Saturday, July 31, 2010
Nashville launches Smart911for emergency calls
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville emergency officials are encouraging people to provide vital information that can be delivered quickly to first responders in the event of an emergency.
The city announced Friday the launch of Smart911, which allows people to submit information such as medical conditions or disabilities through a secure web site that can be accessed during an emergency call.
Emergency Communications Center Director Duane Phillips said they see a growing number of calls from mobile phones and this service would help them more efficiently process emergency calls.
The web site is www.Smart911.com
Hickory Hollow Mall plans special community event Aug. 3
Night Out Against Crime events planned throughout Davidson County
July 30, 2010
Hickory Hollow Mall will host a community event 5-8:30 p.m. outside of the Macy's store on Tuesday, Aug. 3.
Held in association with the annual Night Out Against Crime, the Hickory Hollow event will feature music, face painting, a children’s play area, exhibits from local businesses, mounted police horses, a variety of food, and the Cane Ridge High School cheerleaders and dance team will perform.
Ben Freeland, owner of Freeland Chevrolet and the President of THHAP (The Hickory Hollow Action Partnership) who hosts the event, expects over 1,000 people to attend.
Night Out Against Crime events will be held throughout Davidson County.
The mall is located off I-24 East at Bell Rd Exit #59
July 30, 2010
Hickory Hollow Mall will host a community event 5-8:30 p.m. outside of the Macy's store on Tuesday, Aug. 3.
Held in association with the annual Night Out Against Crime, the Hickory Hollow event will feature music, face painting, a children’s play area, exhibits from local businesses, mounted police horses, a variety of food, and the Cane Ridge High School cheerleaders and dance team will perform.
Ben Freeland, owner of Freeland Chevrolet and the President of THHAP (The Hickory Hollow Action Partnership) who hosts the event, expects over 1,000 people to attend.
Night Out Against Crime events will be held throughout Davidson County.
The mall is located off I-24 East at Bell Rd Exit #59
Company with no past clients hired to audit Nashville police stats
Firm will review police stats for free
By Brian Haas • THE TENNESSEAN • July 31, 2010
Wanted: one public safety consultant firm to analyze and critique Metro police crime statistics policies.
No experience necessary.
In response to Mayor Karl Dean's request in May for an audit of police crime statistics, Metro auditors have hired a California-based company with no prior clients to help figure out if the department has been skewing local crime statistics.
The company, Elite Performance Auditing Consultants, has agreed to look at police policies and practices for free (aside from travel expenses) in return for a glowing letter of recommendation by Metro afterward. The city also hired a Vanderbilt University sociology professor for as much as $7,500 to analyze crime classification.
The arrangement allows the city to keep costs of the audit just under $10,000, but raises questions about how serious and thorough the inquiry will be.
"At face value it wouldn't seem like they're very serious about it," said Councilman Michael Craddock, who sits on the Public Safety Committee. "If that's all they're spending and they're hiring a company with no experience that's doing it free, well gee whiz."
Dean's office said the mayor has no say in the hiring or administration of audits. Metro Auditor Mark Swann is independent of the administration.
"Questions about the audit process are for Mr. Swann to answer, as his office is completely independent from the rest of Metro government," spokeswoman Janel Lacy said.
Swann defended hiring the California company on the cheap.
"They have connections to numerous police departments through the International Law Enforcement Auditors Association," he said. He added that the company's president has done two crime audits for the Los Angeles Police Department and has other law enforcement experience.
"I believe they will be an excellent resource for benchmarking reporting methodologies and general police culture concerns," Swann said.
Company officials could not be reached for comment Friday.
Dean ordered the audit after questions intensified about the veracity of the city's crime statistics. Swann said he expects it to be completed by this fall.
VU lecturer hired
Swann's office also is hiring MaryAltani Karpos, a senior lecturer in Vanderbilt's sociology department, who will be paid up to $7,500 for 30 hours of work. She's expected to be tasked with making sure Metro police have been properly classifying crimes.
Karpos is known in academic circles for her work examining the disparity between police rape statistics and the number of rapes reported by victims. Earlier this year, she conducted a study for the Tennessee Department of Correction on how often convicts re-offend after being released.
Karpos said that she was unable to comment on the audit, per the contract.
"She'll be looking at crime reports and saying, 'Does the crime description fit the reported crime?' " Swann said.
There have been questions about Metro's police statistics for years. At a 2009 police budget hearing, Councilman Jim Gotto told then-Police Chief Ronal Serpas that he thought an audit might be a good idea. Serpas at the time appeared angry and accused Gotto of calling police officers liars. The department says it welcomes the upcoming audit.
On Friday, Gotto said he's pleased city auditors are making progress. He said he is confident the audit will answer his questions and he isn't concerned about the California firm. Metro will pay the company up to $2,450 for travel expenses.
"When you say that they're former LAPD auditors, then I think we're probably fine," he said. "It sounds to me like they have the credentials to be able to do the work."
Elite Performance Auditing Consultants was formed in April 2009, according to California business records, but it told Metro it had never had any clients. The company comprises mostly former Los Angeles Police Department auditors, according to employee biographies. It bid to audit the police department in Las Cruces, N.M., earlier this year but didn't get the contract.
Craddock said he wouldn't have hired a company that had no previous clients if he were serious about a full audit.
"This is a very serious situation because the people in this city need to know the true picture of crime," Craddock said.
By Brian Haas • THE TENNESSEAN • July 31, 2010
Wanted: one public safety consultant firm to analyze and critique Metro police crime statistics policies.
No experience necessary.
In response to Mayor Karl Dean's request in May for an audit of police crime statistics, Metro auditors have hired a California-based company with no prior clients to help figure out if the department has been skewing local crime statistics.
The company, Elite Performance Auditing Consultants, has agreed to look at police policies and practices for free (aside from travel expenses) in return for a glowing letter of recommendation by Metro afterward. The city also hired a Vanderbilt University sociology professor for as much as $7,500 to analyze crime classification.
The arrangement allows the city to keep costs of the audit just under $10,000, but raises questions about how serious and thorough the inquiry will be.
"At face value it wouldn't seem like they're very serious about it," said Councilman Michael Craddock, who sits on the Public Safety Committee. "If that's all they're spending and they're hiring a company with no experience that's doing it free, well gee whiz."
Dean's office said the mayor has no say in the hiring or administration of audits. Metro Auditor Mark Swann is independent of the administration.
"Questions about the audit process are for Mr. Swann to answer, as his office is completely independent from the rest of Metro government," spokeswoman Janel Lacy said.
Swann defended hiring the California company on the cheap.
"They have connections to numerous police departments through the International Law Enforcement Auditors Association," he said. He added that the company's president has done two crime audits for the Los Angeles Police Department and has other law enforcement experience.
"I believe they will be an excellent resource for benchmarking reporting methodologies and general police culture concerns," Swann said.
Company officials could not be reached for comment Friday.
Dean ordered the audit after questions intensified about the veracity of the city's crime statistics. Swann said he expects it to be completed by this fall.
VU lecturer hired
Swann's office also is hiring MaryAltani Karpos, a senior lecturer in Vanderbilt's sociology department, who will be paid up to $7,500 for 30 hours of work. She's expected to be tasked with making sure Metro police have been properly classifying crimes.
Karpos is known in academic circles for her work examining the disparity between police rape statistics and the number of rapes reported by victims. Earlier this year, she conducted a study for the Tennessee Department of Correction on how often convicts re-offend after being released.
Karpos said that she was unable to comment on the audit, per the contract.
"She'll be looking at crime reports and saying, 'Does the crime description fit the reported crime?' " Swann said.
