EnteroMedics Inc. (NASDAQ: ETRM) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved VBLOC® vagal blocking therapy, delivered via the Maestro® System, for the treatment of adult patients with obesity who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 40 to 45 kg/m2, or a BMI of at least 35 to 39.9 kg/m2 with a related health condition such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels, and who have tried to lose weight in a supervised weight management program within the past five years. The Maestro System is the first new medical device to be approved by the FDA for obesity in over ten years. EnteroMedics anticipates that the device will be available, on a limited basis, at select Bariatric Centers of Excellence in the U.S. this year. The Maestro System has received CE Mark and is listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7269351-enteromedics-fda-approval-vbloc-maestro-system-weight-loss-device/
Strategic Partners, Inc., the leader in the manufacturing and marketing of medical apparel, lab wear, footwear and accessories, today announced the launch of its next generation of medical apparel: scrubs, lab wear and accessories protected with CERTAINTY™ antimicrobial technology.
On a daily basis, many healthcare professionals are exposed to unwanted bacteria on their clothing. CERTAINTY antimicrobial technology can provide more fabric protection than traditional scrubs, giving healthcare professionals the freedom to perform their duties in comfortable, fashion-inspired clothing.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7458151-strategic-partners-certainty/
Cardinal Health, which provides medical products and services to many of America’s most prestigious medical institutions, today announced the launch of the Hospital Quality at Home™ brand, a new line of hospital-quality products available over the counter to help loved ones and caregivers transition care from the hospital to home. The product line provides a full assortment of hospital-quality products for consumers categorized as Advanced Wound Care, First Aid, Personal Care, and Home Healthcare which help provide comfort and independence, while helping to promote healing.
When leaving the hospital after childbirth, injury or surgery, the care you provide for yourself or a loved one is important. Each year, hospitals discharge 35.1 million patients1 with 65 percent of those discharged to the home setting for care.2 Effective post-hospital care is critical to avoid re-admission as one in five patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge.2 With rising health care costs3 the Hospital Quality at Home™ line of products can provide patients, loved ones, and caregivers effective and cost-efficient ways to manage care at home.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7622451-cardinal-health-hospital-quality-at-home/
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) today announced it has committed $28.6 million in new research investment to advance the most promising blood cancer science at leading academic and medical institutions around the world, including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College and MD Anderson Cancer Center. As LLS leads the charge to find cures for cancer patients, this new funding, along with ongoing investment in LLS’s aggressive research agenda, brings LLS’s total commitment to blood cancer research to more than $1 billion. The investment has led to the development of nearly every therapy currently used to treat the blood cancers.
Along with these new research grants, LLS remains committed to collaborating with biotechnology companies through its innovative Therapy Acceleration Program® (TAP), a model pioneered by LLS in the cancer arena in recognition that traditional research approaches weren’t yielding treatments and cures fast enough for patients. LLS commits approximately $13 million a year to its TAP initiatives. As part of the 24 current such collaborations, LLS recently initiated new investments with Kite Pharma and OncoPep.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7554852-lls-cancer-research-funding/
Invuity, Inc. (NASDAQ:IVTY), an advanced medical technology company, announced today the launch of its Hidden ScarTM Surgery program designed to certify surgeons and establish Centers of Excellence at major cancer centers and hospitals across the country. This innovative program will train surgeons on advanced minimally invasive and minimal access surgical approaches that deliver optimal clinical and aesthetic outcomes for patients. As part of the company’s broader women’s health initiative, Invuity is hosting a Hidden Scar Breast Cancer Surgery training course in advance of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress.
Invuity aims to transform the surgical treatment of breast cancer with this advanced surgical approach for nipple sparing mastectomies and lumpectomies (breast conserving surgery). Hidden Scar Breast Cancer Surgery expands surgical options for patients, offering superior cosmetic outcomes that can improve their psychological and emotional recovery and enhance quality of life after surgery.1
With growing demand for less invasive alternatives to breast cancer surgery, surgeons need to operate through smaller incisions with limited fields of vision. Invuity’s illumination technology allows surgeons to access and visualize the entire breast cavity through discrete incision locations, enabling surgeons to safely and effectively treat breast cancer while preserving the natural shape of the breast and thereby minimizing and hiding the scars.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7644051-invuity-hidden-scar-breast-cancer-surgery-program/
International research led by University College London (UCL) as part of the ‘Cities Changing Diabetes’ partnership programme challenges current scientific understanding of the rapid rise of diabetes in cities. The findings suggest that in cities around the world, social and cultural factors play a far more important role in the spread of the epidemic than previously thought.
More than two thirds of the world’s 400 million people with diabetes live in urban areas.1,2 The year-long study for Cities Changing Diabetes, a unique public-private-academic partnership, sought to better understand what makes people vulnerable to type 2 diabetes in cities in order to inform solutions for one of the most pressing modern-day public health challenges. To explore this complex issue, more than 550 interviews were undertaken with at-risk and diagnosed people in five major cities – Copenhagen, Houston, Mexico City, Shanghai and Tianjin.
“By largely focusing on biomedical risk factors for diabetes, traditional research has not adequately accounted for the impact of social and cultural drivers of disease,” says David Napier, Professor of Medical Anthropology, UCL. “Our pioneering research will enable cities worldwide to help populations adapt to lifestyles that make them less vulnerable to diabetes.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7690951-study-rethink-rise-diabetes-in-cities/
CVS Health (NYSE:CVS), the nation’s largest pharmacy innovation company, today announced Be The First, a five-year $50 million initiative to help deliver the nation’s first tobacco-free generation. Through this initiative, which is funded through CVS Health and the CVS Health Foundation, the company is extending its commitment to help people lead tobacco-free lives. Recognizing that tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States and that youth use of some tobacco products is on the rise, Be The First comprises comprehensive education, advocacy, tobacco control and healthy behavior programming in partnership with organizations uniquely positioned to tackle this public health challenge.
“We are at a critical moment in our nation’s efforts to end the epidemic of tobacco use that continues to kill more people than any other preventable cause of death, and threatens the health and well-being of our next generation,” said Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., M.P.H., and Chief Medical Officer for CVS Health. “Ensuring our youth stay tobacco-free requires increased education and awareness of healthy behaviors. We’re partnering with experts across the public health community who have established best practices to help prevent tobacco use. And, by establishing more public-private partnerships to implement these strategies more aggressively, we can help increase the number of people leading tobacco-free lives and move us one step closer to delivering the first tobacco-free generation.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7775151-cvs-health-be-the-first/
Noted pediatric heart surgeon Dr. Kristine Guleserian has opened up her OR, and her career to author Mark Oristano to create Surgeon’s Story Inside OR 6 With a top Pediatric Heart Surgeon. Dr. Guleserian’s life, training and work are discussed in detail, framed around the incredibly dramatic story of a heart transplant operation for a two-year old girl whose own heart was rapidly dying. Find out more at- http://surgeonsstory.com/ Media Contact: For a review copy of Surgeon’s Story or to schedule an interviewwith Mark Oristano, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications Book Marketing, 734 667 2090 scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or http://www.book-marketing-expert.com Medical Non-Fiction
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Nine out of ten times when someone dies by suicide, they have a diagnosable mental health condition at the time of their death. However, mental health conditions are treatable, and most people who attempt suicide go on to live healthy productive lives.
Join the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the largest suicide prevention organization in the United States, in celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month. By drawing attention to the importance of mental health we hope to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide. Taking care of your mental health is the smart thing to do.
“Mental health is as important as physical health. It impacts the way we perceive, think, feel and behave in our daily lives,” said Dr. Christine Moutier, the chief medical officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “To help us prevent suicide, there is a role for everyone, in every community. Don’t be afraid to have a caring conversation with someone if you notice troubling changes in their behavior. This conversation just might save their life.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7824851-afsp-suicide-mental-health-awareness-month/
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited, lifelong chronic disorder affecting nearly 100,000 Americans and a growing global health problem that will touch nearly 30 percent more people globally in the next three decades. Though new approaches to managing SCD have led to improvements in diagnosis and supportive care, people living with the disease still have severe complications to overcome. Many are unable to access quality care and are limited by a lack of effective treatment options.
In an effort to identify unmet medical needs for people with SCD, the American Society of Hematology (ASH), along with other groups, issued the State of Sickle Cell Disease: 2016 Report, evaluating the disease in four priority areas — access to care, training and professional education, research and clinical trials, and global health. The report shows that significant improvements are needed across all areas and that, though patients are living longer, the system of care needs to change to ensure a better quality of life. To address these challenges, ASH launched the Sickle Cell Disease Coalition along with more than 20 other organizations who are issuing a call to action that will amplify the voice of the SCD community, promote SCD awareness, and transform SCD care both in the United States and around the globe.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7903251-american-society-hematology-sickle-cell-coalition/
HealthCare Partners, a division of DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading independent medical group in the United States, is encouraging Medicare beneficiaries to review their health care coverage during Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period.
From October 15 through December 7, Medicare holds its annual Open Enrollment Period. During this seven-week window, Medicare beneficiaries can make changes to their health and prescription drug plans for the following year.
If you are satisfied with your Medicare coverage, you may wonder how open enrollment applies to you. As the old adage goes, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” right?
While this may certainly be the case for many things in life, it may not be true about your Medicare coverage. Choosing a Medicare plan is similar to shopping for other insurance; by comparing different plans and rates, you choose the coverage that’s best for you.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7920151-healthcare-partners-medicare-open-enrollment/
International Medical Group® (IMG®), a leader in global benefits and assistance services, today announced the company’s new corporate branding and logo.
“After more than 25 years as a leader in the industry, it was time to refresh our brand identity,” said IMG President and CEO Todd A. Hancock. “The new logo reflects IMG’s focus on providing a foundation of security, health and well-being for our members while they’re away from home.”
IMG’s constituents — members, intermediaries, partners and employees — are represented by the logo’s four inverted angles. These angles are symbolic of a flock of Arctic terns, birds whose annual migration is the longest of any animal in the world.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7950351-international-medical-group-rebrands/
