Monthly Archives: October 2012

Our View: Community needs to show support for Central Michigan University Medical School in Saginaw

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The following is the view of The Saginaw News Editorial Board on the plans for Central Michigan University's medical school campus in Saginaw.

Central Michigan Universitys medical school presence in Saginaw is no longer a pipe dream.

With more than $16 million raised in the $25 million campaign for two Saginaw locations, CMU officials say the pieces are in place to start construction next fall and have students here in 2014.

The partnerships with Covenant HealthCare and St. Marys of Michigan, along with affiliations with 17 hospitals throughout Mid-Michigan, can only mean good things for the future of healthcare in the area.

CMU medical students will spend the last two years of medical schooling locally, practicing at our facilities. Not only will we help train the future doctors of America, but school officials expect many of them will make this region their home and continue to offer quality health care to local residents. The school will also provide an opportunity for Michigan residents to attend medical school in their home state officials say preference will be given to Michigan applicants.

CMU officials were in town last week to update business leaders on the project and allay fears that it wouldnt happen.

The project didnt have the most stellar start when CMUs former president Michael Rao left the university less than a year after it was announced and the medical schools first choice for dean resigned the position.

We believe there has been so doubt that this was going to become a reality, said Kathleen Wilbur, CMUs vice president of development and external affairs, during a meeting with The Saginaw News Editorial Board It is more than reality at this point.

And with drawings of the two Saginaw buildings in hand, accreditation underway and more than half the money raised for the campaign, the momentum is building. It is time now for the community to throw all we have into this and make it happen.

With about $10 million left in the fundraising goal, wed love to see governments in the entire region work with CMU to secure grant funding and private donors step up to the plate to bring in the money.

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Our View: Community needs to show support for Central Michigan University Medical School in Saginaw

Underprivileged residents receive medical attention, school supplies

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by Michael Vincent D. Cajulao

ZAMBOANGA CITY Hundreds of residents of Tumalutap Island received medical assistance and school supplies last October 7, during a civic-action outreach program initiated by Task Force Zamboanga (TFZ).

The program was also done in collaboration with Department of Health IX, Zamboanga City government, national line agencies, non-government organizations, and the Joint Special Operation Task Force Philippines.

Colonel Buenaventura Pascual, Task Force Zamboanga chief, said in an activity report that the main objective of the activity is to uphold and promote humanitarian services in areas classified as economically unstable in terms of income generation and capability to pay medical services.

A total of 246 individuals benefitted from the medical checkup and consultation, 70 of whom also availed of the free tooth extraction.

The group also distributed 355 ball pens and pencils and 355 pieces of notebooks for the school children, 150 pairs of new slippers, 130 pieces of toys for the kids, and two bundles of assorted used clothing.

Pascual also turned over boxes of medicines to Brgy. Chairperson Carsoma A. Abunawas for distribution to the residents.

The activity is part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP), which seeks to forge partnership with the residents in maintaining peace and security and help spur development in their area.

Pascual, in a previous interview with PIA, said part of IPSPs strategies are community outreach missions, aid in looking for livelihood opportunities for those in depressed and conflict areas, and implement paradigm shift on the thinking of soldiers.

We are trying to inculcate in the minds of our soldiers that gone are the days when we are only visible during war. We are here also as partners of the communities by delivering basic services and help them look for livelihood opportunities to help them alleviate their living condition. We want our soldiers to also be sensitive to the needs of the communities, Pascual said.

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Underprivileged residents receive medical attention, school supplies

Medical School dean to retire next year

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Alzheimer's expert Steven T. DeKosky will continue hospital work, research post-retirement By Audrey Waldrop | Oct 11

University Medical School Dean Steven T. DeKosky announced last week he will step down July 31 after five years at the helm of central Virginias primary medical facility. DeKosky, who has gained international attention for his work on Alzheimers disease, will continue to treat patients and conduct research as a faculty member.

