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American Oncology Network and Vantage Health Technologies Partner to Improve
Cancer Patient Outcomes with AI-enabled Value-Based Care Platform

FORT MYERS, FL., October 29, 2024 – American Oncology Network (AON) (OTCQX: AONC), one of the fastest-growing oncology networks in the United States, has partnered with Vantage Health Technologies to enhance access to and delivery of exceptional cancer care. Vantage’s AI-enabled platform provides real-time health data for actionable insights and next-best-actions that can promote better patient experiences and outcomes, reduce provider burnout, and lower the cost of care. The platform also helps AON further enhance its Value-Based Care model in community oncology.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Vantage Health Technologies to further enhance our ability to provide exceptional, patient-first care in our community-based cancer clinics across the country,” said Alti Rahman, chief strategy and innovation officer of American Oncology Network. “Everyone benefits from Value-Based Care models powered by actionable data that offer providers a more holistic, real-time picture of their patients so they can meet them where they are and help them make better-informed decisions. Providers have the information they need to offer exceedingly personalized and effective care, patient experiences and outcomes are expected to improve, and the cost of care can be reduced for the entire ecosystem. This partnership will further our ability to provide an exceptionally high-quality experience for all.” The first phase of the partnership will harness Vantage’s SocialHealth360 solution to enhance patient navigation and care coordination services, with an emphasis on addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) for vulnerable patients. The World Health Organization cites research indicating that SDoH, such as housing, food security, transportation, and health literacy, significantly influence up to more than half of patient outcomes. Initial findings attributed to the use of SocialHealth360 found that it helped improve patient experience, treatment outcomes, and total cost of care among cancer patients. Additionally, health professionals using Vantage’s SocialHealth360 are expected to save up to five to eight hours per week on administrative tasks through workflow efficiencies, which decreases burnout and increases time they can spend helping patients. Subsequent phases of the partnership will focus on applying AI solutions to operationalize upstream and downstream Value-Based Care use-cases.

Vantage Health Technologies is part of BroadReach Group, a global healthcare social enterprise. “Healthcare globally faces shortages of providers, shrinking budgets and inadequate resources,” said Dr. John Sargent, co-founder of BroadReach Group. “We believe that technology can be a game changer for these healthcare challenges by automating and streamlining time-consuming processes, by assisting providers to manage patients more efficiently, and by empowering patients to more effectively self -manage aspects of their care. We have been proving this for the past decade in multiple countries across three continents. Our partnership with AON allows us to deploy this experience and expertise to community oncology to ensure better patient outcomes and experience, to reduce staff burnout and create pioneering approaches to value-based care.”

About Vantage Health Technologies
Vantage Health Technologies, part of BroadReach Group,sees a world where access to good health enables people to flourish. BroadReach Group helps health organizations deliver better outcomes, improved resource efficiency, cost savings, enhanced organizational performance, and sustainable systems. Vantage delivers innovative artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled solutions for healthcare organizations to get the most impact out of their resources and to transform how work gets done. Its solutions go beyond dashboards, empowering health professionals to make the best decisions and take the next-best-actions at the best time. Vantage believes that data alone cannot solve the world’s most complex health challenges; it also requires a deep understanding of the social, cultural, and economic context in which people live. For more information, please visit Vantage Health Technologies or follow us on LinkedIn: BroadReach Group; Vantage Health Technologies

About American Oncology Network
American Oncology Network (AON) (OTCQX: AONC) is an alliance of physicians and
seasoned healthcare leaders partnering to ensure the long-term success and viability of community oncology and other specialties. Founded in 2018, AON’s rapidly expanding network represents more than 250 providers practicing across 21 states. AON pioneers innovative healthcare solutions through its physician-led model, fostering value-based care that improves patient outcomes while reducing costs and expanding access to quality care. AON equips its network physicians with the tools they need to thrive independently while providing comprehensive support, integrated revenue-diversifying ancillary services, and practice management expertise, enabling physicians to focus on what matters most – providing the highest standard of care for every patient. AON is committed to promoting health equity by addressing disparities in cancer care and ensuring that all patients have access to the care they need to achieve optimal health outcomes. With a focus on innovation and collaboration, AON is shaping the future of community oncology. For more information, please visit AONcology.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube.

