Sample records for call center service

  1. 47 CFR 25.284 - Emergency Call Center Service.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... mobile satellite service to end-user customers (part 25, subparts A-D) must provide Emergency Call Center... Center personnel must determine the emergency caller's phone number and location and then transfer or otherwise redirect the call to an appropriate public safety answering point. Providers of mobile satellite...

  2. 47 CFR 25.284 - Emergency Call Center Service.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... service to the extent that they offer real-time, two way switched voice service that is interconnected... provider to reuse frequencies and/or accomplish seamless hand-offs of subscriber calls. Emergency Call Center personnel must determine the emergency caller's phone number and location and then transfer or...

  3. 47 CFR 25.284 - Emergency Call Center Service.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... service to the extent that they offer real-time, two way switched voice service that is interconnected... provider to reuse frequencies and/or accomplish seamless hand-offs of subscriber calls. Emergency Call Center personnel must determine the emergency caller's phone number and location and then transfer or...

  4. 47 CFR 25.284 - Emergency Call Center Service.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... service to the extent that they offer real-time, two way switched voice service that is interconnected... provider to reuse frequencies and/or accomplish seamless hand-offs of subscriber calls. Emergency Call Center personnel must determine the emergency caller's phone number and location and then transfer or...

  5. 47 CFR 25.284 - Emergency Call Center Service.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... service to the extent that they offer real-time, two way switched voice service that is interconnected... provider to reuse frequencies and/or accomplish seamless hand-offs of subscriber calls. Emergency Call Center personnel must determine the emergency caller's phone number and location and then transfer or...

  6. A call center primer.

    PubMed

    Durr, W

    1998-01-01

    Call centers are strategically and tactically important to many industries, including the healthcare industry. Call centers play a key role in acquiring and retaining customers. The ability to deliver high-quality and timely customer service without much expense is the basis for the proliferation and expansion of call centers. Call centers are unique blends of people and technology, where performance indicates combining appropriate technology tools with sound management practices built on key operational data. While the technology is fascinating, the people working in call centers and the skill of the management team ultimately make a difference to their companies.

  7. Integrated care management: aligning medical call centers and nurse triage services.

    PubMed

    Kastens, J M

    1998-01-01

    Successful integrated delivery systems must aggressively design new approaches to managing patient care. Implementing a comprehensive care management model to coordinate patient care across the continuum is essential to improving patient care and reducing costs. The practice of telephone nursing and the need for experienced registered nurses to staff medical call centers, nurse triage centers, and outbound telemanagement is expanding as the penetration of full-risk capitated managed care contracts are signed. As health systems design their new care delivery approaches and care management models, medical call centers will be an integral approach to managing demand for services, chronic illnesses, and prevention strategies.

  8. TPMG Northern California appointments and advice call center.

    PubMed

    Conolly, Patricia; Levine, Leslie; Amaral, Debra J; Fireman, Bruce H; Driscoll, Tom

    2005-08-01

    Kaiser Permanente (KP) has been developing its use of call centers as a way to provide an expansive set of healthcare services to KP members efficiently and cost effectively. Since 1995, when The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) began to consolidate primary care phone services into three physical call centers, the TPMG Appointments and Advice Call Center (AACC) has become the "front office" for primary care services across approximately 89% of Northern California. The AACC provides primary care phone service for approximately 3 million Kaiser Foundation Health Plan members in Northern California and responds to approximately 1 million calls per month across the three AACC sites. A database records each caller's identity as well as the day, time, and duration of each call; reason for calling; services provided to callers as a result of calls; and clinical outcomes of calls. We here summarize this information for the period 2000 through 2003.

  9. Canceled to Be Called Back: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Canceled Helicopter Emergency Medical Service Scene Calls That Are Later Transferred to a Trauma Center.

    PubMed

    Nolan, Brodie; Ackery, Alun; Nathens, Avery; Sawadsky, Bruce; Tien, Homer

    In our trauma system, helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) can be requested to attend a scene call for an injured patient before arrival by land paramedics. Land paramedics can cancel this response if they deem it unnecessary. The purpose of this study is to describe the frequency of canceled HEMS scene calls that were subsequently transferred to 2 trauma centers and to assess for any impact on morbidity and mortality. Probabilistic matching was used to identify canceled HEMS scene call patients who were later transported to 2 trauma centers over a 48-month period. Registry data were used to compare canceled scene call patients with direct from scene patients. There were 290 requests for HEMS scene calls, of which 35.2% were canceled. Of those canceled, 24.5% were later transported to our trauma centers. Canceled scene call patients were more likely to be older and to be discharged home from the trauma center without being admitted. There is a significant amount of undertriage of patients for whom an HEMS response was canceled and later transported to a trauma center. These patients face similar morbidity and mortality as patients who are brought directly from scene to a trauma center. Copyright © 2018 Air Medical Journal Associates. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Leveraging Call Center Logs for Customer Behavior Prediction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parvathy, Anju G.; Vasudevan, Bintu G.; Kumar, Abhishek; Balakrishnan, Rajesh

    Most major businesses use business process outsourcing for performing a process or a part of a process including financial services like mortgage processing, loan origination, finance and accounting and transaction processing. Call centers are used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests through outbound and inbound calls to customers on behalf of a business. In this paper we deal specifically with the call centers notes from banks. Banks as financial institutions provide loans to non-financial businesses and individuals. Their call centers act as the nuclei of their client service operations and log the transactions between the customer and the bank. This crucial conversation or information can be exploited for predicting a customer’s behavior which will in turn help these businesses to decide on the next action to be taken. Thus the banks save considerable time and effort in tracking delinquent customers to ensure minimum subsequent defaulters. Majority of the time the call center notes are very concise and brief and often the notes are misspelled and use many domain specific acronyms. In this paper we introduce a novel domain specific spelling correction algorithm which corrects the misspelled words in the call center logs to meaningful ones. We also discuss a procedure that builds the behavioral history sequences for the customers by categorizing the logs into one of the predefined behavioral states. We then describe a pattern based predictive algorithm that uses temporal behavioral patterns mined from these sequences to predict the customer’s next behavioral state.

  11. Optimal service using Matlab - simulink controlled Queuing system at call centers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balaji, N.; Siva, E. P.; Chandrasekaran, A. D.; Tamilazhagan, V.

    2018-04-01

    This paper presents graphical integrated model based academic research on telephone call centres. This paper introduces an important feature of impatient customers and abandonments in the queue system. However the modern call centre is a complex socio-technical system. Queuing theory has now become a suitable application in the telecom industry to provide better online services. Through this Matlab-simulink multi queuing structured models provide better solutions in complex situations at call centres. Service performance measures analyzed at optimal level through Simulink queuing model.

  12. Implementation and quality assessment of a pharmacy services call center for outpatient pharmacies and specialty pharmacy services in an academic health system.

    PubMed

    Rim, Matthew H; Thomas, Karen C; Chandramouli, Jane; Barrus, Stephanie A; Nickman, Nancy A

    2018-05-15

    The implementation and quality assessment of a pharmacy services call center (PSCC) for outpatient pharmacies and specialty pharmacy services within an academic health system are described. Prolonged wait times in outpatient pharmacies or hold times on the phone affect the ability of pharmacies to capture and retain prescriptions. To support outpatient pharmacy operations and improve quality, a PSCC was developed to centralize handling of all outpatient and specialty pharmacy calls. The purpose of the PSCC was to improve the quality of pharmacy telephone services by (1) decreasing the call abandonment rate, (2) improving the speed of answer, (3) increasing first-call resolution, (4) centralizing all specialty pharmacy and prior authorization calls, (5) increasing labor efficiency and pharmacy capacities, (6) implementing a quality evaluation program, and (7) improving workplace satisfaction and retention of outpatient pharmacy staff. The PSCC centralized pharmacy calls from 9 pharmacy locations, 2 outpatient clinics, and a specialty pharmacy. Since implementation, the PSCC has achieved and maintained program goals, including improved abandonment rate, speed of answer, and first-call resolution. A centralized 24-7 support line for specialty pharmacy patients was also successfully established. A quality calibration program was implemented to ensure service quality and excellent patient experience. Additional ongoing evaluations measure the impact of the PSCC on improving workplace satisfaction and retention of outpatient pharmacy staff. The design and implementation of the PSCC have significantly improved the health system's patient experiences, efficiency, and quality. Copyright © 2018 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Impact of a Regional Pharmacy Call Center on Telephone Access Metrics Within the Veterans Health Administration.

    PubMed

    White, Christina A; Jones, Marshall R; Kuester, Melanie K; Myers, Kelly L; Schnarr, Barbara A

    2015-05-01

    To establish a cost-effective centralized pharmacy call center to serve the patients of Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 11 that would meet established performance metrics. A pilot project began in August 2011 with the Indianapolis VA Medical Center (VAMC) and the Health Resource Center (HRC) in Topeka, Kansas. The Indianapolis VAMC used a first-call resolution business model consisting of pharmacy technicians receiving tier 1 phone calls that could be escalated to a tier 2 line that consisted of lead technicians and pharmacists, while the HRC utilized general telephone agents that would transfer unresolved calls to the primary facility. Pre- and post-VISN 11 Pharmacy Call Center performance metrics were compared for each of the 7 facilities in the network with the goals being monthly average abandoned call rate less than 5% and average speed to answer less than 30 seconds. Cost per call was also compared. The average abandoned call rate for the network during the year prior to VISN 11 Pharmacy Call Center implementation (August 2010-July 2011) was 15.66% and decreased to 3% in July 2014. The average abandoned call rate decreased for each individual facility. In fiscal year 2014, the VISN 11 Pharmacy Call Center was operating at a cost of $4.35 per call while providing more services than the HRC, resulting in less workload being transferred back to the individual facilities. A centralized VISN pharmacy call center is a reasonable alternative to individual facility call centers or the HRC.

  14. Impact of a Regional Pharmacy Call Center on Telephone Access Metrics Within the Veterans Health Administration

    PubMed Central

    Jones, Marshall R.; Kuester, Melanie K.; Myers, Kelly L.; Schnarr, Barbara A.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To establish a cost-effective centralized pharmacy call center to serve the patients of Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 11 that would meet established performance metrics. Methods: A pilot project began in August 2011 with the Indianapolis VA Medical Center (VAMC) and the Health Resource Center (HRC) in Topeka, Kansas. The Indianapolis VAMC used a first-call resolution business model consisting of pharmacy technicians receiving tier 1 phone calls that could be escalated to a tier 2 line that consisted of lead technicians and pharmacists, while the HRC utilized general telephone agents that would transfer unresolved calls to the primary facility. Pre- and post-VISN 11 Pharmacy Call Center performance metrics were compared for each of the 7 facilities in the network with the goals being monthly average abandoned call rate less than 5% and average speed to answer less than 30 seconds. Cost per call was also compared. Results: The average abandoned call rate for the network during the year prior to VISN 11 Pharmacy Call Center implementation (August 2010-July 2011) was 15.66% and decreased to 3% in July 2014. The average abandoned call rate decreased for each individual facility. In fiscal year 2014, the VISN 11 Pharmacy Call Center was operating at a cost of $4.35 per call while providing more services than the HRC, resulting in less workload being transferred back to the individual facilities. Conclusion: A centralized VISN pharmacy call center is a reasonable alternative to individual facility call centers or the HRC. PMID:26405322

  15. An MIP model to schedule the call center workforce and organize the breaks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Türker, Turgay; Demiriz, Ayhan

    2016-06-01

    In modern economies, companies place a premium on managing their workforce efficiently especially in labor intensive service sector, since the services have become the significant portion of the economies. Tour scheduling is an important tool to minimize the overall workforce costs while satisfying the minimum service level constraints. In this study, we consider the workforce management problem of an inbound call-center while satisfying the call demand within the short time periods with the minimum cost. We propose a mixed-integer programming model to assign workers to the daily shifts, to determine the weekly off-days, and to determine the timings of lunch and other daily breaks for each worker. The proposed model has been verified on the weekly demand data observed at a specific call center location of a satellite TV operator. The model was run on both 15 and 10 minutes demand estimation periods (planning time intervals).

  16. Mining of Business-Oriented Conversations at a Call Center

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takeuchi, Hironori; Nasukawa, Tetsuya; Watanabe, Hideo

    Recently it has become feasible to transcribe textual records from telephone conversations at call centers by using automatic speech recognition. In this research, we extended a text mining system for call summary records and constructed a conversation mining system for the business-oriented conversations at the call center. To acquire useful business insights from the conversational data through the text mining system, it is critical to identify appropriate textual segments and expressions as the viewpoints to focus on. In the analysis of call summary data using a text mining system, some experts defined the viewpoints for the analysis by looking at some sample records and by preparing the dictionaries based on frequent keywords in the sample dataset. However with conversations it is difficult to identify such viewpoints manually and in advance because the target data consists of complete transcripts that are often lengthy and redundant. In this research, we defined a model of the business-oriented conversations and proposed a mining method to identify segments that have impacts on the outcomes of the conversations and can then extract useful expressions in each of these identified segments. In the experiment, we processed the real datasets from a car rental service center and constructed a mining system. With this system, we show the effectiveness of the method based on the defined conversation model.

  17. Lunar phases and crisis center telephone calls.

    PubMed

    Wilson, J E; Tobacyk, J J

    1990-02-01

    The lunar hypothesis, that is, the notion that lunar phases can directly affect human behavior, was tested by time-series analysis of 4,575 crisis center telephone calls (all calls recorded for a 6-month interval). As expected, the lunar hypothesis was not supported. The 28-day lunar cycle accounted for less than 1% of the variance of the frequency of crisis center calls. Also, as hypothesized from an attribution theory framework, crisis center workers reported significantly greater belief in lunar effects than a non-crisis-center-worker comparison group.

  18. Creating a vision for your medical call center.

    PubMed

    Barr, J L; Laufenberg, S; Sieckman, B L

    1998-01-01

    MCC technologies and applications that can have a positive impact on managed care delivery are almost limitless. As you determine your vision, be sure to have in mind the following questions: (1) Do you simply want an efficient front end for receiving calls? (2) Do you want to offer triage services? (3) Is your organization ready for a fully functional "electronic physician's office?" Understand your organization's strategy. Where are you going, not only today but five years from now? That information is essential to determine your vision. Once established, your vision will help determine what you need and whether you should build or outsource. Vendors will assist in cost/benefit analysis of their equipment, but do not lose sight of internal factors such as "prior inclination" costs in the case of a nurse triage program. The technology is available to take your vision to its outer reaches. With the projected increase in utilization of call center services, don't let your organization be left behind!

  19. Inbound Call Centers and Emotional Dissonance in the Job Demands - Resources Model.

    PubMed

    Molino, Monica; Emanuel, Federica; Zito, Margherita; Ghislieri, Chiara; Colombo, Lara; Cortese, Claudio G

    2016-01-01

    Emotional labor, defined as the process of regulating feelings and expressions as part of the work role, is a major characteristic in call centers. In particular, interacting with customers, agents are required to show certain emotions that are considered acceptable by the organization, even though these emotions may be different from their true feelings. This kind of experience is defined as emotional dissonance and represents a feature of the job especially for call center inbound activities. The present study was aimed at investigating whether emotional dissonance mediates the relationship between job demands (workload and customer verbal aggression) and job resources (supervisor support, colleague support, and job autonomy) on the one hand, and, on the other, affective discomfort, using the job demands-resources model as a framework. The study also observed differences between two different types of inbound activities: customer assistance service (CA) and information service. The study involved agents of an Italian Telecommunication Company, 352 of whom worked in the CA and 179 in the information service. The hypothesized model was tested across the two groups through multi-group structural equation modeling. Analyses showed that CA agents experience greater customer verbal aggression and emotional dissonance than information service agents. RESULTS also showed, only for the CA group, a full mediation of emotional dissonance between workload and affective discomfort, and a partial mediation of customer verbal aggression and job autonomy, and affective discomfort. This study's findings contributed both to the emotional labor literature, investigating the mediational role of emotional dissonance in the job demands-resources model, and to call center literature, considering differences between two specific kinds of inbound activities. Suggestions for organizations and practitioners emerged in order to identify practical implications useful both to support

  20. Best practices for world-class call centers.

    PubMed

    1998-11-01

    Quality, not quantity, counts more in performance measures for best-practice call centers. Spend money on effective upfront training to save later through increased employee and customer loyalty. Give structured feedback and strong internal support to call-center representatives.

  1. Perceived job stress and health complaints at a bank call center: comparison between inbound and outbound services.

    PubMed

    Lin, Yen-Hui; Chen, Chih-Yong; Hong, Wei-Hsien; Lin, Yu-Chao

    2010-01-01

    This study investigated how perceived job stress and health status differ, as well as the relationships to inbound (incoming calls) versus outbound (outgoing calls) calling activities, for call center workers in a bank in Taiwan. The sample bank employed 289 call center workers at the time of the survey, ranging in age from 19 to 54 yr old. Data were obtained on individual factors, health complaints, perceived level job stress, and major job stressors. Overall, 33.5% of outbound operators and 27.1% of inbound operators reported frequently or always experiencing high stress at work, however, the differences between inbound and outbound operators were insignificant. "Having to deal with difficult customers" was the most frequent job stressor for all workers. Musculoskeletal discomfort, eye strain, and hoarse or sore throat were the most prevalent complaints among call center workers. The relationship between perceived job stress and health complaints indicated that workers who perceived higher job stress had significantly increased risk of multiple health problems, including eye strain, tinnitus, hoarse or sore throat, chronic cough with phlegm, chest tightness, irritable stomach or peptic ulcers, and musculoskeletal discomfort (with odds ratios ranging from 2.13 to 8.24). These analytical results suggest that perceived job stress in the call center profoundly affected worker health. This study identified main types of job stressors requiring further investigation.

  2. Inbound Call Centers and Emotional Dissonance in the Job Demands – Resources Model

    PubMed Central

    Molino, Monica; Emanuel, Federica; Zito, Margherita; Ghislieri, Chiara; Colombo, Lara; Cortese, Claudio G.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Emotional labor, defined as the process of regulating feelings and expressions as part of the work role, is a major characteristic in call centers. In particular, interacting with customers, agents are required to show certain emotions that are considered acceptable by the organization, even though these emotions may be different from their true feelings. This kind of experience is defined as emotional dissonance and represents a feature of the job especially for call center inbound activities. Aim: The present study was aimed at investigating whether emotional dissonance mediates the relationship between job demands (workload and customer verbal aggression) and job resources (supervisor support, colleague support, and job autonomy) on the one hand, and, on the other, affective discomfort, using the job demands-resources model as a framework. The study also observed differences between two different types of inbound activities: customer assistance service (CA) and information service. Method: The study involved agents of an Italian Telecommunication Company, 352 of whom worked in the CA and 179 in the information service. The hypothesized model was tested across the two groups through multi-group structural equation modeling. Results: Analyses showed that CA agents experience greater customer verbal aggression and emotional dissonance than information service agents. Results also showed, only for the CA group, a full mediation of emotional dissonance between workload and affective discomfort, and a partial mediation of customer verbal aggression and job autonomy, and affective discomfort. Conclusion: This study’s findings contributed both to the emotional labor literature, investigating the mediational role of emotional dissonance in the job demands-resources model, and to call center literature, considering differences between two specific kinds of inbound activities. Suggestions for organizations and practitioners emerged in order to identify

  3. [A relational database to store Poison Centers calls].

    PubMed

    Barelli, Alessandro; Biondi, Immacolata; Tafani, Chiara; Pellegrini, Aristide; Soave, Maurizio; Gaspari, Rita; Annetta, Maria Giuseppina

    2006-01-01

    Italian Poison Centers answer to approximately 100,000 calls per year. Potentially, this activity is a huge source of data for toxicovigilance and for syndromic surveillance. During the last decade, surveillance systems for early detection of outbreaks have drawn the attention of public health institutions due to the threat of terrorism and high-profile disease outbreaks. Poisoning surveillance needs the ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of harmonised data about poisonings from all Poison Centers for use in public health action to reduce morbidity and mortality and to improve health. The entity-relationship model for a Poison Center relational database is extremely complex and not studied in detail. For this reason, not harmonised data collection happens among Italian Poison Centers. Entities are recognizable concepts, either concrete or abstract, such as patients and poisons, or events which have relevance to the database, such as calls. Connectivity and cardinality of relationships are complex as well. A one-to-many relationship exist between calls and patients: for one instance of entity calls, there are zero, one, or many instances of entity patients. At the same time, a one-to-many relationship exist between patients and poisons: for one instance of entity patients, there are zero, one, or many instances of entity poisons. This paper shows a relational model for a poison center database which allows the harmonised data collection of poison centers calls.

  4. [Work-family conflict in call center].

    PubMed

    Ghislieri, Chiara; Ricotta, Simona; Colombo, Lara

    2012-01-01

    The working environment of call centers, which have seen a significant growth in recent years, has been the subject of several studies aiming at understanding its specific dynamics, with particular attention to the possible causes of stress and discomfort. Despite the fact that the work-family conflict is considered a source of stress responsible for undermining workers' well-being, and as such has been explored in many work environments, there is still very little research specific to call centers. This study had the following aims: to explore work-family conflict perceived by call-center operators taking account of any differences related to respondents'professional and personal characteristics; to understand which demands and resources can have an impact on work-family conflict in this context. The study was carried out on a sample of 898 call center operators in a telecommunications company through the administration of a self-reporting questionnaire. Data analysis included: t-test, one-way analysis of variance, linear correlations and multiple regressions. A higher perception of work-family conflict among workers having a full-time contract was observed compared to those having part-time contracts. Multiple regression analysis identified as sources of influence on work-family conflict: emotional dissonance, uneasiness due customer dissatisfaction, workload, avoidance coping and working hours. Work-family conflict in the context studied is not particularly critical: it is in part influenced by professional and personal characteristics of respondents and primarily caused by work demands. Managerial implications are discussed, especially referred to training activities.

  5. Primary Care DirectConnect: How the Marriage of Call Center Technology and the EMR Brought Dramatic Results—A Service Quality Improvement Study

    PubMed Central

    Bowman, Brent; Smith, Scott

    2010-01-01

    Of the key Health Plan patient satisfaction measures used in Kaiser Permanente Colorado, ease of contacting the physician's office with a medical question was consistently rated as the lowest quarterly patient satisfaction measure. Furthermore, medical office staff had become dissatisfied with their inability to contact patients who had previously left messages. In addition to the shear volume of messages, the return calls were often unanswered, leading to subsequent attempts to reach patients, creating additional work for medical office staff. DirectConnect—the project name for a system and set of processes focused on improving patient satisfaction with the ability to contact Primary Care delivery teams by telephone—focuses on isolating medical advice calls from the other types of calls handled by the centralized Call Center. The system identifies the patient using his/her unique electronic medical record number, then automatically routes medical advice calls directly to the appropriate Primary Care Physician (PCP) or staff. The clinician may then evaluate and respond to the patient's need quickly, thus managing more of their panel's requests in real time. How is DirectConnect different from simply having the patient contact their PCP's office directly? The primary difference is “one-number” convenience that allows all patients to dial one number to access their PCP's team. In addition, calls are routed to various staff as available to reduce long telephone queues and wait times. The DirectConnect system has resulted in statistically significant improvement in key service quality measures. Patient satisfaction improved from a pre-implementation nine quarter mean of 55.9% to a post-implementation 12 quarter mean of 70.2%. Fourteen percent to 17% of all Primary Care calls are now handled by the patient's home medical office team, creating a 54% improvement in the centralized Call Center's speed of answering calls in the first quarter post implementation

  6. Primary Care DirectConnect: How the Marriage of Call Center Technology and the EMR Brought Dramatic Results-A Service Quality Improvement Study.

    PubMed

    Bowman, Brent; Smith, Scott

    2010-01-01

    Of the key Health Plan patient satisfaction measures used in Kaiser Permanente Colorado, ease of contacting the physician's office with a medical question was consistently rated as the lowest quarterly patient satisfaction measure. Furthermore, medical office staff had become dissatisfied with their inability to contact patients who had previously left messages. In addition to the shear volume of messages, the return calls were often unanswered, leading to subsequent attempts to reach patients, creating additional work for medical office staff.DirectConnect-the project name for a system and set of processes focused on improving patient satisfaction with the ability to contact Primary Care delivery teams by telephone-focuses on isolating medical advice calls from the other types of calls handled by the centralized Call Center. The system identifies the patient using his/her unique electronic medical record number, then automatically routes medical advice calls directly to the appropriate Primary Care Physician (PCP) or staff. The clinician may then evaluate and respond to the patient's need quickly, thus managing more of their panel's requests in real time.How is DirectConnect different from simply having the patient contact their PCP's office directly? The primary difference is "one-number" convenience that allows all patients to dial one number to access their PCP's team. In addition, calls are routed to various staff as available to reduce long telephone queues and wait times.The DirectConnect system has resulted in statistically significant improvement in key service quality measures. Patient satisfaction improved from a pre-implementation nine quarter mean of 55.9% to a post-implementation 12 quarter mean of 70.2%. Fourteen percent to 17% of all Primary Care calls are now handled by the patient's home medical office team, creating a 54% improvement in the centralized Call Center's speed of answering calls in the first quarter post implementation-making no

  7. 47 CFR 32.6621 - Call completion services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Call completion services. 32.6621 Section 32.6621 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES Instructions for Expense Accounts § 32.6621 Call...

  8. Radio advertising increases hospital call center volume by 48%.

    PubMed

    2006-01-01

    Since the fall of 2005, call volume at University of Southern California University Hospital of Los Angeles' call center has increased by nearly 50%. How? The hospital embarked on a long-term radio campaign to promote its presence as a premier academic medical center and to increase patient volume.

  9. Characteristics of service requests and service processes of fire and rescue service dispatch centers: analysis of real world data and the underlying probability distributions.

    PubMed

    Krueger, Ute; Schimmelpfeng, Katja

    2013-03-01

    A sufficient staffing level in fire and rescue dispatch centers is crucial for saving lives. Therefore, it is important to estimate the expected workload properly. For this purpose, we analyzed whether a dispatch center can be considered as a call center. Current call center publications very often model call arrivals as a non-homogeneous Poisson process. This bases on the underlying assumption of the caller's independent decision to call or not to call. In case of an emergency, however, there are often calls from more than one person reporting the same incident and thus, these calls are not independent. Therefore, this paper focuses on the dependency of calls in a fire and rescue dispatch center. We analyzed and evaluated several distributions in this setting. Results are illustrated using real-world data collected from a typical German dispatch center in Cottbus ("Leitstelle Lausitz"). We identified the Pólya distribution as being superior to the Poisson distribution in describing the call arrival rate and the Weibull distribution to be more suitable than the exponential distribution for interarrival times and service times. However, the commonly used distributions offer acceptable approximations. This is important for estimating a sufficient staffing level in practice using, e.g., the Erlang-C model.

  10. Using Poison Center Exposure Calls to Predict Methadone Poisoning Deaths

    PubMed Central

    Dasgupta, Nabarun; Davis, Jonathan; Jonsson Funk, Michele; Dart, Richard

    2012-01-01

    Purpose There are more drug overdose deaths in the Untied States than motor vehicle fatalities. Yet the US vital statistics reporting system is of limited value because the data are delayed by four years. Poison centers report data within an hour of the event, but previous studies suggested a small proportion of poisoning deaths are reported to poison centers (PC). In an era of improved electronic surveillance capabilities, exposure calls to PCs may be an alternate indicator of trends in overdose mortality. Methods We used PC call counts for methadone that were reported to the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS®) System in 2006 and 2007. US death certificate data were used to identify deaths due to methadone. Linear regression was used to quantify the relationship of deaths and poison center calls. Results Compared to decedents, poison center callers tended to be younger, more often female, at home and less likely to require medical attention. A strong association was found with PC calls and methadone mortality (b = 0.88, se = 0.42, t = 9.5, df = 1, p<0.0001, R2 = 0.77). These findings were robust to large changes in a sensitivity analysis assessing the impact of underreporting of methadone overdose deaths. Conclusions Our results suggest that calls to poison centers for methadone are correlated with poisoning mortality as identified on death certificates. Calls received by poison centers may be used for timely surveillance of mortality due to methadone. In the midst of the prescription opioid overdose epidemic, electronic surveillance tools that report in real-time are powerful public health tools. PMID:22829925

  11. [Effect of work and organizational characteristics on workers in call centers: longitudinal study in an information service company].

    PubMed

    Tei, Maki; Yamazaki, Yoshihiko

    2005-09-01

    To investigate the effect of work and organizational characteristics on workers' health status, with job dissatisfaction and intentions to leave as "organizational health", we conducted a longitudinal study using a questionnaire survey in call centers of an information service company from July to August in 2001 and 2002. The response rates were 96.2% and 92.0%, respectively. For the statistical analysis, the completed data of 296 technical support staff, which was more than 80% of the data, was used. We identified seven subscales composed of 29 items of work and organizational characteristics as scales of "organizational characteristics" and "work and workplace characteristics". The results of hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed quantitative and qualitative job-overload influenced psychological health status and poor supervisor support influenced all outcome variables. Moreover, "organizational characteristics" influenced cumulative fatigue and job dissatisfaction, showing an indirect effect with poor supervisor support and coworker support. This study suggests that measures of work and organizational characteristics are useful interventions for "organizational health".

  12. Relating calls to US poison centers for potential exposures to medications to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting of influenza-like illness.

    PubMed

    Beauchamp, Gillian A; McKeown, Nathanael J; Rodriguez, Sergio; Spyker, Daniel A

    2016-03-01

    The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) monitors influenza like illness (ILI) and the National Poison Data System (NPDS) warehouses call data uploaded by US poison centers regarding reported exposures to medication. We examined the relationship between calls to poison centers regarding reported exposures to medications commonly used to treat ILI and weekly reports of ILI. The CDC reports ILI, by age group, for each of 10 Health and Human Services (HHS) regions. We examined NPDS summary data from calls reported to poison centers regarding reported exposures to acetaminophen, cough/cold medications, and promethazine, for the same weeks, age groups, and HHS regions for influenza seasons 2000-2013. ILI and NPDS exposures were examined using graphical plots, descriptive statistics, stepwise regression analysis, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). About 5,101,841 influenza-like illness cases were reported to the CDC, and 2,122,940 calls regarding reported exposures to medications commonly used to treat ILI, were reported by poison centers to the NPDS over the 13 flu seasons. Analysis of stepwise models of the linear untransformed data involving 24 NPDS data groups and for 60 ILI measures, over the 13 influenza seasons, demonstrated that reported exposures to medications used to treat ILI correlated with reported cases of ILI with a median R(2 )=( )0.489 (min R(2 )=( )0.248, max R(2 )=( )0.717), with mean ± SD of R(2 )=( )0.494 ± 0.121. Median number of parameters used (degrees of freedom - 1) was 7. NPDS data regarding poison center calls for selected ILI medication exposures were highly correlated with CDC ILI data. Since NPDS data are available in real time, it provides complimentary ILI monitoring. This approach may provide public health value in predicting other illnesses which are not currently as thoroughly monitored.

  13. Psychophysiological effects of emotional display rules and the moderating role of trait anger in a simulated call center.

    PubMed

    Rohrmann, Sonja; Bechtoldt, Myriam N; Hopp, Henrik; Hodapp, Volker; Zapf, Dieter

    2011-07-01

    In customer interactions, emotional display rules typically prescribe service providers to suppress negative emotions and display positive ones. This study investigated the causal impact of these emotional display rules on physiological indicators of workers' stress and performance. Additionally, the moderating influence of personality was examined by analyzing the impact of trait anger. In a simulated call center, 82 females were confronted with a complaining customer and instructed to react either authentically and show their true emotions or to "serve with a smile" and hide negative emotions. Increases in diastolic blood pressure and heart rates were higher in the smile condition, while verbal fluency was lower. Trait anger moderated the effects on diastolic blood pressure and observer ratings' of participants' professional competence, suggesting more negative effects for high trait anger individuals. Findings imply that emotional display rules may increase call center employees' strain and that considering employees' personality may be crucial for precluding health and performance impairments among call center workers.

  14. 77 FR 56710 - Proposed Information Collection (Call Center Satisfaction Survey): Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0744] Proposed Information Collection (Call Center Satisfaction Survey): Comment Request AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of... techniques or the use of other forms of information technology. Title: VBA Call Center Satisfaction Survey...

  15. Outsourcing your medical practice call center: how to choose a vendor to ensure regulatory compliance.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Bill

    2014-01-01

    Medical practices receive hundreds if not thousands of calls every week from patients, payers, pharmacies, and others. Outsourcing call centers can be a smart move to improve efficiency, lower costs, improve customer care, ensure proper payer management, and ensure regulatory compliance. This article discusses how to know when it's time to move to an outsourced call center, the benefits of making the move, how to choose the right call center, and how to make the transition. It also provides tips on how to manage the call center to ensure the objectives are being met.

  16. Transforming trauma healthcare delivery in rural areas by use of an integrated call center.

    PubMed

    Agrawal, Deepak

    2012-01-01

    There is poor penetration of trauma healthcare delivery in rural areas. On the other hand, mobile penetration in India is now averaging 80% with most families having access to mobile phone. The aim of this study was to assess the implementation and socioeconomic impact of a call center in providing healthcare delivery for patients with head and spinal injuries. This was a prospective observational study carried out over a 6-month period at a level I trauma Center in New Delhi, India. A nine-seater call center was outsourced to a private company and the hospital's electronic medical records were integrated with the call-center operations. The call center was given responsibility of maintaining appointments and scheduling clinics for the whole hospital as well as ensuring follow-up visits. Trained call-center staff handled simple patient queries and referred the rest via email to concerned doctors. A telephonic survey was done prior to the start of call-center operations and after 3 months to assess for user satisfaction. The initial cost of outsourcing the call center was Rs 1.6 lakhs (US$ 4000), with a recurring cost of Rs 80,000 (US$ 2000) per month. A total of 484 patients were admitted in the department of Neurosurgery during the study period. Of these, 63% (n=305) were from rural areas. Patients' overall experience for clinic visits improved markedly following implementation of call center. Patient satisfaction for follow-up visits increased from a mean of 32-96%. Ninety-five percent patients reported a significant decrease in waiting time in clinics 80.4% reporting improved doctor-patient interaction. A total of 52 visits could be postponed/cancelled for patients living in far flung areas resulting in major socioeconomic benefits to these families. As shown by our case study, call centers have the potential to revolutionize delivery of trauma healthcare to rural areas in an extremely cost-effective manner.

  17. Transforming trauma healthcare delivery in rural areas by use of an integrated call center

    PubMed Central

    Agrawal, Deepak

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: There is poor penetration of trauma healthcare delivery in rural areas. On the other hand, mobile penetration in India is now averaging 80% with most families having access to mobile phone. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the implementation and socioeconomic impact of a call center in providing healthcare delivery for patients with head and spinal injuries. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational study carried out over a 6-month period at a level I trauma Center in New Delhi, India. A nine-seater call center was outsourced to a private company and the hospital's electronic medical records were integrated with the call-center operations. The call center was given responsibility of maintaining appointments and scheduling clinics for the whole hospital as well as ensuring follow-up visits. Trained call-center staff handled simple patient queries and referred the rest via email to concerned doctors. A telephonic survey was done prior to the start of call-center operations and after 3 months to assess for user satisfaction. Results: The initial cost of outsourcing the call center was Rs 1.6 lakhs (US$ 4000), with a recurring cost of Rs 80,000 (US$ 2000) per month. A total of 484 patients were admitted in the department of Neurosurgery during the study period. Of these, 63% (n=305) were from rural areas. Patients’ overall experience for clinic visits improved markedly following implementation of call center. Patient satisfaction for follow-up visits increased from a mean of 32-96%. Ninety-five percent patients reported a significant decrease in waiting time in clinics 80.4% reporting improved doctor-patient interaction. A total of 52 visits could be postponed/cancelled for patients living in far flung areas resulting in major socioeconomic benefits to these families. Conclusions: As shown by our case study, call centers have the potential to revolutionize delivery of trauma healthcare to rural areas in an

  18. Atmospheric Composition Data and Information Services Center (ACDISC)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kempler, S.

    2005-01-01

    NASA's GSFC Earth Sciences (GES) Data and Information and Data Services Center (DISC) manages the archive, distribution and data access for atmospheric composition data from AURA'S OMI, MLS, and hopefully one day, HIRDLS instruments, as well as heritage datasets from TOMS, UARS, MODIS, and AIRS. This data is currently archived in the GES Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). The GES DISC has begun the development of a community driven data management system that's sole purpose is to manage and provide value added services to NASA's Atmospheric Composition (AC) Data. This system, called the Atmospheric Composition Data and Information Services Center (ACDISC) will provide access all AC datasets from the above mentioned instruments, as well as AC datasets residing at remote archive sites (e.g, LaRC DAAC) The goals of the ACDISC are to: 1) Provide a data center for Atmospheric Scientists, guided by Atmospheric Scientists; 2) Be absolutely responsive to the data and data service needs of the Atmospheric Composition (AC) community; 3) Provide services (i.e., expertise) that will facilitate the effortless access to and usage of AC data; 4) Collaborate with AC scientists to facilitate the use of data from multiple sensors for long term atmospheric research. The ACDISC is an AC specific, user driven, multi-sensor, on-line, easy access archive and distribution system employing data analysis and visualization, data mining, and other user requested techniques that facilitate science data usage. The purpose of this presentation is to provide the evolution path that the GES DISC in order to better serve AC data, and also to receive continued community feedback and further foster collaboration with AC data users and providers.

  19. Electronic Cigarette Exposure: Calls to Wisconsin Poison Control Centers, 2010–2015.

    PubMed

    Weiss, Debora; Tomasallo, Carrie D; Meiman, Jon G; Creswell, Paul D; Melstrom, Paul C; Gummin, David D; Patel, Disa J; Michaud, Nancy T; Sebero, Heather A; Anderson, Henry A

    2016-12-01

    E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that deliver nicotine and flavorings by aerosol and have been marketed in the United States since 2007. Because e-cigarettes have increased in popularity, toxicity potential from device misuse and malfunction also has increased. National data indicate that during 2010–2014, exposure calls to US poison control centers increased only 0.3% for conventional cigarette exposures, whereas calls increased 41.7% for e-cigarette exposures. We characterized cigarette and e-cigarette exposure calls to the Wisconsin Poison Center January 1, 2010 through October 10, 2015. We compared cigarette and e-cigarette exposure calls by exposure year, demographic characteristics, caller site, exposure site, exposure route, exposure reason, medical outcome, management site, and level of care at a health care facility. During January 2010 to October 2015, a total of 98 e-cigarette exposure calls were reported, and annual exposure calls increased approximately 17-fold, from 2 to 35. During the same period, 671 single-exposure cigarette calls with stable annual call volumes were reported. E-cigarette exposure calls were associated with children aged ≤5 years (57/98, 58.2%) and adults aged ≥20 years (30/98, 30.6%). Cigarette exposure calls predominated among children aged ≤5 years (643/671, 95.8%). The frequency of e-cigarette exposure calls to the Wisconsin Poison Center has increased and is highest among children aged ≤5 years and adults. Strategies are warranted to prevent future poisonings from these devices, including nicotine warning labels and public advisories to keep e-cigarettes away from children.

  20. Systems configured to distribute a telephone call, communication systems, communication methods and methods of routing a telephone call to a service representative

    DOEpatents

    Harris, Scott H.; Johnson, Joel A.; Neiswanger, Jeffery R.; Twitchell, Kevin E.

    2004-03-09

    The present invention includes systems configured to distribute a telephone call, communication systems, communication methods and methods of routing a telephone call to a customer service representative. In one embodiment of the invention, a system configured to distribute a telephone call within a network includes a distributor adapted to connect with a telephone system, the distributor being configured to connect a telephone call using the telephone system and output the telephone call and associated data of the telephone call; and a plurality of customer service representative terminals connected with the distributor and a selected customer service representative terminal being configured to receive the telephone call and the associated data, the distributor and the selected customer service representative terminal being configured to synchronize, application of the telephone call and associated data from the distributor to the selected customer service representative terminal.

  1. Emotional labor and dysmenorrhea in women working in sales and call centers.

    PubMed

    Cho, In-Jung; Kim, Hyunjoo; Lim, Sinye; Oh, Sung-Soo; Park, Sungjin; Kang, Hee-Tae

    2014-01-01

    This study was conducted to investigate the association between emotional labor and dysmenorrhea among women working in sales and call centers in Seoul, South Korea. Working women in sales jobs and call centers in Seoul were interviewed face-to-face by well-trained interviewers. In total, 975 participants were analyzed in the final model. Emotional labor was measured using a constructed questionnaire with two components: an emotive effort component with three questions and an emotive dissonance component with five questions. To examine the association between emotional labor and dysmenorrhea, chi-squared tests and logistic regression were applied. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea among sales workers and call center workers were 43.0% and 61.1%, respectively. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) of emotive effort and emotive dissonance for dysmenorrhea in call center workers were 1.88 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-3.28) and 1.72 (95% CI, 1.13-2.63), respectively. The adjusted OR of emotive effort and emotive dissonance for dysmenorrhea in sales workers were 1.71 (95% CI, 0.92-3.16) and 1.15 (95% CI, 0.67-1.98), respectively. Emotional labor was found to be associated with dysmenorrhea in call center workers. Further studies to investigate other factors, such as management strategies and the relationship between emotional labor and dysmenorrhea, are needed to support interventions to prevent dysmenorrhea that will further promote the quality of health and life of working women.

  2. Calls to Florida Poison Control Centers about mercury: Trends over 2003-2013.

    PubMed

    Gribble, Matthew O; Deshpande, Aniruddha; Stephan, Wendy B; Hunter, Candis M; Weisman, Richard S

    2017-11-01

    The aim of this analysis was to contrast trends in exposure-report calls and informational queries (a measure of public interest) about mercury to the Florida Poison Control Centers over 2003-2013. Poison-control specialists coded calls to Florida Poison Control Centers by substance of concern, caller demographics, and whether the call pertained to an exposure event or was an informational query. For the present study, call records regarding mercury were de-identified and provided along with daily total number of calls for statistical analysis. We fit Poisson models using generalized estimating equations to summarize changes across years in counts of daily calls to Florida Poison Control Centers, adjusting for month. In a second stage of analysis, we further adjusted for the total number of calls each day. We also conducted analyses stratified by age of the exposed. There was an overall decrease over 2003-2013 in the number of total calls about mercury [Ratio per year: 0.89, 95% CI: (0.88, 0.90)], and calls about mercury exposure [Ratio per year: 0.84, 95% CI: (0.83, 0.85)], but the number of informational queries about mercury increased over this time [Ratio per year: 1.15 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.18)]. After adjusting for the number of calls of that type each day (e.g., call volume), the associations remained similar: a ratio of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.87, 0.89) per year for total calls, 0.85 (0.83, 0.86) for exposure-related calls, and 1.17 (1.14, 1.21) for informational queries. Although, the number of exposure-related calls decreased, informational queries increased over 2003-2013. This might suggest an increased public interest in mercury health risks despite a decrease in reported exposures over this time period. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. High call volume at poison control centers: identification and implications for communication

    PubMed Central

    CARAVATI, E. M.; LATIMER, S.; REBLIN, M.; BENNETT, H. K. W.; CUMMINS, M. R.; CROUCH, B. I.; ELLINGTON, L.

    2016-01-01

    Context High volume surges in health care are uncommon and unpredictable events. Their impact on health system performance and capacity is difficult to study. Objectives To identify time periods that exhibited very busy conditions at a poison control center and to determine whether cases and communication during high volume call periods are different from cases during low volume periods. Methods Call data from a US poison control center over twelve consecutive months was collected via a call logger and an electronic case database (Toxicall®). Variables evaluated for high call volume conditions were: (1) call duration; (2) number of cases; and (3) number of calls per staff member per 30 minute period. Statistical analyses identified peak periods as busier than 99% of all other 30 minute time periods and low volume periods as slower than 70% of all other 30 minute periods. Case and communication characteristics of high volume and low volume calls were compared using logistic regression. Results A total of 65,364 incoming calls occurred over 12 months. One hundred high call volume and 4885 low call volume 30 minute periods were identified. High volume periods were more common between 1500 and 2300 hours and during the winter months. Coded verbal communication data were evaluated for 42 high volume and 296 low volume calls. The mean (standard deviation) call length of these calls during high volume and low volume periods was 3 minutes 27 seconds (1 minute 46 seconds) and 3 minutes 57 seconds (2 minutes 11 seconds), respectively. Regression analyses revealed a trend for fewer overall verbal statements and fewer staff questions during peak periods, but no other significant differences for staff-caller communication behaviors were found. Conclusion Peak activity for poison center call volume can be identified by statistical modeling. Calls during high volume periods were similar to low volume calls. Communication was more concise yet staff was able to maintain a good

  4. High call volume at poison control centers: identification and implications for communication.

    PubMed

    Caravati, E M; Latimer, S; Reblin, M; Bennett, H K W; Cummins, M R; Crouch, B I; Ellington, L

    2012-09-01

    High volume surges in health care are uncommon and unpredictable events. Their impact on health system performance and capacity is difficult to study. To identify time periods that exhibited very busy conditions at a poison control center and to determine whether cases and communication during high volume call periods are different from cases during low volume periods. Call data from a US poison control center over twelve consecutive months was collected via a call logger and an electronic case database (Toxicall®).Variables evaluated for high call volume conditions were: (1) call duration; (2) number of cases; and (3) number of calls per staff member per 30 minute period. Statistical analyses identified peak periods as busier than 99% of all other 30 minute time periods and low volume periods as slower than 70% of all other 30 minute periods. Case and communication characteristics of high volume and low volume calls were compared using logistic regression. A total of 65,364 incoming calls occurred over 12 months. One hundred high call volume and 4885 low call volume 30 minute periods were identified. High volume periods were more common between 1500 and 2300 hours and during the winter months. Coded verbal communication data were evaluated for 42 high volume and 296 low volume calls. The mean (standard deviation) call length of these calls during high volume and low volume periods was 3 minutes 27 seconds (1 minute 46 seconds) and 3 minutes 57 seconds (2 minutes 11 seconds), respectively. Regression analyses revealed a trend for fewer overall verbal statements and fewer staff questions during peak periods, but no other significant differences for staff-caller communication behaviors were found. Peak activity for poison center call volume can be identified by statistical modeling. Calls during high volume periods were similar to low volume calls. Communication was more concise yet staff was able to maintain a good rapport with callers during busy call periods

  5. Video calls from lay bystanders to dispatch centers - risk assessment of information security.

    PubMed

    Bolle, Stein R; Hasvold, Per; Henriksen, Eva

    2011-09-30

    Video calls from mobile phones can improve communication during medical emergencies. Lay bystanders can be instructed and supervised by health professionals at Emergency Medical Communication Centers. Before implementation of video mobile calls in emergencies, issues of information security should be addressed. Information security was assessed for risk, based on the information security standard ISO/IEC 27005:2008. A multi-professional team used structured brainstorming to find threats to the information security aspects confidentiality, quality, integrity, and availability. Twenty security threats of different risk levels were identified and analyzed. Solutions were proposed to reduce the risk level. Given proper implementation, we found no risks to information security that would advocate against the use of video calls between lay bystanders and Emergency Medical Communication Centers. The identified threats should be used as input to formal requirements when planning and implementing video calls from mobile phones for these call centers.

  6. Stretching and Joint Mobilization Exercises Reduce Call-Center Operators’ Musculoskeletal Discomfort and Fatigue

    PubMed Central

    de Castro Lacaze, Denise Helena; Sacco, Isabel de C. N.; Rocha, Lys Esther; de Bragança Pereira, Carlos Alberto; Casarotto, Raquel Aparecida

    2010-01-01

    AIM: We sought to evaluate musculoskeletal discomfort and mental and physical fatigue in the call-center workers of an airline company before and after a supervised exercise program compared with rest breaks during the work shift. INTRODUCTION: This was a longitudinal pilot study conducted in a flight-booking call-center for an airline in São Paulo, Brazil. Occupational health activities are recommended to decrease the negative effects of the call-center working conditions. In practice, exercise programs are commonly recommended for computer workers, but their effects have not been studied in call-center operators. METHODS: Sixty-four call-center operators participated in this study. Thirty-two subjects were placed into the experimental group and attended a 10-min daily exercise session for 2 months. Conversely, 32 participants were placed into the control group and took a 10-min daily rest break during the same period. Each subject was evaluated once a week by means of the Corlett-Bishop body map with a visual analog discomfort scale and the Chalder fatigue questionnaire. RESULTS: Musculoskeletal discomfort decreased in both groups, but the reduction was only statistically significant for the spine and buttocks (p=0.04) and the sum of the segments (p=0.01) in the experimental group. In addition, the experimental group showed significant differences in the level of mental fatigue, especially in questions related to memory Rienzo, #181ff and tiredness (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary results demonstrate that appropriately designed and supervised exercise programs may be more efficient than rest breaks in decreasing discomfort and fatigue levels in call-center operators. PMID:20668622

  7. Family-Centered Service Delivery.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Higgins, Cindy, Ed.

    1997-01-01

    This theme issue focuses on family-centered practices and policies for service delivery. The first article, "Family-Centered Service Delivery," reports on a study of 130 published sources in education, social work, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, and related disciplines, which found that the key components of family-centered…

  8. Video calls from lay bystanders to dispatch centers - risk assessment of information security

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Video calls from mobile phones can improve communication during medical emergencies. Lay bystanders can be instructed and supervised by health professionals at Emergency Medical Communication Centers. Before implementation of video mobile calls in emergencies, issues of information security should be addressed. Methods Information security was assessed for risk, based on the information security standard ISO/IEC 27005:2008. A multi-professional team used structured brainstorming to find threats to the information security aspects confidentiality, quality, integrity, and availability. Results Twenty security threats of different risk levels were identified and analyzed. Solutions were proposed to reduce the risk level. Conclusions Given proper implementation, we found no risks to information security that would advocate against the use of video calls between lay bystanders and Emergency Medical Communication Centers. The identified threats should be used as input to formal requirements when planning and implementing video calls from mobile phones for these call centers. PMID:21958387

  9. Dimensionality of organizational justice in a call center context.

    PubMed

    Flint, Douglas; Haley, Lynn M; McNally, Jeffrey J

    2012-04-01

    Summary.-Employees in three call centers were surveyed about their perceptions of organizational justice. Four factors were measured: distributive justice, procedural justice, interpersonal justice, and informational justice. Structural equation modeling was employed to test whether a two-, three-, or four-factor model best fit the call center data. A three-factor model of distributive, procedural, and informational justice provided the best fit to these data. The three-factor model that showed the best fit does not conform to any of the more traditional models identified in the organizational justice literature. This implies that the context in which organizational justice is measured may play a role in identifying which justice factors are relevant to employees. Findings add to the empirical evidence on the dimensionality of organizational justice and imply that dimensionality of organizational justice is more context-dependent than previously thought.

