MBJ_Dec05_2014

INSIDE — Educating our youth shouldn’t be about scoring political points, Page 6

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MBJ FOCUS

YEARS

Health Care

1979

www.msbusiness.com

{Section begins P 12} » Doctors pushing lawmakers to make state smoke-free » What are the pros of CONS? » Aging boomers stress health services

The List {P 14} » Licensed Hospice Facilities

Development {P 18} » Governments give $6.5M to FNC’s Oxford expansion

SWEET 16 » Mississippi has record number of films made in state in 2014

2014

December 5, 2014 • Vol. 36, No. 49 • $1 • 24 pages

UNDER FIRE RENDERINGS: Mississippi Silicon Metals’ Burnsville plant was expected to employ advanced technology to convert Mississippi hardwood chips and other natural resources to silicon.

MDEQ actions at center of trio of federal suits against Mississippi Silicon — Page 2

More, P 8

http://msbusiness.com/events/health-care-heroes-nomination-form/

2 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 5, 2014 LEGAL

MDEQ actions at center of trio of federal suits against Mississippi Silicon » Complaints charge estate’s environmental regulatory agency shut out dissent on permit

By TED CARTER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

Mississippi Silicon’s $200 million Burnsville plant on the Tombigbee Waterway is on track to open in slightly more than a year as the first new U.S. silicon factory in nearly 40 years.

But whether that occurs will hinge on Mississippi Silicon beating back claims the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality strayed from its procedural rules in what opponents say were attempts to squelch objections to a clean air permit for the plant.

The legal challenges seek to halt work on the Northeast Mississippi silicon factory that is expected to employ 200 people at start up in early 2015. Mississippi taxpayers have a $21 million stake in the plant through incentives provided by the Mississippi Development Authority.

A challenge tossed out by Tishomingo County Chancery Judge Michael Malski in mid September has found its way to U.S. District Court for the Northern District in Aberdeen. A trio of plaintiffs – competitor Globe Metallurgical, Charlotte, N.C., steelmaker Nucor and Saltillo freelance writer C. Richard Cotton – claim the MDEQ rigged the rules to keep them from making formal comments on the permit during the comment period. Under state law, citizens and entities who fail to comment can’t appeal MDEQ issuance of a permit.

Chief Judge Sharion Aycock granted the hearing and set it for Dec. 2. Her surprise recusal has caused an indefinite delay of the hearing, however.

An attorney for Mississippi Silicon, Keith W. Turner of Jackson’s Watkins & Eager, last week called the suits part of a pattern of harassment of Mississippi Silicon, a limited liability company 20 percent owned by Clean Tech 1 LLC, an investment group led by John Correnti, and the remainder by Rima Holdings USA. Rima Holdings is an affiliate of Brazil’s Rima Industrial SA. Correnti led an investment group that built the Steel Dynamics mill in Columbus (now Severstal) and another that recently started construction on the Big River steel plant in Mississippi County, Ark. Turner and others say the federal suits

CONSULTANTS’ EMAILS PORTRAY MDEQ AS PERMIT FACILITATOR FOR SILICON PLANT

By TED CARTER ted.carter@msbusiness.com Consultants working to help Mississippi Silicon gain a clean air permit for a Burnsville silicon plant apparently perceived the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality as more of an ally eager to move the project forward than a regulator.

Emails from consultants praise the state environmental regulators for helping to “head off” any objections to the project during the public comment period for the clean air permit, the awarding of which has caused a dispute now headed for federal court.

In one email, an executive of an investment banking firm hired to help Mississippi Silicon raise capital for the $200 million plant equated the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality’s role in the permitting to the economic development role of the Mississippi Development Authority, the state entity established to foster business growth. “Team MDA and MDEQ in action! This is great news,” declared Ahab Garas, managing director of Miami investment firm Global Partners LLC, upon hearing an air quality permit would soon be issued.

In a separate email, Garas noted a big benefit of not having objections during the comment period: Funding for the project can close without a $450,000 escrow agreement. The escrow money would have come into play had Tishomingo County had to buy the Burnsville site before issuance of the environmental permits and the permit appellate process expired, he said.

The MDEQ declined to be interviewed for this report but said in an email it followed the rules for public comments on a clean air permit. “MDEQ fulfilled the public notice requirements as set out in the law and regulations which are designed to ensure that people with a desire to comment have adequate opportunity to do so,” spokesman Robbie Wilbur said. “Beyond that, we would be commenting on pending litigation which we cannot do.”

The MDEQ clean air permit approval for the plant in northeast Mississippi will soon be front and center in federal court in Aberdeen. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi has agreed to hear complaints from Globe Metallurgical, a Selma, Ala., silicon maker; Nucor, a national steel maker based in See

“Team MDA and MDEQ in action! This is great news.”

Ahab Garas Managing director of Miami investment firm Global Partners LLC

EMAILS, Page 4

SPECIAL TO THE MBJ

RENDERINGS: Mississippi Silicon Metals’ Burnsville plant will employ advanced technology to convert Mississippi hardwood chips and other natural resources to silicon.

are a prelude to a direct challenge to the MDEQ and the permitting procedure that led to issuance of the clean air permit.

Global Metallurgical, Nucor and Cotton have filed notices of intent to initiate citizen suit petitions regarding MDEQ’s actions. The filings set the clock ticking on a 60-day notice period to MDEQ. Each of the plaintiffs has a different reason for the challenge.

Globe Metallurgical, a subsidiary of Miami-based Globe Specialty Metals, which owns the four commercial silicon plants in the United States, charges the MDEQ wrongly interpreted the rules for a comment period and issued the permit without allowing Globe’s objections to be heard. Globe wanted to argue the permit requirements failed to follow federal rules that require the best available pollution control technology and will allow the new silicon-maker to emit too many particulates, or fine particles, into the air, the Associated Press reported early in the year.

Arkansas-based Nucor has a steel plant in Decatur, Ala. It claims emissions from a silicon plant in Burnsville would waft the 74 miles to Decatur and add to particulates See

MDEQ, Page 4

December 5, 2014

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Mississippi Business Journal

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PERCOLATIN’ WITH BILL CRAWFORD

IHL’S Bounds may be a good fit for University of Nebraska

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HL Commissioner Hank Bounds is finalist for president of the University of Nebraska, a fivecampus system not unlike the multi-campus Mississippi system Bounds oversees as commissioner.

In an interview with the Daily Nebraskan, Bounds expounded on his expectations should he becomes president: “Nebraska University constituents should expect me to ensure that students receive a world-class education that is accessible and affordable. Students should expect top-rated academic programs with strong academic support services. Parents should expect a focus on timely degree attainment. The entire campus community should expect me to focus on health and safety. Faculty should expect me to focus on retaining and attracting top-rated faculty, which will require competitive compensation, the best classroom facilities and laboratories, and an environment that fosters the exchange and debate of competing ideas. There should be an expectation that I work with the business community and state leaders to help keep and grow jobs in Nebraska – NU should be the engine that powers economic development in the state. All should expect me to grow the research enterprise and pay special attention to the land grant mission and the role that agriculture plays in the state.

While the list of expectations could go on and on, my personal philosophy is that university leaders must make decisions based on what is best for students.

Students should expect me to be accessible and committed to their success.”

So, how has Bounds done delivering these “expectations” to Mississippi during his five years as commissioner?

While he has a lengthy page on the IHL web site (http://www.mississippi.edu/commissioner/) touting his accomplishments, the answer is mixed. Certainly, the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University have come closest to meeting these expectations. The other six universities, well, not so much. Three of them, the University of Southern Mississippi, Alcorn State University, and Mississippi Valley State University have suffered management problems under Bounds, and there is currently friction

between Bounds and management at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. On the other hand, Bounds is IHL’s first “strong commissioner” and he inherited much he’s had to deal with.

Mississippi has diversity challenges Bounds will not face in Nebraska. Three historically black universities, the Ayers settlement, and lingering vestiges of segregation make governance of the Mississippi system more challenging than more ethnically

homogeneous systems. IHL’s enrollment is about 57 percent white, 35 percent black, and 8 percent other, while NU’s is about 82 percent white, 6 percent Hispanic, 4 percent black, and 3 percent Asian and 5 percent other.

While never having held a major position at a university, Bounds has administrative experience as State Superintendent of Education from 2005 to 2009 and as IHL Commissioner that give him expertise and

perspective few system administrators can provide.

He begins interviews on Dec. 8 and looks to be a strong candidate and a good fit for Nebraska.

» Bill Crawford (crawfolk@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist from Meridian.

“KEEPING UP” MEANS YOU’RE NOT MOVING

FAST ENOUGH.

In a world that moves exponentially faster, you don’t have

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Prescott wins Conerly JACKSON — Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott was so good this season there was little doubt he’d be the winner of the Conerly Trophy, which is given to the state’s top college football player.

Sure enough, his name was called on Tuesday.

Prescott is the 19th winner of the Conerly Trophy.

It’s a list that includes current NFL players including Eli Manning, Patrick Willis, Austin Davis, Anthony Dixon and Gabe Jackson.

Prescott is also a finalist for national awards such as the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien. The Maxwell is given to the nation’s top college player while the O’Brien goes to the top quarterback.

Prescott won the award over three other finalists, including Ole Miss cornerback Senquez Golson, Delta State quarterback Tyler Sullivan and Alcorn State quarterback John Gibbs Jr.

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4 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 5, 2014

MDEQ

Continued from Page 2

in the air in and around its plant, thus hampering future expansion. Further, particulate matter from the thousands of tons of sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide the Burnsville plant is authorized to emit annually “will impact Nucor’s workforce and its potential workforce, its ancillary facilities and the vendors and other people in the area upon whom Nucor relies,” the North Carolina steelmaker said in its Nov. 21 filing.

Nucor created an LLC –16 Front Street – the day it filed its federal suit and uses the 16 Front Street name in its legal filings.

16 Front Street owns “real property and improvements” in Burnsville, the filing stated.

Nucor and Correnti have bad blood between them relating to Correnti’s tenure as Nucor CEO and his current building of the Big River plant in Arkansas’ Mississippi County. Nucor has a plant in the county’s Osceola community and has claimed emissions from Correnti’s plant will increase its regulatory compliance costs and diminish the ability to expand.

In his citizen complaint, Cotton says the Burnsville plant’s pollution would hurt his

enjoyment of area parks and lakes, the Associated Press reported in November.

Turner, the attorney for Mississippi Silicon, said he is expecting the same finding in federal court as the one made in Tishomingo Chancery Court. “We believe the permit process was complete and thorough,” he said.

The challengers, Turner said, are “just trying different locations... punching at the defensive line, so to speak, to try to find a weakness.”

Globe subsidiary Globe Metallurgical of Selma, Ala., argues its objections came within the state’s 30-day comment period.

The MDEQ says the 30 days began with the state Permit Board’s Dec. 10, 2013, approval of an MDEQ clean air permit.

Globe’s comment filing on Feb. 12 came outside the comment period, the environmental agency says.

Globe says the 30-day clock should not have started until the Permit Board’s Jan. 14 approval of the board’s Dec. 10 minutes, thus making Feb. 12 part of the comment period.

The Tishomingo Chancery Court ruling rejected Globe’s interpretation of the comment-period rules.

Trudy Fisher. MDEQ executive director at the time Globe sued in Chancery Court,

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insisted state rules specify the clock begins to run on “the date of the Permit Board meeting at which the decision of the executive director or his delegate is accepted by the permit board.”

Likely to be raised in the federal hearing is Globe’s claim that a letter Fisher wrote to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Dec. 16, 2013 is proof the permit was not finalized on Dec. 10. In the letter, Fisher states that Mississippi had responded to the EPA concerns and changed part of the permit.

EMAILS

In a February press statement responding to Globe’s complaint, Fisher called the challenge “an unfortunate use of the administrative process by an out-of-state competitor [to Mississippi Silicon) under the guise of raising environmental concerns.”

The agency “stands behind” the review and decision making of its staff, she added.

