Aurora police have arrested a man and a woman for allegedly dealing the illegal designer drug known as "spice" after finding about 12,000 packets of the drug.
Reported by Denver Post 8 hours ago.
Aurora police arrest two in suspected "spice" sales
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Ask A VC: Javelin Venture Partners’ Alex Gurevich On The Enterprise Messaging Opportunity In Emerging Markets
In this week’s episode of Ask A VC Javelin Venture Partners’ Alex Gurevich stopped by the studio to talk about messaging, marketplaces and more. Gurevich, who helped establish one of the first venture capital funds focused on high tech investments in Russia with DFJ Aurora, is particularly fascinated by the opportunity messaging has in the enterprise world, particularly in developing… Read More
Reported by TechCrunch 7 hours ago.
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Mom Convinced Son He Had Cancer and Scammed Community, Cops Say
Sandy Nguyen has been charged with theft, charitable fraud and child abuse in Aurora, Colo.
Reported by People Magazine 3 hours ago.
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Aurora man indicted for mailing letters containing powder
An Aurora man has been indicted for allegedly mailing threatening letters containing white powder to police in an attempt to frame his ex-girlfriend.
Reported by Denver Post 2 hours ago.
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"Urgent Care Business Continues to Boom" - Urgent Care 2.0
Welcome to the Urgent Care “Gold Rush”! Everyone wants in on it! As of last March, there were over 8,000 Urgent Care Clinics in the US with an estimated 8 to 10 percent growth annually, according to the Urgent Care Association of America!
(PRWEB) March 22, 2014
Welcome to the Urgent Care “Gold Rush”! Everyone wants in on it! As of last March, there were over 8,000 Urgent Care Clinics in the US with an estimated 8 to 10 percent growth annually, according to the Urgent Care Association of America! Here are the different types of players in the game:
Nonprofit Health Systems
Most of the 8,000 are made up of these centers like Aurora Health in WI with 37 locations and Intermountain Healthcare of UT with 25 locations. These types of locations were the example given by President Obama in his debates that led to the Affordable Care Act (low cost and high quality medical care). Although as a collective, they have the most locations, they do not have the largest Urgent Care company. This belongs to the private sector.
Investor-Owned, Private Equity, For-Profit
Let’s start with the big dog. In 2010, the insurance juggernaut Humana (HUM) purchased Concentra, the nations largest provider of occupational health care services and Urgent Care with more than 340 locations. It was also rumored that Wellpoint (WLP) may also be looking at this path considering their new CEO, Joseph Swedish, has en extensive hospital/outpatient care background. Later that year, it was confirmed when Wellpoint along with LLR acquired Physicians Immediate Care, a strong platform with density around a major metropolitan market in Chicago.
The other for-profits in the game are the “Big Box” Pharmacies. Walmart (WMT), Walgreen (WAG), CVS (CVS) and the like have been pushing their version of Urgent Care. The number of locations that offer such services in now over 400 for Walgreens.
The smallest segment in this group is the local private chains or standalones. These locations are in the heart of our communities mixed in with all of the above. The one major difference, aside from the level of services offered, is the money backing them and the national branding. That means that when it comes to marketing, the local companies will need to take advantage of all the possible avenues for success. In our dealings with Urgent Care Marketing, we have learned that it is not always beneficial to be the biggest. When you are the biggest it is easy to miss the smaller things that add up, like how to market locally and not just rely on nation branding and advertising. These are some of the most impactful areas for marketing and the bigger companies miss them 9 times out of 10. How well are you doing to leverage what the bigger companies miss? Let us take a look and give you a complementary analysis. Click here to get started!
You can read the full article on our website - http://www.urgentcare2point0.com/urgent-care-business-continues-to-boom/. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
(PRWEB) March 22, 2014
Welcome to the Urgent Care “Gold Rush”! Everyone wants in on it! As of last March, there were over 8,000 Urgent Care Clinics in the US with an estimated 8 to 10 percent growth annually, according to the Urgent Care Association of America! Here are the different types of players in the game:
Nonprofit Health Systems
Most of the 8,000 are made up of these centers like Aurora Health in WI with 37 locations and Intermountain Healthcare of UT with 25 locations. These types of locations were the example given by President Obama in his debates that led to the Affordable Care Act (low cost and high quality medical care). Although as a collective, they have the most locations, they do not have the largest Urgent Care company. This belongs to the private sector.
Investor-Owned, Private Equity, For-Profit
Let’s start with the big dog. In 2010, the insurance juggernaut Humana (HUM) purchased Concentra, the nations largest provider of occupational health care services and Urgent Care with more than 340 locations. It was also rumored that Wellpoint (WLP) may also be looking at this path considering their new CEO, Joseph Swedish, has en extensive hospital/outpatient care background. Later that year, it was confirmed when Wellpoint along with LLR acquired Physicians Immediate Care, a strong platform with density around a major metropolitan market in Chicago.
The other for-profits in the game are the “Big Box” Pharmacies. Walmart (WMT), Walgreen (WAG), CVS (CVS) and the like have been pushing their version of Urgent Care. The number of locations that offer such services in now over 400 for Walgreens.
The smallest segment in this group is the local private chains or standalones. These locations are in the heart of our communities mixed in with all of the above. The one major difference, aside from the level of services offered, is the money backing them and the national branding. That means that when it comes to marketing, the local companies will need to take advantage of all the possible avenues for success. In our dealings with Urgent Care Marketing, we have learned that it is not always beneficial to be the biggest. When you are the biggest it is easy to miss the smaller things that add up, like how to market locally and not just rely on nation branding and advertising. These are some of the most impactful areas for marketing and the bigger companies miss them 9 times out of 10. How well are you doing to leverage what the bigger companies miss? Let us take a look and give you a complementary analysis. Click here to get started!
You can read the full article on our website - http://www.urgentcare2point0.com/urgent-care-business-continues-to-boom/. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
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Lots of oil in rail tank cars about to be coming to Bay Area
Oil is flooding into the Bay Area - in rail tank cars that amount to potential environmental disasters on wheels. First on the scene of any accident is likely to be the local fire department - but in Contra Costa and Solano, some agencies have closed fire stations in recent years or reduced the number of personnel per shift to deal with budget cuts. The city of Santa Clara is looking into spending upward of $10 million to build three youth soccer fields to make up for the complex that will be difficult to get to thanks to heavy traffic during games and other events at the new 49ers stadium. Heintz cites a March 10 letter from 49ers exec Larry MacNeil that says that while the team was "still open" to helping out with the new fields, it wants use of the current soccer complex's 140 parking spaces on game and event days in return. For Russian-born Silicon Valley venture capitalist Alexandra "Sasha" Johnson, who tries to stoke technology investments between the U.S. and her former homeland, the new Cold War tensions between the two countries hit "like a meteor falling out of the sky." Johnson, managing director of DFJ-VTB Aurora, a Russian venture capital fund, estimates that the Russians have invested $2 billion to $3 billion in Silicon Valley companies in the past couple of years.
Reported by SFGate 10 hours ago.
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Car fire spreads to Aurora duplex
A fire that started in a car spread to an Aurora duplex early Sunday. The blaze started shortly before 5 a.
Reported by Denver Post 6 hours ago.
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SmoothTalker STEALTH TECH® Cellular Signal Boosters Receive NEW FCC Certification
SmoothTalker received new FCC certifications on two new mobile cellular signal booster solutions.
Aurora, Ontario (PRWEB) March 24, 2014
SmoothTalker, http://www.smoothtalker.com pioneers in manufacturing the best performing cellular signal boosters announced today their STEALTH TECH® cellular signal boosters received two new FCC certifications for new mobile cellular signal booster solutions.
The two new SmoothTalker STEALTH TECH® cellular signal boosters provide reliable voice connection and increased data speeds for all carriers. These boosters are available kitted with CLA or fused power and many different outside antennas. The two boosters launching at IWCE are:
Stealth M2M, a 15dB direct-connect cellular modem booster, ideal for enhancing M2M cellular modem communications by increasing data speeds (up to 2x) and providing a reliable connection.
Mobile CX1, a 23 dB coupling-connect cellular booster connects with SmoothTalker custom cradles including recent models for iPhone, Samsung or Blackberry as well as the best Universal cradle in the industry.
Mobile Communications or “SmoothTalker” manufactured the first FCC and Industry Canada certified booster in 2001. Their proprietary STEALTH TECH® technology, developed 3 years ago, ensured total network protection which is now the type of technology that the FCC mandates in the new rules governing cellular signal boosters.
Recently, the FCC has provided an industry extension until April 30, 2014 for all cellular signal booster manufacturers to comply with the new FCC Network Protection Standard.
Tom Vagenas, SmoothTalker CEO states, “We are pleased with our recent certifications and have many other mobile, fixed and M2M cellular boosting solutions pending. We will be launching these new solutions at IWCE in Las Vegas March 26-27 and it is going to be a great year for the industry.”
SmoothTalker boosters extend cellular coverage and get you connected in places you were never able to communicate with a cellular device. SmoothTalker cellular signal booster solutions have always been meticulously designed to allow a unique harmony between the mobile station and base station which makes them invisible to the cellular networks and employ all the necessary safeguards which prevent any unwanted network interference.
About SmoothTalker
SmoothTalker designs and engineers leading edge products that enhance the total cellular phone experience. They first began developing SmoothTalker cellular products in 1995.
Research and development into Digital Signal Boosters began in 1998, because of identified needs for improved cellular coverage in remote areas. SmoothTalker was the pioneer in this technology. In December 2001 SmoothTalker received the first FCC approval for our GSM/TDMA Digital Mobile Booster. This was followed with the first FCC boosters for iDEN (Nextel) and for CDMA networks. This commitment to meeting the needs of the user and the network resulted in the most advanced wireless amplifier technology on the market today “STEALTH TECH” ®.
SmoothTalker will continue the evolution of Signal Booster technology and keep raising the bar ever higher as the need for the product line continues to grow.
Today, we offer our customers the largest selection of in-vehicle custom charging cradles in North American; durable fixed-in-vehicle Hands-Free Kits that are both simple and satisfying to use and the absolute best performing signal boosters available.
Contact: Kevin Carter, Director of Business Development, SmoothTalker
Phone: 1-877-726-3444
Email: Kevin.c(at)smoothtalker(dot)com
About IWCE
March 26-27, 2014
SmoothTalker booth #9057
IWCE is the authoritative annual event for communications technology in the working world. Over 7,500 technology buyers from a diverse group of industry professionals from government, public safety, transportation, utilities and other enterprises gather together at IWCE to see the latest in effective and efficient communications systems. IWCE provides the foundation for the technology, operations, engineering and governance for your communications technology networks, systems and services. http://www.iwceexpo.com Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
Aurora, Ontario (PRWEB) March 24, 2014
SmoothTalker, http://www.smoothtalker.com pioneers in manufacturing the best performing cellular signal boosters announced today their STEALTH TECH® cellular signal boosters received two new FCC certifications for new mobile cellular signal booster solutions.
