Posted by Sauganash Pie Pan on June 23, 2009 at 10:29:58:
Phil Rosenthal's Blog: http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/tow ... .html#more
When Mike North and Dan Jiggetts interviewed David Hernandez -- a transcript
David Hernandez, accused of running a Ponzi scheme and arrested Monday on fraud charges, backed Mike North's Chicago Sports Webio Internet radio venture. His NextStep Medical Staffing was title sponsor of "Monsters in the Morning," the Comcast SportsNet Chicago program hosted by North and Dan Jiggetts simulcast on the Webio site.
When "Monsters" made its debut on Jan. 12, Hernandez was the show's second guest. Benefactors North and Jiggetts took 10 minutes in the first hour to schmooze with Hernandez and help him talk up NextStep Medical Staffing.
"Without David, Dan," North had said at the top of the debut show, "I think it's safe to assume this show may not be rolling the way it's going to be rolling."
What follows is a transcript of most of the Hernandez segment:
DAN JIGGETTS: Mike, we have another special guest joining us this hour.
MIKE NORTH: We've known him a long, long time. He's been friends with us for about 16, 17 years. And, you know, when I started doing the Webio with Rich Melman, he took a liking to that. And then ... we had the TV thing, so I approached David. I said, "How'd you like to spend about 2-300 grand on something?" And David said: "You know what? It would be an honor." And you know what, here he is today. And we'd like to introduce the CEO of NextStep Medical Staffing, David Hernandez, a Cicero guy. What's up, David?
DAVID HERNANDEZ: Mike, good morning. Dan.
MN: All the TV sets turned on in Cicero right now, my friend? Everybody?
DH: Let me tell you. Everybody's out there watching. We've got the corporate headquarters. We're having a special kickoff party right now. So hello to everybody out there.
MN: Where is the corporate headquarters for anybody who wants it? Or do you want to keep it a secret?
DH: No, we're located at Washington and Franklin. Of course you can get us at 1-877-6-NEXTSTEP to contact all of our professional staff.
MN: Somebody needs to do that, too.
DJ: Someone say, "NextStep Medical Staffing, gee, what do you guys do?"
MN: What do you do?
DH: Well, let me tell you. As we all know, one of the biggest problems facing us in America today is quality healthcare. What our group does is provide a gap for those medical facilities who are seeking quality medical staff. Today, facilities cannot afford to have full-time members. So what we do is provide full-time medical staffing to facilities that are short-staffed right now.
DJ: You know, as we were talking earlier, I saw something on this morning on the news about the fact that medical staffing is one of the most difficult things to find and that there's a huge need for it all around the country.
DH: Absolutely. The healthcare services industry today is short about 33 percent across all allied health services, from doctors, nurses, critical care.
DJ: So you guys do the whole thing?
DH: We do all allied health services. Correct.
MN: Let's say I hurt my leg and I can't get around.
DJ: Get the Clapper! (laughing)
MN: Let's say I fall down and can't get up, but let's say I need some care. Do you do, like, individual families that need a doctor or an overnight nurse? Do you do stuff like that, also?
DH: Absolutely. We do home healthcare. We do from clinics to hospitals to veterans' facilities, as you know, which we're very proud of, Mike and I both being veterans. And so from the healthcare industry, from pediatric to geriatric, all phases of medical healthcare, both in a medical facility and at home.
MH: What's that number again, my friend?
DH: 1-877-6-NEXTSTEP.
DJ: I've got to say something, too, about the veterans' homes. One of my brothers, my oldest brother, passed away recently. He was in a veterans home for quite some time. And let me tell you something, they did such a great job and I told them, when we went back to collect his things, how much I appreciated how well they took care of him. It was really a wonderful facility for him to be in in that part of his life.
DH: Well, you know, again today, healthcare being such a main concern across America from all walks of life. Again, Mike and I being veterans, we certainly take especially extra pride in providing healthcare to our veterans across America.
MN: How about them football games? Did you watch those football games, my friend?
DH: I was glued to the set. I cannot believe that Carolina laid an egg as they did.
DJ: Speaking of Carolina, let's get to those in the NFC ...
(HIGHLIGHTS AND DISCUSSION OF WEEKEND FOOTBALL GAMES)
MN: David, are you intrigued with an Arizona-Philadelphia match-up, my friend?
DH: No, I am because I'm always after the underdog. No one expected Philadelphia and Arizona and some of the other teams to be there. It's just going to be a phenomenal game.
MN: What does this tell you about all the so-called experts in football and everything else?
DJ: I got hammered on these.
MN: You want to tell us? Saturday was brutal. You come back Sunday?
DJ: I sure did. I was 2-0 yesterday. I was 2-2 throughout the playoffs this past weekend. Then I had Florida in the national championship game. I was on with Kaplan, David Kaplan, on his show on Thursday or Friday and I gave him my predictions. How'd you do?
MN: I didn't do bad, to be honest with you, but I'm tired of Oklahoma. We'll get them a little bit later.
(MORE FOOTBALL TALK AND HIGHLIGHTS)
MN: Dave, now that you've helped sponsor a TV show, you thinking about buying an NFL team any time in the future? That you'd like Dan and I to run, David?
DH: I'll tell you. I'd like to have us all partnering and acquire the Bears. That would be a lifelong dream.
MN: What would you do? What would you do as a very successful businessman? What would be your first order of duty with the Chicago Bears? You'd make some changes because you'd be in charge.
DH: Absolutely. My first change would be to hire Mike Ditka as a consultant. Absolutely.
MN and DJ: Coach!
MN: We love you, Coach! I know you're watching us in Bristol.
DJ: You know, David, people should know -- you mentioned that we’ve known David for 16 years -- he was just a youngster, Mike, when we first met him.
MN: He was a pup. Still is.
DJ: Six Corners, right? At the bank over at Six Corners.
DH: Over at the bank. Over in that area.
DJ: At the bank. Northwest Side.
DH: Right. And I was affiliated with some of the charity events that you and Mike were sponsoring.
MN: The Bowl-a-Rama was unbelievable. I had George “The Animal” Steele threatening me. He goes: “Where’s my appearance fee? Where’s my appearance fee?”
DJ: Evander Holyfield came in for one because Evander liked to bowl.
DH: Absolutely.
MN: Absolutely. Evander, I’ll never forget, he goes, “I fly Delta, right?” I go: “You fly whatever you want to fly, champ. You do what you’ve got to do.”
DJ: Be glad he didn’t hit you up for the private plane. Now everybody wants the G5.
DH: That’s right.
MN: David, what's one thing about NextStep Medical Staffing that people should know? And don't ever be hesitant to call if you have any problems like that, stuff like that. But you have physicians. You have technicians. Do you have X-ray technicians? Anything that people need, right.
DH: Absolutely.
MN: Do doctors give you their numbers for you to assign them to certain things?
DH: Absolutely. Especially with the weather right now. A lot of doctors in Chicago are looking for assignments in Arizona and Florida.
MN: What does that do here then, Dave?
DH: Pardon me.
MN: What does that do, if they're looking for assignments out in Florida and you take them? Are there doctors in Florida or other places saying, "I'd like to come to the big city"?
DH: Absolutely. Doctors, physicians, medical professionals across the country look to fill in their resume. They may have a standard physician position down in Florida. But they may have a critical care opening here in the Chicago area. To get additional credentialing for a medical professional is very key to how they structure their career and their expertise and ...
MN: (interrupting) Look at you! From a bungalow in Cicero! Look at you! A bungalow in Cicero!
DJ: What area of the country right now is the hottest?
DH: This time of year, certainly, the warm climates and, in actuality, some of our Indian health services, which are medical facilities on the Indian reservations in the Nevada area. A lot of medical professionals look to go out there during the winter.
MN: And they go out there. They give the Indians their care, and then they just hop over to the casino. It's a beautiful thing.
DJ: What specific area would you say is the one now, if people are thinking of a career change -- because let's face it, things have changed a great deal in our economy -- what's the one particular area outside of, you know, doctors that you would say is the key one for you right now?
DH: Right now, the nation is suffering about a 37 percent shortage in both critical care nursing and also in our physical therapists. Again, a lot of our service men and women are coming back from overseas require a lot of physical therapy and also in the psychiatric and psychological counseling area. Again, with the economy being what it is today, a lot of people on the ...
DJ: (interrupting) That would be for us, Mike. (laughing)
MN: Exactly. David, what's the number one more time, my friend?
DH: 1-877-6-NEXTSTEP.
MN: Hey, we appreciate everything you've done, man. We really, really do. And hopefully we’ll be around for a long time, David.
(HERNANDEZ PRESENTS NORTH AND JIGGETTS WITH NEXTSTEP-BRANDED GIFTS, SAYING "You're now officially part of the NextStep family," BEFORE THEY GO TO BREAK.)