Is pineapple safe for dogs? Read Dr. Jeff Werber latest article with Dogster to learn if we can feed the delicious snack to our furry friends!
https://www.dogster.com/dog-food/can-dogs-eat-pineapple
New PBM Model Places Patients First, Delivers Effective Coordination of Care
President Trump Wants to Reduce Patient Out-of-Pocket Costs.
BeneCard PBF’s Expert Clinical Care Coordination Improves Patient Safety and Reduces Costs by Combatting Inappropriate Prescribing.
The Trump administration’s blueprint for improvements to the American healthcare system calls out the need to reduce patient out-of-pocket costs. BeneCard PBF, a privately owned, independent PBM, helps keep costs down for patients and plan sponsors by providing expert clinical coordination of care focused on patient safety.
Each year, the United States spends nearly $1 billion on inappropriate and unnecessary prescribing that puts patients at risk. Adverse drug reactions, often caused by such practices, are a leading cause of hospitalization in the U.S. and can double a patient’s risk of mortality, as well as the length and cost of hospital stays. This, in turn, contributes to the rising cost of healthcare, including patients’ out-of-pocket expenses.
BeneCard PBF reduces these risks and their associated costs by improving the communication between patients, pharmacies and physicians. Founded on the principle of clinical excellence, the company provides clinical management of care that helps members lead healthier lives and reduces the number of inappropriate prescription claims.
Pharmacists at BeneCard PBF act as central liaisons between physicians, pharmacies, members, plan sponsors and specialists involved in patient care. In addition, the company’s advanced claim processing system ensures a high standard of communication by providing real-time, point-of-sale messaging. Working together, BeneCard PBF, pharmacies and healthcare providers can help patients get healthier, sooner and prevent contraindicated and potentially harmful medications from being placed in patients’ hands.
Although transparency and rebate structures have received a great deal of attention in the media and at all levels of government, these issues are symptoms of an industry that must evolve to put patient safety first. BeneCard PBF acts to prevent catastrophic medical complications caused by inappropriate drug utilization. While other PBMs answer to shareholders and Wall Street, BeneCard PBF’s status as an independent, privately owned organization allows it to align with patients’ best interests and plan sponsors’ goals.
BeneCard PBF embraces a patient-first approach that gives members the care they need, leading to fewer health complications and lower overall costs. Its prescription trend results prove the effectiveness of this approach. Although drug costs continue to rise and the PBM industry’s average seven-year prescription trend sits at 47.80%, BeneCard PBF’s seven-year trend is less than half that – just 19.67%. Lower prescription trends equate to savings that compound year after year. BeneCard PBF continually outperforms the industry thanks to its clinically focused, ethical and transparent approach.
BeneCard PBF is a national, full-service pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) that excels in patient-centric care. The company defies industry norms and delivers clinically focused, ethical and purely transparent PBM solutions. To achieve proven lower net costs, the company aligns its interests with its clients’ needs through proactive clinical programs and award-winning customer service. For more information, visit www.benecardpbf.com or contact Hugh Gallagher at 267-605-6428.
Benecard PBF Disrupts PBM Market By Offering Full Pass Through of Rebates
President Trump Proposes PBMs Pass Through at Least 33% of Rebates; BeneCard PBF’s Purely Transparent Model Offers 100% Pass-Through of All Drug Manufacturer Rebates
As national attention focuses more strongly on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and drug costs, the presidential administration has proposed PBMs pass through at least 33% of all rebates collected on drugs covered by Medicare Part D. BeneCard PBF already offers full pass-through of the rebates it receives to its clients.
The call for rebate pass-through is based on concerns that PBMs retain undefined drug rebate amounts for themselves, adding to their profits rather than lowering prices for patients and plan sponsors. BeneCard PBF believes in a more transparent approach to rebates and pharmacy benefit management. The company offers full pass-through arrangements that help plan sponsors clearly see how prescription benefit dollars are being spent. Under BeneCard PBF’s transparent model, clients benefit from immediate impact from negotiated improvements in both drug discounts and rebates.
