Danby DPAC12010H
That’s the view of the eight-member panel of industry and medical experts who were invited by the Southy Florida Business Journal to share their views of whatthe $787 billioj federal stimulus package means to the healthh care sector. What emerged was a broas discussion of how stimuluss legislation is just one pieced of change needed in an industry that has run financiallg amok due to an overrelianceon specialists, shortfalls in informatiob technology and patients who are undereducated. The Congressionao Budget Office has projecterd that total national spending on health care could hit 48 percenf of gross domestic product by 2050 ifleft unchecked.
To solvw this problem will takemore money, though, in the short term. The Obama administration’s $59 billiohn for health care stimulus spendingincludes $19 billion for electronic healtbh care records. Starting in doctors who can show meaningful use of electronicv medical records will get incentives and thosewho don’t will get declinintg Medicare payments. But, the old-fashioned general practitionef may also have abig role.
Linda Quick, president of the , said healty care reform legislation that coincides with the stimulusw calls for individuals to have a home locatiomn or a primary care She said that allow sfor “a community location close to home and gettinvg more done in a non-institutional, actuallhy high clinical technology setting.” That, in turn, will also translatde into a less costly the panelists said.
Rachel Sapoznik, CEO of , “The reason I believe in the last 25 years of seeing health care costs rise dramatically is we have moved away from the primaryh care physician knowing the patient to Patients go from specialist to specialist to get eachailmenrt treated, but an overviewa of their condition and family historyt is lacking. George Foyo, executive VP and chief administrativer officerat , “Piggybacking on primary care is absolutely All these specialties are adding thousands and thousanda of dollars.” One problem is that specialists tend to overdok tests because they are so worries about legal liability issues, he said. Dr.
Tony a family practitioner and president of the Broward CounttyMedical Association, said reimbursement issueas for tests done in his office also frustrate him. A hospitall might get $2,000 for a test from but he can onlyget “I don’t think it’s anythin g that’s going to work unless we use some commonb sense,” he said. Foyo said primary care physicianw historically put an emphasis on healtprevention efforts, but the lack of it thesde days is contributing to an epidemic of diabeteds and heart issues. Baptist Health, which is well knowjn for hospitals in Kendall and is pushing forward with outpatient centers and even venturing intoBrowardx County.
One reason is emergency rooms are and providing care there is more costlyu than at anoutpatient “Rather than have patients come to us, the hospitalds are going out to Foyo said. Florida’s 51 nonprofit community healtbh centers aregetting $28 million in competitivwe grants under the stimulus legislation, which will also keep patients out of expensivs hospital settings for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi highlighted that during an Apripl visit to a community health centerd in Hollywood that will get $1.5 million to open a satellitde health center in West Park.
One of the advantages for these typesa of centers is that they are funded with the assumption that theifr doors will be open to all who which is important because of the numbedr of uninsuredSouth Floridians, including undocumented Quick said. Dr. Welby, meet Bill Gates Mark administrative partner at the law firm of in said electronic medicalrecords (EMR) fall under the category of projects in the world of stimulus – meaning the technologyt exists and can be adopted rapidly to put monet in the economy.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
First green project in foreclosure - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
Carrier YCE273D
million construction mortgage. The 33,000-square-foot Vive Verde, also known as is the first South Florida project seekinh Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification fromthe U.S. Green Building Council to face foreclosure. In an interview, Romano said the extra cost ofthe building’s green featurea is not the reason it fell into “The fact that the building is a green buildinbg is not why the buildinbg financially is in trouble,” Romano “It has to do with a failure to properly and adequately financially plan the building in the and I blame myself for Despite a cost-conscious office-leasing the concept of green office buildings is here to according to Christian Lee, vice chairman of in and Vive Verde’s foreclosurw is just one entry on a long list of commerciapl foreclosures that will happen regardlessa of whether a building is green.
He noted that the more important factorfor Romano’s building will be officed demand in Lake Worth. “Buildinfg green adds to the cost [of a building], but in the long run, any greemn building will be more attractivde to an investorbecause it’s alreaduy green,” he said. new investors would be figuring in the cost to make it because all commercial buildingss aregoing green.
” Rob Hink, a LEED-accredited consultant with the Weston-based , “I don’t think this one foreclosuree on a green building is any comment on the LEED systej or green buildings, I think it’s just the economy,” he “I’m surprised because it’s a leased-up building.” He added that Romano’s large inner courtyard could have been downsized to fit more rental space in the building, and yet stillo have retained many of the environmental On May 26, Fort Lee, N.J.
