health & education

2A — THE DAILY HOME, Talladega and St. Clair counties, Ala., Sunday, February 12, 2012 health & education

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By AZIZA JACKSONHome staff writer

Talladega College is undergoing several campus renovations, including its cafeteria and the legendary Foster Hall.

A ribbon-cutting cere-mony for the newly remod-eled cafeteria was held Feb. 1.

TC President Billy C. Hawkins described the new look of the cafeteria as “modern,” complete with central air conditioning, and a new ceiling, floor and walls.

Students were getting their food at “The Inn” on campus, where they had the option of sitting down and eating or taking their meals to their rooms.

Hawkins said the $600,000 renovation start-ed just before the Christmas holiday, and he hopes the remodeled cafeteria will boost both student morale and recruitment.

“The students have been very patient,” Hawkins said.

He said the renovation of Foster Hall has seen a few setbacks but remains on a steady course to com-pletion.

“It’s about two months to go to complete the exte-rior,” Hawkins said. “It was supposed to be done by Christmas but there’s been a few change orders on the roof and other parts.”

However, he said the college would be ready to move students in to Foster Hall by Jan. 1, 2013.

“The problem is, with a building that old you just never know what kind of problems you are going to run into,” Hawkins said.

Although the interi-or work on Foster Hall

Bob Crisp/The Daily Home

Renovations at Foster Hall are ongoing, and the college hopes to have the exterior completed in time for TC’s alumni weekend May 11-13.

Restoration key wordat Talladega College

TC seal

still has a long way to go, Hawkins hopes to have the exterior completed in time for TC’s alumni weekend May 11-13.

Foster Hall is the oldest dormitory on TC’s cam-pus, and was used as the women’s dormitory.

In January, Hawkins said plans had not been finalized as to who will be moving into the newly renovated Foster Hall, but it is likely it will house honors students.

“The building has a 300-person housing capac-ity. When you look at that type of capacity, that’s going to be huge for us,” Hawkins said.

The restoration process of the Amistad murals at the Atlanta Art Conservation Center have been complet-ed. The murals were on the walls of Savery Library for many years.

“So all six murals have gone through the entire process,” Hawkins said. “We have recorded it, and downloaded it, and we have a DVD that we’re using as a promotional piece for the tour.”

Hawkins said the cata-log for the Amistad murals tour is finished and will be available in a hardback format.

“It’s very clear of Talladega history, and has

photos of the college, the murals, of Hale Woodruff with the murals … we’re real excited about the proj-ect,” Hawkins said.

“If we didn’t get any-thing out of this, the resto-ration alone is just huge in just preserving the histori-cal artwork.”

The history of renowned artist Hale Woodruff will also be featured, along with some of his other work.

Hawkins said the tour is mostly set in stone.

All six panels will tour the country, starting first at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta Saturday, June 9.

During the week of June 4, there will be a pri-vate viewing session for the first reveal of the restored murals before they are open for public viewing.

There will be a month between each exhibit to allow for proper transport and set up.

Hawkins said the murals will be on display at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta in June, July and August.

Then they will travel to the African American Museum in Dallas, Texas, where they will be on display from October to February 2013.

Hawkins said they will then be on display at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indianapolis, Ind., from March 2013 to June 2013.

From July 2013 to October 2013 they will be on display at New York University where Woodruff used to teach.

Next, Hawkins said they will be on display at Washington East Gallery in Washington D.C., and then at the Smithsonian

from November 2013 to March 2014.

The murals will then travel to the New Orleans Museum of Art and be on display there from June 2014 to September 2014.

The next stop is the Amistad Center for Art & Culture in Hartford, Conn., from October 2014 to February 2015.

The Birmingham Museum of Art is the last stop so far on the tour. The murals will be on display there from March 2015 to May 2015.

Hawkins said muse-ums in Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, and in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area are still in talks with the college about featuring the murals.

“The great thing about this tour is that it’s great publicity for Talladega College,” Hawkins said.

He said he and his administration still have big plans for a museum on TC’s campus that will house the murals after the tour is complete.

“That’s in the fore-front of our conversation,” Hawkins said. “The con-tributions we receive for the tour will go toward the museum.”

Students from area high school bands have recently been invited to play for games; Hawkins hopes to create a TC pep band in the near future.

He also said that a new student center is also in the works for the college.

“We just hope that this funding that we’re get-ting from the tour will be available to us this spring,” Hawkins said. “My goal is to have a groundbreak-ing ceremony in June for alumni weekend. I’ll know

in these next few months how realistic that will be.”

Hawkins said the vision for the three-story student center includes an exercise center, food service station, game rooms, computer and learning labs, and a ballroom on the third level

that will serve as a large banquet space.

“That’s going to be exciting to get that facility finished, so we’re going to be busy,” Hawkins said.

Contact Aziza Jackson at [email protected].

Brian Schoenhals/The Daily Home

Talladega College President Billy Hawkins says a new student center is in the works for the college.

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Nursingprogramlaunchedat Jeff StateBy ELSIE HODNETTHome staff writer

Jefferson State Community College’s Pell City site is making big strides with a new nursing program.

“Everything finally came to fruition and we launched our nursing pro-gram this January,” said Jim Blackburn, direc-tor of the Jefferson State Community College Pell City site.

Blackburn said there are currently 24 students enrolled in the new nurs-ing program.

“Twenty-four students was the target for this first term,” he said. “They will admit students to the nurs-ing program one time a year, so the next opportu-nity to enroll will be next January.”

Blackburn said the new nursing school is a two-year ADN, or Associates Degree in Nursing.

“It’s an RN program,

not an LPN program,” he said.

Blackburn said the nursing program is a five-semester program, although typically two-to-three semesters of prereq-uisites are needed first.

“It’s a competitive pro-gram to get into,” he said. “Grades go a long way in determining who is admit-ted into the program.”

Blackburn said admis-sion to the program is determined by a points sys-tem. There is an entrance exam for nursing for stu-dents who are admitted.

“With the Pell City and Clanton locations open-ing nursing programs this term, the nursing program is now offered at every location Jefferson State Community College has,” he said.

Blackburn said launch-ing the new nursing pro-gram takes the Pell City site one step closer to cam-pus status.

“We are trying to move


There are 24 students enrolled in the new nuring program at Jefferson State Community College Pell City site.

from site status to campus status,” he said.

Blackburn said to achieve campus status, the site must have a library and two programs where students can finish the program in its entirety at that one location.

“The new nursing pro-gram is one of the two programs we will need,” he said. “The other is unde-termined at this time.”

Blackburn said the Pell City site already has a library.

“We also have to go through SACS (Southern Association of Colleges

and Schools) and they will make the determination,” he said. “But we are con-tinually working toward it.”

Blackburn said the com-munity is excited about the new nursing program.

“I heard we were get-ting it from the communi-ty before I got the official word,” he said.

Blackburn said he believes the new St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital and the Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home were big contribut-ing factors to getting the nursing program going.

“I think this program will be a source of quali-fied nurses for this area,” he said.

Mayor Bill Hereford said the new nursing pro-gram is one of the many good things happening in Pell City.

“I was involved in bringing Jeff State to Pell City,” he said. “I was a citi-zen who attended some of the meetings early on.

“A post-secondary edu-cation system in your city is a tremendous plus, and the nursing program abso-lutely adds to it,” he said.

Hereford said there

is a symbiotic relation-ship between the nursing school, the St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital and the Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home.

“The college will be able to train nurses for both those institutions,” he said. “To have them in our city is remarkable and beneficial to all concerned. All these things will con-tinue to grow and feed each other. It is one of the best win-win relationships that I can imagine.”

Contact Elsie Hodnett at [email protected].

Brian Schoenhals/TheDaily Home

Brittany Vines asseses Jessica Brown’s medical problems during a Focused Assessment exercise.


Dr. Dale Robie, center,teaches students Violet Cook, left, and Shirley Batson how to assess face pain.


Drs. Lambert and Roberts, as well as their Nurse Practitioner Max Thrower,have been a part of the Talladega medical community for many years.

Charles Lambert, M.D. received his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed an Internship and Surgical

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Sylacauga schools setting up for successBy EMILY ADAMSHome staff writer

Sylacauga city schools are bringing their class-rooms into the 21st cen-tury.

The School System is moving forward on several projects that will drastically improve the learning envi-ronment, Superintendent Renee Riggins said.

“We have a number of projects going on that will not only help students, but teachers and admin-istrators as well,” Riggins said. “We have a very dedicated staff, and I also feel like we have students who are fully engaged in the classroom, and we are always looking for ways to improve that environ-ment.”

At the top of the list are three major construc-tion projects: a competi-tion-size gym at Pinecrest Elementary, a gym at Indian Valley Elementary and a new wing at Sylacauga High School.

The two gyms, cost-ing about $800,000 each, were sorely needed, build-ing supervisor Johnny Gray said.

“A lot of events now are held in the lunchroom or library, and they really needed a facility better suited to those gatherings, on top of the regular uses for a gym,” Gray said.

