Know someone who loves to explore? Columbus Day is October 13th and they can discover a new world of snacking with our Fall Feasting Favorite! This keepsake box is filled with treats galore, including delicious varieties of summer sausage, smoked cheddar and sharp cheddar cheese from the cheese maker of Tillamook Oregon, hickory smoked almonds and more!

Who’s bossing you around these days? Boss’s Day is on October 16th and we have fall favorites to celebrate everyone from that special CEO to your magnificent manager! Give great gifts of the season that impress like our Basket of Apple Delights that includes orchard-fresh apple cider, apple butter, and more! Our Bounty of the Fall Tower is a 3-tier tower that always gets a favorable review! Each tier is filled with a special delight including fresh orchard fruit, Harry London chocolate pecan stars, shortbread cookies and more.

Who are you sweet on? Let them know on Sweetest Day, October 18th! This fun fall occasion is a great time to tell your girlfriend, boyfriend, a secret crush or your true love that “you’re sweet on them!” A striking bouquet of Sweetheart Roses in stunning colors or an impressive gift of 3 lbs of Harry London premium milk chocolate smothered over creamy caramel pecan patties, savory gourmet pretzels and sweet graham crackers will give them a dozen ideas of why you must be sweet on them!

Speaking of sweet occasions, Mother-in-Law Day is October 26th! Celebrate that special lady with a gift by Julie Mulligan that says, “thanks for raising the one I love!”-Country Harvest. This gorgeous gathering of bronze mums, brown and yellow roses, yarrow and hypericum berries is gathered and displayed in a vintage-inspired green ceramic pitcher that is food-safe and can be used over and over again at family gatherings once the flowers have faded.

Ghouls and boys alike will scream with delight with the wonderful treats we have in store for Halloween! Even if your tricksters are college age or older, no one ever outgrows our Halloween Treat Bags. These adorable candy bags come in three different styles, a bat, a pumpkin or a spider and each come filled with fun candy that no one will be able to resist! Just imagine that surprise coming to their dorm room!

Don’t forget to vote! Remember, Election Day is November 4th and this year is a presidential vote which means there will be a lot more people heading out to the polls! Send a special surprise to a first-time voter, a local candidate who has worked hard in your community or one of those tireless workers behind the ballots and thank them for surviving the election with a great gift like The Popcorn Factory Survival Treat Pail. This colorful pail is filled with gourmet cheese and almond popcorn, Jelly Belly® jelly beans, Tootsie Rolls and more!

Don’t forget Veteran’s Day is November 11th! Along with giving a special Veteran a reason to smile, send thanks to the scores of caregivers, nurses and doctors who work for the many programs and hospitals helping our Veterans every day. Remember them with a gift that clearly shows your appreciation and gratitude like our Red, White and Beautiful Wreath that features navy blue caspia and silk daisies in red, white and blue on a twig base with a charming flag banner ribbon hanger.

Reminder of Fall Occasions:
Here are the occasion dates:

[October]
World’s Most Popular Birthday, Oct 5th
Columbus Day, Oct 13th
Boss’s Day, Oct 16th Sweetest Day, Oct 18th
Mother-In-Law Day, Oct 26th Halloween, Oct 31st

[November]
Election Day, Nov 4th
Veterans Day, Nov 11th
Thanksgiving Nov 22nd

Providing for and maintaining the health, and healthcare, of its citizens is a challenge for nations worldwide. In the U.S., assigning the responsibility of providing for healthcare between patients, employers and government entities has led to sometimes heated debate. Ultimately, providing citizens with the health care and support they need is the goal.

One organization in the U.S. that seems to have found a system that works well for its members is the Department of Veteran Affairs. The Department of Veterans Affairs has worked to improve its health care quality even under the increasing numbers of veterans entering its system from wars in the Middle East. The Veterans Health Administration employs the largest integrated health care system comprised of 153 medical centers, numerous community based outpatient clinics and community living centers. Together, these health care facilities provide inclusive care to more than 5.5 million veterans every year.

Even in the face of turbulent economic times, The Department of Veterans Affairs has re-strengthened its efforts to provide quality care. The VA tracks performance measures, expands the use of health information technology, manages chronic diseases, coordinates care by different providers and uses evidence-based medical practice. Their VistA health information system includes electronic medical records, computerized physician order entry, medical imaging, lab test results, pharmaceutical management and medical staffing management.

Along with its current inclusive care, The Department of Veteran Affairs is looking for ways to improve the health care and practice of its branches. Researchers have used clinical data in the VistA system to study the effects of quality improvement strategies, like electronic medical record systems. In one study, VA medical centers used VistA’s electronic medical record system components to track how physicians abide by clinical practice guidelines. The efforts to better care and health management by The Department of Veteran Affairs prove that quality care can be attained through better practices and system use.

The Veteran Affairs’ experience and study findings show that when management concentrates on key quality indicators it can improve the performance of those measures, like reducing duplicate lab tests and making sure patients have the recommended vaccinations. If more health care facilities in the nation followed better guidelines, costs could be reduced, leaving a cheaper solution for health provision. Currently, health care in the U.S. is a privilege, not a right. But with the correct monitoring and management system like that of The Department of Veteran Affairs, more affordable and reliable health care could be provided.

