Category Archives: Business of Medicine

EMS Healthcare receives ISO accreditation for fourth consecutive year

EMS Healthcare has announced that it has achieved ISO accreditation for the fourth consecutive year.

It is the latest in a long line of endorsements that the UK event marketing organisation has achieved continuously and maintained over the years. It marks EMS Healthcare as a first-class employer.

By investing in standards of best practice, EMS Healthcare not only gives their customers peace of mind and the confidence to do business with them, but they are also able to recruit the best and brightest talent in the event trailer hire and mobile medical accommodation industry.

Ultimately, it strengthens our proposition to both existing clients and prospects; whilst also helping to strengthen their ongoing recruitment drive. Ultimately it makes good business sense all round.

David Legg, Finance Director at EMS said: “We may be a SME business, but we are perfectly formed and certainly have big company values.

“When it comes to our staff, this is no exception, and we’re delighted to have recently passed the BS OHSAS 18001:2007 – Occupational Health and Safety Standard, which is no mean feat.

“It’s the fourth consecutive year that we have achieved the accreditation. And we were among one of the first live events companies to lead the way in its attainment.”

Find out more about EMS Healthcare and mobile medical accomodation today by calling 0151 350 1500 or visiting http://ems-healthcare.com.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

Providing Personalized Service to Clients in Need of Health Insurance Solutions

Loyal Leafâ„¢ is in the business of providing tailored, personalized service to clients in need of health insurance solutions. They take pride in being insurance guides who provide one-stop, last-stop service by offering a complete range of products and professional service.

Their newly designed website has been reinvented in order to serve their client base better by providing a comprehensive assortment of insurance packages under one roof. It is designed to provide information, tools and education to those in search of health insurance. With an easy interface and improved navigation Loyal Leaf has created a naturally comfortable environment for the consumer. It is vital in the ever changing world of the health care industry that all information be current and viable and clearly stated. Loyal Leaf through its brand new website is doing its part to demonstrate their professionalism with their improved online presence. The inclusion of an information filled health-related blog rounds out the presentation.

Loyal Leaf’s insurance agents continue to have an advanced toolbox with which to compare both prices and products from a wide selection of top tier insurance carriers. They are very well versed on the latest Obama Care regulations and the advent of new and exciting product options for their client offerings.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

HD Biosciences and Anchor Therapeutics Form Collaboration for Co-marketing Pepducin-mediated GPCR Technology

HD Biosciences Co., Ltd (HDB) and Anchor Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that they have formed a strategic collaboration to co-develop and co-market Anchor’s proprietary pepducin technology and provide novel drug development solutions to global pharmaceutical companies with drug discovery efforts focused on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR).

Pepducins are proprietary lipidated peptide modulators for GPCR signaling. They may stabilize receptor conformation, promote or inhibit dimerization, and modulate interaction of GPCR with signalosome. As a strong research tool, pepducin technology enables high throughput screening (HTS) campaigns for the identification of special class of compounds and allosteric ligands, facilitates biophysical studies via stabilization of GPCRs in different activation states and functionally de-orphanizes GPCRs to provide tools for interrogation of pharmacology in vitro and in vivo.

As a key component of HDB’s plate-based pharmacology service capabilities, GPCR assays and screenings is one of the most active research and development areas that attracts global clients and partners in drug discoveries. With over 200 recombinant GPCR cell lines in house, some of which are orphan receptors, combining a variety assay formats with pepducin technology allows HDB to enhance its capabilities for supporting hit identification, lead discovery and receptor selectivity profiling. The collaboration is also designed to provide broader exposure and accessibility of pepducin technology across pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries through HDB’s global client base. HDB’s clients will gain unprecedented access to not only the pepducin screening platform but also HDB-Anchor’s joint expertise in GPCR research.

“Anchor’s pepducin technology has provided a novel approach to search very special GPCR related compounds that have potential to alter the receptor functions. We believe this technology will be very valuable in GPCR related drug discovery.” commented Dr. Xuehai Tan, President and Chief Executive Officer of HDB. “As one of the global leaders in biology focused contract research services, HDB emphasizes on innovative and scientific driven technologies in order to deliver extra value to our clients. The partnership between HDB and Anchor is a perfect example to demonstrate our commitment to grow the expertise and strengthen our leadership in GPCR R&D.” Dr. Tan continues his comments.

“Anchor Therapeutics is extremely pleased to partner its pepducin technology with HD Biosciences, one of the leading companies providing state of the art high throughput screening services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients,” said Thomas J. McMurry, PhD, Anchor’s Interim President. Dr. McMurry continued, “Through this collaboration, Anchor and HDB will expand the validation of pepducin high throughput screening probes in order to provide HDB’s clients with access to innovative screens designed to facilitate access to novel small molecule pharmacophores.”

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

BlueFire Marketing Announces Launch of New Healthcare Reminder Service

BlueFire Marketing, a fully integrated marketing firm, announced today the launch of a text message marketing reminder service for healthcare providers. This service allows them to automatically remind patients of upcoming appointments. This reduces time and cost for healthcare providers who manually and individually call patients to remind them of their appointments.

BlueFire Marketing recognizes changing trends in both the market and in consumer preferences. In the U.S., smartphone penetration has reached 54%, and is projected to hit 84% by 2016. This creates an opportunity to reach individuals and build 1-on-1 relationships at an incredibly low cost.

