Movement of BRAC, BRAF offices on hold

A rumored move for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation won't happen. There had been talk that BRAF would move into the Capital One building downtown, freeing up space for BRAC. Capital One officials would not comment on the rumored moves, but a spokesman for the foundation says there is no activity with its Fourth Street offices and no plans for anything in the coming years. Officials with BRAC say the organization is still looking for properties, but nothing has been confirmed. Getting a new office for the chamber has been a goal of the organization for several years.—Timothy Boone

Coaches could cut down on rehospitalization, Press Club speaker says

The days when a physician guided a patient through all manner of health care minutiae are gone, but medical providers can help patients help themselves by using one-on-one coaches during the discharge and after-care process, says Edie Castello, vice president and COO of eQ Health Solutions. Speaking at Monday’s Baton Rouge Press Club gathering, Castello says a regional pilot program reduced hospital readmissions for Medicare patients treated for pneumonia, congestive heart failure and heart attacks through “care transitions” coaching. From March through October, 145 patients participated in the program, and seven were re-hospitalized. That rate of less than 5% contrasts with an overall rehospitalization rate of 18.86% in the Capital Region and 19.05% in the state, Castello says. Patients in the program had not been assigned home health care.

eQ Health Solutions, formerly Louisiana Health Care Review, rebranded in August to reflect the company’s operations in Illinois and Mississippi and helps Medicare and Medicaid programs reduce costs. Castello says if the pilot program was replicated nationwide, it could save Medicare $12 billion annually from rehospitalizing. The company hopes to expand to Florida and possibly elsewhere, while the local pilot program is ongoing through fall 2011. Paul Murphree, medical director of quality and patient safety for program participant Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, says ensuring that patients understand their medication and are engaged in their own healing process can require subtle psychology, such as reminding patients how important it is to get to their grandchildren’s graduation by taking proper care of themselves.—Todd R. Brown

B.R. construction jobs down slightly

After months of being one of the few cities to see gains in building employment, the number of construction jobs in Baton Rouge dropped slightly in October. The number of construction jobs was down 500, or 1% from October 2008, to come in at 41,700, according to figures from the Associated General Contractors of America. Despite the drop, Baton Rouge was tied for the 11th biggest construction gain, with Fargo, Minn.; Fayetteville, Ark.; Fort Worth, Texas; and Little Rock, Ark. Just five out of 337 U.S. cities posted construction gains compared with October 2008; Columbus, Ind., was the biggest gainer, adding 400 jobs to go up 20%. Louisiana construction jobs were down 2% to 136,500. Employment was down 4% in Houma-Thibodaux, 5% in Shreveport-Bossier City, 7% in Lafayette and Lake Charles, and 8% in New Orleans.

LSU student develops event-tracking system

An LSU graphic design graduate student has developed a new software program that aims to make art exhibits and conferences more efficient. Santanu Majumdar has developed Exhibition Next, along with researchers at the school's Center for Computation & Technology. The program allows patrons at museums or galleries to touch a radio card in order to get e-mails about exhibits and displays they find interesting. “It allows you to have information about artists or displays that you personally find interesting e-mailed directly to you, without the need for huge amounts of paper or energy expended,” Majumdar says. Along with eliminating the need for paper brochures, the technology allows galleries and conferences to know what exhibits people find the most interesting. Majumdar's technology has already been tested at the LSU Museum of Art and officials with the school's Office of Intellectual Property are looking at the next step for Exhibition Next.

Initial jobless claims jump in Louisiana

Initial claims for unemployment payments in Louisiana jumped 17.5% during the week ending Nov. 21. That's according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, which counted 5,432 first-time claims for the week. There were 4,623 initial filers the previous week. State labor officials say the increase in the newly unemployed was spread across most sectors of the economy. For the comparable week in 2008, there were 3,373 initial claims. The number of people continuing to receive unemployment benefits also increased, from 61,389 to 61,502 for the week ending Nov. 21.

