text:
Things I miss about work? This is a tough one for me to write. First of all, life is fantastic right now after 2 years without a full time job. Family life is better, I'm not stressed out, and even our finance is doing pretty well. I can't complain at all. Second, I hate dwelling on regrets. It's a downer and I'd rather focus on the present and figure out how to improve the future. Maybe that's why my memory is so bad… It's also difficult for me to admit missing anything about the job that I willingly walked away from. I don't want to doubt my decision. So as you can see, it's not going to be the typical cheerful post today.
However, I thought it'd be good for me to examine how I feel about work on a deeper level. It has been 2 years and it's the right time to reflect a bit. Time gave me some distance so I can take an objective look at my feelings. Will I miss work enough to go back? Let's see.
Technical challenges
I think the biggest thing I miss about work is the gratification from solving difficult technical problems. Most engineers enjoy solving problems and it can be a lot of fun especially when I got into the flow. Sometimes I spent the whole day in lab debugging an elusive bug and it'd be 7 pm before I knew it. Those days were increasingly rare as I gained seniority, though.
Now, the most difficult challenge for me is to figure out my son's playdate schedule. It's not quite as challenging, but life is also a lot less stressful. It's a tradeoff. Maybe once my son goes to school full time, I can take on some technical challenges again. I would like to learn how to develop an app, for example.
According to a study by the Center for a Secure Retirement, 65% of retirees said they missed interacting with co-workers and friends the most. That's pretty obvious. Most of us spend at least 50% of our waking hours working and interacting with our co-workers. Work is a huge part of our lives and the human interaction is probably the best part of it.
Sure, I miss having a wider group of casual friends to talk to. Life is a bit slower in semi-retirement and my circle shrunk quite a bit. I made a few friends through our kid, but everyone is just so busy with their lives. It's not like the office where you can just drop by your friend's cubicle and complain about the boss. I guess coworkers are somewhat of a captive audience. 🙂 Next year, I'll be more involved with the co-opt preschool so I think the casual friendship situation should improve.
Fringe benefit
I used to go to the gym at work almost every weekday and I miss it. It was really easy for me to go to that fitness room for some reason. I guess it was better than actually working and it was a great stress relief valve. It was also very conveniently located.
I joined 24 hour Fitness this year and it's a much nicer gym, but it's more difficult to actually go. I have to get the kid ready, drive to the gym, find parking, etc… It's not very convenient so I'm not consistent about it.
So what do you do?
I miss having an easy answer for this question and I'm still trying to figure out how to respond to this conversation starter. I tried "I'm retired" a few times, but it didn't go over very well. People seem to just ignore that for some reason. Another option is – blogging, but I'm a bit embarrassed about telling new friends that I'm a blogger. I just don't want to elaborate too much. My staple answer now is "I'm a stay at home dad." That works pretty well for now.
Actually, our lifestyle hasn't changed that much since I left my job 2 years ago. We always lived below our means so we didn't have to make any big adjustments. The paychecks would have been nice because we could have invested them. The last 2 years were great for the stock market and I'm sure we'd increase our net worth even more if we had more money to invest.
Anyway, having less income didn't impact our day to day life so it's not a huge deal. Our investments are doing pretty well so I can't complain too much.
I love self employment
That wasn't as a bad as I thought. I miss a few things about work, but they could all be remedied with some creativity. They are minor issues anyway. I could write a much bigger list of what I don't miss about the corporate job. For me the positive aspects of not working for a corporation outweigh the negatives so I don't think I'll get a job anytime soon. I love being self employed.
What about you? What do you miss about work? Or if you're still working, what do you think you'll miss?


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|Probable Pitchers
|Won, 4-3
|vs. Lehigh Valley,
5:00 p.m.
TBD and Delcarmen (3-2, 2.78) vs.
Smith (5-5, 4.32) and
Neris (1-0, 3.70)
|Lost, 2-0
|@ Richmond,
12:00 p.m.
|Dupra (1-2, 5.03) vs.
Crick (4-3, 3.88)
|Won, 10-1
|@ Myrtle Beach,
7:05 p.m.
|Schwartz (0-0, 3.24) vs.
Wolff (7-3, 2.60)
|Lost, 5-3
|vs. Lexington,
7:05 p.m.
|Reed (2-6, 6.04) vs.
Pivetta (9-3, 3.57)
|Lost, 10-4
|@ Williamsport,
7:05 p.m.
|Lopez (0-1, 2.00) vs.
Whitehead (1-0, 1.54)
|GCL Nationals
|Won, 6-0
|@ GCL Cardinals,
12:00 p.m.
|TBD vs. TBD
|DSL Nationals
|Won, 8-2
|vs. DSL Red Sox,
10:30 a.m.
|Acevedo (2-0, 7.15) vs.
Diaz (1-1, 2.65)
Syracuse 4 Lehigh Valley 3 — GAME ONE
• Kroenke (W, 1-0) 5⅔ IP, 8H, 3R, 3ER, BB, K
• Madrigal (SV, 6) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Burriss 2-3, 2R, 3B
• Souza 2-2, R, 2B, RBI, SB
Steve Souza, Tyler Moore, and Zach Walters went back-to-back-to-back with RBI doubles in the Chiefs' three-run 3rd as Syracuse rolled to its eighth straight win in the opener, 4-3. Zach Kroenke made the spot start and got his first AAA win since last August as he pitched into the 6th, allowing three runs on eight hits over five and 2/3rds innings with one walk and one whiff. Warner Madrigal set the side down in order in the 7th for his sixth save. Roster moves: LHP Aaron Laffey placed on 3-Day TIL; OF Destin Hood activated from 7-Day DL; IF Jose Lozada placed on 7-Day DL; UT Jeff Kobernus assigned for MLB rehab.
Syracuse vs. Lehigh Valley — PPD
There's a certain irony when a doubleheader, which was created by a previous rainout, is partially rained out again. They'll try to play two again today, though there's more rain in the forecast.
Richmond 2 Harrisburg 0
• Brach (L, 1-2) 7IP, 9H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 5K
• Herron 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Vettleson 2-3, SB
• Skole 1-2, BB
The Senators ran into buzzsaw as Flying Squirrels southpaw Jack Snodgrass tossed a five-hit shutout in a 2-0 win vs. Harrisburg. Starter Brett Brach took the loss despite scatting nine hits over seven innings for the two Richmond runs. He walked just one and struck out five. The Senators had but one serious threat in the game as Cutter Dykstra led off the 7th with infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Following a Matt Skole walk, the two baserunners were bunted over by Quincy Latimore. Dykstra was picked off third for the inning's second out while Drew Vettleson struck out to end the inning.
Potomac 10 Lynchburg 1
• Voth (W, 1-0) 6IP, 2H, 0R, 2BB, 6K
• Runion 1IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 2K
• Harper 2-3, 2R, BB, HR, 4RBI
• Renda 2-3, 2R, BB,
• Piwnica-Worms 2-4, 2R, 2B, 2RBI
Bryce Harper singled, walked, homered, and drove in four in just five innings as the P-Nats completed a sweep of Salem with a 10-1 beatdown. Austin Voth tossed six scoreless innings and let up just two hits and two walks while fanning six to win his High-A debut.
The P-Nats scored in each of the first three innings, piling up 13 hits total with Harper, Tony Renda, Will Piwnica-Worms, Oscar Tejeda, and Wilson Ramos each having multiple hits.
Lexington 5 Hagerstown 3
• Silvestre (L, 3-5) 7IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 0BB, 6K, HR, HBP
• Thomas 2IP, 3H, R, ER, 0BB, 1K
• Difo 2-4
• Bautista 2-5, R, SB(36)
The Suns fell behind 4-0 and pulled to within one at 4-3 but couldn't get the equalizer as they fell by a 5-3 count. Starter Hector Silvestre took the loss, giving up four runs and six hits over seven innings for the second straight start. Justin Thomas gave up a run in the 9th after a scoreless 8th. Leadoff man Rafael Bautista and No. 2 batter Wilmer Difo both singled twice while Carlos Lopez and James Yezzo both doubled to pace the Hagerstown offense.
Williamsport 10 Auburn 4
• Torres (L, 1-1) 4+ IP, 6H, 5R, 2ER, BB, 6K, 2HR
• Feliz 2⅓ IP, 5H, 5R,5ER, 2BB, K, HR
• Sanchez 1⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Read 2-3, 2R
• Carey 2-4, R
Williamsport scored in five straight innings, including a four-run 5th that broke open a 4-3 game as they sent Auburn to a 10-4 loss. Luis Torres was torched for five runs on six hits, including two homers, the second of which chased him from the game with no outs in the 5th. He walked one and struck out six over four-plus innings. Raudy Read and Daley Carey were the only two Doubledays to notch multiple hits as they were held to seven total with the top four batters going 0-for-18 with one walk and one RBI on the night.
Roster move: John Feliz promoted from the GCL Nationals.
GCL Nationals 6 GCL Cardinals 0
• Bourque 2IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 2K
• Bach (W, 1-0) 2IP, 0H, 0R, BB, K
• Lora 4-5, R, 2RBI
• Serrata 2-3, 2R, 2B
• Ortiz 2-5, R, RBI, OF assist at 2B
A four-run 3rd broke a 0-0 tie as the G-Nats went on to shut out the G-Cards, 6-0. James Bourque started and went two innings, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out two. Connor Bach got the win as the first reliever out of the 'pen, throwing two innings with one hit and and one walk. Maximo Valerio earned a hold with three innings of one-hit ball, with no walks and two K's. Offensively, Edwin Lora led the 11-hit attack with a 4-for-5 game, scoring once and driving in two, .
DSL Nationals 8 DSL Red Sox 2
• Baez 5IP, 3H, R, ER, BB, 6K
• Archibald (W, 1-0) 1IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 0K
• Cespedes (SV, 4) 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Franco 2-4, 2R, HR, 3RBI
• G. Ramirez 2-4, R, RBI, CS
• Agustin 1-3, R, BB, SB(10)
The D-Nats scored eight unanswered runs — five in the 7th, three in the 8th — as they pulled into a tie for second place with an 8-3 win against the D-Red Sox. Joan Baez continues to deal, lowering his ERA to 1.50 with five innings of one-run ball with three hits and one walk allowed and six set down on strikes. 16-y.o. Anderson Franco connected for his first professional home run, a two-run shot in the 8th as he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI total to lead the D-Nats offense.
5 Responses to "Wednesday's News & Notes"
Now that Kobernus is nearing full health, would he get any consideration for being called up to replace Danny Espinosa? Seems like the Nats are going to keep Zimmerman in the outfield and Rendon at 3rd. Espinosa is only hitting .224 and is striking out at a tremendous rate. What was Kobernus like defensively as a 2nd baseman?
Espinosa is also the backup SS, I doubt he'll be demoted
I have no to say it's truly remarkable to watch some of our players totally transform themselves this year. Our bash brothers trio of Souza, Moore and Walters is inarguably the best heart of the order on any minor league team right now.
Souza, who wasn't even considered a prospect by many two seasons ago, is now underway to having the best offensive season in the minors, continuing on his excellent '13 season. Walters has elevated his average, while his power has exploded. But the most impressive transformation has been Tyler Moore. The guy was a lock for a .270 average and low walk-high strikeout rates. But since 2012 he's gradually become a much more nuanced players, walking more and more, where he's now walking just as much as he's striking out, without sacrificing his power. It's been great to watch. The management in the minors has done an excellent job making these very flawed players into a much more complete package. Here's to hoping they can continue their transformations in DC.
I am sure that teams looking to re-tool before the A-S break would be very interested in the Nats farm talent (Moore, Walters, Souza, Hill, Treinen, Kobernus, Taylor, Cole among others). The Nats system is stocked with players could contribute immediately (and save payroll) on a bunch of other MLB teams. Not sure what the Nats needs are before the trade deadline, but there are not many, if any, other teams that can offer the MLB ready players that the Nats can.

