ProfNet Experts Available on Ebola Virus, Data Breaches, More
Also in This Edition: Jobs for Writers and Media Industry Blog Posts
NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please contact them via the contact information at the end of the listing. To receive these updates by email, send a note to [email protected] with the industries you cover, and we'll add you to the appropriate edition.
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EXPERT ALERTS
- Chase Bank Not Required to Reveal Data Breach
- Marital Wealth Creation
EXPERT ROUNDUP
- Ebola Virus
MEDIA JOBS
- Photo Editor – Associated Press (NY)
- Reporter – North Bay Business Journal (CA)
- Managing Editor – Dallas Business Journal (TX)
OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES
- How to Become Socially Credible
- Media 411: Are You TV's Sexiest Male News Anchor?
- Writing Business Stories That Matter
EXPERT ALERTS:
Chase Bank Not Required to Reveal Data Breach
Mark Thibodeaux
Data Security Attorney
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP in Houston
"The millions of JPMorgan Chase & Co. customers whose accounts were affected by the recent massive cyberattack probably learned about it from news reports rather than from the bank itself. That's because there is no federal law that specifically requires businesses to notify customers when a big data breach occurs, and state laws vary in strength. Texas requires notification only when a customer's name and crucial identification information are accessed, such as PINs, passwords, or driver's license, Social Security or other account numbers. Based on that, Chase bank didn't have to notify Texas customers. Increasingly, however, the Securities and Exchange Commission is scrutinizing the disclosures that publicly traded companies make of their cyber-risks. This regulatory scrutiny, along with the obvious ethical considerations, likely will lead many companies to disclose breaches, even when their legal obligation may be weak or nonexistent."
Media Contact: Kit Frieden, [email protected]
Marital Wealth Creation
Michelle May O'Neil
Family Law Attorney
Godwin Lewis PC in Dallas
"There have been reports of several very public changes to the website maintained by oil company Continental Resources that could have implications for the eventual outcome in the divorce of company founder and billionaire Harold Hamm. The company has been accused of altering its company history to downplay Hamm's direct efforts in its phenomenal success during the time he was married to his second wife, Sue Ann. Apparently, under Oklahoma law, the growth in net worth deriving from work efforts during marriage is considered marital wealth and subject to equitable division. If the increase in company value is the result of market factors, and not Mr. Hamm's efforts, then the increased value would not be marital property. However, in a community property state like Texas, such a distinction would not be necessary, as marital property is most often determined by when the asset is obtained rather than in any change in value."
Media Contact: Rhonda Reddick, [email protected]
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EXPERT ROUNDUP: Ebola Virus
Following are experts who are available for interviews on the Ebola virus. If you need additional experts on the topic, you can also submit a query to reach hundreds of thousands of experts in the ProfNet network.
Dr. Ivan Oransky
Vice President and Global Editorial Director
MedPage Today
As VP and global editorial director for MedPage Today, Oransky's primary responsibility is to lead the global content strategy by developing new offerings in news, features, and commentary. He teaches medical journalism at New York University's Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program, and is the vice president of the Association of Health Care Journalists. He has been executive editor of Reuters Health; managing editor, online, of Scientific American; deputy editor of The Scientist; and editor-in-chief of the now-defunct Praxis Post. For three years, he taught in the health and medicine track at the City University of New York's Graduate School of Journalism. He earned his bachelor's at Harvard, where he was executive editor of The Harvard Crimson, and his M.D. at the New York University of School of Medicine, where he holds an appointment as clinical assistant professor of medicine. He is available to speak about many aspects of the Ebola virus, including: warning signs, preventative measures; potential of wider spreading and national health crisis; what we can learn from last week's unfortunate death; and the myths and truths of the Ebola virus.
Media Contact: Candace Disler, [email protected]
Michael Smith
North American Correspondent
MedPage Today
Smith is a three-time winner of the Science and Society Journalism Award of the Canadian Science Writers' Association. After working for newspapers in several parts of Canada, he was the science writer for the Toronto Star before becoming a freelancer in 1994. His byline has appeared in New Scientist, Science, the Globe and Mail, United Press International, Toronto Life, Canadian Business, the Toronto Star, Marketing Computers, and many others. He is based in Toronto, and when not transforming dense science into compelling prose, he can usually be found sailing. One of Smith's past articles on the Ebola virus can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/m8tzwsh. He is available to discuss many aspects of the Ebola virus including: warning signs, preventative measures, potential of wider spreading and national health crisis; what we can learn from last week's unfortunate death, and the myths and truths of the Ebola virus.
