STANFORD, California, June 27, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — In the U.S. News & World Report’s 2017–2018 Best Children’s Hospitals survey, which was published online today, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford once again achieved rankings in all ten pediatric specialties. The hospital is at the center of Stanford Children’s Health, the Bay Area’s largest health care network exclusively dedicated to children and expectant mothers, and it is the only children’s hospital in Northern California to be ranked in all 10 specialties in this year’s survey.

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Most notably, Packard Children’s nephrology program received the top ranking in the state and placed #8 in the entire nation. The pulmonology program ranked best on the West Coast and #11 in the nation. And the cardiology and heart surgery program is once again the top ranked in Northern California.

The U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals rankings help parents select the best medical care for their children. Rankings are determined by gathering clinical data from approximately 180 pediatric centers through a detailed survey that ranks the top 50 centers in 10 medical specialties.

“As we approach the debut of our newly expanded hospital this year, these rankings affirm the quality of specialty care that we are so proud to provide our patients,” said Christopher G. Dawes, Packard Children’s president and chief executive officer. “That quality will be amplified in our new, state-of-the-art facility when it opens in December.”

The new main building adds 149 patient beds, nearly all of them private, which Dawes says will serve to improve safety and quality as well as the patient experience. The expanded campus includes 3.5 acres of green space and gardens and will more than double the size of the current hospital. It will also allow for the original building to undergo enhancement renovations.

This is the thirteenth consecutive year Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report. The annual rankings recognize the top 50 pediatric facilities across the United States in 10 pediatric specialties, including cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, and urology.

“The pediatric centers we rank in Best Children’s Hospitals deliver exceptionally high-quality care and deserve to be recognized for their commitment,” said Avery Comarow, U.S. News & World Report’s health rankings editor. “Children with life-threatening illnesses or rare conditions need the state-of-the-art services and expertise these hospitals provide every day.”

“This accomplishment is a tribute to our talented and compassionate providers,” said Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine. “We at Stanford Medicine are extremely pleased to again see Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford recognized by U.S. News & World Report for delivering world-class care to children and expectant mothers.”

“It’s an ongoing testament to the Stanford Medicine expertise and training,” agreed Dawes. “This is an exciting and transformative year as we open our new hospital and continue to grow our network — these rankings serve as benchmarks along our path toward fulfilling our vision to heal humanity through science and compassion, one child and family at a time.”

About Stanford Children’s Health and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford

Stanford Children’s Health, with Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at its center, is the Bay Area’s largest health care system exclusively dedicated to children and expectant mothers. As a top-ranked children’s hospital by U.S. News & World Report, we are a leader in world-class, nurturing care and extraordinary outcomes in every pediatric and obstetric specialty. Stanford Children’s Health, providing specialty care to general pediatrics, can be accessed through more than 60 locations across Northern California and 100 locations in the U.S. western region. As the pediatric and obstetric teaching hospital for the world-renowned Stanford University School of Medicine, we’re cultivating the next generation of medical professionals and are at the forefront of scientific research to improve children’s health outcomes around the world. We are a non-profit organization committed to supporting the community through meaningful outreach programs and services and providing needed medical care to families, regardless of their ability to pay. Discover more at stanfordchildrens.org

Media Contact:
Samantha Dorman
[email protected] 
650-384-5826

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SOURCE Stanford Children’s Health

RICHMOND, Va., June 27, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Multicultural communities are disproportionately in need of lifesaving organ transplants – especially kidneys. Currently, 58 percent of the U.S. transplant waiting list is comprised of ethnically diverse patients. To address this need, Donate Life America (DLA) and the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT) created Donate Life ECHO. Held each year in July, Donate Life ECHO is the national two-week outreach campaign, focused on the importance of donation and transplantation in multicultural communities. ECHO stands for Every Community Has Opportunity – the opportunity to save and heal lives.

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“ECHO is about giving every community a voice in saving and healing lives, through organ, eye and tissue donation,” says Remonia Chapman, president of AMAT. “Diverse languages, different methods, yet one message – LIFE.”

This year, Donate Life ECHO will be held July 9-22 and will include:

• #HearMyStoryOf Video Contest: Open to individuals and groups to create a 30-60 second video sharing their donation and transplantation story and Donate Life ECHO message. Video entries will use the hashtag #HearMyStoryOf, e.g., #HearMyStoryOf #Hope, #HearMyStoryOf #Waiting, #HearMyStoryOf #LIFE, to speak on a personal level about the importance of multicultural communities registering their decisions to be organ, eye and tissue donors. The video contest will be hosted on Facebook.com/DonateLife.
• Walgreens efforts to help raise consumer awareness: Throughout July, information about Donate Life ECHO will be featured on Walgreens health resource panels included with prescriptions filled at its retail and local specialty pharmacies nationwide. In addition, Walgreens will host donor registration drives at select Walgreens stores in a few markets across the country.
• DoneVida.org: Donate Life America is excited to launch a website that offers the online national registration opportunity and resources in Spanish. Signing up at DoneVida.org registers your donation decision in the National Donate Life Registry (RegisterMe.org).

