Page 36 - Flathead Beacon // 1.27.16

PEOPLEINBUSINESS
North Valley Selected as New Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organization
North Valley Hospital was selected as one of 100 new Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), providing Medicare bene ciaries with access to high-quality, coordinated care across the United States, the Cen- ters for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced earlier this month. That brings the total to 434 Shared Sav- ings Program ACOs serving over 7.7 mil- lion bene ciaries.
North Valley Hospital was also selected to participate in the ACO Investment Model (AIM), which was designed to encourage ACO formation in low pene- tration and rural locations. This model provides ACOs access to the capital to invest in the infrastructure necessary to successfully implement population care management. All AIM ACOs also par- ticipate in the Shared Savings Program. Participating in both programs provides ACOs with additional resources to achieve lower costs and higher quality of care for bene ciaries.
Doctors, hospitals and health care pro- viders establish ACOs in order to work together to provide higher-quality coor- dinated care to their patients, while help- ing to slow health care cost growth. North Valley Hospital will be one of 434 ACOs participating in the Shared Savings Pro- gram. Bene ciaries seeing health care pro- viders in ACOs always have the freedom to choose doctors inside or outside of the ACO. ACOs receive a portion of the Medi- care savings generated from lowering the growth in health care costs as long as they also meet standards for high quality care.
Since ACOs rst began participating in the program in early 2012, thousands of health care providers have signed on to participate in the program, working together to provide better care to Medi- care’s seniors and people with disabilities. The new and renewing ACOs will bring approximately 15,000 additional physi- cians into the ACO program.
PureWest Christie’s International Real Estate Appoints Bigfork Managing Broker
PureWest Christie’s International Real Estate, Montana’s largest indepen- dent real estate brokerage, just appointed longtime broker Steve Dooling as manag- ing broker of the Bigfork o ce.
With 15 years experience in real estate and eight years with PureWest (previ- ously known as Trails West Real Estate), Dooling is t for the job.
“Bigfork is such a key market for PureWest,” says Dale Crosby-Newman, co-owner of PureWest Real Estate. “It is imperative we have thoughtful and strong
leadership in Bigfork and with Steve, we’ve found just the ticket.”
“I’m very excited to be a managing part of PureWest’s success in Bigfork,” Dool- ing says. “Coming from a Montana ranch- ing background, and as a resident of the Flathead Valley for many years, I know and appreciate Bigfork and am totally vested in the company’s success in this market.”
Dooling’s expertise isn’t limited to real estate. As an avid skier, pilot and devoted dad he nds all aspects of the Montana life invigorating and truly loves the life- style, therefore making him a quali ed candidate and true champion of Mon- tana, its people, lifestyle, and real estate.
Dooling o cially began managing the Bigfork o ce and its eight sales agents as of January 1.
White sh Credit Union Awards Community Pride Scholarships to FVCC Students
White sh Credit Union has awarded ve Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC) students with Community Pride Scholarships totaling $1,300. The stu- dents will apply the scholarships toward their expenses this spring semester. The scholarship recipients are:
From Kalispell – Rhonda Doan – pursuing an Associate of Applied Sci- ence degree in medical coding; Chris- tina Nelson – pursuing a Certi cate of Applied Science in FVCC’s Personal Trainer program and general studies coursework toward an Associate of Sci- ence transfer degree; Molly Whitewater Stroupe – pursuing Associate of Applied Science degrees in accounting, small business management and business administration.
From Marion – Ellie Scheulen, pur- suing an Associate of Applied Science degree in early childhood education.
From Martin City – Scott Barnes, pursuing an Associate of Applied Sci- ence degree in welding and inspection technology.
This is the 21st year Community Pride Scholarships have been awarded to per- manent residents of Flathead, Lake and Lincoln counties. Over the past 21 years, White sh Credit Union has awarded $99,170 in scholarships to 292 FVCC students.
Community Pride Scholarship crite- ria include nancial need, potential for academic and career success and letters of recommendation from a non-fam- ily member such as a teacher, counselor or employer. The amount of individual scholarship awards varies. Funds are intended to support tuition, fees and book expenses, although tutoring and child care costs will also be considered.