Vantage Health Technologies / BroadReach Media Contact
Shelley Diesel
Vantage Health Technologies
[email protected]
+27-215-148-300

American Oncology Network Media Contact
Karen Riley Sawyer
American Oncology Network
[email protected]
+1-541-221-1472

Spread the good news: U=U gives hope to people living with HIV and their loved ones

South Africa, xx September 2024: While Sub-Saharan Africa is the region in the world most affected by HIV, there is an important message of hope to spread through all our communities, which is that people living with HIV (PLHIV) who stay on their HIV medications can live normal lives with peace of mind that they can’t infect their loved ones.

“In short, we call this message U=U. It stands for Undetectable = Untransmittable. What it means is that people who stay on their prescribed HIV medications without any breaks or interruptions can bring down their viral count so much that it becomes basically undetectable in tests, and once the viral level is undetectable it prevents sexual transmission of HIV. If everyone who lives with HIV can stay on their meds and get their viral loads undetectable, we can stop the spread of HIV together very soon. We can look forward to a future where HIV is no longer spreading and we can all live happy, healthy and safe lives,” explains Dr Ziyanda Makaba, Clinical Specialist for HIV and Paediatrics at BroadReach Health Development.

Dr Makaba explains that there are three major benefits to U=U:

• U=U means an undetectable viral load prevents the sexual transmission of HIV
• It prevents the further spread of HIV now and for future generations
• HIV medications available in state clinics are highly effective, with greater health benefits if they are taken correctly and consistently as prescribed.

PEPFAR, an initiative of the US President’s office over the past 20 years and in long-time collaboration with the Department of Health and implementation partners like BroadReach, has conducted several surveys with adult South Africans living with HIV to see if they recognised and understood the U=U messaging. The surveyed group reflected the demographic profile of South Africa. It found that there was a lower level of awareness that there were effective available medications that could prevent the transmission of HIV. Critically, only about one third of PLHIV knew what U=U meant or knew that if they stayed on their HIV medications, they could protect their partners from getting the virus.

“It’s very important that we start spreading the U=U message all through our communities. People need to know there is real hope. We can stop HIV in its tracks very soon we can achieve undetectable viral loads,” says Dr Makaba. An example of these kinds of interventions that empower communities to proactively manage their treatment, is DREAMS. DREAMS is a joint programme run by BroadReach Health Development, the Department of Health (DoH) and international funders such as USAID and PEPFAR. This program is aimed at reducing rates of HIV amongst adolescent girls and young women through a holistic approach including access to HIV testing, treatment and prevention and other educational, economic strengthening and violence protection initiatives that address their vulnerability to HIV. One of the key areas this program focuses on is peer support initiatives to encourage adolescent girls and young women to get tested, linked to medications for the prevention and treatment of HIV, and for those that tested HIV positive, to maintain ultra-low, and therefore undetectable and untransmittable, HIV viral loads so that they can go on to pursue their dreams and live fulfilled lives. DREAMS stands for Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe (DREAMS) and is supporting high-risk young women and girls around the country.

Dr. Makaba adds, “Let’s all spread the word together that the amazing HIV medications we have available – if you take them exactly as prescribed, without skipping a day and achieve viral suppression – this is highly effective in protecting people living with HIV and sexual partners. People need to know their HIV status and if HIV positive, start on the HIV medication and then know their viral count. You can get tested at your local clinic and it’s free and discreet. Once you know what your status is, and if you are confirmed HIV-positive, you can start on the life-saving HIV medications that are available in all public hospitals and clinics today, and this can save you and your partner and family. This is very good news that everyone in South Africa needs to hear today.”

