CaribPR Wire

CARIBPR WIRE, BELIZE CITY, Belize, March 11, 2026: Belize has taken a significant step toward ensuring that every person in the country has access to quality, affordable eye care, with the official launch of the World Health Organization (WHO) SPECS 2030 initiative.

The national launch and planning workshop brought together representatives from the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Education, Culture, Science and Technology, the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI), the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Participants convened to assess the current state of eye health services in Belize, identify gaps, and chart a clear path forward.

“With the launch of the WHO SPECS 2030 initiative, Belize advances in its commitment to ensuring that every citizen can access quality eye care. Preventable vision impairment should not limit a child’s learning, a person’s ability to work, or an individual’s quality of life. Through its adoption, we are reinforcing our national vision for a stronger, more equitable health system that leaves no one behind,” said Hon. Kevin Bernard, Minister for Health and Wellness. WHO’s SPECS 2030 initiative provides countries with a structured approach to strengthening refractive error services across five areas:

• Services — improving access to refractive services
• Personnel — building the capacity of personnel to provide refractive services
• Education — promoting public awareness about eye health
• Cost — reducing the cost of eyeglasses and services
• Surveillance — strengthening data collection and research

For Belize, the initiative translates into three clear priorities at the country level. First, convening all relevant eye health stakeholders — across the public and private sectors — to agree on national priorities and key areas of action. Second, developing a SPECS 2030 integration plan with measurable targets that can be embedded within Belize’s broader health and eye care strategies. Third, establishing a monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress, review data regularly, and improve services over time. “Belize is demonstrating how global frameworks like WHO SPECS 2030 can be translated into practical, country-led action. The Foundation’s role in this effort is to support technical implementation — from strengthening refractive services to building local capacity and improving service delivery models. We are proud to stand alongside Belize as it advances a more integrated and accessible eye care system,” said Daniele Cangemi, Head of the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, Latin America. Progress will be measured against a defined set of indicators, reported every three to five years through the WHO Global Status Report. These include the reach of school eye health programmes for early detection, the availability of refractive services within the public health system, the size and scope of the eye care workforce, and the degree to which costs are covered through health insurance or other financial protection mechanisms. At the impact level, Belize will track effective cataract surgical coverage and effective refractive error coverage through population-based surveys and health system data. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Education, Culture, Science and Technology welcomes the WHO SPECS 2030 initiative from the BCVI and MOHW in collaboration with PAHO and the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation. We are committed to strengthening our partnership and collaboration with BCVI and the MOHW as we work together to prevent avoidable blindness and expand support services through existing Primary Care and Rehabilitation Programs for children who are blind. The Ministry congratulates and applauds BCVI for its ongoing dedication and commitment to Belize’s visually impaired community,” commented Hon. Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Education, Culture, Science and Technology. BCVI, working alongside MOHW, the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation and the initiative’s national and international partners, will lead coordination and follow-up to ensure that commitments made at the workshop translate into meaningful progress on the ground. The launch of SPECS 2030 reflects Belize’s commitment to universal health coverage and to a future where no Belizean loses the ability to learn, work, or thrive because of a vision condition that could have been corrected. About the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation The OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation is a registered charitable organization dedicated to eliminating uncorrected poor vision within a generation. As part of EssilorLuxottica’s commitment to universal vision care, the Foundation works to expand access for millions in underserved communities worldwide. It is also the Global Collaborating Partner of the World Health Organization’s SPECS 2030 initiative, which focuses on refractive error, myopia prevention, and improving access to vision care in low-resource settings. Find out more at: onesight.essilorluxottica.com

About the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired The Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI) is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of blindness and the provision of comprehensive eye care services. Established in 1981, BCVI works in partnership with the Ministry of Health & Wellness to deliver accessible, affordable, and high-quality eye care across the country. Through a network of clinics and outreach programmes, BCVI provides services including eye examinations, refractive error services treatment of eye diseases and rehabilitation support for those who are irreversibly blind.

Special initiatives focus on children, persons with diabetes, and underserved communities, ensuring that no Belizean is left behind in accessing essential eye care and support for independent living.

BCVI collaborates with local and international partners to strengthen Belize’s eye health system and advance equitable access to services for all. For more information, visit: www.bcvi.org

Belice avanza en la salud ocular nacional con el lanzamiento de la iniciativa SPECS 2030 de la OMS

CARIBPR Wire, CIUDAD DE BELICE, Belice, March 11, 2026: Belice ha dado un paso significativo para garantizar que todas las personas del país tengan acceso a atención ocular de calidad y asequible, con el lanzamiento oficial de la iniciativa SPECS 2030 de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS). El lanzamiento nacional y el taller de planificación reunieron a representantes del Ministerio de Salud y Bienestar (MOHW), el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Exterior, Educación, Cultura, Ciencia y Tecnología, el Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI), la Fundación OneSight EssilorLuxottica, la Organización Mundial de la Salud y la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS). Los participantes se reunieron para evaluar el estado actual de los servicios de salud ocular en Belice, identificar brechas y trazar un camino claro hacia adelante. “Con el lanzamiento de la iniciativa SPECS 2030 de la OMS, Belice avanza en su compromiso de garantizar que todos los ciudadanos puedan acceder a atención ocular de calidad. La discapacidad visual prevenible no debería limitar el aprendizaje de un niño, la capacidad de una persona para trabajar o la calidad de vida de un individuo. A través de su adopción, estamos reforzando nuestra estrategia nacional de un sistema de salud más fuerte y equitativo que no deje a nadie atrás”, dijo Hon. Kevin Bernard, Ministro de Salud y Bienestar. La iniciativa SPECS 2030 de la OMS proporciona a los países un enfoque estructurado para fortalecer los servicios de error de refracción en cinco áreas:

• Servicios: mejorar el acceso a los servicios de refracción
• Personal: desarrollar la capacidad del personal para proporcionar servicios de refracción
• Educación: promover la conciencia pública sobre la salud ocular
• Costo: reducir el costo de los anteojos y servicios
• Vigilancia: fortalecer la recolección de datos e investigación

