VMI beats Liberty 83-66, ends 6-game skid

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LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) -- Stan Okoye scored 32 points with 11 rebounds as Virginia Military Institute pulled away from Liberty 83-66 Tuesday night to snap a six-game losing streak.

The Keydets (12-16, 7-8 Big South Conference), who also defeated the Flames 82-69 on Jan. 9, accomplished the first regular-season sweep by either team since the Flames won twice in 2006-07.

The win also gave VMI coach Duggar Baucom his 116th victory, tying him with Bart Bellairs (1995-2005) for the most in school history.

Okoye was 11-of-18 shooting, hitting 6 of 9 3-pointers as the Keydets went 13 of 34 from long range.

Rodney Glasgow contributed 18 points and Brian Brown 10 for VMI, which closed the first half on a 16-9 run to lead 45-36. Liberty (10-20, 5-10) could get no closer than seven after the break.

John Caleb Sanders scored 20 points, surpassing 900 for his Flames career, and Tavares Speaks added 19.

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VMI beats Liberty 83-66, ends 6-game skid

Liberty softball players trade bats for bingo cards in annual fundraiser

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Liberty High School softball players are usually busy getting their hands dirty on the field, but on Saturday, March 8, they will be busy dishing up plates of spaghetti for the team's annual fundraiser and auction.

Doors will open at 5 p.m. for hungry attendees to feast on pasta, dressed in sauce donated by The Old Spaghetti Factory, and other fixings prepared by team parents and volunteers.

Guests can buy packets of bingo cards for $10, with the games beginning at 6 p.m. No need to bring your own daubers. The team will provide everything and prizes will be given to the lucky bingo winners.

The event will also have a silent auction, with items including a two-night stay in Seaside, restaurant gift cards and Liberty High School paraphernalia.

All of the money from the auction is used for field maintenance, gear, uniforms and travel expenses for away games. Last year, the auction raised around $4,500.

This is the team's biggest fundraising event of the year. After making it to the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs last year, the girls are looking forward to starting off strong this season with community support from their annual dinner and auction.

The event will be held Friday, March 8, at the Liberty High School gym on 21945 N.W. Wagon Way in Hillsboro. Doors open at 5 p.m.

--Taylor Smith

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Liberty softball players trade bats for bingo cards in annual fundraiser

Liberty University Students Serve the Community on First Love on Lynchburg Day

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More than 100 Liberty University students participated in 17 community service projects throughout the city of Lynchburg, Va., during Liberty's first Love On Lynchburg Day on Saturday, Feb. 23.

Lynchburg, Va. (PRWEB) February 26, 2013

More than 100 students participated in 16 community service projects throughout the city, which ranged from cleaning homes of disabled residents to building wheelchair ramps, serving food to the hungry, constructing a youth media center in a low-income neighborhood; playing games, baking cookies, and entertaining residents at nursing homes; and beautifying city spaces.

CCI, launched in September 2012, focuses on meeting the short-term, immediate needs of the community. Every weekend, CCI sends out five to eight care teams of up to 10 students each, all led by students. Liberty fields requests from people seeking help for themselves or for their family and friends and also partners with charitable organizations to help meet their needs. More than 70 projects have been completed, totaling 2,255 hours of service.

Harold Burgess, a resident at Guggenheimer Health and Rehabilitation Center, was delighted to play games with students, bake and decorate cookies, and hear students sing during LOL Day.

Everybody was having a good time laughing and carrying on we had a lot of fun, he said. I like humor, a good laugh is better than a pill any day.

He said the experience benefits all the residents, and the students, too.

It is good for (Liberty) students and it is good for us because we get to know what is going on in the outside world, and they may pick up some bits and pieces of what we went through when we were their ages, and that is good, Burgess said.

Glenda Fort, director of Parkview Community Mission on Memorial Avenue, was overjoyed to be a part of the first LOL Day. Parkview is the largest nonprofit food pantry in Lynchburg, offering groceries to 1,000 Lynchburg families monthly. They also deliver food three times a week to various households and offer a free dinner every Wednesday night to those in need.

We love having Liberty students. It is a great experience for them, and it is great for the neighbors we serve to see them, said Fort. Liberty historically always has such a great group of students with a great attitude and many of them really connect with our neighbors that walk through the doors, and what they do is priceless.

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Liberty University Students Serve the Community on First Love on Lynchburg Day

Libertarian and Tea Party activists oppose Rancho Cucamonga public surveillance cameras

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RANCHO CUCAMONGA--Members of Libertarian and Tea Party Groups in the region are protesting against city police plans to install public surveillance cameras around Victoria Gardens.

The plan by the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department is an effort to help deter crime and to focus law enforcement eyes on areas where criminal behavior may be occurring after a 911 call is made. The cameras are expected to be installed sometime within the year, said Rancho Cucamonga Police Chief Mike Newcombe.

"It's 'big brother' and the fact that they're taking federal grant money when our federal government is broke, and we're contributing to the problem by taking federal funds to implement this camera program," said Jeane Ensley, an organizer for the Inland Valley Patriots, a local chapter of the tea party. "Our federal government is broke and we're contributing to the problem by taking fed funds to implement this camera program. It's an invasion of privacy."

Rancho Cucamonga resident, and past city council candidate Anthony rice, is also among those opposed to public surveillance cameras.

"My main concern is the trampling of our constitutional fourth amendment right to be secure in our person and our property," he said. "I'm against any type of government surveillance."

Rice, and others who spoke out against the public cameras voiced concern over federal government control over local government issues, with "strings attached" to federal funds used for such programs.

