Northwest Florida's Business Climate November 2015

SPECIAL SECTION

SPECIAL SECTION 55

CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE CHILD AT A TIME

HOW THE NEMOURS CLINIC IMPROVES COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS BY STARTING YOUNG.

路 OTHER STORIES 路

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A SNOWBALL IN FLORIDA

THE GULF COAST AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LEARNS FROM THE PAST, CELEBRATES THE PRESENT, AND ENVISIONS THE FUTURE.

A CONVERSATION BETWEEN JEFF WEEKS AND TIM BRYANT ABOUT THE SNOWBALL DERBY, FIVE FLAGS SPEEDWAY, AND THE IMPACT BOTH HAVE ON NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

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LEARNING FROM THE PAST

AROUND THE REGION FIND OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT AND CULTURAL NEWS IN THE GREATER PENSACOLA AREA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

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In early December, race car drivers and fans from around the nation will convene at Pensacola, Fla. for one of racing’s most prestigious events, the Snowball Derby.

Tim and Randy Bryant are now the curators of this legendary race and owners of Five Flags Speedway.

Jeff Weeks recently sat down for a conversation with Tim Bryant.

A Snowball in Florida

by Jeff Weeks 50 | Business Climate | nwflbusinessclimate.com

How did the Snowball Derby begin?

I’m always quick to point out that Tom Dawson was the originator of the Snowball Derby. He moved from Ohio in 1968 and started the event. That was the first one. They always tell the story about the press box being burnt down the night before the event so they had their challenges back then, too. It started out as a single day, a Sunday afternoon, 100-lap race for late model type stock cars. It has gone on for 48 uninterrupted years, which is almost unheard of in the short track world because a lot of tracks and a lot of cities have had marquee events but for whatever reason they’ll be interrupted for a few years, but this

‘‘

Business Climate SPECIAL SECTION

For the first week in December, a lot of businesses reap some reward off of the impact that we feel here and I believe that’s what has allowed it to continue to grow.”

one’s gone uninterrupted and we’re really proud of that.

What do you think the secret has been?

Well I can only say that, for our tenure, this is our 12th year at the track, and we’ve been able to grow the event with the help of the community. I mean this has really turned into Snowball Derby week. For the first week in December, a lot of businesses reap some reward off of the impact that we feel here and I believe that’s what has allowed it to continue to grow. If we get credit for anything, it may be that we control the growth. I mean we could see this thing grow to a bubble that would burst. We want to make sure that the event, even though we want it to grow each and every year, we want to make sure that it’s managed growth that we can get people in and out to the parking lot, in and out of the grand stands, end the races in

a timely fashion, get the racers in and treat them fairly and have them go home looking forward to next year and, so far, we’ve been able to do that.

What kind of economic impact does the Snowball Derby have on Pensacola?

There’s been somewhat informal studies. Visit Pensacola has done a couple of studies, a group from Atlanta came down last year and I think the number was $3.1 million. But this much I know, the motel and hotel operators are always looking forward to what would normally be a slow time of the season, to filling their places up. The restaurants get a lot

of business and I think the local shopping scene even sees some action. We try to make people aware in our marketing for our event that Pensacola has a lot to offer. So we try to get them to visit our beaches, make sure they know about the museum, get them out to the base and that sort of thing. So again it’s more than just a stock car race. They’re coming for what is ultimately a 2 pm 300-lap race on Sunday afternoon, but the days that lead up to that there’s a lot of activities and we’ve started referring to it as the Snowball Derby experience.

The Snowball Derby has a very strong brand. What would you like to do to build on that brand?

I think more than anything we want to continue to see the path that we’ve created over the past few years, and that is steady organized growth.

Two women, Tammy Jo Kirk and Johanna Long, have won the Snowball Derby. Do you expect to see more women drivers in the coming years?

I think so. It’s a very gender-friendly sport. During our regular season we have as many as five girls competing on any given night in the various divisions, so we’ll have two girls in this year’s Snowball Derby, Joanna Long being one of them, and Dominique Van Wieringen, who is nwflbusinessclimate.com nwflbusinessclimate.com| |Business BusinessClimate Climate| |5151

a Canada-based driver, who drives for the Nemechek team. John Hunter Nemechek was last year’s winner, so she’ll be at this year’s Snowball Derby as a teammate to Nemechek and she’ll be a contender, as well. There’s no powderpuff derbies anymore, they get in there and mix it up with the other guys.

