health blog: February 2011

Monday, February 28, 2011

CA Delivers Powerful Solutions for Virtualized and Physical Environments to Manage IT in a Challenging Economy : Breakthrough CA Data Center Automation Manager and Nine Enhanced Enterprise IT Management Solutions Help Customers Adapt to Change, Capitalize on New Opportunities and Control Costs

CA Delivers Powerful Solutions for Virtualized and Physical Environments to Manage IT in a Challenging Economy : Breakthrough CA Data Center Automation Manager and Nine Enhanced Enterprise IT Management Solutions Help Customers Adapt to Change, Capitalize on New Opportunities and Control Costs

CA, Inc. (NASDAQ: CA) today announced CA Data Center Automation Manager and enhancements to nine additional Enterprise IT Management (EITM) and Governance solutions designed to help organizations improve the economics of IT and provide greater business value. The solutions address the IT management challenges intensified by today’s economy, including optimizing virtualized and physical data centers for increased agility and efficiency. Customers of the solutions can better adapt to change, capitalize on new opportunities and achieve greater business alignment while controlling costs.

ISLANDIA, N. Y. (PRWEB) October 7, 2008

CA offers one of the industry's broadest set of IT management and governance solutions, without a hardware or services agenda. By combining leading technology, industry expertise, integration across heterogeneous environments on distributed and mainframe platforms and a global partner ecosystem, CA helps customers to govern, manage and secure IT.

EITM and Governance Solutions for Better Business Results

One new data center automation solution tuned for today's virtualized environments, plus nine enhanced EITM and Governance solutions help customers derive greater business value from their IT investments through better managed data centers, infrastructure, applications, services and information resources. Integration across CA solutions, and integration of those solutions into today's heterogeneous environments, allows customers to gain rapid time to value and better leverage their existing assets. Data Center Automation New CA Data Center Automation Manager r11.2 is a breakthrough solution for comprehensively managing both physical and virtualized data center resources and systems. CA Data Center Automation Manager uniquely combines a rules-based policy engine and a rich set of IT performance management and configuration data from systems and applications, powering intelligent, informed automation decisions. CA Data Center Automation Manager improves the speed of service delivery, supports application configuration and availability, optimizes the value of virtualization and supports Green IT initiatives. CA Data Center Automation Manager integrates with numerous CA products, including CA AutoSys Workload Automation, CA NSM, CA Service Desk, and CA Wily Introscope. Infrastructure Management CA NSM r11.2 provides comprehensive service availability management through an integrated view of events and alerts across physical, virtualized and clustered systems, whether distributed or mainframe. The product is designed to support IPv6 and includes expanded platform support and enhanced integrations with third party and CA solutions such as CA Advanced Systems Management and CA Data Center Automation Manager, among others. A new version of CA Network Management is a fully integrated solution for seamless network performance, service, fault and configuration management. Significant enhancements to CA eHealth Network Performance Manager r6.1 (NPM) and CA SPECTRUM Network Fault Manager r9 (NFM) enable organizations to improve the efficiency of managing their network and better support business services. The solution features enhanced integration with CA CMDB, CA Insight Database Performance Monitor, CA Wily Introscope and is designed to support IPv6. CA Insight Database Performance Monitor (DPM) r11.2.4 maximizes service availability by providing centralized monitoring, collection, and alerting of current and potential database issues across major database vendors on Linux, UNIX and Windows® (LUW) systems. The product is designed to support IPv6 and integrates with CA Advanced Systems Management, CA eHealth NPM, CA NSM, CA SPECTRUM NFM, and CA Wily Introscope. Application Performance Management (APM) The CA Wily APM solution has been optimized to manage the online customer experience and the associated Web applications in large, complex and highly distributed SOA and virtualized environments. The single, integrated solution helps customers ensure that. NET and Java™ Web applications meet business, customer experience and performance goals. The solution, which features CA Wily Introscope r8 and CA Wily Customer Experience Manager (CEM) r4.2, is designed to support IPv6 and integrates with CA Data Center Automation Manager, CA NSM, CA Service Desk, CA Service Metric Analysis, and CA SPECTRUM NFM. Service Management CA Software Change Manager r12 helps organizations better manage and control globally distributed software change initiatives, from change request to code release. By integrating CA Software Change Manager r12 with CA Clarity, CA Service Desk Manager and CA Software Delivery, CA offers customers the ability to streamline software and operational change management processes and respond to changing business conditions more quickly. The new release of CA Software Change Manager r12 is designed to support IPv6 and includes more than 200 process and functionality enhancements such as a completely new developer's interface and modern development environment. Integrated software change and build management are designed to result in higher quality applications and faster deployment cycles. Information Governance The latest version of the CA Information Governance suite includes the new Discovery and Retention Manager module that helps organizations to proactively retain and dispose of the right information to reduce volume, optimize discovery for greatest efficiency and relevance, and limit outside legal review costs by producing only highly relevant information. The CA Information Governance Suite, which includes CA Records Manager 12.5 and CA Message Manager 12.5, is designed to help customers proactively and consistently manage vital digital and physical records across repositories, with policy-driven controls that help mitigate risk and provide for better litigation preparedness. CA Records Manager, the first records management product to receive US DoD 5015.2 v3 certification, is now also the first system to receive paired certifications for Microsoft SharePoint and other leading document management systems under the new standard. Supporting Quotes

"Elavon manages one of the most important customer interactions—payments—for more than one million merchants worldwide," said David Brattain, senior vice president of Systems, Enterprise IT Management and Production Support at Elavon. "With the many CA solutions we have deployed, we are able to leverage IT not just for efficiency and managing costs, but as a strategic business advantage. With tools like CA Data Center Automation Manager, we can be much more agile and launch new business applications more quickly, while making better use of our assets and supporting our data center consolidation strategy. And, the integration across CA products and across our environment means we are able to derive even more value." "More than ever, IT needs to support the business with flexible, cost-efficient service delivery and support," according to Tim Grieser, vice president, System Management Software Research at IDC. "Management software such as CA's EITM and Governance solutions address key requirements including infrastructure management, service management, and automation to help IT align with the business and hold down operational costs while also supporting new growth opportunities." "Effectively managed IT is central to the success of any organization, especially in today's challenging economic climate," said Ajei Gopal, executive vice president of CA's EITM Group. "CA's new and enhanced EITM solutions improve the economics of IT for our customers by giving them the flexibility to adapt to rapidly changing economic conditions and the agility to seize new business opportunities. At the same time, with CA's solutions, organizations can better control costs and manage risk more effectively than ever before." CA World 2008

To learn more about how CA solutions help customers govern, manage and secure IT for greater business value, join the world's largest gathering of CA customers and partners at CA World 2008, November 16-20, 2008, at The Venetian Congress and Sands Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. Additional Resources

White paper: The Business Contribution of IT: Metrics that Matter Forrester Research White Paper: Managing IT in Tough Economic Times Forrester Research Report: IT MOOSE Management—20 Best Practices About CA

CA (NASDAQ: CA) is the world's leading independent IT management software company. With CA's Enterprise IT Management (EITM) vision and expertise, organizations can more effectively govern, manage and secure IT to optimize business performance and sustain competitive advantage. For more information, visit www. ca. com.

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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Harvard Mental Health Letter cites lack of testing as reason for caution on antidepressants for children

In the December issue of Harvard Mental Health Letter, the editors summarize the findings of leading reports and examine the real issues behind the topic of children and antidepressants.

BOSTON, MA (PRWEB) December 5, 2003

As the number of children taking antidepressants continues to grow, so does the international debate regarding the effects these drugs have on children. In the December issue of Harvard Mental Health Letter, the editors summarize the findings of leading reports and examine the real issues behind the topic of children and antidepressants.

The subject remains controversial. Parents and physicians should take into account certain concerns. According to Harvard Mental Health Letter, most psychiatric drugs have not been adequately tested in children. This is a major concern since childrenÂ’s bodies do not absorb and eliminate drugs in the same way adult bodies do. According to Harvard Mental Health Letter editors, other important concerns to consider include:

threats of overmedication risks of not medicating monitoring of drug reaction in children FDA warnings.

While the debate continues, the December issue offers practical advice for parents and physicians to consider when assessing a childÂ’s need for antidepressants.

Harvard Mental Health Letter is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of the Harvard Medical School. You can subscribe to Harvard Mental Health Letter for $72 per year at www. health. harvard. edu or by calling 1-877-649-9457 toll-free.

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If you are a member of the media, please contact Christine Junge at Christine_Junge@hms. harvard. edu for a complimentary copy of the newsletter, or to receive our press releases directly.

About Harvard Health Publications

Harvard Health Publications, a division of Harvard Medical School, publishes five monthly newslettersÂ—Harvard Health Letter, Harvard WomenÂ’s Health Watch, Harvard MenÂ’s Health Watch, Harvard Mental Health Letter, and Harvard Heart LetterÂ—as well as more than 40 Special Health Reports and eight books. The goal of all of our publications is to bring the public the most current practical and authoritative health information by drawing on the expertise of the 8,000 faculty physicians at the Harvard Medical School and its world-famous affiliated hospitals. For more information about our company and our publications, please visit our Web site, www. health. harvard. edu.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

New Two Atmosphere High Pressure Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Chambers Now Available in Manhattan - a Specialty at Patients Medical

The new 2.0 Atmospheric Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber allows patients to experience 80% more oxygen at up to double the atmospheric pressure we feel at sea level. This treatment not only enhances the body's natural ability to heal and combat infection and wounds, but it is also useful in supporting patients who are pre - or post - operative. HBOT has also been used for treating Autism, Lyme Disease, Strokes and Diabetic Wounds.

