Medical blog » Million

DuPage County narcotics team seized $5.5 million in drugs in 2008

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:04:40 +0000

The DuPage County Sheriff’s Department tactical narcotics team arrested 106 people and seized $5.5 million worth of drugs last year, the department announced.
Most of the drugs were seized at one time when detectives grabbed 33 pounds of cocaine worth $4.5 million and arrested five people at a home in Aurora that police said was a distribution point for large cocaine sales in Kane and DuPage Counties.
In all last year, the task force confiscated more than 35 1/2 pounds of cocaine, nearly 4 pounds of marijuana, a half-pound of methamphetamine and 675 Ecstasy pills as well as some GHB, heroin, and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
“This has been a successful year for our task force,” Sheriff John Zaruba said.

Pine Ridge Reports Over $1.2 Million in 2008 Revenues

admin — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:22:16 +0000

FORT WAYNE, IN, Dec 30, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) –
(PINKSHEETS: PINR) Kevin May, Pine Ridge Holdings CEO, is pleased to announce the consolidated, total revenues for the Pine Ridge Holdings companies totaled $1,214,122 (unaudited) through November 30, 2008. This number represents a 7% increase over the same period in 2007.
This total includes the revenues for Pine Ridge Racquet Club ($834,008), Pine Ridge Fitness Club ($250,228) and AcousTech, Inc. ($129,887).
ServeNation revenues were not included in the figure since the company began operations in May 2008.
Pine Ridge Fitness had a 12% increase in total revenues compared to 2007, while AcousTech, after a difficult 2007, experienced a 34.5% jump in revenues. At the same time, year over year expenses actually decreased modestly by 1%.
May stated, “I am pleased with these revenue numbers in light of the difficult economic climate we have been operating within this year. 2008 will go down as a truly significant year for us because we've shown investors the vast potential of our holdings while growing each of our businesses one strong step at a time. I anticipate solid, continued revenue growth in 2009. As we begin the new year, I look forward to sharing more with our investors precisely why our future looks even brighter. Our companies are real, our revenues are real, and our potential, especially that of ServeNation, is somewhat staggering.”
ServeNation has seen explosive growth since it began operations on May 15, 2008 with revenues topping $100,000 in December alone.
Shareholders are encouraged to visit http://www.pineridgeholdings.com for informational updates.
This press release contains certain “forward-looking” statements, as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Statements, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements. The Company, through its management, makes forward-looking public statements concerning its expected future operations, performance and other developments. Such forward-looking statements are necessary estimates reflecting the Company's best judgment based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated by the Company. They include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to develop operations, the Company's ability to consummate and complete the acquisition, the Company's access to future capital, the successful integration of acquired companies, government regulation, managing and maintaining growth, the effect of adverse publicity, litigation, competition, sales and other factors that may be identified from time to time in the Company's public announcements.
SOURCE: Pine Ridge Holdings, Inc.
Copyright 2008 Market Wire, All rights reserved.

