Medical Advices

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., June 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Preliminary data from a new national survey show a dramatic rise in use of modern contraception among married women in Rwanda, Africa’s most densely populated country, from 10% in 2005 to 27% in 2008.
The data are included in a new report — Family Planning in Rwanda: How a Taboo Topic Became Priority Number One — published by IntraHealth International, which has collaborated with the Rwandan government and local NGOs since the late 1980s to improve family planning services, among other public health-related work.
“Strong government leadership, better access to a range of contraceptive methods and health workers who are well-trained have contributed to this impressive increase in contraceptive use,” says Pape Gaye, IntraHealth’s President and CEO. “We are proud to be among the development partners working hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Health, the Government of Rwanda and the health workforce to make family planning and other health services accessible to the most vulnerable communities.”
The preliminary data, from a forthcoming MEASURE Demographic and health Survey, were released by Rwanda’s National Institute of Statistics on May 30. In addition to the gain in modern contraceptive use, the data show a decrease in Rwanda’s fertility rate to an average of 5.5 children per woman, down from 6.1. Mortality rates have declined 28% for infants and 32% for children-under-five since 2005.
IntraHealth’s Family Planning in Rwanda report, written by Julie Solo and funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, notes “the tremendous social and cultural barriers” that family planning advocates have faced, including recovery from the 1994 genocide, a pronatalist culture and religious opposition to family planning. “But in this context,” states the report, “President [Paul] Kagame has declared family planning a national priority.” The government sees family planning as essential to poverty reduction and overall development as well as improved health.
“The quick extension of family planning services is due to good governance, empowering women’s decision making and education… and performance-based programs supported by very strong partnerships with development partners,” says Dr. Claude Sekabaraga of Rwanda’s Ministry of Health.
IntraHealth is also assisting the Rwandan government to strengthen its health workforce and systems and expand decentralized health care, including community-based HIV and malaria services. IntraHealth’s work in Rwanda is primarily funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
For Family Planning in Rwanda: How a Taboo Topic Became Priority Number One and more information on IntraHealth’s work in Rwanda: .
IntraHealth International mobilizes local talent to create sustainable and accessible health care in developing countries. A not-for-profit organization, IntraHealth has worked in more than 50 countries over the last three decades.
IntraHealth International

