Kelly Howell’s Brainwave Therapy is clinically proven to improve the function of the brain.

Does the brain you were born with have to be the brain you end up with? If you can improve the function of every major organ in the body, why can’t you upgrade the function of your brain? Those fundamental questions were the motivation that led Kelly Howell to create Brain Sync.

With over 2 million audio programs in print, Kelly Howell’s clinically proven Brainwave Therapy is used in prestigious hospitals, clinics and by physicians and psychologists throughout the world. This breakthrough technology can literally help reboot and reprogram the brain to achieve a higher level of focus, creativity and intelligence.

Howell’s breakthrough Brain Synchronizing Technology, based on extensive biofeedback research, uses harmonically layered frequencies embedded in beautiful music to produce a deeply pleasurable, transformational body-mind experience. Brainwave Therapy balances right and left sides of the brain to literally optimize its efficiency and function.

According to Howell, “It’s now possible to enhance your brain’s ability to think better and faster.” Science has long known that mental beliefs can impact physical reality. Howell went on to explain, “How our brain perceives the world and the situations around us affects how we respond; positively or negatively, with action or inaction.”

Howell believes the current economic situation “requires us to sharpen our skills, awareness and our abilities to a far greater degree so we can succeed in these challenging times.”

Today’s information overload can cause your brain function to freeze up just like a computer that is running too many programs. According to Howell, “The brain is the often the key to a person’s reality. Just like exercise increases muscle mass and strength, Brain Sync promises to do the same with the brain.”

Evolution will ultimately lead to a more conscious brain/mind. But, Howell believes, “You can take that evolutionary step today with these clinically proven CD’s and MP3′s.” She adds, “Your brain is the front door to change. When you improve its function you improve your entire life.”

To experience the power of Brain Sync, Howell offers a free 15 minute brain refresher and guided meditation. For more information on Howell’s Brainwave Therapy, visit www.brainsync.com.


A retrospective analysis of 1,234 Americans indicated a substantial underdiagnosis of obesity when Body Mass Index (BMI) was used compared to the Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan.

This analysis will be released on Friday, April 23, 2010 at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 19th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress in Boston.

To date, no large-scale comparison has been made between BMI and DEXA, a direct measure of percentage body fat. A team of physicians and scientists from PATH Foundation NY reviewed the medical records of 1,234 patients from 2003 to 2009 to obtain BMI (from height and weight) and percentage body fat (from Hologic DEXA). Subjects were classified as obese or non-obese based on the American Bariatric Society’s classification of obesity, which is a BMI of 30 or higher and percent body fat of 25 or higher in males and percent body fat of 30 or higher in females.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) traditionally consider an adult with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 as overweight while an adult with a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.

“Extrapolating our data on a global scale, it is very likely that obesity is a much bigger epidemic than the 300 million people acknowledged by the World Health Organization (WHO),” Eric Braverman, MD, a primary author of the study said.

Also at the AACE 19th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress, experts will talk about pediatric transgender issues, appropriate glycemic targets from recent trials and their translation into patient care, as well as the role of continuous glucose monitors in 2010.

Additional news from the AACE 19th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress can be found at media.aace.com or by following the meeting live at the Twitter hashtag #AACE10.

Source: American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists


As the Obama administration tackles the national obesity epidemic, a new American Psychological Association poll shows that individuals need ongoing support to make lifestyle and behavior changes.

An administration task force chaired by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education and Health and Human Services is asking the public for recommendations to solve the American obesity problem, and a new poll by the American Psychological Association (APA) may have some answers.

Long-term behavior change is necessary to overcome the barriers to healthy living. According to the APA poll conducted online by Harris Interactive in early March, fewer than one in five adults (16 percent) reported being very successful at making health-related improvements such as losing weight (20 percent), starting a regular exercise program (15 percent), eating a healthier diet (10 percent), and reducing stress (7 percent)(1) so far this year, although about nine in 10 adults (88 percent) who resolved to make a health-related change say they have been at least somewhat successful at achieving it since January. Despite these efforts, about three-quarters (78 percent) of those who made a health-related resolution say significant obstacles block them from making progress, such as willpower (33 percent), making changes alone (24 percent), and experiencing too much stress (20 percent).

