Health Care

Dying in the Land of Enchantment: A Doctor’s Journey with Dr. Gordon Giddings

Dr. Gordon Giddings' book, "Dying in the Land of Enchantment: A Doctor’s Journey", details his journey into the field of palliative medicine and his personal and professional development in the fields of Narrative Medicine and Dignity Therapy joins eHealth Radio and the Health Care News Channel.
Listen to interview [audio player below] with host Eric Michaels & guest Dr. Gordon Giddings discuss the following:
Why did you choose to enter palliative medicine, as opposed to other fields?
How would you define “palliative care?” What does it mean to you?
What led you to want to participate in the Upaya program? What was most valuable about experience there?
How have your experiences as a palliative doctor changed your views on death and dying?
What is most important lesson/advice you can impart to families and patients facing end-of-life decisions?


Giddings attended the European School of Haematology where he completed a Blood
 & Marrow Transplantation Training Program and most recently completed 
a Palliative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Ottawa. 

He is the Program Director of the Palliative Medicine Residency
 Program at the University of Western Ontario, Windsor Campus, as well
 as the Lead Palliative Physician for Cancer Care Ontario, Erie St.
 Clair. He is also a noted author and essayist, whose pieces have 
appeared in international journals, most recently, Supportive Care in
 Cancer.
He loves to travel, and when not at work can be found either
 on an airplane or in an airport.

Related Web Site: http://gordongiddings.wordpress.com
Note: The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the show host or it's owners.

Keeping Healthcare Secure in an Insecure World with Rick Janezic

Richard Janezic joins the show to talk about keeping healthcare secure in an insecure world. During his 30 year career, Richard has worked with and for companies from startup stage to some of the most respected Fortune 500 enterprises in senior leadership positions in general management, sales and technology.
Listen to interview [audio player below] with host Eric Michaels & guest Richard Janezic discuss the following:
Data breaches appear to be in the news every week. What's the problem?
Are hackers behind these thefts and breaches. Why do they hack, and what are they after?
How would a health care organization know if they have been or are being hacked?
What steps and actions can companies be doing to protect themselves?
That sounds expensive. How much does this stuff cost?
What about consumers? How can consumers protect themselves?


Richard Janezic writes on his professional interests, which focuses on recognizing and responding to changing conditions in the business world in ways that help teams, project and organizations to win, succeed, and become more innovative and competitive. The mechanics that we use to organize and adapt to those new situations include subjects such as change mangement, innovation, strategy, business, technology and finance. Our desired results and ultimate goals from using these mechanics are things like winning new clients, competing more effectively, successfully launching succesful new products (and the two are different), turnarounds (as well as how to avoid having to do them), transformations, renewal and improving business competitiveness again, at the team, project and organizational level.
Richard has found that his professional, personal and educational experiences and interests gives him a unique perspective on these matters, as his work has included a broad range of clients, industries, businesses, people and situations.
His industry experience is broad. It includes health and life sciences (big pharma, healthcare, discovery research, public health), manufacturing (discrete and process), technology (hardware, software, services, telecom, IT, security), financial services (banking, insurance, brokerage), energy, business services and public sector.
He has worked for and with organizations ranging from startup and early stage (including my own), up to and including Fortune®500 global firms. Each stage has distinct sets of both advantages and disadvantages, and successfully graduating from one stage to the next contains both peril and opportunity.
He began his career as an engineer doing what he thought that he truly wanted to do forever: solving problems and creating new solutions that were better and faster solutions. He soon realized that he needed to broaden and add to his perspectives, as what he designed and created would also need to be justified, financed, marketed, distributed, integrated, supported and improved, and that all of those actions would be realized by the actions of and with other people. He extended his studies into business, finance, marketing, software and leadership, and those studies continue to this day.
What he finds interesting is that he's still doing what he likes best: solving problems and creating new solutions that are not better and faster, but they are also more economical in time, cost and risk. What has also changed over the years is his deeper awareness of the complexities and intracacies of how people think and act, and how they respond to changing circumstances.
Each new day, each new client, each new problem, each new person, and each new situation brings the opportunity and challenge to learn from, draw from, and find new and better ways in which to help clients successfully recognize and respond to changing circumstances to help them improve their competitiveness.
He hopes that the ideas that he shares would bring value and insight to your endeavors as well. If and as he can help you in your growth, change, improvement and leadership challenges, he welcomes hearing from you.
Links: rickjanezic.com