There have been questions about Metro's police statistics for years. At a 2009 police budget hearing, Councilman Jim Gotto told then-Police Chief Ronal Serpas that he thought an audit might be a good idea. Serpas at the time appeared angry and accused Gotto of calling police officers liars. The department says it welcomes the upcoming audit.
On Friday, Gotto said he's pleased city auditors are making progress. He said he is confident the audit will answer his questions and he isn't concerned about the California firm. Metro will pay the company up to $2,450 for travel expenses.
"When you say that they're former LAPD auditors, then I think we're probably fine," he said. "It sounds to me like they have the credentials to be able to do the work."
Elite Performance Auditing Consultants was formed in April 2009, according to California business records, but it told Metro it had never had any clients. The company comprises mostly former Los Angeles Police Department auditors, according to employee biographies. It bid to audit the police department in Las Cruces, N.M., earlier this year but didn't get the contract.
Craddock said he wouldn't have hired a company that had no previous clients if he were serious about a full audit.
"This is a very serious situation because the people in this city need to know the true picture of crime," Craddock said.
Half of Tennessee students fail tougher state tests
Tougher standards give TN honest look at where kids stand
By Jaime Sarrio • THE TENNESSEAN • July 31, 2010
About half of Tennessee's public school students failed to meet state academic standards this year, the result of a more rigorous curriculum, harder exams and tougher grading.
The dismal results didn't come as a surprise to state leaders, who for years have said that Tennessee schools are too easy and that the state does not accurately report academic performance.
But the new scores are a sobering look at just how far behind students in the Volunteer State trail. For example:
• Only a quarter of eighth-grade math students posted scores showing they're on track to graduate with the skills needed to do college-level work
• Fewer than half of fourth-grade test-takers read on grade level under last school year's higher standards.
• Under last year's Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, only 9 percent of students in grades 3-8 would have failed math exams. As it stands, 67 percent failed, demonstrating weaknesses in the old system and increased expectations now.
The news came Friday as the Tennessee Board of Education decided which TCAP scores should be considered passing.
Last fall, public school students were introduced to a more rigorous curriculum. In the spring, a more difficult TCAP made its debut. Now, in the third and final phase, those test results are being graded. Individual school and student reports will be available in September and October.
As hard as the new scores are to swallow, state leaders say they are proof substantial changes are being made to the education system, and parents are getting their first honest look at how kids are performing.
"We're finally telling the truth about where we are and where our kids are," said Education Commissioner Tim Webb. "We just didn't know. Our teachers didn't know. But now they do. And so we will move forward."
State asks for time
Conversations about new standards started in 2006 when a magazine called Education Next gave Tennessee the "cream puff award" for having the worst standards in the nation. For years, 80 percent to 90 percent of students have been sailing through state exams with proficient or advanced scores, while bombing national tests like the ACT college entrance exam or the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The end result? In a few years, state officials say, Tennessee's scores will improve on local and national tests, and students won't need remedial college courses.
"It's something we all need to take a great deal of pride in, where we've moved during these last several years," said B. Fielding Rolston, chairman of the state Board of Education.
Ruth Stewart, parent of a rising sophomore at Hume-Fogg Magnet High, said she doesn't expect her son's scores to drop, but regardless she'll be OK with the results if they present a more accurate view of how he's doing on a national level.
"We do need to be compared with kids nationally," she said.
"If we think our kids are doing well and they're not nationally, I want to know that. These are the kids we're going to be competing with for college placement and jobs. My view is all information, if it's accurate, is good."
In the wake of the results, the state is waiting to see how it will respond to schools that end up not meeting state standards.
Under the federal No Child Left Behind law, the state must intervene when schools fail to meet testing benchmarks, which are calculated for students of subgroups like race and income level. The longer a school fails to meet the benchmarks, the more severe the intervention required.
But because so many schools are bound to fail this year under the new system, state officials are asking the federal government for time to make the transition into the new standards without having to take drastic interventions. Instead, they want to focus state resources on training teachers.
Commissioner Webb, who sent a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan asking for the reprieve, said preliminary conversations with federal officials have been positive.
"We've talked to them, and they materially agree with what we're saying, but we're waiting on final approval," Webb said. "I think we have some good promise."
New national standards
In another development, the board joined 32 other states in voting to adopt new national standards called the Common Core.
All total, 48 states have agreed to adopt the standards, which aren't federally mandated but are the closest thing that exists to a uniform national curriculum. That means all students in all the Common Core states will be learning the same things at the same time.
State leaders say the Common Core is an 85 percent match to the curriculum currently in place. The standards cover math and English language arts and must be integrated into schools within the next three years.
Students will be tested on the new material in 2014-15. Those exams also will tread new ground: They will be computerized.
By Jaime Sarrio • THE TENNESSEAN • July 31, 2010
About half of Tennessee's public school students failed to meet state academic standards this year, the result of a more rigorous curriculum, harder exams and tougher grading.
The dismal results didn't come as a surprise to state leaders, who for years have said that Tennessee schools are too easy and that the state does not accurately report academic performance.
But the new scores are a sobering look at just how far behind students in the Volunteer State trail. For example:
• Only a quarter of eighth-grade math students posted scores showing they're on track to graduate with the skills needed to do college-level work
• Fewer than half of fourth-grade test-takers read on grade level under last school year's higher standards.
• Under last year's Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, only 9 percent of students in grades 3-8 would have failed math exams. As it stands, 67 percent failed, demonstrating weaknesses in the old system and increased expectations now.
The news came Friday as the Tennessee Board of Education decided which TCAP scores should be considered passing.
Last fall, public school students were introduced to a more rigorous curriculum. In the spring, a more difficult TCAP made its debut. Now, in the third and final phase, those test results are being graded. Individual school and student reports will be available in September and October.
As hard as the new scores are to swallow, state leaders say they are proof substantial changes are being made to the education system, and parents are getting their first honest look at how kids are performing.
"We're finally telling the truth about where we are and where our kids are," said Education Commissioner Tim Webb. "We just didn't know. Our teachers didn't know. But now they do. And so we will move forward."
State asks for time
Conversations about new standards started in 2006 when a magazine called Education Next gave Tennessee the "cream puff award" for having the worst standards in the nation. For years, 80 percent to 90 percent of students have been sailing through state exams with proficient or advanced scores, while bombing national tests like the ACT college entrance exam or the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The end result? In a few years, state officials say, Tennessee's scores will improve on local and national tests, and students won't need remedial college courses.
"It's something we all need to take a great deal of pride in, where we've moved during these last several years," said B. Fielding Rolston, chairman of the state Board of Education.
Ruth Stewart, parent of a rising sophomore at Hume-Fogg Magnet High, said she doesn't expect her son's scores to drop, but regardless she'll be OK with the results if they present a more accurate view of how he's doing on a national level.
"We do need to be compared with kids nationally," she said.
"If we think our kids are doing well and they're not nationally, I want to know that. These are the kids we're going to be competing with for college placement and jobs. My view is all information, if it's accurate, is good."
In the wake of the results, the state is waiting to see how it will respond to schools that end up not meeting state standards.
Under the federal No Child Left Behind law, the state must intervene when schools fail to meet testing benchmarks, which are calculated for students of subgroups like race and income level. The longer a school fails to meet the benchmarks, the more severe the intervention required.
But because so many schools are bound to fail this year under the new system, state officials are asking the federal government for time to make the transition into the new standards without having to take drastic interventions. Instead, they want to focus state resources on training teachers.
Commissioner Webb, who sent a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan asking for the reprieve, said preliminary conversations with federal officials have been positive.
"We've talked to them, and they materially agree with what we're saying, but we're waiting on final approval," Webb said. "I think we have some good promise."
New national standards
In another development, the board joined 32 other states in voting to adopt new national standards called the Common Core.