For more information, contact the FVCC Financial Aid O ce at 756-3849.
White sh Theatre Company Receives National Endowment for the Arts Grant In its rst 50 years, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded more than $5 billion in grants to recip- ients in every state and U.S. jurisdic- tion, the only arts funder in the nation to do so. The NEA recently announced awards totaling more than $27.6 million in its rst funding round for scal year 2016, including a Challenge America award of $10,000 to the White sh The- atre Company to host the award-winning Ukrainian music ensemble DahkaBrahka on April 28, 2016. The grant is providing a free-of-charge concert for several orga- nizations that work with at-risk youth in the Flathead Valley, as well as free trans- portation for those groups who need
travel assistance to this show.
The Challenge America category sup-
ports projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnic- ity, economics, or disability. Challenge America grants are comparatively small investments that have a big impact in their communities.
“With the generous support of the National Endowment of the Arts, this is the rst year that the White sh Theatre Company has been able to o er a free out- reach concert to organizations working with at-risk youth,” says WTC Executive Director Gayle MacLaren. “It is exciting to be able to o er this unique cultural experience to this select population, most of whom don’t have the means or oppor- tunity to see live music.” While WTC has contacted several groups and homes that work with young people, please contact Gayle at 862-5371 if you know of other similar organizations that may be inter- ested in this free concert.
DakhaBrakha, who derive their name from the old Ukrainian words “give-and- take,” is a world-music quartet from Kiev. Performing folk melodies and rhythms that are at once sacred and modern, DakhaBrakha creates a sound of unex- pected and extremely powerful new music, all driven by propulsive drums, accordion, cello, mouth harp, and lay- ered vocals.
White sh Digital Company Releases ‘Wandering App’
A Montana digital development com- pany has announced the rst full public release of its new Wandering App which is geared toward curious and active peo- ple who want to get beyond the beaten path and explore a little further.
The app, developed by Old Town Cre- ative + Interactive, empowers users to discover compelling places around them. For example, content displayed on roadside historical and natural history
markers. In addition, app users can embark on “Wanderings,” which the app de nes as connected places of inter- est that create a compelling experience. Some examples of Wanderings are his- torical walking tours, art walks, nature trails, ghost tours, or even featured places in a town or area. Users can easily navi- gate to the various places and explore the images, detailed descriptions and audio.
“The goal of the Wandering App is to empower people to get beyond the beaten path and inspire them to immerse them- selves and spend more time in a commu- nity and landscape,” say John Frandsen, chief product o cer for White sh-based Old Town Creative + Interactive. “There are thousands of amazing places and experiences just under the surface that we drive by everyday in Montana. The Wandering App helps to uncover those for visitors and locals alike.”
The App is currently available on the iPhone platform and can be downloaded by visiting the website http://wander. travel. Wanderings can be created by local chambers of commerce, visitor associations, historical societies or any- body that feels they have a compelling point-to-point experience they want to publish. The initial development of the app and platform was enabled through a Montana O ce of Tourism technol- ogy grant, although Old Town Creative + Interactive has also invested signi - cantly in the development of the plat- form. Revenue for the ongoing expan- sion of the platform and new features will come from annual subscription fees paid by the organizations that create and pub- lish Wanderings.
Auto Mutt Dog and Car Wash Raises $2,932 for Salvation Army
Auto Mutt Dog and Car Wash of Kalis- pell raised $2,932 through their unique way of “ringing the bell” for The Salva- tion Army this past season. Over the hol- idays, it donated $4 for every Touchless Car Wash that was purchased. This is the second year owners Bill Schottelkorb and Michael Blend have o ered this promo- tion, and this year was about $1000 more successful than last year.
The Salvation Army Kettle Campaign raised $122,680 this Christmas season, an outstanding show of generosity in the Flathead Valley. Over the Christmas sea- son, 90 families were “adopted” by indi- viduals and organizations who provided toys and food for the family, 478 children were given toys and clothing items, and 818 people received food assistance for Christmas. The Kettle income also helps to support the daily services o ered through the Salvation Army to Flathead Valley throughout the year.
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JANUARY 27, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM