Month: September 2024

Over the past several years, the healthcare industry has witnessed remarkable technological transformations. Innovations such as biosensors, wearables, and mobile applications have revolutionized patient care. These solutions empower healthcare providers with real-time access to patient health data, enabling timely interventions and personalized care. As families around the world look for better healthcare options, these advancements offer hope to address aging and unexpected health crises that hit close to home. I’m appreciative to be part of a company that enables these developments.

The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), in particular, has been a game-changer for healthcare. Medical devices now communicate seamlessly, generating valuable data that has transformed patient monitoring and treatment. Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are no longer futuristic concepts; they are actively integrated into the healthcare ecosystem. AI-driven applications assist in robot-assisted surgeries, virtual nursing, and administrative tasks.

However, progress comes with complexity. The architecture of IoT devices has become more intricate. Engineers grapple with electromagnetic interference, stringent medical regulations, and the need for robust hardware. Rigorous testing ensures these devices withstand real-world challenges.

IoT device manufacturers face the critical task of ensuring their products meet design and test parameters. In life-critical applications, reliability is non-negotiable. As such, comprehensive testing — covering hardware, wireless communication, battery life, and security — is essential. In addition, maintenance and supportability become paramount as well to ensure devices perform optimally throughout their service life.

The industry’s future, and opportunity to improve lives, hinges on effective integration and seamless device connectivity. That is where Keysight Technologies comes into play. Keysight offers comprehensive design, test, and monitoring solutions for healthcare IoT. Helping support the effective implementation of the connected healthcare system, and ultimately better patient outcomes for us all.

By Ken Garfield | illumination Contributor

A missing South Carolina man was reunited with his family thanks to the sharp eyes of a drone soaring above Spartanburg, S.C.

Magno Alvarez Ruiz, 68, wandered away from home on July 28, prompting a 911 call that mobilized rescuers to find him. Ruiz has dementia, his family said, and was last seen in a blue shirt and black shorts.

Under the supervision of Sgt. Dylan Davis of the Spartanburg Police Department, 40 officers from three agencies fanned out. Search-and-rescue canines were brought in. From up above, drones joined the search for the 5-foot-7-inch, 130-pound man.

A drone was first to spot Ruiz, who’d lost his shoes navigating a heavily wooded area about a mile from home.

“The cameras, the zoom, the clarity … we were fortunate to get some of the best technology out there,” said Robbie Swofford of Spartanburg County Emergency Services. “This was huge for us, thanks to Duke Energy.”

The emergency management coordinator was quick to share the news with the Duke Energy Foundation, whose $20,000 grant enabled the county to purchase not one but two drones in 2023.

“Without your contribution, we would have struggled on numerous local and regional response efforts,” he wrote in an email to Amanda Dow, Foundation director in South Carolina.

“To hear that the drones helped save a man, that was icing on the cake,” Dow said. “It was beyond words.”

Creating resilient communities

Over five years, the Duke Energy Foundation has donated more than $17.6 million across North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky to enhance emergency preparedness and response. This funding covers the costs for things like training, lifesaving equipment and new technology that aids in disaster planning and recovery operations.

In South Carolina alone, the Foundation has awarded 99 grants totaling $1.5 million over the past three years to help communities prepare for weather emergencies and bounce back when the storms come.

In Cherokee County, a 2024 microgrant paid for additional cots that doubled Emergency Management’s sheltering capabilities. Further south, the city of Sumter is using the funds to help employees prepare for potentially hazardous weather.

“Being storm-ready is crucial for us,” said Mayor David Merchant, “so that we, as a city, can best serve and protect our citizens … and invest in equipment that will allow us to better serve the people of Sumter in a safe and timely manner.”

Swofford, too, is grateful for the two high-quality drones that Spartanburg County Emergency Services has used to pinpoint areas hit hardest by severe weather. The more they know, the faster emergency personnel can respond. Fast-growing Spartanburg County is home to 360,000 people about 75 miles southwest of Charlotte.

Drones also maximize safety and efficiency because, in some instances, they can keep emergency workers from having to go up in a helicopter to do the same job.

After Ruiz’s rescue, Swofford said, “These drones can do a lot of things.”

