1stopstation

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

“Exercise” Your Election Day Right to Vote -- Personal Trainer

Voter turnout has been in decline, so Arnel Ricafranca, Founder of Fitness VIP, is offering free fitness demonstrations, body-fat analysis, and more to people who come out to the polls. He will be available 6am-2:30pm and again at 7:30pm-close at the middle school at Millbrook Avenue in Randolph. Mr. Ricafranca's number is 973-960-2630 and he would be happy to speak with you.

Stanhope, NJ (PRWEB) November 6, 2005

New Jersey voter turnout has suffered a downward trend and fell below 50% in the 2001 Gubernatorial race. To encourage busy voters to come out to the polls, local personal trainer and founder of Fitness VIP, Arnel Ricafranca, is offering free fitness services this November 8th. Voters and their children can take advantage of body-fat analysis, fitness newsletters, easy exercise demonstrations, and more. Polls will be open from 6am to 8pm; Mr. Ricafranca will be available from 6am to 2:30pm and again 7:30pm to closing at the Middle School at Millbrook Avenue in Randolph.

“I understand how busy we all are, but your vote on November 8th will make NJ stronger. Why not take a painless step toward improving your own health, strength, and well-being at the same time?” asked Mr. Ricafranca. He can be reached for more information at 973-960-2630.

Mr. Ricafranca, who trains clients in offices in both Stanhope and in Randolph, NJ, also offers in-home and on-line fitness coaching to meet the busy schedules of his clients. Fitness VIP maintains that fad diets simply cannot compete with sound fitness advice on healthy meals, proper exercise, and a positive attitude.

“All the health knowledge in the world is useless if you cannot put it into practice,” said Mr. Ricafranca, “which is why I work hard to make my sessions as practical as possible. I go the extra mile to help people meet their fitness goals.”

Morris County residents can find their polling locations at http://www. morriselections. org/votelocations. html (http://www. morriselections. org/votelocations. html). Voters who have different polling locations or miss the demonstrations are encouraged to take advantage of a free subscription to Fitness VIP’s newsletter, which has recently debunked health myths and offered smart snacks for Halloween. Still to come: tips on Thanksgiving eating. For questions or to sign up for the newsletter, contact fitnessvipinfo@gmail. com.

Note to the Editor: Mr. Ricafranca is available for candid and informative interviews on health and fitness.

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Queens Book Fair set to feature Mikki Ealey of Multi-cultural Writers Guild April 30, 2005

Queens, NY (PRWEB) September 28, 2004

Queens Book Fair set to feature Mikki Ealey of Multi-Cultural Writers Guild April 30, 2005. The Queens Book Fair will be held at the Jamaica Market Harvest Room on Saturday April 30, 2005. The Queens Book Fair will begin at 11:00 am and end at 7:00 pm.

Queens Book Fair will be held in the heart of, Queens, and will draw many of the following vendors to the Queens Book Fair; Children Authors, Christian Authors, Small Business Owners, Self-published & Aspiring Authors, Corporations, Literary Professionals, Vendors, Authors, Political Officials, Medical Providers, Organizations, Non-profit Groups, Insurance Representatives, Financial Representatives, etc.

C & B Books Distribution Inc. is the sponsor of the Queens Book Fair. Carol Rogers and Brenda Piper founded C & B Books in 1995. Mikki Ealey is a member several prominent writing groups such as Sister Friend Writers, Real Sisters, Spiritual Light, and New York Rawsistaz. com. Mikki has also formed her own book club. Mikki recently participated in the Harlem Book Fair of Long Island, and was acknowleged by Black Women in Publishing for her contribution to the literary world.

Her published works include a literary magazine called Â“The Power of WordsÂ” and Barry White article called Â“The Man, His Music, A Legend in Music & FashionÂ” Mix Magazine (January 2004). She currently has a couple of new works in progress entitled Â“The Power of Self Love, My DestinyÂ”, and Â“Women to WomenÂ”.

Ms. Ealey is the new Library Assistant to one of New York MethodistÂ’s Hospitals Â– Health Science Library. Her goals are to attend a prestigious university to obtain a dual degree BA/MA in English Literature and African/American Studies. She is avid book reader of self-help, self-empowerment and spiritual growth.

FAVORITE QUOTE: Â“The key is to remember that no one can give you what you cannot give yourself,Â” and Â“Love is the only thing that can heal.Â” By Iyanla Vanzant

HER COMMENTS: Never let any human being take away one of lifeÂ’s most precious gift from our Creator Â– (love) because it is in all things.