The two new SmoothTalker STEALTH TECH® cellular signal boosters provide reliable voice connection and increased data speeds for all carriers. These boosters are available kitted with CLA or fused power and many different outside antennas. The two boosters launching at IWCE are:
Stealth M2M, a 15dB direct-connect cellular modem booster, ideal for enhancing M2M cellular modem communications by increasing data speeds (up to 2x) and providing a reliable connection.
Mobile CX1, a 23 dB coupling-connect cellular booster connects with SmoothTalker custom cradles including recent models for iPhone, Samsung or Blackberry as well as the best Universal cradle in the industry.
Mobile Communications or “SmoothTalker” manufactured the first FCC and Industry Canada certified booster in 2001. Their proprietary STEALTH TECH® technology, developed 3 years ago, ensured total network protection which is now the type of technology that the FCC mandates in the new rules governing cellular signal boosters.
Recently, the FCC has provided an industry extension until April 30, 2014 for all cellular signal booster manufacturers to comply with the new FCC Network Protection Standard.
Tom Vagenas, SmoothTalker CEO states, “We are pleased with our recent certifications and have many other mobile, fixed and M2M cellular boosting solutions pending. We will be launching these new solutions at IWCE in Las Vegas March 26-27 and it is going to be a great year for the industry.”
SmoothTalker boosters extend cellular coverage and get you connected in places you were never able to communicate with a cellular device. SmoothTalker cellular signal booster solutions have always been meticulously designed to allow a unique harmony between the mobile station and base station which makes them invisible to the cellular networks and employ all the necessary safeguards which prevent any unwanted network interference.
About SmoothTalker
SmoothTalker designs and engineers leading edge products that enhance the total cellular phone experience. They first began developing SmoothTalker cellular products in 1995.
Research and development into Digital Signal Boosters began in 1998, because of identified needs for improved cellular coverage in remote areas. SmoothTalker was the pioneer in this technology. In December 2001 SmoothTalker received the first FCC approval for our GSM/TDMA Digital Mobile Booster. This was followed with the first FCC boosters for iDEN (Nextel) and for CDMA networks. This commitment to meeting the needs of the user and the network resulted in the most advanced wireless amplifier technology on the market today “STEALTH TECH” ®.
SmoothTalker will continue the evolution of Signal Booster technology and keep raising the bar ever higher as the need for the product line continues to grow.
Today, we offer our customers the largest selection of in-vehicle custom charging cradles in North American; durable fixed-in-vehicle Hands-Free Kits that are both simple and satisfying to use and the absolute best performing signal boosters available.
Contact: Kevin Carter, Director of Business Development, SmoothTalker
Phone: 1-877-726-3444
Email: Kevin.c(at)smoothtalker(dot)com
About IWCE
March 26-27, 2014
SmoothTalker booth #9057
IWCE is the authoritative annual event for communications technology in the working world. Over 7,500 technology buyers from a diverse group of industry professionals from government, public safety, transportation, utilities and other enterprises gather together at IWCE to see the latest in effective and efficient communications systems. IWCE provides the foundation for the technology, operations, engineering and governance for your communications technology networks, systems and services. http://www.iwceexpo.com Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
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17-year-old killed in Aurora crash; speed, alcohol suspected
The 17-year-old driver of a Chevy Camaro was killed early Monday morning when the driver of a Ford Expedition slammed into the teen's vehicle in Aurora.
Reported by Denver Post 8 hours ago.
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Westell Technologies and BatteryDAQ Partner to Provide Comprehensive Battery Management
AURORA, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Westell Technologies has partnered with BatteryDAQ, allowing Westell to enhance its intelligent site management solution for service providers, tower, and network operators worldwide.
Reported by Business Wire 8 hours ago.
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Aurora Networks Introduces Double-Density 1310 nm Transmitter System
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aurora Networks, A Pace Company and a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced, next-generation Optical Transport and Access Network solutions for broadband networks that support the convergence of video, data and voice applications, today unveils its HT3300H Series Double-Density 1310 nm Transmitter System. The new system includes 1.2 GHz transmitters, offers high rack density and significantly reduces power consumption, making it the ideal solution
Reported by Business Wire 7 hours ago.
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American Sentinel University Offers Tips to Nurses for Deciding Between BSN and MSN Degree Programs
American Sentinel University offers tips to nurses for deciding between a BSN and MSN nursing program to help them choose the right program to match their career goals. Learn more about American Sentinel University’s RN-to-MSN program at http://www.americansentinel.edu/health-care/rn-to-m-s-nursing.
Aurora, CO (PRWEB) March 25, 2014
One of the most important decisions a nurse must make is choosing between a BSN and MSN nursing program to advance their nursing careers. American Sentinel University’s associate dean of graduate nursing programs shares her insight about how to select the right program that is attuned to meet the needs of today’s nurses.
“Whether it’s the BSN or MSN tract, the main reason nurses choose to advance their education is for career mobility,” says Cheryl Wagner, Ph.D., MSN/MBA, RN, associate dean of graduate nursing programs at American Sentinel University. “It’s important to ask yourself where you want to be in five years from now. Do you want to be at the bedside or do you want to be in the various nursing specialties?”
Why RNs Need BSN Degrees
Dr. Wagner says it’s a fact of life: RNs are confronted with industry pressure to advance their nursing education.
“There’s currently a long list of respected agencies that have concluded RNs should be more educated and a large body of evidence to support this conclusion. So it’s no surprise that many hospitals are taking note and acting on these recommendations,” she adds.
Between meeting an employer’s requirements to stay updated with the ever changing health care industry, deciding on which nursing program to pursue is a valuable decision for today’s nurses.
She points out that if a nurse’s hospital is currently on the Magnet journey, they may soon find themselves on a journey of their own as they work to meet the requirements of their employer’s new educational policy.
Dr. Wagner recommends nurses take a moment to consider whether they might be better served by choosing a RN-to-MSN degree before they enroll in a RN-to-BSN program.
While it’s true that BSN-prepared nurses are highly sought after by employers who recognize that health care is becoming increasingly more complex, she says the MSN degree can prepare an already experienced nurse to move into nursing leadership positions.
Choosing Between a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Program
“If you’re not sure that nursing will be your career for your entire working life, then a RN-to-BSN program may be the best choice for you,” says Dr. Wagner.
She notes that unless a nurse is completely committed to specific career goals, then they may want to earn a BSN first and then work in the field in order to assess their skills and interests. Then, as a nurse learns where their strengths lie, they can choose the ideal MSN program to prepare them for their future.
“It’s clear that an MSN degree is becoming more and more valuable for nurses interested in rewarding careers in such nursing specialties as case management, infection control, nurse education, nursing management or want to have upward mobility into executive leadership that correlate into careers with higher salaries,” says Dr. Wagner.
For nurses that eventually want to earn a master’s degree in nursing, the RN-to-MSN program can accelerate the process by making their educational progression seamless. This program will likely help a nursing student save both time and money by going straight to a MSN.
“The RN to MSN program allows nursing students to go from an associate degree through the various specialties and come away with an advanced degree and be in a position to advance their education and career along a tract that interests them,” says Dr. Wagner.
Most importantly, she says that they will only have to make the back to school transition once and be more easily able to maintain the good habits they’ll need to manage their time while juggling work, school and family.
American Sentinel University’s RN-to-MSN program is a CCNE-accredited, online program ideal for nurses who intend to work in the nursing field for a decade or longer. Experienced nurses who hold their RN license (and RNs who hold bachelor’s degrees in other fields) can apply their associate degree toward the MSN without having to first earn a BSN.
Learn more about American Sentinel University’s RN-to-MSN program at http://www.americansentinel.edu/health-care/rn-to-m-s-nursing.
About American Sentinel University
American Sentinel University delivers the competitive advantages of accredited online degree programs in nursing, informatics, MBA Health Care, DNP Executive Leadership and DNP Educational Leadership. Its affordable, flexible bachelor’s and master’s nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission for the Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The university is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The Accrediting Commission of DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency and is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
### Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
Aurora, CO (PRWEB) March 25, 2014
One of the most important decisions a nurse must make is choosing between a BSN and MSN nursing program to advance their nursing careers. American Sentinel University’s associate dean of graduate nursing programs shares her insight about how to select the right program that is attuned to meet the needs of today’s nurses.
“Whether it’s the BSN or MSN tract, the main reason nurses choose to advance their education is for career mobility,” says Cheryl Wagner, Ph.D., MSN/MBA, RN, associate dean of graduate nursing programs at American Sentinel University. “It’s important to ask yourself where you want to be in five years from now. Do you want to be at the bedside or do you want to be in the various nursing specialties?”
Why RNs Need BSN Degrees
Dr. Wagner says it’s a fact of life: RNs are confronted with industry pressure to advance their nursing education.
“There’s currently a long list of respected agencies that have concluded RNs should be more educated and a large body of evidence to support this conclusion. So it’s no surprise that many hospitals are taking note and acting on these recommendations,” she adds.
Between meeting an employer’s requirements to stay updated with the ever changing health care industry, deciding on which nursing program to pursue is a valuable decision for today’s nurses.
She points out that if a nurse’s hospital is currently on the Magnet journey, they may soon find themselves on a journey of their own as they work to meet the requirements of their employer’s new educational policy.
Dr. Wagner recommends nurses take a moment to consider whether they might be better served by choosing a RN-to-MSN degree before they enroll in a RN-to-BSN program.
While it’s true that BSN-prepared nurses are highly sought after by employers who recognize that health care is becoming increasingly more complex, she says the MSN degree can prepare an already experienced nurse to move into nursing leadership positions.
Choosing Between a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Program
“If you’re not sure that nursing will be your career for your entire working life, then a RN-to-BSN program may be the best choice for you,” says Dr. Wagner.
She notes that unless a nurse is completely committed to specific career goals, then they may want to earn a BSN first and then work in the field in order to assess their skills and interests. Then, as a nurse learns where their strengths lie, they can choose the ideal MSN program to prepare them for their future.
“It’s clear that an MSN degree is becoming more and more valuable for nurses interested in rewarding careers in such nursing specialties as case management, infection control, nurse education, nursing management or want to have upward mobility into executive leadership that correlate into careers with higher salaries,” says Dr. Wagner.
For nurses that eventually want to earn a master’s degree in nursing, the RN-to-MSN program can accelerate the process by making their educational progression seamless. This program will likely help a nursing student save both time and money by going straight to a MSN.
“The RN to MSN program allows nursing students to go from an associate degree through the various specialties and come away with an advanced degree and be in a position to advance their education and career along a tract that interests them,” says Dr. Wagner.
