The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) today announced its 2022 Health Plan Ratings. The annual list evaluates commercial, Medicare and Medicaid health plans based on the quality of patient care, how happy patients are with their care and health plans' efforts to keep improving.
The 2022 Health Plan Ratings are based on data from calendar year 2021, when 203 million people were enrolled in health plans that reported Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) results to NCQA. Plans are rated on a 0-5 stars scale. Six out of 1,048 health plans that earned a numerical rating achieved 5 stars—the highest possible rating.
"With open enrollment for health plans beginning in November, the NCQA 2022 Health Plan Ratings provide timely insight to help consumers and businesses make informed decisions about their health care," said NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane. "NCQA was founded as an independent nonprofit in 1990 to 'turn on the lights' by measuring and holding health plans accountable for health care quality. With the 2022 ratings, we're proud to spotlight top performers and identify ways to improve health care quality, access and equity."
Key findings from the 2022 Health Plan Ratings include:
5-Star Rated Plans. Six plans achieved the highest overall rating:
Commercial: Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc.
Medicaid: Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc.
Medicare: Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc.; Medical Associates Clinic Health Plan of Wisconsin dba Medical Associates Health Plans; and Medical Associates Health Plan, Inc.
Better Care for Heart Disease. Several measures of cardiovascular care quality improved from the prior year. The most significant improvement was in controlling high blood pressure: After a decline from 2019-2020, average commercial plan performance improved 6.9 percentage points, Medicare plans improved 7.6 points and Medicaid plans improved 2.7 points.
Rebound in Diabetes Care. Following a drop the year before, care for people with diabetes improved in two areas:
Controlling blood pressure: Average commercial plan performance improved 5.5 percentage points, Medicare plans improved 2.5 points and Medicaid plans improved 2.1 points.
Controlling Hemoglobin A1c: Average commercial plan performance improved 4.1 percentage points, Medicare plans improved 3.2 points and Medicaid plans improved 3.3 points.
Divergence in Childhood Immunizations. Immunization rates rose 2.2 percentage points for children enrolled in commercial plans, but declined 3 points for children in Medicaid plans. This >5-point divergence suggests a growing gap in preventive care that puts America's most vulnerable children at disproportionate risk for disease.
Decline in Adults' Satisfaction With Care. Adult patients' overall ratings of their health care dropped for both commercial (4.2%) and Medicaid health plans (2.2%) from the prior year.
Methodology
Each year, NCQA rates health plans that choose to publicly report HEDIS results. NCQA ratings are based on almost 50 assessments of patient care outcomes and experience, including measures of clinical quality from NCQA's HEDIS and CMS's Health Outcomes Survey; measures of patient experience using the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®); and NCQA's review of health plan quality improvement processes (NCQA Accreditation).
Please visit the NCQA website for details on the 2022 Health Plan Ratings, measures and methodology.
About NCQA
NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA Accredits and Certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA's website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make informed health care choices. NCQA can also be found at Twitter @ncqa and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa.
FREMONT, Calif. - September 15, 2022 - (Newswire.com)
CliniOps, Inc., the leading provider of Hybrid and Decentralized Clinical Trials (DCT) solutions, today announced the integration of its product suite with Exostar's Secure Access Manager (SAM). Exostar continues to gain momentum as the de-facto identity used by investigative sites to access clinical trial portals and applications to share data between sponsors and their sites.
"User experience and accessibility are the highlights of this partnership. By connecting our application to Exostar, CliniOps is now able to offer the clinical trial investigators community an industry-standard capability to quickly, easily, and painlessly switch between clinical trial platforms as they navigate the complex clinical trials process," said Yerramalli Subramaniam, CTO of CliniOps.
"Our work with CliniOps reflects our continued commitment to bring value to our ecosystem of sponsors and sites by eliminating the burden of technology for sites charged with the research and development of tomorrow's advanced therapies," said Kenny Kong, Exostar's Director of Life Sciences and Health IT. "A single, trusted identity that can be used across all sponsors and studies allows technology to be centralized, eliminating delays and 'Login Fatigue' that threaten timelines and performance, particularly in decentralized clinical trials."
Although single sign-on has become more common in enabling access across multiple platforms, no such solution enables access to multiple sponsors, until now. Exostar and CliniOps together deliver frictionless access across digital data systems concurrently as part of research studies, including Electronic Data Capture (EDC), Electronic Health Records (EHR), Lab Systems, Wearables and Connected Devices.
