Amid the wave of severe respiratory illnesses among children that is pushing hospitals past capacity, multiple federally funded programs - the Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN), Emergency Medical Services for Children Innovation and Improvement Center (EIIC), and Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence (Gulf 7 - Pediatric Disaster Network, or G7; Region V for Kids; and the Western Regional Alliance for Pediatric Emergency Medicine, or WRAP-EM) - are working to improve pediatric emergency and disaster care in all settings, from community clinics to ambulances to emergency departments. 

The ongoing surge underscores the importance of ensuring healthcare systems are prepared to provide high-quality, equitable pediatric care every day and during public health crises. These programs bring together experts from across the country, including many pediatric physicians who are witnessing the surge firsthand. Program leaders (below) are available for interviews; please direct inquiries to [email protected].

As the surge continues, these groups are helping hospitals navigate immediate issues and prepare for future crises, including by contributing to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response's pediatric surge resource collection. Hospitals and providers are encouraged to contact [email protected] for further guidance and resources.

Program leaders

Mark Batshaw, MD
- Program: PPN
- Hospital: Children's National Hospital (Washington, DC)

Deanna Dahl-Grove, MD, FAAP
- Programs: EIIC, PPN, Region V for Kids
- Hospital: University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital (Cleveland, OH)

Brent Kaziny, MD, MA
- Programs: EIIC, G7, PPN
- Hospital: Texas Children's Hospital (Houston, TX)

Charles Macias, MD, MPH
- Programs: EIIC, PPN, Region V for Kids
- Hospital: University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital (Cleveland, OH)

Christopher Newton, MD, FACS, FAAP
- Programs: PPN, WRAP-EM
- Hospital: UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital (Oakland, CA)

Kate Remick, MD, FAAP, FACEP, FAEMS 
- Programs: EIIC, PPN
- Hospital: Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)

Joelle Simpson, MD, MPH
- Program: PPN
- Hospital: Children's National Hospital (Washington, DC)

Funding acknowledgments 

The Emergency Medical Services for Children Innovation and Improvement Center (EIIC) is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of award U07MC37471 with 0% financed with nongovernmental sources. 

The Regional Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN) is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of grant awards U1IMC43532 and U1IMC45814 with 0% financed with nongovernmental sources.

Gulf 7 - Pediatric Disaster Network is supported by Award Number U3REP220671-01-00 from the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. 

Region V for Kids (formerly the Eastern Great Lakes Pediatric Consortium for Disaster Response) is supported by Award Number U3REP190615-01-01 from the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.  

The Western Regional Alliance for Pediatric Emergency Management (WRAP-EM) is supported by Award Number 6 U3REP190616-01-02 from the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. 

The content presented is that of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ASPR, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Leading enterprise AI software provider Iodine Software today announced a national study of clinical documentation improvement (CDI) leaders that uncovers a number of key insights about how they view their roles and define CDI program success. The survey was conducted by the Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS) and sponsored by Iodine Software.

CDI programs are a critical component of every healthcare system's revenue-cycle team, where clinical resources review medical record documentation for completeness and accuracy. 

Accurate and complete documentation is proven to increase earned reimbursement and reduce compliance risks for healthcare systems. If the clinical documentation is incomplete or unclear, CDI specialists query the provider prior to final claim submission to ensure accurate and complete billing, reducing costly and cumbersome issues that can arise during claims adjudication.

Given the ongoing revenue challenges presented by COVID-19 and other market forces, the study was conducted to understand how to best support CDI leaders as they manage their teams. 

The 2022 ACDIS CDI Leadership Council CDI Programmatics survey, which included surveys of 222 CDI leaders, found that nearly all CDI leaders (91%) track financial impact as a measure of departmental success, followed by 68% who use severity of illness (SOI) / risk of mortality (ROM) impact, and 53% who consider the observed-to-expected mortality rate. An additional 28% think observed-to-expected patient length of stay is an important metric that demonstrates CDI program success.