All total, 48 states have agreed to adopt the standards, which aren't federally mandated but are the closest thing that exists to a uniform national curriculum. That means all students in all the Common Core states will be learning the same things at the same time.
State leaders say the Common Core is an 85 percent match to the curriculum currently in place. The standards cover math and English language arts and must be integrated into schools within the next three years.
Students will be tested on the new material in 2014-15. Those exams also will tread new ground: They will be computerized.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tougher standards concern some teachers
New standards aim to catch TN students up
By Chris Echegaray • THE TENNESSEAN • July 29, 2010
Mortimer Davenport wanted to give his 14-year-old son, Martez, every advantage. For a while, he hoped that would be private school instead of Nashville's Cane Ridge High, but it was just too expensive.
So he was heartened to learn that Tennessee was going to make lessons tougher for its public school children. Even before a statewide campaign told him so, Davenport knew it had to be done for success in college and beyond.
"What I want to know is why didn't Tennessee have these standards from the very beginning?" Davenport said. "… You want them to be ready. I don't mind these standards if students are taught well and made viable for college."
Gov. Phil Bredesen, who championed tougher curriculum and testing for Tennessee students, toured the state last week touting the new standards and warning parents of the result — much lower standardized test scores coming home in September. The state will roll out an ad campaign with the same message next month. But well before parents began taking note, principals and teachers were figuring out how to move students forward in a giant leap.
The state adopted the new standards in 2008 and introduced them for the 2009-10 school year. Spring testing marked educators' first chance to see how much of a gap in student knowledge they're facing.
Angela Wilburn, a 22-year veteran of Metro Nashville Public Schools, said she has heard fifth-grade teachers quietly wondering how to teach pre-algebra concepts to students who barely do arithmetic.
Wilburn, an eighth-grade math teacher at McMurray Middle in South Nashville, said she is methodical in her lessons, going a bit slower and partnering struggling students with stronger classmates. She expects math scores to nosedive on the new testing, but with strong instruction, students will bounce back, she said.
However, what's missing from the new standards is student accountability, she said. They can pass to the next grade no matter how they score on Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program tests.
"My biggest fear as an educator is that there are no repercussions for students who don't do well," Wilburn said. "We can't retain students. There needs to be some standard that ties student scoring to promotion."
Meanwhile, 35 percent of teacher evaluations will be tied to student performance on Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program and end-of-course tests.
Not a gradual shift
Teachers are prepared to use a tougher curriculum to move students ahead, said Erick Huth, president of the Metro Nashville Education Association, although the union would have liked a more gradual shift instead of everything implemented in one year.
Bredesen said increasing standards was necessary for long-term gain of higher achievement on national tests, like the ACT college entrance exam, and he's asking all to stay the course.
Under Tennessee's new standards, students formerly considered "advanced" are likely to score barely proficient on last spring's Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program and end-of-course testing, the state education commissioner said last week.
Comparing Tennessee students' performance on state and national tests shows how far behind the state is. The Atlanta-based Southern Regional Education Board recently issued a report showing that 90 percent of Tennessee fourth-graders were considered proficient in reading using state tests in 2009, but only 28 percent scored at that level on a national test.
"The whole idea is to let teachers know where students' weaknesses are and guide instruction accordingly," said Alan Richard, spokesman for the regional board. "It doesn't do you much good to have 90 percent meeting the standard."
Julie Hopkins, principal of Buena Vista Elementary in North Nashville, said she is reviewing student performance from several school assessments that help her determine their strengths and weaknesses and how to teach to those. This year, a consultant will work with teachers one-on-one since there's a lot of varying instructions for the new standards.
School started in spring
Some educators are taking bold steps to be sure students can meet the new standards. Stewarts Creek Elementary in Rutherford County was approved for a pilot program that launched students into the next grade's curriculum right after spring TCAP tests.
Rachael Ged, a Stewarts Creek Elementary parent last year, was critical of the program. She said it was likely students would forget lessons over the summer, and said parents weren't properly notified of the plan. She is confident her children, A students who are both now at Stewarts Creek Middle School, performed well on spring testing. But others probably needed time to make the transition, Ged said.
"Those already behind need a chance to catch up," she said. "There has to be progression in some way. A lot of kids are below the line and won't be able to reach that bar that's just been raised."
Ged wants to be sure teachers get plenty of funding from Race To The Top, the $500 million federal grant awarded the state this year, in part as a reward for increasing standards.
In the end, students succeed because parents at home guide them, said Daniel Phibbs, whose son, Tanner, attends Mt. Juliet Elementary School.
Phibbs moved his family to Wilson County from Colorado after he learned the school district fared better in reading and writing than neighboring counties. Phibbs said he believes Tennessee will catch up with the rest of the nation.
"It boils down to parents, schools and teachers working in concert for the bigger picture goal ... smart, well-rounded, well-adjusted productive children," he said.
By Chris Echegaray • THE TENNESSEAN • July 29, 2010
Mortimer Davenport wanted to give his 14-year-old son, Martez, every advantage. For a while, he hoped that would be private school instead of Nashville's Cane Ridge High, but it was just too expensive.
So he was heartened to learn that Tennessee was going to make lessons tougher for its public school children. Even before a statewide campaign told him so, Davenport knew it had to be done for success in college and beyond.
"What I want to know is why didn't Tennessee have these standards from the very beginning?" Davenport said. "… You want them to be ready. I don't mind these standards if students are taught well and made viable for college."
Gov. Phil Bredesen, who championed tougher curriculum and testing for Tennessee students, toured the state last week touting the new standards and warning parents of the result — much lower standardized test scores coming home in September. The state will roll out an ad campaign with the same message next month. But well before parents began taking note, principals and teachers were figuring out how to move students forward in a giant leap.
The state adopted the new standards in 2008 and introduced them for the 2009-10 school year. Spring testing marked educators' first chance to see how much of a gap in student knowledge they're facing.
Angela Wilburn, a 22-year veteran of Metro Nashville Public Schools, said she has heard fifth-grade teachers quietly wondering how to teach pre-algebra concepts to students who barely do arithmetic.
Wilburn, an eighth-grade math teacher at McMurray Middle in South Nashville, said she is methodical in her lessons, going a bit slower and partnering struggling students with stronger classmates. She expects math scores to nosedive on the new testing, but with strong instruction, students will bounce back, she said.
However, what's missing from the new standards is student accountability, she said. They can pass to the next grade no matter how they score on Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program tests.
"My biggest fear as an educator is that there are no repercussions for students who don't do well," Wilburn said. "We can't retain students. There needs to be some standard that ties student scoring to promotion."
Meanwhile, 35 percent of teacher evaluations will be tied to student performance on Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program and end-of-course tests.
Not a gradual shift
Teachers are prepared to use a tougher curriculum to move students ahead, said Erick Huth, president of the Metro Nashville Education Association, although the union would have liked a more gradual shift instead of everything implemented in one year.
Bredesen said increasing standards was necessary for long-term gain of higher achievement on national tests, like the ACT college entrance exam, and he's asking all to stay the course.
Under Tennessee's new standards, students formerly considered "advanced" are likely to score barely proficient on last spring's Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program and end-of-course testing, the state education commissioner said last week.
Comparing Tennessee students' performance on state and national tests shows how far behind the state is. The Atlanta-based Southern Regional Education Board recently issued a report showing that 90 percent of Tennessee fourth-graders were considered proficient in reading using state tests in 2009, but only 28 percent scored at that level on a national test.
"The whole idea is to let teachers know where students' weaknesses are and guide instruction accordingly," said Alan Richard, spokesman for the regional board. "It doesn't do you much good to have 90 percent meeting the standard."
