S4 Liquidations

RIVERWOODS, Ill. — Discover Financial Services said Monday that early results from the companys recent debt exchange offering show that it drew enough participants by its Friday deadline for it to issue at least $250 million in new senior notes.

The company offered to exchange older debt for cash and new senior notes due in 2022.

Discover Financial Services said it will accept $307.5 million in senior notes due in 2019 that carry a 10.25 percent interest rate, which the company tendered for exchange.

Because more than $250 million of new senior notes will be issued in exchange for those notes, the company will not exchange any of the 6.45 percent senior notes due in 2017.

Discover Financial said its information on the offering was provided by DF King Co., which is the exchange agent for the offer.

Shares of Discover Financial fell 16 cents to close at $32.77 amid broad market declines.

NEW YORK, Apr 23, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Corporate Resource Services, Inc.

/quotes/zigman/595619/quotes/nls/crrs CRRS
-13.33%

, a national provider of
temporary and permanent staffing services (the “Company”)
announced today that, effective April 19, 2012 (the “Effective
Date”), it increased its maximum aggregate funding capability
from $50 million to $67.5 million. Account purchase agreements between
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (“Wells Fargo”) and
several of the Company’s wholly-owned operating subsidiaries were
amended and a new participating lender joined with Wells Fargo to make
an additional $17.5 million available to the Company. As of the
Effective Date, the Company had annualized revenues (unaudited) of
approximately $600 million.

“This increase in our funding limit allows CRS to take advantage of
opportunities in the market place for both organic and external growth,”
said Jay H. Schecter, Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

About Corporate Resource Services

Corporate Resource Services, Inc. is a national provider of diversified
staffing, recruiting and consulting services, including temporary
staffing services, with a focus on light industrial services, the
insurance industry and clerical and administrative support. The Company
provides its services across a variety of industries and to a diverse
range of clients ranging from sole proprietorships to Fortune 1000
companies. The Company conducts all of its business in the United States
through the operation of over 125 staffing and recruiting offices.

Safe Harbor Disclaimer: This press release may contain
“forward-looking statements.” These statements reflect
our current views with respect to future events and may include
statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future
events or performance that are not statements of historical fact. Such
forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as
“anticipates,” “believes,” “can,” “continue,” “could” “estimates,”
“expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “should”
or “will” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology.
These statements, and all phases of our operations, are subject to
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but
not limited to, the following:

–
our ability, to satisfy our working
capital requirements;

–
our ability to identify suitable acquisition candidates or
investment opportunities;

–
our ability to integrate any acquisitions made and fully realize
the anticipated benefits of these acquisitions;

–
successor liabilities that we may be subject to as a result of
acquisitions;

–
material employment related claims and costs as a result of the
nature of our business;

–
our ability to retain key management personnel;

–
the financial difficulty of our clients, which may result in
nonpayment of amounts owed to us;

–
significant economic downturns resulting in reduced demand for our
services;

–
our ability to attract and retain qualified temporary personnel,
who possess the skills and experience necessary to satisfy our
clients; and

–
other risk factors as identified in our annual report on Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011, and our other reports
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements. Our actual results, levels of activity, performance
or achievements and those of our industry may be materially different
from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Except as
required by law, we undertake no obligation to update forward-looking
statements.

SOURCE: Corporate Resource Services, Inc.

Corporate Resource Services, Inc.
Jay Schecter, 212-981-9545
jschecter@crsco.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

/quotes/zigman/595619/quotes/nls/crrs

Add to portfolio

CRRS

Corporate Resource Services Inc.

US

: OTCBB

$
0.65

-0.10
-13.33%

Volume: 33,700
April 26, 2012 3:40p

P/E RatioN/A
Dividend YieldN/A

Market Cap$77.31 million
Rev. per Employee$985,628

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

MIRAMAR, Fla., Apr 23, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Association
Services of Florida (ASF), an Associa
company, proudly announces that Karen Ehrlich and Lucretia Fasciano
recently received the Association Management Specialist (AMS)
designation through the Community
Associations Institute (CAI) and Mercedes Vildosola and Abby
Abushaar recently received their Florida Community Association Manager’s
license.

