Canadian-Made Portable Brain Scanner Technology NeuroCatch® Receives Health Canada Approval For Latest Breakthrough Advances
Advances in Next Generation NeuroCatch® More Sensitive in Detecting Brain Function Changes – Rapid Uptake in Concussion
SURREY, BC, Sept. 27, 2022 /CNW/ - NeuroCatch Inc. ("NCI"), a subsidiary of HealthTech Connex ("HTC"), is excited to announce that the newest version of its groundbreaking NeuroCatch® Platform brain function assessment system has received a Health Canada medical device license. The previous generation NeuroCatch® already received Health Canada approval in 2019 and is currently being used in a number of clinical research studies throughout North America.
NeuroCatch® is an industry-leading medical device that offers a rapid, objective evaluation of cognitive brain function in minutes at the point of care. The technology is used across Canada and the USA to evaluate concussions and other neurological conditions. The latest innovative advancements in the next generation NeuroCatch® enable 10-15 times improved sensitivity in detecting subtle but significant changes in brain function when monitoring neurological conditions like concussions and brain injuries.
The NeuroCatch® Platform can be used in various health conditions, including brain injuries, neurological diseases, mental health issues, and brain optimization. On the heels of its FDA clearance in the USA, the most recent Health Canada approval paves the way for clinicians and researchers in Canada to quickly leverage this cutting-edge technology's next-generation capabilities.
"We're incredibly proud that Health Canada has quickly provided our latest medical device approval for the next generation of NeuroCatch®," said Dr. Ryan D'Arcy, HealthTech Connex President and Chief Scientific Officer. "As a leading R&D company in neurotechnology, we are committed to the highest possible quality through pioneering scientific breakthroughs. The capabilities embedded within this next generation NeuroCatch® represents a major leap forward, offering healthcare practitioners and researchers even greater evidence-based evaluation capabilities to quickly and accurately provide an objective measurement of cognitive function, which is delivered in minutes at the point of care."
The world's first fully accessible and portable cognitive brain scanner, NeuroCatch® consists of brainwave (electro-encephalography or EEG) sensors embedded in a mesh cap, which interfaces with a custom hardware/software platform to deliver standardized medical-grade results. Qualified healthcare professionals and researchers can use the NeuroCatch®Platform at any point of care in healthcare settings including clinics, labs, hospitals, sporting venues, schools, military theatres, and remote deployments. It is helpful at any time in the care continuum, from baseline evaluation through ongoing treatment, with immediate and intuitive results to guide clinical decisions.
Results simplify interpretating by translating the evoked brain responses into intuitive radar plots that can be compared to prior scans over time.
The next generation of NeuroCatch® offers notable advancements, including:
A cloud-based platform providing real-time access to much-anticipated radar plots, displaying the largest and most representative normative reference value datasets (Source).
An innovative EPiO™ Adapter, providing 10-15x improvement in temporal precision and sensitivity (Source).
Rapid, objective, and physiological cognitive reporting that provides sensitive digital cognitive function measures.
Deployable digital health technology that can be applied at any point of care where professional healthcare and clinical research is conducted.
The NeuroCatch® Platform is currently being used for both clinical and research applications in leading centres across Canada and the U.S., including a long-haul COVID brain fog treatment program at the Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic. Groundbreaking concussion research studies with youth hockey and football players were led by the Mayo Clinic and Sanford Clinic, respectively. Since then, NeuroCatch® is being rapidly and widely deployed across a range of clinical and research investigations to help clinicians diagnose concussions where it happens, identify breakthrough treatments, effective preventative options, and begin predicting adverse outcomes.
When brain injuries are more severe, NeuroCatch® is being utilized by leaders at the Alberta Children's Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine at Cornell University to help improve clinical care. Expanding clinical applications of NeuroCatch® include healthy cognitive aging, neurological diseases (e.g., dementia, Parkinson's Disease, and multiple sclerosis), mental health (e.g., anxiety, depression, and PTSD), and brain performance optimization.
