Category Archives: Preventative Medicine

In March 2022, Utah Business and Altitude Labs hosted a half-day summit focused on the ins and outs of the Deep Tech industry. Moderated by Jack Boren, managing director of Epic Ventures watch the entire first panel above or read the printed recap below.

Laura Pace | Founder and CEO | Metrodora |

To me, deep tech is really leveraging the power of technology to solve hard problems. Biology is a series of really hard problems, its incredibly complex, its interconnected, and so its a systems biology problem that actually the human brain cant solve on its own. And so [at Metrodora] we have to implement technological tools to be able to help us understand biology better and in doing so, were going to be able to understand medicine better.

Mandy Rogers | System Engineering Director | Northrop Grumman

To build off of that a little bit, I like to think of deep tech as really the platform of being able to innovate and create where we previously couldnt. Theres high technology risk, but now were at a point in the ecosystem of technology and engineering where we can do things that werent possible 5, 10, or 20 years ago.

Linda Cabrales | Director | Utah Innovation Center

When I think of deep tech, you can think of what its not. So its not like if youre developing an app, thats quick usually if you know what youre doing, but when you think of the things that are based on science and engineering, that is where youre finding difficult things, and youre finding those technologies that can help respond to those.

Mandy Rogers | System Engineering Director | Northrop Grumman

This is probably one of my favorite topics. I look for high-energy collaborators who have some technical experience or diversity of thought. I have engineers on my team who have worked in the cyber domain. Ive had aerospace engineers, Ive had electrical engineers, just any kind of engineer you can think of, and non-engineer, we actually have someone who came from business management who works with a lot of numbers and data, and theyre all helping us solve some really complex technical challenges. So I really look to build those super-diverse teams that have that motivation and want to solve hard problems together, and thats worked really well.

Angela Trego | Director of Science and Technology | UAMMI

I know this is maybe another topic, but kind of along those same lines [of having good talent with diverse thinking], one of the things that weve taken initiative for is actually finding ways to educate and increase that STEM pipeline. Because at the end of the day, we need to get more people into this state that can actually be qualified to be working in these higher paying and really cool deep tech jobs.

Angela Trego | Director of Science and Technology | UAMMI

One of the things that I find encouraging in biotech, if you look at a diversity statistic, its now about 50/50 men to women, which is pretty exciting. Now you go to mechanical engineering and its about 11 percent. You go to computer science, its about 8 percent women.

To me [success from a hiring and diversity standpoint is about] getting kids and showing them what possibilities they have, that they can work in deep tech thats going to have these huge magnificent changes on how we live and work with faculty members.

Linda Cabrales | Director | Utah Innovation Center

I think a trend in healthcare that were seeing is the estimates that 50 percent of people will actually change jobs in the next few years. And this is actually very different than what weve seen historically. But I think its because people really want to be a part of something bigger. They want to be a part of change. They want to be a part of something that means something that has a true impact.

Mandy Rogers | System Engineering Director | Northrop Grumman

We are definitely in an interesting time for talent recruitment and retention, and we are a very large company. We really have to lead with heart and with just empathy, and were seeing now that people are a bit more risk-averse of switching jobs, switching careers, switching needs, and doing something that they hadnt done before in their career.

People have lived through a pandemic, so its kind of like, hey, why not? Maybe I can become a rocket scientist too. Whats the worst that could happen? Were seeing that shift and I think it opens up the door to a lot more diversity of again, building off of deep tech, what can we do next? If we bring someone is not a rocket scientist in the rocket science field and have them think about these hard problems.

Linda Cabrales | Director | Utah Innovation Center

I think its so amazing now when I think of everything going on, the many opportunities, the Women Tech Council, many of you may know about that. They do a She Tech Explorer day, and so they invite these young girls to come to this day they have mentors and they give them a scientific challenge. There are so many opportunities, and I love the idea that we can mentor these young people and encourage them that anything is possible.

Angela Trego | Director of Science and Technology | UAMMI

I think its important, especially women tend to, although all individuals, as they get to certain levels, but it does happen more to women and underrepresented populations, imposter syndrome. And one of the biggest things [needed] to overcome imposter syndrome is having a mentor.

Mandy Rogers | System Engineering Director | Northrop Grumman

You talked about imposter syndrome. I once had a young male mentee tell me, I think you have imposter syndrome. I became kind of obsessed with researching about it. And I was like, yeah, you know what? I could do this. Its not that hard. Everyones learning even these SMEs that have 30 years of experience, theyre learning along the way too. And it took a lot of time and just reflecting on imposter syndrome that a mentee shared with me and exposed me to, to build up the confidence in myself and actually be able to execute.

Laura Pace | Founder and CEO | Metrodora

When we were thinking about where we wanted to locate Metrodora, the science piece [of Utahs tech community] was really integral for us. The other thing has been the collaboration, the openness, the fact that we can meet with someone so easily from the governors office, whos willing to help us with questions that we have, this doesnt happen in other places as easily. And theres just a great community here. I find that people, again, want to be part of teams, part of something. So theyre super motivated. Its just a wonderful place to live and to work.

Laura Pace | Founder and CEO | Metrodora

Were in the era now where [people can sequence their own genomes] for hundreds of dollars, so we can change the [preventative medicine] landscape for people. We can get everyone sequenced before they become ill, so we can start to practice truly personalized medicine, preventative medicine, and prescriptive medicine. This is the thing that Im just so excited about. And this is technology really bringing medicine to sort of the leading edge of science.

Angela Trego | Director of Science and Technology | UAMMI:

From our perspective, one of the biggest factors is going to be batteries. As youre looking at batteries, vehicles, whether theyre cars, flying cars, drones, delivery systems, batteries are complex and difficult. And right now we have issues that theres a capacitythey dont last long enough, they weigh a ton, they have a ton of rare earth metals. Those batteries are really, really toxic. So how do we deal with the toxicity and reusability and recycling of batteries so that theyre not going to be so bad on the environment when were done with them?

Mandy Rogers | System Engineering Director | Northrop Grumman

At Northrop, were building aircraft, spacecraft, and we have to be able to digitize that information very quickly to develop that rapid technology, to explore space, to explore land, air, everything in between. And I think were really going to revolutionize how we do digital threading, digital replication, and digital building blocks to these complex solutions that you can visual as the problem at hand and see things that you couldnt see when its built. From my perspective, its just those more complex systems that are going to get even more complex. And we need to reduce that cognitive burden on folks like our rocket scientists so they can solve the next harder problem.

Linda Cabrales | Director | Utah Innovation Center

Im just amazed at all the technologies that are being developed. And when I look ahead from simulation to medical advances, there are so many amazing things and we get to understand or see so much of that. When I think of medical advances, it gets personal to me, and its so amazing when I think of the future of everyone, right? And we all want to be healthy. We want a better climate. We want better technologies, and thats what Im about.

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These experts think this is the future of deep tech in Utah - Utah Business - Utah Business

Tom Hale gestures as speaks, revealing an Apple Watch on one arm and an Oura Ring on the other. When I point out the combination, he takes a beat. I think it varies based on the use case and why you come to Ring, the executive answers. One of my first questions of the company was, how many of the Ring wearers have the Apple Watch? And the number was surprising high.

Oura puts the figure at around 30% or just under a third. Its a surprising figure at first blush, running counter to the notion of the Oura Ring as solely a standalone activity tracker. Thats how I had initially contextualized the product, as something akin to a wrist-worn fitness device in a smaller, less intrusive form factor.

Theres often a stark contrast between the expectation and realities of user adoption. You really dont know how the world is going to interact with your product until your product is out in the world. Oura is far from the first health-focused wearable heck, its not even the first health-focused ring. It has, however, bucked expectation in a number of ways.

In an overcrowded market dominated by smartwatches (and, really, one specific brand), Oura managed to carve out its own niche. A little over a month ago, the firm announced that it had sold its one millionth ring. Its an impressive figure for a relatively new product in an unproven form factor. Much of the companys successes have come from leaning into health studies as well as partnerships with big-name sports leagues, from the NBA to NASCAR.

Much of this impressive growth happened under the purview of Harpreet Singh Rai. A former Wall Street hedge manager, Singh Rai became a true believer in the product, citing his own weight loss journey. He became an investor and board member before stepping into the top spot in 2018. After a three-year run, he announced his exist via LinkedIn late last year.

Rattling off some key milestones for the company, Singh Rai added, While all those accomplishments are great, Ive come to realize thats not the point. I remember talking to another CEO that I admire and he once described the point of any company is really to endure, and by that, for an idea to live in the world forever, beyond anyone of us.

Image Credits: Brian Heater

COO Michael Chapp stepped into the interim role before Hale was announced earlier this week. The new CEO brings experience from a wide range of roles at companies, including Adobe, HomeAway, Momentive AI and Second Life producer, Linden Labs. As Oura pushes more deeply into data collection and app-based actionable insights, software has increasingly become a focus for the firm. But at its heart, its still a hardware company something that has, thus far, been absent from his resume.

Hardware is hard, and it also requires discipline, says Hale. It requires a rigor, which is powerful, particularly if youre trying to do something difficult. The ambition of this company is broad, big and bold. Were trying to put people in charge of their health and give them data and insights to make better choices and maybe their healthcare over time. Thats a huge mission. Hardware is an enabler of that and software is the key. Data science is the key. Personalization is the key. Thats the opportunity that a person like me who comes from a software background can bring.

The companys evolution has not come without growing pains. In particular, a shift toward a subscription service rubbed some of Ouras fanbase the wrong way. The company has promised deeper insights by way of its app, while moving some existing offerings behind a paywall effectively asking users to pay a monthly fee for some of the data that had previously been included as part of the hardwares upfront $300 cost. Hale says it was an issue he focused on after being asked to join the company.

Image Credits: Brian Heater

There is a clear value of ongoing continuous data and continuous investment, he says. In order to continue doing that and supporting the science that underlies it and expanding it to new adjacencies outside of sleep, I think theres a cause for a subscription business model. Unfortunately, most people who buy wearables pay the price and want the things it does now. I think that was a miscalculation on the part of the company. The only thing I think we can do to make it different and better is to deliver the things we said we would have be a part of the gen-three lifecycle.

Hale points to exempting earlier Oura Ring adopters, as well as the warning the company gave users ahead of the third-generation ring launch. He also notes that moving to a lower upfront cost and a hardware-as-a-service approach are models that are likely in the companys future. He cites reports around Apple and Pelotons explorations in the space as evidence of HaaS becoming more accepted by the mainstream.

An IPO could certainly be in Ouras future, as well, under Hales watch. Though he cautions that such a move is probably still a ways away.

The markets have been pretty choppy of late, and I think Ive got some work to do to get there. I dont think were building this company to IPO. Were not building this company to IPO, were building this company to make an impact on the world of health and put preventative medicine into the hands of people who can improve their lives with it.

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Ouras new CEO discusses the future of the smart ring - TechCrunch

NEVE ILAN, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NANO-X IMAGING LTD ("Nanox" or the "Company," Nasdaq: NNOX), an innovative medical imaging technology company, today announced that its deep-learning medical imaging analytics subsidiary, Nanox.AI, received FDA 510(k) clearance for HealthOST device, an AI software that provides qualitative and quantitative analysis of the spine from CT to support clinicians in the evaluation and assessment of musculoskeletal disease. Measurements of vertebral fractures and low bone density have been shown to increase the identification of patients with musculoskeletal disease of the spine, such as osteoporosis, a disease that affects more than 10 million people in the U.S.1

This is Nanox.AIs tenth FDA clearance across its innovative portfolio of AI clinical decision assist tools and second FDA clearance for its vertebral compression fracture device. HealthOST offers a more detailed evaluation, including the ability to measure fractures more precisely, potentially aiding clinicians in evaluating risk factors for osteoporosis. The companys latest AI solution automatically identifies findings suggestive of compression fractures and low bone density, enabling further work up and treatment of patients diagnosed with osteoporosis to prevent potentially life-changing major osteoporotic fractures, such as a hip fracture. Nanox.AI previously received FDA clearance in May 2020 for the AI software that identifies vertebral compression fractures.

With the FDA clearance of HealthOST, we are thrilled to offer radiologists a new tool that provides deeper analysis of medical images to support identifying those patients who may be at-risk of developing prevalent musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoporosis, to help promote further work up and treatment of those patients, said Pini Ben Elazar, General Manager of Nanox.AI. Our new product reflects our vision to create solutions to improve population health, building upon our strong track record of developing AI applications to help identify risk factors for chronic health conditions.

According to the World Congress of Osteoporosis, 75% of compression fractures are missed or not reported. According to the CDC, approximately 10.2 million adults in the U.S. have osteoporosis while 43.3 million more have low bone density.1 Evidence suggests that there is a 25% mortality rate reported within one year of a patient sustaining a hip fracture.2

This FDA clearance is yet another step in our commitment to delivering technologies that promote population health and value-based care, said Erez Meltzer, Chief Executive Officer of Nanox. AI technologies like HealthOST are poised to support routine clinical decision making and potentially improve patients health outcomes.

HealthOST provides qualitative and quantitative analysis of the spine, including labelling of T1-L4 vertebrae, measurement of height loss in each vertebra (T1-L4) and measurement of the mean Hounsfield Units (HU) in volume of interest within vertebra (T11-L4). HealthOST is indicated for use in patients aged 50 and over undergoing CT scan for any clinical indication that includes at least four vertebrae in the T1-L4 portion of the spine (for vertebral height loss) and T11-L4 (for bone attenuation) portions of the spine.

Nanox.AIs portfolio also includes HealthCCSng, an FDA-cleared AI cardiac imaging solution that quantifies coronary artery calcium (CAC), to identify patients potentially at risk for a cardiovascular event, to promote further work up and possible treatment for cardiac disease.

About Nanox

Nanox (NASDAQ: NNOX) is focused on applying its proprietary medical imaging technology and solutions to make diagnostic medicine more accessible and affordable across the globe. The vision of Nanox is to increase the early detection of medical conditions that are discoverable by medical image technologies based on X-rays, which we believe is key to increasing early prevention and treatment, improving health outcomes, and, ultimately, saving lives. We are developing a holistic imaging solution, which includes the Nanox System, comprised of the Nanox.ARC using our novel MEMs X-ray source technology, and the Nanox.CLOUD, a companion cloud software, integrated with AI solutions and teleradiology services. Our vision is to increase early detection of medical conditions that are discoverable by X-ray by improving access to imaging, reducing imaging costs, and enhancing imaging efficiency, which we believe is key to increasing early prevention treatment, improving health outcomes and ultimately saving lives. For more information, please visit http://www.nanox.vision.

About Nanox.AI

Nanox.AI is the deep-learning medical imaging analytics subsidiary of Nanox. Nanox.AI solutions are developed to target highly prevalent chronic and acute diseases affecting large populations around the world. Leveraging AI, Nanox.AI helps clinicians extract valuable and actionable clinical insights from medical imaging that otherwise may go unnoticed, potentially initiating further medical assessment to establish individual preventative care pathways for patients. For more information, please visit http://www.nanox.vision/ai.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements that are not historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, any statements relating to the initiation, timing, progress and results of the Company's research and development, manufacturing and commercialization activities with respect to its X-ray source technology and the Nanox.ARC, the ability to realize the expected benefits of the acquisitions, and the projected business prospects of the Company and the acquired companies. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as can, might, believe, may, estimate, continue, anticipate, intend, should, plan, should, could, expect, predict, potential, or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on information the Company has when those statements are made or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated include: risks related to (1) the inability to successfully integrate the acquired companies business, (2) the inability to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisitions, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, brand recognition, the ability of the acquired companies to grow and manage growth profitably and retain their key employees, (3) costs related to the acquisitions and/or unknown or inestimable liabilities, (4) changes in applicable laws or regulations that impact the operations of the acquired companies, (5) the failure to meet projected technology development targets, (6) the failure of the acquired companies to effectively scale end-to-end medical imaging solutions worldwide, (7) changes in global, political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory forces, and (8) (i) Nanoxs ability to successfully demonstrate the feasibility of its technology for commercial applications; (ii) Nanoxs expectations regarding collaborations with third-parties and their potential benefits; and (iii) Nanox's ability to conduct business globally, among other things.

For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause Nanoxs actual results to differ from those contained in the Forward-Looking Statements, see the section titled Risk Factors in Nanoxs Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 and subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The reader should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements included in this press release.

Except as required by law, Nanox undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements after the date of this report to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in the Company's expectations.

______________________________1 Osteoporosis or Low Bone Mass in Older Adults: United States, 20172018. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated March 31, 2021. Accessed April 26, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db405.htm 2 Schnell S, Friedman SM, Mendelson DA, Bingham KW, Kates SL. The 1-year mortality of patients treated in a hip fracture program for elders. Geriatr Orthop Surg Rehabil. 2010;1(1):6-14. doi:10.1177/2151458510378105

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Nanox Announces FDA Clearance for HealthOST Device, an AI Software Measuring Vertebral Compression Fractures and Low Bone Density, Which are Often...

Corporate wellness programs over the past two decades have grown to be an effective and efficient solution to help millions of employees. Benefits leaders at thousands of companies nationwide have been instrumental in promoting healthy behaviors across their organizations, improving access to preventive health services, and increasing utilization of appropriate health screenings. In-person screenings at the officebefore and after work, during lunchtime or during employee breaksbecame commonplace.

That changed when the Covid-19 pandemic shifted work out of the office and into employees homes. The same preventive screenings that were once offered in the workplace now required a trip to the doctor. This had specific consequences for men, a subtle but significant effect of the new work-from-home culture. Studies have shown that men are less likely to use preventive healthcare services than women, and do not seek immediate treatment for many of their unique health problems.

With a reduction in workplace screenings comes a practical consequence. For the employer-managers of self-paid insurance plans, a new worry has emerged: Male employees who are working from home havent had an in-person prostate screening in more than a year. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the earlier prostate cancer is caught, the more likely it is for a man to get successful treatment and remain disease-free. Losing a year in the fight against the disease is a potentially significant setback.

Prostate cancer screenings arent the only precautions taking a back seat to Covid-19. According to the American Cancer Society, the pandemic resulted in many elective procedures being put on hold, including a substantial decline in all cancer screenings. Healthcare facilities have provided cancer screenings during the pandemic with many safety precautions in place, but men were reluctant to schedule such exams even before the pandemic began.

Prostate cancer presents a particular threat to men. It primarily afflicts men over the age of 40. Overall its the second-leading cause of cancer death among American men, behind only lung cancer. The ACS projects about 268,490 new cases of prostate cancer and 34,500 deaths in 2022.

Fortunately, prostate cancer is eminently treatable, with an expected five-year survival rate of 98%, according to the ACS. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testa take-home blood testis commonly available in lieu of the traditional rectal examination with a doctor. According to the ACS, both the PSA and rectal exams can be used as prostate cancer screening tools.

But there are other compounding factors preventing men from getting screening. In addition to the growing work-from-home trend, 1 in 4 men do not have primary care doctors. Without this essential line of communication, men who need a prostate exam might not learn that they can take a PSA test from the comfort of their home.

This conundrum puts well-meaning executives in a similar place to where they began, when workplace screenings were first introduced. It is widely known that employee health directly affects performance. Think of the many wellness-focused solutions that exist to help an employee in his home office.

Employers have implemented a variety of digital health and telehealth solutions to help their employees manage and reverse chronic diseases. Subscriptions to smartphone apps that promote healthy behaviorCalm, Noom, and othersare often tucked into todays benefit packages. These offer a way around the barrier of the doctors office, and are an excellent way to promote the health of work-from-home employees.

When it comes to prostate health, new solutions are needed as well. Its important for men to have easy access to discrete care. Combined with a telehealth appointment, a PSA exam can reengage men with their prostate health without leaving their home office. Men are unlikely to take initiative to schedule these on their own, so it is wise for employers to take advantage of technology to facilitate at-home screenings.

For men who have undiagnosed prostate cancer, waiting until next years physical exam can be dangerous. Prostate cancers detected at Stage IV have an average five-year survival rate of 28%. Thats why it is essential to promote preventative solutions that meet an entire workforces needs.

Photo: Main_sail, Getty Images

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The work-from-home culture is slowing progress in the fight against prostate cancer - MedCity News

Toronto, ON, April 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- York University is strengthening its position as a leader in creating a sustainable and inclusive world, ranking in the world's top 35 in the respected Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

York U has ranked 33 out of 1,406 post-secondary institutions, moving up 34 spots from its position at 67/1,117 last year.

The impact ranking is influential as the United Nations assesses the performance of universities worldwide in meeting its sustainable development goals.

"Our continued recognition as a world leader in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings is a testament to York's steadfast commitment to build a more just and sustainable future," said Rhonda Lenton, York's president and vice-chancellor.

"Sustainability is one of the foundations of ourUniversity Academic Plan 20202025: Building a Better Futurethat guides teaching, research and operational activities. I want to thank the entire York community for their extraordinary efforts to work together towards the pursuit of peace and prosperity for people and the planet both locally and globally."

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankingsconsiders factors such as research, stewardship, outreach and teaching to determine the rank for each institution. The UN has 17 global sustainable development goals for 2030, and York is well ranked among the top 100 universities across them. York's focus on sustainability resulted in several top rankings:

Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic, credited the hard work and dedication of students, faculty, staff and alumni for contributions that inspire the entire York community to help build a better future.

"The UN's 17 sustainable development goals represent fundamental values at York," Philipps said. "They align with the six priorities for action that we have set for ourselves within theUniversity Academic Planand reaffirm our longstanding values of social justice, equity and sustainability. This achievement represents the dedication of the entire York community."

These higher education rankings were introduced in 2019 to evaluate universities around the world and assess how they were meeting the sustainable development goals set by the UN.

"York's top-35 ranking recognizes the University's dedication to creating a diverse community that works together to address complex societal challenges and to conduct research and scholarly activity that advances knowledge and creates positive change, said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation.

"York conducts purposeful research that is making a difference in our local and global communities," said Asif. "Our researchers are dedicated to solving global challenges that will lead to a more equitable, sustainable and inclusive world."

As it is for York, inclusivity is central to the UN's sustainable development goals. Both organizations seek to break down barriers worldwide.

TheTD Community Engagement Centrestrives for academic innovation through community building, education, and experiential learning for the Black Creek Community, one of the most diverse communities in Toronto.

Women and children from kindergarten to Grade 12 can access programs and services through the Carswell Foundation's ground-breaking partnership between the School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design and the Regent Park School of Music.

TheProvost's Postdoctoral Fellowships for Black and Indigenous Scholarsprovides resources, mentorship and up to $70,000 a year for learners seeking to get a foothold in their career.

Lenton says York takes a collaborative approach to sustainability, bringing people, institutions, cities and countries together to engage as partners.

In the GTA, York has been engaging with the City of Markham as it prepares to open its newMarkham Campuswhere construction is underway, as well as with business and community leaders working to give diverse communities in the region a voice. The Keele Campus is being reimagined, meanwhile, and will include consultation with the communities it serves.

The University and the City of Vaughan have begun looking at how York can play a greater role within the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct, including a newSchool of Medicine. The precinct is a collaboration between York, Vaughan, Mackenzie Health and ventureLAB and will create a centre of excellence for health, preventative medicine and community care.

York's partnerships also create positive change for international communities. The University offers free degree and non-degree education programs and supports for refugees in Sub-Saharan Africa; and bursaries and scholarships to help recent immigrants to Canada gain the skills they need to work and thrive.

Philipps says York is well positioned to continue to meet the UN's inclusivity and sustainability goals.

"We are now digging in even deeper to right the future by committing to meaningful steps, both small and large, toward a more just and sustainable future."

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York University reaches world's Top 35 in Times Higher Education Impact Rankings - Benzinga - Benzinga

Behavioral health experts in Utah highlighted the need to carve in behavioral health care accountable care organizations (ACOs) and fill gaps in the access to behavioral health care for rural and mild-to-moderate risk patients.

At our 2022 Utah State of Reform Health Policy Conference panel, An honest conversation about behavioral health, three behavioral health experts discussed the biggest needs for Utahns in the behavioral health space and how Utah is attempting to address these needs.

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The panelists were Mark Rapaport, Chief Executive Officer of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Scott Whittle, M.D., Medical Director at SelectHealth, and Patrick Fleming, Former Director of the Salt Lake County Division of Behavioral Health Services.

Rapaport outlined the behavioral health struggles in Utah and around the country in numbers, saying suicide is the number one killer of all Uthans between the ages of 10 and 24 and the number two killer nationwide for the same age group.

He noted that 75% of all mental disorders appear between the ages of 10 and 24. The early onset of these disorders makes preventative care and access to care for the mild-to-moderate risk demographic so important, said Rapaport.

He is also concerned about the effect stigma has on expanding and receiving quality access to behavioral health care. The University of Utah (UofU) is kicking off a 10-year initiative to attempt to eradicate stigma around behavioral health and substance use disorders.

If we dont do that, we are never going to handle the issues of parity, said Rapaport.

Though these issues have been prevalent in Utah for some time, seven years ago, Utah was more concerned about the continual increase in the cost of health care and coverage. To help curb these costs, the legislature created accountable care organizations (ACOs), in which a group of providers are held accountable for the quality of care they provide by having their payments tied to quality metrics. This payment structure aims to lower costs and improve health outcomes.

However, Medicaid behavioral health is not managed by ACOs and is a carve out run on a capitation model by the counties in Utah. The panelists said Medicaid medical and behavioral health need to be integrated and that behavioral health needs to be carved in due to the intertwined nature of medical and behavioral health.

Whittle said that the capitation model currently used by Medicaid when providing behavioral health is nearly impossible to navigate due to the amount of intertwined comorbidities many behavioral health patients have when seeking care. Whittle said Utah needs to merge these two payment models and reintegrate medical and behavioral health.

It is not my responsibility in being in charge of the medical risk, but it is my problem, said Whittle.

Fleming expressed some of the challenges that he thinks will be faced before this reintegration. We will make a change and we will come out really well on this. Is it going to be easy? No, there are some people who are going to want to resist this, said Fleming.

Next, the panelists discussed the many gaps to access to behavioral health care found throughout the state. With the ACO model, counties typically pay and care for those who are in most need. This ends up leaving out many Utahns with mild-to-moderate behavioral health concerns, which causes more Utahns to slip through the cracks of the system.

Rapaport described the need for spaces to deal with crisis management that are not emergency departments (EDs), where most people in crisis end up going to now. He said folks in behavioral health crises suffer the longest wait times and release times in EDs.

That is why UofU is creating a new crisis care center in a place near the university where people who need the most help are. This center will take anyone, regardless of their ability to pay, and has in-patient beds and staff to assist those in crisis. The center will be partnering with law enforcement to reduce the number of those in crisis ending up in jail.

We need to create a place of dignity where we can deliver appropriate care for individuals, said Rapaport.

He said the UofU will continue to create legal clinics for those having trouble with the law, dental clinics, and family medicine clinics to best meet those in need where they are at.

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Behavioral health experts discuss the need for medical and behavioral reintegration and how to fill access gaps in Utah - State of Reform

NAPLES, Fla. A doctor at NCH Healthcare System said one unintended consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is a rise in cancer patients, especially patients with late stage cancer.

During the height of the pandemic, Dr. David Lindner the Subdivision Head of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at NCH Healthcare System said COVID-19 took over everything.

"It was COVID, COVID, COVID, and COVID. Basically all consuming, he said.

Dr. Lindner said that meant other things, like preventative care, weren't happening as usual.

"Screening, mammograms, colonoscopies, labs, X-rays, doctors visits, everything just got thrown to the wayside," he said. "One of the big unintended consequences is now we are seeing that some of these problems have come home to roost.

Dr. Lindner said NCH Healthcare System is seeing a rise in lung cancer patients, especially patients with late stage cancer.

Compared to the past, what we're seeing is that these cancers are more advanced. So instead of us diagnosing stage one and two, where surgical cure and other options of therapy are available, we've unfortunately seen an upswing in advanced stage three and four cancers," Dr. Lindner said.

In stage three and four, there are fewer treatment options and ways to cure the cancer. Dr. Lindner also said another unintended consequence of this pandemic, is that tobacco made an upswing.

"Why? Well, many people who were smokers, you have the stress of the pandemic, they unfortunately lit up again or continued to smoke," he said.

Smoking increases a person's risk of lung disease and lung cancer. Dr. Linder said if you haven't already, now is the time to get screened and not just for lung cancer.

"Women who have not gotten their mammograms, men who have not been checked out for prostate cancer it's time," Dr. Lindner said.

He said people who have a history of tobacco use and are older than 50 should get screened for lung cancer.

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Your Healthy Family: Rise in cancer is unintended consequence of pandemic - FOX 4 News Fort Myers WFTX

With over one billion people worldwide struggling with their mental health, London-based Harper Care has raised $6.5 million to address the issue. The round was led by Brydge Capital

Traditional mental health solutions such as conventional therapy typically require a diagnosis of illness. They are also expensive and hard to access, generally limiting their use to react to a crisis. Founded by Ved Sharma and Mithi Thaya, the startup aims to change the scenario with its delivery of hyper-personalised mental health support.

The health tech aims to make mental healthcare more objective, affordable and preventative through molecular biology and technology for earlier accurate detection. Its computational algorithm delivers to each patient personalised evidence-based interventions that incrementally alter behaviour and improve outcomes.

Dr Ved Sharma, founder and chief medical officer, Harper, said: We aim to reach a much wider group with our precision medicine approach to preventative mental healthcare. Due to the widespread negative impacts of elevated stress on patients living with physical illnesses, such as gastrointestinal and cardiometabolic disorders, or people facing the challenges of infertility, there is an urgent need for widely-available tools for preventative approaches to mental health.

Nick Hocart, partner, Brydge Capital, added: We have tracked the trend of an increase in investment in solutions targeting mental health. Most of them focus on supporting people usually when they are at their lowest point in health. We believe that Harper has the best-placed team to address the gap in the market where the emphasis is on prevention.

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Allergy symptoms can certainly be frustrating at times. Whether you deal with itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, a runny nose, coughing, scratchy throat or all of the above, getting through allergy season can be a real slog. But there might be more to worry about with allergies than their short-term, nagging symptoms. A study of data from the National Health Interview Survey found allergies are also associated with an increased risk of developing heart problems later in life.

There have been previous studies that linked having allergies with cardiovascular disease before, but Yang Guo, PhD, the studys lead author, told Science Magazine there is a lot of disagreement over those findings in the scientific community. The aim of Guo's study was to parse National Health Interview Survey's data and ascertain whether there was indeed elevated cardiovascular risks associated with allergies.

The study looked at 34,417 adults surveyed in 2012. The allergic group was represented by 10,045 people who had at least one allergy ranging from seasonal to food to pet to medicine. The researchers made sure to adjust their findings to account for discrepancies caused by things like age, race, pre-existing conditions, BMI and whether the subjects were smokers or drinkers.

The analysis ultimately showed that adults between the ages of 18 and 57 with a history of allergies had an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, which can lead to heart conditions down the road. Black male adults between the ages of 39 to 57 had a higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. And people in the allergenic group who also had asthma were at the highest risk of developing both coronary heart disease and high blood pressure.

These findings will be presented American College of Cardiology Asia 2022 in April. The study's authors hope their work will lead to improvements in long-term preventative care for allergy sufferers. If there is potential for people with allergies to develop heart complications over time, it's important that their medical practitioner alert them to that risk early on, and provide them with options to help mitigate it.

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Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the U.S., and it's the most common type of cancer death. According to the American Cancer Society, more people die of lung cancer each year than of colon, breast, and prostate cancer combined. Early detection is crucial. So is lung-cancer screening, for some groups of people. Read on to find out more about the early signs you have lung cancer, and if you should get screenedand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

"Unfortunately, most signs of lung cancer are not noticeable until the cancer has spread, but there are a few symptoms that can be a tell-tale sign for a doctor's visit," says Dr. Sonal Sura, a radiation oncologist with GenesisCare in Florida. "These symptoms include persistent coughing, coughing up blood rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm) or hoarseness. Many people may view these symptoms as related to another ailment."

"Chest pain is a common symptom of many different medical conditions, including lung cancer," says Dr. Gethin Williams, an interventional oncologist in El Paso, Texas. "Lung cancer causes chest pain by irritating or compressing the nerves around your lungs. Other causes of chest pain include heart attack, angina, and pulmonary embolism. If you're experiencing chest pain that doesn't go away, see your doctor as soon as possible."

"If you have difficulty breathing or wheezing, it could be a sign of lung cancer," says Williams. "Lung cancer can obstruct the airways, making it difficult to breathe."

"One of the most common early symptoms of lung cancer most people might not know about is pneumonia that just doesn't seem to resolve," says Dr. Puja Uppal, a Michigan-based family medicine physician. "This, without a doubt, increases my suspicion for lung cancer."

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"A sign of lung cancer most people don't know about is called an inspiratory stridor," says Uppal. "Our airway and lungs together are essentially a musical instrument. If there's a mass in your airway or lungs, it could obstruct the air you're breathing in and out. This obstruction causes a change in the flow of air that you're breathing in. The end result is an audible sound."6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

RELATED: Doing This After Age 60 is "Unhealthy," Say Physicians

"A fever can be caused by many different things, including lung cancer," says Williams. "Lung cancer can cause a fever by causing inflammation and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, small molecules that regulate the immune system. Also, lung cancer can block airways causing infection."

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"Lung cancer can cause excessive sweating by causing the body to overheat," says Williams. "This is because the cancerous cells use more energy and produce more heat than normal cells and cause the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Sweating is your body's way of trying to cool down."

"Weight loss is a common symptom of many different medical conditions, including lung cancer," says Williams. "Lung cancer causes weight loss because cancer diverts nutrients to itself, starving the body."

"When it comes to lung cancer, one of the most important things to know is that early detection can actually save your life," says Uppal. "I encourage all my patients to leverage preventative care services to achieve their best health outcomes. In this case, it would be getting a low-dose lung cancer screening CT scan (LDCT)."

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends yearly lung cancer screening with LDCT for people who

A "pack-year" is defined as smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year.

And to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

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