Offers free swab to join national bone marrow registry

Dr. Richard Jeruzal’s office, Cedar Rock Dental Care, is participating in the “Take a bite out of cancer” campaign to create the state’s single largest bone marrow drive and raise funds to support blood cancer research.

“Since more than 5,100 patients in Michigan—and more than one million nationwide—are waiting for a bone marrow transplant, I want to do my part to help add potential donors to the registry,” he said.

“During the month of May, patients and other members of the community are invited to come to my office to participate in the “Take a bite out of cancer” campaign. My entire dental team is excited about the campaign and stands ready to welcome participants to our office.”

Please call (616) 866-4461 to schedule a time for your free oral swab.

All that is needed to join the fight against cancer is a willingness to do a simple, self-administered cheek swab and complete a basic medical information form.

The doctor added, “With the link between oral health and overall health, it’s a natural fit for dentists to participate in this important project.”

The campaign is co-sponsored by the Michigan Dental Association and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Michigan.

New Cedar Springs Chamber of Commerce forming

A group of business owners in the Cedar Springs area have met twice now with the intention of creating a new Cedar Springs Chamber of Commerce. They most recently met Monday evening, May 14, at Perry’s Place, for a vision workshop. They are also working on the articles of incorporation. If any businesses in the area are interested in possibly joining the new Chamber and would like to be updated, please call the Post at the old Chamber number, 696-3260, and ask for Judy, or send an email to cspostjudy@hotmail.com with your name, name of your business, phone number(s) and email address. The next meeting will be June 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Perry’s Place at the corner of Main and Maple Streets.

The Optical Shop

Are you looking for a place to help you with your eyesight needs? There’s a new optical place in own that could do just that. The Optical Shop/U.S. Vision, is located at 3700 17 Mile, inside of Meijer. According to manager Rebecca Rodriguez, they offer optical care, eye exams, glasses and contacts, along with professional optical techniques by their optometrist. Rodriguez says that what makes their business unique, is that they offer flexible hours, great service, and phenomenal prices!

They are open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday 10-5 p.m. For more info, give them a call at (616) 696-2965.

Public Sneak Peek Scheduled for Saturday, June 2

On Tuesday, May 8, the Spectrum Health United Hospital Heart & Vascular Center officially opened its doors to existing and new patients.

In this completely renovated facility, nationally recognized specialists from West Michigan Heart and the Spectrum Health Medical Group will provide comprehensive heart & vascular services from prevention and diagnosis to treatment.

The United Hospital Heart & Vascular Center is directly connected to the Fred & Lena Meijer Heart Center in Grand Rapids. Patients have the convenience of seeing many of the specialists from the Meijer Heart Center, close to home.

“The opening of the Spectrum Health United Hospital Heart & Vascular Center is extremely exciting,” said Percy Mahar, Chief Clinical Officer for Spectrum Health United Hospital. “Not only does it expand upon current medical services we can provide our patients on site, it is also the first project to be completed as part of the entire United For Health expansion and renovation project.

“This opening is an opportunity to see first-hand how United For Health will allow patients the ability to receive a higher level of coordinated care, here at United Hospital.”

A community sneak peek will be held on Saturday, June 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. In addition to the United Hospital Heart & Vascular Center, attendees will also have the opportunity to view Phase 1 of the new Stanley and Blanche Ash Emergency Department. For additional information on the sneak peek, contact 616.225.6421.

Spectrum Health United and Kelsey Hospitals have been honored with 2012 Awards from Practice Greenhealth, the national membership organization for health care facilities committed to environmentally responsible operations.  United Hospital was honored with two Awards, “Partner for Change” and “Making Medicine Mercury Free.” Kelsey Hospital received a “Partner Recognition” Award. These Awards are Practice Greenhealth’s Environmental Excellence Awards given each year to honor outstanding environmental achievements in the health care sector.

United Hospital was honored with the “Partner for Change” Award, which recognizes health care facilities that continuously improve and expand on their mercury elimination, waste reduction, and source reduction programs. This award honors the efforts made to improve the environmental footprint. In addition, United Hospital received the “Making Medicine Mercury Free” Award which designates that proven policies have been put in place to rid the facility of the harmful chemical mercury and to prevent it from re-entering the facility.

Kelsey Hospital was honored with a “Partner Recognition” Award, the introductory award that recognizes organizations for protecting patient health and environmental stewardship.

Leading the sustainability charge for the hospitals is Corey Ballmer, Supply Chain Management Supervisor. Corey is dedicated to helping employees, medical staff, patients and visitors understand the importance of being environmentally minded in the health care setting.

“At United and Kelsey Hospitals, we recognize the link between the health of each individual and the health of the environment,” said Ballmer, Supply Chain Management Supervisor for United and Kelsey hospitals and Green Team chair. “That’s why we are committed to environmentally responsible practices and are taking the lead to promote a healthier community.”

Some of the recent green initiatives that both United and Kelsey Hospitals have employed include:

Single stream recycling

Light bulb recycling

Alkaline battery recycling

Scrap metal recycling

Electronics recycling

Formal “Green Team” with representatives from various departments to develop and implement earth friendly tactics

Additionally, in the last year, United Hospital has hosted several onsite Farmers Markets, drawing in local vendors and promoting the events to employees and the surrounding neighborhoods. United has also developed and implemented a process for sharps container recycling.

“We are pleased to be recognized for these significant achievements,” said Tina Freese-Decker, Spectrum Health United and Kelsey Hospitals President. “We are proud to be a model of how health facilities develop and implement programs to improve the health of our patients, staff and community.”

The Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards were presented in Denver, CO, at CleanMed, the premier national environmental conference for leaders in health care sustainability.

Would you like to get some great deals and have the profits go for a good cause at the same time? Now you can! The Jesus Non-Denominational Church and community impact center has started a farmer and flea market in the old Meijer store parking lot on 1220 N. Lafayette, Greenville. According to Pastor Tom Turner, the profit goes to feed 3,000 people monthly.

The market is open on Fridays and Saturdays, and shoppers can expect to find everything you would normally find—fresh fruits and vegetables, and everything from antiques to hand-crafted woodwork.  And a big plus for both shoppers and vendors is that it is open all day! “We have 1,000 cars that pass us every hour,” explained Turner, “so vendors stay set up all day. Other farmer and flea markets close at noon because the public leaves. But we have customers all day.”

Turner said they only ask for a $10 donation for three full car spaces from vendors—about a 30X18 space per day. He said that in the future they would like to build their market to around 300 vendors and use the profits to build their community impact center dream.

They are open for vendors starting at 6 a.m. and the public at 7 a.m. Call 616-225-9999 or visit www.jesusndc.com for more info.

An annual study released this week by Thomson Reuters recognized Spectrum Health United Hospital in Greenville as being among the 100 best hospitals in the country. The designation was based on measures of overall organization performance, including patient care, operational efficiency, and financial stability.

Spectrum Health United Hospital in Greenville was named one of Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals®.

United Hospital is the only small community hospital (under 100 beds) to receive this elite honor and recognition within the region. In total, 918 small community hospitals were included with the nationwide survey. Of those surveyed, only 20 were selected as award recipients in this category, of which one is Spectrum Health United Hospital. Additionally, this award places United Hospital in the top 2 percent of approximately 5,500 hospitals in the nation.

This distinction is awarded because of the Thomson Reuters’ annual study that examines changing performance levels in U.S. hospitals and objectively identifies hospitals based on their overall performance.

“It is extremely gratifying to be recognized for our ongoing commitment to excellent quality, safety and patient satisfaction. To be named one of the top 100 hospitals in the nation reaffirms our mission and vision to improve the health of the community and be a leader for health,” said Tina Freese-Decker, President, Spectrum Health United Hospital.

“This award is the result of the dedication and teamwork of our medical staff and employees. Their commitment to excellence and compassion shines for every patient, every day.”

The Thomson Reuters study evaluates performance in 10 areas: mortality, medical complications, patient safety, average length of stay, expenses, profitability, patient satisfaction, adherence to clinical standards of care, and post-discharge mortality and readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and pneumonia. The study has been conducted annually since 1993.

To conduct the 100 Top Hospitals study, Thomson Reuters researchers evaluated 2,914 short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals. They used public information – Medicare cost reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, and core measures and patient satisfaction data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare website. Hospitals do not apply, and winners do not pay to market this honor.

If all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as those treated in the award-winning facilities:

• More than 186,000 additional lives could be saved.

