Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Miami physician sentenced in Medicare fraud case - San Francisco Business Times:

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Rodriguez was indicted in , alonbg with two other doctors in connection witha $10 million Medicare fraud scheme. He pleaded guilty in to conspiracy to commirt healthcare fraud. Rodrigueza was a co-owner of and physician at Midway Medical a Miami clinic that purported to specialize in the treatmentg ofHIV patients, according to a news releasw from the U.S. Department of He admitted that, while at he and his co-conspirators billed Medicare for service that were medically unnecessary and in many instancesenever provided.
He also admitted that he purchasec only a small amount of the drugx that he claimed to administer to patients and that he falsifiedcmedical records, according to the news release. Rodriguez also admittedr that he was liste as medical director and practicing physicianj for fiveother Miami-area HIV infusionb clinics between October 2003 and February 2005, where he engaged in similar activity. He admitted to filing more than $20 million in false claims. Several of Rodriguez’e co-defendants have already been sentenced for theif roles at Midway andrelatec clinics.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

A Conversation with | Sue Chilton, Zeitlin & Co. - Phoenix Business Journal:

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What is the most outside-of-the-bocx idea you have ever had in yourprofessionakl career? I give an annual appreciation luncheon for Realtors who cooperated on sales from the year What was the result? Many Realtors tell me they show my listingsw in hopes of selling and getting an invitatiob to the luncheon. What singler thing makes your organizationstand out? The visionargy leadership of Shirley Zeitlin and her insistence on quality integrity, and outstanding customer What does your organizationh have in the workd for 2009? Expanded educational offerings for our How did you wind up in your currengt position? I am an insatiable learner.
Shirley Zeitlin recognized my passion for educatiom and offered me an opportunity to continue selling and also leadour company’a continuing education program. Why do you have the career you have? I love the freedo m of being anindependent contractor. I’mk willing to work non-business hours because of the flexibilituy during thetraditional “work Working closely, often intimately, with buyers and sellers to help them meet their goals and dreams is very satisfying. What word best describez your leadership style? Collaborative. Goal yet to be Saying “no” to what I want to do that will make my schedule too tight.
I’m learning the value of planningg space between appointments forunexpectedr opportunities. Professional pet Vague and incomplete voice mail messages that require a retur n phone call for a conversation when a simpls answer could havebeen given. What keeps you up at night? Nothing. I am an excellent What do you do torelieve stress? Regular exercise and What is the simplest thing you never learner to do? Put things back where they belong. Favorite Reading, walking in local parks, travel. What skill wouls you most liketo improve? Computer. What part of your job woulf you gladlygive up? Paperwork. What trait do you values most in friends? Honesty.
Personn outside of your family you would most like to spend time with on an Native Nashvillian Laura She inspires me with her wisdom and activer engagementin life. You’ve just been givenj $100,000 to donate to Where would yougive it, and why? Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity. Children and adultx thrive when they are able to achieve the dream of home Adults earn the right tohave interest-free loans by “sweat — helping build others’ houses and studyiny budgeting. What would you like to crossz offyour “bucket list” next? Running an 8K with our 10- and 13-year-oldc grandchildren in November.
What line of work wouldr you pursue ifyou couldn’t work in your present one? Executivew and life coaching.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Airport leases raise questions - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Veteran companies like Hudson Group, Delaware North Cos. and are askinf whether bid evaluators were qualified to make the recommendations and whether one of the winning companies has enouguretail experience. "I'm more than willinf to accept the fact thatwe weren't awarded anything, as long as it was transparentg and fair," said Stuart Holcombe, HDS' executive vice presiden t of business development. New York City-based HDS Retai North America bid on severalo of theshop leases, but did not garnef any.
The Atlanta City Council's transportation committese is expected to discuss the retail contractsApril 2, but alreadyy one company has filed a complaint over the procurementf process. In 2007, the world's busiest airportt sought bids for the right to run 66 stores throughout the airpory for up to10 years. Eleven separatre bid packages divvied up the66 shops, so companieds large and small would have an opportunitg to vie for the covetedr airport leases. Sales at the 66 shopzs up for leasetotaled $89 million in said Herschel Grangent, media relations managere at Hartsfield-Jackson.
All 200 shops at the airport generateeabout $124 million in sales last year, he Miami-based Áreas USA Inc., whose parenft company is in Barcelona, won the majority of the with five, covering 26 stores. Atlanta-basexd The won three of the bids, for 13 and would mark a returh tothe company's hometown airport. The Paradie s Shops has had no presenceat Hartsfield-Jackson since following the conviction of its formerd president on federal charges of mail fraus and conspiracy to bribe former Atlanta City Council member Ira Jackson in a scandal involvinvg leases at the airport. Md.
-based won two of the bids, whicn represents 26 shops, and won a single bid for one Atlanta City CouncilwomanMary Norwood, chairman of the transportatioj committee, said she is hearing concernw that Áreas USA won too many of the "They have a much strongerd food and beverage presence, but littlee retail experience," she said. "I'm not saying anything is but thereare concerns.
" None of the bids, whicjh were evaluated in February, are The bids must still be approved by the city Once approved, the retail leases, which woulrd be for shops selling everything from magazinesx to electronics, are for seven with a single option to renew for an additional three years. The new shopse could begin to be installed as soon as this Grangent said. HDS Retail North America's concern is that Áreasw USA, which made its name in the food andbeveragde industry, won a majority of the bids with littls retail experience, Holcombe said. HDS has more than 4,0090 airport stores in 13 countries, yet Áreas USA only recently opened itsfirst U.S. shops at , he said.
Eduardo vice president of business developmentof Áreaas USA's Miami office, was traveling and did not return calls for comment. However, a spokeswoman said Áreas USA has been awardedd concession contracts at MiamiInternationalk Airport, and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and manages 34 establishments. Holcombe, who received evaluation forms for each of the bid packageds from the city through the Freedonm ofInformation Act, questioned how evaluators could rank Áreaxs USA high on retail experience.
Áreas USA went up againsgt the top airport concession operators inthe nation, Holcombe "and they beat out companiew that have been operatorzs in the United States for We find it curious that Áreas has more experienced than we do, or any of the othed operators." Another failed bidder, Delaware Northy Cos., which runs concessions at national parks, airports and sports arenas, is also disappointed.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Thousands of Muslims gather in prayer at Angel Stadium - Los Angeles Times

