OCTOBER 2014 INSIDE THIS MONTH 217-726-6600 • [email protected] www.springfieldbusinessjournal.com By Michelle Higginbotham, associate publisher Springfield Archery p. 3 According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses have been growing over the last decade while larger companies have been shrinking their workforces. Small businesses now provide more than half of all jobs in this country, and also account for just over half of all retail sales. Locally, our economy has taken a hit in recent years from reductions in the state workforce, but the number of small businesses continues unemployment rate has consistently been one ofto theincrease, lowest and in the state.Springfield Small metrobusinesses area are the backbone of our economy, but due to their size they may not individually get the recognition they deserve. Diversity Agreements p. 8 Since 2003, United Community Bank has partnered with Springfield Business Journal to recognize outstanding small businesses in our community. Each year, 15 businesses with fewer than 15 employees are selected for this award. They must also have been in business for more than two years and be located in Sangamon or Morgan county. UCB will host a reception at their Montvale branch to recognize the selectees, and the Honorable Leslie Graves will be the keynote speaker for the awards ceremony that follows. Celebrating the achievements of Profile: Fiona Irvin p. 13 areathe 15 is small a great businesses place whoto work are profiledand live. in Congratulationsthis issue demonstrates to this year’s that theselectees, Springfield who represent a wide variety of industries but PAGES 21-27 have all been successful in our community. Thank you to our sponsor, United Community Bank, for making it possible to celebrate KEYNOTE SPEAKER these local businesses. Leslie Graves was raised concentrating in criminal 2014 SELECTEES defense and juvenile law. Boondocks and attended District #186 Judge Graves will be schools.primarily She ingraduated Springfield from entering her 15th year on Café Moxo the bench this December. Cookie Factory Bakery 1980, followed by Illinois In 2010 she was elected WUIS/Illinois Issues p. 18-19 CopperTree Outdoor Lifestyles StateSpringfield University High in School1984 and in Presiding Judge of D&Js Café Southern Illinois University Sangamon County and in Habitat for Humanity Restore School of Law in 1988. 2012 she was elected Chief Harry’s Pharmacy She began her legal career Judge of the six counties of at the Sangamon County The Honorable the Seventh Judicial Circuit. Jamie’s The Diamond Mine Leslie Graves She is the daughter of KB Consulting later worked for the State Gene and Norma Graves. Kinner Kennels BoardState’s ofAttorney’s Elections office and andthe Gene was very active in Kulavic’s Auto Body Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Illinois politics in the 1960s and 70s and Lauterbach Tire Commission. Before being elected Circuit Judge in 2000, she had a solo practice for three terms. Maid-Rite Norma served as City Clerk of Springfield The Organized Home Springfield Running Center Review: Luca’s Pizza p. 28-29 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED SERVICE CHANGE PERMIT NO 209 NO PERMIT SPRINGFIELD, IL SPRINGFIELD, Springfield, Ill. 62705 Ill. Springfield, PAID U.S. POSTAGE U.S. P.O. Box 398 Box P.O. PRSRT STD PRSRT SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL BUSINESS SPRINGFIELD 2 | October 2014 | Springfield Business Journal MEDICAL Alterna-Care helps keep patients out of the hospital By Teresa Paul Kathy Sgro, founder and owner of mean a cost savings to the program. “They Alterna-Care Home Health System (319 E. realize that rewarding good post-acute care providers will help save Medicare dollars. developed a hospital prevention program, Under the Affordable Care Act, people are HOSPREVENT,Madison Street, which Suite is3L now in Springfield), in its 10th year. has looking at hospitals, nursing homes and The system uses a TeleHealth monitor which post-acute providers to help them reduce at-home patients use to take their own vital repeat hospitalizations.” signs on a daily basis. Alterna-Care has utilized HOSPREVENT “We can receive the patient’s daily since 2004 and has developed a model of vital signs such as blood pressure, heart home health services that focus on reducing rate, temperature, weight, oxygen level in repeat hospitalizations, which typically their blood and glucose level,” said Kathy’s impact most on diabetic, cardiac and mental son, Joseph Sgro, Alterna-Care’s Chief health patients. “In response to the Affordable Care Act receive this information on a daily basis by mandate, our model of care consists of the havingDevelopment the TeleHealth Officer. monitor “Alterna-Care with them can in nurse meeting with a specialty physician their home.” monthly in reviewing those patients’ “When looking at the Affordable