March 22, 2021 – Herbert Wertheim, OD, DSc, MD (hc), an accomplished scientist, clinician, engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, has been named to the Board of Directors at Scripps Research. Active in service to the southern Florida community for over 50 years, Wertheim has contributed greatly to public education, cultural arts and community healthcare.
 
“We are honored to have Herbie join our Board,” says Peter Schultz, PhD, President and CEO of Scripps Research. “He brings strong business acumen and a passion for improving people’s lives. His interest in preventative medicine and extending healthspan aligns with many of the biomedical research interests at our institute.”
 
As an advocate for wellness and preventive medicine, Wertheim says he’s pleased to join the Scripps Research Board of Directors. 
 
“Scripps Research aligns with much of the work that my foundation is doing, which is to help people maintain their daily health and live long, prosperous lives,” he says. “Working together, I believe we can seek to impact even more lives, as prevention is the best medicine.”
 
Wertheim began his medical career in Florida with a successful clinical practice in optometry and visual neurology. A constant tinkerer and inventor, he discovered a way to tint plastic eyeglass lenses and later produced a dye that absorbed ultraviolet light, thus helping prevent the development of macular degeneration and cataracts in millions of people. His inventions led to the founding of Brain Power Incorporated, now the world’s largest manufacturer of ophthalmic instruments, eyeglass lens tints and diagnostic products for eye care professionals. Many of the specialty lenses can ease the symptoms of neurological disorders such as epilepsy. Wertheim became a distinguished lecturer in physiological optics and optometry at Florida’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, considered the top-ranked eye hospital in the nation, and he was an adjunct professor of physics in the graduate program at the University of Miami, Florida.
 
After steadily building a fortune through investments in the stock market, Wertheim created the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation and set out to enact its motto: Making Life on Earth Better. The foundation has since donated millions of dollars to educational, cultural and healthcare organizations in his home state of Florida and around the world.
 
Wertheim has long supported Florida International University in multiple leadership roles and was a key driver of the initiative to establish a medical school at the university. Today, the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, which focuses on integrating education, research and clinical care while overseeing broad community outreach programs, is a leader in transforming the health of its surrounding communities. On the opposite coast, at the University of California, San Diego, a substantial gift in 2019 from the Wertheim Family Foundation established the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science. This school also aims to reach into the surrounding communities, especially underserved ones, in an effort to eliminate disparities in quality healthcare. Last fall, the Wertheim School of Public Health commenced its first year, offering a menu of doctoral, master’s and undergraduate degree programs.
 
Early in his academic career, Wertheim studied electrical and computer engineering at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and later became one of the first NASA engineers at Cape Canaveral. In honor of those studies, his family foundation made a $50 million gift to the university, which then created the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. In 2018, Wertheim received an Honorary Doctorate of Technology Degree from the University of Florida “for his dedication to solving the world’s problems through discovery and innovation.”
 
Wertheim has received many additional honors over the years in recognition of both his accomplishments and his generosity, including the 2011 Horatio Alger Award from the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. He has served on numerous local and national charitable boards, and in 2015, he and his wife, Nicole, joined the Giving Pledge, the philanthropic movement launched by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett, in continuation of their contributions to philanthropic causes.
 
 
About Scripps Research
 
Scripps Research is an independent, nonprofit biomedical institute ranked the most influential in the world for its impact on innovation. With campuses in La Jolla, California, and Jupiter, Florida, we advance human health through profound discoveries that address pressing medical concerns around the globe. Our drug discovery and development division, Calibr, works hand-in-hand with scientists across disciplines to efficiently bring new medicines to patients, while teams at Scripps Research Translational Institute harness genomics, digital medicine and cutting-edge informatics to understand individual health and render more effective healthcare. Scripps Research also trains the next generation of leading scientists at our Skaggs Graduate School, consistently named among the top 10 U.S. programs for chemistry and biological sciences. Learn more at www.scripps.edu.
 


