LINCOLN, NE–(Marketwire – October 26, 2010) –  MacPractice, the leading Apple developer of practice management and clinical software on Macs and iPhones for medical, dental and chiropractic offices, today announced the release of MacPractice iPad Interface with ePrescribe. The solution was designed with Apple’s Web App development tools to provide remote and network communication from the iPad to a medical, dental or chiropractic office that uses MacPractice MD, MacPractice 20/20, MacPractice DDS or MacPractice DC.

“Doctors have overwhelmed us with requests to use an iPad with MacPractice and particularly to ePrescribe,” said Mark Hollis, President of MacPractice. “Today, we are announcing an iPad replacement for the index cards used by so many physicians to record hospital rounds, but this product can perform much more than that for physicians, dentists, and chiropractors.”

Among the capabilities that come along with the new MacPractice iPad Interface with ePrescribe: doctors can create new patient records in MacPractice from the iPad and post procedures and diagnosis from outside the office or in an exam room, daily practice activity reports can be reviewed easily from outside the office, reminders and notes may be sent between the office staff and the doctor, and email may be sent to patients and referring providers. MacPractice users can also see their office schedule as well as patient photos and demographic information. In addition, doctors and assistants may now review and record patient vital statistics and chronic diagnoses, and review prescription history and allergies when seeing a patient, all on an iPad.

With MacPractice ePrescribe for iPad, MacPractice users have all of the same capabilities of ePrescribe for MacPractice on the desktop in their office. When they write a prescription on the iPad, it is added automatically to their patient’s record in the office.

Additional content including automated allergy, drug information and review, herbals, managed care formularies, drug interactions, and leaflets for patient education in 18 languages are available. Managed care connectivity, as an option, provides an all-doctor drug history.

“We are pleased to contribute to the improvement of healthcare in America by offering doctors an ePrescribe solution on the iPad that improves efficiency and can increase Medicare reimbursement,” said Hollis. “Doctors who wish to meet the ONC’s definition of Meaningful Use must ePrescribe, and providing the ability to write a script on an iPad makes it just that much easier for them.”

MacPractice iPad Interface with ePrescribe and MacPractice Interface for iPhone may be purchased together for $800. Doctors will receive a $300 discount with a new purchase of MacPractice. The annual support and enhancements fee for either Interface is $200, and for the use of both is $400. ePrescribe is free to MacPractice clients already enrolled for ePrescribe.

Subsequent to ONC-ATCB certification of MacPractice 4, MacPractice will also release companion native iPad apps including EMR/EHR functionality.

MacPractice leverages Apple’s legendary ease of use, stability and low-cost maintenance to create affordable, intuitive and flexible Mac-native software for doctors.

MacPractice, which is currently used in some 3,500 medical, dental, and chiropractic practices, combines a state-of-the-art EHR/EMR solution with practice management tools in an easy-to-use, intuitive system that can improve patient care, efficiency and productivity. For more information about MacPractice solutions, visit www.macpractice.com.

About MacPractice, Inc.
MacPractice, Inc. is a client-centric practice management and clinical software development firm, comprised of highly experienced and caring individuals, dedicated to the development and support of best-of-class Macintosh software, hardware and associated services for physicians, dentists, chiropractors and eye doctors. For more information, visit www.macpractice.com.

ST PAUL, MN–(Marketwire – October 26, 2010) –  St. Paul Heart Clinic announced today that the first patients in Minnesota have been implanted with the world’s first known non-blood contacting mechanical heart assist system designed to help reverse the heart failure process for people with Class III/IV ambulatory heart failure. The C-Pulse Heart Assist System, developed by Eden Prairie-based Sunshine Heart, was implanted in two patients at the Nasseff Heart Hospital in St. Paul as part of an FDA-approved IDE feasibility study.

When patients are first diagnosed with (Class I & II) mild heart failure, the first lines of treatment include lifestyle changes and drug therapy. If the disease progresses to moderate (Class III) heart failure, cardiologists often recommend implantation of a biventricular pace maker, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or both. Following these treatments, however, there are few, if any, FDA-approved therapies until the disease progresses to advanced Class IV (severe) heart failure. This stage requires more complicated interventions, such as left ventricular assist devices (LVAD), which take over the pumping function of the heart; or ultimately, heart transplants.

“A primary focus at St. Paul Heart Clinic is to address and stabilize heart failure at its earliest possible stages, before patients require later stage LVADs or heart transplants,” said Dr. Alan Bank, M.D., Cardiologist and Medical Director of the Research Division at St. Paul Heart Clinic.

The C-Pulse heart assist system is implanted during open heart surgery by placing a cuff around the aorta as it exits from the heart. This unique balloon counterpulsation technology is designed to assist the left ventricle by reducing the workload required to pump blood throughout the body. In addition, it increases blood flow to the coronary arteries. Combined, these potential benefits may help reverse the heart failure process or maintain the patient’s current condition, thereby preventing the need for later stage heart failure devices, such as LVADs or transplants. The C-Pulse System is one of just a few devices under investigation that may help alleviate heart failure symptoms and prevent the disease from advancing to a condition in which an LVAD or transplant is needed.

To date, Dr. Bank and Dr. John Grehan, Cardiovascular Surgeon at Nasseff Heart Hospital, have treated two Class III heart failure patients with the C-Pulse Heart Assist System: a 70-year-old male from Stillwater who was implanted with the device on September 24th, and a 64-year-old male patient from Faribault who was implanted on October 5th. The patients were just the 14th and 15th respectively in the United States implanted with C-Pulse, and the 20^th and 21^st in the world to receive this therapy. Both were discharged from the hospital within 8 days and have reported a reduction of shortness of breath and an increase in activity during their recovery. “I am impressed with the immediate effects provided by the C-Pulse and I look forward to seeing how patients improve over time,” added Dr. Bank.

St. Paul Heart Clinic is currently the only non-LVAD and transplant cardiology practice in the country with access to this technology that is participating in the C-Pulse IDE feasibility study. The study, which is expected to conclude later this fall, is available to men and women between the ages of 18 to 75 who suffer from moderate heart failure and for whom standard drug therapy has failed. The study will monitor each patient’s performance with the C-Pulse System at one-month, three-month and six-months following implantation.

“St. Paul Heart Clinic is an ideal cardiology practice to participate in the feasibility of the C-Pulse system,” said Dave Rosa, CEO of Sunshine Heart. “C-Pulse presents the opportunity for non-LVAD/transplant centers to potentially offer a therapy for Class III and Class IV ambulatory patients.”

If you or someone you know is interested in participating in the C-Pulse clinical trials, please contact Glenda Morris, APRN at [email protected] or (651) 726-6967. To learn more about Sunshine Heart’s FDA-approved IDE feasibility study, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About St. Paul Heart Clinic
St. Paul Heart Clinic is one of the largest, most advanced heart clinics in the region, serving patients throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. The clinic’s 31 cardiologists work in close partnership with primary care physicians to provide comprehensive cardiovascular care to their patients. The clinic’s subspecialties of heart care include noninvasive cardiology, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, advanced imaging and research. For more information, please visit: www.stphc.com.

About United Hospital
United Hospital, part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, is the largest hospital in the Twin Cities east metro area. It is a non-profit hospital providing a full range of health care services to more than 200,000 people each year. United offers a wide range of health services including a birth center, cardiac care in the Nasseff Heart Center, emergency care, oncology, orthopedics, neurosciences and epilepsy, a pain center, rehabilitation, medical imaging and surgery. More information about United Hospital can be found at www.unitedhospital.com.

About Sunshine Heart^®
Sunshine Heart^® (ASX: SHC), a global medical device company focused on innovative technologies for the treatment of moderate heart failure, is commercializing the C-Pulse^® Heart Assist System, a minimally invasive, implantable, non-blood contacting, heart assist therapy for the treatment of moderate heart failure. The Company has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a 20-patient U.S. clinical trial with the C-Pulse^® System and the study has achieved eighty percent enrollment as of October 2010. Sunshine Heart is a Delaware-based Corporation headquartered in Minneapolis with a subsidiary presence in Australia. The Company has been listed on the ASX since September 2004. For more information, please visit www.sunshineheart.com.

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BOCA RATON, FL–(Marketwire – October 26, 2010) – David H. Fater, CEO of Vicor Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: VCRT), today announced that the Company has received approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center for a study to assess concussions in competitive athletes using its PD2i Analyzer™. The study will be conducted in collaboration with the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and Belhaven University. Vicor Technologies is a biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative, non-invasive medical devices using its patented, proprietary PD2i^® nonlinear algorithm and software. Vicor is currently in the process of commercializing diagnostics that accurately risk stratify specific target populations for future pathological events, including congestive heart failure patients for cardiac death resulting from arrhythmia or pump failure, diabetics for diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN), and trauma victims for imminent death absent immediate lifesaving intervention.

“We’re pleased to have approval from UMMC’s IRB permitting us to commence this important study of concussion status in competitive athletes — a first for the PD2i Analyzer™. Being able to effectively assess the extent of a concussion and risk of follow-on pathological events in athletes will enable all involved in assessing the extent of harm incurred during competitive play to better determine player need for advanced care and/or player ability to continue to play unharmed. With this approval, we will begin enrolling patients for this important and exciting clinical research study with an NCAA school, which could lead to other similar studies in the future,” stated Mr. Fater.

The IRB reviews research to ensure that the federal regulations for protecting human research participants outlined in UMMC policy, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) regulations (45 CFR 46) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations (21 CFR Parts 50 & 56), as well as other requirements, are met. 

About Vicor Technologies, Inc.
Vicor Technologies is a biotechnology company creating innovative non-invasive diagnostics employing its patented, proprietary point correlation dimension algorithm (PD2i^®). The PD2i^® nonlinear algorithm is a deterministic, nonlinear measure of electrophysiological potentials that predicts future pathological events with a high degree of accuracy in target populations.

Vicor currently has three products employing the PD2i^® nonlinear algorithm. The PD2i Analyzer™, which has FDA 510(k) marketing clearance, measures heart rate variability; physicians performing diagnostic tests with the PD2i Analyzer™ are able to receive reimbursement under existing CPT codes. The PD2i VS™ (Vital Sign), in clinical trials under a collaborative effort with the U.S. Army Institute for Surgical Research, risk stratifies combat and civilian trauma victims. The PD2i CA™ (Cardiac Analyzer), in multiple clinical trials, identifies patients at risk of cardiac death.

Vicor anticipates additional applications employing the PD2i^® nonlinear algorithm to enable early detection and risk stratification for a variety of other disorders and diseases. Additional information is available at www.vicortech.com.

Disclaimer
The appearance of name-brand institutions, such as the University of Mississippi Medical Center Institutional Review Board, NCAA, and the U.S. Army Institute for Surgical Research, in this media release does not constitute endorsement by institutions of the information, products or services contained therein.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-looking statements in this press release are based on current plans and expectations that are subject to uncertainties and risks, which could cause our future results to differ materially. The following factors, among others, could cause our actual results to differ: our ability to successfully complete the normal range study for PD2i^®values; our ability to generate revenues from the sale of the PD2i Analyzer™; our ability to obtain FDA approval of our 510(k) submission to secure a claim for the PD2i CA™(Cardiac Analyzer) for assessing patients undergoing tests for cardiovascular disease and our ability to obtain marketing clearance from the FDA for the PD2i VS™ (Vital Sign) for military and civilian applications; our ability to develop additional applications for the PD2i^®algorithm; our ability to continue to receive financing sufficient to continue operations and complete critical clinical trials; our ability to continue as a going concern; our ability to successfully develop products based on our technologies; our ability to obtain and maintain adequate levels of third-party reimbursement for our products; the impact of competitive products and pricing; our ability to receive regulatory approval for our products; the ability of third-party contract research organizations to perform preclinical testing and clinical trials for our technologies; the ability of third-party manufacturers to manufacture our products; our ability to retain the services of our key personnel; our ability to market and sell our products successfully; our ability to protect our intellectual property; product liability; changes in federal income tax laws and regulations; general market conditions in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries; and other matters that are described in Vicor’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of the press release, and we assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements or the reasons why actual results could differ.

Release 10-21

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LOUISVILLE, KY–(Marketwire – October 26, 2010) –  All radiology practices specialize in the art of seeing — but St. Paul Radiology (SPR) has demonstrated that its vision extends far beyond x-rays and CT scans. The large radiology practice was the first of its kind in St. Paul, Minnesota 85 years ago; it was also a regional leader in adopting the most advanced equipment, techniques and services.

