Thursday, February 28, 2013

September Northwest Chess online color edition released

Photo taken by Jeff Roland at the 2012 U.S. Open in Vancouver, WA, a re-shoot of a well known image of Viktors Pupols (standing) and Yasser Seirawan (sitting) originally snapped in 1974.

As announced earlier this month, the publishers of Northwest Chess magazine have approved the online availability of back issues of color versions of the magazine with approximately a three month delay from release date. The capability of producing color .pdf versions of the magazine originated with the introduction of new software last August.

The September 2012 issue was the second of four issues during my tenure as Editor.

September 2012 Issue of Northwest Chess

Summary: 32-page issue with "U.S. Open Games & Photos," Idaho chess news, "Rupel vs. Pupols: 2012 OR Senior," Washington chess news, "Oregon News: Raptis vs. Eagles," and a Dr. Ralph Hall Memorial Northwest Grand Prix report.

Contents:
Cover: Historic Pupols-Seirawan photo 38 yrs. later.....Jeff Roland
Page 3: From the Editor’s Desk..............................Frank Niro
Page 4: U.S. Open Games & Photos................Various Contributors
Page 15: 30th Annual Sands Regency - Reno, NV...........Entry Form
Page 16: Idaho News.......................................Jeff Roland
Page 22: Rupel vs. Pupols: 2012 OR Senior............David Rupel
Page 23: Washington Class Championships..............Entry Form
Page 24: Washington News.................Russell “Rusty” Miller
Page 26: Oregon News: Raptis vs. Eagles.............Frank Niro
Page 28: Dr. Ralph Hall Northwest Grand Prix......Murlin Varner
Page 31: Seattle Chess Club Tournaments..............Fred Kleist
Back Cover: Upcoming Events..........................Jeffrey Roland

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Sloan Case Competition team returns to UAB

Pictured, l.r., Katie Strausser, Frank Niro, Rachel Ann DeSantis, Natasha Niro, Rachna Badlani

For the second year in a row, Tash and I are privileged to accompany the case competition team from Cornell to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The UAB Health Administration Case Competition provides graduate students from CAHME-accredited health administration programs an opportunity to put what they have learned into practice with a real-life, real-time case. It is designed to be a capstone experience for the graduate school experience.

Student teams from around the country present their recommendations before a national team of judges. The first, second and third place teams receive cash awards. The 7th Annual Health Administration Case Competition will be hels from February 27 to March 1, 2013.

Last year's results:
1st Place: Rush University
2nd Place: Army-Baylor University
3rd Place: Virginia Commonwealth University

Finalists: University of Central Florida, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and University of Iowa.

Honorable Mention: Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, St. Louis University, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, and University of South Carolina.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Northwest Chess releases online color versions of magazine (with 3-month delay)

Cover: The picture, taken by Jeff Roland when he and Frank Niro went to Crossville, Tennessee, shows the highly dedicated USCF staff that we have all come to appreciate over the years! The black & white version of this cover was modified for mailing purposes to provide room for mailing labels.

The publishers of Northwest Chess magazine have announced the online availability of back issues of color versions of the magazine with approximately a three month delay from release date. The capability of producing color .pdf versions of the magazine originated with the introduction of new software last August.

For the record, I was the Editor of Northwest Chess from August 2012 through November 2012 and assisted in the training of the current editor, Jeffrey Roland. I served as his Assistant Editor during a short transition period.

August 2012 Issue of Northwest Chess

Summary: 48-page special U.S. Open edition produced by Editor Frank Niro and Assistant Editor Jeff Roland. Includes U.S. Open related content, an article by Frank Niro about the late Dr. Ralph L. Hall, the "Most exciting game of 2011," a reprint of Yasser Seirawan's fictional story "Hapley’s Project," Idaho chess news, a report on the Oregon Senior Championship, and a Grand Prix update.

