Latest news with #Turek
Vancouver Sun
15-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Ottawa Senators bolster Belleville front office, add former NHLer Sam Gagner
The changes continued off the ice for the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. Steve Staios, the club's president of hockey operations and general manager, continued to put his stamp on the Senators by naming former Ontario Hockey League executive Matt Turek as the GM of the club's American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville. The Senators also started to rebuild their player development department by naming former NHL forward Sam Gagner as the director. Staios is heading into his second full season as the club's GM after the Senators made the post-season for the first time in eight years this spring. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Turek, who was Staios' box during the playoffs, will take on the role left vacant by the departure of associate GM Ryan Bowness from the club last week. As Postmedia reported 10 days ago, the two sides mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the season, and mentioned then that Turek was a name to watch. Turek was hired by Staios when he ran the Brantford Bulldogs franchise owned by Senators owner Michael Andlauer. Andlauer sold the franchise to Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman and his family, but the Bulldogs announced last month that the club wasn't able to get a deal done with Turek. He played a role on Staios' staff when the Bulldogs won the 2021-22 J. Ross Robertson Cup as the OHL champions. Andlauer has stated publicly that the organization needs to spend more time working on the market in Belleville. Turek also worked as an OHL scout for the Montreal Canadiens. Bowness had split his duties between work with Belleville and Ottawa. 'Matt has managed a successful Ontario Hockey League team, and he has gained critical management skills and experience at that level,' Staios said. 'In addition to his experience, Matt will bring passion and leadership to our organization.' What the decision will mean for the future of Belleville head coach David Bell remains to be seen. He has one year left on his deal, and Turek will likely have the green light to make whatever changes he feels are necessary. By all accounts, Bell has done a standout job in Belleville, especially with the injuries in Ottawa which left the AHL team with little depth. Belleville missed the AHL playoffs this spring. Gagner, 35, is an interesting hire and has a lot of work ahead of him. He wrapped up his National Hockey League career after suiting up for nearly 17 seasons with Edmonton, Arizona, Philadelphia, Columbus, Vancouver, Detroit and Winnipeg. Gagner was selected No. 7 overall by the Oilers in the 2007 NHL draft. Gagner signed a professional tryout agreement as an unrestricted free agent last season with Belleville and suited up for 19 games. He finished with no goals and 10 assists in that stretch. 'Sam had an incredible career as a player, and we look forward to launching his next chapter,' Staios said. 'A true character individual, Sam has contributed to the success of his organizations, both on and off the ice.' The Senators need to bolster their player development after former Ottawa forward Jesse Winchester left the organization before the start of last season and Wade Redden only was used in a limited role. Shean Donovan was the club's director of player development, but he is no longer in that position and mainly skated injured players when the club was on the road. League executives say having a strong player development department is paramount because you need someone to keep in regular touch with the prospects and make sure they're making the proper steps in their careers. 'It's crucial because these guys establish a relationship with the players, and it gives the players someone to call,' a league executive said on Thursday. 'These guys can give the kids feedback.' bgarrioch@
Calgary Herald
15-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Ottawa Senators bolster Belleville front office, add former NHLer Sam Gagner
Article content Article content Steve Staios, the club's president of hockey operations and general manager, continued to put his stamp on the Senators by naming former Ontario Hockey League executive Matt Turek as the GM of the club's American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville. Article content Article content Turek, who was Staios' box during the playoffs, will take on the role left vacant by the departure of associate GM Ryan Bowness from the club last week. Article content As Postmedia reported 10 days ago, the two sides mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the season, and mentioned then that Turek was a name to watch. Article content Turek was hired by Staios when he ran the Brantford Bulldogs franchise owned by Senators owner Michael Andlauer. Article content Andlauer sold the franchise to Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman and his family, but the Bulldogs announced last month that the club wasn't able to get a deal done with Turek. He played a role on Staios' staff when the Bulldogs won the 2021-22 J. Ross Robertson Cup as the OHL champions. Article content Andlauer has stated publicly that the organization needs to spend more time working on the market in Belleville. Turek also worked as an OHL scout for the Montreal Canadiens. Bowness had split his duties between work with Belleville and Ottawa. Article content Article content 'Matt has managed a successful Ontario Hockey League team, and he has gained critical management skills and experience at that level,' Staios said. 'In addition to his experience, Matt will bring passion and leadership to our organization.' Article content Article content What the decision will mean for the future of Belleville head coach David Bell remains to be seen. He has one year left on his deal, and Turek will likely have the green light to make whatever changes he feels are necessary. Article content By all accounts, Bell has done a standout job in Belleville, especially with the injuries in Ottawa which left the AHL team with little depth. Belleville missed the AHL playoffs this spring. Article content Gagner, 35, is an interesting hire and has a lot of work ahead of him. Article content He wrapped up his National Hockey League career after suiting up for nearly 17 seasons with Edmonton, Arizona, Philadelphia, Columbus, Vancouver, Detroit and Winnipeg. Gagner was selected No. 7 overall by the Oilers in the 2007 NHL draft.
