The Health Alliance's Dennis Robb Announced Contracting Professional of the Year by The Journal of Healthcare Contracting

The Health Alliance's Dennis Robb Announced Contracting Professional of the Year by The Journal of Healthcare Contracting

Pioneer in healthcare supply chain honored for accomplishments

Dallas (Vocus) March 3, 2009 -- Dennis Robb, senior vice president, supply chain management (www.broadlane.com), The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, was recently announced 2008 Contracting Professional of the Year by The Journal of Healthcare Contracting.

Described as a pioneer in healthcare for more than three decades, Robb was selected to receive this honor based on his accomplishments in supply chain management and history of clinical and executive leadership.

As the senior vice president of supply chain management (www.broadlane.com) for The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, Robb is continually seeking avenues for improvement for the 929-bed health system and manages its $369 million supply and capital spend. Robb is also responsible for initiation of value analysis committees and leadership of multidisciplinary teams of doctors, nurses, pharmacy, information technology and bioengineering professional for the management of capital procedures, contracting and contract compliance, system-wide standardization, price verification documentation of audited savings, vendor negotiations, environmental responsibility and economic inclusion.

"We congratulate Dennis on his latest achievement," said David Ricker, president and chief executive officer, Broadlane. "He is a valuable member on our Executive Steering Committee, helping drive all contracting decisions and awards. Dennis has also emerged as a leader in Supplier Diversity, working with the Broadlane Supplier Diversity Contracting team to implement the methods by which to execute and track results of The Health Alliance's supplier diversity initiative."

One of Robb's most notable achievements is the 2008 Corris Boyd Leadership and Diversity Award from the Federation of American Hospitals. This award was presented for Robb's efforts to create an environment of cooperation and commitment within The Health Alliance, which helped the health system reach a $23 million diverse supplier spending goal in its first year.

"I work daily with Dennis on supply chain initiatives," said Ruby Kern, vice president, enterprise accounts, Broadlane. "In my 35 years of supply chain experience, I've never come across anyone as passionate as Dennis is about meeting supply chain, environmental and supplier diversity goals."

In 10 months, The Health Alliance reached and exceeded the $23 million target with certified diverse suppliers and was recognized with awards from the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. The number of diverse suppliers grew 360 percent over a year. Over the past three years, the organization has maintained its commitment, spending a total of $90 million with diverse suppliers.

"We are very proud of Dennis' newest honor as Contracting Professional of the Year," said Ken Hanover, chief executive officer, the Health Alliance. "He has done an extraordinary job managing our supply chain. Dennis' optimism, professionalism and commitment to excellence are outstanding attributes, and this recognition is something in which we can all take pride."

About The Journal of Healthcare Contracting

The Journal of Healthcare Contracting is the only publication that is solely devoted to the contracting arena of healthcare. It focuses on the interactions of the four primary stakeholders in healthcare contracting: health systems and their facilities, manufacturers and suppliers, distributors and group purchasing organizations. The participants in the contracting arena will grow to rely on The Journal of Healthcare Contracting for industry understanding, insight into the minds of thought leaders and collaboration opportunities amongst contracting constituents.

About The Health Alliance

The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, which includes the University, Jewish and Fort Hamilton hospitals, Drake Center, West Chester Medical Center and the physicians of Alliance Primary Care, continues to be Cincinnati's largest healthcare provider and recently expanded its physician practice by acquiring Greater Cincinnati Associated Physicians. The Health Alliance, which employs 7,800 people, has been recognized for its progressive supplier diversity and disability services programs. For more information on the Health Alliance, visit

www.health-alliance.com.

About Broadlane

Broadlane is the leading cost management company for healthcare providers. Broadlane's scalable business solutions optimize operational performance and achieve significant cost savings, thereby improving the overall financial performance of its clients. Its core services include supply chain management and clinical workforce management services.

Broadlane's comprehensive supply chain services include:

• Unparalleled national and custom contracting for supplies, pharmaceuticals, equipment and purchased services

• Innovative Procurement Services and purchase transaction management

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

• Comprehensive Materials Management Services - including outsourcing

• Informatics - benchmarking, advanced analytics and reporting

• Supply chain technology and e-commerce

Broadlane Workforce Management™ addresses nurses and allied healthcare practitioners and includes:

• External shift and agency management services

• Internal shift management, including electronic shift auctions

• Regional nurse float pool management and internal agency management

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

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

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

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Contact Information Jim Webb

http://www.broadlane.com

972-813-7782

The Flag Company, Inc. Releases 'Feel Good' Light Lenses to Help Counter Gloomy Economic Outlook

The Flag Company, Inc. Releases 'Feel Good' Light Lenses to Help Counter Gloomy Economic Outlook

Perfect for any room, The Flag Company, Inc.'s new 'Feel Good' Light Lenses are perfect decorating pieces to stir up positive sentiments and lift spirits during this trying economical time.

(PRWEB) March 3, 2009 -- In light of the frustrating economical atmosphere that has gripped the nation, the Flag Company, Inc. recently launched 'Feel Good' Light Lenses as a cheerful decorating alternative. Perfect for waiting rooms and office buildings, 'Feel Good' Light Lenses are a simple, yet effective way to put a smile on faces and lift spirits.

In addition to providing a silent ray of feel-good light, Light Lenses (http://www.flagco.com/lightlenses/index.shtml) give any room better visual interest. Whether a doctor's office, conference room, classroom, or even a home basement, light lenses provide the extra pizzazz missing from any room.

The Flag Company, Inc. 'Feel Good' Light Lenses consist of colorful backlit designs that are fabricated to lay in the fluorescent ceiling fixture with a "drop-down door" opening: 24" x 48", 24" x 24", and 12" x 48". Any of the 70 Light Lenses designs (http://www.flagco.com/lightlenses/index.shtml) can easily be trimmed to fit non-traditional fixture spaces. Customized, one-of-a-kind light lenses can also be crafted from artwork or high resolution photos, giving clients versatility that is limited only by the imagination.

Originally created for doctors' office waiting rooms, Light Lenses provide a comforting sky or tree scene that give patients something soothing to look at while waiting. The result is a more relaxed, less anxious environment.

Today, Light Lenses are still used in doctors' offices around the country, but can also be used for a variety of purposes, including as educational tools. Schools and Day care centers can use Light Lenses as color, letter, or number recognition prompts for toddlers, and as more complex lesson aids - geometric shapes, math formulas, the periodic table, solar systems, and more - for older children. No matter the need, Light Lenses can enhance any learning environment.

Want to spruce up a conference room? Try the newly featured cloud set (http://www.flagco.com/lightlenses/clouds.shtml#cloudsets). The two- or three-panel set of clouds fit perfectly into drop-down door fluorescent lights and instantly rejuvenates the room, giving the impression of a sky light where there is none. This gives employees or clients a more relaxing and enjoyable environment.

About The Flag Company, Inc.:

The Flag Company, Inc. offers a complete range of flags and flag-related products. Custom screen printing and digital printing are available for special events, corporate logos, etc. Stock merchandise includes U.S., state, international and military flags and all types of accessories such as bunting, memorial cases, pennants and more. The Flag Company, Inc. is the nation's largest producer of message flags, offering over 300 different messages, which are used by realtors, restaurants, car dealerships and every other kind of company imaginable. Surprisingly, toothpick flags are a hot item - in stock and available for state, countries, and holidays and produced on a custom-order basis for corporations and special events. The complete product line can be viewed at the website, www.flagco.com.

For more information and to see the large selection of Light Lenses offered by The Flag Company, Inc., visit the website, www.flagco.com.

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Contact Information Mike Lawrence

The Flag Company Inc.

http://www.flagco.com

770-974-0507

Satori World Medical Contracts with Employee Benefits Firm McGregor & Associates

Satori World Medical Contracts with Employee Benefits Firm McGregor & Associates

Satori World Medical Contracts with Employee Benefits Firm McGregor & Associates to Bring its Innovative Global Healthcare Benefit Program to Thousands of U.S. Employers and Employees

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) March 2, 2009 -- Satori World Medical, a new global healthcare company in the emerging multi-billion dollar medical tourism industry, announced that it has executed an agreement with McGregor & Associates, Inc., an employee benefits consulting firm specializing in servicing public sector employers, to offer Satori's innovative payer-supported, employer-sponsored and consumer-choice global healthcare network to thousands of McGregor & Associates' contracted employers and employees, as well as its own staff.

"The costs of healthcare in the U.S. are higher than in any other country in the world, placing an enormous burden on today's U.S. companies that fund their employees' healthcare, in addition to the employees themselves who have become responsible for more and more of their own medical expenses," stated President of McGregor & Associates, George McGregor, MBA, CPA. McGregor is also General Manager of the Southern California Schools Voluntary Employees' Benefits Association (VEBA), administrator of the California Public Employers Employees Health Care Coalition, and administrator of the SDCS-SDEA, a Joint Retiree Medical Benefits Trust.

