August 6, 2021 – Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced that Carlos de Solo, CEO of CareMax, Inc., was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Florida Award winner. The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards program is one of the preeminent competitive awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The award recognizes those who are unstoppable entrepreneurial leaders, excelling in talent management; degree of difficulty; financial performance; societal impact and building a values-based company; and originality, innovation and future plans. De Solo was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was announced during the program’s virtual awards gala on August 5, 2021.

“I am incredibly honored to be chosen as an Entrepreneur Of the Year award winner during this period of significant growth for CareMax,” de Solo said. “In the face of the many challenges that our healthcare system faces today, we know the vital role we play in bringing value-based care to underserved communities. I would also like to congratulate the entire CareMax team for this award. They are responsible for the positive direction of CareMax as we continue to expand and bring our whole person healthcare approach to seniors nationwide.”

CareMax is a technology-enabled care platform providing value-based care and chronic disease management to seniors. CareMax currently operates 42 medical centers serving more than 66,000 patients. The company recently listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker “CMAX.”

For 35 years, EY US has honored entrepreneurs whose ambition, courage and ingenuity have driven their companies’ success, transformed their industries and made a positive impact on their communities. De Solo will go on to become a lifetime member of the esteemed multi-industry community of award winners, with exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight and wisdom of fellow alumni and other ecosystem members in over 60 countries — all supported by vast EY resources.

As a Florida award winner, de Solo is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 National Awards. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced on November 13 at the Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies.

As a winner of the Entrepreneur Of The Year award, De Solo, is in the good company of well-known inspirational entrepreneurs such as Hamdi Ulukaya of Chobani, James Park of Fitbit, Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn, Howard Schultz of Starbucks Corporation, Jodi Berg of Vitamix and others.

About CareMax

CareMax is a technology-enabled care platform providing value-based care and chronic disease management to seniors. CareMax operates 42 wholly owned medical centers that offer a comprehensive suite of healthcare and social services, and a proprietary software and services platform that provides data, analytics, and rules-based decision tools/workflows for physicians across the United States.  CareMax is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the trading symbol “CMAX.” Learn more at www.caremax.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding CareMax’s future growth and strategy. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “budget,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “envision,” “estimate,” “expect,” “guidance,” “indicate,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possibly,” “potential,” “predict,” “probably,” “pro-forma,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” or “will,” or the negative or other variations thereof, and similar words or phrases or comparable terminology, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside CareMax’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Important risks and uncertainties that could cause CareMax’s actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in forward-looking statements include, among others, CareMax’s ability to expand its business; changes in market or industry conditions, regulatory environment, competitive conditions, and receptivity to CareMax’s services; CareMax’s ability to continue its growth; changes in laws and regulations applicable to CareMax’s business, in particular with respect to Medicare Advantage or Medicaid; CareMax’s ability to maintain its relationships with health plans and other key payers; the impact of COVID-19 or another pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious disease on CareMax’s business and results of operation; and CareMax’s ability to recruit and retain qualified team members and independent physicians. For a detailed discussion of the risk factors that could affect CareMax’s actual results, please refer to the risk factors identified in CareMax’s reports filed with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and CareMax’s undertakes no duty to update or revise this information unless required by law.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Kauffman Foundation. In Florida, sponsors also include Premium sponsor PNC Bank and Supporting sponsors DLA Piper LLP and Donnelly Financial Solutions.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year®

Entrepreneur Of The Year® is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. National overall winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ title. ey.com/us/eoy

About EY Private

As Advisors to the ambitious™, EY Private professionals possess the experience and passion to support private businesses and their owners in unlocking the full potential of their ambitions. EY Private teams offer distinct insights born from the long EY history of working with business owners and entrepreneurs. These teams support the full spectrum of private enterprises including private capital managers and investors and the portfolio businesses they fund, business owners, family businesses, family offices and entrepreneurs. Visit ey.com/us/private.

About EY

EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets. Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate. Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today. EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.



August 10, 2021 – With extensive expertise in government and civic relations, legislation and public policy, Lee Health’s Michael Nachef has been tapped to serve the health system in a new role.

Nachef has been named vice president of government relations. Before being appointed to his new position, Nachef served as Lee Health’s system director of government relations.

As an in-house registered lobbyist, Nachef works closely with elected officials and their staff at the local, state and federal levels. This work is focused on policy and funding issues that affect healthcare delivery and cost for residents of Southwest Florida. He also collaborates with hospital, community and statewide leaders to achieve positive outcomes for Lee Health and the region. The strong working relationships with elected officials and staff benefit healthcare delivery for Lee Health and all of Southwest Florida.

