Sunday, July 27, 2003

Golf Sponsorship To Reach $1.36 Billion In 2008

Golf Sponsorship To Reach $1.36 Billion In 2008

North American-based companies will spend an estimated $1.36 billion to sponsor pro and amateur golf tournaments, sanctioning bodies and related events in '08, up nine percent from $1.25 billion in '07, according to IEG Sponsorship Report, the world's leading authority on sponsorship.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) October 4, 2008

North American-based companies will spend an estimated $1.36 billion to sponsor pro and amateur golf tournaments, sanctioning bodies and related events in '08, up nine percent from $1.25 billion in '07, according to IEG Sponsorship Report, the world's leading authority on sponsorship.

The increase is due in part to some golf properties expanding opportunities for more robust partnerships beyond traditional hospitality packages and tournament title deals.

For example, the U. S. Golf Assn. in '06 launched a new corporate partnership program, around which it has signed four partners, two of which are new this year.

IBM Corp. announced a four-year partnership with the USGA in '08. Among many components of the deal, Big Blue helped re-launch USOpen. com as a platform to demonstrate its digital technology expertise.

In addition to IBM, the USGA signed a four-year partnership with the Royal Bank of Scotland in a deal estimated at $3 million a year. The USGA's other corporate partners are American Express Co. and Toyota Motor Sales, U. S.A., Inc.'s Lexus division.

"By working with a limited number of sponsors, the USGA has successfully raised the value of its sponsorship packages by providing corporate partners an uncluttered marketing environment," said William Chipps, IEG Sponsorship Report's senior editor.

Other golf properties have enhanced their corporate relationships by developing customized, turnkey activation programs. For example, the PGA Tour earlier this year created a health-themed program around Hartford, Conn.'s Travelers Championship that provided strategic tie-ins with GlaxoSmithKline plc's Avodart medication and other health-focused corporate partners.

The PGA Tour this year also expanded customized activation programs for General Mills, Inc.'s Nature Valley granola bars and Waste Management, Inc.

Spending on golf remains healthy despite the fallout in the financial services sector, one of the sport's most active sponsors, Chipps said.

"The serious issues facing the financial services industry are sure to have some impact on golf sponsorships, but the ability of golf properties to work with other industries will help to offset any loss of funds," said Chipps, pointing to the PGA Tour's recent first-time ties with The Dow Chemical Co. and Transitions Optical, Inc.

About IEG, LLC
IEG is the world's leading provider of independent research, consulting, training and analysis on sponsorship. Founded in 1981, IEG provides corporations and properties with the strategies and tools to harness the sales and marketing power of sports, arts, entertainment and cause marketing.

IEG offers services that include sponsorship consulting, competitive intelligence and valuation. IEG also publishes IEG Sponsorship Report, the international biweekly newsletter on sponsorship; the IEG Sponsorship Sourcebook, the definitive guide to sponsors, properties and agencies; and other industry publications and sources.

IEG also is the leader in sponsorship training. Its internationally renowned Sponsorship Conference, now in its 26th year, attracts a capacity crowd of delegates each year. Through its conferences, seminars and webinars, IEG has trained more than 45,000 sponsorship executives worldwide.

For more information about IEG and the sponsorship industry, please visit www. sponsorship. com or call 800/834-4850 (outside the U. S. and Canada, 312/944-1727).

###

Intrinsic Imaging and Merge Healthcare Announce Technology Agreement - Intrinsic to be First to Implement Industry Changing Imaging Technology

Intrinsic Imaging and Merge Healthcare Announce Technology Agreement - Intrinsic to be First to Implement Industry Changing Imaging Technology

Intrinsic’s team of more than sixty board-certified diagnostic radiologists will utilize Merge CIMS for complete clinical trial image management. The coupling of Intrinsics deep radiology, therapeutic and clinical trial expertise with Merge's advanced imaging technologies will revolutionize how imaging in clinical trials is currently performed and evaluated.

San Antonio, TX (PRWEB) July 13, 2010

Intrinsic Imaging LLC, a bio/pharmaceutical medical imaging services organization and Merge Healthcare (NASDAQ: MRGE), a market leader in health IT solutions, announce today that they have entered into a technology agreement and Intrinsic will become the first company to implement Merge’s new Clinical Imaging Management System (CIMS).

Merge CIMS™ is the first commercially available solution for managing all aspects of imaging in clinical trials. Through defining investigator sites, enabling rapid electronic image acquisition from these sites over the Internet, providing detailed image tracking and enabling the rapid radiologic analysis, adjudication and reporting of images, CIMS enables the transparent execution of imaging trials complete with seamless EDC integration.

“At Intrinsic we are leading the redefinition of how medical imaging services are provided within clinical trials. This will result in Intrinsic performing medical imaging trials more efficiently and cost effectively than other service providers.” says Todd A. Joron, President and COO of Intrinsic. “The coupling of our deep radiology, therapeutic and clinical trial expertise with advanced imaging technologies will revolutionize how imaging in clinical trials is currently performed and evaluated.”

Intrinsic’s team of more than sixty board-certified diagnostic radiologists will utilize Merge CIMS for complete clinical trial image management. Intrinsic’s experienced clinical team provides pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors with comprehensive imaging core lab services across all therapeutic areas including oncology, neurology, cardiology, rheumatology, and endocrinology.

“Intrinsic’s team is recognized in the industry as having extensive clinical trial and technology expertise and we are delighted to have them as a partner for our new clinical imaging solution” says Justin Dearborn, Merge CEO. “We are excited about the impact our CIMS solution will have in helping Intrinsic drive productivity and efficiency throughout the entire imaging workflow within a clinical trial.”

About Merge Healthcare
Merge Healthcare (NASDAQ: MRGE) develops and integrates information technology to create a better electronic healthcare experience. Merge products, ranging from standards-based development toolkits to sophisticated clinical applications, have been used by healthcare providers, vendors and researchers worldwide for over 20 years. Additional information can be found at www. merge. com.

About Intrinsic Imaging LLC
Located in San Antonio, Texas, Intrinsic is a bio/pharmaceutical services organization providing complete image management and radiological review services to global pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device organizations. With its team of more than sixty sub-specialized, board-certified radiologists, and through its use of advanced medical imaging technology, Intrinsic’s experienced clinical trial team provides pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors with comprehensive imaging core lab services across all therapeutic areas. For more information, please visit www. IntrinsicCRO. com.

###

Friday, July 25, 2003

ShopSavvy Barcode Technology Powers New Consumer Reports Mobile Shopper App

ShopSavvy Barcode Technology Powers New Consumer Reports Mobile Shopper App

“Consumer Reports is well-known for its due diligence in assessing product and service quality, which makes their selection of the ShopSavvy ScannerKit SDK all the more impressive,” said Alexander Muse, co-founder of Big in Japan.

Dallas, TX (Vocus) October 27, 2010

Big in Japan, the leader in barcode-powered shopping by mobile consumers, announced that Consumer Reports has incorporated ShopSavvy barcode-scanning technology in its newly released iPhone app, Consumer Reports Mobile Shopper™. In addition, ShopSavvy’s 6.5 million users on the iPhone, Android and Nokia platforms will see a callout when they have scanned an item that Consumer Reports has tested, along with how many other models exist and have been tested in that category.

“We are delighted to work with Consumer Reports and to have our barcode-scanning technology used by their dedicated and highly informed subscriber base. Consumer Reports is well-known for its due diligence in assessing product and service quality, which makes their selection of the ShopSavvy ScannerKit SDK all the more impressive,” said Alexander Muse, co-founder of Big in Japan. “We are also pleased to be able to offer Consumer Reports information to ShopSavvy users; this represents another differentiator for our market-leading comparison-shopping app.”

Consumer Reports Mobile Shopper provides users with instant access to Ratings, Recommendations, Brand Reliability and Buying Advice on thousands of appliances, electronics, children's products, car-related, and home products. It is available for an introductory price of $9.99 for one year’s access in the iTunes Store.

"We can now put the power of Consumer Reports in consumers' hands when they are at local retailers, enabling them to access Ratings, compare prices, locate better values and share recommendations," said Jerry Steinbrink, vice president of publishing for Consumer Reports. “We consider it a highly promising media platform.”

Interested companies and developers can access Big in Japan’s ShopSavvy ScannerKit SDK at http://www. freebarcodescanner. com].

About Consumers Union:
Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, is an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers. To achieve this mission, CU tests, informs, and protects. To maintain independence and impartiality, CU accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. CU supports itself through the sale of information products and services, individual contributions, and a few noncommercial grants. CU's flagship publication, Consumer Reports magazine, has a circulation of more than 4 million and continues to expand, while the magazine's Web site ConsumerReports. org has over 3.2 million paid subscribers and is the largest subscription-based Web site in the industry. In addition, CU has successfully launched and expanded Consumer Reports on Health, Consumer Reports Money Adviser, and, most recently, ShopSmart magazine.

About Big in Japan:
Big in Japan Inc. is the leader in barcode-powered shopping by mobile consumers, with more than 6.5 million users generating 50 million product scans per month through the company’s ShopSavvy® application and the applications of third-party licensees such as CNET and PriceGrabber. Big in Japan’s UPC/GPS mobile advertising framework reaches consumers at the point of highest purchase intent, sharing promotions, coupons and other relevant information about scanned products. Big in Japan maintains one of the largest price comparison engines for local and online retailers, with links to the pricing and inventory systems of 20,000+ retailers worldwide. Big in Japan is funded and incubated by Architel, a Dallas-based managed services provider. For more information, visit http://www. biggu. com].

Contact:
Scott Baradell 
(972) 235-3439 
Sbaradell(at)ideagrove(dot)com 

###

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

SussexBank to Offer Health Savings Accounts Using HSA Clearing Corp

SussexBank to Offer Health Savings Accounts Using HSA Clearing Corp

SussexBank a division of Sussex Bancorp, a diversified financial services corporation based in Franklin Borough, New Jersey has begun to offer the new Health Savings Accounts/HSAs.

Lake Geneva, WI (PRWEB) January 23, 2006

SussexBank a division of Sussex Bancorp, a diversified financial services corporation based in Franklin Borough, New Jersey has begun to offer the new Health Savings Accounts/HSAs.

“With the move to Consumer-directed health plans along with HSAs, SussexBank is proud to be one of the first banks offering a free HSA with no set-up, monthly or annual fees” said President Terry Thompson, “Adding HSAs to our list of financial products allows our business and individual clients to continue to do all their banking with SussexBank.”

“We know from our previous experience setting up financial institutions to offer HSAs, that since SussexBank has decided to offer a free HSA program, they will also be receiving rollover accounts from businesses and individuals who were paying high monthly HSA fees elsewhere” stated Tim Morales of HSA Clearing Corp “When people shop for an HSA provider, they will see value in using SussexBank and that is how they will grow customer loyalty.”

The federal government established Health Savings Accounts/HSAs as part of the “Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003”, and on December 21, Governor Codey signed into law S-2574 / A-4543, which provides for the establishment of HSAs in the State of New Jersey. HSAs were created to allow employers and individuals to contribute tax-free to savings accounts that are then used to pay for routine medical expenses.

For more information on opening a SussexBank HSA, please visit their website www. sussexbankhsa. com or call 973-827-2914

About SussexBank

SussexBank established in 1975 is an active community lender, providing commercial loans and lines of credit to businesses throughout the region. To meet the needs of our rapidly growing population, The Mortgage Center offers diverse selection of affordable home financing solutions. SussexBank also provides a full range of personal loans and lines of credit, as well as brokerage, investment, trust and other traditional banking services. Contact 800-511-9900

About HSA Clearing Corp

HSA Clearing offers turnkey solutions for financial institutions nationwide to initiate and administrate HSA accounts, which includes their exclusive “HSA Rx Card” for further savings on prescriptions drugs. For more information on this program, or the other benefits of using HSA Clearing Corp, please call 262-348-1300 or visit the website at www. hsaclearing. com

# # #

New Initiative Provides Jobs and Training to 2,200 Unemployed Chicagoans

New Initiative Provides Jobs and Training to 2,200 Unemployed Chicagoans

Public, Private Sectors Team Up to Leverage $20 Million in Federal Stimulus Funds for Jobs

Chicago (Vocus) July 19, 2010

More than 2,000 Chicagoans will receive up to 16 weeks of combined paid work and job training along with case management and intensive support services through Chicago Neighborhood JobStart, which launched in June. The initiative captures millions of federal stimulus dollars temporarily available to states for subsidized employment programs.

A component of the state's effort to combat the economic recession through job creation, JobStart is unique in its focus on hard-to-serve individuals -- low-income, low-skilled job seekers who need additional support to overcome employment barriers and engage in the world of work.

JobStart grantees, selected through a competitive process, are among Chicago’s most experienced and effective transitional jobs providers. Combined, twelve agencies will operate programs for 1,200 young adults and 1,000 adults. Association House, Centers for New Horizons, Central States SER, Chicago Housing Authority, Heartland Human Care Services, Inspiration Corporation, National Able Network, OAI, Inc., Phalanx and the Safer Foundation will operate programs for adults. Alternative Schools Network, Chicago Housing Authority, Phalanx and Westside Health Authority will provide programs for young adults.

“Our clients face a lot of barriers for a lot of reasons. That’s why programs like JobStart are so important,” said Joseph Antolin, executive director of Heartland Human Care Services. “They need help with what many people would consider the basics in order to get up and running -- things like employer expectations, computer skills, time management, dealing with stress or difficult situations. We’re able to give them real work experience and help them build skills and confidence, which will make them more employable now and in the long run.”

JobStart is one of the legacies of the 2016 Fund for Chicago Neighborhoods, a philanthropic collaborative established in 2008 to support the city’s bid for the 2016 Olympic Games and help ensure that neighborhoods most impacted by Olympic plans would benefit regardless of the outcome. JobStart participants will reside in these same priority communities: Douglas, East Garfield Park, Englewood, Grand Boulevard, Kenwood, Lower West Side, North Lawndale, Near South Side, Near West Side, Oakland, South Lawndale, Washington Park and Woodlawn.

The 2016 Fund acted quickly to create JobStart, putting forward $2 million plus in-kind employer donations to leverage more than $18 million through a special Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Contingency Fund via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Illinois Department of Human Services.

JobStart is one of few, and perhaps the only, initiative of its kind in the country. While all states have the opportunity to tap a portion of the $5 billion special TANF fund, the Chicago philanthropic community is responsible for spearheading this effort to create a collaborative, multi-sector project that will provide both short - and long-term benefits for low-income people in communities with historically high unemployment rates.

However, unless the deadline is extended, federal funds must be spent by September 30, 2010, presenting a challenge to initiative leaders.

“JobStart’s creation is a small miracle, given the complicated coordination of organizations and funds required in an almost impossibly short timeframe,” said Maria Hibbs, executive director of The Partnership for New Communities, which staffs the 2016 Fund. “Fortunately, Chicago had the relationships and infrastructure already in place that made it possible for leaders to respond to this opportunity as thoughtfully and rapidly as they have.”

Participants employed through JobStart will work in a range of settings and industries, earning between $8.25 and $10.00 per hour. JobStart aims to place at least 60 percent of participants into permanent unsubsidized employment or further training or education following the program.

“For a community to be strong and stable, its residents need to be employed,” said Terry Mazany, President and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, a founder of the 2016 Fund. “But in many of these communities, high unemployment, even topping 20 percent, has been the norm for years. JobStart will provide immediate relief to job seekers in these neighborhoods as well as position them to become and stay employed in the long-term.”

Contributors to the 2016 Fund for Chicago Neighborhoods include The Boeing Company; The Chicago Community Trust; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Joyce Foundation; McCormick Foundation; Polk Bros. Foundation; Wieboldt Foundation, and one anonymous donor. The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation also contributed to JobStart.

The Partnership for New Communities is a funder collaborative that brings together business, civic and philanthropic leaders to invest in strategic employment and economic development initiatives that promote large-scale improvements in the neighborhoods most affected by public-housing transformation in Chicago. The Partnership pools some funds and administers grantmaking for workforce development initiative Opportunity Chicago, which aims to help 5,000 public-housing residents prepare for and find employment over five years (2006-2010). www. thepartnershipfornewcommunities. org]

About the 2016 Fund contributors:

The Boeing Company
The Boeing Company is the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft. With customers in more than 90 countries, Boeing is a leading global corporate citizen driving positive change in communities around the world though its community engagement and employee volunteers’ efforts and the way it develops products and services and operates its business. For more information, visit www. boeing. com].

The Chicago Community Trust
For 95 years, The Chicago Community Trust, our region’s community foundation, has connected the generosity of donors with community needs by making grants to organizations working to improve metropolitan Chicago. In 2009, the Trust, together with its donors, granted more than $100 million to nonprofit organizations. From strengthening schools to assisting local art programs, from building health centers to helping lives affected by violence, the Trust continues to enhance our region. To learn more, please visit the Trust online at www. cct. org].

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. In addition to selecting the MacArthur Fellows, the Foundation works to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand how technology is affecting children and society. For more information, visit www. macfound. org].

Joyce Foundation
Based in Chicago, the Joyce Foundation supports efforts to protect the natural environment of the Great Lakes, to reduce poverty and violence in the region, and to ensure that its people have access to good schools, decent jobs, and a diverse and thriving culture. For more information, visit www. joycefdn. org].

McCormick Foundation
The McCormick Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening our nation's civic health by creating educated, informed and engaged citizens. Through its grantmaking programs, Cantigny Park and Golf, and museums, the Foundation helps build citizen leaders and make life better in our communities. The Foundation was established as a charitable trust in 1955, upon the death of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The McCormick Foundation is one of the nation's largest charities, with more than $1 billion in assets. For more information, please visit www. McCormickFoundation. org].

Polk Bros. Foundation
The Polk Bros. Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for the people of Chicago. The Foundation partners with local not-for-profit organizations that work to reduce the impact of poverty and provide area residents with better access to quality education, preventive health care, and basic human services. Through its grant making, the Polk Bros. Foundation strives to make Chicago a place where all people have the opportunity to reach their full potential. For more information, visit www. polkbrosfdn. org].

Wieboldt Foundation
The Wieboldt Foundation was founded in 1921 by William A. and Anna K. Wieboldt with the hope that its grants would support ''charities designed to put an end to the need for charity.'' Eighty years later, the directors of the foundation remain committed to preserving the founders' charge, now translated into a concentration on grassroots community organizing. For more information, visit www. wieboldtfoundation. org].

###

Complimentary On Demand Xtalks Webinar Shares Best Practices in Managing the Challenge of Roles-Based Access Governance Reduces Risk in the EU

Complimentary On Demand Xtalks Webinar Shares Best Practices in Managing the Challenge of Roles-Based Access Governance Reduces Risk in the EU

In an On Demand Xtalks. com webinar, CXO EU (http://www. cxo. eu. com) Editor, Helia Pheonix illustrates the Challenge of Roles-Based Access Governance and introduces Keynote Speaker and Aveksa Founder, Deepak Taneja. Mr. Taneja shares his knowledge in how to deploy a continuous roles life-cycle management process and ensure regulatory compliance. This Complimentary On Demand Archive is available for immediate download at: http://xtalks. com/accessgovernance. ashx.

Toronto, ON (PRWEB) August 2, 2008

Xtalks. com announces that Aveksa Founder, Deepak Taneja will deliver his complimentary On Demand webinar "Managing the Challenge of Roles-Based Access Governance" aimed at the European Banking/Finance sector.

