Group Proposal: develop a proposal for a group Essay

When the friction heats up in marriages, more people (10-20%) than ever before are considering getting professional help. That is very wise. We may be making progress. I am still disturbed that most do not seek help. What is wrong with the other 80%? Getting therapy seems so reasonable to me; it seems that every friend, every parent, every child, every relative, and every professional person in contact with the unhappy couple should recommend counseling. Why don’t they? Divorce is such an emotionally laden decision (perhaps more so than who to marry), we need help seeing the situation realistically, trying to resolve the problems, deciding what other alternatives exist, considering the consequences to others, making reasonable plans for our future, etc. Anyone going though marital hell or a divorce needs a friend to talk to and vent with, no doubt, but he/she needs much more than that–a wise, experienced, unemotional but empathic and caring counselor and a group of peop le who can relate. We are freer than we have been for centuries to dissolve an unhappy marriage. There are other factors associated with the increasing divorce rate. Many of these social-economic factors would be considered good, e.g. more equal education and job opportunities for women, higher incomes, fewer children, fewer religious restrictions, and general social acceptance of divorce and of women living alone. Yet, as we will see, there are terrible consequences frequently associated with divorce (and with continuing a bad marriage). Over 75% of Americans accept divorce as a solution when a couple can’t get along, even if they have children. There is concern by some that divorce may have become too easy (few people who have personally gone through a divorce consider it easy). But, what about those who are happily married and newly weds? Why not help a relationship strengthen before it gets to that point of divorce or feeling helpless? I would like to start a Support Group for newly married couples. These couples are not troubled couples but rather couples who want to enrichen their marriage and have the support of other newly married couples. Our society is built so much on how marriages fail but forget so easily those who work hard daily to keep their marriage healthy. Newly married couples need to know there are other couples out there who are making and succeeding  in this hard world. They need to know, yes, marriage is hard, but this is what we are doing to make it work. Therefore, I would like to propose a Support group called â€Å"Spousal Support†. Spousal Support would include all newly married couples who do not have serious marital issues. Those who are just married to ten years of marriage. Couples who are looking for support of other couples, building friendships, and other marriage enrichment resources. Couples who will be accepted into the group are those who feel they are alone in being happily married, or put down for saying they are happily married. The percent of married people who say they are â€Å"very happy† has gone down during the last 20 years, especially among women. â€Å"Happily married couples have rosy illusions about their marriage and they idealize their spouse. The more illusions, the happier the couple† (Azar, 1995). This Ideal stated here is the reason why more and more being a happy couple is in the minority and a support group is needed. A support group that believes being happily married is something you have to work on but is possible. Ursula K. LeGuin once said; â€Å"Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; re-made all the time, made new. Screening and selection of couples will be done through an interview. The interview will consist of questions about their relationship and what they want to get out of Spousal Support. Those who are not experiencing major marital issues and want support in their marriage will be accepted. Couples who are considering divorce, infidelity or other major marital issues will not be accepted into this group. Any couple who has been married ten years or less, and considers themselves happily married. Couples who have been married for less than ten years are many times considered either still in the â€Å"honey moon† stage or are considering Divorce. Regardless the first ten years can be hard, not just because you are working out your marriage but because of society pressures. This group will consist of five couples, meeting once a week on Sunday at 4 p.m. for 16 weeks. There will be a break of a month and new members will be  able to join at that time. The group will determine a convenient private meeting place and occasionally take outings to local venues. Group members will be briefed during the initial interview as to what will take place and what is expected in the group. Also discussed will be goals that each couple would like to make. Ground rules for the group will be open for discussion during the first meeting: Couples must always be as a couple never alone Please be timely Please be respectful and caring of other couples and relationships Confidentiality is very important Topics explored will consist of any marriage enrichment discussions, exercises, resources and free for all night once a month. Discussions would include any issues that may come about in day-to-day lives like finding intimate time together, free time, working on careers, building a family, and any outside pressures. Exercises would include questionnaires, inventories, role-playing, communication exercises, and games. Resources are very valuable to have, like a good self-help book, or videos, even ideas to help the couple be there for one another. A free for all night will be given for any topics that couples may want to talk about or focus an entire meeting on in the future. This will allow them to throw out ideas in a less structured tone. Couple will be given time to bond more freely with each other and plan any outings the group will take. The specific outcomes I would like the group members to attain is knowing that a marriage can succeed and not every issue has to be hard. I would like them to realize that there are other couples out there who work hard at making the marriage work. My last outcome I would like the group members to have is resources and ways for them to work through their problems and strengthen their marriage in a healthy way.