Nachef has been with Lee Health since 2016 when he joined the organization as director of government relations. Prior to his role at Lee Health, Nachef spent more than six years working for the State of Florida. He served as a legislative assistant with the Florida Senate, where he helped to craft legislation and move it through the legislative process.

“Michael has been instrumental in our government and civic relations and has helped to elevate Lee Health on the local, regional and national level,” said Dr. Larry Antonucci, president and chief executive officer of Lee Health. “I look forward to all that he’ll accomplish in his new role.”

Nachef earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Florida Gulf Coast University. He is a graduate of College Leadership Florida and an active member of the Leadership Florida organization.

Nachef currently serves as chair of the Florida Gulf Coast University Alumni Board of Directors and as a member of the Sanibel Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He is also a corporate board member, governance committee chair, and chair-elect for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast.

In 2019, Nachef was appointed by the governor to serve on the Florida Greenways and Trails Council.

About Lee Health

Since the opening of the first hospital in 1916, Lee Health has been a health care leader in Southwest Florida, constantly evolving to meet the needs of the community. A non-profit, integrated health care services organization, Lee Health is committed to the well-being of every individual served, focused on healthy living and maintaining good health. Staffed by caring people, inspiring health, services are conveniently located throughout the community in four acute care hospitals, two specialty hospitals, outpatient centers, walk-in medical centers, primary care and specialty physician practices and other services across the continuum of care. Learn more at www.LeeHealth.org.



Donors Will Be Recognized in New Toby and Leon Cooperman Medical Arts Pavilion

August 10, 2021 – Boca Raton residents Anita and Norton Waltuch have graciously added another seven-figure gift to Keeping the Promise…The Campaign for Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Their $1 million donation is one of many seven- and eight-figure donors to the campaign that has already raised $210 million toward its goal.

“We continue to be so thankful for the response of our friends in the community to our vision and our campaign.” said Lincoln Mendez, CEO of Boca Raton Regional Hospital. “The Waltuch’s are long-time Boca Raton residents and patients, and we cherish their participation in our campus initiative.”

The 89-year old Norton Waltuch has been a distinguished silver trader who served as vice-president and chief metals trader for Conticommodity Services, Inc. and is a former floor broker on the Comex. The Waltuchs are particularly grateful to Boca Regional’s cardiology specialist Mark Rubenstein, M.D., internal medicine doctor Jonathan B. Berger, M.D., and pulmonary disease specialist Barry L. Davis, M.D. The Waltuchs have consistently recognized many physicians at Boca Regional throughout the years with their generosity to the hospital. Now they will be acknowledged with the naming of the reception desk in the new Toby and Leon Cooperman Medical Arts Pavilion, currently under construction. The new Pavilion located across the street from the medical campus, will provide an outpatient surgery center, physician offices and adjacent parking.

As an example of their philanthropic spirit, in addition to their support of Keeping the Promise, the Waltuch’s last year sponsored a life support ambulance to help Israel’s EMS service amidst the COVID- 19 crisis.

“These are simply wonderful people, and we cannot be more grateful for their gift, and their continued loyalty to Boca Regional for all these years,” said Stan Barry, co-chair of Keeping the Promise. “Many do not realize the magnitude of their capacity to help whenever and wherever it is needed.  We will always be indebted to them.”

The $250 million Keeping the Promise Campaign is the largest fund-raising initiative in Boca Regional’s history and is supporting its most ambitious period of growth and expansion. The campus redevelopment plans include at the centerpiece, the new Gloria Drummond Patient Tower where patients will be welcomed in the inviting new Louis B. and Anne W. Green Lobby with plans for retail, dining, meeting space, a sanctuary, outdoor courtyards and other conveniences for visitors. The new tower features all new surgical suites and all private patient rooms exceeding the latest safety standards for patient care. In the current hospital building, all existing rooms will be converted to private in a comprehensive renovation of all patient units including maternity, oncology, and orthopedics. An expansion of the Marcus Neuroscience Institute is well underway with emphasis on neurovascular/stroke, central nervous system tumors, spine, and epilepsy/seizure disorders. The recently opened 972-car Schmidt Family

Parking Facility will be connected to the Marcus Neuroscience Institute once the new tower construction is complete.

“We are privileged to participate with Boca Raton Regional Hospital,” said Mrs. Waltuch, “in helping provide much needed care for those in our community.”

About Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation

The Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization for Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Boca Raton Regional Hospital is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 11 hospitals, nearly 23,000 employees, more than 4,000 physicians and more than 100 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned centers of excellence in cancer, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and neurosciences. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and Baptist Health Care On Demand, a virtual health platform. Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.