"If

Jillian Ensley, a Rancho Cucamonga resident, and vice chair of the San Bernardino County Libertarians, also took issue with the use of federal funds for the cameras.

"Anytime a public agency is taking a federal grant, there are strings attached," Ensley said. "There is an expectation that we need to do something for the federal government and the federal government has no business in our lives."

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, which serves Rancho Cucamonga as its police service, will install about 20 cameras for the first phase. Plans are to expand the number to other areas as funds become available. The cameras will be placed in public areas near intersections around the major shopping center.

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Libertarian and Tea Party activists oppose Rancho Cucamonga public surveillance cameras

Solomon Islands quake kills six

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At least six people have been killed by an 8.0 magnitude earthquake that jolted the Solomon Islands.

The earthquake caused small tsunami waves to lap Pacific coastlines and emergency sirens to blare evacuation warnings.

Solomons officials reported two waves hit the western side of Santa Cruz Island, damaging about 50 homes and properties, said George Herming, a spokesman for the prime minister.

Australia's earthquake monitoring agency and the Pacific centre said the biggest tsunami wave measured was 91cm high, at Lata, on the main Santa Cruz island of Ndende.

Many villagers had moved to higher ground as a precaution, Herming said.

Vanuatu and New Caledonia also reported rising sea levels before a region-wide tsunami alert was lifted.

Sirens were heard in Fiji. 'Chaos in the streets of Suva as everyone tries to avoid the tsunami!!' tweeted Ratu Nemani Tebana from the Fiji capital Suva.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre cancelled its regional alert at 1450 AEDT, about two and a half hours after the quake struck.

The US Geological Survey said the quake hit the Santa Cruz Islands in Temotu province, which have been rocked by a series of strong tremors over the past week, at a shallow depth of 5.8 kilometres.

Temotu is the easternmost province of the Solomons, about a three-hour flight from the capital, Honiara. The region has a population of about 30,000.

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Solomon Islands quake kills six

Underwater Eruption Shows How Volcanic Islands Grow

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From strange floating rocks to collapsing cones, an underwater eruption near Spain's Canary Islands last year was a rare chance for scientists to watch how volcanic islands are built.

El Hierro volcano spewed "a modest quantity" of lava into the ocean only enough to fill 120,000 swimming pools, according to a new report. But monitoring the submarine eruption was crucial, because shallow water volcanism can become explosive and endanger human life, said Miquel Canals Artigas, a geologist at the University of Barcelona in Spain.

Between October 2011 and February 2012, Artigas and his colleagues sailed the turbid, ash-filled waters above the erupting El Hierro volcano, scanning its changing shape with sonar to create high-resolution bathymetric maps. Their findings are detailed in the March 2013 issue of the journal Geology.

Birth of a volcano

El Hierro, the youngest of the Canary Islands, lies 290 miles (460 kilometers) west of the coast of Morocco and the Western Sahara.The new eruption occurred just off the island's coast, near the fishing village of La Restinga. The underwater eruption closed fisheries on the island and forced residents to temporarily evacuate.

The cone-shaped underwater volcano was already more than 490 feet (150 meters) tall and growing ever closer to the ocean surface when the ship arrived two weeks after the eruption began on Oct. 10, 2011.

"It was very exciting to be able to follow how the volcanic cone was growing up, from more than 350 meters [1,150 feet] depth [below the ocean's surface] to barely 90 meters [295 feet]," Artigas told OurAmazingPlanet in an email interview. The survey found more than 200 similar cones on the island's underwater flanks. [50 Amazing Volcano Facts]

The cone deflated or collapsed repeatedly during the ongoing eruption, the researchers found. By Nov. 13, 2011, a second cone-style vent opened, but landslides morphed the cones into a fissure eruption, with at least four vents burbling lava by Feb. 24, 2012.

Lava balloons

Odd-looking floating rocks, which geologists deem "bombs," appeared in the waters above the volcano. The rocks had a white core filled with air bubbles called vesicles and a dark-colored rim of basanite rock, a different rock type than the core. While balloons of floating lava have been found at underwater eruptions before, these "restingolites" are new and scientists are hotly debating how they formed, Hans-Ulrich Schmincke, a geologist at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Germany, wrote in an article accompanying the El Hierro research in the journal Geology.

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Underwater Eruption Shows How Volcanic Islands Grow

Underwater Eruption Shoes How Volcanic Islands Grow

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From strange floating rocks to collapsing cones, an underwater eruption near Spain's Canary Islands last year was a rare chance for scientists to watch how volcanic islands are built.

El Hierro volcano spewed "a modest quantity" of lava into the ocean only enough to fill 120,000 swimming pools, according to a new report. But monitoring the submarine eruption was crucial, because shallow water volcanism can become explosive and endanger human life, said Miquel Canals Artigas, a geologist at the University of Barcelona in Spain.

Between October 2011 and February 2012, Artigas and his colleagues sailed the turbid, ash-filled waters above the erupting El Hierro volcano, scanning its changing shape with sonar to create high-resolution bathymetric maps. Their findings are detailed in the March 2013 issue of the journal Geology.

Birth of a volcano

El Hierro, the youngest of the Canary Islands, lies 290 miles (460 kilometers) west of the coast of Morocco and the Western Sahara.The new eruption occurred just off the island's coast, near the fishing village of La Restinga. The underwater eruption closed fisheries on the island and forced residents to temporarily evacuate.

The cone-shaped underwater volcano was already more than 490 feet (150 meters) tall and growing ever closer to the ocean surface when the ship arrived two weeks after the eruption began on Oct. 10, 2011.

