EMT City Administrator

By Laurence Hammack, The Roanoke Times, Va. Feb. 19--Prosecutors cannot seize the ambulances and other property of a Southwest Virginia volunteer rescue squad after its acquittal on charges of health care fraud, a federal judge has ruled. Such an effort "would seem to run counter to the interests of justice," U.S. District Judge James Jones wrote in denying an effort by the government to forfeit assets of the Saltville Rescue Squad. The small-town rescue squad and its president, Eddie Louthian Sr., had been charged with cheating Medicare and a private insurance company out of nearly $1 million by using ambulances to repeatedly transport three patients to and from dialysis treatment without a legitimate medical reason. To do that, prosecutors claimed, Louthian and other rescue squad members fabricated billing statements to make it appear the patients were bedridden and in need of an ambulance, when in fact they were capable of making the half-hour trip to a dialysis center on their own. The case is just one in a larger effort to crack down on health care fraud in Western Virginia and beyond. In September, a jury in U.S. District Court in Abingdon convicted Louthian of health care fraud but acquitted the rescue squad of similar charges. Prosecutors nonetheless argued that the organization's assets were proceeds of the crime and thus subject to forfeiture. In an opinion posted Monday, Jones approved a monetary judgment against Louthian for $907,521, the total amount illegally billed to Medicare and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. But the judge rejected an attempt by prosecutors to take four ambulances and other rescue squad property in which Louthian had no financial interest. "It is noteworthy that all of the property the government seeks to forfeit is owned by the Rescue Squad, which was acquitted of all charges," Jones wrote. However, his ruling turned on a finer point of the law: the government's inability to show that the items it sought to forfeit could be traced to Louthian's fraud. Because a rescue squad savings account used to buy the ambulances contained some legitimate funds, "there is no reliable way of knowing whether the assets were purchased with the fraud proceeds rather than with the untainted money," Jones wrote. Prosecutors have argued that other members of the rescue squad submitted false billing records. The Medicare reimbursements were then used to purchase land and equipment for the squad, they argued. "While the squad was acquitted of criminal wrongdoing, such does not entitle it to retain a windfall of over $900,000, comprised largely of taxpayer money," special Assistant U.S. Attorney Janine Myatt wrote in legal papers detailing the government's case. Louthian's attorney, Michael Khouri, had earlier voiced concerns that the prosecution could put the rescue squad out of business. Khouri and a second attorney representing the rescue squad could not be reached for comment Monday. Louthian is awaiting sentencing and faces up to 45 years in prison. The case is part of a larger effort to recover money lost to health care fraud, which amounts to between 3 percent and 10 percent of total health care expenses annually, according to the FBI. The cost of health care nationally was an estimated $2.4 trillion in 2012. ___ ©2013 The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Va.) Visit The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Va.) at www.roanoke.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

By Kevin Canfield, Tulsa World, Okla. Feb. 15-- EMSA CEO Steve Williamson defended his organization's response times Thursday, telling city councilors that citizens of Tulsa have a world-class ambulance service. "There are always going to be some (calls) that will not be within the response time," Williamson said. "To keep that from happening you would have to overstaff by 150, 135 percent to meet all demand regardless of the blips in service levels." Williamson said no city in the country could afford to do that. "We do everything possible. That is why they are reaching the response time standard of over 90 percent," he said. Williamson was invited to speak at the councilors' Thursday afternoon committee meeting by Councilor Karen Gilbert, who said her constituents' No. 1 complaint about EMSA's service is delayed responses. The Tulsa World reported on Thursday that EMSA's figures show that ambulances were delayed in responding to at least 80 calls so far this year. An earlier report indicated that ambulances were delayed to calls involving heart attacks, breathing problems, car accidents, seizures, suicide attempts and other serious medical conditions, according to records. But Williamson told Gilbert that "there aren't delayed response times." He said that under EMSA's contract with the city, EMSA is required to meet 90 percent of Priority 1 calls within 8 minutes and 59 seconds and that that standard is being met. The reported delayed calls "are all under the 10 percent that is allowed under the contract," Williamson said. He noted that Paramedics Plus, which EMSA pays to provide ambulance service, has never gone "into breach" of agreement for failing to meet the response-time standards set out in its agreement. He also noted that EMSA's dispatch center is one of 150 or so that have received international accreditation. That, Williamson said, speaks to the fact that "they are asking the right questions and directing the ambulance to the most critical care first." Fire Chief Ray Driskell has said previously that he has been working with Williamson to obtain better data and information from EMSA. On Thursday, Williamson described a positive relationship between EMSA and the Fire Department. He said he met recently with the fire chief to clarify information transmitted over dispatch screens and said EMSA is going to purchase another screen to track ambulances' locations. "We have done things to the tune of $8 million we have paid, including their CAD (computer automated design) system, so we can communicate better," Williamson said. The CAD system, which cost more than $500,000 and was purchased by EMSA at least a year ago, has not been installed because the city has had problems with the vendor who would install it, City Manager Jim Twombly told councilors. "We had scheduled implementation for last fall, and we had scheduled another implementation for March, and both of those were delayed," Twombly said. Once installed, the CAD system would allow police, firefighters and EMSA to see the same thing at the same time, Twombly said. Gilbert called the delay "insane" and said the residents of Tulsa deserve better. Williamson said residents always deserve better but that as the intricacies of the EMSA system are discussed it is important for residents to know that the service is "world-class in clinical response, response time, reliability and outcome." Councilor Phil Lakin, who is also an EMSA trustee, pulled up EMSA's website on his computer during Thursday's discussion and encouraged residents to do the same. He noted, for example, that in December 91 percent of Priority 1 calls were responded to within the required time and 97 percent of Priority 2 calls were responded to within the required time. "The (EMSA) board spends a lot of time looking at this and monitoring it," he said. ___ ©2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) Visit Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) at www.tulsaworld.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

By Laura Italiano Some two dozen angry uniformed city emergency workers packed a Manhattan courtroom yesterday as a Brooklyn prosecutor took a no- jail plea for drunkenly assaulting a female EMT who was just trying to help him. "I have no memory of that night . . . no memory of being in the ambulance," Assistant District Attorney Michael Jaccarino, 30, told a judge as he took his plea, which his lawyer said will result in his being fired from the Brooklyn DA's Office. "That's what makes this so difficult," he told Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa Crane, who ordered him to serve 10 days' community service and complete an alcohol program over the next six months. "That being said," Jaccarino continued, "I am accepting full responsibility. It's not going to happen again." He added, "I feel absolutely horrible and devastated by what happened." The victim, Teresa Soler, 46, of Yonkers, had told cops that Jaccarino was so violent that night, as he was picked up stumbling drunk on the Brooklyn Bridge, that she thought she was going to die as he jammed his forearm into her throat trying to escape from the moving ambulance. Emergency workers had hoped for felony charges, none less so than Soler herself, who said the assault will have a lasting effect on EMTs' confidence in the judicial system's ability to protect them as they treat belligerent drunks in the future. She also didn't buy Jaccarino's courtroom display of remorse. "I'm not buying it. It didn't look sincere; it didn't sound sincere," Soler said outside court. "He's been an upright citizen 20 years? So have I. Where is my justice?" Jaccarino is an embarrassment to the legal system, she said. But prosecutors said the misdemeanor disposition was arrived at after a lengthy, detailed investigation - involving interviews with police witnesses, the victim's partner, the victim herself, and bartenders who had served Jaccarino that night. Prosecutor Sherita Walton told the judge her office's investigation "revealed that the defendant was intoxicated to such an extent that it would be difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he acted intentionally, which is required to sustain the instant felony charge." Prosecutors took into account Jaccarino's clean record, she said. "He is paying the price. He is no longer going to be an assistant district attorney, I can assure everyone in this courtroom of that," Jaccarino's lawyer, Gary Farrell, said. The Brooklyn DA's Office would not confirm it had taken action beyond suspending the prosecutor. laura.italiano@nypost.com Originally published by Laura Italiano. © 2013 The New York Post. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

By Tim Chitwood and Mike Owen, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Feb. 13--About 10 investigators with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and local district attorney's office descended Tuesday on the Columbus Department of Fire & Emergency Medical Services administrative office, interviewing commanders and collecting boxes of fire department records to pore over. GBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne Smith said his agents were probing how the department handles documents, some related to a February 2010 home day care fire that injured four children, one fatally. Smith said the GBI investigation was initiated at the request of Julia Slater, district attorney of the six-county Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit that includes Columbus. Slater in a statement said she sought the GBI's assistance "after receiving information indicating that department employees may have committed criminal acts involving the creation, maintenance and accuracy of official reports and documents." Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson said there have been no personnel changes. "The investigation is ongoing," Tomlinson said. "I can't speculate as to its findings, if any, and therefore I can't speculate as to the need for any action by the city." Smith said investigators with a search warrant talked to about a dozen fire department workers and collected about two boxes of documents Tuesday. No arrests were made and no agents questioned had to be advised of his or her rights before talking with investigators, Smith said. Slater in her statement said the agents were "conducting interviews with specific department employees and members of the command staff. ... The search and interviews are part of an ongoing effort to establish what occurred and if criminal conduct was involved." Smith and others close to the probe confirmed agents were examining some documents related to a Feb. 26, 2010, blaze that began in a carport and quickly spread into a home at 5629 Mill Branch Road, where resident Rochell J. Jefferson ran a home day care. Two adults and nine children were inside around 1:30 p.m. that Friday when the fire spread from the carport into the house. Four children were injured, and one of them, 23-month-old Michael Duvard Jr., died the next day at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Ga. The fire prompted multiple investigations by state regulators, insurance companies and the fire department, which launched an internal probe when one of the first firefighters to arrive on the scene later complained that his engine company was two short of a full complement of five firefighters, and one of the men backing him up did not come into the burning house to help when called for. A fire department report detailed the confusion authorities responding to the blaze faced. They said Jefferson told them she had eight children to care for that day when in fact nine had been in the house. At least one child was rescued by a neighbor, who went in through a rear bedroom window. The first firefighter to rush in found the ceiling collapsing in the home's front living room and saw a child lying on the floor. He rescued that child as other firefighters then arriving found two more who were still inside, according to the report. The last child to be pulled from the house was in a bedroom where the burning roof had collapsed. The boy was in a baby car seat, and much of his clothing had burned off, firefighters reported. Chief Thomas Streeter, who was the fire marshal at the time, said the child had first- and second-degree burns over 80 percent to 85 percent of his body. The other three injured children -- all infants -- suffered smoke inhalation, and one had first- and second-degree burns on 20 percent of his body, Streeter said. Investigators believed the fire started in a carport shed where flammable materials such as paint and gasoline had been stored near a hot water heater. The carport blaze also destroyed two vehicles, a 2004 Ford Expedition and a 2001 Dodge pickup. State regulators later said the home day care was supposed to have had only six children from paying clients, not nine. Smith, the GBI agent heading the fire department investigation the district attorney requested, said Tuesday that the day care fire was just one of several issues for which authorities sought paperwork from the department. After agents left his office, Fire Chief Jeff Meyer told reporters the probe ultimately will benefit the department by proving its record keeping is accurate and properly maintained. "In a way, it's just another way to validate what we do in the department," he said. "Over the past four or five years, we've probably been the most scrutinized department in city government, if not one of the most scrutinized." He said his workers are cooperating with investigators and expect no wrongdoing will be uncovered. "I am confident that the truth will come out, in the end," he said. ___ ©2013 the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, Ga.) Visit the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Columbus, Ga.) at www.ledger-enquirer.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

