30 Jun 2014

Modern Woodmen of America National Convention Elects Officers and Reports Progress

By Amber O’Brien

President Kenny Massey reports four years of solid growth

 

Indianapolis, Ind. - Modern Woodmen of America President W. Kenny Massey, LeClaire; National Secretary Denis P. Prior, Davenport; and all members of the board of directors were unanimously elected on June 30 by the fraternal financial services organization's 42nd National Convention. Massey has been president since 2005; Prior has been national secretary since 2009.

An organization with a democratic form of government, Modern Woodmen represents its members' ideas and concerns through elected delegates who participate in a National Convention once every four years.

Local residents Darcy G. Callas, Moline; David B. Emrick, Davenport; Gary L. Medd, Davenport; and Jerald J. Lyphout, East Moline; were elected to Modern Woodmen's Board of Directors. Other members elected to the board of directors were Albert Hurst Jr., Little Rock, Arkansas; Judge Robert C. Pollex, Perrysburg, Ohio; and William D. Keltner, Jackson, Tennessee.

Also elected were: Eugene A. Ortis, national adviser, Alexandria, Louisiana; Anthony W. High, national escort, Tompkinsville, Kentucky; Donald D. Wixom, national watchman, Nampa, Idaho; and Cary L. Mathes, national sentry, Parkville, Missouri.

Solid growth

More than 1,300 Modern Woodmen members and guests, including 190 delegates, from throughout the United States gathered at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, Indiana, to attend Modern Woodmen's 2014 National Convention.

Massey shared Modern Woodmen's progress during the four-year period from Jan. 1, 2010, to Dec. 31, 2013, and reported gains in all phases of operation.

–  Assets increased 45 percent to a total of $13.4 billion.

–  Life insurance in force increased 8 percent to $36.3 billion.

–  Surplus increased 33 percent to $1.51 billion.

–  Total benefits paid to members increased 18 percent to $2.9 billion.

–  Fraternal expenditures grew to $77 million, a 10 percent increase.

Modern Woodmen has more life insurance in force than 90 percent of all life insurance companies in America.  The third largest fraternal organization in the U.S., in terms of assets, Modern Woodmen's A.M. Best Rating remains A+ (Superior) - the second highest of 15 ratings.

"Ten years ago our assets totaled $6.9 billion and today we stand at $13.4 billion," said Massey. "That's an increase of $6.5 billion, which makes us the fastest going fraternal organization in America during the past decade."

Massey explained that Modern Woodmen continues to exist to:

·         Help members in times of financial crises (especially after the death of a loved one).

·         Accumulate funds for a secure retirement.

·         Engage members and enrich their lives with fraternal benefits and activities.

·         Benefit communities through fraternal benevolence and outreach programs.

"Our mission statement reads 'to improve the quality of life for our members,'" he explained. "We live out our mission every day, it's in our DNA. It drives our decisions and actions as an organization."

Fraternal focus

In the past four years, Modern Woodmen's fraternal programs benefitted members and communities across the country.

  • Fraternal benefits help members, their families and their communities in good times and in times of need. From disaster relief aid to scholarships to providing for orphans, members have a safety net of benefits.  In the last four years, Modern Woodmen gave $4 million in benefits to members.
  • Modern Woodmen put $34.2 million into matching fund activities in the past four years. Matching fund activities allow members to show their support for a community cause or an individual in need.
  • Through more than 99,500 chapter activities across the nation. Members and their families participate in social and volunteer activities.
  • Through nearly 48,500 youth service club activities. Modern Woodmen children from tots to teens discover the benefit of helping others. Youth service club volunteers have given nearly 1 million hours of volunteer service in the past four years.

Modern Woodmen of America is a member-owned fraternal financial services organization. Since 1883, the organization has brought people together, supported families and strengthened communities nationwide. Modern Woodmen - touching lives, securing futures.

-end­-
30 Jun 2014

Governor Branstad issues disaster proclamation for five counties

By Tim Albrecht

DES MOINES - Today, Governor Terry E. Branstad issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for five counties in response to the ongoing flooding and severe weather beginning June 26. Counties included in the proclamation are: Adair, Cedar, Guthrie, Jones and Linn.

The governor's proclamation allows State resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of these storms.

