West Virginia Executive - Winter 2013

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A New Era in Health Care Early Dispute Resolution

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When the Old Laidley Home at 333 Laidley Street in Charleston opened in 1913 as a 33-bed hospital, a lasting legacy of compassion and faith was born.

Today, a century later, the same faith in Christ that guided our early years remains the cornerstone of our care at Saint

Francis Hospital.

Our not-for-profit mission has endured and our trust and faith in God’s healing power is more present today than ever. As we

Sister Virginia Yeager Vice President of Mission and Director of Pastoral Care

mark our memorable centennial year, we give

thanks for the thousands who have been touched by our hospital – patients and families, doctors and nurses, volunteers and caregivers, clergy and staff – all of whom understand that

all things are truly possible through Christ. Peace be with you.

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West Virginia Executive is published quarterly by Executive Ink, LLC, PO Box 6277, Charleston, West Virginia 25362. All rights reserved. All contents are copyrighted by Executive Ink, LLC; reproduction in whole or part without written permission from Executive Ink, LLC is expressly forbidden and punishable by law.

West Virginia Executive is not responsible for unsolicited materials. All opinions expressed within West Virginia Executive belong to the feature’s author and are not necessarily the opinions of the publishers or Executive Ink, LLC employees.

West Virginia Executive and Executive Ink, LLC reserve the right to refuse any idea, material or subject matter, especially those of racist, sexist, pornographic or religiously derogating intent.

Throughout this issue, trademarked names are used. Rather than denoting a trademark symbol in every occurrence of a trademarked name, West Virginia Executive uses the names in an editorial fashion, with no infringement. All trademarked names are still fully protected and anyone who uses them without permission will be prosecuted.

About the Cover Elizabeth Critch, executive director for the National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health at West Virginia University, and Stephen Dexter, president and CEO of Thomas Health System, Inc.

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Exploring Almost Heaven At Executive Ink, change is on the horizon, and it starts with this jampacked winter 2013 issue of West Virginia Executive (WVE). The focus of this edition is the many changes brought forth by the recent health care reform. The Affordable Care Act is such an important topic for not only West Virginia but the entire nation to understand, and the focus of the health care section is meant to educate both individuals and business owners on the act’s required changes.

We are also seeing change with our annual Executive Meeting Planner (EMP) magazine. This is the first time EMP will be printed inside WVE, and we took the opportunity to combine the two magazines in order to increase the reach and readership of both publications. We hope you enjoy this double feature.

One of my favorite articles in the 2013 edition of Executive Meeting Planner is “Riding the Rails in West Virginia.”

Trains have a long and important history in West Virginia, and I enjoy them not only for the mode of transportation they provide but also for the charm they bring as a cornerstone of our tourism industry.

I can still remember the Fourth of July trip my family took to Pocahontas County the summer I was 8. My parents, my sister, Brett, and I set out for a trip to Cass Scenic

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Railroad, followed by the fireworks show at Snowshoe Resort. My family spent a lot of time in Pocahontas County when I was growing up. It is where I first fell in love with horses, learned to ski and spent hours on a mountain bike.

The summer I was 10, we left the comfort of Pocahontas County with our mountain bikes and headed for the North Bend State Park Rail Trail. We rode 60 of the 72 miles of trails from Clarksburg to Parkersburg in two days. On our trip we crossed many bridges—some that were not even complete—and rode through many old train tunnels. There was a lot of whining and a few tears—OK, a lot of tears—from my sister and me— OK, mostly me—but also a wonderful sense of accomplishment when we finally made it to the car.

In the summer of 2011, I finally made it back to the Cass Scenic Railroad, where I paid more attention to the history of the town while finding myself in awe of the beauty and significant role the railroad has played in West Virginia.

In October of last year I was able to mark yet another item off my “West Virginia Bucket List” when I got to experience a ride on the New Tygart Flyer at the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The four-hour trip winds guests 46 miles through scenic West Virginia with a stop at the High Falls of Cheat, an 18-foot-high waterfall.

I hope to continue my infatuation with the trains and history in West Virginia, and I hope you do too. I also look forward to checking more items off my bucket list as I continue to explore the many wonders of Almost Heaven.

Norman C. Mosrie Over 25 years of healthcare experience

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In

Letter from the Publishers

Whether you’re a staunch supporter or

an indelible opponent of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the fact of the matter is that health care reform has arrived.

The idea behind the ACA makes sense.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 48.6 million Americans without health insurance in 2011.

At the same time, the cost of funding universal health care is at the forefront of discussions over the plausibility of the Affordable Care Act. At first glance, some struggling businesses see the ACA as an additional expense forced upon them as they tread the rough waters of a lingering recession.

At Executive Ink, we knew the Affordable Care Act would be a primary theme in our 2013 Health Care Issue. As we set out to collect information and input

from members of the health care, legal and financial industries in West Virginia with regards to the effects of the ACA, it became clear that there are still a lot of questions about the impact—the benefits and costs— the general public will face as a result of the ACA both personally and at work.

The Affordable Care Act is still being interpreted today, and the exploration of its inner workings will require a host of professionals coming together across multiple industries before we have a clear understanding of the mandates driving health care reform and what the end results will be.

West Virginia Executive refrains from taking sides in debates such as these.

Instead, we embrace the opportunity to provide the most in-depth and thorough information possible so our readers will be

well-informed and prepared for this new era of health care. Suffice it to say there is a lot of information in this health care issue.

In “Through an Employer’s Eyes,” Jill Cranston Rice and David Whaley of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP have provided the nuts and bolts of the Affordable Care Act to show how it will impact businesses of all sizes in an effort to prepare employers.

Michael Smith of Wells Fargo Insurance discusses the importance of employers weighing their options before making a decision on the health care packages they will offer employees in “As the Dust Settles.” The two-part piece “A New Era in Health Care” allows Elizabeth Critch, the executive director of the National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health at West Virginia University, to discuss the benefits for women found in the ACA, and Stephen Dexter, the president of Thomas Health System, shares with us the positive impacts health care reform will have on patients, communities and hospitals.

For many, change is both unnerving and uncomfortable. Without change, though, there is no hope for progress. It is our hope the information in this issue of West Virginia Executive will provide both answers and tools for a smooth transition as health care reform moves forward.

ENHANCING ABILITY TO VIEW & CONNECT With technology playing an everincreasing role in workspaces, Haworth launched workware, a group of products that provides technology-enhanced collaborative spaces and helps users think, see, do and connect in a wide variety of work settings. Designed by the Haworth Design Studio, these products provide solutions for monitor placement, power and data connectivity and user control of monitor access.

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Collectively, the Medical Malpractice Group has 250 years of experience defending physicians, hospitals, nurses, and other medical care providers against medical malpractice litigation. The Medical Malpractice Group has litigated in all 50 states, tried more than 70 cases to verdict, litigated more than 425 cases, and served as lead counsel in more than 1,000 depositions. The Medical Malpractice Group is supplemented by a team of Registered Nurses who consult with experts and witnesses on medical issues.

IN THIS issue Winter2013

A New Era in Health Care

Stephen Dexter and Elizabeth Critch discuss the impact of the Affordable Care Act and the effect it will have on hospitals and women.

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West Virginia Independence Hall

32 The Playground of the East

14 Get Those Feet Moving!

Meeting Planner A Blueprint for Growth

The “West Virginia Ten Year Tourism Plan” makes recommendations for growth and improvements.

By West Virginia Division of Tourism

Upbeat in an Economic Downturn American Mountain Theater and Pies & Pints owners share their secrets to success.

By Jennifer Jett and Samantha Ricketts

A Foundation of Stone

A couple with a shared passion for rock climbing gets hitched atop Seneca Rocks.

By Samantha Ricketts

Riding the Rails in West Virginia

The Mountain State is home to a variety of train rides for all ages to enjoy.

By Samantha Ricketts

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41 87 17 20 24 34

Notebook

Early Dispute Resolution

A lawyer gives advice on how to resolve legal issues before they hit the courtroom.

By Elliot Hicks

In the Chef’s Corner

The Red Rooster Café in Gassaway is considered one of the best-kept secrets in West Virginia.

By Vanessa Roach A Bird’s-Eye View of the Mountain State

OVERWHELMED?

Maybe it’s time to discover the difference a relationship with our firm can provide.

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63 Wild, Wonderful, Wired West Virginia

79 Advances in Health Care

Health Care

Through an Employer’s Eyes

The Affordable Care Act affects businesses big and small, and everyone in between, differently.

By Jill Cranston Rice and David Whaley

As the Dust Settles

Health care reform brings about a variety of changes for which everyone should prepare.

By Michael Smith

The Pharmacy that Family Built Lynne Fruth of Fruth Pharmacy shares the ins and outs of the family business.

By Kensie Hamilton

Defining Medicaid Expansion

The possible expansion of Medicaid will allow many uninsured Americans to gain health insurance coverage. By Dan Foster

The Cost of Cancer

The prevalence of cancer is not only an emotional burden, but also an economic one.

By Kevin Tephabock

Sowing Seeds of Hope

Saving lives daily, organ donors can be considered real-life superheroes.

By Helen Bollinger and Rebecca Shrader

48 51 54 59 75 67 79 71

54 The Pharmacy that Family Built

27 The Arrival of Social Media 22 Boosting the Bottom Line

Health Care Reform and Your Taxes The Appalachian Institute of Digital Evidence provides training and research to protect data stored online. By Jeffrey Tour

Advances in Health Care

West Virginia is home to individuals, schools and businesses making great strides in the field of health care.

EXECUTIVE BUSINESS 6 Masthead 8 Editor’s Journal 10 In ink 12 in this issue 16 Contributors 79 around the state 90 regional focus 95 marketplace 96 ad finder 16

west virginia executive

U’RE

YOU KNOW YOU’RE

YOU K

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Video

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CONTRIBUTORSwinter Lisa Affolter Lisa Affolter is a cum laude graduate from Marshall University who received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design in May 2006.

In addition to designing magazines, Affolter works on a variety of projects including print advertising, business proposals and Web sites.

She may be reached at (304) 941-0600, ext. 12, or via e-mail at lna@wvexecutive.com.

Jeff Barnes Jeff Barnes is president and CEO of Barnes Agency, a West Virginiabased advertising, marketing and public relations firm that specializes in working with clients in the health care industry. Previously, Barnes served as vice president of marketing and public affairs for St. Mary’s Medical Center, Genesis Healthcare System and Holzer Health System. He was a member of the 1999 inaugural class of West Virginia Executive’s Young Guns and in 2005 was inducted into the University of Charleston Sports Hall of Fame.

Helen Bollinger Helen Bollinger is the grants and legislative specialist for the Center for Organ Recovery & Education, a federally designated nonprofit organ procurement organization, and has served in several public sector positions over the past eight years in Florida, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. Bollinger, a certified grant writer, holds a master’s degree in public administration and acts as the treasurer of the Grant Professionals Association, Western Pennsylvania Chapter.

Bollinger resides outside of Pittsburgh, PA, with her husband, Matthew.

Patrick Burrows Patrick Burrows is the president of Medical Practice Management Solutions, a practice services company that specializes in billing, information technology solutions, EHR software, practice consulting and startup. He is a graduate of West Virginia University and began his career as a CPA with Arnett & Foster. He later transitioned into the health care finance and administration field. Burrows has served as a CFO and CEO in the hospital industry and was part of the ownership group of River Park Hospital.

Elizabeth Critch Elizabeth “Betty” Critch is the executive director for the National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health at West Virginia University. Responsible for directing the daily operations of the center, Critch has also developed Women on Wellness, and has been instrumental in the development of the center’s women’s health virtual clinic.

Critch earned her bachelor’s degree from Bentley College and her master’s degree from West Virginia University. A native of Newton, MA, she resides in Morgantown with her two sons.

Stephen Dexter Stephen Dexter is the president and CEO of Thomas Health System, Inc. Dexter’s career began as a physician recruiter for the United States Navy in 1978.

He has been the CEO for Westside Regional Medical Center and Humana Hospital Cypress. Dexter earned degrees in health care management, economics and political science from Boston University and the University of Rochester. He was also an active duty commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy and is a retired captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

Pat Dickson Pat Dickson is a graduate of Marshall University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and is currently a media coordinator in Marshall’s Department of University Communications.

She has written numerous magazine articles and is a previous contributor to West Virginia Executive.

Dickson is also the author of several chapters in Marshall’s “Profiles in Prominence” book series.

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west virginia executive

Dan Foster Dan Foster is the physician advisor for Utilization Management at Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC).

Born in Oak Ridge, TN, Foster and his wife, Kathy, moved to Charleston in 1979 where he began a private practice. He later moved to an administrative role at CAMC and was then elected to the West Virginia Legislature, where he served two years in the House of Delegates and eight years in the Senate. Foster recently completed his public service and will continue his hospital work.

Denise Getson Denise Getson is the director of Marketing and Public Relations for the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg. She has a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a master’s degree from Southern Methodist University. Getson has also contributed to business articles, fine arts reviews and a science fiction novel.

Patrick Gregg Patrick Gregg is the director of the West Virginia University College of Business and Economics Office of Communications and Marketing. He is responsible for communications and marketing strategies for the college. He has worked as an award-winning journalist, an account executive for a Fortune 10 communications agency, a marketing communications manager for a halfbillion-dollar contract electronics manufacturer and an outreach manager for the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation.

There’s a lot more to your water bill than just water.

When you turn on the tap, it’s easy to see what your water bill buys. What’s not as easy to see is what it takes to bring that water to your home. The miles of pipeline hidden below the ground. The facilities that draw water from the source. The plant where it’s treated and tested. The scientists, engineers, and maintenance crews working around the clock to make sure that water is always there when you need it. Your water payments are helping to build a better tomorrow by supporting needed improvements that will keep water flowing for all of us—today and well into the future. All for about a penny a gallon.

WE CARE ABOUT WATER. IT’S WHAT WE DO. FIND OUT WHY YOU SHOULD, TOO, at www.westvirginiaamwater.com.

“West Virginia American Water” and the star logo are the registered trademarks of American Water Works Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

CONTRIBUTORSwinter Elliot Hicks Elliot Hicks is a member attorney with Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC, where his primary areas of practice are mediation/arbitration, higher education law and litigation and early dispute resolution. A native of Charleston and a graduate of West Virginia University (WVU) and the WVU College of Law, Hicks is a fellow of the West Virginia Bar Foundation, the American Bar Foundation and the American College of Trial Lawyers. He previously served as president of the West Virginia State Bar.

Laura Kirk Laura Kirk, a registered nurse at Burlington United Methodist Family Services, is a native of Wyoming County, WV. A graduate of the University of Charleston and mother of a 7-year-old daughter, Kirk abides by the mission of Burlington United Methodist Family Services to prevent harm and provide hope to hurting children and families.

Jill Cranston Rice Jill Cranston Rice is a partner in Dinsmore & Shohl’s Morgantown office. She focuses her practice on health care law, government relations, insurance and commercial litigation. Rice has experience with antitrust, medical staff privilege, certificate of need, hospital rate-setting, insurance coverage and bad faith and commercial litigation cases involving corporate and consumer disputes.

Rice currently serves as president of the West Virginia Insurance Federation and is the lead lobbyist for the property and casualty insurance industry in West Virginia.

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west virginia executive

Samantha Ricketts Samantha Ricketts, a native of Charleston, is the production assistant for Executive Ink, LLC, where she researches, organizes, writes and edits for West Virginia Executive and Executive Meeting Planner magazines. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Concord University with bachelor’s degrees in English writing and Spanish. Before graduating, Ricketts served as editor in chief of the student newspaper, The Concordian, and spent a summer studying abroad in Puerto Rico.

Rebecca Shrader Rebecca Shrader is a regional organ procurement coordinator for the Center for Organ Recovery & Education.

Holding a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Marshall University, she made a career change from nursing to organ donation in 2008. Shrader and her family live near Charleston, WV.

Michael Smith Michael Smith, RHU, REBC, is a senior vice president and employee benefits program manager for Wells Fargo Insurance in West Virginia. He has nearly 20 years of experience managing employee benefits and health insurance programs in Beckley and Charleston. Smith can be reached by phone at (304) 254-2170 or by e-mail at mike.smith1@ wellsfargo.com.

Kevin Tephabock Kevin Tephabock, a graduate of West Virginia University, is the state vice president for the American Cancer Society, where he oversees income development and cancer control efforts statewide.

He has more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit business sector. Tephabock lives in Morgantown with his partner, Eric, and their three children.

Tracy Toler Tracy Toler scaled Seneca Rocks at the age of 5 and has been reaching new heights ever since. Through his business, Tracy A. Toler Photography, he has become a leading pioneer, serving as creative director and feature photographer for many of the region’s largest magazines. Known among his peers as “Mr. McGyver,” he can fix anything with a bobby pin, rubber band or Swiss Army knife. This comes in handy at home with his wife and two children. Toler may be reached by e-mail at tracytoler@yahoo.com.

Jeffrey Tour Jeffrey Tour is a member of Steptoe & Johnson.

Tour has 30 years of broad employee benefits expertise and practices in the areas of pension, deferred compensation and welfare benefit plans.

Tour also counsels clients regarding benefits issues in mergers and acquisitions. He is the leader of the firm’s Employee Benefits Group.

David Whaley David Whaley is a partner in Dinsmore & Shohl’s Cincinnati office. He focuses his practice on health care law and employee benefits, including employee stock ownership plans. Whaley has extensive experience in assisting employers with complying with the mandates of the Affordable Care Act. This includes assisting in the design of eligibility modifications to ensure compliance with the terms of the pay or play mandate in a means that both protects the employer from penalties and ensures the continued delivery of employee benefits.

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Addressing Opioid Addiction WVSOM Hosts Continuing Education Course on Prescribing Pain Medications

Fast Facts People in rural counties are twice as likely to overdose on prescription painkillers as people in large cities.

Drug overdoses kill more West Virginians each year than car accidents. It’s the leading cause of accidental deaths in the state.

Between 2001 and 2008, the West Virginia death rate of overdoses involving prescription drugs more than quadrupled, from 5.1 deaths per 100,000 residents to 21.5.

Middle-aged adults have the highest prescription painkiller overdose rates.

Nationwide, misuse of prescription painkillers costs health insurers up to $72.5 billion annually in direct health care costs.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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It starts innocently. There is an injury or illness. There is pain, sometimes chronic pain recurring over months or years. The sufferer goes to the doctor and is prescribed an opioid to help relieve the pain. The brand names may be familiar: OxyContin®, Vicodin® and Percocet®, among others. The drug may be provided in pill form or as a liquid, suppository or a skin patch—even as a lollipop. The medication works by suppressing the body’s perception of pain.

Because of the way these drugs work and how they make patients feel, it’s possible for individuals to become physically dependent on the medication in order to function.

Although many types of prescription drugs are abused, there is currently a growing epidemic of prescription painkiller abuse. Today, nearly three out of four prescription drug overdoses are caused by opioid pain relievers. The unprecedented rise in overdose deaths in the U.S. parallels a 300 percent increase in the sale of these painkillers since 1999. Opioids were involved in 14,800 overdose deaths nationwide in 2008—more than cocaine and heroin combined—and the highest death rate was found in West Virginia, which had overdose rates nearly five times higher than the state with the lowest rate, Nebraska.

To address this issue, Senate Bill 437 was passed during West Virginia’s 2012 Legislative Session, providing specific requirements for the state’s medical licensing boards to enforce regarding the treatment of chronic, nonmalignant pain.

One requirement affecting every physician and physician assistant licensed by the state is Continuing Medical Education (CME). A three-hour CME course on drug diversion training and best practices for prescribing controlled substances became a requirement for continued medical licensing.

The first board-approved CME in fulfillment of the new legislation was held September 28 at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) in Lewisburg. The course, “Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain: Balancing Safety and Efficacy,” was supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and endorsed by Senator Jay Rockefeller’s office.

“Just about every time I’m in West Virginia, someone pulls me aside to talk about prescription drug abuse,” states Sen. Rockefeller. “I hear over and over again from parents, health professionals

and law enforcement officials that we need to make sure doctors and nurses who prescribe drugs are getting the information and training they need.

That’s why I asked SAMHSA to come to WVSOM. I’m deeply thankful that SAMHSA and WVSOM partnered on this in such a meaningful way.”

The senator, who is the chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, has been actively working with Congress to increase the funding and education required to reduce prescription drug abuse, including adding a provision in the Food and Drug Administration bill of July 2012 to improve both patient and provider education nationwide.

“WVSOM’s day-long CME program provided the most current information on the scope of opioid prescription abuse in West Virginia, the proper protocols for prescribing opioids and how to maximize the state’s prescription monitoring system to identify potential misuse or abuse,” says Jim Nemitz, PhD, WVSOM’s vice president for Administration and External Relations.

One of the workshops, titled “The Nature of Chronic Pain and the Role of Opioids in Pain Management,” was presented by physicians Jim Finch, MD, and Andrew Thymius, DO. “The main point I wanted participants to take away from this presentation was that physicians can choose other treatments besides opioids for patients dealing with chronic pain,” explains Thymius, who practices at the West Virginia Pain Institute in Beckley. “Anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxers or physical therapy may be more appropriate treatments for a patient’s symptoms. Approximately 95 percent of the pain patients I treat in my clinic are not on opioids at all. As education and access to interventional pain management improve in the state, I’m confident we can reduce our patients’ reliance on controlled substances.”

Subsequent education efforts include a second CME held in Charleston on November 30 and presented in partnership with the West Virginia State Medical Association, the West Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association, the state’s Board of Osteopathic Medicine and the West Virginia Board of Medicine. Both CME events allowed participants to apply their continuing education hours toward licensure renewal.

“West Virginians can be assured that the state’s medical community is increasing its efforts to improve the standard of care for patients in pain while minimizing the potential for misuse or abuse,” says Nemitz. 

By Denise Getson

Boosting the Bottom Line Steps to Improve a Medical Office’s Bottom Line

The health care industry has transformed rapidly over the past several years, and this rate of change is sure to continue.

Technology and government regulations are powerful forces of change affecting physician practices. Physicians are feeling the impact of shrinking profit margins due to changes in reimbursement, and many are being forced to close their practices or join hospital systems to survive. For those looking to improve their practice profitability, there are a number of simple yet powerful steps that can be taken to boost the bottom line.

Effective billing practices can mean the difference between a failing practice and a thriving one. One way to improve billing efficiency is by utilizing technology. According to a study by the American Medical Association, a clinic producing 6,200 claims a year would save an estimated $42,000 by implementing an electronic billing system over the traditional paper billing method. Keep in mind not all systems give you the same level of automation. Many providers use systems that allow them to send a bill electronically but require extensive data entry and manual edits. Investing in a system that allows seamless data transfer, electronic payment posting and real-time eligibility inquiries can add up to lower overhead and a quicker turnaround of payments. Also, using claim scrubbing technology can help reduce rebills and get cash in the door quicker.

Keeping up-to-date with changes in regulations and payer policies is also critical to a well-run practice. Many physicians assume their vendors will provide updates that will keep bills flowing out the door. However, that isn’t always the case.

Check with vendors to make sure they have plans in place to meet regulatory requirements before deadlines and to allow for adequate testing time. Many practices found their clearinghouses and billing software weren’t prepared for the HIPAA 5010 changes and were unable to bill for a period of time.

While avoiding cuts to reimbursement is something many providers believe is out of their control, there are some penalties that can be avoided. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is pushing providers toward electronic health records through penalties that

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grow over time. Currently, providers that do not e-prescribe are seeing a reduction in Medicare reimbursement of 1.5 percent, and it will grow to 2 percent in 2014. Starting in 2015, providers who have not adopted and are not meaningfully using an electronic health record will see Medicare reimbursements cut by 1 percent. That number will grow in subsequent years to 5 percent. For a practice that receives $500,000 in Medicare reimbursement annually, a 5 percent reduction amounts to $25,000 a year. Providers should implement a system now to take advantage of up to $63,750 in incentives and avoid the penalties before it is too late.

Physician practices are often multimillion-dollar businesses but are sometimes run like much smaller entities. Analyzing practice revenue (net of contractual adjustments) and expenses monthly can help reduce creeping overtime costs and locate billing problems to address issues quickly. Monitoring standard metrics, such as days in accounts receivable and revenue per visit, along with monthly reviews of accounts receivable aging reports, will identify potential collection and profitability issues.

Reviewing financials more frequently will allow practices to make changes quickly that will improve profits.

Another costly mistake providers often make is not reviewing and updating their charge structure. Many practices never increase fees even though insurance providers continually make updates. Over time, this can result in a physician losing money by charging less than some insurance companies allow. Experts recommend updating the charge structure every three to 12 months to keep up with reimbursements.

Even though the primary purpose of the physician’s office is to provide a service to the community, the underlying business side of things cannot be neglected. Simple things like shopping banks to see who will charge the least amount of fees and the implementation of technology in the office can have a major impact on the bottom line. With so many changes taking place, if you sit back and wait to see how you are going to be affected, you may have waited too long. Business-savvy practices will be the ones that survive and ultimately prosper during a tumultuous time in health care reimbursement. 

By Patrick Burrows

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Princeton Community Hospital – The First in West Virginia to Receive Breast MRI Accreditation.

Dana O. Olson, M.D. Diagnostic Radiologist Princeton Community Hospital

In November 2011, Princeton Community Hospital became the first hospital in West Virginia to receive breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) accreditation from the American College of Radiology (ARC).

Breast MRI Accredited Facilities in West Virginia Princeton Community Hospital is currently one of only two breast MRI accredited facilities in the state.

“The ACR gold seal for breast MRI accreditation is one more example of our commitment to improving the health and quality of life for the citizens of southern West Virginia and southwest Virginia.”

Dana O. Olson, M.D.

Because breast cancer is such a prevalent disease, it has become a primary focus of the Medical Imaging Department at Princeton Community Hospital. Breast MRI is a very sensitive exam that can detect malignancies at the earliest stages. A woman with a high probability for breast cancer, such as having several relatives who have had breast cancer, would be a primary candidate for a breast MRI. “For the confidence that our community has placed in us, I feel that I and other members of the medical staff must do the very best we can to give area residents the highest quality hospital possible,” stated Dr. Dana O. Olson, diagnostic radiologist.

Superior technology. Uncompromised care.

122 Twelfth Street • Princeton, West Virginia 24740-1369 Phone: 304.487.7000 • www.pchonline.org

Let’s Get Physical Marshall University’s New School of Physical Therapy On a warm spring day last May, Marshall University’s (MU) new School of Physical Therapy welcomed its inaugural class of 29 students while celebrating the opening of its new state-of-the-art facility with a gala ribboncutting ceremony.

It was a red-letter day for the ambitious program that was years in the making. Now students who have a baccalaureate degree and the prerequisite coursework can pursue an entry-level doctor of physical therapy degree. Forty students will be admitted annually to the threeyear program.

Their revamped 22,600-square-foot home in Huntington was specifically designed for the school by the construction staff at St. Mary’s Medical Center, with which Marshall has a collaborative arrangement for three of its College of Health Professions programs.

The new space has drawn enthusiastic reviews from Marshall officials.

“I have to pinch myself every once in a while to make sure this lovely space is really ours,” says Dr. Penny Kroll, professor and founding chair of the School of Physical Therapy. “I’ve never worked in such a well-appointed space with top-of-the-line physical therapy equipment, audio-visual systems, classrooms and technology.”

Dr. Michael Prewitt, dean of Marshall’s College of Health Professions, concurs. “The classrooms are equipped in a unique way,” he says. “Since it’s new, from the planning phase the classrooms were structured so they were technically enhanced, allowing students to study in a different way. It’s a made-to-order space.”

The unique features aren’t confined to just the spacious quarters. Classroom innovations and teaching techniques involving interdisciplinary and patient interaction are utilized as well. One student favorite that’s proven to be very effective is the use of trained actors simulating real patients in special seminar rooms. With cameras recording the sessions, Kroll says faculty can observe the students’ interactions with their “patients.”

“We can view the practical examination sessions on our office computers and speak to the students to provide guidance during

New Facility and Equipment Contribute to Students’ Education

A Marshall physical therapy student measures wrist range of motion.

the interaction,” she says. “This interactive exam setup, which is very popular with our students, is made possible through the wonderful technology we have here in our new space.”

Even before they get to the full-time clinical internships that are part of the program, students take the methods they’ve learned in the classroom into clinics, where they interact with actual patients. From as early as the first fall semester in the program, part of the coursework requires that students periodically visit area clinics where they interview patients, gather medical data, take vital signs and conduct a variety of other tests and measures.

A goal of MU’s College of Health Professions is to move in the direction of interprofessional practice, according to Prewitt.

“Physical therapy is not just training in isolation; they’re training with physicians, nurses and other allied health professions in a clinical setting,” he says. “We’re in the midst of developing a clinical or classroom curriculum for interdisciplinary training. Too often we train allied professions students in isolation, then we expect them to work with other health care professionals when we don’t really train for that. Physical therapy, along with our other programs, will be part of this training, and that’s a unique aspect of this program.”

Marshall President Stephen Kopp has emphasized the need for an accredited physical therapy program in this region for some time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook through 2020, employment for physical therapists is expected to increase by nearly 40 percent for the decade 2010-2020, a growth much greater than the average for other occupations. Much of that need is driven by the rapidly aging baby boomer population, according to Kroll.

“With the increase in the aging population, there’s a tremendous need for physical therapists in the Appalachian region and particularly in West Virginia. Clinicians tell me it takes nine months to two years to fill an open position. Our graduates have the potential to make a very nice living because there are opportunities not only in this region but across the country.”

There are areas of patient care needed literally from birth to the end of life, according to Kroll, an enthusiastic cheerleader for the profession she champions. “There’s such a wide range of what you can do as a physical therapist. Therapists can work in neonatal care, with geriatric patients, with sports and orthopedic injuries as well as in health and wellness maintenance. That’s what’s exciting about physical therapy as a career.”

There’s another big plus for the Marshall program, Prewitt says. “We’re a big bargain, by far, when compared to other physical therapy programs in the region. Compared to others’ tuition costs, we’re really quite reasonable.”

Marshall University’s School of Physical Therapy has achieved Candidacy for Accreditation status from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education and expects to gain full accreditation in May 2015. 

By Pat Dickson Photography by Rick Haye and Marshall University

www.wvexecutive.com

winter 2013

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Caring for You in Nature’s Playground

Serving one of the most geographically challenging counties in the state, Pocahontas Memorial Hospital takes pride in delivering top-quality health care for its citizens’ needs. In addition, our county is visited by 1 million people each year. No one wants to think about having to visit a hospital when they are on vacation, but you can take comfort in the fact that Pocahontas Memorial Hospital is here to help if you need us. Your health and well-being are our top priority.

We are truly “caring for you in nature’s playground.”

Excellence in Community-Based Health Care • 24-Hour Emergency Care and Ambulance Service

• Medical clinical lab with same-day test results

• Level IV Trauma Center

• 24-hour respiratory services

• 7-Day-a-Week Rural Health Clinic for family health care needs

• Swing bed services

• CT scans, diagnostic X-rays and ultrasounds

• Acute and respite care

Visit our Web site at www.pmhwv.org for department information, events calendar and our most recent job postings.

US 219 south of Marlinton, at 150 Duncan Road (304) 799-7400 www.pmhwv.org

Located on US Route 219—12 miles north of Watoga State Park and 31 miles south of Snowshoe Mountain Resort

re a C h t l Hea ing t e k r a M of l a v i r r The A edia Social M

The funny thing about change is that while it is the one constant in life and business, many people resist it. Some resist it so strongly, they wake up one morning to find the whole world around them has changed and they must try to catch up if it isn’t too late. Change occurs in every industry, and it is rapidly emerging with how hospitals, health systems, physician group practices and specialty clinics promote their services, physicians and health and wellness information to the public at large.