By Clay Bailey The Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen, citing economic uncertainties, on Monday night rejected the latest plans for the suburb to provide in-house ambulance service. The rejection came on a 3-2 vote with Aldermen Forrest Owens and Rocky Janda, both elected last November, joining Alderman Mike Palazzolo in opposing a policy change that would have cleared the way for the city to start the service July 1. I think I speak probably for Alderman Janda and myself, (I hoped we would have) a moratorium or just a couple of months before we had to make these really gut-wrenching decisions, Owens said in explaining his reasons for opposing the concept. Aldermen John Drinnon and Greg Marcom voted in favor of the policy. The defeat of that measure led Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy's administration to ask for a delay on a companion agenda item rejecting bids from private contractors to provide the service in the suburb. City Administrator Patrick Lawton said the administration would look at the private bids and consider continuing under the county contract with Rural/Metro. He said it was too early to determine which option is the best route. The city will need to make a decision soon in order to prepare for the upcoming fiscal year budget that begins July 1. A new county ambulance contract also will begin that day. Fire Chief John Selberg, who had worked on studies to convince the board that in-house service was the best option, was visibly bothered by the rejection, but declined comment on the vote. Germantown has looked many times at doing ambulance service in- house since at least 1992. The current county contract with Rural/ Metro expires June 30. All of the suburbs -- except Bartlett, which has its own ambulances -- are served by Rural/Metro. The individual cities pay their share of the contract based on the number of calls answered in their boundaries. Under the current contract, Germantown pays about $477,000 annually. The city's study showed costs could run about $1.5 million annually in the fiscal year beginning in July, and the city would need to spend more than $600,000 in start-up costs, most of that expense in the purchase of four ambulances. Originally published by Clay Bailey bailey@yourappeal.com 901-529-2393 . © 2013 Commercial Appeal, The. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

By Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News, Maine Feb. 11--EAST MILLINOCKET, Maine -- Town leaders will present their plan for extending their ambulance service into Lincoln to the Lincoln Town Council in Lincoln at 6 p.m. Monday, officials said. The East Millinocket Board of Selectmen will discuss the budget of the town's Fire Department, which so far does not include the Lincoln proposal, at a meeting at the East Millinocket town office 4 p.m.-5:15 p.m., board Chairman Clint Linscott said. Linscott said he and some other selectmen will then attend Lincoln's meeting to hear East Millinocket Fire Chief Les Brown's presentation. "We have given it to Les and when he has all his final stuff together, that's when we [selectmen] will review it," Linscott said Monday. "He has proven successful so we have allowed him to [do] what he needs to do." Penobscot Valley Hospital CEO David Shannon has said that the Lincoln hospital is considering leaving the ambulance business because of a lack of profit. It handles most of the emergency and patient transfer calls in the Lincoln Lakes region, he has said. Under Brown's proposal, East Millinocket Fire Department workers would partner with Lincoln to replace PVH's service. East Millinocket would carry all expenses and oversee the program, Lincoln interim Town Manager William Lawrence has said. Brown requests space for two ambulances at the Lincoln Public Safety building. Lincoln firefighters would drive the ambulance for in-town emergencies and transports, Lawrence said. East Millinocket would pay the overtime expenses to call in a Lincoln firefighter to cover for the on-staff engineer during ambulance calls or emergencies, Lawrence said. Lincoln expects to make $90,000 in revenue annually based upon an estimated 1,200 emergencies and patient transports, Lawrence said. East Millinocket also would handle service billing, paramedic or EMT ambulance staffing and payroll. Brown has declined to discuss how much East Millinocket's revenue would increase under the proposal, deferring comment on the matter to Monday night. Linscott has said he is unaware of the particulars of Brown's plan. Under Brown's leadership, East Millinocket's service has grown from one to six ambulances serving northern Penobscot County. ___ ©2013 the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) Visit the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) at www.bangordailynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

