Crothall Healthcare and Ascendco Health Partner to Revolutionize Surgical Instrument Tracking and Quality in Sterile Processing




WAYNE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In a move poised to significantly elevate standards within Sterile Processing, Crothall Healthcare (Crothall), a leading provider of sterile processing and support services, and Ascendco Health (Ascendco), a leading health technology innovator, today announced a groundbreaking partnership that will bring forth a new era for instrument tracking and overall sterile processing quality within healthcare facilities across the nation.

Together, Crothall and Ascendco are revolutionizing efficiency and safety in SPD departments by combining Crothall’s expertise in data-driven processes and Ascendco’s cutting-edge instrument tracking technology to empower SPD professionals with the tools and knowledge necessary to achieve the highest levels of efficiency, accuracy, and patient safety.

“This partnership represents a significant leap forward for Sterile Processing,” expressed Afif Escheik, BA, a-IPC, CHL, CER, CIS, CRCST, CST, Regional Director of Operations at Crothall Healthcare. “Ascendco’s dedication to technological advancements perfectly complements Crothall’s expertise in implementing best practices. Together, we can make a profound impact on patient safety and the overall quality of surgical services.”

Through a rigorous, data-driven approach, Crothall has achieved a remarkable record in sterile processing that has yielded an audit compliance improvement of approximately 90%, process errors reduction by up to 50%, and productivity gains of up to 62%. These industry-leading achievements, coupled with Ascendco’s innovative technology, promise to propel sterile processing practices to new heights making a significant impact on patient safety and quality of service.

Ascendco’s Sonar Tracking System, the industry’s most comprehensive and effective platform for surgical device management, will be a cornerstone of this partnership. Sonar’s ability to meticulously track instruments throughout the entire surgical workflow provides invaluable data and insights, optimizing instrument efficiency and minimizing the risk of errors.

As a result of Ascendco’s Sonar platform, sterile processing departments have reduced Immediate Use Steam Sterilization (IUSS) rates by up to 10%, sterile return rates by up to 25%, and return to decontamination rates by up to 5%. These metrics are indicators for improved workflow efficiency, better inventory management, enhanced quality assurance, and improved cleaning and decontamination processes.

“We are delighted to join forces with Crothall Healthcare, a renowned leader in the sterile processing domain,” said Brian Reed, CEO of Ascendco Health. “Their unwavering commitment to quality aligns perfectly with our mission to revolutionize sterile processing. Together, we will empower sterile processing professionals and Crothall workers with the tools they need to ensure all products going into the Operating Room are ready for use.”

The collaborative efforts of Crothall and Ascendco will culminate in the development of industry-leading protocols and analytics designed to empower sterile processing technicians with the knowledge and tools to consistently deliver exceptional results. This will ensure that sterile processing departments across the country can operate at the peak of efficiency and quality, ultimately safeguarding patient well-being.

About Crothall Healthcare and Ascendco Health

Contacts

Tom Hughes

Crothall Healthcare

Tom.Hughes@compass-usa.com
404-236-7934

Hannah Moore

Ascendco Health

hannah@ascendcohealth.com
423-310-4448

Starshot Capital Launches $35M Fund to Invest in Climate Companies That Can Avert 1 Gigaton of Emissions by 2050




LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Starshot Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to finding and supporting high-impact companies in underinvested climate sectors, today announced the launch of Starshot Fund I, a $35M fund for companies working toward ambitious decarbonization goals.

Starshot backs early-stage companies that have the potential to eliminate a cumulative 1 gigaton of carbon emissions by 2050 while simultaneously delivering returns on par with the most successful venture-backed startups. Key areas of focus include the industrial sector, manufacturing, food & agriculture, the built environment, materials, and chemicals.

“The climate transition is the largest financial opportunity of the next decade,” said Starshot Managing Partner Jeremy Brewer. “Every industry is in the midst of a radical transformation — reevaluating supply chains, materials, and partners, with an understanding that their business models and their stakeholders are demanding more sustainable practices.”

Brewer, a veteran of companies including Google and Facebook, and childhood friend Sam Levac-Levey, a mechanical engineer who has worked at Tesla and SpaceX, co-founded Starshot in 2021 after the pair helped to launch Work on Climate, the largest and most active technical climate community in the world with over 28,000 members. They are joined by fellow Google alumnus Zoe Samuel, who co-created Alphabet’s 4,000+ employee climate community, as well as Dr. Nick Gould, a chemical engineer who worked on decarbonizing industrial processes at Air Products.

“Mapping out sectors helps us understand where our capital may be strategically invested to transform an industry,” said Levac-Levey, whose engineering experience includes energy storage, electric aircraft, and rockets. “By focusing on historically under-invested sectors, we maximize our impact and returns.”

Starshot draws on its deep industry connections to help founders by introducing them to potential customers, strategic partners, investors and key employees.

“Starshot Capital has been catalytic to Ecolectro’s success and Jeremy has been a deeply engaged and invaluable board member. Starshot led our Seed round and helped introduce us to the lead investor for our Series A round, as well as a significant customer account,” said Dr. Gabriel Rodriguez-Calero, CEO of Ecolectro.

The fund is the first from Starshot, which works closely with expert advisors, several of whom are successful venture capitalists, business leaders, or climate luminaries, including the founders of RegenIntel and co-creators of Project Drawdown.

