Monthly Archives: August 2012

Penn Medicine Receives $12 Million to Tackle Prostate Cancer Disparities

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PHILADELPHIA The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has been awarded a $12 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund a new Center of Excellence in Prostate Cancer Disparities.

The gap in prostate cancer mortality rates among black and white men -- 62 per 100,000 in African American men and 26 per 100,000 men of European ancestry is wider than that observed in any other major cancer. By combining transdisciplinary, translational research about the effects of biological, behavioral, social, environmental, and health care factors on prostate cancer outcomes, the new centers investigators aim to develop and disseminate interventions that can be used to shrink those striking disparities.

The project will have three prongs. First, the Penn Medicine team will investigate the role of obesity in prostate cancer development and progression of the disease. Though obesity is a potentially modifiable risk factor, its not yet clear how racial composition of a neighborhood, socioeconomic status, living conditions and stress levels relate to obesitys role in disease outcomes. They will also focus on biomarkers and neighborhood data to develop a model to help predict prostate cancer outcomes, and investigate differences in treatment experienced by black and white men as impacted by various barriers to care in an urban environment.

Prostate cancer is a serious public health issue, particularly for African American men says the projects principal investigator, Timothy Rebbeck, PhD, a professor of Epidemiology who directs the Center for Genetics and Complex Traits in the Perelman School of Medicine and serves as associate director for Population Science in the Abramson Cancer Center. Our new center will address the causes of this health disparity. We will be able to use the information from this project to improve the outcomes of African American men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer.

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Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.3 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $479.3 million awarded in the 2011 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2011, Penn Medicine provided $854 million to benefit our community.

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Penn Medicine Receives $12 Million to Tackle Prostate Cancer Disparities

AOMA to Offer Doctoral Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

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AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The DAOM will be the second regionally accredited Doctorate in Acupuncture and Oriental medicine in the U.S. according to AOMA president, William Morris. "This is a significant achievement for our institution." Since its founding in 1993, AOMA has grown by every important quantitative and qualitative measure including its student body, faculty, accreditation, campus facilities, patients served and community outreach.

The Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) is a post-graduate clinical doctorate. AOMA's doctoral program will offer a clinical specialty focus on the management and care of patients with pain and associated psycho-social disorders.

Faculty participation was particularly key to the success of this proposal: Drs. Wu, He, Zeng, Song, Liu, and Mandyam made significant contributions, as well as several staff members. Such participation is essential to accrediting processes for such programs. The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) has approved the substantive change proposal for the doctoral program. AOMA's regional accreditor, the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) approved the new program in December 2011.

AOMA's vision of Oriental medical scholarship includes developing advanced clinical specialists, collaborators, educators, researchers, and leaders. "A doctoral program at AOMA builds upon an already strong master's program and provide our graduates and other practitioners with an opportunity for continued study and career development," Morris said.

With an internationally renowned faculty, strong leadership, regional accreditation, demonstrated student success, and now a doctoral degree, AOMA's reputation as a national leader in the field of acupuncture and Chinese medicine education, health care and policy-making continues to grow.

AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine offers a masters-level program in acupuncture and Oriental medicine, preparing its students for careers as skilled, professional practitioners. AOMA is known for its internationally recognized faculty, award-winning student clinical internship program, and herbal medicine program. AOMA conducts more than 20,000 patient visits annually in its student and professional clinics, collaborates with Western healthcare institutions including the Seton Family of Hospitals, and gives back to the community through partnerships with nonprofit organizations and by providing free and reduced price treatments to people who cannot afford them. AOMA is located in Austin, Texas.

For more information, contact: Anne Province, 512-492-3051; 512-497-2925 aprovince@aoma.edu

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AOMA to Offer Doctoral Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Resurrection Medical Group Welcomes New Internal Medicine Physician

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MORTON GROVE, IL--(Marketwire -08/21/12)- Wolf D. Peddinghaus, M.D., an internal medicine physician, who is on staff at Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, joined Resurrection Medical Group, a group of over 260 physicians who provide primary and specialty medical care at more than 60 locations throughout Illinois.

Fluent in German, Dr. Peddinghaus earned his medical degree from the University of Heidelberg in Germany, and completed a residency in internal medicine at Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston. He is a board-certified internal medicine physician and has a strong interest in geriatric medicine and elder care.

