Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report related to the Packaging industry is available in its catalogue.

Pharmaceutical Packaging Market in the USA

http://www.reportlinker.com/p090367/Pharmaceutical-Packaging-Market-in-the-USA.html

US demand to grow 5.5% annually through 2012

Demand for pharmaceutical packaging products in the US is projected to grow 5.5 percent annually to $16 billion in 2012. The strongest influences on growth will evolve from standards and regulations that address such issues as patient drug compliance, drug dispensing errors, drug counterfeiting and drug diversion. An increased focus on these issues will expand growth opportunities for high value-added containers, closures and accessories, especially blister packs, tamper-evident closures and RFID labels.

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INTRODUCTION

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

II. MARKET ENVIRONMENT

General

Macroeconomic Trends

Demographic Patterns

Health Care Trends

Health Insurance

Medical Conditions

Chronic Conditions

Acute Conditions

National Health Expenditures

Medical Providers

Acute Care Hospitals

Outpatient Facilities

Skilled Nursing Homes

Home Health Care Organizations

Retail Pharmacies

Physicians

Pharmacists

Patient Activity

Acute Care Hospital Admissions

Surgical Procedures

Outpatient Visits

Prescriptions

III. PHARMACEUTICAL OVERVIEW

General

Regulation

Research & Development

Product Shipments

Therapeutic Classes

Dosage Formulations

Ethical Pharmaceuticals

OTC Pharmaceuticals

Generic & Proprietary Pharmaceuticals

IV. MATERIALS

General

Raw Materials

Plastic Resins

High Density Polyethylene

Polyethylene Terephthalate

Polypropylene

Low Density Polyethylene

Polyvinyl Chloride

Polystyrene

Other Plastic Resins

Aluminum Foil

Paper & Paperboard

Glass

Other Raw Materials

Semi-Finished Materials

Plastic Film

Converted Paper & Paperboard

Converted Foil

Other Semi-Finished Materials

V. PRODUCT OVERVIEW

General

Pharmaceutical Packaging Product Groups

Unit Dose Packaging

Anti-Counterfeit Drug Packaging

Historical Demand Patterns

US Trade

International Markets

VI. PRIMARY PHARMACEUTICAL CONTAINERS

General

Plastic Bottles

Ovals, Squares & Rounds

Dispensing Bottles

Plastic Cans

Plastic Jars

Blister Packaging

Ethical Pharmaceutical Blister Packs

Sample Packs

Unit Dose Packs

OTC Blister Packs

Clinical Trial Packs

Materials & Components

Films

Lidding Materials

Accessories

Equipment

Parenteral Containers

Vials

Glass Vials

Plastic Vials

Prefillable Syringes

Injectors

Cartridges

IV Containers

Semi-Rigid Plastic IV Containers

Mini-Bags

Glass IV Containers

Ampuls

Glass Ampuls

Plastic Ampuls

Pharmaceutical Pouches

Prefillable Inhalers

Metered Dose Inhalers

Applications

Producers & Devices

Dry Powder Inhalers

Applications

Producers & Devices

Medication Tubes

Composite Tubes

Plastic Tubes

Metal Tubes

Other Primary Pharmaceutical Containers

Glass Bottles & Jars

Aerosol Cans

Strip Packs

Paperboard Boxes

All Other Primary Pharmaceutical Containers

VII. PACKAGING ACCESSORIES

General

Pharmaceutical Closures

Plastic Pharmaceutical Closures

Child-Resistant Plastic Closures

Standard Plastic Closures

Flip-Top Plastic Closures

Plastic Dispensing Closures

Disc Closures

Pump-Type Closures

Turret Closures

Dropper Assemblies

Squeeze Tops

Other Dispensing Closures

Plastic Overcaps

Rubber & Elastomeric Pharmaceutical Closures

Parenteral Stoppers

Syringe Tips

Other Pharmaceutical Closures

Metal Pharmaceutical Closures

Paper, Foil & Laminated Lids

Secondary Pharmaceutical Containers

Secondary Paperboard Boxes

Prescription Containers

Plastic Prescription Vials

Blister Packs

Glass Vials

Other Prescription Containers

Pharmaceutical Shipping Containers

Corrugated Boxes

Folding Cartons

Other Secondary Pharmaceutical Containers

Trays

All Other Secondary Pharmaceutical Containers

Pharmaceutical Labels

Standard Labels

Track & Trace Labels

Authentication Labels

Expanded Content Labels

Pharmaceutical Package Inserts

Other Pharmaceutical Packaging Accessories

Shrink Bands & Wrap

Tamper-Evident Seals

Desiccants

Taggants & Markings

All Other Pharmaceutical Packaging Accessories

VIII. MARKETS

General

Pharmaceutical Manufacturers

Contract Packaging

Retail Pharmacies

Institutional Pharmacies

Other Markets

IX. INDUSTRY STRUCTURE

General

Market Share

Competitive Strategies

Packaging Product Companies

Contract Packaging Firms

Mergers & Acquisitions

Licensing & Related Agreements

Marketing & Distribution

Product Development Activities

Manufacturing Requirements

Company Profiles

Alcan Incorporated, see Rio Tinto Group

Alcoa Incorporated

Alexander (James) Corporation

Amcor Limited

American Health Packaging, see AmerisourceBergen

AmerisourceBergen Corporation

Anderson Packaging Incorporated, see AmerisourceBergen

AptarGroup Incorporated

Becton, Dickinson and Company

Bericap North America Incorporated, see Amcor Limited

Cardinal Health Pharmaceutical Technologies and Services,

see Catalent Pharma Solutions Incorporated

Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung

Catalent Pharma Solutions Incorporated

CCL Industries Incorporated

Chesapeake Corporation

Clondalkin Group Holdings Limited

Constantia Packaging AG

Cortegra Group Incorporated, see Menasha Corporation

Creative Press Incorporated, see Menasha Corporation

Gerresheimer Holdings GmbH

Howell (FM) & Company

International Paper Company

IntraPac Corporation

Keller Crescent Company, see Clondalkin Group Holdings

Kloeckner Pentaplast GmbH & Company KG

McKesson Corporation

MeadWestvaco Corporation

Menasha Corporation

Mini Graphics Incorporated

Owens-Illinois Group Incorporated

Pharmagraphics Incorporated, see Clondalkin Group

Plastube North America

Rexam plc

Reynolds Packaging Group

Rio Tinto Group

Ropack Incorporated

Saint-Gobain Calmar, see MeadWestvaco Corporation

SCHOTT Pharmaceutical Packaging,

see Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung

Sharp Corporation, see Superior Group Incorporated

Shorewood Packaging, see International Paper Company

Superior Group Incorporated

3M Company

Unicep Packaging Incorporated

Valois SAS, see AptarGroup Incorporated

Welch Packaging Group Incorporated

West Pharmaceutical Services Incorporated

Other Companies Mentioned in Study

LIST OF TABLES

SECTION I — EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Summary Table

SECTION II — MARKET ENVIRONMENT

1 Macroeconomic Indicators

2 Population by Age Group

3 Chronic Conditions by Type

4 Acute Conditions by Type

5 National Health Expenditures by Type

6 Medical Providers by Type

7 Patient Activity by Type

SECTION III — PHARMACEUTICAL OVERVIEW

1 Pharmaceutical Shipments by Therapeutic Class

2 Pharmaceutical Shipments by Dosage Formulation

3 Ethical Pharmaceutical Shipments by Therapeutic Class

4 OTC Pharmaceutical Shipments by Therapeutic Class

5 Pharmaceutical Shipments by Commercial Status

SECTION IV — MATERIALS

1 Pharmaceutical Packaging Raw Material Demand by Type

2 Plastic Resin Demand in Pharmaceutical Packaging by Type

3 Semi-Finished Material Demand in Pharmaceutical Packaging by Type

4 Plastic Film Demand in Pharmaceutical Packaging by Type

5 Converted Paper & Paperboard Demand in Pharmaceutical Packaging by Type

6 Converted Foil Demand in Pharmaceutical Packaging

7 Other Semi-Finished Material Demand in Pharmaceutical Packaging

SECTION V — PRODUCT OVERVIEW

1 Pharmaceutical Packaging Demand by Product Group

2 Unit Dose Pharmaceutical Packaging Demand by Product Group

3 Anti-Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Packaging Demand by Product Group

4 Pharmaceutical Packaging Market, 1997-2007

5 US Trade in Pharmaceutical Packaging

6 World Pharmaceutical Packaging Demand by Region

SECTION VI — PRIMARY PHARMACEUTICAL CONTAINERS

1 Primary Pharmaceutical Container Demand by Product Group

2 Plastic Pharmaceutical Bottle Demand by Type

3 Pharmaceutical Blister Packaging Demand by Type

4 Parenteral Container Demand by Product Group

5 Parenteral Vial Demand by Type

6 Prefillable Syringe Demand by Type

7 IV Container Demand by Type

8 Parenteral Ampul Demand by Type

9 Pharmaceutical Pouch Demand by Type

10 Prefillable Inhaler Demand by Type

11 Medication Tube Demand by Type

12 Other Primary Pharmaceutical Container Demand by Type

13 Glass Pharmaceutical Bottle & Jar Demand

14 Aerosol Pharmaceutical Can Demand

15 Pharmaceutical Strip Pack Demand by Type

16 Primary Pharmaceutical Box Demand

17 All Other Primary Pharmaceutical Container Demand

SECTION VII — PACKAGING ACCESSORIES

1 Pharmaceutical Packaging Accessory Demand by Product Group

2 Pharmaceutical Closure Demand by Product Group

3 Plastic Pharmaceutical Closure Demand by Type 4 Rubber & Elastomeric Pharmaceutical Closure Demand by Type

5 Other Pharmaceutical Closure Demand by Type

6 Secondary Pharmaceutical Container Demand by Product Group

7 Secondary Paperboard Pharmaceutical Box Demand

8 Prescription Container Demand by Type

9 Pharmaceutical Shipping Container Demand by Type

10 Other Secondary Pharmaceutical Container Demand

11 Pharmaceutical Label Demand by Type

12 Pharmaceutical Package Insert Demand

13 Other Pharmaceutical Packaging Accessory Demand by Type

SECTION VIII — MARKETS

1 Pharmaceutical Packaging Demand by Market

2 Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Market – Pharmaceutical Packaging Demand

3 Contract Packaging Market – Pharmaceutical Packaging Demand

4 Retail Pharmacy Market – Pharmaceutical Packaging Demand

5 Institutional Pharmacy Market – Pharmaceutical Packaging Demand

6 Other Markets – Pharmaceutical Packaging Demand

SECTION IX — INDUSTRY STRUCTURE

1 US Pharmaceutical Packaging Sales by Company, 2007

2 Selected Acquisitions & Divestitures

LIST OF CHARTS

SECTION IV — MATERIALS

1 Pharmaceutical Packaging Raw Material Demand by Type, 2007

2 Semi-Finished Material Demand in Pharmaceutical Packaging by Type, 2007

SECTION V — PRODUCT OVERVIEW

1 Pharmaceutical Packaging Demand by Product Group, 2007

SECTION VI — PRIMARY PHARMACEUTICAL CONTAINERS

1 Primary Pharmaceutical Container Demand by Product Group, 2007

SECTION VII — PACKAGING ACCESSORIES

1 Pharmaceutical Packaging Accessory Demand by Product Group, 2007

2 Secondary Pharmaceutical Container Demand by Product Group, 2007

SECTION VIII — MARKETS

1 Pharmaceutical Packaging Demand by Market, 2007

SECTION IX — INDUSTRY STRUCTURE

1 Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Share by Company, 2007

More Details

Plastic bottles to remain dominant primary container

Based on low cost and ease of processing advantages, plastic bottles will remain the most widely used package for solid oral ethical drugs distributed in large volume to retail and mail order pharmacies. The containers will also continue to dominate applications involving OTC medicines, nutritional preparations and herbal remedies sold in tablet and capsule quantities of 50 or more. Pharmaceutical blister packaging is well positioned for favorable unit and revenue growth based on its adaptability to unit dose formats with expanded label content and built-in track and trace features.

Parenteral containers will fare well in the US marketplace as advances in biotechnology and related life science fields lead to the introduction of new protein-based therapies that must be administered through injection or infusion. Prefillable syringes will command the strongest growth opportunities in this product group because of infection prevention and ease of use advantages and the increasing availability of injectors for self-administration. However, vials will continue to lead unit demand among parenteral containers as a large percentage of existing and forthcoming injectable drugs are produced in lyophilized or dry powder formulations not easily adaptable to syringe packaging.

The market for pharmaceutical pouches will expand at a rapid pace, spurred by increasing applications in the unit dose packaging of transdermal patches, powders for reconstitution, and topical creams and ointments. Prefillable inhalers will also possess strong growth opportunities as the number of chronic asthma, allergy and migraine patients treated with inhalation drugs rises.

Pharmaceutical closure demand, led by rubber and elastomer vial stoppers and syringe tips, along with plastic flip-top vial closures, will experience the best growth in volume and demand value as existing and forthcoming injectable drugs penetrate cancer, diabetes and other chronic disease indications. Childresistant and standard plastic caps, especially twist and turn varieties, will remain the leading closures for pharmaceutical bottles, cans, jars and tubes.

Cartons to fare better than corrugated box containers

Based on value-added marketing benefits, paperboard boxes will continue to post the largest share of demand among secondary pharmaceutical containers. Growth opportunities in this product group will decelerate gradually as some drug makers eliminate outer packaging to save costs. Demand for pharmaceutical shipping containers will advance more or less in line with the volume of drug production. However, due to trends toward smaller-sized shipments, cartons will realize measurably stronger growth opportunities than corrugated boxes.

Study coverage

Pharmaceutical Packaging is a new Freedonia industry study priced at $4700. It presents historical demand data (1997, 2002, 2007) plus forecasts for 2012 and 2017 by type and by market. The study also assesses market environment factors and examines key trends in pharmaceutical packaging materials. In addition, the study evaluates market share and profiles 30 producers and contract providers in the US industry.

To order this report:

Pharmaceutical Packaging Market in the USA

http://www.reportlinker.com/p090367/Pharmaceutical-Packaging-Market-in-the-USA.html

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COPENHAGEN and TALLINN, June 23 /PRNewswire/ — – European Health Ministers Meet to Focus on Link Between Health and Economic Success. New Charter on Health Systems Expected to be Signed

It has long been accepted that greater wealth allows people to make better health choices, but does the reverse apply? Does greater health lead to greater wealth, both on a personal and a national level?

This week (25-27 June), ministers of health, international experts, and over 500 delegates from the 53 countries (1) of the WHO European Region will meet in Tallinn – at the WHO European Ministerial Conference on Health Systems: “Health Systems, Health and Wealth” – to discuss a new paradigm for health systems. They will examine the existing evidence on the relationship between health and wealth.

Studies in the WHO European Region show that rises in life expectancy are clearly matched by improvements in economic performance. Between 1970 and 2003 in the western part of the Region, increases in life expectancy were “worth” 29-38% of gross domestic product (GDP) and far exceeded each country’s health expenditures. In the eastern part of the Region, the relationship is even clearer: between 1990 and 2003, countries that experienced a reduction in life expectancy incurred welfare losses of 16-31%, while those that saw life expectancy rise realized benefits of 12-31% of GDP.

A German study, covering 1995-2005, found that a 10% increase in health satisfaction enhanced women’s hourly wages by about 0.14-0.47% and men’s by about 0.09-0.88%. A 2006 survey of 26 affluent countries, covering 1960-2000, found that a 10% reduction in cardiovascular mortality was associated with a one percentage point increase in the annual growth of per capita income. In a recent study of the Russian Federation, good health (compared to less good health) was found to increase wages by 22% for women and 18% for men.

Three reports on how ill health can be an economic burden and how well-run health systems can contribute to wealthier societies will be discussed at the Tallinn Conference:

   - The economic costs of ill health in the European Region;    - Performance measurement for health system improvement: experiences,     challenges and prospects; and    - Health systems, health and wealth: assessing the case for investing in     health systems.    

These reports are available on the Conference web site (http://www.euro.who.int/healthsystems2008).

“Health is a robust predictor of economic growth owing to increased savings, investment in human capital, labour-market participation, productivity growth and so on, which makes a strong case for investing in health systems,” says Dr Marc Danzon, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

“However, if health ministers are to win the argument on investment they need to demonstrate that the health system is really using the resources it is given effectively and efficiently. Governments have to face difficult choices when deciding how to allocate resources. Yet they often seem willing to invest in some elements of their national physical and human infrastructure, for example in transport systems and education, but less willing to invest in their most important resource, the health of their people,” he adds.

New WHO european charter on health systems expected to be signed on Friday 27 June

The wider recognition that health systems are directly related to economic performance, both at the individual level and at the national level, puts health status among the key indicators of a country’s economic potential. To capitalize on that understanding, all 53 WHO European Member States gathered in Tallinn are expected to sign a new charter on health systems. The charter aims to reinforce the position that spending on health systems, when it is cost-effective and appropriate, is a good investment and can benefit the health, wealth and well-being of populations.

Webcast

The Tallinn Conference will be recorded and webcast. A series of programmes will be published on the multimedia part of the official Conference web site to highlight the main issues of the plenary and parallel sessions. Each day, WHO will produce news bulletins and conduct a series of video interviews. The Conference web site (http://www.euro.who.int/healthsystems2008) will link to the multimedia site, which can also be reached directly (http://www.whoconference2008.org/).

More information for journalists, including the press programme, is available on the Conference web site (http://www.euro.who.int/healthsystems2008).

(1) The Member States of the WHO European Region are: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.

   For more information, contact:   Ms Liuba Negru   Press and Media Relations Officer   WHO Regional Office for Europe   Scherfigsvej 8, DK-2100 Copenhagen 0, Denmark   Mobile: +37-258-509-081; +45-20-45-92-74.   E-mail: [email protected]  

World Health Organization (WHO)

CONTACT: For more information, contact: Ms Liuba Negru, Press and MediaRelations Officer, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Scherfigsvej 8, DK-2100Copenhagen 0, Denmark, Mobile: +37-258-509-081; +45-20-45-92-74, E-mail:[email protected]

SILVER SPRING, Md. and SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 23 /PRNewswire/ — The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) and Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc. today announced Robyn Barst as the recipient of the second annual PHA Award of Excellence in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) Care. The grant, in the amount of $50,000, will be awarded to an institution of Dr. Barst’s choice in order to support continued excellence in care for patients with PAH. The award, supported by Actelion, was presented at PHA’s 8th International PH Conference being held in Houston, Texas, this weekend.

Dr. Barst was selected for her outstanding contributions to PAH patient care and clinical research, concentrated mainly on disease progression and treatment of PAH. Her studies have focused on the genetic aspects of PAH and the use of novel therapies for treatment.

“Dr. Barst has a well-established reputation of excellence in PAH clinical research and medical care,” said Michael McGoon, MD, Professor of Medicine and Consultant in Cardiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and chair of the Independent Award Selection Committee. “Her passionate desire to better the lives of PAH patients through careful and concentrated research epitomizes the spirit of the PHA, and we are pleased to present this award in recognition of her devotion.”

The PHA Award of Excellence in PAH Care is designed to honor and acknowledge healthcare professionals who are committed to improving outcomes for patients with PAH. It is awarded annually to outstanding care providers for clinical practice excellence in the area of PAH. The financial component of the award is directed to the recipient’s choice of institution to support continued excellence in care for patients with PAH.

“The PHA Award of Excellence will encourage advances in both patient care and research in the area of PAH, a serious condition that continues to be under-recognized and under-treated,” said Rino Aldrighetti, president of PHA. “Our physicians have made significant progress over the past few years in improving the lives of patients and developing effective PAH therapies, and believe that this award will contribute to ongoing advancement in PAH patient care.”

This year’s award recipient was selected by the 2008-2009 Independent Selection Committee, comprised of: Michael McGoon, MD, professor of medicine and consultant in Cardiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, chair of the Independent Selection Committee, and chair of PHA’s Board of Trustees; David Badesch, MD, professor of medicine in the Divisions of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, and Cardiology at the University of Colorado and chair of PHA’s Scientific Leadership Council; Candi Bleifer, a PH patient and PHA Board member; Linda Carr, parent of a PH patient and past PHA board chair; Gregory Elliott, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine and past chair of PHA’s Scientific Leadership Council; and Jack Stibbs, parent of a PH patient and past PHA board chair. Criteria in selecting the recipients included: proven resources required for excellence in PAH patient care, service to the local community, and consistent provision of cutting-edge options for patients living with PAH.