Curt Johnson, President of BlueFire Marketing, said, “The beauty of the smartphone era for retailers and healthcare professionals is that the cost of the marketing medium is paid for by the consumer. The more your marketing mix shifts towards digital, the lower your cost per thousand.”

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

Healthcare Outcomes Solutions Launches Patient Centered Enhanced Care Model to Reduce Healthcare Costs for Chronically Ill Patients of Self insured companies and improve their care

Healthcare Outcomes Solutions (HOS), a company dedicated to reducing health care costs for self insured companies and their employees, recently launched its Patient Centered Enhanced Care model (PCEC). PCEC is a care coordination model designed to improve health care and reduce costs specifically for employee-patients, or their family members, with multiple chronic illnesses who are in a health plan offered by self-funded companies.

It is now common knowledge that approximately 5% of members of health plans account for about 50% of the cost. Multiple chronic diseases are the source of the majority of the cost in healthcare. The PCEC model enables self-funded businesses across the U.S. to offer coordinated care specifically for these member-patients. This service is offered to middle size or larger employers.

The PCEC model has been developed by healthcare experts and is grounded in extensive research of evidence-based and outcomes studies, many of which are available on the HOS website, www.healthcareoutcomes.net. The latest data on healthcare costs show that care coordination of the most chronically ill member-patients can reduce a company’s healthcare costs significantly.

We will work with companies to determine if the PCEC model is right for them. Affiliated healthcare accountants will examine a company’s current health care expenses, and HOS will determine the feasibility of reducing cost while improving care.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

Napier Healthcare sets up US operations to address the needs of healthcare providers in North America

Healthcare software solutions specialist continues its international expansion with the establishment of a wholly-owned subsidiary in the United States. The new entity will focus on driving adoption of Napier’s suite of solutions across the healthcare spectrum, including general and specialty hospitals, clinics, laboratories and blood banks.

Singapore, May 16, 2013- Napier Healthcare Solutions (www.napierhealthcare.com), a leading healthcare software provider, is pleased to announce that it has set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in the United States, Napier Healthcare Solutions, Inc.

To be based out of New Jersey, the six-member US team will be headed by Manish Mehta, an industry veteran, who will be taking charge as General Manager for the services business across America. The US entity will focus on customer acquisition across the United States and other markets in North America.

“Setting up of US operations is part of our two-pronged geographical expansion strategy, wherein we are aggressively growing our reach across emerging markets such as Africa and also establishing our footprint in developed markets such as the United States,” said Karthik Tirupathi, CEO of Napier Healthcare. “This is an important milestone in our goal to be a global provider of leading-edge software solutions for the healthcare sector.”

Targeting the US market closely follows the roll-out of Napier’s next-generation fully mobile-enabled platform Napier EHRm. This open-source based platform provides hospitals and other healthcare providers scalability, flexibility, ability to integrate with 3rd party systems and lower their total cost of ownership (TCO).

“With the new enhanced mobile platform, we are confident of offering healthcare providers in the US with a suite of solutions suitable for their diverse requirements. We believe it will be an important differentiator,” adds Karthik.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

Innovative Drug Discovery Business, Biosortia Pharmaceuticals, Lands Two Health Care Veterans

Kurt Dieck formerly SVP of Strategy and Business Execution at Cardinal Health, will lead early stage drug discovery business at Biosortia Pharmaceuticals. Dieck was named President and CEO in November 2012 and has quickly identified other key executives, including Dr. Guy Carter, former Natural Product head at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, as his Chief Science Officer. In conjunction, other collaboration partners have joined the team, including NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), NCI (National Cancer Institute) and key universities, to strategically accelerate the development of novel drug leads in the therapeutic areas of cancer, infectious diseases, inflammation and neurological disorders. Biosortia Pharmaceuticals has seen promising early results with dozens of novel compounds having already been requested, and are under evaluation with NCI and Eli Lilly.

Dieck has spent nearly 30 years in healthcare, including 18 years at Arthur Andersen as a global equity partner and then 10 years with Cardinal Health, a Fortune 20 public company, as a senior executive; there he worked with a broad spectrum of partners, including brand pharmaceutical manufacturers, throughout the supply chain. Dr. Guy Carter has over 30 years of experience working in pharmaceutical R&D, primarily in the discovery and development of microbial natural products. He previously was the leader of natural products drug discovery at Wyeth Research, as head of the Chemical Technologies Department.

“Kurt and Guy make a great team. Their complementary Pharma experiences and backgrounds create great opportunities to accelerate Biosortia’s objective to become the premier, aquatic natural products company with a primary focus in drug discovery,” says Ross Youngs, Biosortia’s Founder and Chairman. “Kurt and Guy bring a wealth of research and business experience along with deep industry relationships in building successful Pharma partnerships. Everyone involved with this young biotech is excited about the future.”

Industry observers have commented that late-stage R&D pipelines are not providing Pharma with the desired revenue growth the market is expecting. Therefore, large Pharma is evolving the way it performs R&D in order to optimize efficiency and to boost patent cliff defenses. These changes require shifting from relying solely on in-house chemistry-based R&D to acquiring and licensing external technologies and natural products based compounds in various stages of development. Biosortia’s ability to supply novel, highly active and potent compounds with drug-like characteristics will increase the productivity and success rate for Pharma as well as reduce the overall cost of the discovery process. The cost to discover, develop and launch a new drug is estimated to reach nearly $3B per drug by 2015. Biosortia’s business model is designed specifically to support Pharma’s needs.

