5 Lifestyle drugs for the modern problems of creative professionals

Our jobs at Stinson Brand Innovation are terrific combinations of branding and medicine. But we can’t always take ourselves too seriously. So, I laughed out loud when I saw this list of “creative lifestyle drugs we really need” in a recent issue of Fast Company:

1. Regreterol – for Data Overload
2. Bartiromacta – for Portfolio Compulsive Disorder
3. Vertigore – for Green Inadequacy Complex
4. Tequilacil – for Idea Dysfunction
5. Sopranodone – for Water-Cooler-TV Dry Mouth

Click here to read the hilarious PDR descriptions.

GE Healthcare mirrors the magic of its RSNA presence with real-time interactive features.

Creating a successful event website is about bringing the immediacy of real-world brand experiences to life online.

Click here for more information about GE Healthcare and the RSNA conference.

The annual RSNA conference attracts potential diagnostic imaging customers from around the globe. And it’s an important event for the GE Healthcare brand (80-90% of the company participates).

To make sure its employees and customers stayed connected, the company peppered its website with Twitter, blogs and custom-built features that catered to attendees’ individual needs.

“We wanted to take advantage of what’s going on in social media and decided to put a lot of different components into the site that would cause people to join the conversation,” according to Jim Salinsky, marketing communications manager at GE Healthcare, in EVENT MARKETER. Salinsky would tweet real-time interviews he conducted on the show floor and breaking news to transport the live experience online. “People that couldn’t come to the show said they could experience it just like anybody else by visiting the website.”

The company also allowed customers to customize their show experience both on- and offline. Via its On The Show Floor interactive map, customers could zoom in on specific product areas to pick and choose what products they wanted to learn more about.

Customers unable to visit the booth could still take a deep dive into product features while customers at the show could print a hardcopy to make better use of their time at the booth. Customers could also personalize their experience by selecting the My RSNA feature. Users created a profile then added products to their page and, for those going to the live event, scheduled sessions to attend during the show.

The 2008 RSNA website saw triple the traffic compared to previous years. Before and during the event, the website received about 2,000 page views per day. In the first two months the site was live it generated more than 31,500 page views. The website is still being used to give potential customers access to product information.

Next month, more than 650 health, science, and technology companies will exhibit at the RSNA 2009 meeting to be held November 26 to December 4 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

6 Pearl Award winners that celebrate typography

Typography is often considered print’s unsung hero. The right font and a creative use of type can not only enhance the message, it can actually define it.

Take a look at a few examples from the “typography design” category of the Pearl Awards.

Philips Healthcare connects its RSNA presence to online audiences

One way health, science, and technology marketers can extend the impact of successful events is by bringing the immediacy of real-world brand experiences to life online.

In 2008, Philips Healthcare debuted a new website at RSNA. On it, customers can browse its portfolio of products and watch videos, click to see what’s new at live events and use an email tool to share their experiences with friends or colleagues.

To differentiate its website from competitors’ sites and to create a sense of consistency, friendliness and human contact from the live event to the web, Philips hired an actor to deliver its messages both on and offline. The voice belongs to Aaron Weiner, the actor hired to do the introduction on the internal and external website, as well as appear at live events.

Jeffrey Masters, senior manager-global event marketing for healthcare at Philips, told EVENT MARKETER magazine, “It’s important to our customers that we speak in one voice all the time, and Aaron is somebody they can connect with. The concept for the websites is to make this a continual context strategy, so that if current and prospective customers came to us and saw us at RSNA and came back to us at another event they’re going to see Aaron again and start to build a connection.”

Click here for more information of what's new with RSNA.


Over 650 companies will exhibit at the RSNA 2009 meeting being held November 29 to December 4 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

BNP marker shows potential in finding heart disease in youth

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) appears to be an accurate marker of cardiovascular disease in children, one that may be of diagnostic value, according to research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

We at STINSON Brand Innovation are actively engaged in diagnostic marketing, so we’re always studying how new methods can be used to accelerate the identification, treatment, and monitoring of disease.

