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The new Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford opens its doors December 9

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Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford

PALO ALTO, California, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Over a decade in the making, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford is just days away from opening its new Main building and grounds on December 9.  The hospital reached the final step to announcing an opening date when it received its license from the California Department of Public Health on December 4. Designed to transform the patient and family experience, the new 521,000-square-foot building more than doubles the size of the existing pediatric and obstetric hospital campus. The new building adds 149 patient beds for a total of 361 on the Palo Alto campus, enabling the hospital to serve more patients than ever before and allowing it to deploy awaited renovation plans for the existing hospital building.

Photo – http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/616007/Lucile_Packard_Childrens_Hospital_Stanford__ribbon_cutting.jpg 

Patient move day takes place on a Saturday, when the weekly census is at its lowest. More than 100 pediatric patients will be moved from the existing hospital (now called the West building) across to the new Main building and into new acute patient care units and pediatric and cardiovascular intensive care units.

“Hundreds of staff have prepared for months and months for this day, when this new building becomes part of our working hospital,” said Christopher G. Dawes, president and CEO of the hospital and Stanford Children’s Health.

To run the new building, the hospital hired more than 500 new staff members in positions ranging from nursing to food and housekeeping service roles.

Features
Along with the patient care units, bridge corridors connecting the new Main building with the West building will also open on December 9, along with the Dunlevie Garden, the new Harvest Café, the Family Resource Center and the Story Corner.

The new Imaging Center features some of the most state-of-the-art technology in the hospital, including a PET/MRI that combines two important types of imaging technologies, PET (positron emission tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). This combined modality, the only PET/MRI exclusively dedicated to pediatric patients in Northern California, allows physicians to see how diseases are behaving in the body, monitor the effects of treatment and craft treatment plans to cater to the patient’s needs. This technology also shortens the time of study and significantly decreases the radiation dose delivered to the patient by close to 80 percent. The imaging center is part of a larger Treatment Center that encompasses surgery, radiology, imaging, interventional, catheterization labs and nuclear medicine. The surgical suites and neuro-interventional and catheterization labs are still under construction and are slated to open mid-year 2018.

Ongoing construction
According to Dawes, the patient move day marks a significant milestone, but it is one of many to come over the next several years as construction continues on parts of the Main building and awaited renovations kick off in the West building. The Surgery Center will have six new operating suites which will make a total of 13 in the hospital. In the neuro-hybrid surgery suite, care teams will have access to intraoperative MRI technology and angiography equipment that allows them to image a patient in the operating room during neurosurgery to ensure successful removal of a tumor before they close the surgical site. This technology improves efficiency and increases safety by reducing the time that children spend under anesthesia, and it also decreases the total amount of time the patient spends in the hospital, which translates to lower patient costs.

Within the West building, design plans are currently underway for renovating the existing Johnson Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Services to create the Bay Area’s premier mother and baby center, including a brand-new postpartum unit and a redesign of the neonatal intensive care units. By the end of 2018 all obstetric postpartum beds will be converted into private rooms. While expectant mothers and babies will not be moving into the new Main building, those patients and their families will still have access to the new building’s amenities, including the Harvest Café, gardens, Family Resource Center and Sanctuary.

The Bass Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, which includes an inpatient unit and an outpatient infusion center, will stay in the West building while its future home on the fifth floor of the Main building is under construction. A new space dedicated to the Betty Irene Moore Children’s Outpatient Heart Center is also under construction on the Main building’s first floor. Both new centers are slated for completion in 2019.

Patients and families who visit the hospital as outpatients will receive instructions from their providers on where to report for appointments after the December 9 opening date.

Anticipating LEED designation
An anticipated milestone that will be announced soon after the December opening is the building’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Lead architect Robin Guenther, a principal with architectural firm Perkins + Will who worked in association with Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, Inc., estimates Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford will be one of the most sustainable children’s hospitals in the nation.

“Sustainability and environmental consciousness are seamlessly woven into the experience of the building — from energy and water use dashboards and salvaged local redwood to harmonious integration of outdoor nature experiences.”  

Features include water-efficient landscaping and water collection systems that are expected to save 800,000 gallons of water annually. Innovative ventilation and shading systems will contribute to a 60 percent reduction in thermal energy usage compared to similar hospitals in the region. The project is targeting a LEED Gold designation.

“Reflecting Northern California’s commitment to environmental sustainability was an integral part in the new hospital’s design,” said Dawes.

