Newspaper Page Text
Lt. Gov. Taylor and GRDC release study detailing state’s housing crisis
ALBANY, Ga.
Georgia faces a crisis of
choiceinrural housing. That’s
the conclusion of a University
of Georgia workforce housing
study released recently by Lt.
Governor Mark Taylor and
the Georgia Rural Develop
ment Council (GRDC) at a
meeting in Albany.
“By focusing on the housing
infrastructure found in rural
Georgia, we’redemonstrating
the importance of affordable
heusing both as an economic
development issue and as a
quality of life issue,” said Lt.
Gov. Taylor, chairman of the
GRDC. “land the members of
the GRDClook forward to con
sidering the findings and rec
ommendations of the study as
we move forward in address
ing Georgia’s challenges in
rural housing.”
Conducted by the Housing
and Demographics Research
Centerof the College of Family
and Consumer Sciences at the
University of Georgia (UGA
FACS) at the request of the
GRDC, the study is the first
comprehensive examination of
all aspects of workforce hous
ing outside the Atlanta area.
Dr. Tom Rodgers, UGA
FACS associate dean for Pub
lieService and Outreach, said
the report shows a distinct
lack of housing choices for
those earning between mini
mum wage and $60,000.
“Common sense might tell
you that if you have a job and
you have money then you can
find housing, but that’s not
necessarily true,” Rodgers
said. “What we found, par
ticularly in rural areas, was a
shortage of rental properties,
of single-family starter homes
for sale, and of land available
for building. All of this can
impact whether a company
chooses to build in a particu
lar location. The bottom line,
is that much of Georgia’s
workforce has to settle for in
adequate housing because too
few housing options are avail
able.”
University
gets Consumer
Choice Award
AUGUSTA
For the third year in a row,
University Hospital has re
ceived the Consumer Choice
Award for the Augusta Metro
politan Statistical Area based
onthe National Research Cor
poration Market Guide sur
vey.
In the survey, NRC gives a
composite score to health care
facilities based on multiple
quality and image ratings
from customers. For three
consecutive years, voters se
lected University first in the
following categories:
* Best overall quality
* Most preferred hospital
overall
* Best image/reputation
¢ Best nurses
* Heart care
* Maternity/OB
* Women’s health/gyn
* Hospital emergency room
* Hospital inpatient stay
* OQutpatient same-day sur
gery
* OQutpatient testing/x-ray
“Our commitment to this
community is that our top
priority willalways be the best
interest of the patient,” says
J.Larry Read, president/CEQ
of University Health Care
System. “While we are appre
ciative to those who voted for
us and we are honored, the
greatest honor is in serving
our patients.”
FOCUS
your news
in this fine paper.
Fax info to
724-8432.
Thefinal reportalsoincludes
resultsfrom 12 town hall meet
ings held in communities
throughout Georgia; a web
based survey of members of
the Georgia Economic Devel
opers Association; case stud
iesofthreeindustriesthat have
either located or expanded
their sites in rural Georgia in
the past fiveyears; and aseries
of “success stories” regarding
housing.
HEALTH PAGE
Care with Dignity
The University Breast Health Center offers a
comprehensive array of well-coordinated breast
health services for women: |
B Buddy Check 6™, a program to raise aware- 1
ness of the importance of monthly breast self
examinations
B Assistance in selecting primary care and spe
cialty physicians on staff at University
Hospital
B Breast health counseling and teaching by a
Breast Health Specialist
B Prostheses, wigs, turbans, clothing, skin care
products, massage therapy and hair care at
our Second to Nature Boutique
B Health information available 24 hours a day
B Internet access in our library
B Support groups and education programs
If you would like more information on our
services, a Buddy Check 6™ package or assistance in scheduling a mammogram,
please call 706/774-4141.
PORTRAIT OF LIFE — Melissa Horton
Imagine being 23 years old and find
ing a lump in your breast on your one
month wedding anniversary. That’s exact
ly what happened to Melissa Horton in
October 1997. She and her husband, Brett,
had just come in from a run, and he was
massaging her shoulders when his hand
ran across a nodule at the top of her chest.
Melissa quickly made an appointment
with her 08/Gyn physician, Dr. Carla
Morgan-Gibbs, who did a sonogram and
referred her to Dr. Harry Sherman, a sur
geon. He removed the 2.5-centimeter
lump, a rare Stage II medullary cancer,
during a partial mastectomy.
Following surgery, Melissa underwent
six months of chemotherapy under the care
of Dr. Donald Townsend, an oncologist. By
July 1998, she had also completed 39 radiation treatments. Brett, who was finishing
graduate school at the University of Georgia, drove home every day to be with her.
