Pittsburgh-based IT firm retains work from original client in home state
PITTSBURGH, July 11, 2010 —KIT Solutions, LLC, a Pittsburgh-based provider of real-time, data-driven decision support services for human services organizations, was designated the vendor of choice to host, maintain, and support the management of the data for the Pennsylvania Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs’ (BDAP) prevention programs.
KIT’s prevention service is a statewide, Web-based service that facilitates substance abuse prevention-program funding and outcomes data management at the community and county level. With the aggregated data, state-level decision makers can determine which programs are most effective and therefore properly allocate funding.
In 1997, Pennsylvania BDAP became KIT’s first client when it chose KIT Solutions as its decision support software provider. Web-based solutions for managing social services program data had not been developed at the time, so KIT originally licensed the software to Pennsylvania to host at individual human services agencies.
As KIT’s prevention service evolved to become Web-based, the number of states using the service has grown to 17, and those states have formed a learning community. Under this model, KIT, unlike other technology solution companies, modifies its product at no cost based on the collective intelligence of the learning community.
Determining that KIT’s Web-based software solution and the learning community concept were of great value, Pennsylvania contracted with KIT to use its Web-based prevention service. Now KIT is able to incorporate all desired changes adopted from the learning community into the Pennsylvania system.
As well, Pennsylvania BDAP is integrating substance abuse prevention data from the National Guard into its prevention program. The National Guard in every state is tasked with drug and alcohol prevention services, and the Pennsylvania experience will be of value to others in the learning community.
KIT Solutions’ retention of the Pennsylvania BDAP reflects several factors. Cloud computing is becoming an industry accepted standard, unlike more than a decade ago when the first KIT prevention system was developed for Pennsylvania. As well, the superior support can be provided less expensively than a state can do in-house, as verified by independent third parties completing feasibility studies.
“Since KIT has excellent collective intelligence and knowledge of a multi-state learning community, a collaborative partnership with Pennsylvania makes great sense,” said Xiaoyan Zhang, KIT Solutions’ President and CEO. “KIT can better support the applications, hosting and maintenance of the services that are necessary to most effectively manage data for human services agencies, as well as continually enhance the product, than the state alone. This is because of our complete focus on the applications that we develop.”
About KIT Solutions
KIT Solutions, based in Pittsburgh, provides real-time, data-driven decision support service with Knowledge-based Information Technology (KIT) to health and human service sector agencies across the United States. KIT Solutions delivers Software as a Service (SaaS) over the Internet through dashboards, scorecards, and GIS mapping. This enables clients to cost effectively manage social service programs by helping them better measure impact and performance outcomes, improve decision making based on increased knowledge, implement best practices, and track funding and satisfy grant reporting. Since its founding in 1992, KIT Solutions has grown to more than 70 employees and its clients include several federal agencies and state and local agencies in 17 states, including California and New York. More than 15,000 social service professionals use KIT Solutions’ on-line data service daily in more than 2,400 agencies and provider organizations across the nation, enabling them to turn information fragmentation and overload into actionable intelligence. For more information, visit http://www.kitsolutions.net/.
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Senior Living Community President John Dickson recognized at PANPHA Annual Conference
Greensburg, PA July 5, 2010 -- The Pennsylvania Association for Non-Profit Homes for the Aging (PANPHA), an association of nonprofit senior services, honored John R. Dickson IV, president and CEO of Redstone Highlands Senior Living Communities, with its 2010 Distinguished Service Award for Leader of the Year. Dickson received the award at the 2010 PANPHA Annual Conference at the Hershey Lodge & Convention Center in Hershey, Pa.
The award for Leader of the Year is given for excellent leadership in a PANPHA member organization. It recognizes individuals who demonstrate excellence in management or governance accountability, are proactive in providing quality of care to residents, and have played a pivotal role in overall operations leading to organizational success.
“I am thrilled to receive this award from an organization that is so vital in helping us provide quality services to our residents,” said Dickson. “Through our membership in PANPHA, we’re able to achieve our mission and vision more effectively. Knowing the caliber of respected leaders who are members of the organization makes this an even more humbling honor.”
Since becoming president and CEO in 2001, Dickson has been an essential part of Redstone’s growth and success. One of Dickson’s biggest accomplishments was the expansion of the organization to include villa homes, which offer gracious retirement living for today’s active adult.