In addition, the proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Program for two counties: Adair and Guthrie.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or a maximum annual income of $39,580, for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and for the expense of temporary housing. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

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For more information please visit www.IowaFloodCentral.Tumblr.com or www.homelandsecurity.iowa.gov.
30 Jun 2014

Braley for Iowa Releases County-by-County Report Detailing Devastating Impact of Ernst's Plan to Privatize Social Security for Iowa Seniors

By Rick Martin
Her proposal would cut benefits in half while adding to program's long-term costs

Des Moines, IA - Today Braley For Iowa released a new county-by-county report detailing the devastating impact of State Senator Joni Ernst's plan to privatize Social Security and replace guaranteed benefits with personal savings accounts for Iowa seniors.

According to the report, Ernst's proposal would require "radical reductions in benefits"?cutting future retirees' benefits nearly in half and severely threatening the retirement security Iowans have earned through a lifetime of work. The average benefit for an Iowa senior is less than $14,000 a year. Ernst's plan would also be particularly risky for seniors during an economic downturn--if Ernst's private savings system had been in place in 2008, seniors retiring that year would have seen an average $26,000 loss on their investment.

Furthermore, as Ernst herself has admitted, her proposal to privatize Social Security would actually cost taxpayers more, increasing the Social Security shortfall by an additional $2.2 trillion over the next 75 years and forcing lawmakers to potentially raise taxes, decrease benefits or increase borrowing to keep the program solvent.

"Social Security is a promise--pay into the program during your working life, and the benefits you've earned will be there for you when you retire," said Jan Laue, President of the Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans. "But privatization puts the guaranteed benefit of Social Security at risk, jeopardizing retirement security for workers approaching retirement and future generations.  Rather than putting our retirement security in jeopardy, Iowans need a Senator who will fight to protect Social Security and ensure we keep our promises to our seniors."

Bruce Braley believes we need to honor our promises to our seniors and ensure Social Security is available for our current and future generations. He has strongly opposed efforts to privatize Social Security, and also opposes any efforts to reduce future Social Security benefits for retirees if cost-of-living increases were shifted to a so-called "chained CPI" calculation.

The report also breaks down the importance of Social Security to seniors in all 99 counties across Iowa. In Polk County alone, more than 67,000 seniors rely on the promise of Social Security. More than 38,000 Iowa seniors count on Social Security in Linn County, in addition to more than 18,000 in Woodbury County.

In total, more than 600,000 Iowans currently depend on the promise of Social Security, including over 400,000 retirees, 76,000 disabled workers, 48,000 widows/widowers, and almost 39,000 children.


# # #
30 Jun 2014

RICHARD MARTINEZ, FATHER OF UCSB SHOOTING VICTIM, TO JOIN IOWA MOMS

By Lizzie Ulmer
DEMAND ACTION AND OTHER GUN VIOLENCE SURVIVORS TO DELIVER POSTCARDS INSPIRED BY HIS WORDS, DECLARING TO REPRESENTATIVES LATHAM, KING AND SENATOR GRASSLEY: "NOT ONE MORE!"

3,684 #NotOneMore Postcards Will Be Delivered to Senator Grassley, 939 to Rep. Latham and 531 to Rep. King; Nearly 2.5 Million Postcards Will Be Delivered to Elected Officials Across the Country
Just weeks after Richard Martinez carried his message that "Not One More" American should be killed by senseless gun violence to the country's political leaders in his first visit to Washington, DC since his son Christopher Michaels-Martinez was killed in the Santa Barbara tragedy, he will join the Iowa chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and other gun violence survivors on Tuesday, July 1 to deliver 3,684 postcards to Senator Grassley and 939 to Representative Latham at 10:30 AM, and deliver 531 postcards to Representative King at 1:10 PM.
These postcards are part of the nearly 2.5 million postcards that were inspired by Martinez's words: "I'm going to ask every person I can find to send a postcard to every politician they can think of with three words on it: 'Not one more.'  People are looking for something to do. I'm asking people to stand up for something. Enough is enough."
Upon hearing Martinez's call to action, Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America launched a postcard campaign that makes it easy for Americans to automatically send postcards to their elected officials. More than 625,000 Americans signed up and for each one of them, Everytown will deliver postcards to each individual's U.S. House representative, two U.S. Senators and governor - this means that nearly 2.5 million postcards will be delivered to demand that political leaders take action to end gun violence.

