NASA may only consume 0.5 percent of the federal budget, but it generates practically all of Uncle Sam's viral marketing buzz. Never was that more apparent than on Monday morning following the successful Mars landing of Curiosity, the biggest and most advanced spacecraft ever dispatched to another planet. In an explosion of tweets, Tumbls, status updates, and blog posts, the Internet showed its ...
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NEW YORK, Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:
Indian Market for Orthopedic Soft Tissue Repair & Sports Medicine
The Indian market for orthopedic soft tissue repair and sports medicine exceeded $17 million in 2011.
The orthopedic soft tissue repair and sports medicine market includes shoulder repair (rotator cuff and shoulder labrum repair), knee repair (anterior and posterior cruciate ligament fixation products and meniscal repair devices) and hyaluronic acid viscosupplementation. The market was not affected by the financial crisis in 2011 and will continue growing rapidly with the rise in sports medicine surgeons and awareness of the sports medicine field.
This report includes information about:
Indian Shoulder Repair Market
Indian Knee Repair Market
Indian Hyaluronic Acid Viscosupplementation Market
This report provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of market revenues by device type, market forecasts through 2018, unit sales, average selling prices, market drivers and limiters and a detailed competitive analysis, including manufacturer market shares and product portfolios.
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Indian Market for Orthopedic Soft Tissue Repair & Sports Medicine
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Foundation Medicine, Inc. and Clovis Oncology, Inc. (CLVS) announced today that they have entered into a diagnostic collaboration. The goal of the collaboration is to develop an in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) to identify biomarkers to select cancer patients most likely to respond to Clovis product candidate rucaparib, a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor currently in Phase I/II clinical development.
We are pleased to collaborate with Foundation Medicine, said Patrick J. Mahaffy, president and CEO of Clovis Oncology. This continues our commitment to developing targeted therapies with companion diagnostics to identify the patients most likely to benefit from our therapeutics. Foundation Medicines leadership in next generation sequencing and genomic analysis make them an ideal partner to work with us on our rucaparib program.
Foundation Medicine and Clovis Oncology will analyze the genomic alterations found in tissue samples from patients to evaluate the feasibility of developing an IVD method to identify patients who have tumors more likely to respond to rucaparib.
In particular, the goal of the collaboration is to identify the additional genetic mutations beyond those in germ-line and somatic BRCA that are associated with defective DNA repair and may define appropriate tumor targets for rucaparib. In high-grade serous ovarian cancer, for example, this study has the potential to increase the percentage of ovarian cancer patients potentially eligible for rucaparib therapy from the 15 percent typically found to have germ-line mutations of BRCA to an estimated 40 to 50 percent who have DNA repair deficiencies caused by somatic mutations in a variety of genes.
Foundation Medicines core capability is the translation of genomic insights into clinically actionable information, said Michael J. Pellini, M.D., president and CEO of Foundation Medicine. But even the most in-depth genomic profile for a patient is only as actionable as the available and relevant targeted therapies. Therefore, we are working to help expand the universe of targeted therapeutic options. Clovis Oncology, a recognized leader in patient-specific oncology drug development, is an ideal partner in this mission.
About Clovis Oncology
Clovis Oncology, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing innovative anti-cancer agents in the U.S., Europe and additional international markets. Clovis Oncology targets development programs at specific subsets of cancer populations, and simultaneously develops diagnostic tools that direct a compound in development to the population that is most likely to benefit from its use. Clovis Oncology is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, and has additional offices in San Francisco, California and Cambridge, UK.
About Foundation Medicine
Foundation Medicine is a molecular information company dedicated to a transformation in cancer care in which treatment is informed by a deep understanding of the genomic changes that contribute to each patients unique cancer. The companys initial clinical product, FoundationOne, is a fully informative genomic profile to identify a patients individual molecular alterations and match them with relevant targeted therapies and clinical trials. Foundation Medicines molecular information platform aims to improve day-to-day care for patients by serving the needs of clinicians, academic researchers and drug developers to help advance the science of molecular medicine in cancer. For more information, please visit http://www.foundationmedicine.com.
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Foundation Medicine and Clovis Oncology Announce Diagnostic Collaboration
ABINGDON, Va. --
The Abingdon Town Council is scheduled to hear a presentation tonight from Tariq Zaidi, interim president and CEO for the proposed King School of Medicine, tonight.
Nearly two weeks ago, Zaidi spoke before the Washington County Board of Supervisors and got a mixed reaction of optimism and uncertainty.
