Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp Essays - General Electric,

Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp Business Level Strategy The business level strategy of GE in times past has been concentrated on providing heath care equipment to approximately 300 hospitals that were run by Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. But GE, run by Welch, has diversified greatly. Moving from a primarily manufacturing firm to becoming a more service oriented firm. One of the first big steps for GE to move into the services market was when Columbia allowed them to service all of their imaging equipment, including those made by GE's rivals. Differentiation The strategy of differentiation for GE is in their vision of improving the quality of their products and services. Welch decided earlier this year to improve GE quality with the expectation of boosting their revenues. Overall Cost Leader GE is already seeing a competitive advantage in streamlining their organizations that reduce operating costs and increasing revenues. In fact, they have done this so well that other organizations have been willing to hire GE as a consultant to show them the tricks of the trade that will increase their bottom lines. GE has been offering flat rate full service contracts for many of its customers that are raising the eye brows of competitors. Focus The focus for Welch has been directed on GE and GE alone. It was stated that he doesn't sit on any outside corporate boards and is devoted to the success of GE. Prospector GE is definitely categorized as a prospecting type of company. As the article outlines, GE is a company that looks for new markets and new growth opportunities and is willing to accept some level of risk. Along with successfully being involved in Medical Systems, Aircraft Engines, Power Generation, and Transportation, GE has been busy working on global computer services that appears to have phenomenal potential for them. Corporate Level Strategy As all of GE's business entities get direction from Welch on a business level strategy, he has come up with a corporate level strategy that has his competitors guessing what next? Welch appears to have enough vision to see what industry is doing as a whole and not just what the manufacturing industry is doing. This vision has driven his company to seek out opportunities that are more service orientated. Concentration The diversification of GE in recent years tends to make one believe that GE does not concentrate on just one thing. But GE has concentrated on manufacturing as its primary task in the business world. But Welch has changed that task to providing services. A company that can effectively provide a product and then turn around and be the sole service provider for that product will seemingly be in a position to where its competitor cannot touch them. Growth Penetration - GE has been able to increase its customer base by providing a complete package that includes products and services at flat or lower cost. Expansion - GE is also expanding into new areas, such as providing services for its existing product line along with the product line of its competitors. GE is also working on becoming a service provider for corporate computer networks around the world. This would put them in direct competition with IBM and EDS, companies that were not seen as competitors in the past. Globalization GE has been very strong in the international market in the past but is positioning itself with a much broader dominance by implementing a variety of services for companies abroad. Horizontal & Vertical Integration Horizontally, GE is not carving away at its competition all that much, but it wants to become much more vertical in different areas of the international business world. For whatever business GE is in, it wants to be able to dominate it from the top down. This vertical expansion goes forward as well as backward. If GE is unable to buy a given reseller or supplier it makes sure that the contract states that its customer must go through them for all aspects of the business. (i.e. products and services)

Dance Critique Research Paper Example

Dance Critique Research Paper Example Dance Critique Paper Dance Critique Paper Each dance performers piece is different. Some tell stories and paint pictures, while other are for entertainment. As I watched the performances of each male and female dancer I analyzed each aspect of the dance. This included music, technique, attire, as well as many other important aspects. One piece that stood out to me was the Contemporary piece performed by G. D. Harris. This dance was performed with African Tribe music. Also the male dancer word e a feathery African inspired bottom. The movements throughout the dance were graceful UT distinct. I observed this from the very strong emphasis of shoulder movements. The m USIA was pretty fair rhythmic tempo, not too fast or slow. As I watched the excerpt of this dance I realize the movements were to port ay a bird. One reason being the way the male performer walked on stage. Another example is to how the dancer placed his arms. This piece very much reminded me Of a ostrich wand erring an area during African time. In my opinion the choreographers were successful in communicating their into .NET. The dance attire went very well with the music. The layout from clothing to music and movement painted a very vivid picture as to what is being told. One big strength to me w loud have to be the distinct incorporation of ostrich movements. My overall critique would have to be a positive response. I would encourage o there to watch this piece. It was boring and stale but still painted the image as intended d. All of the props such as music,clothing, and movements went along well together. Would De finitely watch more performance pieces from this choreographer.