C & B Books Distribution Inc. is proud of the accomplishments of Mikki Ealey, and is looking foward to her participation in the upcoming Queens Book Fair April 30, 2005. For more information, or to reserve vendor space at Queens Book Fair you may log on to C & B Books web site at www. cbbookdistribution. com or you may contact us via email at cbbookdist@aol. com Telephone number 1.718.591.4525.

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Friday, May 13, 2005

Tennis Star Anna Kournikova to Honor North Palm Beach Elementary School Principal with 'got breakfast?'™ Award

Principal Bill Thompson recognized for commitment to improving health of students by implementing classroom breakfast. "got breakfast?" Foundation working to increase participation in federal school breakfast program to eliminate child hunger.

New York, NY (PRWEB) January 10, 2007

On January 16, 2007, tennis star Anna Kournikova and the "got breakfast?" Foundation will honor North Palm Beach Elementary School Principal Bill Thompson with a special recognition for his commitment to improving student health by encouraging participation in the Federal School Breakfast Program. Principal Thompson has led the effort to utilize the Classroom Breakfast model to serve meals at his school, which studies prove increases a child's ability to learn, improves performance and reduces health issues. Kournikova will present the special "got breakfast?" Award to Principal Thompson during a school-wide assembly where she will speak to students about the importance of good nutrition and physical activity.

The "got breakfast?" Foundation works to help the millions of students who qualify for a free or reduced-price breakfast to access the meals they are not receiving. Out of 55 million children who attend public school in the United States, 30 million participate in the National School Lunch Program, yet only 9.6 million eat breakfast in school. The foundation includes a coalition of public officials, community leaders, private organizations and personalities committed to anti-hunger efforts.

"I am a firm believer that the first step to improving well-being is with good nutrition and when millions of students across the country are not taking part in breakfast they are missing out on the opportunity to perform their best at school," said Anna Kournikova. "Principal Bill Thompson's work championing the Classroom Breakfast model to serve meals to his students is an excellent example of how we can get meals to children who need it the most and help them be their best."

Studies show that Classroom Breakfast dramatically increases test scores and improves the health of children. When breakfast is served in the classroom and offered to all students, regardless of income, breakfast participation numbers have doubled and in some cases tripled. Research proves that principals, teachers, food service directors and custodial staff agree Classroom Breakfast positively affects the ability to learn and a students overall well being.

Classroom Breakfast helps address the logistical hurdles that come with serving students breakfast such as time constraints and limited staffing. There are various ways schools implement Classroom Breakfast; some set time aside early in the morning so that when children arrive at school they sit at a desk and are served a convenient grab-and-go meal and some serve breakfast during role call.

"We hope that by highlighting Principal Thompson's work more school districts will learn about Classroom Breakfast and how it can greatly increase breakfast counts," said Gary A. Davis, CEO, East Side Entrees and "got breakfast?" partner. "We are glad that such an internationally recognized personality as Anna Kournikova is working with the "got breakfast?" Foundation to help raise awareness of the benefits of participating in the National School Breakfast Program and how it can help combat childhood hunger."

A 501© (3) foundation, "got breakfast?" includes some of the most influential partners in its efforts to combat child hunger including public officials, community leaders and organizations such as Share Our Strength, the Alliance to End Hunger, the National Dairy Council, East Side Entrees, General Mills and Minute Maid.

"got breakfast?" also educates the public on the fact that when children fail to eat breakfast at school, school districts loose federal funds. According to the Food Research and Action Center, more than $500 million in federal funds available to provide school breakfast to children in need are not being accessed.

Anna Kournikova

As an internationally-recognized tennis star, Anna Kournikova is one of today's leading female professional athletes. Her commitment to tennis and sportsmanship remain strong as she continues to expand her career and grow both personally and professionally. Her accomplishments have transcended off the court, making her one of the most recognized athletes in the world and a respected member of the sports community.

"got breakfast?"

The "got breakfast?" foundation works to ensure that every child, regardless of background, starts the school day with a nutritious breakfast in order to learn, grow and develop to the fullest potential. By bringing together the public, private and non-profit sectors, the foundation will educate communities across the country on the lifelong benefits of eating nutritious meals and help children lead healthy and strong lives.

