Saline, MI (June 13, 2011) – Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan (HFM) – the Ypsilanti-based non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for those with bleeding and clotting disorders – has launched its new website: www.hfmich.org.

The site was designed and developed by DesignHub, Inc. (www.design-hub.com) of Saline.

HFM strives to find better treatments and cures for hemophilia, Willebrand disease, and other coagulation disorders including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. The organization’s new website describes its support programs, resources, and advocacy initiatives for adults and youth affected by these conditions. The site also provides educational information about bleeding and clotting disorders.

Visitors to the site learn how they can support HFM by volunteering, signing up for membership, and making financial contributions. A simple form lets them donate online to the organization through secure credit-card transactions.

HFM news and events are highlighted on the site’s home page. A search feature helps visitors quickly find the information they seek on the site.

In a password-protected login area of the site, medical clinics can order tags for their patients with bleeding and clotting disorders. Another password-protected login area lets HFM’s board of directors download internal documents securely.

The site features an online store where visitors can order and purchase HFM-branded merchandise including cups, mugs, t-shirts, and hoodies.

About Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan

HFM began in 1956 as Hemophilia of Michigan, an all-volunteer chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation. Its mission was to promote the welfare of those afflicted with hemophilia or related hemorrhagic disorders.

Hemophilia summer camp began in 1969. That same year, HFM received United Way funding, leading to incorporation in 1970 and the hiring of a staff. In 1975, HFM became the regional core center for the Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana treatment centers, with responsibility for handling the federal funding for the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital treatment centers.

During the early years, HFM existed as part of the University of Michigan Hemophilia Treatment Center. The foundation separated from the HTC in 1980. In 1986, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiated AIDS Risk Reduction funding, leading to the hiring of psychosocial members of the HTC teams, and expanding federal funding into all Ohio and Michigan HTCs.

Presently there are nine HTCs in Michigan, nine in Ohio, and one in Indiana – together making up Region V-East. As the regional core center, HFM has fiduciary responsibility for all federal funding for the 19 centers, and provides administrative oversight of the comprehensive care and prevention programs that are funded by the U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The National Hemophilia Foundation amended its bylaws in 1996 to change its formal relationship with its chapters. As a result, HFM was granted its own 501(c)(3) status (federal tax exemption) in 1997 after many years of being under NHF’s umbrella.

More information is available from Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan, 1921 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti, MI 48197. Phone: (734) 544-0015. Toll-free: (800) 482-3041. Online: www.hfmich.org. HFM’s offices are close to I-94, on the south side of Ypsilanti.

About DesignHub

DesignHub, Inc. is a creative services and marketing firm that works with clients on website design and development, brand development, brochures, annual reports, newsletters, advertising, public relations, direct marketing, search marketing, social media marketing, packaging designs, signage, and exhibits, as well as marketing strategies and plans. The company was founded in 1999.

In addition to Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan, DesignHub’s clients include Advanced Photonix Inc., Ann Arbor Tower Plaza Condominium Association, Berry & Associates, BioMedware, Center for Automotive Research (CAR), Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation, Chelsea Lumber, Daycroft Montessori School, Dexter Research, Dimensional Engineering, Electrocon International, Great Lakes Educational Group, Hardwood Solutions, Homeowner Services of America (HSA), Lamaze Family Center of Ann Arbor, McMullen Company, Michigan Business Connection, Motawi Tileworks, National Employment Law Project, Newcomers Welcome Service, OptiMetrics Inc., PTC, Phoenix Contractors, Recycle Ann Arbor, Renewal Ministries, City of Saline, Saline Area Chamber of Commerce, Saline Parks and Recreation Department, SignGraphix, Sun Engineering, the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, and others.

Further information is available from DesignHub, Inc., 600 W. Michigan Ave., Saline, MI 48176. Phone: (734) 944-8705. Email: info@design-hub.com. Online: www.design-hub.com.

Analysis by Altarum Institute’s Center for Studying Health Spending indicates that health care prices in March 2011 were 1.9 percent higher than in March 2010 – the third consecutive month of less than 2 percent growth.

“For the first time since 1997-98, health care price inflation has dropped below 2 percent for three consecutive months” said the director of the center, Dr. Charles Roehrig. “This bodes well for continued low growth in health spending as we move into the second quarter of 2011.”

Altarum’s latest “Health Sector Economic Indicators” report shows that prices for hospitals grew by only 1.4 percent in March, while physician prices increased by only 1.6 percent. These two sectors were large enough to offset the 4.0 percent growth in prices for prescription drugs and hold overall growth below 2 percent.

