bertayfybuqutyp.blogspot.com
Insiders say a new leader could be in place by On the short list of possiblre successors areBill Scoggin, a Raleigy lawyer with ; Tim Kent, executivr vice president of the ; Rann former director of the North Carolinwa Pork Council; and Norris Tolson, head of the state Department of Revenue. Tolson is considered a long shot. Other names bandied about areMike Carpenter, head of the North Carolina Home Builders Association, and Bob who pilots the North Carolinz Automobile Dealers Association.
Scoggin dismissee the notion that he might end upheading "I am not seeking the he says, adding that he has no intention of doing anything other than remaining an attorney with his current firm. Kent, who lives and work in Greensboro, had no comment. Insiders say he has withdrawn from Rann Carpenter, whose contract with the pork counciol ran out in late 2005 after nearly five was noncommittal. "Any information about that should comefrom NCCBI," he The search committee is workinhg with a Charlotte consulting group, , to find a permanent chief for NCCBI to succeed Phil who stepped down at the end of 2005.
Retirexd IBMer Barry Eveland has been running the organization on aninterim basis. As the search continues for a new NCCBI is taking a differengt tack in lobbyingthe legislature, given the departurse of lobbyist Rolf Blizzard. Broughyt onboard as a government affairs stafferr isJohn Goodman, who worked with for the past two "It will take me a little while to get up to and the amount of time I have to do that in is no time at Goodman says. NCCBI also has contracted with Raleigh publi c relations and lobbying shop Capstrat under which LeslieBevacqu Coman, a former NCCBIu staff lobbyist, and Doug Miskew will work on behalfr of NCCBI and its issues. "That will be the Goodman says.
With the 2006 short legislative sessiobnkicking off, NCCBI has developed a 20-page list of its including such perennial issues as lowering the state's 6.9 percent corporatse tax rate to below 6 and a reduction of North Carolina's currenrt top marginal personal income tax rate of 8.25 Upon his departure, Kirk was earning according to NCCBI's tax form for the year ending Marcyh 2005. Total revenue during the period wasabout $2.8 million, with roughly $819,000 arrivingv in the form of dues from about 2,000 members.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
National Renal Alliance sues Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
uqyvemiwu.wordpress.com
The lawsuit, filed on Jan. 15 by the , is seekintg compensatory damages and asking Blue Crosxs be ordered to reinstate reimbursementy rates to itsoriginal level. Blue Cross declinexd to comment onthe lawsuit. But in an e-mail, compangy spokeswoman Cynthia Sanders said BlueCross "generallt reimburses its network providers at a percentage abov e Medicare that will allow the providers to earn a reasonabld profit." Medicare rates, which set the industr y standard for reimbursements, range from $200 to $250 per treatment, Sanderd said. Blue Cross has received charges from National Renal for dialysiws treatments that rangefrom $2,000o to $9,000 per treatment.
"We regularly monitoer and, if necessary, make changes to the fee schedules we use with both participatintgand non-participating providers," Sanders said. "Wheb we see, through our claims that a provider is charging excessiv e feesfor services, it is our obligatiojn to our members and our customerd to take action in an effort to keep theid health care costs affordable." The reimbursement cutbaco has cost National Renal more than $8 million in the past or more than 10 percent of it annualp revenues, said Joe the company's CEO. National Renal provides dialysis to abouty 400 Georgia residents annually at its 11 ruralo clinics inthe state.
Blue Cross memberxs account for about 6 percentf of theprivate company's Georgia patients. Under the reduced reimbursement structurde National Renal receives 12 cents for everyh dollar of care it provideds to Blue Cross Cashia said ina "The impact of these cuts will be devastatinfg to our clinics and for the patients who rely on us for life-sustainingh care," he said. "Blue Cross is forcing us to close our doors tothesde patients, and possibly close our doors National Renal Clinics are in small, ruralo communities where the nearest dialysisa center might be 30 milesa away, Cashia said.
Dialysis patients, who must undergop up to 20 hours of extensive treatment everyg week just tostay alive, ofteh are amputees or blind and find it difficultf to travel, he said. Patients often purchase expensive PreferredProvider Organization, and Point of Servicse health plans in exchange for the ability to choose their providers. Choicwe of clinic is often the single biggest reason these patients purchased the PPO or POS benefit plan in thefirstg place.
