Tag: critical

Sermo CEO Launches ‘Be Your Possible’ to Raise Funds for Medical Research and Advocate for Those Battling Critical Illness

Organization’s Core Goal: Helping Others Find and Take Steps Toward Their Own Possible

NEW YORK, March 28, 2023–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Peter Kirk, CEO of Sermo, has launched Be Your Possible, a global charitable organization committed to raising funds for medical research and inspiring others to take steps towards their “possible”.

Be Your Possible’s mission to inspire others and fundraise for research was born from Kirk’s own harrowing experience of surviving Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a rare cancer of the blood and bone marrow. After receiving a terminal diagnosis and being intubated in the ICU with double lung pneumonia, Kirk received a blood stem cell transplant that saved his life.

“A 25-year-old man named Sam saved my life when he donated 850 million wonderful stem cells that ultimately made my transplant possible,” Kirk said. “A kind stranger gave me another chance at life, and this wouldn’t have been conceivable without the decades of medical research that went into advancing the transplant process and the work of oncologists around the world. Through Be Your Possible, we’re aiming to expand access to life-saving medical treatments to people on a global scale by funding vital medical research, moving scientific breakthroughs forward, and offering support to those who receive critical diagnoses like mine.”

Peter’s “possible” is running 1,000 half marathons by the 10th anniversary of his transplant to raise $1 million for blood stem cell cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he received his own life-saving transplant. Be Your Possible will also offer opportunities and events to empower not only other patients, but everyone to take steps toward finding their own possible, from exercise to education and personal growth.

Be Your Possible’s flagship event is Run with Peter-Run for Research, a global doctor-led run that takes place annually in June. Inspired by Kirk’s incredible completion of the NYC Marathon five months post-transplant, the inaugural event mobilized thousands of physicians in 77 countries to run or walk with Kirk in support of medical research causes, chosen by physician runners themselves. Founding partner Sermo donated $250,000 to the various causes chosen by physician participants, including the American Heart Association, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where Kirk received his life-saving blood stem cell transplant.

Our core belief is that anything is possible, taking one step at a time TOGETHER. To learn more, visit beyourpossible.com

About Be Your Possible:

Born from Founder and Sermo CEO Peter Kirk’s harrowing experience with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, journey to recovery, and commitment to inspiring others to be their possible, Be Your Possible is a global charitable organization committed to raising awareness and funds for medical research to help others benefit from life-saving treatments, such as Peter’s own blood stem cell transplant.

The organization was founded in 2022 launching its first initiative, Run with Peter-Run for Research, a global movement mobilizing thousands of physicians to run or walk in support of medical research.

Peter’s “possible” is running 1,000 half marathons by the 10th anniversary of his transplant.

We pledge to empower not only other patients, but everyone to take steps toward finding their own possible, from exercise to education and personal growth. Our core belief is that anything is possible, by taking one step at a time, TOGETHER. To learn more, visit beyourpossible.com

About Sermo:

Sermo is the largest global healthcare research company and the most trusted physician engagement platform. Sermo engages with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries and has reach into the U.S. Payer market that now exceeds 230M commercial lives covered.

For over 20 years, Sermo has been turning physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable business insights that benefit pharmaceutical companies, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. Sermo offers on-demand access to physicians via a proprietary health-tech ecosystem to gain targeted HCP insights that inform strategic decisioning in real-time. Visit www.sermo.com/business

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230328005418/en/

Contacts

Media:
Allyson Noonan
AN Communications
allyson.noonan@gmail.com

WHO updates critical medicines list for radiological and nuclear emergencies

The Planet Wellness Corporation (WHO) right now up to date its record of medications that need to be stockpiled for radiological and nuclear emergencies, along with coverage advice for their appropriate administration. These stockpiles incorporate medications that both stop or minimize publicity to radiation, or address accidents the moment exposure has transpired.

“In radiation emergencies, people may well be exposed to radiation at doses ranging from negligible to daily life-threatening. Governments require to make therapies readily available for those in will need – rapid,” stated Dr Maria Neira, WHO Acting Assistant Director-Common a.i, Much healthier Populations Division. “It is critical that governments are geared up to safeguard the wellbeing of populations and respond quickly to emergencies. This incorporates possessing all set supplies of lifesaving medications that will decrease risks and handle injuries from radiation.” 