He continued, "As an organization committed to its customers and their employees, ensuring that the quality they get through international hospitals is equal to or better than the care they could receive in the U.S. was the number one decision criteria upon selecting Satori World Medical. Satori World Medical has the most sophisticated quality assurance process of all of the competitors that I reviewed that operate in this space."

Through its global network of board certfied doctors and Joint Commission International (JCI)- accredited, state-of-the-art hospitals, Satori World Medical provides a comprehensive, high quality and integrated medical benefit program that reduces the costs of selected surgical procedures over 50 percent. The savings generated are shared with all stakeholders, while a portion of the savings, for the first time is deposited for an employee in a tax-advantaged Health Reimbursement Account (HRA). With Satori World Medical's innovative Health & Shared Wealth Program™, everyone benefits.

Other key benefits to U.S. employers are as follows.

• Ability to compete better globally: Global healthcare models result in major economic benefits for U.S. companies because the costs of their employees' healthcare are greatly reduced. U.S. companies have access to same quality healthcare at a much lower expense, and as a result, companies can be more profitable and competitive globally.

• Improved employee retention and satisfaction: An organization's financial strength is built and reinforced by reducing costs and investing in the financial security and well-being of its workforce. Therefore, companies that offer a global healthcare benefit option to their employees can greatly strengthen the overall morale and productivity of their workforce. This is a new medical benefit at no cost to the employer or employee.

• Seamless integration with any existing medical plan: A global healthcare benefit program can be seamlessly added to an employer's existing employee benefit program and without any startup or ongoing expenses for the employer. This medical benefit is in addition to the medical plan that is currently in place.

• Single bill for employee claims: When considering the implementation of a global healthcare benefit program, one common concern among employers is whether or not significant internal resources and staff to administer patient claims and billing are involved. Satori World Medical meets this challenge by handling the entire billing process for the employer, in which a single bill in U.S. dollars is provided for all services rendered, thus reducing company claims processing costs and with no foreign currency exchange fluctuations.

Steven Lash, President & CEO of Satori World Medical, concluded, "We are extremely excited about our partnership with McGregor & Associates because we believe our program will allow them to significantly improve the quality of their participating employers' benefit administration processes, as well as their own, resulting in improved value and reduced costs across the board. McGregor & Associates understands the importance of providing quality improvement solutions that increase employee and customer satisfaction, competitiveness, and financial performance."

About Satori World Medical

Satori World Medical is a payer-supported, employer-sponsored, consumer choice global healthcare network that provides all stakeholders with world-class quality healthcare, excellent service, and significant financial benefit. Satori World Medical is a leader in the globalization of healthcare services through its innovative, patent-pending Business and Care model, the Health & Shared Wealth Program™, which provides consumer choice for quality medical travel. For more information about Satori World Medical, please call +1 (619) 704-2000 or visit the company's Web site at http://www.satoriworldmedical.com.

About McGregor & Associates, Inc.

McGregor & Associates, Inc. is a healthcare benefit consulting firm dedicated to providing a full range of services related to the employee benefits arena. The organization prides itself in listening to client needs and then providing best-in-class quality improvement solutions, which improve employee and customer satisfaction, competitiveness, and financial performance. For more information, please visit the company's Web site at http://mcgregorinc.com/firm.html.

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Contact Information Rachel Neppes

Satori World Medical

http://www.satoriworldmedical.com/index.php

619-231-9977

FDA Meeting on Opioid REMS Highlights the Need for Comprehensive, Integrated Risk Management

FDA Meeting on Opioid REMS Highlights the Need for Comprehensive, Integrated Risk Management

Inflexxion is uniquely positioned to assist companies with risk evaluation and mitigation strategy plans

Newton, MA (PRWEB) March 2, 2009 -- On Tuesday, March 3rd, the FDA will meet with manufacturers of extended-release (ER) opioid medications for what's expected to be the beginning of a process to develop a new Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. According to the Agency, strategies for minimizing the risks of opioid medications -- which have included FDA-required risk minimization and action plans, or RiskMAPs -- need to be strengthened.

"Despite [the efforts of the FDA, drug manufacturers, and other stakeholders, the rates of misuse and abuse, and of accidental overdose of opioids, have risen over the past decade," states the Agency in a media release announcing the meeting. Crafting a new REMS program, the Agency says, will entail "discussions with other federal agencies and non-government institutions, including patient and consumer advocates, representatives of the pain and addiction treatment communities, other health care professionals, and other interested parties."

Inflexxion, a company that is deeply engaged with the pain and addiction treatment communities, is uniquely prepared to assist manufacturers, federal agencies, and other stakeholders with creating a comprehensive REMS. In 2001, the company's pharmaceutical risk-management division launched development of the National Addictions Vigilance Intervention and Prevention Program (NAVIPPRO) with support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Now a nationally recognized public health-oriented substance risk management solution, NAVIPPRO integrates the four key components of an effective REMS: national, "real-time," product-specific surveillance; signal detection; signal verification; and empirically validated prevention and intervention programs.

"One of the key elements distinguishing REMS from RiskMAPs is the requirement for ongoing evaluation of the efficacy of a program, both by the FDA and the sponsor of the drug, so adjustments can be made to ensure that risk-mitigation goals are being met," says Kevin Zacharoff, M.D., Director of Medical Affairs at Inflexxion. "NAVIPPRO is designed to assist with this type of long-term, continuous evaluation."

In a recent study of NAVIPPRO data published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety (December 2008, Volume 17, Issue 12), the authors evaluated the surveillance component of the program. Analyzing NAVIPPRO's proprietary, "real-time" data stream, de-identified client assessment data continuously collected from the ASI-MV® Connect network of substance abuse clinics across the U.S., they examined the representativeness, geographic coverage, and timeliness of report of the data. They found that the data allow for the characterization of product-specific and geo-spatial differences for drug abuse, and can serve as a tool for monitoring the responses of the treatment center population to particular drug formulations.

According to Zacharoff, the findings show that NAVIPPRO data can be useful for measuring, in "real time," the relative rate of abuse of a particular drug in a vulnerable population, and in a specific geographic area of the country. "These data can help detect early signals of an emerging trend of abuse, which in turn allows for targeted prevention and intervention efforts, and for gauging the impact of those initiatives," he says.

To address the need for prevention and intervention, Inflexxion has incorporated into NAVIPPRO its award-winning, empirically validated educational programs. These programs include PainEDU.org, a comprehensive pain education website for health care professionals with nearly 20,000 subscribed clinicians of varying disciplines. As part of its educational offerings, PainEDU provides clinicians with access to clinically tested practice tools, such as the Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP®).

Developed by Inflexxion, SOAPP is a brief, pen-and-paper self-report tool that enables health care providers to assess a patient's risk of addiction before initiating opioid therapy. It can be used in concert with the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM)®, a complementary tool for identifying whether a patient, throughout the course of long-term opioid therapy, may be exhibiting aberrant behaviors associated with abuse of opioid medications.

The utility of SOAPP and COMM were recently highlighted in new guidelines by the American Pain Society and the American Academy of Pain Medicine on the use of opioid medications to treat chronic non-cancer pain. The guidelines, published in the February 2009 issue of The Journal of Pain (Volume 10, Number 2), recommend that clinicians routinely conduct a complete benefit-to-harm evaluation before starting opioid therapy, and do periodic follow-up screenings of patients who may be at risk for abuse or addiction.

"In the past, drug sponsors and consultants worked individually on programs designed to minimize risk in a hit-or-miss fashion, with very little modification of the initiatives based on outcomes. I believe that the FDA hopes that this new REMS development process will provide an opportunity for these groups to come together, working more closely to ensure that patients are treated appropriately, based on collected data, with the best medications available, and the highest level of safety and vigilance," says Zacharoff. "We at Inflexxion are committed to assisting all stakeholders - including the manufacturers, the FDA, and health care providers - in successfully navigating these issues and together improving the risk-benefit balance of opioid medications."

To learn more about NAVIPPRO, visit the website (www.navippro.com).

About Inflexxion, Inc.

Founded in 1989, Inflexxion creates innovative, award-winning behavioral health solutions for prevention, education, and disease management. Our grant-funded, clinically tested programs address substance abuse and addiction, chronic pain management, and other health and wellness issues. Our pharmaceutical risk management division provides Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) assistance to companies that research, manufacture, and market opioid pain medications and other therapeutic agents with potential abuse problems. Key offerings include NAVIPPROTM, ASI-MV® Connect, PainEDU.org, painACTION.com, and SOAPP®. Inflexxion is based in Newton, MA.

# # #

Contact Information Amanda Hemm

Inflexxion, Inc.

http://www.NAVIPPRO.com

617-614-0436

German Medical Advancement Reflects Major Improvement in Individuals with Common and Chronic Illnesses Related to Immune System Dysfunction

German Medical Advancement Reflects Major Improvement in Individuals with Common and Chronic Illnesses Related to Immune System Dysfunction

A new preparation highly beneficial in patients with ailments from common skin disorders to hepatitis or HIV, is now available in the US without a prescription. Oral intake of the GKL03 synthetic peptides induces modulation and regulation of the immune system. GKL03 (Thymrevit) is a demonstrably potent immmunomodulator effective in the short term.

