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JOB: President andCEO, CAMC Teays Val-ley Hospital

HOW DID YOU GET INYOUR CAREER: “Uponcompletion of collegeI applied with a couplehealth care facilities andseveral law enforce-ment agencies. CAMCwas the first companyto return my call andoffer me a job. I havespent my entire careerwith this one organiza-tion.”

FIRST JOB: snack bar managerFAMILY: Wife, Diann Hodges; two daughters

and sons-in-law, Mary and Jess Kuhl, and Saraand Eric Whitney; five grandchildren, Aly Whitney,Andrew Whitney, Anna Whitney, Jak Kuhl andCaleb Kuhl.

SPECIAL SKILLS: “My wife and I like to renovateold houses.”

FAVORITE BOOK: “No Easy Day”FAVORITE MOVIE: “Pretty Woman”FAVORITE TV SHOW: “The Andy Griffith Show”

The64,700squarefoot facility includes70 beds and employees more than 500people.Thehospital is rankedamongthetop10employers in thecounty, accordingtoWorkForceWestVirginia.

“Wehaveremainedacommunityhos-pital but with the backing of a biggerhospital,” Randy Hodges, president ofTeays Valley Hospital said, referring totheCAMC, located inCharleston.

The areas of focus for the hospitalare: anesthesiology, cardiac rehab, emer-gencymedicine, family practice, generalsurgery, gynecology, internal medicine,medical imaging,nephrology,neurology,ophthalmology, oral and maxillofacialsurgery, orthopedics, otolaryngology,pathology, physical medicine and reha-bilitation, pain medicine, urology andwound.

The gynecology department wasrecentlyadded in2012, afterLeilaSakhai,M.D., joined the staff in September.

Anexpansion for anewstateof theartintensivecareunitbrokeground the firstweek of January and is expected the becomplete inNovember.

“We knew probably three years agothat (an expansion of the ICU) was onthe board but all the active planning hasoccurred in the last year,” said RandallH. Hodges, president of Teays ValleyHospital.

The$3.6millionexpansionwill featureprivate rooms and free up space in thehospital thatwill allow for other areas togrow in the future.

“After we finish the ICU, with ourmedical staff, our hospital boardwill gettogether and see what our next projectwill be.”

The current ICU has increased fromsix beds to eight, to accommodate theincreasedneeds of the community.

“We’ve seen some very nice growth,”Hodges said. “We’ve seena lotof growthin outpatient.”

Outpatient services experiencing agrowthincludemammograms,CTscans,MRIs and lab work. Offering these ser-vices at the hospital, allow patients toget their tests completed closer to home,rather thanhaving todrive toCharlestonorHuntington to a larger hospital.

A facility was constructed in 2009 tohouse the hospital’s utilities, includinga new emergency generator that wouldkeepthepoweronin theeventofapoweroutage.Thatgeneratorwasput to the testand used extensively last summer, afterthe derecho storm caused wide-spreadpower outages that affected more thanhalf amillionWestVirginians. The gen-erator allowed the power to be restoredimmediately within the facility withoutanyproblems,Hodges said.

Teays Valley Hospital also assistspatients at the Teays Valley HospitalPainReliefCenter,TeaysValleyHospitalWoundClinic andTeaysValleyHospitalPhysicalTherapy.Each facility is locatedon Hospital Drive, along with the mainTeaysValleyHospital campus.

Dr. Jason Pope joined the Pain ReliefCenter in October, after completing hispain fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic.Patients can receive pain alleviation atthe centerwith theuseof different typesof injections, a spinal cord stimulator oran intrathecal pain pump.

“We have seen a really big increase inthe number of patients since this physi-cian has (joined the staff),” said NevaTerry, registered nurse and manager ofthe Teays Valley Pain Relief Center. “Ithink it’s really nice to not have to go toCharlestonorHuntington,orgotoaplacewhere youhave topay topark.”

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

CAMC Teays Valley Hospital

KEY PLAYER:RANDALL H. HODGES

Putnam hospital’s $3.6M expansion under way

As Putnam County continues to growwith new businesses and residentialareas, CAMC Teays Valley Hospital

has been expanding to meet the surroundingcommunity’s needs.

Charleston Area Medical Center took overwhat was formerly known as Putnam GeneralHospital in 2006, after the hospital faced the

possibility of either closing or being convertedinto an urgent care facility. The hospital strug-gled after several malpractice lawsuits thatinvolved a former surgeon at the hospital.

Teays Valley Hospital, which is located at1400 Hospital Drive in Hurricane, is the onlyhospital located within the county and offers24-hour emergency room care.

WHITNEY JOHNSON / THE HERALD-DISPATCH

CAMC Teays ValleyADDRESS OF MAIN CAMPUS:

1400 Hospital Drive, Hurricane,WV25526

PHONE NUMBER:304-757-1700WEBSITE:www.camc.org/tvhTOTAL NUMBER OF BEDS: 70NUMBER OF MEDICAL STAFF: 130NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF: 400

employeesMEDICAL AREAS OF FOCUS:

Anesthesiology, cardiac rehab,emergency medicine, family practice,general surgery, gynecology, internalmedicine, medical imaging, nephrol-ogy, neurology, ophthalmology, oraland maxillofacial surgery, ortho-pedics, otolaryngology, pathology,physical medicine and rehabilitation,pain medicine, urology and wounds.

SQUARE FEET OF MAIN CAMPUS:64,700

OTHER CAMPUSES/CLINICS:Teays Valley Hospital Pain ReliefCenter, Teays Valley HospitalPhysical Therapy and Teays ValleyHospital Wound Clinic, all located onHospital Drive.

EXPANSIONS SINCE JANUARY2012: An expansion for the Inten-sive Care Unit is under construction.It is expected to be completed inNovember.

PLANS FOR 2013: Once the newICU expansion is complete, morespace will be freed up within the hos-pital to allow for future expansions,which is yet to be decided.

1BPUTNAM PROGRESS 2013:www.herald-dispatch.com Friday, March 15, 2012

JOB: associate admin-istrator/chief nursingofficer at CAMC TeaysValley

HOW DID YOU GET INYOUR CAREER: “As anurse, I wanted to be ina position where I couldeffect change for thepatients and families Icared for.”

FIRST JOB: Nursingassistant at WVU Medi-cal Center

FAMILY: Husband, sonand daughter

SPECIAL SKILLS: “Ability to recognize that indi-viduals are unique.”

FAVORITE BOOK: “I Love You Forever”FAVORITE MOVIE: “The Blind Side”FAVORITE TV SHOW: “Parenthood”

KEY PLAYER:MARY BETH MULLINS

Putnam Progress 2013: HealthThe Herald-Dispatch’s annual Progress Editions take alook at our Tri-State economy and business community.Today’s sections focus on education and industry. Other

topics will be examined over the next two Fridays.

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Prestera Center for MentalHealth Services, Inc. quietlyand confidentially providesa diverse range of behavioralhealth services to people inour community. The missionof helping people achievetheir full potential continuedfor the 21,000 adults, childrenand families served last year.

Prestera Center offersEmployee Assistance Pro-grams (EAP) designed to helpbusinesses link employees to

treatment ser-vices. Job per-formance suf-fers when thereare untreatedmental health

and addiction problems.These problems can lead toworker absenteeism and prob-lems like lower productiv-ity, theft, workplace injuriesand increased health carecosts. EAP programs respectemployee privacy, reducestigma in the workplace andhelp implement drug-freeworkplace policies. Drug-freeworkplace training is avail-able for businesses.

Prestera Center offersprograms that integratebehavioral health and pri-mary health care services.Tobacco cessation, nutritioncounseling and wellnessplanning are also offeredthrough the BRIGHT pro-gram. This program part-ners with Valley Health tooffer medical care inside thebehavioral health care set-ting to unravel the interplaybetween health problemsand behavioral health issuesto provide comprehensivestrategies. Prestera Centerpartners with medical pro-viders to integrate primaryhealth care and behavioralhealth care into the samevisit. Screening for possiblebehavioral health problemswhen you visit your primarycare doctor prevents prob-lems from escalating intoemergencies.