NEW ORLEANS, June 12 /PRNewswire/ — Louisiana State University (LSU) Healthcare Network today announced it has been selected as a recipient of the Microsoft HealthVault Be Well Fund. Be Well Fund recipients were chosen from nearly 200 proposals and announced at the second annual Microsoft HealthVault Solutions Conference on June 10 in Bellevue, Wash.
LSU Healthcare Network, the multi-specialty physician practice comprised of more than 500 faculty members of the LSU health Sciences Center and LSU School of Medicine, will use the Microsoft grant to implement a system enabling tens of thousands of New Orleans-area patients and their doctors to go online and download their active medications, medication history and allergies. In the event of another disaster like Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in August 2005, patients who are evacuated from the region without their medical records could log onto their Microsoft HealthVault account to access their medication information and ensure they receive appropriate short-term care. This vital medical information would then be available to the patient wherever treatment is provided, dramatically improving the quality of care and saving millions of dollars wasted on redundant care that might be necessary if their records were lost.
Participating patients need not have a LSU Healthcare Network physician but must have a Microsoft HealthVault account and their physicians must use free, web-based electronic prescribing, or “e-prescribing,” technology from Allscripts to transfer information into their personal health records. LSU Healthcare Network, Microsoft and Allscripts hope that the program will establish a model that other cities threatened by natural disaster can implement to protect their citizens’ health in an emergency.
“We are honored to be chosen as a recipient of the Be Well Fund to establish a model that cities across the United States can use to help mitigate the health impacts of natural disasters,” said Frank Opelka, MD, Chief Executive Officer of LSU health Network. “With an accurate personal health record populated with clinically relevant data derived from Allscripts ePrescribe and using an enabling technology like Microsoft HealthVault, patients can take their medical records with them wherever they go, no matter what potentially catastrophic conditions occur.”
As the physician staff of the primary “safety net” clinics in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette, LSU health Network serves the neediest patients in Southeast Louisiana, the region hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. In a broad-ranging response to the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed over 250,000 of LSU health Network’s paper medical charts and displaced thousands of its patients and providers, LSU health Network is deploying an Electronic health Record from Allscripts in their own clinics across Southeast Louisiana. The physician group also is leading the deployment of free, web-based electronic prescribing — Allscripts ePrescribe(TM) (formerly known as eRx NOW) — to all physicians in the state as the regional sponsor of the National ePrescribing Patient Safety Initiative(TM) (NEPSI(TM)), a coalition of technology and healthcare companies led by Allscripts and Dell, and co-sponsored by Microsoft and others.
“Microsoft is pleased to provide LSU Healthcare Network with seed funding to help ensure the people of New Orleans have online access to their vital health information whenever they need it, even in the event of a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina,” said Peter Neupert, corporate vice president, Microsoft health Solutions Group. “Innovative provider organizations like LSU and companies such as Allscripts are playing a significant role in delivering on the promise of connecting health information and bringing healthcare into the Internet Age.”
Allscripts Chief Executive Officer Glen Tullman commented: “Our vision has always been to provide physicians with the right information at the right time, improving quality and reducing costs, while at the same time connecting physicians to all of the most important healthcare stakeholders. With Microsoft’s new HealthVault technology, we can now realize that vision and connect physicians with the most important stakeholder in healthcare, the patient! We applaud the continued leadership of Dr. Frank Opelka and his team and are proud of our strong partnership with Microsoft.”
Mr. Tullman and Dr. Opelka are the co-chairs of NEPSI (), whose other sponsors are Aetna, Cisco Systems, Fujitsu, Google — the coalition’s Search Sponsor — Horizon BCBS of New Jersey, NaviMedix, Quest Diagnostics, Sprint Nextel, SureScripts, Wellpoint, and Wolters Kluwer Health. The coalition supports the delivery of Allscripts ePrescribe free of charge to any licensed prescriber in America.
The Microsoft HealthVault Be Well Fund is designed to stimulate not-for-profit research and development across a broad range of health disciplines that have the potential to significantly improve health and wellness outcomes.
About LSU Healthcare Network
The LSU Healthcare Network is a team of over 500 physicians and 130 employees that has provided leading edge health services throughout Southeast Louisiana since its founding in 1995. LSUHN’s mission is to provide patients with the highest quality, comprehensive medical care through a compassionate, professional and patient-focused healthcare team that is committed to academic excellence. LSUHN faculty have distinguished themselves through research and innovation in Ophthalmology with LASIK surgery, Neurosciences, Level I Trauma Care, Oncology with the Neuroendocrine Tumor Program, and Pediatric Excellence. LSUHN’s physicians were among the first to return to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and they continue to play an integral role in rebuilding the healthcare delivery system in the region.
Louisiana State University (LSU) Healthcare Network

ALPHARETTA, Ga., June 11 /PRNewswire/ — Blue Pillar(TM) Inc., developer of the Avise(TM) system, the world’s first digital Emergency Power Management System (dEPMS(TM)), today announced that Duke University Medical Center has expanded the innovative, web-enabled solution to its nationally-recognized hospital.
Designed especially for health care institutions, the Avise system connects separate and physically isolated emergency power supply systems into a single, cohesive network. The Avise solution enables 24-hour management of a facility’s emergency power supply systems — providing personnel with real-time visibility of critical emergency power components in the case of an outage.
Duke was the first medical facility in the country to use the Avise system. Blue Pillar’s solution has been particularly applicable to power management needs at Duke, according to Robert Guerry, PE, the facility’s director of engineering and operations. “The management of emergency power supply systems has become increasingly complex, especially in light of today’s more stringent regulatory requirements,” said Guerry. “This system provides us with another important tool to help us manage the health and readiness of our emergency power components.”
Unlike expensive, custom-engineered projects that can take up to a year to implement, the Avise system leverages current digital technology and can be up and running in a few days after the necessary infrastructure is installed. The Avise system connects to all generators and electrical distribution components regardless of age and manufacturer. It is highly scalable, works in any hospital environment and can expand easily as a health care campus grows.
“Emergency power management is a necessity for today’s medical institutions,” said Joe Scoufis, chief executive officer of Blue Pillar. “The Avise solution not only makes hospital emergency power supply systems more reliable, but also provides the compliance documentation necessary to meet regulatory requirements and reduces maintenance and operational costs.”
The Avise system provides browser-based access and allows facilities personnel to remotely view all emergency power supply systems on a single computer screen, performing a wide range of functions including:
* Testing - remote initiation of Joint Commission-required load tests
* Data Logging - variety of logging types including event, historical,
archival and testing, as well as multiple logging destinations for
redundancy and disaster planning
* Alarm Notifications - component monitoring for anomalies; extensive
alarm and pre-alarm notifications customized and adjusted to fit each
installation’s unique requirements
* Fuel System Monitoring - monitoring the level of a facility’s fuel
system, and providing insight to ensure that fuel providers are notified
when critical fuel levels are reached
* IT Data Protection - keeping the data center functioning during power
disruptions

