annually. In one study noted by the CDC, among infected patients, nearly 29,000 died within 30 days of being diagnosed, and more than half of those deaths (15,000) were directly attributable to a C. difficile infection.

All attendees will have the highest levels of peer networking and learning opportunity at the International C.diff. Awareness Conference and Health EXPO. The conference program builds in time for face-to-face interaction between attending executives, corporate representatives and industry experts exhibiting in the health expo.

Attendee Barley Chironda, Infection Control Specialist, said about the 2017 conference, "I have attended all of the C Diff Foundation Conferences and I am always in awe at the wealth of new information that is presented at each conference. As an Infection Control Specialist, and a person who deals with Healthcare Infections, I feel this conference allows great knowledge sharing and networking."

With upmost appreciation we thank the following Exhibiting Sponsors for their continued support and partnering with the C Diff Foundation in promoting C. diff. Awareness worldwide:
- Diamond: Synthetic Biologics.
- Gold: Clorox Healthcare, Seres Therapeutics, ROCHE, Rebiotix, Pfizer.
- Silver: Mr. & Mrs. Angelo Ortiz.
- Bronze: Honey Bee Handiworks, Trinity Guardion, Steriliz, Safety Net America, SporeGen.

This conference is supported through an educational grant from Sanofi Pasteur US.

Visit https://cdifffoundation.org for more information. Contact Angelo Ortiz for registration, exhibiting/sponsor opportunities, and media partnerships: angelo.ortiz@cdifffoundation.org or Mobile (919) 201-1512.

About The C Diff Foundation:

The C Diff Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established 2012, comprised of 100% volunteering professionals dedicated at supporting public health through education and advocating for C. difficile infection (CDI) prevention, treatments, environmental safety, and support worldwide. Listen to "C.diff. Spores and More" Tuesday's at 1 p.m. ET (www.cdiffradio.com), sponsored by Clorox Healthcare, providing leading up-to-date information on topics that are in align with their mission.

Follow C Diff Foundation on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Twitter @cdiffFoundation #Cdiff2018

The C Diff Foundation is honored to welcome 20+ leading topic experts joined by Dale Gerding, MD, FACP, FIDSA, Professor of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Illinois and Research Physician at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital and Mark Wilcox, B Med Sci, BM, BS, MD, FRCPath-, Head of Microbiology and Academic Lead of Pathology at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTHT).

Related link: https://cdifffoundation.org/

2nd Annual Global C.diff. Walks in US and UK to Raise Awareness on Importance of Clostridium difficile Infections Worldwide

TEANECK, N.J. /ScoopCloud/ -- Presented by the C Diff Foundation, the 2nd Annual Global C.diff. Awareness 2K Walks will take place on Saturday, May 19 at three separate locations: Morris A. Votee Park, Teaneck, New Jersey; Sims Park, New Port Richey, Florida; and in Leicester, England. All locations will include t-shirts and resourceful educational material for all registered walkers. The U.S. locations will also include water bottles and hydration stations.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Clostridium difficile infection (C. difficile) "has become the most common microbial cause of healthcare-associated infections in U.S. hospitals and costs up to $4.8 billion each year in excess health care costs for acute care facilities alone." Statistics provided by the CDC suggest that C. difficile cause nearly 500,000 infections in patients in the U.S. annually. In one study noted by the CDC, among infected patients, nearly 29,000 died within 30 days of being diagnosed, and more than half of those deaths (15,000) were directly attributable to a C. difficile infection.

The Global C. diff. Walks will raise awareness of

Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) infection prevention and provide educational material while introducing the communities to the resources available. C.diff. infections are one of the leading health issues facing local communities.

"Every day the C Diff Foundation works to educate and advocate for C. difficile infection prevention, treatments, environmental safety and support worldwide to save lives. Our dedicated volunteering members are focused on improving the lives of individuals and families that are impacted by a C.diff. infection," says Nancy Caralla, Founding President of the C Diff Foundation.

We sincerely thank the following Sponsors for their continued support and for joining the C Diff Foundation in promoting
C. diff. Awareness worldwide:
Platinum: CutisPharma, Inc.
Gold: Pfizer and Xenex Disinfection Services.
Silver: Quellthera.

Event Details:
When: Saturday, May 19, 2018 - "rain or shine."

Registration and Check-in takes place at 8 a.m. Walk and Program begins at 9 a.m. at: Milton A. Votee Park, Queen Anne Rd & Court St, Teaneck, NJ 07666; Sims Park, 6341 Bank Street, New Port Richey, FL 34652; and being led by Dr. Martha Cloakie, PhD, a walk in the park in Leicester, England.

To register on-line: https://cdifffoundation.org/ or https://cdifffoundation.org/2nd-annual-global-walks-2018/

Walkers can register individually ($20 per person) or as a team ($20 for team leader) and teams can recruit sponsors.

All proceeds raised will support the program of the C Diff Foundation which provides villages to cities with C. difficile infection education, advocacy, and support worldwide.

For additional information about the walk, please email info@cdifffoundation.org or call the main office in U.S.: (919) 201-1512.

About the C Diff Foundation:

The C Diff Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established 2012, comprised of 100 percent volunteering professionals who are dedicated supporting public health through education and advocating for C. difficile infection (CDI) prevention, treatments, environmental safety, and support worldwide.

Follow C Diff Foundation on Twitter
@cdiffFoundation
#CdiffWalk2018

Media Contact:
Angelo Ortiz, Global Walk Committee
angelo.ortiz@cdifffoundation.org

Presented by the C Diff Foundation, the 2nd Annual Global C.diff. Awareness 2K Walks will take place on Saturday, May 19 at three separate locations: Morris A. Votee Park, Teaneck, New Jersey; Sims Park, New Port Richey, Florida; and in Leicester, England. All locations will include t-shirts and resourceful educational material for all registered walkers. The U.S. locations will also include water bottles and hydration stations.

Related link: https://cdifffoundation.org/

Residents Medical Amasses a Dream Team Consisting of Deans, Chief Residents, MDs and PhDs to Help Medical Residency Candidates

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Every year between September and February, thousands of medical school graduates interview for residencies. It's the last stage before a M.B.B.S., M.D., or D.O. degree holder can sit for their Board examinations and practice as a licensed physician in the U.S. This is where Residents Medical comes in - a respected organization that specializes in education, guidance, preparation, consulting and medical residency placement for its students and candidates.

Sheila Aula, senior guidance counselor at Residents Medical, has years of experience. She guides candidates and links them to a residency program that meets their goals. She also has the help of Residents Medical "Dream Team," a group of experienced Graduate Medical Education experts who assist these students and candidates to achieve their dream residency.

A snapshot of this "Dream Team" begins with Uttam Sinha, M.D., F.A.C.S., a Head and Neck Surgeon, former Program Director at the Department of Otolaryngology, and current Associate Dean, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California. He has nearly 40 years of Graduate Medical Education experience and was instrumental in refining Residents Medical education and preparatory arm.

Michael Mehlman, M.D., Ph.D., spearheads the United States Medical Licensing Examination(R) (USMLE) Board Examination's division of Residents Medical. He's an accomplished researcher and achieved the highest score on his Step 1, and top scores in his other Board exams. He's co-authored "First Aid," the de facto study guide for USMLE examinations and works with all of Residents Medical USMLE tutors to ensure candidates have the best outcomes.

Professor Marcos Sanchez, M.D., Ph.D. is the Director of GME Development and Student Education. He's a distinguished and experienced physician/scientist and a prolific researcher with more than 90 publications. His experience includes being in charge of one of the largest DO residency programs in America with more than 30 specialties and 300+ residents where he ensured development, operational effectiveness and helped train residents in research and medicine.

Shawndeep Tung, MD has taken on the role of Director of Student Admissions and Affairs. He's an alumnus of Resident Medical's residency placement program and has completed his categorical residency. He's now working on his Fellowship at Harvard Medical School. His research portfolio includes working on cutting-edge research at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Miriam Macias, J.D., is Compliance Official and Head of Student Affairs. She is instrumental in walking students and candidates through their pathway to residency.

