R&B Solutions' Rapid Application for Medical Programs (RAMP) Web-Based Software Programmed to Tackle Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act (SB2380)

R&B Solutions' Rapid Application for Medical Programs (RAMP) Web-Based Software Programmed to Tackle Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act (SB2380)

Program facilitates hospital's state-mandated need to provide Uninsured Illinois residents with discount.

Waukegan, IL (PRWEB) March 2, 2009 -- The R&B Solutions Rapid Application for Medical Programs (RAMP), a copyrighted and trademarked web-based and stand-alone software solution that automates the process for determining Medicaid and Charity Care eligibility, serves as a direct facilitator to meet and exceed many of the requirements in Illinois' Uninsured Patient Discount Act.

With an agreement reached between Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the Illinois Hospital Association, amended SB2380 (or the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act) passed out of the Illinois State Senate and now Public Act 09-0965 requires all hospitals to provide discounts to eligible Illinois residents. The discounted amounts vary based on the resident's income compared to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and based on the type of hospital. Hospitals must provide discounts to 135% of cost to eligible uninsured patients who request it. In addition, hospitals cannot collect more than 25% of annual income from eligible patients who do not have significant assets. There are currently over 1.8 million uninsured individuals in Illinois approximately fourteen percent of the state's population. The new law goes into effect on April 1, 2009.

"R&B has been contracted by hospitals for over twenty years to assist their patients applying for medical assistance, charity care and other financial assistance programs," said Dennis A. Brebner, CEO of R&B Solutions, Inc. "R&B is a professional patient advocate organization that can attest to the strong commitment of Illinois Hospitals to assist their patients as an important part of their organization's mission. With this in mind we have programmed the Uninsured Patient Discount Act into our RAMP product to allow hospitals to easily transition and track their charity care and to conform to the new law."

The RAMP program was developed as a result of R&B's extensive experience with the application process for Charity Care and Medicaid through its Medicaid Advocacy and Solutions for Uninsured Patients (SUP) program. For over 20 years, R&B Solutions has supplemented hospitals' growing need for Medicaid and other charity applications, and in the process developed its own software to compliment their needs and those of the uninsured that they are assisting. The web-based program helps to correctly identify self-pay patients who are eligible for charity care, Medicaid, Crime Victims, and other public assistance programs, and auto-populates that information into the necessary forms with electronic signature verification. RAMP greatly improves the timely efficiency crucial to meeting program deadlines and maintaining a database on community benefit efforts.

"One of the real solutions in health care is leveraging technology for greater productivity," Brebner continued. "New Health Care directives by President Obama's administration are focusing attention on the need to streamline enrollment and the eligibility process particularly for the 46 million uninsured in the United States. R&B's RAMP program has been designed to automate the medical assistance and charity care processes. RAMP also provides the record database of the hospital's efforts for compliance and to demonstrate the effectiveness of their efforts. RAMP also delivers credit products to expedite the process and to provide identity verification as well as identity fraud and theft alerts. This is a real solution to help with some of the difficulties faced by the uninsured in the U.S." concluded Brebner.

Contact: Ryan Brebner

847-887-8514

About R&B Solutions

R&B Solutions is a leading Medicaid Advocacy corporation that both uninsured patients and medical providers alike have come to trust to solve many of the problems facing uninsured patients and the medical facilities from which they seek help. R&B Solutions offers a wide variety of solutions for medical providers to assist their patients. The company uses highly-trained patient advocates efficient in State Human Services processes, internally developed software, and years of legal experience to identify and assist the uninsured. R&B Solutions offers expertise in the field of Medicaid Advocacy (inpatient solution), Solutions for Uninsured Patients (SUP), outpatient solutions, and RAMP, Rapid Application for Medical Programs, a proprietary software that screens for Medicaid and charity eligibility. Founded in 1986, R&B assists health care providers and their uninsured patients across the United States. Visit us at randbsolutions.net

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Contact Information Ryan Brebner

R&B Solutions

http://www.randbsolutions.net

800-283-0310

Ryan Brebner

R&B Solutions

http://www.randbsolutions.net

CIRM Completes Briefing Visit to Stemedica Cell Technologies

CIRM Completes Briefing Visit to Stemedica Cell Technologies

Leadership of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine ("CIRM") completed a two part visit to Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. ("Stemedica") to tour its manufacturing facility, R&D lab and corporate headquarters.