"NeuroCatch® emerged from leading science and research to provide an objective, sensitive, rapid, and portable evaluation of elements of cognitive brain function," said Michael Esser, MD, PhD., Pediatric Neurologist and Director of the Neurocritical Care and Translational Research program at Alberta Children's Hospital and the University of Calgary. "It opens up long-awaited capabilities for clinicians and researchers to advance brain healthcare. We've used NeuroCatch® in our concussion research examining children with mild traumatic brain injuries and are excited and waiting for this next generation release for the sensitivity gains and intuitive reporting. NeuroCatch® prioritizes quality, working collaboratively, and providing a clinical tool that is automated, standardized, and easy-to-use, while not resorting to a 'black box' approach in terms of giving full control to the clinician to help our patients."
"I was at the top of my game, participating in a Ride to Conquer Cancer, when I slipped and fell in a bathtub breaking the fall with my head. I didn't realize I had a serious concussion yet finished the bike ride in serious difficulty," says Tom Dutta, Founder and CEO of KRE-AT®, TEDx Speaker, #1 International Best-Selling Author and Radio/Film Producer. "I slipped into mental health challenges, experienced chronic anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicidal ideation, debilitating light sensitivity, double vision, impaired gait, balance, vestibular, executive functions, and major headaches. It wasn't until I sought medical help with advanced neuroscience capabilities looking inside my brain, did I start to see and feel improvements. NeuroCatch helped track my brain function progress and together with several neurological therapies, made a significant impact on my current recovery. The biggest advice I can give to anyone like me is a quote by Stephen Hawking: 'Be brave, be curious, be determined, overcome the odds. It can be done.'"
NeuroCatch Inc. is a neuro-health technology company focused on translating neuroscience research innovations into real-world medical devices and consumer products. Located within the Health and Technology District in Surrey, British Columbia, NeuroCatch Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of HealthTech Connex Inc. Its medical device, the NeuroCatch® Platform, is an objective, rapid neuro-physiological brain function assessment system that is licensed by Health Canada as a Class II medical device. It is easy to use, cost-effective and readily accessible to healthcare practitioners, researchers and peak performers. neurocatch.com
About HealthTech Connex
HealthTech Connex connects science and R&D to product breakthroughs utilizing state-of-the-art technology and Software as a Medical Device (SaMD). The team comprises of recognized health, science, and business leaders with extensive experience in leveraging healthcare advances fueled by agile partnerships through its headquarters located in the Health and Technology District in Surrey, British Columbia. The company is focused on delivering translational neuroscience innovations to care sectors and communities worldwide. healthtechconnex.com
Learn-as-you-go modules and live online sessions designed to help clinicians implement Canadian adult obesity clinical guidelines into practice
EDMONTON, Alberta, Sept. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Obesity Canada (OC), the Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (CSEM) and the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) have launched an accredited,* practical and patient-centred online obesity care course for physicians.**
Calibre (Canadian Advanced Learning in Bariatric Care) was developed over the past year by leading national and global obesity researchers and clinicians, many of whom co-authored the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs), first published in 2020. Canadians who live with obesity made important contributions to the program.
Through a combination of online reading and video presentations and three live, interactive workshop sessions, Calibre covers:
Determinants and pathophysiology of obesity
Weight bias, stigma & discrimination
Evidence-based obesity treatments and supports in the Canadian CPGs (physical activity, medical nutrition therapy, behavioural/psychological interventions, pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery)
Collaborative goal setting, managing outcomes and changing tactics
Registration for the first Calibre cohort, limited to 50 participants, is now open at https://obesitycanada.ca/calibre. The first 50 individuals to register will save $200 off the program’s regular fee.
Live sessions for the first cohort will run from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm ET on November 15, 2022, November 29, 2022 and December 13, 2022. More cohorts will be added as registration increases.
*This activity is an accredited self-assessment program (Section 3) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and approved by the Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism. You may claim a maximum of 18 hours (credits are automatically calculated). Participants should only claim credits commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
*This 3-credit-per-hour Group Learning program has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada for up to 44.25 Mainpro+® Credits.
**While Calibre was developed and accredited for physicians in Canada, it is open to any licensed healthcare professional worldwide.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicole Pearce, Director, Professional Education & Engagement, Obesity Canada: pearce@obesitynetwork.ca
How Smartphones and Wearables Can Lead to Better Health
Boston, Sept. 27, 2022 ― Wearables like smart watches or Fitbits do far more than count steps. In fact, AI-enabled devices can prevent a heart attack, diagnose melanoma, lessen the frequency of asthma attacks and treat insomnia without drugs, explains biotech expert Harry Glorikian.
