“The technology labs at Grand Oaks and Claxton both have great needs after using some of the same equipment for over six years,” said Larry Foster, director of schools for Anderson County. “The grant from AT&T will greatly assist in upgrading and deploying workstations in the labs to the latest technology and software learning tools.”

“New and innovative instruction methods are needed to reach students in order to ensure their educational success,” said Gregg Morton, president of AT&T-Tennessee. “AT&T is proud to support this program that brings the latest in technology to help advance the education of our children.”

“I applaud the partnership between AT&T and Anderson County Schools on this important initiative,” said Rep. Jim Hackworth. “AT&T is an outstanding leader in the field of technology, and through this partnership we can hope to expand the minds of our students and show them the endless opportunities for their futures.”

“I would like to express appreciation to AT&T for their financial support and to Rep. Hackworth for helping create an environment that recognizes the importance of investing in our youth. Communities and in education,” said Dr. John Burrell, board chairman-Anderson County Schools.

Just in time for another one to begin.

I am going to be emphatic here, and not everyone will like what I have to say, but nonetheless I am going to say it: our economic nightmare is not over, and if the U.S. government continues down the path it currently is on, we are going to see much worse in the future. Despite the positive press out there, I am going to point out why I think the situation today is dire, and becoming worse.

First, and most important, we have to remember why this downturn occurred. The George W. Bush administration, in promoting its “Ownership Society” propaganda, decided to encourage home ownership and “encouraged” lending institutions go to along with its program. There was money to be made, and everyone from the mortgage brokers to Wall Street brokerage houses jumped in.

For a while, the Kool-Aid seemed to work wonders. Americans refinanced their homes, some got rich in the ultra-hot real estate markets, and all of us sent the dollars overseas to buy whatever people who accept dollars could send us. People around the world, in response, purchased more and more U.S. government debt. Indeed, it was the Mother of All Toga Parties.

All good toga parties, however, must end sooner or later, as either the proprietors run out of booze or the partygoers run out of oxygen. In our case, it was a bit of both. It was evident that no matter how hard it tried, the government via the Federal Reserve System could not reflate the housing market. Members of OPEC, remembering that their product was denominated worldwide in U.S. dollars, started expressing alarm that maybe, just maybe, they were being paid in something akin to Monopoly money.

Second, when faced with the financial wreckage, what was a Fed chairman to do? In the early 1980s, Paul Volker, who had been appointed to his position in 1979 by then-President Jimmy Carter, decided that reflating the economy was not an option. Instead, Volker allowed interest rates to rise and did not flood the markets with near-unlimited credit.

The original adjustments were painful, but after the inflation-fed economic malinvestments were liquidated and the economy had recovered its fundamentals, then we saw a very long period of real economic growth. We actually had a period in modern American history in which private enterprise at least was given some benefit of the doubt, and when the Soviet Union broke up, people supposedly understood that socialism had failed and failed miserably.

That was then. In response to the inevitable financial meltdowns brought on by the Fed’s reckless policies, the Fed engaged in, well, more reckless policies. Recalling a false history of the Great Depression that never was true (that the Great Depression occurred because government did not spend enough money), Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has thrown money everywhere, enabling the government to nationalize bankrupt companies and essentially take over the finance industry.

After doing this for more than a year, the economy has stopped its downslide. However, as I said at the beginning, that hardly is the end of it. We have to remember that the Bush administration and the Fed triggered the housing boom in order to deal with a recession that occurred in 2001 — which came about after the Fed-induced stock boom came crashing down. (Can anyone see a pattern here?)

In case people don’t recognize the pattern, let me refresh some memories. The long expansion of the 1980s ended in a recession at the end of the decade. Recovery was uneven until the last few years of the 1990s, as the Fed’s aggressive monetary expansion met the “New Economy” rhetoric, and out of it came yet another boom that would bust.

Here is the pattern: After Volcker permitted the economy to have a real recovery, subsequent recoveries were much more inflation-driven. While the boom of the late 1990s was something to behold, the recovery after the 2001 recession was not as robust, and I can assure the readers that this “recovery” will be even more anemic until it ends in real-live inflation and more unemployment.

Furthermore, the Obama administration’s extremely costly interventions from health care to environmental policies will be the weights that will restrict any meaningful recovery from happening. Right now, they have not kicked in, and when they do, future bouts of inflation will have almost no effect except to force up consumer and producer prices.