-basefd filed the foreclosure action agains Vive Verde North, managing member Romano and other partiezs associated with the project, accordinv to Palm Beach County Circuit Court records. The four-story building, at 1005 Lake in Lake Worth, was completed in August. Its offics space is about 70 percent leased, and it has two emptty retail spaces, Romano said. The green features of the building work exactlhy ashe hoped, he said. A rooftop garden catches rainwater, while condensation is collected from the air conditioner for waterinhg plants and ponds andflushing toilets. Grey wate r is recycled in the wate r features ofthe atrium.
The use of skylights and windowas cuts down on electricity Many fixtures were made withrecycled materials. A sign outside advertises it asa “living building.” Inside, goldfish swim throughb a pond and a statue of a Native Americaj bathes in the sunlight in the Despite the energy and water savings, Vive Verde Northb has not made any payments on the $6.9 millio mortgage this year, said John Hart, an attorneyt with Carlton Fields in West Palm Beachh who represents Meecorp in the lawsuit. “Mhy client would like to get but ifthat doesn’t come to pass, they are preparesd to take title to the property and prepare to get paid that way, too,” Hart said.
Vive Verdd North has a $4 million second mortgage with N.Y.-based , which is nameed in Meecorp’s complaint. Romano said his companty got behind on mortgage paymentsd because it ran out of money and couldf not get the loan refinance d by atraditional “It is making me physically ill that this is he said. “I will continue to work night and day to make this all work These days, I’m losing a lot of sleep over He said his plan for the buildinfg was flawed from the beginninh because he wrote an incorrect financial plan. He said the constructionb for his first development project came in on budget and its utilitieesoperate efficiently.
Romano said the greenn features of Vive Verde attracte dsome tenants, although several of them wouled have signed leases in the building withouty them. He is confident the building will earn LEED but said that not opening with that designatiojn has not hurt the Romano was aimingfor gold-level certification from the U.S. Greebn Building Council.
million construction mortgage. The 33,000-square-foot Vive Verde, also known as is the first South Florida project seekinh Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification fromthe U.S. Green Building Council to face foreclosure. In an interview, Romano said the extra cost ofthe building’s green featurea is not the reason it fell into “The fact that the building is a green buildinbg is not why the buildinbg financially is in trouble,” Romano “It has to do with a failure to properly and adequately financially plan the building in the and I blame myself for Despite a cost-conscious office-leasing the concept of green office buildings is here to according to Christian Lee, vice chairman of in and Vive Verde’s foreclosurw is just one entry on a long list of commerciapl foreclosures that will happen regardlessa of whether a building is green.
He noted that the more important factorfor Romano’s building will be officed demand in Lake Worth. “Buildinfg green adds to the cost [of a building], but in the long run, any greemn building will be more attractivde to an investorbecause it’s alreaduy green,” he said. new investors would be figuring in the cost to make it because all commercial buildingss aregoing green.
” Rob Hink, a LEED-accredited consultant with the Weston-based , “I don’t think this one foreclosuree on a green building is any comment on the LEED systej or green buildings, I think it’s just the economy,” he “I’m surprised because it’s a leased-up building.” He added that Romano’s large inner courtyard could have been downsized to fit more rental space in the building, and yet stillo have retained many of the environmental On May 26, Fort Lee, N.J.
-basefd filed the foreclosure action agains Vive Verde North, managing member Romano and other partiezs associated with the project, accordinv to Palm Beach County Circuit Court records. The four-story building, at 1005 Lake in Lake Worth, was completed in August. Its offics space is about 70 percent leased, and it has two emptty retail spaces, Romano said. The green features of the building work exactlhy ashe hoped, he said. A rooftop garden catches rainwater, while condensation is collected from the air conditioner for waterinhg plants and ponds andflushing toilets. Grey wate r is recycled in the wate r features ofthe atrium.
The use of skylights and windowas cuts down on electricity Many fixtures were made withrecycled materials. A sign outside advertises it asa “living building.” Inside, goldfish swim throughb a pond and a statue of a Native Americaj bathes in the sunlight in the Despite the energy and water savings, Vive Verde Northb has not made any payments on the $6.9 millio mortgage this year, said John Hart, an attorneyt with Carlton Fields in West Palm Beachh who represents Meecorp in the lawsuit. “Mhy client would like to get but ifthat doesn’t come to pass, they are preparesd to take title to the property and prepare to get paid that way, too,” Hart said.
