UPDATE 1- Liberty pushes deeper into Netherlands with Ziggo stake

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* Buys 12.65 pct stake in Ziggo for 632.5 mln euros

* Liberty already present in Netherlands through UPC

* Ziggo shares rise on speculation of full takeover bid

* Liberty already tied up with $15.75 bln Virgin Media (NasdaqGS: VMED - news) deal (Adds shares, analyst comment, background)

AMSTERDAM, March 28 (Reuters) - Cable operator Liberty Global extended its reach into the Netherlands by buying a 12.65 percent stake in Ziggo for 632.5 million euros ($808 million), prompting speculation it might eventually make a full bid.

Liberty Global (NasdaqGS: LBTYA - news) , which owns Dutch cable firm UPC, said on Thursday it bought the shares in the Netherlands' largest cable operator for 25 euros apiece from Barclays Capital Securities.

Barclays (LSE: BARC.L - news) ended up with a 14.2 percent stake in Ziggo after failing to find enough buyers for the shares in a sale it ran last week.

Ziggo shares shot up 9.3 percent to 26.565 euros in early trading, valuing the whole company at about 5.3 billion euros.

Analysts said the rise was based on the idea Liberty could make a full bid, although they added it probably couldn't in the short term because it was already planning to buy Britain's Virgin Media Inc for about $15.75 billion.

"Ziggo shares should benefit from hopes of an eventual takeover by Liberty, but we think the shares are also seeing a short-squeeze following overhang from the recent placing," said UBS Investment Research in a research note.

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UPDATE 1- Liberty pushes deeper into Netherlands with Ziggo stake

Liberty First Bank Upgrades IT Infrastructure, Implements Virtualized Environment with Safe Systems

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ALPHARETTA, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Safe Systems, recently ranked among MSPmentors top 100 managed service providers in the world, and national provider of compliance-centric IT support and hosted services exclusively to financial institutions, today announced Monroe, Ga.-based Liberty First Bank has successfully implemented a virtual IT environment supported by Safe Systems network management solution, NetComply.

Liberty First was founded in 2006 on the principles of providing the highest levels of service and most competitive product offerings to the community of Walton County, Georgia. In the last six years, the bank has evolved beyond its original technology investment and needed a solution that would be flexible enough to grow the bank as its customer base expands. Liberty First made the decision, with support from their longstanding technology vendor, Safe Systems, to transition from aging hardware, renewal fees and maintenance costs to a scalable, virtual IT network, replacing all servers in the institution. Safe Systems designed, managed and implemented the virtualization project from beginning to end.

We didnt want to baby our IT, said Vicki Hubbard, AVP of operations. Liberty First had grown into and out of our original hardware and needed a solution that would allow us to be flexible and well-positioned for future growth. Safe Systems provides us with a secure, flexible, and compliant infrastructure that runs effortlessly behind the scenes with 99.9 percent uptime. We have a team of experts available for support, where previously there was no internal staff wholly dedicated to IT.

The virtual IT network consolidates multiple operating system environments onto a single server. This simplifies back office operations, increases response time to changing business demands and improves business continuity planning by providing high availability for mission critical servers. Combining this back office technology with the FFIEC compliant IT management toolset, NetComply, allows the bank to completely outsource day-to-day IT functions and management to a hosted environment with Safe Systems and its SOC 2 Type II audited facilities.

We are proud to partner with an institution such as Liberty First, said Danny Johnston, CEO for Safe Systems. Financial institutions like Liberty First can benefit tremendously from the efficiencies gained by running an automated, virtual environment. It is our goal to provide sophisticated solutions that enable financial institutions to run a seamless, secure, and compliant back office, while still positioning competitively.

About Safe Systems

Founded in 1993, Safe Systems is a national leader in providing compliance-centric IT solutions exclusively to financial institutions, working with more than 600 financial institutions and managing more than 25,000 network devices nationwide. Safe Systems' scalable and cost effective solutions include IT support and managed services, compliance solutions, business continuity and disaster recovery, hosted email, data vaulting, network design and installation, security services, and IT and compliance training. Safe Systems helps financial institutions significantly decrease costs, increase performance, and improve compliance posture. For additional information about Safe Systems, Inc., please visit http://www.safesystems.com, Twitter: @SafeSystems, or call 877.752.0550.