Gimpel the Fool Essay

Technology essay – Advantages and disadvantages of technological advances Technology has been progressing at an astonishingly rapid rhythm, and it has been changing our lives in a scaring way. In the future, our lives might change even more, with several benefits and dangers of technological advances. Everything evolves around 3 concepts: technology, science and future. So now arises the question: will this technology advance make society better or worse off? On the one hand, several benefits will make society better off. For example, advances in cosmetic surgery will lead to people being highly satisfied with their personal appearance and happiness among society will be increased. For example, people that feel ugly and can’t find a couple will now be able do it with facial metamorphosis, and they won’t be depressed anymore. In conclusion, society’s welfare and happiness will be increased by cosmetic surgery. Another example is genetically modified food. The ability to modify the food’s gens will allow crops to grow faster. This will lead to higher amounts of food being produced at lower prices. As a consequence, world’s hunger rates will be dramatically reduced, with higher nutrition rates taking place. In conclusion, genetically modified food will affect positively human hunger and nutrition rates. Lastly, human lives will also be benefited by another important technological advancement: animal clonation. Species extinction will be reduced or even stopped, as well as hunger rates to the increase in supply of food. To sum up, animal clonation will solve some of the key issues which are actually part of the world’s daily agenda. Overall, human life will be changed in a very positive way by advancements such as the mentioned before and some actual key issues won’t exist anymore. However, technology might also bring severe dangers to human life, being society’s welfare not maximized and in a very extreme case, humans might be extinct. An example of this situation is life expectancy increased to 120/130 years old. Besides this might be seen as a positive fact because we will be able to have a higher quality and longer life, increasing the life expectancy to that range of years will make more profound an actual worldwide issue: overpopulation. If humans start living until 120/130 years old and the birth rates remain constant, then overpopulation will take place, global warming will increase at a higher rate and human life will be seriously threated. In conclusion, increase life expectancy might be a danger to human life if it’s not applied properly. Another example, which is less â€Å"catastrophic† than the previous one mentioned is online education. If we look at a â€Å"hardware and internet connection timeline†, we will be able to notice that internet connection has been doubling its speed every 5 years, and hardware per capita (ie: the amount of computer/s owned by each person all over the world† has been increasing at a constant rate of 25%. This is a good fact, which also implies that online education will take place in the short term future. But isn’t this good? Research have shown that if online education would take place, students would suffer the syndrome of social isolation, which means that mental disorders would be suffered by students as a consequence of a lack of social interaction, as well as decreased happiness and welfare in society due to the unsocial students. In conclusion, besides it might increase individual productivity as students can adopt their own working patterns and practices, it represents a big problem to society. To finish off, another example is technological advancements in internet resulting in a loss of privacy. This is because there will be higher software’s available to spy other people and get into their private life, as well as the fact that the increased availability of internet in society would make all of us more interrelated. As an example, software’s will be available to steal our Facebook account or any other social network password, or if any photo is uploaded to Facebook then people might be able to see it without the publisher of the photo even knowing. In conclusion, it might be considered as a minor issue in society, but as internet and globalization has been having a remarkable growth, this danger will be more noticeable in the long term and will definitely need to be treated. In conclusion, technological advancements are always seen as a good thing but however, they might represent a real danger to society, even threatening human life to extinction. This is not because of the nature of the technological advancements, but because of its over use or misuse by society, and all the dangers these advancements generate could be easily reduced or removed with government intervention and a market that would automatically stop or reduce its consumption because it brings dangers among its consumers.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Essay Example While this might be unthinkable in the United States, there is no good reason for it to be so. Many American officers are now comparing their own army to international ones and determining that it is time to bring American practices more in line with practices around the world. These countries’ experience shows that an army does not fall apart when homosexuals are allowed the serve openly; there are no reported negative effects whatsoever. One of the main reasons that other countries allow homosexuals to serve openly is because courts have recognized that homosexuals have the right to be free of discrimination. In Canada, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It simply isn’t possible to deny homosexuals the right to serve their country. These legal reasons have been recognized in other countries too and form the basis for many countries’ rejection of similar don’t ask, don’t tell policies. In the United States such rights have not yet been granted. There is still a big argument about gay marriage which shows no sign of being resolved any time soon. America appears to be a more culturally divided country on the issue of homosexuality. That may be the way it is, but that is not a very good reason to deny a person the opportunity to serve their country because of an immutable characteristic that really has no connection wi th the morale or standards of the troupe. The argument against giving homosexuals such rights holds little water. The American army is currently fighting two big wars: one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. It is short of soldiers and needs more. Since the don’t ask, don’t tell policy came into effect, thousands of soldiers have been forced to leave service. This is not right. The military needs more soldiers. Disallowing the service of homosexuals reduces the number of soldiers too

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 17

Human Resource Management - Essay Example erms of cost, total business performance, culture and even corporate image if the organisation maintains effective recruitment and selection procedures. This paper describes the many advantages for contemporary organisations in maintaining quality human resources systems related to hiring employees. There are tremendous pressures being placed on the modern organisation in terms of maintaining competitive advantage and sustaining strategic superiority over competing firms in the business environment. Total business performance and the management of internal quality are two primary objectives of most members of the management hierarchy (Williams, McHugh & McHugh, 2005). The total quality management focus involves aligning all aspects of the organisation, for instance from manufacturing (if relevant) to finance, all employees are expected to conform to a well-identified model of expected business performance. Ahmad & Schroeder (2003) offer that many organisations fail to recognise the importance of total quality management (TQM) in their recruitment and selection practices, thus providing the organisation with opportunities for failure. The authors propose that in recruitment, the human resource division in today’s organisations focus strongly on prospective employee techni cal skills but focus very little on the soft skills of employees such as personality-based and behaviour-based competencies. It is suggested that soft skills are most crucial to total quality management as it is these talents which determine levels of individual motivation or whether the candidate will evolve successfully to adopt the prevailing culture and attitude in the business (Ahmad & Schroder, 2003: 542). Under a less TQM-focused organisation, technically-skilled candidates can be selected for their individual, mechanical talents and perform to job role expectations efficiently. However, today’s businesses require leaders who must adapt to project team coordination, work with a variety

Organizational IT Related Privacy Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational IT Related Privacy Policy - Essay Example In the recent past, issues related to workplace privacy and how firms address privacy, have resulted to unwanted, costly lawsuits. In order for organizations to eliminate these lawsuits, firms are monitoring employee communications critically. Worker email monitors and employee surveillance in working environment present in most cases conflicting ethical issues concerning an employee requirement to safeguard its property and itself against any liability and worker’s right to privacy. Tangible business reasoning stipulates that it is legally and ethically practical for an employer to develop a written workplace policy that comprises monitoring use of computer while at the same scope provide sufficient protections for employee privacy rights in order to survive legal analysis (Cox and Goette, 2005). Privacy has evolved to be an important element in business environment particularly in aspect related to technology and rights of employees. Privacy is freedom or liberty from unauthorized intrusion. Privacy can be attacked in four premises. The first is perverse intrusion upon individual’s seclusion. Appropriation takes place when the use of individual’s likeness or name is used for economic gains. The third premise is public disclosure of individual private facts. Lastly, false light is publicly placing or featuring individual in a false light. Most employers are faced with privacy issues involving intrusion upon seclusion (Lim, 2002). Most of employees are traditionally accustomed to using technology provided to them by employers for other purposes other than for job specifications. Therefore, this has forced many organizations to create and implement information technology-based policies that monitor workers’ email and internet actions.