Cutting the ribbon
On November 30, nearly 300 leaders from the hospital and Stanford University, elected officials, community partners, and members of the donor community gathered in the Main building’s lobby for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Dawes spoke at the ceremony, along with several key stakeholders, including Susan Packard Orr, vice chair of the hospital’s Board of Directors and daughter of the hospital’s founder, Lucile Packard; Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, PhD; and Dean of the School of Medicine Lloyd Minor, MD. Several patients’ families who have had storied experience with Packard Children’s were also present to see the new facility and help cut the ribbon, including the Watson family, whose daughter, Effy, now six years old, was treated at Packard Children’s for acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the age of two.

“To say this place is extraordinary would be an understatement. The people that work inside these walls saved my daughter’s life and made us feel like part of their family,” Jennifer Watson said during her address at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “To the doctors, nurses, staff and volunteers, I am so happy that you have a new home in which to continue your amazing work of healing and saving lives.”

About Stanford Children’s Health and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
Stanford Children’s Health, with Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford at its center, is the Bay Area’s largest health care system exclusively dedicated to children and expectant mothers. As a top-ranked children’s hospital by U.S. News & World Report, we are a leader in providing world-class, nurturing care and achieving extraordinary outcomes in every pediatric and obstetric specialty. Stanford Children’s Health provides everything from specialty care to general pediatrics and can be accessed through more than 60 locations across Northern California and 100 locations in the U.S. western region. As the pediatric and obstetric teaching hospital for the world-renowned Stanford University School of Medicine, we’re cultivating the next generation of medical professionals and are at the forefront of scientific research to improve children’s health outcomes around the world. We are a nonprofit organization committed to supporting the community through meaningful outreach programs and services and providing necessary medical care to families, regardless of their ability to pay. Discover more at stanfordchildrens.org.

Media Contacts:
Samantha Dorman: (650) 498-7056
Kate DeTrempe: (650) 721-8527 
[email protected] 

Photo – http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/616008/Lucile_Packard_Childrens_Hospital_Stanford_new.jpg 

Logo – http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/508605/Packard_Childrens_Logo.jpg 

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford

 

SOURCE Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford

Facebook Highlights the Top Moments of 2017

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MENLO PARK, California, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — As 2017 comes to a close, it’s a natural time to reflect and look ahead, whether your year was filled with joy and positivity, or perhaps some real tough times.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8160156-facebook-2017-year-in-review/

Today, in their 2017 Year in Review, Facebook is highlighting the top moments of the year, and through the ups and downs, one thing was clear — people came out to support one another. So, take a walk down memory lane and check out the moments that brought people together!

People talked about important moments that happened around the world.

  • International Women’s Day: This was the #1 most talked about moment in 2017, doubling from last year, with people around the world talking, sharing and posting in celebration of women and related issues.
  • Super Bowl 51: Fans around the world turned to their News Feeds to cheer for their favorite teams, celebrate with Lady Gaga and debate the top TV ads. There were more than 262 million views of Super Bowl-related videos on the platform, and topics like the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons, Tom Brady and Lady Gaga — who performed in the half time show — drove the bulk of the conversation.
  • Las Vegas: This tragic event drove conversation from around the world about the violent shooting that took place in Nevada in early October, which in turn motivated more than 3,300 people to offer Community Help through Crisis Response on Facebook.

People helped one another out in times of crisis.

  • Earthquake in Mexico: The response to this crisis in late September drove the highest number of total interactions within Crisis Response on Facebook of the year, with millions of people marking themselves safe, offering help to their community or donating to the cause.
  • Hurricane Harvey: In late August, the community rallied to those in need by activating our Charitable Giving tools. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, more than $20 million had been raised by the Facebook community in the biggest fundraising effort for a single crisis in 2017 on Facebook.
  • One Love Manchester: Ariana Grande and other notable performers joined together on a Facebook Live to show peace and solidarity as a global community for those who were affected by the Manchester terror attack. The concert was the most viewed video and live broadcast on Facebook in 2017 that generated over 80 million views and raised more than $450,000. 

People used online tools and got together IRL (in real life!).

  • Total Solar Eclipse: In August, this celestial moment brought the world together in person through Facebook events. With over 20,000 events in more than 80 countries, the eclipse was a moment that generated interest and attendance from over 3 million people on Facebook Events.
  • Women’s March on DC: On January 21st, The Women’s March on DC brought over 500,000 people together on and offline as the largest Facebook Event for a single cause in 2017. This single event, sparked more than 15,000 other local events to be created in different cities across the globe, bringing millions of people together from over 100 different countries for one of the largest global movements in recent history.

Your Year In Review

Facebook is also giving you a way to highlight the meaningful ways your community and groups supported you with a personalized video that you can edit and share with your family and friends. Starting today, you may see your Year in Review video in your News Feed this month or you can also access it by visiting facebook.com/yearinreview.