Such is what we are now witnessing with regard to social media within the health care industry all over the country, and West Virginia is no exception. Just five years ago, social media was virtually nonexistent in hospitals and physician group practices.

In fact, the first hospital Twitter presence was St. Jude Children’s Hospital who sent out their first tweet on October 23, 2007.

On Facebook today, the Mayo Clinic has a following of nearly 295,000 and the Cleveland Clinic has more than 190,000 with the number of people “talking about this” exceeding 24,000.

According to Lee Aase, director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media, “Social media provides powerful communication tools that are having a revolutionary impact around the world. That’s why in 2005 we created the Social Media Health Network—for health care organizations to learn how the Mayo Clinic uses social media to promote health, fight disease and improve health care.”

An August 2012 poll performed by research firm PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 33 percent of U.S. consumers use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to seek health information. In addition, according to a recent presentation at the Health Care New Media Conference, 73 percent of patients search for medical information online just before or immediately following

a doctor’s visit, showing the value social media can provide if used effectively. By integrating social media into their health care marketing mix, providers are afforded a cost-effective opportunity to share accurate and timely information regarding symptoms, diseases, medications, treatments, organizational announcements and success stories in a forum that allows for an interactive dialogue between patients and qualified medical personnel.

In addition to being a source of information for patients and consumers, another important aspect of hospital and physician practice marketing is being an information resource for the mainstream media. Social media helps facilitate that process. In fact, according to PR Week, 70 percent of journalists used social networks this past year to assist in reporting as compared to 41 percent the year before. With numbers that high, it only makes sense for health care organizations to leverage social media channels in order to achieve valuable exposure as an industry expert.

For those hospitals and physician group practices that have not jumped on the social media bandwagon, it is not too late.

The process of establishing social media accounts is relatively simple, and they can be incorporated very cost-effectively into any existing marketing plan. The benefits are many. Social media serves as a consistent branding mechanism, provides the ability to ensure competitive positioning, acts as an online reputation management system, facilitates audience-building and serves as a supplement to more traditional advertising and public relations.

As we look to the future, it’s safe to say that more and more health care providers in every community will be jumping on the social media bandwagon, which means you can look for a hospital tweet coming soon to your town. 

By Jeff Barnes

www.wvexecutive.com

winter 2013

29

Childhood Obesity Treating the Underlying Factors It is a well-known fact that West Virginia is a leader in obesity. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Mountain State was ranked third in the U.S. in obesity in 2011. When children of school age, most often from impoverished households, are shown pictures of fruits and vegetables, they sometimes do not know the difference between the two. If the food isn’t battered and deep fried, there is often no interest. This way of eating and thinking could stem from West Virginia’s place as fifth in the nation in people living below the poverty level. It could also be related to things as simple as culture, tradition and love for comfort foods such as cornbread, fried potatoes and biscuits with gravy, and these habits are being passed down from generation to generation without any regard for their negative impact.

Often, socioeconomic factors play a vast role in this unhealthy way of life. In counties like McDowell and cities like Morgantown, a disproportionate number of people are living in poverty compared to the rest of the state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. These children and their caregivers at times are recipients of Medicaid, social security and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that limit their spending where nutrition is concerned. Alcohol, tobacco and drugs can be deemed more important to some, and monetary scraps are left only to purchase unhealthy fast food choices and convenience store snacks.

Future costs for the middle class in the Mountain State will rise primarily because health-related issues will increase. People who suffer from obesity are also more likely to suffer from other illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney failure, cancer and even mental illness. In addition to having depression, low self-esteem and borderline intellectual function, some of the affected children also have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, mood disorders and various types of schizophrenia.

The Mental Health Component Psychiatrists often place these children on medications to help with their diagnoses, and one of the more popular ones prescribed is Risperdal®, an antipsychotic. Medications like Risperdal can have adverse metabolic reactions that give children voracious appetites and create excess thirst, which is often mistaken for hunger. Children with borderline intellectual functioning are generally hungrier than children who do not have this challenge, and food tends to give them a moment of self-gratification. While this makes them feel better instantaneously, it fades away quickly.

Therapy—whether family, group or individual—and education in its various forms are recommended for these children and preferably before medications are prescribed. Psychiatrists, psychologists, clinics, schools and even churches can provide these services. Parents and guardians of children suffering from these problems can contact their local Department of Health and Human Resources, their health care provider, the special education department of a local school or a church for information on where to receive these beneficial services.

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west virginia executive

The Nutrition Component In lower socioeconomic households, foods rich in carbohydrates that satisfy suddenly but wear off fast, leaving one feeling sluggish and hungrier than before, are more common because they are cheaper, quicker to prepare and can be stored for longer periods of time.

When one is depressed, he or she is not as active. The body and mind become stressed, and cortisol levels increase when the body is strained. This creates lowered immunity, blood sugar imbalances like hyperglycemia, high blood pressure, a suppressed thyroid function and fat stores to the abdominal area. When one is worried and has depression, sleep patterns are also affected, causing a once restful night’s sleep to be suddenly interrupted.

Melatonin or another drug of choice is often used to offset the side effects of the psychotropic drug already being prescribed.

The educational system plays an important part—if not the only part—of some children’s daily nutritional intake. Nurses and dieticians collaborate with the board of education to diligently plan menus that look closely at portion size, calories, fat, sodium, fiber, carbohydrates and sugar content—all key components for a healthy lifestyle. While school breakfast and lunch will be the only complete meals some children in our state will receive each day, these meals can be free of charge. Local schools can provide the information to apply. Some counties, such as Wyoming, currently provide free meals to all children in school. Outside of school, community food pantries, the Women, Infants and Children Program and the Department of Health and Human Resources can help find options that best fit the needs of parents or guardians when it comes to feeding their children.

It is imperative that all people reach out to children facing hard times. If everyone does their part to report abuse and neglect, educate parents and children about nutrition and work to provide these necessary services to children and the adults who care for them, the impact on these children will be immeasurable. Certain situations can be reversed and these kids can grow into healthy, happy, well-rounded adults who will, in turn, become outstanding, functional members of West Virginia’s work force. 

By Laura Kirk

There’s no place like home.

Since 1974, Rainelle Medical Center has served Southern West Virginia with a multi-generational staff of health care providers— some who have been there since the facility opened.

Comprised of four school-based health center sites and two primary care centers, the not-for-profit center houses the only local mammography service for uninsured women, the only black lung program in the area and a fully equipped lab. The center offers fulltime mental health services to area youth; a full-time 340B pharmacy and various vigorous patient assistance, case management and outreach programs to support the primary care services at the clinic.

Rainelle Medical Center is seeking quality medical professionals to assist with providing comprehensive health care to our community. We offer:

If you are interested in being a part of Rainelle Medical Center’s family, please contact us today by e-mailing our CEO/Executive Director Kristi Atha-Rader at KARader@ rmchealth.org, calling the center at (304) 438-6188 or mailing a cover letter and resume to the attention of Kristi Atha-Rader at Rainelle Medical Center, 645 Kanawha Ave., Rainelle, WV 25962.

Welcome Home • a stable work atmosphere • a great geographic location • competitive pay and exceptional benefits

Business Knowledge for the Health Care World clinicians, we have not equally prepared them for the business of dentistry.”

While the programs reflect innovative collaboration, there is significant benefit in graduating health care professionals Nick Vucurevich, a third-year pharmacy with business knowledge. WVU is one of only 47 schools in student at WVU. the country to offer a PharmD/MBA-type program, and one of only eight to offer such a program to dental students.

Nick Vucurevich, a 22-year-old who is a third-year pharmacy Providing Students in the health sciences at West Virginia University (WVU) will have a student at WVU, says he jumped at the opportunity to enroll Opportunity distinct career advantage when they venture in the PharmD/MBA program.

While out into the global marketplace—much“It definitely gives me confidence,” says Vucurevich. “Pharmacy Creating needed business knowledge. is a business, and if you know how to run the business you can Business- Collaboration between WVU’s College do things more efficiently. The beauty of this dual degree is you Prepared of Business and Economics and Robert have a lot of potential in several different areas of interest on Medical C. Byrd Health Sciences Center resulted the business side of things.”

Daniel Dafo, 41, is enrolled in the DDS/MBA program. He the creation of three tailored Master of Professionals in Business Administration (MBA) degrees in had been in business for 17 years and his plans had already 2012. Medical, pharmacy and dentistry students will benefit included obtaining an MBA. from dual degree programs created to enhance their business “You understand the clinical portion of your education, but knowledge through the MD/MBA, PharmD/MBA and DDS/ we didn’t have access to skills that prepared us to open our own MBA programs. practices,” says Dafo, who is from Ethiopia. “The percentage is very Why the emphasis on a business background in the medical high of dentists who open their own practices, so this is extremely arena? Arthur Ross, III, MD, MBA, dean of the WVU School beneficial. In the future, I see myself with a thriving practice.”

Dr. Jose Sartarelli, Milan Puskar dean of the WVU College of Medicine, says today’s world demands that professionals be business-savvy, and the medical profession is certainly no exception. of Business and Economics, worked with thousands of doctors “With increasing pressure due to changes in the medical during a 30-year career in the pharmaceutical industry with three industry, physicians will have to better understand the revenue Fortune 500 companies. He says he saw firsthand an appetite streams and cost implications of their practices or organizations. for business knowledge in the medical arena.

An MBA will increase their understanding of the business side “There is a need to increase the business knowledge of professionals, of medical practices, and that’s a huge plus,” says Ross. and this program addresses that need in the health care industry,” Deans of the School of Pharmacy and School of Dentistry says Sartarelli. “A very real hunger for this kind of knowledge exists agreed, emphasizing that the dual degrees will help open even in the medical community. Working across disciplines to provide more doors of opportunity and make for more business-prepared programs such as these will be incredibly beneficial to students.”

There are even more opportunities in the health care arena health care professionals.

“Providing our student pharmacists with this new degree will for West Virginia University, and those possibilities are being open the door to career opportunities explored. WVU’s business school is where financial planning and business currently working to develop dual degree Daniel Dafo, a nontraditional student at the WVU School of Dentistry. acumen are qualities that are needed in programs in partnership with the School certain health care and pharmaceutical of Public Health and School of Nursing. industry positions,” says Patricia Chase, “Students will be much better equipped PhD, the Gates Wigner dean of the WVU to meet the demands of the industry today,” School of Pharmacy.

Sartarelli says. “Having the knowledge of “This collaborative partnership business principles will give these graduates between the WVU School of Dentistry a true competitive edge and will provide the and the College of Business and needed understanding of business where it Economics offers WVU dental students simply had not been offered before now.”  a critical piece of education most dental schools have lacked for years,” says

By Patrick Gregg David Felton, DDS, MS. “While we Photography by Brian Persinger/ educate students to be very good West Virginia University-University Relations Photography 32

west virginia executive

In today’s highly competitive environment, it pays to ensure your most valuable resources are well-managed. WesMar HR Consulting can be your HR department or work to supplement it. Whether you need us to become a part of your culture or simply work in the background to help complete a project or to increase your staff’s skill level, we can help.

When you hire WesMar, you aren’t just hiring an outside consultant. You are hiring an on-call, as-needed staff member who cares about your business and its most important resource: its employees. WesMar focuses on the unique characteristics of your company and its culture to ensure our human resource solutions seamlessly integrate into your operations and maximize your business objectives.

Let us help you harness a competitive edge in your marketplace or take your company to the next level by increasing your productivity. And, while we’re at it, we’ll create a desirable work environment to decrease attrition and attract new talent.

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Business owners all over the country have watched costs—from health care and taxes to electricity and gasoline—continue to rise while the hesitancy of recession-weary consumers lingers. These days, households and businesses alike are looking for ways to run more effectively while cutting unnecessary costs to keep overhead down, and for many, energy efficiency continues to be a significant factor in meeting these goals.

Energy efficiency is more than saving money and protecting the environment, though. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, energy efficiency can also contribute to employee productivity while reducing costs and increasing value. Few other changes in

the business community have the same multidimensional impact as becoming energy efficient.

While it doesn’t happen overnight, it also doesn’t have to be a nightmare.

HSC of Beckley is a multifaceted West Virginia company with a BUILDING AUTOMATION & CONTROLS division that offers a smooth transition to energy efficiency. With a background in the coal mining industry, HSC is passionate about energy and finding ways to help their neighbors use it effectively while saving money.

HSC has the tools to show a business where they stand in terms of energy usage and guide them toward more efficient operations that result in cost savings for the business’s bottom line.

Going Green with HSC

By Jennifer Jett

Tom Hughes, President, HSC

Tom Hughes, a native of Pax, WV, began his career in the coal mining industry in the 1970s before deciding to fulfill a longtime desire to be a business owner. In 1985, he founded Hughes Supply Company, known today as HSC. Since then, he has continued to provide communications equipment to coal mines while diversifying the company’s services and growing his business. Today, the proof of his success in business ownership lies in three divisions, more than 70 employees and clients in West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky. Passionate about giving back to his community, Tom serves on boards for the West Virginia Workforce Investment Board, New River Community & Technical College, Wyoming County Careers and Technology, Fayette Institute of Technology and the Pax Volunteer Fire Department. He also has a strong desire to see HSC partner with vocational-technical schools to provide new learning opportunities for the members of the future work force, including HVAC training and even a bachelor’s degree in energy management.

John Hughes, Director, Building Automation & Controls

John Hughes, a native of Fayetteville, WV, is HSC’s director of BUILDING AUTOMATION & CONTROLS and MECHANICAL SERVICES. John began working for his father at HSC at the age of 16, cleaning electrical coal mining equipment. Before becoming a company director, John worked his way up in the company dealing on-site with mining customers, overseeing operations of a Morgantown office, assisting in growing the BUILDING AUTOMATION & CONTROLS division and establishing other HSC energy divisions such as MECHANICAL SERVICES. A graduate of West Virginia University, he holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in business administration.

HSC began in 1985 as Hughes Supply Company, a small, one-man operation in Pax, WV. At that time HSC was a sales and service company performing general electrical repairs and selling/ repairing mine related communications products and electrical components. Tom Hughes, the founder, quickly grew the company to 10 employees, and HSC remained that size until 2008 when it began to diversify its services. In 2008, HSC purchased Industrial Electric and Air Tech Tools, which created HSC’s INDUSTRIAL division, and began providing electrical engineering and contracting, controls and automation engineering and industrial tools sales and services. The acquisitions of new staff, products and services jump-started a period of fast-paced growth. However, it was the addition of the BUILDING AUTOMATION & CONTROLS division in 2008 that seemed to bring the company back full circle to its energy roots.

Going green isn’t just lip service at HSC. The company has invested in solar panels on its roof for generating electricity and soon for heating water because, as John Hughes, director of BUILDING AUTOMATION & CONTROLS, says, everyone is directing their attention toward energy efficiency.

“If you look around the country—and the world—everyone is going green. It makes sense to do so. If you have the technology to make buildings, systems and procedures more efficient, why not do it? Going green not only means using renewable energy sources. It means using technology and systems, like Automated Logic, in a manner to make a company or a school system run in a better, more efficient way.”

With more than 70 employees, HSC has extended its reach beyond the coal industry into a variety of private businesses and industries, including K-12, health care and state and federal clients. Today, in addition to communications equipment, HSC offers some of the best HVAC and building automation systems in the state.

Buildings use a lot of energy, and the green technologies provided by HSC can help bring that cost down. HSC technicians are able to go into a building, look at the systems—heating, cooling and lighting—that use the most energy and measure their energy use. They then come up with a solution to help the customer save energy and money. These solutions may involve new windows, insulation, efficient lighting, solar panels or a new building automation system that will shut down the building when no one is around, saving a lot of money on utility bills.

HSC has always been synonymous with two things: diversification and the energy industry. Tom is now joined by his wife, Jane, and son, John, to manage three divisions of various specialty services: INDUSTRIAL, MECHANICAL SERVICES and BUILDING AUTOMATION & CONTROLS.

John says green technology and its related systems, like Automated Logic, have even saved jobs. “County schools can retain teachers and staff, spend more money on education or pay higher wages to teachers, and businesses can help fund projects that will help make them more successful.

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Green technology is the future, it’s efficient and it helps West Virginia, and that’s why HSC provides it.”

Efficiency is the first thing a business owner should look at when considering a transition to green energy, and HSC can provide an assessment or energy audit to provide the data needed.

While some things can be easily assessed, other elements of the building’s efficiency may require a study and development of a more thorough plan.

“For instance,” says Tom, “replacing an old furnace with a new energy-efficient model may help, but if the heat is just going up through the roof anyway, this isn’t the most accurate solution.”

Energy consumption is a necessity, and energy prices will continue to rise.

Energy management like that provided by HSC helps communities and businesses be more energy efficient while also practicing financial responsibility. For more information on how you can make your business, school or community more energy efficient and save money, contact HSC today.

Foundation to the Future

What began as a one-man show in 1985 has blossomed into a family affair—one that is led by a father-son duo who share a strong love for the coal community and a deep respect for customers. As HSC continues to grow and diversify, John Hughes will gradually take on more responsibility until the torch of ownership is passed from his father.

Tom, his father, knows the future of the company is in good hands.

“At some point I’ll bow out and it will become John’s company,” he says.

“Where he takes it will be up to him.

He’s seen the way I’ve always run a business, and he believes in being honest and fair, providing service and making the customer happy.”

John doesn’t focus on becoming the president, but he does feel that his experience, his education and his father’s leadership have prepared him for the next step. “My MBA helped give me a foundation, but the biggest thing has been watching my father over the years. Seeing how he runs the business—that has helped me tremendously.” One of the most important things his father has taught him is to be creative and always think about different ways of creating business or coming up with a solution.

John’s already thinking about ways to further grow the business. While he hopes the newest division, MECHANICAL SERVICES, will really take off in the next year, he would also like to see HSC represent higher efficiency HVAC equipment in addition to the controls. He also wants HSC employees to be seen as experts in energy efficiency.

One thing that will always remain the same is HSC’s philosophy on customer satisfaction. “The products you offer are important, but the after-purchase service you provide is also important.

When it comes to service, I want the customer to feel like they can call us at any time, night or day,” says John. “If they have a problem, I want to fix it.

That is how HSC got to where we are.”

“With Automated Logic’s WebCTRL, I save time and money while managing all of our energy needs.

The system works with multiple vendors and has a great interface, and HSC’s service is always just a phone call away. I do not believe scheduling could be much easier with as many buildings and zones as I have. When school is called off for snow, I can manage all schools on the system in 30 minutes from one location—that is $6,000 worth of savings!

Being able to check temperatures from home is priceless. I can use the trending graphs and other monitors to diagnose a problem before I have to make a service call. Over the past four years, this system has saved us more than $300,000 a year.

This is money we have been able to put toward salaries, benefits, extra staff support, et cetera.”

—Terry Tilley, Energy Manager, Wyoming County Schools “You couldn’t ask for a better company with better people than HSC. HSC has saved our church $4,500 in utility bills per year. When our church had an emergency situation with our control system, we knew who to call. HSC was able to wire a temporary fix in order for us to have church that same week.”

—Stan Norman, United Methodist Church Board Member “As an HSC customer for 25 years, Danese Public Service District has appreciated the responsiveness of HSC technicians in meeting their needs.

We really like dealing with HSC because no matter what time of day we call them, they answer our call and do everything possible to get us back up and running. HSC has a well-trained and very knowledgeable staff. Once I had two variable frequency drives blow up at my booster station and I could not get water pumped to the tank that supplied our customers. I called HSC at 5:30 a.m. and a technician was down at the site and temporarily got us back up and running within four hours from the time I placed the call. In fact, we are so pleased with HSC we have never used anyone else on electrical service or programming.”

—Ted Rider, Danese Public Service District Plant Operator “ALC is far above other control systems with its capability to quickly give you an overall view of how efficient your buildings and equipment are performing and its ability to draw attention to any abnormal conditions that require immediate attention. One of the features I like best about Automated Logic’s WebCTRL (building automation system) is their thermograpic overlay functionality. The thermographic floor plans with just a glance quickly display the status of multiple floors and buildings by showing comfort levels and operating conditions.”

—Dayton Wilson, Manager Physical Plant II, West Virginia State University

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DIVISIONS:

INDUSTRIAL • Controls & Automation • Communications • Electrical Engineering & Contracting • Tools

INDUSTRIAL: Controls & Automation - Provider of control system engineering, design, installation, start-up and support services to water, wastewater, mining and industrial clients who operate tanks, pumps, booster and lift stations.

BUILDING AUTOMATION & CONTROLS (BAC) MECHANICAL SERVICES

LOCATIONS: Beckley 300 Rural Acres Drive Beckley, WV 25081 (304) 252-1918 (office) (304) 929-2599 Mechanical Services Only (304) 252-6411 (fax) Hurricane 3861 Teays Valley Road Hurricane, WV 25526 (304) 757-8643 (office) (304) 757-8713 (fax) Oak Hill (304) 469-2838 Mechanical Services Only info@hscindustrial.com

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Products: Field Instrumentation, Cell Phone Base Controllers, Chemical Pumps & Feed Systems, Pumps, Pump Controls, SCADA & Telemetry Controls and SCADA Front-end

INDUSTRIAL: Communications- Provider of reliable communications products and systems designed for users to communicate quickly, effectively and enhance work-place safety. Also provider of and integrated communications products for interoperability, specialty vehicular lighting and alarm other emergency vehicular products installations, as well as support services including, equipment troubleshooting, maintenance and parts replacement. Products: Two-way Mobile & Portable Radios, Satellite Communication Equipment, P25 Compatible Equipment, Interoperability Systems, Bi-directional Amplification Systems, Mine Communications & Tracking Systems, Telemetry Systems, Repeaters, Vehicular Lighting and Vehicular Alarm Products

INDUSTRIAL: Electrical Engineering & Contracting- Licensed electrical contractor providing engineering, design, construction and installation of custom electrical products and systems. HSC also provides instrumentation for automated processes (coal, water, wastewater, aggregate, material handling, environmental control) and provides field support, troubleshooting, maintenance and repair services. HSC is an authorized electrical components dealer offering a fully stocked electrical component warehouse and the largest Weidmueller distributor in WV. Products: Electrical Components, Instrumentation, Real Time Data Delivery System Equipment (HMI, SCADA, EM and Control), Electronic & Pneumatic Control Systems, Fiber Optic Cable Systems, Electrical Motor Control Centers (MCC’s), Variable Speed Drives (VFD’s), Energy Management & Monitoring Equipment, Soft Start Motor Controllers, Power Distribution Equipment & Systems, Power Generation Equipment, Transfer Switches, Voltage Regulation Equipment, Power Factor Correction Equipment, Battery Charging & Generator Units and Solar Charging Units, Control Panels, Telemetry & SCADA Systems, Programmable Logic Controllers and Enclosures

INDUSTRIAL: Tools- Provider of air and electric industrial tools distribution, service and repairs. HSC is a factory authorized warranty repair center for various product manufacturers and an official distributor for Bosch, Ingersoll Rand, Chicago Pneumatic, Sioux Tools and others. HSC also offers an extensive on-site inventory, as well as obsolete parts location services. Covered tools: Construction,

Automotive, Compressors, Electric, Cordless, Air Tools, Nailers, Staplers, Riveters and Water Sanders

BUILDING AUTOMATION & CONTROLS (BAC): HSC is an authorized dealer for Automated Logic. Automated Logic’s WebCTRL building automation software provides the ability to perform building control, global management, energy management, remote monitoring, scheduling, reporting, benchmarking, troubleshooting and other functions to manage energy consumption without sacrificing comfort. Services: Energy Audits, Engineering, Scope Development, Product

& System Specifications, System Architecture & Network Design, System Assessments, Energy Analysis & Modeling, Programming & Configuration, System Integration, Installation, Start-up & Commissioning, Routine Maintenance, System Troubleshooting, Remote Monitoring, Manufacturer Warranty Repairs and On-site Client System Training

www.hscindustrial.com www.hscbac.com

MECHANICAL SERVICES: Provider of managed care services for commercial and residential heating and cooling systems. HSC is an authorized dealer for Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems and American Standard. HSC is also a factory authorized dealer for Panasonic/ Sanyo for both service and installation of VRF systems. Services: Managed Care Maintenance, Servicing, Troubleshooting, Repair, Replacement,

Record Keeping and Support Services Covered systems: Gas Packs, Air Handlers, Heat Pumps, AC Units, Rooftop Units, Split Systems and Ductless Split Systems

Photography by Tracy Toler

www.wvexecutive.com

winter 2013

39

By Samantha Ricketts

Here at Executive Ink,

we usually host two parties a year: the Energy Celebration to launch our annual energy issue in the spring and the Young Guns Reception each November. So, it’s time to fill you in on our most recent soirée! On November 15, the Young Guns Class of 2013 was inducted and our fall issue was launched at a beautiful reception at the Governor’s Mansion in Charleston.

Before the 10 honorees could be named at the awards ceremony, however, they were required to get down and dirty.

Our photo shoot this year took place at Adventures On the Gorge in Fayetteville.

The Class of 2013 was photographed while climbing equipment on the TimberTrek, swinging on rope bridges on the TreeTops Canopy Tour and walking on a narrow catwalk suspended in the air under the New River Gorge Bridge. Thankfully, everyone made it with their suits relatively clean and unwrinkled.

The reception, sponsored by Wells Fargo Insurance Services, the Greater Bridgeport CVB and Adventures On the Gorge, was a success. We look forward to seeing where the next great adventure takes this year’s class of promising leaders.

West Virginia Executive accepts Young Gun nominations throughout the year at www.wvexecutive.com. 

40

west virginia executive

West Virginia’s Land.

West Virginia’s People.

West Virginia’s Workforce: Trained. Invested. Available.

Everyone knows we builds roads, schools and power plants, but did you know we also build pipelines, processing facilities and compressor stations for the natural gas industry?

Our workers have the knowledge, skills and experience it takes to do the job— and do it best!

Given the chance, we excel.

West Virginia State Building & Construction Trades 600 Leon Sullivan Way Charleston, WV 25301

304-346-1367 www.wvsbt.org

2013 W V STATE PARKS: WHERE PEOPLE AND NATURE MEET

If the shot doesn’t take your breath away, the setting will.

Pete Dye Golf Club, West Virginia

Pacific Links offers National Memberships with access to more than 50 golf courses

Do you want a golf membership experience at more than 50 Pacific Links, Affiliate and Reciprocal courses? A Pacific Links National Membership is perfect for those individuals residing more than 75 miles from the club joined.

As the proud new owner of Pete Dye Golf Club, Pacific Links has planned 3.5 million dollars in Capital Improvements and introduced New Membership Programs including: Corporate, Young Executive and National categories with fees as low as $45 per month. Cost per month does not include taxes, monthly dues or minimums.

Visit pacificlinks.com (Nevada) 702 856 8458 or (West Virginia) 304 842 2801 membershipinquiries@thepacificlinks.com

HAWAII | LAS VEGAS | WEST VIRGINIA | CALIFORNIA | ASIA | AUSTRALIA | NEW YORK | FLORIDA | ARIZONA

Capitalize on West Virginia’s capital city!

Tourism is big business in Charleston, generating over $580 million in economic impact in Kanawha County and supporting over 5,000 local jobs. With your help, we can continue to bring new meetings, conventions and special events to the Charleston area. Use your professional, fraternal, social, religious, civic and competitive sports affiliations and help us Capitalize Charleston.

Are you ready to Capitalize Charleston?

Contact Tim Brady, Vice President of Sales tim.brady@charlestonwv.com

Hip, Historic... Almost Heaven • charlestonwv.com

Located at Charles Pointe, the Bridgeport Conference Center has it all—convenience, stateof-the-art amenities, location and elegance.

Whether you’re traveling for business or planning a wedding, the Bridgeport Conference Center is the right place at the right price.

300 Conference Center Way Bridgeport, WV 26330 304.808.3000 BridgeportConference.com

� Meetings & Conferences

� On- & Off-Site Catering

� Weddings & Receptions

� 200+ Rooms of On-Site Lodging

� Social Events

� On-site Wedding Planners

� Corporate Training

� Entertainment Coordination

� Indoor & Outdoor Venues

� Full Service Technology

� Accommodates 10-400

Published by Executive Ink, LLC Editor in Chief Kensie Hamilton Creative director Jennifer Jett SENIOR Graphic Designer Lisa Affolter Production assistant Samantha Ricketts

Business Development Vice President of Business Development Mark Lamborn markwvexecutive@aol.com • 304.543.2505 Business Development Amie Lamborn amiewvexecutive@aol.com • 304.345.5517 Business Development Marta Tankersley martaree123@gmail.com • 304.543.4676 Managing Member Linwood Hamilton lfh@wvexecutive.com • 304.543.4142

Employee turnover, poor communication and bad customer service

cost you how much last year?

Chuck Stump is an “Enter-Trainer.”

Since 1998, Chuck has presented over 1,300 fun and informative presentations in the areas of leadership, change management, individual and organizational behavior, client care, and communication. His seminars use over 27 years of hardlearned life lessons that help people change not only the way they think… but they way they act!

The Performance GrouP, Inc. We build your people, so your people can build your business!

304.757.8125 4

PGroup.US

WV E 201310% off Mention this Mad andP receive x e c u t i ve

ee t i n g

lanner

contributors Chuck Stump, Melanie George, Sissie Summers, Marianne Taylor, Bryan Ward, Catherine Breese, PJ Stevenson, WV Division of Tourism

Photography Steve Shaluta, WV Department of Commerce, American Mountain Theater, Laura Grace McCutcheon/McCutcheon & Co. LLC, John Ewing, Isaac Reese, Villasenor Photography, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Kelli Carrico Photography, Michele Coleman Photography, Sarah Garland Photography, Emily Porter Photography, Tim Ray Photography, West Virginia State Parks, J. Alex Lang, Susie Mullenax, Mark William Branciaroli, Joe Rosenthal, Terri Shifflett

Contact Us We welcome your inquiries. For advertising or information please call 304.941.0600 or e-mail kmh@wvexecutive.com.

Web Portal www.wvexecutive.com Subscribe online while visiting our site.

Executive Meeting Planner is published annually by Executive Ink, LLC, PO Box 6277, Charleston, WV 25362. All rights reserved. All contents are copyrighted by Executive Ink, LLC. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission from Executive Ink, LLC is expressly forbidden and punishable by law.

Executive Meeting Planner is not responsible for unsolicited materials. All opinions expressed within Executive Meeting Planner belong to the feature’s author and are not necessarily the opinions of the publishers or Executive Ink, LLC employees.

Executive Meeting Planner and Executive Ink, LLC reserve the right to refuse any idea, material or subject matter, especially those of racist, sexist, pornographic or religiously derogating intent.

Throughout this issue, trademarked names are used. Rather than denoting a trademark symbol in every occurrence of a trademarked name, Executive Meeting Planner uses the names in an editorial fashion with no infringement. All trademarked names are still fully protected and anyone who uses them without permission will be prosecuted.

“Meeting”

Your Needs

The Quality Inn® hotel is just four miles from the Greenbrier Valley Airport and offers its guests free airport transportation (contact the hotel for more details). Area attractions like the Lost World Caverns, Pyne Mountain Farm and Beartown State Park are close by.

Historic Lewisburg is minutes away and offers a cornucopia of landmarks dating back to Colonial America and has a number of Civil War historic sites as well. There are many entertainment venues, shopping centers and restaurants in the surrounding area.