While this brief emphasizes prices, it also incorporates data from Altarum’s March health spending brief, thus revealing the striking role of utilization in health spending growth trends. The report shows that health care utilization has been more important than prices in determining the rate of growth in national health spending.

“In our March 2011 spending brief, we noted a continuation of historically low rates of growth in health spending,” said Altarum’s Roehrig. “Over the past 10 years or so, the rate of increase in health care utilization has slowed considerably and been the main contributor to slower spending growth. However, over the past few months, slower price growth has offset a rebound in utilization to keep spending growth at low levels. We are particularly interested in understanding the determinants of the utilization trends.”

Altarum’s analysis is based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics price data, and its own monthly composite health care price index, which is patterned after the price index developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. To see the April and previous “Health Sector Economic Indicators” reports, visit Altarum’s website at www.altarum.org/healthindicators. You may also join Altarum’s distribution list to receive email alerts of all future releases of the “Health Sector Economic Indicators” reports.

Customized Digital Health Coaching Solutions Positioned to Help

Ann Arbor, MICH. – March 22, 2011 – HealthMedia, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company and part of the Wellness & Prevention business, today announced that a study on women and stress management found that women have unique needs across the age spectrum and that work, time demands, and finances are the primary sources of stress for them. The study also demonstrated that women are interested in assistance with stress management, but they are uncomfortable asking for help or imposing on others with regards to managing their stress.

The study, titled “Women Using a Web-based Digital Health Coaching Programme for Stress Management: Stress Sources, Symptoms and Coping Strategies,” was published in the March 2011 issue of Stress and Health. Researchers reviewed data from more than 63,000 women between the ages of 18 and 59 years who participated in a HealthMedia® digital health coaching program for stress management.

Digital health coaching combines behavioral science with advanced technology to create a customized, confidential program that is accessible 24/7 by participants. The HealthMedia® Relax® program emulates a health coaching session, without the coach, to deliver an individually personalized stress management plan that addresses each participant’s sources and symptoms of stress. The plan teaches stress-coping skills and shows participants how to reduce stress levels along with managing the physical and psychological consequences of chronic stress and stress-related symptoms.

While the main drivers of stress were similar for all the study participants, the data showed that stress levels, specific stress sources, symptoms, and coping strategies varied by age group. These differences emphasize the importance of considering the unique characteristics of women when providing them with stress management interventions.

For example, younger women (18 to 29 years of age) reported higher stress scores than older women (50 to 59 years of age). The younger group found life transitions (like graduation or a new job) to be a key concern, whereas the older group reported greater concern for their health or the health of a loved one. In dealing with stress, older women reported more confidence and comfort in their ability to cope, and appeared to have a more proactive, meditative, and accepting approach to stress management than their younger counterparts.

“The findings demonstrate why it is so important to tailor these types of programs to the individual level. In addition, they suggest that digital health coaching programs can provide women with effective tools and the skills necessary to manage stress,” said Kevin Wildenhaus, Ph.D., Director of Behavioral Science at HealthMedia, Inc. “The customizable, scalable, and confidential nature of these programs have enabled us to reach tens of thousands of women who may not otherwise seek help for stress management.”

About HealthMedia, Inc.
HealthMedia, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company and part of the Wellness & Prevention business, is a leading innovator in combining advanced technology and behavioral science to effectively deliver Digital Health Coaching programs via the web. The company applies its technology to address many of the most problematic pain points facing the health industry today: participation, scalability, cost, efficacy, individual ownership, and return on investment. HealthMedia’s suite of programs provides automated web-based coaching for wellness, disease management, behavioral health, and medication adherence. HealthMedia Digital Health Coaching programs deliver proven outcomes – increased reported compliance, reduced medical utilization, and increased estimated productivity – helping to improve profitability for health plans, employers, pharmaceutical companies, and behavioral health organizations. Clients include Aetna, Community First Health Plans, Daiichi Sankyo, Health Alliance Plan, Kaiser Permanente, Physicians Plus Insurance Corporation, Scott and White Health Plan and ten Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations across the United States. HealthMedia partners include APS Healthcare, SHPS, and StayWell Custom Communications, LLC. For more information, visit www.healthmedia.com.

March 23, 2011 – ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Analysis by Altarum Institute’s Center for Studying Health Spending indicates that health spending in January 2011 grew by 4.4 percent compared to January 2010—the 28th consecutive month of historically low growth.