The Pinecrest gym includes a softball locker room and a special educa-tion classroom equipped with a wheelchair ramp, shower and other ameni-ties.

The gym is on schedule to be complete by April or May, in time to hold fifth-grade graduation. Indian Valley’s gym will


Construction of a $7.8 million, 31-classroom wing is under way at Sylacauga High School. The addition is phase one of a three-phase project to renovate 70 percent of the school over the next five years.

Superintendent Dr. Renee Riggins, left, says the Sylacauga School System is mov-ing forward on sev-eral projects that will improve the learning environment.

be complete by the end of February, Gray said.

The $7.8 million, 31-classroom addition to SHS is going well, despite some initial issues, Gray said.

“We’ve had some soil issues, some weather issues and we had to reroute some water lines, but we’re actu-ally into about an $80,000 savings because of those projects,” Gray said.

The addition, which includes six science labs, is phase one of a three-phase project to renovate 70 per-cent of the school in the next five to six years.

Riggins said this project was a long time coming.

“We need something modern that is technol-ogy accessible and more conducive to learning,” Riggins said.

Along with new facili-ties, schools received new technology thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Sylacauga City Schools Foundation.

That grant funded three computer labs and a variety of new equip-ment for classrooms, said technology director Mike Robinson.

“That $100,000 was obviously a big boost because its influence is two-fold,” Robinson said.

“One, you’re getting tech-nology right away, and the second thing is that it opens the eyes of admin-istration and community members to look at what else we need.”

Robinson said they are working toward standard-izing all classrooms with the same technology.

“The goal is that no matter what class a stu-dent has, they will have the same technology avail-able to them,” he said. “Over the years, teachers may have purchased their own equipment, so what one class has is older or newer than another. We’re trying to get everybody up to par with the same equipment.”

Each classroom will ideally have a mounted projector, document cam-era, microphone system and laptop computer, Robinson said.

“Technology is so inte-grated in every part of the classroom that if teachers don’t have it, or if the Internet goes out, their day is gone,” Robinson said. “We need to give everyone the same opportunity to incorporate technology.”

Robinson said using technology is now essen-tial to preparing students for further learning.

“We’re going in the right direction as far as preparing students tech-nology-wise for further education,” he said. “Now

See Schools, Page 7A

THE DAILY HOME, Talladega and St. Clair counties, Ala., Sunday, February 12, 2012 — 5Ahealth & education

By DAVID ATCHISONHome staff writer

The Pell City School System continues to keep up with steady growth, completing two construc-tion projects last year.

“We’re in pretty good shape, facility wise,” Schools Superintendent Dr. Bobby Hathcock said.

Last year, the Pell City Board of Education spent close to $3.6 million for the major renovation project to Iola Roberts Elementary School, and another $1 million for the front addition and renova-tion project at Pell City High School.

The construction proj-ect at Iola Roberts includ-ed the construction of a gymnasium, band room and four classrooms. The old gym was converted into a media center and administrative offices.

Assistant Schools Superintendent Michael Barber said school offi-cials wanted to give Iola Roberts a new feel, but did not want to do away with its historic past or the “emotional connection” the community has with the school.

He said the transoms above classroom doors remain and the classroom doors were refurbished and the hardware polished and re-installed on the doors.

“It was important not to lose the school’s iden-tity,” Barber said.

The renovation project also added needed space for students.

The construction proj-ect at the high school added more administrative offices and helps provide better security. The new 3,300 square-foot-front entrance to the high school matches the Pell City Center, adja-cent to the school.

“You can now better identify the front entrance to the high school,” Barber said.

Funds for the con-struction projects were secured through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The School System will pay back the low-interest stimulus fund loan within a 15-year period.

Hathcock also announced that the School System has eliminated por-table classrooms.

The last portable class-room was removed from the Walter M. Kennedy Elementary School prop-erty on Jan, 23, 2011.

And while schools across the state saw a decrease in state funds, the Pell City School System received an increase in local funding to help offset the shortfall.


Pell City High School has a new front entrance.


The Pell City School System completed a $3.6 million renovation proj-ect at Iola Roberts Elementary School.

School System keeping upwith growth

“We saw $5.1 million in loss during the past three years in state dollars,” Hathcock said. “That’s pretty significant.”

So a 1-cent tax increase passed by the City Council, of which the School System receives half, was welcomed.

“We’re very, very appre-ciative,” Hathcock said. “That says a lot for the people here, stepping up to help their School System. … It’s made all the differ-ence in the world.”

He said the School System is in the hunt for federal dollars and is being run at “bare bones,” while keeping classroom sizes small.

Hathcock said he would like to have storm shelters at all the schools. Currently there are storm shelters at Walter M. Kennedy Elementary School, Iola Roberts Elementary School and at Pell City High School that can withstand 250 mph winds.

He said the April 27, 2011, storms showed there is a real need for school storm shelters in Pell City.

“Instead of telling stu-dents to get into the hall-ways, we can tell them to get into the shelters,” Hathcock said.

He said despite the decrease in state funds, the School System has main-tained programs that are important to students and the community.

“Right now, if the econ-omy continues to improve, we can do even more,” Hathcock said.

He said he would also like to see a spring sports facility materialize.

He said as a Class 6A school, he would like to see a new high school track to accommodate students who participate in track

and field.“We have young-

sters who could get track scholarships, if we can get the training facilities,” Hathcock said, adding that a new sports facility and track could allow the high school to host more spring sporting events and tour-naments.

“Hopefully, we can expand the offerings for our kids,” Hathcock said. “That’s very important.”

Contact David Atchison at [email protected].

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By AZIZA JACKSONHome staff writer

Project-based learning continues to be an effec-tive strategy for engaging students in the ownership of their education in the Talladega County School System.

Amid periods of pro-ration and budget cuts, project-based learning has proven to be a beacon for the School System.

“The beauty of project-based learning is that stu-dents have the opportunity to use the knowledge and skills they are learning in the classroom to make a connection with real-world events and problems,” Superintendent Suzanne Lacey said.

“Through project-based learning, students gain a better understanding of why they are learning spe-cific content and how they

apply this knowledge in their lives.”

The School System has recently adopted the Common Core State Standards that was passed by the Alabama State Department of Education Nov. 18, 2010.

According to the state Department of Education, the core standards in math and English language arts “incorporates Alabama’s current standards with those in the Common Core to create a set of inter-nationally benchmarked college readiness standards that will prepare students for a future in the ever-expanding global environ-ment.”

“Because these stan-dards are designed to be relevant in the ‘real world,’ Talladega County students already have a good idea as to how these standards correlate with their per-

sonal goals and the goals expected of them in the workplace,” Lacey said.

In addition to being compliant with the stan-dards, Lacey said Talladega County administrators and leaders have been aggres-sively implementing a com-prehensive technology plan into all facets of education in the classroom.

Lacey said she believes the input of teachers and stakeholders has been monumental in the success of the plan.

Recently, Lacey sought out the advice of 40 class-room teachers who con-firmed the system’s prog-ress in engaging students in their work.

Teachers offered sugges-tions for providing more rigorous courses for stu-dents while also expand-ing their use of technology tools to support teaching and learning.


Students at Winterboro High School take advantage of the comprehen-sive technology plan administrators and leaders have been implement-ing.

“Through project based learning, Talladega County schools will continue its commitment in preparing students for the future,” Lacey said.

Plans are under way to implement a 1:1 stu-dent-to-computer ratio at Childersburg High School for the upcoming 2012-

2013 school year.“With this added tech-

nology, students and teach-ers will have state-of-the-art equipment to support the instructional focus,” Lacey said.

As the Talladega County School System strives to move forward in provid-ing students with 21st

century learning skills, it is dedicated to providing the best resources as they work toward achieving their vision: “to provide a challenging, rigorous cur-riculum empowering all students to be successful.”

Contact Aziza Jackson at

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The Talladega County Board of Education office, left, is on South Street in Talladega.

Dr. Suzanne Lacey, right, is superintendent of Talladega County Schools.

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they will understand and be ready for that when they get to the college level.”Another program in place is “The Leader in Me,” which will begin this year.

The program, for kin-dergarten through fifth-grade, promotes life skills and workforce readiness through a regimen of seven habits that are incorporated in every classroom.

“We feel this will be a great thing for our schools,” Parent Involvement coor-dinator Karen Elston said. “We want to teach students to be responsible for them-selves so they can become effective adults, and this will help us achieve that.”

Expected results of the program include improved student achievement and self-confidence, increased job satisfaction for teach-ers and administration, reduced disciplinary refer-rals and satisfied parents.

Sylacauga schools are also earning rave reviews for their nutritional programs, which include the USDA Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge and a fresh fruit and vegetable program.

Indian Valley was award-ed a Gold of Distinction rating for the HUSSC, the highest award possible.

“We had to make sure the school was meeting the physical fitness require-ments and provide a higher level of nutritional value,” Wassermann said. “We serve more fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains only.”

Nichols-Lawson Middle School was awarded a Silver ranking in the program.

