MDNews - Central New York

film industry. We knew that our skills as first responders were a natural fit for protecting people in this moment and ensuring they could do their jobs without worrying about COVID." The company's roots are in community paramedicine. Many of the staff members, including Drake Bianchi, are first respond- ers who are experts at providing critical medical services in any environment. A scientist as well as entrepreneur, Drake Bianchi earned her Master of Science in human anatomy and physiology from Northeast College of Health Sciences and her bachelor's in biomedical sciences from RIT. Before founding CineMedics and Drakos, she spent 16 years working in critical care medicine, both in the U.S. and internationally. She has served as a paramedic for National Geographic, Remote Medical International and the Ocean Classroom Foundation. In the pivotal first months of the pan- demic, the Dra kos/CineMedics team helped develop new protocols that became the standard throughout the film industry. They provided medical services to major productions, including the cast and crew of the Oscar-nominated "Don't Look Up." They were also hand-picked by the CNN conference "LIFE ITSELF" to conduct large-scale event testing for a VIP crowd. At "LIFE ITSELF," they provided the COVID-19 testing for attendees such as Anthony Fauci, MD, several past U.S. presidents, astronaut Mark Kelly, actress Goldie Hawn and more. O ver t he pa st t wo yea rs, Dra kos/ CineMedics has grown from seven people to a team of 50, with locations throughout the U.S. and in the UK. They continue to be sought out by major production com- panies as the No. 1 preferred company for these services. Most recently, CineMedics provided care for the cast and crew of the new Netflix film "The Union." Described as a "blue-collar James Bond," the action thriller stars Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry and J.K. Simmons. As a result of CineMedics' work on the film, Wahlberg asked Drakos/CineMedics to provide concierge medical care for him and his friends and family on his current project, an Apple Original film titled "The Family Plan." There's still more Drake Bianchi and the Drakos team want to do. Drake Bianchi previously assisted in search and rescue efforts for hurricanes Katrina, Irene and Sandy. Having seen firsthand the barriers that underserved populations face when trying to access health care, she has also committed the next phase of her business to using her mobile technology to bridge that gap for veterans, rural populations, low-income individuals, the sex worker industry and the LGBTQ+ community right here in Central New York. "Sometimes I can't believe this is my life. It's an incredible honor to be able to deliver quality care to so many people," Drake Bianchi says. "I love being able t o me et pe ople where t hey a re a nd ensuring they have what they need to be hea lthy." I nc r e a s i n g a c c e s s t o he a lt hc a r e ser v ices beca me even more i mpor t- a nt to Dra kos when a close collea g ue wa s dia g nosed w it h ca ncer dur ing a recent production. Seeing their friend f ight ca ncer accelerated the Dra kos/ Ci neMe d ic s t ea m's de si re t o s er ve more people. " To sur vive ca ncer, you have to sur- vive chemo, which mea ns stay ing out of the hospita l a nd staying hydrated," Dra ke Bianchi says. " We want to reduce t heir ex posure in t he hospita ls. Our f r ien d a n d c ol le a g ue ge t t i n g t hei r c a nc er d i a g no s i s ju mp s t a r t e d ou r work to provide these ser vices a nd do them well." Drakos believes this kind of care is the wave of the future, with both immediate a nd long-term implications. W hile the i m mediate need for ever yone i n our community is appa rent, by 2040, more tha n 20% of the U. S. popu lation w i l l be 65 yea rs or older — a demog raphic cha nge for which the U. S. hea lthca re a nd ca reg iving systems a re currently u npr e p a r e d , e s p e c i a l l y i n l i g ht of the da ma ge caused by the pa ndemic. Additiona lly, many older people want to age in place, creating a need for ser vices to come to them. Drakos aims to ensure everyone has the care they need, where they want it, now and in the future. Looking a head, Dra ke Bianchi sees boundless ways to innovate Drakos and how health care is provided — which could have a significant positive impact on other entities within the healthcare industry, as well as the health and productivity of our community overall. " We have the tools to ma ke hea lth ca re more accessible, more inclusive and more tailored to patients' individual needs," Drake Bianchi says. "We're ready to connect with new partners who are also excited to help shape the future of health care." n Fo r m o re i nfo r m a t i o n pl e a s e v i s it c i n e m e d i c s .u s o r d r a k o s - c l i n i c a l - laboratories-cny.square.site. Drakos Clinical Laboratories and CineMedics Founder and CEO Heather Drake Bianchi with CNN's Emmy-award winning Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta at the "LIFE ITSELF" conference in summer 2022 Drakos Clinical Laboratories and CineMedics Founder and CEO Heather Drake Bianchi M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C E N T R A L N E W Y O R K n 2 0 2 3 2 1

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