Family thanks rescuers

Speaking for her family, Luimar Alvarez is grateful to everyone who had a hand in bringing her father home. A native of Venezuela, Ruiz worked as an engineer in the oil industry. He came to the United States in 2021 to be with family in Spartanburg. He enjoys sitting in the backyard, watching his granddaughters jump on the trampoline.

It was the first time he had wandered from home. In his mind, Ruiz had good reason. On the day he disappeared, his wife mentioned that the presidential election was underway in their native Venezuela. That’s why he decided to walk to the school: to cast a ballot. Back home, they vote at a school.

His daughter recounted their conversation after he was rescued. “I asked him, ‘Did you vote?’ He said ‘No, I didn’t find the school. But I enjoyed the adventure.’ I told him that the next time he wants an adventure, tell me. We’ll go together.”

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NAPLES, Fl., September 17, 2024 /3BL/ – Neighborhood Health Clinic was awarded a $20,000 charitable grant from KeyBank Foundation and Key Private Bank in support of the nonprofit organization’s ongoing efforts to meet the dental needs of Collier County’s uninsured workers, and also create awareness among community partners and residents.

“This grant from the KeyBank Foundation ensures Neighborhood Health Clinic has the resources to meet our patients’ dental needs by allowing us to purchase more dental tools, equipment and supplies, as well as provide training for new volunteer hygienists and dental assistants,” details Chief Executive Officer Leslie Lascheid. “Generous supporters like KeyBank help ensure the Clinic continues to provide the highest quality comprehensive care for our community.”

This $20,000 grant will help support the Clinic’s “Promoting Wellness through Positive Impact on Overall Dental Health and Education for the Underserved” program, an initiative designed to dramatically improve the health and wellbeing of the nonprofit organization’s patients.

“As a community-minded bank, KeyBank believes in doing our part to improve the lives of disadvantaged populations in the communities we serve,” said Michael T. Schneider, Key Private Bank Florida Market President. “ We are proud to partner with Neighborhood Health Clinic to help provide resources and oral care to their clients in an effort to positively impact the overall health and well-being of the community.”

KeyBank Foundation grants are part of a $40 billion commitment for lending and investments across Key’s national footprint established in 2017 and supporting affordable housing and community development projects, home, and small business lending in low- and-moderate income communities, and philanthropic efforts targeted toward education, workforce development, and safe, vital neighborhoods.

Neighborhood Health Clinic opened the Dental Suite in 2019 to improve the overall health and wellbeing of patients by addressing the link between oral health and chronic illness, providing Collier County’s uninsured workers comprehensive care on one campus to reduce the amount of time spent away from family and work. The Dental Suite features four dental operatories, dental lab, dental sterilization room and a classroom for one-on-one patient education.

Collier County is home to more than 50,000 uninsured workers who could qualify for Clinic services if they became ill. Founded in 1999, the Neighborhood Health Clinic provides comprehensive medical and dental care to working, uninsured adults (aged 19-64) residing in Collier County:

Offers access to general medical practitioners, specialty clinics for complex and chronic conditions; dental care; an onsite laboratory for basic tests for established patients and Radiology servicesProvides patient education and research projectsHouses an onsite medication room which allows patients to leave appointments with their non-narcotic medications, increasing adherence and improving health outcomesProvided over 12,000 patient visits and 30,000 patient procedures in 2023Delivered more than 120,000 patient procedures since 1999Volunteer driven 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization with approximately 250 physicians, 50 dentists, 100 nurses and 300 non-medical personnel donating their expertise and supported by 13 fulltime and 5 part-time paid staff94 cents of every dollar goes directly to patient services

To learn more about Neighborhood Health Clinic, or support the charity’s programs, please call 239.261.6600, or visit www.NeighborhoodHealthClinic.org.

KeyBank provides banking and financial services to full-time and seasonal residents throughout Collier, Lee, and Palm beach counties through Key Private Bank’s offices at 3777 Tamiami North Suite 100, Naples; 3507 Kyoto Gardens Drive Suite 100 Palm Beach Gardens; and 12830 University Drive Fort Myers. For more information on Key Private Bank’s services in Florida, contact Michael T. Schneider, Key Private Bank Florida Market President at (239) 659-8803, or michael_t_schneider@keybank.com.