Contents
Cover: Members of the U.S. Chess Federation Staff in front of the
U.S.C.F. offices in Crossville, TN. (left to right: Judy Misner, Joe
Wright, Joan DuBois (in the car), Traci Lee, Susan Houston, Chuck
Lovingood, Joshua Van Winkle, Cheryle Bruce, Alan Kantor, USCF
Executive Director Bill Hall. Photo credit: Jeffrey Roland
Page 3: The Publisher’s Desk...............................Duane Polich
Page 4: Letter from Mayor of Vancouver...............Timothy D. Leavitt
Page 5: U.S. Open returns to the Pacific Northwest.......Russell Miller
Page 7: 2012 U.S. Open Schedule..............................USCF Staff
Page 10: Dr. Ralph L. Hall (1930-2011).......................Frank Niro
Page 18: Most exciting game of 2011.......................Roua vs. Chen
Page 22: Hapley’s Project...............................Yasser Seirawan
Page 37: Idaho News......................................Jeffrey Roland
Page 38: Oregon Senior Championship......Frank Niro & Brian Berger
Page 42: Northwest Grand Prix.............................Murlin Varner
Page 47: Seattle Chess Club Tournaments.....................Fred Kleist
Back Cover: Upcoming Events........................Various Contributors

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Games from the 2013 Cardinal Open



NM John Stopa (left foreground) faces GM Alex Yermolinsky in the 2013 Cardinal Open held in Columbus, Ohio.

Note: This article is continued from January 31, 2013.

GM Andre Diamant vs. FM Carl Boor [C10]
36th Cardinal Open, Columbus, OH
Rd. 3, January 26, 2013

[Notes courtesy of Andre Diamant]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.g3 b6 6.Bg2 Rb8

This idea was played before by GM Judith Polgar against GM Mamedyarov. Mamedyarov preferred the move 7.Ne2.

7.Nf3 Bb7 8.Qe2 Ngf6 9.Nxf6+ Nxf6 10.0–0 Bd6 11.b3 0–0 12.Bb2 Qc8 13.c4 Nd7 14.Rfd1 Re8 15.Rac1

My development is over and now I have to find some plan to break black’s fortress.

15...Be7

White's idea for now is just prevent all black ideas like c5 or e5 with the doubling the rooks.

16.Rc2! Bf6 17.Rcd2 a6 18.h4 b5

Black is tired of waiting and tries to free his position.

19.Rc2 bxc4?!

19...Be7 would be better in order to keep the tension in the position.

20.Qxc4

Now black needs to play precisely or he will be lost.

20...c5

20...Be4 21.Rcc1 Qb7 22.Ne5 Bxg2 23.Nxd7 Bh3 (23...Bd5 24.Qxc7 Qxc7 25.Rxc7; 23...Rbd8 Fails to 24.Nxf6+ gxf6 25.d5!! White's black squared bishop is dominating!) 24.Qc6 Qxc6 25.Rxc6+- White wins a pawn.



21.Qe2!

A surprising retreat, which puts pressure on blacks position.

21...Bd5 22.dxc5 Bxb2 23.Rxb2 a5

23...Qxc5 24.Qxa6 Nf6 was a better way to defend.

24.Rc2 a4 25.bxa4 Rb4 26.c6 Nf6 27.Nd4 Rxa4 28.Nb5

Now the position is already lost for black.

28...Rd8 29.c7 Rd7 30.Qe3 Rc4 31.Rdc1 1–0

Black can't avoid loss of material after Na7.


GM Alex Yermolinsky (2540) vs. John Stopa (2200) [D10]
36th Cardinal Open, Columbus, OH
Rd. 2, January 26, 2013

[Notes courtesy of John Bath]

This short game ends with a surprising pawn move.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 Bg4 5.f3 Bd7 6.Bd3 e6 7.Nge2 dxc4 8.Bxc4 c5 9.d5 exd5 10.Nxd5 Nc6 11.Nec3 Nxd5 12.Nxd5 Qh4+ 13.g3 Qxc4? [13...Qd8=]



14.b3!! 1–0


John Stopa (2200) vs. GM Alexander Shabalov (2651) [B23]
36th Cardinal Open, Columbus, OH
Rd. 1, January 25, 2013

[Notes courtesy of John Bath]

John Stopa reaches a won position against GM Shabalov, but cannot find the "Houdini move".

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.f4 Bg7 4.Nf3 a6 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 e6 7.0–0 Nge7 8.d3 0–0 9.Be3 Nd4 10.Qd2 d5 11.exd5 exd5 12.Bxd4 cxd4 13.Ne2 Qb6 14.a4 Nf5 15.a5 Qc5 16.b4 Qd6 17.Rfe1 h5 18.Rab1 Be6 19.Nc1 b6 20.Nb3 bxa5 21.bxa5 Rab8 22.Bh3 Rb4 23.Ng5 Bd7 24.Nf3 Rfb8 25.Ne5 Be6 26.Rbc1 Ra4 27.Qf2 Rbb4 28.Re2 Bf6 29.Rce1 Kg7 30.Nf3 Qc6 31.Ng5 Bd7 32.Bxf5 Bxf5 33.Re7 Bxe7 34.Rxe7 Kg8? 35.Qe1! Rb8 36.Nxf7! Kf8



37.Ng5?

37.Nd8!! Qf6 (37...Rxd8? 38.Qe5!+- and mate is unavoidable) 38.Re8+ Kg7 39.Ne6+ Bxe6 40.Rxb8 and white has too many threats; one line goes 40...Bf7 41.Nc5 Ra2 42.Rb6 Qf5 43.Qe7 Rxc2 44.Ne6+ Kh7 45.Nxd4 Rc1+ 46.Kf2+-

37...Qd6 38.Rf7+ Kg8 39.Ra7 Rab4 40.Qe2 Rf8 41.Nh7 Rc8 42.Ng5 Rf8 43.Nh7 Rc8 44.Ng5 ½–½


Vikram Srivastava (1888) vs. Bill Turner (2067) [B01]
36th Cardinal Open, Columbus, OH
Rd. 2, January 26, 2013

[Notes courtesy of John Bath]

Black is winning after 11 moves, but White fights back to an equal position with a brilliant sacrifice on move 21. However, he misses some interesting tactics that would have maintained equality, and falls into a worse position. His 39th move allows black's king to penetrate, and the game is soon over.

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.Be2 Nc6 5.d4 0–0–0 6.Be3 Nf6 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Bxf3 Qb5 9.Nc3 Qxb2 10.Ne2 Ne5 11.dxe5? Rxd1+ 12.Rxd1 Qxe5 13.0–0 e6 14.Bf4 Qc5 15.c4 Bd6 16.Be3 Qa5 17.Rb1 c6 18.Nd4 h5 19.Rfd1 Qe5?! 20.g3 g5?



21.Bxc6!! bxc6 22.Nxc6 Qe4 23.Nxa7+ Kd7 24.Nb5 Rb8 25.Rxd6+ Ke7= 26.Rbd1

26.Bc5!! Nd7 27.Rd4+ Nxc5 28.Rxe4 Nxe4=

26...Qxc4 27.Na3 Qxa2 28.Bxg5

28.Bc5! Ke8 (28...Nd5? 29.Rb6+!; 28...Ne4? 29.R6d2+) 29.Nb5! 30.Rxe6+!! fxe6 31.Nd6+! Ke7 32.Nb7+ Qxc5 33.Nxc5=

28...Qxa3 29.Rd7+ Kf8 30.Bxf6 Kg8 31.h4 Qf3 32.Rd8+ Rxd8 33.Rxd8+ Kh7 34.Bg5 Kg6 35.Rd4 f6 36.Be3 e5 37.Rd2 Kf5 38.Kh2 Kg4 39.Kg1? Kh3! 40.Kf1 Qh1+

40...f5!

41.Ke2 f5! 42.Rd8 Qe4 43.f3 Qc4+ 44.Kf2 f4 45.gxf4 exf4 46.Bd2 Qc5+ 47.Ke2

47.Kf1 Qb5+ 48.Ke1 Kg2 49.Bc3 Kxf3 50.Kd2 Qe2+ 51.Kc1 Kg4–+

47...Qe7+ 0–1


IM Justin Sarkar (2520) vs. Richard Parry (1825) [D56]
36th Cardinal Open, Columbus, OH
Rd. 2, January 26, 2013

[Notes courtesy of John Bath]

Richard Parry gives IM Justin Sarkar a tough fight before finally succumbing.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 0–0 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bh4 Ne4 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Rc1 Nxc3 10.Rxc3 c6 11.h4 Nd7 12.g4 e5 13.cxd5 e4 14.dxc6 bxc6 15.Nd2² c5 16.dxc5 Nxc5 17.g5 Bf5 18.gxh6 Rfd8 19.hxg7 Nd3+ 20.Bxd3 Rxd3 21.Rxd3?! exd3 22.Qh5 Bh7 23.Nf3 Rc8?