Independa Closes Convertible Note Funding at $2.35 Million

Independa Closes Convertible Note Funding at $2.35 Million
with Kian Saneii
Kian Saneii, a veteran technology entrepreneur, founded Independa to develop easy, integrated technology solutions to help our growing elderly population age in place and joins the show to talk about Independa's recent funding news.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Kian Saneii discuss the following:
Congratulations on securing additional investments. How much new funding did Independa raise, and what does that bring total investments to?
Who supported the new funding round?
What makes Independa attractive to investors?  Can you give us a recap of recent milestones?
How will Independa use the new investment?
How is Independa leveraging emerging trends in wireless healthcare?
Do you have a closing tip for other startups that offer telehealth or telecare?


About Independa, Inc.
Independa offers integrated technology-enabled independent-living solutions for the elderly. Independa’s best-of-breed Integrated CloudCare services enable organizations and individuals to cost-effectively help the elderly to remain independent longer, safer and more comfortably. The company, which has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, provides holistic solutions that seamlessly operate across otherwise not connected devices, such as telephones, tablets, touchscreen computers and TVs. Services include medication and appointment reminders, support for activities of daily living, comprehensive social engagement benefits, and wireless health and safety monitoring.

Links:
Web: http://www.independa.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/independa
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Independa

Major benefits of weight loss surgery with Dr. Scott Cunneen

Major benefits of weight loss surgery with Dr. Scott Cunneen
Dr. Scott Cunneen, the director of bariatric surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and author of the new book called WEIGHTY ISSUES: Getting the Skinny on Weight Loss Surgery joins the show.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Dr. Scott Cunneen discuss the following:
Weight loss surgery seems to be getting a bad rap these days. Why is that?
How risky is the surgery, really?
Isn’t having weight loss surgery taking the easy way out?
What are the major benefits of weight loss surgery?
What prompted you to write this book?
What do you want readers to walk away with after reading this book?


Scott A. Cunneen, MD, FACS, is Director of Bariatric Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame, a master's degree in physiology from Georgetown University and a master's degree in human nutrition from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He earned his medical degree from Georgetown University, where he was awarded membership in the medical honor society Alpha Omega Alpha. A Fellow of the American Society of Metabolic & Bariatric Surgeons, Dr. Cunneen is often called upon to teach laparascopic procedures throughout the US and abroad.

Links:www.weightyissuesbook.com

Signs that it's time to consider assisted living for a loved one with Erwin Allado

Signs that it's time to consider assisted living for a loved one
with Erwin Allado
Erwin Allado, co-founder of SeniorCareHomes.com joins the show.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Erwin Allado discuss the following:
What are some signs that it's time to consider assisted living for a loved one?
Making the decision to put a loved in into the care of another can be a difficult process. How do you recommend that families who are considering this cope with the stress and anxiety of this transition?
What are some key things to consider and look out for when shopping for the appropriate facility for a loved one?
What is SeniorCareHomes.com, and what exactly can one expect to find when browsing your site?
How does the Care Home Search program work and assist with placement?


