Senior Care News

LANHAM, MD–(Marketwire – November 22, 2010) – The Residence on Greenbelt (www.theresidenceongreenbelt.com) will be filled with the holiday spirit when it opens its doors for the 1^st Annual Open House and Holiday Shoppe scheduled for Wednesday, December 15, 2010 from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm. The event will feature a variety of quality vendors including handcrafted items, jewelry, food products and more. A bake sale with delicious treats made by the residents will add to the festivities and enjoyment of the event. Hot apple cider, coffee and cookies for all who attend.

Event:
Open House and Holiday Shoppe

Date:
Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Location:
The Residence on Greenbelt
9885 Greenbelt Road, Lanham, MD 20706

Time:
11:00 am – 7:00 pm

Cost:
Free and open to the public

Activities:
More than a dozen vendor booths, bake sale, free treats and property tours

More Info:
Visit www.theresidenceongreenbelt.com or call (301) 486-1590

In conjunction with the Holiday Shoppe, The Residence on Greenbelt is hosting an Open House with guided tours of the property to learn more about living in a modern assisted living community. See first-hand how the community offers charm, extensive care and superior care, while allowing residents to experience its modern set of amenities including a Skype lounge and stately movie theatre equipped for the hearing impaired. Conveniently located on Greenbelt Road, The Residence on Greenbelt has recently undergone a complete renovation that has created a vibrant and interesting senior living residence, where residents can experience unrivaled service in modern and fun surroundings.

Four different service programs exist at The Residence on Greenbelt, providing the right match for the needs of seniors. In addition to Independent and Assisted Living, the community offers a Special Needs living area that provides for residents with higher acuity and mobility needs in an environment with features focused on maximizing independence while offering comfort and service. The Residence on Greenbelt also provides a unique memory care program through the Pathways Memory Care Program, an exceptional option for seniors with memory impairments as it offers a stimulating and engaging environment for residents created by each resident’s individual life story and peace of mind for their families and friends.

For more information about the Open House and Holiday Shoppe please visit www.theresidenceongreenbelt.com or call (301) 486-1590 or follow us on Facebook. For information about move-in opportunities or to set-up a private tour, please contact Patty Bay, Director of Sales and Marketing, at (866) 712-1172. The Residence on Greenbelt is located at 9885 Greenbelt Road, Lanham, MD 20706.

About IntegraCare:

IntegraCare’s mission is to “improve the quality of life for its employees, residents, and their families.” The company’s goal is to create an environment where its primary customer, the employee, experiences respect, dignity, and personal development. By providing this environment for its employees, the second half of our mission, “improve the quality life for our residents and their families,” will be achieved.

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CLARK, NJ–(Marketwire – October 28, 2010) –  HealthEd, a specialized agency focused on turning health education into positive outcomes, today announced several key senior-level appointments — Mike Brzozowski as chief strategy officer, Sonja “Sunny” Foster-Storch as executive vice president, managing director for HealthEd, and Paul Steiner as executive vice president, managing director for Encore, a HealthEd company. With these additions to the executive leadership team, HealthEd Group signals its focus on expanding its strategic and consultative services to meet changing client needs.

“We are very excited to have Mike, Sunny, and Paul on board,” said Roy Broadfoot, CEO and president of HealthEd. “The business needs and requirements of our clients are becoming increasingly complex. We have heard them and have responded by recruiting top executives who can strategically lead our cross-functional teams to deliver innovative and engaging solutions.”

Mr. Brzozowski comes to HealthEd with more than 20 years of experience in relationship marketing, strategic planning, and business analysis. He is responsible for leading and expanding strategic marketing and health education consulting services. With Mr. Brzozowski at the helm, the health educators and marketers combine to provide a unique insight into patient motivations and behaviors. Most recently, Mr. Brzozowski worked at Draftfcb as executive vice president of customer relationship marketing and before that was at Ogilvyone Worldwide as senior partner, executive director of relationship marketing strategy.

Ms. Foster-Storch will lead HealthEd’s client services group, while Mr. Steiner will lead Encore’s. The two help form a structured leadership team for both organizations by integrating resources and focusing on client development. Both report directly to Larry Moran, chief operating officer.

Ms. Foster-Storch comes to HealthEd from The CementBloc, where she led the market development and marketing strategy team. Before that, she cofounded Clinical CONNEXION, a medical education company. 

Mr. Steiner joins Encore from Draftfcb, where he was senior vice president, director of customer relationship marketing. Previously, he served as senior vice president, group account director, at Omnicom’s Unit 7 relationship marketing agency. 

“Sunny and Paul both bring over 20 years of strategic planning and healthcare marketing experience to our company,” said Anita St. Clair, HealthEd’s chief client development officer. “And Mike’s success in creating integrated marketing solutions is just what the doctor ordered. His belief that effective relationship marketing helps deliver engaging, individualized, dialog-driven customer experiences aligns perfectly with our clients’ needs and our company mission.”

About HealthEd
HealthEd is a specialized agency that uses education to help people develop the knowledge, skills, motivation, and confidence to manage important health decisions and activities and ultimately achieve better health outcomes. For more information about HealthEd and the services we offer, please visit http://www.HealthEd.com or contact Anita St. Clair, chief client development officer, at 908-389-2133.