Media interested in covering the "got breakfast?" Award presentation and interviewing Anna Kournikova should call:

Philip Ramirez

(212) 780-0200 x 103

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Movavi Launches Video Suite 8 and Video Converter 9: Additional Functionality and Faster Video Encoding Thanks to NVIDIA CUDA Technology

Movavi has been working closely with NVIDIA to optimize and dramatically improve performance of the products when used with NVIDIA® CUDA™ –enabled graphics processing units (GPUs). The new versions of the Movavi software bring users up to 400% speed improvement in video encoding performance. In addition, the Movavi software equips users with additional capabilities to enhance their video, audio and photo editing experience.

Moscow, Russia (PRWEB) November 27, 2009

Movavi, a leading developer of multimedia-processing software, today unveiled new versions of its flagship multimedia-editing software: Movavi Video Suite 8 and Movavi Video Converter 9.

The company has been working closely with NVIDIA to optimize and dramatically improve performance of Movavi products when used with NVIDIA® CUDA™ –enabled graphics processing units (GPUs). The new versions of the Movavi software bring users up to 400% speed improvement in video encoding performance. In addition, the Movavi software equips users with additional capabilities to enhance their video, audio and photo editing experience.

With these new versions, Movavi Video Suite and Movavi Video Converter users now have access to cutting-edge tools to convert video (including HD), audio, and unencrypted DVDs to and from over 170 media formats, rip them for portable devices with ready-made presets (iPod®, iPhone™, Sony PSP™, Microsoft Zune™, Creative Zen™, Archos™, BlackBerry™, smartphones, cell phones and more), download and convert online video from popular video-sharing sites, fine-tune videos with a range of editing functions, burn them to CDs and DVDs and more.

“We’re glad to see Movavi take advantage of the NVIDIA CUDA architecture to make media conversion fast and simple,” said Michael Steele, general manager of visual consumer solutions at NVIDIA. “With an insatiable appetite for video and the need to take it with them on the go, consumers will now get the best VideoSuite 8 and Video Converter 9 experience on GeForce GPUs”.

Key new benefits of Movavi Video Suite 8 include:
Fast video conversion: Support for the NVIDIA CUDA parallel computing hardware architecture accelerates video decoding/encoding on a CUDA-enabled GPU and provides up to 400% faster transcoding. Movavi Video Suite 8 is also optimized for Intel multi-core processors. Easier sharing of media files: Import audio and video files from portable devices (iPod®, iPhone™, Sony PSP™, Microsoft Zune™, Creative Zen™, Archos™, BlackBerry™, PDA/Pocket PCs, USB portable media players, USB flash drives and USB external hard drives, cell phones and smartphones) to a PC with a single click and create your media library; Slideshow creation: Add JPG, BMP, GIF, and PNG images and photos to slideshows, rotate photos, enhance quality with easy-fix tools, and apply music and special sound effects. The resulting slideshow can be shared by saving it to any of the supported video formats, transferring it to a portable device, or burning it to a CD or DVD. Integrated video player: Play videos in more than 170 video formats (including DVD and HD), and play online video from popular video-sharing sites on any device. Create and manage custom playlists, adding single tracks or entire folders. Play videos one by one or activate Shuffle mode to play items randomly. New video editing effects: Use volume envelope to control audio fade-in and fade-out and overall volume level. The opacity envelope can be used to set overall opacity levels and fade video events in and out. Disc burning: Burn data Blue-ray™ 25GB and 50GB disks. Extended post-conversion options: Now users can convert videos while they’re sleeping. Just specify whether the program should shut down or hibernate on completion of the conversion. Automatic video splitting: Automatically format videos by size or duration for smooth playing on mobile devices. Large files can also be split for later burning to DVDs in parts.

Key new benefits of Movavi Video Converter 9 include:
Fast video conversion: Support for the NVIDIA CUDA parallel computing hardware architecture accelerates video decoding/encoding on a CUDA-enabled GPU and provides up to 400% faster transcoding. Movavi Video Suite 8 is also optimized for Intel multi-core processors. New format and device presets: Convert HD and HQ Video for YouTube™ with one click using any of the 30+ new format presets. Convert media files to portable devices including Blackberry, Wii and DS, Cowon, Palm, Android, HTC, Xbox360, Nokia, iRiver, and more with 100+ new device presets. Integrated video player: Play any video — including DVD, HD, and online video —from within the program itself. Automatic video splitting: Automatically format videos by size or duration for smooth playing on mobile devices. Large files can also be split for later burning to DVDs in parts. Support for new HD output format: MPEG2-TS with H.264 codec is now supported. Conversion to FLV with H.264 codec is particularly beneficial for bloggers as the conversion process delivers a relatively small output file while retaining the highest quality. Support for new input formats: Support has been added for MKV and AVI with AC3 sound, MPEG with MP3 audio. Extended post-conversion options: Now users can convert videos while they’re sleeping. Just specify whether the program should shut down or hibernate on completion of the conversion.

