BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
DST Health Solutions, LLC, today announced the release of Version 10.0 of The Johns Hopkins University’s Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACG)® System. ACG v10.0 includes extensive enhancements that accommodate the ICD-10 coding system transition and increase predictive accuracy for the identification of intervention opportunities for health outcome improvement.

DST Health Solutions® is the exclusive U.S. distributor of the ACG System.

“This new version of the ACG System provides users with even greater insight when managing the care of high-risk populations,” said Professor Jonathan Weiner, co-developer of the original ACG System and leader of the R&D team at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Highly accurate risk adjustment and predictive modeling tools are absolutely essential for effective care improvement programs.”

Features of ACG Version 10.0 include:

Several new classification variables, including an aggregate assessment of risk of poor care coordination.

Greater transparency into risk contributors, such as hospital-dominant conditions and medication adherence.

Pharmacy morbidity derived from medications administered in a facility or physician’s office.

Technical enhancements to support integration.

“Payers and providers are increasingly aware of the benefits of predictive modeling, particularly in identifying those patients most in need of care management interventions,” said Steve Sabino, president of DST Health Solutions. “Johns Hopkins continues to improve the ACG System, and we are excited to be able to offer this enhanced solution to healthcare institutions to contribute to further improvement in patient outcomes.”

ACG Version 10.0 allows ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes to be used simultaneously, as is required for the U.S. transition to ICD-10-CM. Sabino continues, “We are honored to partner with Johns Hopkins, who has extensive, international experience implementing predictive modeling solutions in over a dozen nations based on the ICD-10 coding system.”

For more information, please call 800-272-4799.

About DST Health SolutionsDST Health Solutions, LLC delivers systems and services that help improve efficiency, reduce operational costs, increase speed to market, and facilitate medical cost management and price containment. Our clients include commercial health plans, consumer-directed plans, government plans (Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D and Medicaid) and physician practices. DST Health Solutions’ enterprise applications and outsourcing services include claims processing, member and provider management, benefit plan management, new product development, care management and medical management, and decision support/analytics. DST Health Solutions is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DST Systems, Inc. For more information about DST Health Solutions, contact 800.272.4799, email inforequests@dsthealthsolutions.com or visit
www.dsthealthsolutions.com .

The information and comments above may include forward-looking statements respecting DST and its businesses. Such information and comments are based on DST’s views as of today, and actual actions or results could differ. There could be a number of factors affecting future actions or results, including those set forth in DST’s latest periodic financial report (Form 10-K or 10-Q) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such factors should be considered in evaluating any forward-looking comment. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements in this press release to reflect future events.

Contact:Larry Stephenson 816-843-9087lastephenson@dstsystems.com

SOURCE DST Health Solutions

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

HSN (HSNI): More than 10,000 March 35 calls were bought, mostly for
$2.10, as investors look for higher prices in the stock. HSNI rose
2.46 percent to $36.21. (See
related story

)

Yahoo (YHOO): About 7,000 March 16 calls were bought for $0.57 to
$0.64, but volume was below open interest in the strike. YHOO fell
0.43 percent to $16.07.

Live Nation Entertainment (LYV): About 11,000 April 10 puts traded
against open interest of just 146 contracts. Most of them were
bought for $0.70, suggesting that investors are positioning for
lower prices. LYV rose 0.93 percent to $10.82.

Bank of America (BAC): About 27,000 March 8 puts were bought for
$0.35 against open interest of 49,795 contracts. BAC rose 2.48
percent to $8.27.

PEKIN, Ill., Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Presented for the first time, “Athletes and Eating Disorders: Risk Factors, Identification, Treatment and Prevention” by Ron A. Thompson, PhD., FAED, and Roberta Trattner Sherman, PhD., FAED, will combine didactic and experiential methods to educate eating disorder professionals on recognizing sport body stereotypes, highlighting the similarities and differences in risk factors, indicators and desired health and body image results across different genders and sports. The researchers also discuss the role coaches can play in unintentionally encouraging this harmful behavior to foster healthier communication tactics.