“Lasting lifestyle and behavior changes don’t happen overnight. Willpower is a learned skill, not an inherent trait. We all have the capacity to develop skills to make changes last,” said Katherine C. Nordal, PhD, executive director for professional practice at APA. “It is important to break down seemingly unattainable goals into manageable portions.”

Lynne Vaughan, chief innovation officer of YMCA of the USA – which is partnering with APA to provide families with resources for healthy living – agreed. “YMCAs work with individuals every day to support them in achieving their healthy living goals. We’ve found that those who set short-term goals along the way toward a longer term behavior change are more successful at maintaining those changes,” she said.

Psychologists with APA report that, with the right support, individuals can learn how to make lasting lifestyle and behavior changes, regardless of the importance they place on willpower or the influence of stress. “Is it will or is it skill?” asks health psychologist and past president of APA’s Division of Health Psychology Dr. Karina Davidson. “The reality is that, with the right guidance, people can build and strengthen the skills they need to make even the toughest lifestyle changes,” she said.

APA recommends talking about lifestyle and behavior goals with friends, family, or a professional, such as a psychologist, who can help navigate feelings and gain skills to successfully change behavior. With help, individuals can develop willpower and stay on track with their health-centered goals.

For additional information on lasting lifestyle and behavior changes, visit www.apa.org/helpcenter, read the campaign blog www.yourmindyourbody.org, and follow @apahelpcenter on Twitter.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Psychological Association between March 2 and March 4, 2010, among 2,073 U.S. adults age 18+, of whom 1,104 made a New Year’s resolution. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available.

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world’s largest association of psychologists. APA’s membership includes more than 152,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial, and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession, and as a means of promoting health, education, and human welfare.

NOTES:

(1) The full list of health related-resolutions also includes stopping smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, and getting more sleep on a regular basis.


Thomson Reuters announces 100 Top Hospitals Award Winners

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Mar 29,2010

Twenty-three Hospitals Are Named Everest Award Winners for Fastest Improvement and Top Performance

Thomson Reuters released its annual study identifying the 100 top U.S. hospitals based on their overall organizational performance.

The Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals®: National Benchmarks study evaluates performance in 10 areas: mortality, medical complications, patient safety, average length of stay, expenses, profitability, patient satisfaction, adherence to clinical standards of care, and post-discharge mortality and readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia. The study has been conducted annually since 1993.

“This year’s study magnified the value that 100 Top Hospital award winners provide to their communities. Even during the economic downturn, the 100 Top Hospitals maintained a profit from operations while raising the bar for clinical quality and patient satisfaction,” said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals programs at Thomson Reuters. “The insistence of these hospitals’ leaders — their boards, executive teams and medical staffs — on overall excellence makes the difference.”

For the second year, Thomson Reuters also is recognizing the 100 Top Hospitals Everest Award winners — those hospitals among the 100 winners that delivered the greatest rate of improvement over a five-year period. This year, there are 23 Everest award winners.

To conduct the 100 Top Hospitals study, Thomson Reuters researchers evaluated 2,926 short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals. They used public information — Medicare cost reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, and core measures and patient satisfaction data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare data set.

If all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as those treated in these 100 Top Hospitals award winners:

– More than 98,000 additional patients would survive each year.
– More than 197,000 patient complications would be avoided annually.
– Expenses would decline by an aggregate $5.5 billion a year.
– The average patient stay would decrease by nearly half a day.

If the same standards were applied to all inpatients, the impact would be even greater.

Here are the winning hospitals, by category, with the Everest award winners in bold:

Major Teaching Hospitals
University Medical Center–Tucson, AZ
UC San Diego Medical Center – Hillcrest–San Diego, CA
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center–Chicago, IL
Northwestern Memorial Hospital–Chicago, IL
Rush University Medical Center–Chicago, IL
NorthShore University HealthSystem–Evanston, IL
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital–Park Ridge, IL
Ochsner Medical Center–New Orleans, LA
Providence Hospital and Medical Center–Southfield, MI
Mayo Clinic – Rochester Methodist Hospital–Rochester, MN
University Hospitals Case Medical Center–Cleveland, OH
Doctors Hospital–Columbus, OH
Geisinger Medical Center–Danville, PA
Vanderbilt University Medical Center–Nashville, TN
Scott and White Memorial Hospital–Temple, TX

