DTH Classifieds

Serving UNC students and the University community since 1893 The Daily Tar Heel VOLume 118, Issue 122 thursday, december 2, 2010 www.dailytarheel.com Wake 8 2 199 008 hospital asks for records says uNc tactics predatory, opaque BY JEN SERDETCHNAIA 74 464 ASSISTANT STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR 9 new private housing units WakeMed Health and Hospitals authorized by building permits - is requesting UNC Hospitals to single-family houses stop its “predatory behavior” in to 1 partnering with profitable private n ta 2 o l ti re 6 physicians’ practices across the la s , 6 u id 9 p e state. 9 o n 8 t 8 p , t p 5 n o They are also calling into ques- 4 e p d u i 1 l tion the amount of charity care s a 1 e t r i Orange County, o l n UNC reports and the role of UNC- a t o t N.C. Census Statistics: owned Rex Hospital in Wake Surrounding this circle is recently County. people of all distributed data from the U.S. Census people of all WakeMed submitted a formal ages in poverty ages in poverty 9.9 Bureau. It shows the changing face 13.9 request for financial information - percent - percent of the county through selected and other public records from v data drawn from 1998 and i s o e UNC Hospitals on Monday. le n 2008. Data for 2010 will be im 4 t r c c 1 UNC is reviewing the request r released soon. t 0 i n 2 m e 6 e l 3 with a legal team and is unable to s io v provide a time line for a response, medical center spokeswoman Jennifer James said. “It’s unclear when we’ll have 1,1 commercial banks and savings institutions (in 5 51 millions of dollars) - total deposits 75 further information to provide,” 1, she said. “That’s really where we are right now.” Although WakeMed’s request =1 comes on the coattails of UNC’s announcement a month ago about =10 a new partnership with the private cardiology clinic Wake Heart =100 and Vascular Associates, William Atkinson, president and CEO for WakeMed, said that was not the =10,000 call to action. The letter is in response to a DTH/RYAN KURTZMAN decade-long tension starting with UNC’s acquisition of Rex Hospital, which is in WakeMed’s market, Atkinson said. He said WakeMed does about ‘GROWING AND GROWING’ 80 percent of the charity care in Wake County without the state “I’ve always lived in a small town. I don’t think all Dottie Schmitt said in addition to economic progress, support that UNC receives. residents debate beneﬁts this construction is necessarily an improvement,” he the county is also focusing on adding agriculture and Rex Hospital CFO Bernadette of becoming more urban said. “I don’t want or need the things that are being infrastructure to areas that have not seen as much Spong said in an interview a month added to the town, and I don’t think they are appropri- growth. ago that the hospital totaled $94 BY CAITLIN MCGINNIS ate in a recession.” “Both the town of Chapel Hill and the county have million in charity care and bad STAFF WRITER Chapel Hill Town Council member Penny Rich said made a point to make sure the quality of life is attrac- debt expense for the 2009 fiscal Bill Livengood first visited Chapel Hill in the 1950s the town will become a much more urban area in the tive,” she said. “With all the parks and cultural activi- year. when he played on the Wake Forest baseball team. next four to five years. ties we are able to attract people from different demo- “That’s a big number when you He moved here 40 years ago after getting his mas- “We don’t have land to build more neighborhoods graphics.” start breaking it down on a daily ter’s at UNC and marrying his wife Lelia, whom he and continue to build McMansions,” she said. “It will A mother of two, Tammy Samuelson decided to basis,” she said. met at a University dance. be impossible to grow (the population) from 50,000 move to Chapel Hill from Kentucky after completing But Atkinson questioned the “I married a Chapel Hill girl born and raised, so we to the projected 80,000 without putting them some- her residency here. She said the town seemed like a transparency of Rex. had to live in Chapel Hill,” the 79-year-old said. “It place to live.” good place to raise a family. “Rex Hospital is a very different wasn’t a question.” Rich said this additional living space will come from “Though downtown is changing, I don’t think this animal,” he said. During his time here, Livengood has seen the street current development projects like 140 West Franklin will affect how many families Chapel Hill will attract,” Although it is owned by the he