Although roles-based access control (RBAC) has been the subject of much interest in the past, experience with it has been mostly disappointing. Dealing with the complexity of managing roles at the infrastructure level (applications, data, files, file shares, host and network level) is daunting to organizations, and an obstacle to deploying effective roles-based governance. Role design is best done from the top down as roles should first and foremost relate to business process. As compliance is written from a business process perspective, this approach will make it easier to achieve compliance with various regulations.

This webcast will discusses how to deploy a continuous roles lifecycle management process and ensure regulatory compliance:
  The new role design methodology - creating a top down and bottom-up hybrid approach.   How to enable collaboration between major stakeholders in creating roles and driving accountability.   Why roles require continuous lifecycle management (roles are a process not a project).  * How using a metrics-driven approach for roles maintenance avoids roles proliferation.
  How roles management enables good security governance and reduces business risk.   How role management simplifies compliance and speeds up initial access delivery and change.

Complimentary registration http://xtalks. com/accessgovernance. ashx (http://xtalks. com/accessgovernance. ashx)

This program is intended for: CISO, CSO, VP/Managing Director of Enterprise Security, VP of IT Risk

About the speaker, Deepak Taneja Founder & CTO, Aveksa:
Deepak Taneja founded Aveksa in 2004 and led the company from inception through Feb 2008 before moving into the role of President and CTO. In this role, he is responsible for driving Aveksa's technology vision and ensuring that the company's solutions deliver the capabilities that customers need to solve their access governance challenges for today and tomorrow. Previously, he was CTO and VP of Engineering at Netegrity, where he was instrumental in establishing the company as a market leader in Identity and Access Management.

Complimentary registration http://xtalks. com/accessgovernance. ashx (http://xtalks. com/accessgovernance. ashx)

About Aveksa: Aveksa provides the most comprehensive, enterprise-class, access governance, risk management and compliance solution. Aveksa automates the monitoring, reporting, certification and remediation of user entitlements and roles; enables role discovery and lifecycle management; and delivers unmatched visibility into the true state of user access rights. With Aveksa, business, security and compliance teams can effectively collaborate and enforce accountability. Our growing customer base includes leading global Fortune 2000 organizations in financial services, healthcare, retail, transportation and manufacturing. For more information, go to www. aveksa. com.

The Aveksa Access Governance Platform consists of Aveksa Compliance Manager, which automates the monitoring, reporting, certification and remediation of user entitlements, as well as Aveksa Role Manager, which enables role discovery, modeling, metrics and maintenance.

About Xtalks. com: Xtalks brings industry experts to executives' desktops around the world in a web-based information network that provides insight into breaking business issues through interactive digital web conferences. Xtalks web conferences allow anyone with interest in a particular topic to participate in a web meeting by synchronizing their desktop computer and phone alongside industry experts. Xtalks is part of The Honeycomb Worldwide Group of Companies.
Honeycomb Worldwide creates peer-to-peer business-oriented social networking communities, connecting senior level executives by delivering content through new and established media channels. www. honeycombworldwide. com
Join Xtalks to reduce your carbon footprint.

For more information on this conference or Xtalks in general, or to enquire about speaking opportunities or sponsoring future events, visit www. Xtalks. com or contact Caullyn D. Godfrey at 416-977-6555 x 374.
###

Halogen Releases Version 8.1 of the Halogen Employee Performance and Talent Management Suite

Halogen Releases Version 8.1 of the Halogen Employee Performance and Talent Management Suite

New enterprise-class offering is flexible enough to meet the needs of all organizations regardless of size or industry.

Ottawa, ON (PRWEB) September 7, 2007

Halogen Software Inc., the industry recognized leader in providing Web-based employee performance and talent management solutions, today announced the release of version 8.1 of the Halogen Employee Performance and Talent Management Suite. This new offering includes even greater enterprise-class functionality, raises the usability bar and is flexible enough to meet the changing needs of organizations of all sizes and in every industry. Everybody connected to the employee performance and talent management process— including executives, human resources and employees—experience the benefits of this solution.

When considering an employee performance and talent management solution, human resources departments are seeking enterprise-class functionality as well as ease of implementation and day-to-day use. In moving to a Web-based system, organizations require solutions that incorporate their existing processes, meet their unique needs and provide the flexibility to grow with the organization’s evolving needs. With nearly 1,000 companies across all industries already using its solution, only Halogen provides a single platform that responds to the complexities of any organization.

"With Halogen we don’t have to ‘move up’ to another product edition and pay the costs associated with that to simply add more sophisticated functionality," said Rebecca Kuhn, Training Coordinator with PKF Texas, a beta customer for the new suite. "The Halogen Employee Performance and Talent Management Suite has proven to be extremely flexible when it comes to incorporating our existing process and growing with us over time. Everything we need is there and it can be configured without any vendor or IT assistance."

Halogen Employee Performance and Talent Management Suite version 8.1 includes numerous new features just a few of which are global usability enhancements, an employee dashboard, expanded HR control centre and greater workflow flexibility.

For HR: Extremely Easy to Use and Implement
With each new release, Halogen delivers extensively researched usability improvements to ensure the solution continues to lead the industry in this area. HR professionals are aware that usability is critical to the success of the implementation as well as employee engagement in the process.

Halogen Employee Performance and Talent Management Suite 8.1 includes enhancements to the company’s unique HR Control Centre, which enables HR to control all aspects of its performance and talent management processes without the need for IT or vendor involvement. New features enable HR to preset multi-rater reviews to occur on behalf of managers— a time saving feature for organizations such as professional services firms, where employees have multiple managers.

For Employees: Employee Dashboard
With this new version of the suite, employees now have a graphical dashboard to track how personal goals are progressing against the overall corporate goals they are aligned with. This improved line-of-sight motivates employees throughout the year, vastly improving employee engagement by linking individual achievement to corporate success and keeping employees focused on the delivery of organizational objectives.

For Executives: Extended Workflow Flexibility
To meet the needs of each organization’s unique talent management process, version 8.1 further streamlines workflow, enabling organization to only include executives when required, saving valuable time. Many new features make it simple to set rules around processes, such as enabling someone other than a manager to sign off on an employee appraisal or having executives sign off only on assessments with high or low scores.

Other notable features:
 Fully automate project evaluations enabling project leaders to provide instant feedback to team members that can be used for ongoing employee development as well as for input during annual performance reviews;  Make it easy and convenient for managers and employees to adjust goals on forms on the fly;  Allow managers to assign goals that are the same or similar for a group of employees instantly;  Enable organizations that need to prove they are achieving acceptable levels of performance for regulatory or accreditation purposes to display complex technical competencies in an easy to use format that captures and validates compliance; and  Enable primary managers to assign other managers access rights to employee records and performance journals, making evaluations more accurate and meaningful in situations where an employee holds multiple positions or reports to a number of managers.

Pricing and Availability
Version 8.1 of the Halogen Employee Performance and Talent Management Suite is shipping on September 10, 2007. Please contact Halogen for pricing information.

About Halogen Software
With nearly 1000 customers worldwide, Halogen Software Inc. has established itself as the leading provider of employee performance and talent management solutions. Halogen offers powerful, easy-to-use, and affordable Web-based software that dramatically improves HR and line-manager productivity.

The company's award winning suite provides organizations with everything they need to develop and retain a high performance workforce: Halogen eAppraisal™ helps drive bottom-line success by making it quick and simple to deliver professional employee appraisals that align with organization goals. Halogen eCompensation™ automates the entire compensation adjustment process including budget distribution and approval. Halogen eSuccession™ makes it simple and affordable to get a best practices succession planning program underway - right away. And Halogen e360™ automates and simplifies formal 360-degree feedback procedures and offers sophisticated performance reporting.

Industry specific suites are provided for Healthcare, Financial and Professional Services. Halogen eAppraisal Healthcare™, exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association, helps healthcare organizations produce meaningful appraisals on time and allows them to always be in a "ready state" for accreditation surveyors from JCAHO®, OSHA, ACHA, and others. Halogen eAppraisal for Financial Services™ enables financial services organizations reduce the risk of non-compliance and ships with a comprehensive library of industry specific competencies and authoring aids. Halogen eAppraisal for Professional Services™ automates the entire employee review and engagement evaluation process, this solution makes it possible for evaluators to easily gather, compile and analyze employee and project data all with effortless, point-and-click ease.

Visit us online today: http://www. halogensoftware. com (http://www. halogensoftware. com)

Media contacts:
Donna Ronayne
VP, Marketing & Business Development
Halogen Software
T: 613-270-1011 x 320
E: dronayne(at)halogensoftware. com

This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www. HRmarketer. com) on behalf of the company listed above.

###

Free E-book Guaranteeing to Release You from the Bondage of Symptoms and Disease for Life

Free E-book Guaranteeing to Release You from the Bondage of Symptoms and Disease for Life

Get your free copy of the e-book, The CreatorÂ’s Manual for Your Body. A book that is unlike any other book on the subject of health, life, and diets. A book that doesnÂ’t just tell you what to do, and hope you will do it. This book actually deals with why you donÂ’t do what you already know how to do. So you will naturally be doing the things that have you lose weight and be healthy.

(PRWEB) October 27, 2004 -

– With everything there is about life, health and diets, how can this book make a real difference for you?

Almost every book out there, on life, diets, and health focus on telling you what to do. What you end up with is a lot of struggle and effort to follow through with all the recommendations of what to do.

Almost no one has ever focused on the key. The key that will actually produce long term, lasting, results, which require almost no additional effort to maintain. This key is who you are being and no one focuses on how to shift who you are being, which is the only way to produce lasting results.

Your thinking plays a big role in who you are being. This book shapes who you are being and how you think, so by the end of this book, you are naturally doing what it takes to have a great life and be healthy and well. So the results are lasting with minimal effort.

One of the other big problems is all the different and contradicting information out there. Who is right? Everyone has something different that is supposedly right for you. How do you know what is actually right for you and your family?

