SENSORIA HEALTH & DEFENDER ANNOUNCE AVAILABLITY OF FIRST SMART DIABETIC BOOT
WITH REMOTE PATIENT MONITORING
DESIGNED TO HELP HEAL DIABETIC FOOT ULCERS &
REDUCE RISK OF AMPUTATIONS
Foot Defender Powered by Sensoria Smart Boot Provides Behavioral Feedback to Patients and Remotely Monitors Them to Improve Outcomes -- Reduces Risk of Amputation Press Release: https://mailchi.mp/thomaspr/sensoria-health-defender-announce-first-smart-diabetic-boot-now-available September 28, 2022, Los Angeles, CA – Sensoria® Healthwww.sensoriahealth.com, the leading developer of Remote Patient Monitoring and Artificial Intelligence wearable solutions, and Defender, next-generation designer and manufacturer of innovative foot care solutions for people with complex foot care issues, announced today at the DFCON Conference the availability of the Foot Defender® powered bySensoria® Smart Boot, the world’s first smart diabetic footwear.Available now, the Foot Defender powered by Sensoria is designed to help heal diabetic foot ulcers and reduce the risk of amputations for extended quality of life. The solution combines the Foot Defender Smart Boot with Sensoria Core microelectronics and the Sensoria Patient Mobile App and Clinician Dashboard to monitor a patient’s diabetic foot ulcer healing and rehabilitation compliance to the clinician’s prescribed stabilization and mechanical offloading protocol.
The Foot Defender powered by Sensoria is designed to improve patient adherence to mechanical offloading, monitors patient usage, activity, improves outcomes, and reduces healthcare cost. Designed by Dr. Jason Hanft, a leading podiatrist, together with a former Nike industry-leading shoe designer, Michael DiTullio, to create a protective boot specifically built to better protect foot wounds in a form factor that patients will actually want to wear, Foot Defender powered by Sensoria is available now; visit https://sensoriahealth.com/diabetic-foot-ulcer-boot/ for more information.
Shoe-Like Design Alleviates Foot Contact Pressure by up to 50% as Compared to Other Protective Diabetic Boots
Foot Defender powered by Sensoria has an easy-to-use shoe-like design with a low-profile abrasion resistant compression-molded outsole that alleviates average contact pressure across the foot by up to 50% as compared to other protective boots on the market. Used for both stabilization and offloading, the boot is non-intrusive, cost-effective, and readily usable or embeddable and deployable for a broad spectrum of devices and patient types, whether they are bed-bound, chair-bound, or ambulatory. The Foot Defender powered by Sensoria solution is compliant to the IWGDF guidelines and is the most referenced product in the latest offloading clinical gold standard guidelines. It is also currently being validated by USC Keck School of Medicine and Baylor College of Medicine, which received a $2.5M R01 NIH grant to validate its clinical value.
Reduce the Risk of Diabetic Amputations
In the United States, 80 million people will be older than 65 years of age in the next few years, according to the CDC. In addition, every 20 seconds world-wide, a limb is amputated due to diabetes; and every 1.2 seconds, there is a new Diabetic Foot Ulcer (there is no amputation without an ulcer). After an amputation, there is a 50% chance that the same patient will have the other limb amputated within two years, with patient five-year life expectancy worse than most cancers. In addition, Diabetic Foot Ulcers are responsible for more hospitalizations than any other complication of diabetes, driving direct costs of at least $40 billion dollars annually worldwide and at least $17.5 billion in the U.S. alone.
“Usually subjects with diabetic foot ulcerations wear their offloading devices in just 28% of their daily steps. And there is strong evidence that uncomplicated plantar ulcers can be healed in 8 to 12 weeks. Yet current standard of care in U.S. clinical trials have a 76% treatment failure rate at 12 weeks,” said Dr. David G. Armstrong, Professor of Surgery at USC Keck School of Medicine. “Through the marriage of Sensoria Health’s sensors with the Foot Defender, AI/ML algorithms, custom microelectronics, and remote monitoring cloud software, the system extends the reach of clinicians and potentially contributes to deliver better outcomes for our patients. By injecting sensing technology into footwear and garments that are already a part of the patient workflow, we can likely improve adherence, accurately monitor patients, improve outcomes, and reduce healthcare cost around the world.”