Yuk M. Law, M.D., of the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues analyzed data from 100 children and teens, from newborn to 19 years, who were referred for an urgent cardiology consult due to signs or symptoms of potential cardiovascular abnormality. For the study, subjects were divided into two age groups (0 to 7 days old and all older children).

In the younger group, the researchers found that the median BNP was 526 pg/mL in those with disease versus 96 pg/mL in those without. In older children, these median values were 122 and 22 pg/mL, respectively. Among the younger children, those with a BNP of 170 pg/mL or greater had a 91-percent chance of significant cardiovascular disease; and in the older children, those with a BNP of at least 41 pg/mL had a 77-percent chance of significant cardiovascular disease. These cutoffs represent the optimal accuracy.

"It is critical to diagnose neonatal and pediatric patients as quickly as possible; because of lack of a clear history, the gravity of the situation is not always measured properly. In this regard, BNP may have a great future in children as a possible tool in adding details to the whole story," write the authors of an accompanying editorial.

Biosite Inc. provided materials for the study. Read more about Biosite and its Triage^® BNP Test.

A mind in a state of inquiry

I wanted to share this quote about being open and prepared to learn:

“Only a mind
in a state of inquiry
is capable of learning.

When inquiry is suppressed
by previous knowledge,
or by the experience of another,
then learning becomes
mere imitation.”

– Jiddu Krishnamurti,
famous Indian thinker

Read more about our company’s Ethos of learning in the latest issue of our Accelerate newsletter.

N-of-8 categories of technology – and a license plate that recognizes “Ideas. Innovations. Idaho.”

The “Ideas. Innovations. Idaho” license plate not only celebrates the state’s largest industry, but also encourages future innovators of all ages.

Idaho has a long history of entrepreneurs and innovators dating from Philo Farnsworth and the modern television to the Parkinson brothers and Micron Technology.

Idahoans show their pioneering spirit by starting new businesses at three times the national average, according to the Small Business Administration. More than 50,000 Idahoans work in the technology industry.

Idaho’s innovation industries currently employ 8.5% of the state’s workforce and earn 16% of the total wages. These innovation industries contribute over $8.4 billion, about 18%, of Idaho’s $45 billion Gross Domestic Product.

Idaho’s technology base continues to grow. The state currently ranks #1 in the nation in patents per capita and manufacturing investment, as well as #3 in energy costs and #5 in long-term employment growth.

Eight categories of industries are represented:

1. Power & Energy
2. Information Technology
3. Agriculture
4. Biological Sciences
5. Imaging Technology
6. Sensors
7. Nanotechnology
8. Communications Technology

Increased emphasis on the application and use of science and technology in Idaho continues to spawn new companies and industries.

We at STINSON Brand Innovation are pleased to have an office in Boise to serve Idaho companies and research institutions in these core areas.

2 reports offer insight into Baxter's opportunities in existing and new products

Baxter International recently held an investor conference, and we were impressed by the firm's opportunities in existing and potential product sets. And we’re not alone.

Here’s what Julie Stralow, a senior stock analyst covering health care companies for Morningstar, wrote about the Baxter presentation on September 29:

“After digging into these opportunities, we now think the firm's long-term profit prospects are higher than we had been expecting, and we're raising our fair value estimate.

“Baxter's team focused this conference primarily on its research and development efforts. In contrast to the BioScience segment's dominance during the past several years, management's growth expectations for the next five years are strikingly similar for each segment. In fact, it looks as if new product launches in the medication delivery and renal segments will be key catalysts to pump up Baxter's growth and margins in the intermediate term.

“In medication delivery, Hylenex for subcutaneous injections and new infusion pumps should start boosting growth in the next couple of years. In renal, the company's focus on home dialysis could pay off in 2011 and beyond with the expansion of peritoneal dialysis to more eligible patients and a new product launch in home hemodialysis. Both options would greatly improve convenience for end-stage renal patients eligible to receive treatment outside clinics, and expanded use of peritoneal dialysis could actually reduce costs for the overall health-care system substantially, making it a potential winner in health-care reform initiatives.