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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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WALNUT CREEK, CA–(Marketwire – October 19, 2010) –  On Thursday, October 28^th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., recently opened Skye Wellness of Walnut Creek, CA will host a free seminar providing an in-depth look at why detoxification is vital to maintaining health and well being.

The seminar, limited to 10 guests, will be presented by Laura Hollabaugh, a Certified Colon Hydrotherapist and Managing Member of Skye Wellness, and Sarah Carlson, a Certified Nutrition Coach of Be Wellness Nutrition. Those interested in attending the “Dump the Junk” seminar may call (925) 939-7069 or send an email request to [email protected], receiving a confirmation if space remains available.

“Clearing out the inner ‘junk’ is the key to returning your digestive and immune system back to optimum functioning. Detoxification or cleansing is the process of eliminating the buildup of waste and toxins from your cells, organs and blood,” Laura Hollabaugh explained, summarizing, “It’s the foundation of getting your health back.”

The class will provide an in-depth look at why detoxification is vital to improving and maintaining health and the necessary components of a Total Body Cleanse Protocol (TBCP).

The practice of colon cleansing, long recognized and practiced among European cultures, has undergone resurgence in U.S. holistic and complementary health care. Colon hydrotherapy is also known as colonics or colon therapy.

Skye Wellness, with its new eco-friendly facility located at 2123 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite 210 in Walnut Creek, CA 94598, provides colon cleansing and wellness services. Its mission is providing colon cleansing with nutritional guidance to assist health-conscious individuals in achieving their optimal life and body balance, uniquely offering clients in the San Francisco Bay area both gravity-fed Angel of Water and closed Dotolo state-of-the-art cleansing systems to satisfy client preference and comfort.

Laura Hollabaugh is certified by and a member of the International Association for Colon Hydrotherapy (I-ACT) and trained at the Internal Environment Institute. She holds a BS degree from Kean University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and she attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she obtained a masters degree.

Sarah Carlson holds a BA degree from San Francisco State University where she graduated Cum Laude and holds a Nutrition Educator certification from Bauman College in Berkeley, CA. Sarah also sits on the Board of Directors of the Health Medicine Forum.

Visit the Skye Wellness web site at http://www.skye-wellness.com.

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BURBANK, CA–(Marketwire – October 18, 2010) –  Imaging3™, Inc. (OTCBB: IMGG), developer of a breakthrough medical imaging device that produces 3D medical diagnostic images of virtually any part of the human body in real-time, announced today that the company has completed the previously announced institutional transaction and has successfully been funded.

“We are pleased to announce the completion of this transaction, which was facilitated by Wharton Capital Partners, Ltd.,” stated Dean Janes, the company’s Chairman/CEO.

About Imaging3

Imaging3, Inc., founded in 1993, is a leading provider of advanced technology medical imaging devices. The Company has developed a breakthrough medical imaging device that produces 3D medical diagnostic images of virtually any part of the human body in real-time. Because these 3D images are instantly constructed in real-time, they can be used for any current or new medical procedures in which multiple frames of reference are required to perform medical procedures on or in the human body. Visit the company’s website at http://www.imaging3.com for more information

Safe Harbor Statement

Matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “may,” “intend,” “expect” and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of the Company and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of economic, competitive and other factors affecting the Company and its operations, markets, product, and distributor performance, technological obsolescence, competition from other medical instrument(s) and imaging companies, lack of capital, unexpected costs, failure or delay of FDA approval, absence of revenue, the impact on the national and local economies resulting from an economic recession or terrorist actions, and U.S. actions subsequently; unavailability of financing for the Company or its customers, product malfunction and potential product liability claims, and other factors detailed in reports filed by the Company.

MISSION, KS–(Marketwire – October 18, 2010) – (Family Features) As expectant and new moms know, having a baby is one of the most wonderful experiences, but it can also be overwhelming. First-time mothers and veteran moms alike have questions about keeping their babies safe and healthy. They’re eager to learn about important areas such as nutrition, immunization, and safe sleep. 

To address their questions and concerns, the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) developed text4baby. This free mobile educational service promotes a healthy pregnancy and a healthy start in life for all babies.

With more than 1.3 trillion text messages sent and received in the U.S. in 2009, it makes sense to deliver vital health information through mobile technology. Currently in the United States, more than 500,000 babies — 1 in every 8 — are born prematurely. An estimated 28,000 children die before their first birthday, a rate among the highest in the industrialized world. Premature infants come into the world with unique health needs that can mean lifelong challenges. Text4baby helps to address these issues by allowing timely and useful information to be distributed to help give babies the best possible start in life. 

While not everyone has access to the internet, 90 percent of Americans have a mobile phone. Text messaging is soaring in popularity and can be especially helpful in reaching first-time mothers in typically underserved populations.

How It Works
By texting BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411, a woman will be signed up to receive three free text messages each week that are timed to her due date or baby’s date of birth. These messages focus on a variety of topics critical to maternal and child health, including birth defects prevention, immunization, nutrition, seasonal flu, mental health, oral health, and safe sleep. Text4baby text messages also connect women to prenatal and infant care services and other resources.

Wireless carriers are waiving text messaging fees for the initiative, so enrollees opting in to receive text messages will incur no charges. Even users without a text messaging plan or limited texting per month will receive these messages for free.

