By Jade Bulecza – bio

VALDOSTA, GA (WALB) –The recession hasn’t hurt Valdosta as badly as many Georgia cities, but unemployment there is still up.

A Valdosta State University professor expects that to change slowly this year.

She says there will continue to be weak areas of the economy, but the private sector is picking up.

Some businesses can actually benefit from the recession according to a VSU professor. Enrollment is up at VSU and Valdosta Technical College. Many of the students at VSU are from out of town. That means potential new customers for businesses.

“If you have a business that can tap into that student population it’s going to help you position yourself for that recovery,” said VSU Associate Professor of Economics Cindy Tori.

While some people are out of jobs and the unemployment rate is more than eight percent in the Valdosta area, there is an upside.

The economic forecast for our area shows that now is a good time for businesses to hire. Dr. Tori says there are a large of number of workers available with a wide range of skills.

Businesses like Azalea Health Innovations hire students.

“We started out with four and now we have 13 full-time and part-time,” said Azalea Health Innovations Chief Financial Officer Doug Swords. “We’ve got several VSU students, some VSU graduates so we’ve got a lot of talent here.”

Azalea Health Innovations won the Guardian Bank Business Plan competition in 2008 which included $15,000 in start-up capital and thousands of dollars in in-kind services donated by Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce members. He says he learned a lot through the planning process.

“We had to plan out five years of financial projection,” said Swords. “It really helped us out a lot.”

To enter the business plan competition, a business must be located in Valdosta or Lowndes County and have the potential to hire VSU or Val Tech students.

Dr. Tori also says now is the time for businesses to advertise. For more information on the business plan competition, click here.

Azalea Health Innovations recently partnered with HomeTown Health, an organization of rural and small to medium sized hospitals, located throughout the state of Georgia. AHI looks forward to assisting HTH reach its goals and objectives with the over 50 hospital members. Azalea LabHub™ was recently chosen by HTH as the Laboratory ordering and resulting system of choice for its member hospitals.

For more information about HomeTown Health including its objectives and goals please visit:
http://www.hometownhealthonline.com/Home/tabid/3072/Default.aspx

Additional information on Azalea LabHub™ or any of our other services can be found by visiting: http://www.azaleahealth.com/

Azalea Health was nominated for a 2009 Technology Association of Georgia Virtual Excalibur Award for innovative technologies.

Article: How Do Clinical Labs Fit Into the EMR Loop?

Link: http://www.clpmag.com/issues/articles/2009-02_02.asp

AHI will be in attendance at the CLMA ThinkLab Conference May 2-4 in Tampa, FL.  Please stop by and introduce yourself at booth 315.  We look forward to seeing you!

CLMA ThinkLab Conference Website

AHI will be attending the ACC.09 (American College of Cardiology) Conference March 28-31 in Orlando, FL.  We’ll be in booth 1568.  Please stop by and say hi!

ACC.09 Website

Valdosta, GA and Austin, TX – November 7, 2008 – Azalea Health Innovations, Inc., a health care information technology and services company based in Valdosta, Georgia announced today that it has partnered with SecureCare Technologies, Inc., developer of the first 100 percent health care dedicated electronic fax solution, to provide the medical laboratory community with a fully integrated, HIPAA compliant, web-based laboratory ordering and resulting system.

This partnership will streamline the entire lab resulting process, providing a web-based portal called Azalea LabHub™, designed to deliver lab results to physicians via the web through EDI connectivity and automated faxing using Sfax. LabHub™ allows physicians to electronically submit orders to independent, and hospital based laboratories. Sfax is a bi-directional EFR (electronic fax record) that enables health care providers to send, receive, and manage faxes from any application on any computer with an Internet connections. Integrating Sfax with LabHub™ allows physicians to securely exchange patient health information (PHI) in a completely paperless environment. Baha Zeidan, CEO of Azalea Health Innovations states “Azalea LabHub™ is the future of laboratory ordering and resulting. Our partnership with SecureCare Technologies is a huge step forward for us and for the medical community as a whole.” Zeidan plans to eventually interface the system with Personal Health Records (PHR) systems such as Google Health and Microsoft Vault so patients can have more control of their personal health data.

