CW, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

Capital Through EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program

May 20, 2016 by CW

Health Connect South

Capital Through EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program

00:00 /

Capital Through EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program

We host experts in immigration investment through the EB-5 program, Alex Tirado, and Roger Luo, of Woodruff & Luo, and Fortuna Holdings International. They shared information about a source of capital through foreign investment made by citizens of other countries seeking to immigrate to the US. This program gives these investors a path to a green card in exchange for committing $500,000 or more to a US business that is likely to result in new jobs being created.

The US Department of Customs & Immigration administers the EB-5 Immigrant Investor program. Their website explains the program this way, “Under this program, entrepreneurs (and their spouses and unmarried children under 21) are eligible to apply for a green card (permanent residence) if they:

Make the necessary investment in a commercial enterprise in the United States; and
Plan to create or preserve 10 permanent full-time jobs for qualified U.S. workers.

This program is known as EB-5 for the name of the employment-based fifth preference visa that participants receive.

Congress created the EB-5 Program in 1990 to stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation and capital investment by foreign investors. In 1992, Congress created the Immigrant Investor Program, also known as the Regional Center Program. This sets aside EB-5 visas for participants who invest in commercial enterprises associated with regional centers approved by USCIS based on proposals for promoting economic growth.”

It is the Regional Center Program that Alexandra and Roger are focused on with Fortuna Holdings International. They are actively courting support from investors to help get a local Regional Center started, along with a technology park that would provide incubation, acceleration, and mentorship, along with access to funding in a single ecosystem.

The firm, along with the City of Chamblee, recently hosted a delegation of investors from China (pictured above) to tour the region and view possible locales for such a venture. It is exciting to see such a potential economic engine that will add US jobs (many of which will be here in the metro area) and additional resources that will continue to expand Atlanta’s reputation as a center for tech innovation and start-up.

Special Guests:

Alexandra Tirado, Co-CEO, Fortuna Holdings International

Roger Luo, Partner, Woodruff & Luo, LLC

Pre-pregnancy and Prenatal Genetic Testing – Top Docs Radio

May 20, 2016 by CW

Top Docs Radio

Pre-pregnancy and Prenatal Genetic Testing - Top Docs Radio

00:00 /

Pre-pregnancy and Prenatal Genetic Testing

We continue our twice-monthly series with Women’s Telehealth’s Tanya Mack. She caught up with Certified Genetic Counselor, Rachel Klein, of GenPath Diagnostics. The topic of discussion was focused on pre-pregnancy and prenatal genetic testing, when it makes sense, the difference between screening and diagnostic tests, how to deal with results, and more.

Women are routinely offered a variety of genetic tests during the first three months of pregnancy in the US. Every woman wants to believe their baby is normal and uncomplicated. However, the CDC reports that 1:33 babies born in the US will have a birth defect. Genetic tests, both screening and diagnostic, show the likelihood that a developing baby has a genetic condition that may cause problems with growth, development and bodily functions.

Information from genetic testing plus the mother’s age, the couple’s ethnic background and a family history of a genetic disorder can help calculate the odds that the fetus might have a defect such as Cystic Fibrosis, Tay-Sach’s Disease, Sickle Cell Anemia, Down’s Syndrome or neural tube defects. Joining us for this segment of Top Docs is Rachel Klein, a Certified Genetic Counselor from one of the nation’s leading prenatal genetic testing labs, GenPath.

Special Guest:

Rachel Klein, Genetic Counseling Program Manager, GenPath Diagnostics

AGLCC, Occasional Occasions, TP Corporate Lodging, Lab Monkey

May 17, 2016 by CW

Midtown Business Radio

AGLCC, Occasional Occasions, TP Corporate Lodging, Lab Monkey

00:00 /

AGLCC, Occasional Occasions, TP Corporate Lodging, Lab Monkey

3rd Tuesday means the AGLCC is with us in studio. Co-hosts, Emma Foulkes and Bruce Logue sat down with Occasional Occasions’ Carlton Brown, TP Corporate Lodging’s Tim Miller, and President of Lab Monkey and new AGLCC President, Jack Kinley.

Emma shared some upcoming events hosted by AGLCC, including the Procurement Expo held 5/23, where entrepreneurs can learn about the procurement process around supplier diversity that, should they obtain certification as LGBTBE’s, can truly help them grow through those supplier relationships.

Carlton Brown has been providing catering services for over 24 years in the Atlanta area. He learned how to cook when he was in his 20’s coming out of the military. He decided to go to culinary school to learn while working in corporate jobs. He explained he was pulled into the catering business somewhat by accident, when a friend asked if he would prepare some food for a party. He was called with inquiries about providing catering services by guests who had attended the event.