Para Belice, la iniciativa se traduce en tres prioridades claras a nivel nacional. Primero, convocar a todos los actores relevantes de la salud ocular, tanto del sector público como privado, para acordar prioridades nacionales y áreas clave de acción. Segundo, desarrollar un plan de integración SPECS 2030 con objetivos medibles que puedan incorporarse dentro de las estrategias generales de salud y atención ocular de Belice. Tercero, establecer un marco de monitoreo y evaluación para seguir el progreso, revisar los datos regularmente y mejorar los servicios con el tiempo. “Belice está demostrando cómo marcos globales como SPECS 2030 de la OMS pueden traducirse en acciones prácticas lideradas por el país. El papel de la Fundación en este esfuerzo es apoyar la implementación técnica, desde fortalecer los servicios de refracción hasta desarrollar capacidad local y mejorar los modelos de prestación de servicios. Estamos orgullosos de estar junto a Belice mientras avanza hacia un sistema de atención ocular más integrado y accesible”, dijo Daniele Cangemi, directora de la Fundación OneSight EssilorLuxottica, América Latina. El progreso se medirá contra un conjunto definido de indicadores, reportados cada tres a cinco años a través del Informe Global de la OMS. Estos incluyen el alcance de los programas de salud ocular en escuelas para detección temprana, la disponibilidad de servicios de refracción dentro del sistema de salud pública, el tamaño y alcance de la fuerza laboral de atención ocular y el grado en que los costos están cubiertos mediante seguro de salud u otros mecanismos de protección financiera. A nivel de impacto, Belice seguirá la cobertura quirúrgica efectiva de cataratas y la cobertura efectiva de error de refracción a través de encuestas poblacionales y datos del sistema de salud. “El Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Exterior, Educación, Cultura, Ciencia y Tecnología da la bienvenida a la iniciativa SPECS 2030 de la OMS del BCVI y MOHW en colaboración con OPS y la Fundación OneSight EssilorLuxottica. Estamos comprometidos a fortalecer nuestra asociación y colaboración con BCVI y MOHW mientras trabajamos juntos para prevenir la ceguera evitable y expandir los servicios de apoyo a través de los programas existentes de Atención Primaria y Rehabilitación para niños ciegos. El Ministerio felicita y aplaude a BCVI por su dedicación y compromiso continuo con la comunidad de personas con discapacidad visual en Belice”, comentó Hon. Francis Fonseca, Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Exterior, Educación, Cultura, Ciencia y Tecnología. BCVI, trabajando junto con MOHW, la Fundación OneSight EssilorLuxottica y los socios nacionales e internacionales de la iniciativa, liderará la coordinación y seguimiento para garantizar que los compromisos asumidos en el taller se traduzcan en avances significativos sobre el terreno. El lanzamiento de SPECS 2030 refleja el compromiso de Belice con la cobertura universal de salud y con un futuro en el que ningún beliceño pierda la capacidad de aprender, trabajar o prosperar debido a una condición visual que podría haberse corregido. Acerca de la Fundación OneSight EssilorLuxottica La Fundación OneSight EssilorLuxottica es una organización benéfica registrada dedicada a eliminar la visión deficiente no corregida en una generación. Como parte del compromiso de EssilorLuxottica con la atención universal de la visión, la Fundación trabaja para expandir el acceso para millones de personas en comunidades desatendidas en todo el mundo. También es el Socio Colaborador Global de la iniciativa SPECS 2030 de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, que se centra en el error de refracción, la prevención de la miopía y la mejora del acceso a la atención visual en entornos con pocos recursos. Para más información: onesight.essilorluxottica.com Acerca del Consejo de Belice para Personas con Discapacidad Visual El Consejo de Belice para Personas con Discapacidad Visual (BCVI) es una organización nacional sin fines de lucro dedicada a la prevención de la ceguera y a la provisión de servicios integrales de atención ocular. Establecido en 1981, BCVI trabaja en asociación con el Ministerio de Salud y Bienestar para ofrecer atención ocular accesible, asequible y de alta calidad en todo el país. A través de una red de clínicas y programas de extensión, BCVI proporciona servicios que incluyen exámenes oculares, servicios de corrección de error de refracción, tratamiento de enfermedades oculares y apoyo a la rehabilitación para personas que son ciegas de manera irreversible. Iniciativas especiales se enfocan en niños, personas con diabetes y comunidades desatendidas, asegurando que ningún beliceño quede atrás en el acceso a la atención ocular esencial y apoyo para una vida independiente. BCVI colabora con socios locales e internacionales para fortalecer el sistema de salud ocular de Belice y promover el acceso equitativo a los servicios para todos. Para más información visite: www.bcvi.org

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ABC Paediatrics to be the first to unveil the device at their medical facility on 11/1/22

CARIBPR WIRE, MIAMI, FL., Thurs. October, 27, 2022: The first ever portable hematology analytical instrument by Sight Diagnostics called the OLO has been installed in the Caribbean to provide near-immediate Complete Blood Count (CBC) results to patients of Trinidad and Tobago, especially within the areas of the critically ill, oncology, and pediatrics. The CBC analyzer that accelerates the time to diagnosis and treatment will be deployed at ABC Paediatrics on November 1 at a gathering of country officials in conjunction with the medical community. This cutting-edge technology is meant to replace the bulky Flow Cytometers in low-volume and critical-need point-of-care testing (POCT) sites and settings.

A CBC test is the most elemental of medical laboratory tests and therefore, the “base camp” for diagnosing a medical condition. Up until this point, the residents of CARICOM and Trinidad and Tobago’s more remote areas had a long and involved process for getting CBC tests completed as the current method requires multiple steps, facilities, and large flow cytometer instruments at central labs. While highly accurate and fast, they proved expensive to buy and keep. With the introduction of the OLO, medical facilities won’t have to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire a flow cytometer.

The 22-pound device measuring 12.7 inches x 11.2 inches x 10 inches will bring readily available, portable, and cost-effective CBC testing without compromising the accuracy of the blood test. This device will only require two drops of blood from a finger prick of a patient aged three months or over versus the usual blood vial, though sample collection from a traditional blood collection tube is also possible. In addition, it will only take minutes to deliver results via a touchscreen interface, printout, or email.

Johann Ali, Managing Director of the distributor companies, says, “We’re known for bringing revolutionary technology to the Caribbean, and we’re incredibly honored to be involved with the distribution of the first method for ‘digitizing’ blood to the region.  Sapphire Export Group is the authorized distributor in the CARICOM region, while in Trinidad and Tobago, the product will be sold through JT Rapid Diagnostics, Ltd.  Both are pioneers in rapid point-of-care diagnostics in the Caribbean for more than 30 years. Making this happen will be ABC Paediatrics, a group pediatric practice in St. Augustine, Trinidad led by Dr. Leonardo Akan, who was Chief Resident at Jackson/U Health in Miami, Florida, and Dr. Tricia Jailal, who trained in the UK. Both doctors, executives from the manufacturer, and city officials will be present during the deployment, led by Sight Diagnostics, Inc. In addition, executives of Sapphire Export Group, LLC and JT Rapid Diagnostics, Ltd will be on hand for questions.

