— WebWireID152335 —

Hospice care and palliative medicine focus on relieving a patient's physical symptoms and helps patients and their families with their spiritual and mental health needs. San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine is the only hospice and palliative care provider in the nation with a full-time palliative care psychiatry program. Its work with ketamine is one of the many clinical trials that the nonprofit organization has conducted.
 
'Our goal at San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine is to prevent and relieve suffering and promote quality of life,' noted Dr. Irwin. 'Standard antidepressants do not work often enough or fast enough for relieving the tremendous suffering associated with depression for patients. Ketamine promises to work better and faster, allowing us to achieve this goal.'
 
About San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine
San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine is one of the largest community-owned, nonprofit hospices in the country, and considered the only academic hospice program in the region. San Diego Hospice brings compassionate, expert medical care to nearly 1,200 seriously ill adults and children each day throughout the county. More information is available online at www.sdhospice.org or call toll-free: 1-866-688-1600. Join our online communities on Facebook, Twitter,  YouTube and Google+.

— WebWireID152319 —

— WebWireID152299 —

The FDA's prolonged, covert monitoring of the whistleblowers continued even after the HHS Office of Inspector General denied the FDA's request to take any criminal and/or administrative action against the whistleblowers. In their letter of refusal, the OIG explicitly informed the FDA that the whistleblowers' communications to Congress were protected under law.
 
The NWC issued an Action Alert strongly encouraging the public to send email to the President, FDA officials, and members of Congress demanding that the six whistleblowers be protected and targeted surveillance be halted throughout the government.
 
 
Links:  
 
Senator Grassley's Letter to FDA Commissioner
(http://www.whistleblowers.org/storage/whistleblowers/documents/FDAComplaint/grassleyletter.fdaspying.pdf)
 
FDA Whistleblower Complaint
(http://www.whistleblowers.org/storage/whistleblowers/documents/FDAComplaint/fdacomplaint.redacted.pdf)
 
Intercepted Emails from FDA Whistleblowers
(http://www.whistleblowers.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1332) 
 
Letter from the HHS OIG
(http://www.whistleblowers.org/storage/whistleblowers/documents/FDAComplaint/oigletter.fdawbdisclosuresprotected.pdf)
   
NWC Action Alert
(http://www.whistleblowers.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1333)
 

***
 
 

— WebWireID152286 —

'Until now, it has not been possible to treat cellulite effectively, but with the introduction of CellulazeTM, I can finally give my patients the results they've been looking for,' said Dr. Lycka. 'I'm thrilled to be able to add this to my practice, providing my patients with one-stop for all their cosmetic needs.'

CellulazeTM is ideal for treating patients who, despite a healthy diet and exercise, retain the appearance of cellulite. CellulazeTM gets to the core of the problem by targeting the cause beneath the skin which is thought to cause cellulite. 'Cellulite is not just treating fat, a common misconception,' says Lycka. }"First, it delivers laser energy to the dermis, producing thicker skin and increased elasticity. It also thermally subscises fibrotic bands that pull down on the skin. Lastly, it contours for the improvement of herniated pockets or lumps of fat."

CellulazeTM offers a new approach to the way physicians think about cellulite and as a result, treat cellulite. By utilizing this technology, and working with a skilled and qualified physician, patients are now able to achieve long-lasting results they never thought possible from one simple treatment. Patients usually see improvements within a few weeks, with the most dramatic improvements continuing to show for a few months following the procedure.

Dr. Barry Lycka, one of the foremost doctors in cosmetic, laser, reconstructive and cancer surgery would be delighted to discuss this laser treatment with you. You can contact him at 780/425-1212.

— WebWireID146594 —

The website, which receives over 2,000 visits a day, was shut down suddenly and without warning. On January 14, 2012, the website was brought back online, unchanged, with an announcement on the home page of the website.

As of January 31, 2012, the announcement read:
'Important Announcement: GrowWeedEasy.com was shut down for almost two months, but we are back up with a renewed vengeance to get this information into as many people's hands as possible.The site was shut down on Nov 20, 2011 and we battled to get it back up, today Jan 14, 2012.We have some really big plans for this website and a really cool surprise coming soon!'

Not much has changed on the website except for three things: the addition of more articles in their Frequently Asked Growing Questions section, a new Was this page helpful? form on the side of every page, and a new link at the bottom of every page that says 420 Friendly Hosting by Hostgator.

It still remains to be seen what the "cool surprise" will end up being.