“Beyond 2014 though, we think Baxter's BioScience segment looks highly promising, and the firm's long-term pipeline may include game-changers in Alzheimer's disease and Type I diabetes.”

Click here to read more on the Morningstar website.


Then just a week later, the Chicago Tribune reported Baxter had unveiled its new Hylenex system that operates by allowing intravenous fluids to be administered under the skin instead of through more traditional intravenous therapy.

Healthcare professionals said traditional IV efforts involve finding a patient's vein, occasionally leading to multiple attempts due to vein size or patient factors.

"Hylenex exemplifies Baxter's ongoing commitment to innovation and introducing products that help to improve the treatment experience and overall standard of care – in this case for parents, patients and caregivers alike," Camille Farhat, general manager of Baxter pharmaceuticals and technologies, said of the company's new product.

The Tribune said Baxter International is hoping for as much as $200 million in annual sales initially for its Hylenex product.

Click here to see the launch branding for the Sub-Q product.

5 ways to ask – and get – what you want

Good things come to those who ask! Asking for what you need is probably the most underutilized tool for people. And yet, amazing requests have been granted to people simply because they've asked for it!

Whether its money, information, support, assistance, or time, most people are afraid to ask for what they need in order to make their dreams come true.

They might be afraid of looking needy, ignorant, helpless, or even greedy. More than likely though, it is the fear of rejection that is holding them back. Even though they are afraid to hear the word no, they're already saying it to themselves by not asking!

Do you ask for what you want or are you afraid of rejection?

Consider this insight from Jack Canfield*: Rejection is just a concept. There is really no such thing as rejection! You're not any worse off by hearing no than you were before you asked. You didn't have what you asked for before you asked and you still don't, so what did you lose?

Being rejected doesn't hold you back from anything. Only YOU hold yourself back. When you realize that there's no merit to rejection, you'll feel more comfortable asking for things. You may just need a bit of help learning how to ask for what you want.

How to Ask for What You Want

There's a specific science to asking for and getting what you want or need in life. And while I recommend you learn more by studying Jack Canfield’s book The Aladdin Factor, here are some quick tips to get you started:

1. Ask as if you expect to get it. Ask with a positive expectation. Ask from the place that you have already been given it. It is a done deal. Ask as if you expect to get a "yes."
2. Assume you can. Don't start with the assumption that you can't get it. If you are going to assume, assume you can get an upgrade. Assume you can get a table by the window. Assume that you can return it without a sales slip. Assume that you can get a scholarship, that you can get a raise, that you can get tickets at this late date. Don't ever assume against yourself.
3. Ask someone who can give it to you. Qualify the person. Who would I have to speak to to get...Who is authorized to make a decision about...What would have to happen for me to get...
4. Be clear and specific. In my seminars, I often ask, "Who wants more money in their life?" I'll pick someone who raised their hand and give them a quarter, asking, "Is that enough for you?" "No? Well, how would I know how much you want. How would anybody know?"You need to ask for a specific number. Too many people are walking around wanting more of something, but not being specific enough to obtain it.
5. Ask repeatedly. One of the most important Success Principles is the commitment to not give up.

Whenever we're asking others to participate in the fulfillment of our goals, some people are going to say "no." They may have other priorities, commitments and reasons not to participate. It's no reflection on you.

Just get used to the idea that there's going to be a lot of rejection along the way to the brass ring. The key is to not give up. When someone says "No"-- you say "NEXT!" Why?

Because when you keep on asking, even the same person again and again...they might say "yes"...

...on a different day
...when they are in a better mood
...when you have new data to present
...after you've proven your commitment to them
...when circumstances have changed
...when you've learned how to close better
...when you've established better rapport
...when they trust you more
...when you have paid your dues
...when the economy is better
...and so on.

Kids know this Success Principle better than anyone. They will ask the same person over and over again without any hesitation (can you relate!).

Getting a good perspective on rejection and learning how to ask will make a world of difference for you as you work toward your goals. Practice asking and you'll get very good at it! You'll even speed your progress by getting what you need, or improving yourself in order to get it later.