Mannheim, Germany -- A new preparation highly beneficial in patients with ailments from common skin disorders to hepatitis or HIV, is now available in the US without a prescription. Oral intake of the GKL03 synthetic peptides induces modulation and regulation of the immune system. GKL03 (Thymrevit) is a demonstrably potent immmunomodulator effective in the short term.

This preparation was first used in 2004 on tumor patients whose immune system was significantly weakened by chemotherapy or radiotherapy which had been carried out or recently administered. All subjects felt significantly better in several chemotherapy phases each time GKL-03 was taken, and also had better excersise tolerance in endurance test. Since 2004, ongoing clinical trials conducted in Germany, has shown GKL-03 to be adventageous in those with tumourigenic disease, cancer or immuno deficiencies. There are unambiguous findings indicating GKL-03 can protect the body from opportunistic infections where the body has been damaged from pre-existing conditions such as chemotherapy, x-rays, or bacterial, fungal or latent viral infections. "Since such a short term improvement of immune disorders is extremely difficult to achieve, I venture to assume with all reserve a positive effect of the GKL-03" --- Dr. Med Knut Briken, Oncology/Immunobiological Cancer Aftercare, Berlin Germany.

Klett-Loch GmbH, a medium size company, located in Mannheim Germany is a top leader in research and development against immune system disorders for over 25 years. Biotechne Complex, Inc. (www.biotechne.com) located in Georgia is designated the North American representative since 1995 assisting in continued support and informational programs.

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Contact Information Martin Wainright

Biotechne Complex, Inc.

http://www.biotechne.com

800-214-8631

Pixavi Releases Recession Proof Technology

Pixavi Releases Recession Proof Technology

Pixavi today officially launched its new Xcaster series of wireless High Definition video communication products designed and optimized to help companies and organizations achieve considerable cost savings and efficiency improvements. These goals are particularly important in the current world economic climate, where the impact of recession and a global financial crisis is felt everywhere. The product is capable of virtually eliminating the need for travel in several situations, and to considerably improve the way employees interact and perform.

Stavanger, Norway (PRWEB) March 1, 2009 -- Pixavi today launched its new video collaboration product, the Xcaster. The product is expected to provide considerable cost savings and efficiency improvements to small business all the way up to large multinational corporations and organizations.

The Xcaster is a compact, wireless videoconferencing and collaboration camera, capable of communication and collaboration using high definition video and cd quality audio to any computer, video conferencing or telepresence endpoint. The Xcaster can connect from the field to anywhere in the world using a standard internet connection or a satellite link. The Xcaster user is able to connect from the field to experts and coworkers located practically anywhere, in order to solve problems and visually discuss issues and collaborate in real time. Both parties are offered an audiovisual experience so far offered only by stationary and meeting room HD video conference systems. The result is obvious: Reduced travel cost and increased efficiency.

Background:

The new and technically advanced Xcaster is designed to help organizations face today's challenging global situation dominated by issues like a financial crisis, global warming, pollution, terror threats, increasing travel costs and increased efficiency demands. The product incorporates cutting edge technology such as high speed wireless (802.11n), Bluetooth, AVC HD and high definition video conferencing.

Video Conferencing support:

The Xcaster has the capability of connecting to any videoconferencing system, Telepresence system or a standard desktop or laptop computer and instantly start communicating using two way high definition video, cd quality audio and 5 megapixel images. It supports both H.323 and SIP, which are the dominant IP video and audio telecommunication standards in today's market. The product can communicate directly over the internet, also with multiparty support without the need for subscriptions or paid services.

Rugged:

The Xcaster comes in a very compact ergonomic and rugged design. Built in high quality Norwegian aluminum, the product is IP68 rated (waterproof), impact proof and drop proof up to 2 meters on to concrete.

Collaboration:

Using Pixavi's laser collaboration technology, combined with an integrated gyroscopic MEMS sensor, the user is able to collaborate in real time over a HD video and audio session ubiquitously with his or her surroundings. The result is an unique and transparent user experience, further excelled by an intuitive user interface.

Applications:

Potential application areas (http://www.pixavi.com/applications-video-communication.html) for the product includes among others the manufacturing industry, oil&gas, chemical industries, building and construction, telemedicine, surveillance, ship yards, mining, journalism, firefighting, law enforcement and military.

Services:

Pixavi offers the Go Live server solution for improving the manageability and ease of connection between the Xcaster and other systems as well as networked multimedia storage. The next generation, Go Live 2.0 provides a secure, encrypted communication solution based on Web 2.0 technology.

Pixavi CEO, Christian Rokseth explains: "High definition video conferencing is becoming increasingly popular, and almost 50% of the video conferencing endpoints and VC enabled computers are now HD capable. This growing trend perfectly matches our target of developing a HD collaboration camera when we started this project."

Mr. Rokseth continues: "This is a communication concept known to both save cost and increase efficiency already proven worldwide by the popular previous generations VisiWear video collaboration products initially introduced by Pixavi back in 1999. Today, many more companies have the Infrastructure in place to start using this technology. Meeting rooms are equipped with video conferencing systems, workers are using high performance laptop computers and wireless networks are therefore becoming a standard. In addition, the Internet has become increasingly suitable for high definition video communication, with increased quality of service, bandwidth and lower latency. In sum this means close to instant access to this technology without considerable investments. Pixavi provides our customers with a complete wireless video collaboration solution (http://www.pixavi.com/systems-pixavi-standard.html), including wireless network solutions (http://www.pixavi.com/networks-wireless.html), wireless surveillance products (http://www.pixavi.com/systems-wireless-cctv.html) and wireless location systems (http://www.pixavi.com/systems-wlan-location.html). With this complete offering, our customers can now deploy a cost efficient, secure and industrial grade communication infrastructure solution all provided from one vendor."

Green Technology:

Pixavi Sales Manager, Thomas Zaubi states: "Green technology is becoming an increasingly important, if not mandatory key to success for maintaining the planet we live on. The Xcaster product has the capability of contributing to a lower carbon footprint for businesses through decreasing the need for travel and improving operational efficiency. We launched the Green Ring of Excellence (http://www.pixavi.com/greenring.html) initiative in an effort to put emphasis on this very important aspect."

Interoperability:

Pixavi has successfully tested interoperability with HD endpoints from leading vendors like Tandberg, Polycom, Lifesize and Radvision.

Pricing & Availability:

The Xcaster ST5000 (http://www.pixavi.com/hardware-xcaster-specifications.html) will be available in May 2009, with a price tag of 7950 USD. In addition, Pixavi is offering 3 levels of service, depending on the customer needs, including hosted and managed services like Go Live 2.0, SIP services and hosted video conferencing software solutions.

Pixavi will shortly be introducing an EX Zone 1 intrinsically safe and explosion proof version of the product.

About Pixavi:

Pixavi is a privately owned Norwegian company offering innovative and industrial grade wireless communication products, including wearable and mobile High Definition video products, wireless network products (802.11n, 802.11g WiFi and WIMAX), WLAN antenna products, location tracking and wireless video surveillance technology.

Pixavi introduced its first video collaboration system back in 1999 (ST1000). The company's award-winning products are used by leading enterprises in a multitude of industries. With a broad suite of high tech open, standards-based (Linux) products, Pixavi has a high focus on technology innovation. Pixavi is currently recruiting and are also looking for potential investors and partners in order to further accelerate growth.

Contact us for more information:

Thomas Zaubi

Sales Director

USA: "+1 408 627 7811"

Norway: "+47 90943156"

sales(a)pixavi (dot) com

www.pixavi.com

Legal notice (http://www.pixavi.com/press_release_legal.html)

# # #

Contact Information Thomas Zaubi

Pixavi

http://www.pixavi.com

+47 90943156

MakroCare opens new office in Tokyo

MakroCare opens new office in Tokyo

MakroCare, a global clinical services firm, opens office in Tokyo.

(PRWEB) March 1, 2009 -- MakroCare, US based multidisciplinary knowledge and technology driven global clinical services firm, which provides clinical research support services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries has opened its new international office in Tokyo, Japan.

To meet the growing needs and serve its clients in Japan, MakroCare has chosen Tokyo as it's strategic base in Japan. MakroCare has other offices currently in USA (New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania), Asia (India), and Europe (Frankfurt).

About MakroCare:

MakroCare, a global clinical services firm, provides clinical research support to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries. The company offers site selection, patient recruitment, project and data management, clinical monitoring, quality assurance, medical writing, PMS/PharmacoVigilance, biometrics, and regulatory assistance. MakroCare has offices in USA (New Jersey, Illinois, and Pennsylvania), India (New Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad), Japan (Tokyo), and Europe (Frankfurt).

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Contact Information Shah Javid

MakroCare

http://www.makrocare.com

0019734814834

Naturejobs and CheckOrphan Unite for Rare Disease Day

Naturejobs and CheckOrphan Unite for Rare Disease Day

Naturejobs and CheckOrphan, the leading source for the latest news about rare, orphan and neglected diseases, are proud to announce a new partnership for Rare Disease Day. CheckOrphan will feature a feed of relevant job vacancies and content from naturejobs.com. Jobs will focus on the rapidly emerging fields of rare diseases and personalized medicine. The partnership is another step in CheckOrphan's quest to become a comprehensive platform for rare, orphan and neglected diseases.

Basel, Switzerland (PRWEB) February 28, 2009 -- In support of Rare Disease Day, Naturejobs and CheckOrphan, the leading source for the latest news about rare, orphan and neglected diseases, are proud to announce a new partnership. CheckOrphan will feature a feed of relevant job vacancies and content from naturejobs.com, the leading scientific jobs website. Vacancies will focus on the rapidly emerging fields of rare diseases and personalized medicine.

"Naturejobs.com builds upon the excellent brand of Nature that the research world associates with scientific excellence," notes Ian Sowers, Head of Marketing and PR for CheckOrphan. "We are glad to have Naturejobs as a partner and look forward to equaling their dedication to science and research."

The Job Market, powered by Naturejobs is another step towards achieving CheckOrphan's goal of offering its users a comprehensive platform about rare diseases.

"Now scientists in the fields of rare diseases and personalized medicine can enjoy free and convenient access on www.checkorphan.org to relevant jobs from the naturejobs.com global database of science jobs," says Dan Churchward, European Manager for Naturejobs. "Naturejobs' free online job-posting service offers research institutions and companies an excellent opportunity to attract the cream of scientific talent worldwide."

Vacancies from the naturejobs.com database featured on CheckOrphan will direct visitors to positions within academia or industry in fields such as: research, development, clinical studies, regulatory affairs, marketing, IT, and communications.

"A partner like Naturejobs is great for CheckOrphan," adds David Galipeau, Board Member of CheckOrphan. "We are certain the list of future partners and sponsors will continue to grow, because our door is always open to new ideas and features for CheckOrphan."

"This partnership is representative of Naturejobs' continuing drive to develop innovative solutions to the evolving challenges of scientific recruitment," says Dean Sanderson, Head of Global Advertising, Sales and Sponsorship, Nature Publishing Group. "We are delighted to be collaborating with CheckOrphan to help jobseekers and recruiters in the emerging fields of rare, orphan and neglected diseases."

The Job Market, powered by Naturejobs, also compliments CheckOrphan vision of augmenting the amount of global research into rare, orphan and neglected diseases.

"Without research you do not obtain innovative solutions, and without innovation you cannot create a cure for a rare disease," notes Tatsuo Satoh, Managing Director of CheckOrphan. "Research is a strong emphasis of CheckOrphan and we will always be dedicated to furthering research efforts with rare diseases."

CheckOrphan is home to a database of over 6,800 rare diseases and a database of over 8,000 news articles. It also aggregates the latest research news articles and press releases from universities and academic institutes. Users can also consult and contribute to a database of researchers around the world who are working on improving our scientific knowledge of rare diseases.

About Naturejobs

Naturejobs is the largest dedicated job board for the scientific community with over 5,000 job posts advertised globally on the website. Job postings to the website are free and employers using the site range from top pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to highly respected academic and government institutions. Naturejobs.com is free to use for jobseekers, attracting mores than 2.5 million page views per month. Naturejobs is the careers and recruitment section for Nature Publishing Group, publishers of Nature. For more information, visit www.naturejobs.com

About CheckOrphan

CheckOrphan is the leading source for news and information about rare diseases. Its news database holds the largest concentration of articles about rare diseases, with over 8,000 entries. In addition, CheckOrphan's users benefit from several other large databases that include: the latest research publications, clinical trials, products in development or currently on the market for rare, orphan and neglected diseases, videos, hospitals, researchers and more. It is also home to iWish - without a wish, there is no hope for a better tomorrow. CheckOrphan is always interested in meeting new partners and supporters. CheckOrphan is non-profit organization and encourages its visitors to submit content and information to the platform. CheckOrphan would like to thank the Gebert-Rüf Stiftung for its support. Please visit http://www.grstiftung.ch/_english/index.html for more information about this foundation.

About Halosys

Halosys is a company that transforms real life scenarios in Online and Mobile Solutions by offering a unique blend of Creativity, Knowledge and Technology. Halosys is a New Media Technology Services Company that helps its clients create innovative Online and Mobile solutions. Our efforts on the Web are focused on developing innovative and engaging applications that are new in the market or something we believe can bring Return on Investment to our clients. We develop world class quality web 2.0 sites and applications by considering the latest development trends and techniques with a special emphasis on community creation. On Mobile front, we are among the industry front runners and are among the first to develop applications for some of the platforms, including iPhone.

Contacts:

Naturejobs

Dan Churchward

European Manager

Tel: +44 20 7843 4966

E-mail: d.churchward (at) nature (dot) com

Web: http://www.naturejobs.com

CheckOrphan

Ian Sowers

Head of Marketing and PR

Tel: +41 61 267 0447

E-mail: ian.sowers (at) checkorphan (dot) org

# # #

Contact Information Rober Derham

CheckOrphan

http://www.checkorphan.org

41612670447

CheckOrphan Launches iWish to Commemorate Rare Disease Day

CheckOrphan Launches iWish to Commemorate Rare Disease Day

CheckOrphan, the leading news site for rare, orphan and neglected diseases, launches iWish, which allows people to visually (creative, artistic and realistic images) show their conception of these diseases through and image. In addition, people are invited to explain their imagery and add their iWish - which should convey creative solutions for a rare disease or for the community in general.

Basel, Switzerland (PRWEB) February 28, 2009 -- Today, CheckOrphan is launching one of its flagship features - iWish (http://www.checkorphan.org/content/iWish) - in conjunction with Rare Disease Day, February 28, which is an international effort to raise awareness for rare diseases and the needs of people affected by them.

To help commemorate this day, iWish is a way for people affected by, or working with, rare diseases to step forward and tell their stories through words and images. Currently, CheckOrphan is accepting iWish submissions in English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian.

Participants are asked to provide a text of up to 1,000 words describing a change or development they would like to see in the world of rare diseases - their iWish. They are also encouraged to discuss their experience with a rare disease or diseases, if applicable, and to provide and describe an image (a photograph or other creative image) that in some way complements or illustrates their text. Examples of some iWish contributions can be viewed at:

http://www.checkorphan.org/content/iWish

"People affected by a rare disease have the chance to show the world in an artistic or realistic way through a picture and words what it is like to have a rare disease," explains Ian Sowers, Head of Marketing and PR for CheckOrphan. "But, we also encourage industry professionals, physicians, researchers and others to explain want they encounter as well. This way the world will have a complete view of the problem, accompanied with ways to overcome the hurdles that rare, orphan and neglected diseases face."

CheckOrphan's goal is to allow people around the world to provide creative solutions, through their iWish. At the same time CheckOrphan offers people the opportunity to make an iWish come true. People who want to support an iWish can contact CheckOrphan and then CheckOrphan will contact the individual who submitted the iWish on behalf of the interested supporter.

"Rare, orphan and neglected disease need solutions. They are a huge drain on families and society in general," says Robert Derham, President of CheckOrphan. "So as the saying goes 'two heads are better than one' - we believe that 7 billion heads will be even better. Collectively we will be able to think outside of the box and start to bring solutions to the hundreds of millions of people that are affected with rare, orphan and neglected diseases."

Since its inception two years ago, CheckOrphan.org has become the leading online source of news about rare, orphan, and neglected diseases.

Recently re-launched with a new look and increased functionality, CheckOrphan is dedicated to being a complete web platform for rare diseases that unites and empowers researchers, physicians, professionals and, most importantly, those affected by rare diseases so that they can initiate change.

CheckOrphan's features include: a database of over 8,000 news articles (http://www.checkorphan.org/news) about rare diseases, events, clinical trials, treatments (http://www.checkorphan.org/node/8379), research publications, physician-researcher-hospital-organization-industry databases, videos, daily newsletters and more. Users can submit content for each feature

About CheckOrphan

CheckOrphan is the leading source of news about rare, orphan and neglected diseases. Its news database holds the largest concentration of articles about rare diseases, with over 8,000 entries. CheckOrphan's users benefit from several large databases that also include: events, treatments, research publications, physician-researcher-hospital-organization-industry databases, videos, daily newsletters and more. It is also home to iWish - every wish means hope for a better tomorrow.

CheckOrphan is a non-profit organization that encourages its visitors to submit content and information to the platform. CheckOrphan is always interested in meeting new partners and supporters. CheckOrphan would like to thank the Gebert Rüf Stiftung for its support. For more information about this foundation, please visit http://www.grstiftung.ch.