“The Avise solution has transformed the way hospitals view emergency power management,” said Dan Chisholm, principal of MGI Systems and a leading emergency power systems consultant. “To reduce risk exposure, hospitals need to have a system like this — a unique system that features the latest innovations to improve patient safety and provides additional protection against liability.”
Blue Pillar Inc., was founded in March 2006 and is the leading developer in the emerging digital Emergency Power Management System marketplace. For more information on Blue Pillar and Avise, please visit: .
Blue Pillar Inc. is the creator of Avise(TM) digital Emergency Power Management System (dEPMS(TM)), a purpose-built software application for the critical emergency power management needs and compliance requirements unique to health care facilities. Blue Pillar is devoted to providing its customers with the most advanced system possible to gain insight into the health and readiness of their critical emergency power equipment.
Blue Pillar, Avise and dEPMS are trademarks of Blue Pillar Inc. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Blue Pillar(TM) Inc.

MINNEAPOLIS, June 11 /PRNewswire/ — As Father’s Day approaches and many families look for the perfect gift for Dad, QUITPLAN(R) Services can help provide the gift of health by helping Dad quit smoking. Created by ClearWay Minnesota(SM), QUITPLAN Services provide free, professional counseling and a variety of help options for any Minnesotan looking to quit.
“We know that many Dads are trying to quit smoking and Father’s Day may be the perfect motivation to give up tobacco for good,” said David Willoughby, ClearWay Minnesota chief executive officer. “The health benefits to you and your family are worth the effort. And, with free help available from QUITPLAN Services to quit, it’s always a good time to improve your health and save money.”
In addition to improving the health of the smoker, the economic benefit to quitting smoking can really add up. Dad’s cost savings if he chooses to quit could pay for some very nice Father’s Day presents — for himself. According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the average cost of a pack of cigarettes in Minnesota is $4.74. After quitting for one week, a pack-a-day smoker would save more than $33, enough to buy a new designer tie for Father’s Day. In one month, the ex-smoker would save more than $146, or enough for a new charcoal grill and four ribeye steaks.
After six months, the ex-smoker would save more than $870, enough for a new set of graphite-shafted golf clubs. In one year, $1,740, enough for a flat-panel HDTV, and two years after quitting would save $3,480, enough for a zero-turn radius riding lawnmower. And, 35 years of being smoke-free would save more than $60,000, enough to buy a brand new 3.4 liter, 6-cylinder Porsche Boxster with navigation control and a six-speed manual transmission.
Aside from the cost to the smoker, tobacco use takes its toll on all Minnesotans. Each year, 5,600 Minnesotans die from tobacco-related diseases, and the cost of smoking is estimated to be $2 billion in direct health care costs. Minnesotans can find out about all the free help to quit smoking through QUITPLAN Services by calling 1-888-354-PLAN (7526).
QUITPLAN(R) Services for Minnesotans include:
— The QUITPLAN(R) Helpline — The QUITPLAN Helpline, 1-888-354-PLAN
(7526), offers telephone counseling and free nicotine patches, lozenges
or gum to eligible callers.
— quitplan.com — The website offers free lifetime membership, helpful
quitting tools and activities and the chance to connect online with
thousands of others who have chosen to quit tobacco.
— QUITPLAN(R) Centers — QUITPLAN Centers provide in-person counseling in
a healthcare setting, as well as access to nicotine patches, lozenges
or gum.
— Community-Tailored QUITPLAN(R) Centers — A combination of stop-smoking
tools and culturally-tailored counseling for communities of color.
— QUITPLAN(R) at Work — The QUITPLAN at Work program offers free on-site
professional group counseling for eligible businesses with at least
eight employees ready to stop smoking.

About ClearWay Minnesota(SM)

ClearWay Minnesota is an independent, non-profit organization that improves the health of Minnesotans by reducing the harm caused by tobacco. ClearWay Minnesota serves Minnesota through its grant-making program, QUITPLAN(R) stop-smoking services and statewide outreach activities. It is funded with 3 percent of the state’s 1998 tobacco settlement. For more information on ClearWay Minnesota or QUITPLAN Services, call 952-767-1400 or visit clearwaymn.org.
Contact: Mike Sheldon
Communications Manager
(952) 767-1425

ClearWay Minnesota

MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill., June 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Beginning in July 2008, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy(R) (NABP(R)) will add a mid-level group to its categorization of Web sites selling prescription medicine. NABP will post on its Web site a list of Reviewed Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites, which, based on a review of the public information available for these sites, appear to comply with state and federal laws and NABP patient safety and pharmacy practice standards.
This new group will accompany the existing lists of “Recommended Internet Pharmacies” and “Not Recommended Sites,” posted on May 16, 2008, as part of the Internet Pharmacies section of the NABP Web site. NABP created the new section to serve as a resource, educating patients about buying medicine online, says NABP President Rich Palombo, RPh. “By posting this additional list of sites on the NABP Web site,” he says, “our goal is to provide a more complete picture of the Internet pharmacy landscape, so that patients who choose to buy prescription medicine over the Internet have ready access to the information they need to make informed choices.”
NABP advises patients to use these Reviewed Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites with caution, as information needed to conclusively determine the legitimacy and legality of these sites may not have been available. The Association asks patients to immediately report to NABP, via the online Report-a-Site feature, any activity indicating that the sites do not comply with state and federal laws or NABP criteria, for example, if the sites dispense medicine without a valid prescription or dispense non-FDA-approved medicine. NABP will continue to monitor the activity of these sites to determine continued inclusion on this list.
NABP continues to recommend that patients use sites accredited through the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites(TM) (VIPPS(R)) program. These “Recommended Internet Pharmacies,” representing more than 12,000 pharmacies nationwide, have undergone and successfully completed the rigorous NABP accreditation process, which includes a thorough review of all policies and procedures regarding the practice of pharmacy and dispensing of medicine over the Internet, as well as an on-site inspection of all facilities used by the site to receive, review, and dispense medicine.
NABP also continues to identify Internet drug outlets that appear to be out of compliance with state and federal laws or NABP patient safety and pharmacy practice standards and lists these sites as “not recommended” on its Web site. As of June 20, 2008, the list names 273 sites as “not recommended.” NABP has identified more than 300 additional suspiciously operating sites and is in the process of verifying these findings before posting them on the Web site.
Among the 273 Internet drug outlets currently listed as “not recommended,” violations of state and federal laws include 249 sites that do not require a valid prescription, 147 sites that offer foreign or non-FDA-approved drugs, and 102 sites that are located outside of the US and selling drugs illegally in the US. Moreover, many of these Internet drug outlets do not secure patients’ personal or financial information, placing them at risk of monetary loss and identity theft.
NABP is well positioned to provide information to patients about Internet drug outlets because of its unparalleled data banks regarding state licensure of pharmacies, pharmacists, technicians, and wholesale distributors, and its experience in the regulation of pharmacy practice. A trusted advocate for patient safety since 1904, NABP is dedicated to assisting the state boards of pharmacy in the regulation of pharmacy with the goal of protecting the health of patients and their families.
The lists of NABP-recommended, reviewed, and not recommended sites, along with program criteria and related patient information, are accessible in the Internet Pharmacies section of the NABP Web site, .
NABP is the independent, international, and impartial Association that assists its member boards and jurisdictions in developing, implementing, and enforcing uniform standards for the purpose of protecting the public health.
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy

CARROLLTON, Ga., June 10 /PRNewswire/ — Greenway Medical Technologies Inc. will showcase its ability to exchange real-time, standards-based clinical healthcare data with other participating healthcare information technology companies including IBM, Initiate Systems and NextGen Healthcare Information Systems at the upcoming National health IT Week in Washington D.C. the week of June 9, 2008.
An Integrating the Healthcare Experience (IHE) showcase, taking place on Thursday, June 12, will highlight how healthcare information technology (HIT) companies such as Greenway(R) and its integrated electronic health record (EHR) solution, PrimeSuite(R), are able to interoperate with other HIT company’s systems to facilitate the secure exchange of a patient’s clinical information from one medical practice to another.
The IHE showcase will demonstrate a real-time, standards-based exchange of healthcare information using a common scenario of a patient with a health condition who needs to be seen by multiple providers. The scenario will document the process as the patient moves through numerous care settings, showing that interoperability is no longer a concept but rather a working model that will revolutionize the communication of healthcare data between disparate providers.
In February 2007, the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) approved the Continuity of Care Document (CCD), which set standards for interoperability that enabled clinical data to be transportable, thus enhancing patient safety and efficiency. Acting upon this documentation, Greenway developed its EHR solution to meet the CCD standards for interoperability. Greenway’s PrimeSuite serves as an interactive data integration tool designed to collect patient-centric information from other ambulatory care vendors that are certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT(R)).
National health IT Week 2008 is the leading forum for developing common ground to advance adoption of the health information technologies that are transforming healthcare in the U.S. today. The week brings together healthcare information technology and interconnectivity companies, hospital and provider organizations, payers, pharmaceutical/biotech firms, government agencies, industry/professional associations, and consumer protection groups. During National health IT Week, these public and private entities collaborate to advance health IT adoption with “one voice, one vision.”
“Greenway has been dedicated to the creation and sustainability of standards-based interoperability for many years and we are excited to see this interoperability extend beyond the testing environment and into the real world,” said Justin Barnes, vice president of marketing and government affairs for Greenway. “This announcement highlights Greenway’s leadership in the HIT industry and we look forward to advancing healthcare initiatives that increase efficiency, enhance patient safety and save lives.”
The push for interoperability has also picked up steam on local and state levels with programs such as the North Carolina Healthcare Information and Communications Alliance (NCHICA), a nonprofit consortium that works with its member base of North Carolina healthcare providers to advance healthcare issues through the promotion of HIT initiatives.
NCHICA member and Greenway customer, Southern Pines Women’s health Center, has collaborated on several projects that promote health information exchange (HIE) initiatives and serves as a grassroots champion of interoperability, realizing firsthand the benefits of a solution that allows practices across the nation to electronically exchange patient information.
“The ability to share clinical information amongst the medical providers in a patient’s care continuum is a milestone we are all anxious to reach,” said Mark Rea, IT coordinator at Southern Pines Women’s health Center in Southern Pines, N.C. “EHR technology has streamlined the way we are able to treat patients, including our clinical, financial and administrative processes. It’s time that this technology streamlines the way we work with other healthcare providers within our community. The benefits are clear and the time is now.”
The Capitol Hill health Information Technology Showcase highlights National health IT Week activities including day-long technology demonstrations and presentations by congressional and administration leaders. The showcase takes place on June 12th between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at the Hart 902 Senate office building, located on Second Street and Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C. For a full list of partners and a calendar of events, visit and .
About Greenway Medical Technologies Inc.
Greenway Medical Technologies provides the latest in ambulatory healthcare business solutions and services to 18,000 customers nationwide, in 30 specialties and subspecialties, by enhancing the delivery of patient care through innovative HIT software and on-demand services that allow physician practices to function at their highest level of efficiency. Greenway’s PrimeSuite is a comprehensive, interoperable component of its integrated physician’s infrastructure solution, which serves as the starting point of a long-term business plan for physician practices. PrimeSuite 2007 R2, the first EHR to be certified by CCHIT(R) based on 2007 Ambulatory Certification requirements, integrates a practice’s clinical, financial and administrative processes, and allows practices to increase profitability, enhance patient satisfaction and facilitate adherence to compliance guidelines. Established in 1998, Carrollton, Ga.-based Greenway Medical Technologies is a privately held company with 260 employees. For more information about Greenway, visit .
About National health IT Week
National health IT Week 2008, held the week of June 9-13, 2008, is the leading forum for developing common ground to advance adoption of health information technologies that transform health and care in the U.S. Organizations with diverse perspectives on health and care will gather in Washington, D.C. to work together under one banner with the goal of improving healthcare efficiency, quality, cost-effectiveness and patient safety through health IT.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in the press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors affecting the Company’s operations, markets, services and related products, prices, and other factors.
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.
Justin Barnes

Greenway Medical Technologies Inc.

CARSON, Calif., June 10 /PRNewswire/ — Leiner health Products Inc. (”Leiner” or “the Company”) today announced that it has conducted and concluded an auction, which resulted in the Company entering into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) for the sale of substantially all of its assets to NBTY, Inc. (”NBTY”) for a purchase price of $371 million plus the assumption of certain liabilities and purchase price adjustments. Leiner estimates that the resulting consideration will be in excess of $400 million. The auction was conducted Monday, June 9, 2008 pursuant to procedures established by the Bankruptcy Court.
The purchase price will be adjusted based upon the actual net working capital transferred at closing and actual cure cost paid to parties to certain contracts that Leiner will assume and assign to NBTY.
“Leiner is extremely pleased to have entered into a purchase agreement with NBTY,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Rob Reynolds. “We are very encouraged to have an agreement that contemplates that substantially all of our employees will receive employment offers from NBTY.”
Mr. Reynolds continued, “We would also like to thank Leiner’s dedicated employees and customers, who have remained committed to the future success of our business. In addition, the expert guidance and counsel from our advisors was crucial to the success of this process.”
The transaction is subject to regulatory and other customary closing conditions and must be approved by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The hearing to approve the transaction is scheduled for June 11, 2008. The transaction is expected to close no later than September 2008.
Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin and Alvarez & Marsal are serving as financial advisors to Leiner and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as a legal advisor with respect to the bankruptcy.
Additional information can be obtained from the Company’s website at or by calling 1-888-264-1304.
About Leiner Health
Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Carson, Calif., Leiner health Products is America’s leading manufacturer of store brand vitamins, minerals, and nutritional supplements (VMS), as measured by retail sales, and supplies the food, drug, mass merchant and warehouse club (FDMC) retail market. Leiner provides the leading FDMC retailers with over 2,000 products to help its customers create and market high-quality store brands at low prices. It is also the largest supplier of VMS to the U.S. military. Leiner markets its own brand of vitamins under YourLife(R). In 2007, Leiner distributed more than 21 billion doses that help offer consumers high quality, affordable choices to improve their health and wellness.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release, as well as other statements made by Leiner health Products, or the Company, may contain “forward-looking statements” within the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that reflect, when made, the Company’s current views with respect to current events and financial performance. All statements included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including statements about the potential benefits of the proposed transaction with NBTY, the expected job offers to substantially all of the Company’s employees, the timing and results of governmental and court approvals, and the expected closing of the proposed transaction, are all forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the time the statements are made and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include: the risk that the transaction is not consummated or is not consummated within the expected timeframe; the risk that the expected benefits of the proposed acquisition are not realized; risks associated with a termination of debtor-in-possession financing and financing availability prior to closing; the risk that disruption from the transaction may make it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers, employees, vendors or suppliers; and other factors beyond the Company’s control. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise publicly any forward- looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Media Contact:
Jen Brown, Weber Shandwick
(212) 445-8469

Leiner health Products Inc.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., June 24 /PRNewswire/ — Help2getbetter.com announces the launch of a new web site, , and the sale of online sick packs, which changes the way consumers buy household medicine and fight common illnesses. What makes these sick packs unique is that they are well known brands consumers use today, but come packaged together conveniently in one- or two-dose portion sizes and can be kept on hand anywhere at the ready when illness strikes.
“So many of us have had the horrible experience of going on vacation or being on a business trip, getting sick and not having a drug store or pharmacy available, and wishing we had packed the right supplies. Now with help2getbetter.com sick packs, people can be ready when a bug hits,” said Dean Joffe, founder, help2getbetter.com.
Gone are the days of going to the drug store or logging on to a web site and purchasing multiple bulky 4-, 8- and 12-ounce bottles of medicine when an illness arises or, storing these bottles in overcrowded medicine cabinets and then dumping the unused portions down the drain when they expire.
The help2getbetter.com sick packs are perfect for a mom sending a child to college for the first time, a business traveler who needs to stay healthy for a critical meeting, parents planning for summer vacation, or anyone who dreads an unexpected trip to the store to buy supplies when they are sick. A single sick pack is the size of a folded t-shirt and gives consumers the option to carry or store the pack wherever or whenever they need.
Sick packs available today include: stomach ache, flu, cough and cold, rash, allergy, menstrual and PMS, and hang-over sick packs. These packs range in price from $18.98 to $34.98 and contain name brand, over-the-counter medications with educational information about the particular illness so consumers are more informed about these illnesses.
About help2getbetter.com
Help2getbetter.com is a unique online source for purchasing sick packs that include all the contents needed to meet the symptom needs of a particular illness in handy one- or two-dose packaging. Help2getbetter.com offers a uniquely easy, affordable and environmentally friendly way to combat illness. At help2getbetter.com our motto is to fight the entire sickness, not just a symptom. Our goal is to help you get better.
help2getbetter.com

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, California, June 23 /PRNewswire/ —

diaDexus, Inc. today announced the release of a supplement to The
American Journal of Cardiology, Vol. 101, No 12A June 16, 2008 that includes
an expert consensus panel recommendation to include testing for
lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), a vascular-specific
inflammatory marker, as an adjunct to traditional cardiovascular disease
(CVD) risk assessment. These recommendations are consistent with and build on
the Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines (ATP III) for the use of
inflammatory markers in patients at moderate to high CVD risk to improve
identification of those at even higher risk for heart attack and stroke who
would benefit from proven therapeutic and lifestyle treatments to prevent
these cardiovascular events.