San Diego, Calif. (PRWEB) March 2, 2009 -- Leadership of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine ("CIRM") completed a two part visit to Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. ("Stemedica") to tour its manufacturing facility, R&D lab and corporate headquarters.

"I was glad to have the opportunity to visit Stemedica and get to know more about its leadership, plans for the future and to see first hand the assets and potential they represent to the stem cell movement in California", said Dr. Alan Trounson, President of CIRM. "We want to have strong working relationships with all sectors of California's stem cell industry, including for-profit companies like Stemedica."

Prior to Dr. Trounson's visit, Dr. Marie Csete, CIRM's Chief Scientific Officer had the opportunity to visit Stemedica's manufacturing facility and R&D laboratory. "We're delighted to see Stemedica make the effort to secure a clinical grade manufacturing license from the State of California. We believe this capability will aid numerous organizations in California and around the world in their efforts to manufacture stem cell products for clinical application", said Dr. Csete.

"We were pleased to have Dr. Trounson and Dr. Marie Csete visit our facilities and receive a briefing from our leadership", said Dr. Maynard Howe, Stemedica's Vice Chairman & CEO. "We continue to play a pivotal role in the evolution of the stem cell industry in California and believe a supportive working relationship with CIRM is an essential part of this process.

Stuart Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., Scientific Director and Senior Vice President of the Del E. Webb Center for Neuroscience, Aging and Stem Cell Research at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, San Diego, CA, joined Dr. Trounson during his visit to Stemedica's manufacturing facility. "I was impressed with the progress that Stemedica has made on the licensing process for clinical grade allogeneic stem cell manufacturing and am excited about expanding our research relationship with the Stemedica team. Having a manufacturing resource like this in California will be a great asset to our entire research community. I anticipate that many CIRM-funded stem cell research institutions will take advantage of Stemedica's manufacturing facility that will soon become FDB (Food & Drug Board) cGMP licensed."

Dr. Nikolai Tankovich, Stemedica's President and Chief Medical Officer organized the visits for Dr. Trounson, Dr. Csete and Dr. Lipton. "We're delighted that these outstanding leaders within California's stem cell movement took the time to find out more about Stemedica and our plans to lead this industry from a manufacturing standpoint. We will continue to seek the wise counsel of CIRM in an effort to align our efforts with theirs. In addition, we are expanding our collaborative research efforts with the Burnham Institute for Medical Research and several other California stem cell research institutions", said Dr. Tankovich.

About Stemedica Technologies, Inc.:

Stemedica Cell Technologies Inc. (http://www.stemedica.com (http://www.stemedica.com)) is a specialty biopharmaceutical company that is committed to the development and manufacture of best-in-class adult stem cells for use by approved research institutions and hospitals for pre-clinical and clinical studies. Within the United States, the Company is currently developing regulatory pathways for stroke, traumatic brain injury and wound repair. Outside the United States, Stemedica provides its adult stem cells to hospitals and research centers that are conducting studies under protocols approved by the appropriate regulatory agencies. These studies are focused on the treatment of neurodegenerative disease, sight restoration and wound repair. Stemedica is based in San Diego, California.

About CIRM:

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) was established in 2005 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act. The statewide ballot measure, which provided $3 billion in funding for stem cell research at California universities and research institutions, was overwhelmingly approved by voters, and called for the establishment of an entity to make grants and provide loans for stem cell research, research facilities, and other vital research opportunities. To date, the CIRM governing board has approved 229 research and facility grants totaling more than $614 million, making CIRM the largest source of funding for human stem cell research in the world. For more information, please visit http://www.cirm.ca.gov (http://www.cirm.ca.gov/).

Media Contact for Stemedica: Dave McGuigan at dmcguigan (at) stemedica.com.

