Author: Admin

USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue talks about the upcoming Board of Regents’ Scholarship and Awards Gala set for September 12 at Trilith Studios with Chairman of Chick-fil-A Dan Cathy.

 According to a new report from Brighton Health Plan Solutions, LLC, an overwhelming 75% of employers surveyed are engaged in direct contracts as part of their health benefits strategy, and 41% of those not currently in direct contracts are likely to consider them by 2025. This trend marks a significant and surprising shift in how companies manage their healthcare benefits and underscores significant opportunities for provider organizations to meet the rising demand for direct arrangements. Available in a free, downloadable report, the survey results reveal important insights about employer perception of direct contracting amid rising healthcare costs.

With healthcare costs continuing to escalate, organizations are embracing innovative provider strategies as an alternative to traditional models offered by insurance carriers. The survey of 150 benefits leaders sheds light on the factors driving the adoption of direct provider arrangements and outlines what employers prioritize in these contracts. The findings provide actionable insights for providers looking to align their offerings with employer expectations and capitalize on the increasingly favorable market for direct to provider health plans.

 “These insights from benefits leaders highlight the growing trend of direct provider arrangements and the substantial benefits they offer employers when they choose a flexible, collaborative and competitively priced provider partner,” said Michelle Zettergren, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Brighton Health Plan Solutions.

Key Findings:

• Engagement in Direct Provider Arrangements: 75% of benefits leaders are already engaged in one or more direct provider arrangements, reflecting a robust interest in this approach.

• Cost Savings Expectations: Employers anticipate health savings between 6% to 20% with direct contracting compared to traditional health insurance plans.

• Attributes Valued in Direct Contracts: Employers identified several key attributes when considering contracts with healthcare providers; 49% and 47% of respondents, respectively, said they considered improved benefits and cost control to be the best outcomes of a direct provider relationship.

• Preferred Shared Risk and Value-Based Contracting Arrangements: The survey highlights the top shared risk or value-based contracting arrangements that employers expect with directly contracted healthcare providers.

• Opportunities for Health Systems and Providers: The findings indicate a significant potential for health systems, especially those with integrated primary care networks, and other provider organizations to develop direct contracts that meet employer demands for cost savings, quality care, and seamless implementation. Providers should focus on building strong reputations, offering a variety of specialists, and ensuring provider access in multiple locations to attract and retain employer contracts.

“By understanding and addressing the key attributes and expectations outlined in this survey in their marketing strategies and solution development, providers can better position themselves to succeed in this evolving market,” said Zettergren.

The full report offers a comprehensive analysis and practical recommendations for both employers and providers aiming to optimize direct contracting strategies.

Survey Methodology

The survey polled 150 benefits leaders across retail, services, construction, technology and other industries. Participants reported working in HR (55%), finance (31%) and operations (14%). When asked about their funding model, 64% were self-funded, 24% were considering self-funding for the future, 11% were not considering self-funding and 1% were not sure. Employer size included 1,000 to 4,999 benefit-eligible employees (58%), 5,000 to 9,999 benefit-eligible employees (23%) and 10,000 or more benefit-eligible employees (19%).

Kennesaw State University published the video game Corporation, Inc. on Friday, marking the university’s first game distributed by the KSU Game Studio.

Assistant Professor of Game Narrative Victoria Lagrange designed the game to foster empathy for marginalized communities by creating a protagonist who recently emigrated from Colombia. Users are tasked with performing the character’s work duties while also having to navigate several forms of discrimination.

“The idea is to experience what it’s like to be a recently emigrated woman who finds a job and who has a lot of pressure on them to make the right choices while experiencing discrimination,” Lagrange said. “What we’re hoping is that when people play the game, they really experience that firsthand, and then it changes the way they perceive people around them. So, maybe then they will meet someone who immigrated, and they will think about this experience that they had while playing the game.”

Corporation Inc. follows the protagonist, Maria, as she begins a new job as a hiring manager. Through daily tasks such as sorting resumes and interacting with coworkers, users can affect Maria’s story as they choose from different prompts in each situation.

The game’s story was crafted to gauge how video game narratives can affect human behavior and communities.

“The main idea is, can you play a game, experience empathy for the character, and can you change your actions in real life?” Lagrange said. “I played this game called Beyond Two Souls by Quantic Dream, where you play as a homeless person at some point in the game. Then I noticed that my perspective had changed afterwards. So, I want to see if it’s replicable, how long it is replicable for, and if there is a way to make the world better through video games.”

Lagrange operates the Game Narrative Lab within the Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences, where students played a key part in developing the back end of the game, creating the visuals, and determining the narrative.

Cole Andrews, a senior interactive design major, worked to craft the narrative, writing and editing scripts while also consulting on character development.

Andrews said he drew more on his experience reading books rather than playing video games.

“Reading stuff like Lord of the Rings and The Inheritance Cycle, which is the Eragon books, really inspired me. Harry Potter, of course,” Andrews said. “I just read these books that are 200-300 pages in a day, like, ‘This is incredible.’ Getting immersed into a world is what really interested me and allowing players to experience that same thing, where it’s the interactive experience where you’re not just reading a book, you’re affecting the story. You’re affecting these characters in a way that hopefully matters if the game was designed well.”

