CW Hall Archives - Page 23 of 30

Small Business Administration

February 10, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

Small Business Administration

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Small Business Administration

This week I hosted Small Business Administration’s Southeast Regional Administrator, Cassius Butts and Sherry Kinard, Vice President and Manager of Government Guaranteed Lending of Brand Bank. They came by the studio to talk about their State of the Region event held the previous week where they shared information about the variety of indicators that show the economy of the Southeast is on the rise.

As the SBA’s media announcement of the State of the Region Address announcement quoted Cassius, “I am honored to present the SBA Inaugural State of the Region Address. This regional event is timely and encouraging to our economy as we have backed $4.5 billion in loans in the Southeast Region this past fiscal year. Our financial economic forecast looks promising and I am excited to portray where we are now and how we plan to influence our small businesses and lending institutions looking forward,” says Regional Administrator Butts. The regional address will present successes and new data from Region IV of the SBA: Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Sherry talked about how Brand Bank partners with Small Business Administration to help small businesses gain access to capital needed to make their businesses run. We talked about the variety of mentoring services available for entrepreneurs that will link them up with experienced, successful business executives who can help them craft an effective business plan and insure they have their proposal in order before seeking a small business loan.

We’re pleased to support the business community by giving them a voice in the media through which they can tell their stories and move their businesses forward. And we are happy to collaborate with the Small Business Administration to help them share information that can help entrepreneurs gain access to resources (many of which are free of charge) that can help them have a greater chance of succeeding.

Special Guests:

Cassius Butts, Regional Administrator, Small Business Administration’s Southeastern Region

Masters, Public Administration, Urban Administration, Clark Atlanta University
Fellowship, Presidential Management Fellow, US Office of Personnel Management
Advisor, South Cobb Redevelopment Council
Former Branch Chief, Real Estate Division, US Department of Housing and Urban Development

Sherry Kinard, VP and Manager of Government Guaranteed Lending, Brand Bank

BA, History, Clark Atlanta University
Former AVP, Small Business Lending, One Georgia Bank
Board Member, DEBCO
Recipient, 2008 SBA Pace Setter Award

Innovations in Heart Health

February 4, 2015 by angishields

Health Connect South

Innovations in Heart Health

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Innovations in Heart Health

This week, for Week 5, we focused on innovations in heart health. Emory physician, researcher, and professor, Dr. Omar Lattouf came by to share about research he’s been working on developing new techniques for some challenging heart disorders, and an exciting project he’s working on that is aimed at reducing the number of patients who die from cardiometabolic syndrome. Dr. Lattouf’s work on how conduction problems are treated by insertion of pace makers using a minimally-invasive approach has helped improved outcomes for countless critically-ill patients. Dr. Lattouf talked about their soon-to-launch study on an application designed to help patients with, or at risk for, cardiometabolic syndrome. The application will empower patients to track key vital signs and other health information and make decisions that will improve key factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, and more. As Dr. Lattouf shared his personal story about his own family’s experience with heart disease, his passion for helping fight heart disease, which in large part is preventable, was obvious.

Robert Arkin, CEO and Founder of Sensiotec joined us to talk about the way they are using technology and health data to provide clinicians the ability to monitor key vital signs and patient movement patterns in a hands-off way. He talked about how he has long held a desire to help his community on a large scale that he knew that being involved in developing healthcare innovations provides the best way to do that. Robert described how their device uses a special radar technology that is able to measure body movements and even internal organ function, providing real-time vital signs and patient movement patterns. Their technology’s algorithms enable providers to get a degree of predictive information that could potentially help avoid patient falls/injury, or even detect troublesome trends in vital signs that could enable proactive care decisions that could prevent a serious cardiovascular event.

These two health innovators discussed the additional resources they need that could facilitate the acceleration of their respective work with regard to making their solutions available to patients on a larger scale. We are pleased to support their work by helping them tell their story.

