Carly Carlton Promoted to Director of Innovation and Technology

Team ProMed congratulates Carly Carlton on being named Director of Innovation and Technology (DoIT)! In her new role, Carly will oversee our IT employees and serve as liaison between Team ProMed and DoIT.

“I feel this is a good fit for Carly and I’m thrilled she has taken the challenge to get us to the next level,” said ProMed CEO Matt Barnes.

“Carly’s role will expand to include responsibility over the network,” explained CIO Bob Sieger. “During her short tenure here at Professional Medical, Carly has proven to be a valuable asset to the IT organization in both her technical skills as well as leadership ability. While I will maintain overall responsibility for IT, my current role is expanding to support the strategic direction of Professional Medical as we continue our overall growth.”

Carly’s colleagues have nothing but praise for her and confidence that she will excel in her new position.

“I enjoyed working with Carly through the entire P21 implementation as she possessed a great deal of knowledge in all areas of the business and I am happy that she is being recognized for it,” said Jodi Dzak, Director of Special Sales/Customer and Vendor Contracts.

“I’ve always found Carly to be extremely knowledgeable when I’ve spoken with her,” added Director of Human Resources Barb Walters.

“Since Carly joined Team ProMed, she has been a valuable asset,” said COO Alan Ferry. “She has a natural talent and desire to take on challenges from every angle to provide solutions and efficiencies. Carly has the unique talent of seeing the issues from the users’ perspective, which streamlines development and training.”

Congratulations, Carly!

Happy 50th Birthday, CPR!

Since it was developed in September of 1960, CPR has been known as the best way to resuscitate someone who is suffering cardiac arrest. In honor of its 50th birthday, we thought we'd share some CPR facts!

• It was a major improvemement. Before CPR came along, people attempted resuscitation by lifting a person's arms above his head to ease circulation or using fireplace bellows to force air into the lungs, among other less pleasant methods such as pulling the tongue forcefully and rhythmically.
• It buys time. CPR gets the system started while waiting for a defibrillator, which improves a person's chance of recovery. Research has shown that a person's chance of survival falls between 7 and 10 percent for every minute without CPR.
• It isn't used enough. Only 31 percent of people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital receive CPR from a bystander.
• It's groovy. The American Heart Association's hands-only CPR technique requires pushing hard and fast in the center of someone's chest at the rate of 100 compressions per minute, which matches the beat of "Stayin' Alive," "Hey Mama," "Dancing Queen" and "Hips Don't Lie," among other songs.

To learn more, click here.

Confused about Long-Term Care? There's Funding for That

Having trouble deciphering Medicare and Medicaid benefits? You're not alone. That's why the government has set aside $68 million in grant money to help seniors, the disabled and their caregivers decipher their long-term care options.

The funds are also assigned to assist residents with the transition between skilled nursing care and home care. All 50 states - as well as 125 tribal organizations - will receive funds to be used to help educate beneficiaries on the benefits for which they are eligible.

To learn more, click here.

Abbott Voluntarily Recalls Certain Lots of Similac Infant Formula Following Discovery of Beetles

Even though our customers - mostly long-term care facilities - aren't in the market for infant formula, we know that many caregivers have kids at home, so we thought this recall was worth mentioning.

Abbott is recalling certain lots of Similac-brand powder infant formula after discovering the presence of small beetles. The beetles pose no immediate health risk, but infants who consume the affected formula might experience gastrointestinal discomfort or refuse to eat because the small insect parts irritate their GI tracts.

To determine if formula you have purchased is included in the recall, please visit www.similac.com/recall.

Don't Panic - Medicare Part D Drug Discounts are Still Happening

Vice President Joe Biden and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius are pooh-poohing a rumor that drug makers will be hiking their prices in the coming months to offset the new healthcare law's plan to offer a 50% discount to those who fall into the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole."