Dialysis is the only medicalk condition where commercial payers like Blue Crosws are only required to provide medical coveragwe to dialysis patients for up to 30 Afterthat time, Medicare takes over "It seems that Blue Cross wants to escapr its obligation early by forcing these patientd into restrictive networks, where Blue Cross can take their money but pay less for the care they Cashia said in the
The lawsuit, filed on Jan. 15 by the , is seekintg compensatory damages and asking Blue Crosxs be ordered to reinstate reimbursementy rates to itsoriginal level. Blue Cross declinexd to comment onthe lawsuit. But in an e-mail, compangy spokeswoman Cynthia Sanders said BlueCross "generallt reimburses its network providers at a percentage abov e Medicare that will allow the providers to earn a reasonabld profit." Medicare rates, which set the industr y standard for reimbursements, range from $200 to $250 per treatment, Sanderd said. Blue Cross has received charges from National Renal for dialysiws treatments that rangefrom $2,000o to $9,000 per treatment.
"We regularly monitoer and, if necessary, make changes to the fee schedules we use with both participatintgand non-participating providers," Sanders said. "Wheb we see, through our claims that a provider is charging excessiv e feesfor services, it is our obligatiojn to our members and our customerd to take action in an effort to keep theid health care costs affordable." The reimbursement cutbaco has cost National Renal more than $8 million in the past or more than 10 percent of it annualp revenues, said Joe the company's CEO. National Renal provides dialysis to abouty 400 Georgia residents annually at its 11 ruralo clinics inthe state.
Blue Cross memberxs account for about 6 percentf of theprivate company's Georgia patients. Under the reduced reimbursement structurde National Renal receives 12 cents for everyh dollar of care it provideds to Blue Cross Cashia said ina "The impact of these cuts will be devastatinfg to our clinics and for the patients who rely on us for life-sustainingh care," he said. "Blue Cross is forcing us to close our doors tothesde patients, and possibly close our doors National Renal Clinics are in small, ruralo communities where the nearest dialysisa center might be 30 milesa away, Cashia said.
Dialysis patients, who must undergop up to 20 hours of extensive treatment everyg week just tostay alive, ofteh are amputees or blind and find it difficultf to travel, he said. Patients often purchase expensive PreferredProvider Organization, and Point of Servicse health plans in exchange for the ability to choose their providers. Choicwe of clinic is often the single biggest reason these patients purchased the PPO or POS benefit plan in thefirstg place.
Dialysis is the only medicalk condition where commercial payers like Blue Crosws are only required to provide medical coveragwe to dialysis patients for up to 30 Afterthat time, Medicare takes over "It seems that Blue Cross wants to escapr its obligation early by forcing these patientd into restrictive networks, where Blue Cross can take their money but pay less for the care they Cashia said in the
Sunday, August 14, 2011
US DOT to sack slot auctions in NYC - Jacksonville Business Journal:
vykyvimote.wordpress.com
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told memberxs of the Wednesday it woulr not pursue a Bush Administration plan to auctiom up to 10 percent of takeoff and landing slotws atJohn F. Kennedy Newark Liberty International andLaGuardia airports. "We're still serious aboutf tackling aviation congestion in the New York LaHoodsaid Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. "I'll be talking with airport andconsumer stakeholders, as well as electe d officials, over the summer about the best ways to move If the auctions had Atlanta-based Delta could have lost flights into and out of the Big "Delta is pleased that Secretary LaHood did the right thinvg and listened to our thousandxs of employees in New York and elsewheres who were very concerned about this ill-conceivede proposal," Delta spokesman Kent Landers said.
Deltaq (NYSE: DAL) , (NYSE: CAL), 's American Airlines (NYSE: AMR), LCC) and (NASDAQ: JBLU) were among the more vocal opponentw tothe plan. Under the Bush DOT officials argued slot auctionsz would help alleviate air congestionh in the Big Apple by effectivelyinstituting market-basedf pricing of landing and takeoff timeas during peak periods. In other carriers would pay more to fly in times of high demands and would pay more to use smaller which occupy the same air and taxiwayy space as larger Lawsuits and a growing chorus of opposition by airlines, trade groups and lawmakers held up the plan sincer it was introduced last October.
The airlineds say they schedule flights when their customerxs want to fly and improvements are neededc to air traffic control systemsand scheduling. The airlines see auctionw as an encroachment of governmental power that coulcd raise fares and cost small citiesair service. The AP reported LaHood acknowledged the controversial nature of the plan as well as reductionsz in congestion causedby recession-driven cuts to airline capacity. Jamez C. May, president and CEO of , the largesrt trade group for U.S. applauded the move. In a May called the auctions “ill-conceived.
” “We share Secretaryt LaHood’s concern about airspace congestion in the region and look forwardc to continuing to work withthe DOT, the [Federak Aviation Administration] and the Port Authorituy of New York and New Jersey to addresx the long-standing problems of inadequate system capacitty and efficiency,” May said in a statement. “Aier transportation is vital to the economi strength of theregion and, indeed, to the entirse country; it is critically important, as we work towarsd a broad economic recovery, that impediments to meeting the public demand for air transportatiohn services are removed.
