Paul Dagum Joins Business. com as VP, Chief Scientist, Strategy Oficer

Paul Dagum Joins Business. com as VP, Chief Scientist, Strategy Oficer

Technology visionary tapped to lead scientific innovation at largest B2B search engine.

Santa Monica, CA (PRWEB) May 15, 2006

Business. com, the leading search engine designed and organized for business, today announced that Paul Dagum has been named Vice President, Chief Scientist and Strategy Officer. In his new role, he will help analyze, define and execute on new product and service opportunities for the leading online resource for small business decision makers, which reaches more than 27 million professionals each month.

“I am thrilled to welcome Paul to Business. com, where he will play a tremendous role in shaping how we provide small businesses with the tools to manage and grow their operations,” said Jake Winebaum, Founder and CEO of Business. com. “Paul is a true authority on applying decision sciences to the business marketplace, and his expertise will complement and grow our core strength as a resource for business owners and decision makers.”

“Joining Business. com is an exciting opportunity to tackle what I consider the next frontier of decision sciences,” said Dagum. “This role provides a chance to apply abstract theories to the real-world problems faced by business owners. I look forward to supporting Business. com in its mission of helping small businesses identify solutions for their pressing challenges and opportunities. “

Dagum was previously at Mohr Davidow Ventures where he collaborated with partners to evaluate high-impact business opportunities in business intelligence, online advertising, search engine relevance, hedge fund performance, and medical devices. Prior to MDV, Paul was Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Rapt, an Accel-funded enterprise-software company for profit optimization. At Rapt, Paul managed all product development and led the innovation in algorithms and analytics development.

Prior to Rapt, Dagum was principal investigator on several National Science Foundation and National Institute of Health grants at Stanford University, including the research and development of industry and medical applications of decision theory. Through his research in probabilistic inference and decision optimization, Paul developed the fastest known Monte-Carlo algorithm -- the most commonly used general method to solve large-scale problems. He has also made significant contributions in the areas of Bayesian networks, probability forecasting and control, and randomized algorithm design and analysis.

Dagum has also served as scientist at Rockwell’s decision theory laboratory in Palo Alto, and was a visiting scholar at the International Computer Science Institute in Berkeley.

He received a Ph. D. in theoretical computer science from the University of Toronto and an M. D. from Stanford University. Dagum has authored more than 60 peer-review publications in statistics, computer science, engineering, and biotechnology journals.

Dagum will report directly to the CEO.

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IGIA Announces Newest Product Natural 100(TM) and TV Infomercial

IGIA Announces Newest Product Natural 100(TM) and TV Infomercial

Monday June 26, 7:15 pm ET, organic Swiss formulated cleaner TV infomercial set for launch.

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 1, 2006

IGIA, INC., (OTC: IGAI. OB - News), a designer, developer, and worldwide direct marketer and distributor of innovative personal and home care items, announced today it is introducing and exclusively selling Natural 100(TM), a natural multi-purpose household surface cleaning product developed in Switzerland. IGIA plans to market and sell Natural 100(TM) directly to consumers using its newly created short-form television infomercial, Internet and print media, including its www. naturalonehundred. com website.

As part of IGIA's strategy to generate new product sales and replace mature product offerings, Natural 100(TM) extends IGIA's lines of home care products. To give Natural 100(TM) customers greater value, IGIA will extend a free offer for other Natural 100 cleaners and the opportunity to participate in a convenient continuity program to ensure customers have a steady supply of the everyday use Natural 100(TM) cleaning solution.

Avi Sivan, CEO of IGIA, Inc., stated, "We are pleased to introduce Natural 100(TM) to homes across America where customers want a new cleaning concept for a healthier environment. We have created a television show that presents the special qualities of Natural 100(TM). Thanks to our live streaming video technology, we can transmit our commercial demonstration online to our web audience. We see potential for Natural 100(TM) to quickly become our continuity sales leader and an item that could appear nationwide on store shelves next year."

About IGIA

IGIA, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, is a designer, developer, and worldwide direct marketer and distributor of innovative personal and home care items. Its globally recognized portfolio of brands includes IGIA® and the registered proprietary As Seen On TV(TM) logo. The IGIA name ranks amongst the most recognizable personal care brands as cited by an industry publication. In addition, IGIA markets and sells products through TV infomercials, mass-market retailers, specialty retailers, catalogs and through http://www. igia. com (http://www. igia. com).

This press release contains forward-looking statements. The words or phrases "may," "intends," "expects," "estimate," "indicate," "plans," "anticipates," "could," "if," "will," "should" or similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements." Actual results could differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements as a result of a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include: (a) whether IGIA and/or Tactica will obtain additional financing to adequately operate and resolve post-petition administrative expense claims following Tactica's reorganization plan becoming effective on March 28, 2006; (b) whether IGIA will have adequate credit card activity processing capacity and terms with major credit card companies and a credit card processor upon which IGIA's direct response sales operation is dependent; (c) other factors set forth in IGIA's periodic reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which may be reviewed by accessing the SEC's EDGAR system at www. sec. gov. Statements made herein are as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date. IGIA cautions readers not to place undue reliance on such statements. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, IGIA does not undertake, and IGIA specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement.

Contact:

IGIA, Inc.

General Counsel:

Paul Greenfield, 212-575-0500 x134

Source: IGIA, Inc.

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HealthHIV Appoints Dion Richetti to its Board of Directors

HealthHIV Appoints Dion Richetti to its Board of Directors

DIME announces the appointment of General Manager Dion Richetti to the Board of Directors of HealthHIV, a national HIV non-profit organization.

Chicago (PRWEB) September 10, 2010

DIME announces the appointment of General Manager Dion Richetti to the Board of Directors of HealthHIV, a national HIV non-profit organization. HealthHIV is dedicated to advancing the effective prevention, care and support for people living with, or at risk for, HIV/AIDS by providing education, technical assistance and health services research to organizations, communities and professionals.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Dion Richetti to HealthHIV’s Board of Directors,” said Brian Hujdich, HealthHIV Executive Director. “His commitment to HIV and AIDS education spans two decades, and his medical-education expertise brings a valuable perspective and skill set to our Board.”

Dr. Richetti has been involved with HealthHIV since 2003, where he was a member of the original advisory board. Most recently, Dr. Richetti and DIME collaborated with HealthHIV on a presentation at SYNChronicity 2010, a first-of-its-kind meeting of HIV healthcare providers.

“I am excited to continue my involvement with HealthHIV—a demonstrated leader in HIV/AIDS and public health,” said Dr. Richetti. “I have spent my career identifying new ways to harness medical education to improve patient outcomes, and look forward to contributing to the organization in this capacity.”

Dr. Richetti has more 20 years of professional involvement in HIV prevention, care, treatment and education. As General Manager of DIME, Richetti leads one of the industry’s most innovative medical education agencies.

HealthHIV is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Washington, D. C. working with organizations, communities and professionals to advance effective prevention, care, and support for people living with, or at risk for, HIV/AIDS through education and training, technical assistance and capacity building, advocacy, and health services research and evaluation. HealthHIV supports primary care providers treating HIV, as well as community and faith-based organizations involved in HIV prevention, care and treatment. For more information on HealthHIV, visit www. healthhiv. org.

DIME is an independent educational provider accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) with offices in Chicago, Illinois. DIME has been an accredited provider of CME for over 17 years and was the first medical education communications company to receive Accreditation with Commendation from the ACCME under its Updated Criteria for Accreditation (Released in 2006). DIME is also accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) to provide continuing education for pharmacists and is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Illinois Nurses Association. For additional information about DIME, please visit www. DIMedEd. org.

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GBTS – Certified ISO 9001:2000

GBTS – Certified ISO 9001:2000

GBTS recently crossed a significant milestone by achieving ISO 9001:2000 certification.

Global Business Technology Services Private Limited (PRWEB) August 2, 2002 -

2000 certification for "Design, Development, Implementation and maintenance of IT solutions and services for the insurance and financial services domains". This is a significant milestone for GBTS that started operations in 2001. According to the Quality Head, "The Quality Management System at GBTS is very robust and comprehensive. It was remarkable to see the knowledge dissemination and the institutionalization of the QMS across GBTS within such a short span of time".

Speaking on the achievement, the Director and CEO of GBTS, Mr. N Gopalakrishnan said, "This would not have been possible without the motivation, perseverance and insatiable passion for excellence of the GBTians. Quality is a journey and we believe we have just started..."

