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More questions raised about health
of Grady Hospital
By
Ron Marshall
Special to GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's Note: Though the financing of Grady
Memorial Hospital falls mainly within the City of Atlanta plus
Fulton and DeKalb Counties, still the hospital's health could
affect what happens throughout Metro Atlanta. Questions are raised
in this article about the financial well-being of Grady which
people in Gwinnett need to know about.--eeb
ATLANTA, Ga., Feb. 8, 2008 -- The media has claimed there has been
a breakthrough for Grady. The politicians say it is the beginning
of a new era. Start the celebrations.
Still no one will say or explain what this incredible "Grady
crisis" is really all about. The only thing I trust here is
time.
The media has claimed that a private board is the only answer for
Grady. I say again, show us the data that supports this is the best
solution for Grady. That's all we ask! Why has the media taken an
ostrich-like stand that a private board can do anything? The Grady
site is starting to look like an excellent location for a twin 60
story plus tower complex.
Will money really fall out of the sky?
The media keeps parroting that a private board will bring $300
million out of the sky. When do we look up to see the money parachuting
down with "for Grady" stamped on the bags? Why would anyone
donate such a huge sum to either a private or a public board…..unless…..?
Meanwhile public dollars still pay to operate Grady.
Why would the Grady board also vote to allow a lease of all power
to this same invisible private unnamed secret entity? The privatization
and lease passed like they were prophecy, already written. There
are serious questions about this lease, done without public input
or participation. Was this even legal? Why has there not been a
comparison of alternatives researched or investigated?
Emory and Morehouse Medical Schools claim that Grady owes them millions
of dollars. Prove it! Please show some independent accounting.
The majority of the Grady debate has gotten sidetracked onto this
irrelevant debate of private v. public. No one has shown us why
these business captains voted on one system that will generate these
huge donations.
Another layer getting lost in the middle of this is the Joint Commission
on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations report that shows
that medical care at Grady is incredibly substandard, and that Emory
is not fulfilling its bargain to provide credible medical care at
this hospital. Emory, these are your doctors treating us! When will
Grady show us the JCAHO report? If steps are not immediately taken,
Grady will face the prospect of being the next hospital after King
Drew to fail.
For Otis Story to resign on the very day Grady took this huge step
to privatize the hospital hit us like getting hit with lighting
in the same place twice. Grady needs to reveal if he resigned in
protest. Is Otis Story going to be paid to keep quiet like the others
before him?
Topping this entire crisis, the chief trustee of Grady, Ms. Pam
Stephenson, has made herself the CEO of Grady. This is a blatant
conflict of interest. Ms. Stephenson needs to immediately respond
to more than 50 open records requests the New Grady Coalition filed
that she has stonewalled while the chief trustee at Grady. She needs
to immediately rehire the main whistleblower who tried to prevent
the current crisis, ex-Senior Vice President Joyce Harris.
The public needs answers now. What is the private board supposed
to do? Why would the media be so narrowly focused on coronating
Pete Correll in a private position at Grady? Look at the connections!
The public trust is at stake. Someone is planning to make a lot
of money off this private board scheme. It is high time the media
find out who is going to benefit and reveal it to the public.
Pullout by Romney and surge by Obama creating
surprises
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
FEB. 5, 2008 -- Is something going on this election year that will
significantly change our country? Are we sitting on the edge of
major change, with some people not realizing it?
Brack |
Put another way, is this Obama Movement far more than a normal
presidential race? Some have it akin to the Kennedy years.
This all comes after developments of this week. Mitt Romney dropping
out of the Republican race came as a real surprise, with many thinking
the Massachusetts governor was strong enough to battle John McCain
down to the wire. But the Republican decided to "do the right
thing" for the party in the face of the re-energized McCain
campaign.
But could Romney be playing into the hands of the Huckabee campaign
and propel this previous unknown to the nomination? With many Republicans
really uptight about McCain, and not wanting to vote for him, this
could be the turn that Huckabee needs.