The historical deployment will take place at 10:00 am on November 1, 2022, at ABC Paediatrics #139 Eastern Main Road, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. For questions contact Johann Ali, representing both distributors, by email at [email protected].

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ABOUT SIGHT DIAGNOSTICS

Founded in 2011, Sight Diagnostics® is a blood diagnostic company that combines machine vision and AI to improve health through fast, convenient, and pain-free diagnostic testing. Sight’s technology, developed over almost a decade of research, represents innovations in blood sample preparation and optics, as well as advancements in chemistry, biology, physics, and computer science. Sight’s first product, Parasight ™, has been used to detect malaria in almost 1 million tests across 24 countries. Sight OLO®, Sight’s latest blood analyzer aimed at improving how Complete Blood Count (CBC) tests are performed, received FDA 510(k) clearance for use in moderately complex settings. With just 2 drops of blood obtained from a finger prick or venous sample, OLO digitizes each blood sample with more than 1,000 high-resolution images to provide accurate, lab-grade CBC results in minutes. Across Europe and the US, OLO has been adopted by both public and private healthcare institutions. Sight has also established partnerships to bring OLO to market in Asia, South America, Africa, and Australia. Sight is committed to applying its AI-based technology to transform health systems in a world where decentralized diagnostics play an increasingly important role in patient outcomes. For full indications for use and safety information, please visit https://sightdx.com/en-us.

ABOUT JT RAPID DIAGNOSTICS, LTD.

JT Rapid Diagnostics, Ltd. is a manufacturer representative focused primarily on the medical, oil and gas, and hospitality & food safety industries. JT Rapid has been a pioneer in rapid point-of-care diagnostics in the Caribbean for more than 30 years. Our founder brought modern, home-based patient-managed diabetes care to the Caribbean region in 1984, and we have led the way since. Today, we are the sole distributor of top-rated, exceptionally high-quality products for multiple points of care and critical-need areas of public and industrial health. For more info, visit https://jtrapid.com/.

ABOUT SAPHIRE EXPORT GROUP, LLC.

Sapphire Export Group is a manufacturer representative focused primarily on the medical, oil and gas, and hospitality & food safety industries, and services all of CARICOM including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks & Caicos Islands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarteen/Saint Martin.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Image for use with this article can be accessed HERE

CARIBPR WIRE, CANCUN, Mexico, Oct. 04, 2022: As part of its commitment to social causes and involvement in spreading awareness about Breast Cancer during October, Royalton Luxury Resorts expands its Spa catalog by initiating a series of certifications that will allow them to offer a new oncology-focused spa treatment. This Cancer Care certification will help improve the quality of life in cancer patients and will be available starting December 2022 at the opening of Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort.

Conducted by high-level therapists, the new Royalton Luxury Resorts’ service will provide massage techniques focused on the central nervous system and pressure points to induce relaxation and reduce pain. This will also help patients have better sleep, less headaches, anxiety, and symptoms caused by chemotherapy treatments.

“Raising awareness and supporting those living with cancer is a big step for the brand and Blue Diamond Resorts as a company. We continue to stand up for touch therapy treatments more oriented to the well-being and health of our guests, and we are sure that it will be the beginning of a change in the mentality of hotel spa services”, commented Ivonne Quinche, Corporate Spa Manager for Blue Diamond Resorts.

Following a week of intensive training in Christine Clinton’s award-winning program, the new 1,005-room Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun will be the first resort within the Royalton Luxury Resorts portfolio to provide services with a better understanding of the condition and chemotherapy-related side effects at The Royal Spa.

Royalton Luxury Resorts’ commitment to cancer awareness will be extended in the coming months to the rest of its resorts, as its most qualified therapists are certified. This includes Blue Diamond Resorts’ properties in Mexico, Costa Rica and the Caribbean in its different brands: Planet Hollywood Hotels & Resorts, Hideaway at Royalton and Royalton CHIC Resorts.

For more information on Royalton Luxury Resorts services visit www.royaltonresorts.com

About Blue Diamond Resorts

Since its inception in 2011, Blue Diamond Resorts has curated an impressive portfolio encompassing 47 properties, exceeding 16,000 rooms in 10 countries. Taking a proactive approach to differentiating brands under each market’s demands, the resort management company caters to a range of budgets and interests from adult-only elegant getaways to fun-filled family vacations. Award-winning, All-In Luxury® Royalton Luxury Resorts offers signature amenities including All-In Connectivity™, modern Sports Event Guarantee™, and in-suite wellness elements. Royalton Luxury Resorts’ adults-only sub-brands include Hideaway at Royalton, an adults-only experience with exclusive dining and preferred accommodations, plus the stylish lifestyle resorts, Royalton CHIC, located in the Caribbean’s best beachfront locales. In Jamaica, Grand Lido Negril provides those over 21 with an upscale and luxurious naturist vacation along with a secluded shore for the utmost privacy. Memories Resorts & Spa offers a vacation designed to impress the entire family, while Starfish Resorts provides amazing value for customers in convenient locations. Planet Hollywood Hotels and Resorts invites guests to Vacation Like A Star™ with an engaging and interactive experience, plus famous pop culture items from iconic movies, music and sports. Mystique by Royalton, a boutique-style resort collection, offers personalized vacations in strikingly beautiful locales full of endless adventures.

To learn more about Blue Diamond Resorts, please visit www.bluediamondresorts.com.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/263b2369-8c49-4916-b7a0-72946ca4feb4

Royalton Luxury Resorts crea conciencia sobre el cáncer e incluye nuevos servicios de Spa

CARIBPR WIRE, CANCÚN, Oct. 04, 2022: Como parte de su compromiso con las causas sociales y participación en la sensibilización sobre el cáncer de mama durante el mes de octubre, Royalton Luxury Resorts amplía su catálogo de Spa iniciando con una serie de certificaciones que les permitirán ofrecer un nuevo tratamiento oncológico. La certificación “Cancer Care” ayudará a mejorar la calidad de vida de los pacientes con cáncer y estará disponible a partir de diciembre de 2022, en la apertura de Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort.

De la mano de terapeutas de más alto nivel, el nuevo servicio de Spa de Royalton Luxury Resorts proporcionará técnicas de masaje enfocadas en el sistema nervioso central y en puntos de presión para influir en la relajación y disminuir el dolor. De igual forma, estas contribuirán a que los pacientes tengan mejor calidad de sueño, menos dolores de cabeza, ansiedad y síntomas ocasionados por los tratamientos de quimioterapia.