Essential highlights

  • This publication supersedes the 2007 WHO report on the development of national stockpiles for radiation emergencies. It incorporates up to date information on the stockpile formulary centered on the developments in radiation unexpected emergency medication in the past decade.
  • It supplies policy advice for acquisition of medicines which can protect against or minimize radionuclides uptake or maximize elimination of radionuclides from the human entire body.
  • It appears to be like at the major elements required for establishing, retaining and managing the national stockpiles of specific health care materials which will be demanded for radiological and nuclear emergencies. 
  • The report seems to be at the job of nationwide health authorities in stockpile growth as effectively as the position of WHO. As the primary global corporation in general public health with both the authority and responsibility to support in wellbeing emergencies, WHO delivers tips and guidance to nations around the world on community health preparedness and reaction to radiation emergencies, such as stockpile improvement. In overall health emergencies WHO may well assist in procuring or sharing healthcare materials among the countries.
  • This report features a temporary assessment of picked rising technologies and drug formulations, such as prospective repurposing of solutions previously permitted for other indications.
  • Last but not least, the publication supplies illustrations of tactics in setting up and managing a national stockpile in chosen nations, namely Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and United states.

“This current significant medications checklist will be a crucial preparedness and readiness software for our partners to establish, procure, stockpile and provide effective countermeasures in a well timed manner to all those at danger or exposed in these functions,” said Dr Mike Ryan, Government Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.

Normally, a countrywide stockpile for all-dangers health emergencies would consist of generic supplies and elements utilized for any form of emergencies, these as personalized protecting tools (PPE), trauma kits, fluids, antibiotics and painkillers. This publication features only distinct medication which are known and licensed nowadays to prevent or handle human more than-publicity to radiation.

Radiological and nuclear emergencies could end result in publicity to radiation doses significant sufficient to guide to intense health and fitness outcomes or even dying. It is therefore extremely crucial that governments respond quickly to this kind of threats. Many international locations, on the other hand, continue to lack the important factors of preparedness for radiation emergencies, in accordance to yearly reporting to the WHO Secretariat.

Likely situations considered in the publication involve radiological or nuclear emergencies at nuclear electricity vegetation, health care or study facilities, or accidents in the course of transport of radioactive components, as nicely as intentional employs of radioactive components with malicious intent.

Parts of a pharmaceutical stockpile for radiation emergencies

This publication focuses on pharmaceuticals for dealing with radiation exposure and addresses the governance and management of this sort of a stockpile. A common radiation emergency stockpile will involve the subsequent medicines:

  • Steady iodine, administered to avert or cut down the publicity of the thyroid to radioactive iodine
  • Chelating sand decorporating agents (Prussian blue, used to take out radioactive caesium from the overall body and calcium- / zinc-DTPA used to deal with inner contamination with transuranium radionuclides)
  • Cytokines utilised for mitigation of harm to the bone marrow, in situation of acute radiation syndrome (ARS) and
  • Other medications employed to take care of vomiting, diarrhoea and bacterial infections.

Rising remedies and countermeasures also reviewed in the report give perception to the foreseeable future clinical countermeasures that could be made use of for managing patients overexposed to radiation. In distinct, reports pinpointing new cellular and molecular pathways and signifies of administrating drugs could be exploited for novel remedies and new goods for use all through a radiation emergency.

Unexpected emergency preparedness, reaction and restoration will save lives

Coordination of regional, nationwide and international responses is vital for a harmonized reaction to radiation emergencies. As the company responsible for guiding healthcare interventions globally, WHO offers information and assures obtain to medications and wellbeing products and services for nations around the world that are developing countrywide capacity for preparedness and reaction to radiation emergencies. 

Extra facts

WHO’s worldwide pro community, REMPAN

WHO’s world wide specialist network, REMPAN (Radiation Unexpected emergency Professional medical Preparedness and Aid Community), is an crucial asset of the Group for implementing its perform on giving technological direction and tools for response, delivering activities for setting up potential via training and training, and on marketing international cooperation and details-sharing involving the associates of the network and the specialist neighborhood in the industry of radiation emergency medication.

WHO is a member of ICARNE, the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiological and Nuclear Emergencies, which supplies the coordination mechanism in between 20 intercontinental organizations with appropriate mandates. Customers of IACRNE develop, preserve and co-sponsor the Joint Radiation Unexpected emergency Management Program of the Global Businesses (JPlan 2017). The JPlan describes a common knowing of just about every organization’s roles in earning preparedness arrangements and through a reaction and recovery.