subset: commoncrawl


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How does AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE work in Oracle Database 11g?
By Hong Su on Apr 08, 2013
When it comes to gathering statistics, one of the most critical decisions you have to make is, what sample size should be used? A 100% sample will ensure accurate statistics but could take a really long time. Whereas a 1% sample will finish quickly but could result in poor statistics.
The ESTIMATE_PERCENT parameter in the DBMS_STATS.GATHER_*_STATS procedures controls the sample size used when gathering statistics and its default value is AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE.
In an earlier blog post, we talked about the new implementation of AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE in Oracle Database 11g in terms of its improvements in the speed and accuracy of statistics gathering compared to the old AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE prior to Oracle Database 11g.
In this post, we will offer a closer look at the how the new AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE algorithm works and how it affects the accuracy of the statistics being gathered.
Before we delve into how the new algorithm works, let us briefly recap how the old algorithm works and its downsides. The old AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE used the following approach:
Step 1. Oracle starts with a small sampling percentage. If histograms need to be gathered, Oracle might materialize the sample, depending on the sampling percentage.
Step 2. Oracle gathers basic column statistics on the sample. For example, suppose a table T has only one column C1, then the basic stats gathering query looks like below (this is not the exact syntax we use but a simplified version for illustration purpose):
Query 1 Query Gathering Basic Column Statistics Using AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE Prior to 11g
The select list items in the query correspond to number of rows in table T, number of non-null values, number of distinct values, total column length, minimal and maximal values of column C1 respectively. "X.0000000000" in the FROM clause is the sampling percentage determined by Oracle.
Step 3: if histograms need to be gathered, Oracle issues a SQL query on the sample for each column that requires a histogram.
Step 4: For each column that requires a histogram, Oracle uses several metrics to determine whether the current sample is sufficient:
- Non-null value metric: Whether the sample contains sufficient non-null values of this column;
- NDV metric: Whether number of distinct values (NDV) can be properly scaled from the sample.
Step 5: If all metrics in step 4 pass, Oracle concludes that the current sample size is sufficient and the histogram creation for that column is complete. Otherwise, it bumps up the sample size and goes though the above steps again until it finds a satisfactory sample or reaches 100% sampling.
Note that step 3 to step 5 are done per column. For example, if there are 3 columns in the table that require histograms. In the first iteration, we get a sample and materialize it. We issue 3 queries, one per column, on the same materialized sample to gather histograms. Suppose Oracle determines that the sample is sufficient for columns 1 and 2 but insufficient for column 3. Then we bump up the sample size. In the second iteration, only 1 query is issued on the sample to gather histogram for column 3.
As you can see the old AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE can be inefficient if several iterations are required. A dominating contributor for several iterations is the inability to gather accurate NDVs using a small sample. If there is a skew in the data, a lot of low frequency values may not make into the sample and thus the sample fails the NDV metric.
In Oracle Database 11g, we use a completely different approach for gathering basic column statistics. We issue the following query to gather basic column statistics (again this is a simplified version for illustration purpose).
You will notice in the new basic column statistics gathering query, no sampling clause is used. Instead we do a full table scan. Also, there is no more count(distinct C1) to gather NDV for C1. Instead, during the execution we inject a special statistics gathering row source to this query. The special gathering row source uses a one-pass, hash-based distinct algorithm to gather NDV. More information on how this algorithm works can be found in the paper, "efficient and scalable statistics gathering for large databases in Oracle 11g". The algorithm requires a full scan of the data, uses a bounded amount of memory and yields a highly accurate NDV that is nearly identical to a 100 percent sampling (can be proven mathematically). The special statistics gathering row source also gathers the number of rows, number of nulls and average column length on the side. Since we do a full scan on the table, the number of rows, average column length, minimal and maximal values are 100% accurate.
AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE also affects histogram gathering and index statistics gathering in the following ways.
Effect of auto sample size on histogram gathering
- With the new AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE, histogram gathering is decoupled from basic column statistics gathering (they used to be gathered on the same sample). Therefore when determining whether we need to bump up the sample size, the new AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE algorithm no longer performs the "NDV metric" check (see step 4 in above description) because we do not derive NDV from the sample. Sample size needs to be bumped up for a histogram only when the sample contains too many nulls or too few rows. This helps to reduce number of iterations of the histogram creation. More information on this can be found in this blog post.
- If the minimal (resp. maximal) value that appears in the sample used for gathering the histogram is not the minimal (resp. maximal) value gathered in basic statistics, we will modify the histogram so that the minmal (resp. maximal) value gathered in basic statistics now appears as the endpoint of the first (resp. last) bucket in the histogram.
Effect of auto sample size on index stats gathering
The new AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE also affects how index statistics are gathered. The flow chart below shows how index statistics are gathered in 11g when AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE is specified. Index statistics gathering are sampling based. It could potentially go through several iterations because either the sample contained too few blocks or the sample size was too small to properly gather number of distinct keys (NDKs). With the new AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE algorithm, however, if the index is defined on a single column, or if the index is defined on multiple columns that correspond to a column group, then the NDV of the column or column group will be used as NDK of the index. The index statistics gathering query will NOT gather NDK in such cases. This helps to alleviate the need to bump up sample size for index statistics gathering.
- New AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE algorithm does a full table scan to gather basic column statistics
- NDV gathered by new AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE has an accuracy close to 100% sampling
- Other basic column statistics, such as the number of nulls, average column length, minimal and maximal values have an accuracy equivalent to 100% sampling
- Both Histogram and index statistics gathering under new auto sample size algorithm still use sampling. But new auto sample size algorithm helps to alleviate the need to bump up sample size.


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Are Directions colour pots safe to use??
I am almost 16 weeks and recently dyed my hair with a NO AMMONIA hair dye.. colour turned out fine! My hair colour tho.. is a deep red.. and this is hard to keep as it fades alot. I used to use the Semi Permanent colour pots to revive my colour every week or so (as they wash out) these too have no ammonia/peroxide etc.. the only ingredient the same as my hair dye is cetearyl alcohol.. is this safe to use while pregnant!? I asked my hairdresser n she said she wasn't sure.. I also rang customer services at directions n they said there is no warning not to use them..
Posted: 11/29/2012 by Jessielouise
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continued: keep the price lower than that of a formula containing an expensive polymer that could achieve similar results.posted 11/29/2012 by rlynn87
Technically you aren't supposed to dye your hair when you are pregnant. If you do though it can't touch the scalp no matter what kind of dye it is and you have to be in a well ventilated room. If you do highlights though thats fine because it doesn't touch the scalp where as actual color does. I hope that helped!posted 11/29/2012 by rlynn87
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text:
AeroVironment RQ-14A Dragon Eye
Dragon Eye is a fully autonomous, hand- or bungee-launched mini-UAV designed to provide tactical reconnaissance and surveillance information to field commanders. The aircraft's extremely quiet electric motor and small wingspan make it difficult to detect in flight. Its sensors can record real-time, high-resolution color or infrared images. A Dragon Eye system consists of three of the UAVs and their ground control equipment, all of which are light and compact enough to be carried in a Marine's backpack.
The Naval Research Laboratory and the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory designed and built the Dragon Eye in 2001. It was first used operationally during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 for reconnaissance and battle damage assessment. The Third Marine Division flew this Dragon Eye in Afghanistan in 2005. They used it for surveillance in the Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, the city of Jalalabad, and the Korengal Valley.
Transferred from the Marine Corps System Command
Physical Description:
A portable, tactical aerial vehicle assembled on the battlefield and operated to provide "over-the-next-hill" reconnaissance information to the battlefield commander. Powered by two small battery-powered motors, the Dragon Eye can remain airborne for approximately one hour. This combat worn vehicle continued to fly after a bullet hole was repaired with epoxy filler and silver duct tape was affixed to hold antennae in place and strengthen weakening joints.
- Country of Origin
- United States
- Date
- 2003
- Location
- National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
- Exhibition
- Military Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
- Type
- CRAFT-Aircraft
- Materials
- Carbon fiber, plastic, aluminum, copper, plastic, rubber, paint, styrofoam
- Dimensions
- Span: 1.14 m (3 ft 9 in)
- Length: 0.91 m (3 ft)
- Height: 0.28 m (11 in)
- Weight: 2.7 kg (5.9 lb)


