Building better health

Ground broken for rehab center in Greenwood

October 12, 2006

By BOBBY HARELL
Index-Journal staff writer

Jeff Cockrell wishes rehabilitation facilities didn’t have to exist, but he knows one is needed in Greenwood.
His son Ryan required rehab after a baseball struck his right temple during a 2002 Greenwood High School baseball game.
The baseball caused a traumatic brain injury.
Ryan was rushed to an Anderson hospital, where he underwent three brain surgeries, Cockrell said.
The next four years separated the family as Ryan received rehabilitation care in Greenville, Anderson and Atlanta.
Cockrell and Ryan’s brother Jeremy visited Ryan and his mother Angel after work and school and on the weekends, but the hours on the road were strenuous for the family.
With tears in his throat, Cockrell said he and his family are excited a rehabilitation hospital will soon be available in Greenwood.
Ground was broken Wednesday for the Greenwood Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, bringing rehab care to the Lakelands.
The 34-bed hospital will provide rehab care for victims of strokes, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries and other conditions, said Angie Anderson, vice president of development for Ernest Health Inc., the Albuquerque, N.M., health service company building the hospital.
The one-story, 51,700-square-foot facility could provide care fast enough to get patients back to their homes within 19 days.
Greenwood Regional will create about 130 jobs when it opens in July.
Ernest Health Inc. CEO and president Davey Brockette spoke at the ceremony, holding an old yellow baseball cap adorned with the South Carolina crescent and Palmetto tree emblem.
Brockette brought the cap as a symbol of Ernest’s new commitment to Greenwood.
“I have South Carolina in my heart and on my head,” he said.
Greenwood Regional will be the easternmost hospital for the company.
Brockette said the hospital will offer a new spirit of healing and caring, even for health care personnel.
“We like to remind people why they got into health care,” he said.
John Heydel, CEO of Self Regional Healthcare, said Greenwood will be well served by an acute rehab center.
The city has many different types of health services, so Ernest should fit right it.
County council member Edith Childs said she understands the importance of rehab services. Her son had a car wreck that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
People will soon not have to go out of town for rehab help.
“That’s growth for Greenwood,” she said.
Ernest also donated money to two Greenwood organizations with the hope of becoming a part of Greenwood, said David Fuller, senior vice president of operations for Ernest.
Fuller presented $5,000 checks to representatives of the South Carolina Brain Injury Alliance and the Friends of the Greenwood County Library.

Raymond R. Smith

ABBEVILLE — Mr. Raymond R. Smith, age 52, of 334 Calhoun Apts., Haigler St., died Oct. 10, 2006 at Hospice House of the Piedmont. He was born in Abbeville County and was the son of Eddie Mae Smith Wade. He was of the Methodist faith and was a handyman.
Surviving are his mother, Eddie Mae Wade and stepfather, Theo Wade of Abbeville; a son; a sister Hazel Smith of Abbeville; two half sisters; two brothers Michael Wade of the home and Alfred Smith of Rome, Ga.
Services will be Friday, Oct. 13, 2006 at 1 p.m. at the Chapel of Brown and Walker Funeral Home with Rev. James Bates officiating. Burial will be in St. Paul A.M.E. Church Cemetery.
The family is at the home of his parents, 109 Cherokee St. Visitation will be at Brown and Walker Funeral Home Thursday from noon until the funeral hour on Friday.

