Hospitals and Health Systems News

DALLAS, TX–(Marketwire – October 5, 2010) – The Biostatistics Center at Johns Hopkins University and the Department of Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine have selected FireHost, the leading secure, managed hosting provider, as their official Web host for special projects within their health care divisions. The websites and applications that FireHost will protect contain critical, confidential patient and research data that must remain secure.

Both Universities selected FireHost after conducting rigorous searches for a secure hosting provider that could achieve and maintain HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) requirements. Multiple layers of prevention protect every client within FireHost’s network, and the Web host is well versed in the additional precautions necessary to protect healthcare data for Duke and Johns Hopkins. Enterprise-grade Web hosting hardware including application level firewalls and DoS/DDoS mitigation devices are key components in providing a safe, HIPAA compliant-ready hosting environment for the Universities’ critical data.

“Medical organizations realize a high probability for cybercrime exists, and they must take every precaution possible to prevent a data breach. FireHost has built a reputation among healthcare organizations for protecting sensitive information online,” said Chris Drake, founder and CEO of FireHost. “We make it our priority to ward off vulnerabilities so Duke, Johns Hopkins, and all of our clients in healthcare can focus on what they do best, providing sophisticated research and patient care.”

Duke’s Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery has a Web application that stores patient data used to aid in the management and care throughout the program. James Alexander, systems analyst with the Duke Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery affirms, “There has never been a point in time in the field of healthcare service delivery that protection of patient information and privacy has been more important. Continually reviewing all of our systems and protections to make sure that we are well protected is yet another illustration of our primary commitment to our patients.”

The Biostatistics Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health was looking for secure hosting for their Web-based data collection application. The application collects health research data that requires a high level of security and scalability, and FireHost was the clear choice. “We evaluated many providers and FireHost was our top choice to meet our secure hosting needs,” says Andre Hackman, faculty research associate of the Biostatistics Center. “Their support is the best we’ve ever worked with and the levels of security that they provide are unsurpassed. We have a great relationship with FireHost and I don’t hesitate to recommend FireHost to colleagues that are looking for secure hosting.”

FireHost has grown 150 percent in the first three quarters of 2010, and counts healthcare IT as one of its fastest growing segments along with Ecommerce and security companies. FireHost is an attractive, affordable alternative to traditional dedicated hosting. Medical SaaS providers and other professional services organizations that specialize in services that collect, store, and access protected patient information online have found the price, scalability, and protection they need with FireHost.

About FireHost, Inc.
FireHost, Inc. is a Dallas, Texas-based secure managed hosting company that delivers enterprise-quality hosting solutions. Specializing in protecting Web sites with compliance and high traffic needs, FireHost makes hacker prevention a standard part of every hosting plan. Advanced security combined with a comprehensive portfolio of hosting solutions helps FireHost protect companies of all sizes from threats to their Web sites, Web applications, and other valuable data.

Helpful links:
www.firehost.com
www.fireblog.com
Twitter.com/firehost

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OXFORD, UK–(Marketwire – October 5, 2010) –

Mirada Medical Limited
(“Mirada” or “the Company”)

Mirada Medical Announces the Release of its Advanced XD3 PET-CT and Fusion Package on Sectra PACS

Oxford, UK and Pennsylvania, US, 5 October 2010: Mirada Medical Limited, the fast growing international company focused on advanced oncology imaging, announced today that its latest XD3 multi-modality image fusion analysis package is now available as an option to users of Sectra PACS. 

The latest version of Mirada XD3 is now available fully integrated into the Sectra workflow. This delivers greatly improved levels of productivity to radiologists and other users of medical imaging who want to access the most advanced tools and products from one workstation and without having to copy large quantities of image data from one location to another.

Using XD3,Sectra users can now be offered advanced quantification of PET, CT, MRI and SPECT including SUV measurements and access to standard disease response protocols such as RECIST for CT and PERCIST for PET and PETCT. The Mirada software supports comparison of two or more PET/CTs and also allows users to fuse MRI with PET, SPECT or CT. Mirada’s XD3 application also incorporates the latest versions of Mirada’s leading deformable image registration algorithms, which allow any combination of image modalities to be registered non-rigidly allowing for corrections to be made where patient positioning is inconsistent, or patient anatomy has changed over time.

Commenting on the new product release, Hugh Bettesworth, CEO of Mirada Medical, said: “It is central to Mirada’s philosophy that we make the advanced technologies available to the widest range of clinical users. By tightly integrating our XD3 application on Sectra PACS, users of this system can experience what we believe are the leading multi-modality workflows in the world, and do so in a way that can significantly boost productivity allowing more scans to be accurately analysed and reported.”

Commenting for Sectra, Per Elmhester, Product Manager Clinical Solutions said: “Sectra strives to constantly improve the offering to our customers. With this release our customers can now fully enjoy the benefits of the Mirada XD3-package.”

About Mirada Medical

Mirada Medical Limited develops internationally recognised medical imaging analysis applications that provide clinicians with advanced software applications for the quantification of images which are typically used in cancer diagnosis and treatment response assessment. Mirada Medical’s technology has broad applicability across nuclear medicine, diagnostic radiology, radiation oncology and medical oncology. Mirada Medical also markets products in neurology and cardiology. Mirada specialises in offering comprehensive and quantifiable analysis for the diagnosis, staging, treatment planning and assessment of treatment response in oncology. Mirada’s advanced technology allows medical images acquired using MRI, CT, SPECT or PET scanners to be combined into one, a process known as image fusion. Image fusion is useful in clinical interpretation as it allows different qualities of information to be combined into a single picture, for example, functional information such as metabolic activity, to be combined with anatomical information showing the precise location of pathology relative to bones and organs. This provides clinical users with a more complete picture, thereby improving the quality of information available when managing a patient’s condition. Mirada’s products are designed to support the comparison of multi-modal images acquired over any number of follow up visits by the patient, making them particularly well suited to the analysis of treatment response in longer term treatment plans such as those typical when treating cancer.

Mirada Medical was formed out of Oxford University by Professor Sir Michael Brady, one of the world’s leading medical imaging scientists. The Company is ISO 13485 certified and its technology has been supplied globally to customers in countries including the US, Japan, and Europe since 2001. Mirada’s products are sold by Mirada but also by major healthcare players such as McKesson, Siemens, Sectra, Carestream and Vital Images.

The Mirada team is a combination of world class scientists and exceptional engineers sourced from both Oxford University and leading blue-chip companies. For more information about Mirada Medical, please visit www.mirada-medical.com.

About XD3

Mirada’s XD3 multi-modality clinical reading application empowers radiologists and oncologists with the image analysis they need to diagnose disease and assess follow up to treatment. XD3 combines powerful registration technologies with serial review of acquisitions acquired over time. Key product features include disease specific oncology workflows and fast, accurate and reproducible image quantification, Mirada’s world class image registration engine powers multi-modal fusion and registration across time. XD3 facilitates advanced clinical decision support and may be deployed on PACS, workstation or laptop, providing the most flexible workflow integration available anywhere. Mirada Medical continues to develop superior products to suit the needs of clinicians for reviewing images in diagnosing, staging and evaluating disease progression and response to therapy. Mirada’s XD3 product provides comprehensive levels of analytical power to the clinical user. Featuring powerful disease specific oncology workflows and fast, accurate and reproducible image quantification, XD3 facilitates advanced clinical decision support. XD3 may be deployed on PACS, home workstation or laptop, providing the most productive workflow integration available anywhere.

About the Sectra Group

Sectra successfully develops and sells cutting-edge products in the expansive niche segments of medical systems and secure communication systems. The company was founded in 1978 and has its roots in Linköping University in Sweden. Today, Sectra has offices in twelve countries and operates through partners worldwide. Sales in the 2009/2010 fiscal year totaled SEK 848 million. The Sectra share is quoted on the NASDAQ OMX Stockholm AB exchange. For more information, visit www.sectra.com.

