Today in Law

Website and social media campaign seeks law firm partner to represent whistleblowers

WASHINGTON, DC, USA, March 20, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ — (March 2019) – Historically, women have been the ones to shed light on some of the most egregious cases of fraud and waste in government, corporations and other organizations. ‘Women Whistleblowers’ the website and social media campaign features many of these courageous women and has garnered the attention of the online community as a whole. On Facebook alone, over 63,000 people have liked the Women Whistleblowers page, and many others engage with the campaign via Twitter and Instagram.

Launched in October 2017, the Women Whistleblowers campaign includes a website highlighting women who have bravely exposed wrongdoing in some of the largest corporations and organizations to change corporate behavior and public policy for the better. Among them are Enron whistleblower Sherron Watkins, JP Morgan Chase whistleblowers Alayne Fleischmann and Linda Almonte, and legendary PG&E whistleblower Erin Brokovich. These women successfully challenged large corporations and agencies to bring about positive outcomes for the public.

Women Whistleblowers seeks to help women expose fraud and wrongdoing within their organizations, including healthcare, the pharmaceutical industry, banking and government administration. So many women are in ideal positions to observe and record fraud, such as bookkeepers and administrators, and are ready and willing to speak out to protect the public. They risk less, as many corporations are still part of the “boys’ club,” plus, women are generally more inclined to protect those in weaker positions.

Currently, the Women Whistleblowers campaign is seeking a law firm partner willing to represent these courageous women. Women Whistleblowers is making a difference, one woman at a time.

“We hope to keep building momentum and help women expose fraud and corruption,” says Jessica Copen, senior writer. “With the right law firm partner, we can ensure these courageous women’s voices are heard and protected.”

About Women Whistleblowers: Officially launched in October 2017, Women Whistleblowers is a movement to honor and assist women who expose fraud and corruption and encourage others to stand up for gender equality. The campaign includes a website: womenwhistleblowers.com, Facebook page, Twitter feed, Instagram and YouTube channel. In partnership with a whistleblower law firm, Women Whistleblowers will also serve as a resource for women protecting themselves legally as whistleblowers.

If you are a law firm interested in partnering with Women Whistleblowers, please call: 713-222-2200 or email: info@womenwhistleblowers.com

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Bianca Diaz
Women Whistleblowers
+1 7132222200
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Source: EIN Presswire

SimpleChain original currency SIPC is available to exchange with the Spring Token which is the native token of the VeraxChain.

HANGZHOU, ZHEJIANG, CHINA, March 20, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ — Recently, SimpleChain original currency SIPC is available to exchange with the Spring Token. It is the native token of the VeraxChain which is the sub chain of SimpleChain. Spring Token can be used to obtain the services for evidence preservation and online forensic certification on a platform called Baoquan.com. The latter is the pioneer in legal field that provided the first blockchain forensic certification in China. Combination with the technology of blockchain, big data and AI, the efficiency of legislation, trial and execution of Internet dispute cases can be greatly enhanced.

The initial nodes of VeraxChain are forensic science center, notary office, CA center, regulatory authority and Baoquan.com. Each node is deployed in a controlled environment and data will be periodically synchronized to the public chain. The verification through the whole network ensures the security and distribution of data. The connection of SIPC and Spring Token contributes to the application of blockchain technology to the real economy.

The user cases of Baoquan.com cover the fields of finance, government affairs, logistics industry and copyright protection. The number of users reaches several million, and the volume of preserved evidence reaches tens of millions. Taking copyright protection as an example, when the author finds that someone infringes his/her article, he/she can reserve the evidence of infringing websites by using tools and services offered by Baoquan.com. The information of website or operation steps will be packaged as the evidence and obtain a hash value after use algorithm. Then this digital abstract will be recorded on the chain and become an electronic evidence of infringement in subsequent judicial proceedings or disputes.

As a revolutionary infrastructure blockchain, SimpleChain is designed and developed with a double-layered structure: the main chain with PoW consensus algorithm and the sub chain offers flexibility that is customizable for different sub chain with specific consensus algorithm according to various applications. SimpleChain also provides an environment that is simple for sub chain to develop and deploy. The application scenarios of the sub chain include data transactions, digital entertainment, diamonds, real estate, stable currency, copyright protection, etc.. SimpleChain links to the judicial alliance chain to provide judicial support for the entire chain.