This stellar dream team, along with residents, deans and program directors all care about mentoring medicine's future leaders.

About Residents Medical:

Residents Medical is an innovative organization with a sphere of influence in medical education. After preparation, education and a qualification process, its candidates are nominated for The Everest Foundation's "Everest Scholars" tenure, and they're matched into accredited medical residency programs for research and other CV-building procurements. If they prove themselves, they're given interviews for a coveted Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) residency position.

"The better Residents Medical does, the more good the Everest Foundation can do in providing medical schools and teaching hospitals with much needed help," Aula says. "There's such a need in Graduate Medical Education and in alleviating the residency bottleneck."

Visit: http://residentsmedical.com/ or call 310-444-9700.

Every year between September and February, thousands of medical school graduates interview for residencies. It's the last stage before a M.B.B.S., M.D., or D.O. degree holder can sit for their Board examinations and practice as a licensed physician in the U.S. This is where Residents Medical comes in - a respected organization that specializes in education, guidance, preparation, consulting and medical residency placement for its students and candidates.

Related link: http://residentsmedical.com/

March is Residency Match Month: Residents Medical Candidates Achieve Medical Residency across America

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Every March dozens of Residents Medical medical residency candidates find out if they attained their much-desired medical residency. There is no other more anticipated event for medical school graduates than the National Resident's Matching Program (NRMP) Match and Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Programs (SOAP). More than 50,000 applicants apply annually, but more than 5,000 don't make the cut. Residents Medical works to ensure their medical residency candidates achieve their dream residency.

Without completing a medical residency, a medical school graduate is unable to become a board-certified physician and practice medicine. Year after year these thousands of "unmatched" residency applicants have compounded into a residency bottleneck. There are just too many applicants, and not enough training positions in teaching hospitals. The anomaly of it is that throughout America, especially in low-income and rural areas, there's a severe doctor shortage.

In step with March's run for medical residency, Residents Medical's medical residency candidates completed a rigorous preparatory process, and after successful completion, interviewed for ACGME Accredited Residency Positions. The results were impressive. On Match Day, they learned that their dream residency had been fulfilled.

So, what's the key to Residents Medical success? This unique organization has a sphere of influence that targets Graduate Medical Education (GME). This year, many professional aspirations came to pass for Residents Medical roster.

Sheila Aula, the program's Senior Guidance Counselor and Manager, clearly expressed the mandate of Residents Medical. "Our candidates not only obtain their dream residency in the match, but throughout the year our cohorts achieve their dream residency through proprietary and exclusive opportunities assisted by our Residency Dream Team," she says. "With so many Indian-American medical graduates being helped, Residents Medical is an enviable organization. It's a great place to start if one needs a competitive edge."

In addition to these students and candidates achieving residency training through NRMP Match Days, many candidates also received invitations for a residency slot before the main match in the Pre-Match.

For example, Dr. Dande was a candidate who worked hard to complete a tenure at an Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai's affiliated research program. As a result, she was invited for an interview and selected in a sought after, exclusive Pre-Match position.

Dr. Kumar, among dozens of other Residents Medical candidates, also successfully obtained residency on "Match Day." He came to Residents Medical and completed a rigorous candidacy rehabilitation program, which mitigated his United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) failed test attempts. He proved himself to Residents Medical and to the residency program leadership and achieved his dream residency in North Carolina.

Dr. Akshay, a graduate from a medical school in Nepal, developed his acumen with Residents Medical and achieved his dream residency though the SOAP Match into a top university program in Alabama.

Many of Residents Medical candidates will continue to be invited for interviews and obtain a prized residency slot through September of 2018. This exclusive approach is Residents Medical cohesion with The Everest Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3), which gives their cohorts a chance to become Everest Scholars and to integrate into a residency program to prove themselves worthy of a residency position.

Some of Residents Medical candidates have also gone on to achieve their dream fellowship after residency. Dr. Amir completed his pathology residency at UC Davis and is now doing his fellowship at Geffen School of Medicine of UCLA. Dr. Shawn completed his general surgery residency in New York and has started his fellowship at Harvard.

About Residents Medical:

Residents Medical is an innovative organization with a sphere of influence in medical education. After preparation, education and a qualification process, its candidates are nominated for The Everest Foundation's "Everest Scholars" tenure, and they're matched into accredited medical residency programs for research and other CV-building procurements. If they prove themselves, they're given interviews for a coveted Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) residency position.

"The better Residents Medical does, the more good the Everest Foundation can do in providing medical schools and teaching hospitals with much needed help," Aula says. "There's such a need in GME and in alleviating the residency bottleneck."

Visit: http://residentsmedical.com/ or call 310-444-9700.

Every March dozens of Residents Medical medical residency candidates find out if they attained their much-desired medical residency. There is no other more anticipated event for medical school graduates than the National Resident's Matching Program (NRMP) Match and Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Programs (SOAP). More than 50,000 applicants apply annually, but more than 5,000 don't make the cut. Residents Medical works to ensure their medical residency candidates achieve their dream residency.

Related link: http://residentsmedical.com/

U.S. Governors Are Applauded for Proclaiming November Clostridium difficile (C.difficile, C.diff.) Infection Awareness Month

BALTIMORE, Md. /ScoopCloud/ -- Many U.S. Governors have signed a state proclamation proclaiming November 2017 as Clostridium difficile (C.difficile, C.diff.) Infection Awareness Month, the non-profit C Diff Foundation announced today.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Clostridium difficile infection (C. difficile) "has become the most common microbial cause of healthcare-associated infections in U.S. hospitals and costs up to $4.8 billion each year in excess health care costs for acute care facilities alone." Statistics provided by the CDC suggest that C. difficile cause nearly 500,000 infections in patients in the U.S. annually.

In one study noted by the CDC, among infected patients, nearly 29,000 died within 30 days of being diagnosed, and more than half of those deaths (15,000) were directly attributable to a C. difficile infection.

As a leading health care and patient advocacy organization the C Diff Foundation provides resources concerning C. difficile infection prevention, treatments, environmental safety, and support worldwide.

The C Diff Foundation continues to heighten the urgency of this life-threatening infection with government agencies, academia topic experts, and health care professionals worldwide.

"Our shared goal is to witness a significant reduction in C. difficile infections worldwide by the year 2020. We would also like to thank Rebiotix for their efforts and support with this endeavor," stated Nancy C. Caralla, Executive Director of the C Diff Foundation.

Through the State Proclamations Clostridium difficile (C.difficile, C.diff.) infection awareness has risen significantly worldwide.

About the C Diff Foundation:
The C Diff Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established 2012, comprised of 100-percent volunteering professionals dedicated at supporting public health through education and advocating for C. difficile infection (CDI) prevention, treatments, environmental safety, and support worldwide. Visit https://cdifffoundation.org/.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Denise Graham
telephone: 919-201-1512
denise@cdifffoundation.org

Many U.S. Governors have signed a state proclamation proclaiming November 2017 as Clostridium difficile (C.difficile, C.diff.) Infection Awareness Month, the non-profit C Diff Foundation announced today.

Related link: https://cdifffoundation.org/

Sunlight Home Annual Benefit Dinner Speaker, Jennifer O’Neill

NAPLES, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- Sunlight Home's Annual Benefit Dinner, chaired by Mrs. Jean Beauchamp, will be held on Nov. 4, 2017 at the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club. This year's honored speaker is Jennifer O'Neill, internationally acclaimed model, actress, author, producer and Pro-Life Spokesperson.

Guests will be welcomed at 5:30 p.m. for the social hour, followed by the dinner program.

A signed copy of Ms. O'Neill's book, "Surviving Myself" (ISBN: 978-0997265828) will be raffled off at the dinner. Entertainment will be provided by "Souvenir Band."

The dinner tickets are $100 per person. Seating is limited.

