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NEW YORK, April 28 /PRNewswire/ — Merchants NY Cigar Bar, the go-to smoke spot on New York’s Upper East Side since 1997, triumphed in its five-year long legal battle when the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, in a unanimous decision dated March 27, 2008, upheld the lower court’s decision of a year earlier which concluded that the Department of health arbitrarily and capriciously wrongly denied “tobacco bar” registration status.
The Department of health had asserted fourteen (14) separate reasons why the Cigar Bar should be denied registration. The Appellate Division rejected all of them finding that the health Department’s denial of tobacco bar status was “arbitrary and capricious” and none of the reasons for denial justified “the drastic penalty of shutting down petitioner’s business.”
“We are extremely pleased that the Court recognized what our clientele have known for over 10 years,” said Abraham Merchant, a principal along with Andy Emmet and Richard Cohn. “Our guests can now relax and enjoy their cigars and favorite libations without fear that the health Department will be issuing violations or trying to shut us down.”
About Merchants NY Cigar Bar:
Merchants NY Cigar bar is well appointed for large corporate and private functions. Designed by Prevost Design Inc, the rich carpet and plush furniture hints of an English Gentlemen’s Club; the Victorian influences denote a sense of elegance and luxury of a bygone era. The rich marble-top of the bar, with bold designs and colors are emblematic throughout. A working fireplace, lit throughout the year, provides ambiance as well as a warm relaxed setting and solicitous service that beckons you to savor your favorite libation with friends and associates while enjoying the best cigars. Visit us on the web at .
To accompany the libations, menu selection includes, Foie Gras Torchon, Smoked Salmon Puffs, Samosas, Artisinal Cheeses, Tuna Tartare, Lobster Club, and Gourmet Burgers. Located at 1125 First Avenue, Lower Level, NY, NY 10065 (212) 832.4610. Open daily from 5:00 pm - 4:00 am. Proper Attire required.
Contact:
Richard Cohn
Vice President, Principal
Merchants Hospitality Inc.
Phone: 212.871.4000

Merchants NY Cigar Bar

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ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 28 /PRNewswire/ — HealthMedia, the global leader in scalable behavior change interventions with outcomes for health and wellness, disease management, behavioral health, and medication adherence, is launching a large-scale effort to raise awareness about the rising prevalence of insomnia and its growing impact on healthcare costs and productivity. The campaign includes a free webinar, communications campaigns to employers and health plans, collaboration with non-profit organizations specializing in insomnia, and an educational and entertaining video created to raise awareness about this important issue.
“Insomnia rates are over 30 percent in almost every population, it is the second leading drain on productivity behind depression, and is a leading co-morbid and co-behavioral condition with many other health issues,” said Ted Dacko, HealthMedia President and CEO. “We are filling this gap in wellness and disease management programs by rolling out a comprehensive campaign that includes education, awareness, and effective low-cost solutions for insomnia. Insomnia costs employers as much as obesity, yet we continue to ignore it.” HealthMedia will work with employer and health plan customers to educate employees and members about insomnia and its impact on their mental and physical health.
Research data from HealthMedia and other sources shows that:

— Those with severe insomnia miss work twice as often as good sleepers
— Their rate of serious work errors is 2.5 times higher
— The annual cost for absenteeism per worker with insomnia is $4,800
— HealthMedia self-report health risk assessment (HRA) data shows that
people who get 6 hours or less of sleep per night report a significant
reduction in productivity than people who get 7 to 8 hours
— Those who sleep 6 hours or less per night generate 15 percent more care
visits than those who sleep 7 to 8 hours