“The rate of increase in health spending has been hovering at an historically low level for more than two years, and health spending as a share of GDP has stabilized since the start of the economic recovery in June 2009,” said Altarum Center for Studying Health Spending director Dr. Charles Roehrig. “If these health spending trends continue, and if recent consensus forecasts of GDP growth materialize, we will enter a rare period of decline in the health spending share of GDP.”

Altarum’s latest “Health Sector Economic Indicators” report shows that health spending growth for the 28 months from October 2008 through January 2011 has averaged 3.9 percent and has not exceeded 4.4 percent for any given month. The health spending share of GDP was 17.7 percent in January 2011, up from 16.3 percent at the start of the recession (December 2007), but relatively unchanged from January 2010.

“For health spending as a share of GDP to stabilize over the long term, it must actually decline significantly during economic expansions to offset the increases that inevitably occur during recessions,” said Altarum’s Roehrig. “While current trends are encouraging, we have not seen such declines in past recoveries. The extent to which recent world events adversely affect GDP growth will be a key factor in whether the health spending share declines, holds steady, or even increases over the next few months.”

Altarum’s analysis is based on its own monthly health spending estimates that combine U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis National Income and Product Account data and the recently re-benchmarked National Health Expenditure Account data. To see Altarum’s March “Health Sector Economic Indicators” report, visit Altarum’s website at www.altarum.org/healthindicators. You may also join Altarum’s distribution list to receive e-mail alerts of all future releases of the “Health Sector Economic Indicators” reports.

Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corp. agrees to give up $35 million in profits

SILVER SPRING, Md., March 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corporation (TCVS) of Ann Arbor, Mich., and two of its officers, Mark A. Sutter, president and chief executive officer, and Mark Lincoln, vice president of Quality Assurance and Operations, have signed a consent decree of permanent injunction.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090824/FDALOGO)

The consent decree, to be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan by the Department of Justice, Office of Consumer Litigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office, prohibits the company from manufacturing and distributing two heart-lung bypass systems and other cardiovascular devices to new customers.

The consent decree also restricts sale of these systems to existing customers until TCVS complies with the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) and Medical Device Reporting (MDR) requirements.

TCVS also agreed to pay the federal government $35 million in disgorgement of profits derived from past sales and additional disgorgement amounts should it fail to comply with the provisions of the consent decree in an effective and timely manner.

"Medical device manufacturers must comply with the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practice and Medical Device Reporting requirements, as this action demonstrates," said Steven Silverman, director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "These requirements protect patients by assuring that medical devices are safe, effective, and high quality."

During an inspection from January through March 2010, FDA investigators observed numerous cGMP and MDR violations at the company’s Ann Arbor manufacturing facility. The violations included deficiencies in processes for corrective and preventive action, nonconforming product, complaints, purchasing, process validation, design controls, and adverse event reporting.

The FDA has twice warned TCVS about its cGMP problems, issuing warning letters to the company in 2004 and in 2006.

Heart-lung bypass systems, also called perfusion systems, keep blood circulating and oxygenated by temporarily taking over the function of the heart and lungs during cardiac or thoracic surgery.

The consent decree restricts the company from distributing and manufacturing the following products:

Terumo Advanced Perfusion System 1
Sarns Modular Perfusion System 8000
Sarns Centrifugal System
HX2 Temperature Management System
Sarns TCMII Cooling and Heating System
CDI 500 Blood Parameter Monitoring System
Sarns Sternal Saw II System and Replacement Blades
T-Link Data Management Systems (Software Upgrades)
Cannulae for cardiopulmonary bypass
Cannulae for cardioplegia delivery
Vents, suckers, dilators, connectors, and reducers.

The company must also stop distributing the CDI 101 Hematocrit/Oxygen Saturation Monitoring System, which has yet to be reviewed by the FDA.

Because of concerns about possible shortages, the consent decree does not require TCVS to remove the listed products from the market. The company will be allowed to continue to provide service, replacement parts, and loaner devices to existing customers that submit documentation of medical need.

TCVS will be sending its customers a notification guide, which will include instructions for completing and returning a certificate of medical necessity. Its customers can contact the company by phone at 1-800-521-2818 or by email at cardiovascular@terumomedical.com. TCVS plans to establish a customer website: www.terumo-cvs.com/consentdecree.

The decree becomes effective when it has been filed with and entered by the court.