— WebWireID152265 —

The tours will be held in Hangzhou, China, which is a prime location to experience some of the best of Chinese culture.  To kick off the event there will be weekend sight-seeing at tea plantations, 800 year old temples, and Chinese medicine museums.  This will be followed by a bicycle ride around the magnificent Western Lake, which is surrounded by antique gardens, pagodas, and bamboo forests. 

During the course of studies participants will do clinical rounds in numerous Chinese medicine hospitals, and they may choose to study acupuncture or herbal medicine.  In acupuncture clinic students may study in specialty departments including neurology, gynecology, the treatment of headaches and musculo-skeletal conditions.  In herbal medicine, clinical rounds are available in gastro-enterology, gynecology, respiratory therapy, and pediatrics.

The tour is approved for continuing education credits by the NCCAOM, and it also includes 50 hours of study, 4 star accommodations, group meals, weekend events, tour guide services, and a spa treatment.

For more information about this event please visit: www.ihsociety.com     

— WebWireID152267 —

What are electronic health records, you may ask? Electronic health records are a digital copy of a patient's medical history, including known allergies, demographics, immunization records, laboratory results, radiology images, vital signs, age, weight and billing information. Storing health records in this way helps to reduce cost by saving paper.

Aspire Medical Solutions also offers a broad range of equipment and testing. One example of the types of testing and equipment they offer is the VAT-ENG for dizziness, vertigo, and fall prevention. The ​​VAT-ENG is similar to the VNG equipment but clinically more significant.

This equipment is used when testing for vertigo. This vertigo testing equipment is a must have for any Internal Medicine, Family Practice, and Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist.

Check out the following web page at http://www.aspiremed.org/care-and-profit-analysis/ to learn more about how Aspire Medical Records can help your practice.

— WebWireID152258 —

Low testosterone is the most common cause behind many age-related ailments faced by men of all ages. Known as andropause, low testosterone is the male equivalent of menopause, and it can cause many undesirable symptoms, including a lack of energy, irritability or depression, and a decline in sex drive. Even though society is only just now beginning to acknowledge andropause, it's not an uncommon condition - millions of men suffer from it.

Andropause – so-named because testosterone is an androgen - results from the body's natural reduction in testosterone production after age 30. It leaves many men of all ages feeling as if time is beginning to catch up to them, when in actuality, it's just a simple hormonal imbalance. Fortunately, the expert physicians at ALC are able to diagnose and treat low testosterone, often entirely eliminating its symptoms. With hormone replacement therapy, the body's natural testosterone production is supplemented, and a healthy balance is restored.

ALC develops a health profile of each patient through the newest, most high-tech diagnostic testing available. Using this information, they design a special treatment program that's individualized for each person's unique body chemistry. Through hormone replacement therapy and other treatments, men return to the level of health they enjoyed prior to andropause: essentially, getting their mojo back.

If you think you may be suffering from low testosterone, don't wait any longer. There's no reason to accept slowing down and feeling poorly as a normal part of aging when the cure is as simple as making a call to American Longevity Center at 800-777-8332.
 
To learn more about Hormone Replacement Therapy, visit American Longevity Center online at http://www.americanlongevitycenter.com/

About American Longevity Center:
American Longevity Center is an advanced medical facility that treats and prevents the signs and symptoms associated with aging and hormone imbalances. American Longevity Center offers hormone replacement therapy and advanced healthy aging medicine for men and women who want to look and feel their best as they age. Their medical facilities offer physician prescribed and monitored treatment programs that incorporate the latest breakthroughs in anti-aging therapies including Human Growth Hormone and Testosterone replacement treatments. 

The most highly trained physicians are available for consultations and treatment at ALC.  Their doctors are nationally recognized experts in the field of anti-aging medicine and are Board Certified from the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.

Please visit their website for a complete list of healthy aging and functional medicine specialties.

— WebWireID152253 —

GenesisSolutions is committed to providing an educational forum to promote a greater understanding of a progressive, multiphase Maintenance Master Plan and how to leverage your CMMS investment to support your Reliability Strategy. This dynamic and interactive session has a focus on 'Defining your Maintenance Master Plan.'

To register or request additional information, please visit http://www.genesissolutions.com/request-information/

The Complete Agenda with Speaker Bios will be available on the GenesisSolutions website.

