1stopstation: March 2005

Thursday, March 31, 2005

New UCSF Global Health Initiative Will Help Bridge Gap Between Knowledge, Action

UCSF and SEEK Development, a global health and development consulting group based in Berlin, Germany, have launched an international partnership that aims to improve global health by helping to turn scientific evidence into policy and action. The Evidence-to-Policy Initiative, or E2Pi, officially launches this week in San Francisco and Berlin, Germany.

San Francisco, CA (Vocus) April 6, 2010

“For many of the world’s major health challenges – including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and maternal and child deaths – a failure to translate evidence on what works into practical health policies is costing lives,” said Sir Richard Feachem, director of the UCSF Global Health Group, which is leading the collaboration.

E2Pi aims to help address some of these challenges by closing the gap between what is known and what gets done in practice.

“The gap between available scientific knowledge and its application in solving global health problems is one of the reasons why poor countries suffer such a high burden of disease and premature death,” said Feachem, who was formerly the founding executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. “E2Pi will help to address this issue by conducting rigorous and independent analyses of the available research evidence leading to specific, action-oriented recommendations to policy - and decision-makers.”

Funding for the initiative’s first three years is provided by a $3.2 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

E2Pi has already produced a series of briefings summarizing evidence of progress in tackling eight global health priorities (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, polio, immunization, maternal and child health, nutrition, and neglected tropical diseases). These briefings supported the launch of the Living Proof Project, an advocacy campaign spearheaded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that aims to sustain and increase investments in global health (www. livingproofproject. org).

E2Pi is led by a team of policy and research experts, supported by a wider international network of global health specialists. The U. S. hub for the project, based at the UCSF Global Health Group, is led by Gavin Yamey, M. D., a physician and former senior editor at two influential open access global health journals: PLoS Medicine and PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. The European hub, at SEEK Development, is directed by Christina Schrade, who has held senior positions at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and was a manager at McKinsey & Company, a leading management consulting firm.

About the UCSF Global Health Group
The Global Health Group (GHG) of UCSF Global Health Sciences is an “action tank” dedicated to identifying, elaborating and translating innovative solutions to major global health challenges into large-scale action to advance health and save lives in low - and middle-income countries. For more information, visit http://globalhealthsciences. ucsf. edu/GHG (http://globalhealthsciences. ucsf. edu/GHG).

About SEEK Development
SEEK Development is a consulting firm based in Berlin, Germany, that is dedicated to supporting and shaping human development globally. SEEK provides specialized support to leading institutions in global development in the areas of strategy and policy, organizational evaluation and development, knowledge generation and advocacy.

About UCSF
UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. For further information, please visit www. ucsf. edu.

Contact:
Kristen Bole
(415) 476-2557

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Psychiatrist Examines Effects of Video Game Play on Children

New Book Explores Psychological, Social, Physical and Educational Issues

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) January 7, 2009

Since the advent of faster game consoles, more realistic artwork and longer game play, two things have occurred in the video game market: it has grown into a record $1.7 billion industry, and the heated debate among the media, parents' groups, law makers, and game companies, over what effect videos games have on children - has gotten even hotter.

A new book, Video Game Play and Addiction: A Guide for Parents (http://videogameplayandaddiction. com/) (iUniverse) aims to clarify both sides of the controversy, while offering the definitive assessment of video games' impact on children, including on their physical and emotional health, and educational and social development.

Written by Dr. Kourosh Dini, a Chicago-based psychiatrist known for his work with children, adolescents and adults, Video Game Play and Addiction provides advice for parents overwhelmed and under informed about the games their children play. Dr. Dini's solutions are based on years of personal and professional research, interviews and an almost endless supply of resource material documenting both the good and not-so-favorable.

"Games have lots of benefits, which unfortunately, parents aren't always aware of when the only games they're exposed to are the controversial violent ones targeted to more mature players," says Dr. Dini. "Age appropriate multi-player video games can allow children to learn how other people think - a key aspect of empathy. Games can also help a child become more comfortable with new and ever progressing technology."

Video Game Play and Addiction is the first book of its kind covering children and game play: its author is both a psychiatrist and a long-timer gamer - and it's this background that enables him to provide parents with a unique perspective on video game issues. This perspective also serves as a foundation for some of the most cohesive solutions offered today.

While discussing the various game genres in an engaging and parent-friendly manner, Dr. Dini shines the spotlight on many topics ranging from; improved learning and communications skills, emotional and mental health, aggression, motivational and withdrawal issues.

Of particular interest to parents will be Dr. Dini's discussion on the topic of video game addiction. Though pundits and talk show hosts have been quick to categorize extended periods of game play as 'dangerously addictive', the American Medical Association (AMA) is reluctant to define video game addiction as a mental illness. Earlier this year they concluded that more time was needed for study and research of the topic before making a determination on a problem that affects a mere 10 percent of all gamers. Nonetheless, 'problematic' game play is covered here in great detail as Dr. Dini provides a comprehensive review of the warning signs, causes and consequences of such behavior. "To be sure, there are those who play problematically. Learning how to tell the difference can be critical toward promoting healthy development."

The book further demystifies and explains the video game industry's voluntary Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings, making it easier for more age appropriate and assured game rentals and purchases.

Intended for primarily for parents, media writers, legislators and medical professionals, Video Game Play and Addiction will also benefit gamers and others interested in learning more about keeping game play responsible, safe, stimulating and fun.

Video Game Play and Addiction: A Guide for Parents is available through iUniverse. com, Amazon. com, and www. videogameplayandaddiction. com, for $15.95 retail.

About the Author
Dr. Kourosh Dini is an author, classically-trained pianist, composer, and Chicago area psychiatrist specializing in work with children, adolescents and adults. He received his MD from the University of Illinois at Chicago where he also completed his adult psychiatric residency. The topic of gaming was a central thesis in his Child and Adolescent Fellowship training at the University of Chicago. Currently, he continues his therapeutic training at Chicago's Institute for Psychoanalysis.

His interest in video games goes back 20 years beginning with Super Mario Brothers and Mortal Combat, continuing through Myst, Doom, the World of Warcraft series, and to the Grand Theft Auto series and Fallen 3.

Dr. Dini's lifelong interest in virtual worlds recently ascended to exciting new levels with the introduction of live, Video Game Play and Addiction-related seminars within the hugely popular, Second Life game (secondlife. com).

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Oxygen Media Technology As Revolutionary As Its Content

(PRWEB) March 20, 2000

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

March 20, 2000

Contact: Eric Hartsock

410-604-1796

With Help From Baltimore Company,

Oxygen Media's Approach To Technology

Is As Revolutionary As Its Content

The hubs and servers that catalog and process all the advertising insertions, rates and contracts data for the nation's most prominent cable television and Internet channel for women, are housed and managed by Z-Cubed, a Baltimore-based company that has created a completely new category in the technology industry.

Z-Cubed, which is the first Managed Technology Center (MTC), manages the technological infrastructure for New York-based Oxygen Media in its Baltimore facility.

m o r e -

Z-Cubed, Oxygen Media/2--

Oxygen Media, which has already won praise for its revolutionary approach to content and content delivery and in bringing together the power of two media, the Internet and television, utilizes an approach to technology that is equally forward-thinking.

"First, a company would develop its own information technology (IT) departments. Then, when they realized that it was more efficient and cost-effective, they started to bring outside professionals on-site to handle IT management. Now companies like Oxygen Media have figured out that the easiest way to manage IT is to ship all the equipment and the headache of maintaining it off-site," said Pete Chakales, President and CEO of Z-Cubed.

As the first company to focus specifically on managing mission critical technology in its own stand-alone structure, Z-Cubed represents an attractive alternative to managing systems in-house or relying on Internet Service Providers, Application Service Providers, Managed Service Providers and other companies not specifically created for mission-critical operations. Z-Cubed houses and manages the mission-critical IT infrastructures for Fortune 500 companies in media, healthcare, e-commerce and other non-technological industries.

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As the first Managed Technology Center (MTC), Z-Cubed is the only company in the North America to house and manage mission critical systems for non-technology companies. For more information, please call Eric Hartsock at 410-604-1796.

On Tuesday, January 4th, 2005 Celebrate World Hypnotism Day

Self Hypnosis: A prescription for peace of mind

(PRWEB) December 30, 2004

As the world seems more and more in turmoil, one of the questions frequently heard is Â“How is it possible to stay centered and unafraid?Â” Even prior to September 11, the Globe and Mail Newspaper reported that in the past 30 years stress has increased in our daily life by 45%.

As people are looking for answers they are discovering the benefits of some of the more ancient arts, like meditation and self-hypnosis. The conscious mind can only focus on one thing at a time,Â” explains certified hypnotist Rick Allen of Fostoria, Â“so when the mind is focused on the breath, it has the effect of letting go of the stressful thoughts that normally occupy the mind. When we focus inwardly, letting go of the outward focus, our body immediately relaxes.Â”

Additional proven benefits of self hypnosis or meditation are the ability to learn to focus Â– ideal for students or anyone who is feeling fractured. In addition, self-hypnosis can help lower blood pressure and tension, help with negative eating patterns and enhance a healthy nightÂ’s sleep.

Â“We go in and out of trance unknowingly all the time,Â” explains Allen, Â“why not use it purposefully and to our benefit?Â”

For more information on World Hypnotism Day visit New Life Hypnosis Coaching Center on the web at on : www. newlifehypnosiscenter. com

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Torrance Home Instead Senior Care Supports Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk

Torrance Home Instead Senior Care is helping raise funds to fight Alzhemier's by sponsoring a team for Memory Walk™ on Nov. 1 in Los Angeles. The Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research. Those interested in participating as part of the Torrance Home Instead team should call 310-542-0563 or 1-800-FOR SENIORS.

Torrance, Calif. (PRWEB) October 21, 2009

Home Instead Senior Care serving Torrance, Palos Verdes and Marina del Rey is sponsoring a team for the Alzheimer's Association California Southland chapter as part of Memory Walk 2009. The Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk™ is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research. Held annually in hundreds of communities across the country, this inspiring event calls on volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against Alzheimer's.