By Tania Diaz, Psy.D., LMHC
 
March 22 2021 – While technology has always been an integral part of modern society, its usefulness has certainly seen an exponential boom since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.  It is scary to imagine what it would have been like for teachers, therapists, and school age children to navigate the year-long pandemic without using tablets and smartphones as academic tools.  As technology becomes more fluid in today’s culture, it is natural to combine its use with traditional behavioral and physical health services to create higher degrees of resilience during these tough times.  
 
COVID-19 restrictions have placed a huge burden on all of us, particularly for individuals with existing psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety and/or physical conditions like hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Studies show that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of premature deaths globally, imposing extraordinary health and economic burdens worldwide.  Approximately 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year, accounting for one in every four deaths before the age of 70. Also, high blood pressure or hypertension is considered to be one of the leading public health concerns and a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease, among other concerns. 
 
While there are multiple factors that contribute to such health concerns, high blood pressure appears to be a staple in most health-related illnesses. According to the American Heart Association’s newest guidelines, almost 46% of the adult population in the United States will be diagnosed as having high blood pressure, with the greatest impact expected among men and women under 45.
In response to the global pandemic, the American Heart Association encourages preventative strategies designed to promote a healthy diet, exercising, appropriate medicine intake, and the use of basic health technologies to help reduce such risks.  
 
To begin, it is important to first know how the heart functions. The heart and brain communicate with each other, constantly exchanging information in the form of rhythmic or non-rhythmic patterns.  When you’re afraid or anxious, your heart rate produces a non-rhythmic pattern and sends a message to your brain telling it “I am afraid, anxious, or in danger.” Hence, non-rhythmic patterns are associated with negative emotional states such as depression, anxiety, confusion and poor concentration. 
 
Rhythmic patterns are associated with positive emotional states, such as feelings of happiness, improved concentration and planning, which leads to greater stress management, resilience, coherence and optimal functioning. Therefore, the goal is to create rhythmic communication patterns through the use of a positive, emotion-focused techniques. This method allows heart-brain communication by teaching you how to use your breath to increase your heart rhythm coherence, which is key to your heart’s health.  
 
The use of a heart-rate monitoring system device, which measures heart rate variability by attaching a pulse sensor to an earlobe or finger, is also very helpful. This mechanism uses technology that allows your blood pressure to be measured through your skin.  It is a reliable and valid method of acquiring, quantifying and tracking heart rate variability from a deep breathing protocol. A visual breath-pacer can also be used to promote regularity of the breathing. It involves breathing deeply without straining while simultaneously invoking a positive emotional state. 
 
Activating a positive emotional state will decrease blood pressure, which is a precursor for many physical ailments. It is a prime example of the benefits of learning how to self-regulate our emotions.   
 
Utilizing simple self-regulating tools makes it possible for individuals, health professionals and organizations to improve health, well-being, performance and productivity. The available technology has been utilized worldwide in diverse settings, from universities that help students manage test anxiety to increasing resilience and reducing stress among special weapons and tactics [SWAT] officers. Technology continues to hold great promise for improving emotional stability, and overall physical health and social wellbeing, particularly during challenging times.  
 
 
Dr. Tania Diaz is a licensed psychologist, qualified board-approved clinical supervisor for mental health counselors, and Heart-Math Certified Trainer. She currently serves as the Program Coordinator for Mental Health Counseling students at Albizu University, where she teaches graduate courses and supervises student clinicians, and owns her boutique private practice in Miami Lakes. With over 20 years of clinical experience in the mental health field, she was recently honored with membership in the Trademark Top Doctors of America in 2018. 
 