Entertaining Video Designed to Capture Consumer Attention

Dacko pointed out that overtired consumers are bombarded with advertisements for quick fixes to sleep deprivation in the form of expensive mattresses and caffeinated drinks. “These products are not solutions, and will not reduce health costs or restore lost productivity, so we needed to compete for consumer attention by developing an entertaining and engaging video that educates consumers about insomnia and guides them toward healthy and effective solutions.” The brief video can be viewed at .
April 30 Insomnia Webinar: An Alarming Wake-up Call
On Wednesday, April 30, HealthMedia will present a webinar with special guest Dr. Todd Arendt, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at the University of Michigan. The webinar will focus on insomnia, its close relationship with other health problems, and its impact on healthcare costs and productivity. It will also discuss treatment options for insomnia, and recommendations for innovative and inexpensive ways employers and health plans can identify and address insomnia across large populations. Individuals can register for the webinar by going to or calling 734-623-5474.
Insomnia will be Component of Major IHPM National Behavioral health Initiative
As the founding sponsor of the Institute for health and Productivity Management (IHPM) Workplace Center for Behavioral Health, HealthMedia will be instrumental in working with IHPM and other organizations to address the impact of insomnia and other behavioral health issues on workplace productivity. The Workplace Center will serve as the leading source of credible, usable information for employers on a range of behavioral health issues, including identifying conditions and their co-morbidities, engaging employees in diagnosis and treatment, and measuring healthcare and workplace productivity costs and outcomes.
HealthMedia Overcoming(TM) Insomnia Outcomes
HealthMedia’s Overcoming(TM) Insomnia program uses evidence-based techniques to help individuals recover from insomnia. Individuals who have participated in this innovative online intervention have experienced positive results, including:
— 45 minute increase in average nightly sleep time
— 31 percent reduction in fatigue
— 38 percent reduction in difficulty falling asleep
— 20 percent reduction in anxiety
— 31 percent increase in confidence to manage insomnia
— $2,745 productivity savings per participant per year

About HealthMedia, Inc.

HealthMedia, Inc. is the global leader in scalable behavior change interventions with outcomes. HealthMedia’s proven outcomes increase compliance, reduce medical utilization, and increase productivity-boosting profitability for health plans, employers, pharmaceutical companies, and behavioral health organizations. A fusion of their own unique technology and proven behavioral science, HealthMedia delivers individually tailored behavior change interventions for health and wellness, disease management, behavioral health, and medication compliance. Clients include Kaiser Permanente, UPS, Cleveland Clinic, Johnson & Johnson, GSK, and eight Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations across the United States. HealthMedia partners include APS Healthcare, Corphealth, health Dialog, Wellsource, and SHPS. For more information visit .
HealthMedia, Inc.