GBTS is a global IT consulting and software services company with core focus on Insurance, Banking and Financial Services Sectors. GBTS has its corporate headquarters and well-equipped software development centre in Chennai. The company has a subsidiary in the USA and plans of expanding into Europe. GBTS draws its domain expertise in Insurance through its association with two international insurance majors, 154 year old Westfield Group, Ohio, USA and ALEA Group – the UK – based global reinsurance company.

GBTSÂ’ core competencies are built in the areas of Mainframe technologies, E-Business solutions, Health Care, Online archiving & printing solution and data warehousing.

· Mainframe COE – Indicative skills - Assembler, Cobol, DB2/UDB, CICS, COBOL, VSAM, JCL, CLIST, ENDEVOR, XPEDITOR, QMF.

· E-business COE – Indicative skills – VB, ASP, IIS, HTML, XML, IBM Websphere, Java, JSP, EJB, Servlets, COLD Fusion, BEA Weblogic, SQL Server, ORACLE Developer, Dot Net, COM, DCOM, VC++ and B2B, B2C implementation.

· Database and Data warehousing COE – Indicative skills - ORACLE, SQL Server, Informix, DB2/UDB skills, Brio, Oracle Express, ETL Tools, Impromptu, Business Objects.

· Online archiving & printing COE

· Health Care COE

These apart, GBTS also specializes on delivering IT-Enabled Services / BPO for the identified business sectors, thus offering total solutions for the Insurance/ Reinsurance/ Banking and other Financial Services Sectors.

GBTS believes in creating value to its customers.

For more information, visit http://www. gbtsgroup. com (http://www. gbtsgroup. com) or write to info@gbtsgroup. com

For Additional Information, Please Contact:

Siva Kumar Sharma

Global Business Technology Services

+91-44-2354700

Sharma@gbtsgroup. com

Omyen CORP. Announces The Sustainable Retirement Income Planner

Omyen CORP. Announces The Sustainable Retirement Income Planner

Online Retirement Income Planner Estimates Income and Expenses For The Entire Duration Of Retirement

Westwood, MA (PRWEB) December 3, 2010

Westwood-based Omyen Corp. today released the Sustainable Retirement Income Planner (SRIP), a sophisticated proprietary tool that based on an individual's lifestyle and retirement savings, shows a sustainable withdrawal schedule, essential and discretionary expenses, year over year for each year of the retirement.

With tens of thousands Baby Boomers retiring every week and tens of millions retiring over the next decade, planning for year by year retirement withdrawals has become a hard nut to crack. Given the unknowns involved, most financial advisors have been struggling in helping those clients who are either nearing retirement or have already entered the retirement. Now Omyen's SRIP tool allows advisors to produce a comprehensive retirement income plan for their clients in just a few minutes using Omyen's innovative user interface.

SRIP tackles complex issues around longevity risk, retirement portfolio mix involving qualified, non-qualified, and Roth savings for retirement, Required Minimum Distributions, legacy funding, and the variability of return rates. SRIP also has a built-in simulation capability allowing a user to run simulations for different life expectancies and the variable rates of return. SRIP also estimates income taxes to determine the expected net income. From a tax planning perspective, the withdrawal order from different types of retirement accounts can also be changed easily. An income to expense coverage ratio helps advisors determine a retirement withdrawal schedule that is sustainable.

“Using SRIP capability, advisors need not ask their clients what kind of income they are seeking for retirement. Advisors will be able to tell the clients what kind of income they are likely to generate and will be able to better prepare them for retirement,” said Dinesh Sharma, Omyen Corp. CEO.

“SRIP is fully integrated in Omyen's financial planning platform and does not require any reentry of data. It offers advisors a sophisticated tool and a simplified report to effectively advise their clients,” said Sharma.

Financial advisors can also use SRIP reports to determine the allocation of different retirement income products to help their clients. Running the SRIP model periodically allows advisors and clients to proactively plan for the future.

About Omyen Corp.
Omyen Corp. is a provider of a unique financial advice technology. Omyen's proprietary 'Discovery Led' client acquisition technology and collaborative lifetime financial planning platform allows banks, advisors, and insurers to cost effectively grow their business, meet compliance requirements, and service their client base. Omyen's unique set of tools include: Personal Financial Index ( PFITM ) to benchmark financial health, 'Prescriptive Financial Plan' covering savings for retirement, college education, major purchases, insurance, and legacy planning, a pragmatic 'Risk Capacity Index', Asset Allocation, Sustainable Retirement Income Planner (SRIP), and decision support tools. For more information, visit http://www. omyen. com.

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National Eating Disorders Awareness Week Dedicated to Help Save Lives - MySelfHelp. com Offers Free Help and Advice

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week Dedicated to Help Save Lives - MySelfHelp. com Offers Free Help and Advice

In the United States today, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Approximately 25 million more are struggling with binge eating disorder. Because of the secrecy and shame associated with eating disorders, it is very likely that many more cases are not reported. During National Eating Disorders Awareness Week – February 27 to March 4 – the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and over 500 community health activists will help to raise awareness about the body image concerns and eating disorders that plague millions of people across the nation. A local organization in Northborough – MySelfHelp. com – has teamed up with NEDA to fight today’s cultural pressures which are so strong that people are literally dying to be thin.

(PRWEB) February 15, 2005

In the United States today, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Approximately 25 million more are struggling with binge eating disorder. Because of the secrecy and shame associated with eating disorders, it is very likely that many more cases are not reported. During National Eating Disorders Awareness Week – February 27 to March 4 – the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and over 500 community health activists will help to raise awareness about the body image concerns and eating disorders that plague millions of people across the nation. A local organization in Northborough – MySelfHelp. com – has teamed up with NEDA to fight today’s cultural pressures which are so strong that people are literally dying to be thin.

Our society's obsession with weight loss, exercise, and appearance can all too quickly start a vicious cycle of body dissatisfaction, extreme dieting, and obsessive exercise which can lead to a life-threatening eating disorder. To fight these dangerous attitudes and behaviors and encourage healthy body image and balanced eating habits, the National Eating Disorders Association is working to encourage individuals to “Get Real” expectations, “Get Real” information and “Get Real” help.

For information about eating disorders and NEDAW events in your area, please contact MySelfHelp. com at 508-393-5638 or visit www. NationalEatingDisorders. org.

The National Eating Disorders Association is dedicated to expanding public understanding of eating disorders and promoting access to quality treatment for those affected along with support for their families through education, advocacy and research.

MySelfHelp. com, located at 184 Otis Street in Northborough, MA, is offering free eating disorder information and advice to the public during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Anyone can stop by between the hours of 10:00 and 2:00, Monday through Friday, February 28 – March 4, or by appointment. For more information, call 508-393-5638.

MySelfHelp. com, the worldÂ’s premier site for online self-help resources, consists of a growing family of highly interactive, easy-to-use programs featuring user-customizable exercises, tools, and resources designed to speed recovery and promote well being. Programs are currently available for depression, eating disorders, stress, low self-esteem, and guilt, along with a moderated Discussion Board. MySelfHelp. com is funded and supported by the National Institute of Mental Health and staffed by a team of highly experienced and reputable health care professionals and other experts who are devoted to helping people improve the quality of their lives. MySelfHelp. com programs are recommended by therapists and healthcare organizations throughout the world and used by members in 23 countries.

Did you knowÂ

• The peak onset of eating disorders occurs during puberty and the late teen/early adult years.

• Approximately 10 million females and 1 million males in the U. S. are battling eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder.

• Eating disorders are a silent epidemic with devastating and life-threatening consequences. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.

• Eating disorders affect people from all walks of life, including young children, middle-aged women, and men and individuals of all races and ethnicity.

There is help available, and there is hope.

While eating disorders are serious, potentially life threatening illnesses, there is help available and recovery is possible. It is also important for those affected to remember that they are not alone in their struggle; others have gone before them and are now living healthy, fulfilling lives. With family and friends to support them with the knowledge that this is an illness, not a behavior, they can find their way.