Special Guests:

Dr. Omar Lattouf, MD, of Emory University School of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
Board Certified, American Board of Surgery, American Board of Thoracic Surgery
Performed Georgia’s first domino heart transplant
He and a colleague implanted the state’s first Abiomed biventricular assist system to support the failing heart of a patient suffering from post-cardiotomy shock

Robert Arkin, CEO of Sensiotec

Juris Doctor, University of Virginia School of Law
Recipient, 2012 Atlanta Business Chronicle Healthcare Heroes Award for Healthcare Innovation
Fomer CEO, Chairman, Modavox, Inc.
Former Member, Board of Directors, Frontline Healthcare Workers Safety Foundation

SoundRiver Advisors and Emerging Artist Network

February 3, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

SoundRiver Advisors and Emerging Artist Network

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SoundRiver Advisors and Emerging Artist Network

This week we sat down with experts from SoundRiver Advisors and Emerging Artist Network. Bo Wilkins, one of the experts from SoundRiver Advisors who focuses on insurance strategies and solutions came back on and introduced us to Dave Sutton of Emerging Artist Network. Dave brought along his partner, well-known guitarist, Peter Stroud. SoundRiver Advisors is an Atlanta firm whose team is made up of investment finance, insurance, and tax experts. They work with privately-held companies to help them plan compensation packages for key executives as well as position themselves for generational transition.

Bo introduced me to Dave Sutton, who along with Peter Stroud and Dan Lipson, had started a technology company called Emerging Artist Network. With his extensive background as a marketing expert with TopRight Partners charged with helping companies expand their brands’ awareness, he saw an opportunity to fill a void in the entertainment industry. Dave has leveraged this experience with brand development and marketing with a passion for music to help develop a technology platform that utilizes a collection of data points about emerging bands as well as brands. The data enables Emerging Artist Network to use gamification and analytics to match brands seeking to grow to emerging artists whose data profile and band dynamic matches the picture for that particular brand. Peter Stroud has been a touring musician with a long list of artists such as Sheryl Crow, Sara McLaughlin, Don Henley, Peter Droge, and numerous others. He co-founded the boutique amplifier company, “65amps“, whose amps are used by a host of accomplished artists as well.

Dave and Peter talked about how challenging the music business is now for artists to make money on their music, outside of touring. In today’s digital age that has changed the way fans purchase music, royalties have declined significantly. That means emerging artists must look for sources of revenue to support their creative efforts and recording costs through such channels as strategic relationships with brands willing to sponsor their work. Peter talked about how securing sponsorship has often had a negative stigma in the music industry among artists, being viewed as “Selling out”. Emerging Artist Network seeks to get to know a band, their style/genre, and their listeners and using innovative algorithms, they’re able to match artists with brands who are looking to include musical acts in their brand awareness campaigns. As Peter and Dave described, they seek to let the bands they work with be who they are rather than seeking to change them to fit a sponsor. I look forward to having them back on the show to feature a delighted brand they were able to link up with a band.

Special Guests

Bo Wilkins, Partner, SoundRiver Advisors

Former Executive Managing Director, Wealth Management, Reliance Trust Company
Former Partner, Nease, Lagana, Eden, & Culley
BA, History & German, Hampden-Sydney College
CLU – Chartered Life Underwriter; ChFC – Chartered Financial Consultant; CAP – Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy

Dave Sutton, CEO/Co-Founder of Emerging Artist Network

MBA, Marketing, George Washington University
Published Author
President/CEO, TopRight Partners

Peter Stroud, Co-Founder/ Artist Relations of Emerging Artist Network

Guitarist, Musical Director for Sheryl Crow
Co-Founder/Partner, 65amps
Founder of the band, Big Hat

Mitochondrial Diseases and Hyperbaric Medicine – Top Docs Radio

January 30, 2015 by angishields

Top Docs Radio

Mitochondrial Diseases and Hyperbaric Medicine - Top Docs Radio

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Mitochondrial Diseases and Hyperbaric Medicine