  • What: "Not One More" Postcard Delivery to IA Representative Tom Latham and Senator Chuck Grassley
  • Who: Richard Martinez, father of UCSB shooting victim Christopher Michaels-Martinez; Erica Lafferty,daughter of Sandy Hook principal, Dawn Hochsprung; State Representative Ako Abdul-Samad; and Iowa Moms Demand Action
  • When: 10:30 AM CST, Tuesday, July 1, 2014
  • Where: Federal Building, 210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309*
    *Postcard delivery to Rep. Latham's office will immediately follow.

  • What: "Not One More" Postcard Delivery to IA Representative Steve King
  • Who: Richard Martinez, father of UCSB shooting victim Christopher Michaels-Martinez; Erica Lafferty, daughter of Sandy Hook principal, Dawn Hochsprung; State Representative Ako Abdul-Samad; and Iowa Moms Demand Action
  • When: 1:10 PM CST, Tuesday, July 1, 2014
  • Where: 1421 S Bell Avenue, Suite 102, Ames, IA 50010

About Everytown for Gun Safety
and follow us @Everytown
About Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
or on Twitter at @MomsDemand
###
30 Jun 2014

Why the Best Financial Advisors are Also Great Team Players

By Ginny Grimsley
Top U.S. Advisor Offers 3 Tips for Successful Collaboration

Individuals and families with large estates have enough to worry about - they shouldn't have to wonder whether the advisors they depend upon have their best interests at heart, says financial advisor Matthew T. Shafer.

"Many don't realize that wealthy people are targets for criminals and opportunistic people; that's why an estate should have a good team of professionals who work well with each other," says Shafer, author of "The Future of Your Wealth," (http://mattshafer.us/).

"Wealthy families - and many middle-class families - have multiple advisors who specialize in different disciplines, including attorneys, tax specialists, insurance agents and the like. A family could find the best specialist in each field, but if these experts do not work in harmony, the results can be dreadful."

These key players are like musicians in a band or orchestra. If they are off doing their own thing with no consideration for the overall production, it will sound terrible, says Shafer, who offers tips for overcoming potential problems within a group of advisors.

•  Keep egos in check. The best lawyers, tax advisors and financial advisors - top performers who've spent years honing their skills in highly competitive environments - tend to be strong-minded personalities. When members of the team are required to review the work of another within the team, egos can get in the way, even when all parties can agree that a second pair of eyes can improve work. Advisors should establish a cooperative, collaborative dynamic and avoid pointing fingers of blame; rather, make the priority to do whatever's best for the client.

•  Educate yourself about other disciplines. "Financial advisors can do a better job for their clients if they've taken the time to learn about these other fields so they're comfortable with cross-discipline conversations," Shafer says. Better understanding another team member's profession requires a longsighted view, and there isn't an immediate payoff. But, as with any educational pursuit, the value will be evident down the road. That value includes clients with increased peace of mind in knowing that their team is coordinated.

•  Be tactful in troubleshooting tough situations. If a team member senses something is amiss in the work of another, first approach another advisor within the team and tactfully ask for help connecting the dots. Give the other advisor every opportunity to identify a problem and resolve a possible mistake. The only exception to this is when you think a crime is being committed. In that case, advisors are legally obligated to tell their client. An accusatory approach tends to damage relationships, or even bring them to an end. The goal is to get the best results for the client, not to criticize the other professionals on the team.

About Matthew T. Shafer

Matthew T. Shafer, author of "The Future of Your Wealth," (http://mattshafer.us/), is a graduate of American University, where he obtained Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in economics, with a concentration in International Financial Markets. In 2005, Matthew attended the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkley, where he obtained the title of Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) and joined the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA). He has been named one of the top 1,000 Financial Advisors in the U.S. by Barron's Magazine (2009) and has received several national recognitions, including "Premier Advisor" by the National Association of Board Certified Advisory Practices (2012).