About the Award Recipient

Dr. Barst was most recently a Professor of Pediatrics in the Divisions of Pediatric Cardiology at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and Cornell Medical Center in New York, and Director of New York Presbyterian Pulmonary Hypertension Center at Columbia University Medical Center. She received her medical degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and completed an internship and residency in pediatrics as well as fellowships in pediatric cardiology and pediatric pulmonary medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons in New York.

Dr. Barst is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery; of the American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young and Council on Cardiopulmonary, Perioperative and Critical Care; of the American College of Chest Physician; and of the American College of Cardiology. She is immediate past Chairman of the American Heart Association (AHA) Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young. In addition, she is a member of the European Society of Cardiology Task Force for Primary Pulmonary Hypertension and a consultant to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Division of Lung Diseases and Office of Rare Diseases. Among her editorial responsibilities, Dr. Barst is a board member of Circulation and an abstract reviewer for Annual Scientific Sessions of the AHA and American Thoracic Society. Professional accolades include the Scleroderma Foundation Research, Education, and Support Award; the Clinician-Scientist Award, AHA; and the Clinical Investigator Award, NHLBI.

About the Pulmonary Hypertension Association

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is dedicated to finding ways to prevent and cure pulmonary hypertension, and to provide hope for the pulmonary hypertension community through support, education, advocacy and awareness. The vision of PHA is to improve the lives of those affected by pulmonary hypertension.

   More information about PHA is available at http://www.phassociation.org/.    About Actelion Pharmaceuticals  

Actelion Ltd is a biopharmaceutical company with its corporate headquarters in Allschwil/Basel, Switzerland. Actelion’s first drug Tracleer(R), an orally available dual endothelin receptor antagonist, has been approved as a therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Actelion markets Tracleer(R) through its own subsidiaries in key markets worldwide, including the United States (based in South San Francisco), the European Union, Japan, Canada, Australia and Switzerland. Actelion, founded in late 1997, is a leading player in innovative science related to the endothelium — the single layer of cells separating every blood vessel from the blood stream. Actelion focuses on the discovery, development and marketing of innovative drugs for significant unmet medical needs. Actelion shares are traded on the SWX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: ATLN).

Pulmonary Hypertension Association; Actelion Ltd

CONTACT: Adrienne Turner of WeissComm Partners, +1-415-946-1092

Web site: http://www.phassociation.org/

CHICAGO, June 23 /PRNewswire/ — ReachMD XM 157 on XM Satellite Radio and The United States Army Medical Department (AMEDD), today announced the launch of a new 13 week programming series designed to highlight military medicine from across the globe, covering clinical trauma, internal medicine, medical education and much more.

This fascinating series is designed to inform and educate medical professionals and those interested in a career in medicine to better understand the broad benefits of medical service career in the US Army including the highest quality medical education and innovation from around the world.

Col. Rafael C. Montagno, Medical Recruiting Brigade commander, Fort Knox, Kentucky said, “Army medicine is extremely diverse and our medical professionals are focused on many disciplines. By sharing their experiences, we hope to create a better understanding of the complexity of the Army health care system.”

Gary Epstein, CEO of ReachMD said, “ReachMD is proud to work with the United States Army and pleased to broadcast this very look at leading edge medicine in a special series focused on the US Army Medical Department. The programming not only makes for compelling radio but also helps those interested in a career in the service gaining better insight and understanding about the work done by some of our nation’s most dedicated medical professionals.”

Former Colonel Dr. John Armstrong will host this new series entitled “The Strength to Heal.” Dr. Armstrong has a distinguished military background and offers listeners first-hand insight into the role and service military medical professionals bring to the medical community around the world.

Dr. John Armstrong is a former Colonel with the United States Army. He is a surgical educator and trauma surgeon who served in the US Army Medical Corps for 17 years, rising to the rank of Colonel and serving as the Director of the US Army Trauma Training Center in Miami, Florida. Dr. Armstrong is the current Attending Surgeon at the University of Florida College of Medicine, Shands Hospital.

ReachMD and The United States Army Medical Department (AMEDD), together launch this groundbreaking series, which showcases the skills, experiences, and knowledge acquired by serving as a medical professional in the United States Army. In addition, the series will also highlight topics that include traumatic brain injury, management of sever extremity trauma, lessons from war, preventative medicine and medical education in the military.

The series will begin airing June 30th, 2008 at 11:30am Eastern Standard Time on ReachMD XM 157 at and online @ http://www.reachmd.com/army. For additional information on programming and guests, please visit http://www.reachmd.com/army.

About the Army Medical Department (AMEDD)

From nurses and entomologists to veterinarians, dietitians and physicians, Army Health Care offers more than 90 professional health care career paths — more than any other military service.

Army Health Care annually employs more than 73,400 active-duty professionals and 72,000 Reserve Soldiers who interact with more than 200,000 patients in an average day. The Army’s Health Care system is an $8 billion per year venture, employing 145,000 people and managing the care of three million beneficiaries. The active Army Medical Team is augmented by a Reserve Component, comprised of health care professionals in Reserve units throughout the United States and abroad.

One of the largest health care networks in the world, AMEDD operates more than 600 world-renowned hospitals, clinics and facilities around the globe. AMEDD encompasses six corps: Dental, Medical, Medical Service, Medical Specialist, Nurse and Veterinary.

For more information about serving as a healthcare professional in the United States Army visit http://www.goarmy.com/amedd

About ReachMD

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, ReachMD is a leading provider of advanced healthcare information and education for medical professionals. The company’s proprietary technology uses emerging media channels to allow busy professionals to hear the latest in specific healthcare issues in the most convenient ways.

ReachMD’s multi-channel platform includes XM satellite radio channel 157 and online programming that can be accessed through any XM radio, digital media device or personal computer. ReachMD’s original programming includes interviews with world-renowned physicians covering professional topics within clinical medicine, treatment, research, executive management, government policies, technology and global health issues, among others. Strategic partners include the American Medical Association; American College of Cardiology; American Gastroenterology Association; American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology; National Lipid Association, American Retina Foundation and University of Pennsylvania.

To access ReachMD’s original programming, visit ReachMD at http://www.reachmd.com/ or XM Channel 157.

ReachMD XM 157

CONTACT: Michelle Travis, +1-208-853-0324, [email protected], forReachMD XM 157

Web site: http://www.reachmd.com/http://www.goarmy.com/amedd

TowerBrook Capital Partners L.P., the New York and London-based private equity firm, announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority interest in Broadlane, Inc., a leading provider of supply chain management and clinical workforce management services to the U.S. healthcare industry. Under the terms of the agreement, Broadlane’s senior management team will continue to retain a significant ownership interest in the company. Financing for the transaction will be provided by Jefferies Finance LLC. Completion of the transaction, which remains subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2008. No financial terms were disclosed.

Dr. Charles E. Saunders, Broadlane’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will step down from his current position once the transaction closes and will be succeeded by David Ricker, the company’s Founder, President and Chief Operating Officer.

Ian Sacks, a Management Partner at TowerBrook, commented, “Over the past eight years, Broadlane has grown significantly and diversified to become a leading technology-enabled healthcare services company focused on helping healthcare providers manage and reduce costs associated with their supply chains and clinical workforces. We believe that Broadlane’s customer-centric approach, unique outsourcing model, and operational expertise have enabled it to maximize real cost savings for provider clients as they face ever-increasing cost inflation and revenue pressure. We are looking forward to working with Broadlane’s senior management team and building on its strong track record as the company enters its next phase of growth.”

Dr. Charles E. Saunders, Broadlane’s Chairman and CEO, commented, “Over the past several years, we have successfully grown and diversified Broadlane’s business from its roots as a division of Tenet Healthcare. Having achieved this strategic goal, I will be stepping down upon the closing of the transaction and will be succeeded by David Ricker, who has grown from one of the Company’s initial founders to become our President and COO. I have full confidence in David’s ability to assume the CEO role and lead Broadlane into the future.”

David Ricker, President and COO of Broadlane, commented, “I would like to thank Chuck for his hard work and dedication to Broadlane – he has played a significant role in the company’s many achievements and we wish him every success in the future.”

Ricker added: “In looking for a new equity partner, we were attracted to TowerBrook’s significant expertise in the healthcare industry. The senior management team is excited to work with TowerBrook to fulfill Broadlane’s tremendous growth potential.”

About TowerBrook Capital Partners

TowerBrook Capital Partners L.P. is a private equity firm with in excess of $3.5 billion of capital under management. The firm has offices in New York and London and focuses on making investments in North American and European companies. TowerBrook primarily pursues control-oriented private equity investments in large and middle market companies, partnering with highly capable management teams, often in situations characterized by complexity. For more information, visit www.towerbrook.com.

About Broadlane

Broadlane is a leading technology-oriented healthcare services company that reduces cost and creates operational efficiencies for thousands of acute care hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, physician practices and other healthcare providers in the United States. Its core services include supply chain management and clinical workforce management services.

Broadlane’s comprehensive supply chain services include:

— High-powered national and custom contracting for supplies, pharmaceuticals, equipment and purchased services

— Innovative Procurement Services and purchase transaction management

— Clinical Services for managing clinical preference items and operating room and cath lab spending

— Comprehensive Materials Management Services – including outsourcing

— Informatics – benchmarking, advanced analytics and reporting

— Supply chain technology and e-commerce

Broadlane’s clinical workforce management services address nurses and allied healthcare practitioners and include:

— External shift and agency management services

— Internal shift management, including electronic shift auctions

— Regional nurse float pool management and internal agency management

— E-commerce workforce exchange linking healthcare providers, clinical staff and agencies, enabling efficient shift management and fulfillment and reconciliation

Broadlane’s clients include leading providers such as Advocate Health Care, Ascension Health, Beaumont Hospitals, CHRISTUS Health, Continuum Health Partners, Kaiser Permanente, Kindred Healthcare, MedCath Corporation, New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System, Tenet Healthcare, The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, US Oncology and UMass Memorial Health Care.

The company is headquartered in Dallas with offices in Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, New York City and Oakland. For more information, visit www.broadlane.com.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has licensed a vaccine against five childhood ailments in a single dose, officials at Sanofi Pasteur said.

The first 5-in-1 pediatric combination vaccine — approved for use in infants and children 6 weeks through 4 years of age — contains immunization against invasive disease due to Haemophilus influenza type b, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and poliomyelitis.

Pentacel vaccine is approved for administration as a four-dose series at 2, 4, 6 and 15 to 18 months of age. The first dose may be given as early as 6 weeks of age.

The current recommended childhood immunization schedule of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta says up to 23 injections are needed by the time a child reaches 18 months of age with single-entity vaccines, however, the use of the Pentacel vaccine could reduce that number of shots by seven, said Wayne Pisano, president and chief executive officer of Sanofi Pasteur.

Pisano said the current recommended childhood immunization schedule of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta says up to 23 injections are needed by the time a child reaches 18 months of age with single-entity vaccines.

However the use of the Pentacel vaccine — already approved in Canada for a decade — could reduce that number of shots by seven.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 23 /PRNewswire/ — diaDexus, Inc. today announced the release of a supplement to The American Journal of Cardiology, Vol. 101, No 12A June 16, 2008 that includes an expert consensus panel recommendation to include testing for lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), a vascular-specific inflammatory marker, as an adjunct to traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment. These recommendations are consistent with and build on the Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines (ATP III) for the use of inflammatory markers in patients at moderate to high CVD risk to improve identification of those at even higher risk for heart attack and stroke who would benefit from proven therapeutic and lifestyle treatments to prevent these cardiovascular events.

The six paper supplement entitled “Advances in the Detection of Rupture- Prone Plaque: The Role of Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 in Cardiovascular Risk Assessment” was authored by a consensus panel of experts in the fields of cardiology, neurology and laboratory medicine. The panel was formed to review the rapidly emerging literature on Lp-PLA2, an enzyme implicated in the formation of rupture prone plaque.

Peter H. Jones, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Co-Director, Baylor Lipid and Atherosclerosis Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas and co-author of the summary paper entitled “Consensus Panel Recommendation for Incorporating Lipoprotein Associated Phospholipase A2 Testing into Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment Guidelines” comments, “As a highly specific biomarker for vascular inflammation, Lp-PLA2 can identify persons who are at increased risk for heart attack and/or stroke. Elevated Lp- PLA2 levels should prompt consideration of increasing the cardiovascular risk category from moderate to high or high to very high risk, directing initiation or intensification of statin therapy to reduce LDL-cholesterol to prevent heart attacks and strokes.” The consensus panel also endorsed a simplified framework for traditional Framingham risk factor assessment in which any patient with two risk factors is recommended for Lp-PLA2 testing, given that most individuals with two risk factors are at moderate CV risk. In addition, a clinical cutpoint for Lp-PLA2 of >200 ng/mL was recommended for considering a patient at higher risk.

In the paper entitled “Lp-PLA2 and Risk of Stroke”, Philip Gorelick, MD, MPH, Professor and Head of Neurology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, provides a review of several prospective epidemiological studies of Lp-PLA2 and stroke risk, and states that “determining patients at high risk for stroke may be challenging because total and LDL cholesterol may not predict stroke risk very well.” The panel recommends testing Lp-PLA2 to help identify moderate-risk individuals who may be at high risk of stroke for whom more intensive lifestyle and pharmacotherapies may be indicated to reduce stroke and other major vascular events.

In his paper entitled “Lp-PLA2: An Independent Predictor of Coronary Events in Primary and Secondary Prevention,” Jeffrey Anderson, MD, Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Utah School of Medicine reported: “Lp- PLA2 appears to be highly specific for high atherosclerotic disease activity, independent and additive to traditional risk factors and metabolic syndrome. As such, Lp-PLA2 could alert the clinician to initiate proven strategies for coronary event and stroke reduction.”

Both a PDF of the supplement and a searchable text version can be found on The American Journal of Cardiology website at: http://www.ajconline.org/issues/contents?issue_key=S0002-9149(08)X0017-7

ABOUT DIADEXUS

diaDexus, Inc., the educational sponsor of this supplement, is a privately held diagnostics company based in South San Francisco, CA, focused on the development and commercialization of patent-protected in vitro diagnostic products addressing unmet needs in cardiology and oncology. The PLAC Test for Lp-PLA2 is the only blood test cleared by the FDA to aid in assessing risk for both coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke associated with atherosclerosis. The test can be ordered through a physician and is available through many national and local laboratories. For more information, visit http://www.plactest.com/ or http://www.diadexus.com/.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY

The American Journal of Cardiology (http://www.ajconline.org/), is one of the oldest and most prestigious cardiology journals published in the United States. AJC publishes peer-reviewed, original scientific studies that have direct clinical significance. The information contained in this supplement in The American Journal of Cardiology is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment, and the Journal recommends consultation with your physician or healthcare professional. AJC is published by Elsevier.

ABOUT ELSEVIER

Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Working in partnership with the global science and health communities, Elsevier’s 7,000 employees in over 70 offices worldwide publish more than 2,000 journals and 1,900 new books per year, in addition to offering a suite of innovative electronic products, such as ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/), MD Consult (http://www.mdconsult.com/), Scopus (http://www.info.scopus.com/), bibliographic databases, and online reference works.

Elsevier (http://www.elsevier.com/) is a global business headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and has offices worldwide. Elsevier is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc (http://www.reedelsevier.com/), a world-leading publisher and information provider. Operating in the science and medical, legal, education and business-to-business sectors, Reed Elsevier provides high- quality and flexible information solutions to users, with increasing emphasis on the Internet as a means of delivery. Reed Elsevier’s ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

diaDexus, Inc.

CONTACT: Jane Cordingley of diaDexus, Inc., +1-650-246-6463,[email protected]

Web site: http://www.diadexus.com/http://www.ajconline.org/

Brigitte Huber, PhD, of the Tufts University School of Medicine, presented evidence at a medical conference that suggested that a reactivated ancient retrovirus embedded in the human genome may be active in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Danish scientists at the same conference suggested that the activation of this retrovirus, dormant in healthy individuals, could be the reason why autoimmune conditions worsen with viral infections.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Multiple Sclerosis Patients at Increased Risk From the Effects of HERV-K18 Activation

“Patients with profoundly fatiguing diseases such as MS and CFS may be particularly susceptible to HERV-K18 activation,” said Dr. Huber. The announcement was made at the International Symposium on Viruses in CFS and Post-Viral Fatigue, a satellite conference of the 6th International Conference on HHV-6 & 7. Using an SNP-based genotyping method, Dr. Huber found that both MS and CFS patients (whose illness had been triggered by infectious mononucleosis) were at a higher relative risk for containing HERV-K18 variants known to induce superantigen activity. Superantigens are proteins that are able to induce a strong undifferentiated T-cell response believed to deplete the immune system over time.

Viral activity and/or immune activation has been shown to trigger HERV-K18 activity. Both Epstein-Barr virus infection (infectious mononucleosis) and interferon-alpha administration are associated with HERV-K18 activity. “HHV-6 activates HERV-K18 as well,” said Danish investigator Per Hollsberg, MD and professor from the University of Aarhus In Denmark. His PhD student Vanda Lauridsen Turcanova presented this data at the same conference. “Furthermore, this retrovirus activation may have important consequences for autoimmunity,” he added.

HERV-K18 activation may be the endpoint of an HHV6/EBV interferon pathway operating in both MS and CFS. HHV-6 is being investigated as a co-factor in both diseases. Other retroviruses, HERV-H and HERV-W, have been implicated in MS by other researchers. Over 75% of MS patients meet the criteria for CFS. Fatigue is often the most disabling symptom for MS patients. The two diseases also share characteristics such as grey matter atrophy, impaired cerebral glucose metabolism, autonomic nervous system activity and altered patterns of brain activity.

Dr. Huber’s study suggests that endogenous retroviral activation in CFS and MS could produce some of the symptoms associated with both diseases. She has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to study these issues. Per Hollsberg has done extensive research on the role of EBV and HHV-6 in multiple sclerosis.

The HHV-6 Foundation

The HHV-6 Foundation encourages scientific exchanges and provides grants to researchers seeking to increase our understanding of HHV-6 infection in a wide array of central nervous system disorders. Daram Ablashi, the co-discoverer of the HHV-6 virus, is the Foundation’s Scientific Director.

 Contact: Kristin Loomis Executive Director HHV-6 Foundation Santa Barbara, CA 805-969-1174 http://www.hhv-6foundation.org/

SOURCE: HHV-6 Foundation

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 23, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) — Hana Biosciences (Nasdaq:HNAB), a biopharmaceutical company focused on strengthening the foundation of cancer care, today announced that it will present pre-clinical data on Menadione Topical Lotion and clinical data on Alocrest(tm) (vinorelbine liposomes injection, OPTISOME(tm)) at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Conference taking place July 3-6, 2008 in Lugano, Switzerland. Menadione is a topical agent that Hana is currently evaluating in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment and/or prevention of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor-associated skin toxicities. Alocrest is Hana’s OPTISOME(tm) encapsulated formulation of vinorelbine tartrate intended for use in the treatment of certain solid tumor cancers.

Roman Perez-Soler, M.D., Chief, Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Chair, Department of Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center will present:

   Poster #98P: "Local Rescue of Skin Toxicities Secondary to Kinase  Inhibitor (KI) Therapy with Topical Menadione"  Saturday, July 5, 2008, 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. CEST  Location: Main Foyer of the Palazzo dei Congressi  Poster Session: Symptom Science 

Hana Biosciences will also present Alocrest Phase 1 clinical trial results:

   Poster #56P "Phase 1 Study of the Sphingomyelin/Cholesterol Liposome  Formulation of Vinorelbine in Subjects with Advanced Solid Tumors,  Hodgkin's Disease, or Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma"  Saturday, July 5, 2008, 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. CEST  Location: Main Foyer of the Palazzo dei Congressi  Poster Session: Basic Science and Diagnostics 

Both posters will be on display beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, July 4, 2008 through 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 6, 2008.

About Menadione Topical Lotion

Menadione, a small organic molecule, has been shown in pre-clinical studies to activate the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway by inhibiting phosphatase activity. EGFR inhibitors, or EGFRIs, are currently used to treat over 100,000 patients per year with a variety of cancers including non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic, colorectal, and head & neck cancer. The majority of patients taking EGFRIs develop an associated skin rash. Loss of EGFR signaling has been hypothesized as a mechanism of skin toxicity in patients receiving EGFRIs. In vitro studies have suggested that topically-applied menadione may restore EGFR signaling at the dermal/epidermal junction, which could prove beneficial to patients receiving these agents as cancer therapy. Currently, there are no FDA-approved products or therapies available to treat these skin toxicities. Hana Biosciences in-licensed topical menadione from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York in October 2006. A Phase 1 clinical trial is ongoing in the U.S. and Canada.