Zaidi said the project, which is backed by the county, the town and the Virginia Tobacco Commission, could be shifting focus to a less expensive and more comprehensive health care education center.
Abingdon Mayor Ed Morgan said he is optimistic about the medical school projects future.
Im pleased with the progress Mr. Zaidi is making; hes building on the work of [King College President] Dr. Jordan did and bringing a lot of leadership and technical skills, Morgan said. Im optimistic he can bring the project to fruition.
The council is scheduled to meet for a work session at 5:30 p.m. today and a regular meeting, at 7:30. Zaidi is scheduled to speak during the regular meeting. The agenda and information packet are available online at http://www.abingdon-va.gov/.
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TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Liberty Star Uranium & Metals Corp. (Liberty Star or the Company) (LBSR: OTCQB) is pleased to announce that the Liberty Star field camp construction managed by Alaskan Native owned MBGS LLC is on schedule. MBGS general contractor Jim Stevens states that his team will begin to airlift housing and a diamond core drill rig to the Native allotment camp site within the Big Chunk Super Project (BCSP) south block beginning the week of August 5; the camp is scheduled to be operational by August 10.
Heavy equipment and housing will be transported by a high-lift Huey chopper, while staff and light equipment will be transported by a small helicopter. Twelve people will be in the camp, including Alaskan Native MBGS staff, drill crews and geologic staff. The spartan camp includes basic amenities and a broad-band Internet over satellite hook-up.
On August 8 the Companys Field Manager and Lead Field Technician Jay Crawford and Porphyry Copper specialist Geologist Greg McGilvray will meet in Vancouver, BC to receive training on the new MBGS Innov-X handheld GPS XRF Analyzer. The new handheld analyzer uses a miniaturized X-ray tube with electronically cooled silicon detectors to provide fast metal content measurements with accuracy and precision in the field prior to formal assay. Jay Crawford has spent many months using this type of equipment, but will receive updated training with the new analyzer. From Vancouver, the two will fly to Anchorage and then to Port Alsworth, Alaska. Jay and Greg will helicopter to the BCSP camp shortly after. The drill rig is scheduled for arrival at the BCSP camp at about the same time. Drilling on the proposed 10 holes can start within a few days of the drills delivery to the field. In addition to the Innov-X Analyzer, the geologic team will be equipped with other sophisticated gear that will make field analysis more accurate and less subject to error. The onsite team will be able to communicate immediate analysis of core and send data via satellite Internet connection to the head office in Tucson or any other location for specialists to review and render their professional analysis.
This equipment in addition to the XRF includes:
All of these devices are digital (with the exception of the optical microscope) and their data will be recorded with the data logger, and joined with the geologic log of the core. All data will be recorded on the Big Chunk field camp computer server and then transmitted by a satellite uplink to the Internet and batch transmitted to Tucson overnight every night and captured on the Tucson office server for distribution and analysis by the appropriate experts on our Technical Advisory Board, as well as Chief Geologist Jim Briscoe and other specialists when needed.
After all data collection, the core is cut in half (split) using a diamond saw. Half of each 10 foot interval will be bagged and secured in locked storage controlled by Jay Crawford. The samples will be shipped by helicopter, and then by Federal Express to the MEG sample prep lab near Reno, Nev. As required by regulation, a chain of custody is recorded at every stop; this is to prevent tampering with the drill core so it cannot be adulterated (salted) with any foreign material either intentionally or accidently. After sample preparation, including addition of Quality Assurance Quality Control (QA/QC) samples, assay pulps of about 200 grams from each sample interval will be air shipped to ALS Certified assay labs in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. After assay ALS will ship assays by e-mail to the Tucson office where it will be combined with the visual core log and all the other collected data. These data logs will then be analyzed by our geologic team and conclusions made. All this takes time but news releases will be made after drill core is evaluated.
James A. Briscoe James A. Briscoe, Professional Geologist, AZ CA CEO/Chief Geologist Liberty Star Uranium & Metals Corp.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this news release that are not historical are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include that the BCSP camp will be operational by August 10, that a diamond core drill rig will be airlifted to the camp site, that drilling can proceed within days of its arrival, and that drill core will be obtained and prepared for assay. Factors which may delay or prevent these forward-looking statements from being realized include: the failure of our exploration program to identify targets; we may not be able to raise sufficient funds to complete our intended exploration, keep our properties or carry on operations; and an inability to continue exploration due to weather, logistical problems, labor or equipment problems or hazards even if funds are available. Despite encouraging data there may be no commercially exploitable mineralization on our properties. Readers should refer to the risk disclosures in the Companys recent 10-K and the Companys other periodic reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Liberty Star Airlifting Diamond Core Drill to Copper/Gold/Moly Big Chunk Camp, Alaska
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Green Automotive Company, having recently acquired Liberty Electric Cars Ltd., is pleased to announce the addition of 2 new Board members, Ian Hobday and Darren West.
