“No TennCare, No Peace” may be one of the rallying cries heard outside the state office building at 170 N. Main Wednesday, as enrollees and supporters affected by the potential dissolution of the state’s health-care program rally for a last-minute reprieve. The Memphis Center for Independent Living organized the rally in conjunction with a Nashville rally planned for the state capital on the same day. National Peace and Justice Center workers organized the Nashville rally with the intent of saving the program and its 1.3 million enrollees.

“The people we help are concerned with the dissolution of TennCare, which will affect not only the 430,000 that we hear will be without care but also the remaining [enrollees] statewide,” said Independent Living community organizer and advocate Randy Alexander.

Governor Phil Bredesen has been in talks with the program’s advocates this week working on an agreement to halt litigation barring benefit reductions. He had predicted a dissolution of the Tenncare program and a return to the federal Medicaid system if an agreement could not be reached. Bredesen has maintained that the pending lawsuits against TennCare along with the active court-ordered consent decrees have spurred the program’s rapidly increasing costs. To control those costs, the governor proposed a reform plan that would limit enrollee benefits, including doctor visits and prescription medications.

Alexander is working with other local advocacy groups and clergy who represent TennCare enrollees. Leonard Dawson, pastor of Cane Creek Baptist Church, encouraged his members to participate in the rally. “We’ve sent countless letters to the governor before this asking him not to cut benefits,” said Dawson. “We have a number of older members, and they are concerned most about prescription restrictions and new co-pay requirements.”

The TennCare Bureau has received more than 2,400 calls from enrollees concerned about the disolution of the program.

The governor’s announcement of the end of TennCare is a scare tactic, said Alexander. “We feel the governor is bullying the advocacy community. He is working really hard to make the advocates and those fighting for the rights of individuals to appear to be the reason why we may lose TennCare,” he said. “Instead, he wants to put in place his new plan that is not very enrollee-friendly.”

Alexander said the governor has also manipulated the media and Tennessee residents by pitting them against advocacy groups.

Undoubtedly, TennCare’s expenses are increasing. During last week’s TennCare budget meeting, program director J.D. Hickey predicted a $3.1 billion price tag to operate the program by 2005. A private-industry report last year showed TennCare accounting for 80 percent of the state’s revenues by 2008. The proposed cuts in the governor’s plan would reduce that amount by $1 billion.

But cost-saving measures introduced by attorney Gordon Bonnyman, who is representing the Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) and thousands of TennCare enrollees in legal battles against the state, have not been considered by the governor, said Alexander. In an interview with the Flyer, Bonnyman cited five areas where funding could be reduced, including expanding the existing preferred drug list to include behavioral health medications, which were estimated to save $35 million. His most far-reaching measure involved a revision of the pharmacy plan to include a drug use review (DUR). Ideally, the DUR targets the overuse of prescription drugs by patients and limits the number of drugs prescribed by doctors. These measures have been presented to the governor and TennCare director, who have not instituted the plans.

If talks with the TJC are unsuccessful and the state reverts to a Medicaid program, only about 900,000 TennCare enrollees would be covered. The remaining 400,000 would be without health-care coverage.

E-mail: jdavis@memphisflyer.com

Janet Chapman has been in the hospital with her mother before. Sitting at her bedside in a Baptist-Memphis emergency evaluation room, Chapman waited again for her mother’s test results and word from her doctor. But before the physician appeared, Chapman was visited by one of the hospital’s emergency room volunteers as part of the Experience Critical program.

The program, which employs volunteers as additional ER support staff and patient liaisons, has been so successful that Baptist Hospital has packaged the program for nationwide marketing.

“The Experience Critical Volunteer Corps grew out of a program in New York,” said Baptist chief nursing officer and vice president Beverly Jordan. “We took the program and put a different spin on it. What we do want is satisfied patients who feel confident and comfortable, and we want the experience of our volunteers to be happy.”