“Combining Foot Defender with Sensoria’s smart technology offers the best of biomechanical engineering and modern footwear design with mobile, plus cloud patient monitoring to promote faster healing, improve overall compliance and ensure healthier outcomes,” commented Dr. Hanft. “It’s a game-changing solution that brings the science of off-loading and protecting diabetic feet into the 21st century.”
Sensoria Health is the leading developer of healthcare wearables, cloud-based Remote Patient Monitoring, and Artificial Intelligence solutions for garment and footwear that improve the aging consumer’s quality of life. Sensoria delivers the first AI-driven wearable human augmentation platform that tracks total-body patient movement and activity, remotely and in near real-time with proprietary sensor-infused smart garments, Sensoria Core microelectronics, and cloud system enabled smart footwear and clothing. Through textile and pressure sensors inserted in a sock or shoe, Sensoria powered IoMe (Internet of Me) wearables collect data on the physical activity of gait-impaired patients to improve their lives. For more info, see www.sensoriahealth.com and www.sensoria.io.
About Defender
Defender is a leading designer and manufacturer of innovative foot care solutions that are changing the game for people with complex foot care issues, from heel pain to diabetic foot ulcers. Founded by Dr. Jason Hanft, a highly respected foot surgeon and podiatrist, the company is best known as the maker of Foot Defender – a protective boot co-conceived by former Nike designer Michael DiTullo. Clinically proven to offload 50% more pressure from the foot than other protective boots, Foot Defender wins praise from health professionals for its patient compliance and stigma-reducing benefits. Defender is also the creator of Heel Defender orthotic inserts, which are made with Absorbium and reduce impact force by nearly 95%. To learn more or to buy, visit footdefender.com or follow us on LinkedIN, or on Facebook or Instagram.
Other Sensoria solutions include Sensoria Mat, Sensoria Smart Band, Smart Knee Brace, Sensoria Developer’s Kit, and in the future the Sensoria Baby line of products. For more information on Sensoria Health, see: www.sensoriahealth.com
HPV Prevention Week, Oct. 3–9: Canadian Partnership Against Cancer's experts available to speak about Action Plan to Eliminate Cervical Cancer
TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Each year more than 1,300 people in Canada are diagnosed with cervical cancer and more than 400 die. It doesn't have to be this way.
Cervical cancer is nearly always caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted infection that is preventable through immunization and treatable if caught early enough through effective screening.
As Canada marks HPV Prevention Week this year from Oct. 3–9, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer's Vice President of Cancer Control, Erika Nicholson, is available to provide commentary on:
How jurisdictions across Canada are working to improve access to the HPV vaccine for everyone who needs it – particularly given gaps that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic when school-based immunization programs were paused.
How scrapping the Pap test and replacing it with HPV primary screening will modernize cervical cancer screening, benefitting individuals and the cancer care system. HPV screening is only required once every five years, opens the opportunity for self-collection at home, and is more cost-effective, preventing more cancers than the Pap test.
The World Health Organization has set a goal to eliminate cervical cancer worldwide this century, and Canada's Minister of Health committed the country to achieving this by 2040.
Additional experts are available across the country to discuss HPV and the elimination of cervical cancer from the perspective of specific populations and regions. Please reach out to the contact person below to be connected to these partners or to speak to Ms. Nicholson.
About the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer As the steward of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control (the Strategy), the Partnership works with Canada's cancer community to take action to ensure people in Canada have equitable access to quality cancer care, fewer people get cancer, more people survive cancer and those living with the disease have a better quality of life. This work is guided by the Strategy, which was refreshed for 2019 to 2029 and will help drive measurable change for all people in Canada affected by cancer. The Strategy includes eight priorities, which will tackle the most pressing challenges in cancer control as well as distinct First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples-specific priorities and actions reflecting Canada's commitment to reconciliation. The Partnership oversees the implementation of the priorities in collaboration with organizations and individuals on the front lines of cancer care – the provinces and territories, health-care professionals, people living with cancer and those who care for them, First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, governments and organizations, and its funder Health Canada.
