DRA to Hold Board Meeting

The public is invited to attend the Delta Regional Authority Meeting, at 9 a.m., Friday, June 4, at the DRA Central Office, 236 Sharkey Ave., Suite 400, Clarksdale, Miss. For more information, please contact Lillie Fears at 662-624-8600, ext. 14 or mailto:lfears@dra.gov

More Doctors Coming to Delta Region

“Help is On the Way…”
Pete Johnson , Federal Co-chairman
Delta Regional Authority
Better and greater access to quality healthcare just received a “shot in the arm”, according to Pete Johnson , Federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority.

More physicians will be coming to its Region with the start up of the Delta Regional Authority's Physician Visa Waiver Program. “Help is on the way and more people will have better access to affordable healthcare because of this new program. As a result we will have better healthcare outcomes which, in turn, mean healthier people,” Chairman Johnson said.

Currently, foreign medical graduates (physicians) trained in the U.S. are required to return to their native land after completion of their training. However, through the DRA program, the Federal Co-chairman can recommend a “waiver” of that U.S. State Department requirement -- provided the physician agrees to serve in a medically-underserved area of the DRA region for three years. Additionally, these doctors must provide primary care service for 40 hours per week and must treat all categories of patients, including Medicare, Medicaid and indigent patients.

Chairman Johnson

This program will assist hospitals and community health centers in private practices in the Delta's 240 counties and parishes with recruiting physicians to work in its urban and rural underserved communities. Further, there is no “cap” on the number of recommendations DRA can make each year.

According to Chairman Johnson, the program's outcomes will include:

  • Reductions in health care costs and the physical and mental anguish of diseases; and
  • It will also improve the prevention efforts of unhealthy lifestyles in children and adults as well.

“The DRA program is designed to help give special attention to the processes required in bringing doctors to the healthcare facilities that many medically underserved communities depend upon for quality primary care,” Johnson said.

From 1993 to 2002, the United States Department of Agriculture was one of the leading government agencies that processed the waivers, which resulted in some 3,098 placements in the country. DRA is the first government agency to step in and fill the void left by USDA, and Johnson is optimistic that the Authority's involvement will help expedite the process and increase the chances of applications being approved.

DRAs waiver program is attractive in other ways. It brings economic benefits to the region, for example. With every J-1 Visa physician approved for work comes the additional openings for support staff jobs such as nurses and lab technicians. In addition, physicians who will be granted waivers to practice medicine through the program will do so in communities where their American counterparts chose not to serve.

“The DRA waiver program will help states to maximize the number of primary care physicians in areas and by needs in the region with the goal of providing better and more accessible health care services to the citizens of the Delta,” Johnson said.

A federal-state partnership, Congress established the DRA in December of 2000 to channel resources, aid and guidance for economic development to the Mississippi Delta region. The Authority's region includes 240 counties in the following eight states: Alabama , Arkansas , Illinois , Mississippi , Missouri , Kentucky , Louisiana and Tennessee . For more information about DRA, go to http://www.dra.gov/.

DRA Meets with State J-1 Visa, Health Officials

The DRA staff met recently with J-1 Visa waiver and health officials from its eight states at Crittenden Memorial Hospital in West Memphis , Ark. , for a briefing session on guidelines for the Authority's new program, which opens this month.

Several resource individuals and representatives from other established J-1 Visa programs in the DRA region attended the meeting and offered DRA officials advice for making the program successful.

Following a hearty welcome from Ross Hooper, Crittenden Memorial's chief executive officer, DRA co-chair Pete Johnson talked about the importance of working with the states to help improve healthcare services.
Jennifer Burleson (left), caseworker for Congressman Marion Berry, was among the guests who attended the J-1 Visa Waiver briefing that DRA sponsored at Crittenden Memorial Hospital in West Memphis recently. Burleson is joined by Justin Ferguson, DRA federal policy coordinator.

“We want to work together,” Johnson said. “We want to know what problems you are having. We are all here for the same reason which is to serve the people of our states and our region. Our mission is to provide healthcare to citizens in rural America and in some of our metropolitan centers.”

Justin Ferguson, federal policy coordinator for DRA, also gave an overview of the J-1 Visa waiver program. According to Ferguson , a distinguishing factor in DRAs program is that it will be able to make an unlimited number of recommendations to the State Department for waivers, whereas states must work under the Conrad 30 legislation, which limits them with a maximum of 30 slots to fill each year. The DRA program will also fill a void in recruiting physicians to underserved areas that was created when the Department of Agriculture discontinued its waiver program in 2002.