During the recession of 1982, the country’s economic fundamentals were put back in balance. Government interventions in this latest downturn, however, have guaranteed that massive amounts of resources will continue to be directed toward economic dry holes, and the rest of us will pay the price for things like the taxpayers propping up the United Auto Workers and the coming health care fiasco.

What does that mean in plain English? It means that the U.S. economy is going to have high unemployment into the foreseeable future, and investors are going to realize that the government’s hostility toward private enterprise is going to mean fewer and fewer opportunities for profit. Capital will flee our borders and the government, in revenge, will ramp up tax rates and become even more heavy-handed. I wish I had better news, but there it is. For those of you who “voted for change,” you will get that “change,” but it is not going to be what you expected.

Dr. William L. Anderson is an assistant professor of economics.  A native of Chattanooga, he received his bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Tennessee, his master’s degree in economics from Clemson University and his Ph.D. in economics from Auburn University.

An accomplished writer, Anderson has written for national publications such as Reason Magazine.  He has served as a reporter and editorial writer on the staff of ETBJ for over 18 years.

“Banks used to be the principal source of funds to finance growth, seasonal working capital needs or temporary performance issues,” said Ray Anderson, regional group leader of Crowe’s restructuring advisory services group. “As banks have reduced or eliminated financing commitments, companies have had to look for other ways to maintain cash flow. Maintaining liquidity is critical for businesses to survive and prosper in the current economic environment, and cash flow is a key element of that liquidity.”

Anderson suggests that company officers and managers follow these steps to help maximize the liquidity within their organizations:

1. Maintain a well-defined cash management system and compare forecasted goals to actual results. One person in the organization, typically a CFO or controller, should be accountable for the organization’s efforts to maximize its liquidity.

2. Maximize liquidity by reducing excess inventories, focusing on accounts receivable collection and negotiating longer payment terms with vendors. According to Anderson, these changes can produce very quick improvements in a company’s cash flow.

3. Sell underused assets, such as excess equipment or real estate. Although this is typically a longer-term solution to liquidity issues, companies should continually examine their core businesses and sell or dispose of assets that are not productive. If a company is in deep financial distress, it may need to sell or dispose of all assets that are not critical to its core business.

4. Investigate tax refunds as a source of potential cash. A new provision, enacted as part of The Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009, expands an earlier law from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that applied only to small businesses. Under this new law, business losses incurred in 2008 or 2009 by businesses of any size can now be used to recoup taxes paid in the prior five years. This law could provide benefits to a company with a recent history of losses and profits in prior years. If this new rule applies to a company’s situation, it may result in tax refunds that could come sometime in 2010.

5. Explore alternative financing. If current lenders are not willing to provide additional funds, companies should investigate alternative lenders or alternative types of financing. Although new financing for companies in deep financial distress is difficult to obtain in the current environment, an organization may increase liquidity by restructuring its debt or changing the type of duration of existing debt.

According to Anderson, the current economic crisis has forced numerous businesses to make difficult decisions about their business models.

“Layoffs and cost cutting have dominated the news,” said Anderson. “However, in the current financial market, adequate liquidity is critical to surviving the downturn and prospering over the competition.”

Now, a year later, great progress has been made toward that mission as the Impact Mercy program is providing $50,000 to help cancer victims, mothers in labor, senior citizens and the environment in East Tennessee.

“The members of Impact Mercy are in a unique position as they vote on what health care projects to fund with their donations,” said Carlton Long, Mercy Foundation’s regional vice president for philanthropy. “By combining the resources of this group of more than 50 women, Impact Mercy was able to make an impact on some of our area’s most difficult health care issues. I thank the members of Impact Mercy for their enthusiastic interest in their choice of the projects they will fund this first year.”

The 2009 Impact Mercy programs and amounts awarded were:

• $10,000 in start-up funding for the Mercy Indigent Cancer Fund, a program that will provide funds for screening, diagnostic services and treatment for people who cannot afford these services due to lack of insurance or recent economic displacement during the recession.

• $20,000 for the Geriatric Assessment Program (GAP), a multi-disciplinary, outpatient assessment and treatment program designed to address the emotional, social and functional health of individuals ages 55 and older.

• $20,000 for a new fetal monitoring system at Baptist Hospital of Cocke County, which will supplement another grant to help provide this service for mothers-to-be in Cocke County.