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NEW YORK, April 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — mtvU, MTV’s Peabody and Emmy Award-winning college network, and the Kaiser Family Foundation, in partnership with POZ Magazine, today unveiled “Pos or Not” ( an online game that challenges stereotypes and breaks down the barriers that may prevent people from talking openly about HIV/AIDS, getting tested, and using protection.
People from across the U.S. - half of whom are living with HIV and half who are not - share parts of their lives for “Pos or Not” by divulging their HIV status to help dispel myths and misconceptions about HIV and AIDS. Players confront their own HIV stereotypes as they guess whether a profiled participant is positive or negative based only on a photo and a few personal details, such as what they do on the weekends or their favorite kind of music.
Among the participants who are positive, we’re provided a window on the circumstances in which they learn their HIV status - including after the birth of a child, calls from ex-lovers, and long-postponed HIV tests. HIV negative participants share how the disease has touched their lives, claiming boyfriends, girlfriends, mothers and best friends. Every individual stresses that HIV affects everyone and that the only way to truly know your own or some else’s HIV status is by getting tested.
While “Pos or Not” confronts stereotypes and popular misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, it also provides users with information about HIV prevention, as well as local HIV and STD testing resources from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). In addition, players are invited to join the game to help underscore that there’s no way to tell a person’s HIV status from how they look or what they do.
Several of the most requested acts on college campuses and major pop culture figures are also lending their efforts to help stoke the online viral spread of “Pos or Not,” including Wyclef Jean, Fall Out Boy, Will.i.am, Alyssa Milano, Say Anything, Perez Hilton, Angels & Airwaves, Atmosphere, The Spill Canvas, 30 Seconds to Mars, Aesop Rock, Motion City Soundtrack, All Time Low and Rise Against. Beginning today, these and many others are sending the game to their fans, families and friends, via a feature that allows users to share “Pos or Not” with everybody in their e-mail address books with only a couple clicks.
“‘Pos or Not’ is an urgent analogue to HotorNot.com, designed to capture college students’ attention and harness the viral nature of the Web in the ongoing fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS,’” said Stephen Friedman, GM, mtvU. “‘Pos or Not’ was created to shatter myths, challenge assumptions and promote responsible sexual behavior - and we salute every participant, as well as the team of college students who conceived the game, for breathing life into it.”
“‘Pos or Not’ confronts the stigma and stereotypes that fuel the continued spread of this disease some 25 years since the first diagnosis,” said Tina Hoff, vice president and director of Entertainment Media Partnerships at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “‘Pos or Not’ has the powerful effect of allowing young people across the country to learn more about those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and in doing so hopefully form a more personal understanding of the disease.”
“The HIV-positive community has the unique ability to debunk myths and dissolve dangerous stereotypes around HIV/AIDS,” said Regan Hofmann, editor-in-chief of POZ magazine. “Having a face-to-face encounter with a person living with the virus can also positively affect the choices people make regarding behaviors that can lead to their contracting HIV. I think that ‘Pos or Not’ is a wonderful way to allow the HIV community to serve as an awareness and prevention tool for those who are - but who do not believe themselves to be - at risk.”
“Pos or Not” was inspired by the winners of the “Change the Course of HIV Challenge,” a nationwide competition that asked college students to propose a viral, Web-based game that would creatively engage people to help combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. The winning concept was submitted by a team from the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy and included designers Brendan McLeod and Matthew Laurence, programmers Chris Camilleri and Gabriel Montagne, and artist Chip Lundell.
College students helped conceive “Pos or Not” and are pioneering the future of digital activism every day, so mtvU, the Kaiser Family Foundation and POZ Magazine are calling on users to imagine ways the game can be even more viral and impactful. Anyone with a vision for how “Pos or Not” can be effectively executed on other platforms (mobile, social networks, etc.), remixed, or in any way serve as an even more powerful call to action on the HIV/AIDS epidemic are encouraged to send ideas to . mtvU and the Kaiser Family Foundation are committing to incorporate the best concepts into future versions of the game - or a completely re-imagined iteration - so it continues to evolve and reach more people.
“Pos or Not” follows on the success of “Darfur is Dying” (), mtvU’s student-developed videogame - now played more than 3 million times by over 1.5 million people - designed to spread awareness of and spur action to end the genocide in Darfur. “Darfur is Dying” is a narrative-based simulation where the user, from the perspective of a displaced Darfurian, negotiates forces that threaten the survival of his or her refugee camp. The game is a key element of mtvU’s nearly four-year, student-led, Emmy Award-winning Sudan campaign.
Representatives from mtvU and the Kaiser Family Foundation will be presenting “Pos or Not” at the fourth annual Games for health Conference, taking place May 8 - 9 in Baltimore, Maryland. To learn more about the conference, please visit .
About The Kaiser Family Foundation
The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation dedicated to providing information and analysis on health care issues to policymakers, the media, the health care community, and the general public. The foundation is not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries. Information on HIV/AIDS is available at , and a daily news summary report on developments in HIV/AIDS is available on , the Foundation’s free health information service.
About mtvU
Broadcast to more than 750 college campuses and via top cable distributors in 700 college communities nationwide, mtvU reaches upwards of 9 million U.S. college students - making it the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S, as well as on cable systems from Charter Communications, Verizon FiOS TV, Suddenlink Communications, AT&T u-Verse and nearly 70 others. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life, reaching students everywhere they are: on-air, online and on campus. mtvU programs music videos from emerging artists that can’t be seen anywhere else, news, student life features and initiatives that give college students the tools to advance positive social change. mtvU is always on campus, with more than 500 events per year, including exclusive concerts, giveaways, shooting mtvU series and more. For more information about mtvU, and a complete programming schedule, visit .
mtvU also owns and operates the College Media Network, the largest interactive network of online college newspapers in the US, and RateMyProfessors.com, the Internet’s largest listing of collegiate professor ratings. The College Media Network comprises nearly 600 campus publications that serve institutions including Brown University, the University of Illinois, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin and Duke University, with a combined enrollment of over 5.5 million students, reaching an average of 5 million unique users each month. RateMyProfessors.com reaches approximately 2.9 million college students each month, via the site’s more than 6.6 million student-generated ratings of over 1,000,000 college professors.
MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom , is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks, with more than 150 channels worldwide, owns and operates the following television programming services - MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN/THE N, VH1 CLASSIC, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, all of these networks trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 300 interactive properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.
About POZ
POZ is the premier lifestyle, treatment and advocacy magazine for people living with — and those affected by — HIV and AIDS. The award-winning magazine and website () provide the most complete and expert HIV/AIDS information available in the United States. Together, the magazine and website reach more than 70 percent of all of those living with HIV/AIDS who are aware of their status. The website provides extensive opportunity for both public and private social networking and represents one of the largest communities of openly HIV-positive people in the world. For more information, please visit .
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Henry J. Kaiser Foundation