The original digital asset SIPC plays a key role to bind the community developers, application users and other clients together for a healthy ecosystem. The original digital asset SIPC is mined since the main chain was launched with a limited total supply. Meanwhile, the total supply could be dynamically adjusted along with the changing need from sub chain.

SimpleChain is aiming to provide a compatible practical solution for various distributed applications. Various sub chain is going to anchor to SimpleChain main chain via a two-way peg in order to complete the cross-chain transactions and thus builds a rich ecosystem.

Hillary LI
Dataqin Tech. Ltd Co.
+86 187 6854 8142
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Source: EIN Presswire

Florida law allows for a child of any age to be taken into custody and sent for an involuntary psychiatric examination.

The Florida chapter of CCHR is a non-profit mental health watchdog dedicated to the protection of children.

CCHR is asking lawmakers to change how the mental health law is applied to minors to protect children from the trauma of involuntary psychiatric examinations.

CLEARWATER, FL, USA, March 20, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ — Parents in Florida are justifiably outraged that elementary school aged children can be handcuffed and carted away in the back of a police car to a psychiatric ward for an involuntary examination. Known as a Baker Act, this is all initiated without the permission or knowledge of parents.

According to the Florida chapter of the international mental health watchdog, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), the seemingly indiscriminate Baker Acting of children is not only a violation of parental rights and the rights of the child but also a human rights abuse.

A Miami Herald story early last year reported that a 7-year-old was treated in this manner after hitting and kicking a teacher during lunch. Only 15 miles from this incident, and on the very same day, a 10-year-old autistic boy begged his teacher not to call the police when he became agitated after being told to make up schoolwork during recess.

According to the Miami Herald article the fourth grader became upset when a teacher told him to make up some homework during recess. The child later told his mother that when he became upset “one of his teachers told the other to call the Baker Act number.”

The article continues, “Kevin knew what ‘Baker Act’ meant. Two years earlier, during another meltdown, teachers at his old school had invoked the Florida law, which instructs police to take people who appear to be mentally ill and pose a danger to themselves or others for an involuntary psychiatric exam. On that occasion, Kevin’s parents had shown up just in time, before police could handcuff him.”

Families of children with special needs, as well as lawyers and activists who support them, affirm that the Baker Act is being abused, traumatizing children.

Allison Hertog who is a special education lawyer states the obvious “,…certainly a child of that age should not be Baker Acted in my opinion because he couldn’t be a danger to himself or others unless he was carrying a weapon. He’s too little.” (1)

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) published this rather damning evidence concerning involuntary psychiatric evaluation of children:

“A subset of children seen in emergency departments (ED) for psychiatric complaints are on involuntary psychiatric holds for danger to self or others, or grave disability due to a mental health condition. These involuntary holds are often initiated in the prehospital setting in the midst of a volatile situation, but in reality, patients may or may not represent a true and imminent threat to self or others or be gravely disabled. To our knowledge, there is no data published on the use of involuntary psychiatric holds in young children. The effectiveness of involuntary psychiatric holds on stabilizing patients with acute psychiatric emergencies has not been evaluated in adults or adolescents, much less in young children.” (2)

“Despite the fact that the effectiveness of involuntary psychiatric holds has not been evaluated, children in Florida and other states are being taken into custody in ever increasing numbers and this is a human rights abuse,” states Diane Stein, president of CCHR Florida.

Armed with information on parental rights and the law, Florida parents are now speaking up on the traumatization of their children due to inappropriate and possibly illegal Baker Acting.

Sandy Liebl spoke out on social media after her 10-year-old autistic son was handcuffed and taken to a facility from his school. (3)

Sande Butler, another Florida mom whose autistic son was Baker Acted at school told ABC Action News, "He's traumatized and afraid of everyone."

Kathy Lovejoy spoke to Fox4 of her grandson being taken from school, handcuffed and transported to a mental health facility two times. Ms. Lovejoy points out that in both cases doctors determined her grandson, born with fetal alcohol syndrome is also autistic.

None of these children should have been Baker Acted, since they suffer from autism and are not considered mentally ill under the law. (4)

In response, CCHR has been asking Florida’s lawmakers to amend the mental health law in order to provide greater protections for children and the restoration of parental rights. Those interested in learning more about CCHR’s campaign to protect children from abusive Baker Acting are encouraged to call 800-782-2878 and to contact their Florida Representative and Senator.