  10. 47 CFR 64.1512 - Involuntary blocking of pay-per-call services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Involuntary blocking of pay-per-call services. 64.1512 Section 64.1512 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS RULES RELATING TO COMMON CARRIERS Interstate Pay-Per-Call and...

  11. 47 CFR 64.6040 - Rates for Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) calling.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Rates for Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) calling. 64.6040 Section 64.6040 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON....6040 Rates for Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) calling. No Provider shall levy or collect any...

  12. Setting Up a Patient Care Call Center After Potential HCV Exposure.

    PubMed

    Friedman, Candace; Bucholz, Brigette; Anderson, Susan G; Dwyer, Shon A; Aguirre, Josephine

    2016-09-01

    Notify patients of a potential exposure to hepatitis C virus, coordinate testing, and provide follow-up counseling. A team was convened to identify various needs in developing a patient care call center. The areas addressed included the following: location, hours, and duration; telephone accessibility; tracking calls and test results; billing; staffing; notification; and potential issues requiring additional evaluation. Disclosure letters were sent to 1275 patients; 57 letters were not deliverable. There were 245 calls to the helpline from October 25 through November 15. Lessons learned centered on hours of availability, staffing, use of an automated phone system and email communication, tracking results, and billing issues. A successful patient notification and follow-up effort requires a multidisciplinary team, internal and external communication, collection of data over an extended period, and coordination of patient information.

  13. 77 FR 70211 - Agency Information Collection Activities (Call Center Satisfaction Survey) Under OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-23

    ... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0744] Agency Information Collection Activities (Call Center Satisfaction Survey) Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration...: VBA Call Center Satisfaction Survey. OMB Control Number: 2900-0744. Type of Review: Extension of a...

  14. Vocal symptoms, voice activity, and participation profile and professional performance of call center operators.

    PubMed

    Piwowarczyk, Tatiana Carvalho; Oliveira, Gisele; Lourenço, Luciana; Behlau, Mara

    2012-03-01

    To analyze the phonatory and laryngopharyngeal symptoms reported by call center operators; and quantify the impact of these symptoms on quality of life, and the association between these issues and professional performance, number of monthly calls, and number of missed workdays. Call center operators (n=157) from a billing call center completed the Vocal Signs and Symptoms Questionnaire and the Brazilian version of the Voice Activity and Participation Profile (VAPP). The company provided data regarding professional performance, average number of monthly calls, and number of missed workdays for each employee. The mean number of current symptoms (6.8) was greater in the operators than data for the general population (1.7). On average, 4.2 symptoms were attributed to occupational factors. The average number of symptoms did not correlate with professional performance (P=0.571). However, fewer symptoms correlated with decreased missed workdays and higher mean monthly call figures. The VAPP scores were relatively low, suggesting little impact of voice difficulties on call center operator's quality of life. However, subjects with elevated VAPP scores also had poorer professional performance. The presence of vocal symptoms does not necessarily relate to decreased professional performance. However, an association between higher vocal activity limitation and participation scores and poorer professional performance was observed. Copyright © 2012 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Display rules versus display autonomy: emotion regulation, emotional exhaustion, and task performance in a call center simulation.

    PubMed

    Goldberg, Lori Sideman; Grandey, Alicia A

    2007-07-01

    "Service with a smile" is satisfying for the customer, but such display rules may be costly to the employee and the organization. Most previous research on such costs has used self-reported and cross-sectional designs. The authors use an experimental approach to test tenets of resource depletion theories; specifically, whether the self-regulation of emotions required by display rules depletes energy and attentional resources during a service encounter. Using a call center simulation with three "customer" interactions, the authors found that participants given positive display rules (e.g., be enthusiastic and hide frustration) reported more postsimulation exhaustion and made more errors on the order form compared to those with display autonomy. Customer hostility during one of the calls also increased exhaustion overall and the number of errors during that specific call, though proposed interactions with display rules were not supported. Surface-level emotion regulation, but not deep-level, was the mechanism for the energy depletion effect of display rules, while display rules had a direct effect on performance decrements. Theoretical and practical implications for display rules as part of job requirements are discussed. Copyright 2007 APA

  16. NASA Shared Services Center breaks ground

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-02-24

    NASA officials and elected leaders were on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony of the NASA Shared Services Center Feb. 24, 2006, on the grounds of Stennis Space Center. The NSSC provides agency centralized administrative processing, human resources, procurement and financial services. From left, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Mike Olivier, Stennis Space Center Director Rick Gilbrech, Computer Sciences Corp. President Michael Laphen, NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale, Rep. Gene Taylor, Sen. Trent Lott, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin and Shared Services Center Executive Director Arbuthnot use golden shovels to break ground at the site.

  17. NASA Shared Services Center breaks ground

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2006-01-01

    NASA officials and elected leaders were on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony of the NASA Shared Services Center Feb. 24, 2006, on the grounds of Stennis Space Center. The NSSC provides agency centralized administrative processing, human resources, procurement and financial services. From left, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Mike Olivier, Stennis Space Center Director Rick Gilbrech, Computer Sciences Corp. President Michael Laphen, NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale, Rep. Gene Taylor, Sen. Trent Lott, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin and Shared Services Center Executive Director Arbuthnot use golden shovels to break ground at the site.

  18. Mental health status and its predictors among call center employees: A cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Oh, Hyunjin; Park, Heyeon; Boo, Sunjoo

    2017-06-01

    In this study, we assessed the mental health of Korean call center employees and investigated the potential predictors of their mental health status. A cross-sectional study using self-completing questionnaire was conducted for employees working for a credit card call center. A total of 306 call center employees completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, the Emotion Labor Scale, and the Korean Occupational Stress Scale. The results showed that more than half of the participants reported high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. A multiple regression analysis indicated that the total scores on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were predicted by perceived health, job satisfaction, job demands, organizational injustice, and emotional dissonance suggesting that, in the interest of improving the mental health of call center employees, their job demands and emotional dissonance should be reduced and the work environment be improved. Consideration should be given to providing routine assessments of mental health, including depression, anxiety, and stress, and the corresponding need for the development of an intervention program and other work-related policies that would protect employees from the risk of poor mental health outcomes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  19. 78 FR 22911 - Delta Air Lines, Inc., Reservation Sales and Customer Care Call Center, Seatac, WA; Delta Air...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-17

    ... Lines, Inc., Reservation Sales and Customer Care Call Center, Seatac, WA; Delta Air Lines, Inc., Reservation Sales and Customer Care Call Center, Sioux City, IA; Notice of Revised Determination on..., Inc., Reservation Sales and Customer Care Call Center, Seatac, Washington (TA-W-82,197) and Delta Air...

  20. On-call service of neurosurgeons in Germany: organization, use of communication services, and personal acceptance of modern technologies.

    PubMed

    Brenke, Christopher; Lassel, Elke A; Terris, Darcey; Kurt, Aysel; Schmieder, Kirsten; Schoenberg, Stefan O; Weisser, Gerald

    2014-05-01

    A significant proportion of acute care neurosurgical patients present to hospital outside regular working hours. The objective of our study was to evaluate the structure of neurosurgical on-call services in Germany, the use of modern communication devices and teleradiology services, and the personal acceptance of modern technologies by neurosurgeons. A nationwide survey of all 141 neurosurgical departments in Germany was performed. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: one for neurosurgical departments and one for individual neurosurgeons. The questionnaire, available online and mailed in paper form, included 21 questions about on-call service structure; the availability and use of communication devices, teleradiology services, and other information services; and neurosurgeons' personal acceptance of modern technologies. The questionnaire return rate from departments was 63.1% (89/141), whereas 187 individual neurosurgeons responded. For 57.3% of departments, teleradiology services were available and were frequently used by 62.2% of neurosurgeons. A further 23.6% of departments described using smartphone screenshots of computed tomography (CT) images transmitted by multimedia messaging service (MMS), and 8.6% of images were described as sent by unencrypted email. Although 47.0% of neurosurgeons reported owning a smartphone, only 1.1% used their phone for on-call image communication. Teleradiology services were observed to be widely used by on-call neurosurgeons in Germany. Nevertheless, a significant number of departments appear to use outdated techniques or techniques that leave patient data unprotected. On-call neurosurgeons in Germany report a willingness to adopt more modern approaches, utilizing readily available smartphones or tablet technology. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  1. Intelligent call admission control for multi-class services in mobile cellular networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Yufeng; Hu, Xiulin; Zhang, Yunyu

    2005-11-01

    Scarcity of the spectrum resource and mobility of users make quality of service (QoS) provision a critical issue in mobile cellular networks. This paper presents a fuzzy call admission control scheme to meet the requirement of the QoS. A performance measure is formed as a weighted linear function of new call and handoff call blocking probabilities of each service class. Simulation compares the proposed fuzzy scheme with complete sharing and guard channel policies. Simulation results show that fuzzy scheme has a better robust performance in terms of average blocking criterion.

  2. 47 CFR 64.1502 - Limitations on the provision of pay-per-call services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Limitations on the provision of pay-per-call services. 64.1502 Section 64.1502 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS RULES RELATING TO COMMON CARRIERS Interstate Pay-Per-Call and...

  3. Evaluation of poison information services provided by a new poison information center.

    PubMed

    Churi, Shobha; Abraham, Lovin; Ramesh, M; Narahari, M G

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study is to assess the nature and quality of services provided by poison information center established at a tertiary-care teaching hospital, Mysore. This was a prospective observational study. The poison information center was officially established in September 2010 and began its functioning thereafter. The center is equipped with required resources and facility (e.g., text books, Poisindex, Drugdex, toll free telephone service, internet and online services) to provide poison information services. The poison information services provided by the center were recorded in documentation forms. The documentation form consists of numerous sections to collect information on: (a) Type of population (children, adult, elderly or pregnant) (b) poisoning agents (c) route of exposure (d) type of poisoning (intentional, accidental or environmental) (e) demographic details of patient (age, gender and bodyweight) (f) enquirer details (background, place of call and mode of request) (g) category and purpose of query and (h) details of provided service (information provided, mode of provision, time taken to provide information and references consulted). The nature and quality of poison information services provided was assessed using a quality assessment checklist developed in accordance with DSE/World Health Organization guidelines. Chi-Square test (χ(2)). A total of 419 queries were received by the center. A majority (n = 333; 79.5%) of the queries were asked by the doctors to provide optimal care (n = 400; 95.5%). Most of the queries were received during ward rounds (n = 201; 48.0%), followed by direct access (n = 147; 35.1%). The poison information services were predominantly provided through verbal communication (n = 352; 84.0%). Upon receipt of queries, the required service was provided immediately (n = 103; 24.6%) or within 10-20 min (n = 296; 70.6%). The queries were mainly related to intentional poisoning (n = 258; 64.5%), followed by accidental poisoning

  4. Online and call center referral for endocrine surgical pathology within institutions.

    PubMed

    Dhillon, Vaninder K; Al Khadem, Mai G; Tufano, Ralph P; Russell, Jonathon O

    2017-10-08

    We hypothesized that self-referred patients to academic centers will be equally distributed between general surgery and otolaryngology departments that perform thyroid surgery. We sought to quantify disparities in the assignment of these self-referred patients who may reach an institution through call centers or online pathways. Cross-sectional survey. Key words "thyroid surgery" and "thyroid cancer" were used along with the name of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-listed otolaryngology program in both Google and Bing search engines. The top three search results for departments were reviewed, and a tally was given to general surgery (GS), otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OLHNS), or neither. A multidisciplinary center with both GS and OLHNS was recorded as "equitable." Telephone calls were tallied if they were directed to GS or OLHNS. Out of 400 program tallies, 117 (29.25%) patients were directed to GS and 50 (12.5%) were directed to OLHNS. An additional 181 (45.25%) were directed to neither group ("neither") (P < .05). Fifty-two (13%) of the patients were referred to multidisciplinary groups ("equitable"). A telephone call survey had 62 patients (62%) assigned to a general surgeon, as opposed to 38 (38%) for OLHNS (P < .05). Five institutions offered a multidisciplinary group when searching with Bing, and 11 were found by searching with Google. There is not an equal distribution of self-referred patients with thyroid surgical pathology. It may be important to increase the online presence of OLHNS surgeons who perform thyroid surgery at academic medical institutions. Multidisciplinary centers focused on thyroid and parathyroid surgical disease represents one model of assigning self-referred patients. NA Laryngoscope, 2017. © 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  5. Effectiveness of automated notification and customer service call centers for timely and accurate reporting of critical values: a laboratory medicine best practices systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Liebow, Edward B; Derzon, James H; Fontanesi, John; Favoretto, Alessandra M; Baetz, Rich Ann; Shaw, Colleen; Thompson, Pamela; Mass, Diana; Christenson, Robert; Epner, Paul; Snyder, Susan R

    2012-09-01

    To conduct a systematic review of the evidence available in support of automated notification methods and call centers and to acknowledge other considerations in making evidence-based recommendations for best practices in improving the timeliness and accuracy of critical value reporting. This review followed the Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP) review methods (Christenson, et al. 2011). A broad literature search and call for unpublished submissions returned 196 bibliographic records which were screened for eligibility. 41 studies were retrieved. Of these, 4 contained credible evidence for the timeliness and accuracy of automatic notification systems and 5 provided credible evidence for call centers for communicating critical value information in in-patient care settings. Studies reporting improvement from implementing automated notification findings report mean differences and were standardized using the standard difference in means (d=0.42; 95% CI=0.2-0.62) while studies reporting improvement from implementing call centers generally reported criterion referenced findings and were standardized using odds ratios (OR=22.1; 95% CI=17.1-28.6). The evidence, although suggestive, is not sufficient to make an LMBP recommendation for or against using automated notification systems as a best practice to improve the timeliness of critical value reporting in an in-patient care setting. Call centers, however, are effective in improving the timeliness of critical value reporting in an in-patient care setting, and meet LMBP criteria to be recommended as an "evidence-based best practice." Copyright © 2012 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. All rights reserved.

  6. Turnover intentions in a call center: The role of emotional dissonance, job resources, and job satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Zito, Margherita; Emanuel, Federica; Molino, Monica; Cortese, Claudio Giovanni; Ghislieri, Chiara; Colombo, Lara

    2018-01-01

    Turnover intentions refer to employees' intent to leave the organization and, within call centers, it can be influenced by factors such as relational variables or the perception of the quality of working life, which can be affected by emotional dissonance. This specific job demand to express emotions not felt is peculiar in call centers, and can influence job satisfaction and turnover intentions, a crucial problem among these working contexts. This study aims to detect, within the theoretical framework of the Job Demands-Resources Model, the role of emotional dissonance (job demand), and two resources, job autonomy and supervisors' support, in the perception of job satisfaction and turnover intentions among an Italian call center. The study involved 318 call center agents of an Italian Telecommunication Company. Data analysis first performed descriptive statistics through SPSS 22. A path analysis was then performed through LISREL 8.72 and tested both direct and indirect effects. Results suggest the role of resources in fostering job satisfaction and in decreasing turnover intentions. Emotional dissonance reveals a negative relation with job satisfaction and a positive relation with turnover. Moreover, job satisfaction is negatively related with turnover and mediates the relationship between job resources and turnover. This study contributes to extend the knowledge about the variables influencing turnover intentions, a crucial problem among call centers. Moreover, the study identifies theoretical considerations and practical implications to promote well-being among call center employees. To foster job satisfaction and reduce turnover intentions, in fact, it is important to make resources available, but also to offer specific training programs to make employees and supervisors aware about the consequences of emotional dissonance.

  7. Turnover intentions in a call center: The role of emotional dissonance, job resources, and job satisfaction

    PubMed Central

    Zito, Margherita; Molino, Monica; Cortese, Claudio Giovanni; Ghislieri, Chiara; Colombo, Lara

    2018-01-01

    Background Turnover intentions refer to employees’ intent to leave the organization and, within call centers, it can be influenced by factors such as relational variables or the perception of the quality of working life, which can be affected by emotional dissonance. This specific job demand to express emotions not felt is peculiar in call centers, and can influence job satisfaction and turnover intentions, a crucial problem among these working contexts. This study aims to detect, within the theoretical framework of the Job Demands-Resources Model, the role of emotional dissonance (job demand), and two resources, job autonomy and supervisors’ support, in the perception of job satisfaction and turnover intentions among an Italian call center. Method The study involved 318 call center agents of an Italian Telecommunication Company. Data analysis first performed descriptive statistics through SPSS 22. A path analysis was then performed through LISREL 8.72 and tested both direct and indirect effects. Results Results suggest the role of resources in fostering job satisfaction and in decreasing turnover intentions. Emotional dissonance reveals a negative relation with job satisfaction and a positive relation with turnover. Moreover, job satisfaction is negatively related with turnover and mediates the relationship between job resources and turnover. Conclusion This study contributes to extend the knowledge about the variables influencing turnover intentions, a crucial problem among call centers. Moreover, the study identifies theoretical considerations and practical implications to promote well-being among call center employees. To foster job satisfaction and reduce turnover intentions, in fact, it is important to make resources available, but also to offer specific training programs to make employees and supervisors aware about the consequences of emotional dissonance. PMID:29401507

  8. 76 FR 2712 - Sara Lee Corporation, Master Data, Cash Applications, Deductions, Collections, Call Center...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-14

    ... Center, Information Technology, Accounts Payable, General Accounts, Financial Accounting, Payroll, and... Corporation, Master Data, Cash Applications, Deductions, Collections, Call Center, Information Technology, Accounts Payable, General Accounts, Financial Accounts, Payroll, and Employee Master Data Departments...

  9. Client-Centered Employee Assistance Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bayer, Darryl Lee

    This paper addresses delivery aspects and benefits of client-centered Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services through a review of the literature and research. EAP services are described as educational and mental health services utilized to assist employees and their families to respond constructively to job, personal, interpersonal or…

  10. Provision of Telemedicine Services by Community Health Centers

    PubMed Central

    Sharac, Jessica; Jacobs, Feygele

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study was to assess the use of telemedicine services at community health centers. A national survey was distributed to all federally qualified health centers to gather data on their use of health information technology, including telemedicine services. Over a third of responding health centers (37%) provided some type of telemedicine service while 63% provided no telemedicine services. A further analysis that employed ANOVA and chi-square tests to assess differences by the provision of telemedicine services (provided no telemedicine services, provided one telemedicine service, and provided two or more telemedicine services) found that the groups differed by Meaningful Use compliance, location, percentage of elderly patients, mid-level provider, medical, and mental health staffing ratios, the percentage of patients with diabetes with good blood sugar control, and state and local funds per patient and per uninsured patient. This article presents the first national estimate of the use of telemedicine services at community health centers. Further study is needed to determine how to address factors, such as reimbursement and provider shortages, that may serve as obstacles to further expansion of telemedicine services use by community health centers. PMID:25422721

  11. Linguistic Globalization and the Call Center Industry: Imperialism, Hegemony or Cosmopolitanism?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sonntag, Selma K.

    2009-01-01

    Linguistic imperialism, linguistic hegemony and linguistic cosmopolitanism are broad and contrasting conceptualizations of linguistic globalization that are frequently, if implicitly, invoked in the literature, both academic and non-academic, on language practices and perceptions in the call center industry. I begin with outlining each of these…

  12. Close-Call Action Log Form

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spuler, Linda M.; Ford, Patricia K.; Skeete, Darren C.; Hershman, Scot; Raviprakash, Pushpa; Arnold, John W.; Tran, Victor; Haenze, Mary Alice

    2005-01-01

    "Close Call Action Log Form" ("CCALF") is the name of both a computer program and a Web-based service provided by the program for creating an enhanced database of close calls (in the colloquial sense of mishaps that were avoided by small margins) assigned to the Center Operations Directorate (COD) at Johnson Space Center. CCALF provides a single facility for on-line collaborative review of close calls. Through CCALF, managers can delegate responses to employees. CCALF utilizes a pre-existing e-mail system to notify managers that there are close calls to review, but eliminates the need for the prior practices of passing multiple e-mail messages around the COD, then collecting and consolidating them into final responses: CCALF now collects comments from all responders for incorporation into reports that it generates. Also, whereas it was previously necessary to manually calculate metrics (e.g., numbers of maintenance-work orders necessitated by close calls) for inclusion in the reports, CCALF now computes the metrics, summarizes them, and displays them in graphical form. The reports and all pertinent information used to generate the reports are logged, tracked, and retained by CCALF for historical purposes.

  13. Why Mental Health Centers Should Not Do Home-Based Family Centered Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leverington, John J.; Bryce, Marvin

    Home Based Family Centered (HBFC) services give primary responsibility for evaluation, service planning, and counseling to the direct service in-home family therapist. In the mental health center (MHC), the psychiatrist may see a child once in the office and make a diagnosis and recommendation for the child, and sometimes for the parents. Also in…

  14. 78 FR 78809 - Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-27

    ... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 64 [WC Docket No. 12-375; DA 13-2379] Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Proposed rule... Communications Commission's Web site: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/ . Follow the instructions for submitting...

  15. Exposure Calls to U. S. Poison Centers Involving Electronic Cigarettes and Conventional Cigarettes-September 2010-December 2014.

    PubMed

    Chatham-Stephens, Kevin; Law, Royal; Taylor, Ethel; Kieszak, Stephanie; Melstrom, Paul; Bunnell, Rebecca; Wang, Baoguang; Day, Hannah; Apelberg, Benjamin; Cantrell, Lee; Foster, Howell; Schier, Joshua G

    2016-12-01

    E-cigarette use is increasing, and the long-term impact on public health is unclear. We described the acute adverse health effects from e-cigarette exposures reported to U.S. poison centers. We compared monthly counts and demographic, exposure, and health effects data of calls about e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes made to poison centers from September 2010 through December 2014. Monthly e-cigarette calls increased from 1 in September 2010, peaked at 401 in April 2014, and declined to 295 in December 2014. Monthly conventional cigarette calls during the same period ranged from 302 to 514. E-cigarette calls were more likely than conventional cigarette calls to report adverse health effects, including vomiting, eye irritation, and nausea. Five e-cigarette calls reported major health effects, such as respiratory failure, and there were two deaths associated with e-cigarette calls. E-cigarette calls to U.S. poison centers increased over the study period, and were more likely than conventional cigarettes to report adverse health effects. It is important for health care providers and the public to be aware of potential acute health effects from e-cigarettes. Developing strategies to monitor and prevent poisonings from these novel devices is critical.

  16. A retrospective review of 911 calls to a regional poison control center.

    PubMed

    Bosak, Adam; Brooks, Daniel E; Welch, Sharyn; Padilla-Jones, Angie; Gerkin, Richard D

    2015-01-01

    There is little data as to what extent national Emergency Medical Services (EMS; 911) utilize poison control centers (PCCs). A review of data from our PCC was done to better understand this relationship and to identify potential improvements in patient care and health care savings. Retrospective chart review of a single PCC to identify calls originating from 911 sources over a 4-year study period (1/1/08-12/31/11). Recorded variables included the origin of call to the PCC, intent of exposure, symptoms, management site, hospital admission, and death. Odds ratios (OR) were developed using multiple logistic regressions to identify risk factors for EMS dispatch, management site, and the need for hospital admission. A total of 7556 charts were identified; 4382 (58%) met inclusion criteria. Most calls (63.3%) involved accidental exposures and 31% were self-harm or misuse. A total of 2517 (57.4%) patients had symptoms and 2044 (50.8%) were transported to an Emergency Department (ED). Over 38% of calls (n = 1696) were handled primarily by the PCC and did not result in EMS dispatch; only 6.5% of cases (n = 287) with initial PCC involvement resulted in crew dispatch. There were 955 (21.8%) cases that resulted in admission, and five deaths. The OR for being transported to an ED was 45.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 30.2-68.4) when the crew was dispatched by the PCC. Hospital admission was predicted by intent for self-harm (OR 5.0; 95% CI: 4.1-6.2) and the presence of symptoms (OR 2.43; 95% CI: 1.9-3.0). The ORs for several other predictive variables are also reported. When 911 providers contact a PCC about poisoning-related emergencies, a history of intentional exposure and the presence of symptoms each predicted EMS dispatch by the PCC, patient transport to an ED, and hospital admission. Early involvement of a PCC may prevent the need for EMS activation or patient transfer to a health care facility.

  17. Using Pill Identification Calls to Poison Centers as a Marker of Drug Abuse at Three Texas Military Bases.

    PubMed

    Ng, Patrick C; Maddry, Joseph K; Sessions, Daniel; Borys, Douglas J; Bebarta, Vikhyat S

    2017-11-01

    Opioid abuse is a growing problem in civilian communities, and it has developed in the military as well. Telephone calls to poison centers requesting pill identification (ID) is a marker of drug abuse. This study identifies the number of pill ID calls made to the poison centers from areas containing and surrounding three Texas military bases during an 8-year period. We performed a retrospective observational study identifying calls to certified poison centers in Texas from 2002 to 2009 that identified hydrocodone tablets and other pain medications. We noted the calls made from ZIP codes containing and surrounding the three largest military bases in Texas. We reviewed 75,537 drug ID calls for any drug from the ZIP codes of interest. Total drug ID calls increased 105% and the number of calls for hydrocodone increased 463%. In our study most of the drug ID calls from military communities in Texas were for hydrocodone. The rate of calls for hydrocodone increased more than the rate of calls for other analgesics from 2002 to 2009. Using drug ID calls as a surrogate of drug abuse, our results suggest that hydrocodone abuse has increased within military communities and that poison center data can be a reliable surrogate for prescription drug abuse near military bases. Future studies are needed to further understand the extent of this problem in military and civilian communities. We can use this information to heighten awareness, influence prescription practices, establish practice guidelines, and develop educational programs to mitigate the increasing rate of prescription analgesic abuse in the United States.

  18. Threats to the Sustainability of the Outsourced Call Center Industry in the Philippines: Implications for Language Policy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friginal, Eric

    2009-01-01

    This study overviews current threats to the sustainability of the outsourced call center industry in the Philippines and discusses implications for macro and micro language policies given the use of English in this cross-cultural interactional context. This study also summarizes the present state of outsourced call centers in the Philippines, and…

  19. Feasibility of using a pediatric call center as part of a quality improvement effort to prevent hospital readmission.

    PubMed

    Kirsch, Sallie Davis; Wilson, Lauren S; Harkins, Michelle; Albin, Dawn; Del Beccaro, Mark A

    2015-01-01

    The primary aim of this intervention was to assess the feasibility of using call center nurses who are experts in telephone triage to conduct post discharge telephone calls, as part of a quality improvement effort to prevent hospital readmission. Families of patients with bronchiolitis were called between 24 and 48 hours after discharge. The calls conducted by the nurses were efficient (average time was 12 minutes), and their assessments helped to identify gaps in inpatient family education. Overall, the project demonstrated the efficacy in readmission prevention by using nurses who staff a call center to conduct post-hospitalization telephone calls. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. 16 CFR 308.5 - Pay-per-call service standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... a key on a telephone keypad) of indicating a decision to incur the charges. (c) Nominal cost calls... immediately after the institution of an increase in the price for the service or a change in the nature of the..., content, language, featured personality, characters, tone, message, or the like. (i) Prohibition...

  1. 16 CFR 308.5 - Pay-per-call service standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... a key on a telephone keypad) of indicating a decision to incur the charges. (c) Nominal cost calls... immediately after the institution of an increase in the price for the service or a change in the nature of the..., content, language, featured personality, characters, tone, message, or the like. (i) Prohibition...

  2. The DLESE Community Services Center

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geary, E.; Aivazian, B.; Manduca, C.; Mogk, D.

    2003-12-01

    The DLESE Community Services Center (DCSC) is one of several centers recently funded by the National Science Foundation to promote greater and more effective use of Digital Library resources. The primary goals of the DCSC are to: (1) increase the current resource user and contributor base to include greater numbers of K-12, informal, and college educators and students, (2) diversify the DLESE user and contributor base to include rich and robust representation of ethnic, cultural, and differently-abled groups, (3) improve the ability of users and contributors to easily find, adapt, and use high quality digital resources in their classrooms, laboratories, and communities and (4) demonstrate how DLESE can support community activity addressing issues in geoscience education. During the course of the next three years we will: (a) solicit, create, and disseminate "exemplars" that highlight effective digital resource use in a variety of diverse educational settings, (b) continue to support and promote on-line DLESE community services, and (c) work to develop a DLESE ambassadors outreach program involving educators, scientists, and students working across the Earth, space, and environmental sciences. Collaborations with the DLESE Evaluation and Data Centers, collection builders, the DLESE Program Center staff, as well as diverse audience groups will be a key focus of our efforts. We invite you to join us as we work to build and support the next generation of digital services and resources for educators and students at all levels.

  3. Calls to Poison Centers for hookah smoking exposures.

    PubMed

    Retzky, Sandra S; Spiller, Henry A; Callahan-Lyon, Priscilla

    2018-06-01

    Over the past decade, smoking behaviors have changed in the US. Hookah or waterpipe smoking is increasing, especially among youth and young adults. Social media sites describe the "hookah high" or "buzz", which may be related to nicotine, carbon monoxide, or other inhalants in hookah smoke. Most important is the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Case reports include a high number of victims presenting with loss of consciousness from either syncope or seizures. Anaphylaxis and a very rare respiratory hypersensitivity reaction, acute eosinophilic pneumonia, have also been reported from hookah smoking in previously healthy young adults. This article provides background information on hookah smoking, describes hookah-induced acute injuries that could precipitate poison center calls, and offers suggestions for exposure characterization.

  4. 47 CFR 22.921 - 911 call processing procedures; 911-only calling mode.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... programming in the mobile unit that determines the handling of a non-911 call and permit the call to be... CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Cellular Radiotelephone Service § 22.921 911 call processing procedures; 911-only calling mode. Mobile telephones manufactured after February 13, 2000 that are capable of...

  5. 47 CFR 22.921 - 911 call processing procedures; 911-only calling mode.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false 911 call processing procedures; 911-only calling mode. 22.921 Section 22.921 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Cellular Radiotelephone Service § 22.921 911 call processing...

  6. 47 CFR 22.921 - 911 call processing procedures; 911-only calling mode.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false 911 call processing procedures; 911-only calling mode. 22.921 Section 22.921 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Cellular Radiotelephone Service § 22.921 911 call processing...

  7. Women's health centers and specialized services.

    PubMed

    LaFleur, E K; Taylor, S L

    1996-01-01

    More than 75% of the female respondents in this study would choose a women's health center (WHC) over a standard health facility. Women who worked outside the home perceived a greater WHC need. And almost all respondents were interested in communications from the center via a quarterly newsletter. Significant test results related to age, income, education, and work status as segmentation variables, offering WHC's an opportunity to target their patients with specialized services such as cosmetic surgery, infertility treatment, breast imaging, etc. If enough resources are allocated, a WHC can design itself to attract highly lucrative patients. Little difference was found in the opinions of women regarding the need for a WHC or the core services desired, but the specific service mix decision must be carefully considered when designing a WHC.

  8. 47 CFR 22.921 - 911 call processing procedures; 911-only calling mode.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false 911 call processing procedures; 911-only... CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Cellular Radiotelephone Service § 22.921 911 call processing procedures; 911-only calling mode. Mobile telephones manufactured after February 13, 2000 that are capable of...

  9. 47 CFR 22.921 - 911 call processing procedures; 911-only calling mode.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false 911 call processing procedures; 911-only... CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Cellular Radiotelephone Service § 22.921 911 call processing procedures; 911-only calling mode. Mobile telephones manufactured after February 13, 2000 that are capable of...

  10. Center for School and Community Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Academy for Educational Development, 2004

    2004-01-01

    The AED Center for School and Community Services has applied decades of research to pioneering successful approaches to school reform. It has also evaluated--and helped to advance--some of the most exciting initiatives in American education. In the tradition of AED, the Center defines "education" broadly. Recognizing the interdependence of many…

  11. 47 CFR 64.1507 - Prohibition on disconnection or interruption of service for failure to remit pay-per-call and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... service for failure to remit pay-per-call and similar service charges. 64.1507 Section 64.1507 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS RULES RELATING TO COMMON CARRIERS Interstate Pay-Per-Call and Other Information Services § 64.1507...

  12. Comparison of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Transport Types and Delays on Patient Outcomes at Two Level I Trauma Centers.

    PubMed

    Nolan, Brodie; Tien, Homer; Sawadsky, Bruce; Rizoli, Sandro; McFarlan, Amanda; Phillips, Andrea; Ackery, Alun

    2017-01-01

    Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) have become an engrained component of trauma systems. In Ontario, transportation for trauma patients is through one of three ways: scene call, modified scene call, or interfacility transfer. We hypothesize that differences exist between these types of transports in both patient demographics and patient outcomes. This study compares the characteristics of patients transported by each of these methods to two level 1 trauma centers and assesses for any impact on morbidity or mortality. As a secondary outcome reasons for delay were identified. A local trauma registry was used to identify and abstract data for all patients transported to two trauma centers by HEMS over a 36-month period. Further chart abstraction using the HEMS patient care reports was done to identify causes of delay during HEMS transport. During the study period HEMS transferred a total of 911 patients of which 139 were scene calls, 333 were modified scene calls and 439 were interfacility transfers. Scene calls had more patients with an ISS of less than 15 and had more patients discharged home from the ED. Modified scene calls had more patients with an ISS greater than 25. The most common delays that were considered modifiable included the sending physician doing a procedure, waiting to meet a land EMS crew, delays for diagnostic imaging and confirming disposition or destination. Differences exist between the types of transports done by HEMS for trauma patients. Many identified reasons for delay to HEMS transport are modifiable and have practical solutions. Future research should focus on solutions to identified delays to HEMS transport. Key words: helicopter emergency medical services; trauma; prehospital care; delays.

  13. Call selection for the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service: implications for ambulance control.

    PubMed Central

    Coats, T J; Newton, A

    1994-01-01

    The increasing sophistication of pre-hospital care, with paramedics and many types of 'rapid response' units, requires the use of advanced systems of ambulance control. The introduction of call selection by a paramedic in the ambulance control room significantly improved the tasking of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service. This paper illustrates the need for a system to grade 999 calls, so that the appropriate pre-hospital response can be directed to each patient. PMID:8182675

  14. A Prospective Multicenter Evaluation of the Value of the On-Call Orthopedic Resident.

    PubMed

    Jackson, J Benjamin; Vincent, Scott; Davies, James; Phelps, Kevin; Cornett, Chris; Grabowski, Greg; Scannell, Brian; Stotts, Alan; Bice, Miranda

    2018-02-01

    Funding for graduate medical education is at risk despite the services provided by residents. We quantified the potential monetary value of services provided by on-call orthopedic surgery residents. We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional, multicenter cohort study design. Over a 90-day period in 2014, we collected data on consults by on-call orthopedic surgery residents at 4 tertiary academic medical centers in the United States. All inpatient and emergency department consults evaluated by first-call residents during the study period were eligible for inclusion. Based on their current procedural terminology codes, procedures and evaluations for each consult were assigned a relative value unit and converted into a monetary value to determine the value of services provided by residents. The primary outcome measures were the total dollar value of each consult and the percentage of resident salaries that could be funded by the generated value of the resident consult services. In total, 2644 consults seen by 33 residents from the 4 institutions were included for analysis. These yielded an average value of $81,868 per center for the 90-day study period, that is, $327,471 annually. With a median resident stipend of $53,992, the extrapolated average percentage of resident stipends that could be funded by these consult revenues was 73% of the stipends of the residents who took call or 36% of the stipends of the overall resident cohort. The potential monetary value generated by on-call orthopedic surgery residents is substantial.

  15. National Center for Farmworker Health

    MedlinePlus

    ... Access Data Health Centers Population Estimates Resources Performance Management & Governance Tool Box > Administrative Governance Human Resources Needs Assessment Service Delivery Emergency Preparedness Call for ...

  16. Transportation Service Center Analysis Using GIS Technology

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-01-01

    The Transportation Service Center (TSC) concept originated as a result of the department's evaluation of its key business processes and its commitment to improve the quality of the goods and services it provides. TSCs are local Michigan Department of...

  17. Health services at the Kennedy Space Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ferguson, E. B.; Humbert, P.; Long, I. D.; Tipton, D. A.

    1992-01-01

    Comprehensive occupational health services are provided to approximately 17,000 workers at the Kennedy Space Center and an additional 6000 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. These areas cover about 120,000 acres encompassing part of the Merritt Island Wild Life Refuge and wetlands which are the habitat of numerous endangered and protected species of wildlife. The services provided at the Kennedy Space Center optimally assure a safe and healthy working environment for the employees engaged in the preparation and launching of this country's Space Shuttle and other important space exploration programs.

  18. The effect of resident physician stress, burnout, and empathy on patient-centered communication during the long-call shift.

    PubMed

    Passalacqua, Stacey A; Segrin, Chris

    2012-01-01

    During the long-call shift medical residents experience a number of stressors that could compromise the quality of care they provide to their patients. The aim of this study was to investigate how perceived stress and burnout affect changes in empathy over the long-call shift and how those changes in empathy are associated with patient-centered communication practices. Residents (n=93) completed self-report measures of stress, burnout, and empathy at the start of their long-call shift and then completed measures of empathy and patient-centered communication at the end of the same shift. There was a significant decline in physician empathy from the beginning to the end of the long-call shift. Perceived stress was significantly associated with higher burnout, which was, in turn, significantly associated with declines in empathy from pre- to posttest. Declines in empathy predicted lower self-reported patient-centered communication during the latter half of the shift. This study suggests that residents who perceive high levels of stress are at risk for burnout and deterioration in empathy toward their patients, both of which may compromise the quality of their interactions with patients.

  19. 38 CFR 17.2000 - Vet Center services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... and referral, military sexual trauma counseling and referral, bereavement counseling, and outreach. A... Centers § 17.2000 Vet Center services. (a) Eligibility for readjustment counseling. Upon request, VA will provide readjustment counseling to the following individuals: (1) A veteran who served on active duty in a...

  20. Alternative Fuels Data Center: Hydraulic Hybrid Pressed into Service in

    Science.gov Websites

    Refuse Collection Hydraulic Hybrid Pressed into Service in Refuse Collection to someone by E -mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Hydraulic Hybrid Pressed into Service in Refuse Collection on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Hydraulic Hybrid Pressed into Service in Refuse

  1. 78 FR 45543 - Center for Mental Health Services; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to Public Law 92-463, notice is hereby given that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Mental...

  2. Clean Energy Solutions Center Services (Portuguese Translation)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    This is a Portuguese translation of the Clean Energy Solutions Center Services fact sheet. The Solutions Center offers no-cost expert policy assistance, webinars and training forums, clean energy policy reports, data, and tools provided in partnership with more than 35 leading international and regional clean energy organizations.

  3. The organization and delivery of family planning services in community health centers.

    PubMed

    Goldberg, Debora Goetz; Wood, Susan F; Johnson, Kay; Mead, Katherine Holly; Beeson, Tishra; Lewis, Julie; Rosenbaum, Sara

    2015-01-01

    Family planning and related reproductive health services are essential primary care services for women. Access is limited for women with low incomes and those living in medically underserved areas. Little information is available on how federally funded health centers organize and provide family planning services. This was a mixed methods study of the organization and delivery of family planning services in federally funded health centers across the United States. A national survey was developed and administered (n = 423) and in-depth case studies were conducted of nine health centers to obtain detailed information on their approach to family planning. Study findings indicate that health centers utilize a variety of organizational models and staffing arrangements to deliver family planning services. Health centers' family planning offerings are organized in one of two ways, either a separate service with specific providers and clinic times or fully integrated with primary care. Health centers experience difficulties in providing a full range of family planning services. Major challenges include funding limitations; hiring obstetricians/gynecologists, counselors, and advanced practice clinicians; and connecting patients to specialized services not offered by the health center. Health centers play an integral role in delivering primary care and family planning services to women in medically underserved communities. Improving the accessibility and comprehensiveness of family planning services will require a combination of additional direct funding, technical assistance, and policies that emphasize how health centers can incorporate quality family planning as a fundamental element of primary care. Copyright © 2015 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. 20 CFR 670.500 - What services must Job Corps centers provide?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 4 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false What services must Job Corps centers provide... LABOR (CONTINUED) THE JOB CORPS UNDER TITLE I OF THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT Program Activities and Center Operations § 670.500 What services must Job Corps centers provide? (a) Job Corps centers must...

  5. 20 CFR 670.500 - What services must Job Corps centers provide?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 4 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What services must Job Corps centers provide... LABOR (CONTINUED) THE JOB CORPS UNDER TITLE I OF THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT Program Activities and Center Operations § 670.500 What services must Job Corps centers provide? (a) Job Corps centers must...

  6. 20 CFR 670.500 - What services must Job Corps centers provide?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 4 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What services must Job Corps centers provide... LABOR (CONTINUED) THE JOB CORPS UNDER TITLE I OF THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT Program Activities and Center Operations § 670.500 What services must Job Corps centers provide? (a) Job Corps centers must...

  7. Patterns in hospitals' use of a regional poison information center.

    PubMed Central

    Chafee-Bahamon, C; Caplan, D L; Lovejoy, F H

    1983-01-01

    A statewide poison center undertook a study to identify types of hospitals which used its information services. Initial trends in calls from hospitals to the center over the center's first two years and percentages of hospitals' patient caseloads for which the center consulted were analyzed for 104 acute care hospitals by hospitals' location, size, and emergency room staffing. After the center's establishment as a regional resource, emergency room staff in urban teaching hospitals showed the greatest increase in calls within a year (88 per cent) and the highest consultation rates for poison patients seen (57 per cent). Private physician emergency room staff, and staff in distant and rural hospitals, showed lower or no increases in calls and lower consultation rates. Findings suggest that private physician emergency room staff and staff in distant and rural hospitals be considered for poison center outreach. Marketing of consultation services for non-pediatric overdoses is also indicated. PMID:6829822

  8. Predictions of the Space Environment Services Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heckman, G. R.

    1979-01-01

    The types of users of the Space Environment Services Center are identified. All the data collected by the Center are listed and a short description of each primary index or activity summary is given. Each type of regularly produced forecast is described, along with the methods used to produce each prediction.

  9. Data and Data Products for Climate Research: Web Services at the Asia-Pacific Data-Research Center (APDRC)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    DeCarlo, S.; Potemra, J. T.; Wang, K.

    2012-12-01

    The International Pacific Research Center (IPRC) at the University of Hawaii maintains a data center for climate studies called the Asia-Pacific Data-Research Center (APDRC). This data center was designed within a center of excellence in climate research with the intention of serving the needs of the research scientist. The APDRC provides easy access to a wide collection of climate data and data products for a wide variety of users. The data center maintains an archive of approximately 100 data sets including in-situ and remote data, as well as a range of model-based output. All data are available via on-line browsing tools such as a Live Access Server (LAS) and DChart, and direct binary access is available through OPeNDAP services. On-line tutorials on how to use these services are now available. Users can keep up-to-date with new data and product announcements via the APDRC facebook page. The main focus of the APDRC has been climate scientists, and the services are therefore streamlined to such users, both in the number and types of data served, but also in the way data are served. In addition, due to the integration of the APDRC within the IPRC, several value-added data products (see figure for an example using Argo floats) have been developed via a variety of research activities. The APDRC, therefore, has three main foci: 1. acquisition of climate-related data, 2. maintenance of integrated data servers, and 3. development and distribution of data products The APDRC can be found at http://apdrc.soest.hawaii.edu. The presentation will provide an overview along with specific examples of the data, data products and data services available at the APDRC.; APDRC product example: gridded field from Argo profiling floats

  10. Alternative Fuels Data Center: Semi Service Outfits Replica Batmobile to

    Science.gov Websites

    Run on Natural Gas Semi Service Outfits Replica Batmobile to Run on Natural Gas to someone by E -mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Semi Service Outfits Replica Batmobile to Run on Natural Gas on Natural Gas on Twitter Bookmark Alternative Fuels Data Center: Semi Service Outfits Replica

  11. 20 CFR 670.500 - What services must Job Corps centers provide?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false What services must Job Corps centers provide... LABOR THE JOB CORPS UNDER TITLE I OF THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT Program Activities and Center Operations § 670.500 What services must Job Corps centers provide? (a) Job Corps centers must provide: (1...

  12. 20 CFR 670.500 - What services must Job Corps centers provide?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What services must Job Corps centers provide... LABOR THE JOB CORPS UNDER TITLE I OF THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT Program Activities and Center Operations § 670.500 What services must Job Corps centers provide? (a) Job Corps centers must provide: (1...

  13. Can music with prosocial lyrics heal the working world? A field intervention in a call center

    PubMed Central

    Niven, Karen

    2015-01-01

    Music with lyrics about helping is shown to reduce aggression in the laboratory. This paper tests whether the prosocial lyric effect generalizes to reducing customer aggression in the workplace. A field experiment involved changing the hold music played to customers of a call center. The results of a 3 week study suggested that music significantly affected customers, but not in the way suggested by previous laboratory experiments; compared with days when instrumental background music was played, caller anger and employee exhaustion were lower on days when callers were played popular music with neutral, but not prosocial, lyrics. The findings suggest that music influences customer aggression, but that the prosocial lyric effect may not generalize from the laboratory to the call center. PMID:26052159

  14. Can music with prosocial lyrics heal the working world? A field intervention in a call center.

    PubMed

    Niven, Karen

    2015-03-01

    Music with lyrics about helping is shown to reduce aggression in the laboratory. This paper tests whether the prosocial lyric effect generalizes to reducing customer aggression in the workplace. A field experiment involved changing the hold music played to customers of a call center. The results of a 3 week study suggested that music significantly affected customers, but not in the way suggested by previous laboratory experiments; compared with days when instrumental background music was played, caller anger and employee exhaustion were lower on days when callers were played popular music with neutral, but not prosocial, lyrics. The findings suggest that music influences customer aggression, but that the prosocial lyric effect may not generalize from the laboratory to the call center.

  15. Hospital emergency on-call coverage: is there a doctor in the house?

    PubMed

    O'Malley, Ann S; Draper, Debra A; Felland, Laurie E

    2007-11-01

    The nation's community hospitals face increasing problems obtaining emergency on-call coverage from specialist physicians, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) 2007 site visits to 12 nationally representative metropolitan communities. The diminished willingness of specialist physicians to provide on-call coverage is occurring as hospital emergency departments confront an ever-increasing demand for services. Factors influencing physician reluctance to provide on-call coverage include decreased dependence on hospital admitting privileges as more services shift to non-hospital settings; payment for emergency care, especially for uninsured patients; and medical liability concerns. Hospital strategies to secure on-call coverage include enforcing hospital medical staff bylaws that require physicians to take call, contracting with physicians to provide coverage, paying physicians stipends, and employing physicians. Nonetheless, many hospitals continue to struggle with inadequate on-call coverage, which threatens patients' timely access to high-quality emergency care and may raise health care costs.

  16. Voice over internet protocol with prepaid calling card solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gunadi, Tri

    2001-07-01

    The VoIP technology is growing up rapidly, it has big network impact on PT Telkom Indonesia, the bigger telecommunication operator in Indonesia. Telkom has adopted VoIP and one other technology, Intelligent Network (IN). We develop those technologies together in one service product, called Internet Prepaid Calling Card (IPCC). IPCC is becoming new breakthrough for the Indonesia telecommunication services especially on VoIP and Prepaid Calling Card solutions. Network architecture of Indonesia telecommunication consists of three layer, Local, Tandem and Trunck Exchange layer. Network development researches for IPCC architecture are focus on network overlay hierarchy, Internet and PSTN. With this design hierarchy the goal of Interworking PSTN, VoIP and IN calling card, become reality. Overlay design for IPCC is not on Trunck Exchange, this is the new architecture, these overlay on Tandem and Local Exchange, to make the faster call processing. The nodes added: Gateway (GW) and Card Management Center (CMC) The GW do interfacing between PSTN and Internet Network used ISDN-PRA and Ethernet. The other functions are making bridge on circuit (PSTN) with packet (VoIP) based and real time billing process. The CMC used for data storage, pin validation, report activation, tariff system, directory number and all the administration transaction. With two nodes added the IPCC service offered to the market.

  17. [Patient-centered medicine for tuberculosis medical services].

    PubMed

    Fujita, Akira; Narita, Tomoyo

    2012-12-01

    The 2011 edition of Specific Guiding Principles for Tuberculosis Prevention calls for a streamlined medical services system capable of providing medical care that is customized to the patient's needs. The new 21st Century Japanese version of the Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) expands the indication of DOTS to all tuberculosis (TB) patients in need of treatment. Hospital DOTS consists of comprehensive, patient-centered support provided by a DOTS care team. For DOTS in the field, health care providers should select optimal administration support based on patient profiles and local circumstances. In accordance with medical fee revisions for 2012, basic inpatient fees have been raised and new standards for TB hospitals have been established, the result of efforts made by the Japanese Society for Tuberculosis and other associated groups. It is important that the medical care system be improved so that patients can actively engage themselves as a member of the team, for the ultimate goal of practicing patient-centered medicine. We have organized this symposium to explore the best ways for practicing patient-centered medicine in treating TB. It is our sincere hope that this symposium will lead to improved medical treatment for TB patients. 1. Providing patient-centered TB service via utilization of collaborative care pathway: Akiko MATSUOKA (Hiroshima Prefectural Tobu Public Health Center) We have been using two types of collaborative care pathway as one of the means of providing patient-centered TB services since 2008. The first is the clinical pathway, which is mainly used by TB specialist doctors to communicate with local practitioners on future treatment plan (e.g. medication and treatment duration) of patients. The clinical pathway was first piloted in Onomichi district and its use was later expanded to the whole of Hiroshima prefecture. The second is the regional care pathway, which is used to share treatment progress, test results and other

  18. 77 FR 50519 - Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS); Amendment of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS); Amendment of Meeting Pursuant to Public Law 92-463, notice is... Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services...