"It was very exciting to be able to follow how the volcanic cone was growing up, from more than 350 meters [1,150 feet] depth [below the ocean's surface] to barely 90 meters [295 feet]," Artigas told OurAmazingPlanet in an email interview. The survey found more than 200 similar cones on the island's underwater flanks. [50 Amazing Volcano Facts]

The cone deflated or collapsed repeatedly during the ongoing eruption, the researchers found. By Nov. 13, 2011, a second cone-style vent opened, but landslides morphed the cones into a fissure eruption, with at least four vents burbling lava by Feb. 24, 2012.

Lava balloons

Odd-looking floating rocks, which geologists deem "bombs," appeared in the waters above the volcano. The rocks had a white core filled with air bubbles called vesicles and a dark-colored rim of basanite rock, a different rock type than the core. While balloons of floating lava have been found at underwater eruptions before, these "restingolites" are new and scientists are hotly debating how they formed, Hans-Ulrich Schmincke, a geologist at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Germany, wrote in an article accompanying the El Hierro research in the journal Geology.

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Underwater Eruption Shoes How Volcanic Islands Grow

athenahealth, a Top 10 Most Innovative Company in Health Care, Heads to HIMSS13 to Disrupt the HIT Epicenter

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WATERTOWN, Mass. & NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

athenahealth, Inc. (ATHN), a leading provider of cloud-based electronic health record (EHR), practice management, and care coordination services to medical groups and health systems, next week heads to HIMSS13, the largest annual health care IT and management conference, being held in New Orleans, March 3-7.

Owning space at booth #7229, athenahealth, ranked this month by Fast Company as #8 on the Worlds Most Innovative Health Care Companies list, will insert itself on topics associated with Meaningful Use, interoperability, analytics, population health management, ICD-10, and more. Committed to helping providers thrive in the face of industry change and pressure, athenahealth will issue news leading up to and from HIMSS13, including unveiling a new cloud-based service and rallying other HIT vendors and the industry for ongoing disruption and improvement.

Were looking forward to another turn at HIMSS, because we love technology, but only if its moving quickly past staid, broken processes in health care. Our mission at athenahealth is to be caregivers most trusted service, helping them do well by doing the right thing, and we dont get paid unless our clients doperiod, said Jonathan Bush, Chairman and CEO of athenahealth. Because we have skin in the game, we aim to deliver services that are future-proof. In other words, our services scale based on need, can be managed without heavy IT support and cost, and most importantly, are flexible to adjust to new challenges ensuring they improve with time and will not become obsolete.

Below is an itinerary of athenahealth speaking engagements at HIMSS13. All times are in Central Time.

KEY PRESENTATIONS:

PRODUCT INFORMATION: Visit booth #7229 for demos by experienced athenistas on athenahealths full suite of cloud-based services.

Also from HIMSS, athenahealth is extending its Meaningful Use guarantee to include Stage 1 and Stage 2 attestation. In brief, providers looking to partner with athenahealth and attest to Meaningful Use Stage 1 or 2 in 2014 are eligible for the guarantee as long as they go-live by June 30, 2014. Under the guarantee, providers who do not receive the Federal Stimulus reimbursement dollars for the first year they qualify will be credited 100 percent of EHR services for up to six months until they do.

Not able to make every event? Follow all the #HIMSS13 action online:

For additional information on athenahealths cloud-based services, please visit the athenahealth website: http://www.athenahealth.com. For media or analyst requests at HIMSS13, please contact Holly Spring at hspring@athenahealth.com or 617-402-1631.

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athenahealth, a Top 10 Most Innovative Company in Health Care, Heads to HIMSS13 to Disrupt the HIT Epicenter

Birmingham Health Care lawsuit delay brings stern words from judge

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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The delays continue in a records dispute between Birmingham Health Care and the Tuskegee health center suing it, prompting strong words from the judge.

A deposition of former Birmingham Health Care CEO Jonathan Dunning was supposed to have been completed by this morning's hearing but it was disclosed that Dunning left the deposition before lawyers were able to ask questions of substance.

"It's been going on too long," Jefferson County Circuit Judge Tom King said. "It's not all good. ... I am highly suspect of a deposition that involves only background then it's 'Oh I have to go.' And you tell him [Dunning] that."

Birmingham Health Care lawyer Ken Dowdy said Dunning had to leave his deposition last week to be at an Alabama Beverage Control Board meeting that was scheduled the same day.

Central Alabama Comprehensive Care's lawyer John Johnson said they only had time to cover background information before Dunning left.

Dunning said at the onset of the deposition that he had another appointment and he answered questions for about two hours, the lawyers said.

"I wish you all had gotten me on the phone," the judge said.

King said the deposition in this case takes precedence over an ABC Board meeting.

"They can be called," King said. "And this hearing and deposition comes ahead of everything else. And he needs to understand that."

The judge said the deposition needs to be completed by the next hearing which he set for March 13.

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Birmingham Health Care lawsuit delay brings stern words from judge

Press Ganey Appoints Health Care Visionary, Dr. Ralph Snyderman, To Board Of Directors

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SOUTH BEND, Ind., Feb. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Press Ganey Associates, Inc. today announced the addition of renowned health care visionary Ralph Snyderman, MD, to its Board of Directors. Dr. Snyderman, Chancellor Emeritus and James B. Duke Professor of Medicine at Duke University, brings a unique perspective to the Board having led one of the most successful integrated academic health systems in the country and having envisioned the personalized health care delivery model. Dr. Snyderman, recipient of many awards and honors throughout his career, was named the "Father of Personalized Medicine" by the Association of American Medical Colleges during a 2012 award presentation.

