DALLAS, Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Many United States military veterans are eligible for healthcare benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). However only a few of those veterans are eligible for dental benefits, and many others cannot afford the premiums for the optional VA Dental Insurance Program. In fact, the Homeless Veterans Dental Program reports that dental care is ranked as one of the top three unmet needs for homeless veterans.

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Kevin McPeek is one of those veterans. He served in the Army as an 82^nd Airborne Paratrooper from 1973 to 1977, but became disabled later in life by a sudden health condition that left his family in poverty and without access to dental care. When Kevin began having trouble with his teeth, his wife, Cindy, tried desperately to get him some help.

“I took him to a dentist and they told me all the work that needed to be done on him,” she said. “The kids kept chipping in [money] to get him into the dentist and have work done. We tried to keep up, but we just couldn’t.”

Kevin and Cindy now live with their daughter in Texas and get by on Social Security Early Retirement Disability. “It’s only $1209 per month,” says Kevin. “And of that, the IRS takes out $189. We don’t have a lot of money.”

In order for veterans to qualify for full dental benefits through the VA, they must have developed a dental condition during their service, be 100 percent disabled, or have been a prisoner of war. Many families, like the McPeeks, do not meet these criteria and are left trying to live with painful dental problems or pay the costs out of pocket.

Cindy recounts their struggle vividly, which began after Kevin suffered from three brain aneurysms and underwent brain surgery.

“He spent seven weeks in the ICU,” she says. “Not knowing if he was going to make it was the worst part of that – it was really hard. Kevin was able to move to a different floor in the eighth week, and he was able to come home.”

Today Kevin suffers from permanent memory problems, but otherwise has recovered remarkably. And although the family feels fortunate that he can read, walk, and talk in just the same way as before his aneurysms, they have suffered significant hardship from the medical bills. The McPeeks lost their home, sold their cars, and began racking up credit card debt. And soon afterwards, Kevin’s daily medications began taking a toll on his oral health.

“Kevin started having terrible trouble with his teeth,” says Cindy. “He was in pain, then his teeth started breaking off at the gum line. And it’s my understanding that it’s from the inhalers, which just eat at the teeth. He’s on three different ones and a nebulizer every day, so it just ate them away.”

Cindy wrote to Rodeo Dental and Orthodontics to ask for help for her husband. By then the family had already paid $3000 for a dental bridge that was falling out, and they were desperate to find a dentist who would offer them a payment plan. She had already written to at least 10 dentists without success.

“I told them I’m not asking for charity – I’m asking that you take care of my husband’s teeth and let me pay out what I owe,” says Cindy. “And Rodeo responded to me. I was so thankful. Justin called me from Rodeo and he said they had looked at our letter, and they try to help with the community, and they felt like we were deserving of having a little help. Never once did they make me feel like a charity case.”

Rodeo Dental’s Dr. Zarrabi and Dr. Mansour led a team of more than 30 people including doctors, dental assistants, schedulers and staff members who all came together to help Kevin. He would need multiple rounds of surgery to fix his dental problems, relieve his pain, and restore his health.

“This was a complete team effort,” says Dr. Zarrabi, dentist and CEO/co-founder of Rodeo Dental and Orthodontics. “We’ve got the most incredible team in the world. They came together – everybody got behind the McPeeks. And when they came in we heard their story and they’re just wonderful people. We felt like we had to give back. Especially with Mr. McPeek being a veteran, we thought it was really important to take care of him.”

Dr. Mansour is the oral surgeon who worked on Kevin, and he shares a similar sentiment.

“When Kevin and Cindy first walked in it broke my heart to see him in such pain and agony. It was tough for him to smile and for him to eat as well,” says Dr. Mansour. “And he’s such a brave soul. For him to go through that just really broke our hearts. We knew with modern dentistry, with modern medicine, and a great patient and a great team we could fix this.”

Dr. Mansour began a two-month long treatment plan to restore Kevin’s smile. When asked if he was nervous about undergoing dental treatment, Kevin says not at all. “His whole office, all the people who work for him, are just absolutely marvelous. He was above and beyond anything I expected from a dentist.”

Kevin recently received his brand new set of teeth and he can’t stop smiling.

“I feel wonderful!” says Kevin, laughing. “I look in the mirror and I smile at myself. I can’t believe that’s me! And being able to smile at people, and they smile back. I don’t scare them anymore.”

His wife has also observed the changes that have occurred for her “miracle man,” as she likes to call him.

“Oh, he’s so proud of his teeth! He’s so proud of them,” says Cindy. “He looks in the mirror and he went for so long with bad teeth, then no teeth, and he got in the habit of covering his mouth with his hands when he would laugh. He loves his teeth! The people at Rodeo Dental are just amazing, amazing people.”