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Contact Information Dave McGuigan

Stemedica Cell Technologies Inc

http://www.stemedica.com

+1 858 658 0910

Ziosoft Names Bart Hendriks as Managing Director of New International Office

Ziosoft Names Bart Hendriks as Managing Director of New International Office

Mr. Hendriks will have responsibility for Europe, Middle East and Africa operations

Redwood City, CA (PRWEB) March 1, 2009 -- Ziosoft, http://www.ziosoftinc.com a leader in advanced visualization and analysis software for medical imaging today announced the appointment of Bart Hendriks as managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa for Ziosoft International, a new office based in Brussels, Belgium. In his new position, Bart Hendriks will be responsible for Ziosoft's business strategy, business development and sales for the company's expansion into new markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Mr. Hendriks brings over 19 years of global sales, marketing, operations and financial expertise in the healthcare and IT software and hardware industries. He has a successful track record in leadership positions with both emerging and established companies. Mr. Hendriks' international experience includes Europe, the United States, China and India. "Bart Hendriks' in-depth experience and knowledge of the international healthcare industry will be instrumental as we expand into new markets" said Mark Koeniguer, Ziosoft chief operating officer. "Additionally, Mr. Hendriks' technical background and experience in advanced visualization and PACS environments will position Ziosoft well as our operations develop internationally."

Bart Hendriks will attend the European debut of the Ziosoft technology at the European Congress of Radiology at Ziosoft's booth, 586, Expo E, March 6-9 in Vienna, Austria.

About Ziosoft Inc.

Ziosoft, Inc. is a recognized leader in networked advanced visualization and analysis software to benefit physicians, patients, and healthcare specialists. Founded in 1998, Ziosoft is the leading independent advanced visualization company in Japan with over 1800 installed systems. Ziosoft is dedicated to providing intelligent and intuitive clinical tools across the enterprise. Ziosoft is a privately held company with locations in Redwood City, CA, Brussels, Belgium, and Tokyo, Japan. For more information, please visit http://www.ziosoftinc.com.

Ziosoft and Ziostation are registered trademarks of Ziosoft Inc.

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Contact Information Betsy Davis

Ziosoft

http://www.ziosoftinc.com

650-413-1374

RMS Warns; Be in the Driver Seat When Deciding on Your Software Solution

RMS Warns; Be in the Driver Seat When Deciding on Your Software Solution

Rod Sherr, CPA, President/CEO of Resource Management Solutions, suggests the following steps to keep your company in the driver's seat when selecting the right software application solution for your organization.

Los Angeles, CA (Vocus) February 28, 2009 -- Most companies understand they need help when looking at investing in a software solution. The real question is where they turn for help? If they turn to a software sales team before they are "ready", they could be making a very big mistake.

"Unfortunately, I have seen this happen too often," says Rod Sherr, CPA, President/CEO of Resource Management Solutions (RMS) (www.Consult-RMS.com), a California Corporation. "Many companies do not understand the protocol of selecting the right software application solution for their organization. They do spend time on researching what might work best for them but many neglect the first step to take before contacting the software vendors."

Sherr goes on to say that companies that give up the driver seat to a sales team may have already lost the battle. The dog and pony show does need to take place in the boardroom but the timing of this must be strategic. If vendors are invited in too soon, there may be promises made that cannot be fulfilled and companies may end up paying for a lot of customizations to get the software to perform to match their needs.

Sherr recalls walking into the boardroom of a very large client who had just signed a contract with a vendor to purchase their software. They got a great price but the ground work was not completed prior to the purchase. As a result, the company had well over 100 customizations to the software to get it to perform adequately. Due to the numerous customizations, this implementation took longer to complete and ended up costing this company more than the cost of the other vendor's solutions. With this many customizations, it made their software impossible to ever upgrade.

What is the proper protocol? Sherr suggests the following steps to keep your company in the driver's seat:

1. Document your company's current (AS IS) state. Sherr says, "you need to know where you are before you can determine the path of where you need to go."

2. Prepare a needs assessment, a list of your business requirements and objectives. Prioritize what is most important functionality wise to you. In other words, what are your "must haves" verses your "like to haves".

3. Once current state is defined and documented along with business requirements, a company is ready to write their requirements in the form of a request for proposal (RFP). This is then submitted to the public and is the formal invitation for software vendors to submit their proposals. Pay very close attention to how each vendor addresses your needs.

4. Once the proposals are reviewed, companies are now ready to invite vendors to the party. This is where vendors need to answer questions and show you the functionality of their software.

Sherr says, "make sure all questions get answered by the vendors. Do not leave anything unanswered." A good software salesperson will be able to show their potential client live scenarios of any areas of functionality that they have a question about. If vendors can't reproduce the scenario or don't answer the questions fully, don't sign their contract until they prove their case. Sherr urges companies to spend the time necessary to prepare for their software selection and be ready to ask the software vendors the tough questions. By following these steps, a company can greatly reduce under-performance and project failure risks.

