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nDash Writer Profile for Ben Rand

Headline

Writer, Editor, Social Media, Content Marketing

About Me

Writer, editor and strategist with extensive experience in creating content in all forms for businesses to communicate their unique propositions to professional audiences and customers. 

Stories matter and give meaning to our lives. They are the backbone of making communication a powerful force in our lives. I believe that as marketers and communications, we have a unique opportunity to help our organizations tell stories - in writing, through video, through pictures and sound.

To tell your stories, I'll rely extensive experience in marketing and corporate communications, including public relations, content marketing, social media, digital marketing and SEO. 

In version 1.0 of my career, I was a daily newspaper reporter who became a fast learner on a range of subjects and developed a keen curiosity about the way the world works. If I don't know about something, the chances are great that I know somebody who does, and I'm unafraid to ask the questions required to figure it all out.

And as a marathoner, I'm willing to go the distance.

Specialties: Content marketing, public relations, media relations, writing, research, strategic thinking, marketing, communication, general economy, technology.

Industries I Write About

Health & Wellness

Law & Politics

Lifestyle

Business

Education

My Writing Samples

Curbing an Unlikely Culprit of Rising Drug Prices: Pharmaceutical Donations

Prescription drug costs continue to climb in the United States, but tightening a loophole in a federal law may help curb rising expenses, according to research published this week in Health Affairs.

https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/curbing-an-unlikely-culprit-of-rising-drug-prices-pharmaceutical-donations

Does Hybrid Work Actually Work? Insights from 30,000 Emails

Early COVID-19 lockdowns sparked a contentious debate that rages on in the workplace: Can businesses thrive if employees continue to work remotely? Skeptical CEOs, such as the leaders of Goldman Sachs and Starbucks, say they need workers in the office full time to foster a collaborative environment. At the other extreme: Companies like 3M, SAP, and Twitter are letting many employees work from anywhere. Stuck in between: Employees quitting inflexible jobs as part of the “Great Resignation."

https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/does-hybrid-work-actually-work-insights-from-30000-emails

The Impact of Remote Health Monitoring in the Time of COVID-19

Almost from the moment that COVID-19 became an urgent global health threat, epidemiologists identified proximity as the key to mitigating the spread of the deadly virus. This 3,500 word eBook explores how remote health monitoring on a continuous basis can help keep treatments flowing without exposing others to risk.

https://www.blog.oxitone.com/offer/remote-health-monitoring-in-the-time-of-covid-19/thank-you/?submissionGuid=54a736d4-12cb-466a-932b-c2d7691cab91

The Modern Way of Detecting Signs of Diabetic Retinopathy

Primary care physicians (PCPs) bear witness to much heartbreak, including a patient losing their sight unnecessarily. Such is the case with diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness and reduced vision in diabetic patients worldwide. More than 2.5 million people had moderate to severe vision impairment from diabetic retinopathy in 2015, a number that was projected to grow to 3.2 million by 2020, according to a study published in Lancet Global Health.

https://www.optomed.com/us/signs-of-diabetic-retinopathy

New York vintners urged to pop their corks at annual wine event

New York winemakers are proposing a toast to a new opportunity. Just don't slip up and accidentally call it "champagne." Sparkling wine is on the rise in New York.

http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2018/03/new-york-vintners-urged-pop-their-corks-annual-wine-event

Using AI to Solve Continuous Care’s Greatest Challenges

The challenge of treating patients with chronic long-term conditions is one of anticipation: being able to recognize early that a patient’s condition is about to deteriorate. Enabling that type of hands-on monitoring has historically been costly and time-consuming. It requires hospitalizing patients and attaching them to invasive monitoring machines, complete with cables and monitors and network attachments.

https://www.blog.oxitone.com/2021/06/04/ai-to-solve-continuous-care-challenges/

Direct Ophthalmoscope vs Mobile Fundus Camera: Limitations in Patient Care

Ophthalmologists provide specialized care for the eyes, but the primary care physician (PCP) commonly serves as the first line of defense against eye disease. Unfortunately, the process for providing regular screenings for early detection as a routine part of care is more challenging than it needs to be. Early screenings require direct ophthalmoscopes, a legacy medical device invented in the 1850s.