An ex officio member of the Board of Visitors Medical Center Operating Board, DeKosky defended the Medical Schools ability to attract research funding at last months Board meeting. He explained to the Board that funding sources such as the National Institutes of Health had channeled resources into later-stage research as opposed to the kind of basic research the Medical School specializes in.

Roughly 56 percent of the Medical Schools operating budget comes from grants, contracts and recoveries from facilities and administrative costs. The remainder is divided between endowment payoffs, donations, tuition and state funds.

DeKoskys discussion of the Medical Schools financial viability followed University President Teresa Sullivans presentation of the then-recently released U.S. News & World Report college rankings in which the Universitys lowest scoring category, at 53, was financial resources. Medical Center Operating Board Committee Chair Edward Miller was not available to comment.

Sullivan praised DeKoskys accomplishments during his time as dean.

Steve oversaw significant growth in our medical student class and transformation of our curriculum, Sullivan said in a University press release. He maintained research funding during a time of significant decreases in funding nationally, and increased the clinical capacity and access.

DeKosky has expressed interest in opening the Medical School to more clinical research in line with the National Institutes of Healths funding priorities. I hope we continue to move forward as an academic medical center across our mission of education, research and clinical care over the next nine months and beyond, DeKosky said in a press release.

John Simon, the Universitys executive vice president and provost, is expected to appoint an interim dean from within the Medical School to succeed DeKosky at the end of July. He will lead an international search to select the next permanent dean.

Simon said in an email Thursday he and his team will look for someone with strong leadership and the ability to partner with the health system leadership and work with the various constituencies in the school to further implement the strategic plan.

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Medical School dean to retire next year

LIBERTY’S CROWN: Local Restaurant Honors Our Past

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Posted on: 10:36 pm, October 11, 2012, by Andy Fales, updated on: 10:37pm, October 11, 2012

For many of us, shes a figure who prompts a story

Of the ones who brought us here

Before we were Americans, we were immigrantsexiles in some respects.

Everybody who came through Ellis Island, says Bobby Tursi,whose father immigrated here from Calabria, Italy as a young man,that was the first thing that they saw was the Statue of Liberty before being processed into the new world.

The Tursis have celebrated their immigrant heritage through the Latin King restaurant for thirty years, now, but today, they reconnected to Lady Liberty through their new business.

The Statue of Liberty was known as the Mother of Exiles to the immigrants coming over, says RJ Tursi, who runs the new Exile Brewing Company at 14th and Wlanut in Des Moines.

Thats exactly what it looks like. A full scale model of her crown. 27 feet across, designed by local sculptor, James Ellwanger.

One of the owners was down here and I drove by and I just said, Ive got an idea for this, Ellwanger says.

It was hardly a cheap project.$25,000 in copper alone, weighing 7,000 pounds. The building needed thousands more in structural work just to support it. But the Tursis loved the idea.

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LIBERTY’S CROWN: Local Restaurant Honors Our Past

Liberty's Maffei: SiriusXM Takeover Could Take 18 Months

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October 11, 2012

Speaking to investors yesterday, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei said the company's takeover of SiriusXM could take up to 18 months to complete. Multichannel News reports that Maffei said any future transactions with the satcaster would depend on Liberty's ability to monetize high cost shares, but that could take up to a year and half to fully complete.

Liberty Media currently controls approximately 49.6 percent to SiriusXM stock and has made its intentions clear that it wants complete control over the satcaster. Liberty is expected touse a Wall Street maneuver known asReverse Morris Trust to acquire, then spin, off SiriusXM.

"We would want to get our capital out before we do a Reverse Morris Trust," Maffei said on Wednesday, adding that it is not the only possible option for Liberty Media. "If it takes 18 months, that would be sort of a minimum."

Yesterday, SiriusXM reported net subscriber additions were 445,921 in thethirdquarter of2012. SiriusXM ended Q3 on September 30with a record 23,365,383 subscribers.Additionally, the company announced that it is raising its net subscriber additions guidance to 1.8 million for 2012 from its previous guidance of 1.6 million.