Diverse Abilities - Asperger's syndrome Research Paper

Diverse Abilities - Asperger's syndrome - Research Paper Example Moreover, it views inclusion as an avenue for advocating equality among learners with varied backgrounds. Hence, educators must possess the necessary knowledge and skills in teaching children with AS. There is also a need for collaboration with specialists, professionals, other teachers, administrators, and parents. There is a need for preparedness since there are several challenges to be considered. Fortunately, there are techniques and suggestions that can aid the teacher in creating an inclusive atmosphere. Report Introduction Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) was first explained in 1944. Hans Asperger was an Austrian pediatrician. However, AS was better known in the 1990s when researchers like Uta Frith, Lorna Wing, and Tony Attwood brought it to international interest. In 1994, it became standardized as a diagnosis. It is categorized under Pervasive Developmental Disorders in the DSM- IV. However, there are still doubts regarding its difference from high functioning autism or HFA (Holliday, 1999). â€Å"Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder resulting in impairment in social interaction, communication skills and restrictive interests. The disorder can also include motor clumsiness and problems with handwriting and being hypersensitive to specific auditory and tactile experiences. There can also be problems with organizational and time management skills and explaining thoughts and ideas using speech† (Attwood, 1998, p.15). This syndrome may manifest in a child’s certain developmental stage. There is usually a decline of improvement before age 22. An individual with AS has delays in his socialization and communication skills. In particular, a 7-year-old child with AS faces various challenges such as: hypersensitivity in simple acts like shaking hands, difficulty in making friends, having some problems in school work like writing, arithmetic, as well as staying in the proper line, and carrying a conversation with someone. Many indi viduals could also be misdiagnosed or go undiagnosed since the symptoms are closely related to other kinds of disorders. According to Goble (1995), most students with AS are in regular setting classrooms and continue with their education with no professional help. Bauer (1996) also states that many are mistaken to have ADHD since a number of their characteristics are quite similar (Carrington & Graham, 1999). For example, both of these disorders have symptoms like difficulty in relating with others, delay in motor skills, and tantrums. Asperger’s has been known as â€Å"high functioning autism.† It is one of the disorders of the autism spectrum (Allen & Johnson, 2011). It has particular characteristics which may or may not manifest in all individuals. Since AS affects the nervous system, there could be challenges across the different dimensions. This business card of an individual with AS will let anyone know the essential information about the syndrome: â€Å"I have Asperger’s Syndrome, a neurobiological disorder that sometimes makes it difficult for me to speak and act calmly and rationally. If I have given you this card, it probably means I think I am acting in a way that might be disturbing to you. In short, Asperger’s Syndrome can make it difficult for me to: speak slowly, refrain from interrupting, and control my hand movements and my blinking. It also makes it hard for me to follow your thoughts so that

Leadership Philosophy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership Philosophy - Coursework Example positive influence, developing right priorities, integrity, creating positive change, problem solving, right attitude, developing people, vision, self-discipline and team building. All these aspects are very important in respect of a comprehensive approach to leadership. However, one of the most important qualities of a leader is to have a vision. A vision is a clear image or idea about the aspirations of a leader. A vision comprises a set of specifically defined objectives that an individual or a firm aims to achieve, along with ways to achieve the same. Vision can also be defined as a picture of the future, where a leader defines the aspirations, develops plans for achieving the same and predicts future changes related to the venture. Maxwell explained that vision is developed by combining the past, present and future ideas. An individual is able to learn different lessons from past experiences, which act as cornerstone for vision development. The present helps an individual in determining resources that he/she would require while giving a physical shape to the vision. The future enables development of the bigger picture of a particular idea conceived in an individual’s mind. The paper is a self-reflective essay about a particular vision of the author and the various measures to be adopted for giving physical shape to the vision. Personal health is an asset for every individual. Yet, with increasing complexity in the surrounding environment, most of us are unable to enjoy a healthy life. One of the important aspects of maintaining health is food. Our food consumption behavior is reflected on our health. For instance, high consumption of fast food results in obesity, while excessive dieting causes malnutrition and related diseases. Most individuals want to eat healthy food, but hate to compromise on requirements of the taste buds. Consequently, taste gets more preference over health. The above situation is common for almost every individual and considering

