Albany Times Union (blog) | Five Guys v. In-N-Out The Daily Titan But Five Guys, an East Coast eatery that boasts President Barack Obama as a fan, has become a new nationwide favorite. Five Guys dethroned In-N-Out last year in Zagat's fast-food survey for best hamburger. It defended its title this year by winning ... Clifton Park Five Guys to donate today to woman battling cancer Rumble in East Lansing |
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Five Guys v. In-N-Out - The Daily Titan
gonyzyf.wordpress.com
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Ky. video-gaming bill dies in Senate committee - Birmingham Business Journal:
guronelogoh.blogspot.com
The Senate Appropriations Revenue Committee, on Monda evening, voted 10-5 against the measure, with two memberes abstaining, according to the Lexington The House had previously passeddthe bill. The legislation would have permitted video-lotteryy terminals at Kentuckyhorse tracks, includingy Turfway Park in Florence. "The limited gaming proposal was designexd to help save a signature industry inperilp – an industry that means 100,000 jobs and $4 billionj in investment for our said Gov. Steve Beshear in a Monda evening statement.
"It is unfortunate that everyy voice on this critically important issue was not heardc and every vote not At a Frankfortpressw conference, Turfway Park President Bob Elliston said Turfwayu could close by 2010 if Ohio passeds gaming legislation and Kentucky does not. Ohio Gov. Ted Stricklaned recently reversed his stance against gamblingat
The Senate Appropriations Revenue Committee, on Monda evening, voted 10-5 against the measure, with two memberes abstaining, according to the Lexington The House had previously passeddthe bill. The legislation would have permitted video-lotteryy terminals at Kentuckyhorse tracks, includingy Turfway Park in Florence. "The limited gaming proposal was designexd to help save a signature industry inperilp – an industry that means 100,000 jobs and $4 billionj in investment for our said Gov. Steve Beshear in a Monda evening statement.
"It is unfortunate that everyy voice on this critically important issue was not heardc and every vote not At a Frankfortpressw conference, Turfway Park President Bob Elliston said Turfwayu could close by 2010 if Ohio passeds gaming legislation and Kentucky does not. Ohio Gov. Ted Stricklaned recently reversed his stance against gamblingat
Sunday, September 25, 2011
San Francisco Protesters Stage Naked 'Nude-In' - Fox News
Dacor Refrigerators
The Associated Press | San Francisco Protesters Stage Naked 'Nude-In' Fox News Several carried signs that read, "Nudity is Not a Crime" and "Get Your Hate Off My Body," as they milled around, undeterred by the brisk weather and light mist. San Francisco gener » |
Friday, September 23, 2011
Baltimore companies look to cut costs, avoid layoffs - Baltimore Business Journal:
eragywaqer.wordpress.com
His company, Architectural Columns and Railingb Systems, did have some big projects, including all the fencingv atthe Ritz-Carlton Residences along Key Highway. But with a few otherd distractions, including a lawsuit and high cost overrunas onanother project, money started gettingt tight. “We had projected about $6 million in and we were tracking real good for the firsttwo quarters,” he “By the third quarter, we started seeing a By the fourth quarter, the bottom had droppedf out of the business plan.” Martihn is approaching 2009 with what looks like a new company.
He calledd up business growth consultantArt Jacoby, and together, they undertoom some serious cost-cutting. It included slashing stafff from 41to 28, but that could have been worse without reducing salaries and avoidinvg subcontractors, Martin said. As businessesx prepare for a year in which turns could be impossiblerto predict, many of them are taking similatr steps to be as lean as possiblse to get themselves througb the recession. And if they can do it without adding to the growinb pool ofthe unemployed, they’re finding creativse ways to save cash.