During a call with senior citizens on Thursday, Biden and Sebelius stressed that as part of the healthcare law, the government struck a deal with pharmaceutical companies to begin lowering the price of drugs, effective 2011. The 50 percent discount on brand-name prescription drugs is the second phase of the Obama administration's plan to close to doughnut hole by 2020.

Sebelius added that the savings on drugs will continue even after the gap is closed.

To learn more, click here.

Today is National Falls Prevention Awareness Day!

Today, the first day of fall, marks National Falls Prevention Awareness Day. Falls are the leading cause of nursing admission in the U.S., and the CDC estimates that more than $19 billion is spent every year treating the adverse effects of falls among the elderly.

The goal of National Falls Prevention Awareness Day is to both promote awareness about falls prevention and implement programs to help reduce falls among the elderly.

Diabetic? There's an App - and a Gadget - for That

This is one of the coolest gadgets we've seen in a long time - and unlike many cell phone accessories that make their way to the market, it's actually useful!

The iBGStar by Sanofi-Aventis is an iPhone-compatible glucometer. It builds upon the existing WaveSense Diabetes Manager iPhone program, which allows diabetics to track their results and identify trends over time. The iBGStar plugs right into your iPhone and is an alternative to glucometers that don't store or wirelessly transmit data. It requires a small sample size of blood and matches the look of the iPhone.

Data that is stored in the WaveSense application can be accessed on the phone or the user's computer, allowing them to always have it handy to share with their healthcare providers.

The official release for the iBGStar is expected in early 2011. To learn more, click here.

Proposed CMS Program Aims to Prevent Medicare/Medicaid Fraud

CMS is proposing a program that would require medical providers and suppliers to undergo stricter screening if they want to participate or enroll in Medicare and Medicaid.

Under the plan, suppliers and providers would be assessed for their risk of fraud, waste and abuse. They would then be placed into one of three risk groups: limited risk, moderate risk and high risk. Each group would have to meet different criteria for enrollment and participation, with high-risk applicants being subject to more rigorous evaluation that would include criminal background checks and fingerprinting in addition to other Medicare and Medicaid requirements.

The goal of the program is to help prevent fraud before it happens and to shift CMS to a fraud prevention model rather than a "pay-and-chase" enforcement model.

To learn more, click here.

It's Time to Celebrate Rehabilitation!

September 19-25 marks this year's National Rehabilitation Awareness Celebration! The celebration is sponsored by the National Rehabilitation Awareness Foundation, or NRAF. The theme of this year's celebration is "Reaching for That Star: The Power of Rehab."

Since 1996, the NRAF has sought to educate people about the benefits and impact of rehabilitation, develop programs that increase opportunities for the nearly 50 million Americans with disabilities and help disabled people live up to their fullest potential through rehabilitation. The foundation is headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

To learn more, click here.

Professor Names Best "Nana Technology" Items for 2010

You've heard of nanotechnology, but how about "Nana technology"? It's a term that George Mason University professor Andrew Carle coined in 2004 to describe the growing industry of microchip-based products for seniors.

Carle, the director of GMU's Program in Assisted Living/Senior Housing Administration, releases an annual list of the best new "Nana technology" products for older adults. There are four products on this year's list.

1. GlowCaps: Designed to replace the caps on standard prescription bottles, these caps contain an embedded microchip that provides light and sound reminders to seniors to take their medications. If the cap is not removed, an automated phone call to a family member or caregiver is triggered. The cap can also generate weekly email reports and notify a pharmacy when a refill is needed. Click here to learn more about GlowCaps.

2. Wellcore: The Wellcore activity monitor looks like a stylish pedometer and is designed to remove the stigma of wearing a "granny pendant." It offers fall detection technology, 24/7 call center assistance and daily activity reports for wearers or caregivers. It can also be combined with compatible cell phones to offer access to services outside the home. To learn more about Wellcore, click here.

3. DriveSharp: DriveSharp is a computer-based program that consists of exercises designed to sharpen attention and peripheral vision. Users click through the 20-minute exercises three to five days per week. In studies, DriveSharp demonstrated a 50 percent reduction in crash risk, 200 percent increase in field of vision and a 22-foot reduction in stopping distance. To learn more about DriveSharp, click here.