Contact:

CheckOrphan

Ian Sowers

Head of Marketing and PR

Tel: +41 61 267 0447

Mob: +41 79 719 5539

Robert Derham

President

Tel: +41 61 267 0447

Mob: +41 78 662 5231

###

Contact Information Robert Derham

CheckOrphan

http://www.checkorphan.org

+41 61 267 0447

Ian Sowers

CheckOrphan

http://www.checkorphan.org

Inspired Cancer Survivor Launches Customized Hair Replacement Techniques at Award-Winning Hair Salon

Inspired Cancer Survivor Launches Customized Hair Replacement Techniques at Award-Winning Hair Salon

Greenbelt, MD Salon & Hair Replacement Center, Hair Fantasy, LLC is now offering new innovative hair replacement services for clients battling with hair loss, thinning hair or baldness.

Greenbelt, MD (PRWEB) February 27, 2009 -- There are several reasons for hair loss that may be attributed to chemotherapy from cancer, burn trauma, alopecia, male pattern baldness, follicular damage, side effects from medication, iron or zinc deficiency and/or the effects associated with aging.

As a former cancer survivor, the Owner and Executive Stylist at Hair Fantasy, LLC, Anita Hampton, says that "she is aware of the circumstances surrounding hair loss, due to her own experience with chemotherapy. She totally empathizes with this struggle and understands the impact that hair loss can have on one's self-esteem". Anita Hampton's passion was sparked in her effort to help others look and feel good about their hair and themselves.

Ms. Hampton discovered that wearing a wig does not lend itself to the natural flexibility of life nor does a wig mimic a real head of hair. Hair Fantasy's newly launched Hair Replacement (www.hairfantasy.net) solution offers hair that one can swim in, exercise in, style, sleep in, shower in--and hair that is so uniquely customized that it resembles one's own natural hair!

At Hair Fantasy, miracles have been created by the formation of undetectable hair replacement units. The staff at Hair Fantasy understands that hair loss and hair replacement are personal, sensitive and private matters and therefore ensures that each client receives a private consultation. The complete hair replacement process is also done in private. All hair units are made with 100% human hair and come in a variety of textures, colors and lengths. The hair unit, which does not consist of tracks, is custom made and custom fitted to each client's head.

About Hair Fantasy, LLC

Hair Fantasy (www.hairfantasy.net)'s goal and mission is to turn hair loss trauma into hair replacement triumph, while serving clients with dignity and respect. Hair Fantasy, LLC has been a longstanding participant and sponsor for various events within the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. Hair Fantasy, LLC is also a member of the National Cosmetology Association and the proud recipient of the Prince George's County Small Business Initiative's "Outstanding Retail" of the Year Award for highlighted business accomplishments and commitments to the community.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Anita Hampton

Hair Fantasy, LLC

(301)806-HAIR (4247)

www.hairfantasy.net

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Contact Information Anita Hampton

Hair Fantasy, LLC

http://www.hairfantasy.net

(301)806-4247

Stemedica Medical Team Cautions Patients About Stem Cell Therapy & Comments on PLoS Medicine Article

Stemedica Medical Team Cautions Patients About Stem Cell Therapy & Comments on PLoS Medicine Article

Stemedica provides its observations and comments to the media regarding the PLoS Medicine article published online February 17, 2009. The PLoS Medicine article describes a patient who developed "brain tumors" (glioneuronal neoplasms) after undergoing repeated transplants of "fetal neural stem cells" in Russia starting in 2001.

San Diego, California (PRWEB) February 27, 2009 -- Stemedica Cell Technologies (http://www.stemedica.com), Inc. ("Stemedica") provided its observations and comments to the media regarding the PLoS Medicine article published online February 17, 2009. The PLoS Medicine article describes a patient who developed "brain tumors" (glioneuronal neoplasms) after undergoing repeated transplants of "fetal neural stem cells" in Russia starting in 2001.

"All of us at Stemedica would like to extend our condolences to the young patient involved in this situation and our hope is for a speedy and positive outcome to this unfortunate experience. Never before have we or any of our Principal Investigators ever encountered such an occurrence either in our own research or in any of the published research", said Dr. David Howe, Stemedica's Vice President and Medical Director.

"We want to use this unfortunate incident to warn those seeking stem cell therapy abroad," warns Dr. Nikolai Tankovich, President & Chief Medical Officer of Stemedica, "to make certain that the manufacturer of the stem cells used in transplantation comply with the rigid standards that have been established by the FDA and other Internationally-recognized regulatory agencies. The future of this industry and the safety of all future patients depend on such adherence." FDA Compliance and Surveillance Standards can be referenced by visiting www.fda.gov/cber/compliance.htm (http://www.fda.gov/cber/compliance.htm).

The report in PLoS, Donor-Derived Brain Tumor Following Neural Stem Cell Transplantation in an Ataxia Telangiectasia Patient (http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.1000029), describes the development of multifocal glioneuronal neoplasms along the spinal nerves and brain stem in a 13-year-old patient who underwent repeated transplantation procedures in an attempt to treat ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T). A-T is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder known to have an increased risk of developing cancer.

Malignancy and neoplasia are common in A-T secondary to deficient cellular and humoral immunity. This immune deficiency is a contra-indication to stem cell transplant therapy. In addition, the mutations associated with A-T in the A-T mutation gene lead to mutations in nuclear protein, which normally repairs DNA. This loss of DNA repair combined with immune deficiency in A-T increases risk of neoplasia with and without cellular transplant therapy in A-T.

"Due to age, children and adolescents have significantly increased quantities of growth factors. Adding stem cells, known for their growth factor production capabilities, to a child with this presenting condition may have been a contributing factor. As in the administration of pharmaceuticals, many of which are not recommended for use in children and adolescents in the same way as in treating adults, great care must be taken in using stem cell therapy with this population of patients", said Dr. Michael Bayer, Stemedica's Director of Medical Services.

Based on the facts and references cited within the PLoS Medicine article, researchers have discovered that some of the cells were female and had two copies of the gene that causes A-T. Karyotype testing was reported in this case which confirms inadequate testing of the stem cells prior to transplantation. "The stem cell preparation protocol provided to the parents by the treatment team was reviewed and found to be inadequate by our standards", said Dr. Howe. "No cell characteristics, cell markers or bio-safety data was present. Mechanical desegregation in the 8-12 week age fetus is not recommended. Enzymatic separation is preferred, a process that also removes any dead cells that may be present. There is also a significant lack of detail on the number of cell passages as well as the dispersion of the neurospheres", Dr. Howe went on to say.

Dr. Alex Kharazi, Stemedica's Vice President for Manufacturing & Research observed, "Limited cell culturing in only 12-16 days as described in their protocol is like using a crude primary culture of cells. There are numerous risks associated with using crude cell preparations that have not been subjected to rigid manufacturing and testing protocols such as purity, identity and potency. In addition, the antibiotics used to manufacture the stem cells, are potentially neurotoxic." Dr. Kharazi went on to say, "Overall the description provided for the manufacturing protocol was vague and a poor example of what a well thought out manufacturing and safety-driven process should be. For example, there was no data provided relating to tumorgenicity, toxicity, or bio-distribution testing of the manufactured cells in nude mice which is a mandatory requirement as a first and critical step to assessing cell safety."

"Stemedica is committed to a manufacturing process that puts safety first at all times. Our stem cell product lines go through extensive testing during several stages of the manufacturing process and are also subjected to in-depth pre-clinical studies before filing with the FDA and other regulatory agencies for clinical trials", continued Dr. Kharazi. "Nothing is more important than the welfare of the patient and there is no explanation that can justify any deviance from compliance to FDA guidelines for the manufacturing and testing of stem cells prior to administration. These are the guidelines we follow and any patient considering stem cell therapy, at any location worldwide, should confirm that the manufacturer is in full compliance before they decide to undergo stem cell transplantation." warns Dr. Kharazi.

About Stemedica Technologies, Inc.

Stemedica Cell Technologies Inc. (http://www.stemedica.com (http://www.stemedica.com)) is a specialty biopharmaceutical company that is committed to the development and manufacture of best-in-class adult stem cells for use by approved research institutions and hospitals for pre-clinical and clinical studies. Stemdedica complies with the standards and guidelines established by the FDA and the FDB (Food and Drug Board) in the manufacturing and testing of its stem cells. Within the United States, the Company is currently developing regulatory pathways for stroke, traumatic brain injury and wound repair. Outside the United States, Stemedica provides its adult stem cells to hospitals and research centers that are conducting studies under protocols approved by the appropriate regulatory agencies. These studies are focused on the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, sight restoration and wound repair. Stemedica is based in San Diego, California.

Media Contact for Stemedica: Dave McGuigan at dmcguigan (at) stemedica.com.

###

Contact Information Dave McGuigan

Stemedica Cell Technologies Inc

http://www.stemedica.com

+1 858 658 0910

Barnett Releases IND Submissions: A Primer

Barnett Releases IND Submissions: A Primer

Barnett International, a division of Cambridge Healthtech Institute, has announced the release of IND Submissions: A Primer, an in-depth guide to writing, editing, tracking, and submitting the original IND and applicable IND amendments. IND Submissions: A Primer is the only comprehensive IND manual of its kind.

