Recent Articles
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Skilled trades report highlights significant job opportunities
Terri Williams Construction & Building MaterialsMillions of Americans have either lost or are concerned about losing their job during the pandemic, and businesses large and small have closed this year. However, skilled trades in home services is a small business sector that is actually experiencing a labor shortage. HomeAdvisor released a new skilled trades report that found skilled home trades businesses present an opportunity for entrepreneurship — and 71% of workers in this industry believe there is a job shortage. We spoke with Mischa Fisher, chief economist at HomeAdvisor, about the report.
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Tips for promoting a more civil workplace
D. Albert Brannen Business Management, Services & Risk Management2020 has been a year of unprecedented challenges for everyone, including employers. Aside from the worst pandemic in a century and an inordinate number of natural disasters, social and political tensions seem to be at all-time high. These tensions flooded the workplace like a tsunami and employers are trying to figure out how to return civility and respect to the workplace. No "secret sauce" or "magic pill" exists for creating and promoting a civil and respectful workplace, so the purpose of this article is to outline a few action items for helping employers get on the right track toward a more civil workplace as soon as possible.
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The right questions to ask at board meetings
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementThe board is convened for the purpose of governance. However, meetings often deteriorate into administrative discussions and committee work. When you think about it, convening leaders can be costly. The average number of directors is 15. Few directors come with governance experience. While they do their best, some find it easier to dwell on tactics, history, and personal business, rather than being visionary leaders. Asking the right questions can go a long way towards meaningful outcomes.
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The smart strategy that’s helping women become CEOs
Gail Short Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementRecently, Fortune Magazine reported that women made the biggest gain ever in capturing CEO positions this year. Thirty-seven chief executive officers on the Fortune 500 list for 2020 are women. However, the number is still puny compared to men. The problem is that public companies tend to hire CEOs with prior CEO experience. That puts many women at a disadvantage since, unlike men, they are less likely to have CEO experience. But in a study published in the Harvard Business Review last year, two researchers reported that for many women, the path to becoming CEO may lie with serving on corporate boards.
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Learning disabilities, ADHD, and the psychopharmacologist
Dr. Lance Steinberg EducationAbout one-third of individuals diagnosed with learning disabilities have also been diagnosed with ADHD. The treatment of ADHD, particularly with the use of medication, has proven to be extraordinarily successful and unbelievably beneficial to the quality of life for the great majority of people. This article will provide a substantial understanding to the psychopharmacology of ADHD. Although the FDA has designated very specific medications that have been indicated for ADHD, the use of these medicines off label may, in fact, be helpful to those individuals with and without ADHD. This was demonstrated as far back as the 1940s.
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10 fun turkey facts for Thanksgiving table (or Zoom) talk
Dave G. Houser Food & BeverageOfficially, it’s Thanksgiving Day — but we’ve all come to know it as “Turkey Day” in recognition of the most popular guest of honor at the holiday table. Honestly, however, what do we really know about the big tasty bird that has become so much a part of America’s Thanksgiving tradition? Truth is, there’s much more to our favorite holiday bird than white or dark meat. Researchers have long studied the bird, technically known as Meleagris gallopavo, the wild turkey from which the domesticated version that we serve up with mashed potatoes and gravy was derived. Here are 10 of the most fun and fascinating things they’ve learned.
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Study: Hospital charges are spiking
Seth Sandronsky Medical & Allied HealthcareHospital charges were spiking before COVID-19 hit the U.S. A new study from National Nurses United/California Nurses Association (NNU/CNA) looks at Medicare cost reports for 4,203 hospitals in fiscal year 2018. These hospitals "are charging on average over $417 for every $100 in their total costs." The study was released on Nov. 17. "This is one of the most egregious examples of what you have with a system based on profit, not patient need," Chuck Idelson, spokesperson for the NNU/CNA, told MultiBriefs by phone. A case in point is patients who need healthcare but avoid it due to hospital costs. That is especially risky during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is exploding across the U.S.
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Video: The clinician’s 2-minute guide to serious illness conversations
Liz Eddy and Alyssa Ruderman Medical & Allied HealthcareSixty-eight percent of physicians have reported being unprepared to address end of life with patients. COVID-19 has led clinicians to face these conversations head on without the patients' loved ones in the room. Utilizing research from Dr. Atul Gwande and Dr. Richard Balaban as well as research and firsthand experience from Dr. Michael X. Jin, we have developed a digestible guide to addressing end of life with patients.
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As hospitals shutter elective surgeries again, patients return to virtual…
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationHospitals across the United States are once again setting aside elective surgeries as COVID makes another surge across the globe. As this plays out, many hospitals are returning to the early days of the pandemic when such procedures were canceled or postponed to ensure health systems could maintain their resources to reduce the spread of the virus. Elective surgery or an elective procedure is scheduled in advance because it does not involve a medical emergency. Semi-elective surgery must be done to preserve the patient's life but does not need to be performed immediately.
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Take a hike, for your health
Amanda Ghosh Sports & FitnessThere are 60,000 miles of hiking trails in the United States. A brisk walk will boost your mood, but it could also improve your body’s response to vaccination, and that’s worth talking about during flu season and a global pandemic. When you get a vaccine, your body responds by improving your immunity to the disease the vaccine prevents. So, while vaccines are important, vaccination response is equally essential. Behavioral alterations that improve vaccination response, like exercise, are fantastic because they can significantly affect immunity quickly and affordably. Yes, a hike (or even walk) can make a difference.