“Personal devices with sensors that can track and even diagnose medical conditions have been around for more than a decade. Hardware and AI have advanced so rapidly, however, that devices and their connected sensors can now accomplish feats that were inconceivable just a few short years ago,” he wrote in a recent article.
In his new book, The Future You: How Artificial Intelligence (AI) Can Help You Get Healthier, Stress Less, and Live Longer, Glorikian helps readers understand how to use technology (that they very likely already have) to create personalized healthcare experiences.
“The scenarios I’m going to describe in this book don’t just apply to someone with a rare condition or who is seriously ill,” he wrote in his book’s introduction. “These are examples of how everyone can take advantage of AI and data analytics to stay healthy, get diagnosed more quickly, and sometimes, save on healthcare costs.”
In The Future You, readers will discover
- The ways in which technology and AI are already impacting healthcare and what new technologies are on the horizon
- The new healthcare business paradigm and how to navigate it
- How AI is helping doctors diagnose different cancers more precisely
- How everyday people have used smartphone and smartwatch technology to reach their health and fitness goals — and sometimes to survive a health crisis
- How to use and leverage AI data to improve health in monumental ways
- How to use available tech to simplify healthcare scenarios such as doctor visits, managing one’s own health records, coping with chronic disease, broadening awarenessabout a specific genetic profile and much more
- How scientists around the world used AI to develop COVID vaccines and how AI will help scientists predict future outbreaks more rapidly
- And much, much more
Glorikian’s overarching message is clear: There’s quite literally nothing about health and wellness that won’t be utterly transformed by the power of AI. The Future You will show readers what's coming — and what is already here.
“I want readers to feel inspired to see how they can use the technology they already have to make changes in their lives,” Glorikian said. “Maybe it's as simple as using your smartphone to count your daily steps. Or maybe it's downloading a meal-tracking app or doing a virtual reality workout. This book can be a roadmap to personalized health and wellness for everyone.”
About the Author
Harry Glorikian is a global business expert, healthcare entrepreneur, podcaster and author. For over three decades, he has built a breadth of successful ventures in the healthcare space, and he is well known for being at the forefront of helping invest in and grow innovative healthcare companies that are tackling groundbreaking areas of healthcare and biotechnology. A sought-after speaker, Glorikian is frequently quoted in the media and regularly asked to assess, influence, and be part of innovative concepts and trends. He holds four U.S. patents in telecommunications and has others pending.
Glorikian currently serves as a General Partner at Scientia Ventures, a VC firm focused on upleveling companies that have the potential to transform healthcare. Additionally, Glorikian serves on the boards of StageZero Life Sciences (TSX: SZLS), a publicly traded healthcare technology business dedicated to the early detection of cancer and multiple disease states through whole blood, and Drumroll Health, which develops AI technologies to foster closer partnerships between patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare companies.
He is also the author of MoneyBall Medicine: Thriving in the New Data-Driven Healthcare Market and the diagnostics textbook Commercializing Novel IVDs: A Comprehensive Manual for Success, and is the host of The Harry Glorikian Show podcast series.
Glorikian holds an MBA from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University. Harry has addressed the National Institutes of Health, Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference, World Theranostics Congress, and other audiences, worldwide.
Visit https://glorikian.com/ for more information, or follow the author on Twitter (@HGlorikian) or Instagram (harryglorikian).
The Future You: How Artificial Intelligence Can Help You Get Healthier, Stress Less, And Live Longer
Medfuture officially launches its mobile application
MIRABEL, QC, Sept. 27, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Medfuture announces that their mobile application is now officially available to all its clients.
A leader in the Greater Montreal area in home blood collection services, Medfuture aims to position itself as a major player in the field of preventive and integrative health and has recently deployed numerous initiatives including access to health professionals for health profiles, the launch of its brand new clinic in Mirabel for minor emergencies, as well as a telemedicine consultation service in mental health.
Medfuture announced today the launch of its mobile application client portal, which is intended to become a true everyday companion. In its current state, the Medfuture app provides clients with a dashboard of past blood work history, and can show trends as well as trajectories of each biomarker at a glance. Ongoing developments to be rolled out in future versions will offer a biological clock calculated from specific biomarkers, among other things, as well as the ability to book an appointment for clinic or home services directly from the app.