Media contact: Lisa Stratton, [email protected]

SOURCE Facebook

Latin2Latin Marketing + Communications Romances its Way to Unprecedented Growth and Lands U.S. AOR assignment for Ana G. Mendez University System, among others

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L2L Marketing Team

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Award-winning agency, Latin2Latin Marketing + Communications, (L2L), has much to celebrate as 2017 winds down, including double-digit expansion, a 10th anniversary and being named the U.S. agency of record (AOR) for Ana G. Méndez University System (AGMUS), a pioneer and leader in dual-language education with campuses in Orlando, Tampa, South Florida, Dallas and Maryland, as well as a culinary school in Washington, D.C.

L2L Marketing Team

L2L has gained an outstanding reputation connecting brands, talent, business, communities, government and media partners to create winning solutions. The company has experienced exponential growth, reporting a 52 percent increase in new client signings since 2016. The company’s founder and president, Arminda “Mindy” Figueroa, credits much of the success to her team’s laser-focused mission to “romance clients at every turn,” a paradigm shift in how traditional marketing agencies view and work with their clients. 

“We’ve made a conscious and concentrated effort to be different, to internalize our clients’ fears and goals, and make them our own,” said Figueroa. “We develop quick-to-market engagement solutions based on insights that drive growth and ROI.” 

Other high-profile clients recently joining the Agency include Trustbridge Hospice, Latinarrific, Novus Shoes, GYM GUYZ Fort Lauderdale, Elements Massage Fort Lauderdale, The Surgery Center at Doral, Dr. Doggie-Victor Oppenheimer, MARC Institute and South Florida Symphony Orchestra. These are in addition to existing partners, including Badia Hand to Shoulder Center, Hispanic Unity, Northwell Health-Lenox Hill Hospital, OrthoNOW Orthopedic Urgent Care Center and PBS Kids.

L2L embarks on a further expansion of services by acting as the U.S. marketing arm of Puerto Rican and Latin American corporations and organizations seeking expertise in the United States. As the AOR for AGMUS in the United States, L2L is responsible for building awareness and driving enrollment for both the university and its unique dual-language model of higher education. The Agency’s first campaign, entitled, Tu Tienes Valor (You Have Courage / Worth), hit the market earlier this year. 

“From the first meeting with Latin2Latin, we were very impressed with their keen ability to internalize our goals and opportunities, and then develop a quick-to-market strategic roadmap that would contribute to the turnaround of the Ana G. Mendez U.S. organization,” said José F. Mendez Mendez, president. “L2L’s years of marketing expertise, coupled with its unmatched education experience, has transformed our outreach to effectively engage today’s student population through a multi-media platform strategy, reducing cost per enrollment by 60 percent and generating cost savings of $1M by eliminating an outsourced call center, in just the first three months of their engagement.” 

On the heels of this rapid growth, Figueroa was named a 2017 Influential Business Women of the Year by South Florida Business Journal and awarded a Golden Mouse for Multicultural Marketer of the Year by the Florida Chapter of Women in Ecommerce. The Agency was nominated for the third time for the Small Business of the Year Award by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce after having won the award twice prior and, most recently, the Agency took 2nd place at the 2017 NAMIC Excellence in Multicultural Marketing Awards (EMMA) in the Integrated Marketing Campaigns category for Life YES! Diabetes NO! a diabetes prevention education and engagement campaign for client partner Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

About Latin2Latin Marketing + Communications (L2L)

Latin2Latin Marketing + Communications is an MBE-certified, award-winning agency headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL, with a network of collaborators across the United States and LATAM. L2L connects brands, talent, businesses, communities, government and media partners to create winning solutions that are quick-to-market and deliver ROI for its client partners. L2L is also the creator of Latin Ready Assessment®, an innovative growth tool that evaluates how prepared organizations are to address the Latino community. Learn more at https://goo.gl/gmrHd1.

Media Inquiries
Debra Kronowitz
[email protected]
954-376-4800

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/615301/L2L_Marketing_Team.jpg

SOURCE Latin2Latin Marketing + Communications (L2L)

If You Purchased A Sony “Fat” PlayStation® 3 Computer Entertainment Console Between November 1, 2006 And April 1, 2010, A Class Action Settlement May Affect You

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The following statement is being issued by Hausfeld LLP regarding the In re Sony PS3 “Other OS” Litigation described below.

The sole purpose of this notice is to inform you of the settlement so that you can decide what to do.

A proposed settlement has been reached in the nationwide class action lawsuit, In re Sony PS3 “Other OS” Litigation, United States District Court, Northern District of California, Case No. C-10-1811 (YGR). This lawsuit challenges the decision to disable the Other OS functionality from “Fat” PS3 computer entertainment consoles through Firmware Update 3.21, released on April 1, 2010. “Fat” PS3 consoles were consoles manufactured with the ability to install a Linux operating system as an alternative to the game operating system. Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (“SCEA”) (n/k/a Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC) is the defendant and denies all allegations.