“Sensibilizarnos y apoyar a aquellos que viven con cáncer, significa un gran paso para la marca y para Blue Diamond Resorts como empresa. Seguimos apostando por tratamientos de terapia de contacto más enfocados en el bienestar y la salud de nuestros huéspedes, y estamos seguros de que será el inicio de un cambio en la mentalidad de servicios de Spa hoteleros”, comentó Ivonne Quinche, Gerente de Spa Corporativo para Blue Diamond Resorts.

Tras una semana de entrenamiento intensivo en el galardonado programa de Christine Clinton, el nuevo Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun de 1,005 habitaciones será el primer resort del portafolio Royalton Luxury Resorts en proporcionar servicios con amplios conocimientos sobre la condición y efectos secundarios relacionados a la quimioterapia, a través de The Royal Spa.

El compromiso de Royalton Luxury Resorts con la sensibilización sobre el cáncer se extenderá en los próximos meses al resto de sus resorts, a medida que se certifican sus terapeutas más calificados. Esto incluye las propiedades de Blue Diamond Resorts en México, Costa Rica y el Caribe en sus diferentes marcas: Planet Hollywood Hotels & Resorts, Hideaway at Royalton y Royalton CHIC Resorts.

Para más información sobre los servicios de Royalton Luxury Resorts, visite www.royaltonresorts.com

Acerca de Blue Diamond Resorts

Desde sus inicios en 2011, Blue Diamond Resorts estableció un impresionante portafolio que abarca 45 propiedades, sobrepasando las 18.000 habitaciones en diez países. Adoptando un enfoque proactivo para diferenciar las marcas de acuerdo con la demanda de cada mercado, la empresa de administración de centros vacacionales satisface una variedad de presupuestos e intereses, desde escapadas elegantes solo para adultos hasta vacaciones familiares llenas de diversión. El galardonado All-In Luxury® Royalton Luxury Resorts ofrece amenidades exclusivas, incluyendo All-In Connectivity™, la moderna Sports Event Guarantee™ y elementos de bienestar en la habitación. Las submarcas solo para adultos de Royalton Luxury Resorts incluyen Hideaway at Royalton, una experiencia solo para adultos con restaurantes exclusivos y alojamiento preferencial, además del centro vacacional de estilo de vida sofisticado, Royalton CHIC, ubicado en los mejores lugares frente a la playa del Caribe. En Jamaica, Grand Lido Negril ofrece a los mayores de 21 años unas vacaciones naturistas de lujo y exclusivas, además de una costa aislada para la máxima privacidad. Memories Resorts & Spa ofrece unas vacaciones diseñadas para impresionar a toda la familia, mientras que Starfish Resorts ofrece un valor increíble para los clientes en locales convenientes. Planet Hollywood Hotels and Resorts invita a los huéspedes a Vacation Like A Star™ con una experiencia atractiva e interactiva, además de famosos artículos de cultura pop de icónicas películas, música y deportes. Mystique by Royalton, una colección de centros vacacionales estilo boutique, ofrece vacaciones personalizadas en lugares sorprendentemente hermosos, llenos de aventuras interminables.

Para más información acerca Blue Diamond Resorts visite, www.bluediamondresorts.com

Una foto asociada con este comunicado de prensa está disponible en: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/263b2369-8c49-4916-b7a0-72946ca4feb4/sp

The global partnership offers hospitals a range of complementary solutions and services for the migration, consolidation, protection, accessibility, and interoperability of healthcare data.

WOBURN, Mass., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ – BridgeHead Software, the Healthcare Data Management company, today announced a strategic partnership with leading healthcare IT services provider, CereCore^®. The collaboration offers integrated delivery networks (IDNs), health systems, and independent hospitals a range of data solutions and IT services that help ensure clinical care teams have the data they need to provide quality patient care and smooth hospital operations.

Digital transformation initiatives have accelerated across the healthcare industry, especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. BridgeHead and CereCore are both deeply experienced in serving the healthcare market. Their complementary solutions support hospitals throughout the process of managing and protecting patient and healthcare operations data and migrating to the Cloud.

Through this global partnership, BridgeHead and CereCore are expanding the options for hospitals to gain a fully-managed healthcare data solution focused on these common challenges:

• Safeguarding clinical data through a backup and disaster recovery managed service will help support the continuity of patient care. Using the BridgeHead RAPid Data Protection solution, mission critical systems such as an electronic health record (EHR) can be recovered from a cyberattack, system outage, data corruption, accidental data deletion or natural disaster.
• Providing clinical and operational leaders access to archived healthcare data in a cost-efficient manner can lead to more informed decision making. Using BridgeHead’s FileStore^™ (also part of the RAPid Data Protection suite), healthcare operators and leaders have a cost-effective solution to actively store, retain, and manage their vast array of unstructured data.
• Consolidating and centralizing clinical data stored outside of the EHR supports quality patient care. The managed service using BridgeHead’s HealthStore^®, an independent clinical repository, can give providers and clinical care teams direct access to patient data in context via the EHR or other primary systems. Not only will HealthStore^® create a vendor neutral archive (VNA) that can underpin an enterprise imaging strategy, but it will allow healthcare organizations to retire a wide variety of duplicate or replaced systems.

“CereCore has expertise in public and private Cloud hosting, and our partnership will provide more opportunities for BridgeHead solutions to be deployed in flexible and varied ways – offering on premise, fully Cloud, or hybrid Cloud options,” said Jim Beagle, President and CEO at BridgeHead Software. “Both of our companies have been immersed in healthcare IT for more than 20 years and have a shared vision to enable healthcare organizations with technology solutions that improve clinical and operational efficiency whilst providing a futureproof blueprint for the long-term management of patient data.”

“The power of today’s healthcare applications lies within its data – the ability to consolidate it, protect it, analyze it and make it available to healthcare providers around the clock,” said Curtis Watkins, President and CEO of CereCore. “BridgeHead provides a suite of healthcare data technology solutions that gives the healthcare organizations we work with a wider range of options. Like us, they have an acute understanding of the key challenges facing healthcare providers today as they continually strive to enhance patient care against a backdrop of legislative change, economic uncertainty, and cost constraints. Perhaps even more importantly, BridgeHead Software is a partner organization who shares our vision for making a tangible difference in the way clinical care teams use technology to deliver improved clinical outcomes and better overall patient experience. Their long-standing position in the healthcare industry pioneering high quality data management and protection solutions makes them a great match for CereCore.”

