2012 September Business Journal A Section

7/31/2019 2012 September Business Journal A Section

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Health

Insurance A7-A8

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Findlay/Hancock B4 VanWert B9

Technology B15

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BusinessJournalOF WEST CENTRAL OHIO

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September 2012

The Regions Business Publication

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Miller Precision expands into Kongsberg plantBy Ed Gebert

Times Bulletin Editor

VAN WERT The building has set empty since the last of the machineryfrom Kongsberg Manufacturing was moved out and sent away on trucks. Butnow a company is set to move into the 130,000 square foot facility from rightnext door literally.

Miller Precision Manufacturing Industries, Inc. is moving from 1255Industrial Dr. into the structure that for many years housed Teleflex and laterKongsberg before operations ceased. For Jim and Tim Miller, the move rep-resents a chance at significant growth in the business that dates back to 1988with a small tool and die operation with outdated equipment. Today, the firmhas 85 employees, 12 of those already working in Van Wert.

One of the things we like to do is allow for growth, stated Jim Miller atthe formal announcement of the move Friday morning.

I think it was in October, we were outside and thinking about expansionand how things would go, and we looked next door here and saw the [for sale]sign out front and thought to ourselves, Its crazy to even think that!, remem-bered Miller. He placed a call to Van Wert Mayor Don Farmer in January totalk about the move. Farmer and City Council President Gary Corcoran metwith Miller at the companys home in Ottoville and began to work on ways tomake the move into the much-larger building next door.

As part of moving to the new building, the company will move its stampingand fabrication division from St. Marys to the Van Wert facility, streamliningoperations.

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Cooper Farms to addthird wind turbine

VAN WERT Cooper FarmsCooked Meats location will begininstalling a third wind turbine to furtheradvance their sustainable energy effortsthis month. The 1.5 megawatt windturbine will provide an additional 25

percent of the Cooked Meats locationselectricity needs, bringing the totalwind-power percentage to 75 percent.Cooper Farms has long been commit-ted to sustainability and environmentalpreservation.

We want to do all we can to havethe least environmental impact pos-sible, said Gary Cooper, COO. It isimportant to us that we take these stepsto preserve our natural resources as theopportunities arise.

Cooper Farms currently has two

1.5 megawatt turbines at this location,which came online in the first part of2012. The two turbines provide approxi-mately 50 percent of the companyspower needs over the course of a year.

The growth of our Van Wert loca-tion has enticed us to add this third tur-bine, said Jim Cooper, the companysCEO. It is just the right move for ourcompany and the environment.

When installation of the first two tur-bines began, they were able to provide60 percent of the plants power needs.

However, two new large pieces ofequipment have recently been installed,

See COOPER, page 5ASee MILLER PRECISION, page 2A

Ed Gebert photo

Van Wert Mayor Don Farmer welcomes Jim Miller ofMiller Precision Manufacturing Friday morning at the com-panys new home in the former Teleflex/Kongsberg facilityat 1265 Industrial Drive.

After buying the shop in 1988, miller then contracted a build-ing to be put up in Ottovilles Industiral Park in 1994. When theoffices and 12,000 square feet of floor space proved to be too small,another 12,000 square feet was added in 1997, and another 28,000square feet in 2006. The facility in Ottoville will remain as is.

The Van Wert facility opened in September of 2007 with fiveemployees. It has grown steadily to a dozen workers since thattime. Miller stated that he will grow by at least five full-time posi-tions over the next two years earning him the title bestowed byFarmer of the most ultra-conservative predictor of jobs Ive everrun into!

At the announcement on Friday, Corcoran praised the Millersfor their character and their vision.

He remarked, I think you have to be impressed, one, with themas individuals, and two, with them as entrepreneurs in northwest


2/8

2A TheBusinessJournal September2012

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The United States Department of Agri-culture has awarded the entrepreneurshipprogram at Ohio Northern UniversitysJames F. Dicke College of Business Admin-istration a Rural Business Enterprise Grant(RBEG) to support small business growthand development in a four-county area sur-rounding ONU. The grant totals $92,000.