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Liberty's Maffei: SiriusXM Takeover Could Take 18 Months

Libertarian Jim Grey speaking at UF

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Staff report

Libertarian vice presidential candidate Jim Grey will be speaking Tuesday at the University of Florida.

Grey will be speaking at 10 a.m. in the Reitz Union Auditorium. Following his speech, he will take questions and be available for photographs.

The event is free and open to the public. Grey, a former judge, is running with Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson, the former New Mexico governor.

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Libertarian Jim Grey speaking at UF

Libertarian presidential nominee visits Richmond

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Richmond --

This is what happens when you're a third-party candidate for president of the United States:

You show up for a political event in a jacket and jeans wearing a T-shirt with a "Peace" sign. You have no Secret Service protection just four guys crammed with you in a Hyundai Sonata. You are not afraid to directly answer questions from your audience. You're happy just to have an audience.

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson, a former two-term governor of New Mexico, came to Richmond on Thursday to speak to students at the Maggie Walker Governor's School and, later, at nearby Virginia Commonwealth University.

Johnson, 59, was an early aspirant in the GOP presidential nominating process. He participated in two debates before essentially being ignored by the party establishment and not invited to further debates by major media and debate organizers.

So he decided to take his Ron Paul-like political populism to the Libertarian Party, which has him on the ballot in 48 states and, according to some polls, pulling up to 5 percent of the vote nationwide, support that advisers believe draws equally from both parties.

"I would not be standing here before you if I didn't think I was qualified to do this job," Johnson said. He described his rise from a one-man handyman service in college to the head of a business that employed 1,000 people and, later, his successful long-shot rookie run as a Republican for governor of New Mexico, where he prevailed in the Democratic-leaning state and served two terms from 1995 to 2003. "It's amazing what can happen in your life if you show up on time and do what you say you're going to do."

Here is the truth according to Johnson:

On Americans: "I think the majority of Americans in the country are fiscally responsible and socially accepting."

On the economy: "Abolish the income tax, the corporate tax, eliminate the IRS and replace all of that with one federal consumption tax," says Johnson, who said he would balance the federal budget by reducing Medicare costs and military spending.

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Libertarian presidential nominee visits Richmond

Santa Rosa nudged to eliminate unincorporated 'islands'

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Published: Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 7:02 p.m. Last Modified: Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 7:02 p.m.

It will be more difficult for Santa Rosa to avoid annexing small islands of unincorporated county land inside its borders under a policy adopted Wednesday by the agency responsible for setting the local government boundaries.

The city no longer will be allowed to annex only a portion of small islands, defined as those with fewer than 12 registered voters, according to rules adopted Wednesday by the Sonoma County Local Agency Formation Commission.

Instead, new annexation requests will be approved by the commission only if the entire island is brought under city jurisdiction.

The new policy will likely apply to only about a quarter of the 52 such islands in the county, 51 of which are in Santa Rosa. It will not affect the future annexation of the largest island, the 3,500 acres of Roseland that remain outside citys southwest boundary.

I think itll provide more clarity and certainty that we can eliminate of some of the smaller islands and provide better police and fire service to those areas, said Richard Bottarini, executive director of the commission.

The 11 members of the commission are representatives of the public, the county, and its nine cities and 54 special districts. Its role is to regulate the formation and expansion of government agencies to promote efficient government.

It views county islands as an unfortunate consequence of rapid city growth that need to be eliminated to limit confusion and inefficient delivery of services, such as sewer, water and public safety.

The policy shift is a compromise between the status quo, which encourages annexations of entire islands whenever possible but doesnt require it, and a tougher stance some favored to require annexations of entire islands up to 150 acres.

Supervisor Efren Carrillo said he favored the tougher option because he saw it as the commissions role to push as hard as we could for a policy that eliminates all the islands.

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Santa Rosa nudged to eliminate unincorporated 'islands'

Experts Puzzled by Lone Dolphin in Cayman Islands

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Stinky the dolphin is lonely, and he's getting way too frisky with humans.