Make a list of what you need to ask for, and start asking.


* Jack Canfield is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready for a jump-start, click here to get your FREE success tips from Jack now.

5 tips from Tim Finchem for managing well

As part of its "Boss Talk" interview series, the Wall Street Journal asked PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem for his advice on managing.

1. Do it now.
2. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
3. Seek consensus, but recognize when to sacrifice unanimity for decisiveness.
4. Remember that, as a leader of a team, you are also a member of that team.
5. Take what you do seriously, but not yourself.

3-point approach to getting superior results faster

This book review of Strategic Acceleration: Succeed at the Speed of Life by Tony Jeary was submitted by our account executive Chris Bodmann.

Jeary’s new book is right up our alley here at Stinson Brand Innovation. With a fast-forward symbol as our logo and a mission to accelerate the adoption of new medical technologies, the idea of getting superior results faster is exactly what we do every day.

In Strategic Acceleration, Jeary follows a three-point approach:

1. Clarity: Understanding your targets clearly and the “why” behind reaching them (personally and professionally)
2. Focus: Concentrating on what really matters, and filtering out what doesn’t
3. Execution: Using effective communication (persuasion) to get things accomplished

Speed is certainly the key to success in the modern world, and Jeary’s new book helps drive that point home.


Read more book reviews and other news about our company in the latest issue of Accelerate.

Brand Drivers that lead to more Car Drivers

Blog submitted by Jairaj Mashru, one of our brand engagement managers.

So by now, most of us have known of the latest innovation from India that is expected to revolutionize the collapsing global automobile industry – yes, I am talking about The People's Car, the new nano by TATA Motors. The nano has been featured in a variety of news, media and publications, particularly for its price-to-features ratio. While low on price, the car is high on mileage, safety and basic comfort. It comes with no frills or thrills, other than the thrill of owning your first car…. because it is affordable.


I've been wondering if there were any other factors that would accelerate the demand for the nano other than its low cost. So I decided to look at the brand through lens of Stinson Brand Innovation's proprietary framework called Forward.Fast^®. Here's what I found:

Likeability: The brand name is very likeable and connects to the small size of the car. “Nano” is one of the current buzzwords in the world of technology. Apple set the stage up extremely well, having experienced huge success with its mp3 player of the same name, so consumers worldwide are aware of the name and like it. ‘The People’s Car’ tagline is simple, obvious, and yet unique – a sure hit with the public even before the car hits the roads.

Logo: The logo for TATA Motors and the nano is the same as the parent company, the TATA Group. It shares the heritage of the TATA Group, which was founded in 1868 and TATA Motors which was started 1945. The logo is a “T” in an oval ring designed as a metallic wireframe to allow the color of the car to fill up the logo. The style and font type of the brand name are a direct extension of the look and design of the car.

Quality Offering: TATA is a reputed brand with over 140 years of experience in serving customers in India and around the world from Steel to Retail to IT and Automobiles and more. Even TATA Motors has served India well with their long lasting trucks and the first indigenous car completely designed and built in India. There is little doubt that the nano will fail to meet these standards of quality.

Association: The nano car offers natural association to the life of farmers and low income families in the cities while the nano brand is closely linked to the TATA family of brands, some of which are positioned for the elite in India. Nano branded merchandise is designed to appeal to the masses as hip and trendy, offering to bridge the gap between the rich and poor in many ways.

Attitude: Clearly everyone in India is excited about the TATA nano. It is the world’s cheapest car and TATA plans to serve any and all world markets where the nano can make a difference. There is a high sense of pride among Indians in giving the world something it never had before. nano is the product of a strong spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship in India.

Quality Experience: Typically, TATA Motors used their own dealerships and other private dealerships to sell their vehicles. This time, expecting greater demand, TATA will make the nano available at all of their retail outlets – Westside (fashion) and Croma (Electronics). The experience is expected to help the new nano owners raise the social status by owning their first car. The celebration typically includes sweets and garlands for the owner, a picture of Lord Ganesha to keep inside the car and smashing a coconut under the driver side wheel as the car rolls out of the parking lot to protect the car.