Topics that will be discussed include:

• Maintenance Maturity Continuum
• Current State Assessment
• Maintenance Master Planning
• Implementation Models for Operational Excellence
• Maintenance Excellence Governance Model
• Reliability Based Maintenance
• Maximizing Return on Investment

• Organizational Readiness
• CMMS Functionality & Utilization (IBM Maximo Asset Management, Infor EAM, Oracle EAM, SAP PM)
• MRO Supply Chain
• PM Optimization
• Planning & Scheduling

We hope you can join us for this educational and interactive discussion. Please contact +44 (0)1224 841368 or email: euinfo@genesissolutions.com to register or to request additional information.

— WebWireID152243 —

— WebWireID152215 —

'If you want to lose weight, have rock-hard abs and achieve the body of your dreams, boot camps are an incredible way to burn calories, get fit and have fun,' said John Spencer Ellis, founder of John Spencer Ellis Enterprises, a fitness and personal development solutions company, who has helped people get in shape with boot camp workouts for more than 20 years. 'I understand that not everyone wants to join 40 other people in a busy class and that home workouts can be both challenging and convenient. And today, there are more options than ever when it comes to boot camp workouts at home, which is why I decided to create this website.'

The Beach Body Boot Camp options for the home include the popular P90X, Turbo Jam, Turbo Fire, Chalean, Insanity, Rev Abs, 10 Minute Trainer and many other effective boot camp workouts and DVDs. In addition, the site also offers a link to live boot camp classes with the global phenomenon of Adventure Boot Camp as well as information on nutrition and wellness programs.

'You can now get a beach body in the comfort and privacy of your own home with a little help from the Beach Body Boot Camp website,' Ellis added. 'No matter what your schedule or interest, this site offers a boot camp program that will work for you. Boot camps can truly change your body and your life!'

About John Spencer Ellis Enterprises and Beach Body Boot Camp
John Spencer Ellis Enterprises is a solutions provider for fitness and coaching professionals around the world, providing education, turn-key business programs, coaching and resources for new and advanced fitness and coaching professionals.  For more information about John Spencer Ellis Enterprises or the Beach Body Boot Camp site, please visit http://www.beachbodybootcamp.com/

— WebWireID152216 —

— WebWireID152200 —

— WebWireID152099 —

According to Craig Kendall, co-author of "How to Live, Love and Succeed with Down Syndrome," parents should develop a transition plan a year or so before their your loved one leaves school. Every person with Down syndrome is different, of course, so no two life courses will be the same. Kendall recommends that at least a year before a child is getting ready to leave school, the parents meet with school officials and try to develop a transition plan for them.

"You will want to consider several things," says Kendall. "Do you think your child is able to work? Young adults with Down syndrome can hold a variety of jobs, for example, working in restaurants." The article How to Live Independently and Have a Satisfying Life for Adults With Down Syndrome, states that many Down syndrome adults lead an independent life; and new types of jobs are creating opportunities that never existed before. According to the web site www.DownSyndromeHope.com, living life independently is possible as long as parents follow some basic steps.

— WebWireID152167 —

1. Creams that temporarily improve the appearance of skin
2. Lymphatic massage to remove some swelling
3. Endermologie suction assisted massage
4. Cynosure Smooth Shapes
5. Lasers and heat to target small areas and remove fat cells
6. Mesotherapy (LipoDissolve)

About Dr Barry A.S. Lycka
Barry A. S. Lycka, Edmonton based Cosmetic Dermatologist, is one of North America's foremost authorities on cosmetic surgery, skin cancer surgery, reconstructive surgery and laser surgery of the skin. He founded YourCosmeticDoctor.tv to be an unbiased source of credible information on cosmetic surgery.

For further information on this new service, cellulite causes and cellulite treatments or any other questions relating to Cosmetic Dermatology, Dr Lycka can be contacted via his website www.barrylyckamd.com or by telephone at his Edmonton office (780) 425-1212.

— WebWireID152165 —

Linked here are key documents related to this lawsuit and the FDA's spying program.

The complaint details how the FDA targeted its employees with a covert spying campaign that lasted for two years. The FDA began the program after learning that the employees wrote a letter to President-Elect Obama and his transition team in early 2009 detailing government misconduct in approving unsafe medical devices.  The Agency installed (or activated) spyware on their workplace computers and used other technology that to monitor their password-protected Gmail-to-Gmail communications.

In addition to reading the whistleblowers' emails, the FDA took contemporaneous screen shots of the employees' computer screens. Managers used the collected information to learn the identities of confidential whistleblowers and to obtain the details of the public health and safety concerns the whistleblowers intended to disclose to the Office of Special Counsel, Congress and the Agency's own Inspector General.