Letter Recommends National Goal to Have a Majority 
of Traditional Medicare Beneficiaries in an ACO by 2025
 
March 22 2021 – The National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOS) in a letter sent today congratulated Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), on his confirmation and recommends the following to help support ACOs and payment and delivery reform: 
 
•Set a national goal to have a majority of traditional Medicare beneficiaries in an ACO by 2025;
•Strengthen incentives to attract new ACOs and retain existing ones by increasing shared savings rates, fixing key benchmarking and risk adjustment issues, allowing more time before requiring risk, and revisiting recently finalized quality policies;
•Improve the Professional and Global Options of Direct Contracting to provide a fair opportunity for legacy ACOs and providers;
•Make the Next Generation ACO Model permanent; and
•Adapt ACO and alternative payment model methodologies to account for COVID-19 anomalies.
 
Statement attributed to Clif Gaus, Sc.D, President and CEO of the National Association of ACOs: 
 
“Secretary Becerra inherits an HHS with fewer ACOs than the Obama administration left at the start of 2017. Reversing this trend should be a priority for him and his staff given the success ACOs have shown in reducing Medicare spending while improving quality and patient satisfaction.
 
“Since 2012, ACOs, including those in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, Next Generation ACO Model, and the now expired Pioneer ACO Model, have lowered Medicare spending by $8.5 billion and $2.5 billion after accounting for shared saving and loss payments and discounts to CMS. This doesn’t include ‘spillover’ effects to Medicare Advantage or commercial insurance, which also measure in the billions of dollars annually. When compounded, these savings make an undeniable impression on our nation’s out-of-control health spending. 
 
“NAACOS congratulates Secretary Becerra on his confirmation and looks forward to working with him on growing Medicare ACO programs.”
 


Using “carrots rather than sticks” and encouraging “community immunity” over herd immunity were  among the ideas raised by the health care professionals during the national conversation hosted by the University of Miami. 
  
March 19, 2021 – As commander in chief of the Continental Army, George Washington faced an enemy more lethal than the British: smallpox. With the highly contagious virus decimating American troops, he ordered all soldiers be inoculated with a small dose of the virus, a scientifically proven method of inducing protective immunity. 
 
This week, more than 245 years after Washington’s controversial decision saved countless lives and helped win the American Revolution, a panel of experts in public health, infectious diseases, and medical ethics came together to help universities and colleges grapple with a similar dilemma: Should they mandate vaccines for COVID-19, and if so, for whom?
 
Convened by the University of Miami, the hour-long virtual conversation underscored just how controversial vaccine mandates remain. It also brought into sharp focus the many questions and complex issues institutions must consider before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the COVID-19 vaccines now authorized only for emergency use. 
 
Among the questions addressed: How can we ensure equitable distribution of vaccines? How do we address vaccine hesitancy, especially among historically mistreated populations? Should college professors be vaccinated along with K-12 teachers? Can we employ incentives, rather than mandates, to encourage vaccination? Are religious exemptions valid? And does every individual have a responsibility for getting a vaccine? 
 
“One thing is very clear: Now is the time to be having these conversations,” University of Miami President Julio Frenk said, noting that the COVID-19 vaccines, which he called “one of the most impressive feats of science in the history of humanity,” will receive final regulatory authorization in the coming months. 
 
“Now is the time to be deliberating about the ethical implications. So, when the time comes, we can make the best decisions,” Frenk added. “If we have learned nothing else in response to COVID-19, it is that disinformation, fear, and skepticism cost lives and all of those can feed off ethical missteps on vaccination.” 
 
Dr. Roy E. Weiss, the University’s chief medical officer for COVID-19 who moderated the discussion attended by nearly 200 people across the nation, opened by recounting a brief history of the development and effectiveness of vaccines and the pioneering public health advocates, like George Washington, who advanced their acceptance. But, Weiss noted, the very success of vaccines in all but conquering such diseases as tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, and smallpox, have had the ironic effect of undermining their acceptance today.  
 
“Vaccines are among the most effective prevention tools that are available to clinicians today,” said Weiss, chair of the University’s Department of Medicine at the Miller School of Medicine. “The problem has been because of the success, memory sometimes fails us, in that these infectious diseases, for which vaccines in the past have been very useful, have sort of faded from the public consciousness,” he pointed out.  
 