Mr. Hobday, who also serves as CEO for Liberty Electric Cars Ltd., has international experience in sales, marketing and general management and a track record of growing businesses and delivering profit improvement within multinational companies. Ian is co-founder of several innovative start-up companies and has extensive experience in developing business opportunities worldwide.
Commenting on his appointment, Ian Hobday said, I am looking forward to serving on the Board of Directors for Green Automotive and I look forward to helping Green Automotive maximize the many synergies that I believe exist between it and Liberty. Liberty has several divisions in operation including, for example, Liberty E-Care, which provides after-sales services for electric or low emission vehicles including servicing & repair. With clients including Navistar, Fedex, UPS, Veolia, and Tescos, Liberty is providing service to roughly 2,000 pure EVs. Through their operation of this business, Liberty has gained a tremendous amount of technical know-how and market intelligence that should translate into solid benefits for Green Automotive in a variety of ways.
Mr. West, who is also the CFO for Liberty Electric Cars Ltd., has extensive international experience having worked in more than 30 countries including knowledge of acquisitions, mergers and disposals.
Ian Hobday and Darren West bring a wealth of business experience gained from the management of a company that provides cutting edge automotive technology development, engineering and design with a focus on zero and low emission vehicle solutions, said Fred Luke, President of Green Automotive. For example, through Libertys E-Tech division they have worked on development projects with Fiat, VW, Rolls Royce, Cranfield and Navistar and have been involved in joint ventures for new BMS and Battery designs. These core competencies should significantly enhance Green Automotives technical edge which will support our company as we execute our business plan, including our move to develop all electric buses. We believe both their experience in international transactions as well as the electric vehicle market space will prove invaluable on our Board of Directors.
About Green Automotive Company: Green Automotive Company is a US public company involved in the Conversion, Import and Distribution of Eco-friendly vehicles. The Company is presently planning to bring All-Electric and other Eco-friendly vehicles into the United States market through a combination of converting piston engine vehicles and importing existing EV's. The Company is currently involved in assessing a number of All-Electric and alternate fuel vehicles including an All-Electric Intra-City and Municipal Mass Transit Bus and School Bus, for introduction to the US market. GAC recently acquired Liberty Electric Cars Limited, a UK-based company that designs, develops, manufacturers and markets electric vehicle technologies for use in its own converted vehicles and for sale to OEM's for incorporation into their production. It provides a full aftermarket program to electric vehicle users to ensure the longevity of their vehicles and has partnership arrangements in other European countries. The Liberty team, can count on over 200 man years of experience in the Automotive industry and specifically 70 plus man years in the EV sector covering some 2,500,000 miles. Green Automotive Company maintains its Corporate Office in Newport Beach, California. Green Automotive Company shares are traded on the OTC Market Tier--OTC Pink Current under the symbol "GACR". For more information visit http://www.usaelectricauto.com or write to info@usaelectricauto.com.
Safe Harbor Statement - This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 27E of the Securities Act of 1934. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, ability to obtain financing and regulatory and shareholder approvals for anticipated actions. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, events and performance to differ materially from those referred to or implied by such statements. In addition, actual or future results may differ materially from those anticipated depending on a variety of factors, including continued maintenance of favorable license arrangements, success of market research identifying new product opportunities, successful introduction of new products, continued product innovation, sales and earnings growth, ability to attract and retain key personnel, and general economic conditions affecting consumer spending. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Green Automotive Company incorporates by reference its disclosure and financial statements posted on http://www.otcmarkets.com, and does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this release to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law.
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HOUSTON, Aug. 6, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Liberty Energy Corp. (LBYE) ("Liberty" or "the Company") announces further details on its new Texas acreage.
The Company is pleased to reveal further details on its newly acquired acreage in Eastland County, Texas. The 112 acre lease is located within Eastland County, approximately 80 miles west of Fort Worth, Texas.