With Dickson’s proactive leadership and inspiring team, Redstone was the first in the United States among 5,600 not-for-profit, long-term care organizations to endorse the Quality First covenant with the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AASHA). This endorsement is a testament to Redstone’s embracement of the highest standards for aging services. Dickson also helped Redstone receive its first CARF/CCAC accreditation in October 2009 — a five-year term of accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities Continuing Care Accreditation Commission.
As a result of Dickson’s drive for success, Redstone’s annual Spirit of Giving Gala experienced a 37 percent increase in net donations and a 63 percent decrease in expenses. The Gala is Redstone’s annual fundraising event supporting the Benevolent Care Fund, which is used exclusively to provide for the health care and daily living needs of senior residents who have outlived their financial resources. Dickson also was a driving force behind Redstone’s new employee wellness initiative in 2005, resulting in more than $440,000 to date in combined insurance premiums cost savings. The wellness program continues to thrive today.
Dickson is actively involved in the American Heart Association, is treasurer for the Redstone Presbytery, chairman of the board for the Faith-Based Network and serves on three PANPHA committees.
“John’s heart reaches well beyond the Redstone family. His dedication to his employees, the residents of Redstone and the community in general is what makes him an excellent and deserving recipient of Leader of the Year,” said Vicki Loucks, vice president, quality services at Redstone Highlands.
About Redstone Highlands Senior Living Communities
Redstone Highlands is a Christian, non-profit continuing care retirement community (CCRC) with campuses in Greensburg, Murrysville, and North Huntingdon, including Colonial Villa estates at its North Huntingdon community. Redstone Highlands is dedicated to providing living alternatives and high-quality services that help to meet the changing needs of the community. Serving more than 600 residents annually, Redstone Highlands is the region’s largest Continuing Care Retirement Community, offering services ranging from independent living to skilled nursing assistance. For more information, please visit www.redstonehighlands.org.
About The Pennsylvania Association for Non-Profit Homes for the Aging (PANPHA)
PANPHA’s mission is to promote the interests of our members by enhancing their ability to provide quality services efficiently and effectively; and by representing our members through cooperative action.
PANPHA is committed to providing our membership with the techniques, data, information and education necessary to assist them in adapting and modifying their programs in response to ongoing changes in long term care. In an effort to assist members in growth and development as a result of industry challenges, members are provided with educational programming on a wide range of relevant topics, valuable information about the latest trends and events, networking opportunities, and representation within the legislative processes at both the national and local levels. Additionally, PANPHA seeks opportunities for informing the general public about the issues and concerns of our members.
PANPHA advocates public policy initiatives that support individual rights, quality care, equitable access and reimbursement for seniors. For more information, please visit www.panpha.org.
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Chinese Association for Science & Technology Holds National Conference in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH, May 20, 2010 —The magnitude of the U.S.-China trade relationship will be on display at the 18th Annual Chinese Association for Science & Technology (CAST-USA) National Convention, May 29-30 in Pittsburgh at the University of Pittsburgh’s David Lawrence Hall. Business development and collaboration opportunities will be a key focus of the conference.
U.S.-China trade has exploded from $5 billion in 1980 to $409 billion in 2008, an amount equal to the entire gross domestic product of Sweden. The CAST-USA convention will examine rapidly emerging opportunities for both countries to collaborate on science and technology initiatives.
“Approximately 12 percent of total U.S. global trade is now with China,” said Frank Li, president of the CAST-Pittsburgh Chapter, this year’s host of the event. “Given its impressive story of transformation, Pittsburgh was chosen to host the conference where a representative sample of U.S.-China commerce can convene and discuss ideas to improve not only economic relations but our ability to work together.
“There are many unique opportunities for Chinese-U.S. collaboration, and this year’s convention will focus on them.”
Conference attendees will hear successful stories of collaboration and innovation from Chinese-American business leaders in multiple sectors, including medical sciences, biotechnologies, energy and emerging materials.
“Over the next decade, we see tremendous potential in information technology in China, particularly within the government sector,” said Xiaoyan Zhang, a conference speaker who is also president and CEO of KIT Solutions, a Pittsburgh-based information technology company. “Chinese and American government agencies each face unique challenges when it comes to managing data, but cloud computing and web-based, real-time decision support systems will better enable data collection, management, integration and consolidation for improved decision making.
“The CAST-USA convention will give us good additional insight into other unique opportunities to collaborate and do business here and in China.”
In addition to KIT Solutions, other Pittsburgh and Chinese companies that will present at the convention include Tianjin New Century Refractories, ALung Corporation and Bayer MaterialScience.
About Chinese Association for Science & Technology
CAST-USA was established in 1992 and is a nationwide Chinese-American professional organization in the United States. The primary purpose of CAST-USA is to promote a stronger partnership between the United States and China in sciences and technology exchange and business development. The CAST-Pittsburgh Chapter is among the most active chapters of CAST-USA.
About KIT Solutions
KIT Solutions, based in Pittsburgh, provides real-time, data-driven decision support service with Knowledge-based Information Technology (KIT) to health and human service sector agencies across the United States. KIT Solutions delivers Software as a Service (SaaS) over the Internet through dashboards, scorecards, and GIS mapping. This enables clients to cost effectively manage social service programs by helping them better measure impact and performance outcomes, improve decision making based on increased knowledge, implement best practices, and track funding and satisfy grant reporting. Since its founding 13 years ago, KIT Solutions has grown to more than 70 employees and its clients include several federal agencies and state and local agencies in 17 states, including California and New York. More than 15,000 social service professionals use KIT Solutions’ on-line data service daily in more than 2,400 agencies and provider organizations across the nation, enabling them to turn information fragmentation and overload into actionable intelligence.
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Pittsburgh-based IT firm part of exclusive list of IT consulting vendors
PITTSBURGH, April 19, 2010 — KIT Solutions, LLC, a Pittsburgh-based provider of real-time, data-driven decision support services for health and human services organizations, was recently selected as a pre-qualified Florida Department of Management Services (DMS) state term contract vendor. As a term contract vendor, KIT Solutions is a preferred vendor that may provide information technology (IT) consulting services to any government agency in Florida as part of a centralized, streamlined procurement process.
The Florida DMS provides quality products and services to all levels of government to better serve the citizens of Florida. Under the three-year contract, which expires in 2012, KIT is qualified to provide consulting services to state agencies in four areas:
- Analysis and Design: Encompasses IT planning, studies, and assessment to assist organizations in both IT capital planning and assessment;
- Development and Integration: Services include project management of systems development that organizations consider essential;
- Operational and Support: Services include a broad range, from IT-related to operations and support services;
- Staff Augmentation: Provides services through the issuance of time and materials task orders (purchase orders).
KIT Solutions provides data-driven decision support services (DDSS) to health and human service agencies to help them effectively manage service delivery, report to state and federal governments, and modernize data collection systems. KIT’s DDSS help to identify and solve problems and help shape decisions by turning raw, fragmented data into intelligence on which real-time decisions can be made.
“Being part of the pre-qualified list of vendors in Florida is a great opportunity for KIT,” said Xiaoyan Zhang, KIT Solutions president and CEO. “We are pleased to be a contract vendor, because it enables us to expand our work in Florida and gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our expertise in a broad range of IT consulting services as specified in the contract. Our ability to help Florida agencies improve their decision making based on increased knowledge and usable data is gratifying.”
For more information on the Florida Department of Management Services, visit http://dms.myflorida.com/.
About KIT Solutions
KIT Solutions, based in Pittsburgh, provides real-time, data-driven decision support service with Knowledge-based Information Technology (KIT) to health and human service sector agencies across the United States. KIT Solutions delivers Software as a Service (SaaS) over the Internet through dashboards, scorecards, and GIS mapping. This enables clients to cost effectively manage social service programs by helping them better measure impact and performance outcomes, improve decision making based on increased knowledge, implement best practices, and track funding and satisfy grant reporting. Since its founding 13 years ago, KIT Solutions has grown to more than 70 employees and its clients include several federal agencies and state and local agencies in 17 states, including California and New York. More than 15,000 social service professionals use KIT Solutions’ on-line data service daily in more than 2,400 agencies and provider organizations across the nation, enabling them to turn information fragmentation and overload into actionable intelligence.
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Region helping people better manage their disease less expensively than state, nation
PITTSBURGH, April 7, 2010 —Pittsburgh is treating diabetes more cost effectively than the rest of the state and nation, and its efforts to help people better manage their disease are paying dividends. Still, a gap exists between the region and the nation’s top performers, according to the third annual Pittsburgh Business Group on Health Type 2 Diabetes Report.
The complete report can be downloaded for free.
PBGH is an employer-led coalition with a national reach representing more than 60 members, 800,000 employees, dependents and retirees, and $4 billion in health care expenditures. The group advocates for cost-effective, quality health care and benefits.
Patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in Pittsburgh were more likely than similar patients nationwide to receive A1c (76.6 percent vs. 73.8 percent), blood glucose (88.6 percent vs. 86.7 percent), serum cholesterol (87.2 percent vs. 83.9 percent), ophthalmologic (69.9 percent vs. 69.4 percent) or urine glucose (86.8 percent vs. 83.8 percent) tests, but best-performing regions use these same diabetes management services at a higher rate: 87.5 percent, 93.4 percent, 91.3 percent, 79.1 percent and 95 percent, respectively.
The 2009 report is a comparison of 2007 and 2008 data. Year over year, the percentage of people with diabetes in the Pittsburgh region who were older than 65 was 52.7 percent, a more than 8 percent decline from the previous year’s 61 percent. The percentage of working-age people (18 to 64) in Pittsburgh with Type 2 diabetes was 47 percent, a slight decline from 47.8 percent.
Year over year, the percentage of people with diabetes nationwide who were older than 65 was 48.1 percent, a nearly 1.5 percent increase over the previous year’s 46.8 percent. The percentage of working-age people (18 to 64) nationally with Type 2 diabetes was 51.6 percent, a slight decline from 52.9 percent.
“In only our second year of analyzing and comparing this data, we’re already seeing a positive trend in the management of diabetes in the Pittsburgh region,” said PBGH Executive Director M. Christine Whipple. “We’re looking forward to analyzing the 2009 data, which will give us three consecutive years of trends and enable us to say definitively what direction diabetes management is taking in the Pittsburgh region.”
The percentage of people with more than two complications in the Pittsburgh region (15 percent) is higher than the national average (10 percent), but that number decreased in Pittsburgh and Erie, a clear indicator that diabetes management is improving.
Annual hospital charges per patient in Pittsburgh provide further evidence of cost-effective, quality care delivery in this region compared with others. Hospital inpatient, outpatient and emergency room charges are well below the Pennsylvania and national averages.
One significant anomaly in the report is Erie. Its inpatient and outpatient charges across all payer types were more than twice Pittsburgh’s and nearly that high when compared with national charges.
“The big question that employers in Erie need to be asking themselves is ‘Why?’” Whipple said. “Why would hospital charges be so high in Erie compared with the nation, the rest of the state and Pittsburgh, especially when some of the best care in the nation is found in Pittsburgh? It doesn’t make sense.”
The report’s data are meant to assist employers in assessing whether their diabetes management strategies are working to change employees’ behavior, improve health and contain their health care expenditures as they wrestle with escalating health care costs.
“It’s exciting to see the year-over-year improvements the region has made in managing diabetes,” Whipple said. “From physicians who diagnose to care management services, Pittsburgh has made great strides in addressing the disease. Patients are being tested more regularly, which is critical in managing this disease. Our region should be proud of the progress it is making. However, we still have significant progress to make to become a top-performer.”
SDI, a leading provider of innovative health care data products and analytic services based in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., provided the data. PBGH produced the report in partnership with sanofi-aventis.
About the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health
Founded in 1981, the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health (PBGH) is a non-profit organization and business-only coalition representing over 60 employer members, more than 1.2 million employees, dependents and retirees, and over $4 billion in health care expenditures. The organization strives to improve the delivery, cost and quality of health care through implementing and supporting quality initiatives, analyzing health care data and resources, and providing forums for exchange of ideas and viewpoints. Visit www.pbghpa.com for more information.
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Best Doctors’ improves quality, cost of employee health care
PITTSBURGH, March 2, 2010 — The Pittsburgh Business Group on Health (PBGH), the region’s employer-led coalition with a national reach that advocates for cost-effective, quality health care and benefits, has partnered with Best Doctors to provide employees with an expert medical consultation service that improves health care quality and avoids the cost of misguided care.
According to research, 30 percent of every health care dollar is spent on duplicative or unnecessary care. Through an arrangement in which PBGH Employer Members enjoy a discounted rate, Best Doctors provides employees with access to some of the nation’s most advanced medical expertise. This innovative health benefit ensures employees are in control of their health care to make informed decisions and know that they will receive the right care when they are uncertain about their diagnosis or treatment.
“Partnering with Best Doctors is another example of the value our members receive as part of the PBGH coalition,” said M. Christine Whipple, PBGH executive director. “This expert service will ensure our members’ employees and families make informed choices to avoid the high, unnecessary costs of misguided care. Employers save money by avoiding paying for something their employees don’t need. It’s a win-win situation.”