As told to Elizabeth C. Haynes.

WOONSOCKET, Rhode Island, Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — As part of an ongoing commitment to develop a diverse workforce that reflects the patients and communities it serves, CVS Health today announced strategic partnerships with two leading national organizations whose mission is to advance the multicultural nursing populations in the United States: the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) and the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN).

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Through these newly formed alliances, CVS Health, the nation’s largest pharmacy innovation company, will establish workforce development programs and strategies that facilitate multicultural talent acquisition to further develop the company’s own diverse nursing populations through education, training and colleague engagement. With a unique continuum of health care products and services, CVS Health supports a broad nursing workforce that includes: Nurse Practitioners who see patients through the company’s MinuteClinic network; Nurse Patient Care Specialists who serve the company’s specialty patients; Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) Nurses who provide in-home education and infused medication therapies; and Patient Education Nurses who deliver disease education and case management to patients over the phone.

Additionally, these partnerships will enable CVS Health to increase the number of internships and scholarships that the company extends to multicultural candidates.

“At CVS Health, we recognize the strong connection between a culturally diverse nursing workforce and the ability to provide quality, culturally competent patient care,” said David Casey, Vice President, Workforce Strategies, and Chief Diversity Officer at CVS Health. “We value the multicultural communities, customers and patients we serve and we look forward to working closely with NBNA and NAHN, as we continue to help bridge the current nursing shortage in the United States and enhance access to quality care to underserved populations.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be more than one million open positions for registered nurses across the country by 2022. Moreover, while U.S. Census Bureau statistics show that ethnic minority groups account for 37 percent of the U.S. population, industry research shows that nurses from minority backgrounds represent only 19 percent of the RN workforce, with African-American and Hispanic nurses representing 6 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

“CVS Health and NBNA share the common goal of supporting the development of African American nurses which is reflective of our nation’s diversity,” said Eric J. Williams, DNP, RN, CNE, President, NBNA. “This new partnership will allow our two organizations to work collaboratively to increase access to care and improve the health of the communities we serve.”

“We’re grateful to CVS Health for partnering with NAHN to help achieve our mission of improving the quality of health care for Hispanic consumers,” said Celia Besore, Executive Director, NAHN. “We look forward to working together to provide equal access to educational, professional and economic opportunities for Hispanic nurses in our country.”

As one of the largest employers of pharmacists and nurse practitioners, CVS Health is committed to helping advance the education of talented students pursuing careers in the field.  The CVS Health Foundation has provided scholarships to pharmacy students for many years and, in 2016, the Foundation will begin awarding funding to nursing and physician assistants schools to support the pipeline of much-needed nurse practitioners in local communities across the country.

About CVS Health

CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,500 retail pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with more than 70 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, and expanding specialty pharmacy services, the Company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable, effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.

CONTACT:
Mary Alfieri
1-401-770-9811
[email protected]

OXFORD, England and GERMANTOWN, Maryland, Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON), a leader in synthetic biology, today announced its subsidiary Oxitec and Piracicaba City Hall have expanded the ‘Friendly Aedes aegypti Project’ in Piracicaba, Brazil following strong results for controlling the Ae. aegypti mosquito population, the primary vector for dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus outbreaks around the world. In preparation of this growing program and to meet increasing demand for its proprietary vector control solution, Oxitec is initiating a new mosquito production facility in Piracicaba that will have capacity to protect over 300,000 people.

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“We are delighted Piracicaba is encouraged by our strong results and expanding the program. Our new facility will support the roll out of our groundbreaking vector-control across the heart of the city and beyond,” said Oxitec CEO Hadyn Parry. “As the principal source for the fastest growing vector-borne infection in the world in Dengue Fever, as well as the increasingly challenging Zika virus, controlling the Aedes aegypti population provides the best defense against these serious diseases for which there are no cures.”

Following approval by Brazil’s National Biosafety Committee (CTNBio) for releases throughout the country, Piracicaba’s CECAP/Eldorado district became the world’s first municipality to partner directly with Oxitec and in April 2015 started releasing its self-limiting mosquitoes whose offspring do not survive. By the end of the calendar year, results had already indicated a reduction in wild mosquito larvae by 82%. Oxitec’s efficacy trials across Brazil, Panama and the Cayman Islands all resulted in a greater than 90% suppression of the wild Ae. aegypti mosquito population – an unprecedented level of control.

Based on the positive results achieved to date, the ‘Friendly Aedes aegypti Project’ in CECAP/Eldorado district covering 5,000 people has been extended for another year. Additionally Oxitec and Piracicaba have signed a letter of intent to expand the project to an area of 35,000-60,000 residents. This geographic region includes the city’s center and was chosen due to the large flow of people commuting between it and surrounding neighborhoods which may contribute to the spread of infestations and infections.