Jeff Gordon who will end his driving career this year did a lot to bring a new generation of race fans to Nascar. Did that movement trickle down to the local tracks?

I believe it did. I mean, I always said that Jeff Gordon changed the face of racing.

He was the first young guy that come along

Tim Bryant

and got to the big leagues and had success at an early age, so from that a lot of dads, much like little league dads, started bringing their kids into racing at an early age. That’s evolved. Now we’ll have a strong group of teenagers racing at the Snowball Derby this year and in fact, Eric Jones, who’s a two-time winner and a future Joe Gibbs racing driver, is 19 years old and by the time this comes to print he may be the Camping World Truck Series champion in Nascar for 2015. But Jeff Gordon I do believe is the guy that changed all that.

Over the years marquee drivers have come to race at the Snowball Derby. In the past, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Rusty Wallace, and in recent years Kyle Busch and Chase Elliot. What is it about Five Flags Speedway that appeals to those guys?

The tradition and prestige of the Snowball Derby appeals to those guys.

Do you have a favorite moment from the Snowball Derby?

You know, I don’t talk too much about when I raced, but I did race in a few Snowball Derbies. Just being in the race is such an accomplishment for a non-professional racer, a hobbyist if you would, and so every time I sat in my car and they said, “Gentlemen, crank your engines,” I mean, that was my favorite moment. It’s just indescribable.

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What do you foresee for the 2015 Snowball Derby? How big will 2015 be?

Well, it’s shaping up to be what could perhaps be the biggest Snowball ever. We’re going to have a lot of entries. Racing has gotten even more competitive, and what I mean by that is there’s not a few fast cars and a few mid-pack cars, and a few slow cars; they’re all fast cars, so you know there will be some surprises on Snowball Derby weekend.

There will be some guys who will come into the gate looking to win the race, who in all likelihood won’t be in the race, so what I hope we see is five days of Chamber of Commerce weather and just a good experience for our fans and our racers.

About the Author

Jeff Weeks is a financial professional in Pensacola, Florida.

He is also the host of “Conversations with Jeff Weeks” on WSRE-TV PBS.

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CHANGING THE WORLD ONE CHILD AT A TIME HOW THE NEMOURS CLINIC IMPROVES COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS BY STARTING YOUNG.

BY JOSH NEWBY

Since 1936, the Nemours Children’s Health System (NCHS) has been providing holistic subspecialty health and wellness services to all kinds of kids— those with debilitating diseases, those who need a little help with temporary ailments, and even those who never enter the facility’s doors. Thanks to a trust from Alfred duPont, the Nemours Foundation was formed in 1936 with the mission of improving the lives of children and families in Delaware and Florida. Today, that mission continues with locations or partnerships in nearly half the country and $2.6 billion worth of cumulative care over the past eight decades.

The local Northwest Florida branch of NCHS, Nemours Children’s Clinic Pensacola, opened on the Sacred Heart Hospital campus in Pensacola in 1996.

Today, the location features 27 pediatric subspecialists contributing their talents to 11 subspecialties including cardiology, endocrinology, orthopedics and more.

Last year, Nemours Pensacola diagnosed and treated approximately 12,000 unique patients and between 250 and 300 children enter its doors each day. They also gave $1.9 million worth of uncompensated care in 2014, signifying their value of people over profits, and making children their top priority.

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All in all, Nemours has two dedicated hospitals, 14 partner hospitals, and more than 40 outpatient primary, urgent and specialty care clinics. They also employ more than 600 physicians; 206 researchers; 27 PhDs; 1,437 residents, fellows and students and more than 6,000 associates. When a child is under Nemours care, they are quite literally subjected to one of the best patient-care experiences in the nation with access to the expertise of over 8,000 highly trained professionals of unequaled dedication.

Nemours in Pensacola sees patients from as far east as Tallahassee and as far west as Biloxi. As the largest center of pediatric subspecialists—even more than Mobile—their role in keeping children healthy cannot be overstated.

The organization features a network of partnering facilities that have access to Nemours’ knowledge base. A patient having diagnostic tests performed at Ft. Walton Beach Medical Center, for example, can have a subspecialist from Nemours Pensacola review the results and lend his or her experience to their particular situation. In this way, Nemours is a Mayo Clinic-like network of experts all working together to ensure the health and safety of children everywhere.

“That’s one of the things that sets us apart,” said Dr. Mary Mehta, chief medical officer for Nemours Pensacola. “We can share best practices from the perspective of licensed subspecialist care. We are able to drive the needed expertise to a community that needs it.”