To date, text4baby has sent more than five million English and Spanish text messages to more than 83,000 pregnant and new mothers. According to text4baby enrollment numbers, 96 percent of participants would recommend the service to a friend. 67 percent of the enrollees are receiving information about pregnancy, while the remaining 33 percent are getting information about newborns. 

“For those of us dedicated to health education, knowing that text4baby messages are reaching the women who are most in need of them is incredibly powerful and exciting,” said Judy Meehan, CEO of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. “Thanks to our partnership with CTIA-The Wireless Foundation and the mobile carriers, more than 5 million valuable health messages have been put in the hands of thousands of pregnant women since our February 4 launch.”

Text4baby is made possible through a public-private partnership that includes more than 350 organizations. The program’s founding partners include CTIA-The Wireless Foundation.

For more information, or to sign-up to receive the free text messages, visit www.text4baby.org.

CHICAGO, IL–(Marketwire – October 15, 2010) –  Ziegler (PINKSHEETS: ZGCO), a specialty investment bank serving the healthcare, senior living, religion, and education sectors, achieved a $1 billion milestone for underwritings in the senior living sector. Nationally, Ziegler is ranked as one of the leading investment banking firms in senior living finance issues.

With the recent closing of the Total Longterm Care transaction, a financing to refund existing debt and finance new construction for the nation’s second largest Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), Ziegler has successfully closed 17 senior living transactions totaling $1 billion this year. Ziegler tailors its products and services to accommodate the most complex financings for virtually every type of non-profit senior living provider.

Dan Hermann, Senior Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking, commented, “Ziegler is committed to delivering comprehensive financial services to senior living providers, retirement communities, and CCRCs. We are extremely proud of this milestone — an important accomplishment by our firm on behalf of the senior living community.” The milestone is particularly significant given Ziegler’s 2009 experience, when it completed over $900 million during the months following the ‘thawing’ of the capital markets post-economic crisis.

For more information about Ziegler, and its mission of advancing health, wealth and well-being through tailored financial solutions, 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.

HOUSTON, TX–(Marketwire – October 14, 2010) –  Velocity Express today announced that Gerald T. Vento has been named Executive Chairman of the Houston, TX-based national logistics and transportation company.

“Velocity partners with its customers to deliver cost effective solutions. We have a strong balance sheet, better technology, national and regional networks and dedicated employees that strategically position us for success,” said Gerald Vento.

“Vento brings laser focus to the business, and as a Velocity customer, we welcome his addition to the company,” said Gough Grubbs, Senior Vice President, Logistics and Distribution, Stage Stores regarding the announcement.

“Stage Stores relies on Velocity to replenish 786 stores weekly through its national network, and Vento’s involvement this year has contributed to improved quality and consistency across Velocity’s complex network operations,” Grubbs added.

Vento brings years of extensive business growth experience to Velocity Express. Vento founded Telecorp PCS, serving as Chairman and CEO, and grew the wireless start-up venture to become a giant company in the mobile telecom business. Within six years after its launch, Telecorp’s annual revenues grew to more than $1.1 billion, and in 2002, Telecorp was sold to ATT Wireless for $5.7 billion.

“Gerald has an extraordinary talent set to guide Velocity’s strategic direction. We are fortunate to have Vento join Velocity,” said Jose Gordo, Managing Director of ComVest, a majority owner of Velocity Express and a leading private investment firm focused on middle market companies. Since 1988, ComVest has invested more than $2 billion of capital in more than 200 public and private companies.

About ComVest
The ComVest Group is a leading private investment firm focused on providing debt and equity solutions to lower middle-market companies with enterprise values of less than $350 million. With extensive financial resources and a broad network of industry experts, ComVest can offer companies total financial sponsorship, critical strategic support, and business development assistance.

About Stage Stores
Stage Stores, Inc. brings nationally recognized brand name apparel, accessories, cosmetics and footwear for the entire family to small and mid-size towns and communities through 787 stores located in 39 states. The Company operates its stores under the five names of Bealls, Goody’s, Palais Royal, Peebles and Stage. For more information about Stage Stores, visit the Company’s web site at www.stagestoresinc.com.

About Velocity Express
Velocity Express operates more than 80 strategically located warehouses and terminal facilities where customers’ packages are sorted, tracked, routed, and delivered. Velocity Express uses a qualified network of independent, licensed drivers who are aligned with the company’s safety and customer service policies. Privately held, Velocity Express is headquartered in Houston, TX.

Additional information about Velocity Express is available www.velocityexpress.com.

SAN JOSE, CA–(Marketwire – October 14, 2010) –  AmbiCom Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: ABHI) today announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent with one of the world’s largest home care device manufacturers to develop the WiFi solution for their product lines that include blood pressure monitors and healthcare products for home and professional use. Ambicom expects to start generating revenue from this association by the first quarter of 2011 and also believes that this letter of intent can potentially bring significant revenue opportunities for the Company. Further information and details will be forthcoming later this year.

About AmbiCom

AmbiCom is headquartered in San Jose, California, and is a leading designer and developer of wireless products focusing on the wireless medical industry. The Company’s wireless modules and devices are based on the Company’s innovative application software for both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies. AmbiCom is committed to wireless design and development of software and hardware and is bringing new and innovative products to the wireless medical markets and other sectors. The Company plans to grow organically, and to augment that growth by selectively acquiring complementary products and technologies via acquisition opportunities deemed to be of strategic value.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Although the forward-looking statements in this release reflect the good faith judgment of management, forward-looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those discussed in these forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, our ability to maintain our website and associated computer systems, our ability to generate sufficient operating cash flow, and general economic conditions. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by us in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those risks set forth in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 15, 2010, which attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those expected or projected. Readers are urged not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any event or circumstance that may arise after the date of this release.

CHICAGO, IL–(Marketwire – October 13, 2010) –  Ziegler (PINKSHEETS: ZGCO) kicked off its 13^th annual Ziegler Senior Living Finance + Strategy Conference at The Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs, Florida on Wednesday, September 29, 2010.

The three-day, invitation-only educational conference attracted over 500 attendees and presented cutting-edge finance and strategic positioning trends and issues in senior living and the senior living capital markets. Tom Paprocki, President and CEO of The Ziegler Companies, welcomed the senior living providers, institutional investors, and other industry professionals and introduced the conference facilitator, Dan Hermann, Senior Managing Director & Head of Ziegler Senior Living Finance.

The Ziegler banking team conducted pre-conference workshops allowing attendees to enhance their knowledge of the senior living sector. Such workshops included “Senior Living Finance 101,” “Financial Risk Management 101,” a legal roundtable and a senior living-focused board development workshop. The Ziegler CFO Workshop Series(SM) provided CFOs a roundtable and networking session. All workshops were well attended and provided a general overview of the vast capabilities Ziegler offers.

The opening general session led by a team of capital markets experts laid the foundation for the conference curriculum. The session was a tightly narrated review of the trends unfolding across the senior living continuum and current capital markets investors’ and lenders’ landscapes. Mr. Hermann and Kathryn Brod, Ziegler’s Senior Vice President-Research, and Mike McDaniel, Ziegler’s Senior Managing Director of Sales & Trading, reviewed key trends; Ron Mintz (Vanguard) and Jim LeBuhn (FitchRatings) provided perspectives from the investor and rating agency, respectively. Each educational session of the conference was introduced, tying each to the trends and setting the context for the conference curriculum that would follow.

An array of breakout sessions was offered to attendees. Some hot topics of the conference included case studies of creative solutions for overcoming housing market challenges; key marketing tools for invigorating occupancy; case studies of providers offering services beyond their boundaries; wellness initiatives; and the impact of healthcare reform on the sector. Sessions also included discussions in trends focusing on repositionings and new campus development. Institutional investor, banking, and architects’ panels were also featured. Educational sessions were offered in areas such as investment policymaking, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate structure. All sessions were lead by industry leaders, key associates from senior living providers and Ziegler team experts.

The conference concluded with a panel discussing senior living today, tomorrow and scenarios of the future. For further information on Ziegler or the conference, please visit our website at www.zieglerseniorlivingfinance.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.

MENOMONEE FALLS, WI–(Marketwire – October 13, 2010) –  Assisted Living Concepts, Inc. (NYSE: ALC) announced that it plans to release its 2010 third quarter financial results before the New York Stock Exchange opens on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. The release will be posted on ALC’s website at www.alcco.com. ALC has scheduled a conference call on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT) to discuss its financial results for the third quarter. The toll-free number for the live call is (800) 230-1096 or international (612) 332-0335. A taped rebroadcast of the conference call will be available approximately three hours following the live call until midnight on December 2, 2010, by dialing toll free (800) 475-6701 or international (320) 365-3844 and using access code 174903.

About Us
Assisted Living Concepts, Inc. and its subsidiaries operate 211 senior living residences comprising 9,305 units in 20 states in the United States. ALC’s residences typically consist of 35 to 60 units and offer residents a supportive, home-like setting and assistance with activities of daily living. ALC employs approximately 4,100 people.

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Oct. 13, 2010) – Unison Health and Community Services is celebrating its official launch on Thursday, October 14^th, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at its Lawrence Heights site located at 12 Flemington Road in Toronto. 

The entire community is invited to learn about Unison Health and Community Services and enjoy entertainment by local performers. There will also be children’s activities and contests, music and dancing, and refreshments.

In August, Unison Health and Community Services received its formal incorporation approval from Ministry of Government Services. This is the first voluntary merger of two community health centres in Ontario – the amalgamation of New Heights Community Health Centres and York Community Services.

Unison builds on the strengths and best practices of both organizations, aiming to improve access to programs and services for clients and community members. The optimal use of resources of both organizations will enhance the delivery of services in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. In collaboration with partners, the integrated services will provide seamless and comprehensive care to clients.

With extended hours at four full-service locations, clients now can have greater access to a wider variety of services. Unison now serves over 22,000 clients and offers core services that include primary health care, counselling, health promotion, early years programs, legal services, harm reduction programs, housing assistance and adult protective services; special programs like Pathways to Education, Diabetes Education and Prevention, and Aging at Home; and a range of community programs targeted to marginalized groups.

For event information, visit www.unisonhcs.org, or call 416-587-8225 or email [email protected].

