MBJ Dec13 2013

INSIDE — See new column about the public relations industry

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December 13, 2013 • Vol. 35, No. 50 • $1 • 24 pages

AIRLINES IN MISSISSIPPI

DEVELOPING PRODUCTS — AND PEOPLE

Keeping our eye on...

Laurel Donahoo Donahoo, owner & designer of The Lovely Bee, paints stationery and note cards, manages her Etsy online store, fills out special orders and keeps the creativity fresh..

» FNC Inc. readies for first-ever ‘The Forge’

BY WALLY NORTHWAY I STAFF WRITER

wally.northway@msbusiness.com

More newsmakers, P 7

Around town {P 5} » Chefs across the region savor GritGirl products Strictly Biz {P 10} » Study panel in final preparations for state road maintenence proposals List {P 18-21} » Hospices

Inside Biz {P 4} » Lost Pizza restauranteurs begin franchising across state and region

Southwest leaving; search for new airline begins

At first glance, FNC Inc.’s upcoming first-ever hackathon it has dubbed “The Forge” appears to be all about product development and industry competitiveness. But officials maintain that the all-night blitz scheduled for Dec. 19 is more about its people and team-building.

“We always wanted this to be an employeedriven company,” said Bill Rayburn, co-founder Rayburn and CEO of the mortgage technology company FNC. “I believe you hire the right people, then get out of their way. ‘The Forge’ is part of that concept.”

“This is an opportunity to work with a new team, to flesh out an idea, to try a new technology. It’s about improving skill while trying something new,” said Bethany Cooper, corporate recruitment and talent management coordinator at Oxford-based FNC. “Plus we’re going to make it super fun.”

All of the employees of FNC have been invited to participate in “The Forge.” Beginning at 3 p.m. on Dec. 19, teams of one to three employees will face off in a battle of the brains as they work through the night to develop, innovate and create anything that will make FNC’s products or processes better.

FNC officials are expecting as many as 100

» Page 8 MBJ FOCUS: Health Care

Hospice nursing a true calling Making a career helping people Page 14

See FNC, Page 5

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December 13, 2013

BANKING AND FINANCE

Bauer rankings reflect strong Q3 for state banks A total of 45 Mississippi banks and saving and loans garnered five-star ratings from Bauer Financial Services in the third quarter.

Of Mississippi’s largest banks, the $20 billion Hancock Bank of Gulfport was the only one to receive five stars, though Jackson’s Trustmark and Tupelo’s Renasant performed well enough to gain four stars each. BancorpSouth, the state’s second largest bank behind Hancock at $12.9 billion, received three-and-ahalf stars from the Coral Gables, Fla., ratings agency.

Birmingham’s $6.2 billion Cadence Bank, formerly headquartered in Starkville, won five stars in the Q3 ratings. Regions, another Birmingham bank with a significant presence in Mississippi, earned three-anda-half stars.

Five stars denote an “Excellent” rating and four stars a “Superior” rating. Both ratings land an institution on Bauer’s recommended report.

Three-and-a-half-stars, a designation reserved for banks only, denote “Good” and three stars “Adequate.”

Only Mississippi bank –Omni Bank of Bay Springs – fell into the two-star “Problematic” ranking. Huntsville, Ala.’s South Bank, which has several Mississippi locations, also received two stars.

Mississippi had no one-star banks.

The large number of star rankings reflects a strong third quarter for Mississippi’s banks and savings & loans.

Last week, the FDIC reported that all of the state’s 86 FDIC-insured institutions turned a profit in the quarter.

As recently as the third quarter of 2011, 8.9 percent of Mississippi’s FDIC-insured institutions lost money

— TED CARTER, MBJ

MANUFACTURING

Industrial Timber Expansion to add 80 jobs Industrial Timber, manufacturer of wood furniture frames, is expanding operations at its facilities in Shannon, in Lee County and Ripley, in Tippah County and expects to add 80 new jobs.

The expansions represent a $1.5 million corporate investment, the company says.

The 14-year-old Industrial Timber is adding a new manufacturing line at both facilities to meet the needs of Jackson Furniture, a motion and stationary furniture manufacturer that recently located operations in two existing northeast Mississippi facilities. Jackson Furniture will enlist Industrial Timber as its preferred vendor.

“Mississippi works hard to build a positive business climate, and it is always good to see existing companies grow and create new jobs,” Gov. Phil Bryant said.

“Industrial Timber has been in operation for 14 years, and this new partnership with Jackson Founded in 1999, Industrial Timber is an independent manufacturer of frames for the upholstery industry and builds wood frames for local furniture manufacturers.

unanimously rejected a merger proposal by Entergy Corp. and ITC Holdings Corp., saying the deal could have meant a $300-million rate increase for Mississippi customers over 30 years.

“We respect Entergy’s desire to improve its organizational effectiveness, but the Presley commission was not persuaded the transfer of ownership would be in the best interest of Entergy Mississippi’s customers,” said Lynn Posey, chairman of the threemember Mississippi Public Service Commission.

Another commissioner, Brandon Presley, said: “The

evidence in the case did not show any identifiable savings to customers.”

Entergy executives said in a statement that they were disappointed that the Mississippi commission found the transaction is not in the public interest.

“We will evaluate the Mississippi commission’s 99page order and work with ITC to determine next steps,” Entergy said in a statement.

In December 2011, New Orleans-based Entergy said it would transfer its high-voltage lines to Novi, Mich.based ITC. The plan was for ITC to issue Entergy shareholders enough stock to give them a majority of ITC shares worth more than $2 billion. ITC would’ve assumed $1.78 billion in debt. Entergy and ITC won Federal

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Mississippi Business Journal

— from staff and MBJ wire services

DANIEL COKER HORTON & BELL CONGRATULATES TERRY LEVY, MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL’S 2013 LAWYER OF THE YEAR.

As part of its annual Leadership in Law awards honoring members of the state’s legal community for both legal success and qualities of character, the Mississippi Business Journal recently named Daniel Coker Horton & Bell attorney Terry Levy 2013 Lawyer of the Year.

A DCH&B attorney has been included in the MBJ’s Leadership in Law awards each year since its inception.

With office locations in Gulfport, Jackson and Oxford, DCH&B is strategically positioned to provide legal services throughout Mississippi and five neighboring states.

UTILITIES

JACKSON — Mississippi utility regulators have

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Energy Regulatory Commission approval in June.

The merger request also was filed with regulators in the other areas that Entergy serves — the states of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas and the city of New Orleans. Regulators in those areas have not acted yet, but rejection in Mississippi makes the deal’s success unlikely.

David Cruthirds, a Houston lawyer who publishes an energy newsletter, said the deal requires the approval of all five regulatory bodies, and all six Entergy operating companies must be part of the merger.

“I just don’t see the other jurisdictions going forward, given this,” Cruthirds said in a phone interview after the Mississippi vote.

— TED CARTER, MBJ

PSC unanimously rejects Entergy-ITC merger

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G U L F P ORT : 228-864-8117 • J A C K S ON : 601-969-7607 • O X F OR D : 662-232-8979 • W W W .D A N I E L C OK E R . C O M *Free Background Information Available Upon Request. © 2013 Daniel Coker Horton & Bell, P.A. All rights reserved.

4 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 13, 2013 A MISSISSIPPI ORIGINAL

Lost Pizza uses fresh, homemade ingredients that have kept patrons comming back for its menu iterms such as the Happy Hippie pizza.

Lost Pizza discovered » Restaurateurs begin franchising

BY WALLY NORTHWAY I STAFF WRITER wally.northway@msbusiness.com

In 2007, longtime friends Brooks Roberts and Preston Lott opened a unique, small restaurant in the Delta city of Indianola with no plans past that one eatery.

But Lost Pizza Co.’s menu and campy atmosphere has quickly won patrons, and today the partners are casting their eyes on ever-expanding horizons.

“We never intended to open another restaurant,” Roberts said. “Lost Pizza has far exceeded any expectations.”

Roberts and Lott were childhood friends, growing up together in the Indianola area where Lott’s parents operate the longstanding Pea-Soup’s restaurant. Both boys grew up in the restaurant business, earning folding money both in high school and college.

While they loved the industry, both chose to study agriculture at Mississippi State University.

“We were just trying to make our parents happy I guess,” Roberts said with a chuckle.

The two began work in agricultural-related careers, but they weren’t satisfied. Roberts eventually relocated to the Virgin Islands and became a boat captain and scuba diver instructor.

However, the two stayed in touch, and they couldn’t shake the restaurant “bug.” During a visit to St. Croix, the two hammered out a concept, dubbing it Lost Dog Pizza after the pub where they met. (When looking into franchising, the men discovered that there was an eatery in

Photos courtesty of Lost Pizza

Boyhood chums Brooks Roberts and Preston Lott grew up in the Indianola area with a love for the restaurant industry.

Virginia named Lost Dog, so they shortened the name to Lost Pizza to avoid any potential confusion or litigation.)

Still, the two took their time. They spent a year going to food shows and experimenting with recipes after purchasing a pizza oven.

“We wanted everything to be just right when we opened,” Roberts said.

That homework paid off as Lost Pizza proved an immediate hit when it opened on U.S. Highway 82. Patrons enjoyed the menu as well as the ambiance that features blues memorabilia, folk art and the like.

“We make our sauces, dough and salad dressings by hand every day. We also use the best cheese available, and meats that have no filler or preservatives,” Roberts said.

“We have a very eclectic atmosphere combining art, music and memorabilia.”

With the success in Indianola, the partners started mulling more restaurants. They subsequently opened eateries in Cleveland, Tupelo, Southaven, Grenada and Starkville, extending the original Lost Pizza concept for high-quality food and quirky ambiance. As example, the interior of the Cleveland location on U.S. Highway 61 features a VW Microbus — it was cemented into the location and the building was constructed around it. And the Starkville restaurant on Mississippi Highway 12 offers an old scoreboard taken from the gym of a closed Delta academy.

Lost Pizza is still in full-growth mode. A restaurant in Ridgeland, the first south of U.S. Highway 82, is under construction on U.S. Highway 51 with completion expected by the end of the year. A grand opening is also being planned for a new Lost Pizza in Memphis, the first outside of Mississippi.

Meanwhile, Roberts and Lott are eyeing more locations in the metro Jackson area as well as in Hattiesburg.

Those locations will offer the same quaint atmosphere (Roberts was in Nashville lately attending a large flea market in hopes of landing more campy fare for its new locations) and menu.

In addition to pizzas such as The Kujo, The Otis and The Popeye, Lost Pizza offers subs, pastas, salads and desserts.

Over its short history, Lost Pizza, which now has approximately 25 workers on the payroll, has won a bevy of awards. It has taken top honors from Mississippi Magazine, Cleveland Current, Bolivar Commercial, DeSoto Times Tribune, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal and Delta Magazine, among others.

“You have to keep and eye on the numbers, no doubt, but I think the most important measure of success is what others are saying about us,” Roberts said. “I don’t know how far we can go. We’re having a lot of fun. If it keeps going like it is…”

For more on Lost Pizza, visit www.lostpizza.com.

“We never intended to open another restaurant.”

Brooks Roberts Co-owner, Lost Pizza Co.

December 13, 2013

GULF COAST

FNC

Chefs savor GritGirl products

By LISA MONTI I CONTRIBUTOR mbj@msbusiness.com

The yellow corn that Georgeanne and Freddie Ross mill into grits, cornmeal, polenta and masa is served by chefs at white tablecloth restaurants from Mississippi to New York.