Ottawa Citizen
15-05-2025
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Senators bolster Belleville front office, add former NHLer Sam Gagner
Article content Article content Steve Staios, the club's president of hockey operations and general manager, continued to put his stamp on the Senators by naming former Ontario Hockey League executive Matt Turek as the GM of the club's American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville. Article content Article content Turek, who was Staios' box during the playoffs, will take on the role left vacant by the departure of associate GM Ryan Bowness from the club last week. Article content Article content As Postmedia reported 10 days ago, the two sides mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the season, and mentioned then that Turek was a name to watch. Article content Turek was hired by Staios when he ran the Brantford Bulldogs franchise owned by Senators owner Michael Andlauer. Article content Andlauer sold the franchise to Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman and his family, but the Bulldogs announced last month that the club wasn't able to get a deal done with Turek. He played a role on Staios' staff when the Bulldogs won the 2021-22 J. Ross Robertson Cup as the OHL champions. Article content Andlauer has stated publicly that the organization needs to spend more time working on the market in Belleville. Turek also worked as an OHL scout for the Montreal Canadiens. Bowness had split his duties between work with Belleville and Ottawa. Article content Article content 'Matt has managed a successful Ontario Hockey League team, and he has gained critical management skills and experience at that level,' Staios said. 'In addition to his experience, Matt will bring passion and leadership to our organization.' Article content Article content What the decision will mean for the future of Belleville head coach David Bell remains to be seen. He has one year left on his deal, and Turek will likely have the green light to make whatever changes he feels are necessary. Article content By all accounts, Bell has done a standout job in Belleville, especially with the injuries in Ottawa which left the AHL team with little depth. Belleville missed the AHL playoffs this spring. Article content Gagner, 35, is an interesting hire and has a lot of work ahead of him. Article content He wrapped up his National Hockey League career after suiting up for nearly 17 seasons with Edmonton, Arizona, Philadelphia, Columbus, Vancouver, Detroit and Winnipeg. Gagner was selected No. 7 overall by the Oilers in the 2007 NHL draft.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill expanding cancer coverage for firefighters, EMS goes to governor's desk
Legislation is headed to the governor's desk that would expand disability and death benefits for first responders from the current 14 cancers covered to all types of cancer. (Photo courtesy of the Des Moines Fire Department) Iowa House lawmakers unanimously passed a bill expanding cancer coverage for emergency responders in Iowa, sending it to the governor. House File 969 expands disability and death benefits for firefighters, emergency medical services responders and law enforcement officers from the current 14 cancers covered to all types of cancer. The bill also proposes changes to contribution rates for the Peace Officers' Retirement, Accident, and Disability System (PORS), the Municipal Fire and Police Retirement System of Iowa (411 System) and the Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS) — the retirement programs for these public workers — in part to finance this expanded coverage. Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, celebrated the bill making it to Gov. Kim Reynolds after failing to advance in the Senate in previous sessions. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Finally, after six subcommittees, six committee votes, and what will be our fourth and hopefully final floor vote, we are finally going to get this bill for cancer coverage, screening for first responders down to the governor's desk,' Kaufmann said. The bill passed the Senate earlier in April with an amendment making minor changes to contribution rates, and only one 'no' vote, from Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig. The final House vote was greeted with a standing ovation from lawmakers and supporters of the legislation in the gallery. Kaufmann thanked Sen. Scott Webster, R-Bettendorf, for leading the bill in the other chamber. 'I think it's important also to know that we, as a House body, can pass this bill as many times as we want, but without a senator being willing to take up and run with it, it wasn't going to happen,' he said. 