The grant provides ONU with the fundsto develop outreach programs to help devel-op growth and expansion of microenterprise

development (small businesses with lessthan 50 employees and gross sales less than$1 million) and growth in a four-county area:Allen, Hancock, Hardin and Wyandot. Theoutreach programs are focused on servingthe needs of any individual that may havean interest in starting or expanding a smallbusiness, including the targeted countiesbusiness community.Through Ohio North-ern Universitys entrepreneurship program,the funds will provide technical support inthe form of one-on-one counseling, classesand workshops with the goal to assist atleast 20 businesses and create 12 jobs.

We in The James F. Dicke College ofBusiness Administration are proud of ourentrepreneurship initiative, said Dr. JimFenton, dean of the College of BusinessAdministration. This federal grant will al-

low us to expand the initiative beyond thecampus into neighboring rural populationcenters in four counties. A primary objec-tive will be the development of new busi-nesses and expansion of some ongoing busi-nesses.

A part-time director will be hired to over-

see the ONU Entrepreneur Center, includingcommunity outreach, marketing, technol-ogy transfer issues, program development,and oversight of the student counselors.

With many years of experience provid-ing similar outreach initiatives in the Co-lumbus, Ohio, area, Dr. Tammy Schakett,ONU assistant professor of entrepreneur-ship, will be program director for the RBEGgrant. Schakett will supervise the activitiesof the center, center director, and studentsproviding counseling services.

We, at ONU, are dedicated to outreachand economic development in this four-county area through our commitment ineducation and business support, Schakettsaid. This touches our students by expos-ing them to aspiring entrepreneurs, invalu-able work experience and the opportunity to

give back to the community.A strategic plan will be adopted for theprogram, which includes the EntrepreneurCenter, in an initiative that includes an out-reach program that features counseling andnon-credit certificate classes. These miniclasses will be one to six weeks in dura-

tion. Clients can choose one or a selectionof classes that can be combined into a non-credit certificate in entrepreneurship. Theseclasses are open to the public but are notoffered as traditional for-credit course workat ONU. Other aspects will include monthlyworkshops that will provide educational op-portunities on a variety of startup or smallbusiness management topics and an Entre-preneur Center business plan competition.

Additionally, the grant provides for paidinternships for senior business majors andgraduate students in the colleges graduateprogram in accounting, the Master of Pro-fessional Practice in Accounting, withinThe James F. Dicke College of BusinessAdministration. As interns, these studentswill provide one-on-one counseling as wellas develop and lead some of the classes and

workshops under the direction of the centerdirector and the colleges director of expe-riential learning. Faculty and local businessowners who are acknowledged experts intheir fields will supplement the workshopsand certification classes in specialized areasas needed.

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Miller worked with not only cityadministration, but also the econom-ic development efforts in the county.Miller also applied for a received a$125,000 loan through the City of VanWert Revolving Loan Fund which wasfinalized on Friday as well.

We are really glad we can providea facility and that we can help fund theneeded resources that they require inorder to start utilizing that facility in ourcommunity, said Corcoran. This is

a facility that was empty, and Jim hasmade arrangements for his operation toexpand into our community, and weve

been able through the Revolving LoanFund to help supply the funds that areneeded to make that happen.

At this point, the building is beingreadied to be used.

Were currently under constructioninternally. We are doing some paint-ing of the ceiling, new lights, Millerexplained. There is some equipmentthats going to start arriving here as earlyas next week. Were moving some of ourstamping operations from the St. Maryslocation to this facility, and well also bemoving some equipment from next doorover here.

A release from the firm stated that the

commitment to delivering a precisionproduct to its customers has allowedMiller Precision to grow. The company

offers a full line of precision machiningoperations, including turning, drilling,tapping, milling, stamping, laser cutting,waterjet cutting, welding and painting.Customers include food equipment, lifttruck, medical and automotive indus-tries.

Miller on Friday offered praise tothe city administration, efforts made byeconomic development officials, and hisown workers.

My hat is off to our employees forhelping making this all possible as well,he said. Having a quality shop and qual-ity parts going out the door allows us togrow and to do what we need to do.

Miller Precision (Continued from page 1)


3/8


4/84A TheBusinessJournal September2012

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Finance Fund will receive $2 millionout of a total of $10 million in Ohio NewMarkets Tax Credits (NMTC) announcedby the Ohio Department of Development.The statewide nonprofit Finance Fund isone of six Ohio-based community devel-opment organizations to receive the Ohio

New Markets Tax Credits. Finance Fundwill use the allocation to attract at least$5.1 million in additional economic in-vestments in Ohios struggling communi-ties.

Ohios NMTC program provides inves-

tors with state tax credits in exchange fordelivering below-market-rate investmentoptions to Ohio businesses.

This is the third round of Ohio NMTCawarded to Finance Fund since the stateprogram began in October 2010. Itsgratifying to know that the Department

trusts Finance Fund to carefully stewardthese funds to support projects that meetcommunity needs, are high impact andcatalytic, said Finance Fund CEO JamesR. Klein. To date, Finance Fund has re-ceived a total of $7 million in state NMTC

awards and has allocated $5 million ofthat towards projects around Ohio totaling$83.9 million. Funds are used to developor expand businesses and create jobs inOhios distressed communities.

The Ohio program, administered bythe Departments Office of Redevelop-

ment, provides a 39 percent tax creditover seven years for qualified invest-ments. Community Development Entitiesthat received a tax credit allocation fromthe Federal New Markets Tax Credit pro-gram are eligible to apply.

In its application, Finance Fund iden-tified eight potential projects that couldbenefit from the Ohio New Markets TaxCredit. With the $2 million award, FinanceFund projects that up to three projects willbenefit from its Ohio NMTC allocation.

Other third-round Ohio NMTC recipi-ents include: Cincinnati New MarketsFund, LLC; Cleveland New Markets In-vestment Fund II, LLC; DevelopmentFund of the Western Reserve; NortheastOhio Development Fund, LLC, and Stone-henge Community Development, LLC.

About Finance Fund (FinanceFund.org)

In 2012, Finance Fund celebrates its

25th anniversary as a partner in commu-nity empowerment. Throughout Ohio,Finance Fund connects low-income com-munities with public and private sourcesof capital and simplifies the complexitiesof the financing process to help good eco-nomic development ideas come to life.

Since 1987, Finance Fund and its affiliateshave invested more than $195.5 millionin housing, economic development, andcommunity facility projects leveragingover $1 billion. These investments wereaccomplished through 2,688 awards tocommunity-based organizations through-out the state. Partnerships enabled the de-velopment of 15,439 units of affordablehousing, 16,728 direct jobs, and 3,036early care and education classrooms for69,497 children benefiting the lives of

more than 125,000 Ohioans.About the Office of Redevelopment(www.development.ohio.gov)

The Office of Redevelopment assistscommunities with place-based redevelop-ment, which creates wealth from personal,business, and community successes. TheOffice works to identify the resources andfinancing necessary to enhance the eco-

New markets tax credit to spur development

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Working with our partners acrossbusiness, state and local governments,academia, and the nonprofit sector, theOhio Department of Development worksto attract, create, grow, and retain busi-nesses through competitive incentives

and targeted investments. Engaged everyday in marketing, innovating, investing,and collaborating, the Ohio Departmentof Development works to accelerate andsupport the teamwork that is necessaryfor success by providing financial, infor-mational and technical assistance to those

making an investment in Ohios futureAbout the Ohio New Markets Tax

Credit Program (www.development.ohio.gov/urban/ONM/)

The goals of the Ohio New MarketsTax Credit Program are to attract ad-ditional federal tax credits, encourageprivate investment funding to Ohio busi-

nesses and spark revitalization in Ohioscommunities. The program is designed tohelp finance business investments in low-income communities by providing inves-tors with state tax credits in exchange fordelivering below-market-rate investmentoptions to Ohio businesses.

Tax credit (Continued from page 4A)

Cooper(Continued from page 1A)increasing the locations overall electricityusage. The plant was using 10 to 12 million

kilowatts per year, which has now grown toapproximately 15 million kilowatts per year.With the first two windmills alone, CooperFarms is the largest privately-owned gen-erator of net-metered wind energy in Ohioat this time. Cooper Farms will once againwork with One Energy of Findlay to com-plete installation of the turbine.