Textual Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Textual Analysis - Essay Example The first of these texts which will be analyzed is that of Dorothea Lasky’s â€Å"Black Life†. This particular poem, though brief, expounds a very nuanced and full-bodied meaning of just what seeming meaninglessness greets the newborn child upon entering life. Says Lasky, â€Å"You are born and it is to a black life/Full of abuse and strange things†¦You die and it is from a black life/That you die from/You leave this one and go into the next/Where nothingness surrounds and evaporates/With the ease of something/That has done this sort of thing before† (Lasky 1). By detailing the somewhat meaningless yet methodical pressures that move all humanity through its brief experience on earth, the author is able to detail some sense and methodology to what has otherwise been labeled as a form of madness and ultimate depression with regards to the transient nature of life and its ultimate meaning. Although such a definition is no more comforting than any other definiti on of life and the ultimate depression it espouses, the author goes on to define some rationality to the way in which this â€Å"black life† leaves the earth with little to no fanfare or care on the part of those around it. Says Lasky, â€Å"I leave and I am black life/I leave you cause you didn’t need me after all/And I want to/Be what you made me to be/But you never really made me/This life made me/This thing that I am† (Lasky 1). In admitting that the world is perhaps better off without this blight of a depressed human being, the author is able to underscore the meaninglessness that life entails as the world cares not whether this depressed person is gone. Moreover, the ultimate cause of the depression is related not to be something biological, not something that has been recognized due to the singular unfairness of life; rather, it is born out of the fact that they â€Å"never really