'And so I would be remiss if I did not thank Senator Scott Webster, who took this bill on, didn't take no for an answer and got this back to us.' He also thanked Rep. Josh Turek, D-Council Bluffs, for his work to pass the bipartisan measure. Turek spoke in support of the measure, saying this expansion of coverage will help the state better care for its workers responding to emergencies throughout the state. 'This is what we are here to do, is to take care of our citizens, protect our citizens, and particularly our heroes,' Turek said. Some supporters, including firefighters, law enforcement officers and their families, sat in the gallery as the House passed the measure. Turek said he was 'grateful that this is the last time you have to come back.' Kaufmann also thanked emergency responders for their efforts to move the bill forward. 'For the folks that are up in the gallery — each and every day, at any given moment, you lay down your lives or are willing to, for all of us,' Kaufmann said. 'This is the least we can do, is finally get this across the finish line.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
CBS News
25-03-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Many people with disabilities risk losing their medicaid if they work too much
PLEASANTVILLE, Iowa — Zach Mecham has heard politicians demand that Medicaid recipients work or lose their benefits. He also has run into a jumble of Medicaid rules that effectively prevent many people with disabilities from holding full-time jobs. "Which is it? Do you want us to work or not?" he said. Mecham, 31, relies on the public insurance program to pay for services that help him live on his own despite a disability caused by muscular dystrophy. He uses a wheelchair to get around and a portable ventilator to breathe. A paid assistant stays with Mecham at night. Then a home health aide comes in the morning to help him get out of bed, go to the bathroom, shower, and get dressed for work at his online marketing business. Without the assistance, he would have to shutter his company and move into a nursing home, he said. Private health insurance plans generally do not cover such support services, so he relies on Medicaid, which is jointly financed by federal and state governments and covers millions of Americans who have low incomes or disabilities. Like most other states, Iowa has a Medicaid "buy-in program," which allows people with disabilities to join Medicaid even if their incomes are a bit higher than would typically be permitted. About two-thirds of such programs charge premiums, and most have caps on how much money participants can earn and save. Some states have raised or eliminated such financial caps for people with disabilities. Mecham has repeatedly traveled to the Iowa Capitol to lobby legislators to follow those states' lead. The " Work Without Worry " bill would remove income and asset caps and instead require Iowans with disabilities to pay 6% of their incomes as premiums to remain in Medicaid. Those fees would be waived if participants pay premiums for employer-based health insurance, which would help cover standard medical care. Disability rights advocates say income and asset caps for Medicaid buy-in programs can prevent participants from working full time or accepting promotions. "It's a trap — a poverty trap," said Stephen Lieberman, a policy director for the United Spinal Association, which supports the changes . Lawmakers in Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, and New Jersey have introduced bills to address the issue this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Several other states have raised or eliminated their program's income and asset caps. Iowa's proposal is modeled on a Tennessee law passed last year, said Josh Turek , a Democratic state representative from Council Bluffs. Turek, who is promoting the Iowa bill, uses a wheelchair and earned two gold medals as a member of the U.S. Paralympics basketball team. Proponents say allowing people with disabilities to earn more money and still qualify for Medicaid would help ease persistent worker shortages, including in rural areas where the working-age population is shrinking. Turek believes now is a good time to seek expanded employment rights for people with disabilities, since Republicans who control the state and federal governments have been touting the value of holding a job. "That's the trumpet I've been blowing," he said with a smile. The Iowa Legislature has been moving to require many nondisabled Medicaid recipients to work or to document why they can't. Opponents say most Medicaid recipients who can work already do so, and the critics say work requirements add red tape that is expensive to administer and could lead Medicaid recipients to lose their coverage over paperwork issues. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has made Medicaid work requirements a priority this year. "If you can work, you should. It's common sense and good policy," the Republican governor told legislators in January in her " Condition of the State Address ." "Getting back to work can be a lifeline to stability and self-sufficiency." Her office did not respond to KFF Health News' queries about whether Reynolds supports eliminating income and asset caps for Iowa's buy-in program, known as Medicaid for Employed People with Disabilities. National disability rights activists say income and asset caps on Medicaid buy-in programs discourage couples from marrying or even pressure them to split up if one or both partners have disabilities. That's because in many states a spouse's income and assets are counted when determining eligibility. In Iowa, for example, the monthly net income cap is $3,138 for a single person and $4,259 for a couple. Iowa's current asset cap for a single person in the Medicaid buy-in plan is $12,000. For a couple, that cap rises only to $13,000. Countable assets include investments, bank accounts, and other things that could be easily converted to cash, but not a primary home, vehicle, or household furnishings. "You have couples who have been married for decades who have to go through what we call a 'Medicaid divorce,' just to get access to these supports and services that cannot be covered in any other way," said Maria Town, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities. Town said some states, including Massachusetts, have removed income caps for people with disabilities who want to join Medicaid. She said the cost of adding such people to the program is at least partially offset by the premiums they pay for coverage and the increased taxes they contribute because they are allowed to work more hours. "I don't think it has to be expensive" for the state and federal governments, she said. Congress has considered a similar proposal to allow people with disabilities to work more hours without losing their Social Security disability benefits, but that bill has not advanced. Although most states have Medicaid buy-in programs, enrollment is relatively low, said Alice Burns, a Medicaid analyst at KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. Fewer than 200,000 people nationwide are covered under the options, Burns said. "Awareness of these programs is really limited," she said, and the income limits and paperwork can dissuade potential participants. In states that charge premiums for Medicaid buy-in programs, monthly fees can range from $10 to 10% of a person's income, according to a KFF analysis of 2022 data. The Iowa proposal to remove income and asset caps has drawn bipartisan backing from legislators, including a 20-0 vote of approval from the House Health and Human Services Committee. "This aligns with things both parties are aiming to do," said state Rep. Carter Nordman, a Republican who chaired a subcommittee meeting on the bill. Nordman said he supports the idea but wants to see an official estimate of how much it would cost the state to let more people with disabilities participate in the Medicaid buy-in program. Mecham, the citizen activist lobbying for the Iowa bill, said he hopes it allows him to expand his online marketing and graphic design business, " Zach of All Trades ." On a recent morning, health aide Courtnie Imler visited Mecham's modest house in Pleasantville, a town of about 1,700 people in an agricultural region of central Iowa. Imler chatted with Mecham while she used a hoist to lift him out of his wheelchair and onto the toilet. Then she cleaned him up, brushed his hair, and helped him put on jeans and a John Deere T-shirt. She poured him a cup of coffee and put a straw in it so he could drink it on his own, swept the kitchen floor, and wiped the counters. After about an hour, she said goodbye. After getting cleaned up and dressed, Mecham rolled his motorized wheelchair over to his plain wooden desk, fired up his computer, and began working on a social media video for a client promoting a book. He scrolled back and forth through footage of an interview she'd done, so he could pick the best clip to post online. He also shoots video, takes photos, and writes advertising copy. Mecham loves feeling productive, and he figures he could work at least twice as many hours if not for the risk of losing Medicaid coverage. He said he's allowed to make a bit more money than Iowa Medicaid's standard limit because he signed up for a federal option under which he eventually expects to work his way off Social Security disability payments. There are several such options for people with disabilities, but they all involve complicated paperwork and frequent reports, he said. "This is such a convoluted system that I have to navigate to build any kind of life for myself," he said. Many people with disabilities are intimidated by the rules, so they don't apply, he said. "If you get it wrong, you lose the health care your life depends on." KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF . Subscribe to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing. This article first appeared on KFF Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