"Ralph is someone we have long admired and respected for his work as a pioneer, always fighting for what is best for the patient," said Patrick T. Ryan, CEO of Press Ganey. "Ralph's impact on health care has been profound and it is a privilege to welcome him to our team. Throughout his career, he has shown an unwavering commitment to listening to the patient's voice and taking direct action to improve the care experience. He is the true embodiment of who Press Ganey is and what we aim to accomplish, listening to the voice of every patient in order to improve the quality and safety of patient care."

Dr. Snyderman has an accomplished career in health care. He served as Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine at Duke University from 1989 to 2004. During that time, he led the transition of the medical center into an internationally recognized leader of academic medicine. In addition, he oversaw the development of the Duke University Health System and served as its first president and chief executive officer. Dr. Snyderman was among the first to envision and articulate the need to move the current focus of health care from the treatment of disease events to care that is personalized, predictive, preventive and actively engages patients.

Dr. Snyderman has played a prominent role in the leadership of such important national organizations as the Association of American Physicians, the Institute of Medicine and the Association of American Medical Colleges. Additionally, Dr. Snyderman has been the recipient of numerous awards recognizing his contributions to research and to developing more rational models of health care.

"Throughout my career, I have increasingly valued the voice of our patients in informing how we can improve care. Press Ganey provided us with essential tools to capture our patients' experiences and views," said Dr. Ralph Snyderman. "As we continue to witness the transformation of health care, Press Ganey's unique position will be essential to changing the approach from one that is focused on disease events to care that is centered on the health needs of the individual. It is an honor to join a team that will play a critical role in helping health care providers truly become more patient-centric."

Dr. Snyderman received his bachelor's degree from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland and his M.D., from the Downstate Medical Center of the State University of New York.

Press Ganey Associates, Inc. Recognized as a leader in performance improvement for nearly 30 years, Press Ganey partners with more than 10,000 health care organizations worldwide to create and sustain high-performing organizations, and, ultimately, improve the overall health care experience. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions to help clients operate efficiently, improve quality, increase market share and optimize reimbursement. Press Ganey works with clients from across the continuum of care hospitals, medical practices, home care agencies and other providers including 50 percent of all U.S. hospitals. For more information, visit http://www.pressganey.com.

Media Contact: Alicia Bandy 617-933-5274 abandy@solomonmccown.com

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Press Ganey Appoints Health Care Visionary, Dr. Ralph Snyderman, To Board Of Directors

2013 Iraq Health Care Sector Outlook

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MUMBAI, India, February 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Bharat Book Bureau has recently added the market intelligence report titled '2013 Iraq Health Care Sector Outlook' (http://www.bharatbook.com/market-research-reports/healthcare-market-research-report/2013-iraq-health-care-sector-outlook.html) to its offerings.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130128/590935 )

2013 Iraq Health Care Sector Outlook is the single, most comprehensive, insightful and accurate source of reference on the health care industry in Iraq.

The report provides unparalleled insight into one of the lesser known emerging markets for Health Care in the Middle East. It shows that total health care spending in Iraq will increase to between US$10-12 billion a year by 2014, and that privatization of the health care system will begin to emerge as restructuring of state owned enterprises gathers steam.

The report outlines the key market, political, economic, institutional and regulatory trends affecting the health care and pharmaceuticals industry in Iraq, providing core data and investment trend analysis in relation to existing and medium-term investment dynamics.

The report accounts for the entire health and pharmaceutical industry in Iraq, assesses the current commercial and competitive environment, forecasts health care market prospects, and projects key macroeconomic, demographics and health indicators. It reviews major regulatory trends and the operational environment, accounting for political, security and commercial conditions, business registration, licensing, acquisitions and expansion laws, government procurement procedures, foreign investment and trade controls, taxation and financing issues, and labour market and infrastructure regulations. It offers detailed analysis and a medium-term health-financing outlook, and digests the government's long-term vision in reforming the sector. The report has been designed to inform strategic investment decisions, and allows clients to:

Request for Sample pages - http://www.bharatbook.com/RequestSample.asp?pid=376793

Company Mentioned in the Report

State Company For Drugs And Medical Appliances (KIMADIA)

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2013 Iraq Health Care Sector Outlook

UMass Memorial Health Care Joins Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts’ Alternative Quality Contract

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BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) and UMass Memorial Health Care, the largest health care system in Central New England and the clinical partner of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, announced today that UMass Memorial will participate in Blue Cross Alternative Quality Contract (AQC), a global payment system designed to encourage cost-effective, patient-centered care. Under the four-year agreement, physicians will be paid for the quality, rather than the quantity of care they provide. They can also earn significant performance incentives for adhering to nationally endorsed quality, health outcome, and patient experience measures.

More than 1,400 UMass Memorial doctors will care for approximately 45,000 of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts in-state HMO members under this agreement. With the addition of UMass Memorial, Blue Cross now has 82% of its in-state HMO primary care physicians, and 86% of specialists, participating in the AQC. These doctors care for approximately 85% of BCBSMAs in-state HMO membership.

The AQC is a national model for payment reform thats improving the quality of patient care while simultaneously slowing medical spending growth, said Andrew Dreyfus, President and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Were pleased that UMass Memorial, with their strong track record of innovation and shared commitment to improving the quality and affordability of care, has joined our program.

UMass Memorial Health Care is the largest health care system in Central New England, and its five hospitals UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Clinton Hospital in Clinton, HealthAlliance Hospital in Fitchburg and Leominster, Marlborough Hospital in Marlborough, and Wing Memorial Hospital in Palmer along with its physician group practice, comprise more than 1,400 physicians.

Signing this contract with our partners at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is a demonstration of our commitment at UMass Memorial Health Care, to provide the highest quality care in the most efficient and fiscally responsible way, said Eric Dickson, MD, president and CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care. The Alternative Quality Contract is important to our patients, our physicians, and the overall health care of the region.

Researchers at the Harvard Medical School (HMS) are conducting a multi-year study of the effects of the AQC on the cost and quality of patient care. The latest findings, which involve a review of the first two years of the AQC (2009 & 2010), found that the model has succeeded in lowering total medical spending while simultaneously improving the quality of care. In fact:

This independent study was funded by The Commonwealth Fund, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine and Health Affairs.

About UMass Memorial Health Care

UMass Memorial Health Care is Central Massachusetts' largest not-for-profit health care delivery system, covering the complete health care continuum with UMass Memorial Medical Center, its academic medical center, member and affiliated community hospitals, freestanding primary care practices, ambulatory outpatient clinics, a rehabilitation group and mental health services. UMass Memorial is the clinical partner of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. To learn more about UMass Memorial, please visit http://www.umassmemorial.org, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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UMass Memorial Health Care Joins Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts’ Alternative Quality Contract

Health Care Experts Work With DSC On Industry Challenges

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DSC Logistics has announced the creation of a Health Care Strategy Board (HCSB) to support DSCs increasing involvement as supply chain partner to manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and health care supplies. DSC already has more than 20 years of experience with health care and life sciences companies and has identified the sector as an area of special expertise. DSC also works with leading companies, including several Fortune 500 firms, in a number of other fields, such as grocery, consumer goods, electronics, paper products, and musical instruments.

The first members of the HCSB all have an extensive background in the health care industry. They are: Nicholas LaHowchic, Dwight Mater, Ellen Rudnick, and Donna Williamson. The HCSB will meet quarterly to consult on topics that include industry trends and challenges, capabilities development and improvement, and regulatory compliance and management.

DSC CEO Ann Drake said, Our experience tells us that health care and life sciences companies face an environment of almost unprecedented change. We understand that the supply chain will play an increasing role in strategies used to address complex challenges and leverage competitive advantages.

DSCs culture and capabilities are especially well suited to provide companies with the flexibility, quality and leadership they need from a supply chain partner. We are looking to the board to bring state-of-the-art thinking to our growth and development in this area. Each of these individuals brings a strong background and unique type of knowledge to the HCSB, she continued.

Nick Lahowchics extensive background as a health care supply chain leader includes experience as president, Supply Chain Services, for Becton Dickinson, , the $4 billion medical technology company with products manufactured in 85 facilities globally and distributed in more than 70 countries. He also served as president & CEO of Limited Logistics Services for Limited Brands. He is a past trustee of the Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA). He is the co-author of Start Pulling Your Supply Chain: Leading Responsive Supply Chain Transformation (with Dr. Donald Bowersox). Widely recognized as one of the supply chains most innovative leaders Nick was the recipient of DSC Logistics 2011 Thinkers & Movers Award. He is the founder and president of Diannic LLC. a management consulting firm. Nick received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Farleigh Dickinson University and an MBA from Pace University.

Dwight Mater has more than 25 years of experience in the health care industry, including executive positions with Cardinal Health, Ross Health Services, and Baxter International. For these companies, he has carried out diverse responsibilities in areas such as finance, strategy, corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, business development, process improvement, competitive and market analysis, and marketing and corporate communications. While at Cardinal Health, Dwight developed and implemented strategy, including pursuing acquisitions for the $79 billion pharmaceutical and medical supply chain business. He also led process improvements via Lean Six Sigma for the $8.5 billion medical business. He received a BBA in Business from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and earned his MBA from the University of Michigan.

Ellen Rudnick is the executive director and clinical professor of the Michael P. Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. She co-founded and served as chairman of Pacific Biometrics, a medical diagnostics company; was president of HCIA and CEO of its predecessor company, Healthcare Knowledge Resources, both health care information service companies; and held the positions of corporate vice president of Baxter Healthcare, president and founder of Baxter Management Services Division, and director of strategic planning for Baxter. In addition to other business ventures, Ellen serves on the boards of Liberty Mutual Insurance, Patterson Companies, and Health Management Systems. She was named one of the top 50 women in U.S. business by Business Week in 1987. She earned a bachelors degree from Vassar College and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Donna Williamson brings more than two decades of experience in the health care industry. A sixteen-year veteran of Baxter International, she was chairman, CEO and president of its surgical products subsidiary, OmniSurgical, Inc. For eight of those 16 years, Donna was responsible for the strategy and P&L of the Health Cost Management group of six divisions, including mail-order drugs, physical therapy clinics, physician office management software, health care data and analysis, and managed care businesses. Subsequent to her career at Baxter, she served as a founding officer and senior vice president for Caremark International a multi-billion dollar health care services business. She most recently served as managing director in ABN Amros Private Equity Group, where she led equity investments in health care growth companies. She has an SC.B degree in Applied Mathematics from Brown University and a graduate degree from MIT.

SOURCE: DSC Logistics

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New Health Care Survey Finds Spending on Wellness Incentives Has Doubled in the Last Four Years

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BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

According to a new employer survey conducted by Fidelity Investments and the National Business Group on Health (NBGH), corporate employers plan to spend an average of $521 per employee on wellness-based incentives within corporate health care programs. This marks an increase of 13 percent from the average of $460 reported for 2011, and is double the per employee average of $260 reported in 2009.

The survey is the latest in a series of studies Fidelity and the NBGH have conducted since 2009 to analyze the growth of health-improvement programs, or wellness programs, in the workplace. These programs typically consist of condition-management services (e.g., managing insulin treatments), lifestyle-management services (e.g., weight loss advice), health-risk management services (e.g., on-site flu shots), and environmental enhancements (e.g., bike racks, walking paths).

In addition to an increase in the average amount employers plan to spend on wellness incentives, the survey found that the overall use of wellness-based incentives among corporate employers continues to increase. The study found that nearly nine-out-of ten employers surveyed indicated that they currently offer wellness-based incentives (86%), an increase from 73 percent from 2011 and 57 percent from 2009.

And while the percent of corporate employers offering wellness-based incentives has increased across all markets, the survey results illustrated significant growth in the mid-market, where 77 percent of employers plan to offer wellness-based incentives in 2013, and more than double the 38 percent of mid-market employers that offered wellness-based incentives in 2010. In addition, almost half of employers in the mid-market (45%) plan to offer average incentives of more than $500 per employee.

As the cost of providing health care continues to increase, employers recognize one of the key ways to manage their companys costs is to incent their workforce to lead a healthier lifestyle, said Adam Stavisky, senior vice president of Fidelitys Benefits Consulting business, which commissioned the study with NBGH. Employers of all sizes have embraced wellness-based incentives to help control costs, and companies are now looking at ways to design and optimize their programs to maximize their positive impact on health for both the organization and employees.

Employers Tying Employee Eligibilityto Completion of Risk Assessment or Biometric Testing

The study also showed that 15% of employers surveyed are requiring employees to complete some sort of health activity such as an employer-sponsored biometric screening or health risk assessment (HRA) in order to determine their eligibility for one or all of the company's health plans in 2013. The survey results showed that 10 percent of employers will be requiring employees to complete an HRA or risk being defaulted into a less attractive subset of the company's health plan, while 7 percent of employers indicatedfailure to complete a biometric screening would result in being defaulted into a less attractive subset of their company's health plan. In addition, 3 percent of employers indicated that failure to complete anHRA or biometric screening wouldresult in loss of benefits for 2013.

Companies Continue to Tailor Programs to Increase Participation, Reward Behavior

This years survey found that an increasing number of employers are actively managing and expanding their wellness programs and offering incentives designed to increase participation and encourage positive behavior. The most popular wellness-based incentives continue to be a decrease in premiums (61%), cash or gift cards (55%) or an employer-sponsored contribution to a Health Savings Account or similar heath care-based savings vehicle (27%).

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New Health Care Survey Finds Spending on Wellness Incentives Has Doubled in the Last Four Years

Bringing down health care costs isn’t always complicated

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Accustomed as we are to thinking of hospitals as beneficent providers of lifesaving and often charitable care, it comes as a shock to learn how many are engaging in, not to put too fine a point on it, price gouging.

As Steven Brill shows in his cover story in this weeks Time magazine, nonprofit hospitals, even more than for-profit ones, chase 12 percent profit margins with eye-popping markups on everything from cardio stress tests to gauze pads.

The United States spends more per capita on health care, almost $9,000 a year, than any other country, yet it stands in the lowest quartile for life expectancy of developed countries. There is no doubt the U.S. health care system is plagued by warped incentives, overtreatment, poor quality of care and administrative waste. Part of the value of Brills report is that it exposes a problem easier to understand, if not easier to solve: plain old overcharging.

The good news is that health care economists know many ways to bring prices down. To begin, make them transparent. Providers of medical care charge widely varying amounts for the same services, even within a single geographic area. Brills reporting on hospital price lists called chargemasters explains why this happens.

Chargemasters contain laughably high prices that hospital administrators dont even try to justify. (They dont seem to know how they were set to begin with and argue that theyre misleading because insurance companies always negotiate lower ones). Yet people without insurance, or with too little insurance, often end up paying chargemaster prices. One woman described in the Time article was billed more than $6,500 for CT scans for which Medicare would have paid less than $1,000. Another patient was billed $24 apiece for five-cent niacin pills.

If health care payers Medicare, Medicaid, insurance companies, public-employee health care plans were to make public the prices that they pay, then maybe fees for services, equipment, facilities and medicines would fall. They could also reveal how much their beneficiaries pay out of pocket. Aetna and the state of New Hampshire have started doing this.

It is exactly this kind of transparency that will improve the health care system. Unfortunately, many contracts between hospitals and insurers contain gag clauses prohibiting the public release of pricing information. These gag clauses should be prohibited.

Another good idea is to use competitive bidding for all medical equipment, lab tests, imaging services and other products. A requirement for Medicare to do so for some equipment reduced spending on wheelchairs alone by more than 42 percent in 2011.

The state health insurance exchanges that are to be set up this fall will provide still another mechanism for attacking prices. Insurance companies selling their products through these online marketplaces should be required to offer at least one tiered plan that would give people lower copayments in return for using providers with a record of charging reasonable prices for high-quality health care.

Another strategy against overcharging is for all insurers, not just Medicare and Medicaid, to bar doctors from referring patients for medical tests at facilities in which they have some financial involvement.

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Bringing down health care costs isn’t always complicated

Raymond F. Schinazi, Ph.D., D.Sc., Joins the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida Board of Directors

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PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Raymond F. Schinazi, Ph.D., DSc, a world leader in nucleoside chemistry and biology as well as the founder of five biotechnology companies, joins the Board of Directors of the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida (VGTI Florida), a leading nonprofit immunological research institute. Dr. Schinazi, a Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology and of the Scientific Working Eradication Group at Emorys Center for AIDS Research, brings a wealth of expertise to assist VGTI Florida on its mission of Translating Research into Health.

