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Issue 9.55 | Friday, Oct. 9, 2009 | Forward to your friends! |
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McLEMORE'S
WORLD ARCHIVE FEEDBACK UPCOMING NOTABLE ALSO INSIDE _::
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Meet a sponsor |
ABOUT US GwinnettForum.com is a twice-weekly online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible social, political and economic approaches to improve life in Gwinnett County, Ga. USA. Contact us today. NOW ON TWITTER! SEARCH GWINNETT FORUM |
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TODAY'S
FOCUS LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Oct. 9, 2009 -- Gwinnett Medical Center opened the doors to the new North Tower at the flagship campus in Lawrenceville on September 30. The North Tower adds five patient care floors and $13 million of the latest technology to the health system. Phil Wolfe, president and CEO of Gwinnett Medical Center, says: "The process began with the opening of Gwinnett Medical Center - Duluth in 2006 and today we reach another milestone in achieving our vision to transform healthcare in our community by opening the North Tower. The North Tower is more than just a new, high tech building, it is physical evidence of how we are transforming care to a hospitality model."
The eight-story North Tower is built with the following features:
Patient floors are designed with an identical layout and each floor is focused on a medical specialty area. The floors are as follows:
(The new tower was built on a three story previously-used expansion which houses labs, MRI suite, surgery, administration and BioMedical areas.) "All of these features were designed to meet the needs of our three most important customers - physicians, patients as well as families and visitors," said Wolfe. "We continue to transform healthcare because our community not only requires it, but also actively supports it with their time, talents and treasure." Not only did GMC expand the flagship campus with the North Tower, but a new main entrance atrium lobby, registration area, discharge lobby and renovation of surgical areas were also part of the renovation.. When patients and guests enter the atrium lobby, they are greeted by a volunteer to assist them. A donor wall is located just inside the atrium lobby to showcase those in our community who have supported the Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation and helped make the North Tower a reality. Just to the left of the donor wall, The Strickland Chapel and healing garden are available for visitor comfort and personal reflection. The new atrium lobby also includes a gift shop which is three times larger than the previous one. A new patient registration area and separate patient discharge lobby have also been added to enhance privacy. The facility also features free wireless Internet and guest retreats on each floor. Each detail of the facility's expansion and renovation meets the goal of providing a calming atmosphere where the art of medicine is practiced by a highly trained and caring team of physicians and medical experts. EEB
PERSPECTIVE (Part 2 of 2 part series) OCT. 9, 2009 -- Here are excerpts from passages in T.R. Reid's new book about health care, entitled The Healing of America.
"Despite all the rights and privileges and entitlements that Americans enjoy today, we have never decided to provide medical care for everybody who needs it. …In the world's richest nation, we tolerate a health care system that leads to large numbers of avoidable deaths and bankruptcies among our fellow citizens. Efforts to change the system tend to be derailed…and the essential moral question gets lost in the shouting." "Yet all the other rich countries spend far less on health care than the United States." "Many national health care systems are not 'socialized.' Many foreign countries provide universal health care of high quality at reasonable costs using private doctors, private hospitals and private insurance plans." "'Socialized medicine' may be a scary term, but in practice, Americans rather like government-run medicine" The Department of Veterans Affairs and Medicare are cited. "All the developed countries I looked at provide health coverage for every resident, old or young, rich or poor. This is the underlying moral principle of the health care system in every rich country---every one, that is, except the United States." "The United States is the only developed country that allows insurance companies to refuse coverage to people for fear that they might get sick."