For reservations please contact Linda Hale, Executive Director, (239) 352-0251, Linda_Lee_Hale@yahoo.com.

Jennifer O'Neill is the Spokesperson for the International "Silent No More" Awareness Campaign - a non-denominational, non-political, post-abortion healing organization, and shares her own experience of being forced into an abortion at an early age, and the life crises she faced in the aftermath, including substance abuse, severe depression and attempted suicide.

Jennifer has been a passionate fundraiser for hundreds of Crisis Pregnancy Centers and Maternity Homes all across America that give women the ability to choose life for their babies. She has been awarded numerous awards, including the Defender of Life Award for her generous and courageous support of the sanctity of life.

Jennifer appears regularly on radio and T.V shows on behalf of LIFE, has hosted documentaries highlighting youth with regard to abortion, and has addressed the U.S. Senate and Congress concerning the devastating aftermath of abortion, and championing the cause for helping "at risk" single mothers in crisis both before and after giving birth. Jennifer continues to march in Washington D.C. and around the country in support of LIFE.

About Sunlight Home:

For the past 23 years, Sunlight has been "Saving and Changing Lives." It is the only long term residential maternity home, plus transitional housing facility in Collier County that serves "at risk" homeless, abused and abandoned pregnant women and teens living in deep poverty both before and after giving birth. Their faith based "Rays of Hope" maternity program and "Transition to Hope" transitional housing program are designed to give single mothers and their children a path to a bright future of independence and financial responsibility, whether they parent or choose an adoption plan.

For more information about Sunlight Home, contact Linda Hale, Executive Director, (239) 352-0251, Linda_Lee_Hale@yahoo.com or visit their website at http://sunlighthome.org/.

Sunlight Home's Annual Benefit Dinner, chaired by Mrs. Jean Beauchamp, will be held on Nov. 4, 2017 at the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club. This year's honored speaker is Jennifer O'Neill, internationally acclaimed model, actress, author, producer and Pro-Life Spokesperson.

Related link: http://sunlighthome.org/

Inaugural Global C. diff. Walk to raise awareness on importance of Clostridium difficile infection prevention and provide resources

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- Presented by the C Diff Foundation, the 1st Annual Global C.diff. Awareness 2K Walk will take place on Saturday, November 4 at Frances Park, New Port Richey, Florida. This event will include refreshments, hydration stations, and resourceful educational material and displays.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Clostridium difficile infection (C. difficile) "has become the most common microbial cause of healthcare-associated infections in U.S. hospitals and costs up to $4.8 billion each year in excess health care costs for acute care facilities alone." Statistics provided by the CDC suggest that C. difficile cause nearly 500,000 infections in patients in the U.S. annually. In one study noted by the CDC, among infected patients, nearly 29,000 died within 30 days of being diagnosed, and more than half of those deaths (15,000) were directly attributable to a C. difficile infection.

The Global C. diff. Walk seeks to raise awareness of Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) infection prevention and provide educational material while introducing the community to the resources available. C.diff. infections are one of the leading health issues facing local communities.

"Every day the C Diff Foundation works to educate and advocate for C. difficile infection prevention, treatments, environmental safety and support worldwide to save lives. Our dedicated volunteering members and patient advocates work to improve the lives of individuals and families that are impacted by a C.diff. infection," says Nancy Caralla, Board President of the C Diff Foundation.

We sincerely thank the following Sponsor for their continued support and for joining the C Diff Foundation in promoting C. diff. Awareness worldwide: Diamond: Seres Therapeutics.

Event Details:
Saturday, November 4, 2017. Registration and Check-in takes place at 8 a.m. Walk and Program begins at 9 a.m. at Frances Park, 5580 Frances Avenue, New Port Richey, Florida 34653.

Registration: https://cdifffoundation.org/.

Walkers can register individually ($5 per person) or as a team ($15 per team) and can recruit sponsors.

All funds raised will support the work of the C Diff Foundation that provide villages to cities with C. difficile infection education, advocacy, and support worldwide.

For additional information about the walk, email info@cdifffoundation.org or call (919)-201-1512.

About the C Diff Foundation:

The C Diff Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established 2012, comprised of 100% volunteering professionals dedicated at supporting public health through education and advocating for C. difficile infection (CDI) prevention, treatments, environmental safety, and support worldwide.

Follow C Diff Foundation on Twitter
@cdiffFoundation
#Cdiff2017

*IMAGE: Send2Press.com/300dpi/17-1003s2p-cdiff2k-flier-300dpi.jpg

Presented by the C Diff Foundation, the 1st Annual Global C.diff. Awareness 2K Walk will take place on Saturday, November 4 at Frances Park, New Port Richey, Florida. This event will include refreshments, hydration stations, and resourceful educational material and displays.

Related link: https://cdifffoundation.org/

C Diff Foundation Knocks on Governor’s Doors Nationwide to Proclaim the Month of November for Clostridium difficile Infection Awareness

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- C Diff Foundation welcomes November as Clostridium difficile Awareness Month and it is an exciting time for patients, families, clinicians, and organizations. Governors in several states honor our efforts by signing proclamations declaring November to be Clostridium difficile Awareness Month in their states.

These proclamations are available to you and can be downloaded for your use from our website: https://cdifffoundation.org/make-a-difference-november/.

This year, our goal is to obtain proclamations in all 50 states. Denise Graham, Strategic Advisor of the C Diff Foundation, proudly leads the Clostridium difficile (C. diff., C. difficile) State Proclamation effort.

Join us at the upcoming 5th Annual International C.diff. Awareness Conference and Health EXPO, taking place on November 9 and 10, 2017 at the University of Nevada - Las Vegas, Thomas and Mack Center, 2nd Floor Pavilion, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Complimentary registrations are available: https://cdifffoundation.org/registration/

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Clostridium difficile infection (C. difficile) "has become the most common microbial cause of healthcare-associated infections in U.S. hospitals and costs up to $4.8 billion each year in excess health care costs for acute care facilities alone." Statistics provided by the CDC suggest that C. difficile cause nearly 500,000 infections in patients in the U.S. annually. In one study noted by the CDC, among infected patients, nearly 29,000 died within 30 days of being diagnosed, and more than half of those deaths (15,000) were directly attributable to a C. difficile infection.

Dale Gerding, MD, FACP, FIDSA joins 25+ internationally recognized experts in health care, academic, and industry leaders to discuss the burden of Clostridium difficile infections (C.difficile, C.diff., CDI) and prevention, treatments, diagnostics, research, clinical trials, with Microbiome research, Infection Prevention, Irritable Bowel Syndrome treatments and clinical trials, Environmental Safety, Fecal Microbiota Restoration, Antibiotic Stewardship and more.

To learn more about the program and guest speakers: https://cdifffoundation.org/cdiff2017guest-speakers/

Attendee Linda Jablonski, RN, BSN said about the 2016 conference, "The information shared at the conference provided up-to-date studies and important information that help us all save lives."

Visit https://cdifffoundation.org for more information. Contact Denise Graham for registration and media inquiries desinse@cdifffoundation.org or Mobile (202)-294-6314.

About the C Diff Foundation:
The C Diff Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established 2012, comprised of 100% volunteering professionals dedicated at supporting public health through education and advocating for C. difficile infection (CDI) prevention, treatments, environmental safety, and support worldwide.

Follow C Diff Foundation on Twitter
@cdiffFoundation
#Cdiff2017

Media Contact:
Denise Graham
denise@cdifffoundation.org

*IMAGE for media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/17-0928s2p-cdiff-awareness-300dpi.jpg

C Diff Foundation welcomes November as Clostridium difficile Awareness Month and it is an exciting time for patients, families, clinicians, and organizations. Governors in several states honor our efforts by signing proclamations declaring November to be Clostridium difficile Awareness Month in their states.

