Recent Articles
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What CMS envisions for physician quality reporting programs
Christina Thielst Healthcare AdministrationWhether we like it or not, data-driven and value-based decision making is here to stay, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has been one of the drivers of this change in healthcare. The new CMS Physician Quality Reporting Programs Strategic Vision will help them to evolve, making better use of data collected and adding value for their stakeholders.
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Senate bill may provide big boost to competency education
Brian Stack EducationIn a news release to its members last month, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) announced that it has been assisting in the reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The bill is moving forward from committee to the full Senate as the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 (ECAA), a bill last updated as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in 2001.
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1966: A glimpse into Panorama’s past
Pablo Deferrari Transportation Technology & AutomotiveIt had been ages since I looked at any old issues of Panorama, but a lapse in time is a good thing; a greater appreciation of the content tends to happen with maturity. Something else occurred; I came away with a new found respect for our club’s rich history. This tends to happen when digging down to the roots, a deeper connection is felt because you “get it;” something quite difficult to do when the train was hopped in the middle or toward the back. What was club like back then? And Panorama, what was that like, how was it put together? How many pages? What sorts of topics did editors write about? These are the kinds of questions that flashed in my head the moment I opened the cover page of the January 1966 Panorama.
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Future implications of the increase in middle-aged hip replacements
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareMore than 300,000 total hip replacements are performed in the U.S. each year, and that number is expected to increase to 500,000 by the year 2030. The number of THRs nearly doubled among middle-aged patients from 2002-2011, primarily because of the increasing middle-aged U.S. population. This continued growth in hip replacement surgeries in patients age 45 to 64, an increase in revision surgeries for this population as they age, and a nearly 30 percent decline in the number of surgeons who perform THRs could all have significant implications for future healthcare costs.
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Setting goals the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. way
D. Albert Brannen Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementSince the early 1980s, management consultants have used an acronym, S.M.A.R.T., to guide people through effective, objective goal-setting. That easy acronym is still one of the most popular frameworks for performance management in the workplace — or in any other goal-setting for that matter. Over time, this acronym has been tweaked and expanded. One variation is to make goals S.M.A.R.T.E.R., which indicates that goal-setting is an ongoing, continuous improvement process.
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My child struggles with writing: Why typical evaluations don’t do…
Howard Margolis EducationTypical writing evaluations are often inadequate. Knowing this may help you convince school or private evaluators that your child needs a different kind of writing evaluation, one that might use but doesn't depend on standardized tests to compare him or her to other children. Instead, outside of standardized testing, it directly examines what he or she can and can't do well and tries to identify external barriers to progress. There are several important written requests you may need to send the school. If you're faced with resistance, there are possible actions to lessen or eliminate it.
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Compostable high-barrier packaging material highlights processing advances
Don Rosato EngineeringPlastic barrier packaging technology is driven by safety, convenience and quality. Growing demand for convenience foods and "ready meals" created by busier lifestyles and increased disposable income are reflected in high growth in food packaging. Food-purchasing decisions are based on taste and appearance, as well as convenience, making excellent barrier quality to maintain product freshness vital in food packaging. No. 1 with the public is food safety, and active or barrier packaging that can help prevent spoilage or contamination is in strong demand.
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How to avoid health system staff turnover and employee poaching
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationStaffing shortages and turnover problems have become two of healthcare's biggest problems. Not only is finding quality talent a problem, keeping it is, causing concerns for hiring managers and recruiters in the current healthcare economy. Experts offer a few tips for retaining staff.
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What is the origin of Nurses Week?
Joan Spitrey Medical & Allied HealthcareEach year, Nurses Week begins on May 6 and runs through May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday. This is a week where the worker bees of the healthcare world get some time in the spotlight. Many nurses look forward to the week of gifts, praises and a reminder of the greatness of nursing. But how did all this celebrating actually originate?
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New Mexico police shape up after fatal helicopter crash
Mark Huber Transportation Technology & AutomotiveThe National Transportation Safety Board has taken state police forces to task for a series of fatal helicopter crashes in recent years from Maryland to Alaska. But perhaps the board levied its heaviest criticism at the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) for the fatal crash of its AgustaWestland AW109E back in 2009. Dead bodies tend to generate self-reflection, and to its credit, the NMSP instituted reforms, and shared them with the rotorcraft community at large at this year's Heli-Expo during an NTSB safety forum.