Impact of Cartoons on Children Research

Impact of Cartoons on Children Research Cartoon or animated movie is a form which uses optical illusion and movements of consecutive performing of many still images. The first cartoon in the world was Fantasmagorie which was made by a France artist, Emile Cohl in 1908. Produced in over 100 years ago, this film had no sound and was called silent film. With white stroke on a black board in class table the film about the adventure of the cartoon character called Stick figure. All are represented by dots and simple strokes. Traditional animated cartoon, developed in early 1900s, was practiced by Ubbe Ert Iwwerks, Walt Disney and others. They had used 24 different pictures for each second of their animated movie. The first complete cartoon was produced in 1991. However, cartoon was not recognized by worldwide audience until 1914 via category animation film Gertie the Dinosaur by producer John Bray. In fact, in 1913, a film studio had producing as ones only occupation and within 5 years, the new entertaining program was born. At that time, a lot of artist took part in animated and got a lot of success. Early 30s of twentieth century, manufactures began to enhance color elements and sound in animation. The most representative works are maximum use of such elements as Snow white and the Seven Dwarfs (1973), this is the long animated the first episode in the history of the genre. Pinocchio (1940) was a cartoon produced by technical systems and the last complete. Frequently, people think cartoons are made by many simple drawing and just put them on order. In most peoples opinion, cartoons are several pictures describe consecutive actions. In fact, the second though is true. However, nowadays, in order to bring out a perfect product; producers have to make a lot of specific things. We have brief proceed about how to make a short cartoon movie. A cartoon movie, even just 30 or 80 minutes also need a number of producer and amount of time to make it completely. Everything starts from the idea, as soon as the script has done, a group of artists begin develop many storyboard which include brief conversations and the sound in the movie. After director checked the storyboard out, they move on to sound recording. Many people whose voice suit with character in the movie will be invited to dub. The sound will be deal with and provided on the number of frame on the movie and written called paper the dope sheet. Next to this step, the main parts of the movie are performed. Rough layout will be drawn first; in this part, artist just only use the pencil for perspective, arrangement of character and design. At the same time, animators make movements and after all of these the producers will make a test of lead draft and move on to check the film composition out. Then, they ad d more colors and theme on movie and move it to computer in order to join the scenes with the sounds. Finally, they check it out again to fix the problems and public. The cartoon making spends a lot of time. It usually takes them, on average, 6 to 12 months or maybe more just only to make a half hour cartoon. It is truly a difficult job. Watching cartoon had many bad effects on children. According to her, even in cartoon, children effected by violence across the screen kicking, killing each other with frequency of about 20 time an hour. Children watch violence images on television many hours a week there will have many violence actions as hitting, punching, biting his parents, sibling and friends. For advertising of food and alcohol, young tend to think the food in advertisements is good for health and not interested in the importance of vegetable in their diet. In addition, kids watch more cartoon are less physically active, easy weight gain leading to obesity while in young ages, children need to play creatively to social development. Finally, cartoon or television also influences a childrens eyesight if they focus on looking at the screen for prolonged periods. Method I. Participants: The researcher chose 100 people from many areas in Hanoi who have different jobs and ages. The participants in this study are: 20 students are working in Banking Academy, Hanoi, Vietnam. 30 kids from Katies living place. (Mage = 15.6 years, age range: 8 18 years) 20 younger parents who have kids (Mage = 27.3 years, age range: 23 35 years) 30 adults live around Hoan Kiem Lake (Mage = 36,3 from 19 45 years) In those participants, researcher chose 3 people to ask them a lot of special question. All of them have kid on school-age: Nguyà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¦n Ngà ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ c Hoa, 29 years old, lives in Hanoi and she is a business woman. She has two children, one kid is 7 years old and the other one is 10 years old. Nguyà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¦n Phà ºc Là ¢m, 32 years old, lives in Hanoi and works as a director in a Japan Company. He has a son whom is 9 years old. Là ² A Pà ¡o, 27 years old and lives in Hanoi. He works as sale manager on a company. I choose participants of different age living in different area to be objective and results of comprehensive. I focus on those who are kids by age group most influenced by this art. As young adults age is less influenced. I. Procedure: First, the researcher collected the information from some source such as: newspaper, books, Internet and so on. Then, basing on it, the researcher made some relevant questions for adults and people who care about Cartoon. Thirdly, the researcher met them in persons and interviewed to get more information. With the adults, the researcher asked them filling questionnaire or ask and the researcher filled the question list for children. After that, some quotation were cited, analyzed and compared. Finally, the researcher showed the conclusion from studies. Results Many reports have mentioned and researches about the opinion of people about media, including cartoon, and its affect to the peoples life. Stevie Hossler  (August, 2011) said that typically, children begin watching cartoon on television at an early age of six month, and by age two or three, children become enthusiastic audience. This has become a problem because there are too many children are watching TV too much and these programs (even cartoon) become violent and addictive. Children watch cartoon too much on TV are more likely to have mental problems and feelings, along with brain and eyes injuries and unexpectedly the risk of a physical problem increase. Furthermore, because of seeing violent on TV, children become less sensitive to hurting and affliction of others, they are not afraid of violent and easily become aggressive or use harmful action towards other people. Besides above results that I found in references, I also had a survey with 100 people have different ages (from 6 to over 45 years old and come from many different areas around Hanoi) on the question: Do you watch cartoon movie? and if yes: How old are you?. Then, I build on one pie chart that shows us Which are age groups who usually watch cartoon? Nowadays, cartoon movies are very popular and improve very quickly. Variety of cartoon movies were built for every age. From this chart we can see easily that at the period of age from 28 35, the percentage of people watch cartoon is 6 percent, makes up the smallest part of the pie chart. In that period of age, people usually too busy with their job and have no time to watching television, relaxing, even playing with their kids. A few of them spend the weekend to do those things, however it is just a short time. Hoa said that: I work as a business person so I have a lot of things to worry about, such as counting