The six paper supplement entitled “Advances in the Detection of
Rupture-Prone Plaque: The Role of Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 in
Cardiovascular Risk Assessment” was authored by a consensus panel of experts
in the fields of cardiology, neurology and laboratory medicine. The panel was
formed to review the rapidly emerging literature on Lp-PLA2, an enzyme
implicated in the formation of rupture prone plaque.

Peter H. Jones, MD, Associate Professor of medicine and Co-Director,
Baylor Lipid and Atherosclerosis Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston,
Texas and co-author of the summary paper entitled “Consensus Panel
Recommendation for Incorporating Lipoprotein Associated Phospholipase A2
Testing into Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment Guidelines” comments, “As
a highly specific biomarker for vascular inflammation, Lp-PLA2 can identify
persons who are at increased risk for heart attack and/or stroke. Elevated
Lp-PLA2 levels should prompt consideration of increasing the cardiovascular
risk category from moderate to high or high to very high risk, directing
initiation or intensification of statin therapy to reduce LDL-cholesterol to
prevent heart attacks and strokes.” The consensus panel also endorsed a
simplified framework for traditional Framingham risk factor assessment in
which any patient with two risk factors is recommended for Lp-PLA2 testing,
given that most individuals with two risk factors are at moderate CV risk. In
addition, a clinical cutpoint for Lp-PLA2 of >200 ng/mL was recommended for
considering a patient at higher risk.

In the paper entitled “Lp-PLA2 and Risk of Stroke”, Philip Gorelick, MD,
MPH, Professor and Head of Neurology, University of Illinois College of
Medicine, provides a review of several prospective epidemiological studies of
Lp-PLA2 and stroke risk, and states that “determining patients at high risk
for stroke may be challenging because total and LDL cholesterol may not
predict stroke risk very well.” The panel recommends testing Lp-PLA2 to help
identify moderate-risk individuals who may be at high risk of stroke for whom
more intensive lifestyle and pharmacotherapies may be indicated to reduce
stroke and other major vascular events.

In his paper entitled “Lp-PLA2: An Independent Predictor of Coronary
Events in Primary and Secondary Prevention,” Jeffrey Anderson, MD, Professor
of medicine (Cardiology), University of Utah School of medicine reported:
“Lp-PLA2 appears to be highly specific for high atherosclerotic disease
activity, independent and additive to traditional risk factors and metabolic
syndrome. As such, Lp-PLA2 could alert the clinician to initiate proven
strategies for coronary event and stroke reduction.”
Both a PDF of the supplement and a searchable text version can be found
on The American Journal of Cardiology website at:
http://www.ajconline.org/issues/contents?issue_key=S0002-9149(08)X0017-7

ABOUT DIADEXUS

diaDexus, Inc., the educational sponsor of this supplement, is a
privately held diagnostics company based in South San Francisco, CA, focused
on the development and commercialization of patent-protected in vitro
diagnostic products addressing unmet needs in cardiology and oncology. The
PLAC Test for Lp-PLA2 is the only blood test cleared by the FDA to aid in
assessing risk for both coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke associated
with atherosclerosis. The test can be ordered through a physician and is
available through many national and local laboratories. For more information,
visit http://www.plactest.com or http://www.diaDexus.com.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY

The American Journal of Cardiology (http://www.ajconline.org), is one of
the oldest and most prestigious cardiology journals published in the United
States. AJC publishes peer-reviewed, original scientific studies that have
direct clinical significance. The information contained in this supplement in
The American Journal of Cardiology is not a substitute for medical advice or
treatment, and the Journal recommends consultation with your physician or
healthcare professional. AJC is published by Elsevier.

ABOUT ELSEVIER

Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and
medical information products and services. Working in partnership with the
global science and health communities, Elsevier’s 7,000 employees in over 70
offices worldwide publish more than 2,000 journals and 1,900 new books per
year, in addition to offering a suite of innovative electronic products, such
as ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/), MD Consult (
http://www.mdconsult.com/), Scopus (http://www.info.scopus.com/),
bibliographic databases, and online reference works.

