Business etc: United Bank donates to United Way, Aucella wins award for logo, Baystate retains Level 1 status, and more

United Bank donates

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Richard B. Collins, president and CEO of United Bank, announced today that employee and United Bank Foundation contributions combined totaled $97,643 in support of the United Ways of Pioneer Valley, Hampshire Community and Central Massachusetts.

United Bank’s employee campaign alone totaled more than $58,000, surpassing last year’s level of giving, reported Collins. In addition, the United Bank Foundation contributed a total of $39,500 to the three United Ways.

The Bank’s United Way Committee was headed by Laura Carrasquillo, HR reporting and payroll manager. She and committee members Kristyn Samere, Michelle Gardner, Terry Bennett, Tricia Welzyn, Jane Loranger, Nancy Carlo and Pat Wirth promoted employee participation with weekly events and activities designed to reinforce the United Way’s LIVE UNITED message.

Insurer expands coverage
BOSTON – Starting this month, Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts becomes the first Massachusetts-based health insurer to offer its comprehensive health insurance coverage and services to members who travel or live overseas for their work. GeoBlue, a new insurance product made available to companies through a partnership with Highway to Health Worldwide Inc., will provide an array of services that traditional, domestic health insurance plans usually do not offer outside of the United States.

GeoBlue products will be marketed and sold in Massachusetts through Indigo Insurance Services LLC, a subsidiary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts. To learn more about the GeoBlue plans, and the services it will offer business travelers and international employees, visit www.indigo-insurance.com

Stimulus funds increased

BOSTON – Citing a stronger demand for more lending capital in the recovering economy, state Treasurer Steven Grossman recently announced that he is increasing the maximum amount of Treasury reserve funds that banks participating in the Small Business Banking Partnership can request from $5 million to $10 million.

The banks, including local lenders Chicopee Savings, Nuvo Bank & Trust Co. and Greenfield Co-Operative, then lend the money to small businesses as a way of creating jobs and stimulating the economy.

Logo design wins award
WESTFIELD – Graphic Design USA has awarded Aucella Strategic Marketing Design a 2011Certificate of Excellence for the “Fireworks for Freedom” logo that the firm designed for The Rotary Club of Westfield.

Mark Boardman, president of the club and chairman of the 2011 Fireworks Committee, said the group wanted the celebration to honor America and the men and women – both in the armed forcesand civilians – who “continue to safeguard our freedom.” According to Boardman, “Aucella’s design was colorful and eye-catching, and resulted in helping achieve an attendance of nearly 40,000 at the event.”

Phil Aucella, president and creative director at Aucella Strategic Marketing Design, said that to have the greatest impact, the logo needed to be attractive, fun and family friendly.

After researching successful design elements, the design team incorporated a lively color palette that would appeal to area demographics.

Graphic Design USA selected the award-winning logo from more than 8,000 entries nationwide.

Technology leverage plan
ROCKY HILL, Conn. – Connecticut Innovations, the state’s quasi-public authority responsible for technology-based economic development, today announced board approval of a plan to spend $50 million per year, over five years, consisting of $25 million per year from the state of Connecticut, along with a matching $25 million per year over the same period from Connecticut Innovations itself.

The plan calls for Connecticut Innovations to recruit early stage, high-potential companies from other states, leverage its knowledge of the technology industry and investment community to attract outside investment to match CI funds, and utilize its expertise to expand existing initiatives and launch new initiatives to invigorate Connecticut’s emerging technology sector, bolstering further CI’s record of success.

There was $125 million in new funding from the state included in Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s jobs bill, which was signed into law in October 2011. CI’s plan is to match this state funding for each of the next five years with its existing cash and funding from its investment returns.

Baystate retains Level 1
SPRINGFIELD –The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma has again verified Baystate Medical Center as a Level 1 trauma center, reinforcing the Springfield hospital’s place among the most essential and capable medical facilities in the nation. Accompanying the Level 1 trauma reverification is a verification as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center, meaning that Baystate has been acknowledged as having high-level capabilities to care for seriously injured children.

The reverification, received after an extensive independent review of Baystate’s staff, facilities and protocols by a team of veteran trauma surgeons, is based on a comprehensive set of criteria, including the number of injured patients treated per year; the skill and experience of physicians, nurses and other staff in the trauma center around the clock; the level of technology available to support care for injured patients, and the trauma center’s commitment to continuous improvement, community outreach and education, and injury prevention.

As the only Level 1 trauma center in Western Massachusetts, Baystate Medical Center treats the region’s most critically injured patients. Baystate’s trauma program works closely with the hospital’s emergency department, one of the busiest in New England, to bring the highest level of care to trauma patients facing the gravest health crises.

Tax preparation software
WASHINGTON – The Free File Alliance, a coalition of industry-leading tax software companies partnered with the Internal Revenue Service, have announced the launch of the 2012 IRS Free File program. Since its inception in 2003, IRS Free File has offered low- to moderate-income taxpayers free access to leading online commercial tax preparation software. This year, every taxpayer with a 2011 Adjusted Gross Income of $57,000 or less can visit www.IRS.gov to prepare, complete and e-file their federal tax returns at no cost.
Bilingual business
HOLYOKE – Pantoja Tax Service, 402 Hillside Ave., is now accepting clients for the 2012 tax season. The new business is a bilingual tax service run by sisters Laura and Rosa Pantoja, of Holyoke, and can help English and Spanish-speaking clients with their tax needs.

IRS pushes e-file

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service opened the 2012 electronic tax return filing season last week with a reminder to taxpayers that e-file remains the best way to get fast refunds and ensure accurate tax returns.

IRS e-file has surpassed the milestone of 1 billion returns processed. The electronic transmission system revolutionized the way the IRS processes tax returns and made speedy refunds possible. More than 112 million income tax returns were e-filed last year, or 77 percent of all individual returns filed.

Big E exhibitors sought
WEST SPRINGFIELD – The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources is looking for exhibitors for the Massachusetts Building at the Eastern States Exposition.

On average, 1 million visitors come to enjoy the fairgrounds during the Big E's 17-day
exposition each year – including the Massachusetts Building, a replica of the Old State House in Boston. Located along the Avenue of the States, the Massachusetts Building showcases Massachusetts agriculture, commerce and tourism.

If your businesses or organization can’t commit to a full 17 days, there are also one-day options to exhibit: Massachusetts Day – (Sept. 20) and Harvest New England Day (Sept. 28.)

For more information, contact Mary Jordan, (617) 626-1750, Mary.Jordan@
state.ma.us; Howie Vinton, (617) 626-1803, Howard.Vin-
ton@state.ma.us

{{el2}}NORTHAMPTON – Two independent rating organizations separately verify that patients who choose Cooley Dickinson Hospital for their health needs receive better quality and safer outcomes, even as the hospital has reduced the cost of care.

Cooley Dickinson Hospital is among the 2011 Top Performing Hospitals in the Premier health care alliance’s national QUEST collaborative. The data demonstrates that CDH is doing better than the benchmarks set by the collaborative.

-RT>Innovative solutions

BOSTON – The Patrick-Murray Administration has announced a first in the nation initiative to allow Massachusetts to enter into “pay for success” contracts designed to encourage innovative solutions to social problems, improve the performance of government and save taxpayer money.

The Executive Office for Administration and Finance issued requests for response as a next step in pursuing these social innovation financing contracts.

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