Pricing and Availability
Movavi Video Converter 9 is available as a download at www. movavi. com/videoconverter/buynow. html (http://www. movavi. com/videoconverter/buynow. html) and a number of third-party sites. The software is priced at $29.95 for a single-user home license.

Movavi Video Suite 8 is available now as a download at www. movavi. com/suite/buynow. html (http://www. movavi. com/suite/buynow. html) and a number of third-party sites. The software is priced at $59.99 for a single-user home license.

The applications are currently available in English only. Other language versions will be available in December 2009.

Free 30-day trials of the products may be dowloaded from: www. movavi. com/suite/download. html (http://www. movavi. com/suite/download. html) and www. movavi. com/videoconverter/download. html (http://www. movavi. com/videoconverter/download. html).

Helpful links:
Movavi Video Suite 8: www. movavi. com/suite/ (http://www. movavi. com/suite/), www. movavi. com/suite/features. html (http://www. movavi. com/suite/features. html)
Movavi Video Converter 9: www. movavi. com/videoconverter/ (http://www. movavi. com/videoconverter/)
Free online video converter service: http://online. movavi. com/ (http://online. movavi. com/)

About Movavi Video Suite:
Movavi Video Suite is an all-in-one video and DVD software package that enables users to edit and convert audio and video files, rip them to CDs and DVDs, transfer media files to and from portable devices, download online video, create slideshows, split, capture, burn, play, copy and backup media files and more. Movavi Video Suite is used by over 2 million people in 95 countries. Users may be amateurs or professionals, educators or health service workers, government officials or non-profit volunteers. For more information about Movavi Video Suite please visit www. movavi. com/suite/ (http://www. movavi. com/suite/) or http://www. movavi. com/suite/features. html (http://www. movavi. com/suite/features. html)

About Movavi Video Converter:
Movavi Video Converter is an all popular video and audio formats converter that enables users to rip video & DVDs, convert video & audio, save media files for portable devices, download online video, play videos and burn them to DVDs. Movavi Video Converter is used by over 3 million users in 95 countries. Users may be amateurs or professionals, educators or health service workers, government officials or non-profit volunteers. For more information about Movavi Video Converter please visit www. movavi. com/videoconverter/ (http://www. movavi. com/videoconverter/)

About Movavi
Movavi (www. movavi. com) offers a comprehensive range of multimedia processing software focused on solving compatibility issues of video and audio formats and devices. Additionally, Movavi offers video editing software, CD/DVD recording software, drag-and-drop media file management software, online video applications, and customizable video SDKs for professional use. Over 5 million people in 95 countries use Movavi products for their video and audio processing needs. Partners include Intel®, NVIDIA® and more. The company provides customer service and support in seven languages - English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Russian. For more information about Movavi, please visit www. movavi. com

NVIDIA and CUDA are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the United States and other countries.

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Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Best Non-Profit Web site of 2007 to be Named by Web Marketing Association in Annual WebAward Competition

The Web Marketing Association announces the call for entries for its 11th annual international WebAward Competition for Web site development at http://www.07webaward. org. The Web Marketing Association will once again name the Best Non-Profit Web site of 2007.

West Simsbury, CT (PRWEB) May 10, 2007

The Web Marketing Association announces the call for entries for its 11th annual international WebAward Competition for Web site development at Web Award Web site (http://www.07webaward. org). The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets benchmarks for 96 industries, including non-profit web sites, based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site. The deadline for non-profit web sites to enter to be judged is May 31, 2007.

"The non-profit industry is very competitive when it comes to Web development and companies can benefit from the independent evaluation of their online efforts," said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. "There seems to be a dichotomy within the non-profit community. Even though overall scores are below average, non-profit web sites have won more overall awards than any other industry category."

Web sites are judged on seven criteria including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use. Each WebAward entry is judged against other entries in its industry category and then against an overall standard of excellence.