Years before Memphis-born Georgeanne Ross came to be known as the Original GritGirl of Oxford she had a city girl’s perspective on growing food. “If it didn’t come from Kroger, I just never gave it another thought,” she said.

Then in 2001 the Rosses came into possession of a 1910 stone grist mill and a 1912 flywheel engine, which Freddie restored at their Scott farm.

Once the mill was working, Georgeanne was on her way to starting what was originally called Delta Grind.

They ran the mill once a month “to just keep it all oiled up” and shared the cornmeal with neighbors. One elderly lady always sent back a pan of cornbread. “It was just out of this world good,” Georgeanne remembered.

One milling weekend the sound of the engine attracted a fisherman who was nearby on Lake Whittington. “Low and behold he was a chef at the University Club in Memphis and he wanted to know if he could take some cornmeal home,” Georgeanne said. “So we hooked him up with 10 pounds and a week later he called and wanted to order 50 pounds.”

On her next monthly trip to visit her family, she brought the chef his order. He gave her a list of chefs who also were interested in buying the cornmeal. “I just started laughing and said I’m not in this kind of business. He said, ‘Just go see them.’” The chef was sure her products were something “white tablecloth restaurants” would love.

She visited three chefs and got orders for cornmeal from two and grits from the third. “I told him I didn’t know if I could make grits. I’d have to go home and ask.”

She called her husband on the drive back home with the news about the orders. “When I got home he had the grist mill pulled up into the driveway and we got to working on what grits should look like.” They used Kroger grits as a model for the consistency and locally grown yellow corn which they buy at a co-op in Holmes County.

She made the 262-mile drive back to Memphis for the

first delivery of grits.

“I took him 10 pounds but he didn’t like it because it was yellow and he wanted white.” That rejection put a damper on her new venture, but only temporarily.

“Two weeks later he called and said he was out of grits and had to use mine and they blew him away,” she said. The chef placed a standing order of 25 pounds a week.

Word about the cornmeal and grits spread. “Chefs don’t like to think someone’s got something better than they do,” she said. “It just took off from there.” The business grew to 81 restaurants over the next several years. But in 2008 her mother suffered a severe stroke and Georgeanne gave up the business to help her six siblings with her care.

She took off about a year, much to the chagrin of her chef customers, including John Currence of Oxford restaurant fame. He called regularly to coax her back into business and even offered to buy her a grist mill.

She said she told Currence, “I’ll get back in if I can just have your restaurants in Oxford and I’ll be happy. So he gave me all his restaurants and the word got out I was back in it.”

Freshness is key to GritGirl products, Ross said. “We use locally grown corn and stay in the current crop year.” The corn comes from a co-op in Houston, Miss., which is delivered to Freddie’s barn where she re-cleans every sack before it’s milled. Then it’s delivered or shipped within a couple of days. “I don’t use additives or preservatives.

That’s just fresh cracked corn.”

She wants chefs to have only when they can use up between deliveries. “Don’t stock up,” is what she tells them.

“We’ll turn around and do it again in nine days.”

Restaurant customers are in Ocean Springs, Hattiesburg, Oxford in Mississippi, as well as in Memphis, New York, Florida and Connecticut. “I only sell to white table cloth restaurants,” she said. “At $2.95 a pound, I’m not cheap but it’s all hand done and all fresh.” There are also a few retail customers.

Ross calls GritGirl a labor of love. “I’m not getting rich but I make a living,” she said. “And it keeps me out of my husband’s pockets. I wanted to be self sufficient so it’s liberating.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

‘Year of the Creative Economy’ announced JACKSON — Gov. Phil Bryant proclaimed 2014 as the “Year of the Creative Economy: Mississippi Homecoming” during a ceremony with renowned pianist Bruce Levingston, a Cleveland, Mississippi native.

The “Year of the Creative Economy” will feature both ongoing events and new activities throughout the year and will highlight the state’s vast talent across the creative spectrum and the impact it has on the local economy.

“Our creative economy is one of the state’s true

economic drivers. We are the birthplace of blues, rock ‘n’ roll and country music. But more than that, Mississippi’s creative economy is a job producer.

In fact, job growth in Mississippi’s creative economy has outpaced national creative economy growth in recent years,” Bryant said.

The celebration will also bring home many well-known artists, performers and others to join the festivities in their respective home communities and to showcase the talent and drive grown out of their Mississippi experience.

Malcolm White, Tourism director for the Mississippi Development Authority, noted the economic impact of the creative economy.

“Mississippi’s creative economy is a direct source of economic growth and wealth, accounting for more than 60,000 jobs across the state. We look at museums right next to manufacturing plants, and creative enterprises next to industrial facilities. From print shops and music venues to art galleries, restaurants and other innovative businesses.”

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Mississippi Business Journal

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Continued from Page 1

employees to be involved. If a team’s project is selected for further development, the company has established an “80/20” program modeled after Google. Winning employees will spend 80 percent (four days) working for the company and one day (20 percent) on their project.

“We are fortunate to have a CEO (Bill Rayburn) who is visionary enough to say you can have 20 percent of your time for a pet project and who recognizes that this program supports talent retention and develops new ideas for the company,” Cooper said.

“We want to make sure our talent is happy here. Our 80/20 program helps keep employees motivated by giving them a chance to tap their inner creativity and do something exciting and meaningful to them.”

If no project proves worthy of future consideration, Rayburn maintains that is just fine by him.

“No matter what happens, I am confident that the return on investment from ‘The Forge’ will be high,” he said.

“The Forge” is part of FNC’s larger Employee-Driven Innovation (EDI) Program. According to John Marsalis, director of software development at FNC, the company established the EDI program some three years ago, and has been developing it since then, especially over the last six to 12 months.

EDI is FNC's three-pronged approach to initiatives created and led by employees: » FNC Innovation — projects of an innovative, technical nature that introduce potential for future revenue or cost savings. » FNC Living — ideas that speak to employee needs and the company's culture and work environment such as employee recognition, green efforts and workplace stress relief. » FNC Giving — the firm's community outreach initiative, code name "Hero."

The EDI adds to the company’s efforts to take care of its people.

FNC already offers flexible work schedules, generous health benefits (100 percent coverage to employees and their families, 401(k) and other employee-focused efforts.

In that vein, FNC is looking to make “The Forge” an event employees will remember. During the all-night hackathon, employees will be entertained by a band and play games while enjoying food and drink.

“We’re hoping to see results that will either improve our internal efficiency or that will positively impact our customers’ operations,” said Bethany Cooper, corporate recruitment and talent management coordinator. “Ultimately, we hope every project is amazing and something we can run with.”

In preparation for The Forge, employees have been told to think big.

“We want them to think crazy and see what happens,” Cooper said. “We have people who are so brilliant and they have these pent-up ideas that they’ve thought of, but it can be challenging to find the time to work on a new innovation idea when we all are so busy with our daily tasks. Giving employees this defined time to work on their ideas could result in some really cool things.”

FNC executives believe “The Forge” could result in new revenue streams, next-generation products, expanded markets and more competitive advantages.

The event will end with presentations of all projects and prizes at 2 p.m. on Dec. 20. Winners will be awarded based on their project’s usefulness, ability to launch quickly, creativity and allaround awesomeness.

“We always try to put ourselves in our employees position,” Rayburn said. “ Rayburn certainly has the numbers to prove that concept is working at FNC. The mortgage technology company delivered its first solution in early 1999. Under Rayburn’s leadership, the technology company invented and developed a residential real estate Collateral Management System (CMS) that revolutionized the mortgage industry. It now counts customers around the world, and Rayburn was out of state last week looking to grow the firm even further.

“We have smart people who take care of our clients. That’s been the key to our success,” Rayburn said.

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MBJPERSPECTIVE December 13, 2013 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 6

» RICKY NOBILE

Website: www.msbusiness.com December 13, 2013 Volume 35, Number 50

ALAN TURNER Publisher alan.turner@msbusiness.com • 364-1021 ROSS REILY Editor ross.reily@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 WALLY NORTHWAY Senior Writer wally.northway@msbusiness.com • 364-1016 FRANK BROWN Staff Writer/Special Projects frank.brown@msbusiness.com • 364-1022 TED CARTER Staff Writer ted.carter@msbusiness.com • 364-1017 LISA MONTI Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 BOBBY HARRISON Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 TAMI JONES Advertising Director tami.jones@msbusiness.com • 364-1011 MELISSA KILLINGSWORTH Sr. Account Executive

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Entire contents copyrighted © 2013 by Journal Inc. All rights reserved.

OTHER VIEWS

State’s teacher shortage needs action xford Sen. Gray Tollison’s support for widely publicizing and promoting Mississippi’s alternate routes to teacher certification for college graduates is a good idea that could tap into some of our state’s best-educated people who might be considering changing professions or personal job situations.

Tollison, a Republican who is chairman of the Education Committee, is a long-time education supporter.

The regular route to teaching credentials is through one of the four-year baccalaureate programs in one of the state universities’ schools of education.

The alternate route offers a shorter track for college graduates through the Master of Arts in Teaching Program or the Teach Mississippi Institute Program.

Through either alternative program, a college graduate who is able to pass the

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state’s teacher licensure exam can take two classes under one program or an eight-week online course, plus a year’s internship, and become a teacher.

The issue’s visibility is rising because Mississippi has a shortage of qualified, credentialed teachers, especially in disciplines like special education, English, mathematics and the sciences.

Tollison said that it might help if the Department of Education had people working on university campuses to publicize the alternative route programs.

That is almost certain, but more than promotion is needed.

Mississippi’s teacher-salary situation, as has been the case almost always, is near the bottom nationwide. Information from various sources changes almost daily, but a 49thplace ranking is close to accurate.

A regionally competitive salary range plus

strongly addressing the quality of life issues in areas where teachers are hardest to place must be part of the conversation.

New teachers are needed to offset retirements and to offset the low retention rate of new teachers in the state. Mississippi is apparently a fertile field for recruitment of teachers by out-of-state interests. A special legislative task force has been told that in 2012-13, 65 percent of students going through Mississippi teaching schools took jobs in other states where the pay and benefits are better. The situation is compounded because the rising generation of young adults is the most mobile in American history.

Gov. Phil Bryant has included money in his budget proposal to help fund programs to attract top-performing students to the teaching profession and to attract top college graduates to shortage areas to teach.

Interest is high and the situation cries for a well-crafted solution.

— Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

NEWSMAKERS

December 13, 2013

Profiles of growing young professionals in Mississippi

life (and business) full of opportunities mesh well together without having set work hours as boundaries.”

Donahoo advises young professionals interested in starting their own small business to do their research. “Take a good look at what you'll need to spend versus what you'll be able to make,” she says.

“It takes a lot of courage and sometimes a lot of uncertainty but I think a lot of prayer and hard work are the perfect building blocks for starting something new and successful. I really just try to enjoy life and thank God for the opportunities He's given us!”

Donahoo also enjoys traveling, cooking, Pinterest, blogging, movies and spending time with her husband and dogs.

— By Stephen McDill

Dean, James honored

MBA/EIGS welcomes Guess Venture hires workers

Jay Dean, music director of the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, and Gwen James, co-owner and president of Coldwell Banker Don Nace Realty, are the 2013 Hub Award recipients.

The Hub Award has been presented annually since 1979 to recognize individuals for outstanding contributions to the community, commitment to excellence and dedication to public service in the Hattiesburg area.

Natalie Guess is the new project manager on the Magnolia Business Alliance/EIGS staff. Guess holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with a concentration in integrated advertising and marketing from Southeastern Louisiana University. Natalie joined the MBA team to assist in supporting and growing strategic partnerships and client relationships, and comes from NMD | eMerge where she assisted in the launch of the eMerge interactive marketing platform.

Originally from the New Orleans area, Guess currently resides in Diamondhead with her husband and young son.

Assembly elects officers Long Beach school board member James Stubbs is the new president of the Mississippi School Boards Association (MSBA) for the 2013-14 school year. The former colonel in the U.S. Army was elected to head the organization by the MSBA Delegates’ Assembly. The Delegates Assembly, convening during the MSBA Fall Leadership Conference in Jackson, also elected North Pike School District board president Etta Taplin as vice president and Pearl Public School board president Sondra Odom as MSBA secretary-treasurer. New Albany board member Bobby Gault will remain on the board as MSBA immediate past president.

MWTC names officers, board Hunter Arnold, vice president of Waggoner Engineering, was recently elected president of the Mississippi World Trade Center Board of Directors.

William “Bill” Mendenhall, shareholder at Baker, Donelson, Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, was elected MSWTC vice president, and Dr. O.A. Cleveland, president of Ecoil Technologies/UMGAS-CAITAF GROUP in Starkville, was elected secretary-treasurer.

Newly elected board members serving two-year terms are: Lyn Arnold, president and CEO of the Tunica County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Foundation; Jonathan Daniels, executive director of the Mississippi State Port Authority in Gulfport; Duane Dewey, president of corporate banking at Trustmark National Bank in Jackson; Brandon Dunn, CFO of W.G. Yates Construction Company in Philadelphia; Rhonda Keenum, first lady of Mississippi State University and president of Keenum Company in Starkville; Jim McIngvale, director of government and community affairs at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula; David Rumbarger, president and CEO of the Community Development Foundation in Tupelo; and Pat Thomasson, president and CEO of the Thomasson Company in Philadelphia.

Trade Center presents awards The Mississippi World Trade Center recently recognized four outstanding individuals with prestigious international 2013 achievement awards at its Annual Meeting. Alex Malouf, CEO and chairman of the board for the John-Richard Company, received the Tozzoli International Business Leadership Award honoring an outstanding Mississippi business person who has attained national and international business success yet steadfastly remains loyal to and headquartered within the state.

Jesse Robinson, blues guitarist and vocalist, received the Global Arts & Culture Advocate Award based on his lifetime of success and accomplishments in music, his outstanding contribution to the state’s creative economy and his work in spreading Mississippi’s music and cultural message throughout Latin America.

Jerry Host, chairman and CEO of Trustmark Corporation, received the Crystal Globe Member of Distinction Award for his longstanding personal and professional support of the Mississippi World Trade Center’s programs, services, educational and cultural activities and promotion of international trade and investment.

The Excellence in International Education Award was presented to Dr. Mark M. Miller, professor of geography and interim chair of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism at the University of Southern Mississippi, for his lifetime body of work in economic development for low-income communities in Mississippi, the U.S. South, Cuba and the Caribbean.

Mississippi Business Journal

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Age: 28 Owner & Designer, The Lovely Bee

Keeping our eye on... LAUREL DONAHOO Madison native Laurel Donahoo says her career as a designer started as a hobby and way to make a little extra cash in college without having to wait tables.

The Mississippi State University communications major with the packs of hand-painted note cards has since grown into a small business CEO eager to grow her customer base from Biloxi to Booneville and all points in between.

Donahoo paints stationery and note cards, manages her Etsy online store, fills out special orders and keeps the creativity fresh- even designing items made from confetti.

“I needed a job that would let me unleash a little more of the creative energy I have inside of me,” Donahoo saying. “I also needed more flexibility as far as making my schedule. When you've got your own business and you're your own boss, it's a lot easier to make a

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Heroes or mentors: “My parents are my best mentors and my husband is seriously my hero! He's the best.”

Best thing about Mississippi: “I love the local Mississippi food scene.”

Best Mississippi event: Stray At Home in Jackson First job ever: Lifeguard at Cypress Lake Courthouse Favorite hangout spots: Babalu’s or Strawberry Patch Park Favorite Mississippi food: Tamales Favorite TV show: “The Wonder Years” Favorite movie: “The Holiday” Favorite music: Foster The People Twitter handle: @the_lovely_bee ; @laureldonahoo

IT solutions provider Venture Technologies has hired several employees to its headquarters. Wade Broyles was hired as account manager. Broyles joined Venture after previously serving as manager of operations and head instructor at Madison County Sports Zone. He received his bachelor of science in exercise science from the University of Mississippi.

Carra Keith was hired as inside sales associate.

Keith will assist the account managers in organizing accounts and provide customer service to their clients. She was previously employed at Venture in the same position from May 2012 to April 2013. Keith received her bachelor of business administration in marketing from Mississippi State University.

Wendy Kendall was hired as vendor relations and events coordinator. Kendall will handle vendor relations, event planning and marketing funding. She previously worked as community outreach coordinator for DREAM Inc. Kendall joined Venture with experience in event planning, marketing and MDF management. She graduated from Delta State University where she received her bachelor of business administration and master of business administration.

Beth Neal was hired as account manager. She joined Venture after previously being employed by TEC. Her areas of expertise are telecommunications, IT solutions, customer relations, sales and training.

Neal attended Mississippi State University.

MDA promotes Nunnery Mississippi Development Authority public relations specialist Nash Nunnery has been promoted to development specialist with the agency's Entrepreneurial Center under the Existing Industries & Business Division. In his new role, Nunnery will help new and established Mississippi entrepreneurs with all aspects of their operation, from business plans to branding.

Nunnery joined MDA in June Nunnery 2010 as a research specialist in the Marketing & Communications Division. Formerly, he served as a reporter with the Mississippi Business Journal and as public information officer for the Mayor's Office in the City of Jackson.

Board elects officers Memorial Hospital’s board of trustees has elected new officers.

Marvin Smith was reelected chairman, Carrolyn Hamilton was elected vice chairman and Kathie G. Short was elected secretary.

Smith, of Gulfport, was appointed jointly by the Harrison County Board of Supervisors and the City of Gulfport in May 2008.

Hamilton, of Long Beach, was appointed by the Harrison County Board of Supervisors in September 2009. Short, of Pass Christian, was appointed by the Harrison County Board of Supervisors in September 2008.

Other members of the board are Rick Amos, A.J.M. “Butch” Oustalet III, Linda Sherman and David White.

Hamilton

Short

Smith

City chooses Methany Gia Matheny is the new director of community development for the city of Hernando. Matheny previously served as an administrative assistant for the DeSoto Board of Supervisors, and she succeeds Shelly Johnstone, who retired at the end of October.

For announcements in Newsmakers; Contact: Wally Northway (601) 364-1016 • wally.northway@msbusiness.com

8 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 13, 2013 TRANSPORTATION

Expert on airlines predicts Jackson-Evers will keep remaining carriers » With a dearth of airlines out there, don’t look for a replacement for Southwest consultant Michael Boyd says

By TED CARTER I STAFF WRITER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

The bad news for Central Mississippi air travelers is that Jackson-Medgar Evers International is very unlikely to get a low-cost carrier to fill the void that will be left by Southwest Airline’s June 7 departure. The good news, however, is that the regional airport will keep its remaining carriers – American Airlines (set to merge with U.S. Air Airlines), Delta Airlines and United Airlines.

That’s the assessment of national commercial aviation consultant Michael Boyd, principal of Evergreen, Colo.-based Boyd Group International, a firm that does consulting work for the Jackson Airport Authority and had a hand in persuading Southwest to come to Jackson in 1997.

“There aren’t any airlines out there” that can profitably add

Jackson to their routes, Boyd said.

But, he added, Central Mississippi “is not a dying market…. The other carriers won’t leave.”

The remaining carries at Jackson-Evers “are in a very strong position,” he said, and predicted they will incrementally pick up some of the passenger traffic that would otherwise be flying on Southwest. The airlines are likely to use 70-seat and 100-seat aircraft to accommodate the extra passenger traffic, Boyd added.

“They will fill in the capacity that was being lost,” he said, and noted with Southwest

gaining weak passenger load factors of roughly 70 percent, it can’t necessarily be said that the airline is leaving behind a void.

As for Southwest, Jackson became illsuited from a cost standpoint to be part of the Dallas-based carrier’s future after the acquisition of Atlanta’s AirTran.

As Southwest began merging the operations, it moved away from life as a discount carrier serving a handful of large cities and a roster full of mid-cities. Now its ambition is to be a national carrier concentrating on the largest markets.

Getting there requires slimming down – and deploying an aircraft fleet that will be fewer in number than before the AirTran acquisition, Boyd said. “With the merger they took on a carrier that was very different.

“They have a fleet of 88. Some of the ones inherited in the merger they are releasing.”

What Southwest is doing is in line with the rest of the industry, noted Boyd, whose aviation consulting and research firm does an annual commercial airlines forecast.

In an interview this year with the Denver Post, Boyd projected the commercial airline industry will handle 50 million fewer passengers than the Federal Aviation Administration is currently forecasting.

An early 2013 analysis by the trade group Airlines for America forecast a reduction of 2.4 percent in scheduled domestic flights.

In detailing the thinking behind the shutdown of Jackson service, Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said years of charting passenger counts at Jackson-Evers led to a conclusion the service was no longer financially

worthwhile. “We saw waning demand for Southwest service in the local market,” he said, emphasizing the flight passenger numbers were significantly below Southwest’s expectations for a sustained period “It really just comes down to the numbers.

We can’t continue to operate in such a challenging environment,” Hawkins said.

“We are definitely focused on the larger cities. It’s where the profitability sustains our ability to serve more markets.”

Jackson, a Southwest destination since 1997, is the only legacy market Southwest is leaving. The airline said it will case service in June to Key West, Fla., and Branson, Mo., both markets formally served by AirTran.

Hawkins said he could not say with certainty that Southwest would decline to consider incentives from Jackson and other Mississippi government entities to reverse its decision, but voiced doubt the airline would change its mind. “You never say never, but I think this is a structural and significant change” Southwest is making,” he said.

The airline’s 37 employees at Jackson International will be offered jobs elsewhere in the company. Southwest will not book flights to or from Jackson after June 7, he said.

Jackson Municipal Airport Authority CEO Dirk Vanderleest said Southwest’s departure does not result in the elimination of air service access to any metro area served by the Jackson airport.

Boyd said, however, that direct flights to Orlando from Jackson are unlikely to resume after Southwest leaves. “You are not going to get service back to Orlando. They (Southwest) could barely fill half the seats there.”

RETAIL

Shoplifters out for the holidays

By LISA MONTI I CONTRIBUTOR mbj@msbusiness.com

Two recent shoplifting incidents reported at outlet malls in Pearl and Gulfport serve as a reminder to retailers and shoppers that you can’t be too careful, especially this time of year.

Crowds of holiday shoppers tend to bring out a criminal element looking to lift merchandise from stores and purchases from unlocked vehicles in parking lots.

Gulfport police arrested four suspects from New Orleans Nov. 18 and charged them with felony shoplifting from the Polo Outlet. The suspects fled on foot and by car but officers quickly rounded them up.

Last month in Pearl, shoplifters targeted the new Outlets of Mississippi shortly after its grand opening. Media reports said the suspects went to the Levi’s Outlet first and then to the neighboring Nike store. The two allegedly removed

the security tags off some clothing in an attempt to steal the merchandise.

An uptick in theft during the holidays doesn’t surprise law enforcement agencies.

Gulfport Sgt. Damon McDaniel said that while large numbers of customers are hitting the stores, “the criminals are out shopping as well. We do expect it more this time of year.”

