Sample records for kaiser foundation health

  1. Kaiser captures spirit of games.

    PubMed

    Herreria, J

    1998-01-01

    With a multi-media campaign, Kaiser Permanente blitzed its market area by becoming a sponsor of the Nike World Masters Games. The advertising campaign promoted Kaiser as the exclusive health care sponsor. Company officials are counting on this campaign to leverage the health care institution's commitment to the community. In addition to the advertising, Kaiser searched for local athletes to represent its "play the sports for life" theme. As part of a promotion to award 200 athlete sponsorships to the Games, Kaiser's own master athletes were invited to tell their stories. Some of the members shared stories about such topics as experiencing an accident, receiving assistance from a Kaiser physician and incorporating a lifestyle of sport for rehabilitation. From the hundreds of letters received, two members and one employee were selected for the television spots. The sporting event reinforces Kaiser's philosophy of fitness-oriented lifestyles among its members. The Nike World Masters Games are the largest participatory multi-sport competition in the world, gathering together more than 25,000 men and women from more than 100 countries.

  2. Achieving Kaiser Permanente Quality

    PubMed Central

    McHugh, Matthew D.; Aiken, Linda H.; Eckenhoff, Myra E.; Burns, Lawton R.

    2015-01-01

    Background The Kaiser Permanente model of integrated health delivery is highly regarded for high quality and efficient health care. Efforts to reproduce Kaiser’s success have mostly failed. One factor that has received little attention and that could explain Kaiser’s advantage is its commitment to and investment in nursing as a key component of organizational culture and patient-centered care. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Kaiser’s nursing organization in promoting quality of care. Methodology This was a cross-sectional analysis of linked secondary data from multiple sources, including a detailed survey of nurses, for 564 adult, general acute care hospitals from California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey in 2006–2007. We used logistic regression models to examine whether patient (mortality and failure-to-rescue) and nurse (burnout, job satisfaction, and intent-to-leave) outcomes in Kaiser hospitals were better than in non-Kaiser hospitals. We then assessed whether differences in nursing explained outcomes differences between Kaiser and other hospitals. Finally, we examined whether Kaiser hospitals compared favorably with hospitals known for having excellent nurse work environments — Magnet hospitals. Findings Patient and nurse outcomes in Kaiser hospitals were significantly better compared with non-Magnet hospitals. Kaiser hospitals had significantly better nurse work environments, staffing levels, and more nurses with bachelor’s degrees. Differences in nursing explained a significant proportion of the Kaiser outcomes advantage. Kaiser hospital outcomes were comparable to Magnet hospitals, where better outcomes have been largely explained by differences in nursing. Implications An important element in Kaiser’s success is its investment in professional nursing, which may not be evident to systems seeking to achieve Kaiser’s advantage. Our results suggest that a possible strategy for achieving outcomes like Kaiser

  3. Kaiser Permanente Northwest

    Cancer.gov

    Kaiser Permanente Northwest's Center for Health Research was created to study health maintenance organizations by scientists were recruited from a variety of fields to study a range of health and medical care issues.

  4. Breaching the security of the Kaiser Permanente Internet patient portal: the organizational foundations of information security.

    PubMed

    Collmann, Jeff; Cooper, Ted

    2007-01-01

    This case study describes and analyzes a breach of the confidentiality and integrity of personally identified health information (e.g. appointment details, answers to patients' questions, medical advice) for over 800 Kaiser Permanente (KP) members through KP Online, a web-enabled health care portal. The authors obtained and analyzed multiple types of qualitative data about this incident including interviews with KP staff, incident reports, root cause analyses, and media reports. Reasons at multiple levels account for the breach, including the architecture of the information system, the motivations of individual staff members, and differences among the subcultures of individual groups within as well as technical and social relations across the Kaiser IT program. None of these reasons could be classified, strictly speaking, as "security violations." This case study, thus, suggests that, to protect sensitive patient information, health care organizations should build safe organizational contexts for complex health information systems in addition to complying with good information security practice and regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996.

  5. Questioning the claims from Kaiser

    PubMed Central

    Talbot-Smith, Alison; Gnani, Shamini; Pollock, Allyson M; Gray, Denis Pereira

    2004-01-01

    Background: The article by Feachem et al, published in the BMJ in 2002, claimed to show that, compared with the United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS), the Kaiser Permanente healthcare system in the United States (US) has similar healthcare costs per capita, and performance that is considerably better in certain respects. Aim: To assess the accuracy of Feachem et al's comparison and conclusions. Method: Detailed re-examination of the data and methods used and consideration of the 82 letters responding to the article. Results: Analyses revealed four main areas in which Feachem et al's methodology was flawed. Firstly, the populations of patients served by Kaiser Permanente and by the NHS are fundamentally different. Kaiser's patients are mainly employed, significantly younger, and significantly less socially deprived and so are healthier. Feachem et al fail to adjust adequately for these factors. Secondly, Feachem et al have wrongly inflated NHS costs by omitting substantial user charges payable by Kaiser members for care, excluding the costs of marketing and administration, and deducting the surplus from Kaiser's costs while underestimating the capital charge element of the NHS budget and other costs. They also used two methods of converting currency, the currency rate and a health purchasing power parity conversion. This is double counting. Feachem et al reported that NHS costs were 10% less per head than Kaiser. Correcting for the double currency conversion gives the NHS a 40% cost advantage such that per capita costs are $1161 and $1951 for the NHS and Kaiser, respectively. Thirdly, Feachem et al use non-standardised data for NHS bed days from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, rather than official Department of Health bed availability and activity statistics for England. Leaving aside the non-comparability of the population and lack of standardisation of the data, the result is to inflate NHS acute bed use and underestimate the

  6. Frederik Kaiser (1808-1872) and the Modernisation of Dutch Astronomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van der Heijden, Petra

    Frederik Kaiser was the director of Leiden Observatory from 1837 until his death in 1872. Educated by his German-born uncle Johan Frederik Keyser (1766-1823), who was a proficient amateur astronomer, Kaiser proved to be a real observational talent. Despite the poor conditions in which he worked, his observations soon rivalled with the best in the world. Kaiser's contributions to astronomical practice include the foundation of a new, completely up-to-date observatory building in Leiden, and the introduction of statistics and precision measurements in daily practice at the observatory. Moreover he was the author of several bestselling books on popular astronomy. Kaiser had an extensive correspondence with colleagues all over Europe, mostly in Germany. Correpondents include Airy, Argelander, Von Auwers, Bessel, Encke, John Herschel, LeVerrier, Von Littrow, Schumacher, Otto W. Struve, as well as several geodesists and instrument makers. Preliminary research indicates that Frederik Kaiser played a crucial role in the revival of Dutch astronomy in the second half of the 19th century. This project aims at analysing and explaining Kaiser's activities in science, institutionalisation and popularisation, in the context of national and international developments in 19th-century astronomy and scientific culture.

  7. Parents and the V-Chip: A Kaiser Family Foundation Survey. How Parents Feel (and What They Know) about TV, the V-Chip, and the TV Ratings System. Toplines.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1999

    This report presents the data from a national, random sample survey designed by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Princeton Survey Research Associates (PSRA) and conducted by PSRA by telephone between April 6-26, 1999, when 1001 parents of children ages 2-17 were interviewed about their opinions of television, the V-Chip, and the TV ratings system.…

  8. Kaiser Permanente/Sandia National health care model. Phase I prototype final report. Part 1 - model overview

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

    Edwards, D.; Yoshimura, A.; Butler, D.

    1996-11-01

    This report describes the results of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between Sandia National Laboratories and Kaiser Permanente Southern California to develop a prototype computer model of Kaiser Permanente`s health care delivery system. As a discrete event simulation, SimHCO models for each of 100,000 patients the progression of disease, individual resource usage, and patient choices in a competitive environment. SimHCO is implemented in the object-oriented programming language C++, stressing reusable knowledge and reusable software components. The versioned implementation of SimHCO showed that the object-oriented framework allows the program to grow in complexity in an incremental way. Furthermore, timing calculationsmore » showed that SimHCO runs in a reasonable time on typical workstations, and that a second phase model will scale proportionally and run within the system constraints of contemporary computer technology. This report is published as two documents: Model Overview and Domain Analysis. A separate Kaiser-proprietary report contains the Disease and Health Care Organization Selection Models.« less

  9. Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Programs (KP-MCP)

    Cancer.gov

    The Division of Research within KP-MCP conducts, publishes, and disseminates high-quality epidemiologic and health services research to improve the health and medical care of Kaiser Permanente members and the society at large.

  10. Internet infrastructures and health care systems: a qualitative comparative analysis on networks and markets in the British National Health Service and Kaiser Permanente.

    PubMed

    Séror, Ann C

    2002-12-01

    The Internet and emergent telecommunications infrastructures are transforming the future of health care management. The costs of health care delivery systems, products, and services continue to rise everywhere, but performance of health care delivery is associated with institutional and ideological considerations as well as availability of financial and technological resources. to identify the effects of ideological differences on health care market infrastructures including the Internet and telecommunications technologies by a comparative case analysis of two large health care organizations: the British National Health Service and the California-based Kaiser Permanente health maintenance organization. A qualitative comparative analysis focusing on the British National Health Service and the Kaiser Permanente health maintenance organization to show how system infrastructures vary according to market dynamics dominated by health care institutions ("push") or by consumer demand ("pull"). System control mechanisms may be technologically embedded, institutional, or behavioral. The analysis suggests that telecommunications technologies and the Internet may contribute significantly to health care system performance in a context of ideological diversity. The study offers evidence to validate alternative models of health care governance: the national constitution model, and the enterprise business contract model. This evidence also suggests important questions for health care policy makers as well as researchers in telecommunications, organizational theory, and health care management.

  11. Internet Infrastructures and Health Care Systems: a Qualitative Comparative Analysis on Networks and Markets in the British National Health Service and Kaiser Permanente

    PubMed Central

    2002-01-01

    Background The Internet and emergent telecommunications infrastructures are transforming the future of health care management. The costs of health care delivery systems, products, and services continue to rise everywhere, but performance of health care delivery is associated with institutional and ideological considerations as well as availability of financial and technological resources. Objective To identify the effects of ideological differences on health care market infrastructures including the Internet and telecommunications technologies by a comparative case analysis of two large health care organizations: the British National Health Service and the California-based Kaiser Permanente health maintenance organization. Methods A qualitative comparative analysis focusing on the British National Health Service and the Kaiser Permanente health maintenance organization to show how system infrastructures vary according to market dynamics dominated by health care institutions ("push") or by consumer demand ("pull"). System control mechanisms may be technologically embedded, institutional, or behavioral. Results The analysis suggests that telecommunications technologies and the Internet may contribute significantly to health care system performance in a context of ideological diversity. Conclusions The study offers evidence to validate alternative models of health care governance: the national constitution model, and the enterprise business contract model. This evidence also suggests important questions for health care policy makers as well as researchers in telecommunications, organizational theory, and health care management. PMID:12554552

  12. Kaiser Permanente-Sandia National Health Care Model: Phase 1 prototype final report. Part 2 -- Domain analysis

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

    Edwards, D.; Yoshimura, A.; Butler, D.

    This report describes the results of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between Sandia National Laboratories and Kaiser Permanente Southern California to develop a prototype computer model of Kaiser Permanente`s health care delivery system. As a discrete event simulation, SimHCO models for each of 100,000 patients the progression of disease, individual resource usage, and patient choices in a competitive environment. SimHCO is implemented in the object-oriented programming language C{sup 2}, stressing reusable knowledge and reusable software components. The versioned implementation of SimHCO showed that the object-oriented framework allows the program to grow in complexity in an incremental way. Furthermore, timingmore » calculations showed that SimHCO runs in a reasonable time on typical workstations, and that a second phase model will scale proportionally and run within the system constraints of contemporary computer technology.« less

  13. The Kaiser Permanente Northern California Adult Member Health Survey.

    PubMed

    Gordon, Nancy; Lin, Teresa

    2016-01-01

    The Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) Member Health Survey (MHS) is used to describe sociodemographic and health-related characteristics of the adult membership of this large, integrated health care delivery system to monitor trends over time, identify health disparities, and conduct research. To provide an overview of the KPNC MHS and share findings that illustrate how survey statistics and data have been and can be used for research and programmatic purposes. The MHS is a large-scale, institutional review board-approved survey of English-speaking KPNC adult members. The confidential survey has been conducted by mail triennially starting in 1993 with independent age-sex and geographically stratified random samples, with an option for online completion starting in 2005. The full survey sample and survey data are linkable at the individual level to Health Plan and geocoded data. Respondents are assigned weighting factors for their survey year and additional weighting factors for analysis of pooled survey data. Statistics from the 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2011 surveys show trends in sociodemographic and health-related characteristics and access to the Internet and e-mail for the adult membership aged 25 to 79 years and for 6 age-sex subgroups. Pooled data from the 2008 and 2011 surveys show many significant differences in these characteristics across the 5 largest race/ethnic groups in KPNC (non-Hispanic whites, blacks, Latinos, Filipinos, and Chinese). The KPNC MHS has yielded unique insights and provides an opportunity for researchers and public health organizations outside of KPNC to leverage our survey-generated statistics and collaborate on epidemiologic and health services research studies.

  14. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... issues… CHIP Marketplaces Waivers menu KFF.org Facebook Twitter Email Twitter Facebook Email Health Reform Poll: Tax Reform Falls ... Powered by WordPress.com VIP Follow Us Facebook Twitter Feeds Get the Latest on Health Policy Sign ...

  15. Investing in Obesity Treatment: Kaiser Permanente's Approach to Chronic Disease Management.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Adam G; Histon, Trina; Donahoo, W Troy; Hashmi, Shahid; Murali, Sameer; Latare, Peggy; Oliver, Lajune; Slovis, Jennifer; Grall, Sarah; Fisher, David; Solomon, Loel

    2016-09-01

    Kaiser Permanente, an integrated health care delivery system in the USA, takes a "whole systems" approach to the chronic disease of obesity that begins with efforts to prevent it by modifying the environment in communities and schools. Aggressive case-finding and substantial investment in intensive lifestyle modification programs target individuals at high risk of diabetes and other weight-related conditions. Kaiser Permanente regions are increasingly standardizing their approach when patients with obesity require treatment intensification using medically supervised diets, prescription medication to treat obesity, or weight loss surgery.

  16. Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-02

    This is a false color image of Kaiser Crater. In this combination of filters "blue" typically means basaltic sand. This VIS image crosses 3/4 of the crater and demonstrates how extensive the dunes are on the floor of Kaiser Crater. Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southern part of the crater floor. The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 66602 Latitude: -47.0551 Longitude: 19.446 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-12-18 21:42 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22265

  17. Kaiser Permanente's performance improvement system, Part 1: From benchmarking to executing on strategic priorities.

    PubMed

    Schilling, Lisa; Chase, Alide; Kehrli, Sommer; Liu, Amy Y; Stiefel, Matt; Brentari, Ruth

    2010-11-01

    By 2004, senior leaders at Kaiser Permanente, the largest not-for-profit health plan in the United States, recognizing variations across service areas in quality, safety, service, and efficiency, began developing a performance improvement (PI) system to realizing best-in-class quality performance across all 35 medical centers. MEASURING SYSTEMWIDE PERFORMANCE: In 2005, a Web-based data dashboard, "Big Q," which tracks the performance of each medical center and service area against external benchmarks and internal goals, was created. PLANNING FOR PI AND BENCHMARKING PERFORMANCE: In 2006, Kaiser Permanente national and regional continued planning the PI system, and in 2007, quality, medical group, operations, and information technology leaders benchmarked five high-performing organizations to identify capabilities required to achieve consistent best-in-class organizational performance. THE PI SYSTEM: The PI system addresses the six capabilities: leadership priority setting, a systems approach to improvement, measurement capability, a learning organization, improvement capacity, and a culture of improvement. PI "deep experts" (mentors) consult with national, regional, and local leaders, and more than 500 improvement advisors are trained to manage portfolios of 90-120 day improvement initiatives at medical centers. Between the second quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, performance across all Kaiser Permanente medical centers improved on the Big Q metrics. The lessons learned in implementing and sustaining PI as it becomes fully integrated into all levels of Kaiser Permanente can be generalized to other health care systems, hospitals, and other health care organizations.

  18. Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-01

    This VIS image of the floor of Kaiser Crater contains several sand dune shapes and sizes. The "whiter" material is the hard crater floor surface. Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southern part of the crater floor. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 39910 Latitude: -46.9063 Longitude: 19.8112 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-12-13 11:17 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22264

  19. Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-31

    This VIS image of the floor of Kaiser Crater contains a large variety of sand dune shapes and sizes. The "whiter" material is the hard crater floor surface. Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southern part of the crater floor. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 35430 Latitude: -46.8699 Longitude: 19.4731 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-12-09 14:09 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22263

  20. Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-23

    Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southeastern part of the crater floor. Most of the individual dunes in Kaiser Crater are barchan dunes. Barchan dunes are crescent shaped with the points of the crescent pointing downwind. The sand is blown up the low angle side of the dune and then tumbles down the steep slip face. This dune type forms on hard surfaces where there is limited amounts of sand. Barchan dunes can merge together over time with increased sand in the local area. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 1036 Latitude: -46.7795 Longitude: 20.2075 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2002-03-09 20:07 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22172

  1. Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-29

    This VIS image of Kaiser Crater shows a region of the dunes with varied appearances. The different dune forms developed due to different amounts of available sand, different wind directions, and the texture of the crater floor. The dune forms change from the bottom to the top of the image - large long connected dunes, to large individual dunes, to the very small individual dunes at the top of the image. Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southern part of the crater floor. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 17686 Latitude: -46.6956 Longitude: 19.8394 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2005-12-09 13:25 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22261

  2. Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-24

    This VIS image of Kaiser Crater shows individual dunes and where the dunes have coalesced into longer dune forms. The addition of sand makes the dunes larger and the intra-dune areas go from sand-free to complete coverage of the hard surface of the crater floor. With a continued influx of sand the region will transition from individual dunes to a sand sheet with surface dune forms. Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southern part of the crater floor. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 1423 Latitude: -46.9573 Longitude: 18.6192 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2002-04-10 16:44 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22173

  3. Health assessment for Kaiser Steel Corporation Fontana, San Nernadino County, California, Region 9. CERCLIS No. CAD008274938. Preliminary report

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

    Not Available

    1989-10-25

    The Kaiser Steel Corporation (KSC) site was included in the Update 7, proposed National Priorities List (NPL). The site was subsequently dropped from the proposed NPL on October 4, 1989. The site is located near Fontana, California, in San Bernardino County, approximately 45 miles east of Los Angeles. The on-site environmental contamination in groundwater and soil consisted of volatile organic compounds, organic acids, aluminum, barium, iron, lead, manganese, cadmium, and chromium compounds. The site is of potential health concern because of the risk to human health resulting from possible exposure to hazardous substances at concentrations that may result in adversemore » health effects.« less

  4. Breast cancer genetics and managed care. The Kaiser Permanente experience.

    PubMed

    Kutner, S E

    1999-12-01

    In 1996, with evolution of the science of cancer genetics and the advent of commercially available BRCA1 and later BRCA2 testing, Kaiser Permanente began to apply these advances in clinical practice. Recommendations for referral to genetic counseling were developed in 1997 as the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Referral for Genetic Counseling for Inherited Susceptibility for Breast and Ovarian Cancer. Implementation of these guidelines with associated protocols in Kaiser Permanente's Northern California Region has occupied the ensuing years and includes dissemination of the high-risk guidelines for breast and ovarian cancer, dissemination of patient and physician educational materials on the breast cancer guidelines, monthly classes and taped healthphone messages for patients, interactive videoconferencing for physicians, a training seminar for medical geneticists who will counsel patients at risk, publication of articles on breast cancer and genetic risk in health plan member- and physician-directed magazines, identification and training of clinical specialists and supporting clinicians to care for patients before and after counseling, individual counseling and testing of patients and families, and development of a data registry. Implementing the guidelines helped us communicate the uncertainty surrounding breast cancer testing, and we were obliged to learn more about ethical, legal, societal, and insurance controversies surrounding genetic testing. Given the lack of effective prevention for breast or ovarian cancer and the difficulty of treatment, the appropriate use of genetics in patient care is essential. In the near future, we will see the need for cancer genetics to become an integral part of practice throughout the spectrum of health care. We at Kaiser Permanente feel that the breast cancer guideline project is the first step in this process.

  5. 75 FR 70689 - Kaiser Aluminum Fabricated Products, LLC; Kaiser Aluminum-Greenwood Forge Division; Currently...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-18

    ... Fabricated Products, LLC; Kaiser Aluminum- Greenwood Forge Division; Currently Known As Contech Forgings, LLC..., South Carolina; Amended Certification Regarding Eligibility To Apply or Worker Adjustment Assistance In... Labor issued a Certification of Eligibility to Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance on October 2, 2009...

  6. Observation of the Kaiser Effect Using Noble Gas Release Signals

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

    Bauer, Stephen J.

    The Kaiser effect was defined in the early 1950s (Kaiser 1953) and was extensively reviewed and evaluated by Lavrov (2002) with a view toward understanding stress estimations. The Kaiser effect is a stress memory phenomenon which has most often been demonstrated in rock using acoustic emissions. During cyclic loading–unloading–reloading, the acoustic emissions are near zero until the load exceeds the level of the previous load cycle. Here, we sought to explore the Kaiser effect in rock using real-time noble gas release. Laboratory studies using real-time mass spectrometry measurements during deformation have quantified, to a degree, the types of gases releasedmore » (Bauer et al. 2016a, b), their release rates and amounts during deformation, estimates of permeability created from pore structure modifications during deformation (Gardner et al. 2017) and the impact of mineral plasticity upon gas release. We found that noble gases contained in brittle crystalline rock are readily released during deformation.« less

  7. Observation of the Kaiser Effect Using Noble Gas Release Signals

    DOE PAGES

    Bauer, Stephen J.

    2017-10-24

    The Kaiser effect was defined in the early 1950s (Kaiser 1953) and was extensively reviewed and evaluated by Lavrov (2002) with a view toward understanding stress estimations. The Kaiser effect is a stress memory phenomenon which has most often been demonstrated in rock using acoustic emissions. During cyclic loading–unloading–reloading, the acoustic emissions are near zero until the load exceeds the level of the previous load cycle. Here, we sought to explore the Kaiser effect in rock using real-time noble gas release. Laboratory studies using real-time mass spectrometry measurements during deformation have quantified, to a degree, the types of gases releasedmore » (Bauer et al. 2016a, b), their release rates and amounts during deformation, estimates of permeability created from pore structure modifications during deformation (Gardner et al. 2017) and the impact of mineral plasticity upon gas release. We found that noble gases contained in brittle crystalline rock are readily released during deformation.« less

  8. 75 FR 43885 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Kaiser/Lake Ozark, MO

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-27

    ...-0604; Airspace Docket No. 10-ACE-5] Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Kaiser/Lake Ozark, MO...: This action proposes to amend Class E airspace for the Kaiser/ Lake Ozark, MO, area. Additional... for the Kaiser/Lake Ozark, MO area, to accommodate SIAPs at Camdenton Memorial Airport, Camdenton, MO...

  9. Energy Assessment Helps Kaiser Aluminum Save Energy and Improve Productivity

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

    None

    2008-07-01

    The Kaiser Aluminum plant in Sherman, Texas, adjusted controls and made repairs to a furnace for a simple payback of 1 month. Kaiser adopted DOE's Process Heating Assessment and Survey Tool (PHAST) software as the corporate diagnostic tool and has used it to evaluate process heating systems at five other aluminum plants.

  10. Investigating Mars: Kaiser Crater Dunes

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-30

    At the top of this VIS image crescent shaped dunes are visible. As the dunes approach a break in elevation the forms change to connect the crescents together forming long aligned dune forms. Kaiser Crater is located in the southern hemisphere in the Noachis region west of Hellas Planitia. Kaiser Crater is just one of several large craters with extensive dune fields on the crater floor. Other nearby dune filled craters are Proctor, Russell, and Rabe. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter. The dunes are located in the southern part of the crater floor. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images! Orbit Number: 34157 Latitude: -46.9336 Longitude: 18.9272 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-08-26 18:49 https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22262

  11. Kaiser Permanente's performance improvement system, Part 4: Creating a learning organization.

    PubMed

    Schilling, Lisa; Dearing, James W; Staley, Paul; Harvey, Patti; Fahey, Linda; Kuruppu, Francesca

    2011-12-01

    In 2006, recognizing variations in performance in quality, safety, service, and efficiency, Kaiser Permanente leaders initiated the development of a performance improvement (PI) system. Kaiser Permanente has implemented a strategy for creating the systemic capacity for continuous improvement that characterizes a learning organization. Six "building blocks" were identified to enable Kaiser Permanente to make the transition to becoming a learning organization: real-time sharing of meaningful performance data; formal training in problem-solving methodology; workforce engagement and informal knowledge sharing; leadership structures, beliefs, and behaviors; internal and external benchmarking; and technical knowledge sharing. Putting each building block into place required multiple complex strategies combining top-down and bottom-up approaches. Although the strategies have largely been successful, challenges remain. The demand for real-time meaningful performance data can conflict with prioritized changes to health information systems. It is an ongoing challenge to teach PI, change management, innovation, and project management to all managers and staff without consuming too much training time. Challenges with workforce engagement include low initial use of tools intended to disseminate information through virtual social networking. Uptake of knowledge-sharing technologies is still primarily by innovators and early adopters. Leaders adopt new behaviors at varying speeds and have a range of abilities to foster an environment that is psychologically safe and stimulates inquiry. A learning organization has the capability to improve, and it develops structures and processes that facilitate the acquisition and sharing of knowledge.

  12. A new class of weight and WA systems of the Kravchenko-Kaiser functions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kravchenko, V. F.; Pustovoit, V. I.; Churikov, D. V.

    2014-05-01

    A new class of weight and WA-systems of the Kravchenko-Kaiser functions which showed its efficiency in various physical applications is proposed and substantiated. This publication consists of three parts. In the first the Kravchenko-Kaiser weight functions are constructed on basis of the theory of atomic functions (AFs) and the Kaiser windows for the first time. In the second part new constructions of analytic WA-systems of the Kravchenko-Kaiser functions are costructed. In the third part their applications to problems of weight averaging of the difference frequency signals are considered. The numerical experiment and the physical analysis of the results for concrete physical models confirmed their efficiency. This class of functions can find wide physical applications in problems of digital signal processing, restoration of images, radar, radiometry, radio astronomy, remote sensing, etc.

  13. Foundations Invest In Environmental Health.

    PubMed

    Sessions, Kathryn; Fortunato, Karla; Johnson, Philip R S; Panek, Amy

    2016-11-01

    Nearly one in four deaths globally are due to environmental hazards such as air and water pollution, according to the World Health Organization. However, knowledge about how the environment affects health and health equity outcomes has not been well integrated into decisions that shape the conditions in which people live, work, and play. To address this challenge, US foundations have invested millions of dollars to make it easier to incorporate environmental health information into decisions ranging from family purchases and governmental policy making to business, medical, and other professional practices. This article summarizes grant making aimed at improving environmental conditions to improve health and health equity outcomes. We provide examples of environmental health grants that focus on tools that the public, policy makers, and professionals can use in making decisions. We found that the investment in and attention to environmental factors, including in work addressing social determinants of health, have been insufficient to realize the potential for reducing negative environmental impacts on health and health disparities. We argue that the grant making highlighted here has increased knowledge that could enable more widespread consideration of environmental health in many decisions, with positive effects on health and health equity. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  14. Health benefits in 2013: moderate premium increases in employer-sponsored plans.

    PubMed

    Claxton, Gary; Rae, Matthew; Panchal, Nirmita; Damico, Anthony; Whitmore, Heidi; Bostick, Nathan; Kenward, Kevin

    2013-09-01

    Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums rose moderately in 2013, the annual Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research and Educational Trust (Kaiser/HRET) Employer Health Benefits Survey found. In 2013 single coverage premiums rose 5 percent to $5,884, and family coverage premiums rose 4 percent to $16,351. The percentage of firms offering health benefits (57 percent) was similar to that in 2012, as was the percentage of workers at offering firms who were covered by their firm's health benefits (62 percent). The share of workers with a deductible for single coverage increased significantly from 2012, as did the share of workers in small firms with annual deductibles of $1,000 or more. Most firms (77 percent), including nearly all large employers, continued to offer wellness programs, but relatively few used incentives to encourage employees to participate. More than half of large employers offering health risk appraisals to workers offered financial incentives for completing the appraisal.

  15. Health assessment for Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation, Mead, Spokane County, Washington, Region 10. CERCLIS No. WAD000065508. Preliminary report

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

    Not Available

    1989-04-12

    The 240-acre Kaiser Aluminum Site is on the National Priorities List. The plant was built in 1942 as an aluminum-reduction facility. Concentrations of cyanide (total) in the river range from 0.011 to 1.7 parts per million (ppm) and free cyanide concentrations ranged from non-detected (ND) to 0.58 ppm. Soils on-site are contaminated with cyanide and fluoride; total cyanide levels range from ND to 985 ppm. The site is considered to be of potential public health concern because of the risk to human health caused by the possibility of exposure to hazardous substances via ingestion of contaminated ground water, dermal absorptionmore » of contaminants found in the surface soils on-site, and inhalation of and dermal contact with reentrained contaminated dust.« less

  16. [Private foundations Global Health Philanthropy: the problem of conflicts of interest].

    PubMed

    2011-01-01

    Private foundations Global Health Philanthropy: the problem of conflicts of interest. Private foundations are in a position where they are granted several privileges and are very powerful and able to influence global health. A recent article published on Plos Medicine, analyzing five of the largest health foundations highlights the network of interests and conflicts. Many private health foundations have associations with private food and pharmaceutical corporations. In some instances, these corporations directly benefit from foundations grants, and foundations in turn are invested in the corporations to which they award these grants.

  17. Comparative health systems research among Kaiser Permanente and other integrated delivery systems: a systematic literature review.

    PubMed

    Maeda, Jared Lane K; Lee, Karen M; Horberg, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Because of rising health care costs, wide variations in quality, and increased patient complexity, the US health care system is undergoing rapid changes that include payment reform and movement toward integrated delivery systems. Well-established integrated delivery systems, such as Kaiser Permanente (KP), should work to identify the specific system-level factors that result in superior patient outcomes in response to policymakers' concerns. Comparative health systems research can provide insights into which particular aspects of the integrated delivery system result in improved care delivery. To provide a baseline understanding of comparative health systems research related to integrated delivery systems and KP. Systematic literature review. We conducted a literature search on PubMed and the KP Publications Library. Studies that compared KP as a system or organization with other health care systems or across KP facilities internally were included. The literature search identified 1605 articles, of which 65 met the study inclusion criteria and were examined by 3 reviewers. Most comparative health systems studies focused on intra-KP comparisons (n = 42). Fewer studies compared KP with other US (n = 15) or international (n = 12) health care systems. Several themes emerged from the literature as possible factors that may contribute to improved care delivery in integrated delivery systems. Of all studies published by or about KP, only a small proportion of articles (4%) was identified as being comparative health systems research. Additional empirical studies that compare the specific factors of the integrated delivery system model with other systems of care are needed to better understand the "system-level" factors that result in improved and/or diminished care delivery.

  18. The organizational dynamics enabling patient portal impacts upon organizational performance and patient health: a qualitative study of Kaiser Permanente.

    PubMed

    Otte-Trojel, Terese; Rundall, Thomas G; de Bont, Antoinette; van de Klundert, Joris; Reed, Mary E

    2015-12-16

    Patient portals may lead to enhanced disease management, health plan retention, changes in channel utilization, and lower environmental waste. However, despite growing research on patient portals and their effects, our understanding of the organizational dynamics that explain how effects come about is limited. This paper uses qualitative methods to advance our understanding of the organizational dynamics that influence the impact of a patient portal on organizational performance and patient health. The study setting is Kaiser Permanente, the world's largest not-for-profit integrated delivery system, which has been using a portal for over ten years. We interviewed eighteen physician leaders and executives particularly knowledgeable about the portal to learn about how they believe the patient portal works and what organizational factors affect its workings. Our analytical framework centered on two research questions. (1) How does the patient portal impact care delivery to produce the documented effects?; and (2) What are the important organizational factors that influence the patient portal's development? We identify five ways in which the patient portal may impact care delivery to produce reported effects. First, the portal's ability to ease access to services improves some patients' satisfaction as well as changes the way patients seek care. Second, the transparency and activation of information enable some patients to better manage their care. Third, care management may also be improved through augmented patient-physician interaction. This augmented interaction may also increase the 'stickiness' of some patients to their providers. Forth, a similar effect may be triggered by a closer connection between Kaiser Permanente and patients, which may reduce the likelihood that patients will switch health plans. Finally, the portal may induce efficiencies in physician workflow and administrative tasks, stimulating certain operational savings and deeper involvement of

  19. For two regional health foundations, returns from the Kentucky Health Issues Poll are worth the investments.

    PubMed

    Walsh, Sarah E; Myers, Gail; Chubinski, Jennifer; Zepeda, Susan G

    2014-09-01

    With finite resources to advance their missions, regional health foundations should critically evaluate the investments they make. This article reviews the costs and associated benefits of large-scale public opinion polling--specifically, the annual Kentucky Health Issues Poll, which is sponsored by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and Interact for Health, formerly the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. In addition to the information generated by the poll, the sponsoring foundations have benefited from increased name recognition and credibility with key stakeholders, including state policy makers and the media. Furthermore, jointly funding the poll has strengthened the relationship between the sponsoring foundations and has fostered other key collaborations. We find that the benefits from this poll more than justify its modest costs ($120,000 per year) and hope that this assessment may prove informative for other funders considering similar investments. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  20. The Kaiser Permanente Clinician Cultural and Linguistic Assessment Initiative: Research and Development in Patient–Provider Language Concordance

    PubMed Central

    MSN, Gayle Tang; Lanza, Oscar; Rodriguez, Fátima Marinely; Chang, Annie

    2011-01-01

    Patient–clinician language concordance is a critical component of the language access equation and is considered the gold standard for communication. As a result of lack of validated testing standards, measures, and tools, Kaiser Permanente developed the Clinician Cultural and Linguistic Assessment Initiative to ensure verifiable linguistic proficiency in clinical encounters and has established a standard level whereby the clinician is deemed to have a qualifying level of proficiency in communicating directly with patients independent of an interpreter. Our benchmarking efforts in language concordance have been rooted with the key aim to identify talented bilingual and bicultural clinician workforce and to establish the systems foundation to coordinate appropriate language services. We share accomplishments, lessons learned, and promising practices to inform future efforts in language concordance. PMID:21228282

  1. Seven Foundational Principles of Population Health Policy.

    PubMed

    Bhattacharya, Dru; Bhatt, Jay

    2017-10-01

    In 2016, Keyes and Galea issued 9 foundational principles of population health science and invited further deliberations by specialists to advance the field. This article presents 7 foundational principles of population health policy whose intersection with health care, public health, preventive medicine, and now population health, presents unique challenges. These principles are in response to a number of overarching questions that have arisen in over a decade of the authors' collective practice in the public and private sectors, and having taught policy within programs of medicine, law, nursing, and public health at the graduate and executive levels. The principles address an audience of practitioners and policy makers, mindful of the pressing health care challenges of our time, including: rising health-related expenditures, an aging population, workforce shortages, health disparities, and a backdrop of inequities rooted in social determinants that have not been adequately translated into formal policies or practices among the key stakeholders in population health. These principles are meant to empower stakeholders-whether it is the planner or the practitioner, the decision maker or the dedicated caregiver-and inform the development of practical tools, research, and education.

  2. 20. Photocopy of drawing (1961 mechanical drawing by Kaiser Engineers) ...

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

    20. Photocopy of drawing (1961 mechanical drawing by Kaiser Engineers) ELECTRICAL LAYOUTS FOR VEHICLE SUPPORT BUILDING, SHEET E-2 - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Vehicle Support Building, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

  3. 18. Photocopy of drawing (1961 architectural drawing by Kaiser Engineers) ...

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

    18. Photocopy of drawing (1961 architectural drawing by Kaiser Engineers) FLOOR PLAN, ELEVATIONS, AND SCHEDULE FOR VEHICLE SUPPORT BUILDING, SHEET A-1 - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Vehicle Support Building, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

  4. 19. Photocopy of drawing (1961 piping drawing by Kaiser Engineers) ...

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

    19. Photocopy of drawing (1961 piping drawing by Kaiser Engineers) PIPING PLANS AND DETAILS FOR VEHICLE SUPPORT BUILDING, SHEET P-1 - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Vehicle Support Building, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

  5. Sierra Health Foundation's Positive Youth Justice Initiative. Briefing Paper

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sierra Health Foundation, 2012

    2012-01-01

    In December 2011, the Sierra Health Foundation board of directors approved a framework for a new youth development initiative. The framework built upon the foundation's recently concluded REACH Youth Development Program and incorporated findings and recommendations from the highly regarded "Healthy Youth/Healthy Regions" and…

  6. AGS Foundation for Health in Aging

    MedlinePlus

    Donate News About Foundation Contact Aging & Health A to Z Find a Geriatrics Healthcare Professional Medications & Older Adults Making Your Wishes Known Home & Community Being Prepared for an Emergency During hurricane season, it is more important than ever for older adults to plan ahead as much as possible. ...

  7. When Technique Is the Foundation of Health Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Downing, Raymond

    2012-01-01

    One of the clearest examples of a technological system, in the sense that Ellul discussed it, is contemporary biomedical health care. The foundation of technological systems is technique: efficient methods for achieving isolated goals. However, the goal of health care should be to achieve health in the full sense of wholeness. Traditional healing…

  8. 17. Photocopy of drawing (1961 civil engineering drawing by Kaiser ...

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

    17. Photocopy of drawing (1961 civil engineering drawing by Kaiser Engineers) SITE PLAN, PLOT PLAN, AND LOCATION MAP FOR VEHICLE SUPPORT BUILDING, SHEET C-1 - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Vehicle Support Building, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

  9. The Dilemma of Campus Upkeep: An Interview with Harvey Kaiser.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christian, Roslyn Stewart

    1984-01-01

    Deferred maintenance is reaching crisis proportion on many campuses. An overview of this priority for governing boards and a look at how trustees should be involved is presented in an interview of Harvey Kaiser, vice president for facilities administration at Syracuse University. (Author/MLW)

  10. The Kaiser Permanente Northwest Cardiovascular Risk Factor Management Program: A Model for All

    PubMed Central

    Joyce, Jodi S; Fetter, Martina M; Klopfenstein, Dean H; Nash, Michael K

    2005-01-01

    Proof of the effectiveness of preventive measures that reduce established risk traits for atherothrombotic disorders has spurred attempts to systematically apply these interventions among susceptible populations. One such attempt is the Cardiovascular Risk Factor Management (CVRFM) Program, launched in 2003 to optimize clinical management and outcomes for 75,000 Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region (KPNW) members with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) or hypertension. The CVRFM Program is a centralized, multidisciplinary, proactive telephone-based clinical management intervention consisting of an “outreach” call, an interview, a mailed individualized care plan and information packet, regular follow-up (including protocolized medication management) and—when “goal status” is achieved—transfer of the patient to a maintenance plan. Quarterly evaluation of effectiveness entailed measurement of a range of clinical, utilization, and member satisfaction outcomes. Results by the fourth quarter were outstanding: For example, >98% of participants with coronary disease or diabetes had LDL cholesterol testing, >90% of coronary patients received aspirin or statin treatment, 99% were “extremely” or “very” satisfied with the program, and reductions were observed in the number of hospitalizations and visits to the emergency department and clinic. Mathematical models predict a decrease in myocardial infarctions and cardiovascular mortality within two years after implementing the program, the underlying principles of which should yield similar improvement in other Kaiser Permanente (KP) Regions and in other health care organizations. PMID:21660155

  11. Bedrock Outcrops in Kaiser Crater

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-03-13

    This enhanced-color image from NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a patch of well-exposed bedrock on the floor of Kaiser Crater. The wind has stripped off the overlying soil, and created grooves and scallops in the bedrock. The narrow linear ridges are fractures that have been indurated, probably by precipitation of cementing minerals from groundwater flow. The rippled dark blue patches consist of sand. The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 25.3 centimeters (9.9 inches) per pixel (with 1 x 1 binning); objects on the order of 76 centimeters (29.9 inches) across are resolved.] North is up. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21559

  12. Responding to the Language Challenge: Kaiser Permanente's Approach

    PubMed Central

    Meyers, Kate; Tang, Gayle; Fernandez, Alicia

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To inform current debates on improving health care quality for patients with limited English proficiency by identifying the drivers and processes for one large health care delivery system's implementation of particular models, key success factors, and remaining challenges for the field. Study Design: A qualitative case study of the Kaiser Permanente (KP) San Francisco Medical Center's approach to developing linguistic access services and subsequent organizationwide initiatives. Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with eight current and former clinical and administrative leaders from the KP San Francisco Medical Center and national headquarters. Interviews were analyzed for key themes. Results: KP San Francisco Medical Center developed linguistic and cultural services in response to a confluence of external and internal factors, including changing demographics, care quality challenges, and patient and clinician satisfaction issues. Early strategies included development of language-specific care modules focused on Chinese- and Spanish-speaking members while meeting broader linguistic access and cultural-competency needs through a centralized Multicultural Services Center. Additional approaches across KP regions have focused on improving interpreter services, optimizing use of bilingual staff, and creating a translation infrastructure to improve quality and reduce redundancy in written translation efforts. Conclusions: KP's experiences developing linguistic and cultural care and services since the 1990s provide lessons about decision-making processes and approaches that may guide other health systems, insurers, and policy makers striving to improve care quality and safety for patients with limited English proficiency. PMID:20740094

  13. New York State Health Foundation grant helps health centers win federal expansion funds.

    PubMed

    Sandman, David; Cozine, Maureen

    2012-11-01

    With approximately 1.2 million New Yorkers poised to gain health insurance coverage as a result of federal health reform, demand for primary care services is likely to increase greatly. The Affordable Care Act includes $11 billion in funding to enhance primary care access at community health centers. Recognizing a need and an opportunity, in August 2010 the New York State Health Foundation made a grant of nearly $400,000 to the Community Health Care Association of New York State to work with twelve health centers to develop successful proposals for obtaining and using these federal funds. Ultimately, eleven of the twelve sites are expected to receive $25.6 million in federal grants over a five-year period-a sixty-four-fold return on the foundation's investment. This article describes the strategy for investing in community health centers; identifies key project activities, challenges, and lessons; and highlights its next steps for strengthening primary care.

  14. Kaiser Permanente's Convergent Medical Terminology.

    PubMed

    Dolin, Robert H; Mattison, John E; Cohn, Simon; Campbell, Keith E; Wiesenthal, Andrew M; Hochhalter, Brad; LaBerge, Diane; Barsoum, Rita; Shalaby, James; Abilla, Alan; Clements, Robert J; Correia, Carol M; Esteva, Diane; Fedack, John M; Goldberg, Bruce J; Gopalarao, Sridhar; Hafeza, Eza; Hendler, Peter; Hernandez, Enrique; Kamangar, Ron; Kahn, Rafique A; Kurtovich, Georgina; Lazzareschi, Gerry; Lee, Moon H; Lee, Tracy; Levy, David; Lukoff, Jonathan Y; Lundberg, Cyndie; Madden, Michael P; Ngo, Trongtu L; Nguyen, Ben T; Patel, Nikhilkumar P; Resneck, Jim; Ross, David E; Schwarz, Kathleen M; Selhorst, Charles C; Snyder, Aaron; Umarji, Mohamed I; Vilner, Max; Zer-Chen, Roy; Zingo, Chris

    2004-01-01

    This paper describes Kaiser Permanente's (KP) enterprise-wide medical terminology solution, referred to as our Convergent Medical Terminology (CMT). Initially developed to serve the needs of a regional electronic health record, CMT has evolved into a core KP asset, serving as the common terminology across all applications. CMT serves as the definitive source of concept definitions for the organization, provides a consistent structure and access method to all codes used by the organization, and is KP's language of interoperability, with cross-mappings to regional ancillary systems and administrative billing codes. The core of CMT is comprised of SNOMED CT, laboratory LOINC, and First DataBank drug terminology. These are integrated into a single poly-hierarchically structured knowledge base. Cross map sets provide bi-directional translations between CMT and ancillary applications and administrative billing codes. Context sets provide subsets of CMT for use in specific contexts. Our experience with CMT has lead us to conclude that a successful terminology solution requires that: (1) usability considerations are an organizational priority; (2) "interface" terminology is differentiated from "reference" terminology; (3) it be easy for clinicians to find the concepts they need; (4) the immediate value of coded data be apparent to clinician user; (5) there be a well defined approach to terminology extensions. Over the past several years, there has been substantial progress made in the domain coverage and standardization of medical terminology. KP has learned to exploit that terminology in ways that are clinician-acceptable and that provide powerful options for data analysis and reporting.

  15. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's grant-making programme for global health.

    PubMed

    McCoy, David; Kembhavi, Gayatri; Patel, Jinesh; Luintel, Akish

    2009-05-09

    The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a major contributor to global health; its influence on international health policy and the design of global health programmes and initiatives is profound. Although the foundation's contribution to global health generally receives acclaim, fairly little is known about its grant-making programme. We undertook an analysis of 1094 global health grants awarded between January, 1998, and December, 2007. We found that the total value of these grants was US$8.95 billion, of which $5.82 billion (65%) was shared by only 20 organisations. Nevertheless, a wide range of global health organisations, such as WHO, the GAVI Alliance, the World Bank, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, prominent universities, and non-governmental organisations received grants. $3.62 billion (40% of all funding) was given to supranational organisations. Of the remaining amount, 82% went to recipients based in the USA. Just over a third ($3.27 billion) of funding was allocated to research and development (mainly for vaccines and microbicides), or to basic science research. The findings of this report raise several questions about the foundation's global health grant-making programme, which needs further research and assessment.

  16. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, and Kaiser Permanente Nationwide Health Information Network exchange in San Diego: patient selection, consent, and identity matching.

    PubMed

    Bouhaddou, Omar; Bennett, Jamie; Cromwell, Tim; Nixon, Graham; Teal, Jennifer; Davis, Mike; Smith, Robert; Fischetti, Linda; Parker, David; Gillen, Zachary; Mattison, John

    2011-01-01

    The Nationwide Health Information Network allow for the secure exchange of Electronic Health Records over the Internet. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, and Kaiser Permanente, participated in an implementation of the NwHIN specifications in San Diego, California. This paper focuses primarily on patient involvement. Specifically, it describes how the shared patients were identified, were invited to participate and to provide consent for disclosing parts of their medical record, and were matched across organizations. A total 1,144 were identified as shared patients. Invitation letters containing consent forms were mailed and resulted in 42% participation. Invalid consent forms were a significant issue (25%). Initially, the identity matching algorithms yielded low success rate (5%). However, elimination of certain traits and abbreviations and probabilistic algorithms have significantly increased matching rate. Access to information from external sources better informs providers, improves decisions and efficiency, and helps meet the meaningful use criteria.

  17. Kaiser Permanente National Hand Hygiene Program

    PubMed Central

    Barnes, Sue; Barron, Dana; Becker, Linda; Canola, Teresa; Salemi, Charles

    2004-01-01

    Objective: Hand hygiene has historically been identified as an important intervention for preventing infection acquired in health care settings. Recently, the advent of waterless, alcohol-based skin degermer and elimination of artificial nails have been recognized as other important interventions for preventing infection. Supplied with this information, the National Infection Control Peer Group convened a KP Hand Hygiene Work Group, which, in August 2001, launched a National Hand Hygiene Program initiative titled “Infection Control: It’s In Our Hands” to increase compliance with hand hygiene throughout the Kaiser Permanente (KP) organization. Design: The infection control initiative was designed to include employee and physician education as well as to implement standard hand hygiene products (eg, alcohol degermers), eliminate use of artificial nails, and monitor outcomes. Results: From 2001 through September 2003, the National KP Hand Hygiene Work Group coordinated implementation of the Hand Hygiene initiative throughout the KP organization. To date, outcome monitoring has shown a 26% increase in compliance with hand hygiene as well as a decrease in the number of bloodstream infections and methycillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. As of May 2003, use of artificial nails had been reduced by 97% nationwide. Conclusions: Endorsement of this Hand Hygiene Program initiative by KP leadership has led to implementation of the initiative at all medical centers throughout the KP organization. Outcome indicators to date suggest that the initiative has been successful; final outcome monitoring will be completed in December 2003. PMID:26704605

  18. Observations of the Kaiser effect under multiaxial stress states: Implications for its use in determining in situ stress

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

    Holcomb, D.J.

    1993-10-08

    Experimental tests of the Kaiser effect, the stress-history dependence of acoustic emission production, show that interactions between principal stresses cannot be ignored as is commonly done when trying to use the Kaiser effect to determine in situ stress. Experimental results obtained under multiaxial stress states are explained in terms of a qualitative model. The results show that the commonly-used technique of loading uniaxially along various directions to determine stress history must be reevaluated as it cannot be justified in terms of the laboratory experiments. One possible resolution of the conflict between laboratory and field results is that the Kaiser effectmore » phenomenon observed in cores retrieved from the earth is not the same phenomenon as is observed in rock loaded under laboratory conditions.« less

  19. Philanthropy and the nation-state in global health: The Gates Foundation in India.

    PubMed

    Mahajan, Manjari

    2017-12-15

    In recent years, philanthropic actors such as the Gates Foundation have been understood as commanding sweeping influence in global health. They have been associated with the outsourcing of public health services, shifting of policy priorities, and the eventual sidelining of national governments. This article makes a different argument about the impact of global philanthropic actors. It focuses on the work of the Gates Foundation in India over the last decade and a half, tracing how the foundation initially circumvented the national government but then moved on to a discourse of partnership. Ironically, after an early discounting of the role of the government, the foundation later sought to transition its programmes to the state. The foundation's evolving trajectory reflects its experiences on the ground and also the difficulties of realising its original ambitions. While the foundation's work in India is marked by ebbs and flows, the state's institutions remain constant. The article argues that there is not always a straightforward marginalisation of the government vis-à-vis global philanthropic actors. Actors such as the Gates Foundation, perceived as enormously powerful in global health institutions in Geneva and New York, may have a far more qualified impact in large developing countries such as India.