The Company has confirmed that there are two major producing reservoirs that are widespread within this area. The first, Marble Falls, a prolific oil and gas producing reservoir with production being generated from several channel sands found within this Lower Pennsylvanian formation. The second, Mississippian-Duffer limestone, predominantly produces gas with some oil shows. The Duffer formation lies unconformably below the Marble Falls formation. Both zones are widespread in Eastland County and have been highly productive throughout Texas Railroad Commission District 7B.1
The (Mississippian) Barnet Shale is also present in this area. Although its thickness is limited to approximately 50 feet in this area, this geological structure is among the most prolific oil and gas producing areas of Texas. This shale underlies the Duffer Limestone, and is thought to be a source for much of the hydrocarbon found in the reservoirs above.2
The Bend Arch has had a significant effect on the Barnett Shale regarding its burial history and geo-thermal makeup. The Bend Arch-Fort Worth Basin Province resulted in estimated means of 26.7 trillion cubic feet of gas (TCFG), 98.5 million barrels of oil (MMBO), and a mean of 1.1 billion barrels of natural gas liquids (BBNGL).3 Nearly all of the undiscovered gas resource (98 percent, or 26.2 TCFG) is considered to be in continuous accumulations of non-associated gas trapped in strata of two of the three Mississippian-age Barnett Shale AUs of the Barnett-Paleozoic TPS.4 The third AU within this TPS, the Hypothetical Basin-Arch Barnett Shale Oil AU, has not yet been quantitatively assessed because of a lack of data.3 The Barnett-Paleozoic TPS is estimated to contain a mean of 409.2 BCFG of conventional gas, or about 88 percent of all undiscovered conventional gas, and about 64.6 MMB of conventional oil, or about 65 percent of all undiscovered oil in the Bend Arch-Fort Worth Basin Province.4
"We are extremely pleased to have secured this lease which is situated in the heart of existing oil and natural gas fields. This is a formation that has been consistently produced by majors for years including Devon Energy, Chesapeak Energy and ConocoPhillips. We intend to extensively study the surrounding fields and formations in which oil and natural gas have been recovered. We then intend to initiate a detailed geological study of the acreage that will determine how we further develop the property," commented Ian Spowart, CEO of Liberty Energy Corp. For more information on the Eastland Project see the Liberty Energy website at http://www.energy-liberty.com/projects/.
ABOUT LIBERTY: Liberty Energy Corp. (LBYE) is an Independent Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Company dedicated to the sourcing and production of fuel supplies in the United States and Europe. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company has leases and royalties in both Texas and Bulgaria, covering several wells with extensive potential for future development. In Texas, Liberty owns twelve leases based around numerous geological pay zones. In North-West Bulgaria, Liberty has royalty rights to a 1,000,000+ acre natural gas property (the A-Lovech exploration block), an area of high quality, low-sulphur natural gas condensate. Through this combined international reach and domestic focus, Liberty Energy is committed to the development of U.S. fuel reserves while seeking out further opportunities for the global energy markets.
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Liberty Energy Corp. bases these forward-looking statements on current expectations and projections about future events, based on information currently available. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release may also include statements relating to Liberty Energy Corp.'s anticipated financial performance, business prospects, new developments, strategies and similar matters. Liberty Energy Corp. disclaims any obligation to update any of its forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,
Liberty Energy Corp
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Liberty Energy Announces New Acreage in Eastland County, Texas
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Liberty Tire Recycling, the premier provider of tire recycling services in North America, will highlight the innovative applications and benefits of rubberized asphalt on August 15, 2012 with an event called Recycle WISCONSIN: 2012. Held at the Modified Asphalt Research Center (MARC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Engineering Centers Building, Room 1025, 1550 Engineering Drive), the program will gather transportation and environmental professionals, civic leaders and policy-makers together so that they may learn more about new applications for recycled rubber. The event will also include a tour of MARC's lab on campus.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20091210/NE24642LOGO )
"With a renewed focus on community improvement through sustainable sourcing, rubberized asphalt and other innovative applications for recycled rubber create a win-win situation for cities across the nation," said Jeffrey Kendall, CEO of Liberty Tire Recycling. "Reusing scrap tire rubber for infrastructure like highways can help ensure that dangerous tire piles are a thing of the past, and also help build a sustainable future across Wisconsin and the nation."
The sessions will consist of presentations on topics including "Sustainable Asphalt Pavements: An Industry Perspective," "End of Life Tires in Wisconsin," "Wisconsin Experience with Rubber" and "Rubberized Asphalt," which will provide an overview of the advantages of rubberized asphalt, from enhanced safety and reduced tire noise to better crack resistance and cost savings. Following lunch, attendees will go on a tour of MARC's lab on campus.
Rubberized asphalt is a low-cost, high-performance alternative to traditional paving mixes that reduces dependency on oil and limits carbon dioxide emissions. Added to traditional asphalt, crumb rubber comprises 8- to 22-percent of the binder and increases tensile strength. For more than 40 years, rubberized asphalt has proven to diminish maintenance costs and provide a smoother, safer ride. Plus, recycled rubber provides a reliable and consistent supply of material.
"We encourage engineers and road maintenance supervisors to take rubberized asphalt specifications from this event and put them into practice in Wisconsin to help save money without sacrificing performance," Kendall added.
For more information about Liberty Tire Recycling, visit http://www.libertytire.com.
About Liberty Tire Recycling Liberty Tire Recycling is the premier provider of tire recycling services in North America. By recycling more than 140 million tires annually, Liberty Tire reclaims about 1.5 billion pounds of rubber for innovative, eco-friendly products. The recycled rubber produced by Liberty Tire is used as crumb rubber and industrial feedstock for molded products; as tire-derived fuel for industrial kilns, mills and power plants; and as rubber mulch for landscaping and playgrounds. The company maintains a nationwide network of processing plants, and comprehensive door-to-door collection services. Liberty Tire Recycling is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, please visit http://www.libertytire.com.
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The Libertarian Party of Connecticut is planning on opening a campaign headquarters in Canterbury this month, something state Chairman Dan Reale called a first.
A location has been selected but the address is being withheld pending completion of a lease agreement, Reale said in an email to party activists. Reale, who lives in Plainfield and is running for Congress, said details for a grand opening will follow after the lease is signed.
This location will provide office space for the Libertarian Party of Connecticut, my own congressional campaign, and the Gary Johnson (presidential) campaign, the chairman wrote.
The party, known for its small-government positions, is also planning on establishing a headquarters in western Connecticut, Reale said. The western office will direct efforts for U.S. Senate candidate Paul Passarelli and 5th District Congressional candidate Robert Lombardo, according to Reale.
The Eastern Connecticut office will be staffed fulltime, he said. The party will be getting an official phone number, something it hasnt had since 2005. A phone bank is expected to fully operational by October, Reale said. Acquisition of a campaign bus is being considered, he said.
Its been a great year, Reale said by telephone. Were getting ambitious. Were looking to buy a bus.
The Connecticut branch of the party has broken its annual fundraising record by collecting more than $40,000 this year, Reale said. The party is looking to hire additional fundraisers, he said.
The presidential campaign of Johnson, a former New Mexico governor that visited Norwich in March, has collected at least 10,000 Connecticut signatures with a goal of hitting 12,500 by Tuesday. Reale, who ran as a write-in in 2008 and 2010 because of difficulty with gathering and validating signatures, has collected about 4,303. Both amounts, if validated by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, will be more than enough to place both men on the November ballot. Reale said both campaigns plan to submit all signatures by Wednesday.
The Aug. 5 email states that Reale expects to raise $500,000 for his congressional campaign.
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Demand for home health care workers is soaring as baby boomers get older and states try to save money by moving people out of more costly nursing homes. But filling more than 1 million new home care positions over the next decade will be a challenge.
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EMERYVILLE, CA--(Marketwire -08/06/12)- Berkeley Research Group, a leading global expert services and consulting firm, has established a Health Care Special Advisory Board comprising expert physician leaders nationally renowned for clinical excellence and change management in health care. The role of each advisory board member is to counsel BRG and its health care provider clients on clinical redesign and industry best practices to improve health care value (i.e., quality, safety, and cost) in the special advisor's specialty area.
The first appointment to the board is David V. Feliciano, MD, FACS, one of the foremost leaders in general surgery and trauma care in the United States. Dr. Feliciano is on the medical staff at the Atlanta Medical Center, professor of surgery at the Mercer University School of Medicine, and associate director of Critical Care at the Medical Center of Central Georgia. He is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Trauma, the American Surgeon, and the American Journal of Surgery. He is president of the Panamerican Trauma Society and the Atlanta Surgical Association, and has been president of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the Southwestern Surgical Congress, the Western Trauma Association, and the Georgia Surgical Society. He has held leadership positions with major national organizations in surgery, including director of the American Board of Surgery and chair of the Advisory Council for General Surgery of the American College of Surgeons.