Knowledge and Innovation Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Knowledge and Innovation Systems - Essay Example The deliberations of the study seemed to concur with the view that KM does seem to have beneficial results in business especially in the areas of seeking new knowledge sure through training methods, group dynamics, use of advanced technology like intranet and centralising the knowledge asset resources like electronic archives and library sources. Studies does seem to concur that KM could increasingly be used for business needs and although in a restricted sense in today's world would definitely be very useful management tool in later years with gainful popularity and benefits through wider usage. In today's world where competition is key element, knowledge management has significant role to play in the success of an organisation. Knowledge management refers to use and mange the knowledge for accomplishing the objectives of organisation. Proper knowledge management is required for innovating new ideas and projects. Researches show that, the main reason for the failure of most of the projects of different organisation was the lack of proper knowledge management. The organizations are supposed to promote the habit of knowledge management as it can contribute much for new innovations. ... Knowledge management can help in the introduction of products and market expansion thereby helping the organisation to increase the revenue. Available data and information are the best of source of knowledge. Knowledge management plays key role in innovation. And also knowledge management is closely related to innovation. If the organizations failed in any area, it should be ready to accept the failure and treat the failure as the ways to success. Knowledge management helps failed organizations to make changes and be successful. Knowledge management and innovation can improve the overall performance of the organisation. The relationship between Knowledge and Innovation: Knowledge refers to what a person knows or understands about a particular subject. A person can improve his knowledge by reading and experience. The term innovation refers to introducing new ideas or thing keeping invention as a base. Before discussing the relationship between knowledge and innovation, it is important know the difference between innovation and invention. The word invention refers to finding or discovering a new idea or thing which nobody has discovered yet. Burt innovation refers to introducing something in a different way which has been invented by some others. In other words, innovation refers to bringing into existence or practically implementing the ideas of some others. For example Charles Babbage was the real idea behind the invention of computer. But he did not create a computer. It was designed or created later by some others. Without knowledge innovation is impossible. Because for innovation a foundation called knowledge is required. If anyone is analysing the background of any

Reactions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reactions - Assignment Example Its current liabilities have witnessed unsteady change, increasing between 2009 and 2011 and decreasing steadily between 2012 and 2013. Both the shareholders equity and borrowings have been at acceptable levels. This company is economically stable and growing upwards. This is the company that has been advocating for standards of media communication that observes certain values and principles of integrity, liberty and voluntary press. The financial muscles of this Santa Ana based communication company have grown over the years. It has seen a steady growth in terms of the profits accrued over the period of five years from 2009 to 2013. This has seen the marginal profit go to figures above 12 million US dollars. Its long term obligations have also decreased with huge little marginal figures between 2009 and 2013 to an amount of 11 billion US dollars. The rate of recuperation for this company is admirable and it’s one of the fastest growing companies. This company is one of the major modern publishers in the rapidly growing economy of China. The company operates mostly on the cultural publications. It operates on academic material and referencing tools with Chinese dictionaries like the Xhinua dictionary. This company has grown in revenue with 2005 figures amounting to about 540 Yuan. The company has also realized profits of over 50 million Yuan over the period of time form 2005. The company majors in reference book publishing which contribute over 60% of the profit. I think the production strategy should be changed as the company relies majorly on the production of reference books. This can be disastrous for the company if returns in this area of business go down. It should therefore distribute the publications evenly across all the products it offers for more security. This is a television network providing company with numerous TV channels

The Relationship between the BBC and Public Broadcasting Corporation Essay

The Relationship between the BBC and Public Broadcasting Corporation and the Commercial Sectors - Essay Example First, before going into BBC’s relationship as a public broadcasting corporation with the commercial sectors, it is helpful to identify first what is meant by public service broadcasting. The Communications Act 2003 (CA 2003) sets a duty on the Office of Communications (Ofcom) to obtain accessibility of a broad range of both â€Å"television and radio services† all over the United Kingdom that is of high quality and considered to draw diverse â€Å"tastes and interests† (Communications Act 2003 s. 264); and to keep an adequate number of providers for various â€Å"television and radio services† (Ridgway 48). While the Communications Act has not defined what comprises â€Å"public service programming†, the Office of Communications (â€Å"Ofcom†) characterized this kind of programming by setting forth â€Å"its  purposes  and  characteristics.†Ã‚   Ridgway in his article â€Å"All change for public service broadcasting in the UK?à ¢â‚¬  enumerates the following purposes and characteristics of public service broadcasting: Purposes: †¢Ã‚  Informing our understanding of the world  --to inform ourselves and others, and to increase our understanding of the world through news, information and analysis of current events and ideas.Stimulating knowledge and learning --to stimulate our interest in and knowledge of arts, science, history and other topics, through content that is accessible and can encourage informal learning. †¢Ã‚  Reflecting UK cultural identity  --to reflect and strengthen our cultural identity through original programming in the United Kingdom, at both national and regional levels, on occasion bringing audiences together for shared experiences. †¢Ã‚  Representing diversity and alternative viewpoints  --to make us aware of different cultures and alternative viewpoints through programmes that reflect the lives of other people and other communities, both within the United Kingdom a nd elsewhere. Characteristics: †¢Ã‚  High quality  --well funded and well produced. †¢Ã‚  Original  --new UK content rather than repeats or acquisitions. †¢Ã‚  Innovative  --breaking new ideas or reinventing exciting approaches, rather than copying old ones. †¢Ã‚  Challenging  --making viewers think. †¢Ã‚  Engaging  --remaining accessible and attractive to viewers. †¢Ã‚  Widely available  --if content is publicly funded, a large majority of citizens need the chance to watch it. (48) McGonagle on the other hand, defines public service broadcasting (PSB) as those broadcasted TV programs which are for the benefit of the public instead of solely for commercial ends (235). These programs consist of â€Å"local news coverage, arts programs, religious broadcasts, and augmented broadcasts featuring (for example) subtitling, visual signing and audio description† (McGonagle 235). It may also include â€Å"original drama, documentaries and chil dren's programming† (Ridgway 49). A particular quota on â€Å"public service broadcasts† is also required in their â€Å"license to broadcast,† in accordance with Ofcom’s regulations (Ridgway 49). The objectives on the other hand for the so-called â€Å"plural public service broadcast provision† are the following: â€Å"Sources of high quality impartial news at local, regional as well as national level, including the nations as well as the United Kingdom as a whole;† high level â€Å"original British content†; a broad range of both â€Å"voices and talent from across the whole United Kingdom,† to guarantee â€Å"continuation and development of creative talent clusters in the regions and nations,† currently assured â€Å"through regional production quotas on some public service broadcasters†; â€Å"guaranteed levels of investment in independent production† in order to ensure the supply of â€Å"the best crea tive ideas and the healthy development of this