Media Contact: Candace Disler, [email protected]
Jonathan Lai, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biochemistry
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
"The Sudan strain can be associated with large outbreaks, including what was -- before this epidemic -- the largest ever outbreak of an Ebola virus in 2000, but there are few antibodies available for it. All the experimental antibody treatments used during this current outbreak (including ZMapp and TKM-Ebola) were designed to treat the Zaire strain. Generally, antibodies against one strain are not effective against the others."
Dr. Lai has spearheaded the development of a potential antibody therapy for the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus, one of the two most lethal strains, and is also working on antibodies that can fight multiple strains. (The Zaire ebolavirus is the strain responsible for the current epidemic in West Africa.) He recently received a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for this research. His lab is also looking to find an antibody or cocktail of antibodies that not only fights the Sudan strain, but multiple species of Ebola simultaneously. He can speak to the advancements and challenges of developing antibody treatments for Ebola, and provide general insight into convalescent serum therapy, which is the WHO-recommended front-line therapy for this current outbreak.
Q&A: http://tinyurl.com/o75hcpw
Media Contact: Deirdre Branley, [email protected]
Dove Pressnall
Founder
Survivors' Truths
"People need to know that Ebola can be brought under control, so there can be increased compliance with needed interventions, and for medical personnel to be safe to do their work. Many have left Liberia because it is so dangerous -- not just the risk of infection but the risk of unrest. There are all kinds of conspiracy theories: 'Maybe Ebola isn't real. Maybe they're just doing this to get more international aid, so they can embezzle it.' People mistrust the government that much. Still, Liberia has incredibly strong cultural norms around caring for people and around communities coming together. The missing piece in Ebola eradication efforts is the need to understand and leverage cultural assets, and gain public trust at the outset of an outbreak. There is an opportunity. So let's build treatment centers, but let's also have a model of caring in the community and show how that actually can happen."
Pressnall is a social entrepreneur and the founder of Survivors' Truths, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that empowers communities by collaborating with marginalized groups to challenge stereotypes and raise awareness through powerful storytelling. It aims to bring together the best of social service and social media to promote positive social change. At the start of the Ebola outbreak, the organization established a division in Monrovia, Survivors' Truths Liberia, a local entity to carry out peace-building work through strategic communications. The focus of Survivors' Truths is on strengths, and helps those who share their stories. These stories inspire reflection, hope, and action, and create social change by challenging the way we think and talk about people affected by violence and discrimination.
A licensed psychotherapist in private practice since 2001, Pressnall is inspired by the possibilities for challenging less respectful ways of describing those we seek to help and the opportunities created by new media to connect, ally, and advocate. Her work is also heavily influenced by her experience at, and ongoing relationship with, Woodbury University and its College of Transdisciplinarity. While she earned an undergraduate degree in business administration at Woodbury, she eventually migrated to the helping professions, serving individuals, families and communities. She credits Woodbury's embrace of transdisciplinarity, "the breaking down of the silos of understanding and seeing the connection between things," as providing context for that shift -- and a new framework for her work in and for Liberia.
Website: http://www.survivorstruths.org; http://cot.woodbury.edu
Media Contact: Ken Greenberg, [email protected]
Steven C. Laird
Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Law Offices of Steven C. Laird, Fort Worth, Texas
"The death of Ebola virus patient Thomas Eric Duncan at a Dallas hospital on Oct. 8 has raised questions about what legal protections are available to his family and the public. However, existing laws may prevent either group from having any meaningful chance in a Texas courtroom. Even if Duncan's relatives or others contract the deadly disease from him, Texas tort reform measures enacted in 2003 will make it almost impossible for a related lawsuit to succeed. Emergency facilities and health care providers such as the one Duncan visited are virtually exempt from civil penalties unless you can prove that a staff member willfully and wantonly injured the patient. It is horribly ironic that these restrictive laws were touted as protecting Texans' health, but, as this case shows, they're actually protecting those health care providers who may have made serious errors with the initial care and diagnosis of a contagious patient."
Media Contact: Dave Moore, [email protected]
David M. Walsh IV
Health Care Appellate Lawyer
Chamblee, Ryan, Kershaw & Anderson, P.C., Dallas
"The medical case of Thomas Eric Duncan should serve as a reminder to hospitals to verify that their electronic medical record systems and procedures for handling infectious diseases are in place. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned U.S. health care providers for months about the Ebola threat, but initial media reports still indicated that Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas prematurely released Duncan -- who since has died, in part because physicians couldn't see the patient information that was entered into the nurses' medical record system. Though the hospital later said its record system was operating properly, it's important that health care providers double-check their medical record systems' connectivity to make sure that all caregivers are on the same page when it comes to sharing patient information. In addition, hospitals should ensure that staffs are properly trained in obtaining patient histories."