SPR’s most far-sighted move, however came with its debut of Emergency Radiology Services, LLC (ERS). The new subsidiary serves hospitals and radiology practices around the country, delivering remote, on-demand teleradiology consultations on a 24/7 basis along with a full range of business support services including practice management, accounting/finance and billing.

The opening of ERS turned what was already a large practice — St. Paul Radiology has seven standalone imaging centers serving hundreds of thousands of patients — into an enterprise with clients in all 50 states. Forty SPR billing specialists, in fact, now process claims from over 350,000 new patients every year.

“Once ERS caught on, our business exploded,” said Karla Krey, Billing IT Supervisor for St. Paul Radiology. “We started looking for ways to improve the efficiency of our clearinghouse services which, at the time, couldn’t handle the growing workload.”

Krey noted that remittances were a particular problem. Some individual Medicaid remittances were as long as 500 pages and each had to be posted manually. SPR needed a more sophisticated, comprehensive revenue cycle management partner that could speed such labor-intensive processes while also reducing the inevitable errors that found their way into submitted claims. At an industry conference, the St. Paul Radiology billing team asked for clearinghouse recommendations during a luncheon for attendees. “Several people told us that they used ZirMed,” Krey remarked. “That got us to take a look.”

ZirMed, a Web-based revenue cycle management software provider, covers the entire payment process from eligibility to claims management, check processing and cash management. It also offers a spectrum of reporting and analytical tools that help billing managers optimize claims payment. “ZirMed’s ERA [Electronic Remittance Advice] capabilities were very attractive to us,” said Krey. “We knew that the ability to auto-post remittances from virtually any payer and post them automatically in the system would save us hundreds of man-hours every month.”

Within months of working with ZirMed’s software as a service solutions, the SPR billing staff experienced not only a decrease in remittance work, but also a reduction in rejected claims caused by submission errors. “ZirMed helped us increase out productivity tremendously,” said Krey. “With our new auto-posting capability we were able to take a several-day process and complete it in just a couple of hours.”

St. Paul Radiology’s billing efficiency took a further step forward when it signed on with healthcare IT support company Harmony Healthcare IT. “Harmony has given us a number of ideas to improve our billing workflow. They also helped us quickly resolve some hardware issues we had onsite,” Krey stated. “Their customer service, whether on the phone or in person, is exceptional.”

The combination of ZirMed and Harmony has helped St. Paul Radiology maintain, or even increase, its efficiency levels at every point along its dramatic growth curve. Initial studies showed the introduction of ZirMed resulted in a 35-40% decrease in Accounts Receivable days — an improvement that Krey credits to ZirMed’s claims management solution and robust edits.

“ZirMed is our ‘holding tank’ for claim scrubbing before claims are submitted,” she pointed out. “It makes a huge difference in how quickly we can get paid. With just one payer alone, our remittance cycle dropped from a month to two weeks.”

While claims management and auto-posting are the two biggest pieces for St. Paul Radiology, it has added other services from the ZirMed solution suite. By replacing three other vendors for credit card payments with ZirMed’s “Z-Pay” Web-based credit and debit card solution for patient payment, it has simplified its paperwork, reduced the number of dedicated phone lines, and allowed card payments to be made from any PC. Krey also points to ZirMed’s Physician’s Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) dashboard that allows physicians to track PQRI payments and deal with an otherwise extremely complex payment system.

“We’re currently considering other ZirMed revenue cycle additions such as eligibility verification and printing and mailing services,” she noted. “I can’t say enough about the efficiencies ZirMed provides. It removes the tedious work and allows us to use our staff for more productive purposes.”

Showcasing at MGMA Annual Conference:
ZirMed will be demonstrating its revenue cycle management solutions at the MGMA Annual Conference, October 24-27 in New Orleans, from its exhibit at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Booth #838. For more information about ZirMed, visit the company’s MGMA exhibit or visit www.zirmed.com.

About ZirMed:
Founded in 1999, ZirMed is a nationally recognized leader in delivering revenue cycle management solutions to healthcare providers. ZirMed enables healthcare providers to leverage the power of technology to cure administrative burdens and increase cash flow. ZirMed solutions include eligibility verification, credit/debit card processing, check processing, claims management, coding compliancy and reimbursement management, electronic remittance advice, patient statements, patient e-commerce solutions, provider credentialing, and lock box services. ZirMed solutions are designed to complement provider workflow and to provide innovative, creative and flexible solutions for healthcare’s most pressing administrative challenges. For more information about ZirMed, visit www.zirmed.com/pr.

About Harmony Healthcare IT:
Harmony Healthcare IT delivers strategic planning, tactical execution and day-to-day support for healthcare information technology. Services include technical software support for practice management and electronic health records, HL7 integration, legacy data management, electronic data interchange, reimbursement analysis, financial and clinical, analytics, telecommunications, and a variety of IT services. In ambulatory and acute care settings, Harmony helps to safeguard patient information, ensure cash flow, and increase productivity. For more information, visit www.harmonyhit.com.

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) – Sirona (NASDAQ: SIRO), the dental technology leader, today announced that the Company will report its fiscal 2010 fourth quarter and full year financial results on Thursday, November 18, 2010, at 6:30 AM E.T. Sirona’s management team will host an investor conference call at 8:30 AM that morning. A presentation relating to the call will be available at http://ir.sirona.com

To access the call, domestic participants may dial 866 730 5771 at least 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin. International participants may dial 857 350 1595. Participants will be required to provide the Conference ID number 67107595.

A live webcast of the presentation will be available at http://ir.sirona.com. The webcast will be archived for a period of twelve months.

About Sirona Dental Systems, Inc.

Sirona, the dental technology leader, has served dealers and dentists worldwide for more than 130 years. Sirona develops, manufactures, and markets a complete line of dental products, including CAD/CAM restoration systems (CEREC), digital intra-oral, panoramic and 3D imaging systems, dental treatment centers and handpieces. Visit http://www.sirona.com for more information about Sirona and its products.

LOUISVILLE, KY–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) –  ZirMed^®, a leading national provider of revenue cycle management solutions, today announced the creation of its free iPad application that is now available for download from the iTunes^® store. Current ZirMed customers wishing to immediately start checking patients in easier can download the app and integrate it with their existing account. New customers with iPads can download the App for use with a free ZirMed account.

Upon arrival to their doctor’s office, patients can use ZirMed’s Patient Kiosk App to enter and/or verify their personal information. The device can be used as a handheld, or can be mounted on a stand or other installation for stationary use. ZirMed Patient Kiosk will auto-populate patient information for repeat users, while first-time users will use the unique iPad interface to enter their information. After confirming or entering their demographic information, patients then enter symptoms and any other information they want to securely and privately convey to their physician or provider. Upon completion all information is sent wirelessly to ZirMed’s system and is available immediately.

“Our App for iPad is intended to replace the ubiquitous check-in clipboard presented to patients every day,” said Kevin Weinstein, Vice President of Marketing for ZirMed. “Patient data entry via the iPad decreases errors which can result in delays in care and unnecessary usage of staff time and resources. Integration with ZirMed’s system through electronic check-in is a first step in moving towards a 100% electronic practice.”

The App was created in-house by ZirMed’s technical team, and meets security accreditations including HIPAA compliance. Data passed from the iPad to the practice’s account in ZirMed is encrypted and only viewable by the practice’s designated ZirMed user(s).

Future planned capabilities of ZirMed’s App include real-time insurance eligibility verifications based on patient entered data, and financial services such as collection of co-payments directly from the iPad.

“ZirMed’s iPad App is further evidence of our technological capabilities in healthcare revenue management,” added Weinstein. “The App provides streamlined benefits for practices, and patients enjoy using its simple interface that turns a previously tedious task into something more fun and engaging.”

Showcasing at MGMA Annual Conference:
ZirMed will be showcasing its solutions October 24-27 at the MGMA Annual Conference, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. ZirMed will be demonstrating its revenue cycle management suite in Exhibit Booth 838. For more information about ZirMed, visit the company’s MGMA exhibit or www.zirmed.com.

About ZirMed:
ZirMed is a nationally recognized leader in delivering revenue cycle management solutions to healthcare providers. ZirMed enables healthcare providers to leverage the power of technology to cure administrative burdens and increase cash flow. ZirMed solutions include eligibility verification, credit/debit card processing, check processing, claims management, coding compliancy and reimbursement management, electronic remittance advice, patient statements, patient e-commerce solutions, provider credentialing, and lock box services. ZirMed solutions are designed to complement provider workflow and to provide innovative, creative and flexible solutions for healthcare’s most pressing administrative challenges. For more information about ZirMed, visit www.zirmed.com.

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) –  The market for infusion pumps has exceeded six billion dollars, which has encouraged over 100 companies to participate in the market, according to a recent report from healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information. Kalorama’s new report, “Infusion Pump Markets (Large Volume, Ambulatory, Insulin, Enteral and Other Pumps),” estimates a worldwide market for infusion pumps of nearly $6.3 billion in 2010.

Infusion pumps are used to infuse necessary fluids, which include medications and/or nutrients, to a patient’s circulatory system, often where continuous monitoring and treatment by a nurse or other healthcare staff would be expensive, impractical, or unreliable. According to Kalorama Information, the market will increase just over three percent from last year due to growing competition in the field, declining hospital budgets and government restraints. But growth rates will be higher in specialty areas such as insulin delivery.

“This is a high dollar, low growth market with a lot of competition,” said Bruce Carlson, publisher of Kalorama Information. “That should be daunting for new entrants, but in the area of specialty pump markets there is more room for a niche player to develop and market a product.”

B. Braun, Care Fusion, Covidien and Hospira are among the large companies participating in this market. Medtronic is an example of a company that participates in the specialty areas of insulin infusion and implantable pumps. 

Profiles of key companies, market estimates and forecasts by product segment, as well as information on products and trends in the industry, can be found in Kalorama Information’s “Infusion Pump Markets (Large Volume, Ambulatory, Insulin, Enteral and Other Pumps).” The report is available at:
http://www.kaloramainformation.com/redirect.asp?progid=79883&productid=2824936.

About Kalorama Information
Kalorama Information supplies the latest in independent market research in the life sciences, as well as a full range of custom research services. We routinely assist the media with healthcare topics. Follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/kaloramainfo) and LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2177845&trk=hb_side_g).

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ATLANTA, GA–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) –  Medical device company Atlanta Catheter Therapies, Inc. (ACT) is generating high interest in its innovative intravascular catheterization which integrates drug delivery. The company has been selected to present at the upcoming 14^th Annual Tennessee Valley Venture Forum (TVVF) as well as the Southeast BIO (SEBIO) Investor Forum.

The TVVF will be held October 27 at the Crowne Plaza in Knoxville, Tennessee. Southeast BIO (SEBIO) Investor Forum being held November 3-4, 2010 at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia.

ACT is focused on developing innovative catheter technologies for the treatment of vascular disease and restenosis. ACT’s lead product, an innovative catheter that integrates drug delivery with vascular catheterization, has completed the prototyping phase.

The Occlusion Perfusion Catheter™ (OPC) allows endovascular specialists who have already cleared blocked blood vessels to then immediately circumferentially infuse the media with an agent or live cell to reduce or eliminate restenosis (re-blockage). The OPC follows the same guide wire used by the debulking catheter to deliver anti-restenosis agents or drugs and other therapies directly and precisely to the treatment site.

In addition to the OPC, the company is attacking the problem of vascular disease by developing leading edge technology for atherectomy, thrombectomy and other catheter-based devices. ACT currently has seven devices in its product development pipeline, including the OPC.

Southeast BIO (SEBIO) is a regional nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the growth of the Southeast’s life sciences industry. Presenting companies, which represent the best life science deals in the Southeast, are determined by a Selection Committee comprised of regional and national venture capitalists. Since 1999, companies that have participated in the SEBIO Investor Forum have raised over $2.5 billion in public and private offerings, making it the region’s most successful venue for linking industry investors with the Southeast’s top life sciences companies.

About Atlanta Catheter Therapies
Atlanta Catheter Therapies is an early stage research and development medical device company with an innovative and targeted portfolio of catheter technologies for the treatment of vascular disease and restenosis. Learn more at www.atlcath.com.