The FDA also intercepted email communications to and from staff members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee.  These Congressional intercepts are linked here.

The FDA's prolonged covert monitoring of the whistleblowers continued even after the HHS Office of Inspector General denied the FDA's request to take any criminal and/or administrative action against the whistleblowers. In their letter of refusal, the OIG explicitly informed the FDA that the whistleblowers' communications to Congress were protected under law.

The managers who spearheaded the surveillance efforts were the same managers involved with the wrongdoing and corruption that the whistleblowers were seeking to report. Lawyers at the FDA and HHS Offices of General Counsel, who should have understood that the program breached the employees' confidentiality, helped FDA managers with their obstruction and retaliation.

In their lawsuit, six FDA whistleblowers who were fired by the agency (including two highly respected medical doctors, a Branch Chief, a former Health and Safety Officer employed by the Public Health Service and a 23-year FDA career M.D./Ph.D Scientist) are requesting a nationwide injunction prohibiting the federal government from targeting whistleblowers with selected surveillance and monitoring.

The lawsuit alleges that such targeted monitoring of whistleblowers violates their First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and association.

Stephen M. Kohn, NWC Executive Director and attorney for six FDA whistleblowers, issued the following statement:

The FDA declared war on employees who were trying to warn Americans about threats to public health and safety.The federal government cannot---and should not---spy on whistleblowers. The First Amendment prohibits targeting whistleblowers and selectively monitoring them using highly intrusive electronic surveillance without a warrant.

Targeting the employees who raise health and safety concerns---or who try to report waste, fraud and abuse to the proper authorities---will have a massive chilling effect on employees.

The FDA's illegal spying program is not just a problem for the six victims in this case. The day we allow the government to spy on employees based on their lawful whistleblower activities is the day we give up privacy for every honest public servant in America.

If permitted to stand, the FDA's whistleblower surveillance program will be used by government agencies throughout the United States to silence employees who want to report misconduct.  Those who are not silenced will be subjected to years of intrusive covert spying designed to dredge up embarrassing information that the agencies can use to destroy the whistleblowers' reputations and careers.

Today, the NWC issued an Action Alert seeking public support for the FDA whistleblowers and demanding an end to the federal government's targeted and selective surveillance of whistleblowers.
The NWC obtained the intercepted emails as a result of a lawsuit filed under the Freedom of Information Act and from documents produced by the FDA as a result of administrative actions taken against three of the whistleblowers.

Links:  FDA Whistleblower Complaint
Intercepted Emails from FDA Whistleblowers
Letter from the HHS OIG
Support FDA Whistleblowers
PageNWC Action Alert

***

— WebWireID152126 —

— WebWireID152139 —

Since 2009, Abbott has provided compounds for DNDi to screen for activity against neglected diseases. This new agreement expands this relationship, and provides DNDi access to selected classes of molecules and accompanying data generated by Abbott that are crucial for the development of effective and accessible new treatments for neglected diseases.

"Innovative product development partnerships have significant potential for addressing neglected diseases," said
Dr. John Leonard, senior vice president, Pharmaceuticals, Research and Development, Abbott. "By combining the unique scientific expertise and resources of DNDi and Abbott, we look forward to accelerating research to find practical new treatment options for people affected by these diseases."

"Abbott has demonstrated a great level of commitment by partnering with DNDi to share not only its compounds, but also its expertise and resources. For DNDi, this implies a new critical mass of knowledge to pursue our goals of addressing the unmet needs of neglected patients in the poorest areas of the world," said Dr Bernard Pécoul, Executive Director of DNDi.

Equitable access to treatments for neglected diseases in all endemic countries, not only least-developed countries, is at the core of this agreement, and DNDi has committed to ensuring the lowest sustainable pricing for any products developed and distributed as a result of the agreement. Intellectual property (IP) related to this agreement, existing relevant Abbott IP and new IP generated by this collaboration will be subject to a principle of non-exclusive licensing to address neglected diseases in endemic countries. Under the agreement, Abbott has the right of first negotiation to become DNDi's development and distribution partner. DNDi is free to engage other partners if Abbott chooses not to serve as a development and distribution partner.

The agreement, in short implies:

-- Both DNDi and Abbott share their unique scientific expertise and resources to advance the development of drugs adapted to patient needs.
-- DNDi gains access to Abbott compounds, data and information to accelerate drug development.
-- Non-exclusive licensing structure for relevant IP in the neglected diseases field provides flexibility, thus expanding the potential of drug development.
-- Any resulting products will be provided in endemic countries at the lowest sustainable price to expand patient access.