“I am extremely proud of Karen, Lucretia, Mercedes and Abby for
achieving their goals,” said Association Services of Florida President
and CEO Jeff Ulm. “Each individual has dedicated time and resources to
continue their educations and our clients will undoubtedly benefit from
their knowledge.”

Those receiving the AMS designation demonstrate a higher level of
commitment to their career and the community association industry. An
AMS designation is recommended for managers who want to enhance their
career opportunities by increasing their knowledge and expertise.

The AMS designation is the second level in the CAI career development
track for community association managers. To earn the designation, a
community manager must have at least two years verified experience in
financial, administrative, and facilities management of at least one
association. They must also successfully pass the M-100 course, take at
least one M-200 series course and successfully pass the CMCA (Certified
Manager of Community Associations) exam administered by NBC-CAM.

Ehrlich currently serves as a community association manager with ASF in
Hollywood. Prior to her current position, she was a portfolio manager.
Ehrlich has also received the Certified Manager of Community
Associations (CMCA) designation from the National
Board of Certification for Community Association Managers (NBC-CAM)
and the Association Management Specialist (AMS) and Licensed Community
Association Manager (LCAM) designations from CAI.

Fasciano currently serves as on-site community manager at ASF in
Hollywood. She has also received the Certified Manager of Community
Associations (CMCA) designation from the National
Board of Certification for Community Association Managers (NBC-CAM)
and the Association Management Specialist (AMS) and Licensed Community
Association Manager (LCAM) designations from CAI.

The Florida Community Association Manager License requires managers to
take a two day class followed by an examination. It consists of 100
multiple choice questions based on entry level knowledge of state and
federal laws pertaining to the operation and management of community
associations, preparation of community association budgets, procedures
for noticing and conducting community association meetings, insurance
matters relating to community associations, management skills, and
association maintenance.

Vildosola currently serves as the director of client accounting for ASF
in Miramar. She graduated from Florida International University with a
Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

Abushaar currently serves as the administrative and human resources
assistant at ASF in Miramar. She attended Miami Dade College and looks
forward to continuing to grow with Associa in marketing and human
resources.

Association Services of Florida provides community association
management and developer services to South Florida. Since 1979, its sole
focus has been to deliver performance that enriches communities and
enhances the lives of the people it serves. To learn more, please visit

http://www.associaflorida.com

or find them on Facebook by visiting
www.Facebook.com/AssociaFlorida .

Building successful communities for more than 30 years, Associa is North
America’s largest community association management firm and serves its
clients with local knowledge, national resources and comprehensive
expertise. Based in Dallas, Associa and its 8,000 employees operate more
than 150 branch offices in the United States, Mexico and Canada. To
learn more about Associa and its charitable organization, Associa Cares,
go to
www.associaonline.com
and
www.associacares.com .
Find us on Facebook,
follow us on Twitter
and LinkedIn,
and watch us on YouTube.

SOURCE: Associa

Associa
Carol Piering, (214) 716-3848
Email: cpiering@associaonline.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

LOS ANGELES, April 23, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
CCS, a leading retail marketing services agency, today announced that it has expanded its presence in the home improvement (HI) market to create enhanced shopping experiences for consumers and drive retail sales for a growing list of brand partners.

For more than 15 years, the agency has driven sales performance for dozens of leading brands and retailers in multiple product categories, and has now positioned itself for significant growth in the HI market. CCS has set the standard of excellence for delivering retail solutions that positively impact the consumer electronics and major appliances markets, and now the agency is offering its award-winning CyberScholar Retail Network, in-store field sales and marketing representation, and analytics and insights capabilities to HI manufacturers and retailers.

Primarily through providing product-knowledge and developing 1:1 relationships with retailers’ frontline sales associates, CCS’ proprietary solutions have shown to positively increase same-store sales by as much as 47% for individual brands as well as provide significant lift across entire product categories.