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 12, 2010

Patients Medical, a leading integrative and holistic medical center in New York City, announced installation of its new 2.0 ATA Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy chamber today - the only soft chamber of its kind available in a private office in Manhattan. Daniel Silverstein, MD, specializing Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) protocols, explains how the treatment works and its many health benefits.

"Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a non-invasive therapy that uses 100% oxygen under atmospheric pressure in a controlled environment. HBOT is one of the most efficient methods of delivering oxygen to cells throughout the body," says Dr. Silverstein. "It jumpstarts the body's natural healing by directly stimulating your cells to grow and regenerate."

"In order to heal, your body needs oxygen," Dr. Silverstein explains. "Especially for patients suffering from diabetic ulcers, burns, serious wounds, crush injuries, severe blood loss and anemia, or those who have had carbon monoxide poisoning or severe smoke inhalation, bathing your body in pure oxygen will help you recover faster. Oxygen is essential for life and the hyperbaric oxygen chamber is the extra stimulus some patients need to make a faster and more complete recovery."

The new 2.0 ATA HBOT chamber allows patients to experience 80% more oxygen at up to double the atmospheric pressure we feel at sea level. This treatment not only enhances the body's natural ability to heal and combat infection, but it is also useful in supporting patients who are pre - or post - operative.

"HBOT can help regenerate damaged tissue and reverse injuries caused by radiation therapy," Dr. Silverstein says. "More studies are currently underway to further determine the effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on other medical conditions and diseases." Recent promising studies include HBOT's affects on autism, cancer, stroke, heart disease, Lyme disease and many others.

Daniel Silverstein, MD is a New York State licensed and board-certified internal medicine physician who has practiced in hospitals and private clinics treating patients with a wide variety of concerns - from arthritis and chronic fatigue to hormonal imbalance and weight loss. His preference for holistic treatment led to his training in complementary approaches through the University of Arizona under the auspices of Dr. Andrew Weil, The Tahoma Clinic in Seattle, the American College for Advancement in Medicine, and the Institute for Functional Medicine.

About Patients Medical
Patients Medical (www. patientsmedical. com) is a unique integrative medicine center in Manhattan that combines the best of traditional and holistic medicine with modern technology to provide comprehensive care. Established in 1974, the center employs a multi-disciplinary staff including board-certified Internists, Family Practitioners, Nutritionists and other integrative practitioners. The practice specializes in diagnosing the root cause of an ailment using cutting-edge technology, then healing the whole person with personalized protocols that draw upon both Western medicine and al is located at 800 Second Avenue, Suite 900, New York, NY 10017, Ph: (212) 679-9667.

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Spa Welcomes Creator of Weight Loss Program / Detox Diet Plan

The Fat Flush diet plan author and creator of a detox weight loss program on hand at exclusive spa.

Arlington, TX (PRWEB) January 26, 2006

Author of The Fat Flush diet plan and creator of the Fat Flush Residential Weight Loss Program at THEGREENHOUSE in Arlington, TX, Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph. D., will be on hand at the 5-Star Spa from February 5th through the 9th to personally offer instruction, insight and inspiration to the A-list guests.

The First Lady of Nutrition herself, Ann Louise Gittleman, has twenty-five books in print including "The Fat Flush Plan (http://www. annlouise. com/ffoverview. asp)” and "The Fast Track One-Day Detox Diet (http://www. annlouise. com/ffoverview. asp).” With many books becoming New York Times bestsellers and countless articles and interviews, Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph. D., C. N.S., is committed to the success and evolution of her weight loss program at TheGreenHouse (http://www. thegreenhousespa. net/).

The Fat Flush Residential weight loss program, designed specifically for the Spa’s guests has been offered at the Spa since January 2004. Ann Louise Gittleman’s "The Fat Flush Plan (http://www. annlouise. com/ffoverview. asp)” joined with the Spa’s Health and Beauty Detox Program to provide a diet plan with a unique, synergistic and extraordinarily effective body reshaping and cleansing weight loss experience.

“The Fat Flush Plan” has been out since 2002, but Gittleman doesn’t settle for complacency. “Through continued research and guest feedback, we have undertaken a never-ending pursuit to help people lead healthier and more fit lives through effective detox, fitness regimes, targeted beauty routines and a dieting support network (http://forum. fatflush. com/) that is available to anyone, anytime, any day of the week,” explains Gittleman.

In 2005, Gittleman continued to revolutionize the health and nutrition world with the introduction of “The Fast Track One-Day Detox Diet” that brings fasting, one of the oldest and most revered healing practices, into the 21st century. Used as a companion to “The Fat Flush Plan,” this diet plan helps participants take their diet to a new level through embracing a more organic lifestyle.

About Ann Louise Gittleman:

Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph. D., C. N.S. is a trusted nutritionist and is highly respected as a healthy living and weight loss expert. She is an award-winning and best-selling author who changed the way America diets in her New York Times blockbuster, “The Fat Flush Plan.” She has over 5 million books in print. Learn more about The Fat Flush diet plan and the Fat Flush Residential Weight Loss Program / Beauty Detox Program at www. annlouise. com

Contact Information:

Stuart K. Gittleman

Business and Operations Manager

First Lady of Nutrition, Inc.

12 Raymond Drive

Wilbraham, MA 01095

P: 413-525-0044/F: 209-396-3919

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From Political Evacuations to Muggings, New Travel Insurance Product Has Frequent Travelers Covered

Seven Corners, Inc., one of the industry's most experienced travel medical insurance providers launches new multi-trip travel insurance product

Carmel, IN (Vocus) March 17, 2010

Travel insurance specialists Seven Corners, Inc. announced today the launch of an innovative multi-trip travel insurance product that encompasses a novel and timely package of trip insurance benefits for travelers in today’s unpredictable world.

Wander(SM) Frequent Traveler coverage provides multi-trip flexibility on an annual basis, allowing a traveler to be covered for unlimited trips, under-30-days, throughout the year. Unlike competing trip insurance products, however, the unique package of benefits of Wander(SM) Frequent Traveler insurance includes coverage for events such as political evacuation and felonious assault – even a coma benefit. These features provide for additional financial payments on top of those for related medical claims to help travelers manage the added implications of such traumatic events. Standard benefits include medical coverage up to $1,000,000 plus emergency medical evacuation.

“Frequent travelers, especially those who may be heading to unstable parts of the world, want peace of mind and flexibility,” says Suzanne Munson, Director of Marketing at Seven Corners. “Whether they’re traveling for business to areas of unrest or simply traveling frequently for leisure, this policy means they know they’ll be covered should a crisis event occur while they’re on the road – without ever having to worry about specifying trip dates.”

Wander(SM) Frequent Traveler is designed to be an ideal business travel insurance policy, enabling traveling professionals to schedule multiple trips throughout the year without having to arrange for travel insurance each time. It is also reasonably priced for frequent travelers, and utilizes a cumulative deductible.

As with all of Seven Corners’ products, Wander(SM) Frequent Traveler is a high-quality insurance product underwritten by The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania and rated A “Excellent” by A. M. Best.

“Adding this kind of unique and relevant multi-trip insurance plan to our portfolio enables our agents to meet the needs of a broader spectrum of consumers and addresses the things travelers are most concerned about,” adds Munson. “With Wander(SM) Frequent Traveler, the high-frequency traveler can literally come and go as they please, with absolute confidence.”

Full information on this new product and access to Seven Corners’ agency partners can be found at sevencorners. com. Consumers can also find useful travel information on wellabroad. com, which provides real-time, country-specific data on travel precautions, travel health warnings, travel alerts and more.

About Seven Corners:
Seven Corners is one of the industry's most experienced travel insurance providers serving leisure, student, business, government and volunteer travelers. It offers an extensive selection of policies to US citizens traveling overseas or foreign nationals visiting the US. The company has a worldwide distribution channel of 30,000 agents. For more information, please call 800-335-0611 or visit Seven Corners online at sevencorners. com.

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Friday, February 25, 2011

The National Center For Food Protection Receives $3.8 Million Grant to Create Global Resource Development and Collaboration Network

Battle Creek, Mich (PRWEB) May 1, 2010

The National Center for Food Protection (NCFP) today announced that it has been awarded a $3.8 million, 3-year grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to support the NCFP's efforts to create a global food protection resource development and collaboration network. Positioned at the intersection of government, academia, the food production and processing industries, and the public, the NCFP will serve as a catalyst for the advancement of food protection by facilitating the exchange of information, generation of new ideas, and acceleration of the development of applications and processes to enhance the safety of the global food supply.

"By connecting food safety professionals and scientists, our aim is to influence policies and practices that will advance food protection," said Stephen Benoit, President and COO. "We are extremely grateful for the support of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation as its generosity will enable us to make great strides toward realizing our overarching goal of improving public health."

The NCFP will use the grant funds to advance three strategic initiatives: the International Food Protection Training Institute (www. ifpti. org), which is delivering career-spanning, standards-based food protection training for state and local food protection officials; the Emerging Technology Accelerator, established to advance the development of novel food protection technologies; and the Global Food Protection Symposia, which will be convened with the aim of exchanging knowledge and generating new ideas regarding policies and practices within the food protection community.

According to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths occur annually in the U. S. due to food pathogens; and about one of every four Americans will develop a foodborne illness each year.