Bismarck's Sickness Insurance Law was enacted in 1883,the world's first national health care system. It was a national health care system that didn't require any tax revenues. Bismarck looked at health care as public welfare, what he called "A program of applied Christianity." "The Brits have made a huge bet that it is worth spending money to keep people healthy in the first place, so that they don't have to go to a doctor and incur costs for the system." Clinton failed to produce a health care plan. So had Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman and Nixon. Somehow the basic moral question-should we give everyone access to health care, gets swept aside in politics and lobbying. "In a nation with a unified health system that covers everybody….it clearly benefits both the population and the system to invest in public health. But in a fragmented, multifaceted-system nation like the United States, the economic incentives for preventive care are dissipated." "….and insurance company may see no savings at all from preventive testing or procedures, because the health problem to be avoided may not develop until the patient is over 65 and thus covered by Medicare." "The creation of a national health care system involved political, economic and medical decisions, but the primary decision to be made is a moral one." "All the developed countries except the United States have decided that every human has a basic right to health care.' "But the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee a right to health care.' "More than 85 percent of Americans answer that health care is a basic human right." "To put it simply, the United States does well when it comes to providing medical care, but has a rotten system for financing that care." "…roughly 20 cents of every dollar for non-medical costs, paperwork, reviewing claims, marketing, profits, and so on. " "…financing health care must be a non-profit endeavor." * * * * * If you are interested in health care, you will do yourself a favor by purchasing T.R. Reid's new book. You can find it here. ABOUT
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McLEMORE'S
WORLD ARCHIVE
FEEDBACK Editor, the Forum: I have a son in medical school. All he hears from tenured academicians and practitioners is "Obama's rendition of federal health care is not desirable." I had a blind college roommate who had his eyes and optic nerves removed shortly after birth (1957). Doctors successfully removed his optic nerve cancer and treated it with radiation. Forty years later, doctors found and removed a four inch tumor that began growing as a result of radiation treatment he received after birth. His (John Novotny's) story was featured on Oprah 12 years ago. For the last three years of John's life, John struggled to pay doctor bills -- and to seek further post-metathesized oncology treatments. John had been the most positive human being I'd ever met. He holds the Olympic record (special) for cross-country skiing. We jogged regularly on campus at Illinois State. John would win many pool tournaments around Bloomington-Normal, thanks to the friend's coaching. John graduated ISU with a master's in counseling psychology. He had a Braille Bible that took up half a room. He was politically active on campus. His efforts equipped ISU campus intersections with handicap accessible curb-ramps. John owned a psychological counseling business in Breckenridge, Colo., when he learned of his tumor. He performed his own singing benefits throughout the area to raise money for his cancer treatment, and published a CD of his own music. He and his wife refused to have children because John carried a cancer gene. His mother and a sister had their eyes removed as well. John Novotny died without catastrophic health insurance. As a Republican, my first thought is often, "John should have been better prepared for this eventuality." As a human with compassion, I am ready to explore the tenets of health reform.
UPCOMING A Dessert Party Fundraiser in support of Gwinnett Ballet Theatre's 2009 production of "The Nutcracker" will be held on Saturday, October 24 at 7 p.m. at the home of Adrian and Shana Finks in Sugarloaf Country Club in Duluth.
This event will feature a number of ways for patrons to help Gwinnett Ballet raise money for new tutus and other production items for their annual "Nutcracker." This year will mark the 28th consecutive year that GBT has produced "The Nutcracker." Baskets will be up for auction during the evening. Each basket represents one of the famous dances from "The Nutcracker's" second act, which is titled "The Land of Sweets." Each basket will be filled with items that relate to the dance's theme. For example, the Sugar Plum Fairy basket will be an all-pink affair showcasing a Chamilia bracelet with pink and silver charms donated by Barron's Fine Jewelry in Snellville. Each basket will contain special items such as dinners, exotic edibles, fine salsa dance classes, ballet DVDs and much more. Desserts will be from Cioffi's, a bakery and pizzeria in the Lilburn-Stone Mountain area. It is owned by Greg and Jessica Polakowski, parents of GBT apprentice level dancer Nichole. The bakery is creating chocolate petit fours decorated with tiny pink ballet slippers as well as several other specialty "sweet bites." GBT company ballerinas will also be on hand to meet and greet their patrons. Ballet patrons are welcomed with advance notice. For more information on this event, contact the GBT studios at 770-978-0188 and leave a message for Ms. Finks. Or, email hcalmes@mindspring.com. For more information about Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, Gwinnett's oldest performing arts non-profit organization, visit the web site at www.gwinnettballet.org. Gwinnett Technology Forum to hear panel on health care The October Gwinnett Technology Forum will present a panel on how the use of technology can help reform health care. The program will be October 20 at the Busbee Center of Gwinnett Technical College at 7:30 a.m. The program
will be led by Michele Madison of Morris, Manning and Martin. Speakers
include Ed Brown, CIO of Gwinnett Health System, and representatives from
Jackson Healthcare and McKesson. Pugfest comes to Gwinnett Fairgrounds on Oct. 31 What could
possibly be cuter than babies in costumes? How about pugs in costumes?
That's what PugFest attendees will see on Saturday, October 31 (no rain
date), as approximately 1,500 people and 700 pugs descend on the Gwinnett
County Fairgrounds, 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.,
for the Southeast Pug Rescue and Adoption's (SEPRA) biggest fundraiser
of the year, raising funds for rescued pugs and pug-mixes alike.
