Soliant Health, the healthcare staffing solutions unit of MPS Group, Inc. (NYSE:MPS), today announced the acquisition of RPh on the Go, a leading pharmacy staffing business based in Chicago. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

RPh on the Go is the largest pharmacy staffing firm in the U.S. according to Staffing Industry Analysts, Inc. The company specializes in providing pharmacy staffing solutions to clients nationwide, offering full- and part-time positions with community pharmacies, federal facilities, retail-chain pharmacies, health-system pharmacies, among others. RPh on the Go complements the pharmacy services currently offered by Soliant Health and will give new and seasoned professionals a wider range of options when looking for a career in pharmacy. The business will continue to operate as RPh on the Go.

“In RPh on the Go, we have not only acquired the premier pharmacy staffing company in the country, but also joined with a talented team of individuals who are passionate about the business,” said David Alexander, president of Soliant Health. “RPh on the Go has built a brand that is unsurpassed in the industry. We are excited about the opportunities to further enhance our combined leadership position in the pharmacy staffing space.”

For more information, please visit www.soliant.com.

About Soliant Health

Soliant Health is a leading provider of specialized healthcare staffing services to hospitals and healthcare providers. By supplying traveling healthcare professionals on both temporary and direct hire assignments, Soliant Health delivers comprehensive healthcare staffing services to leading facilities across the United States. Our teams of professionals are qualified to fill pharmacy, physician, clinical research, nursing, therapy, imaging, and other healthcare positions. For more information about Soliant Health, please visit www.soliant.com.

About MPS Group

MPS Group is a leading provider of staffing, consulting, and solutions in the disciplines of information technology, finance and accounting, law, engineering, marketing and creative, property and healthcare. MPS Group delivers its services to businesses and government entities in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and Asia. A Fortune 1000 company with headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida, MPS Group trades on the New York Stock Exchange. For more information about MPS Group, please visit www.mpsgroup.com.

By Jennifer L. Boen, The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Jun. 20–Amelia Bucher held a tiny diaper in one hand and her Strawberry Shortcake doll in the other. Then she set the diaper down and carefully followed the instructor’s directions on using the wipe to clean the baby’s bottom before diapering the doll.

It was serious business for the 3-year-old Fort Wayne girl, who is expecting a new baby brother or sister around Aug. 5. At Thursday’s Baby Day Camp, sponsored by the Parkview Women’s Health Center, Amelia and more than a dozen other children were given important tips on what to expect with a new baby around the house.

“Can babies talk?” asked Elizabeth Kissinger, prenatal education program supervisor at the health center.

“No!” the youngsters shouted collectively. Some said they just cry. Others said babies spit up.

“What can you do with a baby? Kissinger asked them.

Olivia Stedge, 5, said playing peek-a-boo is good. She’s the voice of experience, said her mom, Anne-Marie Stedge of Fort Wayne. Olivia already is big sister to Grace, 4, and Natalie, 2 1/2 , and her third sister is due in about nine weeks.

Younger children often have unrealistic expectations of what a baby can and cannot do, Kissinger said.

“They think that when the baby’s first born, they’ll be ready to play with them and kind of hang out with them. They’re so excited at first and then disappointed when the baby is really kind of this pink blob,” she said.

Jalee Elson’s mom, Jessica Elson of Bryan, Ohio, said with five years between the two children, “It will be a big change.” But Jalee, 5, confidently showed off some impressive baby-care skills.

“She was pretty snappy with that diaper,” her mom said.

The group toured the childbirth center at Parkview Women’s & Children’s Hospital, collected snacks that their moms — and they — will get when they come to the hospital, got a peek through the child-height window at two newborns in the nursery and added a new word to their vocabulary: postpartum.

“We’ve got to use our indoor voices,” Kissinger told them as they walked and skipped through the hallway. A nurse rushed by rolling an empty bassinette. Bells went off at the nurses’ station. The new sights and sounds can all be overwhelming if the first time a child meets the new baby is the first time for a visit to a hospital.

Young children may also connect a hospital with sickness or even death.

“It’s good to let them know this is a good thing that happens in the hospital,” Kissinger said.

—–

To see more of The News-Sentinel, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.FortWayne.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.

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.

Today Ameritas Group, a company known for dental and eye care coverage, announced its entry into a new benefit arena with SoundCareSM hearing health plans. Benefits can cover hearing exams, hearing aids and hearing aid maintenance. Qualifying employer groups in most states may select stand-alone SoundCare or tie the coverage to dental or medical benefits.

Ameritas Group President Ken VanCleave said the company created SoundCare to answer a growing and largely unmet need.

“The same technology explosion that delivered useful and fun devices, like MP3 players, cell phone earpieces and gaming headsets, is having an unwelcome side effect: hearing damage at ages younger than anyone ever imagined,” he said. “The result is a nation of people who are losing hearing in their fifties, forties and even earlier–well before the age you would traditionally expect to start seeing impairment in the general population.”

And since damage gets worse with continued noise exposure and can’t be reversed, VanCleave said hearing care will become increasingly important.

“Life’s getting louder,” he said, “and when it comes to anticipating the need, many employers are already there. When we told several of our larger groups we were considering this new wellness benefit, their response was, ‘How soon can we get it?’ They’ve heard about this problem in the news.

“People need hearing screenings to establish a baseline, then regular follow-ups to monitor changes. It’s an important health habit to uncover noise-induced and other hearing problems early, take steps to prevent damage from getting worse and receive treatment when needed. SoundCare is designed to help people pay for this care.”

VanCleave also announced Ameritas Group has entered into an agreement with EPIC Hearing Health Care in order to provide information about EPIC’s service offerings and the value of good hearing to SoundCare plan members.

“EPIC offers a nationwide alliance of ear physicians, ENTs and audiologists for expert hearing evaluations and treatments,” he explained. “People who want to take advantage of this resource can use the services of EPIC’s trained hearing counselors for help in finding an alliance provider, scheduling an exam, receiving treatment, submitting their claim and more.”

EPIC President and CEO Brad Volkmer said his company also maintains working relationships with major hearing device manufacturers to negotiate the best prices. “Treatment for hearing loss primarily means hearing aids, and advancing technology has resulted in dramatic improvements,” he said. “But high performance can come at a price; hearing aid costs can range up to $3,500 each. Our purchasing arrangements can result in substantial savings to augment the insurance benefit paid by Ameritas Group so people are able to afford the treatment they need.”

About Ameritas Group

Ameritas Group, a division of Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., a UNIFI Company, has served customers since the mid-1970s and today provides dental and eye care coverage for more than 49,000 employer groups, insuring more than 4 million people nationwide. In New York, products are offered through First Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York. Learn more at www.ameritasgroup.com.

About EPIC Hearing Health Care

EPIC (Ear Professionals International Corporation) was formed in 1997 by a group of ear physicians, audiologists and health care administrators to provide and promote high quality hearing health care to the public, payers, corporations, trade associations, unions, and the government. Learn more at www.epichearing.com.

ER Urgent Care Centers (PINKSHEETS: ERUC) ERUC is proud to announce that John Forhling, Esq., SEC counsel for the company, has posted the ERUC Disclosure Statement, first quarter financials as well as the Attorney letter on Pink Sheets. ERUC has worked diligently to be fully disclosed and transparent and will soon show on Pink Sheets as PS status or current information. “We continue to strive to better our lines of communication and build shareholder confidence,” said Mark Solomon, Esq., ERUC President.

About ER Urgent Care

ERUC Management Company Inc. operates ER Urgent Care Centers in the South Florida area. The “true, bona-fide,””Urgent Care Center” is a one-stop-shop where patients can receive premier health care, after-hours, at a fraction of the cost of emergency room visits. With the “Urgent Care Center” model emergency rooms will no longer lose money on ER patients with minor injuries and illnesses and the HMOs will no longer have to pay exorbitant claims for non-admitted patients. ER Urgent Care Centers create a win-win situation for everyone, filling the financial and service gap between primary care physicians (PCPs) and hospital emergency rooms.

For more information visit our Web site at www.erucc.net or sign up for the corporate newsletter at http://www.erucc.net.

Or visit our locations at:

 700 Ives Dairy Rd. North Miami Beach, FL 33179 213 North Federal Highway Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 15463 SW 137th Ave.                   Doctors Family Medical Kendal, FL 33177                      5535 Memorial Highway                                       Tampa, FL 33634 1041 71st Street Miami Beach, FL                       Doctors Family Medical                                       431 SW Blvd. North ER Urgent Care Center Tampa           St. Petersburg, FL 33703 5535 Memorial Highway #101 Tampa, FL  33634                      Er Urgent Care Center St. Petersburg                                       431 SW Blvd. North Suite A                                       St. Petersburg, FL 33703 

ER Urgent Care Center is a provider for Amerigroup, Avmed, Humana, Aetna, Medicaid/Medipass/Medi-Kids, Total Health Choice, United Health Care, Beech Street, Dimension Health, Assist Card, Cigna, Corvel, Health Insurance Plans and many more.

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

For franchising and corporate information please contact us toll free at 1-877-303-3500

 Contact Information: ER Urgent Care Centers at1-877-303-3500  

SOURCE: ER Urgent Care Centers

OAK LAWN, Ill., June 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill. has become one of only a few institutions in the Chicago area, the only one in the Advocate Health Care system and among about 25 hospitals nationally that are using a glue-like liquid for the successful treatment of brain aneurysms without surgery.

In a recent two-and-a-half-hour procedure, Thomas J. Grobelny MD, of the medical center’s Neurosciences Institute, led a team in use of the substance to eliminate an aneurysm from the petrous-cavernous carotid artery on the right side of a patient’s head.

Called Onyx(R)HD 500, the glue-like liquid is delivered through a micro-catheter, a thin, tube-like device that has been threaded through a patient’s blood vessels to the site of the aneurysm. The liquid, which hardens upon contact with blood and other body fluids, is used to fill the aneurysm, effectively sealing it off by blocking the flow of blood to it.

The Onyx(R) material is intended for use with large aneurysms or those having wide openings, called “necks.”

Aneurysms form when a weakness in a blood vessel wall causes the vessel to balloon out and form a thin-walled, blood-filled pouch. If this pouch, or sac, develops in a brain blood vessel and bursts, a patient can sustain a devastating, even lethal, stroke as blood floods the brain tissue, said Dr. Grobelny.

Dr. Grobelny is a neurointerventionalist, namely a physician specializing in minimally invasive, endovascular neurosurgery.

The neurointerventional surgery team at Advocate Christ Medical Center has been a regional leader in the application of innovative, minimally invasive treatments for removal of brain aneurysms.

Just last year, the medical center became one of the first Chicago area institutions and only one in the Advocate Health Care system to use a specialized stent — the CORDIS ENTERPRISE(TM) Vascular Reconstruction Device and Delivery System. The advanced tool enables physicians to block off a brain aneurysm that has a wide neck separating it from the main blood vessel and to hold in place wire coils positioned inside the aneurysm. The wire coils facilitate clot formation, thereby stopping blood flow to the aneurysm and reducing the risk of rupture.

Also in 2007, the same team, under Dr. Grobelny’s leadership, achieved another “first” for the south and southwest suburbs and for Advocate Heath Care when it filled a patient’s potentially lethal brain aneurysm with coils that literally swelled up to eight times their original volume. The coils had been coated with a hydrogen polymer, which, in combination with water from surrounding body tissue, caused the coils to swell and fill the aneurysm.

“The highest technological advancements in minimally invasive brain aneurysm surgery are not simply the domain of university-based medical centers. These advancements are important treatment options available at major teaching hospitals like Advocate Christ Medical Center,” Dr. Grobelny stated.

In addition to its expertise in the treatment of brain aneurysms, the Christ Medical Center Neurosciences Institute also is a leader in the treatment of brain vascular malformations and stroke. In fact, last year, the Joint Commission, a national health care accrediting agency, awarded the medical center a two-year certification as a primary stroke center. Certification is given for “exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care,” according to the Joint Commission.

Advocate Christ Medical Center

CONTACT: Mike Maggio Director, Public Relations/Government Relations ofAdvocate Christ Medical Center, +1-708-684-5063,[email protected]

By Ridgely Ochs, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.

Jun. 20–COLUMBUS, Ohio — Flanked by his attorney and desperate to regain his license to practice medicine, Dr. George Jakymenko quietly read his statement before the State Medical Board of Ohio.

For 21 years, the 55-year-old internist had had a family practice in Canton. “I was well liked by the community,” he said. “I would like to continue.”

Then he detailed a cascade of events that seemed to have started with getting lower reimbursements from health insurers and ended with the closing of his practice, eviction from his home and repossession of his car. He was appearing before the board because he had not answered its numerous letters and, finally, a subpoena. These were triggered when he disclosed, as was required, a drunken-driving conviction in 2004 on an application to renew his medical license.

Jakymenko was one of several doctors whose cases were presented on a recent weekday afternoon to the board in a public proceeding that could not take place in New York. One involved a doctor seeking to reapply for his license, which had been taken away after he was found guilty of taking a pregnant patient home, giving her Valium and having sex with her. Another concerned a medical resident who admitted he had stated he had had no criminal convictions when in fact he had been convicted of reckless driving in another state.

While these Ohio cases were conducted in the open, in New York such proceedings are held in secret, and findings are only made public if a doctor is convicted. Ohio is one of 40 states, according to a 2006 survey by the New York Public Interest Group, where once a doctor is formally charged, all proceedings are public.

In a pending bill proposed by New York Gov. David A. Paterson, charges against doctors — now also secret — would become public. The bill was prompted by the case of Dr. Harvey Finkelstein, a Plainview doctor whose infectious disease practices led to giving at least one patient hepatitis C. It took the health department three years to inform his patients.

But no one in New York has proposed open doctor hearings, which Ohio has conducted at least since the 1920s.

“We know other states have open hearings,” said New York State Department of Health spokeswoman Claudia Hutton. “We did not consider proposing that in this bill because we did not want to create a situation where the bill would not pass because of one provision. We think the bill we have people can come to agreement on and pass — and in this session.” The bill is being held up by unrelated issues, said State Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City), chairman of the state Senate health committee. “The deal is not done but we are still having constructive negotiations,” he said.

Blair Horner, legislative director of the nonprofit NYPIRG, said he was hopeful the governor’s bill would become law, but he would push for open disciplinary hearings. “It builds confidence to operate in the open and it builds cynicism to operate in secrecy,” he said.

Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group in Washington, D.C., agreed. His group rated Ohio third nationwide in 2005-2007 for serious actions against doctors. New York ranked 19th. Critics say more than half of New York’s cases stemmed from other states’ actions against doctors. Less than 10 percent in Ohio resulted from actions by other states. Doctors on boards closed to the public are more likely to be lenient, invoking “there but for the grace of God go I” in decisions and “forgetting they are there to protect patients,” Wolfe said.

Jennifer Hayhurst, the Ohio State Medical Association’s liaison to the state medical board, was hard-pressed to say whether doctors in Ohio like its open system. “I really don’t know. It’s always been that way,” she said.

Jon Wills, executive director of the Ohio Osteopathic Association, said his group works with the board, which is composed of 12 physicians and three members of the public and regulates Ohio’s 35,613 doctors and 22,752 other health care professionals.

“They come to our convention every year,” he said. “It is important to educate people about the types of cases involved and have that transparency.” In fact, medical students from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Columbus last year began attending medical board hearings to see firsthand what can happen to doctors, especially those with drug or alcohol problems. Both his group and the medical association work with the board to help rehabilitate doctors who need treatment, Wills said.

Elizabeth Collis, the lawyer for Jakymenko, believes appearing before the full medical board in public is “almost a benefit to the doctor.”

“It keeps it all on the table,” Collis said. A former assistant attorney general who prosecuted cases in front of the medical board, she went into private practice a dozen years ago. “If you are truly going to be judged by your peers, then you should be able to hear what the peers are saying,” she said.

Jakymenko said he didn’t believe the board was fair. It said he must have a psychological evaluation for depression before his medical license is reinstated. “They only give you five minutes. They don’t know me in any way or shape or form. I didn’t murder someone. This has nothing to do with patient care; it has to do with financial problems. They should have asked me to talk to them person to person.”

Collis, however, had a different perspective. She said the board’s decision in Jakymenko’s case “was good in the long run. It makes him more marketable.”

—–

To see more of Newsday, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsday.com

Copyright (c) 2008, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.

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 Rabyn Ratliff, The Valdosta Daily Times, Ga.

Jun. 20–VALDOSTA — South Georgia Medical Center executives announced a partnership pledge of $1 million in support of the development of Valdosta State University’s anticipated Health Science and Business Administration Facility.

The announcement came during a media conference held at VSU’s campus Wednesday.

The foresight behind this growing partnership began approximately four years ago, amid discussions between VSU President Ronald Zaccari and SGMC CEO James McGahee. As McGahee shared the need to recruit more nurses and retain them in the area, Zaccari shared his vision of advancing the educational programs at the university for a variety of health occupations.

“Dr. Zaccari said, ‘Well, you know, we have north campus out there and the opportunity to let VSU become the university of choice for people in the field of nursing. . . you (SGMC) provide the opportunity to them for on the job training, and we’ll provide the education,” McGahee said, recalling the initial conversation.

From there, Zaccari took an outlined proposal of the partnership-vision before the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Soon, it began evolving into plans for building a Health Sciences and Business Administration facility, and the $46 million project was placed on the USG capital project list in 2004.

“We had to beat out 56 other projects from the 35 colleges in the state to get on the capital improvement list,” said Zaccari. “And because of the support we’ve received from (U.S. Rep.) Jack Kingston, this is the first time in the history of the USG that a capital project has been pre-planned by federal dollars.”

Funding for that portion of the project came through a federal grant of $392,826, offered by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

According to Zaccari, the construction of the Health Sciences and Business Administration facility establishes a partnership with South Georgia Medical Center and the region’s medical community that represents a tremendous economic impact on South Georgia.

“The new Health Sciences and Business Administration facility, planned strategically on the university’s north campus and directly across from South Georgia Medical Center’s own visionary and emerging facilities, will provide many opportunities for collaboration and new educational and clinical experiences,” Zaccari said. “Our vision is to attract outstanding scholars, teachers and researchers to Valdosta State University, and in turn open new partnerships with physicians, hospital administrators and multiple use facilities. It is an important and crucial time in our region’s history to chart a new course of action –an intense action plan that serves as a catalyst for combining scarce and valuable resources and accomplishing projects never before imagined.”

The complete project, estimated at $46 million, will include a 182,000 square foot facility (3 auditoriums, 27 classrooms, 4 computer labs and 4 computer classrooms, 6 multipurpose and conference rooms). The spacious facility, and additional facilities located on the campus, will provide the needed facilities to increase educational opportunities within various health-related and business areas of study.

A number of academic programs/disciplines will also be housed in the new facility, ranging from Nursing to Communication Disorders and Social Work, to Sport Medicine/Athletic Training, Exercise Physiology and Business Administration.

Additionally, the North Campus Expansion, which Zaccari cited will become known as “Medical Park,” will also include $30 million of construction for residence halls and dining facilities. Related infrastructure, which will develop over the years, is expected to bring the total cost of north campus expansions to approximately $75 million.

Recognizing the immediate need to enhance health care education and opportunities here, SGMC made Thursday’s pledge to demonstrate it’s partnership support.

“We’re hoping for state funding for the this project and so we wanted to show them our partnership, and that we stand behind this project,” McGahee said. “And this is the first pledge, but it won’t be the last. Once it is open and running, we will look at scholarships for students and opportunities for funding some faculty positions.”

With this demonstration of partnership, Zaccari hopes to see the Health and Sciences Center moved up the list of USG capital projects, and anticipates the start of construction within the next 24 months.

—–

To see more of The Valdosta Daily Times, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Valdosta Daily Times, Ga.

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.

NASDAQ-OTCBB:HESG,

New Healthy Kids Programme for Primary Schools Throughout the UK

Simon Vane Percy

Vane Percy & Roberts

+ 44 (0)1737 821 890

[email protected]

or

Paul Lasiuk

Healthy Interactions

312-755-9901 x116

[email protected]

or

Sanjay Mistry

British Dietetic Association

+ 44 (0)7957 355416

[email protected]

Healthy Interactions, a global leader in health education, today announces the beginning of a five-year partnership with the British Dietetic Association (BDA), the UK’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals. The collaboration will focus on the creation of a variety of programmes, using a unique methodology to address food and nutrition issues. The UK will be the first market in the world to develop training and education resources to tackle such issues.

The collaboration aims to help combat growing health problems in the UK, such as the rising levels of diabetes and obesity. If no action is taken to reverse current trends, 60 percent of British men, half of female Britons and one-quarter of children in the UK will be obese by 20501. The UK Healthy Kids Conversation MapTM programme – the first initiative in development and due for launch in 2009 – will be available across the country, and ultimately be offered to 22,000 primary schools in the UK. Dietitians, teachers and health professionals will be able to use The Conversation Map programme to tackle childhood obesity.

The Conversation Map methodology is a powerful new learning method that uses conversation-based, peer-to-peer experiences, developed over the last ten years in more than fifty countries, to create a deeper level of personal health engagement. This approach has been successful in helping people determine their personal plans for living with a disease or achieving a specific health objective.

Announcing the partnership Pauline Douglas, honorary chairman of the British Dietetic Association, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for the BDA, and we are looking forward to working closely with Healthy Interactions in developing these Conversation Map tools in the UK. Once these tools have been developed tested and finalised we will offer them to patient groups and other medical support groups as a new option for delivering diet and nutritional information. Getting people of all ages to change their lifestyle in the long-term is extremely difficult. But, we believe that Healthy Interactions, through its Conversation Map tools, takes a very innovative approach by encouraging active discussion between patients and healthcare professionals in developing their individual treatment plans, which lead to behaviour change.”

Peter Gorman, co-founder of Healthy Interactions said: “. We believe that the Conversation Map(TM) approach linked with the knowledge of the BDA will prove to be very effective in helping people to make the personal changes they need to take control and live healthier lives. We are in initial discussions with retail, sport and health organisations who are very interested in supporting the first initiative involving children from across the UK.”

Healthy Interactions recently announced the launch of the Diabetes Conversation Map(TM) Programme, in collaboration with Diabetes UK. The programme aims to help the 2.2 million people in the UK who have been diagnosed with diabetes2.

1Foresight: Tackling Obesities: Future Choices project, www.foresight.gov.uk published in October 2007

2http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Professionals/Information_resources/ Reports/Diabetes_prevalence_2006/

About Healthy Interactions, Inc.

Healthy Interactions is devoted to driving Personal Health Engagement — our term for helping individuals commit to healthier actions. We create “Aha! Moments” that inspire people to change personal health behaviors. Healthy Interactions builds partnerships with leading medical and disease associations, not-for-profit organizations, corporations, and caring healthcare professionals trained in our approaches, enabling millions of people to take control of their health and live their best lives. Founded in 2003, Healthy Interactions is headquartered in Chicago, USA. For more information, visit www.healthyi.co.uk.

About the British Dietetic Association

The British Dietetic Association, founded in 1936, is the professional association for registered dietitians in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is the nation’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals with over 6,000 members. Registered dietitians are the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat diet and nutrition problems at an individual and wider public health level. Uniquely, dietitians use the most up to date public health and scientific research on food, health and disease, which they translate into practical guidance to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.

Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be statutorily regulated, and governed by an ethical code, to ensure that they always work to the highest standard. Dietitians work in the NHS, private practice, industry, education, research, sport, media, public relations, publishing, NGOs and government. Their advice influences food and health policy across the spectrum from government, local communities and individuals.

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

By Doug Ferguson

Tiger Woods walked tenderly out of Torrey Pines with a U.S. Open trophy he was destined to win on a left leg worse than anyone imagined. A group of children called out to him and Woods looked over and waved.

It turned out to be a most symbolic gesture.

So long, Tiger.

See you next year.

Woods revealed Wednesday he has been playing for at least 10 months with a torn ligament in his left knee, and that he suffered a double stress fracture in his left leg two weeks before the U.S. Open. He said he will have season-ending surgery, knocking him out of the final two majors and the Ryder Cup.

“Now, it is clear that the right thing to do is to listen to my doctors, follow through with this surgery and focus my attention on rehabilitating my knee,” Woods said on his Web site.

He sure wasn’t listening to doctors by playing the U.S. Open, a victory that now looks even more impressive.

Out of competition for two months because of April 15 surgery to clean out cartilage in his left knee, he suffered a double stress fracture in his left tibia two weeks before the U.S. Open.

Hank Haney, his swing coach, was with him in Florida when doctors told Woods the preferred treatment was three weeks on crutches, followed by three weeks of rest.

According to Haney, Woods looked at the doctor and said: “I’m playing the U.S. Open, and I’m going to win.”

“And then he started putting on his shoes,” Haney recalled. “He looked at me and said, ‘Come on, Hank. We’ll just putt today.’ Every night, I kept thinking there was no chance he’s going to play. He had to stop in his tracks for 30 seconds walking from the dining room table to the refrigerator.

“He was not going to miss the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. There just wasn’t any discussion.”

And it was a U.S. Open that will be talked about for years.

Despite a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a double stress fracture, Woods managed to win a major that required five days of flinching, grimacing and a long list of spectacular shots that have defined his career.

He went 91 holes on a leg that got worse with each day, finally defeating Rocco Mediate on the 19th hole of a playoff.

“When I talk about golf, he doesn’t count,” Mediate said Monday after the playoff. “He’s not normal.”

Woods, 32, did not say when he would have surgery, but he canceled a clinic that was scheduled for Tuesday at Comerica Park in Detroit. Haney said the typical recovery is six to eight months. This will be Woods’ third surgery in five years on his left knee.

“There will be debate whether he rushed back for the U.S. Open,” said Mark Steinberg, his agent at IMG. “But I don’t think there will be any debate that he rushes back from his next surgery. He won’t need to. Augusta is in April. And if things go according to plan, he’ll be able to play an event or two or three.”

Woods first went to Haney toward the end of 2002 to overhaul a violent swing that was putting enormous pressure on his left knee. Haney suspects the pain has been increasing, and Woods stopped hitting balls after his rounds at last year’s British Open.

“He’s been playing way less than 100 percent for a long, long, time,” Haney said. “It has limited him a lot in practice. He’s going to come back better than he’s ever been.”

Woods was already plenty good, with 65 victories that rank third all-time on the PGA Tour, and 14 professional majors that are second only to the record 18 won by Jack Nicklaus. This is the 500th week Woods has been ranked No. 1 in the world.

Even in his abbreviated 2008 season, he won five of seven tournaments worldwide. Dating to the discovery of the torn ACL, Woods won nine of 12 tournaments, including two majors, and never finished lower than fifth.

“While I am obviously disappointed to have to miss the remainder of the season, I have to do the right thing for my long-term health and look forward to returning to competitive golf when my doctors agree that my knee is sufficiently healthy,” Woods said. “My doctors assure me with the proper rehabilitation and training, the knee will be strong and there will be no long-term effects.”

Woods will miss a major for the first time in his career — the British Open next month at Royal Birkdale and the PGA Championship, where Woods is the two-time defending champion, in August at Oakland Hills in Michigan.

Woods also will miss next week’s Buick Open at Warwick Hills in Michigan.

“Tiger is an enormous attraction, there’s no denying that,” Royal & Ancient chief executive Peter Dawson said. “But the Open Championship has had many exciting finishes which Tiger has not been part of, and I’m sure there will be more. It’s very sad. We’re very sorry that he’s succumbed to the injury and he won’t be competing in the Open.

“We hope he has the speediest recovery.”

Woods also will miss the Ryder Cup in September, meaning the ninth player in the U.S. standings will qualify for the team. Coincidentally, Woods had mathematically clinched a spot on the team by winning the U.S. Open.

“We sent him flowers for winning the U.S. Open. Now I wish I had put in a note of condolences,” U.S. captain Paul Azinger quipped. “But this is not about Tiger and the Ryder Cup. It’s about Tiger getting better and his march to history.”

The majors won’t miss Woods nearly as much as the PGA Tour — and the networks that televise it — especially in the second year of the FedEx Cup, which Woods won in a landslide last year.

He still might be leading the points race in August leading to the playoffs. Even with Woods no longer playing the rest of the year, he will keep his spot in the playoff events for which he is eligible.

“Tiger is our tour,” Kenny Perry said from the Travelers Championship, which starts Thursday at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut. “When you lose your star player, it definitely hurts.”

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said his concern was for Woods’ health and well being.

“We wish him the best toward a speedy recovery,” he said.

Woods is private about his health and personal life, never more so than at the just-completed U.S. Open. He didn’t say anything about the torn ACL or the stress fractures, and wouldn’t say how he was treating it, only that it was more sore as the week went on.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was when the injury first happened.

Woods said he tore the ACL while jogging at home after the British Open last July. He played on, going on a streak that included seven consecutive victories, including Dubai Desert Classic in Europe and his Target World Challenge, an unofficial event.

He did not play overseas late last year for the first time since 2003, hopeful that rest could allow him to play more this year. But the pain intensified through the Masters, where he finished second, and Woods said the cartilage damage developed from the ACL injury.

He bypassed surgery on the torn ligament April 15, hopeful that by cleaning out the cartilage he could make it through the year. What he didn’t anticipate were the stress fractures as he tried to get ready for the Memorial.

“The stress fractures that were discovered just prior to the tournament unfortunately prevented me from participating and had a huge impact on the timing for my return,” Woods said. “I was determined, though, to do everything and anything in my power to play in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, which is a course that is close to where I grew up and holds many special memories for me.”

Woods won for the eighth time at the public golf course in San Diego — a U.S. Open, a record six times at the Buick Invitational, and a Junior World Championship as a teenager.

He called his U.S. Open victory “probably the best ever.”

On Wednesday, he explained why.

(c) 2008 Tribune-Review/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

To: NATIONAL EDITORS

Contact: Sudha Meiyappan of Manchester Trade Ltd., +1-202-331- 9464, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, June 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Executive Research Associates and Manchester Trade are holding a Conference of eminent international speakers entitled Darfur and its Impact on Sudan and the Region on June 25, 2008, from 8:00 AM to 5:45 PM at The Madison Hotel in Washington, DC. The agenda is attached.

This may be a ground breaking ceremony since it could be the first conference on U.S. soil where these groups are all represented. The conference aims to discuss the history of the conflict, the parties involved, and potential solutions to deal with the crisis. Distinguished speakers from the region and the United States will be making presentations and initiating discussion. Many of the speakers will be available to the press for interviews on Thursday, June 26th.

We very much hope that you will be able to join us on June 25th. Please inform Sudha Meiyappan ([email protected]/202-331- 9464) at your earliest convenience if you would be joining at the conference or would like an interview with the speakers.

With kind regards,

Jeffrey Morrissey

USA Representative

Executive Research Associates

Stephen Lande

President

Manchester Trade

DARFURAND ITS IMPACT ON SUDAN AND THE REGION

A Ground-Breaking Conference

Wednesday 25 June 2008

Madison Hotel

1177 15th Street NW

Washington DC

AGENDA

Conference Moderators:

Tony Carroll, Vice President Manchester Trade Ltd

Dr. Nel Marais, Executive Research Associates (ERA)

REGISTER AT:www.erassociates.co.za

Enquiries: (202) 491 8177

8:00 AM: Registration

8:45 AM: Welcome Presentation: Tony Carroll,Manchester Trade

9:00 – 10: 30 AM: Session One:What are theorigins of the Darfur conflict?

Moderator: Ambassador Tim Carney

Speakers:

Dr Eltigani Salih Fidail -Sudan Minister for International Cooperation

Dr. Tahir Elfaki -Head,Legislative Council, Justice and Equality Movement(JEM)

Abdul Wahid el Nour -Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM)

Gerard Prunier -Expert on East and Central African Affairs

10:20- 10:40AM: TEA BREAK

10:40 – 12:10 PM:Session Two:Is Darfur a Proxy-War?

Moderator: DrWitney Schneidman- President, Schneidman & Associates

Speakers:

Mr David Pulkol: Head of African Leadership Institute (ALPI)

Dr Sayed Mohamed El-Hassan El-Khatib-Centre for Strategic Studies, Khartoum

Dr Alex de Waal, Program Director, Social Science Research, Council

12:10 – 12:30: Keynote Address: Congressman(to be decided)

12:30 – 1:20 PM: LUNCH

1:30 – 2:00 PM: Keynote Address by Hon. Edward Royce(R, CA)

2:00 – 3:30 PM: Session Three:Does the Darfur Crisis Threaten the Comprehensive Peace Agreement?

Moderator: Hon.Howard Wolpe, Director, Africa Programs, Woodrow Wilson Center

Speakers:

Dr. Elrahman al Khalifa, Associate Professor, Faculty of law, University of Khartoum

John Prendergast- Co-Chair Enough! Project

Dr. Abdullahi Osman El-Tom- Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)

Susan Page- National Democratic Institute

3:30 – 4:00 PM: TEA BREAK

4:00 – 5:45 PM: Session Four:In Search of Solutions:Prospects for Peace and Economic Development in Darfur

Moderator: Stephen Lande -President, Manchester Trade

Speakers

Dr Ghazi Salahuddin Atabani-PeaceAdvisor to President al Bashir

Omer Ismail- Enough!

Dr. Laual Deng Lual- State Minister for Finance and National Economy, Sudan (SPLM)

Warwick Davies-Webb -ResearchDirector, Executive Research Associates (ERA)

Panelists

Abdul Wahid el Nour, Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM)

Gerard Prunier,Researcher and International political Consultant on East and Central African Affairs

Dr. Tahir Elfaki- Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)

John Prendergast -Co-Chair Enough! Project

RECEPTION AND COCKTAILS TO FOLLOW AT END OF PROCEEDINGS

NOTE: This is a preliminary agenda which is subject to revision.

SOURCE Manchester Trade Ltd.

(c) 2008 U.S. Newswire. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

A laptop containing confidential information about 11,000 patients has been stolen from a Midland GP’s home.

Contrary to Department of Health guidelines, the information was not encrypted, which would have made it unreadable without a special code to unscramble it.

The laptop was among items stolen in a recent burglary at the home of the unnamed doctor, who works at the Castlecroft Medical Practice in Wolverhampton.

The information on the computer, which belongs to the practice, included patients’ names, dates of birth, addresses, contact details and confidential medical records. The practice has written to all of its 11,000 patients to inform them that information about them was on the stolen computer.

Dr Peter Wagstaff, senior partner at the practice, said: “The practice is treating this issue very seriously and we are extremely sorry for any distress or concern that it may cause our patients.

“Though not encrypted, the confidential information on the laptop was protected by a complex password system, which only a person with specialist computer knowledge would be able to crack.”

He said the laptop appeared to have been stolen for its resale value, rather than for any information stored upon it. Jon Crockett, chief executive ofWolverhampton City Primary Care Trust, said the trust was “extremely concerned” about the theft.

He said: “Patients and the public have the right to expect that those dealing with confidential information maintain the highest levels of security and we are carrying out a full and urgent investigation into this incident.”

He said that the practice had believed that the laptop was encrypted, but it later found “this was not the case”.

National guidance from the Department of Health is that any confidential information about patients must be stored in a safe and secure environment, and mobile devices, including laptops, which contain such data must be fully protected by encryption, he explained.

Mr Crockett said: “We are investigating all aspects of this incident to understand how it happened, what action we might take and how to prevent anything similar occurring in the future.

“All GP practices in the city have been reminded of their responsibility for the safety and security of data held by their practices.”

He added: “We are very conscious that the GP whose home was burgled, and the practice as a whole, are the victims of a crime.”

Staffordshire Police are investigating the burglary and a helpline – 0800 783 4310 – has been set up by the practice for patients to ring if they have any concerns.