Turning to the Democrats, prior to the February 5 vote, we had
thought the Barack Obama campaign was amazing, but that he would
fall by the wayside eventually.
Yet looking at some returns this week makes us think otherwise.
The Democrats, polarized as they are, could fight right up to and
through their convention. If this happens, it won't be pretty.
The South Carolina victory for Obama did not surprise us. Yet the
results from the Midwest, which Obama took handily in every instance,
opened a lot of eyes. Here he was making significant headway by
appealing to a far wider range of people than he did in South Carolina.
To these people, his color seemed to be no factor, as it apparently
did in South Carolina.
Then Obama took Georgia, but we remembered, so did Jesse Jackson.
But then we looked deeper at where he had scored in Georgia. He
made deep inroads into the Hillary Clinton forces and won Gwinnett.
That might be explained by the minority vote, but the minorities
in Gwinnett don't heavily vote. Look at other Obama counties, and
they don't always follow where the black vote is heavy. Even in
Forsyth County, still a heavily white bastion that now is one of
the richest counties in the country, Obama was only a few votes
behind Clinton.
So this all of tells me Obama is appealing to far more than a mere
black base. He's getting significant numbers of white Democrats
behind him with a new evangelism type of spirit that says they want
to see something different for this country. And they put their
trust in Obama.
One more element: while Bill Clinton has deep personal charisma,
he may be in Hillary's way as she seeks the nomination. In truth,
he may be hurting her more than he has helped her. And have you
noticed how little we have heard from Bill Clinton since February
5? Perhaps Hillary needs to send him on a fact-finding tour to Australia,
or even to Antarctica….anywhere to keep him away from the media
for a while.
Political campaigns don't always follow a script. We may be seeing
a new movement blossom in this country, led by a senator from Illinois
who many did not give much of a chance against the almost-anointed
Hillary Clinton.
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Local
author's new book on leadership getting good review
Editor, the Forum:
A new book, Cracking the Code to Leadership, is receiving
some very positive reviews and reactions among its initial readers.
Dave Pellegrin, CEO of Honolulu Publishing said, "What makes
this book a must-buy with real take-home value is its unique focus,
not on the WHAT but on the HOW: How to inspire others to wholeheartedly
commit to a common course of action."
John Foley, Cargill leadership specialist commented, "At last.
Leadership simplified." And Ken Shelton, Editor of Leadership
Excellence found it compelling enough to request the authors write
an article for his February 08 magazine.
Cracking the Code to Leadership is on sale through Amazon.com,
BarnesandNoble.com and additional information is available at http://thepargroup.com/book.html.
In the interest of full disclosure, the letter writer is also a
proud co-author of the above mentioned literary masterpiece.
-- Patrick Malone, Snellville
Dear Pat: And in the interest of full disclosure,
I ask: How did you ever finish? It must be quite satisfying to
actually have a book in print. I know I can get frustrated working
to finish a history book about Gwinnett! I hope to have this one
finished by the end of March. -- eeb
On metric scale and
on the pronunciation of Dah-KEW-La
Editor, the Forum:
It's not entirely true that the US is a non-metric country; no,
the metric system isn't required by law, but more and more items
are being metrically transformed.
Many beverages including soft drinks and wine are sold in liter
calibrated containers. Almost everything the military does utilizes
metric dimensions. Even most U.S. made cars now have metric sized
nuts and bolts (although many mix the use of English and metric
components, so mechanics must have both types of tools).
I don't know that the government should have been involved in mandating
a changeover, but calculations in metric are far, far simpler and
the use of metric measurements would reduce many mathematical errors.
For example, which is easier to add: 5/16 of an inch plus 3/8 of
an inch or 7 mm plus 9 mm? It's easier even if you have to add with
a calculator!
On another matter, regarding pronouncing local city names, one that
is particularly irritating to me, and I hear it often on the radio
from people who should know better is Dacula: Da-COO-la instead
of Dah-KEW-la.