Related link: https://cdifffoundation.org/

Reception at Cocoon Homecare in support of Council Member Donovan Richards

JAMAICA, N.Y. /ScoopCloud/ -- This past Wednesday evening, a crowd gathered at a reception at Cocoon Homecare in Jamaica to show their support for Council Member Donovan Richards. Also notably present was Community Board 12 Chairwoman Adrienne Adams who just clinched the democratic primary for the District 28 City Council seat and is well positioned to win the seat in the general election in November.

The synergy and shared vision between Cocoon Homecare and Council Member Donovan Richards and Chairwoman Adrienne Adams was clearly apparent throughout the event. Event Host and CEO Hillel Adelman of Cocoon Homecare spoke with feeling about the true compassion that Council Member Donovan Richards has for the constituents he so devotedly serves.

Local Rabbi, Rabbi Eliezer Feuer spoke about the sacrifice of serving the public that Council Member Donovan Richards and Chairwoman Adrienne Adams have so passionately embraced. Council Member Donovan Richards spoke of the growing need for home care and the critical role that Cocoon Homecare had to play in the health of the residents that he serves.

Council Member Donovan Richards praised the dedication and commitment he saw in the Cocoon Homecare team and went on to say that he looked forward to working with Cocoon Homecare to enhance the lives of our community residents together.

Chairwoman Adrienne Adams was the closing speaker of the night and said she very much wanted to work with Cocoon Homecare to serve and support the community. She inspired the Cocoon Homecare team and highlighted the significance of their work when she said "With one phone call you can change the world. With one phone call you can save someone's life."

About Cocoon Homecare:

Cocoon Homecare empowers individuals and their caregivers. You can receive the care you need from someone you care about and they can get paid. We can help ensure you are cared for by someone you trust. If you are already providing care for a family member, friend or neighbor or you would like to - Cocoon Homecare can help.

Founded in 2016, Cocoon Homecare is a fast-growing, customer focused home care company with a strong and agile technology infrastructure and is located in Jamaica, NY.

Event Image Links:
https://cocoonhc.egnyte.com/dl/YKA1loB6XH/1.jpg_
https://cocoonhc.egnyte.com/dl/1C5CpAaKxY/2.jpg_
https://cocoonhc.egnyte.com/dl/to2qCCdntW/3.jpg_
https://cocoonhc.egnyte.com/dl/mJQDcat67x/4.jpg_

More information about Cocoon Homecare:
https://cocoonhc.com

This past Wednesday evening, a crowd gathered at a reception at Cocoon Homecare in Jamaica to show their support for Council Member Donovan Richards. Also notably present was Community Board 12 Chairwoman Adrienne Adams who just clinched the democratic primary for the District 28 City Council seat and is well positioned to win the seat in the general election in November.

Related link: https://cocoonhc.com/

Edmond Hooker, MD, Darrel Hicks, and Bruce Rippe Discuss Medical Mattress Contamination Issues on C.diff Spores and More, Aug. 1

TAMPA, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- C Diff Foundation's, "C. diff. Spores and More Global Broadcasting Network," is honored to announce Dr. Edmond Hooker, MD - Associate Professor of Health Services Administration at Xavier University, Darrel Hicks, a well-known hospital environment specialist and educator, and Bruce Rippe, CEO of Trinity Guardion, manufacturer of the Trinity Guardion Patient Protective Barrier, as our guest speakers on August 1, 2017 at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET on www.cdiffradio.com.

These leading topic experts will be discussing Dr. Hooker's Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) research related to hospital beds and mattresses, the issues that prevent successful disinfection of soft mattress surfaces, the new regulatory landscape, and the proven solution to the problem. The data being shared will be beneficial to hospital nursing officers, infection preventionists, and environmental services professionals. Many healthcare professionals are unaware that hospital beds, which are the epicenter of patient care, can also be the epicenter of potentially life-threatening cross-contamination.

Trinity Guardion's patient protective microbarrier is the first and only launderable and reusable mattress cover system specifically for medical beds. It's designed to protect each patient and prolong the useful life of expensive high-tech hospital mattresses, by shielding the mattress and bed deck from every previous occupant's microbial biome. More importantly, it protects each patient from residual pathogenic organisms such as C. diff., which can cause serious illness and death, and may be present even if previous patients were not symptomatic.

If you miss the live broadcast, access the podcast in the living library and listen at your leisure www.cdiffradio.com.

About Trinity Guardion:
Founded in 2010 and based in Batesville, Indiana, Trinity Guardion manufactures the Trinity Guardion(R) Patient Protective Barrier, the only reusable and launderable cover system for hospital beds and bed decks that is specifically engineered to block and eliminate pathogens such as Clostridium difficile (C. diff.). The system delivers a validated cleaning and disinfection solution that is proven to reduce infection rates.

About the C Diff Foundation:
The C Diff Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, founded in 2012 by Nancy C. Caralla, a nurse who was diagnosed and treated for Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) infections. Through her own journey and the loss of their father to C. difficile infection involvement, Nancy recognized the need for greater awareness through education about research being conducted by the government, industry, and academia and better advocacy on behalf of patients, healthcare professionals, and researchers worldwide working to address the public health threat posed by this devastating infection.

For information please visit http://www.cdifffoundation.org/.

Media Coordinator
Denise Graham
denise@cdifffoundation.org

C Diff Foundation's, "C. diff. Spores and More Global Broadcasting Network," is honored to announce Dr. Edmond Hooker, MD - Associate Professor of Health Services Administration at Xavier University, Darrel Hicks, a well-known hospital environment specialist and educator, and Bruce Rippe, CEO of Trinity Guardion, manufacturer of the Trinity Guardion Patient Protective Barrier, as our guest speakers on August 1, 2017.

Related link: https://cdifffoundation.org/

The Everest Foundation Helps to Fund Medical Residency Positions and Fund Research at Teaching Hospitals

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- It has been an enormously successful year for almost two dozen Everest Foundation Scholars who are actively working on research projects for submission and hopeful publication in esteemed medical journals as well as starting their medical residency training in coveted ACGME Accredited residency programs across the U.S.

The Everest Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports medical research, domestic and global health initiatives and even residency positions with a number of U.S medical schools and community-based hospitals. With a mission statement that spells out its mandate: "Part of the Cure," The Everest Foundation has a laser focus on the advancement of (GME) Graduate Medical Education during these exciting and challenging times for U.S. healthcare.

This year, two distinguished Everest Foundation Scholars were recognized for their extraordinary gifts. Dr. R. Sahni, a medical graduate from India, was awarded "Resident of the Year" at the University of Alabama SOM Internal Medicine Residency Program; and Dr. Milad Modarresi was awarded first place in the state of West Virginia for his research poster presentation at the 12th Annual West Virginia Geriatric Society Scientific Assembly.

Sahni has also been featured in a nationwide webinar for Residents Medical which platformed his commitment to gain the skills and experience for residency while Modarresi was later highlighted for a second time as a researcher with West Virginia Congressman, Evan Jenkins, at a conference focused on opioid use and problems facing the state.

Sahni had been an Everest Foundation Scholar for two years overseeing research projects and publications at both New York's Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the James A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii, respectively.

Initially, having trouble obtaining a medical residency, Sahni was recommended to The Everest Foundation by Residents Medical, an educational company in California that specializes in preparing medical students and graduates a strong CV necessary for residency by making them prolific researchers and clinicians. This pathway has worked for many Everest Foundation Scholars throughout the years, including Sahni. The pathway worked for Sahni who matched in SOAP last year, in part due to his excellent research work at Icahn and at Burn Schools of Medicine, respectively.

This year, Modarresi matched into a General Surgery program at Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, where he was doing his lauded research work as an Everest Foundation Scholar and Fellow in Orthopedics.

It's no secret that research publication in any specialty often ranks residency candidates higher when applying for GME positions, according to many program directors.

"Part of our mission is to support the 'six core competencies' of the ACGME with all of our initiatives and Scholars, so we hope to continue to make a positive impact on GME programs across America," Mrs. Agata Everest, chairperson of The Everest Foundation, says.