Resource Management Solutions (RMS) (www.Consult-RMS.com) is a professional services consulting firm specializing in improving the processes that directly affect the productivity and management of Human Capital. By making improvements to the processes in these areas and with the use of today's technology, RMS is able to show their clients how to increase productivity and reduce labor costs thus affecting the company's profitability. These cost reduction procedures RMS implements are sustainable for years to come. RMS has been serving their clients since 2000. A California-based Corporation, RMS has a solid record of accomplishment. It has gained the reputation of doing whatever it takes to ensure projects are successful. RMS has helped companies with up to 45,000 employees successfully implement ERP and Workforce Management Technology solutions in a timely cost effective manner. Call one of our offices today and see why people call RMS "the missing piece" to their projects. RMS looks forward to serving you soon.

Contact:

NAME: Scott Siderman

EMAIL: SSiderman(at)Consult-RMS.com

PHONE: 866-361-1704 ext. 708

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Contact Information Scott Siderman

Resource Management Solutions

http://www.Consult-RMS.com

866-361-1704

Health Insurance Claims Top $2 Million Mark

Health Insurance Claims Top $2 Million Mark

Leading heath insurance fund Medibank Private has released a list of the most expensive benefit claims made by members.

Melbourne, VIC (PRWEB) February 27, 2009 -- A hospital bill of $364,859 for complex bowel surgery heads the annual Medibank Private "Chart Toppers" list of the most expensive health insurance (http://www.medibank.com.au/) benefit claims made by members of the fund.

The bowel surgery claim, costing 20 per cent more than last year's most expensive claim, helped push the total value of Medibank Private's top ten claims for the year (to 30 June 2008) to almost $2.4 million.

Second on the Chart Toppers list was a claim for neurosurgery which came in at $276,595. Third place was for 469 days of neonatal hospital care for which Medibank Private paid a benefit of $256,451 on behalf of the baby's parents.

Overall the number of very high cost claims on hospital cover (http://www.medibank.com.au/Health-Covers.aspx) has leapt, with Medibank Private covering 73 per cent more claims over $100,000, which increased from 86 to 149 during the period.

Medibank Private Industry Affairs Manager, Craig Bosworth, says the rising number of high cost claims indicates that the private health sector is increasingly carrying the burden of an ageing population and the complex, technologically intensive hospital care older people often require.

"The Medibank Private Chart Toppers list shows that providing quality healthcare is very expensive. With eight of the top ten claims for people aged 54 or over, it also illustrates that private health insurance (http://www.medibank.com.au/Health-Covers/About-Health-Insurance.aspx) is not just for elective surgery lumps and bumps, and members are increasingly using their private health insurance (http://www.medibank.com.au/Health-Covers.aspx) to cover themselves for the cost of complicated and potentially life saving surgery.

"Traditionally the high end surgeries would be borne by the public system. Now we are seeing people electing to use their private health insurance for these types of procedures, and enjoying the clear benefits it brings. These include choice of doctor, choice of hospital, and greater control over how soon the surgery can occur.

"This trend has been reflected in Medibank Private's hospital admission figures for 2007/08, which grew by 8 per cent over the previous year. In total we funded 810,000 hospital admissions, and as the Chart Toppers list shows, some of these are very expensive.

"Clearly the only way for most Australians to afford these type of medical procedures in a private hospital is with private health insurance", Mr Bosworth observed.

During 2006/07 Medibank Private spent $2.13 billion in benefit payments for hospital treatment. Overall the fund paid out $2.9 billion in hospital and ancillary benefits, an increase of 8.7 per cent on the previous year.

About Medibank Private:

Medibank Private is the largest Australian-owned provider of private health insurance covering more than three million people. Medibank Private offers health insurance to all Australians through retail and corporate products, as well as catering for overseas students and visitors.

Medibank Private has a 'Members Choice' network of contracted health providers consisting of over 449 private hospitals and day surgeries and 4,038 ancillary providers nationally. It has approximately 1,500 staff and 105 retail centres nationally, a national call centre and online access at www.medibank.com.au.