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Liberty Mutual Insurance Announces Search For 2013’s "Top 10 Responsible Sports Moments"

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BOSTON, March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Liberty Mutual Insurance today announced the annual search for the most responsible youth sports moments of the year, in partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA). Now in its third year, the "Top 10 Responsible Sports Moments" of 2013 seeks to identify and applaud acts of sportsmanship, selflessness, integrity, fairness, and honesty from youth sports fields, rinks, courts, mats and pools around the country. This year, with the help of U.S. Olympic skiing legend and youth sports parent Picabo Street, Liberty Mutual Insurance will name the "Top 10 Responsible Sports Moments" at the close of 2013.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120918/MM74874LOGO-b )

Aligning with the brand's ongoing commitment to responsibility, Liberty Mutual Insurance recently announced its partnership with the United States Olympic Committee and Team USA as the Official Property and Casualty and Life Insurance Partner of the 2014 and 2016 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams that will compete in Sochi, Russia, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Street, best known for her gold medal performance in the super-G at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and silver medal downhill performance in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway, joins Liberty Mutual's commitment to youth sports as a mother and avid supporter of sportsmanship at all levels.

"As an athlete and now a mother of four young sons, I know first-hand the influence youth sports have in enriching a child with the values of sportsmanship and responsibility," said Street. "To see U.S. Olympic Team partners like Liberty Mutual Insurance celebrate responsibility on the youth sports level is something I am proud to be a part of, and I urge fans across the country to share their examples of selflessness with us as nominees for 2013's 'Top 10 Responsible Sports Moments.'"

Now through November 30, coaches and parents can submit a moment that celebrates the inherent goodness in youth sports at ResponsibleSports.com or by tweeting a nomination using #RSMoments. In addition, throughout 2013, Liberty Mutual Insurance and PCA will scour local headlines across the country and identify additional moments that exemplify sportsmanship within local communities. Each month, three nominees will be highlighted on the Responsible Sports site where fans can tweet their vote for the most responsible "Moment of the Month."

The March 2013 "Moment of the Month" nominees exemplify the spirit of sportsmanship, selflessness and responsibility on the basketball court, at the ice rink and even on the gymnastics floor, with a touching display from El Paso, Texas, voted the "Moment of the Month":

The Top 10 winners will be chosen from among the monthly finalists by a panel of sports experts, including PCA Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jim Thompson; executive directors from leading youth sports organizations and Responsible Sports partner organizations, ASA Softball, AYSO Soccer, US Youth Soccer, USA Hockey, USA Softball, USA Volleyball, USA Water Polo and USA Wrestling; as well as former and current U.S. Olympic greats, including Street. Winning moments will be announced at the close of 2013 and be honored by Liberty Mutual Insurance with a charitable donation of $1,000 to the ten organizations that are responsible for each Responsible Sports moment. The Top "Moment of the Year" winner, as voted on by fans on Twitter, will also earn an extra $1,000 honorarium for their organization.

"Youth sports are a vibrant part of our communities, yet we often fail to recognize the acts of responsibility and sportsmanship by our children and coaches that happen every day," said James MacPhee, senior vice president and Chief Marketing Officer, Liberty Mutual Personal Insurance. "Responsible acts should be celebrated across the country at home, in our communities and on the youth sports fields and we invite parents and coaches to join us in doing just that with our Responsible Sports program."

The "Top 10 Responsible Sports Moments" is part of the larger Liberty Mutual Insurance Responsible Sports program powered by Positive Coaching Alliance, which supports volunteer youth sports coaches and parents who help children succeed both on and off the field. Liberty Mutual Insurance recently re-launched the Responsible Sports website with a new look to the vast tools, resources, tips and advice that adults and youth coaches can use to help kids experience the best that youth sports have to offer. For more information, visit ResponsibleSports.com or join the conversation @RespSports.

About Responsible Sports At Liberty Mutual Insurance, we constantly look for ways to celebrate the countless acts of responsibility shown by people every day who take personal ownership in ensuring positive outcomes in life. In 2007, we created Responsible Sports as a part of this belief, to help ensure that our kids experience the best that sports have to offer in environments that promote and display responsibility. We believe kids can learn valuable life lessons when Responsible Coaches and Responsible Sports Parents come together to support winning both on and off the field.