https://www.optomed.com/us/direct-ophthalmoscopes

Digital Patient Engagement Improvement Data: Enhancing High-Risk Care

Patients with severe chronic and complex conditions pose a unique challenge for the efficiency and effectiveness of today’s healthcare system. These patients typically require always-on attention from doctors, nurses, and others to address the difficulties of chronic disease management. Historically speaking, researchers have estimated that 20% of severe chronic disease patients consume 80% of healthcare resources—though that ratio could be changing.

https://www.blog.oxitone.com/2021/03/19/digital-patient-engagement-improvement-data/

CRPM for Better Nursing Home Care Plans

Residents living in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes face significant medical and emotional challenges that need the attention and care of skilled, experienced nurses, sometimes around the clock. This 3,500 word eBook explores how continuous remote patient monitoring can make a huge difference in using home care.

https://www.blog.oxitone.com/offer/nursing-home-care-plans/thank-you/?submissionGuid=2422a33f-a5b3-4e04-b682-7122b740b365

Remote Patient Monitoring Use Cases for Pharmacists

Researchers have long recognized that silos in healthcare represent a major issue in the efficient delivery of care. Until recently, patients have gone from the hospital or primary care doctor to the specialist to the pharmacist, with little interaction between professionals along the way. Coordination and collaboration do happen, but sporadically. Now, modern technology is helping break down those silos, especially as they pertain to the practice of pharmacy.

https://dignio.com/us/?p=819

The Impact Of The Holidays On Social Anxiety In Teens

Teenagers are a very resilient bunch, but every generalization has exceptions. Everyone has their limits, and young people can be among the most vulnerable to the stresses surrounding them. For some teens, the holidays create circumstances where social anxiety can surge.

https://www.destinationsforteens.com/destinations-blog/the-impact-of-the-holidays-on-social-anxiety-in-teens/

Simplicity

For a word defined as "being easy to understand or do," people sure have a lot to say about simplicity. Search Amazon.com for books with "simplicity" in the title, and you'll get more than 7,000 returns. Simplicity in golf. In spirituality. In design. In software. In parenting. In investing. In philosophy. You might look at this list and wonder: is there anything that can't be simplified? With enough confidence, clarity of purpose, and time, the answer is: "probably not." (Ghostwritten)

https://www.harmonicsway.com/journal/simplicity

Elevate Others with an Engineered Experience

Think for a second about the most memorable wedding you've ever attended. What made it so -- the food, the guests, the heartfelt toast, the bridal song, the dance music, the decorations? The cake smash in the groom's face? It was probably a combination of the elements. In other words, the overall experience came together in all the right amounts to make the day perfect and excellent. Happenstance? Hardly. Along the way, someone made all the right choices. (Ghostwritten)

https://www.harmonicsway.com/journal/elevate-others-with-an-engineered-experience

Black History Month: A Profile of Daymond John

The blog post in recognition of Black History Month looked at the background of Daymond John, one of the hosts of "Shark Tank." The post was part of a series highlighting the success of brands built by African-Americans.

https://spencerbrenneman.com/daymond-john/

Delegate and Let Go

Plenty of words have been written for and spoken to managers and executives about the importance of delegation. Andrew Carnegie wanted his thoughts on the matter to stand the test of time. The wealthy industrialist, in his day one of the world’s richest men and most generous philanthropists, directed that the epitaph on his gravestone read as follows: “Here lies a man who knew how to enlist in his service better men than himself.”

https://www.harmonicsway.com/journal/delegate-and-let-go

Making the un-makeable: the future of 3D printing

Michelle Chrétien is a materials scientist and a research leader in the fields of electronic materials and 3D printing. With her multidisciplinary team of chemists, material scientists and engineers at the Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC), Michelle is working on creating revolutionary new materials that could change how we live and work.

https://www.xerox.com/en-us/innovation/insights/printed-electronics

Constraints Can Set You Free

Innovation is often discussed and thought about as a “process,” as if it involves following a standard set of steps linearly to an expected outcome. Create a plan, open the magic book of innovation, follow the directions, and voila! You’ve done it! If only it were that simple. The path to innovation is filled with setbacks and disappointments.

https://www.pomiet.com/our-thoughts/constraints-can-set-you-free

5 No-Brainers for Online Brand Management

Brands don’t have it easy in the Internet age. Years of equity can be washed away in a moment by a careless social media post, a misstep in the marketplace or a piece of fake news -- all with the potential to be amplified with a mouse click. Needless to say, online brand management has become a critical discipline for the entire enterprise, from the C-suite down to the front lines. (Ghostwritten piece)

https://www.blog.affogata.com/post/5-no-brainers-for-online-brand-management

Sustainable Ink: Eco-Friendly Printing

A polymer scientist at Xerox Research Centre of Canada, Guerino Sacripante feels a deep personal responsibility to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. His 30 years of research and innovation are propelling us into a future where printer inks and toners increasingly come from renewable sources with a low environmental impact.