MENOMONEE FALLS, WI–(Marketwire – October 12, 2010) –  Assisted Living Concepts, Inc. (“ALC”) (NYSE: ALC) announced today that it entered into an agreement to acquire nine senior living residences from HCP, Inc. (NYSE: HCP). The nine residences are currently leased and operated by ALC under leases expiring between 2010 and 2012. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close on or around October 31, 2010. The purchase price is $27.5 million plus certain transaction costs. The nine residences, two of which are located in New Jersey and seven in Texas, contain a total of 365 units. Occupancy of the nine residences is currently 60.0%. Upon completion of this transaction we expect pre-tax cash flow to improve by approximately $1.0 million because of the differential between current lease payments and expected future interest expense. After accounting for taxes we expect cash flow per share to improve by approximately $0.05 per share.

“We are pleased to have reached agreement with HCP to purchase these properties,” commented Laurie Bebo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Assisted Living Concepts, Inc. “In addition to upside opportunities in the existing portfolio, the better performing properties have excess land that may provide good expansion opportunities in the future. After this transaction is completed we will own 161 of our properties or 76% of our total residences.”

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Cash Flow per Share

Cash flow is defined as cash provided by operating activities. Cash flow per share is defined as cash flow divided by the weighted average diluted common shares outstanding for a fiscal period. Cash flow per share is not a measure of performance under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP. We use cash flow per share as a performance indicator.

We understand that cash flow per share may be used by financial analysts and investors as a performance measure in evaluating a company’s ability to service debt and meet other payment obligations or as a common valuation measurement in the long-term care industry. We believe cash flow per share provides meaningful supplemental information because this measure excludes the effects of non-operating factors related to our capital assets, such as depreciation and amortization related to the assets.

About Us
Assisted Living Concepts, Inc. and its subsidiaries operate 211 senior living residences comprising 9,305 units in 20 states. ALC’s senior living facilities typically consist of 40 to 60 units and offer residents a supportive, home-like setting and assistance with the activities of daily living. ALC employs approximately 4,100 people.

Forward-looking Statements

Statements contained in this release other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding anticipated financial performance, business strategy and management’s plans and objectives for future operations, including management’s expectations about improving occupancy and private pay mix, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally include words such as “expect,” “project,” “point toward,” “intend,” “will,” “indicate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “plan,” “strategy” or “objective.” Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. In addition to the risks and uncertainties referred to in the release, other risks and uncertainties are contained in ALC’s filings with United States Securities and Exchange Commission and include, but are not limited to, the following: changes in the health care industry in general and the senior housing industry in particular because of governmental and economic influences; changes in general economic conditions, including changes in housing markets, unemployment rates and the availability of credit at reasonable rates; changes in regulations governing the industry and ALC’s compliance with such regulations; changes in government funding levels for health care services; resident care litigation, including exposure for punitive damage claims and increased insurance costs, and other claims asserted against ALC; ALC’s ability to maintain and increase census levels; ALC’s ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the availability and terms of capital to fund acquisitions and ALC’s capital expenditures; changes in competition; and demographic changes. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on ALC’s forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this report are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of the party making such statements based upon current information. ALC assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

Supplementary Financial Information  The following table is limited to financial information for the nine leased residents described above (in thousands, except per share number)

 

OAKLAND, CA–(Marketwire – October 12, 2010) –  It took vision, years of planning and advocacy; a true labor of love. On Thursday, October 7 Alameda’s newest partner for family members dealing with their own very personal journeys — The Family Education and Resource Center (FERC) (www.askferc.org) — celebrated one year of “being there” for residents of Alameda County. More importantly, the event, called “Partners In This Journey,” celebrated those who worked tirelessly for years setting the stage for this program to finally be funded with Mental health Services Act funds. The event took place at Oakland’s Waterfront Hotel and coincided with National Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 3 – 9, 2010).

“We wanted to thank everyone who participated in the visioning, creation and existence of FERC (www.askferc.org).”

“We’ve been there; we can help,” says Karina Foote, FERC Program Director, noting that every member of the FERC staff have the lived experience of supporting a loved one with mental illness.

As one in four Americans either suffer with a mental illness themselves or has a family member so dealing, the services provided by FERC are crucial. Plus, in challenging economic times, the strain on individuals and families is even greater. To help meet that need — and meet the need in ways that are most comfortable to their clients — FERC provides both in person and telephone support. All services are free. 

“We call it our ‘warm line’ telephone service,” says Foote. “There is still so much misunderstanding, fear and therefore much stigma around issues of mental health and illness; it is sometimes easier for our clients to discuss their needs over the phone.” Also, cultural competency is a vital part of our mission. “We meet our clients where they are in terms of their ability to cope with their own and the struggles of their loved ones,” says Annie Kim, Lead Family Advocate.

Staff at FERC help individuals navigate the often complex web of behavioral health services. When needed, FERC staff will even make the initial contact or appointment with an agency on behalf of an individual. In addition, FERC staff assist with locating resources such as mental health care, housing, day programs, and recreation, and offer guidance about managing family relationships and developing coping strategies. “We direct people to available and appropriate services,” says Kim. People who contact FERC in the midst of a crisis may be directed to the appropriate crisis management services.

As a new program of the Mental Health Association of Alameda County (contracted for service with ACBHCS), FERC has been reaching out to clients and organizations to offer their services. Staff members are available not only on site, but also to facilitate or take part in support groups for other organizations. As FERC continues to grow, staff also plans to develop support groups for transition age youth (15-27) who have a family member with a mental illness and to provide education about mental illness for classroom teachers.