“Retail employees are one of the most important influencers of consumer buying decisions,” said Andy Restivo, CCS’ president and CEO. “Whether it’s a ride-on mower, table saw, or paint for a couple’s first house, well informed associates provide significant benefits to shoppers, retailers and brands in their ability to create great shopping experiences. Our solutions ensure that they are knowledgeable about products and can inspire consumers to make informed buying decisions.”

Interested manufacturers can meet with CCS at the National Hardware Show May 1-3 (Booth No. 2349) at the Las Vegas Convention Center or they can go to
www.creativechannel.com/HomeAndGarden to get more information.

About Creative Channel Services, LLCCreative Channel Services (CCS) is a retail marketing agency that improves sales and profitability for its manufacturer and retailer clients. Through the company’s proprietary CyberScholar Retail Network®, exclusive retail partnerships and national field-marketing programs, CCS’ unique approach to point-of-sale marketing solutions accelerates clients’ sales performance by connecting brands annually with 13,000 stores and 260,000 retail professionals who recommend and sell products to up to 3,000,000 customers each day. Established in 1995 and headquartered in Los Angeles, CCS is a part of Omnicom Group Inc.’s Diversified Agency Services.

About Diversified Agency ServicesDiversified Agency Services (DAS), a division of Omnicom Group Inc.

/quotes/zigman/237213/quotes/nls/omc OMC
+0.65%

(
www.omnicomgroup.com ), manages Omnicom’s holdings in a variety of marketing communications disciplines. DAS includes over 200 companies, which operate through a combination of networks and regional organizations, serving international and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

About Omnicom Group Inc.Omnicom Group Inc. (
www.omnicomgroup.com ) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

Media Contact:Chris KellyCreative Channel Services310-665-9900press@creativechannel.com

SOURCE Creative Channel Services, LLC

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

/quotes/zigman/237213/quotes/nls/omc

Add to portfolio

OMC

Omnicom Group Inc.

US

: U.S.: NYSE

$
49.79

+0.32
+0.65%

Volume: 1.87M
April 24, 2012 4:01p

P/E Ratio14.66
Dividend Yield2.41%

Market Cap$13.49 billion
Rev. per Employee$198,704

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

Indias top software services exporter Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) reported a 22.6 per cent rise in consolidated net profit for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2012, becoming the first Indian IT company to cross the $ 10-billion revenue mark.

TCS, a unit of the salt-to-steel conglomerate Tata Group, posted a net profit of Rs 2,932.4 crore compared to Rs 2,392.7 in the same period of 2010-11. Its full year revenues crossed Rs 48,893.83 crore ($ 10.17 billion). The Mumbai-based firms total income for the reporting quarter rose to Rs 13,357.95 crore, up from Rs 10,401.07 crore posted during the same period a year ago, TCS said in a statement.

Chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) N. Chandrasekaran said that the TCS results would exceed industry lobby Nasscoms projections of 11-14 per cent growth for the current financial year, which is in sharp contrast to Infosys growth projection of eight to 10 per cent. The deal momentum is good, the closures are good and so is the pipeline. Next year will be a good year. The pricing is stable. We have carried our strong momentum through the fourth quarter to close out a year of strong growth. We have kept our focus on profitability and consolidated our market leadership, he said.

For the 12-month period, the company reported a net profit of Rs 10,413.49 crore on a consolidated basis as against Rs 9,068.0 crore recorded for year ended March 31, 2011.

In contrast, rival Infosys had posted a 27.4 per cent rise in net profit on a consolidated basis to Rs 2,316 crore for the fourth quarter even though the countrys second-rung software exporter had provided muted revenue guidance for financial year ending March 2013. Wipro, the smaller rival to TCS and Infosys, will announce its results on Wednesday.

TCS posted growth across markets and industries during the financial year. The business from North America grew by 29.6 per cent to cross $ 5 billion while Europe, including UK, grew by 33.8 per cent. All industry verticals grew in double digits in FY12.