  19. A call for collaboration on respectful, person-centered health care in family planning and maternal health.

    PubMed

    Holt, Kelsey; Caglia, Jacquelyn M; Peca, Emily; Sherry, James M; Langer, Ana

    2017-02-02

    Striking tales of people judged, disrespected, or abused in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) services are commonly exchanged among friends and families throughout the world while remaining sorely under-addressed in global health. Disrespect and abuse of individuals and providers in health services across the RMNCAH continuum must be stopped through collaborative, multi-tiered efforts. A new focus on health care quality in the Sustainable Development Goals offers an opportunity to seriously reexamine user experiences and their impact on health care utilization. The new framework provides an opening to redress the insidious problem of negative interactions with care across the RMNCAH services continuum and redraft the blueprint for service delivery and performance measurement, placing individuals and their needs at the center. Both the maternal health and family planning fields are at a turning point in their histories of defining and addressing individuals' experiences of care. In this commentary, we review these histories and the current state-of-the-art in both fields. Though the approaches and language in each sub-field vary, person-centered care principles related to the essential role of individuals' preferences, needs and values, and the importance of informed decision-making, respect, privacy and confidentiality, and non-discrimination, are integral to all. Promoting respectful, person-centered care also requires recognizing the factors that lead to poor treatment of clients, including gender norms and unsupportive working conditions for providers. Lessons can be learned from innovative efforts across the continuum to support health care providers to provide respectful, person-centered care. Efforts in the maternal health and family planning fields to define respectful, person-centered care provide a useful foundation from which to connect across the continuum of RMNCAH services. Now is the time to creatively work

  20. Stressful Demands or Helpful Guidance? The Role of Display Rules in Indian Call Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Little, Laura M.; Nelson, Debra L.; Quade, Matthew J.; Ward, Andrew

    2011-01-01

    This paper utilizes conservation of resources (COR) theory and two of Hofstede's (1980) dimensions of culture (individualism and power distance) to examine the impact of display rules on job satisfaction and performance in an Indian call center sample. Contrary to findings in an American sample (Wilk & Moynihan, 2005), we proposed that due to…

  1. Modern Data Center Services Supporting Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Varner, J. D.; Cartwright, J.; McLean, S. J.; Boucher, J.; Neufeld, D.; LaRocque, J.; Fischman, D.; McQuinn, E.; Fugett, C.

    2011-12-01

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) World Data Center for Geophysics and Marine Geology provides scientific stewardship, products and services for geophysical data, including bathymetry, gravity, magnetics, seismic reflection, data derived from sediment and rock samples, as well as historical natural hazards data (tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes). Although NGDC has long made many of its datasets available through map and other web services, it has now developed a second generation of services to improve the discovery and access to data. These new services use off-the-shelf commercial and open source software, and take advantage of modern JavaScript and web application frameworks. Services are accessible using both RESTful and SOAP queries as well as Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standard protocols such as WMS, WFS, WCS, and KML. These new map services (implemented using ESRI ArcGIS Server) are finer-grained than their predecessors, feature improved cartography, and offer dramatic speed improvements through the use of map caches. Using standards-based interfaces allows customers to incorporate the services without having to coordinate with the provider. Providing fine-grained services increases flexibility for customers building custom applications. The Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping program and Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning program are two examples of national initiatives that require common data inventories from multiple sources and benefit from these modern data services. NGDC is also consuming its own services, providing a set of new browser-based mapping applications which allow the user to quickly visualize and search for data. One example is a new interactive mapping application to search and display information about historical natural hazards. NGDC continues to increase the amount of its data holdings that are accessible and is augmenting the capabilities with modern web

  2. [Development and application of hospital customer service center platform].

    PubMed

    Chen, Minya; Zheng, Konglin; Xia, Yong

    2012-01-01

    This paper introduces the construction and application of the platform of client service center in the general hospital and discusses how to provide patients with an entire service including service before clinic, on clinic and after clinic. It can also provide references for a new service mode for clinic service.

  3. Risk factors for computer visual syndrome (CVS) among operators of two call centers in São Paulo, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Sa, Eduardo Costa; Ferreira Junior, Mario; Rocha, Lys Esther

    2012-01-01

    The aims of this study were to investigate work conditions, to estimate the prevalence and to describe risk factors associated with Computer Vision Syndrome among two call centers' operators in São Paulo (n = 476). The methods include a quantitative cross-sectional observational study and an ergonomic work analysis, using work observation, interviews and questionnaires. The case definition was the presence of one or more specific ocular symptoms answered as always, often or sometimes. The multiple logistic regression model, were created using the stepwise forward likelihood method and remained the variables with levels below 5% (p < 0.05). The operators were mainly female and young (from 15 to 24 years old). The call center was opened 24 hours and the operators weekly hours were 36 hours with break time from 21 to 35 minutes per day. The symptoms reported were eye fatigue (73.9%), "weight" in the eyes (68.2%), "burning" eyes (54.6%), tearing (43.9%) and weakening of vision (43.5%). The prevalence of Computer Vision Syndrome was 54.6%. Associations verified were: being female (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.6 to 4.1), lack of recognition at work (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.8), organization of work in call center (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.7) and high demand at work (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.3). The organization and psychosocial factors at work should be included in prevention programs of visual syndrome among call centers' operators.

  4. Washington Hospital Center defends its position. Changing situation calls for a new approach.

    PubMed

    Botvin, J D

    2000-01-01

    Washington Hospital Center, in the nation's capital, found cardiac care, its leading source of revenue, challenged by new contenders. This launched an aggressive campaign directly at patients, encouraging them to use WHC's diagnostic testing services.

  5. Ayahuasca Exposure: Descriptive Analysis of Calls to US Poison Control Centers from 2005 to 2015.

    PubMed

    Heise, C William; Brooks, Daniel E

    2017-09-01

    Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic plant preparation which usually contains the vine Banisteriopsis caapi and the shrub Psychotria viridis. This tea originates from the Amazon Basin where it is used in religious ceremonies. Because interest in these religious groups spreading as well as awareness of use of ayahuasca for therapeutic and recreational purposes, its use is increasing. Banisteriopsis caapi is rich in β-carbolines, especially harmine, tetrahydroharmine and harmaline, which have monoamine oxidase inhibiting (MAOI) activity. Psychotria viridis contains the 5HT2A/2C/1A receptor agonist hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Usual desired effects include hallucination, dissociation, mood alteration and perception change. Undesired findings previously reported are nausea, vomiting, hypertension, and tachycardia. All human exposure calls reported to the American Association of Poison Controls Centers' (AAPCC) National Poison Data System (NPDS) between September 1, 2005 and September 1, 2015 were reviewed. Cases were filtered for specific plant derived ayahuasca-related product codes. Abstracted data included the following: case age and gender, exposure reason, exposure route, clinical manifestations, treatments given, medical outcomes and fatality. Five hundred and thirty-eight exposures to ayahuasca botanical products were reported. The majority of the calls to poison control centers came from healthcare facilities (83%). The most common route of exposure was ingestion. Most cases were men (437, 81%, 95% CI 77.7% - 84.3%). The median age was 21 (IQR 18-29). Most exposures were acute. Three hundred thirty-seven (63%) were reported to have a major or moderate clinical effect. The most common clinical manifestations reported were hallucinations (35%), tachycardia (34%), agitation (34%), hypertension (16%), mydriasis (13%) and vomiting (6%). Benzodiazepines were commonly given (30%). There were 28 cases in the series who required endotracheal intubation (5

  6. Clean Energy Solutions Center Services (Arabic Translation) (Fact Sheet)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    2014-06-01

    This is the Arabic translation of the Clean Energy Solutions Center Services fact sheet. The Clean Energy Solutions Center (Solutions Center) helps governments, advisors and analysts create policies and programs that advance the deployment of clean energy technologies. The Solutions Center partners with international organizations to provide online training, expert assistance, and technical resources on clean energy policy.

  7. [Hygienic characteristics of daily ration, designed for military servicemen doing call-up military service].

    PubMed

    Smagulov, N K; Mukhametzhanov, A M

    2016-01-01

    The article gives the hygienic characteristics of the daily diet of soldiers doing call-up military service. The object of study--military servicemen aged 18-22 years doing call-up military service. The material of the study data was obtained from a continuous cross-sectional study of dietary intake among military personnel. Investigation pointed out that consumption of nutrients and energy value of the surveyed military personnel was broadly in accordance with recommended physiological requirements for nutrients and energy for this age group. However; despite the adequacy of energy supply, showed signs of imbalance on the nutrients of rations provided in the military establishment. Structure of consumption of products is not in full compliance with the existing recommendations of the Kazakh academy of Nutrition.

  8. Evaluation of a National Call Center and a Local Alerts System for Detection of New Cases of Ebola Virus Disease - Guinea, 2014-2015.

    PubMed

    Lee, Christopher T; Bulterys, Marc; Martel, Lise D; Dahl, Benjamin A

    2016-03-11

    The epidemic of Ebola virus disease (Ebola) in West Africa began in Guinea in late 2013 (1), and on August 8, 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the epidemic a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (2). Guinea was declared Ebola-free on December 29, 2015, and is under a 90 day period of enhanced surveillance, following 3,351 confirmed and 453 probable cases of Ebola and 2,536 deaths (3). Passive surveillance for Ebola in Guinea has been conducted principally through the use of a telephone alert system. Community members and health facilities report deaths and suspected Ebola cases to local alert numbers operated by prefecture health departments or to a national toll-free call center. The national call center additionally functions as a source of public health information by responding to questions from the public about Ebola. To evaluate the sensitivity of the two systems and compare the sensitivity of the national call center with the local alerts system, the CDC country team performed probabilistic record linkage of the combined prefecture alerts database, as well as the national call center database, with the national viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) database; the VHF database contains records of all known confirmed Ebola cases. Among 17,309 alert calls analyzed from the national call center, 71 were linked to 1,838 confirmed Ebola cases in the VHF database, yielding a sensitivity of 3.9%. The sensitivity of the national call center was highest in the capital city of Conakry (11.4%) and lower in other prefectures. In comparison, the local alerts system had a sensitivity of 51.1%. Local public health infrastructure plays an important role in surveillance in an epidemic setting.

  9. Salivary alpha amylase in on-call from home fire and emergency service personnel.

    PubMed

    Hall, Sarah J; Aisbett, Brad; Robertson, Samuel J; Ferguson, Sally A; Turner, Anne I

    2017-11-01

    The effect of working on-call from home on the sympatho-adrenal medullary system activity is currently unknown. This study had two aims, Aim 1: examine salivary alpha amylase awakening response (AAR) and diurnal salivary alpha amylase (sAA) profile in fire and emergency service workers who operate on-call from home following a night on-call with a call (NIGHT-CALL), a night on-call without a call (NO-CALL) and an off-call night (OFF-CALL), and Aim 2: explore whether there was an anticipatory effect of working on-call from home (ON) compared to when there was an off-call (OFF) on the diurnal sAA profile. Participants wore activity monitors, completed sleep and work diaries and collected seven saliva samples a day for one week. AAR area under the curve with respect to ground (AUC G ), AAR area under the curve with respect to increase (AUC I ), AAR reactivity, diurnal sAA slope, diurnal sAA AUC G and mean 12-h sAA concentrations were calculated. Separate generalised estimating equation models were constructed for each variable of interest for each aim. For Aim 1, there were no differences between NIGHT-CALL or NO-CALL and OFF-CALL for any response variable. For Aim 2, there was no difference between any response variable of interest when ON the following night compared to when OFF the following night ( n  = 14). These findings suggest that there is no effect of working on-call from home on sAA, but should be interpreted with caution, as overnight data were not collected. Future research, using overnight heart rate monitoring, could help confirm these findings. © 2017 The authors.

  10. Assessing uncertainty in outsourcing clinical services at tertiary health centers.

    PubMed

    Billi, John E; Pai, Chih-Wen; Spahlinger, David A

    2007-01-01

    When tertiary health centers face capacity constraint, one feasible strategy to meet service demand is outsourcing clinical services to qualified community providers. Clinical outsourcing enables tertiary health centers to meet the expectations of service timeliness and provides good opportunities to collaborate with other health care providers. However, outsourcing may result in dependence and loss of control for the tertiary health centers. Other parties involved in clinical outsourcing such as local partners, patients, and payers may also encounter potential risks as well as enjoy benefits in an outsourcing arrangement. Recommendations on selecting potential outsourcing partners are given to minimize the risks associated with an outsourcing contract. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  11. Relationships between organizational workplace characteristics and perceived workplace strain in call-centers in France.

    PubMed

    Boini, Stéphanie; Chouanière, Dominique; Colin, Régis; Wild, Pascal

    2013-11-01

    Our objective was to study the associations between organizational workplace characteristics (OC) reported by call-center (CC) managers and workplace stressors reported by call-handlers. The managers of 107 CCs were interviewed by their occupational physicians using a questionnaire designed to specifically explore OC in the CCs. Four thousand two call-handlers from these CCs completed a self-report questionnaire including the Karasek and Siegrist work stressor questionnaires and two specific items on other workplace stressors. Around one-third of the OC examined were associated with the demand/control ratio, the perception of demanding work and ethical conflicts, however, far fewer OC were associated with the effort/reward ratio. Most OC were associated with higher levels of job stressors. Some had strong, systematic negative associations with stressors (e.g., highly formatted instructions for the client relationship). These findings could help in targeting job stressor prevention and health improvement strategies in CCs. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Oregon School-Based Health Centers, 1992-1994 Services Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nystrom, Robert J.

    This report describes the activities of Oregon's 25 high school-based health centers between 1992 and 1994. Information is provided on funding sources, services offered (including general medical services and reproductive health, mental health, health promotion services, and hours of operation), staffing (including levels of staffing and…

  13. [Emotional well-being and discomfort at work in call center].

    PubMed

    Emanuel, Federica; Colombo, Lara; Ghislieri, Chiara

    2014-01-01

    The theme of well-being and discomfort at work has attracted increasing interest in recent years. The present study, according to Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R), inquires the effects of personal (optimism, internal locus of control) and organizational resources (job autonomy, supervisors and colleagues support) and general (work-to-family conflict, workload) and context specific demands (emotional dissonance) on emotional well-being and discomfort at work in call centre employees. This research was conducted through an online questionnaire, composed by measures present in scientific literature, filled out individually by call center agents (N = 507) of the same telecommunication firm. Data analysis (PASW 18) provides: descriptive statistics, correlations and multiple regressions. Personal and organizational resources improve emotional well-being at work, except for colleagues support. Optimism and supervisors support reduce emotional discomfort at work. Among organizational demands, work-family conflict and emotional dissonance increase emotional discomfort at work and, to a lesser extent, reduce the emotional well-being at work. The results, according to theoretical model, highlight the different role of demands and resources on emotional well-being and discomfort at work. The results suggest organizational politics and investments to promote emotional well-being at work, in particular training program to support emotional skills, training for supervisors, increasing job autonomy and support to work-family balance.

  14. Library Services in a Supercomputer Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Layman, Mary

    1991-01-01

    Describes library services that are offered at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), which is located at the University of California at San Diego. Topics discussed include the user population; online searching; microcomputer use; electronic networks; current awareness programs; library catalogs; and the slide collection. A sidebar outlines…

  15. The Marketing of Information Analysis Center Products and Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Veazie, Walter H., Jr.; Connolly, Thomas F.

    Information analysis centers (IACs) represent a valuable national resource which has not been fully utilized, often because their products and services are not widely known. Recent Government economy measures demand consideration of increased marketability of these products and services and the institution of service charges as a possible source…

  16. The role of rehearsal in a novel call center-type task.

    PubMed

    Perham, Nick; Banbury, Simon

    2012-01-01

    Laboratory research has long demonstrated the disruptive effects of background sound to task performance yet the real-world implications of such effects are less well known. We report two experiments that demonstrate the importance of the role of rehearsal to a novel call center-type task. In Experiment 1, performance of a novel train timetable task-in which participants identified four train journeys following presentation of train journey information-was disrupted by realistic office noise. However, in Experiment 2, when the need for rehearsal was reduced by presenting the information and the timetable at the same time, no disruption occurred . Results are discussed in terms of interference-by-process and interference-by-content approaches to short-term memory.

  17. Poison control center - emergency number

    MedlinePlus

    For a POISON EMERGENCY call: 1-800-222-1222 ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES This national hotline number will let you ... is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this ...

  18. The use of an automated interactive voice response system to manage medication identification calls to a poison center.

    PubMed

    Krenzelok, Edward P; Mrvos, Rita

    2009-05-01

    In 2007, medication identification requests (MIRs) accounted for 26.2% of all calls to U.S. poison centers. MIRs are documented with minimal information, but they still require an inordinate amount of work by specialists in poison information (SPI). An analysis was undertaken to identify options to reduce the impact of MIRs on both human and financial resources. All MIRs (2003-2007) to a certified regional poison information center were analyzed to determine call patterns and staffing. The data were used to justify an efficient and cost-effective solution. MIRs represented 42.3% of the 2007 call volume. Optimal staffing would require hiring an additional four full-time equivalent SPI. An interactive voice response (IVR) system was developed to respond to the MIRs. The IVR was used to develop the Medication Identification System that allowed the diversion of up to 50% of the MIRs, enhancing surge capacity and allowing specialists to address the more emergent poison exposure calls. This technology is an entirely voice-activated response call management system that collects zip code, age, gender and drug data and stores all responses as .csv files for reporting purposes. The query bank includes the 200 most common MIRs, and the system features text-to-voice synthesis that allows easy modification of the drug identification menu. Callers always have the option of engaging a SPI at any time during the IVR call flow. The IVR is an efficient and effective alternative that creates better staff utilization.

  19. 13 CFR 130.320 - Location of lead centers and SBDC service providers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Location of lead centers and SBDC service providers. 130.320 Section 130.320 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS § 130.320 Location of lead centers and SBDC service providers. (a...

  20. 13 CFR 130.320 - Location of lead centers and SBDC service providers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Location of lead centers and SBDC service providers. 130.320 Section 130.320 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS § 130.320 Location of lead centers and SBDC service providers. (a...

  1. Recommendations in dispatcher-assisted bystander resuscitation from emergency call center.

    PubMed

    García del Águila, J; López-Messa, J; Rosell-Ortiz, F; de Elías Hernández, R; Martínez del Valle, M; Sánchez-Santos, L; López-Herce, J; Cerdà-Vila, M; Roza-Alonso, C L; Bernardez-Otero, M

    2015-01-01

    Dispatch-assisted bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has been shown as an effective measure to improve the survival of this process. The development of a unified protocol for all dispatch centers of the different emergency medical services can be a first step towards this goal in our environment. The process of developing a recommendations document and the realization of posters of dispatch-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, agreed by different actors and promoted by the Spanish Resuscitation Council, is presented. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

  2. The Call to Service

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gray, B. Allison

    2009-01-01

    On January 19, 2009, the day before his historic inauguration, President Obama and his wife, Michelle, commemorated Martin Luther King Day by volunteering for various community service projects around the Washington, DC, area. A record number of Americans also participated in the King Day of Service, joining in over 13,000 projects, more than…

  3. 75 FR 11185 - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Delegation of Authority

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-10

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Office of the Secretary Centers for Medicare & Medicaid..., Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), or his or her successor, the authorities currently vested... or disasters that are related to Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Programs as...

  4. Health issues amongst call center employees, an emerging occupational group in India.

    PubMed

    Raja, Jeyapal Dinesh; Bhasin, Sanjiv Kumar

    2014-07-01

    Call center sector in India is a relatively new industry and one of the fastest growing sectors driving employment and growth in modern India today. While employment in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector has meant that young adults are reaching their career milestones and financial goals much earlier than before, surveys and anecdotal evidence show that workers in the BPO sector experience high levels of stress and its related disorders, primarily due to its contemporary work settings. Safeguarding the health of youngsters employed in this new, growing economy becomes an occupational health challenge to public health specialists.

  5. The Importance of Information Analysis Centers in the Performance of Information Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weisman, Herman M.

    It is necessary to distinguish the functions, services and products of various types of information services. For example, document centers, clearinghouses, referral centers, and special libraries deal mainly with information in a broad sense. The main function of information analysis centers, however, is to optimize the ratio of knowledge to…

  6. Community Information and Services Centers: Concepts for Activation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hopkins, Cleve

    An experimental program based on a study by the Department of Housing and Urban Development was activated to deliver services to urban residents via automated communications technology. Designed to contribute to improvement in the quality of life, the program of a Community Information and Services Center (CISC) included: outreach programs, i.e.,…

  7. Ventilator use by emergency medical services during 911 calls in the United States.

    PubMed

    El Sayed, Mazen; Tamim, Hani; Mailhac, Aurelie; N Clay, Mann

    2018-05-01

    Emergency and transport ventilators use in the prehospital field is not well described. This study examines trends of ventilator use by EMS agencies during 911 calls in the United States and identifies factors associated with this use. This retrospective study used four consecutive releases of the US National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) public research dataset (2011-2014) to describe scene EMS activations (911 calls) with and without reported ventilator use. Ventilator use was reported in 260,663 out of 28,221,321 EMS 911 scene activations (0.9%). Patients with ventilator use were older (mean age 67±18years), nearly half were males (49.2%), mostly in urban areas (80.2%) and cared for by advanced life support (ALS) EMS services (89.5%). CPAP mode of ventilation was most common (71.6%). "Breathing problem" was the most common dispatch complaint for EMS activations with ventilator use (63.9%). Common provider impression categories included "respiratory distress" (72.5%), "cardiac rhythm disturbance" (4.6%), "altered level of consciousness" (4.3%) and "cardiac arrest"(4.0%). Ventilator use was consistently higher at the Specialty Care Transport (SCT) and Air Medical Transport (AMT) service levels and increased over the study period for both suburban and rural EMS activations. Significant factors for ventilator use included demographic characteristics, EMS agency type, specific complaints, provider's primary impressions and condition codes. Providers at different EMS levels use ventilators during 911 scene calls in the US. Training of prehospital providers on ventilation technology is needed. The benefit and effectiveness of this intervention remain to be assessed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. 42 CFR 415.174 - Exception: Evaluation and management services furnished in certain centers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Exception: Evaluation and management services furnished in certain centers. 415.174 Section 415.174 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM SERVICES FURNISHED BY PHYSICIANS IN...

  9. Mission Services Evolution Center Message Bus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mayorga, Arturo; Bristow, John O.; Butschky, Mike

    2011-01-01

    The Goddard Mission Services Evolution Center (GMSEC) Message Bus is a robust, lightweight, fault-tolerant middleware implementation that supports all messaging capabilities of the GMSEC API. This architecture is a distributed software system that routes messages based on message subject names and knowledge of the locations in the network of the interested software components.

  10. 77 FR 47671 - TA-W-81,520, T-Mobile USA, Inc., Call Center, Allentown, PA; TA-W-81,520G, T-Mobile USA, Inc...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration TA-W-81,520, T-Mobile USA, Inc., Call Center, Allentown, PA; TA- W-81,520G, T-Mobile USA, Inc., Headquarters Office, Bellevue, WA; Amended... of T-Mobile USA, Inc., Call Center, Allentown, Pennsylvania (TA-W-81,520), Fort Lauderdale, Florida...

  11. Hospital image and the positioning of service centers: an application in market analysis and strategy development.

    PubMed

    Smith, S M; Clark, M

    1990-09-01

    The research confirms the coexistence of different images for hospitals, service centers within the same hospitals, and service programs offered by each of the service centers. The images of individual service centers are found not to be tied to the image of the host facility. Further, service centers and host facilities have differential rankings on the same service decision attributes. Managerial recommendations are offered for "image differentiation" between a hospital and its care centers.

  12. 77 FR 68138 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-15

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review... personal privacy. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel; Member Conflict..., (Telephone Conference Call). Contact Person: Richard Panniers, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, Center for...

  13. 77 FR 71429 - Center For Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-30

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Center For Scientific Review... personal privacy. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel Cancer Therapy... Conference Call). Contact Person: Lilia Topol, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, Center for Scientific Review...

  14. Psychologists in Academic Administration: A Call to Action and Service.

    PubMed

    Schmaling, Karen B; Linton, John C

    2017-06-01

    Academic psychologists' backgrounds may prepare them for many aspects of academic administration such as: understanding and working with people; prioritizing others' needs and institutional needs; and managing projects and budgets, e.g., for research grants or training programs. Contemporary academic health centers also may provide opportunities for psychologists to serve in academic health administration. This article encourages psychologists to consider preparing for and seeking administrative and higher-level leadership roles. Six psychologists serving diverse administrative roles-from vice chairs in medical school departments to presidents of universities with academic health centers-reflected on: their paths to administration; their preparation for administrative roles; and the commonalities and differences between the work and skills sets of psychologist health service providers and the work and skill sets required for higher level administrative and leadership roles.

  15. QuickStats: Percentage of Adult Day Services Center Participants, by Selected Diagnoses

    MedlinePlus

    ... MMWR ) MMWR Share Compartir QuickStats: Percentage of Adult Day Services Center Participants,* by Selected Diagnoses † — National Study ... which is the estimated number of enrolled adult day services center participants in the United States on ...

  16. 75 FR 45600 - Information Collection; Customer Data Worksheet Request for Service Center Information Management...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-03

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Farm Service Agency Information Collection; Customer Data Worksheet Request for Service Center Information Management System (SCIMS) Record Changes AGENCY: Farm Service... Customer Data Worksheet Request for Service Center Information Management System (SCIMS) that contains the...

  17. Inpatient satisfaction and usage patterns of personalized smart bedside station system for patient-centered service at a tertiary university hospital.

    PubMed

    Ryu, Borim; Kim, Seok; Lee, Kee-Hyuck; Hwang, Hee; Yoo, Sooyoung

    2016-11-01

    Bedside stations, also known as bedside terminals, are in place to enhance the quality and experience of a hospital's healthcare service delivery. The purpose of this study was to identify information needs and overall satisfaction with the personalized patient bedside system, called Smart Bedside Station (SBS) system, embedded in a tertiary general university hospital. End-user responses on the satisfaction survey and system usage logs of the SBS system were collected and analyzed. For the user opinion survey, 156 nurses and 1914 patients, their family members, or caregivers participated during the evaluation period of 2013 to 2014 in this study. All working nurses in the SBS-installed ward were answered the paper-based evaluation, for complete enumeration survey. Inpatients were voluntary participated to deliver the online questionnaire on the SBS menu. We also explored system log data including page calls and usage time from December 2013 to 2015. Regarding the relationship of overall satisfaction of the SBS with patient's characteristics, patient's education status and degree of familiarity with the smart device were statistically significant. From the analysis of system logs, Personalized My Menu(28.0%) was the most frequently used menu item (except for TV and Internet entertainment service use of 62.7%),it provides individual health information, such as laboratory test results, hospital fee check, message logs, daily medication information, and meal information. Next frequently used menus were information support(4.9%) which deliver hospital guide and health information and convenience service ordering(4.4%) such as meal order, bed sheet change. Satisfaction survey results and log data results show that the personalized service enhances the user satisfaction during hospital admission. Our post-implementation experience and subsequent assessment of SBS system is capable of providing insights into improving the hospital information system and service contents

  18. 75 FR 21641 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-26

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review... personal privacy. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel; OBT IRG Member... Call). Contact Person: Angela Y. Ng, MBA, PhD, Scientific Review Officer, Center for Scientific Review...

  19. [Work stress, common mental disorders and Work Ability Index among call center workers of an Italian company].

    PubMed

    Conway, Paul Maurice; Campanini, Paolo; Punzi, Silvia; Fichera, Giuseppe Paolo; Camerino, Donatella; Francioli, Laura; Neri, Luca; Costa, Giovanni

    2013-01-01

    To test three hypotheses in an Italian sample of call center workers: higher levels of perceived work stress are associated with more frequent common mental disorders (GHQ-12) and a lower Work Ability Index; combining the Job Strain (JS) and Effort/Reward Imbalance (ERI) models increases explained variance in health over and above either model when applied separately; compared with outbound operators, inbound call handlers are expected to report a lower health status,which is due to a more intense exposure to task-related work stress factors in the latter. A multi-center cross-sectional study, conducted by means of interviews and self-administered questionnaires. Call handlers working in the Italian branch of a telecommunication multinational company. In all, 1,106 permanent workers were examined (35.9%of the total target population, 98.9% response rate). The majority were women (76.5%);mean age was 33.3 (SD: 3.9) and company seniority 8.0 (SD: 2.1). Nearly 60% worked as inbound call handlers, about one third as outbound operators. Work stress was measured with the well-known JS and ERI models. Three exposure levels (based on tertiles) were identified for each scale. Common mental disorders were measured with the GHQ-12 questionnaire. Subjects with a GHQ-12 score 4 were classified as "cases". The Work Ability Index (WAI) was used to evaluate work ability. Being in the "poor" or "moderate" categories of the WAI indicated a low work ability status. Cronbach's alphas were 0.70 for all scales. Multivariate Poisson regressions showed that both models were linked to more frequent common mental disorders and a lower WAI. Moreover, combined models demonstrated an advantage in terms of explained variance in health. Finally, performing inbound call handling was associated with a lower WAI in comparison with engaging in outbound activities. Mediation analyses showed that such association is explained by the higher levels of psychological job demands and Job Strain experienced

  20. Poison control center - Emergency number (image)

    MedlinePlus

    For a poison emergency call 1-800-222-1222 anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you ... is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the U.S. use this national ...

  1. Person-Centered, Skilled Services Using a Montessori Approach for Persons with Dementia.

    PubMed

    Douglas, Natalie; Brush, Jennifer; Bourgeois, Michelle

    2018-07-01

    The current mandate for person-centered care throughout the health care system, and especially in the nursing home industry, requires that speech-language pathologists ensure that the services they provide to elders with dementia are skilled, person centered, and relevant to positive overall health outcomes. Guidelines developed by the Association Montessori International Advisory Board for Montessori for Aging and Dementia are one avenue toward such skilled and person-centered services. The purpose of this article is to provide clinicians with practical strategies for guiding their assessment, goal writing, and intervention plans to meet the expectations of a person-centered approach to services for elders with dementia, using the Montessori approach as a philosophical guide. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

  2. INCREASING CULTURALLY COMPETENT NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES FOR ETHNIC MINORITY POPULATIONS: A CALL TO ACTION

    PubMed Central

    Mindt, Monica Rivera; Byrd, Desiree; Saez, Pedro; Manly, Jennifer

    2010-01-01

    US demographic and sociopolitical shifts have resulted in a rapidly growing need for culturally competent neuropsychological services. However, clinical neuropsychology as a field has not kept pace with the needs of ethnic minority clients. In this discussion we review: historical precedents and the limits of universalism in neuropsychology; ethical/professional guidelines pertinent to neuropsychological practice with ethnic minority clients; critical cultural considerations in neuropsychology; current disparities germane to practice; and challenges to the provision of services to racial/ethnic minority clients. We provide a call to action for neuropsychologists and related organizations to advance multiculturalism and diversity within the field by increasing multicultural awareness and knowledge, multicultural education and training, multicultural neuropsychological research, and the provision of culturally competent neuropsychological services to racial/ethnic minority clients. Lastly, we discuss strategies for increasing the provision of culturally competent neuropsychological services, and offer several resources to meet these goals. PMID:20373222

  3. 78 FR 42034 - More Data Sought on Extra Fees Levied on Inmate Calling Services

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-15

    ... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 64 [WC Docket No. 12-375; DA 13-1445] More Data Sought on Extra Fees Levied on Inmate Calling Services AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION... comments, identified by WC Docket No. 12-375, by any of the following methods: Federal Communications...

  4. Evaluation of a National Call Center and a Local Alerts System for Detection of New Cases of Ebola Virus Disease - Guinea, 2014-2015

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-03-11

    Control and Prevention Evaluation of a National Call Center and a Local Alerts System for Detection of New Cases of Ebola Virus Disease — Guinea, 2014...principally through the use of a telephone alert system. Community members and health facilities report deaths and suspected Ebola cases to local alert ...sensitivity of the national call center with the local alerts system, the CDC country team performed probabilistic record linkage of the combined

  5. What calls for service tell us about suicide: A 7-year spatio-temporal analysis of neighborhood correlates of suicide-related calls.

    PubMed

    Marco, Miriam; Gracia, Enrique; López-Quílez, Antonio; Lila, Marisol

    2018-04-30

    Previous research has shown that neighborhood-level variables such as social deprivation, social fragmentation or rurality are related to suicide risk, but most of these studies have been conducted in the U.S. or northern European countries. The aim of this study was to analyze the spatio-temporal distribution of suicide in a southern European city (Valencia, Spain), and determine whether this distribution was related to a set of neighborhood-level characteristics. We used suicide-related calls for service as an indicator of suicide cases (n = 6,537), and analyzed the relationship of the outcome variable with several neighborhood-level variables: economic status, education level, population density, residential instability, one-person households, immigrant concentration, and population aging. A Bayesian autoregressive model was used to study the spatio-temporal distribution at the census block group level for a 7-year period (2010-2016). Results showed that neighborhoods with lower levels of education and population density, and higher levels of residential instability, one-person households, and an aging population had higher levels of suicide-related calls for service. Immigrant concentration and economic status did not make a relevant contribution to the model. These results could help to develop better-targeted community-level suicide prevention strategies.

  6. Cross Support Transfer Service (CSTS) Framework Library

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ray, Timothy

    2014-01-01

    Within the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS), there is an effort to standardize data transfer between ground stations and control centers. CCSDS plans to publish a collection of transfer services that will each address the transfer of a particular type of data (e.g., tracking data). These services will be called Cross Support Transfer Services (CSTSs). All of these services will make use of a common foundation that is called the CSTS Framework. This library implements the User side of the CSTS Framework. "User side" means that the library performs the role that is typically expected of the control center. This library was developed in support of the Goddard Data Standards program. This technology could be applicable for control centers, and possibly for use in control center simulators needed to test ground station capabilities. The main advantages of this implementation are its flexibility and simplicity. It provides the framework capabilities, while allowing the library user to provide a wrapper that adapts the library to any particular environment. The main purpose of this implementation was to support the inter-operability testing required by CCSDS. In addition, it is likely that the implementation will be useful within the Goddard mission community (for use in control centers).

  7. The State of Client-Centered Public Service Delivery in the Netherlands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jansen, Jurjen; de Vries, Sjoerd; van der Geest, Thea; Arendsen, Rex; van Dijk, Jan

    Businesses and citizens demand a better and more client-centered way of service delivery from public organizations. As society becomes more complex, dynamic and diverse, public organizations need to adapt to this demand. Conversely, our perception is that public organizations might still treat their target groups as one. However, the need for client-centered public service delivery is growing. This is widely debated in literature. Nonetheless, little empirical evidence is available about the state of client-centeredness of public organizations. The objective of the present study is to identify the state of client-centered public service delivery in the Netherlands. In order to research this topic 400 people from 194 Dutch public organizations were invited to complete an electronic questionnaire. 105 people responded. According to the respondents the state of client-centeredness is acceptable. However, only 25% of the public organizations seem to take differentiation as the point of departure for their service delivery.

  8. The Relationship Between Client Characteristics and Wraparound Services in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers

    PubMed Central

    Paino, Maria; Aletraris, Lydia; Roman, Paul

    2016-01-01

    Objective: The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) recommends a comprehensive treatment program for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) in order to treat needs they often have in addition to their SUD. Specifically, NIDA suggests providing services related to the following issues: medical care, mental health care, HIV/AIDS, child care, educational, vocational, family counseling, housing, transportation, financial, and legal. By providing a comprehensive model that combines core and wraparound services, treatment centers can deliver a higher quality of treatment. In this article, we assessed the relationship between client characteristics and the availability of wraparound services in SUD treatment centers. Method: We combined two nationally representative samples of treatment centers and used a negative binomial regression and a series of logistic regressions to analyze the relationship between client characteristics and wraparound services. Results: On average, centers offered fewer than half of the wraparound services endorsed by NIDA. Our results indicated that client characteristics were significantly related to the provision of wraparound services. Most notably, the proportion of adolescent clients was positively related to educational services, the proportion of female clients was positively related to child care, but the proportion of clients referred from the criminal justice system was negatively associated with the provision of multiple wraparound services. Conclusions: Our findings have important implications for SUD clients and suggest that, although centers are somewhat responsive to their clients’ ancillary needs, most centers do not offer the majority of wraparound services. PMID:26751366

  9. The Relationship Between Client Characteristics and Wraparound Services in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers.

    PubMed

    Paino, Maria; Aletraris, Lydia; Roman, Paul

    2016-01-01

    The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) recommends a comprehensive treatment program for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) in order to treat needs they often have in addition to their SUD. Specifically, NIDA suggests providing services related to the following issues: medical care, mental health care, HIV/AIDS, child care, educational, vocational, family counseling, housing, transportation, financial, and legal. By providing a comprehensive model that combines core and wraparound services, treatment centers can deliver a higher quality of treatment. In this article, we assessed the relationship between client characteristics and the availability of wraparound services in SUD treatment centers. We combined two nationally representative samples of treatment centers and used a negative binomial regression and a series of logistic regressions to analyze the relationship between client characteristics and wraparound services. On average, centers offered fewer than half of the wraparound services endorsed by NIDA. Our results indicated that client characteristics were significantly related to the provision of wraparound services. Most notably, the proportion of adolescent clients was positively related to educational services, the proportion of female clients was positively related to child care, but the proportion of clients referred from the criminal justice system was negatively associated with the provision of multiple wraparound services. Our findings have important implications for SUD clients and suggest that, although centers are somewhat responsive to their clients' ancillary needs, most centers do not offer the majority of wraparound services.

  10. Oregon School-Based Health Centers 1996-1997 Services Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alexander, Tammis; Nystrom, Robert J.; Spitz, Lauren

    School based health centers (SBHC) are effective providers of health services and education because they are easy for students to access, they take an integrated and developmentally appropriate approach to meeting health needs, and they are prevention-oriented. This report describes the 1996-1997 services provided in 15 of 19 state-supported…

  11. 42 CFR 410.165 - Payment for rural health clinic services and ambulatory surgical center services: Conditions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Payment for rural health clinic services and... (SMI) BENEFITS Payment of SMI Benefits § 410.165 Payment for rural health clinic services and ambulatory surgical center services: Conditions. (a) Medicare Part B pays for covered rural health clinic and...

  12. Virtualized Multi-Mission Operations Center (vMMOC) and its Cloud Services

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ido, Haisam Kassim

    2017-01-01

    His presentation will cover, the current and future, technical and organizational opportunities and challenges with virtualizing a multi-mission operations center. The full deployment of Goddard Space Flight Centers (GSFC) Virtualized Multi-Mission Operations Center (vMMOC) is nearly complete. The Space Science Mission Operations (SSMO) organizations spacecraft ACE, Fermi, LRO, MMS(4), OSIRIS-REx, SDO, SOHO, Swift, and Wind are in the process of being fully migrated to the vMMOC. The benefits of the vMMOC will be the normalization and the standardization of IT services, mission operations, maintenance, and development as well as ancillary services and policies such as collaboration tools, change management systems, and IT Security. The vMMOC will also provide operational efficiencies regarding hardware, IT domain expertise, training, maintenance and support.The presentation will also cover SSMO's secure Situational Awareness Dashboard in an integrated, fleet centric, cloud based web services fashion. Additionally the SSMO Telemetry as a Service (TaaS) will be covered, which allows authorized users and processes to access telemetry for the entire SSMO fleet, and for the entirety of each spacecrafts history. Both services leverage cloud services in a secure FISMA High and FedRamp environment, and also leverage distributed object stores in order to house and provide the telemetry. The services are also in the process of leveraging the cloud computing services elasticity and horizontal scalability. In the design phase is the Navigation as a Service (NaaS) which will provide a standardized, efficient, and normalized service for the fleet's space flight dynamics operations. Additional future services that may be considered are Ground Segment as a Service (GSaaS), Telemetry and Command as a Service (TCaaS), Flight Software Simulation as a Service, etc.

  13. 76 FR 35225 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-16

    ... personal privacy. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel, Drug Discovery... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review... Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892. (Telephone Conference Call) Contact Person: Guangyong Ji, PhD, Scientific...

  14. 75 FR 63494 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-15

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review... personal privacy. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel, Member Conflict..., (Telephone Conference Call). Contact Person: Joseph G. Rudolph, PhD, Chief and Scientific Review Officer...

  15. Barriers and disparities in emergency medical services 911 calls for stroke symptoms in the United States adult population: 2009 BRFSS Survey.

    PubMed

    Seo, Munseok; Begley, Charles; Langabeer, James R; DelliFraine, Jami L

    2014-03-01

    This study examines barriers and disparities in the intentions of American citizens, when dealing with stroke symptoms, to call 911. This study hypothesizes that low socioeconomic populations are less likely to call 911 in response to stroke recognition. The study is a cross-sectional design analyzing data from the Centers for Disease Control's 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, collected through a telephone-based survey from 18 states and the District of Columbia. The study identified the 5 most evident stroke-warning symptoms based on those given by the American Stroke Association. We conducted appropriate weighting procedures to account for the complex survey design. A total of 131,988 respondents answered the following question: "If you thought someone was having a heart attack or a stroke, what is the first thing you would do?" A majority of those who said they would call 911 were insured (85.1%), had good health (84.1%), had no stroke history (97.3%), had a primary care physician (PCP) (81.4%), and had no burden of medical costs (84.9%). Those less likely to call 911 were found in the following groups: 65 years or older, men, other race, unmarried, less than or equal to high school degree, less than $25,000 family income, uninsured, no PCP, burden of medical costs, fair/poor health, previous history of strokes, or interaction between burden of medical costs and less than $50,000 family income (p<0.0001 by X(2) tests). The only factors significantly associated with "would call 911" were age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, and previous history of strokes. Barriers and disparities exist among subpopulations of different socioeconomic statuses. This study suggests that some potential stroke victims could have limited access to EMS services. Greater effort targeting certain populations is needed to motivate citizens to call 911.

  16. Optimization for Service Routes of Pallet Service Center Based on the Pallet Pool Mode

    PubMed Central

    He, Shiwei; Song, Rui

    2016-01-01

    Service routes optimization (SRO) of pallet service center should meet customers' demand firstly and then, through the reasonable method of lines organization, realize the shortest path of vehicle driving. The routes optimization of pallet service center is similar to the distribution problems of vehicle routing problem (VRP) and Chinese postman problem (CPP), but it has its own characteristics. Based on the relevant research results, the conditions of determining the number of vehicles, the one way of the route, the constraints of loading, and time windows are fully considered, and a chance constrained programming model with stochastic constraints is constructed taking the shortest path of all vehicles for a delivering (recycling) operation as an objective. For the characteristics of the model, a hybrid intelligent algorithm including stochastic simulation, neural network, and immune clonal algorithm is designed to solve the model. Finally, the validity and rationality of the optimization model and algorithm are verified by the case. PMID:27528865

  17. [Evaluation of work-related stress in call-center workers: application of a methodology].

    PubMed

    Ansaloni, Gianluca; Cichella, Patrizia; Morelli, Carla; Alberghini, Villiam; Finardi, Elisabetta; Guglielmin, Antonia Maria; Nini, Donatella; Sacenti, Elisabetta; Stagni, Cristina

    2014-01-01

    Several studies highlighting a correlation between call-center working conditions and psychosocial and ergonomic hazards. The aim of this study is to provide an operating methodology for the risk assessment of work-related stress. The study involved 554 call-centre workers employed in three insurance organizations and a mixed work group (worker, company and public health representative) for the study management was defined. We experimented an objective self-made checklist and then we administered a modified version of the OSI (Occupational Stress Indicator) questionnaire. We obtained complementary information from the two different data collection methods. The findings highlight a low level of perceived stress and health complaints compared with other studies previously carried out mainly in 'outsourcing' call centres: workers don't show stress symptoms without adopting coping strategies. Moreover the study underlines an acceptable level of work satisfaction, although there are low career opportunities. These results are probable due to the low job seniority associated to the high job security--the large majority of respondents, 87%, consisted of permanent workers--and the working time mainly consisted of daily shifts five days a week. Our methodology seems to be able to detect the level of work-related stress with a good degree of coherence. Furthermore the presence of a mixed work group determined a good level of involvement among the workers: 464 out of 554 operators completed and returned the questionnaire, representing a response rate of about 84%.

  18. Working conditions in call-centers, the impact on employee health: a transversal study. Part II.

    PubMed

    Charbotel, Barbara; Croidieu, Sophie; Vohito, Michel; Guerin, Anne-Céline; Renaud, Liliane; Jaussaud, Joelle; Bourboul, Christian; Imbard, Isabelle; Ardiet, Dominique; Bergeret, Alain

    2009-05-01

    The present study sought to assess the impact of telephone call center employees' working conditions on health by identifying at-risk employment situations. A transversal study was performed in companies followed by 47 occupational physicians taking part (working conditions have been previously described). A self-administered medical questionnaire was used to collect data on absence due to sick leave, hearing and visual problems, musculoskeletal disorders, psychotropic drug use, etc. An analog-scale self-assessment of health status and a general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used. Personal or familial events that might underlie health problems and affect GHQ-12 results were quantified and taken into account in a logistic regression. A total of 2,130 call-handlers were included. Workers who had availed sick leave during the previous 12 months were 60%. The most frequent musculoskeletal complaints over the previous 12-month period concerned the cervical region (59%). During the same period, 77.3% of subjects experienced visual fatigue, 50% reported auditory fatigue signs and 47% vocal disturbance or fatigue. According to the Likert scale, 39.4% of workers had showed psychological distress. Almost 24% of the workers had used psychoactive medication during the previous 12 months. A significant association was found between psychological distress and the frequency of musculoskeletal disorders. Psychological distress and musculoskeletal disorders were significantly greater in workers with Job Strain and Iso Strain. After taking non-occupational factors into account, some occupational factors were found to increase the risk of psychological distress (Likert >12): imposed full-time schedule, being unable to simultaneously meet both quality and quantity requirements, situations of tension with clients, negative comments from superiors, and lack of recognition from superiors. This survey of over 2,000 call center employees highlighted the high frequency of psychological

  19. Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Need Additional Management Oversight

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-04

    H 4 , 2 0 1 5 Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Need Additional Management Oversight Report No. DODIG-2015...04 MAR 2015 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2015 to 00-00-2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Naval...i Results in Brief Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Need Additional Management Oversight Visit us at

  20. Study protocol of the YOU CALL--WE CALL TRIAL: impact of a multimodal support intervention after a "mild" stroke.

    PubMed

    Rochette, Annie; Korner-Bitensky, Nicol; Bishop, Duane; Teasell, Robert; White, Carole; Bravo, Gina; Côté, Robert; Lachaine, Jean; Green, Teri; Lebrun, Louise-Hélène; Lanthier, Sylvain; Kapral, Moira; Wood-Dauphinee, Sharon

    2010-01-06

    More than 60% of new strokes each year are "mild" in severity and this proportion is expected to rise in the years to come. Within our current health care system those with "mild" stroke are typically discharged home within days, without further referral to health or rehabilitation services other than advice to see their family physician. Those with mild stroke often have limited access to support from health professionals with stroke-specific knowledge who would typically provide critical information on topics such as secondary stroke prevention, community reintegration, medication counselling and problem solving with regard to specific concerns that arise. Isolation and lack of knowledge may lead to a worsening of health problems including stroke recurrence and unnecessary and costly health care utilization.The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness, for individuals who experience a first "mild" stroke, of a sustainable, low cost, multimodal support intervention (comprising information, education and telephone support)--"WE CALL" compared to a passive intervention (providing the name and phone number of a resource person available if they feel the need to)--"YOU CALL", on two primary outcomes: unplanned-use of health services for negative events and quality of life. We will recruit 384 adults who meet inclusion criteria for a first mild stroke across six Canadian sites. Baseline measures will be taken within the first month after stroke onset. Participants will be stratified according to comorbidity level and randomised to one of two groups: YOU CALL or WE CALL. Both interventions will be offered over a six months period. Primary outcomes include unplanned use of heath services for negative event (frequency calendar) and quality of life (EQ-5D and Quality of Life Index). Secondary outcomes include participation level (LIFE-H), depression (Beck Depression Inventory II) and use of health services for health promotion or prevention (frequency calendar

  1. Four aspects of the scope and quality of family planning services in US publicly funded health centers: Results from a survey of health center administrators.

    PubMed

    Carter, Marion W; Gavin, Loretta; Zapata, Lauren B; Bornstein, Marta; Mautone-Smith, Nancy; Moskosky, Susan B

    2016-10-01

    This study aims to describe aspects of the scope and quality of family planning services provided by US publicly funded health centers before the release of relevant federal recommendations. Using nationally representative survey data (N=1615), we describe four aspects of service delivery: family planning services provided, contraceptive methods provided onsite, written contraceptive counseling protocols and youth-friendly services. We created a count index for each issue and used multivariable ordered logistic regression to identify health center characteristics associated with scoring higher on each. Half of the sample received Title X funding and about a third each were a community health center or health department clinic. The vast majority reported frequently providing contraceptive services (89%) and STD services (87%) for women in the past 3 months. Service provision to males was substantially lower except for STD screening. A total of 63% and 48% of health centers provided hormonal IUDs and implants onsite in the past 3 months, respectively. Forty percent of health centers included all five recommended contraceptive counseling practices in written protocols. Of youth-friendly services, active promotion of confidential services was among the most commonly reported (83%); offering weekend/evening hours was among the least (42%). In multivariable analyses, receiving Title X funding, having larger volumes of family planning clients and being a Planned Parenthood clinic were associated with higher scores on most indices. Many services were consistent with the recommendations for providing quality family planning services, but there was room for improvement across domains and health centers types. As assessed in this paper, the scope and quality of these family planning services was relatively high, particularly among Planned Parenthood clinics and Title X-funded centers. However, results point to important areas for improvement. Future studies should assess

  2. 41 CFR 101-30.504 - Cataloging data from Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2013-07-01 2012-07-01 true Cataloging data from Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC). 101-30.504 Section 101-30.504 Public Contracts and Property... data from Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC). Upon receipt of cataloging data from civil agencies...

  3. 41 CFR 101-30.504 - Cataloging data from Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Cataloging data from Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC). 101-30.504 Section 101-30.504 Public Contracts and Property... data from Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC). Upon receipt of cataloging data from civil agencies...

  4. 41 CFR 101-30.504 - Cataloging data from Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2014-07-01 2012-07-01 true Cataloging data from Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC). 101-30.504 Section 101-30.504 Public Contracts and Property... data from Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC). Upon receipt of cataloging data from civil agencies...

  5. 41 CFR 101-30.504 - Cataloging data from Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2011-07-01 2007-07-01 true Cataloging data from Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC). 101-30.504 Section 101-30.504 Public Contracts and Property... data from Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC). Upon receipt of cataloging data from civil agencies...

  6. Person-Centered Care in the Home Setting for Parkinson's Disease: Operation House Call Quality of Care Pilot Study.

    PubMed

    Hack, Nawaz; Akbar, Umer; Monari, Erin H; Eilers, Amanda; Thompson-Avila, Amanda; Hwynn, Nelson H; Sriram, Ashok; Haq, Ihtsham; Hardwick, Angela; Malaty, Irene A; Okun, Michael S

    2015-01-01

    Objective. (1) To evaluate the feasibility of implementing and evaluating a home visit program for persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) in a rural setting. (2) To have movement disorders fellows coordinate and manage health care delivery. Background. The University of Florida, Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration established Operation House Call to serve patients with PD who could not otherwise afford to travel to an expert center or to pay for medical care. PD is known to lead to significant disability, frequent hospitalization, early nursing home placement, and morbidity. Methods. This was designed as a quality improvement project. Movement disorders fellows travelled to the home(s) of underserved PD patients and coordinated their clinical care. The diagnosis of Parkinson's disease was confirmed using standardized criteria, and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale was performed and best treatment practices were delivered. Results. All seven patients have been followed up longitudinally every 3 to 6 months in the home setting, and they remain functional and independent. None of the patients have been hospitalized for PD related complications. Each patient has a new updatable electronic medical record. All Operation House Call cases are presented during video rounds for the interdisciplinary PD team to make recommendations for care (neurology, neurosurgery, neuropsychology, psychiatry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and social work). One Operation House Call patient has successfully received deep brain stimulation (DBS). Conclusion. This program is a pilot program that has demonstrated that it is possible to provide person-centered care in the home setting for PD patients. This program could provide a proof of concept for the construction of a larger visiting physician or nurse program.

