Since we started Mid-Valley InBusiness nearly three years ago, we've always reserved the November issue as our health care edition. As a vibrant and growing sector of the mid-valley's economy, even in troubled economic times, we've had no shortage of health care stories to tell.

This particular November, however, our health care edition is particularly timely, especially as businesses get ready to deal with the potential threat posed by the H1N1 flu virus.

I know some people think the flap over H1N1 and its potential impact has been overhyped - and, in fact, you'll read about some people who think just that in Maria Kirkpatrick's story in this edition. But if the furor about being sure that businesses can withstand a hit or two from an extended H1N1 siege convinces some business people to pull out and update their contingency plans for emergencies, that will be a good thing.

And Maria's story also offers some other hints that business owners and managers may find helpful. May you and your staff stay healthy this season - but if you feel sick, take the advice of the experts and stay home.

Thankfully, H1N1 isn't the only health care news of interest to businesses in this edition of InBusiness. There's still a lot of smoke and not so much light surrounding the continued debate over health insurance, and in this issue, Jennifer Rouse reports on how changes could affect small business - and how some businesses are trying to improve the lifestyles of their employees.

Also in this issue, you'll find reports from a variety of health care fronts in the mid-valley: Alex Paul offers an update on Good Samaritan's project to put an osteopathic medical university in Lebanon, a project that should be a big boost for the area's economy. Alex also checks in on the efforts of a consortium of biomedical companies in the mid-valley.

Technology originally developed at Oregon State University is starting to spin off into a variety of startup companies, and this issue features a story about one of those companies, Life Microsystems.

Also in this issue, you'll meet the Corvallis dentist who's making a niche for himself by focusing on patients without insurance and an Albany woman who left a job at the Chamber of Commerce there to enter the health care field as a massage therapist.

As always, I welcome your comments about and suggestions for InBusiness. In particular, I'm always on the hunt for noteworthy businesses and entrepreneurs who might make for interesting profiles. You can call me at 541-758-9502 or e-mail me at mike.mcinally@lee.net.

Thanks for reading InBusiness. We're already hard at work on the December issue, our annual salute to family businesses.

- Mike McInally, publisher