Most importantly, she says that they will only have to make the back to school transition once and be more easily able to maintain the good habits they’ll need to manage their time while juggling work, school and family.
American Sentinel University’s RN-to-MSN program is a CCNE-accredited, online program ideal for nurses who intend to work in the nursing field for a decade or longer. Experienced nurses who hold their RN license (and RNs who hold bachelor’s degrees in other fields) can apply their associate degree toward the MSN without having to first earn a BSN.
Learn more about American Sentinel University’s RN-to-MSN program at http://www.americansentinel.edu/health-care/rn-to-m-s-nursing.
About American Sentinel University
American Sentinel University delivers the competitive advantages of accredited online degree programs in nursing, informatics, MBA Health Care, DNP Executive Leadership and DNP Educational Leadership. Its affordable, flexible bachelor’s and master’s nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission for the Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The university is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The Accrediting Commission of DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency and is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
### Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
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ISPA and HRS Online Training Courses for Workers’ Comp Healthcare Rehab Specialists Achieves 100% Test Success
October 2013 & January 2014 courses have resulted in 100% of attendees passing the certification exam.
(PRWEB) March 25, 2014
The International Sports Professionals Association™ (ISPA) and Heartland Rehabilitation Services (HRS) held the second online training course for Rehabilitation Professionals in Workers’ Compensation. The second presentation of the course started on January 28, 2014 and ran for three consecutive weeks. The course offered an advanced level of training in workers’ compensation rehabilitation and provided a total of 8-hours of training. Attendees in the fields of physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training were granted 8 CEU credits for completing the course. Completion of the course also prepared the therapist for the Certified Workers’ Compensation Healthcare Provider™ (CWcHP) Exam.
The course instructor, Christine Adams, MS, ATC, CWHCP, LMT, CPT, CEAS, is a leading educator of physical therapy and rehabilitation programs with special focus on workers’ compensation. Ms. Adams, Director of Rehabilitation for Heartland Rehabilitation Services Outpatient Division, has over 20 years of experience in outpatient rehabilitation. Ms. Adams holds a Master’s degree from the University of Florida in Athletic Training with a minor in health education and counseling.
“The CWcHP certification is a cutting edge innovation for the fields of physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training. It elevates the expertise of the practitioner and their value in the rehabilitation team in the healthcare world,” states Dr. John Mayer, President of ISPA. “The next course offering is planned for some time in May with dates to be announced.”
Complete information on this training course and the CWcHP certification can be obtained on the CWcHP web site: http://www.workcompcertification.com.
“The online training course uses Cisco’s state of the art online Web Event Platform. The attendees’ feedback was overwhelmingly positive on the ease of use of the online format. The instructor, Christine Adams, really shows how therapists can work as a team in rehabilitation of work comp patients. She definitely avoids the ‘us versus them mentality’ and shows practitioners how to work with insurance companies and physicians,” says Justin Mayer, Executive Director of ISPA and a key contributor to the course development.
To obtain the CWcHP™ certification applicants must be in the field of physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training and they must pass the certification exam. The exam covers three areas of competency: clinical issues, legal issues and employer based knowledge. The test took two years to develop and utilizes the knowledge of leading physical therapy providers as well as state-of-the-art research in this field. After passing the examination a professional can use the initials, CWcHP™ after his/her name and on promotional materials.
“Our therapists thought that the workers’ compensation course was masterfully done,” explains Denise Balistrieri, Director of Outpatient Rehabilitation Services, Aurora Advanced Healthcare. “Having our therapists complete this training demonstrates our commitment to high-quality care and to the health and well-being of patients in the communities that we serve.”
Aurora Advanced sent all of its physical therapists through the training and certification and all passed the subsequent exam with high scores.
The International Sports Professionals Association (ISPA™) is the world’s largest credentialing service for professionals in sports. The ISPA sets standards for its membership by providing professional services to the sports world spanning from children’s sports to professional athletes. The ISPA includes a wide variety of professional occupations from coaches, sport psychologists, physicians, accountants, agents, physical therapists, chiropractors, nutritionists, sport physiologists, trainers, and more. ISPA designates that member professionals adhere to a strict code of ethics and have met the highest standards in their fields to provide professional services to athletes and to sports.
Aurora Advanced Healthcare is a primary and specialty care physician group covering six counties: Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha. The group has more than 400 primary and specialty care physicians at 39 clinic locations. In 2008, Advanced Healthcare and Aurora Health Care affiliated to enhance care for patients and better serve the communities within their service areas. Learn more at http://www.ah.com.
Heartland Rehabilitation Services is a leading provider of outpatient rehabilitation services throughout Florida,
New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky. Heartland professional treatment teams have well established reputations for delivering outstanding therapy services and providing coordinated treatment plans, working with physicians, family and care managers to help meet patient’s therapy goals. Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.
(PRWEB) March 25, 2014
The International Sports Professionals Association™ (ISPA) and Heartland Rehabilitation Services (HRS) held the second online training course for Rehabilitation Professionals in Workers’ Compensation. The second presentation of the course started on January 28, 2014 and ran for three consecutive weeks. The course offered an advanced level of training in workers’ compensation rehabilitation and provided a total of 8-hours of training. Attendees in the fields of physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training were granted 8 CEU credits for completing the course. Completion of the course also prepared the therapist for the Certified Workers’ Compensation Healthcare Provider™ (CWcHP) Exam.
The course instructor, Christine Adams, MS, ATC, CWHCP, LMT, CPT, CEAS, is a leading educator of physical therapy and rehabilitation programs with special focus on workers’ compensation. Ms. Adams, Director of Rehabilitation for Heartland Rehabilitation Services Outpatient Division, has over 20 years of experience in outpatient rehabilitation. Ms. Adams holds a Master’s degree from the University of Florida in Athletic Training with a minor in health education and counseling.
“The CWcHP certification is a cutting edge innovation for the fields of physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training. It elevates the expertise of the practitioner and their value in the rehabilitation team in the healthcare world,” states Dr. John Mayer, President of ISPA. “The next course offering is planned for some time in May with dates to be announced.”
Complete information on this training course and the CWcHP certification can be obtained on the CWcHP web site: http://www.workcompcertification.com.
“The online training course uses Cisco’s state of the art online Web Event Platform. The attendees’ feedback was overwhelmingly positive on the ease of use of the online format. The instructor, Christine Adams, really shows how therapists can work as a team in rehabilitation of work comp patients. She definitely avoids the ‘us versus them mentality’ and shows practitioners how to work with insurance companies and physicians,” says Justin Mayer, Executive Director of ISPA and a key contributor to the course development.
To obtain the CWcHP™ certification applicants must be in the field of physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training and they must pass the certification exam. The exam covers three areas of competency: clinical issues, legal issues and employer based knowledge. The test took two years to develop and utilizes the knowledge of leading physical therapy providers as well as state-of-the-art research in this field. After passing the examination a professional can use the initials, CWcHP™ after his/her name and on promotional materials.
“Our therapists thought that the workers’ compensation course was masterfully done,” explains Denise Balistrieri, Director of Outpatient Rehabilitation Services, Aurora Advanced Healthcare. “Having our therapists complete this training demonstrates our commitment to high-quality care and to the health and well-being of patients in the communities that we serve.”
Aurora Advanced sent all of its physical therapists through the training and certification and all passed the subsequent exam with high scores.
The International Sports Professionals Association (ISPA™) is the world’s largest credentialing service for professionals in sports. The ISPA sets standards for its membership by providing professional services to the sports world spanning from children’s sports to professional athletes. The ISPA includes a wide variety of professional occupations from coaches, sport psychologists, physicians, accountants, agents, physical therapists, chiropractors, nutritionists, sport physiologists, trainers, and more. ISPA designates that member professionals adhere to a strict code of ethics and have met the highest standards in their fields to provide professional services to athletes and to sports.
Aurora Advanced Healthcare is a primary and specialty care physician group covering six counties: Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha. The group has more than 400 primary and specialty care physicians at 39 clinic locations. In 2008, Advanced Healthcare and Aurora Health Care affiliated to enhance care for patients and better serve the communities within their service areas. Learn more at http://www.ah.com.
Heartland Rehabilitation Services is a leading provider of outpatient rehabilitation services throughout Florida,
New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky. Heartland professional treatment teams have well established reputations for delivering outstanding therapy services and providing coordinated treatment plans, working with physicians, family and care managers to help meet patient’s therapy goals. Reported by PRWeb 11 hours ago.
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ITsavvy Announces VMware Premier Partner Status
ITsavvy just announced that it has been awarded Premier Level status in VMware’s Solution Provider Program by meeting all of the revenue, competency and certification requirements.
Addison, IL (PRWEB) March 25, 2014
ITsavvy, one of the fastest growing companies of its type in the U.S., just announced that it has been awarded Premier Level status in VMware’s Solution Provider Program by meeting all of the revenue, competency and certification requirements.
Some of the Premier Level benefits that ITsavvy will realize and pass on to clients include:· Access to the full VMware partner product line
· Priority listing on VMware’s partner locator
· A higher level of technical support for sales/demos
ITsavvy’s President and CEO Mike Theriault said, “Our clients will receive many benefits from this. They have the assurance of knowing that we have a range of VMware product expertise that is significantly beyond VMware’s core server and desktop virtualization products.”
VMware Solution Partners have certified VMware expertise. Multiple levels culminate in the highest Premier Partner status. Partners at this level have committed business resources to understand and deliver complex virtual infrastructure solutions to their clients. They must demonstrate high skill levels in areas such as: server, storage, applications, WIN/Linux operating systems, databases and networking. They are also required to help clients design, plan, integrate and deploy the most sophisticated virtual infrastructures.
“Our recent acquisition of companies with strong virtualization capabilities has raised our visibility with VMware,” Theriault added. “More importantly for our clients, these acquisitions have also raised our level of expertise.”
ITsavvy’s 2013 acquisitions include i-Works; which provides IT services focused on storage, virtualization, networking, business intelligence and disaster recovery and CT Networks; which provides customizable converged IT, voice, data, hosted and managed services capabilities and expertise.
ITsavvy, one of the fastest growing companies of its type in the U.S., is a recognized leader in tailored end-to-end IT product and service solutions. ITsavvy built its reputation as a value-added reseller with industry-leading product availability, design and implementation, client support and delivery speed through 46 distribution centers across the U.S. ITsavvy also has data center locations in New York, New Jersey and Florida. The company’s new, user-friendly website provides hundreds of concise, leading-edge IT decision-making resources, including an e-commerce site with real-time pricing and availability. ITsavvy is headquartered in Addison, IL, with offices in Chicago’s Loop; Hauppauge, NY; New York, NY; Warren, NJ; Aurora, IL; Davenport, IA; Hayward, CA; and Beavercreek, OH. Call 1-855-ITsavvy (1-855-487-2889), email: info(at)ITsavvy(dot)com, visit: http://www.ITsavvy.com.