By Matt Lloyd; Anuji Varma A PARAMEDIC has been hailed a hero after helping rescue a woman from a burning Birmingham bungalow. Danielle Prosser, aged 25, had been called out to Sunderton Road, in Kings Heath, on Saturday after reports of someone having a cardiac arrest. But she discovered smoke inside the fire-hit property, where a woman in her 50s was unconscious and suffering burns. She said: "I wasn't told anything (about a fire) so to walk in and see a lady burnt and struggling for life was a shock. I knew I needed to intervene, but I knew I needed to get her out first." Danielle dragged the woman to safety with the help of her husband, who had also been burned. The paramedic then began medical treatment until ambulance and fire service colleagues arrived moments later. "I just acted on instinct," said modest Danielle, from Solihull. The woman was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with serious burns. Her husband had burns to his hands and was suffering from smoke inhalation. James Williams, the Paramedic Area Support Officer who attended the incident, said: "We are very proud of Danielle, risking her own life to save others." Originally published by By Matt Lloyd and Anuji Varma. © 2013 Evening Mail; Birmingham (UK). Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

By Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News, Maine Feb. 09--LINCOLN, Maine -- Town leaders will hold a special meeting next week to consider a plan to start an ambulance service that would generate $90,000 in annual revenue for the town, interim Town Manager William Lawrence said Friday. The town would carry no cost for the service and put the revenue into a Lincoln Fire Department reserve account to offset wages and purchases of equipment, Lawrence said in a statement. The Town Council will review the plan at 6 p.m. Monday. Lawrence said he hoped councilors will approve it. "It's a good plan," he said Friday. Penobscot Valley Hospital CEO David Shannon has said that the Lincoln hospital is considering leaving the ambulance business because of a lack of profit. It handles most of the emergency and patient transfer calls in the Lincoln Lakes region, he has said. East Millinocket Fire Department workers would partner with Lincoln to replace PVH's service. East Millinocket would carry all expenses and oversee the program, Lawrence said. East Millinocket Fire Chief Les Brown requests space for two ambulances at the Lincoln Public Safety building. Lincoln firefighters would drive the ambulance for in-town emergencies and transports, Lawrence said. East Millinocket would pay the overtime expenses to call in a Lincoln firefighter to cover for the on-staff engineer during ambulance calls or emergencies, Lawrence said. Brown said he would speak about the matter on Monday. East Millinocket Board of Selectmen Chairman Clint Linscott declined to comment on the plan, referring comment to Brown. Shannon said Friday he was "waiting to see what happens" between East Millinocket and Lincoln before commenting. The $90,000 figure is based upon an estimated 1,200 emergencies and patient transports, Lawrence said. East Millinocket also would handle service billing, paramedic or EMT ambulance staffing and payroll. Under Brown's leadership, East Millinocket's service has grown from one to six ambulances serving northern Penobscot County. ___ ©2013 the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) Visit the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) at www.bangordailynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

TORONTO, Feb. 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SMTC Corporation (Nasdaq:SMTX) ("SMTC"), a global electronics manufacturing services provider, today announced it has received the 2013 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Growth Leadership in the Electronics Manufacturing Service (EMS) Industry. Based on its recent analysis of the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) market, Frost & Sullivan have recognized SMTC Corporation with the 2013 North America Award for Growth Leadership. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that demonstrates excellence in capturing the highest annual compound growth rate for the past three years. "SMTC offers cost optimization benefits without compromising quality and delivery performance for its wide customer base," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Lavanya Rammohan. "The company also partners with customers to not just provide manufacturing, but also engineering and design solutions as well, thereby tightening integration and long-term relationships." "We are pleased to have our growth recognized by Frost and Sullivan," stated Claude Germain, co-Chief Executive Officer at SMTC. "Two of our strategic objectives are related to delivering profitable top line growth -- generating new account revenues from Business Development, and growing revenues from existing accounts via Account Management. Combined, these strategic initiatives are aiming to deliver, over the long term, 10% year over year organic revenue growth. As part of this effort, we continue to target midmarket international OEM's, especially in the industrial, telecom and computing industries." Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry. Visit SMTC to read the Frost & Sullivan Analyst report http://www.smtc.com/en/aboutsmtc/companyachievement/achievement.aspx About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. Our "Growth Partnership" supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure. The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation. The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies? Contact Us: Start the discussion Join Us: Join our community Subscribe: Newsletter on "the next big thing" Register: Gain access to visionary innovation Contact: Mireya Espinoza P: 210. 247.3870 F: 210.348.1003 E: mireya.espinoza@frost.com About SMTC Corporation: SMTC Corporation, founded in 1985, is a mid-size provider of end-to-end electronics manufacturing services (EMS) including PCBA production, systems integration and comprehensive testing services, enclosure fabrication, as well as product design, sustaining engineering and supply chain management services. SMTC facilities span a broad footprint in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and China, with more than 2,300 employees. SMTC services extend over the entire electronic product life cycle from the development and introduction of new products through to the growth, maturity and end-of-life phases. SMTC offers fully integrated contract manufacturing services with a distinctive approach to global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and emerging technology companies primarily within industrial, computing and communication market segments. SMTC was recognized in 2012 by Frost & Sullivan with the Global EMS Award for Product Quality Leadership and 2013 with the North American Growth Leadership Award in the EMS industry. SMTC is a public company incorporated in Delaware with its shares traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol SMTX. For further information on SMTC Corporation, please visit our website at www.smtc.com. The SMTC Corporation logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=9800 Note for Investors: The statements contained in this release that are not purely historical, including our expectations regarding continued revenue and earnings growth in 2013, are forward-looking statements which involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by their use of forward looking terminology such as "believes", "expect", "may", "should", "would", "will", "intends", "plans", "estimates", "anticipates" and similar words, and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectations, intentions or strategies of SMTC Corporation. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ from forward-looking statements include the challenges of managing quickly expanding operations and integrating acquired companies, fluctuations in demand for customers' products and changes in customers' product sources, competition in the EMS industry, component shortages, and others discussed in the Company's most recent filings with securities regulators in the United States and Canada. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com CONTACT: Investor Relations Information: Claude Germain President and Chief Executive Officer Telephone: (905) 413.1272 Email: investorrelations@smtc.com or John Nesbett/Jennifer Belodeau Institutional Marketing Services (IMS) Telephone: (203) 972-9200 Email: jnesbett@institutionalms.com Public Relations Information: Tom Reilly Director of Marketing Telephone: (905) 413.1188 Email: publicrelations@smtc.com A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

By ADRIAN RUTHERFORD; LISA SMYTH PROPOSALS to radically change organ donation policy in Northern Ireland by introducing a presumed consent system will save lives, it has been claimed. Health Minister Edwin Poots yesterday unveiled plans to switch to an opt-out model, where organs can be harvested from anyone who hasn't registered an objection. The move, which would bring Northern Ireland into line with other European countries, is aimed at increasing the number of donated organs. It follows a high-profile campaign fronted by Joe Brolly, who has pressed for a change in legislation since he donated a kidney to a friend last year. Yesterday the former Derry GAA star said he was convinced the move would save lives. "This is going to work and it's going to make a massive difference to people's lives," he said. However, a transplant expert said an opt-out system may not make a tangible difference because the plans would still give bereaved relatives an effective veto over donation. Lynne Holt, a transplant co-ordinator at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, said almost half of relatives object to organs being removed. "If there is any change to the system being introduced, but we still plan to take consent from the next-of-kin, I don't see that as being the way forward," she said. "In the UK, 44% of the next-of-kin sit by the bed of a patient in intensive care and refuse consent for organs to be taken. Changing the paperwork isn't really going to make a difference until we deal with the issue of consent." The Health Minister outlined the plans at a Press conference at Belfast City Hospital yesterday. Mr Poots (left) said Prime Minister David Cameron had indicated he had no plans for a UK-wide presumed consent system, so the Executive had decided to push ahead. The DUP minister revealed how his own family had experience of the organ donor system. "I have personal knowledge of this in that one of my uncles is one of the longest recipients of an organ, having had a kidney transplant over 30 years ago," he said. "My mother might have been alive had she had the opportunity to have a liver transplant when she was younger, but that opportunity didn't come her way. "So I think there is a great opportunity out there to ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to live a healthy life who otherwise wouldn't." Mr Poots said 30% of people here are on the organ donor register, but he wants it to be even higher. He plans to launch a public consultation, and if the feedback is positive he will introduce legislation at the Assembly. Mr Poots praised Mr Brolly for bringing the issue of organ donation into the public spotlight. Mr Brolly donated one of his kidneys to a fellow coach at his local GAA club last year. The transplant operation on Shane Finnegan ultimately failed, but Mr Brolly has become a vocal campaigner on organ donation. The All-Ireland winning star, now a leading barrister, said he believed the switch would make a lasting difference. "This is going to save lives," he said. "Until now this was an invisible tragedy. People didn't appreciate it, they weren't aware of it." He was accompanied by Mr Finnegan, who also paid tribute to the work done by his friend. Dr Henry Brown, clinical director of nephology and transplant at Belfast City Hospital, said the proposals would make a huge difference. "There are a large number of people waiting for organ transplants and not everyone has the opportunity to have a live donor transplant," he said. "Anything that will increase the number of deceased donor organs that are available is good news. "It will save lives and make the quality of life for people so much better." factfile e Under current legislation, organs can only be removed if a person carries a donor card or relatives have given permission. e Mr Poots proposes changing the legislation so that consent is presumed unless stated otherwise, however the 'soft' system would still allow families to stop donations taking place. e Around 200 people are currently awaiting an organ transplant in Northern Ireland. Originally published by BY ADRIAN RUTHERFORD AND LISA SMYTH. © 2013 Belfast Telegraph. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved. A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