Everything returned to normal for the Hortons until January 2000 when
Melissa once again had surgery, this time for removal of an ovary. She was advised
to start planning her family right away, and miraculously, six weeks later, she was
pregnant. Whitney Noel was born on Dec. 16, 2000. “We are so blessed to have
been gifted with Whitney,” says Melissa.
“Breast cancer has given me such a deep appreciation for life,” says Melissa,
adding that her faith has also grown as a result of her having had cancer.
Melissa urges each young woman to do regular breast self-exams to become
an expert at knowing her own body.
Buddy Check 6™
Participate in the fight against
breast cancer by signing up for
University’s Buddy Check 6™ breast self
exam reminder program. You may pick
up packets at these sponsoring locations:
Rich’s, Alltel, NewsCHANNEL 6 and the
University Hospital information desk.
You may also request a packet by logging on to www.unversityhealth.org and click
ing “Contact UHCS.” For more information, call 706/774-4141.
For FREE 24-hour health information, call ASKeA*NURSE at SER-VICE (737-8423) or 1/800/476-7378 today! |
Thestudy’sfindingsinclude:
- To pay fair market rent in
non-metro Georgia, an indi
vidual must earn $8.35 per
hour and work 40 hours a
week. The 19 percent of Geor
gians in non-metro Georgia
who work in retail or agricul
ture on average earn less.
- Someone earning $30,000
annually can afford a home
costing no more than $86,000.
Theaverage sale price of anew
News You Can Feel Good About
W ; §
CHECK (@2
@UNIVERSITY
A 5 HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
www.yniversityhealth.org
home in Georgia is $157,801.
Georgian households with com
bined annual incomes of less
than $30,000 number 1.05 mil
lion.
- In Atlanta, 75 percent of
new housing units are site
built homes for single families.
Inmuch of Georgia, 50-75 per
cent of new housing units are
manufactured housing units.
- In many cases, teachers
and industry upper manage
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Melissa Horton with daughter
Whitney Noel-Photo by Frank Lazenby
AUGUSTA FOCUS
ment don’t live in the county
of employment. In two of the
three industries surveyed in
thereport, none of the manag
ers lived in the county. This
meansalackofinvolvement in
theeveryday life of these coun
ties by important sectors of
the workforce.
- Although there are anum
ber of existing programs for
lowincomeand first time home
buyers, 86 percent of the em
earqZive
“Health Talk” on WGAC-580 AM
University is pleased S RSITY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
to announce “Health rmy ¥}
Talk,” a live call-in Q"Gfl“llflfiilk
radio show featuring
local physicians discussing current health issues.
On Monday, Nov. 5, 8:10-8:25 a.m., Andrew Wells, M.D.
will answer questions regarding conditions of the
ears, nose and throat.
PORTRAITS OF LIFE
A photo exhibit of breast cancer survivors
Oct. 1-31
~ Augusta Mall, lower level in front of Dillard’s
Miracle Mile Fun Walk :
Saturday, Oct. 27, 8:30 a.m.
Kendall Co. on Marvin Griffin Road
All proceeds benefit the University Breast Health Center.
There is a $lO registration fee. For more information,
call 706/667-0030.
FREE Breast Self-Exam Class
Monday, Oct. 29, 5:30 p.m.
University Breast Health Center
Registration is required. Call 706/774-4141.
Prompt Care Open House in Evans
Thursday, Nov. 1, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
447 North Belair Road
Health screenings and refreshments will be provided.
at New Location.
New Location. Easy to Find. Easy to Use.
Beginning Nov. 3, University Health Care System’s
Prompt Care in Columbia County will be conve
niently located at University Hospital Medical
Center-Evans, 447 N. Belair Road, Suite 101.
Prompt Care offers quality care for minor emergen
cies and illnesses in a friendly and convenient
environment.
Come to Prompt Care for:
e Cuts e Viruses e Stomachaches
Sprains e Broken bones ¢ Intestinal
e Infections e Rashes complaints
¢ Sore throats * Bites e Fever
New Location Hours:
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
/ Prompt Care
447 N. Belair Road * Suite 101 » 706/854-2222
OCTOBER 25, 2001
el
ployees surveyed had no knowl
edge of them.
- Barriers to increasing the
supply of affordable housing
include a lack of land and in
frastructure in many parts of
the state; the low profit mar
gin for building affordable
housing; and the large num
ber of consumers who can’t
qualify for traditional financ
ing due to poor credit histo
ries.
15A