Law enforcement agencies warn shoppers to keep an eye on their valuables such as purses and wallets while going through crowded stores. It’s easy to get distracted and that’s all it takes to give a thief the chance to grab and run, they say.

McDaniel said on a recent weeknight while he was patrolling through a Walmart he saw a woman shopper walking around with a large amount of cash in her hand. “It look to be $300 or $400,” he said. “I could have been a snatch and grab kind of person.”

He said it’s not uncommon to see women walking around stores with their purses on

their arm but open, giving pickpockets easy access to the contents.

“People get so caught up in the moment,” he said. “They think everybody is on the up and up and they’re not.”

Shoppers need to remember that thieves aren’t just inside the stores and the mall, they’re outside looking to lift packages from their vehicles.

The easiest prevention method is locking your vehicle and keeping purchases out of sight.

“We recommend that they put their purchases in the truck versus sitting on the back seat or floorboard,” he said. In SUVs, cover the packages and bags so they’re not visible through the windows.

Shoplifters use a simple combination of things to commit their crime. “The only trick is the distraction and quick getaway,” McDaniel said. “There’s always a driver and they have two people walking around a store and they use another two to distract employees.”

Big crowds cramming into stores and malls do tempt thieves. “Walmart gets its fair share of shoplifters but look how many people shop at Walmart,” he said.

“When it comes down to shoplifting, most businesses need to hire additional staff or invest in security for their business,” McDaniel said.

Some merchants will hire their own security services to supplement to the mall security officers.

McDaniel does not see shoplifting as a problem in the state’s second largest city, only acknowledging that “any crime is a problem.”

To help merchants protect their businesses, the Gulfport Police Department recently held the kickoff session of Business Watch, the commercial version of Neighborhood Watch. The goal of the free program is to help reduce and prevent crime through cooperation and education among law enforcement and the business community. The program includes teaching merchants how to crime-proof their properties, keeping an eye on neighboring business and reporting suspicious activity.

10 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 13, 2013 TRANSPORTATION

MDOT'S HALL NO LONGER SOLO IN BID FOR ROAD, BRIDGE FIX-UP MONEY » 'The conversation is now out

there,' transportation commissioner says after lonely, 2-year campaign

Study panel in final preparations for state road maintenance proposals » Effort includes PEER examination of where MDOT dollars are going and how they are utilized

By TED CARTER I STAFF WRITER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

The Mississippi Senate Highway Study Committee’s search for answers to funding upkeep of roads and bridges may well end in Arkansas, where voters last year approved a half-penny, 10-year sales tax projected to raise $1.8 billion for highway projects.

Committee Chair Willie Simmons, a Cleveland Democrat, has not declared a front runner in the recommendations the study panel will make to the full Legislature in January. But the heads of two key stakeholder groups – farmers and poultry processors – are quick to cite the Arkansas solution as a possible fix for catching up with unmet road and bridge maintenance.

“I have heard several things that I think are workable,” said Randy Knight, president of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.

Arkansas’ half-cent sales tax is appealing because “it kind of gets everybody,” he said, and it expires after 10 years.

Mark Leggett, president of the Mississippi Poultry Association, attributed the November 2012 passage of the Arkansas sales tax to creation of Mississippi's Senate’s Highway Study Committee, a task force made up of members of both the Senate and House and representatives of transportation-dependent industries as well as citizen stakeholders.

Leggett said Arkansas’ success “added a lot of oomph” to a campaign for a dedicated source of transportation maintenance money led by Dick Hall, Mississippi Department of Transportation Central District commissioner.

Knight and Leggett said regardless of whether an Arkansas-style sales tax or

some other method is selected, it is important that a sizable chunk of money raised goes to cities and counties, whose deteriorating roads and bridges make it difficult to efficiently transport crops and poultry.

Framers of the Arkansas measure addressed local needs by allocating 70 percent of the half-cent to the state Highway Department and designating the remainder to be divided by cities and counties.

Whatever way Mississippi decides to divvy up any share of new road revenue, the state will need up to $400 million for current road and bridge upkeep and an additional $300 million annually after that, according to Hall.

Simmons said the state is taking an important step toward efficient allocation of any new maintenance money through a Joint Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review, or PEER, examination of where MDOT is putting its current dollars and spending its allocations.

Simmons' Highway Study Committee called on the Legislature's PEER after the study panel completed 70 percent to 75 percent of work geared toward identifying maintenance needs. Completing that foundation led to a need to examine “where the dollars we're currently collecting are going and how they are being utilized,” Simmons said.

“We began to have questions whether MDOT was being a good steward of the dollars it was receiving. So we asked PEER” to take look, he added.

The senator said he personally does not think “there is a problem in that area” based on his work with MDOT. But, he added, whether the questions “are myths or misinformation, those perspectives are there.”

The PEER assessment, he said, will strengthen his committee's hand in getting legislative action on whatever recommendations it makes.

He expects the assessment will make special note of the consequences of legislators not providing designated transportation maintenance money when they enacted the 18.4 cents a gallon motor fuels tax in 1987.

Of money generated by the 18.4 cents, 68 percent goes to MDOT. And on occasion, the state grabs back some of MDOT's allocation. The state took $300 million a few years ago to cover a Medicaid shortfall. “We never paid them back,” Simmons said, while noting a $300 million injection “would solve a lot of problems” for MDOT.

What would work?

Simmons said he is unsure his committee will have a single recommendation to present when it delivers its proposals to lawmakers in January. “But we hope we do,” he said.

In formulating its recommendations, the special committee will work with the TI Coalition, a group made up of representatives of business, industry, economic development interests, cities, counties and state agencies. The Coalition has joined the Mississippi Economic Council on its current town hall road tour around the state.

“We want to know what they are hearing,” Simmons said, “so we can have several different options that we can put into the legislative process.”

Former legislator Charlie Williams, who left the state House in 1999 after nearly a quarter century in office, will help get the issue in front of legislators.

“Based on what we hear from these meetings” on the MEC tour “we will work with leaders to develop both short- and long-term funding proposals for the Legislature to consider,” said See

ROADS, Page 11

By TED CARTER I STAFF WRITER ted.carter@msbusiness.com Slightly less than two years ago former legislator and current Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall could not cite a single business leader or industry group outside of the Mississippi Road Builders Association that backed his campaign for better road and bridge upkeep.

Hall still hasn't got a truckload of endorsements, but he has brought transportation infrastructure and the need to pay for it to the forefront.

With that in mind, he's campaigning to get his message heard even more widely. “I just finished speaking to the Hall Farm Bureau. I'll be speaking to the Delta Council in Greenville,” Hall said in a recent interview.

“It's going to get some traction.

People are realizing we aren't crying wolf. The conversation is now out there.”

Hall said he is disappointed he has not received endorsements from either timber growers, the Manufacturing Knight Association and or the Farm Bureau Federation. “They ought to be out there leading the fight.

But they have not stepped forward,” he said.

Randy Knight, Farm Bureau Federation president, said he has yet to receive a “clear direction” from his 194,000 members on establishing a funding source for transportation maintenance. He nonetheless concedes the substandard condition of Mississippi's roads and bridges is getting worse with time.

“In the south we can't get timber to market because of weight issues,” he said, and added that in the Delta, low weight limits on bridges are forcing sweet potato haulers to detour far out of their way.

The low weight limits on deteriorating bridges are equally troublesome for poultry producers from Southeast Mississippi across to the state's Southwest portion, said Mark Leggett, president of the Mississippi Poultry Association.

Though the association has yet to take a formal position on Hall's call for a dedicated source of revenue for road and bridge maintenance, Leggett said poultry processors are wasting a huge amount of time and motor fuel taking detours caused by substandard bridges and roads.

“Our concern at the moment is the rural roads and bridges because that is where the chickens are,” Leggett said.

During the time a typical chicken is growing up on a farm, a processor can make 60 to 80 trips to that farm, according to Leggett. “They are bringing feed or delivering chicks. With the bridges we are having to take detours. So if we have one See

BRIDGE, Page 11

December 13, 2013

BRIDGE

ROADS

Continued from Page 10

Continued from Page 10

(low weight substandard) bridge, we must take a 12-mile detour. If you've got to do that 50 times at $4 a gallon, that gets expensive.”

The backing of the Farm Bureau and Poultry Association would give a huge boost to Hall's campaign, considering that the poultry-andeggs sector puts $2.5 billion annually into the pockets of Mississippi's poultry producers, while timber and agriculture represent another $4 billion annually.

Hall's effort has also yet to get a nod from the state's Chamber of Commerce, the Mississippi Economic Council. The organization says it wants another year to study the full range of the state's transportation infrastructure and how it bears on business operations and economic development.

In the meantime, the MEC is on a town hall road tour of Mississippi and has been accompanied by representatives of the T1 Coalition, a group made up of representatives of business, industry, economic development interests, cities, counties and state agencies.

Charlie Williams, a former Mississippi legislator and chief of staff to Gov. Haley Barbour, said he thinks proponents of improved transportation infrastructure have caught the attention of the state's business community. “I believe so, yes,” he said in an email.

“We owe it to our business community to provide viable, safe and cost-effective routes to move their goods and services out into the marketplace. And, we owe it to our citizens atlarge to ensure we have sound and safe modes of transportation.”

Most people understand that a quality transportation system can be “the catalyst for creating better jobs throughout the state,” said Williams, head of Ridgeland law firm Butler Snow's Government Relations Division.

Williams and the T1 Coalition will have the job of doing outreach to legislators once a proposal the Coalition deems viable is presented.

“The T1 Coalition is here to provide support and the necessary resources to partner with our decision makers to find a solution,” said Williams, who served in the House from 1976 to 1999.

“The worst thing that can happen is if the problem is ignored. We need to remember that the 1987 Road Program, funded by a nickel fuel tax, passed in an election year with legislators overriding Gov. [William] Allain’s veto. As I recall, not a single lawmaker that supported the increase lost their election.”

Mississippi's business and industry leaders were the driving force behind the 1987 Road Program, Williams noted, “and today we are gaining momentum with their help and support.”

Which direction the issue goes could ultimately be decided by Mississippi voters, as occurred in Arkansas in 2012 with passage of a decade-long, half-penny sales taxes for road and bridge maintenance. Without endorsing the Arkansas option, Williams noted that its success came from “the fact that the tax expires, a specific set of projects were outlined, and the business community supported it.”

Williams, who served as former Gov. Haley Barbour's chief of staff from 2004 to 2007 and now heads Butler Snow's Government Relations Section.

Williams' emphasized that the TI Coalition's interests go beyond money for road and bridge upkeep. The Coalition's focus is on improving the entire transportation infrastructure: roads, rails, ports and air.

The T1 Coalition wants all viable options on the table, according to Williams.

One option Commissioner Hall wants on the table is adjusting the current tax from the 18.4 cents per gallon to a pergallon percentage that would capture more revenue as the price of a gallon of gasoline rises.

That would be just for starters, he said.

“Down the road the answer is going to be a 'VMT,'” or Vehicle Miles Traveled, fee.

“People accepted the gas tax as a user fee and that's what this is,” Hall said of the VMT. The transportation commissioner conceded a privacy issue could arise from the highway-use monitoring but insisted “that

I

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can be solved.”

The head of the Mississippi Road Builders Association likewise looks at the state's road maintenance deficit as a use issue. For every $2 Mississippi's motor fuel tax raises, roads and bridges endure $10 of use wear and tear “when you consider how much more traffic and how much heavier” the cars and trucks are today, said Mike Pepper, MRBA executive director.