Corporate travelers will welcome additional conveniences including a business center, public computer with Internet access, and copy and fax service. Boasting nine banquet and meeting rooms that accommodate up to 400 people, this Lewisburg, WV hotel is perfect for hosting intimate gatherings or large group events.

540 North Jefferson Street • Lewisburg, WV, 24901 Phone: (304) 645-7722 • Fax: (304) 645-7865

Area attractions like the Lost World Caverns, Pyne Mountain Farm and Beartown State Park are close by.

THE FEATURES

The Features 10 12 14 17 26

Meeting Technology Unplugged Melanie George

7 Reasons to Hire a Facilitator Chuck Stump

Get Those Feet Moving!

Sissie Summers

A Blueprint for Growth

West Virginia Division of Tourism

27 30 32 38 44

A Bird’s-Eye View Marianne Taylor

West Virginia Independence Hall Bryan Ward & Catherine Breese

WV Meeting Site Analysis

The Playground of the East PJ Stevenson

High-Five Wedding Photographers Jennifer Jett & Samantha Ricketts

Tourism on the Move

Jennifer Jett & Samantha Ricketts

20 Upbeat

34 Riding the

in an Economic Downturn

Rails in West Virginia

2013

24 A Foundation of Stone

W V STATE PARKS: WHERE PEOPLE AND NATURE MEET

About the Cover A compilation of photos of the exciting activities and beautiful scenery found in West Virginia State Parks.

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W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

Greenbrier Valley Visitors Center Rahall Conference Room

Whether it’s business or social, the Greenbrier Valley offers meeting and event accommodations to fit every planner’s needs. From the luxuries of The Greenbrier to the unique venues throughout the valley, an assortment of options await you.

LEWISBURG

•

To request a Destination Planning Guide, call 888-820-0053 or email info@greenbrierwv.com.

www.greenbrierwv.com

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS

•

RONCEVERTE

•

ALDERSON

•

RAINELLE

The State Fair Event Center is a wonderful location for special events of any size, with more than 40,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space and acres of outdoor exhibit space. With a variety of venues that can be adjusted for almost any group size, the staff will work with you to make your event one to remember. Visit www.statefairofwv.com and click on the Event Planning section to view the venue offerings.

West Virginia Building

•

State Fair of West Virginia

Meeting Technology

Meeting Technology

Unplugged Melanie George

N

o doubt most people have heard the trademark Apple tagline “There’s an app for that.” As it turns out, they aren’t kidding. Gone are the days of frantically making changes before agendas and conference materials go to print—sometimes weeks before the event is scheduled to start. No longer do you have to worry about not having enough handouts for the 30 extra people who decide to attend a meeting. More and more planners are opting to avoid these problems by using new meeting technology and everything it has to offer.

Briefcases have been replaced by smartphones, tablets and laptops, and the technology available to planners and attendees has grown exponentially in the past few years. With its ease of use and availability, why not take advantage and save time and money while being environmentally conscious?

Meeting attendees now have so many more options than just a pen and paper, like special digital pens that transpose every note taken into a word processing document and free apps for your smartphone or tablet that allow you to take meeting notes or make a quick seating plan to track attendance while simultaneously recording everything being said. Meeting-goers are able to save and keep all of their important notes on one conveniently organized device.

Event planners can also benefit from recent technological advances. Event-issued apps make it easier than ever to electronically distribute agendas, PowerPoint slides, pamphlets or even surveys to any attendee with a mobile gadget with the ability to download applications. Also, one of the most costly parts of a conference is the registration stage, including direct mail pieces, advertising and credit card merchant fees. By supplementing with social networking, online registration and even event applications for smartphones or tablets, organizations save money and time, and all are available at low to no cost. Even after an event has begun and late registrants appear, there is now the ability to scan credit cards and deposit checks right from a smartphone.

In years past, if an individual was unable to attend a meeting but was a vital part of the event, the only solution was a speakerphone. Today, with an Internet connection and a free video conferencing application, individuals with tablets or smartphones can attend a meeting from anywhere in the world. Some of these applications have recently introduced group video calling, allowing up to 10 people to virtually attend the meeting.

Using the smartphone itself to distribute information has also become a new trend. Projectors are large, heavy and awkward, so why not purchase a device that turns your smartphone into a projector for half the cost of a true projector?

You can also set your smartphone up on a tripod to record a high-definition video of an important panel discussion.

These types of technology are becoming so commonplace that if they are not used, conference attendees may wonder if the planners are behind the times. While most of this technology is free and easy to use, some does involve an initial cost. The return on investment, however, can be seen almost immediately. Working with these types of technology allows events to be more time-efficient, budget-conscious and green. With so many options available and technology changing by the minute, the meeting opportunities are endless.

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W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

2013

win tickets for the Cass Scenic Railroad

How well do you know your state parks?

W V STATE PARKS: WHERE PEOPLE AND NATURE MEET

Test your knowledge for a chance to win two tickets on the Cass Scenic Railroad. Six winners will be chosen! Use the front cover and West Virginia State Parks ad on the inside back cover of EMP 2013 for help in identifying the eight numbered state park pictures. Go online at www.wvexecutive.com and click the contest banner to fill in your answers. Contest ends April 5, 2013.

Professional Facilitator

Reasons to Hire a

Professional Facilitator Chuck Stump

A

lmost everyone in the business world has experienced their share of the millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of hours wasted each year in meetings that fail to achieve their intended results. If your organization lacks someone with the experience and expertise to lead your group’s next high-stakes meeting, make sure your time and efforts don’t go to waste—hire a professional facilitator to help.

Here are seven reasons that a professional facilitator is well worth the investment.

Bringing in a professional sends a direct message to every participant and stakeholder, as well as the entire organization, that your meeting is serious business. It shows expectations are high and achieving your goal is critical.

With a professional facilitator, everyone gets to participate and take ownership of the results.

Groups often forget that when they put one of their own leaders in front of the room, they typically sacrifice one of their most valuable participants. The facilitator’s job is singular in nature: to strictly manage the process without adding his or her ideas or opinions in terms of the discussions or content. It is almost impossible for a vested insider to separate the two and be an effective, impartial facilitator.

The facilitator’s main purpose is to focus solely on managing the meeting process. As a truly neutral party, his or her role is to help you carefully consider and prepare for every aspect of your meeting.

Working with your facilitator, you will make sure no stone goes unturned and surprises are eliminated. What is your meeting’s targeted goal? How much is your budget? How will you carefully communicate this meeting’s specific purpose and scope? Who might be impacted by your decisions? Based on these answers, who must attend or at least be represented?

Which location will create the right environment and provide all of the necessary amenities? How long will the meeting last? What will the agenda include in terms of group activities, possible expert presentations, managed discussions and brainstorming activities? How will decisions that are made be recorded and assigned to ensure proper follow-up? Once the meeting day arrives, the facilitator’s primary role becomes managing the group and making sure they stick to the agenda.

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W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

A professional facilitator has a library of resources and proven tools to keep energy high and ideas flowing. In their certification and training, facilitators are exposed to a plethora of icebreakers, brainstorming tools and other activities specifically designed to energize participants and engage their minds. The cornerstone of their arsenal is ground rules that will create a level playing field and make sure everyone’s ideas and opinions are heard.

A professional facilitator will challenge your paradigms. It is common for meeting planners to avoid conflict by not inviting certain stakeholders that are perceived as difficult or seem to have an opposing viewpoint. If they are not included, your meeting will most likely be in vain as they may work even harder to derail any plans you create. A good facilitator will make sure they are included and controlled.

Having a facilitator will minimize disruptions, discourage challenging behaviors and keep egos in check. Most groups have one or more individuals with a reputation for intimidating others and challenging new ideas. To successfully practice their craft, facilitators must master communication techniques that allow them to tactfully manage—and hopefully prevent— any conflict or disruptive behavior that may occur. These skills, when combined with the authority given to the facilitator, can be leveraged to prevent your meeting from being hijacked or disrupted.

A professional facilitator will help the group reach a consensus and formalize decisions. Good discussion is one thing, but the intention of your meeting is to get results. Your facilitator will know when the group is ready to put things in writing and make sure decisions are clearly communicated to everyone.

Your time and your reputation are far too valuable to take chances on meetings that don’t accomplish results. Knowing when to hire a professional facilitator can protect them both.

If you don’t already have a professional facilitator in your network, simply ask one of your trusted business partners to recommend one. They will become an invaluable resource.

Meet Greet

www.charlestonwvciviccenter.com

The Center of Meetings and Conventions!

When it’s time to get serious, we’re the place in the region to meet, greet and eat! Nineteen versatile meeting rooms and 86,000 square feet of Class A meeting and exhibition space.

In-house catering for 25 to 2,500. Superb attention to detail.

Easy access to the state’s best shopping, attractions, and accommodations. Contact us at 304.345.1500 to learn more!

Anna Campbell, Sales Director anna.campbell@charlestonwvciviccenter.com

Eat!

active in the mountain state West Virginia State Parks and Forests are the perfect places to get kids moving.

With endless outdoor recreation options, children—and adults—will find ample opportunities to explore, learn, imagine, compete, get moving and have fun in ways that are affordable for every wallet.

Get Those Feet Moving!

Get Those

Feet

Moving!

Sissie Summers

T

he time has come to break the spell of technology and re-energize children with physical recreation. There’s a wild world beyond the front door with fun to be had in running, playing and socializing with friends face to face. Getting kids off the couch and out into the fresh air will not only jump-start imaginations but will also provide the exercise growing bodies need.

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W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

Hiking and biking are two great ways to get kids going because they involve things kids already know: walking and pedaling. With over 800 miles of hiking and biking trails in West Virginia’s park system, it’s not hard to find a place to do both. Ranging from short, paved trails and scenic overlooks like the one found at Blackwater Falls to more strenuous treks like the path to Cranny Crow at Lost River or Ann Bailey Trail and Lookout Tower at Watoga State Park, there’s a hiking or biking path for all ages and skill levels.

Mountain biking opportunities are in no short supply in the Mountain State.

Watters Smith, Twin Falls and two rail trails—North Bend and Greenbrier River Trail—are just some of the many trails open to mountain bikers. The terrain and scenic beauty of overlooks and ridgelines offer novice to long-distance options. Trail maps are posted on each park’s Web site for reference.

For those who prefer to keep their feet on the ground, the West Virginia State Park Hiking Program invites individuals to visit parks and forests to walk or hike when possible. A $10 participation fee for the program yields a packet of trail maps and a log card. A hiking stick is the reward for completing the first 25 logged miles, and additional awards are given as additional goals—mileage in increments of 50 and 100—are met.

All Aboard!

Depart from the mainland and set out on a high-seas adventure—all from the safety of a state park lake! Many state parks offer paddle boating, canoeing and kayaking, all of which are a great workout for adventurers of all ages.

Tygart Lake is the ultimate kayaking lake during mid-week when the boats are not prominent, and at the 305-acre North Bend, whether you’re in a canoe or kayak, there is a sense of being watched by the wild animals along the shoreline and in the wooded areas.

Disc Golf Gone Wild Whether you call it “Frisbee Gone 21st Century” or “Golf Revisited,” disc golf is a growing outdoor recreation pursuit.

There are five disc courses in play in West Virginia’s state park system: Greenbrier State Forest, Tomlinson Run State Park, Chief Logan Recreation Center, Pipestem Resort and Stonewall Resort. While Pipestem Resort requires a small user fee, the other courses are open to the public for play at no cost, weather permitting.

“Anyone can play disc golf,” says Greenbrier State Forest Superintendent Jeff Layfield. In this sport, individuals can participate at their own level and take breaks as needed. For children who haven’t spent a lot of time playing sports or who are healing from injuries, disc golf could be a great way to get them acclimated to an active lifestyle.

Greenbrier State Forest hosts regular players who use the course as part of rehabilitation exercising after surgery.

“Initially the goal was installing a new outdoor recreation amenity at the forest, but what we have witnessed through play is a life-improving activity,” says Layfield.

Geocaching Geocaching—it’s like a treasure hunt with an electronic map, and what kid wouldn’t enjoy that? The Cedar Chest at Cedar Creek or Stone Gate at Cacapon Resort state parks are just two of more than 80 geocaches located in West Virginia’s state parks that will lead treasure hunters on a quest through West Virginia’s diverse terrain.

get to be a treasure hunter and use technology. It gets us as a family outdoors and moving.” Caches are placed worldwide with their locations shared on the Internet. Then, others use the location coordinates to find them. Caches may contain treasures for the finder or just a guest book to sign to show you were there.

Clinton Cochran, the superintendent at Babcock State Park, is a geocacher.

“My children enjoy it because they

www . wve x e c u t i ve . c o m

15

active in the mountain state

Snow Sports Winter is a hard time to stay active, thanks to the cold, wet weather of our climate. Kids love a good snow day, though, and parks all over the state are able to bring snow days to kids practically on demand with sledding, tubing, snowboarding and skiing opportunities.

If you’re looking for old-fashioned sled riding fun on natural snow, you’ve come to the right place. Canaan Valley State Park has opened a new tube park, beginner’s ski area and updated downhill skiing. “It’s going to be such a great way to get youth and adults interested in skiing at their own pace before they hit the big slopes,” says Lisa Ratliff. The Canaan Valley Tube Park features up to 10 lanes and some of the longest runs in the eastern United States. Blackwater Falls State Park’s sled run has also been updated to include a people mover from the bottom of the slope to the top. Equipment rentals are available at both parks.

As it turns out, getting your kids off the couch, outside and active has really never been easier than at West Virginia’s state parks. More importantly, it provides an opportunity for adults of all ages to connect with the children in their lives in a natural, recreational, affordable environment.

For information on additional outdoor recreation opportunities to get your children moving, visit www. wvstateparks.com.

CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

HUNTINGTON MUSEUM OF ART

DOWNTOWN HUNTINGTON

HERITAGE FARM MUSEUM AND VILLAGE

RITTER PARK

Visit us in Huntington, WV - You’ll Be Glad You Did! Are you planning a meeting, wedding, reunion or event in the Huntington area? Let us help you! Whether it’s finding the right space, locating a caterer, or looking for exciting things to do while your group is in town, the Cabell-Huntington area has so much, so close! We can find the perfect space for you.

210 Eleventh Street | Downtown Huntington | 304.525.7333 | www.wvvisit.org/meetings

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W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

a blueprint for growth

West Virginia

Tourism A Blueprint for Growth

T

ourism in West Virginia accounts for roughly 44,400 jobs. Visitors to the state have a vast and diverse array of events, locations and activities from which to choose. It is not surprising, then, that the West Virginia Tourism Commission and the Tourism Advisory Committee recently released the results of a report entitled the “West Virginia Ten Year Tourism Plan,” a comprehensive plan to guide investment in and development of the state’s tourism industry over the next 10 years.

Growth in any economic sector requires ongoing attention and wise investment, and tourism is no exception. The West Virginia Legislature charged the Tourism Commission with reviewing the current tourism environment, exploring best practices and developing recommendations for the development of a blueprint for growth in the industry.

Given changes in demographics, leisure activity participation and visitor expectations, as well as an increasingly competitive environment from surrounding states, the path to growth must be well thought out and deliberate in order to further the state’s tourism potential. The quality that visitors expect, from the availability of good pre-trip information, attractions and accommodations to accessibility of cellphone signals and access to the Internet, is essential to delivering a valued visitor experience that results in

Provided by the West Virginia Division of Tourism

guests who visit again and again. The “West Virginia Ten Year Tourism Plan” reflects the realities of the market along with recommendations to expand on what works and ideas for increasing greater awareness of the state’s vacation value and industry practitioners.

Early on, the expectation was that the plan would identify a single action or investment or several key investments that would accomplish the objective of taking West Virginia tourism to a higher level. It was revealed, however, that the path to growth was marked by a range of investments in all segments of the industry.

A Blueprint for Growth

The tourism industry in West Virginia is an important component of the state’s economy. Growth over the past decade has propelled tourism to the third-largest economic sector in the state, with tremendous upside for continued growth given its attraction base, scale of available markets, regional accessibility and presence of large-scale investments in such things as the Boy Scouts Summit Bechtel complex. At the same time, however, the industry itself is characterized by great diversity in geographic distribution, scale of attractions, accommodations and experience and expertise of its members. The recommendations made through the study target the areas of capital funding, hospitality

www . wve x e c u t i ve . c o m

17

a blueprint for growth training, technical assistance, quality of the visitor experience, convention and visitors bureau (CVB) structure, infrastructure, industry recognition and intergovernmental relations.

remove the cap on the dollar volume of authorized projects, which often prevents participation by small tourism businesses or may prevent several small projects or a large project from receiving funding.

Capital Funding

Recommendation: Establish a Product Development Grant Program that would provide grants up to $25,000 on a matching basis to qualified public, private and nonprofit development or enhancement projects for businesses with smaller lending needs who otherwise cannot obtain loans.

Recommendation: Task one of the state universities or colleges that has an active tourism program with creating an inventory of available funding programs to address the lack of knowledge tourism businesses and nonprofit organizations have about funding, marketing and business operations and training, as well as how to access these programs.

Recommendation: Amend the West Virginia Economic Development Authority’s Direct Loan Program to explicitly acknowledge tourism as an industry eligible for funding, and amend the loan program requirements to ensure access by tourism businesses.

Recommendation: Amend the West Virginia Tourism Development Act to

Technical Assistance

Recommendation: Task one of the state universities or colleges that has an active tourism program with creating an inventory of available technical assistance programs to address the lack of knowledge tourism businesses and nonprofit organizations have about technical assistance programs and how to access these programs.

Recommendation: Create the West

Virginia Tourism Center, which will bring together the resources of West Virginia University Hospitality and Tourism and West Virginia University Extension in collaboration with other colleges and universities as appropriate.

Hospitality and Professional Training

Recommendation: Task one of the state universities or colleges that has an active tourism program with creating an inventory of available training and technical assistance programs to address the lack of knowledge tourism and nonprofit organizations have about the availability of applicable programs and how to access them.

Recommendation: Task Workforce West Virginia with collaborating with West Virginia University to create an online hospitality training program that can be self-administered and autograded, is suitable for local knowledge module add-ons and results in certification upon completion.

Get out of the “bored” room and into A UNIQUE MEETING SPACE! Unique Experience

WEST VIRGINIA’S

Premier Meeting Space

Superior Service

contact us today! www.theclaycenter.org (304) 561-3560 • sales@theclaycenter.org

Exquisite Surroundings One Clay Square, Charleston, WV (exit #100, Leon Sullivan Way) 18

W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

Recommendation: Continue careeroriented training programs, such as ProStart, and other programs best suited for an educational setting with existing sponsors, and task the West Virginia Tourism Center with the oversight of hospitality training.

Structure of the State’s Convention & Visitors Bureaus

Recommendation: Amend the hotel/motel tax legislation to limit the number of convention and visitors bureaus to a single organization for each county, and amend legislation to enable separate jurisdictions within a county to retain up to 50 percent of the hotel/motel tax revenues based on a local option decision.

Recommendation: Require all CVBs to participate in the accreditation program of the West Virginia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus to ensure that all CVBs are meeting minimum acceptable standards of

performance in order to promote better industry communications and to provide better access to industry support.

Quality of the Visitor Experience

Recommendation: Use hospitality training and technical assistance programs to enhance the quality of the visitor experience by delivering more knowledgeable frontline employees and management; encourage industry associations to implement or expand voluntary secret shopper and peer review programs and encourage industry associations to provide training to members on managing social media as a tool of quality communication.

Recommendation: Develop sectorspecific quality programs that would include development of performance standards, independent assessment of performance and awarding of quality designations.

Infrastructure

Recommendation: Establish representation of the Division of Tourism on government councils that advise on infrastructure decisions.

Recommendation: Prepare a signage master plan to develop a statewide visitor-friendly signage program.

Recommendation: Install high-impact audiovisual presentations in welcome centers to significantly elevate their ability to influence future trip planning and interest in West Virginia.

Industry Recognition

Recommendation: Increase public relations activities touting tourism benefits and opportunities.

Intergovernmental Relations

Recommendation: Create an interagency tourism development council to focus state government agencies on tourism needs and opportunities.

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tourism growth in a recession

Upbeat in an Economic Downturn

Stories of Tourism Success

Jennifer Jett & Samantha Ricketts

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ince 2008, the economic recession has negatively affected tourism across the country, and the Mountain State is no exception. Many people have not had the funds to spend on recreation and tourism like they used to.

However, some local businesses have been able to not only survive but thrive. Two West Virginia tourism businesses have fought the odds and found growth and success in a time when others have floundered.

Owner Kenny Sexton shares with us how the American Mountain Theater in Elkins has continued its success in these trying times, and Pies & Pints Owner Kimberly Shingledecker discusses the restaurant’s amazing growth over the last four years.

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Kenny Sexton, President, Owner and Producer, American Mountain Theater Elkins, WV EMP: Tell us a little about American Mountain Theater.

KS: American Mountain Theater (AMT) was originally started by my sister-inlaw, Susie Heckel, an Elkins native. In its early days, it was on a very small scale, doing performances from the old National Guard Armory outside of town. Susie contacted my wife, Bev, and me about helping her out. Little by little, my wife and I got more involved, and before we knew

it we had taken over ownership and were moving from Arkansas to West Virginia.

We opened a brand new building in July 2007, doing our live music and comedy variety shows. We have a professional cast of musicians that perform approximately 200 shows a year that are family-friendly and true variety shows. We do a little bit of everything—comedy sketches and impersonations, R&B, country, gospel, pop—you name it, our band can play it. Our regular season runs April through October and includes our premier two-hour show and our History of American Music Show.

We also host a Southern Gospel Concert Series, where we bring in the top names in gospel music, and then we finish out the year with a wonderful Christmas show performed by our cast.

EMP: As a member of the tourism industry, what challenges have you seen the industry face due to the recession?

KS: Because people aren’t confident in their situations, we are seeing less advance planning. Since people don’t know what their financial future holds, they are less likely to plan an advanced vacation with confidence. They are in wait-and-see mode, which means we have to be ready and on their radar when they have funds available to take a trip.

For us, part of the challenge has been being smart about our investments and spending. Success in tourism in a shaky economy is a bit of a balancing act, but we’re managing to navigate the tightrope.

We have seen some fluctuation in our group market. One year our groups were way down versus the previous year, but thankfully our individual sales were up enough to bridge the gap.

EMP: You’ve continued to see growth despite the economic downturn. How was this accomplished?

KS: It’s a matter of continuing to build awareness to the very small percentage of people who know we exist. The more people who know, the more likely they are to take a trip to see us, which means there are more people generating wordof-mouth marketing for our business.

That is a huge thing for us. We know

that once people come to see our show, they will love it and are very likely to come back again or tell their friends. We have been working to develop creative promotional ideas to foster repeat business and to encourage individuals to share their experiences. We are making a much larger effort this year to be a player in social media to foster a sense of community and sharing for our fans that makes them feel truly connected to our theater and our family.

EMP: Tell us about the growth you’ve experienced.

KS: We’ve been very blessed during the recession to have still had increases in our revenue. It may be due in large part to the fact that we are still a young business. Since the recession broke in the fall of 2008, our revenue has more than doubled. Our 2012 revenue shows a 54 percent increase over 2008, and a 17 percent increase over 2011. With that said, while we try to pay people better wages over time and continue advertising our destination as we grow, it still remains difficult to turn much of a profit.

EMP: What changes have you made that have directly contributed to your success?

KS: We started our Southern Gospel Concert Series in 2009, and it has been a very successful program for us— so much so that we expanded it from just the summer months to our entire season. We also change our shows up every season to refresh them with entirely new material, which gives people a reason to come back year after year.

EMP: What is your demographic and how would you like to see it expand?

KS: We mostly draw adults ages 35 and older. I’d love to see an increase in family visitors. We know kids love our shows, too, so it would be great to draw a younger audience.

EMP: How do Elkins’ tourism successes, like the train rides, impact your success at American Mountain Theater?

KS: Partnership in tourism is an extremely important part of our business model.

Overall success in tourism in the area is vital to our sustained and continued growth. Most people aren’t interested in coming to an area to do just one thing and then go home. They want the whole package, literally.

Before we ever even started building, I met with John and Kathy Smith of the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad to develop a marketing partnership. This partnership still remains and will continue between us for the foreseeable future.

We have also spent the last five and a half years building relationships with area hotels, other attractions and restaurants in order to provide our customers with the entire experience. We have even created a vacation packaging department to provide our customers with a one-stop shop for their trip. With a call or e-mail to us, they can book lodging, meals, our shows, a scenic train ride and more. We provide these services free of charge to both groups and individuals.

Our efforts in this area were recognized

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tourism growth in a recession by the West Virginia Division of Tourism in 2011 with the West Virginia Community Tourism Development award.

EMP: Are there any partnership programs within the tourism industry you participate in that have contributed to your success?

KS: Besides the vacation packaging program, we have participated in the West Virginia Division of Tourism Matching Advertising Partnership Program. This program has been a large contributing factor in our success, because since 2007 it has allowed us to double our advertising efforts.

EMP: In looking toward the future, what plans do you have for stimulating continued growth and success?

KS: In 2012, AMT took to the airwaves with a nationally broadcast television show on RFD-TV network. Our show did wonders to increase awareness and

attendance over the past year. While that program won’t be continuing, we are very pleased to announce we will be targeting the West Virginia market in the coming year. We will begin airing a weekly 30-minute program on WV PBS in the spring and are very excited about what we hope it will do to increase our business by attracting fans who are close to home.

Kimberly Shingledecker, Owner, Pies & Pints Fayetteville and Charleston, WV; Columbus, Ohio EMP: Tell us a little about Pies & Pints.

KS: Pies & Pints is a full-service restaurant that specializes in craft pizza and beer. The restaurant opened in Fayetteville, WV, in June 2003, and we now have a Charleston, WV, location, which opened in December 2010, and a Columbus, Ohio, location that opened in November 2012. We also have a Dayton, Ohio, location and a Morgantown, WV, location scheduled to open in 2013.

EMP: Tell us about the growth you’ve experienced.

KS: Our business has had steady growth since we opened our doors in 2003. We went from a small seasonal (April through October) restaurant with less than 50 seats to a year-round restaurant with 100 seats in 2007, and we added another 50 seats in 2008.

In 2010, we opened another location, and in 2011, we took on new partners and signed a deal to open as many as 50 more stores in the next 10 years.

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W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

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EMP: What are some of the challenges you have faced and overcome with your business?

EMP: You’ve continued to see growth despite the economic downturn. How was this accomplished?

KS: We attribute our success to our consistent product and service. Our product is a good value—the quality and amount you receive for the money you pay is fair and reasonable. We are not a luxury brand or a discount brand.

Our restaurant is a place where you can eat several times a week without breaking the bank.

Another way we differentiate ourselves is in our training. Our staff is trained and educated on all of our beer and food.

When a guest dines at Pies & Pints, they aren’t just getting fed; they are experiencing pizza and beer in a whole different way. Our servers interact with our guests to find out their likes and dislikes and then make recommendations based on each person’s pizza personality, so to speak.

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KS: The biggest challenge we have faced during the economic downturn is financing our growth. Banks have become very stingy with their money.

We have had to take out short-term, high interest loans to cover building costs.

EMP: Does Fayetteville’s tourism success have a direct impact on your success at Pies & Pints?

KS: Definitely. The Fayetteville restaurant business drops off to less than half during the winter months. We would not be able to survive without tourism.

EMP: What demographic of people do you draw?

KS: Our demographic is mostly people ranging from 20-55 years old. Our customer base tends to be fairly active and healthy and prefers quality over quantity.

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extreme wv weddings

A Foundation of An Extreme WV Wedding Samantha Ricketts

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couple’s wedding is unique to them. Personal touches in decorations, food, attire and venue make each bride and groom’s day special. For some, these small touches are simply not sufficient to capture their unusual interests. Bob Ewing and Antonie Hodge is one such couple. The pair’s passion for rock climbing couldn’t be ignored on their special day. They embraced their hobby and got hitched at the top of Seneca Rocks, WV. Residents of Arlington, VA, Bob proposed to Antonie on March 11, 2012, and the couple was married on August 10 on the south peak summit of Seneca Rocks. It is the highest point within a thousand miles—a peak only a few feet wide and accessible only by technical rock climbing.

“Antonie and I both love to rock climb and our favorite place to do weekend climbing trips is Seneca Rocks,” Bob says. “It’s beautiful and the climbing is outstanding.”

Bob proposed to Antonie at the top of their favorite climb at Seneca, called Ecstasy, and she suggested they get married on the south peak summit. On Friday, August 10, the couple climbed to the summit, with Antonie in her mother’s wedding dress and Bob in a tuxedo.

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Bob’s brother, Scott, was ordained to perform the ceremony, and Antonie’s mom and a select few others climbed with them to witness the event. Bob’s other brother, John, hiked to a nearby peak and took pictures, two other climbsavvy groomsmen shot videos throughout the journey and other guests hiked with the couple until they reached the serious climbing portion. From there, they got to listen through walkie-talkies and watch with telescopes.

On Saturday, August 11, however, the couple held a second ceremony and reception at the nearby Harman’s North Fork Cottages, which Bob calls “absolutely beautiful,” so their guests could actually attend. “We decided to create a wedding weekend that would be best suited for us and our guests,” Bob says. “On Saturday, we had a particular focus on making sure our guests had a good time.” The ceremony on Saturday was more traditional with a wedding

party, 150 guests, music, readings, vows and the exchange of the rings. Antonie’s sister was the master of ceremonies, and Bob’s two best childhood friends played guitars. Antonie even surprised Bob by singing for him.

The couple made this wedding special and unique to their interests. “Many couples planning a wedding may feel pressure to conform to a certain tradition or style, but we decided to do our own thing,” Bob says. They used second-generation rings from their parents and picked readings that were special to them. “Our wedding weekend was a perfect reflection of who we are as a couple.”

The guests had a great time as well.

“Everyone loved our location,” Bob shares. “Many were skeptical about spending the weekend in a remote section of West Virginia that doesn’t get cellphone reception, but once they saw how beautiful it was and how tailored it was to everyone having fun, they just loved it.” It also helps that the Perseid meteor shower occurred that weekend, so guests got to enjoy an extra show.

Bob and Antonie are, to their knowledge, the first couple to be married at this peak in full wedding attire; a few other couples have been married on the summit in casual clothes.

“We recommend that couples getting married consider having a wedding weekend that reflects who they are as a couple,” Bob says. “We enjoy rock climbing together, and we love Seneca Rocks and West Virginia, so our wedding made sense for us. We are very glad that we chose not to have a more traditional wedding, and encourage couples to have fun with their wedding.”

Extreme weddings are not for everyone; Bob stresses that couples should only

do what they’re comfortable with. “We wouldn’t suggest doing something extreme just for the sake of being extreme, particularly anything unfamiliar that could be dangerous,” Bob advises.

“But we highly recommend getting married, and doing so in a special way that excites both the bride and groom and reflects the beauty and uniqueness of their particular relationship.”

Your wedding should also reflect your particular budget. The total cost of all expenses for Bob and Antonie’s wedding was less than $15,000. “It was perfect for us—it was our dream wedding,” Bob says. “Many couples feel pressured into thinking that a dream wedding costs a fortune, but that isn’t true.”

The couple highly recommends their location and praises everyone who helped out. They also suggest a weekend-long wedding like theirs to have more time to celebrate.

“Everyone we interacted with in West Virginia treated us wonderfully. Every single person and company went above and beyond to help us out and was an absolute pleasure to work with,” Bob shares.

The couple’s adventures aren’t over yet—they’re going rock climbing in Europe for their honeymoon.

It’s All in the Details Venue: Seneca Rocks and Harman’s North Fork Cottages Wedding Planner: Ashley Anderson of Kaposy’s, Petersburg, WV Photographer: Villasenor Photography, Harrisonburg, VA Tuxedo: Kaposy’s Dress: Atlas Bridal Salon, Toledo, Ohio

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West virginia’s Lighthouse

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Bird’s-Eye View Marianne Taylor

of the Mountain State

West Virginia now has a 104-foot birthday candle in Nicholas County, which will be lit for the first time on June 20, 2013, in commemoration of West Virginia's sesquicentennial. This birthday candle is actually a 77,000pound lighthouse overlooking a corner of Summersville Lake. Drivers on Route 19 can now see the lighthouse and are amazed—after all, West Virginia is the Mountain State.

Donna and Steve Keblesh, owners of Summersville Lake Retreat, the home of this mystifying attraction, had a dream for many years of having some type of tower on their property. It just so happened that in 2009 a wind turbine tower fell loose from the truck carrying it to the Beech Ridge Wind Farm in Greenbrier County and rolled down a hill near the retreat.

The fall caused some damage, making it unsuitable for wind production but perfect for the tower that would make the Kebleshes’ dream a reality.

The Kebleshes purchased the damaged wind turbine and arranged for it to be brought to its new home at Summersville Lake Retreat. The hard work then began. How could this turbine be made into a lighthouse shining over Summersville Lake, the largest clearwater lake in the state?

Recycling and imagination led the Kebleshes, engineers, the Fayette Institute of Technology and the Nicholas County Career and Technical Center to design sketches to recycle this wind tower into a lighthouse.

Summersville Lake Retreat then became a unique outdoor classroom for the students of the Fayette Institute of Technology and the Nicholas County Career and Technical Center. The students began working on constructing the steps 26

W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

and landings leading to the gallery deck followed by a second tier lamp room.

Several of the students even worked over the summer under the direction of local welders Gary Martin and Nick Siebert.

This project allowed the students to use their skills to build something in their community that will be an attraction for many generations to come.

The lighthouse project fundraiser was developed to help offset the cost of the steel needed for the students to complete their work. Plaques for the steps and landings were sold, and businesses contributed services, materials and equipment.

The Kebleshes then met their next obstacle—finding a beacon for the top.

Mary and Jerry Rader of Rader Aviation donated an old Westinghouse rotating beacon to the project. The beacon needed a full restoration, which was done by master electrician Ed Wood.

He was able to convert a 1,000-watt halide incandescent bulb system into a 400-watt multivapor system that will cast a beam of light that can be seen from 30 miles away.

On October 20, 2012, the Summersville Lake Retreat Lighthouse was erected.

It stands its proposed 104 feet tall and is 2,164 feet above sea level. It has a base diameter of 12 feet receding to eight feet at the top. There are 122 steps with four landings that lead to a 360-degree gallery deck where visitors will have the best and most breathtaking views of Summersville Lake and the Gauley River National Recreational Area. The Kebleshes are planning to build a picnic pavilion next, followed by a visitors’ center and gift shop.

Summersville Lake Retreat Lighthouse is now listed in “The Fyddeye Guide to

America’s Lighthouses.” The lighthouse will be lit for the first time on June 20 in commemoration of West Virginia's sesquicentennial. The festivities will begin at 4 p.m. with lighthouse tours.

There will also be food and beverage vendors, and prints of the lighthouse will be available for purchase and will be signed by the artists. The lighting ceremony will begin at 7 p.m.

This is a unique architectural structure in a very unusual location and offers a bird’s-eye view of Summersville Lake and its beautiful surroundings. It will allow visitors to appreciate the seasonal changes of the surrounding mountainous landscape and foliage. After all, Summersville is always in season.

Landmarks and legends

West Virginia

Independence Hall

Bryan Ward & Catherine Breese

A Witness to West Virginia Statehood

W

est Virginia’s path to statehood is unlike that of any other state in the Union—it was forged during the bloody American Civil War. The state’s first governor, Arthur Boreman, adeptly described the state as a “child of the rebellion.” When leaders in Virginia decided to cast her lot with the Confederacy, a band of brave men met in Wheeling to reorganize a pro-Union government. With recognition as the official Virginia government in Washington and little else, Reorganized Governor of Virginia Francis Pierpont and others readied the state for war. The new political leaders of western Virginia navigated through a series of conventions, referendums, congressional debates and political compromises to create West Virginia. While the people who helped create the state now live only in the annals of history and on memorials that bear their names, the Wheeling Custom House stands as a witness to the state’s creations and early history.

It was cause for great fanfare when the Wheeling Custom House opened in 1859 as the headquarters for federal offices, the courtroom for the Western District of Virginia and a U.S. Post Office. The building culminated Wheeling’s decades of development and its prominence as a transportation hub. The city was uniquely positioned at the intersection of the National Road, the Ohio River and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

The railroad was completed on Christmas Eve 1852, thus linking the eastern seaboard to Wheeling and points west.

against the threat of fire. Although fire was Young’s main concern in 1859, in the years that followed the primary concern would become an attack by hostile military forces.

While many of the Southern states were quick to leave the Union following the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, leaders in Virginia were initially reluctant to join the Confederacy. In months following the election, leaders from around Virginia gathered in Richmond to discuss the pending crisis. At first, delegates to the convention took a moderate stance and leaned toward remaining in the Union. That stance changed, however, when President Lincoln called for troops following the bombing of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Within days, the Richmond convention passed an ordinance rescinding Virginia’s ratification of the Constitution and put final approval of secession before the voters on May 23. Delegates from western Virginia who voted against secession quickly fled Richmond under threat of violence.

The courtroom on the third floor of Independence Hall.

The Wheeling Custom House was designed by Treasury Architect Ammi Young, who described his building as “Italianate with Greek details.” Today, the style is known as Renaissance Revival. While the exterior of the building is reflective of the style prominent in the antebellum era, the interior structure is unique. In the 1850s, fires were a real and serious concern. With large numbers of wood frame buildings and few tools and equipment to fight flames, even small fires could engulf entire cities. Brick and stone buildings were also threatened because of the use of wood in their support structures. For the Wheeling Custom House, Young took advantage of a new material: wrought-iron I-beams. The beams, first rolled at Trenton Iron Works in 1854, became the skeleton of the new building and, with cast-iron doors and shutters, would be a defense

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Landmarks and Legends Wheeling, WV The Wheeling Custom House, now West Virginia Independence Hall, is where the Mountain State’s history began. Today, visitors can enjoy a variety of exhibits to bring back the memories of the state’s birth. “West Virginia: Born of Civil War” is an exhibit featuring period artifacts, and “Waving for Liberty and Freedom” is a collection of Civil War battle flags. Visitors can also see the office used by Governor Francis Pierpont and the Surveyor of Customs, as well as the Wheeling room, dedicated to Wheeling’s prominence in the 19th century. In addition, a visit to the courtroom on the third floor will unveil period murals, called trompe l'oeil, recently restored to their Civil War-era appearance.

While you’re in the area, a few other historical sites may be worth a look. Across the street from Independence Hall is the former Wheeling Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station, an integral part in the transportation of goods during the Civil War. Also, you may visit the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, built in 1849.

It was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time and still holds a record as the oldest operating suspension bridge in the nation.

If you’re in Wheeling, a visit to these sites could unlock a world of knowledge about the state’s heritage. West Virginia Independence Hall is located at 1528 Market Street in Wheeling and is open to visitors Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

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The flag of the West Virginia 8th Infantry, which fought in the Second Battle of Bull Run.

Landmarks and legends Once they returned to the west, they began to mobilize to thwart secession and push for Virginia to remain in the Union.

While much of Virginia prepared for war ahead of the secession vote, political leaders in the west met at Washington Hall in Wheeling on May 13, 1861. At the convention, the rancorous western congressman, John Carlile, moved for the creation of a new state. Carlile found vocal support for his measure, but his supporters remained in the minority as others at the meeting called for patience and held out hope for the secession measure to fail the statewide referendum. When voters approved secession, delegates returned to Wheeling on July 1, 1861, to charter a different course.

On July 13, 1861, a second Wheeling convention met in the courtroom of the Wheeling Custom House for the first time. During the day’s proceedings, Carlile presented “A Declaration of the People of Virginia,” which stated that the actions of the secession convention in Richmond were illegal. It declared that offices held by Confederate sympathizers were vacant. The declaration also called for the convention to elect a new governor and other state officials.

On June 20, 1861, the convention elected Fairmont-native Francis Pierpont as governor. Pierpont and the other newly elected officials made their offices in the Wheeling Custom House. The building had become the de facto pro-Union capitol of the Reorganized Government of Virginia.

In the years that followed, the Wheeling Custom House witnessed the call for a new state, the formation of the new state’s constitution and the proceedings that made the state possible. On June 20, 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state. That same day, the Restored Government of Virginia and Governor Francis Pierpont vacated the custom house and moved to Alexandria, VA. West Virginia’s first governor, Arthur Boreman, took up residency in the second floor offices once used by Pierpont and remained there until April 1864. The legislature moved to the Linsly Institute Building that still stands today on the northwest corner of Eoff Street and 15th Street.

Following West Virginia’s statehood, the custom house returned to service until 1907 when a new federal building was built in Wheeling and the custom house was sold. In 1963, in honor of the state’s centennial, West Virginia purchased the Wheeling Custom House and renamed it West Virginia Independence Hall. In the years hence, the building has been painstakingly restored and managed by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. It stands today, restored to its original glory, and visitors can witness the stage upon which the great State of West Virginia was created.

To find out more about West Virginia’s statehood and the Civil War, visit the West Virginia Archives and History Web site at www.wvculture.org/history/sesquicentennial.html.

The Best Morgantown has to offer Built in 1924, the Grand Ballroom, with its original oak wood work, two silver chandeliers and 24 foot ceiling make it the perfect place for that special event. The Hotel Morgan also has six meeting rooms that will holding up to 35 people, and has catering available for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a variety of other snack options.

Our rooms provide all the comforts of home in an elegant and peaceful setting that is designed to make your stay as pleasant as possible. Our room features include: Complimentary Wireless Internet, Whirlpool Suites Available, Voice Mail/Cordless Phone, Complimentary Newspaper, 32” Flat Panel LCD TV with HBO, Coffee-Maker, Refrigerator/Microwave, Full Size Desk & Chair, Iron/Ironing Board and Hairdryer.

The LOBBY LOUNGE is where you want to be. Arriving a little early to check in? No problem!

Go to the LOBBY LOUNGE and enjoy a nice thirst quenching cocktail or beverage. Don’t want to sit in your room all night? Join us for dinner in the Montmartre Restaurant.

We have delicious seasonal menu items and an extensive wine selection.

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Clarion Hotel Clarion Morgan Hotel Morgan Clay Center Clay for Center the Arts forand the Sciences Arts and Sciences of WV of WV

(304) 292-8200 (304) 292-8200 (304) 561-3560 (304) 561-3560

Comfort Inn Comfort of Parkersburg Inn of Parkersburg (304) 424-5300 (304) 424-5300 Flatwoods Flatwoods Days Hotel Days andHotel Conference and Conference Center Center (866) 700-7284 (866) 700-7284 Greater Bridgeport Greater Bridgeport Convention Convention & Visitors&Bureau Visitors Bureau(800) 368-4324 (800) 368-4324 Greater Morgantown Greater Morgantown Convention Convention & Visitors&Bureau Visitors Bureau (800) 458-7373 (800) 458-7373 Greenbrier Greenbrier County Convention County Convention & Visitors&Bureau Visitors Bureau(800) 833-2068 (800) 833-2068 Hawks Nest Hawks State Nest Park State Park (304) 658-5212 (304) 658-5212 Martinsburg-Berkeley Martinsburg-Berkeley County Convention County Convention & Visitors Bureau & Visitors (800) Bureau 4WVA-FUN (800) 4WVA-FUN North Bend North State Bend Park State Park (304) 643-2931 (304) 643-2931 Oglebay Resort Oglebay and Resort Conference and Conference Center Center (800) 972-1991 (800) 972-1991 PipestemPipestem Resort State Resort Park State Park (304) 466-1800 (304) 466-1800 Quality Inn Quality & Conference Inn & Conference Center Center (304) 645-7722 (304) 645-7722 Ramada Ramada Conference Conference Center Center (304) 296-3431 (304) 296-3431 StonewallStonewall Resort Resort (304) 269-7400 (304) 269-7400 Summersville Summersville Arena and Arena Conference and Conference Center Center (304) 872-3722 (304) 872-3722 TamarackTamarack Conference Conference Center Center (304) 256-6843 (304) 256-6843 Twin FallsTwin Resort Falls State Resort Park State Park (304) 294-4000 (304) 294-4000 Tygart Lake Tygart State Lake Park State Park (304) 265-6144 (304) 265-6144 Wheeling-Ohio Wheeling-Ohio County Convention County Convention & Visitors&Bureau Visitors Bureau (800) 828-3097 (800) 828-3097

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W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

On-site Nearby

West Virginia Meeting

P Pl rof an e ne ssi r on M ee on al M St e tin a e g Pl ff tin an AmPr g Pl of ni anpl e ng neePssi A ao ss M Aue r onrkna in l M ista deiti nc ong Stga ee V e f B us isPula f ting Am anl n in pl es in e s g Pa C As sis rken Au in te ta di g r nc o Vi e B us su a in es l s C en te r

WV MEETING SITE ANALYSIS

Changes may occur. EMP recommends that you contact each facility directly to ensure the most up-to-date information.

www . wve x e c u t i ve . c o m

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On-Site Nearby On-Site Nearby

On-Site Nearby Indoor Outdoor

10 to 50 50 to 100 100 or more

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al

O O the pp r or Re tu cr ni ea tie t s ion

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H Ac igh ce -S ss pe in ed G In H ue te Ac igh st rne ce -S Ro t p ss e om Te in ed s le M In co ee te B n tin rne re fe g t ak re ou nc Roo t R ing m s oo G m ue s st Ro om s Su ite s C on ci er ge N Ro on S om m C s A oki om va ng ila p Re lim ble en st a t Lo ura ary B un nt re ak Li ge ve fa st En O te nrta S in B ite C m an e qu ate nt Sh et rin g ut Se tle rv Se ice s rv G ol ic f e

The playground of the east

East Playground

of the

The

C

ountry roads don’t always lead to a dell tucked away in the forest.

Sometimes, a country road takes you exactly where you need to go for reasons you may never suspect. Enter West Virginia: by many accounts a wild and undiscovered part of Virginia that people know all too well the stereotype but little reality about this secret gem.

The real secrets lie in what West Virginia has to offer—not the room count, seating options or technology available, but the part of a conference that really makes the trip memorable and, if you’re lucky, transformational. It doesn’t work for us West Virginians to sit here and say, “Hey, look over here too. We’ve got hotels and conference space just like 32

W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

everyone else.” It wouldn’t even matter if we shouted it from the mountaintops.

West Virginians had to get creative and make sure our venues could stand out from places that are more familiar or easier to get to by plane. We had to go back to our roots and remember what this place is all about.

Wild and wonderful isn’t just a slogan— it’s our way of life. Businesses aren’t just looking for an airplane-hotel-conference room-hotel-airplane-office retreat anymore. Luckily, the wild side of West Virginia stands ready to heed that call. Though the activities may change by season, the abundance of natural resources goes far in making any business meeting something more.

PJ Stevenson

Those country roads that truly lead you to an unknown spot in the middle of virtually nowhere are taking you to “a place you belong.” As businesses spend more time being active on retreats, they develop a greater understanding of themselves and their co-workers.

They are forced into situations that are unfamiliar and well out of most of their comfort zones. Groups come here with the weight of their business world on their shoulders and leave feeling refreshed and revitalized, ready to tackle the growing list of action items that came from being so active.

You can let go of your suspicions of “peace and love” teambuilding exercises and enter a new notion of bonding. There’s

nothing that pitches folks together faster than when they are literally immersed in nature. In the spring, summer or fall, there are numerous rivers to go whitewater rafting, fishing or floating. Wintertime brings several different ski resorts to choose from across the state. These adventure staples have been a constant source of business over the years, but they are no longer the only draw.

Destinations have been forced to seek new ways to let visitors experience nature and keep the wild image. The last four years have given birth to a new and exciting part of adventure-tourism—aerial adventures. This includes activities such as zip lines, canopy tours, aerial adventure parks, bridge tours and mountain trekking. Basic outfitters have changed their style from a once elite rough-and-rowdy group to more upscale resorts with nicer lodging and amenities. Adventure locations have diversified their offerings to have a wider range of activities for different physical abilities and interests.

This change brought about a new kind of visitor—the corporation. Now, adventure locations are considered an edgy kind of retreat. This new customer has also forced adventure destinations to grow into the retreat/convention business in order to be able to provide the proper technology, the right physical space and the right kind of services.

Each year, a new development seems to be in the works at activity-based resorts throughout the state to enhance their ability to provide these resources.

On the flip-side are the major cities in West Virginia that already had large populations or were in close proximity to major metropolitan areas. These cities have worked differently in their quest to become viable meeting destinations.

The infrastructure was already there: the technology, a number of hotels and ease of access to more than two-thirds of the U.S. population. What they needed was to find their wild and wonderful.

With a little forethought, business owners in cities such as Morgantown and Charleston have developed a cultural appeal that stretches beyond just going

to see a really great show. These smaller venues such as the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences and West Virginia University’s Creative Arts Center are able to provide attendees with a more intimate experience that engages the group instead of letting them be voyeurs.

Another major draw for West Virginia venues is the booming gambling industry.

With new locations opening in Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, Wheeling Island Casino, Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort and The Greenbrier as well as the Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in Charleston, we are finally able to compete with larger destinations.

All of these new attractions have a buzz about them—something a little exciting, a little fresh and a whole lot wild. They spur development for more lodging and restaurants, whether in the city or along one of those windy country roads.

They keep West Virginia moving in this century, bringing along the inspiring history of a small place that has always reached for bigger and better things.

Why WV? “Typically, we change our conference venue every year to make it interesting.

However, we’ve now made Adventures On the Gorge (AOTG) our destination for three years in a row. Why? Because they provide excellent customer service, engaging activities and an unbelievable, picturesque backdrop for our group. Each year, AOTG has upgraded something, either by building a new activity like TreeTops Canopy Tour or the fantastic pool on the rim of the New River Gorge. Their food service team is top-notch. Our favorite each year, though, is interacting with the staff, from our group specialist to the food and beverage team and especially the activity guides—talk about memorable!”

—Monica Jackson, Ascend Performance Materials Based in Houston, TX, Ascend is a chemical manufacturer and a leader in Nylon 6,6 production. Approximately 40 people from the company have been meeting in West Virginia on an annual basis for the past three years.

A NATURAL SETTING FOR SUCCESS

22,000 Sq Ft of Meeting Space. One Exceptional Location. g

g

g

g

g

271-room Wilson Lodge featuring 59 premium rooms & The West Spa Creative cuisine served in banquet rooms or catered throughout the resort Versatile meeting space to accommodate up to 400 Legendary customer service and personal attention 1,700 acres of year-round recreation

Resort & Conference Center Wheeling, West Virginia Call 800-972-1991 or email sales@oglebay-resort.com

www.oglebay-resort.com www . wve x e c u t i ve . c o m

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riding the rails in west Virginia

Riding the

Rails

W

in West Virginia Samantha Ricketts

est Virginia is home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Its mountains, rivers, forests and wildlife are not to be missed. One of the best ways to appreciate such breathtaking sights is by train, and West Virginia has a variety of unique rides from which to choose.

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W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

Watch leaves turn and eagles soar on the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad’s fall foliage tours or be transported to the North Pole on the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad’s Polar Express expedition. Take in a haunted Halloween train ride or a nightly lunar excursion from the Cass Scenic Railroad, be part of a murder mystery with the Mountain State Mystery Train or shop and play the slots on The Greenbrier Casino Excursion on the New River Train by the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society, Inc. These are just a few of the spectacular rides offered in the Mountain State, and no matter which you choose, you can’t lose.

Fall Foliage

The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad™ offers fall foliage trips on weekdays throughout the month of October.

Departing from Romney, WV, and traveling through the “trough,” also known as a mountain valley, this threehour ride will make you fall in love with the beautiful Mountain State. The train travels through the mountains, by historic farms, near forests and over the South Branch of the Potomac River.

The journey is narrated throughout, so you’ll get to learn about the scenery and its history as you pass it by.

Possibly the most exciting part of the trip, though, is the wildlife. The American Bald Eagle calls this area its home, and you can often spot them flying above during the ride. You may also be able to see fish in the river as you pass. Cameras are encouraged to capture these special moments.

The ride also features a snack bar and concession car. Another option offered is first-class seating with climate-controlled lounge and dining cars, light snacks, beverage service and a gourmet dessert. If you prefer, you may also bring your own picnic.

The Polar Express

The Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad features a special ride for the holiday season: The Polar Express™. The train, based on the film from Warner Bros.

Pictures and the children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg, departs from Elkins, WV, and takes children and their families on a one-hour journey to the North Pole by way of their imaginations.

Passengers are encouraged to wear their pajamas as they listen to stories and eat goodies made by dancing chefs.

The motion picture soundtrack plays in the background until the train reaches the North Pole, where Santa comes aboard with gifts.

After starting only two years ago, this ride sells out fast; they’ve had to nearly double the number of trips each season, so reservations are required. Rides take place at 5 p.m. and 7:15 p.m., Thursday through Sunday from November to mid-December. Also available are multiday packages with lodging and a RailYard Holiday Package on Saturdays.

Partnering with the RailYard Restaurant, in this package the Polar Express offers lunch or dinner and an hour of classical Christmas music by local jazz musicians.

Rides that Go Bump in the Night

The Cass Scenic Railroad season runs from May 25 through October 27 in 2013. In addition to daily trips, Cass offers several special trains, including a Halloween train ride one day a year— on October 26 for 2013. Riders are encouraged to wear costumes, and a contest is held in the Cass Community Center before the train departs Cass Depot at 6 p.m. As the train travels

www . wve x e c u t i ve . c o m

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riding the rails in west Virginia

Riding the Rails in 2013 Cass Scenic Railroad State Park (304) 456-4300, (800) CALL-WVA www.cassrailroad.com • New Moon Run • Full Moon Run • Spruce Run • Halloween Train • Dinner Trains Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad (304) 636-9477, (877) 686-7245 www.mountainrailwv.com • Cheat Mountain Salamander • New Tygart Flyer • Durbin Rocket • Castaway Caboose • Mountain Explorer Dinner Train • The Polar Express™

The Mountain State Mystery Train©™ (866) 529-6412 www.themysterytrain.com • Weekend in Washington, DC© • Weekend to/from Chicago© • Springtime Mountains of Fun© • The Mountain State Rails to River and Trails Train Tour©™ • The Mountain State New River Gorge Fall Foliage Train Tour©™ • The Ohio River Fall Foliage Train Tour©™ • The Blue Ridge/ Shenandoah Fall Foliage Train Tour©™ • Mountain State Ski Train©™ • Santa’s North Pole Pajama Train Trip© • Murder Mystery Theater Train Trip©™

New River Train™ (866) 639-7487 www.newrivertrain.com • New York City Trip • Washington, DC Trip • New River Gorge Fall Foliage Tour • The Greenbrier Day Excursion • The Greenbrier Overnight Excursion • The Greenbrier Casino Excursion Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad™ (304) 424-0736, (304) 822-7464 www.potomaceagle.info • All Day Trips: Romney to Petersburg; Romney to Green Spring and Trough • Loy Foundation Murder Mystery Train • Hardy Heritage Days • October Fall Foliage Trips

to Whittaker Station, passengers are entertained with haunted surprises.

Upon arrival at the station, a haunted caboose, hot chocolate and a variety of treats await. The ride lasts approximately an hour and a half.

Also, debuting this year are four lunar trips: the New Moon Run to Whittaker Station on August 20 and September 19 and the Full Moon Run to Bald Knob on July 9 and August 6. These are late evening trips that leave the Cass Depot at 8 p.m. Advanced reservations are required for all special train trips.

Murder Mystery Theater

The Mountain State Mystery Train©™ hosts Murder Mystery Theater©™ trips with audience participation made possible by a fully-interactive theater company. Based in Huntington, WV, they do their best to accommodate your desires for when and where you’d like to go, offering various regional and national destinations. Performances may have themes, and guests can wear the appropriate costumes to match.

Truly Yours

®

In The Center It All ® TrulyOfYours • Free Hot Breakfast • Guest Reception: Free hors d’oeuvres and drink specials everyday from 5-7p.m.

• Adjacent to Grand Central Mall and 10 restaurants • Indoor Pool & Hot Tub • New Flat Screen TVs • Free WIFI • 24 hour Business Center

Parkersburg/Vienna 401 37th St Parkersburg, WV 26101 Tel 304.424.5300

ChoiceHotels.com 800.4.CHOICE

• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

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W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

Wheeling Convention & Visitors Bureau 1401 Main Street Wheeling, WV 26003 1-800-828-3097 VisitWheelingWV.com

Wheeling’s scenic riverfront location, centuryspanning historical sites and award-winning events solidify the area’s reputation as a memorable and affordable vacation experience.

Wheeling, West Virginia is nestled cozily along the banks of the Ohio River and has a great deal to offer both residents and tourists alike. Established with a solid reputation for friendliness and good service, any visit to this charming city is certain to be the first of many—steeped in rich history and bursting with activities for the young and old.

Most of their events are about four hours long and include a reception, dinner, show and awards ceremony for guests who choose to participate in the show. Anywhere from 50 to 500 guests can attend at a time, with smaller groups by special arrangement.

is approximately three and a half hours from Charleston and four and a half from Huntington. The train will depart from Huntington at about 7 a.m. and from Charleston at 8 a.m. and arrive at

the resort at 11:30 a.m. Later, the bus will leave The Greenbrier at 5 p.m. and arrive in Charleston at 8:30 p.m. and Huntington at 9:30 p.m.

The Greenbrier Casino

The Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society, Inc. sponsors The Greenbrier Casino Excursion on the New River Train™ year-round, a one-day trip that travels through the beautiful New River Gorge. The ride includes an Amtrak trip to The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV, and a bus for the ride back. Passengers receive $15 of free slot play in the new casino and a buffet lunch at The Greenbrier. Patrons may also walk around the resort and shop independently or take an optional bunker tour at an additional cost. On the way home, the bus will stop at Tamarack for shopping and dinner.

The train boards at both Huntington and Charleston. The ride to the resort

Top healthcare professionals choose Waterfront Place Hotel when planning their conferences, meetings and events. Experience luxurious accommodations, first-class service and state-of-the-art facilities during your next healthcare event.

The top healthcare professionals stay and meet here!

For more information on planning your next event, contact our Sales office at 304. 581. 2800 today!

2 Waterfront Place Morgantown, WV 26501 304. 296. 1700 www.WPexec.com

www . wve x e c u t i ve . c o m

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High-Five Wedding Photographers

High-Five Jennifer Jett & Samantha Ricketts

T

Wedding Photographers

he wedding day is one of the most special and exciting days in a woman’s life. She’ll cherish these memories for the rest of her days, so it’s important for her to choose a photographer who will preserve these magical moments in a personal way for her to look back on forever.

Because there are so many photographers available with a variety of styles, features and skills, it may be overwhelming having to narrow the field to choose just one. This year, to help brides with this difficult decision, Executive Meeting Planner is highlighting some of West Virginia’s best wedding photographers.

We asked for submissions of photographs of West Virginia-based weddings and receptions from photographers whose businesses are located in the state, and our staff voted on the top five.

Although these five photographers won our votes, we were impressed with all the photos we received, and we decided to share the extra photos on our Web site. To view these beautiful pictures from additional wedding photographers, visit www.wvexecutive.com/high-five-wedding-photographers.

Kelli Carrico Kelli Carrico Photography Beckley, WV (304) 575-2579 www.kellicarricophotography.com

My Favorite Place to Shoot a Wedding: A small, old country church in Garland, WV Type of Camera I Use: Canon 50D How Long I’ve Been Shooting Weddings: Since 1999 Kelli Carrico’s career as a photographer began when she was a senior in high school. Her father, Rick Lane, who is also a photographer, sent her to Whitesville, WV, to shoot a wedding, and she has been shooting weddings ever since. In 2005, when she graduated from college, she began shooting professionally. In 2012, she left her full-time job as an English teacher to devote her energy to photography. Carrico is always amazed by the opportunity to capture the true emotion of one moment, and she works passionately for each bride to make her special day easy, enjoyable and complete with memories in photographs.

Michele Coleman Michele Coleman Photography Parkersburg, WV (304) 295-PICS www.mcolemanphotography.com

My Favorite Place to Shoot a Wedding: Blackwater Falls State Park in October Type of Camera I Use: Nikon D4 and Nikon D700 How Long I’ve Been Shooting Weddings: Since 2001

Michele Coleman is a wedding and portrait photographer who specializes in capturing personality and beautiful moments with colorful and energetic imagery. Coleman has photographed weddings for 12 years and admits that wedding photography was her first love in the craft, even though she is now a full-time portrait studio owner. Running a client-friendly, service-oriented business, she recognizes that great creativity is often the result of team effort, and she values working closely with her clients.

Sarah Garland Sarah Garland Photography Summersville, WV (304) 222-9506 www.sarahgarlandphotography.com

My Favorite Place to Shoot a Wedding: In the fresh air and sunshine Type of Camera I Use: Canon 5D Mark II How Long I’ve Been Shooting Weddings: Since 2001

Sarah Garland got her start in photography in 1998 as a sports photographer, and in 2003, she began doing portrait work. She soon discovered that weddings were both her favorite to shoot and the niche in which she does her best work. Garland’s goal as a wedding photographer is to showcase the wedding so that the couple’s photos are even better than their memories of that day, and she accomplishes this by focusing on moments and small details rather than poses and schedules. Sometimes, Garland says, it’s those little moments that mean the most and tell the best stories.

Sarah

www . wve x e c u t i ve . c o m

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Emily Porter and Bobby Oberlander, also known as “The Oberports,” are married lifestyle and wedding photographers who specialize in a blend of fine art and journalism. Porter is a graduate of Ohio University where she majored in visual communications, and Oberlander attended West Virginia University Institute of Technology where he studied business and marketing. The two met while working together in 2006 and married in 2011. Oberlander has been shooting weddings with Porter since 2010, and Porter has shot more than 100 weddings. The married couple shoots every wedding as a team and typically works with 30 couples a year. Both have won international wedding photography awards and are available to shoot worldwide.

Emily Porter & Bobby Oberlander Emily Porter Photography Charleston, WV (304) 546-9508 www.emilyporterphoto.com/blog

My Favorite Place to Shoot a Wedding: Rieti, Italy Type of Camera I Use: Nikon D3S How Long I’ve Been Shooting Weddings: Since 2009

The ultimate backdrop for the ultimate event.

✸ A spectacular setting ✸ Cuisine prepared by TAMARACK chefs ✸ Creative break themes and colorful décor options ✸ 12,000 square feet of versatile meeting space ✸ State-of-the-art technology ✸ Wireless Internet

EXIT 45 I -77 / I - 6 4 BECKLEY

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Tim Ray Tim Ray Photography Fairmont, WV (304) 363-8395 www.timrayphoto.com

My Favorite Place to Shoot a Wedding: Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, WV Type of Camera I Use: Canon 5D Mark II How Long I’ve Been Shooting Weddings: Since 1991 Tim Ray has been photographing weddings and portraits full-time since 1991—and loving every minute of it. Ever since receiving his first camera as a child from his grandfather, he has been in love with photography. Ray has had the honor of photographing weddings for many couples from all over the country, and each and every wedding he’s photographed has given him the opportunity to play a part in one of the greatest days in a couple's life together. He is overwhelmed to think of all the great moments he’s been blessed to capture and how those photographs will be cherished for generations. Ray and Stefanie, his wife of 14 years, work together full-time in what he calls a labor of love.