From there his business continued to grow by word of mouth and he ultimately decided to leave the corporate world to be a full time caterer running his own business. We talked about how he enjoys the way the catering business flows over the challenges of having a brick and mortar restaurant. Carlton also explained how he had to learn how to market his business and the value of networking, which was aided greatly through his involvement with the AGLCC.

TP Corporate Lodging was founded when Tim Miller purchased the firm and ultimately changed the name after having worked with the company for a number of years. He explained the name was inspired by his childhood goal of having a chain of “TP Inn’s”, named after his name, Timothy Paul. He worked in the hotel business for a period of time and learned of the challenges and stresses around it before going to work in the corporate housing space, where he found he enjoyed the business model.

The company provides executives and other individuals/families who need a nice, furnished home for a period of time that exceeds what a hotel’s cost would reasonably bear. Tim explained that they have housing options that span the range of upper-middle to high end apartment residences, both in-town and in the suburbs, depending on the needs of the clients.

He talked about the fact that this type of housing is frequently utilized by the movie industry, giving him the opportunity to have provided residences for several well-known celebrities. Tim is also an AGLCC member and shared the fact that his experience as a member has also provided relationships that have helped his business grow.

Jack Kinley founded Lab Monkey, a creative consultancy, helping to craft and share a business’s story effectively, primarily with their internal clients across large enterprises. The name was a college nickname he earned in college, working all-nighters in the computer lab. He enjoyed the free-spirited, creative environment of his experience in college working on various projects and thought it would be a name that was both interesting as well as representing the dynamic of his firm.

The company hires high-level executives who are still interested in working. They leverage their experience and credibility to serve the needs of their clients (typically businesses with 1000 employees or more) to effectively identify and share their stories with the employees who work for them to increase engagement and buy-in with the brand.

Jack is also the incoming President for AGLCC and explained his involvement with advancing the AGLCC’s ability to increase awareness of the organization to the community. Having gotten to work so closely with the executives through the process, which was actually done through an engagement with Lab Monkey, he was inspired to become part of the leadership team himself.

Special Guests:

Carlton Brown, Owner, Occasional Occasions By Carlton

Tim Miller, President/Owner, TP Corporate Lodging

Jack Kinley, Founder/CEO, Lab Monkey

Emma Foulkes, Managing Partner, Foulkes & Steele Wealth Management

Bruce Logue, Managing Partner, The Corbel Group at Keller Williams

Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative (TCPI) – Top Docs Radio

May 17, 2016 by CW

Top Docs Radio

Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative (TCPI) - Top Docs Radio

00:00 /

Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative (TCPI)

Dr. Doug Patten is the chief medical officer of the Georgia Hospital Association, which is the leading advocate for Georgia’s hospitals and health systems. GHA supports the efforts of its members as they strive to improve access to health services, improving the health of all Georgians. Dr. Patten was a general surgeon in southern Georgia before he became the chief medical officer of the Phoebe Health System in Albany.

He has been GHA’s chief medical officer for nearly two years. He is focused on improving quality and safety, engaging patients and their families, and physician leadership. He is a member of the Medical Association of Georgia and the American College of Surgeons.

The Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative (TCPI) is designed to help more than 150,000 U.S clinicians improve quality and reduce costs – keeping in mind that the Medicare is changing from a volume-based payment system to a quality-based payment system in the next several years. The four-year, $800 million TCPI initiative is being funded by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation.

It is aligned with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Medicare Access and Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). The TCPI includes a network of 29 “practice transformation networks” (PTNs) that are designed to 1) improve health outcomes and 2) improve care coordination and 3) better engage patients and families and 4) improve patient, clinician and staff satisfaction and 5) reduce the overall cost of care.

There is no cost for clinicians or practices to join a PTN. There are four PTNs that support clinicians in Georgia, including the Compass PTN – which has been endorsed by the Medical Association of Georgia given MAG’s “multi-year collaboration with GHA on matters related to quality, safety and community health.”

The Compass PTN will serve more than 7,000 primary and specialty care clinicians in six states. The Compass PTN is led by six non-profit partners, including the Georgia Hospital Association. In Georgia, the Compass PTN hopes to serve 1,000 clinicians, including 150 specialists.

Special Guest:

Dr. Doug Patten, CMO, Georgia Hospital Association

Zika Virus – Top Docs Radio

May 12, 2016 by CW

Top Docs Radio

Zika Virus - Top Docs Radio

00:00 /

Zika Virus

The Zika virus has been making news over the past year as we approach the coming Olympics in Brazil, a known location heavily populated by the species of mosquito known to carry the virus. I sat down with Dr. Patrick O’Neal of the Georgia’s Department of Public Health, and Dr. Cherie Drenzek, Epidemiologist for the State of Georgia to talk about what we need to be thinking about here in Georgia.