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Contact Information Nick Aridas

Medibank Private Health Insurance

http://www.medibank.com.au/

+613-8622-5132

Apply for Free, Youth Grief Support Camp Hosted by Hospice By The Bay in August

Apply for Free, Youth Grief Support Camp Hosted by Hospice By The Bay in August

North Bay, San Francisco, and East Bay children and teens, ages 6 to 17, who are coping with the death of a parent, loved one, or friend are invited to apply for Hospice By The Bay's 2nd annual grief support camp weekend, Camp Erin™ Oakland/Bay Area, which will be held August 21-23, 2009.

Larkspur, CA (Vocus) February 25, 2009 -- North Bay, San Francisco, and East Bay children and teens, ages 6 to 17, who are coping with the death of a parent, loved one, or friend are invited to apply for Hospice By The Bay (http://www.hospicebythebay.org/)'s 2nd annual grief support camp weekend, Camp Erin™ Oakland/Bay Area, which will be held August 21-23, 2009. Attendance is free of charge for campers, and includes accommodations, meals, traditional camp fun, and therapeutic activities. Transportation is provided to and from Marin County to Camp Erin at the beautiful CYO Retreat Center in the Sonoma County Redwoods.

Camper registration is limited, and preference will be given to first-time Camp Erin attendees. For information and an application, contact Hospice By The Bay at CampErin(at)hospicebythebay.org, or (415) 526-5699, ext. 8501. Download an application at the Camp Erin Oakland/Bay Area web site: www.hospicebythebay.org/Calendar/Events.html.

Along with recreational activities such as swimming, hiking, games, and campfires, campers will gain emotional support through therapeutic groups and activities led by professional counselors and an important sense of connection with other youngsters who are experiencing similar feelings of loss. As a previous Camp Erin participant said,

"It really helps to talk with other kids who have gone through a loss and understand how you feel. You don't feel so alone."

Campers will also have opportunities to express their feelings about the loss of their loved ones and learn ways to cope with their grief. A study by Ewalt & Perkins suggests that approximately 90 percent of youngsters will experience the loss of a family member or close friend before finishing high school. Research also indicates these children are at a much greater risk for depression, suicide, poverty, and substance abuse.

Hospice By The Bay (http://www.hospicebythebay.org/), a non-profit, regional hospice and palliative care organization, has long recognized that children need grief support different than that for adults. As part of its Youth Bereavement Program, which offers youth a full range of counseling services, Hospice hosted its first Youth Bereavement Camp in 2001.

Hospice hosts Camp Erin Oakland/Bay Area in partnership with The Moyer Foundation (http://www.moyerfoundation.org), which supplied partial grant funding for annual camps through 2018. The Seattle-based foundation was established by Major League All-Star pitcher Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen with a long-term goal of establishing 50 camps nationwide to support grieving children in cities with Major League Baseball teams. This year, 28 Camp Erin weekends will be held in 18 states. The foundation's Campaign for Kids is a national fundraising effort to continue to expand Camp Erin across the country.

The Oakland Athletics and A's third baseman Eric Chavez and his wife Alex are advocates for Camp Erin Oakland/Bay Area. Michael Crowley, Oakland Athletics President, says, "The Oakland A's organization is honored to be a part of The Moyer Foundation and its efforts to support grieving children through its Camp Erin efforts in the Bay Area, we would like to thank Jamie and Karen Moyer on their vision and dedication to such a worthy cause."

A co-sponsor of the 2009 Camp Erin is The CYO Retreat Center (http://www.cyocamp.org/retreatcenter/), a 216-acre facility in the redwoods, with a private lake, playing fields, two pools, and heated cabins. Hospice By The Bay requests that individuals and other businesses who wish to support Camp Erin through their tax-deductible financial or in-kind donations contact its Director of Development at (415) 526-5500 or donate online at www.hospicebythebay.org.

Hospice By The Bay, which serves Marin, San Francisco, Northern San Mateo, and Sonoma counties, is dedicated to providing the highest quality of end-of-life care to patients and their families regardless of their ability to pay. Hospice By The Bay also serves people whose lives have been affected by the loss of a loved one through its community grief support program.

Hospice By The Bay is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been serving the Bay Area since 1975. Hospice By The Bay programs are funded through health care reimbursement and financial and in-kind donations from community members and businesses. For more information about Hospice By The Bay's care or to make a donation to support our work, call (415) 927-2273, or visit www.hospicebythebay.org.