Prestera Center offersprograms for children andtheir families, includingprofessional counseling;in-home services where acounselor and case managervisit the child and theirfamilies in the family’shome; children’s psychia-try; school-based servicesin many area schools where

children and teenagerscan receive counselingduring the regular schoolday; mentoring servicesthat provide positive rolemodels; and intensive out-patient for 6-8 weeks thatincludes an educationalcomponent and familytherapy. Behavior problemsin children, like suddenlynot wanting to go to school,could be a symptom of aproblem with depression oranxiety. Prestera Center’sprofessional services helpfamilies manage symptomsand behaviors and findtheir strengths to overcomedifficulties.

Prestera Center offersprograms that help stabilizeadult depression and anxi-ety or more chronic behav-ioral health conditions.Outpatient counseling anddoctor visits for medica-tions, more intensive pro-grams designed to improvethe problem and avoidhospitalization, residentialgroup homes, supportivehousing and programsthat end homelessness aresome of the services avail-able. These programs helpwith permanent housing,employment and life skills.

A diverse array of addic-tion recovery programsare also offered at PresteraCenter. This includes out-patient or intensive outpa-

tient counseling, medica-tions that sustain recovery,detoxification, short-termresidential treatment, long-term residential treatment,transitional living and per-manent housing in efficien-cy apartments for adultsestablished in recovery, toname a few.

After-hours, on-call emer-gency services are available24 hours a day, seven days aweek, by calling 1-877-399-7776. Other services includea teen suicide preventionhotline, coordination ofsubstance abuse preventionservices through a networkof volunteer anti-drug coali-tions across the region, sup-portive housing programs,employment and work-adjust-ment programs and programsfor intellectually disabledadults and children.

To get started in services,walk in to any locationbetween 8 and 9 a.m. Noappointment is necessary.Insurance of all types isaccepted. A sliding scale isoffered based on income andcharity care is available forthose who qualify where ser-vices may be free. Visit us atwww.prestera.org or call thetoll-free number.

Kim Miller is director ofcorporate development forPrestera Center for MentalHealth Services Inc.

Prestera Center: Servingcommunity for 45 years

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Dr.Marinacci and staff are committed to providing the highest qualitycare and service to all patients. With an established reputation, we utilizetraditional chiropractic services withmodern chiropractic equipment and 3

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Remember at Teays ValleyChiropractic, we got your BACK!

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Progress 2013: Health2B The Putnam Herald — Friday, March 15, 2013 Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2776 www.putnamherald.com

KimMILLER

KEY PLAYER: KAREN YOSTJob: President and CEO,

Prestera CenterHow did you get in your

career: It was what I wantedto do from an early age. Myaunt was a social worker inKentucky and I loved listen-ing to her talk about herwork.First job: Adjunctive

therapist for Logan MingoMental Health in William-sonFamily: Husband John;

Children Brad and Ashley;grandchildren Jillian, Gage,and AnnmarieSpecial skills: QuiltingFavorite book: Anything

by Robert B. ParkerFavorite movie: “Secre-

tariat”

TheAffordable CareAct,sometimes calledObamacare,is a complex piece of legisla-tion and is poorly understoodbymost Americans. Given theconfusion about the health carereform law, it is worth examin-ingwhat is actually in theACA.

At its core the ACA has fourmain goals: to expand healthinsurance to virtually everyAmerican; to fundamentallychange the rules governing theinsurance industry; to focusour health care system on pre-vention; and containing cost,which is an essential reform,but also the heaviest lift.

TheACAprovides insurancecoverage to virtually all Ameri-cans in two primaryways.First, it expandsMedicaid toreach all working, low-incomeAmericans. Second, it createsnewhealth insurancemarket-placeswhere subsidized privateinsurance policies are sold.

The current Medicaid pro-gram covers very fewworkingadults. Unless you are dis-abled or pregnant, you cannotearn more than 31 percentof the federal poverty leveland qualify for Medicaid. Fora single momwith two kidsthat’s less than $6,000 a year.

TheACAdramaticallychang-es that. Incomeeligibility risesto$26,300ayear for that singlemomwith twokids.Whilepro-jectionsvary, asmanyas 120,000currentlyuninsuredWestVir-ginianswill gaincoverageundertheMedicaidexpansion.Nexttimeyouare ina local restau-rant ask thewaitress if shehashealth insurance.Theanswerwill frequentlybe:No.Notonlywill shegaincovered,but alsoemployeesof childcarecentersandmanyotherswhowork foranemployerwhocan’t afford toprovidehealth insurancecover-age to their employees.

The federal governmentpays almost all of the cost forthisMedicaid expansion, pay-ing 100 percent the first threeyears and then their percent-age gradually declining to 90percent in 2020 and thereafter.Imagine getting, at worst, $9for every $1 we invest to coverour friends and neighbors whocurrently lack the financialand health care security thatinsurance coverage brings.

Over the next severalmonthsGov. Earl RayTomblinwill

need tomake a critical decisiononwhether to accept thismon-ey that Congress has set asidefor providing health insurancecoverage to uninsuredwestVirginians. TheOffice of theInsuranceCommissioner isconducting a comprehensivefinancial analysis to determineall of the benefits and the costs.After this analysis completed,I hope that Tomblin joinswithOhioGovernor JohnKasichand other governors across thecountry—bothDemocratsandRepublicans— in accept-ing these federal resources toprovideAmericanswith healthcare coverage.

The othermeans of cover-ing almost all Americans isthe establishment of healthinsurancemarketplaces. Thisapproach uses the freemarketto provide small businessesand uninsuredWestVirginiansthe same purchasing powerthat large employers currentlyenjoy. Blue Cross Blue Shieldand other commercial insur-ance will compete for thisbusiness in themarketplace,offering easy to compare poli-cies that will allow consumersto select a plan that best meetstheir needs.

There are significant sub-sidies for individuals in themarketplace. The subsidies forsmall businesses, however, areless generous and limited totwo years beginning in 2014.This is one of the weaknessesof the ACA. It does not doenough to assist small busi-ness in their struggle to affordinsurance coverage for theiremployees. It is wishful think-ing, however, that a bipartisaneffort could be mounted toprovide greater relief to smallbusinesses. The patriciandivide is too deep inWashing-ton to make even beneficialchanges to the ACA.

The secondmajor goal ofthe ACA is to fundamentallychange the rules for the insur-ance industry. Beginning nextyear, the insurance industrywill no longer be able to dis-criminate against consumersbased on their health. Over thelast half century the insuranceindustry has spentmillions

of dollars trying cherry-picktheir customers, insuring onlyyoung healthy peoplewhiledenying coverage or charging amuch higher premium to olderless healthy people. TheACAends this practice.

The thirdmajor goal of ACAis placing a greater emphasison prevention. Our currenthealth care system focusesalmost exclusively on ill-nesses. TheUnited States doesan incredible job of takingvery ill patients and makingthemwell. What our cur-rent health care system doesnot do well is to keep peoplefrom becoming ill in the firstplace. The ACA begins theprocess of changing that byplacing greater emphasis onprevention. All new insurancepolicies must cover clinicallyeffective preventive measuressuch as pap smears, mam-mography, colorectal screens,smoking and dietary counsel-ing, and much more. Thesemeasures must be providedto patients without charginga copayment or deductible.Removing the economic bar-rier to getting effective pre-ventive measures takes ourhealth care system in a newdirection: one that focuses onwellness and not just sickness.

The fourth main goal, andperhaps the most difficult, iscontaining cost. Currently, wepay doctors on a fee for ser-vice arrangement. For everyservice they provide, we paythem a fee. Can you imaginebuilding a house and tellingthe electrician that you willpay for every electrical outlethe or she installs? The housewould end up with far moreoutlets than you need. That’showwe pay physicians. Oursystem rewards doing moreand more services withoutany consideration for quality.