numbers, business, bosses, colleagues and so on. All of them make me crazy to dealing with. However, I still try to spend time playing with my girls, especially watching their favorite animation together. While, children on school age are the ones who watch cartoon the most. On the research, all kids watch cartoon every days, they watch it at home, at school and spend at least 3 hours per day for looking at television screen. It is really a huge number Moreover, we had a survey of a number of people who watch cartoon to find answers of the question: What kind of cartoon movie do you watch? Discussion When we did the research about cartoon with many people, there are two opposite opinions. Nobody can deny that cartoons have many surface advantages. First, watching cartoon movie is a useful entertainment activity for children and adults. A child can lie down quietly on sofa and just watch his favorite cartoon, instead of running around or screaming when his parents are working so they can play with their kid. Moreover, cartoons also have important effect on adults, especially the couples whose young children. After several busy working hours, parents can sit next to their kids and watch cartoon together. Thank to this film, they can relax completely and have a chance to stay their children nearer. These things are better than plunging into job immediately after arriving home and do not spend any time talking to the children. Nguyà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¦n Ngà ¡Ã‚ »Ã‚ c Hoa (29 years old, Hanoi) said that: When my daughter was younger than she is now, after working time, I arrived home and just focused on housework such as cleaning, washing, cooking and so on. Because of my job, I did not have enough time to play with my child and usually took her play by herself or with her friends next door. Recent time, I have spent more time watching Tom and Jerry and other cartoons on Disney channel or Cartoon Network. I realize that when I watching cartoons with my daughter, the conversation between me and my kid become closer than ever. Now, I understand my honey more clearly, know what she wants, what she thinks, what she needs, and how she grows day by day. As a mother, I really feel very happy and so glad to understand her. J.Wolffe, an animation researcher wrote in an article on April, 23, 2012 that the animation is where kids learn how the hero is really, when she was a child, she could learn to pronounce quickly difficult words which make people confusing when listen to them. Smart will help you get almost everything and there is always anybody is more intelligent than you, animation teaches all that. Why? Because, via animation kids can learn and understand quickly when they are entertaining, which is one of the reason why children have difficulty learning from teachers, the pressure makes them liable to remember vocabulary as fast as sing a song in animation. At home, I always buy CD or open a cartoon channel to watch many funny movies with my son. In the past, my child was very active; he always run around house, from a room to another room and never sits quietly on a place within thirty minutes. However, since he has watched cartoon, he can sit on chair with concentration to television without saying any word. Furthermore, after watching a movie, if he does not get anything on this film, he will try to discover by asking me or other ones. He also often dram the characters on cartoon scene, training every day and improves it day by day. I am so proud of my little boy said Nguyà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ¦n Phà ºc Là ¢m (32 years old, Hanoi). Not only does cartoon bring happy time for parents with their children, but it also is a special teacher for kids, who is closest and most friendly with younger generation. Nowadays, there are many cartoon series which including educative programs. It teaches children arithmetic, drawing by using beautiful and attractive shape and funny situation. Besides that, via a lot of movies, kids can learn about some knowledge around them, improving their grasp and learning. Some programs teach 7- and 8- years old a little of a foreign language, such as English an international language. Learning English from young is an important step for language ability for children in the future. In addition, animated films have a lot of funny and eye-catching picture which attract the kids so these points will help develop and enrich the childrens imagination. A vast number of people think that watching cartoon is totally good and it does not have any bad influence on children and adults. In fact that opinion is not absolute true. Cartoon is a kind of movie which causes addiction easily. More and more kids have trend toward sitting on room and they prefer watching cartoon to going out and playing with other kids, doing exercise or other activities. Sitting and watching animated movies several hours like that can make the kids sink into the world of many imaginary characters, they can use that time to do more useful work, instead of wasting it only on watching cartoon. Cartoon is just a program used to relax and improve kids brain; it cannot replace healthy activities which will train childrens body. Moreover, base on an unpublished study perform by Mary Fenway, watching cartoon on several hours cause autism for 46% of children who usually do this work and they will find difficult on opening relationship. This is really an unexpected disadvantage of watching cartoon, which nobody is looking forward to. Besides that, nowadays, appeared many animated companies just care about their profit and are insensitive to their products affection for younger generation. Là ² A Pà ¡o (27 years old, Hanoi) said that: I usually let my son watching cartoon himself because he is very interested in this funny program. However, recently, I feel that my son got mad more often than he had been, lazy to eat and sometime he beat his classmate in kindergarten. I felt very nervous and could not explain what the reason was. A few day later, I found that a cartoon channel that my child usually watch for, project an animated movie whose a lot of violent scene. Immediately, I delete that channel because it made much bad influent on my kid. Instead, I let my son watch a lot of educative cartoon and care more about what he watches. In modern life, many parents are busy with their jobs and do not notice what their child watch. Bad animated movies bring a lot of evil effect on young people, teach them things and make them have the wrong view about the lives around. Furthermore, a few animated movies which are made for adults, has unsuitable content with kids and effect on the childrens souls if they watch those movies accidentally.     Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American of Child Psychiatry and adolescents (AACAP) felt that television does not affect the behavior of children as young an age. From  their research, the AACAP countries, Kids watch shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see. They also said that childrens parents need to keep a close eye on what their kids watch, and explain for children that the cartoon character was shot was not hurt, but really would be seriously injuries or die in real life. They should tell their kids that violence is not the best ways to deal with a conflict. In conclusion, because of a lot of cartoons affections on childrens life and character in future, choosing a best cartoon for kids is an important work with who are mothers and fathers. In addition, there is an alarm for the industry for kids; they need block the commercial cartoon, give back the innocent, pure and suitable animated movies for the future generation of the world.