The program was instituted a year ago as the final part of a three-phase plan dealing with emergency room patients in the tri-state area. Patient research in this region, as well as nationwide, revealed the public’s misunderstanding and discomfort with hospital emergency rooms. Parts one and two of the plan educated residents and patients on the purpose of ERs. Phase two also educated the ER staff on easing patient and family anxiety.

“With the Experience Critical piece, our plan was also to expose 18- to 25-year-olds to health-care in hopes that they may see this as a potential career. The response has been tremendous,” said Jordan.

The volunteer corps of the program is geared toward students enrolled or interested in some type of medical curriculum, who are able to keep pace with the busy ER environment. Each branch of the Baptist Hospital system has its own set of volunteers who work and manage their own shift schedules throughout the day. Volunteers participate in three separate training sessions before beginning their first shifts.

The 40 Baptist-Memphis volunteers, like 19-year-old Devin Little, are introduced to the emergency room by head nurse Trais Hutcherson. Little, a general-nursing student, said her fascination with hospitals was fostered by her mother — a nurse at Methodist Hospital — and television’s hospital drama, ER.

“I don’t really know what to expect, but I know I’ll be helping people,” said Little prior to her first shift. She signed on to work from 3 to 10 p.m. each Thursday.

While some of the volunteers may be medical students or have prior hospital experience, they are not allowed to treat to patients. “We allow the volunteers to do customer-service activities and see to patients’ well-being: providing water, ice, and blankets, running items to the lab, assisting with patient transport, and communicating basic messages to patients’ families in the waiting room,” said nurse manager Brenda Ford.

In return for their services, volunteers receive internship or community service credits from their respective colleges. For some volunteers, serving others is enough.

Alongside the twentysomethings, Karen Woosley stands out. Woosley is one of Baptist-Collierville’s 12 volunteers. At 39, Woosley is in her fourth career. A former international business employee in St. Joseph Hospital’s insurance department, Woosley never forgot her love for medical centers. Between that career and her current enrollment at Baptist’s nursing school, Woosley took a 10-year hiatus to raise two children and teach preschool.

“This is a perfect experience for me,” she said. “I try to treat the patients the way I would want to be treated if I were in their situation, and the patients are so receptive to that.”

At the Collierville hospital, the pace is slower and more to the liking of volunteers like Woosley. The ER consists of only a few examination rooms compared to the bustle in Baptist’s East Memphis location. To make her shift run smoother, Woosley has typed index cards to keep track of each patient. The cards document patient requests, whether they may receive fluids, and whether or not the volunteer may enter the room.

“Each Saturday, when I get ready to come here, my kids say, ‘Mommy’s going to the hospital to be a doctor,'” said Woosley. “I have to tell them that I’m not a nurse just yet, but working with these patients has let me know that my heart is in the right place.”

E-mail: jdavis@memphisflyer.com

Holiday shoppers will no longer be able to unload their change and a little holiday cheer in front of Target stores. After many years of allowing Salvation Army Santas to collect donations in red kettles at store entrances, the retail chain is enacting a “no solicitation” policy for all of its stores, including the three Target locations in Memphis and the nearby location in Horn Lake, Mississippi.

Target Corporation’s decision began making news across the country a few weeks ago, although the company notified the Salvation Army of its decision in January. Requests from other organizations for similar fund-raising campaigns led to the policy, according to the company. “If we continue to allow the Salvation Army to solicit, then it opens the door to other groups that wish to solicit our guests,” said a written statement from the company’s headquarters in Minneapolis.

The local red kettle donation campaign of the Memphis Salvation Army is handled by area commander Lt. Col. Danny Morrow, who has overseen kettle drives throughout the country for 40 years.

“The Target decision decreases our ability to serve people year-round,” he said. “From the beginning, we understood that we were guests. We knew that it was their store, and we were always aware of that, but this is tough for us.” According to Morrow, Target store collections account for 30 percent of the total red kettle drive, which raises about $200,000 annually in the Memphis area.