About Alocrest(tm) (vinorelbine liposomes injection, OPTISOME(tm))

Alocrest is a novel sphingomyelin/cholesterol liposome-encapsulated vinorelbine tartrate formulation. Vinorelbine, a semi-synthetic vinca alkaloid, is a microtubule inhibitor that has been approved for use as a single agent or in combination with cisplatin for the first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer. In several countries outside the United States, vinorelbine is also approved for the treatment of advanced stage breast cancer. Pre-clinical comparison data between commercially available vinorelbine tartrate injection (unencapsulated) and Alocrest demonstrated that Alocrest has improved pharmacokinetic properties, including an approximately 10-fold increase in preferential accumulation in tumors, and an improved therapeutic index.

About Hana Biosciences, Inc.

Hana Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:HNAB) is a South San Francisco, CA-based biopharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, developing, and commercializing innovative products to strengthen the foundation of cancer care. The company is committed to creating value by building a best-in-class team, accelerating the development of lead product candidates, expanding its pipeline by being the alliance partner of choice, and nurturing a unique company culture. Additional information on Hana Biosciences can be found at www.hanabiosciences.com.

The Hana Biosciences, Inc. logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3290

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “anticipates,””expects,””plans,””believes,””intends,” and similar words or phrases. These forward-looking statements include without limitation, statements regarding the timing, progress and anticipated results of the clinical development, regulatory processes, and potential indications for Hana’s product candidates, including its topical menadione and Alocrest product candidates. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause Hana’s actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from these statements. Among other things, there can be no assurances that any of Hana’s development efforts relating to its product candidates will be successful, that Hana will be able to obtain regulatory approval of any of its product candidates, and that the results of clinical trials will support Hana’s claims or beliefs concerning the effectiveness of its product candidates. Additional risks that may affect such forward-looking statements include Hana’s need to raise additional capital to fund its product development programs to completion, Hana’s reliance on third-party researchers to develop its product candidates, and its lack of experience in developing and commercializing pharmaceutical products. Additional risks are described in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Hana assumes no obligation to update these statements, except as required by law.

This news release was distributed by PrimeNewswire, www.primenewswire.com

 CONTACT:  Hana Biosciences           Investor & Media Contact:           Remy Bernarda, Director, Investor Relations           (650) 228-2769           fax (650) 588-2787           [email protected] 

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., June 23 /PRNewswire/ — USGI Medical Inc. (USGI) announced today that leading experts presented clinical evidence showing that its EndoSurgical Operating System(TM) (EOS) enables surgeons and physicians to use an incisionless technique to reduce the size of the gastric pouch and stoma in patients who’ve regained weight after initial success with gastric bypass. Results of two studies found that the procedure had good clinical success with only very minor side effects. Clinicians presented the data at the annual American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) 2008 conference that took place in Washington, D.C. last week.

In a study titled, Endolumenal tissue plication with tissue-anchors as a treatment for dilated gastrojejunostomy and gastric pouch after gastric bypass: early clinical experience (poster 102, June 18), Daniel Herron, MD, and colleagues used the EOS to create tissue folds around the stoma and in the stomach pouch of eight patients with an average of four pairs of expandable tissue anchors. No major complications occurred and the only minor complications were sore throats.

“The patients in the study all had lost significant weight after gastric bypass, but slowly began to regain weight over time,” Herron, Chief of Bariatric Surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, said. “Due to the scarring from the original procedure, open revision options have generally been excessively risky to perform for all patients with a large pouch or stoma. By enabling us to perform this new Incisionless Revision Procedure, these patients are back on the path to weight loss with barely any side effects. As always, we continue to monitor these patients and anticipate that further refinement of instruments and technique will improve the procedure.”

A plenary session on Wednesday featured a video of Christopher Thompson, M.D., director of Developmental Endoscopy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and his team performing the surgical bypass revision procedure.

USGI designed the EOS to addresses a range of Incisionless surgical procedures. The system facilitates access and visualization of the operating field via the body’s natural orifices; provides a stable operating platform to enhance surgical precision and control; allows the use of multiple, robust instruments for two-handed operation and enables rapid, durable suturing for tissue folding and wound closure.

About USGI Medical

USGI Medical is the leader in Incisionless Surgery. USGI’s EndoSurgical Operating System(TM) (EOS) provides surgeons the operating platform and specialized tools they need to perform surgery through a patient’s mouth or other natural orifices, reducing or eliminating the need for external incisions into the abdomen. Operating through the body’s natural orifices offers promise for less pain, shorter hospital stays, reduced risk of wound infection and no external scars – and is rapidly becoming an option demanded by patients and healthcare providers. USGI offers surgeons and gastroenterologists the technology they need to offer millions of potential patients a less invasive surgical option. USGI estimates its initial target surgical markets to be around $7 billion in the U.S. alone.

   Media Inquiries:   Hollister Hovey   Lazar Partners   [email protected]   646-871-8482  

USGI Medical Inc.

CONTACT: Hollister Hovey, of Lazar Partners for USGI Medical,+1-646-871-8482, [email protected]

By Holly Huffman, The Eagle, Bryan, Texas

Jun. 22–When three 18-wheelers and a truck collided and burst into flames nearly two weeks ago in Robertson County, it took 35 minutes for a medical helicopter to arrive on the scene.

Normally, it would have taken just 15 minutes for a PHI Air Medical air ambulance to fly from its base at Coulter Field in Bryan to rural Robertson County, emergency medical officials said.

But June 10 wasn’t normal.

Just days earlier, the Bryan-based Med 12 helicopter had crashed while en route to Houston from Huntsville, killing its three-person flight crew and the patient whose life it was trying to save. As a result, service from the Bryan base was temporarily suspended and surrounding PHI bases — as well as helicopters from other companies offering air ambulance service — have been covering the Brazos Valley.

So when Robertson County emergency responders sought help that afternoon, helicopter response time more than doubled, said Brenda Putz, trauma coordinator at St. Joseph Regional Health Center and president of the Brazos Valley Regional Advisory Council, which governs regional trauma and acute care.

“Twenty minutes may not sound like much to the layperson,” Putz said, discussing the importance of local air ambulance service during a recent interview. “But for me, I know that 20 minutes may mean the difference in life and death for someone. It’s huge for our community and for our trauma patients.”

Putz and fellow area emergency medical officials say its hard to quantify the impact made by PHI since the Bryan base opened in 2005. Neither St. Joseph nor College Station Medical Center keeps data on the number of patients brought in by Med 12 or their mortality rate.

PHI Air Medical doesn’t keep specific statistics either, though company spokesman Jonathan Collier said the Bryan base averaged one to three transports each day. In just three years, that’s at least 1,000 patients — and possibly closer to 3,000.

But despite the lack of hard evidence, many emergency responders have said they feel sure the service has made a life-saving difference.

Rick Moore, trauma coordinator for the College Station Medical Center, said he believes patients who are transported by air have a lower mortality rate — he just can’t prove it.

One of the biggest benefits of air ambulance service is the speed of travel, Moore said, adding that a helicopter can reduce travel time by as much as 30 minutes depending on the time of day, traffic and the location of the accident. The type of care provided by flight paramedics also is more advanced than what a patient would receive in a ground ambulance, he said.

Medical helicopters are mobile intensive care units, Moore said. Flight paramedics often can perform procedures their road-based counterparts can’t, and the helicopter generally is equipped with O negative blood for emergency transfusions, he said.

“The addition of air ambulance service to the Brazos Valley in 2005 is an absolute godsend,” Moore said in an e-mail to The Eagle last week.

Critics of air ambulances contend that the service is simply too dangerous. Some argue that traveling by helicopter isn’t that much faster than by ground ambulance, considering the time a patient has to wait for a chopper to arrive.

That may be true in larger cities, Putz said. But helicopter service can mean the difference between life and death for trauma patients — those who have been in a major car accident or suffered from a heart attack or stroke — in rural areas, she said.

Both St. Joseph and The Med are designated level III trauma centers, which means they can provide basic care for trauma patients. However, severely injured patients needing a higher level of care must be transferred to level I or level II facilities. Level I and II facilities offer nearly the same services, Putz said, explaining that the top-tier hospitals also engage in extensive research.

University Medical Center at Brackenridge in Austin is designated a level II trauma center, she said. Scott & White Hospital in Temple and Memorial Hermann and Ben Taub General hospitals in Houston are designated level I.

While St. Joseph can handle many of the patients brought in, Putz said, many others must be shipped out. Pediatric patients with major trauma, burn victims and those in need of limb salvage all are transferred to higher-level trauma centers.

In Houston, ground ambulances and hospital facilities are spread throughout the city, providing quick access. But Putz said that isn’t the case in rural places such as Robertson, Leon and Burleson counties. It could take half an hour just to get an ambulance to a rural accident site and then another hour to drive a victim to the Bryan-College Station area, she said.

Add another 100 miles to that trip if the patient is severely injured and needs to go to a level I trauma facility, she said.

“By air, it’s 14 minutes,” Putz said of travel time from the Bryan-College Station area to Houston. “By ground — even with lights and sirens — if you can do it in 45 minutes … I’m not sure that’s safe.”

Moore said the Brazos Valley Regional Advisory Council authorizes air ambulances to take a severely injured patient directly to a level I trauma center if it is deemed necessary. Patients transported by ground ambulance must be taken first to a local facility, where federal law requires a medical evaluation before they can be transferred.

Some injuries — such as unstable pelvic fractures and spinal injuries — can be exacerbated in a ground ambulance because of the jostling that happens when traveling by road, he said.

Moore argued that statistics prove that air ambulances aren’t more dangerous than those that travel by ground.

More than 32 emergency medical service professionals die each year as a result of ground ambulance crashes, Moore said, citing a study quoted in the April 2007 edition of the Journal of Emergency Medical Services. That figure is three times the number of professionals who die as a result of air ambulance crashes, the study states.

“Is the PHI crash a tragedy? Yes, it is, as is any crash and/or line of duty death or injury of an emergency responder. Did I lose three friends the morning of June 8? Yes, I did,” Moore wrote in his e-mail. “Will I hesitate to call an air ambulance if I feel the patient’s best interest will be served by air transport? Absolutely not!”

PHI spokesman Collier noted that any member of the PHI flight crew can terminate a mission that doesn’t seem safe.

“Any member of the crew has the ability at any time and without recrimination to decide they do not want to go on the flight and it is canceled,” Collier said last week by e-mail. “For any reason: weather, maintenance, rest, not feeling good, gut feeling, etc. Our saying is ‘Three to go, one to say no.'”

Officials with the Bryan base are expected to meet Monday to decide when to resume service. Until then, other air ambulance services can be called upon when Brazos Valley emergency responders need help. Copters from neighboring PHI bases can be in the Bryan-College Station area within a half-hour, Putz said, and those stationed in Killeen and La Grange can arrive within 35 minutes to an hour.

But all of that cuts into what emergency medical responders call the “golden hour,” Putz said. Chances of survival are greatest if a seriously injured patient can receive definitive care within 60 minutes of being injured.

The disruption of Bryan-based air ambulance service could have deadly consequences for some Brazos Valley residents, Putz said.

“They get the worst of the worst [patients],” Putz said, noting that her son is a member of the PHI flight crew. “It’s truly an intensive-care unit in the air. When we turn that patient over to them, we know we’re turning them over to the best. That’s what’s important to all of us.”

—–

To see more of The Eagle or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.theeagle.com/.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Eagle, Bryan, Texas

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

MIAMI, June 23 /PRNewswire/ — VITAS Innovative Hospice Care(R) and CIGNA HealthCare have signed a national agreement to ensure access to quality hospice services for CIGNA’s 5.1 million members who reside in major metro markets in the 16 states served by VITAS.

“As a hospice pioneer and innovator, VITAS has always been a leader in expanding access to hospice services nationwide,” noted Tim O’Toole, CEO of VITAS Innovative Hospice Care. “Partnering with CIGNA, one of America’s leading and most respected health service organizations, will ensure that VITAS can continue to meet the ever-increasing demand for quality, compassionate, responsive end-of-life care from those who seek to maximize quality of life when they have a limited time left to live.”

“How we care for people as they approach the end of their life is every bit as important as how we care for them throughout their lifetime,” said David Ferriss, M.D., national medical officer for CIGNA HealthCare. “That’s why it’s so important to find a hospice partner like VITAS that can provide dignified and compassionate end-of-life care to people covered by a CIGNA health plan.”

VITAS provides quality, compassionate end-of-life care for adult and pediatric patients with a wide range of life-limiting illnesses, including but not limited to cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, liver disease, kidney disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and AIDS.

CIGNA members will receive the full range of hospice services through VITAS. The coverage includes all prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, medical equipment and supplies required to treat the patient’s life-limiting illness. All four levels of hospice care — routine home care, Intensive Comfort Care(SM) (called Continuous Care by Medicare), General Inpatient Care and Respite Care — are covered. VITAS also provides a full range of bereavement support, including grief and loss programs, support groups and memorial services, for patients and their families.

About Hospice Care

Because hospice is not a “place” as many believe, VITAS caregivers make visits throughout the community to care for patients in their own home, in nursing homes, and in assisted living communities. Hospice is provided in the home to better provide comfort, pain control and symptom management for a patient at the end of life. In fact, recent research published by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization found that most Americans would prefer to receive end-of-life care at home and think hospice professionals are the most knowledgeable in helping them do so.

About CIGNA HealthCare

CIGNA HealthCare, a health service organization based in Bloomfield, Conn., works to improve the health, well-being and security of the people we serve. A leading provider of employee benefit services and programs, CIGNA HealthCare offers a broad array of medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy benefits plans and coverage. We also build and provide health and wellness coaching programs and consumer information tools designed to improve health and help people in their health care decision-making. “CIGNA HealthCare” and the “Tree of Life” logo are registered service marks of CIGNA Intellectual Property, Inc., licensed for use by CIGNA Corporation and its operating subsidiaries, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. All products and services are provided exclusively by such operating subsidiaries, and not by CIGNA Corporation. For more information, visit http://www.cigna.com/.

About VITAS Innovative Hospice Care(R)

VITAS Innovative Hospice Care(R), a pioneer and leader in the hospice movement since 1978, is one of the nation’s largest providers of end-of-life care. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, VITAS operates 44 hospice programs in 16 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin). VITAS, which has evolved from its founding as a volunteer organization by a United Methodist minister and a registered nurse, today employs 9,124 professionals who care for terminally ill patients daily, primarily in the patients’ homes, but also in the company’s 25 inpatient hospice units as well as in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities/residential care facilities for the elderly. At the conclusion of the first quarter of 2008, VITAS reported an average daily census of 11,775; VITAS served more than 66,000 patients throughout all of 2007. The name, VITAS (pronounced VEE-tahs), is derived from the Latin word for lives. It symbolizes the VITAS mission: To preserve the quality of life for those who have a limited time to live.

Listed on the New York Stock Exchange and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Chemed Corporation operates two wholly owned subsidiaries: VITAS Healthcare and Roto-Rooter. VITAS is the nation’s largest provider of end-of-life hospice care, and Roto-Rooter is the nation’s leading provider of plumbing and drain cleaning services.

For more information about VITAS’ National Accounts initiatives, contact: VITAS Innovative Hospice Care(R), National Accounts Department at 1.800.873.5198, or [email protected].

VITAS Innovative Hospice Care

CONTACT: Mark Cohen, Sr. VP – Communications & Public Relations of VITASInnovative Hospice Care(R), +1-305-350-5905

Web site: http://www.cigna.com/

SEABROOK, Md., June 23 /PRNewswire/ — Lockheed Martin was selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide Information Technology services to the agency’s Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response (COTPER) in Atlanta. This task order has one base year and three option years, with an estimated program value of more than $24 million.

Awarded within the scope of an already competed Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) under a General Services Administration schedule, the contract calls for Lockheed Martin to provide Information Technology support to elements of COTPER including systems architecture, Web design, application development and support, management, and security.

COTPER provides strategic direction to the agency for all terrorism preparedness and emergency response activities. COTPER manages the CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement which provides guidance and funding to state and local jurisdictions to enhance their preparedness and response capacity, oversees the CDC Emergency Operations Center, regulates entities that use or transfer biological agents or toxins, and manages the Strategic National Stockpile.

DeEtte Gray, vice president of Lockheed Martin Enterprise Solutions and Services’ professional services unit, said, “We are proud to have been selected to carry out the vital IT support needs of the CDC as it fulfills its mission to prepare the nation to respond to emergency public health challenges. We commit to deliver the best level of service required to help these CDC professionals in their critical effort.”

Lockheed Martin currently provides COTPER support under the BPA awarded in January 2007, under which the company provides business consulting and the performance of technical, professional, logistical, engineering and administrative tasks. The company also supports the agency and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry under the enterprise-level CDC Information Technology Contract.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.

For additional information, visit our website:

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

Lockheed Martin

CONTACT: Joe Wagovich, +1-301-352-2692, [email protected], orJohn O’Sullivan, +1-301-352-2697, john.r.o’[email protected], both of LockheedMartin

Web site: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

“Hopkins,” a six-week sequel to the outstanding “Hopkins 24/7” documentary series of eight years ago, raises a question: Will the television audience embrace genuine doctors the way they do those who look like George Clooney and have nicknames like McDreamy and McSteamy?

Alas, this is a rhetorical question. Everyone knows the answer is “of course not.” This despite ABC’s efforts in promo ads to link the heroic efforts of genuine medical heroes at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital to the fictional antics of Seattle Grace of “Grey’s Anatomy,” where elevator rides from the first to the second floor take longer than most surgeries. Even suggesting such a connection is like trying to tie penicillin to Pez.

Terence Wrong, who produced both series, which premieres at 10 p.m. EDT on Thursday, said in a phone interview he has had it in the back of his mind since “Hopkins 24/7” that there were still great stories to mine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Considered one of the finest medical facilities on the globe because of its world-class staff and cutting-edge techniques, Johns Hopkins is also unique in that it serves Baltimore’s inner city. This creates a situation where ground-breaking transplant operations involving squadrons of medicine’s best and brightest take place day and night upstairs while victims of drive-by shootings are receiving triage in the overwhelmed first-floor emergency room. Hopkins chronicles all of this. If the series has a flaw, it is that it tries to do too much; the quick cuts from doctor to doctor, case to case, can be disorienting.

The battalion of doctors Wrong introduces might not have sexy nicknames, but they are real heroes and engaging individuals, lifesavers who often put their patients’ wellbeing ahead of their personal lives. Those who choose to play God _ in the most positive sense of the term _ do not get to punch out at the end of eight hours.

Dr. Brian Bethea epitomizes this. Recognized as one of the foremost cardiothoracic surgeons in the country, he devotes so much time to patients that his 13-year marriage is at a breaking point. This is an occupational hazard. With the clock ticking on the life expectancy of a woman awaiting a lung transplant and the window for a successful transfer from donor to recipient extremely limited, Bethea is on call around the clock. He has to be ready to go into long hours of surgery at any hour of the day or night. This does not do wonders for his home life.

Bethea’s wife says she personifies a rueful quip of others in her circumstances. “We are widows because we are married to surgeons.” The Betheas, who have been together since grade school, are in marriage counseling but it doesn’t seem to be taking.

To capture the taxing regimen of Bethea and his colleagues, Wrong’s crew had to subject themselves to an exhausting workload of their own. “They sometimes had to work 18- to 24-hour days,” Wrong said. “In some cases, they worked 36 hours straight. Then they would sleep for a day.”

To cover a transplant from every angle, Wrong had to dispatch one crew to travel with doctors from Maryland to South Carolina for the retrieval of the organ. “They were lost to me for 12 to 14 hours,” Wrong said. Another crew stayed at the hospital as the doctors prepared to spring into action. A third crew stuck with the patient and family members. As always in filmmaking, a lot of these efforts wound up on the cutting-room floor. “We shot 1,500 hours to make six,” Wrong said.

He hopes to cajole at least one more hour from ABC. “There may be a seventh hour,” he said. “If it’s not on the air, it will be on the Web site or DVD.”

Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, a renowned brain surgeon whose story is prominent in the first installment, exemplifies an element of the immigration debate not often heard on cable talking-head shows. Quinones-Hinojosa “hopped the fence” _ his words _ from Mexico in 1986 and worked in the fields before he was able to put himself through Cal-Berkeley and Harvard. “The same hands that picked tomatoes are now picking at brain stems,” he says proudly.

Dr. Karen Boyle is a pioneer, a female urologist, the first at Johns Hopkins. Her mother thought she was a little off in opting for a field steeped in male reproductive organs, she says. Her specialty is vasectomies, both the original snipping and the more problematic reversal.

