Saturday, February 28, 2009

Elbow Ligament Reconstruction Appears Not to Effect Future Professional Advancement in Baseball

Elbow Ligament Reconstruction Appears Not to Effect Future Professional Advancement in Baseball

Athletes who have UCL reconstruction prior to being drafted perform at similar level as those without reconstruction

Las Vegas, NV (Vocus) February 28, 2009 -- New research presented at the 2009 American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine (www.sportsmed.org) Specialty Day in Las Vegas suggests that elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction prior to selection in the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft does not increase the risk of future injury or affect the rate of professional advancement.

"Our study showed no statistical difference between athletes who had undergone UCL reconstruction prior to the draft and a matched control group in terms of advancement in professional baseball" said Gregory F. Carolan, MD, lead author and Director of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine at St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem, PA. Dr. Carolan is a former fellow at the San Diego Arthroscopy & Sports Medicine Program and The Scripps Clinic, San Diego, CA where the research was conducted in conjunction with the San Diego Padres Baseball Club.

The researchers reviewed the medical records of all players selected during the five MLB drafts held from 1999 through 2003 and identified 30 players (all but 3 were pitchers) who had undergone UCL reconstruction (www.sportsmed.org) (RUCL) prior to entering the draft. The data analyzed included the highest level of professional advancement, the number of times players were placed on the disabled list (DL), the type of injury responsible for placement on the DL and game statistics for those players that advanced to the Major Leagues. There was no statistically significant difference in any of these areas between the RUCL group and the control group.

"Our data shows that UCL reconstruction prior to selection in the MLB draft does not appear to increase the chances of a future injury to the throwing arm or impact a player's professional prospects when compared to a matched control group. Our analysis is sufficiently powered to detect large differences between the two groups; however our ongoing research will continue to add confidence that we are not missing more subtle differences. As more athletes undergo the procedure and enter the MLB draft, we hope to be able to accomplish this goal. With the increase in UCL reconstructions being performed, it is heartening to see that the procedure can be successful in allowing future professional athletes to the reach the highest level of competition on par with their peers," said Carolan.

The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) is a world leader in sports medicine (www.sportsmed.org) education, research, communication and fellowship, and includes national and international orthopaedic sports medicine leaders. The Society works closely with many other sports medicine specialists, including athletic trainers, physical therapists, family physicians, and others to improve the identification, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries.

For more information, please contact AOSSM Director of Communications, Lisa Weisenberger, at 847/292-4900 or e-mail her at lisa @ aossm.org. Additional information and press releases can be viewed in the newsroom on AOSSM's Web site at www.sportsmed.org .

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Contact Information Lisa Weisenberger

AOSSM Director of Communications

http://www.sportsmed.org

847-292-4900



Friday, February 27, 2009

Stemedica Medical Team Cautions Patients About Stem Cell Therapy & Comments on PLoS Medicine Article

Stemedica Medical Team Cautions Patients About Stem Cell Therapy & Comments on PLoS Medicine Article

Stemedica provides its observations and comments to the media regarding the PLoS Medicine article published online February 17, 2009. The PLoS Medicine article describes a patient who developed "brain tumors" (glioneuronal neoplasms) after undergoing repeated transplants of "fetal neural stem cells" in Russia starting in 2001.

San Diego, California (PRWEB) February 27, 2009 -- Stemedica Cell Technologies (http://www.stemedica.com), Inc. ("Stemedica") provided its observations and comments to the media regarding the PLoS Medicine article published online February 17, 2009. The PLoS Medicine article describes a patient who developed "brain tumors" (glioneuronal neoplasms) after undergoing repeated transplants of "fetal neural stem cells" in Russia starting in 2001.

"All of us at Stemedica would like to extend our condolences to the young patient involved in this situation and our hope is for a speedy and positive outcome to this unfortunate experience. Never before have we or any of our Principal Investigators ever encountered such an occurrence either in our own research or in any of the published research", said Dr. David Howe, Stemedica's Vice President and Medical Director.

"We want to use this unfortunate incident to warn those seeking stem cell therapy abroad," warns Dr. Nikolai Tankovich, President & Chief Medical Officer of Stemedica, "to make certain that the manufacturer of the stem cells used in transplantation comply with the rigid standards that have been established by the FDA and other Internationally-recognized regulatory agencies. The future of this industry and the safety of all future patients depend on such adherence." FDA Compliance and Surveillance Standards can be referenced by visiting www.fda.gov/cber/compliance.htm (http://www.fda.gov/cber/compliance.htm).

The report in PLoS, Donor-Derived Brain Tumor Following Neural Stem Cell Transplantation in an Ataxia Telangiectasia Patient (http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.1000029), describes the development of multifocal glioneuronal neoplasms along the spinal nerves and brain stem in a 13-year-old patient who underwent repeated transplantation procedures in an attempt to treat ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T). A-T is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder known to have an increased risk of developing cancer.

Malignancy and neoplasia are common in A-T secondary to deficient cellular and humoral immunity. This immune deficiency is a contra-indication to stem cell transplant therapy. In addition, the mutations associated with A-T in the A-T mutation gene lead to mutations in nuclear protein, which normally repairs DNA. This loss of DNA repair combined with immune deficiency in A-T increases risk of neoplasia with and without cellular transplant therapy in A-T.

"Due to age, children and adolescents have significantly increased quantities of growth factors. Adding stem cells, known for their growth factor production capabilities, to a child with this presenting condition may have been a contributing factor. As in the administration of pharmaceuticals, many of which are not recommended for use in children and adolescents in the same way as in treating adults, great care must be taken in using stem cell therapy with this population of patients", said Dr. Michael Bayer, Stemedica's Director of Medical Services.

Based on the facts and references cited within the PLoS Medicine article, researchers have discovered that some of the cells were female and had two copies of the gene that causes A-T. Karyotype testing was reported in this case which confirms inadequate testing of the stem cells prior to transplantation. "The stem cell preparation protocol provided to the parents by the treatment team was reviewed and found to be inadequate by our standards", said Dr. Howe. "No cell characteristics, cell markers or bio-safety data was present. Mechanical desegregation in the 8-12 week age fetus is not recommended. Enzymatic separation is preferred, a process that also removes any dead cells that may be present. There is also a significant lack of detail on the number of cell passages as well as the dispersion of the neurospheres", Dr. Howe went on to say.

Dr. Alex Kharazi, Stemedica's Vice President for Manufacturing & Research observed, "Limited cell culturing in only 12-16 days as described in their protocol is like using a crude primary culture of cells. There are numerous risks associated with using crude cell preparations that have not been subjected to rigid manufacturing and testing protocols such as purity, identity and potency. In addition, the antibiotics used to manufacture the stem cells, are potentially neurotoxic." Dr. Kharazi went on to say, "Overall the description provided for the manufacturing protocol was vague and a poor example of what a well thought out manufacturing and safety-driven process should be. For example, there was no data provided relating to tumorgenicity, toxicity, or bio-distribution testing of the manufactured cells in nude mice which is a mandatory requirement as a first and critical step to assessing cell safety."

"Stemedica is committed to a manufacturing process that puts safety first at all times. Our stem cell product lines go through extensive testing during several stages of the manufacturing process and are also subjected to in-depth pre-clinical studies before filing with the FDA and other regulatory agencies for clinical trials", continued Dr. Kharazi. "Nothing is more important than the welfare of the patient and there is no explanation that can justify any deviance from compliance to FDA guidelines for the manufacturing and testing of stem cells prior to administration. These are the guidelines we follow and any patient considering stem cell therapy, at any location worldwide, should confirm that the manufacturer is in full compliance before they decide to undergo stem cell transplantation." warns Dr. Kharazi.

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. Stemdedica complies with the standards and guidelines established by the FDA and the FDB (Food and Drug Board) in the manufacturing and testing of its stem cells. 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 diseases, sight restoration and wound repair. Stemedica is based in San Diego, California.

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



Honored for EMR Sophistication, HIMSS Analytics Announces Stage 6 Hospitals

Honored for EMR Sophistication, HIMSS Analytics Announces Stage 6 Hospitals

Only 42 out of the more than 5,000 US hospitals tracked by HIMSS Analytics has achieved this recognition for implementation of the electronic medical record

Chicago (Vocus) February 26, 2009 -- As the country moves to transform healthcare with the passing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, 42 US hospitals recognized as a Stage 6 by HIMSS Analytics serve as role models in healthcare IT adoption for other healthcare systems just beginning this process. Achieving electronic medical record sophistication, these hospitals have achieved significant advancement in their information technology capabilities as measured by the EMR Adoption Model (EMRAM).

HIMSS Analytics developed the EMRAM in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record (EMR) systems for acute care delivery environments. With an almost paperless environment, Stage 6 hospitals are positioned to successfully address many of the expected industry transformations, such as HIPAA Claims Attachment, pay for performance, and government quality reporting programs. There are a total of 8 stages (0-7) on the EMRAM with the goal of reaching Stage 7 - operating in an environment where paper charts are not used to manage the delivery of patient care, and clinical data is used for performance improvement and analytics of care delivery.