• $3,000 in start-up funds for the Mercy Green Team’s recycling program.

Long encouraged women in the East Tennessee area to join Impact Mercy. Impact Mercy is an opportunity to let their opinion make an impact on health care in the region without joining committees, volunteering or attending lengthy meetings. It is for the busy woman who wants to be involved but has limited time to spare. They participate by making an annual donation to the Mercy Health Partners Foundation.

“As a member of Impact Mercy, donors make an annual contribution of $1,000, which allows the member to vote on future project funding, receive information on health care issues and receive updates on previous year’s projects,” Long said. “The women of Impact Mercy understand the needs of our community and will direct funds to the Mercy programs of their choice for the benefit of women and their families in East Tennessee,”

For more information on joining Impact Mercy, call the Foundation office at (865)632-5678.

Mercy Health Partners Foundation’s primary goal is to develop assets large enough to fund the purchase of needed equipment, provide health care education, medical programs and services, and offer community benefit and research studies for a healthier community. Some of the programs benefiting from the Foundation’s fundraising efforts include nursing scholarships, cancer research, Mercy Senior Care Vans, cardiovascular research, C.A.R.D.I.A.C. Kids and the community health outreach programs.

Sharing a common mission

The Foundation’s 30-member board, sub-committees and hundreds of volunteers share a common mission of caring for those who need help and of meeting the health care needs, through philanthropy, of the East Tennessee region Mercy Health Partners serves.

The Mercy Foundation is part of Mercy Health Partners. MHP was formed by the merger of St. Mary’s Health System and Baptist Health System of East Tennessee in 2008. The new health care system operates seven acute-care hospitals and 20 other health care facilities across East Tennessee. In 2008, the Mercy facilities in East Tennessee provided more than $46 million in charity care and community benefits including services for the poor, community health screenings and research.

On Aug. 28, 2009, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it filed a major class action lawsuit against United Parcel Service (UPS). The suit alleges that UPS terminated the employment of the plaintiff because of her disability rather than accommodating her by extending her leave of absence in violation of the American With Disabilities Act (ADA), and the lawsuit further claims that UPS discriminated against a class of individuals with disabilities by maintaining an inflexible 12-month leave policy which did not provide for a reasonable accommodation and which instead provided for termination of employment, also in violation of the ADA. The EEOC seeks an order requiring UPS to grant full relief to a class of disabled individuals by providing them with appropriate back pay with pre-judgment interest, compensation for past and future monetary losses resulting from their unlawful termination, compensation for non-pecuniary losses including but not limited to pain and suffering, and punitive damages.

According to a press release issued by the EEOC, the plaintiff administrative assistant took a 12-month leave of absence from work when she began experiencing symptoms of what was later diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis. She returned to work for a few weeks, but soon thereafter needed additional time off after experiencing what she believed to be negative side effects of her medication. The press release further claims that although the plaintiff allegedly could have returned to work after an additional two-week of absence, UPS fired her for exceeding its 12-month policy.

UPS in its public statement expressed frustration with the government’s attack on “one of the most generous and flexible leave policies in corporate America.” UPS stated that it intends to “vigorously defend” its leave policy as the litigation progresses.

In another lawsuit, brought in September 2009, the EEOC announced a $6.2 million settlement of a class action that accused the Sears department store chain of widespread disability discrimination. The EEOC noted that the $6.2 million settlement is the largest recovery in a single lawsuit filed by the agency over alleged violations of the ADA. According to the lawsuit, Sears maintained an inflexible one-year workers’ compensation leave exhaustion policy and fired employees instead of providing them with reasonable accommodations for the disabilities as required under the ADA.

In a third related case, involving slightly different issues under the ADA, a divided Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has reinstated the disability discrimination claims of a former employee who sued her employer for requiring that she pass a physical capacity evaluation (PCE) before returning to her job after medical leave. The employer’s policy required employees to undergo PCE’s before returning to work from medical leave, and the employer sent the employee to an occupational therapist for the exam. The PCE, which lasted 2 days, included, as the employee described it, “testing, poking, palpating and examining.” The employer ultimately told the employee that she could not have her old job and no other jobs were available for someone with her qualifications. Ultimately she was fired under a provision in the collective bargaining agreement that allowed the company to terminate employees who have been on leave for two years.