Julie Hopkins, principal of Buena Vista Elementary in North Nashville, said she is reviewing student performance from several school assessments that help her determine their strengths and weaknesses and how to teach to those. This year, a consultant will work with teachers one-on-one since there's a lot of varying instructions for the new standards.
School started in spring
Some educators are taking bold steps to be sure students can meet the new standards. Stewarts Creek Elementary in Rutherford County was approved for a pilot program that launched students into the next grade's curriculum right after spring TCAP tests.
Rachael Ged, a Stewarts Creek Elementary parent last year, was critical of the program. She said it was likely students would forget lessons over the summer, and said parents weren't properly notified of the plan. She is confident her children, A students who are both now at Stewarts Creek Middle School, performed well on spring testing. But others probably needed time to make the transition, Ged said.
"Those already behind need a chance to catch up," she said. "There has to be progression in some way. A lot of kids are below the line and won't be able to reach that bar that's just been raised."
Ged wants to be sure teachers get plenty of funding from Race To The Top, the $500 million federal grant awarded the state this year, in part as a reward for increasing standards.
In the end, students succeed because parents at home guide them, said Daniel Phibbs, whose son, Tanner, attends Mt. Juliet Elementary School.
Phibbs moved his family to Wilson County from Colorado after he learned the school district fared better in reading and writing than neighboring counties. Phibbs said he believes Tennessee will catch up with the rest of the nation.
"It boils down to parents, schools and teachers working in concert for the bigger picture goal ... smart, well-rounded, well-adjusted productive children," he said.
Nashville will launch center to target family violence
By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • July 29, 2010
A Nashville will develop a center to coordinate services for victims of family violence, Mayor Karl Dean announced Wednesday.
The Nashville Family Connections Center will coordinate the work of multiple government and nonprofit agencies to try to reduce the number of children and youth exposed to family violence.
"By sharing information and working together, all of the agencies involved in addressing family violence will be able to provide more effective services," Dean said. "And we'll be able to reduce the cyclical pattern of family violence in our community."
The center was recommended by a 52-member task force that Dean appointed to develop strategies for ensuring the well-being of children and youth. The group's five working committees looked at health, safety, out-of-school time, education life cycle, and mobility and stability.
"With input from literally hundreds of young people and hundreds of adults, it puts in place 14 outcomes that all of us believe go toward helping a young person grow, thrive and become the kind of adult we all hope they can be," Metro Councilman Ronnie Steine, a co-chairman of the task force, said in an interview.
"Most of the things you will see in the report are commonsensical. But there is great power in finally writing them down with wide agreement that they're important to us."
Steine said he has started working with Dean's administration on a "children and youth budget," which will track what the city spends on children and youth. He called the idea "revolutionary to think about in terms of focusing resources."
The center will focus on family violence as a whole, including domestic violence, child abuse, delinquency prevention, intervention and family support services. It will include representatives from the police department, the district attorney's office, the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, Davidson County Juvenile Court, Metro Social Services and nonprofit advocacy organizations. The center probably will be housed in existing, vacant space. Its structure will be similar to that of the Metro Student Attendance Center, a partnership between Juvenile Court, the police department and the school system to address the issue of truancy. Metro officials will spend most of the next year planning before the center opens.
The task force's report is available at www.nashville.gov/mocy/index.asp
A Nashville will develop a center to coordinate services for victims of family violence, Mayor Karl Dean announced Wednesday.
The Nashville Family Connections Center will coordinate the work of multiple government and nonprofit agencies to try to reduce the number of children and youth exposed to family violence.
"By sharing information and working together, all of the agencies involved in addressing family violence will be able to provide more effective services," Dean said. "And we'll be able to reduce the cyclical pattern of family violence in our community."
The center was recommended by a 52-member task force that Dean appointed to develop strategies for ensuring the well-being of children and youth. The group's five working committees looked at health, safety, out-of-school time, education life cycle, and mobility and stability.
"With input from literally hundreds of young people and hundreds of adults, it puts in place 14 outcomes that all of us believe go toward helping a young person grow, thrive and become the kind of adult we all hope they can be," Metro Councilman Ronnie Steine, a co-chairman of the task force, said in an interview.
"Most of the things you will see in the report are commonsensical. But there is great power in finally writing them down with wide agreement that they're important to us."
Steine said he has started working with Dean's administration on a "children and youth budget," which will track what the city spends on children and youth. He called the idea "revolutionary to think about in terms of focusing resources."
The center will focus on family violence as a whole, including domestic violence, child abuse, delinquency prevention, intervention and family support services. It will include representatives from the police department, the district attorney's office, the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, Davidson County Juvenile Court, Metro Social Services and nonprofit advocacy organizations. The center probably will be housed in existing, vacant space. Its structure will be similar to that of the Metro Student Attendance Center, a partnership between Juvenile Court, the police department and the school system to address the issue of truancy. Metro officials will spend most of the next year planning before the center opens.
The task force's report is available at www.nashville.gov/mocy/index.asp
Monday, July 26, 2010
Skyline Medical Center's Warrior Wellness helps soldiers deal with effects of combat
By Christina E. Sanchez • THE TENNESSEAN • July 26, 2010
PageSoldiers' battles aren't always fought on the front lines. Some happen at home, when the soldier returns from the war zone and begins to deal with the effects of combat.
With more than 1 million troops leaving active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan between 2002 and 2009, the need to help soldiers keeps growing, and more private hospitals are tailoring their services to aid the troops.
About 18 percent of troops who return from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, an anxiety condition often brought on by a terrifying ordeal. Also, up to 25 percent of troops may experience depression, according to the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.
That's why Skyline Medical Center in Madison has partnered with Fort Campbell to provide mental health services to soldiers who are returning home and trying to cope.
"Most people are placed into horrific situations when they are deployed, and there are normal reactions to trauma," said Dr. Scott Wilson, director of Skyline's Warrior Wellness initiative. "We saw that soldiers weren't fully having their mental health needs met."
The number of soldiers who take their own lives has been increasing. Data from the Army shows that 245 soldiers committed suicide in 2009, up from 195 in 2008 and 115 in 2007. The Army saw more suicides in June — 32 — than it has seen in a single month since Vietnam, recently released statistics show.
Fort Campbell in Clarksville had 11 suicides in the first five months of 2009, more than any other Army post during that time. The base, which has about 35,000 soldiers, shut down operations for three days.
Brain suffers changes
Common causes of stress disorder can include seeing dead people, being shot at, being attacked or ambushed and knowing someone who was injured or killed. Other times, the soldiers' mental health issues can stem from concussions suffered during a battle or after an encounter with an improvised explosive device.
The results can be excessive fears, substance abuse and relationship difficulties, said Dr. Bret Logan, deputy commander for managed care and compliance at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital and executive director of the traumatic brain injury war resiliency and recovery center at Fort Campbell. Signs of mental health issues can be lack of concentration, memory loss and aggressive or violent behavior.
"When you are overexposed to a threatening, chronic event, it produces changes in the brain," Logan said. "You have to calm the brain down."
Logan said the post also uses services for mental health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Centennial Hospital in Nashville to help soldiers, and because the Army gets one-third of its care from community health-care systems, the private sector services will continue to grow.
Since Skyline's Warrior Wellness Program started in March, the unit has been almost always full, averaging about 12 soldiers daily. The average stay of soldiers has been about 10 days.
The program emphasizes keeping the routines of military life, including discipline and physical conditioning, along with treatment. Soldiers participate in group and individual therapy and may be put on medications.
"These are the soldiers that were in the thick of things," Wilson said. "We are going to see more civilian hospitals help fill the gap in services."
PageSoldiers' battles aren't always fought on the front lines. Some happen at home, when the soldier returns from the war zone and begins to deal with the effects of combat.
