Month: May 2024

Originally published by Walgreens Boots Alliance

DEERFIELD, Ill. & RIDGEFIELD, Conn., May 2, 2024 /3BL/— Walgreens and Boehringer Ingelheim today announced a strategic collaboration aimed at optimizing recruitment and making clinical trials more accessible, inclusive and equitable. This collaboration will offer people an opportunity to learn about and potentially participate in an important Phase III clinical trial within the familiar and accessible environment of Walgreens pharmacies, reflecting a shared vision to expand access to healthcare and research.

Through this collaboration, Boehringer Ingelheim will leverage select Walgreens community pharmacies as clinical trial sites for people living with obesity, overweight and type 2 diabetes. The effort aims to dismantle barriers, improve access, and address equitable health representation in clinical trials, especially among Black and Hispanic adults who are more likely to have obesity in the U.S. and have historically been underrepresented.

“Embracing our pharmacy clinical trial centers in this study underscores our joint commitment to community health and innovation,” said Ramita Tandon, Chief Clinical Trials Officer at Walgreens. “This model not only provides foundational education on clinical research for patients but also empowers individuals, offering them a new pathway to engage in their healthcare through clinical trial participation. It’s a step forward in transforming the landscape of clinical research, helping to make clinical trials more inclusive and accessible.”

Additionally, Boehringer is partnering with EmVenio Research to complement this initiative by introducing mobile research units to extend reach and provide additional options for participation.

“Boehringer is proud to embrace this community-centric approach to clinical research with Walgreens and EmVenio,” said Lennart Jungersten, Senior Vice President, Medicine & Regulatory Affairs at Boehringer Ingelheim U.S. “By bringing clinical trials into the heart of local communities, we’re making them more accessible, helping to provide access to diverse populations with pressing health needs to participate in our clinical trials. Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to helping those living with overweight and obesity to transform lives for generations to come.”

It is estimated that over 1 billion people in the world live with obesity, and numbers are continuing to rise, with an estimated 24% of the entire world population affected by 2035. Obesity is included among cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (C-R-M) diseases, and, collectively, these are the leading cause of death worldwide.

“At EmVenio, we believe that innovation is meaningful and access to clinical trial research should be universal. Our partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim exemplifies our commitment to breaking down barriers and expanding access to transformative healthcare solutions,” says Thad Wolfram, President, EmVenio Research. “By bringing clinical trials directly to local communities, we’re not just conducting research, we’re fostering inclusivity and diversity in clinical trials.”

Leveraging pharmacies and mobile research units for clinical trial research is a forward-thinking approach with the potential to enhance patient outcomes and set a new benchmark for inclusivity. Walgreens will also utilize advanced, real-world insights to identify and engage potential study participants as part of the collaboration.

About Boehringer in Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic (C-R-M) Diseases

Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to improving the lives of people living with interconnected cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (C-R-M) diseases. Our ambition is to create innovative, people-centric solutions for those living with one or more C-R-M diseases, to protect them from the consequences of these conditions.

Affecting over 1 billion lives globally, C-R-M diseases – including overweight and obesity – are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for up to 20 million deaths annually. C-R-M diseases are interconnected, coexist and can amplify one another, resulting in a significant burden on patients’ lives. It is estimated that over 1 billion people in the world live with obesity, and numbers are continuing to rise, with an estimated 24% of the entire world population affected by 2035.

About Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the U.S. Retail Pharmacy and U.S. Healthcare segments of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail leader. True to its purpose of “more joyful lives through better health,” Walgreens has a more than 120-year heritage of caring for communities and providing trusted pharmacy services, and today is playing a greater role as an independent partner of choice offering healthcare services that improve care, lower costs, and help patients. Operating nearly 9,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Walgreens is proud to serve nearly 9 million customers and patients daily. The company’s pharmacists are playing a more critical role in healthcare than ever before, providing a wide range of pharmacy and healthcare services, including those that drive equitable access to care for some of the nation’s most underserved populations. Walgreens offers customers and patients a true omnichannel experience, with fully integrated physical and digital platforms designed to deliver high-quality products and healthcare services. Within the U.S. Healthcare segment, Walgreens portfolio also includes businesses in primary care, multi-specialty, post-acute care, urgent care, specialty pharmacy services, population health and provider enablement.

About Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health. As one of the industry’s top investors in Research and Development, the company focuses on developing innovative therapies in areas of high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885, Boehringer takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability along the entire value chain. More than 53,500 employees serve over 130 markets to build a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable tomorrow. Discover more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/us.

About EmVenio Research

EmVenio Research provides rapid and scalable mobile community research site solutions to better reach and recruit diverse, underrepresented and high-risk communities. EmVenio Research’s global network of skilled clinicians, principal investigators and state-of-the-art mobile community research sites enable us to provide robust clinical research services via home visits, on-site support at medical facilities, virtual visits and mobile sites. Visit emvenio.com to learn more.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240502134064/en/

Media Contacts

Walgreens
Carmen Lopez
media@walgreens.com

Boehringer Ingelheim
Jennifer Forsyth
jennifer.forsyth@boehringer-ingelheim.com

EmVenio Research
Katy Keating
katy.keating@emvenio.com

Authored by Mark Ross 

Boards of directors for healthcare providers play a crucial role in preserving financial integrity and operational efficiency. It is essential for boards to remain attentive to emerging industry trends to proactively address potential challenges and exploit opportunities. Awareness of trends allows boards to adjust financial and expansion strategies, refine risk management protocols and update compliance measures accordingly. 

In the evolving landscape of healthcare provider organizations, technological advancements and ever-changing healthcare reimbursement and regulatory policies can significantly influence financial stability. By proactively staying up-to date on trends, boards of directors can make well informed decisions, bolster long-term financial sustainability, and ensure that provider organizations are equipped to accomplish their number one objective, which is to deliver high-quality care while upholding fiscal responsibility. 

Beyond elevating awareness relative to industry trends, the remainder of this article addresses a few specific topics that should be front of mind for boards in the healthcare provider space. 

Price transparency 

Ever-changing regulations enacted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) raise increased scrutiny and steep penalties for noncompliance. Boards of directors should ensure that organizations are aware of applicable law and regulations, and an effective compliance program is in place to ensure compliance with these laws the regulations.   

A timely example of the ever-changing regulatory environment for healthcare systems would be the price transparency regulations.  Navigating the intricacies of the updated price transparency guidelines presents hurdles for hospital organizations, often requiring modifications to systems, processes, and reporting. For the deadline approaching July 1, 2024, and thereafter, provider boards of directors should ensure hospitals standardize and simplify reporting responsibilities to ensure adherence to these regulations as recent CMS enforcement actions against noncompliant providers are on the rise. 

Although price transparency is viewed as a regulatory compliance matter by many, providers can now use pricing information in the public domain to analyze and benchmark competitor and payer pricing. The process can add significant value to a provider organization. Boards of directors should ensure providers have processes in place to comply and benefit from this new legislation through improved pricing strategies and more effective managed care contract negotiations. Viewing this legislation as an opportunity to improve will help to change the mindset from compliance to value added.   

Mergers and acquisitions 

The ongoing merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the healthcare provider sector poses opportunities and challenges for provider organizations. Despite the opportunities that can be gained through M&A strategies (e.g., enhanced reimbursement opportunities, expanded geographic reach, creating economies of scale, etc.), provider boards of directors should establish rigorous oversight protocols as organizations execute due diligence processes over the target organization. This can involve examining, and evaluating the accuracy of, historical and prospective financial information, assessing the targets strategic plan, and identifying potential compliance and other risks connected to target organizations. Boards can help ensure that the M&A process adheres to regulatory requirements and best practice industry standards, mitigating risk and elevating the chances of success. One of the most critical components of any M&A transaction is the integration process. Boards of directors need to ensure integration plans are well thought out and understood by all stakeholders. Integration goals established as part of this planning process need to be closely monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure the benefits of the M&A transaction are ultimately realized; this is often not the case with M&A transactions, specifically in the healthcare system space. 

