The Buzz of Northwest Georgia
-Health roundtable: Weak economy hitting medical community, too
-Fewer jobs, cut benefits mean more work for Free Clinic
-Three-Dot Buzz: Call it Hawk Wear; first bites at Opi's
-Peaks & Valleys: The highs, lows of Northwest Georgia
Today-Wednesday/Advance voting for the Dec. 2 runoff starts today and continues through Wednesday at the administration building at Fourth Avenue and First Street from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Precincts will be open Dec. 2 from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. For more, click Runoff
>Copy of Bartow's sample ballot (same races as Floyd)> Ballot
Chronicle/Get ready for radio industry shakeout: Another causality of the economy is the radio industry with ad sales dropping and a bleak fourth quarter under way, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Locally, at least two spots have opened at Southern Broadcasting with Dan Houston's late night spot gone on Q102 and an earlier exit by Kristen Charles> Radio
High School Football Playoffs/ Brought to you by Printworks
-John McClellan's picks for this Friday: One of the region's three teams--Rome, Pepperell or Calhoun--will fall this Friday, McClellan says.
>All on The Football Report
WeatherCenter / Brought to you by Roman Court
-90 percent chance of rain with highs in the mid-50s; lows near 40. .
-Thanksgiving Day: Partly sunny, high of 62 degrees.
-For more, click WeatherCenter
Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable / Brought to you by Riverside Toyota
-Highs and lows: FSU's Rolle wins Rhodes Scholarship; Notre Dame's no-excuse loss to Syracuse. Click Arey
Downtown Headlines
-Horse and carriage rides, upcoming tours, Christmas events highlight what's ahead in downtown Rome> Downtown Headlines
Health Roundtable: Economic slump hits medical sector
By Natalie Simms
As our economy continues to spiral out of control, the one industry many would believe to be recession-proof is healthcare. After all, people are still going to be sick, have medical emergencies and need surgery. Thus, the demand for physicians and other medical personnel is a constant.
Or is it? Area hospitals are seeing changes, many of which could get worse if the economy doesn't improve in 2009.
So far, area hospitals have not reported layoffs. One nearby campus, Hutcheson Medical Center in Fort Oglethorpe, is cutting 89 employees as it ends a contract providing EMS service in Dade, Walker and Catoosa counties.
"Because our elective surgeries are down and patients are putting off going to the doctor, we had to really look at our processes," said Agnes Cloud, director of marketing. "We made the decision to focus on our core services and our need to update technology and facilities." She also said a nine-ambulance fleet needs to be replaced in the next three years at a cost of $2 million.
So what changes are we seeing locally in the healthcare industry? We spoke with representatives from Floyd Medical Center, Redmond Regional Medical Center/Polk Medical Center, Gordon Hospital and Cartersville Medical Center to find out what they are experiencing.
Are you seeing any changes from patients?
Bill Fortenberry, Public Relations Specialist, Floyd: "We have seen a slow increase in our number of uninsured patients and patients who cannot pay for services."
Lisa Brown, Marketing Director, Redmond Regional/Polk Medical: "Yes, more uninsured due to the economy and many of these lack medical need for Medicaid (no disability)."
Benny McDonald, CFO of Cartersville Medical Center: "We are seeing more patients with higher deductibles and co-payments as they elect those plans to keep their premiums lower. Then, when they present for treatment, many are upset to learn how much out-of-pocket they will have. As a result, some are foregoing their treatment due to the higher deductible and co-payment they have chosen."
Kim Brazell, Director of Marketing and PR, Gordon Hospital: "We are seeing changes that are not unlike others in the nation. As the economy tightens, everyone is tightening their belts."
Are patients scheduling fewer elective surgeries?
Floyd: "Our statistics currently do not show a decline in elective procedures."
Redmond/Polk: "Yes."
Cartersville: "We have not seen the same level of growth year over year this year in elective surgeries that we have experienced in years past. Our outpatient surgical volumes are still increasing over last year, but not at the same growth rate as we have seen before."
Gordon: "Yes, we are seeing a decrease in elective procedures."
Are fewer people using the ER because of deductibles or are more using the ER when they are really sick because they put off routine care?
Floyd: "While we have noticed a decrease in volume, these numbers often fluctuate. It is not clear whether this decline is related to the economy."
Redmond/Polk: "We have noticed a decrease in the number of patients overall coming into the ER. Additionally, the number of non-emergent cases has decreased while the patients we are seeing are more serious because they have delayed care. Delaying care is dangerous as it can only worsen a patient's condition and therefore, cost more physically and financially in the end."
Cartersville: "Our ER visits continue to increase year over year regardless of the amount due from our patients. We are seeing a sicker patient than in years past which may indicate that they are putting off primary care treatment until it becomes emergent. We are also seeing more non-emergent patients which could mean that these patients are without insurance and using the ER as their primary care."
Gordon: "We just opened up a new ER and our volumes are up by 15 percent. It is hard to attribute the volumes to the economy or the new space. It is probably a little bit of both."
Have you noticed any increase in the number of uninsured patients because of unemployment/economy?
Floyd: "We have seen a slow increase in uninsured. While we have not yet pulled complete statistics on this trend, we assume that at least some of this change is a reflection of the economic climate, particularly a loss of jobs, and, therefore, a loss of insurance."