Everyone is different. Everyone knows this, but yet, everyone seems to think we are all the same and need the same thing. Everyone is different and what is right for one may not be right for another.

Dr. Jamie Fettig, the worlds leading authority on health, life and bazuji says, “Every body needs one, got yours?”

This book will teach you how to always know what is right for you and your family. No matter what new products come out, no matter what new breakthroughs bring, you will always be able to know what is the best for you and your family with 100% certainty. This knowing comes from within.

Get your free e-book at www. thecreatorsmanual. com.

If you have a body, you need to read this book.

###

Monday, July 21, 2003

Gardening Requires Proper Attention to Feet and the Right Shoes, Say Podiatrists

Gardening Requires Proper Attention to Feet and the Right Shoes, Say Podiatrists

Gardening shoes, including clogs, are designed to protect feet from moisture, dirt and mud while being comfortable and easy to remove and keep clean. However, Dr. Jack Morgan, a Monterey Park, California podiatrist, says shoe styles that leave skin exposed can contribute to the problem of dry, flaking, or cracked heels, so precautions should be taken. He says, " If you wear 'open' shoes, you must take care of your skin, since you greatly increase the chances of it becoming dry, flaking or cracked."

Princeton, NJ (PRWEB) May 17, 2005

At this time of year, gardeners are out in full force, reveling in spring blossoms and the promise of a lush summer garden. Though most aren't at all concerned with being stylish, podiatrists say they should be careful about choosing footwear that fits the activity and that protect feet while walking, digging and kneeling.

Warning against going barefoot or wearing sandals, podiatrists say cuts from rocks, broken glass, nails or other sharp objects can lead to infection from soil-borne bacteria. Fortunately, companies like Muck Boot Company offer a wide range of gardening shoes, from sturdy rubber boots to its "daily garden shoe" and garden clogs. Gardening shoes, including clogs, are designed to protect feet from moisture, dirt and mud while being comfortable and easy to remove and keep clean. However, Dr. Jack Morgan, a Monterey Park, California podiatrist, says shoe styles that leave skin exposed can contribute to the problem of dry, flaking, or cracked heels, so precautions should be taken. He says, " If you wear 'open' shoes, you must take care of your skin, since you greatly increase the chances of it becoming dry, flaking or cracked." 

Dr. Morgan is a Board certified podiatrist and podiatric surgeon, who has lectured around the country on foot problems ranging from congenital foot defects in infants to problems specific to the elderly and diabetic.

Along with walkers and others whose feet get a real workout, gardeners tend to develop rough, dry, cracked heels. Dr. Morgan says, "Among the many products for dry feet, only one, CalleX® Dry Heel Ointment, contains natural plant enzymes, which have proven to be remarkably effective for exfoliating dry cracked heels and moisturizing dry, scaling skin."

Distributed by Xenna Corporation, newly patented, acid-free CalleX® Dry Heel Ointment has been shown in consumer studies to significantly reduce thickened areas while it moisturizes dry, flaking skin and cracking on soles and heels within 15 to 30 days. According to podiatrist David Tsui, "CalleX Ointment works very well. I have used it on my patients and on myself. You see a real difference in one week." A gentle rubbing action with a wet, soapy washcloth is sufficient to gradually thin and exfoliate thick or flaky skin.

Gardeners may also find that their once clear, healthy-looking nails have become yellow, dark or discolored over time. In addition to wearing the proper shoes, podiatrists recommend NonyX® Nail Gel for yellow, discolored toenails.

Dr. Bret Ribotsky says he uses NonyX Gel to clean nails "from the outside in." NonyX Gel does this by exfoliating the dark, yellow or thick granular material called keratin debris, which can build up under nails over time, making them unattractive. Patented NonyX Gel softens keratin debris using natural ethanoic acid, and permits it to be scraped out from under the nail after about four weeks. NonyX Gel is also diabetic-friendly. Dr. Ribotsky says "Using NonyX is like brushing your teeth; it's a cleanser for toenails."

Once keratin debris is removed, NonyX Gel keeps nails looking clear and attractive with regular use. Dr. Morgan also recommends NonyX Gel. He says, "NonyX Gel is a very effective cleanser. Soap cleanses your body; NonyX Gel cleanses your nails of dark, yellow or thick keratin debris." NonyX Gel is an easy-to-use topical gel.

A recent clinical study confirmed NonyX Nail Gel significantly improves toenail color and clarity by exfoliating yellowing keratin debris from under the nail. To view a recent TV news release on use of NonyX Gel featuring podiatrist Dr. Bret Ribotsky's comments, go to http://easylink. playstream. com/networknewssource/nonyx/nonyx. wvx (http://easylink. playstream. com/networknewssource/nonyx/nonyx. wvx)

Carol J. Buck is CEO of Xenna Corporation. She says, "Gardening is my hobby and I must admit to buying dozens of gloves but NEVER anything special for my feet. As I grow older, however, my legs start to 'feel it' after three or four hours and my toes definitely complain if they're not happy in wet or ill-fitting sneakers. Now, I throw out any shoes or boots that my feet don't like and I am in the market for new waterproof gardening shoes or boots. Just as I've always protected my hands when gardening, now I'm committed to pampering my feet so I can keep going in the garden all weekend long!"

NonyX Nail Gel can be purchased in the footcare section of Walgreens, Rite Aid, Longs, Drug Emporium, Brooks and most Medicine Shoppe drugstores. You'll also find it at HEB and Brookshire grocery stores, through podiatric physicians, independent pharmacies and online at www. drugstore. com and www. xenna. com. CalleX Dry Heel Ointment is now available in the foot care section at Longs Drugs, from podiatric physicians and online at www. drugstore. com and www. xenna. com.

Xenna Corporation is a privately-held company which develops and distributes natural personal care products for skin, hair and nails.

###

Noixia Delivers Safe, Affordable Alternatives to Lasers for Severe Acne Scarring

Noixia Delivers Safe, Affordable Alternatives to Lasers for Severe Acne Scarring

Noixia introduces a breakthrough acne scar treatment. Surprisingly inexpensive and easy-to-use regimen rivals $2,500 laser treatments, at a fraction of the costs. This naturally derived skin enhancement kit eliminates laser's risks, rids harmful side-effects and ditches time consuming office visits.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) November 17, 2006

Ask anyone considering a laser treatment what they are waiting for and chances are the costs, crusting, weeping and extended inflammation that can accompany this cosmetic surgery makes them hesitant.

Noixia, a San Diego based a formulator of professional-grade skin care products, recognizes this aesthetic dilemma facing persons with acne scarring. Noixia formulated a three-part scar removal system to remove the stellar costs and risks associated with laser scar removal, while striving for laser-like results.

The three-part scar removal system consists of a natural exfoliating toner, a colloidal oatmeal skin softener and an aloe vera based moisturizer.

Nicole Dial, chief product formulator for Noixia, admits about the system, "I know it is difficult, but understandable for skin care skeptics to accept the natural products can produce results comparable to laser treatments, but our own studies and medical reports continue to attest to the effectiveness of properly formulated natural products."

The first part of the treatment, Formula Back-2-1, uses lactic acid to stimulate the growth of new collagen while the azelaic acid component lightens pigmented acne scars. The second part, Blackhead Bandit, serves multiple scar reducing functions including softening aged scar tissue, limiting inflammation and reducing skin redness.

The final part of the system, a concentrated aloe vera solution called Serenity Scar Serum restores the skin's natural pH, natural moisture barrier and speeds the skin's cell renewal rate.

Noixia's product line takes natural scar removal a step further by using effective ingredients in the proportions needed to have a therapeutic effect. As the FDA has pointed out before, "it would take much more aloe vera than most products contain for the anti-irritant properties to work."

Serenity Scar Serum contains over 80% organic aloe vera juice and 2% pure unadulterated essential oils that help skin repair faster. Blackhead Bandit uses at least 15% pure colloidal oatmeal by weight to help soften the skin.

Noixia created its Acne Scar Removal System, starting with the central research question, "How do we create healthier skin?" as opposed to, "How do we remove acne scars?" From this basis, Noixia developed a three-part complimentary scar removal system to address all of the changes that must occur in to repair damaged skin and create a healthier, more youthful look.

The three-part system removes the damaged layers of the skin, restores the moisture content and pH level, softens the skin and limits skin irritation. Dial explains, "Even while clients are starting to see improvement in their acne scars, one of their first comments about the changes in their skin is how much healthier it feels."

Based on data from sources like the US Census Bureau, the American Academy of Dermatology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Noixia estimates that at least 17 million Americans have one or more acne scars. Noixia developed the acne scar removal line to give people like San Diego college student Ibi Osibodu a more affordable and safe option for scar removal.

Osibodu has used the three-part scar removal system for four weeks and reports, "I use them religiously every single day and my skin looks and feels great... My scars and dark spots definitely look better, and I hope they'll eventually clear off with continued use."

Noixia compiles and constantly updates a before and after portfolio to help clients better access the scar improvements they can expect using the three-part system. You can find the portfolio and more details about custom acne scar removal options at Noixia. com.

About:

Noixia is an image makeover research firm dedicated to helping people intelligently, affordably and safely enhance their image. Noixia's core focus is offering customized skin solutions for individuals with severe acne scarring on the face and body. Thousands of people who coped with acne scarring have achieved a more refined and polished look at a fraction of the cost of cosmetic procedures by using Noixia products. Noixia's product development edge is based on proprietary skin absorption and key ingredient release mechanisms. Anyone seeking to remove acne scars can find custom, clinically proven solutions at Noixia. com.

Contact:

Nicole Dial, President

Dial @ noixia. com

619-528-2218

###

Push to Save Tigers Leaps Forward at Bali Meeting, WWF Says

Push to Save Tigers Leaps Forward at Bali Meeting, WWF Says

Stage Set for Agreement to Double Wild Tiger Numbers When Leaders Meet in September’s Historic Tiger Summit in Russia

Washington, DC (Vocus) July 14, 2010

Tiger experts from the 13 tiger range countries laid out an ambitious plan to double tiger numbers in the wild by 2022 during a crucial tiger meeting that concluded in Bali today. The meeting was the final one among the 13 countries before world leaders gather later this year at the Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.

