Illinois Business Journal Illinois Business Journal
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Unpredictability fuels continued medical liability insurance crisis
By KERRY L. SMITH

   With those who argue that "greedy" insurance companies are to blame for soaring physician malpractice insurance premiums, the Illinois Hospital Association begs to differ. Unpredictable verdicts and pre-trial settlements are driving these insurance agencies - many of them nonprofit co-ops funded by the very physicians who are insured by them.
   As senior vice-president and general counsel for the Illinois Hospital Association, Mark Deaton knows well the crisis the IHA's members face. The organization represents more than 200 hospitals and health systems statewide.
   "There are those who will tell you that this crisis has been caused [continue]

 Doctors in Southwestern Illinois are relocating
Doctors in Southwestern Illinois are relocating to other states as a result of their malpractice insurance premiums increasing by as much as 300 percent and more. Hospital and business leaders say the unpredictability of verdicts and settlements is the crux of the problem.
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Pro-labor, anti-employer 'replacement worker' law effective Jan. 1
By KERRY L. SMITH

   Several pro-labor, anti-employer laws that eased their way through passage during the Illinois Assembly's 93rd session are already hampering Illinois employers.
   Michael Walters, executive director of the Southwestern Illinois Employers' Association, said an "anti-employer" law that passed in Springfield at the session's close - one that is effective Jan. 1 and is already being challenged in the courts - is Senate Bill 90, also known as the Strikebreakers Act.
   The latest version of the law amends the Employment of Strikebreakers Act, he said. The law, which Blagojevich signed in late July, states that no person may knowingly contract with a day and temporary labor service agency to replace an employee during a strike or lockout.
   "This legislation, also known as the Replacement Act, takes away all negotiation powers for businesses. It gives all the power to the unions and none to the [continue]

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One-Stop Centers match job seekers with employers seeking workers
By VICKI BENNINGTON

job placement, training and career counseling services Bringing employers and job seekers together, One-Stop Centers are combining a number of job placement, training and career counseling services, making convenience the name of the game.
   One-Stop services for individuals include labor market information, job referrals and training.
labor market information, job referrals and training Employers are offered a number of human resources services such as recruitment and pre-screening of job applicants, job and industry growth trends and forecasts, and valuable labor market information.
   The centers also provide unemployment insurance, recruitment, [continue]

Above Left: Debbie Angleton, coordinator of One-Stop services, left, and Vicki Daggett, career specialist, discuss training options offered at the One-Stop Center in Alton. Above Right: A client uses the Alton One-Stop Center's resource lab to update her resume. One-Stop Centers offer a number of services for employers and individuals, including career counseling, Illinois Skills Match job matching system and training options.