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New Vision


Thousands of Muslims gather in prayer at Angel Stadium

Los Angeles Times


More than 20,000 Muslims gathered at the baseb »

Friday, October 26, 2012

Pedal to Properties takes on partner, plans expansion - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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Founded and headed by Matt Kolb, Peda l to Properties is a residential real estate firm that givezs clients the option of looking at homesby bicycle. The companyt maintains a fleet of 50 Electra Cruiser bikes. Kolb has sold a 50 percent stake in the companyg for an undisclosed sum to attorneytTim Majors, who specializes in takinf regional retail businesses national. As a partnefr in Pedal to Properties, Majorsx will work out of the company’s Boulder office. who’s originally from Australia, approached Kolb about investing in the real estater firm after looking at Boulder propertiesdby bicycle.
“We certainly plan to incorporate national and international branding expertiser to expand Pedal to Properties in other Kolb said ina statement. Pedal to Properties plans to look at openinf branch officesin other, unspecified U.S. In May, the company launched a licensee designation for brokeres interested in using theBoulder business’ operationao formula in their markets. The Coloradp company already is working to expand quicklt in its hometown by adding more spacwe and agents indowntown Boulder.
“u believe Pedal to Properties is in a perfecr position to meet the evolving social and demographiv changes going on in the United States with Majors said ina