The integration of LabHub™ with Sfax will allow physicians 24/7 access to their patient’s laboratory results. In addition, errors due to illegible hand written data will be greatly reduced. This system is HL-7 and EDI standards compliant and can be interfaced with electronic medical record (EMR) applications, reference laboratories, and many other healthcare systems. All of this will lead to a higher quality of patient health care while saving its users valuable time and money.

LabHub™ is a fully customizable, easy to navigate, web based ordering and resulting system for medical laboratories. LabHub™ will help reduce errors and increase the accuracy of orders and results therefore improving the quality of patient care. The user-friendly application gives laboratory clients the powerful tools they need to streamline Laboratory ordering and resulting thus freeing their time for patient care. Some features of LabHub™ include: Full PDF orders and results, color pathology, cytology reporting with pictomicrographs, an automated HIPAA faxing module, full access to lab specimen requirements, standing orders generation, medical necessity checking and ABN generation, and detailed audit reports.

About Azalea Health Innovations, Inc.
Azalea Health Innovations, based in Valdosta, GA focuses on the automation needs of healthcare providers by providing expert advice and superior products and services such as Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Practice Management Systems (PMS), Professional Billing Services, and Consulting. The flagship of Azalea Health Innovation is its fully customizable web based applications like Azalea LabHub™. Azalea Health Innovations’ dynamic suite of products and services are designed to enhance work flow and maximize profit while using state of the art technology. please contact (877) 777-7686 or visit http://www.azaleahealth.com/.

About SecureCare Technologies, Inc.
SecureCare Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: SCUC) is a publicly-held health care information technology company with shares traded under the symbol SCUC.
The company’s Internet-based Sfax™ is the only secure electronic fax management system that is 100 percent dedicated to the health care industry. The product is a HIPAA-ready, work-flow solution that saves end-users up to 95 percent of the time and up to 80 percent of the cost of manual faxing. It provides a complete log and audit trail for all fax documents and completely eliminates the manual paper processing of fax documents. Sfax is distributed to end-users through the company’s network of health care software vendors and value-added resellers.

It is sold as an easily-integrated, add-on module to existing health care applications or as a stand-alone solution. Additional information about SecureCare can be found at: http://www.sfaxme.com

Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including the description of the company and its product offerings, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the historical volatility and low trading volume of our stock, the risk and uncertainties inherent in the early stages of growth companies, the company’s need to raise substantial additional capital to proceed with its business, risks associated with competitors, and other risks detailed from time to time in the company’s most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

The co-founders of Azalea Health Innovations will speak today. Doug Swords, CFO, Baha Zeidan, CEO, and Dan Henry, CIO, are all VSU graduates. The company serves the healthcare community with state-of-the-art products and services. The VSU Alumni Association will honor them as the 2008 Graduates of the Last Decade at homecoming Oct. 18. The company is also the 2008 winner of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, Guardian Bank Business Plan Competition.

Rota-Reel Newsletter 10/15/2008
Rota-Reel Newsletter 10/22/2008

GOLD Award Winners; Homecoming Events; Greek Anniversary Celebration

Jennifer Tanner, Communications Specialist, 10/13/2008

http://www.valdosta.edu/news/releases/homecoming.101308/

VALDOSTA – The Valdosta State University Alumni Association will honor Baha Zeidan, ’02, Douglas Swords, ’03, and Dan Henry, ’02, co-founders of Azalea Health Innovations, Inc., as the 2008 Graduates of the Last Decade during homecoming festivities Saturday, Oct. 18.

GOLD awards are given to recent graduates who have demonstrated professional achievement and exceptional community service. The 2008 award winners founded AHI after winning the 2008 Guardian Bank Business Plan Competition hosted by Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce.