“The companies that Starshot is working with can unlock critical business opportunities by advancing needed climate solutions, dramatically reducing emissions while growing the bottom line,” said Starshot advisor Jeff Seabright, who served as the CSO of Unilever, the CSO of Coca-Cola, and the executive director of the White House’s Climate Change Task Force under President Bill Clinton.

Starshot’s seven portfolio companies so far include Mojave, whose commercial HVAC technology reduces energy use by over 50% while reducing harmful refrigerants; Rumin8, whose seaweed-inspired feed additive improves digestion for cattle and other ruminants, lowering feed costs and methane emissions; Harvest Thermal, whose thermal battery helps homes reduce electricity bills by 30% and emissions by 90%, and Ecolectro, whose technology makes green hydrogen affordable and non-toxic, eliminating the need for noble metals, titanium, and forever chemicals.

“Starshot has a unique advantage in the climate space, thanks to our work helping thousands of people pivot into the sector,” said Zoe Samuel. “Through Work on Climate and our other networks, we frequently meet and assist exceptional climate founders at the idea stage. By the time they’re raising money, often the relationship and the trust are already there.”

About Starshot Capital

Starshot Capital supports ambitious entrepreneurs building high-impact, high-growth climate companies. We believe the green transition represents the greatest opportunity for positive impact and stellar economic returns of the next decade. Our mission is to accelerate the work of founders building transformational businesses at the earliest stages by connecting them to key partners, customers, and employees. More at https://starshotcapital.com.

Contacts

Media
press@starshotcapital.com

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Gfycat A startup called Gfycat (which is pronounced “Jiffy Cat”) has raised a mammoth $10 million seed round to turn its already popular user-generated content platform into a revenue generating concern. On the content creation side of its business, the startup reports that 2.5 million unique users have already created 25 million “Gfycats,” or short, silent, looping animations… Read More

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Fastwork – freelance marketplace

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Fastwork - freelance marketplace

Fastwork co-founders from L-R: Jerd Phichitkul, Ben Vibhagool, Vasa Iamsuri, and Apon Palanuwech.

With more and more skilled professionals quitting their eight-to-five jobs for more flexibility, the freelance movement is in full swing. Vasa Iamsuri and Apon Palanuwech couldn’t afford to miss out on this opportunity so they started Fastwork, an online job marketplace in Thailand.

The startup matches companies, mainly small and medium enterprises, with over 3,000 freelancers who are experts in 50 categories such as software development, design and illustration, content marketing, and video editing. But it takes the competition to another level.

Unlike other freelancing sites, Fastwork protects both sides of the marketplace, says Vasa. Freelancers never have to do “free work.” For as long as they complete their projects according to agreed requirements and on time, they will be compensated – no matter what, he notes.

Clients, on the other hand, are assured of a secure transaction. Not only does Fastwork vet the freelancers on its site through background checks and a rating system, it also provides escrow services, which hold the payment until the client marks the work as satisfactory.

“There are a few players in Thailand but no one would take the responsibility of withholding/escrowing the customer’s money until the freelancer delivers the work, or ensuring the quality of their freelancers. They think it’s too much of a hassle and when something goes wrong, they would be liable for it,” Vasa claims. “This leaves a bad taste for everyone who walks into this space. Fastwork is instilling trust back into the community.”

Asked how they’re competing with mature marketplaces such as Freelancer which may have the same safeguards in place, Vasa points out that “our strong and loyal relationships with local businesses and high numbers of ratings and reviews that our freelancers have stacked up” increase the barrier to entry for any international or local competitors.

Vasa and Apon came up with the idea in early 2015 after coming home to Thailand from New York, where they had previously set up a data science startup. They wanted to build a company in Thailand but didn’t have an idea yet so they decided to freelance in the meantime. It wasn’t a new thing for them. In New York, the duo worked as freelancers full time at some point, accepting jobs in design and tech.

“But we didn’t have any connections and we couldn’t find a job anywhere in Thailand – it was missing this space. That’s how the idea for Fastwork was born,” Vasa recalls.

Together with two other co-founders, Ben Vibhagool and Jerd Phichitkul, they launched the startup in December last year.

Fastwork wins an invitation to the Web Summit 2016, a world-class startup exhibition in Lisbon, Portugal, during the Dtac demo day last August.

Fastwork wins an invitation to the Web Summit 2016, a world-class startup exhibition in Lisbon, Portugal, during the Dtac demo day last August.

Fastwork earns by charging freelancers a transaction fee of nine to 17 percent in exchange for finding them customers.

The company has raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding from 500 TukTuks, the microfund created by 500 Startups for Thailand, and Dtac, a subsidiary of Thai telco Telenor. It’s among the 10 finalists in batch four of Dtac’s accelerator program.

Vasa refuses to disclose Fastwork’s revenue figure, but he says it grew 11 times in four months after entering Dtac’s bootcamp in May. The startup has so far generated US$300,000 in income for freelancers and this number is growing at 37 percent month-on-month, he adds. Fastwork recently rolled out an app version.

This post Fastwork is a freelance marketplace that prevents people from getting ripped off appeared first on Tech in Asia.

Fastwork – freelance marketplace

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Fastwork – freelance marketplace

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