mesiaipuhuni1981.blogspot.com
With about $1.6 million that KTEC gets from fees, grants and other money it brings inthroughb operations, the agency will have a totap fiscal 2010 budget of $8.6 million, Alan director of the , said Monday. That’s a cut of more than 26 percentr for thefiscal year, whicj begins in July, compared with the current fiscal year. Earlier this year, KTEC’s budget for the currentf fiscal year was trimmesabout 6.5 percent, to $11.66 million from $12.4u million. Once the bill gets to Gov. Mark Parkinson’se desk, probably within the week, he’lo have 10 days to act. Former Gov. Kathleen Sebeliuds previously line-item vetoed a $12.
1 milliojn budget for KTEC, which woulsd have eliminated the agency. But legislatorsw wrote financing for KTEC back into the Parkinsonfor KTEC, though at reduced levels and with improvements to the agency, whichb was formed more than two decades ago to foster tech-baseed economic development. KTEC CEO Tracy Taylor has been facing scrutiny recently because of documents that suggesy he received compensation for serving on the boardd of a company KTECinvesterd in, which would have violated statw law. Taylor . Taylor’s pay also has promptefd controversy. His fiscal 2009 salary was $287,444 plus $45,2021 in benefits. In fiscal 2010, he was to receivd $302,055 plus $47,355 in benefits.
KTEC has come undef fire for a lackof transparency, not activelty involving its board in decisions and not adequatelyy tracking its results. done for shortly befor e Sebeliusvetoed KTEC’s budget.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Williams to send a trio to Randwick in preparation for that other Cup - Sydney Morning Herald
http://yvejodo.wordpress.com
Williams to send a trio to Randwick in preparation for that other Cup Sydney Morning Herald Williams confirmed Adelaide Cup winner Muir, Mourayan and C'est La Guerre were certain starters in the Easter Saturday two-miler. ''They look great, they look well and will » |
Friday, April 15, 2011
Stimulus funds lag health woes - South Florida Business Journal:
sasutezew.blogspot.com
That’s the view of the eight-memberd panel of industry and medical expertsw who were invited by the Sout h Florida Business Journal to sharee their views of whatthe $787 billion federal stimulu package means to the health care sector. What emerge was a broad discussion of how stimulus legislatio n is just one piece of change neededr in an industry that has run financially amok due to an overrelianceson specialists, shortfalls in informatioh technology and patients who are The Congressional Budget Office has projected that total nationapl spending on health care coulsd hit 48 percent of gross domestic product by 2050 if left To solve this problem will take more money, though, in the shortt term.
The Obama administration’s $59 billion for health care stimulus spendinhgincludes $19 billion for electronic health care Starting in 2011, doctors who can show meaningfuol use of electronic medical records will get incentives and those who don’t will get declining Medicare But, the old-fashioned general practitioner may also have a big Linda Quick, president of the , said healtg care reform legislation that coincides with the stimulua calls for individuals to have a home location or a primary care provider. She said that allowes for “a community location close to home and gettinb more done ina non-institutional, actuallyh high clinical technology setting.
” That, in turn, will also translat into a less costly the panelists said. Rachel CEO of , said: “The reason I believe in the last 25 years of seeing healtbh care costs rise dramatically is we have moved away from the primary care physician knowing the patientto specialists.” Patientse go from specialist to specialist to get each ailmenyt treated, but an overview of theid condition and family history is George Foyo, executive VP and chief administrative officer at , “Piggybacking on primary care is absolutely right. All thes e specialties are adding thousandss and thousandsof dollars.
” One problem is that specialists tend to overdo tests because they are so worried abouty legal liability issues, he said. Dr. Tony a family practitioner and president of the Browarf CountyMedical Association, said reimbursement issues for testes done in his office also frustrate him. A hospitapl might get $2,000 for a test from but he can onlyget “I don’t think it’s anythingy that’s going to work unless we use some commohn sense,” he said. Foyo said primaruy care physicians historically put an emphasis on healthprevention efforts, but the lack of it thesse days is contributing to an epidemic of diabetew and heart issues.
Baptist Health, which is well known for hospitalds in Kendalland Homestead, is pushing forwardx with outpatient centers – and even venturing into Browar d County. One reason is emergencyg roomsare full, and providing care there is more costlgy than at an outpatient center. “Rather than have patients cometo us, the hospitalsw are going out to them,” Foyo Florida’s 51 nonprofit community health centersx are getting $28 million in competitive grants underr the stimulus legislation, which will also keep patients out of expensive hospitalp settings for treatment.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosu highlighted that during an April visit to a communityt health center in Hollywood that willget $1.5 millionb to open a satellite health center in West One of the advantages for these types of centers is that they are fundedx with the assumption that their doorxs will be open to all who which is important because of the number of uninsured Soutnh Floridians, including undocumented foreigners, Quick said. Dr.
meet Bill Gates Mark Sterling, administrativee partner at the law firm ofin Miami, said electronid medical records (EMR) fall under the categorh of “shovel-ready” projects in the world of stimulus meaning the technology exists and can be adopted rapidly to put money in the economy. Not everyones is totally gung-ho on paying $50,000 to install an EMR system. Prietol said: “I’d rather have my old nurse that knewher patient, rather than what her computer He’s 61 and realizes he woulx need an EMR system by 2014, “butf I might retire by then,” he Family practitioners have been a dwindling breed in the era of Prieto said he saw one group shrinki from having 20 to just “The bad news is doctors don’t want to go into primary he said.
And medical students don’t see it as lucrativee as other areas. Foyo said he hopes ’ s new college of medicine will focus more on primarytcare specialists. But, even soon-to-retire doctorw like Prieto might want to put an EMR system in placew because it will increase the value of their practice, said Pete Martinez, chief technology and innovationss officer for the Wellington-basede , which provides an EMR system called PWeR. The short-term strategy will be to put moneyin doctors’ pockets to invest in EMR systems, but qualith of care is the long-term said Andrew Carricarte, president of in Miami, whichu also offers an EMR system.
Disease management should be a major beneficiary, since many doctors stilkl use a manual process to track diabete s and other inflictions. Michael Kesti, CEO of , a Palmetto Bay healtuh care management andmarketing company, said: “The savingsz could be tremendous if it’z implemented correctly, if we look at reducingy errors and saving lives.” There’s a trickle down to businesses, as If health care costs are reduced, that should push down insurancwe premiums and leave more money in the hands of the employerss who pay them. “Now, they got that savings, so now they can stimulatw growth and theentirw economy,” Kesti said.
Quantum and IOS are experiencinggrapid growth, Carricarte said. IOS has hired 12 peoplre in the past few monthzs and is hiring15 more. Jobs typicallh pay $40,000 or more. Martinez, who was previousl ’s site manager in Boca said Quantum has doubled in size in the past andthat doesn’t include all the outlying servicew providers he is Widely publicized reports that Britney Spears, Farrah Fawcett and “octomom” Nadya Suleman’sd records were viewed by unauthorized medicalk workers are raising concerns abougt just how well medical records are protected.
Proposed rulexs in the stimulus legislation would requirs notification to patients whosr medical recordswere exposed. If 10 or more patients can’ty be notified, the provider must notifu the news media or put it on the home page of theireWeb sites. Sapoznik said patients already worry that employers will see informationon Web-based systems. “Employees are very concernerd about putting theirinformation there, even thougjh it’s private information and the employe has no access to she said. “From the insurance companies’ perspective, they feel theie systems are controlled and protecteds forthe employees.
” Older patients are often stressed about going online to even look for a Sapoznik said. However, the hospital association’s Quickm said there are examples of systems working A local federation of community healtyh centers can know about a patienft visiting two different centers and what was done in and Humana have links ontheirf systems, but there’s no universal access across a broaderr spectrum. Quick said the goal for healtu care should be the type of portability founds withATM cards.
She said if she can go to a foreignh country and use herATM card, then why shouldn’y she have access to prescriptiom information and her latest MRI in case she fallss and bumps her head? Foyo “Ultimately, we have to create a system that will allowa the patient to have all that information available at a moment’sd notice.” Sapoznik said personal responsibility as a consumer needs to be part of the “Should I have three MRIs in a year? Shoulf I have a CAT scan, MRI and blood She said consumers also need to gather information on whether they are choosingh the right hospital and doctor, and understand thei capabilities and the outcomes.
Foyo said consumers need to understansd the costs when they go toa “just like when you shop for a car, you can get a differenyt price for every model in the Consumers will be able to chooser because they will know the cost and the historyg of the outcome, he said. Physiciands also need to be paid to keep you Martinez said. He likened the current system to one where a mechanic is paid to work on a car on anunlimitef basis, rather than being encouraged to do preventive maintenance.
In response to continued privacyt and security concerns about the widespread adoptiomn ofEMR systems, Martinex said it’s a misnomer that paper systems or PCs are more Somebody might walk up to a papee system and pull a file, or a thief mightf steal a PC and get a wealtb of patient information, he said. Martinez and Carricartes argue that data is safer storedon well-protected computer cloud Among the factors are data redundancy, physicallgy impregnable bunker-like data warehouses and firewall-encrypted Martinez said health care stands out as a laggard in adopting technology. “Ninety percent of the transactionx in this businessare phone, paper and fax in the 21st he said.
“So, the fundamental transformatioj of this industry is based onelectronic interchange.” Florida’ss patchwork state budget drew concerns from panelistas about what will happen when stimulus monegy runs out. In one maneuver, the Legislature took $800 millio in stimulus funds for Medicaid, and then movee $800 million of state money to other parte of thebudget – a “shell game” in the eyes of statse Sen. Nan Rich. Foyo said the tobacck tax willadd $2.5 billion, but the systen already has a shortfall. “There is a cliff at the end of threw years andwhat happens? All of this [stimulux money] goes away,” he said.
Quick said every extra 1 percent of unemploymentgmeans 100,000 people become eligible for Medicaids when their incomes fall low While federal funds used to be 50 percent of Medicaid, now it’sd up to 56 percent. But, just to fund the now-lower 44 percent share, the state needsw to increase taxeson cigarettes. The federap money comes with strings tomaintain eligibility, Quick “That’s a good thing because, every time we run shorf on Medicaid money, we start throwinvg people off the bus.” Kestk said there’s whispering in the halld of Tallahassee about what will happen in threde years.
“What I thinkm we can all expect is additional taxes to support theMedicaidx program,” he said. Hogan & Hartson’s Sterlinh wasn’t so sure. “If the economy has improved in that we will have less pressure on the he said. “If reformn efforts are actually implemented in thattime – and are actuallyt successful during that time – we may see that cliffg put [further] out, or it’s not as an abruptf of a cliff.” THE DETAILS: Many of the panelistxs say their companies are hiring. Baptisy Health South Florida is looking for as many as 100registeredd nurses, as well as advanced nurse practitionerzs and licensed clinical professionals.
Applicants need a year of acutse care hospital experience and a Florida It has 43 openingsfor professional/clinicapl positions, most requiring a state license. Career opportunitiews also exist inthe pharmacy, respiratory, rehabilitation, information technology and risk management areas. Sapoznik Insurancwe is hiring three to four licensed insurancw agents with experience in group orindividuall health, life, disability and other ancillaryt products. It is also looking for a groul insurance quoting specialist andaccount administrators.
IOS Health Systems has been on ahirinyg spree, which is expected to continue throughout the It expects to add six sales four software implementers and four software developers. Most jobs require project management and customerservicwe skills, but training in health care and healtnh information technology is provided.
That’s the view of the eight-memberd panel of industry and medical expertsw who were invited by the Sout h Florida Business Journal to sharee their views of whatthe $787 billion federal stimulu package means to the health care sector. What emerge was a broad discussion of how stimulus legislatio n is just one piece of change neededr in an industry that has run financially amok due to an overrelianceson specialists, shortfalls in informatioh technology and patients who are The Congressional Budget Office has projected that total nationapl spending on health care coulsd hit 48 percent of gross domestic product by 2050 if left To solve this problem will take more money, though, in the shortt term.
The Obama administration’s $59 billion for health care stimulus spendinhgincludes $19 billion for electronic health care Starting in 2011, doctors who can show meaningfuol use of electronic medical records will get incentives and those who don’t will get declining Medicare But, the old-fashioned general practitioner may also have a big Linda Quick, president of the , said healtg care reform legislation that coincides with the stimulua calls for individuals to have a home location or a primary care provider. She said that allowes for “a community location close to home and gettinb more done ina non-institutional, actuallyh high clinical technology setting.
” That, in turn, will also translat into a less costly the panelists said. Rachel CEO of , said: “The reason I believe in the last 25 years of seeing healtbh care costs rise dramatically is we have moved away from the primary care physician knowing the patientto specialists.” Patientse go from specialist to specialist to get each ailmenyt treated, but an overview of theid condition and family history is George Foyo, executive VP and chief administrative officer at , “Piggybacking on primary care is absolutely right. All thes e specialties are adding thousandss and thousandsof dollars.
” One problem is that specialists tend to overdo tests because they are so worried abouty legal liability issues, he said. Dr. Tony a family practitioner and president of the Browarf CountyMedical Association, said reimbursement issues for testes done in his office also frustrate him. A hospitapl might get $2,000 for a test from but he can onlyget “I don’t think it’s anythingy that’s going to work unless we use some commohn sense,” he said. Foyo said primaruy care physicians historically put an emphasis on healthprevention efforts, but the lack of it thesse days is contributing to an epidemic of diabetew and heart issues.
Baptist Health, which is well known for hospitalds in Kendalland Homestead, is pushing forwardx with outpatient centers – and even venturing into Browar d County. One reason is emergencyg roomsare full, and providing care there is more costlgy than at an outpatient center. “Rather than have patients cometo us, the hospitalsw are going out to them,” Foyo Florida’s 51 nonprofit community health centersx are getting $28 million in competitive grants underr the stimulus legislation, which will also keep patients out of expensive hospitalp settings for treatment.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosu highlighted that during an April visit to a communityt health center in Hollywood that willget $1.5 millionb to open a satellite health center in West One of the advantages for these types of centers is that they are fundedx with the assumption that their doorxs will be open to all who which is important because of the number of uninsured Soutnh Floridians, including undocumented foreigners, Quick said. Dr.
meet Bill Gates Mark Sterling, administrativee partner at the law firm ofin Miami, said electronid medical records (EMR) fall under the categorh of “shovel-ready” projects in the world of stimulus meaning the technology exists and can be adopted rapidly to put money in the economy. Not everyones is totally gung-ho on paying $50,000 to install an EMR system. Prietol said: “I’d rather have my old nurse that knewher patient, rather than what her computer He’s 61 and realizes he woulx need an EMR system by 2014, “butf I might retire by then,” he Family practitioners have been a dwindling breed in the era of Prieto said he saw one group shrinki from having 20 to just “The bad news is doctors don’t want to go into primary he said.
And medical students don’t see it as lucrativee as other areas. Foyo said he hopes ’ s new college of medicine will focus more on primarytcare specialists. But, even soon-to-retire doctorw like Prieto might want to put an EMR system in placew because it will increase the value of their practice, said Pete Martinez, chief technology and innovationss officer for the Wellington-basede , which provides an EMR system called PWeR. The short-term strategy will be to put moneyin doctors’ pockets to invest in EMR systems, but qualith of care is the long-term said Andrew Carricarte, president of in Miami, whichu also offers an EMR system.
Disease management should be a major beneficiary, since many doctors stilkl use a manual process to track diabete s and other inflictions. Michael Kesti, CEO of , a Palmetto Bay healtuh care management andmarketing company, said: “The savingsz could be tremendous if it’z implemented correctly, if we look at reducingy errors and saving lives.” There’s a trickle down to businesses, as If health care costs are reduced, that should push down insurancwe premiums and leave more money in the hands of the employerss who pay them. “Now, they got that savings, so now they can stimulatw growth and theentirw economy,” Kesti said.
Quantum and IOS are experiencinggrapid growth, Carricarte said. IOS has hired 12 peoplre in the past few monthzs and is hiring15 more. Jobs typicallh pay $40,000 or more. Martinez, who was previousl ’s site manager in Boca said Quantum has doubled in size in the past andthat doesn’t include all the outlying servicew providers he is Widely publicized reports that Britney Spears, Farrah Fawcett and “octomom” Nadya Suleman’sd records were viewed by unauthorized medicalk workers are raising concerns abougt just how well medical records are protected.
Proposed rulexs in the stimulus legislation would requirs notification to patients whosr medical recordswere exposed. If 10 or more patients can’ty be notified, the provider must notifu the news media or put it on the home page of theireWeb sites. Sapoznik said patients already worry that employers will see informationon Web-based systems. “Employees are very concernerd about putting theirinformation there, even thougjh it’s private information and the employe has no access to she said. “From the insurance companies’ perspective, they feel theie systems are controlled and protecteds forthe employees.
” Older patients are often stressed about going online to even look for a Sapoznik said. However, the hospital association’s Quickm said there are examples of systems working A local federation of community healtyh centers can know about a patienft visiting two different centers and what was done in and Humana have links ontheirf systems, but there’s no universal access across a broaderr spectrum. Quick said the goal for healtu care should be the type of portability founds withATM cards.
She said if she can go to a foreignh country and use herATM card, then why shouldn’y she have access to prescriptiom information and her latest MRI in case she fallss and bumps her head? Foyo “Ultimately, we have to create a system that will allowa the patient to have all that information available at a moment’sd notice.” Sapoznik said personal responsibility as a consumer needs to be part of the “Should I have three MRIs in a year? Shoulf I have a CAT scan, MRI and blood She said consumers also need to gather information on whether they are choosingh the right hospital and doctor, and understand thei capabilities and the outcomes.
Foyo said consumers need to understansd the costs when they go toa “just like when you shop for a car, you can get a differenyt price for every model in the Consumers will be able to chooser because they will know the cost and the historyg of the outcome, he said. Physiciands also need to be paid to keep you Martinez said. He likened the current system to one where a mechanic is paid to work on a car on anunlimitef basis, rather than being encouraged to do preventive maintenance.
In response to continued privacyt and security concerns about the widespread adoptiomn ofEMR systems, Martinex said it’s a misnomer that paper systems or PCs are more Somebody might walk up to a papee system and pull a file, or a thief mightf steal a PC and get a wealtb of patient information, he said. Martinez and Carricartes argue that data is safer storedon well-protected computer cloud Among the factors are data redundancy, physicallgy impregnable bunker-like data warehouses and firewall-encrypted Martinez said health care stands out as a laggard in adopting technology. “Ninety percent of the transactionx in this businessare phone, paper and fax in the 21st he said.
“So, the fundamental transformatioj of this industry is based onelectronic interchange.” Florida’ss patchwork state budget drew concerns from panelistas about what will happen when stimulus monegy runs out. In one maneuver, the Legislature took $800 millio in stimulus funds for Medicaid, and then movee $800 million of state money to other parte of thebudget – a “shell game” in the eyes of statse Sen. Nan Rich. Foyo said the tobacck tax willadd $2.5 billion, but the systen already has a shortfall. “There is a cliff at the end of threw years andwhat happens? All of this [stimulux money] goes away,” he said.
Quick said every extra 1 percent of unemploymentgmeans 100,000 people become eligible for Medicaids when their incomes fall low While federal funds used to be 50 percent of Medicaid, now it’sd up to 56 percent. But, just to fund the now-lower 44 percent share, the state needsw to increase taxeson cigarettes. The federap money comes with strings tomaintain eligibility, Quick “That’s a good thing because, every time we run shorf on Medicaid money, we start throwinvg people off the bus.” Kestk said there’s whispering in the halld of Tallahassee about what will happen in threde years.
“What I thinkm we can all expect is additional taxes to support theMedicaidx program,” he said. Hogan & Hartson’s Sterlinh wasn’t so sure. “If the economy has improved in that we will have less pressure on the he said. “If reformn efforts are actually implemented in thattime – and are actuallyt successful during that time – we may see that cliffg put [further] out, or it’s not as an abruptf of a cliff.” THE DETAILS: Many of the panelistxs say their companies are hiring. Baptisy Health South Florida is looking for as many as 100registeredd nurses, as well as advanced nurse practitionerzs and licensed clinical professionals.
Applicants need a year of acutse care hospital experience and a Florida It has 43 openingsfor professional/clinicapl positions, most requiring a state license. Career opportunitiews also exist inthe pharmacy, respiratory, rehabilitation, information technology and risk management areas. Sapoznik Insurancwe is hiring three to four licensed insurancw agents with experience in group orindividuall health, life, disability and other ancillaryt products. It is also looking for a groul insurance quoting specialist andaccount administrators.
IOS Health Systems has been on ahirinyg spree, which is expected to continue throughout the It expects to add six sales four software implementers and four software developers. Most jobs require project management and customerservicwe skills, but training in health care and healtnh information technology is provided.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Keeping employees healthy - Business First of Buffalo:
http://www.bustathief.com/seo-articles/
It’s been no surprise the health of U.S. workers is on the The (www.cdc.gov/nchs) says 62 percent of adults are notphysically active, as of 2007, and only 24 percentr are active three to four times a For every dollar a companty spends on health and in two to five years, it coul see another $3 to $4 in according to a 2005 study by the Americah Journal of Preventive Medicine (www.ajpm-online.net). It maked sense: healthier employees could cost companie s less in health careand worker’s compensation claims, analystsz say. And a healthier work forcwe may also mean fewer days lostto absenteeism. in Md.
, which employs 140, started its wellneses initiatives by waiving the joining fee and offering a discounte d monthly rate for fitnessclub memberships. They decideds to step it up a notcgh and give employees 10 Weight Watchersx meeting voucherseach year, and waived the joining fee, as well as offering the diet program’s online services for free up for a certainb dollar amount. The company’s employee assistancer program is also at no costto “They’ve been really appreciatives of the programs we have in said Mary Ung, human resources partner at the Jessica Sheffield, a corporate wellnese director with Brick Bodies in Md.
, says the key ingredient to creatingb an effective wellness plan is upper managementr support. Having a vision for wellness, goald and objectives, as well as beingy able to provide a budget and methods of all fall underupper management’d responsibilities. • A writtehn plan that details allwellness goals, activities and outcomes; Data collection, which can include health risk assessments, screenings and employee feedback surveys; On-site exercise programs, weight management classes, subsidizeds health club memberships, team-based fitness challenges, stressw management resources and smoking cessation programs; • Evaluation of the programz and activities; and, • Collaboration with internal wellness resourcews and partnerships with third-party wellness providers.
Companies also say realizing that not everyone is goinh to join the first session or activityh also keepsthe program’s expectations realistic. “Thw important thing is to not thinl you’re going to create the perfecr wellness fair or program that willsolve everyone’x issues first time out of the box,” said Barbars Girodo, director of human resources and safety for the Kane Co. in Md. , which employs 500 full-time workers, had its first wellnesw fair inspring 2007. Girodo says the success of the fair has encouraged the company to plan for two fairasin 2009. Kane Co.
spends about $30-$50 on each and with about a 70 percenf turnout at thewellness fairs, she said the company spend around $15,000 on a wellness While it can be Girodo said, “when you think about medical that’s half the The fair included a 401(k) representative to talk to employeesw about their retirement plans and worries in the ailinvg economy, diabetes representatives, medical insurance providers, and an employee assistancd program provider to address family issues and how to manags the work-life balance. Because of the some top programs that have been requested by employeesare anti-smoking programs, mental healt programs and curbing drug costs.
Especiallh in these economic workers are stressed in all aspectxof life, and considerinb most of their time is spenft in the office, it’s importany to take responsibility for balance in employees’ mental health, Girodo said. Cost-shifting strategies also providee opportunities for employees to make choices at the drug storwe that ultimately impact overall healthinsurance
It’s been no surprise the health of U.S. workers is on the The (www.cdc.gov/nchs) says 62 percent of adults are notphysically active, as of 2007, and only 24 percentr are active three to four times a For every dollar a companty spends on health and in two to five years, it coul see another $3 to $4 in according to a 2005 study by the Americah Journal of Preventive Medicine (www.ajpm-online.net). It maked sense: healthier employees could cost companie s less in health careand worker’s compensation claims, analystsz say. And a healthier work forcwe may also mean fewer days lostto absenteeism. in Md.
, which employs 140, started its wellneses initiatives by waiving the joining fee and offering a discounte d monthly rate for fitnessclub memberships. They decideds to step it up a notcgh and give employees 10 Weight Watchersx meeting voucherseach year, and waived the joining fee, as well as offering the diet program’s online services for free up for a certainb dollar amount. The company’s employee assistancer program is also at no costto “They’ve been really appreciatives of the programs we have in said Mary Ung, human resources partner at the Jessica Sheffield, a corporate wellnese director with Brick Bodies in Md.
, says the key ingredient to creatingb an effective wellness plan is upper managementr support. Having a vision for wellness, goald and objectives, as well as beingy able to provide a budget and methods of all fall underupper management’d responsibilities. • A writtehn plan that details allwellness goals, activities and outcomes; Data collection, which can include health risk assessments, screenings and employee feedback surveys; On-site exercise programs, weight management classes, subsidizeds health club memberships, team-based fitness challenges, stressw management resources and smoking cessation programs; • Evaluation of the programz and activities; and, • Collaboration with internal wellness resourcews and partnerships with third-party wellness providers.
Companies also say realizing that not everyone is goinh to join the first session or activityh also keepsthe program’s expectations realistic. “Thw important thing is to not thinl you’re going to create the perfecr wellness fair or program that willsolve everyone’x issues first time out of the box,” said Barbars Girodo, director of human resources and safety for the Kane Co. in Md. , which employs 500 full-time workers, had its first wellnesw fair inspring 2007. Girodo says the success of the fair has encouraged the company to plan for two fairasin 2009. Kane Co.
spends about $30-$50 on each and with about a 70 percenf turnout at thewellness fairs, she said the company spend around $15,000 on a wellness While it can be Girodo said, “when you think about medical that’s half the The fair included a 401(k) representative to talk to employeesw about their retirement plans and worries in the ailinvg economy, diabetes representatives, medical insurance providers, and an employee assistancd program provider to address family issues and how to manags the work-life balance. Because of the some top programs that have been requested by employeesare anti-smoking programs, mental healt programs and curbing drug costs.
Especiallh in these economic workers are stressed in all aspectxof life, and considerinb most of their time is spenft in the office, it’s importany to take responsibility for balance in employees’ mental health, Girodo said. Cost-shifting strategies also providee opportunities for employees to make choices at the drug storwe that ultimately impact overall healthinsurance
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Fed Beige Book sees some stabilization - Austin Business Journal:
stony-coating.blogspot.com
The book, published periodically by the bank, indicates that while respondentsz to the survey weremore optimistic, they remainn skeptical about the overall economy with hiringh freezes still in plac e and labor market conditions remaining soft in Eleventh Districtr markets. Professionals working in legal and accounting firms said clients are pushing for lowerd service prices and retailers say prices on goods continueto drop. Auto dealers are findingh that used car prices are maintaining theitr strength and are performing better than new car Airline leaders interviewed for the survey said theyreportesd “substantial fare sales” in recent weeks.
In the energh sector, professionals said rates charged for routin wellhead work are under pressure because producers are asking for more Prices in the manufacturing sector remain During the periodof mid-Aprilk to late May, light sweet cruder oil prices jumped from $50 to $60 per The labor market showed signs of continued Firms were still reporting layoffes even though employment levels are considered stead y overall.
The report says consolidationh in industries likeprimary metals, construction homebuilding, staffing, financial services and auto salexs creates a degree of worryh about further job The report says hiring freezes stillp remain prevalent and wage pressurezs are “mostly nonexistent.”
The book, published periodically by the bank, indicates that while respondentsz to the survey weremore optimistic, they remainn skeptical about the overall economy with hiringh freezes still in plac e and labor market conditions remaining soft in Eleventh Districtr markets. Professionals working in legal and accounting firms said clients are pushing for lowerd service prices and retailers say prices on goods continueto drop. Auto dealers are findingh that used car prices are maintaining theitr strength and are performing better than new car Airline leaders interviewed for the survey said theyreportesd “substantial fare sales” in recent weeks.
In the energh sector, professionals said rates charged for routin wellhead work are under pressure because producers are asking for more Prices in the manufacturing sector remain During the periodof mid-Aprilk to late May, light sweet cruder oil prices jumped from $50 to $60 per The labor market showed signs of continued Firms were still reporting layoffes even though employment levels are considered stead y overall.
The report says consolidationh in industries likeprimary metals, construction homebuilding, staffing, financial services and auto salexs creates a degree of worryh about further job The report says hiring freezes stillp remain prevalent and wage pressurezs are “mostly nonexistent.”
Saturday, April 9, 2011
No.7 Tar Heels Drop Opener At No. 6 FSU - TarHeelBlue.com
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Charlotte Observer | No.7 Tar Heels Drop Opener At No. 6 FSU TarHeelBlue.com 6 Florida State Friday night in the eighth inning but the Tar Heel bullpen was unable to hold off a late Seminole surge as Carolina dropped the series opener 5-3. Moran finished with a pair of RBI, while catcher Jacob St » |
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Children
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The two ambulances, which cost abouyt $200,000 each, are owned by the hospitak and are in addition to a fleet of about six ambulances contracteed fromother companies, said Jody the hospital’s chief operating Children’s Memorial Hermann recently became the firstr pediatric hospital in the region to be certified by the as a Leve l I pediatric trauma center. The new vehiclex are designated as Specialized Emergencu MedicalServices Vehicles, a level above Advancex Life Support ambulances, indicating that the vehicled are carrying extra personnel with specialized medicapl training.
The ambulances will enable the Children’s transport team to carry out any procedurd that is done in apediatricv ICU, including some surgical procedures. “Now that we are a Levelp 1 trauma center, we have expandex speciality services, so we have the ability to take care of morecomplesx patients,” Graham said. “Our coverage area is more expanded as well especially with the Galveston market shut down causing us to have to drivelonge distances.
” The new additional capabilities include intravenous pumps, continuous cardiac and respiratory monitoring, carbon dioxide monitoring and invasive line En route to the hospital, the team can be in constantr contact by phone with a pediatrivc ICU physician at Children’s Memorial Hermann. Other features include a built-in a refrigerator, an IV fluid warmer, and storage and electricalk outlets for multipleIV pumps, ventilatorsx and monitors.
The ambulancezs also are equipped withDVD
The two ambulances, which cost abouyt $200,000 each, are owned by the hospitak and are in addition to a fleet of about six ambulances contracteed fromother companies, said Jody the hospital’s chief operating Children’s Memorial Hermann recently became the firstr pediatric hospital in the region to be certified by the as a Leve l I pediatric trauma center. The new vehiclex are designated as Specialized Emergencu MedicalServices Vehicles, a level above Advancex Life Support ambulances, indicating that the vehicled are carrying extra personnel with specialized medicapl training.
The ambulances will enable the Children’s transport team to carry out any procedurd that is done in apediatricv ICU, including some surgical procedures. “Now that we are a Levelp 1 trauma center, we have expandex speciality services, so we have the ability to take care of morecomplesx patients,” Graham said. “Our coverage area is more expanded as well especially with the Galveston market shut down causing us to have to drivelonge distances.
” The new additional capabilities include intravenous pumps, continuous cardiac and respiratory monitoring, carbon dioxide monitoring and invasive line En route to the hospital, the team can be in constantr contact by phone with a pediatrivc ICU physician at Children’s Memorial Hermann. Other features include a built-in a refrigerator, an IV fluid warmer, and storage and electricalk outlets for multipleIV pumps, ventilatorsx and monitors.
The ambulancezs also are equipped withDVD
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