Prescription for success - Albany Times Union

The Census Bureau recently reported that the number of people without health insurance in the United States climbed 10 percent between 2008 and 2009, from 46.3 million to 50.7 million, over 15 percent of the nation's total population. This significant increase reflects the state of our economy, increased joblessness among the general public and, even among those with employment, the continued retreat of many employers from providing health care coverage to their workers.

According to the Census Bureau, the percentage of individuals covered through employer-sponsored plans is now at a record low 56 percent. But stay tuned, because over the next couple of years, this figure will rise further and likely not begin to decrease until 2014, when the country makes affordable health insurance available to many more citizens.

Despite these sobering statistics, some still question the merits of our recent health care reform legislation, which finally put in place a safety net for the millions of Americans without health insurance coverage, and for the millions who lose their coverage suddenly, to get it.

Focusing on the economic arguments, reform was and continues to be a no-brainer. First, there is little doubt of the economic costs to employers and the country at large from having a sicker population. Having health insurance is a key predictive factor in whether or not a person stays healthy in the first place.

More uninsured individuals translate into more lost work time and lower productivity for the nation as a whole. We talk in vague terms about "how much" providing health care insurance may cost the country. But what must be remembered is the hundreds of billions of dollars we save by making sure millions more Americans are healthy enough to go to work each day.

For example, a 2003 Commonwealth Fund study concluded that "labor time lost to health reasons" in the United States amounted to more than $250 billion annually. This same survey found that more than 400 million days of work in a single year were lost as a result of worker illness.

Arguments about how much health reform may cost to implement are incomplete when they do not also consider the productivity gains, economic growth and increased standard of living generated over time by having more people working regularly and moving up in their job titles and earnings as a result of the steady employment that comes from being in good health. One of the little known yet most important reasons for our nation's ascension to world economic power over the past 50 years has been the presence of a strong health insurance system to enable American workers to seek care when they need it.

The second valid economic argument justifying expanded health insurance in this country is that the health care sector represents the second largest spending component of our nation's Gross Domestic Product, behind only the military.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, education and health services provide almost one in every five jobs in the United States. The bureau also reported that in 2009 and thus far in 2010, the health care industry has been adding 20,000 new jobs a month across the United States.

Despite our economic meltdown, the health employment sector remains strong, and is a vital ingredient to digging ourselves out of the Great Recession. Nowhere is this seen more clearly at a local level than in the Capital Region, which relies on hospitals, large physician practices, several major insurance plans and countless other health-related businesses to provide tens of thousands of jobs. Without a vibrant health care industry in our area, there would be many more individuals out of work, more houses facing foreclosure, more quickly dropping property values and increased taxes levied on everyone.

When we focus on health insurance's contribution to creating a healthy and productive work force, investment in health reform is a sound investment that will more than pay for itself over time. With our national and local economies in shambles and jobs in short supply, we should embrace any policy that will invigorate the second largest sector of our economy.

Do we need additional health reforms?

Absolutely. These additional reforms must focus on the supply-side problems in our health care industry that include the fragmented and duplicative nature of service delivery, the use of unproven diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that cost too much and the continued problems with customer dissatisfaction and poor quality. It is far from a perfect system, and the underlying business model of "get sick, and then get cared for" must be transformed to one that emphasizes "keep us healthy and prevent illness."

But allowing millions of people to have health insurance at a time when the work force is getting older and sicker and becoming increasingly uninsured is a smart strategic move for our region, state and nation, even if we cannot yet agree on the moral imperative of it all.

Unlike the recent federal stimulus and Wall Street bailout, it will produce a multiplier effect for our economy that will last far longer and help pull us out of this mess for good.

Timothy Hoff, Ph.D., is associate professor of health policy and management at the University at Albany School of Public Health, He is the author of "Practice Under Pressure: Primary Care Physicians and Their Medicine in the Twenty-First Century."

