Saint Francis Healthcare Launches ‘Path to Health’ Campaign to Drive Community Engagement and Enrollment in Health Insurance Exchanges

Saint Francis Healthcare and its hospitals – Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis and Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett – today launched “Path to Health,” a community education and outreach initiative to raise awareness and understanding of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  “Path to Health” is designed to inform and educate the Mid-South’s uninsured population and others within the community on how the changes implemented in the healthcare law will impact them and what they need to do in order to secure affordable healthcare coverage.

“We’re excited to bring the ‘Path to Health’ campaign to the Mid-South and partner with local organizations to educate the community on what the opening of enrollment of health insurance exchanges mean for them and their families,”  said David Archer, CEO, Saint Francis Healthcare.  “We have always been committed to delivering safe, quality care in the communities we serve.  As care givers, ensuring that our community and our patients understand all of the coverage options available to them is an extension of that mission.”

The “Path to Health” campaign will work with community partners and offer educational materials and resources around navigating the insurance exchanges and the ACA.  The comprehensive campaign will break down the barriers of this complicated law, and provide user-friendly guidance and tips on what community members need to know in order to make sure they are prepared to choose the best coverage for themselves and their families.

For more information, visit www.pathtohealth.com or call Marilynn Robinson at (901) 765-1805.

About Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis

Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis is a 519-bed full service hospital located at 5959 Park Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee.  The hospital has been recognized for excellence of care by United Healthcare, CIGNA, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Aetna. Offering a wide array of medical services, Saint Francis is noted for its many Centers of Excellence, including its Center for Surgical Weight Loss, Sleep Center, Chest Pain Emergency Center, Heart & Vascular Center, Surgical Services, Diabetes Center, and Women’s Center. The Knee and Hip Replacement program and Stroke Center have received special certification by The Joint Commission.

Saint Francis Hospital serves as an academic training site for University of Tennessee Surgical, Family Practice, and Psychiatric Residents.  The hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.  To learn more about Saint Francis Hospital, visit www.saintfrancishosp.com.

About Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett

Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett is a 156-bed full service hospital located at 2986 Kate Bond Rd in Bartlett.  Opened in 2004, the hospital provides an extensive offering of medical services including a 24 hour emergency room, critical care, cardiac care, The Women’s Center, neonatal intensive care, oncology, urology, physical therapy and a 16-bed Orthopedic/Spine Unit. Cigna has recognized Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett as a Center of Excellence for knee replacement. In addition, Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett has been honored with the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines–Heart Failure Gold Plus Achievement Award.

Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis Earns “Top Performer on Key Quality Measures®”

Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis today was named Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health

Care organizations in America.  Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis was recognized by The Joint Commission for exemplary performance in using evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve care for certain conditions.  The clinical processes focus on care for heart attack, pneumonia, surgery, children’s asthma, stroke and venous thromboembolism, as well as inpatient psychiatric services.  New this year is a category for immunization for pneumonia and influenza.

Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis is one of 1,099 hospitals in the U.S. earning the distinction of Top Performer on Key Quality Measures for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance.  Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis was recognized for its achievement on the following measure sets: Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Pneumonia, Surgical Care.  The ratings are based on an aggregation of accountability measure data reported to The Joint Commission during the 2012 calendar year.  The list of Top Performer organizations increased by 77 percent from last year and it represents 33 percent of all Joint Commission-accredited hospitals reporting accountability measure performance data for 2012.

Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis and each of the hospitals that were named as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures must: 1) achieve cumulative performance of 95 percent or above across all reported accountability measures; 2) achieve performance of 95 percent or above on each and every reported accountability measure where there are at least 30 denominator cases; and 3) have at least one core measure set that has a composite rate of 95 percent or above, and within that measure set all applicable individual accountability measures have a performance rate of 95 percent or above.  A 95 percent score means a hospital provided an evidence-based practice 95 times out of 100 opportunities.  Each accountability measure represents an evidence-based practice – examples include giving aspirin at arrival for heart attack patients, giving antibiotics on hour before surgery, or providing a home management plan of care for children with asthma.

“Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis and all the Top Performer hospitals have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to quality improvement and they should be proud of their achievement,” says Mark R. Chassin, MD, FACP, MPP, MPH, president and chief executive officer, The Joint Commission.  “We have much to celebrate this year.  Nearly half of our accredited hospitals have attained or nearly attained the Top Performer distinction.  This truly shows that we are approaching a tipping point in hospital quality performance that will directly contribute to better health outcomes for patients.”

“We understand that what matters most to patients at Saint Francis Hospital–Memphis is safe, effective care.  That’s why Saint Francis has made a commitment to accreditation and to positive patient outcomes through evidence-based care processes.  Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis is proud to receive the distinction of being a Joint Commission Top Performer on Key Quality Measures,” says David Archer, CEO.

In addition to being included in today’s release of The Joint Commission’s “Improving America’s Hospitals” annual report, Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis will be recognized on The Joint Commission’s Quality Check website (www.qualitycheck.org).  The Top Performer program will be featured in the December issues of The Joint Commission Perspectives and The Source.

About Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis

Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis is a 519-bed full service hospital located at 5959 Park Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee.  The hospital has been recognized for excellence of care by United Healthcare, CIGNA, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Aetna. Offering a wide array of medical services, Saint Francis is noted for its many Centers of Excellence, including its Center for Surgical Weight Loss, Sleep Center, Chest Pain Emergency Center, Heart & Vascular Center, Surgical Services, Diabetes Center, and Women’s Center. The Knee and Hip Replacement program and Stroke Center have received special certification by The Joint Commission.

Saint Francis Hospital serves as an academic training site for University of Tennessee Surgical, Family Practice, and Psychiatric Residents.  The hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.  To learn more about Saint Francis Hospital, visit www.saintfrancishosp.com.

BlueCare, Religious Leaders Team to Tackle Health Care Disparities

Volunteers to educate minority populations on proper health care  

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases publishes annual immunization rates for children between the ages of 19 and 35 months. Only 21% of African-American children and only 11% of Hispanic children in Tennessee received their recommended immunizations last year.

That’s why BlueCare Tennessee has set a goal of partnering with more than 1,000 faith-based institutions to reduce racial, ethnic and other health disparities throughout Tennessee with its “Lifting Our Members” health information toolkit. With the campaign in its third week, BlueCare has already partnered with more than 200 houses of worship.

“The faith leader’s voice can be powerful in promoting good health,’ said Rafielle Freeman, director of quality improvement for BlueCare. “Just as they encourage and lift their members’ spiritually, they can help us take those health disparity populations to higher levels of understanding about their role in better health.”

Examples of health care disparities include:

• African-American women are 34 percent more likely to die of breast cancer than white women.
• 64,431 of BlueCare members in Shelby County did not obtain appropriate preventative care screenings.
• 74 percent of non-Hispanic whites received flu shots during the 2009-2010 flu season, while only 61 percent of Hispanics and 58 percent of non-Hispanic blacks were immunized.

In 2013, BlueCare Tennessee formed a statewide Disparities Advisory Panel made up of local leaders across Tennessee who were already working to eliminate disparities in their own communities.  Based upon the recommendation of this panel, BlueCare developed a faith-based toolkit to assist leaders of worship in addressing the health care disparities faced by their own congregations.

The “Lifting Our Members” toolkit includes a health care calendar, which focuses on important health issues each month, and a preventive health guide with flyers and information relevant to various health concerns faced by different population groups. The first phase of the initiative will target childhood immunizations among African-American, Hispanic, and rural white Tennesseans.

And to help distribute and train religious leaders in how to use the toolkits, more than 100 employee volunteers from BlueCare and its parent company, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, will hold training sessions onsite at various religious organizations throughout the state.

For more information about the “Lifting Our Members” toolkit initiative, and for the toolkit itself, visit bluecare.bcbst.com and search for faith-based toolkit.

About BlueCare Tennessee

BlueCare Tennessee is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. Founded in 1993, the Chattanooga-based company focuses on managing care and providing quality health care products, services, and information for government programs. BlueCare Tennessee currently serves more than 450,000 members.