Healthcare information technology 

Assessing the risks and benefits of healthcare information technology (HIT) initiatives, such as electronic health records (EHR) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools, can be a difficult task. Provider boards of directors should ensure provider organizations have effective processes in place to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of HIT systems. Most organizations today focus on optimization of their IT platforms to help drive down expenses, better capture revenue, improve workflows for clinicians, and improve patient satisfaction. The goal here is simple; eliminate unnecessary steps in clinical and other workflows and integrating and streamlining the overall technology environment. With data privacy and security being a priority, provider boards of directors should ensure cybersecurity risks are appropriately mitigated. Further, provider boards should ensure data analytics are being deployed in key operational and strategic areas across the organization, and that action plans are developed to leverage the insights surfacing from the use of data analytics. By providing effective oversight, provider boards support provider organizations as they strive to optimize their electronic environment, effectively managing HIT initiatives which will contribute to the success and effectiveness of the healthcare organization. 

Inflation Reduction Act 

Following the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, healthcare organizations, including tax-exempt entities, are now eligible to receive tax credits connected to eligible clean energy projects. Navigating the eligibility and compliance requirements of the IRA can be difficult for provider organizations. Provider boards of directors should be aware of the opportunities created by the enactment of the IRA and should ensure the organization is properly analyzing capital projects for eligible capital spend on energy and utilities infrastructure, and pursuing tax credits for which they may be eligible. There may be a sense of urgency on this particular issue as energy tax credits have certain eligibility timelines under law and regulation. In addition, as the upcoming election approaches, the possibility of changes to the IRA may be elevated. 

Takeaways

By keeping up with industry trends, boards of directors enhance their ability to exercise their fiduciary responsibility by assisting provider organizations confront the challenges of today and seize the opportunities of tomorrow. Boards support provider organizations as they assess financial stability, address current operational and compliance issues, and seek growth strategies to capitalize on opportunities. Moreover, boards should ensure provider organizations strive to maintain best in class polices, procedures, regulatory compliance protocols, etc. in response to both current industry challenges and the ever-changing environment will help provider organizations achieve both “provider of choice” and “employer of choice” designations in their market. There are no guarantees for success in the healthcare sector today, but those two designations will certainly elevate your chances of success. 

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Originally published on Built From Scratch

In 2012, U.S. Army Ranger Master Sergeant (MSG) Cedric King lost both legs after stepping on an IED during his Afghanistan deployment. As a double amputee, he had little hope for his future quality of life, but with a wife and two daughters, Cedric knew he couldn’t stop fighting. Last year, he completed his 21st marathon.

Amid his recovery, Cedric returned home from the hospital with new accessibility needs. He found himself in a different battle: not being able to perform simple tasks in his own house. In 2017, The Home Depot Foundation partnered with the Gary Sinise Foundation and gifted his family a new, mortgage-free and specially adapted smart home. Built from the ground up specifically for his family, it came equipped with accommodations to simplify his day-to-day tasks like cooking and showering. With features like wheelchair level countertops and pulldowns in the closet for him to hang his own clothes.

“THE TRANSFORMATION MAKES LIVING JUST AS EFFORTLESS AS IT WAS BEFORE, ALMOST AS IF THIS ACCIDENT NEVER HAPPENED.”

–CEDRIC KING

Cedric received the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal and Legion of Merit. The new author now uses his voice to motivate others to fight through their own personal storms. He’s shared his story of perseverance and endurance with audiences at the U.S. Naval Academy and United States Military Academy and with professional sports teams, including the NFL, NBA, and MLB.

Giving back to veterans is personal to The Home Depot, as more than 35,000 of the company’s associates are veterans or military spouses. Since 2011, The Home Depot Foundation has partnered to build more than 90 smart homes for combat-wounded veterans and invested more than $500 million in veteran causes. This ensures more of our nation’s heroes have a safe, comfortable home that fits their individual needs.

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