October 1st, 2010 by rgreben
Academic Network Educational Panel Session at ADA’s Annual Conference
As food safety comes under the national spotlight, so do recalls of food products. How does a dietitian communicate recall solutions and education to the consumer? Food safety experts and key industry speakers from regulatory, recall, retrieval and crisis management will be on hand to discuss new federal regulations and communications techniques that result in better, faster flow of accurate information.
- Impact of Food Recalls on the Dietitian’s Role
- Monday, November 8, 2010 from 3:30-5:00pm
- Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Room 258 ABC
For the dietitian, and the American consumer at large, keeping abreast of food safety trends and regulations has become a case of information overload. We have access to more information about a food supply that is more highly regulated than ever. The challenge lies in efficient interpretation and channeling of this information, especially when a food-related recall strikes. How does the dietitian get it right?
Academic Network, a Stericycle company, is assembling a panel of industry experts to discuss The Impact of Food Recalls on the Dietitian’s Role at the American Dietetic Association’s Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (#FNCE) on November 8th in Boston, MA. In doing so, Academic Network joins a crowd of over 10,000 dietitians and food industry leaders participating in this annual landmark event.
Food regulatory and nutrition communications leaders Gale Prince and Ilene Smith, RD, compose this education session panel at FNCE, to explore how dietitians can best access, understand, and convey recall-related information. The session is moderated by Presiding Officer Edith Howard Hogan, RD, a Medallion Award winner and former ADA media spokesperson.
Mr. Prince, founder of Your Food Safety Coach, LLC and an industry veteran of food safety and quality control issues, traces developments in food regulation and legislation. He examines the relationship of federal agencies in tracking and regulating the US food supply, providing an overview of the recall classification process. Ilene Smith, Executive Vice President and Director of Food & Nutrition at Porter Novelli, reviews best practices for navigating food safety communications. Ms. Smith highlights new media tools that empower the RD to act as a primary source of accurate information in a recall situation.
We invite you to join us on November 8, from 3:30-5:00pm, in Room 258 ABC at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
About FNCE
Each fall, the American Dietetic Association sponsors the world’s largest meeting of food and nutrition experts - more than 10,000 registered dietitians, nutrition science researchers, policy makers, health-care providers and industry leaders attend the annual meeting - and address key issues affecting the health of all Americans. The annual Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) features more than 100 research and educational presentations, lectures, debates, panel discussions and culinary demonstrations. More than 400 exhibitors from corporations, government and nonprofit agencies showcase new consumer food products and nutrition education materials.
Tags: ADA, Dietitian, FNCE, Food Recall, Food Safety
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June 3rd, 2010 by rgreben
Sharing Health Expertise at Drug Information Association’s 46th Annual Meeting
Join us at the Drug Information Association’s 46th Annual Meeting (#DIA2010) in Washington, DC on June 13-17.
Health experts from Academic Network will be on hand to discuss our expansive portfolio which includes expert pharmacovigilance and recall/retrieval services. “DIA is among the most established trade group in the industry,” said Don Houghton, Director of Contact Center and Online Operations. “There is no better place than the annual conference to get the exposure, build the relationships, and have the kinds of conversations that happen here.”
Academic Network will attend the conference during the exhibition dates of June 14-17. Please contact Rachel Greben 503-432-4650 to arrange a meeting or informational webinar. View our press release: http://pitch.pe/67961.
Tags: #DIA2010, clinical trial recruitment, clinical trial retention, Drug Information Association, pharmacovigilance, recall
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May 25th, 2010 by rgreben
A new study released this month by Battelle, the nation’s largest independent nonprofit research and development organization, traces developments in the bioscience industry on a state-by-state and national level.
Released in collaboration with the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the Battelle/BIO State Bioscience Initiatives 2010 contains the most recent data available and shows that publicly traded bioscience-related companies on the whole generated positive net growth through 2009.
The report is a compendium of national, state and metropolitan data on bioscience employment and growth trends from 2001 to 2008, according to the latest detailed industry data to be released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It also presents a series of key bioscience performance metrics and state policy and program trends that are designed to accelerate the growth of the biosciences.
Oregon has fared well over the past decade. The report found that “The bioscience industry in Oregon has generally outpaced job growth compared with the national sector since 2001. The largest State bioscience subsector is medical devices and equipment (5,565 jobs). Academic bioscience research and development expenditures in Oregon reached $399 million in 2008, led by nearly equal amounts in the biological and medical sciences. Both academic R&D in the biosciences and funding from the National Institutes of Health are well concentrated in Oregon with per capita figures that are above average. NIH baseline funding has increased by 8.7 percent since 2004, and when the additional funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are taken into account this growth rate reaches 30.4 percent. During the last six years, $109 million in venture capital was invested in State bioscience companies, mainly in pharmaceuticals and medical/health information technology. The 879 bioscience patents issued over the same six-year period were well diversified across fields.”