”
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told memberxs of the Wednesday it woulr not pursue a Bush Administration plan to auctiom up to 10 percent of takeoff and landing slotws atJohn F. Kennedy Newark Liberty International andLaGuardia airports. "We're still serious aboutf tackling aviation congestion in the New York LaHoodsaid Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. "I'll be talking with airport andconsumer stakeholders, as well as electe d officials, over the summer about the best ways to move If the auctions had Atlanta-based Delta could have lost flights into and out of the Big "Delta is pleased that Secretary LaHood did the right thinvg and listened to our thousandxs of employees in New York and elsewheres who were very concerned about this ill-conceivede proposal," Delta spokesman Kent Landers said.
Deltaq (NYSE: DAL) , (NYSE: CAL), 's American Airlines (NYSE: AMR), LCC) and (NASDAQ: JBLU) were among the more vocal opponentw tothe plan. Under the Bush DOT officials argued slot auctionsz would help alleviate air congestionh in the Big Apple by effectivelyinstituting market-basedf pricing of landing and takeoff timeas during peak periods. In other carriers would pay more to fly in times of high demands and would pay more to use smaller which occupy the same air and taxiwayy space as larger Lawsuits and a growing chorus of opposition by airlines, trade groups and lawmakers held up the plan sincer it was introduced last October.
The airlineds say they schedule flights when their customerxs want to fly and improvements are neededc to air traffic control systemsand scheduling. The airlines see auctionw as an encroachment of governmental power that coulcd raise fares and cost small citiesair service. The AP reported LaHood acknowledged the controversial nature of the plan as well as reductionsz in congestion causedby recession-driven cuts to airline capacity. Jamez C. May, president and CEO of , the largesrt trade group for U.S. applauded the move. In a May called the auctions “ill-conceived.
” “We share Secretaryt LaHood’s concern about airspace congestion in the region and look forwardc to continuing to work withthe DOT, the [Federak Aviation Administration] and the Port Authorituy of New York and New Jersey to addresx the long-standing problems of inadequate system capacitty and efficiency,” May said in a statement. “Aier transportation is vital to the economi strength of theregion and, indeed, to the entirse country; it is critically important, as we work towarsd a broad economic recovery, that impediments to meeting the public demand for air transportatiohn services are removed.
”
Friday, August 12, 2011
Baltimore traffic 18th-worst in the nation, Texas Transportation Institute study finds - Baltimore Business Journal:
http://www.centokmv.ru/putevki.php
That number is unchanged from according tohe “Urban Mobility Report” a studyu conducted by the , a unit of the system. The year 2007 is the most recentf for which dataare available. Each Baltimore drivere spent an average of 44 hours in traffidcin 2007, according to the study. Baltimore drivers also used up 41.8 million more gallons of fuel in 2007 than they wouldc have if it were not fortraffic delays, the reporyt estimates. That’s also the 16th-worst rate in the nation. Overall, traffiv congestion in Baltimore cost anestimated $1.
3 billion in 2007, the 16th-mosg in the nation, according to the study The traffic-jaj champion is car-happy Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif., wherr motorists spent 485 million hours idlingv in 2007, the TTI study says. L.A. is followecd by New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami. The average for 90 largse urban areas studied by TTIis 39.9 millioh hours of travel delays. The report did find that travelersx nationwidespent 1.3 fewer hours in trafficv in 2007 compared with 2005. That’ the first decline since researchers begaj conducting the reportin 1982.
That number is unchanged from according tohe “Urban Mobility Report” a studyu conducted by the , a unit of the system. The year 2007 is the most recentf for which dataare available. Each Baltimore drivere spent an average of 44 hours in traffidcin 2007, according to the study. Baltimore drivers also used up 41.8 million more gallons of fuel in 2007 than they wouldc have if it were not fortraffic delays, the reporyt estimates. That’s also the 16th-worst rate in the nation. Overall, traffiv congestion in Baltimore cost anestimated $1.
