POSTAL CUSTOMER
VOL. 10 NO. 5 NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Leadership UC takes applications Leadership Union County is now accepting applicants for the upcoming 2015 class. Interested applicants should email Brandi Davis at leadershipunioncountytn@ gmail.com. Deadline to apply is March 1.
Little League signups Tuesday The Union County Little League is holding signups 6-8 p.m. every Tuesday at Food City in Maynardville. Divisions are available for wee ball, T-ball, coach pitch, kid pitch and a senior league. Info: https://www.facebook.com/ pages/Union-County-LittleLeague/299672916801010.
Market wants input, vendors Union County Farmers Market organizers have tentatively decided to continue holding the market on the grounds of Union County Arts on Friday afternoons May through October. Coordinator Beth Bergeron says the group would like to hear new vendors’ preferences of day and location. Contact her at the Extension office in Maynardville at 992-8308. The market accepts vendors of fresh produce, approved processed foods, honey, handmade crafts and other farmand home-produced wares.
Volunteers needed Union County elementary schools will start weekly student-led after-school programs for 4-H groups for six weeks beginning next week, and adult volunteers are needed as chaperones. Info: 992-9308.
IN THIS ISSUE Ronnie offends the lunch staff Perhaps nothing is worse to those with soft consciences than being deemed guilty through misunderstanding. When I was a college freshman, I traveled through the supper line (dinner for the citified) behind my friend, Mark Gilbert. Mark was hungry that evening, and I was amazed at the amount of food he requested. I exclaimed something to the effect, “My God, Gilbert! Are you going to eat all that?”
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Read Ronnie Mincey on page 4
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Caring for kids By Libby Morgan After the sudden death last May of the beloved “Dr. Mark,” Mahmoud Farkhondeh, who had owned and operated Makzy Pediatrics on Oakland Road in Maynardville, the clinic was closed for several months, leaving patients to turn to other medical providers. Early in December, Pediatric Consultants of East Tennessee came to the rescue. Dr. Larry Rodgers and his associates are seeing patients on Wednesdays and Fridays, and the office is staffed all week by pediatric nurses Laurice McCord and Jessica Maggard. Rodgers says, as he points to a wall with many accolades honoring the late doctor, “We have big shoes to fill. Dr. Mark’s patients absolutely adored him. “We have all of the medical records of Dr. Mark’s patients, and we’re very happy to be here in Maynardville.” He is joined by doctors David Eakes, Maria Javier and Syed Akhter, a group whose birthplaces span the globe. Rodgers is originally from Oak Ridge, Eakes is a Mississippian, Javier hails from the Philippines and Akhter is from Pakistan. Nurse Laurice McCord is right at home, currently living in Knoxville after a longtime Corryton residence, and says she dreams of
February 4, 2015
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Former Makzy clinic staffed and open
“We want to make sure we have no barriers.” Jessica Maggard serves as the clinical nursing supervisor. Union Countian Ashley Sharp continues as receptionist, and Rodgers says having her familiar face at the front desk has made the transition easier. The clinic is now named Pediatric Consultants Maynardville and has kept the same easy-to-remember phone number that Makzy had: 992-7799. They are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. “We serve children from birth to age 18, and our patients can continue to be seen by us through college,” says Rodgers. He says new patients must be under the age of 15. “We especially love our special needs children, of which we Dr. Larry Rodgers, Ashley have quite a few we Sharp, Jessica Maggard and see regularly. And of Laurice McCord at Pediatric course right now we’re Consultants Maynardville seeing a lot of flu and Photo by Libby Morgan strep, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is causing hospitalizaMaria Javier David Eakes Syed Akhter tion. “We’re here to help.” moving back to the counRodgers’ advice to try. challenges in this area. parents? Her online bio says her She is active in Blue Star Moth“No one knows a child better experience with Medicaid waiver ers of America in support of solthan the parents. Trust your gut. programs for individuals with Parenting is as important as medidevelopmental disabilities across diers and veterans. McCord speaks Spanish and cine when you want your child to numerous states leads her to adcommunicates in sign language. get better.” vocate for families with special
Brantley scores 1,000 career points Patriots basketball whiz Madison Brantley, only a junior, scored the 1,000th point of her high school basketball career at UCHS in the game last week against the Carter Hornets. She’s an active player both in school and during the summers when she play s travel ball. Coach Roger Murphy says, “Madison is the fi rst player I’ve coached in my eight years here Madison to have reached that accomplishment. This is Brantley a continuation of the time and effort of a very dedicated player. We’re proud to have her on the team.”