The doctors are not the only characters in “Hopkins.” Earl Ingemann, an irrepressible 19-year-old from Bermuda, is a favorite of everyone at the hospital. A heart transplant candidate, the personable kid ignores orders to rest in bed. He roams the hallways, cutting up and cracking jokes with doctors, nurses and other patients. At any given moment, he might be in the cafeteria grabbing a snack or out of the hospital entirely to get his hair braided. While Ingemann charms everyone, he and the doctors are aware of the severity of his condition and the possibility he won’t survive to have the many children he hopes to father.

Peyton Penrod is also awaiting a new heart, but at 2{ he is too young to have dreams. He is also a reminder of a sad reality in organ harvesting. As his parents await a donor, it is a reminder that for Peyton to have any chance, someone else’s child of roughly the same age has to die.

One of the things Wrong said he learned in producing the series is that there is a significant difference of opinion in the medical community over whether it is medically efficient to transplant a heart into someone so young. A repurposed heart can only be counted on for about 10 years, Wrong said he was told. The drugs essential to ward off rejection also take a vicious toll on a youngster’s life. “It’s a torturous life for the whole family,” Wrong said. Needless to say, Peyton’s parents don’t want to hear this.

Surprisingly, there also is a significant difference of opinion in the medical community about allowing documentarians, such as Wrong, the access he has been granted. Inasmuch as “Hopkins 24/ 7” lionized the medical profession, you might think other hospitals would be striving for similar media attention. The opposite is true, Wrong said. After “Hopkins 24/7”, “the medical establishment closed ranks” against such projects. An organization that accredits hospitals came out forcefully against them and passed patients rights bills intended to curtail access to medical procedures and patients.

Fortunately, Johns Hopkins has stood against such impediments, as long as producers such as Wrong attain explicit consent from everyone involved. Because of this, Wrong’s crew steered clear of the psychiatric ward. “How can you say you got informed consent in those cases?” he said. However, nothing and nowhere else was off limits.

More’s the pity that viewers invariably opt for the comfortable over the challenging.

“Hopkins” promises to be one of the more worthwhile and, despite its heavy subject matter, entertaining viewing options of the summer. The authentic medical crises depicted in “Hopkins” are more heart-rending, involving and inspiring than anything that comes out of a screenwriter’s word processor.

___

(c) 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Visit the Sun-Sentinel on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun-sentinel.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

BROOKFIELD, Wis., June 23 /PRNewswire/ — RF Technologies(R), a leading provider of radio frequency identification monitoring systems and healthcare monitoring solutions, announces it has enhanced its comprehensive clinical support program associated with its Safe Place(R) Infant Security Solution and labeled it Step-by-Step(R). The clinical education and accompanying support kit provide guidance and resources to ensure a successful infant security program. RF Technologies was the first to offer clinical nurse-to-nurse training on an infant security system, and continues to pioneer new avenues for reaching its entire client base. RF Technologies will be at the Association of Women’s Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) Convention in Los Angeles, June 21-24, booth number 441, to discuss how hospitals can utilize this program.

“We believe the key to an effective technology-based program is a highly trained nursing staff,” said Leslie Roste, Clinical Product and Education Director at RF Technologies. “Our product and clinical support program were developed by engineers working directly with RF Technologies’ nurses, always keeping clinicians in mind, so we’re able to bring the unique knowledge needed for infant security. We’ve expanded our program to continue to carry-out our mission of going beyond simply offering products — we’re also providing effective solutions that enable our customers to succeed.”

Comprehensive program

Step-by-Step offers on-site and web-based training, in addition to on-going support after installation, including clinical assessments conducted on-site which are particularly useful for facilities with ongoing issues, high staff turnover and high volume usage. The assessments can also be done via VPN connection. Step-by-Step provides abduction drills with optional evaluation. The innovative program also supplies an educational kit, which consists of tools, forms and other resources essential for properly training existing and new staff members.

Individualized approach

Further maximizing the value Safe Place provides, elements of the Step-by-Step program are tailored to the individual needs of each facility including software configuration. It also provides a template to assist a facility in developing a policy that incorporates electronic monitoring of its patients. Sample policies as well as a review of a facility’s policies and recommendations are included in the program.

“We actually work with the hospital to develop protocols for various situations, such as when an attempted, infant abduction occurs. We truly partner with the customer,” said Roste.

About RF Technologies

RF Technologies is a leading provider of comprehensive, integrated RFID Safety and Security systems, Wi-Fi RTLS systems, and healthcare enterprise solutions. With an installed base of more than 10,000 systems worldwide, RF Technologies specializes in state-of-the-art healthcare solutions for senior care facilities and hospitals, including Code Alert(R) Wandering Management, Wireless Call and Fall Management Solutions, Safe Place(R) ED and Infant Security Solutions, and PinPoint(R) RTLS Location-Aware Solutions. The company is credited with inventing the first RFID infant security system, which was designed and developed by nurse clinicians. It was the first in the industry to invent Peer-to-Peer Wi-Fi RTLS, and to offer Remote Monitoring, RF Consulting and 24X7 technical support by RF Technologies’ staff specialists and a nationwide service management team. http://www.rft.com/

RF Technologies

CONTACT: Amy Hansen, Director of Client Service and Public Relations ofSeroka Public Relations, +1-262-523-3740, [email protected], for RF Technologies

Web site: http://www.rft.com/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/143444.html

By JESSICA WILLIAMS

Bereaved family and friends have staged a protest at a hospital to demand improvements in cleanliness and care.

The Cure the NHS group held a candlelit vigil at Stafford General Hospital on Saturday in memory of their loved ones who lost their life there.

The group is made up of around 150 people who believe their friends and relatives’ deaths were brought on by poor hospital standards.

Around 30 members met at the hospital gates at 2pm in a bid to force the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust to take action.

Julie Bailey, pictured below, who set up the group last December, said: “This is a friendly protest by people who have all lost friends and relatives in tragic circumstances.

“We want better care at this hospital and we want new management. We also want to support staff who we believe are being stretched to the limits.”

Ms Bailey, of Main Road, Milford, Stafford, set up the group in memory of her mother Bella Bailey, who died at the hospital, aged 86, four days after being admitted with a hernia.

Ms Bailey said she had since been inundated with letters complaining about standards.

She said: “The hospital was like a death camp. There were people left lying in pain for up to five hours. The patients were not being fed or given any fluids.”

June and Derek Locke, of Matthews Road, Stafford, attended the protest in memory of their daughter Jane, who was admitted to the hospital with bowel cancer two years ago and died three months later. The couple have since found out she was suffering from C. difficile, MRSA and E. coli.

Mrs Locke, aged 69, said: “At Jane’s inquest, the coroner promised something would be done to improve standards at the hospital. But we are still waiting. The longer this goes on, the more people’s lives are put in danger.”

Gillian Peacham, of Clay Street, Penkridge, said she was protesting in memory of her husband Arthur, who was admitted to the hospital two years ago with a bad back.

The 68-year-old said: “He caught C. difficile and two months later he was dead.

“The hospital was filthy. It was the most horrific place my family had ever witnessed.”

Martin Yeates, chief executive of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, said the trust was co-operating with an investigation by the Healthcare Commission, but the hospital had opposed Saturday’s protest as it was felt it would be intimidating to patients, visitors and staff.

He added that Staffordshire Police had met protesters on Wednesday to discuss their plans. He also said the trust had requested meetings with the group on several occasions but had been refused.

He said: “Our prime responsibility is to provide health care, including emergency services to the local community.

“We must ensure our hospital is accessible and in particular that the A&E department is available to the public, ambulances and the air ambulance. Any event where a number of people gather poses health, safety and security issues which should be avoided.

“We also have a duty to protect visitors and our staff. People standing outside our hospital entrance giving out leaflets we feel would be intimidating to our patients and visitors, who are often anxious because they are either ill themselves or have sick relatives. Our staff are very hardworking and should be allowed to arrive and leave work without feeling threatened or demoralised.

“It has been recommended to this group that they should engage with the trust by our local MP, David Kidney, the Primary Care Trust, a representative of general practitioners and the police, among others.”

(c) 2008 Sentinel, The (Stoke-on-Trent UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

By MARGERY EAGAN

Mothers Against Drunk Driving has managed to completely reverse a nation’s attitude about drinking and driving, which used to be a joke, something to brag about, even cool. Today? We think it’s horrible, shameful, cruel, a selfish who-gives-a-damn.

What we need around here is a MADD-style reversal in attitude about unwed mothers and the who-gives-a-damn boys/men who bear zero responsibility for the life they made. Here are some possibilities: Mothers Against Deadbeat Dads. Or Mothers Against Doomed Deliveries. Or Mothers Against Delusional Daughters dreaming of a baby who will love them unconditionally – but they’ve got the unconditional backwards: It’s the mother who’s supposed to love unconditionally. Babies unconditionally need.

I mention this today because Gloucester just made international headlines about a supposed high school “pact” by teenage girls to get pregnant and give birth and raise their babies together – no fathers need apply. We’re still looking for evidence of an actual pact in the picturesque but struggling fishing village to our north. We already know that an admired teen celebrity getting pregnant (TV star and unwed 17-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears gave birth Thursday) – and a movie like mega-hit “Juno” that soft-peddles its tragedy – influences teenagers. Gloucester’s Christine Callahan, 18, unwed, and mother of a 3-year-old, said exactly that to NBC’s “Today.””The people, especially me, I look up to celebrities. It shows a lot of people that (teen pregnancy’s) OK.”

We also know that the number of pregnant Gloucester high schoolers has skyrocketed in this season of “Juno,””Knocked Up,””Waitress” and “Bella,” all movies depicting unplanned pregnancy as key to turning your life around. Meanwhile, unwed mothers Bridget Moynahan and Spice Girl Melanie Brown won 2007’s “Best Gutsy New Moms” award (why?) from Glamour magazine, a bible to teenage girls.

Maybe these Gloucester girls want to be like Melanie or Jamie, though few can afford babysitters, never mind full-time nannies. In any case, several were reportedly happy, not crushed, about baby mama-hood.

A reality check: Teenage girls wanting to get pregnant is nothing particularly new. About 80 percent wind up pregnant by mistake and about 20 percent get pregnant intentionally, says obstetrician Hope Ricciotti of Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Dimock Community Health Center. Of those who give birth, less than 1 percent do what Juno did and opt for adoption.

So obviously what’s changed since, well, 1980, when MADD began its crusade against driving while drunk, are cultural attitudes about single motherhood. With the best of intentions, the women’s movement destigmatized it. We went too far.

A guidance counselor from Fall River remembered yesterday what used to happen to unwed teenage mothers. They had to get married. Then there were two families – hers and his – to help. Then, even if the marriage failed, the father, through the courts, would have to pay child support.

Now? This guidance counselor has seen pregnant girls as young as 13. She’s seen fathers who’ve conceived with three or four or even more different girls, yet support none of the children. Incredibly, some of these girls sought out such men because they’re status symbols in the neighborhood.

“Growing Up Fast” details the fates of babies born to poor teens in Pittsfield. Author Joanna Lipper told heart-wrenching tales of violence, abuse, homelessness, even hunger. One 16-year-old who planned her pregnancy told Lipper she thought motherhood “would bring my popularity up . . . people would be like, `Hey . . . that’s cool.’ “

But to the baby, it’s never cool. It’s cruel.

Originally published by By MARGERY EAGAN.

(c) 2008 Boston Herald. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Company’s Mother Infant ID Wristbands Are the Foundation for Point of Care Bar Coding and Further Ensure the Mother/Newborn ID Processes by Reducing Medical Errors and Improving Patient Safety

Precision Dynamics Corporation

Adrienne S. Lamm, 818.897.1111 x1330

[email protected]

Logo: http://www.pdcorp.com

For hospital labor and delivery departments to ensure patient safety, they rely on positive patient identification. Being able to verify that the right patient is receiving the right treatment, medication and/or breast milk for both mother and newborn are critical. Focusing on these patient safety issues and more, Precision Dynamics Corporation (PDC), the global leader in automated wristband identification, will be demonstrating its mother-infant wristband solutions at the Association of Women’s Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) Conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center, June 22nd – 24th, booth #334.

PDC will be displaying its latest infant positive patient identification solution: Precision(R) Infant Thermal Band. It utilizes today’s barcode technology to help insure newborn safety. Printed on a direct thermal printer, it provides a flat surface for best scanning results. Precision(R) Infant Thermal band is specially coated to eliminate the need for fold over laminate while still protecting the printed information from water, soap and hand sanitizer.

Hospitals use PDC’s mother-infant wristbands, bar code tags and DataMate(R) labels for security, scanability and safety. PDC’s wide selection of mother infant wristbands meets the needs of hospital labor & delivery, pediatric and NICU departments with correlating numbering systems that positively identify baby with mother and other family member(s). PDC provides a choice from four-part, three- part and two-part band designs, as well as insert style (with protective pockets for insert cards) or imprinter style (for printing directly on the wristband). These mother-infant wristbands are made of smooth, soft, latex free material that is comfortable and safe for sensitive skin. DataMate(R) labels support text, photos, graphics, and linear and 2D bar codes. PDC’s bar code solutions meet the requirements of JCAHO for accurate patient ID, HIPAA for protection of patient privacy, and AHA to reduce the risk of lost or transferred data.

Also, when conventional infant ID bands are too small to provide sufficient room for patient information to be recorded legibly, PDC’s Precision(R) Bar Code Tags can be utilized. These tags accommodate either linear or 2D bar codes, along with up to three lines of text. This gives additional space on the wristband for pertinent patient information and reduces cost by eliminating the need for extra ID bands. They are threaded onto the wristband, thereby eliminating the curvature issue and enabling more successful first time scans. The tags are printed using direct thermal printers which provide high quality, legible bar codes, and are compatible with most thermal printers. The tags accommodate all PDC mother/ infant wristbands; SnugFit(R) and Veri-Color(R) are recommended.

Visit PDC at Booth #334 for all product demonstrations and for a chance to be able to enter to win a Nintendo(R) Wii(TM). For additional information about PDC’s mother infant bar code solutions contact PDC at 800-772-1122 or 818-897-1111 6:30 pm – 4:30pm PST or visit: www.pdcorp.com/healthcare. For press and media inquiries, please contact Adrienne S. Lamm, 818-897-1111 ext. 1330 or [email protected].

About PDC … Your Partner in Patient Safety(TM)

For over 50 years, PDC has been the pioneer in patient safety through positive identification systems and other healthcare products. The company delivers quality wristband solutions that help protect millions of patients against medical errors, while preventing millions more in associated costs. PDC developed the first single-piece patient wristband, the first bar code wristband system, and the first Smart Band(R) RFID wristband system. For more information on PDC’s Healthcare products, visit www.pdcorp.com/ healthcare.

PDC also produces wristband systems for the leisure and entertainment and law enforcement markets, including non- transferable VIP Band(R) wristbands in multiple colors and materials, and advanced Smart Band(R) RFID wristbands for cashless point of sale, keyless door entry, and access control and security. The company is committed to 100% quality in service, design, and manufacturing and has ISO-9001: 2000 and ISO-13485: 2003 certification. For more information, visit www.pdcorp.com.

Precision Dynamics Corporation, product names, company names, marks, logos and symbols mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Precision Dynamics Corporation. All other product names, company names, marks, logos and symbols mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

(c) 2008 BUSINESS WIRE. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

AWARDS

Dentists honored

BLOOMINGTON – Three Bloomington dentists have been named to the Heartland Dental Care President’s Club. The club recognizes doctors’ accomplishments, contributions to their community and commitment to providing high quality dental care to patients.

Dr. Gerald Awadzi, of Hershey Plaza Dental Center in Bloomington, is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry. He has received advanced education in sedation dentistry, cosmetic procedures, dental implants, endodontics and doctor leadership skills. He has a dental degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia.

Dr. Patrick O’Malley, of Dental Group of Bloomington, has received continuing education in general and cosmetic dentistry and has received advanced training at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. He has a dental degree from Loyola University School of Dentistry in Maywood.

Dr. Brandon Sims, of Affordable Dentistry Today in Bloomington, received advanced training in general and cosmetic dental procedures and has a dental degree from Baylor College of Dentistry in Texas.

appointments

Lab manager

STREATOR – Victoria Saline has been named manager of laboratory services at St. Mary’s Hospital, Streator.

Saline has 15 years of medical technology experience and six years of laboratory supervision and management experience. She most recently served as laboratory manager of Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston, N.C. Before that, she was the main laboratory supervisor for the American Red Cross in Peoria and had positions at OSF Saint Mary’s Medical Center in Galesburg and OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

Saline received her bachelor’s degree in medical technology from Illinois State University in Normal and her master’s degree in health services administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet.

New chaplain

BLOOMINGTON – OSF St. Joseph Medical Center Chaplain, the Rev. Deogratias Kiwanuka, will enter a clinical pastoral education residency program in September, but will remain on the hospital staff on a part-time basis until he completes his studies in August 2009.

The Rev. James Kretz has joined St. Joseph to assist with the spiritual needs of Catholic patients and to provide spiritual and supportive care for all hospital patients.

Kretz was ordained in 1991. He served as an assistant pastor at St. Patrick Church of Merna and at Epiphany Catholic Church in Normal. In 1993, he was named pastor of St. Ann Church in Toluca and Sacred Heart Church in Rutland.

Anderson chosen

NORMAL – Nancy Anderson, a speech-language pathologist at BroMenn Regional Medical Center in Normal, has been elected president of the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She will serve one year as president-elect, one year as president, and one year as immediate past president.

The association is the state’s largest professional association for audiologists and speech-language pathologists, with nearly 2,400 members. Anderson previously served as president of the Central Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Drug disposal

BLOOMINGTON – OSF St. Joseph Medical Center is sponsoring the county’s first public prescription drug disposal program from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the southeast end of the medical center’s campus in Bloomington.

P2D2 Green Day will allow residents to dispose of unwanted, unused or expired medications in a safe and convenient manner that keeps medicine out of the water supply and landfills. P2D2 (Pontiac Prescription Drug Disposal) began in Livingston County with Pontiac Township High School teachers Paul Ritter and Eric Bohn and their students. St. Joseph wants to begin a similar program in McLean County.

Accepted will be prescription, over-the-counter and veterinary medications, as well as inhalers and mercury-filled thermometers. Not accepted will be illegal drugs, needles, syringes and bio- hazardous materials. Residents should bring their medicines in original packaging, with names and addresses of patients removed. The event will include children’s activities, hourly nutrition seminars and blood pressure checks.

Wellness Clinics

PONTIAC – The Livingston County Health Department is taking appointments for adult Wellness Clinics, which will be at the health department on Tuesday and on July 8 and July 22.

Blood pressure screenings, metabolic syndrome screenings, a blood chemistry profile, prostate cancer testing, thyroid screenings, HbA1c screenings and osteoporosis screenings will be offered. For fee information and appointment times, call (815) 844-7174.

Send Health Digest items to Health Editor Paul Swiech at [email protected].

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(c) 2008 Pantagraph. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

GUANGZHOU, China, June 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ — China Medicine Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: CHME; “China Medicine” or “the Company”), a leading distributor and developer of ethical and over-the-counter drugs, traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), nutritional and dietary supplements, medical devices, and medical formulations in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), today announced it has successfully obtained the exclusive rights to sell 2,300 products included in the Company’s current catalogue.

The Company won the exclusive rights through an on-line bidding system called the “Guangdong Sunshine Medicine Public Internet Bidding System.” The system was established in 2007 by the Guangdong government to help consolidate the provincial medicine acquisition market and to promote a transparent bidding process. Among the 2,300 products that the Company has maintained exclusive rights to sell, four were developed by China Medicine. They include Ozagrel, a powder-injection that is used for treatment of acute myocardial infarction; Bumetanide, an injection used for treatment of diuretic and chronic kidney failure; Levocarnitine, an injection used for the treatment of coronary heart disease; and Ji Xue Gan Pian, a tablet which is used for the treatment of cuts from surgery and skin disease.

“We are excited that we have bid against more than 1,700 medicine distributors nationwide and have maintained the rights to sell over 2,300 products that were already included in our product catalogue,” said Mr. Senshan Yang, Chairman and CEO of China Medicine. “We will be selling our products to hospitals throughout Guangdong Province through an online drug sales system.”

China Medicine believes that securing and maintaining the rights to sell the drugs previously included in its portfolio will help to increase revenues going forward since the Company has already gone through the introductory phase, which is typically a period of slower sales when new products are advertised and marketed. With the introductory phase complete, the Company can now focus more on promoting existing drugs thereby increasing sales volume. China Medicine maintains a strong reputation in the pharmaceutical industry and an extensive distribution network.

