Lafayette Online » Business News

Home Hospital, St. Clare Home Health among top 500 home health providers in 2009

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:34:15 +0000

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Home Hospital Home Health and St. Clare Home Health Care – both divisions of St. Elizabeth Regional Health – have been named to 2009 HomeCare Elite’s Top 500 Agency listing, a compilation of the most successful Medicare-certified home health care providers in the United States. This annual review identifies the top 500 agencies, ranked by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, quality improvement and financial performance.

“Our staff members have worked incredibly hard over the past few years to accurately collect patient data and to use that data to improve our care models so that we can in turn improve clinical outcomes for our patients,” said Bea Lamb, R.N., MBA, regional director of Home Hospital Home Health Care and St. Clare Home Health Care. “I am proud to see our efforts produce measurable positive results and I thank each and every staff member for their hard work on behalf of our patients.”

The HomeCare Elite is the only performance recognition of its kind in the home health industry. The HomeCare Elite is provided by OCS, Inc., the leading provider of health care informatics and DecisionHealth, publisher of home care’s most respected independent newsletter Home Health Line.

Home Hospital Home Health Care and St. Clare Home Health Care serve Benton, Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery, Putnam, Tippecanoe, Warren and White counties and can be reached by calling (765) 449-5046 or (765) 362-5114.

Free leadership workshop to be held in Indianapolis

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:21:38 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership will offer a workshop on Nov. 20 in Indianapolis that will focus on leadership.

The workshop, “Leadership Is an Attitude,” is free and open to the public. It will especially benefit business owners, management teams and executives, and CEOs.

The two-hour event will address the importance of management’s attitude and how it relates to the overall performance and effectiveness of an organization. Attendees will learn the communication and management skills needed to direct the performance of individuals and teams. The workshop also will show managers how to transmit a positive attitude to their teams.

Rodney Vandeveer, a professor in Purdue’s organizational leadership and supervision department, will lead the workshop. Vandeveer has more than 30 years of industrial and business management experience and has worked in human resources, training and development, and manufacturing departments.

The workshop will be 9-11 a.m. in the first-floor conference room of Building Ten in Intech Park, located at 6640 Intech Blvd.

Preregistration is required. To register, visit http://www.mep.purdue.edu/events/. For more information, e-mail MEPworkshops@purdue.edu or call 800-877-5182, ext. 620.

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership provides technical skills development and implementation services to manufacturers that want to increase productivity and profitability, enhance customer satisfaction, and advance work force skills. Areas of expertise include advanced manufacturing processes, lean implementation, quality management systems, Six Sigma, green enterprise development and energy efficiency.

Renewable fuel talk turning to cellulosic gas, diesel

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:59:53 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A Purdue University agricultural economist and energy policy analyst has changed his tune on renewable fuels.

“We don’t just talk about ethanol. We talk about biofuels,” said Wally Tyner.

“Ethanol is the product from corn, but you also can produce gasoline and diesel directly from cellulosic feedstocks. And when you bring up the blending wall for ethanol, that means the door may be open wider for processes that will take us directly from corn stover, switchgrass and Miscanthus to biogasoline and biodiesel. We need to be thinking in those terms.”

Tyner and fellow Purdue agricultural economist Steven Wu will discuss biofuels and the future of renewable energy during Growing the Bioeconomy: Solutions for Sustainability. The Dec. 1 conference is a collaborative effort between Purdue and sister land-grant universities in 11 other Midwest states.

Purdue Extension and Purdue’s Energy Center at Discovery Park are hosting a conference viewing site in Stewart Center on the university’s West Lafayette campus. The conference also can be viewed online.

The event is geared toward anyone with an interest in biofuels. Conference topics range from advances and breakthroughs in biofuels to biochar, which is the leftover material after cellulose is converted into fuel.

Tyner said there’s still a future for ethanol, but much of the future growth will be in cellulosic biofuels. Cellulose for liquid fuel comes from plant material, including the non-grain parts of corn.

Ethanol growth is restrained by a “blending wall” – the amount of ethanol gasoline companies are permitted by law to blend with petroleum-based fuel. Current federal standards set the amount at 10 percent of gasoline consumption.

No such blending limit exists with cellulosic biofuels, Tyner said. There are other differences between biogasoline and ethanol, he said.

Biogasoline is produced through a refining process and is chemically similar to petroleum-based gasoline, while ethanol is produced by a fermentation process, Tyner said. Biogasoline can be transported through gasoline pipelines; ethanol is corrosive to pipes and must be transported by rail or truck.

However, cellulosic biofuels face three challenges, Tyner said.

“You’ve got market uncertainty, technology uncertainty and government policy uncertainty,” he said.

There are no commercial cellulosic biofuels plants operating in the United States, Tyner said. Getting them built likely will require biofuels companies to enter into new kinds of contracts with the farmers supplying the feedstock. Dedicated energy crops like switchgrass and Miscanthus, a similar grass, produce for 10-15 years. A 50-million-gallon biofuels plant would need a truckload of cellulose every 10 minutes from day one.

“These plants cost $400 million to build, and nobody’s going to sink $400 million into concrete and steel until they’ve got a guaranteed supply of feedstock,” Tyner said. “And getting a guaranteed supply of feedstock means convincing farmers that they are going to be there 10 years from now to take their Miscanthus or switchgrass. The plant has to be convinced that the farmer is going to be there 10 years from now, as well. It’s a whole new ballgame.”

Government subsidy programs for renewable fuels would need to change, as well, for the biofuels industry to take off, Tyner said.

“Right now, everything in the U.S. is on a per-gallon basis. So today, for cellulosic biofuels you get $1.01 per gallon whether you’re producing ethanol or biogasoline,” he said. “Biogasoline has 50 percent more energy than bioethanol, yet it gets the same subsidy. We could consider moving to the kind of system Europe has, where everything is based on energy content. That would level the playing field.”

Wu’s presentation follows Tyner’s. Wu will discuss contracting issues for second generation perennial energy crops.

The conference’s keynote speaker is James Lovelock, a renowned thinker on global environmental science. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu are invited speakers.

The conference runs from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. EST.

Registration is $75 for those viewing the conference at Stewart Center and $50 for online viewing. Complete registration information is available by visiting the Purdue Conference Division’s upcoming events page at https://www.cec.purdue.edu/ec2k/Upcoming.asp and clicking on the link to Growing the Bioeconomy: Solutions for Sustainability. Registration is recommended by Nov. 24.

For a complete conference agenda, visit the conference Web site at http://www.bioeconomyconference.org. Additional information also is available by contacting Chad Martin, Purdue Extension renewable energy specialist, at 765-496-3964, martin95@purdue.edu.

US-Canada border conference to feature trade, security, mobility experts

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:45:18 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The NEXTRANS Center, with the assistance of the government of Canada (avec l’appui du gouvernement du Canada) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), will host a Nov. 16 conference on U.S.-Canada border trade, security and mobility challenges.

The daylong event — titled In Step, In Line, On Time: Regional Strategies for Trade, Security, and Mobility Challenges at the U.S.-Canada Border — will provide an opportunity for researchers and private-sector stakeholders in the Great Lakes region to engage in a dialogue with high-level officials of the U.S. and Canadian government.

The conference will run from 7:30a to 5:30p in the Purdue Memorial Union. Registration is $50, but students are admitted free. For a complete agenda, online registration, hotels, travel information and sponsorship information, go online to http://www.purdue.edu/dp/nextrans/tech/borderconference.php

Indiana, known as the Crossroads of America, has a vested interest in the efficiency of the U.S.-Canada border. U.S.-Canada merchandise trade totaled $535 billion in 2007, supporting nearly 150,000 Hoosier jobs. In addition to an immediate need for a more secure and trade-efficient border, there is a longer-term need for building a transportation infrastructure for 21st century trade and commerce.

Greg Nadeau, deputy administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, will deliver the keynote address. Robert Noble, Canadian Consul General at Detroit, and Kevin Johnson, U.S. Consul General in Toronto, will speak on the significance of a seamless and secure border with regard to bilateral trade between the two countries.

Paul Haddow, director general of strategic policy and governance for the Canada Border Services Agency, will speak on security issues. Industry presenters will include David Bradley, chief executive officer of the Canadian Trucking Association. Additional border trade, security and mobility experts from the public, private and academic sectors will join them to discuss:

Major challenges and opportunities to achieve the right balance between trade goals and security needs from the perspectives of the U.S. and Canadian governments.
Regional strategies for developing major gateways and corridors with collaborations between transportation stakeholders at the federal and state-provincial levels.
The “thickening” of the border from the perspective of manufacturers and carriers and the feasibility of short- and near-term measures by border agencies.
How academia can fill the data and information gaps to facilitate integrated, coordinated and performance-based operation and governance of the border region.
Short-, medium- and long-term opportunities for collaboration and joint actions among government, industry and academia in the region and between the two countries.