Wassermann said the School System believes nutrition is essential to suc-cess in the classroom.

The School System’s efforts at improving learn-ing seem to be working, as all schools met the require-ments for AYP, or adequate yearly progress.

“We have outstanding teachers that make learn-ing fun,” Riggins said. “We have a lot of parent involve-ment, which is very impor-tant. Also, our administra-tion is supportive of the staff and set great examples. That has a lot to do with where our tests scores are. It’s just a team approach.”

SchoolsFrom Page 4A

CACC to build on its past successes in 2012By MARKLEDBETTERHome staff writer

Central Alabama Community College will build upon past successes and introduce new pro-grams in 2012.

One successful program CACC’s Talladega cam-pus offered in 2011 that will be featured again is the Central Alabama BEST Robotics competition.

More than 500 high school and middle school students from 13 schools participated in last year’s competition.

Students competed in a variety of categories, including design and con-struction of a robot, mar-keting presentation, spirit and sportsmanship, website design and numerous other categories.

The inaugural Central Alabama BEST Game Day attracted almost 1,000 people to Talladega Superspeedway Nov. 5.

The program brought together area schools, busi-nesses and industries, local government, civic organiza-tions and volunteers.

More schools are expect-ed to participate in the competition this year. It will be in mid-October.

The program is designed to expand student inter-est in science, technology, engineering and mat.

Also at the Talladega campus, CACC will expand its partnership with the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. Dual enroll-ment is offered to students at Alabama School for the Deaf, Alabama School for the Blind, and E.H. Gentry.

Students can earn col-lege and high school credits simultaneously.

“The program is unique because of the many part-ners working with the stu-dents, including AIDB, the Talladega County office of Rehabilitative Services, and faculty and staff at CACC, ASD, ASB and Gentry,” said Brian Gann, director of the Talladega campus

“Students can take advantage of AIDB’s sup-portive services and assis-tive technology while gain-ing confidence in their ability to transition into college life successfully,” he said.

The pilot program last spring, which began with three students, has grown to 19 students this spring.

“It has been a learning opportunity for everyone involved, and CACC’s fac-ulty in Talladega have done an amazing job embracing

the challenge of learning how to serve deaf and blind students, and I think the program will only contin-ue to grow and improve,” Gann said.

CACC’s partnership with Talladega High con-tinues to expand. This spring a pilot program will offer dual enrollment in biology classes at THS.

The class will comple-ment history courses already offered. About 18 students participate.

College-level cosmetol-ogy courses will be offered this fall. Partnering with the career technical facili-ties, CACC will offer its first lab-based technical program in Talladega.

Students will take theory courses at CACC and com-plete their lab work at the Talladega Career Technical

Center.“This is a great part-

nership for us that allows us to expand our offerings without constructing new facilities,” Gann said.

A Title III Strengthening Institutions grant from the Department of Education will allow for the expan-sion of instructional and student support. The goal is to improve retention and graduation rates.

The $2 million grant is for five years and will provide new and expanded opportunities to students to improve their chances for success.

A scholarship grant for associate degree nurs-ing students at CACC’s Childersburg campus will assist students with finan-cial aid. The one-year, $59,306 grant is renewable

each year.Gann said he hopes the

Ambassador program intro-duced last year at CACC in Talladega will continue to grow.

The Ambassadors are student leaders who serve as campus hosts and host-esses. Initial participants this year are Demarco Willis, Alivia Johnson and Kelsey Thompson.

Each of these students worked at numerous col-lege fairs and campus events and have done an excellent job, Gann said.

Other programs expand-ing at CACC’s Talladega campus include American Sign Language and physical science for the first time.

A new course for office administration and busi-ness majors will be offered at the Talladega campus.

The Talladega campus will also offer commu-nity education classes for the first time. The short, non-credit classes include ACT Prep for high school students, American Sign Language, Computers for Adults, and Microsoft Excel.

Dual enrollment schol-arships provided by a grant from the Alabama Office of Workforce Development will provide tuition, fees and books for students enrolling in career techni-cal education fields.

Scholarships are also available in office admin-istration in Talladega and in drafting, machine shop technology, office admin-istration, and heating and air conditioning in Childersburg.


Support of AIDB Foundation is ‘critical’The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has started a campaign to raise $2 million for a proposed health center at AIDB.The campaign has already received

a $500,000 donation from Alabama Power. An artist rendering of the proposed centeris shown.

AIDB President Dr. Terry Graham

By KENNY FARMERSpecial Projects editor

While 93 percent of the operating expenses for the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind in Talladega come from state funding, many of the school’s pro-grams and projects would not exist if not for the fundraising efforts of the AIDB Foundation.

AIDB President Dr. Terry Graham said because of the economic uncer-tainty of the country, rais-ing funds is essential. He said AIDB differs from other schools and univer-sities because no tuition is collected and there are no local sales taxes that benefit the school. AIDB does not charge tuition, therefore they can’t raise tuition costs to offset financial needs as other schools might do.

“Fundraising is a never-ending concern,” Graham said.

The AIDB Foundation, created in 1980, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organi-zation to encourage private support for AIDB’s char-ity, education, training and research programs. It has raised approximately $50 million over a 30-year period.

Graham said there are three primary reasons for the fundraising done by the foundation. The first is to maintain the resources needed to pro-vide quality programs and services to students. The second is to keep all 1,100 members of AIDB’s staff

employed so that they are able to provide for their families. The third is the school’s responsibility to the community. Graham said AIDB needs to retain money that can be invest-ed in the community.

The foundation pro-vides funding for a wide variety of interests at AIDB, including con-struction and renovation of facilities, development of new and expanding programs and experiences concerning professional development, academics, student life, outreach and the arts. AIDB’s chapel and the Marianna Greene Henry Special Equestrian Arena are also funded through the foundation.

Private donors have provided for construction and renovations to region-al centers in Tuscumbia, Birmingham, Talladega, Dothan, Tuscaloosa and Mobile. AIDB’s regional centers allow the insti-tution to serve children and adults in all 67 of the state’s counties. The regional center network began as the result of a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

The Kel logg Foundation provided “seed money” to the origi-nal regional center proj-ect. Seed money is money used to test new pro-grams to see if they will be viable and beneficial to students. Once programs are tested and approved, many become part of the school’s curriculum that are covered by state fund-

ing. Assistive technology was once funded by seed money, but is now an important part of every-day life at AIDB.

The foundation has recently started a cam-paign to raise $2 million for the school’s proposed health center. The cam-paign is off to a good start, having already received a $500,000 donation from Alabama Power. The need for a new health center arises from acces-sibility issues with the cur-rent health center, which is located on the third floor of AIDB’s Dowling Building. The new health center will also eliminate problems such as insuf-

ficient space on elevators for gurneys and a lack of a covered area for patients who are entering/leaving the center. A dental clinic will also be moved from the third floor to ground level for better access.

The AIDB Foundation and the school’s Office of Institutional Advancement take a basic approach to fundraising, but incor-porate several different strategies. Ways to donate to AIDB include direct mail donations, annu-al gifts, one-time gifts, memorials and planned gifts. Donations can also be made through AIDB’s website. Individuals, cor-porations and foundations

can also donate to special emphasis campaigns, such as the campaign to build a new health center.

Lynne Hanner, AIDB’s director of institutional advancement, said funds are raised by telling peo-ple AIDB’s story. She said AIDB seeks to offer donors the opportunity to donate to a program of interest.

“The best way to learn the story of AIDB is to come and see it,” said Graham.

“People want to sup-port what we do here,” Hanner said. “People like to give to people, pro-grams and projects where they feel they can make a difference.”

AIDB is happy to receive gifts, from small to large.

“The size of the gift doesn’t matter,” Hanner said. “It’s what is in the heart.”

AIDB’s biggest fund-raising event is the annual Race Fever auction. Race Fever takes place each year in conjunction with the Spring Race at the Talladega Superspeedway. Hanner said Race Fever has “come a long way” since its inception. The event, originally held on the football field at Alabama School for the Deaf, started with about 200 in attendance. Today, Hanner said the event has become a part of many people’s race week tradi-tion. Now the event, held at Talladega’s SPEED Channel Dome, draws

approximately 1,500 peo-ple each year.

Last year, in addition to the previously mentioned fundraising techniques, AIDB found new ways to raise money. Involvement in two online voting con-tests paid huge dividends for AIDB. In November 2011, AIDB’s region-al center in Tuscaloosa was named one of five $25,000 grand prize win-ner in Mercedes Benz’s “Community Stars” con-test. AIDB submitted a 60 second video to Mercedes to qualify for the award. The video presented the story of “triumph of abil-ity over disability.”

The other new approach used by AIDB this year was nominat-ing longtime AIDB vol-unteer Robert Weaver for the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, which was presented by NASCAR. Weaver, also known around campus as “The Ice Cream Man,” received the award in December and $100,000 was donated to AIDB in his name.

Hanner said there are three important things to consider when donating to AIDB. The first is that it is a cause that people can feel good about giving to. The second is accountability. The AIDB Foundation has received clean audits for more than a decade. The third is the fact that each gift will help make a difference in a child’s life.

See AIDB, Page 9A

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THE DAILY HOME, Talladega and St. Clair counties, Ala., Sunday, February 12, 2012 —9Ahealth & education

Hanner said the experi-ences gained by the chil-dren through the help of private donations “make a difference in how AIDB serves deaf and blind chil-dren and adults.”

Graham said his staff puts in numerous hours, working hard to find solu-tions to these challenging economic times. He said that while he, the office of institutional advance-ment, grant writers and others work hard to find new sources of funding, all the school’s needs are not met.

He said AIDB provides students with a balanced program; one that provides quality academic, athletic and extended day pro-grams. However, without private donations, many of AIDB’s programs and facilities would not exist as they are today.

One of the programs supplemented by the fund-raising efforts of the AIDB Foundation is the football program at Alabama School for the Deaf. Started in 1892, the ASD football program is recognized as the state’s longest stand-ing football program by the Alabama High School Athletic Association.

One area of concern for Graham is the con-struction of new storm shelters. He said AIDB will look to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other sources to secure funding to build storm shelters on campus. He said he is optimistic about securing funds for the shelters, and he will not be comfortable until the shelters are complete and

AIDBFrom Page 8A


The Marianna Greene Henry Equestrian Arena is one of many projects funded through the AIDB Foundation.

the safety of his students is ensured.

“We need better storm shelters,” Graham said.

Concerning the institu-tion’s fundraising efforts, Graham said, “We’ll never be happy with where we are. We always want to be better.”

Graham said he is appreciative of the leader-ship of the AIDB Board of Trustees and the AIDB Foundation Board because of the time they volunteer and the leadership they dis-play.

“Their support is criti-cal,” he said.

Contact Kenny Farmer at [email protected].

Last year, AIDB found new ways to raise money. Involvement i two online voting contests paid huge dividends. One of the new approaches was nominating longtime AIDB volunteer Robert Weaver left, for the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, which was presdented by NASCAR. Weaver, also known as “The Ice Cream Man’, received the award and $100,000 was donated to AIDB in his name.

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Community rallies to help Talladega schoolsBy CHRIS NORWOODHome staff writer

Summarizing the past school year and looking ahead to the next, Talladega Schools Superintendent Doug Campbell described “moving forward to chal-lenge our students and pre-pare them for the future!”

In a written statement, Campbell depicted the 2010-2011 school year as a time when the district was “moving continu-ally onward and upward, improving and ultimately ending the year with many positive student outcomes.

“The continuation of these goals and objectives are being implemented and carried out successfully throughout this current school year,” he said.

Campbell said more than ever, businesses, organiza-tions, parents and people in general are rallying to help Talladega schools succeed. ”They realize that if the city is to reach its potential, it needs a school district everyone can be proud of,” he said.

“What set 2010-2011 apart from many other years is strong community sup-port,” Campbell said. “In 2010-2011 there seemed to be an increase in local sup-port and a renewed grass roots enthusiasm for dis-trict initiatives. The public has shown a great deal of enthusiasm for several ini-tiatives themselves … Pre-K early intervention, seven period days and extended periods with remediation, college and career readiness programs, and the district’s use of cutting edge technol-ogy in many well equipped 21st century learning envi-ronments. Another exam-ple of stakeholder enthu-siasm is the District’s First Class Pre-K program. The program serves 18 students and always has a waiting list

The Talladega City Board of Education is on South Street.

SuperintendentDoug Campbell

of families wanting services. Records indicate most Pre-K participants seem to excel when they enter elementary school.”

Over the past year, the School System has managed in the area of personnel to help 99 percent of all core academic teachers obtain highly qualified status, and assisted several teachers in becoming nationally board certified.

The system has also completed several capi-tal improvement projects, including new HVAC sys-tems at Salter Elementary and Talladega High, new ramps at Mary Dumas Stadium, improvements to the baseball complex, and a new roof at THS.

TECHNOLOGYJohn Locklin, technol-

ogy coordinator, contin-ues to provide professional development for teachers in the field of technology, which plays a key role in all schools. Students have access to over 2,000 com-puters district wide.

Talladega schools will continue to provide infor-mation to parents through School Cast for school and district announcements and emergency informa-

tion, Study Island (reading, math, science and technol-ogy aligned with the State Standards) is also available for student access from home during the school year and summer months.

DISTRICTCURRICULUM AND

PROGRAMSDolia Patterson, coor-

dinator of curriculum and instruction, said city schools have implement-ed several new programs to enhance instruction at all levels. Response to Instruction (RtI), a new initiative sponsored by the State Department of Education, is one of the programs being fully implemented by the sys-tem this year. Response to Instruction is a framework that integrates core instruc-tion, formative assessments, progress monitoring, and intervention/acceleration within a multi-tiered sys-tem of support to increase student achievement and to reduce student behavior issues, Campbell said.

SCHOOLSHouston Elementary

(Principal, Alicia Laros)Hal Henderson and

Houston were combined into one school in 2011. Houston has 24 classrooms (PK-6) and 500 students.

Each classroom, Campbell said, is equipped with a Promethean board and a student response sys-tem. In grades three through six, each student has an individual laptop to use throughout the day. First- and second-grade teachers have a laptop cart contain-ing 25 laptops to be shared within the grade level.

R. L. Young (Principal, Pattie Thomas)

Every Friday the prin-cipal recognizes the class-room with the highest comprehension percentage

in the Accelerated Reader Program. They receive a trophy to keep for the week in their classroom.

A Good Citizen Luncheon is held each month with one student from each class recognized.

Sixth-grade ambassadors lead the school, serve in tasks in buildings and rep-resent the schools on the Christmas parade float.

Zora Ellis Junior High (Principal, Scott Bailey)

In August, counselor Amy Smith started month-ly meetings to address top-ics of interest for parents. These Terrific Tuesdays are held during lunch and par-ents are invited to stay and eat with their children.

In November, English classes partnered with Citizens Baptist Medical Center to create cards and letters to lift the spirits of patients at the hospital , which donated 50 flat screen monitors to Ellis.

Salter Elementary (Principal, Jenni Griffin)

At Salter, “we are very proud of our Outdoor Classroom,” according to Campbell’s release. “We enjoy watching birds at the bird sanctuary, bird feeders and bird baths. Discovery tables allow students to enjoy outdoor projects. Our gardens grow carrots, broccoli, cabbage, pump-kins and flowers. The stu-dents enjoy tasting what they grow.”

The Student Ambassador Program is in its fourth year. The sixth-grade ambassa-dors work on landscaping, manage the school store, say the Pledge of Allegiance and Principal’s Principles over the intercom, hang the flag, and help with other school activities.

Graham Elementary (Principal, Melissa Dyer)

Students from Talladega High worked with Tommy Moorehead and Graham counselor Cheryl Ford to paint rain forest murals on the walls of the lunchroom. The murals pay tribute to first-grade teacher Nancy

King, who has sold enough T-shirts over 15 years to save 300 acres of forest.

Bill Roberts, head gar-dener of Sylacauga Grows, working in conjunction with Safe and the WAY program, built three raised bed vegetable gardens for students in grades four-six to plant vegetables.

Talladega High (Principal, Bobby Tittle)

Tittle announced a new partnership with Team Info App for the 2011-12 school year to bring THS families and Tiger fans the Talladega High TeamInfoApp for iPhone. With a few clicks on their iPhone, iPad or other iOS device, families can access the school’s TeamInfoApp.

Career Tech Program (Director, Trisha Turner)

The Cosmetology program at THS Career Tech Center is in its first year and is a joint ven-ture with Central Alabama Community College. Sirnovaiar Booker is cos-metology instructor.

THE DAILY HOME, Talladega and St. Clair counties, Ala., Sunday, February 12, 2012 — 1Bhealth & education

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Stayactiveto stayhealthyBy ELSIE HODNETTHome staff writer

With so many options available, it’s important to know how to choose the best plan so you can achieve your fitness goal this year.

“A good balance of diet and exercise is the best way to get fit,” said Dr. Linsey Williams with St. Vincent’s Family Care in Pell City.

Williams said as we age, our metabolism slows down and most people aren’t as active as the years go by.

“Even if you eat exactly the same, you are going to gain weight as time goes by from those factors,” she said.

Williams said getting fit can include maintaining a healthy weight.

“A healthy weight for you may not be thin for everyone,” she said.

Williams said it is important to maintain a healthy body mass index, or BMI.

“A healthy BMI may not look thin on some people, yet they still have a good BMI,” she said.

Williams said good car-diac activity is very impor-tant.

“You can do little things, like take the stairs instead of the elevator,” she said. “Or park your car as far away from the store and get exercise walking to the

store and back.”Exercise comes in many

forms.“You don’t have to do it

all at once,” she said. “You can do it in chunks during the day — little things that add up. That is the most sustainable goal.”