The National Civil Rights Museum Announces the 2013 Freedom Award Honorees

The Freedom Award honors individuals who have made significant contributions in civil rights and have laid the foundation for present and future leaders in the battle for human rights

Today the National Civil Rights Museum announced that the 2013 Freedom Award will be presented to three individuals whose work spans decades and continues to speak to current education, economic and political concerns in the U.S. and globally.  The honorees are Mary Robinson, first female president of Ireland and human rights champion; Geoffrey Canada, CEO and president of Harlem Children’s Zone and a leading advocate for education reform and equality; and Earl Graves, founder and publisher of Black Enterprise Magazine, activist for black consumer and black business power.

 

Themed “Shaping a Culture; Building a Nation,” the Freedom Award is scheduled for Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, followed by the Gala Dinner at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

“In their careers, each of the honorees has been engaged in shaping a culture and ultimately defining important aspects that drove change,“ said Beverly Robertson, president of the National Civil Rights Museum. “It is particularly timely to honor and hear from Geoffrey Canada who has instituted a new model for educating inner city youth that’s being emulated nationwide.  We all could stand to listen and learn from the extraordinary lives of our honorees and the examples they have set.”

Mary Robinson, International Freedom Award honoree, is the President of the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice.  She served as President of Ireland from 1990-1997 and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997-2002. She is a member of the Elders and the Club of Madrid and the recipient of numerous honors and awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom from the President of the United States Barack Obama. She is a member of the Lead Group of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement.  In March 2013 Mary was appointed the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa.

A former President of the International Commission of Jurists and former chair of the Council of Women World Leaders she was President and founder of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative from 2002-2010 and served as Honorary President of Oxfam International from 2002-2012.

Mary Robinson serves as Patron of the Board of the Institute of Human Rights and Business in addition to being a board member of several organizations including the Mo Ibrahim Foundation and the European Climate Foundation. Mary is the Chancellor of the University of Dublin since 1998.  Mary’s memoir, Everybody Matters, was published in March 2013.

Geoffrey Canada, National Freedom Award honoree, has dedicated much of his life to community outreach with a special focus on education and providing resources to poor families. His passion for education and inner-city youth directly tie back to his own experience growing up in “rough” South Bronx, New York.

The educator and president of the Harlem Children’s Zone, a nonprofit organization that provides education and support to local children and their families, has become a “shining example for how to save America’s failing public schools.”  In the grim public education documentary “Waiting for Superman,” Canada stands out as the singular voice of hope in a film that paints the nation’s public school system as suffering and struggling.

Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone model, which is now being replicated by other communities across the country, has expanded its reach to more than 20 sites throughout Central Harlem and continues to affect the lives of more than 12,300 children and 12,400 adults.

 Earl Graves, Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, recognized early the importance of Black consumer power, as well as the need for more Black businesses. Considered by many to be the “Black Business Bible,” Graves’ Black Enterprise Magazine, has remained steadfast to its mission of educating and empowering entrepreneurship in the Black community. The business has grown immensely, and so has its reach. Now formally titled Earl G. Graves Limited, the company is now home to programs and events such as the Wealth for Life Initiative, the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit, the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo and more. Broadcast programs such as Black Enterprise Business Report and Our World with Black Enterprise also reach out to an array of Black entrepreneurs, corporate executives, investors and innovators.

Earl G. Graves’ lifetime commitment to empowering Black business and the economic of the Black community has forever changed how the community and the world perceive Black businesses. He taught us to never underestimate black consumer power, nor to underestimate the power we each have to create our own success. He leads by example and serves as a reminder of our ability not only to succeed, but also to thrive.

Sponsors of the Freedom Award include the International Paper, Nike, Hyde Family Foundations, First Tennessee Foundation, Ford Motor Company and FedEx.

Freedom Award activities on Wednesday, November 6 include the following:

10:00 a.m.            Public Forum                     Temple of Deliverance (369 G.E.Patterson)

                                  6:30 p.m.           Award Ceremony            Cannon Center for the Performing Arts

                                  8:00 p.m.           Gala Dinner                        Memphis Cook Convention Center

The Public Forum is free and open to the public.  Visit www.civilrightsmuseum.org or call

(901) 526-1813 for more information.