By Susan McCord, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. Feb. 06--Augusta Municipal Golf Course will remain under city management and the city's ambulance service will be put on notice of the city's intent to seek competitive bids after a heated commission meeting Tuesday. The Augusta Chronicle Two votes on a lease of "The Patch" failed, with Com­missioner Marion Williams, voting last by roll call in alphabetical order, abstaining each time and preventing Mayor Deke Copen­haver from breaking the tie. The votes fell along color lines. The city-owned course was returned to city management last year after The Patch in Au­gusta LLC abandoned its lease and quit paying staff. A bid by three local brothers fell apart after the commission refused to pay for course improvements. Commissioner Alvin Mason said Tuesday's appearance of a lease agreement with Virginia Beach Golf Management, a firm selected through Augusta's procurement process, and any perceived urgency to lease the course was "a manufactured crisis" of which he would have no part. "The track record of those who pushed for this before is not good," Mason said of the white majority, no longer on the commission, that voted to seek private management at the course. "I will not sit here my last two years with the demographics we have here now and let that happen. ... We've got to have the discussion." Commissioner Bill Fennoy questioned why the course is expected to turn a profit while the city's aquatics and tennis facilities are not. Routine annual operating losses were the primary reason cited by commissioners who voted to outsource the course. Voting in favor of the lease, Commissioner Donnie Smith cited the city's projected $5.2 million deficit and questioned why a firm "willing to give us a $100,000 check today" was being turned down. "We are elected to try to be good stewards of the public's money," he said. Also voting in favor, Commis­sioner Mary Davis said she was a golfer who had taken call after call about the course's "dire need of professional attention." Commissioner Corey John­son said he wanted to wait until the city hires a recre­ation director who can "take a look at the contract." City Administrator Fred Russell said earlier that he was attempting to finalize negotiations with a candi­date for the vacant post and had a backup candidate ready. A motion to deny the lease failed 5-4 with Fennoy, Johnson, Mason and Bill Lock­ett voting yes. A motion to approve the lease failed 5-4 with Davis, Wayne Guilfoyle, Joe Jackson, Grady Smith and Donnie Smith voting yes. A vote to re-bid the city's ambulance contract passed 9-1, with only Jackson voting no. Augusta Fire Chief Chris James has been critical of the 2005 contract with Gold Cross EMS, saying it is too vague to be policed, but commissioners insisted their decision Tuesday was routine and had nothing to do with the company's service. "What was needed in 2005 may not necessarily be the things we need in 2014," Mason said, also discounting a petition from the Richmond Coun­ty Neighborhood Alliance warning against monopolies in the ambulance service. "If you notice, especially today, I'm not addressing any petition, period," Mason said. Representatives of Au­gusta ambulance companies South Star and Capital City were present for the meeting, and a South Star spokesman said the firm likely would bid on the contract. Gold Cross CEO Vince Brog­don said he was "disappointed, because we've done an excellent job" but would have to see what the city's request for proposals said before making a decision to bid. "The old saying 'you get what you pay for' might come into play," he said. "We were hoping to be here for years to come." ___ ©2013 The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Ga.) Visit The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Ga.) at chronicle.augusta.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

By Elinor J. Brecher, The Miami Herald Feb. 05--Keiser University Associate Dean Elias Konwufine, who died Jan. 16 after being run over by his own car while a wrecker hauled it away, was still alive and talking and appeared only to have superficial injuries when police arrived at his Lauderhill home four minutes after an emergency call came in, according to an initial incident report. Officer R. Pearlman wrote that Konwufine, a 38-year-old father of three, was lying in the street and "stated to the bystanders that he was having difficulty breathing. He turned to his side and lied (sic) on his side until Fire Rescue arrived...I observed only road rash on his legs and face.'' Pearlman wrote that the first paramedics on the scene, from Lauderhill Fire Rescue, "advised there were no obvious or external signs of any life threatening injuries.'' Sunrise paramedics took Konwufine to Broward Health Medical Center, where he died in surgery less than two hours later of "serious internal injuries,'' Pearlman wrote. Wrecker driver Kenneth Jay Schraff had been removing Konwufine's 1999 white Mercedes-Benz C230 from in front of Konwufine's house, on the 3800 block of Northwest 67th Way, because according to Sienna Greens homeowners association rules, it was illegally parked. Konwufine had parked partly on the swale because a car belonging to his autistic 7-year-old son's tutor, and another car, occupied the driveway. Schraff, who has a long history of traffic infractions and criminal charges, told a reporter from Local 10 after the incident that Konwufine's wife and 14-year-old son were "beating me on the back on back of my head and my back," after Konwufine fell under the Mercedes. But the incident report, which Lauderhill police sent to The Miami Herald on Monday, makes no mention of a physical attack on Schraff, who has been named in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Konwufine's family. The report says that Schraff, 48, of Lauderdale Lakes, "advised that after lifting the car, he was confronted by Elias. He stated that Elias kept yelling at him to drop his car and even attempted to open the door to his tow truck. "After Elias was on the driver side of the tow truck toward the rear of the truck, Schraff stated that he attempted to drive away but Elias jumped on the truck trying to hold onto the tool box. "He stated by the time he realized Elias was on the vehicle and tried to stop, Elias had fallen off and was run over by the front passenger side of the Mercedes, which was hooked up by the rear wheels.'' Konwufine's wife, Francisca, is suing Superior Lock & Roadside Assistance, Sure Fire Auto and Capitol Towing, interrelated companies, as well as Schraff, in Broward Circuit Court. The suit accuses Schraff of failing to control of his vehicle, negligently accelerating and turning the wrecker so that it endangered Konwufine, and failing to watch out for pedestrians. The suit also says he violated a state law which requires a wrecker driver to give the vehicle owner the chance to pay a fee on the spot and reclaim the vehicle. Francisca Konwufine told Lauderhill police that a neighbor alerted her that the tow truck was about to take her husband's car, and "asked the tow truck driver not to tow the car. When Elias came outside he kept asking the driver not to tow the car. She advised the two got into a verbal argument and then the tow truck attempted to drive away," the report said. "She stated that Elias was holding onto the driver side rear passenger door for (sic) the tow truck when it was trying to drive away. She stated that Elias then fell off and was run over.'' The report says that Francisca Konwufine "was very emotional,'' and difficult to interview. Police are still investigating the incident, and have not filed criminal charges. ___ ©2013 The Miami Herald Visit The Miami Herald at www.miamiherald.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