"Only 0.5 percent of hospitals (tracked through the HIMSS Analytics Database) have achieved Stage 6 capabilities," said Mike Davis, executive vice president, HIMSS Analytics. "The hospitals we rank as Stage 6 have implemented advanced clinical applications that improve patient safety and care delivery outcomes." The list includes hospital systems and single hospitals with a total of 42 hospitals at the Stage 6 level.

The hospitals will be honored at HIMSS09 at the first ever Stage 7 Awards reception on Monday, April 6 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The awards ceremony will celebrate both Stage 6 and 7 hospitals in their efforts for leading the way in EMR implementation.

A link to the complete list of Stage 6 (http://www.himssanalytics.org/hc_providers/stage6Hospitals.asp) hospitals appears on the HIMSS Analytics Web site.

The Stage 6 hospital systems appear below.

Stage 6 Hospitals - Validated by HIMSS Analytics - January 2009

(Integrated delivery system, or IDS, organizations have multiple hospitals.)

1. Midland Memorial Hospital (320 Beds)/ Midland, Texas

2. Clarian Health (1,688 Licensed Beds for the system)/ Indianapolis, Ind.

3. Newport Hospital (148 Beds)/ Newport, RI

4. NorthShore University HealthSystem, (858 Licensed Beds for the system)/Evanston, Ill.

5. Citizens Memorial Healthcare (74 Beds)/Bolivar, Mo.

6. Memorial Health University Medical Center (580 Beds)/Savannah, Ga.

7. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center (763 Beds)/Baton Route, La.

8. St. Clair Memorial Hospital (329 Beds)/Pittsburgh, Penn.

9. St. Agnes Hospital (322 Beds)/Baltimore, Md.

10 University Health System (597 Beds)/San Antonio, Texas

11. Carle Foundation Hospital (535 Beds)/Urbana, Ill.

12. HCA - Lewis Gale Medical Center (521 Beds)/Salem, Va.

13. UC San Diego Medical Center/San Diego, Calif.

14. Vanderbilt University Medical Center/Nashville, Tenn.

15. SSM Health Care (5,000 beds)/St. Louis, Mo.

16. Watertown Memorial Hospital (95 licensed beds)/Watertown, Wis.

17. UPMC (3,762 Licensed Beds for the System)/Pittsburgh, Penn.

18. Parkview Adventist Medical Center (55 Beds)/Brunswick, Maine

19. Swedish Covenant Hospital (334 licensed beds)/Chicago, Ill.

20. Sacred Heart Medical Center (623 licensed beds)/Spokane, Wash.

21. Stellaris Health Network (1056 beds for the system)/Armonk, NY

22. Mercy Hospital & Medical Center (473 licensed beds)/Chicago, Ill.

23. Baystate Medical Center (746 licensed beds)/Springfield, Mass.

24. Kaiser Permanente Health Foundation (7,654 beds for the system)/Oakland, Calif.

About HIMSS Analytics

HIMSS Analytics is a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The company collects and analyzes healthcare data related to IT processes and environments, products, IS department composition and costs, IS department management metrics, healthcare trends and purchase-related decisions. HIMSS Analytics delivers high quality data and analytical expertise to healthcare delivery organizations, healthcare IT companies, state governments, financial companies, pharmaceutical companies, and consulting firms. Visit www.himssanalytics.org/ for more information.

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Contact Information Joyce Lofstrom

HIMSS Analytics

http://www.himssanalytics.org/

312-915-9237



Thursday, February 26, 2009

Clinipace Recently Awarded $2.8 Million to Manage Three New Clinical Projects

Clinipace Recently Awarded $2.8 Million to Manage Three New Clinical Projects

Projects include electronic data capture (EDC), data management services, clinical monitoring, and biostatistics for several early-stage clinical trials and registries

Morrisville, N.C. (PRWEB) February 26, 2009 -- Clinipace (http://www.clinipace.com), a growing clinical research solutions company, today announced that it has been awarded three new projects in 2009 worth, in aggregate, more than $2.8 million.

With a focus on emerging and mid-tier life science firms who are looking for a better way to manage their clinical trials, Clinipace is able to fill operational gaps while boosting sponsor visibility and project efficiencies through its web-based TEMPO™ research platform (http://www.clinipace.com).

"These new clients appreciate that we're a technology-centric service company, and that we think differently than traditional service providers," said Jeff Williams, Chief Executive Officer at Clinipace. "During the evaluation process, our team worked really hard to understand our prospective clients' challenges, and we're excited that our particular formula of technology and research services was a compelling value for them."

Clinipace recently launched a "Right-Sized" approach to managing clinical trials and registries, which optimizes trial resources through the right mix of technology and services. Smaller life science firms are becoming increasingly wary of receiving over-priced, over-stuffed project budgets typically found in the bids of traditional service providers, and Clinipace's unique model, along with its fixed-price guarantee, were key factors in being selected to help these clients.

"Committed to full transparency, efficiency and lower cost, all of our services are built upon our TEMPO™ web-based platform," explains Williams. "With our technology-based service model we're able to save companies 30-50% vs. what a traditional CRO would charge without compromising quality or service-levels. In today's environment that is not only important, it's absolutely vital to our clients," continues Williams.

About Clinipace

Clinipace (http://www.clinipace.com) is an experienced clinical research solutions company providing on-demand software and clinical services for phase I-IV clinical trials, registries, and investigator-initiated grant management programs. We serve biopharmaceutical and medical device companies as well as academic medical centers. Optimized by TEMPO™, our web-based software platform, we deliver services such as EDC, ePRO, grant management, data management, monitoring, site management, and biostatistics at a 30% - 50% savings compared to similar service providers. Learn more at clinipace.com (http://www.clinipace.com).

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Contact Information David Levin

Clinipace

http://www.clinipace.com

919-724-4043



Rick Fraunfelder, M.D. of the Casey Vision Correction Center in Portland, Oregon, Joins Elite Group of Surgeons Listed at Trusted LASIK Surgeons

Rick Fraunfelder, M.D. of the Casey Vision Correction Center in Portland, Oregon, Joins Elite Group of Surgeons Listed at Trusted LASIK Surgeons

Trusted LASIK Surgeons launched its revolutionary Trusted LASIK Surgeons directory service and website at www.TrustedLASIKSurgeons.com in order to provide a resource for consumers seeking to improve their vision and find a highly qualified surgeon who can help improve their chances of attaining 20-20 vision. What sets the Trusted LASIK Surgeons directory apart is a unique screening process ensuring that only those who are among the best in LASIK eye surgery and laser eye surgery in the United States are listed. Refractive eye surgeons, such as Dr. Frederick Fraunfelder, are screened based on their experience, research, publications, lectures, and patient care standards. Trusted LASIK Surgeons believes Doctor Fraunfelder's research, teaching, surgical skills, and other professional accomplishments place him among the top LASIK surgeons in the United States. His practice at Casey Vision Correction Center of the Oregon Health & Science University serves Portland, Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, and Salem, as well as communities throughout Oregon.

Portland, OR (PRWEB) February 26, 2009 -- Trusted LASIK Surgeons (http://www.trustedlasiksurgeons.com) announced today that Frederick Fraunfelder, M.D. (http://trustedlasiksurgeons.com/portland_lasik_surgeon_RIck_Fraunfelder_M_D.htm) has joined the Trusted LASIK Eye Surgeons Directory (http://www.trustedlasiksurgeons.com/find_a_lasik_eye_surgeon.htm), an informational resource for consumers searching for highly qualified LASIK and refractive eye surgeons. Dr. Rick Fraunfelder's practice serves patients seeking LASIK eye surgery in Portland, Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, and Salem (http://trustedlasiksurgeons.com/portland_lasik_surgeons.htm). Dr. Fraunfelder also treats those seeking in vision correction surgery throughout Oregon (http://trustedlasiksurgeons.com/oregon_lasik_surgeons.htm), and in cities in Washington like Vancouver.

Trusted LASIK Surgeons directory service is designed to feature only those LASIK eye surgeons who are among the best in the United States. To accomplish this, Trusted LASIK Surgeons screens each laser eye surgeon based on experience, premier patient care, and professional credentials. In Trusted LASIK Surgeon's opinion, Dr. Fraunfelder's outstanding achievements place him among the top LASIK and vision correction surgeons in the United States.

The most significant professional qualifications that set Dr. Rick Fraunfelder apart from nearly all other LASIK Surgeons are his experience as a principal investigator for an FDA study for Nidek and member of the FDA Ophthalmic Devices panel study, his academic appointment at Casey Eye Institute, and his extensive research. At the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University, Dr. Fraunfelder serves as an as a Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Cornea/External Disease, Ocular Oncology, and the Refractive Surgery Director of the Cornea/ External Disease/Refractive Surgery Division. Dr. Fraunfelder is also a leading expert in medication side effects and interactions. He directs the National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects, which is the only database designed to gather data on the side effects of drugs on the eye, and regularly teaches and lectures his peers on the side effects of medications on the eye.

Dr. Rick Fraunfelder serves on several editorial boards, including Drugs of Today, EyeNet, Drugs of the Future, and the Physicians Desk Reference. He also is a reviewer of articles for over 10 scientific journals related to eye care including the American Journal of Ophthalmology, Archives of Ophthalmology, Cornea, and the Journal of Refractive Surgery.

Dr. Fraunfelder is extensively published, with over 62 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles published, 26 text book chapters, and 3 books to his credit. He has presented over 12 lectures on research topics at major eye meetings in the United States and internationally and over 25 lectures at local and regional meetings to fellow eye doctors. These collective accomplishments have earned him the respect of his peers world-wide.

Over his career, Dr. Fraunfelder has performed over 5,000 LASIK and laser vision surgery procedures. With over 10 years of experience in refractive surgery including laser vision surgery procedures like LASIK and PRK, Dr. Fraunfelder has the proven know-how to provide patients with the highest eye care available when it comes to their vision correction.

Rick Fraunfelder, M.D., performs LASIK and other laser vision and refractive surgery procedures on patients with nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism (blurred vision), and presbyopia. Dr. Fraunfelder's practice, at Casey Vision Correction Center, provides premier patient care, including "All-Laser" or "Bladeless" LASIK and use of Wavefront Based ("Optimized") LASIK and PRK. Dr. Fraunfelder offers not just LASIK and PRK (laser eye surgery procedures), but limbal relaxing incisions and cataract lens implant procedures to give patients a full range of options when it comes to choosing the right vision correction procedure.

Dr. Fraunfelder has also helped new patients who have had significant problems with LASIK or other vision correction procedures performed by another surgeon. Moreover, Dr. Fraunfelder has been selected by other eye surgeons, optometrists, opticians, employees of companies that specialize in refractive surgery instrumentation or their family members to perform their LASIK or other refractive surgery procedure.

Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, this highly qualified refractive eye surgery specialist is a recipient of an Achievement Award by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He is also an active member of the International Society of Refractive Surgery, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and numerous other international and national professional organizations dedicated to eye care. Locally, Dr. Fraunfelder is a member of the Oregon Academy of Ophthalmology and the Oregon Medical Association.

Dr. Fraunfelder is also dedicated to helping others less fortunate. His charitable contributions extend from local schools and the Lions Bank of Oregon, where he serves on the Medical Advisory Committee, to Orphans Over Seas, a charity which helps children and single parents all over the world.

"We are honored to have Dr. Fraunfelder join our Trusted Lasik Directory. The Casey Eye Institute has a long history of contributions to the field of refractive surgery beginning with the excimer laser FDA studies initiated by Dr. Larry Rich in the early 1990's. Rick Fraunfelder continues this strong tradition. He also brings the unique perspective of serving on the FDA advisory panel which oversees the approval of ophthalmic laser systems," commented James J. Salz, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Trusted LASIK Surgeons.

"Eyesight is a precious gift. I am fortunate to practice in a field that permits me with an opportunity to help patients attain better vision" said Rick Fraunfelder, M.D., Associate Professor of Ophthalmology of Casey Eye Institute. "The Trusted LASIK Surgeons website attracts patients who are looking to find a LASIK specialist who has professional qualifications that exceed those of the typical LASIK doctor. I am honored to be included among the highly distinguished group of surgeons listed at the Trusted LASIK Surgeons"

Visit Portland, OR LASIK Eye Surgery Expert Rick Fraunfelder profile page at Trusted LASIK Surgeons (http://trustedlasiksurgeons.com/portland_lasik_surgeon_RIck_Fraunfelder_M_D.htm)

To see learn more about LASIK and refractive expert Rick Fraunfelder, M.D., and the Casey Vision Correction center, please visit Casey Vision Correction Center website of Portland, OR (http://www.ohsucasey.com/patient/cvcc.asp)

To ask Dr. Rick Fraunfelder a question or schedule an appointment, Contact Dr. Rick Fraunfelder at Casey Vision Correction Center in Portland, Oregon (http://www.ohsucasey.com/patient/cvcc.asp)

For more on why consumers should consider surgeons listed in the Trusted LASIK Surgeons directory for their vision correction needs, please visit:

Why choose a Surgeon from the Trusted LASIK Surgeon's Directory (http://www.trustedlasiksurgeons.com/why_use_a_trusted_lasik_surgeon.htm)

The screening process and standards used by Trusted LASIK Surgeons are located at How Are LASIK Eye Surgeons Qualified at Trusted LASIK Surgeons? (http://www.trustedlasiksurgeons.com/how_are_lasik_surgeons_qualified_at_tls.htm)

To find a highly accomplished LASIK and refractive specialist in your local area who has been qualified and listed in the Trusted LASIK Surgeons directory, please visit Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory (http://www.trustedlasiksurgeons.com/find_a_lasik_eye_surgeon.htm)

SOURCE: Trusted LASIK Surgeons

About Trusted LASIK Surgeons, Inc.

Trusted LASIK Surgeons, Inc. (Trusted LASIK Surgeons) is a premier LASIK, laser eye surgery, and refractive eye surgery directory service whose primary mission is to assist consumers in finding the best and most qualified LASIK and vision correction surgeons in their local area in the United States. To accomplish this, Trusted LASIK Surgeons uses a unique screening process where each prospective LASIK eye surgeon must meet the minimum required qualifications set by Trusted LASIK Surgeons. These qualifications for these doctors are based on experience (not just in LASIK but complete refractive care), research (including FDA approval studies for manufacturers and academic appointments at major universities), publications and lectures (to their peers, not to the public via infomercials) and patient care standards (treating other eye professionals and managing complications from patients first operated on by someone else). All refractive eye surgeons listed at Trusted LASIK Surgeons have qualified, been accepted, and have subscribed to our services. For more information on why we believe consumers interested in LASIK should consider an eye surgeon listed in the Trusted LASIK Surgeon's directory, please visit our website at www.TrustedLASIKSurgeons.com.

Trusted LASIK Surgeons, Inc.

(800) 483-8028

About Casey Vision Correction Center

In the Northwest, Casey Vision Correction Center has been an innovator in laser vision correction surgery. The internationally recognized Casey team performed the first PRK in the Northwest in December 1994 and the first LASIK in the area in October 1996. Its reputation rests securely on the abilities of our team of corneal specialists, all of whom are highly skilled, well respected surgeons and clinicians who combine the best possible medical care with a sincere concern for the well being of their patients. Casey Vision Correction Center's tradition of excellence stems from the depth of its surgeons' experience and its affiliation with Casey Eye Institute and Oregon Health & Science University, an academic center of excellence devoted to health care. Casey Vision Correction Center is committed to remaining on the leading edge of eye care technology, being leaders in innovation and scientific training, and providing patient care of the highest possible quality. For more information about the Casey Vision Correction Center, please visit: www.ohsucasey.com/patient/cvcc.asp

Casey Vision Correction Center

Casey Eye Institute- Marquam Hill

3375 S.W. Terwilliger Blvd.

Portland, Oregon 97239

Phone: (503) 494-3937 or (800) 842-3937

About Casey Eye Institute

At Casey Eye Institute, the mission is simple: to provide excellent eye care in a quality, cost-effective environment that combines education, research, clinical leadership and service to the community. The Casey Eye Institute is an academic regional eye center dedicated to preventing blindness through research, and to bringing advanced technology to the Pacific Northwest through continuing education of physicians. We are also committed to affordable eye care through collaborative programs and to sharing resources with community providers. Casey Eye Institute is the only free-standing academic eye research center west of Salt Lake City and north of San Francisco. For more information about the Casey Eye Institute, please visit www.ohsucasey.com.

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Contact Information James J. Salz, M.D.

Trusted LASIK Surgeons, Inc.

http://www.TrustedLASIKSurgeons.com

+1 (800) 483-8028

Online Marketing Dept.

LanceThink Media

http://www.LanceThinkMedia.com

+1 (800) 846-6208



Free Bodybuilding Supplements Available Through Research Project

Free Bodybuilding Supplements Available Through Research Project

New website is conducting research on consumer expectations and purchasing trends within the dietary supplement industry. Take their survey and register to win free bodybuilding supplements.

Aurora, CO (PRWEB) February 26, 2009 -- Bodybuilding Supplements include a wide variety of nutritional supplements including protein powders and drinks, vitamin / mineral preparations, sports nutrition products (like creatine and nitric oxide boosters), and even some of the most elite and highly touted steroid alternatives and prohormones.

According to the most recent estimations, the dietary supplement industry is more than a $21 billion dollar industry. Of which, bodybuilding specific supplements make up a significant portion. In other words, bodybuilding supplements are a substantial part of our national economy and the overall health of America. However, research leading to new advancements in bodybuilding and sports specific supplements is behind the times in most cases. This may be what leads consumers to the black market scene and ultimately use of anabolic steroids.

A consumer research team is conducting an online survey to gather important information regarding consumers' expectations when using bodybuilding supplements. And in return have partnered up with some of the top supplement retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers from around the World to bring you free supplements.

To take part in this important research, visit freebodybuildingsupplements.com (http://www.freebodybuildingsupplements.com) and complete the online survey. The survey, which takes only about 4 minutes to complete, is followed by a registration form. Completion of the survey and short form qualifies you for the drawing for Free Supplements.

For more information about this survey and the research team conducting it, please visit www.freebodybuildingsupplements.com.