###
Visit ITsavvy’s Media Center at: http://www.ITsavvy.com/about/media-center/.
About ITsavvy http://www.ITsavvy.com/
ITsavvy was founded in 2004 by industry experts Mike Theriault and Chris Kurpeikis. The company has grown from a Midwest start-up to a national, award-winning leader in IT products and services. Mike and Chris conceived of ITsavvy after becoming convinced they could significantly outdo competitors in a number of areas including client service. By combining a comprehensive value-added reseller business with an industry-leading array of services through its Advanced Solutions Group, ITsavvy is quickly becoming the benchmark for integrated IT products and advanced solutions providers.
Media Contact: Jeanna Van Rensselar, Smart PR Communications Jeanna(at)SmartPRCommunications(dot)com /630-363-8081
“ITsavvy” is a Registered Trademark of B2B Industries LLC. All other company and product names may be trademarks of respective companies with which they are associated. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.
Addison, IL (PRWEB) March 25, 2014
ITsavvy, one of the fastest growing companies of its type in the U.S., just announced that it has been awarded Premier Level status in VMware’s Solution Provider Program by meeting all of the revenue, competency and certification requirements.
Some of the Premier Level benefits that ITsavvy will realize and pass on to clients include:· Access to the full VMware partner product line
· Priority listing on VMware’s partner locator
· A higher level of technical support for sales/demos
ITsavvy’s President and CEO Mike Theriault said, “Our clients will receive many benefits from this. They have the assurance of knowing that we have a range of VMware product expertise that is significantly beyond VMware’s core server and desktop virtualization products.”
VMware Solution Partners have certified VMware expertise. Multiple levels culminate in the highest Premier Partner status. Partners at this level have committed business resources to understand and deliver complex virtual infrastructure solutions to their clients. They must demonstrate high skill levels in areas such as: server, storage, applications, WIN/Linux operating systems, databases and networking. They are also required to help clients design, plan, integrate and deploy the most sophisticated virtual infrastructures.
“Our recent acquisition of companies with strong virtualization capabilities has raised our visibility with VMware,” Theriault added. “More importantly for our clients, these acquisitions have also raised our level of expertise.”
ITsavvy’s 2013 acquisitions include i-Works; which provides IT services focused on storage, virtualization, networking, business intelligence and disaster recovery and CT Networks; which provides customizable converged IT, voice, data, hosted and managed services capabilities and expertise.
ITsavvy, one of the fastest growing companies of its type in the U.S., is a recognized leader in tailored end-to-end IT product and service solutions. ITsavvy built its reputation as a value-added reseller with industry-leading product availability, design and implementation, client support and delivery speed through 46 distribution centers across the U.S. ITsavvy also has data center locations in New York, New Jersey and Florida. The company’s new, user-friendly website provides hundreds of concise, leading-edge IT decision-making resources, including an e-commerce site with real-time pricing and availability. ITsavvy is headquartered in Addison, IL, with offices in Chicago’s Loop; Hauppauge, NY; New York, NY; Warren, NJ; Aurora, IL; Davenport, IA; Hayward, CA; and Beavercreek, OH. Call 1-855-ITsavvy (1-855-487-2889), email: info(at)ITsavvy(dot)com, visit: http://www.ITsavvy.com.
###
Visit ITsavvy’s Media Center at: http://www.ITsavvy.com/about/media-center/.
About ITsavvy http://www.ITsavvy.com/
ITsavvy was founded in 2004 by industry experts Mike Theriault and Chris Kurpeikis. The company has grown from a Midwest start-up to a national, award-winning leader in IT products and services. Mike and Chris conceived of ITsavvy after becoming convinced they could significantly outdo competitors in a number of areas including client service. By combining a comprehensive value-added reseller business with an industry-leading array of services through its Advanced Solutions Group, ITsavvy is quickly becoming the benchmark for integrated IT products and advanced solutions providers.
Media Contact: Jeanna Van Rensselar, Smart PR Communications Jeanna(at)SmartPRCommunications(dot)com /630-363-8081
“ITsavvy” is a Registered Trademark of B2B Industries LLC. All other company and product names may be trademarks of respective companies with which they are associated. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.
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New Discount Coupons On Alienware 14, 17 And 18 Gaming Laptops
New Alienware coupons are listed on the Bizwaremagic.com site, potential buyers or gamers can save up to 15% on system upgrades.
(PRWEB) March 25, 2014
New discount coupons from Alienware have just been listed on the Bizwaremagic.com site, which has been running a popular online Laptop Buyer's Guide for over 10 years. Potential buyers and/or gamers can receive up to 15% off system upgrades on popular models, including Alienware 14, 17 and 18 gaming notebooks. These online coupons are limited and only available until April 3, 2014.
Included in the current patch of coupons are the following: Save 10% on all hardware upgrades on the Alienware 17 gaming laptop with fourth Generation Intel Core i7, 16GB memory, 500GB hard drive, and 4GB graphics card for around $1979 and get 10% off on all hardware upgrades on the Alienware 14 gaming laptop with fourth Generation Intel Core i5, 8GB memory, 750GB hard drive and 1GB graphics card for $989.10. Save 10% on all hardware upgrades for Alienware 18 laptops with the fourth Generation Intel Core i7, 16GB memory and the Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M graphics with 4GB total graphics for $2339.10.
There is also an offer where potential buyers can save 15% on all hardware upgrades for the Alienware Aurora desktop with an Intel Core i7, 16GB memory, 256GB solid state drive, and AMD Radeon R9 290X graphics for just $2267.80. All discounts come with free shipping but see the official Alienware site for all terms and conditions of these latest offers.
As part of its ongoing Laptop Buyer's Guide, Bizwaremagic.com regularly lists all the current coupons from major computer manufacturers/retailers, for the benefit of its subscribers and visitors. Potential customers can receive $100s off their next computer purchase by utilising these discounts, many of which are exclusive to the online marketplace. These current offers from Alienware are the latest examples of how shoppers can take advantage of these coupons to save money.
The special updated Alienware Coupons/Discounts page can be found here: http://www.bizwaremagic.com/alienware_coupons_discounts.htm or check out these top rated gaming laptops: http://www.bizwaremagic.com/best_gaming_notebooks.htm All products/companies mentioned above are registered trademarks of their respective owners and companies. Reported by PRWeb 7 hours ago.
(PRWEB) March 25, 2014
New discount coupons from Alienware have just been listed on the Bizwaremagic.com site, which has been running a popular online Laptop Buyer's Guide for over 10 years. Potential buyers and/or gamers can receive up to 15% off system upgrades on popular models, including Alienware 14, 17 and 18 gaming notebooks. These online coupons are limited and only available until April 3, 2014.
Included in the current patch of coupons are the following: Save 10% on all hardware upgrades on the Alienware 17 gaming laptop with fourth Generation Intel Core i7, 16GB memory, 500GB hard drive, and 4GB graphics card for around $1979 and get 10% off on all hardware upgrades on the Alienware 14 gaming laptop with fourth Generation Intel Core i5, 8GB memory, 750GB hard drive and 1GB graphics card for $989.10. Save 10% on all hardware upgrades for Alienware 18 laptops with the fourth Generation Intel Core i7, 16GB memory and the Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M graphics with 4GB total graphics for $2339.10.
There is also an offer where potential buyers can save 15% on all hardware upgrades for the Alienware Aurora desktop with an Intel Core i7, 16GB memory, 256GB solid state drive, and AMD Radeon R9 290X graphics for just $2267.80. All discounts come with free shipping but see the official Alienware site for all terms and conditions of these latest offers.
As part of its ongoing Laptop Buyer's Guide, Bizwaremagic.com regularly lists all the current coupons from major computer manufacturers/retailers, for the benefit of its subscribers and visitors. Potential customers can receive $100s off their next computer purchase by utilising these discounts, many of which are exclusive to the online marketplace. These current offers from Alienware are the latest examples of how shoppers can take advantage of these coupons to save money.
The special updated Alienware Coupons/Discounts page can be found here: http://www.bizwaremagic.com/alienware_coupons_discounts.htm or check out these top rated gaming laptops: http://www.bizwaremagic.com/best_gaming_notebooks.htm All products/companies mentioned above are registered trademarks of their respective owners and companies. Reported by PRWeb 7 hours ago.
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Honey Smoked Fish employees hurt when ceiling tiles collapse
Two employees of the Honey Smoked Fish Co. were injured Tuesday morning when foam ceiling tiles fell on them, according to Aurora Fire Capt.
Reported by Denver Post 4 hours ago.
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Confessions of a Former Muslim Students Association Board Member
It is with much regret and sorrow to my fellow brothers and sisters serving in Muslim Students Associations (MSAs) around the nation that I must declare: The gig is up. We must come clean. Therefore on behalf of myself and my fellow accomplices and co-conspirators, the following heartfelt apology extends to the noble members of the FBI, NSA, Nashville Police Department and any other law enforcement body I may be missing.
*"No state... shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."*
In 2012, the AP discovered that the NYPD had been conducting a long-standing and broad surveillance program on a wide variety of Muslim communities and institutions, with a particular focus on college-based Muslim Students Associations (MSAs). A coalition of Muslim American citizens, including Iraq war veteran Syed Hassan, mounted a legal challenge to the program. While not challenging the constitutionality of the program, the plaintiffs cited diminished religious expression, employment prospects, property values and revenue following the Associated Press's expose of the program.
In February, a federal judge in New York granted the City of New York's motion for summary judgment to dismiss the challenge by declaring that the plaintiffs lacked judicial standing. In addition to declaring that the plaintiffs lacked the injury of fact and causation prongs of the standing requirement, the court concluded:
While this surveillance program may have had adverse effects upon the Muslim community after the Associated Press published its articles; the motive for the program was not solely to discriminate against Muslims, but rather to find Muslim terrorists hiding among ordinary, law-abiding Muslims.
*Constitutional?*
If the case was allowed to go forward, would the NYPD's actions be considered constitutional -- particularly with regards to the equal protection or free exercise of religion clause?
When analyzing issues of constitutionality, especially with regards to equal protection and due process issues, courts generally apply a balancing-test analysis between the government's legitimate interest versus whether the measures they have adopted are sufficiently related to furthering and purpose as well as whether they are sufficiently narrowly tailored and minimally burdensome.
The government clearly has an utmost legitimate interest in protecting us, and terrorism is no abstract concept for me. My mother actually lost a cousin in the World Trade Center attacks, and I almost lost my aunt who was working in the Pentagon on the day it was attacked. This summer, I will be working with the U.S. Coast Guard's Office of Maritime and International Law to help provide the requisite legal support to the men and women who risk their lives to serve as our nation's first line of defense against piracy, terrorism and narco-trafficking.