The news broke as Scotland Yard said six laptops have been stolen from a major teaching hospital.

The laptops contain information about some 20,000 patients, including their names, date of birth and postcodes, a spokeswoman for St George’s Hospital, in Tooting, south London, said.

She said: “The Trust has written today to every patient, apologising for the potential risk to their confidentiality.”

(c) 2008 Birmingham Post; Birmingham (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

MORRISTOWN, N.J., June 19 /PRNewswire/ — New health policies released yesterday by the American Medical Association (AMA) include a resolution to increase physician education about the importance of counseling patients on the appropriate use of aspirin to prevent heart disease and stroke. Notably, in the AMA’s announcement release, the Association pointed to the strong evidence supporting aspirin’s benefits in preventing cardiovascular (CV) events: “six trials, involving more than 95,000 adult men and women, have shown aspirin may be effective in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.”(i)

As the makers of Bayer(R) Aspirin, we applaud the AMA for adopting this policy, which will amplify the discussion of aspirin use for appropriate patients as a proven, cost-effective strategy for preventing heart attacks and strokes, the nation’s number-one and number-three killers. With its emphasis on physician counseling of patients about aspirin, the AMA resolution is an important step in helping to address the well-documented problem of aspirin underutilization in America.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S., affecting men, women and all ethnic groups. In fact, nearly 71 million people are at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), every 26 seconds an American will suffer a coronary event.

Aspirin’s potential to reduce the burden of CVD is underscored in a Partnership For Prevention report, which ranked 25 evidence-based clinical preventive services recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices based on these services’ health impact and economic value; aspirin counseling was rated the number-one preventive health service that, if optimized, would dramatically contribute to improved public health. The report also states that 45,000 lives would be saved each year if more adults took a daily low-dose aspirin to prevent heart disease.

Aspirin is one of the most extensively studied drugs in history, with a 110-year track record of efficacy and safety. More than 200,000 patients have been studied in more than 200 randomized clinical trials evaluating aspirin efficacy and safety across a range of doses. When taken regularly, aspirin has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of heart attack and recurrent stroke. However, despite its well-established benefits, including support from guidelines recommendations by AHA, USPSTF, American Diabetes Association, World Health Organization and other health organizations, aspirin is widely underutilized in the United States and the world over. Reports show aspirin is used by only about half of those who should be using it to prevent CV events.

Bayer is committed to improving public health by promoting the safe and appropriate use of aspirin for CV event prevention. In addition to supporting numerous scientific studies in cardiovascular disease, Bayer has meaningful partnerships with many organizations, including AHA, PFP, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, and the National Stroke Association, to help raise awareness of the risks of CVD and ways to help control risk factors, including increasing the appropriate use of aspirin therapy.

About Bayer Consumer Care

The Consumer Care Division of Bayer HealthCare LLC, is headquartered in Morristown, N.J. Bayer’s Consumer Care Division is among the largest marketers of over-the-counter medications and nutritional supplements in the world. Some of the most trusted and recognizable brands in the world today come from the Bayer portfolio of products. These include Bayer(R) Aspirin, ALEVE(R), Flanax(R)/Apronax(R), Alka-Seltzer Plus(R), Bactine(R), RID(R), Phillips'(R) Milk of Magnesia, Midol(R), Alka-Seltzer(R), Talcid(R), Rennie(R), Canesten(R), Bepanthen(R), Bepanthol(R), One A Day(R) vitamins, Flintstones(TM) vitamins, Supradyn(R), Redoxon(R), Berocca(R), Cal-D-Vita/Elevit(R), Vital 50 Plus(R), CardioAspirin(R).

The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Diabetes Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. The pharmaceuticals business operates under the name Bayer Schering Pharma AG. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Find more information at http://www.bayerhealthcare.com/.

(i) American Medical Association. AMA adopts new policies at annual

meeting (press release). Chicago, IL, June 17, 2008.

Bayer Consumer Care

CONTACT: Bayer HealthCare LLC Consumer Care, +1-800-331-4536

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

SAN DIEGO, June 19 /PRNewswire/ — A new chemical fertility control technology that could substantially reduce the devastating impacts of rodents on rice production in developing countries is being featured at the BIO 2008 International Convention in San Diego, California from the 17th through the 20th of June. SenesTech, Inc., a Flagstaff, Arizona – based corporation, is developing a technology that will target the fertility of rice field rats in Southeast Asia. If successful this technology will result in increased crop yields, an increase in food supplies globally, and will improve the quality of life for hundreds of millions of lives within a few years.

“It is impossible to overstate the importance of this technology,” said Dr. Loretta P. Mayer, one of the company’s founders and inventors of the technology. “One fifth to one third of the world’s food supply never reaches the table due to the deleterious impacts of rodents. They damage crops both pre- and post-harvest by not only eating the grain but damaging it with urine and feces pollution. They also spread many debilitating diseases. While this problem has persisted for centuries, it is possible that we may be able to start reversing this process. Research shows that just a ten percent reduction in the rice rat population can feed over 380 million people. The numbers are simply staggering,” she said.

The development of the technology is being completed at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, while further characterization of animal models is being conducted at Arizona State University in Tempe. The technology is built on patents filed by the University of Arizona in Tucson, on which Dr. Mayer is co-inventor. This statewide effort reflects the mission of the Arizona Bioscience Roadmap, which provides Arizona scientists with a conduit for collaborative research and technology transfer.

“It is impressive to witness the level of collaboration and innovation that occur within our universities and communities,” said Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano. “These advances — which potentially have a significant impact on the planet — are possible when we create the infrastructure for and foster science-based projects and discoveries.”

To complete development of the environmentally neutral product called “ContraPest(TM)”, and to provide for efficient distribution, the Arizona-based biotech company has signed an international agreement with the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (IACRC) in Canberra, the capital of Australia. This Centre is part of an Australian government science innovation program that brings together research institutions, industry partners and business enterprises to accelerate technology transfer and the delivery of new products into the marketplace.

Rats, insects, and weeds rank as the three major pests of small landholder farmers in developing countries. A pair of rodents and their offspring can potentially produce over 600 offspring in just three months. When food supplies are plentiful, rodents reach unprecedented numbers. Today, it is not unusual for smallholder rice farmers to report chronic yield losses of 20-30% per year, rising to 50% or even total crop loss in certain areas. This places an enormous strain on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in developing countries. In turn, such losses compound the current food crisis, placing a heavy burden on the tens of millions of landless and urban poor. SenesTech believes the technology has the potential to have a significant impact in the 13 countries that produce over 84% of the world’s rice supply, including China, India, and other Southeast Asian nations, which will be SenesTech’s first customers.

Dr. Mayer, along with Dr. Cheryl Dyer, and Dr. Timothy Vail, SenesTech’s scientific team, has developed this environmentally safe alternative to poison that can be used to sterilize the rice field rat. The technology accelerates the natural reproductive aging process in the rat resulting in sterility or reproductive “senescence”. These scientists, all from Northern Arizona University, have teamed up with Dr. Lyn Hinds from the IACRC and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia and Drs. Sudarmaji at the Indonesian Centre for Rice Research in Sukamandi, Indonesia to begin assessment of the product in Indonesian-based studies this fall.

“I am dedicated to addressing starvation with this technology and changing the livelihoods of the rural poor,” said Everett Hale, CEO. Hale was recruited by the company to lead the international effort and build on the company’s core technology. “I never knew the extent to which governments had to use poison to prevent famine. A percentage of poison in any food supply is not acceptable. We are losing lives and the environment. Through our technology, we can now change the world and help feed its people.”

For additional information on ContraPest(TM) contact Everett Hale at [email protected] or visit http://www.senestech.com/. ContraPest(TM) is projected to be available for commercial use in the Spring of 2010.

ABOUT (SenesTech, Inc.) SenesTech is a platform technology company located in Flagstaff, Arizona specializing in fertility control products for wildlife population control including dogs and cats. Other products in the development pipeline include ChemSpay(TM), a non-surgical spay product for female dogs and cats.

SenesTech, Inc.

CONTACT: Everett Hale of SenesTech, Inc., +1-619-876-8745, or fax,+1-928-774-5149, [email protected]

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

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/3ec96f/the_2008_healthcar) has announced the addition of the “The 2008 Healthcare Business Market Research Handbook” report to their offering.

Twelfth Edition. This is a comprehensive analysis of the $2.3 trillion U.S. healthcare marketplace and will provide you with the most recent statistics and data available. It is designed to be a strategic business planning resource for executives in all medical and healthcare organizations, from hospitals to integrated networks, from health plans to suppliers. This is the best selling publication of its kind available from any source.

Healthcare business and market data is scattered through a myriad of sources. This handbook compiles top-line data into a single easy-to-use reference, with information sourced from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Health Care Association, American Health Information Management Association, American Hospital Association, American Lung Association, American Medical Association, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Arthritis Foundation, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Center for Studying Health System Change, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Harris Interactive, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Healthcare Financial Management Association, IMS Health, Ingenix, Irving Levin Associates, MetLife Mature Market Institute, Modern Healthcare, National Institutes of Health, National Association of Children’s Hospitals, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Press Ganey Associates, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Sg2, The Advisory Board Company, The Gallup Organization, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, The Leapfrog Group, The Wall Street Journal, Thomson Reuters Healthcare, United Health Foundation, and Verispan, among others.

The handbook also includes assessments and discussions on topics such as quality and patient safety, patient satisfaction, marketing and community outreach, financial management and reimbursement, and IT. Over 800 website links — directly embedded into the electronic edition — will direct you to additional market research information and other resources.

The 2008 Healthcare Business Market Research Handbook is an indispensable tool designed to help you manage and expand your healthcare operations. If you have not yet used our studies, we invite you to join over 15,000 organizations who have used our approach to market research.

Key Topics Covered:

Part I: Market Overview

1 Healthcare Spending

2 State-By-State Assessment

3 Hospitals

4 Marketshare Leaders

Part Ii: Management Issues & Strategic Planning

5 Priorities In Healthcare Management

6 Billing & Collections

7 Design & Construction

8 Disaster & Pandemic Preparedness

9 Electronic Health Records

10 Hospital-Physician Relations

11 Information Technology

12 Medical Liability

13 Pay-For-Performance

14 Quality & Patient Safety

15 The Uninsured & Underinsured

16 Transparency

Part Iii: Patient Focus & Marketing

17 Community Support & Outreach

18 Healthcare & The Internet

19 Marketing

20 Patient Amenities

21 Patient-Focused Programs

22 Patient Satisfaction

Part Iv: Inside The Hospital

23 Emergency Departments

24 Intensive Care Units

25 Outpatients

26 Supply Chain Management

27 Outsourcing

Part V: Healthcare Professionals

28 Healthcare Salaries Surveys

29 Physicians

30. Hospitalists

31 Nurses

Part Vi: Segmentation

32 Specialty Hospitals & Centers

33 Pediatrics & Children’s Hospitals

34 Geriatrics

35 Rural Hospitals

36 Post-Acute & Long-Term Care

37 Convenient-Care Clinics

Part Vii: Healthcare Consumers

38 Consumer Health

39 High-Risk Patients

40 Baby Boomer-Driven Healthcare

41 Medical Tourism

Part Viii: Treatments & Specialist Markets

42 Alcohol & Drug Addiction

43 Allergies

44 Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia

45 Arthritis

46 Bariatric Surgery

47 Behavioral & Mental Health

48 Cancer

49 Cardiovascular Disease

50 Cosmetic & Reconstructive Surgery

51 Dermatology

52 Diabetes

53 Headaches & Migraines

54 Hiv & Aids

55 Infectious Diseases

56 Kidney Disease

57 Obstetrics & Gynecology

58 Ophthalmology

59 Orthopedics

60 Osteoporosis

61 Pain Management

62 Respiratory Diseases

63 Sleep Disorders

64 Surgery

65 Transplants

Market Resources

References

Companies Mentioned:

– Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

– Alzheimer’s Association

– American Cancer Society

– American Diabetes Association

– American Heart Association

– American Health Care Association

– American Health Information Management Association

– American Hospital Association

– American Lung Association

– American Medical Association

– American Society of Plastic Surgeons

– Arthritis Foundation

– Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

– Center for Studying Health System Change

– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

– Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

– Harris Interactive

– Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society

– Healthcare Financial Management Association

– IMS Health

– Ingenix

– Irving Levin Associates

– MetLife Mature Market Institute

– Modern Healthcare

– National Institutes of Health

– National Association of Children’s Hospitals

– National Alliance on Mental Illness

– Press Ganey Associates

– PricewaterhouseCoopers

– Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

– Sg2

– The Advisory Board Company

– The Gallup Organization

– The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

– The Leapfrog Group

– The Wall Street Journal

– Thomson Reuters Healthcare

– United Health Foundation

– Verispan

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/3ec96f/the_2008_healthcar

Market America announced today that it is in the development and testing stages of a new line of nutraceutical products that will support the health of children with autism and related neurodevelopmental challenges. Specialized laboratory testing often demonstrates sub-optimal levels of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids in people with autism, which can be addressed with nutritional supplements. Despite these findings, Market America found in its research that parents and health professionals alike are frustrated with the limited nutritional products available in the marketplace.

The announcement follows a conference held with prominent doctors who specialize in areas related to autism at Market America’s Greensboro headquarters. The doctors in attendance were Dr. Emi Hosada; an Internist in Washington State, Dr. Jim Sensenig; prominent naturopathic physician and founding president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, Dr. Susan Beltz; a neuroscientist and clinical scientist and founder of the Mont Black Academy in Hook Set, NH which specializes in educating and treating children with ADHD, Metabolic Disorders and Learning Disabilities, and Dr. Anne Hines; a family and Defeat Autism Now (DAN) physician in Winston-Salem, NC.

Market America is working in conjunction with these doctors to develop a regimen of nutraceutical products that will promote a high quality of life for those living with autism. “It is simply mind-blowing and disheartening when you read the statistics about children afflicted with autism,” said Marty Weissman, executive vice president of Market America. “One out of every 150 children is diagnosed with autism and 67 new children are diagnosed per day. As a company founded on science based products, it is time that we use our expertise to support the health of these children.”

The conference was held to identify areas that are lacking in autism therapy and how Market America could develop products that meet the special needs of these children. “The consensus among the panel of experts was that children with autism need nutritional supplementation that is complete and easy to take,” Said Dr. Julian Blumenfeld, Chief Medical Officer at Market America. “Current products on the market are not complete and do not enhance patient compliance. With our advanced Isotonix(R) delivery system we can offer nutritional supplementation designed for children that is easy to taste and tolerate. Enhancing compliance is critical for the efficacy of children’s supplementation and will make the parents lives so much easier.”

About Market America, Inc.

Market America is a product brokerage and Internet marketing company that specializes in One-One-Marketing. With more than three million customers and 160,000 distributors worldwide, the company has generated over $2.4 billion in accumulated retail sales. Headquartered in Greensboro, NC – the company was founded in 1992 by current president and CEO James Ridinger and employs over 500 people globally with international operations in the United States, Canada, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia. Through its revolutionary One-to-One Marketing concept, Market America combines the Internet with the power of people – creating the ultimate online shopping destination. More information is available at www.marketamerica.com.

By Robert Boyer, Times-News, Burlington, N.C.

Jun. 19–The Alamance County Board of Health has, for now, resolved the question of how to handle the records of Health Department clients who go by more than one name, but only after a lengthy debate and some compromise. The debate was over, in large part, whether such aliases are part of a client’s medical records.

The compromise centered on whether such information should be reported to authorities to determine whether illegal immigrants are using false names to break laws, and whether health department workers are committing a crime when they write “work notes” for such clients.

Typically, a couple or so times a month, Hispanic patients ask medical staffers to use an alternate name when writing sick notes to their employers, department officials say.

Board Chairman Keith Whited, a Burlington attorney running for a district court judgeship, thinks writing notes with false names violates state and federal law and helps illegal immigrants to do the same.

At the board’s meeting on Tuesday, the board, at Whited’s urging, voted 7-0 to require the health department to “maintain accurate, complete and organized medical records on each patient” and authorize the health board as an oversight agency to ensure compliance. The amendment still requires the board to maintain the confidentiality of the records.

Whited’s second draft amendment, which in part covered the use of false names in work notes, sparked strong opposition and the compromise.

In Whited’s initial draft of the latter amendment to existing department policy, all identifying information of a patient must be kept only in a patient’s medical record. Patients also must sign an agreement “permitting all of the different name and identifying information … to be released at the same time” to non-medical third parties. The signatures would also authorize the sheriff’s department to “make an independent determination that the names used by the patients are not a part of any wrongful conduct, including identity theft.” The patient must also “certify that the name and personal identifying information” in the medical record “is my true and lawful name,” Whited said.

“Anybody who is using an alias name for a lawful purpose will not mind signing that,” he said.

Several board members balked at Whited’s second amendment. Dr. Don Courtney, a veterinarian, said forcing clients and staffers to release such information to the sheriff’s department might hurt the department’s primary mission of “keeping everyone as healthy as we can.” Dr. Michael Blocker questioned whether the health department should get involved in helping authorities determine the legal status of its patients.

“Why are we trying to verify who people are?” Blocker asked. “Do we not provide services to illegal immigrants?” The department’s mandate, Blocker said, is to provide health care to all county residents, not to verify identity. Writing work notes with aliases doesn’t verify or vouch for a person’s identity, he said.

Legal residents sometimes use “fake names” when seeking treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and get work or school notes in those names, Blocker said. He questioned whether that was illegal.

Board member and county Commissioner Bill Lashley said anyone giving a false name at the health department is guilty of a felony and a department employee is breaking the law when they provide a false name for a client to an employer.

“A company cannot hire a person … in the United States if they are illegal,” Lashley said.

“Did they get the job because we wrote a letter?” Blocker asked.

“They keep their job because we wrote a letter,” Whited said.

“How are we going to know if someone comes in with a fake ID” and other forms of information, Blocker said.