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Liberty Mutual Insurance Announces Search For 2013's "Top 10 Responsible Sports Moments"

Liberty Mines Reports Financial Results For Fiscal 2012

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TSX: LBE

TORONTO , March 27, 2013 /CNW/ - Liberty Mines Inc. (LBE; TSX) ("Liberty" or the "Company") today reported its financial results for the 12-month period ended December 31, 2012 . All amounts are in Canadian currency.

"Bolstered by a new management team and strong support from our Timmins operation, we achieved each of our key milestones in the first half of 2012. Most notably, we restarted production in Q1, stabilized and increased production in Q2, and then we were faced with rapidly declining nickel prices in Q3. As a result, we had to make the difficult decision to move to a care and maintenance mode in mid-August until Nickel prices increase and stabilize", said Mr. Chris Stewart , President and CEO of Liberty Mines. "Throughout all of 2012 Liberty delivered outstanding Safety and Environmental results. We continue to have belief in the long term success of Liberty Mines and will be aggressive with our business plans going forward."

2012 Operational Highlights

Operational Highlights Subsequent to Year-end

On January 23 , Liberty Mines announced that it had identified the presence of chrysotile in its ore body at its McWatters Mine. As chrysotile, a form of asbestos, is a designated substance under Ontario Health and Safety Regulation, the Company is investigating these matters further and is taking all required measures.

The Company expects to conduct additional testing and further independent analysis to determine the impact on the economic feasibility of restarting mine operations at the McWatters Mine having regard to this information.

Review of 2012 Financial Performance

Revenue for 2012 was $8.99 million , up from $2.1 million for 2011. The increase was directly related to the increase in mining and milling operations initiated in March 2012 .

In 2012, Liberty shipped 1,143,053 pounds of payable nickel concentrate to X-Strata in Sudbury at an average price of $8.02 per pound. In comparison during 2011, Liberty shipped 276,692 pounds of payable nickel concentrate at an average price of $10.36 .

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Liberty Mines Reports Financial Results For Fiscal 2012

Highlands and Islands gets £146m fibre broadband investment

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Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has signed a landmark deal with BT to bring fibre broadband to remote areas of northern Scotland.

This has been described as the UKs most complex and challenging broadband project ever, due to the geography and disparate population of the Highlands and Islands. Estimates have indicated that, without public sector support, fewer than one in four properties would have fibre broadband via commercial rollout.

However, it is believed that the 146 million investment a combination of public and private sector money will bring fibre broadband to 84 percent of Highlands and Islands homes and businesses by the end of 2016.

Digital connectivity is essential to todays social and business activity. High-speed fibre broadband in the Highlands and Islands will make a real contribution to our communities prosperity, particularly for people in remote and rural areas, said Alex Paterson, Chief Executive of HIE.

It offers opportunities for new ways of working, innovation, enhanced public services, access to international markets and provides the infrastructure needed by business sectors like energy, life sciences, tourism and business services.

As part of the project, BT will build a fibre backbone with more than 800km of new fibre on land and install hundreds more kilometres of fibre access cable to hundreds of new street cabinets. Engineers will also lay around 400km of subsea cables over 19 crossings to remote islands.

The public sector investment towards the contract is 126.4 million, which will be delivered through the Scottish Government broadband fund and incorporate funding from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK).

A further 12 million come from from HIEs own budget, and BT is investing an additional 19.4 million in the project, taking the total project value to around 146 million.

There are incredible obstacles to overcome, not least building a fibre network across some of the most rugged terrain in the UK. And we have huge distances to cover as we lay our cables over the hills and glens and under the sea, said Bill Murphy, BT Groups Managing Director of Next Generation Broadband.

The unprecedented scale of this project is such that it can only be done in partnership and all of us in BT are looking forward to continuing the great working relationship that weve built up over many years with Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

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Islands group ventures into hotels

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Islands Group, which pioneered the famous Philippine island T-shirts under the brand "Islands Souvenirs," has expanded its tourism ventures into value hotels called "Islands Stay" with plans to build 100 hotels.

Jay Aldeguer, company chairman and president, told Business Bulletin they intend to build up to 100 "Islands Stay" hotels in the country.

Two "Islands Stay" have already been established in Cebu, one in Ayala Center with 32 rooms and Mactan with 56 rooms with combined investments of P45 million.