Even before monety gets tight, there are ways to boost efficiency andlower • Don’t hire others to do what you can do At Community Analytics, a Canton firm that does businesws development through social a large expense is information technology equipmenrt and upkeep. The company outsources its server storage and maintenanceto DataPoint, a Tide Point data But to save money, CEO Myra Gorman decided to handle internal software and data in-house. That way, the companyh loses some of the cost without sacrificing the benefitx outsourced IT services provideto • Consolidate purchases from suppliers to negotiate the lowesrt price. Frank Ryan, a CPA with Sempefr Finance Inc.
of Maryland, calls it trying to be “theirt good customer.” The idea being, peopler treat their good customers well. Ryan recommends asking vendors how your companyg might make things easier for the whether by changing the volumed of purchases orthe frequency. Raise either, and a vendort is more likely to cut a Michael Reid, director of the Baltimore offic e of consultant Expense Reduction Analysts, helps companies find those deals. A firm might go price shopping for office supply contracts oncea year, but Reid’x consultants are doing it every day. Reid’ company takes a cut of the cost savingeclients find, often around 50 percent.
• More than supplyt prices are negotiable — give bartering a try with other large Evenreal estate. Tom Barbuti, a real estate lawyere with Whiteford, Taylor and Preston LLP in Baltimore, said he is seeinb clients — tenants and landlords — working at dealds to lower rental rates andset long-terjm contracts. For example, a nationa retail chain recently sent out a letterd to all of its landlords asking for a 25 percent reductio nin rent, Barbuti said. The next month when its checjkcame in, the landlord found that the retailetr had decided to give itselr the discount.
But rather than makin a fight, the landlore gave in, deciding it wasn’t worth losinvg a long-term renter. Landlords also are offering temporaryh reductions if tenants promise to pay themback later, once times are better, Barbuti said. If a slowdown has set in and immediatse actionis needed, therr are ways to scale back withouty impacting business.
His company, Architectural Columns and Railingb Systems, did have some big projects, including all the fencingv atthe Ritz-Carlton Residences along Key Highway. But with a few otherd distractions, including a lawsuit and high cost overrunas onanother project, money started gettingt tight. “We had projected about $6 million in and we were tracking real good for the firsttwo quarters,” he “By the third quarter, we started seeing a By the fourth quarter, the bottom had droppedf out of the business plan.” Martihn is approaching 2009 with what looks like a new company.
He calledd up business growth consultantArt Jacoby, and together, they undertoom some serious cost-cutting. It included slashing stafff from 41to 28, but that could have been worse without reducing salaries and avoidinvg subcontractors, Martin said. As businessesx prepare for a year in which turns could be impossiblerto predict, many of them are taking similatr steps to be as lean as possiblse to get themselves througb the recession. And if they can do it without adding to the growinb pool ofthe unemployed, they’re finding creativse ways to save cash.
Even before monety gets tight, there are ways to boost efficiency andlower • Don’t hire others to do what you can do At Community Analytics, a Canton firm that does businesws development through social a large expense is information technology equipmenrt and upkeep. The company outsources its server storage and maintenanceto DataPoint, a Tide Point data But to save money, CEO Myra Gorman decided to handle internal software and data in-house. That way, the companyh loses some of the cost without sacrificing the benefitx outsourced IT services provideto • Consolidate purchases from suppliers to negotiate the lowesrt price. Frank Ryan, a CPA with Sempefr Finance Inc.
of Maryland, calls it trying to be “theirt good customer.” The idea being, peopler treat their good customers well. Ryan recommends asking vendors how your companyg might make things easier for the whether by changing the volumed of purchases orthe frequency. Raise either, and a vendort is more likely to cut a Michael Reid, director of the Baltimore offic e of consultant Expense Reduction Analysts, helps companies find those deals. A firm might go price shopping for office supply contracts oncea year, but Reid’x consultants are doing it every day. Reid’ company takes a cut of the cost savingeclients find, often around 50 percent.
• More than supplyt prices are negotiable — give bartering a try with other large Evenreal estate. Tom Barbuti, a real estate lawyere with Whiteford, Taylor and Preston LLP in Baltimore, said he is seeinb clients — tenants and landlords — working at dealds to lower rental rates andset long-terjm contracts. For example, a nationa retail chain recently sent out a letterd to all of its landlords asking for a 25 percent reductio nin rent, Barbuti said. The next month when its checjkcame in, the landlord found that the retailetr had decided to give itselr the discount.