Williams said you can also choose to exercise in one block of time.

“Zumba is a good exercise for most people,” she said. “It’s low impact, which is easier on the joints. Anything dance-oriented like that, includ-ing dance classes, can be good exercise.”

Williams said yoga and swimming are also good exercise options.

“Walking is probably the best free option out there,” she said. “And it

is a social activity — you can get your friends out there.”

Williams said higher impact exercises such as running and bicycling are harder on the knees than walking.

“You want to start slowly and build up to longer workouts,” she said. “You may walk a certain distance one week, then increase it the next week — baby steps.”

Williams said a lot of people begin an exercise plan on their own and are fine.

“Depending on your health condition, your doc-tor may want to monitor your exercise more close-ly,” she said. “Examples of that would be a person

returning to exercise after a massive heart attack or surgery. If you have ques-tions or concerns, call your doctor.”

Williams said physical therapists are also a good resource to provide help with exercise plans.

“Dieticians are a good resource to make sure you get the proper nutrition with your new fitness plan,” she said.

Williams said you can start by making small changes to what you eat and drink every day.

“I tell patients to start drinking more water,” she said. “If they are drinking water, they are drinking less caloric beverages such as sodas, juices and heav-ily sugared drinks. It is a

good way to cut empty calories.”

Williams said she rec-ommends moderation.

“I never tell patients to cut something completely out,” she said. “It can lead to cravings and binge eat-ing.”

Williams said before choosing a diet plan, it is important to know if the diet is healthy for you specifically, taking into account factors like diabe-tes or heart conditions.

“Most of the main-stream diets, such as Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig and the Dukan diet, which is similar to Atkins, are actually pretty healthy and rather easy to follow,” she said.

Williams said it’s the

three-day cleanses and fad diets that are unhealthy.

“The grapefruit diet, and I’ve seen a Jell-O diet and a pudding diet — those are not healthy to follow,” she said. “They usually promise you will lose X number of pounds in three days, but it’s water weight. You can’t maintain it.”

Williams said she rec-ommends making one change at a time when you begin an exercise or diet plan.

“Making one change at a time makes it easier to sustain the change and makes it more doable,” she said.

Contact Elsie Hodnett at [email protected].

Zumba is a good exercise for most people because it’s low impact, which is easier on the joints. Anything dance-oriented can be good exercise.

2B — THE DAILY HOME, Talladega and St. Clair counties, Ala., Sunday, February 12, 2012 health & education

By GARY HANNERHome staff writer

When it comes to treat-ing children, pediatricians say it is important that vaccines are given.

Area pediatricians also discussed the differences in treating children and adults.

Dr. David Hardy has been with Sylacauga Pediatrics since October 2010, and has been in the Sylacauga area since 2007. He said it is extremely important that children get vaccines.

“There was a study done back in the late 1990s from Britain concerning vac-cines and autism,” Hardy said. “The studies showed there was no link. People today have not seen polio or chicken pox. Vaccines work so well people don’t understand what’s protect-ing them.”

Hardy said the big-gest difference in treating children and adults is that most children have a hard time telling you what their symptoms are.

“With children, we are relying on the parents,” he said. “With an adult, they can tell you specifi-cally where they are hurt-ing. We feel like detec-

tives with children trying to find out what is wrong. In a broader sense, kids get better, but adults get worse as they get older.”

Dr. Rubina Siddiqui has been with Pell City Pediatrics for 16 years. She said she continues to give children vaccines because it is very, very important.

She said the biggest dif-ference in treating children and adults as far as infec-tion is the antibiotics.

“Some antibiotics are approved for children and some are not,” Siddiqui said. “The dosages are dif-ferent depending on the age and weight of the chil-dren, mostly on the weight. There are some antibiotics you cannot give a child under one month of age.”

Dr. Irfan Rahim has been at Pell City Pediatrics for 11 years. He said sev-eral studies have been done through the years linking vaccines with autism.

“The initial study was done in England,” he said. “Studies through the years have shown there is no proven relationship in autism and these shots. We give children vaccines and it is important they get these shots. The benefits outweigh the risks.”

Rahim said children


Most children are vaccinated at ages 1 month and 2 months. They get regular vaccines up to 1 year, then 15 months, 18 months, when they start school, and then again at age 10.

are given vaccines starting at birth, and that is the Hepatitis B vaccine.

“They are then given vaccines at 1 month, 2 months, and pretty much all their lives,” Rahim said. “They get regular vac-cines up to 1 year, then 15 months, 18 months, when

they start school, and then again at age 10.”

Rahim said the big-gest difference in treating children and adults is that children are unable to tell you what’s going on.

“With small children, you have to see if they

have a fever, or if they are cranky and crying a lot,” Rahim said. “Older kids and adults can tell you where they are hurting. One important thing is if a mother is telling you that she feels like something is not right, you have to be careful. My rule is that

moms are always right, unless proven otherwise.”

Pell City Pediatrics treats children from birth to 18 years of age.

Contact Gary Hanner at [email protected]

Laura Nation-Atchison/The Daily Home

Pell City Animal Hospital has a staff of three veterinarians, Dr. Ken McMillan, Dr. Jim Farmer and Dr. Kevin P. McIlwaine.

Pell City Animal Hospital involvedin cutting edge technologyBy LAURANATION-ATCHISONHome staff writer

When it comes to your pet’s health care, there are plenty of things you can do to help prevent disease and unnecessary prob-lems.

And that’s what the veterinarians at Pell City Animal Hospital want you to know.

Call the hospital for information or an appointment and if you’re put on hold for a minute or two, you’ll get some free recorded tips on ani-mal care and good health practices.

The pet hospital has a staff of three veterinarians, Dr. Ken McMillan, Dr. Jim Farmer and Dr. Kevin P. McIlwaine.

Pell City Animal Hospital was started in 1975 by Dr. Charlie Peyton and Dr. Ed Murray as a satellite clinic for their Oneonta animal hospital.

McMillan joined the practice in 1982 and Farmer joined the practice in 1989. Murray left the hospital in 1986 to estab-lish Coosa Valley Equine Center, a total care facility for horses, located in the Eden area of Pell City.

McIlwaine came to the practice in 2007.

Pell City Animal Hospital is a full service small animal hospital with an in-house labora-


Dr. Jim Farmer and assistant Robin Gann examine a patient at Pell City Animal Hospital.

tory, digital radiography, a surgery suite, dental care, boarding and grooming.

The doctors also treat cattle, sheep and goats in the practice.

Pell City Animal Hospital is also a member of the American Animal Hospital Association, an organization that only

about 10 percent of ani-mal hospitals are affiliated with.

One of the many things unique to Pell City Animal Hospital is its involvement in ongoing drug studies and clinical trials through the years.

“Once drug companies find hospitals and veteri-

narians who are willing to do the work, and are good at it, other companies will come calling,” Farmer said.

Medicine is very dynam-ic and veterinary medi-cine is not an exception, he said. “There is always a need for new products and drugs,” Farmer said.” These products need to be thoroughly tested for safety and effectiveness before they are brought to market. That’s where hospitals like ours come in. The work is certainly worthwhile and it allows our hospital to be involved in the testing and approval of the latest and best prod-ucts available in veterinary medicine.”

Being involved in cut-ting edge technology is just plain fun, Farmer said, and staying on top of research and new technology and products keeps the doc-tors aware of new forms of treatments available.

“I am not allowed to discuss in detail the results of the latest product that we are testing, as the study is still ongoing,” he said. “But I can say we have seen absolutely no safety issues with the product, and the effectiveness of the product thus far is very encouraging for control of two very bothersome pests we see in our part of the country.”

By this, Farmer means fleas and heartworms,

which both seem to flour-ish in the local environ-ment.

“We do see a signifi-cant number of fleas and heartworms in the South,” he said.

“As everyone may or may not be aware, heart-worm disease is spread by mosquitoes. So the prevalence of heartworm disease is very closely associated with mosquito populations. In our part of

the country, the American Heartworm Society rec-ommends year-round administration of heart-worm prevention for dogs and cats, too.” Yes, cats.

Cats are not the nor-mal host for heartworm disease, Farmer said, but they are still susceptible, although they are infected less frequently than dogs.

“The flea problems we

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see are also a result of the moderate climate we have here in the mid-South,” Farmer said. “Our win-ters typically are not cold enough for long enough periods of time for sig-nificant change over the winter.

In today’s society more and more people have house pets, he said.

“Fleas reproduce and do quite well in carpeted and other areas of our homes,” Farmer said. “Therefore, we routinely see flea prob-lems year-round here in Alabama.”

There are several good products available for top-ical as well as oral admin-istration for flea control.

“We currently only have topical treatments for tick control, but this could be changing sometime in the near future,” Farmer said. “We recommend year-round administration of a flea and tick product for

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Treatments for heartworms or fleas can come in topical and ingested forms.

maximum effectiveness. I would suggest everyone consult with their veteri-narian for the best prod-ucts for their particular pets and environmental situation.