A quick analysis of each of the six brand attributes of the Forward.Fast^® framework reveals the revolutionizing power of the nano. TATA and India have once again proven that launching a new product under the worst circumstances, such as the current global economic slowdown and a dismantling automobile industry can be a success by focusing on the brand strategy.

Berinert approved by FDA to treat abdominal attacks, facial swelling associated with hereditary angioedema

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Berinert, the first treatment for acute abdominal attacks and facial swelling associated with a rare and potentially life-threatening genetic disease called hereditary angioedema (HAE).

Berinert is approved for adults and adolescents with HAE, which can occur spontaneously or during stress, surgery, or infection in patients diagnosed with HAE. The symptoms during abdominal attacks include severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea.

“Berinert will enhance the treatment options for individuals who experience acute abdominal attacks and facial swelling associated with hereditary angioedema,” said Karen Midthun, M.D., acting director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

Berinert is a protein product derived from human plasma. It regulates clotting and inflammatory reactions that, when impaired, can lead to local tissue swelling. In a clinical trial of 124 adults and adolescents with C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency, Berinert was shown to be effective at treating the symptoms of acute moderate to severe abdominal attacks and facial swelling in patients with HAE.

Berinert is contraindicated in patients with a history of life-threatening hypersensitivity reaction to C1 esterase inhibitor preparations. The most serious adverse reaction reported in clinical studies was an increase in the severity of pain associated with HAE. The most common adverse reactions include subsequent HAE attack, headache, abdominal pain, nausea, muscle spasms, pain, diarrhea and vomiting.

Berinert is manufactured by CSL Behring, Inc.

2 healthcare organizations integrate decision-focused health content and technology – helping people make better health decisions over the telephone

Healthcare technology vendor Clinical Solutions and nonprofit health content provider Healthwise will together help call center clinicians give patients the health information they need when they need it.

In an agreement announced this week, the integration of Healthwise^® Connect with Clinical Solutions’ IntefleCS™ Telephone Triage will give health care organizations seamless access to medically-reviewed and evidence-based health information -- thereby promoting shared decision-making. In addition, specific details, including health topics as well as patient responses and critical outcomes, will be automatically transferred from Healthwise Connect to the Clinical Solutions system and charted on the patient’s record.

“People demand services that match their lifestyle. And through telephone triage, health care providers can offer not only safe and convenient access to trusted information but also direction to the most appropriate level of care," states John Stevens, Clinical Solutions Director. "I’m confident that Healthwise Connect, accompanied with the decision-support technology from Clinical Solutions, will form a robust offering for many health care providers in North America.”

Healthwise CEO Don Kemper adds, “For a new mom whose child has a fever, for a middle-aged man considering back surgery, or for an older woman focused on the pros and cons of hip replacement surgery, Clinical Solutions and Healthwise can help people get the right information to help them make the best health care decisions. The Healthwise-Clinical Solutions agreement will help improve health outcomes for thousands, if not millions, of people in the United States and Canada.”

Healthwise interactive symptom topics help clinicians assess each caller’s symptoms and determine the appropriate treatment or care. Healthwise Connect’s easy-to-use clinician-facing interface follows consistent, medically reviewed triage and logic for reliable outcomes. The interface accepts information from Clinical Solutions application to customize the experience for age and gender. And the caller’s responses help guide the clinician to ask only those questions relevant to the caller and his or her health issue.

Healthwise Connect links call-tracking software to the in-depth and actionable health information in the Healthwise Knowledgebase. The Healthwise Knowledgebase includes topics on health conditions, medical tests and procedures, medicines, decision-support tools, and everyday health and wellness issues.

Healthwise is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help people make better health decisions. Nearly 120 million times a year, people turn to Healthwise information to learn how to do more for themselves, ask for the care they need, and say “no” to the care they don’t need. Healthwise partners with health plans, hospitals, disease management companies, and health Web sites to provide up-to-date, evidence-based information to the people they serve.