TheACAmoves away fromfee for service and begins topay based on quality outcomesand for coordination of care.Hospitals that have high ratesof infectionswill see theirreimbursement decline. Theincentive in this case is toincrease quality by reducinghospital acquired infectionsand reducing costs by not hav-ing to treat these infections.

Affordable Care Act worth a lookPerryBRYANT

Mark Webb/The Herald-Dispatch

Prestera Center for Mental Health Services’s addiction treatment center is located on U.S. 60in Huntington.

Please see ACA/4B

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The needs and nature of our veteranshave morphed many times over the last 80years, and Huntington’s VA Medical Center,located at 1540 Spring Valley Drive, haschanged along with them. Starting in 1932 asa 210-bed hospital, it has grown to include anetwork of rural outreach facilities, a mentalhealth clinic, a medical foster home program,a homeless veterans resource center and willsoon boast a women’s clinic.

Many of these services are par for thecourse — homelessness and mental healthare familiar plights for veterans aroundthe country. But one of the most successfuland surprising programs at the VA MedicalCenter is the medical foster home.

“It’s an alternative to nursing home place-ment,” said Trina Touchton, coordinator ofthe medical foster home program. Familiesin the area can volunteer to foster a veteranwho can’t live on his own, usually for medi-cal reasons. Once Touchton has approved ahome — based on factors like cleanliness,prior formal or informal caregiving experi-ence and fire safety— she’ll take a veteranwho’s looking for a place to stay to see thehome and meet the family.

“We do have a wide range, from Vietnamall the way to WWII veterans, who are incare right now. The veteran pays for thiscare, but it’s much less expensive than anursing home,” Touchton said. Often, veter-ans’ benefits can help offset the cost of themedical foster home.

Some of the veterans in medical foster carehave come from nursing homes, which arewidely maligned for their sense of isolationand a lack of personalized care.

“That individualized, personal care andlove is so therapeutic for them. They reallyget the feeling of being a part of the familyand that individualized care,’ said Touchton,adding, “In a lot of situations, the veteranbecomes like family to the caretakers.”

The medical foster home program isoffered nationwide by Veterans Affairs, butit’s been especially successful here. Thefirst veteran in the Huntington programwas placed in 2010, and already, the programhas expanded to Charleston. And Touchton

is always on the lookout for more willingcaretakers.

“Our homes stay pretty full,” Touchtonsays.

The medical foster home program servesas an example of the VA Medical Center’scommitment not only to helping veteranswith illness and injury, but also with devel-oping a better quality of life.

Brent Sturm is the hospital’s recreationaltherapist. By organizing everything fromweekly horseback riding to fly fishing excur-sions to sporting events, his focus is keepingveterans engaged and giving them an outletto socialize with others who’ve shared theirexperiences.

“After you’re injured, you’ve got to re-engage in your life,” he says.

Sturm has been pleased by the flexibilityprovided to him by the Huntington VA to trynontraditional activities with the veterans,like art shows and yearly whitewater raftingtrips. He makes use of the recreational activ-ities offered by our state and takes veteransskiing and snowboarding every winter.

“I had a veteran who for several yearswanted to do winter sports, but with hisPTSD, he’d get scared. He signed up for threeyears in a row and never went. But my firstyear here, he came with me, and now he isback in his life. He picked up snowboard-ing, and now he goes with his kids,” Sturmsays.

For some at the VAMedical Center, servingveterans in particular is a calling. MicheleHale is a registered nurse and a veteran ofthe Navy, where she was a Persian linguist.After her service, she earned a BA in nursingand decided to dedicate her career to work-ing with veterans.

“Even though I’m no longer active duty,you feel like you’re working with family,” shesays. But she insists that her contemporarieswho’ve never served are just as qualified forthe job. “They are there because they loveserving veterans,” she says of her cowork-ers.

Hale is not only a nurse, but also a patientat the VAMedical Center. She says that sinceher arrival in 2007, she’s seen the hospital

grow their services for female veterans, agrowing population.

“Over the last five years, we’ve seen moreand more women vets starting to utilizethe VA, and they’re younger. It is a neces-sity to offer women their own separateclinic because women’s health care needsare different,” she says. In recent years, thehospital has turned resources toward the

construction of a women’s clinic, reflectingthe changing needs of veterans as more andmore women go into the service.

With a staff devoted to serving thosewho’ve served our country and the flexibil-ity to respond to changing demands, the VAMedical Center offers not just health carebut an improved quality of life to those whosacrificed for our country.

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Progress 2013: Health The Putnam Herald — Friday, March 15, 2013 3BQuestions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2776 www.putnamherald.com

VA MEDICAL CENTER CONTINUES TO GROW

Medical foster home alternative for veteransLori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Robert Frazier of Huntington displays his paintings at the art festival for veterans at the VA Medical Center.

Trina Touchtoncoordinator of the

medical foster homeprogram at the VA

Medical Center

JOB: Women Veterans ProgramManager at the VA Medical Center

HOW DID YOU GET IN YOURCAREER: My mother was a nurse andshe encouraged me to pursue nurs-ing/health care as a career. My currentposition evolved from a special interestin Women’s Health while working as afamily practice nurse practitioner. Whenthe position became open at the VAMC,it seemed the perfect opportunity tocontinue in my field, while also servinga very special group, women veterans.

FIRST JOB: Staff Nurse at CabellHuntington Hospital

FAMILY: Husband Joseph J. BostarIII, Four Children: Deann Raines (SouthPoint), James L Raines (Huntington), Lau-ren Fricia and Lyla Hayes (Atlanta, Ga.)

SPECIAL SKILLS: Nurse practitionerwith Certification in Family Practice; in myspare time I enjoy reading and walking.

FAVORITE BOOK: “The Girls ComeMarching Home” by Kirsten Holmstedt

FAVORITE MOVIE: “A Fish CalledWanda”

FAVORITE TV SHOW: “DowntonAbbey”

KEY PLAYER: NANCY C. BOSTAR

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The ACA also promoteshealth homes. These are pri-mary care offices that coordi-nate the care of patients withchronic illnesses. Our currentsystem is highly fragmented.For example, a patient withchronic illnesses may be see-ing three or four specialistphysicians. None of them talkto each other, and they may beprescribing multiple medica-tions that interact with eachother to cause harm ratherthan healing. In a health homea team comprised of doctors,nurses, dietitian, social work-ers and others coordinate thecare that patients receive,treating the whole patient.The emphasis is on helpingthe patient control their dia-betes or other chronic illnessrather than simply treatingthe symptoms.

Those are the four major

goals of the ACA: expandcoverage to virtually allAmericans, reform the insur-ance industry, place greateremphasis on prevention, andbegin the difficult task ofcontrolling cost. Is the ACAprefect? No. It is, however,

a significant step towardsensuring that every Americanshas access to quality, afford-able health care.

Perry Bryant is executivedirector of West Virginians forAffordable Health Care.

HURRICANE 304.757.7293 / ST. ALBANS 304.727.7293

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• Convenience: Flexible appointment times, evening appointmentsand free parking.

• Outcomes: Our patients tell us they recommend us to others andwould return for future therapy.

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• Comprehensive Services: Our therapists are trained intechniques to treat a variety of conditions. Once you’rerehabilitation is complete, we can help you continue on the path towellness through our GetFit program.

• Community Involvement: TPTC has been a member of thecommunity for over 20 years. We give back in ways that aremeaningful and promote health and community involvement.

That’s why we can say with confidence we areTPTC: The People That Care.

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Progress 2013: Health4B The Putnam Herald — Friday, March 15, 2013 Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2776 www.putnamherald.com

HIMG services nowinclude women’s healthBy Bryan CHamBersThe Herald-Dispatch

It’s been seven years sinceHuntington InternalMed-icine Group moved from20th Street in Hunting-

ton to the sprawling 150,000-square-foot building on U.S.60 that used to be occupied byWalmart.

