ATLANTA, September 6, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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For the 12th time in 15 years, Alliant Health Solutions (AHS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality, safety, and value of health care, has been named one of the "2023 Best Places to Work" by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Alliant was also named one of the "2023 Healthiest Employers" for the third consecutive year.
Among the list of Atlanta's Healthiest Employers, Alliant ranked fifth among the top companies for the "Healthiest Employer" and 12th for the "Best Places to Work" award. The Healthiest Employer award is based on the analysis of over 60 scored questions with more than 600 data points for scoring and benchmarking. The Best Places to Work award is tabulated from a confidential employee survey measuring work environment, people practices, engagement, and trust in senior leaders. The 2023 award recipients were recognized at a ceremony on August 31, 2023, in Atlanta.
"To consistently receive recognition as one of the best and healthiest places to work is truly an honor for our organization," said Dennis White, AHS president and CEO. "Our employees are committed to fostering a positive and inclusive environment that is dedicated to supporting and encouraging one another while also demonstrating and participating in wellness activities and community service."
Margot Townsend, AHS chief human resources officer, said, "We are grateful for this recognition and the Alliant family. We look forward to evaluating the results and plan to keep getting better. Alliant is deliberate about quality improvement in all aspects of the business, including employee and customer engagement, performance, and wellbeing."
Contact Information:
Rukiya Campbell, APR
Director of Health Communications [email protected]
678-527-3427
The newest adventure from the heroes in a half-shell (and they’re green!) is coming to home screens just a month after its release in theaters.
Now that the summer movie season has come to a conclusion and school starts for many, Paramount Home Entertainment has announced that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will be available on digital this week, according to ComingSoon.net. The newest incarnation of the four green heroes in a half-shell would hit theaters in the wake of Barbie and Oppenheimer‘s historic run, but the Seth Rogen-produced film would make a nice bit of profit with a worldwide gross of over $137 million on a $70 million budget.
Fans of the franchise will not be waiting at all as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is going to be released for home viewing on September 1. Those who purchase Mutant Mayhem on digital will be treated to a bevy of behind-the-scenes footage and other bonus content, as the film comes with over 40 minutes of special features. The special bonus content will include:
• TEENage Mutant Ninja Turtles — For the first time the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are voiced by actual teenagers! Hear how each Turtle was cast and how having all four boys record together helped create the authentic camaraderie seen on screen.
• The Mutant Uprising — Get to know the Turtles’ mutant antagonists, led by the wild and original character Superfly, voiced by Ice Cube.
• New York, New York: The Visual World of Mutant Mayhem — Take a deep dive into the breakthrough visual style of the film’s characters and environments and how they evolved over time.
• Learn to Draw Leo —Try your hand at drawing the Turtle leader with this fun tutorial!
This release follows a new trend of the shockingly small theatrical window some movies are now given. This film, Creed III, Fast X and certain others have all interestingly had just about a month in theaters before being made available online no matter the reception or box office performance. Our own review from Tyler Nichols enjoyed the movie as a love letter to fans of the brand, saying, “I know as a thirty-something nerd who grew up on Turtles, I found myself laughing and having a grand ole time. I can’t wait to see where they go with this and what other characters they bring in. While Shredder is certainly a given, I’m hoping Bebop and Rocksteady are able to take on a more villainous role. All I know is I’m ready for more Turtles!”
BOSTON, September 6, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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We are thrilled to announce that Julia Rodgers, HelloPrenup's CEO and prenup legal tech pioneer, is speaking at an exclusive session dedicated to understanding prenups to ensure attendees are well-equipped to make informed decisions about their future.
Event Highlights:
Targeted for the engaged and the curious, the session will address:
Prenup basics & benefits
An in-depth look into the varied options available when considering a prenup
A dedicated Q&A segment, ensuring that every query or apprehension related to prenuptial agreements is addressed
Exclusive giveaways designed by financial experts to empower couples with their next steps towards their financial goals
Special Guest Alert:
"We're honored to have Julia Rodgers on board for our September 15 session. As a seasoned family law attorney and the founder of HelloPrenup, Julia brings unparalleled expertise and insights to the table. Her passion for making the process of getting a prenup transparent and stress-free will be invaluable to attendees." - Kaylin Dillon, The Prenup Coach
Can't join the live session but want to stay informed? Sign-up anyways. A recording will be made available post-event, ensuring no one misses out on this wealth of information.
Kaylin Dillon is dedicated to fostering understanding and awareness of financial planning. Through informative sessions, workshops, and seminars, she empowers individuals and couples to make informed decisions.
Join us on September 15 for a deep dive into the world of prenups, and walk away with clarity, confidence, and a clear path forward.
About HelloPrenup: HelloPrenup offers a comprehensive platform for couples to gain clarity on their financial journey ahead. By leaning into unambiguous data, HelloPrenup continues forth in their mission to provide critical resources to all couples prior to marriage to make informed decisions and a solid foundation in both love and law. For press inquiries, contact: [email protected]
Dr. Sadek Will Now Oversee RWJBH's Comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Program
Dr. Ragui Sadek Dr. Ragui Sadek Appointed Chief of Bariatrics for RWJ Barnabas Health
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., September 6, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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RWJ Barnabas Health (RWJBH) has announced the appointment of Dr. Ragui Sadek as Chief of Bariatrics for the health system. Dr. Sadek will oversee RWJBH's comprehensive bariatric surgery program and serve as an invaluable resource to patients throughout their weight-loss journey.
Dr. Sadek brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this position, having initiated the bariatric surgery program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital where, prior to his arrival, weight loss surgery was not being performed. In addition to his role as Chief of Bariatrics, Dr. Sadek serves as Assistant Professor of Surgery at Rutgers University, Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy at Rutgers Pharmacy School, and Director of Minimally-Invasive, Foregut, and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship at RWJ New Brunswick.
"I am extremely excited to be joining RWJBH and taking on this new role as Chief of Bariatrics," said Dr. Sadek. "My goal is to ensure our bariatric surgery program continues to provide excellent care for our patients through comprehensive services that include pre-operative education and support groups."
Dr. Sadek is a highly experienced surgeon with over 20 years in practice specializing in minimally invasive bariatric surgery. He has performed over 10,000 operations throughout his career utilizing cutting-edge laparoscopic, robotic, and bariatric surgery techniques.
In conjunction with his new role, Dr. Sadek will continue to lead Advanced Surgical & Bariatrics - a premier bariatric center with seven locations across New Jersey. Advanced Surgical & Bariatrics specializes in providing comprehensive weight loss solutions tailored to individual needs including non-surgical and surgical weight loss procedures such as gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, adjustable gastric banding, revisional surgeries, endoscopic procedures, and robotic surgeries.
JoAnn Lazarus is a past president of the Emergency Nurses Association and brings more than 40 years of experience to her new position.
WINTER PARK, Fla., September 6, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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Peregrine Health Services, LLC is pleased to announce the promotion of JoAnn Lazarus, a seasoned healthcare leader recognized for pioneering operational efficiencies in emergency department services, to Managing Partner, Emergency Department Consulting Services. In her previous role as senior vice president, Lazarus was instrumental in shaping the training and development sector of Peregrine Health Services since its launch in January 2023.
She provided the knowledge and skills to consultants so they could thrive in their roles and implemented processes to optimize operations for the new organization.
With a legacy at Philips as principal and practice lead for emergency services and at Blue Jay Consulting as vice president of operations and emergency services, Lazarus is set to apply her extensive industry knowledge and experience to ensure Peregrine's emergency department consulting services continue to excel. Aligning with Peregrine's commitment to improvements in operational, clinical, and financial performance are her previous successes in reducing walkout rates by up to 81% and cutting discharge lengths of stay by 20%.
"JoAnn's robust experience and results-driven approach make her an invaluable asset to the Peregrine team," said Mark Feinberg, managing partner and CEO of Peregrine Health Services. "Her leadership and dedication to quality patient care will undoubtedly advance our objective of optimizing emergency department and trauma center performance."
Notably, Lazarus' past roles have ranged from interim director of emergency services at a hospital with 47,000 annual emergency department visits to a nurse manager in emergency services with 67,000 annual visits. In addition, she was a registered nurse, clinical instructor, and director of emergency services at a 625-bed medical center and a nurse manager of the emergency department at a 490-bed facility.
"I am excited to bring concrete change that impacts the entire healthcare organization and help implement results-oriented solutions," Lazarus said. "My focus is ensuring our consultants have the knowledge and skills they need to thrive and optimize operations. I am keen on creating a harmonious environment for our patients, staff, and community."
Lazarus' aptitude in hospital operational management includes her tenure as the 2013 president of the Emergency Nurses Association and her unparalleled clinical footprint. She is a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) and earned a Master of Science degree in nursing (MSN) at Northwestern State University and an Associate Degree in nursing (ADN) at Louisiana State University, Alexandria.
Peregrine Health Services, LLC is a specialized consulting firm dedicated to helping healthcare organizations optimize emergency department and trauma center performance. For more information, visit www.peregrinehs.com.
Contact Information:
Elise DeCourcy
Director of Marketing [email protected]
TEL AVIV, Israel, September 6, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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Imagene, an emerging leader in the field of AI-based precision oncology, is pleased to announce the release of LungOI™, the world's first AI-based Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) molecular panel, identifying actionable alterations from the biopsy image alone within minutes. This ground-breaking solution can provide healthcare professionals with immediate genomic information, to support making informed treatment decisions in the complex cancer diagnosis and treatment journey.
By providing immediate biomarker profiling results based on biopsy images alone, LungOI aims to address key challenges in molecular testing. Only 50% of newly diagnosed advanced NSCLC cases are tested for the guideline-recommended biomarkers, and due to long turnaround times, even among those tested, approximately 30% start first-line treatment prior to receiving all biomarker test results. Moreover, in up to 20% of cases, comprehensive molecular testing is not an option, due to tissue quality and quantity issues. These factors can lead to clinical decisions being made based on incomplete information as well as suboptimal or delayed treatment that can negatively impact patients' outcomes.
"The launch of LungOI represents a pivotal moment not only for Imagene but for the medical community and cancer patients as a whole," said Dean Bitan, Co-founder and CEO of Imagene. "The availability of an immediate, accurate multi-gene biomarker panel for NSCLC will potentially help more cancer patients receive the optimal and personalized treatment medicine can offer and eliminate the long and stressful waiting time and uncertainty for patients."
Dr. Ross Camidge, Professor of Medicine, Joyce Zeff Chair in Lung Cancer Research, Director of Thoracic Oncology at the University of Colorado, elaborated, "Demographic variations in access to cancer molecular testing contribute to significant health disparities. This inequality not only limits access to precision medicine but also results in underrepresentation of certain groups in clinical trials. A rapid accessible AI-based test that could prompt relevant, maximally efficient molecular testing could help to address these imbalances in cancer care and improve health equity."
LungOI is a multi-gene NSCLC biomarker panel including alterations in the genes EGFR, ALK, ROS1, RET, NTRK1/2/3, ERBB2, BRAF, MET and KRAS demonstrating high performance levels, for example, inference of EGFR mutations in high confidence cases, showed 90% sensitivity and 92% specificity, and for ALK fusions the levels were 97% and 96% respectively. LungOI is an AI-powered laboratory-developed test compatible with various imaging devices, staining protocols and diverse populations. Imagene's technology already had a significant impact on treatment initiation and avoiding brain radiation in lung cancer patients as demonstrated in a recently published case report in the Journal of Clinical Pathology, as part of a clinical study.
Imagene's executive team will be attending the upcoming World Congress of Lung Cancer in Singapore, on Sept. 9-12. Demonstrations of LungOI can be scheduled upon request at [email protected].
About Imagene: Imagene is an emerging leader in AI-based precision oncology leveraging AI to profile, within minutes, a broad range of cancer biomarkers from a digitized biopsy image alone. Imagene empowers physicians with immediate oncology intelligence to ensure optimal treatment for all cancer patients. Our success derives from our cutting-edge technology and multidisciplinary team of data scientists, biologists, software engineers, and medical experts. Imagene's molecular classifiers under research, currently detect 30 different cancer biomarkers, spanning eight body organs. With a commitment to scientific excellence and collaborations, Imagene is dedicated to advancing precision oncology and improving patient outcomes.
TBS Dental and its quality rezSHARP preventive dental scaler products across the nation will work alongside Wounded Warrior Project to honor and empower America's wounded warriors.
UNION, N.J., September 6, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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TBS Dental, a leading dental equipment manufacturer, has announced a partnership with Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP). TBS Dental's nationwide network will give back to America's post-9/11 wounded veterans and their families in a variety of ways, including donated funds, events, volunteer work, and more.
"TBS Dental is passionate about giving back to the communities we serve, so teaming up with Wounded Warrior Project and supporting the life-changing programs they provide for wounded veterans was a no-brainer," said Haseeb Sajid, CEO of TBS. "We know many of our customers, the dentists and hygienists we serve, have a deeply personal connection to armed services or they know someone directly impacted by Wounded Warrior Project. That connection makes this partnership truly special for us and we are honored to stand together alongside Wounded Warrior Project and the important work they do."
Over the two years, TBS Dental have committed to a minimum $250,000 fundraising goal. These funds will support WWP's free programs and services in mental health, career counseling, long-term rehabilitative care, and policy advocacy, which improve the lives of millions of warriors and their families.
"The support we receive from TBS Dental helps Wounded Warrior Project honor and empower warriors in their communities," said Brea Kratzert Todd, WWP vice president of business development. "Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, warriors and their families never pay a penny for our programs."
The partnership officially began August 1st after a "soft" kick-off event held in Nashville at RDH Under One Roof, the Dental Hygienist Conference & Exhibition, July 20 through 23, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers - helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more.
About TBS Dental
TBS Dental is a leading dental equipment manufacturer committed to developing cutting-edge technology that promotes tissue preservation, bone protection, and patient comfort. TBS has designed and developed a number of contemporary, state-of-the-art instruments with the intent of modernization. Over the years, TBS has transformed into a powerhouse of innovation and excellence with one goal in mind: Make Dentistry as Efficient as Possible. Now, TBS Dental is launching a cutting-edge preventive scaler product line called rezSHARP. For more information, visit tbsdental.com.
We breakdown the famous “Can You Dig It” sequence from Walter Hill’s The Warriors.
Imagine you’re at a family gathering. Your aunts, grandparents, and even your cousins might be there. You’re catching up with some of the relatives you barely get to see anymore when out of nowhere your uncle storms in from the kitchen and belts a loud “CAN YOU DIG IT?” Well, that had to ring true for some of you thanks to the iconic status that 1979’s The Warriors directed by Walter Hill. The Warriors is a film that follows a local New York gang as they attempt to safely get from The Bronx to their home of Coney Island. Along the way they will be hunted by rival gangs who all seek to catch and dispatch The Warriors after they’re framed for murdering Cyrus, the kingpin of local crime who aims to set up a truce between all the gangs in the state.
The scene in question is one of the first scenes of the movie. It shows thousands of New York gang members meeting at night where Cyrus will propose his truce. While the scene is iconic at face value, there are all sorts of interesting facts and stories from production that make the scene seem even more impressive. Notably, the fact that the character of Cyrus (played by Roger Hill) was originally supposed to be played by a real NYC gang leader. The man even met with production multiple times prior to filming to go over lines and workshop the scene. However, when the night of shooting finally came, the gang member was nowhere to be found! This resulted in Walter Hill replacing him with a professional actor at the last minute. Probably for the best- considering how immaculate of a performance we got from Roger Hill. Additionally, you may have heard that the film was mostly shot guerilla style with the production team losing their permits to film in the city and them having to continue the shoot anyway. During this time, it’s been reported that the production received multiple death threats from local NYC gangs who were unhappy about not being involved in the movie. This resulted in production hiring “The Mongrels”, a local outfit who protected the production vans and staff during scenes shot at night (which was almost all of them).
The release of the film stirred some violence at its screenings which added a layer of controversy to this already dicey movie. In fact, if you’ve ever seen Shaq give a press conference or host a ceremony, you’ve likely heard him dish out his impression of Cyrus by asking the crowd- “CAN YOU DIG IT?!” All interesting facts but the end result is really the treat as this scene will go down as one of the most iconic scenes (and lines) committed to film. Check out more episodes of Scene Breakdown here!
PLOT: Based on Japan’s highest-selling manga series in history by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a legendary high-seas adventure unlike any other. Monkey D. Luffy is a young adventurer who has longed for a life of freedom since he can remember. Luffy sets off from his small village on a perilous journey to find the legendary fabled treasure, ONE PIECE, to become King of the Pirates! But in order to find the ultimate prize, Luffy will need to assemble the crew he’s always wanted before finding a ship to sail, searching every inch of the vast blue seas, outpacing the Marines, and outwitting dangerous rivals at every turn.
REVIEW: Anime and manga adaptations come in two flavors: crap and cool. With the successful live-action takes on classic Japanese comics totaling a paltry number, fans are obviously hesitant when a new production is announced. For every Speed Racer, there is a Ghost in the Shell. For every Alita: Battle Angel, there is a Dragonball: Evolution. Even Netflix’s own Cowboy Bebop divided fans and critics alike. The problem tends to be when fans want a faithful translation of the source material rather than a creative interpretation. Luckily, One Piece fans will be very happy to find the live-action take on the long-running series to be a pitch-perfect take on the tale of Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate compatriots. The issue may be that anyone else will be confused by this genre-defying tale’s broad tone, style, and logic, an epic adventure that may just be too immature for adults and too grown-up for kids.
Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece has been a mainstay of manga bestsellers for over twenty years with over a hundred volumes. The core tale remains intact in Netflix’s adaptation, which centers on Monkey D. Luffy (Inaki Godoy), a young man who yearns to be King of the Pirates. In Luffy’s world, which a single global government runs, the world’s geography is primarily seafaring in nature. The oceans are policed by military police called Marines, led by Vice Admiral Garp (Vincent Regan). When Garp executes the notorious Pirate King known as Gold Roger, the world becomes obsessed with finding his lost treasure, known as the One Piece, which would grant whoever finds it the crown over all pirates. Luffy, who also has rubber stretching abilities thanks to consuming a Devil Fruit, is on a quest to assemble a crew and find a map to the Grand Line, where the treasure is said to be located. It is a lot to take in for a layperson, but anime fans will likely be all in for this off-the-wall plot.
One Piece opens with a mood-setting voice-over from the legendary Ian McShane, setting the tone for the story. Over the eight-episode first season, all of which were made available for this review, Luffy meets and joins forces with a motley crew of friends. Each character has a childhood backstory to set up their unique motivation in the series. At the outset, Luffy meets up with Nami (Emily Rudd), a thief and mapmaker, Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), who is a master swordsman and pirate hunter, and cabin boy turned marine Koby (Morgan Davies). The first episode sets the series’ style with a light-hearted tone that tries to make the deadly action feel rip-roaring and not dark and dreary. In fact, most of One Piece seems to gloss over the mild profanity (a few f-bombs peppered amongst mostly PG-13 language) and the casual nudity. In the first episode alone, there are some asses on display, something not uncommon in the manga or anime. At first, you may think the series is designed for kids, but then people get bisected and decapitated with CGI blood spouting across the screen.
Serving as an introduction to the sprawling mythology of the source material, One Piece manages to deliver a self-contained narrative over the first eight episodes that have a solid arc and introduces many familiar faces from the books and anime, including villains like Alvida (Ilia Isorelys Paulino), Buggy the Clown (Jeff Ward), Axe-Hand Morgan (Langley Kirkwood), and primary antagonist Arlong (Mckinley Belcher III), a Fishman who has a connection to Nami. The accuracy with which the characters look like their illustrated versions is impressive despite the colorblind casting that turns this series into a global production. Many anime adaptations suffer from cries of whitewashing, but One Piece may be the most accurate adaptation of any anime to date. Even Helmeppo has his bizarre bob haircut that graced the pages of the books. This is both a blessing and a curse for the series. Sometimes, the tone and line delivery feel straight out of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Some action scenes are repetitively choreographed sequences of faceless thugs being run through with swords on a set that looks like a stage production at an amusement park.
Adapted by showrunner Steven Maeda (Lost, The X-Files) and Matt Owens, One Piece benefits mostly from the quintet of main actors in the cast. Inaki Godoy is perfectly cast as the stretchy ringleader Luffy, and his cock-eyed optimism and positivity are infectious. Emily Rudd (Mare of Easttown) never plays Nami as a damsel and holds her own. Mackenyu, the son of legend Sonny Chiba, showed promise in Knights of the Zodiac but exudes a lot of charisma here as Zoro. Also in the main squad are Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp and Taz Skylar as Sanji. Both chew the scenery and add a mix of action and humor to the proceedings. Everyone in the cast seemed to be having a lot of fun, making the job for directors Marc Jobst, Emma Sullivan, Tim Southam, and Josef Wladyka much easier. The ultimate problem is that One Piece feels every bit like a small-scale adaptation. Most of the action occurs on artificial sets and looks less than epic. When the budget affords bigger effects, things look great, but the novelty of this world begins to wear as the action repeats itself over the season. Nonetheless, the effort will pay off with fans as this looks like an anime come to life.
As an anime adaptation, One Piece is clearly the most accurate translation of a manga from page to animation to live-action outside Japan. Fans of the franchise will find nothing but positives in this series. There are slight changes in plot elements and reveals compared to the anime, but they are all done well and never go against the original narrative. That also means there won’t be many surprises for those who have read or watched One Piece‘s prior incarnations. As fan service, this series is a blast and will surely go down as the benchmark for anime adaptations from this point forward. For the casual viewer who knows nothing about One Piece, this will be a weird story that takes multiple episodes to get into. The child-like performances will challenge them and make them wonder why things are violent and hypersexualized. Still, if you can suspend your judgment and give this series a chance, you may have some fun. It is far from a masterpiece, but much is here to latch onto. If you want a fun swashbuckler to while away your Labor Day weekend, you could do a lot worse than One Piece.