Selected as a 2012 Charter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, a prestigious distinction awarded to academic inventors whose discoveries have made a tangible impact on the quality of life and welfare of society, Dr. Schinazi will inspire the VGTI Florida community and serve as an example of effective translational research. His experience in running biotech companies and obtaining patents will help the research institute navigate the licensing and commercialization challenges associated with bringing novel technologies to the market place.

As an influential scientist, inventor, educator, and entrepreneur, were extremely pleased that Dr. Schinazi is bringing his impressive array of experience to VGTI Florida, said Jay Nelson, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director of the institute. His remarkable accomplishments include commercialized inventions that have revenues of over $2 billion per year; in fact, more than 94% of HIV-infected individuals take at least one of the medicines he invented, saving millions of lives, Dr. Nelson added.

Dr. Schinazi is a Senior Research Career Scientist at the Atlanta VA and also an adjunct professor at Georgia State University and the University of Miami. He serves as an advisor for the Schiff Center for Liver Diseases at the University of Miami, and is a Governing Trustee for the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). He has served on the Presidential Commission on AIDS and has won many awards including the Georgia Biomedical Industry Growth Award and the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Hepatitis B Foundation. Dr. Schinazi was inducted into the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia in March 2012, and he received the Intellectual Property Legends Award in October 2012.

He has co-authored more than 470 peer-reviewed papers and 7 books; and has secured more than 90 U.S. patents. Dr. Schinazi has served on the editorial board of several peer-reviewed journals, including Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Antiviral Chemistry and Chemotherapy, Antiviral Research and Antiviral Therapy. His current research focuses on HIV, HBV and HCV eradication strategies.

He holds a Bachelor of Science, a Ph.D. and Doctor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Bath, England. Dr. Schinazi completed postdoctoral training in Pharmacology at Yale University and in Virology/Immunology from Emory University.

VGTI Florida

VGTI Florida is a leading immunological research institute that is on an urgent mission to transform scientific discoveries into novel treatments and cures for devastating chronic illnesses such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, influenza and infectious diseases. VGTI Florida is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization located in the Tradition Center for Innovation in Port St. Lucie, Florida. For more information, please visit http://www.VGTIFL.org.

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Raymond F. Schinazi, Ph.D., D.Sc., Joins the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida Board of Directors

Attorney Robert L. Lord, Jr. Joins the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida Board of Directors

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PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida (VGTI Florida), a leading nonprofit immunological research institute, is pleased to announce the appointment of Robert L. Lord, Jr., J.D., B.C.S., F.A.C.H.E., to the Board of Directors. Mr. Lord is Senior Vice President, Legal Services and Chief Legal Officer of Martin Health System, which serves the residents of Floridas Treasure Coast. He is currently overseeing the construction and development of the new Martin Health System Campus located adjacent to VGTI Florida in the Tradition Center for Innovation in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Many opportunities exist for collaboration between the lifesaving research of VGTI Florida researchers and the clinical trials conducted by doctors at Martin Health System. Both organizations are helping to improve the lives of people locally and around the world.

A board certified health law expert and healthcare executive, Mr. Lord is an administrator in Martin Health overseeing matters ranging from operations, corporate compliance, risk management and planning to litigation and governmental relations. He has been a resident of the Treasure Coast since 1969.

We welcome Roberts wide ranging health law background and his wealth of experience to the VGTI Florida Board of Directors, said Jay Nelson, Ph.D., founder and Executive Director of the institute. He has his finger on the pulse of the local community and will contribute greatly to the progress of VGTI Floridas research translation into the clinical environments.

Prior to joining Martin Health System, Mr. Lord was Shareholder in the law firm of Crary, Buchanan, Bowdish, Bovie, Lord & Roby, Chartered. His practice focused on both health and media law. Prior to specializing in media and health law, he had many years of experience as a civil trial attorney.

Mr. Lord holds a Bachelor of Science from Florida State University and he received his Juris Doctorate degree from Stetson University College of Law. He is board certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

His professional affiliations include The Florida Bar, American Health Lawyers Association, American College of Healthcare Executives, the bars of the Florida Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court.

VGTI Florida

VGTI Florida is a leading immunological research institute that is on an urgent mission to transform scientific discoveries into novel treatments and cures for devastating chronic illnesses such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, influenza and infectious diseases. VGTI Florida is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization located in the Tradition Center for Innovation in Port St. Lucie, Florida. For more information, please visit: http://www.VGTIFL.org

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Attorney Robert L. Lord, Jr. Joins the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida Board of Directors

Futurist Daniel Burrus with DeVry University Releases Inaugural Certainties™ List

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DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Globally renowned futurist Daniel Burrus has published his widely revered annual technology trends list for 30 years.This year, Burrus has teamed up with DeVry University to introduce a new list that goes beyond predictions to spotlight Certainties based on a scientific method aimed at providing various sectors with a clearer outlook of their respective futures. At a time when unemployment remains high and America is facing an employment skills gap which could leave 20 million jobs without enough qualified people to fill them by 20251 Burrus and DeVry University urge employers, employees and educators alike to give serious consideration to these career-transforming Certainties.