“Athletes endure constant scrutiny of their bodies and are accustomed to pushing their bodies to extremes,” said Bonnie Harken, Managing Director of The iaedp Foundation, host of Symposium 2012 in Charleston, SC from March 22 – 25. “This workshop brings to light the many similarities between ‘good athlete’ stereotypes and eating disorder traits, emphasizing the need for eating disorder professionals’ active involvement in promoting a healthy training environment.”

The pressure to perform is often manifested in a closely regulated diet and a heightened focus on body weight and image. Competition in physical performance also has a tendency to inspire comparison and as a result, competition, in physical appearance.

Combatting these tendencies is crucial for athletes to obtain optimal health, which will enable long-term benefits like optimal physical performance and overall enjoyment of the sport. According to the presentation, cultivating a healthy training environment for an athlete is a “team effort” involving action from both coaches and eating disorder professionals.

By connecting the expectations competitive sports associate with “good athletes,” Drs. Thompson and Sherman illuminate the unique rationale at-risk athletes have for disordered eating and unrealistic, even dangerous, body image goals. Fully understanding the causes and mentality of athletes struggling with harmful eating, exercise behavior and body image goals is key to providing effective treatment and inspiring healthy changes in all sports.

About iaedp:

Since 1985, the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals Foundation has provided education and training standards to an international and multidisciplinary group of various healthcare treatment providers and helping professions.

iaedp is excited about Charleston as the site for iaedp Symposium 2012! For more information, visit: International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals.

Contact: Susie Lomelino/Sarah Drewslomelino@calisepartners.com/publicrelations@calisepartners.com214.269.2092/214.269.2087

SOURCE International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

The lousy performance of video game sales in physical retail stores masks whats really happening as the industry transforms to digital sales, which arent captured in the retail numbers. Gamers are shifting their purchases to online, social, and mobile forms of gamingdubbed digital gamingwhile the retail side is shrinking fast. And the growth in digital isnt quite big enough to offset the shrinking retail numbers.

In January, hardware sales were $199.5 million, down 38 percent from $324.0 million a year ago. Software was $355.9 million, down 38 percent from $576.0 million a year ago. Accessory sales were $195.2 million, down 18 percent from $237.1 million a year ago. In December, hardware sales were down 28 percent while software was down 14 percent.

Full told, the estimated total consumer spending on games includes physical video and retail games, used games, game rentals, subscriptions, full-game digital downloads, social network games, downloadable content, and mobile games. Not counting hardware, sales were $379.6 million, down 37 percent from $603.2 million a year ago.

Liam Callahan, analyst at the NPD Group, said, January retail performance experienced steep declines with a lack of software launches, and poor hardware and accessory performance partly related to bad comps from Kinect-related success in January 2011. A year ago, there were a lot more releases of new video games in January.

He added, Outside of new physical retail sales, we estimate that the consumer spend on other ways to acquire content including used games, full game and add-on content downloads, social network games, mobile games, rentals and subscriptions accounted for an additional $350 $400 million in sales.  Our final quarterly estimate of the Q1 2012 consumer spend in these areas will be released in our Q1 Games Market Dynamics: US

David Dennis, spokesman for Microsoft, said that the Xbox 360 had another month as the leader in console sales. The Xbox 360 led US hardware sales for the 13th month in a row, selling 270,000 units in January. Microsoft said it holds 49 percent share of console sales, with the total retail spend on Xbox hitting $301 million.

NPD is working with research company EEDAR to try to come up with more accurate numbers for global digital and physical game sales worldwide. The top-selling game of the month was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (pictured), which was launched in November and is the top-selling video game of all time.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
C-suite understands the impact of employee health on financial performance and ability to compete in a global economy

According to new research from the non-profit Integrated Benefits Institute, America’s CFOs understand the significant impact employee health has on financial performance and are playing an increasing role in health investment decisions. The report offers specific approaches to assist benefits managers and others in addressing CFOs to foster a better understanding of the full potential for health and health interventions as an investment in improved productivity and business performance.

“So many employers have downsized in this tough economy, that now more than ever, it’s important for employers to truly maximize the productivity of their employees,” said Thomas Parry, PhD, president of IBI. “This research shows how CFOs crystallize the impact of health on financial performance and on productivity, and particularly focuses on the kinds of information critical to their health-investment decisions.”