Corporation, Inc. recently won the annual Life. Love Game Design Challenge, a contest hosted by Jennifer Ann’s Group that showcases the power of intentional game design to foster critical thinking and nonviolent engagement among young people.

Jennifer Ann’s Group is an Atlanta-based 501(c)3 nonprofit charity founded in 2006 with a primary focus on teen dating violence prevention, created in memory of Jennifer Ann Crecente. Through its innovative Gaming Against Violence program and community outreach interventions, Jennifer Ann’s Group is addressing the root causes of violence, promoting nonviolent solutions, empowering adolescents, and supporting educators and parents. Jennifer Ann’s Group believes their cross-cutting approach to violence prevention will lead to a safer world for young people around the world.

Lagrange’s interest in the topic was spawned by examining how people identify with violent characters, specifically the main character in A Clockwork Orange, Alex, and how those characters affect people’s satisfaction with the story.

“And so that eventually led me to video games,” Lagrange said. “And the one thing that I was super interested in with video games was how you can make choices in the story that would make the story evolve in a different way, and how that would influence your relationship with the player character, the one that you embody to make the choices for.”

The Game Narrative Lab will showcase Corporation Inc. at DreamHack Atlanta in October and is currently developing a new game called AlleyCat that also aims to foster empathy.

 PNC Bank today released findings from its second annual Financial Wellness in the Workplace Report entitled, “The Evolving Needs of the Multigenerational American Workforce,” which summarizes survey data and in-depth interviews from more than 1,000 U.S. workers and more than 500 U.S. employers to better understand the financial health and wellness of today’s workforce.

Perhaps unsurprising in the current turbulent macroeconomic environment, the survey findings show that employers are continuing to feel the squeeze financially with the increased costs of benefits, worker retention and recruiting. Employers also recognize that their workforce – now spanning four generations – has increased challenges and stress about their personal finances, with 78% of U.S. employers saying their workers were financially stressed compared to 71% in 2023. The survey findings also demonstrate that worker stressors vary greatly from generation-to-generation, especially for sought-out employee benefits and personal financial goals.

Notable findings include:

• Gen Z is the most stressed about personal finances. Of surveyed U.S. workers, personal finance stress was highest with Gen Z (76%), followed by Millennials (72%) and Gen X (72%), then Boomers (59%).

• Top financial goals vary by generation. Gen Z’s top priority is strengthening their credit rating, while Millennials, Gen X and Boomers all prioritize saving for retirement.

• Benefits play a larger role in retaining Gen Z and Millennial workers. The likelihood of staying with an employer that offers more financial wellness benefits was highest among Gen Z (92%), followed by Millennials (85%), Gen X (72%) and Boomers (64%).

• Gen Z and Millennials are the most concerned about student debt. Results indicated student loan debt is difficult, with 54% of respondents saying it’s the most challenging debt to tackle.

• Gen X workers surveyed were the least likely generation to have worked with a financial planner, with the majority sharing that they do not have enough money to justify using one.

“The varying financial goals and priorities across America’s generationally diverse workforce shows how important it is to offer a mix of benefits that can appeal to a wide range of employee needs,” said Kaley Keeley Buchanan, senior vice president and head of PNC Organizational Financial Wellness. “In order to hire and retain great people across generations, which is critical to bringing diverse thinking and experience to your workforce, you must understand their needs and appeal to them. PNC’s Organizational Financial Wellness team offers businesses in-demand benefits to help meet the needs of their diverse workforces and improve productivity, performance and loyalty.”

Additional notable findings include:

• Three in 10 U.S. workers surveyed who have student loan debt say they are “at a standstill” until it is paid off. This increases to four in 10 among Gen Z workers.

• In the last year, access to financial planning benefits doubled for American workers surveyed. Notably, 28% had access to financial planning benefits in 2024 compared to 14% in 2023. One in three used a financial professional in the last three years.

• Three in five U.S. workers surveyed say they are living paycheck to paycheck. This sentiment is highest among Gen Z and Millennials.

As the needs of the talent market evolve, so should the way that businesses address them, if they want to attract and retain talent to effectively drive business performance. PNC Organizational Financial Wellness can help companies develop and implement innovative, tailored benefit programs that work well for them and for the talent they want to recruit and retain. More findings, including the complete report and related information are available at pnc.com/WorkplaceReport.

PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit http://www.pnc.com.

Methodology

The PNC Financial Wellness in the Workplace Report 2024 was conducted with employees and employers. The Employee Survey was conducted online with a national sample of 1,001 employees ages 21–69 who work full-time at companies with 100+ employees. The sampling error is +/- 3.0% at the 90% confidence level. The Employer Survey was conducted online with a national sample of 500 employers with 100+ employees and annual revenues of $5 million or more. The sampling error is +/- 4.4% at the 90% confidence level. The study was conducted by Willow Research (https://willowresearch.com/), a market research firm. Birth years are defined as: Gen Z 1997-2012, Millennial 1981-1996, Gen X 1965-1980, Boomer 1946-1964.

