EMCs Warn Consumers: Beware of Scam Artists

/PRNewswire/ -- The electric membership cooperatives (EMCs) in Georgia are warning consumers to be wary of imposters who have manufactured another telephone scam in order to obtain personal information.

In the latest scheme, the thieves contact EMC consumers, informing victims that the government is paying $350 towards the electric bill of senior citizens. The fraudulent caller claims that in order to process the check, he or she needs social security numbers and EMC account numbers.

If the scam artist obtains this information, including credit card numbers, he or she will call the EMC consumer a few minutes later to "verify" the information in an attempt to defray suspicion and give the scammers more time to use the data to make fraudulent purchases.

Sadly, utilities and consumers have already been victims. Earlier this year, thieves contacted customers by phone, informing victims that their electric bill was past due and that an urgent credit card payment was needed to avoid loss of service within 24 hours.

If a customer suspects a caller is fraudulent, EMCs recommend trying to write down the incoming phone number via caller ID. If anyone has been the victim of this scheme, or has any information leading to possible suspects, they are asked to contact their local EMC and law enforcement agency.

Georgia EMC is the statewide trade association representing the state's 42 EMCs, Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia System Operations Corp. Collectively, Georgia's customer-owned EMCs provide electricity and related services to four million people, nearly half of Georgia's population, across 73 percent of the state's land area.

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GAE Members to Ask Obama for Piece of Stimulus Package for Georgia's Public Schools

The Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), realizing the urgency of the ongoing economic climate and its impact upon Georgia¡¯s families and public education system, has developed a plan to help Georgia obtain a piece of the economic stimulus package being proposed by the incoming Obama Administration. Its members will be asked to lobby their U.S Senators and Representatives on behalf of Georgia's families and public schools.

"Our students, our educators, and their respective families, like all Georgia citizens and their families, are living with the realities of today's economic difficulties," said GAE President Jeff Hubbard. "These difficulties, which are forecast to only worsen, will continue to have an impact upon our state's ability to fulfill its budgetary obligations, which will impact public education both directly and indirectly....More

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Researchers Investigate Atlanta Public Housing Relocation from Residents’ Perspectives

High-rise public housing for senior citizens and disabled individuals should remain in the wake of plans to demolish the last of Atlanta’s public housing communities, according to one of the findings in a report issued today (Dec. 1) by Georgia State University researchers.

“Most of the senior high-rise residents do not want to move and many have multiple health and service needs that might not be met once relocated”, say Department of Sociology assistant professors Deirdre Oakley and Erin Ruel, who together led this research initiative.

The study represents one of the only independent research efforts of Atlanta public housing residents in recent years and investigated the residents’ experiences and perceptions as they face the prospect of relocation.

Overall, findings emphasize that a one size fits all relocation plan will make moving very difficult for many of the residents. Currently there is only one relocation option: move to private market housing with the help of a Housing Choice voucher subsidy (formerly Section 8).

Key issues facing residents are the prospects that destination neighborhoods may not be as readily accessible to public transportation as public housing; the decreased financial security of subsidized private market housing; the disproportionate amount of poor health among residents and the need to maintain the regular access to healthcare services that they currently have living in public housing; and the fact that many of the senior residents in particular do not want to relocate.

Access to Public Transportation.

Public housing residents benefit from being in closer proximity to public transportation networks and thus access to health care and other needed services, compared to neighborhoods where they might possibly move. In fact, about 80 percent of the residents interviewed depend on public transportation.

Financial Security.

Living in public housing provides financial security for residents. Findings indicate that residents are able to get by on very limited incomes -- with the average being $749 to $763 a month. Moving into private housing — even when subsidized — may not afford residents the same level of financial security.

Poor Health.

The study found much higher percentages of people in public housing suffering from chronic health conditions than in the general population. Thus, regular access to healthcare services is very important to this population. In addition, most were suffering from these conditions before entering public housing, and often entered public housing because of the financial duress involved.

Desire to Relocate.