"Every 70 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer's disease," said Denise de Cock, owner of Torrance Home Instead Senior Care. "Our CAREGiversSM witness the staggering impact of this disease not only on seniors but their families as well."

In Los Angeles, the 5K walk will be held Sunday, November 1 at 350 South Grand Ave., in downtown Los Angeles. The Home Instead Senior Care Torrance office is planning on fielding a team of 10 and is actively looking for team members. Those interested in participating should call 310-542-0563 or 1-800-FOR SENIORS.

An estimated 5.3 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's disease, according to 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, recently released by the Alzheimer's Association. Proceeds from Memory Walk 2009 will support the mission of the Alzheimer's Association to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

Home Instead Senior Care is the world's largest and most trusted provider of comprehensive companionship and home care services for seniors. These services are provided through a network of more than 850 franchise offices located throughout the world. The company's services are designed for practically any living arrangement where an older adult simply needs human interaction and help with day-to-day activities.

The Torrance office is one of nearly 200 Home Instead Senior Care offices throughout the United States participating in Memory Walk 2009.

For more information about the Alzheimer's Association, log on to http://www. alz. org/californiasouthland (http://www. alz. org/californiasouthland), and to learn more about Torrance Home Instead Senior Care log on to http://www. homeinstead. com/286 (http://www. homeinstead. com/286).

About Home Instead Senior Care, Torrance
Home Instead Senior Care/Torrance provides in-home senior care to clients in the South Bay, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, offering an unmatched level of integrity, trustworthiness and responsiveness. It is the only senior care provider in the South Bay with a comprehensive hiring and training program that ensures high quality care and reliable, personalized client service that consistently goes above and beyond expectations.

Through ongoing relationships with local senior care nonprofits, agencies, medical centers, assisted living facilities and other senior service providers, Home Instead Senior Care/Torrance has become the most informed source for senior care in the South Bay.
For more information, call 1-800-FOR SENIORS or visit www. homeinstead. com/286 (http://www. homeinstead. com/286).

Media Contact: Mary Blake, MB Writing & Consulting Group, (310) 376-3163 or 310-710-2755. mary@mbwriting. com.

About the Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's. For more information, visit www. alz. org.

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Ecstasy Use Drops in U. S

Ecstasy Use Drops in U. S.

Past-year use of the club drug among people over 12 declined by more than one million

(PRWEB) March 9, 2005

The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) issued its latest Research Report this year focusing on ecstasy abuse, citing that past-year use decreased from 3.2 million people over the age of 12 to 2.1 million from 2002 to 2003. The same report said past-month users dropped by more than 200,000.

This is good news, but ecstasy (MDMA) abuse has spread to a wide range of other settings and demographic subgroups than just raves in the past few years. Despite growing evidence of its harmful effects, ecstasy still has a deceptive reputation as a Â“safeÂ” drug among its abusers. The idea of just taking a pill with a design stamped on it makes it more attractive and appear less harmful. Additionally, popping a pill is more socially acceptable than snorting, smoking or injecting a drug.

While overall ecstasy use among teenagers has declined over the last couple of years, a survey of adolescents and young adults who reported ecstasy abuse found that more than a third of them were addicted and in need of treatment.

Due to the stimulant properties and the increased physical activity often associated with taking the drug, the result can be a dangerous increase in body temperature that produces dehydration and increased heart rate, while potentially leading to stress on the heart and cardiovascular failure. Additional potential adverse effects include nausea, chills, sweating, involuntary teeth clenching, muscle cramping and blurred vision.

There are other short term effects of the drug such as impaired memory, difficulty processing information and trouble performing skilled activities such as motor vehicle operation. According to NIDA, ecstasy users report feeling anxiety, restlessness, irritability, sadness and depression in the week following moderate exposure to the drug.

Regular MDMA abusers demonstrate elevated levels of anxiety, impulsiveness, aggression, sleep disturbances, lack of appetite, and reduced interest in and pleasure from sex. The cycle of addiction continues by taking more of the same drug to escape the condition brought on by that drug, all the while causing more damage mentally and physically.

One former ecstasy user summed up the drug's effects oh him saying, "I felt so much emotional pain and was so depressed that I wanted to end my life and take all of the world's pain with me." The young man has since become drug-free, but not without help.

American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard conducted extensive research in the field of drug detoxification and rehabilitation, which is the bases for one of the nationÂ’s largest and most successful drug rehabilitation and education programs, Narconon Arrowhead.

Thousands of individuals suffering from addiction to alcohol and drugs, including ecstasy, have been able to overcome the barriers to full recovery and now lead healthy, productive and drug-free lives all over the world thanks to Narconon Arrowhead.

For more information on ecstasy or how to help a loved one that is addicted to drugs or alcohol, contact Narconon Arrowhead today at 1-800-468-6933 or visit www. ecstasyaddiction. com or www. stopaddiction. com.

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RelayHealth, AHIMA, Trinity Health, Banner Health, and UCLA Medical Sciences to Present at the Institute for Health Technology Transformation's Winter Health IT Summit

The Institute for Health Technology Transformation announced today several key participants for their Winter Health IT Summit taking place February 9-10, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona.

New York (PRWEB) December 18, 2009 -

The Institute for Health Technology Transformation announced today several key participants for their Winter Health IT Summit taking place February 9-10, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Some of the featured participants at this year's Winter Health IT Summit include: RelayHealth; Paul Browne, SVP & CIO, Trinity Health; Judy Van Norman, Senior Director of Clinical Informatics, Banner Health; Archie Galbraith, Chief Technology Officer, UCLA Medical Sciences; and Linda Kloss, CEO, American Health Information Management Association.

Linda Kloss will present this year's opening Keynote presentation and will moderate the panel entitled "Stuffing Your Wallet: Financial Benefits from Electronic Health Information Exchange." RelayHealth will be participating as a speaker on the HIE Panel. "Having one of the premier providers of Web-based communication services that connects doctors and their patients is truly an incredible benefit for our attendees," said Waco Hoover, CEO, Institute for Health Technology Transformation. "Attendees will be able to discover how to analyze specific savings and revenue opportunities and how to cost-share expenditures across the network."

Paul Browne will be presenting a case study on Tuesday February 9th. Paul is currently responsible for all elements of the Trinity Health information services function including 1200 IS professionals in seven states. Paul is also responsible for Trinity's enterprise level Program Management Office (PMO). The PMO is responsible for development of Trinity's Annual Tactical Plan and coordination of programs and projects within the plan.

Judy Van Norman, of Banner Health, has also been selected to speak at this year's Summit. Judy currently leads the system-wide adoption of information technology to improve care delivery for Banner Health. Prior to Banner Health, Judy was the Assistant Vice Present of Clinical Systems at Memorial Hermann Healthcare System.

Archie Galbraith has been selected to speak on the very timely panel entitled "Privacy After ARRA: Opportunity or Challenge?" Archie has been working with UCLA for three years, and prior to that, he lead the Accenture global Electronic Medical Records practice and led the European Health provider's team.

Attendees of the Health IT Summit are industry leaders and senior executives from the healthcare community with the following job titles: Chief Information Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Chief Medical Informatics Officer, Physician, Practice Manager, VP and Director of IT.

The Winter Health IT Summit is designed to bring together C-level, physician, practice management and IT decision-makers from North America's leading provider organizations and physician practices. For two full days, executives interact with a national audience of peers, national leaders and solution providers featuring the latest solutions for practice management, mobility, telemedicine, outsourcing, IT infrastructure, next-generation electronic medical records, disease management, and more.

About the Institute for Health Technology Transformation
The Institute for Health Technology Transformation is the leading organization committed to bringing together private and public sector leaders fostering the growth and meaningful use of technology across the healthcare industry. Through collaborative efforts the Institute provides programs that drive innovation, educate, and provide a critical understanding of how technology applications, solutions and devices can improve the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare.
Www. ihealthtran. com

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LTD Management Company Opens Hyatt Place Richmond Airport Hotel is part of Forest City Enterprise's White Oak Village Development

A new 151-room Hyatt Place hotel opened today in Richmond, VA. The Hyatt Place Richmond Airport, located at 4401 South Laburnum Avenue in the Shops at White Oak Village, is two miles from Richmond International Airport, which accommodated nearly 3.5 million passengers in 2008 and features a new terminal dedicated in 2007. LTD Management Company, LLC, based in Chesapeake, developed and will manage the hotel.

Chesapeake, VA (PRWEB) May 21, 2009

A new 151-room Hyatt Place hotel opened today in Richmond, VA. The Hyatt Place Richmond Airport (http://richmondairport. place. hyatt. com/hyatt/hotels/place/index. jsp), located at 4401 South Laburnum Avenue in the Shops at White Oak Village (http://www. theshopsatwhiteoakvillage. com/), is two miles from Richmond International Airport (http://www. flyrichmond. com/), which accommodated nearly 3.5 million passengers in 2008 and features a new terminal dedicated in 2007. LTD Management Company, LLC (http://www. ltdmanagement. com/), based in Chesapeake, developed and will manage the hotel.

"The Hyatt Place Richmond Airport is for multi-tasking guests who want access to the latest technology in a casual atmosphere," said Malay Thakkar, Managing Partner for LTD. "We have blended contemporary décor with distinctive architecture and have chosen a location that is convenient to shopping, historical and cultural destinations as well as a NASCAR race."

Hyatt Place puts an emphasis on style and innovation. The common space, known as the Gallery features a self-registration kiosk, an intimate coffee and wine café, a TV den and an e-room with free access to a public computer and printer. Guests can enjoy a complimentary Continental breakfast, or they may purchase a variety of café quality items 24 hours a day, seven days a week via a touch screen menu in the Guest Kitchen or from the Guest Host. Starbucks® coffee is also available for guests to order.

The Hyatt Place Richmond Airport marks a new partnership forged between Global Hyatt and LTD Management. LTD is one of the first developers to develop Hyatt's new brand, Hyatt Place, from the ground up. The Hyatt Place Richmond Airport is the newest of 143 Hyatt Places around the United States.