With more than 1 million troops leaving active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan between 2002 and 2009, the need to help soldiers keeps growing, and more private hospitals are tailoring their services to aid the troops.
About 18 percent of troops who return from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, an anxiety condition often brought on by a terrifying ordeal. Also, up to 25 percent of troops may experience depression, according to the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.
That's why Skyline Medical Center in Madison has partnered with Fort Campbell to provide mental health services to soldiers who are returning home and trying to cope.
"Most people are placed into horrific situations when they are deployed, and there are normal reactions to trauma," said Dr. Scott Wilson, director of Skyline's Warrior Wellness initiative. "We saw that soldiers weren't fully having their mental health needs met."
The number of soldiers who take their own lives has been increasing. Data from the Army shows that 245 soldiers committed suicide in 2009, up from 195 in 2008 and 115 in 2007. The Army saw more suicides in June — 32 — than it has seen in a single month since Vietnam, recently released statistics show.
Fort Campbell in Clarksville had 11 suicides in the first five months of 2009, more than any other Army post during that time. The base, which has about 35,000 soldiers, shut down operations for three days.
Brain suffers changes
Common causes of stress disorder can include seeing dead people, being shot at, being attacked or ambushed and knowing someone who was injured or killed. Other times, the soldiers' mental health issues can stem from concussions suffered during a battle or after an encounter with an improvised explosive device.
The results can be excessive fears, substance abuse and relationship difficulties, said Dr. Bret Logan, deputy commander for managed care and compliance at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital and executive director of the traumatic brain injury war resiliency and recovery center at Fort Campbell. Signs of mental health issues can be lack of concentration, memory loss and aggressive or violent behavior.
"When you are overexposed to a threatening, chronic event, it produces changes in the brain," Logan said. "You have to calm the brain down."
Logan said the post also uses services for mental health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Centennial Hospital in Nashville to help soldiers, and because the Army gets one-third of its care from community health-care systems, the private sector services will continue to grow.
Since Skyline's Warrior Wellness Program started in March, the unit has been almost always full, averaging about 12 soldiers daily. The average stay of soldiers has been about 10 days.
The program emphasizes keeping the routines of military life, including discipline and physical conditioning, along with treatment. Soldiers participate in group and individual therapy and may be put on medications.
"These are the soldiers that were in the thick of things," Wilson said. "We are going to see more civilian hospitals help fill the gap in services."
Mayor's Home Ownership Fair hopes to fulfill dreams of buying or building
Free annual event answers questions about ownership issues
By Maria Giordano • THE TENNESSEAN • July 26, 2010
With three kids ranging in age from 8 to 17, Angela Miller wants to move out of public housing and into her own home.
It's a dream for now, but Miller took her first steps Sunday toward making it a reality by asking plenty of questions at the third annual Mayor's Home Ownership Fair at Bridgestone Arena.
The free event featured more than 50 booths with representatives from local realty companies to title companies to lending institutions, all available to answer those burning housing questions.
"I've always wanted to move into a house," Miller said. "I just want to better myself — get something better for my kids."
Although mortgage rates are lower than they've been since the 1960s at about 4.5 percent, it's not necessarily easier for first-time homebuyers such as Miller. First, it's more difficult to qualify for a loan.
Gone are the days when all that was needed was a driver's license, Social Security card and gainful employment, said Rick Florita of Farmington Financial Group. Now, lending institutions need not only that vital information but also W-2 forms, good credit scores and tax returns, Florita said. At Farmington they check asset statements, he said.
The Nashville company is seeing fewer homebuyers, but they are seeing plenty of homeowners refinancing. Like many firms, they expected to lose business after the federal $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers expired.
It turns out many homeowners don't have enough equity in their homes to move, Florita said. "People are in a good position to stay in their homes," he added.
Many hurdles exist
Organizers say more than 700 people attended the fair, where many businesses said they fielded plenty of questions about the loan process and dreaded credit scores, a measure of one's debt and ability to pay bills in a timely manner.
Lisa Vogel, a mortgage originator at Old Hickory Credit Union, said poor credit scores have been a hurdle for many homebuyers. People have lost their jobs or their marital status has changed, causing defaults on credit cards and mortgage notes and sullying their ability to borrow money.
"The hardest part is getting people re-established and into a more affordable situation," Vogel said.
This won't be a problem for Antonio and Dorothy Marks of Nashville, who attended the fair to meet builders. The owners of a parcel of land near Belmont University, the couple said they are already pre-qualified for a loan and ready to build.
Unfortunately, meeting that builder has been more difficult than they had thought.
"It's been really hard because a lot of builders are dealing with flood victims," Dorothy Marks said. Of the few builders at the fair, only one was able to help them, they said. The others constructed homes in subdivisions only, they said.
In the meantime, Miller says the home-buying process does not daunt her.
"I've learned how to get a loan, how to get out of debt and the importance of inspections," Miller said. "I've learned a lot that I didn't know."
The Tennessean was a sponsor of the fair
By Maria Giordano • THE TENNESSEAN • July 26, 2010
With three kids ranging in age from 8 to 17, Angela Miller wants to move out of public housing and into her own home.
It's a dream for now, but Miller took her first steps Sunday toward making it a reality by asking plenty of questions at the third annual Mayor's Home Ownership Fair at Bridgestone Arena.
The free event featured more than 50 booths with representatives from local realty companies to title companies to lending institutions, all available to answer those burning housing questions.
"I've always wanted to move into a house," Miller said. "I just want to better myself — get something better for my kids."
Although mortgage rates are lower than they've been since the 1960s at about 4.5 percent, it's not necessarily easier for first-time homebuyers such as Miller. First, it's more difficult to qualify for a loan.
Gone are the days when all that was needed was a driver's license, Social Security card and gainful employment, said Rick Florita of Farmington Financial Group. Now, lending institutions need not only that vital information but also W-2 forms, good credit scores and tax returns, Florita said. At Farmington they check asset statements, he said.
The Nashville company is seeing fewer homebuyers, but they are seeing plenty of homeowners refinancing. Like many firms, they expected to lose business after the federal $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers expired.
It turns out many homeowners don't have enough equity in their homes to move, Florita said. "People are in a good position to stay in their homes," he added.
Many hurdles exist
Organizers say more than 700 people attended the fair, where many businesses said they fielded plenty of questions about the loan process and dreaded credit scores, a measure of one's debt and ability to pay bills in a timely manner.
Lisa Vogel, a mortgage originator at Old Hickory Credit Union, said poor credit scores have been a hurdle for many homebuyers. People have lost their jobs or their marital status has changed, causing defaults on credit cards and mortgage notes and sullying their ability to borrow money.
"The hardest part is getting people re-established and into a more affordable situation," Vogel said.
This won't be a problem for Antonio and Dorothy Marks of Nashville, who attended the fair to meet builders. The owners of a parcel of land near Belmont University, the couple said they are already pre-qualified for a loan and ready to build.
Unfortunately, meeting that builder has been more difficult than they had thought.
"It's been really hard because a lot of builders are dealing with flood victims," Dorothy Marks said. Of the few builders at the fair, only one was able to help them, they said. The others constructed homes in subdivisions only, they said.
In the meantime, Miller says the home-buying process does not daunt her.
"I've learned how to get a loan, how to get out of debt and the importance of inspections," Miller said. "I've learned a lot that I didn't know."
The Tennessean was a sponsor of the fair
Tennesseans say economy, jobs are state's top problem
Public spending is secondary concern
By Nate Rau • THE TENNESSEAN • July 26, 2010
Jobs and the economy proved to be the most important issue facing Tennessee today, with state spending ranking a distant second, according to a new poll by The Tennessean and other media outlets in the state.