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IRVING, TX–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) –  VHA Inc., the national health care network, anticipates hosting nearly 100 supply chain executives from health systems across the nation, representing VHA regional supply networks at its first ever VHA SupplyNetworks™ Executive Summit, Oct. 27-29, at the Hilton Dallas at Southlake Town Square, Southlake, Texas.

Designed to promote peer-to-peer information sharing, the member-focused event will examine the latest innovative strategies and best practices that accelerate network savings and showcase the specific successes of VHA SupplyNetworks. The highly participatory program will include panel discussions, round tables and case studies and will feature remarks from leaders at VHA, Novation and VHA member organizations. 

“We find that both the savings and operational efficiencies we have realized from belonging to the Upper Midwest Consolidated Service Center have made an enormous difference in helping us maintain a healthier bottom line, despite today’s difficult environment,” said Kris Peterson, director, Supply Chain and Support Service, CentraCare Health System, St. Cloud, Minn. “The Summit promises to provide additional ideas about how to improve our network’s performance.” 

VHA members are joining regional VHA SupplyNetworks to aggregate their spending, reduce their supply chain costs and increase their operational efficiencies beyond what they could achieve individually. On average, members annually save between 8% and 12% through network contracts. Participants in VHA’s 25+ regional supply networks act as single entities to gain control of their supply chain by leveraging the power of economies of scale.

Through VHA SupplyNetworks, members:

• Accelerate supply savings through commitment and aggregation
• Reduce costs through network participation, operational consolidation and shared resources
• Maintain control over the targeted areas for supply savings
• Take advantage of VHA’s expertise in the formation and facilitation of networks
• Establish peer-to-peer connections to rapidly apply best practices and drive innovation

While members retain the ability to make independent decisions about product purchases, they agree as a group to aggressively pursue product standardization whenever possible.

“Hospitals are being squeezed from every direction and at the same time they are being held accountable for doing more than ever before for their patients, so they have to look ways to reduce costs without reducing staff,” said Taylor White, senior vice president, VHA SupplyNetworks. “Not only do they offer members the opportunity to reduce costs through aggregated volume and identify and promote opportunities for standardization, VHA supply networks also promote operational efficiencies that are unique to the health care industry.”

In their most mature form, VHA SupplyNetworks enable members to pursue higher value activities, such as centralized ordering and centralized logistics. VHA Supply Networks also provide innovative platforms for product utilization discussions because the collective expertise of the network members enables the hospitals to reach a clinically supportable consensus about which medical products to buy.

About VHA
VHA Inc., based in Irving, Texas, is a national network of not-for-profit health care organizations that work together to drive maximum savings in the supply chain arena, set new levels of clinical performance and identify and implement best practices to improve operational efficiency and clinical outcomes. In 2009, VHA delivered record savings and value of $1.47 billion to members. Formed in 1977, through its 16 regional offices, VHA serves 1,400 hospitals and more than 30,000 non-acute care providers nationwide. VHA was ranked by Modern Healthcare as the 38^th best place to work in health care in 2010.

IRVINE, CA–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) –  Medical offices owned by hospitals and health systems are the leaders in adopting electronic healthcare records (EHR) technology, according to the latest results of an ongoing survey released today by SK&A, A Cegedim Company, a leading provider of healthcare information solutions and research.

Results from the biannual survey, “Physician Office Usage of Electronic Healthcare Records Software,” show the greatest jump in adoption rates between January and October 2010 was with medical offices owned by hospitals and health systems.

According to the report, EHR adoption at hospital-owned offices grew from 44.1 percent to 54.9 percent (10.8% increase), and adoption at heath-system-owned offices grew from 50.2 percent to 61.2 percent (11% increase). Overall, U.S. medical office EHR adoption has grown from 36.1 percent to 38.7 percent, a 3 percent increase.

“It’s not surprising healthcare-system and hospital-owned medical offices have the highest adoption rates across the board,” said Proteus Duxbury, a managing consultant with PA Consulting Group, an international management and systems technology consulting firm. “Recently added exceptions to Stark Safe Harbor laws have made it possible for primary care physicians to receive aid from healthcare systems, or use the same EMRs, so they become the early adopters who can take the leap of faith with EMR technology.”

As the 2011 incentive payments for the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” near, U.S. physicians are steadily beginning to purchase and implement healthcare information technology systems. According to business research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, the rate of EHR adoption among physicians is expected to increase over the next two to five years due to a combination of changes caused by healthcare reform, doubling 2009 EHR market revenues of $1.3 billion to an estimated $2.6 billion in 2012.

SK&A assumed a leading role in measuring medical-office adoption rates of EHR in August 2008 when it officially started the survey targeting every medical office in the U.S. Today, through its comprehensive survey methodology, SK&A offers deep insight for understanding adoption trends, validating the EHR market size and opportunity, and supporting the execution of sales and marketing campaigns.

“The results of the latest survey indicate substantial opportunities for EHR solution providers. Most of the opportunity is associated with small, mid-size, and privately owned practices that have yet to purchase and install EHR systems,” said Dave Escalante, SK&A’s Vice President of Data and Information Solutions. “SK&A’s EHR database is able to identify all the medical offices and physicians in the U.S. that represent a business opportunity for our health IT clients, allowing them to develop sales and marketing strategies and target by geography, specialty, office size, ownership, affiliation and other variables.”

SK&A is actively measuring the EHR brands that have been deployed in medical offices and the types of EHR software functionality being used by physicians in the office. The most commonly used EHR functions are electronic patient notes (28.4%), electronic labs/x-rays (27.3%) and electronic prescribing (25.9%). In addition, SK&A’s survey identifies the medical offices that have not adopted an EHR and is recording their expected timeframes for adoption, the primary factors and decision makers for making EHR purchases, and the awareness of available government incentives.

Other findings of the current report include:

• Physician offices with more exam rooms, more physicians on staff and higher daily patient volumes have the highest EHR adoption rates.
• Physician specialties with the highest adoption rates are radiology (59.9%), pathology (59.8%), aerospace medicine (59.5%), dialysis (59.3%) and emergency medicine (57.6 %).
• Northern (40.9%) and Southern (40.1%) states have the highest rates of adoption.
• The top three leading states for adoption are Minnesota (62.6%), Utah (55.4%) and Wisconsin (52.3%).

SK&A’s report is an ongoing study of U.S. physician offices, featuring EHR adoption data and summarized market research from 213,500 medical offices representing 643,000 physicians. In addition, SK&A is able to identify the IT-purchasing decision makers at the practice- and group-headquarter level who would most likely be responsible for making the EHR-solution decisions.

Editor’s Note: For a copy of the summary findings for publication, please contact Jack Schember, SK&A Director of Marketing, at 800-752-5478, ext. 1259.

About SK&A, A Cegedim Company:
SK&A is a leading provider of healthcare information solutions and research. SK&A, as part of Cegedim’s global OneKey® offering, researches and maintains contact and profiling information for over two million healthcare practitioners, including 800,000-plus prescribers. SK&A also offers the only 100-percent telephone-verified database of email addresses of U.S. prescribers and professionals working at active healthcare sites. SK&A’s customers include many of America’s most recognized healthcare, life sciences and pharmaceutical companies. Please visit www.skainfo.com for more information or www.skalivecounts.com for counts and ordering. 

About Cegedim:
Founded in 1969, Cegedim is a global technology and services company specializing in the healthcare field. Cegedim supplies services, technological tools, specialized software, data flow management services and databases. Its offerings are targeted notably at healthcare industries, life sciences companies, healthcare professionals and insurance companies. The world leader in life sciences CRM, Cegedim is also one of the leading suppliers of strategic healthcare industry data. Cegedim employs 8,600 people in more than 80 countries and generated revenue of EUR 874 million in 2009. Cegedim SA is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: CGM).
To learn more, please visit: www.cegedim.com

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MASON CITY, IA–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) – CURRIES Hollow Metal Doors and Frames, an ASSA ABLOY Group brand and an industry leader, is pleased to announce the availability of MicroShield^® antimicrobial technology on all factory finished doors and frames.

Bacterial contamination is an important issue in hygiene-sensitive facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and schools. Safeguarding your building with surfaces that suppress bacteria growth between normal cleaning procedures can be an extra countermeasure in the fight against the spread of germs. MicroShield antimicrobial technology is a silver-based resin that continuously destroys organisms in three ways — by attacking the cell wall, interrupting metabolism, and preventing reproduction.

CURRIES embeds the antimicrobial properties into the painting process so this durable finish won’t rub off. “MicroShield technology gives our customers and end-users another barrier of protection in the fight against the spread of germs and bacteria,” says Dean Peterson, Director of Sales Administration. “And with the coating already applied to the prefinished doors when they arrive at the job site, the protection process is seamless to everyone involved.”

When combined with the MicroShield offerings from ASSA ABLOY Group hardware brands, CURRIES MicroShield doors and frames will provide any facility with a total door opening antimicrobial solution.

For more information on CURRIES MicroShield doors and frames, please visit our website at www.curries.com or contact your local ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions sales team.

About CURRIES
Founded in 1958, CURRIES is an industry leader in the manufacture of hollow metal doors and frames. The company supplies a full line of custom and standard products for new and retrofit construction projects in the commercial, educational and healthcare markets. For more information, visit www.curries.com.

About ASSA ABLOY 
ASSA ABLOY is the global leader in door opening solutions, dedicated to satisfying end-user demands for security, safety and convenience.

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NEW ORLEANS, LA–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) –  Sage Healthcare Division, a unit of Sage North America, announced today at the MGMA 2010 Annual Conference that its electronic health record and practice management solution, Sage Intergy Meaningful Use Edition v 6.2, has been tested and certified under Drummond Group’s Electronic Health Records ONC-ATCB program. 

Drummond Group Inc. is an ONC Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB) that provides meaningful use certification for EHR systems and applications. When a complete EHR system or EHR module(s) is certified by Drummond Group, the eligible providers and hospitals can use this certified EHR technology as part of their criteria for qualifying for Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) incentive payments.

“For Sage, the goal is not simply to meet the meaningful use criteria, but to exceed them by delivering in a way that enhances provider workflows, ensures a satisfying user experience and contributes to quality of care,” said Betty Otter-Nickerson, President of Sage Healthcare Division. “Attaining meaningful use certification is just one phase in our continued, yet renewed, commitment to delivering market leading products to physicians, and shows our customers that we are helping them move forward in the new healthcare economy.

“Sage chose to test with the Drummond Group for meaningful use certification because it is an independent certification agency. Certifications are its core competency,” said Otter-Nickerson. “Sage also will continue to maintain its existing comprehensive ambulatory EHR certification. Having two vendors testing our products provides a greater degree of confidence that our software meets the requirements of our customers, and we believe it provides greater credibility in the market.”

Sage Healthcare Division is a major provider of EHR and practice management software and solutions, serving approximately 80,000 physicians in North America. Certification of the Sage Intergy Meaningful Use Edition means clients seeking federal incentives will be technologically prepared to do so.

“Drummond Group has more than 10 years of software testing experience in several industries and we are pleased to bring that experience to the HIT marketplace. It is a privilege to carry out testing and certification in Electronic Health Records for HHS,” said Rik Drummond, CEO Drummond Group Inc. 

Sage Intergy Meaningful Use Edition is a comprehensive clinical, financial and administrative solution that empowers physicians to advance the quality and efficiency of care they deliver. The Sage Intergy family of products includes integrated practice management, electronic health records, clinical and business intelligence, and a Web-based portal for online patient engagement. Providers can access Sage Intergy Meaningful Use Edition from multiple practice locations, from home, or other remote locations either through a central patient database server, or as a Sage-hosted solution on a monthly subscription basis.

Sage Intergy Meaningful Use Edition easily tracks the details of a patient’s clinical history, shares and manages clinical information and combines complex medical practice functions into easy-to-navigate menus. Sage Intergy features centralized financial operations including billing, reporting, task management, and fully integrates with EDI services, Sage Intergy Practice Portal, Sage Intergy RIS and Sage Practice Analytics.

About Sage Healthcare Division
Sage Healthcare Division provides integrated electronic health records, EDI applications and practice management systems to approximately 80,000 physicians and thousands of ambulatory care practices throughout North America. These systems enable physicians and practice managers to better manage their practices and improve profitability. Sage Healthcare Division is based in Tampa, Fla., and is a division of Sage North America. For more information, please visit www.sagehealth.com or call (877) 932-6301.