This new development also highlights LTD's strategy of expanding its platform by partnering with large international real estate companies and developing institutional grade products in high barrier to entry, life style center markets. The Hyatt Place Richmond Airport is the first of four new projects developed in concert with Forest City Enterprises, a multi-billion dollar publicly traded real estate company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

The Hyatt Place Richmond Airport is steps away from more than forty specialty shops and restaurants including Chick-fil-A, Cracker Barrel, Longhorn Steakhouse, Qdoba Mexican Grill, and Red Lobster. Located at The Shops at White Oak Village, a retail and lifestyle shopping center featuring national, regional and local retailers, a grocery store and restaurants, the Hyatt Place Richmond Airport is conveniently accessible to retailers such as Target, Ukrop's, PetSmart, and OfficeMax.

The Hyatt Place Richmond Airport is a convenient destination with complimentary shuttle service to and from Richmond International Airport. Guests at the Hyatt Place Richmond Airport are minutes away from Fortune 500 firms such as Phillip Morris, USA and Capital One, or Educational and Healthcare centers such as Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Richmond, and the Medical College of Virginia. Guests can also take a day trip to historic sites and museums such as the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, historic St. John's Church and the James River Plantations. The hotel is also minutes away from the Richmond International Raceway.

Hyatt Place ranked "Highest in Guest Satisfaction among Mid-Scale Hotel Chains with Full-Service" by J. D. Power and Associates. For more information or reservations, call the Hyatt Place Richmond Airport at 804-549-4865 or visit the web site at http://hyattplacerichmondairport. com (http://hyattplacerichmondairport. com).

About Forest City
Forest City Enterprises, Inc., is a multibillion dollar NYSE-listed national real estate company. The Company is principally engaged in the ownership, development, management and acquisition of commercial and residential real estate throughout the United States.

LTD Management Company, L. L.C., is an award-winning hotel development and management group headquartered in Chesapeake, VA. Since its inception in 1983, LTD has developed a reputation for creating an atmosphere "where distinction reigns." The company currently operates 29 full service and limited service hotel properties throughout Virginia and Maryland. LTD has been ranked a Top 100 Management Company in Hotel Business for 2008 and 2009. With the highest possible standards in mind, LTD prides itself with developing quality hotels under the franchise brands of Starwood, Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and InterContinental. For more information, please visit www. ltdmanagement. com.

CONTACT:
Jennifer O'Neal
Joneal(at)seventhpoint. com

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Tuesday, March 29, 2005

FitBeats™ - The Fitness MP3 Leader “En Fuego” March 18th at Copper Mountain Resort

FitBeats™, the fitness MP3 leader, announced today that is will be sponsoring Team Yellow Designs at Copper Mountain Resort’s En Fuego on March 18th, 2006.

Denver, Colorado (PRWEB) March 15, 2006

FitBeats™, the fitness MP3 leader, announced today that is will be sponsoring Team Yellow Designs at Copper Mountain Resort’s En Fuego on March 18th, 2006. The Yellow Designs Stunt Team is an amazing group of riders that perform high-flying, mind-boggling BMX stunt shows and will be performing a special “Powered by FitBeats Stunt” and will prep for the show doing a FitBeats Warm Up Session.

FitBeats combines voice and music to a single MP3 for download at www. fitbeats. com.

“FitBeats™ is excited to do some creative events such as this,” according to co-founder Gregory Tanner. “This event will allow us to display what the FitBeats product is about because music and training is a big part of Team Yellow’s show. The Powered by FitBeats Trick will be very exciting, even I haven’t seen it yet.”

FitBeats is offered in English and Spanish and the latest spotlight on the Denver-based company comes from Go-Girl. com, a high-traffic website geared toward young women aiming for healthy living and academic success, with such features as GoStudy, GoSerious, and GoPlay feature alongside GoFitness, GoFashion, and GoCeleb. It’s all part of a balanced promotion advocating fitter and smarter girls. FitBeats was also covered in a unique section in the Inside Triathlon Gear Guide.

Along with sponsoring Team Yellow Designs, FitBeats™ sponsors Epic Triathlon, a Denver-area triathlon team, and is an Official Partner of the USA Triathlon Halfmax National Championships.

FitBeats™ continues its online offerings with training programs for a wide range of athletic endeavors. It has also been scientifically designed to meet the high demands of today’s on-the-go culture. Programs include cycling workouts, running and walking workouts, even an AbJam, to help athletes get through what to many is a chore: abdominal exercises.

Coming soon are programs for Marathon, 10K and First Triathlon training that collaborate with the coaches at D3 Multisport.

“Our coaches and athletes are the real deal,” Tanner said. “We all have competed at all levels of endurance sports, running, cycling, and triathlon. Most important is that we started as beginners at some point, so we understand what it takes to simply get out there and do the work. We are the trainers for the common working professional with athletic endeavors who happen to have a busy schedule. Whether it is to stay healthy and fit or to rise to the top of the field, FitBeats™ has found a way to make fitness easy and fun!”

More at www. fitbeats. com and www. yellowdesigns. com.

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Monday, March 28, 2005

NLN's Peer Reviewed Journal Nursing Education Perspectives Offers Glimpse into Nursing Education in a Post-Katrina World

Dr. Jane Sumner, a member of the NLN Board of Governors and associate professor and acting associate dean for undergraduate programs at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing tells the remarkable story of how this school of nursing in New Orleans fought to regain its footing

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 23, 2007

In the latest issue of Nursing Education Perspectives, the respected peer-reviewed bi-monthly journal of the National League for Nursing, Dr. Jane Sumner, a member of the NLN Board of Governors and associate professor and acting associate dean for undergraduate programs at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing, recounts the dramatic story of how students, faculty, and administration struggled to function off-site for a full year before returning to their home in New Orleans, following the devastating destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

From the time the levees were first breached in August 2005, recalled Dr. Sumner, the commitment to educating the next generation of nurses and nurse educators remained unwavering, even if that meant operating for a time in makeshift facilities and relying on the kindness of colleagues in other academic and clinical settings for a variety of critical needs.

Of the year spent in Baton Rouge, Dr. Sumner writes:

"It was an odd experience to teach in a movie theater. We felt dwarfed by our PowerPoints, which loomed overhead on a huge screen, while with no place to put material we did an odd sort of juggling dance to follow our own notes, manage the PowerPoint, and ensure that our students remained engaged.

"But, even as we functioned during that first year, we discovered the loneliness of not having a formal organization and a building to go to on a regular basis. We had not appreciated the function of the ordinary socialization that happens when colleagues gather."

While now back in New Orleans, a city far from restored to normalcy, the LSUHSC School of Nursing continues to provide a first-rate education. As Dr. Sumner observed, program undergraduates are returning to take master's and doctoral level courses, in tribute to their remarkable teachers who have modeled professional dedication. She noted:

Once again we are using evening and night shifts with clinical part-time faculty. But we are managing, and the students are gaining excellent experience. They are learning, in a very direct way, the flexibility, adaptability, and agility needed for practice in nursing today.

Dr. Sumner's full account in Nursing Education Perspectives of how, in those early days after the hurricane, nursing education kept on course within the LSUHSC system and how, surprisingly, the catastrophe provided a unique opportunity to plan a refashioned school of nursing, is attached.

Reporters/Editors: For interview opportunities, please call Karen R. Klestzick, chief communications officer at the NLN, at (212) 812-0376 or email kklestzick@nln. org.

Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education offering faculty development, networking opportunities, testing and assessment, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 22,000 individual and 1,100 institutional members.

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Biolink Names Jim McCarthy as Executive Editor for its Publications

Biolink Communications, Inc., a medical publishing and education company with special expertise in oncology communications, is pleased to announce the hiring of Jim McCarthy as its Executive Editor.

Huntington, NY (PRWEB) April 15, 2004

Biolink Communications, Inc., a medical publishing an education company with special expertise in oncology communications, is pleased to announce the hiring of Jim McCarthy as its Executive Editor.

McCarthy brings over three decades of oncology-editing experience to the firm. He is best known for his work as Founder and long-time Editorial Director of the journal ONCOLOGY. He has also served as editor of the journals Oncology News International and Primary Care & Cancer. McCarthy comes to Biolink from CMP Healthcare MediaÂ’s Oncology Publishing Group.

Â“The addition of Jim McCarthy is a real coup for our organization,Â” said Anthony Cutrone, President of Biolink. Â“He is an icon in the oncology publishing field. Having had the good fortune to work with Jim in the past, I know there is no one better to head up our editorial group as we continue to grow in this market.Â”

McCarthyÂ’s hiring comes at a time of tremendous growth at Biolink. The firm has scheduled the launch of two new publications in 2004: Community Oncology and The Oncology Report. Community Oncology is a peer-review journal with a novel editorial approach that connects research discoveries to healthcare delivery. The Oncology Report is a comprehensive report of the latest advances in cancer management presented at the major 2004 Oncology meetings. Biolink also publishes The Journal of Supportive Oncology, a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research and bench to bedside reviews related to the palliative and supportive care of patients with cancer.

About Biolink Communications

Biolink Communications, Inc. is an oncology publishing franchise based in Huntington, NY. It is the publisher of The Journal of Supportive Oncology, Community Oncology, and The Oncology Report. For more information, visit www. biolc. com or contact the Publisher, Anthony Cutrone, at (631) 424-8900 ext. 310 and anthony. cutrone@biolc. com.

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Sunday, March 27, 2005

CORRECTING and REPLACING AMD Foundation Launches ''AMD Changing the Game'' : New Initiative Designed to Enhance Education Through Game Development

Please replace the release dated June 1, 2008 with the following corrected version due to a replaced eleventh paragraph.

NEW YORK (PRWEB) June 3, 2008

The corrected release reads:

AMD FOUNDATION LAUNCHES ''AMD CHANGING THE GAME''

New Initiative Designed to Enhance Education Through Game Development

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the launch of AMD Changing the Game, the first initiative of the newly formed AMD Foundation. The AMD Changing the Game program is intended to improve critical technical and life skills by teaching kids to develop digital games with social content. The program is rooted in AMD's commitment and experience in supporting education with the company's passion and expertise in the gaming industry. The program's launch accompanies AMD's sponsorship and participation at the Fifth Annual Games for Change Festival to be held June 3 - 4 at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City.

