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AVPN Announces 18 Grantees of USD 5 Million Sustainability Seed Fund 2.0 and the Sustainability Solutions Lab Resource Hub

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The Fund will continue to support grantees in scaling their technology-led climate change solutions, while the Lab will enhance visibility and capacity building for grantees from SSF 1.0 and 2.0

SINGAPORE, Sept. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — AVPN, the largest network of social investors in Asia, announced the grantees of the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund (SSF) 2.0, which is a USD 5 million catalytic initiative supported by Google.org, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as the strategic and outreach partner. AVPN will award 18 non-profit organisations with funding to implement and scale innovative technology-led solutions that tackle pressing climate and sustainability challenges in the Asia Pacific region. Building on the June 2024 launch of the APAC Sustainability Solutions Lab, which received an additional USD 2 million grant  from Google.org, the Lab will now serve as a resource hub for grantees from both APAC SSF 1.0 and 2.0. It will provide capacity building support to grantee partners and increase their visibility, enhancing the impact of their innovative solutions.

The Asia Pacific region is home to seven of the world’s ten most climate-vulnerable countries, where climate change poses an ‘existential threat'[1] and the potential to cause long-term impact to future generations. Weather events in APAC in 2022 affected more than 50 million people directly, with an upwards of USD 36 billion in economic losses[2]. The failure to adapt to growing climate risks has posed significant economic and social threats. While technology has emerged as a transformative force to offer innovative avenues to address these challenges, climate technologies remain severely underfunded.

Building on the success of SSF 1.0 Fund, the APAC SSF 2.0 seeks to nurture and amplify solutions that harness technology to address urgent climate impact areas such as renewable energy and decarbonisation, climate adaptation, waste management and/or circular economy, air quality, water preservation and biodiversity protection. The grantees, based across the Asia Pacific region, will leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), and application software in their climate solutions. Grantees include:

Australia – Cool.orgIndia – INREM Foundation, CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), Institute for Financial Management and Research, Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust Indonesia – YAKKUM Emergency Unit, Gringgo Indonesia Foundation, Perkumpulan Jaringan Pantau Gambut Japan – Social Innovation Japan, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies New Zealand – Wildlife.ai TrustSingapore – Imagine H2O Asia South Korea – Coalition for Our Common Future Thailand – Asian Institute of Technology, Sathira-Dhammasathan The Philippines – University of the Philippines Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation, Inc., Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST) Vietnam – Vietnam Rural Industries Development and Research Institute (VIRI) 

The Fund will support grantees’ efforts in scaling their solutions, provide networking opportunities and capacity building, fostering and simplifying solutions that harness the power of technology for climate adaptation and mitigation to ensure a positive and lasting impact in Asia.

Additionally, AVPN will offer selected grantees of APAC SSF 1.0 and 2.0 access to the Sustainability Solutions Lab. The Lab will provide technical capacity building support, develop impactful case studies, create opportunities for dialogue and hold roundtable discussions with stakeholders. Its goal is to enhance grantees’ impact, build their capacity, and to create a supportive ecosystem. By increasing the visibility of successful grantees, the Lab will enable them to showcase how advanced technologies tackle key sustainability issues and effectively communicate their solutions to social investors, government, and other key stakeholders, thus facilitating the scaling of their innovations.

Naina Subberwal Batra, CEO of AVPN, shared, “At AVPN, we recognise capital – financial, human, and intellectual – is crucial for initiating and advancing climate innovations often overlooked by traditional funding mechanisms. Through APAC SSF 2.0, we aim to channel resources into the early stages of the Continuum of Capital to support these grantees. By mobilising these resources, we can support and unlock the potential of their innovations to help the region adapt and respond to climate impacts. Done right, this not only drives the development of transformative solutions, but ensures their expansion and adoption in the regions that need them the most.”

Andrew Ure, Managing Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Southeast Asia at Google, said, “The Asia-Pacific region faces significant vulnerabilities due to climate change. However, amidst this challenge lies tremendous opportunity. Organisations, social investors, and researchers across the region are uniting to develop innovative solutions, leveraging technologies like AI to address this critical issue. We are proud to support social impact organisations like AVPN in the region to foster scalable solutions and accelerate collaborative efforts. Together, we can build a more sustainable and resilient future for the region.”  

Stephanie King-Chung Hung, Chief Information Officer and Director General, Information Technology Department at Asia Development Bank said, “Advanced  digital solutions are pivotal in boosting resilience and adaptive capacities in the face of climate challenges. Our support for the Fund underscores the importance of targeted financing in promoting these innovations. We are committed to helping communities, especially those most vulnerable, thrive amidst environmental pressures by facilitating the development and broader implementation of vital climate solutions.”