For more information

Aug. 31, 2004 FDA Warning Letter to Terumo Cardiovascular Systems

Aug. 31, 2006 FDA Warning Letter to Terumo Cardiovascular Systems

Media Inquiries: Karen Riley, 301-796-4674; karen.riley@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration

February 16, 2011 – Ann Arbor, Michigan ­ Wagner Design Associates has developed several key marketing pieces for the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) Office of Research and its Business Development team. The graphic design firm designed the Business Development logo using compass imagery to signify the team’s role as collaboration navigators for faculty, and created a pocket folder and flyers that give a comprehensive view of how the team facilitates interactions between faculty and industry partners. Wagner also designed complementary pieces for conference use, including a retractable banner, table drape and giveaways. In addition to the work for the Business Development team, Wagner also enhanced the Office of Research web site with new graphic elements.

With expertise in both the academic and business realms, the U-M Medical School Business Development team connects faculty with new collaborators and helps them navigate the most efficient path to accelerate research from “bench to bedside.”

Wagner Design provides a full range of creative design and advertising services to organizations in the high technology, retail, health care, financial, and academic sectors. The firm has won recognition and awards for its work in print collateral, direct mail, electronic communications, and web design, and has been featured in various design publications.

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 11, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASTM), a leading developer of expanded autologous cellular therapies for the treatment of severe, chronic cardiovascular diseases, today announced that company president and CEO Tim Mayleben will speak at the 13th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference in the Park South wing of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on February 15 from 10:00-10:25 AM ET.

BIO CEO & Investor Conference is the largest independent investor conference focused on publicly-traded biotechnology companies. The meeting provides a forum for institutional investors, industry analysts and senior biotechnology executives to network and present updates on clinical progress, key business issues, and important developments in the biotechnology field. This year’s conference will take place from February 14-15 in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

The presentation will be webcast live and will also be accessible in archive through May 16, 2011, beginning one hour after the presentation. The URL for live and archived access to the presentation is http://www.veracast.com/webcasts/bio/ceoinvestor2011/61205369.cfm. Participants should allow approximately five to ten minutes prior to the presentation start time to visit the site and download any streaming media software needed to listen to the webcast.

About Aastrom Biosciences

Aastrom Biosciences is developing expanded autologous cellular therapies for use in the treatment of severe, chronic cardiovascular diseases. The company’s proprietary cell-processing technology enables the manufacture of mixed-cell therapies expanded from a patient’s own bone marrow and delivered directly to damaged tissues. Aastrom has advanced its cell therapies into late-stage clinical development, including a planned Phase 3 clinical program for the treatment of patients with critical limb ischemia and two ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. For more information, please visit Aastrom’s website at www.aastrom.com.

Acquisition of Palladian Partners Provides Altarum with Vital New Health Communications and Marketing Capabilities

ANN ARBOR, Mich. –Altarum Institute President and CEO Lincoln Smith announced today that Altarum has finalized its acquisition of Silver Spring, Maryland-based Palladian Partners, Inc., a health communications and services company. Palladian will become a for-profit, wholly owned subsidiary of Altarum and will continue to operate from its current headquarters in Silver Spring.

“In our client-funded and internally chartered work, we are meeting a growing requirement to help design and deliver insightful and targeted health communications, ranging from public service announcements, to research publications, to social media outreach,” said Smith in making the announcement. “Palladian Partners’ experience in providing health communications support to the government and private sector will add a vital new capacity to Altarum and will ensure we can offer our current and future clients a full range of services.”

Palladian Partners specializes in science, medical, and public health communications services for government agencies and the private sector. Services include strategic communications planning; writing and editing; publication development and graphic design; web content strategy; website design and development; digital media production; public outreach and media relations; research and evaluation; and conference management. Founded in 1996, Palladian Partners has approximately 60 employees and $10 million in annual revenues. The acquisition will grow Altarum’s total employee base to more than 430 and increase annual revenues to nearly $90 million.

“Joining the Altarum team is tremendously exciting for us,” said Palladian President Beth Maloney. “Having partnered with Altarum on several projects over the past three years, we know the breadth of consulting expertise they offer, and are pleased that our services officially will be a part of the organization. Palladian will continue providing top-notch support to our clients while leveraging the unique capabilities of Altarum.”

Aboiut Altarum
Altarum Institute (www.altarum.org) integrates objective research and client-centered consulting skills to deliver comprehensive, systems-based solutions that improve health and health care. A nonprofit serving clients in the public and private sectors, Altarum employs more than 400 individuals and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan with additional offices in the Washington, DC area; Sacramento, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Portland, Maine; and San Antonio, Texas.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman has approved the final report on implementation of the new smoke-free policy that goes into effect July 1.