  7. Person-Centered Care in the Home Setting for Parkinson's Disease: Operation House Call Quality of Care Pilot Study

    PubMed Central

    Akbar, Umer; Eilers, Amanda; Thompson-Avila, Amanda; Malaty, Irene A.; Okun, Michael S.

    2015-01-01

    Objective. (1) To evaluate the feasibility of implementing and evaluating a home visit program for persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) in a rural setting. (2) To have movement disorders fellows coordinate and manage health care delivery. Background. The University of Florida, Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration established Operation House Call to serve patients with PD who could not otherwise afford to travel to an expert center or to pay for medical care. PD is known to lead to significant disability, frequent hospitalization, early nursing home placement, and morbidity. Methods. This was designed as a quality improvement project. Movement disorders fellows travelled to the home(s) of underserved PD patients and coordinated their clinical care. The diagnosis of Parkinson's disease was confirmed using standardized criteria, and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale was performed and best treatment practices were delivered. Results. All seven patients have been followed up longitudinally every 3 to 6 months in the home setting, and they remain functional and independent. None of the patients have been hospitalized for PD related complications. Each patient has a new updatable electronic medical record. All Operation House Call cases are presented during video rounds for the interdisciplinary PD team to make recommendations for care (neurology, neurosurgery, neuropsychology, psychiatry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and social work). One Operation House Call patient has successfully received deep brain stimulation (DBS). Conclusion. This program is a pilot program that has demonstrated that it is possible to provide person-centered care in the home setting for PD patients. This program could provide a proof of concept for the construction of a larger visiting physician or nurse program. PMID:26078912

  8. Utilization of Mental Health Services in School-Based Health Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bains, Ranbir M.; Cusson, Regina; White-Frese, Jesse; Walsh, Stephen

    2017-01-01

    Background: We summarize utilization patterns for mental health services in school-based health centers. Methods: Administrative data on school-based health center visits in New Haven, Connecticut were examined for the 2007-2009 school years. Relative frequencies of mental health visits by age were calculated as a percentage of all visits and were…

  9. Innovation in user-centered skills and performance improvement for sustainable complex service systems.

    PubMed

    Karwowski, Waldemar; Ahram, Tareq Z

    2012-01-01

    In order to leverage individual and organizational learning and to remain competitive in current turbulent markets it is important for employees, managers, planners and leaders to perform at high levels over time. Employee competence and skills are extremely important matters in view of the general shortage of talent and the mobility of employees with talent. Two factors emerged to have the greatest impact on the competitiveness of complex service systems: improving managerial and employee's knowledge attainment for skills, and improving the training and development of the workforce. This paper introduces the knowledge-based user-centered service design approach for sustainable skill and performance improvement in education, design and modeling of the next generation of complex service systems. The rest of the paper cover topics in human factors and sustainable business process modeling for the service industry, and illustrates the user-centered service system development cycle with the integration of systems engineering concepts in service systems. A roadmap for designing service systems of the future is discussed. The framework introduced in this paper is based on key user-centered design principles and systems engineering applications to support service competitiveness.

  10. An ergonomic evaluation of a call center performed by disabled agents.

    PubMed

    Chi, Chia-Fen; Lin, Yen-Hui

    2008-08-01

    Potential ergonomic hazards for 27 disabled call center agents engaged in computer-telephone interactive tasks were evaluated for possible associations between the task behaviors and work-related disorders. Data included task description, 300 samples of performance, a questionnaire on workstation design, body-part discomfort rating, perceived stress, potential job stressors, and direct measurement of environmental factors. Analysis indicated agents were frequently exposed to prolonged static sitting and repetitive movements, together with unsupported back and flexed neck, causing musculoskeletal discomforts. Visual fatigue (85.2% of agents), discomfort of ears (66.7%), and musculoskeletal discomforts (59.3%) were the most pronounced and prevalent complaints after prolonged working. 17 of 27 agents described job pressure as high or very high, and dealing with difficult customers and trying to fulfill the customers' needs within the time standard were main stressors. Further work on surrounding noise, earphone use, possible hearing loss of experienced agents, training programs, feasible solutions for visual fatigue, musculoskeletal symptoms, and psychosocial stress should be conducted.

  11. Utilization of professional mental health services according to recognition rate of mental health centers.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hyo Jung; Ju, Young Jun; Park, Eun-Cheol

    2017-04-01

    Despite the positive effect of community-based mental health centers, the utilization of professional mental health services appears to be low. Therefore, we analyzed the relationship between regional recognition of mental health centers and utilization of professional mental health services. We used data from the Community Health Survey (2014) and e-provincial indicators. Only those living in Seoul, who responded that they were either feeling a lot of stress or depression, were included in the study. Multiple logistic regression analysis using generalized estimating equations was performed to examine both individual- and regional-level variables associated with utilization of professional mental health services. Among the 7338 participants who reported depression or stress, 646 (8.8%) had consulted a mental health professional for their symptoms. A higher recognition rate of mental health centers was associated with more utilization of professional mental health services (odds ratio [OR]=1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.03-1.07). Accessibility to professional mental health services could be improved depending on the general population's recognition and attitudes toward mental health centers. Therefore, health policy-makers need to plan appropriate strategies for changing the perception of mental health services and informing the public about both the benefits and functions of mental health centers. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. Value of chiropractic services at an on-site health center.

    PubMed

    Krause, Curt A; Kaspin, Lisa; Gorman, Kathleen M; Miller, Ross M

    2012-08-01

    Chiropractic care offered at an on-site health center could reduce the economic and clinical burden of musculoskeletal conditions. A retrospective claims analysis and clinical evaluation were performed to assess the influence of on-site chiropractic services on health care utilization and outcomes. Patients treated off-site were significantly more likely to have physical therapy (P < 0.0001) and outpatient visits (P < 0.0001). In addition, the average total number of health care visits, radiology procedures, and musculoskeletal medication use per patient with each event were significantly higher for the off-site group (all P < 0.0001). Last, headache, neck pain, and low back pain-functional status improved significantly (all P < 0.0001). These results suggest that chiropractic services offered at on-site health centers may promote lower utilization of certain health care services, while improving musculoskeletal function.

  13. 25 CFR 170.167 - How does a tribe obtain services from an Indian LTAP center?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How does a tribe obtain services from an Indian LTAP... Local Technical Assistance Program § 170.167 How does a tribe obtain services from an Indian LTAP center? A tribe that wants to obtain services should contact the Indian LTAP center serving its service area...

  14. Medical service plans in academic medical centers.

    PubMed

    Siegel, B

    1978-10-01

    Medical service plans are of major importance to academic medical centers and are becoming increasingly so each year as evidenced by growing dependence of medical schools on resulting funds. How these funds are generated and used varies among schools. The procedures may affect the governance of the institution, modifying the authority of the central administration or the clinical departments. Recent developments in federal legislation, such as health maintenance organizations and amendments (Section 227) to the Social Security Act, and the future development of national health insurance will certainly have an effect on how academic medical centers organize their clinical activities. How successfully various medical schools deal with the dynamic problem may well determine their future survival.

  15. Value-added Data Services at the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Leptoukh, Gregory G.; Alcott, Gary T.; Kempler, Steven J.; Lynnes, Christopher S.; Vollmer, Bruce E.

    2004-01-01

    The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), in addition to serving the Earth Science community as one of the major Distributed Active Archives Centers (DAACs), provides much more than just data. Among the value-added services available to general users are subsetting data spatially and/or by parameter, online analysis (to avoid downloading unnecessarily all the data), and assistance in obtaining data from other centers. Services available to data producers and high-volume users include consulting on building new products with standard formats and metadata and construction of data management systems. A particularly useful service is data processing at the DISC (i.e., close to the input data) with the users algorithm. This can take a number of different forms: as a configuration-managed algorithm within the main processing stream; as a stand-alone program next to the on-line data storage; as build-it-yourself code within the Near-Archive Data Mining (NADM) system; or as an on-the-fly analysis with simple algorithms embedded into the web-based tools. Partnerships between the GES DISC and scientists, both producers and users, allow the scientists to concentrate on science, while the GES DISC handles the data management, e.g., formats, integration, and data processing. The existing data management infrastructure at the GES DISC supports a wide spectrum of options: from simple data support to sophisticated on-line analysis tools, producing economies of scale and rapid time-to-deploy. At the same time, such partnerships allow the GES DISC to serve the user community more efficiently and to better prioritize on-line holdings. Several examples of successful partnerships are described in the presentation.

  16. Mental Health Services in School-Based Health Centers: Systematic Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bains, Ranbir Mangat; Diallo, Ana F.

    2016-01-01

    Mental health issues affect 20-25% of children and adolescents, of which few receive services. School-based health centers (SBHCs) provide access to mental health services to children and adolescents within their schools. A systematic review of literature was undertaken to review evidence on the effectiveness of delivery of mental health services…

  17. Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Brooke Army Medical Center Need Additional Management Oversight

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-13

    No. DODIG-2014-101 A U G U S T 1 3 , 2 0 1 4 Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Brooke Army Medical Center Need Additional Management...13 AUG 2014 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2014 to 00-00-2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Brooke Army...Results in Brief Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Brooke Army Medical Center Need Additional Management Oversight Visit us at www.dodig.mil

  18. Specialized stroke rehabilitation services in seven countries: Preliminary results from nine rehabilitation centers.

    PubMed

    Langhammer, Birgitta; Becker, Frank; Sunnerhagen, Katharina S; Zhang, Tong; Du, Xiaoxia; Bushnik, Tamara; Panchenko, Maria; Keren, Ofer; Banura, Samir; Elessi, Khamis; Luzon, Fuad; Lundgren-Nilsson, Åsa; Li, Xie; Sällström, Susanne; Stanghelle, Johan Kvalvik

    2015-12-01

    There is a lack of defined levels of rehabilitation, indicating possibly random content and access to specialized services. The aim of the study was to perform a multinational descriptive study of specialized rehabilitation in persons with stroke, to elucidate what the different centers define as prerequisites for specialized rehabilitation, and to analyze whether these descriptions map to currently applied standards or constructs of specialized rehabilitation. A secondary aim was to look for similarities and differences between therapies and services for persons with stroke in the sub-acute stage in the different institutions. Descriptive data of the collaborating centers regarding structure and processes of services were recorded and compared with the British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine and Specialized Services National Definitions sets. Comparisons of the definitions showed that all centers admitted severely disabled persons with stroke, in need of complex rehabilitation, and provided high levels of physical services, with specialized equipment and facilities. However, funding, size, university affiliation, quality accreditation, staffing levels, specialist training, cognitive and vocational services, coordination of the professional teams, admission procedures, time and type of therapies, estimated length of stay, and follow-up procedures differed between the centers. This multinational study of specialized stroke rehabilitation centers shows that a universal definition of specialized rehabilitation is possible, even in quite different countries and settings, in terms of general principles. There were however differences in structures and procedures, which may influence patients' outcomes, indicating a need for refinement of the definitions to be globally applicable. © 2015 World Stroke Organization.

  19. Impact of new technologies on stress, attrition and well-being in emergency call centers: the NextGeneration 9-1-1 study protocol.

    PubMed

    Baseman, Janet; Revere, Debra; Painter, Ian; Stangenes, Scott; Lilly, Michelle; Beaton, Randal; Calhoun, Rebecca; Meischke, Hendrika

    2018-05-04

    Our public health emergency response system relies on the "first of the first responders"-the emergency call center workforce that handles the emergency needs of a public in distress. Call centers across the United States have been preparing for the "Next Generation 9-1-1" initiative, which will allow citizens to place 9-1-1 calls using a variety of digital technologies. The impacts of this initiative on a workforce that is already highly stressed is unknown. There is concern that these technology changes will increase stress, reduce job performance, contribute to maladaptive coping strategies, lower employee retention, or change morale in the workplace. Understanding these impacts to inform approaches for mitigating the health and performance risks associated with new technologies is crucial for ensuring the 911 system fulfills its mission of providing optimal emergency response to the public. Our project is an observational, prospective cohort study framed by the first new technology that will be implemented: text-to-911 calling. Emergency center call takers will be recruited nationwide. Data will be collected by online surveys distributed at each center before text-to-911 implementation; within the first month of implementation; and 6 months after implementation. Primary outcome measures are stress as measured by the Calgary Symptoms of Stress Index, use of sick leave, job performance, and job satisfaction. Primary analyses will use mixed effects regression models and mixed effects logistic regression models to estimate the change in outcome variables associated with text-to-911 implementation. Multiple secondary analyses will examine effects of stress on absenteeism; associations between technology attitudes and stress; effects of implementation on attitudes towards technology; and mitigating effects of job demands, job satisfaction, attitudes towards workplace technology and workplace support on change in stress. Our public health dependence on this workforce

  20. 18. Station Service Control and Motor Control Center #2, view ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    18. Station Service Control and Motor Control Center #2, view to the northeast. Note the circuit breaker switch on cart in left corner of photograph. This switch is part of the motor control center which has been temporarily removed from the slot marked with a tag that is visible at lower left end of control center. - Washington Water Power Clark Fork River Noxon Rapids Hydroelectric Development, Powerhouse, South bank of Clark Fork River at Noxon Rapids, Noxon, Sanders County, MT

  1. Use of a "Freak Out" Control Center

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Casse, Robert M.

    1970-01-01

    A student staffed center, established to help those on bad trips", utilizes services of volunteer personnel for therapeutic support. A physician is on call to administer chemotherapy when needed. During the first year of operation, no cases of hepatitis or freak outs have been reported. (CJ)

  2. Service Delivery and Related Issues at the Trace Research and Development Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, R. O.

    The environmental context of the Trace Center is first briefly described as background for a more detailed description of the center's service delivery activities in the field of rehabilitation/education technology. Trace serves four major functions in rehabilitation/education technology. As a nationally funded rehabilitation engineering center,…

  3. Development of XML Schema for Broadband Digital Seismograms and Data Center Portal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takeuchi, N.; Tsuboi, S.; Ishihara, Y.; Nagao, H.; Yamagishi, Y.; Watanabe, T.; Yanaka, H.; Yamaji, H.

    2008-12-01

    There are a number of data centers around the globe, where the digital broadband seismograms are opened to researchers. Those centers use their own user interfaces and there are no standard to access and retrieve seismograms from different data centers using unified interface. One of the emergent technologies to realize unified user interface for different data centers is the concept of WebService and WebService portal. Here we have developed a prototype of data center portal for digital broadband seismograms. This WebService portal uses WSDL (Web Services Description Language) to accommodate differences among the different data centers. By using the WSDL, alteration and addition of data center user interfaces can be easily managed. This portal, called NINJA Portal, assumes three WebServices: (1) database Query service, (2) Seismic event data request service, and (3) Seismic continuous data request service. Current system supports both station search of database Query service and seismic continuous data request service. Data centers supported by this NINJA portal will be OHP data center in ERI and Pacific21 data center in IFREE/JAMSTEC in the beginning. We have developed metadata standard for seismological data based on QuakeML for parametric data, which has been developed by ETH Zurich, and XML-SEED for waveform data, which was developed by IFREE/JAMSTEC. The prototype of NINJA portal is now released through IFREE web page (http://www.jamstec.go.jp/pacific21/).

  4. Community Information Centers and the Computer.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carroll, John M.; Tague, Jean M.

    Two computer data bases have been developed by the Computer Science Department at the University of Western Ontario for "Information London," the local community information center. One system, called LONDON, permits Boolean searches of a file of 5,000 records describing human service agencies in the London area. The second system,…

  5. Helping You Identify Quality Laboratory Services

    MedlinePlus

    ... and then discuss specifics about the quality improvement processes the laboratory has in place. General questions  What ... like a printed copy, please call the Customer Service Center at (630) 792-5800. To report information ...

  6. [The Engineering and Technical Services Directorate at the Glenn Research Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moon, James

    2004-01-01

    My name is James Moon and I am a senior at Tennessee State University where my major is Aeronautical and Industrial Technology with a concentration in industrial electronics. I am currently serving my internship in the Engineering and Technical Services Directorate at the Glenn Research Center (GRC). The Engineering and Technical Service Directorate provides the services and infrastructure for the Glenn Research Center to take research concepts to reality. They provide a full range of integrated services including engineering, advanced prototyping and testing, facility management, and information technology for NASA, industry, and academia. Engineering and Technical Services contains the core knowledge in Information Technology (IT). This includes data systems and analysis, inter and intranet based systems design and data security. Including the design and development of embedded real-time s o h a r e applications for flight and supporting ground systems, Engineering and Technical Services provide a wide range of IT services and products specific to the Glenn Research Center research and engineering community. In the 7000 Directorate I work directly in the 7611 organization. This organization is known as the Aviation Environments Technical Branch. My mentor is Vincent Satterwhite who is also the Branch Chief of the Aviation Environments Technical Branch. In this branch, I serve as the Assistant program manager of the Engineering Technology Program. The Engineering Technology Program (ETP) is one of three components of the High School L.E.R.C.I.P. This is an Agency-sponsored, eight-week research-based apprenticeship program designed to attract traditionally underrepresented high school students that demonstrate an aptitude for and interest in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology.

  7. Family-centered services for children with complex communication needs: the practices and beliefs of school-based speech-language pathologists.

    PubMed

    Mandak, Kelsey; Light, Janice

    2018-06-01

    This study used an online focus group to examine the beliefs and practices of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who served children with complex communication needs regarding their provision of family-centered services. Participants revealed that despite their desire for family involvement and reported beliefs in the importance of family-centered services, there were barriers in place that often limited family-centered service provision. Across the SLPs, many were dissatisfied with their current provision of family-centered services. The SLPs varied in their reported practices, with some reporting family-centered services and others, professional-centered services. Future research is recommended in order to investigate which factors contribute to the variation among SLPs and how the variation impacts children who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and their families. Potential clinical implications for in-service and pre-service SLPs are discussed to improve future family-centered AAC services.

  8. Barriers and Disparities in Emergency Medical Services 911 Calls for Stroke Symptoms in the United States Adult Population: 2009 BRFSS Survey

    PubMed Central

    Seo, Munseok; Begley, Charles; Langabeer, James R.; DelliFraine, Jami L.

    2014-01-01

    Introduction This study examines barriers and disparities in the intentions of American citizens, when dealing with stroke symptoms, to call 911. This study hypothesizes that low socioeconomic populations are less likely to call 911 in response to stroke recognition. Methods The study is a cross-sectional design analyzing data from the Centers for Disease Control’s 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, collected through a telephone-based survey from 18 states and the District of Columbia. The study identified the 5 most evident stroke-warning symptoms based on those given by the American Stroke Association. We conducted appropriate weighting procedures to account for the complex survey design. Results A total of 131,988 respondents answered the following question: “If you thought someone was having a heart attack or a stroke, what is the first thing you would do?” A majority of those who said they would call 911 were insured (85.1%), had good health (84.1%), had no stroke history (97.3%), had a primary care physician (PCP) (81.4%), and had no burden of medical costs (84.9%). Those less likely to call 911 were found in the following groups: 65 years or older, men, other race, unmarried, less than or equal to high school degree, less than $25,000 family income, uninsured, no PCP, burden of medical costs, fair/poor health, previous history of strokes, or interaction between burden of medical costs and less than $50,000 family income (p<0.0001 by X2 tests). The only factors significantly associated with “would call 911” were age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, and previous history of strokes. Conclusion Barriers and disparities exist among subpopulations of different socioeconomic statuses. This study suggests that some potential stroke victims could have limited access to EMS services. Greater effort targeting certain populations is needed to motivate citizens to call 911. PMID:24926394

  9. Service of Remembrance: a comprehensive cancer center's response to bereaved family members.

    PubMed

    Knight, Louise; Cooper, Rhonda S; Hypki, Cinder

    2012-01-01

    Comprehensive cancer centers that offer an array of clinical trials and treatment options often experience significant patient mortality rates. Bereavement resources may not be routinely incorporated into the service delivery model in these specialty hospitals. In response, an interdisciplinary team at one cancer center proposed, planned, and implemented an annual Service of Remembrance. The incorporation of music, poetry, and visual arts was important in designing a program that would provide a meaningful, spiritual experience. A community artist who designed an interactive memorial art piece played a pivotal role. This article outlines the process of institutional culture change and describes future challenges in the implementation of this type of bereavement service.

  10. Minnesota Developmental Achievement Centers: 1987 Survey Results. Policy Analysis Series, No. 28.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minnesota Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities, St. Paul.

    This paper presents data collected from rehabilitation centers serving individuals with developmental disabilities in Minnesota, called Developmental Achievement Centers (DACs). The data focus on finances, programs, and clients, and are compared with data from previous years. All 97 providers of adult services in Minnesota completed the survey,…

  11. 78 FR 54957 - Proposed Information Collection (Board of Veterans' Appeals, Voice of the Veteran Call Center...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-06

    ... operational processes and service delivery, which in turn, will enable the Board to serve its Veterans in the... period, comments may be viewed online through FDMS. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sue Hamlin at (202... Center Survey. Type of Review: New collection. Abstract: Currently, the Board collects customer...

  12. Harvard Catalyst | The Clinical Translational Science Center IND/IDE Consult Service: providing an IND/IDE consult service in a decentralized network of academic healthcare centers.

    PubMed

    Kim, Min J; Winkler, Sabune J; Bierer, Barbara E; Wolf, Delia

    2014-04-01

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations require sponsors of clinical investigations involving an investigational drug or device to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) or Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application. Strict adherence to applicable regulations is vital to the success of clinical research. Unlike most major pharmaceutical sponsors, investigator sponsors often do not fully appreciate their regulatory obligations nor have resources to ensure compliance. As a result they can place themselves and their institutions at risk. Nevertheless, investigator-initiated clinical trials are vital to the further development of innovative drugs, biologics, and medical devices. The IND/IDE Subcommittee under the Regulatory Knowledge and Support Program at Harvard Catalyst, The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center worked in collaboration with Harvard and Harvard affiliated institutions to create and launch an IND/IDE Consult Service in a decentralized network of collaborating Academic Healthcare Centers (AHC). The IND/IDE Consult Service offers expertise, resources, and shared experiences to assist sponsor-investigators and IRBs in meeting regulatory requirements for conducting and reviewing investigator-initiated IND/IDE studies. The scope of the services provided by the Harvard Catalyst IND/IDE Consult Service are described, including the specifics of the service, lessons learned, and challenges faced, in a scalable model that builds inter-institutional capacity. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Harvard Catalyst | The Clinical Translational Science Center IND/IDE Consult Service: Providing an IND/IDE Consult Service in a Decentralized Network of Academic Healthcare Centers

    PubMed Central

    Winkler, Sabune J.; Bierer, Barbara E.; Wolf, Delia

    2014-01-01

    Abstract The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations require sponsors of clinical investigations involving an investigational drug or device to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) or Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application. Strict adherence to applicable regulations is vital to the success of clinical research. Unlike most major pharmaceutical sponsors, investigator sponsors often do not fully appreciate their regulatory obligations nor have resources to ensure compliance. As a result they can place themselves and their institutions at risk. Nevertheless, investigator‐initiated clinical trials are vital to the further development of innovative drugs, biologics, and medical devices. The IND/IDE Subcommittee under the Regulatory Knowledge and Support Program at Harvard Catalyst, The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center worked in collaboration with Harvard and Harvard affiliated institutions to create and launch an IND/IDE Consult Service in a decentralized network of collaborating Academic Healthcare Centers (AHC). The IND/IDE Consult Service offers expertise, resources, and shared experiences to assist sponsor‐investigators and IRBs in meeting regulatory requirements for conducting and reviewing investigator‐initiated IND/IDE studies. The scope of the services provided by the Harvard Catalyst IND/IDE Consult Service are described, including the specifics of the service, lessons learned, and challenges faced, in a scalable model that builds inter‐institutional capacity. PMID:24455986

  14. Characteristics and Proximal Outcomes of Calls Made to Suicide Crisis Hotlines in California.

    PubMed

    Ramchand, Rajeev; Jaycox, Lisa; Ebener, Pat; Gilbert, Mary Lou; Barnes-Proby, Dionne; Goutam, Prodyumna

    2017-01-01

    Suicide hotlines are commonly used to prevent suicides, although centers vary with respect to their management and operations. To describe variability across suicide prevention hotlines. Live monitoring of 241 calls was conducted at 10 suicide prevention hotlines in California. Call centers are similar with respect to caller characteristics and the concerns callers raise during their calls. The proportion of callers at risk for suicide varied from 3 to 57%. Compliance with asking about current suicide risk, past ideation, and past attempts also ranged considerably. Callers to centers that were part of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) were more likely to experience reduced distress than callers to centers that were not part of the NSPL. Because callers do not generally choose the center or responder that will take their call, it is critical to promote quality across call centers and minimize the variability that currently exists. Accrediting bodies, funders, and crisis centers should require that centers continuously monitor calls to ensure and improve call quality.

  15. An Ideological Analysis of Digital Reference Service Models.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dilevko, Juris

    2001-01-01

    Looks at some of the new paradigms for reference service, in particular the ideological implications of the digital reference call-center model, demonstrates how they lead to a "deprofessionalization" of reference work, and provides examples of how extensive reading can help reference librarians provide better service and become an…

  16. Response interval comparison between urban fire departments and ambulance services.

    PubMed

    Jermyn, B D

    1999-01-01

    To measure the response intervals of fire departments compared with ambulance services in three urban centers to determine whether defibrillators should be added to fire vehicles. A prospective sample of 1,882 code 4 (life-threatening) tiered calls were collected over a six-month period from March 1, 1994, to August 31, 1994. A matched pairs experimental design compared the response interval of the fire department with that of the ambulance service for each call. This emergency medical services (EMS) system encompasses three urban centers with populations of 80,000, 95,000, and 170,000. In two of three of the urban centers, the fire department arrived on scene more than a minute sooner than the ambulance service: Cambridge (n = 571, mean = 2.22 min, p < 0.0001); Kitchener (n = 1,011, mean = 1.24 min, p < 0.003); and Waterloo (n = 300, mean = 0.69 min, p < 0.98). The shorter response interval of fire departments suggests placing defibrillators on fire response vehicles in an effort to decrease the time to defibrillation for cardiac arrest victims in this EMS system.

  17. Barriers to utilization of childbirth services of a rural birthing center in Nepal: A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Khatri, Resham Bahadur; Dangi, Tara Prasad; Gautam, Rupesh; Shrestha, Khadka Narayan; Homer, Caroline S E

    2017-01-01

    Maternal mortality and morbidity are public health problems in Nepal. In rural communities, many women give birth at home without the support of a skilled birth attendant, despite the existence of rural birthing centers. The aim of this study was to explore the barriers and provide pragmatic recommendations for better service delivery and use of rural birthing centers. We conducted 26 in-depth interviews with service users and providers, and three focus group discussions with community key informants in a rural community of Rukum district. We used the Adithya Cattamanchi logic model as a guiding framework for data analysis. Irregular and poor quality services, inadequate human and capital resources, and poor governance were health system challenges which prevented service delivery. Contextual barriers including difficult geography, poor birth preparedness practices, harmful culture practices and traditions and low level of trust were also found to contribute to underutilization of the birthing center. The rural birthing center was not providing quality services when women were in need, which meant women did not use the available services properly because of systematic and contextual barriers. Approaches such as awareness-raising activities, local resource mobilization, ensuring access to skilled providers and equipment and other long-term infrastructure development works could improve the quality and utilization of childbirth services in the rural birthing center. This has resonance for other centers in Nepal and similar countries.

  18. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Toothpaste! Poison Control Center Calls Regarding Dental and Oral-Care Products

    PubMed Central

    Suchard, Jeffrey R.

    2003-01-01

    Background: A cluster of incidents in which non-tooth-paste products were used to brush teeth prompted a review of all calls to one Poison Control Center (PCC) regarding exposures to dental and oral-care products to determine if any resulted in significant toxicity. Methods: Retrospective review of 65,849 calls to one PCC during one calendar year. All inquiries about exposures to substances used as dental or oral-care products were analyzed by a single reviewer for reported adverse effects; including hospital admission or PCC referral for emergent medical evaluation. Results: 798 calls involved exposure to dental or oral-care products, comprising 1.21 % of all calls received. Toothbrushing incidents with non-toothpaste products (122 cases) did not result in any significant recognized toxicity. Twenty-four patients were either referred for emergent medical evaluation (14) or were admitted to the hospital (10). In 23 of these patients (96%), the toxic agent was either an over-the-counter analgesic or a local anesthetic used to treat dental pain. Conclusions: Among PCC calls received regarding dental and oral-care products, over-the-counter analgesics and local anesthetics used for dental pain resulted in the most frequent need for emergent medical evaluation or for hospital admission. PMID:20852712

  19. A Call for Onto-Epistemological Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Care: Centering Global South Conceptualizations of Childhood/s

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pérez, Michelle Salazar; Saavedra, Cinthya M.

    2017-01-01

    In this chapter, we call for onto-epistemological diversity in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC). Specifically, we discuss the need to center the brilliance of children and communities of color, which we argue, can be facilitated by foregrounding global south perspectives, such as Black and Chicana feminisms. Mainstream…

  20. The Center for In-Service Education. Final Evaluation Report. Volume I. Part 1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tennessee State Dept. of Education, Nashville.

    The primary objectives of the Center for In-Service Education in implementing a model for in-service education were to a) implement and demonstrate the comprehensive in-service model developed during the planning phase, b) provide coordinated planning of in-service education for all participating school systems, c) directly assist regional…

  1. Specifications of a Mechanized Center for Information Services for a Public Library Reference Center. Final Report. Part 1, Preliminary Specification: Mechanized Information Services in Public Library Reference Centers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California Univ., Los Angeles. Inst. of Library Research.

    This document presents preliminary specifications for a library-based Center for Information Services (CIS). Four sets of issues are covered: (1) data base inventory, providing a listing of magnetic tape data bases now available from national sources or soon to be so; (2) administrative issues, including the organization of the CIS within the…

  2. Prioritising prevention: implementation of IGT Care Call, a telephone based service for people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

    PubMed

    Savas, Linda Ann; Grady, Katherine; Cotterill, Sarah; Summers, Lucinda; Boaden, Ruth; Gibson, J Martin

    2015-02-01

    To design, deliver and evaluate IGT Care Call, a telephone service providing a 6 month lifestyle education programme for people with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). An observational study of IGT Care Call, a programme providing motivational support and education using electronic scripts. The service was delivered to 55 participants, all of whom completed the course (an information pack and at least five telephone calls over 6 months). Clinical measurements were undertaken in General Practice at baseline, on completion of the programme and one year later. Among the 40 participants for whom we have complete data available, one year after discharge, participants showed improvements in fasting plasma glucose (0.29 mmol/l, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.51), weight (2.81 kg, 95% CI 1.20 to 4.42) and BMI (1.06 kg/m(2), 95% CI 0.49 to 1.63). All differences were statistically significant (p < 0.01). Whilst an uncontrolled observational study with a small sample size, this pilot suggests IGT Care Call may be effective in promoting positive and sustained lifestyle changes to prevent type 2 diabetes, which warrants further investigation. A telephone method of service delivery was acceptable, convenient and may have improved self confidence in how to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2014 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. [RABIN MEDICAL CENTER - A TERTIARY CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE, TEACHING AND RESEARCH].

    PubMed

    Niv, Yaron; Halpern, Eyran

    2017-04-01

    Rabin Medical Center (RMC) belongs to Clalit Health Services and is a tertiary, academic medical center with all the facilities of modern and advanced medicine. Annually in the RMC, 650,000 patients are treated in the outpatient clinics, and 100,000 patients are hospitalized in the hospital departments. All these patients are treated by 4500 devoted staff members, including 1000 physicians and 2000 nurses. RMC is one of the largest, centrally located medical centers for medical and nursing students' education in Israel, taking place in clinical departments, as well as in basic sciences courses. We also have a nursing school attached to the hospital. Our vision supports excellence in research. We have a special Research Department that supports RMC researchers, with research coordinators, and all the relevant facilities to assist in clinical and basic science studies. We also promote collaboration efforts with many academic centers in Israel and abroad. The scope of RMC research is broad, including 700 new studies every year and 1500 active studies currently. This issue of Harefuah is dedicated to the clinical and basic science research conducted at RMC with original papers presenting research performed by our departments and laboratories.

  4. Notes from the field: calls to poison centers for exposures to electronic cigarettes--United States, September 2010-February 2014.

    PubMed

    Chatham-Stephens, Kevin; Law, Royal; Taylor, Ethel; Melstrom, Paul; Bunnell, Rebecca; Wang, Baoguang; Apelberg, Benjamin; Schier, Joshua G

    2014-04-04

    Electronic nicotine delivery devices such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery-powered devices that deliver nicotine, flavorings (e.g., fruit, mint, and chocolate), and other chemicals via an inhaled aerosol. E-cigarettes that are marketed without a therapeutic claim by the product manufacturer are currently not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In many states, there are no restrictions on the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. Although e-cigarette use is increasing among U.S. adolescents and adults, its overall impact on public health remains unclear. One area of concern is the potential of e-cigarettes to cause acute nicotine toxicity. To assess the frequency of exposures to e-cigarettes and characterize the reported adverse health effects associated with e-cigarettes, CDC analyzed data on calls to U.S. poison centers (PCs) about human exposures to e-cigarettes (exposure calls) for the period September 2010 (when new, unique codes were added specifically for capturing e-cigarette calls) through February 2014. To provide a comparison to a conventional product with known toxicity, the number and characteristics of e-cigarette exposure calls were compared with those of conventional tobacco cigarette exposure calls.

  5. A Web-Based Mindfulness Stress Management Program in a Corporate Call Center

    PubMed Central

    Allexandre, Didier; Bernstein, Adam M.; Walker, Esteban; Hunter, Jennifer; Roizen, Michael F.; Morledge, Thomas J.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of an 8-week web-based, mindfulness stress management program (WSM) in a corporate call center and added benefit of group support. Methods: One hundred sixty-one participants were randomized to WSM, WSM with group support, WSM with group and expert clinical support, or wait-list control. Perceived stress, burnout, emotional and psychological well-being, mindfulness, and productivity were measured at baseline, weeks 8 and 16, and 1 year. Results: Online usage was low with participants favoring CD use and group practice. All active groups demonstrated significant reductions in perceived stress and increases in emotional and psychological well-being compared with control. Group support improved participation, engagement, and outcomes. Conclusion: A self-directed mindfulness program with group practice and support can provide an affordable, effective, and scalable workplace stress management solution. Engagement may also benefit from combining web-based and traditional CD delivery. PMID:26949875

  6. Reservation centre of Telecom I satellite French Telecommunication network offers a new service of switched digital circuit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Felix, J.

    The management center and new circuit switching services offered by the French Telecom I network are described. Attention is focused on business services. The satellite has a 125 Mbit/sec capability distributed over 5 frequency bands, yielding the equivalent of 1800 channels. Data are transmitted in digitized bursts with TDMA techniques. Besides the management center, Telecom I interfaces with 310 local network antennas with access managed by the center through a reservation service and protocol assignment. The center logs and supervises alarms and network events, monitors traffic, logs taxation charges and manages the man-machine dialog for TDMA and terrestrial operations. Time slots are arranged in terms of minimal 10 min segments. The reservations can be directly accessed by up to 1000 terminals. All traffic is handled on a call-by-call basis.

  7. Barriers to utilization of childbirth services of a rural birthing center in Nepal: A qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    Shrestha, Khadka Narayan; Homer, Caroline S. E.

    2017-01-01

    Background Maternal mortality and morbidity are public health problems in Nepal. In rural communities, many women give birth at home without the support of a skilled birth attendant, despite the existence of rural birthing centers. The aim of this study was to explore the barriers and provide pragmatic recommendations for better service delivery and use of rural birthing centers. Methods We conducted 26 in-depth interviews with service users and providers, and three focus group discussions with community key informants in a rural community of Rukum district. We used the Adithya Cattamanchi logic model as a guiding framework for data analysis. Results Irregular and poor quality services, inadequate human and capital resources, and poor governance were health system challenges which prevented service delivery. Contextual barriers including difficult geography, poor birth preparedness practices, harmful culture practices and traditions and low level of trust were also found to contribute to underutilization of the birthing center. Conclusion The rural birthing center was not providing quality services when women were in need, which meant women did not use the available services properly because of systematic and contextual barriers. Approaches such as awareness-raising activities, local resource mobilization, ensuring access to skilled providers and equipment and other long-term infrastructure development works could improve the quality and utilization of childbirth services in the rural birthing center. This has resonance for other centers in Nepal and similar countries. PMID:28493987

  8. About Region 3's Laboratory and Field Services at EPA's Environmental Science Center

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Mission & contact information for EPA Region 3's Laboratory and Field Services located at EPA's Environmental Science Center: the Office of Analytical Services and Quality Assurance & Field Inspection Program

  9. Ambulance Services at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia and Hospital Kota Bharu: A Retrospective Study of Calls

    PubMed Central

    Shah Che Hamzah, Mohd Shaharudin; Ahmad, Rashidi; Nik Abdul Rahman, Nik Hisamuddin; Pardi, Kasmah Wati; Jaafar, Naimah; Wan Adnan, Wan Aasim; Jaalam, Kamaruddin; Sahil Jamalullail, Syed Mohsin

    2005-01-01

    This retrospective study attempted to identify the pattern of ambulance calls for the past two years at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) and Hospital Kota Bharu (HKB). This study will provide a simple method of acquiring information related to ambulance response time (ART) and to test whether it met the international standards and needs of the client. Additionally, this paper takes into account the management of emergency calls. This included ambulance response time, which was part of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) episode: onset of ART, which started when details like phone number of the caller, exact location of the incident and the nature of the main complaint had been noted. ART ended when the emergency team arrived at the scene of incident. Information regarding ambulance calls from the record offices of HUSM and HKB was recorded for the year 2001 and 2002, tabulated and analyzed. There was a significant difference in the total number of calls managed by HUSM and HKB in the year 2001. It was noted that 645 calls were managed by HUSM while 1069 calls were recorded at HKB. In the year 2002, however, HUSM led with 613 extra numbers of calls as compare to HKB with 1193 numbers of calls. The pattern of ambulance calls observed is thought to possibly be influenced by social activities like local festivities, school holidays and the seasons. Further, it is observed that no studies were previously undertaken to compare the ART at both the HUSM and HKB to that of the international standards. In fact, a literature review undertaken so far showed no similar studies have been done for the whole Malaysia. PMID:22605956

  10. Title VI-G Catalogue of Child Service Demonstration Centers 1977-1978.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Network of Innovative Schools, Inc., Andover, MA.

    The guide includes a directory and description of services provided by the 30 federally funded child service Demonstration Centers (CSDC) for learning disabed students. A catalogue overview booklet reviews the history of P.L. 91-230, Title VI-G (Education of the Handicapped Act, 1970) and discusses the role of the National Learning Disabilities…

  11. The Impacts of the WIA One-Stop Center Model on Local Training Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cajayon, Felicito

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) One-Stop Center model, which is the local service mechanism for providing employment and training services. It reviewed the processes and service patterns of four program designs that offer an array of services that align with the WIA program's allowable activities. The purpose of the study…

  12. Telephone calls by individuals with cancer.

    PubMed

    Flannery, Marie; McAndrews, Leanne; Stein, Karen F

    2013-09-01

    To describe symptom type and reporting patterns found in spontaneously initiated telephone calls placed to an ambulatory cancer center practice. Retrospective, descriptive. Adult hematology oncology cancer center. 563 individuals with a wide range of oncology diagnoses who initiated 1,229 telephone calls to report symptoms. Raw data were extracted from telephone forms using a data collection sheet with 23 variables obtained for each phone call, using pre-established coding criteria. A literature-based, investigator-developed instrument was used for the coding criteria and selection of which variables to extract. Symptom reporting, telephone calls, pain, and symptoms. A total of 2,378 symptoms were reported by telephone during the four months. At least 10% of the sample reported pain (38%), fatigue (16%), nausea (16%), swelling (12%), diarrhea (12%), dyspnea (10%), and anorexia (10%). The modal response was to call only one time and to report only one symptom (55%). Pain emerged as the symptom that most often prompted an individual to pick up the telephone and call. Although variation was seen in symptom reporting, an interesting pattern emerged with an individual reporting on a solitary symptom in a single telephone call. The emergence of pain as the primary symptom reported by telephone prompted educational efforts for both in-person clinic visit management of pain and prioritizing nursing education and protocol management of pain reported by telephone. Report of symptoms by telephone can provide nurses unique insight into patient-centered needs. Although pain has been an important focus of education and research for decades, it remains a priority for individuals with cancer. A wide range in symptom reporting by telephone was evident.

  13. Family Services: Role of the Center-Based Teaching Professional.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ponchillia, Paul E.

    1984-01-01

    A survey of 38 administrators of rehabilitation centers serving blind and visually impaired persons revealed opinions about the major causes of family problems (such as overprotection and financial problems), suggested means of ameliorating these problems, and decribed other types of family services offered by their agencies. (Author/CL)

  14. Approach to Managing MeaSURES Data at the GSFC Earth Science Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vollmer, Bruce; Kempler, Steven J.; Ramapriyan, Hampapuram K.

    2009-01-01

    A major need stated by the NASA Earth science research strategy is to develop long-term, consistent, and calibrated data and products that are valid across multiple missions and satellite sensors. (NASA Solicitation for Making Earth System data records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) 2006-2010) Selected projects create long term records of a given parameter, called Earth Science Data Records (ESDRs), based on mature algorithms that bring together continuous multi-sensor data. ESDRs, associated algorithms, vetted by the appropriate community, are archived at a NASA affiliated data center for archive, stewardship, and distribution. See http://measures-projects.gsfc.nasa.gov/ for more details. This presentation describes the NASA GSFC Earth Science Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) approach to managing the MEaSUREs ESDR datasets assigned to GES DISC. (Energy/water cycle related and atmospheric composition ESDRs) GES DISC will utilize its experience to integrate existing and proven reusable data management components to accommodate the new ESDRs. Components include a data archive system (S4PA), a data discovery and access system (Mirador), and various web services for data access. In addition, if determined to be useful to the user community, the Giovanni data exploration tool will be made available to ESDRs. The GES DISC data integration methodology to be used for the MEaSUREs datasets is presented. The goals of this presentation are to share an approach to ESDR integration, and initiate discussions amongst the data centers, data managers and data providers for the purpose of gaining efficiencies in data management for MEaSUREs projects.

  15. Exercise, character strengths, well-being, and learning climate in the prediction of performance over a 6-month period at a call center.

    PubMed

    Moradi, Saleh; Nima, Ali A; Rapp Ricciardi, Max; Archer, Trevor; Garcia, Danilo

    2014-01-01

    Performance monitoring might have an adverse influence on call center agents' well-being. We investigate how performance, over a 6-month period, is related to agents' perceptions of their learning climate, character strengths, well-being (subjective and psychological), and physical activity. Agents (N = 135) self-reported perception of the learning climate (Learning Climate Questionnaire), character strengths (Values In Action Inventory Short Version), well-being (Positive Affect, Negative Affect Schedule, Satisfaction With Life Scale, Psychological Well-Being Scales Short Version), and how often/intensively they engaged in physical activity. Performance, "time on the phone," was monitored for 6 consecutive months by the same system handling the calls. Performance was positively related to having opportunities to develop, the character strengths clusters of Wisdom and Knowledge (e.g., curiosity for learning, perspective) and Temperance (e.g., having self-control, being prudent, humble, and modest), and exercise frequency. Performance was negatively related to the sense of autonomy and responsibility, contentedness, the character strengths clusters of Humanity and Love (e.g., helping others, cooperation) and Justice (e.g., affiliation, fairness, leadership), positive affect, life satisfaction and exercise Intensity. Call centers may need to create opportunities to develop to increase agents' performance and focus on individual differences in the recruitment and selection of agents to prevent future shortcomings or worker dissatisfaction. Nevertheless, performance measurement in call centers may need to include other aspects that are more attuned with different character strengths. After all, allowing individuals to put their strengths at work should empower the individual and at the end the organization itself. Finally, physical activity enhancement programs might offer considerable positive work outcomes.

  16. Exercise, character strengths, well-being, and learning climate in the prediction of performance over a 6-month period at a call center

    PubMed Central

    Moradi, Saleh; Nima, Ali A.; Rapp Ricciardi, Max; Archer, Trevor; Garcia, Danilo

    2014-01-01

    Background: Performance monitoring might have an adverse influence on call center agents' well-being. We investigate how performance, over a 6-month period, is related to agents' perceptions of their learning climate, character strengths, well-being (subjective and psychological), and physical activity. Method: Agents (N = 135) self-reported perception of the learning climate (Learning Climate Questionnaire), character strengths (Values In Action Inventory Short Version), well-being (Positive Affect, Negative Affect Schedule, Satisfaction With Life Scale, Psychological Well-Being Scales Short Version), and how often/intensively they engaged in physical activity. Performance, “time on the phone,” was monitored for 6 consecutive months by the same system handling the calls. Results: Performance was positively related to having opportunities to develop, the character strengths clusters of Wisdom and Knowledge (e.g., curiosity for learning, perspective) and Temperance (e.g., having self-control, being prudent, humble, and modest), and exercise frequency. Performance was negatively related to the sense of autonomy and responsibility, contentedness, the character strengths clusters of Humanity and Love (e.g., helping others, cooperation) and Justice (e.g., affiliation, fairness, leadership), positive affect, life satisfaction and exercise Intensity. Conclusion: Call centers may need to create opportunities to develop to increase agents' performance and focus on individual differences in the recruitment and selection of agents to prevent future shortcomings or worker dissatisfaction. Nevertheless, performance measurement in call centers may need to include other aspects that are more attuned with different character strengths. After all, allowing individuals to put their strengths at work should empower the individual and at the end the organization itself. Finally, physical activity enhancement programs might offer considerable positive work outcomes. PMID:25002853

  17. On the definition of adapted audio/video profiles for high-quality video calling services over LTE/4G

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ndiaye, Maty; Quinquis, Catherine; Larabi, Mohamed Chaker; Le Lay, Gwenael; Saadane, Hakim; Perrine, Clency

    2014-01-01

    During the last decade, the important advances and widespread availability of mobile technology (operating systems, GPUs, terminal resolution and so on) have encouraged a fast development of voice and video services like video-calling. While multimedia services have largely grown on mobile devices, the generated increase of data consumption is leading to the saturation of mobile networks. In order to provide data with high bit-rates and maintain performance as close as possible to traditional networks, the 3GPP (The 3rd Generation Partnership Project) worked on a high performance standard for mobile called Long Term Evolution (LTE). In this paper, we aim at expressing recommendations related to audio and video media profiles (selection of audio and video codecs, bit-rates, frame-rates, audio and video formats) for a typical video-calling services held over LTE/4G mobile networks. These profiles are defined according to targeted devices (smartphones, tablets), so as to ensure the best possible quality of experience (QoE). Obtained results indicate that for a CIF format (352 x 288 pixels) which is usually used for smartphones, the VP8 codec provides a better image quality than the H.264 codec for low bitrates (from 128 to 384 kbps). However sequences with high motion, H.264 in slow mode is preferred. Regarding audio, better results are globally achieved using wideband codecs offering good quality except for opus codec (at 12.2 kbps).

  18. 42 CFR 405.2462 - Payment for rural health clinic and Federally qualified health center services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Payment for rural health clinic and Federally... AND DISABLED Rural Health Clinic and Federally Qualified Health Center Services Payment for Rural Health Clinic and Federally Qualified Health Center Services § 405.2462 Payment for rural health clinic...

  19. Strategic outsourcing of clinical services: a model for volume-stressed academic medical centers.

    PubMed

    Billi, John E; Pai, Chih-Wen; Spahlinger, David A

    2004-01-01

    Many academic medical centers have significant capacity constraints and limited ability to expand services to meet demand. Health care management should employ strategic thinking to deal with service demands. This article uses three organizational models to develop a theoretical framework to guide the selection of clinical services for outsourcing.

  20. The National Quality Improvement Center on the Privatization of Child Welfare Services: A Program Description

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Collins-Camargo, Crystal; Ensign, Karl; Flaherty, Chris

    2008-01-01

    Quality improvement centers were created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Children's Bureau beginning in 2001 to promote knowledge development through an innovative approach to applied collaborative research in child welfare. The National Quality Improvement Center on the Privatization of Child Welfare Services was funded to…

  1. Launching a permanent out-of-hour interventional radiology service: single-center experience from a German University Hospital.