“With nearly unlimited microorganisms (3.7 nonillion), the aquatic environment and its consortia represent an extraordinary opportunity…a new frontier, to access extremely potent and chemically diverse secondary metabolites with drug-like properties with unique mechanisms of action never researched before,” said Dieck. In describing the opportunity, Dieck goes on to say, “Biosortia is on the cutting edge of natural product discovery
and has the capabilities to deliver on its aspiration. Our powerful natural products research team, led by Dr. Guy Carter, in partnership with NOAA’s Dr. Peter Moeller, a leader in aquatic natural products research, has the experience and know-how to decipher the complex unexplored environment in a very efficient manner leveraging all the current state of the art instrumentation. The need for more efficient and effective approaches to drug discovery has never been more important. Biosortia’s innovative technologies, deep research skills and key relationships will efficiently provide thousands of unique natural products as candidates for drug discovery at a time when Pharma is in critical need for “high quality shots on goal.”

“Aquatic microbial consortia are a rich source of metabolically active organisms including microalgae, bacteria, fungi and their secondary metabolites,” states Carter. “Owing to the competitive nature of their habitat, chemical investigations of microbial consortia reveal unique structurally diversified natural products that are responsible for signaling and self-defense that have potential as therapeutics with novel mechanisms of action. Since they have been pre-optimized by nature, these compounds are typically closer to a drug candidate than a synthetic lead, thus requiring less optimization and shorter time when found as ‘hits’ in screening programs.”

The team has also focused on agreements with strategic collaboration partners as vital components to the strategy. Biosortia has recently entered into several collaboration agreements with NOAA, Analyticon and exclusive harvesting relationships, just to name a few. Several others will be advanced by the end of January. Biosortia’s cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with NOAA’s Center for Human Health Risk at Hollings Marine Laboratory provides a 5-year framework for research and development regarding the analysis and purification of novel bioactive compounds. According to NOAA’s Technology Partnerships Office, “Success will result in the commercial development of new and unique chemical compounds from the sea which have benefits to human health, either through disease prevention or new treatments for disease.”

Dr. Peter Moeller, NOAA’s Research Scientist who leads the Toxins Natural Products Program stated after analyzing fractions of Biosortia’s biomass, “Coupling NOAA’s mission of characterizing toxins affecting environmental and/or human health with Biosortia’s drug discovery focus turns one man’s toxin into another’s chemotherapeutic. The microorganisms analyzed in the Biosortia biomass identified more unique activity than I have seen in my 30 year career. The volumes achieved from a single harvest delivered an equivalent of 30 years of accumulation. This could materially change the landscape for natural products drug discovery research.”

As of December 31, 2012, Biosortia has identified more than 30 bioactive candidate compounds (hits) from a fresh water eutrophic lake consortium. Therapeutic areas of focus include treatments for cancer, infectious diseases, inflammation and neurological disorders. In addition, more than a dozen of its patent protected compounds are in initial evaluation stage within Eli Lilly’s Open Innovation Drug Discovery Program.

Dieck states, “Looking forward, it is with great optimism. We have a great team built around mutual respect, deep experience, and a desire to succeed and make a difference. We are aligning with the right partners and collaborators to execute our strategy with speed and discipline to provide Pharma with much high quality & diverse compounds vs. “me-too” drugs than they have had in the past 10 years. We are excited about what this company can accomplish, not only for its shareholders but also for the millions of people who have been diagnosed with various forms of chronic diseases who are looking for Pharma to identify better ways to help them extend their lives or live a more productive life. Biosortia can play a big role in identifying compounds that can help Pharma achieve these goals. I am looking forward to the challenge and opportunity to build an industry leading drug discovery company.”

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

Microtissues® Inc. and Sigma-Aldrich® Sign Worldwide Supply and Distribution Agreement for the 3D Petri Dish®

Microtissues® Inc. announced today the signing of a Supply and Distribution Agreement with Sigma-Aldrich® Corporation (Nasdaq: SIAL) for the worldwide sales and marketing of the 3D Petri Dish®, a new technology for the culture of living cells in three dimensions (3D). Invented at Brown University, the 3D Petri Dish® maximizes cell-to-cell interactions critical for replicating the function of natural tissues and organs. Shown in numerous peer reviewed papers to work with over fifty different cell types, including cell lines, primary cells and stem cells, the 3D Petri Dish® has applications in cancer research, drug discovery, toxicity testing and regenerative medicine.

“Researchers are rapidly recognizing the importance of 3D cell culture and its ability to reliably mimic in vivo function” said Brian Morgan, Director of Business Development, Microtissues® Inc. “The 3D Petri Dish® creates a natural 3D environment without artificial scaffolds and we’re excited that this distribution agreement will bring our unique and innovative line of products to the worldwide research community.”

Unlike the conventional plastic Petri dish where cells are grown as a thin layer on the surface of the dish, the 3D Petri Dish® forms 3D aggregates of cells. Spheroid size is controlled by the number of cells seeded and hundreds of uniform sized spheroids are formed in a single pipetting step. Spheroids are formed in a well ordered array in a stable platform suitable for long term culture. All spheroids are positioned on the same optical plane making them easy to image (phase contrast, fluorescent). Spheroid size is controlled by the number of cells seeded and a mixture of cells forms mixed spheroids, suitable for investigating tumor-stroma interactions. Spheroids can be grown from single cells, applicable to the study of cancer stem cells. For histology, Western blots and RT-PCR, spheroids are harvested by simply inverting the 3D Petri Dish®. No need to dissolve or digest the gel. The 3D Petri Dish® is a new fundamental tool for the world wide industry of life sciences research.