Key findings of IBI’s report, Making Health the CFO’s Business, include:

More than two-thirds of CFOs surveyed agree that health is a cultural or financial priority in their organizations. The belief that providing comprehensive health coverage is important for their company’s financial strategy is stronger still with 75% responding that they agree. From these results, IBI identified and analyzed characteristics of a Health & Productivity Leader, a subgroup of respondents who were significantly more likely to support the concept of health as a bottom-line investment.

More than 90% of CFOs surveyed believe that improving health is at least a moderately important contributor to workforce productivity.

More than 80% of CFOs report that finance professionals play a role in their organization’s health care benefits decisions, usually in collaboration with human resources, executive leadership, and often with operations.

By more than a two-to-one margin, CFOs view as most credible their own company’s claims costs.

CFOs say they face substantial deficits of information they would view as helpful in making health-improvement decisions, such as impact of health on work performance or quality and return on investment analysis from health interventions.

“Companies that integrate wellness as part of their culture consider it a competitive advantage in the marketplace,” said Andy Hunzeker, CFO, Lincoln Industries. “CFOs at companies with a strong culture of health – and those who receive health and productivity management program results in terms of their firm’s strategic financial goals – are more likely than others to recognize that workforce health impacts financial success in more ways than just health care expenses. Also on their radar are sick leave, turnover, and opportunity costs, such as missed revenues or reduced product or service quality.”

CFO lessons and recommendations

The research suggests a variety of practical steps for both the CFOs and the benefits professionals who work with them. Credible information and methods for measuring health risks and outcomes beyond medical and pharmacy costs (such as lost time, health-related performance and lost productivity) are critical. It’s important that CFOs partner with those in their organization that can provide metrics and sources to help them understand the full impacts of health interventions.

“This research indicates a new paradigm, and when paradigms change, it’s generally a small group that leads the way,” said David Hoke, Global Wellness manager at Yum! Brands and IBI board member. “These CFOs get it, and they are well-positioned to take a competitive advantage by promoting the health of their workforce.”

About the survey

IBI and CFO Research Services, the research arm of CFO Publishing LLC, collaborated to survey 313 CFOs, controllers, directors and VPs of finance and treasurers at firms of a variety of sizes across a range of industries. IBI performed the analysis. Participation by CFO Research Services was funded by Novartis.

About the Integrated Benefits Institute

The Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) provides employers and their supplier partners with resources for demonstrating the business value of health. As a pioneer, leader and nonprofit supplier of health and productivity research, measurement and benchmarking, IBI is a trusted source for benefits performance analysis, research-based approaches, and forums for information and education. IBI’s programs, resources and expert member networks advance understanding about the link between – and the impact of – health-related productivity on corporate America’s bottom line. For additional information visit: ibiweb.org.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.

Thomas Parry

http://www.profnetconnect.com/thomas_parry

SOURCE Integrated Benefits Institute

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

To prove it, she writes a blog about something called The Compact.

The Compact is an international buy nothing new movement, said Wolk-Stanley, who is a mother from Southeast Portland. People make a one year commitment to not buy anything new for that one year, and Ive been doing it for actually five years now, although there are certainly some things that I do buy new.

Among her exceptions: safety gear like car seats and bike helmets, socks and yes, underwear.

But beyond that, Wolk-Stanley buys nearly everything secondhand. The motto on her blog: use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.

She points to her shoes as an example of something that she got repaired not replaced.

When they started to wear down, I took them in to get some new heels put on, she said.

She bought a used dishwasher on Craigslist for $50. While its not stainless steel, she says that shes okay with that.

One of her more ingenious projects turning old classroom maps into roller shades for the two windows in her sons bedroom.

And shes a big fan of secondhand stores where she buys plenty of new merchandise.

This pair of Adidas was from Goodwill. They were maybe $10. They were brand new. Theres so much brand new stuff in the secondhand shops and the thrift shops, revealed Wolk-Stanley.

By living frugally, Wolk-Stanley can afford to work part time as a delivery nurse. That means shes home more for her two children.

The key: being willing to live with less than perfect until you discover perfect at a discount.

If you need something right now, youll spend thousands of dollars, said Wolk-Stanley. Your money wont be there to do things that are meaningful in your life.