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Novogradac & Company LLP Partner Honored as One of Crain’s Cleveland Forty Under 40

Novogradac & Company LLP Partner Honored as One of Crain’s Cleveland Forty Under 40

Annette Stevenson of Novogradac & Company LLP’s Cleveland, Ohio Office Recognized for Outstanding Achievement in the New Markets Tax Credit Industry

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 13, 2010

Annette Stevenson (http://www. novoco. com/company/partners. php#astevenson), a partner in Novogradac & Company’s (http://www. novoco. com) Cleveland, Ohio office, was honored by Crain’s Cleveland Business as one of the recipients of the publication’s Forty Under 40 award. The recipients, who are chosen from throughout Northeast Ohio, are aged 40 or younger and have established and proven themselves as leaders, actively guiding the region’s business community. As in years past, the distinguished group of 2009 awardees was recognized for its outstanding achievements and for the critical role it plays in Northeast Ohio’s business development vision as it competes on the world stage.

Ms. Stevenson, who has 15 years of public accounting and business advisory experience with an emphasis on complex financing for community development real estate projects, has carved out a national reputation as an expert in new markets tax credits. “I chose early in my career to work in areas that would be both challenging and rewarding. Working with the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program has provided me with exactly that. I am very fortunate to work in a field that provides the intellectual challenges of complex financing and tax structures, along with the rewards of creating businesses and providing jobs in communities of greatest need. The dedication of the individuals that I work with and the impacts that these projects have had on the low-income areas are nothing short of astonishing.”

The NMTC program, enacted in 2000 and created to encourage investment in low-income communities, has spurred the investment of more than $14 billion of private-sector capital into urban and rural communities throughout the country. “Annette is one of the few people in the country technically versed in new markets tax credits and we are all very fortunate she's working on Cleveland projects," said Renee Beaver, one of Ms. Stevenson’s fellow partners in the Novogradac & Company Cleveland office.

Ms. Stevenson became involved in the NMTC industry in 2002, the year in which she collaborated with the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority to obtain a $47 million NMTC allocation. Recently, she worked on the NMTC financing for the new Evergreen Cooperative Laundry in Cleveland. The laundry, which will be owned by the area’s residents, will create 50 jobs for community residents. “These transactions are inevitably full of challenges and complexities — but when I see the incredible positive impact these projects have on a community and its residents, it’s all worth it.”

Ms. Stevenson, who has helped in closing more than $1 billion of NMTC transactions, worked recently on the restored historic Capitol Theatre project in Cleveland, Ohio; Green Park Broadway, an industrial brownfield redevelopment in St. Louis, Missouri; and Health East ambulatory facility in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Prior to joining Novogradac & Company LLP, Ms. Stevenson was partner in charge of Cohen & Company CPA’s Real Estate Services Group, where she provided accounting, tax compliance and planning, audit and business advisory services to real estate developers, property owners, not-for-profit organizations, property managers, construction contractors and homebuilders. She graduated from Cleveland State University and is licensed in Ohio as a certified public accountant. Ms. Stevenson has become a nationally recognized NMTC expert and speaker, and has presented to audiences across the nation.

Novogradac & Company LLP, a national certified public accounting and consulting firm headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., has consistently been named by Accounting Today and Public Accounting Report as one of the top accounting firms in the country. Inside Public Accounting named it as one of the 25 best managed accounting firms and the San Francisco Business Times recognizes it as one of only five companies that for five consecutive years has made its list of the Fastest Growing Companies in the Bay Area.

In addition to its headquarters in San Francisco, Calif., the firm has offices in metro Atlanta, Ga., Washington, D. C. and Kansas City, Mo., as well as in Austin, Texas, Boston, Mass., Dover, Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio, Portland, Ore., New York, N. Y. and Long Beach, Calif. The firm maintains clients in a broad range of industries with major emphasis in the real estate sector, providing publicly and privately held national and multinational enterprises with a full spectrum of audit, tax, valuation, trust and litigation support, computer consulting and general consulting services.

For more information about Novogradac & Company LLP, visit our web site at www. novoco. com or phone Jane Bowar Zastrow at (415) 356-8034.

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Development Promotion Group

Development Promotion Group

Development Promotion Group to implement development programmes with a concentration in DPG's social development.

(PRWEB) September 6, 2006

Development Promotion Group to implement development programmes with a concentration in DPG's social development, TamilNadu Self Development, TamilNadu Urban Development, Tamilnadu social development group, livelihood restoration Project, Tsunami health camps, anti-AIDS/HIV programs, Tsunami Relief Programme, Organising MicroEnterprise, Tsunami Reconstruction work, monitoring process developments, Shelter Development Programme(DPG), Tsunami Relief & Rehabilation, economic mobilisation in neighbourhood, Tsunami Development Promotion Group, Natural Resource Managements, watershed development in karanataka, develops Self-Help Groups, Eradication Community-based Organisations, development programs in tamilnadu, TamilNadu housing development, tamilnadu micro finance programmes, Tsunami in tamilnadu, Tsunami Shelter development, Bay of Bengal Resettlement Programme, micro-enterprises development programs, programs for watershed managements, Tsunami social mobilization, Tsunami DPG.

For more information, Visit us at:

Http://www. dpgsulo. com/ (http://www. dpgsulo. com/)

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Tucson Women Business Owner of the Year Attends Conference in Washington DC

Tucson Women Business Owner of the Year Attends Conference in Washington DC.

Dana Rambow, President and CEO of AristoCare Home Health Services and Aristocare Franchise Corporation attended the national Association of Woman Business Owners Public Policy Days in Washington DC.

WASHINGTON DC (PRWEB) February 22, 2006

As the President – Elect of the Greater Tucson Chapter of NAWBO, she attended the National chapter President meeting, the NAWBO chapter presidents public relations training session, the leadership luncheon and a public policy 101 session. Today, Rambo attended Health Care meetings regarding insurance reform, associated health plans and bills pending in the legislature. She will be taking a trip to Capital Hill and attending meetings on immigration reform at the U. S. Chamber of Commerce.

Aristocare Home Health Service s was established in 1999 and has three offices in Southern Arizona. They provide in-home health care predominantly to seniors. Aristocare began franchising with the opening of their first franchise in Laguna Hills, CA in April 2005. They are in the process of opening three new franchisees over the next six months in Northern California, Minnesota and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Rambow’s franchise system is based on a full medical model of home health. They offer services ranging from companionship through skilled nursing. Their franchise system is listed as one of the top 100 franchise opportunities by Entrepreneur magazine in 2005. Rambo states that with a 379% growth in senior population over the next 30 years, the need for home health care will see exponential growth. Aristocare franchise strategy is to open 100 locations nationally over the next five years.

Press Contact

Cyndy Michaud 520-577-4825

Recent Company news:

Www. Aristocare. net

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Institute for Health Technology Transformation Announces New Initiatives and Year Round Educational Programs

Institute for Health Technology Transformation Announces New Initiatives and Year Round Educational Programs

The Institute for Health Technology Transformation (iHT2) announced a number of new initiatives and year round educational programs designed to foster the meaningful use of healthcare technology today.

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 26, 2009

The Institute for Health Technology Transformation (iHT2) announced a number of new initiatives and year round educational programs designed to foster the meaningful use of healthcare technology today.

The Institute for Health Technology Transformation announces a number of new programs that will drive innovation, education, and provide a critical understanding of how technology applications, solutions and devices can improve the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare. Our new programs include: educational workshops, topical newsletters, access to industry thought leaders, peer reviewed research, high level conferences, webinars, focus groups, topic specific committees, and other unique initiatives allowing individuals and organizations access to resources that will enable them to leverage the full value of healthcare technology. 

"Healthcare is an industry in crisis, with rising costs and many left without proper care. The Institute and its partners realize that technology can have a transformative effect if utilized properly," said Waco Hoover, the Institute's CEO. "We look forward to working with a multitude of industry stakeholders and providing valuable programs that foster the use and growth of technology that will result in a more efficient and better healthcare system for all." 

Technology in-and-of itself will not solve the deep challenges facing our healthcare system nor will it alone ensure more accessible and higher quality care. Realizing the benefits of technology across the healthcare continuum is a complex, under-utilized and often misunderstood process. Stakeholder collaboration underscores the Institute's focus working to ensure technology has a transformative effect at all levels of the healthcare sector. 

About: Institute for Health Technology Transformation (iHT2)
The Institute for Health Technology Transformation is the leading organization committed to bringing together private and public sector leaders fostering the growth and meaningful use of technology across the healthcare industry. Through collaborative efforts the Institute provides programs that drive innovation, educate, and provide a critical understanding of how technology applications, solutions and devices can improve the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare. 