The care that these doctors provide is always on the cutting-edge of the latest research, too, because they are very often the ones involved in the newest clinical studies. Right now, Nemours is involved in more than 300 stage two and stage three trials, including studies on cystic fibrosis and diabetes.

And they are training the doctors of tomorrow, too, by providing about 65 percent of the education for Florida State University’s pediatric medical and residency program. They also partner with Pensacola Christian College and Pensacola State College to train nurses.

Working toward developing a healthier patient base in the future, Nemours also helps educate children with regards to diet, education, reading, screen time recommendations, sleep routines, emotional wellness and more. In fact, Nemours’ early child care collaboratives, population health and reading readiness work extend beyond their physical reach to 22 states impacting more than 900,000 children, according to their annual report. They even offer parenting seminars and tips to ensure kids receive positive physical and emotional support from everyone in their life.

Years ago, Nemours helped pioneer kidshealth. org, the most visited site in the world devoted to children’s health and parenting with more than one million visits a day. With kidshealth.org, the young patients themselves can log in and read about their 56 | Business Climate | nwflbusinessclimate.com

Business Climate SPECIAL SECTION

treatment plan in an easy-to-understand way and even keep abreast of upcoming procedures. The forum also provides advice from licensed professionals and comfort from those who have been through their hardships before.

“It’s extremely important to us that we care for the whole child,” said Jodi Gup, development manager for Nemours Pensacola. “We have individuals who help coordinate things every step of the way so the patient is comfortable, can receive education about their situation, and ask questions.”

Gup said that the institution is very proud of the time and attention that doctors dedicate to patients.

“Typically after receiving a diagnosis, you might have a half-hour or so with the doctor who will go over treatment plans and such,” said Gup. “It’s not unusual for our doctors and nurses to spend half a day with the same patient, talking to them, making sure they understand, and educating them on next steps.”

It is for that reason that patient satisfaction scores for Nemours physicians are at or near the top 5 percent nationally.

All of this is crucial not only to the health and wellness of the patient, of course, but to the overall vigor of the region in terms of lifestyle, economics, education and more.

“Say someone has a child who needs frequent medical attention for some sort of ailment,” said Mehta. “The family may want to relocate here for work or even lifestyle, but without highly qualified medical staff ready to help take care of their child, they may decide to not come here.”

The same is true for those who are here if Nemours was not available, according to Mehta.

“Before Nemours opened here, you would have had to travel to Atlanta or Birmingham or Orlando for treatment,” said Mehta. “If those treatments were frequent enough, you may just decide to move there for your child. With Nemours, we can treat the patient here and access knowledge from all over the country.”

That holistic quality of care is unrivaled among other pediatric care providers. Nemours fills a void that would exist without specialized, dedicated care just for children.

“Pediatric care is a different discipline than adult care,” said Mehta. “An adult heart doctor may honestly not know how to treat a not-fully-formed heart.”

As if all this was not enough, Nemours also partners with the Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin to identify strategies for successful reintegration of military physicians back into civilian health care.

“Something a lot of people don’t know about us is how closely we work with our local and regional military,” said Gup. “If someone is stationed here and their child needs medical care, we work closely with the bases to provide that.”

“WE CAN SHARE BEST PRACTICES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF LICENSED SUBSPECIALIST CARE. WE ARE ABLE TO DRIVE THE NEEDED EXPERTISE TO A COMMUNITY THAT NEEDS IT.”

The Pensacola branch is also looking to invest in a new medical van that can more expeditiously bring the care to patients. They currently have an older van but believe a newer, more reliable one would better serve their patients. In some regions of Northwest Florida, residential areas with sick children are up to an hour away from a hospital or medical facility. Often in these cases, the parent is faced with a choice of taking off work from their hourly job to get their child the medical attention they need, or going into work to make money for food and shelter. This van would eliminate that difficult decision by bringing the doctors to the young patients, instead of requiring patients to come to them. nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 57

As is the case in many nonprofit healthcare systems, 60 percent of Nemours patients are Medicaid eligible, which means that there is very often a funding shortfall. The trust established by duPont covers about 20 percent of the difference, but private funding is extremely important for the organization. That is where the Nemours Fund for Children’s Health Division, which Gup is in charge of on the regional level, comes in. The division Fund would like to bring in between $5 and $7 million a year to subsidize patient care and supplement what Medicaid does not cover.

