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LISLE, IL, April 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — SXC health Solutions, Corp. (”SXC” or the “Company”) , a leading provider of pharmacy benefits management services and National Medical health Card Systems, Inc. (”NMHC”) , announce that the previously announced acquisition of NMHC by SXC has been completed. SXC completed the acquisition through an exchange offer and subsequent merger of NMHC with an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. With the completion of the merger, NMHC is now part of informedRx, SXC’s Pharmacy Benefit Management services business unit.
“We are extremely pleased to have closed this transaction and to welcome NMHC employees, customers and shareholders into the SXC fold,” said Gordon S. Glenn, Chairman and CEO. “This is an exciting time for SXC as we seek to establish ourselves as The Strategic Solution for Pharmacy Spend Management(TM). The combined company has the unique mix of personnel and assets to achieve that goal: recognized leadership in healthcare IT; broad clinical expertise; formulary management, patient intervention and analytics; operational scale to increase our clout within the supply chain; a modern mail-order facility; and a strong specialty pharmacy offering. We look forward to reporting on the progress of our implementation and the outlook for the Company in the coming months.”
SXC will provide a financial outlook for the combined company along with details on upcoming integration milestones during its fiscal 2008 first quarter conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET on May 8, 2008.
As a result of the merger, outstanding shares of NMHC common stock not tendered in the exchange offer, other than shares held by SXC and by stockholders exercising dissenter’s rights, have been cancelled and converted into the right to receive (i) 0.217 of a common share of SXC and (ii) $7.70 in cash (the “Merger Consideration”). NMHC stockholders who did not tender their shares in the exchange offer will receive instructions explaining how to exchange each of their shares of NMHC common stock for the Merger Consideration.
Effective as of the close of trading on April 30, 2008, shares of NMHC common stock will no longer be traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market.
In connection with the transaction, Houlihan Lokey is acting as financial advisor to SXC, Healthcare Growth Partners as strategic advisor and Sidley Austin LLP is legal counsel. JP Morgan is advising NMHC and Bass, Berry & Sims PLC is legal counsel.
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 headquartered in Lisle, Illinois with 13 locations in the US and Canada. For more information please visit .
SXC health Solutions, Inc.

