Welcome to the Abt Associates' In the News Section. Many members of our staff are frequently quoted as expert sources for news articles. Below are summaries of selected articles in which our experts are cited. Many of these summaries list on-line access information: access is sometimes free, but sometimes a small fee is charged once the article is archived. For more information or for a hard-copy of the original article, contact Corporate Communications at 617-520-2982, or e-mail newsroom@abtassoc.com.
"AmeriCorps alums continue to serve Study: Members of program likely to have more civic responsibility" David Tarrant, The Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas, December 15, 2004
Wearing a red headscarf and heavy sweat shirt on this chilly morning, Kate Donahue helped pack a shipping container with construction materials at a West Dallas loading dock.
It's quite a change of scenery for Ms. Donahue, a 22-year-old interior design major from upstate New York. But just four months into a yearlong assignment as an AmeriCorps volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, she is already thinking long term.
"I don't know what I'll do after this. But I foresee that wherever I end up, I'll always be a part of Habitat for Humanity."
Young people are increasingly volunteering, working as mentors and tutors, running after-school programs and building affordable homes. Now, a new study shows that there is a long-term payoff for pitching in.
...The five-year study, commissioned by the federal corporation and conducted by Abt Associates, an independent social policy and research firm, tracked 2,000 AmeriCorps members since 1998, comparing them with an equal number of people who had inquired about the program but decided not to enroll. AmeriCorps members were significantly more likely to enter careers in public service such as teaching, public safety, social work and military service, the study reported. (accessing article requires free online registration with Dallas Morning News).
"Long-Term Study Reveals Positive Impacts of AmeriCorps Service" U.S. Newswire, Washington, December 14, 2004
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 U.S. Newswire — Serving in AmeriCorps has positive effects on members' civic engagement, according to a five-year study to be released today at the National Press Club by David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
"The first rigorous scientific study of AmeriCorps tells us that people who take the AmeriCorps pledge and fulfill their year of service end up as more engaged citizens than they would have been had they not participated in AmeriCorps," said Eisner. "National service programs are important contributors to the long- term civic health of our nation."
"Serving Country and Community: A Longitudinal Study of Service in AmeriCorps," was conducted by Abt Associates, an independent social policy and research firm.
"Housing authority focuses on HOPE process" Springfield News-Sun, Springfield, Ohio, December 2, 2004
Relocating public housing residents can be a major opportunity or create upheaval for residents. To reduce that stress, the Springfield Metropolitan Housing Authority will provide a range of services as part of a plan to raze and rebuild its Lincoln Park complex. "These residents experience a lot of changes in their lives," said Kristin Winkel, a senior analyst with Abt Associates. (accessing article requires free online registration with Springfield News-Sun).
"Hythiam Establishes Clinical Outcomes Registry for HANDS Addiction Protocols" Business Wire, Los Angeles, California, November 29, 2004
Healthcare Services Management Company Partners with Leading CRO to Monitor Outcomes for More Than 750 Patients at 15 Commercial Licensee Locations
Hythiam, Inc. (AMEX:HTM), a healthcare services management company that delivers to treatment providers both proprietary administrative services and physiological protocols designed to treat addiction, has entered into an agreement with Abt Associates Clinical Trials (AACT), a full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO), to establish a Clinical Outcomes Registry for the monitoring and evaluation of patients undergoing Hythiam's HANDS(TM) Protocols at commercial licensee locations.
The Clinical Outcomes Registry, slated to commence in the first quarter of fiscal 2005, will be comprised of 15 sites nationwide where the HANDS(TM) Treatment Protocol is currently offered or will be offered commercially in the near future. The Clinical Outcomes Registry will include approximately 50 patient-customers per site for a total of at least 750 patients. The naturalistic, prospective analysis will be designed to compare pre-treatment baseline data with six-month follow-up data for patients treated with either the HANDS(TM) Protocol for Alcohol Dependence or the HANDS(TM) Protocol for Stimulant Dependence (or combined dependence to alcohol and stimulants). Standard, validated outcome measures will be utilized for the duration of the registry period, which is expected to last approximately 24 months.
AACT is the CRO division of Abt Associates Inc. AACT provides research services to its clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries to assist them in the clinical development and marketing approval process, as well as post-marketing activities.