“While there’s still work to be done in the coming weeks, this has been a crucial meeting ahead of the Tiger Summit,” said Michael Baltzer, leader of WWF’s Tiger Program. “These countries have worked together to lay down solid plans to double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022 – a critical goal to save this endangered animal.”

Tigers are in a dire situation. The global wild population is reduced to an estimated 3,200 individuals. From nine tiger sub-species, only six exist today — the Sumatran, Bengal, Amur, Indochinese, South China and Malayan tiger. Threats to the tiger include poaching and illegal trade, massive habitat fragmentation and destruction, loss of prey and poaching. Tigers are also lost due to retaliatory killing when they come into conflict with villagers living around tiger habitat.

“These governments will now take the proposed commitments to St. Petersburg and world leaders will consider backing them with the political it will take to save tigers in the wild,” Baltzer added. “The outcomes of this meeting will provide a foundation for success at the Tiger Summit in Russia.”

In Bali this week, tiger range governments presented individual national plans to protect tigers that will be put into a Global Tiger Recovery Program – essentially an overarching plan to double the number of tigers in the wild – which will then be approved at the Tiger Summit.

The 13 tiger range states’ national plans likely will cost more than $356 million for immediate implementation, according to their presentations this week.

“Now that these countries have shown their willingness to act, the success of any global plan launched in St. Petersburg will depend on financial support from the international community and the tiger nations themselves,” Baltzer said.

Governments also agreed to elements for a Leader’s Declaration, a document that will include joint commitments by the 13 tiger range states to:
 agree that tigers are key to healthy ecosystems and that tiger conservation efforts are primarily a national responsibility, but that “financial and technical support of the international community ” is still needed to save wild tigers;  collaborate on issues that affect tigers across borders, including ensuring the uninhibited movement of tigers and the management of joint tiger conservation areas;  increase enforcement efforts to eradicate poaching, the main driver of tiger loss, and reduce the trafficking of tiger parts;  identify and protect key tiger habitats, including critical breeding areas;  increase systematic patrols of tiger areas and protect their prey.

“Hosting this meeting in Bali – where the Balinese tiger went extinct in the 1940s – is a symbol of Indonesia’s commitment to help with this global effort to protect tigers and bring them back from the brink of extinction,” said WWF Indonesia CEO Dr. Efransjah. “We commend Indonesia for its leadership at this meeting, and ask for the same level of commitment and passion leading up to and during the Tiger Summit. We are committed to supporting these ongoing efforts and to working with the Indonesian government for the conservation of tigers.”

With an estimated 400 Sumatran tigers left, or 12 percent of the global tiger population, Indonesia has a key role to play in the global tiger recovery program.

World tiger experts and representatives from other NGOs, including the Global Tiger Initiative, also are attending the Bali meeting. The meeting is a prelude to the Heads of Government Tiger Summit, scheduled to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia from 15-18 Sept. 2010.

ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
WWF is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit http://www. worldwildlife. org to learn more.

World Wildlife Fund
1250 24th Street, NW
Washington, D. C. 20037-1193
USA
Http://www. worldwildlife. org

Contact:
Lee Poston, WWF
(202) 495-4536 – office
(202) 299-6442 – mobile

###

Friday, July 18, 2003

Beaches Resorts And Big Bird Team Up For Family Fun

Beaches Resorts And Big Bird Team Up For Family Fun

Beaches Resorts has become the first resort company to partner with Sesame Workshop.

(PRWEB) June 14, 2004

Beaches Resorts has become the first resort company to partner with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, in an exclusive agreement bringing Sesame Street to Beaches Negril Resort & Spa, Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club, Beaches Sandy Bay and Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa.

Beginning this September and continuing through next year, Beaches Resorts will host daily appearances by characters including Elmo, Zoe, Cookie Monster and Grover to educate and entertain young families; on-site Sesame Street-themed events including character dining, special story times and fun activities from learning to dance with Zoe to getting global with Grover.

Outfitted activity centers will adorn the resorts and parenting seminars developed by Sesame Workshop, creators of Sesame Street will give parents of pre-schoolers tips for keeping kids healthy, happy and interested.

More information and special promotions surrounding this new and exciting relationship are available by contacting Kathy Lazor at Just Travel in Clifton, NJ - 1-800-926-9279 or by visiting www. justtravelonline. com.

###

Thursday, July 17, 2003

LEAD Technologies Announces New Medical Division

LEAD Technologies Announces New Medical Division

(PRWEB) January 26, 2001

PRESS CONTACT:

Bruce Dennis

Managing Director

704/227-2624

Bdennis@medicorimaging. com

Charlotte, NC (January 24, 2001) - LEAD Technologies, Inc., a worldwide leading provider of imaging developer toolkits, is pleased to announce the formation of Medicor Imaging, a new strategic business unit. Medicor Imaging's scope of products and services will revolve around the medical community's migration towards the utilization of digital images. "The creation of this new division is in response to the requests of our current clients to provide a greater degree of specialization for the medical imaging community", stated Rich Little, president of LEAD Technologies. "Currently, there is significant time and energy being spent by companies to move to a digital platform. Medicor Imaging's developer toolkits and professional services will greatly reduce the costs associated with the move".

Medicor Imaging will further develop and continue to market LEAD's existing medical products, LEADTOOLS Medical Imaging and LEADTOOLS Medical Imaging Suite. The LEADTOOLS product line is a collection of award winning developers toolkits with the medical products focusing on DICOM standards and other technologies required by the healthcare market. In addition to offering programming toolkits, Medicor Imaging will offer professional services that include; specialized training, including all aspects of DICOM, consulting and contract programming. Future product plans include DICOM utilities that will allow medical facilities better connectivity between medical imaging equipment.

The division will be headed by Gabriel Pislaru and Bruce Dennis both serving as Managing Directors. Pislaru has been LEAD Technologies' DICOM Development Project Manager and brings over 15 years of development and management experience. Speaking about the DICOM Toolkits, Pislaru states, "the medical imaging toolkits are a dream-come-true for any programmer needing DICOM support in his application for three very important reasons. First, the comprehensive implementation of the DICOM specification, combined with a very flexible approach, reliably reads more variations of DICOM files than any other application. Second, the user has full power to access the DICOM Basic Directory in the easiest possible way. Finally, the nightmare of creating a DICOM client/server application is gone, and the door is open to what was once a very exclusive community."

Dennis brings over 15 years of professional sales, management and marketing experience to the organization. Since the first of November, Dennis has been working with LEAD Technologies in a consulting role to determine the feasibility of creating a separate division to better attack this specialized market of medical imaging technology. "It is our vision to leverage LEAD's 10 years of experience in providing superior imaging toolkits to developers to make Medicor Imaging the undisputed leader in delivering imaging development products and professional services to the medical community facilitating the rapid transition into the digital imaging era", Dennis commented. Medicor Imaging will operate as a division of LEAD Technologies, and will initially be headquartered within LEAD Technologies' worldwide headquarters in Charlotte, NC.

Medicor Imaging can be reached at 704-227-2624.

About LEAD Technologies, Inc.

Founded in 1990, LEAD grew out of years of research headed by Moe Daher to find a comprehensive compression standard for digital images. LEAD is now the world-leading supplier of imaging development toolkits, providing technology of the future, today. LEAD brings to the market the most innovative and technically superior products that provide the greatest possible value for its customers. LEAD's award winning imaging technology is chosen by Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Boeing, Xerox and thousands of other companies for use in their high volume applications and internal systems.

Grantham University Develops Unique Mobile Testing Unit to Serve the Military

Grantham University Develops Unique Mobile Testing Unit to Serve the Military

Grantham University is pleased to announce that it has been authorized by the College Board to develop a mobile National Test Center capable of providing computer-based CLEP testing for service members and eligible military spouses.

Kansas City, MO (PRWEB) November 22, 2010

Grantham University, an online university dedicated to providing educational opportunities to working adults for nearly 60 years, is pleased to announce that it has been authorized by the College Board to develop a mobile National Test Center (NTC) capable of providing computer-based testing for service members and eligible military spouses to receive college level credit through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).

Earlier this year, the University began offering CLEP testing at its campus in Kansas City, and has just started offering these tests through its mobile unit at locations across the United States that do not have regularly scheduled access to a NTC. Recently, Grantham University provided mobile testing services at the annual meeting of the 347th Recruiting Squadron of the U. S. Air Force in Wisconsin.

"This is a great opportunity for small or remote military units to have a NTC temporarily set-up to provide service members and eligible spouses with access to CLEP tests," said Dr. Jeff Cropsey, Grantham University Vice President for Strategic Initiatives. "This new initiative not only continues our mission of meeting the educational needs of service members; it also fulfills the desire for testing, not available previously, at many active duty, Guard and Reserve locations."

CLEP tests are accepted for transfer credit by hundreds of colleges and universities, including Grantham, and are offered at no charge to the military. Credit obtained through CLEP also saves millions of dollars in government tuition assistance each year while accelerating degree completion for our nation’s service members.

For more information about the program or to schedule a visit from the mobile testing unit, please contact Ms. Kelly Pedotto, Grantham University’s NTC Program Manager, at: NTC(at)grantham(dot)edu.

About Grantham University:
Established in 1951, Grantham University is a private institution that specializes in online education for the working adult student. Its mission is to provide accessible, affordable, professionally relevant degree programs in a continuously changing global society. The University prepares graduates for careers in business, engineering technology, computer science, criminal justice, healthcare, nursing, information technology and other professional fields. Grantham University offers a military scholarship program for active duty, reserve, guard, veterans and military family members, as well as scholarships for law enforcement professionals. Grantham's courses are 100% online, allowing students to study at home, at work, on Temporary Duty (TDY) or from almost anywhere in the world. Accredited since 1961 by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council, Grantham University has compiled a distinguished record as a respected and accredited distance learning university spanning six decades of service to education. For more information, visit http://www. grantham. edu or call 1-800-955-2527.