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What UPMC affiliation has meant for two Pittsburgh-area hospitals - GoErie.com

Published: October 03. 2010 12:01AMPITTSBURGH -- Phil Pollice, M.D., understands what Hamot Health Foundation's soon-to-be-former neurosurgeons are going through.
The five physicians with Tri State Neurological Surgeons are leaving Hamot later this year to work at Saint Vincent Health Center.
They are switching hospitals for several reasons, Tri State President Brian Dalton, M.D., said. One of their concerns is the effect of Hamot's ongoing affiliation talks with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Pollice, an ear, nose and throat specialist, had just started treating patients at Passavant Hospital in suburban Pittsburgh when it affiliated with UPMC in 1997.
He had no idea what to expect. Some of his fellow Passavant physicians left the hospital before the affiliation took effect.
"There was a lot of fear among the physicians," Pollice said. "The fear was that we were going to be phased out and replaced with UPMC-employed physicians."
Thirteen years later, Pollice is still treating patients as a private physician at UPMC Passavant and UPMC Mercy. He estimated that about half of UPMC Passavant's doctors remain in private practice.
He recently visited Erie to talk with Hamot doctors about what they could expect if Hamot affiliates with UPMC.
"Like I tell people, some doctors did better when UPMC came in," Pollice said. "Others did worse and moved on."
Doctors aren't the only people concerned about Hamot's possible affiliation with UPMC.
Patients are worried they will be sent to Pittsburgh for procedures and surgeries they now undergo at Hamot.
Erie County Executive Barry Grossman has said he fears that Hamot -- Erie County's second-largest employer -- will slash jobs after affiliating with UPMC.
Neither of those scenarios are going to happen, said Liz Concordia, UPMC executive vice president and president of the health system's hospital and community-services division.
"We're looking to invest $300 million in Erie," Concordia said, referring to the amount of money UPMC will give Hamot over the next 10 years if the two health systems affiliate. "So we want Hamot to be successful. We want to bring patients to Erie."
Sending large numbers of patients to Pittsburgh isn't an option simply because there isn't room for them, Concordia said. Most of the UPMC hospitals in Pittsburgh have occupancy rates of more than 90 percent, she said.
"Our hospitals in Pittsburgh are full," Concordia said. "It's to our advantage to have patients stay in Erie, instead of coming down here where there aren't enough beds already."
UPMC plans to do that by sending physician specialists to Erie who will treat patients and perform surgeries currently not done at Hamot.
For example, Hamot cardiologists told Concordia during her visit to Erie that they would like to see a heart surgeon at Hamot who could perform minimally invasive heart-valve surgeries.
"Those surgeries are currently sent to the Cleveland Clinic," Concordia said. "Our goal would be to help Hamot recruit someone to do that surgery in Erie."
As for jobs, UPMC officials are adamant that an affiliation will not result in significant job losses at Hamot, either immediately after an agreement is reached or several years afterward.
"Overall, our history has been net growth in full-time jobs for the hospitals who have affiliated with us," Concordia said. "We tend to see less growth in low-paid back-office jobs and more growth in high-paid clinical jobs."


Concordia pointed to UPMC Passavant and UPMC Shadyside as affiliation success stories.
Both hospitals joined UPMC in 1997. Passavant, located just north of Pittsburgh in McCandless Township, was a 240-bed community hospital that had just begun performing heart surgeries when it joined UPMC.
Shadyside, located in eastern Pittsburgh and one of the city's oldest hospitals, was a 300-bed facility that opened in 1866.
Since affiliating with UPMC, both hospitals have increased by more than 100 beds and hired additional staff, Concordia said. The number of full-time workers has risen by 38 percent at Shadyside and by 79 percent at Passavant.
"Being affiliated with UPMC has really helped us recruit new physicians," said Joel Weinberg, M.D., a UPMC Shadyside pulmonary critical-care physician. "For whatever reason, being part of UPMC is the biggest aphrodisiac to physicians."
One reason could be UPMC's willingness to pump money into each hospital.
The health system has spent $359 million at Shadyside since 2001 and an additional $283 million at Passavant to build cancer centers, expand emergency departments and purchase state-of-the-art diagnostic and surgical equipment.
"Before we affiliated with UPMC, we were a nice, strong community hospital," UPMC Passavant President Terri Petrick said. "Now, we draw patients from a much larger area. We see patients from West Virginia and all along the Interstate 79 corridor."