About Sectra’s medical operations

Sectra develops and sells IT-systems and products for radiology, mammography and orthopedics. More than 1,100 hospitals, clinics and imaging centers worldwide use the systems daily, together performing over 52 million radiology examinations annually. This makes Sectra one of the world-leading companies within systems for handling digital radiology images. In Scandinavia, Sectra is the market leader with more than 50% of all film-free installations. Sectra’s systems have been installed in North America, Scandinavia and most major countries in Europe and the Far East.

http://hugin.info/143183/R/1448965/391019.pdf

SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwire – October 4, 2010) –  Presidiohealth, which offers real-time, mobile computing performance management solutions for healthcare providers, announced today the launch of PerformCycle™, a new patient care management tool that provides an interactive, measurable action plan for pediatric asthma patients.

Presidio is launching the core service this month in the Pediatric Emergency Department at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Daily monitoring of the child’s status, triggers, and medication use seeks to provide better quality care, reduce emergency visits and hospitalizations, and lower overall healthcare and social costs. The PerformCycle platform combines evidence-based care guidelines, the Asthma Action Plan, and post-care patient tracking (CareTracker) solutions to offer home monitoring of a child’s post-care progress and share direct patient feedback with healthcare providers in the emergency department and the pediatrics office. For patients whose parents don’t have smartphones, the basic service delivers daily monitoring and reminders via two way communication with text message and e-mail. For iPhone users, CareTracker integrates the free AsthmaMD™ app.

“We are proud to be part of the first wave of healthcare innovation that brings the patient into the middle of the care cycle,” said Presidiohealth founder and president Douglas Evans. “As an ER physician, I know firsthand why delivering high quality care demands an interaction between provider best practices, enhanced patient education, and ongoing patient engagement. By combining our PerformCycle solutions with the exploding marketplace of mobile apps, we expect to offer health care providers and their patient communities new tools for enhancing care quality and clinical outcomes.” 

“All signs indicate healthcare is at the beginning of a revolution, called mHealth,” said Peter Waegemann, CEO of Medical Records Institute. “Communication-enhanced healthcare is a major part of this development. As new disease management methods emerge that integrate continuous sensing of data, provider monitoring and patient reporting, quality of care will improve and healthcare costs will be lowered. This has been proven in diabetes and hypertension management, but applies equally to asthma management.”

PerformCycle will be available immediately to pediatric asthma patients at California Pacific Medical Center, and beyond CPMC later this year. It will eventually expand to other high-cost-burden diseases. Dr. Evans will present the PerformCycle pilot project on the “Tools for Care Management” panel at the Health 2.0 Conference in San Francisco on October 7 and 8, 2010.

About Presidiohealth
Presidiohealth was founded in 2004 with the primary mission of providing performance management solutions for healthcare providers. Using SaaS and cloud technologies, the company consolidates critical business information so clients can manage clinical and revenue performance in one system. In addition to PerformCycle, Presidio’s services include PerformPOS™, PerformMD™, and PerformRN™ solutions. For more information, visit www.presidiohealth.com.

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CHICAGO, IL–(Marketwire – October 4, 2010) –  Ziegler (PINKSHEETS: ZGCO), a specialty investment banking firm serving hospital and healthcare systems clients since 1928, announced the successful transaction closing for Bronson Methodist Hospital (Bronson). Bronson is a 405-licensed bed general acute care hospital located in Kalamazoo, Michigan; Bronson is a part of the Bronson Healthcare Group, Inc.

Ziegler has served as Bronson’s investment banker for over seven years. During the financial crisis of 2008, Ziegler worked diligently with Bronson to reduce the risk profile of its capital structure by removing counterparty risk to financial institutions and by reducing the risks associated with variable rate indebtedness. In early 2010, Ziegler presented the opportunity for Bronson to further reduce its balance sheet risk. The Series 2010 transaction included the conversion of the outstanding insured variable rate demand obligations to fixed-rate bonds totaling $75 million that carried Assured Guaranty insurance. By converting this series to fixed- rate bonds, Bronson was able to preserve the value of its bond insurance policy and minimize its capital costs. The second series, which totaled $114.26 million, was structured as unenhanced securities and carried an “A2” rating from Moody’s. In conjunction with the fixed-rate conversion, which reduced counterparty, basis, remarketing, and acceleration risks, Bronson terminated corresponding fixed-payer swaps to further reduce its balance sheet risk profile.

John Hanley, Ziegler’s newly promoted head of its healthcare practice, commented, “Bronson offers an excellent example of how Ziegler works with its clients to identify creative financing solutions that best meet their organization’s short- and long-term financial goals.”

For more information about Ziegler and this transaction, please visit us at www.Ziegler.com.

About Ziegler:
The Ziegler Companies, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: ZGCO) together with its affiliates (Ziegler) is a specialty investment bank with unique expertise in complex credit structures and advisory services. Nationally, Ziegler is ranked as one of the leading investment banking firms in its specialty sectors of healthcare, senior living, religion and education finance, as well as corporate finance and FHA/HUD. Headquartered in Chicago, IL with regional and branch offices throughout the U.S., Ziegler creates tailored financial solutions including bond financing, advisory, private placement, seed capital, M&A, risk and asset management. Ziegler serves institutional and individual investors through its wealth management and capital markets distribution channels.

Certain comments in this news release represent forward-looking statements made pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, in particular, the overall financial health of the securities industry, the strength of the healthcare sector of the U.S. economy and the municipal securities marketplace, the ability of the Company to underwrite and distribute securities, the market value of mutual fund portfolios and separate account portfolios advised by the Company, the volume of sales by its retail brokers, the outcome of pending litigation, and the ability to attract and retain qualified employees.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI–(Marketwire – October 4, 2010) –  Versus Technology, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: VSTI) is pleased to announce that another phenomenal customer, Pacific Medical Center (PacMed), is now realizing the benefits of the Versus Advantages™ Real-time Locating System (RTLS). In April, Canyon Park Clinic, PacMed’s newest multi-specialty clinic in Bothell, WA, implemented the Versus Advantages™ Clinic solution to reduce patient visit times and improve the overall patient experience.

Taking time in September to share the Advantages of RTLS in Clinical Environments at Microsoft’s Health Users Group Exchange 2010, Brett Daniel, MD, Medical Director at Canyon Park Clinic announced that not only did the clinic achieve its primary goal to reduce overall average patient visit times from 70 to 46 minutes, it also reduced phone calls, demonstrated outstanding patient satisfaction scores, and is expected to promote material revenues. An impressive success, especially considering the RTLS was implemented only six months ago when the clinic opened.

“We were, and continue to be, focused on customer service, and the patient is our customer,” explains Linda Eremic, Director of Primary Care Services for PacMed. “Per our experience as both consumers and patients, we know that it makes sense to ensure that the customer is never left needlessly waiting–not in a waiting room, not in an exam room, not on the phone and not for a return call. Versus helps us manage our time and our patients to ensure that we can deliver the customer service our patients expect and deserve.” 

With up to 110 personnel on site and 300 patients currently moving in and about the Canyon Park Clinic‘s 30,000 sq. ft. each day, the Versus’ RTLS was sure to deliver benefit just in communicating the locations of patients, staff and equipment. However, for Versus, providing location information is just a necessary stepping stone to true clinical automation. PacMed is experiencing increased efficiencies as a result of:

1. Knowing patient status and room availability. (Communicated simultaneously to all care providers and updated automatically.)
2. No longer “rooming” patients. (Patients self-room, similar to checking in at a hotel.)
3. Reports to monitor Key Performance Indicators and measure results.
4. Alerts to ensure that providers and MAs see the patient at the right time, with the right information.

Dr. Daniel notes, “Every decision we made when designing the new clinic was centered on improving the patient experience. With Versus, what we didn’t expect is how great an impact it would also have on staff. Our staff is more productive, less stressed and patients have greater access to all of us. On the technology side, even our upcoming EMR implementation will be made easier by virtue of having the RTLS. As we anticipate greater distribution of the Versus system, our clinic has really become a model for how to do it well.”

“We really appreciate when our clients are willing to discuss the advantages of RTLS,” says HT Snowday, Versus’ CTO. “PacMed is unique in that they understood from the start that implementing RTLS wasn’t about simply tracking assets or choosing the technology that was easiest to install. It’s about delivering real, transformational change to patients and those who deliver patient care. To do so, facilities have to look beyond the locating technology to determine whether the solution offers clinical-quality data and whether the vendor understands the locating metrics as they relate to healthcare.”

Dr. Daniel will be presenting Canyon Park Clinic’s use case and outcomes with RTLS through an AHA Solutions, Inc. webinar on Wednesday, October 6, 2010. Those interested in learning more may register here: AHA Signature Learning Series – Patient Flow. 

About Pacific Medical Centers
Pacific Medical Centers is a private not-for-profit, multi-specialty health-care network of 10 locations with 140 primary and specialty care providers. Its 10 locations are in Puget Sound neighborhoods in Beacon Hill, Bothell, downtown Seattle, Northgate, Federal Way, First Hill, Lynnwood, Northgate, Renton and Totem Lake. Pacific Medical Centers serves patients with commercial insurance, retired military and their families, family members of active-duty personnel, as well as the underserved in our community.

About Versus Technology, Inc.
Established in 1988, Versus Technology, Inc. specializes in real-time location systems (RTLS) for healthcare. Used for enterprise patient tracking, bed management, asset tracking, and nurse call automation, Versus Advantages™ improves patient flow and documentation of caregiver and patient interactions, while enhancing communication and efficiency. Exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association, the Versus Advantages infrared (IR) and Active RFID solution is responsible for clinical-grade location and automation at a number of hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities worldwide. To learn more about Versus Technology, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: VSTI), our technology and client successes, visit www.versustech.com and take the Advantages Tour.

Safe Harbor Provision
This release may include forward-looking statements which “bespeak caution,” and which are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The statements are made only as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

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HOUSTON, TX–(Marketwire – October 4, 2010) – SHAPE, The Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication (http://www.shapesociety.org), a nonprofit organization that promotes the early detection and treatment of heart attack risk in apparently healthy people, today announced three clinics have achieved certification as SHAPE/HeartHealth Centers of Excellence. The newly certified clinics are Bon Secours Reynolds Crossing Imaging Center in Richmond, Va., Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in Midlothian, Va., and St. John’s Heart Institute in Springfield, Mo.

The SHAPE/HeartHealth Centers of Excellence initiative encourages best practices in heart attack screening. To be considered for SHAPE/HeartHealth Centers of Excellence certification, a clinic must be committed to improving patient outcomes through early detection and primary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD). Unlike traditional cardiovascular clinics that are primarily focused on preventing a second heart attack, SHAPE/HeartHealth Centers of Excellence focus on the prevention of a first heart attack — especially in the vulnerable population, those at risk of a near future heart attack.

“We congratulate these clinics on helping to advance preventive cardiology through the responsible practice of cardiovascular screening,” said JoAnne Zawitoski, chairwoman of the SHAPE Board of Directors. “Through these SHAPE/HeartHealth Centers of Excellence we are making progress toward preventing and, ultimately, eradicating heart attacks, but we have a very long way to go.”

SHAPE/HeartHealth Centers of Excellence adhere to the First SHAPE Guideline for screening to identify hidden CAD in apparently healthy individuals. The First SHAPE Guideline established standards for the careful and responsible implementation of scientifically proven atherosclerosis tests to detect hidden plaque buildup in coronary and carotid arteries, and recommended the tests be incorporated into routine screening for at risk men and women as they age.

In addition to the newly certified clinics, other SHAPE/HeartHealth Centers of Excellence are located in Arizona, Florida and Pennsylvania.

The SHAPE/HeartHealth Centers of Excellence Program coincides with SHAPE Provider Certification. For more information about these certification programs for your practice or hospital, please contact Dr. Jeff Fine at (803) 360-4756 or [email protected].

About SHAPE

Based in Houston, the Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication (SHAPE) is a non-profit organization that promotes education and research related to prevention, detection, and treatment of heart attacks. SHAPE is committed to raising public awareness about revolutionary discoveries that are opening exciting avenues to prevent heart attacks. SHAPE’s mission is to eradicate heart attacks in the 21st century. Additional information is available on the organization’s Web site at www.shapesociety.org.

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AUSTIN, TX–(Marketwire – October 1, 2010) –
El sábado, 2 de octubre, se realizarán más de 1.000 eventos en todo el mundo para marcar el Día LIVESTRONG, el día mundial anual de acción para celebrar la sobrevivencia y los esfuerzos hacia un mundo sin cáncer.

El 2 de octubre también marca el décimo cuarto aniversario del diagnóstico de cáncer y el inicio de su vida como defensor del cáncer del LIVESTRONG fundador y presidente, sobreviviente de cáncer y campeón de ciclismo, Lance Armstrong.

“La lucha contra el cáncer no sucede en un laboratorio”, dijo Armstrong. “Se lleva a cabo en nuestros hogares y comunidades mientras las familias luchan por combatir esta enfermedad. Este año, el cáncer se proyecta como la principal causa de muerte, cobrando más de ocho millones de vidas. El Día LIVESTRONG, las comunidades en todo el mundo se unirán para apoyar a las personas que viven con cáncer y hacer un llamado de acción renovada de nuestros líderes para combatir esta crisis de salud mundial”.

Más de 1.000 eventos, desde paseos en bicicleta a iniciativas ?Use Amarillo”, a venta de pasteles y galletas horneadas y mucho más, tendrán lugar en los 50 estados de Estados Unidos y en 57 países el Día LIVESTRONG mientras las personas y las comunidades se mantienen unidas en solidaridad para crear mayor conciencia y recaudar fondos para la lucha contra el cáncer. Los eventos incluyen:

• Una vigilia con barras luminosas en las escalinatas el Capitolio de Colorado en Denver donde los seguidores celebrarán la supervivencia y recordaran a sus seres queridos ya perdidos
• Un evento de paseo en bicicleta y concienciación del cáncer en Boston donde los participantes pedalearán en pos de la lucha contra el cáncer
• Un evento de ciclismo de 24 horas en Atlanta donde los ciclistas recaudarán fondos para programas e investigaciones de cáncer
• Una fiesta para ver un partido de futbol de Texas/Oklahoma en la sede de LIVESTRONG en Austin donde el equipo de LIVESTRONG educará a la comunidad acerca de sus recursos
• Un evento para crear mayor conciencia y de aprendizaje en una escuela primaria en Los Ángeles donde los niños escribirán con tiza en el parque de juegos y compartirán sus ideas sobre lo significa vivir fuerte

LIVESTRONG también se asoció con Nike para crear mayor conciencia acerca del cáncer en el juego de fútbol de Red River Rivalry en Dallas entre The University of Texas en Austin versus The University of Oklahoma. Los aficionados realizarán una cartomagia centrada en el cáncer patrocinada por Nike durante el juego. La cartomagia creará una experiencia memorable para los aficionados y ayudarán a unirlos en la lucha contra el cáncer.

LIVESTRONG y RadioShack crean aún mayor conciencia sobre el cáncer el Día LIVESTRONG reclutando la ayuda de los defensores a través de Facebook y Twitter. El 2 de octubre, por cada persona que añada el número “28” a sus fotos de perfil en Facebook y Twitter para apoyar a los 28 millones de sobrevivientes de cáncer en todo el mundo, RadioShack donará $1 a LIVESTRONG hasta $100,000.

RadioShack también revelará una versión digital gigante del “Mosaico Equipo 28” en Times Square de Nueva York el Día LIVESTRONG por un solo día. El mosaico se basa en la fotografía icónica de Lance tomada en la etapa final de su Gira por Francia en 2010. El Mosaico Equipo 28 está compuesto por fotos de todos los seguidores de Facebook y Twitter que marcaron sus fotos de perfil con el símbolo del Equipo 28 (ver #team28 o http://twb.ly/team-28 vía Twitter). El vídeo de la pancarta de Military Island de Times Square se transmitirá en vivo online durante el día en http://team28.RadioShack.com, permitiendo que los seguidores vean sus imágenes de perfil agrandadas en el mosaico digital mientras las añaden.

También se motiva a los seguidores que usen Amarillo, el símbolo universalmente reconocido de la lucha contra el cáncer, Lance el Día LIVESTRONG se unirá en un testimonio mundial de fortaleza y coraje y demostrará su apoyo a los sobrevivientes de cáncer en todo el mundo. Más de 7.000 personas ya se han comprometido a usar Amarillo el Día LIVESTRONG.

El impacto del cáncer en todo el mundo aumenta todos los días. La American Cancer Society y LIVESTRONG recientemente unieron fuerzas para divulgar el primer estudio único en su tipo sobre el costo económico de todas las causas de muerte en el mundo, incluyendo el cáncer y otras enfermedades no contagiosas y contagiosas. Los datos de este estudio revelaron que el cáncer tiene el impacto económico más devastador que cualquier otra causa de muerte en el mundo, con un costo para la economía mundial de cerca de un billón de dólares al año.

El Día LIVESTRONG es una oportunidad para las personas de todo estrato social para luchar por el objetivo en común de asegurar que los sobrevivientes de cáncer en todo el mundo tengan la información, los recursos y el apoyo que necesitan para vivir con fortaleza y dignidad.

“Hoy tenemos una poderosa oportunidad para cambiar la manera en que las personas piensan acerca del cáncer”, dijo Doug Ulman, presidente y CEO de LIVESTRONG . “Toda persona que se une en la lucha contra el cáncer nos acerca hacia nuestro objetivo de un mundo libre de la enfermedad”.

To learn more, visit www.LIVESTRONG.org.

Acerca de LIVESTRONG
LIVESTRONG, fundada en 1997 por el sobreviviente de cáncer y campeón de ciclismo Lance Armstrong y centralizada en Austin, Texas, lucha por los 28 millones de personas en todo el mundo que viven con cáncer hoy en día. LIVESTRONG conecta a las personas con el apoyo que necesitan, utiliza fondos y recursos para estimular la innovación y compromete a las comunidades y líderes para impulsar un cambio social. Conocida por su icónica banda amarilla, la misión de LIVESTRONG es inspirar y empoderar a cualquier persona afectada por el cáncer.

AUSTIN, TX–(Marketwire – October 1, 2010) –
Sábado, dia 2 de outubro, mais de 1.000 eventos em todo o mundo serão realizados para marcar o Dia LIVESTRONG, o dia anual mundial de ação para comemorar a sobrevivência e trabalho em prol de um mundo sem câncer.

O dia 2 de outubro também é o aniversário de 14 anos do diagnóstico e câncer do sobrevivente de câncer e ciclista camprão Lance Armstrong, fundador e chairman do LIVESTRONG e do início da sua vida como lutador contra o câncer.

“A luta contra o câncer não acontece em um laboratório”, disse Armstrong. “Ela acontece nas nossas casas e comunidades com a luta das famílias para vencer esta doença. Este ano, o câncer deve ser a principal causa de mortes, ceifando mais de oito milhões de vidas. No Dia LIVESTRONG, as comunidades de todo o mundo se unirão para dar suporte para quem vive com câncer pedindo ação renovada dos nossos líderes para o combate a esta crise de saúde mundial”.

Mais de 1.000 eventos — passeios de bicicleta, iniciativas “Wear Yellow” (usem amarelho), vendas de doces e outras — serão realizados nos 50 estados dos EUA e em 57 países no Dia LIVESTRONG com as pessoas e as comunidades se unindo em solidariedade para disseminar o conhecimento da luta contra o câncer. Os eventos são:

• Uma vigília com uma haste brilhante nas escadas do Capitólio de Colorado em Denver para comemorar a sobrevivência e lembrar a perda de entes queridos.
• Um passeio de bicicleta em grupo e um evento de informação sobre o câncer em Boston onde os participantes irão pedalar para lutar contra o câncer.
• Um evento de ciclismo de 24 horas em Atlanta onde os ciclistas angariarão fundos para programas e pesquisa sobre o câncer.
• Uma festa para assistir o jogo de futebol americano do Texas/Oklahoma na sede da LIVESTRONG em Austin onde a equipe da LIVESTRONG irá informar a comunidade sobre os seus recursos.
• Um evento de aprendizado e disseminação de informação em uma escola de ensino fundamental em Los Angeles onde as crianças desenharão com giz no chão do playground e compartilhar suas ideias sobre o que elas acham ser ter uma vida forte.

LIVESTRONG também fez uma parceria com a Nike para disseminar o conhecimento do câncer em um jogo de futebol americano Red River Rivalry em Dallas da University of Texas at Austin e The University of Oklahoma. Os fãs farão uma apresentação com quadros sobre o câncer patrocinada pela Nike durante o jogo. A apresentação será uma experiência memorável para os fãs e irá ajudá-los na luta contra o câncer.

LIVESTRONG e RadioShack irão disseminar ainda mais o conhecimento sobre o câncer no Dia LIVESTRONG ao solicitar a ajuda de simpatizantes no Facebook e Twitter. No dia 2 de outubro, para cada pessoa que adicionar o número “28” nas fotos dos seus perfis no Facebook e Twitter em apoio aos 28 milhões de sobreviventes de câncer em todo o mundo, o RadioShack fará uma doaç ao de $1 dólar para LIVESTRONG com um máximo de $100.000,00.

RadioShack também fará uma apresentação digital do “Team 28 Mosaic” (Mosaico do número 28 da equipe) na Times Square de Nova York sobre o Dia LIVESTRONG apenas um dia. O mosaico está baseado na fotografia icônica de Lance tirada na etapa final da Tour de France de 2010. O Team 28 Mosaic é composto de fotos de todos os simpatizantes do Facebook e do Twitter que incluíram nas fotos do seu perfil o símbolo Team 28 (veja #team28 ou http://twb.ly/team-28 no Twitter). O vídeo do outdoor da Ilha Militar da Times Square será transmitido online ao vivo durante o dia no http://team28.RadioShack.com, para que os simpatizantes possam ver as imagens gigantescas dos perfis no mosaico digital à medida que são adicionadas.

Os simpatizantes também devem usar amarelho, o símbolo reconhecido mundialmente da luta contra o câncer, juntamente com Lance no Dia LIVESTRONG em uma demonstração mundial de força e coragem em apoio aos sobreviventes do câncer em todo o mundo. Mais de 7.000 pessoas já se comprometeram a usar amarelo no Dia LIVESTRONG.

O impacto do câncer em todo o mundo continua a aumentar diariamente. A American Cancer Society e LIVESTRONG recentemente se uniram para publicar o primeiro estudo sobre o custo econômico de todas as causas da morte no mundo, incluindo o câncer e outras doenças comunicáveis e não comunicáveis. Os dados deste estudo mostram que o câncer tem o impacto mais devastador do que qualquer causa de morte no mundo, custando quase três milhões de dólares ao ano para a economia global.

O Dia LIVESTRONG é uma oportunidade para as pessoas de todas as áreas trabalharem em prol de um objetivo comum de garantir que os sobrevivente do câncer de todo o mundo tenham acesso à informação, recursos e suporte necessários para que elas possam viver a vida com forá e dignidade.

“Hoje, temos a grande oportunidade de mudar a forma como as pessoas pensam sobre o câncer”, disse Doug Ulman, Presidente e CEO da LIVESTRONG. “Cada indivíduo que se úne à luta contra o câncer nos leva cada vez mais próximos ao nosso objetivo de um mundo sem esta doença”.

Para mais informações, acesse www.LIVESTRONG.org.

LIVESTRONG
Fundada em 1997 pelo sobrevivente de câncer e campeão de ciclismo Lance Armstrong e baseada em Austin, Texas, a LIVESTRONG luta pelas 28 milhões de pessoas que vivem com câncer no mundo todo hoje. A LIVESTRONG conecta indivíduos para atender suas necessidades, aproveitar os financiamentos e recursos para impulsionar a inovação e envolver as comunidades e líderes na mudança social. Conhecida por sua pulseira amarela icônica, a LIVESTRONG tem por missão inspirar e capacitar qualquer pessoa afetada pelo câncer.

BOCA RATON, FL–(Marketwire – September 30, 2010) –  XenaCare Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: XCHO) announced today that it has signed a private label marketing agreement with Renaissance Publishing LLC covering three of its clinical supplement products.

Under the terms of the agreement XenaCare will supply Renaissance with finished product for private label marketing in the United States with packaging and branding provided by Renaissance.