Another hotel under a franchise scheme is being put up in Puerto Princesa.

In eight years, Aldeguer expects to have 8 hotels in Cebu alone depending on the availability of location with estimated investments of P80 million.

They have three franchise prospects in Manila to be located in Alabang, Makati and Quezon City. They may go up to 100 hotels overtime to include operations in Bohol and Sabang, Palawan depending on market adaptability.

Aldeguer explained that "Islands Stay" is a value hotel that caters to the needs of tourists for quality amenities and topnotch service, safety and convenience.

"Islands Stay is not a budget or an expensive boutique hotel, but is a value hotel shaped by its brand of service," Aldeguer said.

"When we opened the hotel in Mactan, it was 100 percent occupied with more walk-in clients," said Aldeguer noting their clients are equally split between leisure and business travelers.

Aldeguer has decided to invest in value hotel concept because this is what tourists are looking for. Tourists do not normally stay in their hotel room as they prefer to explore outside, but they still want quality amenities and quality service.

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Government of Canada Names Thousand Islands National Park

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MALLORYTOWN, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Mar 28, 2013) - Today, on behalf of the Honourable Peter Kent, Canada's Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Mr. Gord Brown, Member of Parliament for Leeds-Grenville, officially unveiled Thousand Islands National Park of Canada. With Royal Assent of the Private Members Bill-C370 yesterday at 4 p.m., the name of St. Lawrence Islands National Park was officially changed to Thousand Islands National Park of Canada.

"The name Thousand Islands National Park will help this national park renew its place in the consciousness of Canadians and inspire future generations to continue support for this long established protected treasure," said MP Brown. "The Thousand Islands is known throughout the world as a tourism destination, and Parks Canada can now take advantage of this strong brand and align their public offering with those of other regional tourism providers."

The initiative to rename the park was led by MP Gord Brown. After consulting with local municipalities, business organizations and the Park, he introduced the name change as a bill in parliament. The new name better associates the park with its setting and helps promote and support natural and cultural tourism and related businesses within the Thousand Islands region.

"This name change presents an opportunity to renew Canadians' passion and support for our country's treasured natural spaces," said Minister Kent. "Placing Thousand Islands National Park on the map is a small but significant step that will help enhance public awareness of this incredible park."

Thousand Islands is an internationally recognized brand and with this name change, Parks Canada will contribute its known quality of service, and its ability to work with private companies to offer incredible experiences for Canadians and international visitors.

Parks Canada works to ensure Canada's historic and natural heritage is protected and, through a network of 44 national parks, 167 national historic sites, and four national marine conservation areas, invites Canadians and people around the world to engage in personal moments of inspiring discovery at our country's treasured natural and historic places.

For additional information, please see the accompanying backgrounder at http://www.parkscanada.gc.ca under Media Room.

BACKGROUNDER

Thousand Islands National Park

Established in 1904 St. Lawrence Islands National Park was created greatly due to the efforts of community residents to have a national park in the area. It is unclear why the name St. Lawrence Islands National Park was selected as the original park name, although historical records refer to the area as "islands situated in the River St. Lawrence" and "islands in the St. Lawrence which comprise the Thousand Islands Group."

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Health Care Industry Expert Nathan Goldstein Joins CenseoHealth as Chief Strategy Officer

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DALLAS, March 27, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CenseoHealth, a pioneer in physician home consultations, today announced that Nathan Goldstein has joined the Company in the newly-created position of Chief Strategy Officer. In this capacity, Goldstein, a nationally recognized leader in publicly-financed health care, will spearhead efforts to identify and execute new opportunities for the Company to leverage its in-home diagnostic and care expertise and drive improved care for its clients and members.

"The health care landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and we are very pleased Nathan has joined the Company as CenseoHealth executes on opportunities for vastly improved member outcomes based on attentive, specialized, in-home consultations," said Dr. Jack McCallum, CEO of CenseoHealth. "We are confident Nathan will play a key role as we continue to help plans, their members and health care providers make important decisions to improve the health of their members in the home setting. We believe the organizational enhancements we are putting into place will not only enhance this unique service, but will ultimately make our services, specifically CareConsult(TM), further accessible to more plan members."