Www. ihealthtran. com

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Expats, Boomers and Investors Flock to One Southern Costa Rica Real Estate Development, Says Pacific Lots

Expats, Boomers and Investors Flock to One Southern Costa Rica Real Estate Development, Says Pacific Lots

Recent bookings are bringing record numbers to one development in Costa Rica even as the rest of the world's economy is at a standstill. People looking for less expensive retirement options as well as investors looking for a safe haven for their money seem to prefer one southern Pacific development. The word is out and the not so rich and not so famous continue to come in record numbers.

Ojochal, Costa Rica (PRWEB) December 24, 2008

Recent bookings are bringing record numbers to one development in Costa Rica even as the rest of the world's economy is at a standstill. People looking for less expensive retirement options as well as investors looking for a safe haven for their money seem to prefer one southern Pacific development. The word is out and the not so rich and not so famous continue to come in record numbers.

"We have seen a tremendous increase in interest in this development over this past year!" explained Steve Linder, "Being one of the oldest and largest residential developments in the whole country has been a driving force in sales for this company. While most other developers are complaining about slow sales, we have seen record numbers of people coming to tour the properties. Our 3-day 2-night visit has been extremely popular in the last few months." The development is marketed by Pacific Lots of Costa Rica. www. PacificLots. com.

Some guests arrive via a 25-minute commuter flight from San Jose while others drive the 4-hour drive down the Pacific Coast. The near completion of the new section of highway between the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area and Dominical will soon substantially cut the drive time and has turned new attention to the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The announcement last year of plans by the government to build a new international airport in the southern Pacific region of the country will improve accessibility. Once completed, this area will have direct jet service from many international gateways, including many in North America. The new highway will also shorten the trip. Residents don't complain however since most think the distance has kept the crowds away and prices low.

The airport progress and the near completion of the new highway has already resulted in significant new investment in hotels, restaurants and other tourist related industries. Now the word has gotten out that the southern Pacific region of the country is one of the most beautiful as well as the most bio-diverse part of Costa Rica. Some of the best restaurants in the country can be found there.

Costa Rica continues to attract expats in record numbers. Excellent affordable health care, the close proximity to the US, safe & stable democracy, ideal year round climate, lack of hurricanes, the right for foreigners to own property and the much lower cost of living are just a few of the reasons why.

Lush rain forests, numerous waterfalls, towering mountains, miles of pristine beaches and the much more restrictive zoning laws in the southern Pacific region have proven to have great appeal to savvy expats. This region's zoning laws limit structures to no more than 3 stories. This has kept away the high rise condos & large hotels that have blighted other coastal regions of Costa Rica. The southern Pacific coastal region, much like the California coast, is almost entirely single-family residential housing.

With nearly 14,000 acres of land, the developer owns more land than nearly any other private group. With 20 years of experience developing home sites and building custom homes in Costa Rica, they are a clear leader in a space full of new comers. Sheer size and number of clients is really working. Word of mouth is a powerful tool that is now the driving force in sales for the developer. With vast land holdings, most purchased years ago at historically low prices, they can under sell nearly all competitors.

But expats will tell you they don't just come here for the low cost of ocean and mountain view home sites. They come for the amazing construction capabilities. "We currently have over 100 custom homes in process for 2009 and believe we have built more custom homes to date than any other builder in the country" says Steve. Home Sites start at $60,000 and there are no time limits on building. In fact our clients can even build their own home if they want. We don't have HOA fees ownership is deeded and fee simple. You own it.

The area has sprung up with world class restaurants, bars, well stocked grocery stores, shopping opportunities and boutique hotels as well as ample things to do.

Pacific Lots books three tours per week into the 8-room guest house operated by the developer. Tours include upscale lodging, all meals, adult beverages, ground transportation and knowledgeable guides. "We don't need a sales pitch. With our first 8 phases sold out, our biggest problem is not having enough to offer every customer."

Pacific Lots also offers 10 day country tours through Costa Rica. At $1500 per couple, these tours are a sell out. Tours include all lodging, transportation in luxury SUV's, guides and even include about a third of all meals. Participants receive a $1500 credit off the purchase price of property in the development. For more information about visiting Pacific Lots, see www. PacificLots. com/Visit. html (http://www. PacificLots. com/Visit. html). See www. PacificLots. com or contact them at Info at PacificLots dot com.

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Norvax Renews VeriSign Certification To Maintain Highest Level of Client Trust

Norvax Renews VeriSign Certification To Maintain Highest Level of Client Trust

* VeriSign Certificate confirms Norvax commitment to client privacy and information security.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) August 3, 2008

Norvax, the #1 provider of technology and Internet tools for insurance sales, has been recertified by VeriSign, the most recognized name in online security.

Unlike other certification authorities that only confirm the domain name, a VeriSign certificate digs deeper. The VeriSign Extended Validation Secure Socket Layer (EV SSL) certificate confirms that VeriSign has verified the ownership of the domain, as well as the existence of a legal business and the authority of the person requesting the certification.

In addition, the VeriSign Extended Validation SSL uses a more secure 128-bit encryption and is designed to work with high-security web browsers to clearly identify a website's corporate or organizational identity. With the EV SSL, VeriSign also takes the extra step of verifying the physical address of the business.

"Many companies don't bother with getting an SSL certificate, let alone take the extra steps required by VeriSign for its Extended Validation SSL," said Shane Cruz, vice president of IT for Norvax. "But the importance of building a higher level of trust with our agents and their clients made this investment a no-brainer."

An SSL certificate allows websites to securely encrypt sensitive information during online transactions. The problem with basic SSL technology is that it secures the transaction but says little about the domain owner or business behind the website.

With a VeriSign certification, online customers know they're dealing with a verified business entity.
The Norvax EV SSL certificate was obtained for the BrokerOffice lead management system, the premier CRM tool for health insurance agents (http://www. norvax. com/products/broker-office. html). BrokerOffice is part of the Norvax suite of health insurance sales automation tools (http://www. norvax. com). It allows agents and brokers to track, manage, communicate with and guide each of their qualified prospects to a successful closing. Agents and health insurance buyers alike can rest assured that their data transactions are secure and protected.

For more information about the Norvax commitment to client privacy and security, visit www. Norvax. com.

Contact:
Joy Scott
Scott Public Relations
818-610-0270 
Joy @ scottpublicrelations. com

ABOUT NORVAX
Norvax Inc. is a leading developer of Web-based sales and customer communication tools that connect and help consumers, insurance brokers, agents and carriers transact health insurance business more efficiently. From tools for building lead-generating Websites to health insurance quote engines (http://www. norvax. com) and email autoresponders that can automatically include updated health insurance quotes, Norvax's health insurance technology lets agents increase sales, cut administrative time and reduce expenses by initiating customer contact faster and automatically maintaining around-the-clock communications with prospects. Founded in 2001, Norvax was named among the Top 10 fastest-growing software companies in the U. S. in 2007 by Inc Magazine. Norvax is privately held and headquartered in Chicago.

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Dons Denim for a Cause

Dons Denim for a Cause

Employees participate in Lee National Denim Day®, the largest single-day fundraiser for the fight against breast cancer.

Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) August 19, 2006

October 6 won’t be any ordinary casual Friday at CareFreeCasuals. com. The denim worn on this day will not only be worn for comfort, but it will also make a powerful statement for an important cause. As Lee National Denim Day moves into its second decade, CareFreeCasuals. com is gearing up to participate in their first year of the grassroots program which has raised more than $61 million for breast cancer research.

Participants are encouraged to wear denim in exchange for a $5 donation to the Women’s Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). Funds will be used to support a groundbreaking scientific project to detect breast cancer in its earliest stage. They will also help accelerate treatment research and increase patient access to some of the most significant clinical trials in the nation, as well as support grassroots programs across the country.

“Lee National Denim Day is extremely important to our employees, as many of them have been personally touched by the disease,” said Aaron Tucker, Company Spokesperson. “We enjoy participating tremendously because it empowers everyone to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer, it’s a great educational program within our work walls, and it is so easy for us to implement.”

CareFreeCasuals. com will put their own twist to Lee National Denim Day by donating 10% of the proceeds of all Denim Products sold between today and October 6th to the Entertainment Industry Foundation to commemorate their fundraising accomplishments and further the message of the importance of early detection.

“The enthusiastic support we get from companies, organizations and schools every year is overwhelming,” said Liz Cahill, director of advertising and public relations for Lee Jeans. “The $5 you might normally have spent on lunch has an amazing impact when combined with the donations from people nationwide. It is millions of individuals who participate that make this program a success.”