Commenting on the agreement, Frank Rizzo, President and CEO of XenaCare, states, “We are very pleased to be working with Renaissance for U.S. private label marketing of these proprietary clinical supplement products. They fit into Renaissance’s growing portfolio of anti-aging dietary supplements that promote increased health, well-being, and life expectancy and allow us to concentrate our efforts and resources on Cobroxin™. We believe that the Renaissance strategy of providing education about its products along with its direct response sales model will result in greater awareness and sales of these unique products and look forward to a successful relationship with Renaissance.”

XenaCare expects to strengthen its distribution matrix for future product introductions through a strategic relationship with Renaissance. Renaissance currently has an established 150,000 customer base and is a multimillion dollar company.

For further information:

http://www.XenaCareHoldings.com

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward Looking Statements

Except for the historical and present factual information contained herein, the matters set forth in this document, including statements regarding our anticipated future sales results for our products are forward looking statements. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Actual events or results may differ from the Company’s expectations. There are many risks, uncertainties and other factors that can prevent the achievement of our goals or cause results to differ from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements including, without limitation, the risks described in greater detail in filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements even if experience or future events make it clear that any of the anticipated results expressed or implied herein will not be realized. The Company’s filings may be accessed at the SEC’s Edgar system at www.sec.gov.

BETHESDA, MD–(Marketwire – September 29, 2010) –  GetWellNetwork, Inc. today announced that Sharp Memorial Hospital, a Magnet hospital and part of Sharp HealthCare, a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient, has selected the Company’s award-winning interactive patient care solution to enhance the patient care experience and streamline clinical workflows. Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, California will use the GetWellNetwork^® solution to provide superior patient education, high-tech amenities and enhanced communication with their caregivers.

“When we evaluated our goals against solutions on the market, it became very clear that GetWellNetwork was our best option,” said Susan Stone, chief nursing officer, Sharp Memorial Hospital. “GetWellNetwork clients have documented impressive improvements in clinical outcomes, patient safety and patient satisfaction. In addition, the company offered something other solutions lacked — proven integration with our EMR system for efficient automation of nursing workflows and the ability to extend The Sharp Experience when patients go home.”

The GetWellNetwork system will provide Sharp Memorial Hospital with a systematic and consistent approach to patient education and communication with caregivers and hospital staff. By integrating with the hospital’s Cerner^® EMR system, patients will access personalized medical information as soon as they arrive in their rooms and will be encouraged to learn about their diagnosis, treatment plan and any upcoming medical procedures through the GetWellNetwork system.

In addition, clinicians will be able to track patients’ progress and comprehension of their treatment plans and prescribed education materials, which will be documented automatically into patients’ records through the bi-directional integration with the Cerner EMR. The result is a consistent process for documentation of patient records, which in turn offloads non-clinical tasks from clinicians. 

The GetWellNetwork solution will also provide a wide range of entertainment features to help patients relax and stay connected with their tech-savvy friends and families. Patients can watch a variety of Hollywood movies, play video games, listen to music on Pandora, and surf the Internet, as well as stay connected via email and social media sites.

“Sharp has earned a national reputation for delivering exceptional patient care, and we had a unique opportunity to work intimately with their leadership team as they evaluated potential partners for the new hospital,” said Michael O’Neil, CEO and founder of GetWellNetwork, Inc. “We are very proud to be selected as the interactive patient care solution of choice by Sharp, and we look forward to collaborating as we implement a digital platform that will impact patient outcomes throughout the patient journey.”

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.

About Sharp Memorial Hospital
With a tradition of excellence since 1955, Sharp Memorial Hospital is recognized internationally for outstanding programs in emergency and trauma services, surgery, cardiac and vascular care, cancer treatment, rehabilitation, orthopedic and neurological services, women’s health, weight loss surgery, multi-organ transplantation and home care.

A Magnet-designated facility for nursing excellence, Sharp Memorial completed an expansion in January 2009 to become San Diego’s first hospital with all private patient rooms. The new 315,000-square-foot, 334-bed structure, named the Stephen Birch Healthcare Center, is also the first hospital in San Diego to open since 1993. 

Sharp Memorial is part of Sharp HealthCare, the region’s largest health care provider and a 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient. To learn more about Sharp Memorial, visit www.sharp.com/memorial or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277).

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EDEN PRAIRIE, MN–(Marketwire – September 29, 2010) –  Sunshine Heart Inc. (ASX: SHC), a global medical device company focused on innovative technologies for moderate to severe heart failure, today announced that it has engaged two leading industrial design and software firms to develop the next generation electronic power and software driver for its C-Pulse^® Heart Assist System. By miniaturizing the separately-housed controller and driver and combining them into one compact unit, Sunshine Heart is broadening future clinical and commercialization opportunities for C-Pulse.

The Company has entered joint development programs to develop a smaller, quieter and lighter single-control system for use in the U.S. pivotal clinical trial, which is expected to commence once the FDA approved IDE feasibility study is completed. The new C-Pulse design will integrate the power driver and battery pack into one unit, significantly reducing the size and the weight of external components. These external design changes will greatly improve mobility and comfort for the patient without altering C-Pulse implantable components or the way in which the device functions inside the body. The new single unit will also feature a number of software enhancements that are intended to allow medical professionals to collect additional data to improve patient management.

Sunshine Heart Chief Executive Officer Dave Rosa said, “Due to its small internal components, the C-Pulse can ideally be implanted through minimally invasive procedures as opposed to a full sternotomy procedure. Now, with the redesign of C-Pulse external components, the system will be more ergonomically appealing and comfortable for patients. Our ultimate goal is to make the C-Pulse a fully-implantable system which, much like a pacemaker, can be easily implanted and effortlessly managed by patients.”

Co-principal medical investigator for Sunshine Heart’s FDA approved IDE feasibility study, William T. Abraham, MD, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at The Ohio State University Heart Center in Columbus, Ohio, said, “Reducing the size and bulk of the external system combined with a less-invasive surgical procedure will dramatically expand the use of the C-Pulse among physicians. This treatment has the potential to transform the way in which heart failure is treated and I am eager to see this treatment reach more patients.”

The C-Pulse heart assist system is designed to treat patients suffering from the debilitating effects of moderate to severe heart failure caused by a failing left ventricle (the left heart chamber). The C-Pulse System features a unique balloon counterpulsation technology that 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 left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), artificial hearts or transplants.

The C-Pulse System is an earlier intervention than other mechanical therapies, such as LVADs. This device does not make direct contact with patient’s blood and it can be turned on or off at any time, allowing patients intervals of freedom to perform certain activities. The C-Pulse System can also be implanted as a minimally invasive procedure, thereby potentially reducing procedural time, hospital stays, overall cost and patient risk as compared to a traditional sternotomy.

About the C-Pulse^® Heart Assist System
The C-Pulse Heart Assist System uses proprietary balloon counterpulsation technology to increase the amount of blood pumped by the heart and to reduce the workload on the heart. The C-Pulse System is implanted in the patient’s chest through a sternotomy or through a small incision when performed as a minimally invasively procedure. During the procedure, there is no need to place the patient on a heart-lung machine as the patient’s heart remains beating continuously.

Once implanted, the C-Pulse cuff is positioned on the outside of the patient’s ascending aorta above the aortic valve. An ECG sense lead is then attached to the heart to determine timing for cuff inflation and deflation in synchronization with the heartbeat. The C-Pulse cuff and lead are connected to a single line that is run through the abdomen to connect to a power driver outside the body. Because the C-Pulse System remains outside the blood system, there is potentially less risk of blood clots and stroke in comparison to other mechanical devices, such as left ventricle assist devices (LVADs).

About Sunshine Heart^®

Sunshine Heart^® (ASX: SHC) a global medical device company committed to the commercialization of the C-Pulse^® Heart Assist System, a minimally invasive, implantable, non-blood contacting, heart assist therapy for the treatment of moderate heart failure. C-Pulse^® relieves the symptoms of heart failure through the use of counterpulsation technology which enables an increase in cardiac output, an increase in coronary blood flow and a reduction in the heart’s pumping load. The Company has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a 20-patient U.S. clinical trial with the C-Pulse^® System and the study will reach seventy-five percent enrollment by September 30, 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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HOUSTON, TX–(Marketwire – September 28, 2010) –  Four nationally recognized orthopedic surgeons from the Methodist Center for Orthopaedic Surgery are now seeing patients in northwest Houston at Methodist Willowbrook Hospital. 