lives on — Smith Level Road — transform from a and University Square, which will include high-rise she said. University, Rex does not release dirt road to a busy intersection that he said can take condominiums, apartments and retail stores. Samuelson said the town’s continued support of the same financial data as a state- up to 10 minutes to cross. Rich, who has lived in Chapel Hill for 14 years, said public libraries, school systems, cultural opportuni- owned hospital, Atkinson said. And according to a recently released census database, she has watched the town undergo immense changes. ties and other family-oriented institutions will make “We don’t know how to talk this urbanization is not exclusive to Livengood’s neigh- Rich said she supports development, but she thinks Chapel Hill an attractive place to live for years to about what it is they do without borhood. The data shows that in little less than 30 years, the town needs to determine what its vision will be, come. knowing what it is,” he said. “They Orange County’s population has grown by more than specifically how it will support families. “I don’t know if my kids will decide to move back operate outside of daylight with 53,000. And the number of private nonfarm establish- “I have seen this place growing and growing. The here,” she said. “But if they don’t, it won’t be because this.” ments has almost tripled, marking the transformation of town wins so many awards, and so many people want Chapel Hill has become a bad place to raise a family.” Atkinson said he is also con- an area that once spanned a mere 72 acres. to come live here,” she said. “The town moving toward cerned about UNC spending tax While Livengood said he doesn’t dislike the prog- a more urban landscape is a smart push.” Contact the City Editor ress he is seeing, he just doesn’t think it’s necessary. Orange County Economic Development Specialist at [email protected]. SEE HOSPITALS, PAGE 11 budget cuts leave county schools with tough decisions BY VICTORIA STILWELL ditures without compromising quality of “I think tomorrow (Rhodes) is creating the student at Hillsborough Elementary School and CITY EDITOR instruction, a task that may be easier said picture, what it looks like,” she said. “We need the principal of Middle College High School in BY THE NUMBERS As local and state officials gear up for a than done. to start giving him direction.” Durham, said he’s still concerned about what third year of heavy budget cuts, many are District spokesman Michael Gilbert said possible cuts might mean for his children. concerned about what the reductions will ‘Tough choices’ the system will see an 18 percent reduction in He and his wife will also have a child enter- mean for academics, staff and the future overall state and federal funding, though it’s ing kindergarten next year. $7.7 million of N.C. education. The inaugural budget work session too soon to tell where cuts will come from. “They have some tough choices they’re going Orange County Schools projected Orange County Schools alone is project- comes earlier than most years, a conse- “It’s way too early for that,” he said. “I think it’s to have to make pretty soon,” Nolan said. “I’m funding shortfall for 2011-12 ed to lose as much as $7.7 million next year, quence of the grave financial situation safe to say there’s going to be cuts across areas.” sure they’ve trimmed as much fat as they could the combined effect of dried-up stimulus officials are facing, said school board Gilbert said over the last two years, the dis- outside the classroom, and now they might funds and a shrinking state budget. member Debbie Piscitelli. trict received more than $3.3 million in stimulus have to go to the classroom. $3.3 million School board members and district School board members will receive money, which was designated to fund programs “I’m concerned about that,” he said. “What’s Total stimulus money received by leaders will meet Friday to jump-start information from Superintendent Patrick for disadvantaged students, expansion of pre- her kindergarten class going to look like?” Orange County Schools the budget drafting process, which will Rhodes, Finance Director Donna Brinkley kindergarten classes and positions like substitute continue until the document is pre- and other district officials on the most up- teachers and custodians. ‘Cut to the bone’ sented to the Board of Orange County to-date projections of possible areas and Anticipating further reductions, district Commissioners in the spring.

Load more