Spokesman Sean Healy gave Globe’s response to the Associated Press: “We think this is far from over.”

processing the silicon would make it “a major for PSD,” or a “Prevention of Significant Deterioration” permit. Federal rules require adherence to PSD Charlotte, N.C., with plants in Alabama and standards by any plant that emits – or has the Arkansas; and freelance writer C. Richard Cotton of potential to emit -- at least 250 tons per year of any Saltillo. pollutant regulated by the federal Clean Air Act. The hearing had been scheduled for Dec. 2 but the “I am actively working on the PSD permit to recusal of Judge Sharion Aycock has caused an keep the project moving forward,” Morgan said in indefinite postponement of the hearing. Aycock, the email, and added she wanted to get the who had agreed the complaints merited a federal project permitted in a timely way in order for it to hearing, has not said why she stepped down from get financing. hearing the suits.

Morgan predicted a snag in the permitting would Globe Metallurgical, a subsidiary of Miami-based occur Nucor file objections. “I do plan on at some Globe Specialty Metals, whose four silicon plants are point testing the temperature of the waters with the only commercial silicon producers in the United Nucor to get their feelings on this project,” she said.

States, is complaining the MDEQ improperly shut it “Why this is important is because of the history of out of it filing comments during the comment these people and Nucor. It’s possible that Nucor will period. Failure to file the comments within the time make comments at the last minute to extend the set by the MDEQ disqualified the company from final permit such that we may need to hold a public appealing Mississippi Silicon’s clean air permit. hearing during the public notice period so that we Nucor’s filing focuses on fears that emissions from can resolve all comments as quickly as possible so the Burnsville silicon plant will result in higher air that the facility can have a final permit in place for emissions compliance costs at Nucor’s Decatur, Ala., financing as soon as possible.” plant 74 miles away. Nucor has formed a limited In its motion to intervene, Nucor’s attorney Brian liability company, 16 Front Street LLC, to be the Cowan of Shreveport argued at one point no PSD plaintiff in the suit. had been awarded but later in the filing says the PSD Cotton, in his citizen’s complaint, said emissions that was awarded failed to meet federal standards from the Burnsville plant will diminish his quality of and that emissions from the plant will exceed those life and enjoyment of the outdoors. allowed by the permit. Cowan was unavailable for Steven Frey, air quality manager for Illinois comment. consulting firm Kennedy/Jenks, noted in an email He further argued that MDEQ wrongfully that the MDEQ’s approval of the clean air permit in a shortened the public comment period by one day. three-month period “was outstanding” in its The agency also neglected to provide the Burnsville swiftness. It would not have occurred without “the Public Library, the designated venue for reviewing support” of Bonnie Grey Morgan, who at the time the air permit documents, required reports and served in the Metal and Metal Fabrication Branch of impact analysis, according to Cowan.

MDEQ’s Environmental Permits Division, he said.

“Entirely excluded was Mississippi Silicon’s “MDEQ was concerned about potential comments application, air quality impact modeling reports, or from Nucor. However, they did a good job of any other information submitted by Mississippi heading that off,” Frey said in a Nov. 25, 2013 email Silicon in support of the permit,” he said. to Mississippi Silicon executives and project Instead, the MDEQ submitted to the library “mere consultants. summaries that improperly reflected the level of He said he received word from Morgan in a text emissions from the proposed facility by about 50 on a Friday night in late November that no percent,” Cowan added “comments were received by the agency prior to 5 He said the MDEQ’s refusal to hold a public p.m. on the 22nd of November.” He said the text hearing on the permit, the shortened comment informed him the permit should be issued in a day or period and the dearth of permit documentation at two. the library combined to cripple “Nucor’s statutory The after-hours text raised questions about right to review and comment.” whether the notification followed MDEQ protocol.

An organization identifying itself as the Southern A spokeswoman for Frey said he would issue a Transparency Project provided the emails cited in statement Tuesday. The statement has not been this report. A representative of the Southern received.

Transparency Project, a group that says it has a Morgan, who recently left the MDEQ and is now mission of addressing community, economic a contractor, noted in an August 2013 internal email environmental issues, received the emails through an the plant’s use of quartz, coal and wood chips in open records request.

Continued from Page 2

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MBJPERSPECTIVE December 5, 2014 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 6

OTHER VIEWS

MEC regional meetings promote growth agenda

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he Mississippi Economic Council – the statewide Chamber of Commerce and chief economic development promoter in the private sector – is in the midst of its annual regional round-up tour and briefing sessions leading into 2015 and the legislative session.

The meetings focus on strengths and weaknesses in each area of the state, and priorities previously expressed in regional meetings.

The meetings, because they involve key civic and business leaders plus legislators statewide, are important and provide a meas-

ure of what private leadership expects from elected leadership.

MEC officials have said the round-ups will look at region-specific economic drivers, as well as statewide issues like transportation, healthcare, workforce, education and healthy communities. In addition, the regional approach to economic development is based on the four major goals of the Blueprint Mississippi initiative, which are: » Economic competitiveness » Education achievement and workforce development » Resource management

» RICKY NOBILE

See VIEWS, Page 7

» EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

Educating our youth shouldn’t be about scoring political points

MELISSA KILLINGSWORTH Sr. Account Executive

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CHARINA RHODES Circulation Manager charina.rhodes@msbusiness.com • 364-1045 MARCIA THOMPSON-KELLY Business Assistant marcia.kelly@msbusiness.com • 364-1044 SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES (601) 364-1000 subscriptions@msbusiness.com Mississippi Business Journal (USPS 000-222) is published weekly with one annual issue by MSBJ 200 N. Congress St., Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201. Periodicals postage paid at Jackson, MS. Subscription rates: 1 year $109; 2 years $168; and 3 years $214.

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Entire contents copyrighted © 2014 by Journal Inc. All rights reserved.

» Technology commercialization All the meetings are open by registration and include a complimentary meal and a networking opportunity.

The meetings help build consensus and provide facts for leaders to use in promoting MEC’s progressive development agenda.

This is the way to register for the schedule: » http://www.msmec.com/form/40-mecregional-round-up-registration MEC, which has significant resources, thanks to membership generosity, neverthe-

» HOW TO WRITE Letters to the editor are one of the most widely read features of the Mississippi Business Journal, and they give everyone a chance to voice their opinions about current affairs. We’re interested in what you think and we welcome Letters to the Editor for publication. Here are the guidelines: >> Letters should not exceed 300 words in length as a general rule. >> All letters must bear the writer’s address and telephone number. Street addresses and telephone numbers will not be published, but may be used for verification purposes. Letters may not appear without the author’s name. >> Form letters, thank you letters and letters to third parties generally are not acceptable. >> Letters must be typed or e-mailed. >> Letters must conform to good taste, not be libelous and not involve personal attacks on other persons.

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elping one of my daughters recently with a book report, I am reminded about what public education should be all about — a proper education for all.

The trailblazing Clara Barton, who my daughter has been reading about, had no political motives when she petitioned local leaders in Bordentown, N.J., about establishing a free public school there in 1852.

According to all accounts, she ran across a group of boys in town and asked why they weren’t in school.

“There ain’t no school for us,” one of the boys replied.

Miss Barton saw a need and Ross Reily worked to fill that need. A week later, she was the lone teacher at the first public school in America.

Now, there’s efficiency for you.

Fast forward to the Mississippi State University Stennis Institute/Capitol press corps luncheon Monday in Jackson.

There, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said he intends to form a task force tasked to develop Mississippi’s own academic standards in lieu of Common Core’s standards.

What’s wrong with Common Core?

Unfortunately, the lieutenant governor’s reason for wanting to scuttle the program has little, if anything, to do with education.

His main gripe with Common Core is that there is too much government overreach in the program.

His gripe isn’t that Common Core doesn’t offer enough critical thinking for students.

See REILY, Page 7

PERSPECTIVE

December 5, 2014 I Mississippi Business Journal

» THE OUTSIDE WORLD

REILY

»FROM THE GROUND UP WITH PHIL HARDWICK

Dispatches from a Mississippian in France his column is coming to you from France, where my wife and I are on vacation. Each place we go I am asking as many people we deal with as possible if they have ever heard of Mississippi and what they might know of it.

After 10 days and numerous conversations it is obvious that very few of them really haven’t the slightest impression or idea about the Magnolia State. At least there are no negative images.

One Parisian sidewalk artist asked if Mississippi was in Australia. A restaurant server said that “Mark Twain” was the first thing that came to mind when he heard the term, Mississippi.

While in Beaune (pronounced Bone), France, which is the wine capital of the Burgundy region and where wine reigns supreme, we had the opportunity to take a class about the history of the region and wines, in particular. Before I could ask the Mississippi question our instructor asked what one word would we use to describe Burgundy. Immediately, we replied, “wine.” She smiled in agreement and then asked, “ And what one word would you use to describe Mississippi?”

“Southern,” my wife replied and I nodded in agreement.

“Southern?”

At that instant I realized that our questioner had no concept of the word, “Southern” as used in this case.

The reason this is so interesting to me is that my own research and that of others has revealed that the more familiarity a person has about a place the more likely they are to visit, relocate or open a new business there. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina I had the opportunity to ask a dozen national site selectors to rank 11 Southern states by how familiar they were with that state, and then to rank the same states on how likely their clients would be to open a new facility there. With one exception, there was a direct correlation between familiarity and likelihood of investing in that state. That is one of the reasons I believe that tourism is so important. It exposes people to our state. By the way, the top two responses were Florida and Georgia and the bottom two were Arkansas and Mississippi.

The French we met may not know much about Mississippi, but they certainly hear the blues enough. We heard it in several restaurants and other venues. While browsing the racks at Shakespeare and Company Books I noticed that a featured

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Phil Hardwick

title was about the history of blues.

And then there was James Brown’s music, blaring out from a street vendor’s stall near Notre Dame. Turning toward the strains of “I feel good” I was immediately drawn to an album cover featuring the face of the singer whose life story was recently the subject of a movie filed in Mississippi. In the same neighborhood I observed playbills for an upcoming gospel con-

cert.

One of the more pleasant discoveries when visiting France, or any other country in Europe for that matter, is that the price one sees displayed is the price one pays. For example, if an item on a menu is listed for 25 euro, that’s the total price. Taxes and any other fees have already been added. Also, it is noted that tipping is not required, but is appreciated. One reason is because servers here earn a so-called living wage, which in France is currently 9.53 euro ( $11.90 U.S. at current exchange rate) per hour. In American restaurants a $25 listed price can easily turn into over $30 by time taxes and gratuity have been added. Customers realize that servers often earn minimum wage or less.

Meanwhile, back to the beginning of this column. Our wine educator is a remarkable entrepreneur. She and a partner started their business after working for a large wine education company. They make great use of the Internet and they are located near the center of Beaune. They make great presentations to small groups about the history of the region and its wines. The wine industry here employs over 50,000 persons.

Mississippi is known as the Hospitality State and France is known as a country that is not very hospitable to Americans.

We found that nothing could be further from the truth as relates to France. Every single person we have met has been gracious and helpful. We try our best at speaking what little French we know, and that seems to pay off. When we enter restaurants or shops, especially in small villages, we always begin See HARDWICK, Page 19

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His gripe isn’t that Common Core doesn’t offer enough math or science or literature.

The lieutenant governor’s gripe has everything to do with politics, and that, folks, is shameful.

We should be about educating our kids, first and foremost.

Unfortuantely the lieutenant governor, as well as Gov. Phil Bryant, who wholeheartedly supports Reeves’ plan, are playing political games with our children.

Reeves now says he hopes the results of his proposed task force’s work would be standards “higher than Common Core, higher than the previous standards.”

Well, considering the history of education in Mississippi, we may be in trouble.

Remember, Common Core was only implemented in Mississippi schools this year. We have no idea what the real results will be.

What we do know is that, at least since integration, Mississippi has been ranked last or near last in education. That’s with parents, educators, and other concerned citizens creating the standards.

So, by all means, let’s go back to that system.

Now, having said all of that, I believe Reeves to be a good man. He has kids roughly the same age as mine.

Therefore, I know he has a dog in the fight as to making sure his children receive a quality education. I have talked with him face to face about education, and he sincerely wants to do the right thing.

But Tate has it wrong here.

His reasoning is wrong and his calculations are wrong.

Give me facts; don’t give me politics.

Give me figures; don’t give me rhetoric.