“The partnership between CereCore and BridgeHead comes at a time where there is a real shift in the healthcare market,” said Beagle. “Though the effects of the pandemic are still being felt by healthcare providers and continue to have a significant global impact, it has also accelerated digital transformation initiatives – especially those concerning the long-term management of data. With the rapid pace of emerging technologies, the value that data can bring in improving care and driving efficiency is evident. CereCore and BridgeHead, together, are able to offer customers ‘tried and tested’, cost-effective, and comprehensive data management solutions, with an array of deployment options (including a fully managed service), all provided by trusted healthcare IT experts. By allowing BridgeHead and CereCore to do what they do best, frees our customers from operational data management tasks to focus on the hospital’s highest priorities.”

CereCore provides IT services that make it easier for hospital operators to focus on transforming healthcare through technology. With a heritage rooted in top-performing hospitals, we provide IT and application support, technical professional and managed services, IT advisory services, and EHR implementation and consulting to hospitals and health systems. Find more information at https://cerecore.net.

With over 25 years’ experience in data and storage management, BridgeHead Software is trusted by over 1,200 hospitals worldwide. Today, BridgeHead helps healthcare facilities overcome challenges stemming from rising data volumes and increasing storage costs while delivering peace of mind around how to consolidate, store, protect, and share clinical and administrative information.

BridgeHead’s Healthcare Data Management solutions are designed to work with any hospital’s chosen applications and storage hardware, regardless of vendor, providing greater choice, flexibility and control over the way data is managed, now and in the future. For more information, visit http://www.bridgeheadsoftware.com or follow on Twitter at @BridgeHeadHDM.

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$4.5 Million in Grant Funding Expands New Alzheimer’s Early Detection and Healthcare System Preparedness Efforts

CARIBPR WIRE, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, May 23, 2022 — The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC), the organization leading an unprecedented global response to Alzheimer’s disease, today announced the recipients of a grant program aiming for early detection of cognitive symptoms. The early detection grants total $4.5 Million from 8 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The grants are an initiative of the DAC Healthcare System Preparedness Project, which aims to advance how healthcare systems worldwide detect, diagnose, treat, and care for people with or at risk for Alzheimer’s.

Grantees are located throughout the US, Brunei, Kenya, Germany, Japan, Canada, Cuba, and Armenia. Several grants will focus on expanding cognition screening and training for primary care providers. Others are harnessing innovative technologies to utilize optometrists and pharmacists. This will expand the pool of frontline workers available to screen for early detection, and reduce the unnecessary use of  specialist care. Another deploys a mobile clinic to offer direct clinical support or equip digital tablets to volunteer workers to rapidly improve detection  rates.

According to George Vradenburg, Founding Chairman of the Board, Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, “Each grant will bring unique and measurable benefits to its local health system and community and, through DAC’s global learning network, will also spread their learnings broadly around the world. Finding new and innovative ways to advance early detection is paramount to improving healthcare systems’ abilities to provide better care today, and to prepare for the future availability of treatments.”

The grant application process was extensive, with DAC receiving 76 responses from 21 countries in two months. A diverse panel of experts, including a family member of an Alzheimer’s patient living with the disease, served as an independent review committee for these grants:

• Tarun Dua (Global) – World Health Organization
• Wendy Weidner (Global) – Alzheimer’s Disease International
• Ricardo Allegri (Argentina) – University of Buenos Aires & World Dementia Council
• Chirine Chehab (Lebanon) – American University Hospital of Beirut
• Lori Frank (United States) – RAND Corporation & New York Academy of Medicines
• Ryoji Noritake (Japan) – Health and Global Policy Institute
• Terry Fulmer (United States) – John A. Hartford Foundation
• Chandresh Harjivan (Canada) – Family member of an Alzheimer’s patient

“Early detection of cognitive decline is critical for patients and families and I am excited to see the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative tackling this challenge with their Health System Preparedness Initiative,” says Chandresh Harjivan, a family member of an Alzheimer’s patient. “I was honored to be asked to be part of such an esteemed review committee and am very happy that families living with the disease were part of the evaluation process.”

A summary of each grant can be found below.

About the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative

Launched at the World Economic Forum’s 2021 meeting on The Davos Agenda, The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative is a multi-stakeholder partnership committed to aligning stakeholders with a new vision for our collective global response against the challenges Alzheimer’s presents to patients, caregivers and healthcare infrastructures. Convened by The World Economic Forum and The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease (CEOi) and fueled by a mission of service to the estimated 150 million families and half a billion people inevitably impacted by this disease by 2050, DAC is a collaborative for the benefit of all people, in all places.

About DAC’s Healthcare System Preparedness Project

DAC’s Healthcare System Preparedness Project (DAC-SP) is funding innovative approaches that measurably increase rates of cognitive screening, early detection and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s through pilot projects and early detection grants. The pilot projects are: AdventHealth Central Florida, FL, USA; Municipality of Volta Redonda, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Alzheimer Scotland; University of the West Indies (UWI), Caribbean Institute for Health Research, Jamaica; Kobe University, Japan; INGER/National Institute of Geriatrics, Mexico; and, Indiana University School of Medicine/Indiana University Health, IN, USA. These initiatives are incorporated into DAC Learning Labs, a network of governments and public health and healthcare system leaders, to share best practices that can be scaled globally.

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***PLEASE NOTE: Click here to view a recorded discussion with some of the grant recipients, in which over 500 global leaders from 53 countries tuned in to learn about early detection. Click here to be kept informed about updated information regarding the DAC initiative.

Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Early Detection Grants

Toronto Memory Program and RetiSpec (Canada)

This project implements the world’s first screening model that leverages collaboration between optometry and a local Alzheimer Society chapter to enable accessible identification of individuals at risk for Alzheimer’s disease and referral to a qualified clinician, facilitating a faster diagnosis. The two community-based entry points include: (1) optometry clinics, where individuals can receive a non-invasive RetiSpec retinal scan for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease; and (2) the Alzheimer Society of Toronto, where individuals can undergo cognitive assessment.

Ludwig-Maximillans University (Germany)

Partners with two Universities, a health and social care charity, and three industry partners to conduct three screening types on seniors in Germany. This study will identify the best screening method by offering digital cognitive assessments, SCD questionnaire screening, and blood AD biomarkers testing to different groups. This study will also generate a patient registry to enroll patients in the global cohort and clinical trials workstreams, establish a fluid biobank, and train Artificial Intelligence diagnostic systems to better analyze speech patterns.

University of Havana (Cuba)

Provides a two-month training to primary care providers to integrate tablet based cognitive assessments Brain Health Assessment (BHA). The care provider will be assisted by informants, meaning a family-member or other person close to the patient, to help primary care providers determine if a dementia diagnosis is warranted.