CliniOps and Exostar empower customers to manage both internal and external user access with a single solution. "With Exostar, we gain a trusted, proven platform that helps our global customers achieve stronger security, better user experience, and further improve clinical trial efficiency," said Avik Pal, CEO, CliniOps.
About CliniOps
CliniOps, Inc. is a leading Technology and Data Science company for the Life Science industry. CliniOps' Unified platform approach enables home-visit, site-visit, tele-visit and lab-visit, leveraging AI, Mobile, Analytics, Cloud, Sensors and Connected Devices. CliniOps is currently supporting trials across 30+ countries. CliniOps is featured in the Gartner Hype Cycle for Life Sciences R&D four years in a row since 2019. Visit https://cliniops.com/ and follow CliniOps on LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Exostar
Exostar supports exclusive communities within highly regulated industries where organizations securely collaborate, share information, and operate compliantly. All of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies and their 600,000+ users globally trust Exostar to strengthen security, streamline access, raise productivity, and help them achieve their digital transformation initiatives. Exostar helps the Life Sciences industry speed new medicines and therapies to market. For more information, please visit www.exostar.com and follow Exostar on LinkedIn and Twitter.
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - September 15, 2022 - (Newswire.com)
A SHOC ENERGY, a modern, better-for-you energy drink, today announced a new business and marketing partnership with 2019 professional football champion, Travis Kelce. Leading up to the kickoff of the 2022 season, the Kansas City football superstar formed a relationship with A SHOC's team -Kelce identified that the products' performance benefits from more natural functional-ingredients, NSF International Certified For Sport® Certification, and commitment to healthier energy drinks were an asset to meet his demanding athletic requirements and also an exceptional business opportunity.
In 2021, Travis Kelce became the first tight end in professional football history to obtain sixconsecutive seasons with at least one thousand receiving yards. Partnerships with athletes like Kelce have provided A SHOC the ability to be involved in their training programs in a more authentic way than competitors and reinforce the company's mission to help active-lifestyle consumers find healthier solutions to boost energy and reach their peak.
"Football is a demanding sport, the physical toll it takes on my body during the 18-week season of games, workouts, and traveling leaves me with little to no energy - and, I can use an extra boost to push through and keep me on track," said Kelce. "My routine is regimented, so I'm careful with what I put into my body which is why I naturally gravitated towards the A SHOC brand. They deliver a healthier, all-natural alternative and have ensured that their formulas have received the NSF Certification required by the NFL and many other professional sports. I'm excited to join an elite roster of athletes and share A SHOC's mission on how helpful their products have been to deliver a top-tier performance on and off the field with this better-for-you energy drink."
"Travis Kelce is a phenomenal addition to A SHOC's business and brand platforms. The levels of professional success he's obtained on and off the field attest to the intense commitment Travis puts into all his endeavors," said Paul Nadal, CEO, A SHOC ENERGY. "Travis has a systematic propensity in making great plays, and his forethought in partnering with A SHOC is further reinforcement for our company's business proposition to create healthier, performance-focused energy drinks - we look forward to evolving the energy category and working alongside Travis."
Leading into the 2022 football season, Kelce's collaboration with the brand makes him the latest addition to A SHOC's recent partnerships with renowned professional athletes and their combined strategic efforts to help customers reach their peak with healthier energy and focus using more natural ingredients.
As a further testament to the product's performance and energy benefits, other champion-level athletes who have chosen to partner with A SHOC ENERGY, include: Aaron Judge (First Baseman, New York Yankees), Chase Elliott (NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Four-Time Most Popular Driver Award), Paul Rodriguez (Professional Skateboarding Icon, Four-Time X Games Gold Medalist), Lexi Thompson (Eleven-Time Winner on the LPGA Tour, Major Championship Winner), Chase Young (Professional Football Rookie of the Year, Washington), Brooks Koepka (Two-Time PGA Tour Champion, Two-Time U.S. Open Winner) and Freddie Freeman (2020 MLB MVP, 2021 World Series Champion, Los Angeles Dodgers).
Earlier this year, A SHOC's energy drink lines, A SHOC and Accelerator secured the prestigious NSF International Certified For Sport® Certification required by MLB, NFL, NBA, PGA and many other professional organizations. As part of the rigorous certification process, including screening for 272 banned substances, ongoing manufacturing audits, and inspections, the company has ensured that their natural plant-based energy products are produced within NSF compliance. A SHOC sought to secure this certification in a commitment to athletes as they continue to push the envelope and look for new ways to maximize their performance through a healthy approach.