In those seven years, theregional medical center hasevolved into a medical mall ofsorts, adding to its number ofphysicians, partners and com-munity activities.

The past year has been no dif-ferent, says Patty Dickey, direc-tor of community and physicianresources for HIMG.

Often called a “hospital with-out beds,” the medical centernow has 56 physicians whoprovide an array of clinicalservices, including neurology,oncology, physical therapy,dermatology and cardiology.Altogether, approximately 240people work at HIMG.

If there’s a theme in new ser-

vices added during the pastyear, it’s women’s health, Dick-ey said. Tevin Gillette, an occu-pational therapist, joinedHIMGlast summer and offers a pelvichelp program for women who

are experiencing bowel, blad-der, sexual and/or pelvic painsymptoms.

“I work closely with eachpatient and create a treatmentstrategy to address all of thesymptoms, said Gillette, whohas specialized training intreating pelvic floor dysfunc-tion. “Follow-up treatmentsinclude specialized exercises,manual therapy, neuromuscularre-education, functional train-ing and then developing a homeprogram.”

Gillette said she treatswomenof all ages, and that treatmentcan last four to eight weeksdepending on the conditions ofeach patient.

This year, HIMG will adda urologist and a plastic andreconstructive surgeon to itsservices, Dickey said.

LocaL MedicaL groupcontinues to expand

Photos by Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Occupational therapist Tevin Gillette, left, talks with patient Benita Simpson of Barboursville during a consultation at Women’s Health Services at HIMG.

Progress 2013: Health

Gillette positions Simpsonfor an exercise to improvecore strength pelvic stabilityat HIMG’s Women’s HealthServices.

ACAn Continued from 2B

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CAMC TEAYS VALLEY HOSPITALNow has its own Ob/Gyn providing full time services to Putnam County.OURSERVICES -Dr. Leila Sakhai offers the full range of gynecology and prenatal obstetric servicesright here in Putnam County and she delivers babies at your choice of two hospitals in Charleston!OUR PHYSICIAN - Dr. Leila Sakhai, a native of Huntington, attended Marshall University forundergraduate and medical school. She completed her Ob/Gyn residency at WVU/CAMC whereshe won the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons annual award for excellence in laparoscopyand minimally invasive surgery.

Leila Sakhai, MD, OB/GYN

CONTACT US - 757-4151 • www.calldoctorleila.com

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Progress 2013: Health The Putnam Herald — Friday, March 15, 2013 5BQuestions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2776 www.putnamherald.com

Submitted photo

Valley Health is located at 3375 U.S. 60 in Huntington.

By GRANT TRAYLORThe Herald-Dispatchgtraylor@herald-dispatch.com

HUNTINGTON—Lastyear, therewasapileof rubble and rock alongU.S. 60 in Huntingtonwhere construction cars lined the road.

However, that wasn’t what Valley HealthExecutive Director Steve Shattls saw at all.

In that same spot, he saw hope for healthcare in the Tri-State and opportunities forthose in need in our area.

One year later, everyone else can see exactlywhat Shattls’ vision was then.

Valley Health East Huntington opened inNovember 2012 — nearly two months aheadof schedule — and serves as the new head-quarters for Valley Heath Systems, which hasgrown from three health centers in 1976 to 33health facilities in the Tri-State.

“At that time, we had three trailers — onein Barboursville, Milton and Wayne,” Shattlssaid. “Now, we have this great East Hunting-ton location, which we call it the department

store type of arrangement. It’s like a Macy’sor Nordstrom. You have all these differentdepartments within one facility. It’s an oppor-tunity for our patients to get reasonably-pricedmedicine and care under one roof.”

ValleyHealthEastHuntington is the latestandgreatest achievement forValleyHealthSystems.Inadditiontoservingasthecentralizedheadquar-ters forValleyHealthSystems, the facility also islocatedadjacent to thePresteraCenter,meaningthat patients can take care of their physical andmental health needs in one general location.

The $8.7 million facility offers patientsnearly 24,000-square-feet of wall-to-wallhealth services, spanning everything frompri-mary care to dentistry to behavioral health andbeyond. There is also an urgent care center forimmediate health needs and a pharmacy forthose who need to have prescriptions filled.

For patients, it provides a much easier cli-mate when taking care of health.

Instead of traveling to six different locationsto take care of each individual health need,

patients are provided the opportunity to haveone location, which cuts out the confusion ofkeeping up with appointments.

The facility includes medical exam rooms,behavioral health treatment rooms, grouptherapy rooms, state-of-the-art dental opera-tories and space for primary care servicessuch as family medicine, internal medicine,OB-Gyn, psychiatry, psychology. There is alsoa health center dedicated to lab and ultrasoundservices, along with a full-service pharmacy.

Shattls said the most exciting aspect of thenew facility has been the response from thosewho utilize the facility— the patients in need.

“Themostexcitingthingisthatwe’vegottengreatresponsewiththepatients,”Shattlssaid.“We’restillgetting used to the place, but our patients seem toloveit.Sometimesyouhavetogivethemdirectionsonwheretogobecauseitisnewbutitisexciting.WearecollaboratingverywellwiththefolksatPresteraandwearebenefitingeachother.”

While 2012 was a banner year in terms ofgetting the facility opened and integratingwith

Prestera, Shattls said 2013will offer some excit-ing newventures aswell for the company.

ValleyHealth is in the process of being certi-fiedas apatient centermedical homeand is add-ing several newdoctors andcarepersonneloverthenext fewmonths tobetter serve theTri-Statewhile putting the final touches on the facility,like adding a generator, modifying signage andputting the final coats of paint on.

While all that is happening around them,Shattls said onemain focus for 2013 is helpingpatients understand changes in the govern-mental health care system.

“We are trying to be navigators for theelderly and underserved population througha difficult health care system,” Shattls said.“We want to make sure they get the best careper patient for all our services, albeit medical,behavioral or primary care.

“Wewant to championmaking patients feellike our location is theirmedical home.We canbe a beacon and a center of excellencewhen itcomes to patient care here at Valley Health.”

Shattls said the East Huntington facility willhaveitsofficialgrandopeningandribbon-cuttingin the nextmonth once theweather improves.

East Huntington facility merges patients’ health care needs

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Physician Specialty Years on Medical Staff

Rabah Boukhemis, M.D.,Associate Medical Director

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 20

Ronald Barebo, M.D.,Program Medical Director

Neurology and Physical Medicineand Rehabilitation

8

Ahmed Abdelgaber, M.D. Family Practice 3

Shawn Coffman, M.D. Internal Medicine 14

Jacqueline Cole, M.D. Family Practice 8

Thomas Dannals, M.D. Family Practice 15

Randall James, D.O. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2

Suresh Kumar, M.D.Neurology and Physical Medicineand Rehabilitation

4

Jeffrey McCormick, D.O. Family Practice 8

Scott Mitchell, M.D. Family Practice 8

Cynthia Pinson, M.D. Family Practice 6

David Steele, M.D. Family Practice 2

HEALTHSOUTH REHABILITATIONHOSPITAL OF HUNTINGTON

TO EXPANDHospital Adds 10 New Beds

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Huntington has Patient-Centered Care OfferedHealthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Huntington has finished a

A Higher Level of Care

,&%% />;: *!8":=# *581 (=97> $ 68":9"<:!") /2 3-+%-0%. +00'4%,%

healthsouthhuntington.com©2012:HealthSou

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Huntington

HealthSouth Huntington is a 52-bed rehabilitation hospital that offers comprehensive inpatient services.Serving patients throughout the tri-state area, the hospital is located at 6900 West Country Club Drive inHuntington and on the Web at www.healthsouthhuntington.com.

For more information about our rehabilitation programs, contact Kim Cummings, director of marketingoperations, at 304 302-7804 or kim.cummings@healthsouth.com.