“At our hospital we have a brochure that

includes the top 10 list of things that people should do to care for their pets properly,” Farmer said.

“Number one on that list is confinement of your pet,” he said. “We no lon-ger live in a world where dogs and cats can just be

allowed to roam free with-out serious risks to their health. Fenced yards are best for dogs, in our opin-ion.”

Although everyone doesn’t have house cats, there is no question their risks for disease and injury

are greatly reduced if they live indoors, Farmer said.

Two other very impor-tant parts are spaying and neutering, as well as yearly physical exams and appro-priate lab testing and vac-cinations.

Among the other ele-

ments of Pell City Animal Hospital’s Top 10 Pet Health Care List are grooming, which can pre-vent diseases; identifica-tion, such as wearing the rabies tag issued by your veterinarian and micro-chipping; training, because many pets are euthanized due to behavioral prob-lems; dental care, to pre-vent gum disease, tooth loss and even diseases in other parts of the body related to infection in the mouth; nutrition and feeding quality foods; vac-cinations, which should begin for puppies at six weeks and nine weeks for kittens; and routine physi-cal examinations, because dogs and cats age more quickly than humans, at least annual for adult ani-mals and more often, every three to four week, for kit-tens and puppies.

Contact Laura Nation-Atchison@[email protected].


Pell City Animal Hospital receptionist Jodi Shirley, in photo at left, shows the wide variety of products available for con-trolling heartworms and fleas.


This examining room, in photo at right, includes a three-sided table, one part is used for pre-op preparations and two other areas are used for cleaning wounds and other proce-dures. Water flows underneath the table to take away debris and hair.


By WILL HEATHHome staff writer

Its proper name is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama after pass-ing both houses of the United States Congress in March 2010.

More commonly, peo-ple know it by another name: “Obamacare.”

According to its web-site, the goal of the leg-islation is to offer “clear choices for consumers and (provide) new ways to hold insurance companies accountable.” It is to be fully implemented in the United States by 2014.

Rep. Jim McClendon, R-Springville, is chairman of the Alabama House of Representatives committee that will implement the measure in the state. He says an advisory commis-sion spent much of the last half of 2011 discussing leg-islation to create a “health insurance exchange” for Alabama citizens.

“Obamacare says … that, all you states go out there and put together any kind of marketplace, and have it ready by Dec. 31 of 2012,” McClendon said. “Have a plan in place.

“Under this plan, your employer might elect — especially if it’s a small employer, 25-50 or less – they might say, ‘here’s $1,500 a month, go on the Internet, go to the state marketplace and pick out a plan that suits your needs.’

“This will give a variety – each company will have something on there, so you actually become more in control. In many cases, smaller employers will be able to offer something they don’t do today.”

McClendon said he and other Republicans in the Legislature are not propo-nents of the federal legisla-tion. However, he believes it is important to be pre-pared if and when the state must implement the act.

“Obamacare further states that if you guys at the state level don’t do this and don’t have something ready, we’ll send our feder-al people down to Alabama and we’ll do it for you,” said McClendon. “While I personally am certainly not enthusiastic about the federal government getting involved in health care, I am not enthusiastic about the federal government taking over the program in Alabama.

“We’ve got the most conservative Legislature we’ve had in 100 years. And here we have what is essentially socialized medi-cine, being fought by our own attorney general. And hopefully they will get the message we’ve got to be ready.”

The cost of providing health care to employees is one of the largest expen-ditures for employers on a yearly basis, according to John O’Neil, CEO of St. Vincent’s Health System.

“They go up signifi-cantly every year,” O’Neil said. “I will tell you, however, that … costs in Alabama, if every hospital in the country ran with the same level of productiv-ity and cost structure that we have in Alabama, there would be no discussion about health care reform. It would be over. We have the lowest-cost health care anywhere in the country in Alabama.

“We have a very low wage index; we have the lowest Blue Cross rates in the country; our Medicaid rates are terrible; our Medicare rates are very bad. You take the same patient in Connecticut and you have that patient come to Birmingham, we’ll provide better care, and Connecticut will get

paid 40 percent more for that patient.”

O’Neil said he believes “bending the cost curve” in health care will require some innovative solutions, and not quick fixes.

“True health care reform is not just finance reform,” he said. “That’s all we’re talking about right now. How do we pay less and everybody does the same thing? It doesn’t work that way.

“We’ve got to focus on utilization and not price. Health care reform, in a nutshell, is the right care in the right place at the right time, at the right price.”

O’Neil believes the best health care reform will involve people taking more responsibility for their own well being, as well as their families’ well being. His solutions begin and end with having a primary care physician.

“You all should have a primary care physician,” he said. “It should be non-negotiable in your family. You need to have a family doctor. You need to have

a family doctor; you need to get your screenings; you need to have yearly physi-cals. And, quite frankly, health insurance should pay for all that.”

Moreover, O’Neil believes that health insur-ance policies should reward their clients for taking an interest in their health and well being.

“At some point, we’re going to have to almost demand that you do it, or pay a little more for your health care,” he said. “Because the answers to the test are, you’ve got to do those things so that we can catch disease at an ear-lier stage. Right now, we’re kind of incentivized to do that, but we’re not.

“Health insurance should pay for annual phys-icals with no deductible and no co-pay. We should be doing that. That’s how you bend the cost-curve of health care; not pay the doctor 20 percent less for doing the same thing.”

McClendon said he believes Alabama does excel in its coverage of children.

State representative,St. Vincent’s CEOdiscuss ‘Obamacare’

“A kid that lives in Alabama, the only reason they don’t have insurance is because somebody hasn’t figured out where to apply, or how to fill the forms out,” he said. “We have Medicaid and other youth programs to cover the gap, especially among poor

working people who are underinsured. We’ve pretty much taken care of chil-dren in Alabama in exem-plary manner.”

As of press time, it was unknown exactly when the federal courts will make any decisions regard-ing the constitutionality

of the federal health care act. McClendon said the Legislature will likely delay any action on the health insurance exchange until late in the year.

Contact Will Heath at [email protected].

John O’Neil is CEO of St. Vincent’s.

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New hospital gets support from communityBy DAVID ATCHISONHome staff writer

The new St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital in Pell City is bustling with busi-ness.

“We’re encouraged by the support of the com-munity,” said Sean Tinney, president of rural hospital operations for St. Vincent’s Health System.

The $32 million hos-pital began seeing patients Dec. 10, and a flood of people have since sought medical care at the state-of-the-art facility.

“Across the board, we’ve seen a 20-30 percent increase in patient vol-ume,” Tinney said.

He said the new hospi-tal is also attracting inter-est in the medical com-munity, which helps with recruiting new doctors and specialists, including full-time doctors in the fields of orthopedics, coronary and pulmonary medicines and general surgeons.

“We will have other specialists join us, but not full time,” Tinney said.

He said as patient demand grows, so will the hospital and its staff to meet the needs of area resi-dents. That growth could come sooner than later.

“We’re exceeding what our projections were, but we were conservative with our projections,” Tinney said.

He said the emergency department is averaging 65 emergency care patients daily.

“That’s a 25 percent increase,” he said.

Tinney said the 12-bed emergency room remains full most of the time.

“We’re at a point we could expand,” he said.

Tinney said hospital officials will look more at operational procedures to help increase the effi-ciency of the Emergency Department before expan-sion of that department is considered.

The new hospital, located at 7063 Veterans Parkway, has fewer inpa-tient rooms than the older hospital. The new facility has 40 beds, about half the inpatient beds the older hospital had.

Officials said there is more of shift to outpatient treatment versus inpatient care.

“But we have seen an increase on the inpatient side as well,” Tinney said.

He said the hospital site has plenty of room for expansion, and the facil-ity was designed for future expansions.

Tinney said St. Vincent’s Health System has expan-sion plans already devel-oped and ready for imple-mentation if needed.

“I’m excited people are using the new facility,” said Lawrence Fields, chairman of the St. Clair County Healthcare Authority, which leases the hospital to St. Vincent’s Health System.

He said people are tak-ing advantage of the new, state-of-the-art facility instead of traveling else-where for medical treat-ment.

“The number of peo-ple being admitted to the emergency room is up,” Fields said. “That’s a good indication people are com-ing and using the new facility.”

He said the Healthcare Authority really didn’t know what to expect, but is excited to see the com-munity using a facility build mostly with taxpay-ers’ money and private donations.

Officials said more than 300 donors pledged upwards to $3 million toward the construction of the hospital.

“John O’Neal (president and CEO of St. Vincent’s Health System) kept say-ing if you build a new hospital, people would come,” Fields said. “Well, people are coming. … I’m excited.”

Fields said the new hospital will complement the new Col. Robert L.

Howard State Veterans Home, which should open this summer.

“I think the new hos-pital gives you a certain amount of security, that you can get treatment right here,” Fields said.

Tinney said St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital plans to offer new medical services this year that have never before been offered in St. Clair County.

He said in April or May, St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital will open a com-prehensive wound care center, equipped with a hyperbaric medical cham-ber.