Dr. Alex Mihailidis recognised as one of the Healthy Ageing 50 — 50 leaders working to transform the world to be a better place to grow older
TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Dr. Alex Mihailidis, an internationally renowned researcher who serves as AGE-WELL's Scientific Director and CEO, has been selected as one of the Healthy Ageing 50 – 50 leaders working to transform the world to be a better place to grow older.
"I am proud to be recognized as one of the Healthy Ageing 50 – 50 leaders working to transform the world to be a better place in which to grow older," said Dr. Mihailidis. "It is a great honour to be one of 50 leaders recognized for their efforts to improve the lives of current and future generations of older people."
Dr. Mihailidis has dedicated his career to enhancing the lives of older people and caregivers. A biomedical engineer at the University of Toronto and The KITE Research Institute-University Health Network, Dr. Mihailidis is a world leader in research on technology to support older adults to stay healthy, active and independent. His accomplishments span the creation of cutting-edge technologies – such as prompting systems and smart-home sensors that can flag health issues early on – to new policies related to regulation and service delivery of innovative solutions. His work, specifically in the use of artificial intelligence, sensors and robotics to support people living with dementia, has paved the way for new approaches in caring for our aging population.
Dr. Mihailidis is a visionary who founded the AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence, Canada's federally-funded technology and aging network. Under his leadership, AGE-WELL is a highly-regarded Canadian network with global reach that brings everyone together – industry, government, community organizations, academia, older adults, caregivers and future leaders – to advance Canada's AgeTech sector and accelerate the delivery of technology-based solutions for healthy aging.
Dr. Mihailidis is a Senior Scientist at The KITE Research Institute – University Health Network, and Associate Vice President – International Partnerships & Professor at the University of Toronto (U of T). He is the Barbara G. Stymiest Research Chair in Rehabilitation Technology at U of T and Toronto Rehab. Dr. Mihailidis is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, a Lifetime Honorary Member of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, and a Fellow of the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of America.
AGE-WELL extends sincere congratulations to Dr. Mihailidis and the other Healthy Ageing 50 leaders selected for their extraordinary achievements in the area of healthy aging.
About AGE-WELL:
AGE-WELL NCE Inc. is Canada's Technology and Aging Network. The pan-Canadian network brings together researchers, older adults, caregivers, partner organizations and future leaders to accelerate the delivery of technology-based solutions that make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians. AGE-WELL researchers are producing technologies, services, policies and practices that improve quality of life for older adults and caregivers, and generate social and economic benefits for Canada. AGE-WELL is funded through the federal Networks of Centres of Excellence program. https://agewell-nce.ca/
SOURCE AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE)
SAFE Method Promotes Peace, Empowerment After Trauma
Princeton, NJ, September 28, 2022 — Surviving sexual assault, attempted suicide and an arranged marriage is one thing. Processing all of that pain and living a full life proved to be something entirely different for speaker and author Poonam Bhuchar.
“In the shadows of emotional pain, survival can take priority over healing,” Bhuchar said. “Lasting reverberations of traumatic experiences can cripple decision-making skills, creep into relationships and leave scars on the people you love.”
Eventually, Bhuchar’s emotional trauma also took a physical toll. She suffered two strokes and temporary paralysis before beginning her long journey toward authentic healing.
Today, she shares her powerful story through speaking engagements and her book, SAFE From the Pain: Out of the Darkness Into a Life That’s Free, Happy, and Good.
Part memoir, part self-help revelation, SAFE From the Pain pairs Bhuchar’s inspiring story with the SAFE Method, which aims to help readers process emotional pain in healthy, productive ways so they can lead more fulfilling personal and professional lives.
In SAFE From the Pain, readers will learn:
- The four-step SAFE Method for working through emotions and regaining control.
- The impact that stress from emotional pain has on every aspect of life — including the workplace.
- How to overcome a victim mindset and accept responsibility — because ownership leads to action.
- Three types of forgiveness for freedom from society’s expectations, cultural beliefs and self-judgment.
- Why embracing one’s journey is essential to happiness, a bigger life purpose and alignment with one’s true self.
“Peace and empowerment after trauma are possible when you embrace your pain as part of your story,” Bhuchar said. “You can’t move forward if you live in the past.”