About NCFP

The National Center for Food Protection (NCFP) is a global food protection resource development and collaboration network serving as a catalyst for the advancement of food protection. The NCFP's strategic initiatives include the International Food Protection Training Institute (www. ifpti. org), established to deliver career-spanning, standards-based food protection training for state and local food protection officials; the Emerging Technology Accelerator, established to advance the development of novel food protection technologies; and the Global Food Protection Symposia, convened to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and generation of new ideas regarding food protection policies and practices.

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Thursday, February 24, 2011

NextLevel Information Solutions Named to Sage Software President's Circle for 2008

NextLevel Information Solutions, a Premier Sage Accpac ERP Business Solution Provider, is Recognized for Seventh Year

Miami, FL (PRWEB) October 31, 2008

NextLevel Information Solutions, a Sage Software Select Authorized Partner specializing in the sales, installation and support of Sage Accpac ERP, SageCRM, Sage Accpac HRMS, and Sage FAS Fixed Assets, has been named a Sage Software President's Circle Winner based on their outstanding performance during the past fiscal year (October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008). This is the seventh year the firm has achieved this status.

The prestigious President's Circle designation is awarded to partners representing sales leadership for each of Sage Software's product lines and solutions groups. NextLevel Information Solutions made the President's Circle by achieving Top Product Sales in the Sage Accpac product line.

"Sage Software business partners continue to succeed with superior service and support, and a relentless focus on the customer," said Nina Smith, Sage Software president, Business Management Division. "Our President's Circle achievers know what it takes to win, delivering the solutions and customer service that help both them and their clients succeed. We congratulate NextLevel Information Solutions this year for their impressive achievement and wish them continued success in 2009."

"It is rewarding to be recognized for the hard work and dedication our team puts forth every day and for every client," stated George Doris, president of NextLevel Information Solutions. "We have an exceptional staff whose entire focus is on helping our clients succeed. Ultimately, it is our partnership with those clients that makes us successful. The real reward is helping our clients better utilize technology to give them a competitive advantage."

President's Circle winners will be honored at an official awards ceremony to be held at the lush resort destination of the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa in Kauai, HI, January 29 - February 2, 2009.

About NextLevel Information Solutions
NextLevel Information Solutions specializes in business management solutions with an emphasis in the distribution, not-for-profit, professional services, financial, health-care, manufacturing, and point of sale industries. The company serves businesses up and down the Eastern Seaboard, the Caribbean, and Central and South America from its offices in Florida, New York, and Louisiana. As a Sage Software Select partner, NextLevel Information Solutions delivers business solutions based primarily on the Sage Accpac ERP and SageCRM product lines. For more information go to www. nextlevelis. com or call (800) 247-4298.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Physicians Can Now Verify Patient Insurance Eligibility Online Through New Service From DR2DR

Healthcare technology services provider, DR2DR launches new web based insurance eligibility verification service for providers.

(PRWEB) April 20, 2002

Richmond, VA (April 17, 2002) Â¾ DR2DR of Richmond, Virginia, a leading provider of technology products and services for the Healthcare Industry, has introduced DR2DR Eligibility, a new service for Healthcare providers. The service will allow providers to verify insurance eligibility for patients through the web. Through this service, providers are able to perform a secure, real-time benefits inquiry against a patient's insurance plan.

Past methods of verifying insurance eligibility, including calling insurance companies have been cumbersome, time consuming and often cost prohibitive. This new service gives providers a faster and more convenient way to make sure patients have coverage before the doctor visit. DR2DR Eligibility saves time and money for providers, patients and insurance companies.

The insurance companies that DR2DR has access to for the Eligibility service include; Aetna US Healthcare, United Healthcare, CIGNA, Oxford Health Plans, Prudential, PacifiCare, 34 state Medicaid plans and several Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. These insurance companies service approximately 96,000,000 members or approximately 40% of all insured lives in the U. S.

Â“We are excited about adding web based eligibility verification to our suite of servicesÂ” said Richard Moore, CEO, Â“DR2DR is committed to helping providers improve their businesses through technology and this is an easy way for them to reduce their costs and improve their cash flow.Â”

DR2DR provides web based technology services to Healthcare, including application hosting, organizational intranets, custom reporting, data storage and integration. These services reduce costs and increase efficiency.

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Monday, February 21, 2011

Online Gift Shop, VSQI Gifts Discontinues Offering Items With California Proposition 65 Warnings On Them

Bob Crawford, Owner of VSQI Gifts (www. vsqigifts. com), an online store based in Cranford, N. J., announces he will no longer carry items that have the California Proposition 65 warning on them.

Cranford, NJ (PRWEB) July 22, 2006

Bob Crawford, owner of VSQI Gifts (www. vsqigifts. com), an online gift store announces the discontinuance of offering items labeled with the California Proposition 65 warnings on them and deleted them from the website. VSQI Gifts, operating as http://www. vsqigifts. com (http://www. vsqigifts. com) no longer offers any products with California Proposition 65 warnings on them.

Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, was enacted as a ballot initiative in November 1986. The Proposition was intended by its authors to protect California citizens and the State's drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals. Proposition 65 requires the Governor to publish, at least annually, a list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.

There are plenty of hazards in the world and VSQI Gifts thinks that if Prop 65 things are also hazardous, why offer them? We did our best to remove them from our website and we will do our best not to add any new products with the Prop 65 warnings on them in the future. The health of our customers are important to us.

About VSQI Gifts:VSQI Gifts was founded in September 2002 as a subsidiary of VSQI Merchandise LLC and offers items such as gifts, home and garden décor, collectibles, wedding favors, bath and kitchen accessories and holiday decorations to consumers, fundraisers, resellers, civic organizations and businesses. Owner Bob Crawford spent 30 years previously in information technology at Fortune 100 companies.

Contact:

Bob Crawford, Owner

VSQI Merchandise LLC dba VSQI Gifts

16 South Avenue West, #103

Cranford, New Jersey 07016 (mailing address only)908-233-8341

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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Healthcare Patient Flow Software Provider Premise Corporation Posts Record Revenue Growth for First and Second Quarters

Leading provider of healthcare patient flow software achieves record number of new client signings; works toward vision of helping hospitals maximize capacity and efficiency.

Farmington, CT (PRWEB) September 26, 2006

Leading patient flow software provider for the healthcare industry, Premise Corporation, closed the second quarter of its fiscal year in August with a high degree of momentum in both implementations and new clients. As a result, the healthcare IT firm achieved a record 167% increase in revenue compared to the same period in the prior year, and now has reached a milestone of 120 product licenses, more than triple compared to August 2005.

Premise Corporation’s patient flow software solutions include the Bed Management Dashboard™, BedXpress Dashboard™ and Transport Dashboard™. These products improve every step in the patient flow process across the entire healthcare system, from arrival and bed placement to discharge and bed turnover. Through dashboards and business intelligence reporting, the Premise products also enable faster, better decision-making for executives, clinicians and staff.

During the first half of 2006, Premise has secured an additional 18 client hospitals, with such prestigious hospitals as follows: St. Vincent’s Hospital, which is part of Ascension Health System, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri; Banner Health System, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona; Inova Fairfax Hospital/Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children in Falls Church, Virginia; The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas; Methodist Healthcare System, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee; and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

In addition, several Premise clients completed implementation and began realizing benefits associated with patient flow improvements. These hospitals include Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine; Christiana Care Health System, based in Wilmington, Delaware; and Community Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“It is Premise Corporation’s vision to help every hospital make quantifiable improvements in patient flow, which ultimately enable faster, better care for a greater number of people,” states Eric Rosow, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Premise Corporation. “Our clients consistently tell us that via Premise, they are able to reach their goals regarding increased capacity, improved efficiency and reduced bottlenecks in delivering care.”

Highlights from the first half of 2006 include the following:

An increase in new clients by more than 360% from * 1Q and 2Q of 2005

New strategic alliances with Stryker Corporation and Patient Care Technology Systems, which further promote and extend Premise offerings in the marketplace Relocation to new corporate headquarters in Farmington, CT, which are more than double the size of the former headquarters Expansion of executive team to include additional healthcare and technology leaders, who will help lead the company’s growth in the critical areas of operations and professional services Addition of new employees to help manage the significant growth in client licensees, with particular focus on client support, project management, and technical specialists.

“Premise is moving aggressively forward according to our strategic plans, and will continue to respond to increased demand for our products and professional services,” states Eric. “As we enter into our second half of 2006, we expect this momentum and growth to continue, and will continue our hard work to ensure we can meet the needs and expectations of our clients.”

About Premise (www. premiseusa. com)

Premise is a leading provider of integrated and clinically-focused software solutions that optimize patient flow, streamline communications, enhance operational efficiency, and empower knowledge-based decision making. Founded upon the idea that optimized delivery of healthcare services can be realized through the widespread use and visualization of real-time operating data, Premise delivers the industry’s most intuitive systems for bed management, bed turnover, transport, and decision support, and has been serving the healthcare industry for over 10 years.

Contact:

Chris Aulbach

Caulbach @ premiseusa. com

860-246-3000 x215

Www. premiseusa. com

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Surrogate Sons and Daughters Taking Care of Elderly Parents

Elderly parents are being taken care of by surrogate sons and daughters.