Additional key findings in the study include:

Measuring the Effectiveness of CDI Programs
According to the study, the four most-popular measures that identify CDI program effectiveness are:

• query rate (81%) 
• response rate (79%) 
• review rate (77%) 
• agreement rate (68%)

Most CDI Leaders Feel Valued - But Not All
Eighty-four percent (84%) of CDI leaders report that their program is valued internally by their hospital administrations; however, approximately one in 10 felt undervalued (~11%). In a recent virtual panel discussion, CDI leaders discussed why communicating the value of the CDI team is important. Additionally, these leaders indicated a need to support the CDI team by providing personal feedback to individual team members and department score cards that highlight achieved outcomes.

Optimizing Performance: CDI Leaders' Challenges to Achieving Top Performance
Respondents to the ACDIS survey reported that the biggest barrier to their CDI team reaching peak performance is a lack of staffing resources (36%), followed by physician engagement challenges (22%) and a lack of technology resources (18%). An additional 9% felt that organization priorities are not aligned properly. 

Staffing challenges have persisted in the CDI profession, as workforce shortages, budget gaps and fierce competition for talent continue to plague the industry. Physician engagement also has historically been a challenge for CDI, because stretched providers often experience significant administrative burdens that result in frustration and burnout. In recent years, physician query and AI-driven CDI tool platforms have played central roles in supporting CDI team performance to drive greater efficiency, reduce workload and drive provider engagement.

Supporting CDI to Work More Efficiently: What CDI Duties Are Most Cumbersome?
While CDI is critical to the financial health of every healthcare system, the role can include extremely tedious tasks that contribute to CDI burnout. In the ACDIS leadership survey, CDI leaders outlined what aspects of the workflow they would eliminate if they could. The number-one responsibility named varied greatly and included, in order:

1. 49%: Wasting time reviewing cases without opportunity
2. 20%: Tracking down physician responses
3. 9%: Working DRG predictions

To help reduce the burdens presented by these and other listed duties, many CDI leaders are implementing in-house and third-party technology solutions that better engage providers and identify a prioritized worklist of cases to review. These CDI tools also leverage new technology that automates and augments clinical human resources and are becoming increasingly important as more work is performed virtually instead of within hospital walls.

"Based on our experience working with nearly 1,000 of the top hospitals in the U.S., Iodine Software deeply understands the market forces affecting the CDI industry, so we know they are under pressure to work more efficiently and capture more earned revenue for a hospital's bottom line," said Iodine Software Co-founder and CEO William Chan. "This study reinforces the need for AI-backed solutions that augment the great work that CDI specialists perform every day."

ACDIS discussed the study's findings with participants from dozens of provider organizations in September. The full report also is available to download.

About Iodine Software

Iodine is an enterprise AI company that is championing a radical rethink of how to create value for healthcare professionals, leaders, and their organizations: automating complex clinical tasks, generating insights and empowering intelligent care. Iodine's powerful predictive engine complements the skills and judgment of healthcare professionals by interpreting raw clinical data to generate real-time, highly focused, predictive insights that clinicians and hospital administrators can leverage to dramatically augment the management of care delivery - facilitating critical decisions, scaling clinical workforces through automation, and improving the financial position of health systems. For more information, please visit iodinesoftware.com.

PR Contact: 
[email protected]

Chike Mocha Mint Protein Iced Coffee
20g of whey protein, 2 shots of real espresso, only 1 gram of sugar.

Many say it's 'the most wonderful time of the year' and Chike Nutrition customers would have to agree. Chike Nutrition is ringing in the holidays and bringing cheer with the return of their most popular and requested seasonal flavor, Chike Mocha Mint Protein Iced Coffee. Although Chike Mocha Mint Protein Iced Coffee is available online starting Nov. 8 and in over 500 locations nationwide, it is sure to sell out quickly.

This flavor is refreshing, balanced and has a true chocolate mint flavor reminding you of that cookie in a silver sleeve. The smell of smooth mint hits first, followed by sweet chocolate notes with mint to balance, and a mid-level sweetness finish. Better yet, each serving is packed with 20 grams of non-GMO whey protein, 150mg of caffeine, and only 1 gram of sugar and 110 calories. A truly healthy option that doesn't compromise on taste.