-- Lee Hutchins, Hog Mountain
Dear Lee: Thanks for additional thoughts on these
matters. Some old-timers maintain that the electronic media also
get Duluth pronounced incorrectly, which they feel DOO-loof is
more locally right that dooo-LOOTH. And some of us lazies also
say NAW-cross, instead as it is written, NORR-cross.----eeb
Super
what?
Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:
Sierra
Club to hear legislative update at Feb. 21 meeting
The Greater Gwinnett Group of the Sierra Club will hold its monthly
meeting on Thursday, February 21. This month's presentation will
feature the annual legislative update from Georgia Chapter legislative
chair, Mark Woodall, with Georgia State Representative Brian Thomas,
and Senator Curt Thompson. Come find out what's really going on
"Under the Gold Dome." This behind-the-scenes discussion
begins with a social at 7 p.m. and the legislative update at 7:30.
The Greater Gwinnett Group meets at the Willow Run condominiums
clubhouse located at 1015 Country Court in Lawrenceville, about
a mile north of Pleasant Hill Road off of Club Drive. For more information
about the group and directions go to: http://georgia.sierraclub.org/gwinnett.
Gwinnett Tech sets
open house for low-income students
Gwinnett Technical College will hold an open house for its Gwinnett
Advancement Program (GAP), a free course for low-income students
who want to learn how to pursue a career and earn their General
Equivalency Diploma (GED). The open house for prospective students,
families and youth education professionals will be Thursday, February
14, at 2 p.m., in Room 401, Building 100, on the Gwinnett Tech campus.
Those attending the open house will learn more about the Gwinnett
Advancement Program and the support that Gwinnett Tech provides
disadvantaged youth within the community through work-readiness
preparation, education, mentoring and community service.
The GAP course is designed for those who have faced adversity but
still want to complete their high school education and learn valuable
skills that will help them find a better job. Eligible students
must:
- be 16 to 21 years old;
- have a low income; and
- have a Social Security number or be able to get one.
Keisha Hull, GAP director, says: "GAP addresses the critical
and immediate needs of youth in crisis and is a promising alternative
for youth who have left school before obtaining a high school diploma.
The open house provides a chance for us to talk with individuals
and professionals that come in contact with this target population
and to provide them with a new option for aiding our youth."
The event is designed for community service organizations, educators,
counselors, parents, concerned citizens, and church and religious
representatives who work with youth. The next GAP course will begin
on Monday, March 31; the application deadline is March 24. To RSVP
for the open house and to obtain GAP application information, contact
Keisha Hull, 770-962-7580, ext. 6615, or lhull@gwinnetttech.edu.
Godspell to highlight
New London Theatre grand opening
Godspell -- one of the biggest Broadway successes of all time --
is a musical celebration of the Gospel. With many familiar songs
- including the international hit, Day By Day---Godspell presents
the joyful message of Jesus Christ. Godspell is the archaic Old
English spelling of the word "gospel" and literally means
good news.
A local production of Godspell will open February 15 at the New
London Theatre in Snellville. It will be the first production for
the company in its new location at 2485 East Main Street in Snellville.
Godspell is produced by Tonya Hensley and directed by Kirk Buis
Performances are February 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and March 1 at 8 p.m.
There are also matinees on February 17, 24 and March 2 at 2:30 p.m.
A formal grand opening of the new home is set for February 16 at
3 p.m. at the new theatre in Snellville Plaza.
Touchmark Bank now
open in Norcross, plans Duluth office
Touchmark Bancshares, Inc. announced Touchmark National Bank, with
initial capitalization of nearly $32 million, has opened for business
focusing on small businesses and professional groups as well as
retail banking for individuals.
Touchmark's temporary headquarters are located at 3740 Davinci Court,
Suite 150, Norcross until the completion and opening of its first
full-service retail branch, which is scheduled to open next month
in Duluth.