AMD Changing the Game is a natural fit for AMD, which features products powering the visual experience of the two most popular gaming consoles in the world today1 and which recently launched AMD GAME!, a program designed to help consumers select perfectly suited PCs for high-definition gaming.

"We have a tremendous opportunity to harness the passion that kids have for gaming while teaching the skills they need to be successful in our 21st Century digital economy," said Dirk Meyer, AMD president and chief operating officer.

In addition to technical skills such as science, technology, engineering and math, digital games can be used to help teach youth how to be more engaged citizens, to see conflict from another's viewpoint and find positive ways to respond to challenging social issues such as poverty, hunger, disease, energy conservation, water use and global warming.

"Today's youth are highly concerned about social issues and the current generation of youth gamers is among the most socially conscious in history," said Suzanne Seggerman, co-founder and president of Games for Change. "The movement toward educating and engaging youth through digital games for change not only raises awareness of the importance of social issues, but gives youth an opportunity to make a difference. As this movement continues to build momentum, we believe that partnerships and grant support from leading technology companies like AMD will be critical to its success."

Through AMD Changing the Game, AMD Foundation grants will go to nonprofit organizations that inspire young people learn while creating games with social content. Employees will also support the initiative through volunteer opportunities. In its pilot year, the following organizations will be funded:

Girlstart, is an Austin, TX-based nonprofit organization created to empower middle and high school girls to excel in math, science, and technology. In the summer of 2008, the AMD Foundation's grant will enable 60 Girlstart participants to attend a program focused on games with social content. As a capstone project, girls will be creating a social awareness event in Teen Second Life, a virtual gathering place for teens 13-17 all over the world to make friends, play, learn and create. The Girlstart team will identify a social issue of importance to them and create an event in Teen Second Life that will help raise awareness and inspire action around the issue. Global Kids, is a Brooklyn, NY-based nonprofit organization that seeks to transform urban youth into successful students and global and community leaders. Through its grant to Global Kids' Playing for Keeps program, AMD has joined The Microsoft Corporation in enabling 20 young people from underserved communities to work with game developers to develop, create and distribute a game about the heroic role of residents following Hurricane Katrina. Last year, young people worked with developers in the Playing for Keeps program to create the game Ayiti: The Cost of Life which allows players to assume the role of impoverished people living in rural Haiti with the goal of meeting some key health, education and quality of life challenges. Institute for Urban Game Design, is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization teaching science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills through the hands-on creation of digital games. Beginning in the summer of 2008, the AMD Foundation's grant will enable IUGD participants to apply their learning in 3-D modeling, animation and computer programming to the development of a game focused on the issue of energy usage. Students will learn about and explore the social issues associated with different types of energy. Science Buddies is a national, non-profit organization based in California's Silicon Valley offering a variety of web-based tools that help K-12 students explore science through research-based projects often done at Science Fairs and other school and community events. AMD Foundation's grant will enable Science Buddies to launch a Video and Computer Games Interest Area on its site aimed at helping students understand and practice what is required to design digital games. AMD volunteers will work with Science Buddies staff scientists to develop project ideas to spark student interest in exploring topics such as human behavior in games, ergonomics, game design and programming and the incorporation of social or educational content in games. As part of launching the Games for Change Festival, the AMD Foundation is sponsoring "Let the Games Begin," a day-long workshop for nonprofit organizations focusing on how to create social issue games. The workshop will feature interactive lectures by some of the nation's leading authorities on social issue game development and cover fundamentals such as game design, fundraising, evaluation, youth participation, distribution and press strategies.

Following the Festival, the AMD Foundation and Games for Change plan to co-produce a how-to digital toolkit for nonprofits that includes examples of games with social content, interviews with key experts and additional guidance for nonprofits creating social issue games for the first time.

AMD is also working with PETLab, a joint project of Games for Change and Parsons The News School, to create a social issue game development curriculum for youth. The curriculum is expected to be piloted in the fall of 2008.

For more information about AMD Changing the Game, including a video and other materials, visit www. amd. com/changingthegame (http://www. amd. com/changingthegame). Also visit AMD Unprocessed on Facebook for additional information and regular updates.

About AMD

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is a leading global provider of innovative processing solutions in the computing, graphics and consumer electronics markets. AMD is dedicated to driving open innovation, choice and industry growth by delivering superior customer-centric solutions that empower consumers and businesses worldwide.

About the AMD Foundation

The AMD Foundation connects and empowers individuals with knowledge, thereby opening doors to opportunity.

Foundation assets are specifically invested in: Initiatives that inspire and facilitate science, technology, engineering and math learning for current and future generations (STEM skills); Support of employees' community interests by matching their personal donations of time and money to local organizations and schools (AMD Employee Giving Program); Contributions of aid when disaster strikes the communities where we operate (Disaster Relief).

About Games for Change

Games for Change (G4C) provides support, visibility and shared resources to individuals and organizations using digital games for social change, giving special assistance to non-profits and foundations entering the field. G4C was formed in 2004 as a sub-group of the Serious Games Initiative. Today, G4C acts as a national hub to help organizations network and develop videogame projects beyond their traditional expertise. Its members represent hundreds of organizations and include partners in the games industry, academia, nonprofits, local and state governments, foundations, the UN and artists.

©2008, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.

1 See VG Chartz

MULTIMEDIA GALLERY http://www. businesswire. com/cgi-bin/mmg. cgi? eid=5698623 (http://www. businesswire. com/cgi-bin/mmg. cgi? eid=5698623)

Saturday, March 26, 2005

New, Safe Playground to Be Built at Southwest Philadelphia Child Development Center

Keystone Mercy Health Plan, Wachovia Bank, a Wells Fargo Company, and Greater Philadelphia Health Action, Inc. Team up to build a new, safe playground at Woodland Academy Child Development Center

Philadelphia, Pa. (Vocus) June 18, 2010

Keystone Mercy Health Plan, the largest Medical Assistance managed care organization in Pennsylvania, will partner with Wachovia Bank, a Wells Fargo Company, and Greater Philadelphia Health Action, Inc. in a day-long construction of a new, ‘safe’ playground at Woodland Academy Child Development Center in Southwest Philadelphia, as part of Keystone Mercy’s Safe Playground program. The program’s mission is to reduce the number of preventable injuries suffered by children, as well as addressing childhood obesity by encouraging healthy, physical activity through the construction of safe play areas. More than 50 volunteers will participate in the ‘build,’ including Anne Morrissey, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Keystone Mercy Health Plan; Ron Heigler, chief executive officer and executive director, Greater Philadelphia Health Action, Inc.; Vince Liuzzi, regional president, Greater Philadelphia/Delaware, Wachovia Bank, a Wells Fargo Company; and Sharon Neilson, director, Woodland Academy Child Development Center.

The groundbreaking ceremony will begin at 7:30 a. m. on Friday, June 18, 2010, with the construction of the playground to begin immediately thereafter.
Keystone Mercy Health Plan and PA State Rep. Kenyata Johnson will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:45 p. m. to celebrate the completion of the 1,300 square foot playground. After the ribbon cutting, children from the academy will get to play on the newly constructed play area.

Woodland Academy Child Development Center provides day care and youth services for children ages six-weeks to 14 years old. The center opened in 1990 and accomodates 36 kids, today.

In a 2005 survey of nationally recognized pediatricians conducted by Harris Interactive, 96 percent of the respondents said they believed that activity on playgrounds benefits the mental and social development of children, 89 percent said that play keeps children from becoming overweight and 82 percent agreed that play develops a child’s problem-solving skills, which may lead to increases in academic performance.

This will be the eighth playground built since Keystone Mercy Health Plan launched its program in 2007 and will be the fourth built in Philadelphia. The company and its partners have also built similar playgrounds in Chester Township and Norristown.

Who: Ground Breaking Attendees
Anne Morrissey, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Keystone Mercy Health Plan Ron Heigler, chief executive officer and executive director, Greater Philadelphia Health Action, Inc. Vince Liuzzi, regional president, Greater Philadelphia/Delaware, Wachovia Bank, a Wells Fargo Company Sharon Neilson, director, Woodland Academy Child Development Center

Playground Build Attendees
50 volunteers from Keystone Mercy, Woodland Academy and Wachovia Bank, a Wells Fargo Company 25 Woodland Academy Children

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Hon. Kenyata Johnson, state representative, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Anne Morrissey, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Keystone Mercy Health Plan Ron Heigler, chief executive officer and executive director, Greater Philadelphia Health Action, Inc. Vince Liuzzi, regional president, Greater Philadelphia/Delaware, Wachovia Bank, a Wells Fargo Company Sharon Neilson, director, Woodland Academy Child Development Center

When: Friday, June 18, 2010
7:30 a. m. – Ground Breaking
8:30 a. m. - 2:30 pm – Playground Build
2:45 p. m. – Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Where: Woodland Academy Child Development Center
5401 Grays Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19143

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Friday, March 25, 2005

EBay President Keynote, Advanced Business Solutions, Highlight Professional eBay Sellers Alliance We

EBay North America President William C. Cobb impressed a lot of sometimes-disgruntled top eBay sellers this weekend, bringing 16 eBay and PayPal colleagues and delivering a well-received keynote address to the 10/27-29 Professional eBay Sellers Alliance (PESA, www. gopesa. org) Summit event in Austin, Texas, sponsored by UPS.

Pittsfield, NH (PRWEB) November 4, 2005

eBay North America President William C. Cobb impressed a lot of sometimes-disgruntled top eBay sellers this weekend, bringing 16 eBay and PayPal colleagues and delivering a well-received keynote address to the 10/27-29 Professional eBay Sellers Alliance (PESA, www. gopesa. org) Summit event in Austin, Texas, sponsored by UPS.

A new health care plan, seminars on advanced business solutions, a hotly-contested election and a benefit raffle for hurricane victims all highlighted the event. PESA is the nonprofit trade association comprised of over 800 high-volume eBay sellers representing over seventy million eBay transactions and $1 billion in eBay sales annually.

