UNA's Pursuit of Excellence? Destiny by Choice?

Leo usually looks, well, regal. Even friendly and content. So why does this emblem for Human Environmental Sciences look mad at the world, even rabid? We'll guess he's like most students and not pleased with the university's move to Division I.

According to a full page ad in the Courier Journal, it's the university's destiny...a destiny by choice...it just doesn't say who's choice. It does say it's part of the university's pursuit of excellence in all areas. In fact, if one who had never visited the campus were to read this glowing blurb, he or she would infer the campus cobblestones were made of platinum, or at least gold.

In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. Of course, if you too feel this is UNA's destiny, you're invited to shell out a Grover Cleveland every year in order to make it happen. We bet those UNA operators are barely able to keep up with the incoming calls...

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Some other bloggers check in on the upcoming move:

UNA Going to Jail

The Inflation of Steve Pierce

Shoalanda

Corey Griffin/Alabama Gardener

When Corey Langley Griffin graduated from Talladega High School in 2009, he was ranked 14th among the top 100 tennis players in the state. Apparently this ranking was still not good enough to ensure Griffin a scholarship, and he chose to attend the University of North Alabama as a walk-on player.

The 20 year-old Gold Gym's employee can't consider himself a part of the university's nine-man tennis team any longer. Griffin, the son of Alicia Langley Griffin, was arrested Sunday and charged with the alleged rape of a fellow UNA student. Our sources indicate Griffin has been released from the Colbert County Jail on 100K bond.

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Be sure to catch the October issue of Alabama Gardener. Pictured on the cover is an autumnal scene from the gardens of Phillip Oliver of Florence. Phillip writes the extremely popular Dirt Therapy blog.



Shoalanda

Dr. Christopher Parker Gay - Another Sanction

The ongoing saga of Sheffield osteopath Christopher P. Gay continues. The story up to now:

May 27, 2009 - Dr. Gay's license to practice medicine was suspended by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners due to his refusal to take a drug test.

September 9, 2010 - Dr. Gay was placed on probation by the Board and his authority to write scripts for certain scheduled drugs was negated.

October 13, 2010 - Dr. Gay was ordered to pay the Board $6,690.65 in administrative costs.

April 20, 2011 - Dr. Gay was again suspended from practicing medicine in Alabama due to failing a drug test.

August 4, 2011 - Dr. Gay was placed on probation a second time, again with restrictions placed on his practice.

August 15, 2011 - Dr. Gay was ordered to pay unknown administrative costs (this Board directive has not yet been published on their site).

It is known that Dr. Gay is banned from treating Medicare patients. He has also lost his insurance provider status with several companies and sources have reported his practice is now run on a cash only basis. Authorities at Helen Keller Hospital have refused comment on the situation.

Related post: A Danger to His Patients

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The Connection is having a 1st Anniversary contest. Be sure to enter to win a Starbucks card: Link

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Here's a post card we haven't seen before: Link





Shoalanda

Good Samaritan: "Additional Arrests Are Possible"

Buried in the "B" section of the TimesDaily on September 8th was a short article on the scheduled December sentencing of Randy Gist, former owner of Good Samaritan Hospice in Florence. At the bottom of the story lay a bombshell: (Tim) Case said additional arrests are possible.

Certainly anything is possible, but why mention this tidbit to the press if Case wasn't sure it was a major possibility? Was he referring to the physician who owned half the defunct hospice? Or was he referring to the business manager, a nurse who was stripped of the "Registered" credential long ago?

Rumors abound that the FBI is hot on the case of another local physician who is said to have committed major Medicare fraud. Perhaps our Federal investigative arm needs to set up a special Shoals office for those who see Medicare as their personal gravy train.

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The call came to ECM late on the morning of September 11, 2001. Authorities instructed the hospital to prepare every available room; the Florence hospital would soon be receiving stable patients from the UAB burn unit.

None came. None came because UAB received no critically injured and burned patients who needed the beds more. They were all dead.

As personnel at ECM stood and waited for the influx, so did their counterparts in Birmingham. How long before they realized the futility of their preparation? How long before our country realized the magnitude of what occurred early on that Tuesday morning?

Each of us reacted in different ways. Many joined the military. Others resolved to change what could be changed. We fall into the latter category. We can't go to Washington and tell them how to do things. We can work to make the Shoals a safer and more productive area in which to live. Let's recommit to that today.



Shoalanda
Holding the Block since 2008

21st Century Obits/Remembering 9/11

While looking through the TimesDaily online obituaries, we came upon this advert:


At first glance, we were bemused; after a few more glances, we're still undecided who would benefit from these alerts. Are they for the vengeful high school rivals who hope each will go first? Are they for those who are so estranged from their family in Manitoba that Great-Aunt Gertie won't call when Uncle Lou finally turns up his toes for good? Perhaps there are some things for which modern technology just shouldn't be used. Not that the TotallyDecatur cares.

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There will be several 9/11 remembrances this Sunday. Here's one that may be of special interest to movie buffs:

Join Pillar of Fire and the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library as THE SCREENING ROOM commemorates the 10th anniversary of 9/11 with a cinematic salute to New York City at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11. Films include the romantic comedy MANHATTAN (Woody Allen's love letter to the Big Apple) and the "Into the Wild" segment of the global anthology SEPTEMBER 11, directed by Sean Penn and starring Ernest Borgnine. Admission is free.



Shoalanda

Lexington Medical Clinic Closes

"I'll be here till I die." Dr. Diana McCutcheon referring to the Lexington Clinic in 2003.

Like life itself, the community of Lexington has always been full of troubles. For many years, ECM Hospital provided staff for the small clinic located in the business section of Lexington...when it could. Many physicians refused to man the outdated clinic and those who did soon left. Then Dr. Diana McCutcheon arrived.

McCutcheon was a 1982 graduate of the American University of the Caribbean, a small medical school based in St. Maarten and owned by DeVry University. The small college was founded in 1978 and is, according to Wikipedia:

"accredited by an obscure organization called the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM), an independent organization based in Ireland that accredits medical schools on behalf of several governments, including the governments of St. Maarten and the Netherlands Antilles."

Shortly before McCutcheon's arrival, the town built a modern facility to house it's public clinic. Located just north of town on the road to Tennessee, the new brick building and the matching drug store located next door were the pride of the rural community. Residents considered McCutcheon, an internist and former ER physician, a godsend. The town council even appointed Tom McCutcheon, the physician's then husband, the new municipal judge.

Diana Khadhiri McCutcheon herself felt so comfortable in the clinic that she wished to purchase it from the town. When mounting debt from water and sewer related issues caused the town to face a large shortfall, the town council agreed to sell the facility. McCutcheon immediately built an addition to house her growing cosmetic laser practice. Parking lots at the clinic and adjacent drug store were always full.

Soon the now 53 year-old Dr. McCutcheon opened a second location nine miles to the south in Elgin. Again, McCutcheon included a cosmetic laser clinic in the facility, also selling Obagi products. Beauty isn't cheap, but sources stated the physician still made the majority of her income from her medical services. Despite her success, Lexington residents said it wasn't unusual to see nursing staff performing gardening or other outside tasks after clinic hours.

Then in July of this year, patients arrived at the walk-in Elgin Quick Med to find it locked. Callers were told it was because of a staff shortage related to the July 4th holiday, and the facility soon reopened, but long-time patients were greeted by unfamiliar staff. Other patients then found the main facility in Lexington closed. Rumors abounded in the eastern end of Lauderdale County, but calls to the Lexington office were answered with only a recording stating the office was closed due to vacation season.

Several Lexington residents state they're upset by the current situation. They now have to drive several miles out of their way to see the physician they've come to claim as "theirs." No one knows how long the clinic will remain unmanned, and an anonymous source with the town says there are no funds with which to buy back the clinic, and if they did, would RegionalCare consider providing a new doctor?

While Lexington residents lament the apparent loss of their town doctor, some Sheffield residents are wondering why Dr. Christopher Parker Gay remains in practice...

To be continued Monday...



Shoalanda

Why Didn't Linda Stanley Think She'd Be Indicted

Former Muscle Shoals City magistrate Linda Stanley has told Judge Hal Hughston she wasn't prepared to pay back any of the almost 90K she embezzled from the city because she didn't think she'd be indicted. Why?

Was it because she had worked for the city for almost 25 years or was it because she knew the "right people?" We had predicted she wouldn't receive probation, but will serve only a matter of months.

Related posts:

Is Linda Stanley Guilty?

Muscle Shoals Loses 33K in Theft

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From our friend Daniel Horton:

"For the latest football scores and North Alabama gossip, tune to WFHM 95.5 FM tomorrow night starting at 9:30pm! The gang from who brought you Belgreen Cops and the Belgreen Bear will be bringing you the Highway 43 Friday Night Special on the Big 95.5. We hope you'll join us for a night of football, music, and general hellraising!"

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Tomorrow: A local clinic has closed its doors in Lauderdale County and Colbert County's Dr. Chris Gay has again been before the Board of Medical Examiners. A new trend? Or an old one?



Shoalanda