Travis Kelce will be highlighted in an extensive marketing campaign by A SHOC that includes activations both nationally and in key markets across retailers, digital, print and out of home advertising. A SHOC Energy drinks are currently available in more than 112,000 stores, including Target, Walmart, CVS, Rite Aid and 7-Eleven, and online ashoc.com and Amazon.com. To learn more about A SHOC, please visit www.ashoc.com and @ashocenergy on Instagram.
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About A SHOC
Based in Newport Beach, Calif., A SHOC is the fast-growing, healthy, active energy beverage brand that is changing the energy game with more natural, better-for-you products that feature more functional ingredients, including plant-based natural caffeine, plant-based thermogenics, ocean mineral electrolytes, nine essential amino acids, and BCAAs with no sugar, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. A SHOC is distributed nationally by Keurig Dr Pepper. More information on A SHOC is available at ashoc.com or on Instagram at @ashocenergy.
Let's be honest. Content creation is a necessity but it's a lot for a medical team to handle, especially while working with patients every day. After all, content creation should be easy - think about all of the time cosmetic surgery practices and medical spas spend shooting and editing videos, coming up with new content ideas, creating graphics, writing blogs, newsletters, etc, all while keeping that checklist consistent every month. It's exhausting, to say the least. But what if it didn't have to be?
Meet Visual Vybz Studios, a medical aesthetic content creation, and marketing agency that is specifically dedicated to helping cosmetic surgery practices and medical spas spend less time creating content and more time doing what they love.
Sounds enticing right?
Visual Vybz Studios is the one-stop shop for content creation and marketing. Their simple signature strategy includes everything needed to grow and scale a business with captivating, high-converting content. Just take a look at what their clients are saying about them online.
"This is the company of your dreams. I have a daily conversation with the team regarding our strategies. They are responsible and professional. The content is always stunning and draws a great deal of attention. You cannot go wrong with Shanice and her team at Visual Vybz Studios."
- Jennifer S. M.D, Buckhead Facial Plastic Surgery.
Their services expand from strategic consulting and content planning to creative content creation, which includes: branding, graphic design, blog copywriting, in-office video production, and collaborative video editing. They create all forms of content with a particular focus on video content, and will even publish content online through email and social media marketing.
Their clients also have the opportunity to review content before it gets published and get transparent insights on content marketing performance through monthly planning sessions that show the effectiveness of content marketing efforts.
Rest assured that this fully collaborative agency's mission is not to replace in-office teams, but to extend them with a wide range of tools and expertise, including traveling to film professional but authentic video content. Their process allows you to create high-quality content faster, and more effectively.
Visual Vybz Studios creates content that captivates audiences, connects them to services, and converts them into loyal returning customers. Getting started is fast and simple.
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. - September 15, 2022 - (Newswire.com)
JOGO Health Inc., a New Jersey-based, privately held digital therapeutics company focused on the development and commercialization of treatments for chronic pain and neuromuscular (NM) conditions, today announced that it will present positive data on using its signature solution, JOGO-Gx, to treat patients with non-specific low back pain at the 19th World Congress on Pain held at the Metro Toronto Convention Center in Toronto from Sept. 19-25, 2022.
Non-specific low back pain is one of the most common reasons Americans miss work or leave jobs entirely. A professional organization estimates 200 million US productivity hours are consequently lost every year and nearly 40 million workers suffer from non-specific low back pain. Addressing a reduced quality of life while lacking an understanding of treatment options, clinicians and patients are often tempted to rely on medication alone.
Unlike most chronic pain studies relying on subjective numerical scales, this trial also used quantitative sensory testing (QST) instruments to evaluate physical responses. Conducted during the pandemic, the year-long clinical study assessed patients with non-specific back pain who had received traditional treatments before using JOGO. "Compared to baseline waitlist comparison groups, the JOGO-Gx group demonstrated statistically significant changes in pain intensity, pain interference and low back pain reduction. The most significant improvement was the reduction of pain disability (p<0.001)," JOGO Health's Chief Scientific Officer, Gary Krasilovksy, PT. PhD, explains. Reducing back pain disability is critical for helping people suffering from chronic conditions to return to productive lives.
With numerous clinics temporarily closed due to the pandemic, study participants mediated pain using JOGO-Gx telehealth.
JOGO Health's CEO, Sanjai Murali, describes one real-world patient's experience with JOGO-Gx digital therapeutics for non-specific lower back pain: "After a string of failed treatments, including physical therapy, the patient was pain-free for the first time in 10 years, returning to a normal lifestyle."
According to JOGO Health's President and Co-Founder, Siva Nadarajah, JOGO-Gx could be an alternative to opioids and pain killers: "In previously published clinical studies on chronic lower back pain, opioids such as Tapentadol ER and Oxycodone CR revealed significantly less pain reduction than JOGO-Gx. Although we didn't conduct a head-to-head study, data show JOGO-Gx could be superior to opioids in treating chronic lower back pain."
About JOGO Health:
JOGO Health is a digital therapeutics company founded after over nine years of thorough research and testing. Built on the pioneering work of late Dr. Joe Brudny, New York University's Rusk Rehabilitation Center, and Dr. Gordon Silverman, Rockefeller University, JOGO uses wearable sensors and an AI driven app to treat chronic pain, Parkinson's tremors and other movement disorders associated with neurological conditions via telemedicine.
The second annual Bumper Best and Worst States to Own Electric Cars study comes on the heels of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which calls for establishing a pathway for more electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the U.S. The IRA provides tax credits and funds to states for the building of more EV chargers. Bumper's analysis ranks states across several factors as they relate to EV ownership and each state's ability to support a growing EV owner population. Eleven metrics were weighted to determine the ranking list—including financial incentives, number of public charging stations, cost to charge an EV versus its gas-powered alternative and more.
"Americans are becoming more interested in what they can do personally to help the environment, and one way many drivers are doing that is by switching to electric vehicles," said Julianne Ohlander, a data analyst at Bumper. "For those who may be on the fence about making the switch, this study is a great resource to compare how their state supports EV owners versus other states around the country."
The top 10 states to own an electric car
Rank
State
Score
1
Maryland
14.65
2
New York
15.25
3
Massachusetts
17.10
4
Pennsylvania
17.45
5
Vermont
17.95
6
New Jersey
18.00
7
California
18.35
8
Virginia
18.90
9
Utah
19.25
10
Rhode Island
19.60
Scores are based on a state's overall rank across each of the eleven measured metrics—the lower the score, the better a state's ranking.
See the full list here; category winners can be found below.
Key takeaways:
Maryland is the best state overall for owning an electric vehicle; South Carolina is the worst.
Maryland tops the charts for having the best financial incentives to own an EV; Arkansas comes in last.
Rhode Island is the state with the best EV infrastructure; Wisconsin has the worst.
Nevada has the highest cost savings per 1,000 miles for EV drivers compared to gas-powered drivers; Connecticut has the lowest.
Category winners
Infrastructure
Rank
State
1
Rhode Island
2
Massachusetts
3
Utah
4
Vermont
5
California
Financial Incentives
Rank
State
1
Maryland
2
New Jersey
3
New York
4
Pennsylvania
5
Virginia
Average EV price relative to median income
Rank
State
1
Maryland
2
New Jersey
3
Massachusetts
4
Hawaii
5
Connecticut
Methodology
Bumper.com ranked financial incentives by six metrics:
Change in average gas price from August 2021 to August 2022;
Five-year change in recharge cost per 1,000 miles;
Cost difference to drive 1,000 miles by EV versus gas-powered cars;
Percent of workers commuting more than 30 minutes to work;
Current number of non-expired state financial incentives to switch to electric vehicles; and
Average current transaction price of a new electric vehicle relative to state median income.
We ranked infrastructure incentives by five metrics:
Number of public charging stations per state licensed driver;
Number of public EVSE ports per 100 EV registrations;
State annual growth rate of electric charging stations since 2018;
EV registrations per 1,000 motor vehicle registrations; and
2022 state allocations for the Electric Vehicle Charger Network, part of the November Bipartisan Infrastructure law, per licensed driver.
About Bumper
Bumper.com's mission is simple: make the car-owning, buying and selling experience better and more affordable through vehicle history reports for one low cost. Membership also unlocks access to reliable information on accidents, recalls, market value and easy-to-use tools available online or through the Bumper.com mobile app. Follow Bumper.com on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or follow their blog for content related to car maintenance, car selling, and car cleaning. For partnership inquiries, email [email protected].
With the new surgeon, the practice becomes more poised to meet the growing demand for non-invasive cosmetic care in the region
Dr. Molly Orban Joins Wilmington Eye Dr. Orban joins Wilmington Eye as newest oculoplastic surgeon, specializing in cosmetic and aesthetic procedures.
WILMINGTON, N.C. - September 15, 2022 - (Newswire.com)
Today, Wilmington Eye announced the addition of Dr. Molly Orban, a fellowship trained surgeon in ophthalmic plastic, reconstructive, and orbital surgery. Dr. Orban will be joining Wilmington Eye's oculoplastic team, comprised of Dr. Alan Oester, Jr., Dr. George Escaravage, and Tracey McKinzie, PA-C, to provide care that includes cancer reconstructive surgery, upper and lower eyelid lifts, eyelid malposition repair and an emphasis on aesthetic services.
The market in the US for noninvasive and invasive cosmetic procedures reached $18.8 billion (USD) in 2021 and is expected to grow at a rate (CAGR) of 4.3% from 2021 to 2030. With the addition of Dr. Orban, Wilmington Eye will be more poised to meet the growing demand for aesthetic services that the practice has seen at their oculoplastic center in the midtown area. Dr. Orban's training in oculoplastic surgery uniquely positions her to provide high-level aesthetic assessments and procedures that make up the fastest growing segments in non-invasive cosmetic procedures.
"Dr. Orban is a critical component of Wilmington Eye's plan to meet the rapidly growing demand for oculoplastics in our community. As the only two oculoplastic surgeons within a 130-mile radius, we are ecstatic to bring on someone as skilled and knowledgeable as Dr. Orban to help us serve the region," says Dr. Alan Oester, Jr., partner, oculoplastic surgeon, and fellowship director at Wilmington Eye.
"We are very excited to have Dr. Orban join us. Not only will she enhance our oculoplastic department to serve patients more efficiently, she will also lead and expand our cosmetic services with her unique aesthetic perspective," says Dr. George Escaravage, partner, oculoplastic surgeon, and fellowship instructor at Wilmington Eye.
Dr. Orban is originally from Jupiter, Florida and attended the University of Florida in Gainesville for her Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Nutrition. She received her Medical Degree from the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and went on to complete a one-year transitional year internship at the University of Central Florida and Osceola Regional Medical Center. She completed her ophthalmology residency at Storm Eye Institute in Charleston, South Carolina, where she served as the Chief Resident during her senior year. She then went on to complete her fellowship training in ophthalmic plastic, reconstructive, and orbital surgery with Dr. Alan Oester here at Wilmington Eye. Dr. Orban joins Dr. Alan Oester and Dr. George Escaravage as Wilmington's only fellowship-trained oculoplastic surgeons.
"I look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve our patients as I start my practice at Wilmington Eye. I love the aesthetic side of oculoplastic surgery and applying the latest technologies and products to my practice to offer my patients the best in facial rejuvenation and eye care. My family and I have grown to love the wonderful Wilmington community and this beautiful city that we now call home. I'm excited to meet my new patients and for the opportunity to serve their aesthetic and oculoplastic surgery needs." - Dr. Molly Orban
Dr. Orban is currently accepting new patients at Wilmington Eye's Oculoplastic Center, located at 1025 Medical Center Drive, suite 201. For more details or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Orban, visit wilmingtoneye.com. For questions or media inquiries, please contact [email protected]
There are approximately 672,000 tonnes of HFC-23 credits within the BCT pool, KlimaDAO's community has voted to remove them from the pool to improve the quality of contained credits.
SAN FRANCISCO - September 15, 2022 - (Newswire.com)
KlimaDAO has announced that it has allocated a limited amount of its treasury holdings to remove the HFC-23 credits from the Base Carbon Tonne pool and "burn" them - an act which means that the environmental benefit of these tokenized carbon credits cannot be claimed by any entity or organization. You can view the details here.
HFC-23 carbon credits were phased out from the Verra Registry in January 2014 after they were banned in the compliance markets, with concerns cited around HFC-23 facilities gaming the system to create new carbon credit issuances that could be sold on into the market for a profit.
Two carbon projects had been registered with the Verra Registry prior to the phase-out, with one issuance made from the Yingpeng HFC23 Decomposition Project of 4.5mn credits. A number of these credits remain live on the Verra Registry, meaning their environmental benefit can still be claimed through the retirement of the credits. Data from AlliedOffsets shows that up until 2020, these credits have been retired by a number of entities to claim their environmental benefit.
The initial design of the Base Carbon Tonne pool by the Toucan Protocol allowed a broad range of carbon credits to be deposited in the pool, providing they had a vintage of 2008 and onwards. It wasn't until a number of HFC-23 credits had been deposited into the pool, and concerns were raised about the quality of these credits, that the depositing of HFC-23 credits was blacklisted by Toucan.
Today, KlimaDAO holds over 90% of the Base Carbon Tonne pool within its treasury reserves and its liquidity pools on the SushiSwap platform. The primary function of the credits within the liquidity pools is to enable users of on-chain carbon to acquire tokenized carbon credits and claim their environmental benefit of them efficiently and transparently by retiring them on the blockchain using KlimaDAO's retirement aggregator infrastructure.
To address concerns around the quality of these credits, KlimaDAO utilized its decentralized governance process to host a discussion with its community members on its Forum about the removal of these credits from its ecosystem. A token vote of the community members on the SnapShot platform passed with 83% approval to destroy the credits.
The approximately 672,000 HFC-23 credits in the BCT pool have now been burnt and removed from KlimaDAO's tokenized carbon credit ecosystem.
Drew Bonneau of KlimaDAO said, "Both market commentary and the available data on the HFC-23 credits demonstrate to us that this credit is considered at best low-quality, and at worst valueless. After discussing the issue with our community it is clear to us that removing these tokenized carbon credits from our ecosystem is the desired approach."
Bonneau added, "One of our strengths as a DAO is that we are able to bring in the perspectives of our 70,000-strong community, which includes a number of advisors from across the carbon market - we are grateful for their engagement and encourage continued participation with our DAO's governance processes as we develop our ecosystem in line with market needs."
About KlimaDAO
KlimaDAO is an on-chain scaling solution for the Voluntary Carbon Market. By combining tokenized carbon credits with a blockchain-enabled technology stack, KlimaDAO aims to open up the market to greater transparency and efficiency.
If you are interested in participating in KlimaDAO's governance process, join the Forum. If you are a business looking to offset your carbon footprint, get started here.
WELLINGTON, Fla. - September 15, 2022 - (Newswire.com)
The United States Polo Association; U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the USPA; the National Polo Center - Wellington (NPC) and Valiente Polo Farm are making final preparations to host the XII Federation of International Polo (FIP) World Polo Championship in Florida this October. Welcoming the international contest to the United States for the second time in the competition's history, the tournament will take place from Oct. 29 - Nov. 6. Held every three to four years, the international tournament was originally scheduled for 2021 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Representing the top 10- to 14-goal teams from around the world, eight countries will grapple for international polo glory, including Argentina, Australia, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, the United States and Uruguay.
To qualify as one of the eight teams to advance to the FIP World Polo Championship, the road begins with five zone playoffs and includes more than 25 countries vying for the opportunity of a lifetime to represent their nation on an international stage. The defending champions (Argentina in 2017) and host country (United States) automatically qualify, and the remaining six teams have been decided from zone competition. Teams advancing from zone playoffs to the FIP World Polo Championship include Mexico (Zone A - North America and Central America), Uruguay (Zone B - South America), Spain and Italy (Zone C - Europe), Australia (Zone D - Asia and Oceania) and Pakistan (Zone E - Africa, Pakistan and India).
The strengths of the United States lie in both high-quality horses and a prime location featuring world-class fields and facilities. Home to the GAUNTLET OF POLO®, NPC is the ideal venue for the event, attracting South Florida's passionate polo and equestrian community. Featuring top-rated polo fields, VIP experiences for both fans and players, and unrivaled corporate hospitality, the XII FIP World Polo Championship promises to be an exceptional and unforgettable global event for players, sponsors and spectators. Preliminary games will be held at Valiente Polo Farm and the opening ceremony, semifinals and final will take place at NPC. Ticketed NPC events will include the Opening Ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 29, and the XII FIP World Polo Championship Final on Sunday, Nov. 6. Tickets will become available mid-September at nationalpolocenter.com. The 2022 tournament will draw the eyes of the global polo community to the winter equestrian capital of the world with the FIP World Polo Championship semifinals and final broadcast on ESPN for the first time. All games will also be available for free on GlobalPolo.com.
XII FIP World Polo Championship Tournament Schedule:
*Denotes a ticketed event.
