Carrying the Olympic Flame Mississippi Family Doctor Runs Historic Route to Winter Games On a wintry day in Canada, on the cusp of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Timothy Alford bundled up to carry the Olympic Flame through Strathmore, a hamlet located along the Trans-Canada Highway in southern Alberta. LYNNE JETER

Overcoming the Next Hurdle Methodist Ready for DeSoto CON Opposition Hearing So far, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has submitted the only certificate of need (CON) application to the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) for a new hospital in DeSoto County. LYNNE JETER

Mississippi Finds Success Attracting Foreign Physicians through J-1 Visa Program DESOTO COUNTY—The office of Memphis Lung Physicians in DeSoto County somewhat resembles a U.N. medical facility. Physicians attracted there by the J-1 Visa waiver program hail from four countries: Hungary, Jamaica, India and Mexico. BECKY GILLETTE

Diane Beebe, MD: Value Even in the Dialogue The nation’s debate over healthcare reform was far from resolved, but Diane Beebe, MD, was encouraged in this much: That the conversation was even happening. LUCY SCHULTZE

Doctors Compare Statistics for the State of Health in Mississippi Public Health Report Card Ranks “Worst Firsts” RIDGELAND – Mississippians need to move more and eat less to avoid being at risk for “worst firsts,” according to the 2010 Public Health Report Card which appears in the January issue of the Journal of the Mississippi State Medical Association (JMSMA), a monthly scientific periodical. As physicians who care for Mississippi, the members of the Mississippi State Medical Association (MSMA) have collaborated with the Mississippi State Department of Health to evaluate the health of Mississippians and the adequacy of programs to meet and improve the health needs of our population. MISSISSIPPI STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

MEDICAL ENTREPRENEURS: How to Embrace the Key Principles of Entrepreneurial Success All doctors are medical entrepreneurs to some degree. A simple definition of an entrepreneur is “a person who has possession of a enterprise, venture or idea and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome.” MARTIN WILLOUGHBY

Stepping up to the Plate Harold Ingram Preps for MGMA of MS Leadership Role When he’s in the HR mode, one thing Harold Ingram looks for is to see if applicants flush when being interviewed for a job. “Especially on the neck,” said Ingram, president of Jackson-based PerforMax, Inc., and president-elect of the Medical Group Management Association of Mississippi (MGMA of MS). “You can tell how some candidates do under stress by how their skin flushes when they’re asked particular questions. All else equal, sometimes that makes a difference.” LYNNE JETER

Finding Money in the Microbiology Laboratory While several laboratory sections are very straightforward in coding and billing, such as chemistry and hematology, the micro lab has numerous “add on” procedures that are routinely performed to complete the culture report. Frequently, add on charges are never captured. BETTY HATTEN, HORNE LLP