About Sigma-Aldrich®: Sigma-Aldrich® is a leading Life Science and High Technology company whose biochemical, organic chemical products, kits and services are used in scientific research, including genomic and proteomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, the diagnosis of disease and as key components in pharmaceutical, diagnostics and high technology manufacturing. Sigma-Aldrich® customers include more than 1.3 million scientists and technologists in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals and industry. The Company operates in 38 countries and has nearly 9,000 employees whose objective is to provide excellent service worldwide. Sigma-Aldrich® is committed to accelerating customer success through innovation and leadership in Life Science and High Technology. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich®, please visit its website at www.sigma-aldrich.com.

About Microtissues® Inc: Microtissues® Inc. is a privately held company located in Providence, RI, advancing technologies and applications of 3D cell culture. Microtissues®, Inc.’s products are designed to serve the needs of researchers in a wide range of areas including cancer research, stem cell biology, toxicity testing, developmental biology, drug discovery, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Microtissues®, Inc. has an exclusive worldwide license from Brown University to US and international patent applications on the 3D Petri Dish®. For more information on Microtissues®, Inc., please visit www.microtissues.com.

Sigma-Aldrich and Sigma are trademarks of Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC registered in the US and other countries. Microtissues and 3D Petri Dish are registered trademarks of Microtissues, Inc.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

Centralized Sent Mail Folder for Crypt-n-Send, Email Encryption Service

MDofficeMail is proud to announce the release of new version of Compose-Webpage, Webmail, iPhone/iPad App and Android App for their HIPAA compliant Email Encryption Service, Crypt-n-Send.

Most advanced and advantageous feature of this new version is- Centralized Sent Mail folder.

With most of the email services, when email messages are sent from webmail, Outlook/other email client applications or smart phone email programs, messages sent are stored in different folders. For example if you have sent a message from Outlook of your home computer, you don’t have access to that message unless you have access to that particular computer.

To overcome this common problem, CryptnSend adopted a new software technology.

Secure email messages sent using any of the below given methods are saved in to the Sent Mail folder of your Webmail. Further, this folder can be accessed directly from your smart phone and Compose-Webpage without logging into your Webmail:
A. Compose-Webpage: Browse https://cryptnsend.com, compose a secure message, and send.
B. Webmail: Browse https://secure.cryptnsend.com, login, compose a secure message, and send.
C. iPhone/iPad and Android App: Download and install the app, login with your email id and password, compose and send message.
D. MS Outlook/Apple Mail/Any other Email Client program: Configure your CryptnSend account in your email client program and send secure, encrypted messages.

About Crypt-n-Send Email Encryption Service from MDofficeMail
To send any confidential information like PHI by email, it is necessary that
a)Both the sender and the recipient should have a secure email account.
b)The content of the message should not be in human readable format if it is accessed by someone else.

In general, many responsible senders like medical facilities will have secure email service at their end. However, they ignore the importance of security at recipient’s end. It is a known fact that majority of people use free accounts with no security at all. To handle this critical issue that is most often ignored, to maintain the end-to-end security of emails, MDofficeMail is presenting to you Crypt-n-Send.

Crypt-n-Send is an innovative service for encrypting and delivering email with end-to-end security. You can use any email account to SEND secure email. The recipient’s email account need not be secure.

In addition, this process doesn’t involve the hassle of installing additional software, security certificates, or keys. However if you choose MS Outlook to send secure and plain messages, you can install Crypt-n-Send Add-in for MS Outlook as an option.

How Crypt-n-Send works
Continue to use your existing email account as before and subscribe to Crypt-n-send service for your existing email id.

Other important features of Crypt-n-Send include:
New recipient validation: By selecting this option while composing a message, the sender can restrict a new recipient from viewing the message without a security token. This token can be given to the recipient over phone.

Password reset authorization: Unless the sender authorizes, recipient cannot reset a forgotten password to view a secure message.
Validation of recipient to reset password: Optionally, the sender can validate the recipient requesting for a reset of a forgotten password.

Sender has the option to send encrypted message or plain message to any email recipient.

Access logs: Access logs can be viewed for each user, as required by HIPAA

Force expiration of sent messages: In case incorrect information is emailed by error, sender can force expire the message. Force expired message will no longer be available to the recipient.

Fixed life of sent message: Messages are automatically deleted from MDVault after 30 days irrespective of whether it is already viewed by the recipient or not.

Downloading and storing: If the recipient wants to save important messages for future reference, they can download and save the message on their computer.

Secure reply: Recipient of a secure message can send a secure, encrypted reply.

Automatic session time-out.

Change-Password Reminder: Users are reminded to change their password every 90 days to maintain the HIPAA compliance.

Attachments: Attachments can be sent using Compose Webpage, Webmail and MS Outlook.
Attachments are encrypted and can be downloaded from MDVault secure site. Recipients can include attachments in their replies as well.

Limitations with Crypt-n-Send Service from MDofficeMail:
Message headers, including the subject are not encrypted and will get delivered to the recipient in the notification. Be careful not to include sensitive information in the subject line.

Messages held by MDVault will be removed after 30 days for better security. So, it can’t be used as a long-term secure message storage.