Erwin T. Allado - CEO and Co-Founder of SeniorCareHomes.com
Erwin has been a corporate executive and entrepreneur with a proven track record building Internet companies and growing customer-service and product-related corporations. It all began in college when Erwin was Founding Father of a community service-based fraternity where he was elected the 1st Chapter President. After college, Erwin joined PeopleSupport, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSPT), a California-based leading provider of customer care and business process outsourcing (BPO). He was promoted to Operations Supervisor after 3 weeks on the job and was later sent overseas to build-out PeopleSupport's global operation.
At the age of 21, Erwin was the Department Head of Customer Service Operations and played an intricate role in growing the center from approximately 20 to 400 employees. Now the company is in 38 global locations with 38,000 employees.  One of the primary responsibilities included transitioning over 20 U.S. accounts (leading Fortune 500 Companies such as GE Capital, Expedia, Nokia, Network Solutions/VeriSign, EarthLink) to the Asia center and supporting its growth in becoming profitable in the 1st year of operation.
After his tenure at PeopleSupport, Erwin consulted directly for the CEO of Linksys (NASDAQ: CSCO) and was key in the build out of their customer care center in Asia. Erwin then returned to California where he switched careers in search of challenging himself and learning a completely different side of business. Erwin joined Beverly Hills Financial Group, a premier brokerage firm providing financing for major entertainment and sport celebrities. As Vice President, Erwin built his business from the ground up and achieved numerous accolades such as "Highest Gross Sales Revenue since 2000," "Top Sales Producer" and "Hardest Worker" awards all in the same year.
Born in Southern California, Erwin holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management Information Systems (MIS) from Loyola Marymount University. Erwin is married and is a proud father of 2 wonderful children. He volunteers his spare time to the Alzheimer's Association, Knighs of Columbus and is on the committees for UCI MIND, Holy Trinity Catholic Church and now Serra Catholic's Miracle Blossoms.
Erwin has always had a deep respect for elders and a devotion to always take care of them in appreciation of how they raised him. SeniorCareHomes.com is a perfect fit for Erwin as he brings forth his experience and passion to give back to the community including the less fortunate.

Links: SeniorCareHomes.com

Transforming how healthcare is delivered with Odyssey Solutions

Transforming how healthcare is delivered with Odyssey Solutions
and Jeff Garibaldi
Jeff Garibaldi, Sr. Director, Global Marketing / Product Strategy and Business Development for Odyssey solutions at Stereotaxis, Inc. joins the show on the Tele-Health & Technology Channel.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Jeff Garibaldi discuss the following:
Tell our listeners a little about yourself & your background.
Please explain what your company does.
Please explain the Odyssey platform.
Could you break down What are the benefits Odyssey?
How are health professionals using latest technology to care for patients effectively?
How is Odyssey related to Tele-health?


Stereotaxis’ Odyssey™ portfolio of products provides an innovative enterprise solution for integrating, recording and networking interventional lab information within hospitals and around the world. Odyssey™ Vision integrates data for magnetic and standard interventional labs, enhancing the physician workflow through a consolidated display of multiple systems and eliminating the challenge of interacting simultaneously with many separate diagnostic systems. The Odyssey Cinema™ Studio then captures a complete record of synchronized procedure data that can be viewed live or from a comprehensive archive of cases performed. The Odyssey™ solution then enables hospitals to efficiently share live and recorded clinical data anywhere around the world to attract patients and promote collaboration.

In addition, Stereotaxis also designs, manufactures and markets an advanced cardiology instrument control system for use in a hospital's interventional surgical suite to enhance the treatment of coronary artery disease and arrhythmias. The Niobe® Remote Magnetic Navigation System is designed to enable physicians to complete more complex interventional procedures by providing image guided delivery of catheters and guidewires through the blood vessels and chambers of the heart to treatment sites. This is achieved using computer-controlled, externally applied magnetic fields that govern the motion of the working tip of the catheter or guidewire, resulting in improved navigation and reduced x-ray exposure. For more information on the Stereotaxis Remote Magnetic Navigation, please click here
The core components of the Stereotaxis systems have received regulatory clearance in the U.S., Europe, Canada and elsewhere.

Links: odysseyexperience.com & stereotaxis.com

The importance of the role of a nurse anesthetist with Cathy Ann Harrison

The importance of the role of a nurse anesthetist
with Cathy Ann Harrison
Cathy Ann Harrison, a respected Certified Registered Nurse licensed in Virginia, educator, business owner, a decorated Reserve Navy Officer with the United States Navy Reserve and the president of the Virginia Association of Nurse Anesthetists joins the show.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Cathy Ann Harrison discuss the following:
What is a nurse anesthetist and how do they differ from physician anesthesiologist?
What is the education and experience requirement for becoming a nurse anesthetist and how does that differ from a physician anesthesiologist?
What is the importance of the role of a nurse anesthetist?
What do nurse anesthetists bring to the table in shaping the future of healthcare?
What do you personally believe should be a path toward better healthcare and lower costs?