“The DRA program is critical in that it helps ensure that people who live in underserved communities have access to primary and other care available to other Americans,” Ferguson said.

Attendees at the meeting were diverse and included, for example, representatives from hospitals, health departments, economic development offices, congressional offices and immigration attorneys from around the DRA region.

Barry Walker, a lawyer specializing in immigration matters, attended the session and believes DRA is off to the right start.

“The interest of the program is going to be a tremendous help to Delta counties and citizens to get them help with doctors,” said Walker, who is based in Tupelo , Miss. “(DRA) is doing a tremendous job. We already have several cases we are ready to file and we are looking forward to working with DRA.”

Gregory Siskind, a Memphis-based immigration lawyer, said he was excited that DRA was starting its program.


Crittenden Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer Ross Hooper, right, and Kristi L. Crawford, an immigration attorney based in St. Louis, left, also attended the DRA J-1 Visa briefing that DRA sponsored recently in West Memphis.

“There's a serious national shortage and it is even worse in the Delta,” Siskind said. “This kind of program is one of the most effective things our government can be doing to address the shortage right now. I congratulate the DRA and look forward to hearing about the communities that are going to benefit from the program.”

News that DRA's visa waiver program was opening soon has been welcomed by hospital administrators such as Ross Hooper, head of Crittenden Memorial Hospital in West Memphis , Ark. She has experienced first hand the difficulty of requesting a waiver for a foreign-trained physician, particularly since Arkansas ' Conrad 30 program has met its quota for the year. As an IGA, DRA has processed 13 waiver applications, including two for Crittenden Memorial.

“Conrad 30 is very important, but having the DRA program in addition to that is exciting to me,” Hooper said. “(DRA) has helped me out tremendously in acquiring doctors for my patients. My vision is that of receiving the right doctor who wants to come and who will want to stay in the community.”

Good News from the Delta


Arkansas Department of Economic Development's Larry Walters and Mayor Frank Fogleman of Marion, and Marion Economic Development Director Kay Brockwell join Governor Mike Huckabee (speaking) to announce a forthcoming plant opening in Marion Arkansas.
Photo courtesy of Arkansas Governor's Office

Hino Motors to Purchase Site in Marion

MARION, Ark. Governor Mike Huckabee announced recently that Hino Motors Ltd. will buy a site in Marion where it will construct a plant to manufacture parts for Toyota.

"This is exciting news for our entire state," Huckabee said. "We look forward to sharing further details of this project at a groundbreaking event this summer."

Hino Motors Ltd. develops, manufactures and markets diesel trucks and buses. The company has held the top position in the Japanese market for medium- and heavy-duty diesel trucks for 30 years and is highly acclaimed for quality and technological excellence. Hino is a leader in producing low-environmental-impact vehicles. In August 2001, Hino became a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. This company's United States facilities are in Corona , Calif. , and Orangeburg , N.Y.

"It's an honor that a company such as Hino Motors has committed to build a plant in Arkansas ," said Larry Walther, director of the Arkansas Department of Economic Development. "We've worked hard over the years to develop successful business relationships with our Japanese colleagues and are confident that their selection of Arkansas will be good both for the company and for our state."

Marion Mayor Frank Fogleman said, "we are delighted to welcome Hino to Marion . The company will be a huge asset to the community and will provide quality jobs to the citizens of Crittenden County . It has taken a great deal of cooperation among the federal, state and local governments over the past year to bring this project to reality, and this is a proud and exciting day for Marion and its neighbors.

Senator Mark Pryor also commends the Marion community leaders and officials for working to make the Hino project a success. “The Hino plant is welcome news for northeast Arkansas , and will translate into new jobs and a much needed economic boost to the region." -- (Story courtesy of the Arkansas Department of Economic Development. Additional quotes provided by Lillie Fears)

Around the Region

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division will host “The Greatest Living and Working Watershed” Mississippi River Partnering Conference and Mississippi River Commission 125 th Anniversary on June 28-29, 2004 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis . For hotel and conference registration information, contact Clarice Sundeen at (901) 544-4313.

