Researchers have been advancing methods to generate insulin-producing beta cells from pluripotent stem cells for the clinical treatment of type 1 diabetes. However, transplantation of these immature cells into patients poses substantial risks, namely the development of tumors (teratomas) and the growth of these stem cells into unwanted cell types. Pluripotent stem cells are known to develop into all of the body's cells and tissues.

Now, for the first time, scientists from the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have engineered a human pluripotent stem cell (PSC) line containing two "suicide genes" that induce cell death in all but the desired insulin-producing cells. This double fail-safe approach, published online ahead of the March 5 issue of Stem Cell Reports, addresses the limitations of PSC-derived beta cells and opens the door to creating safe cell-replacement therapies for people living with type 1 diabetes.

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Boca Raton Regional Hospital (BRRH) recently announced Aaron Klein, DO, has joined its BocaCare physician network and will offer a concierge medicine option to the network's patients. This initiative represents the first hospital-based concierge medicine program in Palm Beach County.

Dr. Klein is board-certified in Internal Medicine and has been practicing medicine in Boca Raton for 13 years. He formerly served as Chief of Medicine for BRRH. His primary interests are preventive, geriatric and sports medicine.

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Community Care Plan (CCP), the health plan with a heart, recently announced that the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has awarded an accreditation status of Accredited for service and clinical quality to CCP's Medicaid Plan. The accreditation, awarded in December 2018, is valid for three years.

NCQA Health Plan Accreditation evaluates the quality of healthcare that health plans provide to their members. NCQA Health Plan Accreditation is a voluntary review process and evaluates how well a health plan manages all parts of its delivery system - physicians, hospitals, other providers, and administrative services in order to continuously improve the quality of care and services provided to its members. The NCQA Health Plan Accreditation is a nationally recognized evaluation that purchasers, regulators, and consumers can use to assess health plans.

"We are thrilled to have been awarded an accreditation status of Accredited by NCQA for our Medicaid Plan," said Jessica Lerner, President & CEO of Community Care Plan, based in Sunrise.