BeneCard PBF’s clinically focused model keeps patients at the forefront. Members get the right medication for them, not the medications that create profits for the PBM through rebate retention. The company’s experience has proven that a business model driven by patient-centric clinical coordination of care, not rebates, reduces costs.
The result of this focus clearly show in BeneCard PBF’s trend. Lower prescription trends equate to savings that compound year after year. Although drug costs continue to rise, and the PBM industry’s average seven-year prescription trend sits at 47.80%, BeneCard PBF’s seven-year trend is less than half that at 19.67%. Thanks to its clinically focused, ethical and transparent approach combined with adaptable, advanced technology, BeneCard PBF continually outperforms the industry.
BeneCard PBF is a national, full-service Prescription Benefit Manager that excels in patient-centric care. The company defies industry norms and delivers clinically focused, ethical and purely transparent PBM solutions. To achieve proven lower net costs, the company aligns its interests with its clients’ needs through proactive clinical programs and award-winning customer service. For more information, visit www.benecardpbf.com or contact Hugh Gallagher at 267-605-6428.
Former Governor Christie Continues Fight Against Addiction, Opioid Epidemic
Named Executive Chairman of Beach House Center for Recovery
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is continuing his fight against the opioid epidemic by joining the board of Beach House Center for Recovery in Juno Beach, Florida as Executive Chairman. The Center is a nationally recognized drug and alcohol treatment provider that employs a truly unique approach to fighting addiction.
In his leadership role on the board, Christie will offer strategic counsel and insights to effectively combat the opioid epidemic on multiple fronts, in a shared vision with Beach House to make recovery possible for as many addicts as possible. His focus will be to end suffering, help families and strengthen our nation’s workforce and economy. He’ll work with management in reviewing plans, defining issues and maintaining accountability.
For Christie, addiction is a personal issue. In 2006, a law school classmate and close friend overdosed on the lethal combination of opioids and alcohol at age 52. Previously, he had taken part in an intervention with family and friends to try and save his friend’s life, but to no avail. Unfortunately, he witnessed firsthand the devastation addiction wreaks on families. While in office, he worked to pass legislation and provide support for those addicted to opioids. He served as a board member of Daytop Village, a treatment facility in Mendham, NJ and chaired the President’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission until December 2017.
“When I visited Beach House Center for Recovery, I saw that they have what’s missing in addiction services today,” said former Governor Chris Christie. “This facility offers a full breadth of treatment solutions, which are needed for long-term recovery. It is an all-encompassing approach that addresses clinical and medical, stress, self-esteem, mental health, physical aspects, family interventions, pending legal issues, spiritual needs and more. Families must have access to recovery solutions that address the emotional, physical, mental, spiritual and the self-acceptance aspects of addiction, which Beach House uniquely offers.”
“Today, preventing and treating addiction means understanding clients’ personal needs along with a complex set of clinical considerations,” said Anna Ciulla, LMHC, RD, LD and Chief Clinical Officer at Beach House. “Abstinence-based treatment, medically-assisted treatment and adverse childhood experiences must be understood and incorporated into treatment plans, when appropriate, to address the root causes of addiction and generate lasting recovery. Former Governor Christie understands these complexities, and that treatment needs to address underlying core issues while tracking outcomes every step of the way.”
In June 2018, Beach House partnered with BelHealth Investment Partners to accelerate growth and increase exposure for individuals seeking treatment. Harold S. Blue, Managing Partner of BelHealth stated, “We have witnessed Governor Christie’s active involvement in the Substance Use Disorders (SUD) space for many years and we were fortunate enough to make his acquaintance due to our mutual desire to fight the war on opioid addiction. He is passionate about addressing SUDs, but especially in relation to the opioid epidemic currently facing our country, which is evidenced through his leadership on the President’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission. Beach House and BelHealth are elated to be working hand and hand with Christie and look forward to making great strides in medication-assisted treatment and in-network insurance opportunities.”