Not all UPMC hospitals have shared Passavant's and Shadyside's success.
UPMC Braddock closed Jan. 31, almost 14 years after the eastern suburban Pittsburgh hospital merged with UPMC. The hospital had lost more than $27 million over the previous six years.
"There was too much redundancy in terms of service with other hospitals close by," Pollice said. "It's always hard to see a regional community hospital close, but it was the right decision."
UPMC decided in 2008 to convert its financially struggling South Side Hospital into an outpatient center. The urban hospital, which opened in the 1890s, had lost $4 million in operating and total income in fiscal 2008.
In 2005, UPMC sold its Lee Regional Hospital in Johnstown to the rival Conemaugh Health System.
UPMC merged with Lee Memorial in 1998, but couldn't help the 249-bed hospital make money. It sold Lee Memorial to Conemaugh in 2005 for $58 million.
Hamot Chief Executive John Malone said he is aware of how those hospitals have performed but isn't worried that Hamot will suffer their fate.
"Those hospitals had significant problems and issues that Hamot simply doesn't have," Malone said. "Keep in mind that there have also been examples like UPMC Mercy, which was on the verge of bankruptcy and UPMC turned its finances around dramatically."
Mercy Hospital, which opened in 1847 and is Pittsburgh's oldest hospital, merged with UPMC in 2006. It is losing money but has seen its revenue from treating patients increase by 3.2 percent since the merger; operating costs have risen by just 1.17 percent.

Highmark questions affiliation
One of the affiliation's loudest critics has been Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, western Pennsylvania's largest commercial health insurer.
Highmark recently placed advertisements in the Erie Times-News and sent letters to local insurance agents questioning the need for the affiliation and what effect it could have on the cost of health care in Erie.
"Our concern is that this affiliation will cause the cost of health care in northwestern Pennsylvania to increase because more people will be sent out of town for treatment," said Dan O'Malley, Highmark's market president of the western region. "We've had a lot of experience with UPMC throughout western Pennsylvania, and the result of these affiliations is often higher costs. Not all the time, but it has happened."
Malone called Highmark's comments "disingenuous."
"One of their claims is that we didn't spend enough time looking at alternatives," Malone said. "One of the alternatives we did look at was partnering with Highmark. We had a meeting and asked them to put some meat on the bones of their proposal, and they came back to us and said they couldn't go through with it for several reasons."
The truth, Malone said, is that Highmark fears an affiliation between Hamot and UPMC will strengthen UPMC Health Plan. Highmark currently has about 63 percent of the commercial health insurance market in Erie County, compared with 4 percent for UPMC Health Plan.
Hamot employees and their families could switch their health insurance from Highmark to UPMC Health Plan if the affiliation is approved. That's about 9,000 covered lives, Malone said.
"That would give UPMC Health Plan a foot in the door," said Martin Gaynor, a professor of economics and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University. "It could enable them to compete with Highmark for folks who are not Hamot employees."


Hamot and UPMC have reached a tentative affiliation agreement and are currently examining each other's finances.
A formal agreement should be finished by December, Malone said. It will then need to be approved by the boards of trustees at both UPMC and Hamot before an affiliation could take effect.
"I believe this affiliation will strengthen Hamot as the area's premier tertiary health-care provider," Concordia said. "For us, it gives UPMC an anchor at the other end of the state, so that patients in your area will go to Hamot instead of going across state lines to hospitals in Ohio and New York state."
DAVID BRUCE can be reached at 870-1736 or by e-mail.

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Kohl's Creates More than 4000 New Jobs - MarketWatch (press release)

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis., Sep 29, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Today, Kohl's Department Stores /quotes/comstock/13*!kss/quotes/nls/kss (KSS 52.64, -0.04, -0.08%) announces the grand opening of 21 new stores across the nation and celebrates the opening of the new customer service and operations center in San Antonio, Texas that will serve Kohl's Charge and Kohls.com customers nationwide. The new stores will bring nearly 3,000 jobs to communities across 15 states, and the new customer service and operations center in San Antonio, which recently hired approximately 200 associates, expects to create more than 1,000 jobs over the next three years.