PESA’s Atlanta Summit in March was attended by nearly 200 of the largest eBay sellers, and was featured in the heralded CNBC special, “The eBay Effect – Inside a Worldwide Obsession,” aired in June and July. This weekend’s event had a similarly robust showing of large sellers who average over $1 million/year on eBay, just topping Atlanta’s attendance.

Bill Cobb’s keynote address, representing the first time a direct report to eBay CEO Meg Whitman has formally addressed the nonprofit trade association, and the participation of so many top eBay managers, is seen by many PESA members as a high water mark in the relationship between eBay (www. ebay. com) and its professional selling community. Recent studies have revealed that over 700,000 Americans sell professionally on eBay.

PESA Executive Director Jonathan Garriss commented, “At the beginning of 2005, eBay made a promise to listen to its community more intently. With the participation of Bill Cobb at our Fall Summit, it is clear that the fulfillment of that promise is being led from the top.”

That sentiment was echoed by many PESA members. PESA Events Committee member Adam Hersh (Adam Hersh Auctions) commented, “Bill Cobb blew me away in that respect, mingling with the crowd, taking the bus with members, and coming to the evening reception – all the while addressing the tough questions head-on.”

The eBay executive had participated in the June PESA fundraiser event at eBay Live! in which PESA member Jack Sheng of eForcecity won a roller coaster ride with Cobb for $4,000. All proceeds were donated to the NetSmartz program (www. netsmartz. org) of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (www. missingkids. org) and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

The Austin Summit gave members an opportunity to learn more about PESA’s recently-announced partnership with Fairview Insurance. According to Garriss, the agency “will work with our members to identify their specific needs and help obtain competitively priced, high-quality insurance including health, dental, vision, property, casualty, liability, and workers compensation. For health insurance in particular, the next step is the creation of a national healthcare program allowing us to take advantage of our size such that we can implement an even more cost-effective program.”

Other topics explored in Summit plenary sessions included shipping solutions, buyer confidence, accounting and human resources, and selling on Amazon. com. Member roundtable discussions, in which the leading professional eBay sellers share and learn business-advancing insights, were a hugely popular component of the event. PESA Chairman and Founder Joe Cortese opened the proceedings on Friday, and Garriss gave a state-of-the-organization welcome on Saturday.

PESA members donated items for a 50/50 raffle to benefit hurricane relief. The prize list was fun and eclectic, such as three framed Star Wars posters, a set of 28 full-color movie poster books, and four men’s shirts – including a Motley Crue Nikki Sixx tattoo design dagger shirt.

UPS (www. ups. com) was the title sponsor of the event, and presented a plenary session on shipping solutions. Additional sponsors include buySAFE (www. buysafe. com), Infopia (www. infopia. com), Intuit (www. intuit. com), SquareTrade (www. squaretrade. com), and Austin-based U-Ship (www. uship. com).

About PESA

The Professional eBay Sellers Alliance (PESA) is a non-profit trade association comprised of over 800 high-volume eBay sellers generating over seventy million eBay transactions $1 billion in eBay sales annually. PESA provides a forum for members to exchange innovative and creative ideas and business solutions; promotes the highest levels of professionalism, fairness, honesty, and integrity in online trade; and represents a collective voice of top sellers. For more information, please visit www. gopesa. org.

Contacts:

David Yaskulka, Chair, PESA Marketing

908-212-3316

Jonathan Garriss, Executive Director, PESA

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Wednesday, March 23, 2005

The SCOOTER Store Celebrates 350,000th Delivery of Power Mobility Equipment and Their Commitment to Excellent Service

California Man Receives Power Wheelchair that Will Increase His Freedom and Mobility

New Braunfels, TX (PRWEB) July 25, 2008

The SCOOTER Store (http://www. thescooterstore. com) announced today that it recently made its 350,000th delivery of power mobility equipment, a major milestone for the company, which has improved freedom and independence for people living with physical disabilities for the past 17 years.

Arnie Gallegos, 32, of Blythe, Calif. was the recipient of a Jazzy 614HD power chair. Like others before him, the mobility equipment has made a big difference in his life. "He really enjoys it," said his father, Valdo Gallegos, whose son suffers from Down syndrome.

The SCOOTER Store has been improving the quality of life for seniors and people living with disabilities since it opened in 1991.

"We understand the importance of mobility for people who suffer from illnesses and conditions that limit their mobility," said Doug Harrison, CEO and Founder of The SCOOTER Store. "It's heartening to provide mobility equipment (http://www. thescooterstore. com) that can dramatically change someone's life. At The SCOOTER Store, we recognize the importance of mobility, and we all work diligently to get the right mobility equipment to the people who need it to improve their quality of life."

Moreover, Mr. Harrison noted that The SCOOTER Store is also committed to excellence and has been a strong supporter over the years for improving quality standards in the power mobility industry and urging that suppliers be fully accredited to serve Medicare beneficiaries. The SCOOTER Store, which is the nation's largest supplier of power mobility equipment, has been accredited since 2003. The company has received a 98.7% customer satisfactory rating from Senior Approved Services, a leading consumer rating service.

"The reality is that we serve some of the most vulnerable people in our society," Mr. Harrison said. "We are honored for the opportunity to help them improve their mobility."

The SCOOTER Store has also been a corporate good citizen. The company operates a "Gift of Mobility" program, which provides more than $200,000 worth of free power wheelchairs (http://www. thescooterstore. com/products/powerchairs. aspx) and scooters each year to people who don't have the resources to obtain them. In 2007, The SCOOTER Store provided 112 men, women and children with free power wheelchairs and scooters. The equipment improved the quality of life for people with physical disabilities who lacked coverage through private health insurance or Medicare.

Working with esteemed community service agencies, such as The Dream Foundation, American Red Cross, ADL Foundation/Mobility Aids for the Uninsured and National Chronic Pain Society, The SCOOTER Store has made Gift of Mobility donations throughout the country.

"The Gift of Mobility program exemplifies our values," Mr. Harrison said. "It is our way to give something back to those who need it most. We look forward to continuing to improve independence and mobility for people living with disabilities."

About The SCOOTER Store

Since 1991, The SCOOTER Store has helped provide freedom and independence to more than 350,000 people with limited mobility. The SCOOTER Store offers a full line of durable medical equipment, including power wheelchairs (http://www. thescooterstore. com/products/powerchairs. aspx) and scooters (http://www. thescooterstore. com/products/scooters. aspx), lifts (http://www. thescooterstore. com/products/lifts. aspx), ramps (http://www. thescooterstore. com/products/ramps. aspx) and accessories in 48 states, including Puerto Rico. The SCOOTER Store has worked with more than 100,000 physicians, providing expertise and quality service to their patients, and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (http://www. thescooterstore. com/aboutus/achc. aspx).

For more information, contact:
Lynn Gonzales
Media Relations
830-626-4064

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Monday, March 21, 2005

Chciago Consultant Seeks to Improve Quality of Care by Nonprofits

Chicago business communication consultant Aimee N. Daramus has development a seminar to assist non-profit organizations in improving quality of care for the clients they serve by providing training in relating to clients.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) March 11, 2006

Rising costs, inadequate funding, and varying financial priorities have led to a crisis in the nonprofit sector, in which agencies in the health and human services fields cannot afford enough trained professionals to fulfill their mission in their communities. Particularly in the wake of severe funding cuts at the state level, agencies are being forced to cut staff, limit raises and benefits, and hire staff who are untrained to work directly with a population that is in need or in severe emotional distress. Many agencies have no trained staff working directly with their service population, only volunteers. This leads to a situation in which agencies and workers with even the best of intentions are struggling to work with populations that are ill, traumatized, stressed, or otherwise in need of counseling or other interventions.

Aimee N. Daramus, M. A., L. P.C., is a Chicago-based therapist and speech communication consultant who has developed a program to address this program in a cost-effective manner. This program is designed to teach basic counseling skills to volunteers and workers with little or no formal training in counseling or social work. The one-day seminar focuses on building rapport, assessing the client’s mental and emotional functioning, identifying key issues, and keeping track of the client’s progress in addressing those issues. While this program will not replace a full education in counseling or social work, it is intended to give workers who don’t have an advanced degree a clear idea of where to begin and how to monitor progress with clients.

This seminar will be of enormous help not only to agencies providing extensive counseling services, but any agency that works with clients in some sort of mental or emotional distress, such as victims or survivors of serious illness, trauma victims, or families of divorce. For more information, please contact Aimee Daramus at (312) 588 – 0954 or at http://home. earthlink. net/~aimeed/speechcoaching/ (http://home. earthlink. net/~aimeed/speechcoaching/)

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Sunday, March 20, 2005

Reed Group Will Debut New Predictive Modeling Tool at DMEC Conference

Companies whose disability case managers rely only on standard return-to-work durations may be throwing away millions of dollars, says Reed Group President, Guidelines, Jon Seymour, MD.

Westminster, CO (Vocus) July 18, 2009

Companies whose disability case managers rely only on standard return-to-work durations may be throwing away millions of dollars, says Reed Group (http://www. reedgroup. com/) President, Guidelines, Jon Seymour (http://mdguidelines. wordpress. com/), MD.

At next week's Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) (https://m360.dmec. org/event. aspx? eventID=7973) Conference, Reed Group, provider of the MDGuidelines (http://www. mdguidelines. com/) Web portal, will demonstrate a new industry-changing predictive tool that will allow much more accurate prediction of disability return-to-work durations. The tool can help employers save millions by guiding disability case managers toward shorter recovery times.

Employees on medical disability leave typically receive case management services from their employer, a third-party administrator or insurance company. Disability case managers (http://www. reedgroup. com/) work with physicians and other professionals to ensure that employees receive the treatment they need to return as quickly as possible to full productivity.

The caseworkers who manage these disability cases typically rely on standard guidelines for return-to-work durations. Some standard durations are simply statistical averages based on previous cases.