About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. Sage North America employs 4,000 people and supports 3.1 million small and midsized business customers including approximately 80,000 physicians. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 13,100 people and supports 6.2 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the website at www.sagenorthamerica.com.

Sage Intergy Meaningful Use Edition v 6.2 is 2011/2012 compliant and has been certified by an ONC-ATCB in accordance with the applicable certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This certification does not represent an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or guarantee the receipt of incentive payments.

Sage Software Healthcare LLC, Date Certified: Oct. 22, 2010, Certification ID number: 10192010-4814-8, Clinical Quality Measures Certified NQF0013, NQF0421/PQRI128, NQF0041/PQRI110, NQF0024, NQF0028, NQF0038, NQF0031, NQF0034, NQF0059. Additional software relied upon for certification: email software, Windows OS, compression software, where applicable the certification criteria to which each EHR modules has been tested and certified.

(C) 2010 Sage Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Sage, the Sage logos, and the Sage product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software, Inc. or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

IRVING, TX–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) – VHA Inc., the national health care network, has been named the 38th best place to work in health care by Modern Healthcare magazine. VHA is one of only 16 companies that have been ranked within the top 100 for three consecutive years and one of only six Texas-based health care-related companies to be included in this list. 

The magazine compiled this year’s list using information collected from thousands of health care workers at more than 300 health care companies nationwide, including hospitals, suppliers and service companies. Modern Healthcare asked a series of detailed questions related to:

• Leadership and planning
• Culture and communications
• Quality of working environment
• Training and development
• Compensation and benefits

VHA has 852 employees in Irving and an additional 662 employees throughout its 16 regional offices nationwide. VHA’s employee base includes 160 nurses, pharmacists and doctors, as well as many others who have worked in various roles in hospitals and in the health care industry.

About VHA
VHA Inc., based in Irving, Texas, is a national network of not-for-profit health care organizations that work together to drive maximum savings in the supply chain arena, set new levels of clinical performance and identify and implement best practices to improve operational efficiency and clinical outcomes. In 2009, VHA delivered record savings and value of $1.47 billion to members. Formed in 1977, through its 16 regional offices, VHA serves 1,400 hospitals and more than 30,000 non-acute care providers nationwide. VHA was ranked by Modern Healthcare as the 38th best place to work in health care in 2010.

MAYNARD, MA–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) –  Healthcare organizations are moving steadily toward electronic health record (EHR) adoption to improve patient care but, at the same time, are aware of downtime’s potential to erode EHR’s benefits, according to a Stratus Technologies–ITIC survey.

More than 70 percent of healthcare organizations surveyed have either implemented on-premise EHR systems or plan to. The number rises to 81 percent when outsource EHR providers are factored in. While only 6 percent of respondents are in the process of deploying an EHR system now, 35 percent plan to launch an on-premise system within the next year and 37 percent within the next 20 months.

“The survey results show that the majority of healthcare organizations clearly recognize how electronic health records can reduce overhead expenses and improve patient care,” said Laura DiDio, principal at ITIC. “They also understand that those benefits are contingent on maximum uptime, and where downtime would have the most serious effect.”

Uptime’s importance is clear in responses to questions about disruptions to patient care and important administrative processes. Only 11 percent said that inability to access EHR files would cause minor disruptions; 64 percent said there would be notable disruptions, mainly administrative; processing insurance claims and scheduling patient appointments were the most frequently cited at 67 and 53 percent. However, nearly half the respondents — 49 percent — said EHR system disruptions can increase the potential for patient data recording errors and 32 percent said it could cause errors in prescribing medications.

Despite the broad awareness of uptime’s importance, almost 20 percent of respondents were still unsure how inaccessible health records would affect administration and patient care.

“It’s heartening to see that most healthcare IT professionals understand their uptime needs, though we still need to be concerned about the 20 percent that doesn’t seem to grasp the issue, or have yet to begin an EHR evaluation or implementation,” said Nelson Hsu, senior director, Avance product line. “Uptime isn’t a ‘nice to have’ in medical applications. If a healthcare organization can’t see where interrupted access to patient medical records affects care, then they don’t understand why they need reliable hardware and software infrastructures that provide continuous uptime. Without that, their EHR projects — on premise or outsourced — lead to business disruption and the potential for compromised patient care.”

To see the full survey results, please visit: http://www.stratus.com/~/media/Stratus/Files/About/PressReleases/2010/20101025-ppt.ppt.

Also, Hsu will speak on the role of high uptime technology in EHR applications at the Healthcare IT Solutions Exchange conference on Oct. 26 at the Doubletree Hotel, 5400 Computer Drive, Westborough, Mass. His session, “It’s Not Meaningful If It’s Not Available,” will examine:

• how electronic health records are transforming the role of IT in healthcare;
• why server availability needs greater attention; and
• how to address the cost barrier. 

Case studies will demonstrate how providers met their ultimate goal of patient-centered care that in improves quality, affordability and outcomes for patients.

About Stratus Technologies
Stratus delivers the best uptime in the industry for the applications its customers depend on most for their success. With its resilient hardware and software products, monitored and managed with proactive service, Stratus helps to save lives and to protect the business and reputations of companies, institutions, and governments the world over. To learn more about worry-free computing, visit www.stratus.com.

© 2010 Stratus Technologies Bermuda Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stratus is a registered trademark of Stratus Technologies Bermuda Ltd. The Stratus Technologies logo is a trademark of Stratus Technologies Bermuda Ltd. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

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SEATTLE, WA–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) – Is there customer service in healthcare? When it comes to the billing process, many would say ‘no.’ As more patients deal with the burden of bill payments, healthcare providers are being challenged with maintaining patient relationships through improved communication, while increasing revenue during a sometimes difficult billing process. Most healthcare institutions regularly deal with a handful of insurance companies, but as a greater portion of financial responsibility for medical services moves toward patients, few are well-equipped to manage the payment process for literally thousands of individual consumers.

In this complimentary Webinar, Gregory VandenBosch, president at MedDirect, and Dr. George Gellert, MD, on behalf of Varolii Corporation, will share how the right conversation can inform patients about their healthcare expenses and increase payments more easily. They will also explain how effective revenue cycle management, helps healthcare organizations be more patient-centric and cost-effective at the same time. The session will also share real-world examples of how MedDirect and Varolii are revolutionizing the way providers and patients communicate.

WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:00 – 11:30 a.m. PT

WHAT: A complimentary Webinar highlighting how MedDirect helps patients manage their health expenses to resolve more accounts and improve patient satisfaction. The Webinar will help attendees discover:

• Why patients are reluctant to pay (it’s not what you think)  
• How healthcare providers can improve account resolution and improve patient satisfaction simultaneously
• Why the key findings from FierceHealthcare’s “Revenue Cycle Management 2010 Survey” matter

WHO: Gregory VandenBosch, president at MedDirect, helps leading healthcare providers increase patient-pay revenue and offload the retail revenue cycle process. Prior to co-founding MedDirect in 2000, VandenBosch worked in the banking industry and later joined ES Financial, Inc. He is a graduate of Hope College with a degree in Economics.

WHO: Dr. George Gellert, MD, is a physician epidemiologist and executive with 20 years of experience in health information and communication. Dr. Gellert is the former Chief Medical Officer and EVP for HCORP Inc. and Senior VP of Strategic Alliances at WebMD.

REGISTER: https://www.varolii.com/go/2010/rcmwebinar

BETHESDA, MD–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) –  GetWellNetwork, Inc. today announced that All Children’s Hospital, a premiere children’s hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, is giving each of its young patients access to an interactive bedside TV system that will not only entertain them, but educate and encourage them to take an active role in their health recovery. All Children’s Hospital is using GetWellNetwork’s pediatric solution called GetWell Town™ to provide its patients and families with the tools they need to become knowledgeable and engaged in their health care. 

Key features of GetWell Town are the clinical tools that help nurses and doctors deliver better patient-centered care. For instance, important messages about prescribed medications can be sent to patients even while they’re enjoying a movie or playing a game. The GetWell Town system can be programmed to interrupt entertainment content with actionable messages from their caregivers. In this way, although GetWell Town entertains its patients with superior internet browsing capabilities, e-mail, games and movies, it is always running clinical applications in the background that lead to better patient outcomes. 

“Using the bedside TV as a mechanism to engage young patients in their health care is a smart approach because we know kids will turn it on as soon as they’re in their rooms. We’re particularly impressed with the unique, kid-friendly design that really takes into account how today’s kids learn and absorb information,” said David Gardner, director of eHealth, All Children’s Hospital. “GetWellNetwork has worked with us every step of the way to ensure a smooth transition to our new facility; they’ve been a great partner.”

All Children’s is also leveraging GetWell Town in other areas of the hospital in addition to patient rooms. For children who come to the hospital for periodic blood transfusions or dialysis treatment for kidneys, the hospital has set up GetWell Town in treatment rooms to help make that time productive yet, fun. 

“The new hospital building is a tremendous expression of All Children’s dedication to the young patients and families they serve and we are honored to be a part of this,” said Shannon O’Neil, MSW, Director of Pediatrics, GetWellNetwork, Inc. “As children become better informed about their health, we believe better patient outcomes will result — which is why this partnership is so important.”

About GetWell Town
GetWell Town was developed in collaboration with GetWellNetwork’s National Children’s Hospital Task Force, comprised of 15 pediatric facilities across the U.S. as well as direct input from pediatric patients and their families. GetWell Town is designed to complement the kid-friendly spaces that children’s hospitals have worked hard to create and features exclusive content in partnership with KidsHealth® from Nemours.

About GetWellNetwork
GetWellNetwork, Inc. uses the bedside TV to entertain, educate and empower hospital patients and caregivers to be more actively engaged in their care. This patient-centered approach improves both satisfaction and outcomes for patients and hospitals. GetWellNetwork is the leader in interactive patient care solutions and exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association. More information about GetWellNetwork can be found at www.GetWellNetwork.com.

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NEW ORLEANS, LA–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) –  MMRGlobal, Inc. (OTCBB: MMRF) (www.mmrglobal.com) today announced plans with Kodak to deploy a new version of the MMRPro system (www.mmrprovideos.com) operating through a proprietary customized interface on the new KODAK Scan Station Pro 550 at Booth 1709 at the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Annual Conference. MMRPro (www.mmrpro.com) is supported by Kodak’s transactional scanning solution(s) to help physician offices and other small practices get a firm handle on converting patient billing, forms and medical charts into digital, easily managed and accessed files. The new KODAK Scan Station Pro 550 incorporates the power of KODAK Capture Pro Software to enhance direct connection to MMRPro Software, MMRGlobal’s secure, web-based document management and imaging solution. This enables easy capture and access to paper-based patient documents and charts with the utmost security — extremely important to healthcare professionals and their patients.

“The MMRPro software solution directly addresses the document imaging and management needs of small medical offices, group practices, surgery centers and small hospitals that rely heavily on using transactions-based processes and forms, including patient billing, prescription data, and medical charts,” said Robert H. Lorsch, Chairman and CEO of MMRGlobal. “Using MMRPro today makes it easier for physicians to ultimately transition to a full-blown certified EMR system. This helps doctors qualify for stimulus dollars from the government and, additionally, from MMR’s proprietary stimulus program which can reward physicians with payments that could be far in excess of the government’s stimulus program.”

MMRPro also includes an e-prescribing module and an integrated patient portal, enabling patients to have timely access to their personal health information through MyMedicalRecords’ secure personal health records technology (www.mymedicalrecords.com). Patients can quickly and conveniently upload their health information to an MMR account in real time using any Internet-connected device.

“Meaningful use of electronic health records requires doctors to make personal health information available to their patients through a personal health record or patient portal by 2014. We believe that our patented product offering will exceed HIPAA requirements and is more user-friendly than any other PHR available today,” added Lorsch.

The transactional KODAK Scan Station Pro 550 features a customized solution using the capture and output capabilities found in KODAK Capture Pro Software, including barcodes, OCR, MICR and others. The new scanner incorporates an intuitive GUI touch panel allowing users to work seamlessly with the MMRPro Software, enabling the user to scan patient-related healthcare documents directly into MMRPro with the push of a single button. The MMRPro Software also allows updates for patient files via fax, e-mail or telephone messages, through secure, staff-based permissions.