Palo Alto Networks Announces Medical IoT Security to Protect Connected Devices Critical to Patient Care

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — As healthcare providers use digital devices such as diagnostic and monitoring systems, ambulance equipment, and surgical robots to improve patient care, the security of those devices is as important as their primary function. Today, Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW) announced Medical IoT Security — the most comprehensive Zero Trust security solution for medical devices — enabling healthcare organizations to deploy and manage new connected technologies quickly and securely. Zero Trust is a strategic approach to cybersecurity that secures an organization by eliminating implicit trust by continuously verifying every user and device.

“The proliferation of connected medical devices in the healthcare industry brings a wealth of benefits, but these devices are often not well secured. For example, according to Unit 42, an alarming 75{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of smart infusion pumps examined on the networks of hospitals and healthcare organizations had known security gaps,” said Anand Oswal, senior vice president of products, network security at Palo Alto Networks. “This makes security devices an attractive target for cyberattackers, potentially exposing patient data and ultimately putting patients at risk.”

While a Zero Trust approach is critical to help protect medical devices against today’s innovative cyberthreats, it can be hard to implement in practice. Through automated device discovery, contextual segmentation, least privilege policy recommendations and one-click enforcement of policies, Palo Alto Networks Medical IoT Security delivers a Zero Trust approach in a seamless, simplified manner. Medical IoT Security also provides best-in-class threat protection through seamless integration with Palo Alto Networks cloud-delivered security services, such as Advanced Threat Prevention and Advanced URL Filtering.

The new Palo Alto Networks Medical IoT Security uses machine learning (ML) to enable healthcare organizations to:

  • Create device rules with automated security responses: Easily create rules that monitor devices for behavioral anomalies and automatically trigger appropriate responses. For example, if a medical device that typically only sends small amounts of data unexpectedly begins to use a lot of bandwidth, the device can be cut off from the internet and security teams can be alerted.
  • Automate Zero Trust policy recommendations and enforcement: Enforce recommended least-privileged access policies for medical devices with one click using Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls or supported network enforcement technologies. This eliminates error-prone and time-consuming manual policy creation and scales easily across a set of devices with the same profile.
  • Understand device vulnerabilities and risk posture: Access each medical device’s Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) and map them to Common Vulnerability Exposures (CVEs). This mapping helps identify the software libraries used on medical devices and any associated vulnerabilities. Get immediate insights into the risk posture of each device, including end-of-life status, recall notification, default password alert and unauthorized external website communication.
  • Improve compliance: Easily understand medical device vulnerabilities, patch status and security settings, and then get recommendations to bring devices into compliance with rules and guidelines, such as the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and similar laws and regulations.
  • Verify network segmentation: Visualize the entire map of connected devices and ensure each device is placed in its designated network segment. Proper network segmentation can ensure a device only communicates with authorized systems.
  • Simplify operations: Two distinct dashboards allow IT and biomedical engineering teams to each see the information critical to their roles. Integration with existing healthcare information management systems, like AIMS and Epic Systems, helps automate workflows.

Healthcare organizations are using Palo Alto Networks products to secure the devices that deliver cutting-edge care to millions of patients all over the world.

“Establishing and maintaining acute situational awareness of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) environment is paramount to establishing an effective enterprise cybersecurity program. The ability to accurately detect, identify and respond to cyber threats is critical to ensuring minimal operational impact to clinical operations during a cyber event,” said Tony Lakin, CISO, Moffitt Cancer Center. “Palo Alto Networks IoT capability seamlessly integrates with our continuous monitoring processes and threat-hunting operations. The platform consistently provides my teams with actionable information to allow them to proactively manage the threat surface of our medical device portfolio.”

“With thousands of devices to manage, healthcare environments are extremely complex and require intelligent security solutions capable of doing more. Palo Alto Networks understands this requirement and is leveraging machine learning (ML) for Medical IoT security. Adding intelligence will enable providers to improve operational efficiency, which will enhance patient and practitioner experience and alleviate the burden of an ongoing IT skills shortage,” said Bob Laliberte, principal analyst, ESG.

“Healthcare providers continue to be high-value targets for attackers. This reality, combined with the diversity of medical IoT devices and their inherent vulnerabilities, points to a real need for device security that is purpose-built for healthcare use cases. The ability to defend against threats targeting critical care devices while maintaining operational availability and strengthening the alignment of device governance responsibilities between IT and Biomed engineering teams is quickly becoming a necessity for the protection of patient data and lives,” said Ed Lee, research director, IoT and Intelligent Edge Security, IDC.

More Information

  • Learn more about Medical IoT Security here.
  • Read the Medical IoT Security announcement blog here.
  • Register to attend the Palo Alto Networks Ignite Conference on December 12th – 15th, 2022, here.
  • Follow Palo Alto Networks on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Availability

Medical IoT Security will be available in January 2023.

About Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks is the world’s cybersecurity leader. We innovate to outpace cyberthreats, so organizations can embrace technology with confidence. We provide next-gen cybersecurity to thousands of customers globally, across all sectors. Our best-in-class cybersecurity platforms and services are backed by industry-leading threat intelligence and strengthened by state-of-the-art automation. Whether deploying our products to enable the Zero Trust Enterprise, responding to a security incident, or partnering to deliver better security outcomes through a world-class partner ecosystem, we’re committed to helping ensure each day is safer than the one before. It’s what makes us the cybersecurity partner of choice.

At Palo Alto Networks, we’re committed to bringing together the very best people in service of our mission, so we’re also proud to be the cybersecurity workplace of choice, recognized among Newsweek’s Most Loved Workplaces (2021), Comparably Best Companies for Diversity (2021), and HRC Best Places for LGBTQ Equality (2022). For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.

Palo Alto Networks and the Palo Alto Networks logo are registered trademarks of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. in the United States and in jurisdictions throughout the world. All other trademarks, trade names, or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. Any unreleased services or features (and any services or features not generally available to customers) referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available (or are not yet generally available to customers) and may not be delivered when expected or at all. Customers who purchase Palo Alto Networks applications should make their purchase decisions based on services and features currently generally available.

SOURCE Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

Public health experts are losing their jobs at a critical time



KHN
 — 

As covid-19 raged, roughly 4,000 highly skilled epidemiologists, interaction experts, and community overall health nurses have been hired by a nonprofit tied to the Centers for Sickness Manage and Prevention to plug the holes at battered general public overall health departments on the front traces.

But around the previous couple months, the the greater part of the CDC Foundation’s contracts for individuals general public wellbeing workers at regional and state departments have ended as the team has spent practically all of its just about $289 million in covid reduction funding. The CDC Basis, an impartial nonprofit that supports the CDC’s perform, anticipates that no extra than about 800 of its 4,000 hires will ultimately personnel these jurisdictions, spokesperson Pierce Nelson said.

That has left several neighborhood and state health and fitness departments going through staffing shortages as the nation eyes a doable winter uptick in covid situations and grapples with the ongoing risk of monkeypox, exploding caseloads of sexually transmitted infections, and other general public health and fitness issues.

The public well being workforce in the U.S. has been underfunded for a long time — just prior to the begin of the pandemic, only 28{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of community well being departments experienced an epidemiologist or statistician, a 2020 Related Push-KHN investigation identified. Then, immediately after the pandemic commenced, general public overall health officers left in droves as they had been lambasted for instituting covid principles, blamed for the financial downturn, and grappled with burnout.

And even if funding had been out there to retain all 4,000 basis workforce, that would not have fulfilled community well being staffing desires, in accordance to new research in the Journal of Public Overall health Management and Exercise. The study says at least 80,000 new staff are demanded for condition and neighborhood community wellbeing departments to put into action the minimum amount deal of public wellness services.

Having said that, the funding for the basis careers was constantly time-minimal due to the fact it was supposed to assistance the emergency reaction to covid. And while the American public’s covid worries have waned, public wellness specialists alert this is yet an additional example of the failure to adequately fund the general public health sector with once-a-year, guaranteed cash — leaving the region not able to protect against and effectively combat outbreaks.

“So the increase-and-the-bust cycle proceeds irrespective of dropping a million American lives to covid,” reported Brian Castrucci, who co-authored the report and heads the de Beaumont Basis, which advocates for raising assist for the nation’s community overall health. “How quite a few American deaths is it heading to get right up until we take care of this challenge?”

As opposed to the hundreds of inexperienced call tracers hired to abide by up with covid people to stem the unfold amid the surge, this CDC Foundation workforce ordinarily experienced community well being know-how that also could fill preexisting gaps. The foundation’s head, Dr. Judy Monroe, said local and state officials loved the foundation’s potential to lower as a result of selecting pink tape, telling her “it was like the cavalry showed up.”

In Chicago, CDC Basis staff members made up about as a great deal as a tenth of the city’s general public wellbeing workforce, stated Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the city’s community wellbeing department. Despite the fact that she acquired 26 of people 66 workers extended into December, she claimed it’ll hurt to get rid of the rest. They’ve contributed to everything from general public health nursing to communicating the newest direction about the pandemic to Chicagoans.

Cayenne Levorse, a CDC Basis chief who served organize the foundation’s response in Ohio until eventually her deal finished in October, said her 20 workforce experienced to established down not only covid tasks but also helping community well being departments monitor most cancers clusters, rural overall health disparities, and environmental overall health difficulties.

