SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Perry Communications Group, Inc. (PCG) is pleased to announce the promotion of Katelyn Downey to the position of Assistant Account Executive.

“Katelyn has demonstrated tremendous growth in the past year at PCG. She has taken a leadership role with media relations activities and community outreach,” said Julia Spiess, Vice President of Perry Communications Group.

Downey uses her specialization in social media and marketing techniques to bring fresh ideas and perspectives in classic organizational communication issues. She will assume greater responsibility for outreach and coordination of grassroots advocacy projects.

Downey joined Perry Communications Group in August of 2010 as an Account Coordinator and is a graduate of California State University, Chico with a degree in Organizational Communication and a minor in Business Management. Prior to working at PCG, Katelyn was an intern at CSU Sacramento’s Human Resource Department. While there, Katelyn focused on policy work, reviewing draft campus policies and recommended modifications in language and process.

In addition to her responsibilities at PCG, Downey sits on the Board of Directors of Wellspring Women’s Center, providing guidance on their public relations and marketing activities.

About Perry Communications Group

Perry Communications Group is an independent, full-service strategic communications firm specializing in public relations and public affairs. We work at the center of issues that matter and give new perspective to the issues and events making headlines today. As well as those that will in the future. We shape ideas, opinions, decisions and social change. The bottom line for us is always the same – we’re invested in the cause and our clients’ work. For more information, visit PCG at http://www.perrycom.com or call (916) 658-0144.
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Cloud Application Tracks Maintenance, Improvements, Inventory, To Dos and Spending

SACRAMENTO, CA (January 27, 2012) – Starting today, homeowners across the country will be able to manage all their important home information in one online solution via the web or mobile application, thanks to HomeZada launching its new software technology in Sacramento.

“HomeZada revolutionizes the way homeowners manage the many aspects of homeownership by bringing together multiple applications and content in one online solution,” said co-founder Elizabeth Dodson. “Our product is much more than a new closet system or plastic container organizer that makes life less cluttered. HomeZada is the only company that organizes and manages the important things we tend to put off or have scattered in different locations, such as an inventory of our possessions, home maintenance checklists, To Do lists, home improvement projects, and home spending.”

HomeZada’s home inventory system manages photos, receipts, warranties, and owners’ manuals for personal possessions and the fixed equipment and materials assets in the home. The home improvement projects features allow the homeowner to financially plan all their remodel, decorative and outdoor projects in a timeline. It also has a template of more than 45 common home improvement projects that homeowners can add to or delete to personalize and maximize the product’s usefulness.

“I have been a licensed real estate agent, a financier, a residential and commercial developer, and have remodeled several homes over the past 30 years. I wish this valuable tool was around years ago,” said Brad Burris, CEO Lakeside Media, Inc., publisher of HOME Improvement and Remodeling Magazine.

The technology provides homeowners with valuable content including more than 150 maintenance, yardwork and special cleaning re-occurring checklists that take into account seasonal issues. Home inventory templates predict common items in a home that minimize data entry time. Homeowners can also save intelligent bookmarks as shopping choices as well as document their purchases and instantly update their home inventory.

“People manage their money, career, travel, entertainment, shopping, and family and friends with online cloud-based solutions,” said co-founder John Bodrozic. “It is time for one cloud-based solution to manage their home and their possessions, and that’s exactly what HomeZada does.”

HomeZada is equally valuable to the first time homebuyer, the step-up home owner and those with multiple homes. With statistics showing that one in every 39 homes is burglarized and a home catches fire every 45 seconds in this country, HomeZada is the gold standard in keeping important documents and lists in one safe, secure place.

“Most people can’t account for all their belongings, particularly if they have more than one home,” said co-founder, David Ing. “Insurance companies require owners to document their loss and police reports require serial numbers and other vital information to help them track stolen property. If the unexpected happens, HomeZada is there to help put the pieces back together.”

One of the valuable components of the product is the alerts and reminders for any upcoming or overdue To Dos including warranties expiring, as well as smart recommendations for additional things the homeowner could do to maximize the management of the home. This helps busy homeowners stay on top of the things that need to be done to retain the value of their homes.

“HomeZada brings all the elements of homeownership together in one place,” said Dodson. “The value for homeowners is improved organization of all the important information about their property and being better prepared if something bad happens to their home. Homeowners can save money on maintaining and improving their property while improving their future planning and spending on their homes.”