For more stories in Shellies Frugal Livingseries, visit the KATUProblem Solvers page

Like many adult males in his thirties, I am woefully out of touch with the music of today. I hate to sounds like everyones dad, but seriously, music was better back in the day. Well, the mainstream stuff at least.

Hence why I didnt watch The Grammys last night, even though I wish I had witnessed the Beach Boys reunion live. Like anyone who only listens to old people music, Im a huge fan, but Im also aware of the splendors of modern technology, ie how anything good can be found on YouTube.

But didnt they have that guy who beat the crap out of his girlfriend? Didnt they also give him and award? Yet another reason why I could give a rats ass about todays music.

With all that said, was Lana Del Ray also on? Sorry for being late to the party, but I only just discovered this chick when a pal of mine passed along the following, since I have a thing for hipsters who do music related to video games.

Though the preface of i dont suppose youve written about lana del rays video games song, have you? i just heard it and it is the biggest tumblr-nerd baiting garbage ever. she is The Worst. was hardly encouraging. Anyhow, its from last year and has a billion views. Again, no idea how I missed this the first time…

Granted, it doesnt cash in old school, 8-bit gaming like so many others out there, but it would have been nice to have something relating to title of the song.

But because I suck at deciphering lyrics, I decided to look them up, to see if I was missing anything. Nope. I also live the first comment: master piece

And theres plenty others that echo the statement. Once more, kids today…

For the second time in as many days, market internals were mixed. Trade tumbled on the Nasdaq by 17.6% but on the NYSE by a modest 1.6%. Declining volume topped advancing volume by a ratio of 4.2 to 1 on the NYSE and 3.3 to 1 on the Nasdaq. The light volume suggests that institutions are not actively involved in Fridays selloff.

Despite the poor performance put in by equities on Friday, the light volume was the saving grace of the session. Because of the absence of high volume selling, the market did not realize a distribution day. Weve continually stated lately that as long as the market avoids distribution days and we continue to see buying into weakness, our bullish stance on the market will remain intact. Friday left us no reason to sway from our bullish bias.

The iShares Trust (NYSEArca:IWM) lost support of its 10-day MA on Friday and it now appears that this ETF may rejoin its 20-day EMA for the first time since January 5th of this year. Notice that support of the uptrend line coincides with this key moving average. A pullback, followed by consolidation at this level could provide a buying opportunity in IWM. We are monitoring IWM for a possible long entry.

Recently, we exited the iShares Dow Jones US Telecom Sector ETF (NYSEArca:IYZ) for a solid profit. Since exiting the trade, IYZ has been consolidating for the past six sessions above its last breakout of $21.70. A retest of this level and/or an undercut of the 10-day/20-day moving averages could present a buying opportunity in this ETF.

On Friday, (NYSEArca:IYT) undercut its 20-day EMA and formed a bullish reversal candle. If Fridays low holds, IYT is likely prepping for another move higher. DVY has been showing excellent relative strength over the past two sessions, as it has been consolidating above the gap formed on February 2, 2012. DVY is also holding support of its 10-day MA. The market continues to hold up well but we are still may have to withstand a few more days of selling pressure prior to a potential move higher in the market. For the moment, we will likely have to exercise patience, since it may take some time for new setups to develop.

The commentary above is an abbreviated version of The Wagner Daily, a daily ETF and stock swing trading newsletter. Subscribers to the full version also receive detailed entry and exit prices for potential swing trade entries, and an additional section dedicated to individual stock trades. To learn more about our trading strategy, please visit our blog.

Deron Wagner is a professional hedge fund manager who founded Morpheus Trading Group, a swing trader education firm, in 2002. He is the author of the best-selling book, Trading ETFs: Gaining An Edge With Technical Analysis. His new book, Advanced Technical Analysis of ETFs, will be released in August 2012. Past television appearances include CNBC, ABC, and Yahoo! FinanceVision. Wagner is also a frequent guest speaker at various trading events around the world, and can be reached by sending e-mail to: deron@morpheustrading.com.