Cathy Ann Harrison is a respected Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) licensed in Virginia, a decorated Navy Officer with the United States Navy (Reserve Component), an educator, entrepreneur and the president of the Virginia Association of Nurse Anesthetists.
As a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist with an office-based anesthesia practice, LCH Anesthesia Services, LLC in Richmond, Virginia, Cathy Harrison, CRNA, MSN, has provided quality anesthesia care to thousands of Virginians for over 33 years.
As a United States Navy Officer, Captain Harrison has served with honor and distinction in the Navy (Reserve Component) for 21 years. She was recently appointed as the Commanding Officer of Operational Health Support Unit, Bethesda, supporting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center—the first and only CRNA in the Navy (Reserve Component) to receive the honor of serving as a Commanding Officer for an operational health support unit. In this position, she oversees the more than 600 military physicians, dentists, nurses and medical service corps officers and corpsmen who provide health care to wounded military personnel, active duty and reserve component military members and their dependents, as well as retirees in a Joint Military Medical Command.
Captain Harrison served as a respected and valued resource to the Navy Reserve during three separate mobilizations, including Operation Desert Storm in 1990, Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, and Operation Enduring Freedom in 2007. In recognition of her commitment and outstanding service to the military, she was awarded Navy Commendation medals in 2003 and 2008.
In recognition for outstanding meritorious service to the United States, Captain Harrison was bestowed the Army’s Meritorious Service medal in 2008 for her service to Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, and Coalition servicemen and women at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. In 2011, in recognition for her outstanding meritorious service to the United States, Captain Harrison was bestowed with the Navy’s Meritorious Service medal for her exemplary work as Executive Officer of the Operational Health Support Unit, Camp Lejeune, NC.
In addition to her other duties, Harrison is the president of the Virginia Association of Nurse Anesthetists (VANA) which represents over 1200 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and student registered nurse anesthetists in Virginia.
Harrison holds a BA degree in Health Care Administration from Graceland University (Iowa) and a Master’s degree in Nursing from Phoenix University. She received a diploma in nursing from Mercy School of Nursing, Charlotte, NC; and a diploma in Nurse Anesthesia from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a faculty member at Bryant and Stratton College where she teaches nursing students in the associate degree program.
Harrison‘s husband and son reside in Midlothian, Virginia.

Links: www.vana.org & www.aana.com

Leading causes of hospital readmissions with Lily Sarafan

Leading causes of hospital readmissions
with Lily Sarafan
Lily Sarafan is the co-author of three books on aging and healthy longevity and President of Home Care Assistance joins the show.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Lily Sarafan discuss the following:
What is one of the leading causes of hospital readmissions or slow post-hospitalization recovery?
How does in-home care help reduce avoidable hospital readmissions?
What are a few helpful tips for families planning for a hospital discharge?
What is the difference between a skilled nursing facility and in-home care? Which is the more effective option for post-hospitalization care and recovery?
I noticed that Home Care Assistance has an exclusive Balanced Care Method training program for caregivers. What is the Balanced Care Method and how does it help improve a patient's recovery?


Lily Sarafan is a leading advocate on senior care, healthy longevity and aging in place. She passionately drives and advances the mission of changing the way the world ages. As President of Home Care Assistance, Lily has led the Company's expansion across North America and oversees day-to-day operations including identity and strategy, special initiatives, expansion and business development. Lily has been featured by over 100 media outlets ranging from ABC to Smart Money to Forbes. She is also co-author of Happy to 102: The Best Kept Secrets to a Long and Happy Life (June 2009), The Handbook on Live-in Care: A Guide for Caregivers (August 2011), From Hospital to Home Care: A Step-by-Step Guide to Providing Care for Patients Post-Hospitalization (January 2012). Lily received Masters (Management Science and Engineering) and Bachelors degrees from Stanford University.

Links: www.homecareassistance.com

Major issues that telehealth can address with Diversinet's Dr. Hon Pak

Major issues that telehealth can address with Diversinet's Dr. Hon Pak
Dr. Hon Pak, a visionary healthcare IT executive, who is using his medical and technology expertise to help Diversinet strengthen its leadership in “powering care coordination through mobility" joins the show.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Dr. Hon Pak discuss the following:
What does Diversinet do?
What are the major issues that telehealth can address?
What solutions or approaches are emerging?
How can mobility play a role in promoting adoption of these solutions?
What are the key challenges to wider adoption of mobile healthcare, or mHealth?
Tip:  Mobile healthcare needs to be integrated into a healthcare ecosystem that fosters care coordination and patient engagement.