History of the Bahamas Essay -- Essays Papers

History of the Bahamas The Bahama Islands were discovered on October 12, 1942 by Christopher Columbus. Columbus and his Spanish crew stumbled upon the archipelago while looking for a trade route to the wealth of the West Indies and named is San Salvador. (Craton, pg. 30) The Spanish settlers encountered the native Bahamians, the Lucayans upon thier arrival. The Lucayans were a primitive race of farmers and fisherman that had migrated north from Venezuela to escape the cannibalistic Caribs.(Bothwell, pg. 27) The hospitality of the natives was not returned by the Europeans and since the lucayans themselves were the only valuable commodity to the Spanish they were all enslaved and sent to Hispaniola to work and die in the mines or sent to dive in the pearl fisheries of Trinidad. (Craton, pg. 187) The name of the Islands originated from the explorer Jaun Ponce de Leon in 1513 who searched the archipelago for the "fountain of youth." After sailing through the islands he named them "Bajamar", the Spanish word for Shallow Waters.(Craton & Saunders, Vol. I, pg. 5) The first English Settlers of the Bahamas were puritans that fled Bermuda after Anglican and Puritan Conflicts arose. The Puritans formed the â€Å"Company of Elutherian Adventures† led by Captain William Sayle and escaped the religious persecution of Bermuda. The Puritans faced times of trouble when their ship was wrecked upon reaching the Islands. They called for aid from their Puritan friends in Massachusetts who undoubtedly saved their lives by sending them a shipment of goods. (Bothwell, 117) Many of the Puritan settlers found life to difficult in the Bahamas and by 1657 most of them returned to Bermuda. In 1670, Charles II granted the proprietors from the Carolinas the right to take over New Providence Island. A population close to five hundred settled the islands and grew cotton, tobacco and sugar cane. (Craton & Saunders, 194) GRAFICAS The lackadaisical approach of governing that consisted of heavy drinking and neglecting crops resulted in an open invitation for pirates. Pirates such as Black Beard ran amuck the throughout the islands for a quarter of a century until order was restored under the first royal governor, Captain Woodes Rogers. (Craton, pg. 251) ... ...of the German U-boat. American investment led to the development of airports and after the war the Bahamas became a popular tourist destination. (Craton and Saunders, 300) On January 7, 1964 the Bahamas attained internal self-government through a new constitution. The rise of the Progressive Liberal party created a dual party system along with the long dominant United Bahamian Party. The first leader of the Progressive Liberal Party and the first Negro premiere was Lynden O. Pindling. On July 10, 1973 under Pindling, the Bahamas was granted complete independence from Great Britain. His policies brought prosperity and stability to the Bahamas and the education system dramatically improved under his rule. He has faced controversy over his deliberate ignorance or possible role in the drug crime wave of the 1970’s and 80’s. (Craton & Saunders, Vol. II, pg. 378) He was outvoted in 1992 and replaced by the current Prime Minister, Hubert Ingraham, a member of the Free National Movement party. Under Ingraham, the country has expanded its economy and foreign industry creating a stronger sense of national identity and preserving peace and prosperity throughout the islands.

Medicare Advantage Plans Essay

According to the article, Health insurer stocks slip over possible Medicare Advantage payment cuts, after a bad week at the stocks it may lead to Medicare Advantage Payment cuts in 2014. That could lead to reduced coverage or fewer buying plans for persons 65 years and older, the disabled and people who have end-stage renal disease. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said after markets closed â€Å"costs per person for Medicare Advantage plans to fall more than 2 percent in 2014, a bigger drop than many analysts who cover the industry anticipated† (Associated Press, 2013). Medicare Advantage plans could see payment reductions topping 5 percent, considering they are also facing cuts from the health care reform and from steep federal budget cuts known as sequestration that are slated to start in March (Associated Press, 2013). Medicare Advantage plans are a key source of growth for insurers. It allows Medicare to offer basic coverage topped with vision or dental coverage, or offer premiums lower than standard Medicare Rates (Associated Press, 2013). The Advantage plans help cuts costs and negotiate reimbursement with providers to help keep costs down. A Medicare Advantage Plan is a type of Medicare health plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare to provide the citizen with all their Part A and Part B benefits. Medicare Advantage Plans include Health Maintenance Organizations, Preferred Provider Organizations, Private Fee-for-Service Plans, Special Needs Plans, and Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans. If enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, Medicare services are covered through the plan and aren’t paid for under Original Medicare (Medicare.gov, n.d.). