PHILADELPHIA, February 2, 2023 (Newswire.com) - In the wake of federal charges related to large-scale schemes to sell fake nursing diplomas at some U.S. nursing schools, CGFNS International, a global leader in international credentials evaluation to support health worker mobility, has bolstered its efforts to combat fraud and ensure patient safety through the assessment and authentication of credentials.

Leaders at the organization, which has 45 years of experience in evaluating international education credentials for foreign-trained health workers, pointed to the global nursing shortage as a key driver of increased fraud.

"CGFNS is actively reviewing whether any of the reports we issued are impacted," said CGFNS President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Peter Preziosi. "If we find evidence of this, we will move quickly to address it."

"An honestly-earned education paired with appropriate clinical experience is a prerequisite for nursing licensure and is absolutely essential to protecting public safety and trust in the healthcare professions. This applies to all health professionals regardless of whether education was received domestically or internationally," he said.

As a preventive measure to combat fraud, CGFNS requires transcripts and validations of licenses to be sent directly from primary source institutions, and it maintains a database of school and licensing officials who are authorized to send documents to CGFNS. The organization catalogues the signatures of these officials as well as their institutional seals or stamps.

Preziosi said that CGFNS, as a longstanding partner of nurse regulators, accreditation agencies, and licensing test providers, will aim to further increase collaboration among the credentialing community to increase vigilance and combat fraud. The organization will also be reviewing its internal security practices to ensure up-to-date, robust protections are in place during the assessment of education and licensing documents of the migrant nurses utilizing its programs.

"In light of this discovery, CGFNS will continue to make every effort to ensure the quality and integrity of the nurses it supports and to uphold the integrity of the global healthcare workforce," he said.

About CGFNS International, Inc.
Founded in 1977 and based in Philadelphia, CGFNS International is an immigration-neutral not-for-profit organization proudly serving as the world's largest credentials evaluation organization for the nursing and allied health professions. For more information, visit www.cgfns.org.

Contact Information:
Mukul Bakhshi, Esq.
Chief of Strategy and Government Affairs
[email protected]
(215) 243-5825


Original Source: CGFNS International Reaffirms Its Commitment to Combatting Fraud in Nurse Credentialing

Healing Our Heroes will provide specialized care that addresses the unique behavioral health challenges that first responders face.

PALM SPRINGS, Fla., February 2, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Retreat is launching Healing Our Heroes, a new behavioral health program specifically for first responders and veterans. The program offers inpatient and outpatient services that address the unique challenges facing frontline and emergency professionals. Healing Our Heroes identifies and provides treatment for depression, anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), substance use, stress and trauma response, and suicidal thoughts. 

"We're proud to expand our services and extend our skills to serve to the individuals who have given so much to help us and keep us safe when we are in need," said Peter Schorr, founder and CEO of Retreat Behavioral Health. "We take this responsibility seriously, and will work with the compassion, care, and sensitivity needed to become a trusted partner to these professionals." 

Healing Our Heroes is a response to the growing research on the behavioral health challenges that first responders, emergency personnel, law enforcement professionals, and veterans face. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), these professionals may face an increased risk of mental health and substance use issues because of the high-stress environments and dangers they face daily. Additionally, professionals in these fields are less likely to seek help because they fear being seen as weak. 

The program will consist of individual and group therapy, holistic therapy activities (gardening, yoga, art, etc.), family engagement, medication management and/or detoxification, and access to cutting-edge therapies like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and BrainsWay deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS). Staff for the program will be comprised of former or current first responders who are specialized in peer and clinical training. 

The program was developed in consultation with Dr. Robert J. Cipriano Jr., a licensed psychologist who has worked within the South Florida community for the last 20 years. Dr. Cipriano is board certified in Police and Public Safety Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) and has worked directly with clients experiencing trauma-based symptoms. He has provided an array of clinical services to the Trauma-Intensive Care Units (ICU) and inpatient behavioral health units at a Level II trauma center and has provided several hundred critical incident stress debriefings for a variety of staff in law enforcement and hospital professionals for the last 20 years. 

Healing Our Heroes will be offered at Retreat locations in Connecticut, Florida, and Pennsylvania. 

ABOUT RETREAT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Retreat Behavioral Health is a leading provider of substance use and mental health treatment services with a number of locations along the East Coast. Retreat specializes in inpatient and outpatient mental and behavioral health services, and always strives to provide patients with the highest quality of care in a holistic and peaceful environment. For additional information, visit www.retreatbehavioralhealth.com or follow Retreat Behavioral Health on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Contact Information:
Hadassa Delhomme
National Content Editor
[email protected]


Original Source: Retreat Behavioral Health Launches New Treatment Program for First Responders

Marco Altieri is reflecting on the lives affected and lost by the COVID-19 pandemic as he continues to impact home health care with innovation

ROCHESTER, N.Y., February 1, 2023 (Newswire.com) - All-American Home Care co-founder and CEO Marco Altieri is taking time to reflect on his recognition as a 2020 COVID-19 Heroes honoree by the Rochester Business Journal. Altieri was honored for his professional accomplishments and leadership as well as his mentoring and innovation during 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic altered daily life and healthcare in extreme ways. 

"The impact of COVID-19 on the world will not soon be forgotten," said Altieri. "To be honored at such a time has set an incredibly high standard, and I am humbled to have contributed in meaningful ways to support our communities during this worldwide pandemic. Our team is stronger, and our relationships with our clients are even more solidified due to the pandemic. We have learned, grown, and adapted our client care and safety protocols along with the rest of the medical sector, and we look forward to continued growth and achievement as we support our community."

As CEO of All-American Home Care, Altieri leads his company in providing daily support to clients wishing to live independently and participate in their communities. The organization was founded in 2015 and is customer-centric; putting every client and their family in charge of the care they need. All-American Home Care has a large regional reach and currently serves hundreds of clients throughout many counties in New York. 

The Rochester Business Journal is a leader in regional business information and news. Serving the community since 1987, the publication employs award-winning journalists, well-versed in reporting on breaking local news. 

Marco Altieri is the CEO of All-American Home Care in Rochester, New York. He began his career in home health care over 20 years ago as an aide and served as CEO of Angels in Your Home before co-founding his company in 2015. Altieri graduated from the State University of New York College at Brockport and received a B.S. in political science and sociology.

For more information about Marco Altieri, please visit his LinkedIn profile. 

To learn more about All-American Home Care, you can visit its website at https://www.all-americanhomecare.com/.

Contact Information:
Marco Altieri
[email protected]
585-454-1776


Original Source: Marco Altieri Reflects on 2020 COVID-19 Heroes Recognition

ANN ARBOR, Mich., February 1, 2023 (Newswire.com) - GreenMark Biomedical Inc. "GreenMark" announces its award in the competitive Startup Central Pitch event called The Hub, which the company received on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. GreenMark's CEO Dr. Steven Bloembergen took part in the event, along with six other CEOs of dental startup ventures with a presentation entitled "Redefining Caries Management: Transforming the dental experience through early detection and noninvasive treatment". 

GreenMark captured the winning "Best Startup", with eligibility for a $50,000 investment award. The event, organized by Revere Partners, was judged by professionals with a broad range of expertise in the dental market, and consisted of an oral presentation on innovative products by each company, followed by questions from the judges. After winning, Bloembergen stated, "We are thrilled to have been selected first in this competitive event with other innovation companies. This event allowed us to showcase our system approach to redefining caries management with our novel LumiCare™, LumiKids™ and planned CrystLCare™ products."

Startup Central included GreenMark among ten company participants, and was dedicated to disruptive innovations in dentistry, as part of a three-day exhibit at the Yankee Dental Congress. This meeting was held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on Jan. 26-28, 2023. The Startup Central exhibit and The Hub competitive startup event were sponsored by Revere Partners, the first independent Venture Capital fund exclusively dedicated to oral health. The VC fund identifies opportunities for investors, providing capital for cutting-edge innovations in the oral and oral/systemic health sectors.

"Revere selected the winner based on key factors contributing to startup growth in dentistry, such as: team, marketing opportunity, product, clarity of the presentation, equity and accessibility to patients, and the likelihood of successfully closing their fundraising round," said Dr. Jeremy Krell, Managing Partner for Revere Partners, a general dentist and experienced investor. 

"Receiving this award is especially meaningful for us at GreenMark, as we are in the midst of raising our Series A investment round," said Steven Bloembergen, Ph.D., GreenMark's founder, Chairman and CEO. He added, "Since 2016, we've invested in our bioresorbable starch particle platform, to bring affordable, safe and effective products to the dental market, with the goal of improving oral health for all." 

About GreenMark Biomedical Inc. 

GreenMark is developing a systems-based approach to caries management, with its patented products that involve small sub-micron particles, produced from safe food-grade starch. These make an ideal carrier for medical and dental applications, since enzymes in the human body and saliva degrade starch. Dental caries (tooth decay) is the most prevalent chronic disease in the world, affecting more than 95% of Americans over their lifetimes. Minerals are gradually lost from affected tooth surfaces, and enamel becomes increasingly porous, until eventually a cavity forms. GreenMark is developing methods to identify and better assess the disease in its early stages, monitor progression and to manage it, noninvasively and without anesthesia. The company's "LumiCare™ Caries Detection Rinse" and half-dose "LumiKids™ Caries Detection Rinse" products, to be used by dental professionals as part of the routine dental exam, contain fluorescent-labeled starch particles that target the porous subsurface of caries lesions in enamel, and illuminate them using a dental curing light, thereby aiding in the visualization of caries. The identification at early stages before a cavity forms allows the use of preventive, non-surgical management options, resulting in less discomfort and improved long-term oral health outcomes for patients. GreenMark's team has also demonstrated the ability to load the essential enamel minerals, depleted because of tooth decay, inside the small starch particles, and is now developing treatment products designed to target and restore minerals to the subsurface of teeth. The company intends to launch its "CrystLCare™ Biorestorative, Fluoride-Free" product soon, an Easy-to-Use Dissolvable Dental Strip, packaged in convenient single-use sleeves, for the prevention and control of dental hypersensitivity. After release of its mineral components, the product works by forming hydroxyapatite crystals to block exposed dentin. Contact [email protected], or call 801-899-0710. For more information, visit www.greenmark.bio. 

About Revere Partners 

Revere Partners is the first venture capital fund exclusively focused on oral health, identifying opportunities for investors and providing capital for cutting-edge innovations in the oral and oral/systemic health sectors. Revere Partners' inaugural fund has a flexible and unique structure with continuously open fundraising that enables startups to connect with unrivaled industry resources and growth opportunities. Founded by Dr. Jeremy Krell and David Arena, Revere Partners fosters strategic partnerships that improve care delivery as well as patient and provider experiences - maximizing value for investors. Revere Partners is committed to inclusive partnerships with underserved businesses in the healthcare sector, including but not limited to, women, minority and LBGTQ+-owned enterprises. To learn more visit www.reverepartnersvc.com or on LinkedIn.

Contact Information:
Steven Bloembergen
Ph.D.
[email protected]
‭(517) 896-3665‬
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Original Source: GreenMark Biomedical Wins Competitive Startup Pitch Event at 2023 Yankee Dental Meeting

1nHealth presented 941 total patients with opportunities to join relevant online communities with The Mighty

ORLANDO, Fla., February 1, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Clinical trials bring hope to patients by exposing them to potentially groundbreaking therapies. Thus, it can be especially devastating for patients to learn about a clinical trial and then fail to qualify for participation.  

1nHealth and The Mighty have teamed up to route patients who may not qualify for a specific trial to condition-focused communities on The Mighty where those patients can get support, read stories that provide representation, and be part of a community of those with similar health journeys. Patient Centricity means keeping the focus on people, and this partnership enables that to extend all the way to the recruitment stage. 

"Teaming up with 1nHealth is such a great opportunity," says President of The Mighty Matthew Michelson, Ph.D. "The Mighty is here for patients in need, especially when the chips are down. And when patients hear about potential live-changing therapies and then can't participate, that's a blow. Now, at that exact point, they'll be directed to communities on The Mighty that identify with their struggle — and that deep representation and community is powerful." 

The process begins when a patient clicks on a 1nHealth study advertisement for a specific clinical trial. On 1nHealth's study screener, a patient submits their information. If a patient fails to meet the inclusion criteria for the trial, they are presented with opportunities to engage with communities of relevance on The Mighty. Patients can then join those communities and be part of the conversation. 

"We often see support for patient centricity in a performative way," says 1nHealth CEO Dan Brenner. "At 1nHealth, we want to serve all patients, not just the patients who qualify for a study. Those who submit their information in prescreening are clearly looking for help, and we want to be a resource for them even if that specific trial cannot be the solution. This partnership with The Mighty furthers our mission to put patients first." 

To date, the partnership combined on multiple studies, presenting 941 patients the opportunity to join relevant communities on The Mighty. 1nHealth and The Mighty will continue to implement this offering for clients who opt in.  

Contact Information:
Albany Alexander
Growth Manager at 1nHealth
[email protected]
4076004693

Matt Michelson
President of The Mighty
[email protected]


Original Source: 1nHealth Partners With The Mighty to Bring Fresh Patient Centricity to Clinical Trial Recruitment

The Spire Health Pathways clinic located in Denver, Colorado, is taking a fresh approach to Functional Medicine by contracting with government and commercial insurance to bring the healing powers of functional medicine to all Coloradans and for a fraction of the typical price.

DENVER, February 1, 2023 (Newswire.com) - A Functional Medicine practice with a fresh approach opens in southeast Denver. Located at 6895 E. Hampden Ave., Unit B, Denver, CO 80224, the Spire Health Pathways clinic, led by Dr. Crystal Dickerson, MD, opened its doors this year. The clinic is located in the building with AfterOurs Urgent Care just east of I-25. Spire Health Pathways is dedicated to providing comprehensive and personalized health and wellness services to clients through advances in Functional Medicine.  

Functional medicine is a holistic approach to healthcare that focuses on identifying and treating the root causes of disease, rather than just managing symptoms. It involves a detailed analysis of a patient's medical history, lifestyle, and environmental factors to determine what evaluations are necessary including advanced and specialty testing to create a personalized treatment plan. Practitioners of functional medicine may use a combination of conventional and alternative therapies, such as nutrition, supplements, and acupuncture, to address imbalances in the body and support optimal health. Spire Health Pathways will soon be adding optional Wellness Coaching and IV Therapies to the suite of services. With these new services, patients can achieve accelerated positive outcomes on their health journey. The goal of functional medicine is to not only alleviate symptoms but to also promote overall wellness and prevent future illness by addressing the underlying causes.

Spire Health Pathways is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all community members. Spire's services are tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual, and they work closely with the clients to set and achieve health and wellness goals. Dr. Dickerson commented on how this practice differs from almost any in Colorado: "Functional Medicine is gaining tremendous adoption across the country, but functional medicine practices often avoid contracting with insurance. This makes the solution cost prohibitive for value-minded patients." 

Many people find it difficult to pay for services outside of their insurance company provider network. The team has secured in-network contracts with Aetna, Medicare, Colorado Medicaid, BCBS, and contracts with the other major Colorado payors are in process. Though it complicates the business, it conveys the concern for the patient's well-being, including financial well-being. Dr. Dickerson concludes: "We want to touch as many people in our community as possible … We want to guide them on the path to feeling their best!" 

For more information about Spire Health Pathways, visit their website, call them at (720) 575-1922, or send them an email to [email protected].

Contact Information:
Crystal Dickerson
Physician / Medical Director
[email protected]
(720) 575-1922

Dan McDermott
Executive Director
[email protected]
(720) 318-8791


Original Source: Spire Health Pathways - Functional Medicine Practice is Open for Business in Denver, Colorado