    PubMed

    Goltz, J P; Janssen, H; Petritsch, B; Kickuth, R

    2014-02-01

    To evaluate the feasibility, frequency of use, types of intervention and labor costs of a formal round-the-clock interventional radiology on-call service. In 11/2011 a formal and permanent out-of-hour interventional radiology rota in addition to the general radiology out-of-hour rota (OOHR) was established. We retrospectively screened the interventional radiology database for procedures completed outside regular working hours, reviewed all interventions and manually selected cases in which the on-call interventionist was called in from home. We determined the type, frequency of use and costs (€/year and procedure) of this service between 1/2012 and 12/2012. The referring physicians' (sub-) specialties were evaluated. During the 12-month period, the on-call interventionists (n = 3) performed 92 procedures OOH. The procedures included angiography and hemorrhage control (n = 36, 39.1 %), angiography and intervention for acute limb ischemia (n = 25, 27.2 %), percutaneous biliary drainage (PTCD) (n = 10, 10.9 %), angiography for non-occlusive ischemia (n = 7, 7.6 %), and other (n = 14, 15.3 %). The total labor costs for the OOHR were € 42,312.21 (€ 32,982.60 lump sum for stand-by, €  9,329.61 for hours spent on procedures). The labor costs per procedure totaled € 459.92. The referring physicians' specialties were general/visceral (n = 25), vascular surgery (n = 24), internal medicine (n = 21), cardiac/thoracic vascular (n = 9), trauma surgery (n = 5), urology (n = 5), and anesthesiology (n = 3). A formal interventional OOHR is practicable in a university hospital setting. Most procedures were requested by general, vascular, and thoracic surgery as well as internal medicine with a focus on hemorrhage control, treatment of acute limb ischemia, and PTCD. The overall labor costs for the OOHR appear moderate. • In a university setting an OOHR for IR is feasible.• Labor costs per

  2. Leveraging Terminology Services for Extract-Transform-Load Processes: A User-Centered Approach

    PubMed Central

    Peterson, Kevin J.; Jiang, Guoqian; Brue, Scott M.; Liu, Hongfang

    2016-01-01

    Terminology services serve an important role supporting clinical and research applications, and underpin a diverse set of processes and use cases. Through standardization efforts, terminology service-to-system interactions can leverage well-defined interfaces and predictable integration patterns. Often, however, users interact more directly with terminologies, and no such blueprints are available for describing terminology service-to-user interactions. In this work, we explore the main architecture principles necessary to build a user-centered terminology system, using an Extract-Transform-Load process as our primary usage scenario. To analyze our architecture, we present a prototype implementation based on the Common Terminology Services 2 (CTS2) standard using the Patient-Centered Network of Learning Health Systems (LHSNet) project as a concrete use case. We perform a preliminary evaluation of our prototype architecture using three architectural quality attributes: interoperability, adaptability and usability. We find that a design-time focus on user needs, cognitive models, and existing patterns is essential to maximize system utility. PMID:28269898

  3. Perspectives on family planning services among adolescents at a Boston community health center.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Katherine M; Dodge, Laura E; Hacker, Michele R; Ricciotti, Hope A

    2015-04-01

    The aim of this project was to investigate adolescent perspectives on family planning services at a community-health center, with the intent to inform health center programs aimed at stemming the adolescent pregnancy rate. This project was cross-sectional and employed mixed methods, including surveys and interviews, for the purposes of quality improvement. The project was conducted in the obstetrics and gynecology clinic at an urban community health center in Boston. Twenty adolescent females (age 16-20) who used services at the health center. Participants were individually interviewed to assess perspectives on family planning services and to identify major influences on methods of pregnancy prevention. Major themes were categorized into contraceptive usage, reproductive health knowledge, adult influence and communication, barriers to contraceptive care and expectations of a family planning clinic. All participants were sexually active and 80% had experienced pregnancy. Reproductive health knowledge was variable and in many cases limited. Concern about disapproval was a prominent barrier to going to a clinician for contraception or advice and parents were not often involved in the initial contraception discussion. Other barriers to use of contraception included forgetting to use the methods and fear of side effects. We identified several potentially modifiable factors, including lack of knowledge, concern for provider disapproval and fear of side effects that may limit effective use of family planning services by adolescents. Further attention should be paid to these factors in designing and improving youth-friendly services in ob-gyn clinics. Copyright © 2015 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. NASA Headquarters/Kennedy Space Center: Organization and Small Spacecraft Launch Services

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sierra, Albert; Beddel, Darren

    1999-01-01

    The objectives of the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Expendable Launch Vehicles (ELV) Program are to provide safe, reliable, cost effective ELV launches, maximize customer satisfaction, and perform advanced payload processing capability development. Details are given on the ELV program organization, products and services, foreign launch vehicle policy, how to get a NASA launch service, and some of the recent NASA payloads.

  5. Web Services and Other Enhancements at the Northern California Earthquake Data Center

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neuhauser, D. S.; Zuzlewski, S.; Allen, R. M.

    2012-12-01

    The Northern California Earthquake Data Center (NCEDC) provides data archive and distribution services for seismological and geophysical data sets that encompass northern California. The NCEDC is enhancing its ability to deliver rapid information through Web Services. NCEDC Web Services use well-established web server and client protocols and REST software architecture to allow users to easily make queries using web browsers or simple program interfaces and to receive the requested data in real-time rather than through batch or email-based requests. Data are returned to the user in the appropriate format such as XML, RESP, or MiniSEED depending on the service, and are compatible with the equivalent IRIS DMC web services. The NCEDC is currently providing the following Web Services: (1) Station inventory and channel response information delivered in StationXML format, (2) Channel response information delivered in RESP format, (3) Time series availability delivered in text and XML formats, (4) Single channel and bulk data request delivered in MiniSEED format. The NCEDC is also developing a rich Earthquake Catalog Web Service to allow users to query earthquake catalogs based on selection parameters such as time, location or geographic region, magnitude, depth, azimuthal gap, and rms. It will return (in QuakeML format) user-specified results that can include simple earthquake parameters, as well as observations such as phase arrivals, codas, amplitudes, and computed parameters such as first motion mechanisms, moment tensors, and rupture length. The NCEDC will work with both IRIS and the International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks (FDSN) to define a uniform set of web service specifications that can be implemented by multiple data centers to provide users with a common data interface across data centers. The NCEDC now hosts earthquake catalogs and waveforms from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) monitoring networks. These

  6. Multi-Instrument Tools and Services to Access NASA Earth Science Data from the GSFC Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kempler, Steve; Leptoukh, Greg; Lynnes, Chris

    2010-01-01

    The presentation purpose is to describe multi-instrument tools and services that facilitate access and usability of NASA Earth science data at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). NASA's Earth observing system includes 14 satellites. Topics include EOSDIS facilities and system architecture, and overview of GSFC Earth Science Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) mission, Mirador data search, Giovanni, multi-instrument data exploration, Google Earth[TM], data merging, and applications.

  7. National Center for Standards and Certification Information: Service and programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Overman, Joanne

    1994-01-01

    The National Center for Standards and Certification Information (NCSCI) provides information on U.S., foreign and international voluntary standards, government regulations, and conformity assessment procedures for non-agricultural products. The Center serves as a referral service and focal point in the United States for information on standards and standards-related information. NCSCI staff respond to inquiries, maintain a reference collection of standards and standards-related documents, and serve as the U.S. inquiry point for information to and from foreign countries.

  8. A Population-Family Planning Resource Center: A Community Educational Service

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berde, Carol

    1974-01-01

    The author discusses a multi-media library and information center in population and family planning which is associated with a Planned Parenthood affiliate and provides many segments of the community with educational materials and services and strengthens the affiliate's programs. (Author)

  9. 15 CFR 950.7 - Center for Environmental Assessment Services (CEAS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ..., validated multidisciplinary data sets for international and national study (such undertakings as the recent... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA AND INFORMATION § 950.7 Center for... data analyses, applications, assessments, and interpretations to meet their particular requirements...

  10. 15 CFR 950.7 - Center for Environmental Assessment Services (CEAS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ..., validated multidisciplinary data sets for international and national study (such undertakings as the recent... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA AND INFORMATION § 950.7 Center for... data analyses, applications, assessments, and interpretations to meet their particular requirements...

  11. 15 CFR 950.7 - Center for Environmental Assessment Services (CEAS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ..., validated multidisciplinary data sets for international and national study (such undertakings as the recent... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA AND INFORMATION § 950.7 Center for... data analyses, applications, assessments, and interpretations to meet their particular requirements...

  12. 15 CFR 950.7 - Center for Environmental Assessment Services (CEAS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ..., validated multidisciplinary data sets for international and national study (such undertakings as the recent... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA AND INFORMATION § 950.7 Center for... data analyses, applications, assessments, and interpretations to meet their particular requirements...

  13. 15 CFR 950.7 - Center for Environmental Assessment Services (CEAS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ..., validated multidisciplinary data sets for international and national study (such undertakings as the recent... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA AND INFORMATION § 950.7 Center for... data analyses, applications, assessments, and interpretations to meet their particular requirements...

  14. The Use and Value of Defense Technical Information Center Products and Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roderer, Nancy K.; And Others

    This study describes the use and value of the major information products and services provided by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). These products and services include technical report distribution on an on-demand basis and through the Automatic Document Distribution (ADD) program; secondary information dissemination through online…

  15. The Volume and Mix of Inpatient Services Provided by Academic Medical Centers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moy, Ernest; And Others

    1996-01-01

    A study examined trends in the volume and type of inpatient clinical diagnoses, common medical services, and specialized services in academic medical centers (AMCs)--integrated and independent, other teaching hospitals, and nonteaching hospitals. Results indicate that despite rapid change in the health care environment, little change has occurred…

  16. Hitting and missing targets by ambulance services for emergency calls: effects of different systems of performance measurement within the UK

    PubMed Central

    Bevan, Gwyn; Hamblin, Richard

    2009-01-01

    Following devolution, differences developed between UK countries in systems of measuring performance against a common target that ambulance services ought to respond to 75% of calls for what may be immediately life threatening emergencies (category A calls) within 8 minutes. Only in England was this target integral to a ranking system of ‘star rating’, which inflicted reputational damage on services that failed to hit targets, and only in England has this target been met. In other countries, the target has been missed by such large margins that services would have been publicly reported as failing, if they had been covered by the English system of star ratings. The paper argues that this case-study adds to evidence from comparisons of different systems of hospital performance measurement that, to have an effect, these systems need to be designed to inflict reputational damage on those that have performed poorly; and it explores implications of this hypothesis. The paper also asks questions about the adequacy of systems of performance measurement of ambulance services in UK countries. PMID:19381327

  17. Weather and emotional state: a search for associations between weather and calls to telephone counseling services

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Driscoll, Dennis; Stillman, Daniel

    2002-08-01

    Previous research has revealed that an emotional response to weather might be indicated by calls to telephone counseling services. We analyzed call frequency from such "hotlines", each serving communities in a major metropolitan area of the United States (Detroit, Washington DC, Dallas and Seattle). The periods examined were all, or parts of, the years 1997 and 1998. Associations with subjectively derived synoptic weather types for all cities except Seattle, as well as with individual weather elements [cloudiness (sky cover), precipitation, windspeed, and interdiurnal temperature change] for all four cities, were investigated. Analysis of variance and t-tests (significance of means) were applied to test the statistical significance of differences. Although statistically significant results were obtained in scattered instances, the total number was within that expected by chance, and there was little in the way of consistency to these associations. One clear exception was the increased call frequency during destructive (severe) weather, when there is obvious concern about the damage done by it.

  18. A Hot-Line Emergency Service for the Ambulatory Frail Elderly.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolf-Klein, Gisele P.; Silverstone, Felix A.

    1987-01-01

    Surveyed patients and families who used hotline emergency service in ambulatory day treatment center for frail elderly. Results revealed appropriate use of service: Most calls required medical intervention, including hospitalization in 31 percent of cases. Findings suggest that 24-hour medical coverage is necessary and cost efficient. (Author/NB)

  19. Provider perceptions of reproductive health service quality in jordanian public community health centers.

    PubMed

    Al-Qutob, Raeda; Nasir, Laeth S

    2008-05-01

    Enhancing the quality of reproductive health care delivery in developing countries is a key prerequisite to increased utilization and sustainability of these services in the target population. Our objective was to assess the perception of quality of reproductive health (RH) care services provided by Jordanian Ministry of Health community-based centers from the perspective of service providers in these settings. A purposeful nationwide sample of 50 primary health care providers took part in five focus group discussions with the purpose of exploring their perceptions of the quality of care provided by their centers and perceived barriers to the provision of quality RH care. Health care providers felt that the quality of RH care provided by their centers was suboptimal. Focus group participants reported numerous barriers to the provision of high quality-care in the clinical setting. These included issues related to patient overload, patient and physician characteristics, as well as problems inherent to supervisory and administrative functions. Exploring and aligning goals and expectations of RH care providers and administrators may result in improvements in the quality of RH care service delivery and morale in public health settings in Jordan, which is a requirement for public sector reform.

  20. Advancing Mental Health Research: Washington University's Center for Mental Health Services Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Proctor, Enola K.; McMillen, Curtis; Haywood, Sally; Dore, Peter

    2008-01-01

    Research centers have become a key component of the research infrastructure in schools of social work, including the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. In 1993, that school's Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR) received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as a Social Work…

  1. Regionalization of services improves access to emergency vascular surgical care.

    PubMed

    Roche-Nagle, G; Bachynski, K; Nathens, A B; Angoulvant, D; Rubin, B B

    2013-04-01

    Management of vascular surgical emergencies requires rapid access to a vascular surgeon and hospital with the infrastructure necessary to manage vascular emergencies. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of regionalization of vascular surgery services in Toronto to University Health Network (UHN) and St Michael's Hospital (SMH) on the ability of CritiCall Ontario to transfer patients with life- and limb-threatening vascular emergencies for definitive care. A retrospective review of the CritiCall Ontario database was used to assess the outcome of all calls to CritiCall regarding patients with vascular disease from April 2003 to March 2010. The number of patients with vascular emergencies referred via CritiCall and accepted in transfer by the vascular centers at UHN or SMH increased 500% between 1 April 2003-31 December 2005 and 1 January 2006-31 March 2010. Together, the vascular centers at UHN and SMH accepted 94.8% of the 1002 vascular surgery patients referred via CritiCall from other hospitals between 1 January 2006 and 31 March 2010, and 72% of these patients originated in hospitals outside of the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network. Across Ontario, the number of physicians contacted before a patient was accepted in transfer fell from 2.9 ± 0.4 before to 1.7 ± 0.3 after the vascular centers opened. In conclusion, the vascular surgery centers at UHN and SMH have become provincial resources that enable the efficient transfer of patients with vascular surgical emergencies from across Ontario. Regionalization of services is a viable model to increase access to emergent care.

  2. The IRIS Federator: Accessing Seismological Data Across Data Centers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trabant, C. M.; Van Fossen, M.; Ahern, T. K.; Weekly, R. T.

    2015-12-01

    In 2013 the International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks (FDSN) approved a specification for web service interfaces for accessing seismological station metadata, time series and event parameters. Since then, a number of seismological data centers have implemented FDSN service interfaces, with more implementations in development. We have developed a new system called the IRIS Federator which leverages this standardization and provides the scientific community with a service for easy discovery and access of seismological data across FDSN data centers. These centers are located throughout the world and this work represents one model of a system for data collection across geographic and political boundaries.The main components of the IRIS Federator are a catalog of time series metadata holdings at each data center and a web service interface for searching the catalog. The service interface is designed to support client­-side federated data access, a model in which the client (software run by the user) queries the catalog and then collects the data from each identified center. By default the results are returned in a format suitable for direct submission to those web services, but could also be formatted in a simple text format for general data discovery purposes. The interface will remove any duplication of time series channels between data centers according to a set of business rules by default, however a user may request results with all duplicate time series entries included. We will demonstrate how client­-side federation is being incorporated into some of the DMC's data access tools. We anticipate further enhancement of the IRIS Federator to improve data discovery in various scenarios and to improve usefulness to communities beyond seismology.Data centers with FDSN web services: http://www.fdsn.org/webservices/The IRIS Federator query interface: http://service.iris.edu/irisws/fedcatalog/1/

  3. Sociodemographic Differences in Clients Preferring Video-Call Over In-person Interview: A Pilot Study of HIV Tele-partner Services.

    PubMed

    Udeagu, Chi-Chi N; Shah, Sharmila; Toussaint, Magalieta M; Pickett, Leonard

    2017-11-01

    The New York City Department of Health Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS) routinely contact newly HIV-diagnosed persons via telephone calls and in-person meetings to conduct partner services (PS) interviews in order to elicit the names and contact information of the HIV-exposed partners for notification and HIV-testing, and to assist clients with linkage to care. From October 2013 to December 2015, we offered PS interviews conducted via video-call alongside voice-call and in-person modes in a selected geographic area of NYC. PS interviews were conducted according to the clients' preferred mode (in-person, voice- or video-call) and location (health care facility, clients' residences, or other NYC locations). At the conclusion of the PS interviews, DIS elicited responses from persons interviewed via video-call on their perception, satisfaction and personal experiences using video-call for public health and personal purposes. Acceptance and satisfaction with PS interviews via video-call were high among clients aged <30 years, men who have sex with men, or with education above high school; while PS yields were similar across modes. These results provide evidence of the potential effectiveness of video-call interviews for specific populations.

  4. 38 CFR 21.6420 - Coordination with the Veterans Service Center.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... rehabilitation facility, or employment in a rehabilitation facility or sheltered workshop; (2) On-job training... Training for Certain New Pension Recipients Coordination with the Veterans Service Center § 21.6420... work or training which may affect the veteran's continued entitlement to pension, including...

  5. 38 CFR 21.6420 - Coordination with the Veterans Service Center.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... rehabilitation facility, or employment in a rehabilitation facility or sheltered workshop; (2) On-job training... Training for Certain New Pension Recipients Coordination with the Veterans Service Center § 21.6420... work or training which may affect the veteran's continued entitlement to pension, including...

  6. 38 CFR 21.6420 - Coordination with the Veterans Service Center.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... rehabilitation facility, or employment in a rehabilitation facility or sheltered workshop; (2) On-job training... Training for Certain New Pension Recipients Coordination with the Veterans Service Center § 21.6420... work or training which may affect the veteran's continued entitlement to pension, including...

  7. Clinical Investigator Development Program | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    The Center for Cancer Research (CCR), a division of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is pleased to announce its annual call for applications for the Clinical Investigator Development Program (CIDP). This is an exciting training opportunity intended for physicians interested in dedicating

  8. Implications of National Anesthesia Workload on the Staffing of a Call Center: The Malignant Hyperthermia Consultant Hotline.

    PubMed

    Dexter, Franklin; Rosenberg, Henry; Epstein, Richard H; Semo, Judith Jurin; Litman, Ronald S

    2015-08-01

    Recently, we analyzed data from the American Society of Anesthesiologist's (ASA) Anesthesia Quality Institute (AQI) to report the United States (U.S.) anesthesia workload by time of day and day of the week. The AQI data were reported using the Central Time zone. Times for the N = 613 calls to the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS) Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) Hotline from August 1, 2012, through March 7, 2014, were adjusted similarly. The MH Hotline effectively provides at all times to each anesthesia group an additional board-certified anesthesiologist who has expertise in managing, diagnosing, and/or preventing MH crises. We compared the timing of calls with the MH Hotline consultants relative to times of most anesthesia workload nationally. The interval 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM Central Time on regular workdays accounted for most (P < 0.0001) calls to the MH Hotline (62.5% ± 2.0% [mean ± standard error]). However, the interval accounted for significantly less than the 82.2% of anesthesia minutes and 84.5% of general anesthesia minutes during that interval nationally (both P < 0.0001). Thus, most calls to the MH Hotline occurred when anesthesia groups nationwide were the busiest. Weekends accounted for 15.3% ± 1.5% of MH Hotline calls, significantly greater than the rates of 5.2% of anesthesia minutes and 4.3% of general anesthesia minutes during weekends nationally (both P < 0.0001). Thus, the MH Hotline was used proportionately more often when anesthesia providers have fewer colleagues present and available for consultation (all P < 0.0001). These findings may be expected of other (future) national support centers for anesthesia.

  9. Developing a Strategic Plan for Transitioning to Healthcare Knowledge Services Centers (HKSCs)

    PubMed Central

    Goldstein, H. Mark; Coletti, Margaret H.

    2012-01-01

    Facing a negative trend in the form of downsizing, layoffs, and closures, a small committee of hospital librarians in New England was formed in 2004 to provide library advocacy. Between 2008 and 2010, 23 hospital libraries closed in New England. In 2010, the committee shifted its focus from advocacy to a platform for change. This resulted in the creation of the Healthcare Knowledge Services Center (HKSC) Template. The Template is the basis for a 3-phased, 5-year strategic plan to establish several regional pilots, transitioning traditional hospital libraries to healthcare knowledge services centers. This article focuses on Phase One of the strategic plan, Development. PMID:23125551

  10. CCC CAMP WICKIUP – OFFICE BUILDING, CENTER; TECHNICAL SERVICE QUARTERS, ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    CCC CAMP WICKIUP – OFFICE BUILDING, CENTER; TECHNICAL SERVICE QUARTERS, RIGHT; EDUCATIONAL BUILDING, LEFT. Photocopy of historic photographs (original photograph on file at National Archives, Rocky Mountain Region, Denver, CO). Unknown USBR Photographer, December 9, 1938 - Wickiup Dam, Deschutes River, La Pine, Deschutes County, OR

  11. Making It Work for Everyone: An Evolving Reference Service.

    PubMed

    Feldman, Jonquil D; Lopez, Emme; Gaspard, Christine S; Barton, Karen D; Barcenes, Luis F

    2018-01-01

    At an academic health science center, librarians identified problems, weaknesses, and strengths in reference services. The on-call reference schedule was discontinued and a question flowchart was developed for circulation staff. Only research questions were referred to librarians, who would respond if available. Circulation staff perceived the unscheduled, voluntary model was not working well for the patrons or the staff. After two months, the schedule was reinstated with a hybrid version of the previous on-call format. In the process of changing the service model, the library staff also underwent a cultural change.

  12. Mack Center on Nonprofit and Public Sector Management in Human Service Organizations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Austin, Michael J.

    2018-01-01

    This invited set of reflections upon the research carried out under the auspices of a school of social work is part of a series featuring research centers. It reflects 25 years of scholarly work related to both public and nonprofit human service organizations at the only university-based research center in the United States devoted to research on…

  13. 77 FR 48527 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-14

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review... Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 4150, MSC 7806, Bethesda, MD... Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, (Telephone Conference Call). Contact Person...

  14. UNAVCO Data Center Initiatives in CyberInfrastructure for Discovery, Services, and Distribution of Data and Products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boler, F.; Meertens, C.

    2012-04-01

    The UNAVCO Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, archives for preservation and distributes geodesy data and products in the GNSS, InSAR, and LiDAR domains to the scientific and education community. The GNSS data, which in addition to geodesy are useful for tectonic, volcanologic, ice mass, glacial isostatic adjustment, meteorological and other studies, come from 2,500 continuously operating stations and 8000 survey-mode observation points around the globe that are operated by over 100 U.S. and international members of the UNAVCO consortium. SAR data, which are in many ways complementary to the GNSS data collection have been acquired in concert with the WInSAR Consortium activities and with EarthScope, with a focus on the western United States. UNAVCO also holds a growing collection of terrestrial laser scanning data. Several partner US geodesy data centers, along with UNAVCO, have developed and are in the process of implementing the Geodesy Seamless Archive Centers, a web services based technology to facilitate the exchange of metadata and delivery of data and products to users. These services utilize a repository layer implemented at each data center, and a service layer to identify and present any data center-specific services and capabilities, allowing simplified vertical federation of metadata from independent data centers. UNAVCO also has built web services for SAR data discovery and delivery, and will partner with other SAR data centers and institutions to provide access for the InSAR scientist to SAR data and ancillary data sets, web services to produce interferograms, and mechanisms to archive and distribute resulting higher level products. Improved access to LiDAR data from space-based, airborne, and terrestrial platforms through utilization of web services is similarly currently under development. These efforts in cyberinfrastructure, while initially aimed at intra-domain data sharing and providing products for research and education, are envisioned as

  15. Initiation of a medical toxicology consult service at a tertiary care children's hospital.

    PubMed

    Wang, George Sam; Monte, Andrew; Hatten, Benjamin; Brent, Jeffrey; Buchanan, Jennie; Heard, Kennon J

    2015-05-01

    Currently, only 10% of board-certified medical toxicologists are pediatricians. Yet over half of poison center calls involve children < 6 years, poisoning continues to be a common pediatric diagnosis and bedside toxicology consultation is not common at children's hospitals. In collaboration with executive staff from Department of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, regional poison center, and our toxicology fellowship, we established a toxicology consulting service at our tertiary-care children's hospital. There were 139 consultations, and the service generated 13 consultations in the first month; median of 11 consultations per month thereafter (range 8-16). The service increased pediatric cases seen by the fellowship program from 30 to 94. The transition to a consult service required a culture change. Historically, call center advice was the mainstay of consulting practice and the medical staff was not accustomed to the availability of bedside medical toxicology consultations. However, after promotion of the service and full attending and fellowship coverage, consultations increased. In collaboration with toxicologists from different departments, a consultation service can be rapidly established. The service filled a clinical need that was disproportionately utilized for high acuity patients, immediately utilized by the medical staff and provided a robust pediatric population for the toxicology fellowship.

  16. What do clinicians want? Interest in integrative health services at a North Carolina academic medical center

    PubMed Central

    Kemper, Kathi J; Dirkse, Deborah; Eadie, Dee; Pennington, Melissa

    2007-01-01

    Background Use of complementary medicine is common, consumer driven and usually outpatient focused. We wished to determine interest among the medical staff at a North Carolina academic medical center in integrating diverse therapies and services into comprehensive care. Methods We conducted a cross sectional on-line survey of physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants at a tertiary care medical center in 2006. The survey contained questions on referrals and recommendations in the past year and interest in therapies or services if they were to be provided at the medical center in the future. Results Responses were received from 173 clinicians in 26 different departments, programs and centers. There was strong interest in offering several specific therapies: therapeutic exercise (77%), expert consultation about herbs and dietary supplements (69%), and massage (66%); there was even stronger interest in offering comprehensive treatment programs such as multidisciplinary pain management (84%), comprehensive nutritional assessment and advice (84%), obesity/healthy lifestyle promotion (80%), fit for life (exercise and lifestyle program, 76%), diabetes healthy lifestyle promotion (73%); and comprehensive psychological services for stress management, including hypnosis and biofeedback (73%). Conclusion There is strong interest among medical staff at an academic health center in comprehensive, integrated services for pain, obesity, and diabetes and in specific services in fitness, nutrition and stress management. Future studies will need to assess the cost-effectiveness of such services, as well as their financial sustainability and impact on patient satisfaction, health and quality of life. PMID:17291340

  17. Using the "customer service framework" to successfully implement patient- and family-centered care.

    PubMed

    Rangachari, Pavani; Bhat, Anita; Seol, Yoon-Ho

    2011-01-01

    Despite the growing momentum toward patient- and family-centered care at the federal policy level, the organizational literature remains divided on its effectiveness, especially in regard to its key dimension of involving patients and families in treatment decisions and safety practices. Although some have argued for the universal adoption of patient involvement, others have questioned both the effectiveness and feasibility of patient involvement. In this article, we apply a well-established theoretical perspective, that is, the Service Quality Model (SQM) (also known as the "customer service framework") to the health care context, to reconcile the debate related to patient involvement. The application helps support the case for universal adoption of patient involvement and also question the arguments against it. A key contribution of the SQM lies in highlighting a set of fundamental service quality determinants emanating from basic consumer service needs. It also provides a simple framework for understanding how gaps between consumer expectations and management perceptions of those expectations can affect the gap between "expected" and "perceived" service quality from a consumer's perspective. Simultaneously, the SQM also outlines "management requirements" for the successful implementation of a customer service strategy. Applying the SQM to the health care context therefore, in addition to reconciling the debate on patient involvement, helps identify specific steps health care managers could take to successfully implement patient- and family-centered care. Correspondingly, the application also provides insights into strategies for the successful implementation of policy recommendations related to patient- and family-centered care in health care organizations.

  18. 75 FR 25266 - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-07

    ... (Recovery Act) amended section 1902(a)(73) of the Act to require that certain States utilize a process for... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES [Document Identifier: CMS-10293] Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request...

  19. A Survey of Mental Health Service Provision in New York State Residential Treatment Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Amy J. L.; Fulmore, Darren; Collins, Julie

    2008-01-01

    Thirty-seven of 43 (86%) agencies operating child welfare residential treatment centers in New York State responded to a survey about the provision of mental health services. Questions were asked about provision of services, satisfaction with services, and suggestions for improvement in five domains: therapeutic milieu, individual therapy, group…

  20. 20 CFR 670.970 - What are the reporting requirements for center operators and operational support service providers?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... center operators and operational support service providers? 670.970 Section 670.970 Employees' Benefits... INVESTMENT ACT Administrative and Management Provisions § 670.970 What are the reporting requirements for center operators and operational support service providers? The Secretary establishes procedures to...

  1. 49 CFR 390.27 - Locations of motor carrier safety service centers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Century Boulevard, Suite 1700, Atlanta, GA 30345-3220. Western American Samoa, AK, AZ, CA, CO, Guam, HI... service center, contact a FMCSA division (State) office in AK, ME, MI, MT, NY, ND, VT, or WA. Note 2...

  2. 49 CFR 390.27 - Locations of motor carrier safety service centers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Century Boulevard, Suite 1700, Atlanta, GA 30345-3220. Western American Samoa, AK, AZ, CA, CO, Guam, HI... service center, contact a FMCSA division (State) office in AK, ME, MI, MT, NY, ND, VT, or WA. Note 2...

  3. 46 CFR 169.750 - Radio call sign.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Radio call sign. 169.750 Section 169.750 Shipping COAST... Control, Miscellaneous Systems, and Equipment Markings § 169.750 Radio call sign. Each vessel certificated for exposed or partially protected water service must have its radio call sign permanently displayed...

  4. Dynamic Modelling of User Decision-Making in Selecting Information Services at a University Research Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, John E.

    This research is concerned with the pragmatic performance characteristics of competing information technologies (ITs) and services in the university research center, as measured by user demand and choice. Technologies and services studied include: (1) mediated search service operating at cost recovery, open to all; (2) end-user service collecting…

  5. Evaluation of Service Activities Undertaken by the Educational Service Center for the Period July 1, 1967 to December, 1968.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Legant, Jean

    According to this 1967-68 evaluation report, the Educational Service Center (ESC)--funded under Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act--provided on-demand services to 29 northern, central, and western New Mexico school districts. In the document, 9 tables show the distribution and variety of ESC assistance in the areas of…

  6. Outsourcing an Effective Postdischarge Call Program

    PubMed Central

    Meek, Kevin L.; Williams, Paula; Unterschuetz, Caryn J.

    2018-01-01

    To improve patient satisfaction ratings and decrease readmissions, many organizations utilize internal staff to complete postdischarge calls to recently released patients. Developing, implementing, monitoring, and sustaining an effective call program can be challenging and have eluded some of the renowned medical centers in the country. Using collaboration with an outsourced vendor to bring state-of-the-art call technology and staffed with specially trained callers, health systems can achieve elevated levels of engagement and satisfaction for their patients postdischarge. PMID:29494453

  7. Centers and Institutes in Catholic Higher Education: Places of Innovation, Scholarship, and Service

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sloma-Williams, Lorraine

    2011-01-01

    Centers and institutes are innovative venues at which colleges and universities organize and facilitate research, service, and scholarly exploration. The purpose of this article is to highlight the center and institute phenomenon in the context of Catholic higher education and identify ways in which these entities work to strengthen Catholic…

  8. 78 FR 22909 - Mondelez Global LLC, Business Services Center, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Abacus...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-17

    ... Solutions, American Cybersystems, Inc., Collabera, Hewlett-Packard, Kelly Services, Kforce, Inc., Lancesoft..., Business Services Center, including on-site leased workers from Abacus Service Corporation, American Cyber..., American CyberSystems, Inc., Collabera, Hewlett-Packard, Kelly Services, Kforce, Inc., Lancesoft...

  9. Truancy Assessment and Service Centers (TASC): Engaging Elementary School Children and Their Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rhodes, Judith L. F.; Thomas, Johanna M.; Lemieux, Catherine M.; Cain, Daphne S.; Guin, Cecile C.

    2010-01-01

    This article reviews literature describing truancy and its correlates, and it analyzes the current research on truancy prevention programs. Few truancy prevention programs exist in elementary school settings. This article describes Truancy Assessment and Service Centers, a theory-driven program providing case management services to children in 85…

  10. Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at David Grant Air Force Medical Center Need Additional Management Oversight

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-09-24

    No. DODIG-2015-179 S E P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 5 Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at David Grant Air Force Medical Center Need Additional...us at www.dodig.mil Results in Brief Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at David Grant Air Force...Force Medical Center (DGMC) properly managed delinquent accounts over 180 days by effectively transferring the debt to the appropriate debt collection

  11. Performance evaluation of data center service localization based on virtual resource migration in software defined elastic optical network.

    PubMed

    Yang, Hui; Zhang, Jie; Ji, Yuefeng; Tan, Yuanlong; Lin, Yi; Han, Jianrui; Lee, Young

    2015-09-07

    Data center interconnection with elastic optical network is a promising scenario to meet the high burstiness and high-bandwidth requirements of data center services. In our previous work, we implemented cross stratum optimization of optical network and application stratums resources that allows to accommodate data center services. In view of this, this study extends the data center resources to user side to enhance the end-to-end quality of service. We propose a novel data center service localization (DCSL) architecture based on virtual resource migration in software defined elastic data center optical network. A migration evaluation scheme (MES) is introduced for DCSL based on the proposed architecture. The DCSL can enhance the responsiveness to the dynamic end-to-end data center demands, and effectively reduce the blocking probability to globally optimize optical network and application resources. The overall feasibility and efficiency of the proposed architecture are experimentally verified on the control plane of our OpenFlow-based enhanced SDN testbed. The performance of MES scheme under heavy traffic load scenario is also quantitatively evaluated based on DCSL architecture in terms of path blocking probability, provisioning latency and resource utilization, compared with other provisioning scheme.

  12. 47 CFR 64.1509 - Disclosure and dissemination of pay-per-call information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... each such service; and (4) A statement of the pay-per-call service provider's name, business address... name and mailing address of any provider of pay-per-call services offered by that carrier; and (2... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Disclosure and dissemination of pay-per-call...

  13. Trends in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at the Nation’s Community Health Centers: 1998–2003

    PubMed Central

    Druss, Benjamin G.; Bornemann, Thomas; Fry-Johnson, Yvonne W.; McCombs, Harriet G.; Politzer, Robert M.; Rust, George

    2008-01-01

    Objective. We examined trends in delivery of mental health and substance abuse services at the nation’s community health centers. Methods. Analyses used data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Primary Care’s (BPHC) 1998 and 2003 Uniform Data System, merged with county-level data. Results. Between 1998 and 2003, the number of patients diagnosed with a mental health/substance abuse disorder in community health centers increased from 210 000 to 800 000. There was an increase in the number of patients per specialty mental health/substance abuse treatment provider and a decline in the mean number of patient visits, from 7.3 visits per patient to 3.5 by 2003. Although most community health centers had some on-site mental health/substance abuse services, centers without on-site services were more likely to be located in counties with fewer mental health/substance abuse clinicians, psychiatric emergency rooms, and inpatient hospitals. Conclusions. Community health centers are playing an increasingly central role in providing mental health/substance abuse treatment services in the United States. It is critical both to ensure that these centers have adequate resources for providing mental health/substance abuse care and that they develop effective linkages with mental health/substance abuse clinicians in the communities they serve. PMID:18687596

  14. Trends in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at the Nation’s Community Health Centers: 1998–2003

    PubMed Central

    Druss, Benjamin G.; Bornemann, Thomas; Fry-Johnson, Yvonne W.; McCombs, Harriet G.; Politzer, Robert M.; Rust, George

    2006-01-01

    Objective. We examined trends in delivery of mental health and substance abuse services at the nation’s community health centers. Methods. Analyses used data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Primary Care’s (BPHC) 1998 and 2003 Uniform Data System, merged with county-level data. Results. Between 1998 and 2003, the number of patients diagnosed with a mental health/substance abuse disorder in community health centers increased from 210 000 to 800 000. There was an increase in the number of patients per specialty mental health/substance abuse treatment provider and a decline in the mean number of patient visits, from 7.3 visits per patient to 3.5 by 2003. Although most community health centers had some on-site mental health/substance abuse services, centers without on-site services were more likely to be located in counties with fewer mental health/substance abuse clinicians, psychiatric emergency rooms, and inpatient hospitals. Conclusions. Community health centers are playing an increasingly central role in providing mental health/substance abuse treatment services in the United States. It is critical both to ensure that these centers have adequate resources for providing mental health/substance abuse care and that they develop effective linkages with mental health/substance abuse clinicians in the communities they serve. PMID:17008573

  15. The So-Called Face

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2002-05-21

    The so-called Face on Mars can be seen slightly above center and to the right in this NASA Mars Odyssey image. This 3-km long knob was first imaged by NASA Viking spacecraft in the 1970 and to some resembled a face carved into the rocks of Mars.

  16. Service use and financial performance in a replication program on adult day centers.

    PubMed

    Reifler, B V; Cox, N J; Jones, B N; Rushing, J; Yates, K

    1999-01-01

    The authors describe results from Partners in Caregiving: The Dementia Services Program, and present information on service utilization and financial performance among a group of 48 adult day centers across the United States from 1992 to 1996. Centers, with nonrandom assignment, received either grant support (average value: $93,000) or intensive technical assistance (average value: $39,000). Sites reported baseline data and submitted utilization information (enrollment and census) and financial data (revenue and expenses) quarterly. Overall, there were significant increases in enrollment, census, and financial performance (percent of cash expenses met through operating revenue) over the 4-year period. The grant-supported and technical-assistance sites had similar rates of improvement. Results provide data on service utilization and financial performance and demonstrate gains that can be achieved in these areas through improved marketing and financial management.

  17. Effect Of Telephone Calls And Text Messages On Goal Attainment In A Ehealth Coaching Service.

    PubMed

    Brivio, Eleonora; Gatti, Fabiana; Galimberti, Carlo; Gambini, Paolo; Binello, Maurizio

    2015-01-01

    Yukendu is a personal mobile coaching service that supports people in reaching good levels of psychological and physical wellbeing through the use of an app and a telephone-based relationship with a health coach. The aim of this contribution is to describe the results obtained in a sample of 171 clients (female, n=150) and investigate the main factors in attaining their health-related goals. Results show that 61,98% (n=106) of the sample attained the results they wanted totally or partially. The regression model (number of phone calls, text messages, plan duration, achieved weight loss) accounts for 56,9% of data variance in achieved weight loss. Significant predictors of achieved weight loss are average number of calls (B=.388, p<.05), texts exchange (B=.331, p<.05) and plan duration (B=.291). These results suggest therefore that in the first phase of health behavioral change, eHealth coaching efficacy lies primarily in the communication between coach and coachee.

  18. NNDC Stand: Activities and Services of the National Nuclear Data Center

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pritychenko, B.; Arcilla, R.; Burrows, T. W.; Dunford, C. L.; Herman, M. W.; McLane, V.; Obložinský, P.; Sonzogni, A. A.; Tuli, J. K.; Winchell, D. F.

    2005-05-01

    The National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC) collects, evaluates, and disseminates nuclear physics data for basic nuclear research, applied nuclear technologies including energy, shielding, medical and homeland security. In 2004, to answer the needs of nuclear data users community, NNDC completed a project to modernize data storage and management of its databases and began offering new nuclear data Web services. The principles of database and Web application development as well as related nuclear reaction and structure database services are briefly described.

  19. Advocates Call for a New Approach after the Era of "Abstinence-Only" Sex Education. Guttmacher Policy Review. Volume 12, Number 1, Winter 2009

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boonstra, Heather D.

    2009-01-01

    In 1981, the first grants for what later came to be called "abstinence-only" programs were authorized under the Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA). Sponsored by congressional family planning opponents, AFLA was promoted as a "family-centered" alternative to contraceptive counseling and services to teenagers; instead, this…

  20. Effect of outside air ventilation rate on VOC concentrations and emissions in a call center

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hodgson, A.T.; Faulkner, D.; Sullivan, D.P.

    2002-01-01

    A study of the relationship between outside air ventilation rate and concentrations of VOCs generated indoors was conducted in a call center. Ventilation rates were manipulated in the building's four air handling units (AHUs). Concentrations of VOCs in the AHU returns were measured on 7 days during a 13-week period. Indoor minus outdoor concentrations and emission factors were calculated. The emission factor data was subjected to principal component analysis to identify groups of co-varying compounds based on source type. One vector represented emissions of solvents from cleaning products. Another vector identified occupant sources. Direct relationships between ventilation rate and concentrationsmore » were not observed for most of the abundant VOCs. This result emphasizes the importance of source control measures for limiting VOC concentrations in buildings.« less

  1. Learning Racial Hierarchies: Communication Skills Training in Transnational Customer Service Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mirchandani, Kiran

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to focus on the communications skills training given to transnational call center workers in India whose jobs involve providing customer service to Western customers. Emotion work is a key component of customer service jobs, and this work is constructed as an important soft skill. Design/methodology/approach: Between 2002…

  2. The influence of intern home call on objectively measured perioperative outcomes.

    PubMed

    Kastenberg, Zachary J; Rhoads, Kim F; Melcher, Marc L; Wren, Sherry M

    2013-04-01

    In July 2011, surgical interns were prohibited from being on call from home by the new residency review committee guidelines on work hours. In support of the new Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education work-hour restrictions, we expected that a period of intern home call would correlate with increased rates of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Prospective cohort. University-affiliated tertiary Veterans Affairs Medical Center. All patients identified in the Veterans Affairs National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database who underwent an operation performed by general, vascular, urologic, or cardiac surgery services between fiscal years (FYs) 1999 and 2010 were included. During FYs 1999-2003, the first call for all patients went to an in-hospital intern. In the subsequent period (FYs 2004-2010), the first call went to an intern on home call. Thirty-day unadjusted morbidity and mortality rates and risk-adjusted observed to expected ratios were analyzed by univariate analysis and joinpoint regression, respectively. Unadjusted overall morbidity rates decreased between 1999-2003 and 2004-2010 (12.14% to 10.19%, P = .003). The risk-adjusted morbidity observed to expected ratios decreased at a uniform annual percentage change of -6.03% (P < .001). Unadjusted overall mortality rates also decreased between the 2 periods (1.76% to 1.26%; P = .05). There was no significant change in the risk-adjusted mortality observed to expected ratios during the study. The institution of an intern home call schedule was not associated with increased rates of postoperative morbidity or mortality.

  3. CALL CENTER SUPPORT AND TODAY’S WARFIGHTER

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-02-01

    COR and Contractor Relationship……………………………………………..12 Figure 5: TFSC Customer Satisfaction Survey and Product Delivery Increase…………14 Figure 6: TFSC...practices can the TFSC adopt to provide higher levels of service and increased customer satisfaction ?” During development, this paper will employ a...higher levels of service and increased customer satisfaction ?” For the purpose of this paper, the private industry partner that was chosen for

  4. A Planning Guide for Food Service in Child Care Centers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Food and Nutrition Service (USDA), Washington, DC.

    This publication is designed to help child care center directors and other personnel in programs receiving funding through the Child Care Food Program plan their food service. Included are sections on: (1) planning food for a day; (2) meal patterns (information on the necessary food groups, a chart of vegetables and fruits containing vitamin A, C…

  5. 76 FR 13618 - Delegation of Authority; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-14

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Office of the Secretary Delegation of Authority; Centers... Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority, last published at 55 FR 9363 (March 13, 1990). Part A... of Inspector General. This delegation of authority supersedes the authorities delegated under Part A...

  6. "I wz wondering-uhm could 'Raid' uhm 'e'ffect the brain permanently d'y know?": Some Observations on the Intersection of Speaking and Writing in Calls to a Poison Control Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frankel, Richard M.

    1989-01-01

    Focuses on how written records are created during calls to a Poison Control Center. Describes the relationship between writing and speaking in this bureaucratic context. Finds that keeping written records extends the length of call processing time, representing a barrier to handling new calls promptly. (MS)

  7. Seventeen years of progress for supportive care services: A resurvey of National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers.

    PubMed

    Hammer, Sheila L; Clark, Karen; Grant, Marcia; Loscalzo, Matthew J

    2015-08-01

    We replicated a 1994 study that surveyed the state of supportive care services due to changes in the field and the increased need for such services. We provide an updated assessment, comparing the changes that have occurred and describing the current status of supportive care services in comprehensive cancer settings. We used Coluzzi and colleague's 60-question survey from their 1995 Journal of Clinical Oncology article to frame the 98-question survey employed in the current study. Medical and palliative care directors for the 2011 National Cancer Institute (NCI) comprehensive cancer centers were surveyed regarding their supportive care services and their subjective review of the overall effectiveness of the services provided. We achieved a 76% response rate (n = 31). The data revealed increases in the number of cancer beds in the hospitals, the degree of integration of supportive care services, the availability of complementary services, and the number of pain and palliative care services offered. There was also an overall shift toward centers becoming more patient centered, as 65% reported now having a patient and family advisory council. Our findings revealed a growing trend to offer distress screening for both outpatients and inpatients. Medical and palliative care directors' evaluations of the supportive care services they offered also significantly improved. However, the results revealed an ongoing gap in services for end-of-life care and timely referrals for hospice services. Overall, both the quantity and quality of supportive care services in the surveyed NCI-designated cancer centers has improved.

  8. Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in a Control Center Environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pirani, Joseph; Calvelage, Steven

    2010-01-01

    The technology of transmitting voice over data networks has been available for over 10 years. Mass market VoIP services for consumers to make and receive standard telephone calls over broadband Internet networks have grown in the last 5 years. While operational costs are less with VoIP implementations as opposed to time division multiplexing (TDM) based voice switches, is it still advantageous to convert a mission control center s voice system to this newer technology? Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) has converted its mission voice services to a commercial product that utilizes VoIP technology. Results from this testing, design, and installation have shown unique considerations that must be addressed before user operations. There are many factors to consider for a control center voice design. Technology advantages and disadvantages were investigated as they refer to cost. There were integration concerns which could lead to complex failure scenarios but simpler integration for the mission infrastructure. MSFC HOSC will benefit from this voice conversion with less product replacement cost, less operations cost and a more integrated mission services environment.

  9. Blood bank on-call physician's experiences at a large university medical center.

    PubMed

    Bryant, Barbara J; Alperin, Jack B; Indrikovs, Alexander J

    2005-01-01

    The responsibilities of the blood bank on-call physician (blood bank physician from here on) encompass many aspects of transfusion medicine and physician education. This physician is available 24 hours a day to address any issues concerning the collection and transfusion of blood and blood components. The purpose of this study was to identify and categorize the issues that may confront a blood bank physician. Each call received over a 4-month period was logged and the resolution documented. The calls were grouped into five categories: donor issues, therapeutic procedure issues, patient issues, physician education issues, and requests for blood components not meeting previously defined transfusion guidelines. The blood bank physician received 224 calls during the study period. To resolve each issue, an additional 1 to 14 telephone calls were needed to gather further information. Number of calls by category were donor issues, 20 (8.9%); therapeutic procedure issues, 9 (4.0%); patient issues, 4 (1.8%); physician education issues, 33 (14.7%); and requests for blood components not meeting previously defined transfusion guidelines, 158 (70.6%). Requests for blood components were denied in 39.8 percent of the cases not meeting guidelines. Other forms of therapy were warranted in 20.9 percent of the cases. This study revealed that 85.3 percent of the calls referred to the blood bank physician related to physician education and the appropriateness of blood component orders. These results emphasize the need for ongoing education of medical staff in transfusion medicine issues.

  10. Collaborations between Centers for Teaching and Learning and Offices of Disability Services: Current Partnerships and Perceived Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Behling, Kirsten; Linder, Kathryn E.

    2017-01-01

    The authors report on the results of a survey conducted in the United States on collaboration between Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) and Offices of Disability Services (ODSs) in institutions of higher education. The authors, a disability services professional and a former director of a Center for Teaching and Learning, give particular…

  11. An ARC-Informed Family Centered Care Intervention for Children’s Community Based Mental Health Programs

    PubMed Central

    Madenwald, Kappy; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.

    2017-01-01

    The experience of parents in helping their children access and use mental health services is linked to service outcomes. Parent peer support service, based on the principles of family-centered care, is one model to improve parent experience and engagement in services. Yet, little is known about how best to integrate this service into the existing array of mental health services. Integration is challenged by philosophical differences between family-centered services and traditional children’s treatment services, and is influenced by the organizational social contexts in which these services are embedded. We describe an organizational and frontline team intervention that draws on research in behavior change, technology transfer, and organizational social context for youth with serious emotional disturbance. The two-pronged intervention, called FAMILY (FCC and ARC Model to Improve the Lives of Youth) is guided by the evidence-based Availability, Responsiveness, and Continuity (ARC) organizational intervention, targeted primarily at program and upper management leadership and includes a family-centered care (FCC) intervention, targeted at frontline providers. The approach employs multilevel implementation strategies to promote the uptake, implementation and sustainability of new practices. We include examples of exercises and tools, and highlight implementation challenges and lessons learned in facilitating program and staff level changes in family-centered service delivery. PMID:28781510

  12. Highlights of Space Weather Services/Capabilities at NASA/GSFC Space Weather Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fok, Mei-Ching; Zheng, Yihua; Hesse, Michael; Kuznetsova, Maria; Pulkkinen, Antti; Taktakishvili, Aleksandre; Mays, Leila; Chulaki, Anna; Lee, Hyesook

    2012-01-01

    The importance of space weather has been recognized world-wide. Our society depends increasingly on technological infrastructure, including the power grid as well as satellites used for communication and navigation. Such technologies, however, are vulnerable to space weather effects caused by the Sun's variability. NASA GSFC's Space Weather Center (SWC) (http://science.gsfc.nasa.gov//674/swx services/swx services.html) has developed space weather products/capabilities/services that not only respond to NASA's needs but also address broader interests by leveraging the latest scientific research results and state-of-the-art models hosted at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC: http://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov). By combining forefront space weather science and models, employing an innovative and configurable dissemination system (iSWA.gsfc.nasa.gov), taking advantage of scientific expertise both in-house and from the broader community as well as fostering and actively participating in multilateral collaborations both nationally and internationally, NASA/GSFC space weather Center, as a sibling organization to CCMC, is poised to address NASA's space weather needs (and needs of various partners) and to help enhancing space weather forecasting capabilities collaboratively. With a large number of state-of-the-art physics-based models running in real-time covering the whole space weather domain, it offers predictive capabilities and a comprehensive view of space weather events throughout the solar system. In this paper, we will provide some highlights of our service products/capabilities. In particular, we will take the 23 January and the 27 January space weather events as examples to illustrate how we can use the iSWA system to track them in the interplanetary space and forecast their impacts.

  13. Call for Papers: Photonics in Switching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wosinska, Lena; Glick, Madeleine

    2006-04-01

    center">Call for Papers: Photonics in Switching

    center">Guest Editors:

    center"> Lena Wosinska, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) / ICT Sweden Madeleine Glick, Intel Research, Cambridge, UK

    Technologies based on DWDM systems allow data transmission with bit rates of Tbit/s on a single fiber. To facilitate this enormous transmission volume, high-capacity and high-speed network nodes become inevitable in the optical network. Wideband switching, WDM switching, optical burst switching (OBS), and optical packet switching (OPS) are promising technologies for harnessing the bandwidth of WDM optical fiber networks in a highly flexible and efficient manner. As a number of key optical component technologies approach maturity, photonics in switching is becoming an increasingly attractive and practical solution for the next-generation of optical networks. The scope of this special issue is focused on the technology and architecture of optical switching nodes, including the architectural and algorithmic aspects of high-speed optical networks.

    Scope of Submission

    The scope of the papers includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:
    • WDM node architectures
    • Novel device technologies enabling photonics in switching, such as optical switch fabrics, optical memory, and wavelength conversion
    • Routing protocols
    • WDM switching and routing
    • Quality of service>
    • Performance measurement and evaluation
    • Next-generation optical networks: architecture, signaling, and control
    • Traffic measurement and field trials
    • Optical burst and packet switching
    • OBS/OPS node architectures
    • Burst/Packet scheduling and routing algorithms
    • Contention resolution/avoidance strategies
    • Services and applications for OBS/OPS (e.g., grid networks, storage-area networks, etc.)
    • Burst assembly and ingress traffic shaping

    • What should we call instruments commonly known as payments for environmental services? A review of the literature and a proposal.

      PubMed

      Shelley, Barry G

      2011-02-01

      Researchers, policy makers, and practitioners have used various terms to describe instruments that reward the stewardship of ecosystem services that benefit "external" actors. Payments for environmental services, or PES, has been the predominant name. However, critics have challenged both the payments and environmental components of this nomenclature, most commonly proposing markets, compensation, or rewards as alternatives for the former, and ecosystem for the latter. Additional questions arise regarding what to call the agents directly involved in the transaction: sellers and buyers, or stewards and beneficiaries? For some, concerns about this terminology have emerged from so-called "pro-poor PES" debates that ask if actors could and should incorporate poverty alleviation goals into PES instruments. This review of the modulating use of terms and the arguments about which best fit theory and experience points to the key policy and ethical issues at stake as PES programs face critical and timely questions about the direction they will head. The author contends that the choices of terms will influence that direction and proposes a new alternative-rewards for ecosystem service stewardship (RESS)-that better encompasses pro-poor options. © 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.

    • LULAC National Educational Service Centers Inc. (LNESC) Progress Report, 1977: Building Leadership Through Education.

      ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

      Lorber, Erin, Ed.; And Others

      Since 1973, the LULAC National Education Service Centers, Inc. (LNESC) has been functioning to increase Hispanic access to and participation in post-secondary education. A national educational outreach network consisting of 12 field center offices and a headquarters in Washington, D.C. LNESC is dedicated to the principle that the essential…

    • Plans, providers experimenting with outbound call programs for Medicare risk seniors.

      PubMed

      1997-10-01

      Putting a new spin on health care call centers: They've been used for commercial and Medicaid populations, but now plans and providers are testing the call center concept among their Medicare seniors. And while it may hold great promise for controlling utilization, there are big start-up costs and serious liability concerns.

    • Impact of the mass media on calls to the CDC National AIDS Hotline.

      PubMed

      Fan, D P

      1996-06-01

      This paper considers new computer methodologies for assessing the impact of different types of public health information. The example used public service announcements (PSAs) and mass media news to predict the volume of attempts to call the CDC National AIDS Hotline from December 1992 through to the end of 1993. The analysis relied solely on data from electronic databases. Newspaper stories and television news transcripts were obtained from the NEXIS electronic database and were scored by machine for AIDS coverage. The PSA database was generated by computer monitoring of advertising distributed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and by others. The volume of call attempts was collected automatically by the public branch exchange (PBX) of the Hotline telephone system. The call attempts, the PSAs and the news story data were related to each other using both a standard time series method and the statistical model of ideodynamics. The analysis indicated that the only significant explanatory variable for the call attempts was PSAs produced by the CDC. One possible explanation was that these commercials all included the Hotline telephone number while the other information sources did not.

    • Educational and service partnerships: an example of global flattening.

      PubMed

      Finkelman, Anita; Kenner, Carole

      2008-01-01

      Educational and service partnerships are not new, but many of these partnerships occurred in the same town or state in the past. Today, with the heightened use of technology, these partnerships are spanning the globe (e.g., outsourcing of services is growing, with India becoming the call center for the world). What does this global flattening trend mean for nursing education and service? How will this trend impact nursing faculty and service shortages? We explored the current global flattening and its use as a potential strategy to combat nursing workforce issues.

    • Community control of health services. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Health Center's community management system.

      PubMed

      Tichy, N M; Taylor, J I

      1976-01-01

      This article presents the case of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Health Center's unique community management system in which neighborhood workers have been developed to assume managerial responsibilities and are directing the Center. The Martin Luther King Center experience is instructive because the Center was able to achieve significant community control by focusing primarily on the internal dimension of control, namely, management, without experiencing destructive conflicts and the deterioration of health services.

    • 47 CFR 90.241 - Radio call box operations.

      Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

      2013-10-01

      ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Radio call box operations. 90.241 Section 90... PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES Non-Voice and Other Specialized Operations § 90.241 Radio call box... Safety Pool for operation of radio call boxes to be used by the public to request fire, police, ambulance...

  1. 47 CFR 90.241 - Radio call box operations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Radio call box operations. 90.241 Section 90... PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES Non-Voice and Other Specialized Operations § 90.241 Radio call box... Safety Pool for operation of radio call boxes to be used by the public to request fire, police, ambulance...

  2. 47 CFR 90.241 - Radio call box operations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Radio call box operations. 90.241 Section 90... PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES Non-Voice and Other Specialized Operations § 90.241 Radio call box... Safety Pool for operation of radio call boxes to be used by the public to request fire, police, ambulance...

  3. A 2-1-1 research collaboration: participant accrual and service quality indicators.

    PubMed

    Eddens, Katherine S; Alcaraz, Kassandra I; Kreuter, Matthew W; Rath, Suchitra; Greer, Regina

    2012-12-01

    In times of crises, 2-1-1 serves as a lifeline in many ways. These crises often cause a spike in call volume that can challenge 2-1-1's ability to meet its service quality standards. For researchers gathering data through 2-1-1s, a sudden increase in call volume might reduce accrual as 2-1-1 has less time to administer study protocols. Research activities imbedded in 2-1-1 systems may affect directly 2-1-1 service quality indicators. Using data from a 2-1-1 research collaboration, this paper examines the impact of crises on call volume to 2-1-1, how call volume affects research participant accrual through 2-1-1, and how research recruitment efforts affect 2-1-1 service quality indicators. t-tests were used to examine the effect of call volume on research participant accrual. Linear and logistic regressions were used to examine the effect of research participant accrual on 2-1-1 service quality indicators. Data were collected June 2010-December 2011; data were analyzed in 2012. Findings from this collaboration suggest that crises causing spikes in call volume adversely affect 2-1-1 service quality indicators as well as accrual of research participants. Administering a brief (2-3 minute) health risk assessment did not affect service quality negatively, but administering a longer (15-18 minute) survey had a modest adverse effect on these indicators. In 2-1-1 research collaborations, both partners need to understand the dynamic relationship among call volume, research accrual, and service quality and adjust expectations accordingly. If research goals include administering a longer survey, increased staffing of 2-1-1 call centers may be needed to avoid compromising service quality. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Using Data to Assess Staffing and Services: University of Iowa Main Library

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paulus, Amy R.

    2014-01-01

    The Main Library Service Desk is a one-stop academic help center located between a newly renovated student-focused space called the Learning Commons and the library collections. Services began with the first day of classes, August 26, 2013, and assessment has been ongoing, in part due to the availability of data. Staffing levels, staffing hours,…

  5. Pathways to Healing: Person-centered Responses to Complementary Services

    PubMed Central

    Bertrand, Sharon W.; Fermon, Barbara; Coleman, Julie Foley

    2014-01-01

    Objectives: This research study assessed perceived changes in quality-of-life measures related to participation in complementary services consisting of a variety of nontraditional therapies and/or programs at Pathways: A Health Crisis Resource Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Design: Survey data were used to assess perceived changes participants ascribed to their experience with complementary services at Pathways. Quantitative data analysis was conducted using participant demographics together with participant ratings of items from the “Self-Assessment of Change” (SAC) measure developed at the University of Arizona, Tucson. Qualitative data analysis was conducted on written responses to an additional survey question: “To what extent has your participation at Pathways influenced your healing process?” Setting/Location: Pathways offers a variety of services, including one-to-one sessions using nontraditional healing therapies, support groups, educational classes, and practice groups such as yoga and meditation for those facing serious health challenges. These services are offered free of charge through community financial support using volunteer practitioners. Participants: People (126) diagnosed with serious health challenges who used Pathways services from 2007 through 2009. Interventions: Participation in self-selected Pathways services. Measures: Responses to items on the SAC measure plus written responses to the question, “To what extent has your participation at Pathways influenced your healing process?” Results: Quantitative findings: Participants reported experiencing significant changes across all components of the SAC measure. Qualitative findings: Responses to the open-ended survey question identified perspectives on the culture of Pathways and a shift in participants' perceptions of well-being based on their experience of Pathways services. Conclusions: Participation in services provided by the Pathways organization improved perceptions of

  6. Prevalence and Impact of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders on Job Performance of Call Center Operators in Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Odebiyi, D O; Akanle, O T; Akinbo, S Ra; Balogun, S A

    2016-04-01

    Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have been documented among various occupational groups in Nigeria. However, there is limited data on the prevalence of WMSDs among call center operators (CCOs). To determine the prevalence of WMSDs among CCOs in Nigeria and to explore the extent to which these discomforts impact the daily work activities of the respondents. 374 respondents who were randomly selected from 4 telecommunication companies in Lagos State, Nigeria, participated in this study. They were asked to complete a pre-tested questionnaire designed to capture the prevalence, impact and associated risk factors of WMSDs among CCOs. 42% and 65.2% of respondents experienced at least one WMSDs in the past 7 days, and 12 months, respectively. Women and CCOs who received calls with hand-held phones rather than headsets reported more discomforts during both 7 days and 12 months periods. Neck, shoulder, upper back, and lower back were the most affected areas during past 7 days and 12 months. Discomforts in the neck, low back, and knees prevented most of the respondents from performing their daily work. WMSDs have a serious impact on the daily job activities of the CCOs in Nigeria.

  7. Racial Differences in Perceptions of Social Support in Consumer-Centered Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woodward, Amanda Toler; Mowbray, Carol T.; Holter, Mark C.; Bybee, Deborah

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore potential racial differences in the experience of support offered by consumer-centered services for adults with serious mental illness. The study used hierarchical linear modeling to examine the level of support consumers report receiving from programs and the extent to which program-level characteristics…

  8. Effectiveness of presence of physician and midwife in quantity and quality of family planning services in health care centers.

    PubMed

    Jabbari, Hossein; Bakhshian, Fariba; Velayati, Atefeh; Mehrabi, Esmat; Allahverdizadeh, Shirin; Alikhah, Hossein; Maleki, Ahdieh; Ahadi, Hamid-Reza; Ghorbaniyan, Maryam; Naghavi-Behzad, Mohammad

    2014-01-01

    Iran's health sector has been engaging the services of physicians and midwives in healthcare centers since 2005, with the hope of improving the quantity and quality of family planning services. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of serving physicians and midwives on the quantity and quality of family planning services in the healthcare centers of Iran. The present cross-sectional study (Jan 2010 until Sep 2011) was carried out on 600 eligible families who were clients of healthcare centers of Tabriz, Azarshahr and Osku, cities of Northwest Iran from 2006 until 2011, in two groups (before and after). Some of the characteristics of the participants and the data on the quality and quantity of family planning services provided were grouped in a checklist of 16 variables by comparing the patients' past medical histories. In comparison with 3 years prior to engaging physician and midwife services in health care centers, the Couple Year Protection (CYP) and the quantity of family planning service indexes significantly increased among eligible families. The family size of participants declined significantly after family physicians and midwives became available in the healthcare centers (P < 0.005). Our findings showed some improvement in the quantity of services without any noticeable changes in the quality of services provided as a consequence of this huge intervention. Therefore, it is suggested that there should be proper oversight of the duties of the health team in order to keep a close watch on primary healthcare, design of proper mechanisms for collecting and maintaining performance reports and statistics, and continuously monitor and control the quality of services.

  9. Service line structure and decision-maker attention in three health systems: Implications for patient-centered care.

    PubMed

    Louis, Christopher J; Clark, Jonathan R; Gray, Barbara; Brannon, Diane; Parker, Victoria

    2017-06-15

    Scholars have noted a disconnect between the level at which structure is typically examined (the organization) and the level at which the relevant coordination takes place (service delivery). Accordingly, our understanding of the role structure plays in care coordination is limited. In this article, we explore service line structure, with an aim of advancing our understanding of the role service line structure plays in producing coordinated, patient-centered care. We do so by giving special attention to the cognitive roots of patient-centeredness. Our exploratory study relied on comparative case studies of the breast cancer service lines in three health systems. Nonprobability discriminative snowball sampling was used to identify the final sample of key informants. We employed a grounded approach to analyzing and interpreting the data. We found substantial variation across the three service lines in terms of their structure. We also found corresponding variation across the three case sites in terms of where informant attention was primarily focused in the process of coordinating care. Drawing on the attention-based view of the firm, our results draw a clear connection between structural characteristics and the dominant focus of attention (operational tactics, provider roles and relationships, or patient needs and engagement) in health care service lines. Our exploratory results suggest that service line structures influence attention in two ways: (a) by regulating the type and intensity of the problems facing service line participants and (b) by encouraging (or discouraging) a shared purpose around patient needs. Patient-centered attention-a precursor to coordinated, patient-centered care-depends on the internal choices organizations make around service line structure. Moreover, a key task for organizational and service line leaders is to structure service lines to create a context that minimizes distractions and enables care providers to focus their attention on

  10. 47 CFR 64.3001 - Obligation to transmit 911 calls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Obligation to transmit 911 calls. 64.3001 Section 64.3001 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES... Obligation to transmit 911 calls. All telecommunications carriers shall transmit all 911 calls to a PSAP, to...

  11. 47 CFR 64.3001 - Obligation to transmit 911 calls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Obligation to transmit 911 calls. 64.3001 Section 64.3001 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES... Obligation to transmit 911 calls. All telecommunications carriers shall transmit all 911 calls to a PSAP, to...

  12. 47 CFR 64.3001 - Obligation to transmit 911 calls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Obligation to transmit 911 calls. 64.3001 Section 64.3001 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES... Obligation to transmit 911 calls. All telecommunications carriers shall transmit all 911 calls to a PSAP, to...

  13. 47 CFR 64.3001 - Obligation to transmit 911 calls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Obligation to transmit 911 calls. 64.3001 Section 64.3001 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES... Obligation to transmit 911 calls. All telecommunications carriers shall transmit all 911 calls to a PSAP, to...

  14. 47 CFR 64.3001 - Obligation to transmit 911 calls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Obligation to transmit 911 calls. 64.3001 Section 64.3001 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES... Obligation to transmit 911 calls. All telecommunications carriers shall transmit all 911 calls to a PSAP, to...

  15. Perceived Need and Receipt of Behavioral Health Services at Drop-In Centers among Homeless Youth.

    PubMed

    Pedersen, Eric R; Tucker, Joan S; Klein, David J; Parast, Layla

    2018-06-03

    Homeless youth are a population in need of housing assistance and case management, as well as services to address behavioral health problems. This study examines youth's perceived need for and receipt of services through drop-in centers. Surveys of 273 homeless youth. Cross-sectional. Descriptive analyses with bivariate and multivariable regression models. About one-third to half of the sample met criteria for behavioral health problems, yet half or less of those meeting criteria reported a need for services targeting the problems. Most youth who perceived a need for services received relevant services through a drop-in center, with the exception of care for substance use problems. Youth with behavioral health problems were more likely to perceive a need for services related to housing and case management than those addressing behavioral health problems more directly. Multivariable regression analyses indicated that the factors most strongly associated with perceived need for services were not behavioral health problems, but rather race/ethnicity, traveler status, trouble meeting basic needs, delinquency, abuse/victimization experiences, and trading sex. Findings can help to develop outreach and intervention efforts to reach homeless youth and help promote the use of behavioral health services. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  16. 1. AERIAL VIEW, SHOWING MOBILE LAUNCHER. BASE IS CALLED LAUNCH ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    1. AERIAL VIEW, SHOWING MOBILE LAUNCHER. BASE IS CALLED LAUNCH PLATFORM AND TOWER ON RIGHT IS CALLED LAUNCH UMBILICAL TOWER, (LUT). - Mobile Launcher One, Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, Brevard County, FL

  17. 47 CFR 97.19 - Application for a vanity call sign.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... SERVICES AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE General Provisions § 97.19 Application for a vanity call sign. (a) The person named in an operator/primary station license grant or in a club station license grant is eligible... sign selected by the vanity call sign system. Effective February 14, 2011, the person named in a club...

  18. 47 CFR 97.19 - Application for a vanity call sign.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... SERVICES AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE General Provisions § 97.19 Application for a vanity call sign. (a) The person named in an operator/primary station license grant or in a club station license grant is eligible... for a vanity call sign. (b) Each application for a modification of an operator/primary or club station...

  19. 47 CFR 97.19 - Application for a vanity call sign.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... SERVICES AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE General Provisions § 97.19 Application for a vanity call sign. (a) The person named in an operator/primary station license grant or in a club station license grant is eligible... sign selected by the vanity call sign system. Effective February 14, 2011, the person named in a club...

  20. 47 CFR 97.19 - Application for a vanity call sign.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... SERVICES AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE General Provisions § 97.19 Application for a vanity call sign. (a) The person named in an operator/primary station license grant or in a club station license grant is eligible... sign selected by the vanity call sign system. Effective February 14, 2011, the person named in a club...

  1. 47 CFR 97.19 - Application for a vanity call sign.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... SERVICES AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE General Provisions § 97.19 Application for a vanity call sign. (a) The person named in an operator/primary station license grant or in a club station license grant is eligible... sign selected by the vanity call sign system. Effective February 14, 2011, the person named in a club...

  2. Use-Inspired Data Information Services for NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Owen, T.

    2015-12-01

    Leveraging environmental data and information to make specific, informed decisions is critical to the Nation's economy, environment, and public safety. The ability to successfully transform past and recent data into environmental intelligence is predicated on the articulation of use-inspired, actionable requirements for product and service development. With the formation of the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), there is a unique opportunity to revolutionize the delivery of information services in support of customer requirements. Such delivery cuts across the disciplines of meteorology, geophysics, and oceanography, as well as regions and sectors for the United States. At NCEI, information services are based on a two-way dialogue that (i) raises awareness of environmental data products and services and (ii) captures user needs for product and services sustainment and development. To this end, NCEI information services has developed a formal process for collecting user needs and translating them into requirements. This process reflects economically-prevalent and regionally-focused sectors based on Census Bureau classifications.

  3. Pesticide poisoning in Palestine: a retrospective analysis of calls received by Poison Control and Drug Information Center from 2006-2010.

    PubMed

    Sawalha, Ansam F; O'Malley, Gerald F; Sweileh, Waleed M

    2012-01-01

    The agricultural industry is the largest economic sector in Palestine and is characterized by extensive and unregulated use of pesticides. The objective of this study was to analyze phone calls received by the Poison Control and Drug Information Center (PCDIC) in Palestine regarding pesticide poisoning. All phone calls regarding pesticide poisoning received by the PCDIC from 2006 to 2010 were descriptively analyzed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 16) was used in statistical analysis and to create figures. A total of 290 calls regarding pesticide poisoning were received during the study period. Most calls (83.8%) were made by physicians. The average age of reported cases was 19.6 ± 15 years. Pesticide poisoning occurred mostly in males (56.9%). Pesticide poisoning was most common (75, 25.9%) in the age category of 20-29.9 years. The majority (51.7%) of the cases were deliberate self-harm while the remaining was accidental exposure. The majority of phone calls (250, 86.2%) described oral exposure to pesticides. Approximately one third (32.9%) of the cases had symptoms consistent with organophosphate poisoning. Gastric lavage (31.7%) was the major decontamination method used, while charcoal was only utilized in 1.4% of the cases. Follow up was performed in 45.5% of the cases, two patients died after hospital admission while the remaining had positive outcome. Pesticide poisoning is a major health problem in Palestine, and the PCDIC has a clear mission to help in recommending therapy and gathering information.

  4. The Center for Rehabilitation Sciences Research: Advancing the Rehabilitative Care for Service Members With Complex Trauma.

    PubMed

    Isaacson, Brad M; Hendershot, Brad D; Messinger, Seth D; Wilken, Jason M; Rábago, Christopher A; Esposito, Elizabeth Russell; Wolf, Erik; Pruziner, Alison L; Dearth, Christopher L; Wyatt, Marilynn; Cohen, Steven P; Tsao, Jack W; Pasquina, Paul F

    2016-11-01

    The Center for Rehabilitation Sciences Research (CRSR) was established to advance the rehabilitative care for service members with combat-related injuries, particularly those with orthopedic, cognitive, and neurological complications. The center supports comprehensive research projects to optimize treatment strategies and promote the successful return to duty and community reintegration of injured service members. The center also provides a unique platform for fostering innovative research and incorporating clinical/technical advances in the rehabilitative care for service members. CRSR is composed of four research focus areas: (1) identifying barriers to successful rehabilitation and reintegration, (2) improving pain management strategies to promote full participation in rehabilitation programs, (3) applying novel technologies to advance rehabilitation methods and enhance outcome assessments, and (4) transferring new technology to improve functional capacity, independence, and quality of life. Each of these research focus areas works synergistically to influence the quality of life for injured service members. The purpose of this overview is to highlight the clinical research efforts of CRSR, namely how this organization engages a broad group of interdisciplinary investigators from medicine, biology, engineering, anthropology, and physiology to help solve clinically relevant problems for our service members, veterans, and their families. Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

  5. 47 CFR 80.359 - Frequencies for digital selective calling (DSC).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Frequencies for digital selective calling (DSC... for digital selective calling (DSC). (a) General purpose calling. The following table describes the... Digital Selective-Calling Equipment in the Maritime Mobile Service,” with Annexes 1 through 5, 2004, and...

  6. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - KSC Director Jim Kennedy (center) makes a presentation to NASA and other officials about the benefits of locating NASA’s new Shared Services Center in the Central Florida Research Park, near Orlando. Central Florida leaders are proposing the research park as the site for the NASA Shared Services Center. The center would centralize NASA’s payroll, accounting, human resources, facilities and procurement offices that are now handled at each field center. The consolidation is part of the One NASA focus. Six sites around the U.S. are under consideration by NASA.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-02-19

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - KSC Director Jim Kennedy (center) makes a presentation to NASA and other officials about the benefits of locating NASA’s new Shared Services Center in the Central Florida Research Park, near Orlando. Central Florida leaders are proposing the research park as the site for the NASA Shared Services Center. The center would centralize NASA’s payroll, accounting, human resources, facilities and procurement offices that are now handled at each field center. The consolidation is part of the One NASA focus. Six sites around the U.S. are under consideration by NASA.

  7. A Research Protocol to Test the Effectiveness of Text Messaging and Reminder Calls to Increase Service Use Referrals in a Community Engagement Program.

    PubMed

    Varma, Deepthi Satheesa; Hart, Mark; McIntyre, Denise Sonya; Kwiatkowski, Evan; Cottler, Linda Bauer

    2016-06-28

    Mobile phoned-based interventions have been increasingly used in clinical populations to improve health and health care delivery. The literature has shown that mobile phone-based text messages (short message service, SMS) are instantaneous, cost effective, and have less chance of being misplaced. Studies using mobile phone based-text messages have reported text messages as effective reminders that have resulted in increased appointment attendance, adherence to treatment, and better self-management. There have been no reports of adverse events when using text messaging in terms of misreading or misinterpreting data, transmitting inaccurate data, losing verbal or nonverbal communication cues, privacy issues, or failure or delay in message delivery. However, the literature has cited a need for personalized messages that are more responsive to individual needs. In addition, there has been a dearth of information on the use of reminders in nonclinical populations. The goal of this study is to assess the effectiveness of adding reminders in the form of text messaging versus reminder calls versus text messages and reminder calls to increase use of service referrals provided through community outreach. A total of 300 participants will be recruited for the study. Each participant will be randomized to one of three arms: a group that receives only reminder calls (CALLSONLY); a group that receives only text message reminders (TEXTONLY); and a group that receives both reminder calls and text messages (CALLS+TEXT). All groups will receive their reminder intervention on the 15th and 45th day after baseline when they receive medical and social service referrals from the community health workers (CHWs). A standard script will be used to administer the call and text reminders and a 15-item telephone-based satisfaction survey will be administered to assess the participant satisfaction with the process of receiving periodic reminders. The study is in the recruitment and follow

  8. 47 CFR 80.459 - Digital selective calling.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Digital selective calling. 80.459 Section 80.459 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES STATIONS IN THE MARITIME SERVICES Public Coast Stations Use of Telegraphy § 80.459 Digital selective...

  9. 47 CFR 80.459 - Digital selective calling.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Digital selective calling. 80.459 Section 80.459 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES STATIONS IN THE MARITIME SERVICES Public Coast Stations Use of Telegraphy § 80.459 Digital selective...

  10. 42 CFR 440.365 - Coverage of rural health clinic and federally qualified health center (FQHC) services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Coverage of rural health clinic and federally... clinic and federally qualified health center (FQHC) services. If a State provides benchmark or benchmark... otherwise, to rural health clinic services and FQHC services as defined in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of...

  11. Use of Adult Day Care Centers: Do They Offset Utilization of Health Care Services?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iecovich, Esther; Biderman, Aya

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Based on the medical offset effect, the goal of the study was to examine the extent to which users and nonusers of adult day care centers (ADCC) differ in frequency of use of out-patient health services (visits to specialists) and in-patient health services (number of hospital admissions, length of hospitalizations, and visits to…

  12. Impact of chiropractic services at an on-site health center.

    PubMed

    Kindermann, Sylvia L; Hou, Qingjiang; Miller, Ross M

    2014-09-01

    To compare the influence of employer-sponsored, on-site chiropractic care against community-obtained care on health care utilization. This was a retrospective claims analysis of members of a single employee health plan receiving chiropractic care on-site or off-site from 2010 to 2012. Utilization differences were evaluated by having 1 health care event or more, including radiology or clinical visits. There were 876 on-site and 759 off-site participants. The off-site group received more radiology services overall (55.5% vs 38.2%; P < 0.001) including magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and radiograph (all P < 0.0001); had higher outpatient (P < 0.0001) and emergency department (P = 0.022) utilization; and demonstrated greater use of chiropractic care and physical therapy (both P < 0.0001). Compared with off-site care, on-site chiropractic services are associated with lower health care utilization. These results support the value of chiropractic services offered at on-site health centers.

  13. Shared services centers and work sustainability: which contributions from ergonomics?

    PubMed

    Arnoud, Justine; Falzon, Pierre

    2012-01-01

    This study examines the way in which Shared Services Centers (SSCs) were implemented in a French multinational company. It aims to characterize the change according to the capabilities model developed by Amartya Sen: what are the effects of SSCs in terms of capabilities development and developmental quality of work, i.e. in the enabling potential of work? A 3-step methodology has been used: first, an investigation was conducted in a pay service of a local entity moving into SSC in 2013; second, two investigations were conducted in another pay service of a SSC: first, a few months after the change, and then, one year after the change (the same operators were interviewed). Results show a tendency to the decrease of the enabling potential. Additionally, it was noted that administrators are kept away from the design process and have to struggle with inappropriate rules. The efficiency and sustainability of the SSC are questioned; in this context, the human factor specialist has an important role to play.

  14. The Role of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Delivering Family Planning Services to Adolescents.

    PubMed

    Mead, Katherine H; Beeson, Tishra; Wood, Susan F; Goldberg, Debora Goetz; Shin, Peter; Rosenbaum, Sara

    2015-07-01

    The purpose of this article was to examine the role of community health centers (CHCs) in providing comprehensive family planning services to adolescents, looking at the range of services offered and factors associated with provision of these services. This study employed a mixed methods approach comprising a national survey of CHCs and six in-depth case studies of health centers to examine the organization and delivery of family planning services. We developed an adolescent family planning index comprising nine family planning services specifically tailored to adolescents. We analyzed the influence of state-level family planning policies, funding for adolescents, and organizational characteristics on the provision of these services in CHCs. The case studies identified barriers to the provision of family planning to adolescent patients. The survey found substantial variation in the provision of family planning services at CHCs, with a mean of 6.33 out of a maximum score of 13 on the family planning adolescent services index. Title X funding and location within a favorable state policy environment were significantly associated with higher scores on the family planning adolescent services index (p value < .001 and .002, respectively). Case studies revealed barriers to adolescent family planning, including lack of funding, lack of knowledge, and limitations on school-based clinical services. CHCs have the opportunity to play a significant role in providing high-quality family planning to low-income, medically underserved adolescents. Additional funding, resources, and a favorable policy climate would further improve CHCs' ability to serve the family planning needs of this special patient population. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Analysis of Phone Calls Regarding Fluoride Exposure made to New Jersey Poison Control Center from 2010 to 2012.

    PubMed

    Shah, Sneha; Quek, Samuel; Ruck, Bruce

    2016-02-01

    The American Association of Poison Control Center's annual reports demonstrate that acute fluoride exposure is not an uncommon occurrence. Despite its prevalence, there has been little published research on the topic in the last 10 years. The purpose of this study was to calculate the incidence of acute fluoride toxicity and lethality as it occurs in New Jersey and provide a descriptive epidemiology of acute fluoride exposures. The study design was retrospective in nature. Records of phone calls made by individuals reporting excessive fluoride exposure (in an amount greater than directed/prescribed) to New Jersey's poison control center, known as Poison Information and Education System from the years 2010 through 2012, were extracted from Toxicall® (Computer Automatic Systems, Inc.) database. A total of 2,476 human-only exposure records met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Incidence rates were calculated, and population characteristics, circumstances and medical outcomes of acute fluoride exposure cases were assessed and categorized. A total of 2,476 phone call records met the inclusion criteria. The fluoride exposures reported were from toothpaste with fluoride (49%, n=1,214), mouth rinse with fluoride (21.6%, n=536), multivitamin with fluoride (21.4%, n=530) and pure fluoride (0.08%, n=199). Medically speaking, 94.75% of calls were asymptomatic cases (n=2,346), 4.24% were symptomatic (n=105) and 1.01% were informational inquiries (n=25). Adverse symptoms reported were mostly minor (83.9% of symptomatic cases, n=88) and moderate (16.1% of symptomatic cases, n=17). The age group 18 months to 3 years of age showed the highest incidence of acute fluoride exposure (53.2%, n=1,317). There was a slightly higher incidence of acute fluoride exposures among males (n=1,317) vs. females (n=1,159). Most incidences occurred in the home (93.1% of records, n=2,305) and occurred unintentionally (96.7%, n=2,394). Calls were mainly made by the subject's mother (67.5%, n=1

  16. Call-Center Based Disease Management of Pediatric Asthmatics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-04-01

    study locations. Purchase peak flow meters. Prepare and reproduce patient education materials, and informed consent work sheets. Contract Oracle data...identified. Electronic peak flow meters have been purchased. Patient education materials and informed consent documents have been reproduced. A web-based...Research Center * Study population identified via military and Foundation Health databases * Electronic peak flow meters purchased * Patient education materials

  17. Kansas Rural Schools and Education Service Centers : A 21st Century Solution.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook, Rita C.

    2003-01-01

    Rural Kansas schools facing financial problems and demands for more accountability must cooperate to survive. Smoky Hill Education Service Center, representing 45 school districts, provides on-site staff development and online classes for students and staff, maintains a multimedia library, has a cooperative purchasing program, provides…

  18. Service-Learning. National Dropout Prevention Center/Network Newsletter. Volume 22, Number 4

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duckenfield, Marty, Ed.

    2011-01-01

    The "National Dropout Prevention Newsletter" is published quarterly by the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network. This issue contains the following articles: (1) Dropouts and Democracy (Robert Shumer); (2) 2011 NDPN Crystal Star Winners; (3) Service-Learning as Dropout Intervention and More (Michael VanKeulen); and (4) Teacher…

  19. Supportive care services in hemato-oncology centers: a national survey.

    PubMed

    Mercadante, Sebastiano; Costanzi, Andrea; David, Fabrizio; Villari, Patrizia; Musso, Maurizio; Marchetti, Paolo; Casuccio, Alessandra

    2016-10-01

    In the field of hemato-oncology, there is paucity of data assessing models of integration between hemato-oncology and other partner specialties. The aim of this national survey was to gather information about the status of the integration of this kind of activity in hemato-oncologic units existing in Italy. A national telephone survey was conducted to gather information about the status of the integration of hemato-oncologic and supportive care/anesthesiological services. From the national registry of hemato-oncology units, 149 centers were contacted by phone and a dedicated doctor was identified to gather information about the center through a telephone interview. Eighty-one centers (54.3 %) agreed to participate. A mean of 206 (SD 132) painful procedures/year/center were performed. No significant differences among regions and centers were found (P = 0.680). Of the centers, 41.9 % usually asked for anesthesiological consultation to perform painful procedures. No differences were found between the regions (P = 0.137). A mean of 1.8 (SD 1.2) days elapsed from the request to the procedure performance (P = 0.271). No differences among the regions were found (P = 0.350). A mean of 220 (SD 89) central venous vascular accesses/year/center were performed. No differences among regions were found (P = 0.170). No differences among the centers were found (P = 0.691). A mean of 1.8 (SD 1.2) days elapsed from the request to the performance of procedure. Of the centers, 64.2 % had a palliative care team. No differences among regions were found (P = 0.331). A mean of 31.5 (SD 12.2) consultations/year/center for pain control were required. No differences among the regions were found (P = 0.556). Of the centers, 30.8 % had some beds for palliative care. No differences among the regions were found (P = 0.641). Of the centers, 32 % had a hospice was available. No differences among regions were found (P = 0.298). Integration between hemato

  20. "How can I help?" Nurse call openings on a cancer helpline and implications for call progressivity.

    PubMed

    Leydon, Geraldine Marie; Ekberg, Katie; Drew, Paul

    2013-07-01

    Helplines are a key service used for information and support by people affected by cancer. Little is known about the process of delivering and seeking cancer related telephone help. Using conversation analysis 52 calls between callers and specialist nurses on a major UK cancer helpline are analysed; focusing on the openings of helpline calls by specialist nurses. The helpline involves a triage system from a frontline call-taker to a specialist nurse. The triage system introduces challenges to the interactions for nurses and callers. This paper demonstrates how calls commence, and outlines implications for how they progress. Four key elements to the nurse's initial opening of the call were identified, which together contribute to managing an effective transition from the frontline call-taker to the current call with the specialist cancer nurse. The smooth exchange of information and provision of support in a trusted call environment is a critical goal of the cancer helpline; an effective call opening in a triage environment may significantly optimise the possibility of this goal being realised. A simple strategy is recommended to avoid the difficulties identified, a script for how the triaged call openings may be optimally formulated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. The Economic and Societal Benefits of Independent Living Services. Independent Living Centers in Region V.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1983

    In the 6 states which comprise Region 5, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, there are 23 independent living centers. Programs at these centers are dedicated to the development and provision of a variety of services which assist severely handicapped people to realize the goal of maximum individual independence. These…

  2. Neutrality as Obstructionist in Academic Activism: Calling Bullshit

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rose, Barbara J.

    2018-01-01

    In this essay, the author uses experiences as a teacher educator and learning from a historically significant activism movement to (a) compare values in activism-centered and education-centered organizations, (b) posit ways that the concept of neutrality weakens academic activism, and (c) call for teacher education curricula and practices that…

  3. National Space Science Data Center and World Data Center A for Rockets and Satellites - Ionospheric data holdings and services

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bilitza, D.; King, J. H.

    1988-01-01

    The activities and services of the National Space Science data Center (NSSDC) and the World Data Center A for Rockets and Satellites (WDC-A-R and S) are described with special emphasis on ionospheric physics. The present catalog/archive system is explained and future developments are indicated. In addition to the basic data acquisition, archiving, and dissemination functions, ongoing activities include the Central Online Data Directory (CODD), the Coordinated Data Analysis Workshopps (CDAW), the Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN), advanced data management systems (CD/DIS, NCDS, PLDS), and publication of the NSSDC News, the SPACEWARN Bulletin, and several NSSD reports.

  4. Becoming a Learning Organization: A Precondition for Person Centered Services to People with Learning Difficulties.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iles, Ian K.

    2003-01-01

    This article suggests that services for people with intellectual disabilities in England will need to undergo radical revision as agencies strive to implement person centered planning as described in the White Paper, "Valuing People." It further suggests that services need to become learning organizations, committed to values of…

  5. Introduction to Recreation Services for People with Disabilities: A Person-Centered Approach. 3rd Edition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bullock, Charles C.; Mahon, Michael J.; Killingsworth, Charles L.

    2010-01-01

    Ultimately, all successful recreation programs center around its participants wants and needs. Serving people with disabilities is no exception. "Introduction to Recreation Services for People with Disabilities" is intended to be an introductory book for anyone planning or working in the parks, recreation, and leisure service industry. Through…

  6. A Modular, Data Driven System: Architecture for GSFC Ground Systems: GSFC's Mission Services Evolution Center (GMSEC)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cary, Everett; Smith, Danford

    2004-01-01

    The GSFC Mission Services Evolution Center (GMSEC) was established in 2001 to coordinate ground and flight data systems development and services at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). GMSEC system architecture represents a new way to build the next generation systems to be used for a variety of missions for years to come. The old approach was to find or build the best products available and integrate them into a reusable system to meet everyone's needs. The new approach assumes that needs, products, and technology will change.

  7. Student Services/One Stop Centers: A Qualitative Examination of Implementation at Three Post-Secondary Institutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Becker, Janine M.

    2012-01-01

    This research investigates Student Services/One Stop Centers at three post-secondary institutions, looking at the origination of the centers and success through the lens of behavioral theories. Comparing the 3-stage Group Dynamics Theory of Lewin (1947), Social Learning Theory of Bandura (1977), and the 8-stage Change Management Model of Kotter…

  8. Spatial Data Services for Interdisciplinary Applications from the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, R. S.; MacManus, K.; Vinay, S.; Yetman, G.

    2016-12-01

    The Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), one of 12 Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) in the NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS), has developed a variety of operational spatial data services aimed at providing online access, visualization, and analytic functions for geospatial socioeconomic and environmental data. These services include: open web services that implement Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) specifications such as Web Map Service (WMS), Web Feature Service (WFS), and Web Coverage Service (WCS); spatial query services that support Web Processing Service (WPS) and Representation State Transfer (REST); and web map clients and a mobile app that utilize SEDAC and other open web services. These services may be accessed from a variety of external map clients and visualization tools such as NASA's WorldView, NOAA's Climate Explorer, and ArcGIS Online. More than 200 data layers related to population, settlements, infrastructure, agriculture, environmental pollution, land use, health, hazards, climate change and other aspects of sustainable development are available through WMS, WFS, and/or WCS. Version 2 of the SEDAC Population Estimation Service (PES) supports spatial queries through WPS and REST in the form of a user-defined polygon or circle. The PES returns an estimate of the population residing in the defined area for a specific year (2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, or 2020) based on SEDAC's Gridded Population of the World version 4 (GPWv4) dataset, together with measures of accuracy. The SEDAC Hazards Mapper and the recently released HazPop iOS mobile app enable users to easily submit spatial queries to the PES and see the results. SEDAC has developed an operational virtualized backend infrastructure to manage these services and support their continual improvement as standards change, new data and services become available, and user needs evolve. An ongoing challenge is to improve the reliability and performance

  9. CallWall: tracking resident calls to improve clinical utilization of pathology laboratories.

    PubMed

    Buck, Thomas P; Connor, Ian M; Horowitz, Gary L; Arnaout, Ramy A

    2011-07-01

    Clinical pathology (CP) laboratories are used for millions of tests each year. These lead to thousands of calls to CP residents. However, although laboratory utilization is a frequent topic of study, clinical utilization--the content of the interactions between clinicians and CP residents--is not. Because it reflects questions about laboratory utilization, clinical utilization could suggest ways to improve both training and care by reducing diagnostic error. To build and implement a secure, scalable Web-based system to allow CP residents at any hospital to track the calls they receive, the interaction's context, and the action taken as a result, with evidence where applicable, and to use this system to report on clinical utilization at a major academic hospital. Entries were analyzed from a nearly year-long period to describe the clinical utilization of CP at a large academic teaching hospital. Sixteen residents logged 847 calls during 10 months, roughly evenly distributed among transfusion medicine, chemistry, microbiology, and hematopathology. Calls covered 94 different analytes in chemistry and 71 different organisms or tests in microbiology. Analysis revealed areas where CP can improve clinical care through educating the clinical services, for example, about ordering Rh immune globulin, testosterone testing, and diagnosis of tick-borne diseases. Documenting calls also highlighted patterns among residents. Clinical utilization is a potentially rich knowledge base for improving patient care and resident training. Our resident call-tracking system is a useful way for measuring clinical utilization and mining it for actionable information.

  10. A Novel Cloud-Based Service Robotics Application to Data Center Environmental Monitoring

    PubMed Central

    Russo, Ludovico Orlando; Rosa, Stefano; Maggiora, Marcello; Bona, Basilio

    2016-01-01

    This work presents a robotic application aimed at performing environmental monitoring in data centers. Due to the high energy density managed in data centers, environmental monitoring is crucial for controlling air temperature and humidity throughout the whole environment, in order to improve power efficiency, avoid hardware failures and maximize the life cycle of IT devices. State of the art solutions for data center monitoring are nowadays based on environmental sensor networks, which continuously collect temperature and humidity data. These solutions are still expensive and do not scale well in large environments. This paper presents an alternative to environmental sensor networks that relies on autonomous mobile robots equipped with environmental sensors. The robots are controlled by a centralized cloud robotics platform that enables autonomous navigation and provides a remote client user interface for system management. From the user point of view, our solution simulates an environmental sensor network. The system can easily be reconfigured in order to adapt to management requirements and changes in the layout of the data center. For this reason, it is called the virtual sensor network. This paper discusses the implementation choices with regards to the particular requirements of the application and presents and discusses data collected during a long-term experiment in a real scenario. PMID:27509505

  11. U-Healthcare Center Service in Busan City, South Korea: An Empirical Analysis and the Results of 1 Year of Service.

    PubMed

    Bravo Santisteban, Ramiro D; Youm, Sekyoung; Park, Seung-Hun

    2015-10-01

    Studies have demonstrated that technological innovation is vital for prosperous economies, and greater technological innovation leads to improved public health indicators. The South Korean government has implemented policies to provide city services using information communication technologies, and ubiquitous healthcare (u-healthcare) wellness is one of these. This article presents the effects of using a u-healthcare center model that proves self-healthcare monitoring can work for the general population. The u-healthcare center has provided service to the public since April 2013. It is equipped with medical devices that evaluate physiological parameters such as weight, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), pulse rate (PR), and body fat (BF). This article focuses on the analysis of BMI, BP, PR, and BF parameters. Health test results from 12,766 voluntary patients of the u-healthcare center were analyzed during a 1-year period. The four health parameters from each of the four seasons were analyzed and compared, showing statistically significant seasonal differences. A Duncan's post hoc analysis showed that BMI did not differ between spring and summer, whereas BP differed throughout all seasons. Participation of females was higher compared with males, and men's average BMI was statistically higher than that of the women. Some additional significant findings for all participants were as follows: 48.8% scored normal in BMI, 31.7% scored normal-controlled in BP, 90.7% scored normal in PR, and 24.8% scored normal in BF. A survey showed that 96.4% found the u-healthcare center to be generally helpful, and 95.7% responded that they would recommend it. Implementation of u-healthcare projects provides a new public service toward evaluating health parameters, providing historical health information access, promoting self-monitoring, and motivating users to be more aware of their own health status.

  12. The Space Shuttle Discovery receives post-flight servicing in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD) at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2005-08-11

    The Space Shuttle Discovery receives post-flight servicing in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD), following its landing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, August 9, 2005. The gantry-like MDD structure is used for servicing the shuttle orbiters in preparation for their ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, including mounting the shuttle atop NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT, August 9, 2005, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission. During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station. Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks. In an unprecedented event, spacewalkers were called upon to remove protruding gap fillers from the heat shield on Discovery's underbelly. In other spacewalk activities, astronauts installed an external platform onto the Station's Quest Airlock and replaced one of the orbital outpost's Control Moment Gyroscopes. Inside the Station, the STS-114 crew conducted joint operations with the Expedition 11 crew. They unloaded fresh supplies from the Shuttle and the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Before Discovery undocked, the crews filled Raffeallo with unneeded items and returned to Shuttle payload bay. Discovery launched on July 26 and spent almost 14 days on orbit.

  13. The Space Shuttle Discovery receives post-flight servicing in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD) at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2005-08-11

    The Space Shuttle Discovery receives post-flight servicing in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD), following its landing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, August 9, 2005. The gantry-like MDD structure is used for servicing the shuttle orbiters in preparation for their ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, including mounting the shuttle atop NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT this morning, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission. During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station. Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks. In an unprecedented event, spacewalkers were called upon to remove protruding gap fillers from the heat shield on Discovery's underbelly. In other spacewalk activities, astronauts installed an external platform onto the Station's Quest Airlock and replaced one of the orbital outpost's Control Moment Gyroscopes. Inside the Station, the STS-114 crew conducted joint operations with the Expedition 11 crew. They unloaded fresh supplies from the Shuttle and the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Before Discovery undocked, the crews filled Raffeallo with unneeded items and returned to Shuttle payload bay. Discovery launched on July 26 and spent almost 14 days on orbit.

  14. Innovative Services Offered by School-Based Health Centers in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sisselman, Amanda; Strolin-Goltzman, Jessica; Auerbach, Charles; Sharon, Lisa

    2012-01-01

    School-based health centers (SBHCs) continue to provide essential health care services to children and families in underserved neighborhoods across the country. Preliminary studies show that students who use SBHCs have better attendance rates as well as higher rates of academic achievement and attachment to the learning environment. Few studies,…

  15. Capturing Accurate and Useful Information on Medication-Related Telenursing Triage Calls.

    PubMed

    Lake, R; Li, L; Baysari, M; Byrne, M; Robinson, M; Westbrook, J I

    2016-01-01

    Registered nurses providing telenursing triage and advice services record information on the medication related calls they handle. However the quality and consistency of these data were rarely examined. Our aim was to examine medication related calls made to the healthdirect advice service in November 2014, to assess their basic characteristics and how the data entry format influenced information collected and data consistency. Registered nurses selected the patient question type from a range of categories, and entered the medications involved in a free text field. Medication names were manually extracted from the free text fields. We also compared the selected patient question type with the free text description of the call, in order to gauge data consistency. Results showed that nurses provided patients with advice on medication-related queries in a timely matter (the median call duration of 9 minutes). From 1835 calls, we were able to identify and classify 2156 medications into 384 generic names. However, in 204 cases (11.2% of calls) no medication name was entered. A further 308 (15.0%) of the medication names entered were not identifiable. When we compared the selected patient question with the free text description of calls, we found that these were consistent in 63.27% of cases. Telenursing and triage advice services provide a valuable resource to the public with quick and easily accessible advice. To support nurses provide quality services and record accurate information about the queries, appropriate data entry format and design would be beneficial.

  16. 38 CFR 17.112 - Services or ceremonies on Department of Veterans Affairs hospital or center reservations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... will be considered partisan and therefore inappropriate. (b) Requests for permission to hold services... Affairs hospital or center involved. Such applications will describe the proposed activity in sufficient... section. If permission is granted, the Director of the hospital or center involved will assign an...

  17. Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Need Additional Management Oversight

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-04-28

    L 2 8 , 2 0 1 6 Report No. DODIG-2016-079 Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Need Additional Management...Department of Defense F r a u d , W a s t e & A b u s e DODIG-2016-079 (Project No. D2015-D000CL-0214.000) │ i Results in Brief Delinquent Medical...objective was to determine whether Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) effectively managed accounts delinquent over 120 days by properly

  18. Quantitative Analysis of Contributing Factors Affecting Patient Satisfaction in Family Medicine Service Clinics at Brooke Army Medical Center

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-06-06

    Predictors of patient satisfaction for Brooke Army Medical Center Family Medicine Service primary care clinics was performed. Data was obtained from...Factors Affecting Patient Satisfaction in Family Medicine Service Clinics at Brooke Army Medical Center Presented to MAJ Eric Schmacker, Ph.D. In...study. All patients ’ medical information was protected at all times and under no circumstances will be discussed or released to any outside agency

  19. The Georgia Feasibility Study: The Development of Alternative Community Services for the Current Residents of Georgia Retardation Center and the Southwest Developmental Center at Bainbridge.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bradley, Valerie J.; And Others

    The report explores the feasibility of placing 565 severely mentally retarded residents of the Georgia Retardation Center and Southwestern Developmental Center at Bainbridge, Georgia, in alternative community living and daytime arrangements. The seven mental retardation service areas which had placed most of these residents were the focus of…

  20. 20 CFR 670.955 - Are center operators and service providers subject to Federal audits?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR THE JOB CORPS UNDER TITLE I OF THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT Administrative and Management Provisions § 670.955 Are center operators and service providers subject to Federal...

  1. LED Provides Effective and Efficient Parking Area Lighting at the NAVFAC Engineering Service Center

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    2010-08-12

    U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) emerging technology case study showcasing LED lighting to improve energy efficiency in parking areas at the NAVFAC Engineering Services Center.

  2. 34 CFR 645.13 - What additional services do Upward Bound Math and Science Centers provide and how are they...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What additional services do Upward Bound Math and... Program? § 645.13 What additional services do Upward Bound Math and Science Centers provide and how are... provided under § 645.11(b), an Upward Bound Math and Science Center must provide— (1) Intensive instruction...

  3. 34 CFR 645.14 - What additional services do Upward Bound Math and Science Centers provide and how are they...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What additional services do Upward Bound Math and... Program? § 645.14 What additional services do Upward Bound Math and Science Centers provide and how are... provided under § 645.11(b), an Upward Bound Math and Science Center must provide— (1) Intensive instruction...

  4. 34 CFR 645.14 - What additional services do Upward Bound Math and Science Centers provide and how are they...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What additional services do Upward Bound Math and... Program? § 645.14 What additional services do Upward Bound Math and Science Centers provide and how are... provided under § 645.11(b), an Upward Bound Math and Science Center must provide— (1) Intensive instruction...

  5. 34 CFR 645.14 - What additional services do Upward Bound Math and Science Centers provide and how are they...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What additional services do Upward Bound Math and... Program? § 645.14 What additional services do Upward Bound Math and Science Centers provide and how are... provided under § 645.11(b), an Upward Bound Math and Science Center must provide— (1) Intensive instruction...

  6. 34 CFR 645.14 - What additional services do Upward Bound Math and Science Centers provide and how are they...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What additional services do Upward Bound Math and... Program? § 645.14 What additional services do Upward Bound Math and Science Centers provide and how are... provided under § 645.11(b), an Upward Bound Math and Science Center must provide— (1) Intensive instruction...

  7. Results of a survey of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species and Ecological Services Field Offices, Refuges, Hatcheries, and Research Centers

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gladwin, Douglas N.; Asherin, Duane A.; Manci, Karen M.