If the settlement is approved and you are a Class Member, you may be eligible to submit a claim for benefits. You are a Class Member if you purchased a Fat PS3 between November 1, 2006 and April 1, 2010 from an authorized retailer for family, personal and/or household use and you:  (1) used the Other OS functionality; (2) knew about the Other OS functionality; or (3) contend or believe that you lost value or desired functionality or were otherwise injured as a consequence of Firmware Update 3.21 and/or the disablement of Other OS functionality in the Fat PS3.  Class Members will be eligible to receive a cash payment up to $65 per valid claim, the exact amount of which will depend on how many valid claims are submitted.  The deadline for submitting claim forms to the Settlement Administrator is April 15, 2018. Claim forms are available on the Settlement Website or may be obtained by calling the Settlement Administrator.

You may choose to exclude yourself from the settlement by sending your name, address, PS3 serial number, and/or PlayStation Network Sign-In ID and/or PlayStation Network Online ID, along with a statement that you wish to be excluded to the Settlement Administrator at the address below. If you exclude yourself, you will not receive anything but will retain your right to sue. You may also object to the settlement with the option to appear at the final approval hearing with your own attorney at your cost. If you do nothing or object to the settlement, you will be bound by its terms and cannot later sue SCEA.  All exclusion requests and objections must be submitted to the Settlement Administrator by April 15, 2018.

If you filed a claim with the Settlement Administrator for a benefit under the previous proposed settlement of the above-referenced class action litigation, you do not need to resubmit; however, if your mailing or email address has changed since you submitted your claim, you must update your address with the Settlement Administrator.  To check on the status of your previous claim, please contact the Settlement Administrator. 

Please contact the Settlement Administrator at the below address or visit: www.OtherOSsettlement.com for more information.  The Settlement Administrator is Garden City Group and can be reached at:

Sony PS3 Other OS Litigation
c/o GCG
P.O. Box 10312
Dublin, OH 43017-5912
1-855-720-1264

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT SCEA OR THE COURT FOR INFORMATION

 

SOURCE Hausfeld LLP

Scotiabank to partner with two Israeli technology leaders to accelerate its digital transformation

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TORONTO and NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Scotiabank announced today partnerships with two prominent Israeli technology leaders, Viola Group and Team8.  These partnerships further establish Scotiabank as a leader in the global innovation ecosystem and will help accelerate its development of technology capabilities, best-in-class customer experiences, and expertise in cybersecurity.

Scotiabank is investing in Viola FinTech I, L.P., a new venture fund that will invest in Israeli, European and North American FinTechs across various growth stages. The fund will co-invest alongside other leading global venture capital, private equity and financial institution investors. Their mission is to create mutual value by bridging the gap between financial institutions and innovative startups. The fund is led by Avi Zeevi, Prof. Daniel Tsiddon and Tomer Michaeli, an exceptionally experienced team with proven track records in banking, entrepreneurship and investment.

“We are delighted to partner with Viola Group to accelerate the Bank’s digital transformation and work with the most promising FinTechs across the globe,” said Ignacio (Nacho) Deschamps, Group Head, International Banking and Digital Transformation at Scotiabank. “This partnership will allow us to access Israel’s innovation ecosystem including well-established cybersecurity and anti-fraud expertise by leveraging Viola Group’s unique entrepreneurial and operational expertise.”

“We are honoured to work with a world-class financial institution such as Scotiabank which is truly committed to innovation and its customers worldwide,” said Prof. Daniel Tsiddon, principal of Viola Fintech. “We already see early results of this long-term collaboration and we look forward to working with Scotiabank to accelerate the integration of innovative ideas.”

Scotiabank and Team8, Israel’s most prestigious cybersecurity think tank and company-creation platform, will work together to foster cybersecurity innovation, through the exchange of knowledge, insights, and methodologies. An executive from Scotiabank will sit on Team8’s advisory board alongside Chief Information and Security Officers of other global financial institutions.

“We look forward to our partnership with Team8 to deepen our technology capabilities and know-how, which are foundational to Scotiabank’s digital transformation,” said Michael Zerbs, Chief Technology Officer at Scotiabank. “This partnership will increase our access to Israel’s world-class cybersecurity and fraud prevention ecosystem.”

“We are thrilled that Scotiabank will play a role in our unique company creation model to solve the big problems in cybersecurity. It is truly a win-win partnership,” said Nadav Zafrir, CEO and Co-Founder of Team8 and former Commander of Israeli Intelligence Unit 8200. “Joining our advisory board and pioneering our community of chief information security officers represents Scotiabank’s deep commitment to our shared vision of partnering with the industry to empower resilience within organizations. Their insights and experience bring incredible value to our approach.”