We are honored to have been chosento work with Cooper Farms as they expandtheir existing wind power, said Jereme

Kent, One Energy general manager. Ourgoal is to make wind simple, helping com-

panies like Cooper Farms utilize its envi-ronmental and financial benefits. We areproud of our partnership and excited to getthis new turbine installed and online.

Cooper Farms and One Energy willmake every effort to utilize local busi-nesses for supplies and Ohioans for thework. Installation of the roadways andgroundwork for the turbine will begin thismonth and installation will be complete byyear end.


6/86A TheBusinessJournal September2012

Its no surprise the late Steve Jobs fa-vorite music was written and performedby Bob Dylan and The Beatles. I just fin-ished his biography and it was as compel-ling a book as Atlas Shrugged.

Anyway, about three months ago I

started a column about the 1964 Bob Dy-lan song, The times they are a-changin.An anthem for those, times and thesetimes. Bob Dylan can write his soul andtouch yours. The times are changing. Butfor one reason or another I set the columnaside.

As I was reading the Walter IsaacsonSteve Jobs biography (a book I couldNOT put down), I got goosebumps whenJobs got fired from Apple after a decade

of it being his creation and child. Devas-tated, he went home and played the secondverse of The times they are a-changinover and over:

Come writers and criticsWho prophesize with your penAnd keep your eyes wideThe chance wont come againAnd dont speak too soon

For the wheels still in spinAnd theres no tellin whoThat its naminFor the loser nowWill be later to winFor the times they are a-changin.

I just sat there stunned. The song, oneof Jobs favorites, actually predicted hisreturn, and arguably one of the greatestbusiness comebacks of all time. And thetiming of my column. Further proof (as ifyou needed it) there are no coincidences.

The most chilling of these non-coinci-dences is that my set aside writing alreadycontained Apple examples of how theworld is changed.

So here are my original thoughts andthe added thoughts since I read the Jobsbook:

When Dylan wrote about chang-ing times in 1964, it was about societalchange. The politics, civil rights, rebellionof kids, music, and a new generation ofthought and expression.

The same holds true today, almost fiftyyears later. Its brings to mind the Frenchnovelist Alphonse Karrs quote, The

more things change, the more they remainthe same.

EXAMPLE: The t-shirt has been thesame since the 50s. What keeps it popu-lar is the design printed on the front andback. Millions of shirts are sold each yearbecause someone wants the design printedon it.

The picture I want to present to you isthe BIG PICTURE of change. Not yoursales plan, or your quota, or your boss, or

your comp plan what Im offering arelife changes that go way beyond sales andrace for dollars.

Its about how technology and yourability to see what is now will affect what

is next. Jobs was ableto see it and do it be-cause it was his lifeswork. But you mustintensify your focus(the same way Im in-

tensifying mine) to seewhat is next for yourindustry, your market,and your customers so there will be a posi-tive impact for yourcompany, your family,and yourself.

The Internet, thesmart phone, the tab-let, and soon internet

TV will become a vi-tal part of our societyand world commerce.AKA: sales. Advancesover the next decadewill dwarf what is available now, and willchange markets forever.

The same way trading of shares of stockand insurance policies were turned upsidedown with the Internet, the same way theiPod changed the way music is played,

distributed, and sold, the same way Ama-zon and eBay became the worlds depart-ment store so will your market evolve.And it will go to the most prepared to un-derstand, create, capitalize, and master theevolution and the quality of products.

A FEW EXAMPLES OF WHATWAS AND WHATS NEXT:

The schoolbook is being replaced bythe iPad. (Microsoft Word still tells methat iPad is misspelled.)

The hardbound book is being takenover by an e-book.

The smartphone is smarter than youare and Siri talks to you. Blackberryowned the market, and sat on it and lost

it. Apple has 500,000 apps.Blackberry has about 10%of that number. Angry Birdsis finally among them.

The television is flat andcheap. It will soon become

your home Internet connec-tion. Someone will own thatmarket. Im betting Apple.You?

