FRIDAY, DEC. 6, 2019 | IN THIS ISSUE
• Raining Rose revamps senior leadership
• IDx's automous diagnostic system arrives in grocery store clinics
• Market at the Mount returns to Mount Mercy U. Saturday
• CBJ Report on CBS2/FOX28: Arena naming rights, a Coe broadcasting internship
• UNI honors RSM US with President's Philanthropy Award
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Raining Rose announces executive leadership changes
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Raining Rose has announced changes to its executive leadership team to position the company for future growth and expansion.
Ian Flynn, who previously served as director of engineering, was named vice president of technical services. This role will bring Engineering, Information Technology, and Research & Development under one leader to better support existing and future investments in manufacturing excellence.
“As a manufacturer focused on quality and preparation for the future, technology and data analysis are increasingly important to our performance,” CEO Chuck Hammond said in a news release. “We are creating a group to better support both sales and operations.”
Mike Wehr, current Raining Rose COO, will take a new role as chief sales officer. Kyle Hach, who is vice president of operations, will assume the role of COO.
Both executives have long tenures at Raining Rose and will use their expansive knowledge of the entire organization to collaborate on future sales and operations improvements.
“When we were smaller, sales and operations were inextricably linked,” Mr. Hammond said. “The operations side of the business has evolved in complexity in ways we could have never imagined. In addition, we have more than 50 people focused on sales and several distinct sales channels.”
Rounding out the Raining Rose executive team are Aaron-Marie Thoms, vice president of people and culture, and Teresa Wolken, CFO. Both joined the company within the last year and have had an immediate, positive impact, said Mr. Hammond. Mr. Hammond will remain president and CEO.
IMAGE: Ian Flynn CREDIT RAINING ROSE
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IDx autonomous diagnostic system arrives in retail health clinics
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CarePortMD retail health clinics at Albertsons grocery stores have become the first retail health clinic to offer the first autonomous AI diagnostic system for diabetic retinopathy, IDx-DR.
The IDx-DR system from Coralville-based IDx will help distinguish Albertsons’ retail health offering from others in the rapidly growing field. Albertsons has added five CarePort MD clinics to stores in Delaware and Pennsylvania in the past year.
“Artificial intelligence diagnostics like IDx-DR align seamlessly with our mission to increase the access, affordability, and quality of healthcare,” said Ashok Subramanian, MD, the CEO of CarePortMD. “We are proud to offer this service to our patients as part of our comprehensive diabetes care program.”
IDx-DR uses AI to identify patients with diabetic retinopathy and macular edema, common complications of diabetes and a leading cause of blindness. Experts recommend annual eye exams to catch disease in its early stages, but as few as 15% of Medicare patients actually do, according to a diabetes care study.
“Our goal is to ensure all patients with diabetes have access to the diabetic retinopathy exam so that we can improve patient outcomes,” IDx founder and CEO Dr. Michael Abramoff said in a news release. “More patients are getting their healthcare in retail clinics, so there is value in exploring the space. We were attracted to CarePortMD’s care coordination model; it’s critical that results make it back to the patient’s medical home and are triaged appropriately. This is a great opportunity to do AI the right way together.”
CarePortMD captures and transmits patient vitals, IDx-DR exam results, and other important health information to the patient’s doctor.
“What I’m most excited about is that the retinal exam provides a rich source of information, helping to identify patients who are at highest risk for complications of diabetes,” Ashok Subramanian, MD, the CEO of CarePortMD, said in a release. "If we catch these high-risk patients earlier, it can result in significant savings for the healthcare system and better patient outcomes.”
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Market at the Mount returns to Mount Mercy U. on Saturday
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Mount Mercy University’s student Enactus team will host the sixth annual holiday Market at the Mount from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the university's Hennessey Recreation Center Gymnasium.
The student-organized event will bring more than 70 local vendors to campus.
Vendors will include services, artisans, crafters and food vendors as well as family-friendly activities. Products include refurbished furniture, jewelry, children’s books and toys, vegan pastas, home décor, fused glass art, cupcakes, wood art, stationery, soaps, quilts and more.
Market at the Mount began in 2014 as a teaching tool for students, providing the opportunity for students and vendors to collaborate and learn about best business practices. Focused on community empowerment, Enactus takes no profit from the event. Vendors set up their tables and work with students on skills like product promotion and shop marketing.
“A lot of our vendors rely on summer farmer's markets to sell their product, so we saw an opportunity to help the vendors in the community by creating an indoor market during the winter,” said Market at the Mount Director Peyton Staab in a news release.
This event is free. Visitors are encouraged to park in the Prairie Drive Lot.
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CBJ Report: Coe internship, naming rights, higher ed impact
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In this week's CBJ Report on CBS2/FOX28, CBJ Editor Adam Moore discusses a new sports broadcasting internship created by a Coe College alum, a $1-million MidAmerican Energy naming rights deal for part of the Xtream Arena Powered by Mediacom being built in Coralville, and a new report underscoring the powerful economic impact of Iowa's Regents universities. To see the full report, click
here
.