“Those jobs are just sitting there, all that work still left unfinished,” she explained.

Five persons hired for CDC Foundation covid contracts informed KHN they were underneath the perception their contracts would most likely be extended or they would be hired by nearby or state governments acquiring a flood of covid pounds. Only one particular of them had a agreement as of Nov. 8.

Senior epidemiologist Katie Schenk, who has a doctorate in general public wellness, did covid surveillance for the CDC Basis at the Illinois and Washington, D.C., overall health departments. Both contracts ran out, and she was still left without having a work this summer season.

“How do you demonstrate that there is no funding for work in our area when there is clearly so a great deal operate to be completed?” she asked. “It’s to the detriment of the general public wellbeing procedure, which is shedding employees like there’s no tomorrow.”

Someday in November, condition and neighborhood health and fitness officers are anticipating $3 billion in covid reduction dollars qualified at buttressing the community wellbeing workforce. But that funding is coming after most of the CDC Basis contracts have expired and individuals staff have moved on with their lives.

Even though that sum is considerable and will assistance near the 80,000-employee hole, a lot of general public well being officials and industry experts pressured that the money is brief-term and slated to final 5 a long time — which can make positions more durable to fill as candidates seek out job steadiness. It also is divided among the 50 states, U.S. territories, and various large health and fitness departments. And some point out and area officials, this kind of as people in Missouri and Michigan, have refused to shell out covid dollars on community health departments amid the backlash versus the pandemic reaction.

Condition and neighborhood governments often have caps on using the services of complete-time staff members even if federal income is obtainable to do so, Monroe reported. Some localities have shell out freezes or are not willing to invest extra on health officers than on other governing administration employees, producing remarkably competent personnel these as epidemiologists more durable to use, she mentioned. And the CDC Basis salaries and advantages were being occasionally better than what is accessible at community and point out-stage work opportunities, Monroe explained. A lot of of the foundation workers could experience a shell out slash if they preferred to remain on with the community departments.

“You certainly do not go into general public wellbeing to get prosperous,” explained epidemiologist Susan Knoll, who took a personal-sector task as a overall health advisor just after doing work for the CDC Foundation in Ohio. “You get a grant-funded career. And then you’re always on the lookout for a different career.”

Which is “the actuality of how we fund general public health and fitness in this nation,” reported Chrissie Juliano, govt director of the Significant Cities Health Coalition.

“We ramp up, and we ramp down, and we do not consider about routine perform,” she said. “We ought to not as a subject be losing experienced folks who are committed to functioning in public health and fitness. All those are the persons who require to be saved.”

At the very least 38,000 public wellness careers at the point out and community degree ended up misplaced from the 2008 recession via 2019. Then covid strike, and 1 in 5 Us residents misplaced a area general public wellbeing leader amid the political backlash of the initially many years of the pandemic, a 2021 AP-KHN investigation located.

Some of the remaining workforce is eyeing the doorway. The director of North Carolina’s Granville Vance Public Well being office, Lisa Macon Harrison, claimed that even following instituting adaptable advantages, she’s viewing 15{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} to 20{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} turnover, which she blames on burnout.

Levorse noted that epidemiologists and other staffers with state-of-the-art levels have student loans to pay back off and worry about getting rid of well being insurance plan every time a grant operates out.

The deficiency of a constant resource of funds from yr to yr is jeopardizing health and fitness division systems, Chicago’s Arwady mentioned. She estimates the town will get rid of 86{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} of its latest grant funding in two years, placing wastewater monitoring, some of her department’s IT personnel, and community-primarily based outreach on the attainable chopping block.

“We’re not heading to be in a position to do fifty percent a dozen factors that the city of Chicago clearly expects we need to be ready to do. Forget about ‘Can I bring vaccine to your residence?’ It is ‘Can I even stand up, like, a vaccine clinic in your neighborhood?’” she stated. “It’s that degree of how much backwards I’m worried we’re likely to slide.”

Harrison stated she’s seen this all in advance of: A flood of funding for pandemic preparedness came following 9/11, and then the income for staffing went away, leaving departments flat-footed for covid.

Castrucci, of the de Beaumont Basis, rued how the recent funding composition guarantees that the community health sector, which exists to avoid outbreaks and disease, will not be presented the staff to do so right until an crisis arrives.

“You’re mainly indicating, ‘We will wait around for the fireplace to burn right up until we employ the firefighters,’” he mentioned.