  20. Establishing a health promotion and development foundation in South Africa.

    PubMed

    Perez, A M; Ayo-Yusuf, O A; Hofman, K; Kalideen, S; Maker, A; Mokonoto, D; Morojele, N; Naidoo, P; Parry, C D H; Rendall-Mkosi, K; Saloojee, Y

    2013-01-14

    South Africa has a 'quadruple burden of disease'. One way to reduce this burden, and address the social determinants of health and social inequity, could be through health promotion interventions driven by an independent Health Promotion and Development Foundation (HPDF). This could provide a framework to integrate health promotion and social development into all government and civil society programmes. On priority issues, the HPDF would mobilise resources, allocate funding, develop capacity, and monitor and evaluate health promotion and development work. Emphasis would be on reducing the effects of poverty, inequity and unequal development on disease rates and wellbeing. The HPDF could also decrease the burden on the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) system. We reflect on such foundations in other countries, and propose a structure for South Africa's HPDF and a dedicated funding stream to support its activities. In particular, an additional 2% levy on alcohol and tobacco products is proposed to be utilised to fund the HPDF.

  1. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, and Kaiser Permanente Nationwide Health Information Network Exchange in San Diego: Patient Selection, Consent, and Identity Matching

    PubMed Central

    Bouhaddou, Omar; Bennett, Jamie; Cromwell, Tim; Nixon, Graham; Teal, Jennifer; Davis, Mike; Smith, Robert; Fischetti, Linda; Parker, David; Gillen, Zachary; Mattison, John

    2011-01-01

    The Nationwide Health Information Network allow for the secure exchange of Electronic Health Records over the Internet. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, and Kaiser Permanente, participated in an implementation of the NwHIN specifications in San Diego, California. This paper focuses primarily on patient involvement. Specifically, it describes how the shared patients were identified, were invited to participate and to provide consent for disclosing parts of their medical record, and were matched across organizations. A total 1,144 were identified as shared patients. Invitation letters containing consent forms were mailed and resulted in 42% participation. Invalid consent forms were a significant issue (25%). Initially, the identity matching algorithms yielded low success rate (5%). However, elimination of certain traits and abbreviations and probabilistic algorithms have significantly increased matching rate. Access to information from external sources better informs providers, improves decisions and efficiency, and helps meet the meaningful use criteria. PMID:22195064

  2. Primary Health Care and Public Health: Foundations of Universal Health Systems

    PubMed Central

    White, Franklin

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this review is to advocate for more integrated and universally accessible health systems, built on a foundation of primary health care and public health. The perspective outlined identified health systems as the frame of reference, clarified terminology and examined complementary perspectives on health. It explored the prospects for universal and integrated health systems from a global perspective, the role of healthy public policy in achieving population health and the value of the social-ecological model in guiding how best to align the components of an integrated health service. The importance of an ethical private sector in partnership with the public sector is recognized. Most health systems around the world, still heavily focused on illness, are doing relatively little to optimize health and minimize illness burdens, especially for vulnerable groups. This failure to improve the underlying conditions for health is compounded by insufficient allocation of resources to address priority needs with equity (universality, accessibility and affordability). Finally, public health and primary health care are the cornerstones of sustainable health systems, and this should be reflected in the health policies and professional education systems of all nations wishing to achieve a health system that is effective, equitable, efficient and affordable. PMID:25591411

  3. Primary health care and public health: foundations of universal health systems.

    PubMed

    White, Franklin

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this review is to advocate for more integrated and universally accessible health systems, built on a foundation of primary health care and public health. The perspective outlined identified health systems as the frame of reference, clarified terminology and examined complementary perspectives on health. It explored the prospects for universal and integrated health systems from a global perspective, the role of healthy public policy in achieving population health and the value of the social-ecological model in guiding how best to align the components of an integrated health service. The importance of an ethical private sector in partnership with the public sector is recognized. Most health systems around the world, still heavily focused on illness, are doing relatively little to optimize health and minimize illness burdens, especially for vulnerable groups. This failure to improve the underlying conditions for health is compounded by insufficient allocation of resources to address priority needs with equity (universality, accessibility and affordability). Finally, public health and primary health care are the cornerstones of sustainable health systems, and this should be reflected in the health policies and professional education systems of all nations wishing to achieve a health system that is effective, equitable, efficient and affordable. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  4. Adult Day Services

    MedlinePlus

    ... views of various members of the National Adult Day Services Association. 2. U.S. Health Care Costs: Background Brief , The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (2008) (www.kaiseredu.org); excerpt ...

  5. 75 FR 66302 - Establishment of Class E Airspace; Kaiser/Lake Ozark, MO

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-28

    ... Class E airspace for the Kaiser/Lake Ozark, MO, area to accommodate Area Navigation (RNAV) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAP) at Camdenton Memorial Airport, Camdenton, MO. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) operations at the airport...

  6. Health Benefits In 2016: Family Premiums Rose Modestly, And Offer Rates Remained Stable.

    PubMed

    Claxton, Gary; Rae, Matthew; Long, Michelle; Damico, Anthony; Whitmore, Heidi; Foster, Gregory

    2016-10-01

    The annual Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research and Educational Trust Employer Health Benefits Survey found that in 2016, average annual premiums (employer and worker contributions combined) were $6,435 for single coverage and $18,142 for family coverage. The family premium in 2016 was 3 percent higher than that in 2015. On average, workers contributed 18 percent of the premium for single coverage and 30 percent for family coverage. The share of firms offering health benefits (56 percent) and of workers covered by their employers' plans (62 percent) remained statistically unchanged from 2015. Employers continued to offer financial incentives for completing wellness or health promotion activities. Almost three in ten covered workers were enrolled in a high-deductible plan with a savings option-a significant increase from 2014. The 2016 survey included new questions on cost sharing for specialty drugs and on the prevalence of incentives for employees to seek care at alternative settings. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  7. Foundational workplace safety and health competencies for the emerging workforce.

    PubMed

    Okun, Andrea H; Guerin, Rebecca J; Schulte, Paul A

    2016-12-01

    Young workers (aged 15-24) suffer disproportionately from workplace injuries, with a nonfatal injury rate estimated to be two times higher than among workers age 25 or over. These workers make up approximately 9% of the U.S. workforce and studies have shown that nearly 80% of high school students work at some point during high school. Although young worker injuries are a pressing public health problem, the critical knowledge and skills needed to prepare youth for safe and healthy work are missing from most frameworks used to prepare the emerging U.S. workforce. A framework of foundational workplace safety and health knowledge and skills (the NIOSH 8 Core Competencies) was developed based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). The proposed NIOSH Core Competencies utilize the HBM to provide a framework for foundational workplace safety and health knowledge and skills. An examination of how these competencies and the HBM apply to actions that workers take to protect themselves is provided. The social and physical environments that influence these actions are also discussed. The NIOSH 8 Core Competencies, grounded in one of the most widely used health behavior theories, fill a critical gap in preparing the emerging U.S. workforce to be cognizant of workplace risks. Integration of the NIOSH 8 Core Competencies into school curricula is one way to ensure that every young person has the foundational workplace safety and health knowledge and skills to participate in, and benefit from, safe and healthy work. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  8. Foundational workplace safety and health competencies for the emerging workforce☆

    PubMed Central

    Okun, Andrea H.; Guerin, Rebecca J.; Schulte, Paul A.

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Young workers (aged 15–24) suffer disproportionately from workplace injuries, with a nonfatal injury rate estimated to be two times higher than among workers age 25 or over. These workers make up approximately 9% of the U.S. workforce and studies have shown that nearly 80% of high school students work at some point during high school. Although young worker injuries are a pressing public health problem, the critical knowledge and skills needed to prepare youth for safe and healthy work are missing from most frameworks used to prepare the emerging U.S. workforce. Methods A framework of foundational workplace safety and health knowledge and skills (the NIOSH 8 Core Competencies)was developed based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). Results The proposed NIOSH Core Competencies utilize the HBM to provide a framework for foundational workplace safety and health knowledge and skills. An examination of how these competencies and the HBM apply to actions that workers take to protect themselves is provided. The social and physical environments that influence these actions are also discussed. Conclusions The NIOSH 8 Core Competencies, grounded in one of the most widely used health behavior theories, fill a critical gap in preparing the emerging U.S. workforce to be cognizant of workplace risks. Practical applications Integration of the NIOSH 8 Core Competencies into school curricula is one way to ensure that every young person has the foundational workplace safety and health knowledge and skills to participate in, and benefit from, safe and healthy work. National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. PMID:27846998

  9. Type C investigation of electrical fabrication projects in ICF Kaiser shops

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

    Huckfeldt, R.A.

    1995-06-01

    A Type C Investigation Board was convened to investigate an electrical miswiring problem found during the operation of the electrical distribution trailer for the TWRS Rotary Mode Core Sampling Truck {number_sign}2. The trailer was designed by WHC and fabricated ICF KH on site for use in the Characterization Program. This problem resulted in a serious safety hazard since the support truck frame/chassis became electrically energized. This final report provides results of the ``Type C Investigation, Electrical Fabrication Projects in ICF KH Shops, June, 1995.`` It contains the investigation scope, executive summary, relevant facts, analysis, conclusions and corrective actions. DOE Ordermore » 5484.1, ``Environmental Protection, Safety and Health Protection Information Reporting Requirements,`` was followed in preparation of this report. Because the incident was electrical in nature and involved both Westinghouse Hanford Company and ICF Kaiser Hanford organizations, the board included members from both contractors and members with considerable electrical expertise.« less

  10. Site support program plan for ICF Kaiser Hanford Company, Revision 1

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

    NONE

    1995-10-01

    This document is the general administrative plan implemented by the Hanford Site contractor, ICF Kaiser Hanford Company. It describes the mission, administrative structure, projected staffing, to be provided by the contractor. The report breaks out the work responsibilities within the different units of the company, a baseline schedule for the different groups, and a cost summary for the different operating units.

  11. Globalizing rehabilitation psychology: Application of foundational principles to global health and rehabilitation challenges.

    PubMed

    Bentley, Jacob A; Bruyère, Susanne M; LeBlanc, Jeanne; MacLachlan, Malcolm

    2016-02-01

    This article reviewed foundational principles in rehabilitation psychology and explored their application to global health imperatives as outlined in the World Report on Disability (World Health Organization & World Bank, 2011). Historical theories and perspectives are used to assist with conceptual formulation as applied to emerging international rehabilitation psychology topics. According to the World Report on Disability (World Health Organization & World Bank, 2011), there are approximately 1 billion individuals living with some form of disability globally. An estimated 80% of persons with disabilities live in low- to middle-income countries (WHO, 2006). The primary messages and recommendations of the World Report on Disability have been previously summarized as it relates to potential opportunities for contribution within the field of rehabilitation psychology (MacLachlan & Mannan, 2014). Yet, undeniable barriers remain to realizing the full potential for contributions in low- to middle-income country settings. A vision for engaging in international capacity building and public health efforts is needed within the field of rehabilitation psychology. Foundational rehabilitation psychology principles have application to the service of individuals with disabilities in areas of the world facing complex socioeconomic and sociopolitical challenges. Foundational principles of person-environment interaction, importance of social context, and need for involvement of persons with disabilities can provide guidance to the field as it relates to global health and rehabilitation efforts. The authors illustrate the application of rehabilitation psychology foundational principles through case examples and description of ongoing work, and link foundational principles to discreet domains of intervention going forward. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  12. Health Benefits In 2015: Stable Trends In The Employer Market.

    PubMed

    Claxton, Gary; Rae, Matthew; Panchal, Nirmita; Whitmore, Heidi; Damico, Anthony; Kenward, Kevin; Long, Michelle

    2015-10-01

    The annual Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research and Educational Trust Employer Health Benefits Survey found that in 2015, average annual premiums (employer and worker contributions combined) were $6,251 for single coverage and $17,545 for family coverage. Both premiums rose 4 percent from 2014, continuing several years of modest growth. The percentage of firms offering health benefits and the percentage of workers covered by their employers' plans remained statistically unchanged from 2014. Eighty-one percent of covered workers were enrolled in a plan with a general annual deductible. Among those workers, the average deductible for single coverage was $1,318. Half of large employers either offered employees the opportunity or required them to complete biometric screening. Of firms that offer an incentive for completing the screening, 20 percent provide employees with incentives or penalties that are tied to meeting those biometric outcomes. The 2015 survey included new questions on financial incentives to complete wellness programs and meet specified biometric outcomes as well as questions about narrow networks and employers' strategies related to the high-cost plan tax and the employer shared-responsibility provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  13. Turning point: the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's effort to revitalize public health at the state level.

    PubMed

    Hassmiller, Susan

    2002-01-01

    The Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Foundation initiated Turning Point in collaboration with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Kellogg) in 1997. The purpose of this major national initiative was to strengthen the public health infrastructure in the United States so that states, local communities, and their public health agencies might respond to the challenge to protect and improve the public's health in the 21st century. RWJ funded 21 states and Kellogg funded 43 communities to work together to create a new way of thinking about how health could be improved and who should be involved. Although the ultimate outcome was to improve health, both foundations expected diverse partnerships to work together to create strategic health improvement plans at both the community and state levels. The foundations funded a variety of strategies within those health improvement plans during an implementation phase. The premise in funding partnerships, as opposed to a single entity, was that effective public health systems would be developed best through a shared responsibility (including the private sector) for the health of a community.

  14. Kaiser Permanente Creatinine Safety Program: A Mechanism to Ensure Widespread Detection and Care for Chronic Kidney Disease.

    PubMed

    Sim, John J; Rutkowski, Mark P; Selevan, David C; Batech, Michael; Timmins, Royann; Slezak, Jeff M; Jacobsen, Steven J; Kanter, Michael H

    2015-11-01

    Chronic kidney disease is highly prevalent but is challenging to diagnose because of the need to establish chronicity. Within the current healthcare environment, a single abnormal creatinine measurement often can go without a follow-up, which can lead to missed diagnoses or diagnostic errors. The Kaiser Permanente Southern California creatinine safety program (the Creatinine SureNet) was created to help ensure that all single abnormal creatinine results had a follow-up evaluation. In the period February 1, 2010, to March 1, 2014, the electronic health records were used to capture individuals with single abnormal creatinine results that went >90 days without a repeat measurement. A coordinated effort among a centralized regional nurse and providers was used to communicate with patients and order a repeat creatinine measurement. A total of 12,396 individuals were identified (84% ambulatory care encounters). A total of 6981 individuals (52%) followed up with a repeat measurement. Female patients, non-Hispanic whites, and older individuals were more likely to obtain a repeat measurement. Subsequently, 3668 individuals had chronic kidney disease confirmed. Within 6 months, 1550 patients had chart documentation of their chronic kidney disease and 336 patients had a nephrology consultation. The ambulatory care environment, given its high volume and various prioritizations, is an under-recognized area where diagnostic errors are not uncommon and failure to follow up on abnormal test results can occur routinely. The Kaiser Permanente Southern California Creatinine SureNet program leverages the electronic health records and its multidisciplinary resources in an effort to ensure that patients with potential chronic kidney disease are identified and managed properly. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Crack Identification in CFRP Laminated Beams Using Multi-Resolution Modal Teager–Kaiser Energy under Noisy Environments

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Wei; Cao, Maosen; Ding, Keqin; Radzieński, Maciej; Ostachowicz, Wiesław

    2017-01-01

    Carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminates are increasingly used in the aerospace and civil engineering fields. Identifying cracks in carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminated beam components is of considerable significance for ensuring the integrity and safety of the whole structures. With the development of high-resolution measurement technologies, mode-shape-based crack identification in such laminated beam components has become an active research focus. Despite its sensitivity to cracks, however, this method is susceptible to noise. To address this deficiency, this study proposes a new concept of multi-resolution modal Teager–Kaiser energy, which is the Teager–Kaiser energy of a mode shape represented in multi-resolution, for identifying cracks in carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminated beams. The efficacy of this concept is analytically demonstrated by identifying cracks in Timoshenko beams with general boundary conditions; and its applicability is validated by diagnosing cracks in a carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminated beam, whose mode shapes are precisely acquired via non-contact measurement using a scanning laser vibrometer. The analytical and experimental results show that multi-resolution modal Teager–Kaiser energy is capable of designating the presence and location of cracks in these beams under noisy environments. This proposed method holds promise for developing crack identification systems for carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminates. PMID:28773016

  16. Mineralogical control on thermal damage and the presence of a thermal Kaiser effect during temperature-cycling experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Browning, J.; Daoud, A.; Meredith, P. G.; Mitchell, T. M.

    2017-12-01

    Volcanic and geothermal systems are in part controlled by the mechanical and thermal stresses acting on them and so it is important to understand the response of volcanic rocks to thermo-mechanical loading. One such response is the well-known `Kaiser stress-memory' effect observed under cyclic mechanical loading. By contrast, the presence of an analogous `Kaiser temperature-memory effect' during cyclic thermal loading has received little attention. We have therefore explored the possibility of a Kaiser temperature-memory effect using three igneous rocks of different composition, grain size and origin; Slaufrudalur Granophyre (SGP), Nea Kameni Andesite (NKA) and Seljadalur Basalt (SB). We present results from a series of thermal stressing experiments in which acoustic emissions (AE) were recorded contemporaneously with changing temperature. Samples of each rock were subjected to both a single heating and cooling cycle to a maximum temperature of 900 °C and multiple heating/cooling cycles to peak temperatures of 350°C, 500°C, 700°C and 900 °C (all at a constant rate of 1°C/min on heating and a natural cooling rate of <1°C/min). Porosity, permeability and P-wave velocity measurements were made on each sample both before and after thermal treatment. We use the onset of AEs as a proxy for the onset of thermal cracking. This clearly demonstrates the presence of a Kaiser temperature-memory effect in SGP, but not in either NKA and SB. We further find that the vast majority of thermal crack damage is generated upon cooling in the finer grained materials (NKA and SB), but that substantial thermal crack damage is generated during heating in the coarser grained SGP. The total amount of crack damage generated due to heating or cooling is dependent on the mineral composition and, most importantly, the grain size and arrangement, as well as the maximum temperature to which the rock is exposed. Knowledge of thermal stress history and the presence of a Kaiser temperature

  17. Public health foundations and the tobacco industry: lessons from Minnesota

    PubMed Central

    Ibrahim, J; Tsoukalas, T; Glantz, S

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To investigate whether private foundations can be created in a way that will insulate them from attacks by the tobacco industry, using the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT) as a case study. Design: Information was collected from internal tobacco industry documents, court documents, newspapers, and interviews with health advocates and elected officials. Results: The creation of MPAAT as an independent foundation did not insulate it from attacks by tobacco industry allies. During 2001–2002, MPAAT was repeatedly attacked by Attorney General Mike Hatch and major media, using standard tobacco industry rhetoric. This strategy of attack and demands for information were reminiscent of previous attacks on Minnesota's Plan for Nonsmoking and Health and the American Stop Smoking Intervention Study (ASSIST). MPAAT was ultimately forced to restructure its programme to abandon effective community norm change interventions around smoke-free policies and replace them with less effective individual cessation interventions. Neither MPAAT nor other health advocates mounted an effective public response to these attacks, instead relying on the insider strategy of responding in court. Conclusion: It is not possible to avoid attacks by the tobacco industry or its political allies. Like programmes administered by government agencies, tobacco control foundations must be prepared for these attacks, including a proactive plan to educate the public about the principles of community based tobacco control. Public health advocates also need to be willing to take prompt action to defend these programmes and hold public officials who attack tobacco control programmes accountable for their actions. PMID:15333877

  18. Development of a Rating Form to Evaluate Grant Applications to the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whaley, Arthur L.; Rodriguez, Reymundo; Alexander, Laurel A.

    2006-01-01

    Reliance on subjective grant proposal review methods leads private philanthropies to underfund mental health programs, even when foundations have mental health focuses. This article describes a private mental health foundation's efforts to increase the objectivity of its proposal review process by developing a reliable, valid proposal rating form.…

  19. Health benefits in 2014: stability in premiums and coverage for employer-sponsored plans.

    PubMed

    Claxton, Gary; Rae, Matthew; Panchal, Nirmita; Whitmore, Heidi; Damico, Anthony; Kenward, Kevin

    2014-10-01

    The annual Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research and Educational Trust Employer Health Benefits Survey found that in 2014 the average annual premium (employer and worker contributions combined) for single coverage was $6,025, similar to 2013. The premium for family coverage was $16,834--3 percent higher than a year ago. Average deductibles and most other cost-sharing amounts were similar to those in 2013. On average, in 2014 covered workers paid nearly $5,000 per year for family health insurance premiums, and 18 percent of covered workers were in a plan with an annual single coverage deductible of $2,000 or more. Fifty-five percent of employers offered health benefits in 2014, similar to 2013. The Affordable Care Act has not yet led to substantial changes in the employer-based market. However, the next few years could present a different picture as delayed provisions and other changes take effect. This year's survey included new questions on firms' policies related to enrolling spouses and dependents, enrollment in private exchanges, and the use of narrow networks and financial incentives for wellness programs. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  20. The role of foundations: Rockefeller Foundation.

    PubMed

    Rockefeller, David

    The consequences of climate change and the impacts of human activity on the environment have made it clearer than ever before that we must evolve our current model of public health to better account for the inextricable link between human health and the natural systems on which it depends-creating a "public health 2.0" that builds on the innovations of the twentieth century to account for a world where humans have bypassed planetary boundaries to achieve well-being. First coined at the Rockefeller Foundation's Centennial gathering in Beijing in 2013, "Planetary Health" will factor in future health and environmental harms over present-day gains, particularly those that disproportionately affect the poor and those in developing nations. To build this new field, foundations must address the challenge of information, increasing support for research to bridge knowledge gaps on the links between economic development, natural systems, and human health.

  1. 75 FR 61246 - Kaiser Federal Financial Group, Inc., Covina, CA; Approval of Conversion Application

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-04

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Thrift Supervision [AC-51: OTS No. H-4729] Kaiser Federal Financial Group, Inc., Covina, CA; Approval of Conversion Application Notice is hereby given that on September 28, 2010, the Office of Thrift Supervision approved the application of K-Fed Mutual Holding...

  2. A Conversation About Health Care Reform

    PubMed Central

    Fuchs, Victor R.

    1994-01-01

    Professor Victor R. Fuchs is the Henry J. Kaiser Jr Professor at Stanford (California) University, where he applies economic analysis to social problems of national concern, with special emphasis on health and medical care. He holds joint appointments in the Economics Department and the School of Medicine's Department of Health Research and Policy. Professor Fuchs is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Economic Association and a member of the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. He was the first economist to receive the Distinguished Investigator Award of the Association for Health Services Research and has also received the Baxter Foundation Health Services Research Prize. Professor Fuchs is president-elect of the American Economic Association. His latest book, The Future of Health Policy, was published by Harvard University Press in 1993. The following edited conversation between Professor Fuchs and Linda Hawes Clever, MD, Editor of the journal, took place on April 8, 1994. PMID:7941523

  3. Diagnosing the Kaiser: Psychiatry, Wilhelm II and the Question of German War Guilt The William Bynum Prize Essay 2016.

    PubMed

    Freis, David

    2018-07-01

    After his abdication in November 1918, the German emperor Wilhelm II continued to haunt the minds of his people. With the abolition of the lese-majesty laws in the new republic, many topics that were only discussed privately or obliquely before could now be broached openly. One of these topics was the mental state of the exiled Kaiser. Numerous psychiatrists, physicians and laypeople published their diagnoses of Wilhelm in high-circulation newspaper articles, pamphlets, and books shortly after the end of the war. Whether these diagnoses were accurate and whether the Kaiser really was mentally ill became the issue of a heated debate.This article situates these diagnoses of Wilhelm II in their political context. The authors of these diagnoses - none of whom had met or examined Wilhelm II in person - came from all political camps and they wrote with very different motives in mind. Diagnosing the exiled Kaiser as mentally ill was a kind of exorcism of the Hohenzollern rule, opening the way for either a socialist republic or the hoped-for rule of a new leader. But more importantly, it was a way to discuss and allocate political responsibility and culpability. Psychiatric diagnoses were used to exonerate both the Emperor (for whom the treaty of Versailles provided a tribunal as war criminal) and the German nation. They were also used to blame the Kaiser's entourage and groups that had allegedly manipulated the weak-willed monarch. Medical concepts became a vehicle for a debate on the key political questions in interwar Germany.

  4. Vincristine-associated Neuropathy With Antifungal Usage: A Kaiser Northern California Experience.

    PubMed

    Nikanjam, Mina; Sun, Aida; Albers, Mark; Mangalindin, Kristine; Song, Eyun; Vempaty, Hyma; Sam, Danny; Capparelli, Edmund V

    2018-05-16

    The dose-limiting toxicity for vincristine is peripheral neuropathy which can be potentiated with concurrent usage of azole antifungals. The current retrospective study assessed the incidence of concurrent vincristine and azole antifungal usage to determine if it led to increased neurotoxicity for the Kaiser Northern California pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and Hodgkin lymphoma patient population. Data were obtained from the electronic medical record (2007 to 2014). In total, 130 subjects received at least one dose of vincristine for ALL or Hodgkin lymphoma (median age 9, 88% ALL, 58% male, 47% Caucasian). Thirty one percent of patients received concurrent antifungal usage (fluconazole, 78%; voriconazole, 10%; fluconazole/voriconazole, 12%); however, concurrent antifungal usage accounted for <15% of vincristine doses. Grade 2 or greater neuropathy occurred in 51% of patients; grade 3 neuropathy was present in 8% of patients. No difference in the incidence of grade 2 or greater neuropathy was observed with the concurrent use of antifungal therapy (P=0.35), sex (P=0.59), type of cancer (P=0.41), ethnicity (P=0.29), or age (P=0.39), but was higher with increasing amount of vincristine doses (P=0.004). These results suggest that concurrent azole antifungal usage with vincristine for patients with ALL and Hodgkin lymphoma was low in the Kaiser Northern California population and limited usage as needed may be reasonable and safe.

  5. Instrument Development of Integrative Health and Wellness Assessment™.

    PubMed

    McElligott, Deborah; Eckardt, Sarah; Montgomery Dossey, Barbara; Luck, Susan; Eckardt, Patricia

    2017-12-01

    The nurse coach role was developed to address the needs of our nation and the world for health and wellbeing. The Theory of Integrative Nurse Coaching provides a foundation for coaching interventions supporting health promotion, and a framework for the development of the Integrative Health and Wellness Assessment (IHWA) short form. This 36-question Likert-type scale self-reporting tool assists participants in assessing healthy behaviors through a self-reflection process, provides information for the coaching relationship, and may be an outcome measurement. This article describes the history of the IHWA tool and the development and pilot testing of the IHWA short form using guidelines provided by DeVellis. Results of the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test yielded a value of .520, and the Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant. Cronbach's alpha overall scale internal consistency was .88 ( n = 36). Pilot study results indicate that the scale could be improved through additional revision, and an ongoing study is in progress.

  6. Knowledge for better health: a conceptual framework and foundation for health research systems.

    PubMed Central

    Pang, Tikki; Sadana, Ritu; Hanney, Steve; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.; Hyder, Adnan A.; Simon, Jonathon

    2003-01-01

    Health research generates knowledge that can be utilized to improve health system performance and, ultimately, health and health equity. We propose a conceptual framework for health research systems (HRSs) that defines their boundaries, components, goals, and functions. The framework adopts a systems perspective towards HRSs and serves as a foundation for constructing a practical approach to describe and analyse HRSs. The analysis of HRSs should, in turn, provide a better understanding of how research contributes to gains in health and health equity. In this framework, the intrinsic goals of the HRS are the advancement of scientific knowledge and the utilization of knowledge to improve health and health equity. Its four principal functions are stewardship, financing, creating and sustaining resources, and producing and using research. The framework, as it is applied in consultation with countries, will provide countries and donor agencies with relevant inputs to policies and strategies for strengthening HRSs and using knowledge for better health. PMID:14758408

  7. Knowledge for better health: a conceptual framework and foundation for health research systems.

    PubMed

    Pang, Tikki; Sadana, Ritu; Hanney, Steve; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A; Hyder, Adnan A; Simon, Jonathon

    2003-01-01

    Health research generates knowledge that can be utilized to improve health system performance and, ultimately, health and health equity. We propose a conceptual framework for health research systems (HRSs) that defines their boundaries, components, goals, and functions. The framework adopts a systems perspective towards HRSs and serves as a foundation for constructing a practical approach to describe and analyse HRSs. The analysis of HRSs should, in turn, provide a better understanding of how research contributes to gains in health and health equity. In this framework, the intrinsic goals of the HRS are the advancement of scientific knowledge and the utilization of knowledge to improve health and health equity. Its four principal functions are stewardship, financing, creating and sustaining resources, and producing and using research. The framework, as it is applied in consultation with countries, will provide countries and donor agencies with relevant inputs to policies and strategies for strengthening HRSs and using knowledge for better health.

  8. Laying the Foundations of Lifelong Health at the Beginning of Life: Islamic Perspective.

    PubMed

    Alimohammadi, Nasrollah; Jafari-Mianaei, Soheila; Bankipoor-Fard, Amir-Hossein; Hasanpour, Marzieh

    2017-08-23

    In this systematic literature review, all the Shiite-Islamic documents (Quran and Hadith) without any time limitation were surveyed, analyzed and synthesized for the purpose of determining the foundations of lifelong health. The data were analyzed and combined using inductive qualitative content analysis method. Two main categories were emerged from the analysis: "prevention of health problems" and "health maintenance and promotion." In conclusion based on Islamic perspective, the foundations of comprehensive health of a person, i.e., health in all physical, mental, social, and spiritual dimensions, are begun to form at four stages: the time of marriage of his parents, the moment of their conception, when he is unborn in his mother womb, and during infancy period. Observing religion instructions in this regard is not the sufficient condition for being completely healthy; however, such instructions can provide a base for being a healthy person.

  9. Service user governors in mental health foundation trusts: accountability or business as usual?

    PubMed

    MacDonald, Dee; Barnes, Marian; Crawford, Mike; Omeni, Edward; Wilson, Aaron; Rose, Diana

    2015-12-01

    National Health Foundation Trusts present opportunities for individual mental health service users to be active in the governance of trusts. This is one of a range of mechanisms for patient and public involvement and one which promotes an individual rather than collective approach to involvement. Within the context of a broader study of the impact of service user involvement in mental health services, the objective of this article was to explore the experience of service user governors in foundation trusts and their capacity to hold boards to account. The Council of Governors in three foundation trusts were observed for a year. Focus groups with service user governors were undertaken in each trust. Service users had different expectations and understandings of the role and approached it in different ways. Key themes that emerged concerned: the role of a governor, conduct and content of meetings, agenda setting, relationships and representation. The experiences of mental health service user governors need to be understood within the complex environment of patient and public involvement in general and of mental health service user involvement in particular. The dislocation of the service user governor role from other forms of service user activity and involvement result in confusion about how notions of holding a trust to account and representation of other service users can be addressed within a boundaried institutional environment. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Public health and nutrition after the Spanish Civil War. An intervention by the Rockefeller Foundation.

    PubMed

    Del Cura, Isabel; Huertas, Rafael

    2009-10-01

    We describe a nutritional intervention by the Rockefeller Foundation's International Health Division in Spain after the Spanish Civil War, delineating the relationships between the technicians sent by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Spanish health authorities. We analyze reports of the nutritional situation in Spain in the early 1940s and the design and outcomes of a nutrition survey conducted in a district of Madrid by American and Spanish nutritionists. This nutritional survey, which was based on food intake interviews and was complemented with anthropometric measurements, clinical examinations, and blood tests, found several symptoms and signs of malnutrition. The Rockefeller Foundation's nutritional research was an important historical precedent for later studies made in emergency situations or armed conflicts. Similar surveys have been carried out in the last several decades by distinguished academic departments of public health and epidemiology and by humanitarian aid agencies.

  11. The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs, 2010

    2010-01-01

    A vital and productive society with a prosperous and sustainable future is built on a foundation of healthy child development. Health in the earliest years--beginning with the future mother's well-being before she becomes pregnant--lays the groundwork for a lifetime of vitality. When developing biological systems are strengthened by positive early…

  12. The religious foundations of health care: a conceptual approach.

    PubMed Central

    Sevensky, R L

    1983-01-01

    The relationship of religion and health is often misunderstood owing to a tendency to concentrate on the medical model and to ignore the wider context of heath care. A conceptual--as opposed to a historical--examination of this context reveals nine central religious ideas or categories which provide an ethical foundation and heritage for medical practice and health care delivery. These include doctrines of creation; dominion or stewardship; freedom and responsibility; human dignity or sanctity of life; love or compassion; covenant; justice; vocation; and finitude. A discussion of the complementarity of religion and medicine is necessary and should proceed from these shared values and common concerns. PMID:6620322

  13. Occupational health nursing in Canada: its social foundation and future.

    PubMed

    Olson, D K; Stovin, D

    1992-01-01

    Our purpose in examining the social foundation of occupational health nursing is to better determine the future direction of the profession and its impact on a diverse workforce. Part of what makes up the profession of occupational health nursing is found in its definition: a process that is determined by the interaction between the occupational health nurse, worker, work and workplace; its goal is to assist the worker to achieve his or her optimal level of functioning, primarily through health education, health promotion, prevention of disease and injury and crisis intervention. Much of occupational health nursing is also based on its history and the traditions that have been established. A true understanding, then, of what occupational health nursing's future can be comes from a solid understanding of the history of the profession. As social trends in the past affected the profession, so will they in the future.

  14. Health-care workers are losing most AIDS lawsuits, study says.

    PubMed

    1996-08-09

    The Kaiser Family Foundation funded a Georgetown study, The AIDS Litigation Project III--A Look at AIDS in the Courts in the 1990s, to analyze AIDS-related cases in the Federal and State court systems since January 1991. Study director Lawrence Gostin concludes that AIDS has become the most litigated disease in U.S. history and that judges tend to side with the argument that disability rights laws must yield to concern about the possible transmission risks. Initially, courts were supportive of the rights of persons living with AIDS. Currently, courts are likely to support mandatory HIV-antibody testing of health-care employees, prison inmates, and criminal defendants. Gostin predicts that court cases will focus on the rights of patients to receive health insurance coverage for AIDS therapies. Other emerging trends in AIDS litigation are cases involving HIV status disclosure and sexual ethics.

  15. [Utilitarianism or communitarianism as the foundation of public health ethics?].

    PubMed

    Rauprich, O

    2008-02-01

    The goal of public health is to maximise health, and to promote the common good. These two assumptions frequently give rise to claims that public health is founded on utilitarian or communitarian ethics, respectively. In this paper, these claims are critically examined and rejected. It is neither plausible to assume utilitarian goals in public health nor to propose a utilitarian account of public health ethics. The idea of public health as health-related utilitarianism rests on a misconception of utilitarian ethics. Once this misconception is realised, the seeming appeal of public health to utilitarianism quickly fades. Communitarianism, in turn, fails to serve as a comprehensive and systematic ethical account. Some moderate appeals to more communal spirit for public health are well taken, although not exclusive communitarian. Other more extreme proposals of communitarians, e.g. to exercise public-health police power and public-health paternalism, are to be taken with great care. Thus, it is concluded that there is a need for an ethical foundation of public health different from both utilitarianism and communitarianism.

  16. Estimating the Cost of Providing Foundational Public Health Services.

    PubMed

    Mamaril, Cezar Brian C; Mays, Glen P; Branham, Douglas Keith; Bekemeier, Betty; Marlowe, Justin; Timsina, Lava

    2017-12-28

    To estimate the cost of resources required to implement a set of Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) as recommended by the Institute of Medicine. A stochastic simulation model was used to generate probability distributions of input and output costs across 11 FPHS domains. We used an implementation attainment scale to estimate costs of fully implementing FPHS. We use data collected from a diverse cohort of 19 public health agencies located in three states that implemented the FPHS cost estimation methodology in their agencies during 2014-2015. The average agency incurred costs of $48 per capita implementing FPHS at their current attainment levels with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 16 percent. Achieving full FPHS implementation would require $82 per capita (CV=19 percent), indicating an estimated resource gap of $34 per capita. Substantial variation in costs exists across communities in resources currently devoted to implementing FPHS, with even larger variation in resources needed for full attainment. Reducing geographic inequities in FPHS may require novel financing mechanisms and delivery models that allow health agencies to have robust roles within the health system and realize a minimum package of public health services for the nation. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  17. Sex Education: New Resources Help Parents Talk with Kids.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Witt, Virginia

    2002-01-01

    To help parents talk with children about sexual health, the Kaiser Family Foundation and National PTA developed a series of free resources for parents (e.g., the booklet "Talking with Kids: A Parent's Guide to Sex Education") to increase parent involvement and communication around sex education. This paper notes the importance of parents…

  18. Culture-centered engagement with delivery of health services: co-constructing meanings of health in the Tzu Chi Foundation through Buddhist philosophy.

    PubMed

    Dillard, Sydney J; Dutta, Mohan; Sun, Wei-San

    2014-01-01

    The shift in health communication scholarship from the narrow focus on curing to the complexly intertwined spaces of health, illness, healing, and curing attends to the dynamic cultural contexts within which meanings and practices are negotiated, directing scholarship toward alternative spaces of health care delivery. This study utilized the culture-centered approach as a theoretical lens for providing a discursive space for understanding meanings of health constituted in the practices of the Tzu Chi Foundation, an organization that offers biomedical services within the larger philosophical understandings of Buddhism with 10 million members in over 50 different countries. The emerging perspective promotes non-biomedical meanings of health through selfless giving and assistance founded in Buddhist principles, simultaneously seeking purity of the mind, body, and soul holistically. Through the negotiation of the principles driving Buddhist philosophy and the principles that shape biomedical health care delivery, this study seeks to understand the interpretive frames that circulate among foundation staff and care recipients.

  19. Kaiser Permanente implant registries benefit patient safety, quality improvement, cost-effectiveness.

    PubMed

    Paxton, Elizabeth W; Kiley, Mary-Lou; Love, Rebecca; Barber, Thomas C; Funahashi, Tadashi T; Inacio, Maria C S

    2013-06-01

    In response to the increased volume, risk, and cost of medical devices, in 2001 Kaiser Permanente (KP) developed implant registries to enhance patient safety and quality, and to evaluate cost-effectiveness. Using an integrated electronic health record system, administrative databases, and other institutional databases, orthopedic, cardiology, and vascular implant registries were developed in 2001, 2006, and 2011, respectively. These registries monitor patients, implants, clinical practices, and surgical outcomes for KP's 9 million members. Critical to registry success is surgeon leadership and engagement; each geographical region has a surgeon champion who provides feedback on registry initiatives and disseminates registry findings. The registries enhance patient safety by providing a variety of clinical decision tools such as risk calculators, quality reports, risk-adjusted medical center reports, summaries of surgeon data, and infection control reports to registry stakeholders. The registries are used to immediately identify patients with recalled devices, evaluate new and established device technology, and identify outlier implants. The registries contribute to cost-effectiveness initiatives through collaboration with sourcing and contracting groups and confirming adherence to device formulary guidelines. Research studies based on registry data have directly influenced clinical best practices. Registries are important tools to evaluate longitudinal device performance and safety, study the clinical indications for and outcomes of device implantation, respond promptly to recalls and advisories, and contribute to the overall high quality of care of our patients.

  20. The Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment: How a Health Care Conversion Foundation Is Transforming a Medical School.

    PubMed

    Maurana, Cheryl A; Lucey, Paula A; Ahmed, Syed M; Kerschner, Joseph E; Bolton, G Allen; Raymond, John R

    2016-01-01

    Health care conversion foundations, such as the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment (the endowment) at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), result from the conversion of nonprofit health organizations to for-profit corporations. Over the past several decades, nearly 200 of these foundations have been created, and they have had a substantial impact on the field of health philanthropy. The MCW was a recipient of funds resulting from Blue Cross & Blue Shield United of Wisconsin's conversion from a nonprofit to a for-profit status in 1999. Established in 2004, the endowment has invested approximately $185 million in 337 research, education, and public and community health initiatives that benefit Wisconsin residents. However, the transformative potential of the health care conversion foundation has extended well beyond the opportunities provided through the endowment's financial resources. As the endowment celebrates its 10th anniversary, the authors describe the transformative nature of the endowment, as well as significant accomplishments and lessons learned, in the following areas: shared power, community partnerships, translational research, and integration of medicine and public health. It is the authors' hope that these lessons will be valuable to other medical schools and the communities they serve, as they invest in improving the health of their communities, irrespective of the funding source.

  1. A New Foundation for the Delivery and Financing of American Health Care.

    PubMed

    Saultz, John W; Jones, Samuel M; McDaniel, Susan H; Bagley, Bruce; McCormally, Terence; Marker, Jason E; Weida, Jane A; Green, Larry A

    2015-09-01

    For the past decade, primary care practices across America have worked to implement a practice model called the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) to revitalize practice, better support clinicians and patients, improve efficiency, and facilitate growth in primary care capacity. In spite of substantial progress, this work has not been matched by sufficient change in the payment system to allow these goals to be accomplished. Nevertheless, improving the quality and availability of primary care remains essential to achieving the goals of the Triple Aim (better health care, better population health, and containment of health care costs). For this to occur, the PCMH model of care must be further refined, and the payment system for primary care must be completely restructured. The need for these changes is urgent. In October 2014, the discipline of family medicine announced a comprehensive strategic plan called Family Medicine for America's Health (FMAHealth). FMAHealth proposes to expand the PCMH care model by fully integrating our nation's behavioral/mental health, public health, and primary care systems to create a new foundation for American health care. Accomplishing these ambitious goals will require a broad coalition of private and public interests across the health care disciplines as well as patients, communities, government, and businesses. These changes require additional infrastructure that existing financing systems do not adequately support, so comprehensive payment reform is essential for large-scale dissemination and sustainability of this model. The new payment model must reward value rather than volume of service and must provide a secure financial foundation for practices designed to care for patients and communities at affordable costs.

  2. Integrated System Health Management: Foundational Concepts, Approach, and Implementation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Figueroa, Fernando

    2009-01-01

    Implementation of integrated system health management (ISHM) capability is fundamentally linked to the management of data, information, and knowledge (DIaK) with the purposeful objective of determining the health of a system. It is akin to having a team of experts who are all individually and collectively observing and analyzing a complex system, and communicating effectively with each other in order to arrive to an accurate and reliable assessment of its health. This paper presents concepts, procedures, and a specific approach as a foundation for implementing a credible ISHM capability. The capability stresses integration of DIaK from all elements of a subsystem. The intent is also to make possible implementation of on-board ISHM capability, in contrast to a remote capability. The information presented is the result of many years of research, development, and maturation of technologies, and of prototype implementations in operational systems (rocket engine test facilities). The paper will address the following topics: ISHM Model of a system; detection of anomaly indicators; determination and confirmation of anomalies; diagnostic of causes and determination of effects; consistency checking cycle; sharing of health information; sharing of display information; storage and retrieval of health information; and example implementation.

  3. 78 FR 17313 - Ninety-Day Waiting Period Limitation and Technical Amendments to Certain Health Coverage...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-21

    ... Health Benefits Annual Survey (the ``2012 Kaiser Survey'') finds that only eight percent of covered... would note that it is unlikely that the survey defines the term ``waiting period'' in the same manner as... employee's start date, and it seems unlikely that the 2012 Kaiser Survey would have included the...

  4. Junior BioBlitz Takes Learning Outside

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Himschoot, Rebecca

    2017-01-01

    Evidence is mounting that children have decreasing exposure to the natural world, which makes sense as the population of the planet urbanizes and many interests and assignments involve digital technology. According to the United Nations, 54% of the world's population now live in cities (2014), and a 2010 study by the Kaiser Health Foundation found…

  5. The Readmission Reduction Program of Kaiser Permanente Southern California—Knowledge Transfer and Performance Improvement

    PubMed Central

    Tuso, Philip; Huynh, Dan Ngoc; Garofalo, Lynn; Lindsay, Gail; Watson, Heather L; Lenaburg, Douglas L; Lau, Helen; Florence, Brandy; Jones, Jason; Harvey, Patti; Kanter, Michael H

    2013-01-01

    In 2011, Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region (KPNW) won the Lawrence Patient Safety Award for its innovative work in reducing hospital readmission rates. In 2012, Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) won the Transfer Projects Lawrence Safety Award for the successful implementation of the KPNW Region’s “transitional care” bundle to a Region that was almost 8 times the size of KPNW. The KPSC Transition in Care Program consists of 6 KPNW bundle elements and 2 additional bundle elements added by the KPSC team. The 6 KPNW bundle elements were risk stratification, standardized discharge summary, medication reconciliation, a postdischarge phone call, timely follow-up with a primary care physician, and a special transition phone number on discharge instructions. The 2 additional bundle elements added by KPSC were palliative care consult if indicated and a complex-case conference. KPSC has implemented most of the KPNW and KPSC bundle elements during the first quarter of 2012 for our Medicare risk population at all of our 13 medical centers. Each year, KPSC discharges approximately 40,000 Medicare risk patients. After implementation of bundle elements, KPSC Medicare risk all-cause 30-day Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set readmissions observed-over-expected ratio and readmission rates from December 2010 to November 2012 decreased from approximately 1.0 to 0.80 and 12.8% to 11%, respectively. PMID:24355891

  6. [Foundations--a means for implementing strategic goals and measures in public health].

    PubMed

    Brand, A; Brand, H

    2000-03-01

    Social innovations are happening in many critical areas. Foundations make an enduring contribution towards increasing access to innovations in public welfare based on the philosophy that believes state-run organizations are neither efficient nor responsive to the people's changing needs. In this sense, foundations help to close the gap by turning hitherto tolerated conditions into problems and claims to action. The effectiveness of voluntary bodies as advocates of change owes much to their informal nature. In Germany, voluntary actions in Public Health are still underrepresented. Therefore, donors should be more supported by state government through adequate regulations. In addition, funders need to concentrate their efforts on the limited number of areas where they can have the greatest impact.

  7. The Lived Experience: Delivering a Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thurgate, Claire; MacGregor, Janet; Brett, Helen

    2007-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to discuss the risks and challenges associated with the "lived experience" of delivering a foundation degree in health and social care in Kent, UK, in order to enter the debate on successful responses to Government initiatives for expanding intermediate education provision in higher education institutes (HEIs).…

  8. Backstage: the relationship between the Rockefeller Foundation and the World Health Organization, Part I: 1940s-1960s.

    PubMed

    Birn, A-E

    2014-02-01

    In recent years, there has been a growing debate about what role foundations should play in global health governance generally, and particularly vis-à-vis the World Health Organization (WHO). Much of this discussion revolves around today's gargantuan philanthropy, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and its sway over the agenda and modus operandi of global health. Yet such pre-occupations are not new. The Rockefeller Foundation (RF), the unparalleled 20th century health philanthropy heavyweight, both profoundly shaped WHO and maintained long and complex relations with it, even as both institutions changed over time. This article examines the WHO-RF relationship from the 1940s to the 1960s, tracing its ebbs and flows, key moments, challenges, and quandaries, concluding with a reflection on the role of the Cold War in both fully institutionalizing the RF's dominant disease-control approach and limiting its smaller social medicine efforts, even as the RF's quotidian influence at WHO diminished. Copyright © 2013 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Evaluating the Legacy of Community Health Initiatives. A Conceptual Framework and Example from the California Wellness Foundation's Health Improvement Initiative

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beery, William L.; Senter, Sandra; Cheadle, Allen; Greenwald, Howard P.; Pearson, David; Brousseau, Ruth; Nelson, Gary D.