This week I sat down with experts in the fields of mitochondrial diseases and hyperbaric medicine. Each cell in our body has an “engine” where the nutrition we consume through eating is converted to the energy we need to function and survive. These engines are known as “Mitochondria”. These cellular components use genetic code to function and on occasion there will be problems with the genetic code or with how it is decoded. In these cases, a variety of health problems can reveal themselves, depending on what sort of tissue is made up by these cells in question. These can range from challenges with learning, developmental problems, or disease states such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Muscular Dystrophy, and others. Dr. John Shoffner, neurologist and geneticist of Medical Neurogenetics came by with Laura Stanley of the Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine.

We talked about the research Dr. Shoffner is doing in an effort to find medical therapies that could help patients who are dealing with the variety of disorders caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. We talked about how challenging it can be to identify a health problem(s) that are caused by mitochondrial disease unless a patient’s family is fortunate enough to be seen by a physician familiar with the genetic tests that can be utilized to diagnose them.

As described by the Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine, “Every aspect of our beings – seeing, breathing, thinking, moving – requires energy. Mitochondria, often called the cells’ “powerhouses,” supply that energy by turning raw materials found in the food we eat and in the air we breathe into a substance called ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which our cells can use as fuel. ATP is, quite simply, vital to life. Without enough ATP, children cannot appropriately develop, grow, learn, move, or even sleep. Adults without enough ATP are unable to sustain brain, muscle, and other vital organ function. A deficit of ATP can also cause invisible damage in some disease states, leading to early failure or dysfunction of organs, or just a chronic state of inefficiency leading to pain, fatigue, changes or limitations in thinking and learning, and increased susceptibility to acquired diseases.”

Laura and Dr. Shoffner shared how they are working to improve awareness of mitochondrial diseases and through research, uncover treatments to halt or at least slow the effects of these diseases. The ultimate goal is to find a way to prevent or reverse these problems.

Dr. Helen Gelly joined us to talk about a recent article she co-authored with Dr. Caroline Fife in Today’s Wound Clinic, called, “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Wound Care: A Service Under True Pressure“. In the article, Dr. Gelly and Dr. Fife talked about how numerous Medicare Administrative Contractors and Commercial insurers are making changes to indications they are willing to reimburse hyperbaric oxygen therapy for. That means that patients with wounds that place them at risk for amputation or for degraded quality of life due to previous radiation therapy may not be able to receive this evidence-based, effective treatment. We talked about how in some cases where the providers in a given MAC were asked for clinical documentation of their HBO treatments provided, as many as 30% failed to respond. Dr. Gelly shared how this lack of response leads to suspicions of fraud.

It was clear from the Today’s Wound Clinic article and from our conversation that hyperbaric medicine specialists must begin to activate and collaborate to protect this evidence-proven treatment modality. HBO providers need to not only be responsive to requests for data but ACTIVE as it relates to advocating on behalf of educated decisions being made as it relates to the availability of the modality for tomorrow’s patients in need.

Special Guests:

Dr. John Shoffer, MD, CEO of Medical Neurogenics

Former Associate professor of neurology and molecular medicine at Emory University
Former Director of the molecular diagnostics program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Discovered some of the first gene mutations causing mitochondrial diseases and one of the first genes causing epilepsy
Finalist, 2012 Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Health-Care Heroes Awards

Laura Stanley, of Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine

IMBA, University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business
Former Senior Associate, Korn Ferry
Former Vice President, EzGov
Parent of a child with mitochondrial disease

Dr. Helen Gelly, MD of HyperbaRXs

Doctor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
Internship/Residency: Pediatrics/Emergency Medicine at Emory University Affiliated Hospitals
Board Certified in Emergency Medicine
Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians
Fellow of the American College of Certified Wound Specialists
Subspecialty Certified Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine

Alzheimer’s Research

January 28, 2015 by angishields

Health Connect South

Alzheimer's Research

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Alzheimer’s Research

This week we sat down with experts in neurologic diseases and alzheimer’s research. According to the CDC,

In 2013, as many as 5 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s disease.¹
The symptoms of the disease first appear after age 60 and the risk increases with age.
Younger people may get Alzheimer’s disease, but it is less common.
The number of people with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65.
By 2050, this number is projected to rise to 14 million, a nearly three-fold increase.¹

This devastating disease currently has no cure. In our ongoing mission to get the word out about important research and health solutions available in our community we focused this week on studies and solutions that will likely have a marked impact on patient outcomes.

We were joined by Dr. Marshall Nash, a neurologist whose practice is focused on investigating a variety of diseases of the brain, including alzheimer’s disease, stroke, Parkinson’s disease and others. He shared his personal story of how as a teenager he learned a family member was developing dementia and at the time there was essentially nothing that could be done for them. He talked about how the experience potentially influenced his decision to focus on neurology as his clinical field in medical school. His practice has transitioned from a neurology practice to one focused on research. We discussed the Tommorrow Study, in which they are looking to find older adults from 65-83 who are in essentially good health that they can evaluate for potential to develop dementia/alzheimer’s as well as effectiveness of medications to slow/prevent progression if it does occur.

We also spoke with a gentleman in studio whose wife has been a participant in a study with Dr. Nash’s practice, and who has since learned that he also carries genetic markers that place him at risk for alzheimer’s/dementia. He shared his perspective on how being a part of Dr. Nash’s research helped him and his wife. He gave advice to folks in the community to talk about changes in mental function/memory with their physicians and his view on the value of knowing if you or a loved one is at risk for developing alzheimer’s/dementia.

Jim Schwoebel, co-founder of Neurolaunch came by to talk about their organization that serves as an incubator/accelerator for start-ups focused on addressing neurologic diseases. Neurolaunch helps device companies, emerging pharma, and researchers commercialize their ideas to help get them to the community more quickly. Jim talked about how long it can take to go from idea/research to a product or medication to reach the community in need these solutions serve. He introduced us to Alex Turjman, CEO of Cognition Medical.

Cognition Medical is a company developing a device to be used in treating acute strokes. We know that during the acute phase of stroke, the area of damage can be extended in some patients when blood flow is re-established quickly (called reperfusion injury). Their device helps modulate the rate that blood flow is resumed to the injured area of the brain, preventing the reperfusion injury from occurring. Alex shared how interfacing with Neurolaunch has helped them make progress on the development of their device, bringing them closer to making the device available to patients in need.

Special Guests:

Dr. Marshall Nash, MD, of Neurostudies.net

Jim Schwoebel, Co-founder of Neurolaunch

Alex Turjman, CEO of Cognition Medical

Bob B., Significant Other of an Alzheimer’s patient

Sleep Disorders – Top Docs Radio

January 23, 2015 by angishields

Top Docs Radio

Sleep Disorders - Top Docs Radio

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Sleep Disorders

It is estimated that as many as 35-40% of Americans experience poor quality of sleep secondary to a variety of sleep disorders. We continued our series with Northside Hospital this week as I sat down with Sleep Medicine specialist, Dr. Robert Albin. We talked about the statistics around sleep disorders and Dr. Albin discussed the serious accidents that have occurred that are thought to be related to sleep deprivation. Some of those include: Three Mile Island, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Chernobyl, a recent ferry accident in NYC, and more.

Dr. Albin shared how poor quality and low quantities of sleep can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, poor mental function, depression, and others. We talked about the process sleep specialists go through to determine the source of a person’s sleep disorder. In many cases, the issue is borne out of mental or emotional stress rather than a physical/neurological issue. In those cases the sleep specialist will collaborate with a psychology/psychiatry specialist to help work through those causative issues.