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WALTHAM, Mass., May 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Interleukin Genetics, Inc. , today announced publication of the results of clinical studies that support the company’s Heart health Genetic Test to assess cardiovascular risk. The article, titled, “IL1B Gene Promoter Haplotype Pairs Predict Clinical Levels of Interleukin-1beta and C-reactive Protein,” was published in the journal Human Genetics (123:387-398; May 2008) and further confirms prior studies associating variations in the Interleukin 1B (IL1B) gene with the inflammatory response.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to:
Sir Gordon W. Duff, M.D., Ph.D., one of the pioneers in the genetics of inflammatory diseases, was the senior author of the paper. Dr. Duff, former Director of the Division of Genomic Medicine, University of Sheffield, UK, commented, “It is now well recognized that inflammation is an underlying factor in many diseases including cardiovascular disease. Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) is a major regulator of inflammation. This paper from a collaborative team of international researchers, demonstrates that people with specific variation patterns in the IL1B gene had higher levels of IL-1beta and C-reactive protein (CRP). Studies from our group and others have found that these same IL1B gene variations were associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and an increased risk for myocardial infarction at a younger age, that is, an early first heart attack.”
The IL1B gene is among the first gene activated when the body encounters a challenge of almost any type, ranging from bacterial infections to bad cholesterol. IL-1beta initiates a complex cascade of related immune responses. Interleukin Genetics’ approach, started over fifteen years ago, is to study variations in regulatory, or on/off switch, regions for these first mover genes and then link them to biological events and risk of inflammatory disease.
Dr. Kenneth Kornman, Chief Scientific Officer at Interleukin Genetics and an author on the paper explained the practical utility of the IL1B genetic information. “We use a simple cheek swab to collect an individual’s DNA. Our technologists perform the genetic analysis in our CLIA certified laboratory. A report is generated about an individual’s risk for excess inflammation and cardiovascular disease. The privacy-ensured report is sent directly to the individual, who then has access to physicians and genetic counselors to discuss results.”
These peer-reviewed results build on prior studies which showed that three gene variations inherited together from a parent, called a haplotype, functioned together to control regulation of the gene producing IL-1beta. In this study, four specific IL1B haplotype pairs, one from each parent, representing just over half of the study population, were associated with higher tissue levels of IL-1beta levels, and two of those haplotype pairs were also associated with increased blood CRP levels. CRP is an inflammatory chemical that is well-established as an independent marker of risk for heart disease.
Interleukin Genetics’ Heart health Genetic Test is available to consumers in the U.S. and Canada under the Gensona(R) brand and marketed by Alticor Inc. The Gensona(R) Heart health Genetic Test employs a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (genetic sequence variations called SNPs) to identify specific genetic patterns in the Interleukin 1 genes. These genetic patterns are known to correlate with exaggerated inflammatory responses and increased risk of early cardiovascular disease. The Gensona(R) Heart health Genetic Test is available in the Personalized health Products category at Quixtar by e-mail at . Quixtar also can be reached at 800-361-2213.
About Cardiovascular Disease
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 700,000 people die annually of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease involves the heart and vessels and is the number one killer in the U.S. accounting for nearly 30-percent of all deaths. Cardiovascular disease has a number of forms but the most common are myocardial infarction and angina pectoris which affect the heart itself. There are well known environmental risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease such as smoking, diet, inactivity and increased alcohol use. Heredity also plays a factor in cardiovascular disease since other risk factors like high blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol tend to run in families. Cardiovascular disease can be reduced by controlling environmental factors and understanding the genetic factors that put people at greater risk for heart disease.
About Interleukin Genetics
Interleukin Genetics, Inc. is a genetics-focused personalized health company that develops preventive consumer products and genetic tests for sale to the emerging personalized health market. Focused on the future of health and medicine, Interleukin uses its leading genetics research and scientific capabilities to develop and test innovative preventive and therapeutic products. Interleukin currently offers an array of Nutraceuticals and OTCeuticals(R), including Ginkoba(R), Ginsana(R) and Venastat(R) which are sold at the nation’s largest food, drug and mass retailers, and has commercialized genetic tests for periodontal disease risk assessment, cardiovascular risk assessment, and general nutrition assessment. Interleukin is headquartered in Waltham, MA. For more information about Interleukin, its products and ongoing programs, please visit .
Certain statements contained herein are “forward-looking” statements including statements regarding our ability to develop diagnostic, personalized nutritional and therapeutic products to prevent or treat diseases of inflammation and other genetic variations, our ability to screen nutritional compounds for their effects on inflammatory responses and other genetic variations, given specific genetic patterns and our ability to make progress in advancing our core technologies. Because such statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward- looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risk of market acceptance of our products, the risk of technology and product obsolescence, delays in product development, the performance of our commercial partners, the availability of adequate capital, the actions of our competitors and other competitive risks, and those risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 as amended, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, our quarterly reports on Form 10- Q and other filings made by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We disclaim any obligation or intention to update these forward-looking statements.
Gensona(R) is a registered trademark of Alticor Inc.

[Editors Note: Interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) is the name for the protein,
whereas Interleukin 1B (IL1B) is the name of the gene.]

Interleukin Genetics, Inc.

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SOUTH BEND, Ind., May 1 /PRNewswire/ — Press Ganey Associates, Inc., the health care industry’s leading provider of improvement solutions, today released its 2008 Home Care Pulse Report: Patient Perspectives on American health Care. The report shows a continued upward trend in patient satisfaction, high ratings for attending nurses, and lower ratings for administrative tasks such as billing and scheduling.
More than 210,000 patients treated by 541 agencies nationwide provide perspectives on their care for this year’s Home Care Pulse Report. Notable findings from the 2008 Report include:
— Patients report the highest satisfaction with their nurses (93.0),
pointing to a strong relationship between provider and patient.
— Nurses are the highest-rated provider involved in the home care
experience followed by therapists, and lastly by home health aides.
— Challenges in working with the home care office and addressing
specific concerns are the lowest-rated aspects of home care.
— Patients are notably more satisfied when their nurses visited in the
morning, particularly between 8:00-10:00 a.m., versus in the
afternoon.
— Satisfaction levels peak in the first 3 months of using home care and
are at its lowest levels beyond 10 months of care.