©2012:HealthSouth Corporation:519511-02

Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Huntington has finished a new wing that increases their capacity to 62 patients. The new space boasts 10spacious, private rooms which are needed to serve the growing number of patients who need rehabilitation services. In addition, they are renovatingspace for a new kitchen, a larger patient dining room and increasing space in the gym for physical, occupational and speech therapy.

“We’ve been planning on making these changes to meet the needs of the people we serve for almost 2 years, and it is exciting to see the projectnearing the end” said Mike Zuliani, Chief Executive Officer for the hospital. “Among other things, Patient Satisfaction is a priority at Healthsouth – butfirst we need to be able to get them in. In recent months, we’ve been fully occupied and unfortunately, patients had to wait for a bed. But now we’veadded a new wing with ten private rooms so we can better meet the demand of the patients served by Healthsouth. “

Healthsouth focuses on helping patients build their strength and make improvements in their functional gains that ultimately leads to independence.Typical patients served at HealthSouth are ones that have sustained a Stroke or Brain Injury, Hip Fracture, Spinal Cord Injury, Trauma, or any medicalcondition that caused a functional decline. The average length of stay is about 14 days with 80% of the patients being discharged home.

Our rehabilitation team offers a comprehensive approach to patient care, helping them achieve their greatest functioning abilities. Compare servicesoffered, and you’ll see the HealthSouth difference.

At HealthSouth Huntington, patient care is led by rehabilitation physicians with special experience in rehabilitation medicine. These doctors provideclose medical management for each patient and supervise patients’ rehabilitation treatment plans.

The medical team is led by Medical Director Timothy Saxe, M.D., Internal Medicine, who has been on staff at HealthSouth Huntington for 19 years.

Admitting/attending physicians include:

Patient-Centered Care Offered

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536B The Putnam Herald — Friday, March 15, 2013

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or Ashley Kiley, crafting a householdbudget means being creative.

Wife to Jason, an artist employed parttime at Marshall University, and mom to2-year-old Etta, the 28-year-old has par-

ticipated in everything from soup swaps to con-signing to shared child care in an effort to stretchher family’s dollars even further.

“I work full time for the U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers, butI’m employed seasonally, which means I have a two-monthfurlough I have to take every year,” Kiley said. “So, we haveto save up enough during the time I’mworking to compensatefor that.When there’s not a lot of income coming in, you haveto be creative.”

Kiley said anyone can live within their means if they’rereasonable about it and resist that “we’re deprived” feeling.

“You can’t think of living this way as being deprived in anyway because we aren’t,” Kiley said.

For the Kileys, working on a budget for meal-planning isground zero.

“I make out a meal plan every week, look at the staples Ialready have and then shop for groceries for the week,” Kileysaid. “I buy bulk meat every three to four months at Sam’sClub and freeze it into meal-sized portions.”

Other food ideas they’ve implemented, she said, are buy-ing seasonal foods and freezing them in portion sizes, can-ning and growing a small garden of vegetables. They alsoparticipate in Community Supported Agriculture, where

FINaNCESTRETCHING HOUSEHOLD DOLLARS

F

STORY BY BETH HENDRICKS /THE HERalD-DISpaTCHbhendricks@herald-dispatch.com

The Herald-Dispatch’s annual Progress Editions take alook at our Tri-State economy and business community.Today’s sections focus on health and finance. Other topics

will be examined over the next two Fridays.

progress 2013:

Mother gets creative, budgets to live on less

Ashley Kiley of Huntington participates in child care shar-ing to help cut down the expense of daily living.

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Please see BUDGETS/2D

The Putnam Herald — Friday, March 15, 2013 1DQuestions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2776 www.putnamherald.com

ironwood-wealth.com

• Investment Management• IRA - Rollovers & Trusts• 401K and other Plans• Retirement Planning

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Progress 2013: Finance2D The Putnam Herald — Friday, March 15, 2013 Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2776 www.putnamherald.com

for a small fee, they receive a bag of seasonalproduce from local farmers.

“We’re still able to eat the things we like. Itjust takes a little more thought and planning,”Kiley said.

Angela Roach, program manager with Con-sumerCreditCounselingServices, said foodcostsare someoftheeasiesttotrim.

“In my years of doing this, I’ve discovered amajority of people are spending an insane amountofmoney on food, whether at the grocery store oreating out,” Roach said. “If you spend just $6 a dayon lunch five timesaweek, that addsup to$1,440ayear. Ifyoujustpackalunch, thatextramoneycouldgo towardacredit cardpaymentorapplied towardyourmortgageor car payment principal.

“Track your expenses and write down every-thing you spend and you’ll be amazed at howmuch money you’re wasting at Starbucks andMcDonald’s,” she continued. “That stuff addsup quickly.”

Food costs aren’t the only line item in a bud-get that can be slashed. Kiley has also found avariety of ways to save where her daughter isconcerned.

“We do child-swapping with some friends.

Since neither of us can afford day care, fourdays a week our daughters are together: twodays here and two days at their house. Weknow we can also call each other in a pinch orfor date nights,” Kiley said.

Kiley said she shops mainly from clearanceracks for clothes for herself and her husbandand takes advantage of area consignment salesfor buying and selling clothing and toys for herdaughter. She shops secondhand stores andgarage sales as well and rents books and videosfor free from the local library.

“It’s a matter of putting a little extra effortinto it and you can really save a lot,” Kileysaid.

Talkingwith clients, Roach also advises ideassuch as consolidating errands to save on gaso-line and putting back a littlemoney everymonthto avoid maxing out credit cards at Christmas.

“Figure out what you’re going to spend onChristmas and set up your ownChristmas club.Take your pay periods, divide how much youwant to spend and direct deposit that amountinto a different bank,” Roach said. “It’s outof sight, out of mind, and by the time Christ-mas rolls around, you’ll have the cash to shopwith.”

Follow H-D reporter Beth Hendricks onFacebook or Twitter @BethHendricksHD.

It is always important tohave the tools necessary toget the job done right, andplanning for your estate is nodifferent. This article brieflydescribes items you may wantto consider for your estateplanning toolbox. Some of themost common tools and theproblems they address are:

WILLS: Like a roll of ducttape, everyone needs one.There is a commonmiscon-ception that wills (and estateplans) are only for people whoare a.) old or b.) wealthy. Thatis not true! Anyone who cares“who gets what,” whether the“what” is cash, a house, familyheirloom, or a sentimentallyvaluable kindergarten craftproject, can benefit frommak-ing a will. One of the mostimportant benefits of a welldrafted will is that it makesthings clearer and simpler forthe loved ones who will endup handling your affairs longafter you are gone.

Awill serves several differ-ent functions, including dictat-ing how assets will be distribut-ed upon death; controlling whowill administer the estate; andnaming an individual to takecare of minor children. If youdie without a will, state lawwilldecide these issues, and some-onewill have to post a bond to

administer your estate.TRUSTS: Like a measuring

tape, trusts decide how longassets will be held.When agrantor places an asset in trust,one party is given control overthe asset (the trustee), and oneormore parties receives theuse and benefit of the asset (thebeneficiary). The types of trustsaremany and varied, depend-ing on the purpose for placingthe assets in trust and the needsof the parties involved.

A trust can meet severalobjectives, including assistingbeneficiaries in the manage-ment of funds, centralizedmanagement of assets (espe-cially real property and miner-al interests), avoiding probatein other jurisdictions and pri-vacy from public records.

FINANCIAL POWER OFATTORNEY: Like needle nosepliers, this helps you reachthings you can’t. By signing afinancial power of attorney,one can avoid the lengthy andexpensive process of havinga court assign someone to acton the incapacitated person’sbehalf. A named agent actingon someone’s behalf can assistwith many activities, includ-

ing, but not limited to, payingbills, filing tax returns, sellingproperty and conducting busi-ness activities.