ABOUT HOMEZADA

HomeZada (www.homezada.com) is an innovative online home organization software application that helps homeowners manage their household and keep it running smoothly. It’s the first web and mobile solution that manages your home inventory, home maintenance, home improvement projects, home To Dos and home spending all in one central, secure, and easily accessible place.
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International Travel is Major Boost to State’s Economy

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (January 19, 2012) – Visit California applauds President Obama’s efforts to boost international visitation to the United States. In an address today, the President praised the value of travel and announced a federal plan to ease entry requirements for international visitors in an effort to spur the nation’s economy.

Millions of visitors come to California each year from all over the globe, generating more than $17 billion in spending to the state’s economy and helping to support nearly 900,000 jobs.

Highlighting the tremendous economic value of tourism, President Obama discussed the importance of providing access to the U.S. for people from all over the globe, especially those from China, India and Brazil. As access to California is made simpler, visitors from those countries will help boost the state’s economy by traveling more frequently and spending more money while here.

“International visitation remains an untapped pot of gold when people cannot get here,” said Caroline Beteta, President and CEO of Visit California and Vice-Chair of Brand USA. “With an abundance of visitor experiences and a brand loved worldwide, California has a tremendous opportunity to benefit from efforts to improve the entry process for foreign visitors and remain the number one tourist destination in the United States.”

California continues to reap the benefits from international travel:

• In 2012, for the first time ever, the travel industry injected more than $100 billion in direct travel spending into California’s economy;
• While international travel represents only six percent of all visits to the state, it represents 18 percent of all dollars spent;
• International visitation to California is expected to grow 4.8 percent in 2012;
• Total travel-related employment in California in 2011 is expected to reach 890,000 jobs, which is more than four percent of total employment in the state;
• The $17 billion spent in California in 2010 by international travelers alone was more than the combined value of the state’s top four product exports ($15.2 billion): Civilian Aircraft, Non-Industrial Diamonds, Computer Parts and Voice/Image/Data Equipment.

California is already the number one U.S. destination for Chinese visitors. In 2010, approximately 401,000 Chinese visitors – half of the total number that visited the U.S. – came to the Golden State. Those visitors spent a record $1 billion in California.

India is not only one of the fastest growing economies in the world; it is also a rapidly growing market for travel to the Golden State. In 2010, 184,000 visitors came from India to California – up 17-percent from the previous year – and spend $188 million.

The United States is the top international travel destination for Brazilians. In 2010, 112,000 Brazilians arrived in California, representing 9.3 percent of overall 1.2 million arrivals in the USA.

For more information about California’s travel and tourism economic value, please visit http://tourism.visitcalifornia.com.

About Visit California

Visit California is a non-profit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs – in partnership with the state’s travel industry – that keep California top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. California is currently the number one travel destination in the country. In 2010, travel and tourism expenditures totaled $95.1 billion annually in California, supported jobs for 873,000 Californians and generated $6.1 billion in state and local tax revenues. For more information, please visit http://tourism.visitcalifornia.com/.

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MedLion expands direct primary care to Valley residents without insurance

MONTEREY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nearly one in four Fresno residents is without any kind of health care coverage. MedLion, Inc., a pioneering Direct Primary Care practice, today announced the company’s expansion into the Fresno region by including William Work, M.D., in its fast-growing network of affiliated physicians. Dr. Work is a highly respected physician in the region and the latest to join MedLion’s direct primary care practice which provides patients access to high quality and affordable personalized primary care without the high cost and burdens associated with traditional health insurance.

“As people lost their jobs during this economic downturn, so too have they lost their health care coverage and have either gone without routine, preventive medical care or turned to emergency rooms for their care,” said Work. “MedLion is the solution to the crisis of the under and uninsured by providing affordable comprehensive primary care and I’m delighted to be part of this cutting-edge model of care.”

Nearly seven million Californians lacked health insurance in 2010, more than any other state, according to a study by the California Healthcare Foundation released in December. Twenty-four percent of working, non-elderly (65 years old and younger) Californians had no health insurance, four percent higher than the national average. According to the study, individuals who earned less were more likely to lack insurance and nearly one in five Californians with family incomes between $50,000-$75,000 lacked insurance.