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PITTSBURGH, April 29 /PRNewswire/ — The Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh is pleased to announce UPMC health Plan as the naming sponsor for its 18th Annual Spring Clothes Out Event to be held Wednesday, May 7, 2008, from 5 - 7:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh. The annual event also welcomes its first Honorary Chair, Diane P. Holder, President and CEO of UPMC health Plan.
“UPMC health Plan is pleased to champion the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh’s efforts to end intimate partner violence in the lives of women and their children in the Pittsburgh area,” said Diane P. Holder. “They are making a real difference. Over the past year, the Women’s Center & Shelter Hotline answered about 5,000 domestic violence-related calls and counseled more than 600 adults and 70 children.”
“We feel extremely fortunate for the generosity and support UPMC health Plan has given to our Spring Clothes Out event,” stated Shirl Regan, Executive Director of the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. “Thanks to their support, we look forward to a very successful event.”
The UPMC health Plan Spring Clothes Out Event annually presents the Ted Craig Humanitarian Award to an organization that demonstrates and embodies the spirit of the award’s namesake, Ted Craig. Mr. Craig, a former managing partner at Kirkpatrick and Lockhart, LLP, was a loyal friend and supporter of the Women’s Center & Shelter. Honorees who receive this award exhibit excellence and outstanding achievement and commitment to eliminating intimate partner violence.
This year, WC&S will present the award to the Allegheny County’s District Attorney’s Domestic Violence (DV) Unit. The DV Unit was formed in 1999 by District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala, Jr. First Assistant District Attorney, Chris Connors, was the Unit’s first “specialist” in intimate partner violence and assisted in the development of the DV Unit. Currently, the Unit is headed by Deputy District Attorney, Darrell Dugan, and consists of five prosecutors, one paralegal, and one legal intern.
Prior to the formation of the DV Unit, it is estimated that over 75% of the domestic violence prosecutions were not processed to a final court outcome with many of them being withdrawn or dismissed. Now, that number has flipped to over 75% being prosecuted to verdict, with the clear message being sent that DV is a crime. The installation of the DV Unit has also brought with it a strong partnership with WC&S’s Legal Advocacy Department. Now the DV Unit and WC&S work together as DV cases are prosecuted at the Common Pleas Court Level and in hearings for Indirect
Criminal Contempt for violations of Protection from Abuse Orders. The two offices also work as co-presenters and co-facilitators in domestic violence training for police officers. The partnership has provided a critical resource for DV victims who seek protection and justice from intimate partner violence.
“The creation of the District Attorney’s DV Unit has been the most significant improvement ever in this county’s criminal justice system in terms of its response to victims of intimate partner violence. The DV prosecutors are in a unique position to ensure victim safety and hold batterers accountable as they not only prosecute individual cases but also work to improve the overall justice system response to DV,” commented WC&S Legal Director, Lorraine Bittner. WC&S Legal Advocacy Manager, Joyce McAneny, concurred by saying, “We are especially proud of the strong relationship and good communication that have been forged between the DA’s DV Unit and WC&S as they work on behalf of DV victims.”
The second focus of the event entails accepting clothing donations for resident and non-resident clients of WC&S. Donations of gently worn women’s business suits or dresses will be accepted for women who are entering or continuing in the work force in an effort to ease any financial burden. Donations of used cell phones will also be accepted. Additionally, the event will welcome a survivor of intimate partner violence who will tell her story and how she was helped by WC&S and the DV Unit.
Since 1974, WCS has been offering a safe haven for women and children who are victims of intimate partner violence. As one of the first six Domestic Violence Shelters in the United States, WC&S has worked tirelessly to provide first rate care for women and children by providing support, advocacy and information to allow them to make informed decisions for themselves and their children.
WC&S provides high quality, confidential programs offered in an environment where justice, autonomy, restoration and safety are the priorities. Special events like UPMC health Plan Spring Clothes Out help raise the money needed for WC&S to provide its services free of charge including:
— 24-hour hotline (412-687-8005)
— Emergency shelter
— Legal and medical advocacy
— Individual and group support
— Prevention education

Tickets for the UPMC health Plan Spring Clothes Out are $50 per person and can be purchased on-line at or by calling 412-687-8017 X338.
Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh

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LISLE, IL, April 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — SXC health Solutions, Corp. (”SXC” or the “Company”) , today announced that its indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary has accepted for payment and exchange all shares validly tendered pursuant to its exchange offer for all outstanding shares of common stock of National Medical health Card Systems, Inc. at a per share price of $7.70 in cash, without interest, and 0.217 of a common share of SXC.
As of the expiration of the exchange offer, based on information provided by the Exchange Agent and Depositary for the exchange offer, a total of approximately 11,729,145 shares of NMHC common stock were tendered and not withdrawn, representing approximately 90.15% of NMHC’s outstanding shares.
“We are very pleased with the outcome of the exchange offer process,” said Gordon S. Glenn, Chairman and CEO of SXC. “By receiving more than 90% approval from NMHC’s shareholders, we can advance closing of the transaction on a fast-track basis. We now expect to close the merger in a day or two.”
As SXC, through its indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary, now owns more than 90% of the outstanding shares of NMHC common stock, it expects to merge its subsidiary with and into NMHC pursuant to a short-form merger as a result of which NMHC will become an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of SXC and each share of common stock of NMHC outstanding immediately prior to the short-form merger (other than shares of NMHC common stock held in NMHC’s treasury or owned by NMHC, SXC or any of its subsidiaries and shares for which dissenter’s rights have been perfected) will be converted into the right to receive $7.70 in cash, without interest, and 0.217 of a common share of SXC. No further action is required by the remaining stockholders of NMHC to effect the merger.
About SXC health Solutions
SXC health Solutions, Corp. (SXC) is a leading provider of pharmacy benefits management (PBM) services and healthcare IT solutions to the healthcare benefits management industry. The Company’s product offerings and solutions combine a wide range of software applications, application service provider (ASP) processing services and professional services, designed for many of the largest organizations in the pharmaceutical supply chain, such as Federal, provincial, and, state and local governments, pharmacy benefit managers, managed care organizations, retail pharmacy chains and other healthcare intermediaries. SXC is based in Lisle, Illinois with locations in: Scottsdale, Arizona; Warminster, Pennsylvania; Alpharetta, Georgia; Milton, Ontario and Victoria, British Columbia. For more information please visit .
Additional Information
A registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the SXC common shares being offered in the exchange offer and the subsequent merger has been filed with the SEC and declared effective. NMHC STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY READ THESE DOCUMENTS AND THE OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE EXCHANGE OFFER AND SUBSEQUENT BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION RELATING TO THE EXCHANGE OFFER AND SUBSEQUENT MERGER. You may obtain a free copy of these documents, and other annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information filed with the SEC by SXC or NMHC, at the SEC’s website at . Investors and security holders may also read and copy any reports, statements and other information filed by SXC, Comet Merger Corporation or NMHC with the SEC, at the SEC public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 or visit the SEC’s website for further information on its public reference room.
Forward-looking Statements
This communication contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “believes,”"expects,”"anticipates,”"estimates,”"projects,”"intends,”"should,”"seeks,”"future,” continue,” or the negative of such terms, or other comparable terminology. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the expected benefits of the transaction involving SXC and NMHC, including potential synergies and cost savings, future financial and operating results, and the combined company’s plans and objectives. In addition, statements made in this communication about anticipated financial results, future operational improvements and results or regulatory approvals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by them. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement; (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that have been or may be instituted against NMHC or SXC and others following announcement of the merger agreement; (3) the inability to complete the merger due to the failure to satisfy the conditions to the merger; (4) risks that the proposed transaction disrupts current plans and operations and potential difficulties in employee retention as a result of the exchange offer or the merger; (5) the ability to recognize the benefits of the merger; (6) legislative, regulatory and economic developments; and (7) other factors described in filings with the SEC. Many of the factors that will determine the outcome of the subject matter of this communication are beyond NMHC’s and SXC’s ability to control or predict. SXC can give no assurance that any of the transactions related to the exchange offer will be completed or that the conditions to the exchange offer and the merger will be satisfied. SXC undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SXC is not responsible for updating the information contained in this communication beyond the published date, or for changes made to this communication by wire services or Internet service providers.
SXC health Solutions, Inc.