About the Author
Poonam Bhuchar runs a boutique law firm, is a life coach, author and a speaker on overcoming trauma and emotional pain. Born and raised in London, she immigrated to the United States at 21 and experienced a multitude of painful challenges such as sexual assault, abuse, and the aftermath and cultural humiliation of divorce. Throughout her journey, she developed the SAFE Method to help others acknowledge, discuss, and grow from their emotional pain without stigma or judgement. Her book, SAFE From the Pain: Out of the Darkness Into a Life That’s Free, Happy, and Good, has won multiple awards in the self-help category, including a five-star review from Literary Titan.
For more information, please visit www.emotionallysafe.com, or connect with the author on Facebook (emotionally safe) and Instagram (emotionally_safe).
SAFE From the Pain: Out of the Darkness Into a Life That’s Free, Happy, and Good Publisher: RI Publishing
Pharmacy Benefit Managers pilfer millions from health plans that should instead reduce costs for employers and employees
Katy Talento: ‘Despite the caterwauling from the Health Care Swamp, the only way to pay less for health care is to actually pay less for health care’
WASHINGTON D.C. — Middlemen known as Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) claim to get volume discounts from manufacturers for prescription drugs through manufacturer rebates. Almost every employer or health insurance carrier has a prescription drug program run by PBMs, who conspire with insurance carriers to pocket these rebates, despite the spin that manufacturer rebates are only used to benevolently drive down premiums.
Three corporate giants control 80% of the PBM market, which already diminishes competition to provide the best deal for company health plans. One of the little-known secrets in health care is how big the savings on prescription drugs can be when either an employer fires a “Big 3” PBM or when people use cash-based discount programs, such as with Health Care Sharing Ministries. One business saved 37% on health care in two years, while a Fortune 50 manufacturing company saves 25 percent annually for tens of millions of dollars. These stories are not outliers. These companies used a small, price-transparent PBM that does not pocket manufacturer kickbacks. But that’s not the only way — many patients have seen how they can pay less for medicines at the pharmacy counter by asking for the cash price rather than the pharmacist running the prescription through their insurance plan which can be corrupted by the influence of a PBM. Indeed, there is a guaranteed way to avoid the crooked PBM scheme.
“Health Care Sharing Ministries are the only sure-fire way to avoid the grift of PBMs,” said Katy Talento, executive director of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries (The Alliance, ahcsm.org). “Members ofHealth Care Sharing Ministries pay a discounted cash price for prescription drugs, using ministry programs that provide access to steep discounts not typically available in the market. And we all know every penny makes a difference in this painful inflationary environment.”
The advantage of Health Care Sharing Ministries is simple. By paying a discounted cash price, the Health Care Sharing Ministry forces price transparency from the pharmacy and manufacturer. According to the analysis of one Senator, “cash prices for health care are, on average, 39 percent less than the secret reimbursement rates that insurers pay.”
PBMs may try to shroud their practices, but PBMs:
Pocket all or part of the savings instead of passing them on to employers or patients
Allow patients access only to drugs from manufacturers that pay the biggest kickback to the PBM, instead of cheaper and equally effective drugs
Have merged in unholy alliances with insurers administering employer plans, eliminating the downward pressure on provider price-gouging that most people think their insurance carrier is supposed to provide
Have sued the federal government to block a regulation that would have required them to disclose to employers the size of their kickbacks
“If that sounds like a sweetheart deal cooked up by the Washington health care establishment, now you know. But outside the Beltway, there’s an insurgency of fed-up employers, independent pharmacies, and savvy patients fighting back against the health care industry’s plunder of Main Street,” said Talento. “More Americans need to consider Health Care Sharing Ministries as a way to cut out the PBMs altogether and benefit from a more transparent system.
“Washington usually proposes whack-a-mole ‘solutions’ that merely shift costs to different parts of the system without ever actually lowering overall costs. Despite the caterwauling from the Health Care Swamp, the only way to pay less for health care is to actually pay less for health care. And one of the best options for paying less for health care is through the transparency and stewardship inherent in Christian Health Care Sharing Ministry communities.”
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries is a 501(c)(6) trade organization representing the common interests of Health Care Sharing Ministry organizations which are facilitating the sharing of health care needs (financial, emotional, and spiritual) by individuals and families, and their participants. The Alliance engages with federal and state regulators, members of the media, and the Christian community to provide accurate and timely information on medical cost sharing.