"Medfuture's vision is based on the various technological eras of the 21st century, including advances in AI (Artificial Intelligence), and connected health, which are paving the way toward anti-aging preventive medical practices. The mobile application - which I like to call "the Medfuture Companion" - is one more step towards this new reality that will allow us to have a daily dashboard of our overall health as well as personalized action plans to act in a preventive manner." - mentions Mario Tremblay, CEO of Medfuture. "The truth is that we all age at different rates depending on our state of mind and the decisions we make every day. The Medfuture Companion will be there to give us every opportunity to live a long and healthy life."
In addition to providing customers with a dashboard of their biomarkers from which a biological age will be calculated, Medfuture plans to implement algorithms that can assess the rate at which aging is accelerating or slowing. The Medfuture Companion will ultimately offer personalized action plans for preventive action, all by measuring a range of signals such as sleep quality, training level, nutrition, psychological state, exposure to daylight, time spent in nature or socializing, etc. In parallel to the Medfuture Companion and the services offered in clinic or at home, a RPM (Remote Patient Monitoring") technology will be deployed to give Medfuture's healthcare professionals a 360 degree view of the health status of its clients and thus optimize the service offering.
The longevity industry is exploding and the fields of integrative medicine, geosciences, nutraceuticals, regenerative medicine, gene therapies and connected health are gaining momentum, mainly due to advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics and cognitive science.
About MedFuture
Medfuture specializes in the longevity field by helping people who actively seek control over their health, their most precious possession, to live an optimal and long life. Medfuture is a facilitator that aims to slow, stop or reverse the consequences of aging using tools to measure biomarkers related to the processes involved and concrete preventive actions, all with the use of advanced technologies and the practice of personalized medicine. Medfuture's multidisciplinary team offers a unique, human-centered experience.
The University Club of Montreal, One of the Most Prestigious Private Clubs in Canada, Presents Its New Location in an Historical Building
MONTREAL, Sept. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The University Club of Montreal (UCM) will officially reopen its doors today and welcome members into its new premises at Maison James-Reid-Wilson, a historical architectural gem at the corner of Sherbrooke and Drummond streets. Several months of extensive and meticulous renovations under the direction of architects Provencher Roy and designer Marie-Noëlle Melançon restored the private club's section of the stately Victorian mansion to its original glory and transformed it into a magnificent space befitting the club’s rich legacy.
UCM was founded in 1907 by prominent Montrealers Professor Stephen Leacock, Seargent P. Stearns, Vincent J. Hughes, Professor R.F. Ruttan, Dr. John McCrae, Dean F.P. Walsh, Dr. T.J.W. Burgess and H.D. Gibson. More than a century later, its members form a progressive community of business and social leaders, professionals of diverse backgrounds, academics, and artists who are dedicated to UCM’s mission to establish itself among the best and most inclusive private clubs in the world.
At the intersection of business and pleasure, UCM allows members to expand their circle of influence and explore innovative ideas, projects, and culture in a stimulating urban refuge. Its services include personalized conciergerie, dedicated staff, assistance to organize private events, exclusive roundtables for social and professional discussions, mentorship programs and networking activities, access to colleagues for special occasions and a members-only website with networking features. UCM will also grant two annual Méritas bursaries to distinguished art students from English and French universities, alternating yearly between different institutions.
In addition to the clubhouse, fully restored historical event spaces will welcome seminars, art exhibitions, and private meetings for 20 to 30 guests. Members will have exclusive access to a fine dining private restaurant, a luxurious bar, a wine cellar, and a library, as well as privileged rates for overnight accommodations at prestigious hotels within walking distance. Members will also benefit from reciprocity arrangements with more than one hundred select clubs worldwide in cities across Canada, the U.S. (Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Washington and more), Europe (Paris, Oxford, Cambridge, Scottish Arts Club and more), Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
“The UCM is a 21st century, forward-thinking private club where diverse voices and ideas can thrive,” stated UCM’s president, Thomas Leslie. “Five out of our seven corporate directors are women,” added vice-president Giuseppina Marra. “Our members have made the concept of an old boys club obsolete.” In addition to Leslie and Marra, directors include secretary François Morin, treasurer Maha Hijazi, general manager Sylvie Chevarie, and co-directors Fanny Pelletier and Carly Gunther.