(PRWEB) July 30, 2005

According to Olga Brunner, founder of A Good Daughter, Inc., (www. agooddaughter. com) there are so many concerns as people trying to juggle work and the needs of elderly family members. Â“Many caregivers simply cannot maintain the workload and provide the daily, sometimes hourly needs, of elderly parents and family members. We developed a strong elder care program to provide a wide variety of solutions.Â”

Brunner made it clear, Â“Our organization goes into a home and completes a needs assessment; next we put in the services needed so that seniors can live at home independently versus entering a long term care facility. But in the event that a family feels this type of placement is warranted, A Good Daughter staff conducts facility visits and help families select an appropriate placement for a parent or spouse.Â”

Additional services include going to doctorÂ’s appointments and monitoring medications and supervising in-home help. Brunner suggested, Â“We are surrogate daughters doing what sons and daughters would do for their parents if they were living in-town, or had the time and free away from other professional and family obligations.Â”

Often as an added precaution clients are provided life-alert systems; grab-bars and safety features are installed in their homes; supervised activities that add greatly to their quality of life is also provided. We collaborate with home health agencies to get the best trained home health aids to assist them with their activities of daily living.

A Good Daughter based in Margate, Florida, was founded based on BrunnerÂ’s own experience. Brunner originally moved from California to Florida to care for her aging mother with Alzheimer's disease. Having been affected by the daunting task of being a caregiver while employed, she became determined to start a business which would help other caregivers navigate the troubled waters of elder care. Brunner became a care manager who brings a personal awareness of the needs of close or long distance caregivers and their loved ones.

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Spectrum K12 School Solutions, Inc. Names Alphanumeric Systems Solution Partner and Hosts Seminar on January 21

Spectrum K12 and Alphanumeric collaborate to deploy RTI and Student Achievement solutions for K12 school districts.

Towson, MD (PRWEB) November 17, 2009

Spectrum K12 School Solutions Inc, the leading provider of response to intervention (RTI), special education and student achievement management software solutions for K12 school districts, today announced a strategic partnership with Alphanumeric Systems, where Alphanumeric will be authorized to sell Spectrum K12’s award winning EXCEED™ product suite in NC, SC, VA, MD, FL and GA.

“Spectrum K12 is committed to partnering with best-in-class companies such as Alphanumeric to offer state-of-the-art solutions to K12 school districts,” said Jim Marshall, President and CEO of Spectrum K12. “By partnering with Alphanumeric we bring together Spectrum K12’s strength in creating easy-to-use student achievement management software solutions with Alphanumeric’s technology delivery expertise to offer a platform to personalize learning for all students.”

“Spectrum K12’s EXCEED software and deep education industry knowledge combined with Alphanumeric’s three decades of technology solutions and core IT infrastructure expertise creates the ultimate partnership in providing a personalized learning experience to every student in our school districts,” said Betsy Justus, VP of Sales and Marketing of Alphanumeric Systems. “We look forward to working hand-in-hand to offer the best solution to our clients.”

“We are excited about the partnership we have developed with Spectrum K12 and the capabilities their software provides to the K-20 sector for managing a student’s educational performance. As we look at how to be successful in early intervention and drop-out prevention, this software is far and above any other product we have reviewed,” said Jay Baucom, VP of Public Sector Operations at Alphanumeric.
On Thursday, January 21st, Spectrum K12 and Alphanumeric will co-sponsor an interactive presentation and demonstration focusing on how to utilize ARRA funding to implement RTI and student achievement management solutions. The lunch seminar will be held from 11:00am-1:30pm at Alphanumeric’s Headquarters in Raleigh. For more information or to register for this complimentary event, visit www. alphanumeric. com/january21/index. htm (http://www. alphanumeric. com/index. htm)

About Spectrum K12 School Solutions
Spectrum K12 School Solutions Inc. is the leading provider of Response to Intervention (RTI) and special education IEP software serving 11% of the U. S. K-12 student population including 20 of the top 100 school districts in the United States. Our EXCEED™ student achievement management software gives teachers an easy way to drive day-to-day activities, research based interventions and outcomes to help all students achieve success. EXCEED monitors academic and behavioral progress, displays efficacy and fidelity, and surfaces achievement gaps at the student, class, grade, group or district level. Our patented, award-winning software has enabled personalized learning for over 5 million children in 29 states in support of our mission to close the achievement gap and Move Every Child Forward™. For more information visit www. spectrumK12.com (http://www. spectrumK12.com).

About Alphanumeric
Alphanumeric Systems, Inc. is a world-class technology provider with core strengths in the efficient delivery of comprehensive technology solutions. Offerings include IT Professional Services with a focus on core infrastructure, virtualization and unified communications; IT Support Services, and Managed Services, including remote monitoring, on-site support and service desk. Alphanumeric, a privately-held, woman-owned enterprise, has served education, pharmaceutical, state and local government, healthcare and professional services clients for three decades. For more information visit www. alphanumeric. com (http://www. alphanumeric. com)

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Saturday, February 19, 2011

Shopping Comparison Engines market worth &#163;120m-&#163;140m in 2005, says E-consultancy

Shopping Comparison Engines market worth £120m-£140m in 2005, says E-consultancy

Online retailers are increasing their investment in comparison websites as growing numbers of consumers buy goods after researching price and product features online.

London, UK (PRWEB) April 13, 2006

Retail-focused shopping comparison sites made between £120m and £140m in UK revenue during 2005, according to E-consultancy's 2006 Shopping Comparison Engines Buyer's Guide published this week.

Shopping comparison sites such as Kelkoo and Pricerunner have experienced a surge in demand from web users, who are keen to compare products and prices to find the best deal.

The amount of traffic to shopping comparison sites is growing at a very healthy 30% year on year, yet market revenues outstrip this figure. Revenue growth of up to 500% has been reported by comparison engines, driving massive amounts of sales to merchant partners.

Companies that actively use price comparison engines typically spend around 3-5% of their marketing budget to drive new leads, but investment in shopping comparison is set to increase, in line with user growth and as new comparison engines come to market.

As well as retail, comparison engines are becoming increasingly popular in sectors such as travel, financial services and utilities, according to E-consultancy's research.

"More and more consumers are using comparison sites to research products and services so they can find the best value products and services, whether they are looking for the best priced iPod or the most suitable mortgage," said E-consultancy analyst Linus Gregoriadis.

"Online marketers across a range of sectors from retail to financial services realise that comparison sites are an important weapon in their armoury for driving online sales," he added. "Retailers want to partner with comparison engines which can help consumers make informed decisions because it means they will be closer to the point of purchase when they arrive at their websites."

E-consultancy editor Chris Lake said: "The recent purchase of the uSwitch by the US media conglomerate EW Scripps for £210m is the latest in a string of acquisitions within this market which underlines the growing importance of comparison sites in driving online sales."

ComScore Media Metrix estimated that there were 14.9 million unique visitors to shopping comparison websites in February 2006, compared to 11.5 million for the same month in 2005. The volume of traffic to comparison sites is growing twice as quickly as for online retail where the market has increased by 15% in the last year.

The UK's overall online population swelled its ranks by 7% last year, while broadband connections surpassed dial-up connections. Broadband users are known to spend more, and to spend longer online.

Key market trends and findings

For retailers in some categories, for example electrical goods, income which can be attributed to shopping comparison sites can amount to 30% of total online sales.

Growth is being driven by increased use of the internet as a research tool before purchase.

For some financial services products, comparison sites (also known as aggregators) can account for up to 50% of their internet business. Price comparison for loans and credit cards is particularly popular among consumers, for obvious reasons. Up to a third of new online business for car insurers can be attributed to comparison sites (also known as aggregators).

About this report

This guide to shopping comparison engines (also referred to as "price comparison" engines or aggregators) is primarily aimed at retailers/merchants who want to increase their online sales. It contains profiles of 12 major shopping comparison engines as well as market research about industry growth and drivers or growth.

Which shopping comparison engines are featured in the buyer's guide?

Cheapflights, Ciao, Genie Group, Kelkoo, MoneyExpert. com, NexTag UK, Pangora, PriceGrabber, PriceRunner, Shopping. com, Smart Quotes, Zencudo.

[ends]

About E-consultancy

E-consultancy is the UK's leading online publisher of best practice internet marketing reports, research and how-to guides. It also publishes buyer's guides and has a directory of 100,000+ third party internet marketing white papers.

Since moving to a paid-content model in 2003 E-consultancy has amassed thousands of paying subscribers, more than 36,000 registered users and 150,000+ unique users sessions per month. Its weekly newsletter is sent to 20,000 users.

Subscribers pay from £149 per year to access the exclusive and highly practical content, which helps internet marketers get the most out of their websites.

E-consultancy has more than 100 events lined up for 2006, including roundtables and monthly Supplier Showcases, where six suppliers pitch to an audience of pre-qualified buyers (typically between 100-150) in a Central London venue. E-consultancy also provides a range of public and in-house training programmes, such as seminars and workshops.

Other popular E-consultancy reports

Managing An E-commerce Team (June 2005) Web Analytics: A Buyer's Guide (June 2005) Online Advertising Networks: A Buyer's Guide (July 2005) Affiliate Marketing Networks: A Buyer's Guide (September 2005) E-commerce Solutions: A Buyer's Guide (October 2005) Online Ad Serving Solutions: A Buyer's Guide (January 2006) Usability & Accessibility: A Buyer's Guide (February 2006)

John McCain May Have Lost Due to a Brand Bubble Reveals New Data Analysis from Young & Rubicam and Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates

Analysis of world's largest brand database suggests John McCain lost due to a losing brand strategy. McCain's emphasis on trust and tradition eroded his credibility as a maverick in a race in which both candidates agreed the message was change. Data shows that consumer perception of McCain's brand was comparable to brands that are trusted but don't change like AT&T, Mastercard, the United States Postal Service, Exxon and United Airlines. On the other hand, consumers perceive Obama's brand as similar to energized brands such as Red Bull, Facebook, iPhone, and Starbucks.