The Willowbrook center, which provides comprehensive care in the diagnosis and surgical and non-surgical treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions, is made up of board certified specialists in hand and upper extremity, foot and ankle, sports injuries and orthopedic trauma.

Drs. Korsh Jafarnia, Travis Hanson, Bruce Moseley, and Plinio Caldera have joined the center, now providing complete orthopedic and sports medicine care to northwest Houston and the surrounding area. 

“We are pleased to add these talented physicians to our team and the dynamic orthopedic center at Methodist Willowbrook. Utilizing the latest technology in arthroscopy, endoscopy and rehabilitative therapies, these physicians — each specializing in a particular area — bring a superior level of care to the community,” said Julie Peterson, Director, Physician and Community Strategic Alignment, Methodist Willowbrook Hospital.

Jafarnia, who is also Chief of Staff at Methodist Willowbrook Hospital, is one of Houston’s leading hand and upper extremity surgeons. He is an assistant clinical professor at Baylor College of Medicine and completed his fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School. Hanson specializes in sports medicine with particular focus on the foot and ankle. He is a team physician for Rice University and the U.S. Soccer national teams. Moseley specializes in sports medicine with focus on the knee and shoulder. He is the recipient of the DeBakey Award for Outstanding Research and formerly team physician for the Houston Rockets and the Houston Comets. Caldera specializes in orthopedic trauma with focus on the knee, shoulder and hip. He has a special interest in arthroscopic knee, shoulder surgery and total hip and knee replacements.

To learn more about these physicians and the Methodist Center for Orthopaedic Surgery at Willowbrook go to www.methodistwillowbrook.com or call (281) 737-0999.

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NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – September 28, 2010) – Hospital acquired infections, or HAIs remain a problem for the healthcare system, and a problem in which new diagnostic products can play a role, according to Kalorama Information. In its report, “The Worldwide Market for In Vitro Diagnostic Tests,” the healthcare market research publisher details how sophisticated molecular tests that can quickly identify patients for isolation and treatment are being utilized despite their higher price tag. Kalorama forecasts that revenues for molecular tests that detect HAIs will grow at 25% per year for the next five years.

“They are growing at four times the rate of the average IVD products,” said Shara Rosen, senior diagnostic analyst for Kalorama Information and the author of the report. “HAIs are a huge problem and this is an opportunity for the most logical tests to treat them.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that HAIs affect nearly 2 million Americans annually, resulting in 90,000 deaths and up to $6.5 billion in extra costs. A 2009 edition study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 51% of patients in nearly 1,300 intensive care units in 75 countries were suffering from some kind of hospital-acquired infection. MRSA, the most notorious of them all, accounts for about 10% of these infections. Other problem pathogens include C-difficile (an intestinal infection), Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (linked with intestinal, skin and blood infections), and drug-resistant Acinetobacter (which can cause pneumonia, skin and blood infections). 

Kalorama Information’s report details several approaches to HAI detection. On the conservative and least expensive side are chromogenic growth media that permit the selective growth of MRSA bacteria and produce a colored colony that is easily recognizable. On the more expensive side, there has been an explosion of user-friendly molecular assays that have been widely accepted. Cephid, Becton Dickinson and Seegene are among the companies with products to test for HAIs. The advantage of these molecular tests is that they can provide highly sensitive rapid turnaround results. Their popularity, according to the report is growing but not universal.

“Screening with molecular tests has its defenders and opponents,” Rosen said. “The defenders suggest that the cost of molecular screening tests, especially for MRSA, allow carrier patients to be segregated from the rest of the population. The opponents say that techniques such as chromogenic growth media identify carriers in enough time to limit the damage they can do.”

Kalorama Information’s Report, “The Worldwide Market for In Vitro Diagnostic Tests,” takes a look at these topics and more. The book, published every two years, looks at every aspect of the in vitro diagnostic industry including molecular, hematology, immunoassays, POC and more. The report can be found at:
http://www.kaloramainformation.com/redirect.asp?progid=79688&productid=2613362.

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://www.twitter.com/KaloramaInfo) and LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2177845&trk=hb_side_g).

HOUSTON, TX–(Marketwire – September 28, 2010) –  Bay Area Gastroenterology, a Houston Gastroenterology practice, is now pleased to offer Remicade infusions for patients with Crohn’s and Ulcerative colitis, at 1015 Medical Center Boulevard in Webster, Texas. With their state of the art infusion suites, the physicians at Bay Area Gastroenterology continue to be one the leading endoscopy practices in Houston and Clear Lake. 

The infusion suites offer IV infusion of Remicade on weekdays by trained nurses in an office setting. The gastroenterology consultants are Board certified trained professionals who have expertise in the diagnosis and therapy of Inflammatory bowel disorders such as Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative colitis and Colitis. Dr. Ravi S. Mani M.D., President of Bay Area Gastroenterology, states that the disease is often characterized by abdominal pain, diarrhea, bleeding, change in bowel habits and weight loss.

Patients who have moderate to severe Crohn’s Disease and who have not responded to other therapies are good candidates for Remicade infusions. Remicade has been effective in relieving the symptoms of acute abdominal pain and inflammatory bowel disorders by binding and blocking the effects of TNF-alpha, a protein involved in the inflammation process. 

Remicade IV Infusions at Bay Area Gastroenterology are administered by highly trained nurses in the comfort of an infusion suite. During the infusion, the nurse will check each patient at regular intervals. Patients are encouraged to relax, read a book, listen to music or watch television.

“We are pleased to offer IV Infusion for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative colitis at Bay Area Gastroenterology,” said Dr. Mani. “It is far more relaxing for our patients to receive this therapy in one of our Infusion suites instead of having to go to the hospital. Our nurses are highly trained in the administration of IV infusions and ensure the comfort of each patient throughout the infusion process.”

About Bay Area Gastroenterology
Bay Area Gastroenterology is a leading medical center for the diagnosis and treatment of ailments of the stomach, intestines, colon, gallbladder and pancreas. On site radiological and endoscopic facilities provide state-of-the-art medical care for disorders and diseases such as Crohn’s, Colitis and acid reflux/GERD. Bay Area Gastroenterology was the first private practice group in the Houston area to offer office based Virtual Colonoscopy for screening of colon cancer.

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WEST HARTFORD, CT–(Marketwire – September 28, 2010) –  BroadcastMed, the leader in online medical video, presents on ORLive a live interactive broadcast of a patient specific knee replacement featuring technology from Zimmer. This week also includes the launch of a new CME focused website from UPMC, the UPMC Physician Resources site.

On-demand features this month include our library of procedures and educational programming focused on atrial fibrillation and BroadcastMed invites you to take part in the latest installment of the Virtual Brain Tumor Board.

NEW ON ORLIVE

LIVE SURGERY VIDEO – Zimmer Patient Specific Instruments and the Gender Solutions™ Natural-Knee® Flex System
Premieres Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 7PM EDT

On Tuesday, September 28th at 7 PM EDT Zimmer Medical Education will broadcast an ORLive Zimmer Patient Specific Instrument surgery featuring Zimmer Patient Specific Instruments and Natural Knee. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Michael Bolognesi, Duke University Medical Center and will be moderated by Dr. Shawn Hocker from Atlantic Orthopedics, PA in Wilmington, NC. The broadcast will last one hour and will show the entire surgical procedure.

This surgery video is available exclusively to members of the ORLive community, and members can interact and ask questions via the ORLive website. Learn more about this broadcast or get a reminder at ORLive.com, and be ready to view this exciting procedure by activating your free membership to ORLive today.

NEW CME SITE – Introducing the UPMC Physician Resource
This week marks the launch of the UPMC Physician Resources website, a new web destination dedicated to providing physicians with the highest quality CME content from one of the country’s leading institutions.

ORLIVE REFERRALS – Week of September 27, 2010
September is National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month, and each week ORLive highlights on-demand videos for our membership and visitors. 