Related posts:

1. Trading ETFs: Buying Leveraged Small Cap Opportunities In Tech? (TNA, IXN, XRT, SPY, DIA, IWM, QQQ)
2. “False Breakdowns” Create Good Gold Silver Buying Opportunities (GLD, IAU, SLV)
3. Louis James: Year-end Buying Opportunities Abound In Mining Stocks (GLD, GDX, GDXJ, IAU, DZZ, SLW, EXK)
4. The Pullback In These ETFs Offer A Buying Opportunity (XOP, IAU, IWM, DIA, SPY, DVY, IYT)
5. Forget BRIC ETFs: Look To VISTA Nations For Better Opportunities (VNM, IDX, EIDO, EZA, TUR)

IYT, IYZ

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb 13, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Banner
Health has received the 2012 Richard A. Norling Premier Alliance
Excellence Award for its leadership and collaboration with hospitals in
the Premier
healthcare alliance to provide high quality, efficient care.

Serving seven Western states, Phoenix-based Banner Health was chosen
among the more than 2,500 Premier member hospitals nationwide for
helping them accelerate healthcare quality and cost improvements, while
setting national standards in care delivery.

In 2011, Banner Health saved more than $41.5 million by leveraging
virtually every Premier collaborative, opportunity and program to
improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of healthcare, including:

–
Collaboratives QUEST(R):
High Performing Hospitals and PACT(TM)
(Partnership for Care Transformation).

–
The QualityAdvisor(TM)
solution to compare and benchmark their performance against top
hospitals in the alliance’s clinical comparative database.

–
Leveraging the purchasing power of the alliance. The system is
committed to effectively using supply chain applications and Premier’s
continuum of care program.

–
Serving Premier board and sourcing committees.

“For years Banner Health has shown exceptional commitment and
contribution to the mutual goal of both learning from others and sharing
best practices within the Premier alliance,” said Premier President and
CEO Susan
DeVore. “Making this selection was no easy task as we have many
remarkable top performing members. But in its consistent drive for
excellence and superior performance, Banner Health truly embodies the
alliance’s focus on uniting America’s fragmented healthcare system to
improve the health of our communities.”

Peter S. Fine, FACHE, Banner Health’s president and CEO said, “We are
thrilled to receive this award as we continue to make a difference in
people’s lives by providing exceptional care. In our years of work with
Premier alliance members, we’ve been able to accomplish this by
identifying and deploying strategies to ensure an extraordinary, safe,
and efficient patient experience. We look forward to the future of this
work as it unveils what is truly possible in healthcare.”

The health system received the award on February 1, 2012 during
Premier’s annual Governance Education Conference in Miami.

As one of the largest nonprofit healthcare systems in the country,
Banner Health was also recently recognized for successful innovation
with the 2011 Top Leadership Teams award from HealthLeaders Media and
named one of the Top 15 Health Systems in a recent issue of Modern
Healthcare.

Last year, Bon
Secours Health System Inc. was presented with the 2011 Richard A.
Norling Premier Alliance Excellence Award for their leadership in
clinical transformation to help the alliance set new standards in
quality.

About Banner Health

Phoenix-based Banner Health is one of the largest, nonprofit health care
systems in the country. The system owns or manages 23 acute-care
hospitals, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an
array of other services located in seven states: Alaska, Arizona,
California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming.
http://www.bannerhealth.com .

About the Premier healthcare alliance, Malcolm Baldrige National
Quality Award recipient

Premier is a performance improvement alliance of more than 2,500 U.S.
hospitals and 81,000-plus other healthcare sites using the power of
collaboration to lead the transformation to high quality, cost-effective
care. Owned by hospitals, health systems and other providers, Premier
maintains the nation’s most comprehensive repository of clinical,
financial and outcomes information and operates a leading healthcare
purchasing network. A world leader in helping deliver measurable
improvements in care, Premier has worked with the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services and the United Kingdom’s National Health Service North
West to improve hospital performance. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C.,
Premier also has an office in Washington.
http://www.premierinc.com .
Stay connected with Premier on Facebook,
Twitter
and YouTube.

SOURCE: Premier

Premier healthcare alliance
Alven Weil, 704-816-5797

Copyright Business Wire 2012

Its up to the three of us to accept that and none of us have
accepted that, said Casey. Casey said he received an email saying
there was no more funding for that project and if we were to accept
it that we would have to pay another $3,000 just in the electric
bill. We would have to go and take care of all the maintenance and
on top of that we would have to be in charge of marketing the
project.