According to the poll of 625 registered Tennessee voters, 54 percent of those surveyed said their top issue was the economy and jobs. Government spending came in second, with 22 percent naming it the most important issue facing the state today.
As the economy sank and unemployment rose the past two years, job applications have been streaming into Hendersonville-based Stokes Production Services Inc., according to company co-owner Kim Stokes, a respondent to the poll.
The video production company puts more than 150 freelancers to work every year, but Stokes said there hasn't been enough work for the increasing number of applicants
Unemployment in Tennessee stood at 10.1 percent through June, down from 10.9 percent a year ago at this time, according to the state Department of Labor.
"I have freelancers calling me constantly because they don't have anything going on," Stokes said. "Everywhere I look, people don't have work — people like some of my friends who are older and have been let go. They've never been without work before in their lives."
Stokes is one of a majority of Tennesseans who found the economy to be the issue of most concern facing the state.
Like Stokes, Lisa Chism is a Middle Tennessee small-business owner. Chism and her husband own Tradewind Industries, which manufactures acrylic bathtubs. Earlier this year, Chism said her company was forced to lay off workers because of the downturn.
Chism chose government spending as her top issue because she hasn't seen the state and federal governments take cost-cutting measures as small business owners have done.
"There are a lot of things that I know the government can cut back on," said Chism, who was among the 17 percent of voters still undecided on whom to support for governor heading into the Aug. 5 primary election. "Every household in Tennessee has had to make cutbacks, but I'm not seeing it in our state or federal government."
Thompson's Station resident Hillard Carr also selected the economy and job creation as his most important issue. Carr, a retired junior college instructor from Virginia, said he had never taken a heavy interest in politics before this year.
"Like a lot of people, I've really gotten concerned since President Obama was elected and the Democrats have taken control," Carr said. "They're doing a lot of things that I just totally oppose and have believed my whole life."
Issue could sway vote
"It's pocketbook issues on people's minds," said Brad Coker, managing director for Mason-Dixon Polling & Research.
With the economy on her mind, Stokes said she was leaning toward supporting Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, because of his experience at the helm of Pilot Travel Centers
"He has created jobs, obviously," Stokes said. "He grew a large company, so he knows how to do that."
Health care came in a distant third, with 8 percent of the voters saying it was their top issue. Immigration was next, with 6 percent, followed by education, which was selected by 5 percent of likely voters.
"I just think (immigration) needs to be addressed, and I think Tennessee is going to need to address it just like Arizona did with its new anti-illegal-immigration law," said Wayne Dixon, a 62-year-old retired deputy with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office.
Other voters found some measure of aggravation with the immigration debate.
Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, a gubernatorial hopeful, campaigned for votes on a recent Saturday morning at the busy Franklin Farmers Market, and Margaret Wilburn had a question for him: Why are the candidates for governor talking so much about immigration in their television ads?
As a small-business owner, she said the issue she's focused on in the governor's race is the down economy and jobs.
"It's the economic situation — how is that going to be addressed? I'm trying to sell a business, and I can't. The tough part is finding the financing for a prospective buyer."
The Aug. 5 primary features three contenders for the Republican nomination in Haslam, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and Wamp. Jackson beer distributor Mike McWherter is the only name on the ballot in the Democratic primary. According to the poll, Haslam is leading the GOP primary field, with 36 percent.
By Nate Rau • THE TENNESSEAN • July 26, 2010
Jobs and the economy proved to be the most important issue facing Tennessee today, with state spending ranking a distant second, according to a new poll by The Tennessean and other media outlets in the state.
According to the poll of 625 registered Tennessee voters, 54 percent of those surveyed said their top issue was the economy and jobs. Government spending came in second, with 22 percent naming it the most important issue facing the state today.
As the economy sank and unemployment rose the past two years, job applications have been streaming into Hendersonville-based Stokes Production Services Inc., according to company co-owner Kim Stokes, a respondent to the poll.
The video production company puts more than 150 freelancers to work every year, but Stokes said there hasn't been enough work for the increasing number of applicants
Unemployment in Tennessee stood at 10.1 percent through June, down from 10.9 percent a year ago at this time, according to the state Department of Labor.
"I have freelancers calling me constantly because they don't have anything going on," Stokes said. "Everywhere I look, people don't have work — people like some of my friends who are older and have been let go. They've never been without work before in their lives."
Stokes is one of a majority of Tennesseans who found the economy to be the issue of most concern facing the state.
Like Stokes, Lisa Chism is a Middle Tennessee small-business owner. Chism and her husband own Tradewind Industries, which manufactures acrylic bathtubs. Earlier this year, Chism said her company was forced to lay off workers because of the downturn.
Chism chose government spending as her top issue because she hasn't seen the state and federal governments take cost-cutting measures as small business owners have done.
"There are a lot of things that I know the government can cut back on," said Chism, who was among the 17 percent of voters still undecided on whom to support for governor heading into the Aug. 5 primary election. "Every household in Tennessee has had to make cutbacks, but I'm not seeing it in our state or federal government."
Thompson's Station resident Hillard Carr also selected the economy and job creation as his most important issue. Carr, a retired junior college instructor from Virginia, said he had never taken a heavy interest in politics before this year.
"Like a lot of people, I've really gotten concerned since President Obama was elected and the Democrats have taken control," Carr said. "They're doing a lot of things that I just totally oppose and have believed my whole life."
Issue could sway vote
"It's pocketbook issues on people's minds," said Brad Coker, managing director for Mason-Dixon Polling & Research.
With the economy on her mind, Stokes said she was leaning toward supporting Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, because of his experience at the helm of Pilot Travel Centers
"He has created jobs, obviously," Stokes said. "He grew a large company, so he knows how to do that."
Health care came in a distant third, with 8 percent of the voters saying it was their top issue. Immigration was next, with 6 percent, followed by education, which was selected by 5 percent of likely voters.
"I just think (immigration) needs to be addressed, and I think Tennessee is going to need to address it just like Arizona did with its new anti-illegal-immigration law," said Wayne Dixon, a 62-year-old retired deputy with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office.
Other voters found some measure of aggravation with the immigration debate.
Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, a gubernatorial hopeful, campaigned for votes on a recent Saturday morning at the busy Franklin Farmers Market, and Margaret Wilburn had a question for him: Why are the candidates for governor talking so much about immigration in their television ads?
As a small-business owner, she said the issue she's focused on in the governor's race is the down economy and jobs.
"It's the economic situation — how is that going to be addressed? I'm trying to sell a business, and I can't. The tough part is finding the financing for a prospective buyer."
The Aug. 5 primary features three contenders for the Republican nomination in Haslam, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and Wamp. Jackson beer distributor Mike McWherter is the only name on the ballot in the Democratic primary. According to the poll, Haslam is leading the GOP primary field, with 36 percent.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
BlueCross stockpiles surplus cash while raising premiums
Insurers argue surpluses are needed as new health-care laws take effect
By Getahn Ward
THE TENNESSEAN • and Alison Young
USA TODAY • July 22, 2010
Nonprofit BlueCross and BlueShield health plans in several states, including Tennessee, stockpiled billions of dollars during the past decade, yet continued to hit consumers with hefty premium increases that could have been reduced in some cases, a new consumer study contends.
"Consumers are struggling to afford health coverage," said report author Sondra Roberto, who tackled the project for Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports. "Those funds could be used in some cases to mitigate these rate increases."
The report calls on state insurance regulators to scrutinize surpluses and set maximum limits to protect consumers from unreasonable health insurance costs.
But insurance regulators in Tennessee and BlueCross officials say rate increases here were justified, and keeping enough cash in reserve makes financial sense.