FERC’s main office is in Oakland’s Eastmont Town Center (7200 Bancroft Avenue, Suite 269), with additional offices in Fremont and Hayward. A site in Livermore will open later this fall. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm and people from anywhere in Alameda County are welcome to drop in with questions or to conduct research in the library or on the Internet.

“For many years, we envisioned a safe harbor for people in Alameda seeking mental health services,” said Margot Dashiell, Chairperson of the Alameda County Family Coalition, speaking at the October 7^th event. “FERC has become that safe harbor.”

The Family Education and Resource Center (FERC) is a new and innovative family/caregiver-centered program that will provide information, education and support services to family/caregivers of children, adolescents, transitional age youth, adults or older adults with serious emotional disturbance or mental illness living in all regions of Alameda County. These services will be provided in a culturally competent manner, reaching out to people of all ethnicities. For more information about FERC, call 510-746-1700. To access services, families can call 1-888-896-FERC (3372).

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TARPON SPRINGS, FL–(Marketwire – October 11, 2010) – Pinnacle Home Care of Pinellas today announced that it has been named one of the top 500 home health agencies in the country, according to the 2010 HomeCare Elite™. Now in its fifth year, the HomeCare Elite identifies the top 25 percent of home health agencies in the United States and further highlights the top 100 and top 500 agencies overall. Winners are ranked by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, quality improvement, and financial performance.

“The 2010 HomeCare Elite winners continue to demonstrate a commitment to providing their patients with the best possible care while performing at the highest level,” said Amanda Twiss, CEO of OCS HomeCare. “We congratulate Pinnacle Home Care of Pinellas on being one of the top home care agencies in the country. In addition, we salute all forward-thinking providers who are already working on measuring and improving their performance using OASIS-C outcomes and process measures and HH-CAHPS results. This important data will also be used in identifying the HomeCare Elite in the future.”

Pinnacle Home Care’s co-owner, Margo McElveen, RN, credits “staff commitment to exceeding both patient and physician expectations as well as the staff’s compassion when delivering quality of care” with the company’s ability to rank as one of the HomeCare Elite. “Our staff’s dedication to individualized patient care and their successful outcome is what sets us apart,” she said.

 “On the fifth anniversary of HomeCare Elite, DecisionHealth would like to congratulate all of the winners who have achieved excellent clinical and financial outcomes, especially during times of such drastic regulatory changes,” added Marci Heydt, executive editor of DecisionHealth’s Home Health Line.

The 2010 HomeCare Elite is the only performance recognition of its kind in the home health industry. The 2010 HomeCare Elite is brought to the industry by OCS HomeCare, the leading provider of homecare information, and DecisionHealth, publisher of home care’s most respected independent newsletter Home Health Line. The data used for this analysis were compiled from publicly available information. The entire list of the 2010 HomeCare Elite agencies can be viewed by visiting the OCS HomeCare website at www.ocshomecare.com.

ROYAL OAK, MI–(Marketwire – October 5, 2010) –  Bright Side Dental, a local Detroit dentist, has established the Bright Future Scholarship Program to assist deserving local high school students in obtaining a college education. Applicants must be a graduating senior with a 3.0 cumulative grade point average or higher and be involved in extracurricular activities. Qualified applicants will live within Bright Side Dental service areas of Sterling Heights, Royal Oak, Livonia, and Canton, Michigan.

“We understand the importance of education and giving back to the community, and we are proud to offer the Bright Future Scholarship to deserving students,” said Josh Gershonowicz, Vice President of Public Relations & Marketing for Bright Side Dental.

Each applicant is required to complete a one page essay in response to the topic: Explain the importance of maintaining good dental hygiene and how poor dental hygiene can affect your overall health.

Essays will be judged by a panel of dental health experts and two students will be selected to receive a $500 scholarship that can be used toward college expenses. Student’s essays must be submitted by April 15^th, 2011.

For more information and for how to apply, contact your local Bright Side Dental office or visit us online at http://www.brightsidedental.com/about-us/bright-future-scholarship/

About Bright Side Dental

Bright Side Dental is a member of the American Dental Association, Michigan Dental Association and Special Care Dentistry Association and offers a full array of dental, cosmetic and orthodontic services.

For more information about Bright Side Dental or to schedule an appointment, visit our website at www.BrightSideDental.com or call us at 1-800-PAINLESS.

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SUNRISE, FL–(Marketwire – October 1, 2010) –  Interim HealthCare® Inc., the nation’s first and finest healthcare and in-home senior care franchise company, is donating in-home, non-medical care to the Lutz family of East Setauket, NY, in the Town of Brookhaven, as part of the October 3^rd episode of ABC’s Emmy-winning hit show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The local Interim HealthCare in New York, owned and operated by Jim Watson, is providing the family’s six young adult children, all of whom have Down syndrome, with a staff member to assist with companionship and homemaker care. The in-kind donation totals 20 hours per week for a year.

“Interim HealthCare became aware of the needs of the Lutz family several months ago, and as an in-home care company specializing in services the Lutz family needed, we felt compelled to help,” said Jim Watson, owner of Interim HealthCare of Greater New York. “We know firsthand the struggles that families encounter when they are the primary caregivers for their relatives, and we knew Interim HealthCare could certainly be of assistance in this case.”