If nothing else, the rapid emergence, spread, and lethality of COVID-19, which in just over a year has killed more than 2.5 million people globally—a fifth of them in the United States—has served as a wake-up call for people who are scrambling to secure appointments or waiting in lines to get their shots. But should those who are not inclined to join the stampede be required to do so on college campuses and universities, like Miami, which already has a mandatory weekly testing program for students? 
 
Dr. Carlos del Rio, executive associate dean and distinguished professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine, said he preferred “a more carrot rather than stick approach.” He suggested students, and the public in general, could be enticed with special privileges or incentives, rather than mandates. For example, he said, students who don’t get vaccinated could be barred from taking certain large classes or attending special events. A university’s health insurance programs also could offer discounted rates to those who are vaccinated—much like they charge extra to cover smokers.  
 
“There are ways to encourage rather than mandate,” del Rio said. 
 
Dr. Lainie Friedman Ross, the Carolyn and Matthew Bucksbaum Professor of Clinical Ethics and associate director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago, agreed. “Before we talk about mandatory (vaccinations) one question is: can we achieve our same goals in a voluntary way?’’ she said. “One concern with mandates is that they can undermine public support and actually create a backlash and even reduce vaccine uptake.” 
 
A primary care pediatrician, Friedman Ross also expressed support for the federal vaccine eligibility guidelines that give K-12 teachers priority over college professors. Although children aren’t super-spreaders, nor widely infected with COVID, she said, they are disproportionately suffering the secondary impacts of the pandemic, namely increased mental health crises and hunger, brought on by school closures and stay-at-home orders.  
 
“We need to get them back into school because they’ve lost a year of learning, and we know that year has actually exacerbated the disparities between those with more resources and those with less resources,” she said.  
 
Addressing how schools and colleges should deal with individuals who object to vaccinations on religious grounds, Kenneth W. Goodman, founder and director of the Miller School’s Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy, noted that mainstream theologians agree that nothing in the New Testament, the Holy Koran, or the Torah says, “don’t wear a mask” or “don’t get vaccinated.”  
 
“In fact, the messages are just the opposite—mainly that we have duties to each other, and you don’t get to pick and choose which ones they are,” said Goodman, who helped create COVID-19 crisis standards of care and drug and vaccine allocation policies. “I have duties to people I have never met simply because I live in the same community as they and they do to me. That’s how public health works. It’s our interlocking sense of obligation.”  
 
Del Rio summed up that communal obligation by saying he preferred to think of reaching herd immunity, the goal of vaccinating enough people to halt the virus’ transmission, as “community immunity”—a message that Weiss and the panelists agreed universities and other employees would be wise to embrace and share.  
 
“You want to protect your community. And every time somebody gets vaccinated, we are protecting our community,” del Rio said. “Getting that concept of community across is, I think, very important.”  
 
In concluding, Dr. Henri Ford, dean of the Miller School, said in times of crisis the physician’s ethical commitment to do what’s best for the individual patient must shift to what’s best for the public health. “Our moral and ethical choice is to do what will maximize the chances of affecting the greatest good for the greatest number,” he said. “Therefore, unless the various inducements proposed by Dr. del Rio result in a high rate of vaccination sufficient to achieve community immunity or herd immunity, as suggested, vaccination should become mandatory.”  
 
But, Frenk emphasized, that will not happen at the University without further discussion. “Tonight’s discussion is meant to help inform the decisions we will make in the coming months,” he said. “Like our colleagues across the country, we ourselves are still deliberating this issue with the health and safety of our community always top of mind.”
 
 
 
ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
The University of Miami is a private research university and academic health system with a distinct geographic capacity to connect institutions, individuals, and ideas across the hemisphere and around the world. The University’s vibrant and diverse academic community comprises 11 schools and colleges serving more than 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students in more than 180 majors and programs. Located within one of the most dynamic and multicultural cities in the world, the University is building new bridges across geographic, cultural, and intellectual borders, bringing a passion for scholarly excellence, a spirit of innovation, a respect for including and elevating diverse voices, and a commitment to tackling the challenges facing our world.
 