4. ActiveONE Personal Assistance Locator: The Personal Assistance Locator, or PAL, was dubbed "OnStar for people" by Professor Carle. It's a cell phone-sized device that provides 24/7 live operator assistance. Available services include emergency assistance, falls detection, medication reminders, directions and placing calls to family members. It also includes GPS tracking and "geo-fencing" capabilities that send an alert if the user wanders outside of a programmed distance from the house or other location. To learn more about the PAL, click here.

To learn more about Professor Carle and the Nana technologies, click here.

Four States to Benefit from Medicaid Matching Funds for EHR

Four states are set to benefit from matching Medicaid funds for implementing electronic health record, or EHR, programs. The funds are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and provide a 90 percent match to states planning to administer EHR incentive payments to Medicaid providers.

The states that will benefit are:

• North Dakota ($226,000)
• Hawaii ($836,000)
• Ohio ($2.29 million)
• Massachusetts ($3.56 million)

To learn more, click here.

Congratulations to Our iPad Winner!

Team ProMed congratulates Kyle Moore of Doctors Nursing & Rehabilitation Center! Kyle won our iPad giveaway at the Illinois Health Care Association 60th Annual Convention & Trade Show this week.

Happy National Assisted Living Week!

September 12-18, 2010 is National Assisted Living Week! The theme of this year's celebration is "Living Life."

National Assisted Living Week was established in 1995 by the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). It provides an opportunity for families, staff, volunteers and the community to join together and show residents how special and treasured they are. The NCAL encourages facilities to involve residents in a variety of events and activities throughout the week.

The NCAL explained the meaning behind this year's theme, "Living Life," in this way: "You don't have to be a rock climber, sky diver, marathon runner, or scholar to live life to the fullest. Living life means participating in activities that you enjoy and pursuing your passions, whatever they may be. It means never stopping the process of discovery or mastering talents. It means sharing your history and teaching others what you have learned. It is a lifelong pursuit of happiness and growth. We all want to live life to the fullest, no matter how old or young we are. Assisted living communities around the country are giving their residents the environment and tools they need to reach their goals. We celebrate their efforts and the residents who inspire their community."

To learn more about National Assisted Living Week, click here.

Vegetable Pizza Wins ProMed's Third Employee Cooking Contest

On Friday, September 10, ProMed hosted our third employee cooking contest! This time, we challenged employees to create their favorite appetizer to share with the office. When the votes were counted, Patty Adams' Vegetable Pizza emerged victorious! Patty's recipe will be published in the next issue of Embrace magazine, which will be out in October. If you haven't signed up for a subscription to Embrace yet (it's free to ProMed customers) please visit http://www.embracethemagazine.com/.

CDC: Nine Out of 10 Seniors Take at Least One Prescription Drug

A new data brief from the CDC reports that the use of prescription drugs continues to rise and that nine out of 10 seniors are taking at least one prescription medication. The CDC also noted that prescription drug use increases with age and that women are more likely than men to take prescription drugs.

Total spending on prescription drugs reached $234.1 billion in 2008, which is more than double what was spent in 1999.

Among adults age 60 and older, the most commonly used prescription drugs were:

• Cholesterol-lowering drugs: 44.9%
• Beta blockers (for high blood pressure and heart disease): 26.4%
• Diuretics (also for high blood pressure and heart disease): 19.9%

To view additional study findings, click here.

Medicare Beneficiaries to Receive Free Flu Shots

This fall, seniors will see another benefit of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as the healthcare reform law. Medicare beneficiaries are slated to be able to receive the flu shot without any co-pays or deductibles.

A new, higher-dose vaccine will be available for people over 65. This vaccine contains about four times the amount of the active ingredient in the normal vaccine. However, it still remains to be seen whether the higher-dose shot will be more effective for senior citizens.