About Beach House Center for Recovery
Founded in 2014, Beach House Center for Recovery is a nationally recognized drug and alcohol treatment provider offering a full continuum of medical and clinical integrated care to people with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders. A BelHealth portfolio company, the state-of-the-art treatment facility is located on a five-acre recovery campus in the coastal town of Juno Beach, Florida and serves clients from across the nation. Based on an individual client’s needs, the Center offers abstinence-based treatment, as well as medically-assisted treatment (MAT). Its outcomes-based model, which entails coordinating care across the full spectrum of needs/services is unparalleled. The Beach House staff assist clients at all levels including medically managed detox, residential inpatient, outpatient and continuing care phases of recovery. Clients receive highly individualized treatment options within a supportive setting that emphasizes the healing power of love and connection. With long-term recovery outcomes that outperform the industry, Beach House is recognized as a trusted provider of evidence-based addiction treatment and is a center for clinical excellence.
About BelHealth Investment Partners
BelHealth Investment Partners, based in New York, is a healthcare private equity firm focused on lower middle market companies. BelHealth has a unique combination of investing, executive management and entrepreneurial experience. BelHealth acquires majority positions in entrepreneur-owned companies that it believes would benefit from its extensive operating and private equity investment expertise. The firm invests across three core healthcare segments: Services, Products and Distribution. BelHealth is investing from its current $350 million fund.
BeneCard PBF Delivers Purely Transparent PBM Services
Already Exceeds Trump Administration’s Plan for Pharmacy Benefit Managers
The Trump administration recently released its Blueprint in Brief, outlining challenges and key strategies for needed change in the American drug market. The administration has asked for input to inform these actions, and BeneCard PBF welcomes this discussion. In fact, the company has pioneered a transparent PBM model that goes above and beyond the administration’s plan.
Transparency represents a key part of the administration’s plan to lower drug prices. This is the foundation upon which BeneCard PBF was established ten years ago. The company not only offers patient’s real-time detailed pricing information to support decision making, they also encourage annual audits to verify their model and results. This evolved PBM model invites an open dialogue and places patients at the center of coordinated care. The company’s transparent approach and advanced clinical programs eliminate waste and deliver improved health outcomes and cost savings.
As PBMs combine with health plans and get bigger, patients get smaller. Most of the PBM industry focuses on profit-margins, mergers, and acquisitions. BeneCard PBF focuses on people with a unique business model that drives improved health outcomes and immediately passes through savings. The company’s experience has proven that an emphasis on patient-centric clinical coordination of care allows the development of advanced clinical programs that truly focus on improved health outcomes. This personalized health management, made possible by a transparent PBM model that puts people first, contains drugs costs.
BeneCard PBF delivers clinically focused, ethical and transparent pharmacy benefit services. Its advanced technology easily adapts to meet the demands of an ever-changing industry. Although drug costs continue to rise, and the PBM industry’s average seven-year prescription trend sits at 47.80%, BeneCard PBF’s seven-year trend is less than half of that at 19.67%. Lower prescription trends generate savings that compound year over year, and BeneCard PBF continues to outperform the industry.
BeneCard PBF is a national, full-service Prescription Benefit Manager that excels in patient-centric care. The company defies industry norms and delivers clinically focused, ethical and purely transparent PBM solutions. To achieve proven lower net costs, the company aligns its interests with its clients’ needs through proactive clinical programs and award-winning customer service. For more information, visit www.benecardpbf.com, or contact Hugh Gallagher at 267-605-6428.
New Fog-Bubble Machine Debuts
08
May
Only 4-in-1 Machine That Makes Haze, Bubbles, Fog and Fog-Bubbles (“Fobbles”)
Froggy’s Fog, a leading manufacturer of fog, haze, smoke, snow and bubble fluids and equipment announces the introduction of Fobbles, a completely unique, patent-pending machine that makes bubbles, fog, haze and fog-filled bubbles (AKA “Fobbles”). www.fobbles.com.
Fobbles is now available in two models, Consumer and Professional. The Consumer version is portable, lightweight and ideal for birthday parties, home entertaining, weddings, Halloween and Christmas decorating and everyday backyard fun. The Professional unit is ideal for such commercial uses as concerts, amusement and theme parks, family entertainment centers, corporate events, theaters, sporting events, schools and more. Fobbles are environmentally safe, biodegradable, non-toxic and safe for kids!
