Wrong Medicine Killed Husband, Woman Claims In Lawsuit

Accreditation

By M. PAUL JACKSON michaelj@leader.net
 Saturday, January 06, 2001 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





NANTICOKE - About 100 employees from the Kanjorski Center in Nanticoke are
being bused 90 miles into New York state to work because electrical problems
have forced officials to close the building. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The company hopes to solve the problem by early next week, said Linda
Soltis, a spokeswoman for HealthNow, the Medicare-claims company located in
the building. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The employees have been bused north to another company facility in
Binghamton every day since Dec. 29, Soltis said. The building has been closed
since Dec. 21, she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 According to Soltis, workers began receiving electrical jolts through the
company's phone system late last month. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The shocks through the phone system increased, prompting the company to
close the building for repairs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``We did not want employees back in there until we determined what the
problems are,'' she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The company hopes to have the building open within days, pending an
evaluation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 HealthNow has hired outside investigators and is working with Mitel, its
phone carrier, to solve the problem, she said. She could not say what exactly
caused the electrical surges, but said the building had some grounding wire
problems. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``It's an electrical anomaly,'' she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 No employees were hurt by the shocks, she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 HealthNow, based in Binghamton and Buffalo, processes medical equipment
claims for patients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The company, a division of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Western New York, took
over the work of the United Health Group in June after United announced it
would no longer perform the work. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At the time of United's withdrawal, 300 employees were left without jobs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 About 275 people are now employed at the center. Soltis said the workers
not being bused to Binghamton were given leave but are still being paid. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The 90-mile trip north takes just under two hours, according to Soltis. The
bus leaves Nanticoke about 7:30 a.m. and leaves Binghamton at 4 p.m, according
to HealthNow officials. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The building's closure has not upset U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski Jr., who was
responsible for construction of the building named after him. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, said the electrical problems would not jeopardize
the company's contract with Medicare in the future. ``I think the company is
doing the responsible thing. It's something that we just have to recognize can
happen in this day and age.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The $8 million center, built in 1993, was funded with public money. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 M. Paul Jackson, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7134. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Nanticoke Workers Being Bused To New York 
Electrical Problem Has Forced About 100 Workers Of A Claims Office To Travel
To Binghamton Daily To Do Their Jobs.

Nanticoke Workers Being Bused To New York Electrical Problem Has Forced About 100 Workers Of A Claims Office To Travel To Binghamton Daily To Do Their Jobs.