Executive Summary: http://www.bio.org/local/battelle2010/OREGON_profile.pdf
Oregon Report: http://www.bio.org/local/battelle2010/OREGON_profile.pdf
Tags: academic R&D, ARRA, Battelle, BIO, bioscience, NIH, patent
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March 9th, 2010 by rgreben
Social media tools give consumers have an increasingly active voice in monitoring product recalls. How do major brands respond in the face of a recall? This week’s article in the Washington Post considers how companies must deviate from tradition and develop new strategies to respond and communicate to social media-savvy consumers.
Tags: #recall hashtag, consumer forum, product recall
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January 27th, 2010 by rgreben
Clients Choose Academic Network for Health & Medical Expertise and Capability
Portland, Ore.-based Academic Network expanded its portfolio with the addition of two new clients: Blue Chip Patient Recruitment and OncoGenex in the last quarter of 2009. Academic Network will provide clinical trial recruitment services to ensure rapid and cost effective enrollment for Blue Chip and will provide a compliance and assessment program for OncoGenex.
Tags: biopharmaceutical, clinical trial enrollment, clinical trial recruitment, clinical trial retention, compliance and assessment, pharmacecutical clinical applications
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January 8th, 2010 by rgreben
Morningstar, Inc., a leading provider of independent investment research, today named Mark Miller, chairman, president, and CEO of Stericycle Inc. as its 2009 CEO of the Year! Read more.
Tags: mark miller, morningstar, stericycle ceo
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November 23rd, 2009 by rgreben
Medical Experts Enhance the Online Identity of Your Product
Your customers are talking about you online. You want to be fluent in the conversation.
Academic Network, a Stericycle company, has developed an outsourcing online management service targeted to the pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries. The service includes both an online audit and ongoing reputation monitoring by health professionals trained in medicine, nutrition and identifying adverse events. The service is designed to offer companies an outsourcing solution at a fraction of the cost of building and maintaining an online reputation management system in-house.
Clients use Academic Network’s professional social media staff to monitor and engage with others online, thereby enhancing their brand. Academic Network has created an outsourcing model to manage the risk and provide the expertise to help companies not only launch a social media campaign but maintain their reputation online at a fraction of the cost. A successful social media campaign involves dedicated resources to effectively monitor and manage online conversations about a company’s products. Academic Network’s health professionals provide the expertise to assure that any adverse conversations online are brought to the attention of their clients to protect the safety of their products and customers.
Many companies have started to use social media tools but have not considered the overall costs to build and maintain a successful online program. Academic Network offers an outsourcing solution that will add expertise, while reducing overall costs in equipment, software and staff. The savings incurred mirrors that of traditional call center outsourcing, and takes advantage of the shared resources that Academic Network offers.
Tags: call center, health industry, online reputation management, outsourcing, social media program
Posted in News, contact center, health communications | No Comments »
November 4th, 2009 by admin
As the Old Man Winter approaches and the air blows with a chill, summer-loving folk deny the upcoming cold season by continuing to wear sun hats and flip flops. However, with 5% to 20% of the United States population contracting the flu each year, maybe it’s time to consider tube socks instead of tube tops.
This flu season promises to be a particularly harsh one, with the entrance of a new strain of Influenza virus: the H1N1, or “swine” flu. Last week alone, CDC has tested 8,268 people positive for Influenza. All subtyped influenza A viruses being reported to CDC were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses. Whereas the typical flu season starts in late November, making the emergence of the H1N1 virus first influenza pandemic (global outbreak of disease) in more than 40 years. Additionally, the flu season has started earlier than usual, with over 13,000 cases of the flu nationwide since August 30th.
The signs of the H1N1 are quite similar to the Seasonal Flu, requiring a test to differentiate between strains.
Seasonal Flu
All types of flu can cause:
o Fever
o Coughing and/or sore throat
o Runny or stuffy nose
o Headaches and/or body aches
o Chills
o Fatigue Similar to seasonal flu, but symptoms may be more severe.
H1N1 Flu
There may be additional symptoms. A significant number of H1N1 flu cases:
o Vomiting
ο Diarrhea
Source: http://flu.gov/individualfamily/about/h1n1/index.html
For both types of flu, symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Despite this new strain of flu virus, CDC’s recommendations to avoid getting sick remain the same:
ο Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
ο Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
ο Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
ο Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
ο Stay home if you are sick until at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (100°F or 37.8°C) or signs of a fever (without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol®).