"We're pleased to be in a position to create more than 4,000 jobs as Kohl's continues to build market share in a challenging economy," said Kevin Mansell, Kohl's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We continue to bring customers new stores where they can enjoy Kohl's great brands and tremendous values. Additionally, we have invested in our existing store base by remodeling 85 stores, 66 percent more stores than last year, to keep the customer experience fresh and exciting."

Growth and Expansion

This year marks another year of growth for Kohl's as the company opens 21 stores today in 15 states -- Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania -- and opened a total of 30 new stores in 2010. The company now operates 1,089 stores in 49 states. Kohl's also invested in its current store base and remodeled 85 stores this year, a 66 percent increase from 2009.

In addition to investing in new and existing stores, the new San Antonio customer service and operations center supports the growth of Kohl's Charge business. The center also supports the growth of the company's Kohls.com sales, which experienced 48 and 38 percent revenue increases in 2008 and 2009, respectively and continues to experience significant growth this year. The facility is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified at the Silver level, and in keeping with Kohl's ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility, Kohl's will seek to maintain or expand the LEED designation for the finished building.

With this facility, Kohl's now operates three customer service and operations centers, including locations in Corsicana, Texas and Menomonee Falls, Wis.

World--Class National and Exclusive Brands to Stretch Your Budget

Kohl's stores nationwide and Kohls.com help shoppers stretch their budgets with world-class national and exclusive brands at a value they can appreciate. Some of the brands offered at Kohl's include: Levi's, Carter's, Nike, adidas, Bali, Simply Vera Vera Wang, Food Network, LC Lauren Conrad, ELLE Contemporary Collection, ELLE Decor, Dana Buchman, Candie's, Tony Hawk, apt.9, Jumping Beans, SONOMA life + style, Cuisinart, KitchenAid and more.

The More You Know, The More You Kohl's

Kohl's offers shoppers a variety of ways to get incredible values on the brands they love. There are no brand exclusions when using offers like Kohl's Cash coupons or Kohl's Charge card discounts. Additionally, these offers can be used in conjunction with sales events to maximize savings.

Every Kohl's store also offers a unique shopping experience which includes an industry-leading return policy, gift cards, gift registries, convenient store hours, centralized checkouts, the Kohl's Cares(R) cause program and a commitment to environmental responsibility.

Shoppers can take advantage of the company's key differentiators, including:

Power Hours, Early Birds and Night Owls -- During limited hours, Kohl's offers the lowest prices of the week on select items or categories. The amount of extra savings varies, but the Power Hours price is the absolute best price for that week. Kohl's Charge -- Kohl's Charge customers receive a number of exclusive benefits. In addition to receiving extra savings on their first purchase, shoppers also receive Pick-Your-Day shopping passes and special event discounts throughout the year. Kohl's Cash -- During a Kohl's Cash promotion, shoppers get $10 for every $50 they spend, which can be used toward a future purchase. It's like getting paid to shop! No Exclusions -- There are no brand exclusions when using offers like Kohl's Cash coupons or Kohl's Charge card discounts. An Industry-Leading, Hassle-Free Return Policy -- Kohl's has an industry-leading return policy that offers a quick, convenient and "no questions asked" experience. Customers returning merchandise with receipts or items purchased with Kohl's Charge cards are eligible to receive full refunds, while customers without a receipt will receive Kohl's merchandise credit.

Kohl's commitment to customer service has been recognized by the National Retail Federation, which for the past five years has listed Kohl's among retailers that offer the best customer service*. In addition, Kohl's has ranked among the top retailers in the University of Michigan's customer satisfaction survey for eight consecutive years**.