Neighborhood Health Clinic is a volunteer driven 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization with approximately 250 physicians, 50 dentists, 100 nurses and 300 non-medical personnel donating their professional expertise to provide Collier County’s working, uninsured residents with medical and dental care. Neighborhood Health Clinic holds the coveted 4-star ranking by independent evaluator Charity Navigator (since 2013) and the highest-level rating, Platinum from GuideStar for seven consecutive years. For more information on volunteer opportunities, eligibility and services, please call 239.261.6600, or visit www.NeighborhoodHealthClinic.org.

KeyBank Foundation serves to fulfill KeyBank’s purpose to help clients and communities thrive, and its mission is to support organizations and programs that prepare people for thriving futures. The Foundation’s mission is advanced through three funding priorities – neighbors, education, and workforce – and through community service. To provide meaningful philanthropy that transforms lives, KeyBank Foundation listens carefully to understand the unique characteristics and needs of its communities and then backs solutions with targeted philanthropic investments. KeyBank Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation, funded by KeyCorp.

About Key Private Bank

Key Private Bank is a leading provider of wealth management solutions and advice for high-net worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, including wealth advisory, investment management, trust administration, customized credit, and private banking services. Key’s wealth management platform combines the market insights of local advisors with a national team of wealth and investment strategists to deliver proactive and personalized advice and expertise to clients. Advisors also leverage partnerships with Key’s business banking and capital markets teams to build wealth plans tailored to meet each client’s specific need. Key Private Bank’s wealth management platform is delivered across 15 of the United States. Key Private Bank has $17.3 billion in AUA at June 30, 2024.

Client background

The organization is a public academic health science center whose entities include hospitals, clinics, teaching facilities and a research center.

The business challenge

The organization was looking to adopt a modern human capital management (HCM) system to replace their current 20-year-old fragmented system and had engaged Baker Tilly, in collaboration with a prime contractor, to jointly migrate its human resource system to Oracle HCM Cloud to support planned growth and future challenges. The new enterprise solution was the first of many IT modernization initiatives planned in support of the five-year strategic vision.

Looking beyond the immediate benefits a modernized system would bring, the organization capitalized on the opportunity to reengineer their HCM processes including the way they were going to recruit, train and manage performance going forward. With these incoming changes, the organization realized a need to clearly articulate the process changes that were going to be experienced across their organization as a result of the new technology.

The communication work for the new HCM solution was led by the organization’s internal change team with support from Baker Tilly’s Organizational Readiness team, however they found that developing a strong value proposition to drive support and buy-in for both the new technology as well as their reformed processes would be best supported by a dependency to the higher-level strategic priority. The organization further engaged Baker Tilly’s Organizational Readiness team to construct an overarching and integrated messaging framework and execution plan designed to build strategic alignment between the system and process changes for this initiative and their organizational goals.

Strategy and solution

Baker Tilly worked with the organization’s change team to identify a change network that would be essential in driving support for this strategic-level initiative and setting the stage for the upcoming digital transformation initiatives. The Baker Tilly team began by interviewing senior leadership responsible for the success of this project as well as business leaders across each of their four entities (hospital, clinic, teaching and research) to assess the existing support and level of effort that would be required to adapt to the new HCM processes.

Through this risk and readiness assessment the team was able to engage key stakeholders in the development of impactful messaging that would foster support of the incoming changes and equip leadership with the tools needed to educate staff and begin to socialize the value proposition downstream. Because each entity has a different mission specific to the work they do, Baker Tilly further tailored the messaging to connect their unique perspectives to the strategic vision and goals so that employees across the organization would understand why the change was necessary and have a clear motivation for why they should care and support the new system and processes.

In addition to constructing the messaging, Baker Tilly developed talking points, toolkits and a communication plan, outlining the steps required to build awareness and rally support for a unified and consistent HCM system across the organization. This plan empowered leadership to work as change agents to generate support for the change. As a result, the organization was equipped with the tools to drive the change forward during the system go-live and laid the foundation to cultivate support for the upcoming digital transformation initiatives.

Interested in learning more? Connect with the Baker Tilly team today.

IBM

The role of AI in the classroom is evolving rapidly. When students and teachers embrace this technology, it has the ability to democratize access to education through programs like IBM SkillsBuild. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Dr. Laurie Santos, host of Pushkin’s The Happiness Lab podcast, spoke with two innovators in the space. Justina Nixon-Saintil is Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, IBM Corporate Social Responsibility, and April Dawson is an Associate Dean of Technology and Innovation and a professor of law. They discuss the importance of lifelong learning, upskilling, and the ethical implications of AI in education.

