Newspaper Page Text
Business & Industry
Forsyth County News Thursday, April 1,2004
Business notes
.Allstate Insurance Co.
... announces the opening of a new
agency in Cumming. Owned and
operated by Dean B. Barnard, tl>e full
service agency offers a complete line
of products and services, including
auto, property, commercial and life
insurance.
“Our No. 1 goal at the Dean
Barnard Allstate Insurance agency is to
provide superior service to our cus
tomers," says Barnard. “1 and my
assistant Kristie Hulsey are looking
forward to helping families insure and
protect the things that are important to
them, such as their family, home, car,
boat, and more. In our commitment to
provide the best customer service pos
sible, we will sit down with our cus
tomers and review their insurance poli
cies upon their renewal to insure that
they are getting the best coverage that
fits their needs."
After spending 25 years in the cor
porate world and the last four years as
vice president of sales for a Fortune
500 company. Barnard decided to use
his knowledge and expertise to open
his own Allstate Insurance agency.
The Dean Barnard Allstate
Insurance agency is located at 600
Peachtree Parkway. Suite 102 in
Cumming. Office hours are Monday
through Friday from B:3oam to
s:3opm and Saturday from 9am to
noon. He and his licensed staff can be
reached at (678)455-8606 or by e-mail
at Deanßamard@Allstate.com.
Marine Corps Cpl. Jeneva C.
Coggins
... daughter of Jennifer A. Dykes of
Cumming and Dayne Coggins of
Brooklyn. N. Y, recently was promot
ed to her current rank while serving
with Marine Aviation Logistics
Squadron 14. 2nd Marine Aircraft
Wing. Marine Corps Air Station.
Cherry Point. N. C.
Coggins was promoted based on
sustained superior job performance
and proficiency in her designated spe
cialty.
Coggins is a 2001 graduate of
Etowah High School in Woodstock
and joined the Marine Corps in Julv
2001.
North Fulton Regional Hospital
... announced it has relocated and
expanded its human resources depart
ment to belter provide services for
employees and job applicants. The
new location is at the front entrance of
the hospital just inside the mam doors,
providing easier access for individuals
applying for positions at the hospital.
The new area occupies approximately
twice the area of the previous office
and now houses human resources,
recruiting, benefits, occupational
health and related functions.
"This move allows us to better
serve our current employees as well as
to provide a much more comfortable
environment for our applicants to com
plete applications and to interview,"
said chief human resources officer
Susan Brown. The human resources
department's office hours for appli
cants are 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m„
Monday through Friday.
The hospital’s information systems
and technology department also is
expanding to meet its need for addi
tional space. During the past year, the
information systems department has
coordinated the conversion or imple
mentation of two new systems within
the hospital, including the hospital’s
financial system and a new electronic
medical record system in the emer
gency/ trauma department.
"The hospital’s IS department is
currently in the process of upgrading
the facility’s hospital information sys
tem and rolling out a new physician
portal which will enhance information
accessible in physician offices," com
mented Donna Hopson, director of
information systems and laboratory
services.
The third area involved in this
phase of relocation and expansion is
the Neuro ICU (intensive care unit)
located on the first floor of the hospital.
Neuro ICU will be adding a new fami
ly waiting area and private physician
consult room. This addition will add a
dedicated waiting area for patient fami
lies similar to the ICU and CCU wait
ing areas on the second floor.
"The addition of a more private
waiting area for our Neuro ICU area
demonstrates the hospital’s commit
ment to meeting the needs of our
patients and their families," said chief
nursing officer Jeanne Reeves. “We
recognize that the families of patients
See NOTES, Page 2B
Thermal
imaging
Cumming clinic
scanner may be
able to see some
diseases before
they strike
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
Photographic technology in Cumming may
help prevent breast cancer years before a tumor
develops, according to naturopath Dr. Mack
Sloan.
Sloan operates The Genesis Center —a facili
ty located off Hwy. 9 that, among other things,
offers infrared thermal diagnostic scans that pin
point problem areas in patients.