"The creation of BRG's Health Care Special Advisory Board reflects our commitment to providing clients with unsurpassed expertise in addressing their most complex issues," said BRG Chairman and Principal Executive Officer David J. Teece.
Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, a leader of BRG's Hospital Performance Improvement practice, board-certified pediatrician, and former CEO of Grady Health System in Atlanta and other hospital systems, said the advisory board will give health providers the benefit of unique experience from some of the top physicians in their respective specialties. "Our clients will have an invaluable advantage in applying best practices to improve patient care, optimize health care value, and achieve a new level of performance improvement," said Dr. Agwunobi, previously named among the "50 Most Powerful Physician Executives" by Modern Healthcare and Modern Physician.
About Berkeley Research Group, LLCBerkeley Research Group, LLC (www.brg-expert.com) is a leading global expert services and consulting firm that provides independent expert testimony, authoritative studies, strategic advice, data analytics, and regulatory and dispute support to Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, major law firms, and regulatory bodies around the world. BRG experts and consultants combine intellectual rigor with practical, real-world experience, and an in-depth understanding of industries and markets. Their expertise spans economics and finance, data analytics and statistics, and public policy in many of the major sectors of our economy including health care, finance, banking, information technology, energy, construction, and real estate. BRG is headquartered in Emeryville, California, with 20 offices in the United States and London, UK.
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Berkeley Research Group Announces Health Care Special Advisory Board
Republican governors who've balked at creating new private insurance markets under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul may end up getting stuck with the very thing they're trying to avoid.
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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
In response to the growing health care needs of Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs is opening a new Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Las Vegas, with the dedication ceremony scheduled for today.
This is, importantly, a promise kept with the 164,000 Veterans who live in Clark, Nye, and Lincoln counties, and all 234,000 Veterans who call Nevada home, as well as Veterans from surrounding states who will find here the care and compassion they seek, said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, who provided keynote remarks at the dedication ceremony. As President Obama recently told the Veterans of Foreign Wars: We keep our promises.
The Las Vegas VAMC underscores VAs commitment to provide the best care anywhere to Americas Veterans, particularly in the critical area of mental health," said Dr. Robert Petzel, VAs Under Secretary for Health. "The opening of this world-class facility is another milestone, and ensures VA provides the care and services our Veterans have earned through their service.
The brand-new $600 million facility will have 90 inpatient beds, a 120-bed community living center (skilled nursing home care facility), and an ambulatory care center. The 90 inpatient beds include a state-of-the-art 22-bed mental health unit, 48 medical/surgical beds, and 20 intensive care unit beds.
As early as this month, the outpatient mental health clinic will be operational. The clinic will provide specialized treatment programs for general mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, gambling addiction, and other unique services such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for the treatment of traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and other conditions. The mental health section has ample patient parking and is located next to the main facility. The inpatient unit is directly above the outpatient mental health clinic, and is in close proximity to the main facility.
Beyond the mental health services, the new VAMC will provide 23 dental exam chairs; 13 surgical, 14 radiology, and 6 audiometric sound suites; as well as a 268 seat food court. A phased opening is planned for August through December 2012.
The Las Vegas VAMC will possess a telehealth unit, with bidirectional just-in-time communication capability with its outlying clinics. This allows doctors to deliver specialized mental health and other services to these clinics. The VAMC and its outlying clinics are also equipped with smart boards, to enhance continuing education for staff and patients.
VA operates the nations largest integrated health care system. With a health care budget of more than $50 billion, VA expects to provide care to 6.1 million patients during 920,000 hospitalizations and nearly 80 million outpatient visits this year. VAs health care network includes 152 major medical centers and more than 800 community-based outpatient clinics.
The new facility meets the latest environmental standards. Portions of the parking areas will have overhead solar panels to provide additional energy to the campus.
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New VA Medical Center with State-of-the-Art Mental Health Unit to Open in Las Vegas
Governor Patrick signs the health care cost containment bill, Monday, Aug. 6, 2012. (Photo: Eric Haynes / Governors Office)
BOSTON (AP) Gov. Deval Patrick on Monday signed into law a bill he said should provide a model for a nation trying to stem the spiraling cost of health care.
The Democrat was joined by lawmakers, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and health care advocates as he signed the bill at a Statehouse ceremony.
Patrick praised the states recent efforts to expand access to health coverage, adding that the new law will build off of the 2006 landmark health care law signed by then-Gov. Mitt Romney that became the model for the federal law signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama.
Patrick said the new law will mark the next big step forward in the states health care system and represents the link between improved care and lower costs. Massachusetts already has the highest percent of insured residents of any state in the country at about 98 percent, according to the administration.