United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) research reveals that, “successful transplantation is often enhanced by the matching of organs between members of the same ethnic and racial group.” Increasing educational efforts, outreach and registration opportunities are vital steps towards increasing the number of registered donors and lives saved in multicultural communities.

“Donate Life ECHO was started with the aim of giving voice to the experience of multicultural communities with donation and transplantation,” says Bobby Howard, DLA board member and past president of AMAT. “To increase our educational outreach efforts and donor registrations, voices and stories from these communities need to be heard.”

Donate Life ECHO resources are available in English and Spanish. Resources and more information about how to be a part of Donate Life ECHO are available at: DonateLife.net/ECHO and amat1.org/programs/ECHO.   

You can register your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor in the National Donate Life Registry at RegisterMe.org, in the Medical ID Tab of your iPhone Health App or in Spanish at DoneVida.org.

Data from Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) as of May 7, 2017.

About the Association of Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT)
AMAT was established in 1992 to address the increasing need for organ and tissue donors in the multicultural communities while simultaneously offering support, shared expertise and professional development opportunities for its members as they save and heal lives.  AMAT is a self-sustaining, self-governed organization operating solely on voluntary contributions from individuals, corporations, and other affiliated organizations. For more information, visit: www.AMAT1.org.

About Donate Life America (DLA)
Donate Life America is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit alliance of national organizations and Donate Life State Teams across the United States committed to increasing the number of donated organs, eyes and tissue available for transplant to save and heal lives. Donate Life America manages and promotes the national brand for donation, Donate Life℠; develops and executes effective multi-media donor education programs; motivates the American public to register now as organ, eye and tissue donors; manages the National Donate Life Registry, RegisterMe.org; and assists Donate Life State Teams and national partners in facilitating high-performing donor registration programs.

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SOURCE Donate Life America

NEW YORK, June 27, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Blink Health, America’s leading prescription drug savings platform, today launched a program to help #TreatType2 diabetes by committing to give away $10 million worth of medication to patients with type-2 diabetes. People living with diabetes who create an account on Blink Health’s website or free mobile app, starting today, will receive a free, one-year supply of the three most commonly prescribed generic medications for type-2 diabetes: metformin, glipizide and pioglitazone. The program will also cover these three medications for existing Blink Health patients who use them.

To create an account, visit the Blink Health website: https://www.blinkhealth.com/diabetes.  

Diabetes in America
As part of Blink Health’s ongoing commitment to support people who are living with diabetes, the #TreatType2 program is designed to help the largest population of people managing this condition. Of the nearly 29 million Americans with diabetes, approximately 95 percent have been diagnosed with type 2.1 Tragically, nearly 12 percent of Hispanics in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hispanics are 66 percent more likely to have diabetes than non-Hispanic Caucasians. This $10 million giveaway represents a potential savings of up to $4,000 per patient, per year, for someone who’s taking all three medications and paying the full retail price out of pocket, either because they are uninsured or have a high-deductible insurance plan.

Who is Eligible?
Blink Health will provide the free medications to everyone until it has committed to spending $10 million on the medications.  Any patient with a prescription for any or all of these three medications is eligible to receive medication for free. There is no cost to join Blink Health, and medication can be picked up at over 57,000 pharmacies nationwide, including Walmart, CVS, Rite-Aid, Target, and most independent pharmacies and grocers. Blink Health helps consumers save on the cost of generic medications – the most common ones prescribed – by negotiating low prices directly with manufacturers.

“Overall, diabetes is a growing epidemic that affects 1 in 11 Americans, and Blink Health is committed to doing all it can to help patients manage this chronic illness,” said Geoffrey Chaiken, Co-Founder and CEO of Blink Health. “We have seen far too many people who are struggling to afford prescription medication, and we’ve launched this program to help address the problem one patient at a time.”

Blink Health’s Diabetes Advocacy
In April, Blink Health raised $90 million to drive innovations that accelerate its mission of making prescription medications affordable and transparently priced for everyone in the U.S.  With this $10 million commitment, Blink Health is using a substantial portion of these funds to directly help hundreds of thousands of people living with diabetes, who have health care costs 2.3 times greater, on average, than those without diabetes.² Blink Health is confident that patients who are introduced to the company through the #TreatType2 program will take advantage of the low prices on over 15,000 prescription medications available on the Blink Health platform and continue using Blink Health for their prescription medications after the giveaway ends.