“China Medicine will continue to actively participate in the online bidding system in order to add more products to our portfolio,” commented Mr. Yang. “We will also increase our research and development efforts in order to increase our portfolio of self-developed drugs.”

About China Medicine Corporation

China Medicine Corporation is a leading pharmaceutical company which discovers and develops medical formulations and distributes over 2,200 pharmaceutical products in China including prescription and over-the-counter drugs, traditional Chinese medicine products, herbs and dietary supplements. The Company distributes the products to wholesale distributors in 28 provinces and to more than 300 hospitals, 500 medicine companies, and 1,788 drug stores throughout China. The Company actively develops a number of proprietary products for many uses including oncology, high blood pressure and the removal of toxins from food and animal feeds. For more information visit the Company’s website at http://www.chinamedicinecorp.com/.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the Company’s business and products. The Company’s actual results may differ materially depending on a number of risk factors including, but not limited to, the following: general economic and business conditions, obtaining regulatory approval for new products, the expected contribution of higher margin products, government support for rural health care, competition from existing and new competitors, changes in technology, and various other factors beyond its control. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this Cautionary Statement and the risk factors detailed in the Company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. China Medicine Corporation undertakes no duty to revise or update any forward- looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

   Company Contact:                       Investor Relations Contact:   Ms. Huizhen Yu                         Mr. Crocker Coulson   Chief Financial Officer                President   China Medicine Corp                    CCG Elite Investor Relations   Tel: +86-20-8739-1718                  Tel: +1-646-213-1915 (NY Office)   E-mail: [email protected]              E-mail: [email protected]   Website: http://www.chinamedicinecorp.com/     Website: http://www.ccgelite.com/  

China Medicine Corporation

CONTACT: Ms. Huizhen Yu, Chief Financial Officer, China Medicine Corp,+86-20-8739-1718, [email protected]; or Mr. Crocker Coulson, President, CCGElite Investor Relations, +1-646-213-1915 (NY Office),[email protected], for China Medicine Corporation

Web site: http://www.chinamedicinecorp.com/http://www.ccgelite.com/

BALTIMORE, June 23 /PRNewswire/ — Lupin Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Lupin Ltd., announced today that the Company has entered into a promotion agreement for Suprax(R) 400 mg Tablets with ASCEND Therapeutics, Inc.

Under the terms of the alliance, ASCEND Therapeutics will initiate promotion of the product in the U.S. in the month of June 2008. ASCEND has a 50-person Women’s Health sales force which will detail the product primarily to Obstetricians and Gynecologists (OB/GYNs). Lupin will continue to promote the product to Pediatricians and Family Practitioners.

The antibiotic market for treatment of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) is USD 450 million, and the OB/GYN area is among the top three physician specialties prescribing antibiotics for treatment of UTIs.

“We are pleased to enter into this strategic alliance with ASCEND. We believe ASCEND’s existing equity with the OB/GYN specialty will help Lupin to fully explore and leverage an additional opportunity for promoting Suprax(R) 400 mg Tablets. This alliance reflects Lupin’s commitment to building the Suprax(R) franchise and enhancing the value of brand business in the U.S.,” said Vinita Gupta, President, Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

“We are very excited about adding Suprax(R) 400 mg Tablets to our portfolio of products which we market to Women’s Health professionals,” said Jay Bua, President, ASCEND Therapeutics. “There are over 8 million patient visits for UTIs each year, with the vast majority of these experienced by women. Suprax(R) 400 mg Tablets is an established antibiotic with a favorable safety profile and proven track record in effectively treating UTIs and other bacterial infections. We very much look forward to a long and productive collaboration with Lupin.”

About Lupin

Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, is the wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Mumbai-based Lupin Limited, a leading Indian pharmaceutical company. Lupin Limited develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of quality, affordable generic and branded generic formulations and APIs for both the developed and the developing markets of the world. Twelve of Lupin’s facilities have been inspected and approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

For the year ended March 2008, Lupin’s consolidated revenues and profit after tax were USD 660.23 million and USD 97.21 million, respectively.

The Company has secured a global leadership position in anti-TB products and cephalosporins and has a significant presence in the areas of cardiovasculars (prils and statins), diabetology, asthma and NSAIDs. Currently positioned among the top five pharmaceutical companies in India, the Company is committed to achieving sustainable earnings and growth for all its stakeholders. For more information, visit http://www.lupinpharmaceuticals.com/.

About ASCEND Therapeutics

ASCEND Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the use of transdermal drug delivery technology to overcome therapeutic barriers and raise the standard of care for certain chronic conditions. For more information about ASCEND, you may visit the company’s web site at http://www.ascendtherapeutics.com/.

Safe Harbor Statement under the U. S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

This release contains forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Many of these risks, uncertainties and other factors include failure of clinical trials, delays in development, registration and product approvals, changes in the competitive environment, increased government control over pricing, fluctuations in the capital and foreign exchange markets and the ability to maintain patent and other intellectual property protection. The information presented in this release represents management’s expectations and intentions as of this date. Lupin expressly disavows any obligation to update the information presented in this release.

   Suprax(R) is a registered trademark of Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.    For More Information:   Contact: Atul Gokhale   General Manager -- Marketing   1-410-576-2000  

Lupin Pharmaceuticals

CONTACT: Atul Gokhale, General Manager — Marketing of LupinPharmaceuticals, +1-410-576-2000

Web site: http://www.lupinpharmaceuticals.com/http://www.ascendtherapeutics.com/

By Dr. Paul Saville

Inhaling the smoke of burning coal, wood or leaves is bad for you. Acrid smoke injures the lungs and leads to chronic obstructive lung disease. Smoke contains chemicals such as benzpyrene, which causes cancer. Slow-burning cigarettes release carbon monoxide as well as carbon dioxide.

The body senses a lack of oxygen in the blood and increases the red blood count. The blood is now thicker and flows more slowly through narrowed arteries increasing symptoms of angina and a leg artery disease called claudication.

People do not smoke cigarettes for the smoke, but to obtain the effects of the nicotine that is present in tobacco leaves. Nicotine does not cause COPD or lung cancer, but is a stimulant that decreases appetite. It also acts on artery walls leading to disease of coronary (heart attack and angina), carotid (stroke) and leg arteries.

Marijuana smoke has the same effect as tobacco – lung disease and cancer. The object of smoking it is to obtain the effect of the drug cannabis in marijuana, nicotine from tobacco, which is driven off by the heat of burning leaves.

There is now strong evidence that cannabis turns on a gene that codes for schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is the most devastating psychiatric disease which comes on between puberty and age 40, usually under 30. Those who saw or read “A Beautiful Mind” may remember John Nash Jr. of Bluefield, who won the Nobel Prize in economics for his research in mathematical game theory. He did the work at 21 and became schizophrenic at 22. Now 80 years old, he has been unable to work since he was 22. His son became a professor of mathematics at Marshall University, but is now also schizophrenic.

If in a university of 30,000 individuals under 40, at least 2 percent might be genetically predisposed to develop schizophrenia. This would give 600 possible cases. Exposure to cannabis grew fourfold in the past 30 years. Also, selective breeding has provided more potent marijuana plants. Model projections suggest up to one- fourth of new cases of schizophrenia could be due to cannabis by 2010.

A Swedish study on this issue is unique because at birth Swedes are assigned a number that includes birth month, year, county and sex. This becomes the army number, hospital number, bank number and social security number. Sweden has a military draft. All men are examined at 18 years. So it was possible to examine and follow 45,570 men for 15 years and find a causal relationship between the incidence and severity of schizophrenia and marijuana smoking. Heavy cannabis users were six times more likely to develop schizophrenia.

Cannabis increases body weight. When we eat food, we gradually feel full and stop eating, not because the stomach is distended, but because food absorbed through the intestinal wall releases chemicals which reach the brain and attach to receptors so that the brain tells us to stop eating. Cannabis attaches to these brain receptors blocking them from the intestinal chemicals. Since we do not feel full, we continue eating and get fat. This can be useful for someone with a wasting disease such as AIDS or tuberculosis, but not for most of us.

Marijuana is clearly dangerous. Should it be legalized? In the Framingham study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, legal cigarette smoking decreased from 52 percent in the late 1970s to 15 percent in 2000. Illegal marijuana smoking has increased by 400 percent in the same period.

Making marijuana legal may be considered cool to young males. But perhaps we should use similar methods to decrease use of marijuana as have been successful with tobacco. First, maintain a drumbeat of hostile information about it. Next, have the same restrictions on its use as for tobacco, and finally, tax it. The tax should start low and slowly increase in order to wipe out the drug dealers. Tax money should be used to fund decent asylums for the insane who cannot care for themselves.

Saville, of Charleston, is a retired rheumatologist.

By MIKE KELLY

CDC instructions advise all who set a toe on one of these fields to remove all clothing as soon as possible.

Mike Kelly is a Record columnist. Contact him at [email protected].

WE LIVE in wondrous times. We no longer need real grass for football, soccer, baseball and lacrosse. We have artificial turf, made from plastic, nylon and ground-up car and truck tires.

But now we worry.

Recent tests on fake turf fields at four high schools in northern New Jersey revealed high levels of lead. And now comes a truly wondrous message from the federal government – actually a special advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC advisory, which was released late last week, is actually a set of instructions for anyone who uses an artificial turf field. Pay attention to the vocabulary here. In this bizarre debate, vocabulary is perhaps the only thing worth laughing about.

At the top of the list of CDC instructions is this: Anyone who steps onto a fake field should wash “aggressively” afterwards.

Yes, you read that right: Wash aggressively. No more quick showers to save water. If you play, you get sprayed, the advisory says.

It doesn’t matter if you have spent three hours kicking a soccer ball or five minutes throwing a coach’s temper tantrum. If you step on that plastic turf, you need to wash your mouth – and everything else – with some serious soap and water for at least 20 seconds on all exposed body parts.

But that’s not all.

Remove your clothing

The instructions ask all athletes – and anyone else who sets a toe on one of these fields – to remove all clothing as soon as possible.

Naked soccer? Lacrosse au naturel? Baseball in the buff?

The possibilities are endless.

But the instructions don’t end there. The CDC recommends that all sports uniforms worn on fake fields should be turned inside out to avoid spreading “dust.”,

Apparently, the uniforms tend to get coated with ground-up bits of tires and other “artificial” items that are dangerous to your health and wardrobe.

But again, that’s not all.

The final instruction is this: All clothing worn on an artificial field should be washed separately from other items. Besides the “delicate” cycle on washing machines, maybe now we need the “fake turf” cycle.

In other words, the CDC wasn’t kidding when it advised athletes and others to wash aggressively.

They’re not laughing, either.

Indeed, this is no laughing matter. But the story of the growth of artificial athletic fields is full of irony.

From town recreation fields in Franklin Lakes, Wayne and Fort Lee to more than two dozen public and private high schools across northern New Jersey, artificial turf fields are a growing trend. But here’s the irony: Many of these fields – especially those built for municipal parks – were funded by state Green Acres grants.

That’s right, money, set aside by state law, to preserve New Jersey’s natural environment was used to buy a fake environment.

Buy first, test later

But perhaps the most outrageous piece of irony is this: Scientists knew that artificial turf fields might cause health and environmental problems. But in the rush for improved athletic and recreational facilities – and use of those Green Acres dollars far too many bureaucrats opted to install the fake fields first, then test for hazards later.

So last week, we learned that the lead content of the fake turf at Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes was six times the state standard and the lead content of the Indian Hills High School field in Oakland was seven times higher. The fields will be closed during summer, school authorities said.

“We’re not going to be using either of our fields until we complete further testing,” said Paul Saxton, the superintendent for the Ramapo Indian Hills school district.

But testing is one thing. What if those additional tests confirm high lead levels? What then? Remove the fake turf and start over? And who pays for this?

Fake fields, by the way, don’t come cheap. A basic soccer and football field goes for around $2 million.

The news of high lead levels at the Ramapo and Indian Hills high schools comes on the heels of similar revelations at the Northern Valley Regional High School District’s artificial fields in Old Tappan and in Demarest. Initially, the district considered canceling graduation ceremonies, scheduled for the fields.

But other tests revealed “acceptable” lead levels. How comforting.

Meanwhile, a group called the Synthetic Turf Council issued a statement in praise of the new tests.

“Our industry is proud of its unblemished record of human health and environmental safety,” the council said.

Really now. The same statement underscored the inherent paradox of these fake turf fields. “Lead chromate has been used in a number of synthetic turf fields,” the council acknowledged.

But then the council said we should not be worried. “Lead chromate’s extremely low bioavailability prevents it from being readily absorbed by the human body,” the statement said.

But if lead chromate is so safe, why does the New Jersey Department of Health suggest that children under age 7 be prohibited from playing on fields with high lead levels?

That sort of question never seems to be answered. The state continues to find high levels of lead in artificial turf, but the fake turf manufacturers and their lobbyists claim we shouldn’t worry.

Comforting, isn’t it?

(c) 2008 Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Medco Health Solutions, Inc. announced it will provide pharmacy services for Coventry Health Care, Inc. , a national managed health care company headquartered in Bethesda, Md.

Medco, the leading independent pharmacy benefits manager, will provide mail, retail and specialty pharmacy services for all of Coventry’s Medicare programs, covering approximately one million members with annual drug spend exceeding $2 billion. The agreement will commence on January 1, 2009 and is a multi-year arrangement.

“Coventry viewed our Medco Therapeutic Resource Centers(R) as an important advantage for its members,” Chairman and CEO David B. Snow Jr. said. “Our specialist pharmacists help patients manage chronic conditions with a higher level of personalized care. The breadth of our service offerings and our capabilities to meet the needs of Medicare beneficiaries, while making overall health care costs more manageable, truly resonates with clients.”

Medco provides its Medicare programs for employers, unions, health plans and individuals. Medco collaborates with clients to ensure they maximize the value from benefits tailored to their budgetary, tax, administrative, and employee needs, as well as their need to manage future obligations to retirees. Medco’s programs also provide clinical expertise for seniors, who are the most frequent users of chronic medications.

Last year the company completed the roll out of the Medco Therapeutic Resource Centers (TRCs), culminating three years of development and the process of training specialist pharmacists in specific chronic and complex conditions. At the TRCs, more than 1,100 specialist pharmacists are trained and uniquely experienced to care for patients with specific chronic conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, asthma and neurological disorders. Specialist pharmacists counsel patients about medication safety, minimizing side effects, improving drug compliance, and helping them find the lowest cost alternatives for their medications.

   The parties are working towards signing a definitive agreement.    About Coventry Health Care  

Coventry Health Care (http://www.cvty.com/) is a diversified national managed healthcare company based in Bethesda, Maryland, operating health plans, insurance companies, network rental and workers’ compensation services companies. Through its Commercial Business, Individual Consumer & Government Business, and Specialty Business divisions, Coventry provides a full range of risk and fee-based managed care products and services to a broad cross section of individuals, employer and government-funded groups, government agencies, and other insurance carriers and administrators.

About Medco

Medco Health Solutions, Inc., is the nation’s leading pharmacy benefit manager based on its 2007 total net revenues of more than $44 billion. Medco’s prescription drug benefit programs, covering approximately one in five Americans, are designed to drive down the cost of pharmacy health care for private and public employers, health plans, labor unions and government agencies of all sizes, and for individuals served by the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program and those served by its specialty pharmacy segment, Accredo Health Group. Medco, the world’s most advanced pharmacy(R), is positioned to serve the unique needs of patients with chronic and complex conditions through its Medco Therapeutic Resource Centers(R), including its enhanced diabetes pharmacy care practice through the Liberty acquisition. Medco is the highest-ranked independent pharmacy benefit manager on the 2008 Fortune 100 list. On the Net: http://www.medco.com/.

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward- looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the risks and uncertainties that affect our business, particularly those mentioned in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Medco Health Solutions, Inc.

CONTACT: Valerie Haertel, +1-201-269-5781, [email protected],John Menditto, +1-201-269-4621, [email protected], or Ann Smith (Media),+1-201-269-5984, [email protected]

Web site: http://www.medco.com/http://www.cvty.com/

By Anonymous

Louis S. Binder, M.D. has been named the associate dean for student affairs at The Commonwealth Medical College (TCMC), announced president and founding dean, Robert D’Alessandri, M.D. “Dr. Binder brings a wealth of experience to TCMC, most recently from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Over his tenure there, he was not only awarded for teaching excellence, but responsible for key areas of faculty and student governance” D’Alessandri said.

Binder joins TCMC after nine years at Case Western Reserve as the associate emergency medicine residency program director and director of education, MetroHealth Medical Center; and professor of emergency medicine.

In addition, Dr. Binder was formerly the associate dean for academic student affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and the assistant dean for medical education at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso.

“Student-oriented academic services will be the cornerstone of the innovative learning environment for TCMC. Dr. Binder will oversee admissions, student affairs, financial aid and programs such as the center for Learning Excellence, which will focus on helping students to maintain high educational goals with a very demanding curriculum” stated Paul Katz, M.D., vice-dean for faculty and clinical affairs. “Dr. Binder’s experience as a counselor and role model will be critical to our student’s success and satisfaction.”

Dr. Binder is board certified in Emergency Medicine and has published in many national emergency medicine journals. He currently serves as a sports medicine physician with the U.S. Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Society and has a distinguished history of professional, community and institutional service. He has had several national research initiatives funded.

TCMC also announced the appointment of Dr. Keith Shenberger as associate dean for regional campus development for the Williamsport campus. “In 2009, when the college opens, students will have educational experiences in the Williamsport region. Dr. Shenberger will work with Susquehanna Health and other health-care organizations in the region to make sure the students receive a high quality educational experience,” said D’Alessandri. The Williamsport region includes Bradford, Tioga, Lycoming and Clinton counties.

“Dr. Shenberger will play a key role in establishing and developing our Williamsport campus. He will help us identify faculty from the Williamsport region who will teach our students. He will also work with citizens in the Williamsport region to identify community experiences for students so they see what practicing medicine in these communities might be like. That will integrate the students into the community and may lead them to stay and practice there after completion of their studies,” said Katz. “Throughout his years of taking care of patients, Dr. Shenberger has shown his commitment to improving the health of the citizens of northeastern and northcentral Pennsylvania. We are honored that he has accepted this leadership role.”

“I welcome the chance to work together with health professionals in the region. This true collaborative effort will enhance student’s real world experience and better prepare them to serve.” stated Shenberger.

Dr. Shenberger is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology. He has served the area as president of the medical staff at Susquehanna Health as well as vice-chair and later chair of the Department of Medicine.

Other key leadership positions include vice chair, Department of Medicine at The Williamsport Hospital & Medical Center and currently, medical director of Susquehanna Health Arthritis Center. Dr. Shenberger will continue to see patients at his rheumatology practice in Williamsport.

TCMC also announced that Gerald P. Tracy, M.D. will be the associate dean for regional campus development for the Scranton campus. The Scranton region includes Lackawanna, Wyoming, Wayne, Susquehanna, Monroe, and Pike counties.

“Dr. Tracy’s instinctive leadership skills and experience will be effective in enhancing the collaboration of the college with health professionals in the region to ensure the students receive a quality educational experience. He will play a key role on the Scranton campus in welcoming and integrating the students into the community. This is a critically important position for our future students and their education,” said D’Alessandri.

“Dr. Tracy is an accomplished physician and we are honored to have him join our team. A native of northeastern Pennsylvania, Dr.Tracy will be able to highlight the distinctive community experience for the students that will assistant them in their commitment to the region,” said Katz.

Dr. Tracy retired in 2004 from Mercy Hospital, Scranton, where he served as the director of cardiovascular diseases for 22 years. Dr. Tracy also previously served as the president of medical staff at Mercy Hospital, president of the Keystone Chapter of the American Heart Association and was a founding partner of Great Valley Cardiology.

In addition, Dr. Tracy is the former chair of the board of trustees of the University of Scranton.

Dr. Tracy has been published in a number of academic journals, including American Heart Journal, Pennsylvania Medicine, and the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“This is an exciting opportunity for me to be a part of a collaboration that may lead to many of these students staying in this region and serving the communities they worked in during their educational experience,” said Dr. Tracy.

The Commonwealth Medical College (TCMC)*, has announced that Richard B. English, MD, MHA, has been named the Associate Dean for Regional Campus Development for the Wilkes-Barre campus. “Dr. English will collaborate with other health professionals in the region to ensure the students receive a quality educational and community experience on the Wilkes-Barre campus. This is a critically important position for our future students and their education.” stated President and Dean, Robert D’Alessandri, MD. The Wilkes-Barre region includes Luzerne, Columbia, Montour, Sullivan, Schuylkill and Carbon counties.

“Dr. English will play an essential role in integrating students with the community and supporting them in committing to their residencies. This will give the students an opportunity to get an idea of what practicing medicine in that area would be like. It will also give them a connection to the community that may lead them to stay and practice there after graduation,” Dr. Katz commented. “Dr. English has been a respected family physician and educator in Pennsylvania for nearly thirty years. His expertise with this region will be a great asset to the development of the Wilkes-Barre campus.”

He currently serves as the program director of the Wyoming Valley Family Practice Residency Program of United Health and Hospital Services Inc., affiliated with the Wyoming Valley Health Care System. He is also a former chair of the family practice department at Wyoming Valley Health Care System, Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.

Dr. English is a board-certified specialist in family medicine. “I am excited to collaborate with health professionals in this region. The partnerships we will create will strengthen the experience of our students,” English said.

The Commonwealth Medical College is a proposed, new medical school that will serve all of northeastern Pennsylvania and expects to accept 60 medical students and 30 Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) students in 2009. The college will have campuses in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport.

Copyright Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal Jun 2008

(c) 2008 Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

VENICE, Italy, June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Results from olanzapine long-acting injection (LAI) clinical trials showed that the efficacy and safety profile of olanzapine LAI was generally consistent with that of Zyprexa(R) (olanzapine) with the exception of injection-related events. Results from a 24-week maintenance study (HGKA) and interim findings from an ongoing open-label study (HGKB) were presented at the first annual Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS) Conference in Venice, Italy.

Olanzapine LAI is an investigational formulation that combines olanzapine with a pamoate salt, resulting in an extended delivery of up to four weeks. Since olanzapine was introduced in 1996, it has been prescribed to approximately 24 million people worldwide.

“These studies offer insight into the potential of olanzapine LAI as a maintenance treatment for patients with schizophrenia who may have difficulty taking medication on a daily basis,” said David McDonnell, M.D., clinical research physician at Lilly. “Schizophrenia is a challenging and complex disease to manage, which is why finding new ways to support patient compliance with medication is so important.”

Regulatory reviews of olanzapine LAI applications are ongoing in the European Union, Canada, Australia and United States.

   Notes for editors:    About HGKA (24-week maintenance of effect study)  

In this 24-week double-blind maintenance study, a total of 1,065 adult outpatients with schizophrenia who had been stabilized previously on open-label oral olanzapine (10, 15, or 20 mg daily) for four to eight weeks were randomized to one of three therapeutic dosing regimens of olanzapine LAI (150 mg every two weeks, 405 mg every four weeks, or 300 mg every two weeks), or to a low reference dose of olanzapine LAI (45 mg every four weeks), or remained on oral olanzapine at their previously stabilized dose.

At the three higher doses, olanzapine LAI showed maintenance of treatment effect for schizophrenia for up to 24 weeks. Patients remained free of symptom exacerbation (relapse), as assessed by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), at a rate of 95 percent with 300 mg/two weeks, 90 percent with 405 mg/four weeks, and 84 percent with 150 mg/two weeks of olanzapine LAI. Comparatively, 93 percent of patients receiving oral olanzapine remained free of symptom exacerbation during the study. The 405 mg/four weeks and the pooled two-week dosing regimens showed non-inferiority when compared to oral olanzapine as well as to each other. All three higher olanzapine LAI doses had longer time to symptom exacerbation than the reference dose (all p

The safety profile for olanzapine LAI was consistent with that of oral olanzapine except for injection-related events. Incidence of weight gain of 7 percent or more from baseline was significantly higher for oral olanzapine (21.4 percent), olanzapine LAI 300 mg/two weeks (20.7 percent), olanzapine LAI 405 mg/four weeks (15.2 percent) and olanzapine LAI 150 mg/two weeks (16.4 percent) when compared with olanzapine LAI 45 mg/4 weeks (8.3 percent, all p less than or equal to .05). Adverse events reported in 5 percent or more of patients were insomnia, weight increase, anxiety, nasopharyngitis, somnolence and headache.

In HGKA, two patients experienced and recovered fully from Post-Injection Delirium/Sedation Syndrome (PDSS), which describes a range of signs and symptoms such as sedation, delirium, dizziness, confusion, disorientation, slurred speech and altered gait.

Across all olanzapine LAI clinical trials, PDSS events have been seen in 0.07 percent of injections and 1.4 percent of patients. As of 31 May, 2008, 29 events have been reported in 28 patients, all of whom have recovered fully. Given that awareness and recognition of these events are key aspects of identifying and minimizing them, Lilly has proposed a plan for managing PDSS risks that is comprised of a detailed product label, extensive healthcare provider training before product availability and an ongoing educational program.

About HGKB (160-week Interim Results of Open-label Extension Trial)

Adult patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (n=931) were enrolled in this ongoing open-label trial of olanzapine LAI following participation in one of three randomized, controlled studies of olanzapine LAI. At study onset, patients received flexibly-dosed olanzapine LAI at intervals of approximately two to four weeks.

At the time of analysis, all patients had had the opportunity to be in the study for at least one year of open-label treatment; some had been enrolled for up to three years of treatment.

Treatment response was measured by the Clinical Global Impression Severity of Illness (CGI-S) scale, which examined severity of illness, global improvement and efficacy. Baseline-to-endpoint mean change on the CGI-S was -0.16, from a baseline of 2.92.

At 160 weeks, the discontinuation rate was low (39.6 percent). The most common reasons for discontinuation were that a patient withdrew consent (20.1 percent), experienced an adverse event (6.3 percent) or was lost to follow up (5.6 percent).

Adverse events reported in 5 percent or more of patients were increased weight, insomnia, somnolence, anxiety, headache, and nasopharyngitis. The mean weight change of study participants was an increase of 1.4 kilograms, with 28.1 percent of patients experiencing an increase of 7 percent or more in weight.

The percentage of patients with a fasting glucose increase from normal to high at any time was 4.7 percent. The percentage of patients with a random total cholesterol increase from normal to high at any time was 5.2 percent. The percentage of patients with a random triglycerides increase from normal to high at any time was 11.9 percent.

At the time of the interim analysis of HGKB, 23 PDSS events were reported in 22 patients. Between 30 September, 2007 and 31 May, 2008, four additional events have been reported in this ongoing trial.

About Long-acting Injectable Antipsychotic Medications

The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) guidelines state that poor or partial treatment compliance is a major problem in the long-term treatment of schizophrenia. Depot formulations should be considered as a treatment option when a patient expresses a preference for such treatment due to convenience or if it is determined that a depot formulation is necessary to help avoid nonadherence to oral medications.(i)

Long-acting antipsychotic formulations have been associated with improved treatment adherence and reduced treatment failures.(ii) By administering long-acting medications, healthcare professionals know when patients have received their medication and can immediately detect non-adherence when a patient fails to return for a scheduled injection.(iii) Different from both oral and injected short-acting formulations, long-acting formulations of antipsychotics allow for stable concentrations of the active drug to remain at a therapeutic range for an extended period of time.(iv)

About Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe and debilitating illness with symptoms such as delusions (false beliefs that cannot be corrected by reason), hallucinations (usually in the form of non-existent voices or visions), disorganized speech and severe disorganized or catatonic behavior. These signs and symptoms are associated with marked social or occupational dysfunction. Features of schizophrenia consist of characteristic signs and symptoms that have been present for a significant portion of time during a one-month period, with some signs of the disorder persisting for at least six months.(v) In addition to these symptoms, patients with schizophrenia are at greater risk for medical comorbidities than the general population.

About Olanzapine

Olanzapine is indicated in the United States for the treatment of schizophrenia, acute mixed and manic episodes of bipolar disorder, and maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. In Europe, olanzapine is indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia and olanzapine is effective in maintaining the clinical improvement during continuation therapy in patients who have shown an initial treatment response. Olanzapine is also indicated in patients whose manic episode has responded to olanzapine treatment and it is indicated for the prevention of recurrence in patients with bipolar disorder.

Since olanzapine was introduced in 1996, it has been prescribed to approximately 24 million people worldwide. Olanzapine is not approved for patients under 18 years of age.

Hyperglycemia, in some cases extreme and associated with ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar coma or death, has been reported in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics, including olanzapine. While relative risk estimates are inconsistent, the association between atypical antipsychotics and increases in glucose levels appears to fall on a continuum and olanzapine appears to have a greater association than some other atypical antipsychotics. Physicians should consider the risks and benefits when prescribing olanzapine to patients with an established diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, or who have borderline increased blood glucose level. Patients taking olanzapine should be monitored regularly for worsening of glucose control. Persons with risk factors for diabetes who are starting on atypical antipsychotics should undergo baseline and periodic fasting blood glucose testing. Patients who develop symptoms of hyperglycemia during treatment should undergo fasting blood glucose testing.

Undesirable alterations in lipids have been observed with olanzapine use. Clinical monitoring, including baseline and follow-up lipid evaluations in patients using olanzapine, is advised. Significant, and sometimes very high, elevations in triglyceride levels have been observed with olanzapine use.

Potential consequences of weight gain should be considered prior to starting olanzapine. Patients receiving olanzapine should receive regular monitoring of weight.

As with all antipsychotic medications, a rare and potentially fatal condition known as Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) has been reported with olanzapine. If signs and symptoms appear, immediate discontinuation is recommended. Clinical manifestations of NMS are hyperpyrexia, muscle rigidity, altered mental status and evidence of autonomic instability (irregular pulse or blood pressure, tachycardia, diaphoresis and cardiac dysrhythmia). Additional signs may include elevated creatinine phosphokinase, myoglobinuria (rhabdomyolysis) and acute renal failure.

Also, as with all antipsychotic treatment, prescribing should be consistent with the need to minimize Tardive Dyskinesia (TD). The risk of developing TD and the likelihood that it will become irreversible are believed to increase as the duration of treatment and the total cumulative dose of antipsychotic increase. The syndrome may remit, partially or completely, if antipsychotic treatment is withdrawn.

Other potentially serious adverse events include low blood pressure, seizures, elevated prolactin levels, elevated liver enzymes, cognitive and motor impairment, body temperature elevation, and trouble swallowing.

The most common treatment-emergent adverse event associated with Zyprexa in placebo-controlled, short-term schizophrenia and bipolar mania trials was somnolence. Other common events were dizziness, weight gain, personality disorder (COSTART term for nonaggressive objectionable behavior), constipation, akathisia, postural hypotension, dry mouth, asthenia, dyspepsia, increased appetite and tremor.

About Lilly

Lilly , a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers — through medicines and information — for some of the world’s most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at http://www.lilly.co.uk/ .

P-LLY

This press release contains forward-looking statements about the safety and efficacy of olanzapine long acting injection (LAI) and reflects Lilly’s current beliefs. However, as with any investigational pharmaceutical product, there are substantial risks and uncertainties in the process of research, development, regulatory milestones and commercialization. There is no guarantee that olanzapine LAI will be approved for the treatment of schizophrenia or that if approved, it will be commercially successful. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see Lilly’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements.

(i) Falkai P., Wobrock T., Lieberman J., Glenthoj B.,Gattaz W.F., Moller H.J & Wfsbp Task Force On Treatment Guidelines For Schizophrenia. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 2006; 7(1): 5/40.

(ii) Maxine X. Patel and Anthony S. David. Why aren’t depot antipsychotics prescribed more often and what can be done about it? Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (2005) 11: 203-211.

(iii) Kane J.M et al. Guidelines for depot antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia. European Neuropsychopharmacology, Volume 8, Number 1, 1 February 1998, pp. 55-66(12). p. 58.

(iv) Maxine X. Patel and Anthony S. David. Why aren’t depot antipsychotics prescribed more often and what can be done about it? Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (2005) 11: 203-211.

(v) American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, forth edition, 2000, pp. 298.

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Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, [email protected]

Eli Lilly and Company

CONTACT: Charlie McAtee, +1-317-277-1566, +1-317-997-1627, Mobile,[email protected], or David Shaffer, +1-317-651-3710, +1-317-614-5106,Mobile, [email protected], both of Eli Lilly and Company

Web site: http://www.lilly.co.uk/

By Aref Omar

THE cats with the big hair are back and David Arumugam talks to AREF OMAR about his late brother and his big screen debut.

Though his beard and moustache are streaked with slivers of white experience, the spirit of legendary soul band Alleycats lives on in the eyes of David Arumugam, which shines bright with enthusiasm.

Still dressed like it’s the 70s, and with his trademark shaggy afro, the 58-year-old cool cat cuts to the chase by saying, “life goes on, man”.

It’s been a year since David’s younger brother and trusted bandmate, Loganathan, succumbed to lung cancer.

But with the agility of the band’s namesake, the Alleycats are back on its feet with replacement Gerard Abisheganaden, a veteran singer with 30 years of experience, and ready to rock in a charity concert to commemorate the passing of a beloved core member.

“The longevity of the Alleycats stems from a lot of hard work and undying devotion. It’s what Loga would have wanted, to continue,” says David about the band, which will also be celebrating 40 years of consistent gigging and recording of albums soon.

“It’s also an honour to be part of this charity event that can help people suffering from lung diseases,” he says.

The Alleycats had its humble beginnings in 1969, when a friend was interested in starting a band, leaving David, who roped in Loganathan, to organise the formation.

Growing up in Georgetown, the two brothers were heavily influenced by their mother, a classical Indian singer.

“I used to follow my mother to her shows and watch her sing. We didn’t have any babysitter at the time,” he recalls with a laugh.

“So from a very young age I knew singing was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. My brother was the same,” he says.

“There wasn’t any sibling rivalry. Of course we’ve been together for close to 40 years, so we’ve experienced both the good and bad sides of each other but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle,” says David, followed by a long pause.

“Loga was a kind and friendly man, never hard-pressed for jokes. I miss him.”

When asked whether the upcoming show at Istana Budaya would be an emotionally charged affair, David quickly replies with, “Surprise, surprise. Expect lots of surprises.”

“We’ll be playing mostly with the National Symphony Orchestra but there’ll be a segment with just the band onstage.

“We need to make some noise at Istana Budaya once in a while, don’t you think?”

On what’s next for the iconic band, David promises more gigs, concerts and recordings.

Fans will also be able to see the veteran singer for the first time on the big screen early next year in Mamat Khalid’s feature film Estet.

Touted as the first Tamil film produced locally in Bahasa Malaysia, this dramedy combines the talents of both Malay and local Tamil cinema, and tells the story of various communities living together in harmony in a rubber estate.

“I’ve been offered acting roles before but I’ve always turned them down.

“My friend Mamat managed to coax me into doing this cameo. It’s a pretty good story,” he says of the film, which began shooting last month.

“I play a towkay of a kedai runcit in an estate, who gives words of wisdom to the estate children that frequent my kedai.

“I took the leap and so far am enjoying myself,” he says.

SWEET CHARITY

THE upcoming Konsert Amal Senandung Semalam Alleycats concert is the brainchild of Dr Zainudin Md Zin, chairman of the Lung Foundation of Malaysia.

“The Alleycats is a legend in its own right and still a popular group with a large following today.

“The unfortunate fact that its singer Loganathan died of lung cancer last year makes the band ideal for this charity event, which will also be in honour of his passing,” says Dr Zainudin Md Zin during an interview at Damansara Specialist Hospital, where he is consultant physician for internal and respiratory medicine.

This performance by the Alleycats will be its first major concert since Loga’s death in June last year.

The 51-year-old doctor is admittedly a fan of the band with the songs Senandung Semalam and Sekuntum Mawar Merah topping his list of favourites.

“When the opportunity arises, I like to sing some Alleycats tunes,” he says with a smile.

Proceeds from the ticket sales of this LFM-organised event will provide monetary relief to underprivileged patients suffering from lung diseases to get the appropriate care and treatment.

“Lung cancer is a preventable disease but many do not think to seek treatment due to a lack of awareness about the illness.

“We at LFM aim to promote awareness and public education through workshops, seminars and events, as well as treatment guidelines on pamphlets and flyers for the public,” says Dr Zainudin.

“Life support devices like oxygen concentrators and ventilators are expensive. So we provide financial assistance to patients in need of such devices.”

The LFM also promotes scientific research by providing research grants and awards for best scientific research in the areas relating to lung disease. Some of the foundation’s activities include the recent World Asthma Day Jogathon.

The two-hour charity concert will also feature special guest artistes Hattan, Jaclyn Victor, Liza Hanim and Adibah Noor.

* Catch the Alleycats from June 27-29 (8.30pm) at Istana Budaya, KL. Tickets: RM50-RM250. Call 03-41498600 or visit www.ticket2u.biz.

(c) 2008 New Straits Times. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

By Aman Batheja, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas

Jun. 22–FORT WORTH — After years of planning and construction, the JPS Patient Care Pavilion is finally ready to open. By Friday, the five-story patient tower — the first major addition to the taxpayer-supported hospital’s main Fort Worth campus since 1991 — should be fully operational.

But the move isn’t as simple as transferring equipment and staff across the street. For critical divisions like the emergency department, trauma operating rooms and the intensive care unit, even briefly discontinuing lifesaving care is not an option.

The situation has pushed John Peter Smith Hospital officials to design a plan for transferring the departments across the street without ever shutting them down.

“We won’t have any kind of interruption in our services in any way,” said Dr. Glenn Raup, senior emergency room director.

Hospital officials have been working for more than six months on details of the transition plan. Their efforts have included studying how other medical institutions nationwide have made similar transfers.

“There’s an art and a science to it,” Chief Operating Officer Ron Stutes said.

JPS has been hiring more staff to prepare to handle the tower’s extra capacity — a net gain of about 70 beds for the public hospital district, Stutes said. That extra staffing will also be crucial to making the move.

“We have staff that are coming in on overtime,” said Adonna Lowe, JPS’ chief nursing officer. “We’ve all waited for years for this building to be ready. There’s a lot of excitement and enthusiasm.”

Here’s how they plan to make the final move:

Friday-Monday: Seven state-of-the-art operating rooms will be opened in the new pavilion to handle some surgical procedures, according to JPS officials. Three trauma operating rooms will remain open in the hospital’s main campus until the emergency department moves.

Tuesday, 12 a.m.-7 a.m.: Movers and JPS staff will take the final pieces of equipment and supplies from the emergency department to the new facility.

Hospital officials chose this time because it is typically the slowest period of the week for the ER, said Dr. Rajesh Gandhi, JPS director of trauma services. JPS will still be able to give patients emergency care during that period, Lowe said.

“If everything goes as planned, we anticipate to have the ER area completely relocated by 7 or 8 in the morning,” she said.

New signs will be uncovered to direct patients in need of emergency care to the pavilion. JPS police and security officers will also be outside the hospital directing drivers, Stutes said.

Tuesday, 7 a.m.: The intensive care unit is scheduled to move to the new pavilion at about that time. Because the department oversees patients who need constant medical attention, transferring it requires the most delicacy.

ICU patients can’t stay in the hospital’s main campus because the hospital can’t keep two ICU staffs running at the same time, Raup said.

“It’s a matter of manpower,” Raup said. “You’ve got to have nurses take care of those patients minute to minute on a daily basis.”

Teams of three or four JPS workers — including two nurses and a respiratory therapist — will transfer most of the ICU patients into the new pavilion via a sky bridge over Main Street, according to hospital officials.

“We’ll take the most ill first, and the least ill will go last because the physicians may choose to transfer them to other parts of the hospital,” Lowe said.

Tuesday, 5 p.m.: The three remaining trauma operating rooms will shut down and move to the Pavilion. By Wednesday morning, all 10 of the pavilion’s operating rooms are expected to be up and running.

Wednesday and Thursday: The patients receiving “progressive care” — supervision and electronic monitoring without the intensity of the intensive care unit — will be transferred to single-occupant progressive care rooms on the fourth and fifth floors of the pavilion.

Friday: JPS officials expect the tower to be fully operational.

6 cool new technologies in JPS Patient Pavilion 1Operating rooms are outfitted with Stryker iSuite equipment, which links the rooms to one another and computer stations via a telemedicine system of audio and video. A voice-activated system can also activate other functions, such as lighting and surgical controls.

2A new 40-slice Siemens CT scanner adjacent to trauma rooms in the emergency department. The machine is faster and can create more-detailed images than former technology.

3New Mannington anti-microbial flooring throughout the tower to reduce infections.

4Mannington flooring in operating rooms allows small objects, such as needles, to be seen more easily than before.

5Stratus booms, made by Modular Services Co., in the ICU rooms have mechanical arms that pivot 350 degrees from the ceiling and power outlets, connectors for IVs and gases such as oxygen.