Teaching Hospitals (200 or more acute-care beds)
Scripps Green Hospital–La Jolla, CA
Rose Medical Center–Denver, CO
Cleveland Clinic Florida–Weston, FL
St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center–Boise, ID
St. Luke’s Hospital–Cedar Rapids, IA
Riverside Medical Center–Kankakee, IL
St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital–Indianapolis, IN
St. Elizabeth Medical Center–Edgewood, KY
Trover Health System–Madisonville, KY
St. Joseph Mercy Hospital–Ann Arbor, MI
Spectrum Health Hospital Group–Grand Rapids, MI
Bronson Methodist Hospital–Kalamazoo, MI
Munson Medical Center–Traverse City, MI
St. Cloud Hospital–St. Cloud, MN
Alegent Health Bergan Mercy Medical Center–Omaha, NE
Aultman Hospital–Canton, OH
Riverside Methodist Hospital–Columbus, OH
Hamot Medical Center–Erie, PA
Robert Packer Hospital–Sayre, PA
Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center–Sioux Falls, SD
Sanford USD Medical Center–Sioux Falls, SD
Baptist Hospital–Nashville, TN
McKay-Dee Hospital Center–Ogden, UT
Gundersen Lutheran Health System–La Crosse, WI
Meriter Hospital–Madison, WI

Large Community Hospitals (250 or more acute-care beds)
Scottsdale Healthcare Shea–Scottsdale, AZ
Saddleback Memorial Medical Center–Laguna Hills, CA
Memorial Hospital West–Pembroke Pines, FL
Martin Memorial Medical Center–Stuart, FL
Venice Regional Medical Center–Venice, FL
Northeast Georgia Medical Center–Gainesville, GA
Silver Cross Hospital–Joliet, IL
Central DuPage Hospital–Winfield, IL
Community Hospital –Munster, IN
Allegiance Health–Jackson, MI
Boone Hospital Center–Columbia, MO
Missouri Baptist Medical Center–St. Louis, MO
Gaston Memorial Hospital–Gastonia, NC
Memorial Health Care System–Chattanooga, TN
Maury Regional Medical Center–Columbia, TN
Saint Thomas Hospital–Nashville, TN
St. David’s Medical Center–Austin, TX
Doctors Hospital at Renaissance–Edinburg, TX
Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center–Houston, TX
Trinity Mother Frances Hospital –Tyler, TX

Medium Community Hospitals (100-249 acute-care beds)
Baptist Medical Center East–Montgomery, AL
Montclair Hospital Medical Center–Montclair, CA
Memorial Hospital Miramar–Miramar, FL
Piedmont Fayette Hospital–Fayetteville, GA
St. Vincent Carmel Hospital–Carmel, IN
St. Francis Hospital-Indianapolis–Indianapolis, IN
Jackson Purchase Medical Center–Mayfield, KY
Minden Medical Center–Minden, LA
Holland Hospital–Holland, MI
Mercy Hospital Clermont–Batavia, OH
Southwest General Health Center–Middleburg Heights, OH
Wooster Community Hospital–Wooster, OH
St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center–Youngstown, OH
DuBois Regional Medical Center–DuBois, PA
Skyline Medical Center–Nashville, TN
Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital–Katy, TX
Dixie Regional Medical Center–St. George, UT
Memorial Regional Medical Center–Mechanicsville, VA
Aurora BayCare Medical Center–Green Bay, WI
Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center–Sheboygan, WI

Small Community Hospitals (25-99 acute care beds)
Evergreen Medical Center–Evergreen, AL
Payson Regional Medical Center–Payson, AZ
St. Elizabeth Community Hospital–Red Bluff, CA
Desert Valley Hospital–Victorville, CA
Parkview Huntington Hospital–Huntington, IN
Major Hospital–Shelbyville, IN
The Finley Hospital–Dubuque, IA
Chelsea Community Hospital–Chelsea, MI
St. Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital–Howell, MI
St. Joseph Mercy Saline Hospital–Saline, MI
St. Joseph Hospital–Tawas City, MI
Buffalo Hospital–Buffalo, MN
Woodwinds Health Campus–Woodbury, MN
Northeast Regional Medical Center–Kirksville, MO
Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital–St. Peters, MO
St. Mary’s Jefferson Memorial Hospital–Jefferson City, TN
StoneCrest Medical Center–Smyrna, TN
Connally Memorial Medical Center–Floresville, TX
Lake Whitney Medical Center–Whitney, TX
American Fork Hospital–American Fork, UT


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