To learn more, click here.

ASCP: Nurses Should be Doctors' Agents for Pain Meds

The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, or ASCP, strongly supports allowing nursing home nurses to act as agents on behalf of physicians for the purpose of prescribing pain meds. The group has asked the DEA to consider incorporating this change into the Controlled Substances Act.

According to ASCP's president, Shelly Spiro, "Recognizing nurses as agents of the prescriber and chart orders as valid prescriptions will eliminate the regulatory bureaucracy creating delays for patients in need of pain relief."

Currently, the DEA defines "agent" as someone employed by the prescribing physician. Because most physicians who prescribe pain meds to nursing home residents aren't actually employed by the nursing home, nurses at these facilities technically can't act as their agents.

To learn more, click here.

Congratulations, Mark Robustelli!

Team ProMed congratulates Mark Robustelli on being named the September 2010 Employee Spotlight Award winner! Mark is a Senior Developer in the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) and has been with the company for just over two years.

“Mark is a dedicated member of the ProMed DoIT team,” said Bob Sieger, CIO. “He has surfaced as an exceptional leader and team ‘go-to’ man. Mark is detail-oriented with a keen eye clearly focused on the goal. Through Mark’s tireless efforts and skill, the P21 data Import went much smoother than we could have hoped. He is a true asset and a standout ProMed team member.”

“Mark has show fantastic leadership skills and has driven the ProMed DoIT staff to new levels,” added Information Technology Manager Carly Carlton. “He is a pleasure to work with and is always there to lend support. Mark has proven to be a dedicated member of Team ProMed and I am proud to have him in my department. Congratulations!”

When we asked Mark what made ProMed a great place to work, he offered effusive praise. “There are many things that go into making ProMed a great place to work,” he said. “First and foremost are the people. One of the things that first drew me to ProMed was that it was a family business. I didn’t want to go to some big corporate gig and just punch in and punch out. While we are growing, ProMed has gone to great lengths to try and maintain the family atmosphere. I think that has attracted employees that are like-minded and keeps things enjoyable. Another part is the professional aspect. With the pace of business, there is never a shortage of IT projects and things to work on. I get to interact with the other parts of the business and the people in those departments. I think in my time here, I have had interactions with almost every department. In addition to the great people in IT, I have worked with people in Special Sales, Customer Service, Sales, Marketing, Accounting, Warehouse, MedB, Human Resources and Management. Each project has had its own technical challenges, which I enjoy, and the people in those departments made them as easy as possible to work through.”

Mark also thanked the coworkers who nominated him for the Employee Spotlight Award and the Barnes family for the many things they do for their employees.

As the Employee Spotlight Award winner, Mark will be able to proudly display the Torch of Excellence trophy at his desk for the month of September. He was also given a $100 cash award.

SHEA: No Flu Vaccination, No Job!

According to the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), if you want to work in a healthcare facility, you should be ready to roll up your sleeve. The agency has released a position paper asserting that flu vaccination should be a condition of employment.

A study conducted during the 2009 flu and H1N1 season found that 39% of healthcare workers had no intention of getting vaccinated. SHEA is arguing that not only does the vaccine help prevent caregivers from spreading flu to residents, it also reduces the likelihood that the caregiver will get sick and miss work, potentially impacting care. This vaccine mandate would ideally extend to everyone who works in a healthcare setting, not just those who have direct contact with residents. The only exception would be those people for whom the vaccine is medically contraindicated.

The paper was published in Infection Control and Healthcare Epidemiology. To read it, click here.

Ted Walsh Promoted to Regional Sales Manager

Team ProMed congratulates Ted Walsh on his promotion to Regional Sales Manager. In his new role, Ted’s primary objective will be managing the sales team to success. He’ll be responsible for identifying and qualifying leads, tracking the movements of all of the prospects that each of his people have and hunting the biggest customers in Ohio. He’ll also use the skills he developed as a ProMed territory manager to determine which assets need to be used in order to achieve success.