In November 2017 at the Live Design International (LDI) Show, Froggy’s Fog received Honorable Mention for its innovation with the Fobbles professional machine in the “Best Debuting Product: Special Effects” category.
This new machine has launched through an Indiegogo campaign https://www.fobbles.com/#indiegogo. While both the Consumer and Professional units are currently available for special and promotional events and trade shows, the company plans on enhancing some of the already robust features of these units through the Indiegogo initiative to go into full production. Fobbles has many unique features, such as:
- Multiple Modes: Fog, Haze, Bubbles and Fog Bubbles
- Smart LCD Control – Completely Variable Fog Output, Fan Speed, Blower Speed and Bubble Wand Speed – Complete control of bubble size and fog
- 18pcs RGBAW+UV 6-IN-1 LEDs
- DMX IN and out: 3-pin, 11 DMX Channels, DMX LED Control – 20 Macros, Strobe, Fade
- Heater Core: 1100 Watts, First Warm-Up Time: 5 Minutes
The Professional Model sells for $499 with free shipping to the lower 48 United States.
About Froggy’s Fog
Froggy’s Fog is a national category leader in fog, haze, snow and bubble fluids and the machines that disperse them. Before Froggy’s Fog was started, company cofounder Chris Markgraf noticed the employees and children complaining of an odor and dry eyes after being in fog products used at the Family Entertainment Center he owned and operated. His idea to produce a non-toxic, kid-friendly fog effect, became a reality when he eventually launched Froggy’s Fog with his partner, Adam Pogue. The partners invented a longer lasting fog that was less irritating and made the lasers of laser tag and the lights in the family entertainment center look great. They took this passion for better effects to design superior bubble, haze, snow and now fog-bubble products. The fluids are 100% Made in the U.S. and include lab-grade UV-filtered de-ionized water and pharmaceutical grade ingredients. Using the highest-grade ingredients available significantly limits adverse effects and irritations. The company’s products are not only fun but safe for kids of all ages.
NJ Sharing Network Recognized As One Of New Jersey’s “Best Places To Work”
08
May
NJ Sharing Network, the non-profit, federally designated organ procurement organization responsible for the recovery of organs and tissue in the state, today announced they are among the top 25 Best Places to Work in New Jersey selected by NJBIZ. The Best Places to Work in New Jersey awards program recognizes and honors the state’s top employers who show a dedication to their employees’ professional growth and quality of life.
A range of positives including employee benefits, work-life balance, salary and culture are just a few ways 2018’s Best Places to Work in New Jersey honorees have set themselves apart. Best Places to Work companies are determined through the completion of a Best Places to Work questionnaire as well as an employee survey from Best Companies Group, sister company of NJBIZ. NJ Sharing Network was among 100 small, medium and large-sized companies who were recognized.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in New Jersey. Our staff, volunteers, and most importantly, the donor families and transplant recipients who visit us and share their stories, make our headquarters feel like home,” said Joe Roth, President and CEO of NJ Sharing Network. “As an organ procurement organization, the responsibilities can be emotionally and physically taxing. Our staff, inspired by our mission, always rises to the occasion and we do everything we can to ensure their well-being.”
Christy Sambolin, RN CPTC, Manager of Clinical Donation Services at NJ Sharing Network affirmed this recognition. “I have been working at NJ Sharing Network for 11 years and I can’t imagine being anywhere else,” she said. “I am so proud to be a part of our mission and to know that the work we do is saving lives and helping families heal.”
In 2017, more New Jersey residents gave the gift of live than ever before, resulting in over 550 lives saved. There are currently nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents awaiting a life-saving transplant. Every day, approximately three people are added to the New Jersey waiting list and last year nearly 100 people died while waiting for a transplant. One organ donor can save eight lives and one tissue donor can restore health to over 75 people.
About NJ Sharing Network
NJ Sharing Network saves lives through organ and tissue donation. Located in New Providence, NJ, the organization recovers organs and tissue and belongs to a national network that helps the 115,000 people waiting for a transplant. New Jersey residents can help save lives by registering as organ and tissue donors at www.NJSharingNetwork.org, having a conversation with family and friends and joining NJ Sharing Network at its upcoming events.