Israel has become known as the “Start-up Nation” and one of the premier places for high-tech firms and innovation. These partnerships are part of a broad digital transformation strategy the Bank is undertaking, which spans over multiple geographies and multiple strategic alliances, such as existing venture capital relationships with QED Investors, Georgian Partners and ScaleUP Ventures. Execution of this strategy has also yielded the creation of the Digital Factories in Canada, Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru, and the establishment of partnerships with academic institutions.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is Canada’s international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. We are dedicated to helping our 24 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 88,000 employees and assets of over $915 billion (as at October 31, 2017), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @Scotiabank.

About Viola Group

Viola Group, with over $2.8 Billion under management, is Israel’s premier technology oriented private equity investment group. Viola Group aims to provide long term, world-class returns by identifying and pursuing attractive investment strategies in the vibrant Israeli technology market. Viola Group is comprised of focused independent partnerships including a venture fund, a debt fund and a growth fund. Viola is currently establishing its FinTech arm – a global cross stage FinTech focused venture fund. The group funds, backed by leading global institutional investors from all over the world, have invested in over 200 technology companies. The group was co-founded by Avi Zeevi who is considered Israel’s leading Fintech investor.

About Team 8

Team8, Israel’s most prestigious cybersecurity think tank and venture creation foundry, develops disruptive companies that challenge the biggest problems in cybersecurity today. The Team8 innovation process combines a research team with intimate knowledge of both offensive and defensive aspects of cybersecurity, access to the best cyber talent, and a global syndicate that provides access to customers, partners and key influencers. Team8 was founded by leading cybersecurity experts Nadav Zafrir, Israel Grimberg and Liran Grinberg, all with deep ties to Israel’s famous IDF Technology & Intelligence Unit 8200. It is backed by Microsoft Ventures, Cisco, AT&T, Accenture, Qualcomm, Nokia, Temasek, Mitsui, Bessemer Venture Partners, Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors and Marker LLC. For more information on Team8, please visit www.team8.vc

For further information: For media enquiries only: Marcelo Gomez-Wiuckstern, Global Communications, Scotiabank, 416-933-1344, [email protected]; Tomer Michali, Partner, Viola Fintech, [email protected]; Matthew Krieger, GKPR for Team8, [email protected], +972-54-467-6950; Investor Relations: Adam Borgatti, Scotiabank, 416-866-5042, [email protected]

SOURCE Scotiabank

The Home Depot Updates Strategic Priorities; Confirms Fiscal Year 2017 Sales and Diluted Earnings-Per-Share Guidance; Outlines Long-Term Financial Targets; Announces Accelerated Business Investment Plan and $15 Billion Share Repurchase Authorization

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The Home Depot logo. (PRNewsFoto/The Home Depot) (PRNewsFoto/)

ATLANTA, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Home Depot®, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, will outline today, at its 2017 Investor and Analyst Conference, key strategic priorities and discuss long-term financial targets. 

The Home Depot logo. (PRNewsFoto/The Home Depot) (PRNewsFoto/)

Today’s conference will begin at 9 a.m. ET and will be available in its entirety through a live webcast and replay at ir.homedepot.com in the Events & Presentations section.

Strategic Priorities

During today’s conference, the Company will provide an update on the five strategic priorities it established in 2015. The Company will also discuss its intent to accelerate business investment over the next three years to enhance the customer experience, position itself for the future and create value for shareholders. The main areas of discussion will be:    

  • Enhancing the Customer Experience: The Company will highlight the various ways it is leveraging its physical and digital assets to keep pace with changing customer expectations, while continuing to balance the art and science of retail to consistently deliver innovative products at the best value for its customers.
  • Positioning for the Future: The Company will describe the key investments it will make to position itself as “One Home Depot.” Key areas of investment include stores, associates, the interconnected customer experience, and the Company’s supply chain and delivery capabilities.
  • Creating Value: The Company will address its approach to creating shareholder value by delivering higher returns on invested capital and increasing total value returned to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases.

“The retail landscape is changing at unprecedented rates and we plan to invest for the future to address the evolving needs of our customers. We will accelerate our investments, while continuing to focus on delivering the value our shareholders expect from The Home Depot,” said Craig Menear, chairman, CEO and president.

Fiscal Year 2017 Guidance

The Company reaffirmed its sales and diluted earnings-per-share guidance for fiscal 2017. The Company expects sales to increase approximately 6.3 percent for the year, with comparable store sales of approximately 6.5 percent. The Company also expects fiscal 2017 diluted earnings per share to grow approximately 14 percent to $7.36. The Company’s diluted earnings-per-share guidance includes the benefit of its intent to repurchase an additional $2.1 billion of shares in the fourth quarter, bringing total fiscal 2017 share repurchases to $8 billion.

