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STDs: A public health crisis
Dave G. Houser Medical & Allied HealthcareIt’s not exactly a topic for dinner-table conversation — but the often-unspoken reality is that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are spreading at a frightening rate around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), which refers to these diseases as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), nearly 1 million of them occur around the world every day. This is hardly a problem specific to poor, developing regions of the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the rate of reported STDs was the highest ever in the United States in 2017.
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Trump administration makes another healthcare price transparency push with…
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationThe Trump administration thorn may be officially piercing the side of hospital administrators. As a result of a recent executive order by President Donald Trump, they will be required to make information concerning their negotiated rates with insurers public. Providers and payers will be ordered to give patients estimates for out-of-pocket costs for procedures in advance of the procedure, according to the order. Trump signed the order June 24. The idea is that if people can shop around, market forces may drive down costs.
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Air quality at national parks may be as bad as the US’ largest cities
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalMillions of tourists will soon begin their treks across this great land during their annual summer vacations. Many of these people will find their way into America's national parks. They will come for the physical beauty, the nature, the outdoors, and the fresh air. Or so they think. As it turns out, we’re not breathing in the such clean air in the great outdoors of the National Park System. According to a new report, even our most well-known parks are covered with dangerous levels of pollution; roughly 96% of national parks are struggling with significant air quality issues.
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Travel2020: Global Entry program heads south, leaving travelers in a lurch
Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementFor me, it started with a simple email. I was given a courtesy warning by the Department of Homeland Security that my Global Entry privileges were expiring. I had been a member of Global Entry since it launched in 2008, so I was not about to let my certification slip away. I clicked on the link to start the "re-application" process — apparently "renewals" would no longer serve — and that is when my nightmares began. The nonintuitive, if not purposely stonewalling, website kept taking me to the same place: the wall. I would land on the spot, say three or so pages deep, where my ask "Trusted Traveler" ID would be requested. It would then populate fields with my passport information. If something was not right, this was the page on which to fix it.
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Enjoying the results of the Civilian Conservation Corps
Cindy Belt Recreation & LeisureWhenever we travel, we look for evidence of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). It was formed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 to provide jobs for young unmarried men to help bring the country out of the Great Depression. From 1933 to 1942, approximately 3 million men worked on planting trees, building roads and bridges, constructing fire towers, fighting fires, installing drainage systems, stringing telephone lines, and developing state and national parks.
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Student debt remains a political hot potato
Michelle R. Matisons EducationStudent debt is a complex problem, to be sure. There have been many debt relief proposals in recent years, and now the issue is playing out on the presidential campaign trail. The biggest issues here are deciding how much to pay off, finding debt relief funding mechanisms, and implementing an existing federal relief rule. Free or reduced college and the opportunity to have faulty debt expunged are no small potatoes. These reforms would radically alter U.S. education culture and open opportunities up at a time when they are closing for many.
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Opportunity alert: OASIS Unrestricted On-Ramps
Lisa Pafe Civil & GovernmentOASIS is a Multiple Award (MA), Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract classified as a Tier 3, Best-in-Class (BIC) contract providing solutions for complex professional services requirements. OASIS also helps agencies meet their government-wide spend under management (SUM) goals. GSA issued a Pre-Solicitation Notice on June 26 stating that the final OASIS Unrestricted On-Ramp solicitation will be available on or about July 8. The notice further stated that GSA intends to add 40 contracts to each of the three on-ramp Pools. With only weeks remaining, it is time to get ready. Here are five things you can do now to maximize your chances of success.
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Proposed California plastics law could be a game-changer for fighting pollution
Seth Sandronsky Waste Management & EnvironmentalCalifornia is the most populous state in the U.S. and the world’s fifth biggest economy. If enacted, the proposed California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act could be a game-changer in reducing plastic production and promoting a clean recycling economy. "The legislation will establish a comprehensive framework to address the pollution and waste crisis, and sets a statewide goal that manufacturers reduce the waste generated by single-use packaging and products by 75% after 2030," according to a statement from state Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica.
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Unique patient identifier ban lifted in House vote, still faces Senate
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationThe 20-year ban on the ability of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to establish a unique patient identifier has finally been struck down — in part. A unique patient identifier (or the lack of one) has long been a primary issue for health IT insiders and leaders. The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of ending the ban June 12. If it becomes law, it would allow federal funds to create the long-sought-after patient identifiers. The bill now moves to the Senate to be taken up for debate.
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Law enforcement agencies, lawmakers develop new steps to combat the opioid…
Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityThe opioid crisis is real, and it's growing at an alarming rate. Authorities around the country are taking whatever steps necessary to avert further deaths. One example is the new opioid crisis response bill signed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Now, prescription drug manufacturers and distributors in Minnesota will have to pay increased annual licensing fees to do business in the state. Under the new law, the fee is set to jump from about $200 to up to $305,000 a year. The increased fees will raise $20 million per year, which will go towards addiction prevention and treatment and addressing the opioid epidemic in the state.
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