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Innovative Health Technology

August 17, 2015 by angishields

Health Connect South

Innovative Health Technology

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Bailey Ernstes, Jake Kazlow, and Jim Sullivan talk innovative health technologies

Innovative Health Technology

On this episode of Health Connect South Radio we featured two Atlanta companies developing innovative health technology. We hosted Monitor Med Solutions and HealPros to learn about the respective problems their solutions solve.

Monitor Med Solutions was founded by several Georgia Tech students to create a device that would use bluetooth technology to give hydrocephalus patients real-time monitoring data regarding their intracranial pressure via their mobile devices. Bailey Ernstes and Jake Kazlow, two of the co-founders, joined us to talk about their project.

As Bailey shared, as many as 1:500 babies are born with hydrocephalus, an abnormally-high intracranial pressure caused by a disruption in the normal flow of cerebral spinal fluid. These patients require that a shunt be implanted that will facilitate modulation of the intracranial pressure and prevent the numerous neurological problems and even death that can occur when pressure rises or falls beyond certain limits.

The challenge for these patients and their families is that the shunt technology itself has not evolved much since its inception. And, the shunts fail at a rate of roughly 40% of the time, typically due to occlusion. In most cases, the only way the patients discover there is a problem is when they begin to show symptoms of increased pressure.

Monitor Med Solutions, an Atlanta-based start-up has developed a device that interfaces with the intracranial shunt and contains a bluetooth transmitter. This enables the user to get pressure readings via an app on their mobile device, potentially allowing them to seek care before neurologic symptoms occur and/or preventing unnecessary ER admissions to seek care.

Jim Sullivan is CEO of HealPros. This company saw a need for closing the gap in preventive care for patients with diabetes. The diabetic population is at risk for blindness due to retinal damage that is caused by chronically-elevated glucose levels. It can take years of asymptomatic progression of the retinal damage for visual changes to occur. Because of this, many patients do not bother to seek out the recommended annual exams that could identify problematic changes early enough to do something about it.

HealPros utilizes teleimaging capabilities coupled with on-site technologists who can do exams in a physician’s office or even a patient’s home. The company partners with health plans and physician offices to coordinate visits with patients and conduct the necessary eye exam.

They then communicate results to patient, doctor, and health plan company and can help facilitate getting access to appropriate advanced care if an abnormality is found.

Special Guests

Bailey Ernstes, CEO of Monitor Med Solutions

BS Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
National Merit Scholar
Campoamor Study Abroad Scholarship Recipient
Previous Research Assistant, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Jake Kaslow, Co-founder and CTO of Monitor Med Solutions

BS Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Jim Sullivan, CEO of HealPros

BA, MA, Economics & Finance, State University of New York at Binghamton
Business Professionals Course, Linguistics and Business Philosophy, The Aji Network
Former Analyst, Goldman Sachs
Previous Owner, Medical Imaging Specialists

Dr. Jordan Amadio with NeuroLaunch

April 27, 2015 by angishields

This Just In

Dr. Jordan Amadio with NeuroLaunch

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Guest Dr. Jordan Amadio Neurosurgery Resident Physician and Startup Founder of NeuroLaunch. Justin and Jordan discusss Neurolaunch. NeuroLaunch is the world’s first accelerator program for early-stage startups related to neuroscience.

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

Denise Reese with Endava, Dr. Jordan Amadio with NeuroLaunch and Ashley Wells with Atlanta Ad Club

September 18, 2014 by angishields

Atlanta Business Radio

Denise Reese with Endava, Dr. Jordan Amadio with NeuroLaunch and Ashley Wells with Atlanta Ad Club

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Denise Reese / Endava

Denise Reese is Director, Business Development with Endava (US) LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endava UK Limited, a leading IT Services and Consulting firm with operations in London, Germany The US and Central Eastern Europe. In her role, Denise leads sales and operations for Endava’s newest US office in Atlanta, GA.

Denise has spent more than a decade in Sales and Strategic Alliances for several major IT Services and Software organizations and has held positions both in The United States and Europe. Her experience spans multiple disciplines including Identity and Access Management, IT Security and Regulatory Compliance Management. Denise has built a brand rooted in developing trusted advisor relationships with her

clients. This, coupled with a keen ability to build repeatable and sustainable revenue generating opportunities, has afforded Denise with the opportunity to achieve significant milestones for the firms she’s worked with.