    2005-01-01

    Community health initiatives typically involve time-limited funding from foundation or government grants to support their initial activities. But if there are to be lasting improvements in health outcomes, initiative activities must be sustained over a relatively long period of time. Despite the importance of sustaining work begun under health…

  10. Parents, Children & Media: A Kaiser Family Foundation Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rideout, Victoria

    2007-01-01

    Over the past few years, media use among children and teens has become more prevalent than ever. With the launch of the iPod, the explosion in instant messaging, the birth of mobile video and YouTube, and the advent of social networking sites like MySpace, young people are rarely out of contact, or out of reach of the media. Meanwhile,…

  11. The Foundations of a Human Right to Health: Human Rights and Bioethics in Dialogue.

    PubMed

    Chapman, Audrey

    2015-06-11

    Human rights, including the right to health, are grounded in protecting and promoting human dignity. Although commitment to human dignity is a widely shared value, the precise meaning and requirements behind the term are elusive. It is also unclear as to how a commitment to human dignity translates into specific human rights, such as the right to the highest attainable standard of health, and delineates their scope and obligations. The resulting lack of clarity about the foundations of and justification for the right to health has been problematic in a number of ways. This article identifies the strengths of and some of the issues with the grounding of the right to health in human dignity. It then examines ethical and philosophical expositions of human dignity and several alternative foundations proposed for the right to health, including capability theory and the work of Norman Daniels, to assess whether any offer a richer and more adequate conceptual grounding for the right to health. Copyright 2015 Chapman. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

  12. Building the foundations of an informatics agenda for global health - 2011 workshop report.

    PubMed

    Mirza, Muzna; Kratz, Mary; Medeiros, Donna; Pina, Jamie; Richards, Janise; Zhang, Xiaohui; Fraser, Hamish; Bailey, Christopher; Krishnamurthy, Ramesh

    2012-01-01

    Strengthening the capacity of public health systems to protect and promote the health of the global population continues to be essential in an increasingly connected world. Informatics practices and principles can play an important role for improving global health response capacity. A critical step is to develop an informatics agenda for global health so that efforts can be prioritized and important global health issues addressed. With the aim of building a foundation for this agenda, the authors developed a workshop to examine the evidence in this domain, recognize the gaps, and document evidence-based recommendations. On 21 August 2011, at the 2011 Public Health Informatics Conference in Atlanta, GA, USA, a four-hour interactive workshop was conducted with 85 participants from 15 countries representing governmental organizations, private sector companies, academia, and non-governmental organizations. The workshop discussion followed an agenda of a plenary session - planning and agenda setting - and four tracks: Policy and governance; knowledge management, collaborative networks and global partnerships; capacity building; and globally reusable resources: metrics, tools, processes, templates, and digital assets. Track discussions examined the evidence base and the participants' experience to gather information about the current status, compelling and potential benefits, challenges, barriers, and gaps for global health informatics as well as document opportunities and recommendations. This report provides a summary of the discussions and key recommendations as a first step towards building an informatics agenda for global health. Attention to the identified topics and issues is expected to lead to measurable improvements in health equity, health outcomes, and impacts on population health. We propose the workshop report be used as a foundation for the development of the full agenda and a detailed roadmap for global health informatics activities based on further

  13. The cost conundrum: financing the business of health care insurance.

    PubMed

    Kelly, Annemarie

    2013-01-01

    Health care spending in both the governmental and private sectors skyrocketed over the last century. This article examines the rapid growth of health care expenditures by analyzing the extent of this financial boom as well some of the reasons why health care financing has become so expensive. It also explores how the market concentration of insurance companies has led to growing insurer profits, fewer insurance providers, and less market competition. Based on economic data primarily from the Government Accountability Office, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the American Medical Associa tion, it has become clear that this country needs more competitive rates for the business of health insurance. Because of the unique dynamics of health insurance payments and financing, America needs to promote affordability and innovation in the health insurance market and lower the market's high concentration levels. In the face of booming insurance profits, soaring premiums, many believe that in our consolidated health insurance market, the "business of insurance" should not be exempt from antitrust laws. All in all, it is in our nation's best interest that Congress restore the application of antitrust laws to health sector insurers by passing the Health Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act as an amendment to the McCarran-Ferguson Act's "business of insurance" provision.

  14. Making the business case for hospital information systems--a Kaiser Permanente investment decision.

    PubMed

    Garrido, Terhilda; Raymond, Brian; Jamieson, Laura; Liang, Louise; Wiesenthal, Andrew

    2004-01-01

    Further evidence in favor of the clinical IT business case is set forth in Kaiser Permanente's cost/benefit analysis for an electronic hospital information system. This article reviews the business case for an inpatient electronic medical record system, including 36 categories of quantifiable benefits that contribute to a positive cumulative net cash flow within an 8.5 year period. However, the business case hinges on several contingent success factors: leadership commitment, timely implementation, partnership with labor, coding compliance, and workflow redesign. The issues and constraints that impact the potential transferability of this business case across delivery systems raise questions that merit further attention.

  15. Building the Foundations of an Informatics Agenda for Global Health - 2011 Workshop Report

    PubMed Central

    Mirza, Muzna; Kratz, Mary; Medeiros, Donna; Pina, Jamie; Richards, Janise; Zhang, Xiaohui; Fraser, Hamish; Bailey, Christopher; Krishnamurthy, Ramesh

    2012-01-01

    Strengthening the capacity of public health systems to protect and promote the health of the global population continues to be essential in an increasingly connected world. Informatics practices and principles can play an important role for improving global health response capacity. A critical step is to develop an informatics agenda for global health so that efforts can be prioritized and important global health issues addressed. With the aim of building a foundation for this agenda, the authors developed a workshop to examine the evidence in this domain, recognize the gaps, and document evidence-based recommendations. On 21 August 2011, at the 2011 Public Health Informatics Conference in Atlanta, GA, USA, a four-hour interactive workshop was conducted with 85 participants from 15 countries representing governmental organizations, private sector companies, academia, and non-governmental organizations. The workshop discussion followed an agenda of a plenary session - planning and agenda setting - and four tracks: Policy and governance; knowledge management, collaborative networks and global partnerships; capacity building; and globally reusable resources: metrics, tools, processes, templates, and digital assets. Track discussions examined the evidence base and the participants’ experience to gather information about the current status, compelling and potential benefits, challenges, barriers, and gaps for global health informatics as well as document opportunities and recommendations. This report provides a summary of the discussions and key recommendations as a first step towards building an informatics agenda for global health. Attention to the identified topics and issues is expected to lead to measurable improvements in health equity, health outcomes, and impacts on population health. We propose the workshop report be used as a foundation for the development of the full agenda and a detailed roadmap for global health informatics activities based on further

  16. Application of the Teager-Kaiser energy operator in bearing fault diagnosis.

    PubMed

    Henríquez Rodríguez, Patricia; Alonso, Jesús B; Ferrer, Miguel A; Travieso, Carlos M

    2013-03-01

    Condition monitoring of rotating machines is important in the prevention of failures. As most machine malfunctions are related to bearing failures, several bearing diagnosis techniques have been developed. Some of them feature the bearing vibration signal with statistical measures and others extract the bearing fault characteristic frequency from the AM component of the vibration signal. In this paper, we propose to transform the vibration signal to the Teager-Kaiser domain and feature it with statistical and energy-based measures. A bearing database with normal and faulty bearings is used. The diagnosis is performed with two classifiers: a neural network classifier and a LS-SVM classifier. Experiments show that the Teager domain features outperform those based on the temporal or AM signal. Copyright © 2012 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Viewing Kaiser Permanente via the logistician lens.

    PubMed

    Towill, Denis R

    2006-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to undertake a holistic comparison between NHS and Kaiser Permanente (KP) healthcare delivery systems. The paper reviews in detail the many papers and communications published on KP via the "logistics lens" which is focussed on smooth patient flow from onset of problem to completion of treatment. The paper finds that healthcare "best practice" is readily related to conventional supply chain performance metrics and engineering change model attributes. Much of the apparent success of KP is due to cultural and organisational factors. A noteworthy example deserving wide dissemination and application is in the effectiveness of interfaces between clinicians and managers. This review exposes the need for the NHS to be driven by end-to-end processing times rather than the present salami principle of separating in-patient, out-patient and other queues into neat statistics, which can be meaningless to an individual patient. Introduces clinicians and healthcare professionals to a range of tools and techniques for engineering "best practice". This method is well understood and proven in other areas of application. Particular aspects of the KP study are thus confirmatory of what is actually happening in small pockets of the NHS. The paper provides a new perspective on the performance of healthcare supply chains. New knowledge and deeper understanding of the mechanisms of success emerge from a study adopting a different viewpoint.

  18. ["A decision meaning a new foundation...": from the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Anthropology, Human Genetics and Eugenics to the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics].

    PubMed

    Sachse, Carola

    2011-01-01

    The Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics (MPIMG) in Berlin-Dahlem dates its establishment to 1964. Its homepage makes no mention of its predecessor institutes, the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Anthropology, Human Genetics and Eugenics (KWIA) and the subsequent MPI for Comparative Genetics and Hereditary Pathology (MPIVEE). This article traces the two critical phases of transition regarding the constellations of academic staff, institutional and epistemic ruptures and continuities specific to the era. Only one of the five department heads from the final war years, Hans Nachtsheim, remained a researcher within the Max Planck Society (MPG); he nevertheless continued to advocate the pre-war and wartime eugenic agenda in the life sciences and social policy. The generational change of 1959/60 became a massive struggle within the institute, in which microbial genetics (with Fritz Kaudewitz) was pitted against human genetics (with Friedrich Vogel) and managed to establish itself after a fresh change in personnel in 1964/65. For the Dahlem institute, this involved a far-reaching reorientation of its research, but for the genetically oriented life sciences in the Max Planck Society as a whole it only meant that molecular biology, which was already being pursued in the West German institutes, gained an additional facility. With this realignment of research traditions, the Society was able to draw a line under the Nazi past without having to address it head-on.

  19. Genetics as a modernization program: biological research at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institutes and the political economy of the Nazi State.

    PubMed

    Gausemeier, Bernd

    2010-01-01

    During the Third Reich, the biological institutes of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society (KWG, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gesellschaft) underwent a substantial reorganization and modernization. This paper discusses the development of projects in the fields of biochemical genetics, virus research, radiation genetics, and plant genetics that were initiated in those years. These cases exemplify, on the one hand, the political conditions for biological research in the Nazi state. They highlight how leading scientists advanced their projects by building close ties with politicians and science-funding organizations and companies. On the other hand, the study examines how the contents of research were shaped by, and how they contributed to, the aims and needs of the political economy of the Nazi system. This paper therefore aims not only to highlight basic aspects of scientific development under Nazism, but also to provide general insights into the structure of the Third Reich and the dynamics of its war economy.

  20. Associations and foundations in the field of health care and their role in the health system of Poland.

    PubMed

    Piotrowicz, Maria; Cianciara, Dorota

    2013-01-01

    The article presents data on associations and foundations active in health care field in Poland, on the basis of a review of research done by Klon/Jawor Association and the Central Statistical Office. The article also applies to the issue of cooperation between NGOs and governmental adminstration in the health area and identifies lacking information that is necessary for better planning of national health policy. In Poland there are about three thousand associations and foundations whose main focus is the health care. In 2010, they accounted for about 7% of all non-governmental organizations. Results of representative nationwide surveys from 2008 and 2010 indicate that the NGO's active in the field of health care have, in most cases, legal form of associations. Almost half of the organizations declared national or international scope of action. Headquarters of most organizations were mainly in the cities, and only, one in twenty in the village. Most organizations were located in the mazowieckie province and a significant fraction of them was in Warsaw itself. Organizations were stood out by a relatively large number of personnel on the background of the entire NGO sector. Half of the organizations employed paid workers, the majority also collaborated with volunteers who were not members of the organization. More than a third of organizations dealt with the rehabilitation, therapy and long-term care, and about 1/3 dealt with prevention, health promotion and education, and blood donations. World Health Organization indicates the need for systematic collection of data about the role of the nongovernmental sector in health. In Poland, legal regulations require the public institutions and organizations to cooperate with NGOs to achieve health objectives. In spite of relevant data on NGOs in the field of health care in Poland, the necessary information to assess their potential are still lacking. Recognition of the capacity and limitations ofNGOs could enable better

  1. United Leukodystrophy Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... in 1982, is a non-profit, voluntary health organization dedicated to funding cutting-edge research and to providing patients and their families with disease information and medical referrals. The Foundation ...

  2. The Kaiser Permanente implant registries: effect on patient safety, quality improvement, cost effectiveness, and research opportunities.

    PubMed

    Paxton, Elizabeth W; Inacio, Maria Cs; Kiley, Mary-Lou

    2012-01-01

    Considering the high cost, volume, and patient safety issues associated with medical devices, monitoring of medical device performance is critical to ensure patient safety and quality of care. The purpose of this article is to describe the Kaiser Permanente (KP) implant registries and to highlight the benefits of these implant registries on patient safety, quality, cost effectiveness, and research. Eight KP implant registries leverage the integrated health care system's administrative databases and electronic health records system. Registry data collected undergo quality control and validation as well as statistical analysis. Patient safety has been enhanced through identification of affected patients during major recalls, identification of risk factors associated with outcomes of interest, development of risk calculators, and surveillance programs for infections and adverse events. Effective quality improvement activities included medical center- and surgeon-specific profiles for use in benchmarking reports, and changes in practice related to registry information output. Among the cost-effectiveness strategies employed were collaborations with sourcing and contracting groups, and assistance in adherence to formulary device guidelines. Research studies using registry data included postoperative complications, resource utilization, infection risk factors, thromboembolic prophylaxis, effects of surgical delay on concurrent injuries, and sports injury patterns. The unique KP implant registries provide important information and affect several areas of our organization, including patient safety, quality improvement, cost-effectiveness, and research.

  3. Public health. Gates Foundation on big funding spree.

    PubMed

    Hagmann, M

    2000-08-11

    The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation dished up $200 million in grants for scientists in various fields late last month, including research into malaria and tuberculosis. The foundation kicked off its spending spree in mid-July at the XIII International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, by announcing several AIDS/HIV-related grants totaling $90 million.

  4. Generation Rx.com. What are young people really doing online?

    PubMed

    Rideout, Victoria

    2002-01-01

    The Kaiser Family Foundation examined the ways Generation Xers use the Web to find health information and found some surprising results. Not only do young adults access online health information, but they seek it more often than they check sports scores, purchase merchandise, or participate in a chat room. They're also likely to be influenced by what they find online, and many report that they've changed their behavior based on what they've learned.

  5. Malignant melanoma slide review project: Patients from non-Kaiser hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area. Final report

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

    Reynolds, P.

    This project was initiated, in response to concerns that the observed excess of malignant melanoma among employees of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) might reflect the incidence of disease diagnostically different than that observed in the general population. LLNL sponsored a slide review project, inviting leading dermatopathology experts to independently evaluate pathology slides from LLNL employees diagnosed with melanoma and those from a matched sample of Bay Area melanoma patients who did not work at the LLNL. The study objectives were to: Identify all 1969--1984 newly diagnosed cases of malignant melanoma among LLNL employees resident in the San Francisco-Oakland Metropolitanmore » Statistical Area, and diagnosed at facilities other than Kaiser Permanente; identify a comparison series of melanoma cases also diagnosed between 1969--1984 in non-Kaiser facilities, and matched as closely as possible to the LLNL case series by gender, race, age at diagnosis, year of diagnosis, and hospital of diagnosis; obtain pathology slides for the identified (LLNL) case and (non-LLNL) comparison patients for review by the LLNL-invited panel of dermatopathology experts; and to compare the pathologic characteristics of the case and comparison melanoma patients, as recorded by the dermatopathology panel.« less

  6. The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood: Summary of Essential Findings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs, 2010

    2010-01-01

    A vital and productive society with a prosperous and sustainable future is built on a foundation of healthy child development. Health in the earliest years--beginning with the future mother's well-being before she becomes pregnant--lays the groundwork for a lifetime of vitality. When developing biological systems are strengthened by positive early…

  7. The origins of the research on the foundations of quantum mechanics (and other critical activities) in Italy during the 1970s

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baracca, Angelo; Bergia, Silvio; Del Santo, Flavio

    2017-02-01

    We present a reconstruction of the studies on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics carried out in Italy at the turn of the 1960s. Actually, they preceded the revival of the interest of the American physicists towards the foundations of quantum mechanics around mid-1970s, recently reconstructed by David Kaiser in a book of 2011. An element common to both cases is the role played by the young generation, even though the respective motivations were quite different. In the US they reacted to research cuts after the war in Vietnam, and were inspired by the New Age mood. In Italy the dissatisfaction of the young generations was rooted in the student protests of 1968 and the subsequent labour and social fights, which challenged the role of scientists. The young generations of physicists searched for new scientific approaches and challenged their own scientific knowledge and role. The criticism to the foundations of quantum mechanics and the perspectives of submitting them to experimental tests were perceived as an innovative research field and this attitude was directly linked to the search for an innovative and radical approach in the history of science. All these initiatives gave rise to booming activity throughout the 1970s, contributing to influence the scientific attitude and the teaching approach.

  8. Leveraging Geographic Information Systems in an Integrated Health Care Delivery Organization

    PubMed Central

    Clift, Kathryn; Scott, Luther; Johnson, Michael; Gonzalez, Carlos

    2014-01-01

    A handful of the many changes resulting from the Affordable Care Act underscore the need for a geographic understanding of existing and prospective member communities. Health exchanges require that health provider networks are geographically accessible to underserved populations, and nonprofit hospitals nationwide are required to conduct community health needs assessments every three years. Beyond these requirements, health care providers are using maps and spatial analysis to better address health outcomes that are related in complex ways to social and economic factors. Kaiser Permanente is applying geographic information systems, with spatial analytics and map-based visualizations, to data sourced from its electronic medical records and from publicly and commercially available datasets. The results are helping to shape an understanding of the health needs of Kaiser Permanente members in the context of their communities. This understanding is part of a strategy to inform partnerships and interventions in and beyond traditional care delivery settings. PMID:24694317

  9. Perspectives of IBD China: Is Crohn's and Colitis Foundation Model a Solution to Health Care Issues for the Country?

    PubMed

    Chen, Yan

    2018-04-21

    The success of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), now Crohn's and Colitis Foundation (CCF) has established a role model for developing countries with an increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including China. While there are shared etiopathogenetic pathways and clinical features in IBD between Eastern and Western countries, patients with IBD as well as health care professionals in China are facing distinctive challenges, including the fragmented and inconsistent health insurance, social support system, and three-tiered health care service. Financial burden remains to be a tremendous obstacle to the management of IBD. In addition, poor rapport between patients and clinicians, and the lack of properly trained IBD specialists makes a noticeable gap in the management of IBD between China and Western countries. The China Crohn's &Colitis Foundation (CCCF), closely following the successful model of CCF, was established under the same doctrine, and served as a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to improving quality of life of patients in by IBD through education and training.

  10. Health Care Reform: Ethical Foundations, Policy, and Law

    PubMed Central

    Sade, Robert M

    2015-01-01

    Health care system reform has enormous implications for the future of American society and economic life. Since the early days of the republic, 2 world views have vied for determination of this country’s political system: the view of the individual as sovereign vs government as sovereign. As they developed the foundations of our nation’s governance, the founders were heavily influenced by the Enlightenment philosophy of the late 17th and 18th centuries—the US Constitution sharply limited the power of central government to specific narrowly defined functions, and the economic system was largely laissez faire, that is, economic exchange was mostly free of government regulation and securing individual liberty was a high priority. This situation has slowly reversed—the federal government originally was narrowly limited, but now it dominates states and individuals. The economic system has followed, lagging by several decades, so although it still retains some features of laissez faire capitalism, federal and state regulation have produced a decidedly mixed economy. PMID:22626914

  11. Resistance Tests of a 1/16 Size Model of the Hughes-kaiser Flying Boat, NACA Model 183

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Posner, Jack; Woodward, David R.; Olson, Roland E.

    1944-01-01

    Tank tests were made of a hull model of the Hughes-Kaiser cargo airplane for estimates of take-off performance and maximum gross load for take-off. At hump speeds, with the model free to trim, the trim and resistance were high, which resulted in a load-resistance ratio of approximately 4.0 for a gross load coefficient of 0.75. With a 4000,000-lb load, the full size craft may take off in 69 sec over a distance of 5600 ft.

  12. Taking stock of the ethical foundations of international health research: pragmatic lessons from the IU-Moi Academic Research Ethics Partnership.

    PubMed

    Meslin, Eric M; Were, Edwin; Ayuku, David

    2013-09-01

    It is a sine qua non that research and health care provided in international settings raise profound ethical questions when different cultural and political values are implicated. Yet ironically, as international health research expands and as research on ethical issues in international health research broadens and deepens, we appear to have moved away from discussing the moral foundations of these activities. For international health research to thrive and lead to the kind of benefits it is capable of, it is helpful to occasionally revisit the foundational premises that justify the enterprise as a whole. We draw on the experience of the Indiana University-Moi University Academic Research Ethics Partnership, an innovative bioethics training program co-located in Indianapolis and Eldoret, Kenya to highlight the changing nature of ethical issues in international health research and the ongoing practical challenges.

  13. 30 CFR 57.4401 - Storage tank foundations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... and Control Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Gases § 57.4401 Storage tank foundations. Fixed, unburied, flammable or combustible liquid storage tanks shall be securely mounted on firm foundations....4401 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL...

  14. 30 CFR 57.4401 - Storage tank foundations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... and Control Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Gases § 57.4401 Storage tank foundations. Fixed, unburied, flammable or combustible liquid storage tanks shall be securely mounted on firm foundations....4401 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL...

  15. Kaiser and Felicity effects and their application for evaluation of concrete by acoustic emission method

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

    Nesvijski, E.; Nesvijski, T.

    1996-12-31

    Concrete as one of the main construction materials, which is used for building of industrial and civil structures, highways, bridges, etc. requires periodical evaluation of its properties by different nondestructive methods. Application of acoustic emission (AE) for these purposes occupies a modest place among other nondestructive methods. But the AE methods proved to be very effective for testing of concrete and reinforced concrete elements and structures under load. This work is devoted to an important, from methodological point of view, problem connected with two opposite effects: of Kaiser and of Felicity, and their application for evaluation of concrete by themore » AE method.« less

  16. Efforts of a Kansas foundation to increase physical activity and improve health by funding community trails, 2012.

    PubMed

    Heinrich, Katie M; Lightner, Joseph; Oestman, Katherine B; Hughey, S Morgan; Kaczynski, Andrew T

    2014-11-26

    Trails are associated with increased physical activity; however, little is known about the process of building trails by various types of organizations. From 2005 through 2012 the Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans (Sunflower) funded multiple organizations to construct 70 trails of varying lengths and surfaces in municipalities, schools, and communities across Kansas. The purpose of this study was to assess the process of developing and implementing community trail projects across Kansas with funding from a public foundation. In 2012, we stratified funded organizations by type and conducted proportional random sampling to select 20 key informants from those organizations to participate in structured telephone interviews. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Two researchers coded interview transcripts according to issues identified by participants. Issues associated with trail-building identified as important were collaboration among groups, unexpected construction costs, champions for the project, and level of difficulty of construction. Participants indicated that trails facilitated physical activity. Trails were integrated into communities through events such as walking events and other promotional efforts; these efforts were thought to increase trail use. The perceived outcomes of building the trails included providing the community with a physical activity resource, inspiring the community to start additional trail projects, and increasing the physical activity of local residents. Sunflower's funding was instrumental in developing trail projects to provide new physical activity resources across Kansas. Public health practitioners seeking to increase physical activity should seek funding from foundations that focus on health.

  17. Consensus paper on the "executive summary of the international conference on Mediterranean diet and health: a lifelong approach" an Italian initiative supported by the Mediterranean Diet Foundation and the Menarini Foundation.

    PubMed

    Boccardi, Virginia; Calvani, Riccardo; Limongi, Federica; Marseglia, Anna; Mason, Alexandra; Noale, Marianna; Rogoli, Domenico; Veronese, Nicola; Crepaldi, Gaetano; Maggi, Stefania

    The Mediterranean Diet Foundation, in collaboration with the International Menarini Foundation, organized the "International Conference on Mediterranean Diet and Health: A Lifelong Approach." The Conference was held in Ostuni (Puglia, Italy) from March 30 to April 1, 2017. The event received the endorsement of the American Federation for Aging Research, the Research Consortium "Luigi Amaducci," the European Nutrition for Health Alliance, the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society, the Clinical Section of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics-European Region, the National Research Council Research Project on Aging, the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics, and the Italian Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. During the conference, results were presented from major studies on dietary interventions aiming to assess the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of chronic diseases and the potential underlying mechanisms. Twenty-six international speakers, in seven different sessions, discussed the biological basis, clinical impact, health policy, and behavioral implications of the Mediterranean diet, and its use in potential interventions for health promotion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. 30 CFR 56.4401 - Storage tank foundations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Control Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Gases § 56.4401 Storage tank foundations. Fixed, unburied, flammable or combustible liquid storage tanks shall be securely mounted on firm foundations. Piping shall be....4401 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL...

  19. 30 CFR 56.4401 - Storage tank foundations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Control Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Gases § 56.4401 Storage tank foundations. Fixed, unburied, flammable or combustible liquid storage tanks shall be securely mounted on firm foundations. Piping shall be....4401 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL...

  20. Practitioner perspectives on foundational capabilities.

    PubMed

    Leider, Jonathon P; Juliano, Chrissie; Castrucci, Brian C; Beitsch, Leslie M; Dilley, Abby; Nelson, Rachel; Kaiman, Sherry; Sprague, James B

    2015-01-01

    National efforts are underway to classify a minimum set of public health services that all jurisdictions throughout the United States should provide regardless of location. Such a set of basic programs would be supported by crosscutting services, known as the "foundational capabilities" (FCs). These FCs are assessment services, preparedness and disaster response, policy development, communications, community partnership, and organizational support activities. To ascertain familiarity with the term and concept of FCs and gather related perspectives from state and local public health practitioners. In fall 2013, we interviewed 50 leaders from state and local health departments. We asked about familiarity with the term "foundational capabilities," as well as the broader concept of FCs. We attempted to triangulate the utility of the FC concept by asking respondents about priority programs and services, about perceived unique contributions made by public health, and about prevalence and funding for the FCs. Telephone-based interviews. Fifty leaders of state and local health departments. Practitioner familiarity with and perspectives on the FCs, information about current funding streams for public health, and the likelihood of creating nationwide FCs that would be recognized and accepted by all jurisdictions. Slightly more than half of the leaders interviewed said that they were familiar with the concept of FCs. In most cases, health departments had all of the capabilities to some degree, although operationalization varied. Few indicated that current funding levels were sufficient to support implementing a minimum level of FCs nationally. Respondents were not able to articulate the current or optimal levels of services for the various capabilities, nor the costs associated with them. Further research is needed to understand the role of FCs as part of the foundational public health services.

  1. An objective rating form to evaluate grant proposals to the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health: a pilot study of implementation.

    PubMed

    Whaley, Arthur L

    2006-12-01

    The lack of support for mental health-related projects by private philanthropy, even among those that express an interest in mental health, is due in large part to the subjectivity of the grant review process. To address this problem, Whaley, Rodriguez, and Alexander developed the Grant Proposal Rating Form (GPRF) to make the grant review process more objective at the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. The purpose of the current study is to establish the ecological validity of the GPRF by a pilot study of its implementation in the actual grant review process of the foundation. The overall results of this pilot study did not yield consistently favorable psychometric outcomes as the original study by Whaley et al. The implications of these results are discussed.

  2. A conversation with the leaders of the Gates Foundation's Global Health Program: Gordon Perkin and William Foege.

    PubMed

    Perkin, G; Foege, W

    2000-07-08

    Over the past 3 years, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed more than $1.7 billion to help prevent and eradicate diseases that afflict people living in the world's poorest nations. The gifts have revitalized a number of major global health initiatives that in recent years had lost momentum and helped to refocus the world's attention on the health crises facing many developing nations.

  3. Increasing Health Insurance Costs and the Decline in Insurance Coverage

    PubMed Central

    Chernew, Michael; Cutler, David M; Keenan, Patricia Seliger

    2005-01-01

    Objective To determine the impact of rising health insurance premiums on coverage rates. Data Sources & Study Setting Our analysis is based on two cohorts of nonelderly Americans residing in 64 large metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) surveyed in the Current Population Survey in 1989–1991 and 1998–2000. Measures of premiums are based on data from the Health Insurance Association of America and the Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research and Educational Trust Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits. Study Design Probit regression and instrumental variable techniques are used to estimate the association between rising local health insurance costs and the falling propensity for individuals to have any health insurance coverage, controlling for a rich array of economic, demographic, and policy covariates. Principal Findings More than half of the decline in coverage rates experienced over the 1990s is attributable to the increase in health insurance premiums (2.0 percentage points of the 3.1 percentage point decline). Medicaid expansions led to a 1 percentage point increase in coverage. Changes in economic and demographic factors had little net effect. The number of people uninsured could increase by 1.9–6.3 million in the decade ending 2010 if real, per capita medical costs increase at a rate of 1–3 percentage points, holding all else constant. Conclusions Initiatives aimed at reducing the number of uninsured must confront the growing pressure on coverage rates generated by rising costs. PMID:16033490

  4. Analysis of the mass media coverage of the Gates Foundation grand challenges in global health initiative.

    PubMed

    Verma, G

    2009-03-01

    The Grand Challenges were launched in 2003 by the Gates Foundation and other collaborators to address the health needs of developing countries. This paper outlines the current problem with health research and development in the context of inequality as conveyed by the 90/10 divide. The paper then looks at the focus and nature of press reporting of global health issues by analysing how press articles have portrayed the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative. Analysis of the mass media illustrates that the focus of reporting on the Grand Challenges tends to be on utilitarian themes, leaving issues related to justice and equity comparatively under-reported.

  5. Safe Passages through Adolescence: Communities Protecting the Health and Hopes of Youth. Lessons Learned from W. K. Kellogg Foundation Programming.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kellogg Foundation, Battle Creek, MI.

    This is the third in a series of reports summarizing the investment of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation in community-based health programming. It addresses the health issues confronting young people in U.S. society by profiling eight different community-based approaches to adolescent health. The programs described, all sponsored by the Kellogg…

  6. Energy Assessment Helps Kaiser Aluminum Save Energy and Improve Productivity; DOE Software Adopted as Standard for Analyzing Plant Process Heating Systems Company-Wide

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

    Not Available

    2008-07-01

    This case study describes how the Kaiser Aluminum plant in Sherman, Texas, achieved annual savings of $360,000 and 45,000 MMBtu, and improved furnace energy intensity by 11.1% after receiving a DOE Save Energy Now energy assessment and implementing recommendations to improve the efficiency of its process heating system.

  7. Efforts of a Kansas Foundation to Increase Physical Activity and Improve Health by Funding Community Trails, 2012

    PubMed Central

    Heinrich, Katie M.; Lightner, Joseph; Oestman, Katherine B.; Kaczynski, Andrew T.

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Trails are associated with increased physical activity; however, little is known about the process of building trails by various types of organizations. From 2005 through 2012 the Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans (Sunflower) funded multiple organizations to construct 70 trails of varying lengths and surfaces in municipalities, schools, and communities across Kansas. The purpose of this study was to assess the process of developing and implementing community trail projects across Kansas with funding from a public foundation. Methods In 2012, we stratified funded organizations by type and conducted proportional random sampling to select 20 key informants from those organizations to participate in structured telephone interviews. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Two researchers coded interview transcripts according to issues identified by participants. Results Issues associated with trail-building identified as important were collaboration among groups, unexpected construction costs, champions for the project, and level of difficulty of construction. Participants indicated that trails facilitated physical activity. Trails were integrated into communities through events such as walking events and other promotional efforts; these efforts were thought to increase trail use. The perceived outcomes of building the trails included providing the community with a physical activity resource, inspiring the community to start additional trail projects, and increasing the physical activity of local residents. Conclusion Sunflower’s funding was instrumental in developing trail projects to provide new physical activity resources across Kansas. Public health practitioners seeking to increase physical activity should seek funding from foundations that focus on health. PMID:25427316

  8. eHealth Advances in Support of People with Complex Care Needs: Case Examples from Canada, Scotland and the US.

    PubMed

    Gray, Carolyn Steele; Mercer, Stewart; Palen, Ted; McKinstry, Brian; Hendry, Anne

    2016-01-01

    Information technology (IT) in healthcare, also referred to as eHealth technologies, may offer a promising solution to the provision of better care and support for people who have multiple conditions and complex care needs, and their caregivers. eHealth technologies can include electronic medical records, telemonitoring systems and web-based portals, and mobile health (mHealth) technologies that enable information sharing between providers, patients, clients and their families. IT often acts as an enabler of improved care delivery, rather than being an intervention per se. But how are different countries seeking to leverage adoption of these technologies to support people who have chronic conditions and complex care needs? This article presents three case examples from Ontario (Canada), Scotland and Kaiser Permanente Colorado (United States) to identify how these jurisdictions are currently using technology to address multimorbidity. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis is presented for each case and a final discussion addresses the future of eHealth for complex care needs. The case reports presented in this manuscript mark the foundational work of the Multi-National eHealth Research Partnership Supporting Complex Chronic Disease and Disability (the eCCDD Network); a CIHR-funded project intended to support the international development and uptake of eHealth tools for people with complex care needs.

  9. Specialty pharmaceuticals care management in an integrated health care delivery system with electronic health records.

    PubMed

    Monroe, C Douglas; Chin, Karen Y

    2013-05-01

    The specialty pharmaceuticals market is expanding more rapidly than the traditional pharmaceuticals market. Specialty pharmacy operations have evolved to deliver selected medications and associated clinical services. The growing role of specialty drugs requires new approaches to managing the use of these drugs. The focus, expectations, and emphasis in specialty drug management in an integrated health care delivery system such as Kaiser Permanente (KP) can vary as compared with more conventional health care systems. The KP Specialty Pharmacy (KP-SP) serves KP members across the United States. This descriptive account addresses the impetus for specialty drug management within KP, the use of tools such as an electronic health record (EHR) system and process management software, the KP-SP approach for specialty pharmacy services, and the emphasis on quality measurement of services provided. Kaiser Permanente's integrated system enables KP-SP pharmacists to coordinate the provision of specialty drugs while monitoring laboratory values, physician visits, and most other relevant elements of the patient's therapy. Process management software facilitates the counseling of patients, promotion of adherence, and interventions to resolve clinical, logistic, or pharmacy benefit issues. The integrated EHR affords KP-SP pharmacists advantages for care management that should become available to more health care systems with broadened adoption of EHRs. The KP-SP experience may help to establish models for clinical pharmacy services as health care systems and information systems become more integrated.

  10. ITU e-health training program for pacific island community with the support of the Sasakawa peace foundation.

    PubMed

    Ishibashi, Yuichi; Juzoji, Hiroshi; Kitano, Toshihiko; Nakajima, Isao

    2011-06-01

    Tokai University School of Medicine provided a short-term e-Health training program for persons from Pacific Island Nations from 2006 until 2008 supported by funds from the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. There were lectures on software, hardware and topics relating to e-Health. We could assess the current medical situation in the Pacific Islands through this training course, and also obtain relevant material to analyze appropriate measures deemed necessary to improve the situation.

  11. Developing Evidence for Structural Approaches to Build a Culture of Health: A Perspective from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mockenhaupt, Robin; Woodrum, Amy

    2015-01-01

    We believe that reframing the conversation to creating a culture around health rather than focusing on discrete actions or activities will capture national consciousness and enable us to make new progress as a nation. Thus, in 2014, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced a new vision to help build a "Culture of Health" to…

  12. Whole grains and health: from theory to practice--highlights of The Grains for Health Foundation's Whole Grains Summit 2012.

    PubMed

    McKeown, Nicola M; Jacques, Paul F; Seal, Chris J; de Vries, Jan; Jonnalagadda, Satya S; Clemens, Roger; Webb, Densie; Murphy, Lee Anne; van Klinken, Jan-Willem; Topping, David; Murray, Robyn; Degeneffe, Dennis; Marquart, Leonard F

    2013-05-01

    The Grains for Health Foundation's Whole Grains Summit, held May 19-22, 2012 in Minneapolis, was the first meeting of its kind to convene >300 scientists, educators, food technologists, grain breeders, food manufacturers, marketers, health professionals, and regulators from around the world. Its goals were to identify potential avenues for collaborative efforts and formulate new approaches to whole-grains research and health communications that support global public health and business. This paper summarizes some of the challenges and opportunities that researchers and nutrition educators face in expanding the knowledge base on whole grains and health and in translating and disseminating that knowledge to consumers. The consensus of the summit was that effective, long-term, public-private partnerships are needed to reach across the globe and galvanize the whole-grains community to collaborate effectively in translating whole-grains science into strategies that increase the availability and affordability of more healthful, grain-based food products. A prerequisite of that is the need to build trust among diverse multidisciplinary professionals involved in the growing, producing, marketing, and regulating of whole-grain products and between the grain and public health communities.

  13. 30 CFR 57.4401 - Storage tank foundations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Storage tank foundations. 57.4401 Section 57.4401 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Fire Prevention...

  14. C-A1-02: Evaluating Kaiser Permanente Georgia’s Worksite Wellness Programs in the Atlanta Area

    PubMed Central

    Roblin, Douglas; Robinson, Brandi; Benjamin-Stone, Staycee

    2010-01-01

    Background/Aims: There are few prospective evaluations of the effectiveness of worksite wellness programs in achieving improved lifestyle and health. Our study has two objectives: to assess the cross-sectional associations of biometric status, lifestyle, and health obtained at a wellness program’s enrollment session, and to assess changes in biometric status, lifestyle, and health between the enrollment and 6-month disenrollment sessions. Methods: For this prospective cohort study, participants were recruited from Kaiser Permanente Georgia (KPG) subscribers who were employed at a mid-sized private employer group. Participants completed a biometric assessment and written survey. The biometric measures included height, weight, blood pressure, hip/waist ratio, and total cholesterol. The written survey included measures of: health (SF-12), patient activation (PAM-13), leisure physical activity (BRFSS), food screeners (Block), and work presenteeism (SPS-6) and absenteeism. Over the next 6 months, participants will attend seminars on exercise, weight loss, and healthy cooking and eating. The biometric assessment and survey be repeated in February 2010. Results: Of the 63 eligible KPG subscribers, 60 (41 females and 19 males) consented to participate. Participant ages ranged from 28–77 years. Overall, physical and emotional health, activation, leisure physical activity, dietary intake, and BMI were comparable to results obtained among relatively healthy, low risk working age adults in a 2005 survey of KPG subscribers in large group employers. Total cholesterol was significantly (p<0.05), positively associated with percent fat in diet; and, percent fat in diet was significantly, inversely associated with activation. Participants with 1 or more days absent from work in the most recent 4-week period reported significantly higher total cholesterol and percent fat in diet and significantly lower activation. Participants with high levels of presenteeism were significantly

  15. The Integration of Select Aspects of Educational Foundations as Applied to Health Care Education: A Religious Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fredericks, Marcel; Kondellas, Bill; Fredericks, Janet; Langer, Michael; Ross, Michael W. V.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to establish the necessity to fully and effectively integrate the sub-disciplines of educational foundations, such as psychology and philosophy, in addition to the natural and social sciences, within medical and health-related educational programs. This is particularly pertinent in Catholic and other religiously…

  16. Developing a data infrastructure for a learning health system: the PORTAL network

    PubMed Central

    McGlynn, Elizabeth A; Lieu, Tracy A; Durham, Mary L; Bauck, Alan; Laws, Reesa; Go, Alan S; Chen, Jersey; Feigelson, Heather Spencer; Corley, Douglas A; Young, Deborah Rohm; Nelson, Andrew F; Davidson, Arthur J; Morales, Leo S; Kahn, Michael G

    2014-01-01

    The Kaiser Permanente & Strategic Partners Patient Outcomes Research To Advance Learning (PORTAL) network engages four healthcare delivery systems (Kaiser Permanente, Group Health Cooperative, HealthPartners, and Denver Health) and their affiliated research centers to create a new national network infrastructure that builds on existing relationships among these institutions. PORTAL is enhancing its current capabilities by expanding the scope of the common data model, paying particular attention to incorporating patient-reported data more systematically, implementing new multi-site data governance procedures, and integrating the PCORnet PopMedNet platform across our research centers. PORTAL is partnering with clinical research and patient experts to create cohorts of patients with a common diagnosis (colorectal cancer), a rare diagnosis (adolescents and adults with severe congenital heart disease), and adults who are overweight or obese, including those with pre-diabetes or diabetes, to conduct large-scale observational comparative effectiveness research and pragmatic clinical trials across diverse clinical care settings. PMID:24821738

  17. Teleradiology as a foundation for an enterprise-wide health care delivery system.

    PubMed

    Dionisio, J D; Taira, R K; Sinha, U; Johnson, D B; Dai, B Y; Tashima, G H; Blythe, S; Johnson, R; Kangarloo, H

    2000-01-01

    An effective, integrated telemedicine system has been developed that allows (a) teleconsultation between local primary health care providers (primary care physicians and general radiologists) and remote imaging subspecialists and (b) active patient participation related to his or her medical condition and patient education. The initial stage of system development was a traditional teleradiology consultation service between general radiologists and specialists; this established system was expanded to include primary care physicians and patients. The system was developed by using a well-defined process model, resulting in three integrated modules: a patient module, a primary health care provider module, and a specialist module. A middle agent layer enables tailoring and customization of the modules for each specific user type. Implementation by using Java and the Common Object Request Broker Architecture standard facilitates platform independence and interoperability. The system supports (a) teleconsultation between a local primary health care provider and an imaging subspecialist regardless of geographic location and (b) patient education and online scheduling. The developed system can potentially form a foundation for an enterprise-wide health care delivery system. In such a system, the role of radiologist specialists is enhanced from that of a diagnostician to the management of a patient's process of care.

  18. 30 CFR 56.4401 - Storage tank foundations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Storage tank foundations. 56.4401 Section 56.4401 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Fire Prevention and...

  19. Foundation Trusts: economics in the 'postmodern hospital'.

    PubMed

    Newbold, David

    2005-09-01

    Foundation Trust Hospitals are community-controlled health care providers which have increased autonomy about how they produce outcomes for the British National Health Service. Although there is a literature on hospital economics it is unclear how these innovative providers will behave, if they have to compete for scarce resources with other hospitals. This paper reviews some of the earlier theories, such as the neoclassical theory of the firm, and discusses their relevance along with 'newer' economic theories such as the transaction costs and evolutionary theory of the firm, plus organizational and human resources theory, to the performance of Foundation Trusts. Much contemporary health care provision is shaped along modernist lines, using scientific endeavour to maximize the impact on health outcomes and technical and social efficiency. However, there is an increasingly postmodern standpoint--critical of modernity--being taken by both patients and hospital staff, to deconstruct processes in the organizations that serve them. Foundation Trusts are postmodern hospitals insomuch as they (to attract scarce resources in a competitive environment), need to marshal the diverse theories of the firm together in order to provide a mass-customized, quality experience, transparently and at least cost--whilst maintaining a stable organizational culture for staff.

  20. Integrated System Health Management: Foundational Concepts, Approach, and Implementation.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Figueroa, Fernando; Schmalzel, John; Walker, Mark; Venkatesh, Meera; Kapadia, Ravi; Morris, Jon; Turowski, Mark; Smith, Harvey

    2009-01-01

    Implementation of integrated system health management (ISHM) capability is fundamentally linked to the management of data, information, and knowledge (DIaK) with the purposeful objective of determining the health of a system. It is akin to having a team of experts who are all individually and collectively observing and analyzing a complex system, and communicating effectively with each other in order to arrive to an accurate and reliable assessment of its health. We present concepts, procedures, and a specific approach as a foundation for implementing a credible ISHM capability. The capability stresses integration of DIaK from all elements of a system. The intent is also to make possible implementation of on-board ISHM capability, in contrast to a remote capability. The information presented is the result of many years of research, development, and maturation of technologies, and of prototype implementations in operational systems (rocket engine test facilities). The paper will address the following topics: 1. ISHM Model of a system 2. Detection of anomaly indicators. 3. Determination and confirmation of anomalies. 4. Diagnostic of causes and determination of effects. 5. Consistency checking cycle. 6. Management of health information 7. User Interfaces 8. Example implementation ISHM has been defined from many perspectives. We define it as a capability that might be achieved by various approaches. We describe a specific approach that has been matured throughout many years of development, and pilot implementations. ISHM is a capability that is achieved by integrating data, information, and knowledge (DIaK) that might be distributed throughout the system elements (which inherently implies capability to manage DIaK associated with distributed sub-systems). DIaK must be available to any element of a system at the right time and in accordance with a meaningful context. ISHM Functional Capability Level (FCL) is measured by how well a system performs the following

  1. Palm oil and human health. Meeting report of NFI: Nutrition Foundation of Italy symposium.

    PubMed

    Marangoni, Franca; Galli, Claudio; Ghiselli, Andrea; Lercker, Giovanni; La Vecchia, Carlo; Maffeis, Claudio; Agostoni, Carlo; Ballardini, Donatella; Brignoli, Ovidio; Faggiano, Pompilio; Giacco, Rosalba; Macca, Claudio; Magni, Paolo; Marelli, Giuseppe; Marrocco, Walter; Miniello, Vito Leonardo; Mureddu, Gian Francesco; Pellegrini, Nicoletta; Stella, Roberto; Troiano, Ersilia; Verduci, Elvira; Volpe, Roberto; Poli, Andrea

    2017-09-01

    The use of palm oil by the food industry is increasingly criticized, especially in Italy, for its purported negative effects on human health and environment. This paper summarizes the conclusions of a Symposium on this topic, gathered by the Nutrition Foundation of Italy, among experts representing a number of Italian Medical and Nutritional Scientific Societies. Toxicological and environmental issues were not considered. Participants agreed that: no evidence does exist on the specific health effects of palm oil consumption as compared to other saturated fatty acids-rich fats; the stereospecific distribution of saturated fatty acids in the triacylglycerol molecule of palm oil limits their absorption rate and metabolic effects; in agreement with International guidelines, saturated fatty acids intake should be kept <10% of total energy, within a balanced diet; within these limits, no effect of palm oil consumption on human health (and specifically on CVD or cancer risk) can be foreseen.

  2. The foundation of self-esteem.

    PubMed Central

    Bailey, Joseph A.

    2003-01-01

    Self-esteem is a simplistic term for varied and complex mental states pertaining to how one views oneself. It takes but little research in the voluminous literature to see the vagueness and inconsistencies in its various definitions. Even more problematic is the uncertainty concerning its foundational components. The importance of having a solid definition and specific ideas about the foundational components of self-esteem is that both pave the way to recognizing its causes; to predicting effects from those causes; and to organizing the trouble-shooting process for locating those philosophical flaws or psychological scars which lead to low self-esteem. The purpose of this paper is to offer a common ground for thinking about self-esteem at its most basic level. In order to distinguish the "basic level" from the rest of the components of self-esteem, let us liken it to a skyscraper building. Here, the focus is on the building's "underground foundation" and the base upon which that foundation rests. The base is a definition that allows for the assessment of the foundation. The underground foundation itself consists of the mental building blocks called self-meaning, self-identity, self-image, and self-concepts. To help illustrate their interactions, a few of the "masks" and "faces" of self-esteem will be mentioned. What is not being addressed is the "above ground structure"--those theories and manifestations dealt with by most mental health specialists. PMID:12793795

  3. The foundation of self-esteem.

    PubMed

    Bailey, Joseph A

    2003-05-01

    Self-esteem is a simplistic term for varied and complex mental states pertaining to how one views oneself. It takes but little research in the voluminous literature to see the vagueness and inconsistencies in its various definitions. Even more problematic is the uncertainty concerning its foundational components. The importance of having a solid definition and specific ideas about the foundational components of self-esteem is that both pave the way to recognizing its causes; to predicting effects from those causes; and to organizing the trouble-shooting process for locating those philosophical flaws or psychological scars which lead to low self-esteem. The purpose of this paper is to offer a common ground for thinking about self-esteem at its most basic level. In order to distinguish the "basic level" from the rest of the components of self-esteem, let us liken it to a skyscraper building. Here, the focus is on the building's "underground foundation" and the base upon which that foundation rests. The base is a definition that allows for the assessment of the foundation. The underground foundation itself consists of the mental building blocks called self-meaning, self-identity, self-image, and self-concepts. To help illustrate their interactions, a few of the "masks" and "faces" of self-esteem will be mentioned. What is not being addressed is the "above ground structure"--those theories and manifestations dealt with by most mental health specialists.

  4. HSC Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... and social components. The Foundation works with a dynamic network of partners from across the country who ... Foundation Foundation Programs Publications Foundation Partners About the System Calendar of Events News Social Media Copyright © 2016 ...

  5. Microsimulation of private health insurance and medicaid take-up following the U.S. Supreme court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act.

    PubMed

    Parente, Stephen T; Feldman, Roger

    2013-04-01

    To predict take-up of private health insurance and Medicaid following the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Data came from three large employers and a sampling of premiums from ehealthinsurance.com. We supplemented the employer data with information on state Medicaid eligibility and costs from the Kaiser Family Foundation. National predictions were based on the MEPS Household Component. We estimated a conditional logit model of health plan choice in the large group market. Using the coefficients from the choice model, we predicted take-up in the group and individual health insurance markets. Following ACA implementation, we added choices to the individual market corresponding to plans that will be available in state and federal exchanges. Depending on eligibility for premium subsidies, we reduced the out-of-pocket premiums for those choices. We simulated several possible patterns for states opting out of the Medicaid expansion, as allowed by the Supreme Court. The ACA will increase coverage substantially in the private insurance market and Medicaid. HSAs will remain desirable in both the individual and employer markets. If states opt out of the Medicaid expansion, this could increase the federal cost of health reform, while reducing the number of newly covered lives. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  6. 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.

  7. Digital signal processing at Bell Labs-Foundations for speech and acoustics research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rabiner, Lawrence R.

    2004-05-01

    Digital signal processing (DSP) is a fundamental tool for much of the research that has been carried out of Bell Labs in the areas of speech and acoustics research. The fundamental bases for DSP include the sampling theorem of Nyquist, the method for digitization of analog signals by Shannon et al., methods of spectral analysis by Tukey, the cepstrum by Bogert et al., and the FFT by Tukey (and Cooley of IBM). Essentially all of these early foundations of DSP came out of the Bell Labs Research Lab in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. This fundamental research was motivated by fundamental applications (mainly in the areas of speech, sonar, and acoustics) that led to novel design methods for digital filters (Kaiser, Golden, Rabiner, Schafer), spectrum analysis methods (Rabiner, Schafer, Allen, Crochiere), fast convolution methods based on the FFT (Helms, Bergland), and advanced digital systems used to implement telephony channel banks (Jackson, McDonald, Freeny, Tewksbury). This talk summarizes the key contributions to DSP made at Bell Labs, and illustrates how DSP was utilized in the areas of speech and acoustics research. It also shows the vast, worldwide impact of this DSP research on modern consumer electronics.