30 Jun 2014

USDA Continues Farm Bill Implementation with Provisions to Help Farmers Manage Risk

By USDA Office of Communications
Department Announces New Beginning Farmer Benefits, Other Changes to Crop Insurance that Provide Flexibility to Farmers

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2014 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced continued progress in implementing provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill that provide new risk management options for farmers and ranchers. These improvements to crop insurance programs will provide better protection from weather disaster, market volatility and other risk factors to ensure farmers aren't wiped out by events beyond their control.

Vilsack also announced new support for beginning farmers that will make crop insurance more affordable and provide greater support when new farmers experience substantial losses. These announcements build on other recent USDA efforts to support beginning farmers.

"Crop insurance is critical to the ongoing success of today's farmers and ranchers and our agriculture economy. These improvements provide additional flexibility to ensure families do not lose everything due to events beyond their control," said Vilsack. "We're also acting to provide more support to beginning farmers and ranchers so that they can manage their risk effectively. We need to not only encourage new farmers to get into agriculture, we must ensure they're not wiped out in their riskiest initial seasons so they can remain in agriculture for years to come."

The U. S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) filed an interim rule with the Federal Register today, allowing USDA to move forward with changes to crop insurance provisions. The provisions provide better options for beginning farmers, allow producers to have enterprise units for irrigated and non-irrigated crops, give farmers and ranchers the ability to purchase different levels of coverage for a variety of irrigation practices, provide guidance on conservation compliance, implement protections for native sod and provide adjustments to historical yields following significant disasters.

The Farm Bill authorizes specific coverage benefits for beginning farmers and ranchers starting with the 2015 crop year. The changes announced today exempt new farmers from paying the $300 administrative fee for catastrophic policies. New farmers' premium support rates will also increase ten percentage points during their first five years of farming. Beginning farmers will also receive a greater yield adjustment when yields are below 60 percent of the applicable transitional yield. These incentives will be available for most insurance plans in the 2015 crop year and all plans by 2016.

Starting in the fall of 2014, producers who till native sod and plant an annual crop on that land will see reductions in their crop insurance benefits during the first four years. Native sod is acreage that has never been tilled, or land which a producer cannot substantiate has ever been tilled for the production of a crop. The provision applies to acreage in all counties in Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota that is greater than five acres per policy and is producing annual crops.

Additional flexibility for irrigated and non-irrigated enterprise units and coverage levels will be available in the spring of 2015. Additional information on implementation of these changes is available at the RMA website, www.rma.usda.gov.

The interim rule is available to the public at the Federal Register at www.ofr.gov/inspection.aspx.

More information is available on the RMA website at www.rma.usda.gov. Written comments on the rule can be submitted to www.regulations.gov by Sept. 2, 2014. All comments will be considered when the rule is made final.

Today's announcement was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.

Since the signing of the Farm Bill, RMA has been working to implement the provisions as quickly as possible. The Federal Crop Insurance Board approved RMA's Whole-Farm Revenue Insurance policy in May. RMA will finalize the policy materials and expects to release the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection product to the public in late fall.

#
30 Jun 2014

LOCAL SAFETY ADVOCATE URGES COMMUNITY TO BE AWARE OF BICYCLISTS ON THE ROAD

By Corey Walker
Tragic death of 13-year-old-bicyclist is a reminder to look twice to save a life

DES MOINES - While the death of a young man training for an upcoming triathlon was the result of a tragic accident, it is still a somber reminder that all drivers must be on the lookout for the bicyclists they share the road with.

Timothy Jenks was with seven other professional riders when he apparently lost control of his bicycle and was fatally struck by an SUV that was passing the group in a no-passing zone. He was only 13 years old.

Local safety advocate and attorney Corey Walker was devastated to learn that another accident took a cyclist's life in Iowa.

"I cannot imagine the pain that the Jenks family is going through," Corey Walker said. "From everything I read about Timothy, he had a real passion for life and part of that was through cycling. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and their community as they mourn the loss of this wonderful young man."

It is accidents like this one, along with those accidents he helps families with on a daily basis at his Des Moines law firm, that prompted him to start the Look4Bicycles campaign. As part of the campaign, he offers free bumper stickers for drivers to display on their cars to remind others to look out for bicycles on the road.