Chef David Capel will oversee all gastronomic activities at UCM. Born in Southern France, a place where local products are grown and harvested with enthusiastic care, and mentored by legendary chef Alain Ducasse, chef David will thrill diners with exotic flavours influenced by Mediterranean and global cuisines, featuring an abundance of spices and fresh, organic ingredients. His culinary ethos aims to bring warmth and authenticity to his guests, while respecting nature and food producers.
As it enters the roaring 2020s, the University Club of Montreal continues to play a prominent role in the city’s life and expand its circle of influential Montrealers. The public is invited to visit the club’s website to learn more about its admissions criteria and membership categories.
UNIVERSITY CLUB OF MONTREAL 1201-A Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal Discover more at: ucmontreal.com
XPT Costa Rica and Triathlon Returns to Las Catalinas After Two Year Hiatus
Guanacaste’s Seaside Town to Host Sports and Fitness Events
GUANACASTE, COSTA RICA, September 27, 2022 — After a two-year hiatus from in-person sporting and outdoor recreation events, the seaside, car-free town of Las Catalinas in Guanacaste, Costa Rica recently announced the town will host two upcoming major sporting and fitness events and competitions. Join surf legend and innovator Laird Hamilton and former professional athlete Gabby Reece and the XPT Team on a 3-day ultimate fitness adventure at Las Catalinas on October 11 – 13, 2022. Further ahead in the winter months, Las Catalinas is excited to bring back their annual Tri Las Catalinas, an off-road, multi-sport triathlon on February 18, 2023.
For those looking to reset their fitness, elevate their training or learn cutting-edge techniques to improve their sport and life performance, the XPT Experience Costa Rica is ideal for all fitness levels. Guests will learn each pillar of the XPT lifestyle through performance breathing, underwater workouts, gym training, nature workouts, ice-heat sessions, recovery work, advisor lectures, and XPT lifestyle education. The October 11 – 13 retreat program includes the following:
3 nights of accommodation at the boutique Santarena Hotel at Las Catalinas
XPT workouts with Laird, Gabby and experienced team members and coaches
Pool training and strength building workouts
Outdoor activities such as hiking and stand-up paddle boarding
Surfing session with Laird Hamilton
Instruction in Performance Breathing Techniques
Lecture topics include human performance, mind-body connection, daily goals, nutrition, sleep, and tools for managing stress
Lunch, Dinner, Hydration and Snacks are included
XPT Heat and Ice Recovery Program after our workouts
Additional nights are available at the Santarena Hotel based on availability
Pricing starts at $6500USD and includes three nights’ accommodations the 45-room boutique Santarena Hotel located in the center of town. Flights and transportation to and from Las Catalinas are not included. Guests and residents of the Las Catalinas Collection looking to prepare for XPT will have access to sauna and ice bath facilities at 6:00am Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the Beach Club now until October 11th, 2022. More information is detailed on XPT Experience Costa Rica here.
Las Catalinas has been the home to one of Costa Rica’s most celebrated triathlons since 2013 with 160 participants competing in the first race. The off-road multisport endurance competition features a 1200 meter open-water swim, a 25-kilometer mountain bike and an 8.5-kilometer trail run and covers over 42 kilometers of trails, beaches, and waterfront. With a maximum of 250 total participants (160 for the individual triathlon and 90 for the relays), competitors can participate solo or in teams. Past winners for the Tri Las Catalinas include Olympian Leo Chacon and XTERRA Champion Rom Akerson. Inclusive of many skill levels, this triathlon offers a team relay option, an open-water swimming competition with races in two distances (1600 and 3200 meters) and a children’s race through the town’s pedestrian-friendly streets. The February 18, 2023 triathlon is organized by iFly Costa Rica, Sad, and Las Catalinas. Triathlon pricing is $95.00 + IVA (taxes and fees) for individual and $185.00 + IVA (taxes and fees) for relays. Please visit the Tri Las Catalinas website for registration inclusions and details.
Since its inception, Las Catalinas has become an ideal destination for training, rejuvenation, wellness, healing and recovery and outdoor adventure. With 42 kilometers of world-class, single-track trails that feature stunning views of the coastline and valley vistas, Las Catalinas is the most prominent mountain biking destination in the American tropics. All hiking and running trails feature spectacular viewpoints and opportunities to get a glimpse of some of the area’s amazing local wildlife, including monkeys, peccaries, and coatis, not to mention a wide variety of exotic birds. Trails vary in difficulty and length, from high-intensity hills to low-impact flatter tracks. The town is also flanked by two of the best beaches on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. Sheltered just enough from the southern swell, Las Catalinas is a haven for water sports enthusiasts, and consistent moderate waves make it ideal for body surfing and boogie boarding as well as standup paddle-boarding (SUP) and sea kayaking.
Guests can stay a few days or longer, extended trips to focus on improving their health, wellness and fitness regimens or set new goals. Stay in town at Santarena Hotel or book a villa through Beach Town Travel with an array of villa options including daily housekeeping and laundry service, a fully equipped kitchen, free Wi-Fi, use of the Las Catalinas Collection resort facilities and more. While not on the trails or in the water, enjoy the convenience of the cardio classes and private training at CORE by Chakfitness outdoor gym, massage and facials at WAKE Day Spa, wellbeing treatments, pilates and organic cooking classes at Center of Joy, mountain bike, kayak and SUP rentals at Pura Vida Ride, healthy food to go, private chef dinners or wine tastings at Copper & Stone gourmet market, fresh smoothies and made from scratch organic dishes for all dietary restrictions at Pots & Bowls and more.
The conscious town of Las Catalinas is Costa Rica’s newest desirable beach town, currently with 142 homes complete and 150 full-time residents. Inspired by New Urbanist philosophy, the car-free, highly walkable town will include several inns and intimate hotels, shops, restaurants, retail, day spas, pedestrian streets, parks, plazas, and recreational facilities, all located between two of Costa Rica’s loveliest Pacific beaches and 1,000 acres of protected tropical dry forest, which are interlaced with extensive hiking and biking trails. Within the town, the walkable public spaces are interwoven with nature, and the architecture emphasizes indoor-outdoor living and scenic views. Cars are refreshingly absent. Founder Charles Brewer’s core values and beliefs include environmental stewardship, connection to one another and to the rhythms of nature, promotion of wellness, and an emphatic preference for quality of life over quantity of material possessions, understanding that the “good life” is not about material possessions but about human connections, good health, and ecological sustainability.
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Gotodoctor.ca Improves Patient Safety with Roll Out of PrescribeIT
TORONTO, Sept. 27, 2022 /CNW/ - Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) and Gotodoctor.ca, a digital health solution and its in-person primary care Enhanced Care Clinics, are proud to announce the roll out of Infoway's PrescribeIT®, a national e-prescribing service, to 11 clinic locations and one senior living facility servicing approximately 200,000 patient visits a year.
The implementation of PrescribeIT® will help Gotodoctor.ca further its mission to employ innovative solutions to improve patent safety while increasing operational efficiency. PrescribeIT® will enable its physicians and pharmacy partners to better provide comprehensive in-person and virtual care to their patients.
"Our technology strategy has always been integrating with existing and useful solutions to allow our physicians and medical team to deliver comprehensive patient service across large geographic areas," says Tommy Cheung, CEO of Gotodoctor.ca. "PrescribeIT® is a natural fit for our organization and our patient care focus."
"PrescribeIT® helps modernize the prescribing process and improves virtual care," said Jamie Bruce, Executive Vice President, Infoway. "We're pleased to be working with Gotodoctor.ca to help their physician and pharmacy partners better collaborate directly through their electronic medical records (EMRs) and pharmacy management systems. This enables safer care and better health outcomes."
Gotodoctor.ca's physician and pharmacy partners also recognize the benefits of implementing e-prescribing. "Our physician team has been using the EMR for over a decade. PrescribeIT® is a valuable addition to the range of technology solutions for our patients and physicians," says Dr. Pravesh Jugnundan, Lead Physician Advisor, Enhanced Care Clinic.
Fellow clinician, Eric Tangzhou, Pharmacy Manager, Enhanced Care Pharmacy Thornhill concurs: "PrescribeIT® will further expand our collaboration with our physician and medical team, while increasing efficiency for our pharmacy workflow."