6Two-piece Stanley breakaway doors that can slide open one at a time or can both be opened with one motion to allow for quickly entering and leaving patient rooms.

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Copyright (c) 2008, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas

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By Tammie Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.

Jun. 22–Jamaal Williams looks like he’s playing a video game as he manipulates the joystick, guiding a cursor along lines that fan out from a target on a screen.

Each time the cursor meets the target, there is a low bleep. He repeats the movements as occupational therapist Natalie Smyk hovers.

“Jamaal has good strength. Now, we are working on his ability to control his movements,” said Smyk, at the Sheltering Arms rehabilitation hospital in Mechanicsville.

The machine Williams is on is called a REO. Used in rehabilitation therapy, it can help patients like Williams, 32, regain function after neurological injury. In Williams’ case, the injury was caused by a stroke in February 2007 that affected his right side.

Initially unable to walk or talk, Williams, a former Virginia Union football player, has regained much function. But there are some lingering problems. You have to grab his right hand to shake it. He walks slower than he did before the stroke. He sometimes struggles to get words out.

Recovery from stroke, which affects an estimated 700,000 Americans annually, is unpredictable. But patients like Williams are benefiting from new technology that therapists say helps some patients get better sooner or make gains they might not have made with traditional therapy.

In the U.S., death rates from strokes are declining, but cases of stroke are not. Stroke rates are higher in the so-called stroke belt, a stretch across the southeastern and southern U.S.

“The incidence is continuing to climb,” said Timothy J. Shephard, head of the neurosciences institute for Bon Secours Richmond. “That’s a function of the baby boomers getting older. Stroke, while not always a function of people over the age of 55 to 60, a large majority of it is.”

Risks include smoking and high blood pressure. Things that put younger folks at risk include the postpartum period of pregnancy, clotting problems, smoking, blood vessel abnormalities, use of hormonal contraceptives and sports injuries.

Stroke rehabilitation accounts for about 16 percent of the costs of having a stroke, Shephard said. Along with the economic costs, there are costs in terms of lives lost and disability.

“I have many patients who say that their arm is just dead. It is useless and they should just cut it off, those kinds of comments,” Smyk said.

The newer technology includes devices that use electrical currents to stimulate movement, such as opening or closing the hand. There also are devices such as the REO that have robotic capabilities, so that patients unable to move an arm are automatically guided through exercises.

Some places are even trying virtual reality therapy. One study had stroke patients do movements, such as knee lifts, and superimposed those images onto a computer-generated image of the person climbing stairs.

The underlying theory in most of these efforts is that with enough repetition, the brain can reorganize and learn to work around damaged areas.

“It was previously believed that pretty much after six months to a year, you had gotten all that you were going to get back after your stroke — that any functional recovery that takes place in the first year is pretty much it,” Shephard said. “We are seeing that with some new techniques and some new research, that some level of functional recovery can be gained multiple years after your stroke.”

Daisy Williams, Jamaal’s mother, is betting on that as she pushes her son to keep working to get his strength and function back. Two years before the stroke, he had a flu-like virus that affected his heart, she said.

He was taking medication for his heart, she said, when in February 2007 his blood pressure spiked. He was in the hospital when he started complaining about not being able to remember things. He was sent for imaging studies. Daisy Williams said she got a call that night that he’d had a stroke.

“He couldn’t do anything,” Daisy Williams said. “I prayed a lot. I never felt he would not get better. I pushed him. He pushed back.”

Smyk said not all patients do as well as Williams. For many, the technology is a motivator.

“You put them on the Bioness or the REO, and they see they still have some movement going, which motivates them a little bit more,” Smyk said. Bioness devices use electrical impulses to stimulate movement.

Researchers also are studying brain stimulation for paralysis from stroke and other neurological damage. In such cases, thin electrode wires are inserted in the brain or electrodes are placed on the skull. As the patient imagines performing a task, a computer connected to the electrodes analyzes brain waves. That patient is fitted with an orthotic arm or leg.

“Whenever the computer detects that pattern of brain waves, then it will activate the hand orthosis,” said Dr. Leonardo G. Cohen of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. His lab, the Human Cortical Physiology Section at the National Institutes of Health, is studying the use of brain stimulation to enhance the effects of physical therapy.

In his research, electrodes are placed on the skull.

“You stimulate the brain at the time the person is going through physical therapy,” Cohen said. “The idea is to apply it at the time they are learning something. So once something is learned, it’s learned, and it stays there.

“In these patients, the problem is that . . . the cable that connects that intact brain that can imagine something to the hand has been severed by the stroke,” he said. “So if one could bypass that ‘broken cable,’ then one could potentially replace the lost function by the brain-computer interface.”

Contact staff writer Tammie Smith at or (804) 649-6572.

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Copyright (c) 2008, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.

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By Ted Gregory, Chicago Tribune

Jun. 22–Joseph Leija is a soft-spoken 78-year-old allergist who has been practicing medicine for 50 years.

But when he makes his way to the rooftop of a suburban medical building, he becomes something more: Dr. Pollen.

Leija is the sole provider of official pollen counts in Illinois, a critical role considering that an estimated 60 million people are suffering from allergies in the U.S. And that number is growing.

An assortment of news outlets, researchers and people suffering from maladies ranging from hay fever to asthma depend on his information.

“Sometimes my wife says I’m nuts for doing it, but it’s a challenge and I like the challenge,” Leija said. “I feel good that I can give people something I think is substantial to help them live a better life.”

Leija has been providing his counts for 12 years, ever since the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology invited him to be trained and certified in the specialty. It is a solitary job.

He wakes at 5:30 a.m. every weekday and arrives at his office in the Gottlieb Professional Building in Melrose Park by about 7:15 a.m. There he reaches for a slide coated with a thin layer of silicone.

He slips the slide in a special case and calls the security desk to say he is heading up to the roof. The security guards give him a quick weather update.

He takes the elevator to the sixth floor and climbs 24 steps to the gravel roof, where he navigates around the air conditioning equipment.

“It’s a little spooky up there sometimes,” Leija said, and not merely because the volumetric spore trap–the machine that collects airborne particles–looks like a cross between a 3-foot mosquito and a lunar module.

Once he gets to the machine, Leija pulls one slide and replaces it with another. Then he trudges back downstairs to his office, where he spends the next two hours with a microscope analyzing what turned up on the first slide.

After determining the type of pollen and calculating the day’s pollen count, Leija contacts the National Allergy Bureau with his information. Friday’s pollen count, for example, registered low levels of tree and mold pollen, and moderate levels for grass and weed pollen.

Assistants call Gottlieb Memorial Hospital staff, who place the pollen counts on the hospital’s Web site, www.gottliebhospital.org. The results also are recorded on an allergy hot line (866-476-5536) by 10 a.m.

Many local news and weather outlets take the counts from the hospital’s Web site. WGN-TV’s chief meteorologist, Tom Skilling, is called with the count, Leija said.

Other allergists, mainly at universities, also use the information for research, he added.

It clearly is a popular service. The hot line has been receiving 10,000 calls a year for the last several years, Leija said.

Or, as his office manager, Pat Pagni, said: “It spreads like wildfire. People are just very aware during the allergy season.”

Often, Leija is pressed to speculate on trends and patterns in pollen counts. He refuses, saying pollen count is too complicated and a little fickle because it is so easily influenced by humidity, rain, temperature and wind velocity. He will say the slides are much dirtier than they were when he started in 1996, although he is not sure why.

Solitary as the job may be, Leija is getting noticed.

Last year, he received the Outstanding Leadership Award in Medicine from the Des Plaines Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America. In 2006, Leija was given a public service award from the Chicago Medical Society. In 2004, the Illinois Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology gave him its distinguished service award.

And, he has the appreciation of Greg Anderson, 27, of Westchester.

“What he gives us is the real statistics,” said Anderson, who was in Leija’s Melrose Park office Friday. Anderson, who has asthma and allergic rhinitis, said the pollen count Web site is on his computer list of favorites.

“You can go other places, but most of those are just ‘guesstimates,’ ” Anderson said. “It’s so nice to have this information so we know what the weather is doing to the pollen count and how it’s affecting me.”

[email protected]

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Copyright (c) 2008, Chicago Tribune

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By Sharon McBrayer, The News Herald, Morganton, N.C.

Jun. 21–MORGANTON — A psychiatrist who recently resigned from Broughton Hospital says the hospital is a dangerous place for workers.

Hospital officials deny the accusation.

Dr. Shujaat Nathani started at Broughton in September 2005. He served as chief psychiatrist in the admissions unit. He resigned May 30.

Nathani sent an e-mail to other employees on his last day. It says he resigned due to “safety/health concerns with the staff shortages that are chronic.” In one particular ward full of young, volatile men, Nathani wrote, the staff was at a minimal level on most days.

“It is getting to the point where someone is liable to get seriously hurt or get killed (I hope not),” Nathani writes. “It puts all the staff at risk, with too much liability. When I talk to staff in other divisions the story is much the same — chronic staff shortages and numerous staff injuries.”

Resigning

Speaking to The News Herald by phone this week, Nathani said conditions for staff members are pretty grim and nurses and certified nursing assistants are attacked on a regular basis. He said they are grabbed, bitten, spit on and even punched.

Nathani said some nurses needed major surgery after attacks and some can’t return to work.

When a staff member is attacked, he or she gets medical attention and an incident report is filed.

For the attacker, in most cases, there are no consequences, Nathani said.

“Mental illness is not an excuse for violence,” Nathani said, but it’s not just the mentally ill who are being admitted to Broughton.

Nathani said Broughton admits drug addicts and some will attack staff if they don’t get the pills they want. Nathani said some patients attacked him because he refused to give them certain medications.

Nathani said some addicts will threaten suicide to get themselves admitted, because they know being hospitalized is the quickest way to get the drugs they want.

It’s not just a problem at Broughton, Nathani said; it is a problem at other mental hospitals in the state.

Nathani believes hospital administrators need to hold patients accountable for their actions.

What state says

A complaint filed this year with the N.C. Department of Labor says understaffing at Broughton is causing a hostile working environment in which patients assault staff members.

The Department of Labor on June 3 sent a letter to Broughton Safety Director William Brown telling him about the complaint.

Ricardo Cruz-Segarra, district supervisor for the division of Occupational Safety and Health, told Brown his division would not conduct an inspection but said Brown should investigate the claims and report within seven days about his findings and ways to correct the situation.

In his report back to Cruz-Segarra, Brown said that, by law, patients must meet the criteria of being a danger to themselves or others before they are admitted. Almost by definition, it is impossible to have a work environment free from the chance of patient aggression toward staff, Brown said.

His department records all assault incidents.

Brown said certified nursing assistants suffered 91 percent of all staff injuries from 2005 to 2008.

The CNA staff increased from 2005 to 2008 and the assaults against CNAs dropped. Brown attributes the decrease mainly to training.

Brown goes on to say that while more staff would enhance the quality of care to patients, the amount of current staff numbers hasn’t led to a hostile work environment.

Mark Van Sciver, a spokesman for the state, said he doesn’t believe people are being admitted just to get drugs. Van Sciver said many patients typically have a dual diagnoses.

The News Herald on Wednesday asked Broughton for the number of patients admitted since January who were diagnosed with addiction problems. The newspaper also asked for information on the number of patient attacks on staff and patient-on-patient attacks.

Van Sciver said Broughton officials are focusing on getting through an inspection so the hospital will be recertified to bill for Medicaid and Medicare. He said Broughton staff won’t be able to provide the requested information until next week.

Broughton lost its Medicaid and Medicare funding in August after two deaths at the hospital. Inspections in August and March found numerous deficiencies.

Inspectors showed up again on Monday and wrapped up their investigation on Thursday. A preliminary report said investigators would recommend recertifying the hospital to receive Medicare and Medicaid funds.

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Copyright (c) 2008, The News Herald, Morganton, N.C.

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By Joe Walker, The Paducah Sun, Ky.

Jun. 22–Java Junkie owner Caleb Gentry is moving his coffee stand from the old Gore’s grocery on Lone Oak Road to near the new Paducah Bank Strawberry Hill branch.

The new, double drive-through Junkie is expected to open July 7 week on the northwest corner of Village Square Drive and James-Sanders Boulevard, behind Home Depot.

“I think this one’s going to be a better location in the sense of steady traffic flow,” Gentry said. “In the next 12 to 18 months, we may put in a more substantial drive-through or sit-down cafe in Lone Oak, catering more to high school and college kids.”

Java Junkie will lease the new spot from Strawberry Hill developers Mike Falconite and Tyler Cryts, Gentry said. “They kind of got addicted to my coffee.”

Hours: 6 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays, extended on weekends.

Qdoba Mexican Grill will serve fast casual Mexican food in Paducah by 2011, thanks to a former Cape Girardeau, Mo., car dealer who enjoyed the restaurant’s atmosphere and cuisine during several St. Louis visits.

Jerry Wieser is going into partnership with his son, Keith Wieser, and son-in-law, Richard Davidson, to open Qdoba restaurants in Cape Girardeau, Paducah and Marion, Ill. He recently retired after more than 50 years as a car dealer, most recently operating the Cape Girardeau Honda and Hyundai dealerships.

The Cape Girardeau grill will open first, and Wieser is seeking land in Paducah and Marion. He said all three restaurants will be operating within three years.

Qdoba patrons order food at the counter, and their meals are prepared and grilled in front of them. Qdoba offers calorie-saving naked burritos and salads, and also serves margaritas and beer.

Wieser is helping finance the restaurants and get the business operating for his children. Davidson, who has extensive experience with Sonic and other restaurants, will be the managing partner.

River’s Edge Veterinary Hospital, 720 Kennedy Drive in Metropolis, Ill., will celebrate its grand opening from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, featuring free screenings, giveaways and refreshments.

Dr. Karla Hart provides medical services to companion animals, horses and livestock and also offers 24-hour emergency service. Appointments are accepted as late as 7:45 p.m. on Tuesdays.

The 2,200-square-foot hospital has two exam rooms, a large treatment area, surgical suite, isolation unit and lobby. Information: 618-524-7500.

Broadbent B&B Foods’ market and deli’s grand opening is July 1-5 at the Kuttawa-Eddyville exit off Interstate 24.

The kick-off will be at 12:45 p.m. July 1 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a check presentation from the Governor’s Office of Ag Policy. Various foods will be featured throughout the week, co-owner Beth Drennan said.

Free tours of curing and processing rooms are scheduled for 3 and 4 p.m. July 1, as well as on the hour from 10 a.m. through 3 p.m. July 2-5.

Computer Services Inc. has bought the remaining minority interests in Heartland Communications Internet Services, both of Paducah.

The deal affords expanded infrastructure to support telecommunications services for CSI and its customers, President-CEO Steve Powless said.

CSI bought 49 percent of Heartland stock in March 2005 and became majority shareholder in July 2006. Heartland now will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of CSI with Powless as president-CEO.

CSI’s annual shareholders meeting is at 9 a.m. Tuesday at its 3901 Technology Drive headquarters. The meeting will be broadcast live via www.csiweb.com and archived for later access. Live viewers are asked to log on 10 minutes before the meeting starts.

Holley Office Products in Benton will show off its new showroom with a July 1 grand opening, allowing people to test new copiers, furniture, supplies and graphics and receive samples.

A free lunch is planned from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., owner Victor Waldrop said.

Information: 1-800-248-4319 or [email protected].

Joe Walker compiles Biz Buzz. Got at tip? Call Joe at 575-8656, send a fax to 442-7859 or e-mail [email protected].

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To see more of The Paducah Sun, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.paducahsun.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Paducah Sun, Ky.

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NYSE:HD, NASDAQ-OTCBB:CSVI,

Shown to reverse inflammation associated with obesity and improves blood sugar control

Turmeric, an Asian spice found in many curries, has a long history of use in reducing inflammation, healing wounds and relieving pain, but can it prevent diabetes? Since inflammation plays a big role in many diseases and is believed to be involved in onset of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes, Drew Tortoriello, M.D., an endocrinologist and research scientist at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center, and his colleagues were curious what effect the herb might have on diabetic mice.

Dr. Tortoriello, working with pediatric resident Stuart Weisberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Rudolph Leibel, M.D., fellow endocrinologist and the co-director of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, discovered that turmeric-treated mice were less susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes, based on their blood glucose levels, and glucose and insulin tolerance tests. They also discovered that turmeric-fed obese mice showed significantly reduced inflammation in fat tissue and liver compared to controls. They speculate that curcumin, the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant ingredient in turmeric, lessens insulin resistance and prevents Type 2 diabetes in these mouse models by dampening the inflammatory response provoked by obesity.

Their findings are the subject of a soon-to-be published paper in Endocrinology and were presented at ENDO 2008, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco this week.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has no known dose-limiting toxicities in doses of up to at least 12 grams daily in humans. The researchers tested high-doses of a dietary curcumin in two distinct mouse models of obesity and Type 2 diabetes: high-fat-diet-fed male mice and leptin-deficient obese female mice, with lean wild-type mice that were fed low-fat diets used as controls.

The inflammation associated with obesity was shown several years ago by researchers in the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center to be due in part to the presence of immune cells called macrophages in fat tissues throughout the body. These cells produce “cytokine” molecules that can cause inflammation in organs such as the heart, and islets of the pancreas, while also increasing insulin resistance in muscle and liver. Researchers hypothesized that by suppressing the number and activity of these cells, with turmeric or a drug with similar actions, it may be possible to reduce some of the adverse consequences of obesity.

Curcumin administration was also associated with a small but significant decline in body weight and fat content, despite level or higher calorie consumption, suggesting that curcumin beneficially influences body composition.

“It’s too early to tell whether increasing dietary curcumin [through turmeric] intake in obese people with diabetes will show a similar benefit,” Dr. Tortoriello said. “Although the daily intake of curcumin one might have to consume as a primary diabetes treatment is likely impractical, it is entirely possible that lower dosages of curcumin could nicely complement our traditional therapies as a natural and safe treatment.”

For now, the conclusion that Dr. Tortoriello and his colleagues have reached is that turmeric ““ and its active anti-oxidant ingredient, curcumin ““ reverses many of the inflammatory and metabolic problems associated with obesity and improves blood-sugar control in mouse models of Type 2 diabetes.

In addition to exploring novel methods of curcumin administration to increase its absorption, they are also interested in identifying novel anti-inflammatory processes invoked by curcumin and in adapting those processes in the development of more potent curcumin analogues.

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On the Net:

Columbia University Medical Center

By RAYMOND A. EDEL

Take two aspirin and listen to Sirius in the morning.

The satellite radio provider and New York University have launched “Doctor Radio,” a new channel featuring physicians hosting live call-in shows. It airs on Sirius Channel 114.

“Doctor Radio” offers programs on various topics, including general health and wellness; child psychiatry; sexual health; plastic surgery; cancer; pediatrics; heart health; men’s and women’s health; sports injuries; dermatology; autism and ADHD; and emergency medicine.

Sirius and NYU have built a broadcasting studio in the lobby of the Manhattan-based NYU Langone Medical Center.

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J.J. Kennedy is the new traffic and weather reporter on WOR-AM’s (710) “The John Gambling Show.”

Kennedy got her start as a radio deejay at WBLS-FM (107.5). For 19 years she was host of “Lite at Nite” at WLTW-FM (106.7). Kennedy is also a licensed New York State marriage and family therapist.

“My mom started me on radio by listening to John B., so I grew up with the Gamblings. Now, this is a Gambling for our generation,” Kennedy said in a statement.

“The John Gambling Show” airs weekdays from 5:30 to 9 a.m.

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Hudson Valley listeners can now wake up to Don Imus on WKIP-AM (1450).

Since last week, the “Imus in the Morning” program has been airing weekdays at 6 a.m. on the Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based station.

WKIP is also home to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, Michael Savage and “Coast to Coast AM” with George Noory.

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WQCD-FM (101.9) left the airwaves on Feb. 5, but its smooth jazz format and music are not forgotten.

Beginning Wednesday and continuing for eight weeks, area jazz fans can still hear their favorite music when the “Smooth Jazz Cruises” return for a ninth year aboard The Spirit of New York cruise ship at Pier 61, Chelsea Piers at 23rd Street, Manhattan. For many years, WQCD sponsored the cruise concerts.

This year’s lineup begins Wednesday with Guitars & Saxes with Gerald Albright, Jeff Golub, Peter White and Jeff Lorber. Down to the Bone featuring Shilts performs July 16, followed by Brian Culbertson on July 23, Spyro Gyra on July 30, Marion Meadows and Alex Bugnon on Aug. 6, Phil Perry on Aug. 13, RnR featuring Rick Braun and Richard Elliott on Aug. 20 and Pieces of a Dream on Aug. 27.