"CenseoHealth is at the forefront of a national effort to provide higher quality care at a sustainable price," said Goldstein. "The health reform era is marked by rapid change and extraordinary opportunities for changing the way care is delivered and financed to ensure the beneficiary is at the center and payment is tied to quality. I have known the members of the CenseoHealth team for a number of years and I am proud to join a team that has already made such progress in positively impacting the lives of so many."

Most recently, Nathan Goldstein served as CEO of Gorman Health Group, where he brought the industry's leading Medicare consulting firm into the health reform era by developing new practices and software products as the company doubled its client base. In addition to practices dedicated to Medicare "Star Ratings" and risk adjustment, teams led by Goldstein developed software to use in service of revenue management, compliance and business strategy and forecasting. Previously, he was also a part of the founding management team of the first full-service risk adjustment management company serving the managed care industry. Before becoming CEO of Gorman Health Group, Goldstein served as Executive Vice President, where he was responsible for the development of new software and consulting capabilities for the Government-sponsored health care industry. Goldstein is a nationally known speaker and presents at numerous industry events each year on topics including health care finance and reform, reimagining the health care service model and innovations in clinical practice.

About CenseoHealth

CenseoHealth's mission is to facilitate meaningful connections between health plans and their members by providing tailored solutions resulting in high-quality, cost-effective health care. The Company's suite of services is anchored by CareConsult(TM), an in-home health consultation conducted by one of the Company's 10,000 licensed physicians that results in improved member engagement, more accurate diagnoses, and more informed primary care providers. CareConnect(TM) and CareCurrent(TM) expand CenseoHealth's breadth of support and subsequently assist health plans in their effort to close gaps in care and mitigate audit risk. For more information please visit http://www.censeohealth.com.

Contact Nicole Terranella Director of Marketing, CenseoHealth 972-715-3817 nterranella@censeohealth.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/censeohealth/r/health-care-industry-expert-nathan-goldstein-joins-censeohealth-as-chief-strategy-officer,c9392753

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Health care law changes will be drastic for many

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JEFFERSON Its the only service in America where we dont directly pay for it.

Thats the curious nature of health care in America, especially for those who have some type of insurance that picks up the tab, said Joe Giangola, an Ashtabula insurance professional who participated in a discussion on the subject Tuesday evening. Giangola said that while Americans historically have been isolated from the real cost of care, that is about to change as more than 40 million uninsured Americans must find insurance or face a penalty.

We will add a disproportionate number of people to the pool who are going to file more claims, Giangola said. The people who are paying (rates) are going to see a disproportionate increase (in their rates).

Giangola wouldnt predict where rates will go, although some are predicting increases of 100 percent or more when the health-care insurance requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) kick in Jan. 1, 2014.

The forum, sponsored by the Ashtabula County League of Women Voters, was held at Jefferson Health Care and focused specifically on how ACA will impact businesses, providers and patients. At the end of the nearly two-hour discussion, two things were evident: Health care wont become more affordable for most Americans and there are likely to be negative repercussions lawmakers didnt foresee.

For example, small business owner Bonnie Warren predicts she will have to cut staff if forced to provide insurance for her 135 employees. Warren, the sole owner of the home-care business Comfort Keepers, operates in four counties and has a monthly payroll of $200,000. She said that if ACA forces her to provide health care insurance to her full-time employees, she will have to raise the rates she charges customers.

The minute we raise our rates, we will lose clients, said Warren, who characterized ACA as poorly designed. In addition to laying off workers, Warren predicted ACA will change the culture of her business. Since starting the business 10 years ago, shes given workers the freedom to select their assignments. But in order to satisfy the governments full-time or part-time designations under the ACA rules, she will have to assign workers to cases they otherwise might not have chosen.

The nice flow weve enjoyed for 10 years is not going to be there anymore, she said.

Robert David, president of UH Geneva and Conneaut, has no doubt about the need for health care reform in the United States. He said that ACA will challenge hospitals and other providers to do more with less and achieve the same outcome, or better, that is realized under the current wasteful system.

That waste, due largely to inefficiencies, is estimated at 30 percent of the total spending on health care, which in 2010 was $2.6 trillion, or more than $8,400 per citizen. David said that at that rate, health care will bankrupt the nation in a few years and workers who have paid into the Medicare Trust Fund will not be able to collect.