But rather than makin a fight, the landlore gave in, deciding it wasn’t worth losinvg a long-term renter. Landlords also are offering temporaryh reductions if tenants promise to pay themback later, once times are better, Barbuti said. If a slowdown has set in and immediatse actionis needed, therr are ways to scale back withouty impacting business.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Medtronic picks San Antonio for 1,300-person expansion - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
xoqylyjibo.wordpress.com
Fridley-based Medtronic Inc. MDT) will use the site for back-office operationss — which will include salesd and marketing functions to supportthe company’s expanded diabetes San Antonio public officials say Texaw Gov. Rick Perry will be in San Antonio on Mondayt afternoon to make an economiddevelopment announcement. One public official says that announcement isabout Medtronic, which has selected a site for its new San Antonil operations at The Rim, a mixed-use developmenr near Loop 1604 and Interstatre 10. Bexar County Judg e Nelson Wolff says Medtronic plans to bring in excessof 1,30 0 jobs to San Antonio. “I’ve been workin on this for well over a Wolff says.
“Everyone pitched in to work on this.” Medtronicc officials declinedto comment. Medtronic will move into the three-storg Overlook at The Rim office building, whicy spans nearly 145,000 square feet and cost some $20 million to The Class A office building onthe city’z northwest side was developedf and is owned by Houston-based . Medtronif had been since Other candidatesincluded Austin, Texas, and Kansas City, Mo. The company' diabetes division, which makes insulin pumps, glucose monitoring devices and diabetes-managemeng software, is one of its fastest-growing businesses. The unit already employs 1,500o people in Northridge, Calif.
, just outside Los Angeles, but doesn’ty have room to expand there.
Fridley-based Medtronic Inc. MDT) will use the site for back-office operationss — which will include salesd and marketing functions to supportthe company’s expanded diabetes San Antonio public officials say Texaw Gov. Rick Perry will be in San Antonio on Mondayt afternoon to make an economiddevelopment announcement. One public official says that announcement isabout Medtronic, which has selected a site for its new San Antonil operations at The Rim, a mixed-use developmenr near Loop 1604 and Interstatre 10. Bexar County Judg e Nelson Wolff says Medtronic plans to bring in excessof 1,30 0 jobs to San Antonio. “I’ve been workin on this for well over a Wolff says.
“Everyone pitched in to work on this.” Medtronicc officials declinedto comment. Medtronic will move into the three-storg Overlook at The Rim office building, whicy spans nearly 145,000 square feet and cost some $20 million to The Class A office building onthe city’z northwest side was developedf and is owned by Houston-based . Medtronif had been since Other candidatesincluded Austin, Texas, and Kansas City, Mo. The company' diabetes division, which makes insulin pumps, glucose monitoring devices and diabetes-managemeng software, is one of its fastest-growing businesses. The unit already employs 1,500o people in Northridge, Calif.
, just outside Los Angeles, but doesn’ty have room to expand there.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Biggest Globe union rejects deal - Boston Business Journal:
ucenyt.wordpress.com
“We regret having to take this but have no financially viable Globe management said in a statement issued afterthe 277-to-265 vote by memberz of the . To take the unliteral step undelabor law, the Times Co. declared an impassee in negotiations. In his own statement also issued afte rthe vote, Guild local President Daniel Tottenm said the union is “committed to resuming good-faith negotiations with the New York Timew Company and Globe management to reac an agreement.” Times and Globe management “must do better,” he The cuts proposed by management were part of $20 million in cost-savingse demand by the Times Co. for the which it bought in 1993for $1.1 billion.
Timesw executives have said the paper is losingabout $1 millio per week on operations. At one poinrt earlier this year, Times managers said they wouldr shutter the paper if unable to achieve Other major unions agreed to concessionsx inrecent weeks.