Give me the same critical thinking that we are trying to instill in our young people.

From my point of view, Reeves’ reaction is predictable, at best. He is going along with the conservative crowd.

What we need are more people like Miss Barton, who see a need — like educating those who aren’t being educated — and take action to make sure change happens.

We were 50th in education when Reeves entered politics. We are 50th now. Please give me more than politics as to how we can make change happen.

Contact Mississippi Business Journal editor Ross Reily at ross.reily@msbusiness.com or (601) 364-1018

VIEWS

Continued from Page 6

less relies on the enthusiasm and direct contact by members with decision-makers to promote the agenda for jobs growth and the economic investment required to increase prosperity.

MEC welcomes all Mississippians to paid membership, and in recent years it has significantly increased its diversity profile.

Use this information to directly obtain more information: Mississippi Economic Council – The State Chamber of Commerce 248 E. Capitol Street, Suite 940, Jackson, MS 39201 P.O. Box 23276 – Jackson, MS 39225-3276 Phone: (601) 969-0022, (800) 748-7626 Fax: (601) 353-0247, (888) 717-2809 — Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

8 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 5, 2014

CREATIVE ECONOMY

Sweet 16 » Record number of films made in Mississippi in 2014

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

Sixteen movies have been made in Mississippi in 2014, a record for the state.

“And I have no reason to believe that 2015 won’t be even better,” said Ward Emling, director of the Mississippi Film Office.

Nothing particularly magical happened this year, Emling said of the industry that is known for magic.

The bumper crop was brought in by hard work — and persistence.

A film that will wrap up this month is good example of the results of those virtues.

“We’ve been working on ‘Life at These Speeds’ since 2010, and it’s finally here,” he said of the film directed by Alison Eastwood, daughter of famed director and actor Clint Eastwood.

The Mississippi industry got serious in 2005 with the establishment of rebate incentives that encourage movie makers to choose the state.

Rebates in the past 10 years, through August of 2014, have totaled $9.2 million, according to the Mississippi Department of Revenue.

The industry estimates it has spent between $70 million and $80 million this year in Mississippi, Emling said.

Rebates in 2014 were $645,754 through August, according to the Department of Revenue.

The state has made strides since the days when it would show up on the Hollywood radar only because of Mississippi’s rich literary heritage.

“Baby Doll” (1956), for instance, was based on Tennessee Williams’ screenplay.

It was shot at a dilapidated antebellum house at Rosedale.

But gone are the days when seedy elegance, small-town quaintness and haunting landscapes were about the only attractions for “location shots.”

A western, “By Way of Helena,” was shot in and around Greenwood this year, taking advantage in part of a landscape that mimics the Badlands of South Dakota.

The Cohen brothers shot “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000) in 11 of the state’s counties. Emling said the joke during production was “O Brother Where Aren’t We?”

The Film Office and a growing number of homegrown production crew members have scoured the state and can offer a broad palette of locations, Emling said.

“I know we’ve scouted in all 82 counties, and we’ve shot in at least 70,” said Emling, director of the agency for 24 years.

Early on, the rebate incentives were the first thing — in some cases the only thing

“I know we have scouted in all 82 counties, and we’ve shot in at least 70.”

— Ward Emling Director, Mississippi Film Office

— that producers would pitch to other investors to get a movie made in the state, he said.

Producers would dangle a Mississippi Film Office “obligation” — the first step toward a commitment — as the lure for further investment for films that might or might not get made in the state, Emling said.

Now, “just about everything that applies to be made in Mississippi gets made in Mississippi,” Emling said. “That’s the biggest difference between two years ago and 2014. They want to come to Mississippi, the program is strong, and they have their financing together.”

The Film Office can rebate $20 million in any state fiscal year, which is from July 1 through June 30, Emling said.

JACK WEATHERLY / The Mississippi Business Journal

Brian Hilburn, a producer and location manager, sits in a booth in Jackson’s Elite Restaurant and shows a photo of a scene shot during the making of "Get on Up."

MAKING A NAME FOR THEMSELVES

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com Get the name right!

That’s the cry in show biz.

Making a name is important in just about any endeavor, but none more so, perhaps, than in the movie business.

Brian Hilburn — with one "L" — has had a bit of trouble with that, starting with his credit as a lowly production assistant in "Ghosts of Mississippi," the 1996 movie based on the murder of Medgar Evers.

He still sees it spelled both ways on IMDb.com, an online database for films, television and video games.

Undaunted, he landed a production jobs on "The Insider," (1999), starring Russell Crowe and Al Pacino, and featuring then-Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore in a cameo role. Next was "My Dog Skip," the adaptation of Willie Morris’ book by that name.

A business major at Mississippi College at the time, he couldn’t get the movie industry out of his blood, he recalled during an interview in the Elite Restaurant in downtown Jackson. He made a living making commercials for a few years.

Now a location scout, location manager and on-set still photographer, Hilburn, 41, says work is steady. In 2014, he will have worked 10 months, he said.

"This is what I do!" Hilburn says with not a little pride and satisfaction in his voice.

The Elite was setting for a scene in "Get on Up," the James Brown biopic, on which Hilburn was assistant location manager.

From IMDb / Special to the MBJ Speaking of names, the rest of the year went like this for Brady Permenter See

See

SWEET 16, Page 10

NAME, Page 10

10 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 5, 2014

SWEET 16

Continued from Page 8

Already “through the first six months of [the current] fiscal year, about $18 million to $20 million has been obligated,” Emling said, adding that actual production expenditure, which qualifies for rebates, amounts to about $10 million.

The program offers a 25 percent rebate for spending with local businesses, 30 percent for pay made to resident cast and crew, up to $5 million, and 25 percent for pay to nonresident cast and crew, also up to $5 million. Additionally, wages paid to veterans who are cast or crew members get a 5 percent rebate. The sales tax on equipment bought and used directly in production of a movie is charged a reduced rate of 1.5 percent.

At least one bank has placed a bet on the industry.

Biloxi-based Charter Bank has made loans for four feature productions, said President and Chief Executive Greg Cronin. The loans are secured by the rebates, Cronin said. The bank is selective, he said, explaining that it looked at 8 to 10 projects.

Not having to wait for a rebate check from the Department of Revenue helps the production company’s cash flow, Cronin said.

Mississippi’s neighbor across the river has established itself as the dominant force in movie-making outside of Hollywood.

But by one measure — the number of feature films made — it even surpassed California in 2013.

Nearly 50 movies were made in Louisiana last year, not to mention madefor-television movies, reality shows, series and commercials, which brought its total

NAME

Feature films made in Mississippi 2014 » Battlecreek » Life at These Speeds » Same Kind of Different as Me » Dixieland » Worry Dolls » Get on Up » Texas Heart » A Gift Horse » By Way of Helena » The Hollars » Impact Earth » The Livingston Gardener » Loose » Mentee » Midnight Special » Mississippi Grind Source: Mississippi Film Office

to 107, according to Louisiana Entertainment, a branch of the state Economic Development agency.

The state has not compiled a complete list for 2014, said Chris Stelly, executive director of Louisiana Entertainment.

But the industry in Louisiana has come under criticism for its tax incentive approach, critics saying that the state taxpayers are the loser.

The New Orleans Advocate, a newspaper, reported on Monday that “Louisiana’s film incentive program cost taxpayers $251 million last year and returned less than 25

Get On Up, shot in Mississippi, showcases the life of James Brown

percent of that to state coffers in the form of taxes.”

The credits can be sold to investors who have nothing to do with the industry, but merely reduce income tax owed the state.

Stelly noted that the study it’s required to file every two years states that the film program received $218.4 million in credits in 2012, but that “certified” spending on filmmaking was $717.2 million, a return of more than 3 to 1.

The industry in Mississippi is maturing, but with that come growing pains.

Mississippi is a right-to-work state,

Continued from Page 8

Hilburn: location manager for "The Hollars," directed by John Krasinski, known for his role in the television series "The Office"; location manager for "By Way of Helena," starring Woody Harrelson and Liam Hemsworth; location scout for "Same Kind of Different as Me," featuring Renee Zellweger and Greg Kinnear; and still photographer for "Battlecreek," directed by Alison Eastwood.

He was still photographer for "Life at These Speeds," a movie about a teenager who becomes an excellent runner as he deals with grief over the death of a friend.

That kind of film appeals to Hilburn, There’s another Hollywood joke. The actor says: actually, I want to be a director.

A production worker, Hilburn hopes (not a joke) to become a producer and director.

He and two partners are forming a production company, he said. They’re looking for good scripts, especially of the "redemptive" nature, like "Life at These Speeds."

Well-established, Matthew Morgan— a Mississippi native with offices in New Orleans, Toronto and his hometown of Canton — is the go-to casting director in

JACK WEATHERLY / The Mississippi Business Journal

Kevin Slark, sound stage manager for the Mississippi Film Studios, stands amid props to be used in movies.

Mississippi, said Ward Emling, director of the Mississippi Film Office.

Morgan casts extras, secondary roles — and sometimes lead roles.

Brady Permenter, for instance. He has a significant part in the "As I Lay Dying," actor James Franco’s directorial adaptation of the William Faulkner novel.

Morgan says he knew something was afoot when a

red-headed boy showed up to audition with his lengthy script memorized.

With mothers in tow, Brady and Stella Allen attended the Toronto International Film Festival in September for the premiere of another Franco-directed movie, "The Sound and the Fury," based on another Faulkner novel and featuring the Mississippi youngsters.

"We had quite a Mississippi moment," said Morgan.

meaning that a worker does not have to join a union to get a job.

Professional actors are almost invariably members of the Screen Actors Guild, a union. Crew members from Los Angeles are typically members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

“Virtually all the films here employ SAG actors,” said Bill Luckett, a lawyer and mayor of Clarksdale. It costs $3,000 to join but offers “great benefits,” he said.

A longtime business partner with actor Morgan Freeman, Luckett says he handles legal matters for the industry, from “book rights to distribution,” but not labor issues.

Still he observes that he thinks “we need to be respectful of the unions.”

Some productions have tried to avoid using union members, “and that’s a bad mistake,” Luckett said.

Though a worker does not have to join a union in Mississippi to get a job, refusing to hire union workers is illegal, he said. “It could be a game changer if you try to mistreat the union in Mississippi,” he cautioned.

Mutual respect is the way to avoid destructive disagreements, Luckett said. The fact that Hinds Community College is offering “a full array” of crew training is a good sign, he said. “Whether that means someone joins a union is up to them.”

Major productions — such as “Get on Up,” the James Brown biopic directed by Mississippi native Tate Taylor (also director of “The Help”) — bring most of whom they need, which means they rely heavily on union members.

While “it’s great to have big movies made here . . . smaller firms create more opportunity” for Mississippians, Emling said.

“We want to create our own indigenous industry,” he said.

The Mississippi Film Studios in Canton was built for the filming of "A Time to Kill" in 1995. The 36,000square-foot building with a 40-foot clearance accommodated the building of the courthouse interior, said stage manager Kevin Slark, 29, a graduate of Millsaps College.

Slark said he had planned to get out of Mississippi as soon as he graduated with a degree in English lit. He leads a visitor through the art department, which on this day has a rendering of Canton square made to depict Shreveport in the 1940s for "Same Kind of Different as Me." Named to his current position three months ago, he says he is in no hurry to leave the state.

It took awhile, and change of ownership several times, but the studios are making a case for the maxim from the movie "Field of Dreams."

"Build it and they will come," is a variation on the mystical message heard by the character played by Kevin Costner.

This year has seen 16 feature films made in Mississippi.

Rick Moore, owner of advertising and short-film making Mad Genius Inc and Eyevox Entertainment, bought the facility in September from the Canton Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Sitting on 31 acres, the sound stage is optimistically dubbed "Studio One."

December 5, 2014

I

Mississippi Business Journal

I

11

AGRICULTURE

Court upholds dismissal of black farmers lawsuit A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a black farmers group’s defamation lawsuit against Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood.

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. District Court of Appeals in New Orleans said Monday that sovereign immunity protects comments by Hood in his official capacity.

In October 2013, Hood warned in a news release about a possible scam involving a fee charged to help black farmers file claims for a national settlement when the deadline had expired.