To learn more about the Healthwise decision-support products, visit www.healthwise.org.

1st oral treatment for MS submitted for FDA approval by Merck KGaA

Germany's Merck KGaA filed for approval of its multiple sclerosis pill cladribine in the US in a bid to bring the first oral treatment against the debilitating disease to market.

The drugs-to-chemicals hybrid said last week that it submitted a New Drug Application with the FDA, two months after regulatory filing in Europe.

As reported by Reuters, the move follows a pivotal Phase III clinical trial, which in January showed that cladribine reduced the number of relapses per year in patients with some forms of MS by 58 percent compared with a placebo.

In a best-case scenario, the pill would come to the U.S. market in the second quarter of 2010, and European market launch would ideally be in the last quarter of 2010, said Elmar Schnee, the head of Merck's drugs unit, earlier this month.

The filing helps the German drugmaker make headway over Swiss rival Novartis, which is planning to seek U.S. and European approval for an MS pill known as FTY720 at the end of this year.

According to some analysts, cladribine and FTY720 are expected to take a sizable chunk of the $8.6 billion market for MS treatments, currently dominated by injectables from Teva, Biogen Idec, Bayer, and Merck KGaA itself.

(At Stinson Brand Innovation, we work with the Merck Chemicals group to support its global biosciences marketing and sales strategy for the brands Calbiochem, Novabiochem, and Novagen. These life science research products are used worldwide in university laboratories, as well as in pharmaceutical and biotech industries.)

2010-11 flu season to see Afluria® vaccine marketed by extensive Merck field network in U.S.

CSL Biotherapies and its parent company, CSL Limited, one of the world's leading manufacturers of influenza vaccine, announced an agreement with Merck & Co., Inc. on rights to market and distribute Afluria^® in the United States under an exclusive, six-year agreement.

Afluria, a CSL product, is a non-adjuvanted trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine sold in two different formulations: thimerosol-free, pre-filled syringes, and in multi-dose vials.

Merck will have the exclusive right to sell and distribute Afluria in the United States beginning with the 2010-11 seasonal influenza season. The manufacture, filling and packaging of Afluria will continue and will not change with this agreement; CSL Ltd. will retain the Afluria license.

"We are pleased to have reached this important agreement with Merck," said Paul R. Perreault, President of CSL Biotherapies U.S. "CSL is committed to providing influenza vaccine to the United States and we are now able to leverage Merck's extensive field network in meeting that commitment and in making Afluria available to many more people in the U.S. next flu season. This is yet another milestone in our companies' shared history of close collaboration and tru innovation in the area of vaccine development and distribution."

For the past several years, CSL and Merck have partnered together successfully in bringing Gardasil^® to market in Australia and i other areas of the southern hemisphere. Merck markets Gardasil, a cervical cancer vaccine, and delivers royalties to CSL, which holds a key intellectual property patent on that product. The CSL Group, which includes CSL Biotherapies, has a combined heritage of outstanding contribution to medicine and human health with more than 90 years experience in the development and manufacture of vaccines and plasma protein biotherapies.

Afluria was approved by the U.S. FDA in September 2007 for active immunization of persons age 18 years and older against influenza disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and type B present in the vaccine. The indication is based on the immune response elicited by Afluria; no controlled clinical studies have demonstrated a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with Afluria.

While Afluria represents CSL's first entry into the U.S. vaccine market, CSL-branded influenza vaccines are licensed in 27 countries worldwide. The company also provides bult antigen for influenza vaccine sold in 24 countries.

The CSL Group, which includes CSL Biotherapies, CSL Research & Development, CSL Bioplasma, and CSL Behring, has more than 10,000 employees and operates in 27 countries worldwide.

Three Rivers – a new medical series, and another example of seeing the same story from 3 points of view

THREE RIVERS is a new medical drama that starts October 4 on CBS.

According to the website, the show “goes inside the emotionally complex lives of organ donors, the recipients and the surgeons at the preeminent transplant hospital in the country where every moment counts. However, dealing with donor families in their darkest hour and managing the fears and concerns of apprehensive recipients takes much more than just a sharp scalpel.”