Medical Education Referral: Arrhythmia: Catheter Ablation for Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT), from Brigham and Women’s Hospital

CME Referral: Reality EP: Catheter Ablation for Paroxysmal AF, from the Heart Rhythm Society

Viewer’s Referral: Robot Assisted Partial Nephrectomy Surgery, from Shawnee Mission Medical Center

HIGHLIGHTS

NOW ON-DEMAND – Continuum® Acetabular System and Zimmer® M/L Taper with Kinectiv® Technology
Now Available On-demand

Zimmer Medical Education presents an ORLive Total Hip Arthroplasty featuring the Continuum Acetabular System and the Kinectiv Modular Neck Technology. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Mark Hartzband, Hartzband Center for Hip and Knee Replacement, L.L.C., Paramus, NJ and will be moderated by Dr. Paul Duwelius, St. Vincent Hospital, Portland, OR. The broadcast will last one hour and will show the entire surgical procedure. Following the live broadcast the surgery will be archived for future playback.

This opportunity allows for firsthand insight of the safe and effective implantation and surgical procedure involved with the Continuum® Acetabular System and the Zimmer® M/L Taper with Kinectiv® Technology.

This surgery video is available exclusively to members of the ORLive community, and members can interact and ask questions via the ORLive website. Learn more about this broadcast or get a reminder at ORLive.com, and be ready to view this exciting procedure by activating your free membership to ORLive today.

NOW ON-DEMAND – Artificial Disc Treatments for Cervical Disease
Now Available On-Demand

Until recently, spinal fusion was the surgical solution to cervical disc disease. ORLive invites you to watch footage of an Artificial Discectomy performed by William Kuhn, MD of Halifax Hospital, and join in on a live online discussion with the doctor and patient, Ali Rabatsky. 

Viewers of this video are invited to interact with the team via the ORLive website, where you can also request a reminder to alert you when this video is going live.

PREVIEW – LEGION™ Total Knee System with VISIONAIRE™ Patient Matched Instrumentation
Premieres Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 7PM EDT

Kenneth Cherry, MD will demonstrate his approach to address efficiency in the OR by utilizing the LEGION Total Knee System in conjunction with VISIONAIRE Patient Matched Instrumentation while Dr. Steven Haas, from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, moderates the procedure. Combining the two technologies, will reduce OR time and eliminate up to 23 surgical steps from the TKA procedure thereby making efficiency more accessible.

Learn more about this broadcast or get a reminder at ORLive.com, and be ready to view this exciting procedure by activating your free membership to ORLive today.

About BroadcastMed

BroadcastMed is the leading provider of video communication channels and solutions to the healthcare community. Working collaboratively with hospitals, device manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies, BroadcastMed produces and distributes customized, interactive, video programs that demonstrate the latest advances in medicine, surgical techniques and product innovations, and promotes them to a verified audience of more than 700,000 healthcare professionals. The BroadcastMed network of sites provides an intimate look at over 650 live and on-demand surgeries, medical education, and symposia to global audiences that watch and learn from more than 40 million video views annually. The BroadcastMed network can be found on-line at www.BroadcastMed.com. 

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SACRAMENTO, CA–(Marketwire – September 28, 2010) –  A statewide effort in California is bringing hospitals, physician organizations, and other health care providers together to reduce 30 and 90-day readmission rates by 30 percent by December 31, 2013. Known as ARC — “Avoid Readmissions Through Collaboration” — the initiative helps hospitals adopt evidence-based models and interventions known to reduce readmissions.

“Avoidable hospital readmissions are a symptom of inefficiency and poor quality that result in millions of wasted health care dollars every year in California,” said Bruce Spurlock, MD, coordinator of the initiative and CEO of Convergence Health Consulting.

Ninety percent of Medicare readmissions within 30 days are unplanned and the total cost exceeds $17 billion annually, according to recent studies.

“Fortunately, we have evidence-based models and tools for lowering readmissions and improving transitional care. Hospitals and other providers are anxious to learn about and put these tools into place so that patients don’t suffer the risks associated with poorly planned transitions from the hospital back home or to other care settings,” said Spurlock.

Already, nearly 150 hospital, medical group, health plan and nursing home leaders from five San Francisco Bay Area counties have met and begun to discuss what will be required to more quickly lower readmission rates and to improve transitional care processes.

ARC will organize “Learning Communities” that include hospitals and other provider organizations (e.g., medical groups/IPAs, home health, long term care, health plans) that want in-depth education — conferences, peer-to-peer forums and webinars — that focuses on practical, evidence-based approaches to reducing readmissions. The ARC-sponsored educational events will include regional and national experts.

Within the Learning Communities will be Action Networks consisting of those hospitals and their outpatient partners that receive additional on site and remote support from improvement advisors. Advisors will support Action Network participants through examination of hospital readmission data, review of current discharge processes and facility specific training. Select Action Network participants are also eligible to apply for 2011 planning grants from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

“Hospitals face intense pressure to lower unplanned readmissions and to improve transitional care,” said Debby Rogers, RN, MS, VP Quality and Emergency Services, California Hospital Association. “We are excited about this new collaborative and the opportunity to work together to solve this common challenge.”

Medicare already reports hospitals’ readmission rates for heart attack, pneumonia and heart failure at http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov. But beginning in 2013, hospitals will be penalized one percent of their Medicare reimbursement if readmission rates exceed expected levels. The penalty increases in subsequent years.

“We are seeing tremendous interest from physician groups in working more seamlessly with their hospital partners. The ARC collaborative will provide a structure to accelerate this effort,” said Diane Stewart, Director, Performance Improvement, Pacific Business Group on Health. 

Successfully reducing unplanned readmissions and improving care transitions involves several guiding principles that ARC will emphasize: maintaining a patient-centered focus; “getting into the weeds” to better understand the complex discharge planning and transitional process; customizing existing transitional care models to fit a hospital’s own culture and systems; and reinforcing effective practices by hospital staff.

Other critical components for effective care transitions include improving patients’ capabilities for self-management and medication adherence, as well as encouraging adoption of transitional care technologies.

The three year, one million dollar initiative is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (www.moore.org), with additional support for the project launch from The California Health Care Foundation (www.chcf.org).

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FAIRFAX, VA–(Marketwire – September 28, 2010) –  FOAA Anesthesia Services, a leading provider of anesthesia services, today announced the unveiling of its enhanced web site at www.foaa.net. The web site is designed to enhance the user experience and communicate the organization’s mission and anesthesia service solutions to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) and medical offices. Combining a number of new navigation tools with an updated identity, the web site was built on a user-friendly platform with easy-to-use navigation tools.

“We want everyone to know about the world-class quality and customer service we provide in anesthesia services. We also want to ensure the FOAA web site reflects the vision of our organization and provides an overview of the services offered and the related activities in which we are involved,” explained Vincent J. Vilasi, president of FOAA Anesthesia Services. “The FOAA web site offers our partner hospitals, ASCs, medical offices, surgeons and their patients valuable information and links, answers to frequently asked questions and serves as a portal through which we can be contacted.”

“With a few clicks, anyone visiting the web site will be able to find information and solutions to anesthesia service delivery issues facing hospitals, ASCs, and medical offices,” Dr. Vilasi added.

About FOAA Anesthesia Services
For over twenty years, FOAA Anesthesia Services has been dedicated to providing the highest quality anesthesia services for patients, surgeons, physicians and healthcare facilities. FOAA cares for over 80,000 patients a year at multiple sites in Virginia including hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, endoscopy centers and medical and dental office-based practices. FOAA offers a full range of anesthesia and pain management services and is dedicated to providing high quality care, outstanding customer service and a work environment of choice. For further information call (703) 293-9590 or visit www.foaa.net.

IRVING, TX–(Marketwire – September 28, 2010) – VHA Inc., the national health care network, is launching a satellite television series on health care reform and its impact on hospitals and health systems. The series, which will air on vhatv, will be hosted by VHA Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and General Counsel Michael Regier, and will feature government officials, health policy experts and VHA executives.

“The Affordable Care Act is bringing sweeping changes for hospitals and health systems, and the only thing more complex than the Act is the implementation process,” said Regier. “This series is just one way that VHA is working with its members to make sense of these significant changes and to prepare for the new demands they will face.”