Yet given this very legitimate interest, how can the actions the NYPD have chosen to undertake be even remotely considered as narrowly tailored and minimally burdensome measures? Indeed even if the state narrowly defines its purpose as preventing "Islamic terrorism" and somehow these patently discriminatory policies based on religious identity do not trigger heightened scrutiny, this program should not pass muster even under rational basis review.
Our constitution robustly protects the general right of citizens to be protected from laws, practices and policies operating under discriminatory animus based on race, religion or nationality. Absent extraordinary circumstances in which animus is the sole basis for conducting a given state action, the demonstration of a disparate impact on a select group is generally not sufficient. Yet when the government targets individuals based on characteristics such as race, religion or nationality, the Equal Protection Clause and Free Exercise Clause may both be offended. Indeed, even if the state action is not technically invalid, such policies deeply offend long-established and protected equality norms.
One of the most sensational revelations has been the sheer scope of the NYPD's program, which has targeted Muslim communities and institutions not just in New York, but throughout the entire Northeast -- and with a special focus on college-based Muslim Students Associations.
"The New York Police Department monitored Muslim college students far more broadly than previously known, at schools far beyond the city limits, including the Ivy League colleges of Yale and the University of Pennsylvania..."
The NYPD has seemingly been given such extraordinary powers without the presence of an imminent emergency -- or indeed without presenting any evidence of actual wrongdoing by members of the targeted Muslim communities and institutions. No state agency or actor -- not the NYPD and certainly not Representative Peter King (R-NY) -- has been able to present a shred of credible evidence to justify such whole-scale violations of privacy.
As a 2L law student, I am certainly no Con Law expert, but I simply do not see how allowing such a staggeringly broad program for a state law enforcement agency -- absent the presence of an imminent threat or the presentation of clear evidence of wrongdoing -- can be considered to be a sufficiently tailored measure in relation to the state's stated purpose of preventing terrorism.
*Effective?*
Yet even if the NYPD surveillance program is constitutional, is such a program targeting established pillars and mainstream institutions of American Muslim life effective at preventing terrorism -- even just "Islamic terrorism?"
After all, everybody knows the first thing al Qaeda sleeper cell terrorists typically do is join their local Muslim Student Association and/or community Muslim youth group. They are also meticulous in always wearing Sikh turbans (the classic Sikh-Muslim switch-a-roo!) and to keep a low profile, naturally become nationally acclaimed religious leaders who openly pray in congregation before catching their flights.
I do not pretend to be a counter-terrorism expert, but by definition those who would resort to terrorism are outliers, and thus have behaviors which are atypical to other members of their community -- such as laying low close to home rather than participating in public religious and cultural life. For instance, this often translates into radicals forming their own underground social and religious networks rather than joining (much less, becoming leaders of) mainstream mosques, youth groups, MSAs and other established sociocultural and religious institutions of Muslim communities. Would not a smarter more effective use of our law enforcement resources be to work with Muslim communities and organizations to help identify these outliers rather than treating "existing while openly Muslim" as a crime? Categorically bugging all mosques and "infiltrating" MSAs might be the quick and easy option for our government to show us that it is "doing something" to combat terror, but is it really the most optimal method for serious law enforcement?
*Keeping Us Safe*
No doubt terrorism committed in the name of Islam represents a serious threat; yet if our government is serious about protecting its citizens from terrorism, we cannot just focus on its most exotic brand. After all, scholarship has shown that terrorist acts committed by those professing Islam are relatively minuscule compared with all other forms of domestic terrorism.
Statistically speaking, even terrorism in all of its forms pales in comparison to our chances of being harmed by random acts of mass violence. The real danger comes when we as a society begin normalizing this tragic reality-and when those we trust to protect us begin to do the same.
Consider this: Aurora mass murderer James Eagan Holmes purchased a Remington 870 Express Tactical shotgun, a Smith and Wesson M&P15 semi-automatic rifle, and two Glock 22 pistols in-person. He also purchased 3000 rounds of ammunition for the pistols, 3000 rounds for the M&P15, and 350 shells for the shotgun, along with a military-grade Blackhawk Urban Assault Vest, two magazine holders and a combat knife online. All of those purchases were completely legal, and did not seem to raise any red flags for law enforcement prior to his unspeakably evil actions.
I honestly do not think I would be able to buy 3000 paintball rounds without getting a knock on my door.
But hey, unlike me, James Eagan Holmes was never a MSA member.
*My Apologies, America*
Which finally brings me to my confession of the wrongdoings for which I must now seek forgiveness. Am I apologizing for a crime already committed, in progress, or to be committed in the future? No -- unless the unintentional infliction of severe and chronic boredom to an officer of the law is a punishable crime.
I confess: I was President of my high school Muslim Students Association and then went on to join the Vanderbilt MSA throughout my entire undergraduate career while serving on its executive board for two of those years. As Vanderbilt continues to embrace diversity among its faculty and student communities, our MSA has long been one of the largest and most diverse student organizations on campus with hundreds of members. Malaysians, Saudis, Emiratis, Lebanese, Egyptians, Moroccans, Tunisians, plus Black Americans, Middle Eastern-Americans, and South Asian-Americans... We even had many non-Muslim members. You name it; we had them in our ranks. I would bet a semester's worth of tuition that such an organization must have proved an irresistible target for surveillance for those seeking to protect our nation from the ubiquitous, nefarious, nebulous threat of terrorism.
Yet if our activities were monitored at any point during my service with the MSA, then I can only imagine the endless hours of boredom we must have inflicted on the poor souls who were stuck with that thankless task. Take our board meetings for instance; I can just imagine the men responsible for keeping our nation safe, anxiously expecting us to hatch Homeland-esque plots... only to hear us discussing Ramadan iftar and Friday prayer arrangements, planning social outings, discussing which classes and professors to take, and despairing about how none of us would ever be able to pursue a respectable profession or enter graduate school due to our abysmal engineering/pre-med/aborted-pre-med GPAs (Miracle alert: All of us did!... somehow).
In fact, probably the most spirited discussion we had during my entire time on the board was the one time we considered approving the Middle Eastern Student Association's request to feature belly dancing during our Eid al-Adha Celebration (The answer? Absolutely Not. Guys, I don't know if you got the memo, but it's an EID celebration aka an event commemorating one of our two religious holidays -- open to not only all students and faculty, but also aunties and uncles from the community including our parents. Hey ,we're all for being open-minded, but that's pushing the awkward turtle-o-meter just a bit too much. Proposal denied, gents). Truly sinister stuff.
*MSA: So Hardcore*
Likewise, I pity any hypothetical aspiring hotshot tasked with "infiltrating" our organization and "monitoring" our activities who thought they would surely be a real-life Carrie Mathison or Jack Bauer. Instead, one of the first observations they would have me is that unlike some of our more storied peers of the Greek persuasion, we have no exotic or violent rituals and are happy to get as many members as we can. Once joining our organization for free -- as a religious organization we cannot even charge dues -- the only activities they would be "monitoring" would be our Friday sermons and prayer services, for which our sermon-givers openly sign-up and often even make their sermons available online. They would have witnessed our wide variety of interfaith initiatives, our weekly tutoring sessions for immigrant children, and our annual
Fast-a-Thon Charity Drive which raises thousands of dollars for local and international humanitarian causes.
Indeed, the only remotely political event we ever hosted during my four years in MSA was in the midst of Israel's massive 2009 campaign against Gaza when passions and emotions were running sky-high throughout both the campus and greater Nashville community. We responded by holding... a Candlelight Peace Vigil for Gaza and Israel. We reached out to our good friends in Vanderbilt Hillel -- with whom we have always had excellent relations -- as well as other religious and cultural organizations on campus and throughout Nashville to coordinate an interfaith vigil in Benton Chapel. Smoking gun, indeed.
This is what an MSA actually is, and who we are as Muslims, students, citizens and human beings. This is not just a portrait of our MSA at Vanderbilt, but reflects the rich tapestry of MSA life in every college and high school in the nation. No terrorism, treason, or "creeping shariah." Yet if our MSA activities were indeed monitored at any point and the unintentional affliction of boredom to an officer of the law is an actionable offense, then I and the rest of my fellow MSA board members are guilty as charged.
*A Personal Pledge*
In my two semesters of Arabic, one of the first things I realized is that militant and terrorist outfits around the globe have a unique knack for branding by turning the innocuous into the infamous. For instance, Taliban is plural for "students" in Arabic. And Somalia's murderous al-Shabab? It literally means "the youth", but more colloquially is used as a casual way of saying "hey guys/dudes" and is actually the namesake of sports clubs throughout the Arab world. So when too many of my fellow Americans hear the words "Muslim Students Association," they likely view us as some treacherous homegrown branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Otherwise, such broad surveillance programs targeting entire communities and institutions on the sole basis of religious affiliation simply would not be allowed to be conceptualized, continued and expanded.
The underlying sources of such misunderstandings based on deeply-rooted schemas are complex and multifaceted. The primary blame surely lies with the numerically tiny, but extremely dangerous cadre of nihilistic terrorists who do not hesitate to blow up entire schools and mosques full of worshippers -- or Muslim-Americans such as my aunt -- to further their vile agendas. Yet other guilty parties also include the architects and advocates of both the military-industrial complex and the modern extra-judicial American surveillance state --as well as the fear-mongering and headlines-craving media who have enabled and benefited from both phenomena.
Yet perhaps part of the blame can go to young Muslim Americans such as myself. The tragedy of September 11 has transformed virtually all of us as de-facto ambassadors of our faiths to our fellow Americans. I was in seventh grade when I suddenly found myself thrust into that role. While I have since tried to shoulder this responsibility to the best of my ability, I have always been so caught up with my student and personal life that I may not have always been the best at proactively reaching out to my community. So here's my personal pledge: If you have any questions about any aspects of my faith or heritage, please feel free to approach me. I don't bite (not even while fasting during Ramadan!), and while I am no expert on Islam, I promise I will do my best to answer any questions you have from the perspective of what my faith means to me as it applies to my daily life. Let's have a conversation -- a dialogue and mutual meeting of the minds. And let's do it over endless cups of Arabic coffee, because that ish is delish.*Help * promote civil liberties while making our nation safer. Please take a moment to sign the following Whitehouse.gov petition to reform surveillance programs.
*A huge thanks* to my Constitutional Law Professor Timothy Zick for reviewing my constitutionality analysis, as well as my good friends and fellow Vandy MSA board members Mohamed al-Hendy and Sami Safiullah for all of their help and support.
*Dedicated *to my MSA brothers and sisters in colleges and high schools across our country. Keep being awesome. Reported by Huffington Post 2 hours ago.
*"No state... shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."*
In 2012, the AP discovered that the NYPD had been conducting a long-standing and broad surveillance program on a wide variety of Muslim communities and institutions, with a particular focus on college-based Muslim Students Associations (MSAs). A coalition of Muslim American citizens, including Iraq war veteran Syed Hassan, mounted a legal challenge to the program. While not challenging the constitutionality of the program, the plaintiffs cited diminished religious expression, employment prospects, property values and revenue following the Associated Press's expose of the program.