MEDICAL POWER OF ATTOR-NEY AND LIVING WILL: Like aflashlight, these help you seewhere to go when you are inthe dark. A medical powerof attorney (MPOA) enablesyou to choose who will makehealth care decisions whenyou are unable to do so your-self. A living will can be incor-porated into anMPOA, andit is a document in which youstate that you do not want yourlife to be artificially prolongedby extraordinary medical mea-sures if you enter a persistentvegetative state.

By using these tools listedabove, you and your advisorscan work together to build astrong estate plan. Buildinga well-stocked toolbox todaywill spare you and your lovedones unnecessary trouble andexpense down the road.

Audy M. Perry Jr. is a part-ner at Huddleston Bolen LLPand advises individuals onmatters involving their per-sonal wealth, including estateplanning, trusts, charitablegiving, business successionplanning, asset protection andreal estate matters.

Be prepared: Stock yourestate planning toolbox

Audy M.PERRY

By MARCY GORDONThe Associated Press

WASHINGTON—Oneinfourconsumers found an error in acredit report issued by a majoragency, according to a govern-ment study releasedMonday.

The Federal Trade Commis-sion study also said that 5 per-cent of the consumers identifiederrors in their reports that couldlead to them paying more formortgages, auto loans or otherfinancial products.

The study looked at reportsfor 1,001 consumers issued by thethree major agencies — Equifax,Experian and TransUnion. TheFTChiredresearcherstohelpcon-sumers identifypotential errors.

The study closelymatches theresultsof ayearlong investigationby The Columbus Dispatch. TheOhionewspaper’s report lastyearsaid that thousands of consum-erswere denied loans because of

errors on their credit reports.TheFTCsaysthefindingsunder-

line the importance of consumerschecking theircredit reports.

Consumers are entitled to afree copy of their credit reporteach year from each of the threereporting agencies.

The FTC study also foundthat 20 percent of consumershad an error that was correctedby a reporting agency after theconsumer disputed it. About10 percent of consumers hadtheir credit score changed aftera reporting agency correctederrors in their reports.

The Consumer Data IndustryAssociation,whichrepresents thecredit reportingagenciesandoth-er data companies, said the FTCstudyshowed that theproportionof credit reports with errors thatcould increase the rates consum-erswould paywas small.

The study confirmed “that

credit reports are highly accu-rate, and play a critical role infacilitating access to fair andaffordable consumer credit,” theassociation said in a statement.

The new U.S. ConsumerFinancial Protection Bureauhas the authority to write andenforce rules for the creditreporting industry. In Septem-ber the agency began ongoingmonitoring of the credit agen-cies’ compliance. It’s the firsttime they have faced such closefederal oversight.

TheCFPBhasn’t yet taken anypublic action against the agen-cies. However, it is acceptingcomplaints fromconsumerswhodiscover incorrect informationon their reports or have troublegettingmistakes corrected. Theagencies have 15 days to respondto the complaintswith a plan forfixing the problem; consumerscan dispute that response.

Study: 1 in 4 consumershad error in credit report

Ashley Kileywife, working mother to 2-year-old daughter Etta

Photos by Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Ashley Kiley completes a weekly meal plan at her home in Huntington.

Budgetsn Continued from 1D

By now, we’ve all seen thecute, funny TV ads featuringcollege-aged musicians sing-ing a catchy tune and advo-

cating the impor-tance of knowingthe informa-tion containedin your credit

report. They are correct instating that you have theright to obtain a free copyof your credit report. Andyes, knowing what’s in yourcredit report is truly impor-tant as it can affect manyfacets of your life.

The problem is that thereare many companies offer-ing free credit report accessthat, in fact, are not free.Let’s face it, is a $20-a-month monitoring fee reallyfree?

If you’re asking yourselfwhy the credit reportingagencies are so benevolentin offering the general publicfree access to their informa-tion, it’s because they’rebeing forced to do so. The

Fair Credit Reporting Act(FCRA) requires each of thenationwide consumer report-ing companies — Equifax,Experian and TransUnion— to provide you with a freecopy of your credit reportonce every 12 months. Theywill only provide this infor-mation if you request it.

The FCRA promotes theaccuracy and privacy ofinformation in the files ofthe aforementioned report-ing companies.

The Federal Trade Com-mission, the nation’s con-sumer protection agency,enforces the FCRA withrespect to consumer report-ing companies.

A credit report includesinformation on where youlive, how you pay your bills,if you’ve filed for bankrupt-cy protection or have anylegal or civil filings againstyou. The credit reportingcompanies sell the informa-tion in your report to credi-tors, insurers, employers andother businesses that usethe information to evaluateyour applications for credit,employment, renting a homeor obtaining insurance.

The three nationwide con-sumer reporting companieshave established a centralwebsite, a toll-free telephonenumber, and a mailing addressfrom which you can orderyour free credit report.

To order, visit www.annual-creditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. If you are not com-fortable using a computer orrequesting information overthe phone, you can requestan order form by writingto: Annual Credit ReportRequest Service, P.O. Box

105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Some of my clients preferto review their credit morefrequently than once a year.For that, I advise them toobtain a single credit reportfrom each credit reportingagency every few months.

For instance, I’ll tell themto obtain an Equifax reportin February, obtain onefrom Experian in June andone from TransUnion inOctober.

That way, they can moni-tor their credit report everyfour months while access-ing reports from eachagency once a year. Thecontact information foreach reporting company isas follows:

Equifax: 1-800-685-1111,www.equifax.com.

Experian: 1-800-397-3742;www.experian.com.

TransUnion: 1-800-888-4213; www.transunion.com.

If you prefer to order allthree credit reports at the

same time, also referred toas a tri-merge, rememberthat there is only one autho-rized website from whichyou can do this, www.annu-alcreditreport.com.

Other websites that claimto offer free credit reports,free credit scores, or freecredit monitoring are notpart of the legally mandatedfree annual credit reportprogram. Some impostersites use terms like “freereport” in their nameswhile others have URLsthat purposely misspellthe name of the website inhopes that you will incor-rectly type the name of theofficial site. Sadly, many ofthese false sites try to sellyou unnecessary servicesor attempt to collect yourpersonal information.

Annualcreditreport.comand the three nationwideconsumer reporting compa-nies will never send you anemail asking for your per-sonal information. Should

you receive an email, see apop-up advertisement or geta phone call from someoneclaiming to be from annual-creditreport.com or any ofthe three companies, do notreply or click on any of thelinks in their message.

More than likely, it’s ascam. You should reportany such email to the FTC atspam@uce.gov.

Obtaining your creditreport can be a great firststep in correcting any errorsyou feel may have been madein your name or in re-estab-lishing your good credit his-tory. Poor credit can not onlycost you a significant portionof your budgeted hard-earneddollars in the form of higherinterest rates, it can affectyour living standards, whereyou live, where you work andyour family’s future.

Ed Davis is coordinator ofthe Financial Stability Part-nership for United Way of theRiver Cities.

Truth discovered behind free credit report websites

EdDAVIS

By using these tools listedabove, you and your advi-sors can work together tobuild a strong estate plan.Building a well-stockedtoolbox today will spareyou and your loved onesunnecessary trouble andexpense down the road.

Metro Creative Graphics

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Progress 2013: Finance The Putnam Herald — Friday, March 15, 2013 3DQuestions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2776 www.putnamherald.com

TheHuntingtonAreaDevel-opmentCouncil(HADCO)isthelocalnonprofitorganiza-tiondedicated tocreatingand

retaining jobsinCabell andWaynecounties.HADCOhasbeen inexis-tence formorethan20yearsandhasworkedwithprivate

businesses, our city and countygovernments andour state andfederal representatives to createand retain thousands of jobs inour region.

EachyearHADCOvisits closeto 100 local businesses in orderto gauge the current economicclimate and to identify anyconcerns these businessesmayhave andways thatHADCOcan assist them. In the face ofa slowly recovering economy,area businesses are exhibitingcautious optimism about futuregrowth. Some industries con-tinue to face serious challenges,but by expanding product lines,looking at newmarkets (espe-cially foreign), and adding valueto existing product lines, busi-nesses are compensating forchanges in theirmarkets.