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2013 Health Care Quality Report Cards are a Vital Tool for Consumers Making Health Care Choices

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SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --The Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA) released the 2013 Report Cards today on a redesigned, consumer-friendly Website, http://www.opa.ca.gov, and, for the first time, as a mobile app for iPhone and iPad. The Website and app make it easy for consumers to review quality ratings on more than 40 clinical care measures for the state's 10 largest commercial Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO), six largest commercial Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO), and 209 medical groups.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130327/SF84086LOGO)

The Report Cards are an easy-to-use tool for Californians making decisions about health care coverage or medical groups. This year's Report Cards show that health plans and medical groups are improving in the number of children getting immunized, checked for excess body fat, and treated appropriately for throat infections. The Report Cards also reveal that the quality of care for adults with chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease while improving on some measures, varies widely in California and often depends on where someone lives or which HMO, PPO, or medical group provides their care.

"Under the Affordable Care Act, millions of Californians will soon be shopping for health coverage through the state's health benefit exchange, Covered California," said Diana S. Dooley, Secretary, California Health and Human Services Agency. "The Report Cards are a great resource for moms, dads, family caregivers, and people who strive to get healthier and make informed choices about their health care."

The California Department of Insurance regulates health plans underwritten by insurance companies, including PPOs, and makes the PPO Report Card available at its site (www.insurance.ca.gov) also. "The Report Cards provide consumers with essential information to make informed choices," said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. "The Department of Insurance has a long track record of providing consumer protection, fielding nearly 200,000 calls annually. The Report Cards are one more important element in that protection."

HMOs and medical groups dramatically improved (14 percent) the number of adolescents receiving immunizations (measles, tetanus, hepatitis B, meningitis). Medical groups increased childhood immunization rates by 4 percent. PPOs are not rated for this measure.

Individuals and families can use the Report Cards to see:

Developed by the Department of Health Care Services, the new app is now available for download from the OPA Website, http://www.opa.ca.gov, as well as iTunes.

For more detailed information about the 2013 Edition of the Health Care Quality Report Cards, visit http://www.opa.ca.gov, or call (866) 466-8900.

The California Office of the Patient Advocate represents the interests of health plan enrollees by educating them on their rights and responsibilities and publicly reporting on health care quality. The OPA website lists health care quality report cards that cover health plans and insurers, medical groups, Medi-Cal, the Healthy Families Program, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. It also includes resources (opa.ca.gov/about/consumer_information) to help consumers get the most out of their health care.

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PROMISES, PROMISES: Testing Obama’s health care

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The issue:

Health care was the defining political battle of President Barack Obama's first term, and - after the economy- it remains his most complicated policy challenge at home, central to his place in history.

Fixing the system is a tall order as "Obamacare's" major coverage expansion takes effect this year and next. The U.S. is projected to spend $2.9 trillion on health care in 2013, approaching one of every five dollars in the economy, much more than any other advanced country. But Americans are not appreciably healthier and more than 48 million are uninsured. The nation's mix of private insurance and government programs supports many of the world's best hospitals, but overall the quality of care is uneven and much is wasted by lack of coordination and overtreatment, putting patients at risk. Fraud bleeds the system of tens of billions of dollars a year.

----

The campaign promise:

Obama said he would cover most of the uninsured, preserve Medicare and Medicaid benefits, deny insurance companies the ability to turn away the sick, improve quality, get tougher and smarter against fraud and bring medical records into the Internet age - all while keeping cost increases manageable for government and employers, and premiums affordable for families and individuals. And he promised that for those without coverage, "starting in 2014 this law will offer you an array of quality, affordable, private health insurance plans to choose from" (June 28, 2012).

---

The prospects:

Against the odds, an unlikely combination of circumstances has put Obama within reach of his goals, despite enduring opposition from Republicans. But his administration may yet stumble. The rollout of his health care law, and whether the president can prevent major Medicare and Medicaid cuts in the budget battle, could help or hurt Democrats running in the 2014 congressional elections.

The Supreme Court handed Obama a big victory by upholding the Affordable Care Act, with its unpopular individual requirement to carry insurance. Another big break has come from an unusual and perhaps fleeting lull in health care inflation. That's taken away some of the pressure for sweeping changes in Medicare, such as privatization. It's also providing economic breathing room to cover the uninsured.