"Employers try shifting health costs: Plans ease sting for those at lower end of pay scale" Kimberly Blanton, The Boston Globe, November 25, 2004
Michael Koonce, who heads the legal department at Boston mutual fund manager Evergreen Investments, doesn't have a clue how much is deducted from his hefty paychecks for his family's health plan. And when the deductions go up, he said, it's "not going to break the bank for me."
Matthew Hayward, a call-center supervisor there, ranks much lower on the pay scale of Evergreen's 1,300 employees. Workers run the gamut from entry-level clerk to an investment manager who may earn $1 million in salary and bonus in a good year. Hayward knows how much his deduction is but said rising health insurance premiums are toughest to absorb for the people he supervises, who earn perhaps $30,000 a year.
...To relieve financial pressures at the bottom of the pay scale, 4 percent of US employers now offer salary-based plans, while 10 percent of the nation's large employers do, according to Mercer Human Resource Consulting. The University of California, Liberty Mutual Group, Cambridge consultant Abt Associates, and Wachovia are among those offering the plans.
"Memphis Officials Begin Work On Changing City For Future" Mike Matthews, WREG News Channel 3, November 16, 2004
Memphis, TN — They stood at one end of the room. Shoulder to shoulder. It almost looked as though they'd hold hands and start singing "We Are The World." They were the people who pretty much run the Memphis City Government. And they have their work cut out for them.
Memphis is a city that sort of resembles an old prizefighter. It's been beaten...smacked around...stomped on...and at times left for dead. But the city has always rebounded. That's not opinion. History shows that the people who make up this city bounce back with amazing resilience. In fact, Memphis City Council Chairman Joe Brown used eight words to talk about dealing with this city's future. Eight words. Two sentences. "It's not about us. It's about the people."
...Gayle Epp, a vice president of ABT Associates, a company that helps communities plan for the future says "The city as an organization needs to function much more like a business."
"Sales & Marketing 2005 Executive Summit Delivers Powerhouse Best-Practice Presenters; New For 2005: Internet Marketing Symposium" Business Wire, San Antonio, Texas, October 25, 2004
Frost & Sullivan announces its Sales and Marketing 2005 6th Annual Executive Summit West, taking place Jan. 9-14, 2005, in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort. Confirmed speakers at this industry-leading event include key executives from Siemens Medical, Johnson & Johnson, SBC Communications, Texas Instruments, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Bose Corporation, Hertz Corporation, Tyco Electronics, Western Union, Waters Corporation, Prudential Financial, EMCOR, Kellogg Company and ESPN.
...This sixth installment is sponsored by key industry solutions providers, including Geehan Advisory Boards, Fletcher CSI, FirstMarketing, Maritz Loyalty Marketing, Teradata, iProspect, Abt Associates, SendTraffic, Prime Resource Group, IC Group, Hancock Information Group, LinkShare and Lyris.
"The Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy to Release Report on Emissions Oct. 6" U.S. Newswire, October 5, 2004
On Oct. 6, The Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy will release its latest report, Critique of "Dirty Air, Dirty Power," a report by Clear the Air, a joint project of the Clean Air Task Force, the National Environmental Trust, and the U.S. PIRG Education Fund.
The report entitled "Dirty Air, Dirty Power" (DADP) claims that emissions from coal-fired power plants cuts short nearly 24,000 lives per year and cause many other adverse health effects. A careful review of the DADP report, the June, 2004 Abt Associates Inc. report on which it is based, and the underlying science related to power plant pollution and its possible health effects reveals that the Dirty Air, Dirty Power report is grossly misleading.
"Academy Reacts to Recent VCA Study on Eye Exams for Children; Calls for More Research" PRNewswire American Academy of Ophthalmology, September 28, 2004
The American Academy of Ophthalmology urges healthcare professionals and public policy leaders to view with caution a recent study touting the cost-effectiveness of giving eye exams to all preschool children. The Academy, a long-time supporter of preschool vision screenings and eye exams for at-risk children, believes more research is needed on this controversial issue.
The study, Eye Exams for Children: Their Impact and Cost Effectiveness, was conducted by Abt Associates, Inc., for the Vision Council of America, a nonprofit association that advocates eye care and the expansion of eyewear within North America.
"MBA Study Shows Negative Effects of Lending Law Hit Low-Income Borrowers Hardest" RISMedia, September 15, 2004
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released a study on the effects of the 1999 North Carolina anti-predatory lending law showing the law has caused a decline in lending among minority and low-income borrowers. In addition, the study demonstrates the North Carolina law has had negative effects on the availability of credit for all income and racial groups.