His clinical interests include health maintenance and prevention, geriatrics and long-term care issues. His philosophy is to treat the whole person -- body and mind. "As an internist, I like coordinating care for my patients so they get the best possible results," said Dr. Peddinghaus.

His office is located at 5747 Dempster St., Ste. 300 in Morton Grove. Office hours are: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Friday 1 - 5 p.m. Patients can call 847-324-8700 to schedule an appointment or visit RMG.reshealth.org for more information.

About Resurrection Medical Group A physician-led and patient-focused medical group representing a broad spectrum of primary and specialty care, Resurrection Medical Group provides accessible, quality care and excellent service throughout the greater Chicagoland area. Resurrection Medical Group is part of the new ministry of Provena Health and Resurrection Health Care, now joined as Presence Health. To find a Resurrection Medical Group physician near you, call 855-RES-DOCS (855) 737-3627 or visit us online at rmg.reshealth.org.

About Provena Health - Resurrection Health Care - Now Joined As Presence HealthPresence Health is a family of Catholic, not-for profit, healthcare services providing advanced medical care and exceptional service with compassion and hope. Visit http://www.provenaresurrection.org to learn more.

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Resurrection Medical Group Welcomes New Internal Medicine Physician

Do athletes make better doctors?

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - It may not be the first quality that most programs evaluate in their applicants, but a new study suggests athletic achievement could be the best indicator of how well a doctor-in-training will do as a resident. When residency programs evaluate medical school applicants for a few coveted spots, they typically consider grades, standardized test scores, recommendations ...

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Do athletes make better doctors?

First Liberty Power Corp. Property and Strategic Focus Update

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LAS VEGAS, Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --First Liberty Power Corp. (FLPC) (the "Company") is pleased to announce an update on the Company's properties, and also our expanded plan for the exploration, development, mining and refining of strategic industrial metals in the USA.

Currently, we have a 95% option interest in two lithium brine properties; these properties are in a stage of development ranging from intermediate to advanced exploration with an ultimate goal to extract and refine Lithium brine. This type of deposit is globally recognized as the most economic and productive means of producing lithium. Lithium and its compounds have several fundamental commercial applications, including heat-resistant glass and ceramics, greases, high strength-to-weight alloys, pharmaceuticals, thermoplastic, air treatment, and, most importantly for growth, lithium ion batteries.

Our first property, Lida Valley with 58 Placer Claims / 9,280 acres, has completed three exploration stages to date. We have identified a deep-seated basin structure with high potential lithium enrichment, together with conductive zones which are an indicator of lithium-bearing brines. Our latest acquisition, Smoky Valley with 70 Placer Claims / 11,200 acres, has two exploration stages complete, with basin structure already demonstrated, and geo-magnetics planned through 2012. Both properties are in close proximity to the only US based producing lithium operation - Chemetall Foote which has been producing for over 40 years at a rate of approximately 5,000 LCE tonnes per year. Once the exploration stages on the properties are successfully completed and the properties are proven for production, both operations will be consolidated and the drill program to prove lithium brine presence will begin. First Liberty will work to implement a production plan immediately thereafter.

First Liberty has begun to expand its scope beyond lithium into other minerals of critical strategic importance. As part of our expanded strategic focus, one of First Liberty's core objectives is to ensure a strong US domestic supply of mineral elements that are critical to current and emerging technologies. It is widely recognized that the United States must work to increase the domestic supply of several critical elements to ensure security, particularly in alternative energy. These elements include Vanadium, Uranium, Antimony, Graphite, Tin, Lead, and certain Rare Earth and Platinum Metal Group elements. With this in mind, we are seeking to complement our current mid and long-term exploration programs with near term production opportunities to meet this high demand.

CEO Don Nicholson emphasized in a statement, "As the Company moves into a high growth phase, I would like to stress the importance of our two Lithium brine properties for our mid-term production plans, and we are pleased that they are advancing successfully through the resource verification stages. Furthermore, we are working diligently on investigating and evaluating properties that contain the critical elements we see as being extremely important for our further growth. The leadership of this Company has targeted 2012 as a priority period to acquire near and mid-term production properties that have a benchmark of delivering high-percentage returns to our investors and shareholders."

About UsFirst Liberty is a Nevada based mineral exploration company with a focus on the exploration, development, mining and refining of strategic industrial metals in the USA. With a primary focus on lithium exploration, it is our vision to also significantly contribute towards ensuring a domestic supply of those mineral elements that are critical to current and emerging technologies. We will continue assembling a portfolio of properties and interests in several key areas, ranging in developmental to advanced stage exploration to production ready.

ContactFirst Liberty Power Corp. http://www.firstlibertypower.com ir@firstlibertypower.com Investor Relations Telephone: (800) 709-1196

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis current report contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future, including but not limited to, the final outcome Lida Valley and Smokey Valley exploration / work programs, the specific nature and extent of the next phase of our exploration program, our ability to raise the necessary capital to complete our exploration program, and any mineralization, exploration and development of our mineral properties, specifically in regards to Lithium.

Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with mineral exploration and difficulties associated with obtaining financing on acceptable terms. We are not in control of metals prices and these could vary to make development uneconomic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our most recent annual report for our last fiscal year, our quarterly reports, and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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First Liberty Power Corp. Property and Strategic Focus Update

Liberty Gold Corp. Announces Visible Gold Sample Results For Arizona-Based Domestic Portfolio

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PHOENIX, Aug. 21, 2102 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Gold Corp. (OTCBB: LBGO; "Liberty Gold" and/or "the Company") is pleased to announce positive results following initial sampling and processing for visible gold on the Company's Domestic Portfolio. The Company has a 100% interest in the 794-acre Domestic Portfolio mining operations claim block, situated in the Cerbat Mountain range, roughly 75 miles southeast of Las Vegas and 15 miles northwest of Kingman in northwestern Arizona's Wallapai Mining District.

Initial samples were collected from 5 different locations within the Domestic Portfolio holdings to determine whether, once processed, visible gold was present at 3 different screen sizes: 100 minus, 50 minus and 25 minus. Samples from each of the 5 different locations resulted in the detection of visible metallics while 1 of the locations resulted in the detection of visible metallics and gold, as outlined in the table below.

Photos of the visible gold and metallics can be viewed on Liberty Gold's website at http://www.libertygoldcorp.com/gallery/visible-gold

LOCATION

100 minus

50 minus

25 minus

Fountainhead

Visible metallics with silver-like being abundant

Same as 100- but less material

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Liberty Gold Corp. Announces Visible Gold Sample Results For Arizona-Based Domestic Portfolio

Liberty Brewing wins NZ beer award

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Liberty Brewing's remarkable journey of growth and success

continues, as the New Plymouth brewery claimed a Trophy for their

Yakima Monster at the Sutton Group 2012 Brewers Guild of New

Zealand Beer Awards this past Thursday where over 460 entries

competed for honours.

Peer judged by industry professionals, this accolade makes Yakima

Monster the best example of a US Ale styled beer in the country in

2012, with Liberty's Debilitated Defender also receiving a Bronze

medal in the class.

Liberty's Festive Brew, Renalls Towards Muriwai, also received a

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Liberty Brewing wins NZ beer award

Liberty Silver Extends Offer for Sennen Resources

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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Aug. 21, 2012) - Liberty Silver Corp. (LSL.TO)(LBSV) announced today that it is extending its offer for all the issued and outstanding common shares of Sennen Resources Ltd. until 9 p.m. Toronto time on Monday, September 10, 2012.

"We remain confident that tendering to our offer represents the best value for Sennen shareholders rather than maintaining Sennen's status quo", Geoff Browne, Liberty Silver's chairman and chief executive officer said. "Sennen's board formed a special committee and hired financial and legal advisers more than a month ago to examine our offer. The special committee has yet to come up with a superior - or indeed, any - alternative proposal."

Under Liberty Silver's offer, Sennen shareholders will receive 0.28 of a Liberty Silver common share for each Sennen common share. The exchange ratio, at the time the offer was made, represented an implied price of $0.20 per Sennen share.

The offer represents a premium of 47.3% to the 20-day volume weighted average trading price ended July 13, 2012, being $0.135. This is also higher than the 34.8% average take-over bid premium paid for mining companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange over the past 12 months. The offer is valued at approximately $13.36 million, an amount that is expected to exceed Sennen's net cash reserves when the proposed transaction closes.

