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How to stay connected (and have fun) while quarantined

Victoria Fann Mental Healthcare

Let's admit it: being quarantined — whether voluntary or mandatory — is difficult. Those who are living alone are in total isolation. Those who live with others are now together 24/7. Both extremes have their challenges. What they have in common is not being able to get together with close friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors, customers, students and so on. As the novelty of being home all day wears off, it's natural to feel frustrated, restless and lonely. This is when we need to find some creative ways to stay connected and, hopefully, have a little fun. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Infographic: Remote work in the coronavirus economy

Brian Wallace Business Management, Services & Risk Management

The period from 2005-17 saw a 159% increase in Americans working remotely. By the beginning of 2020, there were over 4 million people who work from home. Now with COVID-19 officially a pandemic and almost the whole world encouraging social distancing and self-quarantine, more people will be working from home than ever. While the boom in remote work may be temporary, operating away from the traditional workplace even in the short term is going to dramatically change the tools, support, and management styles needed in the workplace.

Coronavirus may delay HHS’ timetable for interoperability rules

Scott E. Rupp Healthcare Administration

Opponents of the new federal healthcare interoperability rules may have found an ally in the least likely place: The coronavirus. Because of the outbreak of the global pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is working to determine whether or not to push back the originally publicized timeline of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology's (ONC) interoperability rule.

Supporting student success through industry outreach

Sheilamary Koch Education

"I learned early in my career that I alone did not bring enough to the table to ensure the success of my students," explains Mark Smith, an industrial arts teacher at Reed-Custer High School in Illinois. "I needed to develop relationships with people outside the education system that are passionate about educating the next generation of skilled employees." In addition to the six classes he teaches, Smith actively markets the work his students do — successfully bridging the gap between the classroom and industry. Over 20 years of consistent outreach has certainly paid off.

Delivery services in multiple sectors are getting a boost during the COVID-19…

Linchi Kwok Food & Beverage

The impact of COVID-19 has been devastating and will continue indefinitely. It is no longer a question of whether the coronavirus pandemic will cause a global economic downturn. It is now about how much the economy will shrink. The coronavirus will probably change how people shop, travel, and work for years. People will likely rely more on delivery services. Such demand will help boost delivery businesses even when everybody is having a tough time fighting the pandemic.

Addressing the tech skills gap at K-12 level

Bambi Majumdar Education

The COVID-19 pandemic and its social distancing consequences have taught us that online education and soft skills will be integral parts of education going forward. As schools rapidly switch from classrooms to e-learning modes, students are learning how to interact and collaborate on projects that they would do in person. At this point, no one is sure how long the quarantine will last, but schools are focused on continuing education efforts and coming up with innovative ways to keep students engaged. Touching upon areas like soft skills and encouraging an exploration in computer education makes for a great start.

How blockchain works in the food industry

Gail Short Distribution & Warehousing

While blockchain technology is usually associated with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, today some companies in the food industry are beginning to implement this tool to increase transparency, trust and consumer safety while reducing waste. Every transaction along the supply chain is recorded on the digital ledger, time stamped, given a code or "hash," and linked to the blockchain. All parties on the network — growers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers — can read the data in real time and add their own updates.

Tips on secure remote working during the coronavirus outbreak

Daniel Markuson Business Management, Services & Risk Management

The coronavirus has triggered the world's biggest work-from-home experiment. Millions of people have been asked to self-isolate to stop the virus from spreading. Entire regions in China and Italy were put under full or partial lockdown. With the virus spreading, major companies in the U.S. and Europe, including Facebook and Amazon, are also asking employees to stay at home. The current situation has reignited the discussion on the effectiveness and security of remote work.

As COVID-19 spreads, the future of medicine is quickly becoming the medicine…

Tammy Hinojos Medical & Allied Healthcare

As the world continues its collective efforts at waging war against the rapidly spreading coronavirus, a handful of health tech devices and telemedicine tools are in the spotlight like never before. Many are being fast-tracked and called up to the front lines to be the tip of the spear in the coronavirus pandemic. For example, MedWand can listen to your heart and lungs, measure respiratory rates and blood oxygen levels. Originally forecast to receive FDA approval in late summer, the device is now under consideration for emergency use authorization by the FDA.

I’ve never led an online school. What do I do?

Brian Stack Education

Last week at this time, I thought the worst thing I'd have to deal with that week was the fact that we had a full moon and a Friday the 13th to get through with students. By the weekend, though, it became abundantly clear to me that I was about to enter uncharted territory in my 15+ year career as a high school administrator in New Hampshire. This article is written for every school principal that is or might be put into the situation of leading an online school "on the fly" in the coming days and weeks.

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