The Entertainment Industry Foundation, as a leading charitable organization of the entertainment industry, has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support charitable initiatives addressing critical health, education and social issues.

EIF is committed to saving lives by raising awareness about the importance of early detection of breast and reproductive cancers, and providing funds to advance early detection and treatment research, as well as support to community programs that assist the millions of women and their families at risk of or affected by cancer.

Through EIF’s National Women’s Cancer Research Alliance and EIF’s Revlon Run/Walk For Women, EIF funds some of the most promising research being conducted today to develop new and more effective approaches to the treatment of women’s cancers. EIF grants have helped accelerate research that has contributed to the development of a breakthrough gene treatment called Herceptin®, the first successful drug that seeks out a particular gene found in one of three cases of the most aggressive form of breast cancer. EIF grants have also supported other state-of-the-art therapies bringing new and innovative treatment approaches to breast cancer worldwide.

More recently, EIF launched its Women’s Cancer Research Fund. Focused on early detection of cancer, the initiative is supporting EIF’s Breast Cancer Biomarker Discovery Project – an ambitious, groundbreaking scientific project where a group of internationally recognized scientists and clinicians from some of the best scientific institutions in the world are collaborating to develop a blood test that will detect breast cancer in its beginning stages, when survival rates are highest.

For questions about EIF’s women’s cancer programs and information about breast cancer, visit eifoundation. org or call 800-426-0010.

Lee Jeans is a division of VF Corp. (NYSE: VFC). Headquartered in Merriam, Kan., Lee manufactures and markets brand denim, casual pants, shirts, fleece and knit apparel. A brand committed to the community, Lee Jeans founded and annually underwrites Lee National Denim Day, the largest single-day fundraiser for breast cancer. VF corp. is the world's largest apparel company and a leader in jeanswear, intimate apparel, knitwear, workwear, playwear, and daypacks. Its principal brands include Lee, Wrangler, Riders, Rustler, Vanity Fair, Vassarette, Bestform, Lily of France, JanSport, Eastpak, Vans, Earl Jean, Nautica, The North Face and Napapijri.

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Former Lenovo Executive Steve Petracca Joins PC-Doctor as CEO, president and director

Former Lenovo Executive Steve Petracca Joins PC-Doctor as CEO, president and director

New leader at Reno software company

Reno, Nev. (PRWEB) May 7, 2009

PC-Doctor Inc., the global leader in PC system health and diagnostic software, today announced the appointment of former Lenovo Group executive Steve Petracca as chief executive officer, president and member of the company's board of directors.

Petracca succeeds Suzanna Mak, who has been the company's president and CEO since 2003. Mak will remain with the company as chairwoman of the board of directors.

"Building on the strong foundation that Suzanna put in place, Steve's depth of experience in the PC industry will allow us to extend the reach of our new technologies and increase the ROI for our customers and everyone who uses their products," said Aki Korhonen, PC-Doctor's founder. "Of particular note are new cloud-centric technologies that allow our customers to grow their revenues in addition to reducing warranty and service delivery costs."

"Steve has been on the crest of the growing trend toward PC monetization, and will leverage his vision, energy and experience to create deeper partnerships with OEM customers worldwide," said Mak.

"PC-Doctor's brand, its strong relationships with top PC OEMs, and its innovative contextual marketing technologies give the company an excellent platform for expansion," said Petracca. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to build on PC-Doctor's past accomplishments and orchestrate the company's continued growth through delivery of exceptional products and services."

Petracca comes to PC-Doctor from the Lenovo Group, which purchased IBM's PC business in 2005. As a senior vice president, Petracca established Lenovo's software and peripherals business. He also held senior executive positions in corporate business development and strategic alliances.

Before joining Lenovo, Petracca spent two years as CEO and president of BuilderDepot, Inc., an e-commerce startup. He previously served as executive vice president of sales and marketing for Pemstar, an electronic manufacturing services company, and as chairman and CEO of Reply Corp., a computer manufacturer.

Petracca holds a master's degree in business administration from Florida's Nova University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado.

About PC-Doctor Inc.
Founded in 1993, PC-Doctor Inc. develops diagnostics and other system health tools that allow PC makers, service centers, and IT organizations reduce costs, improve quality and enhance customer satisfaction. With more than 180 million units shipped worldwide, PC-Doctor's diagnostics are used directly by four of the Top Five of the world's top PC OEMs. In addition to Windows products, the company also develops diagnostics for Linux and other operating systems that run on leading Intel and AMD microprocessors. For more information about PC-Doctor and its products, visit www. pc-doctor. com or call (866) 289-7237. International customers should call +1-775 336-4000.

© 2009 PC-Doctor, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PC-Doctor is a trademark of PC-Doctor, Inc., Reno, NV.

All PC-Doctor products are protected by one or more of the following patents: 6,742,148; 6,792,562; 6,829,726. Other patents pending. All other brand and product names are registered trademarks, trademarks or service marks of their respective holders and are gratefully acknowledged. Product specifications subject to change without notice.

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First Nonprofit Integrated “Weight Loss” Boarding School to Open in North Carolina

First Nonprofit Integrated “Weight Loss” Boarding School to Open in North Carolina

The first nonprofit weight loss boarding school, The Healthy Children Academy will open at the Patterson School in Lenoir, North Carolina in January, 2006.

Patterson, NC (PRWEB) January 13, 2006

The first nonprofit weight loss boarding school, The Healthy Children Academy (HCA), www. HealthyChildrenAcademy. org, will open at the Patterson School www. PattersonSchool. org, in Lenoir, North Carolina. The Patterson School offers day and boarding classes for grades seven through 12, and post-graduate studies are available for those students who desire additional preparation for college or a career. The school is located on 1,400 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Lenoir, North Carolina. The Patterson School is dedicated to the development of the whole student, academically, spiritually, and physically and provides an environment that stimulates the intellectual and social growth of the student. The Patterson School offers a wide range of activities, programs, and classes for students, including athletics, drama, art, and music, technology, an Equestrian Center, and more. The students are also encouraged to join activities such as the yearbook, student newspaper, outdoor club, art club, chorus, riding club, astronomy club, judiciary committee and the student government board.

Healthy Children Academy students will be integrated with the Patterson School student body in the classrooms, dorms, and dining facilities. Headmaster Colin Stevens wants to train all Patterson School students to make healthy living choices.

“The primary goal of the Academy will be to balance studies with nutrition and exercise,” he said. "We want to provide a safe nurturing environment and help children build their self-esteem. With Ira Green as the program’s director we will be able to incorporate many of the proven lifestyle-changing activities used in his Camp Timber Creek summer program.”

The Advisory Board Members for the Healthy Children Academy are:

Gerard J. Musante, Ph. D. is the founder and director of Structure House, www. StructureHouse. com, a residential weight management lifestyle clinic in Durham, North Carolina since 1977. Dr. Musante is Consulting Professor with the Department of Psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. In addition he has published research articles in peer reviewed journals through the years.

Walter J. Pories, MD, FACS Chief, Metabolic Institute, East Carolina University, Professor of surgery and Biochemistry at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University; Principal Investigator of the National Institutes of Health Consortium for the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery member, and winner, of the O. Max Gardner Award of the University of North Carolina, for his research and finding on the nutritional needs of children and the elderly, as well as his discoveries concerning morbid obesity and its

Relevance to adult-onset diabetes.

Dr. Dennis Gage, M. D., F. A.C. P. is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Clinical Nutrition. He is a Clinical Instructor in Medicine at New York University and an Attending Physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC. Attending Physician at Beth Israel Medical Center, NYC Dr. Gage has a private practice in NYC. Member, NAASO, ADA, AMA. Dr. Gage is the author of The Thinderella Syndrome: A Practical Guide to Individualized Permanent Weight Loss - www. thethinderellasyndrome. com. Dr. Gage has conducted several research projects in the treatment of obesity.

Green is the owner of Healthy Kids Camps, www. HealthyKidsCamps. com, and the founder of the non-profit Healthy Children Foundation. Phone: 1-888-533-9039.

Dear Mr. Green:

I write to express the gratitude of the Brody School of Medicine, the Metabolic Institute, and, indeed, of the University for providing the remarkable opportunity to learn about obesity in children and adolescents. Over our three years of cooperation, you have not only provided a premier experience for the campers, you have also served as a classroom for our students and faculty.