Private Enterprise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Private Enterprise - Essay Example Many private enterprises partner with the Department of Homeland Security to make sure that mitigation of threats is achieved as well as to defend themselves against threats. The same department is responsible for minimizing risks like terrorism attacks. Department of Homeland Security maximizes the ability where they are able to strongly respond to terrorist who attack the states or local governments (Kamien, 2006). Additionally, the department is concerned with prevention of disasters that may occur. Through the effort that is provided by the Department of Homeland Security, strong foundations with other department that are concerned with security matters are able to protect communities in the entire United States. Additionally, terrorism and treats of all kinds are minimized for the purpose of safeguarding the key rights of all the United States residents. Since the private sector in the United States operates approximately 85% of Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR), this makes the Department of Homeland Security to engage measures to safeguard the infrastructure and resources that are owned by private sector. In addition, the protection of critical infrastructure is the work of the government and other security agencies. This ensures that CIKR are safeguarded so that the public and private sector may partner together thus making the economy to be stable. When the partnership is effective, collaboration is achieved where the Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP) is concerned with all the critical infrastructure and key resources. The department of the Infrastructure Protection (IP) will have to play a role where effort to reduce the risk of destruction or threat to the sector is emphasized through Critical Infrastructure Protection Program since it is the country’s most productive sector (Bullock and Haddow, 201 2). To protect the private sector, government

Global studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Global studies - Essay Example on the quality of life in American society reveal that African Americans are the most disadvantaged and continue to lag behind the whites in every aspect in the society. For instance, African Americans tend to have low quality education, have difficulty getting employed and also accessing quality health care among others and this clearly indicates the depth of racial inequality in American society. This paper discusses how different individuals understand the issues of civil tights and racism in American society today and it covers the liberal ideals that assisted in promoting civil rights movement. The civil rights movement was a struggle by the African Americans to achieve equal civil rights as the whites including equal employment opportunities, good housing, quality education, voting rights, equal access to public facilities and most importantly the right to be free of racial discrimination. Therefore, this movement was particularly â€Å"organized to protest the unfair treatment of black Americans† (Wright 4). Basically, this movement aimed at ensuring that African Americans enjoyed the citizenship rights assured by the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments of the U.S Constitution. These amendments were very important to the civil rights movement as they guaranteed every American citizen equal citizenship (Hasday 8). Generally, the civil rights movement prompted gains for African Americans, women as well as persons with disabilities among others. African Americans’ rights of citizenship had been worn by the segregationist Jim Crow laws in the South because unde r these laws, African Americans were denied the right to vote; they were subjected to segregation; and disadvantaged when it comes to access to education, employment and healthcare among others (Ferrante 190). However, the Congress passed the Civil Rights Act in 1866 which highlighted numerous civil liberties including the right to make contracts, own and sell property and receive equal treatment under