New York, NY (PRWEB) November 19, 2008

John McCain may have lost the election due to a "brand bubble" finds new data analysis from Young & Rubicam in partnership with Market Research Firm Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates. McCain's losing brand strategy is explained with three key findings announced today:

1) By casting himself as a "maverick", the Presidential contest became a referendum on who best fit the agreed positioning of change.

2) McCain's mistake was to underestimate the strength Obama had in the change positioning relative to himself and to not have any brand positioning that was all his own.

3) McCain's attributes of trustworthy and traditional rose throughout the campaign but the study shows that such attributes tend to go up when a brand is losing "energized differentiation," -- the consumer perception of motion and direction in a brand (i. e. change). Energized brands like Apple, Google and Whole Foods create velocity and momentum. They move faster, see farther and navigate the future for consumers.

According to John Gerzema, coauthor of The Brand Bubble and Chief Insights Officer at Young & Rubicam, a 'Brand Bubble' occurs when a brand has more credibility than momentum. (e. g. strong esteem and relevance at the expense of energized differentiation). This brand typically performs better on esteem drivers--quality, traditional and trust, but it is less capable of adapting and changing. Consumers may feel this brand is respected, but incapable of changing to meet their future needs. Too much credibility can be a bad thing if consumers think you can't adapt, lead and evolve.

When Young & Rubicam used their BrandAsset™ Valuator (BAV) database (the world's largest database of brands with over 500,000 consumers surveyed across 44 markets on over 40,000 brands) to map the candidates to brands, McCain looked like the tried-and-true, established brands like AT&T, Mastercard, the United States Postal Service, Exxon and United Airlines that everyone knows and trusts, but that are not associated with energized differentiation, or therefore with change. Barack Obama on the other hand maps to innovative and contemporary brands like Facebook, Starbucks, Red Bull, and iPhone. McCain's brands are more populist, while Obama's are more elitist.

"Even to the end, McCain stuck to his maverick positioning long after it should have been clear it was not the way to go," says John Gerzema, Chief Insights Officer at Young & Rubicam and author of The Brand Bubble. "His selection of Sarah Palin (whom the campaign dubbed the maverick's maverick) locked him further into his wrong choice rather than bringing a different dimension to the ticket.

"The financial crisis was the final blow," says Scott Siff, Executive Vice President of Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates. "Once the crisis hit, that long-before implicit agreement between the candidates that the campaign would be about change became a question over who would be more successful in making changes to the way the economy had been managed. But that was not inevitable. Had McCain selected a different context from the beginning, by saying there was a positioning superior to simple change - perhaps seasoned steadiness - the debate over the financial meltdown could have then been framed as whether simply changing everything was a better approach than having solid tested leadership at a time when we most need a steady hand at the wheel. In other words, a battle between two different positions rather than which candidate best represented the same positioning. Ultimately all these choices placed McCain on election day in a position of weakness, and why, at least as a branding matter, he did not fight the right fight."

John Gerzema is Chief Insights Officer of Young & Rubicam and author of The Brand Bubble: The Looming Crisis in Brand Value and How to Avoid It (http://www. brandbubble. com (http://www. brandbubble. com)).

Scott Siff is Executive Vice President at Penn Schon & Berland.

Young & Rubicam Brands is a global, collaborative network of preeminent companies in advertising, public relations, public affairs, brand identity and design, direct and database marketing, digital and interactive marketing, multicultural marketing and healthcare communications. They were the first company to provide integrated marketing communications services, pioneering its practice in the early 1970s. Today, Young & Rubicam Brands still provides best-in-class communications programs to more than 750 clients worldwide. More than 250 of these clients use more than one Brands company to reach their customers. Young & Rubicam Brands is a member of WPP.

Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates (PSB) is a global research-based consultancy that specializes in messaging and communications strategy for blue-chip political, corporate, and entertainment clients. They have over 30 years of experience leveraging unique insights about consumer opinion to provide clients with a competitive advantage - what they call Winning Knowledge™. PSB executes polling and message testing services for numerous Fortune 100 corporations, and have helped elect more than 30 presidents and prime ministers. PSB is a trusted advisor to corporate CEOs and national leaders around the world. For more information, please visit psbresearch. com.

About BrandAsset™ Valuator Model

The BrandAsset™ Valuator (BAV), a proprietary asset of the Y&R Brands (which includes both Y&R Advertising and PSB), is the world's largest database on brands. (See Admap, March 2008 for more in-depth information on the model.) Since 1993, Y&R has surveyed over 500,000 consumers across 44 markets on over 40,000 brands. BAV gauges consumer perceptions on brand health, leadership, and imagery. BAV measures brands in a cultural context, relative to all other brands in each market.

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Friday, February 18, 2011

Ripple Effects Interactive Announces Promotion, New Hires

Ripple Effects Interactive, a nationally ranked digital marketing agency, today announced several personnel moves, including one promotion and six new hires. The moves augment the agencyÂ’s strength across all areas of its full-service capabilities offering, and will allow Ripple Effects Interactive to continue to provide the best service to its clients.

PITTSBURGH (PRWEB) July 11, 2005

The personnel moves involve Ripple Effects InteractiveÂ’s client services, design, production, technology teams, and include:

-Lauren Blair, Producer Â– Originally a client, Lauren joins Ripple Effects Interactive from Carnegie Mellon UniversityÂ’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, where she managed the redesign of the departmentÂ’s Web site.

-Matt Brown, Helpdesk Analyst Â– Matt is a Microsoft Certified Professional and joins the agency from ICM School of Business and Medical Careers, where he provided information technology support.

-Cara Crowley, Account Executive Â– Cara joins Ripple Effects Interactive after stints as a trade show executive, first at Young & Rubicam and more recently at ExhibitGroup Giltspur, where she worked with large pharmaceutical companies like Wyeth, Astra-Zeneca and Schering-Plough.

-Amy Giannelli, Senior Interface Programer Â– Amy joins from Blattner Brunner, where she was senior visual developer working with clients such as GlaxoSmithKline, Del Monte and PPG Industries.

-Stephen Hay, Account Supervisor Â– Stephen joins Ripple Effects Interactive after having worked as an account manager at CO2, a Pittsburgh-based agency, where he developed online strategies for Duquesne University and UPMC Health Plan, among others. He was also instrumental in developing an e-CRM program for Brusters Ice Cream.

-Christian Mayer, Interface Programmer Â– Christian joins from Communifax, where he was a web designer/developer. Prior to that, he was a user experience consultant at FullTilt Solutions.

-Scott Riemenschneider, Interactive Designer Â– Scott was recently promoted from junior print designer because of his excellent work for clients such as Carnegie Mellon.

Â“Ripple Effects Interactive is defined by two things Â– a commitment to serving our clientÂ’s needs and having the most talented people possible for such tasks,Â” said Louis Malafarina, chief executive officer at Ripple Effects Interactive. Â“With this group of talented professionals, we are confident that the agency will continue to deliver of its value proposition.Â”

Ripple Effects Interactive is a premier digital marketing agency ranked among the nationÂ’s Top 25 independent interactive firms by Advertising Age. Offering a full range of services Â– from strategic communications planning, Web site design to online marketing and Web application development, the agency has built a solid reputation for creating highly sophisticated, imaginative and innovative communication strategies and Web experiences. From offices in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and with over 45 interactive marketing specialists, the agency serves a prestigious client roster of consumer and lifestyle, tourism and travel, higher education, and cultural and non-profit organizations Â– including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola and Carnegie Mellon University. For more information, visit www. RippleEffectsInteractive. com.

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Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Applauds Increased Funding for Refugee Resettlement

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service applauds a recent U. S. State Department decision to increase the reception and placement grant for newly resettled refugees from $900 to $1,800 per capita. The increased funding for reception and placement will significantly enhance Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service’s ability to help refugees get started on the road to successful integration.

Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) January 26, 2010

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (http://www. lirs. org)(LIRS) applauds a recent U. S. State Department decision to increase the reception and placement grant for newly resettled refugees from $900 to $1,800 per capita. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Eric Schwartz informed LIRS Vice President for Protection and Programs Susan Krehbiel of the change in a January 22 letter. The change is retroactive to January 1, 2010.

When refugees who cannot return to their home countries due to persecution or violence are admitted to the United States, they are resettled by Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and other national organizations working through local programs to provide 30 to 90 days of reception services for newly arrived refugees. These services include meeting immediate needs such as housing, furnishings, clothing and food as well as assisting with access to social security cards, school enrollment, health care, employment services and English language instruction. In 2009 the United States admitted just under 80,000 refugees, of whom nearly 11,000 were welcomed by LIRS and its network of 24 affiliates serving in 46 communities across the country.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service drew attention to the need for increased funding for basic initial services in a 2009 report, The Real Cost of Welcome: A Financial Analysis of Local Refugee Reception. The report detailed the challenges faced by organizations that carry out the work of welcoming newly arrived refugees. “LIRS believes that private participation is an essential aspect of refugee resettlement,” the report stated, but noted “troubling strains on this public-private partnership due to the growing imbalance between federal resources and expectations and the increasing reliance upon our local partners to raise support.” Schwartz, who visited local resettlement programs after taking office last July, acknowledged that previous increases in the per capita grant had not kept pace with increased actual costs, stating that “the grant has declined in real terms by more than 50% since its inception some decades ago.”

The per capita grant directly benefits refugees and offsets local program costs of overseeing services to newcomers. Of the $1,800 per capita, $1,100 is designated for direct support of refugees. Of this, at least $900 must be spent on the needs of each refugee, but local agencies will have the flexibility to allocate up to $200 to augment funding more vulnerable refugees. The remaining $700 is designated for program management, and should allow local programs to increase staffing or otherwise improve the quality of their services.