“I don’t really know what to say about it. All I can do is encourage local Target management to contact the national office to get the kettles back,” Morrow said.

Nationally, collections in front of Target stores have raised about $9 million for the charity, surpassed only by the $14 million raised in front of Wal-Mart stores. Collections at Kmart rank third with $7 million. Local Wal-Mart stores will allow kettle collections to continue outside its locations, but Super Kmart locations, which are the only type of Kmart stores in the Memphis area, will not. The Memphis Salvation Army has obtained permission from Big Lot stores to hold kettle drives this year. The closeout chain has four locations in the city but draws fewer customers than the Target stores.

Local Target store managers would not comment on the decision, referring all inquiries to the company’s headquarters. Morrow said all negotiations with area stores are handled on the corporate level.

In addition to the Target locations, Memphis’ Salvation Army holds kettle drives at approximately 40 locations throughout the city beginning the weekend before Thanksgiving and extending through Christmas Eve. In addition to retail locations, kettle volunteers position themselves at grocery stores and mall entrances.

“We heard about the decision here [in Memphis] in the late summer,” said Morrow. “Not only does it hurt our collections, but the few people we hired to ring the bells to help them make at least some money are out of a job.” The remaining locations will be manned in four-hour shifts by volunteers or the few paid employees that the organization is able to hire.

To supplement the lost collections, the Salvation Army will focus efforts on existing fund-raisers, including mail solicitations and Internet donations. Although Target has banned sidewalk solicitations, the company will continue its ongoing commitment to communities, donating more than $2 million each week to organizations like the Salvation Army.

The play will still be the thing for Memphis-area youth next year, when its signature theater program gets revived in a new, although temporary, home.

Division of Park Services officials announced to Memphis City Council members this week that the Ewing Children’s Theatre will be relocated to the Memphis Pink Palace Museum beginning January 2005. The program’s revival comes 18 months after its original location was severely damaged by strong winds during the summer storm of 2003. The building, at 2635 Avery, was a community center, housing both the theater and a hobby center.

One problem is that the available space at the Pink Palace, an area in the original portion of the museum that years ago housed the Little Theatre, is not yet available.

“The mansion theater is currently under construction,” said Dan Hope, public relations director for the Memphis Family of Museums. “It’s enjoyed a wide use. We have had educational programs and speakers there, but the sound system needs fixing and we need to add chairs.”

Ewing has operated in various locations during its 55-year history, including the Mid-South Fairgrounds. The program’s founder and character actress, Lucile Ewing, established the program for children to produce and star in their own plays and presentations. According to Park Services director Bob Fouché, rebuilding the existing center would have cost the city more than $1 million. Insurance settlements totaling approximately $362,000 have been received for the facility. Fouché said additional funds could come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“The FEMA application filed by General Services on behalf of all city properties has not yet been settled,” he said. “Unfortunately, Florida had a series of hurricanes to come up and [FEMA’s] attentions were on that, and they had not approved [our application].”

But even with additional monies, the existing building will still have to be demolished.

“There is structural damage to the system that holds up the roof, and some of the bearing walls or concrete walls came apart,” said Wrensey Gill, Park Services administrator of planning and development. The heating and air conditioning system as well as ceiling tiles have fallen, letting in rainwater which has soaked the floor and stands two to three inches in some places.

“That started the mold and mildew, which over time has gotten worse and worse,” he said. “It’s been ruled that it would be a potential safety hazard. So we’re now looking to demolish the building entirely. We are trying to decide the best location for a new theater program.”

Gill said those involved with the theater agree that the new permanent facility should be exclusively their own and not shared with other programs. “We intend to talk to people who’ve been involved in the theater and have expressed their concern,” he said. “The good news is that the program is certainly in good hands.”