About the London NTD event

The commitments announced by DNDi are a key part of a new, coordinated push by a diverse range of public and private partners to combat 10 Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) by 2020. Today, 13 pharmaceutical companies, the U.S. and U.K. governments, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank and officials from NTD-endemic countries pledged to bring a unique focus to defeating these diseases and to work together to improve the lives of the billion people worldwide affected by NTDs.

In the largest coordinated effort to date to combat NTDs, the group announced at an event at the Royal College of Physicians that they would: sustain or expand existing drug donation programs to meet demand through 2020; share expertise and compounds to accelerate research and development of new drugs; and provide more than US$785 million to support R&D efforts and strengthen drug distribution and implementation programmes. The partners also signed onto the 'London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases,' in which they pledged new levels of collaboration and tracking and reporting of progress.

New funding commitments will fully support work toward the eradication of Guinea worm, as well as expedite progress toward the 2020 goals of: elimination for lymphatic filariasis, blinding trachoma, sleeping sickness and leprosy; and control of soil-transmitted helminthes, schistosomiasis, river blindness, Chagas and visceral leishmaniasis.

About Neglected Tropical Diseases

Neglected diseases are a group of tropical infections that disproportionately affect the world's poor and marginalized populations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than a billion people or one-sixth of the global population suffer from one or more tropical infectious diseases. The partnership between DNDi and Abbott is focused on finding new treatments to address the following diseases:

-- Chagas disease is endemic in 21 countries across Latin America and kills more people in the region than any other parasite-borne disease, including malaria. In total, 100 million people are at risk worldwide and patient numbers are growing in non-endemic countries such as the United States, Australia, and Europe. The disease is transmitted by an insect known as the "kissing bug" and, without treatment, is potentially fatal. Existing treatments have an unsatisfactory cure rate and can have toxic side effects.
-- Helminth infections include filarial diseases, onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) caused by parasitic worms, which inflict the heaviest socioeconomic burden of all the neglected tropical diseases and affect millions in poverty-stricken areas. Current treatments for these diseases cannot be used for patients who are infected with a related nematode worm, Loa loa, because of the severe side effects caused by rapid killing of juvenile Loa loa worms. There is an urgent need for a new treatment for onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis in Loa loa endemic regions.
-- Leishmaniasis occurs in 98 countries, placing 350 million people at risk worldwide. The parasite that leads to infection is called Leishmania and transmitted by sandflies. Leishmaniasis is a poverty-associated disease with several different forms. Visceral leismaniasis, which is fatal without treatment, and cutaneous leshmaniasis are the most common. Existing treatments are difficult to administer, toxic, and costly. Drug resistance also is an increasing problem.
-- Sleeping sickness, or Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), is endemic in 36 African countries and around 60 million people are at risk of being infected. HAT is transmitted by the tsetse fly and is fatal without treatment. Up until 2009, existing treatments for stage 2 of the disease were toxic or difficult to administer. In 2009, DNDi and its partners launched the first new treatment for HAT in 25 years.

About Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)

The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is a not-for-profit research and development organization working to deliver new treatments for neglected diseases, in particular sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis), Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, specific helminth infections, paediatric HIV, and malaria. DNDi was established in 2003 by Médecins Sans Frontičres/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) from Brazil, Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Ministry of Health of Malaysia, and Pasteur Institute of France. The Special Programme for Tropical Disease Research (TDR) serves as a permanent observer. Since its inception, DNDi has delivered six new treatments for neglected patients: two fixed-dose antimalarials (ASAQ and ASMQ), nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy (NECT) for late-stage sleeping sickness, sodium stibogluconate and paromomycin (SSG&PM) combination therapy for visceral leishmaniasis in Africa, a set of combination therapies for visceral leishmaniasis in Asia, and a paediatric dosage form of benznidazole for Chagas disease. www.dndi.org

About Abbott

Abbott and its philanthropic foundation, the Abbott Fund, are supporting innovative new efforts to advance the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of neglected diseases around the world. In 2009, Abbott created an Executive Council for Neglected Diseases to coordinate efforts across the company to contribute innovative technologies, drug compounds and scientific expertise, working in partnership with non-profit organizations, academic research institutions and multilateral agencies. The Abbott Fund also supports programs to advance research and expand community education and outreach on neglected diseases.

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs approximately 91,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

— WebWireID152134 —

— WebWireID152098 —