Needham, MA (PRWEB) February 25, 2009 -- IND Submissions: A Primer provides a "hands-on" approach that teaches regulatory professionals - novice and veteran alike - to work with the regulations, guidance documents, content templates, contributing authors, and style guides necessary to write an IND. The book's writing tips show regulatory professionals how to produce a range of U.S. drug and biologics submissions that comply with the requirements and are also clear to read. Included with the book is a CD filled with electronic examples.

The 600-page, spiral-bound, hardcover book is easy to use, providing step-by-step instructions on how to plan, write, and submit regulatory documents. Each chapter (62 in total) is divided by easy-to-read tabs.

IND Submissions: A Primer is the ideal resource for new professionals entering the field, a useful training guide, and a valuable reference for the experienced professional. This comprehensive "how-to" guide contains:

•    Regulations and guidance document references

•    Overview and background of why the submission is required

•    Structure of the submission itself

•    Details on who should contribute to the submission

•    Where to pull, re-use, or start as a basis for information needed in a submission

•    Tips and lessons learned from the author's experience

•    Different perspectives on how a submission can be approached

•    Applicable FDA Form 1571 information for each submission

•    Paper publishing tips

•    Electronic CTD publishing sections for each submission, where applicable

•    Real life examples taken from the press and approved NDAs when available

•    Electronic examples and content templates to utilize so that an RA professional can begin immediately working on a submission

IND Submissions: A Primer is available for $295 per copy by calling 800-856-2556, or by ordering online at www.barnettinternational.com. Estimated shipping date is February 27, 2009.

About the author:

IND Submissions: A Primer was written by Meredith Brown-Tuttle, RAC, a regulatory consultant whose background incorporates all aspects of drug, device, and biologics development including clinical research, data management, medical writing, and regulatory affairs. She served for six years on the Board of Editors for the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society's journal, "Focus," and has published numerous articles, edited books and book chapters, and presented at professional meetings on a variety of clinical research and regulatory topics. Ms. Brown-Tuttle also teaches about regulatory submissions, intelligence, strategy, and agency interactions for the Regulatory Affairs Certificate program at UC Santa Cruz.

About Cambridge Healthtech Institute

Cambridge Healthtech Institute (CHI) is the preeminent life science network for leading researchers and business experts from top pharmaceutical, biotech and academic organizations. CHI's portfolio of products includes Cambridge Healthtech Institute Conferences, Insight Pharma Reports, Cambridge Marketing Consultants, Cambridge Meeting Planners and Cambridge Healthtech's Media Group, which includes numerous e-newsletters as well as Bio-IT World magazine.

Founded in 1992, Cambridge Healthtech Institute strives to develop quality information sources that provide valuable new insights and competing points of view while offering balanced coverage of the latest developments. Basic research related to commercial implications is covered, with heavy emphasis placed on end-user insights into new products and technology as well as coverage on the strategy behind the business.

About Barnett International

Founded in 1979, Barnett International is widely recognized for its superior consulting services and its targeted education and training programs. Barnett helps clients get the most out of their research and development dollars by managing change effectively, improving organizational performance, and enhancing staff knowledge. The Barnett approach is a unique combination of strategy development and practical, hands-on implementation. The "Barnett Difference" is evident in our deep understanding of the clinical research process and in the rapid and tangible performance improvements we deliver.

We help pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies maximize the speed and quality of their product development efforts. With an international presence and with many staff members working from the client site for increased benefits, Barnett is able to apply a global expertise to its projects.

Our services include educational programs and products and consulting.

The source of our expertise:

•    Exclusively focused on the pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical industry for more than 20 years

•    A team of talented professionals (150+) with deep-rooted industry insight and expertise

•    An in-depth understanding of different cultures and unique organizations

•    Experience working with major pharmaceutical companies around the world

•    Global resources with offices in the US and Europe

Media Contact:

Barnett International

Kate Bliss

Marketing Communications Manager

781-972-5435

###

Contact Information Tracey Fielding

7814-972-5429

American TeleCare, Inc. (ATI) Appoints Michael A. Brodeur as Chief Financial Officer

American TeleCare, Inc. (ATI) Appoints Michael A. Brodeur as Chief Financial Officer

American TeleCare, the Leader in Technology-Enabled Telehealth Solutions, Adds Accomplished Financial Executive to its Senior Management Team

Minneapolis (PRWEB) February 25, 2009 -- American TeleCare, Inc. (ATI) announced that Michael A. Brodeur has joined the company as its chief financial officer. ATI is the leader in the development and application of video-based telehealth solutions to advance patient care.

"Mike is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of high-level financial management experience in the health care, medical device, biotechnology and clinical laboratory industries," said Randy Moore, M.D., M.B.A., chairman and chief executive officer, American TeleCare (ATI). "He brings ATI exceptional expertise in corporate finance, business development and the capital markets."

"With solutions that combine telecommunications technology with unmatched clinical functionality, ATI is at the forefront of the telehealth industry," said Brodeur. "Managing the costs of caring for patients with complex, chronic conditions is a fundamental challenge in health system reform. ATI is positioned to lead the way to establish new models of telehealth-supported care that connect high-risk patients to essential clinical expertise."

Immediately before joining ATI, Brodeur was the chief financial officer of Medical CV, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDCV), developer and manufacturer of laser-based surgical devices. He has also served as CFO of McKesson Medical Management (a $500 million pharmacy outsource provider to hospitals) and Meris Laboratories, Inc. (a $50 million clinical laboratory testing company). He previously held other senior financial leadership positions with EPS Solutions Corporation and WellPoint Health Networks, Inc., now WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE:WLP), which today is the nation's largest health insurer by member numbers. Brodeur was a managing partner at Prairieview CFO Partners, LLP, a CFO services firm for public and pre-IPO emerging and middle-market businesses. And as senior partner at Tatum CFO Partners, LLP, another national CFO services firm, he served as CFO of Molecular Diagnostics, Inc., now CytoCore, Inc. (OTCBB:CYTO) and Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTM).

Brodeur is a certified public accountant who began his career at Ernst & Young. He earned a bachelor's of science degree in business administration and accountancy at California State University, Long Beach, Calif.

About American TeleCare, Inc. (ATI)

Founded in 1993, American TeleCare (ATI) is the pioneer of intelligent monitoring and video-based telehealth technology. With proven experience in clinical process re-engineering, ATI works with leading healthcare organizations to put their patients at the center of care teams and supports them with best-in-class solutions. ATI systems connect continuous healing relationships and deliver essential information for clinical and self care. Ongoing monitoring and constant care of patients at home keeps them connected to clinical expertise and may help prevent acute events. The results: 100-200 percent increases in provider productivity and 65-95 percent reductions in emergency room and inpatient costs - achieved as care teams help physicians watch over, improve and maintain their patients' health. For more information, visit www.americantelecare.com. Then call 800-323-6667.

NOTE: American TeleCare will exhibit at the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) Annual International Meeting & Exposition, which will be held on April 26-28, 2009 at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nev. American TeleCare will be at booth #300.

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Contact Information DAVID AQUILINA

American TeleCare, Inc. (ATI)

http://www.americantelecare.com

612.922.5551

Stemedica Advances its Certification to Become a Licensed Manufacturer of Adult Stem Cells for U.S. Based Clinical Trials

Stemedica Advances its Certification to Become a Licensed Manufacturer of Adult Stem Cells for U.S. Based Clinical Trials

Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. announced today that it has filed with the Food and Drug Branch of the State of California's Department of Public Health for certification as a licensed manufacturer of adult stem cells for U.S.-based Phase I and Phase II Clinical Trials.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) February 25, 2009 -- Stemedica Cell Technologies (http://www.stemedica.com), Inc. ("Stemedica") announced today that it has filed with the Food and Drug Branch of the State of California's Department of Public Health for certification as a licensed manufacturer of adult stem cells for U.S.-based Phase I and Phase II Clinical Trials. Readiness for manufacture includes obtaining a California Drug Manufacturing License for the Stemedica facility in San Diego, California.

"Completion of this certification will allow us to manufacture stem cells under contract for clinical trials for Stemedica as well as for other companies and research centers in California and across the United States. This marks a significant milestone along the journey toward the future availability of stem cell treatment for patients who so urgently need it," said Dr. Maynard Howe, Vice Chairman and CEO at Stemedica.

To prepare for inspection, Stemedica fully reconstructed its facility according to FDA requirements, which had previously focused on research and development. Stemedica's manufacturing facility now includes a fully compliant manufacturing wing with entry-level gowning rooms, two ISO class 8 sterile gowning suites, an ISO Class 7 Manufacturing Clean Room, an ISO Class 7 Processing Clean Room, a Good Manufacturing Process compliant materials warehouse and a controlled-access Quality Control testing laboratory.

"As soon as Stemedica secures its license from the State of California's Department of Public Health, we plan on filing for one or more IND's (Investigative New Drug) for specific indications with the FDA using our proprietary technology. The final major step by the Food and Drug Branch within the Department of Public Health is an in-depth, in-person inspection by their personnel. We're particularly proud of the fact that we are ready for, and capable of, seeking licensing in California, which has exceptionally stringent standards," said Dr. Alex Kharazi, Vice President, Research & Manufacturing at Stemedica.