But employees are not averages, and many factors can influence the time away from the job that an individual will need to recover. Emotional stress (http://www. mdguidelines. com/anxiety-disorder-generalized) can play a huge role in recovery times for physical injuries. Co-morbid conditions (e. g., diabetes (http://www. mdguidelines. com/diabetes-mellitus-type-ii)) can play a large role. A patient's age and job classification also matter.

With its new Predictive Modeling Tool, MDGuidelines offers case managers two sets of return-to-work durations. One set of durations, a unique result of Reed Group's clinical consensus process, provides minimum, optimum and maximum durations for physiological recovery times, an idealized figure that "factors out" the non-medical complexities of real-world disability cases. The second set, achieved via the Predictive Modeling Tool, creates a benchmark that case managers can weigh against the physiological durations.

"Case managers now can have a benchmark--based on the patient's actual conditions--that they can use to gauge the influence of their intervention," says Seymour.

For example, MDGuidelines lists the optimum duration for physiological recovery time for a bimalleolar (closed) ankle fracture as 14 days. The Predictive Modeling Tool calculates that a 30-year-old male with a sedentary job class and a history of episodic mood disorders usually takes 48.5 days to return to work.

Using the two sets of durations, a case manager could easily see that making sure the worker has appropriate behavioral support early in the healing process could bring the absence duration closer to 14 days instead of 48.5 days.

"The difference between the physiological recovery time (e. g., the time it actually takes for a broken ankle bone to heal) and the normative predicted duration, aside from medical co-morbidities, can be termed the psychosocial part of the duration," says Seymour. "The better our tools can help case managers predict that psychosocial element, the more they can address issues early on in the case to get employees back to full productivity sooner. If an employer compares that difference in physiological recovery times versus normative recovery times, they can directly calculate how much money they can save with good case management."

Seymour says that while the Predictive Tool is directly available on the MDGuidelines Web site, the real cost-savings traction occurs when MDGuidelines data is directly integrated with employee information in case management or electronic medical records software.

He cites three examples:
A corporate disability manager visits the "Medical" tab in her case management software. The predicted return-to-work duration is contrasted with the appropriate physiological recovery time and a dramatic difference is noted. She can see the factors that are contributing to the long prediction, and is shown, via a quick calculation, that intervention can save thousands of dollars by managing to the optimum duration.

A physician treating an employee patient for a potential disability would automatically have the predictive and normative return-to-work durations available as part of the patient's electronic medical record. So, instead of dashing off the standard 'two-weeks off' prescription, the physician would have actual guidelines to inform the prescription for time off from work.

An actuary for a large insurance company reviews her case managers' case outcomes versus the integrated MDGuidelines benchmarking data, all of which is available at her fingertips within her on-site database. She identifies ten common disability conditions that have a high psychosocial factor (e. g., fibromyalgia). The disability manager asks her case managers to pay special attention to managing those ten disability types, making sure employees get the support they need to return to full productivity sooner.

"Static disability duration (http://www. mdguidelines. com/) guidelines simply can't provide the cost benefits and employee health benefits that these new integrated and predictive duration tools can," says Seymour. "This predictive durations content should used at every point in the disability process to drive better outcomes, both for employers and their employees."

Reed Group will be at booth #102 at the DMEC conference (https://m360.dmec. org/event. aspx? eventID=7973), July 19-22. Employers and media are invited to stop by for a demonstration of the new MDGuidelines Predictive Modeling Tool.

About Reed Group
Reed Group is the world's most trusted source of return-to-work information, helping companies improve employee absence outcomes. Reed Group's data, tools, customized solutions, and case management services help reduce absence incidence and duration, and get employees back to normal, healthy lives and full productivity. Reed Group is headquartered in Westminster, Colorado. More information at www. reedgroup. com and www. mdguidelines. com.

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Friday, March 18, 2005

Shell Vacations Hospitality Announces its First Affiliate Resort: Foxhunt at Sapphire Valley

Shell Vacations Hospitality presents Foxhunt at Sapphire Valley resort in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, offering 2-bedroom spacious suites, golf, nearby tennis and health club with pool and expansive views.

Cashiers, NC (Vocus) August 13, 2009

Shell Vacations Hospitality is proud to announce its first affiliate resort, Foxhunt at Sapphire Valley in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. As an affiliate resort, Foxhunt at Sapphire Valley is not managed onsite by Shell Vacations Hospitality, but stands 100% behind the property as a Shell Vacations Hospitality branded resort. Considered a mecca for recreational pursuits, the Sapphire Valley offers a wide array of activities from the most relaxed to the most rigorous. Fine dining, entertainment and shopping can be found close by and will accommodate all tastes and budgets.

Foxhunt at Sapphire Valley amenities include:
Wooded mountainside location in the southernmost part of the Blue Ridge Mountains 60 spacious and well-appointed 2 bedroom suites with lake, mountain or forest views Complimentary wireless Internet access Full kitchens Laundry Whirlpool/hot tub Boating, 18-hole PGA golf course and horseback activities nearby A park and picnic area Recreation Center nearby featuring tennis, indoor pool, fitness center, arcade Skiing is available mid-December through February, weather permitting

“We are very excited to announce our first ever affiliate resort in the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains,” said Shallana Edwards, Online Marketing Manager for Shell Vacations Hospitality. “Those who love our other 23 properties will find the same exceptional resort experience at Foxhunt. Suitable for vacationers looking for a relaxing retreat and those looking for fun outdoor adventures, Foxhunt at Sapphire Valley really has it all.”

To learn more about the resort and its offerings, as well as specials and packages and nearby attractions, visit their website.

About Shell Vacations Hospitality:
Shell Vacations Hospitality offers a collection of 23 resorts, hotels and lodges ideal for family vacations, romantic getaways, retreats, reunions and business trips. Visitors may stay at hotels and resorts in popular destinations in the U. S. and Canada and enjoy San Francisco’s arts district, lodge living in Whistler, Southwest-style casitas along the fairways of Arizona’s top-rated golf courses, lanais overlooking Hawaii’s pounding surf, and more. Shell Vacations Hospitality is a subsidiary of Shell Vacations LLC, a premier developer of upscale vacation ownership resorts.

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Thursday, March 17, 2005

Vimo Inc. Announces Launch of VimoLive - Affordable Health Insurance Is Now Just One Phone Call Away

Vimo Inc., the Web's leading source for affordable health insurance plans, has launched VimoLive, a revolutionary new service that enables consumers to speak directly to a health insurance agent with one click of a mouse.

Mountain View, Calif. (PRWEB) June 14, 2007

Vimo Inc., the Web's leading source for affordable health insurance (https://www. vimo. com/affiliate/c2c. php) plans, has launched VimoLive™, a revolutionary new service that enables consumers to speak directly to a health insurance agent with one click of a mouse.

"It gives consumers immediate access to service," says Scott Osler, Vimo's Vice President of Sales. "Searching for affordable health insurance traditionally has required people to fill out forms and wait for call backs from agents or insurance companies about whether they can qualify. Many people want to instantly talk to a live human being about what affordable health insurance plans are available and which ones they should sign up for."

VimoLive can instantly connect someone seeking an affordable health plan with a licensed agent that specializes in health insurance in the customer's area. Speaking to a local agent can be critical when shopping for health insurance, because only agents know the ins and outs of the health insurance market in a given area. The Los Angeles Times recently reviewed Vimo in a feature on affordable health insurance plans, and noted that Vimo agents make "good suggestions."

"For instance, one agent raised the possibility of getting a policy through a small-business group plan that he sold, which would eliminate the need for a physical exam," wrote Kathy Kristof, profiling Vimo in the Times' personal finance column on May 20.

With VimoLive, customers can now obtain helpful phone service like this with the click of a mouse. Vimo matches the user with an agent who services the user's area, and rings both the agent's phone and the customer's phone at the same time. Within seconds, the customer is on the phone with an agent who can help locate an affordable health insurance plan that meets his or her needs.

"Our customers are already reporting that VimoLive has made their search for affordable health insurance much, much easier," Osler said.

To learn more about VimoLive, visit http://www. vimo. com (http://www. vimo. com)

About Vimo:
Founded by industry veterans from WebMD and Valicert, Vimo believes consumers deserve more power in the healthcare equation. Vimo makes buying healthcare and insurance easier, cheaper and much more transparent. Vimo is the only Internet destination where users can gain objective, authoritative, and comprehensive shopping-comparison data about insurance, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), medical procedures, doctors and dentists. Insurance brokers interested in partnering with Vimo can visit http://www. vimo. com/brokercenter (http://www. vimo. com/brokercenter). For other partnership opportunities, call Vimo at 650-230-0065 or visit http://www. vimo. com (http://www. vimo. com).

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Vermont International Film Festival to Screen Documentary About Humanitarian Award-Winning Doctor

Visioning Tibet, which tells the story of Dr. Marc Lieberman and the Tibet Vision Project, is screening in competition in the “Human Rights and Justice” category of the Vermont International Film Festival (VIFF). The festival is the oldest human rights and environmental film festival in the world.

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 8, 2005

The Vermont International Film Festival (VIFF) will be screening Visioning Tibet, a feature documentary about humanitarian-award winning doctor, Marc Lieberman and the work of the Tibet Vision Project on Sunday, October 16th at 1:00 pm at The Firehouse in downtown Burlington, VT. The film is screening in competition in the “Human Rights and Justice” category.

Visioning Tibet “…vividly documents a miraculous project in Tibet…a tremendously worthwhile film…” said His Holiness, The Dalai Lama.

Visioning Tibet chronicles the passion of ophthalmologist Marc Lieberman, founder of the Tibet Vision Project. His mission: to end preventable blindness in Tibet — which has the highest rate of untreated cataract blindness in the world — by 2020. Bringing light where there was once darkness, Lieberman’s work has been recognized by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, which named him 2003 Humanitarian of the Year.

The film tells the stories of two of Tibetans — Karma and Lhasang — who have one last chance at restored sight.