It is critical that businessesget the support they need fromgovernment, education and eco-nomic development agenciesif they are to be successful inthis challenging environment.One of the keys to this successis the availability of a qualityworkforce.Many businesseshave expressed the concern toHADCO that theywill not beable to find the employees theyneed to sustain or grow theirbusinesses.

One of the biggest concernsis drug abuse. Recently, a localbusiness recounted that it lost agood long-term employee due toa failed randomdrug test. Thecompany has lost a lifetime ofexperience and productivity.The employeemay have lostthe ability to ever obtain a goodpaying job, at least in that field.More companies are utilizingdrug testing andmore appli-cants are failing them.

Businesses also have told usthat it often takes ten applicantsto find one employee.Manyapplicants do not continue theapplication processwhen tolda drug test is involved. Otherswill take the test and fail. Of theremaining applicants, some failthe skills test, do not report towork if hired, or leave after ashort time.

This is a serious challengefor business and job growth.We need a drug freeworkforce.Huntington is bynomeansalone in this challenge, but to theextentwemeet andovercomethis challenge,we significantlystrengthen our economic posi-tion in relation to other com-munities. Fortunately there area number of excellent treatmentoptions in our area includingPrestera, River ParkHospital,andTheHealing Place of Hun-tington. In addition, REACHWV is a referral office thatassists those navigating thepavth to recovery.

Another critical issue for localbusiness isworkforce readiness.Last yearHADCOconducted asurvey of area businesses.Weasked them to rate the impor-tance of certain attributes thata business looks for in a goodemployee.We then asked themhow job applicantsmatchedupwith those attributes. Hereare some of the results: criticalthinking/problem solving, 97percent of employers consid-ered this importantwith 41 per-cent of applicantsmatching thatattribute; oral communicationswas 100 percent and 58 percent;teamwork/collaborationwas100 percent and 61 percent; andprofessionalism/work ethicwas100 percent and 68 percent.

This is the gap that localemployers see betweenwhatthey need in aworkforce andhow they perceive thework-force. These are the skills thatemployees of these businessesneed to be successful. Themes-sage thatwe need to conveyis that if youwant to be on asuccessful career path, theseare the skills thatwill help youattain that success. Fortunately,our area educational institu-

tions andWorkforceWestVirginia continue to integratethis message into their curricu-lums. They are also developingspecific curriculum that covera number of skills that willhelp students to be ready toenter the workforce.

Our newworkforce alsohas to be more engaged andstrategic as it prepares forthe work place. A high schooleducation is the starting pointfor any career, but it will notbe enough for most skilledand better paying jobs. Busi-nesses want skilled workers.And skilled doesn’t necessarilymean a 2 or 4 year degree orMasters Degree; it may meanwhat is often referred to as “12plus.” In other words you needsomething beyond high schoolto be successful, but it may bea certification, special train-ing, licensing, or an internship.More andmore of these 12 plusalternatives are being offered,but our workforce has to besmart about getting the righttraining so that it is attractiveto industry and at the sametime does not incur anymoredebt than it can practicallyrepay.

Workforce readiness isnot the only challenge facinglocal businesses and poten-tial employees, but it is onethat we can address locally.Workforce readiness meansgood paying jobs,whichmeansa healthier economy.MarshallUniversity,MountwestCom-munity andTechnicalCollege,TheRobertC. Byrd Institute,Huntington JuniorCollege ofBusiness,WorkforceWV,ourpublic schools andothersareallstriving toprovideameaningfuleducational experience to stu-dents.Butweneed tocontinue tochallengeourselvesandstudentstocreateaqualityworkforce. Itdoesn’t justbenefit theemployersandemployees, it strengthensourentirecommunity.

Stephen Zoeller is vice presi-dent and Stephen J. Golder ischairman of executive committeefor the Huntington Area Develop-ment Council.

Businesses face manyworkforce challenges

StephenZOELLER

Being the newest economicdevelopment person in theregion, I’d first like to saythanks to all who’vemademefeel so verywelcomed. As I’vediscussed “regional economicdevelopment”with others onething is clear, we all want thisregion to thrive.We all wantthis region to be prosperousand provide livelihoods for ourchildren and grandchildren.

Another thing I’ve learned isthis “regional economic devel-opment” is no new idea. Thereare people in placewho’ve beenworking toward this cause formany years. I’ve said, as haveothers, this effort is not onewecan just “work at,” we have tobe successful at “regionalism.”The people in ourTri-Stateregion deserve the benefits ofthis successful effort.

Why spend time and energytomake “regionalism”work?

First, because ourTri-Statecitizenry lives thisway already.There are countless people

that live in one state, work inanother state and shop and goto restaurants in the third state.We are “living” regionallytoday. Inmy view,we just needto tweak howwe’re “selling”ourselves tomore accuratelyreflect thewaywe live in theTri-State region. This is whatcompanies considering ourregionwant too. Theywantto know the “real” popula-tion, the “real” labormarket,the “real” quality of life beingenjoyed by our region. And thefact is, though our organiza-tionmay only be representingBoyd and Greenup countiesour attributes are regional(what we should be “selling”

are regional attributes), thesame goes for Scioto and Law-rence counties and alsoWayneand Cabell counties. Our realstrength, what we should beselling, is the “combination ofattributes” from these countiesand the counties that surroundthese counties.

Second, the strength in “sell-ing” ourselves and “coordinat-ing” ourselves as at Tri-Stateregion is “political multiplica-tion.”We gain, up and downthe line, our political strength“times three.” As a region,we can literally “activate” thegovernors and our congressio-nal delegations from all threestates.We can have commis-sioners andmayorsworkinghand-in-hand, across statelines.Will this be easy? Prob-ably not.Will there be issuesthat separate us? Probably so.Will it beworth the trouble?Absolutely. Functioning as

Residents deserve benefitsof regionalism success

BillHANNAH

Stephen J.GOLDER

Please see SUCCESS/4D

C M Y K 50 inch

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Caring forChildren 6weeks of age to Pre-KSummer in the SonProgramBeginning June 3Caring for children 6weeks through fifth grade

Safe clean environmentSecurity cameras recently installed on all entrances to FBA

· Fully licensed byWVDHHR, FireMarshal, andHealthDepartment· Always two teacherswith children· CreativeCurriculum, same as that adopted byPutnamCounty Schools· Fire drills, shelter in place, intruder drills practiced regularly· 30minutes PE eachday, healthy food for snacks and lunches,

homemade chickennuggets, fish sticks, whole grains served;low fat cheeses andmilk; oven roasted chicken and turkey

· Christian environment; Bible lessons; character development· Two approvedplaygrounds· Biannual licensing reviewbyWVChildCare provided an excellent review· Highly experienced teachers arewell prepared as classroom instructors· Lovingnurturing care given to all children· Equal opportunity provided to all.

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Progress 2013: Finance4D The Putnam Herald — Friday, March 15, 2013 Questions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2776 www.putnamherald.com

the Tri-State, wewill also haveaccess tomanymore federaldollars for our “region” than ifwe each pursue these dollarson our own. And the “politicalmultiplication” comes in thisway. As we work together,politically and otherwise, ourstrength and our presencewill grow exponentially, oursuccesses will feed other suc-cesses.

Third, and maybe the mostimportant reason, as ourregion thrives, each “stateregion” in the Tri-State regionwill also thrive. The ideathat we should “protect” eachof our areas (our part of theTri-State) to ensure we “win”even at the expense of anotherpart of the Tri-State, just hasnot worked. The numbersbear this out. We have eachsuffered, for different reasons,within each of our states aswe all attempt to attract newjobs to our region. The time

to decide whether we shouldwork together or not has longpast. We honestly can’t affordnot to work together.

Over the past few monthsI’ve enjoyed getting to knowmy associates in Ohio andWest Virginia.We all wantsuccess for our region. I lookforward to joining handsacross our Tri-State regionwith all willing to take up thiswork.