23...Qe4!? 24.Ng5! d2+ (24...Qxh1+?? 25.Kd2–+) 25.Kxd2 Qd5+ 26.Ke2 Bd3+ 27.Ke1 Qxh1+ 28.Kd2 Kxg7 29.Qxf7+ Kh6 30.Ne6 Qg1 31.Kxd3 Qb1+ 32.Kd4 Qxb2+ 33.Ke4 Qc2+ 34.Kf3 Qg6 is unclear; 23...Qb4+! 24.Kf1 Qxb2 25.Ng5 Qa1+ 26.Kg2 Qxg7 27.Qxh7+ Qxh7 28.Nxh7 Kxh7 29.Kf3 favors White.

24.Ng5!+- d2+ 25.Ke2 d1Q+ 26.Rxd1 Rc2+ 27.Kf1 Bd3+ 28.Rxd3 Kxg7 29.Qh7+ Kf6 30.Rd6+ Ke5 31.Ra6 Rc1+ 32.Kg2 Qc7 33.Qe4# 1–0


Matthew Webber (1692) vs. Benjamin Tancinco (1666) [B46]
36th Cardinal Open, Columbus, OH
Rd. 5, January 27, 2013

[Notes courtesy of John Bath]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Bb4 8.Bd2 f6 9.Ne4 Bxd2+?!

9...Qb6 10.c3 Be7 +/=

10.Qxd2 fxe5 11.Nd6+± Kf8 12.Bc4 Ne7?! 13.Qg5! Qa5+ 14.c3 Qc5? 15.0–0–0 h6 16.Qh4

16.Qh5! g6 17.Qh4 Rh7 18.Qf6+ Kg8 19.b4! Qa7 20.Nxc8! Rxc8 21.Rxd7!+-

16...g5?

16...e4!? 17.Nxc8 Rxc8 18.Rxd7 Qg5+ but white should still win after 19.Qxg5 hxg5 20.Rd6 Nd5 21.Rxe6 Nf4 22.Rxe4

17.Qh5! Rh7 18.Qe8+ Kg7 19.Qxe7+ Kg8 20.Qe8+ Kg7 21.Qf7+ Kh8 22.Qf8# 1–0


USCF History for Michel R. Anders, USCF Life Member

November 1986 - Joined the United States Chess Federation

April 1987 – Organized and directed his first USCF-rated chess tournament

April 1990 - Recognized as a Senior Tournament Director

December 1991 – Reached his peak rating of 1774 at the Battle of Erebor Open in St. James, MD

August 1996 – Became Associate National Tournament Director

May 1997 – Defeated his highest rated tournament victim David Saville (2132) in the Bluegrass Chess Club tournament in Lexington, KY

August 2003 - Mike flew Grant Perks of Ohio to Stewart Airport in Newburgh, NY, for his first meeting with the USCF staff as Interim ED

July 2004 – Awarded 2nd Category Title following the National US Action in Bloomington, IL

January 2005 – Took National TD Exam but did not pass, presumably due to unconventional answers aimed at exercising his legendary sense of humor

December 2005 – Won his 250th regular rated game at the Circle City Chess Club in Indianapolis

April 2008 – Worked as a floor TD at the National HS Championship in Atlanta, GA

February 2009 – Was the book vendor at the U.S. Junior Chess Congress held in Anderson, Indiana

April 2009 – Served as section chief in the 246-player K-3 division of the scholastic Super Nationals IV in Nashville

July 2012 – Chief TD at the final tournament he organized, the 3rd Bulldog Open, in the Albany, KY on behalf of the USCF affiliate where he worked (Clinton County School District Chess Club)

July 2012 – Won his final rated game against Glen O’Banion (1737) at the Bastille Day En Passant tournament in Lexington, KY

November 2012 – Worked his last of nearly 200 USCF-rated tournaments when he served as Asst. TD at the 21st Kings Island Open in Cincinnati

December 2012 – Played his last chess tournament at the Kentucky Action Championship in Lexington

Friday, February 1, 2013

Strategic and Business Planning for Healthcare Professionals starts today


Today, Tash and I began co-teaching a graduate course in Strategic and Business Planning at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Below is the syllabus for the course.

Tash is in her element in front of a class. This photo was taken by Dr. Julie Carmalt at Cornell University, February 1, 2013

Students in PAM 5900, Strategic and Business Planning for Healthcare Professionals

Below is the official syllabus for the course.