This, he said, “is why you have a half-billion dollars of repairs needed for bridges and roads and why your highways are full of ruts.”

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12 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 13, 2013 THE SPIN CYCLE

Pithy PRognositications from a recovering journalist elcome to The Spin Cycle, a weekly column devoted to the latest news, issues and trends in the branding, PR, marketing and advertising industries. Tune-in here to catch the buzz on the best ways to build, strengthen and sustain your brand in today’s fast-paced, multi-media, plugged-in world — filled with competing messages both online and off.

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When building your brand keep that in your minds eye!

Will Amazon drone dream take flight?

Call it one of the greatest publicity stunts to take off in recent memory! Amazon – and its visionary, futuristic and high flying CEO, Jeff Bezos – announced recently on CBS TV’s 60 Minutes that the company is testing drone delivery of packages.

The idea is to deliver packages as quickly as possible using small unmanned aircraft through a service the company is calling Prime Air. Bezos played a demo clip on 60 Minutes that showed how the aircraft, also known as octocopters, will pick up packages in small yellow buckets at Amazon's fulfillment centers and fly through the air to deliver items to customers after they hit the buy button online at Amazon.com.

The goal of the new delivery system is to get packages into customers' hands in 30 minutes or less, the world's largest Internet retailer said.

Think George Jetson vaulting into cyberspace – hitting his squawk box to dial-up a new gadget, book or space helmet. Dominos

ain’t got nothing on this deal!

Putting Prime Air into commercial use will take "some number of years" as Amazon develops the technology further and waits for the FedTodd Smith eral Aviation Administration to create rules and regulations, the company added.

Bezos told 60 Minutes that the service could be up and running in as few as four years — although he noted that he is an optimist when it comes to such things.

Stay tuned to see whether this plan takes flight, or is just a bunch of bellicose hot air. One thing’s for sure, it created quite a PR buzz heard around the world, and that is golden in today’s digital domain of advertising!

This is the latest futuristic effort by Bezos, who was an e-commerce pioneer in the 1990s and more recently popularized the ereader — while pursuing personal projects such as private spaceflight and a 10,000year clock built inside a mountain.

Stop The Presses – Newsweek Reverts To Its Print Past Newsweek magazine – which went all-digital just last year – is buying ink again! The iconic magazine, which has cycled through several owners in the past year, plans to start printing a premium, weekly edition.

Editor-in-chief Jim Impoco told the New York Times that Newsweek plans to start printing a premium, weekly edition “closer to what The Economist is compared to what Time magazine is.”

Newsweek’s new owner, IBT Media, is in talks with printers and distributors to control costs and create a magazine with a circulation to 100,000 in the first year.

So the Spin Cycle wonders: Why is Newsweek trying to revive a dying print business model rather than fueling digital and online growth?

Golden 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.

December 13, 2013

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Mississippi Business Journal

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13

HEALTHCARE

Study says state sacrificing billions of dollars, 20,000 jobs in refusing Medicaid expansion Âť Projection for tax revenue gain of $848 million after paying Medicaid share is at odds with state analysis

BY TED CARTER I STAFF WRITER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

Estimated Employment Impact of Mississippi Medicaid Expansion (Intermediate Scenario) Direct Indirect Total Impact

2014 12,524 7,216 19,740

2015 12,750 7,339 20,089

2016 12,775 7,353 20,128

2017 12,229 7,034 19,263

2018 12,323 7,084 19,407

2019 12,439 7,150 19,589

2020 12,269 7,049 19,318

Average 2014-�2020 12,473 7,175 19,648

Source: An Economic Analysis of the State and Local Impact of Medicaid Expansion in Mississippi

Mississippi walked away from a long-term economic development bonanza in rejecting Medicaid expansion under the federal Affordable Care Act. # H2 )* $ * $' * & .' %) &% &% )) )) '' * * . , %+ ) 7 % $ ## &%)8 So says an economic impact report researched and */ ' written by University of Alabama at Birmingham MKLO MKLP MKLQ MKLR MKLS MKLT MKMK MKLO@MK economists David Becker and Michael Morrissey. The $"# & @0+ ) -$* report by Becker and Morrissey of the university’s *./. *! 3+ ).$*) DHORE DHOSE DHOSE DHLPOE DHLRTE DHMKOE DHMRPE DHTPRE Department of Health Care Organization and Policy

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HNNT HNOO HNOP HNNK HNNN HNNQ HNNL HM7NPS School of Public Health concluded that adding 217,111 of / (+ / HMTL HMTQ HMTR HLRQ HLPO HLNL HPQ HL7OKL Mississippi’s working poor to Medicaid would generate $14.1 billion of economic impact and create 20,000 new

)/ -( $ / & @0+ jobs between 2014 and 2020. *./. *! 3+ ).$*) DHMTE DHMTE DHMTE DHTOE DHLKSE DHLMOE DHLQRE DHPRTE That economic punch would come from a federal

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HMKP HMKT HMKT HMKK HMKL HMKN HMKK HL7OMR investment of $8.7 billion and a state investment of $579 / (+ / HLRQ HLRT HLSK HLKQ HTN HSK HNO HSOS million, says the study done for the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program, a Jackson-based organization that *2 & @0+ ) -$* describes itself as an advocate for improved health care *./. *! 3+ ).$*) DHMNE DHMNE DHMNE DHROE DHSQE DHTSE DHLNME DHOQKE for Mississippians whose health is threatened by poverty,

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HLQN HLQQ HLQQ HLPT HLQK HLQL HLPT HL7LNN racism, malnutrition and violence. / (+ / HLOK HLOM HLON HSO HRO HQN HMR HQRN Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government is paying states 100 percent of their costs of expanding Medicaid for the years 2014-2017, then gradually reducing 2019 and getting back $50.6 million; the state would enrollees would be approximately 13 to 18 percent that share to 90 percent starting in 2020. greater than we assumed,� Neal said. spend $117 million in 2020 and see an additional $53 In working to defeat Medicaid expansion in the last Another departure in the two studies, Neal noted, was million go into the general fund. By 2025, the state’s legislative session, Gov. Phil Bryant and the that Becker and Morrissey projected vastly more share would climb to $95.8 million, according to Neal.

Legislature’s Republican leadership cited the healthcare spending (88 percent greater) for new One constant in the latter five years of the study, Neal uncertainty of how the state would pay its increased Medicaid enrollees than he did. said, is the expectation that the state’s costs will grow share toward the end of the decade.

Becker, in an interview Tuesday, said Neal is correct while the federal share will remain the same. The growth A U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care that the level of participation in Medicaid expansion in state costs is simple supply-and-demand, he noted.

Act in July 2012 made the would affect the “magnitude� of the economic impact.

Becker and Morrissey expansion optional for states. “Let’s face it: Good common sense tells us “But the bottom-line story is driven by what share of included increased sales The state’s Medicaid program costs the federal government is carrying,� he said, and property taxes that there is certainly the opportunity that streaming to city and now serves about 800,000 Yes, more people enrolled would cost the state more, poor children, pregnant he said, but “it would generate all this additional federal county governments in women, disabled people and increased access to health care would make� their projection that money rolling in.� the elderly. Mississippi’s The arrangement can be looked at as “federal money Mississippi state and local Mississippians “more productive in their legislators struggle each year that is going to be spent on private business,� Becker governments would gain to come up with the workplace and would enhance Mississippi’s $1.43 billion in new tax said. “It is not that much different from when you take hundreds of millions of federal highway money and give it to private revenue from 2014 to dollars needed to pay the economy in the long term.� contractors.�

2020, with a net of $848 state’s share for current Neal emphasized in his 2012 analysis that state policy million after state Medicaid spending.

Medicaid patients, frequently removing money from makers would have intangibles to weigh, something his Neal, in a cursory assessment of the Becker and special funds established for other purposes. study did not do. These include having a healthier Morrissey study, acknowledged the different findings but In an October 2012 economic impact analysis that population and the lower costs of treating an illness insisted “their study and ours are not comparable.� looked at the years 2014 to 2025, Mississippi Senior before it becomes chronic, Neal said.

For instance, Neal said, the Alabama economists State Economist Bob Neal concluded that the state’s “Let’s face it: Good common sense tells us that there is included “social assistance� in their study, a sector Neal’s participation in Medicaid expansion would provide study did not factor in. certainly the opportunity that increased access to health short-term gains, but may cost the state more in the long Moreover, Becker and Morrissey used enrollment care would make� Mississippians “more productive in term. For instance, Neal projected the state would spend assumptions different from Neal’s study. “Ours was 95 their workplace and would enhance Mississippi’s $78.5 million in 2018 but get back for its general fund percent, 85 percent and 75 percent while theirs was 100 economy in the long term,� Neal said at the time. only $47.8 million. The same pattern would follow the percent, 75 percent and 48 percent,� Neal said. “Economics isn’t the only thing that comes into years afterward, with the state spending $92.1 million in They assume, he said, that the number of new play here.�

December 13, 2013 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

AN MBJ FOCUS:

HEALTH CARE

Hospice nursing a true calling

By LISA MONTI I CONTRIBUTOR mbj@msbusiness.com

Denise Caracci, the executive director of hospice with Sta-Home Health & Hospice, believes hospice nursing is a calling and sometimes finding nurses to hire can be a challenge. But, she said, “I’d rather be short staffed (temporarily) and wait for the right people.”

The Jackson company provides hospice care in 33 Mississippi counties Caracci through four nursing offices. Its 37 nurses provide care to some 235 patients. They are available around the clock.

Caracci’s extensive nursing background includes neurosurgical patient care, nursing home administration with certifications in chemotherapy administration, gerontological nursing and hospice palliative care.

She started nursing school in California and finished at Hinds Junior College. She has been with Sta-Home for 21 years.

“Providing hospice services to patients and their families can be very emotionally taxing on our staff. An office may experience the loss of five, six or seven patients in a weekend,” she said. “But we do have a chaplain department that counsels our staff quarterly or individually if needed.”

As difficult as hospice service may be, Caracci said, “I think the reward very much outweighs the sadness that you may feel. It’s such a privilege to be in the home of anybody who is ill and we’re privileged to be a part of their dying process. It is a calling.”

She said the nurses become connected to the patients’ families and especially their caretakers. The goal is to support everyone involved. “We want to take the fear away. It’s not like we go in the home talking about death and dying. We talk about quality of life for the end of their days and try to make sure that their wishes are met.”

One of her hospice patients wanted to publish a book. “We were able to get it published and it meant a lot to him.”

The parents of a terminally ill child wanted to send the child to a camp but were afraid of medical complications. “We sent our nurse to camp for a week with the family and child,” she said. Another last wish came true for a child who got a trip to Disney World.

Some young mothers want to record audio tapes for their young children, to

share birthday wishes or give guidance on life’s milestones like marriage, Whatever mom wants to talk about and leave behind.

We try to do things that make a difference in their lives.”

Caracci said she looks for certain qualities in a hospice nurse and not necessarily hospice experience. “We look for compassion, attitude, the skill of nursing,” she said. “We can teach them hospice.”

In the past, cancer was the main diagnosis of hospice patients but now she said there are more non-cancerous diagnoses.

The nurses receive extensive training in pain and symptom management needs and advanced disease processes.

“It is very important in a hospice home that we are teaching the family what to expect so they’re not afraid when symptoms begin to occur and so they’re equipped to help us provide care to the patient since we’re not there 24 hours a day,” she said.

The timing of when to tell families about final symptoms is “kind of an art,” Caracci said. “We don’t want to have them anxious awaiting these symptoms; however, we want to teach the families what to expect specific to their disease process at the appropriate time so they are equipped and unafraid when symptoms do begin to occur.”