By Noor Zahra, Gulf Daily News, Manama, Bahrain Feb. 04--ALLEGATIONS that six medics arrested during unrest in 2011 were mistreated in custody were denied yesterday by 10 Interior Ministry staff, including senior officials. They were testifying in the trial of two police lieutenants, a man and a woman, facing torture charges in the High Criminal Court. During the hearing the witnesses claimed medics were given comfortable conditions in prison, while one of them added that the female defendant worked in the anti-drug unit, which meant she was not involved in the medics cases. "During the National Safety period, I visited the building where the medics were being questioned," said a senior Interior Ministry official. "I saw two of the doctors and spoke to one of them as I passed them in an alleyway at the building. "One was Dr Ali Al Ekri (who is not among the victims) and he was talking normally to the lieutenant (the male defendant) without being handcuffed or blindfolded. "They were having a friendly conversation where he (Dr Al Ekri) told him (the defendant) that he had studied in Iraq. "He also asked for a cigarette and the defendant handed him a cigarette to smoke. "He did not have any injury marks on his body that showed he was mistreated. He was completely fine. "The other doctor was Jalila Al A'ali and she told me that they needed more equipment at the detention centre, like soap and towels, and to be allowed more calls to her family. "I did not see any signs of mistreatment on her or on any of the medics. "The pair I spoke to did not tell me they were mistreated either." Orders Lawyers representing the victims laughed during his testimony and claimed that Dr Al Ekri did not smoke. Meanwhile, a lieutenant in the anti-narcotics unit -- where the female defendant works -- told judges that they were not asked to get involved in such cases. "She (the female defendant) and I both work in the drugs unit," he said yesterday. "We just did our job and were not asked to look into other cases. "Our manager could ask us to look into other cases, but I don't think he asked her to do that." A third witness, also a lieutenant, claimed the medics were treated well in prison. "I would see the medics on my way in and out of the building, they always looked fine and were treated nicely," he said. "They would sit or will be walking around as they wished." A clerk, who works in the office of the male defendant and who recorded the alleged victims' statements, told judges that the medics were treated with respect. "He (the male defendant) is a very respectful person who treated all suspects he questioned with good ethics," he said. "He did not prolong the questioning, but asked them straightforward questions and they answered them without difficulty. "None of them were ever mistreated or asked questions in a way that would insult them." Both defendants appeared in court yesterday for the hearing. The male defendant is accused of abusing four medics -- Ahmed Omran, Sayed Marhoon, Ghassan Dhaif and Bassim Dhaif -- while the woman is accused of mistreating Zahra Al Sammak and Khulood Al Derazi. Judges adjourned the trial until February 17 to summon more defence witnesses. noorz@gdn.com.bh ___ ©2013 the Gulf Daily News (Manama, Bahrain) Visit the Gulf Daily News (Manama, Bahrain) at www.gulf-daily-news.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

By Mannix Porterfield, The Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va. Feb. 03--Even now, Craig Dorsey says he can still hear the voice of his late son. Hours after he lost his Craig II, along with three other men in a horrific propane gas explosion at a convenience store, Dorsey says the son spoke to him. "Daddy," came the familiar southern drawl of "Toad," as he was known affectionately by his father. "It's OK, Daddy. It's OK." Wednesday marked the sixth anniversary of the explosion that roared through a large convenience store in Ghent. Five other people at the Little General Store suffered nonfatal injuries. Debris was thrown in a large radius, and windows were blown out at a nearby grade school. As the anniversary approached, Dorsey headed to Myrtle Beach, not for a winter respite, but simply to take up a knowing brother's invitation to stay in a new condo and get away from the old haunts, as memories of that fateful day came flooding back. "It don't get no easier as the years go by," says Dorsey, a pastor who served, alongside his son, as an EMT with the Ghent Volunteer Fire Department. "I'm missing him and angry that it happened when it shouldn't have happened." Craig Dorsey II was 24 when the blast occurred Jan. 30, 2007, ending a fascination with firefighting that went back to his days as a youngster, a desire to follow in his father's footsteps. "Little Craig went with me when he was 10 to the fire department," the father says. "We ran fire calls together. We'd get called to wrecks. I would be thinking he was in school. But I'd look up and there he was on the car wrecks. In his senior year, I told the fire department not to let him come down to make sure he had graduated." One of his happier days came when his son gained his EMT license. "The red lights and sirens -- that's what he lived for," the father said. When the father left the Army as a parachute rigger for the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, N.C., he became a police officer a short while. His son served with him in Mullens. The father-son team stayed together at the fire department. Dorsey can recall only snatches of his son's funeral since that day was a blur, given his emotional turmoil. But the day of his death remains clear. At the time, the family lived in Mabscott, and his son's girlfriend called to let him know Craig Jr. was on the call to the store about a propane gas leak. No sooner had he pulled on his boots and barreled down the West Virginia Turnpike en route to Ghent than the realization of loss hit home. His son was gone. "I knew in my heart he was dead," he said. His apprehension was confirmed when he pulled into the Little General lot. "I got on the scene and the ambulance people all knew me. I told them to roll him over. I didn't want him to get cold. That's what I was thinking." Grief endures when a loved one passes on. "You go on," Dorsey said. "I have other children and grandchildren. He was my firstborn. He was named after me. I remember when he was a baby. He would lay on my chest. We'd watch television. I'd pat him on the butt and he'd go to sleep. He died doing what he really loved. He lived and died as a fire department EMS." Three minutes before the son arrived at the convenience store, he called his father. "I miss my son," the father said. "I miss him calling me every day. He used to call me two to three times a day, just to say, 'Hey, Daddy.' The last words I ever heard him say, and we always made a point of this were, 'Hey, I love you.' I still have his cell phone number in my phone. I never took it out." -- E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com ___ ©2013 The Register-Herald (Beckley, W.Va.) Visit The Register-Herald (Beckley, W.Va.) at www.register-herald.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article

