03.31.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:50 pm by Pit
An unprecedented new public health campaign created by an alliance of national organizations and state health agencies was launched today in Washington, DC. The program, called EX®, will change the way smokers think about the difficult process of quitting, and guide them to valuable free resources to build a successful quit attempt. Not since the Fairness Doctrine was applied to tobacco in 1968-1970 have so many public health organizations aligned to get a smoking cessation message to the public at large.
Washington, DC (PRWEB) March 31, 2008 -- An unprecedented new public health campaign created by an alliance of national organizations and state health agencies was launched today in Washington, DC. The program, called EX®, will change the way smokers think about the difficult process of quitting, and guide them to valuable free resources to build a successful quit attempt. Not since the Fairness Doctrine was applied to tobacco in 1968-1970 have so many public health organizations aligned to get a smoking cessation message to the public at large.
This new public education effort will encourage smokers to approach quitting smoking as "re-learning life without cigarettes." EX provides smokers with information that can help them prepare for a quit attempt by 1) "Re-learning" their thinking on the behavioral aspects of smoking and how different smoking triggers can be overcome with practice and preparation; 2) "Re-learning" their knowledge of addiction and how medications can increase their chances for quitting success; and 3) "Re-learning" their ideas of how support from friends and family members can play a critical role in quitting.
EX will educate smokers through advertisements on television, radio and online and via out-of-home promotions. The program also offers smokers a new Web site, www.BecomeAnEX.org, which features action-oriented tools and information to help smokers prepare for quitting by developing a personalized plan, as well as a virtual community, where smokers can share stories and best practices about their quit attempt.
Most smokers in America - 70 percent - want to quit, but in 2000, only about five percent were successful in quitting long-term. Quitting smoking is ultimately one of the single most important lifestyle changes one can make to improve and extend their lives. Tobacco-related death is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.; smokers therefore need to be armed with all the available information to make the best, most informed choices about the smoking cessation medications and resources available to them.
In 2006-2007, The American Legacy Foundation®, the national public health foundation best known for its truth® youth-smoking prevention campaign pilot tested EX in four markets throughout the country, Buffalo, NY, San Antonio, TX, Grand Rapids, Mich. and Baltimore, Md. As a result of the successful pilot program, Legacy has brought together several national organizations and 14 states to form the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation (NATC) and launch EX nationally. The NATC is a growing group of states, non-profit organizations, foundations and corporations, all dedicated to helping people quit smoking.
Founding members of the NATC include:
- The American Cancer Society
- The American Heart Association
- National Cancer Institute
- The American Legacy Foundation
- C-Change
- The Mayo Clinic
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- The Association of State and Health Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
- Arkansas Department of Health
- Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Tobacco Education and Prevention
- Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation
- The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living
- Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Bureau of Primary Care and Rural Health Tobacco Control Program
- Missouri Foundation for Health
- New Hampshire Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
- New York Department of Health
- North Carolina Division of Public Health
- North Dakota Department of Health
Division of Tobacco Prevention & Control
- Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust
Center for Health Promotions
- Oregon Public Health Division
Department of Human Services
Tobacco Prevention and Education Program
- Rhode Island Department of Health
- Washington State Department of Health
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
- Wyoming Department of Health
All of these organizations agree that while smokers may know why they should quit, many just don't know how. Therefore, EX steers away from focusing solely on the reasons for quitting and instead empowers smokers to use FREE resources and methods that have been proven to increase smokers' chances of quitting successfully.
"Most smokers who want to quit do not understand what it takes to conquer their nicotine addiction, or they underestimate how powerful that addiction can be," says American Legacy Foundation President and CEO Cheryl Healton, Dr. P.H. "The approach provided by EX changes that equation by showing them how they can quit - namely by combining coaching, pharmacotherapy and social support, so that smokers have the support that they need at the times when they're most likely to crave a cigarette and smoke."
EX tools were designed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic and with input from former and current smokers who have lived with this struggle, in order to provide smokers with a realistic approach based on evidence based research.
The Web site brings the "re-learn" idea to life, offering action-oriented content and videos to help smokers re-learn all aspects of their smoking addiction. The site helps users develop a personalized quit plan that includes medication and support, plus it gives them an opportunity to practice breaking the "glue" between cigarettes and their associated triggers, before they actually stop smoking. Those visiting the site will be able to:
- Create customized quit plans - including selecting a quit date, determining their own smoking "triggers" and developing a program that best suits their individual needs. By helping smokers gain a holistic understanding of their smoking behavior, the EX website will help smokers be better prepared for the difficulties that may lie ahead after throwing away that last pack.
