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Learning about conservation
Brad Riley, left, and Brandy Baxley, both of Perry, attended the 31 st Annual Natu
ral Resources Conservation Workshop held in Tifton at Abraham Baldwin Agricul
tural College June 14-19. Their week at the workshop was sponsored by CB&T
Bank of Middle Georgia, Bank South, The Bank of Perry and Crossroads Bank in
cooperation with the Ocmulgee River Soil and Water Conservation District.
Hospital pays for unpaid bills
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
Perry Hospital was forced to
write off over $1 million last year
due to patients who were unable or
unwilling to pay their medical bills
and according to Houston County
Medical Center figures for this year
the figure is expected to increase.
The write off costs at Perry and
other hospitals is made up in part
by charging paying customers
higher rates. Patients are eligible
for indigent care coverage if they
fall below the federal minimum in
come level and warrant medical at
tention.
The county has proposed
$257,262 in their 1993 budget to
help pay for the costs of indigent
care. According to Art Christie,
director of finance and accounting
for the Houston Medical Center, the
$257,262 should cover about 11
percent of the $2,448,564 the hos
pital's project the cost of indigent
care to be.
"We have seen the figure triple
in the last 10 years. There are a
combination of reasons for that in
Perryans go on missionary trip
By KELLIE ROWDEN
Staff Writer
To find out exactly how hard and
how rewarding missionary work can
be, ask any one of the 14 members
of the Perry Presbyterian Church
who were in Mexico from June 19
to June 28.
Each summer the church
sponsors a mission for members in
the congregation. The purpose is
to spread the word of the church and
to lend credibility to their
denomination in places where it is
considered more foreign.
Jeff Candell, the youth program
director at Perry Presbyterian, along
with his wife, Robyn, were the
leaders of the Mexico-bound group.
He explained how Mexican
Evangelicals are considered to be an
oddity in the predominantly
Catholic country.
“Mexican Evangelicals are
considered to be like martians
there,” Candell said.
The idea of the mission was to
plant churches on both sides of the
border between Texas and Mexico.
This way they would be able to
reach Latino immigrants trying to
cross the border into America.
“No matter what side they end
up on, they will be more likely to
hear the gospel,” Candell explained.
The members from Perry joined
a larger group of 150 missionaries
to work at three sights along the
Texas/Mexico border. This was the
largest team to assemble at the
border for this mission.
Missionary groups arrive at these
locations three to four times each
summer.
The Perry group worked in the
towns of Renosa, Mexico and
McAllen, Texas.
The locals of the town seemed to
be very excited about what the
missionary group’s work. They
apparently were so happy they
brought the group dinner one of the
first days they were there.
“When they asked how many of
us there were, they kind of gulped
when we said 150, but sure enough,
they brought us chicken and rice,
tortillas and cokes. Who knows
Jhow much that cost them, but
hospitality is very important in
crease, including how sick the per
son is before he seeks treatment and
the number of people we arc treat
ing," Christie said.
Jim Peak, administrative director
of Perry Hospital, said the cost to
paying customers is directly at
tributable to hospital costs.
"If every person was able to pay
their bill as they left the hospital
we would be able to reduce our rates
30 percent," Peak said.
Over a three month period Perry
Hospital had to absorb the follow
ing costs: in March, bad debts to
taled $99,343, and indigent care
costs were $3,340; for April,
$74,267 in bad debts and $43,059
in indigent care; May's figures
were $60,585 in bad debts and
$8,887 in indigent care costs.
The bad debt collection process
is handled by the hospital for 120
days. If the debt isn't paid die mat
ter is turned over to a collection
agency. The agency receives a per
centage of any money collected.
Another part of the issue of hos
pital costs is the percentage paid by
the governments, federal and suite,
Jeff and Robyn Candell were two of the brave souls that went to
Mexico In late June for Perry Presbyterian’s annual missionary
trip. Candell is the church’s youth director.
Latin cultures,” Candell said.
Candell said that dinner may
have cost the locals their meals for
the next few days.
