Coral Gables RotaryGram: Vol. 66 No. 51 Notes from the Podium

President's Time

The 2011-2012 Rotary year is winding down and the announcements are fewer as the club re-groups for the upcoming year - which begins July 1st.

DUES ARE DUE: take advantage of the 20% discount if you pay by June 30th. Don't all rush right up to the table now but be sure to pay this week or next. Contact John Porro or Bill Quesenberry if you have any questions.

Don't forget - NEXT FRIDAY - is a 5th FRIDAY - and the Installation Celebration for President-Almost Walter Alvarez and the 2012-2013 Board of Directors. The party starts at 7:00 with cocktails, the Installation will be at 7:30 and dinner is at 8:00. It's being hosted by Fred & Annette Baddour at their home in Pinecrest. Catering by Lovables. $35 per person and dress casually. RSVP now.

FOUNDATION MINUTE

Foundation Chair Abe Horowitz presented George Reeves with his very first Paul Harris Fellowship. This is an important milestone in George's Rotary life. Congratulations, and thank you for your generosity to The Rotary Foundation!

VOCATIONAL SERVICE MINUTE (or two)

Frank Sexton, Vocational Chair, gave us the opportunity to glimpse the "work life" of Dick Golden today.

Monday to Friday Dick claims to do nothing. He rests on the weekends so that he can be ready to go again on Monday. Dick claims that his life looks as it does because he wasn't liked by his parents. They gave him a quicksand box to play in! He had a two seated stroller when he was growing up and when he asked his parents where his brother had gone they told him they killed him He is originally from New York City where he had some rough schooling while he was studying to be a mortician. Something he thought he could do if he grew up. Dick went on for awhile about his wife's driving, leaving his grand kids in line at an amusement park, his emotional problems and visits to the psychiatrist. He says he stays healthy by taking placebos. His philosophy for life is to 1) hold on to what others have; 2) don't believe a thing you hear; 3) don't buy a computer, wait to see if they take off and 4) don't use the word happy before you see the money!

Ed. Note: You can understand why this will be Frank Sexton's last presentation for the Shameless Commerce Division of Rotary.

City of Coral Gables

Employee of the Month

June, 2012

Fire Chief Walter Reed introduced us to his Administrative Assistant, Betty Mendoza, the real, behind the scenes Fire Chief in the Coral Gables Fire Department. Besides being on top of everything, she's a great cook and makes birthday cakes for the whole department. Congratulations and keep up the good work!

2012-2013 Board Changes

President-Elect Walter Alvarez advised that Andrea Fusero, who was voted by the membership to be the Chair of the Foundation for next year, is leaving the Club. This necessitates that we vote for his replacement. Walter put Gene Witherspoon's name up for nomination. Don Slesnick moved and Hank Collins seconded Gene to be the 2012-2013 Foundation Chair. Motion carried. Congratulations Gene!

Here come those cusp babies again! Clever, imaginative, restless, impulsive, loyal, adaptable and a little moody describes those born between Gemini and Cancer. Say Happy Birthday TODAY to Luis Sardinas, Miki Speijers and Chuck Whitcomb. On the 27th Hadley Williams celebrates his birthday, but he's pure Cancer ... caring, dependable, responsive and self absorbed.

Introduction of Guests & Visitors

by Dick Bullman

Visiting today from the Miami Club (but a past-president of Coral Gables) was PDG Owen Freed. Sally B. introduced Yoli's guest, Elena Heath. Carlos Ruiz introduced us to George Millian. Terry Long brought former member Janette Diaz to visit today. President Debbie introduced us to Vince Lago who is running for the City Commission. Don Slesnick was happy to introduce us to twins Maggie and Katie Nichols from Richmond Virginia and Jesse Barron who is in Community Relations at Baptist Hospital. Thanks for coming and please, come back again soon.