Blocker wants the county attorney to specifically address whether writing work notes with aliases is illegal. “I don’t think it’s an issue for someone with an alias to come in and get care,” he said.

The sheriff’s verification would keep the department out of potential legal trouble, Whitehead said.

Forcing every patient to sign such an agreement would cause some patient with communicable diseases not to seek care, Blocker said. “They’re more likely to go to work … and potentially put the public health at risk.” Dr. Kathleen Shapley-Quinn, the department’s medical director, said the verification requirement could lead to a flood of additional paperwork.

Courtney also questioned the wisdom of requiring the verification of every client’s identity.

The policy “needs to apply to every patient that we see,” Whited said. “If this is the effort that we have to go through to ensure that we’re not complicit in the commission of crimes in this department, then that’s the effort I want us to go through, even if we have to hire a separate person to do it.” Whited ultimately withdrew his second motion and inserted in its place a draft calling for patients to sign a form authorizing and requiring the release of all names and identifying records to “non-medical third parties” but leaving out the requirement to send the information to the sheriff’s department.

That would mean that doctor’s notes would include all names for the patient provided to the department.

The draft passed by a 6-1 vote, with Blocker the lone dissenter.

THE ISSUE FIRST surfaced during the May 20 meeting of the Personal Health Committee, a board subcommittee.

According to a memo from Whited, that’s when Marilyn Burns, the department’s nursing director, gave a report about clients with multiple names and the use of aliases in work notes.

Her report, Whited said Tuesday, came after a Health Department client was charged with committing identity theft. The charges are still pending in an Alamance County court, Whited said.

To “keep these differing names identified,” a health department staffer keeps a list or “some writing” of aliases “outside the medical record of the patient,” Whited wrote in his memo. The “limited staff that has possession of this information, continues to evade my request to review the documents and present them” to the board “for oversight/audit purposes.” Whether to use aliases when writing work notes for patients first came up in summer 2007, when the health department’s medical staff asked for instruction on how to deal with the situation, Dr. Shapley-Quinn said during Tuesday’s meeting.

The medical staff writes only two or three such notes a month that use aliases, but nevertheless wanted guidelines for what Shapley-Quinn called a “complex” issue.

Shapley-Quinn said she instructed the medical staff a month or so ago to use only a patient’s “primary name” on the medical record until the issue was resolved.

Caring for patients is complex and involves balancing “competing priorities and values,” such as in the case of when a client threatens to harm himself or someone else, Shapley-Quinn said.

“I don’t think anybody in our health department thinks of this as an easy or obvious answer.” Whited disagreed with Shapley-Quinn’s assessment and said he was a “little bit disappointed” in the staff’s handling of the issue. “To me, it’s not a complex issue,” he said.

“If it’s a medical record and it’s kept outside of the medical record, then that’s a violation of HIPAA,” Whited said. (HIPAA is a set of federal laws and guidelines that cover the privacy of patient records, among other things.) Under a HIPAA exception, the health board has the authority to review such records, Whited said.

The staff isn’t following department policy and its refusal to “deliver documents” is “bordering on insubordination,” Whited said.

Shapley-Quinn said there isn’t a list, but rather a “tracking system for how to follow up on information.” The doctor said she informed interim Health Department Director Tim Green that he can access the records and turn it over to the board.

“I don’t feel like I’m any barrier to producing that information,” Shapley-Quinn said. “I think it’s the law that keeps me from releasing that information unless there’s clarity” from Assistant County Attorney Clyde Albright about who can legally review medical records.

“He clarified it for me in one sentence. It’s the same thing that I told you a month ago,” Whited said.

In an e-mail to Whited on Tuesday morning, Albright said this: “In my opinion the Board of Health is a health oversight agency as that term is defined by HIPAA. As a health oversight agency the Board of Health may receive disclosures of medical information for purposes of oversight, compliance with laws and correction.” To comment on this or any Times-News story online go to www.TheTimesNews.com, find the story, go to the bottom and follow the directions

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Copyright (c) 2008, Times-News, Burlington, N.C.

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.

Speedel Holding Ltd. (SWX: SPPN) today announced that data for two of its developmental product candidates were presented at Hypertension 2008, the joint meeting of the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) and the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) in Berlin (14- 19 June 2008). Results from the Phase IIa proof-of-concept trial with SPP635, one of the company’s next generation of renin inhibitors, demonstrated strong efficacy and good safety[2],[3]. Based on these results Speedel continues Phase IIa development in a special population of diabetic patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. For SPP301, an endothelin receptor A antagonist in development for patients with diabetes, results of several pre-clinical investigations were presented[4],[5],[6].

Klaus Dembowsky, M.D. Ph.D., Managing Director Speedel Experimenta stated: “The pre-clinical and clinical contributions of Speedel to this important meeting on hypertension and related diseases underline the scientific orientation of our company. Speedel is focused on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases targeting innovations that will ultimately lead to improved treatment options for physicians and benefits for their patients.”

Pre-clinical and clinical data on SPP635

The clinical study presented at Hypertension 2008 investigated the safety and efficacy of SPP635 in a double-blind, placebo- controlled, randomised, parallel design[2]. Twenty patients with mild-to- moderate hypertension received a single daily dose of SPP635 while 15 patients received placebo for 4 weeks. Sitting blood pressure as well as 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) were the main criteria of efficacy.

Compared to placebo, SPP635 was more efficacious in lowering blood pressure, both systolic and diastolic, during day-time and night- time – and over 24 hours, as assessed by ABP. Sitting blood pressure data were comparable to ABP. These data confirm the potential use of SPP635 as a once-daily drug. SPP635 was safe and well tolerated over the 4 week treatment period. There were neither any serious adverse events reported nor were there any clinically significant changes in laboratory safety parameters.

Treatment with SPP635 decreased ABP (mean +/- SEM) compared to placebo (24-hour systolic ABP -12.5 +/- 1.70 mmHg vs. +1.5 +/- 1.59 mmHg, diastolic ABP -8.4 +/- 1.09 mmHg vs. -0.1 +/- 1.10 mmHg). Moreover, there was a significant decrease in ABP not only during the daytime (systolic BP effects of SPP635 vs. placebo: -14.4 +/- 2.01 mmHg vs. +0.9 +/- 2.17 mmHg; diastolic BP lowering of SPP 635 vs. placebo: – 9.6 +/-1.38 mmHg vs. -0.7 +/- 1.55 mmHg) but also during night-time (systolic BP effects of SPP635 vs. placebo: -9.7 +/- 1.80 mmHg vs. +2.7 +/- 2.17 mmHg; diastolic BP lowering of SPP 635 vs. placebo: -6.9 +/- 1.20 mmHg vs. +2.4 +/- 2.26 mmHg), indicating a persistent 24-h ABP reduction through a long-term effect of the renin inhibitor. Similar results were observed for sitting blood pressure. The effects on ABP were associated with a significant decrease in the plasma renin activity in the SPP635 treatment group.

In a pre-clinical study, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of SPP635 were investigated[3]. The data demonstrate that SPP635 has very favourable properties including long half-life in rats and dogs (3.6 h and 8 h, respectively), high oral bioavailability (87% and 50%, respectively), good efficacy in lowering blood pressure and preventing renal damage in animal models. These properties predispose SPP635 for clinical development in hypertension and end organ protection, e.g. a condition such as diabetic kidney disease.

SPP635 belongs to the next generation of renin inhibitors following Speedel’s lead compound SPP100 (aliskiren; Rasilez/Tekturna[1]), which is partnered with Novartis and has obtained marketing authorisations in USA, the European Union and many other countries. SPP635 is the most advanced compound in the SPP600 series and is one of several new proprietary renin inhibitors invented by Speedel Experimenta, the company’s late-stage research unit. Clinical profiling of SPP635 is ongoing in special populations (diabetic patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension). The trial is being carried out in Europe with results due in the second half of 2008.

Pre-clinical data on SPP301

A study in rats demonstrated for the first time that the endothelin receptor A antagonist SPP301 (avosentan) may cause leakage of fluid from the intravascular into the extravascular space[5]. Fluid leakage was assessed as changes in hematocrit. Fluid shift may be one of the causes of fluid retention and oedema observed in the ASCEND study in patients with diabetic nephropathy when treated with SPP301. Most importantly, this animal study provides clear evidence that the fluid shift is concentration dependent and only occurs with the highest concentrations. These data provide the rationale for a new clinical Phase II study in patients with diabetic nephropathy with lower doses of SPP301 thus avoiding fluid retention and oedema.

The results of a further study with SPP301 (avosentan) in a mouse model of diabetic kidney disease demonstrate a strong anti-albuminuric efficacy of this compound[6]. Albuminuria (presence of albumine in the urine) was markedly reduced in diabetic mice after treatment for 20 weeks. This effect was dose-dependent and was accompanied by an improvement in parameters of renal structural damage, a decrease in collagen, and profibrotic gene expression in the kidney. At the highest dose, all changes were highly significant (p < 0.05). In addition, there was a trend for the highest dose of SPP301 to be more effective than an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (quinapril). These data demonstrate for the first time that the marked reduction of albuminuria in patients treated with SPP301 may be due to a profound reduction of fibrotic parameters underlying the renal injury in diabetic kidney disease.

A study in transgenic rats (expressing human renin and angiotensinogen) with a strongly activated renin angiotensin system investigated the effects of the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) valsartan and SPP301 (avosentan) on hypertensive renal damage[4]. This model is characterized by strong hypertension, renal failure with albuminuria and high mortality. Both drugs given orally alone reduced mortality, albuminuria and histological kidney damage demonstrating that both angiotensin II and endothelin play an important role in the renal damage in this animal model. The effect on albuminuria was already present after a shorter period of treatment. When both drugs were given in combination there was a marked additive effect on albuminuria and kidney damage as well as mortality. These findings suggest that angiotensin II and endothelin may act through separate pathways and support the hypothesis of additive effects of both treatments in patients with diabetic kidney disease.

About Speedel

Speedel is a public biopharmaceutical company that seeks to create value for patients, partners and investors by developing innovative therapies for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Speedel is a world leader in renin inhibition, a promising new approach with significant potential for treating cardiovascular diseases. Our lead compound SPP100, Aliskiren (Rasilez/Tekturna[1])the first-in-class direct renin inhibitor, was in-licensed from Novartis in 1999 and licensed-back to Novartis Pharma in 2002 for further development and commercialisation; SPP100 was approved by the FDA in the US in March 2007, and by the EMEA in the EU in August 2007. Our pipeline covers four different modes of action, and in addition to SPP100, includes SPP301 (an endothelin receptor A antagonist) in Phase II, SPP200 (a direct thrombin inhibitor) in Phase II, the next generation renin inhibitors SPP635 (in Phase Il), SPP1148 and SPP676 (both in Phase I) and several pre-clinical projects, including SPP2475 (aldosterone synthase inhibitor).

Speedel develops novel product candidates through focused innovation and smart drug development from lead identification to the end of Phase II. We either partner with big pharma for Phase III and commercialisation in primary-care indications, or we may ourselves complete Phase III development in specialist indications. Candidate compounds for development and the company’s intellectual property come from our late-stage research unit Speedel Experimenta and from in-licensing. Our team of approximately 80 employees, including over 30 experienced pharmaceutical scientists, is located at our headquarters and laboratories in Basel, Switzerland and at offices in New Jersey, USA and Tokyo, Japan.

Speedel was founded in 1998 as a private company. In September 2005 the company’s shares were listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange under the symbol SPPN. Further information is available at www.speedel.com.

Forward looking statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and projections about future events. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenues, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. The word “may” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations described in these forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on them. There can be no assurance that actual results of our research and development activities and our results of operations will not differ materially from these expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations include, among others: our or our partners’ ability to develop safe and efficacious products; our or our partners’ ability to achieve positive results in clinical trials; our or our partners’ ability to obtain marketing approval and market acceptance for our product candidates; our ability to enter into future collaboration and licensing agreements; the impact of competition and technological change; existing and future regulations affecting our business; changes in governmental oversight of pharmaceutical product development; the future scope of our patent coverage or that of third parties; the effects of any future litigation; general economic and business conditions, both internationally and within our industry, including exchange rate variations; and our future financing plans.

— Ends —

[1] Rasilez/Tekturna(R) are Novartis trademarks.

[2] Hengelage T, Herold P, Jensen C, Baltatu OC. Efficacy and safety of the oral renin inhibitor SPP635 once daily in patients with mild to moderate hypertension.

[3] Zaugg CE, Louie P, Dembowsky K, Jensen C, Baltatu OC. Preclinical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characterization of SPP635, a new direct renin inhibitor.

[4] Baltatu OC, Zaugg CE, Bader M, Dembowsky K. Additive kidney protective effects of an angiotensin receptor antagonist combined with the endothelin type A receptor antagonist SPP301 in a rat model of malignant hypertension.

[5] Maillard MP, Wang Q, Baltatu OC, Burnier M. Do endothelin receptor antagonists induce edema through an extravasation of fluids? Evidence from an experiment in bi-nephrectomized rats.

[6] Jandeleit-Dahm K, Watson A, SoroPaavonen A, Allen T, Thomas M, Schumacher C, Cooper M. The novel endothelin receptor A (ET-A) antagonist SPP 301 attenuates albuminuria and renal structural injury in streptozotocin- induced diabetic apoE knockout mice.

Copyright Copyright Hugin AS 2008. All rights reserved.

 For further information please contact:  Dr. Harald F. Schaefer Director Communications & Investor Relations Speedel Hirschgässlein 11 CH - 4051 Basel Switzerland  T +41 (0) 61 206 40 00 D +41 (0) 61 206 40 14 F +41 (0) 61 206 40 01 M +41 (0) 79 629 76 71 E Email Contactwww.speedel.com  Frank LaSaracina Managing Director Speedel Pharmaceuticals Inc 1661 Route 22 West P.O. Box 6532 Bridgewater, NJ 08807 United States of America  T  +1 732 537 2290 F  +1 732 537 2292 M +1 908 338 0501 E  Email Contactwww.speedel.com

SOURCE: Speedel Holding AG

To: STATE EDITORS

Contact: Stacy Kriedeman of Pennsylvania Department of Health, +1- 717-787-1783

Investigation Shows No Link to Pennsylvania-Grown Tomatoes

HARRISBURG, Pa.,June 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/–Four illnesses caused by Salmonella Saintpaulhave been confirmed among Pennsylvania residents, State Health Secretary Dr. Calvin B. Johnson announced today. These cases are linked to the current multi-state Salmonella outbreak associated with tomatoes that has produced at least 277 cases nationwide.

One case each has been identified in Bucks, Butler, Lancaster, and Warren counties, and illness onset dates occurred in May. Investigations of these cases are underway. At this time, the Department of Health investigation indicates at least two of the individuals appear to have been exposed outside of Pennsylvania.

The Department of Health is working very closely with our partners at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and with other state health departments to thoroughly investigate these cases, Dr. Johnson said. We know from specialized tests of the Salmonella performed at our state public health laboratory that these cases are part of the larger national outbreak.

At this time, FDA is advising U.S. consumers to limit their tomato consumption to those that are not the likely source of this outbreak. Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said that Pennsylvania tomatoes were cleared and not associated with the outbreak.

Pennsylvania grown tomatoes were not the source of the recent salmonella contamination, and Pennsylvanians should know that our tomatoes are safe, said Wolff. Consumers can continue to seek out locally grown, fresh tomatoes of all types, including round, roma and plum red tomatoes, especially those designated as PA Preferred.

Currently, the only Pennsylvania tomatoes on the market in any volume are greenhouse tomatoes. Local greenhouse tomatoes are being harvested now, and tomatoes grown in high tunnels or unheated greenhouses will start ripening in volume later in June.

Salmonella is a bacterial infection that affects the intestinal tract and sometimes can affect the bloodstream and other organs. It is one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis, which can include diarrhea and vomiting. Approximately, 2,000 cases of Salmonella are reported each year in Pennsylvania.

Onset of illness usually occurs in 24 to 72 hours, and patients typically recover in five to seven days. Patients often do not require treatment unless they become severely dehydrated or the infection spreads from the intestines. Individuals with severe diarrhea may require re-hydration, often with intravenous fluids.

For more information on salmonella, visit the Department of Health at www.health.state.pa.usor call 1-877-PA-HEALTH.

CONTACT: Stacy Kriedeman

(717) 787-1783

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Health

(c) 2008 U.S. Newswire. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Biophan Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: BIPH), a developer of next-generation biomedical technology, today announced a presentation of animal study data on the Myotech Circulatory Support System (CSS) at the 54th annual meeting of the American Society of Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) in San Francisco, June 19th – 21st. The data to be presented confirm the effectiveness of the Myotech CSS in supporting whole heart function in a manner not possible with other known systems, and also highlights the value of ultrasound imaging as an adjunct to the CSS.

The Myotech CSS consists of a flexible polymer cup that slips over the heart and connects to an external drive unit to pump the heart and restore normal blood flow. It can be installed in approximately three minutes through a small incision to provide immediate, life-saving support in emergency situations. Since it has no contact with circulating blood, the Myotech CSS is expected to reduce the risk of patient complications, such as clotting and stroke, bleeding, and infection.

In the poster presentation, Myotech Medical Director Mark Anstadt M.D. and his colleagues at Wright State University will show recent data from animal studies where an ultrasound technique called Velocity Vector Imaging (VVI) is used to image the position of the cup on the heart, but also the speed of movement of every section of cardiac tissue, while the heart is being supported by the CSS device. These data clearly indicate the superior performance of the CSS during the critical diastolic (filling) part of the cardiac cycle. Conventional ventricular assist devices cannot provide this level of support for a damaged or failing heart.

The first generation Myotech CSS system is being developed for acute heart failure applications using VVI and other ultrasound methods to refine the design and control of the CSS cup. Future generations of the product may have partially integrated ultrasound capability, making the system easier to optimize for each patient.