Fortunately for young thespians, city councilman Scott McCormick heads the committee overseeing the theater’s future. McCormick, a veteran of the children’s theater program, has requested an additional status report in January to ensure that the program is adequately functioning in its temporary location.

“Most people are more concerned with the program as opposed to the physical theater,” said McCormick, who calls the program “a great outreach.” “I’m not so sure that it requires building a new facility as opposed to finding a facility that might be appropriate and using the dollars that we get to refurbish [an existing] facility. My main concern is keeping the program operating.”

Fouché said the insurance funds are being earmarked for theater use only. Once a determination is made on a permanent location, a new capital improvement project for the center will have to be created.

E-mail: jdavis@memphisflyer.com

After MORE THAN a year of searching, the city has finally settled on a new director for the Memphis Animal Shelter. The regional director of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Phil Snyder of Naperville, Illinois, will take the reins on October 4th, and he says quite a few changes and improvements are in order for the shelter. One of the first things to be changed: his title.

“I know my position has been called the manager of the Animal Shelter. I requested that we change it to [manager of] Memphis Animal Services. The shelter is very important, but animal services and care mean so much more,” said Snyder. “It’s very important that the animals are treated properly, because they’re a part of our families.”

Snyder’s appointment was announced at a City Council meeting Tuesday. The city has been searching for a new director since former director Ken Childress resigned in May 2003. Childress left Memphis to work for a shelter in San Bernardino, California.

Keenon McCloy, the city’s public services director, said Snyder was “head and shoulders above any other candidate” for the position. His appointment came after the position was reposted last spring.

Snyder has worked with the HSUS for 15 years. As regional director, he was responsible for overseeing humane societies in Illinois, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina. He’s been an executive director at three local humane societies and has experience working with animal shelters.

“With his administrative experience with HSUS, he’s done extensive training and shelter evaluations. He’s made policy director recommendations. He’s an expert on animal behavior, and he’s done cruelty investigations,” said McCloy.

Linking animal cruelty with human violence is an issue Snyder wants to work on when he arrives in Memphis. He says he’d like to team Animal Services with organizations that confront human abuse to educate the public on how animal cruelty can lead to violence against people.

Snyder said he’d also like to do more outreach to educate the public on animals and disaster preparedness. He once headed the North Carolina Search and Rescue team and has served as a steering committee member for animal response teams.

“We’ll be taking the lead with animals and disasters,” said Snyder. “Animals need to be included in your planning, not only domestic animals but all the animals in your community.”

Also on the list of needed improvements are policies on euthanasia and separating adoptable animals from ones that are not intended for adoption. Several citizens have recently complained to the city that the shelter euthanizes animals before their alloted three days are up.

“We need to do a better job of identifying which animals are eligible for adoption and which are not,” said McCloy. “Some animals just aren’t eligible, but the public perception is they’re being put down too soon. Every policy and procedure we have is going to be evaluated.”

McCloy said that Animal Services will reconstitute a citizen board for the shelter. The city’s charter recognizes such a board, but the last one disbanded in the 1980s. It will allow citizens more say about shelter policies and procedures.

McCloy also announced at the council meeting that a site has been picked for the new shelter. She couldn’t name the exact location, due to ongoing negotiations. The city has budgeted $1,080,000 for 10 acres. There’s still no word on when the shelter will be completed, but Askew Nixon Ferguson has been chosen as the lead architect.

Snyder said he intends to retrain all the staff at the shelter as well as implement new programs and services. The new shelter will be more adoption-focused. According to McCloy, people coming to adopt will enter through a different door than people coming to retrieve a lost pet. McCloy said this caters to people’s emotional needs.

The shelter will also have quarantined areas for sick animals. Air in these areas will be recirculated to avoid the spread of disease.

“One of the problems with keeping a shelter like ours is that it’s very difficult to keep everything disinfected,” said McCloy. “Getting as much fresh air as possible into the new shelter will help reduce the spread of distemper and airborne illness.”