  8. Wireless Concrete Strength Monitoring of Wind Turbine Foundations.

    PubMed

    Perry, Marcus; Fusiek, Grzegorz; Niewczas, Pawel; Rubert, Tim; McAlorum, Jack

    2017-12-16

    Wind turbine foundations are typically cast in place, leaving the concrete to mature under environmental conditions that vary in time and space. As a result, there is uncertainty around the concrete's initial performance, and this can encourage both costly over-design and inaccurate prognoses of structural health. Here, we demonstrate the field application of a dense, wireless thermocouple network to monitor the strength development of an onshore, reinforced-concrete wind turbine foundation. Up-to-date methods in fly ash concrete strength and maturity modelling are used to estimate the distribution and evolution of foundation strength over 29 days of curing. Strength estimates are verified by core samples, extracted from the foundation base. In addition, an artificial neural network, trained using temperature data, is exploited to demonstrate that distributed concrete strengths can be estimated for foundations using only sparse thermocouple data. Our techniques provide a practical alternative to computational models, and could assist site operators in making more informed decisions about foundation design, construction, operation and maintenance.

  9. A novel power harmonic analysis method based on Nuttall-Kaiser combination window double spectrum interpolated FFT algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Tao; Chen, Yiyang; Flesch, Rodolfo C. C.

    2017-11-01

    Harmonics pose a great threat to safe and economical operation of power grids. Therefore, it is critical to detect harmonic parameters accurately to design harmonic compensation equipment. The fast Fourier transform (FFT) is widely used for electrical popular power harmonics analysis. However, the barrier effect produced by the algorithm itself and spectrum leakage caused by asynchronous sampling often affects the harmonic analysis accuracy. This paper examines a new approach for harmonic analysis based on deducing the modifier formulas of frequency, phase angle, and amplitude, utilizing the Nuttall-Kaiser window double spectrum line interpolation method, which overcomes the shortcomings in traditional FFT harmonic calculations. The proposed approach is verified numerically and experimentally to be accurate and reliable.

  10. Target community foundations to fund family planning.

    PubMed

    1994-04-01

    Practical advice was given on how to secure funding for privately sponsored US family planning programs in local communities. The first step is in identifying community foundations that are directly involved in social service delivery in the local area. For example, Norplant kits were made available to low-income women through a grant from the Baltimore-based Abell Foundation. Another example is that local funds were used to produce a Norplant video, which was needed for outreach programs and for explaining the pros and cons of Norplant use. The short video was designed for multiple audiences, even though it was locally produced and funded in Baltimore. Sometimes the health department can create a consortium of providers for applying for a group grant. The Foundation Center in New York provides information on foundations, including state-by-state analysis of foundations and family planning funded projects. The Foundation Directory and Grants Index publishes by subject a list of foundations funding such areas. These publications are available in network or local libraries. Background information needs to be obtained on the guidelines required for applying for a specific foundation's grant; guidelines may vary widely between foundations and have strict or loose restrictions on form and substance. An important initial step is writing a very brief synthesis of your proposal (2 pages), if there is no prior knowledge of the receptivity of the foundation to the proposed program. If the project is within the scope of the foundation, a larger formal proposal is the next step. Foundations want to see well through out projects, budgeted carefully, with evaluation components. Examples of successful projects conducted elsewhere are good testimonials to the potential success of the proposed venture. Cultural acceptance in the community, pilot projects replicable in other areas, and target populations are important considerations to be included in the proposal.

  11. [Health, environment and nursing. Philosophical and theoretical foundations for the development and validation of a nursing interface terminology. Part III].

    PubMed

    Juvé-Udina, Maria-Eulàlia

    2012-06-01

    This manuscript is the third of a triad of papers introducing the philosophical and theoretical approaches that support the development and validation of a nursing interface terminology as a standard vocabulary designed to ease data entry into electronic health records, to produce information and to generate knowledge. To analyze the philosophical and theoretical approaches considered in the development of a new nursing interface terminology called ATIC. Review, analysis and discussion of the main philosophical orientations, high and mid-range theories and nursing scientific literature to develop an interpretative conceptualization of the metaparadigm concepts "Health", "Environment" and "Nursing". In the 2 previous papers the ATIC terminology, its foundation on pragmatism, holism, post-positivism and constructivism and the construction of the meaning for the concept elndividualh is discussed. In this third paper, Health is conceptualized as a multidimensional balance state and the concepts of Partial health status, Disease and Being ill are explored within. The analysis of the Environment theories drives its conceptualization as a group of variables that has the potential to affect health status. In this orientation, Nursing is understood as the scientific discipline focused on the study of health status in the particular environment and experience of the individuals, groups, communities or societies. ATIC terminology is rooted on an eclectic philosophical and theoretical foundation, allowing it to be used from different trends within the totality paradigm.

  12. Developing a data infrastructure for a learning health system: the PORTAL network.

    PubMed

    McGlynn, Elizabeth A; Lieu, Tracy A; Durham, Mary L; Bauck, Alan; Laws, Reesa; Go, Alan S; Chen, Jersey; Feigelson, Heather Spencer; Corley, Douglas A; Young, Deborah Rohm; Nelson, Andrew F; Davidson, Arthur J; Morales, Leo S; Kahn, Michael G

    2014-01-01

    The Kaiser Permanente & Strategic Partners Patient Outcomes Research To Advance Learning (PORTAL) network engages four healthcare delivery systems (Kaiser Permanente, Group Health Cooperative, HealthPartners, and Denver Health) and their affiliated research centers to create a new national network infrastructure that builds on existing relationships among these institutions. PORTAL is enhancing its current capabilities by expanding the scope of the common data model, paying particular attention to incorporating patient-reported data more systematically, implementing new multi-site data governance procedures, and integrating the PCORnet PopMedNet platform across our research centers. PORTAL is partnering with clinical research and patient experts to create cohorts of patients with a common diagnosis (colorectal cancer), a rare diagnosis (adolescents and adults with severe congenital heart disease), and adults who are overweight or obese, including those with pre-diabetes or diabetes, to conduct large-scale observational comparative effectiveness research and pragmatic clinical trials across diverse clinical care settings. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  13. HIV/AIDS - resources

    MedlinePlus

    Resources - HIV/AIDS ... The following organizations are good resources for information on AIDS : AIDS.gov -- www.aids.gov AIDS Info -- aidsinfo.nih.gov The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation -- www. ...

  14. Microsimulation of Private Health Insurance and Medicaid Take-Up Following the U.S. Supreme Court Decision Upholding the Affordable Care Act

    PubMed Central

    Parente, Stephen T; Feldman, Roger

    2013-01-01

    Objective To predict take-up of private health insurance and Medicaid following the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Data Sources Data came from three large employers and a sampling of premiums from http://ehealthinsurance.com. We supplemented the employer data with information on state Medicaid eligibility and costs from the Kaiser Family Foundation. National predictions were based on the MEPS Household Component. Study Design We estimated a conditional logit model of health plan choice in the large group market. Using the coefficients from the choice model, we predicted take-up in the group and individual health insurance markets. Following ACA implementation, we added choices to the individual market corresponding to plans that will be available in state and federal exchanges. Depending on eligibility for premium subsidies, we reduced the out-of-pocket premiums for those choices. We simulated several possible patterns for states opting out of the Medicaid expansion, as allowed by the Supreme Court. Principal Findings The ACA will increase coverage substantially in the private insurance market and Medicaid. HSAs will remain desirable in both the individual and employer markets. Conclusions If states opt out of the Medicaid expansion, this could increase the federal cost of health reform, while reducing the number of newly covered lives. PMID:23398372

  15. Kaiser Permanente Georgia's Experience with Operation Zero: A Group Medical Appointment to Address Pediatric Overweight

    PubMed Central

    Hinchman, Josephine; Beno, Luke; Mims, Adrienne

    2006-01-01

    Context: The rate of overweight (OW) in children in the United States has more than tripled since 1980. The health consequences of pediatric OW include type 2 diabetes and significant illness later in life. Treating pediatric OW is a necessity; however, health care clinicians have minimal access to successful and comprehensive treatment modalities for addressing it. Objective: Kaiser Permanente of Georgia (KPGA) offers a group medical appointment clinic, Operation Zero (O.Z.), as a referral program for preadolescent and adolescent patients who are in the 85th or higher percentile for body mass index (BMI) for their age. The eight-session clinic uses a family-oriented approach and provides a supportive group environment with interactive learning, games, physical activity, and creative problem solving. The goal of the program is to improve lifestyle behaviors for nutrition and physical activity. Clinically, meeting these goals can manifest as reductions in body fat (BF), waist size, and BMI-for-age percentile. Two implementation models help improve dissemination of the program within KPGA. Design: Baseline and eight-week postclinical outcomes for O.Z. participants were analyzed to determine program effectiveness. A retrospective analysis with a control group looked at long-term clinical outcomes to determine weight maintenance. Main outcome measures were weight, BMI-for-age percentile, waist size, and percentage of body fat (%BF). Results: At eight weeks after program completion compared with baseline, there were significant reductions in %BF and waist size for the total sample and specifically for adolescents, preteens, and participants who attended six or more sessions. Among O.Z. participants, there were insignificant increases in weight at six months after program participation and BMI-for-age percentile at one year after participation. At six months, the mean change in weight and BMI in the O.Z. group was statistically less than the mean change in the control

  16. Use of electronic health records can improve the health care industry's environmental footprint.

    PubMed

    Turley, Marianne; Porter, Catherine; Garrido, Terhilda; Gerwig, Kathy; Young, Scott; Radler, Linda; Shaber, Ruth

    2011-05-01

    Electronic health records have the potential to improve the environmental footprint of the health care industry. We estimate that Kaiser Permanente's electronic health record system, which covers 8.7 million beneficiaries, eliminated 1,000 tons of paper records and 68 tons of x-ray film, and that it has lowered gasoline consumption among patients who otherwise would have made trips to the doctor by at least three million gallons per year. However, the use of personal computers resulted in higher energy consumption and generated an additional 250 tons of waste. We conclude that electronic health records have a positive net effect on the environment, and that our model for evaluating their impact can be used to determine whether their use can improve communities' health.

  17. Health benefits offer rates: is there a nonresponse bias?

    PubMed

    Pickreign, Jeremy D; Gabel, Jon R

    2005-04-01

    To determine whether a nonresponse bias exists in the offer rate for health benefits in firms with fewer than 50 workers and to present a simple adjustment to correct for observed bias. The 2003 Employer Health Benefits Survey (EHBS) conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust, and a follow-up survey of nonrespondents to the 2003 EHBS. We conducted a follow-up survey to the 2003 EHBS to collect health benefits offering data from firms with fewer than 50 workers. We used McNemar's test to verify that the follow-up survey provided results comparable to the EHBS, and t-tests were used to determine nonresponse bias. We applied a simple weighting adjustment to the EHBS. The data for both the EHBS and the follow-up survey were collected by the same survey research firm. The EHBS interviews the person most knowledgeable about the firm's health benefits, while the follow-up survey interviews the first person who answers the telephone whether they are the most knowledgeable or not. Principal Findings. Firms with 3-9 workers were more likely to exhibit a bias than were firms with 10-24 workers and 25-49 workers. Although the calculated bias for each size category was not significant, there is sufficient evidence to warrant caution when reporting offer rates. Survey nonresponse in the EHBS produces an upward bias on estimates for the offer rates of small firms. Although not significant, this upward bias is because of nonresponse by small firms that do not offer health benefits. Our research is limited in that we only control for differences in the size of the firm.

  18. Wireless Concrete Strength Monitoring of Wind Turbine Foundations

    PubMed Central

    Niewczas, Pawel; Rubert, Tim

    2017-01-01

    Wind turbine foundations are typically cast in place, leaving the concrete to mature under environmental conditions that vary in time and space. As a result, there is uncertainty around the concrete’s initial performance, and this can encourage both costly over-design and inaccurate prognoses of structural health. Here, we demonstrate the field application of a dense, wireless thermocouple network to monitor the strength development of an onshore, reinforced-concrete wind turbine foundation. Up-to-date methods in fly ash concrete strength and maturity modelling are used to estimate the distribution and evolution of foundation strength over 29 days of curing. Strength estimates are verified by core samples, extracted from the foundation base. In addition, an artificial neural network, trained using temperature data, is exploited to demonstrate that distributed concrete strengths can be estimated for foundations using only sparse thermocouple data. Our techniques provide a practical alternative to computational models, and could assist site operators in making more informed decisions about foundation design, construction, operation and maintenance. PMID:29258176

  19. Using Population Dose to Evaluate Community-level Health Initiatives.

    PubMed

    Harner, Lisa T; Kuo, Elena S; Cheadle, Allen; Rauzon, Suzanne; Schwartz, Pamela M; Parnell, Barbara; Kelly, Cheryl; Solomon, Loel

    2018-05-01

    Successful community-level health initiatives require implementing an effective portfolio of strategies and understanding their impact on population health. These factors are complicated by the heterogeneity of overlapping multicomponent strategies and availability of population-level data that align with the initiatives. To address these complexities, the population dose methodology was developed for planning and evaluating multicomponent community initiatives. Building on the population dose methodology previously developed, this paper operationalizes dose estimates of one initiative targeting youth physical activity as part of the Kaiser Permanente Community Health Initiative, a multicomponent community-level obesity prevention initiative. The technical details needed to operationalize the population dose method are explained, and the use of population dose as an interim proxy for population-level survey data is introduced. The alignment of the estimated impact from strategy-level data analysis using the dose methodology and the data from the population-level survey suggest that dose is useful for conducting real-time evaluation of multiple heterogeneous strategies, and as a viable proxy for existing population-level surveys when robust strategy-level evaluation data are collected. This article is part of a supplement entitled Building Thriving Communities Through Comprehensive Community Health Initiatives, which is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, Community Health. Copyright © 2018 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Health on the Net Foundation: assessing the quality of health web pages all over the world.

    PubMed

    Boyer, Célia; Gaudinat, Arnaud; Baujard, Vincent; Geissbühler, Antoine

    2007-01-01

    The Internet provides a great amount of information and has become one of the communication media which is most widely used [1]. However, the problem is no longer finding information but assessing the credibility of the publishers as well as the relevance and accuracy of the documents retrieved from the web. This problem is particularly relevant in the medical area which has a direct impact on the well-being of citizens. In this paper, we assume that the quality of web pages can be controlled, even when a huge amount of documents has to be reviewed. But this must be supported by both specific automatic tools and human expertise. In this context, we present various initiatives of the Health on the Net Foundation informing the citizens about the reliability of the medical content on the web.

  1. The Irving Harris Foundation's Investment in the Professional Development Network

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glink, Phyllis

    2012-01-01

    Phyllis Glink, the executive director of the Irving Harris Foundation, describes the Foundation's strategic approach to grantmaking in the infant and early childhood field. The Harris Professional Development Network evolved out of Irving Harris's growing appreciation for the importance of supporting very young children's mental health and…

  2. Engaging Youth in Community Change: Outcomes and Lessons Learned from Sierra Health Foundation's REACH Youth Program. Final Evaluation Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campbell, David; Erbstein, Nancy; Fabionar, James; Wilcox, Whitney; Carrasco, Lisceth Cruz

    2010-01-01

    From 2006 to 2010, Sierra Health Foundation's REACH program committed $8 million to support the healthy development of youth in the Greater Sacramento, California, region. As a centerpiece of the larger grantmaking strategy, seven grantees in the region were selected to create community coalitions that involved both youth and adults in their…

  3. Public health policy paradoxes: science and politics in the Rockefeller Foundation's hookworm campaign in Mexico in the 1920s.

    PubMed

    Birn, A E; Solórzano, A

    1999-11-01

    The origins of US international health endeavors are intertwined with the Progressive Era's faith in science as arbiter of humankind's secular problems. No agency better exemplifies the period's confidence in science than the Rockefeller Foundation's International Health Board (IHB), which set out to export the new public health theory and practice around the world. An examination of the IHB's hookworm program in Mexico in the 1920s demonstrates that, notwithstanding the Rockefeller Foundation's (RF) self-conscious commitment to scientific neutrality, its programs continuously engaged political criteria, exhibiting the competition, coexistence, and inseparability of the worlds of science, politics, and international health policy. Analysis of the program's quotidian decisions and larger strategies further reveals the protean quality of RF science-politics, which enabled responses to parochial and broadly-conceived needs at multiple levels. In the focus on hookworm, the selection of campaign sites, hookworm diagnosis methods, treatment procedures, definition of cure, and the assignment of responsibility for prevention, scientific and political considerations were inextricably bound. The science-politics paradox was molded by the hookworm program's constituencies in Mexico, including political leaders, health bureaucrats, physicians, business interests, public health workers, peasants, and Rockefeller officers. The multiple, often contradictory, roles of the RF's hookworm campaign are characteristic of the policy paradoxes that emerge when science is summoned to drive policy. In Mexico the campaign served as a policy cauldron through which new knowledge could be demonstrated applicable to social and political problems on many levels. The repeated pledge of scientific neutrality belied the hookworm program's inherent aim of persuading government officials, the medical community, business interests, and the populace of the value of investing in public health as a means

  4. It pays to be Herr Kaiser: Germans with noble-sounding surnames more often work as managers than as employees.

    PubMed

    Silberzahn, Raphael; Uhlmann, Eric Luis

    2013-12-01

    In the field study reported here (N = 222,924), we found that Germans with noble-sounding surnames, such as Kaiser ("emperor"), König ("king"), and Fürst ("prince"), more frequently hold managerial positions than Germans with last names that either refer to common everyday occupations, such as Koch ("cook"), Bauer ("farmer"), and Becker/Bäcker ("baker"), or do not refer to any social role. This phenomenon occurs despite the fact that noble-sounding surnames never indicated that the person actually held a noble title. Because of basic properties of associative cognition, the status linked to a name may spill over to its bearer and influence his or her occupational outcomes.

  5. Validation of a questionnaire to measure sexual health knowledge and understanding (Sexual Health Questionnaire) in Nepalese secondary school: A psychometric process.

    PubMed

    Acharya, Dev Raj; Thomas, Malcolm; Cann, Rosemary

    2016-01-01

    School-based sex education has the potential to prevent unwanted pregnancy and to promote positive sexual health at the individual, family and community level. To develop and validate a sexual health questionnaire to measure young peoples' sexual health knowledge and understanding (SHQ) in Nepalese secondary school. Secondary school students (n = 259, male = 43.63%, female = 56.37%) and local experts (n = 9, male = 90%, female = 10%) were participated in this study. Evaluation processes were; content validity (>0.89), plausibility check (>95), item-total correlation (>0.3), factor loading (>0.4), principal component analysis (4 factors Kaiser's criterion), Chronbach's alpha (>0.65), face validity and internal consistency using test-retest reliability (P > 0.05). The principal component analysis revealed four factors to be extracted; sexual health norms and beliefs, source of sexual health information, sexual health knowledge and understanding, and level of sexual awareness. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy demonstrated that the patterns of correlations are relatively compact (>0.80). Chronbach's alpha for each factors were above the cut-off point (0.65). Face validity indicated that the questions were clear to the majority of the respondent. Moreover, there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the responses to the items at two time points at seven weeks later. The finding suggests that SHQ is a valid and reliable instrument to be used in schools to measure sexual health knowledge and understanding. Further analysis such as structured equation modelling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis could make the questionnaire more robust and applicable to the wider school population.

  6. Foundation Care: A Treatment Model for Nonambulatory Profoundly Mentally Retarded Persons.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LaMendola, Walter F.; And Others

    1987-01-01

    Two institutional treatment models--Intermediate Care Facilities and Foundation Care--were compared with 30 profoundly mentally retarded adults. The Foundation Care model (which emphasized habilitation through health, nurturance, stimulation, and play) demonstrated more resident-oriented management practices and used more tactile modalities and…

  7. Transforming care delivery through health information technology.

    PubMed

    Wheatley, Benjamin

    2013-01-01

    The slow but progressive adoption of health information technology (IT) nationwide promises to usher in a new era in health care. Electronic health record systems provide a complete patient record at the point of care and can help to alleviate some of the challenges of a fragmented delivery system, such as drug-drug interactions. Moreover, health IT promotes evidence-based practice by identifying gaps in recommended treatment and providing clinical decision-support tools. In addition, the data collected through digital records can be used to monitor patient outcomes and identify potential improvements in care protocols. Kaiser Permanente continues to advance its capability in each of these areas.

  8. Foundations that Provide Support for Human Services: A Selected List.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Bertha, Comp.

    Lists of foundations can aid the user in securing funding sources for projects in the areas of health, education, community development and/or social services. The user is cautioned that grantsmanship is a competitive process; grants application procedures vary from one foundation to another. In the absence of any specific guidelines, important…

  9. [The foundation of the German Society for Child Psychiatry and Therapeutic Education – Paul Schroeder’s road to foundation chairman].

    PubMed

    Schepker, Klaus; Fangerau, Heiner

    2016-01-01

    The reconstruction of the evolutionary history of this professional association lays its focus on the developments which contributed to the society’s formal foundation during the time of the patient killings in Germany after 1939. Methodologically the study follows strategies of historical network analysis including the main actors of the foundation process. The foundation of this society can be seen as the result of the interaction of a) the Reichs-Health-Agency, its president Hans Reiter, and Fritz Rott as National Socialist health politicians, b) the scientific development geared to this policy of a young discipline that shared its knowledge base as well as its medical ‘object’ with established specialties like psychiatry and pediatrics, c) a postulated need for character studies, prognosis and selection, and d) personal as well as professional-political interests of the main protagonists Schroeder and Villinger. Once more it is obvious that medicine and politics were not only interwoven, but in certain areas in accordance with each other. Borders could rather be established between social regulatory “instances”. The foundation of the DGKH (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kinderpsychiatrie und Heilpädagogik; German Society for Child Psychiatry and Therapeutic Education) is an example of a ‘radical regulatory reasoning’ according to Raphael, that by means of “institutional arrangements at medium level” (Raphael, 2001) was supposed to implement the ‘new National-Socialist order’.

  10. Association between personal health record enrollment and patient loyalty.

    PubMed

    Turley, Marianne; Garrido, Terhilda; Lowenthal, Alex; Zhou, Yi Yvonne

    2012-07-01

    To examine the association between patient loyalty, as measured by member retention in the health plan, and access to My Health Manager (MHM), Kaiser Permanente's PHR, which is linked to its electronic health record, KP HealthConnect. We conducted a retrospective cohort observational quality improvement project from the third quarter of 2005 to the fourth quarter of 2008 for approximately 394,000 Kaiser Permanente Northwest members. To control for self-selection bias, we used propensity scores to perform exact 1-to-1 matching without replacement between MHM users and nonusers. We estimated retention rates of the matched data and assessed the association between MHM use and retention versus voluntary termination. We also estimated odds ratios of significant variables impacting member retention. The probability of remaining a member or being involuntarily terminated versus voluntary termination was 96.7% for users (95% confidence interval [CI], 96.6%-96.7%) and 92.2% for nonusers (95% CI, 92.1%-92.4%; P <.001). In the logistic model, MHM use was a significant predictor; only tenure and illness burden were stronger predictors. Users were 2.578 (95% CI, 2.487%-2.671%) times more likely to choose to remain members than were nonusers. The impact was more substantial among newer members. MHM use was significantly associated with voluntary membership retention. An indicator of patient loyalty, retention is critical to healthcare organizations.

  11. Field Demonstration of Real-Time Wind Turbine Foundation Strain Monitoring.

    PubMed

    Rubert, Tim; Perry, Marcus; Fusiek, Grzegorz; McAlorum, Jack; Niewczas, Pawel; Brotherston, Amanda; McCallum, David

    2017-12-31

    Onshore wind turbine foundations are generally over-engineered as their internal stress states are challenging to directly monitor during operation. While there are industry drivers to shift towards more economical foundation designs, making this transition safely will require new monitoring techniques, so that the uncertainties around structural health can be reduced. This paper presents the initial results of a real-time strain monitoring campaign for an operating wind turbine foundation. Selected reinforcement bars were instrumented with metal packaged optical fibre strain sensors prior to concrete casting. In this paper, we outline the sensors' design, characterisation and installation, and present 67 days of operational data. During this time, measured foundation strains did not exceed 95 μ ϵ , and showed a strong correlation with both measured tower displacements and the results of a foundation finite element model. The work demonstrates that real-time foundation monitoring is not only achievable, but that it has the potential to help operators and policymakers quantify the conservatism of their existing design codes.

  12. Evaluating health inequity interventions: applying a contextual (external) validity framework to programs funded by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Kaye; Müller-Clemm, Werner; Ysselstein, Margaretha; Sachs, Jonathan

    2013-02-01

    Including context in the measurement and evaluation of health in equity interventions is critical to understanding how events that occur in an intervention's environment might contribute to or impede its success. This study adapted and piloted a contextual validity assessment framework on a selection of health inequity-related programs funded by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF) between 1998 and 2006. The two overarching objectives of this study were (1) to determine the relative amount and quality of attention given to conceptualizing, measuring and validating context within CHSRF funded research final reports related to health-inequity; and (2) to contribute evaluative evidence towards the incorporation of context into the assessment and measurement of health inequity interventions. The study found that of the 42/146 CHSRF programs and projects, judged to be related to health inequity 20 adequately reported on the conceptualization, measurement and validation of context. Amongst these health-inequity related project reports, greatest emphasis was placed on describing the socio-political and economical context over actually measuring and validating contextual evidence. Applying a contextual validity assessment framework was useful for distinguishing between the descriptive (conceptual) versus empirical (measurement and validation) inclusion of documented contextual evidence. Although contextual validity measurement frameworks needs further development, this study contributes insight into identifying funded research related to health inequities and preliminary criteria for assessing interventions targeted at specific populations and jurisdictions. This study also feeds a larger critical dialogue (albeit beyond the scope of this study) regarding the relevance and utility of using evaluative techniques for understanding how specific external conditions support or impede the successful implementation of health inequity interventions. Copyright

  13. Validation of a questionnaire to measure sexual health knowledge and understanding (Sexual Health Questionnaire) in Nepalese secondary school: A psychometric process

    PubMed Central

    Acharya, Dev Raj; Thomas, Malcolm; Cann, Rosemary

    2016-01-01

    Background: School-based sex education has the potential to prevent unwanted pregnancy and to promote positive sexual health at the individual, family and community level. Objectives: To develop and validate a sexual health questionnaire to measure young peoples’ sexual health knowledge and understanding (SHQ) in Nepalese secondary school. Materials and Methods: Secondary school students (n = 259, male = 43.63%, female = 56.37%) and local experts (n = 9, male = 90%, female = 10%) were participated in this study. Evaluation processes were; content validity (>0.89), plausibility check (>95), item-total correlation (>0.3), factor loading (>0.4), principal component analysis (4 factors Kaiser's criterion), Chronbach's alpha (>0.65), face validity and internal consistency using test-retest reliability (P > 0.05). Results: The principal component analysis revealed four factors to be extracted; sexual health norms and beliefs, source of sexual health information, sexual health knowledge and understanding, and level of sexual awareness. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy demonstrated that the patterns of correlations are relatively compact (>0.80). Chronbach's alpha for each factors were above the cut-off point (0.65). Face validity indicated that the questions were clear to the majority of the respondent. Moreover, there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the responses to the items at two time points at seven weeks later. Conclusions: The finding suggests that SHQ is a valid and reliable instrument to be used in schools to measure sexual health knowledge and understanding. Further analysis such as structured equation modelling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis could make the questionnaire more robust and applicable to the wider school population. PMID:27500171

  14. The israeli virtual national health record: a robust national health information infrastructure based on a firm foundation of trust.

    PubMed

    Saiag, Esther

    2005-01-01

    In many developed countries, a coordinated effort is underway to build national and regional Health Information Infrastructures (HII) for the linking of disparate sites of care, so that an access to a comprehensive Health Record will be feasible when critical medical decisions are made [1]. However, widespread adoption of such national projects is hindered by a series of barriers- regulatory, technical, financial and cultural. Above all, a robust national HII requires a firm foundation of trust: patients must be assured that their confidential health information will not be misused and that there are adequate legal remedies in the event of inappropriate behavior on the part of either authorized or unauthorized parties[2].The Israeli evolving National HII is an innovative state of the art implementation of a wide-range clinical inter-organizational data exchange, based on a unique concept of virtually temporary sharing of information. A logically connection of multiple caregivers and medical organizations creates a patient-centric virtual repository, without centralization. All information remains in its original format, location, system and ownership. On demand, relevant information is instantly integrated and delivered to the point of care. This system, successfully covering more than half of Israel's population, is currently evolving from a voluntary private-public partnership (dbMOTION and CLALIT HMO) to a formal national reality. The governmental leadership, now taking over the process, is essential to achieve a full potential of the health information technology. All partners of the Israeli health system are coordinated in concert with each other, driven with a shared vision - realizing that a secured, private, confidential health information exchange is assured.

  15. Childhood pneumonia as a global health priority and the strategic interest of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

    PubMed

    Adegbola, Richard A

    2012-04-01

    Pneumonia kills more children than any other disease--more than HIV/AIDS, malaria, and measles combined. Introduction of vaccines against pneumococcus and Haemophilus influenzae type b (the most important causes of severe pneumonia in young children), increasing resistance to antibiotics, and changes in HIV prevalence will likely change patterns of pneumonia etiology in developing countries. Studies such as Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) that take advantage of new diagnostic technologies are needed to provide an updated and more precise description of the microbial causes of pneumonia and to inform decisions around treatment algorithms and vaccine development and introduction. In recognition of its importance for global health and especially its significance as an ongoing cause of gross inequity in risks, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has made pneumonia an important part of its global health strategy and PERCH a centerpiece of its Pneumonia Program.

  16. The Role of the Foundation Board. Foundation Relations. Board Basics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simic, Curtis R.

    1998-01-01

    This booklet for trustees of institutions of higher education addresses the role of boards of related non-profit fund-raising foundations. The booklet begins with an explanation of four advantages of such foundations to host institutions, such as separating gift funds from public funds. Suggestions for making foundation boards more effective…

  17. The impact of the SAGE & THYME foundation level workshop on factors influencing communication skills in health care professionals.

    PubMed

    Connolly, Michael; Thomas, Joanne M; Orford, Julie A; Schofield, Nicola; Whiteside, Sigrid; Morris, Julie; Heaven, Cathy

    2014-01-01

    The "SAGE & THYME Foundation Level Workshop" delivers evidence-based communication skills training to 30 health care workers in 3 hours. It teaches a structured approach (the SAGE & THYME model) to discuss patient/carer concerns. The aim of this study was to determine whether the workshop had a positive outcome on factors that influence communication skills. The study had a pragmatic, mixed methods design. Workshops were run in an acute hospital. One hundred seventy health care workers completed questionnaires pre- and post-workshop; 141 were sent follow-up questionnaires at 2 weeks and 2 months; and 9 were filmed talking to a simulated patient pre- and post-workshop. From pre- to post-workshop, there was a significant increase in knowledge (p < 0.001), self-efficacy (p < 0.001), and outcome expectancy (p < 0.001). An expert's rating of behavior with the simulated patient also significantly increased after the training (p = 0.011). Motivation to use the training, and the perceived usefulness of the SAGE & THYME model, were high post-workshop. There was a poor response rate in the follow-up period; hence, the quantitative data are not reported. The qualitative data are described, however, as they give an insight into the impact of the training on staff and their patients. The SAGE & THYME Foundation Level Workshop significantly increases communication skills knowledge, self-efficacy, and outcome expectancy of hospital health care workers who are predominantly white, female, nursing, or nonclinical staff. This suggests that the workshop may have a positive impact on some factors influencing communication skills in this group. © 2014 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on Continuing Medical Education, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

  18. Field Demonstration of Real-Time Wind Turbine Foundation Strain Monitoring

    PubMed Central

    Rubert, Tim; Niewczas, Pawel; Brotherston, Amanda; McCallum, David

    2017-01-01

    Onshore wind turbine foundations are generally over-engineered as their internal stress states are challenging to directly monitor during operation. While there are industry drivers to shift towards more economical foundation designs, making this transition safely will require new monitoring techniques, so that the uncertainties around structural health can be reduced. This paper presents the initial results of a real-time strain monitoring campaign for an operating wind turbine foundation. Selected reinforcement bars were instrumented with metal packaged optical fibre strain sensors prior to concrete casting. In this paper, we outline the sensors’ design, characterisation and installation, and present 67 days of operational data. During this time, measured foundation strains did not exceed 95 μϵ, and showed a strong correlation with both measured tower displacements and the results of a foundation finite element model. The work demonstrates that real-time foundation monitoring is not only achievable, but that it has the potential to help operators and policymakers quantify the conservatism of their existing design codes. PMID:29301232

  19. Sarcopenia and Health Care Utilization in Older Women

    PubMed Central

    Lui, Li-Yung; McCulloch, Charles E.; Cauley, Jane A.; Paudel, Misti L.; Taylor, Brent; Schousboe, John T.; Ensrud, Kristine E.

    2017-01-01

    Background: Although there are several consensus definitions of sarcopenia, their association with health care utilization has not been studied. Methods: We included women from the prospective Study of Osteoporotic Fractures with complete assessment of sarcopenia by several definitions at the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Year 10 (Y10) exam (1997–1998) who also had available data from Medicare Fee- For-Service Claims (N = 566) or Kaiser Encounter data (N = 194). Sarcopenia definitions evaluated were: International Working Group, European Working Group for Sarcopenia in Older Persons, Foundation for the NIH Sarcopenia Project, Baumgartner, and Newman. Hurdle models and logistic regression were used to assess the relation between sarcopenia status (the summary definition and the components of slowness, weakness and/or lean mass) and outcomes that included hospitalizations, cumulative inpatient days/year, short-term (part A paid) skilled nursing facility stay in the 3 years following the Y10 visit. Results: None of the consensus definitions, nor the definition components of weakness or low lean mass, was associated with increased risk of hospitalization or greater likelihood of short-term skilled nursing facility stay. Women with slowness by any criterion definition were about 50% more likely to be hospitalized; had a greater rate of hospitalization days amongst those hospitalized; and had 1.8 to 2.1 times greater likelihood of a short-term skilled nursing facility stay than women without slowness. There was the suggestion of a protective association of low lean mass by the various criterion definitions on short-term skilled nursing facility stay. Conclusion: Estimated effects of sarcopenia on health care utilization were negligible. However, slowness was associated with greater health care utilization. PMID:27402050

  20. Heart rate calculation from ensemble brain wave using wavelet and Teager-Kaiser energy operator.

    PubMed

    Srinivasan, Jayaraman; Adithya, V

    2015-01-01

    Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal artifacts are caused by various factors, such as, Electro-oculogram (EOG), Electromyogram (EMG), Electrocardiogram (ECG), movement artifact and line interference. The relatively high electrical energy cardiac activity causes EEG artifacts. In EEG signal processing the general approach is to remove the ECG signal. In this paper, we introduce an automated method to extract the ECG signal from EEG using wavelet and Teager-Kaiser energy operator for R-peak enhancement and detection. From the detected R-peaks the heart rate (HR) is calculated for clinical diagnosis. To check the efficiency of our method, we compare the HR calculated from ECG signal recorded in synchronous with EEG. The proposed method yields a mean error of 1.4% for the heart rate and 1.7% for mean R-R interval. The result illustrates that, proposed method can be used for ECG extraction from single channel EEG and used in clinical diagnosis like estimation for stress analysis, fatigue, and sleep stages classification studies as a multi-model system. In addition, this method eliminates the dependence of additional synchronous ECG in extraction of ECG from EEG signal process.

  1. [Health surveillance: foundations, interfaces and tendencies].

    PubMed

    Arreaza, Antonio Luis Vicente; de Moraes, José Cássio

    2010-07-01

    The present article rescues initially the forms, content and operational projection of the epidemiological surveillance as indispensable tool for the knowledge field and public health practices. After that, we verify that the health surveillance model establishes an enlargement of this operational concept of surveillance by integrating the collectives and individuals practices in different health necessities dimensions, which includes beyond of the risks and damages control also the eco-socials determinants. In the sequence, we search to dimension the distinct levels of actuation of this sanitary practice articulated to the interventions of promotion, protection and recovery under a located and integrated logic of the unique system of Brazilian health. Finally, we argue that all the conceptual-operational model framework of public health surveillance itself constitutes as a politics and sanitary base for the consolidation of the health promotion paradigm in the collective health field.

  2. Learning Theory Foundations of Simulation-Based Mastery Learning.

    PubMed

    McGaghie, William C; Harris, Ilene B

    2018-06-01

    Simulation-based mastery learning (SBML), like all education interventions, has learning theory foundations. Recognition and comprehension of SBML learning theory foundations are essential for thoughtful education program development, research, and scholarship. We begin with a description of SBML followed by a section on the importance of learning theory foundations to shape and direct SBML education and research. We then discuss three principal learning theory conceptual frameworks that are associated with SBML-behavioral, constructivist, social cognitive-and their contributions to SBML thought and practice. We then discuss how the three learning theory frameworks converge in the course of planning, conducting, and evaluating SBML education programs in the health professions. Convergence of these learning theory frameworks is illustrated by a description of an SBML education and research program in advanced cardiac life support. We conclude with a brief coda.

  3. Unpacking the impact of adverse childhood experiences on adult mental health.

    PubMed

    Merrick, Melissa T; Ports, Katie A; Ford, Derek C; Afifi, Tracie O; Gershoff, Elizabeth T; Grogan-Kaylor, Andrew

    2017-07-01

    Exposure to childhood adversity has an impact on adult mental health, increasing the risk for depression and suicide. Associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and several adult mental and behavioral health outcomes are well documented in the literature, establishing the need for prevention. The current study analyzes the relationship between an expanded ACE score that includes being spanked as a child and adult mental health outcomes by examining each ACE separately to determine the contribution of each ACE. Data were drawn from Wave II of the CDC-Kaiser ACE Study, consisting of 7465 adult members of Kaiser Permanente in southern California. Dichotomous variables corresponding to each of the 11 ACE categories were created, with ACE score ranging from 0 to 11 corresponding to the total number of ACEs experienced. Multiple logistic regression modeling was used to examine the relationship between ACEs and adult mental health outcomes adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. Results indicated a graded dose-response relationship between the expanded ACE score and the likelihood of moderate to heavy drinking, drug use, depressed affect, and suicide attempts in adulthood. In the adjusted models, being spanked as a child was significantly associated with all self-reported mental health outcomes. Over 80% of the sample reported exposure to at least one ACE, signifying the potential to capture experiences not previously considered by traditional ACE indices. The findings highlight the importance of examining both cumulative ACE scores and individual ACEs on adult health outcomes to better understand key risk and protective factors for future prevention efforts. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Harnessing person-generated health data to accelerate patient-centered outcomes research: the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America PCORnet Patient Powered Research Network (CCFA Partners)

    PubMed Central

    Sandler, Robert S; Long, Millie D; Ahrens, Sean; Burris, Jessica L; Martin, Christopher F; Anton, Kristen; Robb, Amber; Caruso, Thomas P; Jaeger, Elizabeth L; Chen, Wenli; Clark, Marshall; Myers, Kelly; Dobes, Angela; Kappelman, Michael D

    2016-01-01

    The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America Partners Patient-Powered Research Network (PPRN) seeks to advance and accelerate comparative effectiveness and translational research in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Our IBD-focused PCORnet PPRN has been designed to overcome the major obstacles that have limited patient-centered outcomes research in IBD by providing the technical infrastructure, patient governance, and patient-driven functionality needed to: 1) identify, prioritize, and undertake a patient-centered research agenda through sharing person-generated health data; 2) develop and test patient and provider-focused tools that utilize individual patient data to improve health behaviors and inform health care decisions and, ultimately, outcomes; and 3) rapidly disseminate new knowledge to patients, enabling them to improve their health. The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America Partners PPRN has fostered the development of a community of citizen scientists in IBD; created a portal that will recruit, retain, and engage members and encourage partnerships with external scientists; and produced an efficient infrastructure for identifying, screening, and contacting network members for participation in research. PMID:26911821

  5. Vibration Based Wind Turbine Tower Foundation Design Utilizing Soil-Foundation-Structure Interaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al Satari, P. E. Mohamed; Hussain, S. E. Saif

    2008-07-01

    Wind turbines have been used to generate electricity as an alternative energy source to conventional fossil fuels. This case study is for multiple wind towers located at different villages in Alaska where severe arctic weather conditions exist. The towers are supported by two different types of foundations; large mat or deep piles foundations. Initially, a Reinforced Concrete (RC) mat foundation was utilized to provide the system with vertical and lateral support. Where soil conditions required it, a pile foundation solution was devised utilizing a 30″ thick RC mat containing an embedded steel grillage of W18 beams supported by 20″-24″ grouted or un-grouted piles. The mixing and casting of concrete in-situ has become the major source of cost and difficulty of construction at these remote Alaska sites. An all-steel foundation was proposed for faster installation and lower cost, but was found to impact the natural frequencies of the structural system by significantly softening the foundation system. The tower-foundation support structure thus became near-resonant with the operational frequencies of the wind turbine leading to a likelihood of structural instability or even collapse. A detailed 3D Finite-Element model of the original tower-foundation-pile system with RC foundation was created using SAP2000. Soil springs were included in the model based on soil properties obtained from the geotechnical consultant. The natural frequency from the model was verified against the tower manufacturer analytical and the experimental values. Where piles were used, numerous iterations were carried out to eliminate the need for the RC and optimize the design. An optimized design was achieved with enough separation between the natural and operational frequencies to prevent damage to the structural system eliminating the need for any RC encasement to the steel foundation or grouting to the piles.

  6. Creating a Successful Affiliated Foundation. Foundation Relations. Board Basics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hedgepeth, Royster C.

    1999-01-01

    This booklet for trustees of institutions of higher education offers guidelines for the creation of effective affiliated foundations. An introductory section notes the increased use of such foundations by public colleges and universities for institutional fund-raising and management of property and endowments. The booklet finds that successful…

  7. Job-based health insurance: costs climb at a moderate pace.

    PubMed

    Claxton, Gary; DiJulio, Bianca; Whitmore, Heidi; Pickreign, Jeremy; McHugh, Megan; Finder, Benjamin; Osei-Anto, Awo

    2009-01-01

    Each year the Kaiser/HRET Survey of Employer Health Benefits takes a snapshot of the state of employee benefits in the United States, based on interviews with public and private employers. Our findings for 2009 show that families continue to face higher premiums, up about 5 percent from last year, and that cost sharing in the form of deductibles and copayments for office visits is greater as well. Average annual premiums in 2009 were $4,824 for single coverage and $13,375 for family coverage. Enrollment in high-deductible health plans held steady. We offer new insights about health risk assessments and how firms responded to the economic downturn.

  8. Use of reinforced soil foundation (RSF) to support shallow foundation.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-11-01

    This research study aims at investigating the potential benefits of using reinforced soil foundations to improve the bearing capacity and reduce the settlement of shallow foundations on soils. To implement this objective, a total of 117 tests, includ...

  9. Use of reinforced soil foundation (RSF) to support shallow foundation.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-11-01

    The main objective of this research study is to investigate potential benefits of using the reinforced soil foundations to improve the bearing capacity and to reduce the settlement of shallow foundations on soils. This includes examining influences o...

  10. Physician Update: Total Health

    PubMed Central

    Tuso, Phillip

    2014-01-01

    As an integrated prepaid health care system, Kaiser Permanente (KP) is in a unique position to demonstrate that affordability in health care can be achieved by disease prevention. During the past decade, KP has significantly improved the quality care outcomes of its members with preventable diseases. However, because of an increase in the incidence of preventable disease, and the potential long-term and short-term costs associated with the treatment of preventable disease, KP has developed a new strategy called Total Health to meet the current and future needs of its patients. Total Health means healthy people in healthy communities. KP’s strategic vision is to be a leader in Total Health by making lives better. KP hopes to make lives better by 1) measuring vital signs of health, 2) promoting healthy behaviors, 3) monitoring disease incidence, 4) spreading leading practices, and 5) creating healthy environments with our community partners. Best practices, spread to the communities we serve, will make health care more affordable, prevent preventable diseases, and save lives. PMID:24694316

  11. The Effect of Guided Care Teams on the Use of Health Services

    PubMed Central

    Boult, Chad; Reider, Lisa; Leff, Bruce; Frick, Kevin D.; Boyd, Cynthia M.; Wolff, Jennifer L.; Frey, Katherine; Karm, Lya; Wegener, Stephen T.; Mroz, Tracy; Scharfstein, Daniel O.

    2015-01-01

    Background The effect of interdisciplinary primary care teams on the use of health services by patients with multiple chronic conditions is uncertain. This study aimed to measure the effect of guided care teams on multimorbid older patients’ use of health services. Methods Eligible patients from 3 health care systems in the Baltimore, Maryland–Washington, DC, area were cluster-randomized to receive guided care or usual care for 20 months between November 1, 2006, and June 30, 2008. Eight services of a guided care nurse working in partnership with patients’ primary care physicians were provided: comprehensive assessment, evidence-based care planning, monthly monitoring of symptoms and adherence, transitional care, coordination of health care professionals, support for self-management, support for family caregivers, and enhanced access to community services. Outcome measures were frequency of use of emergency departments, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, primary care physician services, and specialty physician services. Results The study included 850 older patients at high risk for using health care heavily in the future. The only statistically significant overall effect of guided care in the whole sample was a reduction in episodes of home health care (odds ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.53–0.93). In a preplanned analysis, guided care also reduced skilled nursing facility admissions (odds ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval,0.31–0.89) and days (0.48; 0.28–0.84) among Kaiser-Permanente patients. Conclusions Guided care reduces the use of home health care but has little effect on the use of other health services in the short run. Its positive effect on Kaiser-Permanente patients’ use of skilled nursing facilities and other health services is intriguing. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00121940 PMID:21403043

  12. Perceived Need Versus Current Spending: Gaps in Providing Foundational Public Health Services in Communities.

    PubMed

    Bekemeier, Betty; Marlowe, Justin; Squires, Linda Sharee; Tebaldi, Jennifer; Park, Seungeun

    Our objective was to estimate the gap between the costs for local health jurisdictions (LHJs) to provide foundational public health services (FPHS) and actual spending on FPHS and to examine factors associated with that gap. We employed resource-based cost estimation methods for this observational study and conducted multivariate analyses with measures derived from secondary administrative data. We used primary data collected from LHJ leaders that depicted 2014 spending and perceived need. We also included secondary administrative data depicting annual 2000-2013 expenditures organized into categories containing key elements of FPHS areas. We included primary data from a representative sample of 10 LHJs in Washington State and secondary data for all 35 LHJs in Washington. Participants were public health practice leaders from each sample LHJ. Our main outcome of interest was the gap identified between current spending and the perceived spending needed to provide FPHS in a jurisdiction. Actual FPHS spending was approximately 65% of spending needed to provide overall FPHS for our sample LHJs, but the size of the gap varied substantially by program. Some gaps also varied widely by LHJ, with spending gaps widest among rural and high poverty communities. Percent poverty and the metropolitan nature of a jurisdiction were factors significantly related to FPHS spending in our multivariate analyses. Actual spending lags far behind local officials' estimates of spending needed to provide FPHS and is likely influenced by local conditions. Major apparent gaps between spending and need, particularly in areas such as costly Business Competencies, underscore the need for cross-cutting capabilities to support public health system responsiveness and for attention to be paid to local conditions.

  13. The Future of Foundations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kramer, Lawrence

    1974-01-01

    On account of the Tax Reform Act of 1969 (taxing income of a foundation) foundations have developed more rationale grant-making philosophies, longer term grants, more evaluation of grantees, and greater responsibility on the part of the foundations for grantee survival. (Author/PG)

  14. [The history of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society during the Third Reich. Interim reports of the president's commission of the Max Planck Society].

    PubMed

    Weber, M M

    2002-11-01

    In 1997 the Max Planck Society set up a presidential commission to do research on the historical development of its precursor organization, the Kaiser Wilhelm Society (KWG), during the Third Reich. This paper presents some of the important results given in the interim reports of this commission that are relevant to psychiatry. It focuses on brain research, anthropology, psychiatric genetics, and the role of the well-known biochemist Adolf Butenandt. In general, the interim reports reflect the numerous links between the biomedical research of the KWG and the institutions of the National Socialist (Nazi) state. However, they do not yet allow a final historical assessment as to the complex situation of this field of research during National Socialism.

  15. Successful Targeted Therapies for Breast Cancer, The Worcester Foundation and Future Opportunities in Women's Health.

    PubMed

    Abderrahman, Balkees; Jordan, V Craig

    2018-06-19

    The signing of the National Cancer Act in 1971, was designed to take laboratory discoveries rapidly from the bench to the bedside. A "war on cancer" had been declared. Combination cytotoxic chemotherapy was predicted to cure all cancers based on the stunning success in treating childhood leukemia. Breast cancer treatments were primitive; radical mastectomy and radiation was standard of care for disease that had not spread. Ablative endocrine surgery (oophorectomy, hypophysectomy, and adrenalectomy) was a palliative last option for metastatic breast cancer. However, only 30% responded for a year or two: everybody died. The discovery of the estrogen receptor (ER), and translation to breast cancer treatment triggered a revolution in women's health. Two important, but interconnected events occurred at the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology (WFEB), which would exploit the breast tumor ER as the first target to save lives and prevent breast cancer development. Two new groups of medicines: Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) and aromatase inhibitors (AIs) would continue the momentum of research at the WFEB to improve women's health. Here we recount the important progress made in women's health based upon knowledge of the endocrinology of breast cancer. We propose future opportunities in SERM therapeutics to "refresh" the current standards of care for breast cancer treatment. The opportunity is based upon emerging knowledge about acquired resistance to long term adjuvant AI therapy used to treat breast cancer.

  16. Harnessing person-generated health data to accelerate patient-centered outcomes research: the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America PCORnet Patient Powered Research Network (CCFA Partners).