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Knott named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week
Chris Williams
Iowa State's senior linebacker Jake Knott just picked up his first hardware of 2012.
After recording six tackles and a game-clinching interception in Saturday's 9-6 win over Iowa, Knott has been named the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Week. Knott and the Cyclones held Iowa's rushing attack to only 68 yards on 28 attempts.
CLICK HERE to visit the Big 12's website and view the rest of the awards handed out from week two.
It is notable that Iowa State's punter Kirby Van Der Kamp was named the Big 12's Special Teams Player of the Week last Monday as well.


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How Banner Classifies Financial Assistance
On May 25, 2005, Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), as Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Finance, sent a lengthy set of questions to ten nonprofit hospital systems throughout the country. These questions covered a wide variety of topics relating generally to charity care provided by these hospital systems, billing and collection practices of these systems, particularly as they apply to uninsured individuals, pricing, government reimbursement of hospitals, nonprofit status, and joint ventures. The questions touched on a number of important policy issues regarding health care systems in the United States and, more importantly, the urgent question of providing access to quality health care to the millions of uninsured and underinsured persons in this county.
Banner Health was one of the ten nonprofit hospital systems that received the May 25, 2005 letter. Banner responded to the questions on July 15, 2005. Because of the breadth of the questions and the complex and technical policy issues raised by the questions, Banner's response consisted of several hundred pages to text and accompanying documents. In a worthwhile effort to disseminate the essential points of the responses submitted by the ten responding hospital systems, the Senate Finance Committee staff has summarized the answers in a matrix format. Because we believe that the committee's summaries are helpful to understanding the complex issues raised by the original May 25, 2005 letter, and Banner's position on these issues, we have taken the committee's summary of Banner's responses, expanded and modified it to clarify the response and eliminate some of the technical references, and have posted the modified summary below.
Summary of Responses to May 25, 2005 Questions
A. Charity Care and Community Benefit
1. How does your organization define charity care?
Medical care provided without charge or at reduced charge to uninsured and underinsured individuals who are determined to be unable to pay. Charges are classified as charity care when the individual responsible for the account applies for financial assistance and is determined to be eligible for charity care under Banner policies. Unreimbursed care provided to individuals who do not apply for financial assistance or who do not qualify for financial assistance is reported as bad debt. Collection is not pursued for charity care amounts.
What types of activities or programs does your organization include in its definition or determination of charity care?
Banner only includes in the definition of charity care the charges for medical care provided without cost or at reduced cost to uninsured and underinsured individuals. As provided in the policy, which is posted on Banner's Web site(www.Bannerhealth.com, Keyword: "Financial Information"), medically necessary inpatient and outpatient services are covered.
Which of these activities or programs would your organization not incur, at all or to the same extent, if you were organized and operated as a for-profit hospital?
Banner has never undertaken an analysis as to which of its activities, policies, programs and community benefit activities it would discontinue if it were a for-profit organization.
Does your organization maintain a charity policy?
If so, please describe the policy or provide a copy of such policy.
Copies of Banner's financial assistance policies are posted on Banner's Web site, www.Bannerhealth.com.
Does this policy require that certain types and amounts of charity care be provided?
2. What are the 10 largest categories of charity care expenditures incurred by your hospital for the past five years?
Within the definition of charity care used by Banner, it is not possible to retrieve data corresponding to the types of financial accommodations accorded to uninsured versus underinsured individuals.
How does this differ from 10 years ago?
Banner is the result of the acquisition of Samaritan Health System by Lutheran Health Systems in 1999. Prior to that date, the two companies either recorded charity care inconsistently or did not report the amount. Hence, it is not possible to provide meaningful information.
3. What percentages of your patients for your most recent fiscal year were?
(a) Uninsured (self pay): 7%
(b) Covered by Medicare: 27%
(c) Covered by Medicaid or other state or other governmental program providing medical care benefits for low income individuals: 18%
(d) Otherwise covered by private insurance: 49%
4. Does your hospital ever agree to waive its fees immediately upon admission of a patient? If so, under what circumstances?
Fees are waived immediately upon admission only if a patient has pre-qualified for financial assistance, receives an Emergency Rating under the Colorado Indigent Care Program, or if the patient is readmitted and Risk Management or Patient Services Department has directed the fees be waived in connection with care being provided to rectify a prior mistake or service error.
5. What effect, if any, has the increase in patient co-payments and deductibles had on patient bad debt write-offs of your hospital over the past five years?
Banner has experienced a steady increase in bad debt levels over the past five years. In 2004, approximately 40% of co-payments and deductibles for patients covered by private insurance were uncollectible.
6. Has your hospital or other members of your hospital system group entered into joint ventures with other non-profit, tax-exempt hospitals to provide charity care or health care services? If so, please describe the nature of such joint ventures.
Yes. Banner is a 50% member of City of Hope Samaritan, LLC, having City of Hope National Medical Center, nonprofit tax-exempt organization based in Duarte, California, as the other member. The joint venture makes advanced bone marrow transplant treatment for cancer available in the Phoenix area.
7. Has your hospital or other members of your hospital system group entered into joint ventures with physicians or other for-profit companies or investors to conduct unrelated trade or business activities? If so, please describe the nature of such joint ventures.
Banner has reported taxable unrelated trade and business income derived from various joint ventures with physicians and other for-profit companies, including a clinical reference laboratory, ambulatory surgery centers and an ambulatory medical campus that provides outpatient surgery, imaging, MRI and endoscopy.
8. Has your hospital or other members of your hospital system group entered into joint ventures with physicians or other for-profit companies or investors to conduct health care activities you consider to be substantially related to your core charitable mission? If so, please describe the nature of such joint ventures.
Banner considers its participation in the ambulatory surgery centers, one of the radiology centers (dissolved in 2004), risk-based joint contracting with commercial payers, and some of the clinical laboratory services provided by its laboratory joint venture to be substantially related to its core charitable mission.
9. Do any of your hospital or hospital system joint ventures have charity care policies that require certain types or amounts of charity care to be provided? If so, please describe such policies, and how they are similar to or different from your hospital's charity care policy.
Banner's role in requiring and enforcing charity care policies to be adopted and implemented varies depending upon the type of joint venture, the degree of control over the activities, the nature of the activities of the joint venture, and whether the activity would be exempt if owned entirely by Banner. However, Banner has exercised a role in applying and enforcing charity care policies for the ambulatory surgery centers that Banner owns, controls or exercises at least 50% of the governing powers.
Also explain the role your hospital has in assuring that the charity care policy of the joint venture is enforced.
Banner Surgery Centers, LLC, which is controlled by Banner, has adopted a charity care policy consistent with Banner's exempt mission and purposes, for the ambulatory surgery centers that it owns or in which it participates as the controlling general partner.
If your organization does not track charity care expenses by such categories, please explain why not, and provide a narrative response that explains whether there are certain categories of care for which charity care is more important or is not relevant.
Banner Surgery Center, LLC' facilities perform elective outpatient surgery. This type of service is provided far less frequently on a charitable basis than traditional inpatient hospital care.
10. Please respond to the following assertion: Many nonprofit, tax-exempt hospitals engage in joint ventures that shift the most profitable and valuable procedures, practices, and income streams to the joint ventures so that the greater profits and value may be shared with physicians and other for-profit persons.
The statement describes a market dynamic that threatens the financial viability of the safety net provided by the nonprofit hospitals, but misstates the motivation of most hospital systems. The situation is a result of the interplay of a government reimbursement system that provides relatively high margin reimbursement for certain types of procedures, and a statutory structure that authorizes physician ownership in many of these high-margin lines of business. This "cherry-picking" scenario has been documented repeatedly. Such joint ventures are nearly always entered into as defensive responses to the threat of physician-owned specialty provider competition.
11. How do you assure that your joint ventures with others do not deplete your hospital's resources that otherwise would be available for charity care, such as by tying up cash and other liquid assets in the investments in the joint venture.
Banner's investments in joint ventures are considered to be capital expenditures. Hence, there is no diversion from the operating budget that would be used to fund charity care.
12. Please provide a charity care breakdown for each entity that is a member of your hospital system group.
All of Banner's hospitals and facilities, except joint ventures, are operated by a single entity, Banner Health, an Arizona nonprofit corporation. The following amounts of charity care were reported by Banner Health in 2002, 2003 and 2004:
- 2002: $53,511,499
- 2003: $52,140,939
- 2004: $48,269,761
In your opinion, should charity care be measured on an aggregate group basis or on an organization-by-organization basis?
IRS guidance permits the community benefit assessment of an exempt organizations activities to be assessed on an aggregate basis. Banner believes that this is the correct approach.
13. In your judgment, should Federal tax law require each joint venture in which a tax exempt hospital participates to have a charity care requirement?
Banner does not believe that Federal tax law should require that each joint venture in which Banner participates must have a charity care requirement because:
1) the IRS community benefit standard for tax-exemption for hospitals does not mandate a charity care requirement;
2) the nature of the business conducted by the joint venture may constitute taxable activity that is not eligible for tax exemption treatment, and the IRS does not prohibit exempt organizations from conducting limited amounts of taxable unrelated trade and business; and
3) the opportunity for exempt hospital organizations to have a controlling interest sufficient to impose a charity care requirement upon joint ventures may not exist where hospitals are participating in physician-driven joint ventures for defensive reasons.
If so, should the amount of the requirement differ depending upon the extent of ownership by exempt hospitals in the joint venture?
If Federal tax law were to require each such joint venture to have a charity care requirement, Banner believes that the amount of the requirement should differ depending upon the extent of ownership by exempt hospitals in the joint venture.
14. How does your hospital account for charity care provided by a joint venture in which the hospital participates? For example, if your hospital is a 50% owner of a joint venture, and the joint venture provides $100 of charity care, do you count $0, $50, $100, or some other amount, as charity care provided directly by your hospital?
The accounting for charity care will be driven by the accounting treatment accorded to Banner's interest in the joint venture. If accounted for under the equity method under GAAP, then none of the charity provided will be reported. If the joint venture is accounted for on a consolidated basis, then all of the charity care would be reported.
15. What types of research and teaching are performed by your hospital as a charitable or educational activity?
Education - Financial and administrative support of medical residency and fellowship programs; provide teaching facilities, faculty members, and supervised patient care for medical and nursing students; several educational assistance and scholarship programs for nursing and allied health professionals; funding of psychiatric resident rotation.
Research - Nursing and therapy studies; medical education research including projects that contribute to the body of toxicology and poison control information; alternative therapy research including music therapy, aroma therapy, acupuncture, energy healing; community and public health projects to contribute to large health organization databases working toward improved health care services. Support of cell and isolet research, PET imaging studies and analysis as part of the Alzheimer's Disease Institute.
16. Please describe any fund-raising activities conducted by your hospital in an attempt to supplement fees for services and other revenues. Specifically, provide for the last three years the amount of charitable donations received by your hospital.
Activities include special events, planned giving, and direct solicitation. Donations support construction and equipping of new facilities and services, nursing and other healthcare professional education, and specific clinical activities and services.
The following are the amount of philanthropic donations received in the last three years:
- 2002: $3,839,474
- 2003: $4,935,817
- 2004: $6,435,810
Does your organization ever conduct fund-raising activities which commit the donations raised by the activity to be used to provide medical care to low-income or uninsured individuals or families?
Among the activities committing donations to be used to provide medical care to low-income or uninsured individuals or families are the following:
(1) support received to provide free mammograms to low-income minority women;
(2) fundraising obtained to support nineteen school-based clinics funded and staffed by Banner which provide health care for low income students at over 100 schools; and
(3) financial assistance for children and adolescents at Banner Behavioral Health Hospital to enable patients to complete treatment.
17. In general, does partnering with for-profits in a joint venture arrangement have implications on the provision of charity care and the satisfaction of the community benefit standard by the joint venture or by the overall hospital system that participates in the joint venture?
Generally, partnering with for-profits in a joint venture arrangement does not have implications on the provision of charity care and the satisfaction of the community benefit standard. The answer will depend upon the manner in which joint ventures are organized and operated, the nature of the activity conducted, and the extent of the exempt organization's control.
18. Do your compensation arrangements with physicians and other professionals in any way encourage or discourage the provision of charity care by your hospital or hospital system? If so, how?
Generally, no. Most physicians who practice in Banner hospitals are independent community physicians who are not compensated by Banner. However, hospital based physicians who are given exclusive contracts, e.g., radiologists, are required to provide care to all patients who require their services. Banner also guarantees payment for emergency department coverage by a number of specialists who provide care for all non-assigned patients, including uninsured patients, in the emergency departments of many Banner hospitals.
19. Please provide a breakdown of your charity care expenditures, across emergency room services, urgent care services, intensive care services, rehabilitation, maternity care, mental health care, cosmetic surgery, chemical dependency and outreach, and any other categories you consider to be appropriate.
Most persons receiving charity care do so via emergency departments. Banner cannot break down its charity care activity in a manner requested except by means of a manual examination of each of the thousands of patient accounts.
20. What kinds of community outreach and education activities does your hospital conduct, and how much is expended on such activities (in absolute dollars and as a percent of your budget)?
Banner's response to this question included ten pages of activities. Among the activities listed were the call center/helpline, poison control center, prenatal program, HomeBase Youth Services (outreach service and guidance to 5,000 runaway homeless youth), Junior Achievement, Pediatric Therapy Program, Prescription Assistance program, American Cancer Society, several Komen Race for the Cure, American Heart Association. Banner does not keep a consolidated record of the cost of the staff time devoted to these activities, which constitute by far the largest component of the support given, nor does Banner have a method for consistently or precisely tracking the other incidental expenses for these activities.
21. Please explain how the amount of charity care you provide differs in magnitude and kind for that provided by your for-profit competitors.
Banner does not have the information available to it to provide a meaningful comparison with for-profit hospitals.
22. How much does your hospital spend on free or below-cost infant and child care programs, such as childhood immunization programs?
Banner engages in numerous programs for infants and children; however, Banner does not track its community benefit expenditures on this basis.
23. Does your organization conduct clinical trial programs, and if so, how does your organization treat such programs for purposes of determining charity care?
Banner does conduct clinical trial programs. However, Banner's participation in clinical trial programs is not included in any determination of the amount of charity care provided by Banner.
24. How do you allocate expenses (direct labor and materials, indirect labor and materials, management, general and administrative, fund-raising, investment, and other) for purposes of determining the amounts you consider to have been expended on your charity care programs? Does this allocation include costs incurred pursuant to a cost sharing arrangement with other members of your hospital system group? Is this allocation mechanism dictated by internal policy, Federal or State regulatory requirements, financial accounting principles, or other standards?
Our internal cost allocation methodologies rely on allocating costs on an average basis to the elements of care that are charged to patients, e.g., lab tests, supply items. Because these cost estimates are imprecise on a patient-by-patient basis, the reported costs of Banner's charity care are simply Banner's best estimates. Except for centralized costs noted, the allocation of costs to our patients at a given hospital does not include costs incurred by other hospitals within the system. Banner's allocation method is not dictated by any statute or regulations. It is the result of study and research, consultation with other healthcare professionals and systems and the application of general principles of cost accounting to each particular element of cost. Banner's internal allocation of cost of services provided to charity care patients is consistent with how Banner allocates cost to non-charity care patients.
25. Please provide a statistical breakdown of the hospital's average cost per patient and the average length of stay of your patients. Feel free to provide as much detail as you consider to be appropriate to demonstrate the range of costs and stays across different types of treatment.
In 2004, the average cost of treating an inpatient was $6,790 (range $2,377 - $79,506), and the average length of stay was 4 days (range 2.74 - 21 days).
B. Payments/Charges/Debt Collection/Tax-Exempt Status and Other Issues
1. Please explain what is the average mark-up of charges over costs.
For 2004: 2.78 (gross patient revenue to total expenses).
What is the average private pay contractual allowance (charges to payments) weighted by payer?