Based on his most recent New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling book, Flash Foresight, Burrus new list of Certainties uses his scientific method of separating Hard Trends (trends that will happen) from Soft Trends (trends that might happen). This breakthrough method of forecasting is now being used by a growing number of Burrus Fortune 500 clients, including IBM, Pratt & Whitney and Deloitte. During the past five years, Burrus has collected Certainties from thousands of senior executives to provide a clear picture of the direction industries are heading.

Certainties are more accurate and powerful than what most of us refer to as trends, Burrus said. When you combine the science of cycles with the new science of predictable linear change, you can see the hard trends that will shape the future. That direction those certainties are absolutely the most valuable roadmaps we have to capitalizing on the future.

How the Power of Certainty Impacts Careers

In light of the current economic and workforce challenges facing the United States, Burrus has teamed with DeVry University, a leading provider of career-oriented associate, bachelors and masters degree programs, to issue his inaugural Certainties list. Together, they provide insight and direction toward evolving the American labor pool to meet the anticipated demands of the 21st century.

The goal is to give people a roadmap regarding how technology will transform the career landscape so they are not caught in disappearing careers but, rather, prepared for the predictable changes in their current careers, as well as being positioned for emerging careers with real, long-term demand, Burrus said. Whether its the certainties surrounding a technological phenomenon such as The Cloud or the healthcare certainties we face with an aging population, certain future manifestations are simply unavoidable.

Burrus Certainties spotlights 12 technologies that will change our world and transform present and future careers, including:

A Forward-looking, Career-oriented Education

For more than 80 years, DeVry University has been a forward-looking provider of educational programs that prepare our graduates for success in current and emerging careers, said David J. Pauldine, president of DeVry University. DeVrys joining forces with Daniel Burrus should give our students even further confidence in our commitment to effectively aligning their academic experience with the most likely future demands of the industries in which they seek successful careers.

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Futurist Daniel Burrus with DeVry University Releases Inaugural Certainties™ List

Is freedom of speech a licence to hate?

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Sheik Man Haron Monis. Picture: Stephen Cooper Source: The Daily Telegraph

THREE of Australia's top judges believe a radical Muslim cleric had a legal right to send offensive letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers.

In a major freedom-of-speech case that split the High Court, Chief Justice Robert French, Justice Kenneth Hayne and Justice Dyson Heydon yesterday upheld the appeal of Sheik Man Haron Monis because they agreed a section of the Criminal Code contradicted the constitution.

But Sheik Haron and an alleged helper lost their bid to have a raft of criminal charges thrown out because Justice Susan Crennan, Justice Susan Kiefel and Justice Virginia Bell ruled the opposite and dismissed their appeal.

The 3-3 tie meant the original NSW Court of Criminal Appeal decision was affirmed.

RSL Australia and relatives of the diggers yesterday welcomed the outcome, but suggested the Criminal Code be clarified given the differing legal opinions.

"I certainly welcome the result. They should not be allowed to bypass the justice system," said Felix Sher, who allegedly received letters before his son Private Gregory Sher's funeral in 2009.

Sheik Haron launched the appeal after being charged with 12 counts of using a postal or similar service in a menacing, harassing and offensive way between 2007 and 2009.

His co-accused, Amirah Droudis, also appealed after being charged with eight counts of aiding and abetting.

The appeal was based on their claim that the Criminal Code section was invalid because it was inconsistent with the implied constitutional freedom of political communication.

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Is freedom of speech a licence to hate?

Freedom Ride: Bike against trafficking

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by Rappler.com Posted on 02/27/2013 5:56 PM |Updated 02/27/2013 6:10 PM

Advocates take on the fight against human trafficking to another level as they hold the first ever Freedom Ride on Saturday, March 9, 2013. Cyclists wearing shirts printed with 1343 Anti-Trafficking hotline shall bike around the cities of Taguig, Manila, Pasay and Makati to spread awareness on human trafficking.

His Excellency Ambassador Ton Boon von Ochssee and Mrs. Martine Boon von Ochssee of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands shall lead the Dutch contingent in the bike ride as combating human trafficking is an important pillar of the Dutch foreign policy. Artists and celebrity advocates of the campaign will also join them in the ride.

According to musician and cycling enthusiast Nityalila Saulo, The involvement of the cycling community in the fight against human trafficking is crucial to make people aware of the importance of knowing the red flags of human trafficking like how cyclists are aware of road signs so they can get to where they want to go safely. She further added, The participation of cyclists in this campaign will help deliver a strong message that there are always options available for people to avoid being trafficked and get to their destinations.

The bike tour is organized by Dakila, a group of artists advocating social consciousness formation through creative platforms, in partnership with the Manila Fixed Gear, a group of urban cyclists who has incorporated cycling in their lifestyle, with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Department of Justice Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (DOJ-IACAT).

Ayeen Karunungan, spokesperson of the artist collective Dakila, said Through this campaign, we want the public to always remember to Stop, Look, and Listen. In order to stop human trafficking, we must always look for the signs to avoid being trafficked and listen to the stories of those who were trafficked and most vulnerable to trafficking so that we may learn from it and contribute on ways to help combat trafficking.

Every year around 300,000 to 400,000 Filipinos fall prey to human trafficking in their own country and abroad. The Freedom Ride is part of the Project Freedom Campaign of Dakila, which aims to raise public awareness on Human Trafficking and empower advocates and citizens to become watchdogs in their own communities by driving them into action through grassroots involvement and amplified action through mainstream and digital media.

The Freedom Ride is open to the public and will start at the Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill, Taguig. Assembly is at 7:00 am and ride out is at 7:30 am. For more information, visit Dakila website. To get more updates from the organization, like and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Source: Dakila press release

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Freedom Ride: Bike against trafficking