Healthcare Management Essay Example for Free

Healthcare Management Essay Executive Summary There are over 850,000 physicians practicing in the United States today, covering every imaginable specialty and sub-specialty (Young, Chaudhry, Rhyne, Dugan, 2011). According to the World Health Organization (2000), even though our country spends more money per capita than any other country in the world, the USA ranks 37 out of the top 191 countries in the world in terms of overall health system performance. Although there are many reasons for this poor performance, several experts cite the lack of emphasis on primary care and true preventative medicine in the US (The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System, 2011). This is a proposal to create a community ambulatory health center in a suburban community that would provide the setting for training family medicine residents. The establishment of such a center would allow a hospital to provide better primary care services to the uninsured and underinsured patients in its community. It may also help reduce unnecessary emergency room visits as well as hospital readmissions by providing quality care to these patients. A training program would also improve the hospital’s ability to recruit and retain actively admitting primary care physicians. The proposal discusses the process for choosing the center’s location, funding models, administrative structures, as well as staffing and architectural requirements. Strategy of Service Lines and Location As mentioned in the executive summary, it is well known that many communities in the US could benefit from increased access to primary care services (Commonwealth Fund Commission, 2011). Even within suburban communities that may appear seemingly affluent, there are often significant socioeconomically challenged populations. The parent hospital would have to conduct a SWOT analysis, to identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (Longest Darr, 2008). In this case, the presence of a family medicine residency program is a great strength, both in clinical and economic ways. Family medicine residents (and their faculty) are well versed in current, best standards of care. Graduate medical education often provides significant revenue streams, as described below. Up to four residents can work under the supervision of a single faculty  physician; often the number of patients seen in a residency clinic far exceeds that of a private office. Weaknesses include the presence of other residency clinics in the region, as well as difficulties recruiting quality residents to a new training program that has no established reputation. It can also be difficult to recruit and retain skilled and motivated faculty physicians for progams, as the compensation for such academic positions is often less than that of purely clinical posts. Threats to this proposal include changes in GME funding (external environment) and the possibility of the residency program losing its accreditation (internal and external environment). In scanning the external environment of the organization, it is possible to identify specific geographic locations that have significant numbers of uninsured/underinsured patients (but still within the hospitals catchment area). It would also have to be convenient to public transportation, such as bus stops, subway stations, or railroad stations. Analysis of the various economic, political, demographic, and regulatory sectors would also identify the best time and location to create such a clinic. Significant forecasting would also have to confirm that the current external environment would not change in a way that would significantly worsen the chances for the clinics success. The creation of this new community health center would fall under the hospitals directional strategy, as most hospitals mission and vision statements include caring for the needy in their communities (Longest Darr, 2008). Management and Personnel Structure Being a hospital-owned facility, a hospital administrator would be the senior manager / liaison; this would most likely be the Vice President for Ambulatory Affairs or Chief Medical Officer. The organization itself would have two chief administrators reporting to the hospital liaison; an Administrative Director (who would be the middle manager responsible for the overall management and vision of the center) and a Medical Director (who would be responsible for clinical activities, supervision, and initiatives). The Medical Director might well be the hospitals department Chair of Family Medicine. The family medicine residency program would require a full-time physician serving as both Director of Medical Education and residency Program Director. The residency itself would have 24 residents.  In order to maintain an appropriate ratio of preceptors to trainees, there would need to be at least 4 full-time faculty attending physicians (American Osteopathic Association, 2011) An office supervisor (first-level manager) would be responsible for the day-to-day operations in the front (reception) and back (finance) portions of the office. In the front office, the practice would need 3 receptionists who would register patients upon their arrival and answer telephone calls. They would also verify patients insurance status. The back office would require 2 coders who would be responsible for verifying correct coding for practice visits, submit claims, and process payments from both patients and third-party payors. Another clerical staff member would be needed to process pre-authorizations and referrals (both incoming and outgoing). Finally, a charting person would be needed (even in an electronic medical record-equipped practice) to accommodate incoming paper / faxed documents. The middle (clinical) part of the office, would require 2 medical assistants who would be responsible for bringing patients from the waiting room into the appropriate area (exam room, laboratory, or procedure room) and triage them (taking and recording vital signs, documenting the chief complaint, and verifying medications and allergies). A registered nurse and licensed practical nurse would be needed to administer vaccinations and medications. Finally, a phlebotomist / lab assistant would be needed to perform venipuncture’s, prepare specimens, and perform CLIA-waived tests. The registered nurse would also serve as the Clinical Supervisor (first-level manager) for the clinical support staff. Funding Model Medicare is the primary formal financier of graduate medical education programs, contributing 72 percent of all tax-financed support. Other federal payors include Medicaid (11 percent), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (10 percent), the U.S. Department of Defense (3 percent), and the Bureau of Health Professions (3 percent) (Young Coffman, 1998). A teaching hospital will receive direct medical education (DME) payments cover the cost of resident and faculty stipends and benefits, and overhead costs that are directly related to the teaching programs, such as ambulatory  office space. Hospitals also receive funding for indirect medical education (IME) costs because teaching hospitals have more complex case mixes, more uninsured patients, and provided services that were costly but not necessarily well reimbursed, such as trauma centers and transplants units (Cymet Chow, 2011). These payments are, on average, total $100,000 per resident per year. However, over the last 20 years, the federal government has either frozen GME funding or in some cases, reduced it significantly (especially under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997) (Phillips, et al., 2004). Currently, the family medicine residents in this proposal do result in a net gain for the hospital. With an average salary of $45,000 plus $20,000 in benefits, the hospital stands to net $35,000 per resident. For a program of 24 residents (8 in each year), the hospital would have a net income of $840,000 from Medicare GME funding. Each of the faculty physicians would have their own clinical practice (about 0.25 FTE), so they would bill Medicare and third-party payors for their services. They would have a productivity plan whereby each month they would receive 25% of their revenue after fulfilling their monthly salary/benefit costs. Physical Characteristics / Layout of the Facility Because of the educational nature of the practice (i.e. a residency teaching clinic), the physical layout of the facility has specific needs. In the front portion of the office, the waiting room needs to have ample seating to allow for extended wait times associated with teaching clinics. The waiting room would also have to be child-friendly, with easily disinfected toys (i.e. no stuffed animals). Because many potential patients will have to apply for Medicaid or hospital-based charity programs, it would be ideal to have an office (or at least a kiosk) where a financial coordinator could meet with patients in a private area. Since this would be a multi-specialty practice with dozens of residents and attending physicians, there would need to be a large number of exam rooms, perhaps 18, all with exam tables equipped with stirrups to accommodate pelvic exams, Pap smears, and STD testing. There would also need to be a large procedure room to accommodate the need for various gynecological (colposcopy, endometrial biopsy, IUD placement/removal, etc.) and other types of procedures (suturing, biopsies. etc.). The center would also have a spacious area dedicated to residents for  charting and research, as well as two precepting rooms where clinical cases can be discussed with faculty physicians. There would be a conference room equipped with a computer and LCD projector for presentations and discussions. Numerous computer workstations throughout the clinic would allow access to an electronic medical records system. One exam room could be equipped for videotaping that is used (with the patient’s permission) to observe residents as they demonstrate the core competencies while providing patient care. The center would need a laboratory for the collection and processing of blood and other specimens. In order to avoid the same stringent regulations and testing associate with a hospital or reference laboratory, the center would only perform CLIA-waived tests such as finger-stick blood glucose testing, throat cultures, and urine dipstick analysis (CDC and CMS, 2006). The building would al so ideally have offices for each of the faculty attending physicians, as well as for administrative and support staff. Clinical Practice As mentioned previously, this community health center would offer multiple specialties. The main service would be primary care. Family medicine residents, under the supervision of faculty preceptors, would provide general internal medical, pediatric, obstetric (pre- and post-natal), and gynecologic care to patients of all ages. Additionally, other specialty physicians would be available for special clinics: obstetrics (perinatal) and advanced gynecology twice a week, dermatology once a week, and general surgery, gastroenterology, pulmonology, cardiology, and urology once a month. These specialty services are essential in serving the needs of the target population: uninsured and underinsured (i.e. Medicaid) patients who are unable to see these specialists in private practice. Credentialing The Chair of Family Medicine is responsible for maintaining records of each attending physicians credentials. These would include a New York State Medical License (with updated registration), DEA registration (to prescribe controlled substances), copies of medical school and residency diplomas, proof of board certification (and maintenance), records of continuing  medical education, and CPR/Advanced Cardiac Life Support training cards. The Director of Medical Education / Residency Program Director is responsible for maintaining records for each resident physician such as their medical school diplomas/transcripts, licensing examination transcripts, ACLS training, and signed residency contracts. Local zoning and legal concerns Consideration must be given as to the choice of commercial property for this ambulatory health center. The ideal location would be a pre-existing medical office building that has already been zoned for a medical practice, and has the required number of parking spaces (especially handicapped) and adequate access in and out of the building. A multi-level building must have elevators that are compliant with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) regulations. In County, a Certificate of Need must be granted before a new healthcare facility can be built. There are also village and town zoning ordinances that must be considered when modifying or creating a medical office building . The center would fall under the jurisdiction of the same regulatory bodies as that of its parent hospital, and would be setup as a not-for-profit organization, since a significant portion of its care would be uncompensated.

Re-organization and Layoff Team Discussion & Summary Essay Example for Free

Re-organization and Layoff Team Discussion Summary Essay Mismanaged layoffs can go horribly wrong. The effect of mismanaged LAYOFFs on the remaining workforce and the effects, lack of management preparation, the human condition, and lack of mitigation strategies. We think that the problem with this article is that not enough managers or HR personal, know how to let a person go from their employment effectively. They sometimes dont realize the impact that it has on the other employees morals. Also, that sometimes companies dont take a closer look to make sure downsizing will be the answer to cutting costs like they think that it will. Every HR or manager should be let go in their lifetime so that they know what it feels like. I believe that this statement holds tremendous merit because the best lessons in life are learned through personal experience. In order to adequately communicate life changing messages of sorts, it should be done by a seasoned manager. I will be very surprised if any company has a potential layoff learning path that will coach and train the management staff for these kinds of things. It is imperative to be sensitive to the individual being laid off as this will impact their livelihood significantly. I do agree that other options much is explored such as relocating or wage cuts before making the decision to lay off people. The Problem Layoffs create uncertainty in the workforce causing loss of productivity in remaining the remaining workforce. The article addresses that a managers approach is paramount; we dont disagree with this sentiment, but I dont see it as a large of an issue as the author of the article. If a company is at a point where they are laying off employees, all other options should have been exhausted. The author writes the article from the position that managers dont know how manage and that layoff are ineffective. I agree layoffs are not useful, but an amount of respect or approach refinement is  going to make the loss of income any easier; I compare that to putting lipstick on a pig. Trying to make a bad situation easier is often more disrespectful than being direct. Firing is something that is done privately and should be kept confident between the manager and the employee being let go. If a manager is letting, someone go for the right reasons the example should be evident to the employees as cause and effect; being held accountable for their actions. If the Manager is abusing their hiring/firing authority that would affect employee morale; forced silence, uncertainty, etc. Problem Solutions The options that were covered in the group discussion I feel very informative. When it comes to releasing someone, whether it is a termination or a layoff, it was discussed if training for those types of situations would be suitable, or if one could even prepare to carry out something of that delicate nature. You can train someone how to do anything, but that does not necessarily mean it will be conducted in the manner it was taught. I think it all highly depends on the situation and the individual who is delivering the news to the employee. The authors best point is one of the best solutions; transparency. Managers should allow people the autonomy of reacting, working through, and coping with a layoff in their own way. Transparency is the most respectful approach that management can take as it shows them the truth of the situation and explains the steps being taken and why. I would add rather than trying to find another position within the company as suggested (the company is already struggling!?) they could offer employment assistance to other enterprises; communicate with other organizations in the same industry to identify openings that people would fit into well. They could put together a communications package that shows them what benefits are available, assistance programs, etc.

