UGA blog finds new home
Morning all. As I’ve said a couple of times this week, we’re converting this blog over to a WordPress platform and it will be a permanent move the first of next week.
Those of you who are regulars probably know that I’m not what you’d call techno-wizard when it comes to these things. But from what I understand the technology offered in this new format should make the blogging and commenting experience better for all. Of course, I’ll be learning as we go along, too. But I’m hoping to provide more pictures and video and things like that which should bring the blog more to life.
Of course, this blog is nothing without all you guys so I want to heartily invite (read: beg) you to come over to the new site by CLICKING HERE ON THE NEW ADDRESS and save it in your browsers. As of Monday, Feb. 23rd, this will be the permanent home of the UGA blog you so love or, in the case of some of you, love to loathe. If you’d prefer to copy and paste or just memorize, the new address is: http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/.
See at the new place!
AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2007 > June > 25
Monday, June 25, 2007
Privacy and the right to know
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s times like these that you really don’t like being a reporter. I’m referring to yesterday’s horrible accident that involved Drew Landers, the son of Georgia women’s basketball coach Andy Landers. Drew was injured and had to be life-flighted to Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital and one of his coaches at North Oconee High was killed in a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer in Oxford, Ala. Sunday evening.
I was informed of the accident early this morning and was asked to file a report for the newspaper. Of course, that involves calling people that would probably prefer not be bothered at the moment. I called Coach Landers a few times on his cell phone and finally got his wife Pam on that number a few hours ago. She said they were “doing as well as could be expected under the cirsumstances” but didn’t care to comment any further about Drew’s condition. She said would ask Andy to call me but wasn’t sure whether he would. I still haven’t heard from him but, by all indications, it appears the young Landers is going to be OK.
Here’s why it’s important I speak with Coach Landers: Nowadays you must talk directly to an individual or a parent about a medical situation because of a federal privacy rule known as HIPAA (pronounced “HIP-puh”). An acronym for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the law was enacted in 1996 and required that medical agencies and caregivers share medical information only with direct family members and/or people or insurance agencies they specify.
As sports reporters, we run into this rule all the time, especially during football season, when we’re trying to determine what sort of injury a player may have suffered. The more major the injury, the more difficult it can be to get the information. In the meantime, while we respect the law and abide by it, we do everything we can to acquire the information because you, our loyal readers, expect it if not demand it. Anyway, I’m not complaining. Just trying to give you guys some insight into some of the hoops we have to jump through to bring you the news.
Meanwhile, here’s some information to file away:
The UGA Kickoff 2007, an annual preseason football celebration hosted by former Georgia football players Jon and Matt Stinchcomb, is set for July 6-7. There’s a golf tournament on the 6th, an auction that night, then the main event is Saturday at 3 p.m. at the UGA practice fields. Former and current players will be on hand for autographs and such and there’s interactive games for the kids. For information, go to www.ugakickoff.com.
There’s a guy named Jake Ivey who, along with some friends, have come up with the concept of “The Fulmer Cup.” The Fulmer Cup goes to the football team that records the most arrests between last year’s bowl games and the first game of this season. At the moment, they have Georgia leading, though I’m not sure their accounting is accurate. Go to http://www.secfanatics.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=25122 and see what you think.
Carter Strickland and I have a lot of stories planned this week so stay tuned.
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