Sign up for Crypt-n-Send service from the following link:https://cryptnsend.com/SecureOrder.aspx

For more information on Crypt-n-Send and MDofficeMail Email Hosting Service, please visithttp://MDofficeMail.com

Encryption technology used in Crypt-n-Send and MDofficeMail Email Hosting Service:

MDVault uses industry-standard AES-256 encryption in CBC mode with MD5 hash. Many federal agencies and financial institutions around the globe use the same class of encryption to protect very sensitive data. AES-256 encryption is so secure that there are no publicly-known attacks that will recover anything useful from an AES-256 encrypted file in any remotely reasonable amount of time.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

Vitamin D Pharmacy’s YouTube Video Surpasses the 2000 View Mark as Winter Sets in and the Hours of Vitamin D Producing Sunshine Decrease

New Life Pharmacy in Glasgow is on a mission to raise awareness of vitamin D deficiency and in turn, reduce the number of people suffering from its related health issues.

In April 2012 Elizabeth Roddick, Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, pharmacist and owner of the New Life Pharmacy released a video on YouTube that explains the health risks of being deficient in vitamin D. Low levels of this important vitamin have been linked with diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, hypothyroidism and cancer.

More recently, studies have found that a high level of vitamin D in women under the age of 75 can decrease the risk of macular degeneration and the loss of central vision, which is a main cause of partial-blindness in people over 50 years old (Qureshah, 2012). Vitamin D deficiency can also lead to health issues and diseases such as rickets, multiple sclerosis, depression and respiratory tract infections.

Vitamin D is produced when ultra violet (UVB) rays coming from the sun hit the skin. It is then absorbed through the liver where it is converted to calcidiol. It then works to check the calcium and phosphate levels in the blood, which are important for maintaining healthy bones. Vitamin D can also be found in some foods such as eggs, oily fish and fortified cereals.

It is common knowledge that all people’s vitamin D levels drop during the winter (November to March) as the sun is weaker during this time. A recent study (Qureshah, 2012) found that during the winter 28 percent of women had deficient levels of vitamin D, and 33 percent of women had insufficient levels. Being regarded as deficient means the level of vitamin D is less than 20ng/mL, insufficient is having 20-29ng/mL. Compare this with the summer statistics where only 5% are deficient in vitamin D and the contrast is clear.

According to Roddick, the skin needs to be exposed at the hottest time of the day (between 10am and 3pm) for about 15 minutes. These are the hours where the UVB rays are strongest and so vitamin D is most prevalent. This of course completely opposes the advice given out by skin cancer charities who urge sun bathers and holiday makers to stay out of the sun during these peak hours. Roddick does add, “It is of course very important than the skin does not burn since that can lead to skin cancer.”

Roddick believes that, “supplementation is required for most people. Also, because there are certain people who shouldn’t take vitamin D and a wide range of doses are available it can be confusing. Advice needs to be available when purchasing the products.”

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

Smart Phone App to Send HIPAA Compliant, Encrypted Email from Crypt-n-Send Service

MDofficeMail is proud to announce the release of iPhone/iPad App and Android App for their HIPAA compliant Email Encryption Service, Crypt-n-Send.

By installing this app iPhone/iPad and Android phone users can send encrypted email messages from their smart phones.

About Crypt-n-Send Email Encryption Service from MDofficeMail:

To send any confidential information like PHI by email, it is necessary that
a) Both the sender and the recipient should have a secure email account.
b) The content of the message should not be in human readable format if it is accessed by someone else.

In general, many responsible senders like medical facilities will have secure email service at their end. However, they ignore the importance of security at recipient’s end. It is a known fact that majority of people use free accounts with no security at all. To handle this critical issue that is most often ignored, to maintain the end-to-end security of emails, MDofficeMail is presenting to you Crypt-n-Send.

Crypt-n-Send is an innovative service for encrypting and delivering email with end-to-end security. You can use any email account to SEND secure email. The recipient’s email account need not be secure. In addition, this process doesn’t involve the hassle of installing additional software, security certificates, or keys. However if you choose MS Outlook to send secure and plain messages, you can install Crypt-n-Send Add-in for MS Outlook as an option.

How Crypt-n-Send works:

Continue to use your existing email account as before and subscribe to Crypt-n-send service for your existing email id.
Send secure messages in four different ways:
A. Compose Webpage: Browse https://cryptnsend.com, compose a secure message, and send.
B. Webmail: Browse https://secure.cryptnsend.com, login, compose a secure message, and send.
C. iPhone/iPad and Android App: Download and install the app, login with your email id and password, compose and send message.
D. MS Outlook: Download, Install and Configure the Add-in from http://mdofficemail.com, follow instructions to send secure and encrypted messages from MS Outlook.

Other important features of Crypt-n-Send include:

1. New recipient validation: By selecting this option while composing a message, the sender can restrict a new recipient from viewing the message without a security token. This token can be given to the recipient over phone.
2. Password reset authorization: Unless the sender authorizes, recipient cannot reset a forgotten password to view a secure message.
3. Validation of recipient to reset password: Optionally, the sender can validate the recipient requesting for a reset of a forgotten password.
4. Sender has the option to send encrypted message or plain message to any email recipient
5. Access logs: Access logs can be viewed for each user, as required by HIPAA
6. Force expiration of sent messages: In case incorrect information is emailed by error, sender can force expire the message. Force expired message will no longer be available to the recipient.
7. Fixed life of sent message: Messages are automatically deleted from MDVault after 30 days irrespective of whether it is already viewed by the recipient or not.
8. Downloading and storing: If the recipient wants to save important messages for future reference, they can download and save the message on their computer.
9. Secure reply: Recipient of a secure message can send a secure, encrypted reply.
10. Automatic session timeout.
11. Change-Password Reminder: Users are reminded to change their password every 90 days to maintain the HIPAA compliance.
12. Attachments: Attachments can be sent using Compose Webpage, Webmail and MS Outlook. Attachments are encrypted and can be downloaded from MDVault secure site. Recipients can include attachments in their replies as well.