The Relationship Between Our Senses And Architecture

The Relationship Between Our Senses And Architecture à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. we all begin as hearing beings our four and a half month baptism in a sea of sound must have a profound and everlasting effect on us but from the moment of birth onward, hearing seems to recede into the background of our consciousness and functions more as an accompaniment to what we see. Why this should be, rather than the reverse, is a mystery: why does not the first of our senses to be activated retain a life long dominance of all the others? -Walter Murch In modern times, the eye has become the central point of the perceptual world. The primal dominance of hearing has been progressively replaced by the sense of vision. The hierarchy of the senses was not the same as it is today, where the eye, which dominates today, was in third place behind the sense of hearing and touch. The eye which is the governing organ of today was not the superior organ of the time which preferred hearing. Walter J Ong points out that the shift from oral to written speech was essentially a shift from sound to visual space. (Pallasmaa, 2005, pg 24). The will to power is very strong in vision. There is a very strong tendency in vision to grasp and fixate, to reify and totalize: a tendency to dominate, secure and control states David Michael Levin(Pallasmaa, 2005, pg 17). Architecture is considered to be the mother of all arts as it provides spaces for daily activities of life unlike the other forms of art. But it should be more than simply just for utilitarian purposes; it should also appeal to our aesthetic sensibilities. By combining colours, materials and shapes together, architects give out their artistic message in the structures that we see, hear and feel. (Blesser and Salter, 2007) Nonetheless the architecture of our time is turning into the retinal art of the eye: architecture has greatly become an art of the printed image. Instead of experiencing our being in the world, we behold it from the outside as spectators of images projected on the surface of the retina. (Holl, Pallasmaa and Gomez, 2006, pg 29). Archdaily and other such websites are daily reminders that architecture is a slave to its image. The callousness of contemporary architecture has resulted in an outcome of the negligence of the body and the senses, leading to an imbalance in our sensory system. The suppression of the other senses due to the domination of the sense of sight has resulted in the isolation, detachment and alienation of the individual (Pallasmaa, 2005). The aim of most architects is to have their buildings looking great in a set of photographs. However anyone who has visited a great piece of architecture knows that the experience is very different and often much better than that of seeing it in photos. This is not only because of the added dimensions of depth and time are absent in the photographs, but because touch, taste, smell and, of course sound are also missing. The mission of architecture in general is to renovate the experience of an undifferentiated interior world, in which we are not mere spectators, but to which we inseparably belong. In their book, Questions of Perception; Phenomenology of Architecture, Holl, Pallasmaa and Gomez imply that architecture involves all the senses interacting and infusing with each other. In compariso n to a painting which is only two-dimensional, the painter will have to express his world with his system of colours which must generate this invisible complex of impressions. Sight is solitary and tends to separate us from the world where as the other senses unite us with it. A walk through a forest is said to be invigorating and healing because it interacts with all of our senses and not just a few. We can hear the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind, get the scent of berries or raisins, and feel the warmth of sunlight filtering through the leaves. Blesser and Salter point out that, similar to poetry, architecture also contains symbolic meaning which portrays the culture and background of the architect, which he would depicts through spatial elements. Not only poetry, but even music is compared to architecture. Libeskind refers to the relationship of music and architecture not only by metaphor, but also through concrete spaces. He goes on to say, Every building that I have admired is, in effect a musical instrument whos performance gives space a quality that often seems to be transcended and immaterial. Goethe refers to architecture as being frozen music as architecture and music share the same vocabulary; rhythm, proportion, harmony, repetition and contrast. In architecture these 5 elements can be represented in form, layout, circulation and site location. Zaha Hadid designed a music chamber which holds the solo performances of composer JS Bach, and the design is a visual representation of Bachs music. Yet architects generally consider the visual aspect of the building. The writings of modernist architect Le Corbusier state: I exist in life only if I can see and one needs to see clearly to understand (Pallasmaa 2005, pg 27). The gestalt laws of visual perception are frequently used to analyse the experiences and perceptions of architectural form. Very rarely is the aural perception or acoustic aspect considered. This is because the modern culture has essentially adapted towards visual communications and has little appreciation for the emotional influence of hearing, and hence attaches little or no value for the art of auditory spatial awareness. Secondly, the aural experience of a space is continuously fleeting and disappearing instantly. There is no method of capturing and storing the aural experience of a space in museums, journals or archives. In contrast, the visual aspect of architecture can be recorded by means of sketches or photographs, and in this way the works of the prev ious generations can be learned about, even if the building does not exist anymore. Also the aural architecture of a space cannot be experienced without having dynamic events that produce sound, and inhabitants who complete the aural architecture. Another reason for the overlooking of aural architecture is that for most people the aural memory of the space and the language for describing this memory is weak and insufficient. Think about describing the sounds of a place, other than describing the events that caused the sound. Finally, most architects are awarded with prizes based on their visual portfolio, and they in turn train the next generation of architects to concentrate on the visual experience of a space. Questions about acoustic architecture are generally not familiar and professional architecture and design schools provide little or no training in aural aesthetics (Blesser and Salter, 2007) Nevertheless the aural experience of a space is very important as it has significant influence on the mood and behavior of the people within those settings. Sound is necessary for the social and emotional well-being of the user. It has the ability to touch our souls and speak to us at a vey profound level. It has the power to calm us, inspire us, uplift as well as heal. The way we experience a space is largely determined by our aural perceptions of that space. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, modern culture has little appreciation for the emotional influence of hearing. Without music in movies, there would be no suspense, no excitement and no horror. Architecture without its aural properties would be like a movie without music (or sound track). There is no such thing as a silent room. Sound always exists in a space, and every space has acoustic properties which influence and change the sound. For this reason sound never exists in pure form because the space it exists in will alter it. Move a symphony orchestra to the forest and it will not sound the same even though the sound source is consistent. It would loose the aural impact and intimacy of a concert hall. Ever wondered why you sound better when singing in the bathroom in comparison to the living room? This is due to the acoustic properties of the bathroom, which is taking advantage of the resonance of a small space. Likewise every space has aural qualities which have the ability to affect the social and emotional well-being of the inhabitant although they may not be consciously aware of it. The acoustics of a grand cathedral can create an exalted mood; those of a chapel can enhance the privacy of quiet contemplation; those of an elevator can produce the feeling of encapsulation and, in the extreme, claustrophobia (Blesser and Salter, 2007). The aural architecture of a space could have a social meaning as well. The marble floors and walls of a lobby would indicate an approaching visitor by the loud echo of their footsteps. In contrast, the materials used in the living room would be thick carpeting, heavy draperies and upholstered furniture which would tone down the sound of footsteps. The aural aspects of the lobby therefore verify whether one is entering a public of private space. If these same materials were applied to the living room, the acoustic attributes would convey a different feeling; c old, hard and barren, in comparison to warm, soft and intimate. (Blesser and Salter,2007,) Many times the visual and aural meaning of the space goes hand in hand, and reinforce each other. The vastness of the cathedral can be related through vision, whilst the engulfing echoes communicate through the ears. However this is not the case all the time as there are instances where the visual and aural aspects are not mutual. For instance an expensive restaurant may give the visual impact of having a relaxed and elegant atmosphere, but the echo of clattering produces stress, anxiety and tension, making it difficult to socialize. (Blesser and Salter, 2007) The natural ability for human beings to sense a space by listening is hardly ever recognized. Many people think that sensing spatial attributes requires a special skill, but all individuals do it almost naturally and on a daily basis. Observing that ordinary people hear dormant objects and sense spatial geometry needs a valid explanation (Blesser and Salter, 2007). Architecture does not radiate light and yet it can be seen. This is because it reflects light, and this gives us knowledge about the form and material of the building. This same principle applies to sound, where we hear the sound that is reflected off the surfaces of the building and this too gives us an impression of the form and material of the building (Steen Eiler Rasmussen). The reverberation is the auditory mean by which we become conscious about spaces around us, and their properties. The space becomes audible. We then begin to see with our ears (Blesser and Salter, 2007). Each building or space will reverberate dif ferently depending on the material used and the shape of the rooms. Sound is invisible, but has the power to change the character of the space we occupy. -Julia Schulz-Dornburg Aural architecture refers to the properties of space that can be experienced by listening. These properties are volume (or form) and material, and they help an individual in perceiving an aural space. By viewing the form and size of a space, one may be able to speculate what kind of aural intensity it possesses. But the visual perception does not prepare us for the actual aural experience the space reveals. Some spaces may seem to be acoustically impotent, but may surprise us with astonishing sound properties. An individuals behavior in a space as well as their perception of the significance of the space are greatly influenced by the sonic quality that the spaces possesses (Mateo Zlatar, 2003). For instance, the acoustics of a governmental chamber strengthens the importance of the speeches held within the space. The amount of sound a material will absorb or reflect depends on it properties. Not only do materials evoke different feelings, but they can be combined and manipulated in di fferent