Dr. Cherie Drenzek grew up in Detroit and received her bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and her Master’s degree in Food Microbiology from Wayne State University. She attended Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and received her DVM in 1995. She then entered the Epidemic Intelligence Service program at CDC and was stationed in the Rabies Section. Following EIS, Dr. Drenzek was employed as an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Drenzek has been employed at the Georgia Department of Public Health since 1999 and has served in a variety of roles, including infectious disease medical epidemiologist and State Public Health Veterinarian. She served as Director of the Acute Disease Epidemiology Section and Deputy State Epidemiologist since October 2005 and was named State Epidemiologist and Director of the Epidemiology Program in 2011.

Dr. Patrick O’Neal is the Director of Health Protection for the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), where he has oversight responsibility for Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Trauma, Emergency Preparedness, Epidemiology, Infectious Disease, Immunizations, and Environmental Health. For 29 years prior, he practiced

emergency medicine at DeKalb Medical Center in Decatur. He received his medical education at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

Zika virus (pronunciation: zee-kah) is a viral disease that is primarily transmitted to people by infected Aedes species mosquitoes. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis. The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

However, there can be more severe clinical outcomes, and Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly, as well as other severe fetal brain defects. Prior to 2015, outbreaks have occurred in Africa, Southeast Asia, and islands in the Pacific Ocean. In May 2015, Zika virus transmission was confirmed in Brazil and outbreaks are currently occurring in many countries in the Americas and worldwide.

No local mosquito-borne Zika virus disease cases have been reported in the continental U.S., but there have been travel-associated cases, as well as cases associated with sexual transmission from travelers to affected areas. These imported cases could result in local spread of the virus in areas of the United States where the Aedes mosquito vectors are found. A list of countries where Zika virus is currently being spread can be found at the CDC website http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/index.html. Zika is an unprecedented public health emergency that poses significant risks to pregnant women.

This is the first time in more than 50 years that a virus has been linked to serious birth defects and poor pregnancy outcomes (and the first-ever mosquito-borne cause!). Georgia has not documented any local transmission of Zika virus, but as of the end of April 2016, has confirmed more than a dozen travel-associated Zika infections.

For general information about Zika virus and surveillance for mosquito‐borne diseases in Georgia, call your District or County Health Department or the Georgia Department of Public Health at 404‐657‐2588. You may also visit the Georgia Department of Public Health website at dph.georgia.gov. Also go to the CDC website at cdc.gov/zika/index.html.

Special Guests:

Dr. Cherie Drenzek, Epidemiologist, Georgia Department of Public Health

Dr. Patrick O’Neal, MD, Director of Health Protection, Georgia Department of Public Health

Brain Monitoring Headphones

May 12, 2016 by CW

Health Connect South

Brain Monitoring Headphones

00:00 /

Karol Hatzilias

Brain Monitoring Headphones

We host Karol Hatzilias, Chief Science Officer of United Sciences, the company that has developed custom-made, personally-fitted brain monitoring headphones. Karol talked about how he had helped to develop a device that gives 3D mapping of the features of the outer ear and canal. Using the data from the 3D scans, his company could print perfect-fitting, custom made ear pieces, which proved to be very useful to hearing aid manufacturers.

After selling his initial company he wanted to build on the 3D imaging capabilities he had developed. United Sciences is using the technology to design wireless headphones that, while providing excellent stereo sound, also contain numerous sensors that can monitor a host of physiologic activities.

The Aware headphones, as they’re called, can provide pulse oximetry, monitor brain wave activity, report steps taken, heart rate, activity of the muscles of the jaw, and potentially others. Because of the secure fit, the headphones provide significant sound protection for the wearer. To provide situational awareness when desired, the user can activate mics on the exterior of the device that allow them to listen to audio and also hear approaching cars or other activity around them.

The Aware hearable can track brain waves through EEG and provide real-time feedback about focus, stress, sleep patterns, and relaxation. This enhanced awareness may help users increase focus, lower stress levels, understand their sleep patterns, and help guide them to be more mindful.

Karol and his team are collaborating with academic institutions to conduct research that may enable these devices to be deployed for a variety of clinical studies, facilitating real-time, real-life monitoring of key biodata. United Sciences is currently raising funds through a Kickstarter campaign, where contributors can pre-purchase a set of the Aware headphones at a discount in exchange for their investment support.