The study, conducted by ABT Associates Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, looked at lending volumes before and after the law was passed on a census-tract-by-census-tract basis and compares the results with what took place in states with economies similar to North Carolina's.
"'Dirty' Bomb's Impact Studied" David Pierson Times Staff Writer, August 22, 2004
A radioactive "dirty" bomb detonated at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach could cause a $34-billion loss to the nation's economy, according to researchers at a two-day symposium that focused on the economic impact of terrorism.
The scenario was one of many discussed by experts Saturday at the conference, which was hosted by USC's new Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events.
...Clark Abt, who runs a social and economic policy research and consulting firm, said it was imperative that the United States pay for overseas scanners to detect nuclear weapons before they reach the U.S. coastline.
"Optimism Rules as Vacancies Ebb" Kenneth Bredemeier, Washington Post, August 9, 2004
Last September, developer Meridian Group watched as vacancies swelled to a quarter of the 365,000 square feet of space in its 3 Bethesda Metro Center, a 15-story office building atop the Bethesda Metro Station.
... But now leasing has picked up, cutting the vacant space by nearly half.
(Abt Associates is the 10th on a chart of 'biggest leases signed,' with 30,800 square feet). Hard copy available on request. [ back to top ]
"Coal fuel use raises health questions" Pamela Brogan, The Baxter Bulletin, August 2, 2004
WASHINGTON — Across the country, coal is making a comeback to meet consumers' increased demands for electricity. At least 74 new coal-fired plants are planned or under construction, including one in Arkansas. Together, they could boost the nation's electric power capacity by up to 20 percent, according to industry and government estimates.
... A June study released by Clear the Air, an environmental coalition, found that pollution from coal-fired power plants is linked to 24,000 deaths annually. That's more than the 20,000 people killed each year in homicides and the 17,000 killed each year by drunken drivers. The study found that 22,000 of the deaths could be avoided using the latest pollution controls.
...The study was conducted by Abt Associates, an international research firm that does studies for the Environmental Protection Agency.
"The Bad Neighbor" Esther Cervantes Dollars & Sense, July/August 2004
Earlier this year, the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) broke ground on the $83 million Three Oaks lignite mine outside Austin. ... In a company report celebrating the Rockdale smelter’s first 50 years, manager Geoff Cromer thanks the facility’s neighbors for "the strong support we have received from the community"—but that’s less than half the story. The "several hundred people" who "took time from their jobs" to attend numerous public hearings and "provide comment in support of Alcoa and this project" were far outnumbered by those who struggled against it for four years.
...This year, EPA consultant Abt Associates found that every year in Texas, pollution from coal-fired power plants causes 144 deaths from lung cancer, 1,791 nonfatal heart attacks, and almost 34,000 asthma attacks.
"Power plants responsible for premature deaths, report says. Illinois ranked fourth highest in levels of health impacts from power plants" Rock River Times, July 28, 2004
Pollution from coal-fired plants causes 2,361 non-fatal heart attacks, 145 lung cancer deaths and 1,356 premature deaths each year in Illinois, according to a new Clear the Air report released by several Illinois public health and community groups.
...The report, "Dirty Air, Dirty Power," is based on an analysis by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's own air quality consultants, Abt Associates, using standard EPA methodology. Hard copy available on request.
"HIV/AIDS project on China-Vietnam border garners interest of Wall Street Journal." Gautam Naik, Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2004
BANGKOK, Thailand — Public-health workers around the world are closely watching the promising results of an innovative program in China and Vietnam that suggests the spread of the AIDS virus can be contained among intravenous-drug users — a high-risk, hard-to-reach group that threatens to hasten the disease's march across a wide swath of the globe.
Drug use is especially fueling the spread of AIDS in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Russia. The worry for these countries is that unless they quickly find ways to lower HIV infection rates among drug users, the virus could proliferate via sexual contact from this high-risk group to the general population. The worst-case outcome: new HIV epidemics to rival the one that is devastating Africa. In China, about 70% of existing infections are needle-related, and in Vietnam, it is about 60%, according to Abt Associates, Cambridge, Mass., research firm that set up the program.
Of the 40 million people world-wide infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, about four million contracted it by sharing needles, according to Abt.