Benefits of Best Doctors include:
- Access to nationally recognized expert physicians who offer a thorough analysis of the member's medical situation based on medical records, history and tests
- Expert findings reported in a comprehensive, easy-to-understand summary report that can be used with treating physicians
- Effective engagement programs that drive employee use of the benefit
- Optional Workers' Compensation services
About the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health
Founded in 1981, the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health (PBGH) is a non-profit organization and business-only coalition representing over 60 employer members, more than 1.2 million employees, dependents and retirees, and over $4 billion in health care expenditures. The organization strives to improve the delivery, cost and quality of health care through implementing and supporting quality initiatives, analyzing health care data and resources, and providing forums for exchange of ideas and viewpoints. Visit www.pbghpa.com for more information.
About Best Doctors
Best Doctors, Inc. is the trusted medical resource for ensuring that individuals have the right diagnosis and the right treatment, helping to dramatically improve the quality of care and reduce costs. Offered as a health benefit through employers, the company’s expert medical consultation service is currently available to more than 2 million members in the United States. Founded in 1989 by two Harvard Medical School professors, Best Doctors serves more than 260 insurers, employers and health plans, touching 15 million people in 30 countries. For more information, visit http://www.bestdoctors.com or call 800-223-5003.
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Drug Costs Dropped in 2008; New Contract Terms Meet Employer Goals, Estimated to Save $55 Million
PITTSBURGH, November 13, 2009 — The Pittsburgh Business Group on Health, a regional employer-led coalition advocating for cost-effective, quality health care and benefits, landed a solid one-two punch against rising prescription drug costs on behalf of employer members participating in its Prescription Drug Program.
In 2008, overall prescription drug costs under the program decreased by 2.2 percent, while cost increases ranged between 4 and 11 percent nationally. Additionally, PBGH, recognizing employers’ need to identify and capitalize on money-saving opportunities to remain competitive in a business environment significantly changed by recent economic conditions, negotiated a favorable three-year agreement with CVS Caremark to administer the program. The new terms and guarantees provide employers with significant savings in 2010—one year earlier than the current contract. Over the next three years, participating PBGH employer members are positioned to save an estimated $55 million in prescription drug costs.
The One-Punch: New Contract Expected to Save $55 Million
Although 2009 is only the second year of a three-year contract negotiated in 2007 with CVS Caremark, PBGH saw an opportunity to further improve savings for the employer members participating in its program.
Under a new three-year contract, which begins in 2010, the PBGH Prescription Drug Program aligns with employers’ goals and helps them fully realize the value of their benefits strategies. The contract is guaranteed to improve each year through a combination of aggressive discounts off average wholesale price, low administrative fees and enhanced education tools.
“By negotiating a contract now that improves on the third year of the existing contract and uses it as the first year of the new contract, PBGH has put its members on very solid footing for the foreseeable future. Employers will recognize savings a year earlier, rather than waiting for the existing contract to expire and negotiating a new one for 2011,” said PBGH Executive Director M. Christine Whipple said. “Given the economy and the costs of health care, getting a strong contract now was imperative.”
Butler Area School District, a PBGH employer member, is an example of the savings PBGH employer members can expect.
Under the new terms, Butler Area will save an estimated 10 percent of what it would have spent under the current contract translating to over $175,000 in estimated savings.
“This speaks for itself,” said. Dr. Edward Fink, Butler Area School District Superintendent. “Not only have we saved significant taxpayer dollars through the PBGH program, we have been able to maintain our valuable and competitive benefits for our teachers and staff and spend our dollars where they count most—on our students, our community’s children. The fact that we can realize additional savings under the new contract one year earlier than expected significantly adds to the value of this great program.”
The Two-Punch: Decreased Drug Costs
Total costs—which include employer costs and employee copayments under their prescription drug plans—decreased by 2.2 percent in 2008, resulting in savings of approximately $12 million in the first year of the current contract.
The 2008 results, significantly better than cost trends reported nationally and by similar employer coalitions during the same period, follow four consecutive years of single-digit increases under the PBGH program.
Employer efforts around employee engagement strategies aimed at changing prescription drug purchasing behavior produced positive results for not only the employer, but also the employee. Educating employees on the value of generics and mail-order prescriptions resulted in a subsequent increase in the use of both, according to Whipple.