    PubMed

    Chung, Arlene E; Sandler, Robert S; Long, Millie D; Ahrens, Sean; Burris, Jessica L; Martin, Christopher F; Anton, Kristen; Robb, Amber; Caruso, Thomas P; Jaeger, Elizabeth L; Chen, Wenli; Clark, Marshall; Myers, Kelly; Dobes, Angela; Kappelman, Michael D

    2016-05-01

    The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Partners Patient-Powered Research Network (PPRN) seeks to advance and accelerate comparative effectiveness and translational research in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Our IBD-focused PCORnet PPRN has been designed to overcome the major obstacles that have limited patient-centered outcomes research in IBD by providing the technical infrastructure, patient governance, and patient-driven functionality needed to: 1) identify, prioritize, and undertake a patient-centered research agenda through sharing person-generated health data; 2) develop and test patient and provider-focused tools that utilize individual patient data to improve health behaviors and inform health care decisions and, ultimately, outcomes; and 3) rapidly disseminate new knowledge to patients, enabling them to improve their health. The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Partners PPRN has fostered the development of a community of citizen scientists in IBD; created a portal that will recruit, retain, and engage members and encourage partnerships with external scientists; and produced an efficient infrastructure for identifying, screening, and contacting network members for participation in research. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Use of the Teager-Kaiser Energy Operator for Muscle Activity Detection in Children

    PubMed Central

    Lauer, Richard T.; Prosser, Laura A.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the usefulness of the Teager-Kaiser Energy (TKE) operator to assess surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity from the hip and trunk muscles during pediatric gait in children with and without cerebral palsy (CP). Muscle activity was recorded from the trapezius, erector spinae, rectus abdominus, external oblique, gluteus maximus and medius, rectus femoris, and semitendinosus bilaterally in ten children with typical development (TD) and five children with CP ages 44.4 ± 18.6 months. Duration of muscle activity was calculated as a percentage of the gait cycle, and compared to two common onset detection methods, a standard deviation (SD) amplitude threshold method, and the visual inspection from two raters (R1, R2). Relative and absolute agreement was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman plots. Of the two automated methods, the TKE method demonstrated better agreement with visual inspection (0.45–0.89) than the SD (0.11–0.76) method. The Bland-Altman plots indicated a smaller bias and 95% confidence interval for the TKE method in comparison to the raters (TKE to R1: −5, 113%; TKE to R2: 4, 95%; SD to R1: −24, 170%; SD to R2: −15, 151%). The use of the TKE operator may better detect sEMG activity in children than the standard amplitude method. PMID:19484385

  18. 78 FR 56233 - National Foundation on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition Establishment Act; Delegation of Authority...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Office of the Secretary National Foundation on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition Establishment Act; Delegation of Authority; Office of the Assistant Secretary for... Section 5 of the National Foundation on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition Establishment Act, Public Law 111...

  19. Cultivating Foundation Support for Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Mary Kay, Ed.

    The process of acquiring financial support from private foundations is discussed in 26 essays, divided into five categories (Targeting the Foundation Market; Getting Started: Tools of the Trade; The Process of Foundation Fund Raising; The Grant Maker's Perspective; and Focused Programs and Foundation Support). A prologue, "Ethics and Foundation…

  20. A Welcome for Every Child: How France Protects Maternal and Child Health--A New Frame of Reference for the United States. A Report of the French-American Foundation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richardson, Gail

    This report presents findings of a study tour organized by the French-American Foundation, for 13 United States' health care professionals to examine and interpret the nearly 50-year-old French maternal and child health care system, Protection maternelle et infantile (PMI). Chapter 1 describes the operation of PMI and the possibility of similar…

  1. Examination into Grants to National Reading Center Foundation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Comptroller General of the U.S., Washington, DC.

    Reported is a review by the U. S. General Accounting Office of procedures and requirements related to grants totaling $2.9 million to the National Reading Center Foundation by the Office of Education (OE), Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Costs totaling $305,300 incurred during the initial grant period were deemed unallowable.…

  2. Developing a Patient-Centered mHealth App: A Tool for Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes and Their Parents.

    PubMed

    Holtz, Bree E; Murray, Katharine M; Hershey, Denise D; Dunneback, Julie K; Cotten, Shelia R; Holmstrom, Amanda J; Vyas, Arpita; Kaiser, Molly K; Wood, Michael A

    2017-04-19

    Type 1 diabetes (T1D) afflicts approximately 154,000 people under 20 years of age. Three-quarters of adolescents are not achieving glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) targets, which leads to negative health outcomes. Mobile health (mHealth), the use of technology in health, has been used successfully to improve health in many chronic conditions, including diabetes. The purpose of this study was to use patient-centered research methods to inform and improve the design and functionality of our T1D app, MyT1DHero, and to provide insight for others who are designing a health app for adolescents and parents. This study included data from focus groups with participants recruited from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) southeast Michigan's family network. All data collected during the sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded. Four key themes were identified: (1) diabetes is unpredictable, (2) negative and frustrated communication, (3) motivations to use an app, and (4) feedback specific to our app. A patient-centered approach was used to assist in the development of an app for adolescents with T1D. Participants were satisfied with overall app design; customization, interactivity, and tangible rewards were identified as being necessary for continued use. Participants believed the app would help improve the communication between parents and adolescents. Many apps developed in the health context have not used a patient-centered design method or have seen vast improvements in health. This paper offers suggestions to others seeking to develop apps for adolescents and their parents. ©Bree E Holtz, Katharine M Murray, Denise D Hershey, Julie K Dunneback, Shelia R Cotten, Amanda J Holmstrom, Arpita Vyas, Molly K Kaiser, Michael A Wood. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 19.04.2017.

  3. Forward the Foundation: Local Education Foundations Offer an Alternative Source for School Funding

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brooks-Young, Susan

    2007-01-01

    February's column "Going Corporate" discussed ideas for approaching private foundations for funding. Some districts take this idea several steps further by partnering with the community and local businesses to establish a not-for-profit foundation, or local education foundation (LEF). It probably comes as no surprise that the idea of forming a LEF…

  4. Health On the Net Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... non-profit, non-governmental organization, accredited to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. For 20 years, HON has focused on the essential question of the provision of health information to ...

  5. Can Innate, modular "foundations" explain morality? Challenges for Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory.

    PubMed

    Suhler, Christopher L; Churchland, Patricia

    2011-09-01

    Jonathan Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory is an influential scientific account of morality incorporating psychological, developmental, and evolutionary perspectives. The theory proposes that morality is built upon five innate "foundations," each of which is believed to have been selected for during human evolution and, subsequently, tuned-up by learning during development. We argue here that although some general elements of Haidt's theory are plausible, many other important aspects of his account are seriously flawed. First, innateness and modularity figure centrally in Haidt's account, but terminological and conceptual problems foster confusion and ambiguities. Second, both the theory's proposed number of moral foundations and its taxonomy of the moral domain appear contrived, ignoring equally good candidate foundations and the possibility of substantial intergroup differences in the foundations' contents. Third, the mechanisms (viz., modules) and categorical distinctions (viz., between foundations) proposed by the theory are not consilient with discoveries in contemporary neuroscience concerning the organization, functioning, and development of the brain. In light of these difficulties, we suggest that Haidt's theory is inadequate as a scientific account of morality. Nevertheless, the theory's weaknesses are instructive, and hence, criticism may be useful to psychologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers attempting to advance theories of morality, as well as to researchers wishing to invoke concepts such as innateness and modularity more generally.

  6. Research Foundations and Problems Regarding Counseling in the Community.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campbell, Robert E.

    Research foundations and problems for counseling in the community are discussed. Research implications are outlined around Sarason's three challenges to community health; (1) extending therapeutic outreach, (2) studying those situations, settings, or forces in the community that set the stage for problems; and (3) efforts toward prevention.…

  7. Oaklahoma: Early Head Start Initiative

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Law and Social Policy, Inc. (CLASP), 2012

    2012-01-01

    The Oklahoma Early Childhood Program uses public and private funds to enhance and expand high quality early care and education opportunities for children birth through age 3. The George Kaiser Family Foundation initiated the pilot in 2006 by matching state general revenue with private donations. Since that time, other private funders and providers…

  8. The historical development of modern virus research in Germany, especially in the Kaiser-Wilhelm-/Max-Planck-Society, 1936--1954.

    PubMed

    Butenandt, A

    1977-01-01

    This is lecture on the historical development of modern virus research in Germany to introduce a symposium dedicated to Prof. Werner Schäfer, Tübingen, on the occasion of his 65th birthday. The author was set the task of relating from his memories the beginning of modern virus research in Germany. This research has, since 1936, essentially taken place in the Kaiser-Wilhelm/Max-Planck-Society and in 1954 led to the founding of the Max-Planck-Institute for Virus Research in Tübingen, an institute which to the present day owes its scientific reputation in considerable part to the activity of Werner Schäfer. Since the author personally experienced and participated in the Institute's development from 1936-1954, his remarks are predominantly influenced by personal recollections, which have been sharpended by a renewed study of old records in the 'Library and Archive of the History of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft', Berlin-Dahlem.

  9. A Special Relationship: Nursing and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lynaugh, Joan E.

    1995-01-01

    Describes the relationship between the nursing profession and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Describes Will Keith Kellogg's interest in public health, especially as it related to children and the development of the W. K. Kellogg Child Welfare Organization, as it was originally known. (JOW)

  10. Use of reinforced soil foundation (RSF) to support shallow foundation : summary report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-05-01

    This research study investigates the potential benefits of using reinforced soil foundations to improve the bearing capacity and reduce the settlement of shallow foundations on soils. To implement this objective, a total of 117 tests, including 38 la...

  11. Health system and societal barriers for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) services - lessons from World Diabetes Foundation supported GDM projects.

    PubMed

    Nielsen, Karoline Kragelund; de Courten, Maximilian; Kapur, Anil

    2012-12-05

    Maternal mortality and morbidity remains high in many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) represents an underestimated and unrecognised impediment to optimal maternal health in LMIC; left untreated - it also has severe consequences for the offspring. A better understanding of the barriers hindering detection and treatment of GDM is needed. Based on experiences from World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) supported GDM projects this paper seeks to investigate societal and health system barriers to such efforts. Questionnaires were filled out by 10 WDF supported GDM project partners implementing projects in eight different LMIC. In addition, interviews were conducted with the project partners. The interviews were analysed using content analysis. Barriers to improving maternal health related to GDM nominated by project implementers included lack of trained health care providers - especially female doctors; high staff turnover; lack of standard protocols, consumables and equipment; financing of health services and treatment; lack of or poor referral systems, feedback mechanisms and follow-up systems; distance to health facility; perceptions of female body size and weight gain/loss in relation to pregnancy; practices related to pregnant women's diet; societal negligence of women's health; lack of decision-making power among women regarding their own health; stigmatisation; role of women in society and expectations that the pregnant woman move to her maternal home for delivery. A number of barriers within the health system and society exist. Programmes need to consider and address these barriers in order to improve GDM care and thereby maternal health in LMIC.

  12. A three-dimensional `Kaiser damage-memory' effect through true-triaxial loading

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meredith, P. G.; Browning, J.; Harland, S. R.; Healy, D.; Stuart, C.; Mitchell, T. M.

    2017-12-01

    Microcrack damage leading to failure in rocks evolves in response to differential loading. The vast majority of experimental studies investigate damage evolution, the `Kaiser damage-memory' effect, and rock failure using conventional triaxial stress states (σ1 > σ2 = σ3). Such stress states develop a crack population that displays cylindrical transverse isotropy. However, in nature the stress state is in general truly triaxial (σ1 > σ2 > σ3) and experiments that utilise such loading conditions can generate crack populations that display planar transverse isotropy which in turn influences properties such as permeability and strength. We investigate the evolution of crack damage under both conventional and true triaxial stress conditions using results from measurements made on cubic samples of sandstone deformed in three orthogonal directions with independently controlled stress paths. We have measured, simultaneously with stress and strain, the changes in ultrasonic compressional and shear wave velocities in the three principal directions, together with the bulk acoustic emission (AE) output. Changes in acoustic wave velocities are associated with both elastic closure and opening of pre-existing cracks, and the inelastic formation of new cracks. By contrast, AE is only associated with the inelastic growth of new crack damage and as such, we use the onset of AE to determine the initiation of new crack damage. By mapping these damage onsets under both conventional triaxial and true triaxial sequential cyclic loading, we have shown that `damage envelopes' evolve dynamically and can be pushed closer to the failure envelope. Whether a stress state has been `visited' before is key to determining and understanding damage states. Crack damage populations can be generated with multiple orientations depending on the arrangement of loading directions and hence principal stress directions. The sequential cyclic loading tests show that further damage in any one population

  13. But…What about My Epistemological Foundations?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curin, Raquel Isabel Barrera

    2015-01-01

    At one time or another, all researchers in mathematics education must face the rather complex question of their epistemological foundations. Discussing epistemological foundations naturally leads to a conversation about theories. Theories and epistemological foundations work in a circular fashion: theories can have epistemological foundations and…

  14. RETRAINING UNDER THE MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING ACT OF 1962--ON-THE-JOB PROGRAMS.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    HOOS, IDA R.

    IN 1963, PROGRAMS WERE PROVIDED IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, UNDER MDTA, ALL BUT ONE (HOSPITAL ORDERLIES) BEING UNION SPONSORED. THE MILLMEN AND CABINET WORKERS' LAYOUT COURSE FOR JOURNEYMEN SEEKING CERTIFICATION INVOLVED 12 WEEKS OF THEORETICAL AND ON-THE-JOB TRAINING. THE PROGRAM FOR ORDERLIES AT KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL ENROLLED 12 MEN FOR…

  15. Decreasing Excessive Media Usage while Increasing Physical Activity: A Single-Subject Research Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larwin, Karen H.; Larwin, David A.

    2008-01-01

    The Kaiser Family Foundation released a report entitled "Kids and Media Use" in the United States that concluded that children's use of media--including television, computers, Internet, video games, and phones--may be one of the primary contributor's to the poor fitness and obesity of many of today's adolescents. The present study examines the…

  16. Bruteau's philosophy of spiritual evolution and consciousness: foundation for a nursing cosmology.

    PubMed

    McCarthy, M Patrice

    2011-01-01

    The ontological foundation of the modern world view based on irreconcilable dichotomies has held hegemonic status since the dawn of the scientific revolution. The post-modern critique has exposed the inadequacies of the modern perspective and challenged the potential for any narrative to adequately ground a vision for the future. This paper proposes that the philosophy of Beatrice Bruteau can support a foundation for a visionary world view consistent with nursing's respect for human dignity and societal health. The author discusses the key concepts of Bruteau's perspective on societal evolution based on an integrated study of science, mathematics, religion, and philosophy. This perspective is discussed as a foundation to move beyond the dichotomous influence of the modern world view and the deconstructive critique of the post-modern perspective. The author suggests spiritual evolution and a participatory consciousness as an ontological foundation for a cosmology congruent with nursing's social mandate. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  17. Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research

    MedlinePlus

    ... a Clinical Trial Our mission is to stop sarcoidosis — join us. The sarcoidosis community needs your help ... receive periodic emails from the Foundation. Foundation For Sarcoidosis Research 1820 W. Webster Ave., Ste 304 Chicago, ...

  18. Farm Foundation Annual Report, 2000.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farm Foundation, Oak Brook, IL.

    The Farm Foundation was established in 1933 as a private agency to help coordinate the work of other public and private groups and agencies to improve agriculture and rural life without taking political positions or supporting specific legislation. An operating rather than a grant-making foundation, the foundation develops national and regional…

  19. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Search How We Work Our Focus Areas About RWJF Search Menu How We Work Grants and Grant ... more For Grantees and Grantseekers The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds a wide array of programs which ...

  20. Students' Perceptions of Foundation Degrees

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ooms, A.; Burke, L. M.; Marks-Maran, D. J.; Webb, M.; Cooper, D.

    2012-01-01

    In 2008 there were 87,339 people enrolled on foundation degrees (FDs) in the UK (Foundation Degree Forward, 2009), and educational institutions in the UK offered 1700 different foundation degrees in over 25 subjects, with nearly 900 more in development (Action on Access, 2010). In addition, student views are seen to be of importance, as…

  1. Dallas's Nonprofit Foundation Founders.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levin, Dan

    1979-01-01

    Describes the scandals that have destroyed the Foundation for Quality Education, the foundation the Dallas (Texas) school district created to raise money for the schools through real estate management and the marketing of school-system-developed curriculum materials. (Author/IRT)

  2. Kellogg Foundation Initiative: Rewriting the Way Foundations Do Business in Indian Country.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boyer, Paul

    2000-01-01

    Describes the multi-million dollar initiative announced by W. K. Kellogg Foundation in 1995 to support the Native American Higher Education Initiative, and how the Kellogg initiative deserves attention from the nation as a whole because it is attempting to fundamentally rewrite the way foundations do business with Indian communities. (VWC)

  3. Foundations for Critical Thinking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bers, Trudy; Chun, Marc; Daly, William T.; Harrington, Christine; Tobolowsky, Barbara F.

    2015-01-01

    "Foundations for Critical Thinking" explores the landscape of critical-thinking skill development and pedagogy through foundational chapters and institutional case studies involving a range of students in diverse settings. By establishing a link between active learning and improved critical thinking, this resource encourages all higher…

  4. Establishing a School Foundation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erickson, Juanita; Stewart, G. Kent

    2002-01-01

    A school foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that finances school projects not covered by the district budget. Legal requirements and accounting procedures; the board of trustees and fund manager; use of volunteers; capitalization and sources of capital (gifts, bequests, fundraising activities); marketing the foundation; examples of…

  5. A behaviorological thanatology: Foundations and implications

    PubMed Central

    Fraley, Lawrence E.

    1998-01-01

    Foundation principles supporting a behaviorological thanatology are reviewed, including concepts of life, person, death, value, right, ethic, and body/person distinctions. These natural science foundations are contrasted with traditional foundations, and their respective implications are speculatively explored. PMID:22478293

  6. Collaboration in health services research: on developing relationships between VA researchers and those in other institutions.

    PubMed Central

    Greenlick, M R; Freeborn, D K

    1986-01-01

    This article explores the potential for collaboration between investigators in institutions outside of the VA and those engaged in research within the VA. The focus is on the potential for collaborative work in health services research; our perspective is that of researchers in a freestanding HMO research center affiliated with the Veterans Administration's Northwest Health Services Research and Development Field Program. The paper begins with a review of the reasons that make collaboration between VA researchers and other health services researchers so appropriate at this time. An example of collaboration is presented, drawing on the experience of the Northwest Field Program and the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. Finally, some difficulties inherent in collaboration between VA and other health services researchers are discussed. PMID:3512485

  7. EVOLUTIONARY FOUNDATIONS FOR MOLECULAR MEDICINE

    PubMed Central

    Nesse, Randolph M.; Ganten, Detlev; Gregory, T. Ryan; Omenn, Gilbert S.

    2015-01-01

    Evolution has long provided a foundation for population genetics, but many major advances in evolutionary biology from the 20th century are only now being applied in molecular medicine. They include the distinction between proximate and evolutionary explanations, kin selection, evolutionary models for cooperation, and new strategies for tracing phylogenies and identifying signals of selection. Recent advances in genomics are further transforming evolutionary biology and creating yet more opportunities for progress at the interface of evolution with genetics, medicine, and public health. This article reviews 15 evolutionary principles and their applications in molecular medicine in hopes that readers will use them and others to speed the development of evolutionary molecular medicine. PMID:22544168

  8. Estimation of Japanese international financial assistance for HIV/AIDS control for 2003-2007: difficulties and limitations of data collection.

    PubMed

    Mori, Koichiro; Yonemoto, Kiyoshi; Takei, Teiji; Izazola-Licea, Jose; Gobet, Benjamin

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to: (1) collect relevant data and estimate Japanese international financial assistance for HIV/AIDS control; (2) discuss the difficulties in collecting relevant data and the limitations of the collected data; and (3) conduct a comparative analysis on the estimated data with OECD and Kaiser Family Foundation aggregate data. The point is that we have comprehensively collected and estimated the data on Japanese international expenditures for HIV/AIDS control while there is no reliable data that is totally managed and published. In addition, we discuss the difficulties and limitations of data collection: unpublished data; insufficient data; inseparable data; problems of exchange rates; gaps between disbursement and commitment; and difference in year period among calendar, fiscal and organization-specific years. Furthermore, we show the risk of underestimating the Japanese international contribution to HIV/AIDS control on the basis of OECD and Kaiser data. In this respect, it is significant to comprehensively collect and estimate the data on Japanese international assistance for HIV/AIDS control. Finally, we derive the implication that it is crucial for a relevant international organization and/or individual countries to comprehensively collect and administer data for international cooperation in the development of health policies for HIV/AIDS.

  9. Singing for Lung Health: a qualitative assessment of a British Lung Foundation programme for group leaders

    PubMed Central

    Lewis, Adam; Cave, Phoene; Hopkinson, Nicholas S

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Singing for Lung Health (SLH) groups are an increasingly popular intervention for people with respiratory disease. There are limited data as to how these groups should be developed and run. We aimed to evaluate the experience of singing leaders both to assess the training provided by the British Lung Foundation (BLF) and to provide information to guide future development of programmes. Methods A convenience sample of 15 leaders who had received BLF SLH training participated in the BLF service evaluation. Fifteen singing groups were observed, and singing leader interviews and questionnaires were collected. Inductive themes from the qualitative data were the primary outcome. The content of observed singing groups was also rated against the training leaders had received. Results Singing leaders valued the BLF training but felt that a significant level of expertise is required before joining. Singing leaders often found setting up groups challenging and some found clinician support beneficial. There were important technical aspects of running a lung health group including issues around content, for example, choice of repertoire to suit breathing pattern, and delivery, for example, pace, rhythm and management of group dynamics. Leaders said that group participants reported physical health improvements such as reduced breathlessness on activity. The content and delivery of singing classes observed displayed a good level of fidelity, suggesting that SLH training is effective. Conclusion The experience of the leaders highlights the requirements, support and technical skills needed to run SLH groups, which have features distinct from generic community singing groups. PMID:29071079

  10. Achieving Health SDG 3 in Africa through NGO Capacity Building - Insights from the Gates Foundation Investment in Partnership in Advocacy for Child and Family Health (PACFaH) Project.

    PubMed

    Walker, Judith-Ann

    2016-09-01

    As global impact investors gear up to support roll out of the Sustainable Development Goals in the developing world, African CSOs are urged to ensure that governments shift health funding sources away from aid and loans to innovative domestic funding sources which prioritize health. To do so, African CSOs require support to build their capacity for policy and budget advocacy. Governments and development partners have failed to invest in long term capacity building projects for indigenous NGOs and instead support INGOs to push the health advocacy agenda forward. In Nigeria, the Gates foundation has risen to the challenge of building capacity of indigenous NGOs for social accountability in child and family health. The 3 year pilot project - Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health Project (PACFaH) mainstreams capacity building as an effective implementation strategy for 8 indigenous NGOs to deliver on - policy; budgetary; legislative; and administrative advocacy in four issue areas: 1) family planning; 2) nutrition; 3) routine immunization; and 4) reduction of under-5 deaths from diarrhea and pneumonia. This paper documents the achievements of the eight advocacy NGOs in PACFaH, at midterm and notes that while there have been challenges, working through capacity building as an implementation strategy has enabled the local groups in the delivery of evidence based advocacy.

  11. The Community College Foundation Manual & Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, James M., Comp.; Snyder, Tom, Comp.

    This collection of resources and information about community college foundations includes brief articles, selected data, materials from foundations, sample mission statements and articles of incorporation, sample forms and correspondence, relevant educational legislation, and other related materials from specific active foundations at two-year…

  12. The foundational principles as psychological lodestars: Theoretical inspiration and empirical direction in rehabilitation psychology.

    PubMed

    Dunn, Dana S; Ehde, Dawn M; Wegener, Stephen T

    2016-02-01

    Historically, the Foundational Principles articulated by Wright (1983) and others guided theory development, research and scholarship, and practice in rehabilitation psychology. In recent decades, these principles have become more implicit and less explicit or expressive in the writings and work of rehabilitation professionals. We believe that the Foundational Principles are essential lodestars for working with people with disabilities that can guide inquiry, practice, and service. To introduce this special issues, this commentary identifies and defines key Foundational Principles, including, for example, Lewin's (1935) person-environment relation, adjustment to disability, the malleability of self-perceptions of bodily states, and the importance of promoting dignity for people with disabilities. We then consider the role the Foundational Principles play in the articles appearing in this special issue. We close by considering some new principles and their potential utility in rehabilitation settings. Readers in rehabilitation psychology and aligned areas (e.g., social-personality psychology, health psychology, rehabilitation therapist, psychiatry, and nursing) are encouraged to consider how the Foundational Principles underlie and can shape their research and practice. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  13. Use of reinforced soil foundation (RSF) to support shallow foundation : summary report, November 2008.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-05-01

    This research study investigates the potential benefits of using reinforced soil foundations to improve the bearing : capacity and reduce the settlement of shallow foundations on soils. To implement this objective, a total of 117 : tests, including 3...

  14. Collaboration in Foundation Degree Provision: A Case Study in Kent

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thurgate, Claire; MacGregor, Janet

    2008-01-01

    Health and Social Care Foundation Degree (FD HSC) development commenced at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) in 2005: the university already had a variety of validated programmes of this design, thus this new provision was able to draw on expertise of proven worth in the local economy. Over the past two years this programme has expanded…

  15. Use of reinforced soil foundation (RSF) to support shallow foundation : final report, November 2008.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-11-01

    This research study aims at investigating the potential benefits of using reinforced soil foundations to improve the bearing capacity and reduce the settlement of shallow foundations on soils. To implement this objective, a total of 117 tests, includ...

  16. Disparities in outpatient and home health service utilization following stroke: results of a 9-year cohort study in Northern California.

    PubMed

    Chan, Leighton; Wang, Hua; Terdiman, Joe; Hoffman, Jeanne; Ciol, Marcia A; Lattimore, Bernadette Ford; Sidney, Steven; Quesenberry, Charles; Lu, Qi; Sandel, M Elizabeth

    2009-11-01

    To examine whether there are disparities in utilization of outpatient and home care services after stroke. Retrospective cohort study. The Kaiser Permanente of Northern California health care system, which provides health care for approximately 3.3 million members. A total of 11,119 patients hospitalized for a stroke between 1996 and 2003 and followed for 1 year. Receipt of outpatient rehabilitation (physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, or physical medicine and rehabilitation/physiatry visits), and/or home health care. There were significant differences in outpatient rehabilitation visits and home health enrollment during the year after acute care discharge for all the parameters under study. Older age and female gender were associated with less outpatient rehabilitation treatment, but these subpopulations were more likely to be enrolled in home health care. Non-whites, patients from urban areas, those with ischemic strokes, and those with longer acute care hospital stays had relatively more outpatient rehabilitation and were also more likely to be enrolled in the home health program. In addition, patients living in geographic areas with a median household income of $80,000 or more had significantly more outpatient rehabilitation visits than did patients living in lower income areas. Variations in outpatient rehabilitation visits and in home health care exist in this large integrated health system in terms of age, gender, race/ethnicity, residence area, type of stroke, and length of stay in an acute care hospital. The Kaiser Permanente integrated health care system seems to have outpatient stroke rehabilitation and home health programs that are providing care without disparities in relation to non-white populations, but other disparities appear to exist that may be related to socioeconomic factors, referral patterns, family support systems, or other cultural factors that have not been identified.

  17. Finite element analysis of gravel pile composite foundation under flexible foundation of Airport Engineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Min

    2018-02-01

    On the basis of consulting data, the bearing mechanism of gravel pile composite foundation is analyzed in this paper. The use of ANSYS software under flexible foundation according to the plum blossoms gravel pile additional stress between pile and soil additional stress distribution, load on pile top stress and pile bearing rate of modulus ratio between pile and soil on the pile top stress and rate of pile bearing capacity, pile-soil effect the stress ratio was calculated and analyzed, providing reasonable design reference for the design of gravel pile composite foundation.

  18. Kaiser Permanente Northern California pregnancy database: Description and proof of concept study.

    PubMed

    Zerbo, Ousseny; Chan, Berwick; Goddard, Kristin; Lewis, Ned; Bok, Karin; Klein, Nicola P; Baxter, Roger

    2016-11-04

    We describe the establishment of a dynamic database linking mothers to newborns with the goal of studying vaccine safety in both pregnant women and their children and provide results of a study utilizing this database as a proof of concept. All Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) live births and their mothers were eligible for inclusion in the pregnancy database. We used the medical record number (MRN), a unique identifier, to retrieve information about events that occurred during the pregnancy and at delivery and linked this same MRN to newborns for post-partum follow up. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the association between receipt of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine during pregnancy and fever 0-3days after the first dose of diphtheria tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine in the infant. The study included infants who were born at ⩾37weeks gestation from January 1, 2009 - October 1, 2015 and who received their first DTaP vaccine between 6 and 10weeks of age. We utilized diagnostic codes from inpatient, emergency department, outpatient clinics, and telephone calls. We identified fever using ICD 9 code 780.6, recorded temperature ⩾101 degree Fahrenheit, or parental report. The database contained the starting and ending date of each pregnancy and basic demographic characteristics of mothers and infants. There were 859,699 women and 873,753 children in the database as of January 2016. The proof of concept study included 148,699 infants. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, Tdap vaccination during pregnancy was not associated with infant fever 0-3daysafter first dose of DTaP (adjusted odds ratio=0.92, 95% CI 0.82-1.04). The KPNC pregnancy database can be used for studies investigating exposure during pregnancy and outcomes in mothers and/or infants, particularly monitoring vaccine safety and effectiveness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Foundations and the Advancement of Postsecondary Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Libby V.

    2017-01-01

    The author examined the websites of two large foundations, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Lumina Foundation. Each has developed projects and networks, coupled with substantive grants, to improve postsecondary education. These and other foundations have deep and ongoing commitments, not just philosophical but resource-based, to…

  20. Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ adult asthma guidelines: a quick reference guide.

    PubMed

    Beasley, Richard; Hancox, Robert J; Harwood, Matire; Perrin, Kyle; Poot, Betty; Pilcher, Janine; Reid, Jim; Talemaitoga, Api; Thayabaran, Darmiga

    2016-11-18

    The purpose of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ Adult Asthma Guidelines is to provide simple, practical and evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis, assessment and management of asthma in adults (aged 16 and over) in a quick reference format. The intended users are health professionals responsible for delivering asthma care in the community and hospital Emergency Department settings, and those responsible for the training of such health professionals.

  1. End-Stage Renal Disease Outcomes among the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Creatinine Safety Program (Creatinine SureNet): Opportunities to Reflect and Improve

    PubMed Central

    Sim, John J; Batech, Michael; Danforth, Kim N; Rutkowski, Mark P; Jacobsen, Steven J; Kanter, Michael H

    2017-01-01

    Objectives: The Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) creatinine safety program (Creatinine SureNet) identifies and outreaches to thousands of people annually who may have had a missed diagnosis for chronic kidney disease (CKD). We sought to determine the value of this outpatient program and evaluate opportunities for improvement. Methods: Longitudinal cohort study (February 2010 through December 2015) of KPSC members captured into the creatinine safety program who were characterized using demographics, laboratory results, and different estimations of glomerular filtration rate. Age- and sex-adjusted rates of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were compared with those in the overall KPSC population. Results: Among 12,394 individuals, 83 (0.7%) reached ESRD. The age- and sex-adjusted relative risk of ESRD was 2.7 times higher compared with the KPSC general population during the same period (94.7 vs 35.4 per 100,000 person-years; p < 0.001). Screening with the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (vs Modification Diet in Renal Diseases) equation would capture 44% fewer individuals and have a higher predictive value for CKD. Of those who had repeated creatinine measurements, only 13% had a urine study performed (32% among patients with confirmed CKD). Conclusion: Our study found a higher incidence of ESRD among individuals captured into the KPSC creatinine safety program. If the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation were used, fewer people would have been captured while improving the accuracy for diagnosing CKD. Urine testing was low even among patients with confirmed CKD. Our findings demonstrate the importance of a creatinine safety net program in an integrated health system but also suggest opportunities to improve CKD care and screening. PMID:28241912

  2. End-Stage Renal Disease Outcomes among the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Creatinine Safety Program (Creatinine SureNet): Opportunities to Reflect and Improve.

    PubMed

    Sim, John J; Batech, Michael; Danforth, Kim N; Rutkowski, Mark P; Jacobsen, Steven J; Kanter, Michael H

    2017-01-01

    The Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) creatinine safety program (Creatinine SureNet) identifies and outreaches to thousands of people annually who may have had a missed diagnosis for chronic kidney disease (CKD). We sought to determine the value of this outpatient program and evaluate opportunities for improvement. Longitudinal cohort study (February 2010 through December 2015) of KPSC members captured into the creatinine safety program who were characterized using demographics, laboratory results, and different estimations of glomerular filtration rate. Age- and sex-adjusted rates of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were compared with those in the overall KPSC population. Among 12,394 individuals, 83 (0.7%) reached ESRD. The age- and sex-adjusted relative risk of ESRD was 2.7 times higher compared with the KPSC general population during the same period (94.7 vs 35.4 per 100,000 person-years; p < 0.001). Screening with the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (vs Modification Diet in Renal Diseases) equation would capture 44% fewer individuals and have a higher predictive value for CKD. Of those who had repeated creatinine measurements, only 13% had a urine study performed (32% among patients with confirmed CKD). Our study found a higher incidence of ESRD among individuals captured into the KPSC creatinine safety program. If the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation were used, fewer people would have been captured while improving the accuracy for diagnosing CKD. Urine testing was low even among patients with confirmed CKD. Our findings demonstrate the importance of a creatinine safety net program in an integrated health system but also suggest opportunities to improve CKD care and screening.

  3. Prenatal Testing: MedlinePlus Health Topic

    MedlinePlus

    ... Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health Start Here Prenatal Tests (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish Prenatal Tests (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish ...

  4. Seeking an Expanded, Multidimensional Conceptual Approach to Health Literacy and Health Disparities Research.

    PubMed

    Logan, Robert A

    2017-01-01

    This chapter compares the conceptual foundations of health literacy and health disparities. It details some of the conceptual differences between health literacy and health disparities and explains some similarities that suggest the need for increased research collaboration. The chapter is among the first to address the structural and social determinants of health together and explain that future research needs to assess their interactions. Overall, the chapter creates a conceptual foundation as well as challenges future scholars/practitioners to take more multidimensional approaches to assess health's determinants. The chapter also attempts to demonstrate there is nothing more practical than good theory, or clear conceptual foundations. The chapter is divided into four sections that address the following topics: three conceptual frameworks about the determinants of health; opportunities in health disparities and health literacy research; seeking an expanded, multidimensional conceptual approach to health literacy and health disparities research; as well as a conclusion. The chapter suggests there are vacuums in current research knowledge that need future attention - especially regarding the integration of health literacy and health disparities research.

  5. 49 CFR 230.77 - Foundation brake gear.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Foundation brake gear. 230.77 Section 230.77... Tenders Brake and Signal Equipment § 230.77 Foundation brake gear. (a) Maintenance. Foundation brake gear...) Distance above the rails. No part of the foundation brake gear of the steam locomotive or tender shall be...

  6. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

    MedlinePlus

    ... of Top Deadly Mistakes Made by Teen Drivers -- AAA AAA: Road debris causes avoidable crashes, deaths Save the ... and 500 deaths! Foundation News Stay Tuned New AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety website coming Fall 2017 ...

  7. Theoretical foundations of learning through simulation.

    PubMed

    Zigmont, Jason J; Kappus, Liana J; Sudikoff, Stephanie N

    2011-04-01

    Health care simulation is a powerful educational tool to help facilitate learning for clinicians and change their practice to improve patient outcomes and safety. To promote effective life-long learning through simulation, the educator needs to consider individuals, their experiences, and their environments. Effective education of adults through simulation requires a sound understanding of both adult learning theory and experiential learning. This review article provides a framework for developing and facilitating simulation courses, founded upon empiric and theoretic research in adult and experiential learning. Specifically, this article provides a theoretic foundation for using simulation to change practice to improve patient outcomes and safety. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Building Strong Rural Schools in South Carolina: The Foundations We Need.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rural School and Community Trust, Washington, DC.

    During 2001, rural people from across South Carolina met to discuss how their schools are faring in the new environment of increased accountability and testing. This report identifies six foundations that are essential for building stronger rural schools. Eliminating poverty and improving the health and overall well-being of rural residents could…

  9. Continuing Professional Education Programs of Voluntary Health Agencies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Medical Association, Chicago, IL.

    Organizational objectives and professional continuing education programs of ten voluntary health agencies--Allergy Foundation of America, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Arthritis Foundation, National Association for Mental Health, National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, National Society for the Prevention of Blindness,…

  10. Irregular menses predicts ovarian cancer: Prospective evidence from the Child Health and Development Studies.

    PubMed

    Cirillo, Piera M; Wang, Erica T; Cedars, Marcelle I; Chen, Lee-May; Cohn, Barbara A

    2016-09-01

    We tested the hypothesis that irregular menstruation predicts lower risk for ovarian cancer, possibly due to less frequent ovulation. We conducted a 50-year prospective study of 15,528 mothers in the Child Health and Development Studies cohort recruited from the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan from 1959 to 1966. Irregular menstruation was classified via medical record and self-report at age 26. We identified 116 cases and 84 deaths due to ovarian cancer through 2011 via linkage to the California Cancer Registry and Vital Statistics. Contrary to expectation, women with irregular menstrual cycles had a higher risk of ovarian cancer incidence and mortality over the 50-year follow-up. Associations increased with age (p <0.05). We observed a 2-fold increased incidence and mortality by age 70 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1, 3.4) rising to a 3-fold increase by age 77 (95% CI = 1.5, 6.7 for incidence; 95% CI = 1.4, 5.9 for mortality). We also found a 3-fold higher risk of mortality for high-grade serous tumors (95% CI = 1.3, 7.6) that did not vary by age. This is the first prospective study to show an association between irregular menstruation and ovarian cancer-we unexpectedly found higher risk for women with irregular cycles. These women are easy to identify and many may have polycystic ovarian syndrome. Classifying high-risk phenotypes such as irregular menstruation creates opportunities to find novel early biomarkers, refine clinical screening protocols and potentially develop new risk reduction strategies. These efforts can lead to earlier detection and better survival for ovarian cancer. © 2016 UICC.

  11. ABIM Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... whole series of challenges. You’re always making moral decisions day in, day out...” -Dr. Adina Kalet ... mailchi.mp View on Facebook ABIM Foundation shared Business Radio Powered by The Wharton School's post. 2 ...

  12. Unknown foundation determination for scour.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-04-01

    Unknown foundations affect about 9,000 bridges in Texas. For bridges over rivers, this creates a problem : regarding scour decisions as the calculated scour depth cannot be compared to the foundation depth, and a : very conservative costly approach m...

  13. Public Response to Obamacare on Twitter.

    PubMed

    Davis, Matthew A; Zheng, Kai; Liu, Yang; Levy, Helen

    2017-05-26

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA), often called "Obamacare," is a controversial law that has been implemented gradually since its enactment in 2010. Polls have consistently shown that public opinion of the ACA is quite negative. The aim of our study was to examine the extent to which Twitter data can be used to measure public opinion of the ACA over time. We prospectively collected a 10% random sample of daily tweets (approximately 52 million since July 2011) using Twitter's streaming application programming interface (API) from July 10, 2011 to July 31, 2015. Using a list of key terms and ACA-specific hashtags, we identified tweets about the ACA and examined the overall volume of tweets about the ACA in relation to key ACA events. We applied standard text sentiment analysis to assign each ACA tweet a measure of positivity or negativity and compared overall sentiment from Twitter with results from the Kaiser Family Foundation health tracking poll. Public opinion on Twitter (measured via sentiment analysis) was slightly more favorable than public opinion measured by the Kaiser poll (approximately 50% vs 40%, respectively) but trends over time in both favorable and unfavorable views were similar in both sources. The Twitter-based measures of opinion as well as the Kaiser poll changed very little over time: correlation coefficients for favorable and unfavorable public opinion were .43 and .37, respectively. However, we found substantial spikes in the volume of ACA-related tweets in response to key events in the law's implementation, such as the first open enrollment period in October 2013 and the Supreme Court decision in June 2012. Twitter may be useful for tracking public opinion of health care reform as it appears to be comparable with conventional polling results. Moreover, in contrast with conventional polling, the overall amount of tweets also provides a potential indication of public interest of a particular issue at any point in time. ©Matthew A Davis, Kai Zheng

  14. Public Response to Obamacare on Twitter

    PubMed Central

    Zheng, Kai; Liu, Yang; Levy, Helen

    2017-01-01

    Background The Affordable Care Act (ACA), often called “Obamacare,” is a controversial law that has been implemented gradually since its enactment in 2010. Polls have consistently shown that public opinion of the ACA is quite negative. Objective The aim of our study was to examine the extent to which Twitter data can be used to measure public opinion of the ACA over time. Methods We prospectively collected a 10% random sample of daily tweets (approximately 52 million since July 2011) using Twitter’s streaming application programming interface (API) from July 10, 2011 to July 31, 2015. Using a list of key terms and ACA-specific hashtags, we identified tweets about the ACA and examined the overall volume of tweets about the ACA in relation to key ACA events. We applied standard text sentiment analysis to assign each ACA tweet a measure of positivity or negativity and compared overall sentiment from Twitter with results from the Kaiser Family Foundation health tracking poll. Results Public opinion on Twitter (measured via sentiment analysis) was slightly more favorable than public opinion measured by the Kaiser poll (approximately 50% vs 40%, respectively) but trends over time in both favorable and unfavorable views were similar in both sources. The Twitter-based measures of opinion as well as the Kaiser poll changed very little over time: correlation coefficients for favorable and unfavorable public opinion were .43 and .37, respectively. However, we found substantial spikes in the volume of ACA-related tweets in response to key events in the law’s implementation, such as the first open enrollment period in October 2013 and the Supreme Court decision in June 2012. Conclusions Twitter may be useful for tracking public opinion of health care reform as it appears to be comparable with conventional polling results. Moreover, in contrast with conventional polling, the overall amount of tweets also provides a potential indication of public interest of a particular

  15. Marfan Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... The Marfan Foundation Marfan & Related Disorders What is Marfan Syndrome? What are Related Disorders? What are the Signs? ... Click to see what's happening around the country! Marfan syndrome is a life-threatening genetic disorder, and an ...

  16. Seven propositions of the science of improvement: exploring foundations.

    PubMed

    Perla, Rocco J; Provost, Lloyd P; Parry, Gareth J

    2013-01-01

    The phrase "Science of Improvement" or "Improvement Science" is commonly used today by a range of people and professions to mean different things, creating confusion to those trying to learn about improvement. In this article, we briefly define the concepts of improvement and science, and review the history of the consideration of "improvement" as a science. We trace key concepts and ideas in improvement to their philosophical and theoretical foundation with a focus on Deming's System of Profound Knowledge. We suggest that Deming's system has a firm association with many contemporary and historic philosophic and scientific debates and concepts. With reference to these debates and concepts, we identify 7 propositions that provide the scientific and philosophical foundation for the science of improvement. A standard view of the science of improvement does not presently exist that is grounded in the philosophical and theoretical basis of the field. The 7 propositions outlined here demonstrate the value of examining the underpinnings of improvement. This is needed to both advance the field and minimize confusion about what the phrase "science of improvement" represents. We argue that advanced scientists of improvement are those who like Deming and Shewhart can integrate ideas, concepts, and models between scientific disciplines for the purpose of developing more robust improvement models, tools, and techniques with a focus on application and problem solving in real world contexts. The epistemological foundations and theoretical basis of the science of improvement and its reasoning methods need to be critically examined to ensure its continued development and relevance. If improvement efforts and projects in health care are to be characterized under the canon of science, then health care professionals engaged in quality improvement work would benefit from a standard set of core principles, a standard lexicon, and an understanding of the evolution of the science of

  17. Canavan Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... Rabbinic Advisor Scientific/Medical Advisory Committee Support Our Work Newsletters Help us celebrate our 25th anniversary by sporting a Canavan Foundation stretchable wallet on the back of your smartphone. Perfect for credit cards, business cards, ID or ...

  18. Learning Collaboratively with Technology: Students' Social Interactions Demand New Applications of Digital Learning Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hirsch, Jim

    2005-01-01

    A recent study published by the Kaiser Family Foundation titled "Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year Olds" finds that young people today spend an average 6 1/2 hours per day with one or more forms of media. Given that a majority of media available today is in digital format, students are increasingly expecting to use the same or similar…

  19. Management of Older Inpatients Who Refuse Nonpsychiatric Medication Within Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

    PubMed Central

    Umotong, Eno

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The effects of poor medication compliance are well documented and include increased morbidity, early mortality, and financial costs to the society. According to national guidelines, when a competent patient refuses medication, the doctor on duty has a responsibility to ensure the patient understands their proposed course of action. The aims of this audit were to evaluate whether this consultation was taking place within older in-patient units across Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust when patients refuse nonpsychiatric medicines. Poor compliance was defined as more than five refusals of a nonpsychiatric medication over a 4-week period. A discussion with the duty doctor occurred in 75% of cases (27/36), which resulted in a change in prescription or compliance in 59% (16/27 patients). After patient refusal of medication, a consultation with the duty doctor is likely to improve compliance and uncover salient issues particularly in regards to capacity and drug suitability. PMID:27893528

  20. Discrimination and Integration in the Foundations of Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawson, Robert F.

    This paper reviews the basis and organizational rationale for Foundations of Education courses. Instructional objectives for Foundations courses are included. The unity and effectiveness of Foundations fields are studied in light of the viability of integrated work and study in the Foundations. (MJM)

  1. Profiles of Nine Community Colleges with Successful Foundations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Angel, Dan; Gares, Dale

    1981-01-01

    College profiles include the following information: type of college, location, enrollment, age of college, total budget, foundation's years of experience, non-profit status, total foundation assets, dollar support for 1979-80, responsibility for foundation, number of foundation board members, most successful fund-raising methods, and restrictions…

  2. Public health ethics: from foundations and frameworks to justice and global public health.

    PubMed

    Kass, Nancy E

    2004-01-01

    Ethics dilemmas have been present throughout the history of public health, and bioethics has devoted considerable attention to issues relevant to public health. Only recently, however, has public health ethics emerged as a recognized subfield of bioethics. Public health ethics requires that public health improvement come through just and respectful means. Bioethics in the future not only will take on more issues of public ethics, but will apply it extensive scholarship in distributive justice to questions of global public health.

  3. Polish Foundation for Energy Efficiency

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

    NONE

    1995-12-31

    The Polish Foundation for Energy Efficiency (FEWE) was established in Poland at the end of 1990. FEWE, as an independent and non-profit organization, has the following objectives: to strive towards an energy efficient national economy, and to show the way and methods by use of which energy efficiency can be increased. The activity of the Foundation covers the entire territory of Poland through three regional centers: in Warsaw, Katowice and Cracow. FEWE employs well-known and experienced specialists within thermal and power engineering, civil engineering, economy and applied sciences. The organizer of the Foundation has been Battelle Memorial Institute - Pacificmore » Northwest Laboratories from the USA.« less

  4. Foundations and Public Information: Sunshine or Shadow? Preliminary Findings from a Study of the Public Information Accountability of the Country's Largest Foundations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruce, Ellen; And Others

    The types of written information that the largest foundations in the United States voluntarily make available to the public were studied. Of the 208 foundations contacted, 150 were the largest grant-making foundations, 30 were the largest community foundations, and 28 were the largest corporate foundations. The response rate to written and…

  5. Developing a foundation apprenticeship in care.

    PubMed

    Cunningham, A

    This article explores the development of a foundation apprenticeship in care at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The benefits for recruitment and development of the workforce are discussed.

  6. Developing and teaching the virtue-ethics foundations of healthcare whistle blowing.

    PubMed

    Faunce, Thomas

    2004-10-01

    Healthcare whistle blowing, despite the benefits it has brought to healthcare systems in many developed countries, remains generally regarded as a pariah activity by many of the most influential healthcare professionals and regulatory institutions. Few if any medical schools or law department health law and bioethics classes, teach whistle blowing in a formal sense. Yet without exception, public inquiries initiated by healthcare whistle blowers have validated their central allegations and demonstrated that the whistle blowers themselves were sincere in their desire to implement the fundamental virtues and principles of medical ethics, bioethics and public health law. In many jurisdictions, the law, this time remarkably in advance of professional opinion, has offered legislative protection for reasonable allegations of whistleblowers made in good faith and in the public interest concerning a substantial and imminent threat to public safety. One reason for this paradoxical position, explored here, is that healthcare whistle blowing lacks a firm virtue-based theoretical bioethical and jurisprudential foundation. The hypothesis discussed is that the lack of this bioethical and jurisprudential substrate has contributed to a situation where healthcare whistle blowing suffers in terms of institutional support due to its lack of academic legitimacy. This article commences the process of redressing this imbalance by attempting to lay the theoretical foundations for healthcare whistle blowing. As a case study, this article concludes by discussing the Personal and Professional Development course at the ANU Medical School where healthcare whistle blowing is a formal part of a virtue-based curriculum that emphasises the foundational importance of conscience. Illustrative elements of that program are discussed.

  7. The Foundation Handbook: A Private Foundation Approach to Fund Raising at State Colleges and Universities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lemish, Donald L.

    Guidelines for state colleges and universities who wish to use a foundation as an umbrella organization for receiving all private gifts, restricted and unrestricted, are presented. In examining the need for a foundation, attention should be directed to: establishing credibility, marshalling volunteers, providing for a mechanism for accepting life…

  8. SODA FOUNTAIN-LUNCHEONETTE EQUIPMENT AND APPURTENANCES. NATIONAL SANITATION FOUNDATION STANDARD NO. 1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Sanitation Foundation, Ann Arbor, MI.