The 2-1 Ninth Circuit majority ruling agreed with the employee’s argument that the PCE was an improper medical examination under the ADA, which prohibits employee medical examinations that are not job-related and “consistent with business necessity.”

The majority concluded that the employer’s PCE went way beyond what was necessary to determine an employee’s ability to perform the essential functions of her job. Although the purpose of the PCE may have been to determine whether the employee was capable of returning to work, “the substance of the test clearly sought information about the employee’s physical and mental impairments or health, and involved tests and inquiries capable of revealing to the employer whether she suffered from a disability.”

The bottom line of much of this litigation is that the EEOC insists that in some circumstances an exception may have to be made to an objective leave of absence policy as a reasonable accommodation. However, the current state of the law suggests that an employer is not required to make exceptions to their normal leave policies, unless the employee requests an accommodation. Employers are advised to stay abreast of court decisions in this area, a good number of which should be expected over the next several years, given the recently-filed lawsuits challenging employers’ leave of absence policies.

Jerome Pinn is an attorney in the Knoxville office of Wimberly, Lawson Seale & Daves.  He welcomes your comments on this topic or other employment law issues, and can be reached at (865)546-1000.

The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Chattanooga is part of The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center Network. The Center has announced that it will continue to support and recommend patients follow guidelines for early detection of breast cancer established by the American Cancer Society. This includes the use of annual mammography for women after age 40, as well as self-examination.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Chattanooga announced on Nov. 19 that it will continue to support and recommend that its patients follow guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer established by the American Cancer Society. The announcement comes after a new study released this week by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that women can wait until age 50 for their first mammogram and that they only need to get exams every two years.

“We know that 20 percent of all patients diagnosed with breast cancer are under age 50, and mammography contributes in large part to the early detection of the disease when it is most treatable,” said Stephen Golder, M.D., radiation oncologist and medical director of The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center Network. “When breast cancer is diagnosed at later stages, patients typically have higher risks of recurrence and breast cancer deaths.”

The government-funded panel of doctors and scientists concluded that getting screened for breast cancer so early and so often leads to too many false alarms and unneeded biopsies without substantially improving a woman’s odds of survival. Additionally, the panel found no benefit in women performing self-breast examinations and suggests the practice not be recommended.

Mark E. Cooper, M.D., a surgeon with The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville, said he will continue to strongly encourage his patients to perform self-breast exams and get annual mammography screenings after age 40.

“This study reviewed the data, but we all know that if tortured enough, data will confess anything,” said Cooper.

The American Society of Breast Disease (ASBD) reports that fully 70 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer had no known risk before the time of diagnosis. ASBD also notes that mammography can reduce breast cancer mortality as much as 32 percent among women ages 40 to 70 years at entry to screening and only 50 percent of women over age 40 have had a mammogram in the past year, a fact which indicates that women need to be further encourages to have this simple non-invasive screening exam.

According to Cooper, mammography has been responsible for increasing the findings of ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS) from 3 percent to 21 percent currently, and has increased the detection of early stage breast cancer from 25 percent to 42 percent.

“And you certainly can’t deny the significance of declining mortality rates from breast cancer within the last five years due to screening mammography — 30 percent less mortality than prior to five years ago,” Cooper said.

Laura Robinson, oncology nurse navigator at The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Chattanooga, expressed concern about the confusion these new recommendations will create for women.

“It is so important for women to talk with their health care provider about their individual risks for breast cancer and for them to be an active and informed partner in their health care,” she said. ‘These conversations are all the more important now with these conflicting screening recommendations.”

The Sarah Cannon Cancer Centers will continue to educate their patients and recommend they follow the American Cancer Society guidelines, which include:

• Routine breast self-examination so that women can become familiar with their own breasts and tell their doctor about any changes;

• Annual screening mammogram beginning at age 40, and;

• Clinical breast exams performed by a health care provider and recommended annually after age 40.

The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center specialists all acknowledged that mammography is not a perfect tool.

“In fact, mammography does produce some false positive results,” said Golder. “But it is currently the best tool we have in our arsenal for early detection of breast cancer, and certainly our patients who are now breast cancer survivors credit it as life-saving, regardless of its imperfections. To put it simply, catching breast cancer early through mammography saves lives. Telling women to delay routine screenings until age 50 will miss potentially curable breast tumors in younger women. We need to focus our efforts on improving the technology to lower the mortality rate of the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.”