"Even if one rider is saved from injury or death because of a Look4Bicycles bumper sticker, we will have succeeded" Corey Walker said. "The more attention we can bring to accident prevention through educational materials or open dialogue, the more likely we are to keep our riders safe."

Walker is particularly concerned about the young bicyclists that drivers have the hardest time seeing, due to their small size and general unfamiliarity with the roads and their rules.

"If a tragic accident like this can happen to a seasoned rider like Timothy, I am concerned about what can happen to the novice child riders sharing the roads with drivers who may not be paying attention," Corey said.

Sadly, out of the more than 400 bicycle injuries that happen each year in Iowa, nearly 25% of the victims are under the age of 16, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation Traffic and Safety Office. Statistics from 2012 show that of the 467 bicyclists injured in Iowa alone, 116 of them were under 16 years old, and another 106 of the victims were aged 16 to 24.

The purpose of Look4Bicycles is to encourage all types of drivers to pay attention to their surroundings and keep an extra eye out for bicyclists. Majority of bicycle accidents involving other vehicles that are handled by Walker's firm, Walker, Billingsley and Bair, are caused because the other driver did not detect and recognize the cyclist in traffic, or because the other vehicle did not see the bicyclist before the collision, or they noticed the bike after it was too late to avoid the collision.

Looks4Bicycles bumper stickers are offered completely free of charge and there is no limit to the number of stickers you can request. All drivers are urged to make use of this free service to help spread the word about looking out for cyclists. Mr. Walker is also offering his time - free of charge - to speak to groups or to new driver's education classes interested in learning about bicycle safety for both riders and non-riders.

Stickers and other educational material can be obtained by visiting www.Look4Bicycle.com or by calling 515-661-5542.
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30 Jun 2014

Sheriff Conard receives J. Stannard Baker Award for Highway Safety

By Pamela Bennett

Sheriff Dennis Conard was announced as a co-recipient for the J. Stannard Baker Award for Highway Safety at the National Sheriff's Association Annual Conference which was held last week in Fort Worth, Texas.

The award is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation/National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Northwestern University, and the Center for Public Safety and OnStar. The J. Stannard Baker Award for Highway Safety is presented annually to a deputy sheriff or officer who has shown unusual initiative directly related to highway safety.

Since 2003, Sheriff Conard has served as Vice-Chair of the National Sheriff's Association Traffic Safety Committee. He has been a part of working groups that have dealt with suspended drivers, distracted driving and traffic enforcement enhancement for Sheriff's offices.

This award honors the late J. Stannard Baker who made significant contributions to highway safety. Mr. Baker served as Director of Research and Development at the Northwestern University Traffic Institute (now the Center for Public Safety) for over thirty years. During that time he focused on the causes of traffic crashes and on the techniques of collision investigation and reconstruction. He was known throughout the world as the "father of accident investigation." Mr. Baker's groundbreaking textbook, Traffic Accident Investigation Manual, is the worldwide standard.

30 Jun 2014

ABC of Iowa Apprenticeship & Training Trust Offers Welding Skills Assessments

By Ginny Shindelar

ABC of Iowa Apprenticeship & Training Trust is now offering welding skills assessments. Welding training will be offered starting in the fall 2014.

Several different types of welding training will be available: Structural Welding for Fabrication (Stick), Structural Welding for Manufacturing (MIG), Pipe Welding (Stick), Structural Welding for Fabrication/Maintenance (MIG), Structural Welding for Fabrication/Maintenance (TIG), "Sanitary" Structural Welding for Fabrication/Maintenance (TIG) and "Sanitary" Pipe Welding for Fabrication/Maintenance (TIG).

Each class will have a maximum of eight people. The training will be customized to each individual trainee. The instructor will speak with each employer or trainee to tailor their training to their goals.

"The ABC of Iowa Apprenticeship & Training Trust has taken a major step in helping the construction industry resolve the national shortage of skilled welders with the opening of its new welding training facility," said Mike McCoy, ABC of Iowa Apprenticeship & Training Trustee Chair.  "The new welding lab is equipped with the latest Miller Welding Technology, which allows students to learn Stick, MIG and TIG welding for both structural steel and piping in a controlled environment. Under the instruction of one of the area's top welding instructors, students can achieve their welding certifications and join the racks of the nation's best skilled tradesmen!"