Saturday, Oct. 29
Game 1 Valiente Polo Farm Game 2 Valiente Polo Farm Game 3 NPC Game 4 & Opening Ceremony: USA Team vs. TBD NPC, U.S. Polo Assn. Field One*
Monday, Oct. 31
Game 5 Valiente Polo Farm Game 6 Valiente Polo Farm Game 7 Valiente Polo Farm Game 8 Valiente Polo Farm
Wednesday, Nov. 2
Game 9 Valiente Polo Farm Game 10 Valiente Polo Farm Game 11 Valiente Polo Farm Game 12 Valiente Polo Farm
Friday, Nov. 4
1:00 p.m. ET - Semifinal 1 NPC 3:00 p.m. ET - Semifinal 2 NPC
Sunday, Nov. 6
1:00 p.m. ET - Third Place Match NPC 3:00 p.m. ET - XII FIP World Polo Championship Final NPC, U.S. Polo Assn. Field One*
"We are putting in a lot of resources to make this a world-class event," shared FIP United States Ambassador and USPA President Tony Coppola. "No stone has been left unturned. The string of horses we are going to provide will be great, and the facilities will be fantastic and at their prime. The USPA's goal is to make this a world-class tournament and showcase what we have now that we own NPC."
A defining feature of the XII FIP World Polo Championship is the 176 exceptional horses representing some of the best bloodlines in the world from sole horse provider J5 Equestrian. USPA Executive Director of Services Carlucho Arellano noted the importance of having such high-quality horses for a competition of this caliber, sharing, "Providing good horses is one of the three key ingredients to quality polo, along with great fields and solid management."
Further detailing how the horses will be preparing for intense competition, he continued, "The horses are currently in several different locations and have been played during the summer in California and Colorado. They will get some rest time and then come to Wellington a month in advance of the Championship for the legging-up process. The final two weeks of that process will consist of practices that increase in intensity. The teams all arrive by Oct. 26, and they will get to ride their string once and play them in one practice before their first game on Oct. 29."
Leading up to the tournament, the horses will also be evaluated and ranked in October by FIP horse master Adam Snow. Snow is a former 10-goaler and Hall of Famer. His experience both in the saddle and in the barn will make him an invaluable asset throughout the event. Snow will rank horses based on their ability and then place them into evenly-matched strings. Each team will be assigned a group of 22 horses, and teams will draw to select their pooled polo ponies in person on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
In 1982, to broaden the scope of international polo and restore the sport's Olympic status, Marcos Uranga created the Federation of International Polo, officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Five years later, Uranga and American polo player Glen Holden organized the inaugural FIP World Polo Championship in Argentina. Aware of the challenges of fielding high-goal teams worldwide, FIP organizers decided to limit the competition to teams rated 10 to 14 goals.
Capturing the title in Germany in 1989, the United States Polo Association has selected the most talented players to represent the USA team. Selected as the coach for the USA team, former 9-goal professional Julio Arellano was on the winning team in 1989 and is humbled at the opportunity to lead the United States for a FIP title on home soil.
Ranging in age from 17 to 25, the eight American players vying for a spot on the starting roster include Nico Diaz Alberdi, Agustin Arellano, Hope Arellano, Joaquin Avendaño, Lucas Escobar, Nico Escobar, Jake Klentner and Kristos "Keko" Magrini. Of this extremely accomplished roster, Hope Arellano stands out, as she is the first woman to ever be considered for the American team. Players will train together in weekly practice games and stick-and-ball sessions for a month in Argentina beginning in September to determine the team's final lineup. Once the U.S. team returns home, they will begin practicing in Wellington, Florida, and exercising and preparing J5 Equestrian horses for competition leading up to the championship.
Outfitting the teams with official performance jerseys and equipment as the Official Apparel Partner and Presenting Sponsor, U.S. Polo Assn. is proud to join forces once again with the FIP World Polo Championship to promote the brand during the pinnacle of international polo competition. "This is truly a global event that will resonate with our consumers and sports fans around the world, across 190 countries. We are also excited our partners at ESPN will broadcast the opening ceremony featuring the USA team," said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing.
The United States Polo Association was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts. Founded in 1890, the USPA is the national governing body for the sport of polo. The USPA is currently comprised of almost 300 member clubs with thousands of individual members, and oversees 40 national tournaments. For more information, please visit uspolo.org.
About U.S. Polo Assn. and USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL)
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States and one of the oldest sports governing bodies, having been founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through some 1,200 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores and thousands of department stores as well as sporting goods channels, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women, and children, as well as accessories and footwear in 190 countries worldwide. Today, U.S. Polo Assn. is ranked the 28th largest licensor in the world and within the top five sports licensors, according to License Global's 2022 list of "Top Global Licensors." Visit uspoloassnglobal.com.
USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL) is the for-profit subsidiary of the USPA and its exclusive worldwide licensor. USPAGL manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand and is the steward of the USPA's intellectual properties, providing the sport with a long-term source of revenue. Through its subsidiary, Global Polo Entertainment (GPE), USPAGL also manages Global Polo TV, the world's leading digital platform with polo and lifestyle content. In addition, USPAGL partners with ESPN and beIN Sports globally to share the sport of polo broadcasts on television and on-demand to millions of viewers around the world. For more polo content visit globalpolo.com.
About Federation of International Polo (FIP)
The Federation of International Polo (FIP) is the international federation representing the sport of polo, officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee. It was created in 1982 by representatives of eleven national polo associations. FIP's principal aim is to enhance the image and status of the great game of polo internationally.
FIP's mission is to promote the practice of the sport of polo worldwide in order to defend and ensure the spirit of fair play and moral fortitude, with the objective of forming the sporting attitude of gentlemanly behavior during and after the game, on the playing fields and wherever polo players should meet, so as to form one great world polo family. FIP currently has 76 registered member associations representing over 23,000 players. For more information, please visit www.fippolo.com.
About The National Polo Center - Wellington (NPC)
The National Polo Center - Wellington is located in the heart of South Florida's legendary horse country. The perpetual home for polo in America, NPC is owned and managed by the United States Polo Association to showcase the finest the sport has to offer. The Association's premiere event, the GAUNTLET OF POLO, takes place from February to April each winter season showcasing the world's preeminent teams, professional athletes and finest horses which come together for three months to battle head-to-head for the coveted C.V. Whitney Cup, USPA Gold Cup and U.S. Open Polo Championship trophies. Throughout the year, the facilities are also used to showcase USPA Member Clubs and prestigious national tournament competition.
The entrance to the club is via a palm tree-lined drive, that leads past tennis courts to the steps of the magnificent pool and Mallet Grille. The natural Florida terrain is augmented by a large lake, lush tropical landscaping and some of the most carefully manicured polo fields in the world. Spectating from the stadium, private boxes, fieldside tailgates and special hospitality tents, all overlooking the U.S. Polo Assn. Field One is an unparalleled experience. NPC invites you to experience the best polo in the country, taking place at one of the most beautiful venues in the world, the National Polo Center - Wellington
MEDIA CONTACTS
United States Polo Association:
Matt Baran, Director of Communications (561) 373-4954 [email protected]
USPA Global Licensing:
Shannon Stilson, Assistant Vice President of Marketing (561) 227-6994 [email protected]
Northern Virginia Magazine has released its annual "Top Financial Professionals" List for 2022 and once again Centurion Wealth Management Partners Sterling Neblett, Wendy Payne and Mark McKaig find themselves shoulder to shoulder with this elite group of Financial Professionals.
Northern Virginia Magazine selects its honorees via peer survey. This survey rates the top financial professionals in the broker, financial planner, insurance adviser, and tax accountant fields.
Since opening in 2015, Centurion Wealth Management, LLC has experienced tremendous growth while maintaining a stellar reputation within the financial services community. Being honored by Northern Virginia Magazine validates the dedication Centurion has to delivering world-class financial advice to respective clients.
This marks the sixth straight year Centurion's Partners have made this distinct list.
"This is a very proud moment for me and the entire Centurion Wealth Management team. This award is not only a proud achievement, but also a reflection of our hard work and persistent commitment to our client's financial success." - Mark McKaig
Centurion Wealth Management, LLC is a fiduciary wealth management and planning services company offering entrepreneurs, executives, and empowered women comprehensive financial advice. The firm offers investment, tax, estate, and cash flow analysis, retirement planning, risk management, and much more.
When notified she was once again named to this elite list, Wendy Payne added, "I feel humbled to receive this industry recognition and want to thank our wonderful clients for making each day working with them tremendously rewarding."
"It's always special when you are recognized by your peers," Neblett added. "It's an exciting time at Centurion."
Centurion Wealth continues to grow their footprint helping successful families plan for retirement in the greater Washington DC Metro and beyond.
For media inquiries and more information about Centurion, please contact J. Cooper Simmerman, MBA, at [email protected] or directly at (571) 765-2223.
Advisory services offered through Centurion Wealth Management, LLC, a registered investment adviser. Securities offered through Spire Securities, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.