To learn more about the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries, visit www.ahcsm.org or follow the ministry on Facebook or Twitter.
CheapOair.ca Reveals the Best Destinations Around the World to View the Changing Fall Colours
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Sept. 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Along with Thanksgiving, Halloween and all things pumpkin spice, one of the favourite ways to enjoy the Autumn season is by watching the leaves change to a rich tapestry of vibrant colours. Leading online travel agency CheapOair.ca is marking the season with a look at some of the top destinations to view breathtaking fall foliage.
“We know that viewing the fall colours is one of the top activities that travelers enjoy doing as the temperature gets cooler and there is nothing cooler than nature changing colours before our eyes,” said Daniel Hayter, Senior Product Manager for CheapOair.ca. “As we look forward to this new season, we are happy to share our recommendations on some of the best Fall foliage viewing locations to enjoy with family and friends and to create memories.”
As temperatures bring falling leaves bursting in all shades of warm colors, from yellow to orange to red, viewing fall scenery has been known to invoke feelings of comfort, rebirth and excitement. So, grab your pumpkin spice drink and enjoy CheapOair.ca’s list of some of the top destinations locally and worldwide for fall colour viewing you can’t miss:
Ontario, Canada: The province known as ‘A Place To Grow’ is definitely ripe for scenery. From the historic Niagara River Parkway, which Sir Winston Churchill described "the prettiest Sunday afternoon drive in the world" to the 500-mile Bruce Peninsula, there is no shortage of local escapes for Ontarians. The 2,955 square-mile Algonquin Park is the oldest provincial park in Canada and one of the most popular parks in Ontario to enjoy.
Canadian Rockies, Alberta: With its sub-alpine larch and aspen trees, the Canadian Rockies in Alberta are one of Canada’s national treasures. In particular, the Banff Legacy Trail, a 14-mile stretch of paved pathways in Banff National Park, has 360-degree mountain views which make it one of the top Canadian destinations within our own backyard for fall colour seekers.
East Coast, Canada: Recognized as one of Canada’s most beautiful drives, the Cabot Trail through Cape Breton Island offer scenic landscape views as you travel through Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The scene is so iconic that the locals even celebrate with their own seasonal Celtic Colours International Festival held in mid-October each year.
New England, U.S.: While Northeast New England as a whole offers great viewing options, Vermont is known as one of the top destinations, with over 75 percent of the land covered in foliage. Known for having more maple trees than any other region, your scenic drive or walk will find the brightest of yellows, oranges, and reds on every road.
Yosemite National Park, California: From a variety of Wine Country sites to Lake Tahoe, California gives New England a run for its money when it comes to Fall foliage scenery. Yosemite National Park is a designated World Heritage site well-known for its iconic U-shaped valley filled with waterfalls, cliffs and Sequoia groves. With roughly 95 percent of the Park designated as wilderness, Yosemite is ripe for a Fall visit.
Colorado, U.S.: As the only state that lies entirely above 1,000 meters in elevation and the largest mountain system in North America, you can imagine that Colorado offers gorgeous views for any Fall enthusiast to get their fill. With over 12,000 feet of altitude, Rocky Mountain National Park continues to be the perfect trip for Autumn nature lovers.
Utrecht, Netherlands: Dating back to the 12th century, renowned canals throughout the city were created as an inner-city harbour for boats to unload into the local wharves and wharf cellars along with a walkway for tours. It is here that you will be able to view the lush Autumn foliage, whether on foot or by boat.
Bavaria, Germany: Fall in Germany offers much more than Oktoberfest. Considered one of the most picturesque in all of Germany, the Bavarian Alps offers beautiful views of the Fall colours in advance of its busy ski season.
Kyoto, Japan: While Kyoto is known as the cultural capital of Japan, it is home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage Site Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and gardens. While known for its cherry blossoms in spring, the cultural capital of Japan also offers some of the most striking Fall foliage scenery.
The mission of CheapOair.ca is to educate and aid consumers and travel professionals in both planning their travel accommodations and staying current on the most popular destinations. Canadians can find up-to-date travel-related guidelines to destinations worldwide via the “Ready for your next trip” section on CheapOair.ca.
Note to media: Additional quotes and interviews can be arranged upon request.