Executive spotlight: Diane Allen

On the green, her only opponent is herself. Diane Allen, president of Diane Allen & Associates Advertising/Public Relations, takes to the golf course when she needs a break from it all. “The emotional refreshment provided by hitting a few holes of golf will often make it easier to think through those difficult situations,” she says, “possibly even discovering a solution after spending some time away from the matter.” There are no clients, no employees [not that she doesn’t love both], no bills and no traffic with which to deal. It’s just her and her clubs—and maybe a few friends. Either way, it’s her green heaven. Read the full Q&A with Allen here. Here is a sample.

What is your greatest hope for Baton Rouge?

I have two hopes:

—That Baton Rouge will be the next biomedical mecca.

—That the arts can grow, because the quality of a city is measured by the arts. They are crucial if we are to stay ahead of the curve in our recruiting efforts for new business and leadership.

Monroe, Shreveport rank high for income inequality

Monroe and Shreveport were ranked among the 10 U.S. cities with the biggest gap between rich and poor residents. According to a Forbes magazine report, while the richest 5% of Monroe residents earn an average of $277,200, the poorest 20% of the population had an annual income of $7,619. Shreveport had a slightly smaller gap, with the wealthiest residents bringing in $302,527 annually and the poorest 20% having an annual income of $9,542. Forbes says the North Louisiana cities ranked high because the poorest residents earn so much less than the national average of $12,000 annually. Bridgeport, Conn., was ranked as having the biggest gap between rich and poor, with the top earners bringing in $823,000, while at the bottom, residents had an annual income of $17,000.

Business Report planner: Fregonese to speak to Growth Coalition

Thursday: John Fregonese, whose company is preparing the new comprehensive growth plan for East Baton Rouge Parish, will speak at a Baton Rouge Growth Coalition lunch. The lunch will start at 11:30 a.m. at Juban's Restaurant. Admission is $25, to register, e-mail office@growthcoalition.com.

For the complete list of upcoming events, click here.

News roundup: Ag department declares much of La. disaster ... Vast majority of Americans plan to donate to charity

Will help farmers affected by drought and rain: Most of Louisiana falls under a federal disaster declaration that allows for farmers affected by early season drought and heavy rains later in the year to seek emergency loans or other aid. The designation announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday affects every parish in the state except for Terrebonne Parish. It also allows for farmers in more than two-dozen neighboring counties, in Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas, to apply for assistance. It covers much of the planting and production year, April through October.

'Tis the season: Nearly 90% of Americans say they plan to donate to charity during the holidays. The American Red Cross survey of just over 1,000 adults finds that 62% of people plan to donate $25 or more this holiday season. Charities that help the poor are the most popular, 83% of the people who plan to give say they will help the needy, while 58% say they plan to give to groups that help members of the armed forces.

Weis fired as Notre Dame coach

Notre Dame fired coach Charlie Weis today after a string of disappointing seasons that was capped by an agonizing four-game losing streak. Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick announced the decision, saying in a news release: “We have great expectations for our football program, and we have not been able to meet those expectations.” Swarbrick said he recommended to university president the Rev. John Jenkins on Sunday night that Weis be let go with six years left on his contract. Weis leaves his alma mater with a 35-27 record in five seasons, among the worst of any Fighting Irish coach. Assistant head coach Rob Ianello will step in for Weis until a new coach is hired. Speculation about possible replacements for Weis has been rampant for weeks. Among the top names, Florida’s Urban Meyer and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops already have said they plan to stay where they are. Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly has also been mentioned, along with Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh and TCU’s Gary Patterson. A brash offensive coordinator with the NFL champion New England Patriots when he was hired, Weis raised Irish expectations with back-to-back appearances in BCS bowl games in his first two seasons, including a 41-14 loss to LSU in the 2007 Sugar Bowl. Since then, though, one of the nation’s most storied football programs has gone 16-21—the most losses ever by the Irish in a three-year span.