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Forecast mid See page 10 Hospital board studies billing Griffin-Spalding County Hospital Authority board members last night spent some time discussing complaints they have received from citizens about the billing procedures at the hospital. Board member Raymond Head brought up the subject. He said he has had numerous complaints from former patients who, when they leave the hospital, assume their in surance will cover their hospital expenses. Instead, in a few days, they begin to receive notices from the hospital telling them they owe money. If they wait a few weeks, they receive notices asking them to pay or else. All of this time, they are expecting the hospital to get the money from the insurance company. Head said he thinks the billing set-up needs to be improved. Administrator Carl Ridley answered that a new billing system is already being mapped out in which the hospital will wait 45 days before sending the insured patient a bill, hoping his insurance company, Medicaid, or Medi care win pay off before then. Fifi becomes a hurricane MIAMI (UPI) — Tropical storm Fifi, bolstering her winds to 75 miles an hour picked up hurricane status today and posed a threat to the tiny Caribbean islands east of the Yucatan pen insula. Weathermen predicted Fifi would pick up strength and develop into a dangerous hur ricane by Wednesday morning, when it was expected to pass just north of Swan Island, about 97 miles north of the Central American coast of Honduras. At 6 a. m. EDT, the hurri cane was churning its way slow ly toward the west at about 10 m.p.h. The national Hurricane Center here located Fifi’s center near latitude 17.0 longtitude 79.8 west, about 275 miles east of Swan Island. “Interest on Swan Island should prepare for hurricane conditions before sunset today, since a slightly more southerly track could bring the center to the south of the island,” said Paul Hebert, “conditions favor continued strengthening during Ipyz ii : fcr - — — ■■•■■•'. 4Ur~ ‘ • -t va vJf „„aK . i idiiiiiil •■ ■--T-— M Mi Ml Ml Ml M F 727 -.s^ —— — X? gz Xrs% LCLi «t-al SVSTV ; MM -. Zr~ • Z > MW Tm na nH M>W'. . ffwlt jfe"M 1/fe - ? vwt 4-<r± -" w 45&?2Z~.. llwgß Z - . »|MM;- Bicentennial Flag Tom Lane (1) of the Spalding County Commissioner’s staff and John Lindsey (r) Clerk of Court, display bicentennial flag which flies over the courthouse. A similar one flies on the flag pole at city hall. Both flags were presented to the Griffin-Spalding Bicentennial Committee from the national organization promoting the celebration. “The patient is responsible for his bill-, if he has insurance, that’s great,” Ridley continued. Sometimes when insurance companies are slow, the patient can pay and be reimbursed by the hospital when the insurance company pays off, he said. STATEMENTS Patients without insurance will be sent statements within 15 days after being dismissed from the hospital. The statements are made out by computer and arrive at the hospital in en velopes ready to be mailed. Several other board members said they also had received complaints. Chairman 0. M. “Pete” Snider said he thinks it is a waste of time and money to send bills when insurance companies have not paid. L. J. Ballard Sr., a new board member who was appointed to replace Jack Moss, suggested that patients fill out insurance, Medicare or Medicaid forms when they enter the hospital, thus speeding things up. Mr. Ridley explained this is sometimes impossible until a diagnosis is made. Dr. Lamar King stated he the next 24 hours and Fifi is ex pected to become a dangerous Hurricane by Wednesday.” The hurricane had shifted southward during the night, di minishing its threat to the Cay man Islands. However, forecast ers warned interests on the is lands to take precautions against gale force winds this afternoon. The hurricane center said heavy showers associated with Fifi could also produce flash flooding in the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and east Cuba. Fifi’s maximum sustained winds were reported at 75 miles an hour, barely above minimum hurricane strength. Its central pressure at 2 a.m. EDT was 993 millibars, or 29.34 inches. Hebert said it was too early to tell where the hurricane might make a landfall. “It’s too far away from any land masses,” he project ing the storm’s path was par ticularly difficult “because it is going so low,” he said. “The lower it goes the more change in direction it could take.” GRIFFIN DAI LYNE WS Vol. 102 No. 220 thinks the main problem is the threatening note on the bill. Jerry Savage suggested notices be stamped on statements explaining that the insurance company has not yet paid on the account. The board agreed to try the new plan and see how it works. COLLECTIONS Mr. Ridley told the members that collections for August were an all time high by several thousand dollars. Last month the hospital collected more than $400,000 or 104 percent of “what we put on the books. You won’t see this happen very often,” he continued. Usually the hospital averages collecting about 93 percent of its accounts, he said. Computerized billing was given credit for the increase. Bills are sent twice monthly, each time increasing the inflow of cash, he said. 3,548 PATIENTS From April 1 through August, there were 3,548 patients at the hospital. An average of 12 babies were born there each day. Almost 100,000 meals were served. Some 138,000 pounds of laundry were washed and dried. If all goes well, the new hospital wing should be com pleted within the next 12 months with dedication ceremonies in October, 1975. When the wing is completed, Ridley explained, more per sonnel will be needed. The hospital is training technical future employees such as nurses and technicians. There also will be a need for additional administrative personnel such as an assistant administrator and other specialty department heads, Ridley reported. The Griffin-Spalding Hospital has more nursing hours per patient day than the state or national averages. The Griffin hospital shows an average of 7.63 hours per day, compared with a state average of 6.65. OVER BUDGET The hospital has been running over the budget in the number of employes during vacation time. During August the ambulance service increased 15 percent. Mr. Ridley complimented the Griffin Police and Spalding Sheriff’s Departments for their cooperation. Some 300 more procedures were done by the X-ray depart ment in August, he noted. Patient opinion evaluation Griffin, Ga., 30223, Tuesday Afternoon, September 17,1974 letters are being mailed. This is done periodically after the patient is dismissed. These evaluations will be classified and made available soon. Several weeks ago employe evaluations were completed. They indicated a very favorable opinion of the hospital by personnel, Mr. Ridley stated. Hospital personnel recently met with representatives from the medical staff, police depart ment and Griffin-Spalding School System to plan a disaster drill. This was to coordinate all phases of service should there be a catastrophe at any of the local schools. Mr. Ridley told the board members that considerably less than SI,OOO in cash was stolen from the hospital safe about two weeks ago. MONEYBOX On Saturday night, Aug. 31, someone took a money box from the safe in the business office. There were a number of checks in the box but they cannot be cashed, since they all were stamped for the hospital bank deposit. The board voted to pay $5,225 to auditors who have just completed their work. The Georgia Lung Associa tion has notified the Griffin hospital that it will contribute money toward a respiratory facility at the hospital. PERSONNEL At the end of the business session, Benny Henzel, whose wife, Mary, has been employed as a registered nurse at the hospital for 24 years this month, stood up and said he would like to read a statement to the board. Chairman Snider asked Henzel if the statement con cerned a personnel matter. Henzel said it did, it con cerned his wife who up until this week was in charge of the third floor on the 3 to 11 p.m. shift. Snider told Henzel the board does not handle personnel matters during meetings. Such matters must first be taken up by the personnel committee, (Continued on page 2) Some deserters reject amnesty WASHINGTON (UPI) - Thousands of Vietnam-era war resisters now have a chance for conditional amnesty—but many may find the price too high. President Ford presented the basic terms—up to two years of “alternative national service” and re-affirmation of allegiance —in a formal proclamation Monday, and he said less might be required in cases with “mitigating circumstances.” But activists at home and abroad, especially in Canada and Sweden, quickly turned thumbs down on the offer and predicted limited acceptance by those eligible —about 15,500 charged with draft evasion and 12.500 accused of desertion from the armed forces. Even Attorney General Wil liam B. Saxbe, a prime architect of the plan, said he thought no more than about 2.500 would take advantage of it. Critics generally complained that Ford was asking too much in his “earned re-entry” approach, particularly after granting an unconditional par don to former President Rich ard Nixon eight days earlier, I Hl* ■**. / TBBRTI Bl ■ /1 IT-- W 8 B| SI -Ji Jf .iL I i VS IhaaMMMM W Th 11 i Bkß /rjbti Ffx 111 ■ a 1 1.9 Benny Henzel (r) wanted to read a statement to the Griffin-Spalding Hospital Authority last night about a personnel matter but Chairman O. M. Snider, Jr., (1) said Ford defends Nixon pardon WASHINGTON (UPI) - President Ford says Richard M. Nixon’s acceptance of a pardon “can be construed” as an admission of guilt for Watergate crimes and the former President has been “shamed and disgraced” by his forced resignation. Vigorously defending the par don, but admitting surprise at the antagonism it created, Ford said he acted to spare the nation further turmoil and division. He said there was “no understanding, no deal...none whatsoever” between him and Nixon. The President’s half hour televised news conference Mon day night in the East Room was dominated by questions about the pardon. He insisted that “in this very, very difficult situation, I made the right decision.” Ford, who has been moving almost nonstop since he as sumed the presidency five weeks ago, today called an and some maintained that Ford essentially was demanding tacit admissions of guilt. One major American war exile group in Toronto, known as Amex Canada, called for a boycott of Ford’s overtures. In Washington, a spokesman for the National Council for Univer sal and Unconditional Amnesty Lineman killed A Griffin City Light and Water Department lineman was killed this morning when he touched a hot wire while working near the Mclntosh road and North Expressway inter section. Dennis McKneely of Liberty Hill road died after futile at tempts were made to save him by his crew. The accident happened around 10 this morning. He reportedly was with a crew of four which was putting in larger wires to take care of the in creased electric load in the Mclntosh road, North Express way area. McKneely was alone in the bucket working on what he Daily Since 1872 early morning meeting with the GOP steering committee, a cabinet session and another in a series of meetings with his economic advisers. “Let me say very strongly the United States is not going to have a depression,” he told his news conference. “The overall economy of the United States is strong.” In foreign affairs, Ford acknowledged that the United States secretly intervened in Chile to assist opposition newspapers and political fac tions, but he denied the CIA was involved in the coup that overthrew Chilean President Salvatore Allende. He said the intervention was “in the best interests of Chile and our country,” and said other powers do the same. He would not say whether it was legal under international law. Ford disclosed that “within the next few days a very major decision will be taken on increasing U.S. food contribu tions for humanitarian purposes said of the plan: “It is no help whatsoever.” The President’s action also found little favor with veterans organizations and some conser vative congressmen, who have generally opposed any form of amnesty. Congressional leaders generally endorsed the plan. thought was a cold line when he came in contact with a live wire thought to be around 7,200 volts. When the crew brought him down still in the bucket, he was breathing. They started mouth to mouth resusitation and heart massage but were unable to save him. He was carried by ambulance to the Griffin- Spalding Hospital where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room. McKneely, around 27, was a first class lineman and had been with the city’s light and water department for about five years. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Pittman-Rawls Funeral Home. the authority did not handle such. He asked Mr. Henzel to take up the matter with the personnel committee of the authority. to help foreign countries suffering from drought and poor harvests.” On the question of Watergate tapes, whose ownership by Nixon Ford affirmed in a special agreement, the Presi dent said: “I believe that they have been properly preserved and they will be available under subpoena for any crimi nal proceeding.” Another movie to be made in Georgia Another movie will be made in Georgia soon. Shooting is expected to start in October. Bobby Dunn, who has ap peared in two movies and a TV special, in addition to helping find locations and extras, was notified of the movie yesterday in a call from Hollywood. The movie director contacted Dunn and asked his help and offered him a part in the movie. The new movie will be “Anne”. It is about a Tennessee girl, who moves to Atlanta and becomes involved in murder. The director, who told Dunn Bfirir 'fl fl wflW T if. *, ♦ ’ -V’ fc ■./“ • ■ ■ : ~ ■ * ' ,: , - ' * \ ■ *- ■■■ * ■ • <V ■ Bobby Dunn A Prize-Winning Newspaper f@)| 1974 Better Newspaper Contests ESTIMATED HIGH TODAY 84, low today 64, high yesterday 88, low yesterday 59, high tomorrow in low 80s, low tonight near 70. Sunrise tomorrow 7:20, sunset tomorrow 7:37. B== $ J J > “We would be happier with what we have if we weren’t so unhappy about what we don’t have.” about the movie, was assistant director during the shooting of the “Cockfighter” and “Moon runners”. Dunn played a role in both those movies. In addition, he helped the movie makers find suitable filming locations and also assisted in rounding up extras. Parts of the two movies were filmed in the Griffin area. Dunn also will appear in the TV special which stars Johnny Cash. Part of the special was shot here and in the Zebulon area. Dunn was the filming contact in Griffin. He assisted in finding several railroad crossings and other rail sites for the directors. In addition, he lined up some 30 to 40 extras, who will appear in the TV special, which will be shown in November. Many Spalding and Pike County residents played roles in the special, including Dunn, City Commissioner Preston Bunn and his wife. Terry Dunn, Bobby’s son, also had a part in the filming. Johnny Sherwood loaned the movie makers a horse and drove a wagon that raced a train in the TV special. Several Griffin area residents appeared as hobos. Advance people for the TV special were in Griffin several weeks ago to make arrange ments for the filming here. They met at Dunn’s place of business and measured some extras for costumes. Why does Dunn, who is in the tree business, get involved with the movies? “I enjoy it,” he said. “It’s a lot of hard work and you don’t make much money. I guess I do it to accommodate the people involved. I believe it helps this area of Georgia to have movies made here,” he said.