Vive Verdd North has a $4 million second mortgage with N.Y.-based , which is nameed in Meecorp’s complaint. Romano said his companty got behind on mortgage paymentsd because it ran out of money and couldf not get the loan refinance d by atraditional “It is making me physically ill that this is he said. “I will continue to work night and day to make this all work These days, I’m losing a lot of sleep over He said his plan for the buildinfg was flawed from the beginninh because he wrote an incorrect financial plan. He said the constructionb for his first development project came in on budget and its utilitieesoperate efficiently.
Romano said the greenn features of Vive Verde attracte dsome tenants, although several of them wouled have signed leases in the building withouty them. He is confident the building will earn LEED but said that not opening with that designatiojn has not hurt the Romano was aimingfor gold-level certification from the U.S. Greebn Building Council.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Icahn ups Lions Gate stake to 16.87 percent - Dayton Business Journal:
http://aimpublications.com/aim-cw.html
Many of Icahn's variousd investment entities acquiredabout 1.5 million shares LGF) in the latest purchase, saying in statementr that "the common shares of Lions Gate were undervalued." Icahbn now controls about 19.8 million and in a statement said that the investment entitiesx might acquire more shares. The statement also hintefd at a possible shakeupl of the Lions Gate board of directors at the nextshareholde meeting.
"The Icahn Affiliates may seek to add nominees designatedc by the Icahn Affiliates toLions Gate's boar of directors, which couldd include expanding the size of the boar of directors of Lions Gate and/or removing individuals from the board of directorss of Lions Gate," the statemen said. Santa Monica-based Lions Gate's largest shareholder is still Mark a formerIcahn advisor. Rachesky'z stake is just under 20 Rumors have persisted as to whetherIcahj . He has been critical of the studio'z expenses and expenditures, especially .
Many of Icahn's variousd investment entities acquiredabout 1.5 million shares LGF) in the latest purchase, saying in statementr that "the common shares of Lions Gate were undervalued." Icahbn now controls about 19.8 million and in a statement said that the investment entitiesx might acquire more shares. The statement also hintefd at a possible shakeupl of the Lions Gate board of directors at the nextshareholde meeting.
"The Icahn Affiliates may seek to add nominees designatedc by the Icahn Affiliates toLions Gate's boar of directors, which couldd include expanding the size of the boar of directors of Lions Gate and/or removing individuals from the board of directorss of Lions Gate," the statemen said. Santa Monica-based Lions Gate's largest shareholder is still Mark a formerIcahn advisor. Rachesky'z stake is just under 20 Rumors have persisted as to whetherIcahj . He has been critical of the studio'z expenses and expenditures, especially .
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
CoBank earnings up 48 percent - Denver Business Journal:
fresno-kentdeputy.blogspot.com
Denver-based CoBank is a cooperative bank serving agribusinessesw and rural utilities throughout the United It is a member ofthe U.S. Farm Credit During the first nine months of net interest income rose 42 percentto $672 from $474 million in the same period a year earlier, official said. Total loans and leases outstandingwere $43.1 billionb at Sept. 30, compared to $40.5 billion at year-endc 2007. The bank saw solid growth in loans to internationalk and corporate finance customers as well as to affiliated associationss and other strategic partners inside the FarmCrediy System.
Loan volume in the bank’s Communications Energy BankingGroup -— which serves communications and water service providers acrosz rural America — grew to $10.y6 billion, a 22 percenf increase since the beginning of the year. Growth in thesr areas was partially offset by a decline in loanas to commercialagribusiness customers. Commercial agribusiness lendinbg decreased 23 percentfrom Dec. 31, 2007, to $10.6 billion, due to typical seasonal declineas in demand as well as recent drops in commodit pricesfor grains.
Denver-based CoBank is a cooperative bank serving agribusinessesw and rural utilities throughout the United It is a member ofthe U.S. Farm Credit During the first nine months of net interest income rose 42 percentto $672 from $474 million in the same period a year earlier, official said. Total loans and leases outstandingwere $43.1 billionb at Sept. 30, compared to $40.5 billion at year-endc 2007. The bank saw solid growth in loans to internationalk and corporate finance customers as well as to affiliated associationss and other strategic partners inside the FarmCrediy System.