The Freedom Award is an annual event presented by the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis TN. Since 1991, the Freedom Award has served as a symbol of the ongoing fight for human rights both in America and worldwide. Recipients are celebrated for their tireless contributions in civil and human rights, education, the arts, sports & community service, justice and for their dedication to creating opportunity for the disenfranchised.  The Public Forum is an event focused on area youth and features remarks from Freedom Award honorees. The Keepers of the Dream award is given to six local youth who have demonstrated acts of compassion, leadership, courage and service.

 

 

 

BlueCross Rates Approved for the Health Insurance Marketplace

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee announced today its Health Insurance Marketplace rates received final approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, offering the lowest rates available in most plan levels across the state.

As a Qualified Health Plan issuer in the Health Insurance Marketplace, BlueCross will offer:

• A total of 54 plans
• The lowest rates for most plan options
• Plans in all 95 counties, not just select areas
• Zero-deductible plans

“We are focused on helping individuals access affordable, quality health insurance coverage through the Marketplace,” said Henry Smith, chief marketing officer for BlueCross. “We’ve positioned our rates to be very competitive, and we feel that, between our affordable pricing and high-value physician networks that we are the best choice for Tennesseans looking for insurance.”

For example, a 35-year-old person with a 34-year-old spouse and two children living in the Nashville area, making 250 percent of the poverty level, or about $58,875 annually, would pay $373 a month for coverage with a Silver plan on Network E. Rates vary by network, coverage selections and region. (See attachment for regional rates.)

BlueCross’ new website – BCBST.com/KnowNow – will serve as a resource to those who are shopping for insurance for the first time or have questions about new benefits and options for individual coverage. It will help guide shoppers through applying for financial assistance and selecting the right benefits for themselves and their families.

“We’re the only health plan to offer product choices statewide,” Smith said. “This is part of fulfilling our mission to serve Tennesseans with affordable coverage. We realize this is a complex process and people have a lot questions. This is just one of the ways we’re working to educate these potential customers about their options.”

Other statewide outreach and educational efforts for Marketplace plans will include:

• Multichannel advertising campaign
• Community advocate outreach
• Speaking engagements
• College displays/outreach

TDOT Awards Contract to Improve I-40/I-240 Interchange / Work to Begin in Fall 2013 and to be Completed in Summer 2017

TDOT Awards Contract to Improve I-40/I-240 Interchange / Work to Begin in Fall 2013 and to be Completed in Summer 2017

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) awarded a construction contract to Dement Construction Company, LLC to complete infrastructure improvements on the I-40/I-240 interchange in Memphis from Sycamore View to the east, White Station to the west, Walnut Grove to the south and Covington Pike to the north. The contract was awarded on Friday, September 20, 2013.

TDOTbillboard

Dement Construction, headquartered in Jackson, TN., submitted the lowest bid of $109,341,000 for bridge work and heavy construction. “This award is the largest single contract TDOT has ever bid,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer. “This is a large and complicated project, but it will provide great benefits to Memphis and the entire region. We look forward to getting the work underway and completed on time and on budget.” The project is scheduled to begin this fall and will be complete by the summer of 2017.

Continued growth on the east side of Memphis has created congestion at the I-40/I-240 interchange. The construction of new ramps and the widening of I-240 will improve traffic flow not only on I-240 and I-40, but also on local roads that feed into the interstate system. The project includes a four-level interchange, the first of its kind in West Tennessee. Once completed, the fourth level structure will rise more than 70 feet above Sam Cooper Boulevard, which will be completely rebuilt with an additional lane in each direction.

For more information on TDOT construction project activity visit the TDOT SmartWay web site at www.tn.gov/tdot/tdotsmartway/. Travelers can also dial 511 from any landline or cellular phone for travel information or can follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/TN511 for statewide travel information or www.twitter.com/Memphis511 for traffic information in the Memphis area.

Android and iPhone users can download TDOT’s SmartWay Mobile App to assist them in navigating Tennessee highways. The app provides up-to-the-minute customized traffic information and enables the user to access TDOT’s SmartWay cameras, messages displayed on overhead Dynamic Message Signs, and information on construction related lane closures and incidents on interstates and state routes. The TDOT SmartWay App is free and available for download in the Apple App Store and Play Store for Android.