Got fax machine? Makeme laugh! Or should I say,LOL or should I say,PDF.

Use the Yellow Pagesor Google? Bing helps youdecide I decided to use

Google. Will cars run on gaso-

line in ten years?And with all of that,

technology lifecycles areshorter. How have you taken advantageof this? And for those of you saying, Iknow that. Ask yourself, How good amI at that? and What am I doing to masterthat?

FACT: THE times are changing.

UNKNOWN FACT: How are YOURtimes changing?

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible,Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyaltyis Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The LittleRed Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book ofConnections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude,The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The LittlePlatinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Bookof Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and SocialBOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead youto more information about training, seminars, and we-binars - or email him personally at salesman@gitomer.

com. 2012 All Rights Reserved. Dont even think

about reproducing this document without written per-mission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.704/333-1112

The good times. The bad times. The changin times.

JeffreyGitomer

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7/8

September2012 TheBusinessJournal 7A

Health Insurance

Former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson, co-chairman of President Barack Obamas fis-cal commission, said escalating Medicarecosts stand to squeeze out the rest of domes-tic government spending.

Medicare is on automatic pilot. Itwill use up every resource in the govern-

ment, the Republican former senator fromWyoming said in an interview today onBloomberg Television. Asked about spend-ing ranging from highway programs to theFederal Bureau of Investigation, Simpsonsaid: The things you just mentioned will becompletely squeezed out by Medicare.

Representative Paul Ryan, Mitt Rom-neys choice as his Republican vice presi-dential running mate, has proposed replac-ing Medicare with a plan giving the elderlya fixed amount of money to buy privatecoverage. Ryans plan may become a cen-tral part of the presidential campaign.

We owe 16 trillion bucks and nobodyeven understands what that is, Simpsonsaid in the interview. If you want to get theold playbook out and use infrastructure, air-planes, all the stuff, thats great. You wonteven see it because of whats going to hap-pen with Medicare.

Simpson said the countrys current pathof debt, deficit and interest is totally un-sustainable. President Obamas fiscalcommission was solidly specific and thecommission acknowledged the nature of afragile recovery, he said.

Simpson-Bowles

The Simpson-Bowles plan, issued by thecommission headed by Simpson and formerPresident Bill Clintons chief of staff ErskineBowles, advocated a series of spending cutsand tax increases to balance the budget.The plan was never adopted nor openly en-dorsed by the president. The House voted

down the plan, with Republicans saying ithad too many tax increases and not enoughspending cuts.

Ryan served on the 2010 commissionand voted against its recommendations.

Even as Congress struggles to come toconsensus on fiscal spending, Simpson said

markets will control the debate over the fu-ture of the U.S. economy.All you have to do is a plan, Simpson said.

Weve got it in legislative language, were cir-culating it right now, among a very good groupof Democrats and Republicans. If you do a planthen the markets will lay off of you.

Simpson says Medicare spending will squeeze out other programs

We recently received a question from

someone looking for guidance on how tochoose a health insurance plan. Whetheryoure selecting a plan at work, or purchas-ing one on your own, wading through healthinsurance plans can be quite intimidatingsince the terminology is often unfamiliar,confusing, and the stakes are high. After all,few things are as important to us as healthcare when we really need it. Without healthinsurance, you might not have access tomany non-emergency services, an emer-gency like getting hit by the proverbial buscan land you deep in debt (medical bills are

the biggest cause of bankruptcy), and youlleven have to pay a federal penalty (I meana tax) starting in 2014.

With that in mind, here are some thingsto know before you pick a plan:

Your employers plan may not be thebest deal. Its true that if you work for anemployer that offers health insurance, youmay be able to get it at reduced or even nocost to you. At the very least, it usually givesyou the option of purchasing into a groupplan, which can be particularly beneficial ifyoure not in good health or have pre-exist-

ing conditions. (Keep in mind that if you re-cently lost your job, you may be able to con-tinue your group coverage under COBRAfor 18-36 months.) If youre self employed,you might also be able to access group plansthrough trade associations like the WritersGuild of America and the Actors Equity As-sociation.

However, if youre paying for the insur-ance and youre in good health, you mightbe better off getting a policy on your own.Thats because group plans base their pre-miums on the groups average health so you

could find a lower cost plan or one with

more benefits for the same price if your

health is above average. You can compari-son shop at a site like ehealthinsurance.com,healthplanone.com, healthinsurance.com,insuremonkey.com, or healthcare.gov.

You can also search for a local healthinsurance agent or broker at the NationalAssociation of Health Underwriters web-site. An agent can help you find an insurerthat will accept you and guide you throughwhat can be a complicated application pro-cess. Just be sure that they have experiencewith health insurance (not just life or dis-ability) and ask if they get compensated

more for selling certain plans or policies.A good sign that theyre working in yourbest interest is if they ask about your eli-gibility for COBRA and government pro-grams.

Your doctor may not be covered. If youwant to keep your current doctor, check tosee that theyre covered by any insuranceplans youre considering. HMOs are themost restrictive, limiting you to doctors intheir network. PPOs let you go outside thenetwork for a higher fee. POS plans are ahybrid, allowing you to pay extra to go out-

side the network but usually only after get-ting a referral from a primary care physicianin the network.

Your prescription drugs might not beeither. Just as not all health insurance planscover all doctors, not all benefits are alwayscovered. This is especially true for certainmedications, alternative practices like chiro-practic care, and extras like maternity cov-erage (at least until the Affordable Care Actmandates that insurers start covering it in2014). Keep in mind that even if youre notplanning on having children now, you prob-

ably wont be able to add maternity coverage

to an individual policy if you change your

mind later. Youll want to make a list of anyprescription drugs you take and your othermust have services to make sure theyreincluded, and look out for dollar caps andother limitations and exclusions.

The lowest premium plan may not bethe cheapest overall. The tendency can beto just look at the monthly premium, butthat could be the least of your costs. Planswith lower monthly costs generally make itup in other ways. First, there are co-pays,which are a small percentage of costs thatyou pay when you use a service. Second is

the annual deductible, which is the amountthat you must pay out of pocket each yearbefore your insurance will start kicking in,especially for major expenses. (Your co-pays may or may not be counted as part ofthe deductible.) Even after you meet the de-ductible, you may have to pay coinsurance,which is a percentage of the remaining costsup to an out-of-pocket maximum, if there isone.

Lets say that you have a policy with a$20 co-pay for doctor visits, a $1k annualdeductible, and 20% coinsurance. After go-

ing to the doctor, you pay your $20 co-payand then get a bill for $300, which you haveto pay yourself since its below your deduct-ible. Later that year, you have surgery for$3,000. Since you already paid $300 outof your $1k deductible, you only need topay another $700 to satisfy it for the year.However, you still have to pay 20% of theremaining $2,300, or another $460. As youcan see, all those expenses can really addup. Thats why you want to make sure youhave enough savings to cover them in ad-dition to having enough income to pay the

premiums.

Dont necessarily avoid high-deduct-

ible plans though. You dont want to erron the other side either. The idea of havingto potentially shell out thousands of dollarsout of pocket can be frightening, especiallyif youre used to comprehensive plans withlow or no deductibles, but it can also saveyou a lot of money if you remain in goodhealth and have the savings to cover thoseexpenses.

One additional benefit for a policy witha high deductible (i.e. a deductible startingat $1,200 for an individual or $2,400 fora family) is that it might be eligible for a

health savings account (HSA). This accountallows you to save money on a pre-tax basis,and then to use it tax free to pay for quali-fied out-of-pocket medical expenses. If youwithdraw the money for something else,youll have to pay taxes and a 20% penaltyon the withdrawal, but anything you dontuse can eventually be withdrawn penaltyfree after age 65. If you can afford to makecontributions, this can be a great way tosave for your health expenses while lower-ing your taxes and even saving tax deferredfor retirement.

As you can see, theres a lot to considerwhen picking a health care plan. First, startby looking at your employers plan (if ap-plicable) as well as options on the individualmarket. Second, narrow your search by lim-iting your choices to the ones that includeyour doctor, your prescription medications,and the services you want. You can thendecide which has the mix of premiums andpotential out-of-pocket expenses that youremost comfortable with based on your bud-get and assets. Hopefully, this process willleave you a bit more healthy, wealthy, and

wise.