Leaders of the effort say the final plan was crafted after more than a year of extensive input from many in the campus and surrounding community.

"At the outset, we said we wanted to hear from representatives of all members of our community—faculty, staff, students, area residents, smokers, nonsmokers and never smokers—and we did," said Kenneth Warner, former dean of the School of Public Health and the Avedis Donabedian Distinguished University Professor of Public Health. "Five different subcommittees compiled surveys, conducted focus groups, held numerous meetings, and more, to get input from those who would be impacted by this change. The final report is a reflection of the input we received."

The steering committee for the Smoke-free University Initiative’s report includes 14 recommendations that define campus smoke-free boundaries, commit to treatment and support for those who wish to receive assistance to quit, and outline expectations for compliance. Among the recommendations:

• While all U-M facilities, buildings and grounds will be smoke free, smoking will not be prohibited on sidewalks adjacent to public thoroughfares on the Ann Arbor campuses

• All parking structures and surface lots should be smoke free. This does not include smoking in privately owned vehicles within these locations.

• Peer support, supervisory oversight and voluntary compliance should be relied upon to lead to behavioral changes over time. Smokers refusing to extinguish the product or repeat offenders of the policy should be addressed through existing disciplinary or other appropriate processes.

• U-M should provide resources to support managers, supervisors, students, faculty and staff with methods to address violations in a respectful manner.

• MHealthy and the University Health Service Health Promotion and Community Relations department should support faculty, staff and students in their stop-smoking efforts.
Coleman announced in April 2009 the plan for all three U-M campuses to go smoke free. A target date for implementation was set as July 1, 2011, to allow the subcommittees—facilities, grounds and the Ann Arbor interface; faculty and staff; guests, events and athletics; student life; and communications—the opportunity to gather input and make recommendation to the steering committee. It also allowed time for each campus to develop its own implementation plan.

"We were very pleased that so many in the university took the time to express their opinions, ask thoughtful questions and challenge the steering committee to come up with a policy that considers the impact on all of its constituents. We also are grateful to the many people who spent numerous hours working on the five subcommittees," said Dr. Robert Winfield, U-M’s chief health officer and director of University Health Service. "We are confident that with all of this great input we have a policy that achieves our goal of promoting a healthy campus while being as respectful as possible to the needs and concerns of all in our community.

One of the questions heard most often from the various groups was about how boundaries would be defined. While the report calls for all university facilities, buildings and grounds, including athletic properties, to be smoke-free, it makes two exceptions: smoking inside personal vehicles and along main thoroughfares. The ban does not include smokeless tobacco products.

The steering committee recommendation that smoking should not be prohibited along public thoroughfares was a decision based on the fact that the streets are not university-owned and, therefore, U-M has no authority over the adjacent sidewalks. To be consistent, it also treated the sidewalks along major roads on North Campus—which are university-owned—as areas outside of the smoking ban. Sidewalks within a campus area, such as the Diag, however, will be smoke free. Some signage, website maps and the presence of smoking receptacles in those places that are not included in the ban will help define the areas, leaders say.

In order to keep people from having to walk through smoke-filled areas, the ban also included sections of sidewalk adjacent to access drives, loading docks, parking structures, parking lots or along driveways—even if these areas are along major thoroughfares.

A second question frequently asked by students, faculty and staff was how the policy would be enforced.

"This was carefully considered by the group and it was decided that we would rely on voluntary compliance, along with peer and supervisory support, rather than fines or other means of enforcement," said Laurita Thomas, associate vice president for human resources.

The smoke-free policy will be included in the university’s Standard Practice Guide, which outlines disciplinary procedures for staff who violate any university policy. Student-related smoking violations would get directed to the Office of Student Conflict Resolution, which handles issues involving student conduct.

Thomas says the steering committee heard from a number of supervisors who were concerned about what they should do when faced with violators. The team is in the process of sharing the final report with the supervisors, and will equip them with information that will assist in helping others adapt to the new policy, she says.

According to surveys, students (both smokers and nonsmokers) were most concerned about the rights and accountability of their peers. While 45.4 percent of students indicated that the initiative would affect them "slightly" or "not at all," 21.5 percent indicated that the initiative would affect them "a great deal." All of these populations were concerned that smokers and nonsmokers alike be treated with respect and fairness

Another key recommendation in the plan called for MHealthy and the University Health Service Health Promotion and Community Relations department to support faculty, staff and students who want to stop smoking and wish to receive assistance. Shortly after the smoke-free campus announcement was made, both programs announced a number of incentives and services for those who wanted to take the campus ban as an opportunity to quit.