"Ineffective, expensive drug war rages on" Randall G. Shelden, Las Vegas Mercury, July 15, 2004
We just passed the halfway point of 2004 and it is time for an update on the "war on drugs." Sad to say, it is still going strong. According to the website www.drugsense.org, we have spent more than $20 billion so far this year on this "war," putting us on a pace to surpass last's year's expenditure of $39 billion.
...A study by Abt Associates in 2001 found that the cost of heroin at the retail level has been declining, dropping from about $3,295 per gram in 1981 to $2,088 per gram in 2000; at the wholesale level, these figures went from $865 to $112. Another U.N. report noted that during the past decade inflation-adjusted prices in Western Europe fell by 45 percent for cocaine and 60 percent for heroin; in the U.S. there was a 50 percent drop in cocaine prices and a 70 percent drop in heroin prices.
"Trying to Arrest HIV's Spread" The Wall Street Journal, July 15, 2004
BANGKOK, Thailand – Public-health workers around the world are closely watching the promising results of an innovative program in China and Vietnam that suggests the spread of the AIDS virus can be contained among intravenous-drug users – a high-risk, hard-to-reach group that threatens to hasten the disease's march across a wide swath of the globe.
Drug use is especially fueling the spread of AIDS in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Russia. The worry for these countries is that unless they quickly find ways to lower HIV infection rates among drug users, the virus could proliferate via sexual contact from this high-risk group to the general population. The worst-case outcome: new HIV epidemics to rival the one that is devastating Africa. In China, about 70% of existing infections are needle-related, and in Vietnam, it is about 60%, according to Abt Associates, Cambridge, Mass., research firm that set up the program.
"The Maryland Health Care Commission Continues to Examine Creating a Family Satisfaction Survey in Nursing Homes" Lifespan E-News, June 29, 2004
As a result of legislation that passed during the 1999 Session, the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) is in the process of developing a family satisfaction survey to be used in Maryland nursing homes. The MHCC has convened a Steering Committee to assist in this effort. The MHCC is planning to hire a survey vendor to collect information from residents and families. At its June 1st meeting, Abt Associations presented its report on areas that the MHCC should consider in developing an RFP to hire the survey vendor.
According to Abt Associations, there are approximately six existing survey instruments currently being used throughout the country that will meet Maryland's needs. The instruments examine core domain areas: overall assessment, activities, facility environment, food, autonomy/privacy, clinical care and treatment, personal care and staff interaction. In developing an RFP, other issues that should be examined include: (1) methods for collecting the data (interview-administered vs. self-administered; (2) cost (annual surveys are commonly used by other states; (3) sampling size (entire population vs. subsets of the population; and (4) use of the survey data (public reporting vs. public reporting and facility quality improvement.
"Literacy program here part of national study" Sarah Baker, The News Enterprise Online, June 29, 2004
First-of-its-kind research aimed at developing new teaching methods.
Adult literacy classes in Hardin County soon may help twist a brighter bulb into reading lamps everywhere, shedding new light on how adults learn to read.
Hardin County Adult and Community Education has been selected to participate in a national study of adult literacy. As part of the study, the classes will be among the first in the country to use a new curriculum developed by the University of Maryland, said coordinator Renae Harrison.
"I think it's very exciting because the study of adult literacy is very new," Harrison said.
The Hardin County program will be one of eight "intervention" groups to use the curriculum, said Judith Alamprese, of Abt Associates, a research firm with offices in Maryland, which will oversee the project along with the University of Maryland.
"Price of pollution" Herald Tribune, June 21, 2004
A recent report titled "Dirty Air, Dirty Power" isn't likely to make its way into Florida's tourism mailings. But it should be required reading for officials in Tallahassee and throughout our region.
The report — available online at www.cleartheair.org — provides a disturbing glimpse of the health and economic damage caused by older power plants that have long been allowed to operate with out-of-date equipment.
A coalition of environmental groups hired Abt Associates, a consulting group that regularly does work for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to analyze air-quality data and health statistics, and then to assess the impacts of pollution. Report Available
"Bush anti-pollution plan called weak" The Washington Times, June 10, 2004
At the invitation of the environmental coalition Clear the Air, the international research firm Abt Associates, assessing the Bush plan and two competing legislative proposals, found the administration's plan, called the Clear Skies Act, would save as many as 14,000 lives. But, the other bills would save more — 16,000 in one case and 22,000 in the other, the New York Times said. Report Available
"Former SAC Director Moves to Abt Associates" JRSA – The Forum, June 2004
Former New York SAC Director Henry Brownstein was recently named Director of the Center on Crime, Drugs and Justice at Abt Associates. The Center provides analytic and program development support to law enforcement, criminal justice, and drug control agencies. Dr. Brownstein will be in charge of project development, staff and client development, and technical oversight.