The hospital also plans to open a sleep diagnos-tic center with a two-bed sleep lab this summer.

“We want people to know they don’t have to go out of town for treat-ment,” Tinney said.

Fields said the future

is bright for local resi-dents, not only in St. Clair County but for everyone in the area seeking medical treatment, and he believes the new hospital and med-ical services will grow.

“I think within five years they will have to add another 40 beds,” he said.

The new St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital features all private rooms with six intensive care beds and 34 medical/surgical beds, which includes two extend-ed-stay suites for patients and their families.

Officials said the new two-story, 79,000-square-foot, facility is equipped with the most modern, state-of-the-art medical equipment for quick diag-nosis and treatment.

Contact David Atchison at [email protected].


The new St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital opened Dec. 10, 2011.

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By EMILY ADAMSHome staff writer

Coosa Valley Medical Center in Sylacauga is improving several areas of care in response to commu-nity needs.

The hospital is imple-menting a strategic plan focused on orthopedic, car-diac and mother and child care.

“This plan determines where we hope to go as an organization, but also where we need to be to help meet the needs of the community going forward,” said Glenn Sisk, CVMC chief executive officer.

Sisk said the hospital board, medical staff and management met with a consulting group to form the plan, which will take effect over 3 to 5 years.

“Orthopedics and car-diac care are certainly areas of potential growth for hos-pitals,” Sisk said. “On the women and children side, we have made some improve-ments in recent years, and we now have four full-time physicians, so we’ll be com-mitting more resources and energy to that area.”

Sisk said orthopedic efforts will include surgery and its supporting elements like post-operative care, rehabilitation, a transitional care unit and sports medi-cine.

“We feel an obligation to bring full-time orthopedic services to the community,” he said. “It’s not just tradi-tional surgery that makes our list of priorities. There are a lot of supporting ele-ments, so we encourage the community to watch for more information and ideas coming.”

The hospital now has a full-time orthopedic physician, Dr. Anthony Tropeano, who is affili-ated with Leemak Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, a world-renowned practice based in Birmingham.

“We’re thrilled to be associated with that group, and even more excited to have Dr. Tropeano as part of our staff,” Sisk said. “He’s a local guy and was looking to get back closer to home.”

Another focus is cardiac care, which Sisk said is gain-ing more attention nation-wide.

“There is a high rate of cardiac disease in the state,” Sisk said. “Tremendous progress is being made clini-cally, which is good news for members of our com-munity.”

CVMC has cardiac care available five days a week through three Birmingham-based groups: Cardiovascular Association, HeartSouth and Cardiovascular Consultants.

“Those groups provide a lot of support, and we have great confidence in their skills,” Sisk said. “Now we’re evaluating how we take what we have today to the next level of care. We’re making some decisions and should have some updates in the next couple of months.”

The third part of the strategic plan is mother and child care. Sisk said CVMC, which delivered about 500 babies last year, is putting more effort into this area of care.

Recent improvements include hiring four full-time

physicians, renovating the facilities and implementing a web-based monitoring sys-tem, which allows doctors to view patients from any computer to monitor their care.

“Nice surroundings have to be supported by good clinical outcomes,” Sisk said. “We’re proud of the work our team is doing, and we would suggest CVMC is competitive with most any place you might choose to give birth.”

During 2011, CVMC made progress in other areas like emergency care, health records and facility renova-tions.

Sisk said the emergency department saw more than 31,000 patients last year.

The department, which includes Express Care for less severe emergencies, has an average length of stay of an hour and a half. Express Care’s average length is under an hour.

“We’ve heard a lot of positive feedback from the community as far as turn-over times,” Sisk said. “Time is very important in the emergency department. We think we made a tremen-dous difference, and we’re looking forward to contin-ued improvements.”

The hospital’s improve-ments are aided by an increased medical staff. CVMC now employs nine full-time physicians in vari-ous specialties.

“We’re employing phy-sicians more aggressively than in the past,” Sisk said.

“Some health care organiza-tions didn’t have a lot of suc-cess in doing so, but we’ve been proud of the growth we’ve achieved.”

One of last year’s major accomplishments was mov-ing to a full electronic health record, which is no small task, Sisk said.

“We’re fully electronic now, and that gives patients confidence in us and removes the risk of errors and omis-sions,” Sisk said.

Sisk said CVMC is near-ing the end of a “campus-wide facelift,” part of its previous strategic plan. The west wing, nursing home and mother and child facili-ties were areas of focus.

Nursing home reno-vations, the most recent project, were important, he said.

“A patient stays in the hospital for three and a half days, but a patient in a nursing home lives the last years of their life there, so it’s important to us that it feels like home and is a comfortable environment,” Sisk said.

Lastly, the hospital is beginning a men’s health initiative, which kicked off with a meeting in October.

“We had a great turn-out, and you can imag-ine some of the interesting conversations men have about hospitals,” Sisk said. “We came up with some fantastic ideas as to what we need to do to create some level of accountabil-ity and responsibility for men, who we all agreed are

not good patients.”Sisk said CVMC is

intent on improving its day-to-day care, which is all the more important now that consumers have more options.

“You can go online and compare clinical outcomes to any hospital in the region,” he said. “Patients are more educated than they were even 3 or 4 years ago. Every day we remain focused on how we deliver that care and how to meet and exceed expectations.”

Sisk said hospitals are often areas of anxiety, prompting CVMC to con-tinually improve its care beyond just the physical sense.

Sisk said. “We are focused at CVMC on ensuring we improve the care we give our patients physically, emotionally and spiritually.”

Contact Emily Adams at [email protected].

Bob Crisp/The DailyHome

Dr. Michael Swearingen shows UAB medical student Elina Levi the monitors for labor and delivery patients at CVMC. The hospital delivered more than 500 babies last year.


RN Erica Martin works with a newborn in labor and delivery at CVMC. The hospital recently renovated the labor and delivery wing and has four obstetritions on staff.

CMVC makes strides in orthopedic and cardiac care

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By KENNY FARMERSpecial Projects editor

Terry Grizzard, owner of Grizzard Living Aids in Anniston, said the products sold by his business allow people to “stay active,” and that can ultimately lead to a change in their attitudes and an increase in the qual-ity of their lives. Grizzard also sells equipment that allows people to remain in their long-time homes, as opposed to being relocated to an assisted living envi-ronment.

Grizzard began the business in 1993 when a friend could not find any-one to install his Bruno Curbsider, a device that allows an electric wheel-chair or scooter to be lifted and moved into a van. After realizing that no one in the area provided the service, Grizzard decided to open Grizzard Living Aids.

Grizzard Living Aids carries a number of devices designed to provide more mobility to its custom-ers, including motorized wheelchair and scooter lifts, chair lifts and stair lifts. Last year Grizzard added automatic door openers and overhead lifts to his product line.

While many companies have struggled recently, Grizzard experienced a 59 percent increase in busi-ness last year. Concerning the recent success, Grizzard said the demographics of this area favor his type of business.

Grizzard also said two main points contribute to his success. The first is the fact that the products he sells increase mobility for those who are injured or disabled. He believes that providing people who are confined to their home with a chance to get back out into society can help make a significant change in the quality of their lives and, in turn, change their outlook on life.

Grizzard believes anoth-er vital part of his busi-ness that has contributed to his success is the fact that many of his products


Owner Terry Grizzard shows his commitment to customers by offering same-day service calls. Grizzard is on call around the clock.


Grizzard Living Aids employee Brenton Young works on a motor-ized wheelchair lift. Young is Grizzard’s nephew and only employee. Grizzard says he will never send a stranger into the home of one of his customers.

allow people to remain in an environment familiar to them. For many people, moving out of their homes into an assisted living sit-uation or into a family member’s home can be a very traumatic experience; one that Grizzard said is hard to overcome. With the help of products like outdoor ramps and stair lifts, he said many people can remain in the famil-iar surroundings of their homes. Overhead person lifts sold by Grizzard allow caregivers to move patients from bed to chair and from room to room.

Grizzard also believes the economy plays a part in his recent success. He said that many elderly people live in two-story homes, where they have limited mobility, but are not able to sell those homes because of the economic state of the country. Grizzard offers several solutions for those who have trouble getting around in their homes.

“I enjoy helping our customers improve their lives by being able to stay in their own homes instead of having to move in with

relatives or to an assisted living facility when their physical limitations no longer allow them to go up and down stairs,” he said.

Grizzard has found that living aids not only help people with limited mobil-ity, but in some cases can provide relief for others liv-ing in the home. Grizzard said he recently installed a chair lift in a Gadsden home. A few weeks fol-lowing the installation, the wife of a man who the chair lift was originally intended for told him she had no idea of the effects of walking up and down stairs had on her until she began using the stair lift. She told Grizzard she was able to spend more time in the garden as a result of the installation.

Grizzard is on-call 24 hours a day, making repairs in the homes of customers whenever he is needed. There is only one other employee at Grizzard Living Aids, Grizzard’s nephew, Brenton Young. Grizzard said he will never send a stranger into one of his customer’s homes. He said when someone

becomes a customer, they become a part of the busi-ness.