The cancer experts with The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center respect the USPS Task Force members, but at this time, are not ready to embrace their conclusions.

“We expect in the coming months to see a great deal of further study and data analysis,” Golder said. “We will take time to carefully analyze the results of further research to determine whether we need to change who we use mammography as a screening tool.”

The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center is the largest community-based, privately funded, diagnostic and treatment center in the country. A network of eight affiliated medical facilities in Tennessee and south Kentucky, the Center is composed of physicians and teams who provide diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients throughout the region.

Don’t retire too early. It’s difficult to predict how long you will live, but longevity trends suggest the likelihood of longer life spans for current and future retirees. If you retire at age 62, you could live another 20 or 30 years. Not only do you need to think about how long your money will last, you should also consider the consequences for taking early withdrawals from your retirement nest egg. Also consider that if you choose to take Social Security early, you agree to receive a reduced amount each month for the privilege of potentially more years of the benefit. Your Social Security statement can help you determine the financial trade-offs of taking early benefits or postponing Social Security income for a few years.

Don’t rely on just one form of income. You probably realize that Social Security is unlikely to provide you with enough money to live on in retirement, and that you will need additional sources of income to live comfortably. Most retirees look to a number of sources to cobble together a retirement income. Even though you’re retired, you can still seek out growth investments, assuming you retain a good share of your savings in less risky ventures. Seek balance by diversifying or spreading your savings across a variety of investments with varying levels of risk. A financial advisor can help you select from available stocks and bonds to keep your money working for you and help generate investment income.

Beware of insurance gaps. Your insurance needs may change in retirement, but they won’t go away. You may need to replace employer-sponsored benefits such as life, health and dental insurance after you retire. Shop around for attractive price points and good quality plans. Even if your home is paid for, you should maintain an appropriate level of homeowners’ insurance in case of theft, fire or other incidences. Consider whether long-term care insurance for you and your spouse is something you want to help pay for things like long-term care in a nursing home.

Avoid tax mistakes with retirement distributions. Your sources of income in retirement may include Social Security, a company-sponsored pension plan, IRA, 401(k) or a profit sharing plan. How you access your savings in these various investment vehicles can have a profound affect on how long your money lasts. The IRS regulates how much you can take out of your retirement accounts each year and you can incur stiff tax penalties if you do not abide by the rules. Talk to your tax preparer and financial advisor about required minimum distributions from your retirement accounts and establish a schedule of withdrawals that satisfies requirements while preserving principal. At retirement, you are generally required to begin taking minimum distributions from qualified retirement plans by April 1 of the year after you turn 70½.

Don’t underestimate the impact of inflation. When you estimate how much you need in retirement, don’t forget to consider how inflation reduces the value of your savings over time. Your budget should factor in rising health care costs and other expenses that may grow disproportionately. In general, early retirees spend more on travel and hobbies while they are still active and healthy; these costs may go down as you get older.

Get professional advice. A knowledgeable financial advisor can help you analyze your retirement portfolio and recommend steps to help you make choices with your retirement assets. Talk to your advisor and tax professional to plan your distributions to help reduce your tax obligation. With careful planning, you can effectively manage your retirement assets — and relax and enjoy the golden years.

Holiday fun can be affordable

Traditionally, the holiday season is a time of indulgences.  Any combination of gifts, travel and entertaining can result in big end-of-year expenditures.  But this year — in light of declining investment portfolios, sinking house values and a shaky job market — many American consumers will be looking for ways to toast the season without breaking the bank.  If you, too, want to avoid over-spending, here are some tips to celebrate more frugally:

Set proper expectations
It helps to make sure everybody in your family is onboard with the cost-conscious approach.  If you are married, have a frank discussion with your spouse about spending limits.  If you have children, make sure they understand that your plans for the holidays will focus on fun that can be had without spending a lot of money. If your children are old enough, you may even use this as an opportunity to explain the fundamentals of household economics and involve them in setting holiday spending priorities for the family.

Plan ahead
Take time to write down a list of possible gifts you hope to purchase for family and friends.  Knowing what you want ahead of time may help you avoid making poor decisions and impulse purchases once you hit the stores.

Invest time to save money
The best deals can be found by shopping around.  Check out stores in your area and investigate what’s available online.  The emergence of online shopping has made it much easier to do your homework before you buy.  Web retailers will help you determine best prices for the products you are looking to purchase.