Highlights from Compass,
Southern Growth Policies Board's E-Newsletter

SOUTHERN GROWTH POLICIES BOARD is a non-partisan public policy think tank based in Research Triangle Park , North Carolina . To learn more about Southern Growth Policies Board, visit http://www.southern.org/

ONLY FOUR SOUTHERN STATES HAVE POSITIVE MIGRATION OF CREATIVE CLASS
Only four Southern states – Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia – experienced a positive net migration of young, single, college educated residents between 1995 and 2000, show figures recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The remaining Southern states lost more of this group than they attracted. Despite a particularly strong showing by Georgia , which experienced the third highest rate of net migration in the nation, Southern Growth states as a whole experienced a net loss of more than 6,700 members of what is increasingly being referred to as the “creative class.” Access the data at http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t34/tab02.pdf.

PADUCAH , KY TURNS BEAT UP HOMES INTO BLOSSOMING ART COLONY
A recent article in the Chicago Tribune tells the story of Colorado artist Julie Shaw, and others like her, who have moved from other parts of the country to Paducah , Kentucky in order to take advantage of incentives that encourage artists to buy old houses and turn them into studios and galleries. Nearly 40 artists have moved to Paducah since the community launched its Artists Relocation Program two and a half years ago. The result? A “blossoming art colony” in what was once a “beat up area of homes,” and an estimated $12 to $15 million boost to the local economy just during the past year. For more information on the program, go to http://www.paducaharts.com/.

TWELVE SOUTHERN CITIES EARN SPOT IN AMERICA 'S MOST LIVABLE COMMUNITIES LIST
Twelve Southern communities were among 30 selected nationwide by Partners for Livable Communities as “ America 's Most Livable Communities.” Honorees included Charlotte, Kansas City, and Tulsa in the “Large Cities” category, Birmingham, Columbia, Jackson, Louisville, Richmond, and Winston-Salem among “Mid-Sized Cities,” Fayetteville (AR) and Roanoke among “Small Cities,” and Memphis/Shelby County among “Regions.” Selections were made based on the extent to which communities were preparing for the new economy, their sense of regionalism and cooperation with surrounding jurisdictions, the strength of their city center and neighborhoods, their leadership, and several other factors. For more information, including profiles of selected communities, visit http://www.mostlivable.org/index.html.

HOMELAND SECURITY AWARDS SOUTHERN STATES WITH 14 SBIR GRANTS
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the first round of Phase I awards under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. DHS awarded 66 grants from 23 states. The Southern states received 14 grants or only 21 percent of the total. Virginia leads the South in the number of awards with five, followed by Alabama with three. Georgia , Louisiana , Oklahoma , South Carolina , Tennessee and West Virginia had one award each. The State Science and Technology Institute has total state figures at http://www.ssti.org/Digest/Tables/031904t.htmAdditional information resides at http://www.hsarpasbir.com/

UNC-CHAPEL HILL TO HOST CONFERENCE ON THE GLOBALIZATION OF THE AMERICAN SOUTH
In collaboration with the Center for the Study of the American South, the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at UNC-Chapel Hill will host a major interdisciplinary conference, March 3-4, 2005 , on the globalization of the American South. They invite proposals for presentations by scholars, policymakers, activists, artists, and other professionals on a wide range of topics relating to contemporary issues of the Global American South. For more information, visit http://www.ucis.unc.edu/globalsouth.htm. The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2004 .

FREE INTERACTIVE WEBCASTS OFFERED FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
The International City/County Management Association is hosting a series of three interactive webcasts this spring to provide local government officials with free, high-quality training opportunities with no travel required. Topics include: 1) Effective Approaches for Watershed Protection and Restoration (April 21 at 2:00 pm ); 2) The Economic and Environmental Benefits of Urban Forests (May 18 at 2:00 pm ); and 3) The Local Government Role in Promoting Active Living through Community Design (June 9 at 2:00 pm ). Each 90-minute webcast is free for the first 100 registrants, after which registration will be $95 per site. To register for a webcast, visit http://www.lgean.org/html/webcastwebcast  or contact Andrew Seth at ICMA, (202) 962-3622 or  mailto:aseth@icma.orgfor more information. Participants must have a computer with Internet access (56K modem or higher) and a separate telephone line for the audio portion of the webcast.

MISSISSIPPI TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE PROMOTES POLYMERS WITH NEW ORGANIZATION
The Mississippi Technology Alliance has formed an organization to promote the business of polymers. The Mississippi Policy Cluster Organization (see http://www.polymer.ms/) will bring together polymer businesses within the state in order to “work together on challenges facing the industry.” The polymer industry employs almost 19,000 people within the state.