Kohl's Cares for the Communities We Serve

As a family focused, value-oriented company, Kohl's strives to be an active member of each community where it does business. Through charitable giving and volunteer programs for kids' health and education and environmental initiatives, Kohl's makes our neighborhoods happier, healthier, greener places to live and work. Kohl's supports local communities through its Kohl's Cares philanthropic programs which include:

Kohl's Cares Cause Merchandise Program, which sells special merchandise including books and plush toys for $5 each, and donates 100 percent of the net profit to benefit children's health and education initiatives nationwide. This year, the program celebrates its tenth anniversary, and since its inception in 2000, has raised more than $150 million. New this fall, special Kohl's Carescause merchandise supporting women's health is available online at Kohls.com. The net profit from the sale of this merchandise will benefit the fight against breast cancer. In recognition of the tenth anniversary of the Kohl's Cares philanthropic program, Kohl's Cares will give half a million dollars to 20 schools each this year, a total of $10 million. Kohl's Scholarship Program, which recognizes and rewards youth volunteerism. In 2010, the Kohl's scholarship program awarded more than $410,000 in scholarships and prizes to more than 2,100 kids across the country. Kohl's Associates in Action, a program where associates volunteer for local, youth-focused nonprofit organizations and Kohl's then matches their volunteer efforts with corporate grants. Last year, as a result of our associates' volunteer efforts, Kohl's donated more than $10 million to nonprofits across the country under this program. Kohl's Cares Fundraising Gift Cards, which provide an opportunity for schools and youth-serving organizations to raise money. The gift cards are sold by nonprofit groups and up to five percent of the total card purchase price goes to the nonprofit. Kohl's Cares Advancing Environmental Solutions Kohl's is also committed to being a leading environmentally responsible retailer. In December 2009, the company became the first retailer to announce a commitment to reach net zero U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2010 as part of its partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Climate Leaders program. To achieve this goal of being carbon neutral, Kohl's will continue to invest in projects to reduce the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions that the company emits into the atmosphere. The company was ranked as the number one green retailer on Newsweek's list of The Greenest Big Companies in America*** and was named one of the EPA's 2009 Green Power Partners of the Year. Kohl's is also proud to be the largest retail host of solar power in North America, with 100 solar locations nationwide. Key environmental initiatives for Kohl's include energy management, recycling and green building programs. To date, Kohl's has 84 stores nationwide built according to a prototype that received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) initial certification at the Silver level from the U.S. Green Building Council. In fact, 12 of the 21 new stores Kohl's is opening today are being built according to LEED Silver guidelines. Characteristics of these stores include: water-efficient landscaping, water-conserving plumbing, carefully managed construction waste and use of recycled and regionally sourced building materials.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Kohl's intends forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "anticipates," "plans," or similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause Kohl's actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to those described in Item 1A in Kohl's Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference, and other factors as may periodically be described in Kohl's filings with the SEC.

About Kohl's Department Stores

Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl's /quotes/comstock/13*!kss/quotes/nls/kss (KSS 52.64, -0.04, -0.08%) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. Kohl's operates its 1,089 stores in 49 states with a commitment to environmental leadership. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl's has raised more than $150 million for children's initiatives nationwide through its Kohl's Cares(R) cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.kohls.com.

*NRF Foundation/American Express(R) Customer Service survey, NRF Foundation/National Retail Federation

**American Customer Satisfaction Index, University of Michigan Ross School of Business

*** "The Greenest Big Companies in America," Newsweek, September 28, 2009.

Editor's Note----------------------------------------------New store locations opening this fall include:September 29 Store Openings:----------------------------------------------Hoover, Ala. Collinsville, Ill.Prattville, Ala. Kansas City, Kan.Hanford, Calif. Louisville, Ky.Clovis, Calif. Blue Springs, Mo.Carson City, Nev. Covington, La.Porterville, Calif. Forest Hill, Md.Riverside, Calif. Cambridge, Minn.Sonora, Calif. Albuquerque, N.M.Lake Wales, Fla. Valley Stream, N.Y.Kent, OhioLancaster, Pa.York, Pa.Re-opening Store Location:----------------------------------------------Midlothian, Va.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6447284&lang=en

SOURCE: Kohl's Department Stores

Kohl's Investor Relations: Wes McDonald, 262-703-1893 or Media Relations: Vicki Shamion, 262-703-1464 vicki.shamion@kohls.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

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USF a partner in gene research lab taking shape near Naples - Tbo.com

By LINDSAY PETERSON

lpeterson@tampatrib.com

Published: October 3, 2010

TAMPA - To the medical school dean at the University of South Florida, the future of health care lies in a big field about 165 miles south of Tampa, along the road from Naples to Immokalee.