Limitations with Crypt-n-Send Service from MDofficeMail:
Message headers, including the subject are not encrypted and will get delivered to the recipient in the notification. Be careful not to include sensitive information in the subject line.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

Boots UK and Macmillan Cancer Support launch new role to help millions access cancer information

According to new research* almost a third of people affected by cancer felt that they had insufficient information and support outside of their healthcare team. Boots UK and Macmillan have specially trained over 500 Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists to help improve the lives of those affected by cancer**. They will be available in many Boots stores to help connect people to information and support in their local area.

The launch of the Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacist is the first time that the role of a pharmacist has been extended to include this type of cancer information and support. It is estimated that 2 million people are currently living with or beyond cancer in the UK and this is anticipated to increase to 4 million by 2030***. As the demand for cancer health care is set to rise, the launch of this innovative pharmacy role aims to help the millions of people affected by cancer access the information and support they need, in an accessible and trusted environment.

Ciarán Devane, Chief Executive of Macmillan, commented: “The Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists are the next stage in what is already a strong and sector-leading partnership that we both are extremely proud of. Macmillan and Boots UK believe that by sharing expertise and working together, we can reach even more of the millions of people affected by cancer than we are currently.”

The research also showed that nearly three quarters (74%) of people living with cancer felt that the information and support they received outside of their healthcare team made them better equipped to understand their cancer experience:
– 92% felt it had a positive impact on their emotional, physical or financial well being
– 51% felt able to understand more about their cancer and their experience of it
– 48% felt able to make decisions that were right for them

Alex Gourlay, Chief Executive of Health & Beauty Division, Alliance Boots, added:
“The introduction of the Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacist means that for the millions of customers that visit Boots pharmacies across the country, they can access increased cancer information and support. The findings from this research highlight just how important accessing the right information at the right time can be for people affected by cancer and the role it can play in helping them to manage their condition.”

Visit www.boots.com/cancer to find your nearest Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacist. For cancer support contact Macmillan on 0808 808 0000 or visit www.macmillan.org.uk.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

BootsWebMD.com launches Baby Personality Quiz

BootsWebMD.com has launched a new, online Baby Personality Quiz which highlights several key traits to look out for when analysing a baby’s temperament.

With the help of the Baby Personality Quiz* on the BootsWebMD.com Children and Parenting Health Centre, users can identify their baby’s personality by answering a series of simple questions about their behaviour. The results of the quiz can then be analysed to identify their behaviour patterns. Essential information about the best approach in managing a child’s behaviour habits can also be found, with a simple step-by-step guide to keeping in sync with the baby. It could even help users to work in tandem with their child’s temperament and personality to make life easier for both parent and child.

Whether the child is feisty or easy-going, the answer to identifying its personality and behaviour patterns lies in a number of key areas. According to paediatrician Dr William Carey, author of ‘Understanding Your Child’s Temperament’, these include:

Activity/energy level – if the child has high or low energy levels, parents need to look for ways to keep them moving at a pace that’s comfortable for them Approach to newness – a naturally hesitant or shy baby will need extra reassurance and patience to overcome their shyness.

Intensity – if a baby is laid back, they can get lost in the shuffle of family life and vice versa. If the baby is intense they must be taught to deal with the curves of life

Sensitivity – if a baby has high sensitivity to lights, noise or texture, parents must be patient and look for ways to avoid sensory overload such as the lighting and the type of clothes the baby wears.

Regularity – if everything is unpredictable, potty, naps, moods, parents have to let go of their controlling ways and loosen up. Conversely, if a baby likes structure, parents might have to adhere to the schedule they crave

Persistence – puzzles are great tools to lengthen attention span, along with a daily dose of bedtime reading.

Overall mood – parents should take the time to observe their baby’s daily patterns and what makes them smile for a happier baby.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

Still Growing: Comfort Medical Opens Retail Outlet

Comfort Medical Supply, LLC located in Ormond Beach, FL since 2005, has been ranked – despite economic pressures – has been ranked on the Inc 500 and Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in the U.S. for two years in a row and is now offering a retail outlet open to the public. The store is located in the Ormond Oaks Plaza in Ormond Beach at 619 S. Yonge St.

Comfort Medical Supply is a national supplier of home medical equipment and is accredited by the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation (HQAA). An approved Medicare supplier, Comfort supplies to all lower 48 states with 7 locations in the Southeast specializing in complex rehab power chairs, power mobility, drug-free pain therapy and orthotic support devices. Comfort was founded in 2005 and acquired Southeast Mobility Group, LLC in January 2007. The company has continued to grow despite the many obstacles the home medical equipment industry has endured over past years due to legislation affecting Medicare and health care.