TCS chief financial officer (CFO) and executive director S. Mahalingam said that the company has grown well in FY12 and has also been able to exit the year at the right margin levels. Our focus is firmly fixed on the opportunities out there. So while maintaining our cost discipline at an operational level, we continue to invest in capacity and capability as we prepare for growth ahead, he added.

The revenue growth was slightly higher than the market expectations while the volume growth of 3.2 per cent is encouraging. The companys headcount guidance for FY13 and the eight per cent offshore wage hike are signs of a good business environment for the company, Ankita Somani, IT and telecom analyst with Angel Broking, said.

The countrys $ 100-billion outsourcing sector is facing a slowing demand from overseas clients, intense competition from global rivals, and volatile currency markets, analysts said. We have successfully undertaken the largest ever hiring effort in our history by adding and integrating 70,400 professionals during 2011-12.

With business demand continuing to be robust, we have made 43,600 offers on campuses for trainees to join us from the second quarter of this fiscal year, said Ajoy Mukherjee, executive vice-president, head, global human resources, TCS. TCS appears to be bullish on the going ahead as it plans to hire 50,000 employees in 2012-13 and is giving pay hikes to its staff unlike Infosys, which has frozen salaries.

TCS and Infosys Ltd are part of the countrys $ 100 billion-a-year information technology and back-office services sector that earns about 70 per cent of its revenue from exports to the US and Europe.

GIA announces the release of a comprehensive global outlook on the Car Rental Industry. Innumerable people traveling from and to various destinations across the world are the principal contributors to the global car rental market. The US would continue to remain the undisputed leader in the industry, with companies aggressively formulating various strategies to attract and retain customers.

San Jose, California (PRWEB) January 20, 2012

Follow us on LinkedIn – The travel industry is one of the biggest industries in the world, comprising a vast array of businesses such as airlines, railways, cruise lines, and car rentals, along with travel operators, agents and suppliers. The car rental market that forms an integral part of this industry consists of two primary sectors namely General (which includes airport and non-airport segments) and Insurance Replacement. While the General car rental market includes numerous key companies, which rent cars mainly to business and leisure travelers, the Insurance Replacement segment rent cars primarily to people who have lost their vehicles due to theft, accidents, or breakdowns.

A key aspect that sets apart the car rental from other industries is the absence of regulatory standards to guide the industry. Therefore, as the industry follows no generalized business patterns, each company formulates its own set of rules, governed by a cold-eyed focus on maximum revenue generation. This unregulated system causes difficulties to customers both in terms of price as well as service, thereby leaving the task of verifying the authenticity of deals to customers. As a result, most customers resort to either checking up with local agencies for rental prices or rummage for an optimal price on the internet, before hiring a car.

The car rental market is witnessing a rise in the number of online transactions. In line with the trend, car rental companies are leveraging the internet to provide customers with easy online payment and booking options. Similarly, in tune with the growing need for safeguarding the environment by reducing hazardous emissions, eco-friendly cars such as electric, natural-gas, and hybrid low-emission cars, are making significant in-roads into the car rental industry. The trend is taking off with several rental companies expanding their fleet of eco-friendly cars.

The research report titled Car Rental Industry: A Global Outlook announced by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., provides a collection of statistical anecdotes, market briefs, and concise summaries of research findings. The report offers a rudimentary overview of the industry, highlights latest trends and demand drivers, in addition to providing statistical insights. Regional markets briefly abstracted and covered include US, Canada, Europe (France, Germany, UK, Italy, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Latin America. The report offers a compilation of recent mergers, acquisitions and strategic corporate developments. Also included is an indexed, easy-to-refer, fact-finder directory listing the addresses, and contact details of companies worldwide.

For more details about this comprehensive industry report, please visit –

www.strategyr.com/Car_Rental_Industry_Market_Report.asp

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (GIA) is a leading publisher of off-the-shelf market research. Founded in 1987, the company currently employs over 800 people worldwide. Annually, GIA publishes more than 1300 full-scale research reports and analyzes 40,000+ market and technology trends while monitoring more than 126,000 Companies worldwide. Serving over 9500 clients in 27 countries, GIA is recognized today, as one of the worlds largest and reputed market research firms.