All entrants benefit from receiving valuable feedback in terms of their specific scores compared against the average scores for their industry. They also may receive specific comments from the WebAward's professional judging panel on their Web site development efforts.

Winners of a WebAward in the non-profit category will also receive:
Image plaque or certificate of achievement Increased visibility for their company Marketing opportunity to promote the company website to the media Links to your site from the highly ranked WebAward site to help SEO Admiration of peers, friends and co-workers

Each year the Web Marketing Association names the Best Non-Profit Website based on the scores submitted by the competition judges. Recent winners of the Best Non-Profit Web site include:

2006 - Bridge Worldwide for VH1 Save The Music/P&G brandSAVER
2005 - IconNicholson for Project Rebirth Web Site
2004 - I. T. UNITED Corporation for WWF Children of the Earth
2003 - I-SITE and AWARE Foundation for Teen Health Talk
2002 - Interactive Knowledge for Corridos Sin Fronteras

A complete list of past winners and the entry form for companies who wish to compete for 2007 honors can be found at the Best Non-Profit Web site page (http://non-profit. webaward. org).

Using the quantifiable data collected from more than 15,000 Web site evaluations over the past decade, the WebAwards has defined and recognized industry-specific benchmarks for successful Web sites in each of the seven judging criteria and released an Internet Standards Assessment Report to detail the findings of the study. A copy of the 2008 Internet Standards Assessment Report, including details regarding the non-profit industry, will be provided to all participants.

Judging for the 2007 WebAwards will take place in June through August, with winners announced in September. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet marketing professionals who have direct experience designing and managing Web sites with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology. Past judges have included top executives from leading organizations such as Organic, Inc., Ogilvy Interactive, Saatchi & Saatchi, Blattner Brunner, Comedy Central, Sun Microsystems, Refinery, Euro RSCG, EPB Interactive, New York Post Interactive, The Cincinnati Enquirer, J. Walter Thompson, Xerox, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Modem Media, and Answerthink just to name a few.

The 2007 WebAwards are sponsored by the following leading organizations: Burst Media, PRWeb, Misukanis & Odden, Small Army, SimpleFeed, ExactTarget, ad:tech conferences, NewsUSA, eComXpo, MediaPost's OMMA conference, TopRank Online Marketing, AllBusiness, Creative Chocolate Printing Company, OTOlabs, Internet World UK, Search Engine Strategies, Webmaster Radio, Rovion's InPerson and eMarketer.

About the WebAwards
Now in its 11th year, the annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industry categories by evaluating Web sites and defining benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The goal of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the WebAwards, is to provide a forum to recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Web site assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site. For more information, visit www.07webaward. org.

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Friday, May 6, 2005

Public relations Denver is the focus of Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR, who makes use of Internet media relations tactics and achieves placements in Denver, trade press and national media

Public relations Denver is the focus of Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR, who makes use of Internet media relations tactics and achieves placements in Denver, trade press and national media.

Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR, owner of Denver's Absolutely Public Relations and is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and is a member of the PRSA Counselors Academy. She recently announced the establishment of www. denverprnewsroom and www. online-presskit. com to help clients achieve greater exposure on the Internet. Recent national placements include More and Entrepreneur magazines, USA Today and Redbook - plus she regularly places clients in the Denver media and trade press.

(PRWEB) November 18, 2002 -

"Personally, I specialize in media relations. And simply put, media relations is the combination of strategy and tactics that yield impactful media placements: in national media like Entrepreneur, More, USA Today or Redbook; trade press such as Water Environment & Technology, Plants Sites & Parks and National Defense; or local exposure in the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, Denver Business Journal, 9News, Westword and the like," Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR, owner of Metro Denver's Absolutely Public Relations, says.

Holben, who started her Denver consultancy in 1999, has won national awards during her professional career (a Clarion for the Cham-Nicks Portfolio direct mail campaign; Healthcare Advertising Award from Healthcare Marketing Report for the "Galichia Medical Take Your Health to Heart" sales newsletter; and recognition from the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association for the Residence Inn "White Glove" direct mail program), but she puts the focus on getting results for her clients as opposed to winning awards. According to Holben, she has plenty of verve, enthusiasm and creativity to energize her client's media campaigns to the fullest.

Part of taking "media campaigns to the fullest" is making effective use of Internet exposure. Holben's sites, www. denverprnewsroom. com and www. online-presskit. com do just that. At Absolutely PR, Holben sells these products: awareness packages (either local, trade or national); feature article placement, newsmaker awareness and crisis response plans.