Karma, 52, is from a small northern Tibetan village. A farmer, he works the land that his family has farmed for generations. Karma has only left home to barter in a neighboring village and to make religious pilgrimages. For two years, he has been gradually losing his eyesight, preventing him from working in the fields. His one wish, if his sight is restored, is to make a pilgrimage to a lake sacred in Tibetan Buddhism. Lhasang, 56, is patriarch of a nomadic family. Like his ancestors before him, he herds yak and goats on the plains of northern and central Tibet. Lhasang’s blindness has made him unable to provide for his family, darkening both his mood and outlook on life.

The film follows the two men as they make the arduous journey to a remote clinic in the hopes of having their sight restored by Tibetan doctors, who have received technology and skill training through the Tibetan Vision Project.

In order to shoot the documentary, Solotaroff had to keep crew and equipment to a bare minimum — just a director/producer and camera/sound person — in order not to raise suspicions of the Chinese authorities. Local volunteers were used as grips and camera assistants. If the Chinese officials had known that the crew was shooting a documentary, it’s movements would have been closely monitored and restricted. Filming took nearly three years. Visioning Tibet uses breathtaking cinematography to provide a view of contemporary Tibet and its people seldom seen by international audiences

Dr. Marc Lieberman founded the Tibet Vision Project in 1995. The Tibet Vision Project operates as a non-governmental organization (NGO). It is one of the few NGOs or international health organizations able to function in Chinese – ruled Tibet. For the past 10 years, “Dr. Marc” has made biannual one-month trips to Tibet, leading a team of doctors, nurses and technicians he has trained. Together, they run “eye camps” that provide basic eye care and perform up to 120 cataract operations in four days. To date, the project has restored sight to over 3,000 Tibetans. The Project’s 10th anniversary was lauded in the Congressional Record in July.

In the 1980’s, Lieberman became involved in Buddhist meditation and practice and active in Buddhist communities throughout northern California. He organized a series of meetings in the US and India between The Dalai Lama and Jewish scholars and rabbis, during which time he learned of cataract blindness crisis in Tibet. These meetings were the basis of the book of The Jews in the Lotus.

Producer/Director Isaac Solotaroff is an award-winning producer, director and editor. He was co-producer, co-director and editor of his first film, Jews and Buddhism: Belief Amended, Faith Revealed. Narrated by Sharon Stone, the film was chosen “one of the outstanding documentaries of 1999” by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The film was shown at over 30 international film festivals and screened on PBS.

Solotaroff was co-producer and editor of Los Romeros: The Royal Family of the Guitar, which was nominated for a “best biography” Emmy in 2001 and broadcast nationally on PBS. He has also edited several award-winning documentaries including, Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme (HBO Best Documentary, Urban World Film Festival) and Smokestack Lightening (Best Documentary, Memphis Film Festival)

The film has previously been shown at the International Buddhist, Woods Hole, Tahoe-Reno, Mt. Shasta and Taos Mountain Film Festivals, as well as at the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art.

The Vermont International Film festival is the oldest human rights and environmental film festival in the world. For 20 years, VIFF has provided a forum for films dealing with issues of war and peace, justice and human rights and the environment.

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Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Exuberil Takers Happy & Sleeping Better

More consumers are happier and sleeping better thanks to a newer, over-the-counter breakthrough cure for depression, anxiety and insomnia called Exuberil. By using rigorously tested and all-natural ingredients, Exuberil has many previously depressed, overstressed and insomnia-ridden consumers happy and sleeping soundly.

Manalapan, NJ (PRWEB) June 30, 2009

A newer non-prescription cure for depression, anxiety and insomnia - Exuberil (created by Pharmaxa Labs--a leading nutraceutical company; distributed online by Healthwebshopping. com) - is wowing consumers for its effectiveness as a prescription-alternative and all-natural treatment method that causes no known side effects. While there are a myriad of different antidepressants of the prescription variety currently on the market, many come with attached side effects, including insomnia and abnormal weight gain that dissuade users from taking them.

While the leading prescription brands of antidepressants and sleep-aids all make their own lofty shares of promises, most work by correcting so-called chemical imbalances in the brain that contribute to anxiety, stress and depression. In reality, such symptoms can also be treated using all-natural ingredients. Another important thing to note is that most prescribed drugs for insomniacs and the severely depressed come with clear labels printed on the side of the bottle that warn about their habit-forming nature, and the abundance of side effects and restrictions that go hand-in-hand with taking such medications.

According to Pharmaxa Labs spokesperson, Tim Williams, Mother Nature offers a better, safer and more affordable cure for sufferers.

"If you have trouble sleeping, or you are depressed or overstressed, many times people can find themselves trying out a wide variety of different medications for treatment," Williams says.

"But, if these medications worked so well, then patients would be able to enjoy getting the treatment that they required from the first medication that they tried, and not having to play cat and mouse with a variety of different ones…just to seek freedom from their mental ailments," Williams explains.

The difference between prescribed medications that treat anxiety, depression and insomnia is very clear cut for Williams.

"This is the difference that consumers will find with Exuberil: it's over-the-counter, it's side effect-free, it's more affordable than prescription medications, and most importantly, it won't contribute to sleepless nights…Exuberil really works!"

Exuberil is an all-natural cure for depression that is taken orally once per day. It utilizes Suntheanine--the main active ingredient in Exuberil--which has been extensively researched and documented as being beneficial in significantly reducing physical, mental and social symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and irritability. Exuberil also incorporates 5-HTP, Valerian, and Kava Kava, all which have been proven to significantly improve the symptoms of depression and reduce anxiety and stress levels.

To learn more about the best natural cure for depression, please visit them online at: http://www. Exuberil. com (http://www. Exuberil. com).

About Exuberil:
Developed by Pharmaxa Labs--a leading nutraceutical company Exuberil's proprietary blend of ingredients are 100% natural GMP certified Contains Suntheanine--the main active ingredient in Exuberil--which has been extensively researched and documented as being beneficial in significantly reducing physical, mental and social symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and irritability Incorporates 5-HTP, Valerian, and Kava Kava, which have been proven to significantly improve symptoms of depression and reduce anxiety Does not contain ingredients that will induce lack of REM (rapid eye movement during sleep cycles) Non habit-forming; no withdrawal symptoms after cessation of usage 100% safe, effective and all-natural Visit them online for generous discounts off retail pricing and to learn more at: http://www. Exuberil. com (http://www. Exuberil. com)

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Monday, March 14, 2005

New Weight Loss Talk Radio Premiere Bumped Up Due To Overwhelming Listener Demand

Though slated to premiere in June alongside the first bi-annual Bridal Fit Challenge, demand to have Deborah J. Wright start her unique and inspiring weight loss talk show earlier forced the show to move the premiere up a couple weeks to May 15, 2008.

Nashville, TN (PRWEB) May 5, 2008

Becoming Thin Within, Internet Radio's Unique Perspective on Weight Loss with host, Deborah J. Wright broadcasting from outside Nashville, TN, on TalkZone. com talk radio was slated to premiere on June 1, 2008 alongside Nashville's first bi-annual Bridal Fit Challenge. However, once the announcement of this no-nonsense, fun, unique and exciting new internet radio show reached anxious listeners and loyal followers of Wright's blog, Daily Dose of Deb (www. dailydoseofdeb. com), the Emails, sponsorships and guest requests started pouring in, so Wright decided to move up the premiere to May 15, 2008.

What makes this radio show so unique starts with the host, Deborah J. Wright, who is an entrepreneur (Owner of The Hungry Heart, www. hungryheart. org, Nashville which provides a caring approach to out-of-control-eating) and author of a wildly popular weight loss and management blog called Daily Dose of Deb. More importantly, however, Wright is a reformed yo-yo dieter who truly relates to and "gets" her clients and listeners on an emotional level which is why her followers respond so well to her practical and honest advice.

"I never dreamed when I brought The Hungry Heart program to middle TN with high hopes of changing the course of Tennessee's very gloom heart disease death rate statistics that I would end up with my own talk radio show nine months later." Wright admits, "but here I am, and it has all happened so fast. I am getting calls from entrepreneurs and weight loss successes all the way from Arizona and California who are wanting to be on the show. It is quite exhilarating, yet humbling."

Teresa Miller, President of the Brentwood/Cool Springs Chamber of Commerce (www. brentwoodcoolsprings. org), says, "Right after Deborah Wright brought the Hungry Heart program to Tennessee, I heard her do a presentation. That's all it took for me to sign up as a client. Hearing her compassion and compelling story, I knew she could help me make the changes in my life I needed to become healthy...both on the inside and outside. And, as President of the Chamber, I have watched her business grow and seen more and more women drawn to someone and something that is real, honest and for life!"

Wright began a blog in order to keep her clients and ultimately random strangers informed and inspired which soon created the need for a weekly newsletter. Both quickly became favorites among her clients, contacts, friends and random strangers as they signed up in droves to receive her interesting tidbits and read her articles. People are hungry for someone who really truly understands their plight and illness and who has also survived it to teach them a new and better way.

It was almost inevitable that the next step would be something much more far-reaching, and it is finally here. "Wright came to one of my incubators to get some new ideas for marketing her Hungry Heart business. What I met was a sincere, caring and honest person with a gift for compassionate understanding and healing. What I've seen emerge is a woman with a savvy marketing sense and strong desire to do whatever it takes to change our nation's health from the inside out. Her show is going to change lives. . . millions of them! You just wait and see," says Sheilah Griggs of Point3Media. com and Ladies Who Launch (www. ladieswholaunch. com).

Deborah Wright is a mom, wife, friend, daughter, mentor, healer, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Nutritional Counselor, AFAA Certified Personal Trainer, entrepreneur, author, and now, a talk show host. Stay tuned; this is surely not the end of this full-throttle business woman's career.

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Sunday, March 13, 2005

Carriage Park Associates Buyout; Local Couple at the Helm of Award-Winning Hendersonville, NC, Retirement Community

Carriage Park Associates, a standout gated mountain community located off Haywood Road three miles north of downtown Hendersonville, NC, has been acquired by long-time General Manager Dale Hamlin and his wife, interior designer Lisa Hamlin.

Hendersonville, NC (PRWEB) April 3, 2007

Carriage Park Associates, LLC is pleased to announce that the company has been acquired by long-time General Manager Dale Hamlin and his wife, interior designer Lisa Hamlin. Established in 1989, Carriage Park is a standout gated mountain community located off Haywood Road three miles north of downtown Hendersonville.