• Approximately 56,000 additional patients could be complication free.

• More than $4.3 billion could be saved.

• The average patient stay would decrease by nearly half a day.

For more information, visit www.100tophospitals.com.

Women’s conference

LAWood Consulting will hold a conference, in Greenville, for professional women, on Wednesday, April 25, called “Sharpen your skills.” Leslie Anne Wood, (doing business as LA Wood) is a certified business solutions professional, and holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Communication from Western Michigan University.

The conference will help women sharpen their skills for the business environment, and be the best they can be. Subjects on the agenda include the magic of motivation, seeing through the customer’s eyes, finding your fashion personality, being the right person to hire, and more.

The conference will be from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with registration at 8:30 a.m. Cost is $75. The conference will be held at M-TEC, 1325 Yellow Jacket Drive, Greenville, MI 48838. Questions? Call Leslie at 989-287-0167 (cell), or 616-754-8412 (home). Or email her at leslie@lawood.net.

When tax season is in full swing, the Internal Revenue Service receives millions of calls and thousands of taxpayer visits daily. For faster service, avoid peak times like Monday and Friday mornings when wait times are usually longest. Better yet, get the help you need online 24/7 without delay at IRS.gov.

The IRS website has a wealth of information, including hundreds of publications and guides on almost any tax-related topic. The instructions for a particular form can often provide the answers you need. The Interactive Tax Assistant can also help. It’s a tax law resource that asks a series of questions and provides you with responses to common tax law questions.

Many taxpayers call the IRS’s main help line when they could easily help themselves at www.irs.gov or get services more directly from automated or specialized phone lines.

• Check on your refund Use the “Where’s My Refund?” tool at www.irs.gov or the automated system at 1-800-829-1954. IRS Phone representatives don’t have any additional information beyond what these tools provide.

• Get forms and publications If all you need is forms or publications, download and print them at www.irs.gov or call 1-800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676) to have them mailed, for free, to your home.

• Get previous years’ tax info You can order a transcript of your account at www.irs.gov.

• Payment plans If you can’t pay the tax you owe, you can apply for an installment agreement using the Online Payment Agreement application, or you can print the Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request from www.irs.gov, then complete and mail it.

• Business taxpayers Taxpayers with small business-related questions should call 1-800-829-4933.

• Understanding a notice If you received a notice, call the number on your notice, not the main help line, to reach the IRS staff trained to help with that issue.

• Specialized reasons If you’re calling for a very specific reason, there may be a direct phone number you should call instead of the main IRS help line. Visit the “Contact IRS” link at www.irs.gov to get more information on contacting the IRS about reporting identity theft or fraud, reaching the Taxpayer Advocate Service, voluntarily disclosing offshore accounts, information on the Health Coverage Tax Credit, or if you’re calling from outside the United States.

Some taxpayers prefer face-to-face tax help. The IRS sponsors Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly sites in local communities. To find the closest site, search “VITA” on www.irs.gov or call 1-800-906-9887. Call 1-888-227-7669 to find TCE sites through AARP, an IRS partner. The IRS also has Taxpayer Assistance Centers located throughout the country. To find IRS offices, use the locator tool found through “Contact Your Local IRS Office” on www.irs.gov. Be sure to check office hours and services offered before visiting your local IRS office.

There may be some circumstances when you need to call the IRS main taxpayer assistance line, which is 1-800-829-1040. Here are a couple of tips on when to call:

• Call if you have questions about your tax account such as a high dollar balance due or the balance due on your installment agreement.

• Call the IRS if you can’t figure out how or if certain tax laws apply to your situation. IRS representatives can discus your individual circumstances and help you understand your tax obligations or benefits.

If you cannot pay the full amount of taxes you owe, don’t panic. You should still file your return and pay as much as you can by the April 17 deadline to avoid penalties and interest. You should also contact the IRS to ask about payment options. Here are three alternative payment options you may want to consider and a tip on penalty relief under the IRS Fresh Start Initiative:

1. Pay by credit or debit card You can use all major cards (American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa) to pay your federal taxes. For information on paying your taxes electronically, including by credit or debit card, go to www.irs.gov/e-pay or see the list of service providers below. There is no IRS fee for credit or debit card payments. If you are paying by credit card, the service providers charge a convenience fee based on the amount you are paying. If you are paying by debit card, the service providers charge a flat fee of $3.89 to $3.95. Do not add the convenience fee or flat fee to your tax payment.