In February, a federal judge in New York granted the City of New York's motion for summary judgment to dismiss the challenge by declaring that the plaintiffs lacked judicial standing. In addition to declaring that the plaintiffs lacked the injury of fact and causation prongs of the standing requirement, the court concluded:
While this surveillance program may have had adverse effects upon the Muslim community after the Associated Press published its articles; the motive for the program was not solely to discriminate against Muslims, but rather to find Muslim terrorists hiding among ordinary, law-abiding Muslims.
*Constitutional?*
If the case was allowed to go forward, would the NYPD's actions be considered constitutional -- particularly with regards to the equal protection or free exercise of religion clause?
When analyzing issues of constitutionality, especially with regards to equal protection and due process issues, courts generally apply a balancing-test analysis between the government's legitimate interest versus whether the measures they have adopted are sufficiently related to furthering and purpose as well as whether they are sufficiently narrowly tailored and minimally burdensome.
The government clearly has an utmost legitimate interest in protecting us, and terrorism is no abstract concept for me. My mother actually lost a cousin in the World Trade Center attacks, and I almost lost my aunt who was working in the Pentagon on the day it was attacked. This summer, I will be working with the U.S. Coast Guard's Office of Maritime and International Law to help provide the requisite legal support to the men and women who risk their lives to serve as our nation's first line of defense against piracy, terrorism and narco-trafficking.
Yet given this very legitimate interest, how can the actions the NYPD have chosen to undertake be even remotely considered as narrowly tailored and minimally burdensome measures? Indeed even if the state narrowly defines its purpose as preventing "Islamic terrorism" and somehow these patently discriminatory policies based on religious identity do not trigger heightened scrutiny, this program should not pass muster even under rational basis review.
Our constitution robustly protects the general right of citizens to be protected from laws, practices and policies operating under discriminatory animus based on race, religion or nationality. Absent extraordinary circumstances in which animus is the sole basis for conducting a given state action, the demonstration of a disparate impact on a select group is generally not sufficient. Yet when the government targets individuals based on characteristics such as race, religion or nationality, the Equal Protection Clause and Free Exercise Clause may both be offended. Indeed, even if the state action is not technically invalid, such policies deeply offend long-established and protected equality norms.
One of the most sensational revelations has been the sheer scope of the NYPD's program, which has targeted Muslim communities and institutions not just in New York, but throughout the entire Northeast -- and with a special focus on college-based Muslim Students Associations.
"The New York Police Department monitored Muslim college students far more broadly than previously known, at schools far beyond the city limits, including the Ivy League colleges of Yale and the University of Pennsylvania..."
The NYPD has seemingly been given such extraordinary powers without the presence of an imminent emergency -- or indeed without presenting any evidence of actual wrongdoing by members of the targeted Muslim communities and institutions. No state agency or actor -- not the NYPD and certainly not Representative Peter King (R-NY) -- has been able to present a shred of credible evidence to justify such whole-scale violations of privacy.
As a 2L law student, I am certainly no Con Law expert, but I simply do not see how allowing such a staggeringly broad program for a state law enforcement agency -- absent the presence of an imminent threat or the presentation of clear evidence of wrongdoing -- can be considered to be a sufficiently tailored measure in relation to the state's stated purpose of preventing terrorism.
*Effective?*
Yet even if the NYPD surveillance program is constitutional, is such a program targeting established pillars and mainstream institutions of American Muslim life effective at preventing terrorism -- even just "Islamic terrorism?"
After all, everybody knows the first thing al Qaeda sleeper cell terrorists typically do is join their local Muslim Student Association and/or community Muslim youth group. They are also meticulous in always wearing Sikh turbans (the classic Sikh-Muslim switch-a-roo!) and to keep a low profile, naturally become nationally acclaimed religious leaders who openly pray in congregation before catching their flights.
I do not pretend to be a counter-terrorism expert, but by definition those who would resort to terrorism are outliers, and thus have behaviors which are atypical to other members of their community -- such as laying low close to home rather than participating in public religious and cultural life. For instance, this often translates into radicals forming their own underground social and religious networks rather than joining (much less, becoming leaders of) mainstream mosques, youth groups, MSAs and other established sociocultural and religious institutions of Muslim communities. Would not a smarter more effective use of our law enforcement resources be to work with Muslim communities and organizations to help identify these outliers rather than treating "existing while openly Muslim" as a crime? Categorically bugging all mosques and "infiltrating" MSAs might be the quick and easy option for our government to show us that it is "doing something" to combat terror, but is it really the most optimal method for serious law enforcement?
*Keeping Us Safe*
No doubt terrorism committed in the name of Islam represents a serious threat; yet if our government is serious about protecting its citizens from terrorism, we cannot just focus on its most exotic brand. After all, scholarship has shown that terrorist acts committed by those professing Islam are relatively minuscule compared with all other forms of domestic terrorism.
Statistically speaking, even terrorism in all of its forms pales in comparison to our chances of being harmed by random acts of mass violence. The real danger comes when we as a society begin normalizing this tragic reality-and when those we trust to protect us begin to do the same.
Consider this: Aurora mass murderer James Eagan Holmes purchased a Remington 870 Express Tactical shotgun, a Smith and Wesson M&P15 semi-automatic rifle, and two Glock 22 pistols in-person. He also purchased 3000 rounds of ammunition for the pistols, 3000 rounds for the M&P15, and 350 shells for the shotgun, along with a military-grade Blackhawk Urban Assault Vest, two magazine holders and a combat knife online. All of those purchases were completely legal, and did not seem to raise any red flags for law enforcement prior to his unspeakably evil actions.
I honestly do not think I would be able to buy 3000 paintball rounds without getting a knock on my door.
But hey, unlike me, James Eagan Holmes was never a MSA member.
*My Apologies, America*
Which finally brings me to my confession of the wrongdoings for which I must now seek forgiveness. Am I apologizing for a crime already committed, in progress, or to be committed in the future? No -- unless the unintentional infliction of severe and chronic boredom to an officer of the law is a punishable crime.
I confess: I was President of my high school Muslim Students Association and then went on to join the Vanderbilt MSA throughout my entire undergraduate career while serving on its executive board for two of those years. As Vanderbilt continues to embrace diversity among its faculty and student communities, our MSA has long been one of the largest and most diverse student organizations on campus with hundreds of members. Malaysians, Saudis, Emiratis, Lebanese, Egyptians, Moroccans, Tunisians, plus Black Americans, Middle Eastern-Americans, and South Asian-Americans... We even had many non-Muslim members. You name it; we had them in our ranks. I would bet a semester's worth of tuition that such an organization must have proved an irresistible target for surveillance for those seeking to protect our nation from the ubiquitous, nefarious, nebulous threat of terrorism.
Yet if our activities were monitored at any point during my service with the MSA, then I can only imagine the endless hours of boredom we must have inflicted on the poor souls who were stuck with that thankless task. Take our board meetings for instance; I can just imagine the men responsible for keeping our nation safe, anxiously expecting us to hatch Homeland-esque plots... only to hear us discussing Ramadan iftar and Friday prayer arrangements, planning social outings, discussing which classes and professors to take, and despairing about how none of us would ever be able to pursue a respectable profession or enter graduate school due to our abysmal engineering/pre-med/aborted-pre-med GPAs (Miracle alert: All of us did!... somehow).
In fact, probably the most spirited discussion we had during my entire time on the board was the one time we considered approving the Middle Eastern Student Association's request to feature belly dancing during our Eid al-Adha Celebration (The answer? Absolutely Not. Guys, I don't know if you got the memo, but it's an EID celebration aka an event commemorating one of our two religious holidays -- open to not only all students and faculty, but also aunties and uncles from the community including our parents. Hey ,we're all for being open-minded, but that's pushing the awkward turtle-o-meter just a bit too much. Proposal denied, gents). Truly sinister stuff.
*MSA: So Hardcore*
Likewise, I pity any hypothetical aspiring hotshot tasked with "infiltrating" our organization and "monitoring" our activities who thought they would surely be a real-life Carrie Mathison or Jack Bauer. Instead, one of the first observations they would have me is that unlike some of our more storied peers of the Greek persuasion, we have no exotic or violent rituals and are happy to get as many members as we can. Once joining our organization for free -- as a religious organization we cannot even charge dues -- the only activities they would be "monitoring" would be our Friday sermons and prayer services, for which our sermon-givers openly sign-up and often even make their sermons available online. They would have witnessed our wide variety of interfaith initiatives, our weekly tutoring sessions for immigrant children, and our annual
Fast-a-Thon Charity Drive which raises thousands of dollars for local and international humanitarian causes.
Indeed, the only remotely political event we ever hosted during my four years in MSA was in the midst of Israel's massive 2009 campaign against Gaza when passions and emotions were running sky-high throughout both the campus and greater Nashville community. We responded by holding... a Candlelight Peace Vigil for Gaza and Israel. We reached out to our good friends in Vanderbilt Hillel -- with whom we have always had excellent relations -- as well as other religious and cultural organizations on campus and throughout Nashville to coordinate an interfaith vigil in Benton Chapel. Smoking gun, indeed.
This is what an MSA actually is, and who we are as Muslims, students, citizens and human beings. This is not just a portrait of our MSA at Vanderbilt, but reflects the rich tapestry of MSA life in every college and high school in the nation. No terrorism, treason, or "creeping shariah." Yet if our MSA activities were indeed monitored at any point and the unintentional affliction of boredom to an officer of the law is an actionable offense, then I and the rest of my fellow MSA board members are guilty as charged.
*A Personal Pledge*
In my two semesters of Arabic, one of the first things I realized is that militant and terrorist outfits around the globe have a unique knack for branding by turning the innocuous into the infamous. For instance, Taliban is plural for "students" in Arabic. And Somalia's murderous al-Shabab? It literally means "the youth", but more colloquially is used as a casual way of saying "hey guys/dudes" and is actually the namesake of sports clubs throughout the Arab world. So when too many of my fellow Americans hear the words "Muslim Students Association," they likely view us as some treacherous homegrown branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Otherwise, such broad surveillance programs targeting entire communities and institutions on the sole basis of religious affiliation simply would not be allowed to be conceptualized, continued and expanded.
The underlying sources of such misunderstandings based on deeply-rooted schemas are complex and multifaceted. The primary blame surely lies with the numerically tiny, but extremely dangerous cadre of nihilistic terrorists who do not hesitate to blow up entire schools and mosques full of worshippers -- or Muslim-Americans such as my aunt -- to further their vile agendas. Yet other guilty parties also include the architects and advocates of both the military-industrial complex and the modern extra-judicial American surveillance state --as well as the fear-mongering and headlines-craving media who have enabled and benefited from both phenomena.