It's a vision that started in Collier County, spread to a research lab in Maine, then attracted USF with an ambitious proposition: high-paying biomedical jobs, research breakthroughs and a foothold in the emerging practice of personalized medicine.

"It's about creating a national model for health care for the 21st century," medical dean Stephen Klasko said.

A vice president with the Maine institution, Mike Hyde, let his rhetoric fly higher: "We propose a kind of Manhattan Project for health care," he said, referring to the World War II enterprise that led to the atom bomb.

USF and the private, not-for-profit The Jackson Laboratory have agreed to work together in what they're calling a bioscience village near Naples. Jackson would build it, then devote itself to finding personalized, gene-based treatments for today's most threatening diseases: cancer, Alzheimer's and diabetes.

"This is completely different from the way we deliver health care today," Hyde said. "It's a game-changer."

Manhattan Project

But game-changers, particularly Manhattan Project-style game-changers, are expensive. And the returns are uncertain.

To build and set up its Florida lab and treatment facility, Jackson says it needs at least $260 million, which it expects to get from state and Collier County taxpayers. It plans to raise $120 million for the first few years of operation.

The Legislature has approved $50 million for Jackson, with a promise of $80 million more in the next two years. It hasn't been so easy in Collier County, home to both wealthy retirees in Marco Island and farmworkers in Immokalee.

Jackson is promising high-tech jobs - about 7,000 in 20 years - and a chance for Collier to become nationally known for its bioscience innovation. But some residents question whether that chance is worth the $130 million they're expected to produce.

Who's right is hard to say, said Daniel Vorhaus, a lawyer specializing in genomics research for Robinson Bradshaw in Charlotte, N.C.

"All over the country, all over the world," health care institutes are rushing into genomics and personalized medicine, he said. "Everyone is competing for the same opportunity, for the same investment dollars, for the same business, for the same knowledge."

Some will succeed. Some won't.

"It's not always better to put $130 million into something as long term as personalized medicine," Vorhaus said. "But you don't want to lose sight of what you can do if you take a longer outlook."

What angers Naples lawyer Anthony Pires, a critic of the project, is that the Jackson effort was well down the road before the Collier County Commission began talking about it this summer.

"There's been a lot more going on than was reflected in the public record," Pires said.

Early work was secret

Tammie Nemecek, president of the Economic Development Council of Collier County, conceded that plans have been in the works for a while, but said there was no skullduggery involved.

She has been at the center of the effort from the start, about two years ago, when she attended a meeting organized by a prominent couple in Naples, Leslie and Rainey Norins.

Leslie Norins had worked with Jackson earlier in his career and, in retirement, he and his wife decided to raise money for the lab.

Nemecek said the fundraising presentation she attended "blew me away."

Jackson isn't one of the powerhouse biotech institutes such as Scripps, a California research institute that opened a much-sought-after branch in Palm Beach County last year. But it's well-respected for its efforts to unravel the genetic underpinnings of disease.

Established more than 80 years ago to study the role of heredity in cancer, it has created more than 5,000 strains of mice used around the world to test gene-based treatments.

After the presentation in 2008, Nemecek said, she approached Jackson representatives and told them, "You need to move here."

For years, Collier's economic developers have been working to bring biotech businesses to the county. It became a priority when the Florida real estate market collapsed.

But when she suggested it to the Jackson officials, they "looked at me like I had four heads."

They were trying to raise money for the Maine operation, she said. But as time passed, they talked more with local and state economic development officials, who assured them taxpayers would help them build in Florida.

The money would come from the state's Innovation Incentive Fund, created in 2006 to lure Scripps and other research companies to Florida.

The centerpiece of the Jackson incentives included a donation of 50 acres from Barron Collier Cos., which manages the vast Collier family land holdings. The company has donated hundreds of thousands of acres for parks and schools, so giving land to Jackson is consistent with its practices, spokeswoman Dolly Roberts said.