About AVPN
AVPN is the largest network of social investors in Asia, comprising over 600 funders and resource providers across 33 markets. Our mission is to increase the flow and effectiveness of financial, human, and intellectual capital in Asia by enabling members to channel resources towards impact. As an ecosystem builder, AVPN enables its members to connect, learn, act, and lead across key pillars and improve the effectiveness of deployed capital, bringing local field needs, regional expertise, and policy insights to the forefront. For more information about AVPN and our work, please visit our website and read our latest Annual Review 2022/23.

About Google.org
Google.org, Google’s philanthropy, brings the best of Google to help solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges combining funding, product donations and technical expertise to support underserved communities and provide opportunity for everyone. We engage nonprofits, social enterprises and civic entities who make a significant impact on the communities they serve, and whose work has the potential to produce scalable, meaningful change.

Annex: Information on Grantees

Australia

Cool.org – The not-for-profit education organisation will use the support from AVPN to develop Cool AI. This initiative focuses on developing an advanced, data-driven tool to aid educators in crafting customised lessons on environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

India

CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) – The Indian national institution, focused on designing, planning, constructing, and managing human habitats, will use machine learning technology and satellite imagery to simplify the estimation of the carbon sequestration capacity of lakes, which can enable local governments to take proactive and corrective actions.Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust – The organisation, which works to strengthen grassroots collectives of women in the urban informal sector, will  develop an AI-powered model for climate resilience in Ahmedabad. AI will be used to identify Urban Heat Islands and suggest targeted solutions. By working closely with local women, especially those in urban slums, the project aims to devise community-centric strategies like cool roofs and routes.INREM Foundation – The research, innovation and policy advisory organisation will develop AI-enabled open digital solutions to enhance the agency of community representatives to access data on Water contamination, and find local solutions to their problems. This will empower 125,000 Water Quality Champions across villages of India and build an inter-connected Water Quality Network.Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) – WELL Labs – WELL Labs: Water, Environment, Land and Livelihoods is a centre based at the IFMR Society, a not-for-profit society set up to provide research-based inputs to industries and the government in the areas of finance and economics. IFMR will unlock multiple foundational datasets and make them easily accessible to key stakeholders through various use cases and multiple mediums – Application Programming Interface (APIs) or tools. The tech stack will lead to stakeholders being able to devote more attention to human aspects of rural development challenges rather than time spent reckoning with bad data.

Indonesia

Gringgo Indonesia Foundation – The organisation, focused on revolutionising waste management and fostering sustainability by leveraging cutting-edge technology, will deploy innovative waste processing units and optimise waste collection to significantly reduce landfill dependency and environmental pollution. This will generate valuable by-products and empower communities through education and job creation, ultimately fostering a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for all.Perkumpulan Jaringan Pantau Gambut – The non-governmental organisation focusing on research, advocacy, and campaigns for the protection and sustainability of peatlands in Indonesia aims to revolutionise peatland monitoring and fire prevention in Indonesia. By leveraging advanced data visualisation and AI-driven tools, this initiative seeks to significantly reduce the frequency and severity of uncontrolled peat fires, contributing to the protection and sustainability of Indonesia and the vital peatland ecosystems.YAKKUM Emergency Unit – The organisation with a mandate on inclusive emergency response and building community resilience through community-led disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation will create a collaborative partnership model where the locally-led water irrigation system will use smart mist technology with the internet of things to improve access to water resources, save time, and support inclusion. This will save farmers’ time and efforts when irrigating the farmland and enhance the community’s resilience during droughts and other climate impacts.

Japan

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) – The independent, non-profit environmental policy think tank will scale up the URBAN RIG technology, previously piloted in Thailand, to address Iriomote Island’s marine plastic waste issue in Japan. This innovative solution converts plastic waste into valuable resources like oil and charcoal, aligning with local environmental regulations. By expanding URBAN RIG’s operations to Japan and scaling up its existing work in Thailand, IGES aims to reduce waste volume, create economic opportunities, and promote sustainable practices on both islands.Social Innovation Japan – The non-profit organisation focusing on creating social innovation initiatives, education and leadership programmes, and community building for impact plans to significantly improve their “mymizu” community-driven, crowdsourced technology platform and user experience, in order to accelerate the shift away from single-use plastics towards a circular economy.

New Zealand

Wildlife.ai Trust – The independent charitable organisation that uses artificial intelligence to accelerate wildlife conservation will create a user-friendly, affordable camera that empowers biologists and nature enthusiasts everywhere to track wildlife across vast areas and over time.

Singapore

Imagine H2O Asia – The water solutions accelerator and NGO, with a mission to make innovation more accessible to water and climate-stressed communities in the Asia-Pacific, aims to make innovation more accessible for utility operators and other decision makers committed to managing and mitigating pollution faster and cheaper. It will design and co-finance technology pilots that empower climate-vulnerable communities in South Asia and Southeast Asia to address groundwater contamination, ecosystem health, and saltwater intrusion.

South Korea

Coalition for Our Common Future – The ‘Think and Do Platform’ dedicated to achieving Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth will equip the project development teams to increase the accuracy and speed of the carbon mitigation and adaptation projects, and will power the building of a transparent information exchange platform, among others, which will act as a medium for matching supply (tech and finance) and demand (carbon credits).

Thailand

Asian Institute of Technology – The Postgraduate institution will support system development, data verification and knowledge sharing platform that integrate the hotspot data from various satellite sources, calculate emissions based on these hotspots, and perform effective data management; use AI to focus on differentiating the land use types, developing the inventory, and creating the online knowledge-sharing platform; and conduct training and workshops for government officials. Sathira-Dhammasathan – The non-profit organisation and a learning community that promotes the skills of everyone to live in peace and harmony will address water management challenges in Bodhisattva Valley and ensure the success of reforestation efforts through: developing Water Master Plan, designing innovative water conservation solutions. providing tree inventory management capacity building, and knowledge sharing with the national and international community.

The Philippines

Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST) – The non-profit organisation geared towards capacity-building, promoting sustainable practices, and achieving social impact plans to scale up the green skills model through: geographic expansion into neighboring ASEAN countries, scope expansion by updating and broadening the green skills curriculum, and technological expansion by incorporating advanced delivery methods like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and AI technologies.University of the Philippines Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation, Inc. – The non-stock, non-profit organisation that undertakes programmes and projects related to research and community extension will revolutionise paratransit systems in developing countries by addressing fossil fuel dependence, poor energy efficiency in public transport operations and the need for inclusive and just transition. This will include smart contracts and blockchain-based energy accounting, and establishment of an open and real-time system for monitoring public transport demand and supply and service quality indicators.

Vietnam

Vietnam Rural Industries Development and Research Institute (VIRI) – The organisation focusing on the sustainable development of rural industry and for improvement of living standards of disadvantaged people in a sustainable manner will develop seaweed farms along the coastal lines of Vietnam with high technology seedlings production, regulated farming community and co-ops, and appropriate co-operation from local authorities. The seaweed development shall bring good lifes for local people while contributing to decarbonisation efforts and to the adaptation of climate change.

Read more about APAC Sustainability Seed Fund (SSF) 2.0.

 

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Trive Capital Announces Sale of EarthLink

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October 20, 2026

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DALLAS, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trive Capital (“Trive”) is pleased to announce that it has closed on the sale of EarthLink, LLC (“EarthLink” or the “Company”) to a family office consortium consisting of WaveDivision Capital (“Wave”), The Pritzker Organization (“TPO”) and Stephens Capital Partners (“SCP”), in partnership with EarthLink’s management team. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, EarthLink is one of the largest internet service providers in the United States, serving over 500,000 internet and managed services customers nationwide. Through partnerships with several of the nation’s largest fiber and 5G providers, EarthLink has built an asset-light, nationwide network that can offer fiber internet service to more than 68 million homes.

Since Trive’s investment in EarthLink in 2018 as part of a corporate carveout, the Company has transformed from a legacy DSL and email business in precipitous decline to an asset-light connectivity platform serving over 500,000 consumers and small businesses nationwide. The Company has grown and will continue to grow based on its expanded fiber and 5G internet solutions and commitment to customer service for consumers and small businesses.

Shravan Thadani, Partner at Trive, stated, “EarthLink has been a true partnership between management and Trive in every sense of the word. The team built a differentiated, asset-light platform that gives consumers and small businesses real choice in how they get connected, and did so while standing up every function of the platform outside of its former, public parent. We are proud to have been a part of such an iconic brand’s journey and will continue to support Wave, TPO and SCP as they work with management to accelerate growth in the coming years.”

“During our partnership with Trive, we have taken one of the most trusted brands in the internet space and turned it into a trusted option for consumers and small businesses nationwide,” commented Glenn Goad, Chief Executive Officer of EarthLink. “As internet access has become one of the most important utilities in a consumer’s life, EarthLink has a renewed focus on making it easier for our customers to access the best internet options at affordable prices. Trive was critically important through and after the carve-out, and we are excited to partner with Wave, TPO and SCP to continue to grow EarthLink alongside our trusted fiber and 5G partners. Our collective goal remains the same: to provide the right technology at the right price, supported by a world-class customer experience.”