    1988-01-01

    The National Ecology Research Center (Center), as part of an ongoing research study on the effects of low altitude aircraft operations on fish and wildlife, conducted a survey in January 1987 of all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) regional directors, research center directors, Ecological Services and Endangered Species field offices supervisors, refuge manager, and hatchery manager. The objective of the survey was to determine the nature and extent of aircraft-induced impacts on fish and wildlife species, populations, and habitat utilization. The field installation managers and biologists were asked to provide background information or data on fish and wildlife reactions to low-altitude aircraft disturbances, including physiological, behavioral, and reproductive/population effects. Specifically, the survey asked for information such as: (1) observations of animal reaction(s) to aircraft operations, e.g., desert bighorn sheep scare behavior in response to aircraft overflights and hatchery fish seizures and death following intense sonic booms; and instances of areas where aircraft noise is known or believed to be responsible for reduced population size, e.g. areas along heavily used aircraft flight corridors where breeding waterfowl densities are lower than in similar habitat away from the noise area.

  8. Increasing Role of Nurse Practitioners in House Call Programs.

    PubMed

    Yao, Nengliang Aaron; Rose, Karen; LeBaron, Virginia; Camacho, Fabian; Boling, Peter

    2017-04-01

    Residence-based primary care provides homebound frail patients with a care plan that is individually tailored to manage multiple chronic conditions and functional limitations using a variety of resources. We (1) examine the visit volume and Medicare payments for residence-based health care provided by nurse practitioners (NPs) in the Medicare fee-for-service environment; (2) compare NP's residential visits to those of internists and family physicians; and (3) compare the geographical service area of full-time house call NPs versus NPs who make nursing facility visits a major portion of their work. An observational study using secondary data. Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data. Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare payments for home and domiciliary care visits, the number of residence-based medical visits, provider volume, geographical distribution of full-time house call providers. About 3,300 NPs performed over 1.1 million home and domiciliary care visits in 2013, accounting for 22% of all residential visits to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. A total of 310 NPs individually made more than 1,000 residential visits (defined as a full-time house call provider); among full-time house call providers, including physicians, NPs are now the most common provider type. There are substantial variations in the geographic distribution of full-time house call NPs, internists, and family physicians. Full time NP's service area is about 30% larger than family physicians and internists. Nursing home residents are far more likely to receive NP visits than are homebound persons receiving home visits. NPs are now the largest type of provider delivering residence-based care and NPs provide care over the largest geographical service area. However, the vast majority of frail Americans are more likely to receive NP's care in a nursing facility versus at home. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

  9. Outsourcing, Globalizing Economics, and Shifting Language Policies: Issues in Managing Indian Call Centres

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morgan, Brian; Ramanathan, Vaidehi

    2009-01-01

    This paper offers a dialogic discussion about several issues concerning call centers, including globalizing surges, modernity tropes and educational practices. Based on a critical discourse analysis of a document offering to train west-based entrepreneurs to assume managerial positions in call centers in India, the paper explores ways in which…

  10. The availability of community health center services and access to medical care.

    PubMed

    Kirby, James B; Sharma, Ravi

    2017-12-01

    Community Health Centers (CHCs) funded by Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act are an essential part of the health care safety net in the US. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act expanded the program significantly, but the extent to which the availability of CHCs improve access to care in general is not clear. In this paper, we examine the associations between the availability of CHC services in communities and two key measures of ambulatory care access - having a usual source of care and having any office-based medical visits over a one year period. We pooled six years of data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2008-2013) and linked it to geographic data on CHCs from Health Resources and Services Administration's Health Center Program Uniform Data System. We also link other community characteristics from the Area Health Resource File and the Dartmouth Institute's data files. The associations between CHC availability and our access measures are estimated with logistic regression models stratified by insurance status. The availability of CHC services was positively associated with both measures of access among those with no insurance coverage. Additionally, it was positively associated with having a usual source of care among those with Medicaid and private insurance. These findings persist after controlling for key individual- and community-level characteristics. Our findings suggest that an enhanced CHC program could be an important resource for supporting the efficacy of expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act and, ultimately, improving access to quality primary care for underserved Americans. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  11. Northern California Earthquake Data Center: Data Sets and Data Services

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neuhauser, D. S.; Allen, R. M.; Zuzlewski, S.

    2015-12-01

    The Northern California Earthquake Data Center (NCEDC) provides a permanent archive and real-time data distribution services for a unique and comprehensive data set of seismological and geophysical data sets encompassing northern and central California. We provide access to over 85 terabytes of continuous and event-based time series data from broadband, short-period, strong motion, and strain sensors as well as continuous and campaign GPS data at both standard and high sample rates. The Northen California Seismic System (NCSS), operated by UC Berkeley and USGS Menlo Park, has recorded over 900,000 events from 1984 to the present, and the NCEDC serves catalog, parametric information, moment tensors and first motion mechanisms, and time series data for these events. We also serve event catalogs, parametric information, and event waveforms for DOE enhanced geothermal system monitoring in northern California and Nevada. The NCEDC provides a several ways for users to access these data. The most recent development are web services, which provide interactive, command-line, or program-based workflow access to data. Web services use well-established server and client protocols and RESTful software architecture that allow users to easily submit queries and receive the requested data in real-time rather than through batch or email-based requests. Data are returned to the user in the appropriate format such as XML, RESP, simple text, or MiniSEED depending on the service and selected output format. The NCEDC supports all FDSN-defined web services as well as a number of IRIS-defined and NCEDC-defined services. We also continue to support older email-based and browser-based access to data. NCEDC data and web services can be found at http://www.ncedc.org and http://service.ncedc.org.

  12. Quality of family planning services in primary health centers of Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Tafese, Fikru; Woldie, Mirkuzie; Megerssa, Berhane

    2013-11-01

    Good quality of care in family planning (FP) services help individuals and couples to meet their reproductive health needs safely and effectively. Therefore, assessment and improvement of the quality of family planning services could enhance family planning services utilization. This study was thus conducted to assess the quality of family planning services in primary health centers of Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional facility based study was conducted from March 1(st)-25(th), 2011 among family planning clients of government primary health care centers in southwest Ethiopia. Exit interview of 301 family planning clients identified through systematic random sampling technique was carried out using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Availability of resources was checked using provider interview and inventory checklist. Moreover, a total of 150 consultation sessions were observed using checklist. Descriptive statistics and linear regression coefficients were generated to meet the objective of the study. There was a shortage of some medical equipment, trained staffs, and information education and communication materials (IEC) in all of the family planning clinics. The mean waiting time at the service delivery points and consultation duration were 16.4 and 10.5 minutes, respectively. The providers used at least one information education and communication material in 33.3% of the consultation sessions. The overall satisfaction score was 8.64. Clients' perception on adequacy of information during consultation (β=0.24; ( 95%CI=0.02-0.16) ease of getting the clinic site, short waiting time (β=0.17; 95%CI=0.15-029) and educational level (β=0.09; 95%CI =0.09-0.29) were significantly associated with overall satisfaction. The findings of this study showed that there was lack of critical resources for the provision of quality family planning services in all of the primary health care centers included in the study. This has affected important aspects of

  13. Preliminary Specifications (Hardware and Software) for a Center for Information Services. Final Report on Mechanized Information Services in the University Library, Phase I - Planning. Part 10.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California Univ., Los Angeles. Inst. of Library Research.

    The general conclusions of the planning study on Mechanized Information Services in the University Library are that such services represent a desirable, even necessary, extension of the library's traditional functions. Preliminary specifications for such a library-based "Center for Information Services" (CIS) are presented in this report. Covered…

  14. Calls to Teen Line: Representative Concerns of Adolescents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boehm, Kathryn E.; Schondel, Connie K.; Ivoska, William J.; Marlowe, Alison L.; Manke-Mitchell, Laurie

    1998-01-01

    Study examines whether the concerns of teenagers calling a peer listening service are representative of the concerns of teenagers in the area served. Results indicate that students' biggest concerns involve family problems, peer relationships, self-esteem, and school problems. Concludes that calls to the teen line are representative. (Author/GCP)

  15. Opportunities Center. Concept Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kimeldorf, Martin

    The opportunities center is a new school service concept that can help students find opportunities related to their talents and interests in work, education, leisure, small business, or community service. The opportunities center model expands the career center model into an information search center offering multiple services that link academic…

  16. Competing Goodness: Perceptions of Person-Centered Culture Change within Human Service Agencies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Starling, Stacey Lee

    2012-01-01

    Front and center in the endeavor to "reform" health care is the appeal to change the culture of aging within provider organizations situated in the long-term care continuum. Person-centeredness is the latest philosophical overlay to aging care and supports and services. As a dominate paradigm guiding change, the movement intends to shift…

  17. The Perceived Role of an Administrator in a Multidisciplinary Research, Training, and Service Center Within a University Structure.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clouse, R. Wilburn

    The role of administrators serving in national centers established by the federal government to encourage and foster research, training, and service is investigated. Two national programs specifically examined in this report are centers for mental retardation research and human development, and university-affiliated training centers. The research…

  18. The Geodetic Seamless Archive Centers Service Layer: A System Architecture for Federating Geodesy Data Repositories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McWhirter, J.; Boler, F. M.; Bock, Y.; Jamason, P.; Squibb, M. B.; Noll, C. E.; Blewitt, G.; Kreemer, C. W.

    2010-12-01

    Three geodesy Archive Centers, Scripps Orbit and Permanent Array Center (SOPAC), NASA's Crustal Dynamics Data Information System (CDDIS) and UNAVCO are engaged in a joint effort to define and develop a common Web Service Application Programming Interface (API) for accessing geodetic data holdings. This effort is funded by the NASA ROSES ACCESS Program to modernize the original GPS Seamless Archive Centers (GSAC) technology which was developed in the 1990s. A new web service interface, the GSAC-WS, is being developed to provide uniform and expanded mechanisms through which users can access our data repositories. In total, our respective archives hold tens of millions of files and contain a rich collection of site/station metadata. Though we serve similar user communities, we currently provide a range of different access methods, query services and metadata formats. This leads to a lack of consistency in the userís experience and a duplication of engineering efforts. The GSAC-WS API and its reference implementation in an underlying Java-based GSAC Service Layer (GSL) supports metadata and data queries into site/station oriented data archives. The general nature of this API makes it applicable to a broad range of data systems. The overall goals of this project include providing consistent and rich query interfaces for end users and client programs, the development of enabling technology to facilitate third party repositories in developing these web service capabilities and to enable the ability to perform data queries across a collection of federated GSAC-WS enabled repositories. A fundamental challenge faced in this project is to provide a common suite of query services across a heterogeneous collection of data yet enabling each repository to expose their specific metadata holdings. To address this challenge we are developing a "capabilities" based service where a repository can describe its specific query and metadata capabilities. Furthermore, the architecture of

  19. 47 CFR 64.1505 - Restrictions on collect telephone calls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Restrictions on collect telephone calls. 64.1505 Section 64.1505 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS RULES RELATING TO COMMON CARRIERS Interstate Pay-Per-Call and Other...

  20. Wireless cellular networks with Pareto-distributed call holding times

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodriguez-Dagnino, Ramon M.; Takagi, Hideaki

    2001-07-01

    Nowadays, there is a growing interest in providing internet to mobile users. For instance, NTT DoCoMo in Japan deploys an important mobile phone network with that offers the Internet service, named 'i-mode', to more than 17 million subscribers. Internet traffic measurements show that the session duration of Call Holding Time (CHT) has probability distributions with heavy-tails, which tells us that they depart significantly from the traffic statistics of traditional voice services. In this environment, it is particularly important to know the number of handovers during a call for a network designer to make an appropriate dimensioning of virtual circuits for a wireless cell. The handover traffic has a direct impact on the Quality of Service (QoS); e.g. the service disruption due to the handover failure may significantly degrade the specified QoS of time-constrained services. In this paper, we first study the random behavior of the number of handovers during a call, where we assume that the CHT are Pareto distributed (heavy-tail distribution), and the Cell Residence Times (CRT) are exponentially distributed. Our approach is based on renewal theory arguments. We present closed-form formulae for the probability mass function (pmf) of the number of handovers during a Pareto distributed CHT, and obtain the probability of call completion as well as handover rates. Most of the formulae are expressed in terms of the Whittaker's function. We compare the Pareto case with cases of $k(subscript Erlang and hyperexponential distributions for the CHT.

  1. National AIDS Hotline: HIV and AIDS information service through a toll-free telephone system.

    PubMed Central

    Waller, R R; Lisella, L W

    1991-01-01

    The National AIDS Hotline (NAH), a service of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), is an information resource for the population of the United States, its Territories, and Puerto Rico concerning the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Since its inception in 1983, NAH has grown to be the world's largest health-related hotline service. NAH has received an average of more than 1.4 million calls per year since October 1987. Services of NAH include responding to the public's questions about HIV and AIDS and providing referrals to State and local resources. All services, including HIV and AIDS publications, are provided free of charge. The public contacts NAH 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, through a toll-free telephone system. Services are available to English-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and deaf populations. Each service has its own telephone number--English-speaking, 1-800-342-2437; Spanish-speaking, 1-800-344-7432; TTY service for the deaf, 1-800-243-7889. NAH employs approximately 170 information specialists to answer calls. The facility uses modern telecommunications technology to effectively manage and direct calls to 43 work stations. Each work station is supported by a personal computer that allows access to CDC's National AIDS Clearinghouse data bases for referrals and publication ordering. NAH ensures that information provided to the public is current, accurate, and consistent with approved government policy. Quality assurance reviews address call management, delivery of information, and content of calls. PMID:1659708

  2. Exploring the safety measures by doctors on after-hours house call services.

    PubMed

    Ifediora, Chris

    2015-01-01

    Aggression against doctors involved in after-hours house calls (AHHC) is widely perceived to be high. It is, however, unclear how doctors who perform this service manage the risk of aggressive patients during home visits. The aim of this paper is to explore if and how doctors manage the risk of violence against them during AHHC. A survey was designed and administered to all 300 Australian-based doctors engaged in AHHC under the National Home Doctor Service (NHDS). The survey was conducted from September 2014 to November 2014. There were 172 responses (57.3 per cent). Only 43 per cent of respondents adopted personal protective measures. The remaining 57 per cent had none; of those 6 per cent had never considered protective measures, and 31.8 per cent were aware of the risk of violence, but were unsure of what to do. Measures adopted include the use of chaperones/security personnel (34.1 per cent), dependence on surgery policies (31.2 per cent), de-escalation techniques (15.2 per cent), panic buttons (7.2 per cent), personal alarms (6.1 per cent), and others (6.5 per cent). Females were more likely to adopt personal protective measures than males (OR 4.94; p<0.01; CI 1.70-14.34), and Australian-trained doctors were less likely to do so relative to overseas-trained doctors (OR 0.35; p=0.04; CI 0.12-0.99). Just over half of the doctors involved in AHHC took no precautions against aggressive attacks while on duty, and nearly one-third relied on the policies of their employing surgeries.

  3. A Geographical Analysis of Emergency Medical Service Calls and Extreme Heat in King County, WA, USA (2007-2012).

    PubMed

    DeVine, Aubrey C; Vu, Phuong T; Yost, Michael G; Seto, Edmund Y W; Busch Isaksen, Tania M

    2017-08-20

    This research analyzed the relationship between extreme heat and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) calls in King County, WA, USA between 2007 and 2012, including the effect of community-level characteristics. Extreme heat thresholds for the Basic Life Support (BLS) data and the Advanced Life Support (ALS) data were found using a piecewise generalized linear model with Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). The association between heat exposure and EMS call rates was investigated using a generalized estimating equations with Poisson mean model, while adjusting for community-level indicators of poverty, impervious surface, and elderly population (65+). In addition, we examined the effect modifications of these community-level factors. Extreme-heat thresholds of 31.1 °C and 33.5 °C humidex were determined for the BLS and ALS data, respectively. After adjusting for other variables in the model, increased BLS call volume was significantly associated with occurring on a heat day (relative rate (RR) = 1.080, p < 0.001), as well as in locations with higher percent poverty (RR = 1.066, p < 0.001). No significant effect modification was identified for the BLS data on a heat day. Controlling for other variables, higher ALS call volume was found to be significantly associated with a heat day (RR = 1.067, p < 0.001), as well as in locations with higher percent impervious surface (RR = 1.015, p = 0.039), higher percent of the population 65 years or older (RR = 1.057, p = 0.005), and higher percent poverty (RR = 1.041, p = 0.016). Furthermore, percent poverty and impervious surface were found to significantly modify the relative rate of ALS call volumes between a heat day and non-heat day. We conclude that EMS call volume increases significantly on a heat day compared to non-heat day for both call types. While this study shows that there is some effect modification between the community-level variables and call volume on a heat day, further research is necessary. Our findings also

  4. US Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center Environmental Program on Climate Change

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-09-01

    of environmental issues related to climate change . There is a growing recognition that the Navy will need to perform its national security mission in... climate change -related technology work at the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center (NAVFAC ESC) in Port Hueneme, California. NAVFAC ESC...categorized technologies that can be applied to climate change as mitigation, adaptation, and intervention. An essential element of the Navy’s response to

  5. Outsourcing an Effective Postdischarge Call Program: A Collaborative Approach.

    PubMed

    Meek, Kevin L; Williams, Paula; Unterschuetz, Caryn J

    To improve patient satisfaction ratings and decrease readmissions, many organizations utilize internal staff to complete postdischarge calls to recently released patients. Developing, implementing, monitoring, and sustaining an effective call program can be challenging and have eluded some of the renowned medical centers in the country. Using collaboration with an outsourced vendor to bring state-of-the-art call technology and staffed with specially trained callers, health systems can achieve elevated levels of engagement and satisfaction for their patients postdischarge.

  6. Providing and funding breast health services in urban nurse-managed health centers.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Pei-Yun; Peterman, Beth; Baisch, Mary Jo; Ji, Eun Sun; Zwiers, Kelly

    2014-01-01

    Nurse-managed health centers (NMHCs) are an innovative health care delivery model that serves as an important point of health care access for populations at risk for disparities in health outcomes. This article describes the process and outcomes of clinical breast health services in two NMHCs located in a large Midwestern city. Findings indicate that client's knowledge about breast health was increased after they received breast health services from NMHC nurses. Significant positive changes in behavior related to the early detection of breast cancer were found in the study. NMHCs, identified for expansion in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, offer a unique health care services delivery model that promotes access to care and early identification of breast cancer in very low-income and uninsured women. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Program for establishing long-time flight service performance of composite materials in the center wing structure of C-130 aircraft. Phase 5: Flight service and inspection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kizer, J. A.

    1981-01-01

    Inspections of the C-130 composite-reinforced center wings were conducted over the flight service monitoring period of more than six years. Twelve inspections were conducted on each of the two C-130H airplanes having composite reinforced center wing boxes. Each inspection consisted of visual and ultrasonic inspection of the selective boron-epoxy reinforced center wings which included the inspection of the boron-epoxy laminates and the boron-epoxy reinforcement/aluminum structure adhesive bondlines. During the flight service monitoring period, the two C-130H aircraft accumulated more than 10,000 flight hours and no defects were detected in the inspections over this period. The successful performance of the C-130H aircraft with composite-reinforced center wings allowed the transfer of the responsibilities of inspecting and maintaining these two aircraft to the U. S. Air Force.

  8. Utilization of Dental Services in Public Health Center: Dental Attendance, Awareness and Felt Needs.

    PubMed

    Pewa, Preksha; Garla, Bharath K; Dagli, Rushabh; Bhateja, Geetika Arora; Solanki, Jitendra

    2015-10-01

    In rural India, dental diseases occur due to many factors, which includes inadequate or improper use of fluoride and a lack of knowledge regarding oral health and oral hygiene, which prevent proper screening and dental care of oral diseases. The objective of the study was to evaluate the dental attendance, awareness and utilization of dental services in public health center. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 251 study subjects who were visiting dental outpatient department (OPD) of public health centre (PHC), Guda Bishnoi, and Jodhpur using a pretested proforma from month of July 2014 to October 2014. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data regarding socioeconomic status and demographic factors affecting the utilization of dental services. Pearson's Chi-square test and step-wise logistic regression were applied for the analysis. Statistically significant results were found in relation to age, educational status, socioeconomic status and gender with dental attendance, dental awareness and felt needs. p-value <0.05 was kept as statistically significant. The services provided in public health center should be based on the felt need of the population to increase attendance as well as utilization of dental services, thereby increasing the oral health status of the population.

  9. 47 CFR 64.1320 - Payphone call tracking system audits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Certified Public Accountants, to determine whether the call tracking system accurately tracks payphone calls... Certified Public Accountants for attestation engagements, the System Audit Report shall consist of: (1) The... the payphone service provider for inspection any documents, including working papers, underlying the...

  10. 47 CFR 64.1320 - Payphone call tracking system audits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Certified Public Accountants, to determine whether the call tracking system accurately tracks payphone calls... Certified Public Accountants for attestation engagements, the System Audit Report shall consist of: (1) The... the payphone service provider for inspection any documents, including working papers, underlying the...

  11. 47 CFR 64.1320 - Payphone call tracking system audits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... Certified Public Accountants, to determine whether the call tracking system accurately tracks payphone calls... Certified Public Accountants for attestation engagements, the System Audit Report shall consist of: (1) The... the payphone service provider for inspection any documents, including working papers, underlying the...

  12. 47 CFR 64.1320 - Payphone call tracking system audits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Certified Public Accountants, to determine whether the call tracking system accurately tracks payphone calls... Certified Public Accountants for attestation engagements, the System Audit Report shall consist of: (1) The... the payphone service provider for inspection any documents, including working papers, underlying the...

  13. Person-centered care planning and service engagement: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Stanhope, Victoria; Tondora, Janis; Davidson, Larry; Choy-Brown, Mimi; Marcus, Steven C

    2015-04-22

    Service disengagement is a pervasive challenge the mental health care system faces. Mental health services are of little value should persons with mental illnesses continue to opt out of receiving them. Consumers attribute disengagement from care to an absence of choice in their treatment. In response, the mental health system is adopting a person-centered model, based upon recovery principles, to engage consumers more actively in their care. Person-centered care planning is a promising practice involving collaboration to develop and implement an actionable plan to assist the person in achieving personal recovery goals. This study design combines a parallel-group randomized controlled trial of community mental health organizations with qualitative methods to assess the effectiveness of person-centered care planning. Participants at 14 sites in Delaware and Connecticut will be randomized to treatment as usual or the person-centered care planning intervention. Participants will be in leadership (n = 70) or supervisory or direct care (n = 210) roles. The person-centered care planning intervention involves intensive staff training and 12 months of ongoing technical assistance. Quantitative survey data will be collected at baseline, 6 months and 12 months measuring person-centered care planning competency and organizational factors. Consumer outcomes (engagement, medication adherence, functioning and consumer satisfaction) will be assessed by Medicaid and state-level data. Qualitative data focused on process factors will include staff and consumer interviews and focus groups. In this intent-to-treat analysis, we will use mixed-effects multivariate regression models to evaluate the differential impact of the person-centered care planning intervention on each consumer and implementation outcome as well as the extent to which clinician assessments of organizational factors are associated with the implementation outcome. Mixed methods will triangulate and strengthen the

  14. Wound center facility billing: A retrospective analysis of time, wound size, and acuity scoring for determining facility level of service.

    PubMed

    Fife, Caroline E; Walker, David; Farrow, Wade; Otto, Gordon

    2007-01-01

    Outpatient wound center facility reimbursement for Medicare beneficiaries can be a challenge to determine and obtain. To compare methods of calculating facility service levels for outpatient wound centers and to demonstrate the advantages of an acuity-based billing system (one that incorporates components of facility work that is non-reimbursable by procedure codes and that represents an activity-based costing approach to medical billing), a retrospective study of 5,098 patient encounters contained in a wound care-specific electronic medical record database was conducted. Approximately 500 patient visits to the outpatient wound center of a Texas regional hospital between April 2003 and November 2004 were categorized by service level in documentation and facility management software. Visits previously billed using a time-based system were compared to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' proposed three-tiered wound size-based system. The time-based system also was compared to an acuity-based scoring system. The Pearson correlation coefficient between billed level of service by time and estimated level of service by acuity was 0.442 and the majority of follow-up visits were billed as Level 3 and above (on a time level of 1 to 5) , confirming that time is not a surrogate for actual work performed. Wound size also was found to be unrelated to service level (Pearson correlation = 0.017) and 97% of wound areas were < 100 cm2. The acuity-based scoring system produced a near-normal distribution of results, producing more mid-range billings than extremes; no other method produced this distribution. Hospital-based outpatient wound centers should develop, review, and refine acuity score-based models on which to determine billed level of service.

  15. Captains’ Call Kit. Winter 1998/99

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-01-01

    suggestions or comments for articles or ways to improve CCK, please write, call or fax a comment to: Editor, Captain’s Call Kit, Naval Media Center, Bldg...aware Sailor, Marine or family mem- ber," Kinsman said. "We put a lot of our emphasis and effort in training our military members and their...and report it, we can intercede before something happens." There may be a threat of retaliation in the wake of the U.S. military strikes against

  16. Information Technology Research Services: Powerful Tools to Keep Up with a Rapidly Moving Field

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hunter, Paul

    2010-01-01

    Marty firms offer Information Technology Research reports, analyst calls, conferences, seminars, tools, leadership development, etc. These entities include Gartner, Forrester Research, IDC, The Burton Group, Society for Information Management, 1nfoTech Research, The Corporate Executive Board, and so on. This talk will cover how a number of such services are being used at the Goddard Space Flight Center to improve our IT management practices, workforce skills, approach to innovation, and service delivery. These tools and services are used across the workforce, from the executive leadership to the IT worker. The presentation will cover the types of services each vendor provides and their primary engagement model. The use of these services at other NASA Centers and Headquarters will be included. In addition, I will explain how two of these services are available now to the entire NASA IT workforce through enterprise-wide subscriptions.

  17. 47 CFR 74.791 - Digital call signs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ..., AUXILIARY, SPECIAL BROADCAST AND OTHER PROGRAM DISTRIBUTIONAL SERVICES Low Power TV, TV Translator, and TV... −D. (b) Digital television translator stations. Call signs for digital television translator stations...

  18. 47 CFR 64.706 - Minimum standards for the routing and handling of emergency telephone calls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... of emergency telephone calls. 64.706 Section 64.706 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS... Operator Services § 64.706 Minimum standards for the routing and handling of emergency telephone calls. Upon receipt of any emergency telephone call, providers of operator services and aggregators shall...

  19. The Northwest Indiana Center for Data and Analysis: A Case Study of Academic Library Community Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sandberg, Scott; Morris, Cele; Sutherland, Timothy

    2013-01-01

    This paper details community engagement activity of an academic library coordinated within a broader university strategic plan. The Anderson Library at Indiana University Northwest (IU-Northwest) supports a service called the Northwest Indiana Center for Data and Analysis. Created in 1996 with funding made available from the Indiana University…

  20. The potential benefit of a home fire safety intervention during emergency medical services calls.

    PubMed

    Pirrallo, R G; Rubin, J M; Murawsky, G A

    1998-03-01

    To determine how often house fires occur at 1- and 2-family dwellings visited previously by emergency medical services (EMS) personnel and whether these visits were missed opportunities for a point-of-contact home fire safety intervention. A retrospective, consecutive, case series analysis of all Milwaukee Fire Department alarm responses during 1994 was performed. Measurements included date of service, type of response, property type, dollar loss estimate, number of injuries and fatalities, cause of alarm, and presence of an operational smoke detector. Descriptive, chi2, and relative risk statistics were used to describe the relationship between EMS responses and fire responses at 1- and 2-family dwellings. The Milwaukee Fire Department dispatched 94,378 requests for service to 43,556 addresses. 16,150 addresses generated multiple requests; 7.2% (1,162/16,150) were for an "alarm of fire" response [relative risk 1.83 (95% CI: 1.69-1.99) for addresses with multiple requests vs those with a single request for service]. Most [62% (721/1,162)] of the addresses were visited by EMS personnel prior to the alarm; 28% (205/721) were 1- and 2-family dwellings. A mean of 1.8 (376/205) EMS responses occurred prior to the "alarm of fire" response; 121 addresses received 1 response, 46 received 2, 18 received 3, and 20 received > or = 4 responses. Of 169 addresses with complete data, there was a total fire dollar loss of $1,963,020 (1994) along with 32 injuries and 0 fatalities. While 47% (80/169) of the 1- and 2-family dwellings had a smoke detector present, only 17% (29/169) of the dwellings had an operational smoke detector. A point-of-contact home fire safety intervention appears of potential benefit for frequent users of EMS care. Determination of the presence of an operational smoke detector in 1- and 2-family dwellings may be a useful injury prevention act during such EMS calls.

  1. A Study Investigating the Perceived Service Quality Levels of Sport Center Members: A Kano Model Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yildiz, Kadir; Polat, Ercan; Güzel, Pinar

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate sport center members' perceived service quality levels with a view to Kano customer expectations and requirements model. To that end, a descriptive approach and a correlational research design featuring survey method is adopted. Research group consists of 680 (300 women, 380 men) sport center members who…

  2. Family-Centered Services for Children with ASD and Limited Speech: The Experiences of Parents and Speech-Language Pathologists

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mandak, Kelsey; Light, Janice

    2018-01-01

    Although family-centered services have long been discussed as essential in providing successful services to families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ideal implementation is often lacking. This study aimed to increase understanding of how families with children with ASD and limited speech receive services from speech-language…

  3. Evaluation of health care services provided for older adults in primary health care centers and its internal environment. A step towards age-friendly health centers.

    PubMed

    Alhamdan, Adel A; Alshammari, Sulaiman A; Al-Amoud, Maysoon M; Hameed, Tariq A; Al-Muammar, May N; Bindawas, Saad M; Al-Orf, Saada M; Mohamed, Ashry G; Al-Ghamdi, Essam A; Calder, Philip C

    2015-09-01

    To evaluate the health care services provided for older adults by primary health care centers (PHCCs) in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and the ease of use of these centers by older adults. Between October 2013 and January 2014, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of 15 randomly selected PHCCs in Riyadh City, KSA. The evaluation focused on basic indicators of clinical services offered and factors indicative of the ease of use of the centers by older adults. Evaluations were based upon the age-friendly PHCCs toolkit of the World Health Organization. Coverage of basic health assessments (such as blood pressure, diabetes, and blood cholesterol) was generally good. However, fewer than half of the PHCCs offered annual comprehensive screening for the common age-related conditions. There was no screening for cancer. Counseling on improving lifestyle was provided by most centers. However, there was no standard protocol for counseling. Coverage of common vaccinations was poor. The layout of most PHCCs and their signage were good, except for lack of Braille signage. There may be issues of access of older adults to PHCCs through lack of public transport, limited parking opportunities, the presence of steps, ramps, and internal stairs, and the lack of handrails. Clinical services and the internal environment of PHCCs can be improved. The data will be useful for health-policy makers to improve PHCCs to be more age-friendly.

  4. Calling for help. Using outside parties for equipment servicing.

    PubMed

    2011-03-01

    You may be thinking about having your equipment servicing done by the device manufacturer, or contracting with an independent servicing organization. Each choice presents its own set of issues to consider. Here's what you need to know when weighing the options.

  5. Alcohol as a Factor in 911 Calls in Denver.

    PubMed

    Joseph, Daniel; Vogel, Jody A; Smith, C Sam; Barrett, Whitney; Bryskiewicz, Gary; Eberhardt, Aaron; Edwards, David; Rappaport, Lara; Colwell, Christopher B; McVaney, Kevin E

    2018-02-08

    Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with a substantial number of emergency department visits annually and is responsible for a significant number of lives lost each year in the United States. However, a minimal amount is known about the impact of alcohol on the EMS system. The primary objective was to determine the proportion of 9-1-1 calls in Denver, Colorado in which (1) alcohol was a contributing factor or (2) the individual receiving EMS services had recently ingested alcohol. The secondary objectives were to compare the characteristics of EMS calls and to estimate the associated costs. This was a prospective observational cohort study of EMS calls for adults from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2014. Primary outcomes for the study were alcohol as a contributing factor to the EMS call and recent alcohol consumption by the patient receiving EMS services. Logistic regression was utilized to determine the associations between EMS call characteristics and the outcomes. Cost was estimated using historic data. During the study period, 169,642 EMS calls were completed by the Denver Health Paramedic Division. Of these 71% were medical and 29% were trauma-related. The median age was 45 (interquartile range [IQR] 29-59) years, and 55% were male. 50,383 calls (30%) had alcohol consumption, and 49,165 (29%) had alcohol as a contributing factor. Alcohol related calls were associated with male sex, traumatic injuries including head trauma, emergent response, use of airway adjuncts, cardiac monitoring, glucose measurement, use of restraints, use of spinal precautions, and administration of medications for sedation. Estimated costs to the EMS system due to alcohol intoxication exceeded $14 million dollars over the study period and required in excess of 37 thousand hours of paramedic time. Compared to 9-1-1 calls that do not involve alcohol, alcohol-related calls are more likely to involve male patients, emergent response, traumatic injuries, advanced monitoring, airway

  6. 78 FR 14549 - National Contact Center; Information Collection; National Contact Center Customer Evaluation Survey

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-06

    ...] National Contact Center; Information Collection; National Contact Center Customer Evaluation Survey AGENCY: Contact Center Services, Federal Citizen Information Center, Office of Citizen Services and Innovative... National Contact Center customer evaluation surveys. In this request, the previously approved surveys have...

  7. Using secure web services to visualize poison center data for nationwide biosurveillance: a case study.

    PubMed

    Savel, Thomas G; Bronstein, Alvin; Duck, William; Rhodes, M Barry; Lee, Brian; Stinn, John; Worthen, Katherine

    2010-01-01

    Real-time surveillance systems are valuable for timely response to public health emergencies. It has been challenging to leverage existing surveillance systems in state and local communities, and, using a centralized architecture, add new data sources and analytical capacity. Because this centralized model has proven to be difficult to maintain and enhance, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been examining the ability to use a federated model based on secure web services architecture, with data stewardship remaining with the data provider. As a case study for this approach, the American Association of Poison Control Centers and the CDC extended an existing data warehouse via a secure web service, and shared aggregate clinical effects and case counts data by geographic region and time period. To visualize these data, CDC developed a web browser-based interface, Quicksilver, which leveraged the Google Maps API and Flot, a javascript plotting library. Two iterations of the NPDS web service were completed in 12 weeks. The visualization client, Quicksilver, was developed in four months. This implementation of web services combined with a visualization client represents incremental positive progress in transitioning national data sources like BioSense and NPDS to a federated data exchange model. Quicksilver effectively demonstrates how the use of secure web services in conjunction with a lightweight, rapidly deployed visualization client can easily integrate isolated data sources for biosurveillance.

  8. Outcomes of a Freedom of Choice Reform in Community Mental Health Day Center Services.

    PubMed

    Eklund, Mona; Markström, Urban

    2015-11-01

    A freedom-of-choice reform within mental health day center services was evaluated. The reform aimed to (1) facilitate users' change between units and (2) increase the availability of service providers. Seventy-eight users responded to questionnaires about the reform, empowerment, social network, engagement and satisfaction and were followed-up after 15 months. Fifty-four percent knew about the reform. A majority stated the reform meant nothing to them; ~25 % had a negative and ~20 % a positive opinion. Satisfaction with the services had decreased after 15 months. Empowerment decreased for a more intensively followed subgroup. No positive consequences of the reform could thus be discerned.

  9. Hourly associations between heat and ambulance calls.

    PubMed

    Guo, Yuming

    2017-01-01

    The response speed of ambulance calls is very crucial to rescue patients suffering immediately life threatening conditions. The serious health outcomes might be caused by exposing to extreme heat only several hours before. However, limited evidence is available on this topic. This study aims to examine the hourly association between heat and ambulance calls, to improve the ambulance services and to better protect health. Hourly data on ambulance calls for non-accidental causes, temperature and air pollutants (PM 10 , NO 2 , and O 3 ) were collected from Brisbane, Australia, during 2001 and 2007. A time-stratified case-crossover design was used to examine the associations between hourly ambulance calls and temperature during warm season (Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, and Mar), while adjusting for potential confounders. Stratified analyses were performed for sex and age groups. Ambulance calls peaked at 10am for all groups, except those aged <15 years at 19pm, while temperature was hottest at 13pm. The hourly heat-ambulance calls relationships were non-linear for all groups, with thresholds between 27 °C and 31 °C. The associations appeared immediately, and lasted for about 24 h. There were no significant modification effect by sex and age. The findings suggest that hot hourly temperatures (>27 °C) increase the demands of ambulance. This information is helpful to increase the efficiency of ambulance service then save lives, for example, preparing more ambulance before appearance of extremely hot temperature in combination with weather forecast. Also, people should better arrange their time for outdoor activities to avoid exposing to extreme hot temperatures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. ServiceNation: A Call to Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacoby, Barbara

    2009-01-01

    The Serve America Act was signed into law in April 2009. The Act provides for many opportunities to serve and learn for pre-college youth, college students and graduates, and even baby boomers. It dramatically increases intensive service opportunities by setting AmeriCorps on a path from 75,000 positions annually to 250,000 by 2017, focusing that…

  11. Relevance of spirituality for people with mental illness attending consumer-centered services.

    PubMed

    Bellamy, Chyrell D; Jarrett, Nicole C; Mowbray, Orion; MacFarlane, Peter; Mowbray, Carol T; Holter, Mark C

    2007-01-01

    Spirituality has been cited in the literature as having a positive effect on mental health outcomes. This paper explores the relationship of spirituality to demographic, psychiatric illness history and psychological constructs for people with mental illness (N=1835) involved in consumer-centered services (CCS-Clubhouses and Consumer run drop-in centers). Descriptive statistics indicate that spirituality is important for at least two thirds of the members in the study. Members primarily indicated participation in public spiritual activities (i.e., church, bible study groups), followed by private activities (prayer, reading the bible, and meditation) (both of which were centered on belief in the transcendent). A logistic regression analysis was done to explore variables related to spirituality (i.e., demographics, psychiatric illness history, and psychological constructs). Results suggest that age, gender, having psychotic symptoms, having depressive symptoms, and having a higher global quality of life, hope and sense of community were all significant correlates of spirituality.

  12. New service interface for River Forecasting Center derived quantitative precipitation estimates

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Blodgett, David L.

    2013-01-01

    For more than a decade, the National Weather Service (NWS) River Forecast Centers (RFCs) have been estimating spatially distributed rainfall by applying quality-control procedures to radar-indicated rainfall estimates in the eastern United States and other best practices in the western United States to producea national Quantitative Precipitation Estimate (QPE) (National Weather Service, 2013). The availability of archives of QPE information for analytical purposes has been limited to manual requests for access to raw binary file formats that are difficult for scientists who are not in the climatic sciences to work with. The NWS provided the QPE archives to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the contents of the real-time feed from the RFCs are being saved by the USGS for incorporation into the archives. The USGS has applied time-series aggregation and added latitude-longitude coordinate variables to publish the RFC QPE data. Web services provide users with direct (index-based) data access, rendered visualizations of the data, and resampled raster representations of the source data in common geographic information formats.

  13. An Overview of Hydrologic Studies at Center for Forested Wetlands Research, USDA Forest Service

    Treesearch

    Devendra M. Amatya; Carl C. Trettin; R. Wayne Skaggs; Timothy J. Callahan; Ge Sun; Masato Miwa; John E. Parsons

    2004-01-01

    Managing forested wetland landscapes for water quality improvement and productivity requires a detailed understanding of functional linkages between ecohydrological processes and management practices. Studies are being conducted at Center for Forested Wetlands Research (CFWR), USDA Forest Service to understand the fundamental hydrologic and biogeochemical processes...

  14. Call Us: Development of a Library Telephone Enquiry Service

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Liz; Beranek, Lea

    2006-01-01

    The authors detail the trial and piloting of a telephone enquiry service (TES) at the Bundoora Campus Library at La Trobe University in order to attempt to resolve the balance between telephone and face-to-face enquiries at the library service desk. They investigated various options throughout 2001 and 2002 and settled on a centralised service…

  15. When They Call, Will They Come? A Contextually Responsive Approach for Engaging Multistressed Families in an Urban Child Mental Health Center: A Randomized Clinical Trial

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stern, Susan B.; Walsh, Margaret; Mercado, Micaela; Levene, Kathryn; Pepler, Debra J.; Carr, Ashley; Heppell, Allison; Lowe, Erin

    2015-01-01

    Objective: This study examines the effect of an ecological and contextually responsive approach, during initial intake call, on engagement for multistressed families seeking child mental health services in an urban setting. Methods: Using a randomized design, parents were allocated to phone Intake As Usual (IAU) or Enhanced Engagement Phone Intake…

  16. Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) Products, Services and Application from NASA Hydrology Data and Information Services Center (HDISC)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fang, Hongliang; Beaudoing, Hiroko K.; Rodell, matthew; Teng, William L.; Vollmer, Bruce E.

    2009-01-01

    The Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) is generating a series of land surface state (e.g., soil moisture and surface temperature) and flux (e.g., evaporation and sensible heat flux) products simulated by four land surface models (CLM, Mosaic, Noah and VIC). These products are now accessible at the Hydrology Data and Information Services Center (HDISC), a component of the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC). Current data holdings include a set of 1.0 degree resolution data products from the four models, covering 1979 to the present; and a 0.25 degree data product from the Noah model, covering 2000 to the present. The products are in Gridded Binary (GRIB) format and can be accessed through a number of interfaces. Users can search the products through keywords and perform on-the-fly spatial and parameter subsetting and format conversion of selected data. More advanced visualization, access and analysis capabilities will be available in the future. The long term GLDAS data are used to develop climatology of water cycle components and to explore the teleconnections of droughts and pluvial.

  17. A family-centered, community-based system of services for children and youth with special health care needs.

    PubMed

    Perrin, James M; Romm, Diane; Bloom, Sheila R; Homer, Charles J; Kuhlthau, Karen A; Cooley, Carl; Duncan, Paula; Roberts, Richard; Sloyer, Phyllis; Wells, Nora; Newacheck, Paul

    2007-10-01

    To present a conceptual definition of a family-centered system of services for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Previous work by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau to define CYSHCN has had widespread program effects. This article similarly seeks to provide a definition of a system of services. Comprehensive literature review of systems of services and consensus panel organized to review and refine the definition. Policy research group and advisors at multiple sites. Policy researchers, content experts on CYSHCN, family representatives, and state program directors. Definition of a system of services for CYSHCN. This article defines a system of services for CYSHCN as a family-centered network of community-based services designed to promote the healthy development and well-being of these children and their families. The definition can guide discussion among policy makers, practitioners, state programs, researchers, and families for implementing the "community-based systems of services" contained in Title V of the Social Security Act. Critical characteristics of a system include coordination of child and family services, effective communication among providers and the family, family partnership in care provision, and flexibility. This definition provides a conceptual model that can help measurement development and assessment of how well systems work and achieve their goals. Currently available performance objectives for the provision of care for CYSHCN and national surveys of child health could be modified to assess systems of services in general.

  18. The Impact of CALL Instruction on English Language Teachers' Use of Technology in Language Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kiliçkaya, Ferit; Seferoglu, Gölge

    2013-01-01

    This study investigates the impact of CALL training on in-service language teachers' use of CALL-based activities in their classrooms. The participants included 35 pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers who took an undergraduate-level elective CALL course (FLE318) offered during the 2008-2009 academic year in the Department of…

  19. Clients’ Willingness to Pay for Immunization Services in the Urban and Rural Primary Health Centers of Enugu State, Nigeria

    PubMed Central

    Ossai, Edmund Ndudi; Fatiregun, Akinola Ayoola

    2015-01-01

    Our study aims at determining the pattern of willingness of clients to pay for childhood immunization services in urban and rural primary health centers of Enugu state, Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional design, 800 clients who presented with their children/wards to receive childhood immunization services were selected at the primary health center in rural and urban local government areas of the state. The mean age was 28.9±4.5 and 26.7±5.1 years in the urban and rural areas respectively. About 54.5% of clients in the urban and 55.3% in the rural area were willing to pay for immunization services. The clients willingness to pay was influenced by: non satisfaction with immunization services, (OR=0.3, 95%CI: 0.2-0.5), younger age, (OR=1.4, 95%CI: 1.0-2.0) marital status (OR=2.8, 95%CI: 1.2-6.5), proximity to health centers (OR=0.6, 95%CI: 0.4-0.8), and delivering in a private health facility (OR=0.4, 95%CI: 0.1-0.9). The study suggests that the economic value that clients give to immunization services was similar in the rural and urban areas, and this could be increased by improving the level of clients’ satisfaction for the services among others. PMID:28299135

  20. NASA Ames Research Center R and D Services Directorate Biomedical Systems Development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pollitt, J.; Flynn, K.

    1999-01-01

    The Ames Research Center R&D Services Directorate teams with NASA, other government agencies and/or industry investigators for the development, design, fabrication, manufacturing and qualification testing of space-flight and ground-based experiment hardware for biomedical and general aerospace applications. In recent years, biomedical research hardware and software has been developed to support space-flight and ground-based experiment needs including the E 132 Biotelemetry system for the Research Animal Holding Facility (RAHF), E 100 Neurolab neuro-vestibular investigation systems, the Autogenic Feedback Systems, and the Standard Interface Glove Box (SIGB) experiment workstation module. Centrifuges, motion simulators, habitat design, environmental control systems, and other unique experiment modules and fixtures have also been developed. A discussion of engineered systems and capabilities will be provided to promote understanding of possibilities for future system designs in biomedical applications. In addition, an overview of existing engineered products will be shown. Examples of hardware and literature that demonstrate the organization's capabilities will be displayed. The Ames Research Center R&D Services Directorate is available to support the development of new hardware and software systems or adaptation of existing systems to meet the needs of academic, commercial/industrial, and government research requirements. The Ames R&D Services Directorate can provide specialized support for: System concept definition and feasibility Mathematical modeling and simulation of system performance Prototype hardware development Hardware and software design Data acquisition systems Graphical user interface development Motion control design Hardware fabrication and high-fidelity machining Composite materials development and application design Electronic/electrical system design and fabrication System performance verification testing and qualification.

  1. Balanced Scorecards As a Tool for Developing Patient-Centered Pharmacy Services

    PubMed Central

    Enwere, Emmanuel N.; Keating, Ellen A.; Weber, Robert J.

    2014-01-01

    Having accurate data is essential for the pharmacy director to manage the department and develop patient-centered pharmacy services. A balanced scorecard (BSC) of essential department data, which is a broad view of a department’s function beyond its financial performance, is an important part of any department’s strategic plan. This column describes how the pharmacy director builds and promotes a department’s BSC. Specifically, this article reviews how the BSC supports the department’s mission and vision, describes the metrics of the BSC and how they are collected, and recommends how the pharmacy director can effectively use the scorecard results in promoting the pharmacy. If designed properly and updated consistently, a BSC can present a broad view of the pharmacy’s performance, serve as a guide for strategic decision making, and improve on the quality of its services. PMID:24958976

  2. Governor Bush makes first phone call to KSC using new area code

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    At 8 a.m. in the videoconference room at Headquarters, Deputy Director for Business Operations Jim Jennings (center) makes the connection for a phone call from Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Center Director Roy Bridges in Tallahassee, Fla. The call is to inaugurate the change of KSC's area code from 407 to 321, effective today. Key representatives of KSC contractors, along with KSC directorates, fill the room where the phone call is being received. Seated next to Jennings are Robert Osband (left), Florida Space Institute, and Col. Stephan Duresky (right), vice commander, 45th Space Wing. Osband is the one who suggested the 3-2-1 sequence to reflect the importance of the space industry to Florida's space coast.

  3. Governor Bush makes first phone call to KSC using new area code

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    At 8 a.m. in the videoconference room at Headquarters, Deputy Director for Business Operations Jim Jennings (center) waits for a phone call from Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Center Director Roy Bridges in Tallahassee, Fla. The call is to inaugurate the change of KSC's area code from 407 to 321, effective today. Key representatives of KSC contractors, along with KSC directorates, fill the room where the phone call is being received. Seated next to Jennings are Robert Osband (left), Florida Space Institute, and Col. Stephan Duresky (right), vice commander, 45th Space Wing. Osband is the one who suggested the 3-2-1 sequence, to reflect the importance of the space industry to Florida's space coast.

  4. Terrestrial Hydrological Data from NASA's Hydrology Data and Information Services Center (HDISC): Products, Services, and Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fang, Hongliang; Beaudoing, Hiroko K.; Mocko, David M.; Rodell, Matthew; Teng, Bill; Vollmer, Bruce

    2010-01-01

    Terrestrial hydrological variables are important in global hydrology, climate, and carbon cycle studies. The North American and Global Land Data Assimilation Systems (NLDAS and GLDAS, respectively) have been generating a series of land surface states (soil moisture, snow, and temperature) and fluxes (evapotranspiration, radiation, and heat flux) variables. These data, hosted at and available from NASA s Hydrology Data and Information Services Center (HDISC), include the NLDAS hourly 1/8 degree products and the GLDAS 3-hourly 0.25 and 1.0 degree products. HDISC provides easy access and visualization and analysis capabilities for these products, thus reducing the time and resources spent by scientists on data management and facilitating hydrological research. Users can perform spatial and parameter subsetting, data format transformation, and data analysis operations without needing to first download the data. HDISC is continually being developed as a data and services portal that supports weather and climate forecasts, and water and energy cycle research.

  5. Impact of a subsidized spay neuter clinic on impoundments and euthanasia in a community shelter and on service and complaint calls to animal control.

    PubMed

    Scarlett, Janet; Johnston, Naomi

    2012-01-01

    Reducing the number of homeless, nonhuman animals entering and being euthanatized in community shelters is the principal motivation for most spay/neuter (S/N) programs in the United States. This study evaluated the impact of a subsidized S/N clinic opened in 2005 in Transylvania County, North Carolina, on the numbers of impoundments (and euthanasia) of dogs and cats and on the number of animal-related service and complaint calls at the community's only animal shelter. Before opening the local S/N clinic, a significant linear decline in the shelter's dog-intake rate per 1,000 human population was evident. This decline did not accelerate after the S/N clinic opened in 2005. The rate of decline in euthanasia did level off after the clinic opened, but the proportion of impounded dogs euthanatized did not change significantly. The median number of cats impounded and euthanatized yearly in the Transylvania County Animal Services shelter decreased significantly after the S/N clinic opened; the proportion of cats euthanatized did not change. The median annual number of service calls and complaints decreased or leveled off. Unfortunately, data regarding many factors essential for conclusively interpreting these results were not available.

  6. User-Centered Computer Aided Language Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zaphiris, Panayiotis, Ed.; Zacharia, Giorgos, Ed.