Generic drugs save NNY residents $14.55 million in one year

admin — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 12:24:26 +0000

Generic prescription drugs continue to be filled at pharmacies throughout the state, leaving more brand name drugs on the shelves, saving consumers millions of dollars each year.
For the north country, those savings reached $14.55 million for 2008, according to a report released late last month by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.
The estimated savings for Lewis County in 2007-08 are $2.04 million, while the estimated generic savings for St. Lawrence County are $5.16 million, according to the Excellus report. Jefferson County residents saved approximately $7.35 million by having prescriptions filled with generic drugs.
“We have to give generic by law, whatever is available,” said Lori E. Farquhar, pharmacist at The Falls Pharmacy, Lyons Falls.
“They’re comparable to the brand names, but a lot cheaper because generic companies don’t incur the cost of research and development. The quality is the same.”
Consumers save money because they have less out-of-pocket cost when generic prescription drugs are purchased, compared with the more expensive brand name drugs.
Generic drugs are compared with equivalent brand name drugs in the Food and Drug Administration’s “Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations” book, or “Orange Book.” Barbara A. Lofink, supervising pharmacist at P&C Food Inc., Carthage, said certain generic drugs might not be dispensed if they are not pharmaceutically and therapeutically equivalent to brand names.
“That’s one thing that makes you feel safe about the generics. New York state has stringent requirements,” she said.
If a doctor requests a brand name, he or she must write “dispense as written” on the bottom of the prescription. Patients don’t have the option to choose a brand name, Mrs. Lofink said.
She said she has recognized an increase in generic prescriptions, and although part of that is due to law that requires the cheaper medications to be given, the advent of Medicare Part D also encouraged seniors to switch to generic drugs.
Details of the Excellus report include that the percentage of generic prescriptions increased from 59.6 percent in 2007 to 64.7 percent in 2008 within the Central New York region of the state, which encompasses Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.
Total estimated 2008 savings for the region, which also includes Oswego, Onondaga, Cayuga, Tompkins, Cortland and parts of Madison counties, was $82.31 million.
In 39 upstate New York counties, there was a total savings of $369 million in 2008, compared with 2007. The Excellus report said the analysis was based on prescription patterns of approximately 1.2 million people living in 39 counties of upstate New York from October 2007 to October 2008.

$4 Million Worth Of Drugs Seized At Bridge Of The Americas

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:59:13 +0000

In the workplace its the little things that get you noticed and help you stand out above the rest. Do these things and increase your chances for a promotion.
If youre suffering from depression you need to find safe and effective ways to overcome it. Find out how you can start feeling your best today.
Nothing makes moving more tiresome than sifting through clutter. Here are some tips for getting rid of your stuff and eliminating the hassle.
The signs of Cancer can sometimes be very subtle. Here’s a guide to help you recognize them early.

Obama increases jobs goal to 3 million

admin — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:12:32 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama has increased his employment goal with the nation’s economic outlook worsening, seeking to create or save 3 million jobs in the next two years instead of the 2.5 million he proposed last month.
Obama set the more ambitious target earlier this week after meeting with top economic advisers who cautioned that the nation’s unemployment rate could exceed 9 percent given the current pace of job losses, Obama transition officials said Saturday.
During the presidential campaign, Obama pledged to create or save 1 million jobs. He increased that goal to 2.5 million over two years just last month.
Obama and his family traveled Saturday to his home state of Hawaii for a two-week vacation. But advisers were using Obama’s guidance as a roadmap for a draft stimulus package to have ready when he returns on Jan. 2, advisers said.
Obama met with Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his economic leadership team Tuesday in Chicago.
Transition officials said Christina Romer, an economics professor who Obama has chosen as chair of his Council of Economic Advisers, opened the meeting by arguing that historical data and wide-ranging expert opinions suggest that upcoming economic problems could be more severe than anything the country has faced over the past half century. She said the country is likely to lose another 3 million to 4 million jobs over the next year without significant action.
Biden and Obama responded by pushing for a more ambitious jobs plan, driven by federal investments in health care, education and energy that could have a stimulative effect and lay the ground work for long term reform and a more sustainable economy. Ideas included weatherizing 1 million homes, shifting to a paperless health system, investing in disease prevention and modernizing schools.
Obama’s team and congressional staff over the last week have been scrambling to come up with details of a plan to pump up the droopy economy with $650 billion or more in government spending over the next few years.
The aides met in the basement of the Capitol on Friday to devise ways to pump public money into science, energy, education, health care and infrastructure programs, as well as to help the poor and unemployed.
They hope unleashing a torrent of spending in the near term will create jobs and lift the economy.
Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress want to enact the still-emerging plan as soon as possible after he takes office on Jan. 20.
The plan, which some Obama aides think could swell to about $850 billion after negotiations with Congress, would be the largest investment in public infrastructure since the federal highway system was established in the 1950s. It also would provide tens of billions in dollars of aid to financially strapped states.
Obama declined Friday to put a price tag on his plan, but said the economic problems require a bold approach.
“I’m not going to give you a number because we’re still making these evaluations,” he said in response to a question at a Chicago news conference where he named four new members of his administration. “But you are exactly right that what we’ve seen, in terms of the evaluation of economists from across the political spectrum, is that we’re going to have to be bold when it comes to our economic recovery package.”
Biden, speaking in an interview set to air Sunday, said he believed there will be another stimulus package of roughly $700 billion to keep the economy from “absolutely tanking.”
“The economy is in much worse shape than we thought it was in,” Biden told ABC’s “This Week,” according to excerpts released Friday.
Transition officials said Obama and Biden directed the team to incorporate several principles into their job-creation programs, including:
_No earmarks for any spending proposals.
_Requirements that states and local governments use federal funds quickly to ensure immediate job creation.
_New public-private partnerships to support innovation. Transition officials said Obama expressed frustration with Washington’s failure to jump-start “smart grid” power lines to increase electricity savings and said more partnerships with the private sector could help that idea get under way.
_Full transparency to ensure citizen oversight of fund allocation.
_Investments in ideas that work over ideology.
_A focus on reducing waste in the federal budget.
_Steps to protect workers from future recessions by enacting measures like the existing unemployment insurance program that automatically expand stimulus in tough times.