During her tenure with Wipro Technologies, a leading IT Services, Consulting and Business Process Outsourcing Organization headquartered in Bangalore, India, she secured Wipro’s 1st and largest Hospitality Client in the US and was a multi -million dollar contributor to the RCTG (Retail, CPG, Transportation and Government) Business Unit.

Denise holds an MBA in Strategic Management from The Henley Business School in The United Kingdom. Her dissertation research focused on the importance of businesses adapting a sound IT Security and Risk policy. During her MBA Program, she completed her International Business Experience in Hong Kong. This allowed her the opportunity to analyze and provide strategic direction to Asia-Pacific companies in multiple industries including Manufacturing, Retail, and Public Sector.

Denise is passionate about serving in the community and embodies the qualities of a true Servant Leader. She served as Board Chair of the University Community Academy Board of Directors from 2009-2012. She is currently President of The Women in Technology (WIT) Foundation Board, the philanthropic arm of Women In Technology, Inc. Additionally, she serves as Executive Advisor to WIT’s “WIT on Campus ” Program and is also responsible for developing Strategic Relationships for The WIT Foundation. Denise also had the honor of being a contributing author to WIT’s leadership book CLIMB: Leading Women in Technology Share Their Journey’s to Success. Denise also serves on the Board of Directors for Cool Girls, Inc. where she has held positions as both Board Development and Resource Development Chair. She was also Event Chair for Cool Girls’ signature fundraiser, Hot Pink Party 2013. She had the privilege of being a 2012 Girls, Inc. “Strong Smart and Bold” Award Nominee and was recently bestowed the honor of serving on the Judges Panel for Distinguished Young Women’s (formerly Junior Miss) 2013 National Finals.

Denise was a Founding Board Member and Director of Development for the Greater Atlanta Professional Chapter of Women MBA’s International, formerly known as NAWMBA -National Association of Women MBA’s. Recently, Denise was inducted into the Financial Times/European Business School’s Women on Board Initiative, “Global Board Ready Women.” This groundbreaking program is a global database of 8000 high achieving women in business and supports greater gender diversity on publicly quoted company boards in Europe. Denise is also a member of the National MS Society of Georgia’s MS Leadership 2014 Class.

Dr. Jordan Amadio / NeuroLaunch

Dr. Jordan Amadio, MD, MBA is Co-Founder of NeuroLaunch, the world’s first accelerator program for early stage neuroscience startup companies. He is also a senior neurosurgery resident at Emory University.

He received an undergraduate honors degree in biophysics from Princeton, where he was awarded the Kusaka Memorial Prize in Physics. He earned his M.D. from Harvard Medical School in conjunction with the physician-scientist training curriculum (Division of Health Sciences and Technology) at M.I.T., where his thesis concerned a novel genetic basis of human cerebral cortex development. In 2010, he earned an M.B.A. with Distinction from Harvard Business School, where he focused on life science entrepreneurship and best practices for health care innovation.

Here in Atlanta, Dr. Amadio has been a passionate advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration between medicine, engineering, and startups. He serves as a Biomedical Engineering senior design advisor at Georgia Tech, where he has mentored the creation of new inventions to improve the lives of patients and health providers. As Editorial Fellow at NEUROSURGERY, a premier peer-reviewed academic journal, he is the host of a regular podcast featuring informal interviews with leaders in neuroscience. He is Co-Founder and Medical Adviser of Forge, an

Atlanta-based nonprofit organization facilitating medical technology innovation that recently hosted its first Healthcare Hackathon at Georgia Tech. In 2014, his efforts as a young physician leader were recognized with the Excellence in Medicine Award from the American Medical Association Foundation.

In his spare time, Dr. Amadio is active in numerous service projects and enjoys adventure travel, hiking, biking, and running on the Atlanta Beltline. He is a supporter of several community organizations including the High Museum of Art.

Ashley Wells / Atlanta Ad Club

Ashley Wells is President of the Atlanta Ad Club and serves as Associate Media Director for 22squared. Primary Clients: American Standard, Costa Rica Tourism, Baskin Robbins. Ashley manages a team that researches, develops and implements cross-platform national media plans across all media, especially digital, mobile, national cable, print, broadcast, and cinema. She is essential in the establishment of utilizing “Strategy Teams” throughout the agency to advance strategic thinking and collaboration across departments. Ashley spearheaded the creation of a training process for upcoming assistant planners and media planners as well as for cross-departmental education. She often represents the agency as a digital and media thought-leader on panels and in speaking engagements.