BOULDER - Intercambio de Comunidades, a Boulder-based nonprofit, is planning to expand nationally over the next couple of years. The organization focuses on integrating immigrants into the community.

"A lot of people outside the state have expressed interest in the model we have here. There are other English programs, but there isn't an emphasis on cultural exchange, friendship and community integration," said Lee Shainis, executive director.

"We're hoping to expand to two new sites in 2009, but part of that depends on the financial support we get."

Intercambio is looking at areas in Boise, Idaho, North Carolina and California. "We're looking for communities with at least a 10 percent immigrant population, that don't have many language resources, and that also have a source of volunteers," said Shainis.

The new facilities will have to support themselves financially, though they may get a small piece of funding from the Boulder location to get them started. Funding is needed, however, for the expansion. Shainis is looking to raise $280,000 for the expansion plans in 2009, which will go toward hiring two new people to focus on the expansions, travel expenses, and some marketing consulting. Right now, the Boulder location only has the time and resources to focus on the Boulder community.

Intercambio is co-hosting a 5K run/walk with KGNU Radio at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16, at the Boulder Foothills Community Park, 800 Cherry Ave., to raise money. Following the benefit, the Entrepreneurs' Foundation of Colorado, based in Boulder, will hold a strategic planning meeting with Intercambio to work out some of the details of the expansion. About 40 members of the Foundation will volunteer their time for the meeting.

BROOMFIELD - ARCA biopharma Inc., a biopharmaceutical company based in Broomfield, has appointed Dr. William R. Hiatt to guide the development of its leading drug candidate to treat heart disease.

In this newly created position, Hiatt will be responsible for developing strategic regulatory and clinical initiatives designed to support Gencaro, a beta-blocker and mild vasodilator in late-stage development for heart failure, as well as other compounds in ARCA's pipeline.
 
Hiatt is a professor of medicine, cardiovascular research and chief of section of vascular medicine at the University of Colorado Denver's Anschutz Medical Campus.

"Dr. Hiatt is a recognized expert who knows cardiovascular medicine from virtually every angle: as researcher, physician, educator, clinician and former advisor to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration," said Richard B. Brewer, president and chief executive officer of privately held ARCA biopharma. "He brings valuable experience and insight to ARCA as we prepare to introduce our first product and begin to educate the medical community about the benefits of genetically targeted treatment of heart failure."
 

BOULDER - Digital Instructor LLC, an online continuity and digital products company based in Boulder, has been acquired by Mountain View, Calif.-based AdEx Media Inc.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

AdEx (Nasdaq:ADXM) is a marketing and publishing company. It acquired Digital Instructor to add more "products to distribute through our diversified multichannel distribution network," according to Scott Rewick, the company chief executive officer, in a statement.

For the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2007, Digital Instructor had consolidated revenues of approximately $4.8 million, consolidated gross profit of approximately $4.4 million and consolidated net income of approximately $407,000. The company markets digital learning products and services on the Internet.

"AdEx Media's diversified platform and industry recognition in the lead generation and advertising solutions sector presents obvious synergies with the Digital Instructor business," said Dennis Hefter, managing member of Digital Instructor.

BROOMFIELD - Level 3 Communications Inc. said Wednesday that it has been selected by Shriners Hospitals for Children to provide network connectivity between that company's data center, hospitals and disaster recovery site.

Broomfield-based Level 3 (Nasdaq:LVLT) will deliver a virtual private network with direct connections to several Shriners hospitals and data center sites.

"We needed to partner with a network provider that possessed the national presence and technological capabilities to support our hospitals in a secure, robust and cost-effective manner," said Gene D'Amore, Shriners' vice president of information services, in a press release. "Level 3 was chosen to supply our long-term applications and disaster recovery network requirements."

Shriners Hospitals is implementing advanced health-care information technology across the 22 hospitals in its international health-care system, making it possible for Shriners hospitals and affiliates to share and store medical images electronically.

The Level 3 infrastructure enables this picture archive communications system technology across the hospitals and provides greater efficiency for image storage and retrieval, resulting in reduced operational costs and improved response to patient requests for their medical records.

LOUISVILLE - GHX LLC, a Louisville provider of services and products to the health-care industry, and Dallas-based BancTec Inc. have partnered to provide hospitals with a software-as-a-service that speeds the invoice-to-payment process.

The service, called OnDemand AP, allows hospitals to receive 100 percent of their invoices electronically, even from suppliers who still submit invoices via fax or mail. Ondemand AP streamlines the complete accounts payable process and helps to reduce invoice processing costs and cycle time, improve internal controls and productivity, and optimize cash flow.

"The timing for the OnDemand AP solution couldn't be better," said Henry Ijams, managing director of PayStream Advisors, which provides independent research and automation assessments for financial automation technology. "While there is a strong demand for invoice solutions that empower health-care finance professionals to fix broken AP processes, the combination of the AP automation services from these two heavyweights is impressive."

OnDemand AP's SaaS model provides is immediately ready to use once implemented.

PLAN-Boulder County hosts Should Orchard Grove Be Preserved as a Mobile Home Park or Redeveloped? from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 15, at the Creekside Room, Boulder Public Library, 1000 Canyon Blvd. in Boulder. This is a brown bag discussion event. Cost: Free. Contact: advocate@planboulder.org.

Boulder Municipal Airport hosts Airport Day and Open House from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16, at 3327 Airport Road in Boulder. The public is invited to come see different types of aircraft, tour the facilities and participate in a variety of activities. Cost: Free. Contact: 303-441-3108.