Happy $$$$

Randy works hard to make scholarships Groh and today was no exception. He was happy to see Janette Diaz here today and even happier that she didn't come to reclaim all the centerpieces he took while we were at the Colonnade. President-Elect Walter Alvarez invited everyone to attend the Installation Party for the 2012-2013 Officers and Board of Directors on Friday, June 29th at Fred Baddour's home. He was also happy that today he and wife Annette celebrate 26 years! Jack Witty was happy to announce that he and his lovely bride Eleanor celebrate 64 years of marriage on Tuesday. Deena Bell-Llewellyn wanted everyone to understand that they will NOT see her dressed in white ever again - it's just for the Miami Heat. She is very proud of husband Charlie who just became a licensed Florida contractor and they now own Frontier Improvements and Renovations. Margarita Tonkinson is happy to use Rotarians for business whenever possible. In this case it was Carlos Ruiz de Quevedo who has assisted them in selling and closing on their property. Steven Spann said that it will be six years ago on Monday that he introduced his then wife-to-be to his father who wanted to know why she was marrying him! Dick Golden said that he told his psychiatrist he was afraid of the scary things under his bed. After spending a year seeing the doctors twice a week for $100 each time, the answer to his problem came from a Rotarian who said he should just cut the legs off the bed! Pat Morris said that despite the fact that Game 7 of the NBA Finals conflicted with the Y's annual fund raising Gala, some 370 people came and they raised $300,000. Carlos Ruiz said that he and his wife Kathy have had the wildest May ever ... she retired from UM, they sold their house, the bought a place in North Carolina, he began building two green homes to sell for $500,000 each and they were just informed that their son, who was deployed to Afghanistan is returning home on July 20th. Lan Nghiem-Phu is happy to see Owen Freed at our Club today. Owen was the president of our club in 1968 and is a Past District Govenor as well. Felix Pardo is happy to be back from Boston. Saturday was his and Lynn's 34th wedding anniversary and it is three years since she as suddenly paralyzed and now everything is fine - it's a miracle she is alive and well. Good job today! Happiness pays. Keep on smiling.

Working Rotarians - June 21, 2012

Greeter - George Reeves

Registration - Aaron Glasser

Collections - Steven Spann

Head Table - Rodney Langer

Pledge - Steve Magenheimer

Singers - Bill Quesenberry

DeWitt Law Silver Dollars - Bonnie Blaire

Given to - Betty Metcalf & John Porro

Pin Drawing Gift - Sally B.

Pin Drawing Winner - Steve Spann

50/50 Raffle - Deena Bell-Llewellyn

50/50 Winner - Tom Dixon

4 Way Test - Abe Horowitz

Today's Program

Brian Keeley, Chief Executive Officer, Baptist Health Systems spoke to us today about the Affordable Care Act. He was happy that the Supreme Court did not render their decision today so that he still had the ability to discuss the Act and it's impact on our health care system from the viewpoint of an executive summary.

A strong advocate for universal health care to happen "somehow", he feels that we as a country have a moral imperative and a business imperative to work out such a system. But there are forces at play that are not self correcting. Young people do not want to pay for insurance and the insurance companies don't want the sick ones only. Something has to give.

There are a lot of anomalies in South Florida that don't exist elsewhere. One third of the population has no insurance compared to a national average of 17%. In Massachusetts less than 6% are uninsured. This causes a cost shift to the private sector resulting in a high cost for insurance because of the high number of uninsured. The three factors that most affect the market are:

COST: $2.5 trillion in health care costs going up at two to three times the rate of inflation, two times more to 50% more. By 2050, 100% of GDP will be devoted to health care.

ACCESS: 47 to 50 million people have no insurance and use emergency services only. Emergency doctors must treat them in the ER. Thus the costs get shifted to int he insurance companies. If they can get everyone into the risk pool, the young and healthy would buy in to treat the old and unhealthy.

QUALITY: There is a huge disparity in costs and treatments. There is a 600% difference in the cost for back surgery for example between hospitals, markets and practitioners. The US is rated number 34 for reputation for evidence based medicine. To define quality you have to look at clinical outcomes and consumer satisfaction.

The medical care industry wanted a three course meal and instead Congress served them a 17 course banquet that will take ten years to implement. There are some good things in the Affordable Health Care act such as the insurance company's must allow children to remain on their parents insurance until age 26. But there is zero information out there. Most providers delayed cutting doctors fees and now they've been cut 23%. They left out the undocumented people which forces them to get emergency room treatment.

Then there's the constitutional issue - the mandate. Car insurance is mandated by the Sates. If the mandate is deemed unconstitutional then it remains to be seen if the entire plan is dissolved since the entire concept was based on having everyone in the risk pool. We all await the decision of the Supreme Court.

NEXT WEEK'S PROGRAM: President Debbie Swain's End of the Year Recognition Program.