N OW

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Call today to customize your next event!

CanaanResort.com • 304.866.4121 x92685 • Group@CanaanResort.com www . wve x e c u t i ve . c o m

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MEETING SPACE

Hotels with

Meeting Space

West Virginia Division of Tourism

Facility Alpine Lake Resort Bavarian Inn Best Western Logan Inn Blackwater Falls State Park Blennerhassett Hotel Cabins at Pinehaven Cacapon Resort State Park Canaan Valley Institute Canaan Valley Resort Charleston Conference Center Hotel Charleston Marriott Town Center Chief Logan Lodge & Conference Center Clarion Hotel & Conference Center Clarion Hotel Morgan Class VI - On the Gorge Comfort Inn & Suites Comfort Inn Charleston West Comfort Suites Comfort Suites of Parkersburg Country Inn & Suites Country Inn & Suites Days Inn Days Inn Embassy Suites Hotel Euro-Suites Hotel Fair Haven Ranch Fairfield Inn Flatwoods Days Hotel Glenville Inn & Conference Center Graceland Inn Gresham Inn & Mountainside Conference Center Hampton Inn Hampton Inn Downtown Civic Center Hampton Inn Elkins Hampton Inn Southridge Hawks Nest State Park Hilton Garden Inn Holiday Inn Holiday Inn - Oak Hill Holiday Inn & Suites Holiday Inn Express Holiday Inn Express Holiday Inn Express

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Web Site

Address

City, State, Zip

Phone

www.alpinelake.com www.bavarianinnwv.com www.bestwesternloganinn.com www.blackwaterfalls.com www.theblennerhassett.com www.vacationcabinswv.com www.cacaponresort.com www.canaanvi.org www.canaanresort.com www.charlestonconferencecenter.com www.charlestonmarriott.com www.chiefloganlodge.com

700 W. Alpine Dr. 164 Shepherd Grade Rd. 2 Central Ave. PO Drawer 490 320 Market St. 242 Log Cabin Rd. 818 Cacapon Lodge Dr. 494 Riverstone Rd. HC 70, Box 330 400 Second Ave. 200 Lee St. E. 1000 Conference Center Dr.

Terra Alta, WV 26764 Shepherdstown, WV 25443 Chapmanville, WV 25508 Davis, WV 26260 Parkersburg, WV 26101 Beaver, WV 25813 Berkeley Springs, WV 25411 Davis, WV 26260 Davis, WV 26260 Charleston, WV 25303 Charleston, WV 25301 Logan, WV 25601

800.752.7179 304.876.2551 304.831.2345 304.259.5216 304.422.3131 877.573.2001 304.258.1022 800.922.3601 304.866.4121 304.744.4641 304.345.6500 304.855.6100

www.clarionshepherdstown.com www.clarionhotelmorgan.com www.class-vi.com www.comfortinn.com www.comfort-inn.com www.comfortsuitesmartinsburg.com www.comfortsuites.com www.countryinns.com www.countryinns.com/charlestonwv_south www.daysinn.com www.daysinn.com www.embassysuitescharlestonwv.com www.euro-suites.com www.fairhavenranch.com www.fairfieldinn.com www.flatwoods.com www.gracelandinn.com www.mountainsidecc.com

233 Lowe Dr. 127 High St. Ames Heights Rd. I-79, Exit 133 102 Racer Dr. 1937 Short Rd. 167 Elizabeth Pike 2120 Harper Rd. 105 Alex Lane 1200 Harrison Ave. 347 Meadowfield Lane 300 Court St. 501 Chestnut Ridge Rd. PO Box 537 273 Coleman Dr. 2000 Sutton Lane 61 Development Dr. 100 Campus Dr. Routes 88 & 67

Shepherdstown, WV 25443 Morgantown, WV 26505 Lansing, WV 25862 Fairmont, WV 26554 Cross Lanes, WV 25313 Kearneysville, WV 25401 Mineral Wells, WV 26150 Beckley, WV 25801 Charleston, WV 25304 Elkins, WV 26241 Princeton, WV 24740 Charleston, WV 25301 Morgantown, WV 26505 North Fork, WV 24868 Lewisburg, WV 24901 Flatwoods, WV 26601 Glenville, WV 26351 Elkins, WV 26241 Bethany, WV 26032

304.876.7000 304.292.8200 888.383.9985 304.367.1370 304.776.8070 304.263.8888 304.489.9600 304.252.5100 304.925.4300 304.637.4667 304.425.8100 304.347.8700 304.598.1000 304.862.4025 304.645.7999 304.765.5055 304.462.5511 800.624.3157 304.829.7622

www.hamptoninn.com www.hamptoninn.com www.hamptoninn.com www.hamptoncharleston.com www.hawksnestsp.com www.hilton.com www.holidayinn.com www.holidayinn.com www.holidayinn.com www.holidayinn.com/fairmontwv www.hiexpress.com www.hiexpress.com

1 Cracker Barrel Dr. 1 Virginia St., W. 480 Plantation Dr. 1 Preferred Place PO Box 857 606 Emily Dr. 100 Lodgeville Rd. 340 Oyler Ave. 3551 US Route 60 E. I-79, Exit 137 215 Staunton Dr. 50 Martin St.

Barboursville, WV 25504 Charleston, WV 25302 Elkins, WV 26241 Charleston, WV 25309 Ansted, WV 25812 Clarksburg, WV 26301 Bridgeport, WV 26330 Oak Hill, WV 25901 Barboursville, WV 25504 Fairmont, WV 26554 Weston, WV 26542 Elkins, WV 26241

304.733.5300 304.343.9300 304.630.7500 304.746.4646 304.658.5212 304.326.9200 304.842.5411 304.465.0571 888.465.4329 877.859.5095 877.410.6679 304.630.2266

W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

Facility

Web Site

Address

City, State, Zip

Phone

Holiday Inn Express Holiday Inn Express Civic Center Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Holiday Inn Martinsburg Holiday Inn Weirton Inn at Charles Town Jackson Lodge Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa Mardi Gras Casino & Resort McCoys Inn & Conference Center McLure House Hotel & Conference Center Microtel Inn & Suites Mountaineer Casino Resort & Racetrack Mountaineer Hotel New River Ministry Center North Bend State Park Oglebay Resort & Conference Center Opossum Creek Retreat Pipestem Resort State Park Plantation Inn & Suites Pullman Plaza Hotel Quality Hotel & Conference Center Quality Inn Quality Inn Quality Inn Conference Center Ramada Charleston Downtown Ramada Inn & Conference Center Ramada Limited & Conference Center Residence Inn by Marriott Sleep Inn Snowshoe Mountain Resort South Branch Inn South Branch Inn SpringHill Suites Stonewall Resort & Conference Center Sycamore Inn The Country Inn at Berkeley Springs The Greenbrier

www.hiexpress.com/ex-morgantown www.hiexpress.com/crw-civicctr www.holidayinn.com www.holidayinn.com www.holidayinn.com/weirtonwv www.ctownraces.com www.jacksonsmill.ext.wvu.edu/facilities www.lakeviewresort.com www.mardigrascasinowv.com www.mccoysinn.net www.mclurehotelwheeling.com

606 Venture Dr. 100 Civic Center Dr. 114 Dry Hill Rd. 301 Foxcroft Ave. 350 Three Springs Dr. Route 340 160 WVU Jackson Mill 1 Lakeview Dr. 1 Greyhound Dr. 701w W. Main St. 1200 Market Street

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201 Conference Center Way Bridgeport, WV 26330 Mountaineer Circle Rt. 2 Chester, WV 26034

304.808.2000 800.804.0468

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31 East Second Ave. 1 Sugar Creek Rd. Route 1, Box 221 465 Lodge Dr. PO Box 221 Route 20, Box 150 1322 Hackers Creek Rd. 1001 Third Ave. 3350 Big Laurel Highway 540 N. Jefferson St. 1400 Saratoga Ave. 4328 W. Wilson Freeway 600 Kanawha Blvd. E. 20 Scott Ave. 3094 16th St. Rd. 200 Hotel Circle 2772 Pennsylvania Ave. PO Box 10 1500 US 220 North US Route 50 908 National Road 940 Resort Dr.

Williamson, WV 25661 Fayetteville, WV 25840 Cairo, WV 26337 Wheeling, WV 26003 Lansing, WV 25862 Pipestem, WV 25979 Jane Lew, WV 26378 Huntington, WV 25701 Bluefield, WV 24701 Lewisburg, WV 24901 Morgantown, WV 26505 Harpers Ferry, WV 25425 Charleston, WV 25301 Morgantown, WV 26508 Huntington, WV 25701 Charleston, WV 25311 Charleston, WV 25302 Snowshoe, WV 26209 Moorefield, WV 26836 Romney, WV 26757 Wheeling, WV 26003 Roanoke, WV 26447

304.235.2222 304.574.3786 304.643.2931 304.243.4000 888.488.4836 304.466.1800 304.884.7806 304.525.1001 304.325.6170 304.645.7722 304.599.1680 304.535.6302 304.344.4092 304.296.3431 304.523.4242 304.345.4200 304.345.5111 304.572.1000 304.538.2033 304.822.2444 304.232.8903 304.269.7400 800.446.6895 304.258.2210 855.453.4858

The Guest House on Courthouse Square The Inn at Mountain Quest The Resort at Glade Springs The Woods Resort & Conference Center Timberline Four Seasons Resort & Conference Center Travelodge Twin Falls Resort State Park Tygart Lake State Park Waterfront Place Hotel Wheeling Island Hotel, Casino & Racetrack Wingate by Wyndham Wingate by Wyndham Wingate by Wyndham

www.guesthousewv.com

410 2nd Ave.

Williamson, WV 25661 Berkeley Springs, WV 25411 White Sulphur Springs, WV 24986 Hinton, WV 25951

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Route 92 255 Resort Dr. 1694 Mountain Lake Dr.

Frost, WV 24954 Daniels, WV 25832 Hedgesville, WV 25427

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Route 32

Davis, WV 26260

800.766.9464

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1007 Dunbar Ave. Route 97, Box 667 Route 1, Box 260 2 Waterfront Place 1 S. Stone St.

Dunbar, WV 25064 Mullens, WV 25882 Grafton, WV 26354 Morgantown, WV 26501 Wheeling, WV 26003

304.768.1000 304.294.4000 304.265.6148 304.296.1700 877.943.3546

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402 Second Ave. South Charleston, WV 25303 304.744.4444 1502 Grand Central Ave. Vienna, WV 25105 304.295.5501 350 Conference Center Way Bridgeport, WV 26330 304.808.1000

www.sycamoreinn.com 201 W. Second Ave. www.thecountryinnatberkeleysprings.com 110 South Washington St. www.greenbrier.com 300 W. Main Street

Morgantown, WV 26508 Charleston, WV 25301 Beckley, WV 25801 Martinsburg, WV 25401 Weirton, WV 26062 Charles Town, WV 25414 Weston, WV 26452 Morgantown, WV 26508 Cross Lanes, WV 25143 Ripley, WV 25271 Wheeling, WV 26003

304.291.2600 304.345.0600 304.252.2250 304.267.5500 304.723.5522 304.885.5800 304.269.5100 304.594.1111 888.789.7829 800.288.9122 304.232.0300

877.854.2828

www . wve x e c u t i ve . c o m

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Tourism on the move

Compiled by Jennifer Jett & Samantha Ricketts

New Tube Park Opens at Canaan Valley Resort State Park

Canaan Valley Tube Park officially opened in January 2013, giving outdoor enthusiasts another option for winter fun.

Downhill skiing was in full force on 27 of Canaan’s 42 ski trails as Canaan Valley Tube Park hosted more than 50 attendees for the opening ceremony. Park Superintendent Rob Gilligan served as master of ceremonies, introducing speakers that included Gerard Gabrys, CEO, Guest Services, Inc.; Keith Burdette, secretary, West Virginia Department of Commerce; Frank Jezioro, director, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, and Ken Caplinger, parks chief, West Virginia State Parks. Many area residents, facility staff, legislators and elected officials from the immediate area, as well as construction and project personnel and members of the media, attended.

“Today’s event represents West Virginia’s state parks commitment to preserving and maintaining quality outdoor recreation opportunities for the state and its visitors,” Caplinger said at the event. “West Virginia state parks and forests serve as a cornerstone of tourism in West Virginia.

Surveys by West Virginia’s Division of Tourism consistently reveal parks as the single biggest attraction drawing visitors to the Mountain State. Tax dollars appropriated to support the system yield dividends several times over in economic benefits, preservation of heritage and special places for generations to visit ‘where people and nature meet.’”

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W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

on the Move

Charleston to Host 2014 Travel South Showcase

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, the West Virginia Division of Tourism, the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau and Mayor Danny Jones have announced that Charleston, WV, has been awarded the distinction of hosting the 2014 Travel South Showcase.

Travel South Showcase is an invitation-only marketplace exclusively for southern tourism organizations to connect with qualified tour operators focused on developing southern tours. In addition, a select group of credentialed media are invited to learn about southern destinations. As the host city and state, Charleston will have the unique opportunity to highlight its tourism product while providing a first-class experience for the more than 500 delegates who attend.

“Since the Travel South Showcase has never been held in West Virginia, it is a huge win for the entire state,” says Alisa Bailey, president and CEO of the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We are excited to partner with the state tourism office and other destinations in the state to put our best foot forward.”

Zimmerman Joins Culinary Team at the Bavarian Inn

Alyson Zimmerman has been named chef d’ cuisine of the Bavarian Inn’s Dining Room, where she will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the inn’s cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Zimmerman joins a culinary team of

25 led by Executive Chef Wolfgang Vomend. A native of Shepherdstown, WV, Zimmerman returns home with great culinary talent and experience. Most recently she worked as executive chef of the Jenny Lake Lodge in Jackson Hole, WY, and previously as executive sous chef at the Hotel Jerome in Aspen, CO.

Summersville Arena & Conference Center

Christian and David Asam, Bavarian Inn general managers, agree, “We are thrilled to welcome Alyson home to Shepherdstown. We are so happy to have a talented young woman return to live and work in her home state. It is a great story for our town and for the State of West Virginia.”

Vomend, who has more than 50 years of culinary experience, is also very excited to share his creative passion with Zimmerman and give her guidance as she takes on this leadership role. While Vomend creates the classics and authentic German cuisine, Zimmerman can offer a new perspective with a fresh look on today’s cuisine while maintaining the styles that Bavarian Inn guests have come to know and love over the past 35 years.

Summersville Arena & Conference Center Named Business of the Year

The Summersville Arena & Conference Center has been awarded the Business of the Year Award by the Summersville Area Chamber of Commerce. The award is presented to a business that has been an active member of the Summersville

Area Chamber of Commerce and has made a positive impact on the community in both business and civic relations.

“We are very excited to be the recipient of this prestigious award,” says Marianne Taylor, executive director of the Summersville Arena & Conference Center. “It takes a good team working together to achieve this, and I think we have one of the best in the state.”

The Summersville Arena & Conference Center is a multiuse state-of-the-art facility perfect for tradeshows, sporting events, conventions, small and large meetings, banquets and wedding receptions. Catering is available on site with services being provided by the award-winning Celtic Cook.

101 years old, but even more relevant today…

Foundations ..............................................................................Addiction Recovery Programs for Men Cornerstone ............................................................Addiction Recovery Programs for Women (NEW) Crossroads Men’s Shelter ........................................................................Housing the Homeless of WV Brookside Women’s Shelter..........Helping Women & Their Children Escape Abusive Relationships Family Services ........................................Offering a Helping Hand to West Virginians in Hard Times

Union Mission is solely funded by the generous donations of its supporters.

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Tourism on the move

Grand Vue Park Welcomes Canopy Tour and Ride Expansion

Grand Vue Park in Marshall County, WV, has expanded to include a canopy tour and ride in August 2012.

The 7,540 feet of dual zip lines feature both a three-and-ahalf hour guided tour and a 2,100-foot ride. The tour consists of eight dual zip lines ranging in distance from 340-2,100 feet and three suspension bridges. Both the tour and the ride provide great views of the park and the Ohio Valley.

Grand Vue also opened a new Team Building Challenge Course consisting of 11 features that provide companies, teams and groups an opportunity to strengthen their trust, teamwork, respect and communication within their organization.

Construction Begins on Buckhannon Facility with Conference Center

Construction has begun on the West Virginia Army National Guard Readiness Center in Buckhannon. The entire facility, when complete in fall 2014, will encompass 40,000 square feet with approximately 7,000 square feet to be designated as the Buckhannon Conference Center, managed by the Upshur County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Construction is estimated to be complete in 18-24 months.

The Buckhannon Conference Center will be located along

Where West Virginia Meets

Corridor H and minutes off Interstate 79. The conference center will offer on- and off-site catering, banquet style seating for 300 and conference style seating for 550, making the Buckhannon Conference Center a hub for North Central West Virginia.

Tamarack Foundation Celebrates 10 Years

The year 2013 marks the Tamarack Foundation’s 10th year of supporting, promoting and developing nearly 2,000 artsbased businesses throughout West Virginia.

“Tamarack Foundation supports the creativity in West Virginia artisan entrepreneurs by helping them develop their brand, perfect their craft, explore new markets and, as a result, boost our economy,” says Sally Barton, executive director of the foundation. “As we mark 10 years of effort and results, we also celebrate the shining artisans who are achieving professionally, financially and artistically. They are really the measure of our success.”

Charlie West Blues Fest Returns in 2013

The West Virginia Blues Society, Inc. is excited to announce the return of its rockin’ annual event, the 6th Annual Charlie West Blues Fest (CWBF), Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18 at Haddad Riverfront Park in Charleston, WV. This free event, which has gained national attention throughout its five-year history, will play host to some of the most talented and up-and-coming blues artists in the country and from around the world.

“The Charlie West Blues Fest is a tribute to our military and their families,” says Jack Rice, president of the West Virginia Blues Society. “With an economic impact of more than $1 million, crowds that exceed 30,000 and donations to the Wounded Warrior Project of more than $10,000 per year, the CWBF is a win-win for everyone involved.”

Two Tracks for Radio Controlled Car Enthusiasts at Pipestem Resort State Park

Over 15,000 Square Feet Adaptable Meeting Space • On-Site Restaurant Catering for Your Conference • Dedicated High Speed Broadband Professional, Experienced, Friendly Staff • 200 Guest Rooms Luxury Suites • Full Service • Indoor & Outdoor Swimming Pools Fitness Center • Flatwoods Factory Outlet Shopping Mountain Lakes Amphitheater Entertainment • Mad Annie’s Tavern

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W V E x e c u t i ve M ee t i n g P l a n n e r 2013

Call Our Conference Coordinator Today 866-700-7284 www.flatwoods.com

Radio controlled (R/C) cars are enjoyed by kids and adults, often together. “It’s an outdoor activity. It’s a lot of fun,” says Paul Redford, lodge parks administrator with West Virginia’s state parks. An advocate of outdoor recreation, Redford worked with the recreation staff at Pipestem Resort State Park to convert an underused ice skating area into two radio controlled car race tracks.

Pipestem sports both a 450-foot dirt terrain track and a 277-foot concrete NASCAR-style oval. The tracks were designed with the help of local R/C enthusiasts. The race tracks are located adjacent to Pipestem’s Recreation Center.

This area includes an outdoor pool, The Short Course (a challenging par 3 golf course) and driving range, disc golf course, mini-golf, tennis courts and amphitheater.

The town of Lewisburg in Greenbrier County.

Pipestem, like all state-operated parks in West Virginia, has no entrance fee. The radio controlled car race tracks are open for use at no charge, weather permitting.

Greenbrier County CVB Wins Southeast Tourism Society Award

The Greenbrier County Convention and Visitors Bureau’s (CVB) video “Welcome to the Greenbrier Valley” has received the Southeast Tourism Society Shining Example Award for Visual Excellence. Kara Dense, executive director of the Greenbrier County CVB, accepted the award at the Southeast Tourism Society’s Fall Forum in Virginia Beach in November. The entry was one of 17 in the category.

“This video is a true testament to the beauty of the Greenbrier Valley,” says Dense. “From the participants involved in making the video to the story it tells, the project captured the extraordinary qualities of the Greenbrier Valley, and we are proud to be recognized among our peers for it.”

“Shining Example Awards highlight some of the best work in travel and tourism, and winners truly set examples that others in the industry can follow,” says Southern Tourism Society President and CEO Bill Hardman. “Showcasing great work is important because tourism is the largest, second-largest or third-largest industry in every Southeastern state.”

History is in Berkeley County

Historic Properties Walking Tour Roundhouse and Belle Boyd Museum

NEWLY RENOVATED!

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An EDR program requires commitment to a style of handling cases that is a departure from the norm for most.

Early Dispute Resolution

By Elliot Hicks

Business owners grudgingly accept

lawsuits as a part of doing business. If you’re doing what it takes to advance your business, you will suffer the bumps and bruises that result in your name on a legal pleading. You may even be the one who files the lawsuit.

Almost any money you can recover in a lawsuit is eaten up by lost employee time, and, perhaps more importantly, the business owner’s loss of focus on healthy profits. If you are the one sued, you can never win.

What if there was a way to reduce the money you spend on a lawsuit by 70 to 80 percent? What if you were able to reduce the precious time you spend on a lawsuit by a similar number? What if you could keep your employees focused productively on their jobs instead of practicing to testify, testifying at depositions and testifying at trial?

Like all other businesses, you have a need to resolve your cases quickly. You have no need to wallow in interminable litigation or to play the litigation lottery in a place like the courtroom, where sympathy can become the deciding factor in the case.

www.wvexecutive.com

winter 2013

41

There exists an approach to litigation called early dispute resolution (EDR) by which a company can become systematically and dramatically more assertive in pushing for mediation as soon as the company becomes aware of a possible claim against it. In EDR, parties make fervent efforts to resolve the claim immediately after they become aware of a dispute without diving into the abyss of scheduling orders, interrogations, depositions and trials, taking every opportunity to engage one another at the earliest possible stages of the claim.

Toro Company was an innovator of the EDR approach. As a manufacturer of lawn care products for home and industry, many of the lawsuits Toro faced were traumatic injuries that resulted in highdollar claims. Toro developed an EDR plan that had the company acting with strikeforce speed in engaging injured people who somehow notified the company that they may bring a claim against it. They settled overwhelming numbers of those claims before involving any lawyers. When they involved their settlement lawyers in

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west virginia executive

©2013 Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

a case, they acted with similar alacrity to settle claims.

Toro and its lawyers have said the program has resulted in dramatic savings for the company for the following reasons: • The number of pending cases was reduced by 75 percent; • The total of attorneys’ fees and expenses paid out over eight years was reduced by 78 percent; • The average payout due to lawsuits was reduced by 70 percent and • The life span of a claim was reduced from two years to eight months.

Though an innovator of this approach, Toro is not alone in using the EDR model.

Several other companies have adopted this approach with similarly compelling results.

An EDR program requires commitment to a style of handling cases that is a departure from the norm for most. The client works with its own risk managers and settlement counsel to develop settlement representatives, well-trained employees who can personally engage with anyone who the client learns has been involved in an incident that might result in a claim or lawsuit. This settlement representative resolves any issue he or she can by essentially engaging in aggressively hospitable claimant service, making every small concession the company can reasonably make to resolve the matter to the claimant’s satisfaction.

That’s giving away the store, isn’t it?

Well, no. The quicker a lawsuit is settled, the better. The client may pay some money that is deserved and some that is not, but it avoids the tar pit of litigation required to discover the facts necessary to get a fairer settlement or low trial verdict.

If the matter cannot be resolved at the settlement representative stage, the client engages settlement counsel to contact the claimant in an attempt to hold a mediation within the next 60 days. A mediation is when a person skilled by experience or training is brought into the discussion between the client and claimant to encourage a nonbinding resolution of the claim. Settlement counsel contacts the claimant’s attorney to offer a plan for the mediation, proposing to the attorney a mediation agreement that is fair to both parties, providing for document exchange and very limited investigation.

Time is of the essence. Settlement counsel will control everything possible to investigate, mediate and resolve the claim within 60 days.

Discovery will be limited by agreement. Settlement counsel will want to agree to take a sworn statement of the claimant that is strictly limited to a very brief time—say, 90 minutes. The statement is privileged and confidential, meaning that both parties agree the contents of the statement can never be used against the claimant in any legal action that may result. The confidentiality agreement puts the fears of both the claimant and the attorney to rest. If the claimant wants to take a statement of the company’s representative, the same rules apply to that statement.

The claimant agrees to provide all medical records, documentary support for any financial loss and other information that may bear upon the claim. The company agrees to supply the owner’s manuals, schematic drawings of the premises or any other limited items that might be useful. Settlement counsel will perform much of the investigation informally or with the aid of his or her own professional investigators.

This limited investigation process leads to a session with a mediator upon whom the parties can agree. One will want to select a mediator who will work hard for a settlement and not a passive person.

Representatives for the parties will have a firm agreement that the parties share the cost of the mediator equally. This gives the claimant stakes in the mediation so it won’t be taken lightly.

The EDR approach to claims requires a commitment from the company and its insurer, as well as significant trust among the defense team. Several aspects to this method of addressing lawsuits are designed to foster that trust.

It works well when the settlement counsel serves for a flat fee per case instead of an hourly fee. Counsel then has no apparent reason to drag the case out beyond the self-imposed deadline of 60 days. The client’s interest in quickly resolving the case mirrors the counsel’s own desire to do the same.

If the mediation is not successful, settlement counsel does not automatically become litigation counsel. The client can take the case to another lawyer for the litigation. Counsel is judged on his or her administration of a single effort—getting the case settled quickly at a low overall cost.

Attorneys come into the legal system determined to find fairness.

The business person’s mindset, though, is that while they want fairness, they must have efficiency above all. It would be nice if one could avoid paying any claims when the business is not at fault, but the primary focus of an early settlement program is to get out of the dispute right away, even if someone gets a couple of undeserved dollars.

When word gets out that you’re just handing out money, won’t every faker within a country mile line up to take your handout? This approach requires a true partnership between business and legal advisors. You count on your lawyer to know your business well enough to evaluate the cases in which an EDR approach works and to recognize when the claimant is just taking advantage of you.

You fiercely fight the bogus claims to win and to show you’re not a stooge, but you resolve the close calls to save the company money.

The business saves. That’s the bottom line. 

Applicable Communications for Improved Patient Care IN-BUILDING CELLULAR AMPLIFICATION HSC’s INDUSTRIAL Communications group provides single band and dual band bi-directional amplification (BDA) systems for in-building cell phone and public communications (PCS) coverage.

HSC’s BDA systems are ideal for use at health care facilities, educational

campuses and locations with multiple buildings, as well as facilities that contain numerous floors.

These systems have been utilized in above and below ground metal and concrete structures with numerous underground floors. BDA systems are also FCC and cellular service provider approved for both bi-directional coverage amplification and telephone interfacing.

Bi-Directional Amplification (BDA) There is an increasing need to have reliable inbuilding cell phone and radio communications. Due to building design and construction materials there can be areas in hospital facilities with little or no coverage. HSC provides bi-directional amplification systems to assist in eliminating dead zones.

What this means for you as a health care provider…

• Real-time mobile communications • Facilities operating with latest communication technologies • Amplified signal for clearer communications and better coverage

SYSTEMS: • Wireless Amplifier Systems • Plug and Play Amplifier Kits • Desktop Amplifier Systems • Direct Connection Amplifier Systems

To learn more about HSC’s communications products and services: Call 304.252.1918 E-mail stevend@hscindustrial.com.

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Fractionated Co2 Laser Skin Resurfacing Improves skin quality making it look softer, smoother and younger with the latest in Co2 Laser technology. Damaged skin is treated while healthy cells are preserved during this procedure. (minimal recovery time) All surgeries are performed in our AAAHC fully accredited surgery center located conveniently in Beckley, WV. www.beckleysurgerycenter.com

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Through an Employer’s Eyes The

nuts

and

bolts

of the Affordable Care Act

By Jill Cranston rice and David Whaley

Beginning in 2014, most

Americans will be required to have health insurance.

That’s right. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) will require individuals to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty. Individual states like West Virginia are setting up insurance exchanges to allow people to purchase health insurance at a lower cost. Some authorities estimate a person could save up to 18 percent on his or her health insurance premiums by purchasing through the exchange.

Low and middle income Americans can get tax credits to help pay their health insurance premiums, unless they have access to health insurance through an employer, and the ACA imposes penalties on employers who do not comply with the minimum requirements for providing health insurance to their employees.

According to 2010 Census data, 157 million people under the age of 65 maintained their health insurance coverage through their employer or as dependents of

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west virginia executive

a covered employee. The primary goal of the ACA, however, is to provide insurance to those without access to insurance, so Congress developed a web of incentives and penalties for individuals and employers to support the objectives of the ACA while not adversely affecting the existing employer-sponsored health plan system.

Employers have several important decisions to make when the significant provisions of the ACA take effect.

For example, most employers will be subject to the pay or play requirement, meaning they have to offer health insurance coverage to their employees or pay a penalty. There are significant factors that drive employee benefit considerations, and the ACA treats differentsized employers differently. Here you will find an oversimplified, nuts and bolts, at-a-glance cheat sheet.

The standard “This is not legal advice” disclaimer applies since regulations for a number of these provisions have not yet been released and currently are undergoing further regulatory revision. These are factors employers should consider based on the major tenets of the new law.

At A Glance SMALL EMPLOYERS (LESS THAN 50)

EMPLOYERS “ON THE BUBBLE” (40-70)

LARGE EMPLOYERS WITH FULLY INSURED PLAN

PLANS MUST OFFER FAMILY COVERAGE TO ADULT CHILDREN UNDER AGE 26

Will increase cost to employer because coverage for these additional dependents will be included in calculation of premiums.

Will increase cost to employer because coverage for these additional dependents will be included in calculation of premiums.

Will increase cost to employer because coverage for these additional dependents will be included in calculation of premiums.

Will likely increase cost to employer because coverage for these additional dependents will increase claims experience.

PLANS CANNOT INCLUDE ANNUAL OR LIFETIME COVERAGE LIMITS

Will increase cost to employer because costs of elimination of limits will be included in calculation of premiums.

Will increase cost to employer because costs of elimination of limits will be included in calculation of premiums.

Will increase cost to employer because costs of elimination of limits will be included in calculation of premiums.

Will increase cost to employer because costs of elimination of limits will be included in calculation of premiums for plan’s stop-loss carrier or will expand coverage requirements.

Preventive SERVICES AT NO COST TO PLAN PARTICIPANTS

Will increase cost to employer because coverage for these additional services will be included in calculation of premiums.

Will increase cost to employer because coverage for these additional services will be included in calculation of premiums.

Will increase cost to employer because coverage for these additional services will be included in calculation of premiums.

Will increase cost to employer because coverage for these additional services will require an expansion of plan benefits.

Since “highly compensated” may reach as many as the top 25 percent by compensation, small employers who have sponsored a health plan but only covered a select group may have to choose between covering virtually all full-time employees or abandoning the employer-sponsored plan. Abandonment may be much more affordable since there is no penalty; many may qualify for tax subsidies for exchange-purchased policies.