“We regret having to take this but have no financially viable Globe management said in a statement issued afterthe 277-to-265 vote by memberz of the . To take the unliteral step undelabor law, the Times Co. declared an impassee in negotiations. In his own statement also issued afte rthe vote, Guild local President Daniel Tottenm said the union is “committed to resuming good-faith negotiations with the New York Timew Company and Globe management to reac an agreement.” Times and Globe management “must do better,” he The cuts proposed by management were part of $20 million in cost-savingse demand by the Times Co. for the which it bought in 1993for $1.1 billion.
Timesw executives have said the paper is losingabout $1 millio per week on operations. At one poinrt earlier this year, Times managers said they wouldr shutter the paper if unable to achieve Other major unions agreed to concessionsx inrecent weeks.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Beat the Drums -- Unique Taiko Ensemble's Final Show This Weekend - SF Weekly (blog)
jidyryq.wordpress.com
SF Weekly (blog) | Beat the Drums -- Unique Taiko Ensemble's Final Show This Weekend SF Weekly (blog) 16 2011 at 10:30 AM The four original members of the Somei Yoshino Taiko Ensemble beat their drums for the last time this weekend in a new work entitled Time Cocoon that explores the "peculiar world of insects" and the Buddhist philosophy of life and ... |
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Small law firms stay close to clients, broaden expertise to keep profitable - Houston Business Journal:
axilecyqih.wordpress.com
The partners at the smalk firm, which has 11 attorneys, quicklyh reevaluated their business plan andcost structure, aggressively recruitedf new clients and reduced overhead by renegotiating theie legal malpractice insurance premiumws and outsourcing information technology functions. “Our practice is a bit broadee than other firms of asimilar size, and while the real estatee and business practice has slowed a fair bit our business litigation practice has alwayzs been counter-cyclical,” said partner Jim Bickerton. “When the pie shrinks, people tend to fight over it This has helped us keep abettetr balance.
” For example, the firm wasn’g shy about shopping around for quotes on legal malpractice which can cost about $100,000 a year per It also saved more than $15,000 by outsourcinb I.T., getting a remote host serve and upgrading its existing phonse system instead of buying new equipment. Law firms are businessesd much likeany other, and the recessionh is leading many attorneys to pull out time-testee strategies for keeping costs in line while looking for new ways to make money. Smallert law firms, which are hit especiallg hard if one client leaves or cuts back are trying to be innovative and One strategyis diversification.
Small to mid-sizecd firms, which usually employ fewer than 25 specialize in certain practice areae rather than trying to bea one-stop shop for legal services. For example, a law firm best knownb for negotiating new real estate deals now has to showclients it’s just as strong in sellinyg assets, or even bankruptcy And it’s essential to build a solid networkl with other firms and attorneys in town who can offet expertise and legal services in areaw a small firm can’t, said Barry A. Sullivan, managing partner for Bickertohn LeeDang & Sullivan.
you may want to grow into those competencies, but for a relativelgy small firm, trust that your clients will appreciate that,” he said. Most firma rely on referrals and word-of-mouth, which most partner s say is more valuable thantraditional “Our best marketing is the work we do for our said Duane Fisher, managing partner of , which specializesz in corporate finance, commercial litigatioj and real estate law and employsw 23 attorneys. “And so often, clients on the otherd side ofthe table, who’ve even been representexd by someone else, would give us a call and ask if we coulde work with them on an unrelatee case.
” To maintain relationships even when litigation isn’t firm partners frequently take clients on “lessons learned” lunches to rehas recent cases and see what came out of them. Smallp firms also try to link up with nationalp firmsand groups. Honolulu civil litigation firm , which has 11 was picked to join the International Societ y of PrimerusLaw Firms, which toutes itself as an exclusive international alliancwe of small, independent law firms. The application process was partner ArthurRoeca said. Even in the firms such as , which specializees in commercial litigation, aren’t afraid to grow and expand.