    THIS STANDARD OF SODA FOUNTAIN-LUNCHEONETTE EQUIPMENT IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF NATIONAL SANITATION FOUNDATION STANDARDS. THESE STANDARDS ARE ISSUED IN RECOGNITION OF THE LONG FELT NEED FOR A COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEMS OF SANITATION INVOLVING INDUSTRIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE HEALTH OFFICIALS WHOSE OBLIGATION IT IS TO ENFORCE REGULATIONS.…

  9. Philanthropy and Private Foundations: Expanding Revenue Sources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drummer, Carlee; Marshburn, Roxann

    2014-01-01

    As community colleges seek new revenue streams, philanthropic organizations, including college foundations and private funders, have already begun to influence both revenues and college programming. This chapter discusses the current role of philanthropy, especially private foundations such as the Lumina Foundation for Education and the Bill and…

  10. 30 CFR 57.4401 - Storage tank foundations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Storage tank foundations. 57.4401 Section 57... and Control Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Gases § 57.4401 Storage tank foundations. Fixed, unburied, flammable or combustible liquid storage tanks shall be securely mounted on firm foundations...

  11. 30 CFR 57.4401 - Storage tank foundations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Storage tank foundations. 57.4401 Section 57... and Control Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Gases § 57.4401 Storage tank foundations. Fixed, unburied, flammable or combustible liquid storage tanks shall be securely mounted on firm foundations...

  12. From Compassionate Conservatism to Obamacare: Funding for the Ryan White Program During the Obama Administration.

    PubMed

    Hatcher, William; Pund, Britten; Khatiashvili, Giorgi

    2016-11-01

    To examine President Obama's fiscal commitment to the Ryan White Program (formerly Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resource Emergency Act), which provides funding for economically disadvantaged people and families affected by HIV. We analyzed budgetary request and congressional appropriation data from 2009 to 2016. The data are available from the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Increased coverage for people living with HIV/AIDS provided by the Affordable Care Act most likely led the Obama administration to request small increases and at times decreases in funding for the Ryan White Program. Congress passed either small increases or decreases in appropriations for the Ryan White Program. Decreases or small increases in the Ryan White Program funding risk progress made in treating HIV among economically disadvantaged patients.

  13. Foundation for a natural right to health care.

    PubMed

    Eberl, Jason T; Kinney, Eleanor D; Williams, Matthew J

    2011-12-01

    Discussions concerning whether there is a natural right to health care may occur in various forms, resulting in policy recommendations for how to implement any such right in a given society. But health care policies may be judged by international standards including the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The rights enumerated in the UDHR are grounded in traditions of moral theory, a philosophical analysis of which is necessary in order to adjudicate the value of specific policies designed to enshrine rights such as a right to health care. We begin with an overview of the drafting of the UDHR and highlight the primary influence of natural law theory in validating the rights contained therein. We then provide an explication of natural law theory by reference to the writings of Thomas Aquinas, as well as elucidate the complementary "capabilities approach" of Martha Nussbaum. We conclude that a right to health care ought to be guaranteed by the state.

  14. A retrospective and prospective analysis of the west African Ebola virus disease epidemic: robust national health systems at the foundation and an empowered WHO at the apex.

    PubMed

    Gostin, Lawrence O; Friedman, Eric A

    2015-05-09

    The Ebola virus disease outbreak in west Africa is pivotal for the worldwide health system. Just as the depth of the crisis ultimately spurred an unprecedented response, the failures of leadership suggest the need for innovative reforms. Such reforms would transform the existing worldwide health system architecture into a purposeful, organised system with an empowered, highly capable WHO at its apex and enduring, equitable national health systems at its foundation. It would be designed not only to provide security against epidemic threats, but also to meet everyday health needs, thus realising the right to health. This retrospective and prospective analysis offers a template for these reforms, responding to the profound harms posed by fragile national health systems, delays in the international response, deficient resource mobilisation, ill defined responsibilities, and insufficient coordination. The scope of the reforms should address failures in the Ebola response, and entrenched weaknesses that enabled the epidemic to reach its heights. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. [The Child and Adolescent Health Survey--a foundation for prevention, health promotion and health goals].

    PubMed

    Bergmann, K E; Thefeld, W; Kurth, B M

    2002-12-01

    At the beginning of the 21st century, the German Health Interview and Examination Survey of Children and Adolescents will for the first time provide the data essential for programmes of disease prevention and health promotion as well as for the development of health targets. This it will create key information for an evidence-based health policy. The results of the study can be projected to the general population of children and adolescents in Germany. The data will be collected conjunct at the level of the individual subject. They will facilitate valid and distinct description of prevalent physical, psychological and social health problems, as well as on who has them under which circumstances and settings. Information on the impact, e.g., in terms of utilisation of the health system or impairments of quality of life, will also be available from the same subjects. In addition, indicators of risks to health in later life are included. Hence, the data will support prevention of health problems in infancy, childhood and adolescence as well as of chronic diseases in later life. Finally, the data shall be a basis for the definition of new reference values for many variables. This will improve valid and clear judgement not only in epidemiological studies but also in medical care.

  16. A Foundation Manual for California Community Colleges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, James M., Ed.; And Others

    Designed to aid the development and organization of effective college foundations in California, this reference guide reviews the purposes of foundations and the steps in their organization, providing sample documents from existing foundations. The manual is divided into 11 sections, the first of which discusses reasons for establishing…

  17. 30 CFR 56.4401 - Storage tank foundations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Storage tank foundations. 56.4401 Section 56... Control Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Gases § 56.4401 Storage tank foundations. Fixed, unburied, flammable or combustible liquid storage tanks shall be securely mounted on firm foundations. Piping shall be...

  18. 30 CFR 56.4401 - Storage tank foundations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Storage tank foundations. 56.4401 Section 56... Control Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Gases § 56.4401 Storage tank foundations. Fixed, unburied, flammable or combustible liquid storage tanks shall be securely mounted on firm foundations. Piping shall be...

  19. Textural break foundation wall construction modules

    DOEpatents

    Phillips, Steven J.

    1990-01-01

    Below-grade, textural-break foundation wall structures are provided for inhibiting diffusion and advection of liquids and gases into and out from a surrounding hydrogeologic environment. The foundation wall structure includes a foundation wall having an interior and exterior surface and a porous medium disposed around a portion of the exterior surface. The structure further includes a modular barrier disposed around a portion of the porous medium. The modular barrier is substantially removable from the hydrogeologic environment.

  20. Signature Pedagogies for Social Foundations: Negotiating Social Foundations Teaching Practices in the Field of Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schneider, Sandra B.

    2010-01-01

    The conflicts arising between the pedagogical preferences of the fields of instructional design and technology (IDT) and social foundations of education are substantial. This conflict is primarily one of pedagogical values separating the Social Foundations with its emphasis on critical and creative thinking and the presumption of value and theory…

  1. Editorial research and the publication process in biomedicine and health: Report from the Esteve Foundation Discussion Group, December 2012

    PubMed Central

    Marušić, Ana; Malički, Mario; von Elm, Erik

    2014-01-01

    Despite the fact that there are more than twenty thousand biomedical journals in the world, research into the work of editors and publication process in biomedical and health care journals is rare. In December 2012, the Esteve Foundation, a non-profit scientific institution that fosters progress in pharmacotherapy by means of scientific communication and discussion organized a discussion group of 7 editors and/or experts in peer review biomedical publishing. They presented findings of past editorial research, discussed the lack of competitive funding schemes and specialized journals for dissemination of editorial research, and reported on the great diversity of misconduct and conflict of interest policies, as well as adherence to reporting guidelines. Furthermore, they reported on the reluctance of editors to investigate allegations of misconduct or increase the level of data sharing in health research. In the end, they concluded that if editors are to remain gatekeepers of scientific knowledge they should reaffirm their focus on the integrity of the scientific record and completeness of the data they publish. Additionally, more research should be undertaken to understand why many journals are not adhering to editorial standards, and what obstacles editors face when engaging in editorial research. PMID:24969914

  2. Moral foundations vignettes: a standardized stimulus database of scenarios based on moral foundations theory.

    PubMed

    Clifford, Scott; Iyengar, Vijeth; Cabeza, Roberto; Sinnott-Armstrong, Walter

    2015-12-01

    Research on the emotional, cognitive, and social determinants of moral judgment has surged in recent years. The development of moral foundations theory (MFT) has played an important role, demonstrating the breadth of morality. Moral psychology has responded by investigating how different domains of moral judgment are shaped by a variety of psychological factors. Yet, the discipline lacks a validated set of moral violations that span the moral domain, creating a barrier to investigating influences on judgment and how their neural bases might vary across the moral domain. In this paper, we aim to fill this gap by developing and validating a large set of moral foundations vignettes (MFVs). Each vignette depicts a behavior violating a particular moral foundation and not others. The vignettes are controlled on many dimensions including syntactic structure and complexity making them suitable for neuroimaging research. We demonstrate the validity of our vignettes by examining respondents' classifications of moral violations, conducting exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and demonstrating the correspondence between the extracted factors and existing measures of the moral foundations. We expect that the MFVs will be beneficial for a wide variety of behavioral and neuroimaging investigations of moral cognition.

  3. Moral foundations vignettes: a standardized stimulus database of scenarios based on moral foundations theory

    PubMed Central

    Iyengar, Vijeth; Cabeza, Roberto; Sinnott-Armstrong, Walter

    2016-01-01

    Research on the emotional, cognitive, and social determinants of moral judgment has surged in recent years. The development of moral foundations theory (MFT) has played an important role, demonstrating the breadth of morality. Moral psychology has responded by investigating how different domains of moral judgment are shaped by a variety of psychological factors. Yet, the discipline lacks a validated set of moral violations that span the moral domain, creating a barrier to investigating influences on judgment and how their neural bases might vary across the moral domain. In this paper, we aim to fill this gap by developing and validating a large set of moral foundations vignettes (MFVs). Each vignette depicts a behavior violating a particular moral foundation and not others. The vignettes are controlled on many dimensions including syntactic structure and complexity making them suitable for neuroimaging research. We demonstrate the validity of our vignettes by examining respondents’ classifications of moral violations, conducting exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and demonstrating the correspondence between the extracted factors and existing measures of the moral foundations. We expect that the MFVs will be beneficial for a wide variety of behavioral and neuroimaging investigations of moral cognition. PMID:25582811

  4. Students' Perceptions of Undertaking Workplace Tasks within a Foundation Degree--Health and Social Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thurgate, Claire; MacGregor, Janet

    2009-01-01

    Foundation degrees (FDs) involve the fusion of academic and vocational paths in higher education (HE) qualifications; the challenge for academics and employers is the credible assessment of the student's workplace learning. Focusing to the workplace enables participants to learn from their daily routines encountered at work. The challenge is to…

  5. Report on Illinois Public Community College Foundations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Illinois Community Coll. Board, Springfield.

    At the request of the Illinois Community College Board's (ICCB's) Committee on Foundations, the ICCB surveyed the state's public community college district to determine the purposes, resources, and activities of the colleges' foundations. The study found that all of the community college districts, except one, have foundations to assist them in…

  6. Bernard van Leer Foundation Annual Report, 1999.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernard Van Leer Foundation, The Hague (Netherlands).

    This annual report details the activities and financial status for 1999 of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, a private institution created in 1949 for broad humanitarian purposes. Following the introduction by the chairman of the Foundation's board of trustees, the report of the executive director details activities during the Foundation's fiftieth…

  7. Foundations for the Future: The Fundraising Role of Foundation Boards at Public Colleges and Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Worth, Michael

    2012-01-01

    In the face of rising costs and a prolonged economic downturn, public colleges and universities are being challenged to increase their sources of private support and philanthropy. Drawing on the findings of a recent AGB survey of public college- and university-affiliated foundation board chairs and chief executive officers, Foundations for the…

  8. Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... know Host an event, engage legislators, or distribute educational materials about pulmonary fibrosis. Get Involved ... CARE, RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY REPORTED AT PULMONARY FIBROSIS FOUNDATION CONFERENCE Physicians and ...

  9. Wronski's Foundations of Mathematics.

    PubMed

    Wagner, Roi

    2016-09-01

    Argument This paper reconstructs Wronski's philosophical foundations of mathematics. It uses his critique of Lagrange's algebraic analysis as a vignette to introduce the problems that he raised, and argues that these problems have not been properly appreciated by his contemporaries and subsequent commentators. The paper goes on to reconstruct Wronski's mathematical law of creation and his notions of theory and techne, in order to put his objections to Lagrange in their philosophical context. Finally, Wronski's proof of his universal law (the expansion of a given function by any series of functions) is reviewed in terms of the above reconstruction. I argue that Wronski's philosophical approach poses an alternative to the views of his contemporary mainstream mathematicians, which brings up the contingency of their choices, and bridges the foundational concerns of early modernity with those of the twentieth-century foundations crisis. I also argue that Wronski's views may be useful to contemporary philosophy of mathematical practice, if they are read against their metaphysical grain.

  10. Future Foundations: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gorard, Stephen; Siddiqui, Nadia; See, Beng Huat

    2014-01-01

    This report documents the results of an evaluation of the Future Foundations Society CIC (Future Foundations) academic summer school which took place in August 2013. The Future Foundations summer school programme is a literacy and numeracy catch-up intervention which provided extra schooling in the summer holidays. Pupils attending the four-week…

  11. Bernard van Leer Foundation. Annual Report 1997.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernard Van Leer Foundation, The Hague (Netherlands).

    This document provides an annual report and financial review of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, a private institution created in 1949 for broad humanitarian purposes. Following an introduction by the chairman of the Foundation's board of trustees, a report of the executive director details the first full-year of implementation of the Foundation's…

  12. Bernard van Leer Foundation Annual Report 1996.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernard Van Leer Foundation, The Hague (Netherlands).

    This document provides an annual report and financial review for 1996 of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, a private institution created in 1949 for broad humanitarian purposes. Following a summary by the executive director of the Foundation, the report includes a description of the foundation and its grants. It then lists, by country, the major…

  13. Buckling of beams supported by Pasternak foundation.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Murthy, G. K. N.

    1973-01-01

    The determination of buckling loads for infinitely long beams resting on a Pasternak (1954) foundation is considered. It is assumed that the onset of buckling takes place at neutral equilibrium. The effect of extending the foundation beyond the width of the beam is determined by comparing the results obtained for two- and three-dimensional foundations.

  14. Health-care management of an unexpected case of Ebola virus disease at the Alcorcón Foundation University Teaching Hospital.

    PubMed

    Rodríguez-Caravaca, Gil; Timermans, Rafael; Parra-Ramírez, Juan Manuel; Domínguez-Hernández, Francisco Javier; Algora-Weber, Alejandro; Delgado-Iribarren, Alberto; Hermida-Gutiérrez, Guillermo

    2015-04-01

    The first Ebola virus infected patient outside Africa was diagnosed and treated at Alcorcón Foundation University Teaching Hospital (AFUTH). We describe the integrated management strategy (medical, occupational health, preventive and public health) applied to the case. Descriptive study of health-care management of an unexpected case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) at AFUTH treated on 6 October 2014. We describe the clinical evolution of the patient while he was attended at the Emergency Department, the drawing-up process of the action protocol, the process of training of hospital staff, the administrative management for transferring the patient to the referral centre, and the measures implemented for cleaning, disinfection and management of waste. Qualitative variables are expressed as percentages. Our centre designed and updated, from May to October, five versions of the acting and care protocol for patients with EVD. The protocol was in force at the AFUTH when a nursing assistant was attended on 6 October 2014. All preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic measures outlined in the protocol were applied and 206 professionals had received training and information about care procedures with a suspect case. Health-care management of an unexpected case of EVD was adequate and there was no secondary cases in our staff as a result. All resources available should be used to fight EVD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

  15. Characterization of bridge foundations workshop report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-11-01

    "In 2013, the Federal Highway Administration proposed a new research program for the characterization of bridge foundations. To narrow the focus and develop a research roadmap for the program, a workshop on Characterization of Bridge Foundations...

  16. Characterization of bridge foundations workshop report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-11-01

    In 2013, the Federal Highway Administration proposed a new research program for the characterization of bridge : foundations. To narrow the focus and develop a research roadmap for the program, a workshop on : Characterization of Bridge Foundation...

  17. Governing and Foundation Board Relationships. Foundation Relations. Board Basics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Legon, Richard D.

    1999-01-01

    This booklet for trustees of institutions of higher education discusses principles for the relationship between institutional governing and foundation boards. An introductory section offers examples of poor outcomes resulting from a lack of collegial, productive relationships between these groups and stresses the importance of clarifying the…

  18. Dalton Highway : characterization of foundation soils

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1984-09-01

    In this report we represent the results of our geotechnical characterization of natural foundation soils along the Dalton Highway from the Livengood to Prudhoe Bay. In addition, it analyzes this data by statistical methods and caracterizes foundation...

  19. Influence of wind turbine foundation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yee, S. T.

    1978-01-01

    The 200 kW Mod-0A wind turbine was modeled using a 3 lumped mass-spring system for the superstructure and a rotational spring for the foundation and supporting soil. Natural frequencies were calculated using soil elastic moduli varying from 3000 to 22,400 p.s.i. The reduction in natural frequencies from the rigid foundation case ranged up to 20 percent.

  20. The moral foundations of illusory correlation

    PubMed Central

    Barberia, Itxaso

    2017-01-01

    Previous research has studied the relationship between political ideology and cognitive biases, such as the tendency of conservatives to form stronger illusory correlations between negative infrequent behaviors and minority groups. We further explored these findings by studying the relation between illusory correlation and moral values. According to the moral foundations theory, liberals and conservatives differ in the relevance they concede to different moral dimensions: Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, and Purity. Whereas liberals consistently endorse the Care and Fairness foundations more than the Loyalty, Authority and Purity foundations, conservatives tend to adhere to the five foundations alike. In the present study, a group of participants took part in a standard illusory correlation task in which they were presented with randomly ordered descriptions of either desirable or undesirable behaviors attributed to individuals belonging to numerically different majority and minority groups. Although the proportion of desirable and undesirable behaviors was the same in the two groups, participants attributed a higher frequency of undesirable behaviors to the minority group, thus showing the expected illusory correlation effect. Moreover, this effect was specifically associated to our participants’ scores in the Loyalty subscale of the Moral Foundations Questionnaire. These results emphasize the role of the Loyalty moral foundation in the formation of attitudes towards minorities among conservatives. Our study points out the moral system as a useful fine-grained framework to explore the complex interaction between basic cognitive processes and ideology. PMID:28972990

  1. Playing in the mud: health psychology, the arts and creative approaches to health care.

    PubMed

    Camic, Paul M

    2008-03-01

    Health psychologists' use of the arts is an emerging area for research and practice. This article examines recent research findings and suggests strategies for incorporating the arts in health care across a wide range of clinical and community settings. Ethological theories support the evolutionary significance of the arts in human development and help form a foundation to understand the biopsychosocial processes involved in arts participation. This article builds upon this foundation and presents a wide range of arts and health interventions in the areas of health promotion and prevention, illness management, clinical assessment and improvement of the health care system.

  2. "A Second Chance at Learning but It's Not Quite Higher Education": Experience of a Foundation Degree

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fenge, Lee-Ann

    2011-01-01

    This paper reports on the findings of a recent small scale study into the experiences of mature students of a foundation degree (FD) in health and social care. This was an exploratory study that evaluated one particular FD health and social care programme in order to gain an insight into some of the issues involved in delivering higher education…

  3. Management of Older Inpatients Who Refuse Nonpsychiatric Medication Within Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust: Audit.

    PubMed

    Umotong, Eno

    2016-12-01

    The effects of poor medication compliance are well documented and include increased morbidity, early mortality, and financial costs to the society. According to national guidelines, when a competent patient refuses medication, the doctor on duty has a responsibility to ensure the patient understands their proposed course of action. The aims of this audit were to evaluate whether this consultation was taking place within older in-patient units across Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust when patients refuse nonpsychiatric medicines. Poor compliance was defined as more than five refusals of a nonpsychiatric medication over a 4-week period. A discussion with the duty doctor occurred in 75% of cases (27/36), which resulted in a change in prescription or compliance in 59% (16/27 patients). After patient refusal of medication, a consultation with the duty doctor is likely to improve compliance and uncover salient issues particularly in regards to capacity and drug suitability.

  4. Developing the protocol for the evaluation of the health foundation's 'engaging with quality initiative' – an emergent approach

    PubMed Central

    Soper, Bryony; Buxton, Martin; Hanney, Stephen; Oortwijn, Wija; Scoggins, Amanda; Steel, Nick; Ling, Tom

    2008-01-01

    In 2004 a UK charity, The Health Foundation, established the 'Engaging with Quality Initiative' to explore and evaluate the benefits of engaging clinicians in quality improvement in healthcare. Eight projects run by professional bodies or specialist societies were commissioned in various areas of acute care. A developmental approach to the initiative was adopted, accompanied by a two level evaluation: eight project self-evaluations and a related external evaluation. This paper describes how the protocol for the external evaluation was developed. The challenges faced included large variation between and within the projects (in approach, scope and context, and in understanding of quality improvement), the need to support the project teams in their self-evaluations while retaining a necessary objectivity, and the difficulty of evaluating the moving target created by the developmental approach adopted in the initiative. An initial period to develop the evaluation protocol proved invaluable in helping us to explore these issues. PMID:18973650

  5. Leadership Influence: A Core Foundation for Advocacy.

    PubMed

    Shillam, Casey R; MacLean, Lola

    As the largest segment of the health care workforce, nurses have the greatest potential for advancing systems and services to improve health care delivery in the United States. This article presents a framework for nurse administrators to use in developing direct care nurses in their leadership influence competency as a means of increasing their advocacy potential. A systematic review resulted in establishing a nurse leadership influence framework based on the Kouzes and Posner leadership model. The framework includes leadership competencies by nursing professional organizations and was validated by 2 national nurse leader focus groups. Nurse administrators have the opportunity to adopt an evidence-based leadership influence framework to ensure development of advocacy competency in direct care nurses. The impact of nurse administrators systematically adopting a standardized leadership influence framework will result in setting a strong foundation for nurse advocacy. Successful long-term impacts will result in nurses skillfully integrating leadership influence and advocacy into all aspects of daily practice.

  6. Medical malpractice reform and employer-sponsored health insurance premiums.

    PubMed

    Morrisey, Michael A; Kilgore, Meredith L; Nelson, Leonard Jack

    2008-12-01

    Tort reform may affect health insurance premiums both by reducing medical malpractice premiums and by reducing the extent of defensive medicine. The objective of this study is to estimate the effects of noneconomic damage caps on the premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance. Employer premium data and plan/establishment characteristics were obtained from the 1999 through 2004 Kaiser/HRET Employer Health Insurance Surveys. Damage caps were obtained and dated based on state annotated codes, statutes, and judicial decisions. Fixed effects regression models were run to estimate the effects of the size of inflation-adjusted damage caps on the weighted average single premiums. State tort reform laws were identified using Westlaw, LEXIS, and statutory compilations. Legislative repeal and amendment of statutes and court decisions resulting in the overturning or repealing state statutes were also identified using LEXIS. Using a variety of empirical specifications, there was no statistically significant evidence that noneconomic damage caps exerted any meaningful influence on the cost of employer-sponsored health insurance. The findings suggest that tort reforms have not translated into insurance savings.

  7. "A deep fragrance of academia": the Australian Tobacco Research Foundation.

    PubMed

    Chapman, S; Carter, S M; Peters, M

    2003-12-01

    (1) To review the history of the tobacco industry supported Australian Tobacco Research Foundation (ATRF)(1970-1994) for evidence of the industry's use of the Foundation to further its objectives that "more research was needed" on smoking and health and to promulgate the view that nicotine was not addictive. (2) To review efforts by public health advocates to discredit the ATRF as a public relations tool used by the Australian industry. Systematic search of previously internal industry documents released through the US Master Settlement Agreement. The ATRF was headed by prestigious Australian medical scientists, with at least one considered by the industry to be "industry positive". An international ATRF symposium on nicotine was vetted by the industry and heavily attended by industry approved scientists. Following sustained criticism from the health and medical community about the industry's creation of the ATRF to further its objectives, the ATRF's scientific committee was provoked to publicly declare in 1988 that smoking was a causative agent in disease. This criticism led to growing ATRF boycotts by scientists and substandard applications, causing the industry to see the ATRF as being poor value-for-money and eventually abandoning it. The raison d'etre for the ATRF's establishment was to allow the Australian industry to point to its continuing commitment to independent medical research, with the implied corollary that tobacco control measures were premature in the face of insufficient evidence about tobacco's harms. Sustained criticism of tobacco industry funded research schemes can undermine their credibility among the scientific community.

  8. "A deep fragrance of academia": the Australian Tobacco Research Foundation

    PubMed Central

    Chapman, S; Carter, S; Peters, M

    2003-01-01

    Objectives: (1) To review the history of the tobacco industry supported Australian Tobacco Research Foundation (ATRF)(1970–1994) for evidence of the industry's use of the Foundation to further its objectives that "more research was needed" on smoking and health and to promulgate the view that nicotine was not addictive. (2) To review efforts by public health advocates to discredit the ATRF as a public relations tool used by the Australian industry. Methods: Systematic search of previously internal industry documents released through the US Master Settlement Agreement. Results: The ATRF was headed by prestigious Australian medical scientists, with at least one considered by the industry to be "industry positive". An international ATRF symposium on nicotine was vetted by the industry and heavily attended by industry approved scientists. Following sustained criticism from the health and medical community about the industry's creation of the ATRF to further its objectives, the ATRF's scientific committee was provoked to publicly declare in 1988 that smoking was a causative agent in disease. This criticism led to growing ATRF boycotts by scientists and substandard applications, causing the industry to see the ATRF as being poor value-for-money and eventually abandoning it. Conclusions: The raison d'etre for the ATRF's establishment was to allow the Australian industry to point to its continuing commitment to independent medical research, with the implied corollary that tobacco control measures were premature in the face of insufficient evidence about tobacco's harms. Sustained criticism of tobacco industry funded research schemes can undermine their credibility among the scientific community. PMID:14645947

  9. [Models and Foundations of Developmental Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boylan, Hunter R., Ed.; Kerstiens, Gene, Ed.

    1988-01-01

    These five issues of "Research in Developmental Education," examine the theoretical models and foundations of developmental education. Included are the following: (1) "Theoretical Foundations of Developmental Education," by Hunter R. Boylan, which examines the behaviorist, humanist, and developmental theories underpinning developmental education;…

  10. Governing & Foundation Boards: Fostering Successful Relationships.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Legon, Richard D.

    1996-01-01

    Public colleges and universities increasingly raise private funds through institutional foundations. A healthy relationship between governing and foundation boards requires open communication, regular interaction, and shared information. The fulcrum of this relationship is the college's president, who has specific responsibilities toward each…

  11. Development and Validation of the Foundational Healthcare Leadership Self-assessment.

    PubMed

    Van Hala, Sonja; Cochella, Susan; Jaggi, Rachel; Frost, Caren J; Kiraly, Bernadette; Pohl, Susan; Gren, Lisa

    2018-04-01

    We sought to develop and validate a self-assessment of foundational leadership skills for early-career physicians. We developed a leadership self-assessment from a compilation of materials on health care leadership skills. A sequential exploratory study was conducted using qualitative and quantitative analysis for face, content, and construct validity of the self-assessment. First, two focus groups were conducted with leaders in medicine and family medicine residents, to refine the pilot self-assessment. The self-assessment pilot was then tested with family medicine residents across the country, and the results were quantitatively evaluated with principal component analysis. This data was used to reduce and group the statements into leadership domains for the final self-assessment. Twenty-two invited family medicine residency programs agreed to distribute the survey. A total of 163 family medicine residents completed the survey, representing 16 to 20 residency programs from 12 states (response rate 28.9% to 34.8%). Analysis showed important differences by residency year, with more advanced residents scoring higher. The analysis reduced the number of items from 33 on the pilot assessment to 21 on the final assessment, which the authors titled the Foundational Healthcare Leadership Self-assessment (FHLS). The 21 items were grouped into five leadership domains: accountability, collaboration, communication, team management, and self-management. The FHLS is a validated 21-item self-assessment of foundational leadership skills for early career physicians. It takes less than 5 minutes to complete, and quantifies skill within five domains of foundational leadership. The FHLS is a first step in developing educational and evaluative assessments for training medical residents as clinician leaders.

  12. The Health Assessment Longitudinal File imperative: foundation for improving the health of the force.

    PubMed

    Kemper, Judith A; Donahue, Donald A; Harris, Judith S

    2003-08-01

    A smaller active duty force and an increased operational tempo have made the Reserve components (RC) essential elements in the accomplishment of the mission of the U.S. Army. One critical factor in meeting mission is maintaining the optimal health of each soldier. Baseline health data about the RC is currently not being collected, even though increasing numbers of reserve soldiers are being activated. The Annual Health Certification and Survey is being developed as a way to meet the RCs' statutory requirement for annual certification of health while at the same time generating and tracking baseline data on each reservist in a longitudinal health file, the Health Assessment Longitudinal File. This article discusses the Annual Health Certification Questionnaire/Health Assessment Longitudinal File, which will greatly enhance the Army's ability to accurately certify the health status of the RC and track health in relation to training, mission activities, and deployment.

  13. Carcinoid Cancer Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... heroine . CCF Releases New Infographic for NET Cancer Day: 6 Questions to Ask Your Doctor Have you ... and register. CCF Offers Toolkit for NET Cancer Day Media Coverage The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation, with support ...

  14. Hepatitis B Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... worldwide 2 Billion People have been infected with Hepatitis B Worldwide The Hepatitis B Foundation is working ... of people living with hepatitis B. Learn About Hepatitis B in 11 Other Languages . Resource Video See ...

  15. National Hydrocephalus Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... Types of Seizures About the Foundation Mission, History & Philosophy of NHF Treatment of Hydrocephalus What is a Shunt? Treatment Third Ventriculostomy Shunt Malfunction Prognosis and Research Medical Dictionary Resources Success Stories Blessing in Disguise ...

  16. The Lorenzini Foundation in a changing scenario of patient management.

    PubMed

    Peracino, A; Paoletti, R

    2009-06-10

    The loss of life, disability, and economic burden attributed to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Europe has created an urgent need for all stakeholders in CVD prevention to partner together to address the barriers in local health policy and produce effective programs in individual and population risk reduction and rational use of health services. Countries have a legal and moral obligation to achieve the highest standard of CV health care for citizens and to improve national health care systems accordingly. As part of a vision for future potential opportunities in CVD prevention, the Lorenzini Foundation would like to raise awareness of several key areas among the European authorities: Integration of interventions aimed at several risk factors within an individual country's health care system; implementation of a comprehensive approach combining policy development, capacity building, partnership and information support at all levels; promotion of transversal health policies, including coordinated action outside of the health sector to address major determinants of ill health; a combination of health policy and high-risk strategies to link health promotion, public health services, primary care, and hospital care; and, finally, reduction in ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, and gender inequalities to multiple risk factor management among and within countries through use of cost-effective medications and medical technologies.

  17. America's "undiscovered" laboratory for health services research.

    PubMed

    Gimbel, Ronald W; Pangaro, Louis; Barbour, Galen

    2010-08-01

    Debate over reforming the nation's healthcare system has stimulated a need for health services research (HSR) models that are nationally applicable. Toward this end, the authors identify the Military Health System (MHS) as America's "undiscovered" laboratory for HSR. Although many may confuse the MHS with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the 2 systems vary dramatically with respect to their beneficiary populations, access to care, and other important attributes. In this article, the authors describe key characteristics of the MHS including its large beneficiary base, its direct care operating environment, its dedicated medical school and graduate education programs, and its fully operational integrated health information system. Although a few health systems (eg, Kaiser Permanente, Partners Healthcare, and Department of Veterans Affairs) possess some characteristics, no other has all of these components in place. This article sets the stage for contemporary HSR studies with broad applicability to current issues in American healthcare that could be performed within the MHS. Inclusion of the MHS environment in HSR studies of health services delivery modalities, adoption of health information technology, access to care, relationship of medical education to effective safe care delivery, health disparities, child health, and behavioral health would provide strong underpinnings for proposed changes in American healthcare delivery. Finally, the article highlights current regulatory barriers to research within the MHS whereas suggesting steps to minimize their impact in conducting HSR.

  18. Success stories showing the diversity of kidney foundations: Turkish Kidney Foundation.

    PubMed

    Erk, Timur

    Founded in 1985, the Turkish Kidney Foundation serves the society with 3 dialysis centers and a 113-bed general hospital. Interacting with public authorities and advocating end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients' rights are essential services of this non-governmental organization (NGO). Over the last 30 years, keeping with the trend of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the country, the foundation raised awareness in the population for this condition and prepared an activity road map by using statistical facts and data. Goals were set keeping in mind the local culture and traditions, debating on them with colleagues, PR agencies, and other experts in this field. The best strategy embrace the society, and all activities are made as cost-effective as possible in keeping with a tight budget. Various communication channels, especially social media, are used to communicate the message to the public, always keeping in mind that such messages are to be succinct and precise. Every effort is taken to make our foundation reliable and trustworthy in the eyes of the public at large. Reliability, credibility, and trust are the key success corner stones of our NGO. Every opportunity is taken to capitalize on participation of celebrities and real stories of people. Testimonies of real ESRD patients are always interesting and can touch the hearts of the rest of the population.

  19. Review These Essential Steps before Starting a Foundation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Executive Educator, 1983

    1983-01-01

    Outlines the legal status of nonprofit foundations as fund-raising entities for public schools (including information on tax deductions), offers four steps for planning such foundations, presents possible objections to foundation funding, and gives the addresses of three organizations to write for further information. (JBM)

  20. Building Successes out of At-Risk Students: The Role of a Biology Foundations Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beeber, Carla; Biermann, Carol A.

    2007-01-01

    The majority of students arriving at Kingsborough Community College with hopes of entering the nursing, physical therapist assistant, and other allied health programs (concentrations in pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy, pre-pharmacy, and pre-physician's assistant) are at-risk students. A Foundations of Human Anatomy and Physiology…

  1. Fundacion Bernard van Leer, Boletin Informativo, 1987-1996 (Bernard van Leer Foundation Information Bulletin).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fundacion Bernard van Leer, Boletin Informativo, 1996

    1996-01-01

    This document consists of ten annual Spanish Language Bulletins, published during the period 1987-1996. The early bulletins were largely composed of selections originally published in the Bernard van Lear Foundation's English-Language "Newsletter The articles discuss topics such as: (1) parents as children's first teachers; (2) health and…

  2. Encouraging formative assessments of leadership for foundation doctors.

    PubMed

    Hadley, Lindsay; Black, David; Welch, Jan; Reynolds, Peter; Penlington, Clare

    2015-08-01

    Clinical leadership is considered essential for maintaining and improving patient care and safety in the UK, and is incorporated in the curriculum for all trainee doctors. Despite the growing focus on the importance of leadership, and the introduction of the Medical Leadership Competency Framework (MLCF) in the UK, leadership education for doctors in training is still in its infancy. Assessment is focused on clinical skills, and trainee doctors receive very little formal feedback on their leadership competencies. In this article we describe the approach taken by Health Education Kent, Sussex and Surrey (HEKSS) to raise the profile of leadership amongst doctors in training in the South Thames Foundation School (STFS). An annual structured formative assessment in leadership for each trainee has been introduced, supported by leadership education for both trainees and their supervisors in HEKSS trusts. We analysed over 500 of these assessments from the academic year 2012/13 for foundation doctors in HEKSS trusts, in order to assess the quality of the feedback. From the analysis, potential indicators of more effective formative assessments were identified. These may be helpful in improving the leadership education programme for future years. There is a wealth of evidence to highlight the importance and value of formative assessments; however, particularly for foundation doctors, these have typically been focused on assessing clinical capabilities. This HEKSS initiative encourages doctors to recognise leadership opportunities at the beginning of their careers, seeks to help them understand the importance of acquiring leadership skills and provides structured feedback to help them improve. Leadership education for doctors in training is still in its infancy. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Women's Heart Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... News Email: Click for e-News archive The Women's Heart Foundation is a 501c3 dedicated to prevention, ... Care Initiative® to achieve excellence of care of women. Executive nurses, civic leaders, women survivors and sponsors ...

  4. Getting past widgets and digits: the fundamental transformation of the foundations of nursing practice.

    PubMed

    Porter-O'Grady, Tim

    2014-01-01

    Health reform and transformation now call for the creation of a new landscape for nursing practice based on intentional translation application of value-driven measures of service, quality, and price. Nursing is a central driver in the effective recalibration of health care within the rubric of health transformation under the aegis of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Increasingly relying on a growing digital infrastructure, the nursing profession must now reframe both its practice foundations and patterns of practice to reflect emerging value-driven, health-grounded service requisites. Specific nursing responses are suggested, which position nursing to best coordinate, integrate, and facilitate health delivery in the emerging value-driven service environment.

  5. Foundations and Higher Education: Whose Agenda?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schneider, John C.

    2007-01-01

    Grant programs that had been relatively open-ended were now tightly drawn, grounded in the foundations' own carefully articulated take on issues and receptive only to proposals that responded appropriately. Initiative and creativity had shifted heavily from prospective grantee to grantor. As foundations embraced this funding-by-agenda, it burdened…

  6. Peace Education: Exploring Some Philosophical Foundations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Page, James S.

    2004-01-01

    Peace education has been recognized as an important aspect of social education for the past three decades. The critical literature as well as official documents, however, have given little attention to its philosophical foundations. This essay explores these foundations in the ethics of (1) virtue, (2) consequentialism, (3) aesthetics, (4)…

  7. Inter-American Foundation Annual Report 1987.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Inter-American Foundation, Rosslyn, VA.

    This annual report from the Inter-American Foundation (IAF), a federal development agency, includes letters from foundation officials describing the IAF-funded work in poverty areas of Latin America and the Caribbean. The report describes IAF's In-Country Support System (ICS), staffed by local professionals who assist grantees and report their…

  8. Foundations of Life-Long Sexual Health Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graf, Allyson Stella; Patrick, Julie Hicks

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Sexual education in adolescence may represent the only formal sexual information individuals ever receive. It is unclear whether this early educational experience is sufficient to promote lifelong sexual health literacy. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the timing and source of sexual knowledge on current safe sex…

  9. Glaucoma Research Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... Surgery Find an Eye Doctor Financial Assistance New Research Results We invest in research to find a cure for glaucoma. The Biomarker ... for a Cure Applying for a Grant Glaucoma Research Foundation Celebrates Public Launch of The Cure is ...

  10. Potassium Homeostasis in Health and Disease: A Scientific Workshop Cosponsored by the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Hypertension.

    PubMed

    Kovesdy, Csaba P; Appel, Lawrence J; Grams, Morgan E; Gutekunst, Lisa; McCullough, Peter A; Palmer, Biff F; Pitt, Bertram; Sica, Dominic A; Townsend, Raymond R

    2017-12-01

    While much emphasis, and some controversy, centers on recommendations for sodium intake, there has been considerably less interest in recommendations for dietary potassium intake, in both the general population and patients with medical conditions, particularly acute and chronic kidney disease. Physiology literature and cohort studies have noted that the relative balance in sodium and potassium intakes is an important determinant of many of the sodium-related outcomes. A noteworthy characteristic of potassium in clinical medicine is the extreme concern shared by many practitioners when confronted by a patient with hyperkalemia. Fear of this often asymptomatic finding limits enthusiasm for recommending potassium intake and often limits the use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers in patients with heart failure and chronic kidney diseases. New agents for managing hyperkalemia may alter the long-term management of heart failure and the hypertension, proteinuria, and further function loss in chronic kidney diseases. In this jointly sponsored effort between the American Society of Hypertension and the National Kidney Foundation, 3 panels of researchers and practitioners from various disciplines discussed and summarized current understanding of the role of potassium in health and disease, focusing on cardiovascular, nutritional, and kidney considerations associated with both hypo- and hyperkalemia. Copyright © 2017 Published jointly in American Journal of Kidney Diseases and the Journal of the American society of Hypertension by Elsevier Inc, on behalf of the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Hypertension. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Early Learning Foundations. Indiana's Early Learning Development Framework Aligned to the Indiana Academic Standards, 2014

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Indiana Department of Education, 2015

    2015-01-01

    The "Foundations" (English/language arts, mathematics, social emotional skills, approaches to play and learning, science, social studies, creative arts, and physical health and growth) are Indiana's early learning development framework and are aligned to the 2014 Indiana Academic Standards. This framework provides core elements that…

  12. Teacher Candidate Mental Health and Mental Health Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dods, Jennifer

    2016-01-01

    Providing teacher candidates with a strong foundation in mental health literacy during their teacher education program is crucial in ensuring novice teachers are prepared to support the mental health needs of their students. In addition to responding to students, teacher candidates are typically at an age when mental health disorders are common…

  13. Promoting heart health: an HBCU collaboration with the Living Heart Foundation and the National Football League Retired Players Association.

    PubMed

    Valentine, Peggy; Duren-Winfield, Vanessa; Onsomu, Elijah O; Hoover, Eddie L; Cammock, Cheryl E; Roberts, Arthur

    2012-01-01

    Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States and African Americans are disproportionately affected. Cardiovascular disease risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, family history of heart disease, and physical inactivity are often higher in African American young adults. The aim of the current study was to assess cardiovascular disease risk factors at a historically black college and university (HBCU) in North Carolina. A collaborative partnership was established that included Living Heart Foundation, the NFL Retired Players Association and a HBCU. Ninety-one students (77 females and 14 males) aged 18 to 55 years (mean, 24 y, SD = 9 y) were recruited via dissemination of flyers, brochures, mass e-mailing, and announcements. Demographic and medical history data were collected. Stata version 10.1 was used for all analyses. Fifty-three percent of the participants reported having experienced a chronic health condition, 32% were overweight (body mass index [BMI], 25-29.9 kg/m2) and 31% obese (BMI > or = 30 kg/m2). Five percent of females and 23% of males had high-density lipoprotein cholesterol of 40 mg/dL or less, indicative of a risk for developing heart disease. There is an urgent need to intervene among African American college students and address behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Such interventions may have a major impact on their overall and future health outcomes. Strategies to be employed need to focus on the integration of culturally appropriate healthy lifestyle programs into the curriculum and university health centers. Consultations with stakeholders for ideas and resources should be encouraged.

  14. Cohort profile: Study of Transition, Outcomes and Gender (STRONG) to assess health status of transgender people.

    PubMed

    Quinn, Virginia P; Nash, Rebecca; Hunkeler, Enid; Contreras, Richard; Cromwell, Lee; Becerra-Culqui, Tracy A; Getahun, Darios; Giammattei, Shawn; Lash, Timothy L; Millman, Andrea; Robinson, Brandi; Roblin, Douglas; Silverberg, Michael J; Slovis, Jennifer; Tangpricha, Vin; Tolsma, Dennis; Valentine, Cadence; Ward, Kevin; Winter, Savannah; Goodman, Michael

    2017-12-27

    The Study of Transition, Outcomes and Gender (STRONG) was initiated to assess the health status of transgender people in general and following gender-affirming treatments at Kaiser Permanente health plans in Georgia, Northern California and Southern California. The objectives of this communication are to describe methods of cohort ascertainment and data collection and to characterise the study population. A stepwise methodology involving computerised searches of electronic medical records and free-text validation of eligibility and gender identity was used to identify a cohort of 6456 members with first evidence of transgender status (index date) between 2006 and 2014. The cohort included 3475 (54%) transfeminine (TF), 2892 (45%) transmasculine (TM) and 89 (1%) members whose natal sex and gender identity remained undetermined from the records. The cohort was matched to 127 608 enrollees with no transgender evidence (63 825 women and 63 783 men) on year of birth, race/ethnicity, study site and membership year of the index date. Cohort follow-up extends through the end of 2016. About 58% of TF and 52% of TM cohort members received hormonal therapy at Kaiser Permanente. Chest surgery was more common among TM participants (12% vs 0.3%). The proportions of transgender participants who underwent genital reconstruction surgeries were similar (4%-5%) in the two transgender groups. Results indicate that there are sufficient numbers of events in the TF and TM cohorts to further examine mental health status, cardiovascular events, diabetes, HIV and most common cancers. STRONG is well positioned to fill existing knowledge gaps through comparisons of transgender and reference populations and through analyses of health status before and after gender affirmation treatment. Analyses will include incidence of cardiovascular disease, mental health, HIV and diabetes, as well as changes in laboratory-based endpoints (eg, polycythemia and bone density), overall and in relation to

  15. Cohort profile: Study of Transition, Outcomes and Gender (STRONG) to assess health status of transgender people

    PubMed Central

    Quinn, Virginia P; Nash, Rebecca; Hunkeler, Enid; Contreras, Richard; Cromwell, Lee; Becerra-Culqui, Tracy A; Getahun, Darios; Giammattei, Shawn; Lash, Timothy L; Millman, Andrea; Robinson, Brandi; Roblin, Douglas; Silverberg, Michael J; Slovis, Jennifer; Tangpricha, Vin; Tolsma, Dennis; Valentine, Cadence; Ward, Kevin; Winter, Savannah; Goodman, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Purpose The Study of Transition, Outcomes and Gender (STRONG) was initiated to assess the health status of transgender people in general and following gender-affirming treatments at Kaiser Permanente health plans in Georgia, Northern California and Southern California. The objectives of this communication are to describe methods of cohort ascertainment and data collection and to characterise the study population. Participants A stepwise methodology involving computerised searches of electronic medical records and free-text validation of eligibility and gender identity was used to identify a cohort of 6456 members with first evidence of transgender status (index date) between 2006 and 2014. The cohort included 3475 (54%) transfeminine (TF), 2892 (45%) transmasculine (TM) and 89 (1%) members whose natal sex and gender identity remained undetermined from the records. The cohort was matched to 127 608 enrollees with no transgender evidence (63 825 women and 63 783 men) on year of birth, race/ethnicity, study site and membership year of the index date. Cohort follow-up extends through the end of 2016. Findings to date About 58% of TF and 52% of TM cohort members received hormonal therapy at Kaiser Permanente. Chest surgery was more common among TM participants (12% vs 0.3%). The proportions of transgender participants who underwent genital reconstruction surgeries were similar (4%–5%) in the two transgender groups. Results indicate that there are sufficient numbers of events in the TF and TM cohorts to further examine mental health status, cardiovascular events, diabetes, HIV and most common cancers. Future plans STRONG is well positioned to fill existing knowledge gaps through comparisons of transgender and reference populations and through analyses of health status before and after gender affirmation treatment. Analyses will include incidence of cardiovascular disease, mental health, HIV and diabetes, as well as changes in laboratory-based endpoints (eg

  16. Child health: fertile ground for philanthropic investment.

    PubMed

    Schwartz, Anne L; LeRoy, Lauren

    2004-01-01

    Children and youth are the focus for many foundations and corporate-giving programs working in the health field. Total foundation giving targeted to children and youth more than doubled during the late 1990s; in 2000, health accounted for 25 percent of philanthropic dollars invested in this population. This funding covers a broad range of child health issues but clusters in four key areas-promoting healthy behavior, improving access to care and expanding insurance coverage, strengthening mental health services, and addressing the broader determinants of health.

  17. 45 CFR 1100.7 - Foundation report of actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Foundation report of actions. 1100.7 Section 1100.7 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES GENERAL STATEMENT FOR THE GUIDANCE OF THE PUBLIC-ORGANIZATION, PROCEDURE AND AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION § 1100.7 Foundation repor...

  18. Foundation + Collaboration + Inspiration. The Joyce Foundation 2009 Annual Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Joyce Foundation, 2010

    2010-01-01

    Among the great strengths of a policy-oriented foundation like Joyce is the willingness to take a long view, to be patient investors in ideas that take time to have impact, and to take chances on projects that may not work out. But in times of crisis, Joyce team and partners also have an obligation to be responsive to immediate challenges in their…

  19. Ten strategies to lower costs, improve quality, and engage patients: the view from leading health system CEOs.

    PubMed

    Cosgrove, Delos M; Fisher, Michael; Gabow, Patricia; Gottlieb, Gary; Halvorson, George C; James, Brent C; Kaplan, Gary S; Perlin, Jonathan B; Petzel, Robert; Steele, Glenn D; Toussaint, John S

    2013-02-01

    Patient-centeredness--the idea that care should be designed around patients' needs, preferences, circumstances, and well-being--is a central tenet of health care delivery. For CEOs of health care organizations, patient-centered care is also quickly becoming a business imperative, with payments tied to performance on measures of patient satisfaction and engagement. In A CEO Checklist for High-Value Health Care, we, as executives of eleven leading health care delivery institutions, outlined ten key strategies for reducing costs and waste while improving outcomes. In this article we describe how implementation of these strategies benefits both health care organizations and patients. For example, Kaiser Permanente's Healthy Bones Program resulted in a 30 percent reduction in hip fracture rates for at-risk patients. And at Virginia Mason Health System in Seattle, nurses reorganized care patterns and increased the time they spent on direct patient care to 90 percent. Our experiences show that patient-engaged care can be delivered in ways that simultaneously improve quality and reduce costs.

  20. Health and loyalty promotion visits for new enrollees: results of a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Thompson, M; Gee, S; Larson, P; Kotz, K; Northrop, L

    2001-01-01

    Managed care needs effective and efficient ways to orient new members, enhance trust and loyalty, and offer prevention and self-care education and services. Recent adult enrollees of Kaiser Permanente (Northern California) were randomly assigned to one of three intervention conditions (n = 286) (individual visit with a physician, physician visit plus a visit with a health educator, a group visit of eight new members led by a physician and health educator) or a random control group (n = 278). Outcomes were gauged via pre- and post-visit questionnaires and a 20-min telephone survey at baseline and at a 6-month follow-up. Compared to controls, attendees of the three interventions had higher satisfaction, self-rated prevention knowledge, acceptance of health plan guidelines, and were more likely to plan to remain in the health plan. Group visit attendees stood out as experiencing the greatest benefits and were especially likely to report saving a telephone call or visit to their doctor by using a self-care handbook.