“MedLion is doing what no other health care model does in California,” said Samir Qamar, M.D., who developed MedLion in Monterey in 2009. “We close the gap between government run, employer sponsored and uncompensated charity care by offering affordable, high-quality, direct primary medical care without the hassle of traditional HMOs.

Fresno employers will also benefit from the new MedLion practice. More than 16,000 small companies — those with less than 50 employees — operate in the metro area, and each could see significant cost savings when switching over to the MedLion direct primary care model.

“With the MedLion model in place and growing quickly, people now have more choices and greater control over their personal healthcare,” added Qamar “Our successful growth shows that Americans are desperately seeking options to high-cost health insurance plans, options that don’t require them to choose between paying the rent and taking care of their health.”

MedLion is currently in Monterey, San Francisco, Mountain View, Oakland and Fresno and hopes to have hundreds of practices nationwide in the next 10 years. MedLion offers direct primary care for only $59 a month—$39 for seniors and $19 for children—with $10 office visits.

For more information please visit www.MedLion.com or call (888) 880-0007.
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Yolo County and CMSP Governing Board Agree on Participation

Sacramento, Calif. (December 21, 2011) – The County Medical Services Program (CMSP) Governing Board announced today that it has accepted Yolo County’s request to join the County Medical Services Program and participate in Path2Health – a new Low Income Health Program made possible by the State of California’s Federal Medicaid “Bridge to Reform” Waiver. Yolo County’s membership will be effective July 1, 2012. In the mean time, the County and the Governing Board will work on implementation. This is the 35th county to join CMSP and Path2Health.

“We’re excited to have Yolo County join CMSP and Path2Health,” said Lee Kemper, Executive Director of the CMSP Governing Board. “Yolo County’s residents will benefit from this early stage of federal health care reform.”

Under the arrangement, the costs of Yolo County’s participation will be funded by county and federal matching funds. On November 22, 2011, Yolo County’s Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to support a motion to join CMSP and Path2Health. The CMSP Governing Board approved the county’s participation on December 15, 2011. The state and federal governments will need to approve Yolo County’s participation in Path2Health.

By participating in CMSP and Path2Health, Yolo County will be able to expand coverage to more uninsured low income Yolo County adults. Eligible residents with incomes at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $10,890 annually for a single person, will receive no-cost health coverage through Path2Health. This coverage will include medically necessary health care services, including primary care, emergency and hospital care, pharmacy services, and limited dental and vision care. It will also cover a set number of mental health and substance abuse counseling visits.

Other low income adults with incomes above 100 percent up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level will have coverage with a share of cost. At a minimum, the monthly share of cost will be about $300. In addition, limited emergency coverage will be available to low income adults who are undocumented.

“Joining CMSP will increase coverage and expand benefits for the lowest income residents in Yolo County. The county is very pleased to have the opportunity to participate in Path2Health and CMSP,” said Jill Cook, Yolo County Health Director.

The Yolo County Indigent Health Program (YCHIP) currently covers approximately 1,600 low-income residents. With participation in Path2Health and CMSP, an additional 1,600 Yolo County residents are expected to obtain coverage. By the end of 2013, it is projected 3,200 low income residents will have either Path2Health or CMSP coverage. Program costs in FY 2012-13 are estimated at $13.1 million, which includes $5.4 million in federal revenue and $7.7 million in funds from Yolo County.

Resources
Path2Health Logo
Map of Counties Served

About Path2Health

Path2Health is a Low Income Health Program (LIHP) sponsored by the County Medical Services Program (CMSP) Governing Board and authorized under California’s 1115 Medicaid Waiver, which allows counties or a group of counties to expand health coverage to low income persons up to 133% of the federal poverty level using local and federal funds. It will operate as a two-year pilot project until the federal Accountable Care Act (ACA) expands Medicaid for single low income adults in 2014. Path2Health will expand no-cost health care coverage in 34 rural counties to uninsured, low-income adults with incomes up to 100% of the federal poverty level. Over the two-year pilot project, up to 30,000 additional uninsured low income adults are expected to enroll. County and federal funds will support the coverage expansion.

