Hard Rock International announced a strategic alliance with entrepreneur Robert L. Johnson, and also said that Caribbean CAGE L.L.C., which is owned by RLJ Companies, will become an investor in the Hard Rock Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack project being proposed by SL Green Realty Corp. and Hard Rock.
The Queens, New York casino will house more than 4,500 gaming slots, a performance center, bar, retail shops, and food court. The proposal is currently under review by the State of New York. If approved, the plan is expected to generate more than $525 million in revenue for the state annually.
“This is a great opportunity to partner with Hard Rock — one of the world’s most recognized brands,†said Johnson, who co-founded Caribbean CAGE in 2004 in an effort to bring video lottery terminals to Latin America and the Caribbean. Johnson also founded RLJ Development L.L.C. (No. 8 on the BE Industrial/Service list with $605.2 million in revenue).
Fellow B.E. 100s titan, R.
Don Peebles, chief executive of Peebles Development Corp., (No. 79 on the B.E. Industrial/Service 100 list with $51.4 million in revenues), faced a setback in May as development plans for the racetrack/casino stalled when, it’s partner, Delaware North Cos. couldn’t raise the $370 million necessary to get the project started. Delaware North plans to resubmit a new bid.“Overall, there is a real excitement in the community and the city at large for our plan and there is no question that it is far superior to other bids that the state is considering,†said SL Green CEO Marc Holliday.
— Renita Burns
Cancer Disparities Impacted by Lack of Ethnic Doctors
Increasing the number of doctors from underserved and ethnic minority backgrounds who specialize in cancer will help reduce cancer disparities in those populations, oncology experts say in a new report.
The lack of diversity found in the clinical ranks in the United States is an additional contributing factor to the cultural gap
forwp-incontent-ad2">“As the healthcare reform debates gear up, it is critical that we include the plight of minorities in discussions for a more comprehensive healthcare system that will serve everyone based on their needs,†said Dr. Otis W. Brawley, chief medical officer for the ACS, in a press release.
Only 5.6% of all physicians are African American, according to research from the U.S. Department of Labor. And while there are approximately 13,000 oncologists practicing in the country, it is estimated that African Americans represent only 2%, states the report.
Yet, ethnic and racial minorities in general, and African Americans in particular, bear a disproportionate burden of mortality from cancer. The report, “Health Disparities: A Case for Closing the Gap,” released by the Department of Health and Human Services in June places blame on inequality in routine care and prevention.
Interest in primary care medicine and in oncology careers among minority medical students could help reduce disparities, recommends the panel. They encourage minorities to participate more in clinical and basic science research as principal investigators and as study subjects. They also suggest that implementing more programs to attract middle and high school students is a way to start the process.
–Marcia Wade Talbert
Obama Names Medal of Freedom Honorees
President Barack Obama named 16 recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, the White House announced Thursday. He will present the awards at a ceremony on Aug. 12.
Among the recipients are Sidney Poitier, a lauded screen and stage veteran who was the first African American Academy Award winner; Bishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and longtime anti-apartheid activist; and the Rev. Joseph Lowery, a leading civil rights activist who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Martin Luther King Jr.
Other recipients include Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to sit on the United States Supreme Court; tennis pro and activist Billie Jean King; prominent legislator Sen. Edward M. Kennedy; and Nancy Goodman Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s leading breast cancer grassroots organization.
“These outstanding men and women represent an incredible diversity of backgrounds,†Obama said. “Their tremendous accomplishments span fields from science to sports, from fine arts to foreign affairs. Yet they share one overarching trait: Each has been an agent of change. Each saw an imperfect world and set about improving it, often overcoming great obstacles along the way.
The Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals who make an exemplary contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural, or other significant public or private endeavors.
— Janell Hazelwood