A verified purchaser from last year named Heidi left a 5-star review stating, "This is the best flavor I've ever had. I need to stock up on 10 more bags since it's a limited edition flavor!!! I love it!!!!" Clearly, Chike Nutrition's customers are obsessed with Chike Mocha Mint Protein Iced Coffee.

Chike Mocha Mint Protein Iced Coffee takes the place of your sugary drive-thru coffee and is the ideal breakfast booster, healthy snack, or afternoon pick me-up. If you're looking for extra holiday cheer, adding Chike Mocha Mint protein coffee powder into recipes easily enhances delicious treats, making them a healthier choice.

"There's an extra layer of excitement from our customers this holiday season because of the return of our Chike Mocha Mint Protein Iced Coffee. We launched this seasonal flavor for the first time last year and we couldn't keep up with the demand. Since then, our customers have constantly made requests for it to be a permanent flavor, so much so that we made extra this year! Don't let an iced coffee drink during the cold weather keep you from trying Chike Mocha Mint Protein Iced Coffee. Grab a bag (or two) while you can and see what all of the hype is about. You won't be disappointed!", said Mac Mascorro, Brand Manager of Chike Nutrition.

It's time to put on your mittens and try this seasonal Protein Iced Coffee that is sure to bring you cheer!

###

About Chike Nutrition

Chike Nutrition is based in Abilene, Texas and proudly manufactures and produces all nine (and counting!) of their current flavors, ensuring the quality and consistency that Chike Nutrition demands in their products. You can find all of the flavors on Chike Nutrition's website and can follow new recipes, flavor launches, and more on Instagram and Pinterest.  Learn more about Chike in their overview video.

Niko Pagoulatos

Spectral MD Holdings, Ltd. (AIM: SMD), a predictive analytics company with proprietary AI algorithms and optical technology for rapid and accurate treatment decisions in wound care, announces the appointment of Dr. Niko Pagoulatos as Chief Operating Officer, effective this week.

As Chief Operating Officer of Spectral MD, reporting to CEO Wensheng Fan, Dr. Pagoulatos will accelerate growth and operational performance of the Company with specific focus on scientific research, engineering, product development leading to global portfolio launch and clinical adoption. 

Dr. Pagoulatos comes to Spectral MD as an accomplished technology executive and innovator with 25+ years of experience in engineering, clinical and business aspects of specialized medical ultrasound imaging. Dr. Pagoulatos is a team-oriented and results-driven leader with extensive experience and a strong track record in building and leading cross-functional teams to successfully commercialize innovative medical technologies with global clinical impact. 

Dr. Pagoulatos has held multiple executive roles including Chief Innovation Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and most recently, Chief Technology Officer at EchoNous, a global healthcare innovation company headquartered in Seattle focused on the development and commercialization of the first AI-assisted handheld ultrasound tool to increase diagnostic confidence at the bedside. 

Dr. Pagoulatos earned his B.S. in Physics from the University of Athens in Greece and completed his graduate studies at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he earned an M.S. in Bioengineering in addition to an M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering.

Niko Pagoulatos, Chief Operating Officer of Spectral MD, said: "I am impressed with Spectral MD's wound healing assessment breakthrough technology, and I am excited to join its world-class team. I look forward to applying my experience and expertise to help Spectral MD build on its success, release its breakthrough DeepView™ technology into the market, and execute on its strategic goals to revolutionize wound care management worldwide."

Wensheng Fan, Chief Executive Officer of Spectral MD, said: "Niko is a transformational leader and proven industry innovator with deep experience in medical ultrasound imaging, product innovation, and groundbreaking AI solutions. As an innovative and seasoned executive, I am confident his broad operational experience will be critically important as we continue to manage our growth, scaleup operations and seek to bring DeepView™ through development and into the market. I am truly delighted to welcome Niko to the Spectral MD team."