Thomas Burrell and the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association sued in December 2013, arguing Hood had interfered and had continued to interfere with the group’s right to associate with its members.

Burrell said the group charges membership dues. He said it had held 30 to 40 meetings around Mississippi.

A federal judge in Jackson threw out the lawsuit in March. U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee also denied the group’s motion to file an amended complaint to sue Hood as an

individual and add other defendants.

Lee said Hood’s news release "merely warned the public in general, and black farmers/ranchers in particular, to be wary of persons or organizations that would charge them a fee to help them file claims ... since the deadline for filing such claims had long passed."

WAVELAND — Fire Chief Mike Smith has been elected mayor of Waveland.

Complete but unofficial returns from Tuesday’s election show Smith, a Democrat, with 57 percent of the vote over Republican Jay Trapani.

Smith will succeed Mayor David Garcia, who did not run for re-election.

Smith was to be sworn in Wednesday with other city elected officials. — from MBJ wire services

— from MBJ wire services

FANTAS T I C RAT E

HANCOCK COUNTY

Smith receives 57 percent, elected mayor of Waveland

ment was May 11, 2012.

The 5th Circuit panel said Lee’s ruling was correct on both issues.

However, the 5th Circuit said the group, if it wanted, could pursue the issues raised in the amended complaint in a separate lawsuit.

The federal courts gave final approval to the settlement on Oct. 27, 2011, providing over $1 billion to settle that the USDA discriminated against black farmers between 1981 and 1996, wrongfully denying them farm loans, loan servicing, and other benefits, or giving them loans with unfair terms.

The deadline to file a claim for the settle-

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Jackson undertakes baseball park study JACKSON — The city of Jackson is undertaking a study to determine whether to build a downtown baseball park.

Officials say the stadium would have around 4,000 seats It would be an arena for youth, high school and college teams to play, as well as a multi-use venue for concerts and other community events.

The city is paying Tim Bennett, president of Overtime Sports LLC, $25,000 a month for a study expected to take four months.

Bennett’s company developed Trustmark Park in Pearl and is working on MGM Park, a baseball stadium in Biloxi. Both are minor league baseball parks.

Mayor Tony Yarber says the study will look at many factors involving the potential stadium, including economic development, engineering and architectural factors, and public interest. — from MBJ wire services

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AN MBJ FOCUS: HEALTH CARE

Where there’s smoke ... ... there’s fired up doctors pushing lawmakers to make Mississippi a smoke-free state

By LYNN LOFTON mbj@msbusiness.com

For the sake of good health, a campaign against smoking is being waged across the country. Members of the Mississippi State Medical Association have joined that fight with Physicians for a Smoke-Free Mississippi Campaign. They hope to improve the state’s statistics which currently are lagging behind other states in the number of smoke--free communities and the still-high number of smokers.

“We still have 25 percent of Mississippi residents who smoke, and that’s high nationally,” said Steve Demetropoulos, M.D., who’s chairing the campaign. “We’re behind otherr statess and we’re a poor state. That means all of us pay for the effects of smoking.”

The physicians group is circulating petitions that will be presented to the State Legislature in January. Mississippians signing these petitions are stating their preference for a smokefree state.

“MSMA’s physicians are behind the effort, encouraging staff, patients and visitors to sign petitions showing support of a statewide ban on smoking,” said Claude Brunson, M.D. and

MSMA president. “Mississippians have already supported smoking bans in over 80 cities and towns, signifying the state is on its way to joining close to 40 other states in becoming totally smoke free.”

Demetropoulos, a former Demetropoulos MSMA president and board member, says the physicians hope to have 10,000 signatures, but the petitions are mostly symbolic. A specific number of signatures is not necessary for the legislature to call for a referendum. “Still, we’d like to have as many as we can get to present to the legislature,” he said. “It’s a tangible repressen ntation of Mississippi people who want smoke-free air.

We will present it to the legislature and say ‘these are your constituents and they want to have a referendum allowing them to vote on this issue.’”

A similar measure has been bogged down in a legislative committee for 10 years even though research done by Mississippi State University shows that 84 percent of the state’s residents are for smoke-free air. That figure has grown from 76 percent to 84 percent in

only three years, according to Demetropoulos.

“Legislators are concerned about telling people what to do with their own businesses, and there are some interests — such as casinos and tobacco companies — who don’t want smoke-free air,” he said. “We already monitor food and water for health reasons, and we’d like the legislature to allow residents to vote in the 2015 election cycle.”

An emergency room physician in Pascagoula for 27 years, Demetropoulos became vitally interested in the smokefree campaign through a patient a few years ago. “The patient is a single mom who works in a Waffle House; that was before Pascagoula went smoke free,” he said. “She didn’t smoke but in a heavily contaminated environment she was having health problems.

She liked her job and didn’t want to quit. That case galvanized my interest.”

Even though Demetropoulos is pleased with the number of cities that have gone smoke free, he feels more is needed. “We have many major cities across the state that are now See

SMOKING, Page 17

...

December 5, 2014 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

HEALTH CARE

14 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 5, 2014 REGULATION

What are the pros of CONS? » Some states eliminate Certificates of Need, calling it barrier to competition, reduced costs

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com

Mississippi law requires that Certificates of Need (CON) must be granted before a hospital can be built, begin operation or expand, and for a wide range of other medical facilities and services. A CON is needed for any capital expenditure more than $1.5 million for equipment, more than $2 million for operation of a clinical health service, or more than $5 million for operation and maintenance of a non-clinical health service.

About 36 states have CON programs that grew out of a 1974 federal law, the Health Planning Resources Development Act. The 1974 act required all states to develop a program to have a state health agency review submission of proposals and obtaining approval from a state health planning agency before beginning any major capital projects, including building or expanding hospitals and investing in ex-

pensive new technology.

According to the Mississippi Department of Health, the state’s CON program is designed to assure access to essential health services for all people, while also balancing the growth of health services and facilities with the Moore need for the services. A CON is needed in Mississippi to construct a new health care facility, reopen a health care facility, add beds and provide services such as open heart surgery, inpatient rehabilitation, radiation, home health, MRI, PET, long term care and a large number of other services.

The idea behind the CON programs is to reduce health care costs by eliminating duplication of services. Many states continued with CON programs even after the federal funding was discontinued, but some states eliminated their CON pro-

grams amid criticisms that CONs are a barrier to healthy competition that would have a bigger impact on reducing costs.

“From its inception, the CON process has faced criticism as an unwarranted intrusion of well-meaning bureaucrats into the health care marketplace, and an opportunity for existing firms to place barriers to entry on would-be competitors,” said Grant D. Bosse in a report prepared for the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy.

“Four decades of experience have shown that CONs do not control costs, but do provide a significant barrier to entry to innovative health care facilities and limit competition in the health care marketplace. Faced with this evidence, CON supporters have created novel arguments to justify them, but these new rationales also fall under close scrutiny.”

In Mississippi there have been times when a competing healthcare facility intervenes in a CON proceeding. But Tim Moore, president/CEO, Mississippi Hos-

pital Association, said the CON process makes sense in Mississippi.

“Mississippi is a medically underserved state with limited health care dollars,” Moore said. “It’s important that we don’t spend those dollars on hospital beds that will never be filled or expensive equipment that will be underutilized. That’s why the MHA continues our support for the CON program in our state.”

Moore also said the MHA will also continue to actively oppose those who try to work around the certificate of need process through legislative action, as the hospital association believes the CON process offers a level playing field for all.

One of the arguments that has been used against the CON process is there can be considerable time and expense in preparing a CON. There can also be high legal fees if there is litigation between health See

CON, Page 17

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HOSPICES, Page 23

We’d go to the moon and back for our patients.

8 times a year, actually.

At Camellia, there’s no mission more important than caring for our patients. Last year alone, we logged over 4,100,000 miles—enough for 8 round trips to the moon, in case you’re wondering—delivering the highestquality home-based healthcare services to families just like yours. When it comes to the needs of you or your loved one, choose the team that goes the distance. www.camellia.com

Bringing Healthcare Home Since 1974.

16 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 5, 2014

HEALTH CARE

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Aging boomers stress health services

By LISA MONTI mbj@msbusiness.com

As baby boomers age, their numbers are raising the demand for health services like never before and service providers in Mississippi and elsewhere are expanding their

facilities and hiring more employees to meet the increased needs.

“We’re constantly moving and growing to fill the need of taking care of those baby boomers,” said Tonya McGee, public relations director for Camellia Home Health & Hospice. The company was founded in

Hattiesburg in 1974 and has grown from four locations in Mississippi to 40 home health and hospice locations across the Southeast.

Its services include private duty nursing, pharmacy services and urgent care facilities. In May the company entered the Ala-

bama market when it acquired a hospice near Gadsden.

“From 2008 to 2014, we grew 160 percent,” McGee said. “In 2008, we had 18 offices. In 2014, we have 40 locations.

During this time, we grew in office numbers and organically.” At the end of 2009, Camellia had 491 employees and now it has 1,414 employees.

Camellia provides home health and hospice care wherever their patients live, “which means we are going to our patients whether they live in their own homes or in nursing homes.” McGee said that last year alone employees drove 4.1 million miles to deliver services. “To put that in perspective, that is 170 times around the Earth.”

Last week Camellia’s website listed about 40 job openings including openings for a payroll clerk and chaplain.

Emeritus Senior Living has several assisted living communities throughout the state, including three facilities in the metro Jackson area and in Hattiesburg, Biloxi, Greenville and Oxford. The company merged with Brookdale Senior Living earlier this year and the new company will begin rebranding its properties in 2015.

Community relations director Jennifer Jenkins said Ridgeland Pointe, which has been open for 17 years, offers private apartments to residents, many of whom wanted to downsize and leave household chores and yard work behind.

“We do the hard things,” Jenkins said. “By that I mean we keep up the maintenance, the cooking, cleaning and laundry for them.”

The assisted living arrangement offers socialization, daily activities, security and help when needed with bathing, dressing and keeping track of medications. “And as long as there is no need for skilled nursing, they qualify for assisted living,” she said.

There also is a memory care neighborhood for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Ridgeland Pointe has 78 apartments with a capacity of around 96, she said.

There are 82 residents now with some vacancies but there usually is a waiting list for assisted living. The memory care section does have a waiting list.

“We see it growing,” Jenkins said of the demand for assisting living. “The baby boomers are living longer and taking care of their health.” Some residents in their upper 80s and early 90s remain active and even still drive.

Jenkins said people may not be aware of assisted living facilities as an option to nursing homes for themselves or their relatives. “It’s kind of a hidden secret because most people think a nursing home is the only option. In the last 20 years assisted living has had a huge boom and we feel like it will continue to grow.”

HEALTH CARE CON

Continued from Page 14

care providers with competing interests.

Costs for a CON can exceed $100,000, and reach as high as $350,000 if there is extensive litigation.

The Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice produced a report in 2004 that recommends that states reconsider CON laws as a way to control health care costs.

“The Agencies believe that, on balance, CON programs are not successful in containing health care costs, and that they pose serious anticompetitive risks that usually outweigh their purported economic benefits,” Bosse said. “Market incumbents can too easily use CON procedures to forestall competitors from entering an incumbent’s market. The vast majority of single specialty hospitals–a new form of competition that may benefit consumers–have opened in states that do not have CON programs. Indeed, there is considerable evidence that CON programs can actually increase prices by fostering anticompetitive barriers to entry. Other means of cost control appear to be more effective and pose less significant competitive concerns.”

A report by the American Health Planning Association in October 2006 states that Mississippi’s program is on par with those in the majority of states that have CON regulation.

“Surveys and interviews of key stakeholders reveal a comparatively high level of support for the Mississippi program,” the report said. “Aspects of the program, and how it is implemented, give rise to a number of specific concerns. There is substantial agreement, however, that planning and CON regulation are beneficial, especially in helping ensure the economic stability of essential community hospital and long-term nursing care services. “…There is no compelling evidence that the program is ‘broken’ or needs to be ‘fixed’. There are, however, a number of administrative, planning, and policy changes that should be considered as possible ways to improve program efficiency, effectiveness, and fairness.”