Falls spends nearly $50 million in slots money

admin — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:07:44 +0000

Revenue has helped city, other entities meet
all sorts of expenses, pay for construction
NIAGARA FALLS — More than $50 million of slot machine revenue has flowed to the city since the Seneca Niagara Casino opened its doors six years ago this week.
All but $1.9 million of that money has already been spent or has been earmarked for purchases and projects.
A quarter of the local casino revenue — about $12 million — has gone to other entities such as the Niagara Falls School District, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center and Niagara County under state law that dictates how the money is divided.
The remaining portion — $38 million — has been allocated by city leaders for local projects, equipment and economic development efforts officials say the city never could afford without the new revenue.
“If we didn’t have this money, there is no question, we would be in trouble,” said City Controller Maria C. Brown.
Records provided by the city show that nearly a third of the casino revenue over which city leaders have control has gone into the city’s annual budget.
That money has been used to pay for new debt the city has taken on in the last five years to pay for equipment and capital projects, as well as to make up for property taxes lost to tax-free Seneca Nation property and fire and police services the city provides for the casino.
City officials intend to continue to use casino revenue in the budget to pay back debt on an estimated $47 million new courthouse and police station now under construction.
The building is scheduled to open this spring and will replace the city’s existing Public Safety Building on Hyde Park Boulevard.
“We’re doing something that had to be done,” said Councilman Chris Robins. “If you went into the Public Safety Building and saw where these people were working, it’s an embarrassment. It’s unsafe.”
City leaders this year also approved an increase in the amount of casino funds they are using in the budget to pay for the salaries of staff members who work on economic development.
Nearly $1 out of every $5 the city had discretion to spend was used directly on streets, sidewalks and city equipment — needs city officials say are among their top priorities.
But officials have also used the promise of future casino revenue to borrow another $11.3 million for capital needs such as new police cars, snowplows, trucks, street paving and pothole repair since 2004.
City Council Chairman Sam Fruscione said that spending is finally beginning to show results, although slower than officials would have liked.
“We’re a long way off,” Fruscione said. “It’s going to take a long time to show huge progress because of the mess that we were left with.”
Money has also been set aside for large projects throughout the city and surrounding area, including a new terminal at Niagara Falls International Airport, a project to build hundreds of new public housing units in the North End and a plan to construct a new train station near the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge.
Casino revenue that has not yet been designated or that has been earmarked but not yet spent — about $16 million — is invested on a weekly basis, Brown said.
Falls officials are now focused on the next local slots revenue payment expected to arrive in January from proceeds generated at the Seneca Niagara Casino during the first half of 2008.
Under the state’s gambling pact with the Seneca Nation of Indians, 22 percent of the slots revenue generated at the three Seneca casinos is now turned over to the state. The state then pays a quarter of that money to the local host municipalities.
The Seneca Gaming Corp. has reported that slot machine revenue increased during the first half of 2008 compared with the first six months of 2007. However, the corporation laid off 210 employees this month because of a decline in revenue during the last several months of the year.