Not much has changed in the office of the Memphis Police Department director. The same massive mahogany desk takes up most of the space at one end. Family photos still sit on the shelves behind the desk. But, in a job where longevity is as rare as a Willie Herenton apology, it may not be too wise to do a dramatic office makeover.

New director Larry Godwin has made a few minor changes, adding a University of Tennessee rug and an assistant’s desk. And, of course, the faces in the photos have changed. But more important than the cosmetic changes, Godwin hopes to make an impact with his change in police philosophy.

Two weeks into his new job, Godwin has pledged to run the department with a more inclusive management style. One of his first mandates, implemented during the Labor Day weekend, requires administrators and senior officers to return to wearing blue shirts. Those officers had been wearing white shirts as a show of seniority.

“What was happening was that [rank and file officers] had started calling us ‘white shirts,’ like we were separate,” said Godwin. “We’re not separate. We’re part of the team, and I want them to know that. The only difference is that we are responsible. I don’t think that it takes a white shirt to be different.” (White shirts will now be worn only on special occasions, such as memorial services.)

Godwin has not yet outlined initiatives for his term (former director James Bolden focused on handgun crimes and burglaries, while his predecessor Walter Crews battled juvenile crime), but his stated goals are accountability and professionalism. “We want to show our citizens that we’re stable and solid,” said Godwin. “To formulate a plan, you must involve your precinct commanders, because they know their areas and where the problems are. I won’t say it wasn’t done before, but it wasn’t done the way we’re doing it now.”

According to Mayor Herenton, Bolden’s laid-back manner and his lack of a clear plan to reduce crime were major reasons he was asked to resign. And Herenton didn’t like Bolden’s habit of wearing a suit and tie rather than a police uniform. Godwin, who was wearing a uniform during an interview with the Flyer last week, said he was aware of this issue, but he had not been given a wardrobe mandate by the mayor. In fact, Godwin said he was not given a clear reason for his selection by the mayor.

“The mayor said that he had watched officers and managers for a long time and me for a long time,” said Godwin. “And he asked me if I would accept the position. There was an immediate ‘thank you’ from me for the opportunity to serve the citizens of Memphis.”

Before Godwin’s appointment, there was much speculation about the position. Some news outlets had erroneously broadcast reports that Deputy Chief Janice Pilot had received the appointment. Bolden himself, during a final interview, suggested that a deputy chief might be named.

His assessment proved to be correct, but it was another deputy chief, Godwin, who got the nod. In fact, while Bolden was announcing his retirement, Godwin was being called to the mayor’s office. According to Godwin, he had not been previously contacted by Herenton about the position. Godwin had even made a preliminary congratulatory call to Pilot.

Godwin — and his deputy director Ernest Dobbins — received temporary appointments that must be approved by the City Council. That vote is expected later this month. To satisfy housing requirements for division directors, Godwin has purchased a home within the city limits.

There is still much to do to complete the transition, both major and minor. It’s all been rather sudden. Ads featuring Bolden as chief were still being played during Memphis Redbirds games last weekend. But Godwin is taking it all in stride. “Some days, it looks like we’re moving. Other days, it looks like we’re running in place. But, all in all, the deputy director and I are upbeat,” he said. “A lot of things we weren’t privy to, because it was not our area. Now that we’re being enlightened on a lot of things, we’re beginning to get a feel for the entire department rather than our special areas.”

E-mail: jdavis@memphisflyer.com

November’s school-board elections will have one more person in the running as Memphis’ newest young-adult organization presents a candidate for the 7th District position.

The organization, New Path, is supporting candidate Tomeka Hart for the school-board seat. The position is currently held by longtime board member the Rev. Hubon Sandridge. Sandridge’s district covers 31 schools, including Westside High, Georgian Hills Junior High, and Manassas High. Five of the city’s 16 schools on the final stage of restructuring to meet No Child Left Behind guidelines fall within District 7.

