Press Releases

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2e479d/pittsburgh_breast) has announced the addition of the "Pittsburgh Breast Imaging" training to their offering.

The Allegheny General Hospital recently conducted the Pittsburgh Breast Imaging course. This activity is now available in two video formats to meet your needs - DVD and MP4.

This nationally recognized annual seminar is offered for radiologists, surgeons, radiologists-in-training, mammography technologists, and ultrasound technologists who have an interest in breast ultrasound. The activity is designed to provide an update in breast imaging techniques, including routine mammography, breast ultrasound, and MRI of the breast. This year's course focuses on breast intervention, MRI of the breast, MRI biopsy techniques, and digital mammography. Digital tomosynthesis, PET specific for breast screening, and Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) will be highlighted.

Associate Professor of Human Oncology at Drexel University College of Medicine and Associate Director of the Allegheny Breast Care Center at the Division of Breast Imaging, Allegheny General Hospital, William R. Poller, MD, FACR, is the course director.

Notes on Formats available:

Video - DVD: Includes 10 DVDs with carrying case, 1 CD-ROM Syllabus, and program evaluation Video - MP4: Includes 1 MP4 data discs with carrying case, 1 CD-ROM Syllabus, and a program evaluation. Additional User Package: Includes 1 CD-ROM Syllabus and a program evaluation (initial video purchase required), click on "Enquire Before Buying" to purchase this additional CD-ROM

Date of Original Release: October 1, 2009 Date Credits Expire: September 30, 2012

Accreditation Statement

Allegheny General Hospital is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The American Board of Radiology accepts this CME certified activity towards the AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) requirement as established in the maintenance of certification criteria.

Learning Objectives After viewing this activity, participants should be able to:

    --  Increase the confidence of differentiating benign from malignant breast
        lesions
    --  Explore the use of digital imaging, including tomosynthesis
    --  Examine multiple percutaneous biopsy techniques including
        stereotactic-guided, ultrasound-guided, and MRI-guided biopsies
    --  Provide an overview of pathological findings in breast disease
    --  Explore the role of the radiologist and breast surgeon in the workup of
        breast disease
    --  Become familiar with the indications for Breast MRI
    --  Become familiar with the concept for multidisciplinary breast center
    --  Become familiar with new modalities such as PET for Breast and BSGI

Some Key Topics Covered:

    --  Challenging MRI Cases
    --  Breast Cancer Management: The Radiologist's Role
    --  Digital Tomosynthesis: The West Coast
    --  Breast Calcifications
    --  Breast MRI: How To Get It Started At Your Facility
    --  Digital Mammography: Update
    --  Axillary Lymph Node Staging by Breast Imaging
    --  Positron Emission Mammography and BSGI
    --  Breast Intervention in My Practice
    --  Lumps and Bumps in the Male Breast
    --  The High Risk Patient: What Does This Mean?
    --  MRI Biopsy Techniques
    --  An Update on Coding and Billing Breast Procedures
    --  Basic Breast MRI
    --  The Surgeon's Perspective of Breast MRI
    --  Challenging Cases
    --  Panel Discussion
    --  Panel Discussion - Breast MRI

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2e479d/pittsburgh_breast

    Source: Research and Markets

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach (OTCBB: FMBL) today announced that its board of directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $21 per share and a special cash dividend of $25 per share on the Bank's common stock. Both dividends are payable on December 15, 2009 to shareholders of record as of December 1, 2009.

About Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach

Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach provides personal and business banking services through 22 offices in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Founded in 1907 by C.J. Walker, the Bank specializes in commercial and small business banking along with business loan programs.

    Source: Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops urged the Senate to make essential changes its health reform bill in order to keep in place federal law on abortion funding and conscience protection on abortion, protect access to health care for immigrants and include strong provisions for adequate affordability.

The bishops called the Senate health care bill an "enormous disappointment" that creates new and unacceptable federal policy for funding and coverage of abortions, as well as rights of conscience. Bishop William Murphy, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo and Bishop John Wester voiced their wish for better health care reform legislation in a November 20 letter to the Senate. They chair the bishops' Committees on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Pro-Life Activities and Migration, respectively.

The letter, which was accompanied with a fact sheet on the House Stupak Amendment (http://www.usccb.org/mr/mediatalk/StupakAmendmentFactsheet.pdf), urged Senators to improve the Senate health care bill in the key areas of affordability, immigration, federal funding and coverage of abortion and conscience rights.