Flushing Hospital nurse gets $15 million award in sexual …

admin — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:28:40 +0000

Monday, February 23rd 2009, 4:00 AM
jury awarded a nurse a record $15 million after finding that hospital bosses allowed a doctor with a history of sex harassment to abuse female staffers for eight years.
, 55, who brought the suit, said she suffered prolonged torment at the hands of
, ending when he sexually assaulted her at
in 2001.
“Everybody knew it was an atmosphere of dirty jokes in the hallways and at the nursing station, [but] no one did anything about it. It was tolerated,” Bianco, who left the hospital in 2005, told the Daily News.
“[Miller] was very bold, aggressive, he didn’t even try to hide it. Patient rooms, hallways, it didn’t matter. Wherever he was, it occurred. And I wasn’t the only one.”
Bianco said Miller – a 61-year-old married father who split time between the hospital and his private practice – turned Flushing Hospital into a pickup zone, rife with gratuitous sex talk and propositions to her and other nurses.
According to her lawsuit, Bianco repeatedly complained to supervisors about Miller’s come-ons and unwanted touching, which escalated from the time she joined the hospital in 1993 until a pair of violent attacks in 2001.
’s largest-ever sex harassment award to an individual.
The hospital plans to appeal the decision.
In one case, Miller forcibly grabbed Bianco at a cardiac unit nursing station and tried to force his tongue down her throat, according to the lawsuit. The hospital’s medical director,
, saw the attack but did nothing to intervene or discipline the out-of-control doctor, the lawsuit says.
Then, on Sept. 7, 2001, Miller chased Bianco through the halls until he cornered her in a room with two heavily sedated patients, where he aggressively groped her below the waist.
Miller was not sanctioned until Bianco lodged a written complaint, even though he had a history of sex-related professional violations.
In 1996, he was charged with having a two-year sexual relationship with a troubled, alcoholic female patient for whom he was prescribing anti-anxiety drugs, according to the state’s
.
Citing his “moral unfitness to practice medicine,” the board sanctioned Miller with three years’ probation, during which he was allowed to continue working at Flushing Hospital.
Following Miller’s attack on Bianco, the misconduct board suspended his license for two months and slapped him with another three years’ probation. Miller’s admitting privileges at Flushing Hospital were then yanked.
Miller did not return repeated calls for comment. Flushing Hospital issued a statement claiming administrators “acted properly.”
“People are sick of top-level officials in companies or organizations that see improper conduct and do nothing about it,” said Bianco’s lawyer
, of the firm
& Brown.
“I think the jury’s sending a clear message that if you’re in a position of power in our society, if you see improper conduct, we expect you to correct it or report it.”
Bianco said she was stunned Miller was allowed to keep his license – and said she just wants to warn others so the same thing won’t happen to them.
“I only hope out of this whole thing is that people become aware. I think that people take it lightly when you say sexual harassment. They don’t understand how it affects your life, not only in your job, but in your home, with your friends,” Bianco said.
“I don’t think people understand how truly horrible it is.”