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

When you hear the phrase, “the joys of childhood,” it may evoke memories of chasing butterflies in the backyard, baking cookies with grandma or maybe a crafts table stacked high with items handmade with love.

Sadly, for the 10,000 kids diagnosed with cancer each year, childhood may also carry other memories — machines, medications and, in many cases, isolation become a part of their day-to-day lives.

That’s why Sunrise Association offers day camp programs throughout the country that give children with cancer and their siblings the opportunity to participate in a full-summer experience while continuing their treatments and enjoying the comfort and safety of their homes at night. And they provide this gift, free of charge.

With a shared mission, Aflac paired up with Sunrise Association this summer to deliver more than 75 My Special Aflac Ducks®, also free of charge, to children at Horizon Day Camp — Metro DC, a project between the Pozez JCC and the Sunrise Association. Campers were given a demonstration of the duck and an overview of their new companion’s features that provide additional delight through innovative technology to help children prepare for medical procedures, communicate their feelings, practice distraction techniques and more. This is the third year the two organizations have worked together to deliver the cuddly companion to campers.

Watch this video to hear what Ann Marie Tilias, mother of three campers, has to say about her family’s experience. 

In 2024, Aflac contributed $70,000 to Sunrise Associates to help support children with cancer and their siblings to go to camp which, like My Special Aflac Duck, is completely free of charge.To date, Aflac has given $190,000 to help support Sunrise Association, a part of Aflac’s nearly 30-year and more than $184 million commitment to the pediatric cancer and blood disorder initiative.

Since 2018, Aflac has distributed more than 32,000 My Special Aflac Ducks to children ages 3 and up with a pediatric cancer or blood disorders like a sickle cell diagnosis. The robotic companion was designed in consult with more than 100 children, families and medical professionals in conjunction with Empath Labs to produce the comforting, lifelike movements, and many more features that bring cheer. My Special Aflac Duck was recently the focus of a three-year clinical study spearheaded by researchers at Emory University and conducted at eight hospitals across the country. The study, which included 160 patients, their families and health care professionals, was released in April, showing that My Special Aflac Duck helps pediatric patients with cancer cope with treatment-related distress and anxiety.

Health care providers, support organizations and families can order My Special Aflac Duck free of charge for children 3 years or older who have been diagnosed with cancer or sickle cell disease at myspecialaflacduck.com.

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DP World and Rumo’s strategic partnership enhances Brazil’s agricultural exports, strengthening supply chains and advancing global efforts toward UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Brazil plays a critical role in global food security through its agricultural exports, which feed about 11% of the world’s population. As climate change, population growth, and geopolitical tensions intensify, Brazil’s position as the “breadbasket of the world” becomes increasingly vital.

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal, “Feeding the World: From the Brazilian Heartland by Rail and Sea” explores the how the Port of Santos, Latin America’s largest port and a key hub for Brazil’s agricultural exports, stands at the center of this effort. 

DP World, in partnership with Brazil’s leading railroad company, Rumo, is spearheading a major infrastructure expansion at Santos, including a new state-of-the-art terminal for grains and fertilizers. This project is designed to enhance the port’s capacity and competitiveness, benefiting Brazilian farmers and strengthening global food supply chains.

Rail transportation is emphasized as a solution to the logistical challenges posed by the vast distances between Brazil’s agricultural heartland and its ports, with environmental benefits like reduced CO2 emissions and road congestion. 

The collaboration aims to create economic opportunities, reduce supply chain costs, and increase production capacity, while boosting exports and ensuring sustainable, efficient logistics.

The expansion of Brazil’s agricultural export infrastructure aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2, which aims to end hunger, achieve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture. By improving the efficiency of Brazil’s food supply chains through strategic investments in ports and railroads, the country is better positioned to meet the growing global demand for food, especially in regions facing food insecurity. 