Track your spending
One of the best ways to keep spending under control is to set a limit.  Within your family, this can be on a per-person basis, or you can set a budget that dictates your maximum holiday spending.  Once this number is chosen, see if you can come in under budget.  Track all of your purchases and be certain to hold onto receipts.  You might also request gift receipts where available and tuck them inside cards or gift boxes.

Be smart about gift cards
Gift cards have become increasingly popular and more widely available.  Make sure you understand the terms of a gift card (such as expiration dates) before making a purchase.

Get a jump on the season
Given the forecast for below-average consumer spending, many retailers are cautious to avoid stockpiling large inventories this holiday season.  If you shop early, you will be more likely to find what you’re looking for at a reasonable price.  Conversely, last minute shopping could result in spending more than you planned, particularly if you are determined to buy specific items.

And finally…
These tips are about gift buying.  But rather than making gifts and packages the center of your holiday celebration, try putting more emphasis on spending quality time with family and friends.  Encourage games and conversation; you may be surprised to find how little you miss the excesses of years past. n

Senator Reid’s bill — which he has been writing in secret for the past six weeks—is appropriate for the season: It’s the same turkey you didn’t like in August, and it’s not going to taste any better on Thanksgiving. Not much has changed. The bill still means higher premiums, it still means higher taxes, and it still cuts Medicare. It’s still 2,000 pages, and it still costs more than $2 trillion when fully implemented — and that doesn’t take into account a quarter-trillion-dollar doctors’ Medicare reimbursement. And it still sends struggling states new Medicaid costs that will force states to raise taxes or damage higher education or both.

It still leaves 24 million Americans uninsured.

There are also $28 billion in new taxes on employers who have to pay a fine when they don’t provide employer-based insurance. Under this bill, the chances are very good you could lose the insurance you have today. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says about five million Americans will lose their employer-sponsored insurance. It could be a lot more since employers will read this big, complicated bill and say, “I don’t want anything to do with that. I would rather pay the fine. I will write a check to the government. Then I will write a letter to all of my employees and say: ‘Congratulations, there is a new government plan, and you are in it.’”

You might be asking what that government plan will look like. Well, take the largest one we have, Medicaid (which we call TennCare in Tennessee), for low-income Americans. Fifty percent of doctors will not see new patients in that program because of the low government reimbursement rates.

Senator Reid’s bill relies on the states to pay for some of Medicaid, which concerns me greatly as your former governor. Our current Democratic governor said earlier versions of this bill would add $1 billion or more to state taxes or spending over the next five years which could require a new state income tax or seriously damage higher education — or both.

There is also a new Medicare payroll tax. The money that is raised from that is not spent on Grandma; it’s not spent on fixing Medicare. It is spent on a new program. So we are going to cut Medicare and tax Medicare and not spend it on Medicare, which is going broke in 2015. We need to start over.

We should move step-by-step to reduce to re-earn the trust of the American people and lower health care costs. There’s still time to act on those steps which Republicans have repeatedly proposed: let small businesses pool resources for health insurance; allow purchasing of health insurance across state lines; end junk lawsuits against doctors; eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse; expand health savings accounts; and promote wellness and prevention. n

Dr. William Rowe, one of the hospital’s “founding fathers,” recalled the beginnings of the facility and the contributions of East Ridge’s former city manager Gene Drakeford and the late Dr. Thomas Royal, in realizing the vision of a community hospital in East Ridge. Commissioner Curtis Adams, County Mayor Claude Ramsey and State Senator Bo Watson recognized the value of Parkridge East Hospital not only as a place of healing, but as one of East Ridge’s largest employers and as “an excellent corporate citizen” that pays out over a quarter of a million dollars in taxes to the city of East Ridge and Hamilton County each year.

Several of Parkridge East Hospital’s previous chief executive officers also attended the 35th anniversary celebration, including Mark Sims, Jerri Underwood and Brenda Waltz. Sims served as CEO of the hospital from 2005 until July of this year and is now CEO of Stonecrest Medical Center, an HCA facility outside of Nashville.

Underwood served as Parkridge East CEO from 2001 to 2005, and is now chief nursing executive for all three Parkridge hospitals in Chattanooga.