The purpose of the chargemaster is to set the framework for the overall pricing structure of a hospital, not to establish a fixed relationship between charges and costs. The average private pay contractual allowance for our hospital volumes only is 61 %, weighted by payer. The contractual allowance weighted by payer is not readily available for our non-hospital services due to the disparate contracting and billing systems employed in these service lines.
2. Please explain the reason for charging "chargemaster" rates to uninsured individuals particularly in light of the Secretary of Health and Human Services' letter of February 19, 2004 to the President of the American Hospital Association and also in light of your not for-profit and tax-exempt status.
This question overlooks the basic purpose of the chargemaster. This question also appears to assume that there exists a federal or status statute, regulation or guidance that prescribes or limits the charges that an exempt nonprofit hospital may charge to persons who do not have health insurance. Banner is unaware of any such authority. Banner has a generous charity care policy, and makes care available to persons having household incomes of $125,000 or less at rates generally comparable to those paid by commercial payers.
3. Please explain how fairness or reasonableness of charges to the uninsured can be assured even in instances where you offer discounts where those discounts are discounts from the already high chargemaster rate?
What is your discount policy?
See response to A.1 for Banner's policies for providing services at no charge or reduced charge. The chargemaster charges are in fact the common denominator for our hospitals' pricing structure. None of those commercial payer contracts provides for discounts as great as the discounts provided to lower income uninsured persons under Banner's charity care policies.
What is the collection rate for self-pay?
The collection rate, expressed as a percentage of charges, from uninsured patients was 9.69% in 2003 and 12.65% in 2004, and a significant number of uninsured patients do not make any payments at all.
4. If government programs pay for hospital services for its enrollees without regard to the chargemaster rate and commercial insurance carriers throughout the country likewise pay not based on the chargemaster rate, please explain why the uninsured continue to be charged the chargemaster rate.
Many of Banner's commercial insurance payers do reimburse Banner on the basis of percentages of the chargemaster rates. Banner believes that its policy of offering its hospital services at rates comparable to those paid by commercial payers to persons who have an annual income of less than $125,000 draws a reasonable distinction among categories of uninsured, including those who could afford health insurance but choose not to purchase it.
5. Please explain what is the economic benefit to your hospital of charging uninsureds the high chargemaster rate when uninsured people generally have less of an ability to pay hospital charges and do, in fact, generally pay only a fraction of what has been charged? Does this benefit justify your action, particularly in light of your not-for-profit tax-exempt status?
Net revenue collected from self-pay accounts accounted for 0.58% of revenue in 2003 and 0.91 % in 2004. It should be evident that Banner is not setting prices to the uninsured on the basis that there would be an economic benefit to Banner.
6. The Committee has heard statements from individuals that have gone to many not-for-profit, tax-exempt hospitals in the very recent past and have seen no evidence of the fact that they make their tax-exempt and charitable missions known to patients via signs in patient access areas, brochures, booklets and the like. Please comment on what your hospital does to provide such visible information on the subject.
The mission is displayed prominently in various public areas in Banner facilities, and is communicated in brochures, media advertising, and other public communication. Community benefit is made known through Banner's annual Form 990. Banner advises patients of its financial assistance and charity care policies through a variety of methods, focusing on the points at which self-pay patients most often enter Banner hospitals, including emergency department waiting and registration areas stocked with bilingual materials regarding financial assistance and staffed with trained financial counselors, and colorful inserts included in billing statements.
7. Please identify what steps your hospital has taken to insure that lower level staff, who are actually the front-line staff, are aware of your not-for-profit status and charitable mission and have been instructed to implement the same in their treatment of uninsured patients. Please produce any documents conveying such information to your staff.
Banner's staff members are expected to treat all patients in the same compassionate, caring, competent and professional manner, irrespective of whether they are insured. Banner's registration and patient financial accounting personnel are trained in Banner's financial assistance policies and procedures for implementing those policies. Banner does not provide specific instruction to its staff as to Banner's nonprofit status and charitable mission, although Banner is confident that its nonprofit status is well known to its staff.
8. If your hospital believes that Medicare rules created roadblocks to providing discounts to the uninsured, as is evidenced by the President of the American Hospital Association's (AHA) December 2003 letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, why did our hospital, or your hospital through the AHA not raise the same with the Department at an earlier date? In considering this question it is noteworthy that in December of 2002, Trevor Fetter, the CEO of Tenet Healthcare, stated in an investor conference call "I would like to turn to an issue that has bothered me for years. I mentioned earlier that Medicare requires hospitals to set charges the same for everyone. This means that the uninsured or underinsured patient receives a bill of gross charges. In other words, the entire hospital industry renders its highest bills to the customers who are least able or likely to pay.
These questions are argumentative and incorporate a number of unstated assumptions that may not be accurate. Banner has traditionally not been active in national advocacy activities involving CMS or HHS. As a number of federal and state courts have recently held in dismissing cases filed as part of the current wave of putative class actions filed, there is no law that prohibits hospitals from negotiating rates with commercial health insurance payers that are lower than (or tied in any manner to) the rates charged to self-pay patients. The courts likewise have confirmed that nonprofit tax status does not depend on the prices charged to any particular payer class.
In addition, please state whether your organization ever grossed up their charges on the Medicare cost report because they had a lower OPD fee schedule.
Banner did, some years ago, gross up charges in the surgery area to account for its lower ambulatory surgery rates. This occurred several years ago, and it was not possible to investigate the details within the deadline established for this response.
Please state your views on whether it is allowable or acceptable for hospitals to lower their charges for the insured and not the uninsured.
Banner's position is reflected in the answers to other questions See Banner's response to question B.2, acknowledging that it is acceptable to lower the charges for the uninsured. Also, see Banner's response to question A.1. regarding Banner's policy, showing Banner does lower the charges for uninsured.
9. It has been suggested that one of the reasons that a hospital may have maintained these high chargemaster rates is that it allows the hospital to obtain more in the way of Medicare outlier payments thus further costing the government additional money for the care of the uninsured. Please explain why your hospital, as a tax-exempt not-for-profit hospital, feels that this is appropriate or inappropriate. What was the growth rate in your Medicare outlier payments from 1998 to 2002?
The relationship of charges to Medicare outlier payments is irrelevant to a hospital's tax status. The amount of outlier payments received by Banner declined by 22.1 % from 1998 to 2002; expressed as a percentage of the DRG/capital reimbursement payments received by Banner from 1998 to 2002, the outlier payments declined by 38.5%.
10. Secretary Thompson, in his letter mentioned above, noted that "Medicare and Medicaid have a long history of doing their part to help the uninsured that includes paying hospitals $22 billion each year through the disproportionate share hospitals' provision to help hospitals bear the cost of caring for the poor and uninsured." In light of the fact that you are a tax-exempt not-for-profit hospital, please comment on whether or not you believe it is appropriate for your hospital to receive such aid from the government.
Banner believes that disproportionate share payments are a critical component of financial support to assist all hospitals, both nonprofit and for-profit, in dealing with the substantial portion of our country's population that is not insured, and for complying with federal mandates requiring the provision of emergency medical screening and stabilization without regard to ability to pay.
Please list your payments under disproportionate share (DSH) for the past three years as compared to uncompensated care, separating out bad debt.
- 2002: DSH $21,678,701, Charity Care $53,511,499, Bad Debt $134,628,606
- 2003: DSH $27,895,116, Charity Care $52,140,939, Bad Debt $145,912,802
- 2004: DSH $35,542,700, Charity Care $48,269,761, Bad Debt $212,830,299.
11. Do you agree that the chargemaster method of charging uninsureds should be discontinued? In answering, I would ask that you consider the statement of Mr. Jack Bovender, the Chairman and CEO of Hospitals Corporation of America, one of the largest for-profit hospitals in the country. Mr. Bovender has stated, "the chargemaster system on which hospitals rely to set pricing and billing codes have a 40 year history of changes that have distorted the relationship between price and cost. It grew out of a time when decreasing Medicare reimbursement prompted cost shifting to the private sector and this was exacerbated in the 90's by aggressive managed care discounting. I am not here to try to justify this and it really needs to be fixed."
Banner notes that the comments relating to the long history of the chargemaster system is consistent with Banner's statements that the roots of the chargemaster system have nothing to do with motivation for pricing to the uninsured. Banner has moved away from its usual and customary charges to a percentage of expected Medicare DRG reimbursement in determining the amount to be paid by patients qualifying for financial assistance. However, Banner will continue to base its financial assistance programs for outpatient services on a percentage of its chargemaster charges because the Medicare outpatient reimbursement methodology is too complicated to be modeled within Banner's current billing systems.
12. At the hearing of the Oversight Investigation Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on hospital billing dated June 24, 2004, Mr. Bovender stated that he "was told by both inside and outside legal counsel. . . [in late 2002] that we had to get clearance [for discounting to the uninsured] through CMS." Please identify whether your hospital has received such legal advice and if so, please provide any written documentation of that advice.
To the extent that this question calls for waiver of the attorney-client privilege, Banner respectfully declines to respond to this question.
13. Please provide all documents related to your hospital's consideration of medical charges for billing practices, charity or indigent care, discounts or write-offs to uninsured patients.
Banner provided the documents requested by the Committee.
14. Please provide all documents relating to your charity care policy, community benefit reports, community benefit assessment, community benefit strategy and/or charity care audits for the time period of January 1, 1998 through the present. In providing the same, please identify specifically where those documents consider your hospital's treatment of the uninsured.
Banner provided the documents requested by the Committee.
15. Please provide any community needs assessment done by you or on your behalf during the time period of January 1, 1998 through the present. In providing the same, please identify specifically where your hospital considered its treatment of the uninsured in its community needs assessment.
Banner does not have any community needs assessments responsive to the Committee's request.
16. Please identify how many lawsuits you have filed against uninsured patients for the current year and the preceding five calendar years and please identify whether or not you are compelled by law to file such lawsuits in order to collect from these individuals.
It is not possible to determine precisely the number of lawsuits against uninsured persons because the databases of some of the collection agencies that file lawsuits are unable to distinguish lawsuits against uninsured individuals from lawsuits against individuals with insurance for collection of the patient's portion of the account. Also, one of the collection agencies could not provide complete information. The following is the best information Banner has been able to pull together. California - no lawsuits. Alaska - 2,914 lawsuits 1/1/2000 - 5/31/2005. Arizona - 11 lawsuits since 2000, and none since 2003. Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska - 8,744 lawsuits 1/1/2000 - 5/31/2005.Banner does not believe that it is compelled by law to file claims against patients, except in Alaska, where a lawsuit is required by state law in order to garnish payments owed to patients by the Alaska Premenate Fund Dividend.
Please identify the amount of debt that was at issue in each suit.
The amount at issue in each of the lawsuits was disclosed in the schedules attached to the original response to the Committee.
Please identify any times you have sold debt owed to the hospital from uninsured patients to other companies for collection.
Banner entered into an agreement involving the potential sale of accounts receivable for services rendered to patients in Banner's Colorado burn unit in circumstances where it appeared that a third party was at fault for the patient's injuries. No accounts have actually been sold, and this arrangement will be allowed to expire on July 14, 2005.
Please state the amount the debt(s) was sold for, and the terms under which such private collection accounts were sold. In particular, please estimate the volume and value of accounts sold to private companies in the past five years, and whether those sales were made after your hospital rigorously pursued the patient on its own, and whether or not the hospital also claimed those same accounts for purposes of collecting the 70% bad debt payments made available to hospitals that despite best efforts, fail to recover aged patient accounts.
No accounts have ever actually been sold.
Please explain how the sale of private accounts for recovery, and a concomitant claim to Medicare for payments on the same debts, is not "double dipping."
Not applicable.
Please provide copies of your contracts, if any, with collection agencies.
Banner provided the documents requested by the Committee.
Please identify whether this collection agency is a for-profit or nonprofit subsidiary of your organization.
Banner has contracts with several collection agencies. No collection agency is a subsidiary of Banner.
Please discuss any financial relationship with a bank or credit card company that patients use to help finance their debt.
Banner has an agreement with an Alaskan bank, pursuant to which patients at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital may apply to the bank for loans up to $25,000 to fund payment of their accounts, and Banner guarantees payment of the bank's loan. Patients are required to fill out a loan application, which is subject to acceptance by the bank. The maximum terms of the loans are 5 years, and the interest rate is based on the banks "New Car Rate".
Please explain if you differentiate between Medicare and Non Medicare patients in regard to debt.
Banner does not differentiate between Medicare and non-Medicare patients with respect to debt.
If you sell debt, what is your policy on when that debt is sold, particularly in terms of the age of the debt?
No debt has been sold.
17. Please identify any money or investments that your hospital or related organization (including supporting organization or private foundation) has in off-shore banks. Identify the amounts in these accounts. Please explain why your organization has taken this action.
Banner has established a wholly owned, captive insurance company, Samaritan Insurance Funding Ltd. (SIFL), domiciled in the Cayman Islands. This company provides the primary layers of self-insurance for general and professional liability coverage, as well as certain other insurance coverage. Use of SIFL provides a cost-effective and flexible method to finance risk exposure. No Banner funds are diverted or somehow sheltered offshore through ownership and financial relationship with SIFL or otherwise. SIFL has a call account off shore at Bank of Butterfield and maintains a balance of approximately $200,000 in that account. Banner deposits premiums into the account and SIFL pays administrative expenses and insurance losses from the account. Excess funds are routinely transferred from the Butterfield account to an on-shore, domestic set of accounts at Northern Trust, as Investment Trustee. As of June 28, Northern Trust reported total funds for SIFL of $1,306,609.
18. Please provide an organization chart including Type I and Type II supporting organizations. The chart should identify ownership interest and the type of organization (nonprofit, for profit, partnership, etc.)
Banner provided the documents requested by the Committee.
19. Some hospitals have taken the position that the provision of health care, no matter the cost to the patient, is inherently charitable. Do you agree that the provision of health care to uninsureds is charitable, even if there is a high charge associated with it? If so, please explain.
Banner does not have a position on the proposition advanced in the question.
20. Some hospitals have stated that all patients, insured and uninsured alike, are charged the same amount for services. It seems that this is a response based on semantics as it is my understanding that all insureds and government payers ultimately are expected to pay less than the chargemaster rate while uninsured patients are expected to pay the full amount. Please respond and in your response identify the net effective discount to all patient groups based on contractual or other allowances with those groups and identify the discount offered to uninsured patients as well.
The private pay contractual allowance is 61 % for Banner as a whole. Under the Basic Financial Assistance Program (for uninsured patients with household incomes up to $125,000), patients in Arizona pay 150% of expected Medicare DRG reimbursement for inpatient services and 28% of chargemaster charges for outpatient services; patients in other states pay 225% of Medicare reimbursement for inpatient services, and 75% of chargemaster charges for outpatient services. Under the Enhanced Financial Assistance Program, persons will receive free care if household income 150% or less of the federal poverty level (FPL). If household income is 150% - 500% of FPL, in Arizona, patients pay from 25% to 125% of expected Medicare reimbursement for inpatient services, and from 6% to 24% of chargemaster charges for outpatient services; and in other states, patients pay from 25% to 160% of expected Medicare reimbursement for inpatient services, and from 15% to 55% of chargemaster charges for outpatient services.
Please explain what your policies are for providing elective procedures, (examples: breast biopsies, mammograms, colonoscopies, physicals, etc.) to the uninsured.
Except for physicals, the other procedures are, if medically necessary, not considered to be elective and are, therefore, covered by Banner's financial assistance program.
21. Please provide for the last three years a detailed breakdown of travel of your five top salaried employees: for trips over $1000 please provide receipts for hotel; meals; airfare and all other reimbursed items as well as the purpose of the trip.
Banner provided most of the requested documents. Banner was unable to locate expense reports for a small number of the reimbursed trips taken in 2002, and was unable to determine travel reimbursement or locate expense reports from 2002 for Mr. Craig Broman, a former Banner executive who was based in Fargo and left the company in 2002. Banner believes these records were misplaced during the consolidation of Banner's corporate headquarters from Fargo, North Dakota to Phoenix, Arizona.
Please provide all salaries and other benefits provided to these five individuals for the last three years from any organization identified in question 18.
Banner provided the documents requested by the Committee. (Note: the salary and benefits are disclosed in Banner's Form 990, which is available to examination on Banner's website and upon request.)
Finally, please detail any payments or reimbursements made to employees for country clubs.
- 2002: President/CEO-Banner Health $7,314; President/CEO-Banner Health Foundation $4,499.
- 2003: President/CEO-Banner Health $17,345; President/CEO-Banner Health Foundation $5,247.
- 2004: President/CEO-Banner Health $1,680; President/CEO – Banner Health Foundation $5,857.


