Dr.

Tuesday, November 30, 1999

Dr. Dan and Cheri Bentley, pharmacists of Bentley Rxpress Pharmacy in Ironton, recently attended the osteoporosis care certificate program in Las Vegas, Nev., during the National Community Pharmacists Association’s annual convention and trade exposition.

The two-day educational program was underwritten by a grant from Merck and Co., and it was accredited by the National Institute for Pharmacist Care Outcomes.

Among the topics addressed during the osteoporosis program were review of pathophysiology/diagnosis and clinical presentation of osteoporosis, prevention and management of osteoporosis, therapeutic considerations and patient care issues in osteoporosis, legal aspects of pharmacy-based bone marrow density testing and osteoporosis services and pharmacy-based bone mass density testing devices.

Pharmacists who earn the osteoporosis care certificate may apply it towards Pharmacist Care Diplomate status, a nationally accepted ranking in disease management.

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First Federal Financial Bancorp’s board recently declared a quarterly dividend on the common stock of 7 cents per share payable Dec. 27 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Dec. 13.

The company is a savings and loan holding company which owns all the capital stock of First Federal Savings Bank of Ironton, a federally chartered savings bank which conducts business from its main office in Ironton and a branch in Proctorville.

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Samuels Jewelers of Austin, Texas, has acquired C&H Rauch Jewelers. The acquisition makes it the seventh largest jewelry chain in the nation.

The 40-store C&H Rauch Jewelers acquisition will bring the Samuels store total to 183 stores in 25 states.

Immediate plans include a company-wide retirement sale to clear merchandise purchased by Rauch’s previous owner and to make room for all new Samuels’ merchandise.

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Ownership of the Mayo Mansion, 1516 Bath Ave., Ashland, Ky., has been transferred by Robert Moyer Jr., former chairman and chief executive officer of RAM Technologies, to King’s Daughters Medical Center. The 16,000 sq. ft., three-story facility had been owned by Moyer since 1995.

"Restoration of the Mayo Mansion to its original beauty has been a project near and dear to my heart," Moyer said. "I now entrust the mansion to an organization that continues to prove its value to the community and view this arrangement as an excellent fit."

The mansion was built one year after the original KDMC permanent building was constructed in 1916 on Lexington Avenue. The Mayo Mansion will be used for staff offices, with plans on the drawing board to locate the marketing/public relations and community services departments in the building as well as the King’s Daughters Health Foundation.

"The master plan is for clinical and patient-focused departments to remain and grow on campus and to move some non-clinical functions offsite," said Fred Jackson, KDMC CEO.

The Mayo Mansion was built by Mary Alice Fetter the widow of Paintsville coal baron, John Mayo. The mansion, valued at $6.1 million, is constructed of regional gray quarried stone and is classified as a simple Italian villa. It was designed in the French beaux arts style by Richard Bates of Huntington, W.Va.

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Intermet Corp. has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Ganton Technologies Inc., and Diversified Diemakers Inc. Intermet is the parent company of Intermet-Ironton Iron.

Ganton Technologies is a Wisconsin-based supplier of die-cast aluminum components to the automotive industry. Diversified Diemakers is headquartered in Missouri and manufactures magnesium die-cast automotive components. Together, they employ 2,000 people and are expected to have sales of $235 million in 1999.

Intermet Corp. is headquartered in Troy, Mich.

Jennifer Allen is publisher of The Ironton Tribune.