- Connect to a virtual support group that allows those who are trying to quit sharing their experiences and challenges. Social support is a significant factor in helping smokers quit successfully.
- Learn more about pharmacotherapy resources, such as nicotine replacement patches, lozenges, gum and prescription medications. These products can help reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings during the short term, and allow smokers to deal with the behavior changes needed to make sure they stay off cigarettes for good.
- Link to quit-smoking resources in Alliance states.
Creative for EX was produced by Austin, Texas-based Idea City/GSD&M, the agency of record for the American Legacy Foundation's advertising on smoking cessation. New York City-based phd conceptualized and implemented the media planning and buying strategy for the EX campaign.
EX® is a new public health campaign presented by the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation, a collaboration of the nation's leading public health organizations and 14 states. The campaign will build smokers confidence in quitting smoking and guide them to useful resources that foster successful quit attempts. EX is the culmination of several years of research and testing, combining an understanding of the power of nicotine addiction with messages that resonate with and motivate smokers toward behavior change. The EX approach is peer to peer and focuses on re-learning life without cigarettes, targeting the activities that prompt smokers to light up at the same times every day. The campaign, which began airing nationwide on March 31, 2008 includes television, radio, online, out-of-home advertising and a state-of-the-art, interactive Web site (www.BecomeAnEX.org) with tips and tools for quitting including personalized quit plans, and a virtual community where smokers can share stories and strategies about their experiences quitting. Founding members of the NATC include the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the National Cancer Institute, the American Legacy Foundation, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and clinical partner, the Mayo Clinic.
##
Permalink
Comments off
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:50 pm by Pit
Stringent Federal, State and Industry Standards Help Ensure Safety, Quality and Good Taste
Alexandria, VA (Vocus/PRWEB ) March 31, 2008 -- The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), in conjunction with Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) today released 2007 bottled water statistics, compiled by BMC, a research, consulting, and financial services firm dedicated to the global beverage industry (www.beveragemarketing.com). These numbers show that U.S. bottled water sales and consumption continue to rise, as consumers increasingly choose bottled water over other beverages.
In 2007, total bottled water volume was 8.8 billion gallons, a 6.9 percent increase over 2006, and the 2007 bottled water per capita consumption of 29.3 gallons increased nearly two gallons, from 27.6 gallons per capita the previous year. Additionally, the wholesale dollar sales for bottled water exceeded $11.7 billion in 2007, a 7.8 percent increase over the $10.8 billion in 2006. These statistics demonstrate continued consumer demand and appreciation for the convenience, healthfulness, and good taste of bottled water brands consumed on-the-go, during exercise, at restaurants or meetings, and at home or the office. However, consumers should also know that bottled water safety and quality result from multiple layers of regulation and standards at the federal, state and industry levels.
Bottled water is a packaged food product that is comprehensively regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is subject to stringent standards for safety, quality, production, labeling, and identity. Along with the FDA's Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), which are required of all foods, bottled water must comply with several other applicable regulations, including a Standard of Identity, Standards of Quality and additional, specific bottled water GMPs. Being a packaged food product, bottled water is also bound by the full range of FDA protective measures designed to enforce product safety and protect consumers. States can also regulate bottled water inspections, sampling, analyzing and approving bottled water sources, and testing laboratory certification. As part of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, IBWA members voluntarily utilize the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) for a science-based approach to bottled water production and safety. FDA recognizes HACCP as a key component of food safety and consumer protection.
John G. Rodwan, Jr., editorial director at Beverage Marketing Corporation, said of bottled water, “U.S. residents’ unabated thirst for bottled water can be attributed to several factors. Many consumers recognize it to be healthy, safe, and convenient. It’s a versatile product, suitable for consumption at any time of day and need not be kept cold (like soft drinks or juice) or warm (like coffee or tea). As far as ready-to-drink commercial beverages go, it’s relatively inexpensive, and, with competitive pricing, it is increasingly affordable for consumers.”
“While all beverages have their role in a marketplace with an abundance of drink choices,” says Joe Doss, IBWA President and CEO, “consumers are choosing bottled water as a refreshing, healthy, hydrating beverage and as an alternative to others because it does not contain calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial colors, alcohol or other ingredients.”
BMC continues to foresee bottled water surpassing carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) to become the largest beverage category by volume within the next five to seven years. Rodwan of BMC said, “As concern about obesity spreads and intensifies, bottled water’s lack of calories appears that much more attractive to consumers.”