DISCLAIMER: This report was prepared for general information purposes only and is not intended as specific advice or recommendations. Any reliance upon this information is solely and exclusively at your own risk. NOTE: The sum of percentages may not add to the total due to rounding.

Fulton County District 5 Commissioner Marvin S. Arrington Jr. is now a member of the prestigious National Association of Counties (NACo) Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee. The Commissioner’s nomination to the committee was confirmed in early August. As a member of the Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee Arrington’s responsibilities will include having detailed knowledge of legislative and regulatory actions relevant to Fulton County.

“It is truly an honor to represent NACo and Fulton County in this capacity,” said Commissioner Arrington. “This will be an opportunity to demonstrate my pledge to not only serve the residents of District 5, but constituents across the county.”

Work of the NACo Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee is a rewarding commitment that assist in providing feedback on a legislative policy decision being made in Washington D.C. Arrington’s confirmation to the committee will also presents a great opportunity to share information to the Board of Commissioners and county colleagues. Additionally, Arrington will attend NACo’s Legislative Conference and its Annual Conference on the following dates:

• NACo 2025 Legislative Conference, March 1 – 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
• NACo 2025 Annual Conference, July 11-14, 2025, in City and County of Philadelphia, Pa.

For more Fulton County news, sign up for the weekly e-newsletter #OneFulton at https://goo.gl/Nb1L84. You can also visit Fulton County’s website at www.fultoncountyga.gov or connect with Fulton County government on Twitter at @FultonInfo or Facebook at @fultoninfo.

PROPEL communities share successes and gain insights from USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development

Rural Georgia community leaders recently gathered in Baxley to learn from each other and share their successes as part of the University of Georgia’s award-winning PROPEL rural development program.

PROPEL, or Planning Rural Opportunities for Prosperity and Economic Leadership, provides resources to rural communities to support economic and community development strategies. Working with UGA faculty, staff and students, key stakeholders identify and execute a long-term vision for their community’s economic future. The UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government, a unit of UGA Public Service and Outreach, leads the program.

The PROPEL Ramble, a professional learning event organized by the UGA Institute of Government, drew representatives from participating PROPEL communities, prospective communities and partner organizations, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Greg Wilson, the institute’s faculty member who leads PROPEL, said his team planned the event after participating communities requested more networking opportunities.

“When you’re a leader in a rural community, it can be challenging to connect with other communities, even when you’re tackling some of the same issues, like workforce development and building leadership capacity,” Wilson said. “This event is a chance for communities to learn from each other and encourage each other.”

Basil Gooden, USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development, addresses PROPEL Ramble attendees in Baxley.

USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development Basil Gooden and State Director for Georgia USDA Rural Development Reggie Taylor came to the event to see PROPEL in action and talk about the USDA support available to rural communities. The USDA has funded PROPEL with three grants since the program’s launch in 2021.

“With PROPEL, the University of Georgia is doing life-changing and vitally important work in rural communities across the state,” Gooden said. “At USDA Rural Development, we want to ensure that rural America has access to the same things metropolitan and urban areas have, whether it’s health care and housing or jobs and broadband. That’s why we’re excited to partner with UGA and PROPEL.”

As part of the Ramble, Baxley City Manager Keri Orvin led a downtown tour, sharing Baxley’s progress on revitalization projects. Since Appling County became a PROPEL community in 2022, six new businesses have opened in downtown Baxley.

“Sometimes economic development work can fall to the bottom of the barrel as you go about your day-to-day work. PROPEL coaches help you stay accountable,” Orvin said. “PROPEL has been a great tool for us to keep going and push forward. We’ve been able to accomplish some of our goals.”

The group also toured the local campus of Coastal Pines Technical College and Southern Pines College and Career Academy, where they learned about the schools’ workforce development efforts and heard from Andrea Fernando, a UGA student from Baxley.

State Director for Georgia USDA Rural Development Reggie Taylor looks on as Coastal Pines Technical College President Lonnie Roberts, left, leads a tour of college’s Baxley campus.

Fernando is pursuing a master’s degree in public health, and she spoke about how her experience as a PROPEL Rural Scholar has helped her prepare for a future medical career in her hometown. The PROPEL Rural Scholars program teams UGA students with faculty and staff to work on guided research projects in PROPEL communities.

“I learned how to advocate for rural communities by listening to their needs and supporting their goals. Working alongside rural communities with PROPEL strengthened my passion for addressing various inequities through a career in rural medicine,” Fernando said.

Tim Powers, regional president of Planters First Bank in Cordele, attended the meeting from Crisp County, which joined PROPEL in 2024. Representing a newer PROPEL community, Powers said he was inspired by the downtown tour and conversations with people from other counties with more experience in the program.

“I really liked the opportunity to walk around downtown to see the renderings and the progress they’ve made. It helped me have a better idea of what’s possible in my own community,” he said. “Plus, I made some good connections.”

PROPEL is made possible with USDA funding and additional support from the UGA Foundation. The program was awarded top honors at the 2023 University Economic Development Association (UEDA) Awards of Excellence. Learn more about PROPEL at https://cviog.uga.edu/services/georgia-workforce-and-economic-resilience-center/propel.html.

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