“It’s clear the home care industry is making important improvements to increase their quality of care as evidenced by the trend we have seen over the past several years,” says Dr. Melvin Hall, president and chief executive officer of Press Ganey. “Continuous improvement becomes increasingly important as competition and quality initiatives play a larger role in home care.”
Home care providers are increasingly focused on the patient experience as a competitive advantage. Leading home care agencies are finding that a focus on communication, individual patient needs, and patient-centered care in general have benefits that go beyond their reputation.
“Home care providers who actively work to improve their patients’ experiences are finding strong correlations with favorable clinical outcomes and financial results,” said Lisa Cone-Swartz, Press Ganey’s vice president of home health services. “Committed agencies can make a meaningful difference in their patients’ lives and at the same time improve the health of their organizations.”
The 2008 Home Care Pulse Report: Patient Perspectives on American health Care is now available at . Commentary from Ms. Cone-Swartz and Dr. Hall is available upon request.
Press Ganey Associates, Inc.
For more than twenty years, Press Ganey has been committed to providing insight that allows health care organizations to improve the quality of care they provide while improving their bottom-line results. The company offers the largest comparative customer feedback databases, actionable data, solution resources, and unparalleled consulting and customer service. Press Ganey currently partners with more than 7,000 health care facilities — including over 40% of U.S. hospitals-to measure and improve the quality of their care.
Press Ganey Associates, Inc.

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WASHINGTON, May 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A new report released today reveals that an estimated 2 million children will be directly impacted by the subprime mortgage crisis as their families lose their homes due to foreclosures. As the first comprehensive analysis of how the crisis will impact kids, the report explains that this number will rise even higher when accounting for other populations, such as children being evicted from rental units that are going into default and those children whose parents default on conventional loans. These foreclosures will happen primarily during 2008 and 2009.
The report, which includes state-by-state estimates of the number of children that are directly impacted by this crisis, indicates that foreclosures often result in disruptions to a child’s education, as well as issues relating to their physical and mental health. Moreover, behavioral problems are more likely to arise in children who lose their homes, as positive peer relationships disintegrate when children are forced from their neighborhoods.
The report, entitled “The Impact of the Mortgage Crisis on Children” can be found at .
“We often hear about the impact that the mortgage crisis is having on the stock market and on the nation’s economy, but we hear little about the impact this crisis is having on the lives of two million of our nation’s children,” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization who issued the report. “When families lose their homes, kids often lose their schools and access to services. Such changes not only impact their education but their physical and mental health as well.”
Based on racial/ethnic data reported under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the report projects that 504,600 Latino children, 281,200 African American children, and 1.166 million white/other children will be directly impacted by the crisis. The total number impacted is 1.952 million children.
In addition, the report finds:
— The physical and mental health of displaced children can be severely
compromised, as families losing their homes are less likely to have
money available for items such as health care and health insurance;
— Children impacted by the mortgage crisis are likely to experience
excessive mobility and as a result are only half as likely to be
proficient in reading as their peers. And, they are much more likely
to be held back and eventually drop out of school;
— Children forced from their homes experience behavioral problems, such
as increases in violence;
— Due to the increasing number of foreclosures, school districts across
the country are experiencing increases in the number of homeless
children entering their classrooms, many of which can be attributed to
the mortgage crisis.