Proprietary HIPAA-Compliant System Keeps Older Adults Engaged, Connected and Protected 24/7 with Just Their Voice
 
March 18 2021 – Constant Companion, a fast-growing technology company which integrates its patented, voice-operated, AI-powered platform into popular smart speakers, is introducing Companion 4.0. The company’s purpose-built solutions for older adults and their caregivers facilitate better communication and monitoring of this growing at-risk population, keeping people engaged, connected, and protected.
 
The highlight of this just-released technology is a Smart Router which offers users a plug and play solution for reliable, predictable connections no matter where they live. Simply plug it in, and within 60 seconds, it locates the cellular tower with the strongest connection from over 200 networks. AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and other regional networks are instantly available.  Plus, in bad weather or following a network outage, it automatically finds the next best connection.  The Smart Router also has a battery backup that lasts up to 12 hours. No other router can do this!
 
Companion 4.0 integrates with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to provide a virtual voice assistant, patented voice -activated “Call for Help” which connects a user, in any home emergency, to highly trained, U.S.-based, urgent response agents who will assess your situation and get you the help you need. The system includes equipment for whole-home coverage, built-in high-speed internet connectivity, 24/7 professional monitoring, service, training, and support. It arrives set up and ready to go, so it is easy for the user to simply plug it in. 
 
As part of the monthly subscription service, older adults can use the smart devices for audio and video calls, to access information or entertainment or communicate with family and caregivers – all without knowing how to use a computer or smart phone. Feedback indicates that they feel more connected and engaged when they can request a song, check the weather forecast, set a reminder, or virtually visit with their children and grandchildren.   
 
 
For caregivers in ALFs, nursing homes or homecare agencies, Companion 4.0’s 24/7 communications and monitoring provide added support in the face of the healthcare worker shortage and COVID-19 pandemic.  
 
“Almost everyone has someone they love who may need a bit of help. Our mission at Constant Companion is to make people’s lives better. To do that, we use empathy, data and voice technology to create engaging experiences that are purpose built to keep our clients more engaged, connected and protected, 24/7,” said Mark Gray, the company’s CEO and founder. “I was inspired to create Constant Companion after experiencing first-hand the challenges of caring for my own family. We’re definitely making excellent progress improving care and quality of life.”
 
During the company’s early days, it was selected as a national finalist in AARP’s Caregiver Accelerator Competition for best new technology for seniors, and chosen for participation in the Google Accelerator Program.  Fast forward to today, the company’s integrated voice and video systems are now being used by home care agencies, ALFs and nursing homes in more than 490 counties in the U.S.
 
Gray is a veteran cyber security and technology entrepreneur, inventor, CEO and dealmaker (32 transactions totaling over $340 million) who has spent the past 25 years working in IT security, nanotechnology, microchip development for new and mature companies including for U.S. and British government top secret projects.  Constant Companion was nominated for the Voice of Healthcare award in 2019 and Founder Gray was a keynote speaker for the Voice of Healthcare Summit by Project Voice in 2020. Gray has also presented at the Florida Council on Aging, the 71st AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo and the Longevity, Health & Innovation (LHI) new partnering conference.
 
See Constant Companion – Real Customer Stories:                            https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-2L5xbODP_eb1MBi4x7R1w
 
About:  Constant Companion keeps your loved ones, clients or patients engaged, connected and protected 24/7 – delivering Care That’s Always There. The company’s voice activated systems for home, senior communities or healthcare providers are simple and easy to use, fun, entertaining, and affordable – all without giving up a bit of privacy. Constant Companion develops and provides the ONLY HIPAA-compliant, AI-based (transformational) technology that supports the health and wellbeing of older adults in home care, nursing homes, ALFs and independent living facilities, while also researching the behavior and needs of America’s aging population.  Their systems are already used in more than 490 counties across the country.  For more information, visit www.constantcompanion.com.