You have also demonstrated as well as anyone in the U. S. that the summer camp experience can provide dramatic weight loss, sharp improvement in performance, and great relief of emotional burdens. I have attached a recent abstract of our research; it tells the story very well.

It's no surprise that the students and parents hold you in such high regard; I do as well. I look forward to working with you again next year.

With best regards,

Walter J. Pories, MD, FACS

Professor of Surgery, Biochemistry and

Exercise & Sport Science

Chief, The Metabolic Center

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Pima Medical Institute's Dental Assistant Students Looking For A Few Good Mouths

Pima Medical Institute's Dental Assistant Students Looking For A Few Good Mouths

The Dental Assistant students at Pima Medical Institute, 780 Bay Blvd, Suite 101 in Chula Vista are looking for a few good (and bad) mouths to teach proper brushing and flossing techniques during February, National ChildrenÂ’s Dental Health Month.

(PRWEB) February 4, 2005

Teachers, or others who work with children, are encouraged to call PMI at 619-425-3200 to set up an appointment to have the dental assistant students interact with the children while providing useful information on proper oral hygiene.

“Our dental assistant students provide a great service by showing children the importance of proper dental hygiene,” said Sue Kirtland, campus director for the Chula Vista campus. “However, the hands-on experience the DA students receive makes this a great teaching opportunity as well. It’s definitely a win/win situation for everyone.”

The training period for dental assistants is 30 weeks for day classes for day classes, or 33 weeks for evening classes. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for Dental Assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2012.

PMIÂ’s Chula Vista campus also has programs for Medical Assistants, Medical Administrative Assistants, Pharmacy Technicians, Radiographers, Respiratory Therapists and Veterinary Assistants.

PMI is one of the premier medical career colleges in the western United States. The privately owned, accredited school provides students with a well-rounded education embracing theoretical classroom studies, as well as on-site training at medical facilities that mirror the working environment they will pursue after graduation.

PMI has been serving students since 1972, with campuses in: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Mesa and Tucson, AZ; Denver and Colorado Springs, CO; Seattle and Renton, WA; Las Vegas, NV, as well as their Chula Vista location near San Diego in Southern California. Additional information is available at http://www. pmi. edu (http://www. pmi. edu) or by calling 1-888-442-5998.

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Life Coach, Certified Fitness Trainer Deb Betterly, Ph. D., Develops Video eCourse Titled “A Better Way to a Better Body”

Life Coach, Certified Fitness Trainer Deb Betterly, Ph. D., Develops Video eCourse Titled “A Better Way to a Better Body”

Deb has committed her life to helping people achieve their goals by obtaining a healthier lifestyle without experiencing the negative effects of depriving themselves of important nutrients that are expected of them with the majority of most “fad” diets. Visit: www. dietschmiet. com

Red Wing, MN (PRWEB) February 13, 2006

“No longer will you have to be disappointed by the so called miracle products that are on the market today,” Betterly says. “ It’s time people quit blaming themselves for their “weight problem” because after all, maintaining a healthier “you” is not just about going on a diet and losing weight, it’s much more than that, it’s about taking a good honest look at your life and how you use food."

"After all, we live in a hurry up world and want to see it happen overnight. That’s precisely why the diet industry has been thriving so well on weight products that actually do more harm than good. Finally, we’ve reached a point where society realizes that diets don’t work!” Betterly says.

Betterly explains that dieting is like a salmon trying to swim against a relentless current. Nobody really wants to go through all the pain and suffering it takes to lose weight but when frustration and desperation set in, people will do things that will actually make it worse.

She has been offering this course to the general public for a number of years by sending it to consumers via e mail but only recently has made it available in a video series on line. The end user of the course has access to all 90 videos along with accompanying written field work transcripts to view at their leisure.

In order to increase interest and provide an incentive for people to buy the course, Betterly has decided to offer bonus gifts that are worth more than double the price of the video e course. “I’m excited about the three bonus gifts that come free with the course because they have such incredible value say’s Betterly” “Plus, just for visiting the site, I’ll give you a free gift.”

She explains that this course is a departure from traditional self help and diet books in that she reveals what many have tried to accomplish for years with no success. My course is a step-by-step guide to having more success in every area of your life. In fact, it’s not just a course but a life changing experience that will teach you a breakthrough technique for letting go of preconceived notions of how to be a better you Betterly explains, “It’s really a video series success kit.”

For more information about Deb Betterly’s video e course titled, “A better way to a better body,” visit: www. dietschmiet. com

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Human rights Group Speaks Out About Tom Cruise Speaking Out

Human rights Group Speaks Out About Tom Cruise Speaking Out

Group warns about national crisis of child drugging with "kiddy cocaine" and suicide-inducing antidepressants Video exposes the hoax of psychiatry's "chemical imbalance" theory

Vancouver, B. C. (PRWEB) September 3, 2005

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a psychiatric watchdog group, said Tom Cruise's remarks on NBC's Today Show recently represent a growing public awareness about the national crisis of children and adults being prescribed damaging mind-altering drugs.

Brian Beaumont, President of the British Columbia chapter of CCHR said, "The Today Show interview was a warning that people need to be beware of psychiatry and its purported research rather than accepting at face value concepts such as a chemical imbalance in the brain causing their problems, which can deny them real help".

To back up their claims, CCHR released a video documentary on their website, www. cchr. org, that includes prominent doctors, neurologists and psychiatrists debunking the hoax of mental disorders being physically based or the result of a chemical imbalance.

"The 'chemical imbalance' theory, popularized by marketing, is no more than psychiatric wishful thinking," Beaumont said. It has been thoroughly discredited by researchers, doctors and scientists. The only reason it exists is that it makes it easier for psychiatrists to label and drug vulnerable and often desperate individuals including helpless little children. It is driven by more than $23 billion in drug sales each year."

Based on this false chemical imbalance theory, millions of people have fallen prey to damaging psychiatric practices: stimulants and antidepressants have induced teenagers to go on murderous shooting sprees (9 out of 13 school shootings, such as the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, were committed by teens on psychiatric drugs). A 14 year old boy shot two children, killing one, at W. R.Myers High School in Taber, Alberta. He was seeing a psychiatrist who prescribed him Dexedrine just prior to the shooting.

Hundreds of thousands of Canadian children and teens have been prescribed SSRIs, or selective seritonin reuptake inhibitors, and other newer antidepressants for an ever-growing array of bogus illnesses including anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and social phobia. At least five teenagers in Canada have died, four of suicide, while being treated with the most widely prescribed antidepressants in Canada and at least 100 other children as young as 18 months old have experienced serious suspected adverse reactions to the pills.

For 14 years, CCHR, which was established by the Church of Scientology, has been warning people of the psychiatric industryÂ’s penchant for wholesale labelling and drugging of young people for profit, most recently made obvious in BC by posters, fliers, bus ads and a festival stigmatizing normal teenage experience as a "mental disorder". Last October, the Food and Drug Administration in the U. S. ordered a "black box" label for antidepressants that the drugs could cause suicide. Health Canada has taken similar measures. But these reforms are not enough to curb what CCHR says is a "national crisis" of child drugging and psychotropic drug abuse.

"Psychiatrists are society's biggest drug pushers," Beaumont says. "People do suffer from serious mental difficulties or life-crippling problems and their methods of coping with this can fail. Psychiatrists exploit this, marketing drugs for conditions they admit they do not know the cause of or cannot cure. Fraud involves intentional deception or deliberate misrepresentation to secure money, rights or privilege. CCHR is helping Canadians wake up to this psychiatric fraud."

For information on Psychiatry or to report a psychiatric abuse people can call the CCHR hotline at 1-800-670-2247.

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LifeMasters Introduces Health Activation Tool to Disease Management Participants

LifeMasters Introduces Health Activation Tool to Disease Management Participants

Innovator of the PAM™ Assessment in Chronic Disease Coaching

Irvine, Calif. (Vocus) March 2, 2009

In keeping with its commitment to implement the latest advances in behavior change, LifeMasters (https://www. lifemasters. com/innovation/) Supported SelfCare, Inc. is the first disease management company in the country to introduce a powerful health activation tool for use with its chronically ill participants.