Lesley added, “As the federal government continues to cut interest rates and take other actions to minimize the impact of the mortgage crisis, it is critical that they also address the needs of our nation’s children, who are innocent victims in this crisis. If nothing is done, children will continue to be impacted in a variety of respects that will have long term repercussions on their lives.”
The report was authored by Phillip Lovell of First Focus and Julia Issacs, a First Focus Fellow and Child and Family Policy Fellow at the Brookings Institution.
First Focus is a bipartisan advocacy organization that is committed to making children and their families a priority in federal policy and budget decisions.
To learn more visit
First Focus

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SEATTLE, May 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — IASP Press announces the release of a new book — Pain Management for Older Adults: A Self-Help Guide — to help older people understand and proactively address their chronic pain. Developed by Dr. Thomas Hadjistavropoulos and Dr. Heather D. Hadjistavropoulos and their contributors, this softcover book offers self-assessment checklists, progress charts, photos and illustrations, and simple instructions for managing persistent pain.
“With the graying of the baby boom and advances in health care,” Dr. Thomas Hadjistavropoulos explains, “we are seeing a dramatic increase in the proportion of older adults in society. There are many questions about the extent to which the health care system will be able to meet the needs of the changing demographic. Effective self-management has the potential of reducing health care visits and the associated costs.”
Drawing from the editors’ many years of clinical experience in working with older patients, Pain Management for Older Adults avoids scientific jargon and presents the information in a language that anyone can relate to and understand. The editors expect the book to be useful not only for older adults who struggle with chronic pain, but also for people who provide care for older adults, such as physicians and other health care providers, physical therapists, fitness consultants, spouses, family members, and caregivers.
More information about this new book, including the table of contents, is available at .
About IASP. Founded in 1973, IASP is a nonprofit organization that brings together scientists, clinicians, health care providers, and policy makers to stimulate and support the study of pain and to translate that knowledge into improve pain relief worldwide. IASP Press publishes timely, high-quality, and reasonably priced books relating to pain research and treatment. IASP currently has more than 7,000 members from 108 countries and in 70 chapters.
International Association for the Study of Pain

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NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., May 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Nationwide health Properties, Inc.’s Board of Directors declared today a $0.44 per share regular dividend on its common stock that will be paid on June 6, 2008 to shareholders of record on May 16, 2008.
In addition, NHP’s Board of Directors declared cash dividends of $1.9375 per share on its Series B cumulative convertible preferred stock. The Series B dividend will be paid on June 30, 2008 to stockholders of record on June 15, 2008.
Nationwide health Properties, Inc. is a real estate investment trust that invests in health care facilities and has investments in 555 facilities in 43 states. For more information on Nationwide health Properties, Inc., visit the Company’s website at .
Certain information contained in this news release includes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements which are not statements of historical facts. These statements may be identified, without limitation, by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,”"will,”"anticipates,”"expects,”"believes,”"intends,”"should” or comparable terms or the negative thereof. All forward-looking statements included in this news release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. These statements speak only as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update such forward-looking statements for any reason or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include (without limitation) the following: deterioration in the operating results or financial condition, including bankruptcies, of our tenants; non-payment or late payment of rent by our tenants; our reliance on two operators for a significant percentage of our revenues; occupancy levels at certain facilities; our level of indebtedness; changes in the ratings of our debt securities; access to the capital markets and the cost of capital; government regulations, including changes in the reimbursement levels under the Medicare and Medicaid programs; the general distress of the healthcare industry; increasing competition in our business sector; the effect of economic and market conditions and changes in interest rates; the amount and yield of any additional investments; our ability to meet acquisition goals; the ability of our operators to repay deferred rent or loans in future periods; the ability of our operators to obtain and maintain adequate liability and other insurance; our ability to attract new operators for certain facilities; our ability to sell certain facilities for their book value; our ability to retain key personnel; potential liability under environmental laws; the possibility that we could be required to repurchase some of our medium-term notes; the rights and influence of holders of our outstanding preferred stock; changes in or inadvertent violations of tax laws and regulations and other factors that can affect real estate investment trusts and our status as a real estate investment trust; and the risk factors described in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC.
CONTACT: Abdo H. Khoury
Chief Financial and Portfolio Officer
(949) 718-4400

Nationwide health Properties, Inc.