Bill Hannah is president ofthe Ashland Alliance.

Successn Continued from 3D

Mark Webb/The Herald-Dispatch

Marshall’s Andrew Ferguson drives the ball past Bryan Celis of Kentucky during a soccer match Oct. 17, 2012, at Hurricane High School.

By Grant traylorThe Herald-Dispatch

In 2012, the college sportslandscape was rocked by con-ference realignment, which cen-tered around televisionpackagesand power conferences.

While Marshall Universitystayedhome inConferenceUSA,the makeup of the conferencechangeddramatically.

In all, Conference USA lostsix members — four in 2013and two in 2014 — while gain-ing eight total members for allsports except football, whichadds six for 2013 and the othertwo programs in the next twoyears as their football programsget established.

The impact of the realign-ment will have several effectsonMarshall University, but oneof the most noted effects willbe the cost-effectiveness of thenew league.

In terms of football, thoseexiting the league are Houston,University of Central Florida,Southern Methodist Universityand Memphis for 2013 and EastCarolinaUniversity and Tulanein 2014.

Coming into the league areFlorida InternationalUniversity(FIU), Florida Atlantic Univer-sity (FAU), Middle Tennessee,Louisiana Tech, University ofTexas at San Antonio (UTSA),North Texas for 2013 and OldDominion (ODU) andCharlotteover the next two years. BothOld Dominion and Charlottewill join for all other sportsthis year.

“ConferenceUSA has becomea more regional conference forMarshall University with theaddition of schools like MiddleTennessee, Charlotte and OldDominion,” Marshall athleticdirector Mike Hamrick said.“This is a more regional confer-ence for us and it’s one that is

fan-friendly as well. It’ll becomemore cost-effective to travel tosomeof theseplaces.”

When the conference realign-ment began, everyonewonderedwhereMarshall may end up dueto the ever-changing conferencestructures.

All along, Hamrick said hewas content inConferenceUSA,and now, it has become clearwhy.

In the old Conference USA,the Herd’s closest trip was aseven-hour drive to rival EastCarolina. With the new align-ment of C-USA, Marshall willhave driveable trips to MiddleTennessee (fivehours),Charlotte(five hours) and Old Dominion(seven hours).

Also, adding Florida-basedteams FIU and FAU makes forcheaper travel on flights as wellwith several options available.

Those benefits and savingscould add up quickly and helpenhance Marshall athletics, aswell.

According to David Steele,Marshall associate athleticdirector for administration andbusiness, Marshall’s total teamtravel for the 2011-12 sports yearwas $2,857,000, which includedthe 2011 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl inSt. Petersburg, Fla.

With some expensive tripsbeing taken off of the Marshallbooks, there is the potential forlong-term saving with the newalignment of Conference USA.

That is something Hamricksaid he was hoping for, but wasnot sure because there has notbeen a cycle through the newalignment, yet.

If there are savings, Hamricksaid themoneywill instantly beput back into enhancing athleticsfor the Thundering Herd.

“Any savings that we have ontravel we can invest back intoour program in many different

areas, suchas recruitingbudgets,equipmentupgrades, salaries andother things,” Hamrick said.

Whilemuchof the emphasis ison football and how it is affect-ed, the biggest aid will come toOlympic sports, who travel justas much if not more than themajor sports without bringingin the revenue of football andbasketball.

Of the $2.85million thatMar-shall spent on travel in 2011-12,$1.11 million of it were onOlym-pic sports at Marshall, whichincludes all sports except foot-ball, men’s basketball andwom-en’s basketball.

The large amounts of travelcombined with a smaller fol-lowing for the Olympic sportsresulted in a significant amountof financial loss in comparisonsof revenue-to-expense.

Comparatively speaking,the $1.11 million in 2011-12 isnearly double the numbers ofthe pre-Conference USA dayswhen Marshall was in the Mid-American Conference.

The Indianapolis Star releasedtheNCAA’s financial reports onits website for the 2004-05 year,and during that final year in theMAC, Marshall spent $569,480on travel for Olympic sports.

While it is not likely to everget back to that level due to risesin travel costs nationally (gaso-line, airfare, etc.), the regional-ization of Conference USA willhelp trim the numbers.

For many of the future tripsin Conference USA, Olympicsports will likely be able to bustomore events instead of flying,which will cut costs consider-ably.

There is also speculation thatWestern Kentucky could joinConference USA, which wouldonly bolster the regionalizationof a once wide-spread confer-ence.

Additions of eastern-based schools cost-effective for Thundering Herd

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OPENHOUSE

March 28th at 7pm

All too often, I receive aphone call from someone whohas fallen for a debt settle-ment advertisement or tele-marketing call and realizedlater that they have made ahuge mistake. Debt settlementand debt management are twovery different programs andconsumers must be very care-ful when seeking help withdebt.

A debt management pro-gram, or DMP, is designed tohelp consumers pay off all oftheir debt at lower interestrates and one fixed, monthlypayment made to an agencythat, on their behalf, payseach creditor every month.The program is designed toeliminate the debt within athree-to-five-year period.

Consumers should choosean agency that is a nonprofit,has certified counselors andis accredited. The counselorshould offer budget advice aswell as a review of your creditreport and be available to youthroughout the length of theDMP to answer questions andoffer advice.

The accounts are closedwhen the proposals areaccepted by the creditor, anylate or over-limit fees thatmay be accruing are stoppedand the interest is lowered inmost cases. The creditors willbe paid each and every monthat the same time each monthwith the deposit made bythe consumer. Sometimes, a

nominal monthly fee will beincluded with the payment;however, based on budget andcircumstances, that fee can belowered or waived.

When the DMP is complet-ed, the credit report will showthat the account is paid in fullwhich is more favorable withlenders than having “debtsettled” on the report.

Debt settlement is verydifferent. A debt settlementagency will set up a paymentplan for you, but your moneywill be set aside until 20-50percent of your debt amounthas built up. They may alsocharge a large fee rangingfrom $500-$3000 up front,which could be held out ofyour initial payments.

In the meantime, youraccounts are not being paidand are being reported to thecredit bureau as delinquentand those delinquencies stayon your credit report forseven years. If the accountfalls severely past due, yourun the risk of being sued bythe creditor.

One client had this hap-pen and when she called theagency, she was told that they

couldn’t help her and that sheshould have been aware thatthis could happen because itwas written into her contract.If you are sued and receivea judgment against you, thatbecomes public record andwill be on your credit reportfor 10 years.

Another issue that likelywon’t be discussed but hid-den in the fine print is that ifthe amount of debt forgivenis greater than $600, it isreported to the IRS whichconsiders the forgiven debt asincome. The consumer willreceive a 1099 form showingthe amount of forgiven debtwhich then must be claimedas income and could possiblycause you to owe taxes.

The worst thing you can dois to do nothing. Be proactivewith regard to your financialwell-being. Ignoring it willnot make it go away and don’tfall for debt settlement prom-ises.

Make that first step towardfinancial security and contactus today. We are ConsumerCredit Counseling Service, adivision of Goodwill Indus-tries, Inc. We are located inHuntington and serve theentire Tri-State. Contact usat 304-522-4321 or visit www.goodwillhunting.org.

Angela Roach is programmanager for Consumer CreditCounseling Service, a divisionof Goodwill Industries, Inc.

Don’t settle when it comes to debt

AngelaROACH

A debt man-agement pro-gram, or DMP,is designed tohelp consum-ers pay off allof their debt atlower interestrates and onefixed, monthlypayment madeto an agencythat, on theirbehalf, payseach creditorevery month.

Metro CreativeGraphics

Progress 2013: Finance The Putnam Herald — Friday, March 15, 2013 5DQuestions? Call the newsroom at 304-526-2776 www.putnamherald.com

C M Y K 50 inch

6D The Putnam Herald — Friday, March 15, 2013