Significant disparities concerning the desire to relocate based on type of public housing community (family versus senior) and age were found. About 62 percent of those in family housing want to move, compared to 34 percent of those in the senior high rises. But even among those residents who want to relocate serious concerns remain about the ability to get to medical care, pay utilities, as well as whether or not there is enough voucher-subsidized housing for everybody moving.

Aside from maintaining the senior high rise housing, the report also recommends preserving at least a portion of the current public housing stock and providing some sort of short-term transitional housing for those who lose their homes and/or jobs, especially during the current economic downturn, to help prevent homelessness.

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CAGW Questions Healthcare Plan Options Presented to the Dougherty County Commission

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On behalf of its 24,965 members and supporters in Georgia, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today called for the public release of the details related to how insurance broker Kirk Rouse made recommendations to the Dougherty County Commission on changes to the health care plan for county employees. CAGW President Tom Schatz sent a letter to the county commissioners expressing concerns and asking questions about the process.

Schatz wrote, "The Commission ... has an obligation to select a plan through an open, fair and competitive bid process that provides the best possible quality health care at the lowest possible cost. ... Mr. Rouse owes the Commissioners and the taxpaying public a full accounting of how he arrived at his recommendations. He should reveal all options that were available to him. Simply comparing various forms of exclusive deals for Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is not the kind of rigorous exercise that the county employees and the public deserve."

The letter questioned whether or not a formal request for proposal was issued, whether competitive bids were considered that did not require exclusive bids for Phoebe Putney or Palmyra Medical Center, what kind of criteria Mr. Rouse used, and how he reached his recommendation for the commission.

Mr. Schatz's letter added, "Basic free market principles dictate that identifying an alternative health care plan that offers a choice should provide better savings than an exclusive arrangement with either hospital. Dougherty County taxpayers deserve the benefit of any additional savings that can be achieved by identifying a plan that offers in-network choice. Mr. Rouse has not done his job until he has explored this option for the county employees and taxpayers."

The Dougherty County Commission is scheduled to meet Monday, November 17, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. at the Central Square Government Center, 222 Pine Avenue, Albany, Georgia to make a final decision on the proposed changes to the County employee health care plan.

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

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Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital Opens Sept. 16 at Emory University

Fulfilling its mission to meet the increasing demand for orthopaedics and spine care, Emory Healthcare today announced the opening of the Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital. The hospital, an extension of Emory's acute care hospital on Clifton Road, will open Tuesday, Sept. 16.

Located at the intersection of Lawrenceville Highway and I-285 in Tucker, Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital was created to provide high-quality care in the delivery of general acute care services while primarily focused on a specific service line. Emory purchased an existing hospital facility in January 2007, and has now completely renovated it to provide patients with access to the most advanced, sophisticated technology in a patient-and-family friendly environment.

"Emory continues to uphold a promise and commitment to our patients — to provide a quality experience defined by impeccable clinical outcomes, patient safety and patient service," says Fred Sanfilippo, MD, PhD, executive vice president for health affairs at Emory University and chairman of Emory Healthcare.

"This hospital will combine exceptional service with pioneering vision, education, teaching and ideas, and Emory will apply its strategic vision to ensure that we are serving the needs of our patients and their families. This new facility underscores that commitment and vision."

In addition, Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital is implementing an innovative nursing model where caregivers partner with patients and their families to collaborate on decisions and care. By primarily concentrating orthopaedic surgical services at one location, Emory physicians and staff will be able to focus on the unique needs of the orthopaedic patient population, which translates to quick recovery times, increased safety and greater patient satisfaction.

"The creation and opening of Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital is an important achievement for Emory Healthcare on behalf of the communities and patients we serve," says John T. Fox, CEO of Emory Healthcare. "Starting from a blank sheet of paper and seeking patient input, we were able to establish a clear vision of the best structure and culture for the new facility, and we worked tirelessly to bring our patients the care they deserve.