NEXTRANS is the U.S. Department of Transportation Region V Regional University Transportation Center, led by Purdue and administered by Purdue’s Discovery Park. The center was established in 2007 through the USDOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration to lead a multidisciplinary program of transportation research, education and technology transfer.

Organizations assisting in the conference development include the Federal Highway Administration; Transport Canada; Customs and Border Protection; General Services Administration; Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Canada; Detroit Regional Chamber; Indiana Department of Transportation; Michigan Department of Transportation; and Ministry of Transportation, Ontario.

Founder and ‘chief shoe giver’ of TOMS shoes to speak at Purdue

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:42:42 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Blake Mycoskie, entrepreneur and founder of TOMS shoes, will speak at Purdue on Thursday (Oct. 29) as part of the Purdue Series on Corporate Citizenship and Ethics. The 7 p.m. talk, in Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse, is free and open to the public.

Blake Mycoskie, entrepreneur and founder of TOMS shoes, will speak at Purdue on Thursday (Oct. 29) as part of the Purdue Series on Corporate Citizenship and Ethics. The 7 p.m. talk, in Stewart Center's Loeb Playhouse, is free and open to the public. Mycoskie's company operates on the one-for-one business model, giving one pair of new shoes to a child in need with every pair sold. (Photo contributed)

Mycoskie’s talk is presented by the Krannert School of Management and the College of Education’s James F. Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship and is sponsored by the Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union, Karl and Kathy Krapek, and the Chrysler Foundation.

Mycoskie’s company, TOMS shoes, operates on the one-for-one business model, giving one pair of new shoes to a child in need with every pair sold. More than 140,000 pairs of new shoes were delivered to children around the world in three years. By the end of 2009, TOMS will give an additional 300,000 pairs of new shoes to children in need all around the world, including in the United States.

In February at the Clinton Global Initiative University plenary session, former President Bill Clinton introduced Mycoskie as “one of the most interesting entrepreneurs (I’ve) ever met.” Mycoskie and TOMS have been featured in People magazine’s “Heroes Among Us” section and in the Bill Gates Time magazine article “How to Fix Capitalism.”

Mycoskie has created five businesses since college. His first was a successful national campus laundry service; his second startup, Mycoskie Media, caught the attention of Clear Channel Media and was bought by it. Between business ventures, he competed in the CBS primetime series “The Amazing Race.” With his sister, Paige, Mycoskie traveled the world and came within minutes of winning the $1 million grand prize.

After “The Amazing Race,” Mycoskie attempted to create the first TV cable channel dedicated entirely to reality programming. His fourth startup was an online driver’s education school that featured hybrid cars and SUVs. Mycoskie sold the driver’s school in order to focus on the creation of TOMS Shoes.

The Purdue Series on Corporate Citizenship and Ethics began in 2003. Speakers chosen from a variety of disciplines discuss business ethics and the role citizens play in corporate ethics, providing an overview of the impact of corporate ethics on business, the economy and society as a whole.

Harry Markopolos, the “whistle-blower” in the Bernie Madoff investment scandal, also is scheduled to speak at Purdue as part of the series. Markopolos’ talk will be at 7 p.m. April 22.

Wabash National Corporation announces earnings release date

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:47:57 +0000

LAFAYETTE, Ind. –– Wabash National Corporation (NYSE: WNC) today announced it will conduct a conference call to review and discuss its third quarter results on Thursday, November 5, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. EST. Wabash National is scheduled to release its results on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, after the close of the financial markets.

The phone number to access the conference call is 877-407-8035. A live audio webcast of the call will be available through the company’s website at www.wabashnational.com. For those unable to participate in the webcast, a recording of the call will be archived at www.wabashnational.com within three hours of its conclusion and will remain available through January 28, 2010.