Touchmark National Bank will offer its clients a number of technologically
advanced solutions to increase the efficiency and convenience of
banking. Among these are digital lockboxes, remote deposit capture,
online bill payment, and access to over 8,000 no-fee ATMs nationwide.
The Touchmark National Bank Website featuring online banking services
will launch on February 11, and will be available at www.touchmarknb.com.
Bill Short, chief executive officer of Touchmark Bancshares, Inc.
says: "We are thrilled to announce the opening of Touchmark
National Bank. Each of our team members has extensive banking experience
and we think we've created a better way for our bank to help businesses
and people manage their finances. We take a consultative approach
to serving our client's financial needs. We're looking to create
meaningful, long-term relationships with our clients so that we
can help them grow their businesses, while making it as easy as
possible to deal with their banking needs."
With over 230 years of experience in the Atlanta banking community,
Touchmark National Bank's staff is led by a management team from
some of the nation's largest banks and some of the city's most respected
community banks. Bill Short, formerly senior vice president/group
executive and a managing director in the wealth management division
at Wachovia, leads the team as CEO. Bob Koncerak, chief financial
officer at Touchmark National Bank, was most recently employed by
Wachovia Bank as senior vice president and regional chief financial
officer for the wealth management division. James LeBow, former
division president for Georgia Trust Bank and previously with SunTrust
is the Bank's chief credit officer.
Bay Creek Park football
field to get a press box
The Bay Creek Park football complex will get a press box thanks
to a partnership between Gwinnett County and the Grayson Athletic
Association (GAA).
The Board of Commissioners accepted the agreement Tuesday. Community
Services Director Phil Hoskins said the County would pay half, up
to $50,000, of the cost of the new press box, while GAA pays the
rest.
The Grayson Athletic Association offers baseball, softball, basketball,
football, cheerleading and special-populations sports programs in
the Grayson area using county park and school facilities. Bay Creek
Park, with 154 acres, opened in the spring of 2004. It includes
Gwinnett's first special-needs ball field and playground along with
baseball, softball and football facilities. SPLOST revenues and
community fund-raising efforts paid for land acquisition and park
development.
- An invitation: What
Web sites, books or restaurants have you enjoyed? Send us your
best recent visit to a restaurant or most recent book you have
read along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus
what book you plan to read next. --eeb
Jubilee
Partners of Comer work with international refugees
Jubilee
Partners, a Christian service community located near Comer,
in Madison County, has hosted more than 2,500 international refugees
since its establishment in 1979. The community sponsors a program
that teaches refugees the language and life skills they will need
to make a successful transition from the war-torn conditions of
their home countries to the United States.
Jubilee Partners, unaffiliated with any denomination, began as
an outgrowth of Koinonia Partners (formerly Koinonia Farm). Koinonia
bought 260 acres near Comer and commissioned six of its members
to establish a new intentional Christian community there. Mary Ruth
and Ed Weir, Karen and Ryan Karis, and Carolyn and Don Mosley had
been instrumental in developing solar-power techniques at Koinonia
and had intended to apply these techniques to house rehabilitations
and new construction in the Comer area.
The couples moved with their children to the new site and camped
out while they built facilities. Just as they were beginning to
establish themselves, news reports of thousands of people fleeing
Southeast Asia inspired the families to abandon their original plans
and, instead, create a program for these refugees. The first refugees
arrived at Jubilee in the fall of 1980, and continuing world crises
have supplied a steady stream ever since.
Jubilee's work has received attention from the national news media,
including a 2001 feature on the television news program 60 Minutes
that followed a group of Sudanese refugees from their last weeks
in a Kenyan refugee camp through their first weeks in the United
States after arriving at Jubilee.
One solution for all
raises some questions
"The people I distrust most are those who want to improve
our lives but have only one course of action."
-- U.S. science fiction novelist Frank Herbert (1920 - 1986).
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
or comments on any issue to Gwinnett
Forum for future publication.
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