ο Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
Additionally, CDC recommends that those at high risk for contracting either type of Influenza virus be vaccinated. Those groups include:
For seasonal flu:
People who should get the seasonal vaccine each year are:
1. Children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday
2. Pregnant women
3. People 50 years of age and older
4. People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
5. People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
6. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
• Health care workers
• Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
• Household contacts and caregivers of children <5 years of age with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children <6 months of age (these children are at higher risk of flu-related complications
For the H1N1 virus, prioritized groups for vaccination include:
1. People with more severe illness, such as those hospitalized with suspected or confirmed influenza
2. People with suspected or confirmed influenza who are at higher risk for complications
• Children younger than 2 years old
• Adults 65 years and older
• Pregnant women
• People with certain chronic medical or immunosuppressive conditions
3. People younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy
So, remember: When Jack Frost comes nipping at your nose, it’s time to bundle up, keep your hands clean, cover your coughs and get your flu vaccine.
Sources
(2009). Questions and Answers Regarding Estimating Deaths from Seasonal Influenza in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/us_flu-related_deaths.htm
(30 October 2009). 2009-2010 Influenza Season Week 42 ending October 24, 2009. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
(1 October 2009) 2009-10 Influenza (Flu) Season: Questions & Answers about the 2009-2010 Flu Season. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/current-season.htm
(16 October 2009) http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2009-2010/weekly40.htm
(2009) H1N1 (Swine Flu). Flu.gov. Retrieved from http://flu.gov/individualfamily/about/h1n1/index.html#prevent
(16 October 2009). Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/protect/keyfacts.htm
(23 September 2009). Questions & Answers: Antiviral Drugs, 2009-2010 Flu Season. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/antiviral.htm
Tags: CDC, H1N1, immunization, influenza, swine flu
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October 26th, 2009 by rgreben
Today’s article in the TimesOnline (London, UK) asks “Is salt really the Devil’s ingredient?” Focusing on a recent piece in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), the article questions the growing portrayal of salt as a primary dietary culprit. The CJASN article, coauthored by Dr. David McCarron, questions the regulation of sodium consumption through public policy, stating that science must ultimately determine the matter.
Tags: CJASN, dietary sodium, health, salt
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July 22nd, 2009 by rgreben
Maybe you were affected by the recent peanut butter recall, or last year’s pet food recall, or the holiday toys recalled for lead poisoning. Perhaps you take prescription medications that affected you adversely. As a consumer, you may own or have ingested a product that has been — or will be — recalled because of safety issues. Finding out about recalls can be challenging due to the large number of products available and the lack of a consistent method for manufacturers to reach consumers.
So, how do you keep up with all of these product recalls that could be harmful or even fatal? Most people want to know as soon as possible whether they could be in harm’s way because of a recent purchase. The news media will typically cover such episodes but is it fast enough to get the word out? There are options. You can register your new product if it is a consumer good or check out the company’s website or blogs.
The downside to surfing websites is you have to keep returning to them for updated information. That’s why the government’s electronic notification system is so handy — you can sign up for all notifications, or you can specify a particular type of recall. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll receive an e-mail asking you to confirm your subscription by replying to the message. Whenever a product manufacturer or a government agency issues a recall, you’ll immediately receive an alert. If you want a blanket subscription — where you get all recall e-mails from the CPSC, FDA or USDA — go to www.recalls.gov and type your e-mail address in the boxes shown. If you suspect that you have become ill or harmed by a product, you may report an adverse event online directly to the agency through this website that has links to all agencies governing recalls. While some manufactures have a toll free number to report an adverse event, we encourage you to report directly on line too.
Another great way to keep abreast of recalls is Twitter and blogs. If you tweet, use hashtags such as #recalls, #FDA, #,food, #pharma and #foodsafety to keep abreast of the current tweets. Blogs such as http://recallnotification.blogspot.com are a good resources too. A product recall situation can be an opportunity to demonstrate a high level of commitment to your customer.
National manufacturers of food & beverage, consumer products and pharmaceuticals rely on the Pearl’s own Academic Network, a Stericycle company, to handle adverse event reporting during a recall. Academic Network’s 300- seat capacity call center staffed by trained medical professionals provides adverse event reporting outsourcing services to companies that need additional support during a crisis. In addition to adverse event reporting, Academic Network’s staff of registered nurses, dietitians and highly-trained general operators provide consumer affairs support to the food and pharmaceutical industries for consumer information toll free lines and patient recruitment. The firm’s collective experience provides the ability to respond quickly with acute knowledge and sensitivity to your customers in the event of a product recall or adverse event situation. Call us at 503.228.3217 or visit www.academicnetwork.com.
Tags: CPSC, FDA, recall, USDA
Posted in adverse event monitoring, adverse event reporting, recall | No Comments »
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