Long-Term Financial Targets

Today the Company will set out new long-term, fiscal 2020 financial targets as follows:

  • Total sales ranging from approximately $114.7 billion to approximately $119.8 billion
  • A compounded annual sales growth rate from the end of fiscal 2017 ranging from approximately 4.5 percent to approximately 6.0 percent
  • Operating margin ranging from approximately 14.4 percent to 15.0 percent
  • Annual capital spending of approximately 2.5 percent of sales
  • Return on invested capital ranging from approximately 36.4 percent to 39.6 percent

Share Repurchase Authorization

The Company’s Board of Directors announced a $15 billion share repurchase program, replacing its previous authorization. Since 2002 and through the third quarter of fiscal 2017, the Company has returned approximately $73 billion of cash to shareholders through repurchases, repurchasing approximately 1.3 billion shares.    

At the end of the third quarter, the Company operated a total of 2,283 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. The Company employs more than 400,000 associates. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index. 

Certain statements contained herein constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may relate to, among other things, the demand for our products and services; net sales growth; comparable store sales; effects of competition; state of the economy; state of the residential construction, housing and home improvement markets; state of the credit markets, including mortgages, home equity loans and consumer credit; demand for credit offerings; inventory and in-stock positions; implementation of store, interconnected retail, supply chain and technology initiatives; management of relationships with our suppliers and vendors; the impact and expected outcome of investigations, inquiries, claims and litigation, including those related to the 2014 data breach; issues related to the payment methods we accept; continuation of share repurchase programs; net earnings performance; earnings per share; dividend targets; capital allocation and expenditures; liquidity; return on invested capital; expense leverage; stock-based compensation expense; commodity price inflation and deflation; the ability to issue debt on terms and at rates acceptable to us; the effect of accounting charges; the effect of adopting certain accounting standards; store openings and closures; guidance for fiscal 2017 and beyond; financial outlook; and the integration of acquired companies into our organization and the ability to recognize the anticipated synergies and benefits of those acquisitions. Forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and our current assumptions, expectations and projections about future events. You should not rely on our forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to future events, risks and uncertainties – many of which are beyond our control or are currently unknown to us – as well as potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations and projections. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to those described in Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended January 29, 2017 and in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update these statements other than as required by law. You are advised, however, to review any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Logo – http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/118058/the_home_depot_logo.jpg

 

SOURCE The Home Depot

Harmony Public Schools Open Enrollment Begins

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HOUSTON, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Harmony Public Schools is once again accepting applications for students interesting in attending one of our fifty four campuses across Texas. The Texas charter school application period runs from November 1, 2017 through February 10, 2018.

Harmony Public Schools is the largest STEM-focused charter school in the state of Texas and we are regularly recognized as among America’s “Best High Schools” by U.S. News & World Report and other prestigious publications. We currently enroll more than 33,000 students at our campuses in the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth metro areas, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, Brownsville, Laredo, Odessa, Lubbock, Beaumont, Bryan and Waco.

Harmony boasts a 98% graduation rate and a 100% college acceptance rate, far outpacing traditional public schools. A recent four-year study of more than 2,200 Harmony Public Schools alumni found that our innovative Project Based Learning and focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) influenced students choice of college major and future careers.

To apply online, please visit www.harmonytx.org.

About Harmony Public Schools
Harmony Public Schools are 54 high performing K-12 college preparatory charter schools throughout Texas. Harmony blends the highest standards and expectations, with a rigorous math- and science-centered curriculum and dedicated and engaged teachers and families to cultivate excellence and prepare students to succeed in college, careers and life. At Harmony Public Schools, we believe every child can succeed, and we are committed to helping them realize their full potential. To learn more about Harmony Public Schools and our 48 campuses across Texas, please visit: www.harmonytx.org, and follow us on Twitter at @HarmonyEdu and ‘Like’ us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HarmonyTexas.

 

SOURCE Harmony Public Schools

Health Alert: Cold and Flu Season Poses Risk of Accidental Medicine Poisonings Among Young Children

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Always store medicines up and away from children--even between doses.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Up and Away campaign, and Safe Kids Worldwide are reminding parents to keep their medicines stored up and away, out of reach and sight during this cold and flu season.

Always store medicines up and away from children—even between doses.

“Every year, approximately 60,000 young children end up in the emergency room due to accidental medicine ingestions,” said Dan Budnitz, Director of the Medication Safety Program at CDC and coordinator of the CDC-led PROTECT Initiative, which focuses on children’s medication safety. “Parents want to keep their children safe, and it is important to take action and practice safe medicine storage to prevent future visits to the emergency room, during an active cold and flu season and year-round.”