Unable to have any children of their own, Grace and John Lutz gave their hearts to 18 adopted children, including seven with Down syndrome. After the couple unexpectedly passed away, their daughter Kathleen, gladly gave up her career and came home to take care of her six Down syndrome siblings who currently range in age from 20 to 25 years old. Everyone agreed that putting the kids in a group home or institution was not an option. It was a good plan, until Kathleen unexpectedly had a grand mal seizure and was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. Her brother John Jr., was next to help, sacrificing his career as a gymnastics coach to move home and care for his sister and other siblings. Kathleen’s health is now stabilized and both brother and sister care for their family as a team.

For more information about Interim HealthCare in Stony Brook, NY please contact Ellen Hamburger, Branch Administer at 631-689-8920. The local office is open from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday – Friday, and can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

About Interim HealthCare:
Founded in 1966, Interim HealthCare® is the nation’s oldest proprietary national health care franchise organization providing health care personnel at all skill levels in all settings. Through a comprehensive network of more than 300 independently owned franchise offices, Interim HealthCare® franchisees are the largest combined provider of community-based home care (skilled and non-medical) and health care staffing. Interim HealthCare is unique in combining the commitment of local ownership with the support of a national organization that develops innovative programs and quality standards that improve the delivery of service through franchisees who employ more than 75,000 health care workers who serve 50,000 people each day. For more information or to locate an Interim HealthCare office, visit www.interimhealthcare.com.

About Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
The Emmy award winning reality program “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” is entering its 7th season, is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. It’s executive-produced by Brady Connell and George Verschoor. David Goldberg is Chairman, Endemol North America. The show airs Sundays from 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET on ABC.

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SPRINGFIELD, OH–(Marketwire – October 1, 2010) –  AdCare Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ADK), a recognized innovator in senior living and health care facility management, has closed the previously announced purchase agreement for two privately-held nursing homes in Gladsden, Alabama for $18.5 million.

The two facilities have a total of 306 beds, which currently generate about $18 million in annualized revenue and are expected to be immediately accretive to earnings. Combined with other transactions closed earlier in the year, AdCare’s estimated annualized revenue run-rate now exceeds $96 million, which represents an increase of approximately 261% from $26.7 million in the year ended 2009.

AdCare financed this purchase through a local bank, with a guarantee by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The guarantee is provided through a program developed by the government to supply long-term financing for rural projects at favorable rates.

“This transaction is the fourth we’ve closed since we began our M&A campaign at the end of last year,” said Chris Brogdon, AdCare’s vice chairman and chief acquisitions officer. “We expect all of our new facilities to be significant cash generators for AdCare, especially as they come under our highly capable management and benefit from our larger economy of scale.”

“As we move toward closing the remaining transactions we announced, additional opportunities continue to emerge in the southern region of the U.S. as well as in the Midwest,” said Brogdon. “We are working to establish the terms and necessary financings for several new potential acquisitions in our pipeline of equal or greater potential.”

Brogdon joined AdCare in September 2009 when the company announced a new M&A growth strategy to build upon its strong reputation for operational efficiency and high-quality living environments.

About AdCare Health Systems
AdCare Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ADK) is a recognized innovator in senior living and health care facility management. AdCare develops, owns and manages assisted living facilities, nursing homes and retirement communities, as well as provides home health care services. Since its inception in 1988, AdCare’s mission has been to provide the highest quality of healthcare services to the elderly. For more information about AdCare, visit www.adcarehealth.com.

Important Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal law. Such statement can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “believes,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “anticipates” and variations of such words or similar expressions, but their absence does not mean that the statement is not forward-looking. Statements in this announcement that are forward-looking include, but are not limited to, statements that the company expects all of these new facilities to be significant cash generators for AdCare. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s beliefs and assumptions and are based on information currently available to management. The forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Such factors are identified in the public filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission and include the Company’s ability to secure lines of credit and/or an acquisition credit facility, find suitable acquisition properties at favorable terms, changes in the health care industry because of political and economic influences, changes in regulations governing the industry, changes in reimbursement levels including those under the Medicare and Medicaid programs and changes in the competitive marketplace. There can be no assurance that such factors or other factors will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking statements.

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MENOMONEE FALLS, WI–(Marketwire – September 30, 2010) – Assisted Living Concepts, Inc. (“ALC”) (NYSE: ALC) announces the expansion and extension of a loan agreement with TCF National Bank (“TCF”). The revised loan agreement increases the loan from $14.0 million to $26.25 million and extends the maturity from June 12, 2014 to September 30, 2015. The loan bears interest at the rate of 6.5% and is secured by mortgages on six of ALC’s senior housing residences.

“We are pleased to have completed a second round of financing with TCF,” commented Laurie Bebo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Assisted Living Concepts, Inc. “Appraisals on the three properties added to secure this loan were in excess of $100,000 per unit, once again demonstrating the value of our business model for owned properties. We own 46 additional unencumbered properties.” 

About Us
Assisted Living Concepts, Inc. and its subsidiaries operate 211 senior living residences comprising 9,280 residents in 20 states. ALC’s senior living facilities typically consist of 40 to 60 units and offer residents a supportive, home-like setting and assistance with the activities of daily living. ALC employs approximately 4,100 people.