Special Guest:

Karol Hatzilias, Chief Science Officer, United Sciences

Cyber Security

May 10, 2016 by CW

Midtown Business Radio

Cyber Security

00:00 /

Cyber Security

Breaches to enterprise data and information are making news with troubling regularity these days. Businesses of all sizes need to be aware of their security status, plans for handling breaches if they occur, and how to mitigate the risk of exposure for the company if it happens. I talked to two experts on the subject, David Katz, partner with Nelson, Mullins, Riley, and Scarborough, and Brian Mikes, VP with Marsh USA, a highly-regarded insurance company that has expertise in cyber security.

David and Brian shared information on the importance of having a plan of action in place for businesses large and small, for the necessary steps to take in the case of an actual breach of an enterprise’s network or data. They emphasized how vital it is to have such a plan in place well in advance of problems occurring. Given the variations in legal requirements for how to handle information breaches when they occur it is essential that the enterprise secures the expertise of a legal consultant familiar with the various laws affecting such data breaches.

Brian explained some of the nuances of risk reduction and policies designed to protect the business in the event data breaches do occur. We also got into the steps to take if it is discovered that a company’s network or data has been compromised.

David and Brian discussed some of the typical areas of weakness they discover when engaging businesses to evaluate their cyber security plan, policies, and procedures. With the extent of the internet of things, devices connected to the internet via networks, and vendor portals, there are a host of points of entry for hackers and other bad guys looking to engage in nefarious activities by penetrating an enterprise’s network.

Special Guests:

David Katz, Partner, Nelson, Riley, Scarborough, and Mullins

Brian Mikes, Vice President/Advisor, Marsh USA

Cyber Security

May 9, 2016 by CW

Health Connect South

Cyber Security

00:00 / 00:47:49

Cyber Security

Jay and I hosted Steve Robb, SVP of Security Marketing & Product Strategy of ControlScan, a firm that specializes in information and network security for enterprises, including healthcare organizations. With the rise of “smart” devices of all kinds that have sensors that communicate with applications via networks and/or internet, there are now a myriad of entry-points for persons intent on nefarious activity to access a company’s network.

We’ve all heard the news stories about major firms, including the US government, who have had their networks and data compromised by hackers, causing millions of people to be exposed to identity and financial theft. As technology has continued to evolve rapidly, it is difficult for enterprises to be able to afford to recruit and retain security experts with sufficient breadth of knowledge to truly secure a business’s information as well as it could be.

Atlanta-based ControlScan brings a unified approach to security and compliance solutions, enabling organizations

to better protect sensitive data while making compliance easier to achieve and maintain. ControlScan’s combination of professional services and Managed Security Services delivers a full security lifecycle – from Security Risk Assessments to identify gaps, through HIPAA and PCI compliance analysis, to ongoing management and monitoring of security measures.

Steve shared some great information about some of the various sources of risk to networks that exist today, along with things the enterprise should be considering regarding how secure their information actually is. The ControlScan team can provide thorough evaluations of security protocols and measures and identify weaknesses that can be shored up. Additionally, the company provides outsourced security managed services that gives the client access to a high-level security team for less than it costs to employ one outright.

Special Guest:

Steve Robb, SVP Security Marketing & Product Strategy, ControlScan

Azalea Health – Top Docs Radio

May 6, 2016 by CW

Top Docs Radio

Azalea Health - Top Docs Radio

00:00 / 00:38:12

Azalea Health

This week we started our twice-monthly series with Tanya Mack, CEO of Women’s Telehealth. Her first guest was CEO and Co-founder of Azalea Health, Baha Zeidan. Azalea Health is an EMR company that launched in 2008 in Valdosta, GA. Since then the company has enjoyed steady growth and has been recognized as one of Inc. 500 Nation’s fastest growing private companies, Georgia Top 40 Innovator, and 2014 Emerging Company of the Year Phoenix Award Winner.

Healthcare IT is at the forefront of revolutionizing trends that will change the way healthcare is delivered and patients’ health and wellness outcomes. Healthcare providers and patients who are resistant to technology may be left behind. Today- EMR’s, patient portals, mobile health apps and wearables, cloud computing, and interoperability are not fringe applications but active advances that allow the patients to become more a part of the healthcare team.

Technology makes that possible. Currently, the global EMR market is $11 Billion and the US remains dominant in EMR adoption. As we move to electronic medical records, EMR’s hold a lifetime of health data and can be used to predict our individual health future through modeling.

Today’s guest, Baha Zeidan, CEO of Azalea Health will be discussing his company’s

EMR and Practice management platform and how it is evolving to incorporate these new technology advances.

Special Guests:

Baha Zeidan, CEO of Azalea Health