“Ted Walsh is the future of Team ProMed,” said Matt Barnes. “He can manage. He can hunt. I haven’t found anything he’s not good at. Ted Walsh is a renaissance man. We’re proud to have him as part of the ProMed family.”

“Ted has exhibited strength and professionalism in a way that is rare at such a young age,” said Al Wiggs. “He has the unique ability to develop a relationship with a customer while never losing sight of the very specific steps needed to satisfy both the customer and ProMed. Ted’s well-liked, he is well-organized and above all else he is strong. He deals with pressure well and he always has a good idea. I personally can’t think of a better guy to lead the Northeast team that we have as it grows and develops.”

Immediately following his promotion, Ted enjoyed a shopping trip with Matt to the ever-popular Syd Jerome.

Here’s what Ted’s colleagues had to say about him:

Dan Brooks: “I think that the foundation of Ted’s exceptional solution selling is ability to listen to his customers and prospects. Ted has an excellent ability to ask questions that hit home with his customers and get them talking about their pains and needs. Through listening to his customers, Ted formulates calculated and customized solutions that his customers value and his competitors cannot compete with. Ted utilizes his strategic question asking and listening skills to drive business when working on a solution for a single home, developing a strategy to convert a chain of homes or providing insight to his reps. All of these attributes culminate in Ted’s uncanny ability to identify prospects, develop a selling relationship built around being a trusted advisor and delivering comprehensive solutions in a quick, efficient sales cycle.”

Kurt Gerling: “Ted is easily one of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever met and he will be a fantastic Regional Manager. A main reason is because of the way he treats the people who work with him. Ted has a very unique ability to make people feel extremely comfortable and confident in their abilities. The TMs that work with Ted will be a very lucky group that will have an opportunity to succeed unlike any other. Congrats to a very deserving Theodore Walsh.”

Rocky Howard: “Ted has been a pleasure to work with since joining ProMed. Ted has done a wonderful job growing new business in Ohio and maintaining/growing that which was gifted to him. He is always willing and anxious to assist others and will serve Team ProMed well with his new management responsibilities. Best wishes to Ted with his new responsibilities at ProMed and in his upcoming marriage. He is a good man and we’re all very proud of him!”

Mike Kellenberger: “I am very excited to be part of the same team as Ted Walsh! I have had the pleasure of working with Ted Walsh from day one and watching him hit the ground running with excitement and energy. Ted is just completed his first year with ProMed, and his passion and drive have opened up a new exciting challenge. Ted has taken ownership of Ohio and the territory managers in his state! Congratulations, Ted, you are one of the greats. You will be a great manager, and I am proud to be on your team!”

Keith Kennedy: “Ted Walsh has and will continue to amaze me. His ability to build relationships from the top down is extremely impressive. He is a chameleon in respect to catering his personality to the audience represented. It has been a true pleasure working side by side with Ted over the past year. I have learned so much from him and could only hope he has taken a few pearls of wisdom from me. There is no doubt in my mind Ted will continue to dominate, leaving a trail of McKesson, Medline and Gulf South blood behind.”

Diana Nowicki: “While working with Ted, I was always grateful for his organized and thorough input. You don’t always receive this from the strong personalities in the sales field, but he has been able to maintain his relationship-building skills as well as his strength in knowledge. He has been key in restructuring his own territory priorities and the region as a whole. In regards to the inside sales department, he has been a godsend through his great communication and filling in the gap between inside and outside sales departments. He has shone as a leader in his region for spreading these skills through his region as his peers have followed in his example.

“One of the first times I met him in person, he was quick to share his experience and expertise in selling to different targets as well as answering my many questions about distribution sales. I have looked up to him as a key resource in our organization as well as a key asset to our industry as he has already made a significant mark in his region.

“This promotion only solidifies that people have noticed Ted’s hard work and diligence as he has swooped across Ohio and made a name for himself. I am so proud to see him in a leadership role, as his guidance will make ProMed’s presence in the region even stronger.”