Chaiken added, “Blink Health is committed to supporting people with diabetes through the #TreatType2 program and through our groundbreaking insulin discount program with many of Eli Lilly’s insulin products.  If you have diabetes – or if you know someone who does – sign up for Blink Health today. When you use Blink Health, you are joining a growing network of Americans who are tired of overpaying for their medications. Together, we are able to negotiate with pharmacies to determine one low price for each medication that is accepted at over 57,000 pharmacies nationwide.  The more people who join the ‘Blink Health Nation,’ the better our overall discounts will be.”

Information About Diabetes 
Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body’s ability to produce or respond to the hormone insulin is impaired, resulting in abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates (foods that become sugar in the body) and elevated levels of glucose (digested sugar) in the blood and urine. Diabetes is categorized as type 1, aka juvenile diabetes, or type 2, which starts later in life. Untreated diabetes creates blood vessel damage, poor circulation that can lead to loss of limbs, as well as blindness and other grave consequences. The vast majority of people today have type-2 diabetes, which is treated primarily with medications that regulate blood sugar. People born with type-1 diabetes must take insulin to regulate their blood sugar. 

Information About Discounted Insulin Available Through Blink Health 
Blink Health is also working on solutions to lower the price of insulin. As announced in December 2016, Blink Health and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) have entered into a first-of-its-kind access program to offer a 40 percent discount on Lilly insulins, including Humalog, one of the most widely prescribed branded insulin medications. Blink Health is pursuing similar arrangements with other pharmaceutical and healthcare companies to offer discounted medication and supplies.

About Blink Health  
Founded in 2014, Blink Health is a technology platform that enables consumers to access the medications they need at prices they can afford at over 57,000 pharmacies nationwide. Blink’s website and free mobile app allow users to purchase their medications online and pick them up at their local retailer for up to 90% off the average retail price. Blink Health groups patients together to leverage their purchasing power and secure significantly lower prices for the most-prescribed medications in America.  

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1} Source:  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Diabetes: At a Glance 2016, available at: https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/pdf/2016/diabetes-aag.pdf 
² Source: American Diabetes Association, The Staggering Cost of Diabetes, available at: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/infographics/adv-staggering-cost-of-diabetes.html

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SOURCE Blink Health

LAS VEGAS, June 26, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — As Nevada prepares to roll out its recreational marijuana program at midnight on July 1, local dispensaries and producers are working overtime to prepare for the anticipated demand.

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Evergreen Organix, one of the state’s largest marijuana edible producers that’s carried by most of the state’s dispensaries, has anticipated the surge in demand for their products.

According to company officials, Evergreen Organix staff has been working extended hours with additional personnel for the past ten days.  They will continue production through the end of this week to prepare for the launch of Nevada’s recreational cannabis program on July 1^st.

Housed in a 33,000-square-foot zero air exchange facility, Evergreen Organix produces over 70 different skews which includes sugar-free, non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan edibles such as micro-dosed hard candy, gummies, chocolate and cereal bars. The company also has a 3,400-square-foot production kitchen, and state-of-the-art laboratory where they perform Critical Co2 Extraction and Short Path Distillation.

“We are known for both our quality and diversity of products,” said Evergreen Organix Operations Manager Jillian Nelson. “The focus of Evergreen Organix will be to offer the very best for both patients and the recreational consumer.” The company has plans to release an extract line as well as a variety of vape pens and distillates in July.  

Evergreen Organix operates under some of the strictest regulations in the country for medical marijuana as Nevada regulators have created a stringent layer of protection for consumers. As a result of Nevada Senate Bill 344, passed during the recent legislative session, edibles must be in opaque packaging with full descriptions and warning labels. As well they must have potency labels and cannot resemble products familiar to kids like gummy bears or use advertising enticing to children such as cartoon characters, mascots, action figures, balloons or toys that might appeal to children. Marijuana also cannot be produced in the form of a lollipop or treat.

ABOUT EVERGREEN ORGANIX:
Evergreen Organix Cultivation (EGO) opened its 33,000-square-foot in Clark County on November 9, 2015. Evergreen cultivates marijuana and produces cannabis-infused products, supplements, and edibles. Evergreen Organix has assembled a topnotch team of growers, bakers, and chemists who are pioneers of the industry and believe in the powerful medicinal values of cannabis.  The company was founded by a team of local business leaders who came together with the common purpose of providing the highest quality medicine to Nevada’s patients.

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SOURCE Evergreen Organix