Same as small employers under 50, with the added complication that these employers may be subject to penalties if they elect to drop coverage; emphasizes importance of number of full-time employees.1

If the plan is discriminatory in coverage or benefits, large employers may have to add new groups as eligible to participate, increasing the employer’s plan cost. Dropping coverage may not be a competitive option, and the penalty cost may outweigh the cost of coverage expansion.2

These employers are not affected because they are already subject to nondiscrimination requirements.

Of course, new regulations and enforcement orders may affect these employers in the future.

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Will increase enrollment and corresponding costs of offering plans.

May increase enrollment; however, the increased enrollment will only increase cost if the claims experience for those “unanticipated” additions exceed the cost paid by the employee.

Will increase cost to employer because coverage for pre-existing conditions will be included in calculation of premiums.

Will increase cost to employer because coverage for pre-existing conditions will be included in calculation of premiums.

Will increase cost to employer because coverage for pre-existing conditions will be included in calculation of premiums.

Will increase cost to employer because coverage for pre-existing conditions will be included in calculation of premiums.

Not Applicable

This requirement applies to employers with 50 or more full-time equivalents, so these employers will need to be vigilant about their number of employees and the hours they maintain.

These plans must be affordable; the employee’s portion of his premium for self-only coverage cannot exceed 9.5 percent of his household income.

These plans must be affordable; the employee’s portion of his premium for self-only coverage cannot exceed 9.5 percent of his household income.

Tighter age bands and the elimination of other health factors will increase premiums for younger, healthier people while reducing premiums for the older and historically less healthy population. Employers with younger employees should expect an increase in premiums and a decrease for older employees. The composition of the work force will determine the impact of these provisions.

Tighter age bands and the elimination of other health factors will increase premiums for younger, healthier people while reducing premiums for the older and historically less healthy population. Employers with younger employees should expect an increase in premiums and a decrease for older employees. The composition of the work force will determine the impact of these provisions.

Tighter age bands and the elimination of other health factors will increase premiums for younger, healthier people while reducing premiums for the older and historically less healthy population. Employers with younger employees should expect an increase in premiums and a decrease for older employees. The composition of the work force will determine the impact of these provisions.

Tighter age bands and the elimination of other health factors will increase premiums for younger, healthier people while reducing premiums for the older and historically less healthy population. Employers with younger employees should expect an increase in premiums and a decrease for older employees. The composition of the work force will determine the impact of these provisions.

Plans must include coverage for an array of enumerated preventive services.

NONDISCRIMINATION Fully Insured Plans must follow nondiscrimination rules that previously applied only to self-insured plans—cannot discriminate in favor of highly-compensated individuals. *The nondiscrimination rules are currently undergoing further regulatory revision. Thus, employers that exclude classes of employees from coverage or who charge differing premium amounts for certain classes of eligible employees may have to modify their eligibility rules or their contribution structure.

These expansions of coverage may force employers to abandon offering employer-sponsored plans.

AUTO-ENROLLMENT Employers with more than 200 full-time employees who offer enrollment in one or more plans are required to automatically enroll new employees in one of their offered plans; employees can opt out.

NO PRE-EXISTING CONDITION EXCLUSIONS Group health plans and individual policies must eliminate preexisting condition exclusions.

PLAN MUST COVER ALL FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES OR PAY A PENALTY, AND PLAN MUST BE AFFORDABLE Employers must provide affordable, qualified coverage to all full-time employees or pay a penalty.

COMMUNITY RATING AND “AGE BAND” IN PLANS CANNOT EXCEED 3:1 Premiums cannot vary based on health status, and premium differences based on age cannot exceed a 3:1 ratio, so insurance for the oldest participants cannot be more than three times the rate for the youngest participants.

LARGE EMPLOYERS WITH SELF-INSURED PLAN

1 These “bubble employers” will have to consider which is more expensive: adding additional employees in order to satisfy the nondiscrimination prohibition or paying the penalty. There may be no penalty since the penalty is based on the number of bona fide full-time employees (>30 hours per week) MINUS 30. The result is that even though the employer may be large enough to be an “applicable large employer” and, therefore, subject to the penalties, getting to subtract 30 when calculating the penalty ($2,000 X [# of Full-Time Minus 30]) may suppress the actual penalty to zero.

Factors employers will be forced to consider: ages of the full-time employees who, before the act, have been excluded and who now must be offered coverage in order to produce a nondiscriminatory fair cross-section (the younger they are, the more favorable eligibility expansion becomes when compared to the cost of the penalty).

2

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As the Dust Settles The Importance of Planning for Health Care Reform

By Michael

Although the Patient Protection and

Even the Smith Affordable Care Act is largely intact following the presidential election and inaction of the U.S. Supreme Court decision announced in June, retaining it is increasingly important that employers understand their current key aspects of the law, analyze their options and begin health benefit implementing appropriate compliance strategies. strategy Health Insurance Costs Escalate While the bulk of the Affordable Care Act does not may leave take effect until 2014, several key provisions are already employers in place. These include allowing children to remain with on their parents’ medical policies until they reach age extending coverage to children up to the age of unexpected 26, 19 even when there are pre-existing conditions and extra costs. removing annual and lifetime plan limits. Together, these add to health insurance costs because they increase coverage and extend services. Insurers have said they do not intend to roll them back but instead are already building them into their cost basis.

At the same time, new ways of compensating for care that are designed to reduce cost drivers in the health care system have not yet taken hold. Therefore, the charges for hospital services, diagnostic tests and sophisticated treatments all continue to rise.

In addition, employers face decisions that will have economic consequences. Even the inaction of retaining their current health benefit strategy may leave them with unexpected extra costs.

Play or Pay Consequences One of the well-known sections of the Affordable Care Act involves the employer mandate that details which benefits employers are expected to provide to their employees and what will happen if they don’t.

Known as play or pay, the core concept is those employers that qualify as large employers under this part of the law must offer health insurance for fulltime workers and their dependents or pay a penalty to the government.

On the surface, it would seem to be a simple decision to make: Is it cheaper to provide health insurance or pay the penalty? Even if an employer sets aside the value of health benefits in attracting and retaining a talented work force and decides to make a purely mathematical choice, the play or pay provisions are not designed for simple calculations.

In general, there are two ways an employer may find itself liable for penalties: • No Coverage. Companies that have more than 50 full-time equivalent employees (employers are required to calculate hours worked by part-time employees and convert those hours to full-time equivalents) are expected to offer health benefits for full-time workers and their families. Full-time for purposes of this mandate includes employees regularly scheduled to work on average more than 30 hours a week. New Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance issued in late August 2012 allows employers to adopt measurement periods of up to 12 consecutive months, but not less than three months, to determine if an employee is deemed to be a regular full-time employee. If an employer fails to provide coverage for full-time employees and if at least one of the employees qualifies for a subsidy (household income is below 400 percent of the federal poverty level) and purchases health insurance through a government-run exchange, the company is assessed a $2,000 penalty multiplied by the total number of full-time employees of the employer, whether or not more workers beyond the initial person buy coverage from the exchange. However, the penalty is waived for the first 30 full-time employees.

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• Unaffordable Coverage/Minimum Actuarial Value. If the employer provides coverage that is not affordable or does not provide minimum actuarial value, the employer pays a penalty of $3,000 for each full-time employee who receives a government subsidy to purchase insurance from the exchange.

A plan is defined as not affordable if the employee portion of the employee-only premium exceeds 9.5 percent of the employee’s household income (under the new IRS safe harbor, 9.5 percent of the employee’s W-2 wages). A plan does not provide minimum value if its share of the total cost of benefits provided under the plan is less than 60 percent.

Making the Right Call There are many factors to consider when making the right decision for a specific employer, including the employer and employee income tax implications, potential lost compensation value if an employer does not offer coverage to an employee ineligible to obtain federally subsidized exchange coverage, the number of full-time employees not currently taking the employer’s coverage but may consider participating in 2014 and the number of employees eligible for Medicaid if they live in a state that expands their Medicaid program. One food services company set out to drop its group health benefits and replace them with higher salaries that would allow employees to buy their own coverage. However, when the company’s leaders got assistance from experts to run through different scenarios, they realized several tax consequences had been overlooked and individual health plans were far more expensive than they had anticipated.

Instead, they decided to explore other options.

Employers should work closely with their benefits broker to find the right solution that fits their needs. Brokers who understand the coming health care changes should be able to assist their customers with a multistep approach: 1. Assessment. What does your company offer now, and what are the demographics of your work force? How do your benefits interact with your total compensation offering?

2. Modeling. Using sophisticated analytical tools that are built around the Affordable Care Act, how can different scenarios affect your bottom line?

3. Evaluation. Will a chosen scenario comply with federal requirements for fair employee access, acceptable coverage and affordable benefits?

4. Strategic Decision. What is the best choice that will optimize benefits for your company?

5. Implementation. What steps are required to implement and communicate the new strategy, and what assistance will you need?

6. Reporting. How can you track and measure your results to compare them to your financial and human resources targets?

Putting together the right benefits package in the past has often been a matter of choosing one insurer’s plan over another’s, a decision driven largely by cost and services. Today, the decision about what to do with health benefits is best made with the help of knowledgeable experts and a thoughtful approach. No matter the fate of the Affordable Care Act, employers should look for insurance partners who can help them make the tough decisions ahead. 

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The Pharmacy that Family Built

By Kensie Hamilton

West Virginia is a very family-oriented

kind of place, so it is no surprise family businesses are also extremely important to the fabric that makes up the Mountain State.

Something that stands out for me in relation to Fruth Pharmacy and Lynne Fruth is that their definition of family does not stop at the same last name. The history of this family-owned business is rich with the kind of family dynamic common in West Virginia—the extended family that goes beyond siblings and parents to include employees, neighbors and customers. Lynne Fruth has been blessed to learn a great deal along the way and she is sharing some of that insight with us.

“We try to run our business by the standard of ‘Always do the right thing.’”

Lynne Fruth, president and chairman of the board, Fruth Pharmacy Inc.

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WVE: As the president of a successful family-owned West Virginia business, tell us about the path that brought you to where you are today.

LF: Growing up in a family business is a unique and wonderful experience.

The family and the business are so interconnected, it is hard to talk about one without the other. As kids we helped out at the store: making Easter baskets, wrapping gifts at Christmas and going door to door to pass out handbills. I couldn’t have been more than seven or eight when we were doing these jobs. We spent a lot of time at the store and at our soda fountain, and we all loved Fruth Pharmacy. Our family talked Fruth business over the dinner table and at holidays. I attended West Virginia University (WVU) on a softball scholarship and graduated with a degree in education. I was an educator and parttime consultant over the next 25 years. The skill set needed in education was a good fit for leadership of a corporation; problemsolving, perseverance and the ability to think on my feet certainly helped me. I also brought back the passion that was needed to get things back on track. Really, at the end of the day it’s all about leadership.

WVE: As you reflect on your career, what are some of the highlights and accomplishments of which you are the most proud?

LF: After my father died in 2005 and with the economic downturn that followed, Fruth found itself in a crisis of leadership.

In 2009-2010, the company was struggling just to remain a viable enterprise. Working with the legacy Fruth employees and new management staff that was recruited, we were able to trim nearly $2 million off of our expense line and implement changes to get us back to profitability in just two years. We finished Fiscal Year 2012 with the strongest results since my father was alive and returned a record amount of dividend to the Fruth shareholders. The thing I am most proud of is we were able to complete this turnaround and ensure our 600-plus employees would have job security. We also positioned the company for future growth, and we were able to open our first new store since 2006 with store No. 26 in Ironton, Ohio, in November 2012, which created 25 jobs.

WVE: As the daughter of the founders of Fruth Pharmacy, what does it mean for you to be the president today?

LF: I never dreamed I would be in this position. It is humbling to be doing this job, and I have a great sense of responsibility to run the company in a way that is consistent with my father’s legacy and our family’s values.

WVE: What have you learned from working alongside your family over the years?

LF: Dad always said, “Nobody ever got ahead working 40 hours a week.” I learned a work ethic that has served me well in all my jobs. I learned there is no job that is beneath me, including taking out the trash. I like to say, “Think that you are good enough to do anything, but don’t think you are too good to do anything.”

I’ve also learned there are many things that are more important than money, like family and personal integrity.

WVE: Your father embraced the spirit of community service and going above and beyond for his employees.

What was the greatest lesson he taught you and how have you continued his legacy through your employees?

LF: My father always felt like his employees were part of the extended family. Over the years, he laughed with them, cried with them and helped them in amazing ways. I try to be the kind of boss who really does value family and I try to have the flexibility needed to allow employees to take time off to be there for aging parents and special times with their children. We also hold an annual Fun Day event for all employees and their families with a huge picnic, inflatables, games and prizes at the wave pool. We have two weeks in November each year to celebrate employee appreciation with small gifts each day, gift cards for Christmas shopping and special discounts. We hold an annual luncheon to recognize milestones in years of service. This year we had an employee honored for 35 years of service.

Our family’s commitment to the employees is the main reason we have never been willing to sell out to a larger chain.

WVE: How has Fruth integrated technology to create a more efficient patient care delivery system?

LF: We have brought automation into every pharmacy this year to help with speed and accuracy. We are also implementing the next generation of pharmacy software, which includes bar code scanning and biometrics to improve safety. We are rolling out a smartphone

application so customers can do their refills on the phone. We are working with several programs to improve adherence by using text messages, e-mails and phone calls to remind patients when they need to get their maintenance medicines refilled.

Patients with chronic conditions who do not take their maintenance medications properly is a huge problem, and we are working to address this.

WVE: What is it about Fruth’s philosophy or business model that has been the key to so many years of success?

LF: We try to concentrate on customer service and provide quality care. I think we understand what the rural customer is looking for. We provide value and good prices, which is important to customers. We will special order the products customers want, and we can usually get them in stock in a day or two. Most big-box stores are not interested in doing that. Many of our employees have been with Fruth for years and know their customers by name. We also provide old-fashioned services like delivering prescriptions and gift wrapping.

WVE: What is your favorite aspect of being involved in the health care industry?

LF: Knowing our folks have made a difference to patients when they needed it most. With the lack of health care providers, patients often seek the advice of their pharmacist first. Our pharmacists have seen patients in serious distress such as heart attack, stroke or gangrene, and the pharmacists have actually called for an ambulance to take the patient to the hospital. Plus, I regularly get notes of thanks from caregivers expressing how much our pharmacists have helped them in taking care of loved ones.

WVE: What keeps you motivated?

LF: Three groups of people motivate me: my family and the desire to preserve the legacy of Fruth Pharmacy that my parents spent their lives building; the Fruth Pharmacy family of employees who are dedicated and count on Fruth to provide their livelihood and our loyal customers who look to us to meet their health care needs. I also know our business makes a real difference in the local communities we serve.

WVE: What would you consider the model for success for your thriving West Virginia business?

LF: We try to run our business by the

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standard of “Always do the right thing.” I want our employees to treat our customers the way I would want someone to treat my mother. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, and if we can do something extra to make a difference for our customers, we try to do that. The key is to be fair to your employees, give your customers value and good service and become a part of the community and give something back for

the good of all. All of our stores hold events each year to raise money and support local charities. This may be raising money for a child with cancer or helping the local dog shelter. The employees plan and work the events to give back to their communities. We also have an extensive scholarship program that helps many young people attend college.

WVE: How do you see health care reform changing how you do business?

LF: I am a member of the board of directors of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and we see many changes that could impact our business and our customers. More insurance plans are trying to force patients to get their prescriptions by mail order. That removes the contact with their local pharmacist who knows

them best. Other insurance companies force patients to use certain drug stores or pay higher co-pays. This is also an alarming trend because most patients rely on their pharmacist for advice and support and they do not want to be forced to go to other providers. As a smaller regional chain, we find ourselves getting cut out of different health care plans, and our patients are forced to shop elsewhere. I think this is wrong. We also continue to see reimbursements shrink, and that makes it more and more difficult for independent pharmacies and small chains to remain viable. I still believe West Virginians should be able to shop locally and get their prescriptions from a pharmacist they know and trust. Driving long distances to a big chain store is not economically or physically

Coverage for my needs, my life.

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feasible for many patients. We work with our legislators, both state and federal, to try to ensure West Virginians can still access quality local health care.

WVE: Tell us a little about life outside the office—your family life, what you enjoy doing in your spare time and the future plans you have.

LF: I have three mostly grown children: Nicole, 30, who lives in Paris; Liz, 27, who lives in Miami and Michael, 18, who is attending college at High Point University in North Carolina. We love spending time and traveling together. I love all sports and games. I am an avid snow skier and scuba diver, and I love canoeing, white water rafting, hiking and zip lining. We love to play cards and board games and attend WVU football and basketball games. With all the kids living away, I spend most of my free time with my boyfriend, Mark.

We have a small stained-glass art studio and enjoy outdoor activities.

WVE: How do you find time to balance your career and personal life?

LF: This is a pretty hectic job, and I have two hours of drive time each day, so I struggle some with keeping a balance. I am a great multitasker and am blessed with a

tremendous amount of energy. Still, there are only 24 hours in a day, so managing my time is important. Now that I have an excellent management team in place, I try to take the weekends off and not work from home. I also focus on spending time with my mother and helping her, as that is a priority for me. And, of course, spending time with the kids any time they are available is always fun and relaxing. The hardest thing for me is to transition from the crazy business pace of the day to a more relaxed state in the evenings. I find shoveling snow or gardening is good therapy for me. I have also become very selective about agreeing to belong to committees. I want to be an active contributing member but I recognize I simply cannot do everything.

WVE: What would you tell young professionals, especially those in the ever-changing health care industry, about how to succeed in today’s business world?

LF: There is no substitute for hard work.

I like the expression “Don’t be envious of what someone else has unless you are willing to do what they did to get it.” Fruth Pharmacy is a company that was born out of a dream and fueled by 54 years of hard

work by my father. There were good times and hard times, but he never gave up. Just be stupid enough to never give up. I think young professionals need to work hard, be fair and think about success in ways that are measured beyond just financial rewards.

WVE: Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?

LF: Fruth Pharmacy just celebrated its 60th Diamond Anniversary. It is still a closely held company with the majority ownership held by the Fruth family. Most of the family is involved in the business: my mother, Frances, is secretary of the corporation and a board member; my brother, Mike, is a pharmacist and vice president of imports; my sister, Joan, manages all the special events and holidays; my brother, John, is an engineer with Delphi but serves on the board of directors; my sister, Carol, has worked in the business over the years and my cousin, Jim Rossi, also serves on the board of directors.

Fruth also holds a scholarship golf event each year that is now in its 21st year. It has raised more than $300,000 for the 26 available scholarships.  Photography by Fruth Pharmacy and Tracy Toler

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DEFINING Medicaid Expansion Since Medicaid is a combined state/federal program, many are concerned that an expansion will be prohibitively expensive for states.

By Dan Foster

A recent Steven Spielberg movie has

given new meaning to the term “Lincolnesque.” The 16th president’s unpretentious humanity and hard-nosed political skills are on vivid display as he forges a solution to the issue of his time—slavery. Over the last three years, America has struggled to reach a consensus on the issue of our generation—universal health care—and has finally achieved what most would consider at least limited success.

The events of 2012 have clarified that the Affordable Care Act will remain the law of the land as the country inches toward that goal. One key remaining question, though, for West Virginia and other states is whether or not to expand Medicaid. To facilitate this decision, the Tomblin administration has contracted with an actuary to analyze the financial consequences of an expansion.

What exactly is meant by a Medicaid expansion?

Today, Medicaid is a program for more than 400,000 West Virginians. It serves primarily low-income

children, pregnant women, the disabled and the elderly seeking nursing home care. In West Virginia, adults with children up to age 19 can earn no more than 35 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), which is $6,700 for a family of three, in order to be eligible for Medicaid. Even if you meet this poverty level, you cannot currently get Medicaid without having young children. This would change, as the proposed expansion would affect childless and other ineligible adults, with anyone earning up to 138 percent of the FPL, or $26,000 for a family of three, becoming eligible even without other categorical requirements.

This would add nearly 120,000 presently uninsured West Virginians to the state’s Medicaid rolls.

Since Medicaid is a combined state/federal program, many are concerned that an expansion will be prohibitively expensive for states. Yet, it’s actually an exceptionally generous deal. Those that elect to expand will receive 100 ExEdge percent federal funding for the expansion Medicaid was population in 2014-2016, 95 percent in created in 2017, 94 percent in 2018, 93 percent 1965 and was in 2019 and 90 percent in every year available in every state by 1982, thereafter. The state cost for expansion with Arizona is real, but for the years 2014-2022, the being the last Congressional Budget Office estimates state to come the total direct state Medicaid spending on board. will be only 2.8 percent higher than Source: www. without the expansion for this more gomedicare.com than 25 percent increase in the Medicaid population. Administrative costs for these new enrollees will also increase, although the new streamlined enrollment process should minimize this liability.

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There will also be new costs for currently eligible individuals expected to sign up because of the individual mandate and easy program entry but for whom the state won’t receive the higher match. Since adult Medicaid eligibility requirements in West Virginia are so severe, making the number presently not enrolled likely small, West Virginia’s financial risk from this source should be minimal. To be honest, this woodwork effect will probably occur whether or not Medicaid is expanded.

The financial picture of the expansion is incomplete without considering budgetary savings, which appear in many forms.

The most obvious is the decrease in nonMedicaid spending on health care for poor and near-poor uninsured adults as they gain Medicaid coverage. Specific examples would include lowered mental health expenditures and decreased uncompensated care payments to hospitals.

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Tax revenue would also increase since the state would be receiving hundreds of millions of additional annual federal Medicaid dollars, which would drive economic activity manifested by jobs, consumption and business income. In fact, a study recently released by the Missouri Hospital Association projected that a Medicaid expansion could add more than 24,000 jobs and $9.6 billion in value-added output to Missouri’s economy in 2014.

Logically, similar benefits on a slightly smaller scale are likely to occur in West Virginia. Because of the uniform flow of monies to the federal government from each state’s citizens, it’s also easy to see that those states that don’t expand will be helping the economies of those that do.

In addition to direct state benefits, the savings to previously uninsured people who would get Medicaid are also important.

Such individuals, who had been paying

approximately 30 percent of the cost of their health care out-of-pocket, would see that drop to near zero with expansion.

In 2009, Continuing Care Retirement Communities Actuaries, the entity now working on the above-mentioned report, estimated the collective cost savings to these West Virginians would be almost $600 million a year. Moreover, although the possible effect of the expansion on health care premiums of state businesses is difficult to project, there should be little argument that having insurance generally makes a worker healthier and more productive.

It has been suggested the state consider a Medicaid expansion to only 100 percent of the FPL, as that is the level at which uninsured can begin getting subsidized coverage from the new exchanges, in which case nearly the whole cost would be borne by the federal government. However, the Obama administration appears to have eliminated that option, and even if it were allowed, certain companies not offering health insurance could likely be negatively affected, as they would have to pay penalties for their low-wage workers who fall between 100 percent and 138 percent FPL and receive tax credits to help them buy health coverage. There will be no penalties if an uninsured employee accepts coverage from expanded Medicaid.

The question of dollars and cents will likely be answered with receipt of the actuarial report by early 2013, but transcending this economic concern is the issue of morality. Simply stated, it’s believed that those without health insurance “live sicker and die sooner.” There is indeed good evidence from Oregon that, all things being equal, individuals with Medicaid are healthier than those who are uninsured. There is an equally credible projection from the Institute of Medicine that approximately 20,000 Americans die every year (200 in West Virginia) just because they don’t have health insurance.

These revelations give pause and certainly beg the question: Did financial considerations play any part in Lincoln’s decision to abolish slavery? 

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A New Era in Health Care The Affordable Care Act

By Samantha Ricketts

The recent implemen-

tation of the Affordable Care Act will impact businesses and individuals across the board. Members of different groups are beginning to see new changes in areas such as insurance and care, and many are wondering whether or not such changes will be beneficial to them.

Here, two health care professionals in the Mountain State shed some light on the facts. President and CEO of Thomas Health System, Inc., Stephen Dexter, discusses the changes taking place in hospitals, businesses and communities while Elizabeth Critch, executive director for the National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health at West Virginia University, expands on the impact that will be seen specifically by women.

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A New Era in Wellness

By Stephen Dexter The Affordable

Care Act (ACA), also known as health care reform or Obamacare, is a major improvement in how health care will be delivered in America. It begins to change the process from doctors and hospitals treating people when they are ill to actually focusing on keeping them well, and it expands health insurance to the uninsured while creating a more efficient system of insurance. Overall, this shift in the way health care will be carried out in the U.S. is good for patients, good for business and good for hospitals.

Good for Patients It’s important to understand the many ways in which the ACA will improve our country’s health care system. For starters, the ACA makes insurance more available and more affordable. This is accomplished by allowing children to stay on their parents’ health care plans up to the age of 26. Patients can no longer be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions under the ACA, and insurance companies must spend at least 80 percent of premium dollars on actual patient care.

The ACA creates insurance exchanges so patients can easily identify plans that meet their specific needs, and it provides subsidies to moderate and low-income individuals to purchase private insurance through these exchanges. In addition, it expands Medicaid to everyone under 133 percent of the poverty level with at least 93 percent of the cost covered by the federal government through 2020 while reducing the donut hole for drug costs that many Medicare recipients experience.

Equally as important as making health care more affordable, the ACA also focuses on improving patient care. This is done through incentivizing hospitals to reduce infections, falls, medical errors and repeated admissions. The ACA will also pay for many preventive services for Medicare recipients, including wellness visits, colonoscopies, mammograms and vaccinations.

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Good for Business The ACA is laden with benefits for American individuals, but they are not alone. This health care overhaul will also be good for business.

One of the biggest problems American businesses have is the rising cost of health insurance for their employees. A main reason for this is the current financing system in our country. Basically, federal and state programs pay less than the cost for treating their insured, and almost no one pays for the uninsured.

Therefore, the costs of the uninsured and government program shortfalls are shifted to private payers through much higher rates. A typical business may be paying as much as 50 percent more than the actual cost of insuring their employees to cover these shortfalls.

The Affordable Care Act spreads the cost of the uninsured across a much broader base, relieving some of the pressure of businesses carrying the whole burden.

As mentioned above, when businesses now buy insurance, at least 80 percent of the premium must go to medical care or the business or its employees will receive a rebate. In 2012, West Virginians received $2.7 million in rebates because of the ACA.

Good for Hospitals There is one more group who will see the extensive benefits of the ACA: hospitals.

The ACA will actually pay hospitals for doing what they’ve always tried to

do: Provide good patient care. Now if a hospital meets specific quality measures that help the patient both in the hospital and after discharge, hospitals are rewarded for providing that level of care.

In addition, more patients will get treated before they get sick. For example, 30 percent of the patients present at the St. Francis and Thomas Hospital emergency rooms are uninsured. The hospital is their last hope, and oftentimes the patients have waited much longer than advisable to seek care because they were uninsured. With the expansion of insurance coverage they will have greater access to care, and if they do end up in the emergency room, they will be more likely to have some coverage to help defray their costs.

The overall guiding principle of the Affordable Care Act is to produce better results at a lower cost. The ACA is able to accomplish this by allowing access to the health system for almost all Americans through expanded insurance coverage, focusing on prevention and better coordination of care and paying for measurable quality. According to the Congressional Budget Office, it does so while reducing the cost to the federal budget.

While not perfect, the Affordable Care Act moves us much closer to a national system of insuring and paying for something we all need—high-quality health care.

A New Era in Women’s Health By elizabeth Critch With the imple-

mentation of health reform through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), women and their families have new opportunities to improve their health and well-being. The ACA takes historic steps toward raising the importance of women’s health care and promoting awareness of what a healthy lifestyle means. The new law improves coverage of essential services for women, eliminates gender discrimination in the insurance industry and ensures access to affordable health plans regardless of employment.

From choosing the family car to selecting health care options, women make 85 percent of the important decisions for their families. Women also represent a disproportionate share of health care consumers, often managing multiple chronic conditions and paying more outof-pocket costs, causing their health care to be prohibitively expensive and frequently unaffordable. Women routinely forgo needed services and care, either because they cannot afford it or because they simply put their family’s needs first.

Some insurance companies do not cover fundamental services women need, and many women are denied coverage outright.

In West Virginia, only 1.5 percent of individual market plans cover maternity care, far below the national average of 12.5 percent. Some insurance companies even consider pregnancy a pre-existing condition. Many women who are able to purchase health insurance pay more than men for the same coverage due to a practice called gender rating. In the U.S., 92 percent of all plans use this pricing structure. The ACA attempts to change these alarming facts.

An Emphasis on Prevention The ACA shifts emphasis from a reactive health system that responds primarily to illness and injury to a proactive one that includes a major focus on prevention.

Women, in particular, will benefit from the preventive services that health plans are required to cover under the ACA with no co-pays or deductibles.

A healthy lifestyle is a journey, not a destination, and the first step is making wellness visits with a primary care provider and health screenings accessible to all women. These services will help patients develop a healthy lifestyle plan guided by the outcomes of the visit. Knowing where they are at the start of the process is key to charting their progress in adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Thanks to the ACA, not only do women have the right to select their primary and women’s health care providers within their insurance company’s network, but they now have unprecedented access to lifesaving preventive care such as: • Well-women annual exams; • Preventive screenings such as mammograms and screenings for cervical cancer, diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol; • Prenatal care and gestational diabetes screenings that help protect pregnant women from one of the most serious pregnancy-related diseases; • FDA-approved contraceptive methods, education and counseling; • Breastfeeding support, supplies and counseling; • Human papillomavirus and DNA testing for women 30 or older; • Sexually transmitted infection counseling and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening and counseling; • Flu and pneumonia shots; • Counseling on topics such as losing weight, eating healthily, treating depression and reducing alcohol use and • Domestic and interpersonal violence screenings and counseling.

Healthier Children and Young Adults American children and young adults also benefit greatly from the law’s provisions.

Families are able to select their children’s pediatricians, provided they are in their insurance company’s network. Routine pediatric checkups and services for healthy children are covered; oral and vision services will follow in 2014.

The ACA has already impacted the lives of millions of young adults by enabling them to remain on their parents’ health insurance policies until their 26th birthday, including those who are married or have dependent children. Until January 1, 2014, young

adults who have employer-sponsored health insurance are not eligible for their parents’ policy. After that date, they can choose whichever policy is the better fit for them.

Ending Discrimination Until now, many Americans have been denied health care services due to most insurance companies’ pre-existing condition policies. Many people stay in jobs in which they are no longer happy because of insurance constraints. Currently, the ACA ends discrimination based on pre-existing conditions in children up to their 19th birthday.

Beginning on January 1, 2014, this provision will also be applicable to adults.

Additionally, in 2014, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to charge women and small employers with a predominantly female work force more for coverage.

Addressing Public Health Concerns The ACA places a strong emphasis on obesity and related chronic diseases, as obesity is at the root of a variety of costly health conditions. West Virginia is at the center of the U.S. obesity epidemic with the highest obesity ranking in the country: 61.5 percent of our state’s women are obese or overweight, 21 percent of our health care costs are related to obesity and we lead the nation in most obesityrelated chronic diseases. Because of these persistent problems, it is estimated that West Virginia’s cost of health care in 2013 will be $2 billion, about double what it was in 2010.