CheapOair.ca is an online travel agency that specializes in providing cheap flights and great last-minute flight deals for travellers worldwide. Consumers can book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone or by live chat. Part of Fareportal's family of travel brands, CheapOair.ca bridges the gap between an online travel agency and a traditional agency with travel agents available worldwide to help find great deals on flights to global destinations on over 500 airlines, a million lodgings, and hundreds of car rental companies. Follow CheapOair.ca on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for travel inspiration and helpful travel tips.
Blown Into Now Nudges Readers Toward Light After Loss
San Francisco, Calif., September 28, 2022― Mylo Schaaf had to find a path through the tears and horrors of grief after her son passed away at the age of 24. A trained journalist and editor, Schaaf suddenly felt compelled to string words together in a manner unencumbered by the rules of formal writing.
The result is Blown Into Now: Poems for a Journey, a collection oflyrical writings that offer glimpses into the stages Schaaf went through, techniques that she tried, and manifestations of her son’s presence.
“The path is not all sadness,” she said during a recent interview. “It goes sort of up and down as you suppose any path would, but it eventually heads toward joy and toward understanding.”
In Blown Into Now, Schaaf carries readers from deep sadness and loss to comfort and support, finally edging toward joy. Her melodic words become a guidebook, allowing those who grieve to witness a spectrum of responses, to understand what might give relief, and to know how to look for the signposts that will guide them down the path toward healing.
Each of Schaaf’s 45 remarkable poems is paired with a striking photograph taken by her mountaineer son, Alex Lowenstein, who passed on unexpectedly in his twenties. Schaaf’s personal journey through grief became this book.
To those who must endure such a shocking new reality, she aims to bring compassion, beauty and spiritual connection.
Her poems reveal a mother’s great heart and the love she shares with her son for granite peaks and untracked desert. Each photograph provides a pause from grief and allows us a glimpse of something we want and cannot name.
About the Author
Mylo Schaaf trained as a journalist, editor and physician, before taking a left turn into poetry. Before everything changed, she was a faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco, mentoring and teaching students in international, low-resource settings. Her commitment to global health grew out of her work and connection with India, the Americas, Liberia, Haiti and China. Then one day, a shocking phone call collapsed this pursuit of engagement and action. Her 24-year-old son, a mountaineer/peace-and-conflict scholar/veteran, had passed away. Poems demanded to be written. They brought relief and healing, as did warm, grassy hills, tree spirits and arms of sky. Years wandered past. Poems continue to emerge, as the tangles of days slip into light.
For more information, please visit https://www.myloschaaf.com, or follow the author on Instagram at writermyloschaaf.
Blown Into Now – Poems for a Journey
Publisher: Blue Light Press
ISBN: 979-8-9864093-0-6 (soft cover, available now)
PureFacts launches program for sustainable and meaningful community growth
PurePossibilities mirrors Maslow's hierarchy of needs and intends to create a community Flywheel Effect
TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PureFacts Financial Solutions has launched a comprehensive corporate citizenship program called PurePossibilities. The program was designed to help people in three main areas by providing essential needs, support in education, and meaningful employment.
The heart and vision of PureFacts is to see a day where everyone has financial well-being and are given the opportunity to live their best life. CEO Robert Madej, President Rajini McRae and many PureFacts employees come from humble beginnings, and PurePossibilities endeavours to provide a leg up to many such people, in the hopes that someday we achieve Worldwide Wealth.
“Many people in the PureFacts family have the advantage of a formal education, with all their basic needs covered, such as a place to live, access to food and clothing,” said Robert Madej, founder and CEO of PureFacts Financial Solutions. “By creating PurePossibilities, we are hoping to strengthen our communities and improve lives.”
PurePossibilities is based on Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, in which essentials are layered from more concrete physiological needs (food, clothing and shelter) to safety (job security) and finally, self-actualization (pursuing goals).
Furthermore, through this program, there is a hoped-for flywheel effect, in which individuals will give back to their communities once they have secured jobs and are meeting their own goals in life and career. Introduced by Jim Collins in his influential book Good To Great, the Flywheel Effect illustrates that “companies don't become exceptional as a result of a single intervention or initiative, but rather from the accumulation of little wins that stack up over years.” In recent years, The Flywheel Effect has been used to help community revitalization efforts in Detroit.