Mr. Browne added: "The combination of Sennen's cash resources and Liberty Silver's skilled management team and prudent risk-mitigation strategy will enable us to advance the Trinity Silver project, as well as identify other low-risk opportunities to the benefit of shareholders of both our companies.

"With the recent acquisition of the Hi Ho properties, we have met yet another milestone. As promised, we have added significant upside to our established resource, moved very close to fulfilling our earn-in requirements, and further de-risked the project. We are now planning the best path towards re-starting production."

Other benefits of Liberty Silver's offer include:

Setting the Record Straight

Liberty Silver also wishes to correct misleading allegations contained in a press release issued by Sennen on August 20, 2012.

"Our directors have significant skin in the game, a clear indication of their confidence in Liberty Silver's business strategy and in Trinity Silver's bright prospects", Mr. Browne said.

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Liberty Silver Extends Offer for Sennen Resources

Romney backs audit for Fed, vows to not raise taxes on middle class

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GOFFSTOWN, N.H. Borrowing a key element of the anti-government libertarianism that fueled rival Ron Pauls presidential campaign, Mitt Romney said Monday that he thinks the Federal Reserve should face an audit.

Very plain and simple, the answer is yes. The Federal Reserve should be accountable. We should see what theyre doing, Mr. Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said at a town hall in New Hampshire.

Mr. Romney also pushed back against President Obamas claims that the former Massachusetts governor would raise taxes on the middle class if elected.

Let me tell you the heart of my tax proposal: I will not raise taxes on the American people, I will not raise taxes on middle-income Americans, Mr. Romney told supporters at St. Anselm College, where he and running mate Rep. Paul Ryan made a grand entrance to the theme song from the movie Rudy.

The visit marked the first joint appearance for Mr. Romney and Mr. Ryan in New Hampshire a state that could prove pivotal come Election Day.

The event gave Mr. Romney a chance to fire back at Mr. Obama, who two days earlier in nearby Windham told voters that Mr. Romneys tax plan would mean that the wealthy get a tax cut and middle-class families will pay more.

They have been trying to sell this trickle-down snake oil before, he said Saturday. It did not work then. It will not work now.

Mr. Romney fielded seven questions during the town hall, including the question about auditing the Fed.

Mr. Romneys answer puts him on the same page of the issue as Mr. Paul, the congressman from Texas who is Mr. Romneys only remaining active opponent in the GOP presidential race.

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Romney backs audit for Fed, vows to not raise taxes on middle class

Falkland Islands Hlg – AGM Statement

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21st August 2012

Falkland Islands Holdings plc

AGM Statement

Falkland Islands Holdings plc ("FIH" or the "Group"), the international services Group which owns essential services businesses focused on transport and logistics and which has a 4% shareholding in Falkland Oil and Gas Limited ("FOGL"), is holding its Annual General Meeting ("AGM") at 11.00am today, 21 August 2012, at the offices of FTI Consulting (NYSE: FCN - news) , 26 Southampton Buildings, London WC2A 1PB.

At the AGM, Chairman, David Hudd, will make the following statement:

"The Group's trading for the first four months of the financial year has been at a similar level to last year and is in line with the Board's expectations. The successful equity fundraising in June 2012 has given us the resources necessary to take full advantage of emerging opportunities in the Falkland Islands linked to oil development.

"In the Falkland Islands a weaker illex squid catch and limited onshore oil activity has meant that trading has been flat. Retail profits have increased slightly thanks to the expansion of the general store at the MPA military base, improved margins and tighter cost control but this has largely been offset by reduced profits from support services and at the fishing agency.

"At the Portsmouth Harbour Ferry Company, passenger volumes in the first 19 weeks declined by 8.6%. This reflects very poor weather and a deterioration in the employment market in the area. However, the volume decline has been partially offset by fare increaseson 1 June 2012 which averaged 3% but profits have fallen back from the record levels achieved last year.

"Momart, the Group's fine art logistics and storage business, has seen continued strong demand particularly in the commercial market and although revenues in the first four months have not quite matched the exceptional levels seen in early 2011-12, the company's order book remains at record levels.