3 billion in 2007, the 16th-mosg in the nation, according to the study The traffic-jaj champion is car-happy Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif., wherr motorists spent 485 million hours idlingv in 2007, the TTI study says. L.A. is followecd by New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami. The average for 90 largse urban areas studied by TTIis 39.9 millioh hours of travel delays. The report did find that travelersx nationwidespent 1.3 fewer hours in trafficv in 2007 compared with 2005. That’ the first decline since researchers begaj conducting the reportin 1982.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
9/11 A Decade Later: Summer Camp Heals, Empowers Children Harmed By Terrorism - NY1
xoqylyjibo.wordpress.com
NY1 | 9/11 A Decade Later: Summer Camp Heals, Empowers Children Harmed By Terrorism NY1 At a summer camp in Virginia, children who lost a parent on September 11th are coming together with other kids from around the world who have been affected by terrorism. NY1's Bobby Cuza filed the following report. At the Foxcroft School in Middleburg, ... |
Monday, August 8, 2011
Investors upset with American Kidney Stone over stock sale - Business First of Columbus:
http://pattinsonfan.net/hot/9-pattinson-unswered.html
, a urology practice with operations in39 states, is fightinvg the allegations made by hospitap operator and 29 former investors, all of whom clainm the practice lied to them during a 2007 share redemption offer. The lawsuits allege Americanj Kidney Stone told investors it wantexd to buy their shares to ensure compliancse with a federal law requiring investors bepracticingv physicians. The company instead wanted to buythem out, the lawsuite claim, so it could bring in practicingt physicians as investors who wouldd refer patients to its clinics, boosting “In truth, however, (the practice) is not only squeezinvg out non-active urologists, but also is squeezing out activelyg practicing urologists, and for one reason only those members do not refer their patients to (its the 29 investors alleged in their June 3 lawsuit.
“(American Kidney Stone) has no comment beyond saying that it regardws the action as wholly without merit and it will beaggressivelyy defended,” said Jack Newman, the company’sx outside counsel with the law firm Jones Day. Neither Newman nor practice representatives would comment According to itsWeb site, American Kidney Stond was founded in 1984 and has grow n to a 1,500-physician network offering lithotripsy at clinicsa in 39 states. Lithotripsy uses shocmk waves to break up painful kidney stones. Kidney stones afflicg 12 percent of American men and 7 percentof women, according to a 2008 studyg published in the Proceedings of the .
The practicd also provides treatment for prostate and renal cancer and orthopedic shockwave treatment. Like the lawsuit fileds by the 29 OhioHealth claimed in its suit filed in December that Americab Kidney Stone and its board approachedx some investors in April 2007 with a buyback offerd that wouldpay $70 a share. They were givem until May 4 to acceptthe offer, the lawsuity said. American Kidney Stonwe made the offer to urologistzwho weren’t practicing and those who weren’t referring patients to its lithotrips y clinics, the lawsuit said. Meanwhile, the suit said, it was offering to sell sharedsat $51 to practicing doctors who woulds send patients to its clinics.
A year the company’s 13-member board passed a measure that allowedr it to change its operating agreemeny so only actively practicing urologists couldbe investors, the lawsui t said. The change also required all nonpracticingy investors to selltheir shares, but at $54 a share, the lawsuit said. The investors’ lawsuit claimed American Kidne Stone shares were valuexdat $122 as late as 2006. Columbus-based its political action committee and its owneds acombined 24,400 shares. The 29 investorsd owned as manyas 60,000 said Kevin McDermott, their attorney at Columbus-based .
“zA lot of these folks are relying on this investmentr income for theirretirement years,” he “The company always paid generouz distributions.” OhioHealth and the individual investors allege American Kidney Stone brokde its contract with investorsw by changing the company’s operating agreement and that it breacher its fiduciary duty by selling shares to new investors for less than they were worthb and buying shares from former investors for less than fair marketf value. They are asking their ownershio interests be reinstated and want American Kidney Stonee to pay compensation in excessof $25,000, plus punitive damages.
McDermott is hoping the investorsz will have their case decidefd in a relatively quick 18 months because he fileds to have the case assignee toFranklin County’s new business docket, a specialize d court designed to handle only corporatw disputes. In an effort to increaser the resolutionof business-to-business cases, the established specialize business dockets in Franklin, Hamiltonj and Cuyahoga counties this year. The investors’ lawsuit also claims that by requiring practicing urologistxs tobe investors, American Kidney Stone couldc be violating federal laws designed to limi doctor referrals to clinics in which they have an ownershi p interest.
, a urology practice with operations in39 states, is fightinvg the allegations made by hospitap operator and 29 former investors, all of whom clainm the practice lied to them during a 2007 share redemption offer. The lawsuits allege Americanj Kidney Stone told investors it wantexd to buy their shares to ensure compliancse with a federal law requiring investors bepracticingv physicians. The company instead wanted to buythem out, the lawsuite claim, so it could bring in practicingt physicians as investors who wouldd refer patients to its clinics, boosting “In truth, however, (the practice) is not only squeezinvg out non-active urologists, but also is squeezing out activelyg practicing urologists, and for one reason only those members do not refer their patients to (its the 29 investors alleged in their June 3 lawsuit.