About CMSP

The County Medical Services Program (CMSP) was established in January 1983, when California law transferred responsibility for providing health care services to medically indigent adults from the Medi-Cal program to counties. Smaller, mostly rural counties (populations below 300,000) were allowed to contract back with the State to provide health care services to the population. In 1995, California law was amended to establish the CMSP Governing Board, composed primarily of county officials, to govern and administer the CMSP program. CMSP is funded exclusively by Realignment revenue (motor vehicle license fees and sales tax) and limited county general revenue. The Governing Board operates CMSP under a services contract with each of the 34 member counties. The Governing contracts with Anthem Blue Cross and its subcontractors to administer CMSP medical, dental and vision benefits. The Governing Board contracts with MedImpact Health Systems, Inc., to deliver pharmacy benefits. More than 60,000 low income adults are currently enrolled in CMSP. For more information, go to http://cmspcounties.org.

About the CMSP Governing Board

The CMSP Governing Board, established by California law in 1995, is composed of ten county officials and one ex-officio representative of the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. The Board is charged with overall program and fiscal responsibility for CMSP, which provides health coverage to indigent adults in 34 counties. The Board operates a small administrative office in Sacramento, California.
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New Low Income Health Program, Path2Health, will close the coverage gap for many

Sacramento, Calif. (December 21, 2011) – The County Medical Services Program (CMSP) Governing Board announced today that the Board will expand health care coverage to an additional 30,000 low income adults living in 34 mostly rural counties beginning January 1, 2012 under Path2Health – a new Low Income Health Program. This coverage expansion will increase the number of low income adults served by Governing Board programs to nearly 90,000 by the end of 2013. The coverage expansion is made possible by the State of California’s Federal Medicaid “Bridge to Reform” Waiver. The Governing Board was just notified that Path2Health was approved by the federal government.

“The federal waiver makes it possible to bring the benefits of federal health reform early to many of California’s rural communities,” said Lee Kemper, Executive Director of the CMSP Governing Board.

Path2Health will provide no-cost health coverage to adult Californians who reside in the 34 counties and are at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $10,890 annually for a single person. Implementation in the 34 mostly rural counties follows implementation that occurred in ten mostly urban California counties this past summer.

“Path2Health’s 34 counties represent regions with some of the highest levels of poverty and uninsurance in the state,” Kemper said. “Path2Health will provide many low income adults in these counties with needed health coverage. Others will benefit in 2014 when the federal Medicaid program is expanded by federal reform.”

Path2Health will provide coverage for medically necessary health care services, including primary care, emergency and hospital care, pharmacy services, and limited dental and vision care. It will also cover a set number of mental health and substance abuse counseling visits. Coverage will generally follow coverage provided under CMSP, a long-standing health coverage program serving indigent adults in the 34 counties. CMSP currently serves more than 60,000 low income adults each month.

Californians qualify for Path2Health if they are: a resident of one of the 34 counties Path2Health serves, have an income of up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level, are between 19 and 64 years of age, do not qualify for Medi-Cal, and meet federal citizenship and documentation requirements. More information about Path2Health is available at http://mypath2health.org.

Resources
Path2Health Logo
Map of Counties Served

About Path2Health

Path2Health is a Low Income Health Program (LIHP) sponsored by the County Medical Services Program (CMSP) Governing Board and authorized under California’s 1115 Medicaid Waiver, which allows counties or a group of counties to expand health coverage to low income persons up to 133% of the federal poverty level using local and federal funds. It will operate as a two-year pilot project until the federal Accountable Care Act (ACA) expands Medicaid for single low income adults in 2014. Path2Health will expand no-cost health care coverage in 34 rural counties to uninsured, low-income adults with incomes up to 100% of the federal poverty level. Over the two-year pilot project, up to 30,000 additional uninsured low income adults are expected to enroll. County and federal funds will support the coverage expansion.

About CMSP

The County Medical Services Program (CMSP) was established in January 1983, when California law transferred responsibility for providing health care services to medically indigent adults from the Medi-Cal program to counties. Smaller, mostly rural counties (populations below 300,000) were allowed to contract back with the State to provide health care services to the population. In 1995, California law was amended to establish the CMSP Governing Board, composed primarily of county officials, to govern and administer the CMSP program. CMSP is funded exclusively by Realignment revenue (motor vehicle license fees and sales tax) and limited county general revenue. The Governing Board operates CMSP under a services contract with each of the 34 member counties. The Governing contracts with Anthem Blue Cross and its subcontractors to administer CMSP medical, dental and vision benefits. The Governing Board contracts with MedImpact Health Systems, Inc., to deliver pharmacy benefits. More than 60,000 low income adults are currently enrolled in CMSP. For more information, go to http://cmspcounties.org.