Massachusetts has been a model for the nation for access to health care, Patrick said before signing the bill. Today we become the first to crack the code on costs.
The legislation aims to control health care costs that have continued to grow following the 2006 law, which requires nearly all residents to have health insurance coverage.
The bill is intended to save Massachusetts up to $200 billion in health care costs over the next 15 years by encouraging the creation of accountable care organizations that take a more coordinated approach to medicine. Its also designed to give residents better access to their medical records and cut down on unnecessary testing.
Attorney General Martha Coakley, who has focused on what she calls the dysfunction in the health care market brought on in part by the disparity in hospital costs, said she was pretty happy with this bill.
She said that there is still dysfunction in the health care market, but the new law provides her office with more oversight tools.
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WASHINGTON -- Republican governors who've balked at creating new private insurance markets under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul may end up getting stuck with the very thing they're trying to avoid.
Unless Mitt Romney wins in November, states that haven't set up the required insurance could find Washington calling the shots on some insurance issues the states traditionally manage, from handling consumer complaints to regulating plans that will serve many citizens.
It could turn into a political debacle for those who dug in to fight what they decry as "Obamacare."
"You're kind of rolling the dice if you think (Obama's health care law) will go away," said Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, a Republican. If Romney can't make good on his vow to repeal the overhaul, "you are just giving up a lot of authority."
The law envisioned that states would run the new markets, called exchanges, with federal control as a fallback only. But the fallback now looks as if it will become the standard option in about half the states - at least initially.
It would happen through something called the federal exchange, humming along largely under the radar on a tight development schedule overseen by the Health and Human Services Department in Washington.
Exchanges are new online markets in which individual consumers and small businesses will shop for health insurance among competing private plans. The Supreme Court's health care decision left both state exchanges and the federal option in place.
The exchanges are supposed to demystify the process of buying health insurance, allowing consumers to make apples-to-apples comparisons. Consumers will also be able to find out if they're eligible for new federal subsidies to help pay premiums, or if they qualify for expanded Medicaid.
It's all supposed to work in real time, or close to it, like online travel services. Open enrollment would start a little over a year from now, on Oct. 1, 2013, with coverage kicking in the following Jan. 1.
Eventually more than 25 million people are expected to get coverage through exchanges, including many who were previously uninsured. As exchanges get more customers, competition among insurance plans could help keep costs in check.
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Feds building health care exchanges on schedule despite fight from GOP governors
Researchers at the University of Missouri have found that citizens of countries with press freedom tend to be much happier than citizens of countries without free presses.
Freedom of the press is viewed by many as a cornerstone of democracy. But can it actually help improve people's lives and make them happy? Researchers at the University of Missouri have found that citizens of countries with press freedom tend to be much happier than citizens of countries without free presses. Edson Tandoc, Jr., a doctoral student in the MU School of Journalism, says that press freedom directly predicts life satisfaction across the world.
"We already know that having reliable, objective news sources can benefit democracy, but in this study, we found that press freedom also benefits communities by helping improve the overall quality of life of citizens and, in the process, by also making them happier," Tandoc said. "People enjoy having an element of choice about where they get their news. Citizens of countries without a free press are forced to rely on the government for information, when what people really want is diversity in content where they are free to get the information they want from the source of their choosing."
Tandoc and his co-author, Bruno Takahashi from Michigan State University, analyzed data from 161 countries using a 2010 Gallup Poll evaluating happiness levels around the world. Tandoc and Takahashi compared those happiness levels with Freedom House's press freedom index which rates the level of each country's press freedom. They also examined human development statistics gathered by the United Nations as well as the Environmental Performance Index created by researchers at Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. Tandoc found that the more press freedom a country enjoyed, the higher the levels of life satisfaction, or happiness, of its citizens tended to be.
"The road to happiness isn't direct; it is a complex path or web that includes many different influences and interrelationships," Tandoc said. "Things like improving the economy alone are insufficient for increasing happiness. Protecting press freedom is also an important component of the happiness web."
Tandoc also found that countries with higher levels of press freedom enjoyed better environmental quality and higher levels of human development, both of which also contribute to life satisfaction. He credits this to the watchdog function of the press, which helps expose corruption of all levels in a community.
"A country with a free press is expected to be more open about what is wrong in their societies and with their environments," Tandoc said. "A free press is likely to report about poor human conditions and environmental degradation, bringing problems to the attention of decision-makers. It should not come as a surprise, therefore, that press freedom is positively related to both environmental quality and human development."