Mrs. Everest, a former healthcare clinician from Europe, underscores that U.S. and foreign medical graduates (FMGs) know that the application competition for residency is getting tougher and tougher.

"Each year, nearly 1,000 U.S. medical school graduates and approximately 11,000 foreign medical graduates are not matching into residency," Mrs. Everest says. "And nearly 5,000 of the more than 43,000 applicants, mostly FMGs, are not getting any interviews at all after applying into the National Residency Matching Program."

Every year, The Everest Foundation helps many of its research scholars and fellows into residency as they work to navigate these daunting numbers. Projections for the years ahead look equally challenging. So, graduate medical students and graduates who conduct real paradigm changing research and clinical work with The Everest Foundation are reaping positive benefits.

"Dr. Sahni and Dr. Modarresi are celebrated success stories. They are an inspiration to our current Everest Scholars," Mrs. Everest says. "We're trying to improve patient care with better research and prepared physicians as a foundation, but we're also happy that we can assist many of our fellows become board certified doctors by doing residency."

By supporting medical residency training programs, our foundation addresses both the great "Bottleneck" of medical school graduates looking to land a medical residency slot and address the doctor shortage in America. We get to see many of our Everest Foundation Scholars and Fellows become board certified doctors, all the while supporting Residency Training Programs and Graduate Medical Education at Schools of Medicine who don't always get all the support they need.

About The Everest Foundation:

The Everest Foundation is engaged in clinical, research at various U.S. medical schools and ACGME teaching hospitals across the country. It sponsors numerous collaborations nationally in various specialties including: Internal Medicine, Physical Rehabilitative Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopedics and Psychiatry.

Organizations, teaching hospitals, medical schools or health systems that are interested in an alliance with The Everest Foundation, should visit: http://theeverestfoundation.org/ or call 310-477-7800.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Craig Meier
of The Everest Foundation
+1-310-477-7800
cmeier@theeverestfoundation.org

MULTIMEDIA:
*PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0717s2p-Modarresi-300dpi.jpg
*Photo Caption: Dr. Milad Modarresi was awarded first place for his research poster presentation at the 12th Annual West Virginia Geriatric Society Scientific Assembly.
*LOGO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-1116s2p-everest-300dpi.jpg

It has been an enormously successful year for almost two dozen Everest Foundation Scholars who are actively working on research projects for submission and hopeful publication in esteemed medical journals as well as starting their medical residency training in coveted ACGME Accredited residency programs across the U.S.

Related link: http://theeverestfoundation.org/

Bake Sale to Raise C. diff. Awareness Starts in Florida Before Volunteers Roll-out Worldwide

TAMPA, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- C Diff Foundation announces its "Bake Sale for C.diff. Awareness," a month-long campaign beginning May 2017 in Florida and continuing in N.J., N.C., and across the USA to India, and Italy featuring education and advocacy on health care topics pertaining to the most common pathogen identified as a leading healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in U.S. hospitals alone: Clostridium difficile.

You know how when you are trying to promote Clostridium difficile (C.diff.) awareness, you run into obstacles - such as information resistance and lack of concern.

We have experienced it, learned from it, and developed new roads to successfully accomplish the goal to effectively promote C.difficile infection (CDI) awareness prevention, treatments, environmental safety, and support available.

Nearly half a million Americans suffer from Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) infections in a single year according to a study released February 2015 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 15,000 deaths were estimated to be directly attributable to C. diff. infections.

Previous studies indicate that C. diff. has become the most common microbial cause of healthcare-associated infections found in U.S. hospitals driving up costs to $4.8 billion each year.

The C Diff Foundation takes it to a different level to promote the message and receive the audience's nod generously donating funds to support educational patient programs offered. We do this by having residents share in a common-interest event - a "Bake Sale for C. diff. Awareness."

Who are the audiences? They are you, neighbors, local health care professionals, local service operators -- both students and faculty -- and individuals with a will to join the events to learn about a C. difficile infection because it can be acquired by anyone and has no boundaries.

At first the residents, health care professionals, and local service professionals show resistance to listen about how a gastrointestinal infection, that they have never experienced, can cause such pain and tragic losses.

Once they are introduced to Kathy, Nancy, Lisa, Roy, Scott, Angelo, Tonia, Renetta, Gary, Deborah, and thousands of other Clostridium difficile (C.diff.) Survivors (www.cdiffsurvivors.org) and hear their heart-breaking C. difficile infection journeys - the door swings open and the understanding takes hold.

As a result, we witness an exchange of important information with the positive outcome of understanding how dangerous a C. difficile infection can be, how important it is to have a conversation with health care providers about the use of antibiotics to treat respiratory, urinary, and dental symptoms, how to manage the care of a C. diff. infection at home, and support sessions that are free and available by phone to everyone needing a voice that understands able to guide families worldwide.

"The Worldwide Bake Sale for C.diff. Awareness campaign was insight-based. We know that the health message alone does not work, and felt that making our message appearance-based, with personal participation it would make the educational facet more relevant to our audiences," states Nancy C Caralla, Executive Director. "Who doesn't like to enjoy Grandma's chocolate chip cookies? Sharing, caring, and bringing it face-to-face with a blend of history is the recipe of our success in promoting C. difficile infection prevention, treatments, environmental safety, and support worldwide."

About the C Diff Foundation:

The C Diff Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established 2012, is comprised of 100 percent volunteering professionals dedicated at supporting public health through education and advocating for C. difficile infection (CDI) prevention, treatments, environmental safety, and support worldwide.

The Foundress, Nancy C. Caralla, a Nurse diagnosed and treated for Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) infections and witnessing the loss of her father to C. difficile infection involvement, Nancy recognized the need for greater awareness through education, about research being conducted by the government, industry, and academia and better advocacy on behalf of patients, healthcare professionals, and researchers worldwide working to address the public health threat posed by this devastating, life-threatening infection.

For information please visit http://www.cdifffoundation.org/

Media Contact Person: Nancy Caralla, ncaralla@cdifffoundation.org

*PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0504s2p-cdiffbake-300dpi.jpg

C Diff Foundation announces its "Bake Sale for C.diff. Awareness," a month-long campaign beginning May 2017 in Florida and continuing in N.J., N.C., and across the USA to India, and Italy featuring education and advocacy on health care topics pertaining to the most common pathogen identified as a leading healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in U.S. hospitals alone: Clostridium difficile.

Registration Opens For 34th Annual CURRENTS Nursing Conference

CHARLOTTE, N.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- MED-ED, Inc., is pleased to announce that registration is open for the 34th annual CURRENTS Conference. The continuing education event for critical care and emergency nurses will be held in Charleston, S.C., from October 29 through November 1, 2017.

For more than three decades, CURRENTS has been a trusted resource for nursing continuing education. Over the past 5 years, CURRENTS speakers have impacted 610 hospitals, educated 1,370 nurses and taught 334 sessions. This year's agenda was developed to address the growing challenges in patient care.

In today's healthcare environment, hospitalized patients are arriving sicker than in past years, requiring complex assessment and intervention. A specialized body of knowledge, along with skills and experience to promote patient safety and optimum outcomes, are crucial for healthcare providers.

For CURRENTS 2017, MED-ED has assembled a group of select experts who will provide healthcare professionals with in-depth concepts of patient care that go beyond the basics in order to provide evidence-based, safe care to the critically ill and high-acuity patient.

CURRENTS began in 1983 when Pam Allen, MED-ED founder and CEO, saw a need for a smaller national nursing conference that facilitated collegial collaboration between peers and speakers.

According to Allen, "Today's nurses often experience gaps in knowledge and/or skills due to frequent changes in guidelines for patient care. CURRENTS' agenda for 2017 has been specifically designed to fill those gaps by offering the most up-to-date, evidence-based lectures."

To learn more about this conference: https://meded.cvent.com/CURRENTS-CONFERENCE-2017.

Exhibitor opportunities are also available.