  1. Performance-based design factors for pile foundations.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-10-01

    The seismic design of pile foundations is currently performed in a relatively simple, deterministic manner. This : report describes the development of a performance-based framework to create seismic designs of pile group : foundations that consider a...

  2. Foundations for a theory of gravitation theories

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thorne, K. S.; Lee, D. L.; Lightman, A. P.

    1972-01-01

    A foundation is laid for future analyses of gravitation theories. This foundation is applicable to any theory formulated in terms of geometric objects defined on a 4-dimensional spacetime manifold. The foundation consists of (1) a glossary of fundamental concepts; (2) a theorem that delineates the overlap between Lagrangian-based theories and metric theories; (3) a conjecture (due to Schiff) that the Weak Equivalence Principle implies the Einstein Equivalence Principle; and (4) a plausibility argument supporting this conjecture for the special case of relativistic, Lagrangian-based theories.

  3. Load Measurement on Foundations of Rockfall Protection Systems

    PubMed Central

    Volkwein, Axel; Kummer, Peter; Bitnel, Hueseyin; Campana, Lorenzo

    2016-01-01

    Rockfall protection barriers are connected to the ground using steel cables fixed with anchors and foundations for the steel posts. It is common practice to measure the forces in the cables, while to date measurements of forces in the foundations have been inadequately resolved. An overview is presented of existing methods to measure the loads on the post foundations of rockfall protection barriers. Addressing some of the inadequacies of existing approaches, a novel sensor unit is presented that is able to capture the forces acting on post foundations in all six degrees of freedom. The sensor unit consists of four triaxial force sensors placed between two steel plates. To correctly convert the measurements into the directional forces acting on the foundation a special in-situ calibration procedure is proposed that delivers a corresponding conversion matrix. PMID:26840315

  4. Foundation on Economic Trends v. Bowen.

    PubMed

    1989-10-04

    The National Enviromental Policy Act requires that government agencies make a detailed enviromental impact statement (EIS) for all research significantly affecting the environment. These statements must be supplemented if the project substantially changes or if new information is obtained. The Foundation on Economic Trends argued that three developments in recombinant DNA research will significantly alter the enviromental impact, thereby mandating a new EIS by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These developments are cloning oncogenic viruses, engineering the human immunodeficiency virus into cells not normally susceptible to it, and introducing AIDS genetic codes into mice. The U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, held that the first two projects do not pose a greater risk and that the enviromental assessment being prepared by NIH on the third satisfies the requirements of the National Enviromental Policy Act.

  5. Research on construction settlement of different soft foundation under vacuum preloading condition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bin, LI; Changquan, YIN

    2017-11-01

    Vacuum preloading, rigid foundation, raft foundation and piled raft foundation are more commonly used in soft foundation treatment. PLAXIS is large finite element software of rock and soil, which can simulate the influence of different foundation forms. After the vacuum preloading treatment, the foundation settlement is reduced by 80%, the raft foundation settlement is reduced by 60%, the pile raft foundation settlement is reduced by 40%. It is suggested that the vacuum preloading is used to deal with the foundation of the building. If the time limit, the pile raft foundation is used as the foundation form of the foundation is better than others.

  6. Crack Monitoring of Operational Wind Turbine Foundations.

    PubMed

    Perry, Marcus; McAlorum, Jack; Fusiek, Grzegorz; Niewczas, Pawel; McKeeman, Iain; Rubert, Tim

    2017-08-21

    The degradation of onshore, reinforced-concrete wind turbine foundations is usually assessed via above-ground inspections, or through lengthy excavation campaigns that suspend wind power generation. Foundation cracks can and do occur below ground level, and while sustained measurements of crack behaviour could be used to quantify the risk of water ingress and reinforcement corrosion, these cracks have not yet been monitored during turbine operation. Here, we outline the design, fabrication and field installation of subterranean fibre-optic sensors for monitoring the opening and lateral displacements of foundation cracks during wind turbine operation. We detail methods for in situ sensor characterisation, verify sensor responses against theoretical tower strains derived from wind speed data, and then show that measured crack displacements correlate with monitored tower strains. Our results show that foundation crack opening displacements respond linearly to tower strain and do not change by more than ±5 μ m. Lateral crack displacements were found to be negligible. We anticipate that the work outlined here will provide a starting point for real-time, long-term and dynamic analyses of crack displacements in future. Our findings could furthermore inform the development of cost-effective monitoring systems for ageing wind turbine foundations.

  7. Differences in students' perceptions of learning compulsory foundation biochemistry in the health sciences professions.

    PubMed

    Minasian-Batmanian, Laura C; Lingard, Jennifer; Prosser, Michael

    2005-11-01

    Student approaches to learning vary from surface approaches to meaningful, deep learning practices. Differences in approach may be related to students' conceptions of the subject, perceptions of the learning environment, prior study experiences and performance on assessment. This study aims to explore entering students' conceptions of the unit they are about to study and how they intend to approach their studies. It involved a survey of 203 (of 250) first year students in a cross disciplinary unit in the Faculty of Health Sciences. They were asked to complete an open-ended response survey, including questions on what they thought they needed to do to learn biochemistry and what they thought the study of biochemistry was about. A phenomenographic methodology was used to identify categories of description for the questions. The paper will describe the categories in detail, the structural relationship between the categories and the distribution of responses within categories. The study reports a relationship between conception of the topic and approaches to learning. Students with more complex and coherent conceptions of the topic report that they were more likely to adopt deeper approaches to study than those with more fragmented conceptions. However, compared to previous studies, a surprisingly high proportion of students with more cohesive conceptions still intended to adopt more surface approaches. This may reflect the particular context of their learning, namely in a compulsory unit involving material for which most students have minimal background and difficulty seeing its relevance. Implications for teaching such foundation material are discussed.

  8. Kellogg Foundation Still Investing in People

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abdul-Alim, Jamaal

    2011-01-01

    When the W.K. Kellogg Foundation first approached a group of tribal college presidents in 1994 with a $23 million grant for a handful of their institutions, the tribal college leaders did not exactly trip over themselves to get the money. They wanted it to be split among all of them, and the foundation honored the tribal college leaders' wish.…

  9. Rethinking foundations of language from a multidisciplinary perspective.

    PubMed

    Gong, Tao; Shuai, Lan; Wu, Yicheng

    2018-04-21

    The issue of language foundations has been of great controversy ever since it was first raised in Lenneberg's (1967) monograph Biological Foundations of Language. Based on a survey of recent findings relevant to the study of language acquisition and evolution, we propose that: (i) the biological predispositions for language are largely domain-general, not necessarily language-specific or human-unique; (ii) the socio-cultural environment of language serves as another important foundation of language, which helps shape language components, induce and drive language shift; and (iii) language must have coevolved with the cognitive mechanisms associated with it through intertwined biological and cultural evolution. In addition to theoretical issues, this paper also evaluates the primary approaches recently joining the endeavor of studying language foundations and evolution, including human experiments and computer simulations. Most of the evidence surveyed in this paper comes from a variety of disciplines, and methodology therein complements each other to form a global picture of language foundations. These reflect the complexity of the issue of language foundations and the necessity of taking a multidisciplinary perspective to address it. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Health inequalities as a foundation for embodying knowledge within public health teaching: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Mabhala, Mzwandile A

    2013-06-28

    Recent U.K. health policies identified nurses as key contributors to the social justice agenda of reducing health inequalities, on the assumption that all nurses understand and wish to contribute to public health. Following this policy shift, public health content within pre-registration nursing curricula increased. However, public health nurse educators (PHNEs) had various backgrounds, and some had limited formal public health training, or involvement in or understanding of policy required to contribute effectively to it. Their knowledge of this subject, their understanding and interpretation of how it could be taught, was not fully understood. This research aimed to understand how public health nurse educators' professional knowledge could be conceptualised and to develop a substantive theory of their knowledge of teaching public health, using a qualitative data analysis approach. Qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews (n=26) were conducted with eleven university-based PHNEs. Integrating public health into all aspects of life was seen as central to the knowing and teaching of public health; this was conceptualised as 'embodying knowledge'. Participants identified the meaning of embodying knowledge for teaching public health as: (a) possessing a wider vision of health; (b) reflecting and learning from experience; and (c) engaging in appropriate pedagogical practices. The concept of public health can mean different things to different people. The variations of meaning ascribed to public health reflect the various backgrounds from which the public health workforce is drawn. The analysis indicates that PHNEs are embodying knowledge for teaching through critical pedagogy, which involves them engaging in transformative, interpretive and integrative processes to refashion public health concepts; this requires PHNEs who possess a vision of what to teach, know how to teach, and are able to learn from experience. Their vision of public health is influenced by

  11. Health inequalities as a foundation for embodying knowledge within public health teaching: a qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Recent UK health policies identified nurses as key contributors to the social justice agenda of reducing health inequalities, on the assumption that all nurses understand and wish to contribute to public health. Following this policy shift, public health content within pre-registration nursing curricula increased. However, public health nurse educators (PHNEs) had various backgrounds, and some had limited formal public health training, or involvement in or understanding of policy required to contribute effectively to it. Their knowledge of this subject, their understanding and interpretation of how it could be taught, was not fully understood. Methodology This research aimed to understand how public health nurse educators’ professional knowledge could be conceptualised and to develop a substantive theory of their knowledge of teaching public health, using a qualitative data analysis approach. Qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews (n=26) were conducted with eleven university-based PHNEs. Results Integrating public health into all aspects of life was seen as central to the knowing and teaching of public health; this was conceptualised as ‘embodying knowledge’. Participants identified the meaning of embodying knowledge for teaching public health as: (a) possessing a wider vision of health; (b) reflecting and learning from experience; and (c) engaging in appropriate pedagogical practices. Conclusion The concept of public health can mean different things to different people. The variations of meaning ascribed to public health reflect the various backgrounds from which the public health workforce is drawn. The analysis indicates that PHNEs are embodying knowledge for teaching through critical pedagogy, which involves them engaging in transformative, interpretive and integrative processes to refashion public health concepts; this requires PHNEs who possess a vision of what to teach, know how to teach, and are able to learn from experience

  12. Development of Foundational Movement Skills: A Conceptual Model for Physical Activity Across the Lifespan.

    PubMed

    Hulteen, Ryan M; Morgan, Philip J; Barnett, Lisa M; Stodden, David F; Lubans, David R

    2018-03-09

    Evidence supports a positive association between competence in fundamental movement skills (e.g., kicking, jumping) and physical activity in young people. Whilst important, fundamental movement skills do not reflect the broad diversity of skills utilized in physical activity pursuits across the lifespan. Debate surrounds the question of what are the most salient skills to be learned which facilitate physical activity participation across the lifespan. In this paper, it is proposed that the term 'fundamental movement skills' be replaced with 'foundational movement skills'. The term 'foundational movement skills' better reflects the broad range of movement forms that increase in complexity and specificity and can be applied in a variety of settings. Thus, 'foundational movement skills' includes both traditionally conceptualized 'fundamental' movement skills and other skills (e.g., bodyweight squat, cycling, swimming strokes) that support physical activity engagement across the lifespan. A proposed conceptual model outlines how foundational movement skill competency can provide a direct or indirect pathway, via specialized movement skills, to a lifetime of physical activity. Foundational movement skill development is hypothesized to vary according to culture and/or geographical location. Further, skill development may be hindered or enhanced by physical (i.e., fitness, weight status) and psychological (i.e., perceived competence, self-efficacy) attributes. This conceptual model may advance the application of motor development principles within the public health domain. Additionally, it promotes the continued development of human movement in the context of how it leads to skillful performance and how movement skill development supports and maintains a lifetime of physical activity engagement.

  13. Disk Evolution: Testing The Foundations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Armitage, Phil

    2016-07-01

    Models for planet formation and observable large-scale structure in protoplanetary disks are built on a foundation of gas-phase physics. In the simplest telling, it is assumed that the disk evolves due to turbulence, and that photoevaporation is the dominant driver of mass loss. How secure is this foundation to our understanding? I will review recent results from magnetohydrodynamic simulations of protoplanetary disks, which suggest a modified picture in which MHD winds and fossil magnetic flux play a critical role. I will discuss what these theoretical results may imply for observations of disks.

  14. Centrifuge Modeling of the Thermo-Mechanical Response of Energy Foundations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goode, Joseph Collin, III

    This thesis presents the results from a series of centrifuge tests performed to understand the profiles of thermo-mechanical axial strain, axial displacement, and axial stress in semi-floating and end-bearing energy foundations installed in dry Nevada sand and Bonny silt layers during different combinations of mechanical loading and foundation heating. In addition to the construction details for the centrifuge scale-model reinforced concrete energy foundations, the results from 1 g thermo-mechanical characterization tests performed on the foundations to evaluate their mechanical and thermal material properties are presented in this thesis. In general, the centrifuge-scale tests involve application of an axial load to the head of the foundation followed by circulation of a heat exchange fluid through embedded tubing to bring the foundation to a constant temperature. After this point, mechanical loads were applied to the foundation to characterize their thermo-mechanical response. Specifically, loading tests to failure were performed on the semi-floating foundation installed in different soil layers to characterize the impact of temperature on the load-settlement curve, and elastic loading tests were performed on the end-bearing foundation to characterize the impact of temperature on the mobilized side shear distributions. During application of mechanical loads and changes in foundation temperature, the axial strains are measured using embedded strain gages. The soil and foundation temperatures, foundation head movement, and soil surface deformations are also monitored to characterize the thermo-mechanical response of the system. The tests performed in this study were used to investigate different phenomena relevant to the thermo-mechanical response of energy foundations. First, the role of end-restraint boundary conditions in both sand and silt were investigated by comparing the strain distributions for the end-bearing and semi-floating foundations in each soil type

  15. Medical Malpractice Reform and Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Premiums

    PubMed Central

    Morrisey, Michael A; Kilgore, Meredith L; Nelson, Leonard (Jack)

    2008-01-01

    Objective Tort reform may affect health insurance premiums both by reducing medical malpractice premiums and by reducing the extent of defensive medicine. The objective of this study is to estimate the effects of noneconomic damage caps on the premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance. Data Sources/Study Setting Employer premium data and plan/establishment characteristics were obtained from the 1999 through 2004 Kaiser/HRET Employer Health Insurance Surveys. Damage caps were obtained and dated based on state annotated codes, statutes, and judicial decisions. Study Design Fixed effects regression models were run to estimate the effects of the size of inflation-adjusted damage caps on the weighted average single premiums. Data Collection/Extraction Methods State tort reform laws were identified using Westlaw, LEXIS, and statutory compilations. Legislative repeal and amendment of statutes and court decisions resulting in the overturning or repealing state statutes were also identified using LEXIS. Principal Findings Using a variety of empirical specifications, there was no statistically significant evidence that noneconomic damage caps exerted any meaningful influence on the cost of employer-sponsored health insurance. Conclusions The findings suggest that tort reforms have not translated into insurance savings. PMID:18522666

  16. Medical intelligence, security and global health: the foundations of a new health agenda.

    PubMed

    Bowsher, G; Milner, C; Sullivan, R

    2016-07-01

    Medical intelligence, security and global health are distinct fields that often overlap, especially as the drive towards a global health security agenda gathers pace. Here, we outline some of the ways in which this has happened in the recent past during the recent Ebola epidemic in West Africa and in the killing of Osama Bin laden by US intelligence services. We evaluate medical intelligence and the role it can play in global health security; we also attempt to define a framework that illustrates how medical intelligence can be incorporated into foreign policy action in order delineate the boundaries and scope of this growing field. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

  17. Community and Technical College Foundations: The Results of a Survey of Washington State's Community and Technical College Foundations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirk, Henry P., Ed.

    In 1992, all 32 state community and technical colleges in Washington State were contacted to obtain information on the characteristics and activities of the non-profit foundations which have been, or are being, established at each institution. Selected findings include the following: (1) a total of 25 foundations were established between 1963 and…

  18. Crack Monitoring of Operational Wind Turbine Foundations

    PubMed Central

    McAlorum, Jack; Fusiek, Grzegorz; Niewczas, Pawel; McKeeman, Iain; Rubert, Tim

    2017-01-01

    The degradation of onshore, reinforced-concrete wind turbine foundations is usually assessed via above-ground inspections, or through lengthy excavation campaigns that suspend wind power generation. Foundation cracks can and do occur below ground level, and while sustained measurements of crack behaviour could be used to quantify the risk of water ingress and reinforcement corrosion, these cracks have not yet been monitored during turbine operation. Here, we outline the design, fabrication and field installation of subterranean fibre-optic sensors for monitoring the opening and lateral displacements of foundation cracks during wind turbine operation. We detail methods for in situ sensor characterisation, verify sensor responses against theoretical tower strains derived from wind speed data, and then show that measured crack displacements correlate with monitored tower strains. Our results show that foundation crack opening displacements respond linearly to tower strain and do not change by more than ±5 μm. Lateral crack displacements were found to be negligible. We anticipate that the work outlined here will provide a starting point for real-time, long-term and dynamic analyses of crack displacements in future. Our findings could furthermore inform the development of cost-effective monitoring systems for ageing wind turbine foundations. PMID:28825687

  19. Study on the Accident-causing of Foundation Pit Engineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shuicheng, Tian; Xinyue, Zhang; Pengfei, Yang; Longgang, Chen

    2018-05-01

    With the development of high-rise buildings and underground space, a large number of foundation pit projects have occurred. Frequent accidents of it cause great losses to the society, how to reduce the frequency of pit accidents has become one of the most urgent problems to be solved. Therefore, analysing the influencing factors of foundation pit engineering accidents and studying the causes of foundation pit accidents, which of great significance for improving the safety management level of foundation pit engineering and reducing the incidence of foundation pit accidents. Firstly, based on literature review and questionnaires, this paper selected construction management, survey, design, construction, supervision and monitoring as research factors, we used the AHP method and the Dematel method to analyze the weights of various influencing factors to screen indicators to determine the ultimate system of accidents caused by foundation pit accidents; Secondly, SPSS 21.0 software was used to test the reliability and validity of the recovered questionnaire data. AMOS 7.0 software was used to fit, evaluate, and explain the set model; Finally, this paper analysed the influencing factors of foundation pit engineering accidents, corresponding management countermeasures and suggestions were put forward.

  20. PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS - A CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR NURSES OF THE AMERICAN NURSES FOUNDATION/ASSOCIATION

    EPA Science Inventory

    The American Nurses Association/Foundation will develop online, in print and pre conference continuing education (CE) children's environmental health protection programs to meet the objective of the program. The first CE program is on school environments, the second on home and ...

  1. 45 CFR 650.2 - National Science Foundation patent policy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false National Science Foundation patent policy. 650.2 Section 650.2 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION PATENTS § 650.2 National Science Foundation patent policy. As authorized by the National Science...

  2. 45 CFR 650.2 - National Science Foundation patent policy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false National Science Foundation patent policy. 650.2 Section 650.2 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION PATENTS § 650.2 National Science Foundation patent policy. As authorized by the National Science...

  3. 45 CFR 650.2 - National Science Foundation patent policy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false National Science Foundation patent policy. 650.2 Section 650.2 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION PATENTS § 650.2 National Science Foundation patent policy. As authorized by the National Science...

  4. 45 CFR 650.2 - National Science Foundation patent policy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false National Science Foundation patent policy. 650.2 Section 650.2 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION PATENTS § 650.2 National Science Foundation patent policy. As authorized by the National Science...

  5. 45 CFR 650.2 - National Science Foundation patent policy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false National Science Foundation patent policy. 650.2 Section 650.2 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION PATENTS § 650.2 National Science Foundation patent policy. As authorized by the National Science...

  6. Foundations/History/Philosophy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thelin, John R.

    Patterns that emerged from reviewing 20 syllabi for courses on educational foundations, history, and philosophy are discussed, and five sample syllabi are presented. These courses are offered as part of graduate level studies in the field of higher education administration. The review revealed the following profile: the history of higher education…

  7. Education Interface Guide to Precollege Foundation Support.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Broderick, Barbara, Ed.

    Private philanthropic foundations that fund precollege programs are described in this guidebook that is designed to help the prospective grant applicant. The introduction provides information on the following: how to identify good prospects; five steps in identifying the right foundation; five matchmaking steps; strategies for fund-raising…

  8. Influence of foundation mass and surface roughness on dynamic response of beam on dynamic foundation subjected to the moving load

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tran Quoc, Tinh; Khong Trong, Toan; Luong Van, Hai

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, Improved Moving Element Method (IMEM) is used to analyze the dynamic response of Euler-Bernoulli beam structures on the dynamic foundation model subjected to the moving load. The effects of characteristic foundation model parameters such as Winkler stiffness, shear layer based on the Pasternak model, viscoelastic dashpot and characteristic parameter of mass on foundation. Beams are modeled by moving elements while the load is fixed. Based on the principle of the publicly virtual balancing and the theory of moving element method, the motion differential equation of the system is established and solved by means of the numerical integration based on the Newmark algorithm. The influence of mass on foundation and the roughness of the beam surface on the dynamic response of beam are examined in details.

  9. Foundations of chaotic mixing.

    PubMed

    Wiggins, Stephen; Ottino, Julio M

    2004-05-15

    The simplest mixing problem corresponds to the mixing of a fluid with itself; this case provides a foundation on which the subject rests. The objective here is to study mixing independently of the mechanisms used to create the motion and review elements of theory focusing mostly on mathematical foundations and minimal models. The flows under consideration will be of two types: two-dimensional (2D) 'blinking flows', or three-dimensional (3D) duct flows. Given that mixing in continuous 3D duct flows depends critically on cross-sectional mixing, and that many microfluidic applications involve continuous flows, we focus on the essential aspects of mixing in 2D flows, as they provide a foundation from which to base our understanding of more complex cases. The baker's transformation is taken as the centrepiece for describing the dynamical systems framework. In particular, a hierarchy of characterizations of mixing exist, Bernoulli --> mixing --> ergodic, ordered according to the quality of mixing (the strongest first). Most importantly for the design process, we show how the so-called linked twist maps function as a minimal picture of mixing, provide a mathematical structure for understanding the type of 2D flows that arise in many micromixers already built, and give conditions guaranteeing the best quality mixing. Extensions of these concepts lead to first-principle-based designs without resorting to lengthy computations.

  10. Medical Education and Research: The Foundations of Quality Health Care

    PubMed Central

    Mustard, J. F.; Laidlaw, J. C.; Godden, J. O.

    1966-01-01

    In May 1964 the Royal Commission on Health Services declared that “health research is essential to health progress”. However, since that time the means of providing adequate health care have received far less attention than have methods of payment for physicians' services. Because medical education and research is the source from which all other health benefits flow, urgent attention must be paid to the adequate support of teacher-scientists, as set forth in the Woods, Gordon (Gundy) report. It is the numbers and quality of these men and women, more than any other factor, that will determine the shape of medical science and, hence, medical practice in Canada in the future. Expensive as it is, Canadian medicine and Canadian medical scientists must have generous support if medical care in this country is to be of high quality. PMID:5908724

  11. 49 CFR 229.57 - Foundation brake gear.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Foundation brake gear. 229.57 Section 229.57 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION... Foundation brake gear. A lever, rod, brake beam, hanger, or pin may not be worn through more than 30 percent...

  12. On the Need to Live Educational Foundations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schubert, William H.

    2013-01-01

    William H. Schubert, retired faculty member at the University of Illinois, Chicago, reflects on his teaching career and the loss of "educational foundations." Schubert states that "Foundations of Education" are being pushed toward the precipice of extinction. He describes a loss of "back-to-basics" education with a…

  13. Bernard van Leer Foundation Annual Report, 2001.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernard Van Leer Foundation, The Hague (Netherlands).

    This annual report for 2001 describes the year's activities, achievements, and financial status of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, a private foundation based in The Netherlands operating internationally to improve opportunities for young children from birth to age 7 living in circumstances of social and economic disadvantage. Following the…

  14. Bernard van Leer Foundation Annual Report, 2002.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernard Van Leer Foundation, The Hague (Netherlands).

    This annual report for 2002 describes the year's activities, achievements, and financial status of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, a private foundation based in The Netherlands operating internationally to improve opportunities for young children from birth to age 7 living in circumstances of social and economic disadvantage. Following the…

  15. Prostate Cancer Foundation News

    MedlinePlus

    ... Us The Story of PCF A Legacy of Leadership About the Prostate Cancer Foundation CEO Message Why ... PCF? Support our Partners Annual Report & Financials Our Leadership Leadership Team Board Members Curing Together Patient Stories ...

  16. Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... navigate their brain tumor diagnosis. WATCH AND SHARE Brain tumors and their treatment can be deadly so ... Pediatric Central Nervous System Cancers Read more >> Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation 302 Ridgefield Court, Asheville, NC 28806 ...

  17. On the Hilbert-Huang Transform Theoretical Foundation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kizhner, Semion; Blank, Karin; Huang, Norden E.

    2004-01-01

    The Hilbert-Huang Transform [HHT] is a novel empirical method for spectrum analysis of non-linear and non-stationary signals. The HHT is a recent development and much remains to be done to establish the theoretical foundation of the HHT algorithms. This paper develops the theoretical foundation for the convergence of the HHT sifting algorithm and it proves that the finest spectrum scale will always be the first generated by the HHT Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) algorithm. The theoretical foundation for cutting an extrema data points set into two parts is also developed. This then allows parallel signal processing for the HHT computationally complex sifting algorithm and its optimization in hardware.

  18. Newspaper Association of America Foundation: Report for 1991-92.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation, Washington, DC.

    This document contains the 1991-92 annual report of the Newspaper Association of America (NAA) Foundation. The group previously was known as the American Newspaper Publishers Association (ANPA) Foundation. Throughout the report, the foundation is referred to as ANPA when referring to past activities, and NAA when referring to the present and…

  19. Reflections on the Social Foundations of Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gallegos, Bernardo

    2018-01-01

    The essay examines the state of the American Educational Studies Association and Social Foundations of Education through the lenses of auto-ethnography and critical reflection. A discussion of the relevance of the AESA and social foundations in the context of transformative education for scholars from marginalized communities is central to the…

  20. Bernard van Leer Foundation Annual Report, 2000.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernard Van Leer Foundation, The Hague (Netherlands).

    This annual report for 2000 describes the year's activities, achievements, and financial status of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, a private foundation based in The Netherlands that operates internationally to improve opportunities for young children from birth to age 7 living in circumstances of social and economic disadvantage. Following an…

  1. Children's Brain Tumor Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... 2 Family Donate Volunteer Justin's Hope Fund Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation, A non-profit organization, was founded ... and the long term outlook for children with brain and spinal cord tumors through research, support, education, ...

  2. Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... Percentage Donations Tribute Wall Other Giving/Fundraising Opportunities Bitcoin Donation Form FAQs Action Alert: Help us get ... Percentage Donations Tribute Wall Other Giving/Fundraising Opportunities Bitcoin Donation Form FAQs © 2017 Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, ...

  3. National Reye's Syndrome Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... Packages - Free! Talking to Tweens and Teens About Aspirin and Other Medications Join the Effort to Eradicate ... Foundation's LinkedIn profile Spread Awareness with the Kids & Aspirin Don't Mix car magnet ribbon. Get News & ...

  4. Is Rorty’s Neopragmatism the “Real” Foundation of Medical Ethics: a Search for Foundational Principles

    PubMed Central

    Branch, William T

    2006-01-01

    Principlism, the predominate approach to bioethics, has no foundational principles. This absence of foundations reflects the general intellectual climate of postmodern relativism. Even America’s foremost public philosopher, Richard Rorty, whose pragmatism might suggest a philosophy of commonsense, seems to be swimming in the postmodern swamp. Alternatively, principlism’s architects, Beauchamp and Childress, suggest a constantly evolving reflective equilibrium with some basis in common morality as a workable framework for twenty-first century bioethics. The flaw in their approach is failure to conform to real doctors’ and patients’ experiences. Real doctors adopt a scientific paradigm that assumes an objective reality. Patients experience real suffering and seek effective cures, treatments, palliation and solace. The foundation of medical ethics should be that doctors altruistically respond to their patients’ suffering using scientifically acceptable modalities. Compassion, caring, and respect for human dignity are needed as guides in addition to justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence and respect for autonomy. PMID:18528478

  5. The Enterprise Foundation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Szablya, Helen

    This document describes five demonstration programs administered by the Enterprise Foundation in the Washington, D.C., area. The purpose of the Partners for Success Program is to support and assist hard-to-employ jobseekers in setting and achieving both professional and personal goals. The Words for Life Program is a workplace literacy project to…

  6. Teaching the foundational principles of rehabilitation psychology.

    PubMed

    Stiers, William

    2016-02-01

    Wright (1983) described 20 "value-laden beliefs and principles" that form the foundational principles of rehabilitation psychology, and the education and training of rehabilitation psychologists necessitates that they acquire the specialty-specific knowledge and attitudes/values related to these principles. This article addresses 2 questions about how these principles can be taught in rehabilitation psychology training: (a) What are the core theories and evidence supporting these foundational principles, and what should be the content of a "core curriculum" for teaching these?; and (b) What is known about the most effective methods for teaching these foundational principles, including questions of how to teach values? The foundational principles were grouped into 3 categories: individual psychological processes, social psychological processes, and values related to social integration. A literature review was conducted in these 3 categories, and the results are summarized and discussed. A core curriculum is discussed for teaching about disability-specific individual psychological processes, social psychological processes, and values related to social integration, including methods to reduce group prejudice and promote values relevant to the foundational principles. Specific suggestions for training program content and methods are provided. It is hoped that effective teaching of Wright's (1983) value-laden beliefs and principles will help rehabilitation psychology trainers and trainees focus on the key knowledge and attitude-value competencies that are to be acquired in training. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  7. 26 CFR 1.507-3 - Special rules; transferee foundations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... aggregate of: (i) The dispositions to one or more private foundations for the taxable year, and (ii) Where... $10,000 to P. N, O, and P are all private foundations. Under subparagraph (2)(i) of this paragraph, M... significant disposition of assets to one or more private foundations within the meaning of paragraph (c) of...

  8. 26 CFR 1.507-3 - Special rules; transferee foundations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... aggregate of: (i) The dispositions to one or more private foundations for the taxable year, and (ii) Where... $10,000 to P. N, O, and P are all private foundations. Under subparagraph (2)(i) of this paragraph, M... significant disposition of assets to one or more private foundations within the meaning of paragraph (c) of...

  9. 26 CFR 1.507-3 - Special rules; transferee foundations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... aggregate of: (i) The dispositions to one or more private foundations for the taxable year, and (ii) Where... $10,000 to P. N, O, and P are all private foundations. Under subparagraph (2)(i) of this paragraph, M... significant disposition of assets to one or more private foundations within the meaning of paragraph (c) of...

  10. Goal is to give every doc an 'AIDS cookbook'.

    PubMed

    1997-06-01

    Before leaving Kaiser Family Foundation in California, Mark Smith helped to lay the groundwork for the first comprehensive HIV treatment standard in almost five years. Smith, former chairman of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on HIV, noted that the most sophisticated practitioners may be using certain information as a basis for their decisions months before it gets published in mainstream journals. The committee to develop the standard includes AIDS clinicians and researchers, as well as managed care medical directors and others who follow evidence-based medicine. The cookbook approach will help unsophisticated practitioners develop effective treatment regimens for their patients, and will direct medical care decisions in managed health facilities. The standards will be a one-stop source for making decisions on everything from viral load testing to immunizations. Critics charge that the standard's approach will leave no room for up-to-date changes.

  11. Bernard van Leer Foundation Annual Report 1998.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernard Van Leer Foundation, The Hague (Netherlands).

    This document provides an annual report and financial review for 1998 of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, a private institution created in 1949 for broad humanitarian purposes. Following an introduction by chairman of the Foundation's board of trustees, a report of the executive director details the second year of implementation of the…

  12. Regional assessment of North America: Urbanization trends, biodiversity patterns, and ecosystem services

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McPhearson, Timon; Auch, Roger F.; Alberti, Marina

    2013-01-01

    North America contains some of the most urbanized landscapes in the world. In the United States (U.S.) and Canada, approximately 80 % of the population is urban, with Mexico slightly less (Kaiser Family Foundation 2013). Population growth combined with economic growth has fueled recent urban land expansion in North America. Between 1970 and 2000, urban land area expanded at a rate of 3.31 % (Seto et al. 2011) creating unique challenges for conserving biodiversity and maintaining regional and local ecosystem services.

  13. Teen Sexual Health: MedlinePlus Health Topic

    MedlinePlus

    ... Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish Expect Respect: Healthy Relationships (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish Helping ... Victims of... Article: Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Can Adversely Impact Domains of Sexual Function... Teen Sexual Health -- see ...

  14. The chapter breeding program of the American Chestnut Foundation

    Treesearch

    Sara Fitzsimmons; Kendra Gurney; William White; Katy McCune

    2012-01-01

    A unique feature of the American Chestnut Foundation breeding program is the use of volunteers to conduct most of the regional breeding that will help increase genetic diversity and preserve local adaptation in the products of our program. This effort is coordinated by the four authors of this abstract, who are employees of the Foundation. The Foundation has...

  15. Nearly Half Of Small Employers Using Tobacco Surcharges Do Not Provide Tobacco Cessation Wellness Programs.

    PubMed

    Pesko, Michael F; Bains, Jaskaran; Maclean, Johanna Catherine; Cook, Benjamin Lê

    2018-03-01

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA) allowed employer plans in the small-group marketplace to charge tobacco users up to 50 percent more for premiums-known as tobacco surcharges-but only if the employer offered a tobacco cessation program and the employee in question failed to participate in it. Using 2016 survey data collected by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust on 278 employers eligible for Small Business Health Options Program, we examined the prevalence of tobacco surcharges and tobacco cessation programs in the small-group market under this policy and found that 16.2 percent of small employers used tobacco surcharges. Overall, 47 percent of employers used tobacco surcharges but failed to offer tobacco cessation counseling. Wellness program prevalence was lower in states that allowed tobacco surcharges, and 10.8 percent of employers in these states were noncompliant with the ACA by charging tobacco users higher premiums without offering cessation programs. Efforts should be undertaken to improve the monitoring and enforcement of ACA tobacco rating rules.

  16. Health On the Net's 20 Years of Transparent and Reliable Health Information.

    PubMed

    Boyer, Célia; Appel, Ron D; Ball, Marion J; van Bemmel, Jan H; Bergmans, Jean-Paul; Carpentier, Michel; Hochstrasser, Denis; Lindberg, Donald; Miller, Randolph; Peterschmitt, Jean-Claude; Safran, Charlie; Thonnet, Michèle; Geissbühler, Antoine

    2016-01-01

    The Health On the Net Foundation (HON) was born in 1996, during the beginning of the World Wide Web, from a collective decision by health specialists, led by the late Jean-Raoul Scherrer, who anticipated the need for online trustworthy health information. Because the Internet is a free space that everyone shares, a search for quality information is like a shot in the dark: neither will reliably hit their target. Thus, HON was created to promote deployment of useful and reliable online health information, and to enable its appropriate and efficient use. Two decades on, HON is the oldest and most valued quality marker for online health information. The organization has maintained its reputation through dynamic measures, innovative endeavors and dedication to upholding key values and goals. This paper provides an overview of the HON Foundation, and its activities, challenges, and achievements over the years.

  17. Oral Cancer Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... Cancer Survivor My wish is that in December this year the Oral Cancer Foundation can count on your help to fund [...] Read More OCF Southern California Oral Cancer Walk Wrap-up – 2016 By Brian Hill | 2016-12-14T22:05:33+00:00 October, 2016 | This last weekend the OCF 3rd Annual Southern California ...

  18. Veatch's new foundation for medical ethics.

    PubMed

    Kultgen, J

    1985-11-01

    Robert M. Veatch proposes a "triple contract theory" as a new foundation for medical ethics. His criticisms of unilateral "physician ethics" are sound, but uncertainty as to whether he is proposing merely imaginary or real contracts vitiates his constructive arguments. If the former, he is recommending a minor heuristic device for thinking about ethics, not a foundation. If the latter, his proposal is utterly impractical and a medical covenant will have to be developed another way.

  19. Foundations of Education: Texts and the Canon.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gottlieb, Esther E.

    This paper attempts to outline the textual canon of the foundations of education in U.S. teacher education programs. Background research for the project included a review of selected texts and samples of course syllabi. Analysis of the contents and prefaces of the two volumes of "Reading in the Foundations of Education" (published in…

  20. Sexual Problems in Men: MedlinePlus Health Topic

    MedlinePlus

    ... of Serotonin in Female Hypoactive Sexual Desire... Article: Female Sexual Dysfunction-Medical and Psychological Treatments, Committee 14. ... (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Sexual Health (Mayo Foundation for Medical ...

  1. 77 FR 42767 - Advisory Committee on Presidential Library-Foundation Partnerships

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-20

    ... NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION Advisory Committee on Presidential Library-Foundation... Presidential Library- Foundation Partnerships SUMMARY: This notice is published in accordance with the... Presidential Library-Foundation Partnerships. In accordance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular...

  2. 75 FR 42790 - Advisory Committee on Presidential Library-Foundation Partnerships.

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-22

    ... NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION Advisory Committee on Presidential Library-Foundation... Presidential Library- Foundation Partnerships. SUMMARY: This notice is published in accordance with the... Presidential Library-Foundation Partnerships. In accordance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular...

  3. New River Community College Educational Foundation, Inc.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graham, Florine R.

    In September 1981, the Educational Foundation, Inc., at New River Community College (NRCC) initiated a charter member fund drive. By October 1982, the Foundation received $100,000 in gifts and pledges, $130,000 in liquid assets, and $300,000 in gifts other than cash. Among the reasons for the success of the drive was the training received by the…

  4. Foundations and Higher Education: Innovation and Redirection.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Archie, William C.

    Change and innovation are needed in every aspect of life, and education is no exception. Foundations have done a great deal over the last hundred years for higher education. In 1966-1967, as in other years the largest share of private support for public higher education came from foundation grants. Private philanthropy has also aided immeasurably…

  5. Foundations Invest Cautiously in Public Education Innovations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewington, Jennifer

    2009-01-01

    Like many grant-making philanthropies in Canada, the Winnipeg Foundation for years had no history of giving directly to schools, fearing that could let governments off the hook for public education. In 2003, the Winnipeg Foundation invested $3 million over five years in one of the city's most impoverished neighbourhoods, with a local school as the…

  6. Democratization of health care: challenge for nursing.

    PubMed

    Watts, R J

    1990-01-01

    One of the key foundational principles of primary health care is community involvement. The implementation of meaningful community involvement requires democratic institutions and processes within the health care system. In this context the meaning of substantive democracy and the implications of this concept for the health care system are briefly discussed. The relationship between the purpose, values, and foundational concepts of democracy and those of nursing is examined in greater detail. Based on the congruency between these, the role of nursing in generating and enhancing democratic processes within the health care system is discussed and a model of nursing practice proposed.

  7. "The Trampoline Tree and the Swamp Monster with 18 Heads": Outdoor Play in the Foundation Stage and Foundation Phase

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waller, Tim

    2007-01-01

    This paper considers pedagogy and outdoor play in the early years. The particular focus is on the specific features and benefits of outdoor play in the Foundation Stage (England) and Foundation Phase (Wales). The paper will draw on current international literature and evidence from outdoor learning constructed in an ongoing research project in two…

  8. Orthopaedic research and education foundation and industry.

    PubMed

    Wurth, Gene R; Sherr, Judy H; Coffman, Thomas M

    2003-07-01

    Members of orthopaedic industry commit a significant amount of funds each year to support research and education programs that are directly related to their product(s). In addition, industry supports organizations such as the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation. The relationship between the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation and industry began in the early 1980s. The support to the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation from industry primarily has come in the form of unrestricted grants. These grants best can be looked at as an investment rather than a contribution. This form of giving, once called corporate philanthropy is more accurately referred to as strategic philanthropy. Members of industry make these investments to enhance their reputations, build brand awareness, market their products and services, improve employee morale, increase customer loyalty, and establish strategic alliances. The specialty of orthopaedics is among the leaders in medicine in the amount of funding raised within the specialty for research and education programs. This is because of the amount of support from members of industry and the surgeons. During the past 15 years, 40% of the annual support to the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation has come from industry and the balance has come from surgeons and members of lay public. Future industry support of the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation and other organizations within the specialty of orthopaedics will be dependent on the continued demonstration of tangible returns in areas described.

  9. Child Mental Health: MedlinePlus Health Topic

    MedlinePlus

    ... Adolescent Psychiatry) Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters: What Parents Can Do (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish Partnering with Your Child's School: A Guide for Parents (HSC Foundation) - PDF Sleep ...

  10. Proactive health computing.

    PubMed

    Timpka, T

    2001-08-01

    In an analysis departing from the global health situation, the foundation for a change of paradigm in health informatics based on socially embedded information infrastructures and technologies is identified and discussed. It is shown how an increasing computing and data transmitting capacity can be employed for proactive health computing. As a foundation for ubiquitous health promotion and prevention of disease and injury, proactive health systems use data from multiple sources to supply individuals and communities evidence-based information on means to improve their state of health and avoid health risks. The systems are characterised by: (1) being profusely connected to the world around them, using perceptual interfaces, sensors and actuators; (2) responding to external stimuli at faster than human speeds; (3) networked feedback loops; and (4) humans remaining in control, while being left outside the primary computing loop. The extended scientific mission of this new partnership between computer science, electrical engineering and social medicine is suggested to be the investigation of how the dissemination of information and communication technology on democratic grounds can be made even more important for global health than sanitation and urban planning became a century ago.

  11. Center for the Advancement of Health

    MedlinePlus

    ... Cancer Care Kellogg Health Scholars Program KP Burch Leadership Program Diversity Data Place, Migration & Health Network * The Center for Advancing Health was a nonprofit organization founded in 1992, supported by individuals and foundations ...

  12. Innovative Retrofit Insulation Strategies for Concrete Masonry Foundations

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

    Huelman, P.; Goldberg, L.; Jacobson, R.

    Basements in climates 6 and 7 can account for a fraction of a home's total heat loss when fully conditioned. Such foundations are a source of moisture, with convection in open block cavities redistributing water from the wall base, usually when heating. Even when block cavities are capped, the cold foundation concrete can act as a moisture source for wood rim joist components that are in contact with it. Because below-grade basements are increasingly used for habitable space, cold foundation walls pose challenges for moisture contribution, energy use, and occupant comfort.

  13. Prenatal Foundations: Fetal Programming of Health and Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Elysia Poggi; Thompson, Ross A.

    2014-01-01

    The fetal programming and developmental origins of disease models suggest that experiences that occur before birth can have consequences for physical and mental health that persist across the lifespan. Development is more rapid during the prenatal period as compared to any other stage of life. This introductory article considers evidence that…

  14. UK national audit against the key performance indicators in the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV Medical Foundation for AIDS and Sexual Health Sexually Transmitted Infections Management Standards.

    PubMed

    McClean, H; Sullivan, A K; Carne, C A; Warwick, Z; Menon-Johansson, A; Clutterbuck, D

    2012-10-01

    A national audit of practice performance against the key performance indicators in the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) and HIV Medical Foundation for AIDS Sexual Health Standards for the Management of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) was conducted in 2011. Approximately 60% and 8% of level 3 and level 2 services, respectively, participated. Excluding partner notification performance, the five lowest areas of performance for level 3 clinics were the STI/HIV risk assessment, care pathways linking care in level 2 clinics to local level 3 services, HIV test offer to patients with concern about STIs, information governance and receipt of chlamydial test results by clinicians within seven working days (the worst area of performance). The five lowest areas of performance for level 2 clinics were participating in audit, having an audit plan for the management of STIs for 2009-2010, the STI/HIV risk assessment, HIV test offer to patients with concern about STIs and information governance. The results are discussed with regard to the importance of adoption of the standards by commissioners of services because of their relevance to other national quality assurance drivers, and the need for development of a national system of STI management quality assurance measurement and reporting.

  15. Verification of a rapid mooring and foundation design tool

    DOE PAGES

    Weller, Sam D.; Hardwick, Jon; Gomez, Steven; ...

    2018-02-15

    Marine renewable energy devices require mooring and foundation systems that suitable in terms of device operation and are also robust and cost effective. In the initial stages of mooring and foundation development a large number of possible configuration permutations exist. Filtering of unsuitable designs is possible using information specific to the deployment site (i.e. bathymetry, environmental conditions) and device (i.e. mooring and/or foundation system role and cable connection requirements). The identification of a final solution requires detailed analysis, which includes load cases based on extreme environmental statistics following certification guidance processes. Static and/or quasi-static modelling of the mooring and/or foundationmore » system serves as an intermediate design filtering stage enabling dynamic time-domain analysis to be focused on a small number of potential configurations. Mooring and foundation design is therefore reliant on logical decision making throughout this stage-gate process. The open-source DTOcean (Optimal Design Tools for Ocean Energy Arrays) Tool includes a mooring and foundation module, which automates the configuration selection process for fixed and floating wave and tidal energy devices. As far as the authors are aware, this is one of the first tools to be developed for the purpose of identifying potential solutions during the initial stages of marine renewable energy design. While the mooring and foundation module does not replace a full design assessment, it provides in addition to suitable configuration solutions, assessments in terms of reliability, economics and environmental impact. This article provides insight into the solution identification approach used by the module and features the verification of both the mooring system calculations and the foundation design using commercial software. Several case studies are investigated: a floating wave energy converter and several anchoring systems. It is demonstrated

  16. Verification of a rapid mooring and foundation design tool

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

    Weller, Sam D.; Hardwick, Jon; Gomez, Steven

    Marine renewable energy devices require mooring and foundation systems that suitable in terms of device operation and are also robust and cost effective. In the initial stages of mooring and foundation development a large number of possible configuration permutations exist. Filtering of unsuitable designs is possible using information specific to the deployment site (i.e. bathymetry, environmental conditions) and device (i.e. mooring and/or foundation system role and cable connection requirements). The identification of a final solution requires detailed analysis, which includes load cases based on extreme environmental statistics following certification guidance processes. Static and/or quasi-static modelling of the mooring and/or foundationmore » system serves as an intermediate design filtering stage enabling dynamic time-domain analysis to be focused on a small number of potential configurations. Mooring and foundation design is therefore reliant on logical decision making throughout this stage-gate process. The open-source DTOcean (Optimal Design Tools for Ocean Energy Arrays) Tool includes a mooring and foundation module, which automates the configuration selection process for fixed and floating wave and tidal energy devices. As far as the authors are aware, this is one of the first tools to be developed for the purpose of identifying potential solutions during the initial stages of marine renewable energy design. While the mooring and foundation module does not replace a full design assessment, it provides in addition to suitable configuration solutions, assessments in terms of reliability, economics and environmental impact. This article provides insight into the solution identification approach used by the module and features the verification of both the mooring system calculations and the foundation design using commercial software. Several case studies are investigated: a floating wave energy converter and several anchoring systems. It is demonstrated

  17. Severity in irritable bowel syndrome: a Rome Foundation Working Team report.

    PubMed

    Drossman, Douglas A; Chang, L; Bellamy, N; Gallo-Torres, H E; Lembo, A; Mearin, F; Norton, N J; Whorwell, P

    2011-10-01

    The concept of severity in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is clinically recognized and operative in diagnostic decision making and treatment planning. Yet, there is no consensus on its definition, and there are limited data on the prevalence of severity subgroups, its medical and psychosocial determinants, and its association with other health status measures. The aims of the Rome Foundation Working Team Committee were to summarize current research, to develop a consensus of understanding on this concept, and to make recommendations for its use in research and clinical care. In 2006, a multinational committee of clinical investigators with expertise in IBS and/or psychometric research methods undertook a systematic review of the literature relating to severity in IBS. Owing to limited data, the Foundation commissioned three clinical studies to better characterize the concept of severity in IBS, and summary information and recommendations for future research and clinical care were developed. The main findings were: (i) severity in IBS is defined as a biopsychosocial composite of patient-reported gastrointestinal and extraintestinal symptoms, degree of disability, and illness-related perceptions and behaviors; (ii) both visceral and central nervous system physiological factors affect severity; as severity increases, the central nervous system provides a greater contribution; (iii) severity is related to and influences health-related quality of life and health behaviors and also guides diagnostic and therapeutic clinical decision making; (iv) severity can be subcategorized into clinically meaningful subgroups as mild (∼40%), moderate (∼35%), and severe (∼25%), and this provides a working model for use in future research and clinical care. Future work is required to understand more precisely the factors contributing to severity and to develop a valid patient-reported instrument to measure severity in IBS.

  18. American Association of Occupational Health Nurses

    MedlinePlus

    ... Workplace Health & Safety Journal Awards & Recognition Occupational Health Nurses Week Member Discounts Monthly Newsletter Foundation About the ... 1, 2018. The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. is the primary association for the largest ...