The residual impact to the community is well worth the investment, according to Gup. The total community impact for all of Nemours is astounding: $163 million in uncompensated care, $19 million in prevention, and $4.5 million in education and training of health professionals. Of the $150.2 million in trust distribution funds in 2014, communities saw a return of $210.8 million.

While individual contributions are extremely important—and account for the second greatest source of Nemours funding—there are other ways to get involved, too. In 2014, Nemours Pensacola recruited 27 volunteers who dedicated 1,010 hours of service supporting 24 divisions and departments, equivalent to a monetary contribution of $22,275.

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Nemours’ mission is to provide leadership, institutions and services to restore and improve the health of children through care and programs not readily available. With their high standards and peerless dedication to progressing every aspect of a child’s life—from their health and emotional stability to their community and beyond, that mission

is accomplished every day in the worlds of the children who come through their doors, and even those who do not.

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Florida l Alabama l Georgia

past

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learning from the

the gulf coast african-american chamber of commerce learns from the past, celebrates the present, and envisions the future. by nicole dixon.

“Learning from the Past, Celebrating the Present and Envisioning the Future” was the theme of this year’s second Annual Community Awards Ceremony presented by the Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce (GCAACC). The Chamber honored local minority business leaders and owners.

The ceremony recognized business owners, business professionals and business leaders for their valuable service and involvement in the Escambia County area.

“We wanted to publicly recognize these individuals for their contributions to the community,” said Nicole Dixon, executive director of the GCAACC. The divine Keyontay Humphries, regional organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, co-host of the International Talk show and the Macintosh principal, was the MC for the evening.

Pensacola’s very own attorney Aaron Watson, a partner of the Levin Papantonio law firm, was the keynote speaker. The Belmont Youth Band rendered two wonderful musical selections and Eleanor Johnson cultivated us with a beautiful dance performance.

The list of honorees were: A Will & Way, Inc. (Williemae Stanberry, executive director) was the recipient for Non-Profit of the Year for their services provided in the community since 2001. A Will & Way reaches into the jails, prisons, mental health facilities and to the homeless to serve survivors of domestic violence and their children who survive the ordeal.

Pay Cell Systems (CEO Jibril Sulaiman) was the recipient of the Community Award for the small

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business with six or more employees. Pay Sell Systems is a technology company that specializes in solutions for the prepaid wireless industry.

In 2011, the platform “Cell Pay” was marketed to independent wireless stores under the company’s name Pay Cell Systems, Inc., and he soon employed 10 people and grossed over 3 million dollars a year.

Mamie Hixon was the recipient of the Business Professional Award. Mamie Hixon is a forty-nine-year veteran English teacher with 13 years in Escambia County School District, two years at the then Pensacola Junior College and 34 years at UWF. Mamie Hixon is currently an assistant professor of English, Director of the Writing Lab and director and creator of the Grammar Hotline at the University of West Florida.

Cox Communications was awarded Corporate Partner of the Year. Cox, it is one of the largest broadband and entertainment companies in the U.S., providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and home security and automation services over our own nationwide IP network. Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable, telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For several years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; Cox has ranked among Diversity Inc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity 10 times, including the last nine years.

In celebration of this year’s theme, “Learning from the Past,” the GCAACC honored African

“we wanted to publicly recognize these individuals for their contributions to the community.”

Pensacola Improv Event Center (CEO, Mr. Douglas Baldwin) was the recipient of the Community Award for small business with five or less employees. The Pensacola Improv Event Center has been in business for over seven years and has donated over 500 hours of free rental space to local non-profits in the Escambia County District. Owner Douglas Baldwin has spent 35 years with the Police Department and retired as a decorated police lieutenant with many achievements and accolades.

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American-owned businesses that have been in business 20 years or more in the Greater Pensacola area.

The recipients included: The Gathering Awareness and Book Center started by Johnny and Georgia Blackmon well over 20 years ago and is now located in the historic Belmont DeVilliers area.

The Pensacola Voice who just celebrated their 50th years of anniversary.

Choice 106.9/WRNE 980 Radio also known

as Media One Communications is owned by Robert Hill. Since 1990, WRNE 980 has operated under the philosophy of educating, empowering and enhancing the quality of life in the community that it services.

Out Front Magazine (New Beginnings Publishing) was started in 1990 as a bimonthly lifestyle publication covering regional and national-issue-oriented news and commentary, business, educations, politics, health, sports and recreation, travel and tourism.