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NEW YORK -- Colgate-Palmolive here entered the sensitive toothpaste market today when it began shipping Colgate Sensitive Maximum Strength Toothpaste. Co.]." The Colgate toothpaste comes in a 4-oz stand-up tube. Accompanying the toothpaste launch is the Colgate Sensitive toothbrush. Colgate is recommending that retailers merchandise the brush, with its rubber handle, flexible neck and soft bristles, in the specialty toothbrush section. The average retail selling price for both products ...
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UPDATE: It is with a heavy heart to report that this senior passed away while in his foster's care. His wonderful temporary foster mom, Maricela Alvarado, stated that:
She had him in her care until he could come to US for rescue. The vet did not have a good prognosis - but she had him home with her. She said he drank water and would bark for her to pet and comfort him - which she did He passed on his own.
If there is anything positive that came of this, it is that he left this world feeling loved with much tenderness. Thank you to all independent rescuers south of the border, who went above and beyond to save this old-timer. Thank you to all of you who networked and generously pledged to help with his vet care. And, thank you to Grand-Paws Senior Sanctuary and Lionel's Legacy - two rescues that were willing to take in this poor boy. RIP, sweet old man.
Tijuana, Mex. - A lady witnessed something on the morning of April 4 that stopped her dead in her tracks. She saw a man dragging a soaking wet, paralyzed and elderly dog away from his house by the chain around his neck and proceeded to kick him right on the streets of Tijuana.
According to the facebook post, a woman from the same house from which the male abuser emerged with the dog then sicced two pit bulls on him. Her intent behind that one last act of cruelty on a helpless creature is unknown. What is apparent is that such behavior can only be committed by a person with a depraved mind.
Sadly, animal neglect and abuse are not unusual in this neck of the woods. With poverty still widespread throughout the city, animal welfare is at the very bottom of this city's agenda. Anyone who thinks that people who abuse or abandon animals in this city will face criminal charges will be sorely disappointed. There are much more serious matters with which law enforcement must contend, such as drug cartels. Nevertheless, the facebook post requests people who witness animal abuse to report it to "#066," which is the equivalent to "911" in the United States.
Thankfully, another man also saw the incident. He confronted the male abuser and immediately took the seriously injured senior dog away from him. Photos were taken of the dog and posted on facebook along with a plea for a rescue to help.
Homeless and abused border animals rely on the compassion and kindness of independent rescuers to save them. After seeing the facebook post of this sweet senior, animal rescue advocates from south of the border rallied to help the beaten senior. One or more individuals picked up the dog and took him to see a veterinarian. Another lady offered her house for very temporary shelter; while others helped a little with funds to pay for the dogs medication and food.
Upon initial examination of the senior dog, he could not walk and it was unclear whether it was because he was weak due to malnutrition, or something else. After he was examined and treated by the vet, Laura, a compassionate independent animal rescuer who resides in Tijuana, reached out by email to her rescue contacts in Southern California for help, as well as to provide an update on the senior's status. In one of latest emails, Laura said:
Hi guys, the dog is already safe (but in critical condition). The vet said that he has 15 years old, he hurts his head (swollen brain and possible skull fracture) :'( he has bites all over his body, we don't know what happened to him, I supposed that another dog attacked him and then he was abused by those horrible people. The vet gave him an injection of antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and Monday has to go to the vet again. The dog can walk itself! :) We are requesting your help for him, the kennels here in Tj are full, and we, as independent rescuers, have a full houses as well, but we couldn't let him in those conditions :(
For the reasons Laura states in her email, a rescue is desperately needed to save this old-timer. He needs a warm place to rest his weary head for the short time he has left on this earth. He deserves it.
If there is a rescue that is willing to take him, please send an email by clicking here. If you can make a financial pledge towards this poor guy's future vet care, again, please send a message to the same email address. All honored pledges will go to the rescue that takes him.
If you would like to continue receiving animal-related news, click "Subscribe" located underneath the photo shown above.