Historically, the company ‘s revenues were derived almost exclusively from insurance coverage. However, due to reimbursement cuts in Medicare and other private insurance over the past 2 years, the company has ventured into the retail segment, where products often aren’t covered by insurance. “We recognized that to continue our growth, we had to offer additional products that are sold on a cash basis”, said Craig Daley, President & CEO. “Retail products such as home lifts, vehicle carriers, bathroom safety and daily aids to living are in high demand. When our customers receive a device that is covered by insurance, they soon discover that there a number of other items available that they also need to meet their living needs on a daily basis. Our retail segment is now available to meet those needs at competitive pricing.”

The retail store is open Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Special appointments are available by calling (386) 673-6902.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

BootsWebMD.com Reveals New Research Into Brits’ Summer Fitness Regimes

BootsWebMD.com has revealed new research showing that Brits are going for gold as they gear up for a summer of sport. However, the research also showed that many are sustaining unnecessary workout-related injuries.

Over half of survey respondents (53%) said they have started a new fitness regime in 2012, with the main motivation among those who have done so being to keep fit rather than lose weight.

Their good intentions are making them feel less stressed (44%) and more confident (31%), yet nearly one in five (16%) has sustained an injury. As well as bruises, the most common injuries are ankle or wrist sprains (26%), shin splints (23%), pulling a muscle (23%) and hamstring injuries (19%).

Over one third (39%) from the survey of 2,000 people who said they have started a new fitness routine in 2012 look online for fitness information. In fact, among the top ten search terms on BootsWebMD.com’s fitness centre are ‘hamstrings’ and ‘shin splints’, reflecting the common injuries identified in the research.

Richard Callender, fitness instructor and TV trainer from ITV’s ‘The Biggest Loser’, said: “It’s really encouraging to see so many people getting more active in 2012. Everyone has different motivations for exercising, whether it’s to keep fit, lose weight, de-stress or just to have fun and socialise with friends and family, but it’s vital they all know how to exercise safely.”

The research shows that for people to continue this positive step, stay healthy and prepare for a summer of sport, they need to be taking greater care when exercising. Over a quarter (27%) of people surveyed admit they do not feel confident they are exercising in a correct and safe way/ Reasons for injury include not following instructions properly (28%), exercising too strenuously (34%) or not being offered proper inductions (23%). A third (33%) of the injuries has led to a long-term health problem.

Dr Rob Hicks, GP and BootsWebMD.com contributor, said: “Exercising is one of the best ways for people to stay fit and healthy, and it’s important that people look after themselves and follow the correct instructions when they exercise and know what level of exercise they should be adopting. There are both short and long-term health consequences of not exercising safely and people should ensure they feel comfortable with what they are doing before they start.”

Further findings from the research showed that more women (54%) than men (52%) have taken up a new fitness routine in 2012. The age group most likely to have started a fitness routine this year is those between 18-24 (64%).

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

World Asthma Day 2012: San Francisco Childcare Centers Eliminate Exposure to Bleach Cleaning Products

Bleach is a strong irritant, frequently linked to newly-acquired asthma. A recent decision by Compass Children’s Center in San Francisco to use exclusively “bleach-free” cleaning products resulted in visibly less asthmatic symptoms in both children and childcare workers.

According to the U.S. Department of Health – National Institutes of Health (NIH), asthma affects more than 25 million people in the United States and over 230 million people worldwide. As asthma typically begins in early childhood, the NIH is committed to reducing environmental risk factors in children in order to prevent asthma before it begins.

On the forefront of asthma prevention, the San Francisco Asthma Task Force in a 2011 report on Bleach Exposure in Child Care Settings , discovered a high correlation between bleach exposure and work-related new-onset asthma cases as well as the exacerbation of pre-existing asthma conditions. As a result they set about field-testing various sanitizers and initially recommended a number of bleach-free disinfectant and sanitizer alternatives.

Food Contact Sanitizer Recommended

In late April 2012 the task force issued an interim update to the 2011 report with the discovery of an accelerated hydrogen peroxide sanitizer, SaniDate Ready-to-Use (RTU) Hard Surface Sanitizer. This sanitizer can be used directly on food-contact surfaces and as a fruit & vegetable wash, requiring only 1 minute contact time to eliminate over 99.9% of bacteria and human health pathogens.

SaniDate RTU was also recently approved by San Francisco Department of Public Health and various city ministries have begun roll out of the product as it’s recommended bleach-alternative sanitizer for food-contact surface.

The following video features the story of Compass Children’s Center in San Francisco and the lives of children in poverty that are being affected for the positive by reducing and preventing asthma through their transition to a bleach-free environment.

SaniDate Ready-to-Use Hard Surface Sanitizer is available for retail or volume purchase through EnviroSelects LLC.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

Helpful Information For People Who Suffer From Incontinence

Incontinence can be described as the uncontrolled leakage of urine or faeces, and is an extremely common problem. But help is at hand. Incontinence UK is a leading UK supplier of incontinence products, incontinence pads and incontinence pants.

You’ll find a series of helpful frequently asked questions below, designed to help you gain a greater knowledge of the incontinence products available, so that when it comes to purchasing incontinence products, incontinence pads or incontinence pants of your own, you are able to make an informed decision.

Will one type of incontinence product suit all my needs?

This is not always the case, and different incontinence products, incontinence pads and incontinence pants will offer different benefits.

Some sufferers might prefer a smaller, thinner incontinence pad or incontinence pant during the day but a larger, more absorbent incontinence pad at night when their leakage could be more severe. Alternatively, some incontinence sufferers might prefer the simplicity of exchanging incontinence pads during their daily routine, but prefer the added security of incontinence pants on special occasions or long days out.