"Following the recent fund raising the Group's share capital has expanded to 12.4 million shares in issue. The liquidity position is very strong with cash on deposit in excess of 10 million and residual bank borrowings of 2.7 million being repaid at the rate of 1 million per year.

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Falkland Islands Hlg - AGM Statement

Caribbean islands under storm warnings

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MIAMI (AP) Forecasters say Tropical Storm Isaac has formed in the Atlantic with a track that could possibly take it toward Florida where the Republican National Convention will be held next week.

Storm warnings have been issued Tuesday across a swath of islands in the Caribbean including Martinique, Guadeloupe and St. Martin.

It is too soon to say what exact path the storm will take. But some computer models show it headed toward Cuba and then Florida. Others have it making a sharp northern turn in the next couple days near Puerto Rico and then into the open Atlantic.

The National Hurricane Center says Isaac has maximum sustained winds near 40 (64 kph) but is expected to strengthen.

The storm is about 500 miles (804 kilometers) east of Guadeloupe and is moving west near 17 mph (28 kph).

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Caribbean islands under storm warnings

How Caribbean islands arc was formed

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The movement of Earth's viscous mantle against South America has pushed the Caribbean islands east over the last 50 million years, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience.

The University of Southern California, in announcing the study, said the findings upend previous hypotheses of the seismic activity beneath the Caribbean Sea and provide an important new look at the unique tectonic interactions that are causing the Caribbean plate to tear away from South America.

The Caribbean plate is being pushed eastward due to a thick section of the South American plate called a "cratonic keel." This section of crust is three times thicker than its surroundings.

Meanwhile, part of the South American plate is being pushed beneath the Caribbean plate, a process called subduction. Intense heat and pressure gradually force water-containing magma to rise into the Earth's mantle and fuel the many active volcanoes in the region.

All of this pushing and pulling formed the distinctive arc shape of the Caribbean islands and has created a very complex system of faults between the two plates, in northern South America, according to the USC statement. The study mapped several of these strike-slip faults, which are similar to California's San Andreas Fault.

Science news from NBCNews.com

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: For the past nine years, the Robot Hall of Fame has relied solely on expert judges to dole out its honors but this time, the people will get their say.

Recent earthquakes in the area helped the two researchers develop an image of the Earth's deep interior. The earthquake waves move slower or quicker depending on the temperature and composition of the rock.

"Studying the deep Earth interior provides insights into how the Earth has evolved into its present form," researcher Meghan S. Miller said in the statement.

For their study, the researchers used earthquake data to develop 176 computer models, USC said.

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How Caribbean islands arc was formed

Medical Providers Excited About Crosstown Potential

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VOL. 127 | NO. 164 | Wednesday, August 22, 2012

The health care partners whove committed to having a physical presence in the soon-to-be-redeveloped Sears Crosstown Tower say theyre excited about the opportunities to join forces in promoting health and wellness in the Memphis community.

Of the nine founding partners that have committed to having a physical presence in the redeveloped building, five are health care-centered organizations: The Church Health Center, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, The West Clinic, St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital and St. Judes fundraising arm, ALSAC.

The health care partners will occupy about 60 percent of the 1.5 million-square-foot historic Sears Crosstown Tower, at the nexus of Midtown and the Memphis Medical District at 495 N. Watkins St.

Having been vacant for more than 20 years, the building will be preserved and redeveloped for mixed use.

Its a vertical urban village thats grounded in art, education, health and wellness, said Todd Richardson, an assistant professor at the University of Memphis, whos leading the Sears Crosstown redevelopment project. Its really the combination for these four things that creates the real exciting possibilities that we can have. That synergy of arts, education and health care is something thats completely new, not only to us, but we think nationally.

Richardson said that in addition to housing health care facilities, the building will feature space for medical residents and fellows, which can help attract young health care industry talent to Memphis.

We think that putting all these bright minds and the resident and fellows from St. Jude to the University of Tennessee and from Rhodes in one location, what an incredible cauldron of ideas and relationships that will develop, said Dr. Kurt Tauer, chief of staff at The West Clinic.

Tauer said a move into the Sears Crosstown building would double or possibly triple The West Clinics current Memphis Medical District location at 1588 Union Ave., which he said needs to be upgraded and larger.