Enhanced logistics and reduced costs contribute to more equitable food distribution, addressing both economic and environmental challenges. This collaboration between DP World and Rumo not only supports Brazilian farmers but also plays a crucial role in advancing global efforts to ensure food security for all, in line with the UN’s vision for a sustainable future.Top of Form

Read the full story here: Feeding the World: From the Brazilian Heartland by Rail and Sea

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Originally published on August 13th on LinkedIn

At Sysco, we believe in the power of giving back. Every year, we recognize the incredible contributions of our volunteers and a Sysco site that goes above and beyond in contributing the most volunteer hours.

Our colleagues’ dedication to service is vital to achieving our Global Good Goal of giving $500 million worth of ‘good’ to global communities by 2025. Their passion for volunteerism drives meaningful change, showing that together, we can make a lasting impact.

Congratulations to our Volunteer of the Year winners and thank you for continuing to support the communities we serve.

About Sysco

Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. With more than 76,000 colleagues, the company operates 340 distribution facilities worldwide and serves approximately 730,000 customer locations. For fiscal year 2024 that ended June 29, 2024, the company generated sales of more than $78 billion. Information about our Sustainability program, including Sysco’s 2023 Sustainability Report and 2023 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report, can be found at www.sysco.com.

 For more information, visit www.sysco.com or connect with Sysco on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SyscoFoods. For important news and information regarding Sysco, visit the Investor Relations section of the company’s Internet home page at investors.sysco.com, which Sysco plans to use as a primary channel for publishing key information to its investors, some of which may contain material and previously non-public information. In addition, investors should continue to review our news releases and filings with the SEC. It is possible that the information we disclose through any of these channels of distribution could be deemed to be material information.

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Originally published in Crown Holding’s 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

This year, we again hold ourselves accountable to the commitments we have made to stakeholders to move Crown’s Twentyby30™ program forward. Now, more than two years into that journey, we need to speak to those commitments and to the progress we have made to this point.

You will see in this report that we are open about where we have progressed and where there is still work to be done. We acknowledge that achieving the aggressive goals we have set, both as a Company and as an industry, takes collective effort. That collaboration cannot be achieved without transparency and communication.

Since launching Twentyby30™ in 2020, our priority has been not just to set goals, but to actively roadmap our work to execute them. It is easy to establish targets, but the challenge is to continue to make progress toward those goals. While that progress cannot always be linear, we are furthering our efforts and are confident in our ability to ultimately meet our goals by 2030. Additionally, as we move through this decade, we are determined to pursue our targets in a way that is thoughtful, manageable and effective.

In 2022, we were able to demonstrate progress against several key areas of the Twentyby30™ program. For example, to support the goals in our Climate Action pillar, we continue to seek out opportunities for renewable energy sources, add major solar installations to existing and new plants and procure large-scale renewable projects. On the topic of circularity, we co-hosted the first Global Aluminium Can Sustainability Summit in partnership with the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and the International Aluminium Institute, which kickstarted important industry conversations. The event brought together all parts of the aluminum supply chain to discuss tactics for driving actionable progress toward the industry’s sustainability goals.

We are committed to being mindful in the procurement of our raw materials, and in 2022, we took steps to receive certification from the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) for our beverage can operations in Mexico, validating that we are operating ethically within the supply chain as we source our materials. This verification comes after our Brazilian operations’ ASI certification and will be followed by similar efforts in several of our operating regions.

In addition, we have elevated our involvement with key organizations to actively support the global progress against climate change. We made commitments to both the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and the CEO Water Mandate, which will hold us accountable for implementing more resourceful efficiency measures within our organization and working with our partners on larger goals.

These efforts were noticed by our sustainability peers this year, earning us recognition by Newsweek as one of America’s Most Responsible Companies, as well as being included among the 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2022 by 3BL Media and Forbes’ inaugural World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies. We are also especially proud to report that Sustainalytics ranked us as a leader in the top 3% of the containers and packaging industry for the third year in a row out of more than 100 global companies reviewed.

As always, I would like to express my gratitude for our teams around the world who are fostering this impactful change and helping us progress toward each of our sustainability goals. It is all of you who, through your creativity, ingenuity, passion and determination, have done the work to advance the Twentyby30™ program. I am proud to share that, although we are a few years from crossing the finish line, we are on the right path and we are not idle. We are progress in motion.

Thank you,

Tim Donahue

President, CEO & Chairman of the Board

To learn more about Crown Holdings’s commitment to corporate responsibility, visit our sustainability webpage.

For full details about Crown Holdings’s 2023 Sustainability Report, visit here.