About CCHR: Initially established by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz in 1969, CCHR’s mission is to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and enact patient and consumer protections. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, first brought psychiatric imprisonment to wide public notice: “Thousands and thousands are seized without process of law, every week, over the ‘free world’ tortured, castrated, killed. All in the name of ‘mental health,’” he wrote in March 1969. For more information visit www.cchrflorida.org

Sources:
(1) https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article197958454.html
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5654888/
(3) https://www.facebook.com/10NewsWTSP/posts/my-10-yr-disabled-autistic-son-was-baker-acted-last-month-while-he-was-at-school/1919883541378722/
(4) https://www.fox4now.com/longform/children-in-crisis-floridas-baker-acted-kids

Diane Stein
Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Florida
+1 727-422-8820
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President of CCHR Florida, Diane Stein, has been working with Florida lawmakers to eliminate the unjust involuntary psychiatric examination of children.

Source: EIN Presswire

Florida was second only to New York for Medicaid fraud recoveries in 2016.

The headquarters for CCHR Florida are located in downtown Clearwater.

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights is a non-profit mental health watchdog dedicated to the eradication of abuses committed under the guise of mental health.

While advocates are calling for more mental health funding, Florida remains hot bed for health care fraud; South Florida leading the region for past 20 years.

CLEARWATER, FL, USA, March 20, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ — According to a report from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office of the Inspector General, Florida was second only to New York for Medicaid fraud recoveries in 2016. Apparently not much has changed over the years. In 2018, Sam Konell, a longtime liaison between mental health clinics and Miami-Dade’s criminal court, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for funneling state-court defendants to a corrupt clinic. This one case cost taxpayers an estimated $25 million. [1]

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a mental health watchdog that works to enact consumer protections, believes that before more money is spent on a fraudulent system, an effective process to verify mental health billing validity should be put into place to prevent tens of millions of tax payer dollars from lining the pockets of unethical practitioners.

“Florida is infamously known for mental health and health care fraud and this needs to be addressed as the priority,” said Diane Stein, president of the Florida chapter of CCHR. “Millions of dollars are being stolen from taxpayers and people who need real help pay the price.”

In 2017 Shawn Thorpe, President of Coastal Bay Behavioral Health in Jacksonville, faced charges for $1.4 million in Medicaid fraud in for a scheme created when he partnered with Ruben McLain, a man who secretly operated under a false name since he was already banned from Medicaid due to earlier crimes. Thorpe and McLain both pleaded guilty. [2][3]

Another example of potential fraud is Florida’s involuntary examination law. Commonly known as the Baker Act, this law allows for a person to be held for up to 72 hours before it is determined whether the criteria for incarceration is met yet the psychiatric facility bills for the stay even if the person should never have been taken into custody. With more than 199,000 Baker Act initiations in Florida during fiscal year 2016/2017 and with a reported average length of stay at 4.5 days the potential for abusive use and fraudulent billing of Baker Acts is very real.[4][5]

The fact that there are no tests to diagnose mental illness appears to contribute to the ease with which fraud can be committed. A prime example is the manual psychiatrists use, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which grows every year with new disorders that are largely voted into existence by popular opinion and void of any scientific basis yet these “disorders” all come with an insurance billing code so that the psychiatrist can label a person and get paid for controversial disorders such as Caffeine Intoxication Disorder.[6][7]

For more information on psychiatric fraud or to report abuse please call CCHR Florida at 727-442-8820 or visit www.cchrflorida.org.

About CCHR: Initially established by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz in 1969, CCHR’s mission is to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and enact patient and consumer protections. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, first brought psychiatric imprisonment to wide public notice: “Thousands and thousands are seized without process of law, every week, over the ‘free world’ tortured, castrated, killed. All in the name of ‘mental health,’” he wrote in March 1969. For more information visit www.cchrflorida.org

Sources:
[1] http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article201667554.html
[2] http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2017-10-14/pair-faces-fraud-charges-tied-medicaid-payments-jacksonville-mental-health
[3] https://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/22/1-billion-alleged-medicare-fraud-money-laundering-scheme-leads-to-florida-arrests.html
[4] http://www.votersopinion.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Baker-Act-Overview-2013.pdf
[5] http://www.usf.edu/cbcs/baker-act/documents/annual_report.pdf
[6] https://www.cchrint.org/issues/dsm-billing-bible/
[7] https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Practice/DSM/APA_DSM-5-Contents.pdf
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-reg-opioid-crackdown-20180628-story.html
https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2017/03/08/medicaid-fraud-recoveries-top-165m-in-florida.html

Diane Stein
Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Florida
+1 727-422-8820
email us here
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Who Commits More Healthcare Fraud and Abuse? – ‘The Quiz’ – CCHR

Source: EIN Presswire

The Mass Tort Global Settlement Architecture Conference will take place on May 2, 2019 at the Westin Washington, D.C. City Center.