The Patient Activation Measure™ (PAM™) was developed by Judith Hibbard, Ph. D., and colleagues at the University of Oregon to assess an individual's knowledge, skills and confidence in playing a role in one's own health and healthcare. By understanding participants' "activation levels," LifeMasters health professionals can better tailor participant coaching to an individual's level of activation, helping him or her identify and overcome barriers to behavior change.

"We know that higher levels of activation are correlated with improved self-care behaviors," said LifeMasters CEO Christobel Selecky. "By focusing on increasing a participant's activation level, our health coaches can help LifeMasters participants to develop self-efficacy and greater levels of motivation, which ultimately lead to greater confidence in managing their health. We are very excited about the potential that this tool provides us to improve outcomes and enhance sustained engagement." 

LifeMasters is a health improvement company with more than 15 years experience in developing scientifically based interventions that target key cost drivers such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, asthma, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, cancer and musculo-skeletal pain. The company began piloting the PAM in 2005. In 2007, it completed a 2-call-center comparison study based on the PAM with Dr. Hibbard and her team and is now widely implementing the use of PAM across all LifeMasters sites and additional research is being considered.

LifeMasters coaches are trained in the use of motivational interviewing techniques - informed by the insight gained from the PAM tool - which allows them to focus on helping participants develop confidence in managing their health (depending on their activation level) rather than on encouraging behaviors they may not be ready to achieve.

The Patient Activation Measure, which is licensed and marketed by Insignia Health, consists of a 10 or 13-question survey that asks people about their beliefs, knowledge and confidence for engaging in a wide range of health behaviors. Based on responses to the survey, each person is assigned an activation score and level. The PAM segments participants into one of four progressively higher activation levels.

At the low end of the spectrum, individuals tend to be passive with regard to managing their health, and may fail to see the connection between their own behaviors and health outcomes. At the high end, individuals understand that relationship and have become good self-managers across a constellation of behaviors. However, even high activation level individuals may benefit from coaching to stay on course when stress occurs.

Answers to the PAM survey give the health professional insight into a participant's frame of reference and help facilitate tailored discussion about what a participant wants to work on. By periodically re-administering the survey and reviewing responses to individual items over time, changes in a participant's activation level can be reassessed and used as a guide for ongoing coaching.

"In using the PAM, LifeMasters is supporting consumers on a journey to improve the self-management competencies that drive health status, and in so doing, helping consumers unlock their potential to flourish," said Chris Delaney, Insignia's Chief Executive Officer.

The level of patient activation varies considerably in the U. S. population, with less than half of the adult population at the highest level of activation, according to a recent study by the Center for Studying Health System Change. More than 85 studies have documented the PAM's ability to effectively measure patient activation and to predict a range of behaviors in wide demographic variability. These include preventive behaviors such as exercise, diet, and smoking cessation, disease-specific self-management behaviors such as medication compliance and health monitoring, and consumer behaviors such as successful interaction with a healthcare provider.

Because of the strong correlation between activation and self-care behaviors, the PAM scores can also greatly enhance the credibility of reported outcomes. While return on investment and closing clinical gaps in care will always be important outcomes measures, the ability to demonstrate a concurrent improvement in activation increases the likelihood that those positive outcomes can be attributed to the health improvement program.

A research project between LifeMasters and Dr. Hibbard's team demonstrated that activation levels and health outcomes can be improved by tailoring participant care plans to the individual's activation level. The full results of this study are expected to be published in June of 2009.

About LifeMasters Supported SelfCare, Inc.
LifeMasters Supported SelfCare, Inc. is a leading provider of health improvement and condition management programs and services that create health partnerships among individuals and their physicians. The programs improve the quality of care for populations with risk factors and
Chronic conditions and reduce healthcare cost trends for the nation's leading health plans, employers, retirement systems, labor unions/trusts and governmental organizations. LifeMasters offers programs for individuals with diabetes, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, asthma, cancer, depression and musculo-skeletal pain. LifeMasters' programs are holistically focused, support co-morbidities like depression, and facilitate lifestyle changes such as smoking cessation and weight loss. LifeMasters is accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and URAC. More information can be found at innovation. lifemasters. com (https://www. lifemasters. com/innovation/).

About Insignia Health
Insigna Health is committed to helping consumers develop the behaviors that are crucial to becoming more active and effective members of their own healthcare team. These efforts are anchored by the Patient Activation Measure and the self-management competencies revealed by this assessment tool. With this knowledge, Insignia's tailored coaching resources and self-care products can be leveraged to help individuals begin to master new positive behaviors that are realistic given one's current level of activation. Research has shown consistently that with increased activation comes better health and the more effective and efficient use of healthcare resources. More information can be found at www. insigniahealth. com.

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AccuQuote, a Leading Provider of Term Life Insurance Quotes, Provides Tips for Shopping for Return of Premium Term Life Insurance

AccuQuote, a Leading Provider of Term Life Insurance Quotes, Provides Tips for Shopping for Return of Premium Term Life Insurance

AccuQuote. com, a leading provider of term life insurance quotes to people across the United States, provides tips for comparing return of premium (ROP) policies to traditional term life insurance policies.

Wheeling, IL (PRWEB) August 5, 2008

Return of premium term life insurance policies have become a popular choice for consumers over the past few years. The appeal? They offer the same peace of mind that comes with a traditional term life insurance policy, along with a money back guarantee from the life insurance company (http://www. accuquote. com/life-insurance-company-policies. cfm) if the insured outlives the policy. AccuQuote, a leader in providing term life insurance (http://www. accuquote. com) quotes to people across the United States, recommends these tips when comparing a return of premium policy to a traditional term life insurance plan.

1. Determine The Right Amount of Coverage Needed - Before deciding between return of premium and a traditional term life insurance policy, first determine how much coverage is needed. Getting the right amount is more important than getting the right kind of coverage.

2. Understand What Is Affordable - Return of premium is relatively inexpensive, although it costs a bit more than regular term life (http://www. accuquote. com/low-cost-life-insurance. cfm) insurance. On average, 30-year return of premium plans cost about 50% percent more than a regular 30-year term life policy. That difference can vary based on one's age and health. If the return of premium plan is affordable and fits within the family's budget, it might very well be a good deal.

3. Consider All Options - Before deciding what type of coverage to buy, it's important to consider the amount of coverage, length of term life policy and cost. One should make sure their family will be adequately protected for the right period of time. To do this, buy a term length that is long enough so that it won't expire before the need for the protection ends. In some cases, it makes more sense to purchase a traditional term life insurance policy with a larger face amount rather than spending the money to get the return of premium component.

"On average, return of premium products cost more than traditional term life insurance policies, but they offer a guaranteed return," says Byron Udell, founder and CEO of AccuQuote. "However, before you are lured by the appeal of a refund, you should first make sure you purchase an affordable life insurance (http://www. accuquote. com/affordable-term-life-insurance. cfm) policy that you won't let lapse in order to makes sure you don't leave your family unprotected," says Udell.

Some people ask, "What's the rate of return on the difference in premium?" Here's an example: A 35-year-old healthy male (non-smoker) will pay about $810 annually for a 30-year $500,000 return of premium term life insurance policy. However, if he outlives his policy, he'll get his entire $24,300 back. With a traditional term life insurance policy, he'll pay about $260 less per year, but to make $24,300 he would need to invest that difference and earn a 6.6 percent return (after income taxes!) for 30 years. In today's world of low interest rates a 6.6% after-tax return may look pretty good.

About AccuQuote
AccuQuote helps consumers find the best values in term life insurance by combining instant online life insurance quotes (http://www. accuquote. com/free-life-insurance-quote. cfm) with the personal service of unbiased life insurance professionals that can help answer questions, identify important issues, and make meaningful recommendations. The company offers consumers an extensive selection of life insurance options, including term life, whole life, and universal life, as well as selected annuities. The website has many handy insurance tools, including a life insurance needs calculator (http://www. accuquote. com/term-life-insurance-calculator. cfm) to help you figure out how much to buy, a glossary that explains industry terminology, a collection of articles that cover the basics about life insurance, and a blog which answer many questions about life insurance. For additional information or to get quotes for cheap term life insurance (http://www. accuquote. com/cheap-term-life-insurance. cfm), please call 1-888-314-4455.