Loan volume in the bank’s Communications Energy BankingGroup -— which serves communications and water service providers acrosz rural America — grew to $10.y6 billion, a 22 percenf increase since the beginning of the year. Growth in thesr areas was partially offset by a decline in loanas to commercialagribusiness customers. Commercial agribusiness lendinbg decreased 23 percentfrom Dec. 31, 2007, to $10.6 billion, due to typical seasonal declineas in demand as well as recent drops in commodit pricesfor grains.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Dayton employment to remain sluggish into third quarter - Jacksonville Business Journal:
http://tracyviselli.com/author/admin/
Tom Traynor, an economics professor at Wrightt State and author of the said unemployment increases will continue at their accelerated pace into the thirdx quarter ofthis year. The Dayton Metropolitab Statistical Area, which includes Montgomery, Greene, Miami and Prebler counties, is projected to lose 6,000 to 7,00p0 jobs in the third quarter. That woulsd drop employment to 373,900, down from 380,400 in the first quarter of the a 2percent decline. The hardest-hit area is one the Daytom area has longrelied on, manufacturing. “Manufacturing employment will fall Traynor said.
Forecasts from the reporyt show employment in the sector fallinghfrom 42,300 in the first quarted of this year to 36,100 by the third quarter, a nearlyg 15 percent drop. Durables goods manufacturing will be hit in Traynor said. “People aren’t They are waiting to buy a new car or that new he said. Retail and service employment are also expectedcto decrease. Retail employment is expected to dropto 39,100 by the third quarter, down from 40,000 in the first a 2 percent drop.
Service employment, which includes financial service, business service, utilities and leisure is projected to decreasweto 324,200 by the thir d quarter, down from 326,700 in the first a nearly 1 percent decline. “Ther next year to year and a half will be an unpleasantr time forthe region,” Traynor said. Constructiomn employment is expected to rise as a part ofseasonall employment, to 13,400 from 11,4090 in the first quarter, but that is 1,000 jobs fewer than the same time period last year. One area of employment that isn’t expected to be hit hard is healthh care.
In fact, Traynor said he expectss health care to add some jobs by thethirxd quarter, going up to 56,500 from 56,300 in the first He said the rate of decline in gross domestic product will but remain negative through the third quarter and maybe into the fourthy quarter of this year. Even when GDP does becomre positive again, it will take some time for employmentt to pick up because it is a lagging indicator ofeconomicx recovery. Traynor said ther e is a great deal of uncertainty stilkl on thenational level, as businesses try to determinee the impact of governmen t actions. Traynor said the problem of high unemployment is not gointg awayanytime soon.
“This is something we’re going to be living with for quitda while, well into next year,” he said.
Tom Traynor, an economics professor at Wrightt State and author of the said unemployment increases will continue at their accelerated pace into the thirdx quarter ofthis year. The Dayton Metropolitab Statistical Area, which includes Montgomery, Greene, Miami and Prebler counties, is projected to lose 6,000 to 7,00p0 jobs in the third quarter. That woulsd drop employment to 373,900, down from 380,400 in the first quarter of the a 2percent decline. The hardest-hit area is one the Daytom area has longrelied on, manufacturing. “Manufacturing employment will fall Traynor said.
Forecasts from the reporyt show employment in the sector fallinghfrom 42,300 in the first quarted of this year to 36,100 by the third quarter, a nearlyg 15 percent drop. Durables goods manufacturing will be hit in Traynor said. “People aren’t They are waiting to buy a new car or that new he said. Retail and service employment are also expectedcto decrease. Retail employment is expected to dropto 39,100 by the third quarter, down from 40,000 in the first a 2 percent drop.
Service employment, which includes financial service, business service, utilities and leisure is projected to decreasweto 324,200 by the thir d quarter, down from 326,700 in the first a nearly 1 percent decline. “Ther next year to year and a half will be an unpleasantr time forthe region,” Traynor said. Constructiomn employment is expected to rise as a part ofseasonall employment, to 13,400 from 11,4090 in the first quarter, but that is 1,000 jobs fewer than the same time period last year. One area of employment that isn’t expected to be hit hard is healthh care.
In fact, Traynor said he expectss health care to add some jobs by thethirxd quarter, going up to 56,500 from 56,300 in the first He said the rate of decline in gross domestic product will but remain negative through the third quarter and maybe into the fourthy quarter of this year. Even when GDP does becomre positive again, it will take some time for employmentt to pick up because it is a lagging indicator ofeconomicx recovery. Traynor said ther e is a great deal of uncertainty stilkl on thenational level, as businesses try to determinee the impact of governmen t actions. Traynor said the problem of high unemployment is not gointg awayanytime soon.
“This is something we’re going to be living with for quitda while, well into next year,” he said.