Electronic health records, like that of The Veterans Affairs, can help save lives and ensure the improved quality of health care in the future. For more information about a reliable electronic medical record system, contact e-MDs, a leader in electronic medical record software provision. e-MDs offers a host of affordable solutions for physicians and facilities looking to modernize and enhance their services with the latest EMR technology. e-MDs is committed to providing operational solutions and delivering the clinical tools needed to succeed in today’s medical field.

SumTotal’s software will give the Palo Alto, Calif.-based researchers the framework and technology to control how counsellors in the study learn about new treatment approaches. Their study, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), evaluates how best to use technology-based training to help practicing substance abuse counselors learn about cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is an evidence-based treatment that is known to be effective, but is not currently in widespread use in the community.

“We’re not trying to prove — with our study — that online training has merits over classroom training,” said Steven W. Villafranca, research health science specialist at the Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University School of Medicine “We already know that online training can be as effective as face-to-face workshops. Instead, we want to know what is the best possible way to deliver online training to counsellors; so that, they achieve the most beneficial outcomes for their clients. For example, do counsellors learn and retain more when they have the ability to select the training content that they feel is most relevant to their clinical practice, or do they learn best by following a traditional step-by-step process of instruction?”

The Palo Alto research team will use the SumTotal platform to launch two different versions of an online CBT course. The researchers will monitor two groups as they progress through the experiment. One set of participants will have the freedom to choose the online instruction they want, in the order they want. The other group will follow a rigidly prescribed order of online learning. Technology from WebEx, which integrates with SumTotal’s platform, will allow the research team to provide all participants with supervision in small groups. At the end of the study, the researchers will rely on SumTotal’s software to analyze not only what counsellors learned but also how they learned.

“The SumTotal system will show us important ways to combine learning technologies to achieve the best outcomes for counsellors and their clients,” said Kenneth R. Weingardt, associate director of the Palo Alto Health Care System’s Program Evaluation and Resource Center, and the study’s Principal Investigator. “This may be the first time a learning management system has been used to empirically compare different pedagogical approaches.”

“We liked the price of ResultsOnDemand,” added Villafranca. “We wanted a top-rated solution in place quickly for several hundred users, and it was important to have integration with WebEx. So we chose SumTotal.”

A new study by Virginia Chang and colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania, just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests that the quality of health care may not necessarily be worse for obese people compared to normal weight folks.

The reserachers examined eight different performance measures in two US national-level patient populations: (1) Medicare beneficiaries (n = 36 122) and (2) recipients of care from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) (n = 33 550).

The performance measures included diabetes care (eye examination, glycated hemoglobin [HbA(1c)] testing, and lipid screening), pneumococcal vaccination, influenza vaccination, screening mammography, colorectal cancer screening, and cervical cancer screening.

Based on these data, the researchers found no evidence that obese or overweight patients were less likely to receive recommended care relative to normal-weight patients.

In fact, comparing obese vs normal-weight patients with diabetes, obese patients were more likely to receive recommended care on lipid screening (72% vs 65%) and HbA(1c) testing (74% vs 62%).

Obese patients were also more likely to receive pneumococcal vaccinations (53% vs. 49%).

In fact, there was no measure in which obese people were less likely to receive care compared to people with normal weight.

Of course, this study says nothing about attitudes or bias amongst health care professionals, which continues to be a concern, and it should perhaps be noted that the patients in both of these data bases tend to be older.

While the authors interpret these findings as evidence that perhaps more attention is now being paid to health in people presenting with excess weight, they also suggest that previous reports on poorer care for obesity may in part be due to self-reported recall biases in retrospective studies.

Dr. Sharma wonders what his readers think about this issue: any personal stories or anecdotes are most welcome.

About Dr. Sharma:

Dr. Sharma has authored and co-authored more than 250 scientific articles and has lectured widely on the etiology and management of obesity and related cardiovascular disorders. He sends his informative messages through his blog Dr. Sharma’s Obesity Notes.

For more information on Obesity visit;

Website: http://www.drsharma.ca/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Arya-Sharma/115328778486319

Popular memorials around Washington DC are the African American Civil War Memorial, Air Force Memorial, Emancipation Statue, FDR Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, National World War II Memorial, Pentagon Memorial, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington Monument and Albert Einstein Memorial.

Near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and on the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences seats the bronze statue of Albert Einstein. Depicted in a seated position with a book in hand, the statue weighs 4 tons and is 12 feet in length. The papers in his hand hold the equations of the three most valuable scientific contributions the genius made, theory of relativity, photoelectric effect and his theory on energy and matter. Whilst around the area that the statue is placed, three quotations of Albert Einstein can be seen. Three quotes of the genius can also be seen at the sight, each inspiring and provides an insight in to his personality. The memorial is easily accessible no matter the time of day, and lends an endearing image to the magnificence of a man who changed the way the world thought.

Looking for Washington DC hotels for your next trip to the city? Find a variety of budget to luxury Discount hotels Washington with competitive prices from WashingtonDCHotelsEye.com.

Some of the most notable monuments and memorials in Washington DC include; Arlington National Cemetery, where the body of John F Kennedy resides; DC War Memorial; Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial; George Mason Memorial; Jefferson Memorial; Lincoln Memorial; Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial; Pentagon Memorial; Washington Memorial and the Albert Einstein Memorial.

Widely known as one of the world’s most influential scientists, the German born philosopher, Nobel Prize winner, theoretical physicist and author immigrated to the United States in 1933. His death in April, 1955 left a mark on the rest of world, and still his theories are known globally along with his disarrayed hair and wit.

His memorial lies in the National Academy of Science on Constitution Avenue, which is also close to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The sculptor of his bronze memorial was also the creator of the bust of John F Kennedy. In honour of his birthday in April 22, 1979, the Albert Einstein Memorial was unveiled.

The statue is made of bronze, while the bench he is placed on is made from emerald-pearl granite. Engraved on the papers that he holds are the three theories he is most famous for – general relativity, the equivalence of energy over matter and photoelectric effect. If one were to stand directly in front of the statue, it would appear that he was looking straight at you. Known for his frank, shy and inspiring demeanour, some of his famous quotes are inscribed on the seat.

Make a tour of all the memorials and monuments that can be found across the city. When looking for Washington DC hotels that give you close proximity to all the sites that you want visit, WashingtonDCHotelsEye.com offers a diverse collection. Browse through the range of budget to luxury hotels Washington DC and make a selection of the hotel that suits your style and budget.

These days it’s not a good idea to be without health care coverage.  One can get sick anytime and injuries can occur when one least expects them.  It can be expensive to get health coverage and expenses can add up rather fast.

Unpredictable injuries and accidents can clean out people’s financial savings if there is no health coverage present.  Health care is expensive and that’s why many people try to find inexpensive health care coverage.

There are plenty of firms who give health insurance.  These firms have varying health insurance services to connect the right people with the right policy.

A proper insurance policy can take a lot of time and effort to find.  You must make certain that you get the finest coverage you can for a cost that you can cover financially without any major trouble.  Consequently, it’s best to try to get health insurance quotes online to spot the top policies available.

Get an instant quote right now!

Getting a Veterans Private Health Insurance is simple, you just need to provide basic information into a form when using a health quote service.  You will review the different quotes from all the providers by seeing their policy figures.  You can then pick out the insurance plans that provide what you want and that are within your financial grasp.

Health quote websites save you time and energy.  It would take several hours to collect insurance quotes from each provider if done separately.  Luckily for you and me, free website services exist so you can acquire rates from the insurance firms very fast.

Get more info on Veterans Private Health Insurance and get a free insurance rate by going here.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students Program for low income students, for example.  Qualifying students must be U.S. citizens from economically or otherwise disadvantaged environments, and studying at schools that participate in the program.  There are also scholarships for health care students who wish to serve patients in high need areas through the National Health Service Corps, which cover tuition and other educational expenses such as textbooks, and include a monthly stipend.  These scholarships, however, require that the student agree to serve one year in such an area for each year of aid they receive, with a minimum service commitment of two years.

Native Americans who are pursuing health care degrees have various grant opportunities available as well, such as the Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship Program, the Health Professions Pre-Graduate Scholarship Program and the Health Professions Scholarship program.  There are several undergraduate scholarships for academically gifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds as well, such as the Undergraduate Scholarship Program from the National Institutes of Health.  

If you’re wondering how to pay for a degree in health care without a government grant, keep reading.  There are also opportunities for students who volunteer at Veterans Affairs medical centers, need-based grants awarded based on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and other scholarships offered by colleges and universities.

Mortgage that is eligible for the veterans is called VA Mortgage. This mortgage, which is guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, made by a private bank to serve veterans that fulfilled the qualifications. These qualifications are: first, veterans must already served in one of the branches of the American military base in a certain number of years. These numbers of years are various depend on each branches.  Second, the veteran cannot be given any of a dishonorably discharge. This kind of mortgage doesn’t need any down payment. In order to save you money more, a refinance loan for debt consolidation is worth to do. For the veterans it is called with the VA Loan Refinance. The simple way to explain is as follows. If on your mortgage you are paying a high interest rate, and suddenly this interest rate fall 1% lower than what you are paying now, this can mean a substantial savings. By changing the term of your loan or consolidating all your debts into a new loan, this is how you can save your money. Just by simply replacing your existing mortgage with a new one.

A VA Loans is a loan program eligible for American veterans or their surviving spouses (if they don’t remarry) of home financing. Usually private financing are not having any loan program for the veterans to purchase properties with no down payment, this is the reason of this kind of loan is made. This loan gives the veterans of 100% financing with no private mortgage insurance, or a 20% second mortgage. Areas which eligible designed for VA is area not near metropolitan or large cities; it is generally like rural and small cities and towns.