2020 Donate Life Transplant Games To Be Held At New Jersey Meadowlands
NJ Sharing Network, along with 12,000 Transplant Recipients,
Living Donors, Donor Families and Supporters to Celebrate Life in July, 2020
Officials from the Transplant Games of America® (TGA) today announced that the New Jersey Meadowlands Community will host the Donate Life Transplant Games from July 17-22, 2020. The Games are a multi-sport festival for individuals who have undergone life-saving transplant surgeries. Competition events are open to living donors, organ transplant recipients, and bone marrow, corneal and tissue transplant recipients. The six-day event includes a full schedule of special events that recognize the success of donation and transplantation while honoring the generosity of donors and their families. The successful bid was a collaboration of local partners led by NJ Sharing Network, the state’s organ procurement organization that saves lives through organ and tissue donation.
“There were many compelling bids to host the Transplant Games but it was clear that the Meadowlands Liberty Convention & Visitors Bureau and NJ Sharing Network were the right partners to make this the best Transplant Games ever. NJ Sharing Network’s leadership enables them to consistently deliver extraordinary results in areas that include education, fundraising, public policy, medical services and more. We know they’ll put that same rigor and excellence behind the Transplant Games,” said Bill Ryan, President and CEO of the Transplant Games of America, an initiative of the Transplant Life Foundation. Ryan added that the Meadowlands offers top-level facilities and unparalleled access to the greater metro New York area. As such, it will attract national and local media, offer a myriad of transportation and logistical options and conveniences. “The Meadowlands location will serve as a magnet for participants and spectators who want to visit local attractions – from the Big Apple to the Jersey Shore,” said Ryan.
The Transplant Games of America will include over 20 competitions as well as a full program of special events. It is anticipated that the 2020 Games will include some unique “winter” competitions as part the of American Dream project.
“The Transplant Games are the ultimate representation of what we stand for: courage, achievement and triumph over adversity,” said Joe Roth, President and CEO of NJ Sharing Network. “These Games will be an awe-inspiring demonstration of the power of life, in some cases literally passed from one participant to the next. They will embrace the entire transplant community – healthcare providers, recipients, donors, donor families, patients waiting for transplants, organizations like ours, and other supporters, in a shared mission to highlight the need for and the life-saving benefits of organ and tissue donation.”
Lead partners include NJ Sharing Network, Hackensack Meridian Health, RWJ Barnabas Health, Novartis, American Dream, Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Meadowlands Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“Hosting the Transplant Games, ‘live from the Meadowlands,’ home of world renowned major sporting events, will not only showcase the incredible competitors but it will elevate the awareness and importance of organ and tissue donation advancing the Donate Life cause. We are extremely honored and proud to be a partner of the 2020 games,” said Jim Kirkos, President and CEO of Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Today there are 115,000 individuals in the United States waiting for a life-saving transplant, and nearly 4,000 are waiting in New Jersey. Nationwide, 20 people die each day waiting for a transplant.
About The Transplant Games of America
The Transplant Games of America® is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to promote organ, eye, and tissue donation, as well as to bring awareness to the tremendous advances in the field of transplantation and in the development of immuno-suppressant drugs in the pharmaceutical industry.
About NJ Sharing Network
NJ Sharing Network saves lives through organ and tissue donation. Located in New Providence, NJ, the organization recovers organs and tissue and belongs to a national network that helps the 115,000 people waiting for a transplant. In 2017, more New Jersey residents gave the gift of life than ever before, resulting in over 550 lives saved. New Jersey residents can help save lives by registering as organ and tissue donors at www.NJSharingNetwork.org, having a conversation with family and friends and joining NJ Sharing Network at its upcoming events.
About the Meadowlands Regional Chamber and the MLCVB
The Meadowlands Regional Chamber (MRC) has a membership of more than 1,100 businesses and advocates for both economic and destination development. The Meadowlands Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau (MLCVB), a division of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber, is the comprehensive destination-marketing channel for travel to the metropolitan New Jersey region. The MLCVB presents its unique sports, entertainment, ecological, cultural and transportation assets as an emerging primary destination as well as an alternative to New York City to attract new and extended visits. The MRC and the MLCVB played crucial roles in bringing the 2014 Super Bowl to the region, and it continues to lead the public debate surrounding issues that will affect the growth of the region.