While most of Grizzard’s business comes in the form of residential installations, he has done commercial work as well. He installed the vertical lift at Trinity Lutheran Church in Anniston and a custom-made stair lift in the Cleburne County Courthouse. He also often works with the local office of Veterans Affairs to sup-ply living aids to disabled soldiers.

Through his church,

First Presbyterian in Anniston, Grizzard has created the “Mobility Ministry.” Much of the ministry’s work is done through donations of equipment. However, in some cases, Grizzard pur-chases equipment and is later reimbursed by the church. He said the church only pays what he pays for the items and he installs the devices for free.

Grizzard said that most products sold by Grizzard Living Aids are made by Bruno Independent Living Aids in Wisconsin.

He said it is important to him to buy high quality, American-made products. Grizzard Living Aids is also a dealer for Harmar Mobility, Summit stair lifts and wheelchair lifts, Power Access residential door openers and Ergolet Patient Lifts.

Grizzard is approved by The Veterans Administration and the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation for wheel-chair repairs, wheelchair lift installations, stair lift and vertical platform lift instal-lations, and is licensed by both Alabama and Georgia departments of labor to install stair lifts and verti-cal platform lifts. Grizzard is a repair dealer for Metris Mobility, Pride Mobility, Rascal Mobility (former-ly Electric Mobility) and Golden Technologies. Grizzard is also a field ser-vice technician for Pride Mobility. Grizzard Living Aids can order parts and provide service on all the before mentioned product lines.

Grizzard said he loves to see the look on a person’s face when they realize they can now take a spouse out of the house and return to a somewhat normal rou-tine. Grizzard offers safe and convenient ways to transport equipment such as wheelchairs, powerchairs and scooters.

“I love what I do,” Grizzard said. “I’ve never enjoyed a job as much.”

Contact Kenny Farmer at [email protected].


Stairlifts, in photo at left, can provide Grizzard’s customers with increased mobil-ity in their homes.


Grizzard Living Aids have the capabil-ity to mount a wheelchair in more than 2,000 different ways.

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CBMC strives to build on 2011 successesBy CHRISNORWOODHome staff writer

Citizens Baptist Medical Center President Joel Taylor and his staff have a great deal to be pleased about from 2011 and are looking forward to building on those suc-cesses in 2012.

“We added Dr. Hector Caseres, who is an OB/GY, Phil Smith as a family prac-titioner, Milka Martinez in internal medicine, and nurse practitioner Amy Ledbetter. We also added ear-nose and throat doc-tor Tony McCleod and ophthalmologist Wade Blackstone,” Taylor said.

The hospital’s home care agency was given elite status and ranked in the top 25 percent, and the hospital won top honors on key quality measures. “It’s always good to have public recognition of the strong work you’re doing,” he said.

A great deal of effort was put into increasing the hospital’s patient satisfac-tion score. “That’s some-thing you see the industry as a whole focusing on, as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. At the end of 2011, we were ranked in the 82nd percentile overall, thanks to a lot of hard work by our clinical staff and phy-sicians. We’ve also been working to bring down the total average stay in the emergency room, to about 2 hours and 6 min-utes. The direct focus is on total length, but we’ve also been working on the time between coming in the door, meeting admission requirements and being put in a bed upstairs. We have that down to an hour


One of the major accomplishments at Citizens Baptist Medical Center last year was the reduction of overall emergency room stays (to 2 hours) and time between entrance to admittance (an hour and a half on overage with several examples of 1 hour or less).

and a half, and have con-sistently clocked in at 1 hour,” Taylor said. “We want to be able to con-tinue to meet expectations. People just want to get where they’re going faster, get in and get out. It’s a work in progress.”

The big announcement for the coming year will involve Baptist Health Systems rolling out elec-tronic medical records in all its hospitals.

Getting the EPIC sys-tem up and running will be “an enormous task,” Taylor said. “We’ll have to do physician and employee training. But the system is scheduled to go live in February.”

The new system is “part of a national push for meaningful use crite-ria,” he said. “Installation throughout the system is going to be a 24-month process that will cost about $50 million in four hospi-tals. But EPIC is the gold standard, very sophisticat-ed, very well thought of. It will help provide continu- ity of care, communica- tion among providers and improve physician moni-

toring. A doctor could even check up on a patient from home.”

Quality care and patient satisfaction are “defined by processes and programs that we hope can help us repeat as a top performer,” Taylor said. “The other most visible change this year will be an additional service line for outpatient wound care. We’ll contin-ue recruiting physicians, especially primary care doctors and possibly one or two more specialists. I think with the successes from 2011 and the new stuff we have planned, our volume and patient satis-faction will continue to go up. We’re always looking to get better.”

As for the discussion

of the hospital acquiring more property and build-ing an office park, that project will inch a little closer to fruition this year but remains on the hori-zon.

“We’ve retained a firm from Birmingham to do a request for proposal,” Taylor said. “Nothing is definitive right now, but it is of interest. If we build it, we will design it for an area where we see value in moving. We’re working to answer that now. But we have an idea of what we want to build, and we think it’s feasible. This year is where the rubber meets the road.”

Contact Chris Norwood at [email protected].


The entrance to Citizens Baptist Medical center emergency room.


By MARKLEDBETTERHome staff writer

A unique medical prac-tice and advanced technol-ogy provides Merit Health Care patients with quality care.

“We offer the best care in Talladega County and are proud of what we offer,” said Dr. Ghayas Habach, CEO and staff physician.

Habach began practice in Sylacauga in 1994. The practice has expanded to include clinics in Talladega and Goodwater.

All three clinics provide adult health care. Special care is offered to those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart dis-ease, but especially kidney disease.

Certified with the Board of Nephrology, Habach is an active nephrol-ogy consultant at Coosa Valley Medical Center in Sylacauga, Citizens Baptist Medical Center in Talladega and Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham.

Nephrology is the diag-nosis and treatment of kid-ney diseases.

Habach is also medical director for dialysis units in Talladega and Sylacauga.

Merit Health Care provides home dialysis, a concept offered two years ago and now serves 25 patients.

The home unit is less costly to operate than the clinic procedure and saves Medicare money, Habach said.

Provided by the clinic, the dialysis unit is carried home, is user friendly and

monitored at the office.Patients and their fami-

lies receive training, are supervised by trained per-sonnel, and the process is self-initiated.

With enough trained staff and experience, home dialysis can accommo-date 100 patients. Only University Hospital in Birmingham has a larger program, Habach said.

He said he is especially proud of the unique ser-vice that is convenient for the patient that struggles to come to the clinic and patients still working.

Working with a health care software writer, Habach has produced soft-ware that enhances patient follow-up.

The program records phone calls, lab work and home visits, and provides more effective patient care.

Health care is no lon-ger the “ordinary practice of writing a prescription and check back in three months,” Habach said.

“The patients are satis-fied and see a difference in the quality of care they are provided,” he said.

Team management is a multi-task approach to providing a better qual-ity of health care, Habach said. “We have the best team and are proud” of the care they provide.

Patients are please with the better quality of care they receive, he said.

The nurse practitioner is an important inclusion of the team approach.

“Physicians are very busy and that might hinder the care provided,” Habach said. “Medicine today is

not focused upon the doc-tor individually” and care is much improved.

Merit Health Care has clinics in Sylacauga, Talladega and Goodwater.

The Sylacauga clinic is open Monday-Thursday and is located in the Coosa Valley Regional Cancer Center building.

Open five days a week, the Talladega clinic is staffed by two doctors and one nurse practitioner. Another nurse practitioner is being interviewed and should be added in June.

Habach’s goal for the Goodwater clinic is that it become a full-time health provider. By adding a nurse practitioner, the clinic will be able to pro-vide care more days during the week.

The clinic attracts patients from areas other than Goodwater, includ-ing the Alexander City area. “It will take time to establish a free-stand-ing clinic in Goodwater,” Habach said.

Habach is on-site one day each week to care for patients with chronic dis-ease.

Habach is CEO and staff physician for Merit Health Care, P.C. and is medical director for Southern Care Hospice.

He has several pub-lished works, especially in dialysis and hemodialysis care.

His professional affili-ations include being a member of the American Society of Nephrology, the American College of Physicians, the National Kidney Foundation, and the American Diabetic


Merit Health Care offices located in Coosa Valley Regional Cancer Center on James Payton Blvd. in Sylacauga.

Association.Habach is certified

with the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Nephrology.

All Merit Health Care providers are board cer-

tified physicians. Habach said certification reflects dedicated and up-to-date physicians that “have absolute respect for the patient.”

“We are working hard to add new physicians

and nurse practitioners” to improve the quality of care Merit Health Care can provide, Habach said.

Contact Mark Ledbetter at [email protected].


Nurse Practitioners Connie Bowen and Kelleyn Vincent and Dr. Ghayas Habach are shown.

Merit Health patientsprovided quality care

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