Krehbiel expressed appreciation on behalf of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service: “We are grateful to Assistant Secretary Schwartz for the personal interest he has taken in hearing our concerns about the adverse effect of underfunding on refugees and on resettlement services. He took the next step of studying the issue and arrived at a very welcome decision. The State Department’s action will make a profound difference for refugees as they take on the challenge of rebuilding their lives in a new country.”

LIRS President-Elect Linda Hartke stated, “This is wonderful news. The increased funding for reception and placement will significantly enhance Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service’s ability to help refugees get started on the road to successful integration. We are thankful that the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration shares our desire to foster a spirit of welcome for newcomers in American communities.”

The broader Lutheran community is also lauding the announcement and LIRS’s role in advocating for this welcome and necessary change. The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, commented, “Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service plays an invaluable role in consistently and insistently holding the needs of refugees in the forefront of public policy decision-making. This change in U. S. government policy constitutes a critically necessary increase of resources to provide for the humane resettlement and welcome of refugees into local communities. Lutherans have been in the forefront of refugee response in this country for over 70 years. This decision will make an immediate and significant difference in the lives of many, many people who both seek and deserve a hospitable welcome in the United States.”

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is a champion for uprooted people and is one of the nation’s leading agencies serving refugees and immigrants. LIRS helps people seeking safety from persecution in their home countries and reunites families torn apart by conflict. LIRS resettles refugees and protects vulnerable children who arrive alone in the United States. LIRS advocates for compassion and justice for all migrants.

To learn more about LIRS’s work of welcome, please visit http://www. lirs. org (http://www. lirs. org).

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

Massachusetts Medical Society Testifies in Support of Safer Alternatives for Mercury Products

Statewide association of physicians testifies before State Legislative committee on dangers of mercury and advantages of safer alternatives

Waltham / Boston, MA (PRWEB) May 4, 2005

The Massachusetts Medical Society today offered testimony before the LegislatureÂ’s Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture in support of House Bill 1392 and Senate Bill 554, Â“An Act Relative to Safer Alternatives for Mercury Containing Products.Â”

House Bill 1392 and Senate Bill 554 are identical bills that would take a comprehensive approach to reducing the dangers resulting from mercury, including safe collection, transportation, recycling, and disposal.

The legislation would also phase out the sale of mercury-added thermostats, instruments, and measuring devices, as well as mercury switches and relays. Environmental organizations estimate that these devices alone contain two-thirds of all of the mercury in products in the state. Other mercury-containing products would also be banned and replaced by safer alternatives.

In its written testimony, the Medical Society said that while mercury appears in many common products Â– from medical devices to fluorescent lighting Â– it also poses severe health risks to our citizens. Studies have convincingly shown that even very low doses of mercury result in impaired childhood neurobehavioral functioning, including problems with attention, verbal learning, vocabulary, and neuromotor function. The Society cited statistics from The National Academy of Sciences (NAS), which estimates that mercury exposure may cause neurological problems in 60,000 children born in the United States each year, and the Environmental Protection Agency, which estimates that 52,000 to 166,000 pregnant women consume mercury at or above safe levels.

While the National Academy of Sciences estimates that as much as 80 percent of the potential mercury in the waste stream is preventable or recyclable, the Society said that mercury is extremely persistent in the environment and in the food chain once it is introduced. This legislation would directly and comprehensively address these concerns by (1) phasing out the sale or use of most mercury-added products; (2) prohibiting the disposal of mercury-containing waste products as solid waste; and (3) ensuring the proper collection, transportation, recycling and disposal of all mercury-containing waste products.

The Medical Society noted that adequate non-mercury substitutes are available for most of the products used, and that the bill would allow the DEP to make limited exceptions when necessary.

The Medical SocietyÂ’s complete testimony on the bill may be found at http://www. massmed. org/testimony05/mercury (http://www. massmed. org/testimony05/mercury)

The Massachusetts Medical Society, with some 18,300 physicians and student members, is dedicated to educating and advocating for the patients and physicians of Massachusetts. The Society publishes The New England Journal of Medicine, one of the worldÂ’s leading medical journals; the Journal Watch family of professional newsletters covering 11 specialties; and AIDS Clinical Care. The Society is also a leader in continuing medical education for health care professionals throughout Massachusetts. Founded in 1781, MMS is the oldest continuously operating medical society in the country. For more information, visit http://www. massmed. org (http://www. massmed. org).

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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

SEI Pharmaceuticals -- Protein Powder Shake Free Give Away

SEI Pharmaceuticals is having a protein powder give away contest to show people everywhere that they have the best and most delicious protein powder for protein shakes.

Miami, FL (PRWEB) September 2, 2009

SEI Pharmacuticals, http://www. seipharmaceuticals. com (http://www. seipharmaceuticals. com)], based in Miami, FL but serving the entire country, is having a Protein Powder (https://http://www. seipharmaceuticals. com/products/Max-Protein. html) give away contest and is pleased to announce that they are giving away TWO 5 pound tubs of protein powder for protein shakes. Go to seipharmaceuticals. com to check out how to win.

To spread the word about the protein shake (https://http://www. seipharmaceuticals. com/products/Max-Protein. html) SEI is having a free give away of their taste tested and highly recommended protein powder. There will be two winners. Each winner receives one 5 lb. tub of our protein powder. One winner will receive our cookies and cream protein powder flavor and the other chocolate chip mint protein powder flavor. Check out our Health and Fitness blog (http://seipharmaceuticals. com/blog/) and enter to win and get details on earning multiple entries.

Our protein powder can be used in so many different ways; shakes, smoothies, and even protein truffles, protein ice cream, and a to die for GUILT FREE 5 Minute Cake recipe courtesy of Egg Face (http://theworldaccordingtoeggface. blogspot. com/ (http://theworldaccordingtoeggface. blogspot. com/)). The contest is super easy to enter and runs until Friday, September 12th midnight PST.

SEI Pharmaceuticals is Having a Protein Give Away Contest to Help Show People Every Where that they Have the Best Protein Shake powder out. Anyone who has ever had experience with taking protein shakes knows that some can taste less than good. It is almost work sometimes to drink them. Everyone knows protein is good for them, for lots of reasons:
It promotes muscle growth,
It aids the body in healing,
It increases metabolism for weight loss,
The list goes on and on.
But why do most protein shakes have to taste so bad? Well they don't have to, and SEI Pharmaceuticals manufactures the best and most delicious protein shake powders in five different flavors chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, cookies and cream, and chocolate chip mint. Now people can enjoy the benefits of protein without the burden of bad taste.

Sei wants to hear what people think and interact with others that are interested in health and fitness. So SEI are pleased to announce we have just launched a Health and Fitness blog (http://seipharmaceuticals. com/blog/) to help SEI interact with people who use our supplements and enjoy health and fitness. We have great news and information posted for everyone to enjoy.

SEI Pharmaceuticals has also just launched their skin care supplement (http://seilutions. com/) website. SEI Pharmaceuticals has developed a break thru skin care supplement powder called seilutions. Seilutions gives skin essential vitamins and minerals to make skin healthy, give it a healthy glow, even out skin tones and prevent the signs of aging. Seilutions will make skin, look great.

For Information regarding SEI's contest contact George Hassan a Miami SEO (http://www. ptxmarketing. com) from PTX Marketing at 786-879-8373.

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Monday, February 14, 2011

Getting Through the First 60 Days as a New Parent Just Got Easier

Life with a newborn is an exciting, yet challenging experience. New parents now have reason to celebrate as Sixty Second Parent releases Caring for your newborn: How to enjoy the first 60 days as a new mom, the second book in The Triumphant Child™ series.

Asheville, NC (PRWEB) April 8, 2010

Co-edited by leading pediatrician, Dr. Olson Huff and child development specialist, Nicole Rawson-Huff, Caring for your newborn: How to enjoy the first 60 days as a new mom, incorporates both expert guidance on pediatric health and practical parenting stories and tips.

Through knowledge and advice from well-known experts and stories and tips from other parents, this book offers real world practical advice for overcoming the fears and anxieties that many new parents face on a daily basis once their baby is born.

This book covers topics such as: bonding with your baby, helping your baby build a better brain, newborn sleeping patterns, soothing a crying baby, caring for the umbilical stump, help with choosing a pediatrician and more.

Unlike many other books on the market that entirely focus on moms and babies, this book includes a bonus chapter for new dads. This chapter answers many of the questions that dads often have about the new addition to their life and how it will affect them and their relationship.

Dr. Olson Huff is one of America’s most respected pediatricians. He is a member of several national and state committees including Chairman of the Committee on Federal Government Affairs for the American Academy of Pediatrics and Commissioner of the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund. He is the founder of the Olson Huff Center for Child Development at Mission Hospital, Asheville, NC. Dr. Huff is a long time advocate of children's health and wellbeing; his goal is to make sure children everywhere get the best start in life.

His daughter-in-law Nicole Rawson-Huff is an experienced early childhood development specialist who has spent her career empowering moms and dads to develop the skills they need to be the best parents they can be. As well as being a mom of two children, Nicole is a certified facilitator for ‘Raising Kids with Special Needs’, a certified ‘Parents as Teachers’ educator and an infant massage instructor. She was a founding manager of TotLine - a parent information phone line.

Their vision of helping parents together started in 1997 when they developed a set of radio messages called “The One Minute Parent.” This popular program provided practical tips on raising children with information on child health and development. The launch of the Sixty Second Parent website in 2008 extended this vision. The Triumphant Child™ book series quickly followed due to high demand for both expert knowledge and practical advice on raising children.