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Scoops: Who

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The store, along with a , is on a grounxd lease owned by , which acquiredf the three-acre site when it bought the landsd owned by the former Estate of Samuelk Mills Damon inlate 2003. That lease expiresx in 2013 andthe Newton, Mass.-based real estatew investment trust says it’s lookingv at possibly replacing the two buildings and largw surface parking lot with a mixed-use tower that couldf include retail on the ground topped by parking and residentiall units. “We’re starting the studie s this year to see if that wouldf be the best fit forthat site,” said Chriw Woodard, senior officer for HRPT’s strategiv real estate projects.
“I think that site is pretty prime for Woodard said planning for redevelopment likel would take more thanfour years. In that case, HRPT woulr extend the leases for Longs and PR executive Kris Tanahara joine Becker Communications PR executive Kris Tanaharaa has joined as vice president afted eight yearsat . “I never thought I’d move to another PR firm, but after meetintg with Ruth Ann Becker andlearning more, I was convincex it would be an opportunity that I couldn’rt pass up,” Tanahara said. “My new officed is a block away from myold one. I’j making my way up Bishop Street!
” Her accountes will include Haseko, Hawaii Crop Improvementy Association, Hawaii Medical Center and OhanaHealth Plan. Before public relations, she was a prinft and broadcast journalist for the Voice of America in The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyko and TheHonolulu Advertiser. She replaces Chris Parsons, who left the firm this week to join his wife inGrandc Junction, Colo., where she is an Episcopalian minister. Parsonsa said he plans to writes a book and teach PRand journalism.
Free new Web site will link job opening with job seekers Hawaii staffing firm Altrees will launch a new Web site designed to more easilt connect local companies that are hiring with job candidatezs who are eagerly seeking TheWeb site, www.jobsfreeforall.com, is free for companie to log on and post job openingsw and free for job seekers to search for availabld jobs. It will launcgh April 20. Mark Dawson, who previously was director ofbusiness development, is presidenf and CEO of the new Jobs Free For All. He said the site also will offer service s that willcost extra, such as human resources background checks and skills tests.
Hawaiji law firm lays off nine employee to reducecosts , Hawaii’s largest commercia law firm, laid off nine administrative employees last week in a bid to managde costs in the recession. The firm’s managere said no attorneys were affected bythe “It is important to the firm to ensure that our numberw are aligned with our clients’ expectations in ordet to continue to provide high-quality legal service in an efficient and effective manner,” Managing Partner Gary Slovin told PBN.
“Thd people we let go were held in high regarcd for their hard workand dedication, but the dramatic marketf conditions businesses in Hawaii are currentlyg facing resulted in this course of Meanwhile, the firm intends to hire three new attorneyes to join its corporate and intellectuak property practices.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Sunwest deal nears - Baltimore Business Journal:

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Terms haven’t been released, but the SEC confirmed it has reached a tentativer deal to settlethe case. Settlements typically involvee a monetary penalty as well as the returnof ill-gotten In this case, it appears Sunwesy won’t be assessed a fine beforee it has a chance to reorganize as a viabl business. “We don’t want to starved the reorganization by taking money out of saidMark Fickes, trial counsepl for the SEC and lead attorney in its case against Sunwest. The SEC charged Sunwest Managementy with securities fraudin March. The companuy was quickly placed in the control ofa court-appointecd receiver, Portland-based Grassmueck Group.
The SEC accusex Sunwest and other defendantsa of misleading morethan 1,300 investors who committeds more than $300 milliom in equity to the company. Sunwestf used investors money to leverag e morethan $1 billion in debt to assemble a portfolik of more than 250 senior livint facilities around the The combination of too much debt and low occupancyy rates led to a cash flow crisis that triggeredx dozens of foreclosure actions and other legal casea against Sunwest, its founder Jon Harder and its law Davis, Wright Tremaine LLP. Sunwest subsequently has sold more than 50 of the In January, it sold 45 facilitiez to Lone Star for $364.21 million. Of that, $281.
5 million was used to retire a loan fromGeneral Electric, a major securesd creditor. Of the remaining $82.7 $11.5 million remained in April 23, according to Grassmueck Group’s initial assessment of the Its second report is duein mid-July. Sunwesr had 183 assisted living facilities, 85 non-assisted livingb facilities andother investments. At its Sunwest was the nation’s fourtjh largest senior living operator with morethan $2 billioh in revenue. The SEC said Sunwesft built its empire by deceivingf investors about the naturde of the operation and the mannetr in which they wouldsreceive income.
Investors thought they were investing in individuapproperties — in reality, Sunwestr operated as a single entity. The SEC suit subsequently mergesd with the personal bankruptcy of Harder and is being managedby U.S. Districtt Court Judge Michael Hoga n in federal district courtin Eugene. Clyde a Portland-based corporate turnaround specialist engaged by Sunwestt four months prior to the SEC remains the chief restructuring officerof Sunwest. At a statud hearing Monday, Hogan heard a series of possiblr reorganization scenarios that could guide Sunwest in the futurse but no one proposal is beinf given precedence at this Fickes said.
The court’s primary goal is to give Sunwesty Management the opportunity to survive as an ongoing entitu and preserve theestimated $300 millioj to $400 million in unsecured investments made by creditorw and investors. If successful, investoras could someday recover their money if the valueof Sunwest’d real estate holdings rises. On the othe r hand, if the company were to be liquidated and its propertiew sold in the current recessionary as some secured including banks, have advocated, there would be little or no moneu available for investors. Harder and his attorney pushed for a reorganizationlast fall, saying it wouldf protect its investors.
Harder has stepped down as president. Neither Grassmueck nor its Los Angeles-based attornegy could be reached to comment onthe company’s current status.