Waltz served as CEO of Parkridge East from 1996 to 2001, and is now CEO of Redmond Regional Medical Center, an HCA facility in Rome, Ga.

Physicians recognized for their years of service on the Parkridge East medical staff included Dr. William Rowe, Dr. Richard Bowers, Dr. Ronald Malloy, Dr. Ronald Brooksbank, Dr. William Findley, Dr. Edwin Shank, Dr. C.Y. Liu, Dr. John Shull, Dr. Susan McLean, Dr. Minnie Vance and Dr. Gary Meredith.

Staff recognized for their years of service to Parkridge East included Peggy Clark, Carolyn Maxwell, Paula Coontz, Toni McCullough, Carrie Davidson, Cindy Price, Gary Evans, Joanna Ratchford, Judy Harris, Jessie Smiley and Veronica Head.

Other activities celebrating the hospital’s milestone included a time capsule burial and a tree dedication in honor of the late Mr. Gene Drakeford.

“It has been an honor to celebrate 35 years of caring for the health care needs of Chattanooga and the surrounding communities,” said Brian Cook, CEO of Parkridge East. “We will continue to strive for excellence in providing high quality, compassionate care to patients and their families.”

Park Ridge East Hospital is well known in the area as a leader in obstetrics and women’s services. The hospital also offers acute care services such as pulmonary, cardiology, gastroenterology, intensive care and surgical services.

Robert (Rob) Vance, partner in the Valuation, Litigation & Business Transition Services Group with Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain PC (LBMC), presented at the recently held AICPA National Business Valuation Conference held in San Francisco. New standards for business valuations coupled with the increase in mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcies have led to an increase in demand for valuations. The conference, held in November, was designed to prepare practitioners for the scrutiny and responsibility added on by the current distressed economy and increased demands. Vance was one of three Tennesseans featured in a workshop presentation at the conference titled “Mock Deposition for a Business Valuation Engagement.”

Vance serves in the firm’s Knoxville office.

Angie Pruitt

Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain PC (LBMC), one of the Southeast’s largest accounting and business consulting firms, has added Angie Pruitt in its Knoxville office.

Pruitt, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), has joined the accounting firm as a senior manager in the tax department. She previously worked as a senior manager at a big four accounting firm. Her experience includes managing the preparation and review of corporate and partnership income tax returns for manufacturing, health care and transportation industries. Additionally, she has provided accounting for income taxes under FAS109. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree and master of accountancy degree. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA).

BANKING

Brice Chapman

Mountain Commerce Bank (MCB), has promoted Brice Chapman from Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and Anti-Money Laundering Analyst to BSA Officer. A graduate of Crown College, Chapman has over five years of experience in the financial industry and brings BSA certification to his new position.

During his tenure at MCB, Chapman has demonstrated the unwavering integrity crucial to maintaining the security and compliance of MCB’s BSA program.

Michael Smith

First Tennessee has recently hired Michael “Mike” C. Smith as a vice president and investment officer.

Before joining First Tennessee, Smith served for 10 years as vice president and financial consultant at Charles Schwab & Company, for one year as a broker with J.P. Turner & Company, for one year as an investment counselor with USPA & IRA and for 11 years as a military police officer in the U.S. Army.

Smith serves as the Cedar Bluff-Farragut Optimist Club volleyball coach.

HEALTH CARE

Ron German

Ron German, chief executive officer at East Tennessee Medical Group (ETMG), has been named chairman of the Medical Group Management Association’s (MGMA) Investment Advisory Committee.

The Investment Advisory Committee oversees the corporate investments and retirement plans of the Association. MGMA is a national organization of over 22,000 medical managers.

German joined ETMG as CEO in 2007, following positions at other area physician practices and related businesses as administrator and management consultant. He has more than 32 years of medical management experience.

German is the past president of both the Knoxville and Tennessee Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), Board Certified and a Fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives.

After serving in the U.S. Air Force, German graduated from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and later received has MBA from Bristol University.

INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIERS

Jeff Burns

Kenco Toyota-Lift, a major distributor of materials handling vehicles, equipment and parts, has appointed Jeff Burns director of Kenco Toyota-Lift. Prior to his promotion, Burns held the position of Northeast Regional Manager and has been serving as interim general manager for the last six months.

During his seven years of employment with Kenco, Burns has held several positions including senior logistics engineer, general manager of the Kenco-Managed Maytag Factory Distribution Center and general manager of Cherokee Truck Equipment.