"Additionally, and perhaps even more exciting, Emory University Orthopedics & Spine Hospital will embody the collaborative and innovative culture-of-care elements that will help set the future course of patient care across the country, including patient-and family-centered care, shared decision making, a fair and just culture, transparency, and cultural competency and diversity," says Fox. "These attributes are embedded in our decision-making process and, more importantly, are evident in our provision of care."

In addition to offering orthopaedics and spine services in a focused capacity, Emory University Orthopaedics and Spine Hospital will also continue to offer general acute care services for patients with non-surgical needs. A team of Emory University Hospital-based physicians will treat a wide variety of non-critical patient medical conditions, while providing a seamless link to all other specialists located at other Emory hospitals.

"This innovative combination gives patients the benefits of a higher level of care with all the attributes of a major university medical center — research, technology and sub-specialists," says Scott Boden, MD, professor of orthopaedic surgery and director of the Emory Orthopaedics & Spine Center.

"This type of facility is proven to have better outcomes because all physicians and staff are focused on one type of patient problem," says Boden. "By concentrating the orthopaedic surgical services at this location, we will gain a special opportunity to create standardized processes whereby all our physicians and staff are focused on the unique needs of the orthopaedic and spine surgery patient population."

Dr. James R. Roberson, chair of the Department of Orthopaedics and professor of orthopaedic surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, says, "The carefully selected faculty members of Emory's Department of Orthopaedics are some of the most talented and skilled medical professionals in the country and around the globe. These specialists work in tandem with physicians throughout Emory's network to collaborate on diagnosis and treatment of our patients, as well as mentor future orthopaedists and orthopaedic surgeons."

Facts about Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital and Emory Orthopaedics & Spine Center

Hospital: The Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital, an extension of Emory University Hospital, is staffed exclusively by Emory physicians. The facility is six stories and has 208,000 square feet of space which includes a medical office building.

It provides complete MRI and radiology capabilities as well as on-site inpatient and outpatient physical therapy. Furnishings and furniture in the new facility are customized for total joint and spine patients, and there are newly appointed private suites (most private suites have a pullout bed for family members).

The facility has a dedicated orthopaedics and spine patient floor, as well as general medicine services. Because there is unrestricted visiting hours, families can stay with patients all of the time. A restaurant and in-room dining are available 7 am-7 pm.

There will be no emergency room located at Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital. All emergency and trauma traffic will be diverted to the nearest appropriate facility.

Outpatient Center: The Emory Orthopaedics & Spine Center is a state-of-the-art outpatient facility located at Executive Park, which offers a comprehensive approach to all musculoskeletal problems. The Center has reinvented orthopaedic and spine care by bringing all aspects of diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation together in one location.

More than 40 specialists work together under one roof [95,000 square feet] to provide the full range of outpatient orthopaedic, spine, neurosurgery, sports medicine and physical therapy care. The Center at Executive Park is about 7 miles from Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital.

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Citizens Trust Bank Will Be Awarded the MBDA's National Director's Access to Capital Award

PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The United States Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) will award Citizens Trust Bank (CTB) with the National Director's Access to Capital Award of the Year during their 26th Annual National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week on September 5, 2008. The National Director's Access to Capital Award is presented to an individual or organization who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the financial communities by providing, supporting or advocating access to capital for minority businesses.

Out of the many organizations that were applicable for this celebrated award, Citizens Trust Bank, the third largest African-American owned bank in the Southeast, has truly demonstrated excellence in financial leadership, whether providing millions in commercial loans contributing to the growth and development of the surrounding community, or with its Financial Empowerment Series that offered enlightening and educating seminars that provided tools for personal and financial success. With a foundation of constructing "a relationship that you can bank on," CTB has always been committed to aiding in the creation of wealth for its customers through its wide variety of financial products and services.

This prestigious award will be presented to CTB during the MBDA's annual MED Week 2008 Awards Gala. As a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce the MBDA is the only federal agency created to cultivate the growth and establishment of minority-owned businesses. The annual MED Week events leading up to the ceremony are designed to bring together the nation's foremost business leaders to offer advice, counsel and insight to help minority businesses continue to be competitive within the marketplace.

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