The church in the area had been
built recently by missionary
groups, but their job was to build a
home for the parsonage and work
on the stucco walls of the church.
The team also worked on the public
schools by building a basketball
court and re-building a wall.
“All of the cement was mixed by
hand which is a lot of work,”
Robyn Candell said.
The team worked on the above
projects Monday through Friday.
The temperatures soared to 110
degrees during ihe day.
One of the things Candell
thought took the missionary youths
by surprise the most was how
happy the children in the area
seemed to be.
“They didn’t have any toys, but
they had each other. American kids
are so consumed by their desires,
but children there are more people
oriented,” Candell explained.
Candell also commented on the
difference in cultures based on the
difference of economic theories.
“There everything is done by
to cover the cost of Medicare and
Medicaid. The fees paid by the two
providers do not cover the amount
of the hospital costs. For each
Medicare and Medicaid patient, the
hospital has to write off the
difference.
Medicaid is designed to help citi
zens below a certain income level
pay their medical bills. Medicare is
for individuals 65 and over.
Christie said the Houston
County Health Care Complex,
comprising the two hospitals, the
heart center and EMS services will
have S9l million in patient charges
for die fiscal year. Os that s9l mil
lion, Christie said almost 30 per
cent, S2B million will be lost to
Medicare and Medicaid contractual
write offs, bad debts and indigent
care.
"The federal government and the
state are taxing private citizens
through the Medicare and Medicaid
system without being direct about
it. Because Medicare pays less than
the cost of the service we have to
make up that cost by charging pri
vate pay individuals," Peak said.
hand and by themselves, they don’t
think ahead in time to think if
things will last,” Candell said.
Robyn Candell gave examples of
this by explaining the appearance of
the town.
“There was no effort to make
things look pretty. To them, they
wonder why people fix their yards
when they will only get messy
again,” Candell said.
The group was encouraged to
interact with the children and locals
hanging about the work sites during
their stay. Candell reported that
both parties learned new games and
had a lot of fun.
On Wednesday, the group
ventured into the market area where
they got to barter with the
merchants.
“It was both exciting and
depressing,” Robyn Candell
commented.
The one thing Candell thought
was the most important lesson the
mission came back with was how
little a person actually needs to
survive.
“So much that we have is
unnecessary to be happy,”*Candell
explained.
Nash named to CB&T board
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
Jack Nash, a lifelong Perry resi
dent and owner of the parts and ser
vice division of the Sports Center,
has been named to the Board of Di
rectors of CB&T Bank of Middle
Georgia.
Nash attended his first board
meeting in June.
"It is a good opportunity for me
as a business owner. There is a lot
about finance that I can learn. 1
think one of the reasons I was se
lected is that I have lived in Perry
all my life and I have a lot of con
tacts in Warner Robins. I've
known Gary Bishop for 18 years
and we've done a lot of business
together. CB&T is looking to ex
pand and 1 want to be part of it,"
Nash said.
Gary Bishop, CB&T president
and CEO, said in a prepared
statement, "Jack has been a very
successful businessman and this
experience will be very helpful in
serving on our board."
According to Nash, the changes
in Perry over die years have altered
the appearance of the city, but not
the people.
"Perry has grown tremendously.
It has changed before our eyes. It's
hard to visualize what it used to be,
a small community. But even as
we've grown and acquired new in
dustry 1 don't think the people have
changed. There is still a strong
base of a prideful community,"
Nash said.
Nash began working for the
Sports Center while in high school.
Upon his graduation from Perry
High in 1975, Nash went to Middle
Georgia College for one quarter.
Sports Center owner Charles Ayer
asked Nash if he would come back
to work and help open a Marine di
vision selling boats and boating ac
cessories.
"When we got started we had no
background knowledge in the
marine business. But we worked a
lot of 80-90 hour weeks, kept
overhead low and didn't try to grow
too fast. We figured the best kind of
management is hands-on, do the
job right and build a reputation.