# # #

Wednesday, July 16, 2003

Monitor Your Doctor with HealthGrades' New ``Watchdog'' Alerts: Disciplinary Actions, Malpractice, Other Alerts Sent

Monitor Your Doctor with HealthGrades' New ``Watchdog'' Alerts: Disciplinary Actions, Malpractice, Other Alerts Sent

Patients can now monitor their doctors in real time for changes in disciplinary actions, malpractice judgments, updated patient ratings and more through the new "Watchdog" e-mail alert service at www. healthgrades. com, the consumer Web site of the nation's leading healthcare ratings organization.

GOLDEN, Colo. (PRWEB) February 19, 2008

 "Recent high-profile news stories underscore the need for patients to know more about their doctors," said Sarah Loughran, HealthGrades' executive vice president. "If your doctor is sanctioned by his or her state medical board, has a substantial malpractice judgment or has received new training or expertise, you can know about it immediately through HealthGrades' Watchdog e-mail alert service. It's designed to give patients peace of mind."

HealthGrades maintains award-winning quality profiles on virtually every practicing physician in the country to help patients and their loved ones research and choose the physician who is right for them. The profiles include information on each doctor's medical training, board certification, patient-experience ratings, state and federal sanctions, malpractice judgments (in 15 states), procedure costs, hospital affiliations and more. By signing up for the HealthGrades Watchdog service, consumers will receive real-time e-mail alerts when important information changes within their doctors' profile.

More than four million individuals visited HealthGrades. com in January of 2008 to research the quality and cost of doctors, hospitals, physicians, nursing homes and home health agencies.

HealthGrades' physician profiles include the following information, much of which is free to visitors of www. healthgrades. com:

-- Physician contact information

-- Medical training

-- Residencies and fellowships

-- Specialty

-- Board certification

-- Sanctions and disciplinary action at the federal level and in all of the 50 states

-- Malpractice judgments (available in 15 states)

-- Patient-experience survey responses

-- Years in practice

-- HealthGrades quality ratings of affiliated and nearby hospitals

-- Cost information on relevant procedures

-- Checklist for evaluating physicians

-- Comparisons to similar physicians

-- Bridges to Excellence(R) certification

-- Priority appointment link for thousands of doctors

-- Physician-written background information on practice philosophy, subspecialty training and more, in selected reports

Comprehensive physician profiles cost $29.95 and the Watchdog e-mail alert service cost $4.95 a month.

About HealthGrades

Health Grades, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGRD) is the leading healthcare ratings organization, providing ratings and profiles of hospitals, nursing homes and physicians. Millions of consumers and many of the nation's largest employers, health plans and hospitals rely on HealthGrades' independent ratings, advisory services and decision-support resources to make healthcare decisions based on the quality and cost of care. More information on the company can be found at www. healthgrades. com.

Healthy Hair Guide – “Skincare News” Presents Skincare & Beauty FAQ Handbook – Part 8: Hair

Healthy Hair Guide – “Skincare News” Presents Skincare & Beauty FAQ Handbook – Part 8: Hair

Searching for a foolproof hair care routine that will keep strands healthy and gorgeous? This section of Skincare-News. com’s FAQ Handbook provides answers to a multitude of hair-related concerns, covering everything from affordable hair treatments to general styling tips.

Rancho Cordova, CA (PRWEB) January 10, 2011

Hair can be a person’s crowning glory or a source of endless frustration. For people who feel more of the latter, here’s help: Part 8 of Skincare-News. com’s Skincare & Beauty FAQ Handbook offers a full range of tips on treating, maintaining and protecting hair. Get tips on dyeing hair at home, reviving dull locks, combating frizz and more.

» Q: What kinds of ingredients can replace lost moisture in hair?

A: Look for products with ingredients like shea butter, panthenol, hydrolyzed yeast extract or sweet almond oil.

» Q: What foods are important for healthy hair?

A: WebMD lists the following foods as the top 10 contributors to healthy hair: dark green veggies, beans, nuts, poultry, eggs, whole grains, oysters, salmon, carrots and low-fat dairy products.

» Q: What causes hair loss? Can straight hair fall out and then grow back curly?

A: Many factors can cause hair to fall out: illness, surgery, medication, hormones, pregnancy, poor nutrition and not enough sleep. And yes, formerly straight hair can grow back curly. This is often the case with cancer patients, because the follicles are changed with chemotherapy, notes Jennifer Griggs, M. D., though hair can revert to its formerly straight state after a while.

» Q: What can a person do to combat dry, itchy scalp during the winter months?

A: In an article on MSNBC, NYC dermatologist Francesca J. Fusco, M. D., recommends choosing one day out of the week to skip shampoo and instead, apply conditioner to roots and massage the scalp. If the scalp is still feeling itchy, try rinsing with cool water. The itching might have to do with histamines in the blood. Rinsing with cool water constricts blood vessels.

Read the complete FAQ Handbook chapter on hair styling, health and concerns at Skincare-News. com.

Http://www. skincare-news. com/a-7963-Skincare__Beauty_FAQ_Handbook__Part_8_Hair. aspx

Skincare-News. com consistently covers all skincare and beauty topics from head to toe, including acne and other skincare conditions. For example, check out these latest articles:

Skincare & Beauty FAQ Handbook – Part 6: Budget
Http://skincare-news. com/a-7880-Skincare__Beauty_FAQ_Handbook__Part_6_Budget. aspx

Beauty products are an investment, and working within a budget means people need to know what’s worth the money and what isn’t. To help people choose wisely, this chapter of the Skincare & Beauty FAQ Handbook offers essential tips for anyone looking for ways to save on quality skincare, gifts and more. Check out this section for tips on the best beauty indulgences, low-cost natural products and ideas for thoughtful gifts that won’t break the bank.

Skincare & Beauty FAQ Handbook - Part 1: Skin Type & Seasonal Skincare
Http://skincare-news. com/a-7806-Skincare__Beauty_FAQ_Handbook__Part_1_Skin_Type__Seasonal_Skincare. aspx

Looking for answers to specific beauty-related questions, or curious about how to establish an effective skincare routine? Want to update beauty products or treat skin conditions like psoriasis? Skincare-News. com’s Beauty & Skincare Guide can help! Peruse this FAQ section to get tips on finding the right products according to skin type and maintaining healthy skin year-round, in every season.

Skincare & Beauty FAQ Handbook – Part 2: Acne
Http://skincare-news. com/a-7821-Skincare__Beauty_FAQ_Handbook__Part_2_Acne. aspx

Looking for answers on effective ways to fight acne? With Skincare-News. com’s Beauty & Skincare Guide, anyone can learn the ins and outs of healthy skincare from head to toe. Whether the goal is to find a gentle acne treatment for dry skin or banish back acne for good, these FAQs can help create a personalized skincare regimen. People will also find tips on treating adult acne during menopause or after discontinuing birth control.

Skincare & Beauty FAQ Handbook – Part 3: Anti-Aging
Http://skincare-news. com/a-7834-Skincare__Beauty_FAQ_Handbook__Part_3_AntiAging. aspx

For most people, aging gracefully requires some help. Before spending a fortune on anti-aging treatments, look to Part 3 of Skincare-News. com’s Skincare & Beauty FAQ Handbook for practical advice on healthy, youthful skin from head to toe. In Part 3, learn about the different types of aging, treatments for the face and body, and the best ingredients to battle everything from crow’s feet to sagging skin.

About Skincare-News. com -- "Your Source for Intelligent Skin Care"

Skincare-News. com is the online source for consumers seeking intelligent beauty and skin care news, advice, tips and articles. Founded in 2005, Skincare-News. com features articles, news items and frequently asked questions on skincare and beauty-related issues. Skincare-News. com is located in Sacramento, California, but receives visitors from all around the world. For more information, visit http://www. skincare-news. com.

# # #

Being a Better Dad: Smarter Fathers, Stronger Families Free Teleseminar Announcement

Being a Better Dad: Smarter Fathers, Stronger Families Free Teleseminar Announcement

EXCLUSIVE - Up until now there was no effective, ongoing method for men to learn vital information or gain new skills on being a better dad. This "first-ever" exclusive teleseminar series fills this gap using a simple and inexpensive approach. For the first time ever, fathers can attend training anonymously from the privacy of their own homes… all they need is a telephone to participate.

Waynesville, NC (PRWEB) April 7, 2007

Being a Better Dad: Smarter Fathers, Stronger Families; Free Teleseminar - Thursday April 19 - 9 p. m. EDT / 6 p. m. PDT.

Up until now there was no effective, ongoing method for men to learn vital information or gain new skills on being a better dad. This "first-ever" exclusive teleseminar series fills this gap using a simple and inexpensive approach. For the first time ever, fathers can attend training anonymously from the privacy of their own homes… all they need is a telephone to participate.

This unique, "Being a Better Dad" Teleseminar series covers • The national perspective on the most significant parenting and men's issues of 2007 • How a father can respond to Parental Alienation Syndrome (where one parent tries to turn a child against the other parent) • Stopping verbal abuse in marital or post-marital conflict along with winning strategies to raising healthier children • A new approach to healthy intimate relationships based on business strategies that will actually work in the 21st century especially among dual-income couples.

"CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE" - Fathers who complete all 4 hours of "Being a Better Dad," taught by the team of experts, will be awarded written proof of their commitment to learning and growing as a father.

NATIONAL EXPERTS: The faculty includes an all-star field:
1) Glenn Sacks - the father's advocate extraordinaire. Glenn is a columnist, commentator, and radio talk show host. His columns appear in dozens of the largest newspapers in the US, and he is quoted in dozens of major publications. His radio show has received extensive media attention from major media outlets including NBC, CBS, ABC, CNBC, Fox News, CNN, PBS, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Univision.