About MED-ED:
MED-ED believes that lifelong learning is the cornerstone of professional nursing competence, providing the knowledge necessary to assure optimum patient care and safety. Nursing continuing education is provided through seminars, self-directed eLearning courses and hospital consultations. MED-ED is committed to excellence in continuing education and unparalleled customer care. MED-ED meets the rigorous requirements of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a nationally accredited provider.

For more information, visit: http://www.mededseminars.net/

Contact:
Kurt Pfeifer
Marketing Director, MED-ED
1911 Charlotte Dr., Charlotte, NC 28203
+1 704-909-4914
marketing@mededseminars.net

*LOGO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0427s2p-med-ed-300dpi.jpg

MED-ED, Inc., is pleased to announce that registration is open for the 34th annual CURRENTS Conference. The continuing education event for critical care and emergency nurses will be held in Charleston, S.C., from October 29 through November 1, 2017.

Residents Medical’s Candidates ‘Match’ into 2017 Medical Residency Positions

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Since November 2016, during what is called the "Pre-Match" cycle, Residents Medical's candidates have been offered coveted and competitive ACGME accredited medical residency training slots. In the graduate medical field, this is the time when they find out where they will be starting their medical residency training.

Although Residents Medical was assisting these candidates to be placed in these positions months before Match week began, the majority of the tens of thousands of residency applicants didn't find out where they would be training until the week of March 13, 2017.

The completion of medical residency training is the only way the MD degree of a graduate is activated. This enables the graduate to achieve board certification in specialties ranging from Anesthesiology to Urology.

The disparity lies in the 43,157 residency candidates that applied for 27,688 positions and the astounding 15,469 applicants that did not achieve a residency position. These applicants will be behind the curve, restless and ostracized from the medical community, and this is where Residents Medical helps.

"Many of our candidates achieved a successful match on March 13, 2017, and are well on their way to a lustrous career," said Residents Medical President, Agata Everest. "These are the candidates that were vetted and proved themselves. They were given an opportunity to shine and demonstrate their talents in order to help mankind."

Residents Medical has a multi-prong method. It is the only organization of its sorts in the highly-specialized field of Graduate Medical Education. Residents Medical is part medical education, part consulting, part preparatory and part residency placement. The Company works with candidates and institutions alike in the realm of GME. The Company brings a holistic approach to the shortage of residencies that is taking hold of the post-graduate medical education field in America. Thousands of newly minted and marginalized MD's are not achieving medical residency, and therefore, piling up with no place to go. Yet, there is an enormous doctor shortage in rural and venerable populations of America.

Residents Medical's candidates have been offered positions in the Pre-Match, NRMP Match, SOAP Match, and will continue to be offered post-Match and out-of-Match positions throughout 2017.

Residents Medical is the only legitimate organization that is trying to do something about the "residency bottleneck" that has taken a hold of the medical field. The Company is trying to help loosen it one success story at a time. The candidates that come to Residents Medical go through a rigorous process of proving themselves. Residents Medical will also be constructing its new roster in droves after the Match, as it is only getting tougher and tougher for applicants to get into residency.

To all its candidates that are going to be starting their medical residency training this summer, Residents Medical is proud to be part of their achievements. Residents Medical's team will continue to encourage all its potential candidates, as well as its successful graduates, to continue their lifelong passion of helping humanity through medicine.

To the candidates that do not give up and remain tenacious and focused, Residents Medical will hold their hand and help guide them to the finish line this year, just like past years, and many years to come.

Through its association with The Everest Foundation, Residents Medical will continue to assist desirous candidates that work hard and appreciate helping the training hospitals with all their needs in the arena of GME. Residents Medical is very proud and humbled to be part of the solution and innovation of residency placement through these opportunities.

The Company strongly believes in sticking to its mission statement of "Pioneering Medical Education, Globally."

Residents Medical's main focus is clinical research and an expansion of Graduate Medical Education opportunities. Today, through a network of residency programs affiliated with top U.S. medical schools and Residents Medical's collaboration with The Everest Foundation, the Company is able to provide exclusive and premier services for medical students and graduates from all continents to prepare for residency.

Whether a U.S. graduate, IMG or FMG, Residents Medical will evaluate all applicant credentials and develop a unique path to residency that's right for each student.

For more information, or to live chat with a counselor, visit: http://residentsmedical.com/ or call 310-444-9700; or make an appointment for an office visit.

Since November 2016, during what is called the "Pre-Match" cycle, Residents Medical's candidates have been offered coveted and competitive ACGME accredited medical residency training slots. In the graduate medical field, this is the time when they find out where they will be starting their medical residency training.

International Healthcare Experts Gather Nov. 9-10 in Las Vegas to Discuss Global Problems Around Leading Healthcare-acquired Infection Clostridium difficile

LAS VEGAS, Nev. /ScoopCloud/ -- C Diff Foundation's 5th Annual International C.diff. Awareness Conference and Health EXPO will be hosted in Las Vegas, Nev. on November 9 & 10, 2017 at UNLV-Thomas and Mack Center. A panel of C. diff. survivors will join world-renowned experts delivering presentations on health care topics pertaining to the most common pathogen identified, a leading healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in U.S. hospitals alone: Clostridium difficile (C.diff.).

Nearly half a million Americans suffer from Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) infections in a single year according to a study released February 2015 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 15,000 deaths were estimated to be directly attributable to C. diff. infections.

Previous studies indicate that C. diff. has become the most common microbial cause of healthcare-associated infections found in U.S. hospitals driving up costs to $4.8 billion each year.

Bringing medical professional guest speakers together, such as Dale Gerding, MD, FACP, FIDSA, Conference Chair and Professor of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Illinois and Research Physician at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, with internationally recognized experts on healthcare-associated infections and the prevention of antimicrobial resistance - provides an educational opportunity for healthcare professionals and those sharing common interests. Presentations will be focused on, but not limited to Clostridium difficile (C.diff.) Prevention, Treatments, Diagnostics, Research, Clinical trials, Microbiome research, Infection Prevention, Irritable Bowel Syndrome treatments and clinical trials, Environmental Safety, Fecal Microbiota Restoration, Antibiotic Stewardship.

The 5th Annual International C.diff. Awareness Conference and Health EXPO will commence on November 9 & 10, 2017, Thomas and Mack Center, UNLV. Shuttle service provided for guests of Embassy Suites Convention Center Hotel, 3600 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89169 (Hotel Phone: 1 - (702)-947-7156).

The C Diff Foundation is grateful for its alliances; the corporations and organizations in alignment with their mission who join them in raising C. diff. awareness worldwide. A sincere thank you to the Sponsors and Exhibitors of the 5th Annual International C. diff. Awareness Conference and Health EXPO: Diamond Sponsor: Synthetic Biologics.

Gold Sponsors: Clorox Healthcare, Seres Therapeutics, ROCHE, Rebiotix, Nestle Health Science, Xenex. Silver Sponsors: SporeGen, Tru-D. This conference is supported through an educational grant from Sanofi Pasteur US.

Additional information and registration - Early Bird Registration Through June 1:
https://cdifffoundation.org/registration/

"None of us can do this alone, All of us can do this together," says Nancy C. Caralla.

About the C Diff Foundation:

The C Diff Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established 2012, comprised of 100% volunteering professionals dedicated at supporting public health through education and advocating for C. difficile infection (CDI) prevention, treatments, environmental safety, and support worldwide. The Foundress, Nancy C. Caralla, a Nurse diagnosed and treated for Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) infections and witnessing the loss of her father to C. difficile infection involvement, Nancy recognized the need for greater awareness through education, about research being conducted by the government, industry, and academia and better advocacy on behalf of patients, healthcare professionals, and researchers worldwide working to address the public health threat posed by this devastating, life-threatening infection.