“The solution with MMR is an example of how Kodak works with its network of Independent Software Vendor partners to create strategic, specific applications that do more at the point of capture,” said Brian Bagan, Director, Business Development, Document Imaging, United States and Canada, Kodak’s Business Solutions and Services Group. “Medical offices and other industries can use transactional scanning solutions to help automate their internal business processes, as well as improve the information sharing practices across offices.”

KODAK Products are backed by KODAK Service and Support, which is made up of more than 3,000 professionals reaching more than 120 countries. It is a leading multi-vendor integrated services provider, delivering consulting, installation, maintenance and support services for the commercial printing, graphic communications, document imaging, data storage, and retail industries. KODAK Service and Support professionals are uniquely qualified to provide services that control costs, maximize productivity, and minimize business risk.

About MMRGlobal, Inc.

MMRGlobal, Inc. (OTCBB: MMRF), through its wholly-owned operating subsidiary, MyMedicalRecords, Inc. (MMR), provides secure and easy-to-use online Personal Health Records (PHRs) and electronic safe deposit box storage solutions, serving consumers, healthcare professionals, employers, insurance companies, financial institutions, and professional organizations and affinity groups. MyMedicalRecords enables individuals and families to access their medical records and other important documents, such as birth certificates, passports, insurance policies and wills, anytime from anywhere using the Internet. The MyMedicalRecords Personal Health Record is built on proprietary, patented technologies to allow documents, images and voicemail messages to be transmitted and stored in the system using a variety of methods, including fax, phone, or file upload without relying on any specific electronic medical record platform to populate a user’s account. MMRGlobal’s professional offering, MMRPro, is designed to give physicians’ offices an easy and cost-effective solution to digitizing paper-based medical records and sharing them with patients in real time through an integrated patient portal. MMR is an Independent Software Vendor Partner with Kodak to deliver an integrated turnkey EMR solution for healthcare professionals. MMR is also an integrated service provider on Google Health. To learn more about MMRGlobal, Inc. and its products, visit www.mmrglobal.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical matters are forward-looking statements, and some can be identified by the use of words (and their derivations) such as “need,” “possibility,” “offer,” “development,” “if,” “negotiate,” “when,” “begun,” “believe,” “achieve,” “will,” “estimate,” “expect,” “maintain,” “plan,” “help” and “continue,” or the negative of such terms and other comparable terminology. MMRGlobal, Inc. disclaims any intent or obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on MMRGlobal, Inc.’s reasonable expectations as of the date of this press release and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. The information discussed in this release is subject to various risks and uncertainties related but not limited to changes in MMRGlobal, Inc.’s business prospects, its results of operations or financial condition, its relationship with Kodak, government regulation and changes in healthcare initiatives, and such other risks and uncertainties as detailed from time to time in MMRGlobal, Inc.’s public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) –  Crystal Research Associates, LLC announced today it has issued an Executive Informational Overview® (EIO®) on Radient Pharmaceuticals Corporation (RPC) (NYSE Amex: RPC). The full 64-page report can be found at www.crystalra.com.

Radient Pharmaceuticals Corporation (“Radient” or “the Company”) together with its wholly-owned subsidiary AMDL Diagnostics Inc. (ADI), is an in vitro (IVD) company commercializing Onko-Sure® (formerly DR-70®) — a non-invasive, IVD test kit that detects and monitors up to 19 types of cancer. Onko-Sure® helps physicians answer important clinical questions related to early disease detection and progression in order ultimately to improve patient outcomes and survival. The distinctive feature of Radient’s Onko-Sure® blood test is that it measures the accumulation of specific breakdown products in serum (blood) called fibrin and fibrinogen degradation products (FDPs). Research has found that FDP levels rise dramatically as cancer progresses. A potentially life-saving IVD cancer test, Onko-Sure® is currently cleared to monitor colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment/recurrence in the U.S.; to detect and monitor lung cancer in Canada; for use as a general cancer marker in Australia, Europe, India, Taiwan, and Vietnam; and for use in CRC patients in South Korea. Radient is working to obtain additional regulatory clearances for indications in the U.S. and abroad. Radient’s subsidiary, ADI, operates research and development and quality control laboratories and an ISO 13485:2003-certified manufacturing facility for Onko-Sure® production.

For additional information on Radient Pharmaceuticals, ADI and its portfolio of products visit the Company’s corporate website at www.Radient-Pharma.com. For Investor Relations information contact Kristine Szarkowitz at [email protected] or 1.206.310.5323.

About Radient Pharmaceuticals:
Headquartered in Tustin, California, Radient Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to saving lives and money for patients and global healthcare systems through the deployment of its Onko-Sure® In Vitro Diagnostic cancer test. The company’s focus is on the discovery, development and commercialization of unique high-value diagnostic tests that help physicians answer important clinical questions related to early disease detection; treatment strategy; and the monitoring of disease progression, prognosis, and diagnosis to ultimately improve patient outcomes. Radient Pharmaceutical’s current Onko-Sure® cancer test is used to guide decisions regarding patient treatment, which may include decisions to refer patients to specialists, perform additional testing, or assist in the selection of therapy. To learn more about our company, people and potentially life-saving cancer test, visit www.radient-pharma.com.

About Crystal Research Associates, LLC:
Crystal Research Associates, LLC is an independent research firm that provides institutional-quality, fee-based research to small- and mid-cap companies. Crystal Research Associates’ unique and novel product, the Executive Informational Overview® (EIO®), is free of investment ratings, target prices, and forward-looking financial models. The EIO® presents a crystal clear, detailed report on a company (public or private) in a manner that is easily understood by the Wall Street financial community. The EIO® details a company’s product/technology/service offerings, market size(s), key intellectual property, leadership, growth strategy, competition, risks, financial statements, key events, and other such fundamental information. Crystal Research Associates has offices in New York City, West Palm Beach, Montréal, and Toronto. Crystal Research Associates has been compensated by the Company in cash of sixty-one thousand U.S. dollars and four hundred thousand, four-year warrants for its services in creating this report, for updates, and for printing costs.

Forward Looking Statements:
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The statements contained in this document include certain predictions and projections that may be considered forward-looking statements under securities law. These statements involve a number of important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to, the performance of joint venture partners, as well as other economic, competitive and technological factors involving the Company’s operations, markets, services, products, and prices. With respect to Radient Pharmaceuticals Corporation, except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this document are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements.

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SAN CLEMENTE, CA–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) –  Micro Identification Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: MMTC) (MIT) announces that on October 27, 2010 at 1:00 PM (PDT) it will conduct a Webinar on the operation of the MIT 1000 Rapid Microbial Identification System. The objective of the Webinar is to demonstrate the speed and operational simplicity of performing bacteria identification (ID) tests using the MIT 1000 System and to give a brief education on the non-biological light scattering technology that is used to obtain an ID. The Webinar will be conducted by MIT’s Chief Technical Officer, Dr. David Haavig. Attendees may register for the Event at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/183951526. 

Michael Brennan, MIT’s Chairman and CEO, stated that “Based on feedback from current users and investors regarding our last Webinar, MIT plans to provide periodic Webinars to update the Company’s business and product achievements.” Mr. Brennan further stated, “We are certain the attendees at our upcoming Webinar will be impressed with both the technology and simplicity of use of our System.” 

About Micro Identification Technologies:

MIT is a California-based public company that has developed and patented a rapid microbial identification (ID) System that revolutionizes the pathogenic bacteria ID process and can annually save thousands of lives and tens of millions of dollars. The System IDs bacteria in minutes, not days, and at a significant per test cost savings when compared to any conventional method. It does not rely on chemical or biological agents, conventional processing, fluorescent tags, gas chromatography or DNA analysis. The process is totally GREEN requiring only clean water and a sample of the unknown bacteria. Revenues for all rapid testing methods exceed $5 billion annually — with food safety accounting for over $3 billion — having expanded at a rate of 9.2 percent annually since 1998. Current growth projections are at 30 percent annually with test demands driven by major health, safety and homeland security issues. www.micro-identification.com

MIT has demonstrated the ability to detect and identify, within several minutes, the microbes Escherichia coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and other pathogenic bacteria. MIT has performed over 300 tests for the identification of the aforementioned contaminants and scored 95% accuracy. The System can currently identify 23 species of bacteria and is easily expandable. The identification process has been verified by North American Science Associates, Inc. (NAMSA), an independent, internationally recognized biological testing laboratory. The NAMSA Test Report is available from the Company and, in MIT’s opinion, demonstrates the accuracy, speed and cost effectiveness of the System over conventional processes. www.namsa.com

This release contains statements that are forward-looking in nature. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions or that include words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. These statements are made based upon information available to the Company as of the date of this release, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results could differ materially from our current expectations. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to dependence on suppliers; short product life cycles and reductions in unit selling prices; delays in development or shipment of new products; lack of market acceptance of our new products or services; inability to continue to develop competitive new products and services on a timely basis; introduction of new products or services by major competitors; our ability to attract and retain qualified employees; inability to expand our operations to support increased growth; and declining economic conditions, including a recession. These and other factors and risks associated with our business are discussed from time to time within our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

BRAMPTON, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – 25 oct. 2010) – En vue d’élargir sa gamme de produits médicaux inédits sur le plan technologique pour la réparation de l’aorte par technique endovasculaire, la société Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT), a annoncé aujourd’hui le lancement au Canada du système Captivia(MC) pour la pose du greffon endoprothèse thoracique Valian(R), un traitement minimalement effractif des anévrismes et d’autres lésions de l’aorte thoracique. Le système de pose Captivia est offert à l’échelle internationale depuis l’automne 2009.

Le système de pose Captivia comporte un mécanisme de saisie des pointes rehaussant le contrôle du greffon endoprothèse thoracique Valiant lors de son déploiement, ainsi qu’un enduit hydrophile appliqué sur le greffon pour faciliter l’accès à l’artère iliaque et la pose de l’endoprothèse par le biais du système vasculaire des patients. Le nouveau système Captivia Valiant permet aux médecins de traiter facilement et avec précision un vaste éventail d’anatomies à l’aide d’un greffon endoprothèse ultraconfortable pour ainsi atteindre des résultats cliniques optimaux. Le système de greffon endoprothèse thoracique Valiant et le système de pose Captivia sont tous deux en phase de recherche aux États-Unis, alors que leur utilisation est restreinte aux essais cliniques approuvés par la Food and Drug Administration.

Le docteur François Dagenais, chirurgien cardiaque à l’Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, a effectué 17 implantations du greffon endoprothèse thoracique Valiant à l’aide du système de pose Captivia. Le docteur Dagenais est un chef de file de renommée mondiale en réparation endovasculaire thoracique; il a été un pionnier de ce traitement non effractif au Canada.

“Le système de pose Captivia de l’endogreffon thoracique Valiant permet un déploiement précis”, a expliqué le docteur Dagenais. “Particulièrement dans les limites d’un débit cardiaque élevé et d’un arc aortique angulé, le système Captivia minimise l’effet de manche à air et le déploiement asymétrique occasionnel associé à ce type d’intervention. Un tel mécanisme de dégagement contrôlé peut réduire le détachement embolique en réduisant la manipulation de l’arc et en prévenant le recouvrement par inadvertance de sa ramification. De plus, l’endogreffon Valiant du système Captivia est recouvert d’un enduit hydrophile facilitant son insertion dans l’artère iliaque serrée ou sinueuse.”

Indiqué pour le traitement de diverses lésions de l’aorte thoracique, le greffon endoprothèse thoracique Valiant s’est imposé comme le système minimalement effractif de choix pour la réparation de l’aorte thoracique par technique endovasculaire à l’extérieur des États-Unis. Après quatre années d’expérience clinique, plus de 15 000 patients ont ainsi reçu un greffon endoprothèse thoracique Valiant à l’échelle mondiale. 

“Compte tenu de l’adoption et de l’usage de plus en plus répandus de notre greffon endoprothèse thoracique Valiant, le système de pose Captivia constitue une autre amélioration procurant aux médecins un outil d’accès et de pose exceptionnellement simple, en plus de la précision et du contrôle lors du déploiement”, a déclaré M. Tony Semedo, vice-président et directeur général des Innovations endovasculaires, une unité intégrée au groupe des produits cardiovasculaires de Medtronic. “Lorsqu’on l’adjoint au greffon endoprothèse thoracique Valiant, qui se distingue toujours par sa grande conformité, le nouveau système élargit les possibilités de traitement endovasculaire pour inclure davantage de patients atteints de maladies complexes de l’aorte.”