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Path To Darkness
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Darth Bane1027
@Darth Bane1027
Join Date
: Mar 2008
: 108
Name: Todin Phouloute (Also Darth Marauder, former apprentice of Darth Sylvanios. This is unknown to most)
Age: 17
Height: 6'7
Hair Type: Short
Hair Color: Black
Body Type: Very Muscular
Physical Features: Face and body covered in scars, torso and neck have black, Sith tatoos.
Lightsaber color: Fake: Blue, Real: Red
Bio: Todrin was born on the Sith world Korriban because both of his parents were Dark Jedi who wanted to learn more of the ancient Sith, so took up residents in one of the tombs. At the age of five, Todrin killed his parents and was found by a Sith Lord name Darth Sylvanios. Todrin became very powerful under his master. One day when Todrin was 16, he and his master where on Avys 2 when his master told him he had foreseen his death that day. He gave Todrin one last assignment, to kill his murderer. Todrin was also told to keep hidden so he would be able to live. Todrin watched the battle and waited for the surviving jedi to leave. He then set off and found what he was looking for, a lone jedi. He then killed him and took his equipment so he would be able to infultrate the jedi. He had learned from his former master to hide his true self from others, even Jedi masters. When he found were his target lived, he joined the Jedi and rented an appartment next door to his target's. While he lived there, he made good friends with Garrett, who even gave him a key to his appartment.
Todrin awoke to Garrett's screaming and knew they were having the same dream. He got up and put on his robes, then saw Lynx walking into Garrett's appartment and ran to her room, slipping inside before the door closed. He sat in a dark corner and waited. She returned a while later and he sat still. She didn't notice him, not even when he went into her room after her and watched her. He knew she was the enemy, but he felt as though he was in love with her. He smiled and left, walking back to his room. He laid down in his bed and closed his eyes. He dreamt of a future that couldn't possibly happen, a future with children.
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8 days late, negative hpt, could i be?
ok heres the break down. i started charting my periods as follows: 03/04-0310 04/08-04/13 05/06-05/10 06/04-06/09 07/08-07/13 08/14-08/18 09/13-09/17 heres where it gets weird, my calculated ovulation days were 09/25-10/02 i had sex 09/24,25,26, spotted 29th and 30th, thought nothing of it since maybe i had hurt myself a little since it was only a few light pink drops when i wiped. it stoped. had sex 10/01 and spotted again 4th and 5th and 6th. on the 6th of october i thought i was going to get my period early because it was a light pink and when i wiped it was just a bit more then the other times. that same day when i went to the rest room, nothing. clean wipe. i was going to start my period 10/15 but a day before i got sharp cramps and as well on the 15th. but no period. 17th my boobs hurt and felt itchy from the inside. some white discharge,nausea, any ideas? ive had 3 pregnancies and 1 live birth.we would love another :) insurance expired so its a no go on the blood test.
Posted: 10/22/2012 by puely
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I'm in the same boat, BFN's, Symptoms, etc... Doctor apt. Thursday for blood. Try again in a few days, maybe try a different brand of test? Good luck, keep us updatedposted 10/22/2012 by JennaEx1
I am literally in the same boat as you right now. I was also due on 10/15 and still nothing today. I haven't really had any symptoms except a major dizzy spell accompanied by some nausea this morning. And the discharge. I've taken 3 tests and all were negative! I'm going to be waiting 3 more days to test again and then if I get nothing, I have a doctor's appt in another week. Really hoping for that BFP! And I hope you get yours or AF soon! [= <3posted 10/22/2012 by KLJS
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New Baseball DVD featuring Nathan Blackwood (Lubbock Christian University Head Coach-2009 NAIA World Series Champions)!
Take a seat in the stands and watch Nathan Blackwood run two complete Lubbock Christian baseball practices. Coach Blackwood shares an all access look at how to develop potential talent into a competitive baseball team through a fall baseball practice!
Over 2 hours of on-field instruction to help design productive practice sessions!
More practice planning sessions includes:
Skills and Drills for Team Practice
Game Situation Drills for Baseball Practice
Organizing & Running Efficient Baseball Practices
Youth Baseball Series Tape 6: How to Run A Youth Baseball Practice
150 Baseball Drills, Games and Activities
The Abilene Christian baseball team, coached by Britt Bonneau, claimed their second straight Lone Star Conference baseball championship. The conference championship earned the 11th-ranked Wildcats (46-13) the league's automatic berth into this week's NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament. The Wildcats will compete with Central Missouri, Emporia State, Incarnate Word, St. Mary's, and Nebraska – Omaha.
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Rated 1 out of 5 by 1 reviewer.
Rated 1 out of 5 by Grandma1 Had to throw it away! This was for my grandsons Christmas stocking! When I got it, there was only one and it was broken and out of the package. I had to throw it away! There was supposed to be 3! January 3, 2014
1-1 of 1