Redmond/Polk: "Yes."
Cartersville: "Year-to-date, our uninsured expense has increased more than 25 percent compared to last year. This is significant and it continues the same trend that we have experienced over the past several years."
Gordon: "As a not-for-profit hospital, we see people regardless of their ability to pay, so we are not turning any people away whether they have insurance or not."
Sidebar: Job losses boost demand at Free Clinic
By Natalie Simms
One healthcare office that is seeing a huge increase in patients is the Free Clinic of Rome. A majority of the new caseload includes people who have lost their jobs and insurance benefits or are now working in jobs without coverage, says Barbara Earle, the clinic's executive director.
"We are seeing patient caseload increase at a significant rate. We have had to go to an appointment policy rather than take walk-ins. I talk to about 120-140 patients per week and am now booking patient appointments for Dec. 29," she says.
Earle said she talks to three to four patients a day who have recently lost their jobs and insurance coverage. In addition, their typical patient is between the ages of 40-60 who now have chronic illnesses such as diabetes or high blood pressure that need to be monitored.
"So we have a lot of return patients. If we can keep their diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure and respiratory issues monitored, then that keeps them out of the ER," Earle says.
The clinic provides free, basic healthcare to anyone in the area who doesn't have Medicaid or health insurance benefits as well as meets the income criteria of 200 percent or less of the Federal Poverty guidelines ( $42,400 for a family of four and $20,800 for a single person).
The Free Clinic receives funds from Floyd Medical Center, Redmond Regional and Harbin Clinic as well as from private donations. It does not receive any federal or state funds. Healthcare services are provided by volunteer medical personnel.
The Free Clinic has an open house set for Tuesday, Dec. 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. so that the community can learn more about its services.
"We invite the public to tour the facility and discover the important work we do as we help fill the gap in access to health care," Earle says.
The clinic is inside the Floyd County Health Department. For more information or to volunteer, please call 706-295-6166.
Walk like a Hawk: A stellar football season. The return of men's and women's
basketball. And an overall great "buzz." The Shorter Hawks are flying high and a 
new Web site lets supporters of Shorter College athletics wear it on their sleeves--or backs or heads or ... The Web site is www.shorterapparel.com and once there, you'll find just about every type of Hawks' style you'll want. The site--and apparel--are by Rome-based Printworks, and this note explains the relationship: "Proceeds from every purchase made in this store go directly to the athletic department, so you can be secure in knowing that every time you buy something from the store, you're doing more than wearing the colors. You're contributing to the success of the teams on the field." . . .
First bites at Opi's Waterfront: The advance buzz on the third location of Opi's--this one in downtown Rome in the home of the former Waterfront Grill & Bar--was positive. Look for something a step up from the other casual dining experiences in downtown Rome, we heard. And try their pizza. We did --twice in fact--last weekend and we're impressed. We'll certainly give Opi's pies a collective thumbs up from our dining partners. Also impressive: the customer service . . .
'Floored' by Cotton Block Hall: John Massey's latest venture on Broad is a hit. The new ballroom/meeting space next to Massey's/The Diamond Store is getting quick use from the community and is keeping the 100 block of Broad busy. The roomy, building-length spot has been used for wedding receptions, business meetings and even has a special Christmas dinner reservation. What we like about it: the floor. It has some of the nicest white pine hardwood we've seen in downtown Rome. The rest of the place is well appointed as well . . .
Upon further review....: Interesting to note that the Rome News flipped from endorsing Jim Martin for U.S. Senate to Saxby Chambliss on Sunday (click Backpedal), citing a need for a balance of power since the Nov. 4 election. How has the general election's outcome changed whether one candidate is better than the other? You don't suppose that $3,500 newspaper ad for Chambliss... nah.....
PEAKS & VALLEYS: The highs, lows of Northwest Georgia
Peak to the city of Rome: Starting Friday, the city has been posting the proposed budget for 2009. It is online for the first time, giving the public a very convenient way to give it a read vs. having to make a trip to City Hall. This is a good example of open government and then some.
Peak to the Shorter College Hawks: The senior class went out with class as the Hawks' football team posted a 9-2 regular season and qualified for the "Sweet 16" in the NAIA playoffs. The Hawks lost to The Cumberlands, 31-7, on Saturday and will now serve as co-hosts of the league championship game on Dec. 20.
Peak to the Noon Optimist Club's 49th annual Pancake Breakfast: It remains one of the community's best events in terms of fellowship, public service and all-around taste. And it gets smoother and smoother each year in terms of efficiency. Congrats to the Optimist Club, not only for its work Saturday but for what it does with those proceeds and helping our community's greatest resource: our kids.
Peak to area schools recognized for achievement. Gov. Sonny Perdue and State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox announced the public schools recognized for improvement and achievement during the 2007-2008 year. Several performances standards were used. Our local winners:
>Greatest gains: Schools showing the greatest improvement in scores on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests or Georgia High School Graduation Tests
-Platinum: Sonoraville High School, Gordon County schools
-Silver: Rome Middle School
-Bronze: McHenry Primary, Floyd County schools
>Highest performance: Schools demonstrating the highest achievement on the CRCT or graduation tests:
-Gold: Calhoun High School
-Silver: Euharlee Kindergarten, Polk schools
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