    2006-01-01

    In the field of computer aided language learning (CALL), there is a need for emphasizing the importance of the user. "User-Centered Computer Aided Language Learning" presents methodologies, strategies, and design approaches for building interfaces for a user-centered CALL environment, creating a deeper understanding of the opportunities and…

  7. 78 FR 30303 - National Contact Center; Submission for OMB Review; National Contact Center Customer Evaluation...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-22

    ...] National Contact Center; Submission for OMB Review; National Contact Center Customer Evaluation Survey AGENCY: Contact Center Services, Federal Citizen Information Center, Office of Citizen Services and... regarding the National Contact Center customer evaluation surveys. In this request, the previously approved...

  8. Using Secure Web Services to Visualize Poison Center Data for Nationwide Biosurveillance: A Case Study

    PubMed Central

    Savel, Thomas G; Bronstein, Alvin; Duck, William; Rhodes, M. Barry; Lee, Brian; Stinn, John; Worthen, Katherine

    2010-01-01

    Objectives Real-time surveillance systems are valuable for timely response to public health emergencies. It has been challenging to leverage existing surveillance systems in state and local communities, and, using a centralized architecture, add new data sources and analytical capacity. Because this centralized model has proven to be difficult to maintain and enhance, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been examining the ability to use a federated model based on secure web services architecture, with data stewardship remaining with the data provider. Methods As a case study for this approach, the American Association of Poison Control Centers and the CDC extended an existing data warehouse via a secure web service, and shared aggregate clinical effects and case counts data by geographic region and time period. To visualize these data, CDC developed a web browser-based interface, Quicksilver, which leveraged the Google Maps API and Flot, a javascript plotting library. Results Two iterations of the NPDS web service were completed in 12 weeks. The visualization client, Quicksilver, was developed in four months. Discussion This implementation of web services combined with a visualization client represents incremental positive progress in transitioning national data sources like BioSense and NPDS to a federated data exchange model. Conclusion Quicksilver effectively demonstrates how the use of secure web services in conjunction with a lightweight, rapidly deployed visualization client can easily integrate isolated data sources for biosurveillance. PMID:23569581

  9. Research Fellowships Program of the National Center for Health Services Research and Development. Policies and Guidelines for Applicants.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Health Services and Mental Health Administration (DHEW), Bethesda, MD.

    The National Center for Health Services Research and Development supports individual research training in an institutional setting for the development of competence in research techniques relevant to the organization, delivery, quality, financing, utilization, and evaluation of health delivery systems. The evolution of health services science…

  10. Demographic characteristics, call details and psychosocial support needs of the family/friends of someone diagnosed with cancer who access Australian Cancer Council telephone information and support services.

    PubMed

    Heckel, Leila; Fennell, Kate M; Mohebbi, Mohammadreza; Byrnes, Monica; Livingston, Patricia M

    2017-06-01

    Community-based cancer organizations provide telephone-based information and support services to assist people diagnosed with cancer and their family/friends. We investigated the demographic characteristics and psychosocial support needs of family/friends who contacted Australian Cancer Council 13 11 20 information and support helplines. Data collected on 42,892 family/friends who contacted a 13 11 20 service across Australia from January 2010 to December 2012 were analyzed. Chi-square analysis was used to examine associations between caller groups and reasons for calling, logistic regression to examine age and gender interaction effects. The majority of calls received were from women (81%) of middle- (40%) and high-socio-economic backgrounds (41%), aged 40-59 years (46%); 52% phoned for information on cancer diagnosis (including early detection, risk factors), 22% on treatment/disease management, and 26% phoned seeking psychological/emotional support. Information on a diagnosis was significantly more often the reason older males called, compared to female callers of any age. Overall, 32% found out about the service through Cancer Council resources or events, 20% from the media, 18% from the internet; 11% from health professionals. Family/friends of persons diagnosed with cancer have specific information and support needs. This study identifies groups of family/friends to whom the promotion of this service could be targeted. Within Australia and internationally, clinicians and oncology nurses as well as allied health professionals can provide an important role in increasing access to cancer telephone support services to ensure the needs of the family and friends of people affected by cancer are being met. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Ambient noise induces independent shifts in call frequency and amplitude within the Lombard effect in echolocating bats

    PubMed Central

    Hage, Steffen R.; Jiang, Tinglei; Berquist, Sean W.; Feng, Jiang; Metzner, Walter

    2013-01-01

    The Lombard effect, an involuntary rise in call amplitude in response to masking ambient noise, represents one of the most efficient mechanisms to optimize signal-to-noise ratio. The Lombard effect occurs in birds and mammals, including humans, and is often associated with several other vocal changes, such as call frequency and duration. Most studies, however, have focused on noise-dependent changes in call amplitude. It is therefore still largely unknown how the adaptive changes in call amplitude relate to associated vocal changes such as frequency shifts, how the underlying mechanisms are linked, and if auditory feedback from the changing vocal output is needed. Here, we examined the Lombard effect and the associated changes in call frequency in a highly vocal mammal, echolocating horseshoe bats. We analyzed how bandpass-filtered noise (BFN; bandwidth 20 kHz) affected their echolocation behavior when BFN was centered on different frequencies within their hearing range. Call amplitudes increased only when BFN was centered on the dominant frequency component of the bats’ calls. In contrast, call frequencies increased for all but one BFN center frequency tested. Both amplitude and frequency rises were extremely fast and occurred in the first call uttered after noise onset, suggesting that no auditory feedback was required. The different effects that varying the BFN center frequency had on amplitude and frequency rises indicate different neural circuits and/or mechanisms underlying these changes. PMID:23431172

  12. Analysis of Gap in Service Quality in Drug Addiction Treatment Centers of Kerman, Iran, Using SERVQUAL Model.

    PubMed

    Naqavi, Mohammad Reza; Refaiee, Raheleh; Baneshi, Mohammad Reza; Nakhaee, Nouzar

    2014-01-01

    Treatment of drug addicts is one of the main strategies of drug control in Iran. Client satisfaction strongly influences the success of any treatment program. This study aimed to explore the difference between customer expectations and perceptions in drug addiction treatment centers of Kerman, Iran, using SERVQUAL model. Using a cross-sectional design 260 clients referring to drug addiction treatment centers of Kerman, were enrolled in 2012. From among 84 clinics, 20 centers were selected randomly. Based on the number of clients registered in each center, a random sample proportional to the size was selected and 290 subjects were invited for interviews. A well validated 22-item questionnaire, which measured the 5 dimensions of service quality (reliability, assurance, tangibility, empathy, and responsiveness), was completed by participants. Each item measured 2 aspects of service quality; expectations and perceptions. Mean ± SD (Standard deviation) age of the subjects was 37.7 ± 9.4. Most of them were male (87.7%). Less than half of them had an educational level lower than diploma. The total score of clients` expectations was higher than their perceptions (P < 0.001). Considering the 5 dimensions of the SERVQUAL model, only 1 dimension (i.e., assurance) showed no difference between perceptions and expectations of the participants (P = 0.134). There was a gap between the clients' expectations and what they actually perceived in the clinics. Thus, more attention should be devoted to the clients' views regarding service quality in addiction treatment clinics.

  13. A patient-centered pharmacy services model of HIV patient care in community pharmacy settings: a theoretical and empirical framework.

    PubMed

    Kibicho, Jennifer; Owczarzak, Jill

    2012-01-01

    Reflecting trends in health care delivery, pharmacy practice has shifted from a drug-specific to a patient-centered model of care, aimed at improving the quality of patient care and reducing health care costs. In this article, we outline a theoretical model of patient-centered pharmacy services (PCPS), based on in-depth, qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of 28 pharmacists providing care to HIV-infected patients in specialty, semispecialty, and nonspecialty pharmacy settings. Data analysis was an interactive process informed by pharmacists' interviews and a review of the general literature on patient centered care, including Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services. Our main finding was that the current models of pharmacy services, including MTM, do not capture the range of pharmacy services in excess of mandated drug dispensing services. In this article, we propose a theoretical PCPS model that reflects the actual services pharmacists provide. The model includes five elements: (1) addressing patients as whole, contextualized persons; (2) customizing interventions to unique patient circumstances; (3) empowering patients to take responsibility for their own health care; (4) collaborating with clinical and nonclinical providers to address patient needs; and (5) developing sustained relationships with patients. The overarching goal of PCPS is to empower patients' to take responsibility for their own health care and self-manage their HIV-infection. Our findings provide the foundation for future studies regarding how widespread these practices are in diverse community settings, the validity of the proposed PCPS model, the potential for standardizing pharmacist practices, and the feasibility of a PCPS framework to reimburse pharmacists services.

  14. Common reasons why acne patients call the office.

    PubMed

    Barnes, Lauren E; Al-Dabagh, Amir; Huang, William W; Feldman, Steven R

    2014-05-16

    Communication between physicians and patients is essential to providing proper medical care. At times, patients leave visits with insufficiently addressed questions. These questions prompt patients to call the clinic for additional information, which disrupts the flow of care, delays proper treatment, and reduces patient satisfaction. We aim to examine acne patients' post-visit questions to develop interventions to improve patient education and reduce call backs. A retrospective electronic medical record chart review was performed involving Wake Forest Baptist Health Dermatology clinic visits between October 1, 2012 and October 31, 2012. We identified acne patients using clinic visit notes and recorded their telephone calls to the clinic between October 1, 2012 and March 29, 2013. Of 315 acne patients, 31 (9.8%) called the clinic. Isotretinoin was the subject of 66.7% of the calls, half of which involved questions about potential side effects. Other calls addressed topical medications, acne symptoms, and pharmacy requests. The study involved one center and email and fax correspondence was not captured. We found gaps in communication sufficient to require patients to call in for support, specifically regarding oral isotretinoin treatment. Interventions to address these questions have the potential to improve quality of care.

  15. What Are the Costs of Trauma Center Readiness? Defining and Standardizing Readiness Costs for Trauma Centers Statewide.

    PubMed

    Ashley, Dennis W; Mullins, Robert F; Dente, Christopher J; Garlow, Laura; Medeiros, Regina S; Atkins, Elizabeth V; Solomon, Gina; Abston, Dena; Ferdinand, Colville H

    2017-09-01

    Trauma center readiness costs are incurred to maintain essential infrastructure and capacity to provide emergent services on a 24/7 basis. These costs are not captured by traditional hospital cost accounting, and no national consensus exists on appropriate definitions for each cost. Therefore, in 2010, stakeholders from all Level I and II trauma centers developed a survey tool standardizing and defining trauma center readiness costs. The survey tool underwent minor revisions to provide further clarity, and the survey was repeated in 2013. The purpose of this study was to provide a follow-up analysis of readiness costs for Georgia's Level I and Level II trauma centers. Using the American College of Surgeons Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient guidelines, four readiness cost categories were identified: Administrative, Clinical Medical Staff, Operating Room, and Education/Outreach. Through conference calls, webinars and face-to-face meetings with financial officers, trauma medical directors, and program managers from all trauma centers, standardized definitions for reporting readiness costs within each category were developed. This resulted in a survey tool for centers to report their individual readiness costs for one year. The total readiness cost for all Level I trauma centers was $34,105,318 (avg $6,821,064) and all Level II trauma centers was $20,998,019 (avg $2,333,113). Methodology to standardize and define readiness costs for all trauma centers within the state was developed. Average costs for Level I and Level II trauma centers were identified. This model may be used to help other states define and standardize their trauma readiness costs.

  16. Efficiency of HIV/AIDS Health Centers and Effect of Community-Based Health Insurance and Performance-Based Financing on HIV/AIDS Service Delivery in Rwanda

    PubMed Central

    Zeng, Wu; Rwiyereka, Angelique K.; Amico, Peter R.; Ávila-Figueroa, Carlos; Shepard, Donald S.

    2014-01-01

    This study evaluates the efficiency of rural health centers in Rwanda in delivering the three key human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome services: antiretroviral treatment, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and voluntary counseling and testing using data envelopment analysis, and assesses the impact of community-based health insurance (CBHI) and performance-based financing on improving the delivery of the three services. Results show that health centers average efficiency of 78%, and despite the observed variation, the performance increased by 15.6% from 2006 through 2007. When the services are examined separately, each 1% growth of CBHI use was associated with 3.7% more prevention of mother-to-child transmission and 2.5% more voluntary counseling and testing services. Although more health centers would have been needed to evaluate performance-based financing, we found that high use of CBHI in Rwanda was an important contributor to improving human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome services in rural health centers in Rwanda. PMID:24515939

  17. Efficiency of HIV/AIDS health centers and effect of community-based health insurance and performance-based financing on HIV/AIDS service delivery in Rwanda.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Wu; Rwiyereka, Angelique K; Amico, Peter R; Avila-Figueroa, Carlos; Shepard, Donald S

    2014-04-01

    This study evaluates the efficiency of rural health centers in Rwanda in delivering the three key human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome services: antiretroviral treatment, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and voluntary counseling and testing using data envelopment analysis, and assesses the impact of community-based health insurance (CBHI) and performance-based financing on improving the delivery of the three services. Results show that health centers average efficiency of 78%, and despite the observed variation, the performance increased by 15.6% from 2006 through 2007. When the services are examined separately, each 1% growth of CBHI use was associated with 3.7% more prevention of mother-to-child transmission and 2.5% more voluntary counseling and testing services. Although more health centers would have been needed to evaluate performance-based financing, we found that high use of CBHI in Rwanda was an important contributor to improving human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome services in rural health centers in Rwanda.

  18. NASA Space Weather Center Services: Potential for Space Weather Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zheng, Yihua; Kuznetsova, Masha; Pulkkinen, Antti; Taktakishvili, A.; Mays, M. L.; Chulaki, A.; Lee, H.; Hesse, M.

    2012-01-01

    The NASA Space Weather Center's primary objective is to provide the latest space weather information and forecasting for NASA's robotic missions and its partners and to bring space weather knowledge to the public. At the same time, the tools and services it possesses can be invaluable for research purposes. Here we show how our archive and real-time modeling of space weather events can aid research in a variety of ways, with different classification criteria. We will list and discuss major CME events, major geomagnetic storms, and major SEP events that occurred during the years 2010 - 2012. Highlights of major tools/resources will be provided.

  19. A fuzzy call admission control scheme in wireless networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Yufeng; Gong, Shenguang; Hu, Xiulin; Zhang, Yunyu

    2007-11-01

    Scarcity of the spectrum resource and mobility of users make quality of service (QoS) provision a critical issue in wireless networks. This paper presents a fuzzy call admission control scheme to meet the requirement of the QoS. A performance measure is formed as a weighted linear function of new call and handoff call blocking probabilities. Simulation compares the proposed fuzzy scheme with an adaptive channel reservation scheme. Simulation results show that fuzzy scheme has a better robust performance in terms of average blocking criterion.

  20. 20 CFR 670.800 - How do Job Corps centers and service providers become involved in their local communities?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... INVESTMENT ACT Community Connections § 670.800 How do Job Corps centers and service providers become involved... Community Liaison designated by the director of the center to establish relationships with local and distant... businesses with employment opportunities in the local area and the areas to which students will return. (f...

  1. 20 CFR 670.800 - How do Job Corps centers and service providers become involved in their local communities?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... INVESTMENT ACT Community Connections § 670.800 How do Job Corps centers and service providers become involved... Community Liaison designated by the director of the center to establish relationships with local and distant... businesses with employment opportunities in the local area and the areas to which students will return. (f...

  2. Development and integration of pharmacist clinical services into the patient-centered medical home.

    PubMed

    Berdine, Hildegarde J; Skomo, Monica L

    2012-01-01

    To describe the development of pharmacist clinical services within a primary care physician practice using a standardized business plan, the extent of clinical pharmacy service integration into the patient-centered medical home (PCMH), and the clinical changes in the pharmacist's patient cohort. A two-physician primary care/occupational care practice in Pittsburgh, PA, from May 2007 to December 2011. Pharmacist-led clinic receives physician referrals for medication management, adherence, and disease management services. Pharmacist practice in a primary care setting with emphasis on integration of clinical services into the medical home model designed by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Characterization of the patient's pharmacist and services provided by the pharmacist. Glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C), body mass index (BMI), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. The top five primary referral reasons were diabetes self-management, weight management, medication adherence, hypertension, and dyslipidemia management. Improvements in clinical parameters were demonstrated for lipids and A1C at 1 and 2 years after baseline. Statistically significant improvements in BMI also were observed. The pharmacist developed and integrated clinical services into a primary care practice, became an integral member of the clinical team in the two-physician PCMH, and improved patient outcomes.

  3. Skills Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canter, Patricia; And Others

    The services of the Living Skills Center for the Visually Handicapped, a habilitative service for blind young adults, are described. It is explained that the Center houses its participants in their own apartments in a large complex and has served over 70 young people in 4 years. The evaluation section describes such assessment instruments as an…

  4. An Evaluation of the Self-Service Approach in One-Stop Career Centers. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    D'Amico, Ronald; Fedrau, Ruth; Kimball, Mary; Midling, Michael; Soukamneuth, Sengsouvanh

    This report presents findings from a study of self-service systems in eight One-Stop Career Centers that were identified as being particularly efficacious or noteworthy for completeness of resources, ease of use, or outreach to special populations. Chapter I describes the study design. Chapter II describes physical facilities. It focuses on the…

  5. CAD/CAE Integration Enhanced by New CAD Services Standard

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Claus, Russell W.

    2002-01-01

    A Government-industry team led by the NASA Glenn Research Center has developed a computer interface standard for accessing data from computer-aided design (CAD) systems. The Object Management Group, an international computer standards organization, has adopted this CAD services standard. The new standard allows software (e.g., computer-aided engineering (CAE) and computer-aided manufacturing software to access multiple CAD systems through one programming interface. The interface is built on top of a distributed computing system called the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA). CORBA allows the CAD services software to operate in a distributed, heterogeneous computing environment.

  6. National Observation Services at OSUG and construction of a Data Center and of a mutualized information system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meunier, N.

    2016-12-01

    OSUG (Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble) is strongly involved in more than 20 national observation services (hereafter SNO) covering the different INSU (Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers) sections, and is the PI for ten of them. This strong involvement led us to implement a data center (OSUG-DC), in order to provide the SNO and many other projects an infrastructure and common tools (software development, data monitoring, ...): the objective is to allow them to make their data available to the community in the best conditions. The OSUG-DC has been recognized as a Regional Expertise Center for the astronomy-astrophysics component in 2003 (3 SNO are concerned). This construction is also part of a larger reflexion concerning the mutualization of certain services of the information system at OSUG and at University Grenoble Alpes, some already in place for some time such as a high performance computation regional center. This paper presents the management organisation of these projects, strong points and issues.

  7. Does it matter what you call it? A randomized trial of language used to describe palliative care services.

    PubMed

    Maciasz, R M; Arnold, R M; Chu, E; Park, S Y; White, D B; Vater, L B; Schenker, Y

    2013-12-01

    Integration of palliative care into oncology practice remains suboptimal. Misperceptions about the meaning of palliative care may negatively impact utilization. We assessed whether the term and/or description of palliative care services affected patient views. 2x2 between-subject randomized factorial telephone survey of 169 patients with advanced cancer. Patients were randomized into one of four groups that differed by name (supportive care vs. palliative care) and description (patient-centered vs. traditional). Main outcomes (0-10 Likert scale) were patient understanding, impressions, perceived need, and intended use of services. When compared to palliative care, the term supportive care was associated with better understanding (7.7 vs. 6.8; p = 0.021), more favorable impressions (8.4 vs. 7.3; p = 0.002), and higher future perceived need (8.6 vs. 7.7; p = 0.017). There was no difference in outcomes between traditional and patient-centered descriptions. In adjusted linear regression models, the term supportive care remained associated with more favorable impressions (p = 0.003) and higher future perceived need (p = 0.022) when compared to palliative care. Patients with advanced cancer view the name supportive care more favorably than palliative care. Future efforts to integrate principles of palliative medicine into oncology may require changing impressions of palliative care or substituting the term supportive care.

  8. Identifying and communicating the contributions of library and information services in hospitals and academic health sciences centers.

    PubMed

    Abels, Eileen G; Cogdill, Keith W; Zach, Lisl

    2004-01-01

    This article introduces a systematic approach to identifying and communicating the value of library and information services (LIS) from the perspective of their contributions to achieving organizational goals. The contributions of library and information services (CLIS) approach for identifying and communicating the value of LIS draws on findings from a multimethod study of hospitals and academic health sciences centers. The CLIS approach is based on the concept that an individual unit's value to an organization can be demonstrated by identifying and measuring its contributions to organizational goals. The CLIS approach involves seven steps: (1) selecting appropriate organizational goals that are meaningful in a specific setting; (2) linking LIS contributions to organizational goals; (3) obtaining data from users on the correspondence between LIS contributions and LIS services; (4) selecting measures for LIS services; (5) collecting and analyzing data for the selected measures; (6) planning and sustaining communication with administrators about LIS contributions; and (7) evaluating findings and revising selected goals, contributions, and services as necessary. The taxonomy of LIS contributions and the CLIS approach emerged from research conducted in hospitals and academic health sciences centers and reflect the mission and goals common in these organizations. However, both the taxonomy and the CLIS approach may be adapted for communicating the value of LIS in other settings.

  9. Optimizing Call Patterns for Landline and Cell Phone Surveys.

    PubMed

    Reimer, Becky; Roth, Veronica; Montgomery, Robert

    2012-01-01

    Cell phone surveys have become increasingly popular and researchers have noted major challenges in conducting cost-effective surveys while achieving high response rates. Previous work has shown that calling strategies that maximize both respondent contact and completed interviews for landline surveys may not be the most cost-effective for cell phone surveys. For example, Montgomery, et al. (2011) found important differences between landline and cell samples for best times to call and declines in contact rates after repeated dialing. Using paradata from the 2010 and 2011 National Flu Surveys (sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), we investigate differences in calling outcomes between landline and cell surveys. Specifically, we predict respondent contact and interview completion using logistic regression models that examine the impact of calling on particular days of the week, certain times of the day, number of previous calls, outcomes of previous calls and length of time between calls. We discuss how these differences can be used to increase the likelihood of contacting cooperative respondents and completing interviews for both sample types.

  10. Cooperative Program Improvement; An Experiment in ABE In-Service Training. Doolittle Family Education Center Experimental In-Service Training Project. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Griffith, William S.; And Others

    This document, consisting of seven chapters and 12 appendixes, is a full final report of the Doolittle Family Education Center Experimental In-Service Training Project. Chapter II consists of the history and plan of the project including an explanation of the framework of the model that was used to conceptualize the project. Chapter III is a…

  11. Cloud services on an astronomy data center

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Solar, Mauricio; Araya, Mauricio; Farias, Humberto; Mardones, Diego; Wang, Zhong

    2016-08-01

    The research on computational methods for astronomy performed by the first phase of the Chilean Virtual Observatory (ChiVO) led to the development of functional prototypes, implementing state-of-the-art computational methods and proposing new algorithms and techniques. The ChiVO software architecture is based on the use of the IVOA protocols and standards. These protocols and standards are grouped in layers, with emphasis on the application and data layers, because their basic standards define the minimum operation that a VO should conduct. As momentary verification, the current implementation works with a set of data, with 1 TB capacity, which comes from the reduction of the cycle 0 of ALMA. This research was mainly focused on spectroscopic data cubes coming from the cycle 0 ALMA's public data. As the dataset size increases when the cycle 1 ALMA's public data is also increasing every month, data processing is becoming a major bottleneck for scientific research in astronomy. When designing the ChiVO, we focused on improving both computation and I/ O costs, and this led us to configure a data center with 424 high speed cores of 2,6 GHz, 1 PB of storage (distributed in hard disk drives-HDD and solid state drive-SSD) and high speed communication Infiniband. We are developing a cloud based e-infrastructure for ChiVO services, in order to have a coherent framework for developing novel web services for on-line data processing in the ChiVO. We are currently parallelizing these new algorithms and techniques using HPC tools to speed up big data processing, and we will report our results in terms of data size, data distribution, number of cores and response time, in order to compare different processing and storage configurations.

  12. Orion Crew Module / Service Module Structural Weight and Center of Gravity Simulator and Vehicle Motion Simulator Hoist Structure for Orion Service Module Umbilical Testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ascoli, Peter A.; Haddock, Michael H.

    2014-01-01

    An Orion Crew Module Service Module Structural Weight and Center of Gravity Simulator and a Vehicle Motion Simulator Hoist Structure for Orion Service Module Umbilical Testing were designed during a summer 2014 internship in Kennedy Space Centers Structures and Mechanisms Design Branch. The simulator is a structure that supports ballast, which will be integrated into an existing Orion mock-up to simulate the mass properties of the Exploration Mission-1 flight vehicle in both fueled and unfueled states. The simulator mimics these configurations through the use of approximately 40,000 lbf of steel and water ballast, and a steel support structure. Draining four water tanks, which house the water ballast, transitions the simulator from the fueled to unfueled mass properties. The Ground Systems Development and Operations organization will utilize the simulator to verify and validate equipment used to maneuver and transport the Orion spacecraft in its fueled and unfueled configurations. The second design comprises a cantilevered tripod hoist structure that provides the capability to position a large Orion Service Module Umbilical in proximity to the Vehicle Motion Simulator. The Ground Systems Development and Operations organization will utilize the Vehicle Motion Simulator, with the hoist structure attached, to test the Orion Service Module Umbilical for proper operation prior to installation on the Mobile Launcher. Overall, these two designs provide NASA engineers viable concepts worthy of fabricating and placing into service to prepare for the launch of Orion in 2017.

  13. Analysis of Gap in Service Quality in Drug Addiction Treatment Centers of Kerman, Iran, Using SERVQUAL Model

    PubMed Central

    Naqavi, Mohammad Reza; Refaiee, Raheleh; Baneshi, Mohammad Reza; Nakhaee, Nouzar

    2014-01-01

    Background Treatment of drug addicts is one of the main strategies of drug control in Iran. Client satisfaction strongly influences the success of any treatment program. This study aimed to explore the difference between customer expectations and perceptions in drug addiction treatment centers of Kerman, Iran, using SERVQUAL model. Methods Using a cross-sectional design 260 clients referring to drug addiction treatment centers of Kerman, were enrolled in 2012. From among 84 clinics, 20 centers were selected randomly. Based on the number of clients registered in each center, a random sample proportional to the size was selected and 290 subjects were invited for interviews. A well validated 22-item questionnaire, which measured the 5 dimensions of service quality (reliability, assurance, tangibility, empathy, and responsiveness), was completed by participants. Each item measured 2 aspects of service quality; expectations and perceptions. Findings Mean ± SD (Standard deviation) age of the subjects was 37.7 ± 9.4. Most of them were male (87.7%). Less than half of them had an educational level lower than diploma. The total score of clients` expectations was higher than their perceptions (P < 0.001). Considering the 5 dimensions of the SERVQUAL model, only 1 dimension (i.e., assurance) showed no difference between perceptions and expectations of the participants (P = 0.134). Conclusion There was a gap between the clients’ expectations and what they actually perceived in the clinics. Thus, more attention should be devoted to the clients’ views regarding service quality in addiction treatment clinics. PMID:25984274

  14. Calls Forecast for the Moscow Ambulance Service. The Impact of Weather Forecast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gordin, Vladimir; Bykov, Philipp

    2015-04-01

    We use the known statistics of the calls for the current and previous days to predict them for tomorrow and for the following days. We assume that this algorithm will work operatively, will cyclically update the available information and will move the horizon of the forecast. Sure, the accuracy of such forecasts depends on their lead time, and from a choice of some group of diagnoses. For comparison we used the error of the inertial forecast (tomorrow there will be the same number of calls as today). Our technology has demonstrated accuracy that is approximately two times better compared to the inertial forecast. We obtained the following result: the number of calls depends on the actual weather in the city as well as on its rate of change. We were interested in the accuracy of the forecast for 12-hour sum of the calls in real situations. We evaluate the impact of the meteorological errors [1] on the forecast errors of the number of Ambulance calls. The weather and the Ambulance calls number both have seasonal tendencies. Therefore, if we have medical information from one city only, we should separate the impacts of such predictors as "annual variations in the number of calls" and "weather". We need to consider the seasonal tendencies (associated, e. g. with the seasonal migration of the population) and the impact of the air temperature simultaneously, rather than sequentially. We forecasted separately the number of calls with diagnoses of cardiovascular group, where it was demonstrated the advantage of the forecasting method, when we use the maximum daily air temperature as a predictor. We have a chance to evaluate statistically the influence of meteorological factors on the dynamics of medical problems. In some cases it may be useful for understanding of the physiology of disease and possible treatment options. We can assimilate some personal archives of medical parameters for the individuals with concrete diseases and the relative meteorological archive. As a

  15. A Principal Calling: Professionalism and Health Care Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cornett, Becky Sutherland

    2006-01-01

    As health care professionals, our ''product'' is clinical service. We demonstrate professionalism by attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors that reflect a multi-faceted approach to the standards, regulations, and principles underlying successful clinical practices. The issues facing practitioners who work in health care environments are complex,…

  16. Data Sets and Data Services at the Northern California Earthquake Data Center

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neuhauser, D. S.; Zuzlewski, S.; Allen, R. M.

    2014-12-01

    The Northern California Earthquake Data Center (NCEDC) houses a unique and comprehensive data archive and provides real-time services for a variety of seismological and geophysical data sets that encompass northern and central California. We have over 80 terabytes of continuous and event-based time series data from broadband, short-period, strong motion, and strain sensors as well as continuous and campaign GPS data at both standard and high sample rates in both raw and RINEX format. The Northen California Seismic System (NCSS), operated by UC Berkeley and USGS Menlo Park, has recorded over 890,000 events from 1984 to the present, and the NCEDC provides catalog, parametric information, moment tensors and first motion mechanisms, and time series data for these events. We also host and provide event catalogs, parametric information, and event waveforms for DOE enhanced geothermal system monitoring in northern California and Nevada. The NCEDC provides a variety of ways for users to access these data. The most recent development are web services, which provide interactive, command-line, or program-based workflow access to data. Web services use well-established server and client protocols and RESTful software architecture that allow users to easily submit queries and receive the requested data in real-time rather than through batch or email-based requests. Data are returned to the user in the appropriate format such as XML, RESP, simple text, or MiniSEED depending on the service and selected output format. The NCEDC supports all FDSN-defined web services as well as a number of IRIS-defined and NCEDC-defined services. We also continue to support older email-based and browser-based access to data. NCEDC data and web services can be found at http://www.ncedc.org and http://service.ncedc.org.

  17. An intelligent robotic aid system for human services

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kawamura, K.; Bagchi, S.; Iskarous, M.; Pack, R. T.; Saad, A.

    1994-01-01

    The long term goal of our research at the Intelligent Robotic Laboratory at Vanderbilt University is to develop advanced intelligent robotic aid systems for human services. As a first step toward our goal, the current thrusts of our R&D are centered on the development of an intelligent robotic aid called the ISAC (Intelligent Soft Arm Control). In this paper, we describe the overall system architecture and current activities in intelligent control, adaptive/interactive control and task learning.

  18. Optimizing Data Center Services to Foster Stewardship and Use of Geospatial Data by Heterogeneous Populations of Users

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Downs, R. R.; Chen, R. S.; de Sherbinin, A. M.

    2017-12-01

    Growing recognition of the importance of sharing scientific data more widely and openly has refocused attention on the state of data repositories, including both discipline- or topic-oriented data centers and institutional repositories. Data creators often have several alternatives for depositing and disseminating their natural, social, health, or engineering science data. In selecting a repository for their data, data creators and other stakeholders such as their funding agencies may wish to consider the user community or communities served, the type and quality of data products already offered, and the degree of data stewardship and associated services provided. Some data repositories serve general communities, e.g., those in their host institution or region, whereas others tailor their services to particular scientific disciplines or topical areas. Some repositories are selective when acquiring data and conduct extensive curation and reviews to ensure that data products meet quality standards. Many repositories have secured credentials and established a track record for providing trustworthy, high quality data and services. The NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) serves users interested in human-environment interactions, including researchers, students, and applied users from diverse sectors. SEDAC is selective when choosing data for dissemination, conducting several reviews of data products and services prior to release. SEDAC works with data producers to continually improve the quality of its open data products and services. As a Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) of the NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System, SEDAC is committed to improving the accessibility, interoperability, and usability of its data in conjunction with data available from other DAACs, as well as other relevant data sources. SEDAC is certified as a Regular Member of the International Council for Science World Data System (ICSU-WDS).

  19. Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) Installation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-03-16

    A crane and rigging are used to lift the Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) up for installation on the mobile launcher tower at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mobile launcher tower will be equipped with a number of lines, called umbilicals, that will connect to the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). The OSMU will be located high on the mobile launcher tower and, prior to launch, will transfer liquid coolant for the electronics and air for the Environmental Control System to the Orion service module that houses these critical systems to support the spacecraft. EM-1 is scheduled to launch in 2018. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing installation of the umbilicals.

  20. Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) Installation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-03-16

    A crane lifts the Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) high up for installation on the mobile launcher tower at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mobile launcher tower will be equipped with a number of lines, called umbilicals, that will connect to the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). The OSMU will be located high on the mobile launcher tower and, prior to launch, will transfer liquid coolant for the electronics and air for the Environmental Control System to the Orion service module that houses these critical systems to support the spacecraft. EM-1 is scheduled to launch in 2018. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing installation of the umbilicals.

  1. Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) Installation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-03-16

    Preparations are underway to lift the Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) up for installation on the mobile launcher tower at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mobile launcher tower will be equipped with a number of lines, called umbilicals, that will connect to the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). The OSMU will be located high on the mobile launcher tower and, prior to launch, will transfer liquid coolant for the electronics and air for the Environmental Control System to the Orion service module that houses these critical systems to support the spacecraft. EM-1 is scheduled to launch in 2018. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing installation of the umbilicals.

  2. Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) Installation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-03-16

    Seeming to hang in midair, the Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) is lifted high up by crane for installation on the mobile launcher tower at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mobile launcher tower will be equipped with a number of lines, called umbilicals, that will connect to the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). The OSMU will be located high on the mobile launcher tower and, prior to launch, will transfer liquid coolant for the electronics and air for the Environmental Control System to the Orion service module that houses these critical systems to support the spacecraft. EM-1 is scheduled to launch in 2018. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing installation of the umbilicals.

  3. Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) Installation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-03-16

    A crane and rigging are used to position the Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) for installation high up on the mobile launcher tower at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mobile launcher tower will be equipped with a number of lines, called umbilicals, that will connect to the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). The OSMU will be located high on the mobile launcher tower and, prior to launch, will transfer liquid coolant for the electronics and air for the Environmental Control System to the Orion service module that houses these critical systems to support the spacecraft. EM-1 is scheduled to launch in 2018. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing installation of the umbilicals.

  4. Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) Installation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-03-16

    A crane and rigging are used to lift the Orion Service Module Umbilical (OSMU) high up for installation on the mobile launcher tower at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mobile launcher tower will be equipped with a number of lines, called umbilicals, that will connect to the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). The OSMU will be located high on the mobile launcher tower and, prior to launch, will transfer liquid coolant for the electronics and air for the Environmental Control System to the Orion service module that houses these critical systems to support the spacecraft. EM-1 is scheduled to launch in 2018. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing installation of the umbilicals.

  5. Using On-scene EMS Responders' Assessment and Electronic Patient Care Records to Evaluate the Suitability of EMD-triaged, Low-acuity Calls for Secondary Nurse Triage in 911 Centers.

    PubMed

    Scott, Greg; Clawson, Jeff; Fivaz, Mark C; McQueen, Jennie; Gardett, Marie I; Schultz, Bryon; Youngquist, Scott; Olola, Christopher H O

    2016-02-01

    Using the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) - a systematic 911 triage process - to identify a large subset of low-acuity patients for secondary nurse triage in the 911 center is a largely unstudied practice in North America. This study examines the ALPHA-level subset of low-acuity patients in the MPDS to determine the suitability of these patients for secondary triage by evaluating vital signs and necessity of lights-and-siren transport, as determined by attending Emergency Medical Services (EMS) ambulance crews. The primary objective of this study was to determine the clinical status of MPDS ALPHA-level (low-acuity) patients, as determined by on-scene EMS crews' patient care records, in two US agencies. A secondary objective was to determine which ALPHA-level codes are suitable candidates for secondary triage by a trained Emergency Communication Nurse (ECN). In this retrospective study, one full year (2013) of both dispatch data and EMS patient records data, associated with all calls coded at the ALPHA-level (low-acuity) in the dispatch protocol, were collected. The primary outcome measure was the number and percentage of ALPHA-level codes categorized as low-acuity, moderate-acuity, high-acuity, and critical using four common vital signs to assign these categories: systolic blood pressure (SBP), pulse rate (PR), oxygen saturation (SpO2), and Glasgow Coma Score (GCS). Vital sign data were obtained from ambulance crew electronic patient care records (ePCRs). The secondary endpoint was the number and percentage of ALPHA-level codes that received a "hot" (lights-and-siren) transport. Out of 19,300 cases, 16,763 (86.9%) were included in the final analysis, after excluding cases from health care providers and those with missing data. Of those, 89% of all cases did not have even one vital sign indicator of unstable patient status (high or critical vital sign). Of all cases, only 1.1% were transported lights-and-siren. With the exception of the low-acuity, ALPHA

  6. iRODS-Based Climate Data Services and Virtualization-as-a-Service in the NASA Center for Climate Simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schnase, J. L.; Duffy, D. Q.; Tamkin, G. S.; Strong, S.; Ripley, D.; Gill, R.; Sinno, S. S.; Shen, Y.; Carriere, L. E.; Brieger, L.; Moore, R.; Rajasekar, A.; Schroeder, W.; Wan, M.

    2011-12-01

    Scientific data services are becoming an important part of the NASA Center for Climate Simulation's mission. Our technological response to this expanding role is built around the concept of specialized virtual climate data servers, repetitive cloud provisioning, image-based deployment and distribution, and virtualization-as-a-service. A virtual climate data server is an OAIS-compliant, iRODS-based data server designed to support a particular type of scientific data collection. iRODS is data grid middleware that provides policy-based control over collection-building, managing, querying, accessing, and preserving large scientific data sets. We have developed prototype vCDSs to manage NetCDF, HDF, and GeoTIF data products. We use RPM scripts to build vCDS images in our local computing environment, our local Virtual Machine Environment, NASA's Nebula Cloud Services, and Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud. Once provisioned into these virtualized resources, multiple vCDSs can use iRODS's federation and realized object capabilities to create an integrated ecosystem of data servers that can scale and adapt to changing requirements. This approach enables platform- or software-as-a-service deployment of the vCDSs and allows the NCCS to offer virtualization-as-a-service, a capacity to respond in an agile way to new customer requests for data services, and a path for migrating existing services into the cloud. We have registered MODIS Atmosphere data products in a vCDS that contains 54 million registered files, 630TB of data, and over 300 million metadata values. We are now assembling IPCC AR5 data into a production vCDS that will provide the platform upon which NCCS's Earth System Grid (ESG) node publishes to the extended science community. In this talk, we describe our approach, experiences, lessons learned, and plans for the future.

  7. [Investigation and strategy research of eye disease prevention resources in community health service centers in Shanghai].

    PubMed

    He, Jiangnan; Zou, Haidong; Zhu, Jianfeng; He, Xiangui; Lu, Lina

    2015-07-01

    To investigate the status of eye disease prevention resources in community health service centers, to understand the distribution of ophthalmology service resources in each community, and to understand the main problems existing in the work of blindness prevention and treatment in Shanghai, so as to strengthen the prevention of blindness and improve the primary eye care level. Using the survey method, we carried out the investigation of disease control and prevention resources in all community health service centers to obtain the data of eye disease prevention and treatment resources. Using the descriptive statistics, we described the distribution of resources of eye disease prevention and treatment in different districts. There were 244 communities in 17 districts and counties in Shanghai, of which 236 (96.72%) communities participated in the survey and completed the questionnaires. Forty-nine (20.8%) communities had independent outpatient departments of ophthalmology, 96 (40.7%) had departments of ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology, 33 (14%) had ophthalmology doctor visits from secondary or tertiary medical institutions, and 87 (36.9%) had no outpatient department of ophthalmology. There were 82 oculists, 129 general or otorhinolaryngology doctors treating eye disease, 9 ophthalmic nurses, and 1 optometrist. There were 36 specialized personnel for public health of eye protection and 217 part-time personnel. Moreover, there were a total of 1 103 pieces of ophthalmic equipment in all communities with the use rate of 91%. Uneven ophthalmology resources and eye care professional ability in community health service centers, lack of technical and public health personnel for prevention of eye disease, backward eye disease screening equipment, and inadequate investment in prevention and treatment of eye disease are major problems. More government supports for prevention and treatment of eye disease in communities and continuous improvement in three-level blindness

  8. Evaluation of health care services provided for older adults in primary health care centers and its internal environment

    PubMed Central

    Alhamdan, Adel A.; Alshammari, Sulaiman A.; Al-Amoud, Maysoon M.; Hameed, Tariq A.; Al-Muammar, May N.; Bindawas, Saad M.; Al-Orf, Saada M.; Mohamed, Ashry G.; Al-Ghamdi, Essam A.; Calder, Philip C.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives: To evaluate the health care services provided for older adults by primary health care centers (PHCCs) in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and the ease of use of these centers by older adults. Methods: Between October 2013 and January 2014, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of 15 randomly selected PHCCs in Riyadh City, KSA. The evaluation focused on basic indicators of clinical services offered and factors indicative of the ease of use of the centers by older adults. Evaluations were based upon the age-friendly PHCCs toolkit of the World Health Organization. Results: Coverage of basic health assessments (such as blood pressure, diabetes, and blood cholesterol) was generally good. However, fewer than half of the PHCCs offered annual comprehensive screening for the common age-related conditions. There was no screening for cancer. Counseling on improving lifestyle was provided by most centers. However, there was no standard protocol for counseling. Coverage of common vaccinations was poor. The layout of most PHCCs and their signage were good, except for lack of Braille signage. There may be issues of access of older adults to PHCCs through lack of public transport, limited parking opportunities, the presence of steps, ramps, and internal stairs, and the lack of handrails. Conclusions: Clinical services and the internal environment of PHCCs can be improved. The data will be useful for health-policy makers to improve PHCCs to be more age-friendly. PMID:26318467

  9. The Space Shuttle Atlantis receives post-flight servicing in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD) at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2007-06-23

    The Space Shuttle Atlantis receives post-flight servicing in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD), following its landing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, June 22, 2007. The gantry-like MDD structure is used for servicing the shuttle orbiters in preparation for their ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, including mounting the shuttle atop NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

  10. Implementing the Customer Contact Center: An Opportunity to Create a Valid Measurement System for Assessing and Improving a Library's Telephone Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Sarah Anne; Cerqua, Judith

    2012-01-01

    A customer contact center offers academic libraries the ability to consistently improve their telephone, e-mail, and IM services. This paper discusses the establishment of a contact center and the benefits of implementing the contact center model at this institution. It then introduces a practical methodology for developing a valid measurement…

  11. Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation – Seventh North Service Center in Liverpool, New York

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation (NMPC) - Seventh North Service Center is located on an approximately 119 acre-parcel of property located in the Town of Clay, Onondaga County, New York. The facility is located in an industrially zoned area, and is bordered

  12. Eight Leadership Emergency Codes Worth Calling.

    PubMed

    Freed, David H

    Hospitals have a contemporary opportunity to change themselves before attempting to transform the larger US health care system. However, actually implementing change is much more easily described than accomplished in practice. This article calls out 8 dysfunctional behaviors that compromise professional standards at the ground level of the hospital. The construct of calling a code when one witnesses such behaviors is intended to make it safe for leaders to "See something, say something" and confront them in real time. The coordinated continuum of services that health care reform seeks to attain will not emerge until individual hospital organizations prepare themselves to operate better in their own spaces and the ones that immediately surround them.

  13. Patient-centered medical homes: will health care reform provide new options for rural communities and providers?

    PubMed

    Bolin, Jane N; Gamm, Larry; Vest, Joshua R; Edwardson, Nick; Miller, Thomas R

    2011-01-01

    Many are calling for the expansion of the patient-centered medical home model into rural and underserved populations as a transformative strategy to address issues of access, efficiency, quality, and sustainability in the delivery of health care. Patient-centered medical homes have been touted as a promising cost-saving model for comprehensive management of persons with chronic diseases and disabilities, but it is unclear how rural practitioners in medically underserved areas will implement the patient-centered medical home. This article examines how the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act of 2010 will enhance rural providers' ability to provide patient-centered care and services contemplated under the Act in a comprehensive, coordinated, cost-effective way despite leaner budgets and health workforce shortages.

  14. Outcomes from Wraparound and Multisystemic Therapy in a Center for Mental Health Services System-of-Care Demonstration Site

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stambaugh, Leyla Faw; Mustillo, Sarah A.; Burns, Barbara J.; Stephens, Robert L.; Baxter, Beth; Edwards, Dan; DeKraai, Mark

    2007-01-01

    This study examined outcomes for 320 youth in a Center for Mental Health Services system-of-care demonstration site. Youth received wraparound-only (n = 213), MST-only (n = 54), or wraparound + MST (n = 53). Participants were 12 years old on average and mostly White (90%), and 75% were Medicaid-eligible. Service use and functional and clinical…

  15. 75 FR 6032 - National Contact Center; Submission for OMB Review; National Contact Center Customer Evaluation...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-05

    ... GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION [OMB Control No. 3090-0278] National Contact Center; Submission for OMB Review; National Contact Center Customer Evaluation Survey AGENCY: Citizen Services and... collection requirement regarding the National Contact Center customer evaluation survey. A request for public...

  16. [Patients and quality of primary health care services. Survey of practitioners at the Bahía de Cádiz and La Janda health centers].

    PubMed

    Hernán García, M; Gutiérrez Cuadra, J L; Lineros González, C; Ruiz Barbosa, C; Rabadán Asensio, A

    2002-10-31

    To report the opinions of practitioners at health centers on dimensions of quality that affect user satisfaction. Cross-sectional study of focus groups (FG). Bahía de Cádiz and La Janda health centers in southwestern Spain. We studied 4 FG whose participants were staff members of the two health centers: FG1, physicians; FG2, user satisfaction service staff; FG3, social workers; FG4, nurses. The groups were based on the different functions of staff at the two centers. The analysis was based on variables in the SERCAL model (an adaptation of the SERVQUAL model for the Spanish health care system) of opinions regarding service quality: access, comfort (tangibles), personalized service (courtesy), competence, and loyalty. The data were analyzed with version N-Vivo of the NUDIST program. All dimensions of the theoretical model were identified by practitioners as constructs of users' perceptions of service quality. Users' and practitioners' views contrasted with and complemented each other to generate a model that could be validated. Access, personalized service and problem-solving (responsiveness) were key variables. Practitioners' opinions provided information of use in improving the quality model. Differences in opinion between users and practitioners merit further study based on an understanding of these groups' values and interests, and on the care provision context. Practitioners identified access, personalized service and problem-solving as features that influenced users' opinions of the quality of the health center.

  17. Characteristics of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Who Received Services through Community Mental Health Centers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryson, Stephanie A.; Corrigan, Susan K.; McDonald, Thomas P.; Holmes, Cheryl

    2008-01-01

    Despite the presence of significant psychiatric comorbidity among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), little research exists on those who receive community-based mental health services. This project examined one year (2004) of data from the database maintained by 26 community mental health centers (CMHCs) in the Midwestern US state of…

  18. Effects of international football matches on ambulance call profiles and volumes during the 2006 World Cup.

    PubMed

    Deakin, Charles D; Thompson, Fizz; Gibson, Caroline; Green, Mark

    2007-06-01

    Prompt ambulance attendance is aimed at improving patient care. With finite resources struggling to meet performance targets, unforeseen demand precludes the ability to tailor resources to cope with increased call volumes, and can have a marked detrimental effect on performance and hence patient care. The effects of the 2006 World Cup football matches on call volumes and profiles were analysed to understand how public events can influence demands on the ambulance service. All emergency calls to the Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (currently the Hampshire Division of South Central Ambulance Service, Winchester, UK) during the first weekend of the 2006 World Cup football matches were analysed by call volume and classification of call (call type). On the day of the first football match, call volume was over 50% higher than that on a typical Saturday, with distinct peaks before and after the inaugural match. Call profile analysis showed increases in alcohol-related emergencies, including collapse, unconsciousness, assault and road traffic accidents. The increase in assaults was particularly marked at the end of each match and increased again into the late evening. A detailed mapping of call volumes and profiles during the World Cup football shows a significant increase in overall emergency calls, mostly alcohol related. Mapping of limited resources to these patterns will allow improved responses to emergency calls.

  19. Effects of international football matches on ambulance call profiles and volumes during the 2006 World Cup

    PubMed Central

    Deakin, Charles D; Thompson, Fizz; Gibson, Caroline; Green, Mark

    2007-01-01

    Background Prompt ambulance attendance is aimed at improving patient care. With finite resources struggling to meet performance targets, unforeseen demand precludes the ability to tailor resources to cope with increased call volumes, and can have a marked detrimental effect on performance and hence patient care. The effects of the 2006 World Cup football matches on call volumes and profiles were analysed to understand how public events can influence demands on the ambulance service. Methods All emergency calls to the Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (currently the Hampshire Division of South Central Ambulance Service, Winchester, UK) during the first weekend of the 2006 World Cup football matches were analysed by call volume and classification of call (call type). Results On the day of the first football match, call volume was over 50% higher than that on a typical Saturday, with distinct peaks before and after the inaugural match. Call profile analysis showed increases in alcohol‐related emergencies, including collapse, unconsciousness, assault and road traffic accidents. The increase in assaults was particularly marked at the end of each match and increased again into the late evening. Conclusion A detailed mapping of call volumes and profiles during the World Cup football shows a significant increase in overall emergency calls, mostly alcohol related. Mapping of limited resources to these patterns will allow improved responses to emergency calls. PMID:17513536

  20. Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) Products from NASA Hydrology Data and Information Services Center (HDISC)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fang, Hongliang; Hrubiak, Patricia; Kato, Hiroko; Rodell, Matthew; Teng, William L.; Vollmer, Bruce E.

    2008-01-01

    The Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) is generating a series of land surface state (e.g., soil moisture and surface temperature) and flux (e.g., evaporation and sensible heat flux) products simulated by four land surface models (CLM, Mosaic, Noah and VIC). These products are now accessible at the Hydrology Data and Information Services Center (HDISC), a component of the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC). Current data holdings include a set of 1.0 degree resolution data products from the four models, covering 1979 to the present; and a 0.25 degree data product from the Noah model, covering 2000 to the present. The products are in Gridded Binary (GRIB) format and can be accessed through a number of interfaces. New data formats (e.g., netCDF), temporal averaging and spatial subsetting will be available in the future. The HDISC has the capability to support more hydrology data products and more advanced analysis tools. The goal is to develop HDISC as a data and services portal that supports weather and climate forecast, and water and energy cycle research.