About EarthLink

EarthLink is an internet service provider offering fiber and 5G internet solutions for homes and businesses nationwide. With a focus on dependable connectivity, flexible plans, and customer-focused service, EarthLink provides broadband options designed to meet the needs of modern households and businesses. EarthLink is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and serves over 500,000 customers. To learn more, visit earthlink.net.

About Trive Capital

Trive Capital is a Dallas, Texas based private equity firm with more than $8 billion of regulatory assets under management. Trive focuses on investing equity and debt in what it sees as strategically viable middle-market companies with the potential for transformational upside through operational improvement.

The Trive team is comprised of seasoned investment professionals who have been involved in over 250 middle-market transactions representing in excess of $10 billion in revenue across Trive’s targeted industry sectors and situations.

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SOURCE Trive Capital

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Rondo Energy and Rio Tinto Advance Australia’s Largest Thermal Energy Storage Project

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October 20, 2026

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GLADSTONE, Australia, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rondo Energy and Rio Tinto have started front-end engineering and design on the project for a 360 MWh storage / 30 MW discharge Rondo Heat Battery, supported by a grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

ARENA’s funding for the project will be provided in stages, with an initial $3.6 million to complete front-end engineering and design work. Following successful completion of that study, ARENA will provide up to $38 million for deployment. ARENA has also approved up to $33.3 million in conditional contingency support, which would only be made available in defined circumstances to manage specific project risks, including cost overruns and electricity costs. 

If progressed, the project would be delivered at Rio Tinto’s Yarwun alumina refinery near Gladstone, Queensland and would be one of the first large-scale demonstrations of thermal energy storage for industrial process heat globally, and a world-first for the alumina industry.

Rondo Heat Batteries use abundant, low-cost midday electricity to charge, storing energy as high-temperature heat in refractory brick, and supplying energy as 24/7 continuous process heat to industry. Typically, the heat is delivered as steam, directly into an industrial facility’s steam network. Australia regularly has 4-6 hours of surplus solar-generated renewable electricity in the middle of the day, but industrial facilities need heat 24 hours a day, not just when the sun is shining. By charging when electricity is cheap and abundant and discharging continuously, Rondo Heat Batteries turn short periods of low-cost electricity into 24/7 delivery of low-cost steam. 

For energy-intensive industries such as alumina refining, Rondo Heat Batteries create a pathway to electrification that addresses both emissions and energy costs. Because the heat battery slots into the existing steam network, the facility’s processes run exactly as before — the only thing that changes is the energy for that heat: no longer from fossil fuels, but sourced from low cost electricity instead. The Yarwun study will assess the technical and economic viability of integrating the technology into refinery operations.

“This project shows how Australia’s abundant energy can become a competitive advantage for industry,” said Dr. Kira Rundel, Rondo’s Head of Australia. “Heat batteries allow manufacturers to use low-cost electricity to produce the reliable, round-the-clock heat their operations need. Australia’s largest heat battery will show how factories can cut emissions without increasing energy costs, helping Australian industry to increase global competitiveness and supporting local manufacturing jobs.”

Rio Tinto Pacific Operations Managing Director Armando Torres said: “Reducing emissions from alumina refining is complex, particularly when it comes to generating the high-pressure steam needed for our operations.

“This study will help us determine whether thermal energy storage can provide a technically and economically viable alternative to fossil fuels for part of Yarwun’s steam requirements.

“The best way to tackle challenges of this scale is through collaboration between industry, government, and technology partners. We welcome ARENA and Rondo’s support as we assess technologies that could help reduce our Scope 1 emissions while maintaining reliable operations at Yarwun.”

About Rondo Energy

Rondo Energy delivers firm heat and power, including combined heat and power (CHP), to heavy industry and provides power solutions and long duration storage to data centers. For industrial heat applications, Rondo Heat Batteries convert 4-6 hours of low-cost electricity into continuous 24-hour, high-temperature heat, delivered as steam or hot air up to 1,000°C. The heat delivered integrates directly with existing industrial equipment and processes, eliminating on-site emissions and running on lower cost energy. Rondo heat storage can integrate with steam turbines to deliver combined heat and power (CHP) for industry, and long duration power-to-power solutions for large energy consumers such as data centers. Built on proven refractory brick as the thermal storage medium, Rondo’s platform is engineered for multi-decade operation in the most demanding industrial environments.