The processing companies are:

WorldPay US, Inc.: To pay by credit or debit card: 888-9PAY-TAX (888-972-9829), www.payUSAtax.com

Official Payments Corporation: To pay by credit or debit card: 888-UPAY-TAX (888-872-9829), www.officialpayments.com/fed

Link2Gov Corporation: To pay by credit or debit card: 888-PAY-1040 (888-729-1040), www.pay1040.com

2. Additional time to pay Based on your circumstances, you may be granted a short additional time to pay your tax in full. A brief additional amount of time to pay can be requested through the Online Payment Agreement application at www.IRS.gov or by calling 800-829-1040. Taxpayers who request and are granted an additional 60 to 120 days to pay the tax in full generally will pay less in penalties and interest than if the debt were repaid through an installment agreement over a greater period of time. There is no fee for this short extension of time to pay.

3. Penalty relief To assist those most in need, a six-month grace period on the late-payment penalty is available to certain wage earners and self-employed individuals. An approved request for a six-month extension of time to pay will result in relief from the late-payment penalty for tax year 2011 if:

your income is within certain limits and other conditions are met;

your request is received by April 17, 2012; and

your 2011 tax, interest and any other penalties are paid in full by Oct. 15, 2012.

To find out if you are eligible and to apply for the extension and penalty relief, complete and mail Form 1127-A, Application for Extension of Time for Payment of Income Tax for 2011 Due to Undue Hardship.

4. Installment agreement You can apply for an IRS installment agreement using the Online Payment Agreement (OPA) application on IRS.gov. This web-based application allows taxpayers who owe $50,000 or less in combined tax, penalties and interest to self-qualify, apply for, and receive immediate notification of approval. You can also request an installment agreement before your current tax liabilities are actually assessed by using OPA. The OPA option provides you with a simple and convenient way to establish an installment agreement, eliminates the need for personal interaction with IRS and reduces paper processing. You may also complete and submit a Form 9465, or Form 9465-FS, Installment Agreement Request, make your request in writing, or call 800-829-1040. For balances of more than $50,000, you are required to complete a financial statement to determine the monthly payment amount for an installment plan. You may be able to avoid the filing of a notice of federal tax lien by setting up a direct debit installment payment plan. For more complete information see Tax Topic 202, Tax Payment Options and the Fresh Start page on www.IRS.gov.

For more information about filing and paying your taxes, visit www.IRS.gov and choose 1040 Central or refer to the Form 1040 Instructions or IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax. You can download forms and publications at www.irs.gov or request a free copy by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

You may be an injured spouse if you file a joint tax return and all or part of your portion of a refund was, or is expected to be, applied to your spouse’s legally enforceable past due financial obligations.

Here are seven facts about claiming injured spouse relief:

1. To be considered an injured spouse; you must have paid federal income tax or claimed a refundable tax credit, such as the Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit on the joint return, and not be legally obligated to pay the past-due debt.

2. Special rules apply in community property states. For more information about the factors used to determine whether you are subject to community property laws, see IRS Publication 555, Community Property.

3. If you filed a joint return and you’re not responsible for the debt, but you are entitled to a portion of the refund, you may request your portion of the refund by filing Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation.

4. You may file form 8379 along with your original tax return or your may file it by itself after you receive an IRS notice about the offset.

5. You can file Form 8379 electronically. If you file a paper tax return you can include Form 8379 with your return, write “INJURED SPOUSE” at the top left of the Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ. IRS will process your allocation request before an offset occurs.

6. If you are filing Form 8379 by itself, it must show both spouses’ Social Security numbers in the same order as they appeared on your income tax return. You, the “injured” spouse, must sign the form.

7. Do not use Form 8379 if you are claiming innocent spouse relief. Instead, file Form 8857, Request for Innocent Spouse Relief. This relief from a joint liability applies only in certain limited circumstances. However, in 2011 the IRS eliminated the two-year time limit that applies to certain relief requests. IRS Publication 971, Innocent Spouse Relief, explains who may qualify, and how to request this relief.

For complete information on Injured and Innocent Spouse Tax Relief, visit IRS.gov.