“This study supports our expectations regarding the superior performance of the Myotech CSS in providing natural circulatory support under a variety of emergency situations,” stated John Lanzafame, Biophan CEO. “Our initial focus is on acute resuscitation, which will be the initial application of the technology. This study demonstrates that the Myotech CSS augments diastolic function unlike other known devices, which is important in short-term support, but also may be very helpful in longer-term support situations. We are very excited about the potential of this technology platform.”

About Biophan Technologies, Inc.

Biophan is dedicated to providing technologies that offer innovative and competitive advantages to the medical device industry. The Company is helping to commercialize the Myotech Circulatory Support System, which has significant potential to improve the treatment of acute heart failure. Biophan Technologies, Inc. holds a 68% interest in Myotech with rights to acquire additional equity, and is leading Myotech’s business development efforts. Biophan is traded on the OTC market under the symbol BIPH, and is also listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol BTN. For more information on Biophan, please visit our website at www.biophan.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements reflect what Biophan anticipates, expects, or believes may happen in the future. Biophan’s actual results could differ materially from the outcome or circumstance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors including, but not limited to: Biophan’s ability to develop its technologies; the approval of Biophan’s patent applications; the successful implementation of Biophan’s research and development programs; the ability of Biophan to demonstrate the effectiveness of its technology, generally, and in human patients; the acceptance by the market of Biophan’s technology and products incorporating such technology; the ability of Biophan to effectively negotiate and enter into contracts with medical device manufacturers for the licensing of Biophan’s technology; competition; the ability of Biophan to raise capital to fund its operating and research and development activities until it generates revenues sufficient to do so; and the timing of projects and trends in future operating performance, as well as other factors expressed from time to time in Biophan’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). As a result, this press release should be read in conjunction with Biophan’s periodic filings with the SEC, which are incorporated herein by reference. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date of this press release, and Biophan undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

 Contact: Carolyn Hotchkiss Communications Manager Biophan Technologies, Inc. (585) 267-4800 Email Contact

SOURCE: Biophan Technologies, Inc.

Today at Cardiostim 2008, Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced that all Vision 3D(TM) implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillators (CRT-Ds) are now compatible with the Medtronic CareLink(R) Network. More than 250,000 patients at 2,400 clinics in 20 countries currently are followed remotely via the Medtronic CareLink Network, which allows physicians to perform a complete analysis of all the device- and patient-specific cardiac data stored within Medtronic implantable cardiac devices. With this announcement, all current models of Medtronic ICDs, CRT-Ds and pacemakers are compatible with the Medtronic CareLink Network, which has registered more than 1 million patient data transmissions since its inception.

“Medtronic offers the breadth of pacemaker and ICD therapies, deep and varied product lines, and geographic reach of the CareLink Network for remotely monitoring patients with Medtronic cardiac devices,” said Oern Stuge, president of Europe and Central Asia for Medtronic. “With the addition of Vision 3D devices on the Network, European physicians and patients can have increased confidence in the effectiveness of therapy delivery as well as wireless alerting capabilities for conditions such as worsening heart failure via CareAlert notifications.”

The Medtronic CareLink Network helps physicians and patients better manage chronic cardiovascular disease treated by implantable device therapy. It enables the transmission of patient and implanted device data using a portable monitor. Within minutes, the patient’s physician and nurses can view the data on a secure Internet Web site.

— For heart failure patients with Medtronic devices equipped with Conexus(R) Wireless Telemetry – all Vision 3D ICDs and CRT-Ds, as well as Concerto(R) CRT-Ds or Virtuoso(R) ICDs – a Medtronic CareAlert(TM) Notification can be sent via the Medtronic CareLink Network to physicians wirelessly and automatically, providing timely insight into a patient’s changing disease condition and the potential for treatment decisions before the condition worsens.

— The transmitted information, which is comparable to that provided during an in-clinic device follow-up visit, provides the physician with a view of how both the device and patient’s heart are operating.

— The system provides an efficient, safe and convenient way for specialty physicians to remotely monitor the condition of their patients and, if needed, make adjustments to medication or prescribe additional therapy.

— It also saves patients time by potentially eliminating some in-office visits.

The Company also announced today that several pacemaker models have been added for remote device data transmission via the Medtronic CareLink Network in the European market:

— Adapta(R) portfolio, including the Adapta(R), Versa(R) and Sensia(R) pacemakers;

— EnRhythm(R) pacemakers;

— EnPulse(R) pacemakers; and

— Kappa(R) 600, 700, 800, 900 pacemakers

The Adapta portfolio offers physicians and patients the convenience of automaticity, and Medtronic offers its remote monitoring service for its full line of current pacemakers in many countries around the world. Additionally, data from the Medtronic-supported PREFER trial was presented recently that showed remote monitoring of pacemaker patients via the Medtronic CareLink Network detected clinically actionable events (CAEs) more quickly than routine follow-up care of transtelephonic monitoring (TTM) and in-office visits.

About Vision 3D

Medtronic’s Vision 3D devices are the industry’s first with several exclusive features: ATP (anti-tachycardia pacing) During Charging(TM), which automatically uses pacing pulses to painlessly stop fast, dangerous heartbeats, while concurrently preparing to deliver a shock if needed, with no delay; MVP(R) mode, or Managed Ventricular Pacing, which allows doctors to dramatically reduce unnecessary pacing to the right ventricle (RV, or the heart’s lower chamber) in all Vision 3D ICDs; and some devices also include OptiVol(R) Fluid Status Monitoring. OptiVol’s ability to manage fluid status over time can provide physicians with important insights in conjunction with ongoing monitoring of other patient symptoms. An additional benefit for European patients with OptiVol is when fluid in the heart and lung cavity exceeds a programmable threshold, a CareAlert can be sent to the physician; early detection of this fluid build-up gives the clinician the opportunity to intervene, potentially preventing cardiac decompensation and avoiding patient hospitalization.

Additionally, some Vision 3D CRT-D devices feature automaticity with Complete Capture Management(TM), which improves patient safety by continuously and automatically adjusting to changing patient needs. Complete Capture Management also provides flexibility for clinicians so they may eliminate certain manual checks and devote more time to patients, procedures and complex cases.

These proprietary features, coupled with the industry-leading Medtronic CareLink Network, offer physicians choices for different clinical situations.

“Continuous remote monitoring of Vision 3D devices on the CareLink Network offers patients peace of mind, knowing the device is constantly adjusting to the individual’s condition, and alerting me when a clinical change of concern has occurred so I can evaluate the patient’s situation and make appropriate treatment decisions,” said Prof. Dr. med. M. Zabel, Universitatsmedizin Gottingen der Georg-August-Universitat in Gottingen, Germany.

About Medtronic

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

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 27, 2007. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (RXi) (Nasdaq: RXII), today announced that Victor Ambros, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, has been appointed to the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board, increasing the size of the Board to seven members.

Dr. Ambros is known for his groundbreaking 1993 discovery of the first microRNA (miRNA). MicroRNAs are natural RNA interference compounds that are now known to regulate genes involved in a vast array of biological processes, including human disease. Ambros’ discovery has been heralded as a fundamental discovery in physiology and medicine.

Commenting on today’s news, Dr. Tod Woolf, President and Chief Executive Officer of RXi, noted, “It is a pleasure, both professionally and personally, to welcome Victor to the RXi team. I have known Victor since he served on my thesis committee at Harvard. Coincidentally, he served as the Ph.D. thesis advisor to RXi’s founder, Dr. Craig Mello, so this appointment truly brings Victor full circle.”

Dr. Woolf continued, “We look forward to leveraging Victor’s knowledge of microRNAs and genetic pathways. Understanding the natural RNAi (microRNA) process is fundamental to the successful development of RNAi therapeutics and, in particular, the expanding field of microRNA therapeutics. We believe that having the father of microRNAs on our Scientific Advisory Board puts the Company in an even stronger position as we pursue the development of our proprietary therapeutic platform in the areas of neurology, inflammation, metabolic disease and oncology.”

Dr. Ambros earned his Bachelor of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and completed his graduate work with Nobel Prize winner David Baltimore at MIT, studying poliovirus genome structure and replication. He began studying the genetic pathways controlling developmental timing in the nematode C. elegans during his post-doctoral fellowship in Nobel Prize winner H. Robert Horvitz’s lab at MIT, and continued those studies while on the faculty of Harvard from 1984 to 1992, at Dartmouth from 1992 to 2007, and most recently, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he was appointed Professor of Molecular Medicine in early 2008.

It was in 1993 that Dr. Ambros and his team identified the first microRNA, the product of lin-4, a heterochronic gene of C. elegans. Since then, the role of microRNAs in development has been a major focus of his research and there is now a growing body of scientific literature which shows that microRNAs are involved in many diseases, including cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Among Dr. Ambros’ distinguished recognitions, in April he was awarded the 2008 Gairdner International Award, one of the most prestigious international awards in medical research and dubbed the “Canadian Nobel.” Also in April, Dr. Ambros was one of nine individuals to receive the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Sciences. The Franklin Institute Awards are awarded for outstanding achievements that have directly and positively impacted and enhanced the quality of human life and deepened the understanding of the universe.

Dr. Ambros has also received the Brandeis University’s Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award and the Genetics Society of America Medal for outstanding contributions in the past 15 years. In 2002, he was awarded the Newcomb Cleveland Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, of which he is a member. He is the author of numerous publications in the field of RNA and microRNA and is frequent lecturer on microRNA and gene regulatory pathways.

About RXI Pharmaceuticals

RXi Pharmaceuticals is a discovery-stage biopharmaceutical company pursuing the development and potential commercialization of proprietary therapeutics based on RNA interference (RNAi) for the treatment of human diseases. RXi Pharmaceuticals’ rxRNA(TM) compounds are distinct from the siRNA compounds used by many other companies developing RNAi therapeutics and are believed by the Company, based on its internal research, to be up to 100x more active than conventional siRNA (depending on the target site), nuclease resistant and readily manufactured. RXi Pharmaceuticals believes it is well positioned to compete successfully in the RNAi-based therapeutics market with its accomplished scientific advisors, including Dr. Craig Mello, recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize for his co-discovery of RNAi, a management team that is experienced in developing RNAi products, and a strong early intellectual property position. www.rxipharma.com

About the University of Massachusetts Medical School

The University of Massachusetts Medical School, one of the fastest growing academic health centers in the country, has built a reputation as a world-class research institution, consistently producing noteworthy advances in clinical and basic research. The Medical School attracts more than $179 million in research funding annually, 80 percent of which comes from federal funding sources. The work of UMMS researcher Craig Mello, PhD, an investigator of the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), and his colleague Andrew Fire, PhD, then of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, toward the discovery of RNA interference was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and has spawned a new and promising field of research, the global impact of which may prove astounding. UMMS is the academic partner of UMass Memorial Health Care, the largest health care provider in Central Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.umassmed.edu.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future expectations, plan and future development of RXi Pharmaceutical Corporation’s products and technologies. These forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans and prospects of the development of RXi Pharmaceutical Corporation’s products and technologies involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risk that the development of our RNAi-based therapeutics may be delayed or may not proceed as planned and we may not be able to complete development of any RNAi-based product, the risk that the FDA approval process may be delayed for any drugs that we develop, and the possibility that other companies or organizations may assert patent rights that prevent us from developing our products. Actual results may differ materially from those RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation contemplated by these forward-looking statements. RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.

ER Urgent Care Centers (PINKSHEETS: ERUC) – Mark Solomon, Esq., ERUC President, would like to take the opportunity to reflect on a number of ongoing questions from our shareholders. The first and most important question is regarding a reverse. He reported that the ERUC Board of Directors has made a definite commitment that there will be no reverse in the foreseeable future, dispelling any rumors to the contrary. The company presently has 2,029,982,369 shares of common stock outstanding as of June 15, 2008.

A number of shareholders have discussed our growth and how it has not been sufficiently recognized. In 2004 ERUC had revenues of $630,089.00; in 2005 the revenues rose to $1,404,229.00 more than double. In 2006 revenues reached $2,300,007.00; in 2007 revenues were $2,698,326.00. In the category of total assets in 2004 ERUC had $269,425.00 and rose to $966,500.00 in 2005. In 2006 total assets reached $2,856,855.00 and in 2007 they rose to $3,917,065.00. Mr. Solomon added that the company’s patient population has experienced steady growth, but the collections often slowed by the machinations of insurance carriers, whose specialty seems to be to delay payments. Mr. Solomon concluded the company will be updating its Pink Sheet disclosure by the end of the week and that it has retained new Securities counsel, Frohling Associates, LLC of Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey. Mr. Frohling is a former member of the General Counsel staff of the SEC and has been a specialist in the securities field for over forty years. We hope to continue fruitful dialog with our shareholders so we may continue to build ERUC as a leader in healthcare.

 The ERUC Board of Directors Mark Solomon, Esq. President Ronald Lubetsky, M.D. Director Charles Neustein, Esq. Director 

About ER Urgent Care

ERUC Management Company Inc. operates ER Urgent Care Centers in the South Florida area. The “true, bona-fide,””Urgent Care Center” is a one-stop-shop where patients can receive premier health care, after-hours, at a fraction of the cost of emergency room visits. With the “Urgent Care Center” model emergency rooms will no longer lose money on ER patients with minor injuries and illnesses and the HMOs will no longer have to pay exorbitant claims for non-admitted patients. ER Urgent Care Centers create a win-win situation for everyone, filling the financial and service gap between primary care physicians (PCPs) and hospital emergency rooms.

For more information visit our Web site at www.erucc.net or sign up for the corporate newsletter at http://www.erucc.net or visit our locations at:

 700 Ives Dairy Rd. North Miami Beach, Fl. 33179 213 North Federal Highway Hallandale Beach, Fl. 33009 15463 SW 137th Ave.                   Doctors Family Medical Kendal, Fl. 33177                     5535 Memorial Highway                                       Tampa, Fl. 33634 1041 71st Street Miami Beach, Fl.                      Doctors Family Medical                                       431 SW Blvd North ER Urgent Care Center Tampa           St. Pete., Fl. 33703 5535 Memorial Highway #101 Tampa, FL. 33634                      Er Urgent Care Center St. Pete                                       431 SW Blvd. North Suite A                                       St. Pete., Fl. 33703 

ER Urgent Care Center is a provider for Amerigroup, Avmed, Humana, Aetna, Medicaid/Medipass/Medi-Kids, Total Health Choice, United Health Care, Beech Street, Dimension Health, Assist Card, Cigna, Corvel, Health Insurance Plans and many more.

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

For franchising and corporate information please contact us toll free at 1-877-303-3500

 Contact Information: ER Urgent Care Centers 1-877-303-3500  

SOURCE: ER Urgent Care Centers

Delcath Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: DCTH) announced today that the Atlantic Melanoma Center of Atlantic Health has joined Delcath’s Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of inoperable metastatic melanoma in the liver using the Company’s Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion (PHP) System for the isolated, high dose delivery of the anti-cancer agent melphalan. Atlantic Health is the fifth center in this multi-center study testing the Delcath System.

Delcath and Atlantic Health have entered into a clinical research agreement to join the National Cancer Institute (NCI) led study. Eric Whitman, MD, FACS, Director, Atlantic Melanoma Center and Medical Director, Office of Grants and Research, will serve as the Principal Investigator of the study. The PHP treatments will be performed at Morristown Memorial Hospital, in Morristown, New Jersey, part of Atlantic Health. Dr. Whitman brings many years of experience in melanoma and clinical research to this trial, and has been at the forefront of initiating new and promising technologies at his institution. On joining this trial, Dr. Whitman said, “I am very pleased to be able to enroll patients in this Phase III trial for metastatic melanoma, a disease for which an effective treatment has eluded us. Delcath’s PHP System shows tremendous promise in its application to this indication, and I look forward to offering this new treatment to my patients.”

Delcath Systems continues adding cancer centers to this Phase III trial, which has accrued one-third of the required ninety-two patients. On this recent expansion to include Atlantic Health, Richard Taney, President and CEO of Delcath, stated, “The Delcath System is now available at a number of leading cancer centers. Delcath continues working to reach its stated goals of expanding this Phase III trial and increasing physician awareness of the Delcath PHP System in order to improve the availability of this treatment to patients diagnosed with inoperable metastatic melanoma to the liver. We will continue to add centers to this trial, and hope to complete enrollment in 2009.”

The Phase III Study

The Phase III study is designed to test Delcath’s proprietary PHP System for the regional delivery of melphalan to the liver to treat patients with metastatic ocular and cutaneous melanoma who have unresectable tumors in the liver. The Delcath System is designed to deliver significantly higher doses of anti-cancer drugs to a patient’s liver while preventing entry of the drugs to the rest of the patient’s circulation. This isolation limits toxicities that result from systemic chemotherapy treatments.

Patients in the Phase III trial initially are randomized into one of two treatment arms, including immediate treatment with melphalan via the Delcath System or treatment with best alternative care. The study is designed to evaluate the duration of tumor response in each of the two study arms. Following guidelines established by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA), when disease progresses in patients enrolled in the best alternative care arm of the trial, they are permitted to “cross over” and receive treatment with the Delcath System. The Phase III study, which recently exceeded 33% enrollment, is expected to be completed in 2009, leading to an application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for commercial approval of the PHP System.

About Atlantic Health and Morristown Memorial Hospital

Atlantic Health (atlantichealth.org) is one of the largest non-profit health care systems in New Jersey and includes Overlook Hospital in Summit and Morristown Memorial Hospital. The two hospitals have a combined total of 1,133 licensed beds and more than 2,100 affiliated physicians providing a wide array of health care services to the five million residents of 11 Northern and Central New Jersey counties. Specialty services include cardiovascular care, neurosciences, pediatrics, cancer care, orthopedics, diabetes care, gastroenterology, trauma and emergency medicine, behavioral health, minimally invasive surgery, radiology and advanced diagnostics, women’s health and maternal fetal medicine, home and hospice care and rehabilitation services. In 2008, Atlantic Health will complete the new Gagnon Heart Hospital, a 200,000 square-foot facility at Morristown Memorial that will consolidate Atlantic Health’s cardiovascular services. The Gagnon Heart Hospital includes services at Morristown Memorial and Overlook hospitals.