Media Contact: Dave Moore, [email protected]
Magdeline Aagard, RN, Ed.D.
Nursing@Simmons Professor, Master of Science in Nursing Program
Simmons College
Aagard recently spent time in Liberia working to respond to the Ebola outbreak in the country. She can speak to her experience working in the Liberian hospital and, more specifically, the role nurses play in handling disasters such as these in the U.S. or abroad.
Media Contact: Jemila Woodson, [email protected]
Carole Lieberman, M.D.
Psychiatrist, Public Health Expert
"The CDC is currently scrambling to come up with a protocol for a public health response that works. There has been no precedent set in recent times for an epidemic like Ebola, and the magnitude of the work needed to train all medical personnel at hospitals and doctors' offices across America is staggering. What needs to be done -- before it is too late -- is to stop all travelers coming into the U.S. from West Africa. It is not only the responsibility of the CDC, but that of Congress and the White House to act now before cases multiply exponentially. It is also another urgent reason for our borders to close to undocumented aliens. People need to turn their fears into action by contacting elected officials, public health departments, the CDC and more to urge them to act now to stop the flow of potentially infected people onto our shores."
Dr. Lieberman was also recently quoted by the Associated Press as saying the apparent breach is a grave concern she compared to "a puddle of gasoline that is spreading out, and the match could be lit at any time."
A well-known psychiatrist with an M.D. and a master's degree in public health, Dr. Lieberman has the distinction of having received an NIMH grant in behavioral science and epidemiology.
Contact: [email protected]
Patty Taylor
Vice President, Professional Education and Clinical Affairs
Ansell
Taylor has been a nurse for almost 40 years and oversees hundreds of nurse consultants around the world for Ansell, one of the largest and oldest manufacturers of protection solution products. She is available to discuss how to protect and prevent the spread of Ebola, including the role of protective gear in hospitals and clinics; the importance of hygiene and glove compliance in the workplace; and proactive measures Ansell is taking to assist countries during this time of need. Taylor recently participated in a recent interview on this topic: http://tinyurl.com/prjlxbj
Media Contact: Caitlin Brown, [email protected]
Redentor S. Mendiola Jr., M.D.
Infectious Disease and Travel Medicine Physician
Summit Medical Group, Berkeley Heights, N.J.
"EVD is not an airborne disease. It is primarily transmitted during close contact with body fluids of infected individuals (skin, mucous membranes) when that person is symptomatic. Illness usually starts with fever, headache, and flu-like symptoms. GI symptoms may follow, as well as cough, sore throat, conjunctivitis, and jaundice. Symptoms can occur between two and 21 days, but must follow a history of travel to West Africa (Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea) in the past 21 days in order to be considered symptoms of Ebola. Signs and symptoms of Ebola (patients are not contagious in the incubation phase): fever greater than 38.6°C (101.5°F); headache (severe); joint and muscle aches; weakness; diarrhea; vomiting; stomach pain; lack of appetite. Anyone with such a history should go to a hospital emergency department. Alerting the emergency department ahead of time will also enable them to prepare and apply appropriate isolation precautions. Ebola patients are not contagious to others when they are asymptomatic. Symptoms must be present for the patient to be considered contagious."
Dr. Mendiola can speak to infectious diseases, preventive measures, diagnosis and treatment.
Bio: http://www.summitmedicalgroup.com/doctor/rmendiola/
Media Contact: Maureen Bennett, [email protected]
James Korman, PsyD, ACT
Director, Behavioral Health and Cognitive Therapy Center
Summit Medical Group, Berkeley Heights, N.J.
Dr. Korman can discuss the mental health angle of Ebola. His expertise includes adjustment to medical conditions and treatment for anxiety, panic and persistent worry.
Bio: http://www.summitmedicalgroup.com/doctor/jkorman/
Media Contact: Maureen Bennett, [email protected]
Albert Goldson
Executive Director
Indo-Brazilian Associates LLC
Goldson is executive director of Indo-Brazilian Associates, an NYC-based boutique global advisory firm and think tank that provides executives with cross-cultural tools and risk management information to successfully negotiate internationally. He is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). He has contributed numerous published articles on Ebola with respect to security issues and its urban impact and possible weaponization, and was one of the panelists on the Emmy Award-winning "Fresh Outlook" cable TV program on the Ebola issue, most recently this past Saturday, Oct. 11. See: http://tinyurl.com/pnqcys7 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhW-hnkXrqU
Expert Contact: [email protected]
Dr. Jim Arbogast, Ph.D.
