Selux Diagnostics
Selux Diagnostics Logo

Selux Diagnostics, a biotech startup in Boston whose mission is to combat superbug infections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its proprietary Next Generation Phenotyping (NGP) System — a rapid antibiotic susceptibility (AST) testing platform that provides targeted therapeutic results days faster than the current standard of care. 

The FDA clearance is for Selux Diagnostics' in vitro antimicrobial resistance test, which determines a bacteria's susceptibility to 14 specific antimicrobial agents on the Selux Gram-Positive Panel. Selux's NGP Gram-Negative panel is currently under review by the FDA. 

"This clearance represents a significant advance in infectious disease care and the fight to address antibiotic resistance. Our groundbreaking Selux NGP System holds the potential to save lives and decrease overreliance on broad-spectrum antibiotics, a key factor contributing to the rise of superbugs. We thank all our employees, partners, and advisors who contributed to this tremendous accomplishment," said Steve Lufkin, CEO of Selux Diagnostics.

"We have been waiting for true innovation in AST technologies to deliver rapid results that are accurate according to the latest FDA guidelines and include newly approved antibiotics," said James S. Lewis II, PharmD, FIDSA, co-director of antibiotic stewardship at Oregon Health and Science University, and chair, CLSI Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Subcommittee. "I am enthusiastic that the Selux NGP System addresses these critical needs and will become an essential tool for directing personalized therapies for infected patients."

Experts predict that without a significant change in today's treatment options, deaths from superbugs will surpass deaths from cancer by 2050. Selux is confronting this global health crisis head-on by redefining the speed and performance of AST, the critical diagnostic test that informs personalized antibiotic therapy.

For more information on the Selux NGP System, visit www.seluxdx.com.

Acknowledgment

This platform has been supported in whole or in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR); and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under contract number HHSO100201800013C.

About Selux Diagnostics 

Selux Diagnostics is transforming patient care by accelerating the selection of personalized antimicrobial therapy for all Infectious Disease patients. This advance will save lives, shorten hospital stays, and combat the growing antibiotic resistance epidemic by decreasing the overuse of broad-spectrum agents. Learn more at www.seluxdx.com.

AGFA HealthCare, That's life in flow.

AGFA HealthCare is proud to announce that it has been named to the Leaders Category in the IDC MarketScape: U.S. Enterprise Medical Imaging 2022-2023 Vendor Assessment (doc #US48168021e, November 2022). According to the IDC MarketScape report, vendors should:

"Consider AGFA when you are a medium-sized to large healthcare provider looking for a platform-based solution with a differentiated level of intelligence that promotes a more collaborative medical imaging work environment."

AGFA HealthCare has been recognized by the IDC MarketScape for the following strengths:

Converged Platform
Enterprise Imaging Platform builds on AGFA's long-standing domain experience in medical imaging IT. The solution combines connected (cross) enterprise care, converged multispecialty support, an adaptable automated workflow, and disease-oriented augmented intelligence across the platform. The resulting capabilities (e.g., real-time collaboration and communication, multidisciplinary imaging for 15+ service lines, anytime-anywhere access, AI-enabled rules-based workflow automation, modular deployment) differentiate AGFA's solution. One customer said, "I took a trip a few times to RSNA and HIMSS, and AGFA was the only vendor at the time that seemed to understand the concept of enterprise imaging." This perception of AGFA having a robust, vendor-neutral platform with capabilities that can scale with modern-day requirements stood out in interviews.

Augmented Intelligence
AGFA's RUBEE for AI embeds "augmented intelligence" capabilities (advanced visualization, workflow orchestration, automated triage, smart hanging protocols, automated reporting, critical finding notifications, and specialty imaging packages) into the solution. Combining AI-driven automation with disease-oriented AI analytics helps customers generate more insight and practice better evidence-based medicine than traditional imaging workflows.

Ecosystem Integration
AGFA's XERO modules help enable enterprisewide collaboration between local healthcare professionals and external stakeholders. The XERO Exchange Network (XEN) allows image and report sharing at any time, which promotes regional and local collaboration between stakeholders (e.g., clinicians, patients, and other providers).

Furthermore, the solution is FHIR-enabled and has an open API ecosystem, which simplifies the ability for the vendor and its customers to integrate and improves interoperability. AGFA also holds many alliances and partnerships, which extend its ecosystem orientation even further, including with Microsoft Azure, AWS, Oracle, and Google, in addition to hardware OEMs (Dell, HPE, and Barco) and others (Philips Forcare, Qaelum, TOMTEC, Ascend, Cordiana, and MediReport).

About AGFA HealthCare

AGFA HealthCare is transforming the role of medical imaging into a high-impact, data-driven enterprise-wide information flow - supporting health professionals across the globe with secure and scalable imaging data management.  

AGFA's preeminent product, the Enterprise Imaging Platform, creates an Imaging Health Record™, or IHR, to align with and fulfill a health system's EHR.  The IHR provides an unobstructed flow of patient imaging information to help clinicians achieve their clinical, operational, and business strategies.

AGFA HealthCare is a division of the AGFA-Gevaert Group and traded on Euronext Brussels (AGFB).

For more information, visit www.agfahealthcare.com, and on LinkedIn.

About IDC MarketScape 

IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT (information and communications technology) suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor's position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of IT and telecommunications vendors can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective vendors.