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Contact Information Jim Hayward

Free Bodybuiliding Supplements

http://www.freebodybuildingsupplements.com

303-951-6315



Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Clinical Guidelines for Treating Chronic Pain Highlight Opioid Addiction Risk Assessment

Clinical Guidelines for Treating Chronic Pain Highlight Opioid Addiction Risk Assessment

Expert panel finds that SOAPP® is likely to be helpful for risk assessment and stratification

Newton, MA (PRWEB) February 25, 2009 -- Inflexxion, Inc., a company that creates scientifically validated and cost-effective solutions for critical areas of health care, is pleased to announce that its Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP) has been identified by an expert panel as likely to be helpful for assessing the risk of opioid addiction in patients with chronic non-cancer pain.

SOAPP is a brief paper-and-pencil self report tool that allows clinicians to assess a patient's risk of addiction before initiating opioid therapy.

The multi-disciplinary panel of experts, convened by the American Pain Society and the American Academy of Pain Medicine, conducted a comprehensive review of the evidence to develop a set of authoritative clinical guidelines on the use of opioid medications to treat chronic non-cancer pain. The guidelines, published in the February 2009 issue of The Journal of Pain (Volume 10, Number 2), recommend that clinicians routinely conduct a complete benefit-to-harm evaluation before starting opioid therapy, and do periodic follow-up screenings of patients who may be at risk for abuse or addiction.

"Proper patient selection is critical and requires a comprehensive benefit-to-harm evaluation that weighs the potential positive effects of opioids on pain and function against potential risks," write the authors. "Thorough risk assessment and stratification is appropriate in every case."

According to the authors, screening tools that assess the potential risks associated with continuous opioid therapy (COT) based on patient characteristics are likely to be helpful for risk stratification. The authors identify SOAPP Version 1 and the revised version, SOAPP-R, as among the tools that appear to have "good content, face, and construct validity."

In addition to SOAPP, the guidelines highlight the utility of Inflexxion's Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM)®, a complementary tool for identifying whether a patient, throughout the course of long-term opioid therapy, may be exhibiting aberrant behaviors associated with abuse of opioid medications.

"We at Inflexxion are very pleased to see both SOAPP and COMM included in these recommendations," says Kevin L. Zacharoff, M.D., Director of Medical Affairs at Inflexxion. "These guidelines underscore the importance of risk assessment and reassessment in this patient population. The inclusion of the SOAPP and COMM in these recommendations helps to validate Inflexxion's mission, which is to help to reduce health-related risks, enhance clinical outcomes, and positively influence quality of care."

The SOAPP and COMM tools are available for download at no cost through Inflexxion's PainEDU website (www.PainEDU.org), along with a clinician tutorial that includes video case examples.

SOAPP was developed by Inflexxion with support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and an unrestricted educational grant from Endo Pharmaceuticals.

About Inflexxion, Inc.

Founded in 1989, Inflexxion creates innovative behavioral health solutions for prevention, education, and disease management. Our clinically tested programs address substance abuse and addiction, chronic pain management, college health, and other health and wellness issues. Our pharmaceutical risk management division provides Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) assistance to companies that research, manufacture, and market opioid pain medications and other therapeutic agents with potential abuse problems. Key offerings include NAVIPPRO(TM), PainEDU.org, painACTION.com, and SOAPP®. Inflexxion is based in Newton, MA.

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Contact Information Lara Romanowski

Inflexxion

http://www.painedu.org

617-614-0406



Stemedica Advances its Certification to Become a Licensed Manufacturer of Adult Stem Cells for U.S. Based Clinical Trials

Stemedica Advances its Certification to Become a Licensed Manufacturer of Adult Stem Cells for U.S. Based Clinical Trials

Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. announced today that it has filed with the Food and Drug Branch of the State of California's Department of Public Health for certification as a licensed manufacturer of adult stem cells for U.S.-based Phase I and Phase II Clinical Trials.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) February 25, 2009 -- Stemedica Cell Technologies (http://www.stemedica.com), Inc. ("Stemedica") announced today that it has filed with the Food and Drug Branch of the State of California's Department of Public Health for certification as a licensed manufacturer of adult stem cells for U.S.-based Phase I and Phase II Clinical Trials. Readiness for manufacture includes obtaining a California Drug Manufacturing License for the Stemedica facility in San Diego, California.

"Completion of this certification will allow us to manufacture stem cells under contract for clinical trials for Stemedica as well as for other companies and research centers in California and across the United States. This marks a significant milestone along the journey toward the future availability of stem cell treatment for patients who so urgently need it," said Dr. Maynard Howe, Vice Chairman and CEO at Stemedica.

To prepare for inspection, Stemedica fully reconstructed its facility according to FDA requirements, which had previously focused on research and development. Stemedica's manufacturing facility now includes a fully compliant manufacturing wing with entry-level gowning rooms, two ISO class 8 sterile gowning suites, an ISO Class 7 Manufacturing Clean Room, an ISO Class 7 Processing Clean Room, a Good Manufacturing Process compliant materials warehouse and a controlled-access Quality Control testing laboratory.

"As soon as Stemedica secures its license from the State of California's Department of Public Health, we plan on filing for one or more IND's (Investigative New Drug) for specific indications with the FDA using our proprietary technology. The final major step by the Food and Drug Branch within the Department of Public Health is an in-depth, in-person inspection by their personnel. We're particularly proud of the fact that we are ready for, and capable of, seeking licensing in California, which has exceptionally stringent standards," said Dr. Alex Kharazi, Vice President, Research & Manufacturing at Stemedica.

"Becoming a Licensed Manufacturer of clinical grade adult stem cells is a significant scientific and medical step forward for the Company," said Dr. Nikolai Tankovich, Stemedica's President and Chief Medical Officer. "Securing this status will allow us to become a primary CMO (Contract Manufacturing Organization) for other for-profit companies and the many research organizations interested in advancing stem cell research through clinical application. Additionally, achieving this regulatory status within the manufacturing world will provide Stemedica with the foundation to advance its own Phase I and Phase II Clinical Studies once approved by the FDA."

About Stemedica Technologies, Inc.

Stemedica Cell Technologies Inc. (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.

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

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Contact Information Dave McGuigan

Stemedica Cell Technologies Inc

http://www.stemedica.com

+1 858 658 0910



Tuesday, February 24, 2009

April 2009 Declared National Safe Handling Awareness Month

April 2009 Declared National Safe Handling Awareness Month

In an act to further education surrounding the safe handling of hazardous drugs in the healthcare setting, April 2009 has been declared the first-ever National Safe Handling Awareness Month with Monday, April 20, 2009 being declared the first-ever National Safe Handling Awareness Day.

Columbus, OH (PRWEB) February 24, 2009 -- In an act to further education surrounding the safe handling of hazardous drugs in the healthcare setting, April 2009 has been declared the first-ever National Safe Handling Awareness Month with Monday, April 20, 2009 being declared the first-ever National Safe Handling Awareness Day.

The proclamation of National Safe Handling Awareness Month follows the need for increased safe handling cognizance given the known risks associated with exposure to hazardous drugs (such as chemotherapy agents). According to an alert published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), "working with or near hazardous drugs in healthcare settings may cause skin rashes, infertility, miscarriage, birth defects and possibly leukemia or other cancers." Further evidence to support the need to take action in this area may be found below.

In recognition of National Safe Handling Awareness Month, a variety of regional and national continuing education (CE) activities will be scheduled throughout April. The headline event, a complimentary, nationwide CE webcast, will take place on April 20th from 1:00-2:00pm EST. The event will be followed by a live "Ask the Experts" session featuring today's industry thought leaders:

Keynote speakers:

Byron Peters, RPh

Director of Pharmacy

Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

MiKaela Olsen, RN, MS, OCN

Oncology and Hematology Clinical Nurse Specialist

Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD

Guest Speaker:

James Jorgenson, RPh, MS, FASHP

Executive Director, Pharmacy Services

Clarian Health Partners, Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis, IN

This initiative is supported by an unrestricted educational grant provided by Carmel Pharma, Inc. - the official sponsor of National Safe Handling Awareness Month and the maker of PhaSeal®, the only clinically proven closed-system drug transfer device (CSTD) for the safe handling of hazardous drugs.

Participants may visit www.statce.com/safehandling for more information or to register for the program.

The Importance of Safe Handling

* The World Health Organization predicts a 50 percent increase of cancer cases over the next 20 years; this, combined with more potent chemotherapy drugs - as well as an increase in the use of hazardous drugs to treat non-malignant illnesses - will continue to elevate risk of exposure.

* Two separate studies investigating the toxicity in healthcare personnel who handle cytotoxic (hazardous) drugs revealed a 40-50 percent increased risk for miscarriage. A total of 7094 pregnancies of 2976 pharmacy and nursing staff were examined.

* A national survey conducted by the Environmental Working Group, the American Nurses Association, Health Care Without Harm and the Environmental Health Education Center at the University of Maryland School of Nursing showed that there are links between nurses' occupational exposure to hazardous drugs and the health problems they develop such as cancer, asthma, miscarriages and children's birth defects.

About Safe Handling Awareness Month

April has been designated the first-ever National Safe Handling Awareness Month in an effort to raise awareness of the occupational risks associated with handling hazardous drugs and educate healthcare providers on the U.S. guidelines and safety measures that may be taken to prevent hazardous drug exposure. As the highlight of National Safe Handling Awareness Month, National Safe Handling Awareness Day will bring together national and regional educational opportunities collectively aimed at preserving the health and wellbeing of the oncology healthcare professionals who devote their lives to helping others. National Safe Handling Awareness Month and National Safe Handling Awareness Day are officially sponsored by Carmel Pharma, the maker of the PhaSeal® System - today's only clinically proven closed-system drug transfer device (CSTD) for the safe handling of hazardous drugs. For additional details on National Safe Handling Awareness Month/Day, visit www.carmelpharmausa.com/aware5 or call 866-487-9250.