More information: https://cdifffoundation.org/

Media Contact: ncaralla@cdifffoundation.org

C Diff Foundation's 5th Annual International C.diff. Awareness Conference and Health EXPO will be hosted in Las Vegas, Nev. on November 9 & 10, 2017 at UNLV-Thomas and Mack Center. A panel of C. diff. survivors will join world-renowned experts delivering presentations on health care topics pertaining to the most common pathogen identified, a leading healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in U.S. hospitals alone: Clostridium difficile (C.diff.).

The Everest Foundation is one of the only non-profits assisting to alleviate the ‘Medical Residency Bottleneck’

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Everest Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3), has made it its core passion to help the Graduate Medical Education community. The foundation is renowned in circles of Medical Schools, Universities and Residency Programs. The foundation, in part, assists with funding of research, personnel, edu-initiatives, and residency training slots.

In addition, the foundation assists medical school students and graduates achieve research positions, clinical training opportunities, interviews for residency positions, and residency training; vying diligently in a competitive environment.

A majority of its students and candidates come from Residents Medical, an esteemed organization in its own right. Residents Medical's students are prepared by filling these research opportunities, clinical opportunities, unaccredited residency opportunities, as an Everest Foundation Scholar, proving themselves, and on those merits achieving residency training positions.

Everest Foundation has been supporting residency training and medical schools worldwide with a holistic approach addressing the needs of each one of its recipients on an individual rather than corporate basis. Each institution and individual are assessed proactively and keep a personal relationship with the foundation.

"Each of Everest Foundation's relationships with Schools of Medicines are based on a long-term relationship, usually anywhere from a five to ten-year initiative. This is done to see measurable outcomes for the betterment of schools and students alike," says The Everest Foundation's Chair, Agata Everest.

The Everest Foundation is engaged in clinical research at various U.S. medical schools and ACGME teaching hospitals across the United States. It sponsors numerous collaborations nationally in various specialties from Internal Medicine, Physical Rehabilitative Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopedics and Psychiatry.

If your organization, teaching hospital, medical school, or health system is interested in an alliance with The Everest Foundation, please visit their site at http://theeverestfoundation.org/ or call 310-477-7800.

The Everest Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3), has made it its core passion to help the Graduate Medical Education community. The foundation is renowned in circles of Medical Schools, Universities and Residency Programs. The foundation, in part, assists with funding of research, personnel, edu-initiatives, and residency training slots.

Residents Medical’s Candidates Getting Interviews and Pre-Match Residency slots October through December

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- America's Medical Residency applicants are deep into the residency application season. In September, the application period opened for medical students and graduates that want to be licensed physicians and surgeons via the only path in America - Completing medical residency training, says Residents Medical.

Residents Medical's candidates are being prepared for residency by taking their USMLE Board tests, being tutored by its arsenal of renowned teachers, clinical externship, unaccredited residency positions, research and a plethora of proprietary programs.

This year nearly all Resident Medical's interview-ready candidates are being invited to multiple interviews for residency positions at esteemed residency training programs. They are being prepared for these interviews by current Associate Deans, current and/or former Program Directors, and speech pathology experts.

Residents Medical, through its affiliation with The Everest Foundation, is opening opportunities for its vetted and hardworking candidates. Since October, two of Residents Medical's candidates got offered a pre-match residency position, one of them being a highly sought after categorical position.

"For the remainder of and through the end of December, Residents Medical's candidates will be interviewing for pre-match positions which historically have parlayed into residency slots," says Agata Everest, CEO of Residents Medical.

Many of its candidates will be achieving residency through the main "Match" in March, 2017, and after that the remaining candidates will be given opportunities "post-match" to interview and obtain residency positions. In fact, this past August Residents Medical's candidates were still being offered residency positions from last year's application season before this year has opened up. Residents Medical is helping U.S. medical Graduates (IMGs), foreign medical graduates (FMGs), students and graduates throughout the world achieve their dreams of career and altruistic goals of helping humanity by being a licensed doctor. The bridge of Residency gets one there, Residents Medical is an expert at that.

About Residents Medical:

Residents Medical's main focus is clinical research and an expansion of Graduate Medical Education opportunities. Today, through a network of residency programs affiliated with top U.S. Medical Schools and Residents Medical's collaboration with The Everest Foundation, they are able to provide exclusive and premier services for medical students and graduates from all continents to prepare for residency. Whether you are a U.S. graduate, IMG or FMG, Residents Medical will evaluate your credentials and develop a unique path to residency that's right for you.

For more information, or to live chat with a counselor, visit: http://residentsmedical.com/ or call 310-444-9700; or make an appointment for an office visit.

America's Medical Residency applicants are deep into the residency application season. In September, the application period opened for medical students and graduates that want to be licensed physicians and surgeons via the only path in America - Completing medical residency training, says Residents Medical.

CARR Presents Paper at GSA’s Annual Scientific Meeting

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Christina L. Selder, Principal Investigator and co-founder of CARR (Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform) presented in the Assisted Living Issues of Quality and Translations to Nursing Homes session of the Gerontological Society of America's (GSA) 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting being held November 16 - 20, 2016 in New Orleans, La.

Her presentation, entitled "How Can Quality in Assisted Living Be Measured," reports on the methods and findings of the County of San Diego's innovative program to develop a rating system for assisted living facilities.

The County contracted with CARR to conduct a six-month pilot program to develop a rating system tailored to reflect compliance with California's Title 22 regulations for Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs). The RCFE rating system provides consumers with easy access to objective information and context about care and services delivered to residents.

The rating system developed is grounded in original research, understandings, and insights about California's Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing's citation practices and protocols.

California's Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing has regulatory oversight of nearly 7,500 RCFEs. This agency is responsible for conducting inspections, complaint investigations, and other related oversight visits, and generates public records publishing the findings of the state's assessment of facility compliance with the relevant Title 22 regulations.

Ms. Selder holds a MS degree in Gerontology from San Diego State University, and is an accomplished speaker on California's assisted living care model, as well as an experienced researcher in RCFE public records.

About Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform:

Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform (CARR) is a San Diego-based 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving resident care in assisted living facilities by educating consumers and increasing industry accountability.

More information: http://rcfereform.org/.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Chris Murphy
(619) 795-2165
cmm@rcfereform.org

Christina L. Selder, Principal Investigator and co-founder of CARR (Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform) presented in the Assisted Living Issues of Quality and Translations to Nursing Homes session of the Gerontological Society of America's (GSA) 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting being held November 16 - 20, 2016 in New Orleans, La.

Ashley Albers Named Hospice Medical Director of Four Seasons

FLAT ROCK, N.C., March 23, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Four Seasons Compassion for Life announces the promotion of Ashley Albers, D.O., to the position of hospice medical director.

Albers holds a 2009 doctorate in osteopathic medicine from the A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, and a 2004 bachelor of science in chemistry and mathematics. After a three year residency in internal medicine in the University of Medicine and Dentistry at the New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine from 2009-12, she received a Mountain Area Health Education Center, or MAHEC, Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship, Asheville, in 2012-13.

"During my residency in internal care, I observed a lot of interventions within the intensive care unit that made me wonder what people really wanted for their time at end of life," she says.

Her interest in serving patient needs at end of life deepened, and led her to Four Seasons Compassion for Life, where she accepted a position as a palliative care physician in 2013, followed by a promotion to assistant medical director in 2014. She was certified as a hospice medical director in 2015 and completed a year-long mentorship with Chief Medical Officer Janet Bull, prior to promotion to hospice medical director.

"Dr. Albers has done a magnificent job," says Bull. "She has demonstrated astute clinical skills and possesses a great understanding of the regulations of the Hospice Medicare Benefit."

As hospice medical director, Albers oversees the certification of eligibility of hospice patients to receive Medicare benefits as part of day-to-day operations.

Though others may remark upon her rapid rise within the organization, she describes a combination of factors: a willingness to acquire relevant experience and training, timing, and the emergent need to facilitate changes on the palliative care team which required a greater commitment from its members.

"She is a great team player, and continues to aspire to improving care for the patients and families we serve," says Bull.

As the region's population ages, Albers remains inspired by the opportunity to reach increasing numbers of physicians and health care workers.

"A lot of people who could benefit from our services aren't receiving those yet," she says. "I'd like to be part of helping other medical practitioners do this work."

Four Seasons is a non-profit hospice and palliative care organization led by a dedicated team of health care professionals, social workers, spiritual care professionals and volunteers. Four Seasons currently serves patients in Henderson, Buncombe, Macon, Jackson, Transylvania and surrounding counties.

For information on Four Seasons, visit http://www.fourseasonscfl.org.

*PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0323-Ashley-Albers-300dpi.jpg

Twitter: @fscfl #caregivers #hospicecare

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/albers-named-hospice-medical-director-of-four-seasons-2016-0323-03.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE Four Seasons Compassion For Life :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2016 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

Delta Care Rx Sponsors Innovative Hospice Nurse Intern Program of Four Seasons Compassion for Life

FLAT ROCK, N.C., Jan. 12, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- A shared commitment to the greater good and a growing need for trained hospice professionals led Delta Care Rx, a nationally known hospice pharmaceutical provider, to partner with Four Seasons Compassion For Life in the recent development and implementation of an innovative 12-week "Hospice Nurse Internship Program."

The forward-looking collaboration introduces nurse graduates to the day-to-day operations of Four Seasons' nationally recognized hospice care and nurse leadership case management, much in the way Delta Care Rx offers on and off-campus training to pharmacists.

"Nurses and pharmacists work closely from day to day to manage the unique needs of hospice patients," says Drew Mihalyo, president and chief operating officer at Delta Care Rx. "In hospice, the delivery of care can be quite different from that of other patient settings."

Educating the next generation of nurses while meeting anticipated shortfalls for trained hospice caregivers is a priority, says Derek Groves, vice president of sustainable development for Four Seasons Compassion for Life.

"The internship is a great way to attract promising young nurse leaders, show them what we do, and introduce them to the high quality of hospice care that Four Seasons provides," he says. "We are excited about the results made possible by Delta Care Rx's sponsorship."

The grant from partner Delta Care Rx has made it possible to introduce hospice as a specialty to promising new graduates, says Renee Barnwell, a registered nurse and Four Seasons director of professional development.

"Prior to graduation, many students in both pharmacy and nursing have infrequently experienced training specific to the needs of hospice or palliative care patients," says Mihalyo.

To meet this need, the Four Seasons nurse intern training initiative includes classroom studies, active learning, and hands-on patient care to foster the competence and independence needed for quality hospice patient care, says Barnwell.

"Young nurses breathe new life into the profession," she says. "If we can introduce them to hospice and end of life care, the benefit is that we can get them into the specialty earlier in their careers."

Increasing the numbers of exceptional nurses is particularly important at the present time, she explains. The hospice industry includes an aging work force, with an average age for nurses well into their 40s, and significant numbers reaching retirement.

"New graduates bring intense energy to an organization. If you could bottle it, we'd be rich: passion for learning, openness to learning new things, and excitement about nursing," Barnwell says.

As the interns complete the 12 week program, they transition into permanent positions as nurse case managers ready to manage patient care plans.

"We've been careful to select nurses with a new passion for end of life care who want to spend a career within the field," she says. "The nurse interns chosen for the program demonstrated exceptional nursing skills, and have the communications abilities to elicit patient goals and collaboratively develop plans of care."

The "hospice heart" is unmistakable, she says.

"We look for that special quality in nurses that draws them to hospice," says Barnwell. "We encourage them as leaders, and work to ensure their future success."

About Delta Care Rx:

Delta Care Rx - http://www.deltacarerx.com/ - transforms and improves the hospice pharmacy industry through business transparency, innovation, extreme customer service, and the maintenance of vital community-pharmacy relationships. As a pharmacist owned, privately held provider, Delta Care Rx sets the industry benchmark for pharmacy benefit management, on-demand pharmacist services, and hospice tailored electronic prescribing.

About Four Seasons Compassion For Life:

Four Seasons Compassion for Life - https://www.fourseasonscfl.org/ - is a 501c3 non-profit organization with a dedicated team of health care professionals, social workers, spiritual care professionals and volunteers deeply committed to its mission of "Co-Creating the Care Experience." Nationally known for its leadership in innovative, quality hospice and palliative care services, and serving western North Carolina, the agency is a former Circle of Life award recipient from the American Medical Association.

* PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0112-fourseasrx-300dpi.jpg

* Photo Caption: (L-R) Renee Barnwell, director of professional development, Stacie Raasch, Serena Lowry, clinical nurse educator, and Ryan Frederick reflect and debrief.

Twitter: @fscfl #hospice #palliativecare

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/delta-care-rx-sponsors-innovative-hospice-nurse-intern-program-of-four-seasons-compassion-for-life-2016-0112-02.shtml.

Mountain Home Care Adds Nursing Services to In-Home Care, Addresses Gap in Patient Needs

ENKA, N.C., April 21, 2015 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- What happens when an aging individual needs more in-home care than Medicare or insurance provides? The recent addition of licensed nursing services by Mountain Home Care addresses the existing and widening gap between patient needs and the amount of skilled care insurance providers cover.

The addition of a professional nurse to a family's care giving efforts can make all the difference in managing the demands of in-home care, according to Lana Wilde, owner of Mountain Home Care. The addition of nursing services adds depth to the licensed service provider's ability to provide quality professional services at home, where clients feel safest and happiest.

"We know this is a way to help some individuals stay in their homes and live independently for a longer period of time," she says. "We support that effort."

In 1997, the Institute of Medicine released a landmark report, suggesting elders do not receive the care they need, calling for reform. In 2011, the IOM issued a benchmark survey, "The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health," identifying "significant gaps in care" across nursing settings. Most recently, a 2014 research group found those gaps were widening, identifying what patients need most: support care from trained caregivers.

Since opening its doors more than 12 years ago, Mountain Home Care has always maintained registered nurses to perform assessments and to be on-call at all times. Today, in-home nursing services are a welcome addition to its client care-giving options, and are provided under a doctor's written order. The referring physician also supervises the nurses and gives directions for their patients, says Wilde.

"This allows us to help the client who is no longer eligible for home health care under their insurance, yet who remains unable to provide for their needs on their own," says Lesley Bratro, registered nurse and agency director.

For example, an individual with a wound that is progressively healing may find that Medicare won't cover costs for someone to come to their home to do a simple dressing, even if they cannot do it themselves.

"Who is going to do that for them?" asks Bratro. "We can now help them with that."

Similarly, an individual whose medication needs were formerly met by a home health provider may find themselves without assistance when their home health care benefits are no longer in effect. By comparison, the Mountain Home Care client who receives nursing services will be able to ask their nurse to fill medication organizers, monitor for errors, and make certain medications are taken on time and correctly. These measures add up to reduced risk for emergency room visits, especially for elderly patients.

"Many family caregivers also have jobs or children making it difficult for them to be with a loved one as often as needed," says Wilde. "Knowing a well-qualified professional is handling those types of details takes worry away and provides peace of mind for the family."

As the health care community and services change to meet current needs, increasing amounts of care is required to be done at home by nurses, says Wilde, who sees nurses as leaders in the "continuum of care" clients deserve.

"We're not trying to take the place of home health care. We can't. But we can fill the gap they cannot."

Since 2003, Mountain Home Care, Arden, remains the leading provider of private home care, geriatric care management and skilled nursing services in western North Carolina. Download your copy of the free "Home Care Guide" at http://www.mountainhomecare.com/ .

* PHOTO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/15-0421-Lesley-Bratro-300dpi.jpg

* Photo caption: Lesley Bratro, R.N., Mountain Home Care director of nursing, sees in-home nursing services as a vital addition to patient support, closing the gaps between payment and care settings, and improving quality of life.

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/mountain-home-care-adds-nursing-services-to-in-home-care-addresses-gap-in-patient-needs-2015-0421-05.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE Mountain Home Care :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2015 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.