The issues the American Health Planning Association (AHPA) had with Mississippi’s program including “distinct features limit the regulatory scope and reach of the program.

These include a high medical equipment review threshold, an unusually broad single specialty surgery center exemption, and a unique provision that permits conversion of regulated mobile services to fixed site services outside of CON review. These provisions, and the way they are implemented, make the Mississippi CON program unique.

No other CON program contains all three features. They introduce a degree of uncertainty in planning, give rise to questions about fairness and equitable treatment of those subject to regulation, and are likely to be increasingly problematic for the longterm stability and viability of community hospitals.”

December 5, 2014

SMOKING

Continued from Page 12

smoke free, but if we get 100 percent of towns and cities covered, we’ll still have only about 45 percent of residents covered because Mississippi is a rural state,” he said. “That’s why a statewide ban is needed.”

The physicians are hoping for a smoking ban in restaurants, bars and other indoor work places. MSMA conducted a survey of 995 restaurant owners statewide with almost unanimous sup-

“Some business owners say if the playing field is level, they don’t mind.”

Steve Demetropoulos Campaign chairman, Physicians for a Smoke-Free Mississippi

port for smoke-free air. “Some business owners say if the playing field is level, they don’t mind,” Demetropoulos said.

At this point, he says, the bad effects of

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smoking are so well documented for smokers and second-hand smoke that there should be no need to convince anyone to go the smoke-free route. “That’s what’s so hard, but still we have trouble getting people to accept it,” he said. “We can put a law in place at no cost and immediately see good results. We’re a state without a lot of extra resources to spend on health issues so this referendum just makes sense.”

Petitions are available at medical offices and clinics and hospitals throughout the state.

Putting your health record in your hands.

Baptist OneCare© MyChart represents a giant step forward in patient care. It’s an electronic health record that brings together patients and providers like never before, and gives patients control over their own health information.

It also makes everything from scheduling appointments to refilling prescriptions more convenient. Learn more by visiting baptistonecare.org. © 2013 Epic Systems Corporation. Used with permission. © All rights reserved. BMHCC. 2012.

Get Better.

18 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 5, 2014 EDUCATION

NOTES AND QUOTES

Walker reports to federal prison after MDMR fiasco BILOXI — Ocean Springs businessman Scott Walker has reported to federal prison to begin an 18month sentence for conspiracy and fraud charges involving the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the City of D’Iberville.

According to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons, Walker reported to the minimum security prison in Pensacola, Florida, on Monday.

The 35-year-old Walker is scheduled to be released March 21, 2016.

Scott Walker U.S. District Court Judge Keith Starrett sentenced Walker in July to 18 months on each of the two counts to which Walker pleaded guilty in April, but the sentences will run concurrent.

In addition, Walker was sentenced to three years post-release supervision on each count, which will also run concurrently. He was also ordered to pay — jointly with others in the case — $390,000 in restitution to the National Park Service, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the City of D’Iberville.

Walker’s father, Bill Walker, the former head of the DMR, reported to the federal prison in Oakdale, Louisiana, in July. He is serving a 5-year sentence on the same conspiracy charge to which his son pleaded guilty.

Former D’Iberville City Manager Michael Janus is serving a 21-month sentence for the same fraud charge on which Scott Walker was sentenced. Janus is serving his sentence in the Montgomery, Alabama, federal prison.

— MBJ wire services

EDUCATION

Ole Miss in Top 5, JSU makes online MBA list RALEIGH, N.C. — Choice an independent college search and rankings website, has published a ranking of the top fifty online MBA and graduate business programs in the United States.

The University of Illinois Springfield, University of North Dakota, University of Mississippi, University of Nebraska, and the University of Alabama occupy the top five spots on the list, which was calculated based primarily on affordability and reputation. Most of the schools on the list are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. If they are not, they are accredited by either the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs or the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education. The number of courses students are allowed to take online, residency requirements, and particular degree names vary from school to school, but all schools on the list allow students to take at least a portion of their graduate business courses remotely.

Jackson State was also in the top 50

Gov. Bryant: Superintendent not in charge of education JACKSON — Mississippi should change its academic goals even if the public schools superintendent wants to stick with the Common Core standards that have been put in place over the past several years, Republican Gov. Phil Bryant said Tuesday.

“What the superintendent needs to understand is that she’s not in charge of public education in Mississippi. The public is,” Bryant said. “And if the public in the state of Mississippi does not appreciate nor desire a Common Core curriculum, then we’re going to do away with it. Or, we’re going to at least try to amend it.”

Bryant’s comments came in response to reporters’ questions after he spoke at a telecommunications event in Jackson.

Most states have adopted Common Core standards, which outline goals of what children should learn in English and math while leaving specific curriculum choices to state and local boards. Mississippi adopted Common Core in 2010 and has spent years implementing it. The state is scheduled to have its first standardized testing under Common Core in 2015.

Bryant has said for the past year that he believes Common Core could give the federal government too much say in education. That reflects statements by tea party groups and other conservatives who could be influential during Mississippi’s 2015

» READ MORE: ROSS REILY: Educating our youth shouldn’t be about scoring political points.

— Page 6 Republican primaries for governor and other state offices. Bryant is seeking a second term.

Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves presides over the state Senate, which rejected a proposal by several conservatives earlier this year to take money away from Common Core. Reeves, who is seeking reelection, said during a speech at a news media luncheon Monday that he wants to ditch Common Core because he believes it has been “hijacked by the Obama administration.” While Reeves said he supports state Superintendent of Education Carey Wright, he proposed appointing a group other than the state Board of Education to write different academic standards for Mississippi.

Wright and state Board of Education chairman John Kelly said in a joint statement Monday that developing new standards would be expensive and could take years. After the governor’s comments about Wright on Tuesday, a Department of Education spokeswoman referred to the joint statement.

“We understand that the term ‘Common Core’

has become a lightning rod in some political circles, and as a result, has become attached to an unprecedented level of misinformation,” Wright and Kelly said.

They also said: “Mississippi remains in charge of its education policies and must remain committed to higher standards.”

Mississippi amended the state Constitution in 1982 to create a state Board of Education that sets policies for schools, starting in July 1984. Board members are nominated by the governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker, and must be confirmed by the state Senate. The state superintendent of education is chosen by the Board of Education and also must be confirmed by the Senate.

Bryant hasn’t offered proposals for different academic standards but said Tuesday that he wants to ensure “we have the challenges that we need to meet the future.”

— The Associated Press

GULF COAST

Pre-trial hearing for BP exec about oil spill NEW ORLEANS — Attorneys for one of the men facing criminal charges in connection with the 2010 Gulf oil spill are hashing out a variety of issues ahead of a March trial.

The defendant is former BP executive David Rainey, who has pleaded not guilty to charges that he obstructed a congressional investigation into the spill.

A Wednesday hearing dealt with a variety of issues including whether certain evidence about the flow rate from BP’s ill-fated Macondo well should be excluded from trial; and whether part of the indictment should be dismissed.

GAMING

Isle announces Q2 results ST. LOUIS — Isle of Capri Casinos reported financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2015 ended October 26.

Net revenues for the second quarter were up 3.1 percent, to $238.9 million, compared to $231.6 million in the prior year quarter, and consolidated Adjusted EBITDA increased 17.1 percent to $43.6 million from $37.3 million in the prior year quarter.

— from staff reports — from staff reports

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Governments give $6.5M to FNC expansion OXFORD — State and local governments are contributing more than $6.5 million toward the new headquarters that mortgage software company FNC Inc. is building in Oxford.

Company officials broke ground Tuesday. FNC expects to invest $20 million and hire 310 new employees, completing the campus by 2016.

“We have been working on our plans for about three years,” FNC President Glen Evans told the MBJ. “We’re not stacked on top of each other now, but we are looking ahead — looking at our growth rate.”

The Mississippi Development Authority is giving FNC $4 million for site preparation and a federal community development grant for $2 million to build an access road. Oxford, Lafayette County and FNC are each contributing $71,000 to the road. The state is giving another $300,000 for public improvements and $100,000 for worker training.

Oxford officials say no property tax breaks were granted.

— from staff and MBJ wire services

December 5, 2014

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DeSoto 4.9

19 Tunica 12.8

MISSISSIPPI’S OCT. UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES

Tate 7.4

Sept ’14 1,249,300 91,900 7.7 7.4 1,157,400

Oct ’13 1,272,500 103,900 8.2 8.2 1,168,600

’13 Avg. 1,286,400 110,800 XXX 8.6 1,175,700

Yalobusha 8.0

Bolivar 8.4

STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Unemployment Insurance Data •• Initial UI Claims Continued Claims Benefits Paid Weeks Paid First Payments Final Payments Average Weekly Benefit

Oct ‘14 156,616,000 8,680,000 5.8 5.5 147,936,000

Sept ’14 155,903,000 8,962,000 5.9 5.7 146,941,000

Oct 2014 8,671 65,370 $9,843,483 50,456 3,207 1,456 $195.09

Oct ’13 154,918,000 10,773,000 7.2 7.0 144,144,000

Sept 2014 6,745 71,986 $12,087,700 61,997 3,246 1,542 $194.97

’13 Avg. 155,389,000 11,460,000 XXX 7.4 143,929,000

Leflore 11.1

Humphreys 10.3

Carroll 7.5

Montgomery 8.7

Holmes 13.5

liters per capita in New Hampshire.

In conclusion, I’ll leave you with the following words of Mark Twain, from The Innocents Abroad/Roughing It: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

Au revoir for now.

with “Bonjour” (good day), immediately followed by “Parlez-vous anglais?” (Do you speak English?) Most of the people do not, but they willingly help us with our requests.

A visitor from Mississippi would not be surprised to be reminded of the Delta when in the Burgundy region. A ridge runs alongside a plane of crops that appear similar. In the Mississippi Delta that may mean cotton, soybeans or some other crop. In Burgundy it » Phil Hardwick is a regular Mississippi Business Jouralways means vineyards. Some parcels, or nal columnist and CEO of The Hardwick Company, LLC, plots, contain vines that are young, while a which provides strategic planning facilitation and leaderplot next to it may have older vines. One ship training services. His email is phil@philhardwick. parcel we saw produces only a few grapes per com and he’s on the web at www.philhardwick.com. vine per year, according to the local expert, but those / i 9i Ü Àii * ÀÌ ÕÌ À ÌÞ Õ >] grapes are so choice as to produce wine that is reserved - Ã Ãii } Ì v Ì i « Ã Ì v by wine connoisseurs. ÝiVÕÌ Ûi

ÀiVÌ À° Õ> Ã> >ÀÞ Ü While wine is a major `i«i ` Õ« µÕ> v V>Ì Ã Ü Ì > crop and is much consumed in the Burgundy region, the Õ ÃÌ>ÀÌ } Ã> >ÀÞ v fÇÓ]äää° same cannot be said for Mis ", / " É, -1 -\ sissippi. According to a recent report by the Beverage `` Ì > v À >Ì Ã >Û> >L i LÞ V Ì>VÌ } Information Group as reÌ i * ÀÌ ÕÌ À ÌÞ vv Vi >Ì ÈÈÓ {ÓÎ Èänn° ported on the Business In,iÃÕ iÃ Ã Õ ` Li ÀiVi Ûi` >ÌiÀ Ì > sider website, only West

iVi LiÀ Σ] Óä£{ Virginians consume less wine (2.8 liter/year) than >Ì 9i Ü Àii * ÀÌ] {Î Õ ÌÞ , >` ÎÇä] Mississippians (2.4 Õ >] Ãà Ãà «« ÎnnxÓ° litre/year). That compares to

V ÀÀië `i Vi À « i V> Ã Ü Li the 25.7 liters per capita in >VVi«Ìi` LÞ > Þ L >À` i LiÀ v Ì i * ÀÌ ÕÌ À ÌÞ° Washington, D.C. and 19.6

Lowndes 8.5

Oktibbeha 7.1

Winston 10.4

Leake 7.5

Neshoba 5.9

Scott 5.0

Newton 6.4

Noxubee 14.1

Kemper 10.8

Madison 5.5 Warren 8.0 Rankin 4.6

Hinds 6.5

Claiborne 11.8

Copiah 7.2

Adams 7.4

Wilkinson 8.8

Franklin 7.8

Amite 8.6

Lincoln 6.8

Pike 8.1

Covington Jones 6.0 5.5

Walthall 9.1

Marion 8.2

Lamar 5.6

Pearl River 7.2

Hancock 7.0

Lauderdale 7.5

Clarke 7.4

Wayne 8.5

Lawrence Jeff Davis 7.8 8.5

Unemployment Rates Unem ates 4.6 - 5.5 5.6 - 7.8 7.9 - 11.8 11.9 - 15.1

Jasper 7.9

Smith 6.5

Simpson 6.3

Jefferson 12.2

— Mississippi Department of Employment Security

Continued from Page 7

Monroe 10.8

Clay 15.1

Choctaw 7.8

Attala 9.8

Yazoo 9.2

Issaquena 10.2

** Average for most recent twelve months, including current month •• Unemployment Insurance amounts presented in this section only represent regular UI benefits, federal program amounts are not included.