According to Mayor Gabriel Ferrato, “The city of Piracicaba has always sought innovative solutions to serious problems. In the case of Aedes aegypti, we looked for the tool that seemed most appropriate to help in the tough battle against this mosquito that transmits dengue, Zika and chikungunya. Based on the results presented today, we decided to extend the project in CECAP/Eldorado district for another year and also signed a record of intent to expand the project to the central area of Piracicaba. This will bring to the city a new Oxitec factory to meet demand for years to come and help protect the public’s health with this clean and innovative technology.”

Like many invasive insect species, Ae. aegypti’s territory is expanding as are the diseases it spreads, including dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus, which collectively impact over 100 countries and approximately 400 million people globally each year. Today Brazil has the highest reported incidence of dengue in the Western Hemisphere, and with both chikungunya and Zika virus having entered the country in 2014 and 2015 respectively, the Ae. aegypti mosquito has become an increasing health risk. As a result, Brazil’s Ministry of Health spent over 1.2 billion reals last year and allocated an additional 500 million reals for states and municipalities in January 2016 to combat the mosquito.

As per the recent New England Journal of Medicine publication titled “Zika Virus in the Americas — Yet Another Arbovirus Threat”, Brazil is not alone. Authors Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and David M. Morens, M.D., from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases noted, “The explosive pandemic of Zika virus infection occurring throughout South America, Central America, and the Caribbean and potentially threatening the United States is the most recent of four unexpected arrivals of important arthropod-borne viral diseases in the Western Hemisphere over the past 20 years.”

Samuel Broder, M.D., SVP and Head of Intrexon’s Health Sector commented, “As a vector that transmits a number of serious diseases, the Aedes aegypti mosquito poses a major threat to public health and the economic welfare of nations. Brazil has been hard hit by dengue and the situation there has been aggravated by the recent introduction of Zika virus infections leading to a startling increase in the number of children being born with microcephaly.” Dr. Broder continued, “Through the responsible engineering of biology, we demonstrate a new paradigm of species-specific vector control resulting in dramatic reductions of dangerous mosquitoes, without persistence or harm to the ecosystem, representing a major scientific, environmental and clinical advance.”

Diseases spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito:

• Dengue Fever infects up to 400 million people every year with an estimated 40% of the world’s population perpetually at risk.
• Zika Virus is rapidly spreading into new countries. In 2015 it emerged in Brazil where it has been linked to a sudden increase in birth defects (microcephaly). The number of children born with microcephaly in Brazil has now risen to more than 3500.
• Chikungunya swept into Central America and the Caribbean in 2013 with an epidemic spiking to over a million cases within only a year.
• Yellow Fever remains a major health threat. There are an estimated 200,000 cases of yellow fever, causing 30,000 deaths, worldwide each year, with 90% occurring in Africa.

About Oxitec
Oxitec is the only GM insect company in the world and a pioneer in using genetic engineering to control insect pests that spread disease and damage crops. Oxitec was founded in 2002 as a spinout from Oxford University (UK), and is now a subsidiary of Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON), which engineers biology to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Oxitec’s self-limiting insect control targets only the one species of pest in a way that is non-toxic and pesticide-free, providing vector control that is both effective and environmentally friendly. Follow us on Twitter at @Oxitec.

About Intrexon Corporation
Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON) is Powering the Bioindustrial Revolution with Better DNA^™ to create biologically-based products that improve the quality of life and the health of the planet. The Company’s integrated technology suite provides its partners across diverse markets with industrial-scale design and development of complex biological systems delivering unprecedented control, quality, function, and performance of living cells. We call our synthetic biology approach Better DNA^®, and we invite you to discover more at www.dna.com or follow us on Twitter at @Intrexon.

Trademarks
Intrexon, Powering the Bioindustrial Revolution with Better DNA, and Better DNA are trademarks of Intrexon and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Safe Harbor Statement
Some of the statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations and projections about future events and generally relate to our plans, objectives and expectations for the development of our business. Although management believes that the plans and objectives reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and actual future results may be materially different from the plans, objectives and expectations expressed in this press release.

For more information contact:
Corporate Contact:
Marie Rossi, Ph.D.
Senior Manager, Technical Communications
Tel: +1 (301) 556-9850
[email protected]

Investor Contact:
Christopher Basta
Vice President, Investor Relations
Tel: +1 (561) 410-7052
[email protected]

Oxitec Contact:
Chris Creese, Ph.D.
Communications Manager
Tel: +44 (0) 7972 103372
[email protected]

Media Contact:
Elana Ferrari
Edelman US
Tel: +1 (312) 233-1336
Email: [email protected]