Atlantic Health maintains a partnership with The Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Atlantic Health’s hospitals are accredited by The Joint Commission. Atlantic Health is the primary academic and clinical affiliate in New Jersey of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and The Mount Sinai Hospital.

About Delcath Systems, Inc.

Delcath Systems is a developmental stage company testing its percutaneous perfusion technology for the isolated delivery of high doses of therapeutic and chemotherapeutic agents. The Delcath System is currently being tested with the drug melphalan in Phase III and Phase II clinical trials. The Company’s intellectual property portfolio currently consists of twenty-eight patents on a worldwide basis including the U.S., Europe, Asia and Canada. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.delcath.com.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements made by the Company or on its behalf. This news release contains forward-looking statements, which are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those described. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, uncertainties relating to our ability to successfully complete Phase III clinical trials and secure regulatory approval of our current or future drug-delivery system and uncertainties regarding our ability to obtain financial and other resources for any research, development and commercialization activities. These factors, and others, are discussed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they are made.

 Company Contact: Delcath Systems, Inc. Richard Taney (212) 489-2100 www.delcath.com  Media Relations Contact: The Global Consulting Group Ivette Almeida [email protected]  Investor Relations Contact: Strategic Growth International, Inc. Richard E. Cooper (212) 838-1444  

SOURCE: Delcath Systems, Inc.

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NasdaqGM:SPPI) today announced the formation of a Canadian affiliate, Spectrum Pharma Canada, Inc. headquartered in the Province of Quebec, Canada.

“The establishment of Spectrum Pharma Canada is another important milestone as we build a global pharmaceutical organization,” said Rajesh C. Shrotriya, M.D., Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. “The Canadian research infrastructure, highly qualified talent pool, and economic incentives provided by the individual provinces, especially the Province of Quebec, were all factors in the establishment of this affiliate. Furthermore, we were impressed with the receptiveness of Investissement Quebec, and are currently working with this state-owned corporation to help Spectrum Pharma Canada succeed in its mission.”

As announced in February 2008, the Therapeutic Product Directorate of Health Canada approved clinical trials to be conducted in Canada by issuing a No Objection Letter to Spectrum’s Clinical Trial Application for EOquin(R). Patients are being enrolled at approximately 30 clinical centers in Canada, including the Province of Quebec.

The EOquin(R) registration plan calls for two double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized Phase 3 clinical studies, each with 562 evaluable patients with Ta G1 or G2 low risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Clinical studies with our second leading drug, Ozarelix, are likely to be initiated later this year, and to be followed by other drug development activities.

About EOquin(R)

EOquin(R) (apaziquone for intravesical instillation) is an anti-cancer agent that becomes activated by certain enzymes often present in higher amounts in cancer cells than in normal cells. It is currently being developed for the treatment of NMIBC, which is a cancer that is only in the innermost layers of the bladder and has not spread to the deeper, muscle layer of the bladder. EOquin(R) is formulated for administration directly into the urinary bladder.

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals completed a multi-center, Phase 2 clinical trial in Europe. The results of the trial showed that EOquin(R) was well-tolerated and produced a 67% CR (complete response) in patients, many of whom had been treated multiple times with other intravesical agents. The data from this study were presented to the FDA in early 2006.

About Bladder Cancer

The American Cancer Society estimates that the 2008 incidence and prevalence of bladder cancer in the United States will be approximately 68,810 and over 500,000, respectively. Based on Globocan data, we estimate that the 2008 incidence and prevalence of bladder cancer in Europe is approximately 149,000 and 944,000, respectively. According to Botteman et al., (Pharmacoeconomics, 2003), bladder cancer is the most expensive cancer to treat on a lifetime basis.

The initial treatment of this cancer is complete surgical removal of the tumor. However, bladder cancer is a highly recurrent disease with approximately 75% of patients recurring within 5 years, and a majority of patients recurring within 2 years. This high recurrence rate is attributed to: 1) the highly implantable nature of cancer cells that are dispersed during surgery, 2) incomplete tumor resection, and 3) tumors present in multiple locations in the bladder which may be missed or too small to visualize at the time of resection. Despite evidence in the published literature and guidance from the American and European Urology Associations, instillation of a chemotherapeutic agent immediately following surgery is not a standard clinical practice. Currently, there are no approved drugs for this indication which may, in part, explain the difference between the literature and urology guidelines and actual clinical management of this disease. For more than 30 years no new drugs have been introduced in the market for the treatment of NMIBC.

About Spectrum Pharmaceuticals

We are a biopharmaceutical company that acquires, develops and commercializes a diversified portfolio of drug products, with a focus mainly on oncology and urology. Our strategy is comprised of acquiring and developing a broad and diverse pipeline of late-stage clinical and commercial products; establishing a commercial organization for our approved drugs; continuing to build a team with people who have demonstrated skills, passion, commitment and have a track record of success in developing drugs and commercialization in our areas of focus, and; leveraging the expertise of partners around the world to assist us in the execution of our strategy. For more information, please visit our website at www.spectrumpharm.com.

Forward-looking statement – This press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future performance of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements include but are not limited to statements that relate to our business and its future, Spectrum’s ability to identify, acquire, develop and commercialize its portfolio of drug candidates, the Company’s promising pipeline, the safety and efficacy of EOquin, that clinical studies with our second leading drug, Ozarelix, are likely to be initiated later this year to be followed with other drug development activities and any statements that relate to the intent, belief, plans or expectations of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Spectrum Pharma Canada, or its management, or that are not a statement of historical fact. Risks that could cause actual results to differ include the possibility that our existing and new drug candidates may not prove safe or effective, the possibility that our existing and new drug candidates, including EOquin, may not receive approval from the FDA or the EMEA, and other regulatory agencies in a timely manner or at all, the possibility that our existing and new drug candidates, if approved, may not be more effective, safer or more cost efficient than competing drugs, the possibility that our efforts to acquire or in-license and develop additional drug candidates may fail, our lack of revenues, our limited marketing experience, our dependence on third parties for clinical trials, manufacturing, distribution and quality control, our lack of a majority control over Spectrum Pharma Canada Inc., and other risks that are described in further detail in the Company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not plan to update any such forward-looking statements and expressly disclaim any duty to update the information contained in this press release except as required by law.

SPECTRUM PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.(R) is a registered trademark of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and EOquin(TM), TURNING INSIGHTS INTO HOPE(TM) and the Spectrum Pharmaceuticals logos are trademarks owned by Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(C) 2008 Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

WORCESTER, Mass., June 19, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) — Generex Biotechnology Corporation (Nasdaq:GNBT) (www.generex.com), the leader in drug delivery for metabolic diseases through the inner lining of the mouth, made a podium presentation of data from a company-sponsored study at The Endocrine Society’s 90th Annual Meeting (ENDO, www.endo-society.org) in San Francisco on June 18, 2008.

Doctor Jaime Guevara-Aguirre of the Institute of Endocrinology IEMYR, Quito, Ecuador, made a podium presentation of an abstract entitled, “Human Insulin Therapy is Safe, Efficacious, and Less Costly Than Insulin Analogs in the Treatment of Type-1 Diabetes.” The abstract was co-authored by Doctor Jaime Guevara-Aguirre and Doctor Marco Guevara-Aguirre, both of the Institute of Endocrinology IEMYR; Professor Arlan L. Rosenbloom of the University of Florida; and Dr. Gerald Bernstein, the company’s Vice-President for Medical Affairs.

The one-year study compared the efficacy and safety of analog versus human insulins. The study showed that human insulin administered as basal injection and with meals as orally absorbed regular insulin (Generex Oral-lyn(tm), the company’s proprietary oral insulin spray product) attained lower pre-meal glucose, HbA1c, and fructosamine concentrations when compared with a regimen using basal and pre-prandial insulin analogs in Type-1 diabetes. The cost of insulin analogs, basal and pre-prandial, is greater than that of recombinant human insulin, but this greater expense has been considered justified by therapeutic advantages. The study concluded that human insulin, when delivered through the buccal mucosa, is not inferior to analogues in the long-term treatment of Type-1 diabetes and could be used as a less costly alternative.

The company also made a poster presentation of an abstract entitled, “Serum Fructosamine Measurement is Adequate for Monitoring Long-Term Metabolic Control in Type-1 Diabetes.” The abstract was co-authored by Doctors Jaime Guevara-Aguirre, Marco Guevara-Aguirre, and Jeannette Saavedra, all of the Institute of Endocrinology IEMYR, Quito, Ecuador; Edward Vidgen of the University of Toronto; Professor Arlan L. Rosenbloom of the University of Florida; and Dr. Gerald Bernstein, the company’s Vice-President for Medical Affairs.

About The Endocrine Society

ENDO’s mission is to advance excellence in endocrinology and promote its essential role as an integrative force in scientific research and medical practice. ENDO is an international body with thirteen thousand members from over eighty-five countries. The diverse membership represents medicine, molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, physiology, genetics, immunology, education, industry, and allied health. Society members represent the full range of disciplines associated with endocrinologists: clinicians, researchers, educators, fellows and students, industry professionals, and health professionals who are involved in the field of endocrinology. These professionals are dedicated to the research and treatment of the full range of endocrine disorders: diabetes, reproduction, infertility, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, obesity/lipids, growth hormone, pituitary tumors, and adrenal insufficiency. ENDO works to foster a greater understanding of endocrinology amongst the general public and practitioners of complementary medical disciplines and to promote the interests of all endocrinologists at the national scientific research and health policy levels of government.

About Generex Biotechnology Corporation

Generex is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of drug delivery systems and technologies. Generex has developed a proprietary platform technology for the delivery of drugs into the human body through the oral cavity (with no deposit in the lungs). The Company’s proprietary liquid formulations allow drugs typically administered by injection to be absorbed into the body by the lining of the inner mouth using the Company’s proprietary RapidMist(tm) device. The Company’s flagship product, oral insulin (Generex Oral-lyn(tm)), which is available for sale in Ecuador for the treatment of patients with Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes and which was approved for sale in India in October 2007, is in Phase 3 clinical trials at several sites around the world. For more information, visit the Generex website at www.generex.com.

The Generex Biotechnology Corp. logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3831

Safe Harbor Statement

This release and oral statements made from time to time by Generex representatives concerning the same subject matter may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by introductory words such as “expects,””plans,””intends,””believes,””will,””estimates,””forecasts,””projects,” or words of similar meaning, and by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements frequently are used in discussing potential product applications, potential collaborations, product development activities, clinical studies, regulatory submissions and approvals, and similar operating matters. Many factors may cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements, including inaccurate assumptions and a broad variety of risks and uncertainties, some of which are known and others of which are not. Known risks and uncertainties include those identified from time to time in the reports filed by Generex with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which should be considered together with any forward-looking statement. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future results or events, and one should avoid placing undue reliance on such statements. Generex undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Generex cannot be sure when or if it will be permitted by regulatory agencies to undertake additional clinical trials or to commence any particular phase of clinical trials. Because of this, statements regarding the expected timing of clinical trials cannot be regarded as actual predictions of when Generex will obtain regulatory approval for any “phase” of clinical trials. Generex claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements that is contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act.

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

 CONTACT:  CEOcast, Inc.           For Generex:           Gary Nash           212-732-4300             American Capital Ventures, Inc.           Howard Gostfrand           305-918-7000 

By Claire Harrison

Chiefs at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast are dealing with an extremely rare outbreak of the bug after five patients were found to have listeriosis.

Dr Tony Stevens, medical director with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust which has responsibility for the Royal, confirmed that three of the five patients have since died while the remaining two are recovering well.

The five were aged between 66 and 76 and were each suffering from other illnesses. He said that the three who died were suffering from life-limiting conditions.

Listeriosis is caused by a common bug sometimes found in foodstuffs such as pate, soft cheeses, smoked fish, sandwiches and cooked meats. Dr Stevens said that while investigations are ongoing, the hospital could not rule out that the patients fell ill after eating a hospital meal.

Among the avenues being explored is the possibility that the infected food came from outside the hospital, via a food supplier, to the hospital kitchens or restaurant.

As a precautionary measure, some foods have been removed from patient menus in the Royal and other hospitals managed by the Belfast Trust.

Relatives are being asked not to bring food into the hospital while patients are being urged to only eat food provided to them on the wards at mealtimes by hospital staff.

Dr Stevens told the Belfast Telegraph that an outbreak of listeria in a hospital-setting was extremely rare and he was not aware of any in Northern Ireland in recent decades.

The Eastern Health and Social Services Board is one of the agencies involved in the investigation, along with the Food Standards Agency and environmental health officers.

The Royal’s kitchens were examined as part of the investigation and no problems found.

Dr Stevens added: “We’re confident with the food that we provide to patients and we would advise patients to only eat food given to them at mealtimes. We are confident this is not a problem with our kitchens or how food is processed or managed in them.

“We just don’t know where this has come from and it’s possible we will never know. It is being fully investigated.”

The doctor stressed that listeria is not a hospital superbug and can be treated with antibiotics.

The Belfast Trust said that “any risk to the wider community was small” and all the families had been contacted.

In normally fit and healthy people, listeriosis can lead to short- term illness with symptoms such as mild fever and diarrhoea.

It can cause more serious illness and even death in people who are already ill from other causes. It also poses a serious risk to pregnant women.

Fact sheets are being provided for relatives and patients and a Trust information line (0800 9801100) opens daily from 9am-5pm until further notice.

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

By Thomas Goldsmith, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.

Jun. 19–Duke University Health System has settled claims by patients who alleged they suffered health problems after being exposed to hydraulic fluid on surgical instruments at two Duke hospitals in 2004.

The settlement, which remains confidential, resolved claims against Duke by an unknown number of clients represented by HensonFuerst, a law firm with offices in Raleigh and Rocky Mount.

Both parties said in a statement that HensonFuerst and Duke University Health System “have resolved and settled without resort to litigation all claims” involving HensonFuerst clients against the health system and its constituent hospitals.

Meanwhile, dozens of patients who were exposed to the hydraulic fluid at Durham Regional and Duke Raleigh hospitals have sued the companies that contracted with Duke to sterilize the equipment.

In the suit filed Tuesday in Durham County Superior Court, 67 plaintiffs accuse Cardinal Health and Steris Corp. of actions including corporate negligence, unfair and deceptive trade practices and obstruction of justice.

Steris Corp., of Mentor, Ohio, made the sterilization washers used by the Durham and Raleigh hospitals to clean surgical equipment, as well as the detergent and other products used in the process, the suit says.

Cardinal Health of Dublin, Ohio, is a manufacturer and distributor of medical and surgical supplies. The lawsuit says the company sold and delivered cleaning products to the Raleigh and Durham hospitals. According to the suit, Cardinal employees missed several signs that the leftover barrels of hydraulic fluid should not have been returned to the company as detergent for resale. Individual employees of Cardinal were also named as defendants, but the suit said they acted within the scope of their employment.

A representative of Cardinal Health said Wednesday that the company does not comment on pending lawsuits. Steris Corp. did not return a call for comment.

According the lawsuit, the plaintiffs were patients of Durham Regional or Duke Raleigh hospitals during November and December 2004, when more than 3,600 patients were operated on with instruments mistakenly cleaned with used hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic fluid had been drained from an elevator and sent back to the hospitals for use as detergent.

Plaintiffs said they developed health problems, including infections, immune-system issues and inflammatory response problems. Some said they suffered loss of “consortium,” a legal term often referring to a spouse’s help, comfort or companionship.

The injuries caused the plaintiffs “great worry, anxiety, apprehension and emotional distress,” the suit charges.

[email protected] or (919) 829-8929

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To see more of The News & Observer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsobserver.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.

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.

NYSE:CAH, NYSE:STE,

By Shelley Terry, Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio

Jun. 19–AUSTINBURG TOWNSHIP — Health officials are looking into reports of a scabies outbreak at a local nursing home.

Austinburg Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 2026 Route 45, is being investigated by the Ohio Department of Health, officials in Columbus said Wednesday. The Ashtabula County Health Department also has received phone calls on the matter.

“We’re aware (of the situation) and in contact with the staff,” said Jay Becker, of the county health department’s bioterrorism/ contagious-disease division.

The nursing facility’s administrator, Evan Hamilton, said he was not aware of any scabies problem. He refused to comment any further on the reports.

Scabies is a fairly common infectious skin disease caused by a mite that burrows into the skin, producing red pimple-like irritations. It is usually transferred by skin-to-skin contact, with transfer from undergarments or bedclothes occurring only if these materials have been contaminated by infected people immediately beforehand.

The presence of scabies only can be confirmed after a physician performs a skin scraping procedure and the sample is tested, although a doctor familiar with the condition often can diagnose an infestation by the appearance and symptoms, according to the Merck Manual.

—–

To see more of the Star Beacon or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.starbeacon.com/.

Copyright (c) 2008, Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio

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 ELEVEN, Beck

The proud squat signalling the onslaught of the haka could be just as effective as Viagra in curing male impotence.

In a report sure to bring smiles to the faces of Kiwi sportsmen, British doctors have found that done properly, the haka-like stance can stretch the male pelvic floor muscles, improving erectile function and lessening male incontinence.

The study, published in the British Journal of General Practice, said 40 per cent of the men who strengthened their pelvic floor muscles for at least three months regained full sexual function, while a further 30% had improved function.

Impotence can be caused by emotional conditions such as stress or anxiety, or physical conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Prostate or bladder surgery can also affect pelvic floor muscles.

British doctors treating incontinence said patients reported the added bonus of improved sexual function.

New Plymouth physiotherapy incontinence adviser Jane Bond said the haka stance was probably too advanced for beginners and urged caution for the pelvic floor novice.

“Stand undressed in front of a mirror to make it easier to identify the muscles,” she said.

“Tighten the same muscles you would if you were trying to stop yourself passing wind or stop doing a wee.”

If performing these exercises correctly, males should see the testicles lift and the base of the penis move towards the abdomen.