About Carmel Pharma (the maker of the PhaSeal® System)

The PhaSeal System is manufactured by Carmel Pharma ab in Gothenburg, Sweden and is distributed from its U.S. affiliate office, Carmel Pharma, Inc., in Columbus, OH. PhaSeal has been in use in the United States since 2000 and implemented in more than 1000 cancer facilities, infusion centers and private practices, including M.D. Anderson and Texas Children's in Houston, TX; City of Hope in Duarte, CA; Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA; SwedishAmerican Hospital in Rockford, IL; and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, just to name a few. For more information on Carmel Pharma or the PhaSeal System, please visit www.phaseal.com. To request additional product details, high-resolution imagery, story ideas and expert references, or to learn more about the topic of safe handling from today's clinical thought leaders, please contact Emily Frydendal at 614-318-2635.

# # #



Contact Information Laura Gonzalez

STAT CE

http://www.statce.com/safehandling

888-247-8700



UCSF Gallo Study Finds Hormone Disorder Drug Could Help Drinkers Stay Sober

UCSF Gallo Study Finds Hormone Disorder Drug Could Help Drinkers Stay Sober

A drug prescribed for male and female infertility and menstrual disorders could hold the key to a more effective treatment for alcoholism, according to a study by researchers at the UCSF-affiliated Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center (www.galloresearch.org).

(Vocus) February 24, 2009 -- A drug prescribed for male and female infertility and menstrual disorders could hold the key to a more effective treatment for alcoholism, according to a study by researchers at the UCSF-affiliated Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center (www.galloresearch.org).

The study showed that "alcoholic" rodents, when injected with the drug cabergoline, decreased their alcohol consumption and alcohol-seeking behavior and were less likely to relapse.

Cabergoline, which is marketed under the trade name Dostinex, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration in pill form to treat conditions caused by excess of the hormone prolactin.

The study, led by Dorit Ron, PhD, a principal investigator at the Gallo Center and associate professor of neurology at UCSF, is now on line (February 20, 2009), in the journal "Biological Psychiatry." (See end of news release for link to paper.)

Notably, cabergoline did not impact the rats' consumption of sucrose and, in a subgroup of binge-drinking mice, the drug did not appear to significantly affect intake of water or saccharin.

"This is encouraging," says Ron, "because it demonstrates that cabergoline is specific for alcohol, but does not affect general reward or pleasure. One of the problems with some existing drugs to treat alcoholism is a side effect that decreases pleasure, making compliance an obstacle to sobriety."

The research builds on an earlier, provocative finding by Ron and her colleagues regarding the protein GDNF (glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor), which they had injected into rats' VTA (ventral tegmental area) brain region, associated with drug-seeking behavior.

In this earlier study, the scientists had trained rats to consume alcohol. Some, like humans, drank in moderation, while others binged. But when GDNF was administered, both heavy and light drinkers lost at least some of their craving for alcohol. This effect became apparent within 10 minutes and lasted at least 24 hours, the scientists discovered. Importantly, administration of GDNF into the brain prevented the rats from relapsing after a period of abstinence.

While the discovery broke new ground, the scientists knew that GDNF could not be used to treat alcoholic humans because its molecule is too large to cross the blood-brain barrier. So, in the present study, Ron and her colleagues looked at cabergoline, a compound that has been shown in cells to increase the expression of GDNF.

After establishing that cabergoline treatment resulted in an increase of the level of GDNF and activation of the GDNF pathway in the rats' VTA, the researchers sought to test its impact on rodents' drinking habits.

Rats underwent a two-month training program in which they learned to press a lever to obtain alcohol. Researchers found that when rats were injected with cabergoline, they were less likely to press the lever. The higher the dose of cabergoline, the lower the number of lever presses reported. The researchers also found that binge-drinking mice consumed less alcohol after cabergoline administration.

In further study, the researchers found that cabergoline was effective in reducing both craving for alcohol and relapse to drinking. Relapse is a critical issue for alcoholic patients trying to stay abstinent.

As further evidence of the interplay between cabergoline and GDNF, alcohol intake was tested on mice that had been genetically engineered to have a single copy of the GDNF gene, and therefore less GDNF in the brain. As expected, the scientists found that the drinking habits of these genetically modified mice were not affected by cabergoline.

Although the results of the study offer fresh hope to problem drinkers, Ron cautions that human clinical trials are needed before cabergoline can be safely prescribed. Higher doses of cabergoline have been used to treat Parkinson's disease and have been linked to heart valve problems.

"However," notes Ron, "we show that in mice and rats, a low dose of the drug is enough to reduce excessive alcohol consumption, alcohol seeking and relapse. The dose is similar to what is given to humans for the treatment of hyperprolactinemia."

Cabergoline may eventually be prescribed for other addictions. A pilot study conducted on cocaine addicts, cited in Ron's paper, reported a substantial reduction in cocaine use.

In the United States, 17.6 million people -- approximately one in every 12 adults -- abuses alcohol or is alcohol-dependent, according to the National Institutes of Health. But there are just three medications approved to treat alcohol dependence -- disulfiram (Antabuse), naltrexone (Depade, ReVia), and acamprosate (Campral).

Lead author of the study is Sebastien Carnicella, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at the Gallo Center. Co-authors are Dao-Yao He, PhD, senior research scientist; Patricia Janak, PhD, associate professor of neurology at UCSF; Selena Bartlett, PhD, director of the center's preclinical development group; Carsten Nielsen, PhD, associate research scientist; and Somayeh Ahmadiantehrani, graduate student.

Research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the State of California for medical research on alcohol and substance abuse through UCSF.

The Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UCSF is one of the world's preeminent academic centers for the study of the biological basis of alcohol and substance use disorders. It is the only center studying alcoholism in the United States that is based in a department of neurology. Gallo Center discoveries of potential molecular targets for the development of therapeutic medications are extended through preclinical and proof-of-concept clinical studies.

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions and excellence in patient care.

Link to paper: http://tinyurl.com/dh6dnk

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Contact Information Jennifer O’Brien

http://www.ucsf.edu

415-476-2557



Paving the Way for Peace in the Middle East with Mind-Body Skills

Paving the Way for Peace in the Middle East with Mind-Body Skills

Truce talks are gridlocked, but this mission to provide trauma relief to both sides of the conflict goes forward. Dr. James S. Gordon and his international team plans a training of health and mental health professionals in both Israel and Gaza--the only program of its kind working in both Israel and Gaza. After arriving February 28th, 2009. With The Center for Mind-Body Medicine's groundbreaking model which teaches self-care techniques (such as meditation, guided imagery, biofeedback, and yoga, as well as self-expression in words, drawing, and movement, all in a supportive small group), Dr. Gordon and his team will help heal the wounds of war and bring relief to those suffering following the devastating siege on Gaza.

Washington, D.C., Tel Aviv, and Gaza (PRWEB) February 23, 2009 -- As truce talks drag on between Israel and Gaza, James S. Gordon, M.D., the distinguished psychiatrist who leads the Washington D.C.-based Center for Mind-Body Medicine (http://www.cmbm.org), will on March 4, 2009 lead an international team of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish mental health professionals into Gaza in a groundbreaking effort to relieve population-wide psychological trauma in that war-devastated Israeli-occupied territory. The team will arrive in Israel February 28, 2009 and make their way to a border crossing.

For the last seven years, Dr. Gordon and his CMBM team have been working intensively with the traumatized population in Gaza and Israel separately and jointly -- they are the only organization doing so. During this time, they've trained 300 Israeli professionals and 90 in Gaza to develop comprehensive, scientifically based programs that are effectively treating widespread post traumatic stress disorder, major depression, anxiety, violence, and despair.

CMBM's pioneering program, which recently received a research award from the US Department of Defense, combines such mind-body techniques as meditation, guided imagery, biofeedback, and yoga with self-expression in words, drawings, and movement in a supportive small group setting.

CMBM's program is a powerful force for peace for those living in Gaza. Before the recent Israeli invasion, CMBM's Gaza team, which has treated 15-20,000 children and adults, was providing up to 75 ten-week long mind-body groups every three months. In the aftermath of the devastation, the number of groups has tripled. The CMBM approach is currently also being offered to hundreds of families that lost members in the conflict, to orphaned children, mothers with 'failure to thrive' infants, and depressed, suicidal, and violent children and adults.

A wealth of data supports and informs CMBM's unique, highly effective model, which has been used to help traumatized populations in postwar Kosovo, post-Katrina New Orleans, as well as Israel and Gaza, and is now being implemented on an increasingly large scale with US military returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and their families.

As Dr. Gordon says, "The CMBM model is welcomed by people of all ages and races around the world because it is educational, non-stigmatizing, and demonstrably beneficial. It can be easily taught and can be used by all people of all ages on their own." Dr. Gordon describes this groundbreaking approach in his newest book Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression (Penguin Press; June 2008).