“Consumers must also be made aware of the bottled water industry’s outstanding record of environmental stewardship, protection, and sustainability,” IBWA’s Doss concluded. “Bottled water containers are 100 percent recyclable and the industry works on a number of fronts with recycling advocates, communities, and our beverage and food partners to increase recycling. Bottled water is also at the forefront utilizing measures to reduce our environmental footprint and protect natural resources.”
For an overview of bottled water regulations and standards, environmental facts, and other bottled water information, visit the IBWA web site at www.bottledwater.org.
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. Additionally, IBWA requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Model Code is an annual unannounced plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. For more information about IBWA, bottled water and a list of member’s brands, please contact the IBWA Communications Department at 703-683-5213.
Contact:
IBWA Communications
703-683-5213
##
Permalink
Comments off
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:50 pm by Pit
Exclusive interview featuring ADVIZOR Solutions' Doug Cogswell
Denver, CO (PRWEB) March 31, 2008 -- Doug Cogswell, President and CEO for ADVIZOR Solutions, recently participated in an exclusive interview with Ron Powell and the Business Intelligence Network (www.BeyeNETWORK.com). In this interview, Cogswell discusses how ADVIZOR's visual discovery enables business people to make faster decisions from their business data, without relying on others to prepare customer reports, do special queries, or use complex analytical tools.
"People are not getting what they need from reports, flashy charts and complicated analytics," says Doug Cogswell, President and CEO for ADVIZOR Solutions. "ADVIZOR is changing the game with a unique point-and-click combination of data visualization, predictive analytics and in-memory data management. We present a very simple and effective interface that everyday business people can use to make decisions."
"Data visualization and predictive analytics are key technologies that have the potential to deliver business intelligence to the entire enterprise," says Ron Powell, Cofounder and Editorial Director of the Business Intelligence Network. "ADVIZOR has packaged these technologies into an easy-to-use product suite that can help all of a company's employees make better decisions faster. Their focus is on solving business problems by leveraging existing information in clear and powerful interactive displays."
To listen to the interview, please click here.
"The Business Intelligence Network Solution Spotlights are intuitive dialogues with innovative solution providers, and these spotlights provide a cutting-edge introduction to the new products and services we know are of interest to the business intelligence community," says Ron Powell, Cofounder and Editorial Director of the Business Intelligence Network. "The network publishes five newsletters serving more than 115,000 readers across a wide variety of industries, making us the largest newsletter-based information source for business intelligence, performance management, data warehousing and data quality."
About ADVIZOR Solutions, Inc.
ADVIZOR is a new high-performance business intelligence (BI) software solution that quickly delivers in-depth business analysis capability and superior reporting, as a result of its unique HiQube technology. HiQube technology is easy to use, and is the first to combine hierarchical, relational and multidimensional database technologies. In doing so, it delivers users with unparalleled decision-making power. The core technology behind this new database management system originated in Italy and was acquired in 2007 by Altair Engineering, a global technology provider. HiQube BI software solutions are available and supported worldwide.
About Business Intelligence Network™:
The Network's flagship site BeyeNETWORK.com leads the industry with up-to-the-minute news, newsletters, articles, executive spotlights, podcasts, expert-hosted channels and blogs. Experts include Claudia Imhoff, Bill Inmon, Craig Schiff, Colin White, David Loshin, and others. BeyeRESEARCH.com provides research and case studies from leading authors and experts in business intelligence. BeyeBLOGS.com is a business intelligence-specific community blogging site that provides an open forum about industry issues and challenges. BeyeSEARCH.com offers the first and only editor-driven directory and search engine specially built to serve this industry.
This press release is based upon information provided by the Company. The Business Intelligence Network does not independently verify statements made and has no obligation to update these statements after the date of release.
Contact:
Business Intelligence Network
Katie Rostermundt
262-780-0202
krostermundt @ b-eye-network.com
Contact:
ADVIZOR Solutions
Lynda Borsodi
630-971-5242
Lynda.Borsodi @ ADVIZORSOLUTIONS.com
##
Permalink
Comments off
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:50 pm by Pit
StatCom, the leading provider of patient flow logistics and tracking solutions, announced that Michael Holland, an experienced sales executive who has worked in start up technology companies, as well as established healthcare solution providers such as Siemens and Lawson, will lead StatCom's sales team as it launches a targeted sales and marketing program.
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) March 31, 2008 -- StatCom, the leading provider of patient flow logistics and tracking solutions, announced that Michael Holland, an experienced sales executive who has worked in start up technology companies, as well as established healthcare solution providers such as Siemens and Lawson, will lead StatCom's sales team as it launches a targeted sales and marketing program.
