Memorial workers comp audit shows program being conducted properly

Though city auditor Jeff Litchfield found nine deficiencies in an audit of Memorial Health System's Workers' Compensation Fund from May 2005 through December 2006, the program is being handle properly, he said.
"They used proper underwriting techniques and claims' procedures," he said.
Released April 30, the audit found such deficiences as:
The 2006 Annual Review was not filed within 60 days of the permit anniversary date.
A 2006 quarterly analysis of the Worker's Compensation Reserve was insufficient, with no reconcilation between claims' payments in the administrative software and the general ledger.
The policies and procedures manual was out of date.
A lack of controls and maintenance of claimant files, with missing documentation and late filings.

Colorado Springs taking flight

United Airlines' Hemisphere Magazine will be producing a 30-page special section on Colorado Springs in its September issue. The section will look at the city's economy, tourism, lifestyle and culture.

Officials from the magazine's publisher, Pace Communications, were in town Tuesday night for a reception at the Fine Arts Center to kick off the project.

They said the special section, which the magazine produces quarterly, will reach more than 2 million readers on United's planes, plus it will remain on the magazine's Web site for a year.

Cheyenne Mountain Resort named a best place to work

Cheyenne Mountain Resort on Colorado Springs' southwest side has been named one of the "Best Companies to Work for in Colorado" for 2008. The resort is one of 15 companies in Colorado that made the list this year in the large companies category -- 250 employees or more. The award was made by Best Companies to Work for in Colorado, a collaborative effort whose partners include the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Colorado State Council; six local SHRM chapters; Jobing.com; Colorado Biz Magazine; and the Best Companies Group. Cheyenne Mountain Resort was the lone hotel among 2008 winners. “We believe
that when you treat each and every person on the staff as a valued member of a team, who has an important role to play and is rewarded for hard work and achievements, then not only are you going to have employees who are happier but more loyal and effective,” said Laura Neumann, vice president and general manager of Cheyenne Mountain Resort. The Best Companies honors were based on a survey that examined participating employers' policies, practices and demographics and solicited comments from randomly selected employees. More information on Best Companies to Work for in Colorado: http://www.coshrm.org/. The Cheyenne Mountain Resort covers 217 acres and includes 316 rooms and suites, 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space, a golf course, five swimming pools and 18 tennis courts, among other amenities.

Scandinavian footwear store opens at Park Meadows Mall

ECCO recently opened a store in Park Meadows Mall, 8401 Park Meadows Center Drive in Lone Tree.

The store, one of 30 "partnership" stores in the United States, is designed around the company's Scandinavian heritage and uses an arena and gallery approach to showcase shoes for men, women and children. Selections include dress, casual and performance footwear, along with golf shoes.

Hours are Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Founded in 1963 by Karl Toosbuy in southern Denmark, ECCO has more than 11,000 employees worldwide and remains family owned, with headquarters in Tonder, Denmark.

Board members being hit up for donations, survey says

More than half of nonprofits require financial contributions from board members, a trend expected to become increasingly more commonplace, according to a study released earlier this year by Grant Thornton LLP, an accounting, tax and business advisory company.
Results of the fifth annual National Board Governance Survey for Not-for-Profit Organizations show that 54 percent of nonprofit organizations that have an annual budget of less than $20 million expect board members to contribute $1,000 or less annually, 20 percent expect a contribution of $1,001 to $2,500, 12 percent a contribution of $2,501 to $5,000, and 14 percent a contribution of $5,001 or more.
The study concludes that more organizations use a "give or get" policy for board members, in which they're asked to contribute personally and/or solicit contributions from their friends and contacts in order to remain on the board.

Kaiser awards local grants

Kaiser Permanente approved nearly 300 Community Benefit grants and donations totaling $19 million nationwide in the first quarter of this year, the nonprofit health care insurer said.
Locally, Kaiser awarded nearly $100,000 in the first grant cycle of the year to:
Urban Peak's female health program for teens
Harbor House
El Paso County Medical Society Prescription Assistance Solution Service
Pikes Peak Hospice
Ronald McDonald House
Pikes Peak Therapeutic Riding Center
Inside/Out's STD/HIV prevention program
Head Start's childhood obesity program
Girl Scouts' local health and wellness intiative
Colorado Springs Child Nursery Centers' health and nutrition program
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and the Sheriff's Department to purchase electronic defibrillators.

And then there were four...

Four casinos allowing smoking, that is. First came the Wild Card in Black Hawk, then Bronco Billy's in Cripple Creek, then, on Saturday, the Midnight Rose in Cripple Creek (but not the other two-thirds of the Triple Crown casinos) and, on Monday, the Double Eagle lit up.

Several other casinos the Gazette spoke with said that if local or county government officials don't take any action against the casinos by the end of the week, they'll bring back smoking, too. Everyone but the Wildwood may be smoking by the end of the month.

It's interesting that no other Black Hawk or Central City casinos have followed the Wild Card's lead.

City officials in Cripple Creek say they don't have the resources to enforce the state's anti-smoking laws. The district attorney's office says they haven't received a complaint and won't investigate until they do. The Teller County sheriff hasn't weighed in yet. The Legislature almost certainly won't do anything until the 2009 session, and even if they agreed on a law, it probably wouldn't take effect until the middle of next year.

A new president at Vladimir

No, not Putin. Vladimir Jones - the agency-formerly-known-as-Praco, today named Meredith Vaughan as president.

Agency founder Nechie Hall, Vaughan's mother, keeps the CEO title.

Vaughan had been the vice president for insight at the 38-year-old advertising and public relations company, overseeing strategic direction for clients. She's worked for Praco/Vladimir Jones since 2000.

If you're living under a business news rock, Praco, the Springs' oldest, most successful ad agency, changed its name to the more evocative Vladimir Jones on June 2.

HBA to sponor housing overview in July

Metrostudy, a Houston-based housing market research firm, will provide an overview of Colorado Springs' new home market at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 16, at the Doubletree Hotel World Arena, 1775 E Cheyenne Mountain Blvd., on the Springs' south side. The cost is $20 and the event is limited to members of the Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs, which is sponsoring the event. More information: 592-1800, or go to http://www.cshba.com/ and click on "education events."

Mayor Rivera to deliver state-of-the-city address to chamber

Want to know what's good about living in Colorado Springs? Ask Mayor Lionel Rivera (right); he loves to talk about the city. Rivera will deliver his annual state of the city address at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 17, at the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce luncheon, to be held at the downtown Antlers Hilton Hotel, 2 S. Cascade Ave. Rivera is expected to discuss the city's progress and problems, successes and challenges. The event is typically attended by several hundred business people and community leaders. Tickets are $30 for chamber members and $40 for non-members. More information or to purchase tickets: 635-1551, or go to http://www.coloradospringschamber.org/ and click on "calendar of events."

Alamosa, gateway to Colorado?

On the biz e-mail this morning:

"Colorado Opens an Official Welcome Center in Alamosa
Elected officials, community leaders, the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) and CTO Board of Directors will celebrate the opening of the State’s newest Welcome Center in Alamosa with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house.
WHO: The grand opening will include remarks from
· State Senator Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass)
· Kathy Rogers, Alamosa Mayor Pro Tem
· Rob Perlman, Chairman of the Colorado Tourism Office Board of Directors
· Kim McNulty, Director of the Colorado Tourism Office
WHEN: Monday, June 9, 2008
Ribbon Cutting: 10:00 a.m.
Open House: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Colorado Welcome Center at Alamosa
601 State Avenue, downtown Alamosa