Follow us on LinkedIn

Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Telephone: 408-528-9966

Fax: 408-528-9977

Email: press(at)StrategyR(dot)com

Web Site: www.StrategyR.com/

###

For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebcar_rental_airport/insurance_replacement/prweb9124059.htm

MONROVIA, Calif., Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
FTSI, the leader in independent, self-service technology solutions in the Western region, is debuting six new professional services for credit unions and community banks. These new services complement FTSI’s core competencies: ATM product sales, maintenance services and cash management. The new services, which offer financial institutions cost effective technology solutions that drive savings to the bottom line, have been developed based on FTSI’s industry expertise and fostering relationships with key partners.

Currency Management Solution

Due to economic and ever-changing regulatory demands, the currency supply chain is difficult to effectively optimize. FTSI’s Currency Management Solution eliminates the guessing with a fully automated system that correctly and accurately performs the complex process of predicting optimal cash load levels. Powered by Transoft, Inc., this service provides significant recurring cost savings for financial institutions–from ATM and branch, through to the vault and on to the central bank interactions. “The ability of OptimizeCF(TM) to anticipate and monitor cash demand, balance costs involved with the cash supply chain, and thus identify significant cash holdings and cost reductions will provide FTSI’s customers with state-of-the-art, network-wide ATM and branch cash management capability,” stated Bo H. Holmgreen, President & CEO of Transoft.

Vault Cash Verification

For financial institutions that outsource cash handling and transportation to armored carriers, accurate reporting of cash assets is critical when there is significant exposure should a loss of their cash in vault inventory occur. It’s not uncommon for busy community banks and credit unions to rely solely upon their armored service providers to provide accurate data regarding their assets. FTSI’s Vault Cash Verification service is an independent review to validate the accuracy of the reported balance of cash inventory, identify potential discrepancies and reduce the risk of cash loss.

Mobile Banking Solution

FTSI has partnered with mSHIFT, as well as other industry leaders, to offer quick to deploy mobile banking solutions that will help make community bank and credit union brands shine in a competitive market. MSHIFT mobile banking solutions are custom built and tailored to meet the specific needs of each financial institution. FTSI’s solution features a quick configuration and no hardware or IT resources are required–enabling financial institutions to go to market in 90 days or less. Scott Moeller, CEO of mSHIFT states, “FTSI recognizes the high demand for top tier mobile banking solutions, and the need to deliver a high quality solution set for community banks and credit unions, quickly and effectively. We are thrilled to partner with FTSI to deploy mSHIFT technology to their customers throughout the Western region.”

ATM Marketing Hosted Solution

Through the support of NCR’s hosted services infrastructure, FTSI offers a hosted ATM marketing solution for delivering high-impact advertising campaigns. NCR APTRA software allows financial institutions to segment their ATM users in order to deliver the most relevant promotions and advertising. FTSI’s solution includes the design, authorship and content of the marketing messages displayed at the ATM for the end user. As a hosted service, financial institutions can take advantage of the lower capital expenditures, accelerated speed of deployment and increased efficiencies, while still meeting the highest requirements for application availability and IT security.

Check21 ATM Solution

With the growing shift to “Intelligent Deposit” ATMs, remote deposit capture is becoming more and more necessary for financial institutions to adopt. FTSI’s Check21 ATM Solution is software as a service that provides a unique and cost effective approach to processing ATM deposits. Fully customizable by each financial institution, this solution features superior risk management tools that can be used across multiple deposit channels

RiskWatch IT Assessments

Regulatory agencies are scrutinizing financial institutions’ operations more than ever before. In partnership with RiskWatch International, FTSI offers software designed to assist with ensuring that IT infrastructure and ATM networks are in full compliance with agency regulations. With this software, clients will be able to easily identify vulnerabilities and define ways to reduce and/or eliminate potential IT threats.