The lone male bottlenose dolphin has been cavorting for months in waters off the Cayman Islands, a rare case of a solo dolphin far from a pod of his fellows.

The sight of the dolphin has delighted many boaters, swimmers and divers, but his antics dismay scientists who traveled to the archipelago to study him. They say Stinky is a danger to humans, and they also worry the dolphin could hurt himself.

"He spent a fair amount of time engaging in very high-risk behavior," said Laura Engleby, a marine mammal branch chief with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "There is concern for his safety."

She noted the dolphin has a fondness for boat propellers in motion, and that he also likes to rub against anchors, channel markers and mooring buoys, cutting himself in the process.

Scientists estimate he is roughly 20 years old given his worn-down teeth and aging scars.

"He's certainly been around the block," said Trevor Spradlin, a marine mammal biologist with NOAA who also traveled to the Cayman Islands.

It is unusual for bottlenose dolphins to separate from their pods, with only about 30 such cases reported worldwide, scientists said. Also puzzling is how Stinky arrived in the Cayman Islands, given that the nearest pods of bottlenose dolphins are in Cuba and the Bahamas, said Dr. Chris Dold, vice president of veterinary services for SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, who also studied the dolphin.

Dold said the absence of female dolphins might help explain Stinky's behavior.

"What's unusual about this, of course, is not necessarily the behavior that this male dolphin is demonstrating, but that those behaviors appear to be directed toward people," he said.

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Nurture trumps nature in study of oral bacteria in human twins, says CU study

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Public release date: 11-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kenneth Krauter krauter@colorado.edu 303-492-6693 University of Colorado at Boulder

A new long-term study of human twins by University of Colorado Boulder researchers indicates the makeup of the population of bacteria bathing in their saliva is driven more by environmental factors than heritability.

The study compares saliva samples from identical and fraternal twins to see how much "bacterial communities" in saliva vary from mouth to mouth at different points in time, said study leader and CU-Boulder Professor Kenneth Krauter. The twin studies show that the environment, rather than a person's genetic background, is more important in determining the types of microbes that live in the mouth.

For the new study, doctoral student Simone Stahringer sequenced the microbial DNA present in the saliva samples of twins. She and the research team then determined the microbes' identities through comparison with a microbe sequence database. Saliva samples were gathered from twins over the course of a decade beginning in adolescence to see how salivary microbes change with time.

After determining the oral "microbiomes" of identical twins, who share the same environment and genes, and the microbiomes of fraternal twins who share only half their genes, the researchers found the salivary microbes of the identical twins were not significantly more similar to each other than to those of fraternal twins. "We concluded the human genome does not significantly affect which bacteria are living in a person's mouth," said Krauter of CU-Boulder's molecular, cellular and developmental biology department. "It appears to be more of an environmental effect."

Krauter said while the twin data from the oral microbiome study indicates that genetics plays a more minor role, it's possible the genes still affect the oral microbiome in more subtle ways -- an effect he plans to further explore.

A paper on the subject was published online Oct. 12 in the journal Genome Research. Other co-authors included doctoral student William Walters of MCD Biology, Jose Clemente and Rob Knight of the chemistry and biochemistry department, Robin Corley and John Hewitt of the Institute for Behavioral Genetics and Dan Knights, a former doctoral student in the computer science department.

The researchers also found that the salivary microbiome changed the most during early adolescence, between the ages of 12 and 17. This discovery suggests that hormones or lifestyle changes at this age might be important, according to the team.

Stahringer said that when several pairs of identical twins moved out of their homes and, for example, went off to college, the oral microbes they carried changed, which is consistent with the idea that the environment contributes to the types of microbes in the saliva. "We were intrigued to see that the microbiota of twin pairs became less similar once they moved apart from each other," Stahringer said.

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Nurture trumps nature in study of oral bacteria in human twins, says CU study

Nurture trumps nature in study of oral bacteria in human twins, study finds

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ScienceDaily (Oct. 11, 2012) A new long-term study of human twins by University of Colorado Boulder researchers indicates the makeup of the population of bacteria bathing in their saliva is driven more by environmental factors than heritability.