“We are trying to help individuals get a leg up in financial wellbeing so they too can create more opportunities for others,” said Rajini McRae, President of PureFacts Financial Solutions. “What differentiates this program is that our employees provide mentorship to help scholarship recipients land a job at PureFacts or in our network. Through employment they start the process of financial wellbeing and can help others as well.”
PureFacts has divided up its own three pillars to focus into separate programs, each dedicated to supporting individuals and communities for long-term successes.
The Essential Needs program helps provide the bare necessities people need to survive, such as food and clothing. To date, PureFacts and its 140 employees provided food security through The Daily Bread Food Bank, it raised $10,000 in support of Ukraine, and partnered with LIGA Foundations in Lisbon, a non-profit institution that trains people in situations of vulnerability.
The PureScholars Education program helps lift individuals out of hardship through education. Scholarships to date are provided to multiple schools across Ontario, (the Rotman School of Business and the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, both at the University of Toronto; the University of Waterloo; and the University of Guelph.) The target student is one who has good grades, is involved in their community, and has financial needs. The program has provided $132,000 worth of scholarships for more than 30 students over five years.
The Employment program helps enable self-actualization through meaningful employment. It does so by offering mentorship, networking opportunities and interview preparation assistance so recipients achieve financial wellbeing and can give back to others. PurePossibilities has already paired two PureFacts employees with mentored students in this program.
“The pandemic has accelerated the need for PureFacts’ PurePossibilities program,” said McRae. “And while the program is growing faster than the team had anticipated, PureFacts is excited about the possibilities of making a difference in the community and towards its vision of Worldwide Wealth.”
About PureFacts PureFacts is a global company serving over 100 clients with a combined one trillion in assets under management across Canada, the USA, and Europe. PureFacts’ wealth-tech solutions help some of the largest and most recognizable global wealth management firms increase productivity, reduce costs, and create an enhanced customer experience. Its solutions help firms retain their most valued clients, minimize time that advisers spend on fact finding to deliver high quality advice, and prevent costly mistakes through data anomaly detection.
CANNATROL WINS GROW UP INDUSTRY AWARD FOR DRYING AND CURING
NORTH SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT – September 29, 2022 – Cannatrol the new disruptive innovator in precision cannabis drying and curing systems, today announced that it has been awarded a Cannabis Industry Award – for Best Drying & Curing System at the 3rd Annual Grow Up Conference Awards.
The Grow Up Conference and Expo, an award-winning cannabis event, has been hailed as a top cannabis industry conference in Canada, hosting events in Niagara Falls, ON, and Victoria, BC.
“It is an honor for a growing company like ours to win such a big distinction in our industry,” said David Sandelman, Chief Engineer at Cannatrol and a serial technology innovator. “The award validates the difference our technology makes on the end product, and is further proof that precision drying, curing and storage is critical to the future of the cannabis industry.”
Proven Vaportrol® Technology
The technology driving Cannatrol Systems was originally developed to solve a drying and aging problem at one of the top cheese makers in the US. Today, the twice patented technology is being used in hundreds of cheeses and meat aging/curing rooms across the country and is the proven standard for high-quality in the food industry. Vaportrol Technology maintains proper vapor pressure (unlike other systems that rely on atmospheric pressure) throughout the drying and curing process for the food industry and now, through Cannatrol, for the cannabis sector.
How Cannatrol Works
Growing a quality product is a significant financial commitment. Genetics, nutrients, power, and labor all get calculated into the cost of the grow cycle. With that much investment in the grow process, it is critical to assure the product is dried, cured and stored in a clean, correct and properly controlled environment. Anything less can result in a total loss of harvest.
The Cannatrol process starts with controlled water removal. Users program the temperature, dew point and the length of time for the dry, cure and storage cycles.
When the cure is complete, finished product can be stored in the Cannatrol system until it is packaged and distributed. Unlike traditional drying solutions that can over dry product if left too long, there is no need to remove the flower from a Cannatrol System. Product reaches equilibrium and remains in perfect conditions for curing and further storage.