Headquartered in Lafayette, Ind., Wabash National Corporation (NYSE: WNC) is one of the leading manufacturers of semi trailers in North America. Established in 1985, the company specializes in the design and production of dry freight vans, refrigerated vans, flatbed trailers, drop deck trailers, dump trailers, truck bodies and intermodal equipment. Its innovative core products are sold under the DuraPlate, ArcticLite, Eagle and Benson brand names. The company operates two wholly owned subsidiaries; Transcraft Corporation, a manufacturer of flatbed, drop deck and dump trailers and truck bodies; and Wabash National Trailer Centers, trailer service centers and retail distributors of new and used trailers and aftermarket parts throughout the U.S.

Gray and pink molds turning up in Indiana cornfields

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:26:57 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Wet, cool conditions not only keep farmers out of the fields, but also favor moldy corn. One Purdue University specialist is getting calls from around the state about Diplodia and Gibberella ear rots in corn.

A pink mold that starts at the ear tip is characteristic of Gibberella ear rot. (Photo A. Robertson)

There’s a lot of Diplodia ear rot throughout Indiana, especially in the northeast and southeast, said Charles Woloshuk, a Purdue Extension pathologist who specializes in corn mycotoxins. Anywhere from a few percent to up to 30 percent of the ears are infected, he said.

Diplodia ear rot is characterized by a grayish or grayish-brown mold on and between the kernels on part of the ear. Gibberella ear rot, also known as Gib, is characterized by a pink to reddish mold, which begins at the tip of the ear and develops toward the base. Gib is easy to identify in the field on intact ears, but is more difficult to spot once the grain has been shelled.

Woloshuk encouraged producers and elevators to know what’s going on in their area. Producers need to walk their fields, pull 10 ears and determine if they have either Diplodia or Gibberella and the frequency, he said.

“If it’s Gib ear rot, then there’s concern about the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol, or DON, as well as zearalenone. If suspect, the grain should be tested, especially if it’s to be fed to livestock,” Woloshuk said.

Purdue Extension pathologist Charles Woloshuk holds one good corn ear and one infected by Diplodia ear rot. (Purdue Agricultural Communication photo)

Two grain inspectors in the central and north-central regions of Indiana who analyze grain for DON are East Indiana Grain Inspection Inc., located at 7020 N. Walnut St. in Muncie, and Titus Grain Inspection Inc., located at 1111 E. County Road 800 North in West Lafayette.

“If it’s Diplodia, there is no need to be concerned about mycotoxins. However, if you are feeding a high percentage of moldy grain, that’s still not good,” Woloshuk said. “In either case, the grain needs to be harvested as soon as possible and dried for storage. This grain should not be stored through the summer months.”

Farmers also are encouraged to adjust combines to reduce the amount of fine and small, shriveled or broken kernels.

Growers that have problems this year with either Gib or Diplodia can take steps to help prevent a reoccurrence.

Genetics are involved with Diplodia, Woloshuk said.

“If a producer had a problem this year with a specific hybrid, then I would not plant that hybrid again,” he said.

With either of the diseases, the crop residue should be tilled under because that’s where the pathogens can survive, Woloshuk said. He also recommended rotating to soybeans.

For questions and additional information about Diplodia or Gib, contact Woloshuk at 765-494-3450, woloshuk@purdue.edu

Clarian Arnett Health appoints new CEO

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:17:10 +0000

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Alfonso Gatmaitan, FACHE, has been named Chief Executive Officer of Clarian Arnett Health, effective November 2, 2009.

Gatmaitan joined Clarian Arnett Health in May 2009 as interim Chief Executive Officer while also serving as CEO for Clarian West Medical Center in Avon.

Gatmaitan has a long track record of success as a health care executive. He began his career 24 years ago at Logansport Hospital, served as CEO for Tipton Hospital for 11 years and joined Clarian West Medical Center in 2003 as its first employee.

“With Al Gatmaitan on board, we are positioned to build upon the rich history of Arnett Clinic and combine it with the quality focus of Clarian Health Partners,” said Dr. Donald Clayton, Clarian Arnett Board Member. “Our success will be evident through the collaboration of physicians and staff while continuing to maintain our primary focus on the patient.”

Clarian Arnett Health is a member of the Clarian Health system, yet is an independent non-profit organization with its own board of managers and executive management team.

Extension workshop teaches grant writing basics

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:11:53 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A two-day workshop to help grant writers of all skill and experience levels learn how to write a grant proposal will be offered by the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service.

This workshop is for both beginners and experienced grant writers to develop ideas into winning proposals, target potential funders and understand the full proposal development, submission and review process.

The Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing workshop will be offered Oct. 29 and Dec. 2 at locations across Indiana. The workshop, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on both dates, will teach participants how to get the most funding possible for their organizations.

“Participants from this workshop have been able to receive more funds for their projects than ever before. To date, participants have received $7.3 million in funded proposals,” said Sabina Calhoun, Purdue Extension program resource development officer.

On the workshop’s first day, participants should come with an idea for a grant proposal, Calhoun said. By the end, they will have an outline and resources necessary to expand the outline into a full proposal.

When participants return the second day with a full written proposal, they will be put into the role of reviewers. Day two also will teach strategies for finding funding and provide an opportunity to polish proposals and submit them for professional review.

“This workshop is for participants to go back to their respective communities and have the chance to receive the funds for community growth, vitality and sustainability,” Calhoun said.

Site locations include:

Aurora – City Building
Bedford – Purdue Extension Lawrence County office
Brookville – Franklin County Government Center
Crown Point – Purdue Extension Lake County office
Crawfordsville – Montgomery County Extension-Learning Network
Danville – Hendricks College Network; 4-H Fairgrounds
Elnora – North Daviess School Corp. and elementary school
Frankfort – Purdue Extension Clinton County office
Goshen – Purdue Extension Elkhart County office
Greenfield – Purdue Extension Hancock County office
Indianapolis – Purdue Extension Marion County office
Lafayette – Purdue Extension Tippecanoe County office
Morocco – Newton County Government Center
Muncie – Ivy Tech Community College
Newport – Vermillion County Courthouse
Tipton – Purdue Extension Tipton County office

Registration deadline is Saturday (Oct. 10), and the workshop fee is $150 per person. The fee includes the “Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing” workbook, lunch both days and follow-up technical assistance. Checks should be payable to Purdue University.

A workshop brochure with additional information and a registration form can be downloaded by logging onto http://www.pcrd.purdue.edu/documents/grant_writing/sf09_gww_brochure.pdf . Additional information also is available by contacting Peggy Hosea at 765-236-0955, phosea@purdue.edu

The workshop is sponsored by Purdue Extension and the Purdue Center for Regional Development.

Growers should expect budget squeeze in 2010

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:51:13 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Farmers should see some relief on input costs next year, but profit margins are still likely to be squeezed.

While fertilizer prices have already come down, Erickson said overall costs remain relatively high and have not come down as much as commodity prices. Today's grain prices are placing downward pressure on the seed and crop protection companies.

Bruce Erickson, a Purdue University agricultural economist, said growers would likely see the most savings on fertilizer costs in the 2010 planting season.

“Some farmers were spending as much as $200 per acre to fertilize the 2009 corn crop, more than rent in some cases, when you consider nitrogen, P and K replacement, and any liming requirements,” Erickson said. “Next year it will be about one-third less — in our projections about $100 to $130 per acre — depending on soils and crop rotation.”

Erickson and his colleagues’ estimates are available in the “2010 Purdue Crop Cost & Return Guide,” now available online. The guide gives estimates of input costs and expected returns for the coming planting season.

At the time these estimates were prepared, Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group futures indicated that fall 2010 cash prices were near $3.30 per bushel for corn and $8.40 for soybeans. These prices are lower than what was used in the 2009 budget estimates by 70 cents for corn and 30 cents for soybeans.

It’s fairly certain that these costs and returns will change before anything is planted, but the estimates provide a starting point for thinking about 2010, Erickson said.

“The guide provides a general barometer for people who do their own budgets,” he said.

While fertilizer prices have already come down, Erickson said overall costs remain relatively high and have not come down as much as commodity prices. Today’s grain prices are placing downward pressure on the seed and crop protection companies.

“Some technology fees have increased, and we know list prices of some of the newest hybrids have gone up, but we’re also hearing of significant discounting as well,” Erickson said.

Also, some input suppliers have already announced substantially lower glyphosate prices.

“For the second year in a row, farmers’ margins will be less than they were in 2007 and 2008,” Erickson said.

One cost-saving area could be machinery. Erickson said industry reports show sales of new large farm machinery to be down, which could keep a lid on the cost of those purchases. On the other hand, interest in buying used equipment is on the rise.

“There could be some bargains on new equipment out there,” he said.

To download a copy of the 2010 Purdue Crop Cost & Return Guide, go to http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/extension/pubs/index.asp

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