About the CMSP Governing Board

The CMSP Governing Board, established by California law in 1995, is composed of ten county officials and one ex-officio representative of the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. The Board is charged with overall program and fiscal responsibility for CMSP, which provides health coverage to indigent adults in 34 counties. The Board operates a small administrative office in Sacramento, California.
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By Francisco Castro, Los Angeles y Noticias 10:25 AM, Oct. 28, 2011

A student from Bell High School is recovering at the hospital after attempting suicide. Reason: “the constant bullying” the student suffered, said Hop Tarrant, a counselor with Gay and Straight Alliance (GSA), a school-based group the student belonged to.

Apparently the student had been transferred to this school because he had been the victim of the same bullying and intimidation in his old school.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and the case of the Bell student shows the reality faced by students across the country, where appearance, sexual orientation, religion or ethnic origin can make anyone a target of intimidation, harassment, threats and even aggression by other students. It’s known as “bullying,” and “bullies”.

Based on statistics on bullyingstatistics.org, one out of every seven students from grades 1 through 12 nationwide has been the victim of bullying or a bully himself. Additionally, roughly 160,000 students across the country skip school every day for fear of being bullied.

Bullying can be verbal, when someone uses insulting words against others; social, when someone spreads lies or rumors about others; physical, which involves harmful actions against someone’s body; and cyber bullying, when Internet, cell phones and other social networks are used to harm others.

Being gay
Julio Juárez came out of the closet and says since then he knows what “bullying” is, as he has been harassed for his sexual orientation. “When I think of elementary school, I hate it”, said Juarez, a 17-year-old student at Bell High.

When it wasn’t insults in the school halls, it was hitting or ridiculing him for being “effeminate”. “In elementary school I would get involved in fist fights almost every day”, he said.

It made him feel bad. It was not unusual for me to cry when I got home and not want to go to school the next day, Juárez said. “They made me feel that [being gay] was inappropriate, like I was a weirdo”.

Things improved when he started high school, although it was not always that way. “The first year was [insults] each period on the halls. They called me everything. Now it’s once a week or now and then”, said Juárez, one of 50 GSA members. “[With GSA] there has been more tolerance in the school”, he said.

That and participating in his first gay pride parade helped his self-esteem, he said.
“I realized I was not the only one. I don’t allow myself to become a victim”, he said. “I think others see that, and they don’t bother me as much”.

Origin and religion
Of Libyan descent, Alia Tehfi is just one of the nearly 35 Muslim students attending Bell High, where 98% of the 4,388 students are Latino. Proud of her origin and religion, Tehfi wears a veil, following Islamic tradition. But this has also made her a target of bullying. “They call us terrorists”, said the 16-year-old student. “They don’t realize that we are the victims of terrorism in our own country”.

Other times students or people on the street look at her in a discriminatory manner or make fun of her, she said. Occasionally she chooses to take off her veil so that people don’t say anything to her, she said.

Family
As a child, Verónica Valdez was a victim of bullying. “A girl started insulting me because I didn’t speak English”, Valdez said. “She harassed me every day”.

Her 20-year-old daughter went through the same when she was nine. “There was a girl that harassed her because she said [my daughter] dressed like a little girl”, said the mother of three. “She didn’t want to go to school any more. She was afraid they were going to beat her”.

The harassment went on for weeks until her daughter was beaten by the other girl. Then she talked with the girl’s mother and the issue was left behind. But the problem came up again more than a couple of months ago with his 12-year-old son.

For days Valdez had noticed something in John David Ybarra, a boy described as smart and mellow, who suddenly didn’t want to go to school, without explaining why.

A few weeks later, J.D., as they call him at home, came home beaten up and showing scratches in the neck, back and face. He said three boys stopped him and his neighbor, who had been harassing him for a while, hit him and scratched him.

Valdez went to her neighbor’s house to complain. The bully’s parents didn’t know about the bullying and they punished their son, who hasn’t bullied J.D since, although he continues to intimidate him now and then.

“I don’t know why he bullies me”, J.D. said. His mother thinks it could be “jealousy”, because her son is popular among his peers.