Forward-looking Statements
Statements contained in this release other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding anticipated financial performance, business strategy and management’s plans and objectives for future operations, including management’s expectations about improving occupancy and private pay mix, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally include words such as “expect,” “point toward,” “intend,” “will,” “indicate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “plan,” “strategy” or “objective.” Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. In addition to the risks and uncertainties referred to in the release, other risks and uncertainties are contained in ALC’s filings with United States Securities and Exchange Commission and include, but are not limited to, the following: changes in the health care industry in general and the senior housing industry in particular because of governmental and economic influences; changes in general economic conditions, including changes in housing markets, unemployment rates and the availability of credit at reasonable rates; changes in regulations governing the industry and ALC’s compliance with such regulations; changes in government funding levels for health care services; resident care litigation, including exposure for punitive damage claims and increased insurance costs, and other claims asserted against ALC; ALC’s ability to maintain and increase census levels; ALC’s ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the availability and terms of capital to fund acquisitions and ALC’s capital expenditures; changes in competition; and demographic changes. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on ALC’s forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this report are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of the party making such statements based upon current information. ALC assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

TAMPA, FL–(Marketwire – September 30, 2010) –  eFUEL EFN, Corp. (PINKSHEETS: EFLN) is pleased to announce that Riverside Assisted Living, Inc. (RAL) and eFUEL have executed a Letter of Intent and Understanding with regard to the following:

• It is the intention of eFUEL and RAL that within forty-five (45) days of the execution of the Letter of Intent and Understanding dated September 24, 2010, that they will enter into a Stock Exchange Agreement.

• The Principles of RAL agree to cause RAL to merge into eFUEL as a wholly owned subsidiary of eFUEL.

• The sole asset of RAL at the time of the aforementioned merger will be a 244,000 square ft. mortgaged hospital building on 16 acres located in Warren, Ohio.

About eFUEL EFN, Corp.:

eFUEL EFN, Corp. (“eFUEL”) is a publicly traded company listed on Pink Sheets under the symbol EFLN. eFUEL is an internet services company offering a wide variety of products including but not limited to background screening and verification sites, including www.ValiMate.com, www.VeritasID.com, and www.FastandEasyID.com, www.BackgroundAnswers.com and also www.VerifiAmerica.com, on-line dating sites www.outRAGEousEncounters.com and www.PositiveLove.com, and recently launched a new service called Easy ID, the fastest, easiest ID verification available on the internet. This product will be offered to all new members who purchase any www.eFUELstore.com service. Simply enter a person’s full name and birthday and the background information will be provided. This service is also available at the company’s main site www.eFUELstore.com or www.ValiMate.com. For additional Product information, go to our corporate site at www.eFUELcorp.com

Safe Harbor Statement: Certain Statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, changes in levels of competition, possible loss of customers, and the company’s ability to attract and retain key personnel.

HOUSTON, TX–(Marketwire – September 29, 2010) –  DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) is the most abundant base building block for hormones in our bodies. We gradually make more and more DHEA until about age 25; then produce less and less as time passes. By age 35, the right DHEA supplement can provide noticeable advantages to help us look and feel our best and diminish many aspects of aging. But it must be used correctly.

Medical research shows DHEA must be delivered to the body as a transdermal cream rather than as a pill supplement.

Oral DHEA taken as a pill is destroyed by the “first-pass effect” of the liver. The liver filters out most DHEA before it can do any good; what does get into the bloodstream is DHEA-S (DHEA sulphate).

DHEA-S is a different pro-hormone and has different benefits than DHEA. Medical research shows DHEA is converted into DHEA-S, but not the other way around. DHEA-S is not converted by the body into DHEA. (Hammer et al)

Twist 25 supplements DHEA rather than DHEA-S.

Most research studies of “DHEA” were done using oral DHEA. As a consequence these studies showed little significant benefit to “DHEA”(sulphate) supplementation. No wonder: These studies did not test DHEA with the proper method of administration.

DHEA must be delivered to the body properly as a transdermal DHEA cream – Twist 25.

Medical research shows the human body metabolizes most DHEA into other hormones in the skin (the dermis). The skin is where we use most of the DHEA we make. So Twist 25 cream actually provides exactly what the body produces naturally (bioidentical DHEA) where we use it (in the skin). (Labrie et al)

This is the other key reason DHEA should be provided to the body as a transdermal DHEA cream – Twist 25.

Twist 25 DHEA supplement cream is the highest quality most effective anti-aging health product available. Twist 25 is tested for safety and efficacy.

About Health2Go, Inc.
Health2Go, Inc. develops, manufactures and provides leading-edge top quality anti-aging products. To learn more about Health2Go, Inc. or their anti-aging and wellness products, please visit www.twist25.com or http://store.twist25.com

Fabian Hammer, Sandra Subtil, Philipp Lux, Christiane Maser-Gluth, Paul M. Stewart, Bruno Allolio and Wiebke Arlt. No Evidence for Hepatic Conversion of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Sulphate to DHEA: In Vivo and in Vitro Studies. Journal of Clinical Endochrinology and Metabolism Vol. 90, No. 6 3600-3605

Fernand Labrie, Alain Belanger, Rene Berube, et al. University of Toronto Medical School. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Vol 103, Issue 2, February 2007, Pgs 178-188

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