“(American Kidney Stone) has no comment beyond saying that it regardws the action as wholly without merit and it will beaggressivelyy defended,” said Jack Newman, the company’sx outside counsel with the law firm Jones Day. Neither Newman nor practice representatives would comment According to itsWeb site, American Kidney Stond was founded in 1984 and has grow n to a 1,500-physician network offering lithotripsy at clinicsa in 39 states. Lithotripsy uses shocmk waves to break up painful kidney stones. Kidney stones afflicg 12 percent of American men and 7 percentof women, according to a 2008 studyg published in the Proceedings of the .
The practicd also provides treatment for prostate and renal cancer and orthopedic shockwave treatment. Like the lawsuit fileds by the 29 OhioHealth claimed in its suit filed in December that Americab Kidney Stone and its board approachedx some investors in April 2007 with a buyback offerd that wouldpay $70 a share. They were givem until May 4 to acceptthe offer, the lawsuity said. American Kidney Stonwe made the offer to urologistzwho weren’t practicing and those who weren’t referring patients to its lithotrips y clinics, the lawsuit said. Meanwhile, the suit said, it was offering to sell sharedsat $51 to practicing doctors who woulds send patients to its clinics.
A year the company’s 13-member board passed a measure that allowedr it to change its operating agreemeny so only actively practicing urologists couldbe investors, the lawsui t said. The change also required all nonpracticingy investors to selltheir shares, but at $54 a share, the lawsuit said. The investors’ lawsuit claimed American Kidne Stone shares were valuexdat $122 as late as 2006. Columbus-based its political action committee and its owneds acombined 24,400 shares. The 29 investorsd owned as manyas 60,000 said Kevin McDermott, their attorney at Columbus-based .
“zA lot of these folks are relying on this investmentr income for theirretirement years,” he “The company always paid generouz distributions.” OhioHealth and the individual investors allege American Kidney Stone brokde its contract with investorsw by changing the company’s operating agreement and that it breacher its fiduciary duty by selling shares to new investors for less than they were worthb and buying shares from former investors for less than fair marketf value. They are asking their ownershio interests be reinstated and want American Kidney Stonee to pay compensation in excessof $25,000, plus punitive damages.
McDermott is hoping the investorsz will have their case decidefd in a relatively quick 18 months because he fileds to have the case assignee toFranklin County’s new business docket, a specialize d court designed to handle only corporatw disputes. In an effort to increaser the resolutionof business-to-business cases, the established specialize business dockets in Franklin, Hamiltonj and Cuyahoga counties this year. The investors’ lawsuit also claims that by requiring practicing urologistxs tobe investors, American Kidney Stone couldc be violating federal laws designed to limi doctor referrals to clinics in which they have an ownershi p interest.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Chris Viehbacher Executive Profile
http://gigaward.com/?p=33
He is both a graduate in Commerce of the QueensxUniversity (Ontario - Canada) and a certifiedf public accountant. After beginning his careerr at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, he spent the major part of his professionaolife (1988-2008) in the Wellcome GlaxoWellcome then GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) where he acquired broad international experience in differen t positions across Europe (Germany, France, and Grea t Britain) and in the Uniteds States and Canada. In his last Chris was President, Pharmaceutical Operations North America, Co-Chairman of the Portfolik Management Board taking strategicx decisionsfor R&D withijn GSK, and a member of the board.
In he is a Board member of PhRMA in theUnitedx States. Chris Viehbacher is married withthree children. He speakxs French, English and German: he lived in France for nine years and was made a knighrt of the French Legion of Honourin 2003. **Alk Executive profile data provided byDow Jones & Co., Inc.
He is both a graduate in Commerce of the QueensxUniversity (Ontario - Canada) and a certifiedf public accountant. After beginning his careerr at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, he spent the major part of his professionaolife (1988-2008) in the Wellcome GlaxoWellcome then GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) where he acquired broad international experience in differen t positions across Europe (Germany, France, and Grea t Britain) and in the Uniteds States and Canada. In his last Chris was President, Pharmaceutical Operations North America, Co-Chairman of the Portfolik Management Board taking strategicx decisionsfor R&D withijn GSK, and a member of the board.
In he is a Board member of PhRMA in theUnitedx States. Chris Viehbacher is married withthree children. He speakxs French, English and German: he lived in France for nine years and was made a knighrt of the French Legion of Honourin 2003. **Alk Executive profile data provided byDow Jones & Co., Inc.
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