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LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., May 29 /PRNewswire/ — IPRO, an independent, not-for-profit organization that evaluates and works to improve the quality of health care, announced today that it has received a grant through Google’s AdWords program. The donated advertising on Google will link users with IPRO’s consumer-directed sites.
“We are very appreciative of Google’s grant, which will help us enormously in our efforts to make health care consumers aware of their rights and to publicize data on health care quality and cost,” says Spencer Vibbert, Vice President, Communications and Corporate Development, IPRO. “Google is one of the Internet’s most heavily used search engines, and we expect that our advertising will drive many people to this free consumer-focused Web content who might not ordinarily access it.”
Google has worked with IPRO to come up with a number of sponsored ads that appear at the top or side of search pages when New York-based users type in certain terms. For example, an IPRO ad appears at the top of the screen after typing “hospital report card” during a Google search. Clicking on the link takes users to a page on IPRO’s site that includes links to six publicly available report cards on hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies and health plans. By typing in “quality of care complaints,” users see an IPRO ad that takes them to a site featuring information on how to file medicare quality of care complaints.
As part of its grant to IPRO, Google will donate up to $10,000 a month in ads. Ad costs are estimated based on the number of times people click on them. At $1 a click, up to 10,000 people a month will be able to click on the Google-sponsored IPRO ads.
The Google Grants program supports organizations sharing Google’s philosophy of community service to help the world in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy, and the arts. Designed for 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, Google Grants is a unique in-kind advertising program harnessing the power of the Google AdWords advertising product. Google Grants has awarded AdWords advertising to hundreds of non-profit groups whose missions range from animal welfare to literacy, from supporting homeless children to promoting HIV education.
“The Internet is a prime source of health information for American consumers,” says Jaz-Michael King, Senior Director, Communications and Corporate Development, IPRO. “As a result, we have created our own tools for evaluating health care performance, such as the New York Regional Health Care Report Card. We have also aggregated other sites that provide the most reliable and valid performance data on health care providers and payers, such as public reports developed by the Centers for medicare & Medicaid Services and the New York State Department of Health. Google’s ads will enable many more people to access these sites through the main portal of .”
With more than 20 years of experience in health care quality improvement and evaluation, IPRO holds major contracts with state and federal governments to review the cost and quality of services provided to Medicaid recipients, medicare beneficiaries, and patients enrolled in managed care organizations and to work with the health care community to improve those services. IPRO also manages the Medicare-designated End Stage Renal Disease Network of New York. Based in Lake Success, New York, IPRO also holds contracts with private-sector clients to improve the quality of privately financed services.
Contact:
Spencer Vibbert
516/326-7767

Dennis Tartaglia/Rebecca Janoff
212/481-7000

IPRO

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FALLS CHURCH, Va., April 30 /PRNewswire/ — Computer Sciences Corporation today announced that Dr. Robert M. Wah, chief medical officer and vice president of its North American Public Sector business unit, has been ranked number 10 in Modern Physician and Modern Healthcare magazines’ annual ranking of the 50 Most Powerful Physician Executives, published in April. Readers from both magazines nominated 7,300 physician executives for the fourth annual ranking. Of the top 100 most-nominated candidates, nearly 20,000 ballots were cast to determine the top 50. This year, Dr. Wah advanced four places in his ranking from number 14 in last year’s poll.
“This ranking reflects Dr. Wah’s commitment and leadership to transform healthcare with better information for better decisions,” said Raymond E. Henry, president of CSC’s North American Public Sector Government health Services division. “We congratulate Dr. Wah on this recognition of his many accomplishments. He is an expert in health information systems and his successes show our customers that they can count on us to improve the quality of patient care through the use of information technology.”
Dr. Wah’s focus is on managing and growing business with federal and state government agencies responsible for healthcare, and working closely with CSC’s commercial and international business units that serve the healthcare sector.
Since joining CSC in 2007, Dr. Wah has applied his insights and expertise to many of the company’s client programs, including occupational healthcare in high-risk locations such as the Hanford Nuclear facility; claims processing for eMedNY, the New York Medicaid system which handled 600 million transactions last year with no downtime; and bringing new discoveries from the lab to patients at DynPort Vaccine Company LLC. He is also working on bioinformatics harnessing technology to extract value from data and connecting data islands around the globe with CSC projects such as the Nationwide health Information Network trial implementation in the United States, and projects in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Denmark.
Dr. Wah continues to be an active leader within the overall healthcare industry, serving on multiple boards and teaching at educational institutions. He is also often sought by the media for his expertise and regularly speaks at industry conferences.
Prior to joining CSC, Dr. Wah served as acting deputy national coordinator for health information technology (IT) at the U.S. Department of health and Human Services. He also worked for the Military health System in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the associate chief information officer and director of information management. In addition, he served 23 years in the Navy Medical Corps, most recently at the rank of captain.
About CSC
Computer Sciences Corporation is a leading global IT services company. CSC’s mission is to provide customers in industry and government with solutions crafted to meet their specific challenges and enable them to profit from the advanced use of technology.
With approximately 91,000 employees, CSC provides innovative solutions for customers around the world by applying leading technologies and CSC’s own advanced capabilities. These include systems design and integration; IT and business process outsourcing; applications software development; Web and application hosting; and management consulting. CSC reported revenue of $16.1 billion for the 12 months ended Dec. 28, 2007. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at .
Computer Sciences Corporation

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ATLANTA, April 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — EDS, the recognized leader in providing health care support to state governments, has been awarded a seven-year, $391 million contract by the state of Georgia to design, develop and implement a new-generation Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS). The new system will provide fiscal agent and enrollment broker services and establish electronic health records (EHRs) for Medicaid recipients. The contract was awarded in the first quarter of 2008.
The EDS Georgia interChange system will provide the platform to support delivery of fiscal agent services to Georgia’s 45,000 Medicaid providers, who annually care for more than 1.2 million beneficiaries. Georgia operates the nation’s eighth-largest Medicaid program in the nation.
The contract returns EDS to Georgia as the state’s fiscal agent after a five-year hiatus and brings to 22 the number of states for which EDS serves as fiscal agent or principal IT provider. EDS previously served as the state’s fiscal agent from 1986-2003.
EDS will implement its federally certified interChange Medicaid system, which has served as an industry model and is in operation or being implemented in more than a dozen states.
In addition to providing claims processing for health care providers and enabling EHRs for Medicaid recipients, the Web-based system will provide Georgia with greater flexibility. It also will provide the state with data analysis about health care trends and outcomes of Georgia’s Medicaid population to assess needs and impacts of current programs. Additionally, the system will help the state identify potential fraud and abuse.
EDS will also provide Medicaid eligibility verification services under a separate contract awarded last year.
“Georgia sought an innovative yet proven solution that would improve service to its many health care providers and program beneficiaries,” said Sean Kenny, EDS Global Healthcare Industry vice president. “The EDS Georgia interChange system will enable the state to analyze volumes of medical data to identify health trends across the state and make more effective policy decisions to improve the health outcomes for its Medicaid members.”
“We are elated to return to Georgia as the state’s Medicaid partner and build on the momentum of our interChange solution,” said Barbara Anderson, vice president of EDS State Healthcare. “We look forward to helping Georgia with flexible, cutting-edge Medicaid management technologies that will grow with the state’s needs and help implement the state’s Medicaid vision.”
EDS touches more than 200 million patient lives annually, processing about 1 billion Medicaid claims a year, far more than any other company. As the country’s largest processor of health care claims, EDS is uniquely suited to help organizations take advantage of the latest technology advances to address the critical goals of lowering costs, improving care and increasing efficiency. With 7,000 professionals dedicated to serving the health care sector, EDS provides a comprehensive range of end-to-end services such as Medicaid fiscal agent services; health care analytics and decision support services; health care fraud, abuse and detection services and electronic health records.
About EDS
EDS is a leading global technology services company delivering business solutions to its clients. EDS founded the information technology outsourcing industry more than 45 years ago. Today, EDS delivers a broad portfolio of information technology and business process outsourcing services to clients in the manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, communications, energy, transportation, and consumer and retail industries and to governments around the world. Learn more at eds.com.
The statements in this news release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding the amount of new contract values, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond EDS’ control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. For information concerning these risks and uncertainties, see EDS’ most recent Form 10-K. EDS disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
CONTACT:
Bill Ritz - EDS
703 742 1307

Electronic Data Systems Corporation

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MINNEAPOLIS, May 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — health Fitness Corporation (BULLETIN BOARD: HFIT) , a leading provider of integrated employee health and productivity management solutions, today announced that it has completed its previously announced share repurchase plan.
Under this plan, the company repurchased 1.14 million shares of its common stock on the open market in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b-18 and other pertinent rules and regulations. Share repurchases were funded by the company’s available working capital.
“We are pleased to complete our share repurchase program, which reflects our confidence in our strategy and focus as we move health Fitness forward,” said Gregg Lehman, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer.
About health Fitness Corporation
Health Fitness Corporation is a leading provider of integrated employee health and productivity management solutions to Fortune 500 companies, the health care industry and individual consumers. Serving clients for more than 30 years, health Fitness Corporation partners with employers to effectively manage their health care and productivity costs by improving individual health and well-being. health Fitness Corporation serves more than 300 clients globally via on-site management and remotely via Web and telephonic services. health Fitness Corporation provides a complete portfolio of health and fitness management solutions including a proprietary health risk assessment platform, screenings, EMPOWERED(TM) health Coaching and delivery of health improvement programs. health Fitness Corporation employs more than 3,000 health and fitness professionals in national and international locations who are committed to the company’s mission of “improving the health and well-being of the people we serve.” For more information on health Fitness Corporation, visit .
CONTACTS
Wes Winnekins, CFO David Heinsch
health Fitness Corporation Padilla Speer Beardsley
(952) 897-5275 (612) 455-1768