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Press freedom leads to happiness, environmental quality, study finds
Public release date: 6-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Nathan Hurst hurstn@missouri.edu 573-882-6217 University of Missouri-Columbia
COLUMBIA, Mo. Freedom of the press is viewed by many as a cornerstone of democracy. But can it actually help improve people's lives and make them happy? Researchers at the University of Missouri have found that citizens of countries with press freedom tend to be much happier than citizens of countries without free presses. Edson Tandoc, Jr., a doctoral student in the MU School of Journalism, says that press freedom directly predicts life satisfaction across the world.
"We already know that having reliable, objective news sources can benefit democracy, but in this study, we found that press freedom also benefits communities by helping improve the overall quality of life of citizens and, in the process, by also making them happier," Tandoc said. "People enjoy having an element of choice about where they get their news. Citizens of countries without a free press are forced to rely on the government for information, when what people really want is diversity in content where they are free to get the information they want from the source of their choosing."
Tandoc and his co-author, Bruno Takahashi from Michigan State University, analyzed data from 161 countries using a 2010 Gallup Poll evaluating happiness levels around the world. Tandoc and Takahashi compared those happiness levels with Freedom House's press freedom index which rates the level of each country's press freedom. They also examined human development statistics gathered by the United Nations as well as the Environmental Performance Index created by researchers at Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. Tandoc found that the more press freedom a country enjoyed, the higher the levels of life satisfaction, or happiness, of its citizens tended to be.
"The road to happiness isn't direct; it is a complex path or web that includes many different influences and interrelationships," Tandoc said. "Things like improving the economy alone are insufficient for increasing happiness. Protecting press freedom is also an important component of the happiness web."
Tandoc also found that countries with higher levels of press freedom enjoyed better environmental quality and higher levels of human development, both of which also contribute to life satisfaction. He credits this to the watchdog function of the press, which helps expose corruption of all levels in a community.
"A country with a free press is expected to be more open about what is wrong in their societies and with their environments," Tandoc said. "A free press is likely to report about poor human conditions and environmental degradation, bringing problems to the attention of decision-makers. It should not come as a surprise, therefore, that press freedom is positively related to both environmental quality and human development."
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This study was published in the Social Indicators Research journal and presented at the International Communication Association 2012 conference in Phoenix.
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Press freedom leads to happiness, environmental quality, MU study finds
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August 6, 2012: The 8th and 9th street beaches in Ocean City, NJ were closed to swimmers due to a sewage leak.
The 8th and 9th street beaches are closed to swimmers in Ocean City, Cape May County, New Jersey, because of a sewage leak.
The yuck got into the storm drain system because of a grease blockage in the sewer line, according to WMGM-TV.
The county health department has to collect water samples and deem the quality okay before they can open the beaches back up for bathing.
That's expected to happen on Tuesday.
The rest of Ocean City's beaches are open.
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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune Published: August 06, 2012 Updated: August 06, 2012 - 11:06 AM
The amount of sand that Tropical Storm Debby washed away from three Pinellas County beaches 630,000 cubic yards would fill more than 100,000 dump trucks or 3,316 backyard pools, beach-watchers say.
But, of course, it didn't really disappear. It just was repositioned in nearby offshore sand bars.
While some officials say it would cost $25 million to replenish the shoreline in St. Pete Beach, Sand Key and Treasure Island, others maintain Mother Nature will do the job for a lot cheaper. It just might take a little longer.
Visitors to the area appear unconcerned. There's still plenty of beach to go around, locals say, plenty of space to spread blankets and coolers. The sunset remains unobstructed.
Geologists at the University of South Florida made measurements before and after the tropical storm, which swept the Pinellas Coast for three days at the end of June, and determined that some parts of the shore lost more sand than others.
Pinellas County officials are applying for emergency funds to restore the beaches. When the storm hit, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers already was working on widening the beach on Sand Key, which involved pumping 1.25 million cubic yards of sand from the bottom 12 miles out.
The cost of that project: $31.5 million.
Bill Smith of Indian Shores is a director with the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association, based in Tallahassee. He said the erosion from Tropical Storm Debby was second only to the 1985 erosion caused by Hurricane Elena.
Elena sat out in the Gulf and voraciously swept the sand away from Pinellas beaches. "It ate away so much sand one timeshare building on Belleair Beach had its pool destroyed; the foundation just fell away," Smith said.
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