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Munich-based DJ and producer Sepalot is set to release his album, Chasing Clouds on the 30th of September and he's inviting you to be a part of it. Vocalists and emcees from far and wide are asked to contribute the second verse for his single with Fashawn entitled, "Change" (which only includes one verse on the original album version).
The best submissions will be released and promoted – multiple winner opportunity here. Get on it, folks! You have until August 15th to make your submission. Send your entries to email@example.com or to the Soundcloud dropbox below! And of course, before you get started, take a listen to the original track below.
Change feat. Fashawn (add your 16bars version) by SEPALOT


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- Business News
- Trading And Investing
- sectors
- special features
- MV Education center
- Video
- t3 live subscriptions
After raising roughly $700,000, the Occupy Wall Street movement is even more like Main Street: It's broke.
The princes of astroturf picketing get prickly when the tables are turned at their Kansas headquarters.
"I'm hoping you can help me understand the intent of your request because it's hard not to conclude that DSCC politics have become so cynical that you actually expect people whom you routinely denounce to give DSCC money."
David Koch shakes his thang to DJ D-Nice.
"Meet the most influential people in the world." They make games about angry birds, websites, and movies about websites.
"I initially thought it was humorous to be confused with a multibillionaire," says small businessman Dutch Koch. Until a caller threatened to kill him.


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Is it ever good practice to separate website hosting from email hosting for a single domain, via virtualization?
A dedicated server hosts a single domain, xyz.com
This server runs a web application, which is publicly available via xyz.com
The server also hosts xyz.com IMAP email accounts.
Two VPSs could be set up on the dedicated server - one for hosting the web application, and one for the email accounts. This would presumably safeguard the email accounts from any potential problems derived from the web application.
Is this done much in practice, and if so what is the best method of going about this? I was thinking Virtuozzo + Plesk. However my problem with this approach is the disconnect between the two control panels. It would be ideal to set up the domain in a single location which took effect in both virtual environments.


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'Crescent City' gives us our first taste of NCIS: New Orleans. Be prepared for plenty of Big Easy jargon and inference to the city in this episode.
Special Agent Dwayne Price (Scott Bakula) feels it is time to reunite with Gibbs when the murdered body of a Congressman is found in his neck of the woods.
Gibbs, Pride and Fornell join forces to solve the case and quickly learn two things. First, a prostitute named Sally Ann was paid to talk to the Congressman as an obvious distraction. Secondly, the FBI is pulling old similar murder cases. Now, why would they do that? And to make matters worse, it appears the FBI is intentionally hampering with NCIS's investigation.
Back in New Orleans, Pride's partner Agent Chris LaSalle inherits some help in the form of a female interrogator from The Great Lakes office named Agent Brody. It takes LaSalle, who has a very thick southern accent to warm up to, to warm up to her.
Despite having burned many bridges in the past, creating unforgiving enemies along the way, it looks like the congressman was actually the victim of a copycat serial killer who also murders FBI Agent Doyle down in New Orleans. All the victims have one thing in common. They were all military or government personnel. Gibbs and Bishop accompany Pride back to New Orleans and fall into trap set by the killer. The trio is lured out into the open where the killer can get a good look at them. So who will be next?
'NCIS' airs on Tuesdays at 8:00 PM on CBS.


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It's happening. Jones is running Strong..(I do like the team work between Anderson and Nutty..)
Smooth passing the ball to each other..
Jones is here to stay guys .
Face it ..
I'm not passing the ball to anybody. All I know is the horrible q-4 will undoubtedly continue into Q-1. I have no doubt Jones Soda will be around for a while. With continual downward revenues, as long as they continue to control costs, they could wade around in the muck for another 2 years, with the lifeline they got thrown the first of the year. Go to your local grocery, look at all the new up and coming sodas and specialty drinks. Jones Soda will be lost amongst those that know distribution, Jones Soda has never learned the path.
2 years...lol.....costs 5 mm ayear to keep jones alive in survival mode, jones makes 3 mm with declining sales, losing 2mm ayear,10k said out of cash to survive by the end of tbe year if they can collect all AR and sell all inventory at normal price point,jones is having a fire sale with 2 dollar coupons,, the end is near unless they can dilute to survive and. Buy more time,jones buisness model is broken and cant be fixed ,thats why all the other ceo,s failed and bailed, jones is not in control of their margins with a 3rd party buisness model resulting in high price point and low margins, all push and no pull
Tick, tock
i think you should see a bit of flattening into q1. i do not think the losses would have accelerated. as i suggested you should see a rebound over 50 cents in the down channel. i do not think they will have anything groundbreaking to announce, as i don't think they are capable of it and they dont think any heroics are necessary. remember one thing always. the goal of mgmt is to make money for themselves. the ferry in south korea is an apt real-life analogy. the captain and senior crew gets off first. that is always the goal.


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This is an exquisite ball-gown dress with a sweetheart neckline and chapel train. It is made of tulle with ruffles and sequins. It has never been worn. I bought it online before I went dress-shopping, and learned that I like a-line better afterwards. I hope it will find an owner who loves it.
- Alterations: No alterations were done. The dress was custom-made to fit my body. My measurements are: bust: 33" waist: 26" hips: 36" height: 5'6".
- Preservation Method: This is a brand-new dress. I've only tried it on once. The bottom of the dress is a bit wrinkled due to the way it was shipped. But other than that, it's in perfect condition.
- Terms of Sale: All Sales Final
- Original Owner:
- Has Original Receipt:
- Location: San Jose, CA
- Will Ship to: Anywhere at Buyer Expense
- Payment Methods Accepted: Escrow.com
Please read our BUYER'S GUIDE before purchasing a dress online.