The idea of looking at the same story from three points of view is something we at Stinson Brand Innovation apply with our N-of-8^® research model.

In our story development sessions, N-of-8^® enables you to respond to multiple customers’ needs using their own language – and create a story that aligns your brand to customers’ key issues and needs.


Leading the elite medical team on THREE RIVERS is Dr. Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin), the highly-skilled workaholic lead organ transplant surgeon, whose good-natured personality and sarcastic wit makes him popular with his patients and colleagues. His colleagues include:

• Dr. Miranda Foster (Katherine Moennig), a surgical fellow with a rebellious streak and fiery temper who strives to live up to her deceased father's excellent surgical reputation;
• Dr. David Lee (Daniel Henney), a womanizing surgical resident who's broken as many hearts as he's replaced;
• Ryan Abbott (Christopher J. Hanke), the inexperienced new transplant coordinator who arranges the intricately choreographed process of quickly and carefully transporting organs from donor to patient;
• Dr. Sophia Jordan(Julia Ormond), the head of surgery and a dedicated medical professional; and
• Pam Acosta (Justina Machado), Andy's no-nonsense operating assistant and best friend.

The show uses split-screen transitions from scene to scene to create a collage of the doctor, patient and donor every few minutes. This visual technique is used to illustrate the three points of view in this high-stakes arena – and race against the clock.

Click here to watch a preview trailer of the new series THREE RIVERS.

Covidien to Acquire Aspect Medical Systems -- with a goal of accelerating growth of Bispectral Index

Covidien this week announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Aspect Medical Systems, a global market leader in brain monitoring technology.

Founded in 1987, Aspect is recognized as a pioneer and global market leader in brain monitoring, with 2008 revenues of $99 million. Aspect's premier product -- Bispectral Index(TM) (BIS) technology -- became the first clinically proven and commercially available direct measure of the effects of anesthetics and sedatives on the brain. Aspect led the way to develop proprietary technologies that directly measure these effects and ultimately improve the quality and cost effectiveness of patient care. BIS technology is designed to allow medical professionals to reliably gauge the precise amount of anesthetic medication required by each patient, resulting in better overall patient care.

"The acquisition of Aspect will allow Covidien to broaden its product offerings and add a market leading brain monitoring technology to its portfolio," said Pete Wehrly, President, Respiratory & Monitoring Solutions, Covidien. "Aspect will bring us enhanced clinical expertise, a strong research & development organization and expand our presence in the operating room. The acquisition is consistent with our strategy of expanding into adjacent market segments and will help us achieve our mission of enhancing the quality of life for patients and improving outcomes for our customers."

"Joining Covidien provides Aspect with the scale and resources to accelerate growth of BIS and other Aspect products, to continue to invest in outcomes research, comparative effectiveness and innovation, and to support the strategy of providing products that are designed to improve patient outcomes," said Nassib Chamoun, President and Chief Executive Officer, Aspect Medical Systems. "Above all, we are pleased to become part of a company that shares our commitment to evidence-based medicine and the development of products that help clinicians cost-effectively deliver better care."

Covidien is a leading global healthcare products company that creates innovative medical solutions for better patient outcomes and delivers value through clinical leadership and excellence. Covidien manufactures, distributes and services a diverse range of industry-leading product lines in three segments: Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies. With 2008 revenue of $10 billion, Covidien has more than 41,000 employees worldwide in 59 countries, and its products are sold in over 140 countries.

Aspect Medical Systems' Bispectral Index (BIS) technology has been used to assess approximately 34 million patients and has been the subject of more than 3,300 published articles and abstracts. BIS technology is installed in approximately 78 percent of hospitals listed in the July 2009 U.S. News and World Report ranking of America's Best Hospitals and in approximately 74 percent of all U.S. operating rooms. In the last twelve months, BIS technology was used in approximately 19 percent of all U.S. surgical procedures requiring general anesthesia or deep sedation. Aspect Medical Systems has OEM agreements with nine leading manufacturers of patient monitoring systems.