New York State College of Human Ecology
A Statutory College of the State University
at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4401
Department of Policy Analysis and Management
Sloan Program in Health Administration

PAM 5900: Special Topics in Health Administration and Finance:
Strategic and Business Planning for Healthcare Professionals

Term/Year: Spring 2013
Credits: 2 credits
Meetings: Feb. 1, 1:00 pm – 5:30 pm; Feb. 2, 9:00 am – 5:30 pm
AND
Mar. 8, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm; Mar. 9, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Additional Format: Online readings and support via Cornell BLKBD
Lecturers: Frank A. Niro, M.B.A./Sloan Certificate in HHSA, C.P.A. (retired)
Natasha L. Niro, M.A., Interdisciplinary Studies
Room: MVR 153
Office: 3M07 MVR Hall
Hours: By appointment
Contact information: fan3@cornell.edu, nniro@mymail.marylhurst.edu

Class size is limited to 20 participants.
S/U option will be made available for this course, upon request.


Course Description:

This 2 credit intensive 4-day seminar, over two weekends, provides students with a comprehensive overview of the key concepts and related terminology that they may encounter during their professional careers concerning the process of business planning in the healthcare environment.

In most industries, a business plan serves two primary purposes: it acts as a roadmap for managers and it helps to secure financing. Healthcare organizations, particularly those operating in the not-for-profit sector, serve multiple constituencies. These may include boards of trustees, tax exempt bond authorities, bond rating agencies, licensing and accreditation agencies, community groups, and venture partners such as physicians and insurance companies. In order to meet the needs of these varied audiences, a standardized approach to business planning for healthcare organizations has evolved.

Premise of the Course:

Students in the Sloan program are exposed to a variety of theoretical concepts in the areas of health policy, management, organizational development, strategic planning, legal and ethical perspectives, marketing, economics, and finance throughout their graduate curriculum experience. Strategic and Business Planning for Healthcare Professionals demonstrates the practical, real world application of many of the theoretical concepts encountered in other courses. This course focuses on ways that healthcare leaders use business plans to communicate a common vision, develop a viable set of strategies, determine financial feasibility, and package the key decision factors in a meaningful way that allows access to the capital needed for achieving organizational and community goals, and long term financial success.

Texts and Reading List:

Piggot, Carolyn. Business planning for healthcare management. 2nd ed.
Philadelphia: Open University Press, 2000.

Zuckerman, Alan. Healthcare strategic planning. 3rd ed. ACHE
Management, 2012.

Payne, Christopher. (May 2012). “Understanding your capital options.”
hfm Magazine May 2012: 69-74.

NOTE: Purchase of the textbooks is optional. Desk copies will be made available for student use. A list of assigned readings will be available prior to the first weekend of classes. Additional articles may be incorporated. Copies of the magazine article will be provided, either in print or by web link.

Learning Outcomes: (Sloan Competencies in brackets)

Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to
• Interpret and understand the information presented in a business plan.
• Illustrate the interrelationship between strategic plans and business plans.
• Bridge the theory-to-practice gap in healthcare planning.
• Identify risks, and ways of reducing risks, to ensure financial success.
(#6 Financial analysis, including reading financial statements; #10 Strategic analysis and management; #17 Problem-solving skills)
• Format and use a business plan as a component of tax exempt bond financing. (#3 Understanding healthcare financing, regulatory, and delivery systems; #6 Financial analysis, including reading financial statements; #10 Strategic analysis and management; #13 Economic analysis, including cost-effectiveness analysis)
• Understand the importance of sensitivity analysis, utilizing electronic tools such as Excel© spreadsheets in the determination of financial feasibility. (#1 Statistical analysis)
• Develop effective written business plans for healthcare organizations and present plans. (#14 Written communication skills; #15 Oral communication and presentation skills)
• Have experience in working with others to critique business plans. (#11 Advocacy, persuasion, and negotiation skills; #14 Written communication skills; #15 Oral communication and presentation skills; #18 Coaching others and providing constructive feedback; #19 Working within diverse groups)
• Continue the practice of reading professional journals and periodicals
(#3 Understanding healthcare financing regulatory, and delivery systems)

Summary of Sloan Program Competencies:

Strategic and Business Planning for Healthcare Professionals is designed to develop and improve student competencies in the following areas:
• # 1 Statistical analysis
• # 3 Understanding healthcare financing, regulatory, and delivery systems
• # 6 Financial analysis, including reading financial statements
• #10 Strategic analysis and management
• #11 Advocacy, persuasion, and negotiation skills
• #13 Economic analysis, including cost-effectiveness analysis
• #14 Written communication skills
• #15 Oral communication and presentation skills
• #17 Problem-solving skills
• #18 Coaching others and providing constructive feedback
• #19 Working within diverse groups

Assessment and Evaluation:

Student understanding of the course materials will be evaluated based on the following combination of assignments and activities:

Participation, 20%. Students are expected to read assigned materials prior to the beginning of class and to actively participate in all classroom discussions and activities. Attendance at the entire seminar is required, unless specific permission is granted by the instructors IN ADVANCE.