Elsevier (http://www.elsevier.com/) is a global business headquartered in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands and has offices worldwide. Elsevier is part of
Reed Elsevier Group plc (http://www.reedelsevier.com/), a world-leading
publisher and information provider. Operating in the science and medical,
legal, education and business-to-business sectors, Reed Elsevier provides
high-quality and flexible information solutions to users, with increasing
emphasis on the Internet as a means of delivery. Reed Elsevier’s ticker
symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and
ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Web site: http://www.diadexus.com
http://www.ajconline.org

diaDexus, Inc.

CHICAGO, June 23 /PRNewswire/ — ReachMD XM 157 on XM Satellite Radio and The United States Army Medical Department (AMEDD), today announced the launch of a new 13 week programming series designed to highlight military medicine from across the globe, covering clinical trauma, internal medicine, medical education and much more.
This fascinating series is designed to inform and educate medical professionals and those interested in a career in medicine to better understand the broad benefits of medical service career in the US Army including the highest quality medical education and innovation from around the world.
Col. Rafael C. Montagno, Medical Recruiting Brigade commander, Fort Knox, Kentucky said, “Army medicine is extremely diverse and our medical professionals are focused on many disciplines. By sharing their experiences, we hope to create a better understanding of the complexity of the Army health care system.”
Gary Epstein, CEO of ReachMD said, “ReachMD is proud to work with the United States Army and pleased to broadcast this very look at leading edge medicine in a special series focused on the US Army Medical Department. The programming not only makes for compelling radio but also helps those interested in a career in the service gaining better insight and understanding about the work done by some of our nation’s most dedicated medical professionals.”
Former Colonel Dr. John Armstrong will host this new series entitled “The Strength to Heal.” Dr. Armstrong has a distinguished military background and offers listeners first-hand insight into the role and service military medical professionals bring to the medical community around the world.
Dr. John Armstrong is a former Colonel with the United States Army. He is a surgical educator and trauma surgeon who served in the US Army Medical Corps for 17 years, rising to the rank of Colonel and serving as the Director of the US Army Trauma Training Center in Miami, Florida. Dr. Armstrong is the current Attending Surgeon at the University of Florida College of Medicine, Shands Hospital.
ReachMD and The United States Army Medical Department (AMEDD), together launch this groundbreaking series, which showcases the skills, experiences, and knowledge acquired by serving as a medical professional in the United States Army. In addition, the series will also highlight topics that include traumatic brain injury, management of sever extremity trauma, lessons from war, preventative medicine and medical education in the military.
The series will begin airing June 30th, 2008 at 11:30am Eastern Standard Time on ReachMD XM 157 at and online @ . For additional information on programming and guests, please visit .
About the Army Medical Department (AMEDD)
From nurses and entomologists to veterinarians, dietitians and physicians, Army Health Care offers more than 90 professional health care career paths — more than any other military service.
Army Health Care annually employs more than 73,400 active-duty professionals and 72,000 Reserve Soldiers who interact with more than 200,000 patients in an average day. The Army’s Health Care system is an $8 billion per year venture, employing 145,000 people and managing the care of three million beneficiaries. The active Army Medical Team is augmented by a Reserve Component, comprised of health care professionals in Reserve units throughout the United States and abroad.
One of the largest health care networks in the world, AMEDD operates more than 600 world-renowned hospitals, clinics and facilities around the globe. AMEDD encompasses six corps: Dental, Medical, Medical Service, Medical Specialist, Nurse and Veterinary.
For more information about serving as a healthcare professional in the United States Army visit
About ReachMD
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, ReachMD is a leading provider of advanced healthcare information and education for medical professionals. The company’s proprietary technology uses emerging media channels to allow busy professionals to hear the latest in specific healthcare issues in the most convenient ways.
ReachMD’s multi-channel platform includes XM satellite radio channel 157 and online programming that can be accessed through any XM radio, digital media device or personal computer. ReachMD’s original programming includes interviews with world-renowned physicians covering professional topics within clinical medicine, treatment, research, executive management, government policies, technology and global health issues, among others. Strategic partners include the American Medical Association; American College of Cardiology; American Gastroenterology Association; American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology; National Lipid Association, American Retina Foundation and University of Pennsylvania.
To access ReachMD’s original programming, visit ReachMD at or XM Channel 157.
ReachMD XM 157