PR.com (10/15/12)

Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp., a provider of health care staffing solutions, has closed on the purchase of San Antonio-based Medrec Inc., a health care staffing and recruitment company that specializes in placing therapy skill sets to health care facilities and institutions across the nation. Medrec represents AHS’ fifth acquisition in 2012 as the company continues to execute its business plan of strategically blending start-up offices with scale acquisitions that are then integrated into the company’s growing national brand. With local offices in San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and Denver, Medrec’s therapy staffing business will serve as the foundation for AHS’s new Allied Division.

Decton Inc. Group of Companies News Release (10/12/12)

Decton Inc. and Areol Staffing Services Inc. have announced the consolidation of their business operations. Areol will be an autonomous division of Decton. The Areol division will combine clients and employees, servicing California’s Inland Empire region from Corona throughout the County of Riverside and into the Coachella Valley.

Equities.com (10/12/12)

PediaStaff, which focuses on the placement of pediatric therapists, has added a new division to concentrate on the placement of pediatric and adult therapists in hospital and clinic settings. The new division, PS MedJobs, will place occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists in outpatient, inpatient, and acute care positions in hospitals across the country. Heading the division is Vicki Hill, who was named the director of development for PS MedJobs.

CNBC.com (10/15/12)

U.S. retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 1.1% in September, as spending rose for every segment except department stores, the U.S. Department of Commerce Department reported today. Excluding autos, which can have an outsized impact on the report, retail sales rose 1.1%. The details of the report showed broad strength across retailers, with sales of motor vehicles and parts up 1.3%. Other categories were also strong, with sales at electronics retailers up 4.5%, while sales at food and beverage stores rose 1.2%.

MarketWatch (10/15/12) Greg Robb

The Empire State manufacturing index increased slightly but remained in negative territory for the third straight month, the New York Federal Reserve Bank reported today. The index rose to negative 6.2 in October from negative 10.4 in September, which was its weakest reading in almost two years. Economists polled by MarketWatch expected the index to improve to negative 4.0. Employment conditions weakened, with the index for number of employees falling to negative 1.1 from 4.3 in the previous month. An index of expectations of activity six months ahead slipped to 19.4 in October from 27.2 in September. While positive, it is well below levels seen earlier in the year.