By Susan McCord, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. Feb. 02--Augusta Commission member Grady Smith has recent firsthand experience with the city's ambulance service provider, Gold Cross. The Augusta Chronicle When he lost two pints of blood after a stitch in his foot burst last month, Smith was glad that Gold Cross emergency medical technicians arrived quickly and whisked him away to a hospital, where he remained for two weeks. "Those fellows were first class. They did a great job," Smith said. He questions whether Augusta-Richmond County Fire Department first responders, despite similar training, could have handled his situation so well. "Send me the man or the team that can do the job," he said. Good reputation aside, momentum is building among other commissioners to revisit the city's 8-year-old Gold Cross contract, which requires the city give nine months' notice if it plans to re-bid the service. The effort, most are quick to say, isn't a referendum on Gold Cross but rather the city's inability to gauge the quality of the service. A push to review the contract, initiated by Fire Chief Chris James after he was promoted last year, gained steam after Gold Cross applied to become Augusta's primary zone provider, which would have allowed it to bypass the city's 911 office and run ambulance service without a contract. The application was rejected. James' primary issues with the contract are that it offers no guarantees that Gold Cross provide the city with response times, maintain a minimum number of ambulances in Augusta, use Advanced Life Support units, or inform the city where the trucks are located or unavailable, contrary to a Georgia Emer­­gen­cy Management Agen­cy program specifying that all have vehicle locators aboard. "We have a new fire chief, and of course he's going to evaluate that," Mayor Pro Tem Corey Johnson said. "It wasn't about anybody not doing their job, or anything like that." Johnson speculated that in 2005, when the contract was written, the guarantees James now seeks were uncommon. That year, the city selected Gold Cross at a $1.9 million annual fee over American Medical Response, which proposed a $400,000 fee, while previous provider Rural Metro declined to submit a proposal. "The contract is old and poorly written, just like all the other contracts we're dealing with." Commissioner Bill Lockett said, "We were not wanting to review the contract for any perceived poor performance." Commissioner Wayne Guil­foyle said the review of the Gold Cross contract is only the first of many he hopes the commission will take "to make sure they are competitive. Like (Commissioner Alvin) Mason said, Gold Cross won't be knocked out if they come in competitively." Commissioner Donnie Smith said his biggest concern was that a study committee assigned to review the contract might lack knowledge and objectivity. "What I want to know before I vote is who is going to be on this panel and whether they are qualified to be there," said Smith, a lieutenant with the Georgia State Patrol. "I don't think people who are laymen should be on this committee." Smith suggested asking emergency management directors or other public safety professionals from outside Augusta to help determine what it needs. "I don't want there to be any taint toward the contract," he said. "My biggest concern is whether the current contract needs to be updated," said Com­mis­sioner Bill Fennoy, who worked in public health for years. "Whether the service we are requesting is adequate and whether it meets the needs of the citizens of Rich­mond County. Whoever gets the contract at this particular point in time is not as important to me as the services that we are requesting, and what needs to be added or deleted." Besides Grady Smith, the least skeptical of the commissioners is Marion Williams, the only one to have served on the commission that hired Gold Cross and who led the city's public safety committee at the time. "I think once you hire a service, you let them provide the service," Williams said. "I can't get mad because somebody got a lesser contract than I did." Still, Williams was receptive Thursday to reviewing the agreement. "I think it's time to look at the contract, to see what we've got," he said. City Administrator Fred Russell, who signed off on the existing contract, said former 911 Director Phil Wasson was most involved in crafting it. Russell said the agreement, while in need of updating, hadn't failed residents. "I don't remember receiving any complaints in the last several years regarding EMS services," Russell said. "People here are not afraid to complain." ___ ©2013 The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Ga.) Visit The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Ga.) at chronicle.augusta.com Distributed by MCT Information Services A service of YellowBrix, Inc. View the full article