The study compares saliva samples from identical and fraternal twins to see how much "bacterial communities" in saliva vary from mouth to mouth at different points in time, said study leader and CU-Boulder Professor Kenneth Krauter. The twin studies show that the environment, rather than a person's genetic background, is more important in determining the types of microbes that live in the mouth.

For the new study, doctoral student Simone Stahringer sequenced the microbial DNA present in the saliva samples of twins. She and the research team then determined the microbes' identities through comparison with a microbe sequence database. Saliva samples were gathered from twins over the course of a decade beginning in adolescence to see how salivary microbes change with time.

After determining the oral "microbiomes" of identical twins, who share the same environment and genes, and the microbiomes of fraternal twins who share only half their genes, the researchers found the salivary microbes of the identical twins were not significantly more similar to each other than to those of fraternal twins. "We concluded the human genome does not significantly affect which bacteria are living in a person's mouth," said Krauter of CU-Boulder's molecular, cellular and developmental biology department. "It appears to be more of an environmental effect."

Krauter said while the twin data from the oral microbiome study indicates that genetics plays a more minor role, it's possible the genes still affect the oral microbiome in more subtle ways -- an effect he plans to further explore.

A paper on the subject was published online Oct. 12 in the journal Genome Research. Other co-authors included doctoral student William Walters of MCD Biology, Jose Clemente and Rob Knight of the chemistry and biochemistry department, Robin Corley and John Hewitt of the Institute for Behavioral Genetics and Dan Knights, a former doctoral student in the computer science department.

The researchers also found that the salivary microbiome changed the most during early adolescence, between the ages of 12 and 17. This discovery suggests that hormones or lifestyle changes at this age might be important, according to the team.

Stahringer said that when several pairs of identical twins moved out of their homes and, for example, went off to college, the oral microbes they carried changed, which is consistent with the idea that the environment contributes to the types of microbes in the saliva. "We were intrigued to see that the microbiota of twin pairs became less similar once they moved apart from each other," Stahringer said.

Krauter said there appears to be a core community of oral bacteria that is present in nearly all humans studied. "Though there are definitely differences among different people, there is a relatively high degree of sharing similar microbial species in all human mouths," he said.

The authors say the new study has established a framework for future studies of the factors that influence oral microbial communities. "With broad knowledge of the organisms we expect to find in mouths, we can now better understand how oral hygiene and environmental exposure to substances like alcohol, methamphetamines and even foods we eat affect the balance of microbes," said Krauter.

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Nurture trumps nature in study of oral bacteria in human twins, study finds

Health care law close to implementation – Video

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10-10-2012 18:32 State officials are meeting with healthcare providers to prepare for the implementation of a new health care overhaul law designed to bring healthcare costs down. The Patrick administration says in the coming months patients will see their health insurance premiums go down and the quality of their healthcare go up.

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Health care law close to implementation - Video

Jacki Schechner examines Romney’s ‘rich man’s perspective’ on health care – Video

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11-10-2012 12:12 Stephanie asks Current's Jacki Schechner if Romney is just being "willfully ignorant" about health care. She tells Stephanie she likes the caller who says there is a serious psychological issue here with Romney. Jacki says, "It doesn't make sense that this is the guy who fought for health care in his state now says people should go to the emergency room to get treatment." Every weekday morning on Current TV at 9e/6p

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Jacki Schechner examines Romney's 'rich man's perspective' on health care - Video

Education and health care top South Mississippians' concerns

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MARY PEREZ/SUN HERALD Gulfport Police Chief Alan Weatherford, standing second from right, asked state legislators Thursday to pass legislation requiring interlocking ignition for DUI offenders. He also asked for radar enforcement to be legalized for local sheriffs' departments.

BILOXI -- Hands and voices trembled Thursday as 22 residents of South Mississippi told House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, and Coast legislators what they most want to see taken up in the next legislative session.

The meeting at the Biloxi Council chambers was the eighth of nine stops this week on his Mississippi Solutions -- Idea Tour. About 100 people filled the seats and more stood around the room as Gunn and 11 members of the Coast delegation listened to their concerns. They spoke about the state retirement system; controlling the check-cashing industry; and the need for radar speed enforcement.

Education and health care were the two primary issues, and Gunn said, "Those two areas are where we spend most of our tax dollars."

Retired Biloxi School District Superintendent Paul Tisdale suggested the state should have legislative report cards to track progress. "As schools are held accountable, we would like our Legislature to be just as accountable," he said.

Other speakers said the state should provide funding for early childhood education and work with state universities that could award scholarships to encourage talented students to stay in the state.

James Crowell, director of the local NAACP chapter, asked the legislators to oppose charter schools. "We need to keep our education money in the public schools," he said.

After the meeting, Rep. Casey Eure, R-Biloxi, said he expects charter schools to be a hot topic during the next session. "I think it's probably going to pass this year," he said. Eure said he supports the idea. "Competition is not a bad thing," he said.

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Education and health care top South Mississippians' concerns

MVP Health Care Introduces Well-Being Connect for Medicare Advantage Members

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ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

MVP Health Cares Medicare Advantage members now have another way to keep healthy and active. Partnering with Healthways (HWAY), a Franklin, TN-based population health management company, MVP is introducing the new Well-Being Program, offering a comprehensive set of activities and resources to help Medicare members maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The signature piece of the new program is Well-Being ConnectTM, an online portal that allows members to create a tailored approach to accessing and improving their overall health. Along with the new online portal, the program includes popular existing MVP programs, such as wellness classes, the SilverSneakers Fitness Program and outreach designed to help improve the lives of members living with chronic diseases.

The Well-Being Program is currently available to the approximately 85,000 Medicare Advantage members in MVPs service footprint.

This is an informative and fun new way for our Medicare Advantage members to be proactive about maintaining and improving their health, said Patrick Glavey, Executive Vice President of Government Programs for MVP. Our wellness and fitness programs are already so well utilized that we think our members will really embrace these new options for engaging with their health.

The utilization of online technology as a component of an overall well-being improvement strategy represents a significant breakthrough, and we applaud MVP for incorporating this strategy to drive engagement of their Medicare Advantage members, said Ben R. Leedle, Jr., President and CEO of Healthways. Both MVP and Healthways are convinced the real value for members is using Well-Being Connect as the gateway to delivering comprehensive and effectively integrated services.

Well-Being Connect can be accessed by Medicare Advantage members once they log into their MVP account at http://www.mvphealthcare.com. To begin using the new portal, members must first complete the Well-Being Assessment, a confidential questionnaire that evaluates their lifestyle and overall health. Once the assessment is completed, they are provided a full health report and customized action plan, which they are encouraged to share with their doctors.

Completing the assessment provides access to a number of online resources including weight, fitness and medication use trackers; videos and articles; recipes and meal ideas; and tools to help them quit using tobacco.

Additionally, members whose answers on the Well-Being Assessment show that they might benefit from health coaching (for tobacco use, nutrition, physical activity, etc.) will be contacted by Healthways to participate in a coaching program by phone.

For more information about Healthways, visit http://www.healthways.com or http://www.silversneakers.com.

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MVP Health Care Introduces Well-Being Connect for Medicare Advantage Members

Health care reform at heart of Barton, OB-GYN conflict

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*An article in the Oct 10. edition of the Tribune incorrectly stated the number of contracts renewed at Barton Health in the past year. The hospital renewed contracts with 25 physicians in the past year, and around 63 physicians in the past few years.

As the debate on health care reform continues to take center stage across the country, some very real effects of the 2010 Affordable Care Act have already reached California and the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Barton Health's failure to renegotiate the contracts with the two obstetrician and gynecological physician groups has roots in the act, aka Obamacare. The hospital, which expects large cuts in reimbursements during the upcoming years, has been forced to make some changes to streamline their system, Barton's Director of Public Relations and Marketing Monica Sciuto said.

Contract negotiations with the groups fell through after Barton decided to stop managing the Tahoe Women's Care and Emerald Bay Center for Women's Health offices in South Lake Tahoe and Minden, Nev. According to a statement from Chief Medical Officer Dr. Clint Purvance, both practices were losing a significant amount of money the hospital could not provide the exact amount because of privacy issues and they were asked to consolidate physicians and services.

According to Dr. Kelly Shanahan, the obstetrician and gynecologist with the Emerald Bay Center for Women's Health who worked directly on the contract proposals, the doctors were never told the exact amount they needed to cut, but they'd heard the number ranged from $500,000 to $700,000.

Shanahan said the physicians agreed to combine offices in Tahoe and Minden and they laid off one doctor. She said she estimated those savings would cover the practices' losses.

The physician groups' original proposal asked for a base compensation amount in addition to continued management of one Tahoe office, one Minden office and the Barton obstetrician clinic, according to Shanahan.

That compensation amount which neither Barton nor the physicians specified was considerably higher than the current compensation structure, Purvance wrote, and Barton responded with two counter offers: the groups could become an outpatient department or they could accept a daily amount to cover the obstetrician clinic. Management of the practices was not mentioned in the second proposal, Shanahan wrote in an email.

(There was) no base compensation just payment based on productivity, pay for providing coverage of the Barton clinic obstetrical patients at a rate that was half of what Dr Kobalter and I were paid 20 years ago when we were moonlighting as residents, and only payment for roughly half of our malpractice expenses, Shanahan said of the first option.

The physician groups responded by calling for a meeting with Barton's senior administration. Barton replied with their final proposal: there would be a set amount of obstetrician services and no management of the practices, according to Shanahan.

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Health care reform at heart of Barton, OB-GYN conflict

Scott & White Healthcare, Walmart join forces

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TEMPLE, Texas, Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A unique partnership between Scott & White Healthcare and Walmart will take the Central Texas health care system into new territory, marking its first formal relationship with an international retailer for the purpose of providing health care.

Walmart recently inducted Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas, into the retailer's Centers of Excellence program, along with five other leading hospitals in the nation: Cleveland Clinic; Geisinger Medical Center; Mayo Clinic; Mercy Hospital Springfield (Missouri); and Virginia Mason Medical Center. Scott & White Memorial Hospital is the only Texas health care provider to be designated by Walmart as a Center of Excellence.

The Centers of Excellence initiative offers Walmart associates access to heart, spine, and transplant surgeries at facilities geographically located across the country. Scott & White will receive spine and heart patients at Memorial Hospital starting in January.

"As an integrated delivery system with a reputation for providing quality care and possessing superior diagnostic capabilities, Scott & White's goal is to be among the leaders in transforming health care," said Robert W. Pryor, MD, MBA. "Our partnership with Walmart reflects a mutual commitment to combining quality with value."

The Scott & White partnership with Walmart is an example of the type of industry innovation that can provide high quality care with the potential to reduce health care costs. "Our approach to delivering high quality care is in step with the Walmart philosophy," said Dr. Pryor. "It's about the right care, at the right place, at the right time."

In addition to offering outstanding patient care, Scott & White Memorial Hospital provides a location that Walmart associates may find familiar. The hospital anticipates receiving many patients from New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida who are accustomed to smaller-sized communities with convenient access to amenities.

Walmart associates and their caregivers will receive logistical assistance for travel to Temple and housing arrangements for the recovery period. Ongoing care or rehabilitation will be coordinated between the team of Scott & White physicians and advanced practice professionals treating the patient in Temple and the associate's personal physician back home.