New Path’s spokesperson, Cradell Orrin, said this race is a good way to get involved in politics.

“The difference between us and other organizations like Mpact Memphis and the Urban League Young Professionals is that those groups are nonprofits or affiliates of nonprofits. Because of that status, they really can’t take a stand on political issues,” said Orrin.

The new group, although not organized as a nonprofit, has not yet settled on a profit status and may become a political action committee. The group, like the two mentioned by Orrin, caters to young adults ages 21 to 24. They are nonpartisan but encourage political participation through accountability studies and supporting and recommending candidates for public office.

“We have a lot of people from various social and racial backgrounds. That gives us a good mix,” said Orrin. “This group is about young people taking responsibility for our community.”

Orrin said Hart is New Path’s first candidate, but the group is already looking at other races and positions to enter candidates or evaluate existing policies within the city and county.

E-mail: jdavis@memphisflyer.com

In a “Dear John” letter, Mayor Herenton instructed Memphis police director James Bolden to tender his resignation effective Tuesday morning. Deputy director Ray Schwill was also asked to step down.

Bolden announced his forced retirement Monday afternoon at a press conference outside the office he had occupied for just 17 months. “I know this came as a surprise to everyone. It definitely did to me,” Bolden told a roomful of reporters and staffers.

Deputy chief Larry Godwin will serve as interim director, and Major Earnest Dobbins will replace Schwill. Both Bolden and Schwill, with 32 and almost 30 years of service, respectively, will receive full pension benefits. City Human Resources deputy director Suzanne Ratliff said Bolden will receive about $72,140 annually, while Schwill will receive $63,856.

Bolden called his resignation an “insignificant part of history,” adding that “this too shall pass.” The announcement came a little more than a week after the mayor chastised police officers for allegedly acting in an unprofessional manner during a traffic stop. Following the incident, Bolden issued a statement acknowledging the mayor’s right to question the officers, but added: “From what we have determined, the officers followed all procedures. We have looked very closely at the information brought to our attention, and do not see any procedural violations.” The letter requesting Bolden’s resignation, delivered by the city’s chief administrative officer, Keith McGee, did not give the director a reason for his “retirement.” Bolden would not speculate on whether the mayor’s decision was a result of the traffic incident, which involved two men. Herenton declined to comment before the Flyer went to press, but he was upset that Bolden did not contact him before issuing the statement supporting the officers. During Monday’s press conference, Bolden said he tried to contact the mayor on five separate occasions, even as soon as 90 minutes after the incident occurred.

He also said that the mayor questioned the arrest of one of the two men for possession of cocaine. Bolden said he could not remember when he last spoke with the mayor before the incident. He did say that the last time he talked to Herenton, the mayor told him he thought the department was running smoothly. Bolden’s resignation came when national accreditation officers are in Memphis surveying the department. Bolden was supposed to meet with that delegation Tuesday morning.

Bolden’s and Schwill’s resignations are the latest in a long line of forced resignations and retirements ordered by Herenton during his 12 years in office. Bolden is the fifth police director to serve under the mayor. Herenton fired his first director, Melvin Burgess, after two years on the job, citing “philosophical differences.” In 1997, city attorney Monice Hagler Tate resigned when the mayor blamed her for inadequate city representation in a case against a fired police officer. Another police director, Bill Oldham, was asked to resign in December 1999, just nine months after his appointment. Last year, the mayor did not reappoint Memphis Light, Gas and Water president and CEO Herman Morris, saying that department operated like an “island unto itself” and did not communicate with him.

At one time or another, Herenton has also asked that the Memphis City Schools board, the Shelby County Schools board, and the Memphis City Council surrender their charters.

When asked about the mayor’s resignation requests, Bolden said simply, “God help us … . And I pray for this city.” He added, “I’ve seen directors come in and go. Some of their tenures have been shorter than mine. I tell my wife, my family, and I told the staff, this is a temporary assignment. I’m just passing through.”