With the creation of the new Professional Services Division, FTSI now has the ability to address the top challenges faced by financial institutions in driving growth, reducing cost and managing risk by offering turn-key solutions through a single source. “We listened carefully to our customers and looked closely at the market to develop easy to implement, targeted solutions that take advantage of new technology and focus on saving our customers time and money,” said FTSI CEO Susan Napier. “FTSI takes a consultative approach with all of our product and service offerings, providing tailored recommendations that are designed to deliver profitable programs for each customer.”

About FTSI (
www.ftsius.com )

Based in Southern California, FTSI is the largest independent provider of ATM services for credit unions and community banks in the Western region. Connecting its clients with financial industry technologies since 1998, FTSI offers a comprehensive collection of cutting-edge ATM management and professional services solutions.

About Transoft

Transoft International, Inc. is the leading provider of currency supply chain management software solutions for the banking industry. Transoft products, OptiCash, OptiNet & OptiVault, have been developed by experienced cash management professionals to efficiently and cost-effectively handle all aspects of the complex cash management process. In use worldwide by banks, ATM networks and armoured car service providers, Transoft solutions are generating significant recurring cost savings for ATM, branch and vault networks. These savings are the direct result of applying sophisticated statistical analysis, as well as balancing of all cost components daily, to determine the best course of action. With Transoft a bank can automate cash forecasting, ordering, tracking, monitoring & more to optimize currency requirements and handling costs, drastically reducing expenses and improving operational efficiency.

About mSHIFTMSHIFT has been pioneering the mobile banking space since 1999 and offers a variety of cutting edge turnkey mobile banking solutions as well as highly customizable options. MSHIFT provides low maintenance solutions with high-quality service and support. By offering fully hosted solutions, as well as 24/7/365 customer support, mSHIFT manages the entire mobile banking project from development to release.

About NCR CorporationNCR Corporation

/quotes/zigman/170956/quotes/nls/ncr NCR
-0.06%

is a global technology company leading how the world connects, interacts and transacts with business. NCR’s assisted- and self-service solutions and comprehensive support services address the needs of retail, financial, travel, healthcare, hospitality, entertainment, gaming, public sector, telecom carrier and equipment organizations in more than 100 countries. NCR (
www.ncr.com ) is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia.

About EnsentaEnsenta makes image deposits simple. Ensenta’s web-based EZAdmin “back-office” provides about 250 financial institutions with a simple set of online processes to remotely capture, review and adjust check deposits and to create and send image cash letters to their item processors. Ensenta’s EZ Admin supports multiple deposit capture devices including 2,500 ATMs and Kiosks, as well as thousands of branch, consumer, business and mobile phone scanning devices. Ensenta’s Software-as-a-Service platform features a highly sophisticated Agile Risk Management engine where financial institutions can create their own custom risk policies.

Media Contact:Pamela HoyVice President of Sales & Marketing210-336-5878Ftsi-communications@ftsius.com

SOURCE FTSI

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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NCR

NCR Corp.

$
17.78

-0.01
-0.06%

Volume: 695,206
Jan. 23, 2012 4:06p

PURCHASE, N.Y., Jan 20, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
IntegraMed America, Inc.

/quotes/zigman/78868/quotes/nls/inmd INMD
+0.73%

, the leader in developing,
marketing and managing specialty healthcare facilities in the fertility
and vein
care markets, will review its fourth quarter and full year 2011
financial results on Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
IntegraMed will release its results before the market’s opening that day.

www.integramed.com
www.earnings.com (for 30 days)
Dial-in Numbers: (866) 395-2657 or (706) 902-0717
Phone Replay: (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406; 45090476, through 2/23/12

About IntegraMed America, Inc. IntegraMed is a leader in
developing, marketing and managing specialty outpatient healthcare
facilities, with a current focus on the fertility
and vein
care markets. IntegraMed supports its provider networks with
clinical and business information systems, marketing and sales,
facilities and operations management, finance and accounting, human
resources, legal, risk management, quality assurance, and fertility
treatment financing programs.

Attain Fertility Centers, an IntegraMed Specialty, is the
nation's largest fertility center network, with 14 company-managed
partner centers and 25 affiliate centers, comprising over 130 locations
across 34 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly one of every four
IVF procedures in the U.S. is performed in an Attain Fertility Centers
network practice.