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Contact Information Erin Henke

Hospice By The Bay

http://www.hospicebythebay.org

415-927-2273

Carla Mills, ARNP, Outlines Nurse Practitioner Rescue Plan for Health Care System in New Column for NP World News

Carla Mills, ARNP, Outlines Nurse Practitioner Rescue Plan for Health Care System in New Column for NP World News

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are poised and ready to take a leading role in health care reform, says Carla Mills (http://www.maverickhealth.com/about/), author of the award-winning health book (http://www.maverickhealth.com/smarthealthchoices/) A Nurse Practitioner's Guide to Smart Health Choices and founder of Maverick Health. Her new column, "NPs on the Edge," in NP World News (http://www.webnp.net/npwn08.html) will highlight the ways in which NPs can guide people to smart choices that will reduce their health risks.

(PRWEB) February 25, 2009 -- Carla Mills, author of A Nurse Practitioner's Guide to Smart Health Choices (http://www.maverickhealth.com/smarthealthchoices) and founder of Maverick Health, will write a new column for NP World News (NPWN) titled "NPs on the Edge." The Jan/Feb issue of the news magazine for nurse practitioners introduces Ms. Mills by profiling her career and reviewing her award-winning book, A Nurse Practitioner's Guide to Smart Health Choices. Starting with the Mar/Apr issue, her column will outline a NP rescue plan for a troubled health care system.

"With our health care system in crisis, it is more important than ever for Nurse Practitioners to take a leading role in health care reform. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to communicate with fellow NPs in NP World News." says Carla Mills. "NP Communications has long been a respected publisher for the nurse practitioner profession. It is a great honor to have the quality and importance of my book recognized by such a respected publisher.

In her NP World News column, Ms. Mills will be sharing her views on the role of nurse practitioners in health care reform as well as her common sense approach to reducing the burden of chronic diseases on both individuals and society. She will explain why NPs are the perfect primary care providers to help people make smart choices and choose behavioral changes that will significantly reduce their risk for developing major diseases long before symptoms ever appear.

"Carla Mills has written a book to make all NPs proud. A Nurse Practitioner's Guide to Smart Health Choices is a well written, how-to manual for those contemplating a lower-risk lifestyle. Carla captures completely the holistic, integrated orientation unique to NP practice. Included in this tremendous work are the major lifestyle and behavioral causes of disease, disability, and premature death - plus action steps that help you stick to lifestyle changes you choose." writes NPWN's Eileen T. O'Grady.

In 2008, Ms. Mills' book was named a National Best Book in Health: Medical Reference by USA Book News and was also a winner in the Health Category of the National Indie Excellence Book Award. In addition, it was a finalist in the Health/Wellness Category of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. A Nurse Practitioner's Guide to Smart Health Choices is available for purchase exclusively online at www.maverickhealth.com. The Maverick Health Blog expands on the book to keep readers up to date on the national treatment guidelines for the most common health risks (http://www.maverickhealth.com/blog) and other timely health issues.

About Maverick Health

Maverick Health is dedicated to creating a health care system to complement the country's current sick care system. Its mission is to reduce chronic diseases and prevent catastrophic health events in both individuals and populations. Taking a very practical and measurable approach, Maverick Health teaches people with no prior medical knowledge how to effectively and efficiently manage their own health and health care. The cornerstone of its approach is outlined in the award winning book, A Nurse Practitioner's Guide to Smart Health Choices.

About Carla Mills, ARNP

Carla Mills, ARNP, has been a practicing clinician for more than 20 years. She is also a writer, entrepreneur, and a dynamic speaker who can offer insights on a variety of health care topics that address the role that wellness and illness play on both a personal and professional level. For more information, visit www.maverickhealth.com.

About NP Communications

NP Communications (http://www.webnp.net/) is a leading publisher that has served the Nurse Practitioner profession for over 15 years. In addition to publishing NP World News, NP Communications also publishes two peer reviewed professional journals. The American Journal of Nurse Practitioners includes articles of clinical relevance to NP clinicians and Women's Health Care is the official journal of NPWH (Nurse Practitioner's in Women's Health). As publishers, Louise and George Young have brought together key thought leaders within the NP profession and seen to it that their ideas are widely propagated. As friends of NPs, they have served tirelessly over the years on boards and committees helping NPs become more visible, better organized and better understood by both consumers and lawmakers.

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Contact Information Charles Epstein

Backbone Inc.

561-470-0965