The Mass Tort Global Settlement Architecture Conference will take place on May 2, 2019 at the Westin Washington, D.C. City Center.

WAYNE, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES, March 19, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ — Perrin Conferences, the leading national provider of joint plaintiff/defense litigation conferences, is hosting the Mass Tort Global Settlement Architecture Conference on May 2, 2019 at the Westin Washington, D.C. City Center.

This one-day conference will feature updates and predictions from leading federal officials, in-house counsel, judges, and subject matter experts—all of whom will discuss the current status and foresights of mass tort litigation in the U.S.

Perrin Conferences is pleased to announce this year’s conference chairs, who play an active role in assembling an impactful and engaging agenda for 2019:
• Kenneth R. Feinberg, Esq., Law Offices of Kenneth R. Feinberg, Washington, D.C.
• Deborah Greenspan, Esq., Blank Rome, Washington, D.C.

“Mass tort litigation has never been more challenging. The increasing size and complexity of cases, as well as changes to the legal and political landscape, require parties to understand and implement best practices to achieve an efficient and successful resolution,” said Lynnsey Perrin, President & CEO of Perrin Conferences. “Our Mass Tort Conference will be the place for attendees to network and obtain important information from our impressive lineup of speakers.”

Some featured speakers include:
• Hon. Charles R. Breyer, Senior United States District Judge of the Northern District of California, San Francisco, CA
• Joseph Gargan, CEO, The Pension Company, Inc., Washington, D.C.
• Joe G. Hollingsworth, Esq., Hollingsworth LLP, Washington, D.C.
• Richard S. Lewis, Esq., Hausfeld, Washington, D.C.
• Francis E. McGovern, Professor of Law, Duke University School of Law, Durham, NC
• Ellen K. Reisman, Esq., Reisman Karron Greene LLP, Washington, D.C.
• Marc C. Scarcella, Economic and Complex Analytics Practice Area Leader & Principal, Roux Associates, Inc., Arlington, VA
• Christopher A. Seeger, Esq., Seeger Weiss LLP, New York, NY
• Rachel Stoering, Chief Operating Officer, JND Legal Administration, Seattle, WA
• Joseph Warren, United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
• Gary L. Wingo, Senior Managing Director, Ankura Consulting Group, LLC, Washington, D.C.
• R. Brent Wisner, Esq., Baum Hedlund Aristei Goldman PC, Los Angeles, CA

Perrin Conferences is applying for approximately 7.0-8.4 CLE credit hours, depending on the state. Please contact Katie Milnes at kmilnes@perrinconferences.com for any questions and to submit your CLE requests.

In addition to the educational benefits, attendees also receive exclusive opportunities for networking, information sharing, and career development. For more details on registration and hotel accommodations, please contact Lynnsey Perrin at lperrin@perrinconferences.com or visit the Perrin Conferences website at www.perrinconferences.com.

About Perrin Conferences
The leading national provider of joint plaintiff/defendant litigation conferences, Perrin Conferences offers comprehensive and specialized continuing legal education in an atmosphere of learning, networking, and sharing. Bringing together preeminent national talent in specialty legal fields, Perrin Conferences ensures its conferences deliver innovative content, networking opportunities and career development. Attendees gain insights that cannot be found anywhere else. Follow the latest news from Perrin Conferences on Twitter @PerrinConf. For more information on the company and upcoming conferences please visit www.perrinconferences.com.

# # #

Contact:
Lisa Graham
Graham Media Partners
610-688-2060
lisa@grahammediapartners.com

Bethany Corio
Perrin Conferences
+1 610-688-2060
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Source: EIN Presswire

Eric Ritter of Aeryon Labs recognized with a Professional Education and Training Leadership Award for Technology Assisted Training Delivery

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, UNITED STATES, March 19, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ — Education Services LLC is proud to recognize Eric Ritter of Aeryon Labs with a 2018 Professional Education and Training Leadership Award for Technology Assisted Training Delivery.