Clients purchasing awareness plans are posted on www. denverprnewsroom. com during the media pitching process. Similarly, clients contracting for twelve months or more of feature article placement, receive a five-page Online Press Kit as part of the agreement. A sample online press kit can be found at www. online-presskit. com. Holben - who doesn't typically create company websites for clients - does all of her own webmasting for her media relations websites. She says this hands-on approach provides for speed to launch and rapid response on important, time-sensitive matters.

"I've experienced numerous industry segments over the years," Holben explains, "Most recently I've been working in construction/real estate (see www. holbenhomes. com); healthcare technology (go to www. denverprnewsroom. com and click "Prosthetic Contacts"), public sector issues (see www. savemountcarbon. com), environmental engineering, social science research and alternative medicine."

Prior to opening Absolutely Public Relations, Holben was the public relations director for Denver's GD&A Advertising and Public Relations, located in LoDo at the time. While at GD&A, Holben established the organization's PR Department and spearheaded PR efforts for the 1998 Colorado State Fair, Mountain Chateaux Lodges in Telluride, the Boulder-based baby-products. com comparison shopping website, and the Rocky Mountain BLIMPIE Subs and Salads fast food chain.

The press kit Holben created at GD&A for the Colorado State Fair won a 1998 PRSA/Colorado Silver Pick award. The baby-products. com press kit - also created during Holben's tenure at GD&A won a 1999 Business Marketing Association Silver Key designation.

"I'm both a second-generation Denver native and an only child with aged, disabled parents. I returned to Colorado in 1997 from Wichita, Kansas, to be more responsive to the special needs of my parents who now reside at the Lakewood Meridian," explains Holben, "That's why working full-time for another entity, at a facility that required a commute, necessitated starting my own venture in 1999."

Accredited by the Public Relations Society of America in 1985, Holben served as vice president of client services for The Lida Groups ad agency in Kansas before relocating to the Denver area in August 1997. She has taught both advertising and public relations on the university level. Her professional experience includes extensive, award-winning work for the national Residence Inn by Marriott and Safelite AutoGlass chains.

A veteran publicist (both in traditional and online tactics), Holben is a skilled issues manager and strategic planner. She is a member of PRSA's Counselors Academy, Denver Metro Chamber, Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce, Colorado Healthcare Communicators, the American Marketing Association and the Business Marketing Association. She subscribes to webclipping. com, Bacon's MediaSource, Colorado Media Directory, PR Newswire, Profnet, Business Wire, Internet Wire and Media Relations Canada.

Holben, who's maiden name is Roth, is a 1971 graduate of Jefferson High School, Edgewater, CO. While a Jefferson, she served as yearbook editor and assistant editor of the school newspaper. She holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, where she completed her undergraduate degree in three years, and has done post-graduate studies in business at Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas. Her career review is available at www. maggieholben. com.

At this time, Holben works from an office in her Lakewood home and can be reached at 303-984-9801 or by e-mail at maggie@absolutelypr. com. Additional information is available by requesting a copy of the Absolutely Public Relations brochure (available both in downloadable PDF format or by mail in the traditional printed format). The company website is www. absolutelypr. com.

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Thursday, May 5, 2005

Top Health Plan and Leading Medical Liability Carrier Join Forces with Ohio Physicians to Deliver Personal Health Records

Historic collaboration targets online patient communication & safety.

Cleveland, OH (Vocus) November 6, 2007

Today, the largest Ohio-based healthcare insurer, Medical Mutual of Ohio (http://www. medmutual. com/)], and one of Ohio’s largest medical liability carriers, The Doctors Company (http://www. thedoctors. com/)], and its Ohio based subsidiary OHIC Insurance Company (OHIC) (http://www. ohic. com/) announced an initiative to better connect patients to their physicians using iHealth (http://www. medem. com/)], a secure, online and transportable personal health record (PHR) service. The initiative will reach out to Medical Mutual’s network of physicians in Ohio, several of whom already offer the iHealth service, regarding the patient and practice benefits of secure online connectivity and patient-owned PHRs.

"The best way to encourage our members to take an active role in their personal health is in association with their own doctor and the trust that comes with the patient-physician relationship,” said Medical Mutual's Vice President of eBusiness, Bob Mau. “We will enable our members to directly engage with their own physicians by providing them with a transportable online PHR with automated data updates from our member portal.”