Avant Institute (US – Multiple States)

This project implements Cognivue Clarity, a self-administered 10-minute cognitive performance screening tool, to increase access to digital cognitive screening assessments in 20-30 Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN) pharmacy sites across rural, urban, and underserved communities throughout the United States. This project provides training and onboarding for pharmacies to use Cognivue to screen patients and evaluate the results to make further recommendations and referrals.

Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation (Kenya)

This project redeploys existing volunteer staff in the Strengthening Responses to Dementia in Developing Countries (STRiDE) project and trains community health workers to screen 2,400 people aged 60 and above. Workers are equipped with tablets to conduct the screening Instrument for Dementia (CSI-D) cognitive assessment and informant interview, word list recall task, and Euro-Dementia scale. Ultimately, results will inform health system policy and practices in Kenya.

Alzheimer’s Care Armenia (Armenia)

This cognitive screening education programs utilizes a van that has been outfitted as a multidisciplinary mobile clinic to offer educational programs and work with local clinical staff to screen for cognitive issues using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA). The program provides citizens who test positive for cognitive decline with healthcare resources and offers workshops to caregivers on providing support.

Advocate Aurora Health (US- Illinois)

This project aims to educate primary care providers on the importance of early cognitive screening and provide them with EPIC electronic health record-based digital testing tools to manage their patients efficiently. Clinicians get access to continuing education programming, eConsult support services, and participate in a monthly Project ECHO-type case conference to discuss topics on dementia.

Kobe City Pharmaceutical Association (Japan)

This project evaluates the value of pharmacy-based digital cognitive tests. It combines the cognitive test with a regular healthcare consultation to increase regular cognitive testing, the rate of early detection of cognitive decline, and timely and accurate diagnosis of dementia in local community-based healthcare system.

University of Washington (US- Washington)

This project expands the pilot site success of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Kickstart, Assess, Evaluate and Refer (KAER Toolkit, 2020 Edition) into a fully operational Cognition in Primary Care (CPC) protocol in seven new primary care clinics across the University of Washington. The CPC model includes provider education training and incorporates two validated tests, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa) and the Ascertain Dementia 8-Item Informant Questionnaire (AD8), and a structured Cognitive Checklist. This model checks for comorbidities of dementia and provides guidance on follow-up counseling and referrals to community resources.

Demensia (Brunei)

This project will perform a pilot test of community screening and information in Senior Citizen Activity Centers, followed by a focus group discussion to select an initial paper-based cognitive assessment. The project will systematically involve communities at grassroots levels – senior citizen activity centres, engagement of village heads and community centres, targeting older people and those with dementia risk factors. Community links formed by the association are available for multisectoral support with this initiative. Other project activities also include training of field workers regarding community screening and cognitive assessment and training workshops for primary care (followed by relevant specialties).

American Academy of Physician Associates and Cleveland Clinic (US – Ohio)

Through partnership with The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), the Physician Associate (PA) Foundation, and Cleveland Clinic, this project develops cognitive assessment toolkit for non-specialist medical practitioners to be trained in administering screenings, interpreting results, communicating those results and offering additional provider and patient resources. The pilot implementation will be followed by outcomes reporting and dissemination of the toolkit to the network of PA schools and all Cleveland Clinic locations.

Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) (US – Massachusetts)

This project uses a systems redesign approach, working with approximately eight teams across a range of settings on testing and measuring the results of intervention strategies that increase assessment rates. IHI will build and operate a learning community to encourage peer learning among participating teams, provide guidance, and teach scientific improvement methods to facilitate the teams’ testing. Project outputs include a prototype set of interventions, implementation guidance, and an associated measurement set that will be ready to share and scale more widely.

CaribPR Wire, WASHINGTON, D.C., Weds. May 11, 2022: Blood shortages due to COVID-19 are prevalent across the world. In January, the American Red Cross declared “a national blood crisis”, calling for an increase in donation. This blood crisis was called the worst shortage in over a decade, and it posed a significant risk to patient care.

In South Korea, 18,000 donors from Heavenly Culture, World Peace and Restoration of Light (HWPL) and Shincheonji Church of Jesus collaboratively donated blood during a two-week blood drive beginning April 18th. This joint blood drive was recorded as the largest single group blood donation in the country.

Namsun Cho, head of the Korean Red Cross Blood Services, said: “When the impact of the Omicron reached its peak, Shincheonji Church of Jesus launched a large scale of blood donation. It was like rain during a drought. We are surprised that the number of donors exceeded 6,000 in 3 days and more people participated. We appreciate their life-saving dedication.”

A donation of this magnitude is particularly impactful, as even a single blood donation can save up to three lives.

“They did a really great job in the life-sharing movement. This scale is equivalent to one army corps donating blood for a year. The number of blood donors is nearly four times the number in a normal day, a great help in overcoming the current blood supply crisis,” said an official from the Blood Services.

“We also appreciate the members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus who participated in the nationwide plasma donation for the development of a treatment for COVID-19 back in 2020,” he added.

In South Korea, blood donation certificates are issued to blood donors that can be used for a reduced fee when paying for a future blood transfusion. All the donors of Shincheonji and HWPL gave their personal certificates to alleviate the financial burden of patients in need of a blood transfusion.

Efforts to aid in replenishing and protecting the blood supply were not limited to just South Korea, however. In Washington, DC, members of Shincheonji organized a blood drive to donate plasma and help accelerate the development of a cure for COVID-19. The campaign organized and actively participated in by the DC congregation of Shincheonji Church of Jesus included four mass blood and plasma drives. Drawing hundreds of donors, two of the blood and plasma drives were held at Children’s National Hospital and two were held at INOVA Hospital.

The heart of Shincheonji Church of Jesus is clearly shown in their dedication to continuing to help their surrounding communities despite their members having also suffered greatly during the pandemic. Aligned with the ideals of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, HWPL is carrying out long-term peace projects based on solidarity with civil society and international organizations in 193 countries. The priorities of both organizations make an ideal partnership as their members donate blood together, and this is evidenced by the impact of their joint effort.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A picture for use with this press release is available HERE

Seven Flagship Pilot Sites Aim to Measurably Increase Timely, Accurate Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s

• Unique global collaboration to prepare health systems for a future with new Alzheimer’s treatments
• Pioneering use of blood-based biomarkers with digital cognitive assessments in primary care
• Innovative, culturally relevant methods that can scale in high, low-and middle-income countries

CARIBPR WIRE, New York, NY, May 3, 2022: The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC) today announced that people with or at risk of Alzheimer’s in six countries will soon have an opportunity to participate in a pilot program designed to increase access to early detection and diagnosis of the disease through the use of innovative new screening tools, which is an essential step to provide better care today, and to prepare for the future availability of treatments. DAC is launching seven pilot sites beginning this month in the US, Scotland, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico and Brazil.