Admission
is $6 per adult and $3 for children under 12 (no charge for pugs and other
small pets). There will be a Pug Parade with rescued pet introductions
at 12:30 p.m., with "best of" contests immediately following
the parade. Categories for pugs include oldest, most distance traveled,
curliest tail, most wrinkles, most gray, best kisser, best trick, most
unique pug mix and longest tongue. There will also be a costume contest
with two categories-homemade and store-bought, at 2 p.m. NOTABLE Gwinnett County took a big step toward revitalizing older areas of the county this week when commissioners approved redevelopment plans and the formation of five tax allocation districts, also known as TADs, or Tax Allocation Districts. Under state law, counties can issue development bonds for specified redevelopment areas to be paid back from increased tax revenues from those areas as they are improved. The funds can be used for both public and private facilities and infrastructure improvements within the tax allocation district. The new TADs are expected to be in operation next year. Gwinnett voters approved the use of TADs in Gwinnett in the general election last year. Gwinnett's
five TADs are in the Jimmy Carter Boulevard, and the Indian Trail Road
sections of the Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District; the Park
Place and Lake Lucerne areas in the Evermore CID; and in the Gwinnett
Place CID area. The County has established the Gwinnett County Redevelopment
Agency to manage the process. Suwanee needs volunteers for spring's community garden Gardeners know that early and proper soil preparation is key to a successful harvest. The City of Suwanee is preparing for construction of Harvest Farm, Suwanee's organic community garden, expected to open in the spring, and it needs many pairs of helping hands.
The city will host a community volunteer day Saturday, October 24, at the Harvest Farm at the White Street Park site. Volunteers are needed to help get the site ready for construction, which is scheduled to begin next month. Volunteers will help dismantle part of the existing barn, remove old fencing, and clear out the creek and wooded areas. The workday is scheduled from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. with breakfast and lunch provided. Volunteers must register in advance by completing the application available at www.suwanee.com. For additional information, contact Assistant to the City Manager Jessica Roth at jroth@suwanee.com or 770-945-8996. Work underway to widen portion of Gravel Springs Road Construction
has begun on the widening of Georgia Highway 324 (Gravel Springs Road)
funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in Gwinnett
County. The project will widen the existing two lane roadway to a four
lane divided highway from the current end for approximately 0.8 mile across
Interstate 85 in Buford. This construction project will complete the widening
of the route from Georgia Highway 20 to Georgia Highway 124. Historical Records board recognized Duluth for interviews
The City of Duluth has been recognized by the Secretary of State and Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board for its preserving its distinctive history by videotaping oral interviews with over 50 longtime community residents. From this came a 90 minute film, entitled Duluth Re-visited. In the photo, accepting the award for the city were City Clerk Teresa Lynn and June Hawkins. In addition to film footage and pictures back to the 1900's, the city collected information from people that represented diverse perspectives on Duluth history, including business, education, government, leisure and general life. Mayor Nancy Harris says: "The project brought many facets of the community together to both remember and appreciate Duluth's beginnings and to promote a sense of pride and responsibility to preserve the city's quality of life."
GEORGIA
ENCYCLOPEDIA The Marine Corps Logistics Base is located in Dougherty County in southwest Georgia, approximately five miles southeast of Albany. Its mission is to rebuild and repair ground-combat and combat-support equipment and to support installations on the East Coast of the United States.
Albany was chosen as the site for the logistics base after a two-year search in the early 1950s for a level area convenient to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean and serviced by road and rail. Albany was also attractive for its inland location, well away from the possibility of saltwater corrosion of the stored equipment, and its adequate workforce. The base opened in 1954 as the Marine Corps Depot of Supplies. In 1959, renamed the Marine Corps Supply Center, it was assigned the mission of rebuilding non-aviation equipment. In 1976 the base was redesignated the Marine Corps Logistics Support Base, Atlantic, and was finally given its present designation in 1978. Today's
Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany, comprises more than 3,300 acres and
in 2002 employed more than 2,400 civilians along with a complement of
600 Marines. Preserving the environment and the wildlife in and around the base has been a priority since the early planning phases of the facility. Colonel A.E. Dubber, the officer who chose the Albany site, insisted early on that he wanted no wildlife disturbed unnecessarily and that as many trees as possible should be saved. Because of his policies the base is lined with pecan orchards and rows of oaks. The so-called Dubber Oak, upon which the base was aligned during construction, still stands near the main gate. In 1973
more than 200 Indian artifacts were discovered on the base. Arrowheads,
flint knives, scrapers, and other ancient tools estimated to be more than
8,000 years old were unearthed by archaeologists. Their presence suggests
that the area may have been a trading or supply post for Native Americans. CREDITS GwinnettForum is provided to you at no charge every Tuesday and Friday. If you would like to serve as an underwriter, click here to learn more. Send
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Thoughts concerning how to educate decision makers "See, when you chair a meeting, you have to sit through the whole thing and listen. That's how you educate decision makers."
>> SPECIAL NOTICE TO GWINNETT Those interested in the history of Gwinnett need to know that the recently published book: Gwinnett: A Little Above Atlanta, has sold fast, with the first editions about sold out. There are less than 50 books remaining unsold. If you want the book for yourself, or to buy for a present for someone this year, you need to take action. Go to www.elliottbrack.com to order, or buy the book at a local bookstore shown on the site. (In full disclosure, the book is authored by the publisher of this Forum, and this notice is intended not so much to hawk, but to inform, those who have delayed purchase. -eeb) The books are available at these sites:
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