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One 'n only Argen Heat Straightening Pic
One 'n Only Argan Heat Straightening Pic lifts, shapes and smooths hair. The Pic contains a wicking surface to which you can add argan oil for a shiny finish by protecting hair from dryer heat. 1 oz One 'n Only argan oil is included. Universal fit attaches to most dryers.
Guaranteed AuthenticGuaranteed Authentic
Folica is an authorized distributer of this product and guarantees its authenticity.Close
- Lift, shape, smooth hair
- Significant increase in shine
- Apply argan oil to wicking strip for added heat protection and shine
- 0.1 oz One 'n Only Argan oil is included in box
- Universal fit attaches to most dryers
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Ralph Allon Smith (Catfish)
Position: TE
Height: 6-2 Weight: 215 lbs.
Born: December 1, 1938 in Brookhaven, MS
High School: Brookhaven
College: Mississippi (school history) (Smith college stats)
Drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 12th round (93rd overall) of the 1962 AFL Draft.
Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 8th round (111th overall) of the 1962 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 7 (8324th overall since 1950)
Other SR Links: College Football at Sports-Reference.com
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Scientists are using pupil measurements to study a wide range of psychological processes and to get a glimpse into the mind.
The Roots of Violence
April 1, 2013|
Archaeology can shine needed light on the evolution of our aggressive tendencies.
April 1, 2013|
Archaeology can shine needed light on the evolution of our aggressive tendencies.
March 20, 2013|
Researchers show that a bacterium's self-sacrifice can benefit its community, even when the members are not strongly related.
March 8, 2013|
Transcriptome studies reveal new insights about unusual animals whose genomes have not been sequenced.
March 7, 2013|
A red alga appears to have adapted to extremely hot, acidic environments by collecting genes from bacteria and archaea.
March 2, 2013|
The method to the dengue virus's maddening infectiousness.
March 1, 2013|
The global spread of dengue virus has immunologists and public-health experts debating the best way to curb infection.
February 20, 2013|
Physicists and biologists are working together to understand cooperation at all levels of life, from the cohesion of molecules to interspecies interactions.
February 15, 2013|
The small organ evolved too many times for it to be an accident, but it's still unclear what it does.
February 11, 2013|
A study suggests that some mouse models do not accurately mimic human molecular mechanisms of inflammatory response, but other mouse strains may fare better.
February 11, 2013|
A small insect-eating animal is the common ancestor of whales, elephants, dogs, and humans.


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It seems as if no graphic card is safe at the moment - there is no hiding - especially during the CeBIT trade show in Germany.
Curtsey of some folks from China, we get a up-close view of the upcoming Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTX graphics card which should release before the end of this month if we are not mistaken.
Nvidia's upcoming single GPU monster is based on a 65nm G92 chip and will replace the current GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB as the fastest single GPU card on the market. There are no details on pricing yet but it is stripped naked for public viewing right here.
Enjoy, you perv!


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211 4th St
Brookings, SD 57006
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(605) 697-2874 (fax)
East Central Mental Health is classified in Brookings Psychology and Psychiatrists.
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Golie Richard Renfro
Position: FB-LB
Height: 5-10 Weight: 200 lbs.
Born: January 25, 1919 in Fort Worth, TX
Died: November 10, 1998 in Eureka, CA
High School: Glendale
College: Washington St. (school history)
Drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 11th round (91st overall) of the 1943 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 0 (15060th overall since 1950)
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In eye-catching red and yellow, Turbo™'s CCCP Water Polo Suit features a water polo ball graphic on the front, and CCCP and its iconic hammer and sickle image on the rear.
Super hot
Medium just barely fits my 31-32 inch waist so I have to give a little tug up on the back once in awhile to maintain coverage. This is an amazing and eye catching suit. The bright red-orange color screams confidence and makes a statement to those observant enough to notice. I wear it to practice but because I live in a conservative state, I like to wear it under my navy or white Zumo American stars suits which I peel off at the last minute before mounting the block at swim meats. I really think it boosts my performance and I have been asked repeatedly where I got it.
Tucson, AZ
Fit: Feels true to size
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Great Performance
Size M fits with 32inch waist. And on a tanned skin it looks awesome with the yellow and orange-red coloured pattern. Absolutely great performance. Like other Turbo(TM) waterpolo suits it will be durable for about 10 years (my friend said who plays waterpolo)With the laced drawstring it's easy to wear while swimming or playing waterpolo. Wear it on your hips. I use the suit as a swimmer. The suit dries off soon after using. Buy it - even the style may provocate a bit - it feels a litte bit nostalgic...
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Founded by the Massó family more than fifty years ago in Spain, Turbo has become a trusted name in swimming and water polo around the world. Constantly evolving in style, quality and technology, Turbo products are used and loved by world record-holders and international athletes, and the company remains committed to offering its customers unparalleled quality and innovation, with the guarantee of absolute satisfaction.
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"Supernatural" season 9 continues next week with episode 13, "The Purge," for which the CW released a new sneak preview on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
In this next "SPN" episode, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) go undercover at a spa after murder victims are found hundreds of pounds lighter after their deaths. They suspect witches are responsible, and so they check out the fancy day spa all the victims attended for weight loss, with Sam a fitness instructor and Dean on kitchen duty. After Dean has some tainted food and passes out, they realize someone is drugging the guests and literally sucking the fat out of the victims until they die.
The promo for "The Purge" begins like a commercial for Canyon Valley Wellness Spa, the place where you can go and lose all your fat in one day. That alone should tell you there's something sketchy going on there. Plus, get a look at Sam and Dean undercover, which means quite the outfit for Sam and a hairnet for Dean. Their relationship was still broken at the end of "Sharp Teeth"; will we see that affect them in this episode?
"Supernatural" season 9 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on the CW. "The Purge" was written by Eric Charmelo and Nicole Snyder and directed by Phil Sgriccia. What do you think of this episode 13 preview?
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook and Subscribe for the latest in television news.
Suggested Links
- 'Teen Wolf' season 3 episode 17 preview: What do the masked figures want?
- 'The Following' season 2 episode 3 preview: A killer obsession that won't let go
- 'Teen Wolf' 'Illuminated' recap: A dark turn and disturbing marks
- 'How I Met Your Mother' recap: 'How Your Mother Met Me' shows The Mother's story
- 'Doctor Who': Peter Capaldi's Doctor's costume has been revealed


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- 460 Columbine Drive
- Bennett, CO 80102
- $354,900
- Sold
- 4 Bed, 4 Bath, 4902 SqFt, 1 Acre
- Days on Website: 504
- Residential
- Days on Website: 504
- Office: Re/max Masters Inc
Enjoy your morning coffee in the bay window of the eat in kitchen with full mtn views. Well maintained home on corner lot with vinyl fencing and professionally landscaped. Gazebo great for watching the sunsets. Open floor plan very light and bright. Kitchen has cherry cabinets and tile floors. Beautiful wood floors throughout. Full basement with private entrance, bedroom, full bath, laundry area, and full kitchen. Basement warmed by Solar heat exchanger. Possible 5th non-conforming bedroom in basement.
Refrigerator (Kitchen), Self-Cleaning Oven, Stove/Range/Oven
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Welcome to PM Cranes - Truck Hydraulics
Welcome to Truck Hyrdaulics, we specialise in providing PM Cranes including PM Marine Cranes and PM Lorry Cranes. We also provide supolimetary stabelisers, truck bodies and spares. We also provide a full engineering solution from design to manufacturing. With PM Cranes as the basis of all our work you can be sure we provide a quality result every time. If you are looking for the best quality in hydraulic cranes for trucks then you are in the right place. Take a look at some of ur case studies or contact us today for details.
S&G Haulage Ltd of Lincoln took delivery of their First 100 tonne/meter crane in August 2012.
This was a huge moment for the owner Steve Gaunt , up till now he successfully operated a fleet of some 20 vehicles with a variety of cranes ranging from 40-65 tonne/meter.
Read full case study and see more images
Truck Hydraulics Manufacturing process.
AV Squires recently took delivery of a bespoke plant body to accommodate their out of the ordinary requirements.
Read the full story and see photos of the process
PM Flying High at Vertical Days
Truck Hydraulics and PM cranes exhibited various crane and plant body solutions at vertical days.
View the Case Study
Success Story, The New 16 – 23 range delivers record sales.
The PM 16-23 range boasts a cast or oil filled base with a super light construction, The PM 23022 P model weighs in at as little as 2070kg, In excess of 20 crane units in this range have been ordered in the first 3 months of 2012
Safe working at Height
Truck Hydraulics working closely with customers giving many options, No1 key factor being safety, other key factors being easy removal for loading.
PM Cranes | The PM 100 Launch
The all new PM Launch in 2011 proves to be a worldwide success, this crane is in full production, offering as much as a 33.40 metre reach and being one of the lightest most compact cranes in its class.
7.5 tonne Application
Where payload is key the PM 4521 loader crane with brick grab can still offer 3 tonne plus in payload.
Hydraulic cranes for trucks - Plant body
The Truck Hydraulics Plant body offers many features to suit any application, self deploying leg system, slit level ramps and stainless steel rams come as standard.
PM Cranes | PM Marine cranes
Pm Marine crane specification available.
Call now on 01405 816500.
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Item: PM 65026 UK Stock
Price: Call for Pricing
The PM 65 is now a benchmark product in the heavy lift industry, this crane can be fitted to a 32 to...
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Title: AV Squires Manufacturing
AV Squires recently took delivery of a bespoke plant body to accommodate their out of the ordinary r...