Vein Clinics of America, an IntegraMed Specialty, is the leading
provider of specialty vein care services in the U.S. The IntegraMed Vein
Clinic network operates 45 centers across 14 states, principally in the
Midwest and Southeast.

For more information about IntegraMed please visit:
www.integramed.com
for investor background,
www.attainfertility.com
for fertility, or
www.veinclinics.com
for vein care.

SOURCE: IntegraMed America, Inc.

Media/Investors:
Jaffoni & Collins
Norberto Aja / David Collins, 212-835-8500
inmd@jcir.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

/quotes/zigman/78868/quotes/nls/inmd

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INMD

IntegraMed America Inc.

$
8.27

+0.06
+0.73%

Volume: 6,800
Jan. 23, 2012 2:01p

What’s in a name? If that name is autism or Asperger syndrome or PDD.-NOS. (pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified), the answer is: a lot.

Parents and experts are wondering how a proposed change to the official definition of autism — as contained in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the standard mental-health reference guide maintained by the American Psychiatric Association — would affect the services their children receive and the research dollars allocated to study the mysteries of an increasingly common condition that is believed to affect 1 in 110 people.

Laurisa Stuart credits intensive therapy with the turnaround her 4-year-old son, Bryson, has made since being diagnosed with autism two years ago. He wasn’t speaking at all then, but after countless hours of speech and occupational therapy, he’s gearing up for kindergarten, where he’ll be mainstreamed along with other children — albeit with an aide. Potentially losing those services in the event that Bryson would no longer meet the criteria for autism is “a very scary prospect.”

“It almost seems like they’re trying to lower the number of children with autism so it won’t look like such a huge surge,” says Stuart, a mother of four from Folsom, Calif. “But just because they haven’t classified those children doesn’t mean they are not going to exist anymore.”

On Thursday, the New York Times reported that revamping the definition of autism, by making it more stringent and emphasizing “classical autistic,” or more severe, symptoms, could exclude many people and sharply curtail the trend of rising diagnoses. The symptoms would still remain, obviously, but the categories could shift significantly:

The proposed change would consolidate all three diagnoses under one category, autism spectrum disorder, eliminating Asperger syndrome and PDD.-NOS. from the manual. Under the current criteria a person can qualify for the diagnosis by exhibiting six or more of 12 behaviors; under the proposed definition, the person would have to exhibit three deficits in social interaction and communication and at least two repetitive behaviors — a much narrower menu.

“The proposed changes would put an end to the autism epidemic,” Dr. Fred R. Volkmar, director of the Child Study Center at Yale University School of Medicine and an author of a new analysis that predicts a decrease in diagnoses should the definition be altered. “We would nip it in the bud — think of it that way.”

MORE: MyAutismTeam: A New Site for Families With Autism

Some parents — especially those who have children with Asperger’s — are nervous about losing their diagnosis. “Parents are worried that autism spectrum disorder is very different from Aspergers and they’re concerned what that autism label will mean for their child,” says Eric Peacock, who recently launched MyAutismTeam,  a social network for parents whose children have autism. “There is a segment of parents who feel that having a diagnosis of Asperger’s is better for their child than having an autism diagnosis because Asperger’s is typically seen as less of a cognitive impairment. Often its associated with quirkiness more than anything else.”

Sally Ozonoff, a University of California, Davis, psychiatry professor who authored a study published in August that found that autism runs in families to a much greater degree than previously thought, thinks parents are worrying unnecessarily. She wasn’t involved in refining the definition, but she wrote in an email that: “…I can state that the intentions of that group, and of most professionals in the field, would not be to exclude anyone from services or to tighten criteria to reduce the number of diagnoses. Far from it.”

Ideally, she said, some children would see improved access to therapy – particularly in states where children with Asperger’s and PDD.-NOS. diagnoses don’t qualify for state services, leaving their parents to rely on insurance or pay out of pocket.