What are the benefits of disposable incontinence pads?

Disposable incontinence pads can be thrown away after usage, meaning that hygiene and convenience are great benefits. It is very easy to carry disposable incontinence products with you and change them as and when is needed. Incontinence UK supply a large range of disposable incontinence products, pads and pants; ensuring that you can find an incontinence product to suit your needs.

What are the benefits of washable incontinence products?

Over time, washable incontinence pants prove to be more economical and environmentally friendly than disposable incontinence products. With the look and feel of normal underwear, certain incontinence sufferers prefer to wear washable incontinence pants, and they can also be easier to store. It is important, however, to ensure that you have enough washable incontinence pants to suit your needs.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

New e-Book: How to Avoid 7 Medicare Traps

For those turning 65 the path to Medicare enrollment is filled with bumps and traps that can end up meaning higher health care costs for retirees. iQuote.com’s new booklet: Getting Ready for Medicare: How to Avoid 7 Medicare Traps can help people avoid mistakes and missed deadlines when enrolling for Medicare and selecting a Medicare health plan.

Medicare terms can be confusing. iQuote.com finds people are often confused about how to sign up, when to sign up and then how to compare different Medicare plan choices. The new booklet is designed especially for those who are getting ready to sign up for Medicare or choosing a Medicare health plan. It identifies some of the terms, deadlines and choices that, if missed, can end up increasing the cost of health care coverage in retirement.

Some of the traps include missing Medicare enrollment dates, misunderstanding deadlines, staying on COBRA too long and failing to understand the costs of Medicare and how to compare plans to find the right Medicare plan.

The booklet can be downloaded at www.medicare.iquote.com/medicare-resources-links.aspx.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

iTech partners with NexTrust

iTech, a SaaS based Healthcare billing and Practice Management System vendor announces a partnership with NexTrust, Inc., the provider of BillFlash Document Services.

iTech Workshop Private Limited (iTech), a Healthcare IT Solutions Company with focus on Medical Billing, PMS and Revenue Cycle Management Solutions for the US healthcare market, announced a partnership with NexTrust, Inc.

Some of the key aspects of this partnership are:

* iTech reselling NexTrust’s BillFlash document services

* BillFlash support for iTech’s Patient Statement format

iTech has a Subscription based Practice Management System, and Medical billing software. EMR products can be integrated by using a secure web services interface, thereby providing an integrated EMR and PMS solution. The expEDIum Medical Billing product includes v5010 support, connects to any clearinghouse selected by the vendor or the client, supports Insurance Eligibility Verifications, Patient Statements, and automated payment posting among other features.

BillFlash users can save time and money by eliminating paper handling in-house. Practices must shift from relying on insurance payments to reliance on patient payments as the patient responsibility is expected to increase to 30% of the total practice revenues according to industry reports. Dan Stead, Director Business Development, NexTrust said, “We are extremely pleased to have been selected by iTech to provide patient statement services to their customers. BillFlash provides a professional, cost-effective alternative to in-house printing by eliminating paper and increasing patient payments.”

BillFlash leads the industry in no-fee customization, design effectiveness, online management features, ease of enrollment and use, and total value.

iTech’s Business Advisor, Mr. Ramesh Shastri added that “iTech partnership with Billflash will reduce paper handling on the clinic and billing side thereby lowering costs and improving accuracy; the winners will be Practices, Billers and Patients”.

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases

Half Dental Brands, Inc., Seeks Growth Opportunities in Brand Licensing

Half Dental Brands, Inc., today announced its expansion into licensing, providing opportunities for the Half Dental brand to extend beyond its current regional markets. The company has signed licensing agreements with key regional dental practices which spans from Las Vegas, NV to Vancouver, WA.

“Licensing presents an opportunity to leverage one of our most valuable assets – the global power of the Half Dental brand – by associating it with ‘quality and affordability’,” said Brandon D’Haenens, President and CEO of Brand Licensing. “We average more than 200 new patients per month per location and of that, 82 % of those patients are fee-for-service.. That’s powerful testimony to the connection forged with consumers by the Half Dental brand. We are providing a vehicle for those patients who would not have elected to seek treatment otherwise. Through strong national and regional licensing partners, we plan to extend the power of our brand and develop new patient connections.”

The first Half Dental re-branded practice was piloted and converted in September of 2010, which launched an explosion in the St George, UT marketplace. The patient/consumer response has been overwhelming causing a massive expansion to meet the internal growth requirements. Half Dental also entered into agreements with offices in Boise, ID and Vancouver, WA, which is producing similar organic growth.

“Half Dental affiliated centers have changed the way dentistry is done, with a scalable, integrated direct-to-consumer model and unparalleled affordability at the consumer level. Through our affiliated network of world-class doctors, Half Dental affiliated centers offer a unique, cost-effective solution that is accessible to a wide range of patients,” said Mr. D’Haenens. “With this new licensing program, Half Dental is well positioned to accelerate our expansion program, which includes developing new doctor relationships and managing new dental centers to help meet the growing demand for affordable dentistry. “As we continue to explore these and other new collaborations, I am confident our license partners will help us grow and spread our brand promise of delivering “quality and affordable” dentistry with profound comfort, fun and innovation,” continued D’Haenens. More information about Half Dental Brand Licensing is available at http://www.halfdental.com/apply-for-a-license/

Via EPR Network
More Healthcare press releases