“We are finding enormous appetite from healthcare systems around the world to prepare for future Alzheimer’s treatments, but first we must help healthcare systems adapt to early detection,” said George Vradenburg, Founding Chairman of the Board, Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, and Convener, The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease. “By working directly with medical professionals, researchers, people at risk, and patients, these sites will utilize cutting-edge technology to change the way we deliver care, and help prepare healthcare systems to get the right treatments to the right patients at every stage of the disease.”

The pilot sites will use simple digital cognitive assessment tools to detect the signs of the disease early, and innovative blood biomarkers to help evaluate the cause of identified symptoms. The goal is to measurably increase rates of timely and accurate diagnosis to put people on the correct person-centered care pathways and mitigate the impact of Alzheimer’s disease on the individual and their family.

Digital cognitive assessments such as Linus Health’s Core Cognitive Evaluation, Cogstate’s Cognigram, and Cognivue’s Clarity will be made available to the pilot sites, reducing the need for broad neuropsychological testing, which is time consuming for patients and requires specialized physicians for administration. Digital cognitive assessments also mark a significant technological advance over paper-and-pencil tests in terms of reliability and objectivity. DAC program sites are training other healthcare professionals to administer the digital cognitive assessments. In some cases, it can be administered via a tablet in the patient’s home, marking a dramatic step forward in terms of access and ease-of-use.

The blood-based biomarker, known as the PrecivityAD™ test, is a technology developed by specialty diagnostics company, C2N (St. Louis, MO). The test will aid in the accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, and reduce the need for expensive, hard-to-access, more advanced tests.

“We’re proud and excited to play a key role in DAC’s groundbreaking work to enable Alzheimer’s early detection on a global scale,” said Dr. Joel Braunstein, Co-Founder and CEO of C2N Diagnostics. “Harnessing the power of advanced diagnostics like our PrecivityAD test at DAC’s pilot sites will accelerate the fight to end Alzheimer’s.”

“DAC and the flagship pilot sites are driving new tools into the front lines of care. This is important to help patients today, and develop the data we need to better detect, treat and ultimately prevent this devastating disease,” said Stephen Friend, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Sage Bionetworks, Visiting Professor of Connected Medicine, and President 4YouandMe.

The pilot sites will provide localized care and treatment for individuals and develop models for broader healthcare systems to study and adopt. DAC Learning Labs, a network of governments, public health and healthcare system leaders, will provide a forum for sharing best practices that can be scaled globally.

About the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative

Launched at the World Economic Forum’s 2021 meeting on The Davos Agenda, The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative is a multi-stakeholder partnership committed to aligning stakeholders with a new vision for our collective global response against the challenges Alzheimer’s presents to patients, caregivers and healthcare infrastructures. Convened by The World Economic Forum and The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease (CEOi) and fueled by a mission of service to the estimated 150 million families and half a billion people inevitably impacted by this disease by 2050, DAC is a collaborative for the benefit of all people, in all places.

About DAC’s Healthcare System Preparedness Project

DAC’s Healthcare System Preparedness Project is funding innovative approaches that measurably increase rates of cognitive screening, early detection and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. The pilot projects are: AdventHealth Central Florida, FL, USA; Municipality of Volta Redonda, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Alzheimer Scotland; University of the West Indies (UWI), Caribbean Institute for Health Research, Jamaica; Kobe University, Japan; INGER/National Institute of Geriatrics, Mexico; and, Indiana University School of Medicine/Indiana University Health, IN, USA. These initiatives are incorporated into DAC Learning Labs, a network of governments and public health and healthcare system leaders, to share best practices that can be scaled globally.

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NOTE: To join an upcoming Learning Lab such as Meeting of the DAC Learning Laboratory: Driving Early Detection Across Aging Societies, planned for May 17, 2022, click here. This Lab will feature DAC healthcare system pilot sites and demonstrate the first of many collaborative exchanges championed through DAC’s initiatives.

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• The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease

CaribPR Wire, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, Sat. Jan. 22, 2022: A US study is putting the spotlight on Afro-Caribbean nationals who have heart disease, or have been diagnosed with Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy, (ATTR-CM).

Afro-Caribbeans with lived experiences can now share their story via a national, qualitative study and get paid if they are considered a good candidate.

The national study is intended to deepen understanding of Afro-Caribbean people suffering heart issues, including heart failure and related health conditions, such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, etc.

“We are focused on the Afro-Caribbean community due to a higher prevalence of heart failure and specifically Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM),” said Donna Fullerton, Research Partner at Now What. “It is well-established that the broader Black community is disproportionately affected by ATTR-CM, which is driving our attention here. We are looking to speak with, hear stories from, and understand the nuances within the Black community so that future communications and resources around disease awareness and treatment options will be culturally relevant and appropriate and hopefully lessen the health disparities we see today.”

To qualify, Afro-Caribbeans must be between ages 45-75, live in the US, and have been diagnosed with heart failure. Qualified participants will be paid $200 compensation for 2.5 hours of engagement, answering questions and completing activities over a computer or smartphone.

Participants who make the first round of the study, must also be open to take part in a follow-up 75-minute zoom call, for an additional $150.

If you feel you qualify, complete a short pre-qualification survey at: tinyurl.com/heartresearch before January 31st.

“The online exercises will ask people questions about their culture, their community, their thoughts about health and the healthcare system, and their experiences living with a heart condition,” added Fullerton. “All of our questions are designed to be respectful and empathetic – we only ask people to share what they are comfortable sharing and always respect people’s privacy.”

Heart diseases, such has coronary heart disease and heart failure, are more common in Blacks, than other ethnic groups — and so are the other cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and peripheral artery disease. Health issues like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes can increase a person’s risk of heart failure. People of African heritage have higher rates of heart failure, hospitalization and death from the disease, according to national data.

Although care of patients with Heart Failure, HF, has improved in the past decade, important disparities in HF outcomes persist based on race/ethnicity. Recent scientific data shows that age-adjusted HF-related cardiovascular disease death rates are higher for Black patients, particularly among young Black men and women whose rates of death are 2.6- and 2.97-fold higher, respectively, than White men and women.

Similarly, the rate of HF hospitalization for Black men and women is nearly 2.5-fold higher when compared with Whites, with costs that are significantly higher in the first year after HF hospitalization.