Faculty, staff and their spouses or other qualified adults can receive free smoking-cessation counseling, use of Web or phone assistance smoking-cessation programs, and the inclusion of generic over-the-counter nicotine replacement products in the Tier 1 pharmacy benefit. They also can count participation in a quit program toward a $100 MHealthy incentive. Similarly, UHS has offered students free quit classes, counseling and over the counter nicotine replacement products when enrolled in a counseling program, along with discounted smoking-cessation prescription products.

The plan also lays out some communication goals to make sure students, faculty, staff and visitors are aware of the change. Communication through recruitment and orientation channels (faculty, staff and student), promotional materials provided to visitors, and outreach via campus and external media has been under way since shortly after the announcement of a smoke-free campus was made. Last week, materials targeted at students—which received student feedback prior to final approval—were distributed widely across campus. A similar awareness campaign to launch in February is planned for faculty and staff.

The final recommendations in the report charge the Tobacco Consultation Service with day-to-day management and monitoring of the policy, and call for an advisory committee to assist the chief health officer in evaluating any recommended changes to it, should any be suggested over time

Read the final report and find information on assistance for those who wish to quit at smokefree.umich.edu.

Ann Arbor, MI (November 23, 2010) – Lawrence Power, M.D. of Ann Arbor has launched “Erie Tales: Prose Poetry from a Doctoring Life,” an online collection of short stories based largely upon his experiences from a 50-year medical career.

The new site, found at www.erietales.com, derives its title from the setting of Dr. Powers’ stories – homespun, sometimes nostalgic, yet always insightful – in the mythical town of Fort Anguish, Ohio, on the shore of Lake Erie.

“My intent with these tales,” said Dr. Power, “is to be both entertaining and enlightening. I trust that readers will gain a better understanding of the medical profession even while they enjoy the small-town shadings and whimsical asides.”

The “Erie Tales” site has kicked off with six stories so far for November 2010. Their evocative titles – “Holy Roller,” “Bare Minimums,” “Christmas Boy,” “Eating Machines,” “Playing Edges,” and “Dark Victory” – should give the curious even more incentive to check in online for a diverting read.

Dr. Power chose DesignHub, Inc. (www.design-hub.com) of Saline to help him create “Erie Tales.” DesignHub used WordPress, the popular open-source content management software, to design and develop the site in a blog-like format. Dr. Power himself now works with WordPress to regularly update the site with new postings.

About Dr. Power

Practically anywhere a medical career can take you, Dr. Lawrence Power has experienced it. In a clinical career spanning five decades, he actively managed or consulted on over 100,000 patients. He also taught medical students, residents, and practitioners, and published clinical research into diabetes mellitus.

Dr. Power trained in endocrinology and metabolism at the University of Michigan. He is a certified specialist of the American Board of Internal Medicine, a past professor at two medical schools (the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and Wayne State University in Detroit), and a former chief of medicine at Detroit General/Receiving Hospital.

While acquiring the basic skills of patient management, Dr. Power spent a year in a busy general practice of medicine. There he made house calls, assisted at surgery, and saw the community through its seasonal epidemics.

Along the way, Dr. Power sometimes attended to the grim results of altercations, accidents, and suicides. Yet he also delighted in delivering many a healthy baby during his GP days.

At other times in his career, Dr. Power served for several stretches of months at a time as an emergency room doctor.

It is from this hands-on involvement in the lives of ordinary people, living thoroughly human existences, that Dr. Power has distilled his “Erie Tales.”

About DesignHub

DesignHub, Inc. is a creative services and marketing firm that works with clients on website design and development, brand development, brochures, annual reports, newsletters, advertising, public relations, direct marketing, packaging designs, signage, and exhibits, as well as marketing strategies and plans.

DesignHub was founded in 1999. Its principals include: Karen Ragland, business manager and account executive; Ted Chesky, creative director and graphic designer; and Chris Kochmanski, marketing strategist, account executive, and copywriter. The firm has on-staff and freelance professionals for graphic design and website design and development.

Further information is available from DesignHub, Inc., 600 W. Michigan Ave., Saline, MI 48176. Phone: (734) 944-8705. Email: info@design-hub.com. Online: www.design-hub.com.