Vice President, Hand Hygiene Sciences and Public Health Advancements
GOJO Industries
"It has been reported that 80 percent of germs are transmitted by the hands, which makes hand hygiene a critical piece in stopping the spread of illness."
Arbogast created the Skin Care Science team at GOJO Industries, the inventors of Purell hand sanitizer. With more than 20 years of experience in consumer product development, the last 13 years have been focused on skincare. Dr. Arbogast has been directly involved with the formulation of hundreds of products, presented at major scientific conferences, and authored multiple articles and patents. He received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from UCLA. He is available to discuss preventive measures and the importance of proper hand hygiene, especially in the midst of these emerging diseases.
Media Contact: Jackie Kundla, [email protected]
Dr. David Macinga, Ph.D.
Research Fellow
GOJO Industries, Inc.
An adjunct research assistant professor at Northeastern Ohio Medical University, Dr. Macinga is a microbiologist with extensive pharmaceutical drug discovery and antimicrobial product development experience. His areas of expertise include antibiotic and biocide mechanisms of action and resistance, molecular biology, protein biochemistry, and microbiological methods development. He has been with GOJO since 2003, developing new and innovative antimicrobial and antiviral skin hygiene products. He has been widely published since 1995 in the areas of antimicrobial resistance and hand hygiene, and recently led the development of a new ASTM standard test method for the clinical evaluation of hand sanitizer antimicrobial efficacy. He is available to discuss preventive measures and the importance of proper hand hygiene, especially in the midst of these emerging diseases.
Media Contact: Jackie Kundla, [email protected]
Cecilia Rokusek, Ed.D., M.S., R.D.
Assistant Dean for Education, Planning, and Research
Nova Southeastern University's College of Osteopathic Medicine
"Ebola is a major public health threat. It has always been one for Africa, especially central Africa, where it was first recognized in Sudan and the Congo. We, as public health professionals, have always discussed it, but we have not thought of it as a major virus that could impact the U.S. With global travel, which has become a standard way of life for so many people worldwide, this threat now becomes a very real issue for our global society. Ebola, in particular, is so dangerous because it can be transmitted not only from human to human but also from animal to human, and the effects are usually deadly. Like with all public health preparedness issues, we must always be knowledgeable about preparedness and personal precautions. This is something Americans often do not think about until the realities of public health dangers like Ebola are on their back steps. Precautions are simple: awareness and knowledge put into practice for everyone. This includes hand hygiene at all times, respiratory hygiene when around potential infected areas (includes mask wearing), and use of protective equipment when working with individuals infected with Ebola. It is also extremely important to have safe injections and, for drug users, never using an old needle. It is also important to have safe burials for individuals who had the virus. Americans generally do not have an immediate danger, but they must be prepared through good public health practice. We can no longer become complacent to any public health danger anywhere."
Dr. Rokusek is the program manager for NSU COM's Institute for Disaster and Emergency Preparedness (IDEP) and a professor in the college's disaster and emergency preparedness master of science degree program, which she helped establish. She is a national trainer in the area of personal and professional preparedness. She has worked with the National Association of Federally Qualified Community Health Programs in developing and presenting programs on Preparedness and Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP). She works closely with local, state, national, and international agencies to develop and distribute training programs and educational materials related to disaster and emergency preparedness for individuals, businesses, and communities. IDEP is a national center originally funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). Under Dr. Rokusek's direction, the institute has become a leader in developing and implementing interdisciplinary all-hazards preparedness training and educational materials. She has spoken to a number of state and national medical groups on preparedness issues related to practice and post-disaster recovery.
Media Contact: Jeremy Katzman, [email protected]
Rone George
Healthcare Nation Awareness Foundation
"The effects of a major outbreak like Ebola would be enormous if an uninsured individual was to be affected and have to pay the medical bills in excess of $200,000. But that does not take into consideration the cost of the effects of the fear. For example, if there is a major shift in the amount of people going to the ER in a short span, the overall health landscape is not designed to deal with that much activity."
George has acquired a substantial amount of experience as a former agent for Humana in the Medicare sector. He has worked with many of the top providers in the industry, including Cigna, Aetna, Colonel, AIG and many others. He has been extremely successful when it comes to securing enrollments at some of some of South Florida's biggest institutions, including Miami International Airport, Palm Beach International, Dade County School Board, Miami Jackson Hospital, Mercy Hospital and Wal-Mart. Healthcare Nation Awareness Foundation's management team is highly skilled in the general field of insurance and insurance sales. They possess great knowledge and a thorough understanding of the targeted demographic, which encompasses those who will be more likely to enroll by way of the exchange and Medicare.