Assessments will be held July 25 and 26. The training will begin in the fall. Please contact Ginny Shindelar at ginny.shindelar@abciowa.org or 515.985.1175 or visit http://apprenticeshiptrust.abciowa.org/Welding_Program.aspx.

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30 Jun 2014

Robots in the Operating Room

By Ginny Grimsley

'A Robot Operated on My Hernia'
Tarpon Springs Surgeon Debunks This & Other Myths
About Robots in the O.R.

Robotics-assisted surgery has become enormously popular, with physicians around the world performing 1.5 million procedures - from hysterectomies to heart valve repairs - in 2011.

"But myths and misconceptions about robots in the operating room still abound," says physician Dr. Keith Chisholm, MD, a Board Certified General Surgeon on staff at Florida Hospital North Pinellas, (www.fhnorthpinellas.com).

"One is that the robot performs the surgery - 'a robot operated on my hernia,' " says Dr. Chisholm. "Technically, it's not a robot because it can't perform surgery without someone controlling it - it's actually computer-assisted surgery. The surgeon guides all of the movements using finger-manipulated controls."

He and other robotics surgeons use the da Vinci Surgical System, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for minimally invasive surgeries in 2000. Nine years later, the da Vinci was being used in 80 percent of surgeries to remove cancerous prostates, according to its maker, Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

"The benefits of robotics-assisted surgery are numerous", says Dr. Chisholm, who performs several different procedures using da Vinci and became the first Pinellas-Pasco physician to use it for a single-incision cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal).

"The robotic arms hold miniaturized surgical instruments, so we can get in through very small incisions," he says. "That means there's less chance of infection, less pain, much less scarring and a quicker recovery time. Because the arms have 'wrists' that can rotate more than 360 degrees, we have far more maneuverability than we do with laparoscopic surgery, and we can get into hard-to-reach areas."

"One of the robotic arms holds a magnified 3D high-definition camera, which gives us a much better view of the surgical site than we would have with just our own two eyes."

In a 2013 FDA survey, surgeons experienced with da Vinci said their patients have less bleeding, fewer complications, much quicker recovery times and less time in the hospital - 24 hours on average. Interestingly, those who used da Vinci to remove advanced cancer in the tonsils region of the throat said half of their patients were able to avoid chemotherapy.

What are some other myths and misconceptions?

•  Myth: Robotics-assisted surgery costs much more than traditional surgery.
A study published in July 2013 found that half of the minimally invasive procedures reviewed, including robotics-assisted and laparoscopic surgeries, cost insurance providers less than the same surgeries performed in the traditional manner. Four of the six minimally invasive surgeries also resulted in fewer lost work days - sometimes several weeks fewer.

"The robotics technology is expensive and the whole surgical team has to be trained, which can add to the cost," says Dr. Chisholm. "But there's also a tremendous savings compared with traditional surgery because the patient is out of the hospital more quickly and there are fewer complications."

(Study conducted by University of Pennsylvania health economist Andrew J. Epstein and published in JAMA Surgery.)

•  Myth: Robotics-assisted surgery is riskier than traditional surgeries.
Any surgery has certain risks, but in many ways, robotics-assisted surgeries have fewer overall, Dr. Chisholm says.

"Many times, the robotics-assisted procedures can be done much more quickly, so there's less risk simply because the duration of the procedure is shorter," he says. "You also have the smaller incisions, less bleeding, etc. that reduce the risks."

In addition, the Tampa Bay area is fortunate to have the cutting-edge 2-year-old Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) operated by the University of South Florida.

"Our surgical teams have easy access to training, practice with simulators and continuing education, so we're extremely well-prepared," Dr. Chisholm says.

About Dr. Keith Chisholm

Dr. Keith Chisholm graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Medical School and went on to residency training at the University of Florida, becoming an assistant adjunct professor and attending surgeon at the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville, Fla. He's believed to have performed the first laparoscopic colon resection in the UF surgical department. From laparoscopy to robotics-assisted surgery was a natural advance for Chisholm, who has a private practice in Trinity, Fla., and is among the robotics-certified surgeons with privileges at Florida Hospital North Pinellas, (www.fhnorthpinellas.com).

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