Privacy and The Internet: Life of Others Essay -- The Internet

As the explosion of internet social media based companies has grown the issue of privacy has been at the forefront of many people’s mind. Privately held information can easily become available to people and be negatively used due to the digital age we are in today. Two of the leading companies in social media are Google and Facebook. This case study analysis explores both Google and Facebook’s privacy policies and issue that has stemmed from it. Google and Facebook recently have taken a lot of backlash from people and governments regarding the way they handle the information they have gathered from the consumers that use their products. Facebook in 2009 was in a dispute with the Canadian government over the use of the data collected and struck a deal with the Canadian government to change their policies. Google also has been faced with criticism that it recorded personal communication sent over unsecured in home Wi Fi networks. German federal commission called for independent investigation of Google’s practices. While both companies are getting more popular by day there is a growing concern and outcry to not use its services. Websites such as QuiteFacebookday.com is now advocating users to abandon Facebook. European leaders and American groups have voiced concerns over the privacy setting within the systems. Electronic Privacy Information Center has asked America’s Federal Trade Commission to see if Faceb ook’s approach to privacy violates the consumer protection laws. In response both Facebook and Google has changed the privacy policies. Google has even came and said that it has the most consumer centric privacy policy among all of the other online services. The privacy policy goes well beyond the social network and s... ...sed earlier in this case study, leaders within the company has make conscious effort to make the consumer’s information protected. (Hunter, 2004, p. 60) Leadership requires that we develop the essential life skills of delaying gratification and being patient, trusting in the law of the harvest and having faith that if we do our part the fruit will come. If consumer confidence in the company deteriorates then more regulations will be put in place to regulate the industry which could cause issues on its own. References Hunter, J. C. (2004). The World's most Powerful Leadership Principle (Sixth ed., p. 60). New York, NY: Crown Business. JESSICA, SILVER-GREENBERG, & SCHWARTZ, NELSON D. (n.d.). MasterCard and Visa investigate data breach. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/business/mastercard-and-visa-look-into-possible-attack.html?_r=1 Privacy and The Internet: Life of Others Essay -- The Internet As the explosion of internet social media based companies has grown the issue of privacy has been at the forefront of many people’s mind. Privately held information can easily become available to people and be negatively used due to the digital age we are in today. Two of the leading companies in social media are Google and Facebook. This case study analysis explores both Google and Facebook’s privacy policies and issue that has stemmed from it. Google and Facebook recently have taken a lot of backlash from people and governments regarding the way they handle the information they have gathered from the consumers that use their products. Facebook in 2009 was in a dispute with the Canadian government over the use of the data collected and struck a deal with the Canadian government to change their policies. Google also has been faced with criticism that it recorded personal communication sent over unsecured in home Wi Fi networks. German federal commission called for independent investigation of Google’s practices. While both companies are getting more popular by day there is a growing concern and outcry to not use its services. Websites such as QuiteFacebookday.com is now advocating users to abandon Facebook. European leaders and American groups have voiced concerns over the privacy setting within the systems. Electronic Privacy Information Center has asked America’s Federal Trade Commission to see if Faceb ook’s approach to privacy violates the consumer protection laws. In response both Facebook and Google has changed the privacy policies. Google has even came and said that it has the most consumer centric privacy policy among all of the other online services. The privacy policy goes well beyond the social network and s... ...sed earlier in this case study, leaders within the company has make conscious effort to make the consumer’s information protected. (Hunter, 2004, p. 60) Leadership requires that we develop the essential life skills of delaying gratification and being patient, trusting in the law of the harvest and having faith that if we do our part the fruit will come. If consumer confidence in the company deteriorates then more regulations will be put in place to regulate the industry which could cause issues on its own. References Hunter, J. C. (2004). The World's most Powerful Leadership Principle (Sixth ed., p. 60). New York, NY: Crown Business. JESSICA, SILVER-GREENBERG, & SCHWARTZ, NELSON D. (n.d.). MasterCard and Visa investigate data breach. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/business/mastercard-and-visa-look-into-possible-attack.html?_r=1

Leonardo Da Vinci :: essays research papers

1452-1519, Italian painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist, probably the supreme example of Renaissance genius. Born in Vinci, Tuscany, he was the illegitimate son of a Florentine notary and a peasant girl. His precocious artistic talent brought him to Verrocchio's workshop in 1466, where he met Botticelli and Ghirlandaio. The cul mination of his art in this first period in Florence is seen in the magnificent, unfinished Adoration of the Magi (Uffizi), with its characteristic dramatic movement and chiaroscuro. In c.1482 Leonardo went to the court of Ludovico Sforza in Milan and there composed most of his Trattato della pittura and the notebooks that demonstrate his versa tile genius. The severe plagues in 1484 and 1485 drew his attention to town planning, and his drawings and plans for domed churches reflect his concern with architectural problems. In 1483, Leonardo and his pupil Ambrogio de Predis were commissioned to execute the famous Madonna of the Rocks (two versions: 1483-c.1486, Louvre; 1483-1508, National Gall., London). The now badly damaged Last Supper (c.1495-1498; Milan) was executed during the period when he was experimenting with the Fresco medium, and this partly accounts for its damage. Despite this, a sublime spiritual content and power of invention mark it as one of the world's masterpieces. Leonardo's model for an equestrian monument to Francesco Sforza was never cast, and in 1500 he returned to Florence, where he did much theoretical work in mathematics and pursued his anatomical studies in the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova. As a military engineer for Cesare Borgia he studied swamp reclamation and met Niccolà ² Machiavelli. In c.1503 he executed the celebrated Mona Lisa (Louvre). Then, as architect and engineer in Milan to the French king Louis Xii, he continued his scientific investigations into geology, botany, hydraulics, and mechanics. In 1510-11 he painted St. Anne, Mary, and the Child (Louvre), a work that exemplifies his handling of sfumato-misty, subtle transitions in tone.