Media Contact: Adrienne Mazzone, [email protected]
Brian Short
Founder and CEO
allnurses.com
Short is a Registered Nurse, self-taught website designer, entrepreneur, and passionate online community developer. In 1996, when the Internet was in its infancy, he started what would later become allnurses.com, the largest online nursing community on the Web. Today, allnurses.com has more than 855,000 active members who contribute more than 300 new topics daily. This past weekend, the site conducted a survey of their membership on how they were feeling about the Ebola situation, with the vast majority saying they do not feel prepared or safe with the unfolding situation. Short is available to discuss the survey results, as well as how the nursing profession feels about the Ebola crisis and what nurses feel they need to be prepared to handle new cases. He is also available to poll the allnurses.com community if a journalist has a specific question on which they would like the collective opinion of nurses.
Media Contact: Melissa Rubin, [email protected]
Robert Hitchcock, M.D., FACEP
Chief Medical Informatics Officer
T-System
Based out of Dallas, Hitchcock is a nationally recognized regulatory and patient safety expert, as well as a practicing ER physician. He is an Emergency Department Practice Management Association board member, and an active member of the HIMSS Physician Committee and other HIMSS subcommittees advocating usability and regulatory issues. He currently serves as T-System's chief medical informatics officer, leading the company's efforts for solving regulatory issues and identifying emerging trends. In 2001, he earned recognition for excellence in teaching from internal medicine residents, and in the early 2000s, he trained basic and advanced life-support EMS providers. His combination of regulatory and patient safety expertise, along with clinical experience from frontlines of emergency medicine, provides him with a unique perspective on the issue of Ebola. He is available to discuss issues such as preventative measures, treatment and recovery, experimental treatments, infectious diseases, mental health, CDC guidelines and protecting healthcare workers.
Media Contact: Ann Baty, [email protected]
Ben Favret
President and CEO
Vestagen Technical Textiles
"Nobody is talking about how to protect frontline healthcare workers who might be exposed even before a patient tests positive for the virus. The sad reality is that healthcare workers are exposed to dangerous pathogens day-in and day-out and need to be equipped with better protection."
Favret founded Vestagen Technical Textiles Inc. in 2009 to deliver advanced performance textile technologies to the medical market, focusing on protecting health care workers and reducing acquisition and transmission of hospital-acquired pathogens. A 23-year veteran of the health care industry, Favret has broad experience in sales and marketing management, product launches and startup business leadership. He is also a board member of the International Healthcare Worker Safety Center. He is available to discuss gaps in healthcare worker safety, legislative efforts underway to improve healthcare worker protection from pathogen transmission, healthcare worker PPE standards, and textile advances available to provide better protection from contaminants.
Media Contact: Jackie Vos, [email protected]
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MEDIA JOBS:
Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/
- Photo Editor – Associated Press (NY)
- Reporter – North Bay Business Journal (CA)
- Managing Editor – Dallas Business Journal (TX)
See more listings here.
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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:
Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected]
- HOW TO BECOME SOCIALLY CREDIBLE. Finding a story to share with your social media audience is important. Yet, the struggle may be to find the right story at the right time to share on your Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn page. We recently spoke with Scredible's social and data marketing manager Lori Friedrich, who explained how Scredible works as well as how it can help with their social media efforts: http://prn.to/1sdmuhb
- MEDIA 411: ARE YOU TV'S SEXIEST MALE NEWS ANCHOR? PEOPLE MAG WANTS YOU. We all know that every year People magazine puts out a Sexiest Man Alive issue -- but did you know that this year they are placing another sexy man on the cover in addition to Hollywood's hottest hunk? If you're a news anchor, sports anchor or weather anchor, now's your chance to get in on the action! Details here: http://prn.to/1tGpQVw
- WRITING BUSINESS STORIES THAT MATTER. There's more to business writing than earnings and executive appointments. For our latest Twitter Q&A, we asked freelance writer Gwen Moran, award-winning small-business expert and writer specializing in business and money, to share some of her insight on how to find the part of the story that moves it from a dry business profile to a piece that matters: http://prn.to/1vxzRXy
PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire. To submit a request for experts: http://bit.ly/findexperts To search the ProfNet Connect experts database: http://www.profnetconnect.com To contact ProfNet by phone: +1-800-PROFNET, ext. 1 To share a thought on Expert Alerts: [email protected]
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/profnet-experts-available-on-ebola-virus-data-breaches-more-661013426.html
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