Glenn is currently waging war against advertisers who portray men as inept or inadequate. For anyone tired of how men are treated by law enforcement, social services, the courts or advertisers… this teleseminar is for you. He will provide an update on the latest stories about men that you can't afford to miss.

2) J. Mike Bone, Ph. D. - national expert on Parental Alienation Syndrome and High Conflict Divorce. Dr. Bone provides educational and consultative services to parents and attorneys in custody battles. He has been an Evaluator, Expert Witness and Educator on Parental Alienation and Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) in Courts throughout the United States.

3) Debby Hirschhorn Ph. D. - foremost marriage and family therapist and author of two acclaimed books, "The Secret Marriage Killer: Eradicating Verbal and Emotional Abuse" and "How to Get Your Kids to WANT to Do What YOU Want Them to". She will provide new insights and strategies not based on theory, but on the practical experience of raising 4 healthy children and she continues to help hundreds of couples and families do the same without abuse or coercion.

4) John Curtis, Ph. D. - founder of the 21st Century Marriage. Dr. John Curtis is a consultant, researcher and author of "The Business of Love: 9 Best Practices for Improving the Bottom Line of Your Relationship", which has received rave reviews nationwide. It is NOT a self-help book but instead it details a step-by-step approach to apply proven business strategies to marriage that actually work in the 21st century. He is sought after as consultant and speaker nationwide and frequently appears in the media on shows such as the Today Show, iVillage Live, Fox Radio News, Bloomberg Financial and several newspapers.

Contact Information: Dr. John Curtis • http://www. BeingaBetterDad. com (http://www. BeingaBetterDad. com) • 1.828.246.0459

###

Tuesday, July 15, 2003

State Net Capitol Journal Reports that Several States will Attempt to Duplicate Tough New Arizona Immigration Law

State Net Capitol Journal Reports that Several States will Attempt to Duplicate Tough New Arizona Immigration Law

With Congress and the White House not inclined to take on immigration reform this year, a growing number of states may attempt to duplicate Arizona's controversial new immigration law.

Sacramento, CA (PRWEB) May 3, 2010

With Congress and the White House not inclined to take on immigration reform this year, a growing number of states may attempt to duplicate Arizona's controversial new immigration law.

"Although the once volcanic immigration debate had cooled slightly while Congress tackled the massive economic stimulus and health care campaigns, tensions have been slowly re-building for months" reports State Net Capitol Journal's Rich Ehisen. "Almost as soon as the health care bill was done, immigration reform advocates began pressing [President] Obama and Congress to take action sooner rather than later."

But while Obama had vowed to tackle immigration reform during his election campaign, once the health bill passed he and Congressional leaders turned their sights toward financial reforms for Wall Street. The president has since said immigration reform is off his agenda for this year.

In light of Obama's declaration, lawmakers in a handful of states have already stated their intent to introduce similar bills, potentially allowing immigration to overtake the economy as the main issue of this fall's elections.

To get the full story, check out the new issue of the State Net Capitol Journal on the State Net Web site at www. statenet. com.

About State Net
State Net (www. statenet. com) has helped organizations track legislative and regulatory developments for more than 30 years. Headquartered in Sacramento, State Net monitors every bill in the 50 states, District of Columbia and Congress as well as all state agency regulations. The company delivers online services, issue-based consultation and analysis that enable the nation's leading organizations to effectively respond to opportunities and risks across the nation.

The State Net Capitol Journal delivers coverage of public policy issues from all 50 states. Featuring analysis of emerging trends, state budgets, governors, legislatures and elections, SNCJ readers gain an intelligent overview of the major political issues and events in state governments.

References: Ehisen, Rich. (2010, May 3, 2010). "AZ immigration law reignites national debate."

###

Monday, July 14, 2003

Research and Markets : Australian Healthcare IT Market Analysis

Research and Markets : Australian Healthcare IT Market Analysis

Research and Markets (researchandmarkets. com/reports/c14807) has announced the addition of Australian Healthcare IT Market Analysis to their offering.

Dublin (PRWEB) April 1, 2005

Research and Markets (http://www. researchandmarkets. com/reports/c14807 (http://www. researchandmarkets. com/reports/c14807)) has announced the addition of Australian Healthcare IT Market Analysis to their offering.

The report “Australian Healthcare IT Market Analysis” gives an in-depth study of the role of IT in Australian health care market. Australia follows both the British and U. S. healthcare models. The centralized control and command comes from the English, and the market model is American. The Australian federation has six states and two territories, and each has its own government and health structure. The mandate of IT solutions in the Australian healthcare sector has changed from Administrative requirements to Clinical needs and Healthcare delivery needs 2000 onwards. This report provides you with valuable data that gives the details of emerging technologies and spending on Healthcare IT, and the potential areas of investment.

Report Focuses on

Australian IT Healthcare Market. The key market players and their profiles. Geographical market analysis. Regulations of foreign investment. Forecasts the market growth and size. Total market revenue. Technological advances and their impact on the healthcare IT market. Factors leading to increased spending on healthcare in Australia. Public health systems under the Federal and the State Governments in Australia.

For more information visit http://www. researchandmarkets. com/reports/c14807 (http://www. researchandmarkets. com/reports/c14807)

Laura Wood

Senior Manager

Research and Markets

Press@researchandmarkets. com

Fax: +353 1 4100 980

###

Sunday, July 13, 2003

EMedicalBillingSoftware. com Provides an Overview of User Friendly Medical Billing Software

EMedicalBillingSoftware. com Provides an Overview of User Friendly Medical Billing Software

According to eMedicalBillingSoftware. com, medical billing software is easier to use today than ever before. Innovations in the technology of medical billing software have created a new touchstone of digital accuracy.

(PRWEB) October 20, 2005

According to eMedicalBillingSoftware. com, medical billing software is easier to use today than ever before. Innovations in the technology of medical billing software have created a new touchstone of digital accuracy. Once a complicated text-based interface filled with awkward textual fragments, today's electronic medical billing suites are slick, undemanding, and intuitive, finally generating documents your patients can easily understand.

No more complicated invoices in the mail. Now easy medical billing software offers complete billing summaries. All you need to get there is the aid of a medical billing program that includes software that tracks claims management, patient billing, insurance, and scheduling in a single package. Easy medical billing software can create a seamless workspace in which everything from electronic medical records to healthcare forms is integrated and simple to use. Now you can find opportunities that allow you to effortlessly configure software yourself. Some other important features worth noting are; easy access to the latest forms and guidelines, a step-by-step process that will prompt you through the programs many functions, and an automatic bill printing feature, that will reliably generate the correct documents.

As eMedicalBillingSoftware. com explains, many easy medical billing software packages are now designed like the paper scheduling and hard copy claims processing with which you are familiar. This software model makes learning fast and easy, even for first-time users. When investigating the different possibilities of medical billing software, it is a good idea to verify that the system was designed for the safe and secure back up of data and is HIPAA compliant, and whether the software is easy enough for a computer novice and will, at the same time, meet the needs of a busy medical practice.

Easy medical billing software has now evolved to a place where any staff member of your practice can use it. The simpler programs are usually available in most places where medical billing software is sold. When your office works efficiently, it always translates into better care for your patients. So get on board with the right easy medical billing program and see how simple that paperwork can be.

About emedicalbillingsoftware. com

Medical Billing Software provides comprehensive information about medical insurance billing software, HIPAA compliant medical billing software, easy and free medical billing software, and medical billing software prices and reviews. For more information go to http://www. emedicalbillingsoftware. com (http://www. emedicalbillingsoftware. com) and/or visit its sister site at http://www. i-medicalbilling. com (http://www. i-medicalbilling. com) for related information.

# # #

Saturday, July 12, 2003

Vocada, Commissure Link Up to Offer First Integrated Solution for Medical Communications and Documentation

Vocada, Commissure Link Up to Offer First Integrated Solution for Medical Communications and Documentation

Two innovative healthcare technology companies, Vocada and Commissure, have linked up to offer the first integrated solution for medical communications and documentation.

DALLAS and NEW YORK, (PRWEB) October 27, 2005

Two innovative healthcare technology companies, Vocada and Commissure, have linked up to offer the first integrated solution for medical communications and documentation, the companies have announced.

Commissure provides a state-of-the art software platform that enables radiology departments to boost their productivity. Vocada’s VoiceLink™ critical test results management solution is the only hospital enterprise solution for communicating critical test results from diagnostic departments to the entire ordering physician community. Using a patented system, VoiceLink automates the distribution of critical test result communications in a real-time, assured and trackable solution.

By integrating these two solutions, radiology departments for the first time will be able to fully automate the entire clinical workflow for ordering, documenting, communicating and reporting radiological examinations, thereby setting new benchmarks for physician productivity and patient safety.  

The companies will present their integrated solution at the upcoming annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, Nov. 27 – Dec. 2, 2005 in Chicago.

“The integrated Commissure and Vocada solution will enable us to optimize radiological staff productivity, while at the same time seamlessly enhance patient safety,” said Dr. Reuben Mezrich. Professor and Chairman of Radiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine. “With only one click of the (computer) mouse, the radiologist can ensure that important findings and critical data are immediately sent to, and received by, the clinician caring for the patient. The Commissure/Vocada solution makes documentation and compliance with rules easy, and doesn't cause the usual stress and interruptions that occur without it.”

Peter White, CEO and co-founder of Vocada, said, “Our customers are constantly looking for ways to further embed communications into their clinical workflows. By partnering with Commissure, we’re able to simplify and enhance the ordering and reporting process in one fell swoop.”

Michael Mardini, CEO and founder of Commissure, said, “As an industry leader, I want to enable a new era of productivity for radiology departments. The link up with Vocada adds a powerful patient safety dimension to our solution.”