Addison Group
Addison Group logo, various greens, blue, and white pinwheel

Addison Group, a national leader in professional services specializing in talent solutions and consulting, announces today that it has fully incorporated Beacon Resources, an Addison Group company, to move forward under the Addison Group brand name.

For current clients of Beacon Resources, its brand integration to Addison Group includes access to a robust network of talent with significantly greater reach and opportunities to secure highly qualified professionals. Beacon Resources' clients will also gain access to the full portfolio of Addison's recruiting capabilities beyond finance and accounting, including information technology, non-clinical healthcare, human resources, administration, and digital marketing.

In 2014, Beacon Resources, headquartered in Woodland Hills, California, was acquired by DLC group to make the larger more established finance and accounting professional services firm an ideal acquisition. Addison Group, seeking to expand its West Coast presence and grow its market share, acquired the group in 2019. Throughout the past decade via strategic partnerships and alignments, Addison Group has blended a multitude of relationship-based staffing and consulting firms into what is now a major market contender, and viable award-winning professional services consortium. 

Beacon Resources' Managing Directors and team retain their roles within the expanded organization:

"The entire Beacon Resources team is excited about the tremendous opportunities it gives to our clients. Our team remains committed to facilitating ideal connections between our clients and our candidates, and now formally as Addison Group, our recruiting experts will have access to even more resources to perform exceptional services on a larger scale." ~ Odeh Haddad, Managing Director, Beacon Resources

"Our transition to Addison Group has been completely synergistic because our motto and our methodology are aligned with our passion for people. While the Beacon Resources brand has officially retired, our commitment to building and maintaining meaningful relationships has only been strengthened with the increased reach and additional resources of Addison Group. Completely integrating with Addison will allow us to nurture existing connections and expand offerings into newly emerging markets." ~ Dana Carr Brown, Managing Director, Beacon Resources

Under the integration, the Beacon Resources brand will officially retire. All of its existing business relationships and activities continue under the Addison Group name while providing the same unparalleled level of service.

About Addison Group

Addison Group, a leading talent solutions and consulting company, provides expertise with a national reach and a localized touch. Addison offers a full suite of consulting and recruiting capabilities across multiple sectors, including information technology, finance and accounting, non-clinical healthcare, human resources, administrative, and digital marketing. Addison has been repeatedly recognized by the media as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States by Forbes' Top 200 America's Best Professional and Specialist Search Firms, America's Best Recruiters and Executive Search Firms, and America's Best Temporary Staffing Firms, SIA Top 100 Staffing Bold Leaders, and Inc. Best 100 Places to Work. Known for its people-first culture, Addison combines deep expertise, client and candidate relationships, and a growing network of offices across the U.S. to provide national reach with a localized touch.

Cedar, an enterprise healthcare engagement platform that improves the end-to-end consumer financial journey, was recently endorsed by the Montana Hospital Association's shared services division MHA Ventures (MHAV) as their preferred choice in patient financial engagement technology. Through this endorsement, Cedar will be listed as the MHAV's only preferred patient financial engagement technology.

The MHAV is a hospital member organization that nominates vendors through a rigorous and lengthy vetting process, identifying relevant technologies for their hospital members in the region. The association collects organizational background, testimonials, references, offerings and other essential company details. 

Cedar was selected based on its ability to drive results in a time when health systems face significant financial pressures. Cedar's flagship solution, Cedar Pay, generates an average 30% lift in patient payments for clients, with 89% of patients reporting an exceptional financial experience.  

"MHA is excited to launch a partnership with Cedar. This proven, impactful patient engagement solution is making a big difference for a rural state like Montana. In fact, several MHA members are already seeing positive results. Cedar is a great solution that simplifies the patient experience, saves employee time and improves cash flow," said Rebecca Schauf, Sales & Marketing Manager, MHA Ventures.

Cedar is excited about the MHAV partnership and looks forward to improving financial outcomes for both patients and providers in Montana. 

"We commend the Montana Hospital Association for its commitment to improving the patient financial experience, particularly in light of the challenging economic times that both patients and health systems are facing," said Florian Otto, CEO and Co-founder of Cedar. "We look forward to bringing the same consumer-centric approach to financial engagement to Montanans that we've delivered for health systems across the country."

Cedar is on a mission to empower individuals to easily and affordably pursue the care they need, transforming the patient financial experience through a unique end-to-end solution. To learn more about Cedar's innovative platform, visit https://www.cedar.com/.

About Cedar

Cedar is committed to improving the healthcare billing experience for all. With an innovative platform that connects providers and payers, Cedar empowers healthcare consumers with a personalized journey—all powered by data science and interactive design. For Cedar clients, this leads to improved financial outcomes, more efficient operations and greater consumer loyalty. To learn more about why leading U.S. healthcare organizations trust Cedar to manage the end-to-end financial experience from pre-registration to post-visit billing, visit www.cedar.com and join us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

About Montana Hospital Association

The Montana Hospital Association is a nonprofit organization with more than 80 members, including 100% of Montana's hospitals, that provide the full spectrum of healthcare services. This includes hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facilities, home health, hospice, physician services, assisted living, senior housing, and insurance services. MHA Ventures, Inc. is the for-profit subsidiary of MHA, created to deliver solutions that improve patient care, reduce operating costs and strengthen the financial viability of Montana's hospitals. Learn more at MTHA.org.