Care treatment protocol,” said Kathy. “The Act, we are looking at how we pay for health specialty physician makes recommendations care and are paying based on performance,” on changing their medications, their diet said Kathy, a registered nurse with a and other treatment regimens.” doctorate in nursing practice. “Under the By using the HOSPREVENT program, Affordable Care Act we do not want to Alterna-Care has reduced repeat pay for poor health care,” she continued. hospitalizations for their patients by 50 “Under the pay-for-performance system, percent. Part of their model includes you get rewarded for good outcomes. Poor the use of the mobile TeleHealth units outcomes will be penalized.” provided to patients, which allow for direct Richard, Kathleen and Joseph Sgro with a Honeywell HomMed Vital Signs Monitor. PHOTO BY GINNY LEE Kathy said the Affordable Care Act could communication of vital information to AlternaCare has been using the monitor for clients for the past 10 years. Springfield Business Journal | October 2014 | 3 MEDICAL health care facilities. “When a family goes to the emergency room Alterna-Care purchased their at the hospital, the family has to take off TeleHealth units in 2004. The units are work,” Kathy said. “Once you get into the made by Honeywell and are called the system, the hospital starts running all kinds Honeywell HomMed Health Monitoring of tests, chest x-rays, blood tests and urine System™. TeleHealth units have been tests.” The costs only mount from there but available to health care providers since the AlternaCare is helping. “We had patient mid-1990s and the system has improved over time. said Kathy. “We had only positive feedback “The entire AlternaCare program was fromsurveys the when patients.” we first used the monitors,” developed by Kathy Sgro and has been “The other advantage to the TeleHealth extremely successful,” Joe Sgro said. “The monitor is the peace of mind for the family program has been written about in several – the children who may not be living with nursing magazines. She has trained others Mom and Dad,” said Joe Sgro. “All the all over the country. She has written a information we receive from the monitors is chapter in a nursing textbook about the compiled in a printout which we fax or email program.” to the primary care physicians. Doctors are “Anyone can get the technology,” Kathy happy with the program.” Sgro said. “That is just one piece of the Christine Jimerson, daughter of whole program.” TeleHealth patient Dolly Jimerson, both “We receive daily vital signs information about the patient so we can respond when has given her and her mother peace of there is a change in the patient’s condition,” mind.of Springfield, The Jimersons said the have monitoring been using system the Kathy continued. “Whereas before we had HOSPREVENT system for almost a year. TeleHealth, we would show up at a visit and “My mother’s weight tends to go up Telehealth Manager Niki Squires checks vital signs PHOTO BY GINNY LEE and down,” Jimerson said. “Whenever my readings of Alterna-Care clients. heart failure. It may be too late at that mother’s weight goes up, the nurse will pointfind out and the we patient have isto going send into the congestivepatient to call the heart clinic and tell the clinic what the hospital.” is going on with my mother’s health. If her blood pressure is going up, the nurse will over 200. “Had it not been for the monitor, device,” Jimerson said. is a change in their condition and we can call and ask my mother questions to see we would have not known to get my mother respond“Now immediately,” we can find Joe out said. the “That day is therewhat what is happening,” Jimerson said. “I like to the hospital,” Jimerson said. “The monitor Teresa Paul is a personal lines account is keeping our patients out of the hospital.” that about Alterna-Care.” system has been very helpful. Alterna-Care manager in the Taylorville office for Dansig When a patient does go to the hospital, Jimerson explained an incident where has a great group of nurses and are very Insurance. She can be reached at 217-565- family inconvenience and costs are an issue. her mother had a blood pressure reading of caring people and they have a very good 9535 or [email protected]. 4 | October 2014 | Springfield Business Journal NEW BUSINESS Shooting for the top Springfield Archery offers indoor range By Gabe House Mark Beck works as a broker in agricultural as Pekin and Champaign, Beck said, and he and recreational land sales for United attributes that to the indoor range and also Country Real Estate, so he recognized a his staff. Full-time manager Gary Rigney is a professional archer who has competed in numerous competitions for a number of closuregood fit offor Two a new Bears archery Custom shop Archery, and range and years. His wife, Kimberly, is also an instructor thein Springfieldformer Camelot when heBanquet saw it.