  19. Animal health: foundation of a safe, secure, and abundant food supply.

    PubMed

    DeHaven, W Ron; Goldberg, Ruth

    2006-01-01

    During the past century, reductions in animal diseases have resulted in a safer, more uniform, and more economical food supply. In the United States, the passage of the 1906 Federal Meat Inspection Act mandated better sanitary conditions for slaughter and processing, as well as inspection of live animals and their processed products. Following World War II, Congress passed the Poultry Products Inspection Act. Both acts are regulated by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for regulations governing the health of live animals prior to slaughter. This article is a brief overview of the ways in which the current predominance of zoonotics among emerging diseases underscores the importance of veterinary health professionals and the need for continued coordination between animal-health and public-health officials. Examples of intersections between animal- and public-health concerns include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and Johne's disease, as well as extending beyond food safety to diseases such as avian influenza (AI). In the United States, we have in place an extensive public and private infrastructure to address animal-health issues, including the necessary expertise and resources to address animal-health emergencies. However, many challenges remain, including a critical shortage of food-animal veterinarians. These challenges can be met by recruiting and training a cadre of additional food-supply veterinarians, pursuing new technologies, collaborating with public-health officials to create solutions, and sending a clear and consistent message to the public about important animal-health issues.

  20. The fetal heart rate collaborative practice project: situational awareness in electronic fetal monitoring-a Kaiser Permanente Perinatal Patient Safety Program Initiative.

    PubMed

    MacEachin, S Rachel; Lopez, Connie M; Powell, Kimberly J; Corbett, Nancy L

    2009-01-01

    Electronic fetal monitoring has historically been interpreted with wide variation between and within disciplines on the obstetric healthcare team. This leads to inconsistent decision making in response to tracing interpretation. To implement a multidisciplinary electronic fetal monitoring training program, utilizing the best evidence available, enabling standardization of fetal heart rate interpretation to promote patient safety. Local multidisciplinary expertise along with an outside consultant collaborated over a series of meetings to create a multimedia instructional electronic fetal monitoring training program. After production was complete, a series of conferences attended by nurses, certified nurse midwives, and physician champions, from each hospital, attended to learn how to facilitate training at their own perinatal units. All healthcare personnel across the Kaiser Permanente perinatal program were trained in NICHD nomenclature, emergency response, interpretation guidelines, and how to create local collaborative practice agreements. Metrics for program effectiveness were measured through program evaluations from attendees, the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire. Program evaluations rendered very positive scores from both physicians and clinicians. Comparing baseline to 4 years later, the perception of safety from the staff has increased over 10% in 5 out of the 6 factors analyzed. Active participation from all disciplines in this training series has highlighted the importance of teamwork and communication. The Fetal Heart Rate Collaborative Practice Project continues to evolve utilizing other educational modalities, such as online EFM education and unit-based interdisciplinary tracing reviews.

  1. Quantifying Groundwater Quality at a Regional Scale: Establishing a Foundation for Economic and Health Assessments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Belitz, K.

    2015-12-01

    -metric exceeds 50,000 people in 10 study areas. On a statewide basis, the population metric is 2 million people (18% of 11 million equivalent-people). The proposed assessment approach is independent of scale, allows for consistent comparison across regions, and provides a foundation for subsequent economic or health assessments.

  2. The Moral Frameworks and Foundations of Contesting Orientations.

    PubMed

    Shields, David Light; Funk, Christopher D; Bredemeier, Brenda Light

    2016-04-01

    According to contesting theory (Shields & Bredemeier, 2011), people conceptualize competition either through a metaphor of partnership or war. These two alternate metaphors suggest differing sociomoral relationships among the participants. In the current study of intercollegiate athletes (n = 610), we investigated the two approaches to contesting in relation to formalist and consequentialist moral frameworks (Brady & Wheeler, 1996) and individualizing and binding moral foundations (Haidt, 2001). Correlational analysis indicated that the partnership approach correlated significantly with all four moral dimensions, while the war approach correlated with formalist and consequentialist frameworks and binding foundations (i.e., appeals to in-group loyalty, authority, and purity). Multiple regressions demonstrated that the best predictors of a partnership approach were formalist thinking and endorsement of individualizing moral foundations (i.e., appeal to fairness and welfare). Among our primary variables, the best predictors of a war orientation were consequentialist thinking and endorsement of binding foundations.

  3. Exploring Instructional Strategies and Learning Theoretical Foundations of eHealth and mHealth Education Interventions.

    PubMed

    Tamim, Suha R; Grant, Michael M

    2016-05-19

    This qualitative study aimed at exploring how health professionals use theories and models from the field of education to create ehealth and mhealth education interventions in an effort to provide insights for future research and practice on the development and implementation of health promotion initiatives. A purposeful sample of 12 participants was selected, using criterion and snowballing sampling strategies. Data were collected and analyzed from semistructured interviews, planning materials, and artifacts. The findings revealed that none of the participants used a specific learning theory or an instructional model in their interventions. However, based on participants' description, three themes emerged: (1) connections to behaviorist approaches to learning, (2) connections to cognitivist approaches to learning, and (3) connections to constructivist approaches to learning. Suggested implications for practice are (1) the design of a guidebook on the interplay of learning theories, instructional models, and health education and (2) the establishment of communities of practice. Further research can (1) investigate how learning theories and models intertwine with health behavior theories and models, (2) evaluate how the different instructional strategies presented in this study affect learning outcomes and health behavior change processes, and (3) investigate factors behind the instructional strategies choices made by health professionals. © 2016 Society for Public Health Education.

  4. Research on the Properties of the Waste Glass Concrete Composite Foundation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jia, Shilong; Chen, Kaihui; Chen, Zhongliang

    2018-02-01

    The composite foundation of glass concrete can not only reuse the large number of waste glass, but also improve the bearing capacity of weak foundation and soil with special properties. In this paper, the engineering properties of glass concrete composite foundation are studied based on the development situation of glass concrete and the technology of composite foundation.

  5. Expanding the foundation for personalized medicine: implications and challenges for dentistry.

    PubMed

    Garcia, I; Kuska, R; Somerman, M J

    2013-07-01

    Personalized medicine aims to individualize care based on a person's unique genetic, environmental, and clinical profile. Dentists and physicians have long recognized variations between and among patients, and have customized care based on each individual's health history, environment, and behavior. However, the sequencing of the human genome in 2003 and breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, imaging, and computer science redefined "personalized medicine" as clinical care that takes advantage of new molecular tools to facilitate highly precise health care based on an individual's unique genomic and molecular characteristics. Major investments in science bring a new urgency toward realizing the promise of personalized medicine; yet, many challenges stand in the way. In this article, we present an overview of the opportunities and challenges that influence the oral health community's full participation in personalized medicine. We highlight selected research advances that are solidifying the foundation of personalized oral health care, elaborate on their impact on dentistry, and explore obstacles toward their adoption into practice. It is our view that now is the time for oral health professionals, educators, students, researchers, and patients to engage fully in preparations for the arrival of personalized medicine as a means to provide quality, customized, and effective oral health care for all.

  6. Multiphasic Health Testing in the Clinic Setting

    PubMed Central

    LaDou, Joseph

    1971-01-01

    The economy of automated multiphasic health testing (amht) activities patterned after the high-volume Kaiser program can be realized in low-volume settings. amht units have been operated at daily volumes of 20 patients in three separate clinical environments. These programs have displayed economics entirely compatible with cost figures published by the established high-volume centers. This experience, plus the expanding capability of small, general purpose, digital computers (minicomputers) indicates that a group of six or more physicians generating 20 laboratory appraisals per day can economically justify a completely automated multiphasic health testing facility. This system would reside in the clinic or hospital where it is used and can be configured to do analyses such as electrocardiography and generate laboratory reports, and communicate with large computer systems in university medical centers. Experience indicates that the most effective means of implementing these benefits of automation is to make them directly available to the medical community with the physician playing the central role. Economic justification of a dedicated computer through low-volume health testing then allows, as a side benefit, automation of administrative as well as other diagnostic activities—for example, patient billing, computer-aided diagnosis, and computer-aided therapeutics. PMID:4935771

  7. European Lung Foundation: from local to global.

    PubMed

    Powell, Pippa; Williams, Sîan; Smyth, Dan

    2016-09-01

    Although there are many patient organisations in Europe, this is not the case in all countries across the globe.Access to care is one of the main global issues highlighted by the European Lung Foundation International Patient Advisory Committee.The European Respiratory Society/European Lung Foundation Healthy Lungs for Life campaign can be used locally or globally to raise awareness of the risk factors for lung disease.Implementation science is a method that can be used to assess the feasibility of using research findings in routine healthcare in clinical settings in different parts of the world. To show how patient- and public-focussed initiatives and activities can be adapted and modified to be effective in local, national and international settings, and to provide specific examples of these from the European Lung Foundation.

  8. The UK Academic Foundation Programmes: are the objectives being met?

    PubMed

    Ologunde, R; Sismey, G; Kelley, T

    2018-03-01

    Background Since the Academic Foundation Programme was established in the UK in 2005 a number of trainees have participated in this programme; however, there are few published national data on the experiences of these academic trainees. We aimed to assess the perceived value and challenges of training on the AFP. Methods In March 2017, an anonymous electronic questionnaire was distributed to all Academic Foundation Programme trainees in the UK, via their local foundation school administrators. Fifty-six respondents completed the survey from 9 out of the 15 Academic Units of Application. Of these, 82% were undertaking a research based Academic Foundation Programme; however, 41% reported not having access to any training on research methods and governance. Sixty-six percent reported they were aware of the aims and expected outcomes of the Academic Foundation Programme, but the self-reported achievement of academic compendium outcomes was relatively low. Sixty-three percent rated the quality of their experience on the Academic Foundation Programme as excellent or good and 75% reported that they intended to continue in academia. Most trainees (64%) reported that the completion of a postgraduate qualification as part of their Academic Foundation Programme would improve the programme. Conclusion The Academic Foundation Programme plays a valuable role in trainees' development and preparing them for a career in academia. However, the objectives of the programme are currently not being uniformly achieved. Furthermore, trainees feel there remains room for improvement in the design of the programme.

  9. The raft foundation reinforcement construction technology of Hongyun Building B tower

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yu; Yin, Suhua; Wu, Yanli; Zhao, Ying

    2017-08-01

    The foundation of Hongyun building B tower is made of raft board foundation which is 3300mm in the thickness include four kinds of reinforcement Φ32, Φ28, Φ12 and 12 steel grade two, in respective. It is researched that the raft foundation mass concrete construction technology is expatiated from temperature and cracks of the raft foundation and the temperature control and monitoring of the concrete base slab construction and concrete curing. According to the characteristics with large volume and thickness of the engineering of raft foundation, the construction of the reinforced force was calculated and the quality control measures were used to the reinforcement binding and connection, so it is success that Hongyun Building B tower raft foundation reinforced construction.

  10. Foundations as Promoters of Life Science Start-ups.

    PubMed

    Vonmont, Pascale

    2014-12-01

    Because private foundations have only modest financial resources compared to public and private-sector research funding, the only way in which foundations can play a key role is in the initial and risk financing of gap areas. This is generally in what is known as the 'valley of death', but even there an additional focus is needed. One promising field is the very early-stage support for high-risk but high-potential business cases in order to increase the number of start-ups, not only but very often in the field of life sciences. The pre-seed fund venture kick, an initiative by private foundations, is a good example of success. There is still a gap in the innovation chain in Switzerland from the first research results to becoming a successful life science company. However, for the first time promising solutions are on the way, and here too, foundations can play an important role.

  11. Building the Foundation for a Health Education Program for Rural Older Adults

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jung, Seung Eun; Parker, Stephany; Hermann, Janice; Phelps, Joshua; Shin, Yeon Ho

    2018-01-01

    We explored rural older adults perceptions of health to inform health promotion program development, using social marketing as our framework. Participants in seven focus groups viewed independence and holistic health as indicators of health and identified healthful eating and physical activity as actions to promote health. Barriers to these…

  12. Activating analytic thinking enhances the value given to individualizing moral foundations.

    PubMed

    Yilmaz, Onurcan; Saribay, S Adil

    2017-08-01

    Two central debates within Moral Foundations Theory concern (1) which moral foundations are core and (2) how conflict between ideological camps stemming from valuing different moral foundations can be resolved. Previous studies have attempted to answer the first question by imposing cognitive load on participants to direct them toward intuitive and automatic thought. However, this method has limitations and has produced mixed findings. In the present research, in two experiments, instead of directing participants toward intuitive thought, we tested the effects of activating high-effort, analytic thought on participants' moral foundations. In both experiments, analytic thought activation caused participants to value individualizing foundations greater than the control condition. This effect was not qualified by participants' political orientation. No effect was observed on binding foundations. The results are consistent with the idea that upholding individualizing foundations requires mental effort and may provide the basis for reconciliation between different ideological camps. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Adolescents: Health Risks and Solutions

    MedlinePlus

    ... and managed by competent and caring health workers. Violence Violence is a leading cause of death in ... foundations for good health in adulthood. Reducing the marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty ...

  14. Editorial perspective: Laying the foundations for next generation models of ADHD neuropsychology.

    PubMed

    Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J S; Coghill, David

    2014-11-01

    The JCPP has just published a virtual issue focusing specifically on the journal's contribution to progress in the field of ADHD neuropsychology over last 30 years and its role in establishing the foundations of next generation ADHD neuropsychology models. The virtual issue is structured around six themes. Here we provide a précis of the issue summarizing these themes and illustrating each with a reference to an influential paper published over the last 5 years. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

  15. Chapter 3: Crossing Boundaries--Foundation Degrees in England

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Longhurst, Derek

    2010-01-01

    This chapter traces the history, purposes, and distinctive features of the foundation degree, a short-cycle higher education qualification introduced in England in 2000-2001 and offered by both universities and further education colleges. The key characteristics of the foundation degree are discussed: employer involvement in curriculum development…

  16. Policy and Procedures, University of Rhode Island Foundation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leslie, James W.

    A guide to policies and procedures of the University of Rhode Island Foundation is presented. Attention is directed to the following concerns: fund-raising policies, the act incorporating the University of Rhode Island Foundation, by-laws, dual signature system, nominating committee responsibilities and procedures, policy and guidelines for the…

  17. Increasing the Value of Evaluation to Philanthropic Foundations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greenwald, Howard P.

    2013-01-01

    This article synthesizes interview data from evaluation directors and top executives of philanthropic foundations on how evaluation might better advance their missions. In key informant interviews, respondents commented on the purposes of evaluation from the foundation's perspective, challenges to effective evaluation, and the means by which…

  18. Correlates of patient-reported racial/ethnic health care discrimination in the Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE).

    PubMed

    Lyles, Courtney R; Karter, Andrew J; Young, Bessie A; Spigner, Clarence; Grembowski, David; Schillinger, Dean; Adler, Nancy E

    2011-02-01

    We examined possible determinants of self-reported health care discrimination. We examined survey data from the Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE), a race-stratified sample of Kaiser diabetes patients. Respondents reported perceived discrimination, and regression models examined socioeconomic, acculturative, and psychosocial correlates. Subjects (n=17,795) included 20% Blacks, 23% Latinos, 13% East Asians, 11% Filipinos, and 27% Whites. Three percent and 20% reported health care and general discrimination. Health care discrimination was more frequently reported by minorities (ORs ranging from 2.0 to 2.9 compared with Whites) and those with poorer health literacy (OR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.04-1.16), limited English proficiency (OR=1.91, 95% CI: 1.32-2.78), and depression (OR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.10-2.13). In addition to race/ethnicity, health literacy and English proficiency may be bases of discrimination. Evaluation is needed to determine whether patients are treated differently or more apt to perceive discrimination, and whether depression fosters and/or follows perceived discrimination.

  19. Boot Camp for Education CEOs: The Broad Foundation Superintendents Academy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jehlen, Alain

    2012-01-01

    The Broad Foundation Superintendents Academy is the most prominent and most controversial training institute for school chiefs. The Academy is the flagship program of the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, the smallest of a triumvirate of corporate foundations that are at the heart of the billionaire campaign to remake public education in the image…

  20. [The Rockefeller Foundation, the Carlsberg Foundation and Danish medical biology in the interwar years. Effects on research and education throughout the 20th century].

    PubMed

    Rasmussen, L

    1999-01-01

    Three large scientific institutes were built in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 1928 and 1938 supported by the Rockefeller Foundation in New York. The three institutes were: the Rockefeller Institute of Copenhagen, Juliane Mariesvej, the Biological Institute of the Carlsberg Foundation, and the Institute of Human Genetics, both on Tagensvej (The Carlsberg Foundation in Copenhagen participated in the financing of the two first ones.) In the same period the Rockefeller Foundation supported the construction of a cyclotron at Niels Bohr's Institute of Theoretical Physics. These institutes in Copenhagen sent many co-workers both to the Rockefeller University in New York and to other places in the world for further education supported by stipends from the Rockefeller Foundation. The scientific nucleus around which these activities crystallized included: the physiologist (and Nobel Prize winner) Aug. Krogh, the physicist (and Nobel Prize winner) Niels Bohr, the chemist S.P.L. Sorensen, the geneticist W. Johannsen, the plant physiologist Peter Boysen Jensen, and the cell culturist Albert Fischer. The international co-operation between the two foundations began early in the 20th century and it can be traced in Danish medical/biological science through the rest of that century.

  1. Association of sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health factors with sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in women: findings from the 2007 National Sleep Foundation "Sleep in America Poll".

    PubMed

    Baker, Fiona C; Wolfson, Amy R; Lee, Kathryn A

    2009-06-01

    To investigate factors associated with poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in women living in the United States. Data are presented from the National Sleep Foundation's 2007 Sleep in America Poll that included 959 women (18-64 years of age) surveyed by telephone about their sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and sociodemographic, health, and lifestyle factors. Poor sleep quality was reported by 27% and daytime sleepiness was reported by 21% of respondents. Logistic multivariate regression analyses revealed that poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness were both independently associated with poor health, having a sleep disorder, and psychological distress. Also, multivariate analyses showed that women who consumed more caffeinated beverages and those who had more than one job were more likely to report poor sleep quality but not daytime sleepiness. Daytime sleepiness, on the other hand, was independently associated with being black/African American, younger, disabled, having less education, and daytime napping. Poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness are common in American women and are associated with health-related, as well as sociodemographic, factors. Addressing sleep-related complaints in women is important to improve their daytime functioning and quality of life.

  2. Indonesian Islamic institutions between the foundation and endowment laws: a critical legal analysis.

    PubMed

    Siregar, Ibrahim

    2016-01-01

    This research-based paper examined the Indonesian foundation and endowment laws in relation to educational and religious institutions which are managed under foundation legal structure. The institutions examined were: 1) The Pondok Pesantren al-Ansor Foundation in Padangsidimpuan City; 2) The Pesantren Dar al-Ma'arif Education Foundation in South Labuhanbatu Regency; and 3) ​The Masjid Agung Foundation in Medan City. Using legal sociology and critical legal analysis, data were collected through field research, document study, and in-depth interviews. The documents studied were laws, books, papers, and other related writings relevant to this research. Interviews were conducted with informants obtained from snowball sampling and key person methods. It was found that in terms of foundation wealth, these institutions can be categorized into three: (1) foundation with founder's wealth; (2) foundation with endowment wealth; and (3) foundation with both founder's and endowment wealth. Even though both foundation and endowment legal structures have the same aim of societal welfare, it was found that when they are merged into one legal structure, the foundation becomes more dominant, and there is a risk that the endowment asset's status become unclear. The asset may be sold or its status may be changed from endowment wealth to foundation wealth. This unclear status may also be caused by conflict of interests among the foundation members and people involved in the foundations. Even when the foundation status is clear, most if not all foundation members violate the rules stipulated by the Foundation Law. The lack of status clarity has caused these institutions to become objects of conflict. There is a need to position the status of these institutions accurately and it is recommended that the endowment legal structure is used for institutions with endowment wealth.

  3. Everyday life and health concepts among blue-collar female workers in Denmark: implications for health promotion aiming at reducing health inequalities.

    PubMed

    Jensen, Jeanette Magne

    2013-06-01

    This article introduces a perspective on the health of women with low levels of education in terms of organisation of their everyday life. The aim is to demonstrate the ways in which the women's concept of health is contingent on the conditions encountered in everyday life. A qualitative study based on interviews with the women forms the basis for the discussion. The analysis shows that the women find it difficult to adopt the official discourse on health and its foundation in a biomedical tradition. The article argues that it is necessary to move away from the educational approach focusing on risk and lifestyle with the goal of regulating individual behaviour. Instead, an approach is suggested which can provide the women with the opportunity to gain control of the everyday health determinants which are normally beyond their immediate reach. This is based on the argument that it is necessary to work with a health promotion and education strategy capable of operating within the various interactive patterns between 'environment' and 'individual' which form the foundation for health.

  4. "Presumed fair: Ironic effects of organizational diversity structures": Correction to Kaiser et al. (2013).

    PubMed

    2016-06-01

    Reports an error in "Presumed fair: Ironic effects of organizational diversity structures" by Cheryl R. Kaiser, Brenda Major, Ines Jurcevic, Tessa L. Dover, Laura M. Brady and Jenessa R. Shapiro (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2013[Mar], Vol 104[3], 504-519). In the article, a raw data merging error in one racial discrimination claim condition from Experiment 6 inadvertently resulted in data analyses on an inaccurate data set. When the error was discovered by the authors and corrected, all analyses reported in Experiment 6 for claim validity, seriousness of the claim, and support for the claimant were inaccurate and none were statistically significant. The conclusions should be altered to indicate that participants with management experience who reflected on their own workplace diversity policies did not show the predicted effects. The literature review, remaining five studies, and remaining conclusions in the article are unaffected by this error. Experiment 6 should also report that 26.4% (not 26.4.7%) of participants had a graduate degree and eight participants (not 8%) did not provide educational data. Experiment 5 should have referred to the claim validity measure as a six-item measure ( .92) rather than a five-item measure; analyses on claim validity are accurate in text. Table 2's note should have said standard errors, not standard deviations. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2012-31077-001.) This research tests the hypothesis that the presence (vs. absence) of organizational diversity structures causes high-status group members (Whites, men) to perceive organizations with diversity structures as procedurally fairer environments for underrepresented groups (racial minorities, women), even when it is clear that underrepresented groups have been unfairly disadvantaged within these organizations. Furthermore, this illusory sense of fairness derived from the mere presence of diversity structures causes high

  5. Report Carding: A Model for Foundation Portfolio Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmitz, Connie C.; Schillo, Barbara A.

    2005-01-01

    This article reviews changes in the accountability landscape that have occurred for foundations in recent years and several precedents for foundation performance assessment. The authors then present a model of portfolio assessment that is used for organizational accountability and learning. This model, which was piloted in 2002 and 2003 for the…

  6. Excavationless Exterior Foundation Insulation Field Study

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

    Schirber, T.; Mosiman, G.; Ojczyk, C.

    Building science research supports installing exterior (soil side) foundation insulation as the optimal method to enhance the hygrothermal performance of new homes. With exterior foundation insulation, water management strategies are maximized while insulating the basement space and ensuring a more even temperature at the foundation wall. However, such an approach can be very costly and disruptive when applied to an existing home, requiring deep excavation around the entire house. The NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership team implemented an innovative, minimally invasive foundation insulation upgrade technique on an existing home. The approach consisted of using hydrovac excavation technology combined with a liquidmore » insulating foam. The team was able to excavate a continuous 4" wide by 4' to 5' deep trench around the entire house, 128 linear feet, except for one small part under the stoop that was obstructed with concrete debris. The combination pressure washer and vacuum extraction technology also enabled the elimination of large trenches and soil stockpiles normally produced by backhoe excavation. The resulting trench was filled with liquid insulating foam, which also served as a water-control layer of the assembly. The insulation was brought above grade using a liquid foam/rigid foam hybrid system and terminated at the top of the rim joist. Cost savings over the traditional excavation process ranged from 23% to 50%. The excavationless process could result in even greater savings since replacement of building structures, exterior features, utility meters, and landscaping would be minimal or non-existent in an excavationless process.« less

  7. Excavationless Exterior Foundation Insulation Field Study

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

    Schirber, T.; Mosiman, G.; Ojczyk, C.

    Building science research supports installing exterior (soil side) foundation insulation as the optimal method to enhance the hygrothermal performance of new homes. With exterior foundation insulation, water management strategies are maximized while insulating the basement space and ensuring a more even temperature at the foundation wall. However, such an approach can be very costly and disruptive when applied to an existing home, requiring deep excavation around the entire house. The NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership team implemented an innovative, minimally invasive foundation insulation upgrade technique on an existing home. The approach consisted of using hydrovac excavation technology combined with liquid insulatingmore » foam. The team was able to excavate a continuous 4 inches wide by 4 feet to 5 feet deep trench around the entire house, 128 linear feet, except for one small part under the stoop that was obstructed with concrete debris. The combination pressure washer and vacuum extraction technology also enabled the elimination of large trenches and soil stockpiles normally produced by backhoe excavation. The resulting trench was filled with liquid insulating foam, which also served as a water-control layer of the assembly. The insulation was brought above grade using a liquid foam/rigid foam hybrid system and terminated at the top of the rim joist. Cost savings over the traditional excavation process ranged from 23% to 50%. The excavationless process could result in even greater savings since replacement of building structures, exterior features, utility meters, and landscaping would be minimal or non-existent in an excavationless process.« less

  8. Integrated health systems.

    PubMed

    Shortell, Stephen M; McCurdy, Rodney K

    2010-01-01

    Before meaningful gains in improving the value of health care in the US can be achieved, the fragmented nature in which health care is financed and delivered must be addressed. One type of healthcare organization, the Integrated Delivery System (IDS), is poised to play a pivotal role in reform efforts. What are these systems? What is the current evidence regarding their performance? What are the current barriers to their establishment and how can these barriers be removed? This chapter addresses these important questions. Although there are many types of IDS' in the US healthcare landscape, the chapter begins by identifying the necessary healthcare components that encompass an IDS and discusses the levels of integration that are important to improving health care quality and value. Next, it explores the recent evidence regarding IDS performance which, while generally positive, is less than what it could be if there were greater focus on clinical integration. To highlight, the chapter discusses the efficacy of system engineering initiatives in two examples of large, fully integrated systems: Kaiser-Permanente and the Veterans Health Administration. The evidence here is strong that the impact of system engineering methods is enhanced through the integration of processes, goals and outcomes. Reforms necessary to encourage the development of IDS' include: 1) the development of payment mechanisms designed to increase greater inter-dependency of hospitals and physicians; 2) the modification or removal of several regulatory barriers to greater clinical integration; and 3) the establishment of a more robust data collection and reporting system to increase transparency and accountability. The chapter concludes with a framework for considering these reforms across strategic, structural, cultural, and technical dimensions.

  9. Training Physicians for Public Health Careers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hernandez, Lyla M., Ed.; Munthali, A. Wezi, Ed.

    2007-01-01

    Public health efforts have resulted in tremendous improvements in the health of individuals and communities. The foundation for effective public health interventions rests, in large part, on a well-trained workforce. Unfortunately there is a major shortage of public health physicians who are prepared to face today's public health challenges.…

  10. Health Literacy and Awareness of Atrial Fibrillation.

    PubMed

    Reading, Stephanie R; Go, Alan S; Fang, Margaret C; Singer, Daniel E; Liu, In-Lu Amy; Black, Mary Helen; Udaltsova, Natalia; Reynolds, Kristi

    2017-04-11

    Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinically significant arrhythmia in adults and a major risk factor for ischemic stroke. Nonetheless, previous research suggests that many individuals diagnosed with AF lack awareness about their diagnosis and inadequate health literacy may be an important contributing factor to this finding. We examined the association between health literacy and awareness of an AF diagnosis in a large, ethnically diverse cohort of Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California adults diagnosed with AF between January 1, 2006 and June 30, 2009. Using self-reported questionnaire data completed between May 1, 2010 and September 30, 2010, awareness of an AF diagnosis was evaluated using the question "Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have a heart rhythm problem called atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter?" and health literacy was assessed using a validated 3-item instrument examining problems because of reading, understanding, and filling out medical forms. Of the 12 517 patients diagnosed with AF, 14.5% were not aware of their AF diagnosis and 20.4% had inadequate health literacy. Patients with inadequate health literacy were less likely to be aware of their AF diagnosis compared with patients with adequate health literacy (prevalence ratio=0.96; 95% CI [0.94, 0.98]), adjusting for sociodemographics, health behaviors, and clinical characteristics. Lower health literacy is independently associated with less awareness of AF diagnosis. Strategies designed to increase patient awareness of AF and its complications are warranted among individuals with limited health literacy. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

  11. Reactivity I: A Foundation-Level Course for Both Majors and Nonmajors in Integrated Organic, Inorganic, and Biochemistry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schaller, Chris P.; Graham, Kate J.; Johnson, Brian J.; Jones, T. Nicholas; McIntee, Edward J.

    2015-01-01

    A foundation level course is presented that integrates aspects of organic, inorganic and biochemistry in the context of reactivity. The course was designed to serve majors in chemistry and other sciences (biochemistry, biology, nutrition), as well as nursing and pre-health professions students. Themes of the course were designed to highlight a…

  12. Save Babies through Screening Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... birth. The Foundation pursues its mission through the education of parents, pediatric healthcare workers, lawmakers, and institutional policymakers. Our educational programs emphasize the importance of newborn screening through comprehensive testing to identify ...

  13. Analysis of flexible layered shallow shells on elastic foundation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stupishin, L.; Kolesnikov, A.; Tolmacheva, T.

    2017-05-01

    This paper contains numerical analysis of a layered geometric nonlinear flexible shallow shell based on an elastic foundation. Rise of arch in the center of the shell, width, length and type of support are given. The design variable is taken to be the thickness of the shallow shell, the form of the middle surface forming and the characteristic of elastic foundations. Critical force coefficient and stress of shells are calculated by Bubnov-Galerkin. Stress, characteristic of elastic foundations - thickness dependence are presented.

  14. CENTRIFUGAL VIBRATION TEST OF RC PILE FOUNDATION

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Higuchi, Shunichi; Tsutsumiuchi, Takahiro; Otsuka, Rinna; Ito, Koji; Ejiri, Joji

    It is necessary that nonlinear responses of structures are clarified by soil-structure interaction analysis for the purpose of evaluating the seismic performances of underground structure or foundation structure. In this research, centrifuge shake table tests of reinforced concrete pile foundation installed in the liquefied ground were conducted. Then, finite element analyses for the tests were conducted to confirm an applicability of the analytical method by comparing the experimental results and analytical results.

  15. Foundation for Child Development Annual Report, 2001-2002.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foundation for Child Development, New York, NY.

    This annual report details the activities of the Foundation for Child Development (FCD) for 2001-2002. Beginning the report is a brief description of the Foundations mission, its funding priorities, and application procedures. The report then presents the joint statement of the chair, Karen Gerard, and the president, Ruby Takanishi, focusing on…

  16. A Good Samaritan inspired foundation for a fair health care system.

    PubMed

    Frangenberg, Elmar H

    2011-02-01

    Distributive justice on the income and on the service aspects is the most vexing modern day problem for the creation and maintenance of an all inclusive health care system. A pervasive problem of all current schemes is the lack of effective cost control, which continues to result in increasing burdens for all public and private stakeholders. This proposal posits that the responsibility and financial obligation to achieve an ideal outcome of equal and affordable access and benefits for all citizens is misplaced. The Good Samaritan demonstrated basic ethical principles, which are revisited, elaborated and integrated into a new approach to health care. The participants are limited to individual contributors and beneficiaries and organized as a citizen carried, closed, independent, and self-sufficient self-governing cooperative for their own and the benefit of a minority of disadvantaged health care consumers. The government assumes oversight, provides arbitration, enforces democratic decision making, a scheme of progressive taxation, a separate and transparent accounting system, and a balance between income and reinvestment in health care. The results are a fair distribution of cost, its effective control, and increased individual motivation to take on responsibility for personal health as a private good and a sharpened focus towards community health. At the sociopolitical level the government as well as employers are released from the inappropriate burden of catering to individual health.

  17. Foundation for the Future.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Directorate for Education and Human Resources.

    This document describes some of the many programs sponsored by the National Science Foundation in its efforts to continue to promote systemic science and mathematics education reform. Brief descriptions of the following programs are included: (1) Interactive Math Program Restructures 9-12 Math Education; (2) Algebra I Project Sparks Citywide…

  18. Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) Foundation is a family support organization that exists to ensure early and accurate diagnosis of CdLS, promote research into the causes and manifestations of the syndrome, ...

  19. Environmental Science and Research Foundation annual technical report: Calendar year 1996

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

    Morris, R.C.; Blew, R.D.

    1997-07-01

    This Annual Technical Report describes work conducted for the Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID), by the Environmental Science and Research Foundation (Foundation). The Foundation`s mission to DOE-ID provides support in several key areas. The authors conduct an environmental monitoring and surveillance program over an area covering much of the upper Snake River Plain, and provide environmental education and support services related to Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) natural resource issues. Also, the Foundation, with its University Affiliates, conducts ecological and radioecological research in the Idaho National Environmental Research Park. This research benefits major DOE-ID programs includingmore » Waste Management, Environmental Restoration, Spent Nuclear Fuels, and Land Management Issues. The major accomplishments of the Foundation and its University Affiliates during the calendar year 1996 are discussed.« less

  20. Process Evaluation of an Integrated Health Promotion/Occupational Health Model in WellWorks-2

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunt, Mary Kay; Lederman, Ruth; Stoddard, Anne M.; LaMontagne, Anthony D.; McLellan, Deborah; Combe, Candace; Barbeau, Elizabeth; Sorensen, Glorian

    2005-01-01

    Disparities in chronic disease risk by occupation call for new approaches to health promotion. WellWorks-2 was a randomized, controlled study comparing the effectiveness of a health promotion/occupational health program (HP/OHS) with a standard intervention (HP). Interventions in both studies were based on the same theoretical foundations. Results…

  1. Utilization of Health Services Among Adults With Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection: A 12-Year Population-Based Study

    PubMed Central

    Kuntz, Jennifer L.; Baker, Jennifer M.; Kipnis, Patricia; Li, Sherian Xu; Liu, Vincent; Xie, Yang; Marcella, Stephen; Escobar, Gabriel J.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND Considerable efforts have been dedicated to developing strategies to prevent and treat recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (rCDI); however, evidence of the impact of rCDI on patient healthcare utilization and outcomes is limited. OBJECTIVE To compare healthcare utilization and 1-year mortality among adults who had rCDI, nonrecurrent CDI, or no CDI. METHODS We performed a nested case-control study among adult Kaiser Foundation Health Plan members from September 1, 2001, through December 31, 2013. We identified CDI through the presence of a positive laboratory test result and divided patients into 3 groups: patients with rCDI, defined as CDI in the 14–57 days after initial CDI; patients with nonrecurrent CDI; and patients who never had CDI. We conducted 3 matched comparisons: (1) rCDI vs no CDI; (2) rCDI vs nonrecurrent CDI; (3) nonrecurrent CDI vs no CDI. We followed patients for 1 year and compared healthcare utilization between groups, after matching patients on age, sex, and comorbidity. RESULTS We found that patients with rCDI consistently have substantially higher levels of healthcare utilization in various settings and greater 1-year mortality risk than both patients who had nonrecurrent CDI and patients who never had CDI. CONCLUSIONS Patients who develop an initial CDI are generally characterized by excess underlying, severe illness and utilization. However, patients with rCDI experience even greater adverse consequences of their disease than patients who do not experience rCDI. Our results further support the need for continued emphasis on identifying and using novel approaches to prevent and treat rCDI. PMID:27760583

  2. Utilization of Health Services Among Adults With Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection: A 12-Year Population-Based Study.

    PubMed

    Kuntz, Jennifer L; Baker, Jennifer M; Kipnis, Patricia; Li, Sherian Xu; Liu, Vincent; Xie, Yang; Marcella, Stephen; Escobar, Gabriel J

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND Considerable efforts have been dedicated to developing strategies to prevent and treat recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (rCDI); however, evidence of the impact of rCDI on patient healthcare utilization and outcomes is limited. OBJECTIVE To compare healthcare utilization and 1-year mortality among adults who had rCDI, nonrecurrent CDI, or no CDI. METHODS We performed a nested case-control study among adult Kaiser Foundation Health Plan members from September 1, 2001, through December 31, 2013. We identified CDI through the presence of a positive laboratory test result and divided patients into 3 groups: patients with rCDI, defined as CDI in the 14-57 days after initial CDI; patients with nonrecurrent CDI; and patients who never had CDI. We conducted 3 matched comparisons: (1) rCDI vs no CDI; (2) rCDI vs nonrecurrent CDI; (3) nonrecurrent CDI vs no CDI. We followed patients for 1 year and compared healthcare utilization between groups, after matching patients on age, sex, and comorbidity. RESULTS We found that patients with rCDI consistently have substantially higher levels of healthcare utilization in various settings and greater 1-year mortality risk than both patients who had nonrecurrent CDI and patients who never had CDI. CONCLUSIONS Patients who develop an initial CDI are generally characterized by excess underlying, severe illness and utilization. However, patients with rCDI experience even greater adverse consequences of their disease than patients who do not experience rCDI. Our results further support the need for continued emphasis on identifying and using novel approaches to prevent and treat rCDI. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2016;1-8.

  3. Development of a socketed foundation for cable barrier posts : phase I.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-02-01

    Four socketed foundation designs were evaluated for use as a new reusable base for high-tension, cable barrier : systems. Each foundation was a reinforced concrete cylindrical shape. The top of the foundation had an open steel tube to : accept the po...

  4. Foundation Degree Students and Their Educational Decision-Making

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greenbank, Paul

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the decision-making process of students who decided to study for a foundation degree. Design/methodology/approach: The research involved interviewing 30 students who were on, or had recently completed, a business-related foundation degree. Findings: This study found that students were not adopting a…

  5. Foundation for Child Development Annual Report, 1998/1999.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foundation for Child Development, New York, NY.

    This annual report details the activities of the Foundation for Child Development (FCD) for 1998-99. Beginning the report is a discussion of the history and mission of the foundation, its funding priorities, and application procedures. The report lists the members of the Council, Board of Directors, Officers, and staff. The joint statement of the…

  6. Health Literacy and Outcomes among Patients with Heart Failure

    PubMed Central

    Peterson, Pamela N; Shetterly, Susan M; Clarke, Christina L; Bekelman, David B; Chan, Paul S; Allen, Larry A; Matlock, Daniel D; Magid, David J; Masoudi, Frederick A

    2015-01-01

    Context Little is known about the impact of low health literacy among patients with heart failure (HF), a condition that requires self-management and frequent interactions with the healthcare system. Objective Evaluate the association between low health literacy and all-cause rehospitalization and mortality among outpatients with HF. Design and Setting Retrospective cohort study performed at Kaiser Permanente Colorado, an integrated managed care organization. Patients with HF were identified between Jan, 2001 and May, 2008 and followed for a mean of 1.2 years. Patients were surveyed. Health literacy was assessed using three established screening questions and categorized as adequate or low. Patients Outpatients with HF. Main Outcomes All-cause mortality and hospitalization. Results The survey response rate was 72%. Of 1494 patients, 262 (17.5%) had low health literacy. Patients with low health literacy were older, of lower socioeconomic status, less likely to have at least a high school education and had higher rates of coexisting illnesses. In multivariable Cox regression, low health literacy was independently associated with higher mortality (unadjusted 17.6% vs. 6.3%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.61; 95% CI 1.06–2.43; p=0.026), but not hospitalization (30.5% vs. 23.2%; HR:1.04; 95% CI 0.79–1.37; p=0.760). Conclusions Among patients with HF in an integrated managed care organization, low health literacy was significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality. PMID:21521851

  7. Readability Trends of Online Information by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.

    PubMed

    Wong, Kevin; Levi, Jessica R

    2017-01-01

    Objective Previous studies have shown that patient education materials published by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation may be too difficult for the average reader to understand. The purpose of this study was to determine if current educational materials show improvements in readability. Study Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting The Patient Health Information section of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation website. Subjects and Methods All patient education articles were extracted in plain text. Webpage navigation, references, author information, appointment information, acknowledgments, and disclaimers were removed. Follow-up editing was also performed to remove paragraph breaks, colons, semicolons, numbers, percentages, and bullets. Readability grade was calculated with the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease, Gunning-Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Automated Readability Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook. Intra- and interobserver reliability were assessed. Results A total of 126 articles from 7 topics were analyzed. Readability levels across all 6 tools showed that the difficulty of patient education materials exceeded the abilities of an average American. As compared with previous studies, current educational materials by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation have shown a decrease in difficulty. Intra- and interobserver reliability were both excellent, with intraclass coefficients of 0.99 and 0.96, respectively. Conclusion Improvements in readability is an encouraging finding and one that is consistent with recent trends toward improved health literacy. Nevertheless, online patient educational material is still too difficult for the average reader. Revisions may be necessary for current materials to benefit a larger readership.

  8. A Foundation of Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parrilla, Natasha; Trygstad, Kelly

    2017-01-01

    AppleTree Institute for Education Innovation, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., is working to close the achievement gap before children enter kindergarten by providing 3- and 4-year-olds with the social, emotional, and academic foundations that enable them to thrive in school--and increasing educator effectiveness is a critical…

  9. Foundation Design against Frost Action in Europe.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-03-01

    the inside of the foundation wall and consisted of 50mm of ’Rockwool’ (a mineral wool ). This insulation guides heat from the house down toward the...Separation of the floor slab from the inner part of the foundation wall by introducing mineral wool (Fig. 49c) gives a further slight reduction in...construction consisting, for example, of wood and mineral wool and including air spaces. Rt is the thermal resistance of the composite floor from surface to

  10. National Niemann-Pick Disease Foundation

    MedlinePlus

    ... Disease Registry News & Media NNPDF Newsletters Foundation NewsLine Print Resources Video Resources NNPDF Webinars Vision of Hope ... nor does it host or receive funding from advertising or from the display of commercial content. This ...

  11. Use of reinforced soil foundation (RSF) to support shallow foundation : technical summary report, November 2008.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-11-01

    The presence of a weak soil supporting structural foundations results in low load bearing capacity and : excessive settlements, which can cause structural damage, reduction in durability, and/or deterioration in : performance level. Conventional trea...

  12. High Performance Slab-on-Grade Foundation Insulation Retrofits

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

    Goldberg, Louise F.; Mosiman, Garrett E.

    ?A more accurate assessment of SOG foundation insulation energy savings than traditionally possible is now feasible. This has been enabled by advances in whole building energy simulation with 3-dimensional foundation modelling integration at each time step together with an experimental measurement of the site energy savings of SOG foundation insulation. Ten SOG insulation strategies were evaluated on a test building to identify an optimum retrofit insulation strategy in a zone 6 climate (Minneapolis, MN). The optimum insulation strategy in terms of energy savings and cost effectiveness consisted of two components: (a) R-20 XPS insulation above grade, and, (b) R-20 insulationmore » at grade (comprising an outer layer of R-10 insulation and an interior layer of R-12 poured polyurethane insulation) tapering to R-10 XPS insulation at half the below-grade wall height (the lower half of the stem wall was uninsulated). The optimum insulation strategy was applied to single and multi-family residential buildings in climate zone 4 - 7. The highest site energy savings of 5% was realized for a single family home in Duluth, MN, and the lowest savings of 1.4 % for a 4-unit townhouse in Richmond, VA. SOG foundation insulation retrofit simple paybacks ranged from 18 to 47 years. There are other benefits of SOG foundation insulation resulting from the increase in the slab surface temperatures. These include increased occupant thermal comfort, and a decrease in slab surface condensation particularly around the slab perimeter.« less

  13. Starting Where the People Are: The African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF). Carnegie Quarterly, Volume XXXII, Number 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carnegie Quarterly, 1987

    1987-01-01

    This issue of the "Carnegie Quarterly" describes three projects that are being conducted by the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF). The projects are the following: (1) building community participation in health care at Lake Kenyatta; (2) the role of community education in disease control among the Turkana people at…

  14. Analysis of Foundation of Tall R/C Chimney Incorporating Flexibility of Soil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jayalekshmi, B. R.; Jisha, S. V.; Shivashankar, R.

    2017-09-01

    Three dimensional Finite Element (FE) analysis was carried out for 100 and 400 m high R/C chimneys having piled annular raft and annular raft foundations considering the flexibility of soil subjected to across-wind load. Stiffness of supporting soil and foundation were varied to evaluate the significance of Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI). The integrated chimney-foundation-soil system was analysed by finite element software ANSYS based on direct method of SSI assuming linear elastic material behaviour. FE analyses were carried out for two cases of SSI namely, (1) chimney with annular raft foundation and (2) chimney with piled annular raft foundation. The responses in raft such as bending moments and settlements were evaluated for both the cases and compared to those obtained from the conventional method of analysis of annular raft foundation. It is found that the responses in raft vary considerably depending on the stiffness of the underlying soil and the stiffness of foundation. Piled raft foundations are better suited for tall chimneys to be constructed in loose or medium sand.

  15. Numerical Modelling of Connections Between Stones in Foundations of Historical Buildings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Przewlocki, Jaroslaw; Zielinska, Monika; Grebowski, Karol

    2017-12-01

    The aim of this paper is to analyse the behaviour of old building foundations composed of stones (the main load-bearing elements) and mortar, based on numerical analysis. Some basic aspects of historical foundations are briefly discussed, with an emphasis on their development, techniques, and material. The behaviour of a foundation subjected to the loads transmitted from the upper parts of the structure is described using the finite element method (FEM). The main problems in analysing the foundations of historical buildings are determining the characteristics of the materials and the degree of degradation of the mortar, which is the weakest part of the foundation. Mortar is graded using the damaged-plastic model. In this model, exceeding the bearing capacity occurs due to the degradation of materials. The damaged-plastic model is the most accurate model describing the work and properties of mortar because it shows exactly what happens with this material throughout its total load history. For a uniformly loaded fragment of the foundation, both stresses and strains were analysed. The results of the analysis presented in this paper contribute to further research in the field of understanding both behaviour and modelling in historical buildings’ foundations.

  16. Characteristics of resistant hypertension in a large, ethnically diverse hypertension population of an integrated health system.

    PubMed

    Sim, John J; Bhandari, Simran K; Shi, Jiaxiao; Liu, In Lu A; Calhoun, David A; McGlynn, Elizabeth A; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar; Jacobsen, Steven J

    2013-10-01

    To evaluate the prevalence of and characterize resistant hypertension in a large representative population with successful hypertension management and reliable health information. We performed a cross-sectional study using clinical encounter, laboratory, and administrative information from the Kaiser Permanente Southern California health system between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2007. From individuals older than 17 years with hypertension, resistant hypertension was identified and prevalence was determined. Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs), with adjustments for demographic characteristics, clinical variables, and medication use. Of 470,386 hypertensive individuals, 60,327 (12.8%) were identified as having resistant disease, representing 15.3% of those taking medications. Overall, 37,061 patients (7.9%) had uncontrolled hypertension while taking 3 or more medicines. The ORs (95% CIs) for resistant hypertension were greater for black race (1.68 [1.62-1.75]), older age (1.11 [1.10-1.11] for every 5-year increase), male sex (1.06 [1.03-1.10]), and obesity (1.46 [1.42-1.51]). Medication adherence rates were higher in those with resistant hypertension (93% vs 89.8%; P<.001). Chronic kidney disease (OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.78-1.90), diabetes mellitus (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.53-1.63), and cardiovascular disease (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.30-1.39) were also associated with higher risk of resistant hypertension. In a more standardized hypertension treatment environment, we observed a rate of resistant hypertension comparable with that of previous studies using more fragmented data sources. Past observations have been limited due to nonrepresentative populations, reliability of the data, heterogeneity of the treatment environments, and less than ideal control rates. This cohort, which was established using an electronic medical record-based approach, has the potential to provide a better understanding of resistant hypertension and outcomes

  17. Peace Education: Exploring Some Philosophical Foundations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Page, James S.

    2004-01-01

    Peace education has been recognized as an important aspect of social education for the past three decades. The critical literature as well as official documents, however, have given little attention to its philosophical foundations. This essay explores these foundations in the ethics of (1) virtue, (2) consequentialism, (3) aesthetics, (4) conservative politics and (5) care. Each of these alone composes a significant element of peace education, although ultimately its solid basis can only be established through an integrative approach encouraging a culture of peace. The more complete development and articulation of the philosophical rationale of peace education is yet to be accomplished and remains a task for the future.

  18. RESPIRATORY HEALTH OF RURAL AND FARM WOMEN IN THE KEOKUK COUNTY RURAL HEALTH STUDY

    EPA Science Inventory

    RESPIRATORY HEALTH OF RURAL AND FARM WOMEN IN THE KEOKUK COUNTY RURAL HEALTH STUDY
    Allison L. Naleway*, Nancy L. Sprince?, Erik R. Svendsen?, Ann M. Stromquist?, James A. Merchant?
    *Marshfield Medical Research and Education Foundation, Marshfield, WI; ?University of Iowa Co...

  19. Main issues of pile foundation at waterfront development and its prevention method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manap, N.; Tan, K. Y.; Syahrom, N.

    2017-12-01

    Pile foundation is widely used in construction and building marine structures. This is because pile foundation is an important structure and should have long-term durability. However, in waterfront development, a lot of issues from the seawater should be considered distinctively because it consists of many problems that can affect the building structure especially the foundation of the building. Thus, a research should be conducted to identify issues of pile foundation at waterfront development and determine its prevention methods. The research was carried out through interviews with the developers and contractors from the projects of Lexis Hibiscus at Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan and Redevelopment for Deep-Water Facilities at Quay 6 in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia. The objectives of this research are to identify issues of pile foundation and to determine the prevention methods of pile foundation issues at waterfront development. All respondents agreed that the main issues of pile foundations at waterfront development are the wave and tide condition. The prevention methods of the issue faced at waterfront development that are most frequently used for the pile foundation are coating system and concrete cover. This research is beneficial to all developers and contractors to ensure pile foundations at waterfront development can be protected by using the prevention methods.

  20. Talking With Your Doctor: MedlinePlus Health Topic

    MedlinePlus

    ... Doctor (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish Working with doctors and nurses (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Seniors Living with Multiple Health Problems: What Older Adults ...