Smooth jazz cruises set sail twice a night. The sunset cruise departs at 6:30 and the moonlight cruise at 9:30. Tickets are $55 per person.

Information: 866-211-3812 or smoothjazznewyork.com.

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STATION BREAKS: Radio Disney, WQEW-AM (1560), will simulcast the Disney Channel broadcast premiere of “Camp Rock” at 8 tonight. “Camp Rock” is the latest of the cable network’s made-for-TV musicals. It stars Wyckoff natives the Jonas Brothers Kevin, Joe and Nick. … Graphic designers: WFMU-FM (91.1) needs your help. Come up with a snazzy new logo for the free-form station and win a messenger bag full of swag. The Jersey City-based station is looking for something that just says “WFMU” (in all caps) with some cool but simple graphic elements or eye-catching type treatment. Send your submissions or questions to Liz Berg ([email protected]) by the end of today. I know, short notice. My apologies. … WDHA-FM’s (105.5) Lindsay Klein and Team DHA will be at the Home Depot, 910-1055 Paterson Plank Road, Secaucus, from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday. … Austin-based singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo will perform live at 8 p.m. Monday on WFUV-FM (90.7).

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E-mail: [email protected]

(c) 2008 Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

By Laura Kate Zaichkin, Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash.

Jun. 21–For Richland’s Zaugg family, the unthinkable has happened: 6-year-old Aidan Zaugg’s cancer might be back.

Recent MRI results have doctors believing Aidan’s rare form of brainstem cancer has returned.

Aidan was diagnosed more than two years ago with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a disease that affects about 200 U.S. children annually. Fewer than 8 percent of those diagnosed live more than a year.

But Tanya and Mike Zaugg’s child is not just another statistic, they say. From the beginning there were no ifs — Aidan would survive. He has lived and remained symptom free.

Until a few weeks ago.

Near the end of May, Aidan began showing symptoms of tumor progression, such as seeing double, slurring, and having trouble swallowing and with his balance.

Worried, his family scheduled an MRI at Seattle’s Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center.

“We were all just really devastated,” said Chet Hammack, Aidan’s grandfather. “(Children’s Hospital doctors) are confident that it’s progression.”

Seeking second, third and fourth opinions, the family sent the MRI to hospitals around the country. All but two doctors at a hospital the Zauggs will not name believe the cancer that has been dormant is back. Those who think the cancer is progressing have given him between weeks and a year to live.

But the two doctors with a differing opinion think the change is because the tumor is dying, which also would cause symptoms, Hammack said.

“There is a sliver of hope now for us,” he said.

The doctors want PET scan results to further investigate. The Zauggs were hoping to have one performed Friday in Seattle, Hammack said.

If it reveals the cancer is progressing, Aidan will begin a trial medication at Envita Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., which might cost up to $75,000 and will not be covered by insurance, Hammack said.

“We don’t know (if) we’re going to have to head down that path,” he said. “Actively doing nothing, that’s the most difficult thing for us.”

The Tri-City community, which jumped to the Zauggs’ aid two years ago, isn’t standing by. A fundraiser car wash and silent auction for Aidan is from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at The Pub in Kennewick.

“There are some treatments out there that are really expensive and we wanted to give him a chance,” said April Mowery, The Pub’s manager and Aidan’s second cousin. “Never give up hope because there’s always miracles.”

Aidan would not have made it this far without the help of the community, Hammack said. He said if further tests reveal cancer, the family will need as much support as possible.

But even if it is progression, there still is hope, Hammack said. Doctors predicted Aidan would die within a year when he was diagnosed in April 2006 and he’s still living.

“There’s no reason we can’t repeat that,” Hammack said. “We’re keeping a positive outlook. That’s just the nature of our family.”

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To see more of the Tri-City Herald, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tri-cityherald.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

By Lauren Lamas, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.

Jun. 21–ELYSBURG — Alex Ashcroft was ill.

Two years ago, the Long Pond resident was diagnosed as having a rare disease that left him in need of a kidney transplant.

Had it not been for his uncle, Ashcroft would have been one of the nearly 100,000 people in the United States on an organ transplant waiting list.

“I was there when he was diagnosed,” uncle Mark Ashcroft, of East Stroudsburg, said Friday, “and I decided I should donate one of mine” to Alex.

The Ashcrofts were among about 600 organ donors, recipients and others who celebrated their health during Geisinger Medical Center’s fifth annual transplant program picnic at Knoebels Groves Amusement Resort.

“They’re like one big happy family” Trish Quinter, a Geisinger spokeswoman, said of the donors and recipients.

While many of the transplant clinic’s doctors and nurses were at the park, “We don’t talk business here,” said Dr. Chintalapati Varma, director of transplant surgery at Geisinger. Everyone is dressed down and the atmosphere is relaxed, Varma said, adding “People want to come out and have a good time.”

It’s wonderful to see patients, who were half-dead when they came to the hospital, able to come to the picnic and enjoy themselves and possibly even ride a ride, which they never would have been able to do before, Varma said.

Despite his illness and transplant surgery, Ashcroft, 20, fell only a semester behind at Penn State University, where he is a student.

He also didn’t have to endure dialysis.

Two years after Alex’s transplant, his relatives remain supportive of one another. For the picnic they wore matching bright green shirts, a color symbolic of organ donor awareness, Alex’s uncle said.

Friday was the second Geisinger picnic attended by Ashcroft and his family.

“It’s important to get to meet other people who are going through the same thing,” Ashcroft said, “so you know you’re not alone.”

n E-mail comments to [email protected]

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To see more of The Daily Item or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dailyitem.com/.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

By Barbara Anderson, The Fresno Bee, Calif.

Jun. 21–A day after news of a state report accusing Saint Agnes Medical Center of not protecting patients amid an outbreak of infections, the Fresno hospital suspended open-heart surgeries.

Also Friday, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center officials announced separately that they have stopped sending heart-surgery patients to the troubled hospital, and it was unclear when — or whether — they would resume referrals.

The announcements came as Saint Agnes struggles to respond to criticism about infection outbreaks that began last year and continued through May, when the state shut down its cardiac unit for about a week.

Now the nonprofit hospital will bring in auditors from its corporate parent — Michigan-based Trinity Health — as well as from outside to review the cardiac-surgery program, said Robert Smittcamp, chairman of the Saint Agnes board of trustees.

“We’re extremely concerned with respect to the state’s survey and findings,” he said Friday.

The 54-page state report released this week found that Saint Agnes failed to investigate and track infections in the cardiac-surgery unit and did not ensure that new heart surgeons were monitored.

State officials said this week that the hospital now is subject to unannounced and possibly daily inspections. Saint Agnes has until the end of this month to respond to investigators’ concerns.

The hospital hopes to have a response in the next couple of days, said Dr. Patrick C. Marabella, chief medical officer. But in addition to that, the hospital wants “to prepare a detailed action plan to show we have addressed all the issues, and to sort of re-establish people’s confidence in our program,” he said.

Saint Agnes made the decision to temporarily suspend open-heart surgeries Thursday night, Marabella said. On Friday morning, hospital officials made a telephone call to Trinity, he said.

Kaiser made its decision Friday morning, said Kaiser spokesman Rob Veneski. He declined to say whether the decision was related to Saint Agnes’ suspension of cardiac surgeries.

Most cardiac surgery patients at Saint Agnes are referred by Kaiser, which doesn’t have a heart-surgery program. Kaiser contracts with Saint Agnes for the service. Surgeons from Stanford University Medical Center were brought to Saint Agnes two years ago to perform cardiac surgery on mostly Kaiser patients.

The state’s blistering report was in response to a complaint inspectors received about leg-wound infections in heart surgery patients in May. The state found seven such wounds and shut the cardiac surgery unit from May 23 to 29.

According to Saint Agnes at the time, Kaiser had reported that four of its patients had developed leg infections following surgery. Leg infections are common in open-heart surgery patients. The surgery involves taking a healthy blood vessel from the patient’s leg, arm, chest or abdomen to replace blocked heart arteries.

Kaiser suspended referrals to the cardiac-surgery program during the state investigation of the leg-wound infections. It resumed sending patients there June 3.

Last year, Kaiser stopped referring patients to Saint Agnes in October when the hospital had an outbreak of deep-chest-wound infections among 12 cardiac-surgery patients. The infections may have caused the deaths of two or three patients. Kaiser began referring patients to Saint Agnes again Dec. 17.

During this latest closure, Kaiser patients will be referred elsewhere for open-heart surgery. Toni Flores, Kaiser continuum administrator, wrote in an e-mail message that Kaiser doctors are “consulting with their patients who require cardiac surgery about their different options. Depending on a patient’s individual needs, those options may include having surgery at a Bay Area Kaiser Permanente hospital or another Fresno hospital.”

The suspension at Saint Agnes involves only elective or emergency open-heart surgery. The hospital will stabilize emergency patients and transfer them, if necessary, Marabella said. Saint Agnes continues to be able to treat heart-attack patients, he said.

The reporter can be reached at [email protected] or (559)441-6310.

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To see more of The Fresno Bee, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.fresnobee.com

Copyright (c) 2008, The Fresno Bee, Calif.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

By Cory Streeter, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

Jun. 21–After Tim Russert’s autopsy revealed an enlarged heart, middle-aged Americans had yet another health condition to worry about.

But local cardiologists say that’s a misplaced concern.

“In general, an enlarged heart is kind of a manifestation of another heart disease,” said Steve Owens, cardiologist at the University of Kansas Hospital. The enlargement itself is not the main issue but a red flag for serious underlying problems such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, heart valve disease or a combination of risk factors, he said.

With any of those problems, the heart can’t squeeze as vigorously as it should. The heart then enlarges so it can pump the same amount of blood with each beat. It becomes even more strained and weakened.

In Russert’s case, an autopsy showed he had an enlarged heart and significant blockage in the coronary artery, where the small clots that caused his heart attack formed. The 58-year-old suffered from coronary artery disease (a narrowing of the blood vessels to the heart ). He also had diabetes.

Any heart enlargement would be best diagnosed by an echocardiogram that measures the sizes of the heart chambers, Owens said. And the greater the enlargement, the greater risk for heart attack.

Doctors use a variety of treatments, depending on the cause of the problem.

Stopping heart enlargement before it begins is the key. “(Russert’s health) was not so different from a lot of normal American adults,” said James O’Keefe, a cardiologist at St. Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute. It calls for “garden variety preventative cardiology,” he said.

Along with monitoring diabetes, weight, diet and exercise and abstaining from smoking, O’Keefe said, it’s important to remember the buzz words: “Know your numbers.”

Blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood glucose and waist circumference should all be closely monitored, he said.

Waist sizes for males should be less than 40 inches and less than 35 inches for females. A better determination for a healthy waist size is one half of your total height, O’Keefe said.

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WARNING SIGNS –Shortness of breath

–Fatigue and loss of energy

–Dizziness

–Heart arrhythmia (abnormal rhythm)

–Edema (swelling)

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DID YOU KNOW? Athletes — often long-distance runners — sometimes have slightly enlarged hearts due to extensive physical activity, but few have any problems from it.

To reach Cory Streeter, send e-mail to [email protected]. Sources: Steve Owens, University of Kansas Hospital; Martha Grogan, Mayo Clinic Web site Sources: Steve Owens, University of Kansas Hospital; James O

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To see more of The Kansas City Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.kansascity.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

REFORMED Liverpool drug addicts and alcoholics are to sing about the demons they have conquered and form an “Ex-Factor” group.

City charity Winning Hands (Homeless, Alcoholics, Narcotics, Drugs) is putting together the band as an antidote to the glamorous image of drink and drugs.

It is looking for between five and 10 performers and around seven more people to help behind the scenes.

Auditions will take place on June 20 at The Lighthouse in An field between 11-4 and instruments will be available for those who do not have their own.

Performers must be ex-addicts or formerly homeless and agree to waive their anonymity and share their experiences publicly.

Organisers hope to work with professional musicians and release a CD with all proceeds going to the charity’s aim of creating a new centre to link all the agencies who help get addicts and the homeless back on track.

Co-founder of the charity, Pat Hughes, whose partner is a recovering alcoholic, said: “We want to get the message across that drugs and alcohol is far from glamorous.”

For more details about the auditions or the charity call Pat Hughes on 07773 053955.

(c) 2008 Liverpool Echo. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

By Steffan Rhys

LIGHTS at the end of a tunnel, spirits floating above their bodies on the hospital operating table, and lives flashing before your eyes.

They have all been the most commonly described near-death experiences for as long as the often-doubted phenomenon has existed.

But a five-year research project by a Welsh nurse suggests these stories are so common because they actually happen.

Intensive therapy nurse Penny Sartori worked closely with critically-ill patients at Morriston and Singleton Hospitals in Swansea. The setting, experts say, provided well-documented information on near-death experiences (NDEs) which does not fit easily within the parameters of the normal systems of explanation.

One patient reported encountering a dead relative who gave a message to pass on to another member of the family who was still alive, information which stunned the receiver because it had been a secret and was impossible the patient had prior knowledge of it.

In another, a patient who suffered from cerebral palsy awoke from an NDE able to use his right arm normally, even though it had been bent and contracted since birth.

Others reported floating back into their bodies after nearly dying, and others said they had met a figure who had told them their time had not yet come.

In one experiment, Dr Sartori placed playing cards on the top of emergency room cabinets, then asked patients reporting “floating” experiences if they had seen the cards. None had.

Dr Sartori, who has been awarded a PhD for what is the largest study of its kind in the UK, researched 300 intensive care patients and gathered 15 full accounts of NDEs over five years, mainly from heart attack patients.

She spent three years writing up her study and a further two preparing it for publication in her book, Near-Death Experiences of Hospitalized Intensive Care Patients: A Five Year Clinical Study, which has just been published.

“All the current sceptical arguments against near-death experiences were not supported by the research,” she said, referring to NDEs often being explained away as the effect of endorphins, abnormal blood gases or low oxygen levels, all of which were measured and taken into account during her research.

“I don’t think it’s quite as simple as life after death. It’s what consciousness is and how we define it. We are entering an exciting time researching consciousness.

“Current science says it is a by-product of the brain. But it may be that consciousness is around us and the brain might be a mediator, an antenna, instead of controlling consciousness.

“It is a fascinating subject and I’m looking forward to continuing my research.”

Professor Paul Badham, director of the Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre at Lampeter University, said the phenomenon was relatively rare but the experiences tended to contain similar elements.

“It is very common for people to report going out of their body and looking down on their body,” he said.

“Going through a tunnel is also a common experience, as is being surrounded by light. The meeting of deceased relatives or friends is also commonly reported.

“People will also say that they feel they are in the presence of a spiritual reality. A Christian may interpret this as Jesus. One atheist who had an out-of-body experience said that he later realized that this presence was responsible for the governance of the universe.”

Professor Badham said the numbers of people experiencing the phenomena are rising, as medicine improves and pulls more people back from the brink.

And he confirmed that people who report a near-death experience sometimes “see” things that it would have been impossible for them to see if they had been unconscious on an operating table.

The Near-Death Experiences of Hospitalized Intensive Care Patients: A Five Year Clinical Study is published by Mellen Press, priced pounds 85

(c) 2008 Western Mail. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

WASHINGTON, June 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A team of medical professionals from the National Rehabilitation Hospital is calling the U.S. Army’s rehab services in Germany impressive. The NRH team has been in Germany since last weekend to work with the US Army’s Europe Regional Medical Command (ERMC) in assessing their current rehabilitation practices.

“The integrity and capability of our military health care system to address the diverse and complex needs of our injured service members are impressive,” says NRH Team leader John Brickley, Vice President at NRH for Ambulatory Services. “Just as in the civilian world, there are areas where improvements are possible, but midway through our tour, we have witnessed some excellent best practices at the Army’s facilities.”

The team will spend the next week making recommendations and suggestions for improving the quality and delivery of care given to injured soldiers and other military personnel. The Army’s ERMC operates 15 ambulatory care centers in Germany which are the initial treatment sites for injured soldiers from Iraq. These ambulatory centers not only diagnose and provide treatment, but they determine the location of ongoing care for those soldiers wounded overseas.

In an effort to enhance its operations, the U.S. Army proactively reached out to NRH to gain additional insight and expertise in its continued commitment to promote an exceptional rehabilitation model.

“We are pleased to have NRH with us in Germany,” notes Colonel Mary Lopez. “We share the same commitment as they do to develop comprehensive care plans so each and every one of our injured soldiers can return to their maximum capability and potential.”

“The passion, commitment and skills of the Army’s military health care providers and support personnel on the ground in Germany are clearly evident,” adds Brickley.

The NRH Team

Jill Anderson, PT: Jill is a Regional Director in the NRH Medical Rehabilitation Network and currently oversees seven outpatient centers throughout the state of Maryland. She graduated with a BS in Physical Therapy from Ithaca College and a Masters in Administrative Science from Johns Hopkins University. She began her career as a staff therapist on an inpatient comprehensive unit treating acute cerebral vascular accidents, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputees and other neurological conditions.

Joseph Bleiberg: Ph.D. Psychology, Boston University, 1976; Diplomate, American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology, 1984. Dr. Bleiberg is a Senior Fellow at NRH and before that was Director of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Christoph Ruesch Research Center at NRH, and is a Clinical Associate Professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology. Prior to joining the Research Center at NRH, Dr. Bleiberg was the Director of Psychology and Program Director of the Brain Injury Program at NRH (1985-2000), and held similar positions at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (1979-1985). Dr. Bleiberg has extensive publications in brain injury rehabilitation, with recent emphasis on computerized neuropsychological assessment to identify subtle residua of mild brain injury and disease. He is one of the developers of ANAM, currently used by DoD for predeployment testing. Recent publications have covered the neurocognitive effects of traumatic brain injury, migraine, lupus, and CVA. He has been on many DoD expert panels and review committees, including the DVBIC panel that developed guidelines for management of TBI in theatre, and the Health Affairs panel for predeployment cognitive screening.

John Brickley, PT, MA: John is Vice President at NRH for Ambulatory Services, which includes 40 outpatient sites, under the banner of NRH Regional Rehab, located in Washington, D.C., Suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia. NRH Regional Rehab provides outpatient services for all patient populations except comprehensive pediatrics. John received his BA in Physical Therapy and an MA in Management with an emphasis on health care from the College of St. Scholastica, in Duluth, Minnesota. His clinical areas of focus include work injury prevention, work injury management and rehabilitation services directed at those patient populations with orthopedic/musculoskeletal injuries or disorders. John has taught in multiple continuing education courses in the areas of work injury prevention and management, as well as on developing creative models of care in the changing health care environment.

Virginia Walls, PT, MS, NCS, ATP: Ginger is the Regional Director of the outpatient center located within the hospital as well as the NRH Regional Rehab outpatient center in Mitchellville, Md. She is also the NRH Regional Rehab Neuro Program Specialist and the former Chair and Vice Chair of the Spinal Cord Injury Special Interest Group of the Neurology Section of the American Physical Therapy Assoc (APTA). She holds a physical therapy degree and MS from Springfield College. She received her certification as a Neurologic Clinical Specialist from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties in 1995 and was recertified in 2005. She received her certification as an Assistive Technology Practitioner from the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America in 2001 and maintains this current certification. She has taught multiple continuing education courses in the area of wheelchair seating and mobility. She has published articles in PT Magazine and Neurology Report, and authored the PT chapter in Managing Post Polio: A Guide to Living Well with Post Polio Syndrome.

National Rehabilitation Hospital

National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) is a private, not-for-profit facility located in Northwest Washington, D.C. NRH’s services are designed specifically for the rehabilitation of individuals with disabling injuries and illnesses such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury and disease, arthritis, amputations, post-polio syndrome, chronic pain, back and neck pain, occupational injuries, cancer and cardiac disease that require medical rehabilitation, and other neurological and orthopedic conditions. Annually, NRH admits approximately 2,200 inpatients and provides nearly 350,000 ambulatory visits at 40 NRH Regional Rehab outpatient sites located in Washington, D.C., Suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia. Over the course of 21 years, NRH has admitted in excess of 35,000 inpatients and provided over 2 million outpatient visits. NRH has 128 adult beds as well as 9 pediatric beds in the National Center for Children’s Rehabilitation at NRH, a joint service of NRH and Children’s National Medical Center. NRH is the youngest medical rehabilitation hospital to be consistently ranked in the Top 10 by physicians in the annual “America’s Best Hospitals” edition of U.S. News & World Report.

National Rehabilitation Hospital

CONTACT: Joann Donnellan of National Rehabilitation Hospital,+1-202-347-2240 or +1-703-966-1990

Web Site: http://www.nrhrehab.org/