A 2017 Safe Kids Worldwide report shows that almost half of parents believe it’s okay to keep medicines visible on the kitchen counter or another handy location between doses when a child is sick. The report also shows that although most parents know what to do to protect kids from accidental medicine ingestions, that knowledge doesn’t always translate into action.

“It is important not to underestimate a child’s ability to get into medicines left within reach,” said Torine Creppy, Interim President at Safe Kids Worldwide. “As medicine use increases during cold and flu season, it is critical that parents place caution ahead of convenience and store medicines out of reach and sight every time—even between doses.”

The CDC, Safe Kids Worldwide, and Up and Away urge parents to follow these tips to keep their children safe:

  • Store medicine up and away, out of reach and sight every time.
  • Keep medicine in its original child-resistant packaging, and always relock the safety cap on medicine bottles.
  • Pick a place to store medicines up and away and out of sight in your home as soon as your first child is born.
  • Save the Poison Help number – 1-800-222-1222 – in your phone, or text “POISON” to 797979 to save the information automatically.
  • Use safe reminder tools (like cell phone alarms or medication schedules) instead of keeping medicines within sight.

Additional resources on safe medicine storage are available at UpandAway.org.

About Up and Away
Up and Away and Out of Sight is an educational campaign to remind families about the importance of safe medicine storage around young children. It is an initiative of PROTECT in partnership with the CDC and the CHPA Educational Foundation. For more information, visit UpandAway.org.

About Safe Kids Worldwide
Safe Kids Worldwide is a nonprofit organization working to prevent childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States. Throughout the world, almost one million children die of an injury each year, and almost every one of these tragedies is preventable. Safe Kids works with an extensive network of more than 400 coalitions in the U.S. and with partners in more than 30 countries to reduce traffic injuries, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings and more. Since 1988, Safe Kids has helped reduce the U.S. childhood death rate from unintentional injury by 60 percent. Working together, we can do much more for kids everywhere. Join our effort at safekids.org.

About Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) PROTECT Initiative
The PROTECT Initiative is a collaboration among public health agencies, private sector companies, professional organizations, consumer/patient advocates, and academic experts to develop strategies to keep children safe from unintentional medication overdoses. For more information, visit CDC.gov/MedicationSafety/PROTECT/PROTECT_Initiative.html. 

Photo – http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/614440/Up_and_Away_Cold_and_Flu_Crib.jpg

SOURCE Up and Away

Portada and Adsmovil Demand Viable Alternatives to the “Duopoly” in the Hispanic Market

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NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Marketing industry players Adsmovil (http://adsmovil.com/en/) and Portada (www.portada-online.com)  are questioning the assumption that marketers can mostly operate successful campaigns  within the confines of Facebook and Google’s “walled gardens.”

“Destination websites of both large and niche publishers provide marketers crucial direct contact with very engaged audiences, ” says Marcos Baer, president of Portada, the leading networking solutions platform for dynamic tech, marketing and media companies. The voices demanding alternatives to the “duopoly” of Facebook and Google are growing louder, suggesting that Adsmovil could emerge as a leader at just the right time. While Google and Facebook took over 77% of the US$12 billion-dollar increase in global online ad spend in 2017, more and more advertisers are questioning the assumption that they can operate a successful campaign within the confines of Facebook and Google’s “walled gardens.”

It is important to not only recognize the diversity that exists within the Hispanic American population but also find a team with the know-how to build campaigns that really reach such a diverse demographic.  “Mexicans have different taste and buying habits than Dominicans or Argentinians. Adsmovil helps you deliver more effective media because we realize the differences and can target more appropriately. As a result, you will have better-performing campaigns,” says Adriana Daantje, Global Product Director at Adsmovil. Adsmovil is a  Global Mobile Advertising Solutions company with local presence and offices in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and the United States. The company focus on U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets allows their clients to reach more than 100 million mobile users.

“Smart” Hispanic Population

Seven in 10 of the 58 million U.S. Hispanics now use a smartphone, and more are bypassing desktop and laptop computers completely in favor of tablets and mobile. “Taking into account that Hispanics are heavy mobile users and even use their mobile devices as their primary access to the internet, we always include mobile in all our communication strategies. In fact, we always recommend clients having a mobile-first approach when implementing any digital campaign,” Gonzalo del Fa, President of GroupM Multicultural asserted. With some help from their expertise in Hispanic mobile behavior, mobile ad network  Adsmovil topped the latest comScore Mobile Metrix® in both the Hispanic Mobile and Total Mobile Audience reach categories.  