As always, drivers are reminded to use all motorist information tools wisely and Know Before You Go! by checking travel conditions before leaving for their destination. Drivers should never tweet, text or talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel.

Mid-South Fair Crowns 2013 Queen, Announces Main Stage Performers

As opening day to the Mid-South Fair approaches, the excitement continues to build with events leading up to the 157th annual Fair. The Mid-South Fair hosted the Miss Mid-South Fair Pageant and Youth Personality Contest on Saturday, September 14.

Thea Wilkens-Reed, 16, was crowned Miss Mid-South Fair 2013, at Saturday’s pageant. Wilkens-Reed is a 10th grade homeschooled student whose hobbies include tap dance and theatre.
Wilkens-Reed shared her enthusiasm about winning this year’s title, “It’s an honor to be crowned Miss-Mid South Fair and be a part of a longstanding tradition in the Mid-South community.”
The Mid-South Fair also crowned Allison Marcom, 16, Miss Youth Personality 2013. Marcom is a junior at Houston High School and founder of the “I AM BEAUTIFUL pageant,” a pageant fundraiser for children with special needs.

In addition to crowning this year’s Miss Mid-South Fair winners, officials have released the Main Stage lineup which includes various Mid-South performers and nationally acclaimed musicians.
This year’s main stage performers include Two Mule Plow, Blind Mississippi Morris, Overton Rock Band, Nick Boddington, Micaelyn Oby, New Era, Shekinah, Zealous, Flight 2, Jack Rowell Jr. & Triplethret, Memphis Allstars, Navy Band Mid-South, Erek Stone & The Fabulous Steeler Band, New Era Funk, North Mississippi Allstars Los Cantodores & Friends, Tierra Mestizi Dance Company, Maggie Thorn, The Original Riverbluff Clan, Papa Don McMinn & B3GB and Kris Thomas.

All shows on the main stage are free with general admission to the Fair.
For the complete main stage lineup and schedule of appearances, visit the Mid-South Fair website at www.midsouthfair.com or call 901-274-8800.

About the Mid-South Fair
The original and still the best, the Mid-South Fair has entertained families since 1856. As a non-profit organization, we exist to create a cultural and entertainment experience that exposes people in our community to items and events they might not otherwise encounter. The Fair is governed by a board of directors, operated by a full-time staff and funded by sponsorships and donations. Since 2001, the Fair has given out $64,000 in educational scholarships for excellence in Youth Talent, Creative Arts, and Agriculture. For more information about the Mid-South Fair visit our website at www.midsouthfair.com

Memphis Based Investment Firm Prepares for 5th Year in Business

Preserver Partners Anticipates and Plan for Substantial Growth

Preserver Partners, LLC opened its doors in July 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee. Floyd Tyler, Ph.D., the company’s founder and current President and Chief Investment Officer, had a vision of a firm with experienced fund management and entrepreneurial professionals that would help investors grow their capital with relatively low risk, and it’s exactly what he has built today.

The firm is 100% employee-owned with principals with over 50 years of combined experience in fund management, research, accounting, and compliance. “Our investment approach is different and effective,” said Tyler. “We focus on low risk, diversifying investments primarily in equities, opportunistic credit, alternative income, and real estate debt and equity strategies.”

Many businesses close before their 5th year, but Preserver Partners has experienced growth and anticipates significant expansion over the next few years. “We feel good about our footprint in Memphis and are looking forward to developing opportunities across Tennessee and other markets,” said Dana Pointer, Controller and Chief Compliance Officer.
Preserver Partners has consistently ranked in the Top 10 of the Diversified Category for Fund of Funds by BarclayHedge. It is the first and only African-American-owned alternative asset management firm in Tennessee.

About Preserver Partners
Preserver Partners, LLC is based in Memphis, Tennessee and is an alternative asset management firm that manages private funds for accredited investors including public and corporate pension funds, foundations, corporations, and individual investors.
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NINE NEW SCHOOLS ELIGIBLE TO JOIN ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IN 2014

Today the Achievement School District (ASD) announced a list of nine new Memphis area schools eligible to join the ASD next school year, asking parents, teachers and community members to participate in a “school matching” process that will last from now until December. Eight of the nine schools announced will join the ASD next school year. All of the elementary and middle schools on the list will join the ASD, and two out of three of the high schools will be selected.