Eric is being recognized for his leadership and initiative in creation of the MCS v4.1 Update Training Program. Version 4.1 of the Aeryon Mission Control Software (MCS) delivered many improvements but also significant changes to the user interface.

Eric recognized the importance of training the world-wide customer base on this important new release prior to installation by end-users on their aircraft and command tablets. He oversaw creation of the MCS v4.1 Update Training Program which teaches operators about the changes and enhancements in this important release.

All customers world-wide were given advanced access to the training program which included multi-media explanations and demonstrations of the new and changed functionality, and included access to modules from the full Level 1 training program that includes interactive learning and practice activities, guided practice pseudo-simulations, and access to the fully functional cloud-hosted MCS simulator. During installation of the upgrade, operators are again given another opportunity to immediately access the online cloud-hosted MCS simulator from their web browser, in their choice of 11 languages, with just a single mouse click. This approach helped to ensure that all customers had the opportunity to learn about and practice with the new user interface before upgrading their aircraft and command tablets.

Congratulations to Eric Ritter and Aeryon Labs on this exceptional achievement!

About Eric Ritter (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericritter/)

Eric Ritter is the Director of Customer Service and Training at Aeryon Labs, based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. He was previously Vice President of Security Operations at eSentire, Director of Sales Engineering at Desire2Learn, and served in numerous positions at Research in Motion including Senior Director of Operations & Program Management.

About Aeryon (https://www.aeryon.com/)

Aeryon Labs Inc. is a leading provider of high-performance drones and software solutions for military, public safety, and commercial customers around the globe. Aeryon’s battle-tested Unmanned Aircraft Systems set the standard for real-time, secure, aerial intelligence across a wide range of mission-critical applications from clandestine tactical missions, to search and rescue operations, to commercial inspections and more. Aeryon drones are deployed with over 20 militaries and in use with customers in over 30 countries.

About Education Services LLC (https://www.edsvcs.com/)

Education Services LLC is a professional services firm specializing in workforce training and performance management through use of applied learning science and modern learning technology. Services include consulting, program design, creation of online and blended learning programs, learning technology evaluation and selection, and development and operations of custom learning platforms. The company supports learning systems running in private and public cloud infrastructure and AWS GovCloud.

Steve Klingler
Education Services LLC
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Project Methodology Overview

Source: EIN Presswire

Texas Attorney Aaron Allison

The employer was a Texas “non-subscriber", meaning the injured employee had to seek compensation through a negligence lawsuit instead of a workers' comp claim.

AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA, March 19, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ — A Texas gym employee received $300,000 after she was seriously injured at work.The employee in question was closing down the gym for the night when she brushed against a large wall clock in the lady’s locker room. The clock weighed about 15 pounds, and it was held in place by just a tiny push pin. The clock fell, shattering her ankle and severing her tendons.This injury caused many complications in her life. She was faced with high medical bills, surgeries, and a large scar on her ankle. Since she also worked as a fitness model, the scar was a major setback for her modeling career.

Since her employer was a Texas “non-subscriber” to workers’ comp, meaning it did not provide workers’ compensation to its employees, she had to seek compensation through other legal avenues. Her claim is known as a non-subscriber work injury claim, whereby she held the employer gym responsible for her injuries due to negligence. The gym refused to offer a settlement, and the case went to binding arbitration. In this case, the arbitrator was a former Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. The arbitrator decided that the gym was negligent in the way it hung the clock and in its failure to provide a safe work environment. The arbitrator clarified that the unsafe condition was latent in nature, meaning that the injured worker could not have known that the clock was hazardous. She was awarded $300,000.

Her attorney was Aaron Allison, an injury lawyer based in Austin, Texas. He said, "If a worker is injured in Texas, and their employer does not have workers' compensation insurance, that worker must go through other legal avenues to receive compensation for their medical costs and lost wages."

Aaron Allison is one of only a few attorneys in Texas that handles workers’ compensation cases, and he evaluates all on-the-job injuries to make sure his clients pursue all available legal options for relief when an employer is a non-subscriber to workers' comp. Of the 95,000 attorneys working in Texas, only 40 represent the injured worker in straight workers’ compensation cases. If an injured worker is hurt and their employer does not provider workers’ compensation, that employee may be able to file a negligence lawsuit against his or her employer to recover damages.