According to a recent report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, Americans ranked worst overall among 16 other developed countries in areas such as infant mortality, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV infection and AIDS, obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

The ACA takes enormous steps forward in promoting and protecting the health of not only women but all Americans. The law is not perfect; it is only a start. While wellness and personal responsibility are the first steps toward a healthy lifestyle, a supportive medical and payment system will allow for greater progress in improving the health of women and families.  Photography by Tracy Toler, Thomas Health System, Inc. and National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health at West Virginia University

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HONORING 40 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE IN MEDICAL EDUCATION Our graduates and their patients celebrate with us TO COMMEMORATE 40 YEARS OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL EDUCATION, WVSOM HAS BEEN TRAVELING THROUGHOUT WEST VIRGINIA TO RECOGNIZE OUR GRADUATES WHO PRACTICE IN THE STATE.

GERARD O’LOUGHLIN, D.O., CLASS OF 1988

JAMES BLUME, D.O., CLASS OF 1986

UPSHUR COUNTY, WV FAMILY PRACTICE

SUMMERS COUNTY, WV FAMILY MEDICINE & EMERGENCY MEDICINE NATIONAL COUNTRY DOCTOR OF THE YEAR, 2002

“My patients are my family. I want to connect to them the same way I would connect to anyone I care about. I try to be on time. I don’t want my patients to wait. When my younger patients require a specialist, I assure them I would never send one of my patients to a doctor I wouldn’t trust with my own kids.”

PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE: “Dr. O’Loughlin has been my family doc for 15 years. He totally gets the practice of family medicine. He understands that you have to look at people, talk to them and touch them to understand their total health. Everything in your body is interconnected and Dr. O’Loughlin brings that philosophy to the care he gives his patients.”

Susan E. Long, M.D.

“I always wanted to be a country doctor, a family doctor. At WVSOM, they never treated me like a number. I felt like I was part of something. There was a personal approach that appealed to me.”

PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE: “Dr. Blume will tend to whatever ails you. He treats all the normal things like a cold or the flu, but if you lose a thumb, he’ll sew it back on good as new; he’s the first person on the scene when there’s a wreck and he still makes house calls.”

Sandy G.

DID YOU KNOW...

* 1981-2006 WV Graduates ± 1981-2008 U.S. Graduates ** Academic Medicine, 2010

WVSOM alumni represent

WVSOM alumni represent the

WVSOM is #1 in the nation

40% of W.Va. primary care

highest number of practicing

graduating primary care

doctors educated in

physicians (all specialties) in over

physicians who practice

West Virginia.*

half of West Virginia’s counties.±

in rural areas.**

WWW.W VSOM.EDU

The Cost of Cancer Health care partners across the state have teamed up with the American Cancer Society to improve screening rates and, in turn, reduce mortality.

By Kevin Tephabock

As a business leader, if you

were told you could potentially save thousands of lives, significantly reduce your business costs, provide huge savings to the State of West Virginia and better support those diagnosed with a disease, would you act?

The West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research, through funding from the American Cancer Society, has just completed an indepth report titled “The Economic Impact of Cancer in West Virginia,” and the findings point to a number of ways all of us can support efforts to fight cancer in the Mountain State.

Over the last two years, American Cancer Society staff, volunteers and health care partners across the state have been actively engaged in a project to reduce colon cancer deaths. The economic study, which is the capstone to the project, established two very clear facts about colon cancer in West Virginia: the state leads the country in mortality as a result of colon

cancer and has one of the lowest screening rates in the country. Risk factors that include race, our aging population, tobacco use, poor diet and nutritional habits, obesity, lack of exercise and physical activity, high alcohol use and family history of cancer put West Virginians at greater risk.

Health care partners across the state have teamed up with the American Cancer Society to improve screening rates and, in turn, reduce mortality. This effort includes key screening questions for in-patient assessments when a patient is admitted to the hospital. Based on research from the American Cancer ExEdge Society, colon cancer has a five-year survival During World rate of 90 percent if diagnosed early. Early War II, mustard detection is the key. In addition, many times gas research led a diagnosis can be avoided if polyps are to the discovery of nitrogen found and removed. mustard. The The American Cancer Society agent, used to recommends that screenings begin at treat lymphoma, age 50, and individuals should have a test became a model for many to look for polyps and cancer—either a other cancerflexible sigmoidoscopy every five years, killing agents. a colonoscopy every 10 years, a doubleSource: www. contract barium enema every five years or cancer.org a CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every five years. Individuals should also have a yearly fecal occult blood test, fecal immunochemical test or a stool DNA test to screen for cancer. If any of these tests are abnormal, the individual will need to have a colonoscopy.

“The Economic Impact of Cancer in West Virginia” digs deep into direct cost and foregone wages, state budget costs, out-of-state care for newly diagnosed patients, economic impact estimates and the nonquantifiable effects of cancer.

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The Economic Burden of Cancer

HealthNet 6 Buckhannon, W.Va.

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Highly Trained Critical Care Transport Teams Whether in the air or on the ground HealthNet provides highly trained professionals when it matters most.

Dedication to Customers and Communities HealthNet has restructured its service area to be closer to the people it serves.

State-of-the-Art Technology and Equipment HealthNet utilizes technology like night vision goggles, Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) and aircraft with the latest safety and patient friendly equipment.

To learn more about HealthNet, go to healthnetaeromedical.com HealthNet is a not-for-profit shared service of West Virginia University Hospitals, Charleston Area Medical Center and Cabell Huntington Hospital.

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In 2008, more than 10,000 West Virginians were diagnosed with cancer. The cancer-related economic impact for these patients totals $4.4 billion, and economic impacts are expected to increase to $5.8 billion for newly diagnosed patients in 2015.

• For Medical Providers: Medical care costs per West Virginia resident are about 2.3 times higher than the national average due to high cancer rates in the state. It is estimated that medical care and travel for cancer-related care represent direct costs of about $1.5 billion.

• For West Virginia Families: The cost of cancer to West Virginia families was almost $1 billion in lost wages for 2008 diagnoses. Other costs to families, such as emotional stress and altered decision-making, are difficult to quantify, but the foregone wage costs alone suggest that cancer has a substantial economic impact on West Virginia families.

• Indirect Effects: Indirect economic costs represented about $2 billion for patients newly diagnosed in 2008. These effects are due in part to foregone wage income that families do not have available to spend in the economy. Additionally, medical and travel expenditures result in indirect economic impacts through job creation and increased retail sales.

Reducing the Economic Burden of Cancer Cancer policy represents a unique opportunity for the medical community and policy makers to improve the lives of West Virginians and increase economic activity in the state.

• Early Diagnoses: Focusing on colon cancer, the per-patient medical, travel and foregone wage costs are nearly $284,000 for patients diagnosed with advanced stage disease. For patients diagnosed early (local stage), the costs are less than half at $137,000. The cost savings are driven by reduced medical costs as well as gains in survival and family income.

• In-state Treatment: Each year, about 20 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients in West Virginia leave the state for care. Retaining these patients in the state would result in about $500 million in increased economic activity in the state.

Keeping more West Virginians in-state for cancer treatment requires an examination of the services they can get out-ofstate that are not available in West Virginia. There is a clear opportunity for providers and policy makers to partner in enhancing cancer care opportunities in the state through implementation of the West Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Plan and creating a statewide network for clinical trials.

Back to the original question: Would you act? Clearly, we as leaders can play a direct role in saving lives in West Virginia by simply acting on the key findings of the study. First and foremost, if you are 50 or older, be personally screened for colon cancer. Second, encourage your loved ones and employees to be screened. West Virginia is one of the few states in the country with an insurance mandate to cover colon cancer screenings.

Third, support efforts of the American Cancer Society, the Mountains of Hope Cancer Coalition and the West Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Plan.

For more information about ways to save lives or for a copy of “The Economic Impact of Cancer in West Virginia,” contact Kevin Tephabock by e-mail at Kevin.Tephabock@cancer.org. 

1210 Smith Street, Charleston, WV 25301

304.344.1231

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Products and services are underwritten by unaffiliated insurance companies except crop and flood insurance, which may be underwritten by an affiliate, Rural Community Insurance Company. Some services require additional fees and may be offered directly through third-party providers. Banking and insurance decisions are made independently and do not influence each other. © 2012 Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, Inc. All rights reserved.

Organ Donors

Sowing Seeds of Hope

By Rebecca Shrader

Organ donation is a

According and Helen Bollinger public health crisis. In the U.S., there are more than to national 116,000 individuals waiting for a lifesaving organ statistics, transplant. Every 10 minutes, another individual is West Virginia added to the national organ transplant waiting list. Due to the shortage of registered organ donors compared is at an even to the alarmingly high waiting list, 18 people die greater risk every day waiting for a transplant that would have them a second chance at life. for many given There are currently more than 92,000 individuals of these waiting for a kidney with 140 of those patients on medical the transplant list at West Virginia’s only transplant center, Charleston Area Medical Center, and there are conditions many more West Virginians waiting for other types that lead to of transplants at hospitals outside the state. organ failure. The Need for Organ Donors The need for kidney transplantation in the U.S. and in West Virginia is mainly due to chronic kidney disease (CKD), an irreversible disease that results in the progressive loss of renal function over time. If an individual progresses to the fifth stage of CKD, it is referred to as end-stage renal disease (ESRD). At this point, the kidneys can no longer filter blood and remove waste from the body. As a result, hemodialysis or kidney transplantation becomes essential for survival.

Populations such as those in West Virginia with a high incidence of CKD and its risk factors—diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking, physical inactivity

and a history of cardiovascular disease—have an increased need for access to kidney transplantation.

West Virginia has the highest per capita rate in the nation of individuals with advanced CKD starting dialysis. In 2010, West Virginia had the highest adjusted incident rate of ESRD in the country.

Furthermore, West Virginia has led the nation in the rate of patients beginning treatment for ESRD, a rate that is exacerbated by the high frequency of diabetes and hypertension in the state’s citizens.

Common medical issues that lead to the need for an organ transplant include diabetes, hypertension, genetic abnormalities, heart defects, cystic fibrosis, cardiomyopathy, polycystic kidney disease, cirrhosis, aggressive viruses and critical medication side effects that cause organ failure. Some people waiting for a transplant were born with these diseases, while others have ExEdge developed them over their life span. Cyclosporine, According to national statistics, West a drug able to Virginia is at an even greater risk for suppress the immune system many of these medical conditions that to prevent lead to organ failure. transplant Tissue, skin and eye donation can rejections, was help many people as well. Corneas, approved by the Food and Drug heart valves, dental implants, spinal Administration fusion, tendon replacement, hip or knee in 1983. replacements, rotator cuff repair and skin grafts are just a few procedures made Source: www. organdonor.gov possible by tissue and skin donation.

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By Samantha Ricketts

Personal Stories of Donation

Gabe Campbell

Justin Cowley

Olivia Epling

Angie Campbell of West Union, WV, experienced a tragedy six years ago that would change her and her family’s lives forever. Her son, Gabe, 4, died after an accident at home in 2006. At Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, doctors performed brain surgery on Gabe. After a tumultuous day of good news and bad, Gabe passed away.

Justin Cowley, a 23-year-old Sissonville resident, has kidney disease, but you wouldn’t know it because he enjoys skiing, riding horses and fishing. As a freshman in high school, he was diagnosed with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis Type 1, and was in end-stage renal failure within four years. In March of 2009, Justin received his first kidney transplant at Charleston Area Medical Center, with his mom as the donor. “I was very lucky to have her,” he says.

Olivia Epling, a 26-year-old from Cool Ridge, WV, had a serious kidney infection when she was 11. Because the infection was not treated properly, her kidneys and the rest of her organs began to shut down. She flew from Charleston to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, PA, where she waited 18 hours for a liver while in a coma.

Doctors found a liver that had belonged to a 5-year-old boy to transplant into Olivia, and after 93 days in the hospital recovering, she was able to go back to her normal life. On the one year anniversary of her transplant, the transplant team sent her flowers and noise makers at school.

Later, Paul Lignowski, a Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) representative, spoke with the family about donating Gabe’s organs. After initial hesitation, together they decided to donate any of Gabe’s organs that could be used. His heart went to Anthony, a 5-year-old boy; his liver went to a 10-year-old boy; his left kidney went to Kelley, a 26-year-old woman; his right kidney went to Meghan, a teenager; his lungs went to a 6-year-old boy and his corneas were also gifted.

Gabe’s organs saved the lives of more than five people. Through CORE, the Campbell family was even able to correspond with the recipients.

“We couldn’t be happier with our decision to donate. It has helped our healing process,” Angie says. “Just knowing that another mother has a few more days, weeks, months or even years with her child brings a smile to my face.”

Angie encourages others to be prepared and discuss organ donation with their families.

“You never know what life may bring your way, and this may save a life someday.”

Justin had a reaction to one of the anti-rejection drugs he was given after the surgery, and it attacked his kidney. The kidney ended up only functioning for two years at 30 percent, so he didn’t feel very much relief. He has now been waiting two years for his second transplant. Justin says being put on an organ recipient list is a long process, and his body was checked thoroughly to make sure he was ready for a transplant. He sends blood work in every month so his doctors can match it with potential donors. It’s going to be harder for Justin’s body to accept a kidney this time; he was already pumped with antibodies to help fight infection with his first transplant, so now they will be trying to fight the new kidney.

Justin’s mother’s best friend is attempting to help get him a new kidney by way of an organ swap. “Being an organ donor is so important; there are so many people out there actually dying while they are waiting for organs,” Justin says. “I’m just so thankful for my mother who gave me my first kidney. If the rest of the world was like her, we would have a perfect world.”

After being given a 1 percent chance to live while waiting for the transplant, Olivia now says, “It doesn’t matter how hard things get. I can overcome anything.” Even though the damage to her pancreas left her diabetic, she is proud of how far she’s come. “There are some people in this world who are ashamed of their scars, but I am proud of mine,” she says. “It looks like an angel’s wings.”

She believes organ donation is important because it gives people another chance at life. “We all deserve to have a fulfilling life and enjoy the journey,” she says. “With this second chance at life, I’m living it to the fullest— helping others, making my mark on life.”

Some days are harder than others, but Olivia doesn’t know how to give up. “I got my miracle of my liver transplant,” she says. “Everyone needs a miracle.”

Who Can Donate?

Any person, regardless of age or medical condition, who has sustained a severe brain injury and is on artificial life support can be evaluated as a potential organ donor. Organ donation is considered an end-of-life decision that occurs after all medical treatments have failed and death is imminent.

Clinical exams are performed by physicians to determine if a patient has progressed to brain death, which is the total, irreversible cessation of brain activity and a legal declaration of death. Organs that can be transplanted are the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and intestines.

How the Donation Process Works The first step is for the hospital to call all imminent deaths into their assigned Organ Procurement Organization (OPO).

In West Virginia, the Center of Organ Recovery and Education, also known as CORE, serves 51 hospitals across the state. OPOs have trained staff, called organ procurement coordinators, that work with hospitals to help the patient’s family through endof-life decisions and the donation process.

Once authorization is complete, the patient’s height, weight and blood type are entered into the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), and a computerized match list of national waiting recipients is compiled. The list is broken down by organ, recipients in urgent need, length of time spent on the waiting list and geographical distance. Once the list is generated, each potential recipient will be ranked within the nation for that lifesaving gift. UNOS then notifies the transplant center when a recipient has been appointed to receive the organ. After each of the donor’s healthy gifts has been allocated to recipients, the surgical recovery is scheduled. The recipients’ transplant surgeons fly into the donor’s hospital to recover the lifesaving gifts, and once the surgical procedure is complete, the transplant surgeon will fly back with the organ and transplant it into the awaiting recipient. Great care is given to preserve each family the option for a traditional open casket funeral service.

The donation process can also involve living donors, where a living donor can give a kidney or a portion of the liver, lung or intestine, and, in some cases, eyes and tissues. Oftentimes, if living donors are a match, they can be a direct donor to an individual they know. However, many prospective living donors are not matches for the individual they know and can instead participate in a chain effect living donation kidney exchange where they may be a match for another individual.

Regardless of these dismal statistics, West Virginians can still take action to help the organ donation public health crisis. By registering to become an organ and tissue donor, one individual can save up to eight lives and improve the quality of life for more than 50 individuals. Individuals can designate themselves as donors by registering at the Department of Motor Vehicles or by visiting the Donate Life Web site at www.donatelife.wv.gov. 

Energy Savings Through Advanced Patient Care

Automated Logic’s WebCTRL monitors and controls building zones to help maintain specific environments for patient comfort as well as meet temperature requirements for health care facilities.

Zone thermograph showing room operating temperatures

HSC’s BUILDING AUTOMATION & CONTROLS (BAC) division provides energy management products, systems and services to meet your hospital or health care facility’s monitoring and control needs.

HSC is an authorized Automated Logic (ALC) dealer.

Automated Logic’s WebCTRL system provides internal and external control of your facility’s building automation and controls. Using ALC’s WebCTRL building automation software, HSC enables clients to perform remote control, monitoring, reporting and troubleshooting of their building’s energy consuming equipment.

What this means for you as a health care provider…

• Facilities operating • Improved patient, with energy control staffing and technologies visitor comfort • No disruptions in day-to-day hospital operations

• Enhanced patient care • Energy savings

To learn more about HSC’s energy management and controls solutions: E-mail johnh@hscindustrial.com Call 304.252.1918.

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Health Care Reform and Your Taxes

By Jeffrey Tour

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Along with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, the Affordable Care Act is the principal health care reform legislation commonly referred to as Obamacare and is the subject of both ongoing praise and scorn.

The Affordable Care Act affects many aspects of health insurance coverage in both the individual and the employer group plan markets, and one particular aspect of interest is the tax implications relating to employer-provided health plans. The act requires individuals to maintain minimum essential health insurance coverage after 2013. The coverage will be provided either through an employer or through an exchange, which is a publicly funded marketplace for consumers to find health insurance, and offering employers will have to provide free choice vouchers to each of their qualified employees after 2013. Here we take a look at what employers can expect in the coming year.

The Impact on Employers and Employees Under regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, a covered employer will provide to each employee at the time of hiring (or for current employees, no later than March 1, 2013) written notice to inform the employee of the following: (1) the existence of an exchange, including a description of the services provided by the exchange, and how the employee may obtain assistance; (2) if the employer’s plan’s share of the total allowed costs of benefits provided under the plan is less than 60 percent

of the costs, that the employee may be eligible for a premium tax credit and a cost sharing reduction if the employee purchases a qualified health plan through the exchange and (3) if the employee purchases a qualified health plan through the exchange and the employer does not offer a free choice voucher, the employee may lose the employer contribution (if any) to any health benefits plan offered by the employer and that all or a portion of the contribution may be excludable from income for U.S. income tax purposes.

New Reporting Requirements Under the Affordable Care Act, there is an array of new reporting requirements. For years after 2010, the law adds the aggregate cost of applicable employer-sponsored coverage to the list of information that must be reported on Form W-2. The new law creates information reporting and related statement obligations for providers of minimum essential coverage for calendar years beginning after December 31, 2013. Thus, insurers, including employers who self-insure, providing minimum essential coverage to any individual during a calendar year must report certain health insurance coverage information to both the covered individual and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Changes Regarding the Universal Health Coverage Mandate Employers should also be aware of the following changes regarding the Universal Health Coverage Mandate as well as new regulations beginning after the 2013 tax year.

Penalty for Remaining Uninsured: For tax years ending after December 31, 2013, non-exempt U.S. citizens and legal residents will have to maintain minimum essential coverage or pay a penalty.

The penalty will be phased in and the minimum per person will be $95 in 2014, $325 in 2015 and $695 in 2016. Higher income individuals will pay higher penalties. When phased in, it will be 2.5 percent of household income that exceeds the income threshold for filing a tax return so that a couple earning $100,000 could face a penalty in excess of $2,000. Low-income individuals will be exempt.

Employer Responsibilities: For months beginning after December 31, 2013, a large employer (generally, one that employed an average of at least 50 full-time employees during the preceding calendar year) not offering coverage for all its full-time employees, offering minimum essential coverage that is unaffordable or offering minimum essential coverage that consists of a plan under which the plan’s share of the total allowed cost of benefits is less than 60 percent will have to pay a penalty if any full-time employee is certified to the employer as having purchased health insurance through a state exchange with respect to which a tax credit or

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cost-sharing reduction is allowed or paid to the employee. The penalty for any month will be an excise tax equal to the number of full-time employees over a 30-employee threshold during the applicable month (regardless of how many employees are receiving a premium tax credit or cost-sharing reduction) multiplied by one-twelfth of $2,000 (adjusted for inflation after 2014).

Also, a large employer that offers, for any month, its full-time employees and their dependents the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential coverage under an employer-sponsored plan will be subject to a penalty if any full-time employee is certified to the employer as having enrolled in health insurance coverage purchased through a state exchange with respect to which a premium tax credit or costsharing reduction is allowed or paid to such employees.

Free Choice Vouchers: After December 31, 2013, employers offering minimum essential coverage through an eligible employersponsored plan and paying a portion of that coverage will have to provide qualified employees with a voucher whose value can be applied to the purchase of a health plan through the insurance exchange. Qualified employees are those: • who do not participate in the employer’s health plan; • whose required contribution for employer-sponsored minimum essential coverage (if they did participate in the plan) exceeds 8 percent but does not exceed 9.8 percent of household income and • whose total household income does not exceed 400 percent of the poverty line for the family.

After 2014, the 8 percent and 9.8 percent will be indexed for premium growth. The value of the voucher is equal to the dollar value of the employer contribution to the employer-offered health plan and is not includable in income to the extent it is used for the purchase of health plan coverage. If the value of the voucher exceeds the premium of the health plan chosen by the employee, the employee is paid the excess value of the voucher. The excess amount received by the employee is includable in gross income. If an individual receives a voucher, he is disqualified from receiving any tax credit or cost-sharing credit for the purchase of a plan in the insurance exchange. Similarly, if any employee receives a free choice voucher, the employer is not assessed a shared responsibility payment on behalf of that employee.

Dependent Coverage in Employer Health Plans: Effective on the enactment date of the act, the general exclusion for reimbursements for medical care expenses under an employerprovided accident or health plan is extended to any child of an employee who has not reached age 27 as of the end of the tax year. This change also applies to the exclusion for employerprovided coverage under an accident or health plan for injuries or sickness for such a child. Also, self-employed individuals may take a deduction for any child of the taxpayer who has not attained age 27 as of the end of the tax year.

Excise Tax on High-Cost Employer-sponsored Health Coverage: For tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, a 40 percent nondeductible excise tax will be levied on insurance companies and plan administrators for any health coverage plan to the extent that the annual premium exceeds $10,200 for single coverage and $27,500 for family coverage. An additional threshold amount of $1,650 for single coverage and $3,450 for family coverage will apply for retired individuals age 55 and older and for plans that cover employees engaged in high-risk professions.

The tax will apply to self-insured plans and plans sold in the group market, but not to plans sold in the individual

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market, except for coverage eligible for the deduction for selfemployed individuals. Stand-alone dental and vision plans will be disregarded in applying the tax. The dollar amount thresholds will be automatically increased if the inflation rate for group medical premiums between 2010 and 2018 is higher than the Congressional Budget Office estimates in 2010.

Employers with age and gender demographics that result in higher premiums could value the coverage provided to employees using the rates that will apply using a national risk pool.

The excise tax will be levied at the insurer level. Employers will be required to aggregate the coverage subject to the limit and issue information returns for insurers indicating the amount subject to the excise tax.

Cost of Employer-Sponsored Health Coverage Included on Form W-2: For tax years beginning after December 31, 2010, employers must disclose the value of the benefits provided by them for each employee’s health insurance coverage on the employee’s annual Form W-2.

Other New Employer Reporting Responsibilities for Health Coverage: For periods beginning after December 31, 2013, insurers (including employers who self-insure) that provide minimum essential coverage to any individual during a calendar year must report the following to both the covered individual and to the IRS: (1) name, address and taxpayer identification number (TIN) of the primary insured and name and TIN of each other individual obtaining coverage under the policy; (2) the dates during which the individual was covered under the policy during the calendar year; (3) whether the coverage is a qualified health plan offered through an exchange; (4) the amount of any premium tax credit or costsharing reduction received by the individual with respect to such coverage and (5) such other information as the IRS may require.

To the extent coverage is through an employer-provided group health plan, the insurer is also required to report the employer’s name, address and employer identification number, the portion of the premium, if any, required to be paid by the employer and any other information the IRS may require to administer the new tax credit for eligible small employers.

New Limit on Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Contributions: For tax years beginning after December 31, 2012, the amount of contributions to FSAs under cafeteria plans will be limited to $2,500 per year. The dollar amount will be inflation indexed after 2013.

Deduction for Employer Part D is Eliminated: For tax years beginning after December 31, 2012, the deduction for the subsidy for employers who maintain prescription drug plans for their Medicare Part D eligible retirees will be eliminated.

Under current law enacted in 2003, employers could exclude from income subsidy payments they received for providing qualified retiree prescription plan coverage, and this subsidy was not taken into account when an employer calculated a business deduction for covered retiree prescription drug expenses. Under the new law, the amount allowable as a deduction will be reduced by the amount of the excludable subsidy payments received, eliminating this unusual double benefit for employers that was designed to encourage retiree prescription plans.

The complex nature of the new health care law is far too great to be explained here. Should you have a question about how the law will affect your business, seek professional legal counsel who can guide you through complying with the act. 

Around the State Advances in Health Care

Compiled by jennifer jett and samantha ricketts

West Virginia e-Directive Registry Continues State’s Leadership in Planning for End-of-Life Care Over the past decade, West Virginia has established itself as a national leader in end-of-life care, and the state continues that process with the West Virginia e-Directive Registry. The registry is a secure online database maintained through the West Virginia Health Information Network that allows health care providers to quickly access accurate information regarding a person’s care wishes as they near the end of life.

Dr. Alvin Moss, director of the West Virginia Center for Endof-Life Care, says, “Patients in a medical crisis anywhere in the state can have their advance directives and medical orders accessed online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by treating health care providers.”

The registry, which receives funding from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, is now live, and more than 13,000 state residents have submitted forms such as their medical power of attorney, living will, do-not-resuscitate card and Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment. The next step is to ensure as many qualified providers as possible register to access those patients’ advance directives and medical orders.

Kanawha County Health Center under Construction Southern West Virginia Health System, a Lincoln Primary Care Center company, has announced its first Kanawha County location is actively under construction.

The new health center in Alum Creek is due to open in April 2013. At opening, family medicine providers Chad Adkins, DO; Lisa Queen, NP; Jacqui Ranson, CFNP, and Karen Mantz, PA-C, will be available to treat patients’ short-term illnesses, manage chronic conditions, offer preventive screenings and provide referrals for specialty care by appointment or on a walk-in basis.

The health center will also be equipped with its own laboratory and X-ray equipment and will eventually house its own pharmacy.

“This new facility will represent the opening of our 12th health center and will be another important step in our goal of improving access to quality, affordable primary care to the people of Southern West Virginia,” says Lincoln Primary Care Center and Southern West Virginia Health System CEO Brian Crist The new health center will be distinguished as a Federally Qualified Health Center and will ensure the availability of health care services to all, regardless of a patient’s insurance status or ability to pay.

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New River practical nursing students on rotation at Summersville Regional Medical Center.

New River CTC Receives Grant to Expand Health Care Programs A $3 million grant will allow New River Community and Technical College to enlarge its nursing and allied health care programs.

“New River may be our state’s newest community college, but it didn't take them long to diagnose a tremendous need in Southeastern West Virginia—health care,” U.S. Representative Nick Rahall says. “The numbers and forecasts about chronic disease afflicting families and

their futures demand a corps of health care providers.”

The funding was made available through the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Program for New River's Allied Health in Southeastern West Virginia project.

The grant is also making it possible to expand the popular medical assisting program. As part of that expansion, New

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WVAHC Educates Women about New Health Care Benefits West Virginians for Affordable Health Care (WVAHC) is conducting a series of town hall meetings across the state to help educate women regarding the new benefits available to them and their families under the Affordable Care Act. “Women not only have unique health care needs, but they are frequently the health care decider for their children and even their husbands,” says Perry Bryant, WVAHC executive director. “Educating women on the new benefits of the Affordable Care Act such as preventive measures, an end to charging women a higher premium than men for the same policy and ending pre-existing conditions discrimination is essential given their role in making health care decisions.”

A series of 2013 meetings have already been held in Charleston, Morgantown and Lewisburg, and upcoming meetings are now being planned in March and April for Parkersburg and Huntington.

Protea Opens Mass Spectrometry Imaging Center in West Virginia Protea Biosciences, a leading developer of products and services for biomolecular analysis, has announced the opening of a dedicated Mass Spectrometry Imaging Center (MSIC). Located in Morgantown, WV, the MSIC offers access to the most advanced biomolecular imaging capabilities, including ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry coupled with Protea’s revolutionary LAESI® platform.

“Mass spectrometry coupled with imaging capabilities brings biology to a new level of investigation, providing relevant information on the distribution of specific molecules in a tissue,” says Alessandro Baldi, PhD, Protea’s vice president and general manager. “The center has been designed to support customers who require imaging projects, such as drug/ target interaction studies or analysis of the biodynamics of a living population of cells or colonies. This is entirely new science that we now make available to the global community of biochemists and biologists.”

This year Protea introduced a new imaging device known as LAESI DP-1000 that has been recognized as one of the most

innovative products of the year, having received both the Frost & Sullivan New Product Innovation Award for Bioanalytics North America and R&D Magazine’s 2012 R&D 100 Award.

WVUH-East’s Jefferson Memorial Hospital Participates in National Donate Life America Flag Program

Hospital paying interest only through the construction period.

“Even though we will build a new hospital, our reputation for treating patients like family will hold true in the newer structure,” says Mullins. “The building itself may change, but the same topnotch, experienced staff and quality health care will remain.”

West Virginia University Hospitals-East’s Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Ranson has partnered with LifeNet Health, a federally designated organ procurement agency, to participate in the Flags Across America initiative.

Flags Across America, which began in 2009, honors and celebrates the hundreds of thousands of donors and recipients whose lives have been affected by organ, eye and tissue donation.

The initiative rallies every donor hospital and transplant center, as well as all recovery agencies, to fly the Donate Life flag every time a donation occurs at their hospitals and centers.

Donor families are also given the opportunity to help raise the flag in celebration of their loved one. The concept is to make a visible and unified statement about the importance of donation, reflect the dire need for donors and encourage people to register their donation decisions.

Currently, more than 116,000 Americans are waiting for an organ transplant. Nationally, 18 people die each day because a lifesaving organ does not become available in time.

Highland-Clarksburg Hospital Receives $34.8 Million Loan

West Virginia Recognized as Leader in Advancing Use of Health Information Technology

Renee Snyder, a registered nurse and director of the Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House, has received national honors from the Washington, D.C.-based American Association of Colleges of Nursing for her outstanding work in pediatrics. A national

The West Virginia Health Information Network (WVHIN) has been recognized by the federal government as a national leader in its efforts to enhance the safety and quality of health care by embracing the use of health information technology.

The WVHIN’s services, which enable the electronic exchange of patient health information in real time, allow West Virginia’s health care providers to access patient health information when and where they need it. As a result, different health care providers who treat a single patient will have access to the same medical history, assisting the provider in making diagnoses and developing treatment plans.

In West Virginia, 97 percent of pharmacies participate in e-prescribing. This means doctors have been electronically sending patients’ prescriptions directly to pharmacies, increasing the likelihood of medication compliance and reducing the potential for errors.

Also, more than 300 health care providers in the state are actively using Direct Secure Messaging (WVDirect). WVDirect provides an easy, secure way for providers to send encrypted health information to another provider over the Internet.

Highland-Clarksburg Hospital has closed on a $34.8 million construction loan syndicated through Huntington Bank for necessary renovation costs on the Highland-Clarksburg Hospital.