"We have lived in western North Carolina for many years and consider this our home," said Mr. Hamlin, who has successfully developed more than 14 residential communities during his career. "We know what is important to residents in this beautiful area and we look forward to completing what we believe is the finest mountainside community in Western North Carolina."

Selected by "Where to Retire" magazine four times as one of "America's 100 Best Master-Planned Communities," Carriage Park is well-known for its many firsts. All of the development's roads are built to state standards and the picturesque Carriage Park Way circles within the community, routing traffic away from residential neighborhoods. "It's the only residential road of its kind in Western North Carolina and reminds me of the Blue Ridge Parkway," said Mr. Hamlin.

A number of neighborhoods in Carriage Park sit at an elevation of over 2,500 feet, affording residents sweeping views of the Pisgah National Forest and colorful panoramas of nearby valleys. While the community has many amenities that people seek when choosing a retirement home such as a clubhouse, indoor pool, tennis courts, walking trails and a lake, another important feature for newcomers is Carriage Park's thriving homeowners association of 420-plus members. The organization maintains an active social calendar and sponsors many activities including hiking and golf outings in the surrounding area.

Carriage Park also has its own fire station and is home to Liedl Dam, the largest privately-owned earthen dam in Henderson County and the first in the U. S. to be constructed with a system of rock-filled, rectangular stainless steel cages known as gabion walls. Liedl Dam and the subsequent creation of five-acre Bowing Lake are part of Hamlin's long-range plan to offer waterfront homes in the 400-acre development. A model home, and the first of what will eventually be 32 custom lakefront homes, is scheduled for completion next fall. Mrs. Hamlin leads the model home's design team.

For the Hamlins, the purchase of Carriage Park Associates comes at the perfect time. "This is a well-established community that, unlike numerous developments springing up far from town, is in close proximity to health care, shopping, and cultural and recreational activities," said Mr. Hamlin. "With our rapidly growing area, we offer the best of all worlds: nature's beauty, peace and quiet and the conveniences of city living."

About Carriage Park
Carriage Park is a gated, planned mountain-top community nestled in the foothills of the French Broad River Basin in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Its distinctive villages, clubhouse, pool and outdoor facilities are situated along a wooded parkway that circles within the community. Located minutes from shopping, performing arts venues, medical services, and the Asheville Regional Airport, Carriage Park combines the natural beauty of Western North Carolina with the amenities of a thriving community. For more information, visit www. carriagepark. com.

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Early Detection, Alerting Medical Authorities Can Combat Death Due to Heart Attacks During Holiday Season, End Merry Christmas Coronary

Holiday season deaths due to Heart Problems increases, can be deterred by early alert warning system to emergency medical crews.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) December 23, 2004

With the busiest time of the Holiday season closing in rapidly, it should be a time of good cheer and anticipation of a new year.

Unfortunately, for thousands of Americans, the Holidays will be their last as they become fatality statistics, a fact evidenced by studies that show deaths from heart problems are more common around Christmas and New YearÂ’s Day than other days of the year.

ItÂ‘s those types of statistics that cast a pall on the Holidays for an Atlanta entrepreneur who is a long-standing advocate of early warning systems for emergency medical response teams.

Richard Blackwell is the inventor of NeighborLink (TM) an early alert warning system that can easily be set for such a direct notification of emergency medical response servicesÂ—faster even then the traditional 9-11 callsÂ—when a heart attack occurs.

Â“The facts are evidentÂ—it takes approximately seven to ten minutes for an emergency response crew to respond to a 9-11 call, Â“Much longer than the max 5 minutes needed to save a heart attack victimÂ” Blackwell notes.

Â“For the past year, my company, SafeHome (located at www. safehome. net) has been working to cut such deaths by speeding up the response time through NeighborLinkÂ’s (TM) instant alert system that will provide immediate and direct contact to emergency response systems.Â”

Blackwell notes that the most recent studies of deaths due to heart attacks, in which researchers and medical doctors headed by Dr. David Phillips of the University of Columbia at San Diego concluded that there is a definite increase in deaths due to heart attacks during the Holidays, is especially distressing.

"Quicker notification of emergency personnel could help reduce these deaths," he reflects.

When Phillips and his team examined heart-related deaths that occurred among patients who died as outpatients or who died in the emergency department, they found that 4.65 percent and 4.99 percent more heart - related and non-heart-related deaths, respectively, occurred than would have been expected.

Further, most of these patients died on December 25, 26 or January 1.

Deaths from causes unrelated to heart conditions were also more common on these three days, which Phillips described as "the most popular days of the year to die."

Â“It is ironic that while not speculating on the specific cause of the heart attacks, the researchers did point to postponing medical care or, equally important the lack of access to medical care as contributing to the victim's death," Blackwell says.

The group suggested that staffing changes that typically occur during the holiday season, including scheduling changes for doctors and other health care professionals creates delays in addressing concerns.

Â“Add to this the life-saving implications of the need for immediate notification of all available resources, and it is evident that many deaths can be avoided with such emergency communication capabilities.Â”

He also pointed out that the doctors doing the research urged Holiday travelers to know about emergency medical resources available when traveling.

Â”Mobility is an important feature of the NeighborLink (TM) early alert warning system,Â” Blackwell explains. Â“It fits on a keychain and is easily adaptable for use in a destination city.Â”

In addition to being easy to use, the NeighborLink(TM) system is affordable, with a one-time investment of only $99, unlike other more expensive systems that require on-going fees and that lack the mobility of BlackwellÂ’s system.

Â“In 1999, a doctor wrote an editorial for a medical journal in which he coined the terms, Â‘Merry Christmas coronaryÂ’ and the Â‘Happy New Year heart attackÂ’,Â” Blackwell muses. Â“Our hope is that potential victims and their families will act proactively, following all the rules of diet, medical care and exercise, and, when that isnÂ’t enough, that they will be equipped to save the precious minutes that might mean the difference between life and death for a loved one.

Â“While no one can guarantee complete success, it is evident that the quicker the response, the greater the chances to survive heart attacks, and that has beneficial implications throughout the year, not merely during the Holidays.Â”

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Saturday, March 12, 2005

Viator, Inc. Appoints Carlyle Venture Partners Chairman, Robert E. Grady, to Board of Directors

Viator, Inc. today announced Robert E. Grady, Partner and Managing Director of The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms, and chairman of the company’s U. S. venture and growth capital group, Carlyle Venture Partners (CVP), has assumed the Carlyle seat on Viator’s board of directors.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) October 1, 2008 –

Mr. Grady (50) chairs San Francisco-based Carlyle Venture Partners, which is the largest investor in Viator, Inc. and he oversees the firm’s $1.5 billion investment portfolio. Viator, Inc operates Viator. com, the world's leading online resource for travel experiences, providing access to more than 5,500 tours, attractions and activities in 450-plus destinations in 75 countries. Carlyle previously invested in such online travel leaders as C-Trip, Inc. and Egencia.

“For more than two years we have worked closely with Bob and the team at Carlyle on multiple rounds of venture financing, raising more than $10 million for continued investment in our Viator. com brand, including our planned expansion into Europe,” noted Barrie Seidenberg, CEO and president of Viator. “His investment banking and venture financing background, particularly his focus on the technology industry, complement the expertise of our board and will help us plot our market strategy moving forward.”

“Viator is the industry leader in online destination activities, a very large category which is poised for significant growth, and I’m looking forward to having a more hands-on role in Viator’s future,” said Mr. Grady. “It's been exciting to watch the organic growth of Viator. com, which more than doubled in gross revenue last year, and is on a similar growth trajectory this year. We’ve been extremely impressed with Viator. com's appeal around the world -- more than half of its revenue comes from non-U. S. markets – and we expect this diversification will only strengthen as Viator launches new sites in Europe in the months ahead.”

Mr. Grady serves on the investment committees of CVP, Carlyle Asia Growth Partners (CAGP) and Carlyle Europe Technology Partners (CETP). He is a director of AuthenTec, Inc. (Nasdaq: AUTH), and Maxim Integrated Products (Nasdaq: “MXIM”) and a former Director of Blackboard (Nasdaq: BBBB) and Ingenio (acquired by AT&T (NYSE: T)). He also serves on the board of directors of privately-held Carlyle portfolio companies, eScreen, The Health Central Network, Panasas, Secure Elements, Verari Systems, and Wall Street Institute.

Prior to joining Carlyle, Mr. Grady was a managing director and member of the Management Committee at Robertson Stephens, the San Francisco-based technology investment bank. From 1994 to 2004, Mr. Grady served on the faculty of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he taught a course on "Investing in Highly Regulated Industries." Mr. Grady served in the White House from 1989 to 1993, as deputy assistant to President George H. W. Bush and as Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Mr. Grady is on the boards of directors of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Pardee RAND Graduate School, TechNet, and the Asia America Multi-Industry Association (AAMA); on the Advisory Council of the Royal Bank of Canada’s Strategic Technology Fund; and on the National Commission on Energy Policy. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. An honors graduate of Harvard College, Mr. Grady also received an M. B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

About Viator
Viator is the world's leading online resource for travel experiences, providing access to more than 5,500 tours, attractions and activities in 450-plus destinations in 75 countries. Viator - the Latin word for traveller - offers travelers a one-stop shop to plan, research and book trip activities with helpful resources like customer reviews, star ratings, suggested itineraries and the Viator Travel Blog. Viator's in-house travel experts have picked respected and trusted local operators to ensure a quality experience, value and service, all backed by Viator’s low-price guarantee. Founded in 1995, Viator sells its products directly to consumers at www. viator. com and through its global network of more than 1,000 affiliates that include major hotel and airline companies, online travel agencies, city-specific sites and more. Through its collection of company operated and affiliated sites, Viator welcomes nearly two million visitors per month. Viator is headquartered in San Francisco with regional offices in Sydney, London and Las Vegas.

Contact:
Suzanne Skyvara
Pr(at)viator. com
1 (415) 290 6928

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