The broadcast series, which starts Sept 28 and occurs every other month through September 2011, will cover topics such as the new requirements for tax-exempt hospitals, Accountable Care Organizations, health care issues facing the upcoming 112^th Congress and The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

“Reform will require hospitals to dramatically cut their cost of care delivery over the next 10 years, and VHA has a proven track record of helping hospitals save money by reducing their supply spend,” says Regier. “However, we think there’s an equal opportunity to improve the quality of clinical care and to redesign its delivery, and we’re working with members in those areas, too.”

Each Focus on Reform broadcast in the new vhatv series will be made available for public viewing on VHA’s website. To view the broadcast via webcast, please visit the VHA website to register.

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 serves1,400 hospitals and more than 30,000 non-acute care providers nationwide. VHA was ranked by Modern Healthcare as the 7th best place to work in health care in 2009.

HILO, HI–(Marketwire – September 28, 2010) –  Pacific Quest is proud to announce that Jason Adams, Ph.D. and Lindsey Baldwin, MSW have joined their wilderness therapy clinical team and Rob Jarrett has joined their admissions team.

Jason is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with extensive experience treating adolescents and adults. He received a B.A. in Psychology from Arizona State University, and completed his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Philosophy at Brigham Young University. He was the President of Adams Psychological Assessment & Consulting, Inc., and the founder of The Parent Mastery Group. Jason’s background includes psychological testing, as well as individual, family, and group therapy. 

Lindsey received a BA in Environmental Studies and Anthropology from Hamline University in Minnesota. Lindsey previously worked for an experiential rainforest preservation program in Australia, and served in the U.S. Peace Corps as an Environmental Education Volunteer. Realizing her dream of serving others, Lindsey completed her Masters of Social Work at Tulane University and received a Certificate in International Social Work.

Rob is fulfilling a longtime goal to work in wilderness therapy programs. Rob received his BA in Linguistics from UCSB, and previously worked for Stanford University and the U.S. Dept. of Energy. Rob also has hands-on experience marketing educational programs and advanced curriculum to administrative boards, schools, and parents for high-end arts-in-education programs. Rob is currently studying hand drumming in the traditional folklore style of Trinidad, accompanying dancers in performances to outreach programs for troubled youth. 

For more information regarding Pacific Quest, please visit www.pacificquest.org or contact Mark Agosto, Outreach Director, at 808-937-5806 or via email at [email protected].

Read more: http://www.pacificquest.org/news/2/196/Pacific-Quest-Wilderness-Therapy-Program-Welcomes-New-Staff-Members/

About Pacific Quest:

Pacific Quest is an outdoor behavioral healthcare (“wilderness therapy”) and sustainable treatment program for struggling teens and young adults, located on the Big Island of Hawaii. Their wilderness programs offer a clinical, yet holistic approach to treatment, going beyond traditional therapy and teaching sustainable life skills. Owned and operated by a veteran team of professionals with over 200 years of combined program experience, Pacific Quest offers a unique approach to treatment that is individualized for each student. Through experiential education, clinical services, a dedicated approach to health and wellness, and sustainable gardening, Pacific Quest provides a structured yet flexible outdoor therapy environment that serves the individual needs of each student, cultivating a therapy experience with personal meaning and importance.

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WEST HARTFORD, CT–(Marketwire – September 27, 2010) –  ORLive, a leading provider of online video to the healthcare market, announces the formation of BroadcastMed, to address the growing demand for online video solutions. 

BroadcastMed is a response to the changes in the market that extend far beyond the traditional ORLive solutions of live programming from the Operating Room. “Our company long ago accomplished the mission implied by the name ORLive. We literally have taken physicians and other healthcare professionals ‘Live to the OR,'” says Ross Joel, CEO of BroadcastMed. “As a rapidly increasing number of healthcare professionals turn to online resources for education and research, we have a growing audience and clients who have interests that stretch well beyond surgery to all medical disciplines. BroadcastMed meets those diverse needs with strategic consulting, program development, and audience generation solutions.”

BroadcastMed communicates, demonstrates and educates through websites such as ORLive.com and The Virtual Brain Tumor Board. Where ORLive.com will continue to bring the most relevant surgically-focused content to an ever growing online audience, look for a soon to be launched site for CME focused video on BroadcastMedCME.com, a site dedicated to providing access to online accredited continuing medical education.

The formation of BroadcastMed marks a new milestone for the 16 year old company, enabling new growth opportunities. “While our increasing strength and diversity make BroadcastMed the cornerstone of our branding worldwide, given the significance of our flagship web brand, ORLive, its structure, focus and name will remain unchanged,” says Peter Gailey, President of BroadcastMed. Gailey also says, “This is a very exciting time in the market and we see this as a step towards providing doctors, nurses and other clinicians with high quality and relevant online content via a trusted source.”

About BroadcastMed
BroadcastMed is the leading provider of video communication channels and solutions to the healthcare community. Working collaboratively with hospitals, device manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies, BroadcastMed produces and distributes customized, interactive, video programs that demonstrate the latest advances in medicine, surgical techniques and product innovations, and promotes them to a verified audience of more than 700,000 healthcare professionals. The BroadcastMed network of sites provides an intimate look at over 650 live and on-demand surgeries, medical education, and symposia to global audiences that watch and learn from more than 40 million video views annually. The BroadcastMed network can be found on-line at www.BroadcastMed.com.

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FLEMINGTON, NJ–(Marketwire – September 27, 2010) –  Ken Glynn, President of SpeechSwitch, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SSWC), reported today that the first of required SEC documents to bring the company current was submitted today for EDGAR review. The third quarter, 2008 Form 10-Q has been completed and submitted to Marketwire for conversion and filing with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission. This filing will be completed by noon tomorrow. Additional filings will be made over the next two weeks. The annual report for 2008 (end of year10-K) will be submitted by the end of this week; First quarter, 2009 Form 10Q will be filed early next week. The company has made a stepped up effort to bring the company current as a pink sheet company as quickly as possible.

Information set forth in this press release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Private Securities Litigation reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) provides certain “safe harbor” provisions for forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned that such forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time and/or management’s good faith belief with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. 

KANKAKEE, IL–(Marketwire – September 27, 2010) –  Riverside Medical Center’s 5th annual Achieve Women’s Health Expo will take place on September 25th with the theme “Achieve health, wellness, fitness, your dreams. Achieve is a community-oriented women’s health expo through which one of the top hospitals in IL offers a variety of wellness information for women. Riverside’s women’s diagnostic center will provide free health screenings, a cooking demonstration, educational booths and healthy living presentations. 

If you live in Illinois and have the opportunity to utilize the many services of the hospitals in the Chicago area, you should definitely attend this expo. There will be several free screenings to take advantage of: EKG, glucose, pulse oximetry, blood pressure, carbon monoxide, hearing, osteoporosis, vision/glaucoma, functional balance, cholesterol and pre-diabetes. If you feel you may be at risk for any of these serious health factors, stop in and get a screening while it is on the house. Riverside Medical Center will also be offering free health risk assessments for stroke, sleep apnea, respiratory and smoking. 

In addition to these all important health screenings, a Zumba fitness exercise session will also be offered. This session will be lead by a certified Zumba instructor from the Riverside Health Fitness Center. During this high energy class you can dance your way to a healthy heart in a free-spirited, one-of-a-kind program. With easy to follow moves, you will find yourself quickly catching the beat of the Latin rhythms. A cooking demonstration will show you how to achieve heart health with delectable vegetarian entrees. An Osteoporosis lecture will focus on the novel treatment options for osteoporosis which are available at Riverside. There will also be a forum for you to learn how to balance work and life. You can learn how to create a better work-life balance with simple ideas and tips on managing and tracking time, learning to say no, nurturing yourself and more.

While this is primarily a women’s expo, men are also encouraged to attend. With mini manicures, educational booths, demonstrations, presentations, giveaways, prizes and more, you can’t afford not to attend. The Achieve Women’s Health Expo will take place on Saturday, September 25, 2010 at the Quality Inn & Suites in Bradley, IL from 8:30am to 12:30pm.

For more information about other quality services offered by Riverside Medical Center, visit www.RiversideMC.net or call (815) 933-1671.

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