The newly formed Highland-Clarksburg Hospital Inc. was approved to operate a 150-bed behavioral health facility in the former United Hospital Center. More than 200 construction jobs will be created by the renovation project. Once fully operating, Highland plans to employ 294 staff members.

“Highland is profoundly dedicated to individual, family and community well-being,” says Andy Paterno, Huntington Bank’s West Virginia regional president. “Huntington shares Highland’s commitment to West Virginia and to helping finance a project that will bring jobs to the area. This is a great example of a public and private partnership between state and federal programs and local banks.”

Hospice of Huntington Nurse Wins National Award

Boone Memorial Receives Funding for New Hospital In July 2011 the board of directors agreed to allow Boone Memorial Hospital (BMH) to move forward with building a brand new hospital with hopes for breaking ground in summer 2013. BMH Administrator Tommy Mullins says the project is estimated to take 24 months from groundbreaking. The new hospital and clinic space will be built with help from a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan.

In September 2012, the USDA Rural Development program approved a $31.8 million Community Facility Direct Loan to build, equip and furnish the new hospital. The funds will be drawn from the USDA as needed, with Boone Memorial

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panel of hospice and palliative care nurses named Snyder as one of only two recipients nationwide for the prestigious ELNECPediatric Palliative Care Award for 2012.

Snyder helped launch a hospice pediatric program, Project Noah’s Ark, at Hospice of Huntington, ensuring that families have a special place to bring their child who is nearing the end of life. A special child-friendly room was also dedicated at the Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House as part of the program.

“So much hard work and training for our nurses and staff have gone into this pediatric program, and it will make such a positive difference for those children and families in need,” says Hospice of Huntington President and CEO Charlene Farrell.

Vaught, Inc. Launches Indigo Health, LLC Vaught, Inc., a Beckley-based health care consulting firm, recently launched a new venture, Indigo Health, LLC. The company addresses the needs of organizations whose primary function is not health care but includes health care as a significant component, such as school systems, group homes and correctional facilities.

Indigo Health develops customized solutions for needs such as regulatory compliance, policy development, staffing, training, performance improvement, trend analysis, wellness and medication management and disposal.

“Indigo Health is a solutions company that supports and augments our clients’ existing infrastructures,” says Christopher Vaught, president and CEO of Vaught, Inc. “A great example of our work is our on-the-spot verification of staff training and competencies. Staff members who complete Indigo Health's competency programs carry a badge with photo identification

and a unique barcode. When scanned with a smartphone, the barcode verifies licensure and reveals the employee's competencies and training certifications.”

Seventh Annual Wheels of Hope Ride Benefits Leukemia and Lymphoma Society To be held on July 20, 2013, the seventh annual Wheels of Hope Ride will be a noncompetitive event, with proceeds benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as well as local residents fighting cancer.

Routes range from 20-100 miles and this year will feature three counties: Greenbrier, Monroe and Summers. All rides begin and end in Lewisburg with a route for every different level of rider. The shorter rides are easier and have continuously rolling terrain, while the 100-mile route has multiple challenging climbs.

The Wheels of Hope Ride is hosted by the Greenbrier Valley Bicycle Club, which is dedicated to helping people get off their couches and start riding. The ride also aspires to benefit the local community through a high-quality bicycle ride that promotes local business and individual sponsorships and encourages local and out-of-town rider participation.

Loop Pharmacy & Home Medical Celebrates Five Years of PCAB Accreditation Loop Pharmacy & Home Medical is celebrating its fifth year as a Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB)accredited compounding pharmacy.

Loop, under the leadership of Owner and President Bill McFarland, RPh, has been in business for more than 25 years, offering not only general pharmacy services but specialized compounding services as well.

This year marks Loop’s fifth year as a compounding pharmacy that has met the rigorous standards of the PCAB, an organization created in 2006 to oversee quality standards within the compounding industry.

Loop Pharmacy & Home Medical is one of only two pharmacies to hold PCAB accreditation for sterile and nonsterile compounding in West Virginia and the only such pharmacy to hold that accreditation in the territory that covers the central and southern part of the state.

Arthritis Foundation Opens First West Virginia Branch Office The Arthritis Foundation, Great Lakes Region, Western & Central Pennsylvania/West Virginia, has opened an office in Charleston and named Shannon Holland to the position of West Virginia branch director. The move marks the organization’s first office located in the state.

Before joining the Arthritis Foundation, Holland served four years as executive director for West Virginia on the Move, a statewide nonprofit agency promoting physical activity to prevent chronic disease.

In her new role, Holland will be connecting the resources of the Arthritis Foundation with people in the state who have arthritis. Additionally, she will be seeking support to move the Arthritis Foundation’s mission forward in the state, including developing partnerships to expand the successful Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis, which will be held in December 2013.

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“I am excited about continuing to help West Virginians live the healthiest life possible by addressing the needs of those affected by the leading cause of disability in the United States— arthritis,” Holland says.

Cabell Huntington Hospital Home Health Department Receives National Recognition For the seventh consecutive year, Cabell Huntington Hospital’s Home Health Department has received HomeCare Elite™ recognition from National Research Corporation and DecisionHealth as one of the country’s top 500 home health agencies.

Winners are ranked by an analysis of performance measures in quality of care, patient experience, quality improvements, process measures implementation and financial performance.

“We are proud to be known as one of the elite home health agencies in the nation,” says Andra Hardin, RN, director of Cabell Huntington Hospital Home Health. “We will continue to strive to improve patients’ care and experience over the next year.”

Robert Lynch Joins EvriChart™ as President EvriChart has announced that Robert Lynch will join the company as president. Lynch comes to EvriChart from Practice Management Associates where he had been president until the time of its sale to T-System, Inc. As the company’s new president, Lynch will assume overall responsibility for general aspects of the company’s growth such as business development, marketing, human resources, vendor relationships, strategic initiatives, acquisitions and operations.

“Our business success is entirely dependent on our commitment

to satisfying the needs of health information management directors and Robert shares that commitment like no one else we’ve met,” says Pat King, EvriChart’s chairman.

“We’re ramping toward 100 employees and adding a third warehouse of significant scale,” says John King, EvriChart’s CEO. “We felt the time was right to recruit an executive who has managed highgrowth health care information Robert management businesses.”

Lynch EvriChart provides a variety of medical records management services from storage to master patient index analysis and cleanup.

The adoption of Electronic Medical Records systems by hospitals throughout the country is driving strong growth in ChartClear™, a service that provides an economical alternative to health information management directors who need access to legacy medical records.

The company is headquartered in White Sulphur Springs, WV, with a facility in Covington, VA, and a new location underway.

West Virginia Association of Health Underwriters Receives Growth Award The West Virginia Association of Health Underwriters (WV AHU) was recently recognized with the Highest Growth Rate of the Year Award at the National Association of Health Underwriters’ (NAHU) 82nd Annual Convention and Exhibition in Las Vegas, NV.

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WV AHU was recognized for obtaining the highest percentage of growth in NAHU members among small local chapters throughout the past calendar year.

“The leadership of NAHU members has a far-reaching impact on providing for the health care needs of individuals, families and business in their communities. We are grateful for Joseph Deacon’s hard work with recruitment,” says NAHU CEO Janet Trautwein.

Mon General’s HealthFair Celebrates its 30th Year With 37 exhibitors lined up, Mon General’s 2013 HealthFair is set for Feb. 22-23 at the Morgantown Mall from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday and 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday. This is the 30th consecutive year the hospital has provided the annual health screening and informational event.

“We will be bringing back all of our popular health screenings,” says Pam Viands Houck, director of Cardio-Pulmonary Services at Mon General and HealthFair coordinator. Screenings include the multiphasic blood analysis; ultrasounds of the aorta, carotid, thyroid and gallbladder; echocardiograms; electrocardiograms; blood pressure; bone density; finger-stick glucose; injury; heart risk assessment; pulmonary function testing; skin cancer and varicose veins.

Participants can sign up online or mail in a registration form.

The multiphasic runs from 6:30 a.m.-11 a.m. both days. Walkins are accepted after 9 a.m.

Fifth Third Bank Launches RevLink Collect Fifth Third Bank has launched RevLink Collect, a new patient payment receivables solution benefitting hospitals and health care organizations. This offering will help health care executives

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reduce the collection cycle for patient payments and provide more accurate and timely estimates for patients.

“As health care costs continue to rise and more patients are participating in high deductible health care plans, the length of the collection cycle for patient payments continues to grow,” says Stuart Hanson, vice president and health care line of business manager for Fifth Third Bank. “This product has a reliable fee estimating tool, which can help health care organizations access real-time eligibility and benefits information for patients to accelerate the payment collection process and enhance access to working capital.”

RevLink Collect, which is part of Fifth Third Bank’s RevLink Solutions platform and health care receivables services, enables health care organizations to quickly generate and collect patient payments at the point of care. RevLink Collect provides a full suite of payment collection options, and an online patient portal allows patients to make payments after they leave the health care facility rather than wait to receive statements in the mail.

RevLink Collect also makes it easier for health care organizations to manage their reconciliation process by posting payments directly into their practice management systems.

CAMC Cancer Center First and Only in State with QOPI® Certification The CAMC David Lee Cancer Center has been recognized by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

QOPI is a voluntary self-assessment and improvement program launched by ASCO in 2006 to help hematology-oncology and medical oncology practices assess the quality of the care they provide to patients.

The program analyzes individual practice data and compares these to more than 100 evidence-based and consensus quality measures. Individual practices are also able to compare their performance to data from other practices across the country.

Based on this feedback, doctors and practices can identify areas for improvement.

OnSite Digital Radiology Services Begins Operations OnSite Digital Radiology Services, LLC, now provides mobile digital radiography (DR) services to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospice, home care and correctional facilities.

DR imaging has a 3,500 percent increase in image quality over conventional film technology and a 400 percent increase over digital computed radiography (CR) technology. Both film and digital CR are currently being used by existing mobile providers. DR technology allows the X-ray technologist to review the quality of the images at bedside and send them via Wi-Fi to a radiologist for interpretation, whereas CR and film technology require the technologist to go out to a vehicle or processing site to review and send the image.

OnSite will be the first provider of mobile DR technology in the State of West Virginia, and the state will become the second in the country to have this service on a statewide basis.

Operations will start in the Huntington and Charleston areas and will move throughout the state within the year.

Neurological Associates, Inc. Welcomes New Specialists

Lee Appointed to National Panel of Experts

Neurological Associates, Inc. announces the addition of two new surgeons, Lana Christiano, MD, and Charles Shuff, MD, to its Charleston-based practice.

Christiano has a special interest in the surgical treatment of brain and spine tumors. She completed her neurosurgical residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry Lana Christiano, of New Jersey (UMDNJ) and MD fellowships at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and UMDNJ. She is the tri-state region’s only surgeon performing the minimally-invasive trans-nasal approach to pituitary tumors.

Shuff, a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon, is the only surgeon in the tri-state region who specialCharles Shuff, izes in the surgical treatment MD of scoliosis and other spinal deformities in both children and adults. He completed fellowships at Rush University Medical Center and Virginia Commonwealth University and his orthopedic surgical residency at VCU Health Systems.

Thirty years after the first Gastroenterology Registered Nurse Certification exam, Kathryn Lee, a Davis Memorial Hospital specialty practice nurse, found herself faced with answering the 175 questions again. Only this time it was an honor and privilege to take the exam.

Lee, RN, CGRN, was appointed to the Passing Point Panel for the American Board of Certification for Gastroenterology Nurses.

“I was one of nine gastroenterology nurses from across the United States to sit on a panel of experts and help set the passing point for gastroenterology nurses who test for certification,” Lee says.

Every five years the American Board of Certified Gastroenterology Nurses appoints a panel of nine expert nurses from diversified backgrounds and states. Using a method called the Modified Angoff Technique, the experts review, judge and score each question of the exam based on relative difficulty.

Lee has been involved at the state and national level with the Society of Gastroenterology and Associates, which is dedicated to the safe and effective practice of gastroenterology and endoscopy nursing, and assists in administering the certification exam. Entry-level gastroenterology nurses who have two-years of practice and good references qualify to sit for the exam. 

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In the Chef’s Corner

The Red Rooster Café

By Vanessa Roach

The Red Rooster Café,

located on Elk Street in Gassaway, resides in a building constructed in 1905. For many years the building housed the Gassaway Midland Department Store, and then it became the Braxton County Senior Center until a new facility was built.

The building had been empty for several years when my husband Ritchie and I were approached with the idea of purchasing it to establish a restaurant and build apartments. My husband always had an interest in having a restaurant; I tell people this was Ritchie’s dream and I’m living it.

We purchased the building in 2008 and set out to “demodel” the remodeling that had been done over the years. We removed the drop ceilings, took out the fluorescent lighting to expose the original tin ceilings, uncovered the 10-inch hemlock beams, removed several layers of floor coverings and painted and decorated. The Red Rooster Café, with its “Country French

Quarters” atmosphere, opened for business the day after Thanksgiving of that year.

Dairus Davis, our cook, was the first person we hired. He has 18 years of experience in cooking and managing restaurants, and he does a great job on the grill.

The dishes we serve at the Red Rooster Café are recipes handed down from my family. My mother, grandmother, my aunts and even uncles were excellent cooks. I make all the Italian dishes, and the items on the menu are the items I have served in my home to family and friends over the years.

We run daily specials for lunch and always have a fresh homemade soup on the menu. On Friday and Saturday nights our special is West Virginia rainbow trout. All day on Fridays we serve a Mexican special of beef or chicken enchiladas with Spanish rice, a grilled taco, taco salad and nachos grande. On Sundays we host a buffet.

Meeting so many different people from all over—not just West Virginia but the United States as well—has been exciting

and fun. Customers often tell us we’re the best-kept secret in West Virginia.

The Red Rooster Café’s hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m.9 p.m. and Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information, call (304) 364-6023.

Chef Dairus Davis and Owner Vanessa Roach

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Red Rooster Crab Cakes 1 16-oz. can of jumbo lump crab meat ½ cup finely chopped onions ½ cup yellow, red or orange pepper, chopped 1 tsp old Bay Seasoning 1 tsp Lowry’s Seasoned Salt ¾ cup mayonnaise 2 whole eggs 2 cups Panko Dice the peppers and onions and add the Old Bay Seasoning. Sautee the ingredients in a frying pan and then transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, eggs and Panko and mix. Return the mixture to a pan and sautee in olive oil or butter until golden brown.

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Miss Daphne’s Classic New Orleans Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

Custard Mix 2 cups granulated sugar 1 tsp salt 8 eggs 5½ cups milk 1 tsp vanilla

Pudding ½ lb. French bread ¼ cup pecans, toasted ½ cup butter, melted Custard mix Break the French bread into medium pieces. Add the pecans and melted butter to the bread and arrange in a greased 9x12-inch baking dish. Pour the custard mix over bread pieces.

To bake, place the baking dish in a larger pan to create a double boiler effect. Pour a small amount of water into the bottom pan and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes.

Test by inserting a knife blade into the center of the pudding.

Whiskey Sauce 1 cup butter, melted 2 cups powdered sugar 2 eggs 2 tbsp whiskey (optional) Melt the butter and whip in the powdered sugar. Fold in the eggs and add the whiskey.

Serve warm over the bread pudding.

Nunnie’s Pastini Serves 8

2 tbsp butter ¼ cup finely chopped onions 2 48-oz. cans chicken broth ½ tsp seasoned salt ¾ cup Acini de Pepe pasta 4 chicken breast halves, skinless, boneless, cooked and cut into small pieces 2 eggs, beaten

Melt the butter, careful not to burn it, and sautee the onions until they are translucent. Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the pasta, seasoned salt and chicken. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drizzle the beaten eggs into the mixture and simmer for an additional two minutes.  Photography by Tracy Toler

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Regional Focus Compiled by Jennifer JEtt and samantha ricketts

MATRIC Appoints New Chief Executive from Chemical Industry Mid-Atlantic Technology, Research & Innovation Center Inc. (MATRIC) has appointed Steven Hedrick as president and CEO. He succeeds Keith Pauley, who resigned to work in China. The selection concludes an exhaustive six-month search process.

Steve Hedrick

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Hedrick has an extensive industry background, most recently as vice president and head of Bayer CropScience’s Institute Industrial Park. Additionally, he has held positions of increasing responsibility at Bayer MaterialScience and Lyondell.

“Steve brings a proven record of successful leadership in large and complex environments. We are convinced he is uniquely positioned to lead us into the future,” says MATRIC Board of Directors Chairman Paul Arbogast.

Hedrick currently serves on the board of directors for several organizations, including the West Virginia Manufacturers Association (WVMA), Charleston Area Alliance, Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce and Kanawha County Metro-911. He is immediate past chair of the WVMA’s Chemical Industry Committee, which serves as West Virginia’s Chemical Industry Council.

Since June, MATRIC COO Greg Clutter served as interim president and CEO. “Greg has done all that has been asked of him and more,” notes Arbogast.

“We greatly appreciated his ability to

manage throughout this juncture and we are delighted he is continuing as COO.”

New Business Association Targets African-American Entrepreneurs A new initiative through West Virginia State University (WVSU) Extension Service is expanding opportunities and resources for African-Americans across the state. The mission of the Black Business Association Supporting Entrepreneurs (BBASE) is to promote entrepreneurship, stimulate growth and serve as a resource for blackowned businesses by providing networking and mentoring opportunities.

“BBASE is about showcasing black businesses in our communities and providing opportunities for their support through networking, training and mentorship,” says Sandra Moss, extension agent for business development with WVSU Extension Service.

“We hope it will span not only West Virginia but also the nation.” Moss is one of the founding members of BBASE and serves as president of the association.

The idea for BBASE emerged out of what Moss calls an obvious need. When

asked by a client if she knew of any African-American architects in the region, she had no answer. It was then that Moss, along with fellow BBASE member John Gaddis, decided it shouldn’t be such a difficult task to find a black professional in any trade.

“BBASE is about helping to make a change,” she says. “It’s not about being separate but, instead, being economically stronger within so we can branch out.”

Part of the economic development mission of WVSU Extension Service is to support West Virginia entrepreneurs.

The organization has previously helped specialty foods producers and artisans become established and utilize their collective purchasing and selling power to market goods and services.

“BBASE is yet another great opportunity for West Virginia State University to help local entrepreneurs organize and increase their profitability,” says Bill Woodrum, associate dean and associate director of WVSU Extension Service. “We’ll be increasing opportunities for interaction with other business owners through this initiative.”

WVU Business School Ranked in U.S. Top 100 for Social Media To say that social media has changed the way we conduct our lives—both professionally and personally—is a bit of an understatement.

The West Virginia University (WVU) College of Business and Economics (B&E) was recognized for its social media communications efforts when it was recently ranked in the Top 100 Most Social Media-Friendly Master of Business Administration (MBA) School Rankings for 2013. After securing commitment and resources less than one year ago to undertake planned social media efforts, the college was ranked No. 61 in the country among its fellow business schools.

“This is fantastic news because it supports what we have believed for the past several months—that we are effectively communicating with the various audiences that are so important to our business school,” says Dr. Jose Sartarelli, Milan Puskar dean. “The ranking comes less than one year after officially putting our resources in place to find innovative ways to communicate with students, alumni, donors, friends of the college, faculty and staff. This is very encouraging.”

The social media ranking represents the second significant ranking news for the business school in a matter of days.

The college was ranked No. 29 by U.S. News & World Report in the 2013 Best Online Graduate Business Programs for the business school’s online Executive MBA program.

The rankings were released by OnlineMBAPage.com for the top 100 most social media-friendly schools after the publication measured social media presence and activity levels on various social media platforms. OnlineMBAPage. com is a social education community that was formed in response to the growing demand for MBAs in the U.S., China and emerging markets.

“Our Office of Communications and Marketing has really embraced opportunities to establish and bolster these social media channels,” Sartarelli says. “The audiences we communicate with are critical to everything we do at our business school. The fact that we have made such great strides in less than a year gives us confidence in the direction the college is going, and that there is great interest in that direction by the people who have ownership in this school.”

Gift Takes Marshall University to $15 Million Bucks for Brains Goal Marshall University officials have announced that a gift from Allied Realty

Company is the final private donation needed to reach the university’s $15 million West Virginia Research Trust Fund fundraising goal.

Allied made a $150,000 donation to support the Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (MIIR) and the university’s College of Fine Arts. The $100,000 portion of the gift designated for MIIR, in addition to the recent $2.5 million contribution from BrickStreet Insurance Foundation Inc. and other year-end gifts and pledges, was matched by the state’s trust fund and allowed Marshall to draw down the last of the money allocated to the university in the fund.

The West Virginia Legislature created the trust fund, which is also referred to as Bucks for Brains, in 2008 with an initial appropriation of $15 million for Marshall and $35 million for West Virginia University. Over the past five years, the universities have been able to tap into the fund to double private gifts that support research initiatives linked to economic development, health care and job growth.

With these latest contributions, Marshall has raised its maximum of $15 million in private donations, which, with the match from the trust fund, results in a $30 million benefit to the university. The program has led to the creation of 16 new research endowments at Marshall and will increase the university’s overall endowment by more than 15 percent.

L-R: Marshall President Stephen Kopp; Greg Burton, CEO, BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Company; Dr. Ron Area, CEO, Marshall University Foundation, and Dr. Joseph Shapiro, dean, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.

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Ed Pastilong and West Liberty University's Jason Koegler

Pastilong Joins West Liberty University Advancement Team When President Robin Capehart announced the West Liberty University (WLU) capital campaign during homecoming weekend 2012, he delighted sports fans as he also introduced special consultant Ed Pastilong to the Hilltop.

The director of athletics at West Virginia University (WVU) from 19892010, Pastilong is now assisting Campaign Coordinator and WLU Development Director Angela Zambito-Hill and Vice President of Institutional Advancement Jason Koegler in their fundraising efforts.

A Moundsville native, Pastilong spearheaded WVU’s growth into one of the

nation’s finest intercollegiate athletic programs during his tenure with the Mountaineers.

“As a visionary and successful athletic director, we could find no one better than Ed Pastilong. Our students will benefit from his involvement and I thank him for his willingness to share his talents with us,” Zambito-Hill says.

While at WVU, Pastilong helped shape the student-athlete experience into a positive one through a successful total athletic program. At the time of his departure, Pastilong had one of the longest-serving tenures of any athletic director at a BCS-level school.

During his tenure, Pastilong directed more than $65 million in facility renovations, witnessed the athletic department’s budget increase from $20 million to more than $50 million and steered WVU into the Big East football conference in 1991 and full-fledged member status in the league in 1995, the school’s first-ever association in a major athletic conference. He also initiated the Athletic Director’s Academic Honor Roll, where nearly 4,000 student-athletes have been recognized for outstanding work in the classroom. Pastilong solicited financial support to start the Athletic Scholarship

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University of Charleston Receives Approval to Add Locations in Beckley, Martinsburg and Online The University of Charleston (UC) is now UC-Charleston, UC-Beckley, UCMartinsburg and UC-Net. This dramatic expansion of the university was confirmed with the announcement that UC has received approval from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) to open new locations in Beckley and Martinsburg as well as begin online and technology-aided instruction.

The new sites will be located at facilities currently occupied by Mountain State University (MSU).

This announcement from the HLC grants UC full accreditation to offer 32 programs across campuses in Charleston, Beckley, Martinsburg and online. The university began spring semester classes January 14 for new UC students, while also finishing the “teach-out” program for MSU students able to graduate by May 2013. Online classes began January 7.

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University of Charleston President Ed Welch says, “We are grateful the HLC has faith in our institution to add networkbased instruction and two new locations.

It is vitally important for Beckley to have a four-year college, and we are pledging a long-term commitment to educate students for a life of productive work, enlightened living and community involvement.”

UC has worked closely with MSU officials over the past few months to ensure a smooth transition for the spring semester.

School officials forecast an increase of 600 students for the spring 2013 semester, bringing the overall total enrollment for the university to around 2,000. UC has currently hired 65 former MSU faculty and staff members in Beckley and three in Martinsburg. Dr. Jerry Forster will serve as area president and direct UC’s operations at both locations.

“The board of trustees is delighted the University of Charleston has taken this major step forward,” says Triana Energy CEO and University of Charleston Board of Trustees Chairman Henry Harmon.

“We are convinced that the expansion of UC's locations and programs are being done for all the right reasons and the end

result will be good for the university and all the communities involved. Charleston, Beckley and Martinsburg are three of the most vibrant cities in West Virginia, and UC is committed to supporting their growth and vitality.”

Schuler Serves Higher Education Board Carol Schuler, associate vice president for Communications and Marketing at Davis & Elkins College (D&E), recently began her second term as a board member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), District II (DII).

Schuler serves the largest of the national organization’s eight districts, which includes colleges, universities and independent schools in Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and West Virginia. As a member of the board, she is responsible for the district’s Web site and communication programs.

She is also a member of the DII Conference Executive Committee, which is planning a three-day conference in Pittsburgh for March 3-5. In that role, she co-chairs the conference marketing committee.

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donors, raise funds for campus projects, produce recruitment materials, market their institutions to prospective students, diversify the profession and foster public support of education. It is one of the world's largest nonprofit educational associations.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in London, Singapore and Mexico City, CASE serves nearly 69,000 professionals on the staffs of member institutions. It is committed to being the primary resource for professional development and information and the leading advocate for professional standards and ethics.

Schuler joined Davis & Elkins College in 2001 as director of Communications and was appointed to her current position in 2011. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Purdue University and a master’s degree in advertising from the University of Illinois, where she also taught persuasive writing.

She has previously worked in advertising, corporate marketing and public broadcasting.

At Davis & Elkins College, Schuler directs all official college communication, including print and online marketing, and edits and produces the college magazine, Forward. She also helps plan and promote

special events for D&E and serves on the college management team.

Schuler is a member of the Elkins Planning Commission and a past president of the Elkins Historic Landmarks Commission.

She also assisted with developing the Wees National Register Historic District.

Schuler is a former volunteer for the city’s ON TRAC program and Action 2010 History Committee. She also helped create and manage the Randolph County Schools ArtsBank program and was a founding board member of the Randolph County Community Arts Center. She is an honorary member of the D&E Chapter of Sigma Beta Delta International Business Honor Society.

InnerAction Media Becomes HubSpot Certified Agency Partner InnerAction Media, a Morgantown, WV, media marketing firm, announces it has joined the HubSpot inbound marketing team as a Certified Agency Partner.

InnerAction Media, whose goal is to help clients be more effective with their marketing dollars, saw the immediate value in HubSpot and has already had several clients subscribe to the inbound marketing software program.

“HubSpot has done a great job of creating a software platform that provides Internet Protocol tracking for visitors to a Web site, the history of those visitors, landing page creation and implementation, development tools, e-mail marketing and contextual reporting,” says Jim Matuga, co-founder of InnerAction Media. “By utilizing our new capabilities, our clients can be more proactive in tracking, developing and approaching leads developed via social media and the Web. We can, now more than ever, provide quantifiable return on investment for marketers.”

“The depth of training HubSpot provided for our team means we can now bring our expertise in all aspects of marketing and media, in addition to the new explosion of inbound marketing, to our clients here in West Virginia and around the country,” says InnerAction Media Co-Founder Michael Arbogast.

Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young Celebrates 50 Years Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP (HPTY), a leading national civil defense law firm, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2013.

“We are very proud to reach this

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milestone,” says Al Parnell, a partner at Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young. “Our longevity is proof to our dedication to our clients and the successes and solutions they have achieved with us. We look forward to working with them for another 50 years.”

HPTY’s attorneys are among the nation’s leading litigators with substantial trial experience in every type of litigation. Over the last half century, the firm has grown to include more than 120 lawyers in seven offices located in California, Georgia, Missouri, Texas and West Virginia. HPTY’s attorneys represent some of America’s largest corporations, small local businesses and individual clients in high-risk litigation and business disputes across the country.

“The firm has demonstrated continued success adapting to multiple changes through the years in the economy, law and technology,” says Parnell. “Our future is even brighter as we continue to be successful in difficult economic times and lead the way for future solutions.

Reaching the 50-year milestone is a great achievement for any business, and we could not have done so without the incredible support of our lawyers and staff.”

Allen, Kopet & Associates Receives Awards The law firm of Allen, Kopet & Associates, PLLC, was the recipient of two honorable awards in 2012.

Allen, Kopet & Associates was honored as a 2013 Go-To Law Firm for the Top 500 Companies by American Lawyer Media (ALM). The firm was selected as a Go-To Firm for Contracts Litigation by their valued client, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

Additionally, Allen, Kopet & Associates received the distinction of being recognized as a 2013 U.S. Top Ranked Law Firm.

The 2013 U.S. Top Ranked Law Firms list appears in Fortune magazine’s Special Investor’s Guide, as well as in multiple award-winning ALM publications. This list was compiled by LexisNexis MartindaleHubbell, and this honor is a reflection of the firm’s expertise, experience, integrity and overall professional excellence.

Allen, Kopet & Associates is a regional defense firm founded in 1995 in Chattanooga, TN. The firm now comprises multiple offices throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Biafore Landscape Development Turns 50 Years Old Local landscape mainstay Biafore Landscape Development is celebrating 50 years in business. Established in Fairmont as Biafore’s Landscaping in 1962

by Richard and Daniel Biafore, the firm provides its clients in North Central West Virginia with total landscape installation and maintenance.

“Richard and Daniel always endeavored to keep the company current and innovative,” states Company Spokesperson Alicia Fields. “They were two of the first people to sit for and pass the West Virginia pesticide licensing exam in 1972.”

Over the last 50 years, the company has grown to provide many additional services. Interlocking paving systems, segmented retaining walls, stone work, decks, planting, turf installation, irrigation and landscape lighting are some of the services now offered. Design and consulting services include landscape architecture and garden design, master planning, planting plans, vehicular and pedestrian circulation plans and outdoor living spaces.

“Registered landscape architects and landscape architectural designers make up our design team,” says Fields. “Our field personnel have been certified by the International Concrete Paver Institute as certified concrete paver installers and by the National Concrete Masonry Association as certified segmented retaining wall installers. We are continually striving to increase our knowledge of the landscape design/build field.”

Biafore Landscape Development has been given numerous awards for its project design and installation. The firm has received two Eagle Awards from the Associated Builders and Contractors of West Virginia and first place awards from the West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc.

“This has been a dream come true,” says Emily Fisher, the owner of Grow Wings.

“I am excited to share my knowledge and experience with the nonprofit community.”

Grow Wings coaches executive directors and educates board members and staff to provide results-driven outcomes.

Customized services are offered to provide a tailored response to an organization’s unique situation. Plans are underway to provide workshops in the areas of development, finance, grant making and executive leadership around the state for those involved with fundraising and nonprofit work.

“Connecting with Emily Fisher and Grow Wings Consulting was the secret to my success as the development director for Valley Hospice,” says Judi Hladek.

Fisher is a certified fundraising executive and has her certification from Indiana University School of Business and School of Philanthropy in nonprofit executive leadership.

For more information, contact Fisher by phone at (304) 281-0955 or by e-mail at growwingsconsulting@gmail.com. 

Kathryne M. Smith, LICENSED SOCIAL WORKER

Grow Wings Consulting Announces Grand Opening Grow Wings Consulting, LLC, based in Wheeling, WV, recently announced its grand opening in early 2013. Grow Wings works with all types of nonprofits, from service organizations to foundations, offering guidance, tools and creative collaboration in the areas of foundation management, nonprofit management, strategic planning and fundraising to build, maintain and grow an organization.

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