DOWNLOAD the “Brand Safety & Mobile Study” here http://adsmovil.com/brand-safety-viewability/

MORE INFORMATION HERE:  https://www.portada-online.com/2017/11/30/hispanic-mobile-network-adsmovil-provides-advertisers-with-viable-alternative-to-duopoly/

About Portada

Portada (www.portada-online.com) is the leading networking solutions platform for dynamic tech, marketing and media companies targeting consumers through cultural insights and passion points in the Americas. Portada members receive top business leads through a guaranteed amount of annual meetings with brand marketing executives.   To align your brand with Portada networking solutions, events and digital media properties, please contact Daniela Landa at [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE TO PORTADA ELETTERS!
https://www.portada-online.com/2016/10/23/subscribe-to-our-weekly-updates-on-sports-marketing-video-marketing-travel-and-entrepreneurship/

SOURCE Portada

Toma Leche Celebrates The Holidays With El Chavo

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Toma Leche

SAN CLEMENTE, California, Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), creators of the iconic got milk? campaign and its Spanish-language counterpart Toma Leche, are making the holiday season bright with fun family activities, milk and snacks and the popular El Chavo characters dressed as Los Tres Reyes at retail locations across California beginning Dec. 8 through Dec. 21 and from Jan. 4 to Día de Los Reyes (“Kings Day”) on Jan. 6.

Toma Leche

At participating retail locations, grocery shoppers preparing for the holidays will be able to enjoy a quick snack paired with milk at Toma Leche sampling stations, and partake in celebratory holiday activities including arts and crafts and a Rosca Spin Wheel for a chance to win prizes including Toma Leche and El Chavo tote bags, notebooks and more. 

As a special treat, consumers are invited to take festive holiday pictures together with life-size characters from El Chavo inside a large snow globe at the following locations:

  • The Children’s Lane Christmas Parade at South Gate Park, 4941 Tweedy Blvd. on Sun., Dec. 10 from 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
  • Vallarta Supermarket, 1951 W. Clinton Ave., Fresno, Fri., on Dec. 15 from 12 p.m.-4 p.m.
  • Vallarta Supermarket, 3425 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles, Fri., Dec. 22 from 12 p.m.-4 p.m.
  • Superior, 7300 Atlantic Ave, Cudahy, Fri., Jan. 5, from 12 p.m.-4 p.m.
  • El Super, 4421 University Ave., San Diego, Sat., Jan. 6 from 12 p.m.- 4 p.m., which will feature a special milk plus rosca de reyes pairing in honor of the Día de Los Reyes holiday.

“The holidays are a special time that connect family and friends through our cultural traditions, meals and celebrations,” said Steve James, executive director, California Milk Processor Board.  “And whether it’s at the center of the holiday table or paired with a delicious snack, the holidays are always better with milk.”

Additionally, customers at more than 120 Vallarta Supermarkets, El Super, Northgate, Arteaga’s and La Preciosa retail locations throughout California, including Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, San Diego, San Francisco, Salinas and Sacramento, will be treated to a holiday snack paired with a glass of milk while they shop for holiday meal essentials.  Those who purchase milk in-store will receive a free El Chavo/Toma Leche branded lunchbox as their gift with purchase.

The most-watched show on Mexican television, El Chavo was known as a courageous kid in and out of trouble, who entertained generations of fans across Latin America.  Millions of viewers who have embraced the character for his wholesome, pure authenticity and innocence still watch the animated version and reruns in Latin America and on Spanish-language networks in the United States.

For a complete list of events, dates and participating retailers across California, visit www.tomaleche.com and www.tuinnerchavo.com., follow Toma Leche via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @tomaleche.

About the CMPB
The California Milk Processor Board was established in 1993 to make milk more competitive and increase milk consumption in California. Awareness of “got milk?” is over 90% nationally and it is considered one of the most important and successful campaigns in history. The “got milk?” trademark is a federally registered trademark and service mark that was licensed by the National Dairy Board in 1995 for use in its advertising, including their long-running “Milk Mustache” campaign. The CMPB’s Spanish-language campaign began in 1994 using the tagline “Familia, Amor y Leche” (Family, Love and Milk). The “toma leche” (Drink Milk) campaign replaced it in 2006 in order to better align the English and Spanish language work. The CMPB is funded by all California milk processors and is an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

About Grupo Chespirito
Grupo Chespirito (GCH) is the team responsible for preserving and leading Roberto Gómez Bolaños’ – aka Chespirito-  legacy to the new generations, including his most famous characters: ‘El Chavo del Ocho’ and ‘El Chapulín Colorado‘. GCH is also responsible for developing new projects and initiatives to generate new contents to all ages Chespirito fans worldwide such as a social media strategy for a 14+ million fan-community.

 

Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/550040/Toma_Leche_Logo.jpg
Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/615784/CMPB_Grupo_Chespirito_Logo.jpg
Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/615785/CMPB_El_Chavo_Holiday.jpg

SOURCE The California Milk Processor Board

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