"On the day that financial reform legislation is signed in which many provisions are designed to create deeper reserves for financial institutions, it's ironic that we as health plans are being called out for having strong reserves," said Roy Vaughn, a BlueCross spokesman.
Chattanooga-based BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee covers 3 million members with 87,000 of those in individual insurance plans. Many others have group coverage through their employers.
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee had $1.1 billion in surplus cash last year, an amount roughly five times what would be considered appropriate by regulators to protect insurers from insolvency, according to the Consumers Union study to be released today.
Tennessee's plan was among seven of the 10 states surveyed in which surpluses were more than three times the amounts needed, said Laurie Sobel, a senior staff attorney with Consumers Union. Arizona, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, North Carolina and Wyoming also fell into that category.
Last year, individual policyholders in Tennessee saw average rate increases of 7.7 percent, although some people saw premiums go up by as much as 14.9 percent, Blue Cross officials said. In the group market, the average rate increase was 4.6 percent in 2009 after slightly higher average rate hikes the previous two years here.
Some policyholders, especially those with complex insurance needs, were hit with much steeper increases, though.
Earlier this year, Nashville resident Dr. Alan Bachrach faced a 26 percent increase in the cost of individual coverage for himself and two diabetic children under a policy from BlueCross BlueShield with relatively high per person and family deductibles. Instead, he opted for a BlueCross catastrophic policy that cost much less but permits just two doctors' visits a year, no brand-name drugs and no psychiatric care.
"When I got that increase, I just sensed that the goal in life of the insurance plans is to charge very high premiums, or they want to … get rid of people that are going to cost them a lot of money," said Bachrach, who has a pre-existing medical condition.
Alissa Fox, a senior vice president at the BlueCross Blue Shield Association, said this is a "dangerous" time for regulators to limit health plans' surpluses because there is so much uncertainty about how insurance costs will change under the new federal health law. "It's a safety net," she said of cash in reserve.
Some rates rose 20%
Consumers Union examined nonprofit BlueCross and Blue Shield plans because they cover one out of three Americans with private health coverage.
Among other examples cited in the Consumers Union report:
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona had a $717.1 million surplus in 2009, more than seven times the regulatory minimum. The plan raised rates for individual market customers by as much as 18 percent in 2009. Company spokeswoman Regena Frieden said: "We believe the amount we have in reserves is appropriate."
Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon showed a surplus of $565.2 million in 2009, about 3.6 times the regulatory minimum. The plan raised rates on some individual plans an average of 25.3 percent in 2009 and 16 percent in 2010. Company spokeswoman Angela Hult said the company lost money on its individual policies and said the surplus is "essential to protecting our members from surges in claims costs."
"The tough question is how much surplus is too much surplus. There is no agreement on that," said administrator Teresa Miller of the Oregon Insurance Division, which limited Regence's most recent request for a rate increase by taking the surplus into account.
Vaughn, a BlueCross spokesman in Tennessee, said if the insurer's obligation to guarantee reserves of its TennCare managed care plan had been included in the magazine's analysis, the amount of excess surplus cited by Consumers Union in its report would have been nearly one-quarter lower.
Also, Tennessee's state Department of Commerce and Insurance questioned some of Consumers Union's conclusions. On average, BlueCross sought a 4.5 percent rate increase this year but got an increase of 3.75 percent from the department, said Bob Ribe, chief analyst with the state agency.
Consumers Union analyzed data from 2001 to 2009 for most states it reviewed. Some rate increases were in double-digits for several of the health plans, it said, including more than 20 percent for some of the Texas plans.
Vaughn questioned the logic of using surpluses to reduce premium increases, suggesting that helping reduce costs one year might deplete reserves for future unforeseen events.
"That's a very immediate and short-term view," he said
By Getahn Ward
THE TENNESSEAN • and Alison Young
USA TODAY • July 22, 2010
Nonprofit BlueCross and BlueShield health plans in several states, including Tennessee, stockpiled billions of dollars during the past decade, yet continued to hit consumers with hefty premium increases that could have been reduced in some cases, a new consumer study contends.
"Consumers are struggling to afford health coverage," said report author Sondra Roberto, who tackled the project for Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports. "Those funds could be used in some cases to mitigate these rate increases."
The report calls on state insurance regulators to scrutinize surpluses and set maximum limits to protect consumers from unreasonable health insurance costs.
But insurance regulators in Tennessee and BlueCross officials say rate increases here were justified, and keeping enough cash in reserve makes financial sense.
"On the day that financial reform legislation is signed in which many provisions are designed to create deeper reserves for financial institutions, it's ironic that we as health plans are being called out for having strong reserves," said Roy Vaughn, a BlueCross spokesman.
Chattanooga-based BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee covers 3 million members with 87,000 of those in individual insurance plans. Many others have group coverage through their employers.
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee had $1.1 billion in surplus cash last year, an amount roughly five times what would be considered appropriate by regulators to protect insurers from insolvency, according to the Consumers Union study to be released today.
Tennessee's plan was among seven of the 10 states surveyed in which surpluses were more than three times the amounts needed, said Laurie Sobel, a senior staff attorney with Consumers Union. Arizona, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, North Carolina and Wyoming also fell into that category.
Last year, individual policyholders in Tennessee saw average rate increases of 7.7 percent, although some people saw premiums go up by as much as 14.9 percent, Blue Cross officials said. In the group market, the average rate increase was 4.6 percent in 2009 after slightly higher average rate hikes the previous two years here.
Some policyholders, especially those with complex insurance needs, were hit with much steeper increases, though.
Earlier this year, Nashville resident Dr. Alan Bachrach faced a 26 percent increase in the cost of individual coverage for himself and two diabetic children under a policy from BlueCross BlueShield with relatively high per person and family deductibles. Instead, he opted for a BlueCross catastrophic policy that cost much less but permits just two doctors' visits a year, no brand-name drugs and no psychiatric care.
"When I got that increase, I just sensed that the goal in life of the insurance plans is to charge very high premiums, or they want to … get rid of people that are going to cost them a lot of money," said Bachrach, who has a pre-existing medical condition.
Alissa Fox, a senior vice president at the BlueCross Blue Shield Association, said this is a "dangerous" time for regulators to limit health plans' surpluses because there is so much uncertainty about how insurance costs will change under the new federal health law. "It's a safety net," she said of cash in reserve.
Some rates rose 20%
Consumers Union examined nonprofit BlueCross and Blue Shield plans because they cover one out of three Americans with private health coverage.
Among other examples cited in the Consumers Union report:
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona had a $717.1 million surplus in 2009, more than seven times the regulatory minimum. The plan raised rates for individual market customers by as much as 18 percent in 2009. Company spokeswoman Regena Frieden said: "We believe the amount we have in reserves is appropriate."
Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon showed a surplus of $565.2 million in 2009, about 3.6 times the regulatory minimum. The plan raised rates on some individual plans an average of 25.3 percent in 2009 and 16 percent in 2010. Company spokeswoman Angela Hult said the company lost money on its individual policies and said the surplus is "essential to protecting our members from surges in claims costs."
"The tough question is how much surplus is too much surplus. There is no agreement on that," said administrator Teresa Miller of the Oregon Insurance Division, which limited Regence's most recent request for a rate increase by taking the surplus into account.
Vaughn, a BlueCross spokesman in Tennessee, said if the insurer's obligation to guarantee reserves of its TennCare managed care plan had been included in the magazine's analysis, the amount of excess surplus cited by Consumers Union in its report would have been nearly one-quarter lower.
Also, Tennessee's state Department of Commerce and Insurance questioned some of Consumers Union's conclusions. On average, BlueCross sought a 4.5 percent rate increase this year but got an increase of 3.75 percent from the department, said Bob Ribe, chief analyst with the state agency.