Quiz, 10%. A series of three (3) in-class quizzes will be used to assess student understanding throughout the course. A pair of quizzes will be administered to measure students’ initial knowledge and provisional understanding of strategic and business planning concepts at the end of the first day. These two quizzes will be scored for evaluation purposes but will not be graded. A graded quiz will be administered during the second day of the course. Format for all three quizzes will be a combination of True/False and Multiple Choice questions.

Current Readings, 5% The practice of regularly reading professional journals and other print/online sources in order to stay alert to current information regarding healthcare reform, industry changes, etc. is vital to successful strategic and business planners. Each student will share at least one resource with the class through the Blackboard/Forum. Citations should be in proper MLA format.

Written Business Plan, 35%. Each student will submit a written business plan for an entity or project. Plans will include integration of Excel spreadsheets for presentation of financial data. See separate hand-out for specific instructions.

Presentation of Business Plan, 10%. Students will share a brief presentation of their business plan with instructors and classmates. Presentations may be structured as a hospital executive presenting to a Board; a management consultant presenting to a client; or a financial advisor presenting to a lender.

Critique of Business Plans, 20%. Students will provide real-time feedback to one another through a Q & A period following each presentation, as well as by a prepared evaluation form.

Teaching Philosophy:

Because each of us brings a unique perspective to the group, it is important that all students are given an opportunity to engage in the unfolding of knowledge according to their own process and provisional understanding. We, as instructors, believe in providing an environment wherein students can participate in the learning experience to their best advantage. It is our expectation that students will treat one another with the respect properly accorded to colleagues and fellow scholars, recognizing that while we might not always agree with someone else’s interpretation of the data at hand, we can nonetheless continue to collaborate in the learning process. We consider ourselves co-learners with our students and value the insights and revelations offered by each one.

Class Routine:

As a condensed discussion based seminar, in-class participation by all students is essential. Portions of the required texts will be assigned prior to the first weekend and students must be prepared to discuss them. Supplemental printed materials may be provided during class. No off-campus field trips are required as part of this course. Attendance at the Sloan Strategic & Business Planning Colloquium is strongly recommended. A detailed outline of the course schedule is included at the end of the syllabus.

A Blackboard/Forum will be established on the Cornell.edu website to facilitate discussion and to allow the students to seek help and input from the instructors and each other. The appropriate url address and protocols for use will be given during the first weekend.

Prerequisites:

Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel (2007 or later).

Academic Integrity:

The University Faculty Senate has developed a Code of Academic Integrity that governs all student academic undertakings. Absolute integrity is expected of every Cornell University student. A Cornell student’s submission of work for academic credit indicates that the work is the student’s own. All outside assistance shall be acknowledged. For the specifics of this code of conduct, see http://web.cornell.edu/UniversityFaculty/docs/AIC.pdf.

Course Framework:

We will start by focusing on the relationship between strategic planning and business planning, initially in the context of acute care hospitals and tax exempt bond financing. As the course progresses, we will build and expand to include diversification activities and specialized projects such as outpatient facilities and congregate housing, as well as additional financing opportunities including hospital-medical staff partnerships, joint ventures and access to venture capital.

We will explore the revenue and expense cycles in healthcare organizations, including third party payments from insurance companies and uncompensated care. We will differentiate between operating budgets and capital costs and explore why the distinction is important for business planning. We will look at interest and depreciation as factors affecting cash flow and financial feasibility.

Also during the first weekend, the students will be presented with the essentials of utilizing Excel© spreadsheets to develop financial pro forma statements including balance sheets, income statements and cash flow forecasts. In this context, we will explore the process of sensitivity analysis and the determination of financial feasibility using key financial ratios and indicators. We will discuss the evolution of commercial spreadsheets since VisiCalc and Lotus 1-2-3 and the advanced analytical tools that have evolved over the different versions of Excel© since 2003.

Case Studies: Actual business plans developed in the past few years by existing healthcare entities will be analyzed in detail during class. We will examine a recent health system prospectus for its bond re-financing, with emphasis on the structure and content of “management’s discussion of future plans” (known as Appendix A).