For patients who have a sleep disorder related to brain chemistry/function or an obstructive process such as obstructive sleep apnea, the specialists have specialized tests they can conduct to determine the quality of sleep and determine the cause of the problem. The sleep specialty team at Northside offers a variety of diagnostic studies/treatments and it was the first sleep center of its kind in the city. For our listeners who are themselves or their loved ones are experiencing difficulty sleeping please take a listen to this week’s show and share it! You might help someone you care about.

Special Guest:

Dr. Robert Albin, MD, of North Atlanta Pulmonary and Sleep Specialists

Board Certified, Pulmonology, Internal Medicine, and Sleep Medicine
Doctorate of Medicine, Cum Laude, Emory School of Medicine
Associate Medical Director of NAPS Center for Sleep disorders
Medical Director for Peachtree Road Race and Atlanta Marathon
Past President and current Board member of the Medical Association of Atlanta

Diabetes Prevention Planning Team

January 21, 2015 by angishields

Health Connect South

Diabetes Prevention Planning Team

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Diabetes Prevention Planning Team

According to the CDC, as many as 28 million Americans have diabetes. And as many as 1:4 of them do not realize they have it. That means today, potentially almost 10% of the US population are dealing with this chronic disease that puts them at risk for a myriad of health problems (many of them deadly), including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, limb loss due to amputation, poor healing after surgery, greater risk for infections, and more. It’s clearly a serious problem. And, with an ever-growing number of obese persons in the country, including a concerning number of young people, these statistics are likely to grow. In light of these sobering facts, a number of key players within the community from government agencies to health care providers, and innovative companies are beginning to put significant effort into preventing diabetes. In Atlanta, the Diabetes Prevention Planning Team is a group of forward-thinking executives, health experts, and political officers who are joining together to do just that.

This week we were joined in studio by Dr. Luci Ide, CEO of Rimidi Diabetes, and Karl Smith, PhD, Project Manager of Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential (GCAPP). Rimidi Diabetes is a health technology company that has developed and launched an application that enables diabetes patients to track and share key health-related data points with the clinicians guiding their care. With this information, the patients and providers are able to better monitor glucose levels and other indicators and determine how behavioral and medical treatment changes are impacting the patient’s condition. Luci is one of the team members for the Diabetes Prevention Planning Team and she talked about how increasing awareness of the disease and how it can be prevented are important facets of combating diabetes. She used the analogy of a bath tub, where how quickly it fills is determined by how much water flows out of the drain (patients dying as a result of the disease) versus how much is flowing in from the faucet (new diabetes patients). She went on to discuss the fact that today, more patients are living longer and managing their diabetes better than in the past. Our next challenge is to begin to decrease the number of new patients developing diabetes in populations where it can be prevented.

Karl Smith, also a member of the Diabetes Prevention Planning Team, shared how GCAPP is working to engage faith-based organizations in Atlanta communities that have populations that are at a high genetic risk for developing diabetes in an effort to educate young people who live there on how and why they can reduce their risk. He talked about how these communities tend to be “gymnasium deserts”, having few if any facilities that would allow kids to be physically active in a safe place. He went on to share how these communities also tend to have limited availability of quality whole foods that are healthy choices that decrease risk of obesity and are more heart-/diabetes-friendly.

Our discussion focused on how the Diabetes Prevention Planning Team is working to pull more resources together to help reduce the rate of new diabetes patients in our communities. We talked about how public service announcements are being put together by the county government, and how their team needs access to funding to support web development, additional PSA information, and more manpower to help handle some of the work necessary to grow the network of support/collaboration. We hope our listeners share this information so that we can have a significant impact on this disease that is costly in its effect on our community’s health as well as financially.