Maynardville Library sets event, says thanks Maynardville Public Library plans a big event with several authors. The “meet and greet” will start at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at 296 Main Street, Maynardville. Authors include: Brandi Kennedy, T.G. Franklin, Juli Alexander, Lexi Witcher, Leanne Tyler, JK Ensley, KaLyn Cooper and Bonnie Peters. Librarians are thanking several people inside and outside of Union County for recent donations – including stuffed items from Lucy’s Loops and stuffed animals from Steve Thompson at Beverage Solutions – which were distributed to participants of three Head Starts during
Christmas. “We have received books, book marks and pens from some of the authors in the Indy community such as Kim Jones, Juli Alexander, T.G. Franklin, Jennifer Ensley, Bonnie Peters, Michelle Graves, Ava O Shay, Natalie Starr, Chelle Bliss and Erin Noelle. “While we are thankful for all the donations we receive throughout the year of books, crafting items and DVDs, these individuals have gone above and beyond with their donations to our community and we just wanted to recognize their contributions. Thank you all.”
Understanding Insure Tennessee By Wendy Smith Gov. Bill Haslam came to town last week to educate state legislators before a special session being held this week regarding Insure Tennessee, his proposed Medicaid expansion program. Legislators aren’t the only ones who need to Bill Haslam be educated. Citizens need to have a basic understanding of the program so they can pass their thoughts on to their elected officials. Haslam spent two years crafting Tennessee’s program to specifically address the spiraling cost of healthcare. It leverages federal dollars to provide health insurance to those whose income is less than 138 percent of the poverty level, which translates to approximately $16,000 for an individual and $27,000 for a family of three.
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The program is expected to cover roughly 200,000 people. Over half of them have jobs. This group falls into a coverage gap because they don’t qualify for Medicaid and they either don’t make enough to qualify for tax credits to help them buy coverage or can’t afford it even with tax credits.
Analysis The controversy surrounding the plan comes from its utilization of federal dollars. Affordable Care Act (ACA) funds would cover 100 percent of the cost of the expansion through 2016. By 2020, the federal contribution will drop to a permanent rate of 90 percent, but Tennessee hospitals have committed to covering the state’s contribution once federal funding drops below 100 percent. Some fear that Tennessee taxpayers will be left on the hook if federal funding dries up or hos-
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pitals don’t follow through with their commitment. In the event of an emergency, Haslam has packed a parachute. The two-year pilot program will automatically terminate in either case. Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery and the head of the federal health department agreed last week that the state could legally opt out. Haslam says he’s not a fan of the ACA because it didn’t do anything to address the rising cost of healthcare, as his plan does. Here are the nuts and bolts of his plan. Those eligible for Insure Tennessee would have two options. Under the Volunteer Plan, participants would receive a fi xed contribution voucher that will enable them to buy into private health insurance offered by their employer. The voucher would go toward out-of-pocket expenses associated with the coverage. The benefits of private insurance coverage include a broader range of providers and possible
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participation in Health Savings Accounts, which encourage healthy choices, Haslam says. The other option, the Healthy Incentives Plan, differs from Medicaid because it has premiums and co-pays. But participants get credits for healthy behaviors, like regular screenings, and using the health system appropriately, such as going to a clinic rather than the emergency room. If participants make good choices, they can cover their healthcare costs with credits. But they can also be disenrolled if they don’t cover co-pays or premiums, Haslam says. From his perspective, Insure Tennessee is a win-win because it’s a step toward true healthcare reform and provides insurance to 200,000 residents who wouldn’t otherwise have it − without raising taxes. Detractors say Haslam is supporting Obamacare by taking advantage of federal funding. You decide.
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