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UNI honors RSM for with 2019 Philanthropy Award
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The University of Northern Iowa has recognized RSM US LLP with the school's 2019 President’s Philanthropy Award for corporations and foundations.
RSM was recognized for its generosity to the University of Northern Iowa through significant leadership giving, dedicated long-term service and assistance to UNI students and faculty through recruitment opportunities and program support.
"RSM has served as a partner to UNIBusiness for many years,” said Leslie Wilson, dean of the UNI College of Business Administration, in a news release. “Financial support to establish the first chair in accounting plays a key role in the retention of outstanding accounting faculty, and will help us attract more talent in the future. Scholarships support our students, allowing them to focus on their studies and to prepare for the CPA examination. More importantly, professional engagement from RSM's employees on our advisory boards ensures that we continue to deliver an accounting program that meets the highest expectations of the profession. Partners like RSM empower us to be the leader in business education."
RSM is a leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market.
“Being recognized with such a prestigious award from a distinguished organization such as UNI for our firm’s philanthropic efforts is quite an honor,” said Doug Opheim, CFO of RSM US LLP and chairman of the RSM US Foundation, in a release. "Stewardship is one of our core values at RSM."
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Dec. 9
Coralville Roundtable,
by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, noon-1 p.m., Brown Deer Golf Club, 1900 Country Club Drive, Coralville. Members are invited to network and keep up to date with chamber and community events. Free. For information, call (319) 337-9637.
Dec. 10
TechBrew AM,
by Technology Association of Iowa and Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 8-9 a.m., Economic Alliance, 501 First St. SE, Cedar Rapids. TAI President Brian Waller conducts casual interviews with CIOs, who discuss their career path and share what’s most important for Iowa’s tech community. Free. To register, visit
bit.ly/2NGOecI
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Business Leadership Series,
by Marion Economic Development Corp., 8 a.m.-noon, Legacy Manufacturing, 6509 Partners Ave., Marion. Lisa Schaefer will present “Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us.” Free. For more information, visit
bit.ly/37oe7qH
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Small Business Lunch Roundtable,
by SCORE of East Central Iowa, noon-1 p.m., Granite City Food & Brewery, 4755 First Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. This networking opportunity offers a chance to share best practices and get help with business challenges. Free. To register, visit
conta.cc/2CWQbg2
.
Dec. 11
1 Million Cups
, by 1MC Cedar Rapids, 8:15-9:15 a.m., Geonetric, 415 12th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. Join for community connections, free coffee and presentations by entrepreneurs, established companies, experts and more. Free. For more information, visit
facebook.com/1MCICR
.
1 Million Cups
, by 1MC Iowa City, 9-10 a.m., MERGE, 136 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. Join for community connections, free coffee and presentations by entrepreneurs, established companies, experts and more. Free. For more information, visit
facebook.com/1MillionCupsIC/
Ashley Homestore Ribbon Cutting,
by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Ashley Homestore, 1421 Coral Ridge Ave., Coralville. Free. For more information, visit
bit.ly/2OJq1Eu
.
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Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
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These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
Weary from every day battles against poor yields and the trade war, Johnson County farmers are taking up another fight. That's how passionate many are over a proposed ordinance requiring farms under 40 acres to get the county's permission before putting up any new structures. Farms larger than that would only require an application to build a new dwelling, defined as a structure primarily used for residing in. "This unnecessary fight for further restrictions, regulations, where and when we can build, remodel, repair without permission on our farm,” one woman says during public comment at Thursday’s meeting of the Johnson County board of supervisors. The ordinance does not apply to anyone adding to an existing home or remodeling/repairing existing structures. The size requirement troubles many. "We gotta keep in mind that there's many types of farms,” another person against the ordinance told the board. To see the full report on CBS2/FOX28, click
here
.
The Cedar Rapids Public Library is throwing out a decades old system of fines for late returns. Fees are also being eliminated in Hiawatha. In Cedar Rapids, borrowers will receive a bill for the late book after 30-days overdue instead. But if they return the item within six months both libraries will excuse the penalty. Cedar Rapids Public Library Director Dara Schmidt said several libraries nationwide have found eliminating the fees increased the number of books returned. The earliest the new policy could take effect is July 1, 2020. The Marion Public Library is also considering a similar idea.
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
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CBS2 Weather First Forecast
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Canadian high pressure builds in today leading to a much colder day. Clouds and gusty winds will be around to start the day, however as dry air and high pressure settles overhead, skies will gradually become mostly sunny and winds will lighten. High temperatures will be in the 30s. Mostly clear skies are expected tonight along with light winds. The two combined will allow temperatures to drop into the low 20s. High pressure will shift east to start the weekend with winds switching to the south leading to moderating temperatures. Highs will generally be in the mid to upper 40s both Saturday and Sunday. Skies will be mostly sunny to start the weekend, however more clouds will arrive on Sunday ahead of our next weather maker
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