Yet perhaps part of the blame can go to young Muslim Americans such as myself. The tragedy of September 11 has transformed virtually all of us as de-facto ambassadors of our faiths to our fellow Americans. I was in seventh grade when I suddenly found myself thrust into that role. While I have since tried to shoulder this responsibility to the best of my ability, I have always been so caught up with my student and personal life that I may not have always been the best at proactively reaching out to my community. So here's my personal pledge: If you have any questions about any aspects of my faith or heritage, please feel free to approach me. I don't bite (not even while fasting during Ramadan!), and while I am no expert on Islam, I promise I will do my best to answer any questions you have from the perspective of what my faith means to me as it applies to my daily life. Let's have a conversation -- a dialogue and mutual meeting of the minds. And let's do it over endless cups of Arabic coffee, because that ish is delish.*Help * promote civil liberties while making our nation safer. Please take a moment to sign the following Whitehouse.gov petition to reform surveillance programs.
*A huge thanks* to my Constitutional Law Professor Timothy Zick for reviewing my constitutionality analysis, as well as my good friends and fellow Vandy MSA board members Mohamed al-Hendy and Sami Safiullah for all of their help and support.
*Dedicated *to my MSA brothers and sisters in colleges and high schools across our country. Keep being awesome. Reported by Huffington Post 2 hours ago.
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Gun Safety is Too Important to Trivialize
Every now and again, people on the far right take a quote from a progressive out of context and use it to attack them. Recently I was targeted by a right wing blogger who claimed I endorsed repealing the Second Amendment during an appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher.
I didn't. I actually said, "I don't think you have to eliminate ownership of all guns in order to get some common sense gun rules." I also talked about how members of my family own guns.
I do, however, endorse gun safety measures like background checks, closing the gun show loop hole, banning military style assault weapons, including add-ones like high capacity magazines.
Below is the statement I released with Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Raul Grijalva immediately following the tragedy at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut:
"We join millions of other Americans, and the community of Newtown, in grief for the families of the children and adults killed on Friday. As parents, we cannot imagine the deep pain that such a tragedy leaves in its wake.
"Our nation has endured far too many shootings and mass killings in the past few years. Each of us has had to confront public violence in our home states, with the 2011 Tucson shooting that took the lives of six and injured our colleague Gabby Giffords and the Accent Signage shooting in Minneapolis this fall that claimed six lives.
"Such tragedies cannot be ignored or accepted as the new norm. As Co-Chairs of the largest Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives, we call on our colleagues to act now to address gun violence. Rather than waiting in vain for the next tragic event, we call for action now.
"We should reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban, a law on the books until 2004 that prevented dangerous weapons from falling into the hands of violent criminals, and fully support implementation of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to ensure dangerous individuals who are already barred by federal law from owning a gun cannot buy guns online or at gun shows. A strong national background check system will ensure that violent drug dealers, domestic abusers, murderers, or the criminally insane are not able to buy guns to hurt and kill others. This ban is supported by virtually every federal, state and local law enforcement agency and more than two thirds of the American people.
"We should also limit the amount of deadly ammunition shooters can hold in a single magazine. The shooters in Tucson and in Aurora, Colorado, used high capacity magazines that allowed them to fire for extended periods without reloading. The shooter at Sandy Hook Elementary also had high-capacity magazines. There is no justified civilian purpose for firing dozens of rounds without stopping.
"These tragedies extend beyond gun safety. Mental health care services are more difficult to access than any other type of medical service. Our country needs to make sure that services are accessible and affordable.
"These common-sense steps enjoy the support of the American people. All they require are commitment from Congress. Friday's tragic shooting was an urgent call to action. We call on our colleagues to join us with a sense of great urgency to protect the American people from further unnecessary gun violence."
So here is a lesson: whenever the right wing blogosphere claims that a progressive said anything, check it out. If they say it's raining, look outside. Take water samples. Check the weather forecast.
Gun safety is an incredibly important issue. Trivializing the debate by taking quotes out of context does not honor the victims of gun violence. Reported by Huffington Post 2 hours ago.
I didn't. I actually said, "I don't think you have to eliminate ownership of all guns in order to get some common sense gun rules." I also talked about how members of my family own guns.
I do, however, endorse gun safety measures like background checks, closing the gun show loop hole, banning military style assault weapons, including add-ones like high capacity magazines.
Below is the statement I released with Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Raul Grijalva immediately following the tragedy at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut:
"We join millions of other Americans, and the community of Newtown, in grief for the families of the children and adults killed on Friday. As parents, we cannot imagine the deep pain that such a tragedy leaves in its wake.
"Our nation has endured far too many shootings and mass killings in the past few years. Each of us has had to confront public violence in our home states, with the 2011 Tucson shooting that took the lives of six and injured our colleague Gabby Giffords and the Accent Signage shooting in Minneapolis this fall that claimed six lives.
"Such tragedies cannot be ignored or accepted as the new norm. As Co-Chairs of the largest Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives, we call on our colleagues to act now to address gun violence. Rather than waiting in vain for the next tragic event, we call for action now.
"We should reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban, a law on the books until 2004 that prevented dangerous weapons from falling into the hands of violent criminals, and fully support implementation of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to ensure dangerous individuals who are already barred by federal law from owning a gun cannot buy guns online or at gun shows. A strong national background check system will ensure that violent drug dealers, domestic abusers, murderers, or the criminally insane are not able to buy guns to hurt and kill others. This ban is supported by virtually every federal, state and local law enforcement agency and more than two thirds of the American people.
"We should also limit the amount of deadly ammunition shooters can hold in a single magazine. The shooters in Tucson and in Aurora, Colorado, used high capacity magazines that allowed them to fire for extended periods without reloading. The shooter at Sandy Hook Elementary also had high-capacity magazines. There is no justified civilian purpose for firing dozens of rounds without stopping.
"These tragedies extend beyond gun safety. Mental health care services are more difficult to access than any other type of medical service. Our country needs to make sure that services are accessible and affordable.
"These common-sense steps enjoy the support of the American people. All they require are commitment from Congress. Friday's tragic shooting was an urgent call to action. We call on our colleagues to join us with a sense of great urgency to protect the American people from further unnecessary gun violence."
So here is a lesson: whenever the right wing blogosphere claims that a progressive said anything, check it out. If they say it's raining, look outside. Take water samples. Check the weather forecast.
Gun safety is an incredibly important issue. Trivializing the debate by taking quotes out of context does not honor the victims of gun violence. Reported by Huffington Post 2 hours ago.
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Hammes Company Brings Flexibility, Collaboration to New Kaiser Permanente Colorado Facility
The new center marks the largest project in the non-profit, health plan’s history, serving the communities of South Metro Denver.
Englewood And Lone Tree, CO (PRWEB) March 25, 2014
Representing the onset of a planned expansion, Kaiser Permanente Colorado’s new multi-specialty center opened to patients last month within Colorado’s popular south Denver market. The center marks Kaiser Permanente Colorado’s third facility in recent years, with other locations in Denver and Lafayette. The 275,000 square-foot facility is located at 10240 Park Meadows Drive, conveniently adjacent to Denver’s commuter rail system off Interstate 25.
Brookfield-based, leading healthcare consulting firm Hammes Company was selected to join the project team just prior to construction in 2012 to provide supplemental project management leadership and expertise from a clinical perspective. Along with acting as project manager, Hammes Company worked to become fully integrated into the project team to the benefit of Kaiser Permanente’s project goals, which included quality control, sustainability and best-in-class ancillary departments, including outpatient surgery and imaging. As Kaiser Permanente’s patient volume grew in south Denver, so did the demand for additional services. The new center provides the next step into specialty care.
The center, which opened to patients last month, was developed in phases and sits on a 20-acre integrated campus. The specialties and services currently offered are robust and varied, encompassing infusion services, laboratory, oncology, obstetrics, gynecology, ambulatory and general surgery, allergy care, gastroenterology, orthopedics, clinical palliative care, physical/occupational therapy, optometry, hearing services, a café and a pharmacy.
“Partnering with an organization as renowned and respected as Kaiser Permanente was a significant opportunity for Hammes Company, and it was one which we did not take lightly,” says Richard Galling, president and chief operating officer. “We provided ample flexibility in our hospital development approach to complement their expert internal teams.”
Sitting in juxtaposition to quality control, sustainability was a top project goal for Kaiser Permanente Colorado. The facility was constructed to meet all U.S. Green Building Council standards and is currently under consideration to receive LEED© (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification. LEED is a rating system for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of buildings across all industries, including healthcare. The new Lone Tree center contains several innovative features designed to enhance the sustainability of the building, including the use of recycled materials, low-flow plumbing and a shading system designed to cool the building.
“This is a remarkable facility for many reasons, including the mix of specialists and provision of care. For the benefit of the patients and staff, several unique features were incorporated, such as outdoor spaces with views of the Rocky Mountains, convenient parking and access for discharged patients and car-charging stations for electric vehicles,” explains David Dike, senior project executive with Hammes Company’s Englewood office.
The integrated project team for the new center comprised several Colorado-based firms, including Davis Partnership Architects, Denver in a joint venture with Bennett Wagner & Grody Architects PC, Denver; general contractor Adolfson & Peterson Construction, Aurora; electrical engineer ME Engineers of Colorado Springs and structural engineer Martin/Martin Inc. of Lakewood.
“David brought a fresh perspective and the leadership necessary to help the united project team complete this facility for which we are very proud. We challenged when needed and provided our leadership managing complex healthcare facility projects, both regionally and nationally,” says Bill Foulkes, regional vice president with Hammes Company.
Hammes Company provided additional services to Kaiser Permanente Colorado through a post-mortem evaluation of the project to capture potential process and facility improvements for future buildings within their network.
About Hammes Company
Hammes Company is comprised of a team of accomplished professionals with deep industry and functional expertise. The company assists a full spectrum of healthcare clients by advising, implementing and managing key strategies and solutions that build high-performing organizations. Hammes Company is recognized by leading healthcare providers and industry insiders as one of the most trusted providers of consulting services in the United States. The company currently serves health systems, hospitals, physician groups and payers. Hammes Company is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis. and provides services through a network of regional offices strategically located across the country. For more information, please visit http://www.hammesco.com.
-30- Reported by PRWeb 1 hour ago.
Englewood And Lone Tree, CO (PRWEB) March 25, 2014
Representing the onset of a planned expansion, Kaiser Permanente Colorado’s new multi-specialty center opened to patients last month within Colorado’s popular south Denver market. The center marks Kaiser Permanente Colorado’s third facility in recent years, with other locations in Denver and Lafayette. The 275,000 square-foot facility is located at 10240 Park Meadows Drive, conveniently adjacent to Denver’s commuter rail system off Interstate 25.