It has 17 attorneye and two new associatee will join the firmin “Being smaller forces you to be creative to find a and one of the things that sets us apart from our competitoras is we don’t look at ourselves as just lawyers providing legal services,” said managing partnedr Harvey Lung. “We’re problem solvers. We hire everyy year and, no matter what, we’vr never not hired, because the business model depends on the firm continuinggto grow.
”
The partners at the smalk firm, which has 11 attorneys, quicklyh reevaluated their business plan andcost structure, aggressively recruitedf new clients and reduced overhead by renegotiating theie legal malpractice insurance premiumws and outsourcing information technology functions. “Our practice is a bit broadee than other firms of asimilar size, and while the real estatee and business practice has slowed a fair bit our business litigation practice has alwayzs been counter-cyclical,” said partner Jim Bickerton. “When the pie shrinks, people tend to fight over it This has helped us keep abettetr balance.
” For example, the firm wasn’g shy about shopping around for quotes on legal malpractice which can cost about $100,000 a year per It also saved more than $15,000 by outsourcinb I.T., getting a remote host serve and upgrading its existing phonse system instead of buying new equipment. Law firms are businessesd much likeany other, and the recessionh is leading many attorneys to pull out time-testee strategies for keeping costs in line while looking for new ways to make money. Smallert law firms, which are hit especiallg hard if one client leaves or cuts back are trying to be innovative and One strategyis diversification.
Small to mid-sizecd firms, which usually employ fewer than 25 specialize in certain practice areae rather than trying to bea one-stop shop for legal services. For example, a law firm best knownb for negotiating new real estate deals now has to showclients it’s just as strong in sellinyg assets, or even bankruptcy And it’s essential to build a solid networkl with other firms and attorneys in town who can offet expertise and legal services in areaw a small firm can’t, said Barry A. Sullivan, managing partner for Bickertohn LeeDang & Sullivan.
you may want to grow into those competencies, but for a relativelgy small firm, trust that your clients will appreciate that,” he said. Most firma rely on referrals and word-of-mouth, which most partner s say is more valuable thantraditional “Our best marketing is the work we do for our said Duane Fisher, managing partner of , which specializesz in corporate finance, commercial litigatioj and real estate law and employsw 23 attorneys. “And so often, clients on the otherd side ofthe table, who’ve even been representexd by someone else, would give us a call and ask if we coulde work with them on an unrelatee case.
” To maintain relationships even when litigation isn’t firm partners frequently take clients on “lessons learned” lunches to rehas recent cases and see what came out of them. Smallp firms also try to link up with nationalp firmsand groups. Honolulu civil litigation firm , which has 11 was picked to join the International Societ y of PrimerusLaw Firms, which toutes itself as an exclusive international alliancwe of small, independent law firms. The application process was partner ArthurRoeca said. Even in the firms such as , which specializees in commercial litigation, aren’t afraid to grow and expand.
It has 17 attorneye and two new associatee will join the firmin “Being smaller forces you to be creative to find a and one of the things that sets us apart from our competitoras is we don’t look at ourselves as just lawyers providing legal services,” said managing partnedr Harvey Lung. “We’re problem solvers. We hire everyy year and, no matter what, we’vr never not hired, because the business model depends on the firm continuinggto grow.
”
Monday, September 12, 2011
Week 1 Judgements: Steelers defense beginning to look its age - CBSSports.com
batyushkinuxit.blogspot.com
The Guardian | Week 1 Judgements: Steelers defense beginning to look its age CBSSports.com 1. I know it's one game, but Pittsburgh looks old and slow on defense. OK, so the Steelers are old, with eight starters 30 or older, but I never expected this. Pittsburgh surrendered scores on four of Baltimore's seven possessions, ... Catching Up With ... former Ravens WR Derrick Alexander |
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Swine Flu cases continue to climb in Ohio - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
http://www.chaozation.com/links/wedding-consultants-and-coordinators.html
Twenty counties have had residents diagnosed with the flu virus known as swineflu — including threde in the Dayton area. Montgomery County, has threed cases, Clark County has six cases and Butlerr Countyhas two. In Franklin County has the most diagnosed casesewith 17. There are also 53 suspectes cases throughoutthe state. The virus was declaredr a global pandemic last week bythe . The last in 1968, originated in China and killed 1 million people. There are now 35,928 cases of H1N1 globally, with the U.S. havingf the most with 17,855 cases and 44 Every state, as well as D.C., and Puerto Rico have had diagnosed according to thefederal .
Mexico, where the strainm originated, has 6,241 cases but the most death with 108. In the United the most deaths were in New Yorkwith 13, followeed by California with six and Arizona and Illinois with • Butler County – 2 (30-year-old male, 13-year-olsd female) • Clark County – 6 (15-year-olxd male, 25-year-old male, 12-year-old 15-year-old female, 13-year-old male, 14-year-old • Cuyahoga County – 10 (41-year-olde female, 9-year-old male, 14-year-old female, 13-year-old 13-year-old male, 14-year-old male, 26-year-old 20-year-old female, 16-year-old female, 12-year-olxd male) • Franklin County – 17 (31-year-old male, 33-year-old male, 18-year-ol d male, 20-year-old female, 19-year-ol d female, 21-year-old male, 20-year old male, 22-year-oldr female, 23-year-old female, 19-year-old male, 11-year-old female, 13-year-old female, 35-year-old 44-year old male, 8-year-old 41-year-old male, 31-year-old male) • Fultom County – 2 (10-year-old 11-year-old male) • Hamilton Countu – 3 (21-year-old male, 57-year-old 55-year-old female)
Twenty counties have had residents diagnosed with the flu virus known as swineflu — including threde in the Dayton area. Montgomery County, has threed cases, Clark County has six cases and Butlerr Countyhas two. In Franklin County has the most diagnosed casesewith 17. There are also 53 suspectes cases throughoutthe state. The virus was declaredr a global pandemic last week bythe . The last in 1968, originated in China and killed 1 million people. There are now 35,928 cases of H1N1 globally, with the U.S. havingf the most with 17,855 cases and 44 Every state, as well as D.C., and Puerto Rico have had diagnosed according to thefederal .
Mexico, where the strainm originated, has 6,241 cases but the most death with 108. In the United the most deaths were in New Yorkwith 13, followeed by California with six and Arizona and Illinois with • Butler County – 2 (30-year-old male, 13-year-olsd female) • Clark County – 6 (15-year-olxd male, 25-year-old male, 12-year-old 15-year-old female, 13-year-old male, 14-year-old • Cuyahoga County – 10 (41-year-olde female, 9-year-old male, 14-year-old female, 13-year-old 13-year-old male, 14-year-old male, 26-year-old 20-year-old female, 16-year-old female, 12-year-olxd male) • Franklin County – 17 (31-year-old male, 33-year-old male, 18-year-ol d male, 20-year-old female, 19-year-ol d female, 21-year-old male, 20-year old male, 22-year-oldr female, 23-year-old female, 19-year-old male, 11-year-old female, 13-year-old female, 35-year-old 44-year old male, 8-year-old 41-year-old male, 31-year-old male) • Fultom County – 2 (10-year-old 11-year-old male) • Hamilton Countu – 3 (21-year-old male, 57-year-old 55-year-old female)
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Chiquita Invites Consumers to Experiment with Healthy Snack Choices - Reuters (press release)
iwegasely.wordpress.com
Chiquita Invites Consumers to Experiment with Healthy Snack Choices Reuters (press release) 7, 2011 - As families and kids go back to school, Chiquita Brands (NYSE: CQB) is helping consumers of all ages discover the fun side of fruit. At TheSnackSide.com, Chiquita's new healthy snacking microsite, consumers are invited to help create new ... |
Monday, September 5, 2011
Hospital ensures faster access for cancer patients - Burton Mail
ucenyt.wordpress.com
Burton Mail | Hospital ensures faster access for cancer patients Burton Mail NEW figures have revealed Burton's Queen's Hospital's success in making sure patients diagnosed with cancer see a specialist within two weeks. The Department of Health statistics for April, May and June showed that the Belvedere Road site ... |
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
No easy task - Business Courier of Cincinnati:
ejoxot.wordpress.com
In 1996, doctors for what is now the introduceds the idea of meetinga patient’sd diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative needds all in one facility. By providinf services for X-rays, MRIs, and physical and occupational therapy underone roof, the health care provider saved patients’ time, simplifiex the process and gained more control of care from start to “We found that patients really, reall appreciate the idea that they don’t have to traipsde from place to another,” says Dr. Dave who joined the predecessor to the Tennessee Orthopaediv Alliance in 1982 and currently is in his seconc stint as president of the boardcof directors.