Rondo Heat Batteries have been delivering firm heat and power at scale since 2023, with operational facilities serving customers in fuels and cement (including steam driving turbines for electricity) in the United States and in Asia. The next unit will come online shortly – a 100 MWh Rondo Heat Battery under construction in Europe for a chemical plant. Rondo is a global company based in California, with teams across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. Providing heat and power solutions to the alumina industry is an area of focus for the company due to the strong fit of Rondo’s technology with the heat and power needs of the alumina industry.

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SOURCE Rondo Energy

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14 Organizations Earn CHIME’s Highest Digital Health Most Wired Designation for 2026

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October 20, 2026

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ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), the leading professional organization for digital health leaders, today announced 14 organizations have achieved Level 10 in the 2026 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired (DHMW) survey. Powered by Digital Health Analytics (DHA), the survey is CHIME’s global assessment of digital health excellence, with Level 10 as its highest designation.

Representing health systems across the U.S., this year’s Level 10 organizations demonstrated exceptional performance across the enterprise digital ecosystem, leveraging technologies, data, infrastructure, and strategic practices shaping modern care delivery. The prestigious designation recognizes organizations that have moved beyond technology implementation to integrate digital investment across clinical and operational environments, producing measurable value for their health systems, patients, and providers.

The 2026 DHMW survey maintains a rigorous scoring methodology designed to account for differences in organizational size, complexity, risk, and resources, creating an equitable measure of performance across diverse healthcare environments. The model evaluates organizations across 10 distinct segments, measuring both the foundational elements required for digital maturity and the advanced practices that demonstrate broader adoption, integration, and value.

“Healthcare is experiencing extraordinary technological acceleration, driven in large part by the rapid adoption of AI and increasingly sophisticated digital capabilities,” said Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME. “As that pace intensifies, the Digital Health Most Wired Survey continues to provide a rigorous benchmark for evaluating whether technology is translating into meaningful progress. It gives leaders a data-driven view of performance, critical gaps, and opportunities for high-impact investment while setting an industry standard of excellence for responsible technology adoption. The Level 10 organizations recognized this year exemplify the leadership and innovation required to turn digital investment into measurable improvements in care delivery.”

The 2026 Digital Health Most Wired survey includes data from more than 45,000 facilities worldwide, offering a global view of technology adoption, investment and performance across healthcare organizations and the evolving role of digital health in care delivery, operations and the patient and provider experience.

Each participating organization received a customized benchmarking report through the Digital Health Analytics (DHA) portal, offering detailed insights into performance metrics across 10 key segments:

InfrastructureSecurityAdministrationSupply chainAnalytics and data managementInteroperabilityPopulation healthPatient engagementInnovationClinical quality and safety

Fourteen healthcare organizations achieved Level 10 distinction, the highest designation awarded through the 2026 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired survey. The recipients are Baptist Health System (Jacksonville, Florida); Bon Secours Mercy Health (Ohio); MetroHealth Medical Center (Ohio); MultiCare Health System (Washington); Northeast Georgia Health System (Georgia); NYU Langone Health (New York); Parkview Health (Indiana); Roper St. Francis Healthcare Services, Inc. (South Carolina); Stanford Health Care (California); UCHealth (Colorado); UNC Health (North Carolina); University Health (Texas); University of Utah Health (Utah); and UPMC (Pennsylvania).

Collectively, the 2026 Level 10 designees reflect a healthcare environment in which digital performance increasingly depends on the alignment of technology strategy, data, infrastructure, and organizational priorities with strong leadership and a sustained commitment to innovation. Their results demonstrate how leading health systems are converting digital investment into measurable gains across clinical and operational environments while establishing the foundations required to responsibly adopt emerging technologies at scale.

CHIME will formally recognize these distinguished Level 10 honorees on November 12, 2026, during the CHIME26 Fall Forum in Denver, CO, which runs from November 11-14.

For additional details on the 2026 Digital Health Most Wired survey and the complete list of all Level 7-10 award recipients, visit dhanalytics.org.

About CHIME 
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is the leading professional organization for digital health executives and leaders. CHIME provides a trusted, collaborative environment where members and partners connect, share best practices, advance professional development, and advocate for the effective use of information and technology to improve health and care in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit chimecentral.org.

About Digital Health Analytics (DHA)
Digital Health Analytics provides healthcare organizations, technology companies, and academic researchers with the data, benchmarking, and market intelligence they need to lead digital transformation — 365 days a year. Powered by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), DHA helps provider organizations supercharge their digital health transformation capabilities. For more information about DHA, visit dhanalytics.org.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Calli Dretke
Executive Vice President & Chief Digital and Marketing Officer
CHIME
734.665.0000
cdretke@chimecentral.org

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SOURCE College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME)

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