Dr. Hon Pak is responsible for the operation of Diversinet, with a focus on providing healthcare organizations with an agile mobile application platform for secure messaging. He was formally appointed Chief Executive Officer in February after serving in that role on an interim basis for two months. Dr. Pak also serves on the company’s Board of Directors.
Combining extensive medical and technology knowledge with strong leadership experience, he brings to Diversinet the accomplishments of a distinguished 28-year career with the U.S. Army. Dr. Pak recently retired as Chief Information Officer of the U.S. Army Medical Department, an $11 billion healthcare system with more than 60,000 employees. He was the Army’s first Chief Medical Information Officer prior to his promotion to CIO. In addition, Dr. Pak has headed the Advanced Information Technology Group within the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, the U.S. Department of Defense health IT research and development arm.
He is recognized for the design and development of a health IT strategy around patient-centered care and as an innovator who helped transform Army Medicine into a systems based organization. Dr. Pak also shaped a federal investment in electronic health record exchanges and health information technology for active military, veteran and civilian populations.
Dr. Pak previously served as president of the American Telemedicine Association, leading the effort on global health and standards development for telehealth. He holds a medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and completed a fellowship in dermatology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Pak is a distinguished graduate of the United States Military Academy.

Links: www.diversinet.com

Technology solutions to help our growing elderly population with Independa

Technology solutions to help our growing elderly population with Independa
with Kian Saneii
Kian Saneii, a veteran technology entrepreneur, founded Independa to develop easy, integrated technology solutions to help our growing elderly population age in place and joins the show to talk about how it is working.
Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Kian Saneii discuss the following:
What is Independa, and what services do you offer?
What sets Independa apart from other companies that provide telecare for the elderly?
Why do you think that telehealth is growing so quickly?  What issues does it address for older adults who want to remain independent, and for their caregivers?
What are the major obstacles to wider adoption of remote monitoring and social engagement, particularly for the elderly?
How do you see the future of telehealth moving?
Tip: Telehealth needs to be integrated and holistic. Both caregivers and those who receive care need a simple, one-stop solution.

Kian Saneii combines expertise as a computer scientist and experience as a software executive with passion for bringing transformational technologies to market. He founded Independa in 2009 to develop and deliver products and services that help caregivers enable the rapidly growing elderly population to remain independent longer, more safely  and more comfortably. Featured in the March 2012 issue of Entrepreneur, he has led the company’s creation of a comprehensive, easy-to-use suite of Integrated CloudCare solutions.
Previously, Saneii was General Manager of Websense Wireless, responsible for launching and growing the wireless division from the ground up, including developing new carrier-centric technology and product lines, and establishing new global distribution partners. As Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Websense, Inc., he redefined the company’s market positioning and helped guide it to global market dominance. In addition to his responsibility for all aspects of global marketing, Saneii oversaw strategy, mergers and acquisitions, OEM sales, and business development. As the founding GM of Websense Wireless, Saneii expanded the company’s vision to encompass the wireless revolution from a new perspective, and established Websense Wireless as a carrier-grade supplier of transformational technologies to the telco/wireless ecosystem worldwide.
Before joining Websense, Saneii served as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing and Business Development at IPNet Solutions. In this role, he helped B2B supply chain businesses convert from using EDI to using secure supply chain collaboration and communication systems – introducing real-time information flow and eliminating significant waste throughout the chain.
Prior to his IPNet Solutions role, Saneii served as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing and Business Development for IMA, Inc., focusing on CRM solutions. Saneii transformed IMA’s call center solutions into customer interaction centers by integrating all customer interactions and data, redefining the entire market sector.
Earlier in his career, Saneii held management positions at AT&T Bell Laboratories, DIS Research and FileNet Corporation (acquired by IBM).
Saneii earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, cum laude, from New York University, where he made Phi Beta Kappa and received the President’s Award. He earned a Master of Computer Science from Rutgers University.
He has played NCAA Division 1 Soccer, was Chief Driving Instructor for BMW Car Club of America’s New York Chapter, and has a Black Belt in Tae Kwan Do. Saneii lives in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., with his wife and two sons.

Links: www.independa.com