Caracci said the team approach to hospice care is essential.

“Nurses cannot do this themselves. I cannot stress that strongly enough. It really takes a team because a nurse may not always be able to be there with a patient at the time of need.

The hospice team includes social workers, chaplains and aides. “If the patient is suffering spiritually we’re not going to be able to get their pain under control without the chaplain involved to assist the patient spiritually. The medical social services assist with complicated family dynamics as well as needed resources for the patient and family which also attributes to assisting with pain relief.”

The 17 medical director physicians also are very involved with Sta-Home’s hospice care, assisting the primary care physicians with patient care. Every two weeks the medical directors meet with the Sta-Home staff and discuss every case.

Caracci said of the changes in hospice care she’s seen over her career, the shift to team care is the most significant. “It used to be all about nurses but now it’s the team approach.”

Hospice care is covered predominantly by Medicare and Medicaid and by most major health insurance. “The bulk is Medicare,” Caracci said. Private insurance is mainly used for adults up to age 65, when they become eligible for Medicare.

HEALTH CARE

December 13 2013

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Mississippi Business Journal

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15

Botox – ahh, brings relief for migraine headaches

By LYNN LOFTON I CONTRIBUTOR mbj@msbusiness.com

Botox is widely known for its cosmetic uses, but it has medical uses too — most notably to relieve the pain of migraine headaches. In 2010 Botox was approved by the Federal Drug Administration to treat chronic migraine headaches in adults, and Mississippi physicians are using it for that purpose.

For migraine relief, 100 Bowen units of Botox are injected (20 injections) throughout the head area, including the back of the neck, forehead and temples to block pain receptors.

Physicians stress that this treatment is not the first line of defense and is for patients who suffer Clay chronic migraine headaches — roughly 15 each month.

Lennon Bowen, M.D., says the data on the effectiveness of Botox for migraines has been around for a long time and is for those patients who have failed to get relief from Grow other treatments and who have frequent migraines. A neurologist in Singing River Health System’s Neuroscience Center in Ocean Springs, he feels fortunate to have had official training in nerve and muscle diseases with a mentor who is now at the Cleveland Clinic.

“I think this use of Botox will increase as some patients can’t tolerate the medications for migraines,” Bowen said. “For the most part there are no side effects. I’ve never had a patient with a bad reaction.

Tolerability is very good and people respond to it very well.”

Bowen says he and other neurologists cringed when Botox became widely used for cosmetic purposes as studies have been around for a long time regarding its medicinal purposes. Those include use for strokes, head tremors and to loosen the legs of children with cerebral palsy. “I suspect the FDA worried about fraud by approving Botox for migraines, but it hasn’t gone crazy,” he added.

Rickey Clay, M.D., is chief of the division of plastic surgery at University Medical Center. He came to Jackson two years ago after taking early retirement from the Mayo Clinic. “I’ve been using it for migraines for

“I’ve never had a patient with a bad reaction.”

Lennon Bowen, M.D. Neuroscience Center

years,” he said. “Early leaders in this treatment noticed that women who got cosmetic Botox had relief from migraines.”

Clay says the effects of Botox for this purpose are temporary, and that can be good and bad. “Some people get a slight flu-like feeling or maybe some muscles got relaxed that weren’t supposed to relax,” he said,” but those effects don’t last long.”

For relief of migraines, patients must have injections of Botox every four to six months although Clay has had some whose relief lasts for a year. “This treatment is not for people with regular headaches,” he said. “It’s usually a patient with documented migraines for whom oral medications have failed. This treatment is cheaper than oral medications and it works in 50 to 80 percent of cases.”

Chelsea Grow, D.O. and a neurologist with Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, was not surprised when the FDA approved Botox to treat migraines. “I knew about the studies and that it had been effective. There were several indications for years,” she said.

“Botox has been used for eye disorders and that spread to treating neck pain.”

She says Botox is for patients who have a lot of pain to deal with. “By the time patients get to a neurologist, typically they have tried several treatments with no results.”

Grow has quite a few patients using Botox for migraines and most have injections every three months. “They feel a decrease in headaches and those they get are less severe,” she said. “I keep them on a strict schedule and rarely someone reports no

change in the headache pattern. I’ve seen no problem with side effects but there can be heaviness in the forehead or soreness in the neck. Any side effects are not long lasting.”

She notes that a lot of practitioners are not familiar with this use of Botox but thinks it will become better known and popular. “It will get bigger and be life changing for patients.”

Ike Eriator, M.D., is professor and director of pain management at University Medical Center in Jackson. “I was not surprised at the FDA approval because Botox has been around for some time with the way it works on muscles,” he said.

“I have used it with muscle spasms and because of that it makes sense to use it for migraine headaches.”

He says the Botox injections work on neural muscles, attaching to protein in muscles that are involved in transmitting messages at the junction where the neck attaches to muscles. Patients just know they get pain relief and that it happens quickly.

Office Space for Rent in downtown Jackson Approximately 1800 sq. ft., includes 2 private offices

Amenities available: I^Wh[Z a_jY^[d I^Wh[Z ijehW][ I[c_#fh_lWj[ e\ÓY[ ifWY[ FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alan Turner, alan.turner@msbusiness.com

601-364-1021 Tami Jones, tami.jones@msbusiness.com

601-364-1011

HEALTH CARE SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI

Town given Obamacare insurance break, for now SUMMIT — An insurance agent told Summit officials they will get a one-year reprieve from new regulations under the Affordable Care Act for employee health care benefits, but the mandates will likely translate into additional costs in 2015.

Other small towns can likely expect to hear similar news, The Enterprise-Journal reports. Ricky Johnston of the Oakes & Johnston Agency says that since Summit is considered a small group with fewer than 50 employees, it can renew its policy before Dec. 31 to be covered under mostly current terms through 2014.

The town pays $354 per employee per month for the premiums it has with Blue Cross/Blue Shield, with supplemental coverage from Amfirst.

Employees have a $250 deductible under the plan and can face up to $1,500 in out-of-pocket costs.

NATCHEZ HOSPITAL

Board continues to work with prospective buyers NATCHEZ — The attorney for Natchez Regional Medical Center’s Board of Trustees said he has been “encouraged” by the response the hospital has received from potential buyers in recent weeks.

Though representatives of the county-owned hospital had at one time said they hoped to have a deal closed by the end of fall, trustees attorney Walter Brown said negotiations with three nonprofit hospitals and one for-profit hospital are still open and ongoing.

Brown tells The Natchez Democrat the last couple of weeks have been productive in getting responses to interested people.

Healthcare Management Partners, a medical industry consulting firm, is leading the discussions with potential buyers, as it did during the 2008 attempt to sell the hospital out of bankruptcy.

DISASTER READINESS

Craig goes to D.C. for release of index JACKSON — Jim Craig, director of health protection for the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), has been in Washington, D.C., for the public release of the National Health Security Preparedness Index (NHSPI), a new national index that helps states assess their level of preparedness in the areas of health and security.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Mississippi ranks among the top 10 states for major disaster declarations.

“As we learned after Hurricane Katrina, it’s very important that we be prepared for disasters or emergencies as a state,” said Craig. “Overall Mississippi measures very well in this index; we’ve made a lot of progress in the past several years.”

Craig, who served as the former chair of the Association for State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) Directors of Public Health Preparedness Executive Committee during the development of the NHSPI, says the document is a strong tool to measure emergency management performance.

The NHSPI, which will be released today, uses 128 pre-event measures of public health and health care

December 13 2013 The NHSPI is built on public-use data and represents the most comprehensive set of health security preparedness measures to date. The categories measured include Community Planning and Engagement, Incident and Information Management, Surge Management, and Countermeasure Management.

system structures, processes, and outcomes. The index was a collaboration of ASTHO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 20 other development partners.

“It’s important for all states to measure different aspects of managing an emergency. Mississippi received perfect scores in its ability to receive and distribute life-saving medication and equipment during an emergency,” said Craig. “We scored above the national average in our ability to diagnose chemical and biological terrorism agents. We also scored above the national average in our disaster management plans for vulnerable populations.”

Craig is pleased with Mississippi’s results, but adds there is still much work to be done.

FRAUD

Eye clinic operator faces Medicaid fraud charges The owner of a Jackson eye clinic is facing charges of Medicaid fraud, according to Attorney General Jim Hood.

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Barbara Faye Jones, 30, of Jackson turned herself into authorities with the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit following recent indictment by a Hinds County grand jury.

The indictment alleges that Jones, as owner/operator of Clear View Vision Care, did willfully, unlawfully and feloniously make, present and cause to be made and presented false, fictitious and fraudulent claims for more than $28,000 in Medicaid benefits, knowing the claims to be false, fictitious and fraudulent. The claims allegedly presented for payment were for eyeglass frames and prescription lens for some 142 Medicaid recipients. It is alleged that the glasses were never provided.

— from staff and MBJ wire services

Who is Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP?

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NORTH CAROLINA

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TENNESSEE

HOSPICES

18 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 13, 2013 Company

Address

Hospice Advantage of Aberdeen

117 S. Meridian St., Aberdeen, MS 39730

Legacy Hospice of the South

231 N. Main St., Amory, MS 38821

Phone (662) 369-5777 (662) 257-9811

Baptist Memorial Home Care and Hospice-North Mississippi 126 Hwy. 51 N., Batesville, MS 38606

(662) 578-8402

Community Hospice Inc.

564 Hwy. 6 E., Batesville, MS 38606

(662) 578-8402

Legacy Hospice of the South

108 Woodland Rd., Ste. 70, Batesville, MS 38606

(662) 578-8177

Mid-Delta Hospice of Batesville

112 Hwy. 51 N., Batesville, MS 38606

(662) 563-1021

Southern Care Batesville

465 Hwy. 6 E., Batesville, MS 38606

(662) 578-4072

Mid Delta Hospice

405 Hayden St., Belzoni, MS 39038

(662) 247-1254

Camellia Hospice of the Gulf Coast

999 Howard Ave., Ste. 3, Biloxi, MS 39530-3679

(228) 374-4434

Deaconess Hospice-Biloxi

951 Howard Ave., Biloxi, MS 39531

(228) 435-2265

Odyssey Hospice-Biloxi

962 Tommy Munro Dr., Biloxi, MS 39532

(228) 385-7845

Gentive Hospice

301 W. College St., Booneville, MS 38829

(662) 728-7404

Deaconess Hospice-Brookhaven

130 S. First St., Brookhaven, MS 39601

(601) 823-5990

Hospice Advantage of Brookhaven

102 N. First St, Brookhaven, MS 39601

(601) 849-5903

Southern Care Brookhaven, MS

706 Hwy. 51 N., Brookhaven, MS 39601

(601) 823-4812

South West Hospice

5638 Terry Rd., Byram, MS 39272

Southern Care Biloxi

8195A Woolmarket St., Biloxi, MS 39532

(228) 396-4756

Mid-Delta Hospice of Canton

1150 E. Peace St., Canton, MS 39046

(601) 855-2400

Infinity Hospice, LLC

206 N. Van Buren St., Carthage, MS 39051

(601) 298-0060

Celestial Comfort Care Hospice

110 Yazoo Ave., Ste. 212, Clarksdale, MS 38614

(662) 592-4213

Healing Hands Hospice

1742 N. State St., Clarksdale, MS 38614

(662) 621-9850

Lion Hospice & Palliative Care, LLC

2001 Hospital Dr., Clarksdale, MS 38614

Memorial Hospice Inc.