The Dwarf Chicken Stand located in historic Belmont DeVilliers area is a family business that is currently being run by VeNisa “NeeSee” Jones.

Fredrick Gant Law Firm started by Fred Gant (Owner) over 25 years ago and is located in the beautiful downtown Pensacola.

Saver’s Transmission was founded and owned by the late William N. Green over 30 years ago.

His loyalty, honesty and patience allowed him to sponsor many organizations in the community.

His lovely wife Sheila Green accepted the award on his behalf in memory of the great things he did for this community.

Doris Healthy Hair Beauty Salon owned by Doris Taylor has been in business since 1990.

Ray’s Soul City opened in Pensacola in 1968 under the ownership of Raymond House. Ray’s Soul City has hosted the likes of Aretha Franklin, James and Bobby Purify, Ben and Spence and many others who went on to fame and fortune.

Anthurium’s was established in 1986 by Frank Watson. Watson also the owner of Elegant Hair & Nail and Rental Rite. Watson has been an entrepreneur in this community since 1958.

The ceremony concluded with a presentation on “Envisioning our Future.” Although the GCAACC serves a niche community, our mission is to create and facilitate equal opportunities for minorities to do business along the Gulf Coast.

The Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce has experienced an 80 percent increase in membership growth over the past year and a half. Membership is open to everyone in our community. Their goal is not to encourage separation but inclusion and unity. The Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce is about building bridges and connecting the community together so the whole community can experience economic growth.

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Could you be our next cover model?

We’re looking for the perfect wedding model for the cover of Pensacola Magazine: Weddings 2016, and that model could be you!

Submit up to three of your individual wedding photos (high resolution please) to Kelly@ballingerpublishing.com, and you could be featured on the cover of the February 2016 issue. Editorial-style shots by your professional photographer are preferred.

For more information, visit www.pensacolamagazine.com or email us at the address above.

Please send us the photos by January 25, 2015.

Pen Air Federal Credit Union raises $4,000 for the Gulf Coast Veterans Advocacy Council Pen Air Federal Credit Union presented the Gulf Coast Veterans Advocacy Council (GCVAC) with a check for $4,000 from funds raised through Pen Air FCU employee Jeans for Generosity Days and other fund raising efforts.

The presentation was made at the Pen Air Federal Credit Union corporate office with staff, some of which were veterans as well, to commemorate the event.

Representatives from GCVAC were on hand to accept the check and take photos with Pen Air FCU staff and management. The donation will help fund the 2015 Stand Down annual event that provides services and information to local homeless veterans and families of veterans.

The event provides items such as health screenings, legal assistance, clothing, cold weather gear, and hot meals.

The GCVAC facilitates programs to end veteran homelessness. They work to see every veteran receives mental and physical care and assist with the adjustment to civilian life.

National Park Service awards contract to build Ferry Boats Superintendent Dan Brown announced today that the National Park Service has awarded the contract for the design, construction and delivery of two 150 passenger catamaran ferry boats to All American Marine, located in Bellingham, Washington. The boats will be used for the Pensacola Bay passenger ferry service, scheduled to start in March 2017.

Funding for the $5 million-plus contract was provided by Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) funding as a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, with the balance from the Federal Lands Transportation Program that funds NPS Alternative Transportation projects.

Nemours changes local name Over the coming months, the Pensacola community will start seeing some changes in how they refer to operations in northwest Florida. They are set to begin evolving their name from Nemours Children’s Clinic, Pensacola to Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, Pensacola.

This change in the name is a direct response to consumer research and it reflects their desire to provide families, providers and partners with a clear understanding of the high quality, specialized care that Nemours offers in the region. The name Nemours Children’s Specialty Care also further aligns our facilities in Florida; Jacksonville successfully adopted this new naming structure earlier this year.

The change won’t happen overnight. They’ll share their plans for rolling out our new name in 2016.

Arc Gateway and Belle Bear awarded by the Arc of Florida The Arc Gateway and local philanthropist, Belle Bear, were awarded at The Arc of Florida ‘Superhero’ Convention in Tampa.

The Arc Gateway was the recipient of the Local Arc Chapter of the Year for outstanding efforts to maintain and build programs of excellence while demonstrating significant improvement in services, as well as contributing to the overall Arc mission and work. Belle Bear was the recipient of the Ray Watson Brotherhood Memorial Award for volunteering her time and expertise in addressing and pursuing advocacy issues on all levels for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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