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SAN DIEGO, May 5 /PRNewswire/ — More time spent eating away from home could put kids at higher risk for obesity, according to a San Diego State University study published in this month’s research journal “Obesity.”
SDSU public health researcher Guadalupe X. Ayala has found that consuming foods at the home of relatives, neighbors or friends once a week or more is associated with a higher risk of obesity in children.
Youngsters who ate away from home often drank more sugar-sweetened beverages and ate more sweet and savory snacks, such as chips and ice cream.
This research is the first to consider settings outside the home, apart from restaurants, as potential risk factors for childhood obesity. Ayala also found that eating at restaurants weekly or more often not only increased the child’s risk of obesity, but the parents’ as well.
The study focused on children in kindergarten through 2nd grade from 13 Southern California elementary schools. Ayala said that Latino children may be at particular risk because their culture is more family-oriented.
“Latinos appear to rely on friends and family for support and childcare more than other cultures do,” Ayala said.
She recommended parents discuss their children’s health risks with friends and family members who may serve as secondary caretakers.
“Encourage the caretakers to reinforce at-home food rules and to negotiate what food is available to your child,” Ayala said.
The research was done in conjunction with SDSU’s Graduate School for Public health and the San Diego Center for Prevention Research. The San Diego Prevention Research Center is an interdisciplinary academic-community partnership committed to conducting research and education to promote physical activity and improve the health of Latino populations. The research center seeks to translate research into practices that are meaningful to Latino communities and that can be sustained through formal and informal community networks.
SDSU is the oldest and largest institution of higher education in the San Diego region. Founded in 1897, SDSU offers bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 74 and doctorates in 16. SDSU’s approximately 34,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct faculty contact and an increasingly international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit
Contact: Gina Speciale
San Diego State University
(619) 594-4563 office; (619) 813-3581 cell

San Diego State University

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — DST Health Solutions today announced an extension of its agreement with Independence Blue Cross, a leading Pennsylvania-based health insurer serving nearly 3.4 million members, for business process outsourcing services.DST Health Solutions’ outsourcing center in Harrisburg, Pa. will continue to provide business process outsourcing services for front-end data capture, claims adjudication and claim adjustments for Independence Blue Cross.”Our collaborative working relationship with DST Health Solutions has helped to increase the rate of claims that require no intervention, commonly called the first-pass rate, which greatly helps us to reduce our administrative costs of claim processing and increase the productivity of our staff that handle millions of these transactions each year,” said Stephan Roker, vice president of processing services, Independence Blue Cross.Outsourcing services help health plans, such as Independence Blue Cross, reduce transaction costs and improve service levels without additional infrastructure.”We work closely with our clients to accommodate their business needs,” said Steve Sabino, president, DST Health Solutions. “As one of the largest providers of business process outsourcing services to the commercial health insurance industry, we’re pleased to continue our relationship with Independence Blue Cross.”The agreement also includes a continuation of IBC’s license for the claims administration solution, PowerMHS(R), as well as software development and consulting services. PowerMHS is a sophisticated, integrated system providing functionality for member services, benefit administration, premium billing, provider management and reimbursement, utilization management, claims productivity and adjudication, financial management and reporting.About DST Health SolutionsDST Health Solutions delivers solutions and business process outsourcing services that improve efficiency, reduce operational costs, increase speed to market and improve customer service for health plans, consumer-directed plans, government plans (Medicare Advantage/Part D and Medicaid) and physician practices. DST Health Solutions’ enterprise applications, and ASP and Business Process Outsourcing services support 390 healthcare clients, representing more than 38 million covered lives, 360 million health plan claims, 35 million physician business transactions and 700,000 consumer-directed members annually. For more information about DST Health Solutions, contact 800.272.4799 or or visit .About Independence Blue CrossIndependence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in Southeastern Pennsylvania. IBC and its affiliates provide coverage to nearly 3.4 million people. For 70 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered high-quality health care coverage tailored to meet the changing needs of members, employers, and health care professionals. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. For more information on Independence Blue Cross, visit .The information and comments above may include forward-looking statements respecting DST and its businesses. Such information and comments are based on DST’s views as of today, and actual actions or results could differ. There could be a number of factors affecting future actions or results, including those set forth in DST’s latest periodic financial report (Form 10-K or 10-Q) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such factors should be considered in evaluating any forward-looking comment. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements in this press release to reflect future events. DST Health Solutions

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