With over 20 years in the software industry and a focus in healthcare technology, Holland brings a wealth of experience which he will apply in leading the StatCom sales and marketing team. He has a history of managing and driving successful sales teams. For the past five years Holland has held executive roles leading sales, marketing and business development at several start-up companies. These companies provided a new e-business division channel, sales recruiting, sales and marketing consulting, and a new software technology to assist RHIO's and offer technology for national access to patients' medical records.
In addition, Holland worked at Siemens for 10 years where he was instrumental in leading sales efforts for Siemens' Soarian offering. He also managed the healthcare sales vertical at Lawson. Holland worked for 12 years on the provider side including University of Tennessee, Wishard, Regenstrief Clinic, and INOVA hospitals.
"Holland was integral in helping St. Vincent Mercy in their recent decision to include StatCom in their patient flow efficiency improvement initiative," said Eric Morgan, president and CEO of StatCom. "He brings valuable insight into hospital operations, healthcare technology, and patient challenges, which benefits us as well as the hospital. We are pleased to have someone of his caliber on the StatCom management team to help us achieve our goal of helping people deliver quality healthcare more efficiently."
"The StatCom solution was designed from the ground up to address patient flow and capacity management challenges in healthcare facilities. It has the potential to transform how healthcare is delivered in a way not before seen in this industry," said Michael Holland, EVP of sales and marketing for StatCom. "I look forward to working with the StatCom team as they pursue the goal of helping hospitals achieve industry leading performance."
StatCom provides patient information to physicians, staff, and family as to the location and status of the patient's progression throughout the care process. As a result, StatCom complements hospital information and scheduling systems for instant communication, patient and resource tracking, and automated patient flow. This enables hospital staff to anticipate demand and manage departmental handoffs and bottlenecks more effectively.
About StatCom
StatCom's patient flow logistics and tracking software was developed to improve hospital-wide communications, patient throughput and capacity management. This unique healthcare IT solution provides an immediate and comprehensive view of the entire patient flow process with real-time tools to manage that flow within and between departments. Operational visibility increases, communication is enhanced, and patient care hand-offs are turned into handshakes. As a result, financial performance is maximized while greatly enhancing the patient experience. A number of leading and innovative hospitals in the U.S. are using StatCom to address their patient flow challenges. StatCom is a subsidiary of Jackson Healthcare Solutions, a group of companies focused on providing the healthcare industry with innovative people resources and IT solutions. For more information, go to StatCom, or contact StatCom at 800.930.0870 or info @ statcom.com.
##
Permalink
Comments off
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:50 pm by Pit
TrialStat Corporation, the industry's first clinical data solutions on demand company, today continued to shape discussion around adaptive clinical trials by participating in the E-Clinical Trials conference in Montreal.
Montreal, QC (PRWEB) March 31, 2008 -- TrialStat Corporation, the industry's first clinical data solutions on demand company, today continued to shape discussion around adaptive clinical trials by participating in the E-Clinical Trials conference in Montreal. John Simpson, Director, Product Strategy will speak on Adaptive Clinical Trials - How Should They be Managed Using EDC on Tuesday April 1 at the InterContinental Hotel. Mr. Simpson's presentation examines a clinical technology ecosystem managed by EDC. The integrated approach hinges on managing in real-time disparate technologies and sources of data for optimal flexibility. The net effect is increased patient safety, decreased trial development timelines and decreased clinical trial costs. The two-day conference looks at how new technologies are becoming integrated into clinical trials and processes.
As a SaaS or on demand EDC solution, TrialStat's ClinicalAnalytics 4.0™ (CA 4.0) enables organizations to deploy their studies twice as fast as the industry average, which reduces the time and cost associated with drug development. CA 4.0 provides contract research organizations and biopharma organizations with an innovative EDC platform that enables the rapid deployment and management of adaptive clinical trial designs.
Details of the presentation are:
Who: John Simpson, Director Product Strategy
When: April 1 at 2:30pm (EST)
Where: InterContinental Hotel, Montreal, Quebec
What: Adaptive Clinical Trials - How Should They be Managed Using EDC
TrialStat will demonstrate CA 4.0 at BOOTH 1. To request a copy of the presentation, please contact the TrialStat media representative below.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Muay Lim
TrialStat Corporation
613-741-9909 ext 153
mlim(at)trialstat.com
ClinicalAnalytics 4.0 is a register
##
Permalink
Comments off
« Previous entries ·