While the relative rate of HF hospitalization has improved for other race/ethnic minorities, the disparity in HF hospitalization between Black and White patients has not decreased during the last decade.

The ultimate goal of this ongoing, targeted research is to learn from and speak with members of the Afro-Caribbean community so that future communications and resources around disease awareness and treatment options will be culturally relevant and appropriate, in order to hopefully lessen the health disparities currently.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A Photo for use with this story is available HERE

SEATTLE, June 25, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ – An unintentional error in calculating total deaths for Latin America and the Caribbean resulted in IHME issuing an incorrect total for the region in a June 24 press release and on its website. The reported total of nearly 388,300 excluded Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. The updated total for Latin America and the Caribbean is 438,698 deaths. IHME regrets the error.

The forecasted deaths for individual nations are correct. IHME will continue to update as new data are available.

The forecasts can be viewed at https://covid19.healthdata.org.

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CORAL GABLES, Florida, April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Baptist Health South Florida welcomes Michael McDermott, M.D., a world-renowned leader in neurosciences with clinical expertise in the field of meningioma research and gamma knife radiosurgery, as its new chief medical executive of Miami Neuroscience Institute, formerly known as Baptist Health Neuroscience Center.

Dr. McDermott, widely known for advancing neurosurgical techniques, pioneered surgical management of meningioma, a slow-growing tumor in the head that affects the brain. He is an expert in the treatment of a wide variety of neurological disorders, in addition to meningiomas, skull base tumors, brain metastases, gliomas, hydrocephalus, central nervous system infections and complex tumors of the skull base and spinal cord.

“I am delighted to have a colleague of his caliber join our organization,” said Michael Zinner, M.D., chief executive officer and executive medical director at Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida. “His expertise will help enhance our collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to research and delivery of the best cancer treatments for our patients.”

Dr. McDermott has conducted leading research that generated more than 400 peer-reviewed publications and comes from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center, ranked by U.S. News & World Report as third in the nation in neurology and neurosurgery, where he was co-director of the Gamma Knife and CyberKnife Radiosurgery Program and held the distinguished Wolfe Family Endowed Professorship in Meningioma Research. In addition to serving as professor and vice chairman of neurological surgery, he is an accomplished educator. As residency program director, he trained young physicians from around the world.

“The arrival of Dr. McDermott to lead Miami Neuroscience Institute represents Baptist Health’s ability to harness the collective expertise of physician leaders and to offer the most innovative, comprehensive and individualized care available to our patients,” said Jack Ziffer, PhD, M.D., executive vice president, chief clinical officer and chief physician executive for Baptist Health South Florida.

Miami Neuroscience Institute provides care at all the Baptist Health facilities, with the exception of Boca Raton Regional Hospital, home to the renowned Marcus Neuroscience Institute, and Bethesda Hospital East and Bethesda Hospital West’s neuroscience programs. For the first several months, Dr. McDermott will focus on working with clinical and administrative leadership to plan and build the infrastructure as well as clinical depth and breadth of the program and set the stage for growth as a destination for neuroscience care.

“The multidisciplinary team approach we have at Baptist Health creates a special synergy between medical specialists from various fields to provide the most advanced care to our patients. This exceptional physician and surgeon will complement the tremendous medical talent that resides within Baptist Health and will continue to grow our national leadership in the treatment of conditions of the brain, spine and nervous system,” added Dr. Ziffer, PhD, M.D.

Miami Neuroscience Institute

Miami Neuroscience Institute, formerly known as Baptist Health Neuroscience Center, offers comprehensive and compassionate treatment for neurological conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system. From non-surgical treatments and minimally invasive procedures to complex brain and spine surgery, the Center embraces a multidisciplinary approach to patient care.

Miami Neuroscience Institute is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 11 hospitals, nearly 23,000 employees, more than 4,000 physicians and more than 100 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned centers of excellence in cancer, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and neurosciences. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and Baptist Health Care On Demand, a virtual health platform. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

MIAMI, March 4, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, part of Baptist Health and the region’s largest and most comprehensive cardiovascular facility, has named Joseph T. McGinn, Jr., M.D., chief of Cardiac Surgery. Dr. McGinn specializes in the assessment and surgical treatment of patients with coronary artery, aortic and vascular disease.  A pioneer in the field of cardiothoracic surgery, he developed the minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting method known internationally as the “McGinn Technique.”

Dr. McGinn comes to Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute from Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, part of Atrium HealthCare in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he served as endowed chair of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery and professor of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. Prior to that appointment, he was a leading cardiac surgeon in New York City and served as medical director of the Heart Institute at Staten Island University Hospital for 16 years.

“Dr. McGinn is an expert physician and surgeon and an exceptional leader who has demonstrated excellence in patient care, innovation and team building,” said Barry T. Katzen, M.D., founder and chief medical executive of Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. “He will complement our team of highly skilled experts, who are committed to achieving the same goals.”

Jack A. Ziffer, Ph.D., M.D., executive vice president and chief clinical officer of Baptist Health South Florida, added, “We are pleased to have Dr. McGinn join Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute in this leadership capacity to continue his groundbreaking work and further advance the Institute’s worldwide leadership position in the delivery of cardiovascular care.”

An accomplished educator, Dr. McGinn has trained hundreds of surgeons from around the world in minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgical techniques. His clinical and research efforts have generated hundreds of presentations at scientific symposiums and publications in peer-reviewed medical journals and books. He has been recognized by the American Heart Association for excellence in medicine and received the Samuel L. Koontz Award for Clinical Excellence. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Chest Physicians and the American College of Surgeons and a member of numerous professional societies.

Dr. McGinn earned his medical degree at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine. He completed an internship and residency in general surgery at SUNY Downstate, serving as chief resident. He also served as chief resident during a cardiothoracic surgery residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery, American Board of Thoracic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, Surgical Critical Care.

Dr. McGinn enjoys boating with his family and is an avid football fan. He has performed 1,500 MICS CABG cases.

About Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute
Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute is the largest and most comprehensive cardiovascular facility in the region. The team of multilingual, multidisciplinary specialists pioneered the development of minimally invasive techniques used to treat aneurysms, blockages in veins and arteries and holes in the heart. The Institute leverages the power of Baptist Health’s combined resources of experts, pioneering research, compassionate caregivers and leading-edge treatments and technology.

Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 11 hospitals, more than 23,000 employees, 4,000 physicians and 100 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned centers of excellence in cancer, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and neurosciences. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and Baptist Health Care On Demand, a virtual health platform. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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