For more information about U=U, please visit https://www.facebook.com/UequalsUza.

ENDS

HIV FACTS:

According to the United Nations’ children’s agency (UNICEF), Sub-Saharan Africa is the region most affected by HIV, and more needs to be done to get young people into clinics to be tested and if HIV negative linked to prevention strategies and if positive linked to treatment for HIV. Their data shows that adolescents and young people made out a “growing share of people living with HIV worldwide” and that in Southern Africa only 25% of adolescent girls and 17% of adolescent boys aged 15-19 years were being tested for HIV.

Earlier this year African heads of state, gathered for the annual African Union summit and approved the new Protocol on Digital Trade (the “Digital Protocol”) under the auspices of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Approval of the AfCFTA’s Digital Protocol is a pivotal step for African nations, their citizens, private sector, and other stakeholders in Africa’s ongoing development as a player the global economy.

The Protocol is intended to support continent-wide digital trade and help both individual African countries, and the continent as a whole, participate fully in the digital economy of the future by harmonizing rules, standards, and practices. The urgency and speed with which the Digital Protocol was developed, negotiated, and approved is a model for continental diplomacy.

Summary of the Digital Protocol

The Protocol is comprehensive and has far-reaching implications. The Digital Protocol applies to all African states who have signed on (expected to be most or all member states eventually) and covers all market sectors. All parties to the agreement must comply with the Digital Protocol within five years.

Key areas addressed include improving market access, facilitating digital trade, enhancing data governance, fostering business and consumer trust and transparency, improving digital inclusion and literacy, tackling emerging technologies such as AI, and building continent wide capacity to participate fully in the global digital economy.

In focusing on improving trade across African countries with each other and, as a combined Africa global market, the Protocol specifically attempts to address some known impediments today, such as the ability to move data, digital products and services, and digital payments across nation borders within Africa. The Protocol pays particular attention to ensuring modernized and harmonized digital payment infrastructure and regulations that make it easier for Africans to do business with other Africans.

Of particular interest to tech companies, both global and African -based, the Protocol paves the way for more African data centers and increased cloud computing, promotes digital literacy and capacity development, eliminates data residency claims except in special circumstances, and provides protections around source code.

What it means for Africa and the World

The Digital Protocol has the potential to transform Africa into a major global hub for digital products and services.

First, though, Africa must leverage its combined digital-enabled market power to the world. With 54 countries, all with different digital requirements, patchwork legal frameworks, ranging market maturity, and varying impediments, many individual countries are being left behind in the digital age.

The Digital Protocol paves the way for a range of data and digital intensive industries. For example, the global life sciences market needs African nations and their markets to improve flow of data regionally and continent wide. Also, nascent African manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices needs data-driven efficient supply chains, optimized management of inventory, product flow, and chain of custody. With more integrated regional and continental supply chains enabled by digitization, African pharmaceutical manufacturers should be able compete more effectively on the global stage.

The Protocol, combined with improved infrastructure and human capacity development, will make African nations much more attractive for private capital. This, in turn, should accelerate early efforts to foster African regional data center hubs, entrepreneurial accelerators, and tech outsourcing.

About BroadReach Group

BroadReach Group is an African social enterprise that helps organizations to deliver better outcomes, improved resource efficiency, cost savings, enhanced organizational performance, and sustainable systems. We operate across multiple African countries and have operations in Europe, UK, and the US. In addition, BroadReach brings deep technical expertise in technology and digital transformation.

Through our twenty plus years operating on the African continent we have gained an intimate and nuanced understanding of how to get things done within and across African countries. Sitting at the intersection of government, private sector, and international players, we see the connection points to drive positive change across ecosystem partners. For example, BroadReach is currently engaged to help mature and harmonize regulatory ecosystems at the country, regional, and continent-wide level.

Our experience and expertise in Africa give us a distinct ability to offer a range of strategic digital transformation services, including strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, readiness assessments, gap analysis, implementation planning and project management, and technical interoperability and integration support.