Caring for your newborn: How to enjoy the first 60 days a new mom is the proud recipient of a Disney iParenting Media Award for ‘Outstanding Product.’

Caring for your newborn: How to enjoy the first 60 days a new mom is available on The Triumphant Child (http://www. thetriumphantchild. com) website or through Amazon.

Caring for your newborn: How to enjoy the first 60 days as a new mom, Dr. Olson Huff and Nicole Rawson-Huff, Eds.; Soft cover; Nonfiction; $19.95 U. S. ISBN: 978-0-9822841-2-4

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Sunday, February 13, 2011

When Helping a Family in Need Is More Important than Professional Success

Helping a family in need on Long Island, NY

Huntington Station, NY (PRWEB) October 20, 2010

A dedication to helping those in need is a great and noble thing. At http://www. BidForMaterials. com we are familiar with aiding those less fortunate by helping them to attain better living conditions, and are proud to do so. We recently became familiar with a new non-for-profit foundation called Building Hope for Long Island. Their mission is simple; “To Build Hope in Long Island communities by repairing ordinary homes for extraordinary families.” Their goal is to help one family per year. We are reaching out to you today in order to help them attain this goal.

Their latest endeavor is to help James Shaljian and his family. James has been battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for many years. Mold in their small two bedroom home forced James out of the house as it was jeopardizing his health and recovery. The community converted a small cottage on their property to make it livable for James while his wife, Christine, and four daughters remained in the main house. They plan to start building the Shaljian’s new home this October so the family will be able to be under the same roof this upcoming holiday season.

Building Hope for Long Island has a Facebook page, a website: http://www. buildinghopeforli. org and has received attention from many genres of the media. Through the spotlight of the media and their involvement with networking on Facebook they have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our neighbors, fellow contractors, suppliers, and many others who have promised their time, expertise and materials to help build this home. Those involved have been receiving a huge amount of attention for their involvement in this admirable foundation that is reaching out to help local Long Islanders.

This foundation is still in its infancy, and is in desperate need of any donations that you might be able to provide. If you can provide materials, supplies, or monetary donations, it would be greatly appreciated. The materials are not limited to roofing supplies, drywall supplies, lumber, plumbing supplies, and electrical supplies to name a few. All donations will be tax-deductable. It is the support of great people that are willing to help others that aid will enable this foundation to go on and continue to help others in need now, as well as in the future. Donations can be made via their Facebook page for Building Hope for LI, their website, or mailed to Building Hope for Long Island at PO Box 551, Mount Sinai, NY 11766. Their e-mail address is buildinghopeforli@gmail. com. You can also contact us at http://www. BidForMaterials. com by calling us at 1-877-716-5510, e-mailing us at fred(at)bidformaterials. com, or finding us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn for more information about this worthy cause.

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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Hayes Announces Appointment Of Dr Susan Levine To The Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC)

Committee provides independent, expert advice to CMS in a public forum

Lansdale, PA (PRWEB) February 15, 2010

Hayes, Inc., the nation’s leading health technology research and consulting company, today announced that Susan A. Levine, DVM, MS, PhD, Vice President of Health Technology Research and Consulting, has joined the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC). The MEDCAC was established in 1998 to provide independent guidance and expert advice to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on specific clinical topics. Dr Levine will serve a two-year term beginning January 1, 2010.

MEDCAC is utilized by CMS to supplement its own research and allow for additional expert and public input on coverage topics, including those that are highly complex or have a major potential impact on the health of beneficiaries and/or the Medicare program itself. The MEDCAC reviews and evaluates medical literature and technology assessments to determine reasonable and necessary applications of medical services and technology. Advisory in nature, MEDCAC provides an unbiased, external evaluation of the strength of available evidence in a public forum. The committee also provides expert clinical and technical review regarding conclusions about the net health outcomes of a technology under consideration.

MEDCAC members are valued for their background, education, and expertise in a wide variety of scientific, clinical and other related fields. “I am honored to be invited to work with this prestigious group of professionals,” says Dr Levine. “In order to improve the quality of healthcare in the United States, decisions about policy, coverage, utilization, and personal healthcare must be grounded in scientific evidence.”

Dr Levine has extensive experience in health technology assessment, clinical trial methodology and data analysis, and comparative effectiveness reviews, and has held a senior management position at Hayes, Inc. for the past 13 years. Before joining Hayes, Dr Levine earned a PhD in Pharmacology and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University, and completed a surgical residency at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. She has held faculty appointments at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Mayo Graduate School of Medicine.

Hayes, Inc.
Hayes, Inc. is an independent health technology research and consulting company dedicated to promoting better health outcomes through the use of evidence. Hayes performs unbiased, evidence-based health technology assessments of the safety and efficacy of new, emerging, and controversial health technologies, and evaluates the impact of these technologies on healthcare quality, utilization, and cost. Hayes' worldwide clients include hospitals, healthcare systems, government agencies, employers, and managed care organizations. For more information, visit http://www. hayesinc. com (http://www. hayesinc. com).

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Ninety-two Percent of New Year’s Resolutions Won’t Be Kept

According to surveys, only 8 percent of Americans successfully achieve their New Year's resolutions. A whopping 45 percent fail by the end of January. Why can’t people keep to their resolve? Because they’re missing a very important step. If people make the right resolution for 2006, every resolution from here on will be successful, and every goal will be possible.

Ocean Shores, WA (PRWEB) December 14, 2005

“Most people set out to change something for the wrong reasons,” says author and columnist Andrea Rains Waggener, whose website, http://www. waggener-books. com (http://www. waggener-books. com) provides books, articles, and other resources to help people create their best life. “People start from a place of being not okay. They think they need to change something in order to be okay, in order to be happy.” Andrea understands this thinking. She thought this way herself until rewriting her novel, Alternate Beauty (Bantam 2005), brought about an epiphany that transformed the way she thought.

Alternate Beauty, which is described at Andrea’s website, http://www. waggener-books. com (http://www. waggener-books. com), where people can also read an excerpt from the book, is about how one woman changes when she finds herself in an alternate reality where fat is considered beautiful. “Ronnie’s experience opened my eyes to my own motivations for change,” says Andrea, Ronnie’s creator.

Here's what people need to think about before they make a resolution for change:

-What is the point of the resolution?

-Why is the change needed?

-Does the desire for change come from the inside or is it being asserted by some outside force?

Andrea explains how the answers to these questions will determine whether or not a resolution will be successful. The wrong answers lead to failure. The right ones pave the way to success.

Here’s what one reader says about Alternate Beauty and Ronnie’s story:

“I found that this was one of the few books that I read that understood that weight issues were not about how you eat as much as why you eat! The characterizations of how she was treated by others, how she felt about herself in life, in career and relationships was complex and interesting and almost painfully honest.”

Here's what another reader has to say about Andrea's writing:

"Read Andrea Rains Waggener, and learn about how your life can be happier, healthier, and more satisfying, and be almost unaware that you've been learning. She tells stories from her own life that you, the reader, can truly relate to. Because, really, they are stories about humanity. And suddenly, you discover that she's drawn you to a place of understanding something extraordinarily important and valuable about how to live life. And given you sensible tools and practices for having your own existence be even more upbeat and vibrantly alive."

Contact Andrea Rains Waggener at (360) 581-4085 for more insights into this topic. Andrea has been featured in Fitness, Shape, and Diane magazines. She’s been a guest on Pacific Northwest TV’s Northwest Afternoon and Being In Seattle, as well as on several radio talk shows. More information about Andrea's books and articles, along with Andrea's inspiring blog, can be found at tp://www. waggener-books. com.

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Friday, February 11, 2011

Beverly Hills Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Kevin Sands Embraces Social Media

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media sites allow us to stay more connected than ever before. As their popularity continues to grow, a cosmetic dentist in Beverly Hills has started to use these websites to reach out to patients and provide them with information and resources about his practice and treatments.

Beverly Hills, CA (Vocus) January 27, 2010

In only a few short years, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have become some of the most popular websites on the Internet. These sites have been embraced by individuals both young and old as ways to stay connected and up-to-date on what’s going on in the world around them. As businesses have begun to use social media to enhance their online presence, the Beverly Hills cosmetic dentistry practice of Dr. Kevin Sands has also been embracing this emerging trend. Dr. Sands has established a presence on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to engage with his patients and those interested in cosmetic dentistry in meaningful and dynamic ways.

Offering procedures such as porcelain veneers and dental implants in Beverly Hills, Dr. Sands has built a successful practice and has helped many patients transform their smiles. Now, by using social media to provide information about his treatments, Dr. Sands hopes to give people an inside look at what it’s like to receive care at his practice.

By logging onto Dr. Sands’ Facebook page, users will find before-and-after photos, links to teeth whitening tips, and other resources all at their fingertips. A photo gallery is included of Dr. Sands’ celebrity clients, including Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Carmen Electra, and Hillary Duff. In the video section, a clip is posted of Dr. Sands’ appearance on E!’s That Morning Show. Dr. Sands hopes that patients both new and old will take advantage of Facebook’s interactive capabilities to leave their questions or comments.

In addition to Facebook, Dr Sands’ Beverly Hills porcelain veneers and cosmetic dentistry practice can be found on Twitter and YouTube. Several video testimonials can be viewed on YouTube, with patients describing their treatments and results. “Tweets” are posted on the popular microblogging site Twitter by Dr. Sands or his staff to share practice news and updates.

With all of these Web 2.0 tools, Dr. Sands hopes to provide his patients with a fun, informative, and easily accessible look into all that his practice has to offer.