Boca Raton Regional Hospital is supported by philanthropy to strengthen its mission to deliver the highest quality patient care, satisfaction and safety. If you would like to learn more about supporting the mission of Boca Raton Regional Hospital, visit our website at donate.brrh.com.

For more information, visit BRRH.com and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and  LinkedIn.



New paper highlights history and recent successes in advancing research from concept to commercialization.

August 10 2021 – Small business program funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, helps advance research on care interventions, diagnostic tools, and therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. A new paper, published August 10 in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, describes the impact and case studies of NIA’s $280 million investment in this research over the past 11 years through more than 600 grants to over 230 small businesses in 37 states.

“Small businesses play a crucial role in research to discover effective prevention and treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s and related dementias,” said NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. “This paper provides the historical context of NIA’s funding in this highly competitive area and features some of the successes made possible through our federal investment.”

NIA is the lead federal agency for Alzheimer’s and related dementias research. Alzheimer’s is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. While it is the most common cause of dementia in older adults, it is not a normal part of aging.

Results driven investments

NIA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are congressionally mandated set-aside funding mechanisms designed to help U.S. small businesses engage in R&D that has a strong potential for commercialization. Due to recent increases in the NIH budget for Alzheimer’s and related dementias research, most of NIA’s small business investment referenced in the paper — approximately $207 million — was spent between fiscal year (FY) 2015 and FY 2019.

“The SBIR and STTR examples in this paper show how important public support is to start-up companies pursuing early-stage development of aging-related innovations and how that funding carries research forward and bridges gaps companies may face in their efforts,” said Todd Haim, Ph.D., chief of NIA’s Small Business and Training Office and co-author of the paper. “NIA small business funding is working by keeping companies financed through the early and high-risk stage of development so they can fulfill their important work of advancing Alzheimer’s and related dementias research and get interventions to patients faster.”

Examples of research showcased in the report include: 

Care intervention: ActivePERS(link is external), an advanced medical alert pendant with automatic fall detection, fall risk assessment, and activity monitoring, is an example of a technology to improve care and enable more independence for older adults. Through multiple SBIR funding awards, the biomedical engineering company Biosensics developed and validated a set of fall detection technologies that became a part of ActivePERS. Once commercialized, ActivePERS was licensed by and integrated into medical alert devices sold by GreatCall, which is now part of Best Buy Co., Inc., resulting in the technology’s widespread availability.

Diagnostics: Getting an accurate, early, and non-invasive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease may open opportunities for people to participate in clinical trials. In particular, those with an early diagnosis can take steps to prepare, as well as look into strategies that may delay the onset of symptoms. With NIA SBIR-funded support, C2N Diagnostics developed PrecivityAD(link is external), the first amyloid blood test to become available to doctors, who can send blood samples to C2N’s lab to analyze blood for amyloid. While this test does not diagnose Alzheimer’s per se, it can help doctors evaluate their patients with cognitive disorders. In one study of 686 patients over age 60, the PrecivityAD test correctly identified brain amyloid plaque status in 86% of patients.

Therapeutics: Cognition Therapeutics has developed a small molecule that has shown potential in early clinical trials. The molecule, CT1812(link is external), normalizes brain cell pathways that are disrupted in Alzheimer’s and enables the protection and restoration of synapses. After traditional NIA-funded grants supported data collection to confirm the safety of CT1812, SBIR grants resulted in FDA Fast Track designation(link is external) in 2017 for treatment of people living with Alzheimer’s. A $1 million Fast Track SBIR award to Cognition Therapeutics resulted in three ongoing early (Phase II) clinical trials, and enhanced partnership opportunities. In June 2020, NIA awarded Cognition Therapeutics $75.8 million over a 5-year period to support a Phase II study in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC).

An open look at a public effort

For their analysis, the authors of this paper used publicly available information to identify and track progress of the companies that received SBIR or STTR funding. The NIH RePORT database was used to identify all new small business program grants awarded during FY 2008 through FY 2019. Commercial databases GlobalData Medical Devices and GlobalData Pharmaceuticals were used to ascertain the post-award success of these funded companies.

SBIR and STTR funding programs are valuable resources that companies can and have successfully used to bridge financial gaps and show their strength and value in the business world. This funding is often critical for securing downstream private investments, developing partnerships, and launching innovations to market.

The projects highlighted in this press release were funded in part by NIH grants R42AG032748, SB1AG032748, R44AG059489, and R44AG062129. They relate to NIA’s AD+ADRD Research Implementation Milestone 13.I: Support research on technology-based dementia assessment, care and management; Milestone 9.G: Initiate studies to link peripheral blood-based molecular signatures and central imaging and CSF biomarkers; Milestone 9.F: Initiate studies to develop minimally invasive biomarkers for detection of cerebral amyloidosis, AD and AD-related dementias pathophysiology; Milestone 6.C: Identify, characterize, and complete early validation for at least 6 novel therapeutic targets for AD and AD-related dementias; and Milestone 6.D: Initiate drug discovery efforts to develop novel therapeutic agents against at least 6 novel therapeutic targets. 

About the National Institute on Aging (NIA): NIA leads the U.S. federal government effort to conduct and support research on aging and the health and well-being of older people. Learn more about age-related cognitive change and neurodegenerative diseases via NIA’s Alzheimer’s and related Dementias Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center website. Visit the main NIA website for information about a range of aging topics, in English and Spanish, and stay connected.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

Reference

Ghazarian A et al. National Institute on Aging seed funding enables Alzheimer’s disease startups to reach key value inflection points. Alzheimer’s & Dementia. 2021. Aug. 10. doi: 10.1002/alz.12392



Saum Sutaria appointed Chief Executive Officer; Ron Rittenmeyer remains Executive Chairman of Tenet

August 9, 2021 – Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) today announced the next step in its long-term leadership succession plan. Ron Rittenmeyer, who has served as CEO and Executive Chairman for nearly four years, will continue as Executive Chairman of the Company and the Board through 2022. Saum Sutaria, M.D., President and Chief Operating Officer of Tenet, will become Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1, 2021. He will continue to report to Rittenmeyer.

“When I joined Tenet as Executive Chairman and CEO almost four years ago, I had two major objectives,” said Rittenmeyer. “First, was the transformation of the business in terms of improving quality of care and service to build long-term, financial stability. Second, was to develop and execute a succession plan through the organization, enhancing our leadership at every level and identifying my replacement. During the past several years, Saum and I have worked closely together through extraordinary times including COVID, and at each step, he has continued to demonstrate excellent leadership in framing the right strategic and tactical pathway. Saum is always present for today but thinking about tomorrow, as evidenced by his impeccable track record in helping to deliver consistent and sustainable results. He has long been a leader in healthcare, and he also knows Tenet extremely well after nearly three years in top management roles. I have every confidence Saum will serve all company stakeholders well and with honor in this new capacity. Our partnership at the top of this organization will continue as we transition the work and further advance the transformation that is underway. This approach helps ensure consistency and an appropriate runway for us to finalize the changes we have successfully embedded into the Company.”

“Having a deep internal bench is a cornerstone of thoughtful succession planning and something Ron addressed immediately when stepping into the CEO role in late 2017,” said former Senator Bob Kerrey, Lead Director of the Board. “When Ron became CEO, he dug very deep to transform and drive the Company toward a healthier future. The Tenet of today is an entirely different organization with strong performance and a better business mix that speaks to all the changes in quality, talent and operations brought during the last four years. As part of this, Ron wanted to ensure there was always a bench of leaders who could serve the Company in the long term or even on a moment’s notice. Together with the Board, those efforts centered on recruiting and building leaders like Saum, whose vast knowledge and experience make him the ideal candidate to lead Tenet into its next phase of growth. This change follows a well thought-out and planned transition led by Ron and the Board. It is a testament to the leadership of both Ron and Saum in making this happen.”

Prior to joining Tenet, Sutaria worked for McKinsey & Company for 18 years. At McKinsey, he was a leader in the healthcare and private equity practices, serving clients on strategic, operational and financial issues. He received an M.D. from the University of California, San Diego and completed post graduate training at the University of California at San Francisco, where he previously held an associate clinical faculty position. He received a BS in molecular and cellular biology and a BA in economics, both from the University of California, Berkeley. He joined Tenet in January 2019 as Chief Operating Officer, was promoted to President later that year and appointed to the Board in 2020.

Sutaria commented, “I am honored to serve as CEO and continue our work in building a truly unique and diversified healthcare enterprise. Tenet is a remarkable company with a mission that embraces the many different dimensions of healthcare that we are always striving to improve. The company has a deep commitment to our communities that we serve with integrity, value strong partnerships with our physicians, ensure compliance and deliver the quality that sets us apart from others. I look forward to continuing to work alongside Ron, our leadership teams and our incredible caregivers and staff on the opportunities ahead.”

About Tenet Healthcare

Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) is a diversified healthcare services company headquartered in Dallas with 102,000 employees. Through an expansive care network that includes United Surgical Partners International, we operate 60 hospitals and more than 460 other healthcare facilities, including surgical hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers and other care sites and clinics. We also operate Conifer Health Solutions, which provides revenue cycle management and value-based care services to hospitals, health systems, physician practices, employers and other clients. Across the Tenet enterprise, we are united by our mission to deliver quality, compassionate care in the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.tenethealth.com.