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PROMISES, PROMISES: Testing Obama's health care

Gene therapy may help restore heart function after attack

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Washington, Mar. 27 (ANI): Researchers have shown that it is possible to use gene therapy to treat patients whose hearts have been weakened by cardiac arrests and other heart conditions.

The research group was led by University of Washington (UW) Professor and Vice Chair of Bioengineering Michael Regnier and Dr. Chuck Murry, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Biology and co-director of the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine at UW.

Normally, muscle contraction is powered by a molecule, the nucleotide called Adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP).

In a previous study of isolated muscle, Regnier, Murry and colleagues had found that one naturally occurring molecule, called 2 deoxy-ATP (dATP), was actually more effective than ATP in boosting muscle contraction, increasing both the speed and force of the contraction, at least over the short-term.

In the new study, the researchers wanted to see if this effect could be sustained. For this, they used genetic engineering to create a strain of mice whose cells produced higher-than-normal levels of an enzyme called Ribonucleotide Reductase that converts the precursor of ATP, adenosine-5'-diphosphate or ADP, to dADP, which, in turn, is rapidly converted to dATP.

The researchers found that increased production of the enzyme Ribonucleotide Reductase increased the concentration of dATP within heart cells approximately tenfold, and even though this level was still less than one to two percent of the cell's total pool of ATP, the increase led to a sustained improvement in heart muscle function, with the genetically engineered hearts contracting more quickly and with greater force.

"The same pathway that heart cells use to make the building blocks for DNA during embryonic growth makes dATP to supercharge contraction when the adult heart is mechanically stressed," Murry said.

Importantly, the elevated dATP effect was achieved without imposing additional metabolic demands on the cells, suggesting the modification would not harm the cell's functioning over the long-term.

The findings suggest that treatments that elevate dATP levels in heart cells may prove to be an effective treatment for heart failure.

The study has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). (ANI)

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Gene therapy may help restore heart function after attack

Global Futurist Jack Uldrich to Deliver Keynote Address on Big Data

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Acclaimed global futurist Jack Uldrich has been selected to deliver a keynote address on Big Data. In addition to explaining what big data is and how a variety of trends are fueling its growth, Uldrich will explore how the field is forcing organizations to reconsider virtually every aspect of their business.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) March 28, 2013

In addition to covering some aspects of his popular new book, "Foresight 2020: A Futurist Explores the Trends Transforming Tomorrow," and explaining how future trends in information and mobile communications, sensors, RFID technology, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, cognitive computing and cloud computing are fueling the growth big data, Uldrich will draw on his work in the field of change management (hes the author of the 2011 best-seller "Higher Unlearning: 39 Post Requisite Lessons for Achieving a Successful Future") to explain how business leaders must also let goand unlearnmany of their assumptions about their industry, business models and customers in order to grasp big datas full potential.

Throughout his session, Uldrich will use vivid analogies and memorable stories drawn from a wide spectrum of industries to ensure the underlying message of his talk "sticks" with his audience. (In this sense, Uldrichs style differs from Viktor Mayer-Schonberger and Kenneth Cukierauthors of Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work and Thinkwho take a more academic approach to the topic of big data.) A sample of some Uldrichs ideas can be found in this chapter, Engines of Change: The Future of Simulated Intelligence, from his latest book Foresight 2020: A Futurist Explores the Trends Transforming Tomorrow.

In the past year, Uldrich has addressed dozens of corporations and associations, including delivering customized keynote presentations to McGladrey, Optus, Verizon, Cisco, IBM, PepsiCo, United Healthcare, Case IH, Guardian Life Insurance, WiPro, Methodist Hospital and General Electric.

Parties interested in learning more about Jack Uldrich, his books, his daily blog or his speaking availability are encouraged to visit his website at: http://www.jumpthecurve.net. Media wishing to know more about the event or interviewing Jack Uldrich can contact him directly at 612-267-1212 or jack(at)schoolofunlearning(dot)com.

Uldrich is a renowned global futurist, best-selling author, and editor of the monthly newsletter, The Exponential Executive. He is currently represented by a number of professional speakers' bureaus, including Leading Authorities, Convention Connection and Executive Speakers Bureau.

Jack Uldrich Jump the Curve 612-267-1212 Email Information

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Global Futurist Jack Uldrich to Deliver Keynote Address on Big Data