https://www.xerox.com/en-us/innovation/insights/sustainable-ink

3 Benefits Of Family Therapy

Individuals who become addicted to drugs or alcohol bear a heavy burden. Not only are they putting themselves and their futures at risk, but they also cause pressure on their family. Substance abuse has cascading effects on a family. That’s why family therapy is often an important part of a holistic program of treatment.

https://www.destinationsforteens.com/destinations-blog/3-benefits-of-family-therapy/

3 Signs You Need a Root Canal

The prospect of a root canal can be unnerving. But if you need one, they can provide immense relief and put your overall dental health back on the right track – hopefully with as little discomfort as possible. The root cause of the need for a root canal comes out in one of two ways. Severe tooth decay can cause inflammation or infection of pulp deep in the inner part of a tooth. An injury can also trigger the need for a root canal. You might think you can “tough out” the pain. Don’t.

https://www.supremedentistryhouston.com/dental-blog/3-signs-you-need-a-root-canal/

Commonly Abused Painkillers in the US

Pain-relieving drugs derived from the poppy plant have done an enormous amount of good for people suffering from serious illness or recovering from surgery. Unfortunately, like any drug, they can also be abused. Prescription painkillers trigger substance abuse problems at a high rate, the data show. What are the commonly abused painkillers, and what can be done to help?

https://www.georgiaaddictiontreatmentcenter.com/rehab-blog/commonly-abused-painkillers-in-the-us/

Constraints Shape Innovation

Leave it to a philosopher to offer a counterintuitive idea cascading through history as a wise observation on humanity, echoed and adopted by people as famous as Benjamin Franklin, Woodrow Wilson, John Locke, and Henry David Thoreau. In his "Lettres Provinciales" of 1657, the philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal penned a French phrase that roughly translates today to "I have made this longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter."

https://www.pomiet.com/our-thoughts/constraints-shape-innovation

Experience

Public Relations and Community Relations Manager

Overseeing external communications programs and activities, including media relations, public relations and community relations, for nationally recognized law firm. Developing and executing business development strategies and plans for attorney teams in nine New York communities. Establishing and sustaining relationships with journalists in each local area where Harris Beach maintains an office. Pitching and placing attorneys into stories in recognition of their thought leadership in various are

Company: Harris Beach PLLC

I worked there from 5/2018 until now

Public Relations and Media Relations Manager

Overseeing media relations and public relations strategy at tactics for Cornell's second largest college. Managing relationships with media and other third party influencers. Working to build reputation for research, outreach and teaching of more than 300 faculty members.

Company: Cornell University

I worked there from 9/2017 until 5/2018

Manager, Digital Marketing and Communications

Served as chief storyteller for newly established brand in business process services and outsourcing marketplace. Conceived of ideas, investigated their feasibility and developed them into stories for use in digital marketing and social media. Gathered resources; oversaw work of agency and internal teams in creating and publishing content. Completed a portfolio of several hundred digital assets -- eBooks, slideshares, blog posts, videos, infographics and other items on-time and on-budget.

Company: Conduent

I worked there from 1/2017 until 9/2017

Content Marketing Manager

Led strategic planning, development and execution of content marketing strategy for Xerox.com. Oversaw production of eBooks, slideshares, long-scrolling editorial pages, infographics, videos and other long-form content. Initial content generated 200,000 page views in six months. Managed blog network and producing blog posts and articles; my team successfully doubled page views and subscribers in 2015. Also served as managing editor of the former RealBusiness.com, a digital magazine

Company: Xerox Corp.

I worked there from 8/2014 until 12/2016

Marketing Communications Manager

Supervised team of 10 professionals in developing marketing communications strategies, tactics and outputs for Harris RF Communications, a division of Harris Corporation. Harris RF specializes in tactical and public safety communications equipment and networking expertise. Responsible for successful execution of trade shows and various projects in public relations, advertising and media relations, graphic design, employee communications and other areas.

Company: Harris Corporation

I worked there from 2/2007 until 8/2014

Content I Write