600 Ohio St., Clarksdale, MS 38614

Revelation Hospice & Palliative Care, LLC

809 Delta Ave., #104, Clarksdale, MS 38614

Zion Hospice Inc.

112 E. Second St., Clarksdale, MS 38614

Continue Care Hospice II

810 E. Sunflower Rd., Ste. 1ooF, Cleveland, MS 38732

Delta Soul Medical, LLC

102 N. Pearman Ave., Ste. G, Cleveland, MS 38732

(662) 843-0006

Grace Community Hospice

316 N. Davis, Ste. C, Cleveland, MS 38732

(662) 846-7600

Haven Hospice and Palliative Care, LLC

700 E. Sunflower Rd., Ste. 9, Cleveland, MS 38732

(662) 846-0922

Word of Deliverance Hospice

216 N. Chrisman, Cleveland, MS 38732

(662) 843-8797

Southern Care Jackson

322 Hwy. 80 W., Ste. 3, Clinton, MS 39056

(601) 924-8285

Baptist Hospice-Golden Triangle

2623 5th St. N., Columbus, MS 39705

Alliance Hospice Inc.

127 Pratt Dr., Corinth, MS 38834

(662) 286-9833

Magnolia Regional Health Center & Hospice Agency

2034 E. Shiloh Rd., Corinth, MS 38834

(662) 293-1405

Hospice Advantage of Biloxi

4107 Popps Ferry Rd., D’Iberville, MS 39540

(228) 354-9636

Pinnacle Hospice

10532 Automall Pkwy., Ste. D, D’Iberville, MS 39540

(228) 207-0390

Saad’s Hospice Services of Mississippi

10598 D’Iberville Rd., Ste. B, D’Iberville, MS 39540

(228) 432-8855

Carol’s Hospice & Palliative Services of Shelby

163 N. Main St., Drew, MS 38737

(662) 745-6100

Grenada North Delta Hospice & Palliative Services

141 N. Main St., Drew, MS 38737

(662) 745-0587

At Home Hospice Care

5 Harrison St., Fayette, MS 39069

(601) 786-9494

Medgar Evers Hospice

210 Gilchrist St., Fayette, MS 39069

(601) 786-3955

Camellia Hospice of Central Mississippi, LLC

225 Katherine Dr., Flowood, MS 39232-9588

(601) 932-9066

Gentiva Hospice

106 Riverview Dr., Flowood, MS 39232

(601) 983-6193

Source: Mississippi State Department of Health. Please direct questions and comments to Wally Northway at research@msbusiness.com

(601) 919-6131

(662) 621-1171 (662) 624-2872 (662) 621-1370 (662) 624-6089 (662) 846-6211

(662) 243-1173

HOSPICES Company

December 13 2013

Address

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Mississippi Business Journal

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Phone

Hospice of Light

2012 Hwy. 90, Ste. 29, Gautier, MS 39553

(228) 497-2400

Delta Area Hospice Care, Ltd.

522 Arnold Ave., Greenville, MS 38701

(662_ 335-7040

Delta Regional Medical Center Hospice Agency

300 S. Washington Ave., Greenville, MS 38701

(662) 378-1200

North Haven Hospice & Palliative Care, LLC

1696 Colorado St., Greenville, MS 38701

(662) 335-1788

Angelic Hospice & Palliative Care Services

307 Lamar St., Greenwood, MS 38930

(662) 453-5348

Divine Hospice & Palliative Care

415 Carrollton Ave., Greenwood, MS 39830

(662) 454-6668

Serenity Hospice

703 Sycamore, Ste. A, Greenwood, MS 38930

(662) 455-2606

Legacy Hospice of the South-Grenada

1300 Sunset Dr., Ste. Z, Grenada, MS 38901

(662) 226-4246

Milestone Hospice

347 Tatum St., Grenada, MS 38901

(662) 226-8878

Camellia Hospice of the Gulf Coast, LLC

11703 Highland Cir., Gulfport, MS 39503-4275

(228) 374-4434

Canon Hospice

1520 Broad Ave., Ste. 500, Gulfport, MS 39501

(228) 575-6251

Community Hospice Inc.

6242 Hwy. 98, Ste. 60, Hattiesburg, MS 39401

(601) 336-5832

Deaconess Hospice-Hattiesburg

108 Lundy Ln., Hattiesburg, MS 39401

(601) 261-4010

Forrest General Home Care Hospice

1414 S. 28th Ave., Hattiesburg, MS 39402

(601) 288-2500

Hospice Advantage of Hattiesburg

811 Rebecca Ave., Hattiesburg, MS 39401

(601) 705-0360

Kare-In-Home Hospice

6222 Hwy. 98, Ste. 200, Hattiesburg, MS 39402

(601) 336-7855

Southern Care Hattiesburg

4700 Hardy St., Ste. UY, Hattiesburg, MS 39402

(601) 579-9493

St. Luke Missionary Hospice

1715 Hardy St., Ste. Z, Hattiesburg, MS 39401

(601) 796-7993

Physician Hospice Care

617A Hwy. 7 s., Holly Springs, MS 38634

(662) 252-5052

Genesis Hospice Care-Indianola

201 Hwy. 82 W., Indianola, MS 38751

(662) 887-1274

Alpha Healthcare

407 Briarwood Dr., Ste. 207C, Jackson, MS 39206

(601) 977-1198

Compassionate Hospice Care

5935 Hwy. 18 W., Ste. A1, Jackson, MS 39209

(601) 923-8070

Holistic Care Hospice Jackson

1757 Terry Rd., Bldg. 3, Jackson, MMS 39204

(601) 346-7737

Hospice Advantage of Jackson

13 Northtown Dr., Ste. 130, Jackson, MS 39211

(601) 956-9755

Hospice Care At Home

6531 Dogwood View Pkwy., Jackson, MS 39213

(601) 713-0061

Miracle Care Hospice Care At Home

330 Edgewood Terrace Dr., Ste. B, Jackson, MS 39206

(601) 982-1909

North Lion Hospice & Palliative Care, LLC

135 Bounds St., Ste. C, Jackson, MS 39206

(601) 321-8812

Our Family Home Hospice Inc.

2570 Bailey Ave., Ste. 10, Jackson, MS 39213

(601) 362-1712

Physician Hospice Care

953 North St., Ste. M, Jackson, MS 39202

Sta-Home Hospice of Mississippi Inc.

406 Briarwood Dr., Ste. 200, Jackson, MS 39206

CCI Professional Healthcare Hospice

316 Central Ave., Laurel, MS 39440

(601) 425-3047

Comfortcare Hospice

2260 Hwy. 15 N., Laurel, MS 39441

(601) 422-0054

Camellia Hospice Southwest Mississippi, LLC

1405 Ashton Ave., McComb, MS 39648-2827

(601) 684-5033

Hospice Compassus-Mississippi

140 N. 5th St., Ste. B, McComb, MS 39648

(601) 250-0884

Hospice Advantage of Meridian

1300-C 14th St., Meridian, MS 39301

(601) 483-9990

Divinity Hospice

207 E. Broadway St., Monticello, MS 39654

(601) 341-0290

Guardian Angel Hospice Inc.

3269 Hwy. 80, Morton, MS 39117

(601) 732-8473

We Care Hospice

3725 Main St., Moss Point, MS 39563

(228) 474-2030

Compassionate Hospice Care of Southern Mississippi

113 Jefferson Davis Rd., Natchez, MS

(601) 442-6800

Camellia Hospice of Southwest Mississippi, LLC (branch)

106 Jefferson Davis Blvd., Natchez, MS 39120-5104

(601) 446-6195

North Delta Hospice-New Albany

212 Starlyn Ave., New Albany, MS 39652

(662) 393-0170

Southern Care Newton

191 Northside Dr., Newton, MS 39345

(601) 683-7500

A&E Hospice

6810 Crumpler Blvd., Ste. 101, Olive Branch, MS 38654

Source: Mississippi State Department of Health. Please direct questions and comments to Wally Northway at research@msbusiness.com

(601) 949-8900 (601) 991-1933

(662) 890-4646

HOSPICES

20 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 13, 2013 Company

Address

Phone

Comprehensive Hospice Services

7155 Kerr St., Ste. 13, Olive Branch, MS

(662) 890-6939

Specialty Hospice, LLC

5600 Goodman Rd., Ste. C, Olive Branch, MS 38654

(662) 420-7157

Spring Valley Hospice

7139 Commerce Dr., Bldg. B2, Olive Branch, MS 38654

(662) 890-5554

Unity Hospice Care-Southaven

7203 Goodman Rd., Olive Branch, MS 38654

(662) 893-5662

Camellia Hospice of North Mississippi, LLC

2166 S. Lamar, Oxford, MS 38655-5244

Gentiva Hospice-Oxford

104 Skyline Dr., Oxford, MS 38655

Covenant Palliative & Hospice

250 W. Beacon St., Philadelphia, MS 39350

Quality Hospice Care Inc.

340 Byrd Ave., Philadelphia, MS 39350

(601) 656-5252

Hospice Care Group

114 E. Donald St., Quitman, MS 39355

(601) 776-8880

Hospice Ministries

450 Towne Center Blvd., Ridgeland, MS 39157

(601) 898-1053

Pax Hospice

359 Towne Center Blvd., Ste. 500, Ridgeland, MS 39157

(601) 991-3840

Legacy Hospice of the South

111-B Hospital St., Ripley, MS 38663

(662) 837-9990

Angel of Mercy Hospice

314 Court St., Rosedale, MS 38769

(662) 759-0344

Saint Anthony Hospice & Palliative Care

106 N. Ruby Ave., Ruleville, MS 38771

(662) 466-0330

Saint John Hospice & Palliative Care

106 N. Ruby Ave., Ruleville, MS 38771

(662) 756-0928

Sandanna Hospice

105 E. Floyce St., Ruleville, MS 38771

(662) 756-9999

AseraCare Hospice-Senatobia

144 Norfleet Dr., Senatobia, MS 38668

(662) 562-7607

Mercy Hospice

901 Forest St., Shelby, MS 38774

(662) 902-5183

Hospice Advantage of Southaven

919 Ferncliff Cv., Ste. 1, Southaven, MS 393-4033

New-Era Hospice

8869 Centre St., Ste. 3&4, Southaven, MS 38671

(662) 238-7771 (662) 234-0140 (601) 656-7411

(662) 342-7023

Source: Mississippi State Department of Health. Please direct questions and comments to Wally Northway at research@msbusiness.com

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HOSPICES Company

December 13 2013

I

Mississippi Business Journal

Address

I

21

Phone

Gentiva Hospice-Starkville

115-A Hwy. 12 W., Starkville, MS 39759

(662) 615-1519

Legacy of the South-Starkville

1085 Stark Rd., Ste. F, Starkville, MS 39759

(662) 338-0078

Hope Hospice

2073 Old Hwy. 61 N., Ste. 1, Tunica, MS 38676

(662) 357-0451

Camellia Hospice of Northeast Mississippi, LLC

1413 W. Main St., Tupelo, MS 38801-3400

(662) 844-2870

Gentiva Hospice-Tupelo

144 S. Thomas St., Ste. 105, Tupelo, MS 38801

(662) 620-1050

Hospice Advantage of Tupelo/Corinth

280 S. Thomas St., Ste. 101, Tupelo, MS 38801

(662) 840-3434

North Mississippi Medical Center Hospice

422-A E. President St., Tupelo, MS 38801

Southern Care Tupelo

1682 Wilson St., Tupelo, MS 38804

(662) 841-0085

The Sanctuary Hospice House

5159 W. Main St., Tupelo, MS 38802

(662) 844-2111

Destiny Hospice, Palliative Care & Specialty Services Inc.