À titre de pionnière de la technique endovasculaire pour les réparations de l’aorte, Medtronic est en tête de l’industrie des greffons endoprothèses depuis les années 90. Plus de 175 000 patients ont été traités à l’aide de ses dispositifs. La société propose la plus vaste gamme de greffons endoprothèses. De ceux-ci, mentionnons les greffons endoprothèses abdominaux et thoraciques Talent(R) offerts aux États-Unis, ainsi que les greffons abdominaux Endurant(R) et thoraciques Valiant(R) à l’extérieur des États-Unis.

Medtronic a comme mission de faire évoluer le traitement des maladies cardiovasculaires en collaboration avec les grands cliniciens, chercheurs et scientifiques du monde entier.

Au sujet de Medtronic

Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com), dont le siège social se trouve à Minneapolis, est le chef de file mondial de la technologie médicale visant à soulager la douleur, rétablir la santé et prolonger la vie de millions de gens, à l’échelle planétaire.

Au sujet de Medtronic du Canada Ltée 

Medtronic du Canada Ltée vend, entretien et distribue les produits de Medtronic au Canada : des instruments médicaux pour le traitement des maladies cardiaques et vasculaires et du diabète, pour la chirurgie de la colonne vertébrale, la neurochirurgie ainsi que pour la chirurgie oto-rhino-laryngologique. Medtronic du Canada, dont le siège social se trouve à Brampton, en Ontario, emploie quelque 420 Canadiens répartis dans son centre d’opérations de Mississauga, ses bureaux régionaux de Vancouver et Montréal. Elle exploite également une usine de mise au point et de fabrication de cathéters d’ablation pour la fibrillation auriculaire (FA) – Medtronic CryoCath – dans la région métropolitaine de Montréal.

Toutes les déclarations sur les résultats financiers anticipés sont assujetties à des risques et à des incertitudes, tels qu’ils sont énoncés dans les rapports périodiques de Medtronic déposés auprès de la Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission des valeurs mobilières des États-Unis). Les résultats réels pourraient différer sensiblement des résultats anticipés.

BRAMPTON, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Oct. 25, 2010) – Adding to its market-leading portfolio of innovative medical technology for endovascular aortic repair (EVAR), Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT), announced today the Canadian launch of the Captivia(TM) Delivery System for the Valiant(R) Thoracic Stent Graft, a minimally invasive treatment for aneurysms and other lesions of the thoracic aorta. The Captivia Delivery System has been available internationally since the fall of 2009 and was approved by Health Canada on August 3, 2010.

The Captivia Delivery System features tip capture for enhanced control of the Valiant Thoracic Stent Graft during deployment and a hydrophilic coating applied to the graft cover to facilitate iliac access and delivery through patients’ vasculature. The new Valiant Captivia system enables physicians to treat a wide range of anatomies with a highly conformable stent graft, with accuracy and ease of delivery to achieve optimal clinical results. Both the Valiant Thoracic Stent Graft and Captivia Delivery System are investigational in the United States, where their use is limited to clinical trials approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Dr. Francois Dagenais, cardiac surgeon at the Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec in Quebec City, has performed 17 Valiant Thoracic Stent Graft implantations with the Captivia Delivery System. Dr. Dagenais is a global thought leader on thoracic endovascular repair and has pioneered this non-invasive treatment in Canada.

“The Captivia delivery system for the Valiant thoracic endograft allows for precise deployment, explained Dr. Dagenais,” Especially within the high cardiac output and angulated aortic arch the Captivia system minimizes the “windsock effect” and the asymmetric deployment occasionally encountered in this procedure. Such a controlled release mechanism may reduce embolic dislodgement by reducing arch manipulation and avoid inadvertent arch branch coverage. In addition, the Captivia Valiant endograft is covered with a hydrophilic coating facilitating insertion of the endograft in tight or tortuous iliac anatomy.”

Indicated for the treatment of a variety of thoracic aortic lesions, the Valiant Thoracic Stent Graft has emerged as the minimally invasive “system of choice” for thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) outside the United States. In four years of clinical experience, more than 15,000 patients worldwide have received the Valiant Thoracic Stent Graft. 

“Given the widespread acceptance and growing use of our Valiant Thoracic Stent Graft, the Captivia Delivery System represents an enhancement that provides physicians with outstanding ease of access and delivery, as well as deployment accuracy and control,” said Tony Semedo, vice president and general manager of Endovascular Innovations, part of the CardioVascular business at Medtronic. “Combined with the Valiant Thoracic Stent Graft, which retains its hallmark attribute of conformability, the new system will expand endovascular treatment to more patients with complex aortic disease.”

A pioneer of EVAR, Medtronic has been an innovator and leader in the stent graft industry since the 1990s, with more than 175,000 patients treated with its devices. The company offers the broadest portfolio of stent grafts. Among these are the Talent(R) Abdominal and Thoracic Stent Grafts in the United States, as well as the Endurant(R) Abdominal and the Valiant(R) Thoracic Stent Grafts outside the United States.

Medtronic is committed to advancing the treatment of cardiovascular disease through collaboration with leading clinicians, researchers and scientists worldwide.

About Medtronic

Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology – alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world.

About Medtronic of Canada Ltd. 

Medtronic of Canada sells, services and distributes Medtronic products in Canada: medical devices used in cardiovascular medicine, diabetes, spinal and neurosurgery, and ear, nose and throat surgery. Medtronic of Canada employs over 420 Canadians, it is headquartered in Brampton, Ontario, has regional offices in Vancouver and Montreal and an atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation catheter manufacturing facility – Medtronic CryoCath – in the Montreal metropolitan area.

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic’s periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

LUND, SWEDEN and LEIDEN, THE NETHERLANDS–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) –  NeuroVive Pharmaceutical and to-BBB, the Dutch drug brain delivery company, are entering into a joint program to develop therapies for stroke and other acute neurodegenerative diseases by combining their technologies.

NeuroVive Pharmaceutical is engaged in research and development of nerve cell-protecting and regenerative cyclosporin-based pharmaceuticals for the treatment of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and other neurological diseases. The Company’s first product NeuroSTAT®, is a novel, cremophor-free, cyclosporin-A lipid emulsion.

“The collaboration with to-BBB opens up the possibility of treating brain disorders beyond TBI. There is a tremendous unmet medical need in treating patients with acute neurodegeneration such as stroke, cardiac-arrest-induced brain damage and spinal cord injuries, where one can expect the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to significantly prevent drug penetration to the central nervous system (CNS)”, says Dr Eskil Elmér, CSO of NeuroVive.

Pieter Gaillard, CSO of to-BBB, adds: “The BBB is indeed a significant obstacle in the treatment of CNS disorders. to-BBB’s proprietary G-Technology^® can safely enhance drug delivery to the brain and we are excited to address this with NeuroVive’s cyclosporin-based pharmaceuticals”.

“Currently there are no approved pharmacological or cellular primary neuroprotective treatments for stroke and spinal cord injuries. Consequently, the need to develop treatment for acute degenerative disorders has never been greater than it is today. The deal with to-BBB has the potential to generate drugs for large markets in CNS diseases such as stroke”, says Mikael Brönnegård, CEO of NeuroVive.

“We are very pleased to collaborate with NeuroVive,” says Willem van Weperen, CEO of to-BBB. We are convinced that synergies in research and clinical platforms as well as business and commercial strategies between to-BBB and NeuroVive will result in a very strong partnership that will benefit patients with these devastating CNS diseases”.

NeuroVive is funding the initial development up to preclinical Proof of Concept, after which the two companies have agreed to develop and commercialize the product jointly.

About NeuroVive

NeuroVive Pharmaceutical AB is a Swedish drug development company. NeuroVive’s primary mission is to develop drugs which protect nerve cells. The company is currently conducting clinical trials with NeuroSTAT®. In addition to introducing NeuroSTAT® as the first cyclophilin-D-inhibiting mitochondrial protectant, NeuroVive is researching and developing variants of cyclophilin-inhibiting cyclosporins and new ways of transporting these drugs across the blood-brain barrier to the central nervous system. NeuroVive Pharmaceutical AB (publ) shares are listed on the Swedish trading platform AktieTorget (www.aktietorget.se). The AktieTorget market is focused on emerging, entrepreneurial businesses and offers an electronic trading system supplied by the OMX Nordic stock exchange in Stockholm, Sweden.

About to-BBB

to-BBB is a Dutch biotechnology company in the field of enhanced drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier. The company is developing novel treatments for brain disorders by combining existing drugs with its proprietary brain drug delivery platform. The company’s vision is that the treatment of currently unserved brain diseases will be best achieved by safely enhancing the blood-to-brain delivery of drugs.

to-BBB is headquartered in The Netherlands at the Leiden Bio Science Park and established a fully owned subsidiary, to-BBB Taiwan Ltd., in Taipei, Taiwan.

LOUISVILLE, KY–(Marketwire – October 24, 2010) –  ZirMed^®, a leading national provider of revenue cycle management solutions, today announced several significant company milestones.

This month, ZirMed processed its 750 millionth healthcare transaction. The company currently processes over 20 million monthly transactions that include patient payments, claims, remittances and eligibility verifications.

“We now process as many transactions in a month as we did in all of 2004,” said Jerry Merritt, president and chief executive officer of ZirMed Inc. “Our substantial organic growth is self-funded, not inflated by acquisitions. We have achieved growth through our partner relationships and integration of our solution into practice management and EMR systems.”

Over the last five years, ZirMed’s revenue has grown at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 39%.

To help manage and accelerate ZirMed’s growth, the company recently added two new senior executives.

Kevin Weinstein joins ZirMed as Vice President of Marketing and will oversee industry relations, messaging and new opportunity generation as well as managing the company’s brand. He was previously Vice President of Marketing and Sales Operations at Allscripts. Mr. Weinstein also worked as a management consultant with Oliver Wyman and earlier oversaw the investment process for an early stage venture capital fund. Mr. Weinstein earned a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Colgate University.

Kraig Brown joins ZirMed as the Vice President of Sales and will lead sales execution for the company. Mr. Brown comes to the company from PGi, a web, video conferencing and document delivery company, where he was Senior Vice President of Sales. While at PGi, Mr. Brown oversaw inside and web based sales, building significant industry partner relationships with companies such as Cisco Webex, Adobe, and Microsoft. Prior to joining PGi, Mr. Brown was Senior Vice President of Sales at Xpediate Consulting, a high-growth private company focused on healthcare compliance. Kraig Brown received his Bachelor of Science in Education at the University of Georgia and his Master of Arts at David Lipscomb University.

Showcasing at MGMA Annual Conference:

ZirMed will be showcasing its solutions October 24-27 at the MGMA Annual Conference, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. ZirMed will be demonstrating its revenue cycle management solutions in Exhibit Booth #838. For more information about ZirMed, visit the company’s MGMA exhibit or visit www.zirmed.com.

About ZirMed:
ZirMed is a nationally recognized leader in delivering revenue cycle management solutions to healthcare providers. ZirMed enables healthcare providers to leverage the power of technology to cure administrative burdens and increase cash flow. ZirMed solutions include eligibility verification, credit/debit card processing, check processing, claims management, coding compliancy and reimbursement management, electronic remittance advice, patient statements, patient e-commerce solutions, provider credentialing, and lock box services. ZirMed solutions are designed to complement provider workflow and to provide innovative, creative and flexible solutions for healthcare’s most pressing administrative challenges. For more information about ZirMed, visit www.zirmed.com.

SUN VALLEY, CA–(Marketwire – October 22, 2010) –  XTend Medical (PINKSHEETS: XMDC), a company that specializes in delivering life changing medical technology to healthcare organizations globally, has secured the BioHarp patents as the agreement reached through mediation stated. The company released the following statement:

“XTend’s patent counsel, Knobbe, Martens, Olsen, & Bear, LLC, has successfully been able to secure the transfers of the patents associated with the BioHarp to XTend Medical. Now that the company has secured these patents, it can now move quickly to begin the commercialization of the BioHarp Medical device. The company has been in contact with several manufacturers interested in working closely with XTend to produce the BioHarp device. In addition, XTend continues to receive interest from numerous global distributors looking to bring the BioHarp into various countries for implementation into their healthcare programs wherein the BioHarp could play a large role in their future healthcare plans. In addition, veterinarian distributors in the U.S. and Europe feel the BioHarp could prove to be a valuable tool in pet care and have expressed a keen interest in working with XTend to sell and distribute the BioHarp. As the company progresses forward, exploring all of the opportunities presented for the BioHarp should assist the company in reaching its full potential in 2011 and beyond.”