“Pricing discounts, performance guarantees and low administrative fees are hallmarks of the PBGH Prescription Drug Program and are essential to achieving the results we have experienced since the inception of the program,” said Whipple. “What is becoming more evident, though, is that consistent, effective communication and education efforts by employers can truly help change behavior and move the needle toward even greater cost savings.”
The PBGH Prescription Drug Program offers PBGH employer members the opportunity to purchase prescription drug benefits in a carved-out, self-insured arrangement with PBGH coalition discounts and enhanced services. The program, which is audited annually by an independent third party, provides PBGH employer members the ability to design their own benefits to meet the needs of their company and employees, manage their prescription drug costs and continue to offer competitive prescription drug benefits.
About the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health
Founded in 1981, the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health (PBGH) is a non-profit organization and business-only coalition representing over 60 employer members, more than 1.2 million employees, dependents and retirees, and over $4 billion in health care expenditures. The organization strives to improve the delivery, cost and quality of health care through implementing and supporting quality initiatives, analyzing health care data and resources, and providing forums for exchange of ideas and viewpoints. Visit www.pbghpa.com for more information.
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Senior Living Community Recognized by International Accreditor of Human Services Providers
PITTSBURGH, November 9, 2009 — Redstone Highlands Senior Living Community has earned a five-year term of accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities Continuing Care Accreditation Commission (CARF-CCAC), its first ever.
To receive a five-year term of accreditation from CARF-CCAC, Redstone Highlands proactively went through a rigorous peer review process and demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable, and accountable. By pursuing and achieving accreditation, Redstone Highlands has demonstrated that it meets international standards for quality and is committed to pursuing excellence.
This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an aging services provider and shows the organization's substantial conformance to CARF-CCAC standards.
"This accreditation is a validation of the hard work of our dedicated staff, our volunteers, and our financial supporters," said John Dickson, CEO of Redstone Highlands. "This is a prestigious achievement that could not have been possible without the commitment of everyone at Redstone Highlands."
Redstone Highlands is a Christian, non-profit continuing care retirement community (CCRC) with campuses in Greensburg, Murrysville, and North Huntingdon, including the Redstone Colonial Estates at its North Huntingdon community. Redstone Highlands is dedicated to providing living alternatives and high-quality services that help to meet the changing needs of the community.
The CCAC was founded in 1985 as the nation's only accrediting body for CCRCs and similar organizations. In January 2003, CCAC merged with CARF, a non-profit accreditor founded in 1966 that touches close to six million individuals served in a wide range of human service organizations.
For more information about the accreditation process, please visit the CARF Web site at http://www.carf.org and the CARF-CCAC Web site at http://www.carf.org/aging.
About Redstone Highlands Senior Living Community
Redstone Highlands Senior Living Community is a Christian, non-profit quality care provider and Westmoreland County's premier place to live, work and volunteer. Serving more than 600 residents annually across campuses located in Greensburg, Murrysville and North Huntingdon, Redstone Highlands is the region's largest Continuing Care Retirement Community, offering services ranging from independent living to skilled nursing assistance. For more information, please visit http://www.redstonehighlands.org.
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Industry leader brings its expertise in traditional medical marketing to social media
PITTSBURGH, October 22, 2009 — MD Communications, Inc. (MDC), a leader in delivering marketing excellence to build multi-million-dollar cosmetic medical practices, will demonstrate its seamless integration of online and off-line marketing capabilities at the 2009 Plastic Surgery Conference in Seattle.
MDC is the only medical marketing firm that builds on a 25-year record of success in traditional marketing to create success in social media marketing with the creation of MD Interactive, a new division that brings the MDC track record of success to social media marketing.
Over its history, MDC has created success for physician clients in 20 major markets, delivering excellence through conventional media including TV and print. MDC's work has helped gain its physician clients visibility, credibility, and differentiation that has helped grow practices.
MDC is now applying its successful strategies and methods to online cosmetic surgery practice marketing. MD Communications Interactive is a comprehensive full-service division offering complete Internet marketing solutions to develop new patient leads, increase customer retention, build positive brand recognition and most importantly, build clients. MDC’s program includes internet marketing services, targeted niche advertising, research-driven strategic media buying, marketing / physician directory Web site, direct mail services, and pubilc relations.
“In a time of exponential growth in online marketing, MD Communications is taking the lead in the social media space with all of the knowledge and expertise we've gained by working in this field for 25 years,” said Jerry Brandy, president of MD Communications, Inc. “Unlike other firms who may be merely Internet experts, we are first and foremost medical marketing experts who understand how to use social media tools to help physicians build value in their overall marketing efforts.”