202 Second Ave., Tutwiler, MS 38963-0190

L&L Hospice

423-A Beulah Ave., Tylertown, MS 39667

(601) 876-6169

Camellia Hospice of Central Mississippi, LLC (branch)

2080 S. Frontage Rd., Ste. 103, Vicksburg, MS 39180-5882

(601) 631-8041

Patient’s Choice Hospice & Palliative Care

1911-A Mission 66, Vicksburg, MS 39180

Serenity Premier Hospice

1905B Mission 66, Ste. 1, Vicksburg, MS 39180

(601) 661-9752

Homecare Hospice Inc.

16482 Hwy. 21, Walnut Grove, MS 39189

(601) 625-7840

Wayne General Hospital Hospice Agency

920 Matthew Dr., Waynesboro, MS 39367

(601) 735-7133

St. Joseph Hospice of Southern Mississippi

115 W. College Ave., Wiggins, MS 39577

(601) 928-2925

Continue Care Hospice

15359 Hwy. 49 S., Ste. 3, Yazoo City, MS 39194

(662) 746-5815

Cornerstone Palliative & Hospice

125 S. Main St., Yazoo City, MS 39194

(662) 746-5153

Magnolia Hospice of Mississippi

405 E. Fifteenth St., Yazoo City, MS 39194

(662) 751-1888

(662) 377-3612

(662) 345-0077

(601) 638-8308

F OR OR S LE AL AS E E

Source: Mississippi State Department of Health. Please direct questions and comments to Wally Northway at research@msbusiness.com

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22 I Mississippi Business Journal I December 13, 2013 MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS PROFILES

Regions Bank: From Regional Bank to Top 20 e had the opportunity recently to meet and get acquainted with Arthur DuCote, the new Mississippi state president for Regions Bank. In a sense, he says moving to Mississippi is like coming home.

“I grew up in a small town near Baton Rouge,” he said. “It wasn’t quite Mayberry, but it was close,” referring to the fictional town in North Carolina where Andy Taylor was sheriff.

After graduating from LSU, he went to work in banking, beginning with Barnett Bank in Florida and then moving on to AmSouth, where he spent many years in various roles. Ultimately, that lead to Regions.

“You might say that we woke up one day and realized that we had become a top 20 bank. We had to gear up to our size,” he said. Today, Regions is Mississippi’s largest bank, with more than 140 branches throughout the state and deposits in excess of $6.5 billion.

Arthur’s appointment represents a change from the past executive structure for Regions in Mississippi. In the past there were two separate executives, one for the

W

“Very simply, we want to be the bank of choice in Mississippi. We want to be the employer of choice in Mississippi.”

Mississippi state president, Regions Bank

GOOD NEWS IS WORTH REPEATING! Digital Reprint Article or list will be reformatted with Mississippi Business Journal masthead on the top of the page and be provided in PDF format.

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TAMI JONES / The Mississippi Business Journal

Arthur DuCote Mississippi Business Journal publisher Alan Turner talks with Mississippi president for Regions Bank,

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Introductory Offer $199 R Digital Reprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$375 R Framed Article 14” x 16.5” cherry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$199 R Framed Article 23” x 16.5” cherry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250 R Plaque 8” x 10” or 9” x 12” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$125 601-364-1044 Fax: (601) 364-1007 WAYS TO ORDER » Call: Fax or mail: Mississippi Business Journal Attn: Marcia Thompson-Kelly 200 North Congress St, Ste 400, Jackson 39201 Email: marcia.kelly@msbusiness.com or print off form at http://msbusiness.com/wp-files/forms/article-request-form-web.pdf

Arthur DuCote

northern region of Mississippi, and one for the southern. Both of those are still in place, but Arthur is now in charge of all operations in the state.

What is his vision for Regions in Mississippi?

“Very simply, we want to be the bank of choice in Mississippi. We want to be the employer of choice in Mississippi. And we want to be the leading bank partner for Mississippi’s communities. We want to serve both the large and small communities alike.”

Is Regions looking for acquisition opportunities to continue its growth in Mississippi?

“We’re always interested in exploring opportunities that are strategically significant.

But at the moment, we’re not actively talking to anyone. Right now, our focus is on growing within the communities we serve.”

When asked whether banking is now over-regulated in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008-09, he said, “Yes, we’ve seen a significant increase in regulation, and it’s probably true that the pendulum has swung too far in that direction. Obviously, there needs to be more fine tuning of some of these rules and regulations.”

Arthur sees many opportunities in Mississippi in the coming years. He sees great potential for imports, growth in the Mississippi Gulf Coast region, excellent prospects for oil & gas exploration and development, and agriculture.

“We have some of the best dirt in the United States,” he said. “There is something special happening here, and Mississippi is looking at a bright future, because we have so many great resources.”

One of the resources he talked about is human resources.

“We can hire great people who want to

come to Mississippi.

Some may have grown up here and want to come home. We have a great community of people in this state who choose to live here, and more who Alan Turner want to come.”

Asked what he considered some of the challenges facing business in the coming years, he pointed out among other things the uncertainty surrounding Obamacare and what that will mean to business.

“One thing that business leaders hate is uncertainty,” he said. “They want some kind of decent picture of what time will hold, and right now, nobody seems to have the answers on that.”

He thinks that one of the answers to the health care may be in effective wellness programs sponsored by employers.

“We started a wellness program at Regions and got our employees involved and motivated to pay more attention to their lifestyles. As a result, our overall health care costs have stabilized, and that makes us happy,” he said.

Asked what he likes most about Mississippi, he said, “I’d have to say it’s the sincere, welcoming nature of Mississippians.”

For Arthur DuCote and other CEOs we’ve talked with, that seems to be one of Mississippi’s most valuable assets.

Contact Mississippi Business Journal publisher Alan Turner at alan.turner@msbusiness.com or (601) 364-1021.

December 13, 2013

I

Mississippi Business Journal

I

23

» MISSISSIPPI LEADERS by Martin Willoughby

Authentic leader M Cossitt stresses need to ‘be yourself’

y friend and mentor Dr. Carl Hicks likes to say, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” He shares this to encourage his coaching clients to live authentic lives – not to chase someone else’s dream. As I have studied the lives of great leaders, I have found that they express their leadership in their own individual way. They don’t follow a simple formula or simply mimic someone else. This can be particularly challenging when you are stepping into a leadership role following a strong leader. It can be a real challenge to carve your own path. I often see this when consulting with family businesses who are trying to navigate intergenerational leadership changes.

Jan Cossitt, who serves as program manager at the Baptist Healthplex in Clinton and chairman of the board of BuyfromaChristian.com, has expressed her leadership in her own authentic way. Cossitt was raised in Cotton Plant, Miss., and she went on to get her undergraduate at the Mississippi University for Women, her master’s degree in counseling from Mississippi College and she is working on a master’s in religious education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Her extensive career in leadership includes serving as a teacher, an entrepreneur and as a ministry leader in

Up Close With ... Jan Cossitt

Title: Program manager, Baptist Healthplex, chair of board of directors for BuyfromaChristian.com Favorite Book: The Bible First Job: ”In junior high, I worked at Fred’s Dollar Store.“ Proudest Moment as a Leader: ”When I see those I have had the privilege of leading realize their hopes and desires and they come to tell me, ‘thanks for believing in me!’ They know I have had and continue to have their best interest at heart.”

Hobbies/Interests: “I love to fish and golf.”

several churches and organizations.

I have noted the simple fact over the years that “Leaders lead.” They don’t wait for a title — they simply take a servant approach and step out in leadership where it is needed. Cossitt has a familiar resume of stepping out and serving as an active leader in her community. She has served as the leader of numerous civic organizations, and she was recently elected as an alderwoman for the City of Clinton.

Cossitt noted, “I don't think there are definitive styles, characteristics or personality

traits of a leader. There are no cookie-cutter leadership styles.” She continued, “No one can be an authentic leader by trying to imitate someone else. You can learn from their experiences, but there is no way you can be successful when you are trying to be like someone else.” Cossitt believes that people trust you when you are genuine and authentic and not a replica of someone else.

Therefore, she concludes, “Be yourself. Develop your God-given talents and abilities and be the leader He intended you to be.”

Cossitt shared that she learned this phi-

“There are no cookie-cutter leadership styles.”

Jan Cossitt Program manager, Baptist Healthplex; chair, BuyfromaChristian.com

losophy from one of her mentors, Marjean Patterson, who served as a leader at the Mississippi Woman's Missionary Union for over 41 years. Cossitt said, “I learned from her to be who I am Martin Willoughby and not to try and emulate someone else.” Cossitt also learned from her that “a real leader demonstrates a passion for their purpose, practice their values consistently, and leads with their hearts as well as their heads.”

One of the things I recognized in Cossitt’s leadership style is a long term commitment to excellence. She emphasized, “Like musicians and athletes, you must devote yourself to a lifetime of realizing your potential.” Cossitt believes that all of us have the gift of leadership in us, whether it is in business, in government, as a volunteer, or part of a family. She said, “The challenge is to understand ourselves well enough to discover where we can use our leadership gifts to serve others.” For future leaders, she reminds them that no one is going to hand them a leadership development plan for their lives. It is up to the individual to take responsibility and commit himself or herself to this long term path.

Leaders like Cossitt are the backbone of communities and organizations around this state. I appreciate the reminder from her of the importance of expressing our leadership style in our own authentic way.

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.

A worthy and fun-to-read book on investing

I » The Little Book That Beats the Market

By Joel Greenblatt Published by John Wiley & Sons $19.95 hardcover

f you’re looking for a brief and understandable introduction to the complex world of the financial markets, The Little Book That Beats the Market might be for you.

Written by hedge fund veteran Joel Greenblatt partly as a way to explain what he does for a living to his five children, it’s an accessible take on stocks and the stock market. And it really is “little,” coming in at just 155 pages. You can easily start and finish this book in an afternoon.

Greenblatt walks through exactly what investors should be looking for when trying to determine if a company’s a good long-term prospect. He does a great job of breaking down the sometimes obtuse subject of accounting by using the example of a fictional chewing gum company to explain topics like inventory costs and margins. From there, he helps readers see that buying stock is more than just tracking a ticker symbol – it’s becoming a part-owner in an actual company.

At its heart, Greenblatt’s book upholds the tenets of value in-

vesting by suggesting that readers buy stock in companies that a) are currently undervalued relative to their long-term earnings potential and b) have a healthy return on capital (meaning that when the companies reinvest in their business, they’re earning a high rate of return). Greenblatt also preaches patience and long-term thinking, pointing out that there will be times the market seems to be working against you, but if you’ve done your homework, you must keep your conviction and stand firm.

The book goes further, though, by suggesting that readers follow Greenblatt’s “magic formula” to beat the market. I won’t give it all away here, but it essentially holds that by buying a certain number of companies that meet the aforementioned two criteria, and by buying and selling at the right time, you’ll dramatically outperform the market.

However, even if you’re not looking to tinker with your stock market strategy, this book still has lots to offer. Greenblatt’s suggestions for how to evaluate companies are valuable, and his insights and sense of humor make the book fun to read. His writing style is casual and conversational. This isn’t some typical stuffy finance book.

For both beginners and those with more experience, The Little Book That Beats the Market proves to be a smart investment itself. Give it an afternoon, and you’ll come away with knowledge that will pay for the cost of the book many times over.

— LouAnn Lofton, mbj@msbusiness.com

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