About Canada Health Infoway
At Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) we believe a more connected and collaborative system is a healthier system, and we work with governments, health care organizations, clinicians and patients to make health care more digital. We're working to ensure that everyone is able to access their personal health information, book appointments, get prescriptions, view lab test results and access other health services, online. We're working with our partners to transform the health system because we know that digital in health can be as transformative as digital has been in other aspects of our lives. We're an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government. Visit us online at www.infoway-inforoute.ca.
About PrescribeIT®
Canada Health Infoway is working with Health Canada, the provinces and territories, and industry stakeholders to develop, operate and maintain the national e-prescribing service known as PrescribeIT®. PrescribeIT® will serve all Canadians, pharmacies and prescribers and provide safer and more effective medication management by enabling prescribers to transmit a prescription electronically between a prescriber's electronic medical record (EMR) and the pharmacy management system (PMS) of a patient's pharmacy of choice. PrescribeIT® will protect Canadians' personal health information from being sold or used for commercial activities. Visit www.PrescribeIT.ca.
Gotodoctor.ca is a leading healthcare solutions company that operates in health facilities, senior living centers, and pharmacies across Canada. Its virtual clinics in pharmacies enhance the patient experience by creating an integrated and scalable care model, to improve accessibility and patient outcomes. Gotodoctor.ca is supported by the renowned primary care clinic, Enhanced Care Clinic, which has also been the exclusive Preferred Provider of Physician and Medical Clinic Services for McKesson Retail Banner Group (over 2000 IDA, Guardian, Remedy'sRx and other independent pharmacies) since 2017. Gotodoctor.ca is a preferred provider for McKesson Retail Banner Group, Rexall and Manitoba Blue Cross members.
From Homeless to the C-Suite: CEO Traces Improbable Journey in The Most Unlikely Leader
West Palm Beach, FL, September 27, 2022 — At age 15, Roger Smith dropped out of school, left home and became addicted to drugs. By all accounts, he should have hit rock bottom multiple times before that fateful day, nearly 20 years later, when he found himself on his hands and knees, rummaging for remnants of crack cocaine in the carpet. It’s an image of himself he says he never wants to recreate.
“The picture of who I was at the very end — that picture was so strong in my mind that I just never wanted to go back there again,” Smith said during a recent interview.
The Most Unlikely Leader: An Unbelievable Journey From GED to CEO is Smith’s empowering story of how he got clean, got his act together and rose through the ranks of American Income Life Insurance, where he eventually became CEO. But Smith didn’t stop there. He also went on to serve as CEO of National Income Life Insurance and Liberty National Life Insurance companies.
A fast-paced blend of memoir, business manifesto and leadership manual, The Most Unlikely Leader is an unflinching look at a side of Smith’s life that few people knew about — until now. He takes readers inside his philosophy, his decisions (both good and bad) and the sheer grit he harnessed to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Smith speaks candidly about his struggles with addiction, divorce, lack of formal education and homelessness in an effort to show readers that problems can be solved, bad habits can be broken, and challenges can be overcome with the right mindset and work ethic.
“I want to share my story to tell you that your life and your career and who you are as a person are all within your hands,” he wrote in the book’s introduction. “You can fall all the way down to a dark place where you can’t see your way out … and then through sheer grit and gumption and tenacity … you can claw your way out. Because that’s what I did.”
About the Author
Roger Smith is an American author and former CEO of American Income Life Insurance, National Income Life Insurance and Liberty National Life Insurance companies. His journey is one that embodies the fact that no matter how low a person is in life, almost anything is possible with determination and the right mindset. He was the recipient of the Yitzhak Rabin Legacy Award, Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award, Healthcare For All Champion Award, Sol Stein Award and numerous others. He is the father of five adult children (Nicole, Conrad, Emily, Adam and Amiah), proud grandfather of Maggie Mae, and currently resides in Florida with his wife, Demi, and his two dogs, Penelope and Chrome.
Blown Into Now Nudges Readers Toward Light After Loss
San Francisco, Calif., September 27, 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)
Doctors Offer Vaccine Insights as New Boosters are Readied
Santa Ana, CA, September 27, 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.