The results of CMBM's program are astonishing. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the use of the model with war-traumatized children in Kosovo -- the first RCT of any intervention with war-traumatized children -- was published in the prestigious Journal of Clinical Psychiatry in 2008; it showed an 80% decrease in symptoms following 12 sessions of mind-body skills groups. Also, data collected on the first 500 children and 600 adults in the CMBM Gaza program revealed significant decreases in symptoms of PTSD and depression and anger and increased hopefulness in those who participated in CMBM groups, gains which were largely maintained even during the ongoing siege of Gaza at six months' follow-up.

After four days working with the CMBM faculty in Israel and visiting with people affected by the Palestinian shelling in Sderot and Ashkelon, Dr. Gordon and his team will enter Gaza. During the first several days, they will visit with some of the thousands who have sought out CMBM-trained counselors to help them deal with the loss of family members and friends. During the following five days, Dr. Gordon and his colleagues will supervise the 15-member CMBM Gaza leadership team as they prepare 150 more of the most committed mental health professionals, including school psychologists and school counselors, to offer CMBM's program to Gaza's devastated children and their families.

Journalists are invited to accompany Dr. Gordon as he meets with CMBM's Israeli staff prior to entering Gaza and visits Sderot, and as the team interviews individuals and families throughout Gaza. There will be opportunities for interviews with Dr. Gordon and his Palestinian leadership team, traumatized families who have been aided, as well as the possibility to observe the training program. A short article on Dr. Gordon's work in Gaza (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/health/views/13case.html?ref=health) which appeared in the New York Times.

Dr. Gordon is a dynamic public speaker with a wealth of personal stories of children and adults he has helped find healing in the midst of loss and despair. A respected and world-renowned expert in mind-body medicine, he can bring the human aspects of this story to life in any medium -- radio, television, or print -- with a warm, knowledgeable voice and his wealth of experience. He is available for immediate comment and interview.

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Contact Information Dr. Gordon EA

The Center for Mind-Body Medicine

http://www.cmbm.org

202-537-6837



Monday, February 23, 2009

Ugandan Children Receive Life-Saving Treatment For Heart Defects At Children's National Medical Center

Ugandan Children Receive Life-Saving Treatment For Heart Defects At Children's National Medical Center

Through partnership with Samaritan's Purse and Gift of Life, patients travel to United States **Media Note: Patients will be at Children's National for farewell visit on Tuesday, February 24**

Washington, DC --On February 12, two Ugandan children received life-saving procedures at Children's National Medical Center (http://www.childrensnational.org/?utm_source=pressrelease&utm_medium=2_23&utm_campaign=uganda) to correct severe heart defects. Without cardiac surgery, the young boys would likely have died before adulthood, but they now have a normal life expectancy.

As part of the Phase I of a global initiative to bring attention to the health needs of Ugandan children, 15-month-old Daniel Kamaramasu and 2 ½-year-old Allan Wassanyi traveled 5,000 miles to receive treatment unavailable at home. Daniel, who was born with a blocked valve between his heart and lungs, was successfully treated using a cardiac catheterization balloon procedure by Michael Slack, MD (http://www.childrensnational.org/FindADoctor/Doctor_Marqui.aspx?DocId=470&Name=Michael%20Slack?utm_source=pressrelease&utm_medium=2_23&utm_campaign=uganda). Allan, who had a very large hole in his heart, underwent successful open heart surgery by Richard Jonas, MD (http://www.childrensnational.org/FindADoctor/Doctor_Marqui.aspx?DocID=1195&Name=Richard%20Jonas?utm_source=pressrelease&utm_medium=2_23&utm_campaign=uganda).

The boys came to Children's National through a partnership with international relief organization Samaritan's Purse, Gift of Life International (GOLI), and other organizations. Through this partnership, pediatric cardiologist Craig Sable, MD (http://www.childrensnational.org/FindADoctor/Doctor_Marqui.aspx?DocId=424&Name=Craig%20Sable?utm_source=pressrelease&utm_medium=2_23&utm_campaign=uganda) has led seven medical missions to Uganda in an effort to provide treatment for patients and ultimately build a sustainable cardiac surgery program in Uganda. More than 100 children have received life-saving treatment since the program began in 2003.

"With the dedication of organizations like Samaritan's Purse and Gift of Life, patients from around the world have access to the expert pediatric care that is available to children in the United States," said Dr. Sable.

Added Cindy Bonsall, director of Samaritan's Purse's Children's Heart Project: "We're glad this partnership has enabled so many Ugandan children to receive the cardiac care they deserve. We're glad they will be returning home soon with a second chance at life."

A key component of the missions to Uganda has been training Ugandan surgeons. Through training provided by Dr. Sable and colleagues, Ugandan surgeons are now on the verge of doing simple cardiac procedures on their own. Dr. Sable directs the Telemedicine Program at Children's National, which provides training and educational opportunities around the world.

The groups have joined forces to implement "Our Hearts Are In Uganda," which will focus all of GOLI's efforts in Uganda. The first phase of the program included treatment for Daniel, Allan, and three other children at hospitals in the United States. The next phase will bring 25 more Ugandan children to hospitals throughout the world to receive life-saving treatment for heart defects.

"We have saved the lives of more than 10,000 children, and through this partnership, we hope to expand our reach, to ultimately create a program in Uganda to ensure that all the children have access to the medical care they need," said Lou del Rosario, vice chairman of GOL District 7230, who was instrumental in raising funds for Allan's operation.

MEDIA NOTE: The patients will be returning to Children's National for a farewell visit on Tuesday, February 24. The patients and Dr. Craig Sable will be available for interviews. Contact Emily Dammeyer or Jenn Leischer at 202-476-4500.

About Children's National Medical Center (http://www.childrensnational.org/about/?utm_source=pressrelease&utm_medium=2_23&utm_campaign=uganda)

Children's National Medical Center, located in Washington, DC, is a proven leader in the development of innovative new treatments for childhood illness and injury. Children's has been serving the nation's children for more than 135 years. Children's National is proudly ranked among the best pediatric hospitals in America by US News & World Report and the Leapfrog Group. For more information, visit www.childrensnational.org.

About Samaritan's Purse

Samaritan's Purse identifies children needing life-saving heart treatment through its' Children's Heart Project. The international relief organization identifies children overseas who need heart surgery, matches them with hospitals and specialists willing to donate their time and services, places them with a local host family, and arranges international travel and an interpreter. More than 550 children from nine countries have been brought to North America for medical and surgical care not available in their home countries.

About Gift of Life International

Gift of Life is a Rotary based program in more than 50 Rotary Clubs and Districts on 6 continents. GOLI aims to save as many children's lives as possible by providing life saving open heart surgery to children from infancy to 18 years of age with congenital heart defects. GOLI has been responsible for saving more than 10,000 lives during the past 33 years.

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Contact Information Emily Dammeyer

Children's National Medical Center

http://www.childrensnational.org

202-476-4500



Reprints Desk Named to "KMWorld 100 Companies that Matter in Knowledge Management" List

Reprints Desk Named to "KMWorld 100 Companies that Matter in Knowledge Management" List

Reprints Desk, Inc., the content workflow company, today announced that the company has been named as one of "KMWorld's 100 Companies that Matter in Knowledge Management" by KMWorld Magazine.

Los Angeles, Calif. (PRWEB) February 23, 2009 -- Reprints Desk, Inc., the content workflow company (http://www.reprintsdesk.com/main/home.aspx), today announced that the company has been named as one of "KMWorld's 100 Companies that Matter in Knowledge Management" by KMWorld Magazine.

KMWorld's annual list, now in its eighth year, is compiled by knowledge management (KM) practitioners, theorists, analysts, vendors, and customers. Companies that have previously been named to the list include Google, Apple, Oracle, SAP, and EMC.

"Each company embodies as part of its culture agile and limber execution of its mission, embracing a spirit of both adaptability and innovation," said Hugh McKellar, KMWorld editor in chief.

In 2008, Reprints Desk achieved a number of accomplishments:

• Ranked first overall and in each category within the Document Delivery (http://www.reprintsdesk.com/main/docdel_overview.aspx) Best Practices and Vendor Scorecard Report published by Outsell, Inc.

• Served more than 50% of the world's top-50 pharmaceutical companies

• Launched eCTD Article Service (http://www.reprintsdesk.com/main/news.aspx) for regulatory submissions

• Established an office in Germany to support European sales

• Became a document supplier on FIZ Karlsruhe's full-text broker service FIZ AutoDoc

• Signed an agreement with the Copyright Clearance Center to integrate rights management from Rightsphere into the document delivery workflow

Reprints Desk is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and was founded in 2006 by document delivery pioneer Peter Derycz. The company provides software services that simplify how healthcare companies and other research-oriented enterprises procure, manage, and share peerreviewed journal articles and other copyright-protected content.

About KMWorld

The leading information provider serving the Knowledge, Document and Content Management systems market, KMWorld informs more than 50,000 subscribers about the components and processes - and subsequent success stories - that together offer solutions for improving business performance. KMWorld is a publishing unit of Information Today, Inc.

About Reprints Desk ®

Reprints Desk, Inc. (www.reprintsdesk.com), is a content technology and services company that simplifies how healthcare companies and other enterprises procure, manage and share scientific journal articles and other copyright-protected content. The company's workflow solutions and end user tools help customers effectively use peer-reviewed literature in product promotions, regulatory submissions, and research. A channel supplier for more than 100 scientific, technical, and medical (STM) publishers, Reprints Desk currently serves more than half of the world's Top-50 pharmaceutical companies and earned the #1 ranking in the 2008 Document Delivery Vendor Scorecard by Outsell, Inc. Reprints Desk is a Derycz Scientific, Inc. (OTC: DYSC.PK) company. For more information about Reprints Desk, contact Ian Palmer at +1 (707) 658-1931.

Public and Media Relations Contacts:

Ian Palmer, Head of Marketing

Reprints Desk, Inc. | +1 707.658.1931

ipalmer @ reprintsdesk.com

# # #



Contact Information Ian Palmer

Reprints Desk

http://www.reprintsdesk.com

707.658.1931



Dalton Pharma Services and Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. Announce the Renewal of their Chemistry Services Agreement

Dalton Pharma Services and Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. Announce the Renewal of their Chemistry Services Agreement

Dalton Pharma Services announces the renewal of its Chemistry Services Agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. Under the agreement Dalton will continue to provide chemistry services in support of Boehringer's pharmaceutical development programs.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada (PRWEB) February 23, 2009 -- Dalton Pharma Services announces the renewal of its Chemistry Services Agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. Under the agreement Dalton will continue to provide chemistry services in support of Boehringer's pharmaceutical development programs.

Peter Pekos, President of Dalton Pharma Services, said: "We are extremely pleased to continue our relationship with Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. The renewal of our chemistry services agreement demonstrates Boehringer Ingelheim's deep commitment to research in Canada. We look forward to another successful collaboration with this world class organization."

About Dalton Pharma Services:

Dalton Chemical Laboratories Inc. o/a Dalton Pharma Services is a Health Canada approved contract pharmaceutical manufacturer (http://www.dalton.com/) that supplies chemistry, medicinal chemistry and analytical services (http://www.dalton.com/contract_analytical.htm) to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in the areas of chemistry, medicinal chemistry, fine chemical manufacture, custom peptides and antisense oligo production. Dalton provides cGMP manufacturing (http://www.dalton.com/facilities.htm) and sterile filling services to its customers at any stage of the regulatory process (Phase I, II, III or commercial). In its state of the art cGMP facilities, Dalton can produce active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), at the gram or kilogram scale. Dalton can carry out sterile fills to produce batches of finished drug product in vials or syringes, either aseptically filled or terminally sterilized, under fully validated conditions. In addition, Dalton's analytical chemistry laboratory offers method development, validation and ICH stability programs to its clients.

Contact:

Peter Pekos

Dalton Pharma Services

416-661-2102

ppekos (at) dalton (dot) com

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Contact Information Peter Pekos

Dalton Pharma Services

http://www.dalton.com/

416-661-2102



Saturday, February 21, 2009

Separating Fact from Bioidentical Hype

Separating Fact from Bioidentical Hype

Hot from Menopausal Symptoms and Bothered by the Media Hype about Hormone Replacement? People are hearing about bioidentical hormone replacement along with more traditional types of prescribed hormone medication from the Oprah show and other media. Lets separate Fact from Fiction. The word "bioidentical" is not an accurate medical description of this new, unregulated substance and it certainly is not exactly like the hormones the body produces otherwise there would not be a measurable and clinically evident toxic build-up in the body. In "Revitalize Your Hormones: Dr. Dale's 7 Steps to a Happier, Healthier, and Sexier You" (Wiley; May 2005), Dr. Theresa Dale offers a medically proven natural alternative to invasive and dangerous hormone replacement therapies. Dale invented the world's only clinically proven, FDA registered, homeopathic hormone rejuvenation formulas used for restoring hormone balance without side effects.

(PRWEB) February 19, 2009 -- Hot from Menopausal Symptoms and Bothered by the Media Hype about Hormone Replacement? People are hearing about bioidentical hormone replacement along with more traditional types of prescribed hormone medication from the Oprah show and other media. Lets separate Fact from Fiction. The new buzz word "bioidentical" is deceptive. It's not an accurate medical description of this new, unregulated substance and it is not exactly like the body produces. Clearly there is a measurable and clinically evident toxic build-up in the body.

Bioidentical hormone replacement is not natural even though it originates from yam or soy; it has been compounded and thus a synthetic. That's right; health providers perform thousands of before and after saliva tests on patients and it is clear that there is a toxic build up of all hormone replacement including bioidentical HRT.

Women are wary of recent warnings linking hormone replacement therapy with an increased risk for heart disease, stroke and breast cancer, more and more women are turning to alternative and natural ways to balance their hormone levels. Studies have shown that using hormones such as Prempro, Othro-Prefest or Premphase and bioidentical HRT causes the body to shut down production of its own hormones creating a dependency. Hormone replacement therapy can also elevate existing hormone levels to toxically high amounts, which can tax the adrenal glands, burden the liver, kidneys, and circulatory and immune systems.

Yet, there is a superior way to get both clinically proven and evidence based relief without being exposed to the toxic effects of ALL of these drugs. Health providers throughout the US are using FDA registered NuFem & EndoPure Homeopathic Hormone Rejuvenation, developed by Theresa Dale, ND, CCN, NP.

In "Revitalize Your Hormones: Dr. Dale's 7 Steps to a Happier, Healthier, and Sexier You" (Wiley; May 2005; $15.95/Paper), Dr. Theresa Dale offers a medically proven alternative to invasive and dangerous hormone replacement therapies. With over 20 years of experience as a Naturopathic Doctor, Certified Clinical Nutritionist and researcher, Dr. Dale has helped women balance their hormone levels through safe, non-toxic program. The world's only clinically proven homeopathic hormone rejuvenation formulas used for restoring hormone balance without side effects. These formulas actually produce healthy hormone levels in women of various ages, and eliminate symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, low libido, low energy and irregular menses. The formulas are FDA approved and regulated and are prepared at an FDA registered pharmacy. The remedy goes through a lengthy preparation processes. For example, an herb or substance is diluted and prepared in a manner so that just a micro amount of the original substance is left in the final formula. This method of natural preparation enhances all the properties of the herb and amplifies its efficacy. Homeopathic medicine has been used for 200 years throughout the world, and is natural without toxic side effects. See The Wellness Center website for more education about Homeopathy.

The medical establishment's approach to balancing hormones fails to embrace the concept of the body as a natural living system that is capable of self-repair. Its regimens are based on the premise that people need to look outside our bodies for hormone help via one-size-fits-all drugs. The only hormones that are safe for the human body are the ones the body makes. By using a totally natural and homeopathic program, it is possible to restore emotional, physical and sexual health by following simple and safe individualized nutritional and exercise guidelines.

For more information, call Theresa Dale's office at 866 962 6484.

Theresa Dale, ND, CCN, NP

Founder, The Wellness Center For Research & Education, Inc.

Dean, California College of Natural Medicine

www.wellnesscenter.net

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Contact Information Theresa Dale

The Wellness Center

http://www.wellnesscenter.net

866 962 6484

Dr. Theresa Dale, ND, CCN, NP

The Wellness Center

http://www.wellnesscenter.net

805 984 7200



Friday, February 20, 2009

Baltimore LASIK Eye Surgeon Walter J. Stark, M.D. of the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Joins Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory

Baltimore LASIK Eye Surgeon Walter J. Stark, M.D. of the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Joins Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory

Trusted LASIK Surgeons announced today that LASIK and refractive eye surgery expert Doctor Walter Stark of the Wilmer Laser Vision Center at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland has joined the Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory, an informational resource for consumers looking for vision correction and improvement through laser and lasik eye surgery or another refractive eye surgery procedure. Dr. Stark's practice primarily serves patients seeking laser eye surgery throughout Maryland including Arlington, Bethesda, and Frederick, Washington D.C., Dover and Newark in Delaware, as well as surrounding states, and patients visiting from international locations.

Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) February 20, 2009 -- Trusted LASIK Surgeons (http://www.trustedlasiksurgeons.com/index.htm) announced today that Walter J. Stark, M.D. (http://trustedlasiksurgeons.com/baltimore_lasik_surgeon_walter_stark_md.htm), of the Wilmer Laser Vision Center at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland (http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/wilmer/lasik) is listed in the Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory (http://www.TrustedLASIKSurgeons.com), an informational resource for consumers looking to improve their vision through laser eye surgery or another refractive eye surgery procedure. Dr. Stark's practice primarily serves patients seeking improve uncorrected visual acuity through LASIK and laser eye surgery in Baltimore, Arlington, Columbia, Rockville and Washington, D.C. areas (http://www.trustedlasiksurgeons.com/baltimore_lasik_surgeons.htm). Dr. Stark also treats patients seeking LASIK and other vision correction procedures throughout Maryland (http://trustedlasiksurgeons.com/maryland_lasik_surgeons.htm), as well as surrounding states and international countries.

Trusted LASIK Surgeons directory endeavors to list only those LASIK eye surgeons who are among the best in the United States. To accomplish this, Trusted LASIK Surgeons screens each eye surgeon based on experience, premier patient care, and professional credentials. Trusted LASIK Surgeons estimates that Dr. Stark's outstanding professional credentials place him among the top 1% of LASIK and refractive surgeons in the United States.

The most significant professional qualifications that set Dr. Stark apart from the majority of LASIK eye surgeons in the United States are based on his extensive research, teaching and consulting expertise. Dr. Stark serves as a Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Stark-Mosher Center for Cataract and Corneal Diseases of The Wilmer Eye Institute Wilmer Eye Institute (http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/wilmer) at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, which is repeatedly ranked as the top eye care center in the nation in surveys by U.S. News & World Report and Ophthalmology Times. He has served as a principal investigator for 1 FDA study for vision correction lasers, has written 10 textbook chapters and textbooks, and has published over 400 scientific articles for major peer-reviewed eye journals. In addition, he serves in an editorial capacity for Ophthalmology Times and Ophthalmology World News. Dr. Stark has made over 400 presentations at major eye meetings throughout the world. He was the former chairman and is currently a consultant for the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Ophthalmologic Devices Panel. He is also a consultant for the National Eye Institute, as well as many organizations dedicated to improving vision, including the Medical Eye Bank of Maryland, Tissue Eye Banks International, Project ORBIS, and the National Foundation for Eye Research among others. His considerable contributions to the field of refractive eye surgery have earned him the respect of his peers throughout the world.

In the course of helping patients improve their vision, Dr. Stark has performed thousands of LASIK eye surgery and laser vision correction procedures. With over 18 years of experience in laser vision surgery, including LASIK, as well as in other refractive surgery procedures such lens implants, Dr. Stark has the proven know-how to provide patients with the best care available.

Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, this highly qualified LASIK eye surgeon is an active member of many professional organizations. The American Academy of Ophthalmology, where he has served for several years as the Chairman of the Committee for Research and Regulatory Agencies and the Chairman for the Committee for Ophthalmic Technology Development, has honored him with an Achievement Award, a Life Achievement Honor Award, the Binkhorst Medal Lectureship and a Senior Honor Award. In addition, Dr. Stark is a member of the American Medical Association, the Cornea Society (formerly the Castroviejo Society), the International Society for Contact Lens Research, the Microbiology and Immunology Group, Ophthalmic Genetics Study Club, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), the Eye Study Club. Locally, he is a member of the Maryland Ophthalmological Society.

Dr. Stark's practice at The Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins provides state-of-the-art patient care, including use of the IntraLase system for "All-Laser" or "Bladeless" LASIK, Wavefront Based ("Custom") LASIK and PRK, and the iLASIK procedure, which includes WaveScan Technology, IntraLase, and Visx Advanced CustomVue treatments. Dr. Stark treats a full range of vision problems including nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism (blurred vision), and presbyopia. Dr. Stark offers not just LASIK and PRK (laser eye surgery procedures), but other procedures like RLE/CLE (lens implants), phakic implants, limbal relaxing incisions, and cataract lens implants procedures to ensure patients have a complete range of options when it comes to choosing the right procedure to improve their vision. Other eye doctors and eye surgeons commonly seek Dr. Stark to perform their LASIK or other refractive surgery procedure. In addition, new patients who have suffered problems from a LASIK eye surgery or another vision correction procedure performed by another surgeon regularly seek Dr. Stark to manage and treat their problems.

Dr. Stark's most treasured honor was the dedication of the Walter J. Stark, M.D. and Margaret C. Mosher Center for Cataract and Corneal Diseases. Margaret Mosher, his long-time patient and friend, made the Center possible through her generous donation. In addition, he has been recognized as one of Baltimore's "Top Doctors" by Baltimore magazine and one of Washington D.C. "Top Doctors" by Washingtonian magazine.

"Dr. Stark was among the first group of refractive eye surgeons in the world to perform Excimer laser surgery when he was the principle investigator for the VISX FDA Phototherapeutic study in the early 1990's," said James J. Salz, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Trusted LASIK Surgeons. "He has made major contributions to the field of Excimer laser surgery and cataract surgery techniques through hundreds publications and lectures throughout the world. We are honored to have him as a member of the Trusted Lasik Surgeons Directory."

"Providing safe and effective refractive surgery is our goal. We are more conservative than many refractive surgeons and, therefore, will not offer you the surgery if you are not a good candidate," said Walter Stark, M.D. Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Stark-Mosher Center for Cataract and Corneal Diseases of The Wilmer Eye Institute at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

Visit Baltimore, Maryland LASIK Surgeon Walter J. Stark, M.D. profile page at Trusted LASIK Surgeons (http://www.trustedlasiksurgeons.com/baltimore_lasik_surgeon_walter_stark_md.htm)

To learn more about Dr. Stark's refractive surgery practice, please visit Baltimore, MD, LASIK eye surgeon Walter J. Stark, M.D. at Wilmer Eye Institute (http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/wilmer/employees/cvs/Stark.html)

For more on why consumers should consider surgeons listed in the Trusted LASIK Surgeons directory for their vision correction needs, please visit: Why choose a Surgeons from the Trusted LASIK Surgeon's Directory (http://www.trustedlasiksurgeons.com/why_use_a_trusted_lasik_surgeon.htm)

The screening process and standards used by Trusted LASIK Surgeons are located at How Are LASIK Surgeons Qualified at Trusted LASIK Surgeons? (http://www.trustedlasiksurgeons.com/how_are_lasik_surgeons_qualified_at_tls.htm)

To find a highly accomplished LASIK and refractive specialist in your local area who has been qualified and listed in the Trusted LASIK Surgeons directory, please visit Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory (http://www.trustedlasiksurgeons.com/find_a_lasik_eye_surgeon.htm)

SOURCE: Trusted LASIK Surgeons

About Trusted LASIK Surgeons, Inc.

Trusted LASIK Surgeons, Inc. (Trusted LASIK Surgeons) is a premier LASIK, laser eye surgery, and refractive eye surgery directory service whose primary mission is to assist consumers in finding the best and most qualified LASIK and vision correction surgeons in their local area in the United States. To accomplish this, Trusted LASIK Surgeons uses a unique screening process where each prospective LASIK eye surgeon must meet the minimum required qualifications set by Trusted LASIK Surgeons. These qualifications for these doctors are based on experience (not just in LASIK but complete refractive care), research (including FDA approval studies for manufacturers and academic appointments at major universities), publications and lectures (to their peers, not to the public via infomercials) and patient care standards (treating other eye professionals and managing complications from patients first operated on by someone else). All refractive eye surgeons listed at Trusted LASIK Surgeons have qualified, been accepted, and have subscribed to our services. For more information on why we believe consumers interested in LASIK should consider an eye surgeon listed in the Trusted LASIK Surgeon's directory, please visit our website at www.TrustedLASIKSurgeons.com.

Trusted LASIK Surgeons, Inc.

(800) 483-8028

The Wilmer Laser Vision Center

The Wilmer Eye Institute has been performing laser vision correction since the early 1990's and has performed thousands of surgeries to date. Our facilities are state-of-the-art with the most technically advanced equipment designed to make your procedure as safe and efficient as possible. The Wilmer Laser Vision Center utilizes the iLASIK system which includes the VISX WaveScan Wavefront(tm) System, IntraLase FS(tm) Femtosecond Laser, and the VISX STAR S4 IR(tm) Excimer Laser for our laser vision correction procedures. Our laser vision correction surgeons are members of the Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory. The Wilmer Eye Institute is repeatedly ranked as the top eye care center in the nation in surveys by U.S. News & World Report and Ophthalmology Times. The Wilmer Eye Institute has been a leader in laser vision care and has developed some of the earliest lasers for vision care and pioneered laser removal of corneal scars and laser treatment for corneal diseases. The Wilmer Eye Institute participated in the first clinical trials of laser correction for nearsightedness, farsightedness and wavefront technology and continues to participate in clinical trials for approvals of new advanced excimer laser software and technology. Wilmer is helping to develop the next generation of laser vision correction procedures. The laser surgeons at The Wilmer Laser Vision Center are full-time faculty members of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Wilmer Eye Institute and are highly trained cornea experts who can help you to understand laser vision correction and its impact on your long-term vision health. The Wilmer Eye Institute trains more eye experts, are entrusted to perform more eye research than any other center and have contributed to amazing advances in eye care. For more information about the Wilmer Laser Vision Center, please visit: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/wilmer/lasik.

The Wilmer Laser Vision Center at Green Spring Station

10753 Falls Road, Pavilion II, Suite 455

Lutherville, MD 21093

phone: 410-583-2802

fax: 410-583-2842

The Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

600 N. Wolfe Street

Baltimore, MD, 21287

phone: (410) 955-5490

fax: (410) 614-9172

About Wilmer Eye Institute

The Wilmer Eye Institute has long been recognized for bringing together ophthalmologists consistently ranked by their peers as among the finest internationally, with a specially trained and highly experienced team of nurses cited by patients for their knowledge, responsiveness, and sensitivity. Working together, they have established and refined a flexible approach for delivering state-of-the-art ophthalmic care - and created the Wilmer Eye Care Pavilion as the optimal setting for that approach. We welcome you to visit us. For more information about the Wilmer Eye Institute, please visit: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/wilmer.

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Contact Information James J. Salz, M.D.

Trusted LASIK Surgeons, Inc.

http://www.TrustedLASIKSurgeons.com

+1 (800) 483-8028

Online Marketing Dept.

LanceThink Media

http://www.LanceThinkMedia.com

+1 (800) 846-6208