Unemployed
to possibly
lose benefits
State Labor Commissioner A1
Scott said today that unemployed
Georgians who exhaust their regular
unemployment insurance benefits
on or before July 4, 1992, will not
be entitled to federal Emergency
Unemployment Compensation
(EUC) unless additional measures
arc taken by the U.S. Congress and
the President.
"Legislation which would provide
additional federal emergency unem
ployment compensation, presently
being considered by Congressman,
appears likely to pass," Commis
sioner Scott said. "Should this oc
cur, claimants with potential enti
tlement benefits will be notified."
Commissioner Scott said
claimants now receiving federal
EUC under the current program are
being notified of the effect, if any,
that the phase-out provisions of the
current program will have on their
remaining benefits.
Since the EUC program became
effective in November, 1991, a to
tal of 72,796 Georgians have drawn
emergency extended benefits. A to
tal of 22,904 recipients are cur
rently drawing the benefits in Geor
gia.
Family
Footwear
will be closed
Saturday
July 4th!
Have a safe &
happy holiday!
The Staff of
Family Footwear
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL, SATURDAY, JULY 4, 19924
We now have people coming from
Florida, Alabama and all over Ge
orgia. And we’re now the largest
dealer of Johnson Outboard Motors
in the world," Nash said.
In 1978, Sports Center re
located to a new marine facility on
Valley Drive. Nash purchased the
parts and service division from
Sports Center Incorporated in 1990.
Nash is married to the former
Lanie Williamson of Perry. They
were married in 1975. The Nash's
have two sons, Brian, 14, and Ben
12.
The Nash family attends Second
Baptist Church in Warner Robins.
Nash has served as chairman of the
deacon body for three years and is
currently teaching Sunday School
to college age adults.
"People comment to me, '1
guess you don't have to go to col
lege to be successful,' and that's
very true. I’m not denigrating col
lege and I’m planning that both my
. r .
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Ben Brannen of Perry, left, and Trae Irby 111 of Mon
tezuma show their paintings during a class on Creative
Expression Through Paintings, Films and Literature.
Ben and Trae are classmates at Westfield Schools in
Perry.
Perry Kaleidoscope students
learn at Macon College program
Salcna Ann Sampson, Ben
Branncn and Courtney Gregory, all
of Perry, participated in Kaleido
scope, Macon College’s week-long
summer program for gifted children.
Coordinated by the Macon Col
lege Department of Continuing Ed
ucation, the Kaleidoscope courses
were offered June 22-26 at the main
campus.
Students attended one of four
classes: The Theatre of Shake
speare, “Go Figure” a Tour into 3-
Dimensional Geometry, Creative
John K. James
Announces
the Opening of his
Law Office
For the General Practice Os Law
Bankruptcy, Domestic Relations, Tax Law,
Commercial Litigation, Criminal Law
Licensed in Georgia and Florida
900 Commerce Street 0 1 o«7 1e i c
[Perry, GA 31069 912-987-1818
Announcing the Office Opening of
Samuel E. Palmer, M.D.
Family Practice
• Certified by the American Board of Family Practice
• Specializing in Family Practice
• Medical degree from University of Florida in Gainesville
• Completed residency at Medical Center of Central Georgia in
Macon.
• Appointments preferred.
• Medicare and Medicaid patients accepted
• Office Hours:
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Monday - Friday
1115 Momingside Drive
Perry, Georgia
n(912) 987-4555
Member of Perry Hospital Medical Staff
J
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1
Jack Nash
children will attend. But for some
people college might not he the
right answer. If a business oppor
tunity is presented, set your goals
high, work hard and there is no
limit to what can be accomplished,"
Nash said.
I o
Expression Through Paintings,
Films and Literature and Having
Fun with Technology.
The courses were taught by Ma
con College faculty members, in
cluding theater instructor Sydney
Chalfa, math instructor June Jones,
English instructor Dr. Kevin
Cantwell and business instructor
Richard Spiers.
Participation was limited to ris
ing fourth, fifth and sixth grade stu
dents enrolled in their schools’
gifted programs.
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