More than 1 million in PA without health insurance

admin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:44:33 +0000

More than one million Pennsylvanians, or 8.2 percent of the population, lack health insurance, according to state survey released today.
The survey, conducted by the state Insurance Department, shows a 7.5 increase over 2004, but insurance commissioner Joel Ario said the numbers are likely much higher now considering the employment situation has recently deteriorated.
Of those without coverage, 880,000 are adults and 140,000 children. The waiting list for the state’s adult healthy insurance program is expected to more than double to 282,000 by June.
“We have a real crisis in terms of health care for the adult population, and it’s probably gotten worse since the survey,” said Ario.
The state surveyed 300 households in each of the state’s 67 counties.
“Overall, the study showed that increases in uninsured numbers were seen in almost every category; including adults, children, certain ethnic groups and most geographic areas,” Ario said in a statement.
“Adults are more likely than children to be uninsured, and this shows up in the fast-growing waiting list for our adult…program, which provides subsidized health coverage to adults who have been uninsured for at least six months.”
The survey also found that most uninsured adults are employed, but do not get insurance through work or cannot afford the coverage offered.
Others are between jobs. “These numbers would be worse if not for public programs, but some also fall through the cracks of public programs,” Ario said.
.

CANYON LAKE: Fire causes $1 million damage at Canyon Lake Fitness …

admin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:13:07 +0000

Friday, November 28, 2008 6:57 PM PST
CANYON LAKE —- An early morning blaze Friday caused an estimated $1 million damage to the Canyon Lake Fitness Center, officials said.
David Garcia, who has owned the popular facility since 1997, said after surveying the damage Friday afternoon that he hopes to reopen around the first of the year.
“I thought it was going to be much worse,” Garcia said after making his first walk-through of the building. “I can’t believe how little damage there is inside.
“It’s amazing when you see how bad that is,” Garcia said, pointing at the destruction done to one section of the center.
Little remains of that second-story section of the building, about 5,000 square feet, that previously housed racquetball and basketball courts. On Friday afternoon, twisted metal framework could be seen shooting up from where there used to be walls and a roof.
Below the destroyed section is the free-weight area that received heavy smoke and water damage, according to fire officials.
Garcia said fire officials told him what helped save the rest of the 25,000-square-foot center was a “two-hour firewall” that still stands between the destroyed area and other portions of the building.
The wall kept flames from ripping through the lobby, offices, locker rooms, a child care area, aerobics and spinning rooms, and a chiropractor’s office.
The fire was reported at 3:17 a.m. and the first firefighters to get there saw heavy smoke coming from the roof of the building, said CalFire spokeswoman Jody Hagemann.
More help was requested, leading to 53 firefighters on 13 engines battling the blaze. Firefighters had the flames knocked down by about 4:50 a.m., Hagemann said.
The three-story fitness center on Railroad Canyon Road is somewhat of a landmark in Canyon Lake and is one of the first things drivers see when heading into the city from the west.
Garcia said the center was built in 1982 or 1983, was closed for a while and then reopened in 1987. He and his wife took over a decade later and have now operated the center for 11 years.
Standing in the parking lot, still flooded with water from firefighters battling the flames hours earlier, Garcia said several club members have stopped by to find out what’s next for themselves and the center.
“A lot of them wanted to work out today,” he said with a slight smile.
Garcia vows to have the center open again as soon as possible. “If we have to open without (the racquetball and basketball courts) for a while, that’s fine,” he said.
He has already been in touch with his insurance company three times, Garcia said.
“They are saying it isn’t about the money, but how soon we can get back open, even if it is at 75 percent operation,” he said.
Garcia hopes to be able to pass along more updated information to the more than 1,600 club members sometime next week.
Calls have already been made to ensure that all monthly membership dues are not charged until the center reopens, he said.
“It looks like we’ll be able to get this turned around much more quickly than we first thought,” Garcia said.
Contact staff writer John Hall at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2628, or
.