The eight schools will be run by local and national charters that were authorized by the ASD in June after a rigorous application process. “We are excited to announce this next round of ASD schools” said Chris Barbic, ASD superintendent. “In June we authorized a world-class group of charters to run Priority schools in 2014, and now we’re going to take our time over the next few months to hear from the community and get feedback on which charters make the best match for each of these schools.”

Schools joining the ASD next year
Elementary:
• Coleman, Denver, Springhill, Westwood
Middle:
• South Side, Wooddale
High (NOTE: Only two of these three high schools will join the ASD):
• Carver, Fairley, Frayser

Why these schools were chosen
The ASD’s mission is to move the bottom 5% of schools in Tennessee—called Priority Schools— to the top 25% in five years. The ASD selects schools for the matching process based on several criteria. These include performance (the lowest achieving Priority Schools), feeder pattern (high concentrations of Priority Schools in areas where elementary, middle and high schools are clustered together), enrollment, and charter operator models and preference.

What Happens Next: Community Engagement
The ASD is asking parents, teachers, and community members to participate in a school matching process between now and December, when the Priority schools selected will be matched with charters next year. The engagement process—led by a volunteer 25-member Achievement Advisory Council (“AAC”)—will connect the charters with school communities through a series of meetings,
surveys, and visits. The AAC encourages parents, teachers and community members to contact them at aacmemphis@gmail.com.

First up is a series of community meetings next week. Parents and community members are invited to attend meetings from 5:30-7:00 at these locations next Monday and Tuesday:

Monday Tuesday
Coleman Elementary
(Springhill ES/Coleman ES)

South Side Middle

Carver High
Denver Elementary
(Denver ES/Frayser HS)

Wooddale Middle

Westwood Elementary
(Westwood ES/Fairley HS)

The ASD

The Achievement School District—a state-created school district formed as part of Tennessee’s winning Race to the Top application—is dedicated to moving the bottom 5% of schools in the state (Priority Schools) to the top 25% in five years. The ASD is both an operator of schools—running six schools in Frayser in 2013-2014—and an authorizer of high quality charter schools. There are currently 16 schools in the ASD—15 in Memphis and 1 in Nashville serving over 4,500 students in grades Pre-K through 9th.

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Mid-South Fair Announces Fair Dates, New Attractions Board Members discuss return of staple programs at the157th annual fair

The Mid-South Fair held a press conference Friday, August 16, 2013 at the Landers Center in Southaven, Miss. Mid-South Fair board president, Michael Doyle announced this year’s fair dates, new attractions and returning attractions including the Miss Mid-South Fair Pageant.

“The Fair has been a tradition in the Mid-South for 157 years. This year it will be bigger and better with the addition of several new activities,” said Doyle. New activities for the 157th Mid-South Fair include basketball and dodge ball tournaments and a Greek step show with trophies and cash prizes for the winners.

In addition to new attractions, Fair board members and staff have planned to reintroduce traditional attractions including rides, games and contests.
Mid-South Fair Executive Director, Jesse Johnson said, “We’ve listened to and incorporated feedback from previous years to create a great experience for fair-goers. A new thing we’re doing this year is having wristband days every day of the fair. We will also bring back some old favorites like the cooking contests and live animals.”
The 2013 Mid-South Fair will be held at the Landers Center (formerly The Desoto Civic Center) in Southaven, Miss. from September 20th through the 29th. For more information about this year’s fair and ticket information, visit the Mid-South Fair website at www.midsouthfair.com

About The Mid-South Fair
The original and still the best, the Mid-South Fair has entertained families since 1856. As a non-profit organization, we exist to create a cultural and entertainment experience that exposes people in our community to items and events they might not otherwise encounter. The Fair is governed by a board of directors, operated by a full-time staff and funded by sponsorships and donations. Since 2001, the Fair has given out $64,000 in educational scholarships for excellence in Youth Talent, Creative Arts, and Agriculture. For more information about the Mid-South Fair visit our website at www.midsouthfair.com