5 things you need to know before buying health insurance


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8A TheBusinessJournal September2012

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New heart-attack test may cut ER diagnosis by hoursDoctors may be able diagnose a heart

attack in one hour using a new test ap-proach that could save time, money andcrowding in hospital emergency rooms,researchers said.

Using more-sensitive screening tech-nology to detect changes in cardiac tro-

ponin, a substance in the blood tested forevidence of heart attack, and inputting thedata into an algorithm, doctors were ableto determine whether a heart attack had oc-curred in 77 percent of patients within anhour of arriving at the hospital with chestpain, according to research published inthe Archives of Internal Medicine.

About 10 percent of all emergencyroom consultations are for patients withheart attack symptoms, the researcherssaid. Limitations in older tools used toread troponin can delay heart attack di-

agnosis for as long as six hours and con-tribute to overcrowding in the emergencyroom, the authors said.

Theres a bit more work to be done toshow, that in a prospective fashion, by em-ploying these algorithms you have goodclinical results, Kristin Newby, professor

of medicine in the Division of Cardiol-ogy at Duke University Medical Centerin Durham, North Carolina, and author ofan accompanying editorial, said in an in-terview. This kind of work sets the stagefor that and ultimately helps move thingsforward.

The more-sensitive blood tests arentavailable now in clinical practice in theU.S., Newby said. Basel, Switzerland-based Roche Holding AG (ROG), a spon-sor of the study, donated the blood assayused in the research. Rising troponin lev-

els are a marker of a heart attack. Withconventional tests it can take three to fourhours before doctors can detect an in-crease in troponin levels.

Test ResultsThe study published yesterday was also

supported by Abbott Laboratories (ABT),

Siemens AG (SIE), the Swiss Heart Foun-dation, the Swiss National Science Foun-dation and the University Hospital Basel.

The researchers looked at 872 patientswho went to the hospital with chest pains.They used 436 patients troponin levels todevelop the algorithm and validated theresults in the remaining people.

Heart attack was diagnosed in 17 per-cent of all the patients. After using the al-gorithm, 259 people were classified as nothaving a heart attack, 76 were confirmedas having a heart attack and 101 were put

in an observational zone within one hourof arriving at the hospital.

They found 30-day survival was almost100 percent in those ruled out as havinga heart attack, 99 percent in those in theobservational group and 95 percent in theheart attack group.

Newby said the real opportunity forusing an algorithm like this would be ifit could be incorporated into electronichealth records or hand-held devices tomake it easier for doctors to remember allthe information they need.

These assays are incredibly sensitive.Were still in some ways looking for howto implement them effectively, she said.This is a big step forward in understand-ing how to employ them in what can be avery confusing environment, to tease outheart attacks from many other things.

St. Ritas Medical Center is being honored by the Ameri-can Heart Association for the quality of care provided and theimpact its having in the Lima community and much of WestCentral Ohio on reducing morbidity and mortality from STElevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI).

St. Ritas Hospital joins 225 other hospitals in the US and18 hospitals in Ohio that are receiving an American Heart As-sociation Mission: Lifeline Performance Achievement Award.

Additionally, St. Rita?s Medical Center joins a very exclusivegroup as one of the 25 hospitals in the US receiving a GoldPerformance Achievement Award.

Here are some of highlights that exemplifies the STEMIcare that has led St. Ritas Medical Center to achieve thisaward.

79% of your the STEMI patients who arrive by EMS havehad a prehospital 12-lead ECG. In Ohio only 64% receive this

guideline recommendation.Overall, 75% of your patients treated at St. Ritas Hospital

have primary PCI within 90 minutes compared to only 65% ofpatients in Ohio. The overall median time is 74 minutes for St.Ritas Hospital compared to 81 minutes for Ohio.

Overall the in-hospital unadjusted death rate is 2% at St.Ritas Hospital compared to 5.3% in Ohio

St. Ritas wins Gold Performance Achievement Award

Documents

2012 September Business Journal A Section