The Cannatrol Dry/Cure System
The Cannatrol Dry/Cure system is available for large-scale and commercial growers, as well as a smaller Cool Cure system for home growers. The Cool Cure system dries as much as 1 kilo of wet flower and delivers the same consistent results as the commercial system.
Cannatrol commercial systems are intended for large scale commercial cultivators. Systems can be customized to meet production demands from the largest growers to craft cultivators. Commercial systems are fitted with an integrated scale to monitor real-time water weight loss. Users can set up to five different environmental parameters per dry/cure/store cycle. Other features of the commercial system to give reliable, repeatable results:
Multi sensor technology
Easy to navigate 7" color touch screen
Remote operating capability via iPhone/Android
Control of the environment without supplementary dehumidification
Food grade construction materials
Tech support and training
To learn more about the Grow Up Awards and view previous winners and categories, visit the Awards website: https://growupawards.com/
About Grow Up Conference and Expo
Grow Up Conference and Expo, an award-winning cannabis event, is a privately-owned Canadian company since 2017 and has been hailed a top cannabis industry event in Canada, hosting events in Niagara Falls, ON, and Victoria, BC. With decades of experience creating nationally renowned high-profile events, trade summits and shows around the world, Grow Up is committed to bringing forward-thinkers, trailblazers and experts together. For more information, visit: growupconference.com.
Doctors Offer Vaccine Insights as New Boosters are Readied
Santa Ana, CA, September 29, 2022 — Another COVID booster is on the horizon — this one targeting the BA.4 and BA.5 variants — opening the door for more discussion surrounding vaccine efficacy and the overall pandemic response.
Pointing to animal studies that date back more than 20 years, Dr. George Fareed of the Imperial Valley in California recently shared his perspective on why the type of vaccines being used have fallen short of expectations and possibly prolonged the pandemic.
“If you immunize a population in the pandemic with a vaccine that suppresses, to some extent, replication or gives some mild benefit of some sort in terms of the severity of the illness, it’s not a safe thing to do,” Dr. Fareed said. “You always use a blocking or a sterilizing vaccine — one that doesn’t allow the virus to break through. And that’s absolutely what we did not accomplish with these gene therapy-type vaccines … it doesn’t provide immunity or even prevent the infection for more than a few weeks or months … so it allows for a mutable virus to generate variants and perpetuate a pandemic.”
In the early days of COVID-19, Dr. Fareed and Dr. Brian Tyson created an early treatment protocol comprised of both pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. To date, they have successfully treated 12,000 COVID patients (and counting).
In their book, Overcoming the COVID Darkness, Drs. Fareed and Tyson chronicle their journey, detailing (in layperson’s terms) their COVID treatment formula and attempting to provide readers with clarity about the illness — with an entire chapter devoted to the vaccine response. The book also contains testimonials from patients and other doctors, research studies, news clippings, a letter they wrote to congress and a national COVID plan that can be adapted for future pandemics.
“Instead of the vaccine, people should have been treated early in the illness, and then they would have developed strong immunity, and we wouldn’t have all these new variants,” Dr. Fareed added.
About the Authors
Dr. George Fareed graduated from Harvard Medical School with Honors and completed a medical internship at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. He has worked at NIAID, at Harvard Medical School and at UCLA School of Medicine.
He was a founder and director of scientific planning of a biotech company, Ingene (International Genetic Engineering, Inc.). Since 1991, Dr. Fareed has worked clinically in primary medical care in the Imperial Valley of California. He has been on the frontline for early COVID-19 treatment, and has practiced the whole spectrum of COVID-19 care, treating outpatients as well as inpatients as a hospitalist. He testified on November 19, 2020, in the Senate Hearing on early COVID-19 treatment.
Dr. Brian Tyson is a board-certified family practitioner who worked as an emergency physician at Arrowhead Regional Medical center for 13 years and as a hospitalist physician for 14 years before opening his own urgent care in 2018.
Dr. Tyson was the Program Medical Director for Cogent Healthcare and Beaver Medical Group. His experience with COVID-19 has been exceptional, with over 30,000 patients evaluated, and zero deaths with early treatment.
His urgent care serves a high-risk population that includes two nursing homes, and his success was due to his aggressive early management. Due to his proven methodology, Dr. Tyson is considered a frontline COVID-19 treatment expert and has been featured on multiple media sites.