Brookfield-based, leading healthcare consulting firm Hammes Company was selected to join the project team just prior to construction in 2012 to provide supplemental project management leadership and expertise from a clinical perspective. Along with acting as project manager, Hammes Company worked to become fully integrated into the project team to the benefit of Kaiser Permanente’s project goals, which included quality control, sustainability and best-in-class ancillary departments, including outpatient surgery and imaging. As Kaiser Permanente’s patient volume grew in south Denver, so did the demand for additional services. The new center provides the next step into specialty care.
The center, which opened to patients last month, was developed in phases and sits on a 20-acre integrated campus. The specialties and services currently offered are robust and varied, encompassing infusion services, laboratory, oncology, obstetrics, gynecology, ambulatory and general surgery, allergy care, gastroenterology, orthopedics, clinical palliative care, physical/occupational therapy, optometry, hearing services, a café and a pharmacy.
“Partnering with an organization as renowned and respected as Kaiser Permanente was a significant opportunity for Hammes Company, and it was one which we did not take lightly,” says Richard Galling, president and chief operating officer. “We provided ample flexibility in our hospital development approach to complement their expert internal teams.”
Sitting in juxtaposition to quality control, sustainability was a top project goal for Kaiser Permanente Colorado. The facility was constructed to meet all U.S. Green Building Council standards and is currently under consideration to receive LEED© (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification. LEED is a rating system for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of buildings across all industries, including healthcare. The new Lone Tree center contains several innovative features designed to enhance the sustainability of the building, including the use of recycled materials, low-flow plumbing and a shading system designed to cool the building.
“This is a remarkable facility for many reasons, including the mix of specialists and provision of care. For the benefit of the patients and staff, several unique features were incorporated, such as outdoor spaces with views of the Rocky Mountains, convenient parking and access for discharged patients and car-charging stations for electric vehicles,” explains David Dike, senior project executive with Hammes Company’s Englewood office.
The integrated project team for the new center comprised several Colorado-based firms, including Davis Partnership Architects, Denver in a joint venture with Bennett Wagner & Grody Architects PC, Denver; general contractor Adolfson & Peterson Construction, Aurora; electrical engineer ME Engineers of Colorado Springs and structural engineer Martin/Martin Inc. of Lakewood.
“David brought a fresh perspective and the leadership necessary to help the united project team complete this facility for which we are very proud. We challenged when needed and provided our leadership managing complex healthcare facility projects, both regionally and nationally,” says Bill Foulkes, regional vice president with Hammes Company.
Hammes Company provided additional services to Kaiser Permanente Colorado through a post-mortem evaluation of the project to capture potential process and facility improvements for future buildings within their network.
About Hammes Company
Hammes Company is comprised of a team of accomplished professionals with deep industry and functional expertise. The company assists a full spectrum of healthcare clients by advising, implementing and managing key strategies and solutions that build high-performing organizations. Hammes Company is recognized by leading healthcare providers and industry insiders as one of the most trusted providers of consulting services in the United States. The company currently serves health systems, hospitals, physician groups and payers. Hammes Company is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis. and provides services through a network of regional offices strategically located across the country. For more information, please visit http://www.hammesco.com.
-30- Reported by PRWeb 1 hour ago.
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Deserving Foster Teen Receives Donations for a Quinceanera Celebration
Quinceanera.com, Christine Devine, from Fox 11 News, and generous donations from benefactors help a young Latina celebrate an important Hispanic tradition.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) March 25, 2014
One of the most important and happiest moments in the life of a teenage Latina is the Quinceanera celebration. For Latina teens within the foster care system, this special day can also be difficult to make a reality. Working to make one of these girls’ dreams come true, Quinceanera.com, The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, and Christine Devine from Fox 11 News joined together on March 20th to celebrate an unforgettable quinceanera for Yesenia, a young Latina currently living with a foster family with her sister, Carla.
Beginning at noon at the Culver City Senior Center banquet hall with a Hollywood style glamour photo session, young Yesenia started off the party in a stunning red dress from Roxy’s Bridal, along with her foster parents and younger sister, whom she appointed to be the maid of honor.
Shortly after, well-known journalist Christine Devine arrived at the event with the Fox 11 News camera crew, recording the ‘fiesta’ while also detailing the story of the two young sisters which will air Wednesday, March 26 at 10pm in her popular segment “Wednesday’s Child” that helps children in L.A. County foster care find adoptive homes.
“It is an honor to be here and I’m extremely happy for what organizations such as Quinceanera.com and El Clasificado are doing for these special young girls who need a family,” said the popular television news anchor. “I met the founders of El Clasificado when they were finalists in the Los Angeles chapter of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year contest and I really liked the way they help Latinos. This is another example of their commitment to the community.”
This commitment also reflects a source of pride for Martha de la Torre, founder and CEO of El Clasificado and Quinceanera.com. “The most important thing for us is to help Latinos achieve their dreams—such as young girls with less or little to no resources within in the community. Through this celebration, which is essential to the Hispanic heritage, we have been able to do so.”
The big party continued with the traditional waltz dance, which saw Yesenia dancing with her foster father, an exquisite banquet that included authentic Mexican cuisine from the restaurant La Huasteca, and the cutting of an impressive cake while attendees sang the popular Mexican birthday song “Las Mañanitas.” There was also a lot of dancing and an extended unwrapping of gifts, like the ones donated by Macy’s, to add the finishing touch to a remarkable event.
“There aren’t enough words to say how much this day means to us. Thank you to everyone who selflessly donated, especially Quinceanera.com, because its work inspires the community to be involved,” said William Wong, Placement and Recruitment Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Department of Child and Family Services. “Events like these give a voice to our children and help restore important rites of passages that are sometimes missed by virtue of being in the foster care system.”
Yesenia’s quinceanera celebration was made possible thanks to the unselfish donations of the following sponsors such as Roxy’s Bridal, Macy’s, La Huasteca Mexican Restaurant, Kokolita Cakes, Angelica’s Bridal, Jimmie Hancocks y Aurora’s Golden Moments.
The full story of Yesenia and her sister Carla will be aired on March 26 and 29 in the television show “Wednesday Child” through Fox 11 News at 10 p.m. For more information about adoption services you can call 866-921-ADOPT (2367) or log onto http://www.myfoxla.com. For more information about children looking for loving and permanent families and an extended version of this upcoming Wednesday’s Child story.
About Quinceanera.com
Quinceanera.com is a multi-platform party-planning brand that integrates web, e-newsletters, print supplements, mobile, and live events to reach bilingual Quinceañeras and their families. Quinceanera.com is a product of EC Hispanic Media, a Hispanic marketing solutions company serving the U.S. Latino grassroots community through niche-oriented brands since 1988. EC Hispanic Media flagship product is El Clasificado magazine, a verified publication with a weekly circulation of 510,000 copies, which is distributed in over 300 cities in Southern California and also Yuma, Arizona.
Contact:
For media interviews or video footage of the event contact Alicia García de Angela, Director of Public Relations at EC Hispanic Media and Quinceanera.com at mediarelations(at)elclasificado(dot)com or 1-800-450-5852. Reported by PRWeb 22 minutes ago.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) March 25, 2014
One of the most important and happiest moments in the life of a teenage Latina is the Quinceanera celebration. For Latina teens within the foster care system, this special day can also be difficult to make a reality. Working to make one of these girls’ dreams come true, Quinceanera.com, The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, and Christine Devine from Fox 11 News joined together on March 20th to celebrate an unforgettable quinceanera for Yesenia, a young Latina currently living with a foster family with her sister, Carla.
Beginning at noon at the Culver City Senior Center banquet hall with a Hollywood style glamour photo session, young Yesenia started off the party in a stunning red dress from Roxy’s Bridal, along with her foster parents and younger sister, whom she appointed to be the maid of honor.
Shortly after, well-known journalist Christine Devine arrived at the event with the Fox 11 News camera crew, recording the ‘fiesta’ while also detailing the story of the two young sisters which will air Wednesday, March 26 at 10pm in her popular segment “Wednesday’s Child” that helps children in L.A. County foster care find adoptive homes.
“It is an honor to be here and I’m extremely happy for what organizations such as Quinceanera.com and El Clasificado are doing for these special young girls who need a family,” said the popular television news anchor. “I met the founders of El Clasificado when they were finalists in the Los Angeles chapter of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year contest and I really liked the way they help Latinos. This is another example of their commitment to the community.”
This commitment also reflects a source of pride for Martha de la Torre, founder and CEO of El Clasificado and Quinceanera.com. “The most important thing for us is to help Latinos achieve their dreams—such as young girls with less or little to no resources within in the community. Through this celebration, which is essential to the Hispanic heritage, we have been able to do so.”
The big party continued with the traditional waltz dance, which saw Yesenia dancing with her foster father, an exquisite banquet that included authentic Mexican cuisine from the restaurant La Huasteca, and the cutting of an impressive cake while attendees sang the popular Mexican birthday song “Las Mañanitas.” There was also a lot of dancing and an extended unwrapping of gifts, like the ones donated by Macy’s, to add the finishing touch to a remarkable event.
“There aren’t enough words to say how much this day means to us. Thank you to everyone who selflessly donated, especially Quinceanera.com, because its work inspires the community to be involved,” said William Wong, Placement and Recruitment Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Department of Child and Family Services. “Events like these give a voice to our children and help restore important rites of passages that are sometimes missed by virtue of being in the foster care system.”
Yesenia’s quinceanera celebration was made possible thanks to the unselfish donations of the following sponsors such as Roxy’s Bridal, Macy’s, La Huasteca Mexican Restaurant, Kokolita Cakes, Angelica’s Bridal, Jimmie Hancocks y Aurora’s Golden Moments.
The full story of Yesenia and her sister Carla will be aired on March 26 and 29 in the television show “Wednesday Child” through Fox 11 News at 10 p.m. For more information about adoption services you can call 866-921-ADOPT (2367) or log onto http://www.myfoxla.com. For more information about children looking for loving and permanent families and an extended version of this upcoming Wednesday’s Child story.
About Quinceanera.com
Quinceanera.com is a multi-platform party-planning brand that integrates web, e-newsletters, print supplements, mobile, and live events to reach bilingual Quinceañeras and their families. Quinceanera.com is a product of EC Hispanic Media, a Hispanic marketing solutions company serving the U.S. Latino grassroots community through niche-oriented brands since 1988. EC Hispanic Media flagship product is El Clasificado magazine, a verified publication with a weekly circulation of 510,000 copies, which is distributed in over 300 cities in Southern California and also Yuma, Arizona.
Contact:
For media interviews or video footage of the event contact Alicia García de Angela, Director of Public Relations at EC Hispanic Media and Quinceanera.com at mediarelations(at)elclasificado(dot)com or 1-800-450-5852. Reported by PRWeb 22 minutes ago.
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More Pages to Explore .....