But the donation isn't all philanthropy.

"We want Jackson Labs," Roberts said.

What Collier Cos. gets

Collier Cos. plans to develop the land around the proposed research and clinic complex, which it envisions will include homes, schools, a hospital and several private biotech spin-off companies.

Also nearby is the town and campus of Ave Maria, developed and controlled by Collier and Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan.

With decades of experience in genetics, Jackson is perfectly placed to help lead the revolution in health care known today as personalized medicine, said Hyde, the vice president in Maine.

Personalized medicine is the practice of tailoring drug treatments to an individual, based on family history and genetics.

"It answers the question of why some people respond to treatment and some people don't," said Klasko, the USF dean.

"This isn't just a fad. It's real," lawyer Vorhaus said. "And it's extremely necessary. With the cost and limits of our health care system today, we really need to deliver medicine in a more efficient, less costly way."

Genetic tests are available for some diseases, such as breast cancer.

"We believe that in the next few years, it will be possible to develop very, very definitive tests based on your particular individual genomic profile," Hyde said. "Our ability to diagnose a disease when symptoms occur and treat it will all be transformed by this."

About the time Naples-area lawmakers were pushing through the bill to fund the Jackson project, word reached Klasko, USF's energetic medical school dean, who encourages entrepreneurial approaches to health care.

"We invited them down for a day," Klasko said. "They had no idea what we had."

USF throws hat in ring

They liked what they saw at USF Health's Byrd Alzheimer's Institute, where professors do basic research in neuroscience in the same building where clinicians work with patients.

"We're looking at a scenario (at Jackson) where USF and Jackson researchers would work side by side," Klasko said. "We could take basic research, translate that into drugs and translate that into clinical trials with humans."

He also envisions partnering with southwest Florida's Edison Community College and Florida Gulf Coast University to offer courses in gene-based health care, from genetic counseling to treatment.

Collier's Roberts said the company is considering additional land donations, possibly for a hospital.

But these ideas remain just that - ideas.

"We're very much at the conceptual stage" of working together, said USF's vice president for research, Karen Holbrook.

"We know we're going to have people on the ground in Collier, but at this point we don't know who or exactly what they'll do," she said.

USF and Jackson have signed a three-page collaboration agreement, but it doesn't include details of the relationship.

That kind of vagueness concerns Janet Vasey, a member of the Collier County Productivity Committee, which sized up the Washington Economic Group's report on Jackson's economic impact.

"They say they'll bring all these jobs, but they don't say exactly how," Vasey said. They say dozens of private biotech companies will relocate to be near Jackson, she said.

"We asked who? And we got no answer."

One company has announced plans to move to the biomedical village. That's California-based Athleticode, which uses genetic testing to identify whether someone is at risk for certain athletic injuries.

"We just have a problem with the rosy projections," Vasey said.

A big price tag

She and others have proposed that the county commission put the $130 million county allocation to a public vote. She also noted that the plan to raise the money with a bond issue means it will ultimately cost taxpayers about twice that much.

The commission voted down the proposal.

Jackson has submitted its proposal to Enterprise Florida, the state's economic development arm that has to sign off on the project, along with the state Office of Tourism and Economic Development, before Jackson can get money from the state.

After that, Collier County has 120 days to approve its $130 million share.

Hyde isn't worried.

"There's little doubt that this is going to happen," he said. "This is a smart investment."

People who question the project might not be happy over the next few years. They won't see much, except for some construction.

"We're not going to cure cancer or transform the economy tomorrow. That's not how this works," Hyde said.

"But my guess is that 10 to 15 years from now, people in Florida will be delighted that this investment was made."

Reporter Lindsay Peterson can be reached at (813) 259-7834.

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Sires Votes to Aid Veterans Looking for Work - PoliticalNews.me (press release)

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CHI completes acquisition of Consolidated Health Services - ModernHealthcare.com

CHI completes acquisition of Consolidated Health Services

Catholic Health Initiatives, Denver, has completed its acquisition of Consolidated Health Services, a home-health subsidiary of Cincinnati-based Bethesda that operates in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

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