If this initial process proves difficult, men should seek expert advice.

“It’s a sensitive issue for men but this is something that’s easily achievable.”

Once these muscles have been identified and the man can comfortably tighten them for 10 seconds over three repetitions, then it could be time for the haka stance squeeze.

MenzMedical Christchurch director Dr Rob Williams said though he had not read the British study, any exercise would benefit men’s genito-urinary health. “These types of physical exercise give men something to focus on – a feeling as though they were doing something about the problem and this in turn would diminish anxiety.”

Researchers found that contracting these internal muscles, which boost blood supply to the area, had no side effects and could be just as effective as Viagra.

The pelvic floor in both sexes stretches from the tailbone at the back to the pubic bone at the front and plays an important role in controlling bladder and bowel function.

These same muscles also create an erection.

——————–

(c) 2008 Press, The; Christchurch, New Zealand. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

By Kyle Hopkins, Anchorage Daily News, Alaska

Jun. 18–Dr. Colleen Murphy can deliver babies again at Providence Alaska Medical Center.

Hospital leaders voted this week to restore Murphy’s obstetric privileges after suspending then in May, the doctor said Wednesday.

Providence Alaska has declined to comment on the case, saying it’s against medical staff bylaws to talk about what doctors can and can’t do at the hospital.

Murphy is a popular women’s health advocate with a sometimes controversial career. In May, she said she believed the suspension was political motivated. “In this age of litigation, hospitals are under a great deal of pressure,” she said in a prepared statement.

Murphy — who estimates she’s delivered more than 3,000 babies over 20 years — said she’s been measured in the past as performing a lower-than average rate of Caesarean-section deliveries.

Murphy referenced news stories about the growing number of C-sections, including a Wilmington, N.C., Star-News story in which Dr. Bruce Flamm, regional chairman of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is quoted saying, “All of the current pressures seem to be going in the direction of more C-sections, not less.”

At a three-hour meeting Tuesday night, Murphy said she was asked a question about being “proud” of her low C-section rate.

“I said no, no, no no, that’s not true,” Murphy said Wednesday. “It’s not about low Caesarean-section rate, it’s about optimal outcomes for the patient and her family. … The whole idea is just to basically give the patient the kind of care she needs in the right place, the right time, by the right person.”

Asked about the hospital’s decision to suspend her privileges in the first place, Murphy said, “They’ve referred to my turbulent career.”

Murphy has been suspended from delivering babies at Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage for the past three years. The restriction followed a review of 10 deliveries she performed at the hospital in 2004. A hospital committee concluded she failed to meet the minimum standard of care in five cases.

Soon after, the Alaska State Medical Board voted to suspend Murphy’s license. But in a subsequent review of the case, an administrative law judge concluded Murphy had done nothing negligent. Her license was restored, with an apology.

Murphy said she believes she became a political target for her activism, such as efforts to make emergency contraception available through pharmacies.

Dr. Norm Wilder, chief medical officer at Alaska Regional, said politics is never part of the hospital’s peer review process.

In an e-mail Wednesday, Murphy praised Providence’s decision to restore her privileges. “They voted to support women’s health care based on scientific literature and the national standard of care. … They did not vote to support health care based on fear of litigation, personal convenience or perceived profit.”

While her obstetric care practice was suspended at Providence, Murphy continued her practice as gynecologist. Alaska Women’s Health Services looked after her patients.

“I called them up and I checked on them. … I felt part of the process,” she said.

Murphy estimates the hiatus cost her about $60,000.

“It’s probably going to take me nine months to rebuild my practice,” Murphy said.

—–

To see more of the Anchorage Daily News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.adn.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, Anchorage Daily News, Alaska

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.

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7e1d99/pharmaceutical_pri) has announced the addition of Decision Resources, Inc.’s new report “Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement in Japan, 2008” to their offering.

Introduction

The pharmaceutical industry faces challenging times in the Japanese market. The government has expressed its desire to reward the development of innovative medicines and has promised more-generous price premiums for innovative drugs. At the same time, the government strictly controls launch prices and continues to erode prices throughout the product life cycle. There are, however, pricing changes effective in 2008 that could signal the beginning of pricing reforms that promote therapeutic innovation.

Get the Answers You Need to Shape Your Strategy

– Japan has the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical market, and the world’s largest price-controlled pharmaceutical market. How do the country’s governing agencies control the prices of newly launched prescription drugs? What types of postmarketing price cuts are in place to curb pharmaceutical expenditures?

– The reimbursement prices of new drugs in Japan are determined by confidential negotiations between the manufacturer and the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare as soon as the drug wins regulatory approval. What methods are used to calculate drug reimbursement prices? What criteria are used by the governing agencies to determine the pricing method for a given drug?

– The Japanese market for generics has begun to grow steadily, albeit slowly. What factors account for the modest market share of generics in Japan? Which pharmaceutical companies are looking to capitalize on the growing demand for generics in Japan? What is the government doing to improve the generics supply and the reputation of the generics industry among patients and medical professionals?

Scope

– Overview: organization and funding of the Japanese healthcare system; soaring growth of the country’s healthcare expenditures; prescription drug prices in Japan compared with other major markets.

– Price setting: initial pricing of branded drugs; similar-efficacy pricing methods; price premiums; cost calculation method; foreign price adjustment rule.

– Postmarketing price changes: the government’s biennial National Health Insurance price revisions; price cuts for long-listed drugs; repricing in response to market expansion.

– Promoting the use of generics: evolution of the Japanese generics market; recent changes in the generics market; use of generics in hospitals; measures to improve the generics supply; increasing competition in the Japanese generics market.

Key Topics Covered:

– Executive Summary

– Strategic Considerations

– Stakeholder Implications

– Overview

– Organization and Funding of the Healthcare System

– Healthcare Expenditures

– Pharmaceutical Prices in Japan

– Price Setting

– Initial Pricing of Branded Prescription Drugs

– Similar-Effi cacy Comparison Methods

– Price Comparators

– Price Premiums

– “Me-Too” Drugs

– Cost Calculation Method

– Foreign Price Adjustment Rule

– Postmarketing Price Changes

– Biennial Price Revision

– Price Cuts for Long-Listed Drugs

– Repricing in Response to Market Expansion

– Promoting the Use of Generics

– Evolution of the Japanese Generics Market

– Recent Changes in the Generics Market

– Generics Substitution

– Use of Generics in Hospitals

– Measures to Improve the Generics Supply

– Increasing Competition in the Japanese Generics Market

– Health Technology Assessment

– Outlook for the Japanese Pricing and Reimbursement Environment

Companies Mentioned:

– Astellas

– Bayer

– Chugai Pharmaceutical

– Chuikyo (Central Social Insurance Medical Council)

– Daiichi-Sankyo

– Genzyme

– GlaxoSmithKline

– Health Policy Bureau

– Kirin

– Kissei Pharmaceutical

– Kokumin Kaihokenseido (National Health Insurance (NHI) system)

– Kyorin

– Kyowa Pharmaceutical

– Lupin

– Meiji Seika Kaisha

– Mitsubishi

– Mylan Seiyaku

– Nichi-iko

– Nidek

– Nihon Pharmaceutical Industry

– Nippon Chemiphar

– Nippon Universal Pharmaceutical

– Nippon Zenyaku Kogyo

– Novartis

– Novo Nordisk

– Pfi zer

– Ranbaxy Laboratories

– Sandoz

– Sanofi -Aventis

– Sawai

– Taiyo Yakuhin

– Takeda

– Tanabe-Mitsubishi

– Teijin

– Teva Pharmaceutical

– Towa

– Toyamakagaku

– Yakka Santei Soshiki (Drug Pricing Organization (DPO))

– Yoshitomi

– Zydus Pharma

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7e1d99/pharmaceutical_pri

HONOLULU, BOSTON and SAN FRANCISCO, June 18 /PRNewswire/ — AHIP Institute 2008 — American Well(TM) and the Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Hawaii, today announced a comprehensive agreement for the purchase and deployment of American Well’s Online Healthcare Marketplace(TM) platform, which will allow HMSA to offer online care services to 1.3 million people in the state of Hawaii.

The platform will allow credentialed healthcare providers from HMSA’s network to make themselves available for online and phone consultations at their discretion, any time, from any location, and for as long as they choose. Eligible consumers, both HMSA members and nonmembers, will have immediate live access to such providers without scheduling appointments or leaving home. The ensuing interaction will allow providers to review relevant patient information, speak with and see the patients, prescribe medications as appropriate, and suggest follow-up care. This on-demand interaction between members and providers will be under the advisement of the patient’s care coordinator, namely their primary care physician.

“We are committed to providing our community with the most convenient and effective care possible. By providing immediate, secure and private access to primary and specialty care, we are improving access to care for our members and extending care to nonmembers, including remote, underinsured and uninsured populations,” said Michael Gold, chief operating officer of HMSA.

“We are proud to partner with HMSA to provide the people of Hawaii access to Online Care. In realizing our collaborative vision, HMSA is leading major transformation in U.S. healthcare,” said Ido Schoenberg, M.D., CEO of American Well Corporation. “Together, we are bringing affordable and convenient quality healthcare to people’s homes.”

In a recent study by TNS Global(R) in the state of Hawaii, 45 percent of physicians said they are extremely or very likely to deliver care using the service. Physicians surveyed viewed convenience, improved patient care and satisfaction, as well as increased income, as key motivators to using the service. Additionally, 60 percent of physicians who participated in a series of opinion leader focus groups across Hawaii indicated they are extremely or very likely to use the service.

“American Well exemplifies Health 2.0 innovation. It has created a new marketplace for health services that literally did not exist before. A decade ago, e-commerce allowed consumers to buy medical goods and refill prescriptions; with this launch of Online Care, consumers can now obtain actual healthcare services from their homes. We expect health plans to adopt new technologies in this space over the next 12 to 24 months,” said Lynne A. Dunbrack, program director, Health Industry Insights, an IDC company.

   Note: American Well is exhibiting its new Online Healthcare Marketplace   at:   AHIP Institute 2008   Moscone Center, San Francisco   Booth # 629   June 18-20, 2008    About HMSA  

The Hawaii Medical Service Association is a nonprofit, mutual benefit association founded in Hawaii in 1938. It is governed by a community board of directors that includes representatives from health care, business, labor, government, education, clergy, and the community at large. HMSA is a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. Nationally, HMSA and 38 other Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans provide worldwide coverage to more than 100 million members. For more information, please visit http://www.hmsa.com/.

About American Well

American Well has created a new healthcare marketplace where consumers and physicians can come together online to acquire and provide convenient and immediate healthcare services. Using the latest technologies in Web communications and digital telephony, American Well extends traditional healthcare services to the home setting. American Well is committed to supporting health plans in meeting consumer and employer demand for affordable, efficient and immediate access to quality care. For more information, please visit http://www.americanwell.com/.

    Media Contacts:    HMSA    Laura Lott    (808) 952-7566 or (808) 489-0574     American Well    Julie Goldman or Madeline Shedno    Schwartz Communications    781-684-0770    [email protected]  

American Well

CONTACT: Laura Lott of HMSA, +1-808-952-7566, or +1-808-489-0574; orJulie Goldman or Madeline Shedno of Schwartz Communications for American Well,+1-781-684-0770, [email protected]

Web site: http://www.americanwell.com/http://www.hmsa.com/

By Daniel Fritz

The Citrus Valley Medical Center Inter-Community Campus in Covina has a prolific group of women dedicated to raising money to ultimately benefit the medical community and those in need of care.

On Thursday, June 12, members of the hospital’s Auxiliary once again proved their philanthropic excellence – this time by handing out a total of $15,000 to 15 local students currently studying medicine. Each received a $1,000 scholarship to be put toward tuition.

The scholarships, which are handed out annually in a ceremony in the hospital’s conference room, is made possible through dozens of bake sales and boutiques done by the Auxiliary throughout the year. The Citrus Valley Health Foundation also contributed to the scholarship fund.

Jody Mentzer, chairman of the Auxiliary, said that a committee sifted through 24 applications to find the scholarship recipients.

“We’ve got a really amazing group of people to give scholarships to today,” Mentzer said. “You just can’t believe some of the things these people have done.”

Several of the recipients juggle multiple jobs, school and family – only to continue to be passionate about advancing their knowledge in the medical field.

Raymond Balley Jr., a full-time nurse at the Citrus Valley Medical Center and part-time student at Pasadena City College, also has five children. Soon, he hopes to transfer to Cal State Los Angeles to work on his bachelor’s degree in nursing.

“The thing that kept me going through these years is the joy of meeting people, helping them feel better and walking away,” Balley said. “I think that is what has given me the strength to seek my education. I realize that the more I know, the better I can serve my patients.”

Sarah Freilberg lives in Los Angeles and currently works as a physician’s assistant, as well as a counselor and tutor to low- income, inner-city youth.

A 2004 graduate of Master’s College, she is now working on a master’s degree in physician assisting at Western University of Health Sciences.

“Especially because I’m living in Los Angeles and doing this kind of work, the extra income to make ends meet for school is much appreciated,” she said.

The other 13 recipients of the scholarship are as followed: Jenna Brianne Cappello, Angel Chavira, Adah C. Fisher, Jesus Jimenez, Ester J. Kim, Jennifer Kissee, Charis Krause, Marietta Marquez, Esmeralda Mata, Lynn McArthur, Irina Petruta, Obianuju Rivera and Ashlee Wong.

[email protected]

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2201

(c) 2008 San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

By David W. Hill, The Modesto Bee, Calif.

Jun. 18–Jeff and Steve Burns grew up in the restaurant business. Their family owned Happy Steak franchises in the Northern San Joaquin Valley as far back as the 1960s.

Over the years, the family transformed its Happy Steaks to Perko’s restaurants, adding more of the full-service cafes along the way. Today, the brothers Burns run the family’s string of 11 Perko’s outlets.

Always looking for new opportunities to grow their food-service business, the Burnses found another restaurant they thought would be pretty cool to develop. Through their contacts at Perko’s, they got involved in an Old West-themed restaurant that takes them back to their steakhouse roots. Called Cool Hand Luke’s Steakhouse & Saloon, the brothers’ latest restaurant venture arrived recently in Riverbank.

The restaurant, at 2505 Patterson Road, occupies a building across the parking lot of Riverbank’s Galaxy Theatres complex. The structure originally was built to house a motion picture-themed restaurant called Flix, which closed in 2006 after a two- year run. The Burnses acquired the site and spent the next two years giving it a total makeover.

What they created was an 1800s-era hotel setting with separate dining areas, including one featuring Old West mercantile decor and another re-creating a livery setting — a good place to climb out of the saddle for a hot meal and cool drink.

Cool customers can choose from steaks, ribs, chicken, seafood, sandwiches, salads, appetizers and desserts, including nachos, a 25-ounce T-bone steak, chicken-fried steak, calamari steak, campfire salmon, baby back ribs, barbecued chicken, a steak sandwich and buffalo chicken salad. Folks who can’t make up their minds can always go with one of Luke’s signature dishes: the onion blossom, skirt steak, coconut shrimp stack and cinnamon roll bread pudding.

And don’t forget to check out the saloon. The full-service bar also has plenty of nonalcoholic drinks designed to keep cowpokes of any age cool this summer. It all combines to give the Burnses a pretty cool hand in the restaurant game — and area diners another cool option.

Hours are 4 to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 9:30 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 869-4686.

There also are Cool Hand Luke’s restaurants in Turlock and Merced, but each is separately owned.

——

Parents who are getting pinched as the economy slumps could be finding it tough to buy what they need, or want, for their kids. But there’s a new store in Turlock that offers families a thrifty option.

That’s what Kelli Sharpe and Michelle Peeples had in mind, at least, when they opened Butterflies & Bumblebees Children’s Consignment & Boutique at 117 W. Main St., Suite 1, in downtown Turlock. The store carries lightly used clothing for sizes zero to eight and other gear for kids.

Sharpe and Peeples buy used items for cash and store credit. They also take some larger and more expensive merchandise on consignment. But it isn’t just a consignment shop; they also stock many new items.

Visitors will find children’s clothing for all seasons, shoes, swimsuits, hair bows, toys, bedding, cribs, furniture, dress-up outfits and items that haven’t even been removed from the original packaging.

While some might hesitate to start a business in today’s tough business climate, these first-time business owners thought the timing was perfect for a shop like theirs — because these days, everybody is looking for a bargain.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 632-5480.

——

The crew at the CVS Pharmacy at 2020 W. Briggsmore Ave. in Modesto is on the job for more hours than I gave credit for recently. The store is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Pharmacy hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. Sorry about that, guys — people deserve credit for all the hours they’re working.

Have an item for Business Beat? Send it to David W. Hill, The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352; or [email protected].

—–

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

Copyright (c) 2008, The Modesto 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.

CHICAGO — Federal regulators are a step closer to solving a widespread outbreak of salmonella after two Adobo Grill restaurants in Chicago were identified as the source of nine cases of the illness that has sickened at least 383 people in 30 states.

The Chicago Department of Public Health on Wednesday identified the Adobo Grill outlets in Wicker Park and Old Town as the source of a cluster of nine salmonella cases that were disclosed Friday.

Coincidentally, David Acheson, a top U.S. Food and Drug Administration official, has had his agency focusing on a cluster of nine cases that originated at two restaurants within the same chain and in a similar in location.

With such a cluster, the FDA hopes to track tainted tomatoes through the supply chain to the source of the salmonella bug. While the FDA has said Mexico or Florida are the most likely origins of the ongoing outbreak, it still doesn’t know where it started.

Federal health officials Wednesday announced an updated outbreak toll of 383, after learning of 106 more cases.

On Wednesday, Acheson again declined to comment on whether the nine cases in Chicago are the same ones the FDA is targeting. Still, in an interview with the Chicago Tribune this week, Acheson noted, “We have talked about only one cluster, and to date we are aware of one cluster only.”