Lander’s volleyball team dominates Newberry
at Finis Horne Arena

October 12, 2006

By RENALDO STOVER
Index-Journal sports writer

Sometimes, changing your strategy isn’t enough to win a game.
The Lady Bearcats of Lander University, (18-10, 1-7) defeated Newberry College (2-20, 1-8) Tuesday in three straight games in Home Arena. The Lady Bearcats cruised to victory winning the first two games 30-13 and 30-21 before Newberry coach Gylton Da Matta changed his team’s strategy in the third game. The move almost paid off for the young Newberry squad, but the Lady Bearcats proved to be too much as they won the third game 30-27.
Lady Bearcats coach Carla Decker said she was pleased with her team’s performance and the way the players handled Newberry’s pressure in the third game.
“We tried to change offense, defense and put new people in to change things up, but we had to go back to the original plan,” Decker said. “I think everybody as a whole played well.”
Sara Senn and Andrea Griffin were part of that plan as both juniors finished with 11 kills in the match. Newberry was led by Jessica Lipsi, who finished with 10 kills, and Jessica Lopez, who had 21 of the Lady Indians’ 22 assists.
Jennifer Edwards had a match-high, 30 assists.
In game one, the Lady Bearcats raced out to an early 10-4 lead following a shot at the net by Griffin. The Lady Indians would cut into the Lady Bearcats lead at 13-8 but would not get any closer as the Lady Bearcats finished the opening game on a 17-5 run.
The second game was a continuation of game one as the Lady Bearcats jumped to a 10-1 lead, prompting Matta to call a timeout. Following the timeout, Matta’s squad matched the Lady Bearcats point for point and closed to within six points at 23-16 before a shot out of bounds by Laurie Barman stalled their momentum.
Marina Camps would get things going for the Lady Bearcats as she gave her teammates a boost, picking up three points while serving as the Lady Bearcats closed out the game.
Although down two games to none, the Lady Indians came out strong in the final game of the night following a few changes Matta made in his team’s game plan. The Lady Indians had the Lady Bearcats on the ropes at 26-24 before Kerri Sorensen sent a missile down the middle to tie the game at 26-all and propel her team to victory.
“I think we were struggling with passing and that has been a constant in our season,” Matta said. “It was a good match and I made a change in the third game when we moved to the right side to stop the outside hitters as well as to help in the middle. We are very young at Newberry and we are building the program and looking for a win and as that happens I’m sure it will help our motivation.”
The Lady Bearcats return to conference action at 7 Wednesday as they face USC Upstate in Horne Arena. The Lady Indians take on Rollins College Friday in the Carson-Newman Regional Tournament.

Terrorists have a friend in a nuclear North Korea

October 12, 2006

Did North Korea explode a nuclear bomb or didn’t it? Whether it did or not doesn’t really matter. The threat is there, and the leader of that Communist nation is so erratic and unpredictable, if not downright certifiably insane, he has to be taken seriously.
Apparently the rest of the world - at least most of it - sees that rogue nation as a danger to its neighbors and indeed the stability of the entire world. Even Communist China, North Korea’s staunchest ally, has backed away. That’s significant, too, for it was Chinese troops that gave North Korea support in the Korean War.

SOME VETERANS OF THAT war from the Greenwood area can still hear the blaring horns of attacking Chinese troops, a sound that sent chills up spines already shivering from the bitter cold.
This is the ultimate and maybe final test of the United Nations. If it fails to effectively deal with this madman there’s no telling who will be next to challenge the world ...... Iran’s already doing it.
It’s dangerous for North Korea’s Kim Jong Il to possess nuclear technology, no doubt about that. His erratic history gives every indication that he could do anything at anytime to anyone. He’s that crazy ..... maybe just plain egomaniacal. That, however, is not the most dangerous part of the picture.

BOTH SOUTH CAROLINA U. S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint leave no doubt what our priorities should be. We must, both say, move ahead in developing an effective missile defense system. Just as important, though, they emphasize we have to stop North Korea from selling nuclear technology to our enemies and potential enemies.
“Their track record when it comes to proliferation of weapons technology is downright frightening,” Graham says.
DeMint says, “North Korea’s economy is in shambles and they have proven that they will sell weapons to state sponsors of terror to raise money for their military. There should be no doubt; if North Korea has nuclear weapons, so will terrorists.”
Both are right and for once, both have plenty of bipartisan company. There are some trying to play politics with the situation, though. They should be isolated and shunned by the American people. It’s too crucial a matter to trivialize it into petty politics.