As in J.D.’s case, most bullying occurs without the knowledge of parents or school authorities. And although 56% of all students have witnessed bullying in their schools, most don’t report it, for fear of the bully or of being labeled as a “tattletale”.
“Kids don’t report it because there’s definitively a fear of [the bully] or because they think it will be worse if they report it to an adult that won’t understand”, said Michelle Molina, CEO of Peacebuilders, a youth violence prevention program.

Tarrant, the GSA counselor at Bell High, knows this well. “We can’t help you unless you tell us what’s happening”, Tarrant said to students during an anti-bullying event at the school. “It takes one person to change someone’s life. You can be that person”, she said to the students.

Fran Vásquez, the school principal, agreed and asked the hundreds of students and community members attending the event to report acts of bullying. “Don’t be embarrassed, don’t be afraid. You could be saving your life or someone else’s life”, Vásquez said.

Some signs of bullying victims:

• They come back home with clothes or other belongings missing.
• They report losing pens, jewelry or electronics.
• They show inexplicable injuries, difficulty sleeping and frequent nightmares.
• They lose interest in visiting or talking with friends.
• They are afraid or lose interest in school.
• They start talking about suicide.
• They avoid certain places or friends.

Source: Stopbullying.gov

Veronica Valdez and her son John David Ybarra have been the victims of bullying.
Recently, John was attacked by four classmates.

WASHINGTON — (BUSINESS WIRE) — More than 400 of the record 901 biotechnology medicines in development today are being created by biopharmaceutical companies with major operations in California, a new report shows.

Companies with headquarters there account for 201 of the new-generation drugs.

The report, compiled by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), finds that California’s biopharmaceutical companies have embraced a variety of new techniques as they develop 92 biotechnology-derived vaccines to both prevent and treat disease, 193 monoclonal antibody treatments, 33 recombinant proteins and other medicines made from cells and genes.

These medications and vaccines are being developed to treat, manage or prevent heart disease, different types of cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, digestive disorders such as colitis, eye conditions, growth disorders and such autoimmune disorders as systemic lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

California statistics alone underscore the importance of having effective new treatments for these conditions. Heart disease was the state’s leading cause of death every year from 2000 through 2008, accounting for more than a quarter of all state deaths during that period. As for cancer, officials estimate that in 2011 alone, more than 140,000 Californians will be diagnosed with different types of the disease.

That’s more than 16 new cases of cancer every hour of every day. Meanwhile, an estimated 54,690 state residents will die of cancer this year, which works out to nearly 150 people a day.

From 2000 to 2009, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes rose from 6.8 percent to 9.1 percent of the state’s adults for an increase of more than a third in less than a decade.

“Through biotechnology, we are developing new ways to not only effectively treat these diseases, but also to predict, preempt and prevent them,” said PhRMA Senior Vice President Jeffrey Bond. “California is dominant among the handful of states where most of the pioneering research and development work is being done.”

Among the many novel uses of emerging biotechnologies, the state’s biopharmaceutical research companies are exploring new approaches to immunization as researchers seek to develop more effective, safer and easier-to-produce vaccines. “Some new-generation vaccines are being developed to actually treat disease, including those designed to treat cancer by delaying or stopping cancer cell growth or shrinking tumors so the disease does not reoccur,” said Bond.

Companies in the Golden State are also developing monoclonal antibody treatments – laboratory-developed versions of naturally occurring immune system proteins that bind to and neutralize harmful substances – as well as recombinant proteins produced through genetic engineering in living cells. These revolutionary medicines hold promise for a wide range of therapeutic outcomes, including destruction of cancer cells, stimulation of body growth, stimulation of red blood cell production in bone marrow and treatment of Type 1 diabetes.

The companies with operations and headquarters in California are a mix of larger and smaller firms largely clustered in and around San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.

According to data prepared by IMS Health for the California Biomedical Industry Report 2011, in mid-2010 biopharmaceutical companies in the state were developing 12 percent of the global development pipeline of nearly 7,000 medicines and vaccines.

Beyond its decisive contribution to patient health care, the state’s biopharmaceutical industry has also had a significant impact on the state’s economy. A recent report by Archstone Consulting shows that California’s companies that research and develop new medicines supported nearly a half million state jobs – including more than 121,000 direct jobs – and paid $376.9 million in state taxes in 2008.

“With unemployment in the state exceeding 12 percent, these high-value jobs are an invaluable economic asset,” said Bond. “State and federal officials, including lawmakers in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., should do all they can to preserve and nurture this resource.”