Sloan said the infrared camera, one of about
50 in use at various facilities nationwide, can
detect some potentially serious conditions such as
breast cancer years in advance.
"It can show patterns in a woman’s breast up
to 10 years before a tumor actually develops,”
said Sloan, who specializes in healing with natu
ral medicines. "There should be women lined up
around the block [for this].”
He said the opportunity to photograph images
is open not only to center patients, but to patients
of other doctors as well. Copies of those scans are
then sent to the patient and their doctor with a
diagnostic interpretation.
“I’m not try ing to kidnap patients,” he said.
Center certified thermography technician Rita
Sloan said the results usually take about five to
seven working days before patients receive them.
The cost depends on how much of the body is
scanned ranging from $325 for a full body
scan to $l6O for a regional area.
She explained the camera works by detecting
Dog wash lets you leave the mess
New service allows owners to wash pets with a professional’s equipment
By Nancy Smallwood
Associate Editor
Anyone who has ever given a
dog a bath might be searching for
a better method than dousing
themselves with the garden hose.
The owners of a new self pet
wash. Tom and Leanne Viera, say
they now have the easiest way to
give a dog a bath at their new
business. Bath and Bones
Boutique.
The concept for the boutique
came from the couple visiting
several similar businesses around
metro Atlanta with their two dogs.
“1 took the best ideas and
incorporated them into the first
pet boutique here in Forsyth
County,” said Tom Viera.
While most of the current cus
tomers are dog owners, Viera said
just the other day he did have an
inquiry about washing a potbelly
Pig
“I told them to go ahead and
bring him,” said Viera. “Now. we
accept dogs, cats and pigs.”
The business offers pet owners
the use of all the standard groom
ing tools such as raised stainless
steel tubs with ramps, aprons,
gloves, dryers, combs and brush
es. Two varieties of shampoos are
offered to customers but addition
al varieties can be purchased.
Customers can also bring their
own shampoo, according to Viera.
In addition, the boutique offers
a dog treat bakery which features
homemade items such as Cheesy
Puffs Multi-Grain and Apple
Crunch Cupcakes.
. The idea for the bakery came
from the couple having to bake
homemade treats for one of their
own dogs.
“He has a sensitive stomach so
he can not eat any of the treats
sold at the store,” said Viera.
Customer Camilla Nugent has
two black labradors she bathes
See DOCS, Page 2B
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Photo/David McGregotS
Naturopath Mack Sloan and Rita Sloan, his mother and certified thermography technis*'
cian, display an infrared camera and scan results.
body heat.
“Anything that affects the cardiovascular sys
tem and creates more blood flow than normal
raises heat.” she said. “We are not opposed to
mammograms. This will show a situation earlier
than a mammogram. It’s a preventative program.”
And prevention. Dr. Sloan said, is what the
Genesis Center is all about.
"We’re trying to prevent a disease from occur
ring in the first place," he said. “The best way to
treat a disease is to never get it.”
Since founding the company more than three
years ago, Sloan said his customer base has
grown mostly through word of mouth. He has
a photo album full of thank you notes from his
customers.
“I might go from an autistic kid, to a sports
athlete, to someone who’s in pain, to a woman
who wants natural hormone replacement thera
py," he said.
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Photo/David McGregor
Cassandra and Sarah Wedlake wash their dog, Smudge, on at Bath and Bones Boutique Saturday.
1
ments as an alternative to synthetic drugs.
Some of the more notable people who use th& •
center include NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens
and Major League Baseball pitcher John Smoltz.
“1 have patients from all over the country
now." Sloan said.
There are eight doctors on staff ranging
from a chiropractor to a nutritionist and a
licensed massage therapist.
"We want people to come to one place and get
them taken care of really well.” Sloan said.
“We’re probably the top integrated clinic in
the county," he said.
The cost for a physical for new patients is
$ 160 an hour.
However, while Sloan said he is investigating
insurance possibilities, the center currently does
not accept insurance policies.