Special Guests:

Dr. Luci Ide, MD, PhD, CEO of Rimidi Diabetes

MD/PhD Emory University
Residency, Obstetrics-Gynecology, Magee-Womens Hospital
2014 Recipient, Ross Baird Award for Excellent, Village Capital
Former Associate, Monarch Capital Partners

Mark Smith, PhD, Program Manager of Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential

Doctor of Health Education, A.T.Still University of Health Sciences
MS, Exercise Science and Health Promotion, California University of Pennsylvania
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Exercise Is Medicine Specialist, American College of Sports Medicine

Diana Keough, CEO/Founder of ShareWIK.com

Journalism Instructor/Guest Lecturer, Emory University
Member, Koles College of Business Advisory Board, Kennsaw State University
Former Front Page Series Writer, The Plain Dealer
Former Reporter/Commentator, WKSU
Co-author, “Building a Business, Building a Life: The Incredible Life of a Woman Business Owner”

Profitability Revolution Paradigm

January 20, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

Profitability Revolution Paradigm

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Profitability Revolution Paradigm

This week we hosted Ruth King, CEO/Founder of Profitability Revolution Paradigm, a New Media, internet-based TV station in the Atlanta area. The focus of the content, which now runs 24/7/365, is on information that will help business owners better manage their small businesses and achieve maximum profitability. Ruth, who has started and built at least 7 businesses over the last 30 years, shared common mistakes and misperceptions business owners have that can leave them blind to the true financial status of their companies. One of these mistakes occurs when business owners don’t review their balance sheet each month to insure data is correctly entered and key financial indicators are showing positive trends. By performing this simple procedure, which literally takes minutes, the entrepreneur can identify negative trends or opportunities to improve efficiencies that lead to greater profitability.

Ruth talked about her book, The Courage to Be Profitable, published in 2013. In her book she shows entrepreneurs the activities they should make routine that will take them ~30 mins./month that will make them better able to make decisions about their business. She covers the difference between cash and profits, talks about important ratios found on the Profit & Loss sheet or Balance sheet that indicate the health of the business, and many other important factors that a business own can benefit from knowing about. Ruth shared some descriptions of the types of shows airing on the network as well as the subscription-based instructional content available on their site, profitabilityrevolution.com.

Special Guest:

Ruth King, CEO/Founder of Profitability Revolution Paradigm

MBA, Finance, Georgia State University J. Mack Robinson College of Business
CEO, Business Ventures Corporation
Author, The Courage to be Profitable
Founder of 7 businesses over 30 years

Medical Association of Georgia’s 2015 Legislative Priorities – Top Docs Radio

January 14, 2015 by angishields

Top Docs Radio

Medical Association of Georgia's 2015 Legislative Priorities - Top Docs Radio

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Medical Association of Georgia’s 2015 Legislative Priorities

This week I sat down with Dr. Michael Green and Marcus downs of MAG to discuss Medical Association of Georgia’s 2015 legislative priorities. We talked about several issues that have a serious impact on both patient outcomes as well as Georgia physicians’ ability to provide care. Some key areas of focus this year include Physician Autonomy/Scope of Practice relating to physician-extending providers such as optometrists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, Third Party Payers, Tort Reform, and Patient Access to Care/Physician Shortage.

Dr. Greene and Marcus shared important information about how the year’s priorities are decided upon from how they’re raised as issues, to how they are elevated through committee to final discussion/determination. They also talked about how valuable it is to have active participation in the process by the members of MAG. We discussed the ways that MAG members are able to contribute input on the process and identification of issues for the association to consider.

Marcus and Dr. Greene also talked about some important legislative issues MAG has been able to provide input on that helped shape or revise laws affecting how physicians provide care within the state of Georgia.

Special Guests:

Dr. Michael Greene, Chairman, Council on Legislation, MAG

Doctorate of Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine
Former President of MAG, 2003-’04
Board Member, Secure Health Plan of Georgia
Practicing Family Practice Physician, Macon, GA

Marcus Downs, Director of Government Relations, MAG

Recipient, 2012, Outstanding Advocate Award, National Association of School Psychologists
National Institutes of Health Research Fellow, 2000
Former Director, Government Relations/External Coalitions/Research, Georgia Association of Educators