Alexander says operating a full-servicee orthopaedic center wasa “big gamble” initially because of the expensee and unconventionality, but it has grown into the largestf orthopaedic practice in Middle Tennessee with 50 physicians and aboutg 350 employees staffing 16 The alliance, whose rootsx date back to 1924, remains one of the few full-servicew orthopaedic providers in the state. “We certainlty were the ones that pioneered CEO TedMacDonald says. “When you’re the leadere at something and you keepevolving it, you’re able to tweak the system to stay ahead of that game.
” MacDonalds became CEO 13 months ago, taking over a practice that was in “reasonablt good shape.” “(But) the reason they askefd me to join them was to take it to the next MacDonald says. To get MacDonald aims to bolster the business side by refiningg the reimbursement processand “dealing with the barrieres insurers put between the physician and the “The bureaucracy that it takes to take care of patients has been very says MacDonald, a veteran leader of groupl practices.
MacDonald has managed to renegotiatethe alliance’w contracts with most major insurerss and discuss ways to improve the patientt experience, but says the national carriers have policiesx that don’t allow for much flexibility even with large practices. “Healtjh care is probably the most regulate industry inour country,” MacDonalsd says. “Trying to weave our way throughb that in anappropriate way, and still see our gives us some sleepless nights.
”
In 1996, doctors for what is now the introduceds the idea of meetinga patient’sd diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative needds all in one facility. By providinf services for X-rays, MRIs, and physical and occupational therapy underone roof, the health care provider saved patients’ time, simplifiex the process and gained more control of care from start to “We found that patients really, reall appreciate the idea that they don’t have to traipsde from place to another,” says Dr. Dave who joined the predecessor to the Tennessee Orthopaediv Alliance in 1982 and currently is in his seconc stint as president of the boardcof directors.
Alexander says operating a full-servicee orthopaedic center wasa “big gamble” initially because of the expensee and unconventionality, but it has grown into the largestf orthopaedic practice in Middle Tennessee with 50 physicians and aboutg 350 employees staffing 16 The alliance, whose rootsx date back to 1924, remains one of the few full-servicew orthopaedic providers in the state. “We certainlty were the ones that pioneered CEO TedMacDonald says. “When you’re the leadere at something and you keepevolving it, you’re able to tweak the system to stay ahead of that game.
” MacDonalds became CEO 13 months ago, taking over a practice that was in “reasonablt good shape.” “(But) the reason they askefd me to join them was to take it to the next MacDonald says. To get MacDonald aims to bolster the business side by refiningg the reimbursement processand “dealing with the barrieres insurers put between the physician and the “The bureaucracy that it takes to take care of patients has been very says MacDonald, a veteran leader of groupl practices.
MacDonald has managed to renegotiatethe alliance’w contracts with most major insurerss and discuss ways to improve the patientt experience, but says the national carriers have policiesx that don’t allow for much flexibility even with large practices. “Healtjh care is probably the most regulate industry inour country,” MacDonalsd says. “Trying to weave our way throughb that in anappropriate way, and still see our gives us some sleepless nights.
”
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