Content about Texas

ATLANTA — For the week ended Feb. 2, influenza activity remained elevated in the United States but decreased in most areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday. According to CDC's activity level map, it appears most incidence is concentrated across the central United States, including Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. 

AUSTIN, Texas — AccAssociates, a developer of applications for both iPhone and Android, has created a new phone app, dubbed Tampon Minder, that keeps women informed and in control of their tampon placement.

ATLANTA — If the flu were a storm cloud, the influenza virus is hovering over America's Bread Basket on its way to the Southwest, according to data provided through the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported that 4.3% of patient visits reported through ILINet were due to influenza-like illness, above the national baseline of 2.2%. But as the map indicates, influenza rates are declining up and down the East Coast and is most virulent in Texas and states west.

PLANO, Texas – Crossmark, a sales and marketing services company in the consumer goods industry, has formed BrandMasters, a new experiential marketing agency that will aim to provide turnkey solutions for brands to create meaningful shopper experiences through personal engagement.

PLANO, Texas — Crossmark, a sales and marketing services company in the consumer goods industry, has announced several executive moves, including the appointment of Joe Crafton as CEO. He previously served as company president.

AUSTIN, Texas — Natural foods retailer Whole Foods Market has appointed a former Accenture executive as its global VP and chief information officer, the company said.

Whole Foods announced the appointment of Jason Buechel, who will report directly to co-CEO Walter Robb and CFO Glenda Flanagan, overseeing the technology team in the company's Austin, Texas, headquarters and 12 regional offices in the United States and the United Kingdom.

PLANO, Texas — Retail co-pays for drugs are on the rise across all drug types, according to a new study by the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute.

The study, based on a survey of 424 U.S. employers representing about 3.7 million members, found that retail co-pays increased 10% for generics, 13% for branded drugs and 26% for specialty drugs. Meanwhile, there was an increase in use of multitier designs, which now represent 92% of plan sponsors, while adoption of medication therapy management for commercial populations was "minimal."

PLANO, Texas — Consumer goods sales and marketing services company Crossmark will merge with an affiliate of private equity firm Warburg Pincus, Crossmark said Wednesday.

The company announced a majority investment by the New York-based firm, saying Crossmark's management owners would maintain a significant equity position and continue to actively lead the company and that the investment will allow it to achieve its growth objectives faster than it could do on its own.'

PLANO, Texas — The Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo has launched a new line of chips and salsas, the company said Monday.

Frito-Lay announced the launch of the Tostitos Cantina brand of tortilla chips and salsas, which it said was designed to emulate the flavors found in Mexican restaurants.

The Tostitos Cantina Thin & Crispy chips are crispy and light in texture, and are designed to pair with the brand's new Chipotle Restaurant Style salsa. Meanwhile, the Traditional chips are designed for pairing with Tostitos Cantina Roasted Garlic Thick & Chunky salsa.

SPRING, Texas — Xtreme Lashes is aiming to revolutionize the way lash extension wearers manage their daily anti-aging eye care regimen with its new Total Eye Repair Serum. The oil-free serum is designed to target multiple signs of aging without interfering with the look and lifespan of lash extensions.

ATLANTA — The influenza season is officially underway as flu incidence is already above the national threshold, Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters during a teleconference Monday. "This is the earliest regular flu season we've had in nearly a decade, since the 2003-2004 flu season," he said. "That was an early and severe flu year, and while flu is always unpredictable, the early nature of the cases as well as the specific strains we're seeing suggest that this could be a bad flu year."

AUSTIN, Texas — The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American College of Nurse Practitioners announced that they are moving forward with plans to consolidate effective Jan. 1, 2013.

The combined organization will be known as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners or AANP. With approximately 40,000 members, AANP will serve as the largest professional membership organization in the country for nurse practitioners of all specialties.