Health Benefits Direct Closes $4 Million Private Placement

admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:09:03 +0000

RADNOR, Pa., Jan. 21, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Health Benefits Direct Corporation (OTCBB:HBDT), a leading technology innovator and software provider for the administration, marketing and distribution of a wide range of health and life insurance and related products, today announced it has closed on a $4 million private placement of preferred stock and warrants to The Co-Investment Fund II LP. The Company plans to use the net proceeds from the private placement for working capital purposes.
In connection with this private placement, Health Benefits Direct has issued 1 million shares of convertible preferred stock as well as a five-year warrant to purchase 1 million shares of convertible preferred stock at an initial exercise price of $4 per share (“Unit”). The shares of preferred stock may be converted into twenty (20) shares of common stock, at the option of the holder, at any time after the approval of an increase in the shares of authorized common stock of Health Benefits Direct by the Company’s stockholders at some point in the future. Upon the approval of such increase in authorized shares, the warrants will automatically convert to be exercisable for shares of common stock of the Company. The preferred stock is entitled to vote as a single class with the holders of the Company’s common stock, with each preferred share having the right to 20 votes. The preferred stock is also entitled to a liquidation preference upon the merger or sale of substantially all of the assets of the Company equal to the greater of 2.5 times the initial issue price of such shares or the amount the holder of such preferred stock would received if it participated with the holders of common stock on an as-converted basis.
Under the terms of this private placement, the Company may also offer up to an additional 250,000 Units ($1 million) to existing shareholders of the Company for a period of thirty (30) days following the closing on the same terms and conditions.
Anthony R. Verdi, current Acting Principal Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, said, “We are very pleased to have completed this private placement, especially in such a difficult financial environment. This is another positive step in the right direction for the Company as we continue to restructure our operations to focus on, and leverage, Health Benefits’ innovative and proprietary technology solutions. Securing this additional capital provides the financial flexibility needed to grow the Company’s Atiam Technologies subsidiary where its InsPro software is gaining greater market recognition from rating agencies, insurance carriers and third party administrators. The capital also provides the Company with increased flexibility to capitalize on v2.0 of Insurint(tm), our proprietary and revolutionary field agent sales platform.”
The shares of preferred stock, warrants to purchase preferred stock and the preferred stock underlying the warrants have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities law of any jurisdiction, and may not be subsequently offered or sold by the investors in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements.
This release does not, and shall not, constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. Interested parties are directed to review the Company’s 8K filing in regards to this private placement for a complete description of the terms and conditions of this private placement.
Health Benefits Direct Corporation is a technologically innovative contact center based insurance agency that operates an interactive online marketplace enabling consumers to shop for, compare, and apply for individual health insurance, family health insurance, life insurance and other related products for the individual and family insurance market. Its streamlined Quick-to-Call sales platform, supported by proprietary online technology, dialing applications and tele-application voice signature process, promotes efficiency for consumers purchasing and insurance carriers underwriting individual and family insurance products. Through its subsidiary, Insurint(tm) Corporation, Health Benefits Direct provides a proprietary, professional-grade, web-based agent quote engine portal that aggregates accurate real-time quotes from multiple highly-rated health insurance carriers, life insurance carriers and carriers of related insurance products. Insurint’s user-friendly platform enables agents to view and share with proposed insureds detailed comparisons of multiple insurance products, policy brochures and other useful information instantly, resulting in highly competitive application processing platform for insurance agents and consumers. Through its subsidiary, Atiam Technologies, Health Benefits Direct offers the InsPro system, an internet-based marketing and administration system used by Insurance carriers and Third Party Administrators. www.healthbenefitsdirect.com
In addition to historical facts or statements of current condition, this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “Safe Harbor” provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the company’s business strategy, organic growth plan, the expansion and development of its interactive online insurance agency and its plans to submit a proposal to its stockholders to increase Health Benefits Direct’s authorized shares of common stock. Moreover, Health Benefits Direct cautions readers that forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially and which are identified from time to time in Health Benefits Direct’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these risks and uncertainties, any or all of these forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Therefore, you should not rely on any such factors or forward-looking statements. Health Benefits Direct undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement.
CONTACT: The Piacente Group
Shelley Young
212-481-2050
Shelley@thepiacentegroup.com