MORE: For Siblings of Autistic Kids, Risk Is Far Higher Than Thought

Jennifer Pinto-Martin, director of the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at the University of Pennsylvania, notes that the current version of the DSM — the fourth edition — broadened the criteria for autism, in effect contributing to more children receiving diagnoses. The current negotiations are simply an effort to temper the upswing. “It was an artificial inflation,” she says. “If you have a larger umbrella, more kids will fit under that umbrella.”

Revising the definition again may streamline some categories that don’t really belong under that umbrella, but it will also complicate things for researchers like her who rely on tracking trends over time. “I am sure this was not done without a lot of forethought, but I’m not so sure they thought about the fallout,” says Pinto-Martin.

The revisions, now under review by a cluster of experts, are due to be finalized by the end of the year. Until then, parents will undoubtedly continue to wonder about the potential impact.

On MyAutismTeam’s Facebook page, parents are already commiserating about what may lie ahead. “This is a tragedy in the making,” wrote Wendy White. Troy Semple posted: “Our 12 year old would not be where he is now without early intervention he received as a result of his ASD [autism spectrum disorder] diagnosisexcluding these kids will result in more cases of full-blown autism. Sorry, you cant make autism go away by re-defining it.”

Says Peacock: “In the short term, this could actually cause some stress and trauma, and thats the last thing these people need.”

Bonnie Rochman is a reporter at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @brochman. You can also continue the discussion on TIMEs Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.

ANALYSIS:A big bang approach to tackling hospital deficits would have severe implications for services, writes
MARTIN WALL

THE COUNTRYS main hospitals are facing serious financial difficulties and have a collective deficit of more than 145 million.

How this issue is dealt with by both the Government and the Health Service Executive could have significant implications for patient services both in the weeks ahead and into next year.

Nearly 60 per cent of the health service budget is spent on pay and this cannot be touched under the provisions of the Croke Park agreement. However, the numbers employed are continuing to fall steadily there are more than 3,000 fewer nurses and midwives than there were in 2009 when the recruitment embargo was introduced and this has a knock-on effect on the number of beds available for patients.

According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation there are already more than 2,300 beds closed in district, local and regional hospitals around the country.

Theatres and facilities in hospitals have already been shut down as part of existing cost-containment measures.

If hospitals were expected to address their deficits in a big bang approach before the end of the year, the implications for services would be severe and would manifest themselves in longer waiting lists, more patients queuing on trolleys and increased number of patients having to remain inappropriately in hospitals due to cutbacks in home helps and other community services.

The Governments official position is that there will not be any financial bailouts for hospitals or other agencies in difficulties this year and that everyone will have to get by within their existing financial allocation.

However, Minister for Health James Reilly has also said that the department would not allow hospitals to go broke.

The recent agreement by the department to provide Tallaght hospital with a financial lifeline would appear to fall into this new role as effectively a lender of last resort.

The Minister said that Tallaght would be given support to deal with its 11 million deficit but that this money would have to be repaid next year. It was, in essence, a loan.

Other voluntary hospitals institutions with their own boards but which rely on State funding to operate are, according to highly placed sources, expected to be directed towards their banks to deal with their financial pressures.

The Department of Health is expected to require the HSE to deal with the financial pressures from its own resources.

The executive has sought supplementary funding of nearly 60 million arising from expenditure on its voluntary redundancy scheme last year. It is still awaiting a response to this application.

In addition to whether it will provide this funding, a key policy question for the Department of Health will be whether the executive and voluntary hospitals will be allowed to carry over their deficits into next year.

The Minister has pointed out that hospitals were already about 70 million in the red at the start of the year because of such a policy adopted last year.

Deficits carried over have to be paid from the following years budget, exacerbating an already difficult financial situation.

The health budget for next year is, as yet, unknown. But the Minister has confirmed there will be cuts.

Any new cuts would have to be added to the deficit carried forward and would have to be reflected in the official service plan the total level of services to be carried out for the budget provided which is agreed by

the executive with the Government.

This would, in effect, lead to deeper cuts next year.