Tauer said The West Clinic staff isnt just excited about the concept of sharing space; they look forward to sharing culture with organizations such as the Church Health Center, whose focus on community and mind-body-spirit wellness offers numerous benefits for The West Clinics patients.

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Medical Providers Excited About Crosstown Potential

Health Care Advocate Hopeful of Medicaid Expansion

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A leading advocate of health care expansion says he's optimistic Iowa will expand Medicaid coverage to thousands of uninsured residents under a federal health care law despite opposition by Republican legislators and the governor.

Des Moines Democratic Sen. Jack Hatch tells The Associated Press that after the general election, he'll lay out a plan to Republicans that will be hard to oppose.

Under the federal plan, it would cost state taxpayers $237 million over eight years to insure 182,000 additional people through Medicaid.

The federal government would pick up all costs for three years, with that share dropping to 90 percent by the eighth year.

Branstad and other Republican governors say they won't participate in the program.

Tim Albrecht, the governor's spokesman, says the effort is expensive, unsustainable and inflexible.

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Health Care Advocate Hopeful of Medicaid Expansion

Universal health care good for the economy

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As a pharmacist here in Aroostook, I frequently see heartbreaking examples of people who cant afford to pay for necessary health care. A farmer, worried about his raspy voice, did not seek health care because he had no health insurance. Finally, his wife went to work for Burrelles in order to get insurance. By the time he was diagnosed with throat cancer and started to get treatment, it was too late, and he died within four to six months. Another man without insurance, diagnosed with cancer, decided not to get treatment rather than risk leaving his family with the burden of debt. He, too, died within six months. A young woman disabled by schizophrenia was kicked off Medicaid under new restrictions imposed by the state of Maine. Her mother does not know how the family will pay for her medication, which can cost into the thousands of dollars a month for people with serious mental illnesses. Another fellow with a small-engines repair business works every day, but cant afford the high costs of individual insurance and was dropped from Medicaid as a childless adult. He has serious health problems including diabetes and carotid arteries, and he has to go to Canada to buy medications he can afford.

With such widespread need for affordable health care for everyone, I dont see how Maine can afford to cut Medicaid instead of expanding it as provided for in the Affordable Health Care act. Such an expansion would alleviate some of these problems. Instead of reforming the system to better provide health care that is more affordable, better quality and more efficient, Maine under this administration is taking whole groups of people off DHHS programs who have no other way to pay for health care. The patient with schizophrenia is young. With proper care now, many of these patients will recover enough to go to work and become taxpayers. Without treatment, they are far more likely to remain permanently disabled.

Its the saddest thing to me that Maine is attacking health care to balance the budget and giving tax breaks to the richest 1 percent. At the same time, we are failing to improve our economy. For every dollar spent on Medicaid, the state gets two to three dollars back from the federal government. This money is spent right here in the state and creates jobs in the health care industry, long-term jobs with good benefits, clean jobs that dont pollute the environment. Maine has the oldest population in the nation on average and is very close to having the largest number of retirees with only Florida having more by a small percent. Considering that, you cant find a better job creator than the health care industry.

Ultimately, we need a universal, single-payer system to better compete globally. The Aroostook logging industry suffers in competition with Canada. Their workers can work for cheaper wages and still come out ahead because they have a universal single-payer system. Sixty percent of bankruptcies nationwide are caused by health care problems. Over 50 percent of personal bankruptcies are caused by health care costs. We need a single-payer system to compete globally.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, The United States has the highest per capita health expenditures of any country in the OECD [Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development]. The U.S. spends 15.7 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on health care compared to 8.4 percent for the United Kingdom, 8.1 percent for Japan, 10.4 percent for Germany, and 10.1 percent for Canada. Yet all the other countries mentioned have a higher life expectancy at birth and lower infant mortality rate than the U.S. ( http://suite101.com/article/universal-health-care-how-other-nations-compare-to-us-a289836).

All evidence I know of supports that universal health care makes people happier, healthier, less stressed and less prone to violence. If elected to the Maine House of Representatives, I will work for better health care for all because it is the right humanitarian thing to do and because it is the right thing to do for our economy.

Darrell Adams is a 2012 Democratic candidate for District 6 of the Maine State House of Representatives including Blaine, Bridgewater, Easton, Fort Fairfield, Mars Hill and Westfield.

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Universal health care good for the economy