Prior to joining Kenco, Burns served in a variety of manufacturing, engineering and management assignments for Advanced Vehicle Systems, Inc., Heil Trailer International and Astec Industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering, industrial technology, from Tennessee Technological University.

LAW

Melvin Malone

Now in its 142nd year, the law firm of Miller & Martin has named Partner Melvin J. Malone as the firm’s new chairman. Malone is the first African-American named to the position. He succeeds Howard I. Levine, who served as chairman since 2002.

Malone is a native of Chattanooga, and serves as managing member of the firm’s Nashville office. He is also a member of the Miller & Martin’s telecommunications & utilities, government relations and litigation practice groups. Malone has successfully litigated on behalf of a regional financial institution, a global wireless communications company, the nation’s largest three-service public utility, and automotive finance company and a coalition of Tennessee telephone cooperatives.

Malone graduated from the University of Tennessee undergraduate school and law school. He is on the board of directors for Youth Life Learning Centers, 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee and is a volunteer for Tennessee Governor Bredesen’s Children’s Cabinet Mentoring Initiative.

Prior to joining Miller & Martin, Malone was deputy legal counsel to Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist and commissioner of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority. Since June 2002, he has been recognized as Commissioner Emeritus of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.

Miller & Martin has adopted a strategic plan to become the most diverse regional firm in the Southeast by 2013. In the Spring 2009 issue of Multicultural Law Magazine, Miller & Martin was ranked first in the magazine’s list of Top 25 Law Firms for African Americans, and in the Top 100 Law Firms Diversity nationwide.

Dr. Lutz H. Gorgens, Counsel General of the Federal Republic of Germany, presented Miller & Martin Member Thomas J. Harrold Jr., with the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in a ceremony in Atlanta. The award is the highest tribute the Federal Republic of Germany can pay individuals for services to the nation in the fields of political, economic, social, charitable and philanthropic work. The Cross of Merit was instituted in 1951 and very few Americans have been given the award. Harrold was nominated for his commitment to service by German President Horst Kohler.

Harrold helped found the German-American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States in 1978. Since then, over 600 German companies have located facilities in the Southeast, more than any other region of the U.S.

As the Senior Member of Miller & Martin’s International Practice Group in Atlanta, Harrold is a recognized expert in assisting international companies, including many German companies who have established manufacturing, distribution and sales subsidiaries in the Southeast.

In 1985, Harrold was one of the founders and served as president of the World Law Group, which now has 51 member law firms in 39 countries linking together more than 10,000 lawyers. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the German American Chamber of Commerce, the Japan American Society and the Goethe-Zentrum/German Cultural Center.

In 2003, Harrold organized the German Unification Conference, which was the most important international event held in Atlanta since the 1996 Olympics. The conference celebrated the 13th anniversary of the unification of Germany and honored former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, former Soviet President Gorbachev and former U.S. President George H.W. Bush.

With over 400 people in attendance, Harrold was the organizer and chairman of the 60th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift Celebration saluting Georgia native General Lucius Clay in an event held at Dobbins Air Force Base on May 15, 2009.

Mark Mamantov

Mark Mamantov from the Knoxville office of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC, has been selected for inclusion in Mid-South Super Lawyers 2009. Statewide, thirty-seven attorneys from Bass, Berry & Sims are included on the list, with an additional 11 attorneys cited as “Rising Stars.”

Mamantov is a founding member of the firm’s Knoxville office and serves as its administrator. His practice is primarily transactional, with a special emphasis on tax-exempt finance. He graduated from the University of Tennessee, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as articles editor of the Virginia Law Review and was selected for the Order of the Coif. He is presently a board member and secretary of the Webb School of Knoxville, a board member and the past president of the Knoxville Symphony Society and a board member of the Tennessee Theatre Foundation.

Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. It is published as a special supplement in leading newspapers and city and regional magazines across the country. Polling, research and selection are performed by Law & Politics, a publication of Key Professional Media Inc.

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, have announced the addition of two new attorneys to its Chattanooga office.

Marcie L. Kiggans joins the firm as an associate in the litigation department. She is a 2009 graduate of Emory University School of Law.

Taeho Lee, joins the firm as an associate in the real estate group, and is also a 2009 graduate of Emory University School of Law. n