"Becoming a Licensed Manufacturer of clinical grade adult stem cells is a significant scientific and medical step forward for the Company," said Dr. Nikolai Tankovich, Stemedica's President and Chief Medical Officer. "Securing this status will allow us to become a primary CMO (Contract Manufacturing Organization) for other for-profit companies and the many research organizations interested in advancing stem cell research through clinical application. Additionally, achieving this regulatory status within the manufacturing world will provide Stemedica with the foundation to advance its own Phase I and Phase II Clinical Studies once approved by the FDA."

About Stemedica Technologies, Inc.

Stemedica Cell Technologies Inc. (www.stemedica.com (http://www.stemedica.com)) is a specialty biopharmaceutical company that is committed to the development and manufacture of best-in-class adult stem cells for use by approved research institutions and hospitals for pre-clinical and clinical studies. Within the United States, the Company is currently developing regulatory pathways for stroke, traumatic brain injury and wound repair. Outside the United States, Stemedica provides its adult stem cells to hospitals and research centers that are conducting studies under protocols approved by the appropriate regulatory agencies. These studies are focused on the treatment of neurodegenerative disease, sight restoration and wound repair. Stemedica is based in San Diego, California.

Media Contact for Stemedica: Dave McGuigan -- dmcguigan (at) stemedica.com.

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Contact Information Dave McGuigan

Stemedica Cell Technologies Inc

http://www.stemedica.com

+1 858 658 0910

Paving the Way for Peace in the Middle East with Mind-Body Skills

Paving the Way for Peace in the Middle East with Mind-Body Skills

Truce talks are gridlocked, but this mission to provide trauma relief to both sides of the conflict goes forward. Dr. James S. Gordon and his international team plans a training of health and mental health professionals in both Israel and Gaza--the only program of its kind working in both Israel and Gaza. After arriving February 28th, 2009. With The Center for Mind-Body Medicine's groundbreaking model which teaches self-care techniques (such as meditation, guided imagery, biofeedback, and yoga, as well as self-expression in words, drawing, and movement, all in a supportive small group), Dr. Gordon and his team will help heal the wounds of war and bring relief to those suffering following the devastating siege on Gaza.

Washington, D.C., Tel Aviv, and Gaza (PRWEB) February 23, 2009 -- As truce talks drag on between Israel and Gaza, James S. Gordon, M.D., the distinguished psychiatrist who leads the Washington D.C.-based Center for Mind-Body Medicine (http://www.cmbm.org), will on March 4, 2009 lead an international team of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish mental health professionals into Gaza in a groundbreaking effort to relieve population-wide psychological trauma in that war-devastated Israeli-occupied territory. The team will arrive in Israel February 28, 2009 and make their way to a border crossing.

For the last seven years, Dr. Gordon and his CMBM team have been working intensively with the traumatized population in Gaza and Israel separately and jointly -- they are the only organization doing so. During this time, they've trained 300 Israeli professionals and 90 in Gaza to develop comprehensive, scientifically based programs that are effectively treating widespread post traumatic stress disorder, major depression, anxiety, violence, and despair.

CMBM's pioneering program, which recently received a research award from the US Department of Defense, combines such mind-body techniques as meditation, guided imagery, biofeedback, and yoga with self-expression in words, drawings, and movement in a supportive small group setting.

CMBM's program is a powerful force for peace for those living in Gaza. Before the recent Israeli invasion, CMBM's Gaza team, which has treated 15-20,000 children and adults, was providing up to 75 ten-week long mind-body groups every three months. In the aftermath of the devastation, the number of groups has tripled. The CMBM approach is currently also being offered to hundreds of families that lost members in the conflict, to orphaned children, mothers with 'failure to thrive' infants, and depressed, suicidal, and violent children and adults.

A wealth of data supports and informs CMBM's unique, highly effective model, which has been used to help traumatized populations in postwar Kosovo, post-Katrina New Orleans, as well as Israel and Gaza, and is now being implemented on an increasingly large scale with US military returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and their families.

As Dr. Gordon says, "The CMBM model is welcomed by people of all ages and races around the world because it is educational, non-stigmatizing, and demonstrably beneficial. It can be easily taught and can be used by all people of all ages on their own." Dr. Gordon describes this groundbreaking approach in his newest book Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression (Penguin Press; June 2008).

The results of CMBM's program are astonishing. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the use of the model with war-traumatized children in Kosovo -- the first RCT of any intervention with war-traumatized children -- was published in the prestigious Journal of Clinical Psychiatry in 2008; it showed an 80% decrease in symptoms following 12 sessions of mind-body skills groups. Also, data collected on the first 500 children and 600 adults in the CMBM Gaza program revealed significant decreases in symptoms of PTSD and depression and anger and increased hopefulness in those who participated in CMBM groups, gains which were largely maintained even during the ongoing siege of Gaza at six months' follow-up.

After four days working with the CMBM faculty in Israel and visiting with people affected by the Palestinian shelling in Sderot and Ashkelon, Dr. Gordon and his team will enter Gaza. During the first several days, they will visit with some of the thousands who have sought out CMBM-trained counselors to help them deal with the loss of family members and friends. During the following five days, Dr. Gordon and his colleagues will supervise the 15-member CMBM Gaza leadership team as they prepare 150 more of the most committed mental health professionals, including school psychologists and school counselors, to offer CMBM's program to Gaza's devastated children and their families.

Journalists are invited to accompany Dr. Gordon as he meets with CMBM's Israeli staff prior to entering Gaza and visits Sderot, and as the team interviews individuals and families throughout Gaza. There will be opportunities for interviews with Dr. Gordon and his Palestinian leadership team, traumatized families who have been aided, as well as the possibility to observe the training program. A short article on Dr. Gordon's work in Gaza (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/health/views/13case.html?ref=health) which appeared in the New York Times.

Dr. Gordon is a dynamic public speaker with a wealth of personal stories of children and adults he has helped find healing in the midst of loss and despair. A respected and world-renowned expert in mind-body medicine, he can bring the human aspects of this story to life in any medium -- radio, television, or print -- with a warm, knowledgeable voice and his wealth of experience. He is available for immediate comment and interview.

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Contact Information Dr. Gordon EA

The Center for Mind-Body Medicine

http://www.cmbm.org

202-537-6837

Physicians Wellness Network Offers Online Laboratory Testing Services On Google Health

Physicians Wellness Network Offers Online Laboratory Testing Services On Google Health

webLAB™ ensures medical and legal compliance for consumer-selected lab tests

Jackson, Wyo. -- Physicians Wellness Network (PWN), the developer of webLAB, the first online consumer portal that connects consumers to laboratory testing services in a medically and legally compliant manner, today announced its integration with Google Health™, http://www.Google.com/Health

Consumers no longer need to go through the lengthy and often expensive process of scheduling multiple doctor appointments with several co-pays to get basic wellness tests such as a heart risk assessment. Instead they can select up to four basic lab tests online, starting at $54.95, using the webLAB wizard located in the Google Health Services Directory. The tests consumers order are conducted in a manner that fully complies with state and federal regulations. In addition, test results are delivered within a few days and can be stored in the consumer's Google Health account.

"webLAB makes it safe, easy and affordable for people to directly order lab tests online, then store and track the results electronically on Google Health," said John Eastman, director of business development for PWN. "With President Obama calling for a national system of electronic health records within five years, webLAB's integration with Google Health will provide momentum toward this initiative."

Google Health allows consumers to store and manage their medical records online, in one central place for free. Consumers can build online health profiles, import medical records and connect to online health services such as webLAB.

After a consumer selects one of four lab tests using webLAB on Google Health, a PWN physician provides prescriptive authority for the test to be conducted. The consumer then has their blood sample drawn at a local lab and a result is produced. A PWN physician reviews and releases the result to the consumer within a few days so that it can be imported into the consumer's Google Health account. A PWN representative follows up with the consumer in the event a critical value is presented in the result.

PWN offers four basic wellness tests with webLAB: Diabetes Risk Assessment; General Wellness; Heart Risk Assessment; and, Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment.

About Physicians Wellness Network

Physicians Wellness Network is the leading provider of compliance services for online wellness screening tests. Through a trusted national network of 250 credentialed physicians dedicated to connecting consumers with their own health information, PWN delivers what no one else in the industry can--fully compliant, private blood testing for consumers in every state. The network's unique, online data system--webLAB™--connects health consumers with laboratory testing and accurate results in a private and secure environment.

PWN was founded in 2001 and is a subsidiary of DocTalk, Inc. For more information, call 888-362-4321 or visit www.physicianswellnessnetwork.com.