Further background on Dr. Pagoulatos

Dr. Pagoulatos comes to Spectral MD as an accomplished technology executive and innovator with 25+ years of experience in engineering, clinical and business aspects of specialized medical ultrasound imaging. Dr. Pagoulatos is a team-oriented and results-driven leader with extensive experience and a strong track record in building and leading cross-functional teams to successfully commercialize innovative medical technologies with global clinical impact. Dr. Pagoulatos invented several breakthrough ultrasound technologies that include key industry-first features and holds authorship on ten patents and multiple scientific publications. Additionally, Dr. Pagoulatos is one of the first researchers in the world to develop algorithms for the real-time fusion of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging.

Dr. Pagoulatos has held multiple executive roles including Chief Innovation Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and most recently, Chief Technology Officer at EchoNous, a global healthcare innovation company headquartered in Seattle focused on the development and commercialization of Kosmos, the first AI-assisted handheld ultrasound tool to increase diagnostic confidence at the bedside. In these roles, he shaped the Company's vision and mission, synthesized global market and clinical data, drove technology development and product roadmaps, as well as managed multimillion-dollar cross-functional team budgets. While at EchoNous, Dr. Pagoulatos built and led a team that developed and released to global markets the innovative handheld ultrasound tool Kosmos, the only AI-driven handheld ultrasound tool benchmarked against cart-based ultrasound systems with several industry-first technologies and features. Dr. Pagoulatos and his team delivered 510(k) clearance and CE mark for Kosmos in four years from company inception and obtained several certifications, including ISO 13485.

Prior to EchoNous, Dr. Pagoulatos held Director and advanced development engineering roles at FUJIFILM SonoSite, the world leader in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). During his tenure, Dr. Pagoulatos led the productization and global market release of several innovative products including advanced needle visualization, a well-established ultrasound imaging feature for ultrasound-guided needle procedures in POCUS, and a portable ultrasound device iViz, FUJIFILM Sonosite's first tablet-form-factor ultrasound system designed for high-mobility. Additionally, Dr. Pagoulatos has held Senior Scientist roles within the Ultrasound Division of Siemens Healthineers and DYSIS Medical. At Siemens, Dr. Pagoulatos led the development and integration of a real-time 3D processing and visualization module into the first 4D ultrasound scanner released by the company. At DYSIS Medical, he developed a spectral imaging registration algorithm and led the software development effort of an innovative dynamic spectral imaging device designed for non-invasive detection of cervical cancer. 

Dr. Pagoulatos earned his B.S. in Physics from the University of Athens in Greece and completed his graduate studies at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he earned an M.S. in Bioengineering in addition to an M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering.

About Spectral MD:                                                                                   

We are a dedicated team of forward-thinkers striving to revolutionize the management of wound care by "Seeing the Unknown" ® with our DeepView^™ Imaging System.

www.spectralmd.com

[email protected]

SecurePortIV In Use
SecurePortIV Catheter Securement Adhesive being applied for IV securement and site protection.

At the 2022 Association for Vascular Access ("AVA") Annual Scientific Meeting, clinicians reported statistically significant reductions in dressing changes and Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections ("CLABSI") as a result of utilizing Adhezion Biomedical's SecurePortIV® Catheter Securement Adhesive. These findings were presented by clinicians representing seven separate institutions throughout the conference. 

Study results were presented by clinicians at Baylor Scott and White Health System (TX), Carilion Children's Hospital (VA), Froedtert Hospital (WI), Ball Memorial Hospital (IN), Houston Methodist Hospital (TX) and Cabell Huntington Hospital (WV). One such study, presented by Holly M. Rodriguez, MSN, RN, CCRN-CNC, RN-BC, and Cristina M. Nuila, MSN, RN, CNL, both from Houston Methodist Hospital, reported a 50%+ reduction in dressing changes while achieving an 88% reduction in CLABSI associated with the use of SecurePortIV® adhesive.

Pete Molinaro, Adhezion's CEO, said, "We have always known about the unique 'cidal' and protective properties of our proprietary medical cyanoacrylate formula, and it's incredibly gratifying to see the impact that SecurePortIV® catheter securement adhesive is making in PICC and PIVC Vascular Access Procedures in both infant and adult populations." The demand for SecurePortIV® adhesive continues to grow rapidly since it was recognized as a Standard of Care for vascular access securement by the Infusion Nurses Society in 2021.