According to the bishops, the bill "does not live up to President Obama's commitment of barring the use of federal dollars for abortion and maintaining current conscience laws." They cited an "abortion surcharge" that would force insurance purchasers to pay for other people's abortions, provisions that would allow the HHS Secretary to mandate unlimited abortion coverage nationwide, and that the bill does not even allow for religious institutions to offer their own employees coverage that conforms to their institution's teaching.

"The Catholic bishops have advocated for decades for affordable and accessible health care for all, especially the poor and marginalized," the bishops said. "The Senate bill makes great progress in covering people in our nation. However, the Senate bill would still leave over 24 million people in our nation without health insurance. This is not acceptable."

The bishops encouraged expanding Medicaid eligibility for those living at 133 percent or lower of the federal policy level. They also urged an end to the five-year ban on legal immigrants for accessing federal health benefits programs and said that undocumented persons should not be barred from purchasing insurance plans with their own money.

"Providing affordable and accessible health care that clearly reflects these fundamental principles is a public good, moral imperative and urgent national priority," said the bishops.

The text of the letter can be found online at http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/2009-11-20-ltr-usccb-health-care-to-senate.pdf and in Spanish at http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/SP_1080_hc_reform_Sen_1120.pdf.

SOURCE United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Zagat recently released the results of its first cruise line survey revealing that travelers named Crystal Cruises as their "favorite" among mid-sized ships. The ultra-luxury line was also the winner for Top Facilities and Top Activities.

The survey, conducted on ZAGAT.com, covers 22 major cruise lines as voted on by 2,379 regular cruisers.

The announcement comes less than a month after Conde Nast Traveler readers voted Crystal Cruises as the "Best Large-Ship Cruise Line" for a 16th year and, in August, Travel + Leisure readers voted the ultra-luxury line as the "World's Best" for a 14th consecutive year. Crystal Cruises has also recently been awarded Best Luxury Line by editors at Cruise Critic, trade magazines and leading travel agents.

"We are very pleased that experienced cruisers are rating Crystal as their favorite," says Gregg Michel, president of Crystal Cruises. "The choices of sophisticated facilities and the array and quality of activities aboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity are resonating with guests who want their port experience embellished with an interesting and fulfilling shipboard experience."

Crystal Cruises' ultra-luxurious Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony are renowned for their service, space, quality and choices, as well as innovations and value. In 2010, Crystal Cruises celebrates its 20th anniversary with an array of value-added promotions, including two-for-one pricing, up to $1,000 per person All Inclusive - As You Wish spending credits, free airfare with most cruises and a price guarantee. The ships sail worldwide on itineraries through the Mediterranean, Australia/New Zealand, Southeast Asia, India, Middle East, Baltic, British Isles, North Cape, Africa, South America, Panama Canal, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera and New England/Canada. New seven-day cruises in 2010 complement a variety longer itineraries offer more choices to sample the line's lauded Crystal Experience.

For more information or Crystal reservations, contact a professional travel agent, call 888-799-4625, or visit crystalcruises.com.

CONTACT: Mimi Weisband or Julie Dibble (310) 203-4305, mediarelations@crystalcruises.com

SOURCE Crystal Cruises

TULSA, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SemGroup, L.P. announced today that the company has selected David Gorte as its chief risk officer (CRO). The CRO will report directly to Norm Szydlowski, SemGroup's presumptive chief executive officer. Gorte will be responsible for developing risk management governance and for independent risk management assessments of transactions and strategies.

Gorte has twenty-eight years of risk management and financing experience related to the energy industry. Immediately prior to joining SemGroup, Gorte served as senior advisor for The Claro Group. Gorte also has served as senior vice president and chief risk officer of Cheniere Energy, Inc., where he was responsible for creating and managing an enterprise-wide risk management organization for the company and its subsidiaries. Gorte's experience also includes risk management and financing origination, structuring, and syndication positions at Enron Corp., Citigroup, Bankers Trust Company (now Deutsche Bank), and Bank of America.

Gorte has a MBA from Columbia University. He also holds a master's degree in professional accounting from the University of Texas and a BA from Carleton College.

About SemGroup

Based in Tulsa, Okla., SemGroup, L.P., is a midstream service company providing the energy industry the means to move products from the wellhead to the wholesale marketplace. SemGroup provides diversified services for end-users and consumers of crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, refined products and asphalt. Services include purchasing, selling, processing, transporting, terminalling and storing energy.

    Source: SemGroup, L.P.