Friday, March 4, 2011
AG files suit against loan modification firm - Philadelphia Business Journal:
http://thisyearsgirl.com/writing/atgg/atgg-c-1.html
The case filed Monday in Maricop a Superior Court alleges that LLC and its two Thomas J. Montoya and Robert Sanchez, advertiseds and promoted the firm as having an affiliatiobn withthe U.S. Department of Housing and Urbaj Development, which it does not, according to the But Montoya, in a phone conversation with the Phoenix Business Journal, said he was “takehn aback” by the charges. He would not elaborate on any ofthe however, and said he was talkinhg with the company’s attorneys. He said the company wouldd distribute a prepared statement after consultingwith attorneys. As part of the the AG alleges thatSantoya Financial, located at 2225 W.
Whispering Spring Drivr in Phoenix, charged fees for services that consumerx could access directlyfor free. “Thw defendants deceptively implied to consumers that any fees paid by consumers for loan modificatioj services with Santoya Financial are refundable because the modificationh program is backby HUD, without disclosing that Santoya Financial’s services are not in any way endorseed or approved by HUD and that consumers can obtainn assistance from HUD in applyingv for and obtaining loan modifications without paying any fee the lawsuit states.
The complaint requestd that the court enjoin Santoya Financiao from continuingits “unlawful order the company to pay back any monety received from those acts, and the defendantsw to pay civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation and costs of the investigation. Accordingg to court records, Santoya Financial begah advertising loan modification services in Marchh to consumers who were faciny foreclosure ontheir homes. Sanchez was featured on a Phoeni x television station in April and allegedly representeds that his firmwas “working with HUD whilre providing loan modification services to the lawsuit stated.
Santoya charged consumere $1,199 plus the equivalent of one month’ mortgage payment, the lawsuit Santoya also represented during phonwe solicitations that fees collected for loan modificationds would be donated to an organization named Partners in but “the fees consumerz pay for the loan modificationn services advertised by Santoya Financial do not go to Partneres in Charity or any other charitable the lawsuit further alleged. The lawsuift also claims that Santoya did not obtain the necessary suretgy bond required by the Arizona CreditServicese Act.
The case filed Monday in Maricop a Superior Court alleges that LLC and its two Thomas J. Montoya and Robert Sanchez, advertiseds and promoted the firm as having an affiliatiobn withthe U.S. Department of Housing and Urbaj Development, which it does not, according to the But Montoya, in a phone conversation with the Phoenix Business Journal, said he was “takehn aback” by the charges. He would not elaborate on any ofthe however, and said he was talkinhg with the company’s attorneys. He said the company wouldd distribute a prepared statement after consultingwith attorneys. As part of the the AG alleges thatSantoya Financial, located at 2225 W.
Whispering Spring Drivr in Phoenix, charged fees for services that consumerx could access directlyfor free. “Thw defendants deceptively implied to consumers that any fees paid by consumers for loan modificatioj services with Santoya Financial are refundable because the modificationh program is backby HUD, without disclosing that Santoya Financial’s services are not in any way endorseed or approved by HUD and that consumers can obtainn assistance from HUD in applyingv for and obtaining loan modifications without paying any fee the lawsuit states.
The complaint requestd that the court enjoin Santoya Financiao from continuingits “unlawful order the company to pay back any monety received from those acts, and the defendantsw to pay civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation and costs of the investigation. Accordingg to court records, Santoya Financial begah advertising loan modification services in Marchh to consumers who were faciny foreclosure ontheir homes. Sanchez was featured on a Phoeni x television station in April and allegedly representeds that his firmwas “working with HUD whilre providing loan modification services to the lawsuit stated.
Santoya charged consumere $1,199 plus the equivalent of one month’ mortgage payment, the lawsuit Santoya also represented during phonwe solicitations that fees collected for loan modificationds would be donated to an organization named Partners in but “the fees consumerz pay for the loan modificationn services advertised by Santoya Financial do not go to Partneres in Charity or any other charitable the lawsuit further alleged. The lawsuift also claims that Santoya did not obtain the necessary suretgy bond required by the Arizona CreditServicese Act.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Experience alters sheriff's perspective on ski gates - Denver Post
wilhelminadora4287.blogspot.com
Experience alters sheriff's perspective on ski gates Denver Post Warn skiers and let them make their own decision is the primary component of today's access gate policies at ski areas. For San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters, that perspective didn't come easily. The sheriff spent several years of ... Search and Rescue plucks skiers from Bear Creek รข€" twice |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)