MDC Interactive is led by Vanessa Capozzi, Lead Interactive Marketing Strategist. With more than a dozen years in Interactive marketing, she has worked with advertising agencies including Brunner Digital, Communifx, MARC USA, and WestWind Media. Vanessa's focus is on the end result for her clients, building relationships, and contributing significantly to the bottom line for the clients she serves.
One example of the tools that MDC employs on behalf of its physician clients is Search Engine Optimization. MDC’s experience in medical marketing gives the firm a distinct advantange in distinguishing what search terms are pivotal in the success of a medical practice online. Through its research, search construction, monitoring, and optimization, MDC gives clients confidence their search ranking will improve, helping to create new connections that lead to leads, prospects, and patients.
About MD Communications, Inc.
MD Communications, Inc. specializes in the business of beauty, providing aesthetic medical providers with a single, experienced source for effective, efficient and ethical medical marketing results both online and off-line. MDC achieves maximum benefit for its physician clients by tracking lead conversions and verifying the return on investment as it approaches each client's project with careful planning. Working with an informed understanding of its clients’ markets, competition, and goals, MDC develops marketing plans to ensure success, monitoring every aspect of a marketing plan's performance. MDC leverages 25 years of experience to analyze and interpret metrics that guide its clients’ businesses toward maximum effectiveness and optimal investment return. The MDC portfolio includes cosmetic surgery practices, QuickLift™ MD, Medical Spa and SmartLipo™ clients. For more information, visit http://www.mdcommunicationsinc.com/ or http://quickliftmd.com/lounge.
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Limo company transports delegates, will "Twitter" traffic conditions during summit and beyond
PITTSBURGH, September 22, 2009 —Regency Global Transportation Group, Ltd., the leader in first-class, reliable ground transportation, will play a pivotal role in this week’s G-20 Summit as the transportation provider for half a dozen delegations representing the world’s most powerful nations – more than any other local transportation company.
At the same time, Regency will debut a new Twitter traffic service for the Pittsburgh region, as its dispatchers will be "tweeting" first-hand traffic conditions as Regency's dozens of drivers navigate the Pittsburgh area during the summit.
“It’s an exciting time to be working and living in Pittsburgh, as some of the most powerful decision makers in the world will be gathering for a discussion of vast importance, and it’s thrilling that Regency will play a part in it,” said Tom Miller, president and CEO of Regency.
As an executive transportation company that must know road conditions to do its job, Regency unveiled its Twitter identity (http://twitter.com/regencytrans/) in time for the G-20, so that real-time traffic tweets would help the Pittsburgh community learn of security-caused traffic situations caused by the gathering of world financial leaders not just downtown, but on major arteries such as the airport corridor and in surrounding communities.
Each “tweet” will include the hashtag "#regtraffic" so Twitter users can easily receive updated traffic information. On an ongoing basis, Regency plans to use its Twitter identity to provide followers a steady diet of daily transportation news, real-time traffic updates from on-road drivers and local news, as well as appropriate promotional information for the company.
The busy months leading up to G-20 have been filled with coordination between Regency staff and the nations they will be serving. Regency has brought additional cars and drivers to Pittsburgh to accommodate the large number of people it will be transporting between the airport, hotels, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center where the G-20 will be held, as well as additional venues that will be hosting the delegates before and after the summit.
“Not only are we a part of one of the biggest events Pittsburgh has ever seen, but we are stepping forward to help the community by sharing what we know in the social media space,” Miller said.
“Our goal is to strike a balance between serving the world’s leaders, and also serving the Pittsburgh community with up-to-the-minute traffic news from our drivers, who are out on the roads every day. This is another example of how Regency is striving to exceed our client’s needs and expectations through quality, reliability, and exceptional customer service.”
About Regency Global Transportation Group, Ltd.
As the largest black car limousine service in western Pennsylvania, Regency provides complete coordination of transportation services for airport transfers, corporate meetings and events, and special occasions, maintaining a new and diversified fleet of vehicles in order to meet the needs of any group size and function. Offices operate 24 hours per day, every day of the year, for the convenience of its clients. Regency will also coordinate worldwide transportation for clients through affiliate networks. Event coordinators can arrange for local hotels, restaurants, and events. For more information or to book a reservation online, visit http://regencytransportation.com/.
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