Labor force amounts are produced in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Note: Unless indicated state and county data presented are not seasonally adjusted.

HARDWICK

Tishomingo 7.4

Itawamba 7.0

Chickasaw 10.4

Webster 10.3

Washington 11.2

Moving Avg.** 155,725,000 9,891,000 XXX 6.4 145,834,000

Oct 2013 9,994 87,951 $11,866,735 63,846 4,047 1,855 $185.86

Calhoun 7.9

Grenada 7.3

Sunflower 11.7

Lee 7.7

Pontotoc 7.7

Quitman 10.7

Coahoma 11.3

Moving Avg.** 1,262,200 97,500 XXX 7.7 1,164,700

Lafayette 5.3

Sharkey 7.2

UNITED STATES Labor Force Data Civilian Labor Force Unemployed Unemployment Rate (Adjusted) Unemployment Rate(Unadjusted) Employed

Alcorn 6.6

Tippah 9.0

Union 6.1

Tallahatchie 8.4

Oct ‘14 1,255,900 91,300 7.6 7.3 1,164,600

Benton 9.7

Prentiss 7.7

Panola 9.8

Labor force and employment security data STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Labor Force Data Civilian Labor Force Unemployed Unemployment Rate (Adjusted) Unemployment Rate (Unadjusted) Employed

Marshall 7.0

Forrest 6.8

Perry 7.8

Stone 6.7

Harrison 7.2

Greene 8.6

George 8.0

Jackson 7.6

Source: Labor Market Data Publication, October 2014 Design: Labor Market Information Department, MDES

http://www.msbusiness.com

AUCTIONS Q Taylor Auction & Realty, Inc............................................................... www.taylorauction.com

BANKS Q Regions Bank....................................................................................................... www.regions.com

INTERNET SERVICES Q Comcast Business .......................................................................................... www.comcast.com Q TEC ..................................................................................................................................www.TEC.com

LAW FIRMS Q Victor W. Carmody, Jr. P.A. .............................................................. www.mississippidui.com

PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES Q Delta State University................................................................................... www.deltastate.edu

REAL ESTATE Q State Street Group........................................................................www.statestreetgroup.com

TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Q Synergetics DCS, Inc. ...................................................................... www.synergeticsdcs.com

TELECOMMUNICATIONS Q AT&T................................................................................................................................... www.att.com Q Comcast Business .......................................................................................... www.comcast.com Q MegaGate Broadband................................................................................ www.megagate.com Q Nextiva.................................................................................................................... www.nextiva.com Q TEC ..................................................................................................................................www.TEC.com

WEBSITE DESIGNERS Q U.S. NEXT....................................................................................................................... www.usnx.com

Have your business listed here! Contact your advertising representative at 601.364.1000

NEWSMAKERS

20 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 5, 2014

WealthPartners hires 4

Henderson promoted

WealthPartners, an independent wealth services company, has hired four new employees expanding the company’s investments and support team.

Jeff Turnipseed, CPA, joins WealthPartners as Senior Vice President/Financial Consultant, bringing more than 25 years to Turnipseed the firm as a financial consultant and CPA. He was formerly with The Farese Group and has also worked with KPMG, Deloitte Touche and Merrill Lynch.

Turnipseed was a founding partner of TEC Partners CPAs and is a graduate of Millsaps College with a degree in accounting.

Erin McCain is WealthPartners’ new Director of OperaMcCain tions, overseeing all aspects of on-boarding new investment clients; tracking new business; and preparing and analyzing required financial, regulatory and compliance reports. McCain’s work experience has been at investment services firms as well as in the banking industry. McCain earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and Myers Master of Business Administration from Millsaps College.

Melissa Myers now serves as Financial Services Assistant, oversees financial trades, distributions, and transfers for WealthPartners advisors. Myers also handles marketing and business development for WealthPartners. She served as the Internal Marketing Coordinator Johnson of an investment services firm before joining WealthPartners. Myers is a graduate of Mississippi State University, having received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing.

Clay Johnson is WealthPartners’ newest Wealth Management Analyst in financial planning and insurance services management. Johnson assists in the design of wealth transfer strategies and coordinates between clients and WealthPartners advisors. He holds an insurance producer’s license and the Series 7 General Securities Representative license. Clay is a graduate of Mississippi State University, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics.

Shelley Henderson, RN, BSN, of Columbus has been named director of Supply Chain Support at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo.

Henderson is a 1977 graduate of Central Academy in Macon.

She worked for several years in banking, energy and industrial supply before earning her associ- Henderson ate’s degree in nursing from Meridian Community College in 1993.

After nursing school, Henderson joined the NMMC staff as a circulating nurse in surgery. She completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Mississippi University for Women in 1996.

In 1997, she became a clinical educator for surgery staff. Later, her role was expanded as Education Coordinator for all of Surgical Services.

She is a member of the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses and Mississippi Nurses Association. She replaces T.J. Adams, who was recently named administrator for Cardiovascular Services at NMMC.

Smith joins Madison firm Bree Smith has affiliated with Berkshire Hathaway Gateway Real Estate, 105 Reunion Blvd. in Madison Her background in education helps her work well with others and be a problem solver.

She has lived in the Jackson area for 10 years, making her well-familiar with Jackson and Smith its neighborhoods. She can be reached at 601-955-2933, 601-853-8058, brienne9@yahoo.com or bhhsgatewayrealestate.com.

Courtesy of William Carey University

Dr. Julie May, associate professor of biological sciences at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, recently published a cookbook, Menu Musings of the Modern American Mom.

Carey professor pens cookbook Dr. Julie May, an associate professor of biological sciences at William Carey University and a food blogger, recently published a cookbook, Menu Musings of a Modern American Mom, through Indigo River Publishing.

The full-color cookbook, published in October, is 342 pages in length and contains 152 recipes. The book offers interactive features, with each recipe having its own QR code that can be scanned with a smartphone or tablet. The code redirects readers to May’s blog, also known as Menu Musings, where they can see complete step-by-step photos and video.

The blog was started in 2010 because May wanted to share easy recipes with her busy friends. The blog is now the fastest-growing food blog in the country, according to Indigo River Publishing President Adam Tillinghast.

“She just passed eight million views on her site; it’s going to be close to 10 million before the end of the year. It’s truly a rising star in the food world,” said Tillinghast.

May has been on the WCU faculty since 2005. She earned her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy at the Louisiana State University Medical Center in 1995 and a Ph.D. in biological sciences from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2004 with a concentration in cellular and molecular neuroscience, focusing on the molecular aspects of Alzheimer’s disease, oxidative stress and aging. She worked for a year in postdoctoral research at Pennington Biomedical Research in Baton Rouge, La., focusing on human clinical research and studying physiological changes due to obesity before joining the WCU faculty.

She resides in Hattiesburg with her husband, Gregg. She has four children and two stepsons.

The book is available at menumusingsbook.com, menumusings.blogspot.com, or through Amazon.com.

CPA seminar presented Jim Koerber, CPA/ABV/CFF, CVA, CFE, and Rob King, CPA/ABV, CVA, CFE, presented a program Nov. 10 entitled “Measuring Damages to Individuals: Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Economic Damage Calculations” to CPAs at the American Institute of CPAs’ 2014 Forensic & Valuation Services Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Orleans. Koerber and King are shareholders in The Koerber Company, PA, a Hattiesburg CPA firm that limits its work to valuation and forensic services for attorneys, CPAs, and their clients.

Center for Sleep adds Luckel

Koerber

King

Gilbert L. Luckel, CNP, recently joined The Center for Sleep Medicine, a service of Hattiesburg Clinic, as an adult gerontological acute care nurse practitioner.

Luckel earned his Bachelor of Science in nursing through the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

He received his Master of Science in nursing from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

Luckel is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Luckel Center.

He is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Critical Care Nurses and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Super lawyers, rising stars Ten attorneys from the Adams and Reese Jackson office have been selected for Mid-South Super Lawyers and Rising Stars 2014, which is published in the November issue of Mid-South Super Lawyers Magazine. Only five percent of attorneys in the MidSouth states, which include Mississippi and Tennessee, receive the honor of Super Lawyer. The selection process includes peer nominations, review by a blue-ribbon panel and independent research.

The Super Lawyers in the Adams and Reese Jackson office include: Holmes Adams (Estate Planning and Probate); Bill Brabec (Business Litigation); Phil Buffington (Banking); Paul Carrubba (Banking); Jim Keith (Schools and Education); Charles Parrott (Banking); Jay Stewart (Energy and Resources); and Jeffrey Trotter (Energy and Natural Resources, Class Action/Mass Torts). The Rising Stars in Jackson include: Michele McCain (Energy and Natural Resources) and Robert Parrott (General Litigation).

Adams and Reese is a multidisciplinary law firm with more than 300 attorneys and advisers in 16 offices in 15 markets throughout the southern United States and Washington, D.C.

Saffle promoted Hattiesburg resident Andrea Saffle has been named executive director of the Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association.

She takes over for Biloxi native Walt Denton, who resigned Nov. 3. Saffle, who was president of the Hattiesburg Historic Neighborhood Association, asSaffle sumed the post on a part-time basis until January, at which point she will take over full time. Before working with the Neighborhood Association, Saffle was marketing director at Turtle Creek Mall for 16 years.

For announcements in Newsmakers; Contact: Frank Brown (601) 364-1022 • frank.brown@msbusiness.com

December 5, 2014

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» MISSISSIPPI LEADERS by Martin Willoughby

Teamwork is key

Bagley has harnessed the power to motivate

M

ost leaders know the importance of creating high-performance teams within an organization. However, the challenge is actually moving from theory to execution in creating winning teams. Great leaders know how to mobilize teams and lead them to accomplish their full potential. In their book, The Wisdom of Teams, Jon Katzenbach and Douglas Smith describe a high functioning team as with one with “a number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and an approach for which they are mutually accountable.” My interviewee this week, Freddie J. Bagley, Chairman of Community Bancshares, Inc., is one of those leaders who has harnessed the power of teamwork to achieve tremendous success.

Bagley, a native of Forest, first learned about building great teams as a student-athlete at Forest High School. He credits his high school coaches and teachers including Ken Gordon, Ken Bramlett, and Milton Walker with teaching him that, “a good team that works together will always defeat a team of stars.” Bagley went on to East Central Community College where he was an All-Star quarterback, and then Mississippi College where he graduated with a de-

Up Close With ... Freddie J. Bagley

Title: Chairman, Community Bancshares, Inc. Favorite Books: Business Book: Good to Great by Jim Collins; For Pleasure: Any book by Michael Connolly or Lee Child.

First Job: My first real job was as a sophomore at Forest High School with the Durham Company, a local poultry equipment company, where my best friend Bill Blossom and I learned to build feed storage tanks and to install poultry equipment in poultry houses.

Proudest Moment as a Leader: It is hard to pick just one. My proudest moments are when my staff that I have hired and helped mentor do great things.

Hobbies/Interests: Snow Skiing, anything on the water, travel, college football, and reading.

gree in Mathematics. After a brief teaching and coaching career, Bagley was recruited by Thomas Colbert to join Farmers and Merchants Bank (now Community Bank) in 1976. The rest, as they say, is history. Bagley has the spent the last 38 years developing as a leader and helping the organization grow from a $17 million dollar bank to one with over $2.5 billion in assets.

Bagley is a purpose driven man with a clear set of priorities – faith, family, and career. He has lived out these priorities by being an active leader in his church, and an

engaged parent to three children (and now three grandchildren).

Bagley noted, “Through my faith and family support, I have been able to pursue a fulfilling career in banking. I do feel that God has led me to where I am, and I have been blessed, there is no question about it.” Bagley credits Colbert (now Senior Chairman of Community Bancshares, Inc.) with helping him develop as a leader. Bagley shared, “Thomas believed in young people who wanted to accomplish things. He let you learn from your mistakes, then would help lead you where

“... you have to give up some of your personal goals to accomplish team goals.”

— Freddie J. Bagley

you needed to go by well-placed questions and suggestions. He always made you feel like to you could anything or everything.

He was a great encourager to me.”

Bagley explained Martin Willoughby that his philosophy has been to put the customer first and treat each one with dignity and respect. He said, “To have a customer focused business, you must have the best people all working with the same purpose in mind.” He also shared, “One thing that I learned at an early age about leadership is that you have to give up some of your personal goals to accomplish team goals.”

Bagley has put these principles into practice over the years with great success. Today, Community Bank through its family of companies has 41 offices across the South with over 670 employees. In addition to his leadership at work, home and in the community, Bagley is also a leader in his industry. He is currently serving as the 126th Chairman of the Mississippi Banking Association. He noted, “The MBA has a top notch staff and as an association, we have to keep finding things that we can all agree on.

We must remain unified and work together on the things that are important to Mississippi banking.” I am sure Bagley will continue to bring his team-based philosophy to this role as well as his other leadership positions making a positive difference for the state.

Martin Willoughby is a business consultant and regular contributing columnist for the Mississippi Business Journal. He serves as Chief Operating Officer of Butler Snow Advisory Services, LLC and can be reached at martin.willoughby@ butlersnow.com.

Film star tells all about Hollywood legends and studio system

W » Ava Gardner, The Secret Conversations

By Peter Evans and Ava Gardner Published by Simon & Schuster $16.00 paperback

hen Peter Evans was helping Ava Gardner write her biography, he was often awakened in the middle of the night by the aging film star. She confided many interesting, unvarnished tales; stories she didn’t want included in the official biography.

Evans began writing about his conversations with Gardner after her death. The revelations are sometimes shocking, sometimes not, but they do give an intimate look into Gardner’s heyday during the golden age of Hollywood. The girl from North Carolina was married to three entertainment legends – Mickey Rooney, band leader Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra.

She pulls no punches and comes across as she did in her film roles: frank, sexy and earthy. Gardner began life in a poor family in North Carolina. A photograph taken by her brother-inlaw of Gardner as a beautiful teenager led to a screen test for her with MGM. When Gardner left for Los Angeles, her mother told her, “Enjoy yourself, my darling baby. You are going to be a movie star.”

Of her memories of her three famous husbands, Gardner was the most complimentary of Rooney. Although Sinatra was her greatest love, the two flamboyant personalities could not live together but stayed in touch throughout their lives.

She had tempestuous relationships with Howard Hughes and George C. Scott – neither of whom comes across well the way Gardner tells it. She had good professional relationships with directors John Huston and John Ford. Of Huston she said, “He knew

me better than anyone alive, better than I knew myself.”

Of her co-star in The Barefoot Contessa, Humphrey Bogart, “I didn’t like him very much as a man and he had no respect for me at all.” Clark Gable was Gardner’s hero as a kid and she was thrilled to work with him in Mogambo. She spoke glowingly of Gable and said he remained her hero until the day he died. Another hero was Lana Turner, who befriended the younger starlet. Gardner liked Turner even though she joked that Turner beat her to Rooney and Shaw.

In her later years Gardner suffered a debilitating stroke and suffered bouts of loneliness. However, she didn’t lose her wicked wit and salty tongue. “You can sum up my life in a sentence, honey,” she told Evans. “She made movies, she made out, and she made a ----ing mess of her life. But she never made jam.”

— Lynn Lofton, mbj@msbusiness.com

22 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 5, 2014 THE SPIN CYCLE

The 20 most viral ads of 2014 e’ve hit December, and have shifted into high holiday gear.

The end of the year is always a time of reflections of the past and aspirations of the future. It’s also a good time to contemplate the top PR, marketing, advertising and branding initiatives.

One of the first out of the gate is the annual roundup of the most shared advertisements from Unruly Media. And not surprisingly, the year’s biggest global event – the World Cup – produced some of its most-viral ads.

Four spots created around the World Cup make the list, including No. 1 and No. 3.

Sandwiched between them at No. 2 was the year’s biggest prank ad. And right behind them at No. 4 was the best-loved Super Bowl ad of the year.

Elsewhere on the list are several female empowerment spots, a Thai tearjerker, a shocking PSA and a beloved Christmas ad.

Check out the full list below, and click here for Unruly’s larger report on the video trends of 2014. Counting down from 20: 20. KLM’s “Lost And Found Service” – 670,401 shares 19. P&G’s “Pick Them Back Up” – 688,364 shares 18. BBC’s “God Only Knows” – 725,867 shares 17. John Lewis’ “Monty the Penquin” – 770,187 shares 16. CoorDown “Dear Future Mom” – 804,082 shares 15. Volkswagen “Eyes on the Road” – 805,766 shares 14. KCKH8 “Potty-Mouthed Princesses Drop FBombs for Feminism” – 813,436 shares 13. Disney Frozen “Let It Go Singalong” – 896,324 shares 12. Save the Children “Most Shocking Second a Day Video” – 973,164 shares 11. Castrol “Footkhana: Neymar Jr. vs. Ken Block” – 1.05 million shares 10. DTAC “The Power of Love” – 1.1 million shares 9. Thai Life Insurance “Unsung Hero” – 1.29 million shares 8. Nike “Winner Stays” – 1.43 million shares 7. Always “Like a Girl” – 1.48 million shares 6. Wren “First Kiss” – 1.55 million shares 5. American Greetings “World’s Toughest Job” – 1.89 million shares 4. Budweiser “Puppy Love” – 1.98 million shares 3. Nike “The Last Game” – 2.15 million shares 2. Twentieth Century Fox (Devil’s Due): Devil Baby Attack – 2.15 million shares

W

... be sure you’re listening authentically to your customers and employees at all times

5 ways to align employees with your brand A study at Arizona State University conducted research on what they termed “brand confluence.” They hired actors to interact with customers in a way that was highly aligned or purposely misaligned with the attributes of the brand they were selling.

Guess what? Customers’ ratings of the brand – including value for the money, desirability, and even trustworthiness were highly influenced by what the study termed “conceptual fluency” – the ease of processing the brand’s meaning, which is influenced by – you guessed it – brand-aligned employee behavior.

Here’s how the biggest brands do it best, according to marketing specialist Ted Curtin: 1. Top to Bottom Organizational Engagement.

Here again is why it’s vital to increase employee engagement. It’s not enough for your marketing team to carry the message of your brand to your audience. From top executives to customer service, employees need to be fully committed to the company’s vision in order to be effective representatives of your company brand.

2. 3-Star Employees Don’t Give 5-Star Service. The company needs to hire with care. Equally importantly, you must treat your employees in the same way you want your employees to treat your customers. A mistreated employee will not turn around and represent your company well.

3. Design to Win. No amount of engagement can overcome policies and structures that are incongruent with your company brand.Imagine the problem if getting printing assistance or finding a specific office product at Staples wasn’t “Easy?” Or if Best Buy’s “Geek Squad” looked at your laptop’s blue screen and shrugged? What if Nordstrom’s no questions asked return policy were suddenly not honored? The policies and structure of your customer service and sales need to match the promise of the company brand at all times.

4. Consistent Communication. Here again is one of the many virtues of public relations.

The attributes of your brand won’t matter if you don’t communicate them effectively to your employees and to the world. Not 1. Activia “Shakira – La La La (Brazil 2014) only must you communicate frequently, but also the message must be consistent. For exfeaturing Carlinhos Brown – 5.82 million shares ample, Curtin notes the Geiko Insurance campaigns. The mechanisms for carrying the message may appear to be all over the

map – the cute Gecko to, helpless cavemen, to eye balls sitting on stacks of money – but all of these tactics reinforce a consistent message of “a quick and easy way to save 15 percent or more on car insurance.” The messages “hang together” and so the brand promise works.

5. Be a Two-Way Brand. An easy way to increase brand alignment is to be sure you’re listening authentically to your customers and employees at all times. Internally, make it easy and rewarding for your employees to let you know what they think. Outwardly, social media engagement makes it easier than ever before to engage with your customers. They’ll be the first to let you know when your product or support isn’t matching up with the promise you’ve made.

Apple launches massive two-week (RED) campaign Apple is glowing (RED) for the holidays.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant has launched an unprecedented two-week campaign that involves its app store, retail locations and online store, yet another example of CEO Tim Cook’s push to boost the company’s corporate image.

(RED), the charity started in 2006 by singer Bono with a mission to rid the world of HIV/AIDS, will turn the campaign’s proceeds over to The Global Fund for use in providing antiretroviral treatment to AIDS sufferers primarily in Africa.

“We’ve been involved with (RED) from the beginning and have raised $75 million, but we were convinced there was an opportunity to get people to rediscover this cause,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of software and services, told USA TODAY. “This time, it was about getting developers deeply involved. It couldn’t just be veneer.”

This marks not only another salvo in Apple’s battle to polish its reputation as a company that cares about everything from the environment to gay rights, but also echoes a number of recent high-profile personal donations and corporate campaigns targeting the recent Ebola crisis from companies such as Facebook and Microsoft.

About six months ago, Apple approached 25 top-selling app makers and got them to customize their products with (RED)tinged tweaks for the effort. For example, Zynga’s CSR Racing fans can buy a red (RED) Mercedes-Benz AMG GT, while Electronic Arts’ FIFA 15 players can compete in a special (RED) tournament.

The campaign, which runs through Dec. 7, will donate all proceeds from purchases of the 25 Apps for (RED) or their in-app upgrades. In addition: On Nov. 28, the shopping season’s Black Friday, all U.S. Apple stores and online counterparts offered customers buying select products a special edition (RED) gift

card, a portion of which goes to The Global Fund On Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, Apple donated a portion of all in-store and online purchases to this cause.

Todd Smith “When Apple approached us, we were blown away by the possibility to use our platform to do something this massively good,” says Frank Gibeau, executive vice president of EA Mobile, whose participating apps — FIFA 15 and Sims FreePlay — have tallied 100 million iOS downloads to date.

“It’s inspired us to think about these things,” he adds. “In the coming weeks, we’ll see how our customers respond (to the campaign), and we’ll use that to see what we can do going forward.”

(RED) CEO Deborah Dugan says that “this campaign is certainly something that could cause other companies to step up. And we need to keep the heat on (HIV/AIDS) or we’ll slip back to where we were.”

Merry Mic | C Spire & Salvation Army partner to boost Red Kettle donations The Spin Cycle loves it when technology is used to benefit communities and the people they serve. Recently, C Spire – a diversified telecommunications and technology services company – joined forces with The Salvation Army in a new pilot technology initiative that promises to boost donations to the non-profit’s Red Kettle holiday giving campaign in the greater Jackson, Miss. metropolitan area. Consumers now have the option to make credit card donations at up to 20 of the non-profit’s 65 highest volume Red Kettle locations in the Jackson, Miss. metropolitan area – thanks to the availability of smartphones and tablets connected to C Spire’s mobile broadband network and equipped with secure e-readers and swipe technology. It’s the first time ever that the Salvation Army has used credit card readers for the Red Kettle campaign. It’s a great combination of technology and community to spread holiday cheer to needy – and deserving – families. For that, C Spire and The Salvation Army take a holiday-lit Merry Mic! Each week, The Spin Cycle will bestow a Golden Mic Award to the person, group or company in the court of public opinion that best exemplifies the tenets of solid PR, marketing and advertising – and those who don’t. Stay tuned – and step-up to the mic!

And remember … Amplify Your Brand!

Todd Smith is president and chief communications officer of Deane, Smith & Partners, a fullservice branding, PR, marketing and advertising firm with offices in Jackson. The firm — based in Nashville, Tenn. — is also affiliated with Mad Genius. Contact him at todd@deanesmithpartners.com, and follow him @spinsurgeon.

LICENSED HOSPICE FACILITIES

(Continued from Page 14)

December 5, 2014

I

Mississippi Business Journal

I

Company

Address

County

Phone

Accreditation status

Gentiva Hospice Gentiva Hospice Gentiva Hospice Gentiva Hospice Gentiva Hospice Gentiva Hospice Grace Community Hospice Grenada North Delta Hospice & Palliative Services Harper’s Hospice Care, Inc. Haven Hospice and Palliative Care, LLC Holistic Care Hospice Jackson Homecare Hospice, Inc. Hospice Advantage of Biloxi Hospice Advantage of Brookhaven Hospice Advantage of Hattiesburg Hospice Advantage of Jackson Hospice Advantage of North Sunflower Hospice Advantage of Southaven Hospice Advantage of Tupelo/Corinth Hospice Care Group Hospice Compassus - MS

301 W. College Street, Booneville, MS 38829 (Alternate site: Tupelo) 106 Riverview Drive, Flowood, MS 39232 376 Simpson Hwy 149, Suite 300, Magee, MS 39111 104 Skyline Drive, Oxford, MS 38655 (Alternate site: Southaven) 115-A Highway 12 West, Starkville, MS 39759 962 Tommy Munro Drive, Suite D & E, Biloxi, MS 38532 316 North Davis, Suite C, Cleveland, MS 38732 141 North Main Street, Drew, MS 38737 1703 24th Avenue, Meridian, MS 39301 700 East Sunflower Rd, Suite 9 (PO Box 537) Cleveland, MS 38732 1757 Terry Road Bldg 3, Jakcson 39204 (PO Box 720681, Byram 39272) 16482 Highway 21, (PO Box 102), Walnut Grove, MS 39189 250 Beauvoir Road, Suite 4C, Biloxi, MS 39531 102 N. First Street, Brookhaven, MS 39601 811 Rebecca Avenue, Hattiesburg, MS 39401 1865 Lakeland Drive Suite A, Jackson, MS 39211 (Alternate site: Vicksburg) 105 East Floyce Street, Ruleville, MS 38771 919 Ferncliff Cove, Suite 1, Southaven, MS 38671 280 S. Thomas, Suite 101, Tupelo, MS 38801 (Alternate: Aberdeen, Corinth) 114 East Donald Street, Quitman, MS 39355 119 West Presley Boulevard, Suite D, McComb, MS 39648 (Alternates: Columbia, Brookhaven, Gulfport, Natchez, Meridian) 450 Towne Center Blvd., Ridgeland, MS 39157 (Alternate site: Brookhaven, Ridgeland) 11 Marks Road, Ocean Springs, MS 39564 (Alternate site: Lucedale) 6222 Hwy 98; Suite 200, Hattiesburg, MS 39402 403B Town Center Boulevard, Ridgeland, MS 39157 423A Beulah Avenue, Tylertown, MS 39667 1300 Sunset Drive, Suite Z, Grenada, MS 38901 231 North Main Street, Amory, MS 38821 108 Woodland Road, Suite 7D, Batesville, MS 38606 1085 Stark Road, Suite F, Starkville, MS 39759 102 Lee Drive; Suite A, Clarksdale, MS 38614 , 2034 East Shiloh Road, Corinth, MS 38834 212 East Jefferson Street, Ripley, MS 38663 (Alternate site: Corinth) 112 Highway 51 North, Batesville, MS 38606 (Alternate site: Tunica) 1150 East Peace Street, Canton, MS 39046 (Alternate site: Lexington) 405 Hayden St., Belzoni, MS 39038 (Alternate: Charleston, Clarksdale, Cleveland, Greenville, Greenwood, Indianola & Yazoo City 635 North Bayou, Cleveland, MS 38771 5120 Galaxie Drive, Suite B, Jackson, MS 39206 123 Pine Avenue East, Wiggins, MS 39577 114 South Edward Avenue; Suite B (PO Box 10) Mound Bayou, MS 38762 8869 Centre Street, Suite 3 & 4, (PO Box 1229), Southaven, MS 38671 520 Goodman Road, (PO Box 1798), Southaven, MS 38671 212 Starlyn Avenue, New Albany, MS 39652 1696 South Colorado Street, Suite 4, Greenville, MS 38701 135 Bounds Street, Suite C, Jackson, MS 39206 422-A East President Street, Tupelo, MS 38801 5407 Indian Hill Boulevard, Diamondhead, MS 39525 2570 Bailey Avenue, Suite 14 (PO Box 11233) Jackson, MS 39213 359 Towne Center Blvd, Suite 500, Ridgeland, MS 39157 617A Highway 7 South, (PO Box 5083), Holly Springs, MS 38634 308 East Pearl Street, Suite 301, Jackson, MS 39201 10532 Automall Parkway, Suite D, D'Iberville, MS 39540 340 Byrd Avenue (PO Box 517), Philadelphia, MS 39350 (Alternate site: Meridian) 315 Desoto Avenue, (PO Box 1626), Clarksdale, MS 39614 10598 D’Iberville Blvd, Suite B, D’Iberville, MS 39450 108 North Ruby Avenue, Ruleville, MS 38771 106 North Ruby Avenue, Ruleville, MS 38771 5159 West Main Street, Tupelo, MS 38802 2705 Clay Street, Vicksburg, MS 39180 (Alternate site: Jackson) 1305 Church Road East, Southaven, MS 38671 104 Court Street, Batesville, MS 38606 8195A Woolmarket Road, Biloxi, MS 39532 (Alternate site: Lucedale) 706 Highway 51 N, Brookhaven, MS 39601 4700 Hardy Street, Suite Y, Hattiesburg, MS 39402 322 Hwy 80 East, Suite 3, Clinton, MS 39056 191 Northside Drive, Newton, MS 39345 (Alternate site: Meridian) 406 Council Circle, Suite B, Tupelo, MS 38804 5600 Goodman Road, Suite D, Olive Branch, MS 38654 7139 Commerce Drive, Bldg B3, Olive Branch, MS 38654 105 Asbury Circle - Condo C; Suite C1, Hattiesburg, MS 39402 120-C Scarbrough Street, Richland, MS 39218 (Alternate site: Vicksburg) 1167 East Broad Street, Monticello, MS 39654 406 Briarwood Drive, Suite 200, Jackson, MS 39206 (Alternate: Grenada, Meridian, Philadelphia) 494 West Bankhead Street, New Albany, MS 39652 9086 Pigeon Roost, Suite 108, Olive Branch, MS 38654 543-B Hwy 80W, Clinton, MS 39056 920 Matthew Drive, (PO Box 1249), Waynesboro, MS 39367 3725 Main Street, Moss Point, MS 39563 216 N. Chrisman Avenue, (PO Box 239), Cleveland, MS 38732 112 Issaquena Avenue, (PO Box 1985), Clarksdale, MS 38614

Prentiss Rankin Simpson Lafayette Oktibbeha Harrison Bolivar Sunflower Lauderdale Bolivar Hinds Scott Harrison Simpson Forrest Hinds Sunflower DeSoto Lee Clarke Pike

(662) 728-7404 (601) 983-3193 (601) 849-5803 (662) 234-0140 (662) 615-1519 (228) 385-7845 (662) 846-7600 (662) 745-0587 (601) 483-4134 (662) 846-0922 (601) 346-7737 (601) 625-7840 (228) 594-2216 (601) 823-5400 (601) 705-0360 (601) 956-9755 (662) 756-1700 (662) 393-4033 (662) 840-3434 (601) 776-8880 (601) 250-0884

Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited /Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited /Not Deemed Non-Accredited /Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed

Madison Jackson Forrest Madison Walthall Grenada Monroe Panola Oktibbeha Coahoma Alcorn Tippah Panola Madison Humphreys

(601) 898-1053 (228) 497-2400 (601) 336-7855 (601) 605-3881 (601) 876-6169 (662) 226-4246 (662) 257-9811 (662) 578-8177 (662) 338-0078 (662) 621-1171 (662) 293-1405 (662) 837-9990 (662) 563-1021 (601) 855-2400 (662) 247-1254

Bolivar Hinds Stone Bolivar DeSoto DeSoto Union Washington Hinds Lee Hancock Hinds Madison Marshall Hinds Jackson Neshoba Coahoma Harrison Sunflower Sunflower Lee Warren DeSoto Panola Harrison Lincoln Lamar Hinds Newton Lee DeSoto DeSoto Stone Rankin Lawrence Hinds Union DeSoto Hinds Wayne Jackson Bolivar Coahoma

(662) 226-8878 (601) 982-1909 (601) 928-5300 (662) 719-2005 (662)342-7023 (662) 393-0170 (662) 393-0170 (662) 335-1788 (601) 321-8812 (662) 377-3612 (228) 687-1385 (601) 362-1712 (601) 991-3840 (662) 551-3432 (601) 949-8900 (228) 207-0390 (601) 656-5252 (662) 621-1370 (228) 432-8855 (662)756-2072 (662) 756-0928 (662) 844-2111 (601) 661-9752 (901) 355-2721 (662) 578-4072 (228) 396-4756 (601) 823-4812 (601) 579-9493 (601) 924-8285 (601) 683-7500 (662) 841-0085 (662) 420-7157 (662) 890-5554 (601) 928-2925 (601) 894-3014 (888) 249-4270 (601) 991-1933 (662) 539-7010 (662) 893-5662 (601) 488-4581 (601) 735-5500 (228) 474-2030 (662) 843-8797 (662) 624-6089

Hospice Ministries Hospice of Light Kare-In-Home Hospice Kare-In-Home Hospice L & L Hospice Legacy Hospice of the South Legacy Hospice of the South Legacy Hospice of the South Legacy Hospice of the South Lion Hospice & Palliative Care, LLC Magnolia Regional Home Health & Hospice Agency Mercy Hospice Inc. dba Legacy Hospice of the South Mid-Delta Hospice of Batesville Mid-Delta Hospice of Canton Mid-Delta Hospice, Inc. Milestone Hospice Miracle Care Hospice, Inc. Morning Glory Hospice Ministries, LLC Nevaeh Hospice New-Era Hospice, LLC North Delta Hospice & Palliative Services North Delta Hospice New Albany North Haven Hospice & Palliative Care, LLC, North Lion Hospice & Palliative Care, LLC North MS Medical Center Hospice Notre Dame Hospice of Mississippi Our Family Home Hospice, Inc. Pax Hospice Physician Hospice Care Physician Hospice Care Pinnacle Hospice Quality Hospice Care, Inc. Revelation Hospice & Palliative Care, LLC Saad’s Enterprises, Inc. Saint Anthony's Hospice & Palliative Care Saint John Hospice & Palliative Care Sanctuary Hospice House Serenity Premier Hospice Sisters Hospice & Palliative Care Southerncare Batesville Southerncare Biloxi Southerncare Brookhaven Southerncare Hattiesburg Southerncare Jackson Southerncare Newton Southerncare Tupelo Specialty Hospice, LLC Spring Valley Hospice St. Joseph Hospice of Southern Mississippi St. Joseph Hospice of West, MS St. Luke Home Health and Hospice Sta-Home Hospice of MS, Inc. Unity Hospice & Palliative Care Unity Hospice Care Walk of Faith Hospice Wayne General Hospital Hospice Agency We Care Hospice Word of Deliverance Hospice Zion Hospice, Inc.

23

Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited /Not Deemed Non-Accredited /Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed CHAP Accredited / Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed CHAP Accredited / Deemed CHAP Accredited / Deemed CHAP Accredited / Deemed CHAP Accredited / Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed CHAP Accredited / Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed CHAP Accredited / Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed TJC Accredited / Deemed Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed TJC Accredited / Not Deemed TJC Accredited / Deemed ACHC Accredited / Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited /Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed Non-Accredited / Not Deemed

Source: Mississippi State Department of Health. Hospices are certified and licensed by the state as well as accredited by either the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP), The Joint Commission (TJC) or Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). Please direct questions or comments to Frank Brown at research@msbusiness.com.

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