CELSIUS® Brand Fitness Drink Announces 2018 Presenting Sponsorship Of Tough Mudder’s North America Challenge Series
National Vision Administrators (NVA) Helps NJ Food Pantries Get Fresh Food From Home Gardeners
07
Feb
NVA President, Dave Karlin, Appointed President of AmpleHarvest.org’s Board
National Vision Administrators (NVA), a Clifton, New Jersey-based vision benefits administrator, is partnering with nonprofit AmpleHarvest.org to help home gardeners donate their surplus produce to feed the hungry throughout the state. According to The Feeding America’s 2012 Food Insecurity Report, in New Jersey, the food insecurity rate is at 13%, with 1,141,890 people being “food insecure.” Food insecurity refers to a condition where a lack of access to safe and nutritious food prevents people from living healthy and active lives. The numbers have grown annually as indicated in The Feeding America 2014 study, which noted that 62% of feeding programs in New Jersey saw an increase in demand over the previous year.
NVA’s President, David Karlin is now serving as AmpleHarvest.org’s board president and NVA has donated $10,000.00 to fund the creation of the first national database of food pantries that enables home gardeners to donate excess vegetables and fruits. A pioneering nonprofit, AmpleHarvest.org has created the first ever national registry/database of food pantries to expedite donations from home and community gardeners. NVA is supporting the effort and encouraging other companies to do the same.
According to the Natural Resource Defense Council 2017 report, 50% of our produce is never consumed. Food waste comes from a variety of sources including produce that is discarded by millions of backyard gardeners, estimated to be more than 11 billion pounds based on an analysis by Cisco Systems. Food is wasted because gardeners harvest more than they can use. This excess could feed 28 million people in the U.S. annually. Moreover, food pantries nationwide desperately need fresh food. Each year, they feed 50 million people.
Established in 2009, AmpleHarvest.org helps 42 million home and community gardeners end food waste and hunger by educating and making it easy for them to donate their excess garden produce to one of more than 8,000 nearby food pantries. According to AmpleHarvest.org Founder and Executive Director Gary Oppenheimer, “Our research shows that four out of five gardeners are willing and able to donate produce to a local food pantry but simply don’t know how. Not only does AmpleHarvest.org give home gardeners the information they need to do this, but our new database, which NVA is helping us build, will accelerate these much-needed donations.”
According to NVA President and AmpleHarvest.org Board President, David Karlin, “Corporate sponsorships are vital to completing our state and national databases, which will make donating fresh food that would otherwise go to waste much easier. At its core, AmpleHarvest.org is the community in action. It is individuals across our nation sharing their surpluses to help feed their neighbors in need.” “NVA sees the importance in feeding our neighbors from a health perspective. We know a diet filled with fruits and vegetables is good for our overall health, but researchers have found it can benefit your eyes too. Some fruits and vegetables contain carotenoid compounds such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, and vitamins C and E which are all good for your eyes.”
NVA Helps AmpleHarvest.org Create Database of Food Pantries, Add One
About NVA
National Vision Administrators is the national vision benefits company that created the
NVA Smart Buyer® program, which helps people be smarter buyers of eye care and eyewear. Supporting AmpleHarvest.org will enable home gardeners to be smarter stewards of their bounties. To serve the needs of its clients, NVA is unique in being independently operated and not owned by an optical retail chain or lens/frame manufacturer. NVA provides 24/7/365 live U.S.-based customer service. For more information about the company, contact 1-888-682-2020 or visit www.e-nva.com.
About AmpleHarvest.org
AmpleHarvest.org, Inc. is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization that works to diminish food waste and hunger in America by educating, encouraging and empowering growers to easily find a local food bank eager to receive their excess garden bounty. For more information, visit http://www.AmpleHarvest.org/presskit or call AMPLE-6-9880 (267-536-9880).