About Adhezion Biomedical LLC
Adhezion Biomedical is a privately held medical device company based in Wyomissing, PA. Adhezion is committed to developing and manufacturing medical cyanoacrylate products used in the treatment of wound closure, wound management, intravenous device securement and infection prevention. To learn more about Adhezion and its products, please visit www.adhezion.com.

Reach Healthcare is pleased to announce a new feature within its Happy Mama App called Happy Mama Birthing. 

Happy Mama offers an innovative, personalized, person-centric solution customized to meet the unique needs of women ranging from pre-conception through pregnancy, labor and delivery, and up to 12 months postpartum. This newest feature extends the Happy Mama maternal health reach by delivering the first multi-sensory immersive platform to birthing rooms. It is a CES 2022 Innovation Tech Award recipient.

Reach Healthcare will feature its Happy Mama immersive experience at HLTH 2022 as part of its three-part multi-sensory experiential exhibition entitled "Beyond the Ordinary," centrally located in the Bassano Rooms (#2602, 2603 and 2604). HLTH 2022 runs Nov. 13 through 16 at the Venetian Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas Nevada. 

Reach Healthcare's Happy Mama is reimagining the end-to-end pregnancy experience and ecosystem - whether at home, hospital or in birthing centers. By moving beyond the traditional physical focus of pregnancy, Happy Mama is a comprehensive biopsychosocial wellness platform for maternity care. Designed for and with pregnant women the Happy Mama App and Platform gives women a sense of control, safety, and calm during the birthing experience. It closes gaps in maternal health between what healthcare providers (HCP) offer and what women need and want.

This Happy Mama digital therapeutic solution delivers immersive music, sound, visualization, biofeedback, and aroma therapy techniques without the need for wearable technology. Expectant moms can also create a personalized favorites list suitable to their chosen birth environment through Happy Mama's robust library of audio tracks for education, preparation, and use during pregnancy and labor, and after birth. 

Collaborations and Innovation

Happy Mama is partnering with HealthTunes, a "digital pharmacy" of streaming evidence-based music therapies, and Moving Art by Louie Schwartzberg, a virtual imagery program. HealthTunes and Moving Art by Louie Schwartzberg are integrated into Happy Mama, enabling a highly personalized immersive sound and visualization solution for childbirth. 

"To realize change, maternal health needs the validation and adoption of innovative technology solutions that improve access to care, communication, care coordination, behavioral change, and social support," advocates Christina Wurster, Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

Other collaborators joining Reach Healthcare's Happy Mama at HLTH 2022 are Johnson and Johnson's Aveeno Baby, Beekley Medical®'s Elequil, Harman International, and Samsung Electronics. Other Happy Mama features to be on display include Zoom and HARMAN RCP.

ABOUT HLTH 2022:

HLTH (pronounced "health") is the leading platform bringing together the entire health ecosystem, focused on health innovation and transformation. From unparalleled events with industry-leading speakers to inspirational digital content and mission-driven initiatives, HLTH creates a unique marketplace for the health community leading the dialogue and development of a better health ecosystem. HLTH's mission is to gather the health community in curated, purposeful engagements that accelerate healthcare innovation. 

"Beyond the Ordinary" Special Media Tour for press only on Monday, Nov. 14 at HLTH 2022. RSVP: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HLTH2022MEDIATOUR

ABOUT REACH

REACH is a 501c3 global innovative social impact organization whose mission is to improve and transform healthcare delivery and outcomes for providers and patients, as well as to offer cost-effective solutions for payers. Maternal mortality and morbidity prevention is a top priority area for the organization. Reach is the founder of the National Save Moms Campaign (http://savemoms.us), Save Moms Global (http://savemoms.global), Maternal Application of Technology for Community Health (MATCH) Coalition (http://matchcoalition.us), and Happy Mama (http://happymama.global)