About XTend Medical

XTend Medical is a company that specializes in the sales, manufacturing and distribution of the latest in medical devices and telemedicine solutions for the healthcare industry. Their dedication to insuring the products and services offered to healthcare organizations, third-world countries, and physician groups are at the forefront of medical technology. Their recent acquisition of the BioHarp medical device will assist the company in becoming known as a leader in the healthcare sector globally. For further information, please contact them at [email protected] or visit their website at www.bioharpunius.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements covered within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, plans and timing for the introduction or enhancement of our services and products, statements about future market conditions, supply and demand conditions, and other expectations, intentions and plans contained in this press release that are not historical fact and involve risks and uncertainties. Our expectations regarding future revenues depend upon our ability to develop and supply products and services that we may not produce today and that meet defined specifications. When used in this press release, the words “plan,” “expect,” “believe,” and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current expectations. They are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, changes in technology and changes in pervasive markets.

MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM–(Marketwire – Oct. 22, 2010) – More than half of British adults are classed as overweight so it’s no surprise that there’s a large and growing market for slimming pills and supplements, but new research has revealed that many of them don’t work.

With many pills boasting attractive results that range from pills which can bind body fat to prevent the body from absorbing it or pills that claim to speed up the metabolism, it’s no surprise that those who want to lose weight are tempted by the large variety of pills on offer.

As concerns over the products mount, experts are warning consumers not to be taken in by the claims found on many of the products. With misleading buzz words such as ‘certified medical device’ or ‘clinically proven’ it’s not hard to see why so many overweight people purchase the pills.

For those who are worried about their weight The Hospital Group provide a top class service in state-of-the-art facilities.

The Hospital Group is the UK’s biggest provider of weight loss surgery, including gastric bands, gastric bypasses and gastric balloons which can give you a healthier lifestyle.

David Ross, Chief Executive of The Hospital Group said: “The majority of slimming pills do not give long lasting or dramatic results and leave those who are battling with their weight feeling down.

“Many people will have struggled with their weight for years and as a result feel self conscious and have low self esteem. At The Hospital Group we can offer specialist surgeons who have maximum experience in the field of bariatric surgery.

“Whilst it is by no means a quick fix or easy option it can give long lasting results which can dramatically change a person’s life and restore their confidence.

“Those who come to The Hospital Group, can be assured of a dedicated, professional service, with astounding success rates and a limited waiting time. This latest news is just another reason to seek an effective weight loss solution with The Hospital Group.”

BARRIE, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Oct. 21, 2010) – Ontario-based Barrie Physiotherapy was purchased by leading Canadian physiotherapy company PT Health in June 2009. Since the acquisition, Barrie Physiotherapy has completed extensive physical renovations, fee restructuring and managerial changes to make it more consistent with other PT Health physiotherapy clinics.

Barrie Physiotherapy has the distinction of being the area’s only Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) licensed physiotherapy clinic. Instead of waiting several weeks to receive care through the local hospital, individuals insured by OHIP can obtain medical attention at Barrie Physiotherapy within days. This allows the clinic to address patients’ needs much sooner—an important advantage, given the positive impact of early intervention. Ontario health insurance coverage is available primarily to individuals who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, landed immigrants and valid work permit holders whose principle home is in Ontario and who meet certain physical presence requirements. 

While Barrie Physiotherapy caters to OHIP patients, people who do not have this publically-funded insurance can also take advantage of the clinic’s services at very reasonable costs. Barrie Physiotherapy provides assistance in a wide range of areas, including injuries from sports and automobile accidents; post fracture, stroke and surgical rehabilitation; and chronic pain from arthritis, fibromyalgia, sprains, strains, and back and neck ailments. The clinic also assists clients with Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) claims, massage therapy, braces, lumbar supports, pillows, Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulation (TNS) devices and compression stockings. In the future, it will be expanding its offerings to include the services of a naturopath. 

Barrie Physiotherapy operates under the direction of physiotherapist Paul Love. A graduate of Ben Gurion University of Negev, Israel, Love has practiced physiotherapy since 1992. While in Israel, he was head of the physiotherapy department at Poriyah Hospital. He became a registered physiotherapist in Ontario in 2002. His professional experience in Canada includes working in retirement homes and long term care facilities, as well as setting up and managing Midland Physiotherapy for six and a half years. Love’s experience also encompasses the management of Barrie Physiotherapy, stroke rehabilitation and pulmonary physiotherapy. In addition, he has completed numerous courses in evidence-based physiotherapy for various orthopaedic conditions. Love is a skilled professional who is dedicated to providing high-quality services to Barrie Physiotherapy’s clients. “I believe in client-centered care and practice with an open mind and ear to ensure that our clients are getting the best care and attention possible,” Love said.

The addition of Barrie Physiotherapy to PT Health’s extensive network of clinics represents a major benefit to the public. The development will enable individuals who previously found physiotherapy prohibitively expensive to avail themselves of these services. It will also help those who previously paid for private-only services to reduce their health care costs while still receiving quality care under the attention of registered and experienced physiotherapists, kinesiologists and massage therapists.

Barrie Physiotherapy is conveniently located at 125 Bell Farm Road in Barrie, Ontario. For more information about the area’s only OHIP-funded physiotherapy clinic or PT Health, please contact Paul Love at (705) 725-1980 or visit www.PTHealth.ca.

About PT Health

Established in 1995, Ontario-based PT Health is an extensive network of physiotherapist-owned clinics located all throughout Canada. It has distinguished itself as one of the fastest-growing health care physiotherapy companies in the country. PT Health operates more than 90 physical therapy clinics across Canada and provides services to nearly 200 Canadian nursing homes. PT Health’s clinics are grounded in the principles of integrity, accountability and trust while delivering services in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, chiropody, sports medicine, athletic therapy, massage therapy and other areas. PT Health is committed to providing high-quality, progressive therapy to benefit their patients.

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – October 21, 2010) –  MedLink (OTCBB: MLKNA), a leading provider of health information technology solutions to the medical community announced today the formation of the New York Health Information Network as a collaboration with Thrasys, Inc. a provider of next-generation health information technology and solutions. The New York Health Information Network (NYHIN) will be the first of many regional health information networks to be deployed by MedLink and Thrasys under a Connected Healthcare initiative launched by the two companies earlier this year. Connected Healthcare and regional health information networks will enable communities of physicians, patients, service centers, and health plans to coordinate care, manage costs, increase revenues, improve outcomes and enhance patient experience.

The New York Health Information Network will provide interoperability, applications and services using the cloud-based SyntraNet connected healthcare platform from Thrasys. SyntraNet provides an open foundation for highly scalable collaborative healthcare networks. The New York Health Information Network will implement a health information exchange to meet interoperability requirements for ‘Meaningful Use’ and deliver a range of applications and services: electronic health records, practice management services, e-prescribing, group purchasing, insurance and eligibility verification, remote charge capture, physician quality reporting, patient portals, and services to enable accountable care organizations and patient medical homes.

Ramesh Balakrishnan, CEO of Thrasys, stated, “The New York Health Information Network is a first step in our vision to use disruptive technologies to enable a new model for collaborative care. Our goal with Connected Healthcare is to evolve an open healthcare platform that provides core interoperability, applications and services and also enables third-parties and partners to offer a range of add-on solutions. This kind of open, connected and collaborative technology platform is the necessary foundation to support initiatives currently underway to coordinate care, improve outcomes and manage costs. With more than $500m in HITECH funding for HIE initiatives, we will continue to partner with communities of physicians, hospitals, service center, and health plans to implement showcases for the future of healthcare.”

Ray Vuono, CEO of MedLink, continued, “The Health information Network provides a financial benefits for the NYHIN partners including Providers, establishing a revenue model through member based services for as little as $500 per member annually. The products and services are provided by healthcare vendors and service providers that leverage the platform to provide their services to HIN population of physicians, medical facilities, and patients; providing a Web 2.0 healthcare super highway income model similar to that of the iPhone Apps marketplace or Salesforce.com.”

Scott Einiger, Senior Partner at Abrams Fensterman, a leading New York healthcare law firm, commented, “The New York Health Information Network will enable physicians to level the playing field and have access to core health care products and services critical to success in this rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. As physicians join this Network, the quality of the products and services will expand exponentially making available the best of breed applications and services due to substantial Vendor commitment to grow within the Network. I expect this network to grow beyond NY State and become a nationally connected Network enuring to the benefit of patients and physicians alike and greatly enhancing our federal government’s health law reform initiative.”

About MedLink

MedLink is a healthcare IT company that provides the medical community with products and services designed to help create, manage, and share medical information. The company’s flagship product, MedLink TotalOffice EHR 3.1, a CCHIT Certified® 08 Ambulatory EHR, provides physicians with full EHR and practice management functionality. For more information regarding MedLink’s products and services, please visit www.medlinkus.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements regarding future events, developments, the Company’s future performance, as well as management’s expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans, estimates or projections relating to the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of these laws. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, outlined in our 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K available through www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

OAKBROOK TERRACE, IL–(Marketwire – October 21, 2010) –  An estimated 80 percent of serious medical errors involve miscommunication between caregivers when responsibility for patients is transferred or handed-off. Recognizing this as a critical patient safety issue, a group of 10 leading U.S. hospitals and health care systems teamed up with the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare to use new methods to find the causes of and put a stop to these dangerous and potentially deadly breakdowns in patient care.

Health care organizations have long struggled with the process of passing necessary and critical information about a patient from one caregiver to the next, or from one team of caregivers to another. A hand-off process involves “senders,” the caregivers transmitting patient information and releasing the care of the patient to the next clinician, and “receivers,” the caregivers who accept the patient information and care of the patient.

 The Hand-off Communications Project began in August 2009. During the measure phase of the project, the participating hospitals found that, on average, more than 37 percent of the time hand-offs were defective and didn’t allow the receiver to safely care for the patient. Additionally, 21 percent of the time senders were dissatisfied with the quality of the hand-off. Using solutions targeted to the specific causes of an inadequate hand-off, participating organizations that fully implemented the solutions achieved an average 52 percent reduction in defective hand-offs.

The 10 hospitals and health systems that volunteered to address hand-off communications as a critical patient safety problem are:

• Exempla Lutheran Medical Center, Wheat Ridge, Colorado
• Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Intermountain Healthcare LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah
• The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
• Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside Medical Center, Clackamas, Oregon
• Mayo Clinic Saint Marys Hospital, Rochester, Minnesota
• New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York
• North Shore-LIJ Health System Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center, New Hyde Park, New York
• Partners HealthCare, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
• Stanford Hospital & Clinics, Palo Alto, California

Although The Joint Commission requires accredited organizations to use a standardized approach to hand-off communications, breakdowns in communication have been a leading contributing factor in sentinel events, which are unexpected occurrences involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk thereof. In addition to patient harm, defective hand-offs can lead to delays in treatment, inappropriate treatment, and increased length of stay in the hospital.

Recognizing that there is no quick fix, the Center and the participating hospitals set out to solve the problems through the application of Robust Process Improvement™ tools. RPI is a fact-based, systematic, and data-driven problem-solving methodology that allows project teams to discover specific risk points and contributing factors, and then develop and implement solutions targeted to those factors to increase overall patient safety and health care quality. Barriers to effective hand-offs experienced by receivers include incomplete information, lack of opportunity to discuss the hand-off, and no hand-off occurred. Senders identified too many delays, receiver not returning a call, or receiver being too busy to take a report as reasons for hand-off failures.

 “These 10 organizations are leading the way in finding specific solutions to the complex problem of hand-off communication failures,” says Mark R. Chassin, M.D., M.P.P., M.P.H., president, The Joint Commission. “A comprehensive approach that focuses on systems is the only way to ensure that the many caregivers upon whom patients rely are successfully communicating vital information during these transitions in care.”