To learn more about Aaron Allison’s practice and experience or for a free consultation, contact him directly at 888-300-1476.

Kimberly Busch
AskTheLawyers.com™, LLC
+1 970-239-1453
email us here

Texas Gym Employee Awarded $300,000 After Workplace Injury

Source: EIN Presswire

Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, USA, March 18, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ — A study by IBM Watson Health named four Intermountain Healthcare facilities to their annual Top 100 Hospitals list. These Utah hospitals were recognized as top industry performers:

• Intermountain Alta View Hospital in Sandy
• Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital in Logan
• Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital in Provo
• Intermountain Cedar City Hospital in Cedar City

The hospitals that make the list serve as examples of how innovation can lead to better value-based care for patients. Highlighting the achievements and goals of organizations on the list gives other hospitals around the country examples to strive for.

The Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals study uses independent and objective research to analyze hospital and health system performance in 10 clinical and operational areas.

“This honor reflects the data-driven work of our clinicians and employees to consistently bring quality and value to our patients,” said Rob Allen, Intermountain Healthcare’s chief operating officer. “Our programs like Zero Harm to protect patient safety and telehealth services — which link renowned specialists with clinicians and patients in rural areas — are becoming models for other health systems around the county.”

The study spotlights the top-performing hospitals in the U.S. based on a balanced scorecard of publicly available clinical, operational, and patient satisfaction data. Based on the results of this year’s study, IBM Watson Health extrapolates that if all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as those treated in the award-winning facilities:

• More than 103,000 additional lives could be saved
• More than 38,000 additional patients could be complication-free
• More than $8.2 billion in inpatient costs could be saved
• Approximately 155,000 fewer discharged patients would be readmitted within 30 days

This is Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital’s seventh year in a row on the list, while Intermountain Utah Valley is making the top 100 for the first time. Intermountain Cedar City and Intermountain Alta View have each made the list at least six times.

The 10 clinical and operational areas examined in the study include: risk-adjusted inpatient mortality, risk-adjusted complications, mean healthcare-associated infections, mean 30-day risk-adjusted mortality rates, mean 30-day risk-adjusted readmission rates, severity-adjusted length of stay, mean emergency department throughput, case mix- and wage-adjusted inpatient expense per discharge, adjusted operating profit margin, and HCAHPS scores (patient ratings of overall hospital performance).

The study has been conducted annually since 1993. For more information, visit www.100tophospitals.com

Intermountain Healthcare is a Utah-based not-for-profit system of 23 hospitals, 170 clinics, a Medical Group with some 2,300 employed physicians and advanced care practitioners, a health insurance company called SelectHealth, and other health services. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare through evidence-based best practices, high quality, and sustainable costs. For more information about Intermountain, visit intermountainhealthcare.org.

Glen Beeby
Intermountain Healthcare
+1 206-948-4849
email us here

Source: EIN Presswire

USB pays CEO $20 million-plus, stiffs postal service for $50 making it impossible for borrowers to obtain critical information about their home loans.

CLEVELAND, OHIO, UNITED STATES, March 18, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ — Since taking over the helm of U.S. Bank (USB) in 2017, CEO Andrew J. Cecere, Jr. has been paid more than $20,000,000. During the past year, the bank reaped billions of dollars in windfall profits thanks to the Trump tax cut. Yet the nation’s seventh largest bank which boasts assets of more than $464 billion apparently could not scrape up $50 a month to pay the rent on the post office box in Eagan, Minnesota where it directed borrowers to send correspondence regarding their mortgage loans. The box was shut down for five weeks before USB paid the fee to reopen it on March 8.

According to former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann the founder of Cleveland-based DannLaw LPA, the bank’s failure to fork over that small amount of money could spell big trouble for the huge lender. “By allowing the P.O. box to be closed, USB callously and recklessly stripped borrowers of rights they are guaranteed under federal law,” Dann said. “And, if that’s not bad enough, the bank’s actions could result in unjust foreclosures. We’re not going to stand by let them get away with it.”

In order to protect affected homeowners, DannLaw and Zimmerman Law Offices, P.C. of Chicago, filed a federal class action suit against USB on Friday, March 15, 2019. Their complaint alleges that the lender has repeatedly violated important provisions of and regulations associated with the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA).

The complaint was filed in the United States District Court Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division at Cleveland. The case number is 1:19-cv-00538-DAP.

