The Fourth Annual Continuing Education Conference will feature nationally recognized lecturers in the field of obesity treatment.

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ – The 2012 Certification Examination for Obesity Medicine Physicians (COMP) will be administered November 3-17, 2012. The examination will test basic knowledge, evaluation and assessment, management and practice issues related to pediatric and adult obesity.

In December 2011, the COMP Steering Committee, composed of 11 professional societies and the American Board of Bariatric Medicine, merged their respective individual exam content, clinical expertise and administrative resources to form the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM). ABOM will administer the certification exam for obesity medicine physicians. The ABOM certification exam is a voluntary certification designed to elevate the professional standard of experience and expertise in the treatment of obesity and influence the future of this vital field. The certification serves as a mark of distinction for physicians treating overweight and obese patients, raising their standing among peers and the public (source: Obesity.org).

Prior to the exam, physicians must have a minimum of sixty (60) credit hours of continuing medical education (CME) recognized by the American Medical Association Physician Recognition Award (AMA PRA) Category 1 Credits on the topic of obesity; at least thirty (30) credit hours must be obtained by participation and attendance at a conference.

The 2012 Weight Conference, "The Science and Business of Weight Management for the New or Experienced Practitioner," will help satisfy 11 CEUs of this requirement. And, during his discussion of Obesity Treatment in Primary Care, Dr. Robert F. Kushner, first chair of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, will be discussing the new certification.

Dr. Kushner joins other distinguished faculty, including, Judith S. Beck, PhD and Deborah Beck Busis, LSW; Thomas Wadden, PhD; John Baker, MD; John Hernried, MD; Susan Baker, MHA; and John Foreyt, MD, to help participants:

• Gain an understanding of the role of obesity care in primary practices and how to establish an effective program
• Learn effective counseling strategies for behavior change to help patients stay on your program longer, achieve successful weight loss results and maintain their goal weight
• Explore the role of the Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) and meal replacements in the clinical management of all overweight individuals, including those with co-morbid conditions especially diabetics

The 4th Annual Continuing Education (CME/CEU) Conference, "The Science and Business of Weight Management for the New or Experienced Practitioner," will focus on the operational and treatment skills, techniques, and strategies healthcare professionals need to successfully open a new weight loss facility or enhance a current weight management program.

For more information about the 4th Annual Continuing Education (CME/CEU) Conference, visit www.WeightConference.com, or call Jennifer Eisenhofer at 888.519.1192, ext. 3012.

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Illinois Energy Now Program Reduces State's Environmental Footprint, Creates Energy Savings, and Helps Amtrak Save $2 Million Per Year

CHICAGO - April 22, 2012. Today on Earth Day, Governor Pat Quinn announced that the state awarded Amtrak a $300,000 energy efficiency grant to assist the passenger rail agency with upgrading its train yard in Chicago. The grant, funded through the Illinois Energy Now (IEN) program, will significantly reduce Amtrak's natural gas consumption and empower them to save millions of dollars annually.

"Illinois is already a leader in energy efficiency and sustainability, and investments in our public facilities will ensure we make the greatest impact," Governor Quinn said. "Programs like Illinois Energy Now continue to strengthen our commitment to creating 21st century jobs and making Illinois the greenest state in America."

The modern energy efficiency project has allowed Amtrak to replace an inefficient steam heat system, and eliminate thousands of feet of steam piping, un-insulated piping, leaks, and defective traps, to much more effectively control and monitor heat sources. The new system is projected to reduce natural gas consumption by more than two million therms each year. At least 30 construction jobs were created over a two-year period as a result of the project.

"We're always looking for ways for energy conservation and environmental management to reduce our carbon footprint and make Amtrak an even more efficient mode of transportation, said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman, who pointed out the Amtrak-Illinois partnership extends for more than 40 years in providing passenger rail service under contract, and Amtrak is a major employer with about 1,500 employees statewide. "We appreciate the state's help with our Chicago facilities."

The IEN grant, administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), was crucial to Amtrak obtaining capital funding to perform energy efficiency projects around the country. This $300,000 grant helped Amtrak leverage $5.54 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding. As a result, the company will see an estimated savings of $2 million per year in natural gas costs. In addition, the estimated natural gas consumption savings of 2.1 million therms per year make the Chicago rail yard system replacement the largest natural gas project funded through IEN this year.

"The energy efficiency investments we're making today will pay dividends in the future by creating significant energy savings and keeping the cost of doing business low, which will make Illinois even more attractive to investment," said DCEO Acting Director David Vaught. "This is a great example of how sustainability and economic development go hand in hand."