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Contact Information Suzanne Fedoruk

For Physicians Wellness Network

http://www.physicianswellnessnetwork.com

612-861-7807

Carestream Molecular Imaging Releases Western Blot Kits For Added Convenience, Better Performance

Carestream Molecular Imaging Releases Western Blot Kits For Added Convenience, Better Performance

Carestream Molecular Imaging today released convenient, cost-effective kits for performing western blots -- a popular analytical technique used to detect proteins.

New Haven, CT (Vocus) February 23, 2009 -- Carestream Molecular Imaging, a division of Carestream Health, Inc., today released convenient, cost-effective kits for performing western blots (http://mistore.carestreamhealth.com) -- a popular analytical technique used to detect proteins. KODAK X-SIGHT Western Kits provide industry-leading components and step-by-step protocols designed to deliver peak performance from X-SIGHT Nanosphere Conjugates in western blots.

"The X-SIGHT Nanosphere Conjugates, when used with the components supplied in the Western Kit, outperformed our current western blot method," said Kevin McCarthy, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pathology, LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport. "The whole process was faster, easier and the signal obtained was immediate, more stable and brighter -- with less background noise."

KODAK X-SIGHT Western Kits are built on X-SIGHT Nanospheres (http://mistore.carestreamhealth.com), which are available in four distinct wavelengths including three in the near-IR range. The kits are offered in several different wavelength combinations that include up to three X-SIGHT Nanosphere Conjugates, making them ideal for multiplex applications (http://mistore.carestreamhealth.com). Each kit is optimized for 10 blots and includes best-in-class membranes and buffers to achieve high signal-to-noise ratios. A separate Accessory Kit is also available for use with any of the X-SIGHT Nanosphere Conjugates or any other commercially available fluorescently-labeled secondary antibody conjugate (nanoparticle or dye).

The new kit delivers added productivity and can reduce costs when compared with purchasing each component separately or in larger quantities than may be necessary. Components suppliers include Fisher BioReagents (Fairlawn, NJ) part of Thermo Fisher Scientific and Millipore Corporation (Billerica, Mass.).

The kits are available worldwide. U.S. customers can place orders directly or through channel partners. For more information, go to http://mistore.carestreamhealth.com.

About Carestream Molecular Imaging

Carestream Molecular Imaging group, a division of Carestream Health, Inc., develops and markets high performance digital imaging systems, imaging agents, film and accessories under the KODAK brand for the life science research and drug discovery/development market segments. For more information, visit mi.carestreamhealth.com or call 1-877-747-4357, express code 7. Outside of the United States, call 1-203-786-5657.

About Carestream Health, Inc.

Carestream Health, Inc., is a leading provider of dental and medical imaging systems and healthcare IT solutions; molecular imaging systems for the life science research and drug discovery/development market segments; and x-ray film and digital x-ray products for the non-destructive testing market. Headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., and serving customers in more than 150 countries, Carestream Health is an independent company operating within the family of companies owned by Onex Corporation (TSX: OCX.TO) of Toronto, Canada. For more information about Carestream Health, contact your Carestream Health representative or visit www.carestreamhealth.com.

KODAK is a trademark of Kodak used under license.

X-SIGHT is a trademark of Carestream Health.

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Contact Information Jim Barillo

Carestream Health, Inc.

http://mistore.carestreamhealth.com

585-627-6440

Robette Brooks

CCS PR

303-699-8861

Reprints Desk Named to "KMWorld 100 Companies that Matter in Knowledge Management" List

Reprints Desk Named to "KMWorld 100 Companies that Matter in Knowledge Management" List

Reprints Desk, Inc., the content workflow company, today announced that the company has been named as one of "KMWorld's 100 Companies that Matter in Knowledge Management" by KMWorld Magazine.

Los Angeles, Calif. (PRWEB) February 23, 2009 -- Reprints Desk, Inc., the content workflow company (http://www.reprintsdesk.com/main/home.aspx), today announced that the company has been named as one of "KMWorld's 100 Companies that Matter in Knowledge Management" by KMWorld Magazine.

KMWorld's annual list, now in its eighth year, is compiled by knowledge management (KM) practitioners, theorists, analysts, vendors, and customers. Companies that have previously been named to the list include Google, Apple, Oracle, SAP, and EMC.

"Each company embodies as part of its culture agile and limber execution of its mission, embracing a spirit of both adaptability and innovation," said Hugh McKellar, KMWorld editor in chief.

In 2008, Reprints Desk achieved a number of accomplishments:

• Ranked first overall and in each category within the Document Delivery (http://www.reprintsdesk.com/main/docdel_overview.aspx) Best Practices and Vendor Scorecard Report published by Outsell, Inc.

• Served more than 50% of the world's top-50 pharmaceutical companies

• Launched eCTD Article Service (http://www.reprintsdesk.com/main/news.aspx) for regulatory submissions

• Established an office in Germany to support European sales

• Became a document supplier on FIZ Karlsruhe's full-text broker service FIZ AutoDoc

• Signed an agreement with the Copyright Clearance Center to integrate rights management from Rightsphere into the document delivery workflow

Reprints Desk is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and was founded in 2006 by document delivery pioneer Peter Derycz. The company provides software services that simplify how healthcare companies and other research-oriented enterprises procure, manage, and share peerreviewed journal articles and other copyright-protected content.

About KMWorld

The leading information provider serving the Knowledge, Document and Content Management systems market, KMWorld informs more than 50,000 subscribers about the components and processes - and subsequent success stories - that together offer solutions for improving business performance. KMWorld is a publishing unit of Information Today, Inc.

About Reprints Desk ®

Reprints Desk, Inc. (www.reprintsdesk.com), is a content technology and services company that simplifies how healthcare companies and other enterprises procure, manage and share scientific journal articles and other copyright-protected content. The company's workflow solutions and end user tools help customers effectively use peer-reviewed literature in product promotions, regulatory submissions, and research. A channel supplier for more than 100 scientific, technical, and medical (STM) publishers, Reprints Desk currently serves more than half of the world's Top-50 pharmaceutical companies and earned the #1 ranking in the 2008 Document Delivery Vendor Scorecard by Outsell, Inc. Reprints Desk is a Derycz Scientific, Inc. (OTC: DYSC.PK) company. For more information about Reprints Desk, contact Ian Palmer at +1 (707) 658-1931.

Public and Media Relations Contacts:

Ian Palmer, Head of Marketing

Reprints Desk, Inc. | +1 707.658.1931

ipalmer @ reprintsdesk.com

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Contact Information Ian Palmer

Reprints Desk

http://www.reprintsdesk.com

707.658.1931

The first Intervention About Women Compulsive Gamblers Airs on A&E February 23, 2009 at 9 PM: Williamsville Wellness will be Featured

The first Intervention About Women Compulsive Gamblers Airs on A&E February 23, 2009 at 9 PM: Williamsville Wellness will be Featured

The show will be about an intervention and the growing problem of female compulsive gambling. Ten years ago only 3% of compulsive gamblers were women, today that figure is 46% or higher. Williamsville Wellness (located in Hanover, VA) specializes in treating compulsive gambling, is licensed to treat compulsive gambling (one of the only such licensed treatment centers in the US), encourages women gamblers with scholarships and a safe serene setting, and offers an individual approach to treating gambling addiction.

Hanover, VA (PRWEB) February 22, 2009 -- The first intervention about women compulsive gamblers airs on A&E February 23, 2009 at 9 PM. Williamsville Wellness will be featured.

Williamsville Wellness (located in Hanover, VA) specializes in treating compulsive gambling, is licensed to treat compulsive gambling (one of the only such licensed treatment centers in the US), encourages women gamblers with scholarships and a safe serene setting, and offers an individual approach to treating gambling addiction.

The Williamsville Plantation House, built more than 200 years ago, has been restored and has all modern conveniences and comforts, but retains the charm and serenity of a 19th Century manor. Neighbors like Patrick Henry visited the plantation and enjoyed its hospitality years and years ago, and patients will enjoy the same charm and hospitality now.

Williams Wellness offer a unique approach of mental, holistic, and physical therapy, offers patients the promise of freedom from gambling and a positive outlook and approach to life. The setting promotes wellness, introspection, safety and security, and aim to make the stay both pleasant and rewarding.

Williamsville Wellness provides an integrated approach to the process of recovery. The clinical director is Sherman Master, MD who manages a staff of psychologists, peer counselors, massage therapists, art therapists, personal trainers, hypnotists and specialized counselors, who all work together to create a synergy that accelerates the process of healing and change and promotes recovery in the shortest possible time.

The facility offers unique treatment plan developed with individual therapy and counseling, that leads to an understanding of the underlying problem, to abstinence, and to an improved life for the long term. Combined with group sessions and GA meetings, the approach creates a treatment program that offers the best chance of long term success.

Compulsive gambling is a progressive illness which is diagnosable and treatable. It affects the gambler, the family, the employer, and the community. It is called the "hidden illness" since there is no smell on the breath nor stumbling of steps or speech. Nonetheless, a gambling addiction is as debilitating as alcohol or drug addiction.

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Contact Information Bob Cabaniss

Williamsville Wellness

http://www.nongambler.com

804-869-9725