Atty. Dann said he became aware of the problem when documents submitted by his office on behalf of clients who were seeking information about USB’s handling of their mortgages were returned by the U.S. Postal Service marked “Box Closed No Order—Eagan,” and “Return to Sender Attempted—Not Known Unable to Forward.” In a response to an inquiry from DannLaw, USPS officials confirmed that the box was closed because the rental fee had not been paid.
“RESPA establishes concrete procedures for borrowers and lenders,” Atty. Dann noted. “Borrowers must submit inquiries to the address established by the lender. Lenders must respond to those inquiries in a timely manner. Our clients followed the rules. USB did not. Because the bank allowed the box to close, they didn’t respond to important, lawful requests for information.”

“That violated the law and put our clients at risk for losing their homes because we need the requested information to pursue loan modifications or to stop foreclosures if the bank is dual-tracking, which means slow-walking negotiations for loan mods or other types of settlements while simultaneously pursuing a foreclosure action at the same time.”

“I’m dismayed but not surprised by USB’s disregard for the law,” Dann continued. “Company employees consistently refused to provide documents they are legally required to produce and asserted spurious reasons for doing so. It’s clear USB’s goal is to obfuscate and delay so they can pile on late fees and other charges for as long as possible. Unfortunately, it’s a common practice in the mortgage servicing industry. USB’s just taken it to another level. I guess they thought closing down the P.O. box would mean they wouldn’t even have to send denial letters because they never received the requests. We think they’re dead wrong and we believe the Court will agree with us.”

Dann said the case was filed as a class action because borrowers across the United States may have been impacted by USB’s decision to close the P.O. box. “As of the first quarter of 2018 the company was servicing $295,000,000,000 in mortgages,” he said. “That means that hundreds, if not thousands of people may have had their rights abused. We’ll know more once the discovery process begins, but we want to be in a position to fight for everyone who has been wronged because a multi-billion-dollar financial firm refused to pony up the $50 needed to abide by the law.”

For more information contact Atty. Marc Dann at 216-452-1026.

MARC DANN
DannLaw LPA
216-452-1026
email us here

Source: EIN Presswire

Channel 2 Action News investigative reporter Richard Belcher joins the Foundation Thursday for “Shining a Light on Government.”

Congressman Doug Collins keynotes the Foundation’s April 17 event on “Second Chances.”

Government Transparency. Criminal Justice Reforms. Education Policy. Free Speech.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA, USA, March 18, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Georgia Public Policy Foundation hosts about a dozen events a year in metro Atlanta and across the state, inviting state and national issue experts to share free-market, limited-government news and views at Leadership Breakfasts, Policy Briefing Luncheons and Happy Hour policy events.

These events are open to the public and media.* Registration is required; the registration fee covers the cost of the event for the Foundation, a state-focused, nonprofit, public policy research and education organization.

The Foundation currently has four events scheduled:

Thursday, March 21: “Shining a Light on Government,” an 8 a.m. Leadership Breakfast featuring veteran investigative reporter Richard Belcher of WSB-TV/Channel 2 Action News in celebration of Sunshine Week, held annually in March. Georgian Club in Cobb County. $30. (Registration deadline is Tuesday, March 19.)

Wednesday, April 10: “Education Choice: A Case Study in Policy and Politics,” a Foundation Happy Hour Policy Discussion in Athens at 5 p.m., in partnership with The Arch Conservative. Speakers are Kyle Wingfield, president and CEO of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, and Jeffrey Dorfman, professor of Economics at the University of Georgia. Hilton Garden Inn Magnolia Ballroom. $10.

Wednesday, April 17: “Second Chances 2019,” an 8 a.m. Leadership Breakfast with Georgia Congressman Doug Collins, sponsor of the FIRST STEP Act, to mark Second Chance Month, which celebrates opportunities for those who have paid their debt to society. Georgian Club. $30.

Thursday, May 23: “You Can Say That: How Courage Can Defeat Political Correctness,” a noon Policy Briefing Luncheon with David French of the National Review Institute. Georgian Club. $35.

Information and registration for all events can be found on the Georgia Public Policy Foundation's Events page.

*Media who wish to attend an event must contact Benita Dodd at 404-256-4050 or benitadodd@georgiapolicy.org.

Benita Dodd
Georgia Public Policy Foundation
4042564050
email us here

Source: EIN Presswire