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Google Android Apps Market Extended By New Canvas Mobile Business Apps

Google Android Apps Market Extended By New Canvas Mobile Business Apps

Free Android Apps for Forms, Surveys, Data Collection, and Business Efficiency

Herndon, VA (PRWEB) April 19, 2010

Canvas Android apps (http://www. gocanvas. com/content/how-it-works/how-it-works/smartphones/android-phones) are now available for free download in Google’s Android Market. The Canvas Android download opens the door to hundreds more mobile business applications from the Canvas app store (http://www. gocanvas. com/mobile-forms-apps). Canvas mobile apps collect valuable business information for businesses and mobile professionals, reducing paper consumption making business more efficient. The Canvas app store offers mobile apps for a variety of industries, including healthcare, government, construction, retail and wholesale distribution. Canvas mobile apps also support a variety of business functions, including sales force automation, field service, inspections, asset management, time, expense and travel.

Free to Download, Free to Try, Fifty Cents to Buy

Canvas is free to download in Android Market and install on any Android phone running Android 1.5 through Android 2.0, Android 2.1, MotoBlur or HTC Sense. To find Canvas in Android Market, click search, then type “canvas” and click go. Canvas may also be found in the “productivity” category of Android Market. Once the download is installed, users are directed to the Canvas web site at http://www. gocanvas. com/sign-up (http://www. gocanvas. com/sign-up) to sign up for a free trial and access to more than 200 Android apps that run on the Canvas mobile app platform for Android phones. All these apps are free to get and use for 30 days. At the end of the 30 day free trial, Canvas costs only $.50 for each form, survey or transaction uploaded to the Canvas web site from an Android phone. Companies and mobile professionals using customized Canvas apps to run their businesses may opt for unlimited use of Canvas at $20 per month or $210 per year. All Canvas service plans support an unlimited number of Android apps for the same low price.

More Ways to Download Android Apps

Canvas can also be downloaded directly by visiting http://www. gocanvas. com/m (http://www. gocanvas. com/m) from any Android browser. Once it is installed on an Android phone, Canvas can automatically download software updates and new apps published from the Canvas mobile app platform.

Android Phone Store

In partnership with LetsTalk. com, Canvas also offers customers the ability to quickly and easily purchase Android phones certified to work with Canvas. The Canvas phone store at http://gocanvas. letstalk. com (http://gocanvas. letstalk. com) offers a variety of Android phones, including:
Motorola CLIQ with MOTOBLUR (T-Mobile) Motorola Devour with MOTOBLUR (Verizon Wireless) DROID by Motorola (Verizon Wireless) HTC Droid Eris (Verizon Wireless) HTC Hero with HTC Sense II (Sprint) Samsung Behold II (T-Mobile) Samsung Moment (Sprint) T-Mobile myTouch 3G with Google (T-Mobile) About Canvas

Canvas (http://www. gocanvas. com (http://www. gocanvas. com)) makes it easy to publish data collection apps on wireless smartphones and other mobile devices such as laptops, tablets, bar code scanning devices and netbooks. Canvas reduces paper consumption, redundant data entry and excess process for businesses and mobile professionals. The Canvas software service enables mobile professionals to collect information using their mobile devices, analyze that data on the Canvas web site, and share information across their business community. Canvas also offers the first mobile app store of its kind allowing business users to find mobile applications that work on a wide variety of mobile devices, with every application being customizable by Canvas users. Founded in October, 2008, Canvas Solutions, Inc is headquartered in Herndon, VA.

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Management Consultancy Careers Fair Launch Proves Hugely Successful As Demand Far Outstrips Supply

Management Consultancy Careers Fair Launch Proves Hugely Successful As Demand Far Outstrips Supply

Many of the world's leading brands are preparing for Europe's largest management consultancy careers fair, as the industry battles the dual challenges of rebounding client demand and rising staff attrition rates.

London, England (PRWEB) September 21, 2005

When you hire one of the UK’s largest exhibition venues for your first major careers fair it says a lot about the healthy state of recruitment in your industry. When you find yourself turning away recruiters because the Careers Fair is already going to be packed to capacity with exhibitors – that’s when you know for sure your hunch was right.

Such has been the experience of Top-Consultant. com, whose first major careers fair for management consultants has attracted a global client list including Accenture, Arthur D. Little, Capgemini, IBM Business Consulting - and a prestigious event partner in the shape of the Management Consultancies Association. With many consultancies having been turned away with the event now fully booked, candidates are being urged to act quickly if they are to avoid the same fate come 7th October.

“In the last fortnight alone we have turned away nearly a dozen firms who wanted to be exhibitors at this year’s fair,” commented a Top-Consultant representative. “With so many great brands already attending, there simply wasn’t any space left to accommodate additional exhibitors. Now our main concern is to ensure that would-be attendees do not find themselves turned away from the event too, as we are fast approaching our capacity limits for attendees as well.”

The organizers had envisaged allowing readers both to pre-register for the event or to simply turn up on the day to meet the World’s top consulting firms. But registrations are running at such a high level that organizers will no longer be accepting registrations on the day: “We do not want to find ourselves in a position where we have to turn people away on the day because we have reached the venue’s capacity limits. Already more than 4/5 of the available visitor passes have been reserved and so we have decided not to allow registrations on the day to avoid disappointment. The message we are putting out is clear – if you want to be there on 7th October you absolutely must register in advance!”

The run away success of the October 7th careers fair speaks volumes about the rebound in the management consulting sector. Of course consulting firms all stand and fall on the caliber of their staff – and talent shortages are invariably the biggest constraint on growth. With many consultancies looking to make hires equivalent to 25-30% of their headcount in the next 12 months, the need to broaden recruitment initiatives beyond run of the mill advertising campaigns was clear. With this backdrop, perhaps it is little surprise the Management Consultancy Careers Fair has proven so popular. The organizers are now deciding whether to make the event an annual or bi-annual fixture in the recruitment calendar. A final decision will be taken after the 7th October event has taken place and exhibitor feedback has been assessed.

Full details of this yearÂ’s event can be found at:

Http://www. top-consultant. com/UK/events/Article_display. asp? ID=48 (http://www. top-consultant. com/UK/events/Article_display. asp? ID=48).

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HRmarketer. com Reports Continued Optimism and Growth in the Human Capital Marketplace

HRmarketer. com Reports Continued Optimism and Growth in the Human Capital Marketplace

HRmarketer. com, the no. 1 marketing and media visibility service in the human capital industry, released its latest HRintelligence Trend Report identifying the companies and topics receiving the most media attention in the month of June, as well as the top advertisers and the overall health of the human capital marketplace.

Capitola, CA (PRWEB) July 29, 2005 -

HRmarketer. com (http://www. hrmarketer. com/home/index. htm), the no. 1 marketing and media visibility service (http://www. hrmarketer. com/home/free_demo. htm) in the human capital industry, released its latest HRintelligence Trend Report (http://www. hrmarketer. com/home/hri. htm) identifying the companies and topics receiving the most media attention in the month of June, as well as the top advertisers and the overall health of the human capital marketplace.

The Trend Report maintained its “Great” rating for the overall health of the human resources marketplace as many human resource suppliers reported strong 2nd quarter earnings, including Monster Worldwide, ADP, Ultimate Software, Robert Half International, TALX, SAP and Gevity HR. The “Great” rating also reflected an increase in RFP activity for HR products and services and increased advertising expenditures in the human resource trades – all signs of a healthy industry.

Companies receiving the most media attention in the human resource industry trades in June included Aon, Ceridian, GE, General Motors, Hewitt Associates, IBM, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Oracle, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, PeopleSoft, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SHRM and Watson Wyatt.

Top advertisers in the HR industry trades for June were ADP, Aetna, American Dental Association, Brass Ring, Employease, MetLife, Monster, O. C. Tanner, Private Healthcare Systems, SPECTRUM Human Resource Systems, UnitedHealthcare and VSP.

Human resource topics receiving significant coverage across the HR trades in June included pension issues, health care costs, outsourcing, relationships between successful M&AÂ’s and HR, PeopleSoft and Oracle, HR metrics and contingent workforce outsourcing.

This industry intelligence (http://www. hrmarketer. com/home/hri. htm) data comes from HRmarketer. comÂ’s HRintelligence database of over 4,000 HR service providers, of which HRmarketer. com members can access advertising and media placement details. 

About HRmarketer. com

HRmarketer is a service of Fisher Vista LLC, a marketing and information services firm focusing exclusively on the human capital industry. The company services over 300 HR suppliers, employee benefit brokers and consultants, helping them increase their visibility and generate sales leads.

This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www. HRmarketer. com) on behalf of the company listed above.

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