About Dr. Sands
A cosmetic and implant dentist in Beverly Hills, Dr. Kevin Sands provides advanced treatments for healthy, beautiful smiles. He is a graduate of the prestigious USC School of Dentistry and completed additional training at the renowned Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies.

Dr. Sands has been featured in numerous national magazines including People and Us Weekly. He has also been featured on the TV programs Dr. 90210 on the E! network and Ten Years Younger on TLC.

Dr. Kevin Sands’ cosmetic dentistry practice is located in Beverly Hills at 414 North Camden Drive, Suite 940. The telephone number for the practice 310-707-1288. Dr. Sands can also be contacted via website at http://www. beverlyhillscosmeticdentist. com.

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National Medical Association (NMA): Racial Disparities Contribute to Low Rate of Kidney Transplants Among Minorities

African Americans have the highest rate of kidney failure in the country, yet are among the least likely to receive a transplant, according to an article in the February issue of the Journal of the National Medical Association (JNMA). The article, titled "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Renal Transplantation," identifies racial disparities as the main culprit for the low rate of kidney transplants among African Americans and other minorities. The article notes that the disparities arise from such factors as socioeconomic status, unfavorable residential locations, mistrust of the medical profession, and cultural differences. NMA Contact: Alisa Mosley 202-347-1895

Washington, DC (PRWEB) February 4, 2005

article, titled "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Renal Transplantation," identifies racial disparities as the main culprit for the low rate of kidney transplants among African Americans and other minorities. The article notes that the disparities arise from such factors as socioeconomic status, unfavorable residential locations, mistrust of the medical profession, and cultural differences.

The author of the article is Joanne Churak, a physician's assistant at the Renal Section of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Haven, Conn. Churak based her article on an analysis of several studies that documented disparities in the provision of kidney transplantation between 1983 and 2004. Findings showed that African Americans and other minorities in the U. S. have a two-to-four times greater risk of developing ESRD (end-stage renal disease) than whites. Although blacks make up 12.7 percent of the U. S. population, they comprised 32% of the ESRD population in 2000. Out of the nearly 15,000 kidney transplants in 2002, only 22.5% were received by blacks and 13% by Hispanics.

The JNMA article points out that by the year 2050 minorities will comprise nearly half of the U. S. population. Continued racial disparities in ESRD and kidney transplantation rates will have serious implications on the quality of life and the future cost of health care.

The article suggests that while numerous solutions need to be implemented to resolve the problem, emphasis should be placed on educating practitioners as well as patients. "Education is key," states Churak. "People need to understand that disparities exist and that all patients deserve the same opportunities."

Overcoming misconceptions about organ donation and transplantation remains a major challenge in many African-American and minority communities. For example, there is a myth that being an organ donor would cause physicians to forego life-saving efforts in order to harvest organs. Other problems arise from the lack of contact with physicians and caregivers who can provide accurate information about ESRD and transplants. Recognizing religious and cultural opposition to organ donation must also be addressed in efforts to inform African Americans and minorities about kidney transplantation.

The article notes that in addition to disparities due to culture and race, biologic differences also factor into low kidney transplantation rates among minorities. HLA matching is a primary determinant of kidney allocation, and in general, blacks have less well-defined HLA antigenic specificities than do whites. The closer the HLA antigen match, the less the likelihood that a kidney will be allocated to a black person, since the majority of donated kidneys are from whites. Additionally, blacks have a higher prevalence of blood type O than whites, and given the necessity for blood-type compatibility, patients with type O are less likely to receive a kidney transplant than patients with other blood types.

Among its recommendations, the article proposes changes in the structure and finance of health policies to address racial, economic and cultural differences. It also calls for a more balanced health care system that promotes a partnership between the medical profession and public health workers to assist communities in the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

The full text of the article can be viewed on the NMA web site at www. nmanet. org or through a direct link at http://www. nmanet. org/OC153.pdf (http://www. nmanet. org/OC153.pdf).

The Journal of the National Medical Association was established in 1909 and is published monthly by the National Medical Association. The NMA is the nation's oldest and largest medical association representing the interests of minority physicians and their patients. The NMA has a long and distinguished record of advocating for health policies to assure equitable and quality health care for all people.

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Thursday, February 10, 2011

New Nurses Article Site Promotes a Great Relaxing and Informative Break From the Stresses of The Profession

Two new websites for nurses provide nursing articles ranging from nursing specialities to yoga and gardening for nurses.

Chesapeake, VA (PRWEB) July 24, 2006

Susan Saunders, Faith Community Nurse, has developed a new website and blog just for nurses. Her website http://www. NursesArticles. com (http://www. NursesArticles. com) has more than 700 nurse related articles ranging from nursing specialities to yoga and gardening for nurses. This site has a sister blog http://www. FaithCommunityNurses. blogspot. com (http://www. FaithCommunityNurses. blogspot. com) that keeps nurses well informed, but relaxed and faith filled.

Saunders says, "There are a lot of nursing websites, but none like this." "It has taken months to compile all these articles and everyday I am reviewing more great submissions."

There are over 450 authors that have contributed to these sites. Some of the topics covered are: Faith Community Nursing, Forensic Nursing, Gifts For Nurses, Health Issues For Nurses, Hobbies For Nurses, Image Of The Nurse, Motivational Skills For Nurses, Nursing Degrees, Nursing Jobs, Nursing Schools, Nursing Supplies, Online Nursing Schools, Parenting For Nurses, Pets For Nurses, Registered Nurses, Retirement For Nurses, Saving Money For Nurses, Secondary Income For Nurses, Time Management For Nurses, Travel Nursing, Vacations For Nurses, Weddings For Nurses, Yoga For Nurses and hundreds more.

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Stars in Poker World Shine on WomensPokerYak Podcast

Diana Donofrio, host of WomensPokerYak. net, welcomes top names in the world of poker to her podcast. In this series, she interviews Evelyn Ng, Bob Daily, Debbie Burkhead and Nancy Todd Tyner. Donofrio, who is a poker star in her own right, invites listeners to learn about the world of poker and the gaming industry by eavesdropping on her conversations with these poker greats. This podcast is part of the Yaktivate. com family.

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) August 30, 2008

Dianna Donofrio, host to one of the hottest new poker podcasts on the internet, WomensPokerYak. net, is joined by amazing guests in this new series of her podcast, found on Yaktivate. com. WomensPokerYak. net brings Donofrio's quick and lively wit to play as she interviews Evelyn Ng, Bob Daily, Debbie Burkhead, and Nancy Todd Tyner, the latest additions to her podcasting family. She showcases each as podcasts stars besides being stars in the poker world.

Evelyn Ng, professional poker player starts off this series. Ng shares her views on women's participation at the 2008 World Series of Poker and how she started as a dealer in the early years. She has done a fantastic job at promoting herself and her name. Despite not winning a tournament, she is one of the most recognizable female poker personalities. She has been on numerous television shows including Poker Royale, Poker After Dark, NBC's National Heads Up Poker Championship and the World Poker Tour.

Robert Daily joined an elite group at the 2005 and 2006 World Series of Poker as its' Tournament Director. Under Daily's leadership the 2006 WSOP'S Main Event set an astounding record with 8,773 players and is yet to be broken. 2007 brought Daily to the felts at the WSOP, but this time as a player. He set a record by becoming the only former WSOP Tournament Director to have ever played and cashed at the 2007 WSOP $10,000 Buy-In Main Event. Daily talks about his early years as a grandson of a Texas United States Senator, his travels around the world, early entry in gaming and women's continued growth in the poker industry.

Following the Daily podcast, Donofrio spotlights Debbie Burkhead, columnist for Poker Player Magazine, PokerPlayerMagazine. com. Over the years Burkhead has managed to amass quite an impressive list of poker accomplishments and cashes. She plays tournaments that have a comfortable buy-in, usually under $1,000, and often wins her seat through satellites. Her lifetime earnings stand at over $145,000- not bad for a retired cash player who plays only for the love of poker.

Nancy Todd Tyner is the 2008 WPT Ladies Champion and Past President of the American Association of Political Consultants. If ever there was woman who sets an example enhancing the image of women taking that next step into the poker world it's Nancy Todd Tyner. As you listen to her interesting life you hear the full story. Poker and Politics has (with the emphasis on has, as in past tense) been traditionally a "man's world". Tyner crossed the barriers in both worlds. For more info on Todd Tyner go to NancyToddTyner. com or TheHaydenScholarship. com.

Donofrio has been a poker industry leader for 20 years and brings her talents, knowledge and poker friends to her listening audience. Formerly on the staff of US Senator Birch Bayh and Gov. Matthew Welsh (both of Indiana) and ombudsman to former Mayor Russell G. Lloyd of Evansville, IN, she now devotes her time, passion, and energy to Poker Charity Events as President of PokerGivingBack, playing poker and podcasting.

Donofrio's friends are many. Future guests/podcast stars on her WomensPokerYak channel will include Nolan Dalla, Media Director, World Series of Poker; Susie Issacs, two time World Series of Poker bracelet winner; Lisa Tenner, Co-Owner Card Player Cruises and owner of Tenner & Associates; plus Jamie Gold, 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion.

Www. WomensPokerYak. net is one of many channels found on Yaktivate. com. Yaktivate. com is an internet marketing organization and global media network that features podcasts on channels that reflect a wide range of topics - from politics to health to Poker and beyond. Yaktivate. com is always on the lookout for new podcasting talent and for businesses that are seeking an effective and cost-effective manner to reach their niche marketing audience.

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