Contacts
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
Jeff Trewhitt, 202-835-3460

Bullying Prevention Expert Offers Solutions to Reduce Bullying and Build Safe Communities

–(BUSINESS WIRE)–PeaceBuilders:

WHO:
Michelle Molina, President and CEO of bullying prevention program PeaceBuilders, is available for interviews for October 2011 National Bullying Prevention Month. Michelle brings more than a decade of experience with school-aged children through her past service as a teacher and school administrator. The PeaceBuilders program is a science-based, violence prevention curriculum and professional development program that creates peaceful learning environments to approximately 1,300 schools and youth support providers in 42 states across the nation. Every day, half a million California youth start the day by reciting the PeaceBuilders pledge. It is endorsed by the White House, U.S. Departments of Education and Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Centers for Disease Control.

WHAT:
Bullying is not a new problem, but with advances in technology, bullying and cyberbullying have become an unrelenting ordeal. Despite recent efforts by legislators and school districts to protect students from bullies, an online survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of PeaceBuilders found that parents and children worry more about the dangers of bullies than illegal drug use and believe there should be more resources available to students who experience bullying in schools.

The poll found fathers and mothers have significantly different perceptions about who is equipped to help their children deal with bullying issues. Mothers were more likely than fathers to agree that there should be more resources available in schools to deal with bullying.

Michelle Molina is working to ensure schools and communities have the resources to protect our children. Suicide and bullying can be prevented when schools and administrators have the tools to prevent it.

WHY:
Recent cases of bullying and an alarming increase in related suicides have called communities into action. National Bullying Prevention Month encourages communities nationwide to take an active role in the movement against bullying. The goal is to make bullying prevention a movement that touches every community. Michelle Molina is at the forefront of this issue, working with California legislators in support of bullying prevention policies. To view an interview of her, please visit here.

For more information on PeaceBuilders and PeacePartners, please visit www.peacebuilders.com.

Contacts
For PeaceBuilders
Katelyn Downey, 916-658-0144 (work)
916-600-4307 (cell)
Katelyn@perrycom.com

More than 1,500 jobs added in August

SACRAMENTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Despite reports that the California job market has screeched to a halt, jobs in travel and tourism continue to grow – providing billions of dollars and a million jobs to the state. During August, the leisure and hospitality industry gained 1,500 jobs while the state’s unemployment rate increased to 12.1 percent.

“California’s economy is ever changing and businesses across all sectors have been experiencing challenges,” said Caroline Beteta, President and CEO of Visit California. “The fact that the travel and tourism industry is holding strong despite a general economic downturn demonstrates that the state is a premier domestic and international destination. People come here seeking the California experience.”

In California, nonfarm jobs decreased by 8,400 during August, increasing the state’s unemployment rate from 12.0 percent in July to 12.1 percent. The leisure and hospitality category however, gained 1,500 jobs in the month. Only trade, transportation and utilities and manufacturing added more jobs (5,700 and 1,600 respectively).

This summer, the leisure and hospitality industry continued to play a significant role in California’s labor force and revenue.

• During the summer months of June, July and August, the number of hotel rooms sold in California increased by five percent compared to the year before.
• These figures come on top of a seven percent growth in hotel demand and a seven percent growth in total travel spending in the state during the 2010 calendar year.
• Overseas travel has grown in 2011 – through June, point of entry arrivals into California grew 14 percent from 2010. Overseas visitors are especially important to the state’s economy because they typically stay longer – 11.3 nights – and spend more- $1,200 per trip- than do domestic visitors.

Visit California – California’s official tourism board – is a leading force in helping generate $95.1 billion annually in California in visitor expenditures, 18 percent of which is international. This visitation supports jobs for 873,000 Californians and generates $6.1 billion in state and local tax revenues, which improves local economies and infrastructure for residents and visitors to enjoy.

For more information about California’s travel and tourism economic value, please visit http://tourism.visitcalifornia.com.

About Visit California

Visit California is a non-profit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs – in partnership with the state’s travel industry – that keep California top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. California is currently the number one travel destination in the country. In 2010, travel and tourism expenditures totaled $95.1 billion annually in California, supported jobs for 873,000 Californians and generated $6.1 billion in state and local tax revenues. For more information, please visit http://tourism.visitcalifornia.com/.

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