Consumers Union analyzed data from 2001 to 2009 for most states it reviewed. Some rate increases were in double-digits for several of the health plans, it said, including more than 20 percent for some of the Texas plans.
Vaughn questioned the logic of using surpluses to reduce premium increases, suggesting that helping reduce costs one year might deplete reserves for future unforeseen events.
"That's a very immediate and short-term view," he said
MTA hearings to focus on changes to routes, including Music City Circuit
Tennessean
DAVIDSON COUNTY
The Metropolitan Transit Authority will hold five public hearings on July 26, 27 and 28 on proposed service changes for this fall.
Improvements to five routes will be discussed as well as expanding the Music City Circuit, making BusLink in Madison a fixed route, and establishing a new route near Cane Ridge High School.
Residents are encouraged to attend, but may also submit comments.
Meetings will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, July 26, 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 27, and 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 28 at Music City Central, 400 Charlotte Ave.; 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 27 at the Inglewood Branch Library, 4312 Gallatin Road; and 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 28 at Cumberland View Towers, 1201 Cheyenne Blvd. in Madison.
For more information or to submit comments, call Customer Care at 862-5950.
— NICOLE YOUNG,
THE TENNESSEAN
DAVIDSON COUNTY
The Metropolitan Transit Authority will hold five public hearings on July 26, 27 and 28 on proposed service changes for this fall.
Improvements to five routes will be discussed as well as expanding the Music City Circuit, making BusLink in Madison a fixed route, and establishing a new route near Cane Ridge High School.
Residents are encouraged to attend, but may also submit comments.
Meetings will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, July 26, 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 27, and 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 28 at Music City Central, 400 Charlotte Ave.; 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 27 at the Inglewood Branch Library, 4312 Gallatin Road; and 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 28 at Cumberland View Towers, 1201 Cheyenne Blvd. in Madison.
For more information or to submit comments, call Customer Care at 862-5950.
— NICOLE YOUNG,
THE TENNESSEAN
Man Shot During Home Invasion
Channel 5 News
Posted: Jul 22, 2010 5:26 AM CDT
Updated: Jul 22, 2010 7:49 AM CDT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A man was shot during a home invasion at a couple's apartment on Ocala Drive in the Tusculum area.
A gunman invaded the home around 3:30 a.m. while the couple was there.
The victim's girlfriend said her boyfriend was shot in the leg. He is at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in stable condition.
Police are searching for the gunman.
Posted: Jul 22, 2010 5:26 AM CDT
Updated: Jul 22, 2010 7:49 AM CDT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A man was shot during a home invasion at a couple's apartment on Ocala Drive in the Tusculum area.
A gunman invaded the home around 3:30 a.m. while the couple was there.
The victim's girlfriend said her boyfriend was shot in the leg. He is at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in stable condition.
Police are searching for the gunman.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
State drops speed limit on Vietnam Veterans Boulevard
Associated Press • July 21, 2010
The Tennessee Department of Transportation is lowering the speed limit on Route 386 and has put in cable barrier following several serious crashes.
The highway, which is also known as Vietnam Veterans Boulevard, is a heavily traveled commuter route that handles traffic between Nashville and the Sumner County cities of Hendersonville and Gallatin.
On Thursday, the speed limit will be lowered from 70 mph to 65 mph from the Davidson County line to near Gallatin. The 70 mph limit will remain on the Davidson County portion.
TDOT will install new speed limit signs, beginning on Thursday, and will also post curve warning signs in two spots.
The agency has recently completed installing several miles of median cable barrier to prevent vehicles from running into oncoming lanes.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation is lowering the speed limit on Route 386 and has put in cable barrier following several serious crashes.
The highway, which is also known as Vietnam Veterans Boulevard, is a heavily traveled commuter route that handles traffic between Nashville and the Sumner County cities of Hendersonville and Gallatin.
On Thursday, the speed limit will be lowered from 70 mph to 65 mph from the Davidson County line to near Gallatin. The 70 mph limit will remain on the Davidson County portion.
TDOT will install new speed limit signs, beginning on Thursday, and will also post curve warning signs in two spots.
The agency has recently completed installing several miles of median cable barrier to prevent vehicles from running into oncoming lanes.
Council approves tax break for flood victims
Councilman says measure is for 'the very hardest hit'
By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • July 21, 2010
Davidson County property owners whose homes were severely damaged by the May flood will get a tax break under a plan the Metro Council approved Tuesday.
The council unanimously enacted its version of legislation passed by the General Assembly in May. The new law allows flood victims to apply for a prorated reduction in the assessment of each property that was damaged at least 50 percent and was not replaced or restored for at least 30 days. The application deadline is Sept. 1.
Councilman Ronnie Steine, chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, said the measure was designed "for those folks who were the very hardest hit."
"This is one of the things we can point to that will give folks some help," Steine said.
Councilman Phil Claiborne, whose Donelson district was hit hard, said he already had heard from a couple of residents inquiring about the option.
"I don't know why anybody wouldn't apply," he said.
The Davidson County property assessor's office has estimated the measure will cost Metro about $20 million in tax revenues. The city brings in about $650 million a year.
The council also gave preliminary approval to a plan that would waive flood victims' permit fees for home repair or rebuilding projects through Dec. 31. The council previously waived the fees through July 30. It probably will take a final vote on the extension in two weeks.
Lease change approved
In other business, the council voted unanimously to amend the city's Bridgestone Arena lease with the Nashville Predators. The lease now says the National Hockey League team must pay Metro 5 percent of the price of each ticket or $1.75 per ticket sold — whichever is lower.
The 5 percent provision, which was in the Predators' previous lease, was not included in the current agreement after lawyers for the city and the team failed to notice the omission in some 20 drafts they passed back and forth in 2007-08.
An attorney hired by Metro acknowledged the mistake last year after The Tennessean asked about apparent shortfalls in the funds the Predators were sending the city, based on the language in the contract at the time.
Contact Michael Cass at 615-259-8838 or mcass@tennessean.com
By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • July 21, 2010
Davidson County property owners whose homes were severely damaged by the May flood will get a tax break under a plan the Metro Council approved Tuesday.
The council unanimously enacted its version of legislation passed by the General Assembly in May. The new law allows flood victims to apply for a prorated reduction in the assessment of each property that was damaged at least 50 percent and was not replaced or restored for at least 30 days. The application deadline is Sept. 1.
Councilman Ronnie Steine, chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, said the measure was designed "for those folks who were the very hardest hit."
"This is one of the things we can point to that will give folks some help," Steine said.
Councilman Phil Claiborne, whose Donelson district was hit hard, said he already had heard from a couple of residents inquiring about the option.
"I don't know why anybody wouldn't apply," he said.
The Davidson County property assessor's office has estimated the measure will cost Metro about $20 million in tax revenues. The city brings in about $650 million a year.
The council also gave preliminary approval to a plan that would waive flood victims' permit fees for home repair or rebuilding projects through Dec. 31. The council previously waived the fees through July 30. It probably will take a final vote on the extension in two weeks.
Lease change approved
In other business, the council voted unanimously to amend the city's Bridgestone Arena lease with the Nashville Predators. The lease now says the National Hockey League team must pay Metro 5 percent of the price of each ticket or $1.75 per ticket sold — whichever is lower.
The 5 percent provision, which was in the Predators' previous lease, was not included in the current agreement after lawyers for the city and the team failed to notice the omission in some 20 drafts they passed back and forth in 2007-08.
An attorney hired by Metro acknowledged the mistake last year after The Tennessean asked about apparent shortfalls in the funds the Predators were sending the city, based on the language in the contract at the time.
Contact Michael Cass at 615-259-8838 or mcass@tennessean.com
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