Commissure’s RadWhere™ Suite provides a host of services for radiologists by improving the means by which reports are created, decisions are made and communications completed. Its real-time speech-reporting component uses patented natural language understanding algorithms to speed the reporting process and ultimately reduce how much the radiologist must say to complete a report.

It also enables automated knowledge access for mining clinical data as the radiologist speaks, allowing for intelligent access to relevant data in the diagnostic decision support process. In addition, key clinical content is added to the radiology report.

Vocada recently introduced a major upgrade to VoiceLink, Version 2.0, which provides a complete Critical Test Results Management (CTRM) system.

The new version of VoiceLink incorporates many of the recommendations of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors, http://www. macoalition. org/Initiatives/docs/CTRbates. pdf (http://www. macoalition. org/Initiatives/docs/CTRbates. pdf). VoiceLink 2.0 enables hospitals to implement strategic critical test results management capabilities across their entire health care delivery system.

The patented VoiceLink system is an easy-to-use, hosted solution that enables a reporting clinician, such as a radiologist or clinical lab technologist, to create and send real-time reports of a critical patient finding to an ordering clinician. The ordering clinician can easily retrieve critical reports by phone or online.

VoiceLink ensures that every critical rest result is retrieved in a timely manner by the ordering physician. VoiceLink 2.0 supports a robust set of escalation rules that automatically forward critical test results to backup contacts and to other critical destinations within the hospital. The reporting clinician can monitor the process and status of his or her reports via the Internet. The entire process, including the original voice message of the critical test result, is archived and remains searchable for 10 or more years.

Vocada offers VoiceLink as a hosted, on-demand solution. It requires no customer investment in hardware or software. It can be accessed from any telephone and/or Internet-connected web browser.

The growing list of major hospitals now using or about to implement the VoiceLink system include leading academic, community and governmental healthcare institutions (http://www. vocada. com/customers. asp (http://www. vocada. com/customers. asp)).

RadWhere™ Suite is also capable of analyzing radiology reports and coding them with the proper ICD9 codes, eliminating the need for manual coding. RadWhere's enterprise tele-radiology component solves the problems associated with servicing multiple sites and using multiple applications by intelligently connecting to all sites and providing a single workstation in which to access studies.

About Vocada, Inc.

Vocada is a Dallas-based company that has created the first fail-safe medical communications system for hospital based diagnostic departments to communicate critical test results to ordering clinicians. Vocada’s VoiceLink™ critical test results management solution is the only hospital enterprise solution for communicating critical test results from diagnostic departments to the entire ordering physician community. Using a patented system, VoiceLink automates the distribution of critical test result in a real-time, assured and trackable solution, simultaneously enhancing patient safety and boosting physician productivity. The privately held company was founded in October 2000 by brothers Peter and Thomas White, who were both previously involved with other innovative and successful technology ventures. The company’s first product, VoiceLink™, was introduced in 2004. For more information, visit www. vocada. com.

About Commissure

Commissure is a leading provider of medical documentation and communication solutions. The company’s products and services drive efficiencies in information management through innovative structured speech recognition technology that closes the loop on the creation and communication of medical documentation. RadWhere™ Suite is designed to improve the efficiency of radiologists by enhancing the critical areas of speech recognition reporting, ICD-9 coding, enterprise tele-radiology, quality assurance, and critical findings communication. RadPort™ Suite supports clinicians by aiding them in such areas as decision support, order entry and multimedia results viewing. For more information, visit www. commissure. com.

###

Life Line Screening Joins Center for Health Transformation

Life Line Screening Joins Center for Health Transformation

Community-based preventive health screening provider Life Line Screening has become a member of The Center for Health Transformation (CHT) to share in its commitment to creating an intelligent health system for the 21st century.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) February 24, 2010

The Center for Health Transformation (CHT) announced today that Life Line Screening has joined its membership.

Life Line Screening is a leading provider of community-based, preventive health screenings (http://www. lifelinescreening. com/). By partnering with local institutions such as town halls, libraries and community centers, who host the events, Life Line Screening brings an array of preventive screenings and services directly into local communities, making them convenient and affordable.

Core services focus on the identification of stroke and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States, and stroke, by itself, is number three. Some 800,000 people a year have a stroke. Yet, with appropriate care and lifestyle management, 80 percent of strokes can be prevented.

Life Line Screening will collaborate with CHT on bringing the concept of preventive care to the forefront. Both organizations share the belief that preventive care and consumer empowerment over healthcare decisions will lead to healthier communities and better outcomes for individuals.

“We are very pleased to be a part of the Center for Health Transformation and its distinguished membership,” says Life Line Screening CEO Colin Scully. “Our mission is to make people aware of the existence of an undiagnosed health problem and encourage them to seek follow-up care with a doctor. This patient-focused, customer-first approach is going to be a priority as we develop sustainable health care strategies for the future.”

“Life Line Screening is a true leader in consumer-driven health care,” says CHT Founder and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. “By providing valuable, cost-effective services, Life Line Screening empowers individuals to take control of their own health and helps individuals focus on preventive health strategies as they age.”

About the Center for Health Transformation (CHT)
The Center for Health Transformation is a high-impact collaboration of private and public sector leaders committed to creating a 21st Century intelligent Health System that saves lives and saves money for all Americans. Unlike other alliances, CHT unites stakeholders across the spectrum (providers, employers, vendors, trade associations, disease groups, think tanks) and government leaders at both the state and federal level to drive transformation according to a shared vision and key principles. For more information, please visit http://www. healthtransformation. net (http://www. healthtransformation. net).

About Life Line Screening
Life Line Screening was established in 1993, and has since become the nation’s leading provider of preventive health screenings (http://www. lifelinescreening. com/). The company’s Corporate Headquarters in Independence, OH and a state-of-the-art Call Center is in Canton, OH. Screening services are provided across the nation in comfortable, familiar community settings such as community centers and town halls and are conducted by highly qualified healthcare professionals. The non-invasive, inexpensive and painless tests help people identify their risk for stroke, vascular diseases or osteoporosis early enough for their physician to begin preventive procedures. Visit the web site at http://www. lifelinescreening. com (http://www. lifelinescreening. com).

###

Wednesday, July 9, 2003

Medical Malpractice Reform Advocates Are Not Telling The Truth, Asserts Leading New York Personal Injury Lawyer

Medical Malpractice Reform Advocates Are Not Telling The Truth, Asserts Leading New York Personal Injury Lawyer

The endless barrage of allegations by republican lawmakers and big insurance companies who blame medical malpractice lawsuits for the skyrocketing cost of healthcare in this country are all lies, according to one prominent lawyers and former president of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association.

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 14, 2009

The endless barrage of allegations by Republican lawmakers and big insurance companies who blame medical malpractice lawsuits for the skyrocketing cost of healthcare in this country are all lies, according to one New York medical malpractice lawyer who has spent an entire 38-year career fighting for the rights of patients, many of whose lives have been ruined, even ended wrongfully, by careless doctors and negligent hospitals.

"The truth is," said Richard Gurfein, a partner in the New York-based law firm of Gurfein Douglas and a former president of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, "the cost of medical malpractice litigation, including the amount of money doctors pay for medical malpractice insurance premiums, the costs of defense lawyers and their investigations and the insurance company payments to patients, in aggregate, represents only about 1% of the total cost of healthcare in this country. But to hear republicans in Congress, and their insurance industry collaborators talk about it, you would think that malpractice litigation is the only factor responsible for driving up the cost of healthcare, and that tort reform is the only solution to the problem."

In countless statements made by insurance industry executives and their republican sympathizers over the past 25 years, including the constant drubbing taken by trial attorneys during the 8-year reign of George W. Bush, the American public has come to believe that juries in medical malpractice lawsuits are just giving money away to plaintiffs "for the hell of it." "That, too," Gurfein said, "is a lie."

"These people are making a mockery out of our civil justice system," Gurfein said. "The fact is, 70% of all malpractice cases in New York State are won by the defendant, the doctor. Which is not to say that cases plaintiffs lose are frivolous. On the contrary, it underscores the tragic situation we find ourselves in today. The American public has been so brainwashed by the relentless onslaught of misinformation disseminated by doctors and their insurers, in the form of TV commercials, advertisements in newspapers and magazines, and other public relations tactics funded in large part by the insurance industry lobby and the business council, that it's almost impossible for plaintiffs to get a fair trial, and thus receive fair compensation for the injuries they have suffered at the hands of negligent doctors. Just try and add up what it might cost a family over the lifetime of child who was brain-damaged at birth by a careless doctor."

According to Gurfein, the high cost of malpractice insurance has almost nothing to do with lawsuits, or jury awards.

"High insurance premiums," Gurfein explained, "are a result of four things: one: medical malpractice committed by doctors; two: greedy insurance companies writing policies they shouldn't write; three: poor investment choices and a weak stock market for the insurance industry; four: the high cost of maintaining a catastrophically injured patient. Changing the civil justice system for malpractice cases won't change any of these cost factors.

"There is no better system of justice," he added, "than to have a jury of your peers hear the evidence and decide the truth of the claims. Built into any other alternative proffered by the tort reformers, such as having panels of doctors decide if a plaintiff's claim merits legal intervention, is innate bias and prejudice. If you let doctors decide if a malpractice claim is valid before it's allowed to reach the courts, our civil justice system would become a bureaucratic nightmare and the patient would have no one to take their side.

"What doctors want is absolute immunity from suit. They never believe they've done anything wrong, even in cases where their behavior has been abominable. What they are really saying is they want absolute immunity from personal responsibility, and let everyone else (you, the taxpayer) share the cost of their mistakes. The point that people seem to be missing is that if the doctor who causes the problem isn't held accountable, the cost of caring for the damaged patient falls on the state, which is paid for with our tax dollars. Remember, 50% of all malpractice is caused by less than 10% of the doctors. If there was no piper to pay, these same doctors would maim and damage patients routinely."

###