About Scott & White Healthcare (sw.org) Scott & White Healthcare is a non-profit collaborative health care system established in 1897 in Temple, Texas. Among the leading health systems encompassing one of the nation's largest multi-specialty group practices, Scott & White provides personalized, comprehensive health care enhanced by medical education and research. Scott & White Healthcare includes 12 hospital sites with two additional announced facilities, and 143 clinics at more than 65 clinic locations throughout Central Texas providing adult and pediatric care in 46 medical specialties. Integrated, high-quality care is delivered by a dedicated staff of more than 12,000 (including 1,000 physicians and scientists and more than 300 specialized health care providers).

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Scott & White Healthcare, Walmart join forces

Despite protests, county hires health-care consultant

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EBENSBURG Over employee protests, Cambria Countys two Republican commissioners approved a $100,000-a-year agreement with a health-care consulting company that says it can assure a $300,000 savings next year in health-care costs.

Thomas Chernisky, the Democratic minority commissioner on the three-member board, cast a dissenting vote after his motion failed to table the agreement until other proposals could be heard and reviewed by the countys health-care committee.

Protesting the agreement were members of the health-care committee made up of 18 union employees and Brian Beppler, the countys human resources director. The committee has saved the county millions of dollars in health-care coverage over several years while doing the same job at no cost as the consultant would do, Patricia Moore, a member, said.

The agreement, which is effective Nov. 1, is with Gallagher Benefit Services Inc., a subsidiary of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. The parent company, which merged with the former Gleason Agency of Johnstown last year, was retained as Cambrias insurance broker last year, also by the same 2-1 vote.

Christopher Gleason Jr., Gallagher area vice president, said that the anticipated increase in cost in the countys health-care coverage is expected to go up as much as 13.5 percent, although Beppler said it might be 8 percent.

Cambria is a self-insured county and has a plan through UPMC. Its health-care cost this year is about $11 million.

President Commissioner Douglas Lengenfelder said Cambria will end up with a $200,000 net savings after paying Gallagher the $100,000 fee in the first year. If Gallagher fails to deliver on the savings, there will be reductions in its fee.

Moore, an assistant public defender, disputed whether the memorandum of understanding with Gallagher does provide the outs that Lengenfelder described.

The committee has saved Cambria $4.27 million in health-care costs since 2007, she said. Between 2009 and 2011, the savings have been

$1 million a year as the committee explored options and looked at employee incentives to cut costs, she said.

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Despite protests, county hires health-care consultant

AMFC to Offer Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans in Pennsylvania and South Carolina

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--Veteran health care executive John Baackes to lead AMFC's newest line of business

--Enrollment to begin on October 15

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 11, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies (AMFC) announced today that it has been approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to offer Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNP) to dual-eligible beneficiaries in select counties in Pennsylvania and South Carolina. AMFC will begin accepting enrollment applications on Monday, October 15, with services to begin on January 1, 2013.

AMFC's newest line of business will be led by veteran health care executive John Baackes, president, Medicare VIP Plans. Baackes reports to AMFC President and Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Rashid.

AMFC will offer AmeriHealth VIP Care in Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties, and a separate D-SNP product in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties.

In addition, AMFC will offer First Choice VIP Care in South Carolina. This D-SNP product will be open to eligible beneficiaries in Abbeville, Anderson, Berkeley, Charleston, Greenville, Laurens, Lexington, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda and Spartanburg Counties.

D-SNPs are Medicare Advantage plans for dual-eligibles, or individuals whose combination of income, health and age makes them eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. There are approximately nine million dual-eligibles in the United States. About $350 billion is spent each year on health care for this population.

"Dual-eligibles are an underserved population with significant health disparities," said Rashid. "Our 30 years of experience in Medicaid managed care makes us uniquely qualified to help Pennsylvania's and South Carolina's dual-eligibles manage their health and live more comfortable lives."

About John Baackes

Baackes was most recently CEO of Senior Whole Health, a voluntary health care plan for more than 9,000 low-income seniors in Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut. Senior Whole Health specialized in the dual-eligible market, offering both SNP and Part D plans. He has also served as a senior vice president for Group Health Incorporated and as president of Kaiser Permanente's Northeast division.

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AMFC to Offer Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans in Pennsylvania and South Carolina