Henry and Zeidan’s background in computer science combined with Swords’s experience in finance has proved a powerful combination. Headquartered in Valdosta, the new firm focuses on providing client-specific, cutting-edge technology for automating medical practices with EMR, practice management systems, insurance billing services, information technology support, Web design and many other services.

Zeidan, Swords and Henry will be honored at the VSU Alumni Association Annual Meeting and Breakfast at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, in the University Center Magnolia Room. Register and purchase tickets for $15 each online at https://www.valdostastate.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?&pid=343&srcid=183 .

VSU Greeks will celebrate 50 years since the founding of the first national groups on Campus by hosting a tailgate party during homecoming weekend. At 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, Greek alumni are invited to join the Office of Greek Life and the VSU Alumni Association in the bookstore parking lot. Please see the Greek Life Web site, http://www.valdosta.edu/stulife/greek/ , or call Jennifer Jones at (229) 333-5674 for individual chapter celebrations or other Greek Life information.

Below is a full list of VSU Homecoming events:

Friday, Oct. 17
8:30 a.m. – Golf Tournament, $100 per person, $400 per team, (229) 333-5797
6 p.m. – Homecoming parade, Patterson Street
7 p.m. Homecoming Celebration and Lawn Concert featuring Sister Hazel and Ocean Street, front lawn

Saturday, Oct. 18
8 a.m. – Homecoming 5K Fun Run/Walk, http://www.valdosta.edu/recreation/
9-11 a.m. – Alumni Association Annual Meeting and Breakfast honoring 2008 Distinguished Alumnus and Graduate of the Last Decade, $15, https://www.valdostastate.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?&pid=343&srcid=183
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. – College of Nursing 40th Anniversary Open House
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – VSU Tailgate Party in the VSU Bookstore parking lot, no cost, reservations required, https://www.valdostastate.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?&pid=343&srcid=183
1 p.m. VSU vs. Harding Homecoming game, tickets are $8 or $4 for seniors and children
https://www.valdostastate.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?&pid=343&srcid=183
1-5 p.m. – Me and You massage Basics, Mindful Massage and Body, (229) 245-6484
7 p.m. Step Show, PE Complex
9 p.m. Soul-Mixer, the American Legion
 

VSU Alumnus First in Langdale Lecture Series

August 12, 2008 – Jennifer Tanner, Communications Specialist

VALDOSTA – Doug Swords, ’03, co-founder and CFO of Azalea Health Innovation, Inc., will be the first to present at the Harley Langdale Jr. Lecture Series, from 5-6:15 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, in Pound Hall Auditorium, the Rea & Lillian Steele North Campus.

A cum laude graduate, Swords holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from VSU and served in various positions at Doctors Laboratory, Inc. for almost five years. In 2008, fellow VSU alumni, Baha Zeidan, ’02, and Dan Henry, ’02, joined him in winning the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, Guardian Bank Business Plan Competition. They used their business plan and monetary winnings in April to co-found Azalea Health Innovations, Inc., a company that specializes in providing health care entities with specialized productions and services such as IT support, billing, electronic medical records and more.

As Chief Financial Officer, Swords performs maintains relationships with outside financial entities, oversees all medical billing services and staff, performs marketing and sales duties and implements and supervises financial controls, including cash flow projections, budgeting, forecasts and long-term financial planning.

Swords will share his financial wisdom at the first installment of the Harley Langdale Jr. Lecture Series, which provides Valdosta State University business students and the public an opportunity to hear lectures on a wide range of business-related topics presented by experts in their related fields. This series is another step in the Langdale College of Business commitment to provide its students with high quality education by broadening their horizons and introducing them to real life experiences.

Pound Hall is located at the VSU Rea & Lillian Steele North Campus bordered by Patterson and Ashley Streets, as well as Pendleton Drive. Guest parking is available in the lot near Pound Hall. For more information, call Carolyn Shaw in the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration at (229) 333-5991.

http://www.valdosta.edu/news/releases/swords.081208/