Mau added that more employers are requesting the ability for their employees to interact with their physician online through secure e-mail, health and prevention messages and appointment requests, which saves time for both patients and their doctors.

The Doctors Company through its Columbus-based subsidiary OHIC is supporting Medical Mutual’s effort to reach out to physicians to promote the use of PHRs and secure online patient-physician communication through iHealth.

“The Doctors Company regards iHealth as an important patient safety and connectivity initiative and believes that it has the potential to improve the quality of patient care, disease management and facilitate medication compliance. We want physicians to know there are prudent and efficient ways to communicate online that provide direct benefit to them. We encourage all of our insured physicians nationwide to utilize iHealth,” said David Troxel, M. D., Medical Director for The Doctors Company, which is the nation’s largest physician-owned medical malpractice insurance carrier in the United States. The Doctors Company insures more than 3,000 doctors in Ohio and 32,000 physicians nationwide.

This collaboration will include communications designed to improve the value of patient-physician connectivity and patient-owned PHRs, and a better understanding of how these elements can improve patient safety, documentation, disease management, and more actively engage patients in their own care.

"We are expecting to enhance the level of service to our patients by using iHealth," said John Schaeffer, M. D., president of North Ohio Heart Center (http://www. nohc. com/). "Giving our patients the ability to securely e-mail us, make appointments online, and receive useful health and prevention information is going to be very convenient for them and efficient for us."

"The physician-patient relationship has proven to be the key to engaging patients online and driving the use of PHRs," said Edward Fotsch, M. D., CEO of Medem Inc., which provides the iHealth services to physicians. "This innovative and powerful model between physicians, health plans and liability carriers aligns with patient interests and with the new initiatives announced in Ohio by Governor Ted Strickland. Patient-centered networks connected to physicians and PHRs is an ideal model to improve healthcare not just in Ohio, but nationwide."

There is a keen and growing interest being expressed in terms of healthcare quality and cost-savings potential of electronic personal health records by many, including President Bush, other major candidates for the presidency, elected officials – including Ohio's Governor and its legislative leaders –and other influential healthcare and public policy organizations.

For more information, visit www. medem. com.

About Medical Mutual of Ohio
Founded in 1934, Medical Mutual of Ohio is the oldest and largest health insurance company based in Ohio. The company serves its customers through high-quality, affordable group and personal health insurance plans, and third-party administrative services to self-insured group customers. Based in Cleveland, Medical Mutual also has offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, Dayton and Youngstown. For more information, visit the company's award-winning Web site at www. MedMutual. com.

About The Doctors Company
Founded by doctors for doctors in 1976 to advance, protect, and reward the practice of good medicine, The Doctors Company (www. thedoctors. com) is the nation’s leading physician-owned medical malpractice insurer. With $2.2 billion in assets, 32,000 physician members nationwide and A - ratings by A. M. Best Company and Fitch Ratings, The Doctors Company enjoys a reputation as the industry vanguard.

About OHIC Insurance Company
Headquartered in Columbus, OHIC Insurance Company (www. ohic. com) is the leading physician-owned medical malpractice carrier in Ohio, and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Doctors Company. OHIC was established in 1978 to address the acute shortage of medical malpractice insurance capacity in Ohio and has honored its commitment for over 28 years.

About iHealth
IHealth is a suite of integrated Web-based services proven to effectively engage patients in better managing their health. Powered by Medem, this comprehensive physician-patient communication resource includes the leading patient-owned and standards-based Personal Health Record (PHR), which provides a secure vehicle for communicating online with healthcare providers and is interoperable with EHRs, health plans, pharmacies and other health systems. iHealth’s online registration process also eliminates the medical clipboard, while patient-specific education, care management programs, FDA warnings and Health Risk Assessment tools improve the quality of information across the continuum of care. Founded by the American Medical Association and several national medical specialty societies, iHealth is supported by a broad constituent of industry partners, 45 medical societies, patient advocacy groups and government agencies. To learn more about iHealth, visit www. iHealthRecord. com.

Press Contacts:
Don Olson
Medical Mutual of Ohio
Phone: 216-687-2899
Don. Olson @ mmoh. com

Suzanne Meraz
The Doctors Company/OHIC
Phone: 707-226-0261
Smeraz @ thedoctors. com

Jason Willett
IHealth, powered by Medem
Phone: 415-644-3926
Jason. willett @ medem. com

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