Illinois Energy Now is an energy efficiency program administered by the State of Illinois that provides millions of dollars in rebates to public facilities that make large-scale equipment improvements to their electric and natural gas systems. More than $70 million is available annually to specifically help fund these projects. Funding comes from a utility surcharge included on customers' utility bills that is directed toward energy efficiency projects to work make Illinois more energy efficient.

"Under Governor Quinn's directive to expand green transportation practices, the Illinois Department of Transportation continues to increase passenger rail service in our state, reducing energy consumption and cutting down on harmful emissions," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider. "This investment in the Amtrak's primary Chicago yard means train travel in Illinois will become an option that's even more friendly to the environment."

Ridership on state-supported Amtrak routes in Illinois has doubled in the last five years alone, reaching more than 1.7 million riders in fiscal year 2011, as more and more travelers seek an alternative to the automobile and high gas prices.

For more information on Illinois Energy Now and other sustainability programs, visit www.illinoisenergy.org.  For more information on why Illinois is the right place for any business, visit www.illinoisbiz.biz.

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is questioning the United States Secret Service about possible involvement of staff from the White House Communications Agency, and the White House Office of Advance in the Colombian prostitution scandal given the close working relationship among members of advance teams.

Grassley's letter to Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan and Acting Inspector General Charles Edwards asks if the Secret Service, in the course of its investigation, is also looking into the possibility that staff from the White House Communications Agency and White House Office of Advance may also be involved in the scandal that has plagued the agency over the last week.  Grassley's questions come following a Senate Judiciary Committee staff briefing provided by the Secret Service.  The Senate Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over the Secret Service.

A copy of the text of the letter to the Secret Service Director and the acting Inspector General is below.  A signed copy of the letter can be found here.

April 20, 2012

Via Electronic Transmission

The Honorable Mark J. Sullivan                                Mr. Charles K. Edwards

Director                       Acting Inspector General

U.S. Secret Service                        U.S. Department of Homeland Security

950 H Street, NW                             245 Murray Drive, SW Bldg. 410

Washington, D.C. 20223                          Washington, D.C. 20528

Dear Director Sullivan and Acting Inspector General Edwards:

I write today regarding the ongoing investigation by the U.S. Secret Service Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (OIG) regarding the recent events surrounding the recall from Colombia of 11 agents and officers after allegations of misconduct arose.  I appreciate the quick action taken by the Secret Service to immediately address these serious allegations by removing the agents and officers from the field, starting an investigation with OPR and the OIG, and by taking swift action to remove individuals involved from federal service.  While these actions indicate the Secret Service is taking these allegations seriously, more work remains to investigate and uncover what occurred, hold those responsible accountable, and to put in place new policies and procedures to prevent future misconduct.

I appreciate the briefing provided to my staff on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary (Committee) today by representatives of both the Secret Service and OIG.  The briefing included a number of useful details about the investigation thus far and about ongoing plans.  In addition to matters discussed at the briefing, I have a number of additional questions that need to be addressed in writing.  Accordingly, I ask that you provide responses to the following questions.

(1)   In addition to the rooms held by Secret Service agents and officers at Hotel Caribe, were there agents or officers staying at other hotels in Cartagena, Colombia?  If so, were records from those other hotels pulled?  If not, will those records be pulled?

(2)   It has been reported that in addition to the 11 agents and officers of the Secret Service there were members of the Department of Defense (DOD) involved as well.  It has also been reported that those individuals are currently being reviewed by DOD.  It is my understanding that ordinarily the Secret Service advance team works closely with the White House Communications Agency (WHCA) which is made up of military and civilians.  Further, it is also my understanding that the Secret Service advance teams work closely with the White House Office of Advance and that sometimes the Secret Service may help reserve rooms for representatives from these offices.

a.       Did the Secret Service reserve rooms at the Hotel Caribe or other hotels in Cartagena, Colombia for representatives of the WHCA or the White House Advance Team?  If so, have records for overnight guests for those entities been pulled as part of the investigation conducted by OPR or OIG?  If not, why not?

b.      In the event neither OPR nor OIG are pulling the records of WHCA or White House Advance Team staffers, who would be reviewing these hotel records to ensure that sensitive information was not compromised by overnight guests from these entities?

c.       Were there any rooms shared by Secret Service, WHCA, and the White House Office of Advance for operational or support matters?  If so, were logs for those rooms checked to see if overnight guests were registered?

(3)   Please provide an official copy of all written policies and procedures that agents and officers are provided and expected to adhere to while on foreign travel.  This request should include all relevant regulations, rules, procedures, and applicable policy statements that inform agents and officers of restrictions and limitations on their conduct while on official business.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this request.  The Committee has jurisdiction over the Secret Service and given the fluid nature of the ongoing investigation I would appreciate your response as soon as possible to address these important questions.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley

Ranking Member