The targeted hand-off solutions from the Center, which are described using the acronym SHARE, address the specific causes of unsuccessful hand-offs. SHARE refers to:

• Standardize critical content, which includes providing details of the patient’s history to the receiver, emphasizing key information about the patient when speaking with the receiver, and synthesizing patient information from separate sources before passing it on to the receiver.
• Hardwire within your system, which includes developing standardized forms, tools and methods, such as checklists, identifying new and existing technologies to assist in making the hand-off successful, and stating expectations about how to conduct a successful hand-off.
• Allow opportunity to ask questions, which includes using critical thinking skills when discussing a patient’s case as well as sharing and receiving information as an interdisciplinary team (e.g., a pit crew). Receivers should expect to receive all key information about the patient from the sender, receivers should scrutinize and question the data, and the receivers and senders should exchange contact information in the event there are any additional questions.
• Reinforce quality and measurement, which includes demonstrating leadership commitment to successful hand-offs such as holding staff accountable, monitoring compliance with use of standardized forms, and using data to determine a systematic approach for improvement.
• Educate and coach, which includes organizations teaching staff what constitutes a successful hand-off, standardizing training on how to conduct a hand-off, providing real-time performance feedback to staff, and making successful hand-offs an organizational priority.

In addition to hand-off communications, the Center is aiming to reduce surgical site infections (SSI) following colorectal surgery through a new project launched in August 2010 in collaboration with the American College of Surgeons. Participating organizations include the Mayo Clinic, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, North Shore-LIJ Health System, Cleveland Clinic, Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The solutions for this project are expected to be published in the fall of 2011.

All Joint Commission-accredited health care organizations have access to the solutions through the Targeted Solutions Tool™ (TST), which provides a step-by-step process to measure performance, identify barriers to excellent performance, and implement the Center’s proven solutions that are customized to address an organization’s specific barriers. The first set of targeted solutions, created by eight of the country’s leading hospitals and health care systems working in collaboration with the Center, focuses on improving hand hygiene. Accredited organizations can access the TST and hand hygiene solutions on their secure Joint Commission Connect extranet. The targeted solutions for hand-off communications are currently being pilot tested to prove their effectiveness in demographically diverse hospitals and will be added to the TST in the second half of 2011. A project to reduce the risk of wrong site surgery is also in process. Future projects are expected to focus on preventable hospitalizations, medication errors, and other aspects of infection control.

Statements from the Center’s participating hospitals
“The communication that is involved in patient transfers is a critical concern that can have a severe impact on care. Therefore, we are pleased to participate in The Joint Commission’s Hand-off Communications Project to find ways of improving this process. I am proud of our employees and their efforts. It is rewarding to know that their work combined with similar activities at the other project participant sites will help improve patient-centered health care across the country.”
Michael J. Dowling, president and CEO, North Shore-LIJ Health System

 “This work demonstrates a new and exciting way to deliver safer care. By collaborating with leading institutions around the country, we’re identifying proven strategies that improve communications during critical points of transfer for our patients.”
Mark Eustis, president and CEO, Fairview Health Services

“Patients’ safety is greatly enhanced when we have smooth and effective communication hand-offs as patients move across care settings. So, patients everywhere will benefit from what we and the other leading health care programs have learned in this collaborative effort with The Joint Commission. This initiative greatly increases the chances for good, safe continuity of care for everyone.”
Susan Mullaney, administrator, Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside Medical Center

“Partners HealthCare frequently collaborates with other institutions across the nation on patient quality and safety initiatives — but has never worked with such a comprehensive group at the same time. This collaboration has produced results beyond the capability of any single participant and validates The Joint Commission’s proposition that critical issues in health care can be addressed in a rigorous and thoughtful way. I know that our patients, and patients across the country, will reap benefits from this work.”
Terrence O’Malley, M.D., medical director, Non-Acute Care Services, Partners HealthCare, Massachusetts General Hospital

“We know that breakdowns in communication that can occur when patients are handed-off from one caregiver to another are a leading cause of patient harm and medical errors. Few areas within the spectrum of patient care give us such an enormous opportunity to improve patient outcomes and reduce mistakes as improving these communications. The Joint Commission’s initiative in this area is a welcome start.”
Ronald R. Peterson, president, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System, and executive vice president, Johns Hopkins Medicine

“We believe that this has been an outstanding project and we are thrilled to have been a participant. Hand-off communication is critical to the patient care process. Being able to identify where there are breakdowns in the hand-off process and focus on where we can improve, as well as develop targeted solutions, will improve the quality of care our patients receive.”
Kevin Tabb, M.D., CMO, Stanford Hospital & Clinics

 “Exempla Lutheran Medical Center is proud to participate in the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare’s critical initiative to improve the quality of hand-off communications. We know how important it is to communicate accurately and effectively when we transfer patients from one caregiver to another. But what is it that interferes with those communications? Working with the Center and the other participating hospitals, and with the use of Lean Six Sigma, we identified some of the critical barriers to effective communication to establish processes that can be replicated to consistently make patient transfers safer. We are committed to working with the Center and the other participating hospitals to help solve these complex patient safety issues and share best practices.”
Grant Wicklund, president and CEO, Exempla Lutheran Medical Center

The Center is grateful for the generous leadership and support of the American Hospital Association, BD, Ecolab, GE Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Johnson & Johnson and Medline Industries, as well as the support of GOJO Industries, Inc. and The Federation of American Hospitals.

For more information about the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare, visit www.centerfortransforminghealthcare.org.

Established in 2009, the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare aims to transform American health care into a high-reliability industry that ensures patients receive the safest, highest quality care they expect and deserve. The Center’s participants – the nation’s leading hospitals and health systems – use a proven, systematic approach to analyze specific breakdowns in care and discover their underlying causes to develop targeted solutions for health care’s most critical safety and quality problems. The Center is a not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission, which shares the Center’s proven effective solutions with its more than 18,000 accredited health care organizations. Learn more about the Center at www.centerfortransforminghealthcare.org.

To view this release in a media-rich format, go to: http://www.pwrnewmedia.com/2010/jointcommission_01021_miscommunication/index.html

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ARLINGTON, VA–(Marketwire – October 21, 2010) –  Vangent, Inc., a leading global provider of information management and strategic business process solutions, announced today it was awarded a $15.6 million contract by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology to promote the adoption of health information technology, improve methods of health information exchange (HIE) and provide subject matter expertise as program manager for the Federal Health Architecture (FHA) and CONNECT initiative.

Under the contract, Vangent will provide ONC with program management and health IT management consulting capabilities and run the FHA and CONNECT Program Management Office (PMO). This contract award also calls for Vangent’s health IT subject matter experts to work directly with federal healthcare agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase adoption of the CONNECT solution.

“Vangent is pleased to continue advancing the adoption of CONNECT and other FHA initiatives and to work with the federal government to ensure that all citizens have electronic health records by 2014,” said Mac Curtis, President and CEO, Vangent. “By providing technical solutions like Health Information Exchange Open Source (HIEOS™) that serve as part of the CONNECT solution stack, in addition to consulting and program management services to the FHA PMO, Vangent helps ONC work towards its goal of improved quality of care and increased program efficiency.”

Vangent serves as program manager for the National Health Information Network CONNECT Gateway solution, which was named one of the most innovative technologies of the year by The Wall Street Journal.  The CONNECT software, of which Vangent’s HIEOS™ solution is a part, is an open source software solution that uses standards and governance to ensure that HIEs are compatible with one another, both locally and at the national level. Vangent’s HIEOS™ solution was selected by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) as the default XDS.b registry (record locator services) and repository (record storage services) implementation in the CONNECT Gateway in October 2009.

Under the new contact, Vangent will also support FHA integration with the National Health Information Network Standards and Interoperability (S&I) Framework and federal involvement with the National Health Information Network DIRECT project. The Vangent Team will also manage FHA and CONNECT operational performance and financial tasks. The Vangent team of partners (Iris Partners, SAIC, and Spire Communications) has already built a solid foundation of success from its previous work with the FHA and CONNECT, serving as manager of the FHA Program Management Office since its inception in 2004 and and program manager for the CONNECT initiative since its inception in 2006.

The maximum duration of the contract with FHA is five years, and if all options are exercised, the value of the contract is $15.6 million.

“Vangent’s work with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has enriched our team’s experience in the health IT industry,” said Kerry Weems, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Vangent’s Health Solutions business. “Technology is quickly changing the way healthcare organizations exchange critical data, and Vangent is honored to be a part of these exciting initiatives.”

About Vangent, Inc.
Vangent, Inc. is a global provider of consulting, systems integration, human capital management, and business process services to the U.S. federal and international governments, higher education institutions, and corporations. Vangent’s 8,000 employees support clients including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the U.S. Departments of Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Labor and Veterans Affairs; and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, as well as Fortune 500 companies. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the company has offices throughout the U.S. and in the U.K. and Canada. For more information, visit www.vangent.com.

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This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are those that do not relate solely to historical fact. They include, but are not limited to, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance, achievements or events. Words such as, but not limited to, “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “targets,” “projects,” “likely,” “will,” “would,” “could” and similar expressions or phrases identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. The occurrence of the events described, and the achievement of the expected results, depend on many events, some or all of which are not predictable or within our control. In light of these risks and uncertainties, expected results or other anticipated events or circumstances discussed in this press release might not occur. We undertake no obligation, and specifically decline any obligation, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

NORTHFIELD, IL–(Marketwire – October 21, 2010) –  Randall E. Williams, MD, CEO and founder of Pharos Innovations, has been elected to chair the Government Affairs Committee of the Care Continuum Alliance, an organization focused on strategies to improve healthcare quality and outcomes and reduce preventable costs. As chair of the Government Affairs Committee, Dr. Williams will provide leadership and oversight for the committee’s work including the development of position statements on emerging public policy issues, as well as monitoring healthcare policy to provide Care Continuum Alliance members with valuable information and research on key legislative and regulatory issues. Dr. Williams is also a member of the Alliance’s Executive Committee, which is comprised of healthcare leaders from health plans, academia, wellness organizations and other health management stakeholders.

“I am very honored to have been selected to chair The Care Continuum Alliance’s Government Affairs Committee. I hope to draw from my past work with key Congressional committees, HHS and CMS as we work to accomplish the ‘triple aim’ of improving healthcare quality, reducing healthcare costs and improving the health of populations and sustainability of our healthcare system,” said Williams. “The Care Continuum Alliance is a thought-leadership organization with a wealth of collective experience moving in the right direction toward these aims, and I am excited to be part of this movement.”

Under Dr. Williams’ leadership, Pharos Innovations developed Tel-Assurance^®, a device-free, cost effective, remote patient monitoring platform that does not require special equipment. Tel-Assurance has helped Medicare, Medicaid and commercial patients and their physicians achieve break-through levels of clinical and financial performance improvement, including several successful CMS demonstrations.

“Dr. Williams brings exceptional credentials and experience to our Government Affairs Committee,” Care Continuum Alliance President and CEO Tracey Moorhead said. “His leadership will be invaluable as healthcare reform moves through the regulatory process.”

About the Care Continuum Alliance
The Care Continuum Alliance convenes all stakeholders providing services along the continuum of care for population health improvement, including health and wellness promotion, chronic care management and care coordination. Through advocacy, research and promotion of best practices, the Care Continuum Alliance advances population-based strategies to improve care quality and outcomes and reduce preventable costs for individuals with and at risk of chronic conditions. The Care Continuum Alliance represents more than 200 corporate and individual stakeholders, including wellness and care management organizations, pharmaceutical manufacturers and benefits managers, health information technology and biotechnology innovators, employers, hospitals, physicians, nurses and other health care professionals, and researchers and academics. Learn more at http://www.carecontinuum.org.

About Pharos Innovations
Pharos Innovations is actively involved in transforming the U.S. healthcare delivery system. Pharos offers IVR and Web-based behavior change services and tools that enable payers and providers to cost-effectively and efficiently manage their chronic care population.

Pharos’ main offering, Tel-Assurance, engages, motivates and drives improved self-care. Through Tel-Assurance, participants self-report their health status daily through the phone or Web. This unique approach actively engages individuals with chronic conditions in their healthcare and provides care managers/nurses with real-time information to intervene before symptoms escalate. Tel-Assurance has been proven an effective way to reduce avoidable, all-cause hospital admissions and readmissions and reduce overall healthcare costs among diverse populations.

The Pharos’ solution is strongly validated to show measured clinical improvement and financial impact, is the recipient of the prestigious American Heart Association National Outcomes award and was selected for the first ever National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored evaluation of remote monitoring interventions. For more information visit http://www.pharosinnovations.com or join in on the discussion at our blog, http://www.thecollaborativeforum.com.

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