"The Maryland Health Care Commission Continues to Examine Creating a Family Satisfaction Survey in Nursing Homes" D. Kaufman, Lifespan E-News, June 25, 2004
As a result of legislation that passed during the 1999 Session, the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) is in the process of developing a family satisfaction survey to be used in Maryland nursing homes. The MHCC has convened a Steering Committee to assist in this effort. The MHCC is planning to hire a survey vendor to collect information from residents and families. At its June 1st meeting, Abt Associations presented its report on areas that the MHCC should consider in developing an RFP to hire the survey vendor.
According to Abt Associations, there are approximately six existing survey instruments currently being used throughout the country that will meet Maryland's needs. The instruments examine core domain areas: overall assessment, activities, facility environment, food, autonomy/privacy, clinical care and treatment, personal care and staff interaction.
"REPORT links 377 annual Louisiana deaths to power plant pollution" Melissa Drosjack (ap) Times Picayune, June 9, 2004
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Coal-fired power plant pollution in Louisiana kills 377 people prematurely each year, according to a report released Wednesday.
The pollution also causes 8,478 asthma attacks and 507 nonfatal heart attacks each year in the state, the report said. Nationwide, the report said power plant pollution causes 38,200 nonfatal heart attacks annually.
The report, by Cambridge, Mass.-based Abt Associates Inc., found that 22,000 of 24,000 deaths nationwide caused by power plant pollution each year can be prevented with currently available technology. Report Available
"Getting their kicks" Jessica R. Bennett, The Boston Globe, May 15, 2004
Eric and Jake Greenstein have few words in common with the two young men from Central Asia who came to stay at their Needham home Wednesday for a soccer tournament. And Arzimat Mamanov, 15, of Kyrgyzstan, and 14-year-old Alexandr Kolyakov, of Uzbekistan, have seen little in the United States that reminds them of the orphanages they live in back home...Formed out of a sports-education program already in place in the Ferghana Valley -- which runs through all four countries with Uzbekistan as its center -- Williams said he hopes the tour fosters cultural understanding and breaks down stereotypes, forming a basis for international communication. It was organized by Cambridge-based Abt Associates, Inc., an international development firm.
"U.S. Environmental Protection Agency New England Office Selects Abt Associates for Environmental Merit Award " Business Wire, Business Wire, April 22, 2004
The New England office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected Abt Associates Inc. to receive an Environmental Merit Award. The award recognizes outstanding environmental advocates who have made significant contributions toward preserving and protecting our natural resources. The EPA, which values creative approaches that emphasize community involvement, cited Abt Associates and LeadSafeHomes.Info for the project's ability to introduce effective solutions to an environmental problem, facilitate multi-disciplinary collaboration, and distribute clear and concise information and decision-making tools to a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations. The EPA has conferred the awards annually since the agency's creation in 1970.
"Comeback Planned For South-Side Neighborhood" Samantha Sommer, The Springfield News Sun, March 10, 2004
Two cooperating organizations hope they can encourage a comeback in a south-side Springfield neighborhood. Each group has hired separate consultants to direct their planning process and will continue to meet independently through this summer. The housing authority hopes to have a draft report in July that will help it decide whether to demolish, repair or scatter its properties. Abt Associates was hired by metropolitan housing for its master plan.
"Inside a 'Boot Camp'" Zachary R. Dowdy, Newsday.com, March 13, 2004
"There are no studies that have found that boot camps were particularly effective for most kids," said Dale Parent, a senior associate for Cambridge, Mass.-based think tank Abt Associates, which did a 10-year evaluation of boot camps nationally. He studied the country's first adult boot camps in Georgia and Oklahoma, created in 1983, and found that different approaches in those and other boot camps yield different results. The first juvenile boot camp appeared in Louisiana in 1985.
"Bush Zeroing In On Budget Waste" John Berlau, Insight magazine, March 18, 2004
The White House explains that Even Start is redundant since Head Start is trying to teach children to read and adult literacy programs are funded by other grants. The budget guide provided to Insight adds that "evaluations ... found that the program did not achieve" the desired results of improving reading skills. OMB points to a 2003 study of 18 Even Start sites conducted by the research firm Abt Associates.
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