Health Fitness Corporation

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CHICAGO and FORT WAYNE, Ind., April 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Allscripts, the leading provider of clinical software, connectivity and information solutions that physicians use to improve healthcare, announced today that The Heart Center Medical Group has selected the Allscripts Electronic health Record (EHR) and Practice Management (PM) solution to automate and connect clinical and administrative processes for its 50 physicians.
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The Heart Center is a physician-owned multi-specialty group practice operating out of a new state-of-the-art 82,000-square-foot facility and nine other locations across the Fort Wayne area.
“We’re trying to lead a little healthcare revolution right here in Indiana and Allscripts is the right partner to help,” said Joel R. Sauer, Chief Executive Officer of the Heart Center. “It’s a great situation when you can provide better patient care with a tool that let’s you do better financially, too.”
In 2001, the Heart Center implemented the Impact.MD document management solution from Allscripts. Impact.MD improves chart access and practice workflow by electronically scanning and filing current documents and making them accessible to the entire staff, regardless of their location. The Heart Center decided to implement the Allscripts solution as a step towards adopting a full Electronic health Record.
“It’s the best thing we ever did,” Sauer said of deploying Impact.MD. “We now have lower costs on a per physician basis than we could ever have achieved with paper records. And we believe the electronic health record will bring even better results.”
Sauer said the practice expects to hit the break-even point on its Allscripts EHR-PM purchase within eight to 12 months. Savings will come mainly in the form of reduced transcription expenses, personnel efficiencies in the clinical, support and billing areas, and the ability to more accurately capture charges, which lowers claims denials.
“Very few things generate a payback in one year but Allscripts has consistently proven they can do it,” said Sauer. “In my mind, though, it doesn’t matter when we hit that payback because we’ll be doing a better job for our patients, better for ourselves, and more efficiently. The icing on the cake is that we can provide better care while making it positive for us financially in the long run.”
Allscripts Chief Executive Officer Glen Tullman commented, “We’re excited that the Heart Center and other leading cardiology groups think of Allscripts when they want to take their practices to the next level. The revolution that the Heart Center is leading will redefine how we manage chronic disease and maintain patient health. It’s a transformation that Allscripts fuels with the right information delivered in real-time when and where it’s needed.”
The Heart Center looked at other integrated Electronic health Record and Practice Management systems before selecting Allscripts. In the end, the group chose Allscripts because of its history of success with the company, and because no other EHR-PM solution on the market could match Allscripts for ease of use and depth of functionality. Sauer said the group’s physicians were especially excited about Allscripts automated health maintenance plans, which help providers rapidly sort through complex data to more accurately understand the patient in less time.
“When our doctors saw the health-maintenance screen, everybody’s eyes lit up,” said Sauer. “When you can see in one place what every other provider is doing, you look like a hero to patients. You can say ‘hey, I may be your cardiologist but I see you’re overdue for your colonoscopy.’ Patients win, we win, everybody wins.”
The Allscripts Electronic health Record will enable The Heart Center’s physicians to instantly access patient information when and where they need it — in the main campus or satellite offices, at the hospital or while on-call at home. The web-based solution speeds and automates everyday clinical tasks such as prescribing and refilling medications, ordering and viewing tests, and documenting care. Allscripts PM combines sophisticated scheduling and financial management tools in a single package that is fully integrated with the EHR.
About The Heart Center Medical Group
The Heart Center Medical Group is a physician-owned multi-specialty medical practice that has served the Fort Wayne community for more than 30 years. The group’s 50 physicians serve as a resource for the diagnosis and treatment of illness, as well as disease prevention and the promotion of wellness. For more information, visit .
About Allscripts
Allscripts is the leading provider of clinical software, connectivity and information solutions that physicians use to improve healthcare. The company’s unique solutions inform, connect and transform healthcare, delivering improved care at lower cost. More than 40,000 physicians and thousands of other healthcare professionals in clinics, hospitals and extended care facilities nationwide utilize Allscripts to automate everyday tasks such as writing prescriptions, documenting patient care, managing billing and scheduling, and safely discharging patients, as well as to connect with key information and stakeholders in the healthcare system. To learn more, visit Allscripts at .
This announcement may contain forward-looking statements about Allscripts Healthcare Solutions that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are developed by combining currently available information with Allscripts beliefs and assumptions. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance. Because Allscripts cannot predict all of the risks and uncertainties that may affect it, or control the ones it does predict, Allscripts’ actual results may be materially different from the results expressed in its forward-looking statements. For a more complete discussion of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may affect Allscripts, see the Company’s 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K, available through the Web site maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at .

Allscripts

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