The Chicago cluster of salmonella cases has been the only one to surface. It looks like the FDA and the city “are talking about the same thing,” said Tim Hadac, a spokesman for the Chicago Public Health Department.

The Health Department forwarded the findings of its salmonella investigation to the FDA, Hadac said. He said the Health Department didn’t disclose Adobo Grill’s name earlier because doing so would have generated “false leads,” which could have hindered the city’s _ and ultimately the FDA’s _ investigation.

Of the 17 tomato-related salmonella cases detected in Chicago, six occurred at the Adobo Grill’s Wicker Park location, three at its Old Town restaurant. The Adobo Grill, which also has outlets in Lombard and Indianapolis, features Mexican food, and many of its dishes include fresh tomatoes or salsa.

Paul LoDuca, Adobo Grill’s owner, said in a statement that the restaurant was the “unknowing victim” of tomatoes contaminated with salmonella.

“Just like the people across the country who have been sickened from eating the contaminated tomatoes, Adobo Grill was an unknowing victim of the problem,” he said. “When purchasing produce for use at the restaurant, there is no way to know whether it may harbor salmonella bacteria.”

The city’s Health Department said Adobo Grill fully cooperated in its investigation, and that both of its Chicago restaurants are in compliance with food safety regulations.

Salmonella causes diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, and while it sometimes causes hospitalizations _ at least 48 in this outbreak _ it’s not often fatal. A rare strain of the salmonella bacteria began sickening people in mid-April. By late May, classic red round tomatoes were linked to it, as well as Roma tomatoes.

Last week, those types of tomatoes disappeared from many restaurants and grocery stores after the FDA advised that they not be sold unless they came from certain areas. As that list of safe states and countries began to grow, tomatoes begun reappearing this week.

The outbreak has been a particularly tough one for the FDA to crack because it has been so widespread, affected people who have frequented a variety of restaurants and who bought tomatoes at myriad grocery stores.

The FDA has had to rely on disparate recollections from victims, with little thread tying the cases so far. But a cluster of illness at one location allows FDA investigators to essentially go up the supply chain, moving from the restaurant involved to distributors and eventually packing houses or growers.

“I’m optimistic this cluster can help us,” Acheson said earlier this week about the nine cases the FDA is focusing on.

By Susan Schell, The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, Wash.

Jun. 18–The track at Goodman Middle School will be well used this weekend. Hordes of people will circle the field Friday night and into Saturday afternoon in a symbolic effort to stamp out a modern-day monster: cancer. The annual Relay for Life, which raises funds for cancer research and other related programs, will kick off at 6 p.m. Friday with the traditional survivor’s lap.

“This is the fourth year at Goodman, and we’ll have a lot of activities for the kids and adults,” said Pam Massey, chair of the event. “It’s got a real grass field for us to set our tents up on. This year’s theme will be ‘Take your favorite movie.’ Our team’s theme is ‘Sleepless in Seattle.’ We say we’ll be sleepless in Gig Harbor until we find a cure.”

Massey’s team, which includes 15 members, represents Alexei Salon.

Massey said there will be a bounce house and face painting for children, and Shriner clowns will make balloons. Entertainment will include music over the public-address system and live bagpipers.

The Peninsula High School choir will sing during the luminary ceremony.

Fifth-grader Joshua Alfaro of Harbor Montessori School will deliver a speech during the ceremony. Alfaro was diagnosed with leukemia in February 2005.

After undergoing treatment for three years, Alfaro recently finished his final treatment in March.

“He has participated in one (Relay for Life) every year since he’s been diagnosed,” said Joshua’s mother, Darice Alfaro. “He’s the co-captain of his team and was instrumental in getting the team together. This will be his first relay free of cancer.”

The 11-year-old said he doesn’t plan to sleep during the night.

“There will be music, people talking while we’re walking around the track, and people coming to our tent and looking around,” Alfaro said. “We might rest a little, but we won’t sleep.”

“Relay people are fantastic,” Massey said. “We have a disease to beat into submission, so we have a passion for this.”

The event attracts local sponsors, from large corporations to smaller businesses.

Dr. Richard Coyner, a dentist who has a practice on Pioneer Way, was the Gig Harbor relay’s first corporate sponsor. He lost his father to cancer at age 51.

“Small businesses like ours don’t have the big budgets, so it’s nice to be contributing,” Coyner said. “When your name is up there with MultiCare and Franciscan, it’s a big deal. So many people have been affected by cancer, whether it’s your grandparents, sisters or friends. And you never know when that contribution might help you.”

Next year will mark the Relay for Life’s 25th anniversary. The concept began in Tacoma in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal cancer surgeon at the University of Puget Sound, spent 24 hours circling a track and invited people to sponsor and join him on his walk to raise money to fight cancer.

He raised $27,000 in one night.

The idea caught on and, in 1992, it was established as the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising event, said Elizabeth Lamb-Ferro, communications manager for the local chapter.

“That’s when we got on the bandwagon and started making this a real community event,” Lamb-Ferro said. “You can see the funds coming back in our quality-of-life programs.”

Some of those programs include the “road to recovery,” during which volunteers drive patients to and from their chemotherapy sessions.

“Right after going to chemotherapy, you don’t exactly feel like driving,” Lamb-Ferro said.

“Reach to recovery” partners women who have just been diagnosed with breast cancer with women mentors who are cancer survivors. Those mentors can offer them moral support and companionship outside a doctor’s office.

The “look good, feel better” program focuses on teaching cancer sufferers how to deal with cosmetic issues, such as hair loss or changes in skin complexion.

The Washington Corrections Center for Women in Purdy will also host a Relay for Life for the sixth consecutive year. Prison volunteer Dana Carroll said 250 inmates and 50 dignitaries will walk around an oval track for 12 hours on Saturday.

“Each year it gets a little smoother,” she said. “They have raised over $40,000 since (the relay’s) inception.”

Prison volunteer and employee June Wolfe, who had cancer and lost a daughter to the disease, drummed up the interest in the Relay for Life at the correctional center. She succumbed to the disease herself after seeing her efforts come to fruition.

“The money these ladies raise only comes from the crafts they sell, or (from) working here in the institution,” Carroll said. “You never have a say in how it (cancer) affects you. This is a way of giving back.”

Relay for Life of Gig Harbor

For more information about this weekend’s relay, visit www.relayforlifeofgigharbor.com

Time: Starts at 6 p.m. Friday and continues until noon Saturday.

Place: Goodman Middle School, 3701 38th Ave. NW, in Gig Harbor.

Reach reporter Susan Schell at 253-853-9240 or by e-mail at [email protected].

—–

To see more of The Peninsula Gateway or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.gateline.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, 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.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 18 /PRNewswire/ — Roxane Laboratories, Inc. announced today the approval of its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Ramipril Capsules, 1.25mg, 2.5mg, 5mg and 10mg by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The 1.25mg, 2.5mg, 5mg and 10mg strengths will be available in various packaging configurations. Roxane Laboratories Ramipril Capsules are available for immediate shipment to wholesalers and pharmacies nationwide.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070410/CLTU122LOGO )

Roxane Laboratories’ Ramipril Capsules are AB rated to ALTACE(R) (ramipril) Capsules. Annual sales of Ramipril Capsules, 1.25mg, 2.5mg, 5mg and 10mg are approximately $932 Million(1).

Roxane Laboratories’ Ramipril capsules are indicated for the treatment of hypertension. It may be used alone or in combination with thiazide diuretics.

Please refer to the full prescribing information for a list of the most commonly reported side effects.

Full prescribing information for Ramipril Capsules is available on the Roxane Laboratories website at http://www.roxane.com/ or upon request by calling Roxane Laboratories Technical Product Information at 1.800.962.8364.

About Roxane Laboratories, Inc.

Roxane Laboratories is located in Columbus, OH in a modern 500,000 square foot manufacturing and laboratory facility. The facility spans 70 acres and currently employs over 1,000 people. Currently, Roxane Laboratories markets over 75 medications in nearly 250 package sizes, focusing on an expanding line of Multisource pharmaceutical products including: bulk and unit-dose liquids and solids; coated, sustained-release and controlled-release tablets; nasal sprays, cytotoxics and CII narcotics.

Roxane Laboratories, Inc., is a subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation, based in Ridgefield, CT and a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies.

About Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation based in Ridgefield, CT, is the US headquarters to seven subsidiaries and a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies.

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 135 affiliates in 47 countries and approximately 39,800 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

In 2007, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of US $15.0 billion (10.9 billion euro) while spending approximately one-fifth of net sales in its largest business segment, Prescription Medicines, on research and development.

For more information on Boehringer Ingelheim, please visit http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com/.

(1) IMS MAT dollar sales ending 03/2008

ALTACE(R) is a registered trademark of King Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070410/CLTU122LOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, [email protected]

Roxane Laboratories, Inc.

CONTACT: Jason Kurtz, for Roxane Laboratories, +1-440-201-3668,[email protected]

Web site: http://www.roxane.com/http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com/

German scientists say they’ve found the brain’s olfactory bulb appears to change in size in a way that corresponds to changes in people’s sense of smell.

Dr. Antje Haehner and colleagues at the University of Dresden Medical School studied 20 patients with loss of sense of smell, or olfactory loss. Once during 2003-04 and again 13 to 19 months later the patients underwent a brain scan and an assessment of olfactory function.

At the first assessment, seven of the 20 patients had no sense of smell (anosmia) and 13 had a reduced sense of smell (hyposmia), while at the second assessment six had anosmia and 14 had hyposmia. In patients who initially had hyposmia, the volume of their olfactory bulb increased as olfactory function increased.

The correlation between olfactory bulb volume and olfactory function could be used to provide patients with information on the prognosis of their disease, the researchers said.

Hypothetically, a multifactorial approach could be applied to eventually come up with a formula that would allow a more precise prognosis of olfactory function, they added.

The study appears in the June issue of the journal Archives of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery.

By Kathleen Shatt

Several local elementary schools have announced this year’s recipients of the Presidential academic awards. The awards are sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and winners receive a certificate signed by the president.

There are two categories for the awards. The President’s Award for Educational Excellence is awarded to students whose overall grade point average is 3.5 in the fourth and fifth grades. The students must also exhibit high motivation, initiative, integrity, intellectual depth, leadership and exceptional judgment.

The Excellence award winners included:

George T. Cromwell Elementary School – Matthew Sell, Angelina Brown, Matthew Baker, Devyn King and Marjorie Elliott.

Hilltop Elementary School – Dryashe Battle, Rasheed Carter, Hong Yu Chen, Marc Concepcion, Shane Cornelius, Tyler Davis, Logan Engel, Maiya Harrod, Faith Holley, Kohle Jenkins, Shayne Kunkle, Elizabeth Langlois, Ja Young Lim, Shathera Little, Keely Mitchell, Gabriel Morales, Shane Murray, Rinor Musliu, Victory Plaine and Jenna Robles.

Oakwood Elementary School – Kylie Barrett, Diana Bell, DeAsia Bryant, Edward Copes, Erin Echols, Josephina Oh, Amber Oster, Autumn Schellenschlager, Arman Setser, Raniya Sheikh, Semir Sheikh, Jacob Shortt, Tyrick Treen and Kelly Wojciechowski.

Richard Henry Lee Elementary School – Gabriel Adams, Sarah Bell, Amy Boyer, Savannah Davis, Meneske Demiral, Ian Essig, Andrew Natarian, Zoe Smith, Makayla Smoot, Joshua Snively, Crystal Tyler, and Allison Weir. The President’s Award for Educational Achievement is awarded to students who show outstanding growth, improvement, commitment or intellectual development in academic subjects.

The Achievements award winners included:

George T. Cromwell Elementary School – Kyle Carpintieri, Angela Choi, Jennifer Stockett, and Javale Pharr.

Hilltop Elementary School – Skylar Baumes, Caitlyn Cobb, Troy Fulwiler, Briana Hubbard, Rebecca Lawrence, and Clifton Shaw.

Food drive

The Community Advocates for Senior Opportunities and Services Inc. is conducting a food drive in June and July to help seniors in need of assistance due to rising food prices.

Organizer Frances Jones said that “one can of soup makes a difference.” Donations of any size will be appreciated.

Donations can be left at the CASOS consignment shop, located on the first floor of the Anne Arundel Community College in the Glen Burnie Town Center, 101 Crain Highway N.E.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Donations also can be picked up.

For more information, call 410-761-1769 or 410-789-2192.

Blood drive

Glen Burnie United Methodist Church will sponsor a blood drive from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday at the church, 5 Second Ave. S.E.

Volunteers are welcome to sign up.

For more information, call the church office at 410-761-4381.

Summer concert

The Glen Burnie summer concert series will continue when Crabtown Big Band performs big band era favorites from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Friday in the Corcoran Pavilion in the Glen Burnie Town Center, 101 Crain Highway N.E.

Admission is free. Those attending should park in the county parking garage on Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard. Parking is free.

Alcoholic beverages and pets are not permitted at the event. Patrons are encouraged to take a lawn chair for seating. The Friday evening series runs through July 18.

For more information, call Betsy Slikker at 410-647-0057.

STAND training

Holy Trinity Catholic Church will offer STAND video training from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday at the parish center, 126 Dorsey Road.

The training program is required by the Baltimore Archdiocese for all volunteers who have substantial contact with children. It is an outreach effort by the archdiocese to prevent child abuse.

Advance registration is required. For more information, call 410- 766-5070, Ext. 25 or Ext. 10.

Swim Club event

The Glen Burnie Park Swim Club will host a general membership meeting and potluck social at 3 p.m. Saturday at the community pool pavilion, 500 Everett Road.

All swim club members are encouraged to attend to learn about plans for the 2008 season.

New pool memberships are still being accepted. An initiation fee is charged in addition to the membership fee.

The cost for a season membership is $385 for two adults. Children ages 2 to 21 cost an additional $25 each.

A monthly membership for the month of June costs $88, plus $25 for each child.

Seasonal associate memberships for singles costs $200.

For more information, call Stacey Swingle at 410-761-1774, send an e-mail to [email protected] or visit www.gbpswim.com.

Children are still welcome to join the club’s swim team. Swimmers must maintain a full membership. For more information, call Carolyn Messuk at 410-761-2518 or send e-mail to [email protected].

Amateur radio

The Anne Arundel Amateur Radio Emergency Services/Radio Amateur Communication Emergency Services will hold its monthly meeting from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the county Emergency Operations Center, in the Henry Hein Public Safety Building, 7480 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd.

Free parking is available in the county parking garage.

ARES/RACES meets on the third Saturday of each month at the center to train emergency communications operators and conduct planning.

New members are welcome. There are no membership fees.

The association offers testing for amateur radio licenses at 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The test is free.

For more information, call Harold Nichols at 410-757-0493 or send e-mail to [email protected].

Hall rental

Local residents may rent the Ferndale Community Club at 15 N. Fifth Ave. for private parties, showers, wedding receptions, and other special occasions.

For more information, call 410-766-9727.

Pascal Senior Center

The Pascal Senior Center, 125 Dorsey Road, will host its annual picnic from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at Kurtz’s Beach in Pasadena. This year’s event has a circus theme.

Tickets cost $12.

Music will be provided by a disc jockey.

The menu includes chips and salsa, beef barbecue, chicken legs, hot dogs, potato salad, macaroni salad, baked beans, watermelon, rolls, sheet cake, coffee, tea and soda.

Tickets must be purchased in advance. Space is limited.

A registered nurse will check glucose levels of diabetic patients from 9 a.m. to noon tomorrow and Friday at the center. Blood pressures also will be checked.

The Pascal Senior Center Advisory Council will meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

The Pascal Seniors Inc. will meet at 10:15 p.m. tomorrow.

The center will host a patio party from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Friday. Music will be played by Keepsakes. Light refreshments will be served.

In the event of inclement weather, the party will be moved indoors.

For more information, call the center at 410-222-6680.

VFW Post 434

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 434 and its Ladies Auxiliary will meet at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Ferndale Senior Center, 7205 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd.

New members are welcome to join the post or auxiliary. Post membership is limited to veterans who have served overseas during times of war or conflict..

For more information, call Dillard Harris at 410-761-2696.

Marley Milers

Beat the summer heat and exercise at Marley Station mall. New walkers are welcome to join the Marley Milers indoor walking program for a safe, climate-controlled place to walk. Participants walk in the mall at 7900 Ritchie Highway before the stores open from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday.

The program is sponsored by Harbor Hospital. Membership is free.

For more information, call the mall at 410-760-8900.

Bingo

The Holy Trinity Knights of Columbus Council 3413 offers bingo games every Tuesday night at the Columbian Center, 335 N. Ritchie Highway in Severna Park.

The doors open at 5 p.m. for seating. Games begin at 7:15 p.m. Cash prizes are awarded, including two $1,000 jackpot games.

The cash prize for regular bingo games depends on the number of attendees. If there are more than 100 players, regular games will pay $75 and special games will pay $100. Otherwise, the prize will be $50 for regular games and $75 for special games.

There are two intermissions during which smokers may used the covered outdoor area.

Refreshments will be sold from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m.

For details, call 410-647-3413.

Glen Burnie 100th

Show the spirit of 100 years with the Glen Burnie Improvement Association with a T-shirt or magnet.

The association is selling commemorative T-shirts for $10 and large magnets for $5.

For details, call the association at 410-766-6760.

Cruise night

The Lost in the 50s Custom Car Club hosts cruise night from 6 to 10 p.m. every Saturday in the parking lot at Marley Station mall, 7900 Ritchie Highway.

Admission is free.

Antique and customized cars, trucks and street rods from 1977 and older will be on display. There is room on the parking lot for up to 450 vehicles to be displayed.

New members of the club are welcome. Membership dues cost $20.

For more information, call president Dennis Smith at 410-747- 1256 or 410-491-9969 or visit www.lostn50s.com.

Clubs and organizations in the 21061 ZIP code area can call Maryland Gazette correspondent Kathleen Shatt at 410-766-8547 for publication of their news. They can also fax information to her at 410-766-1520 or send e-mail to [email protected].

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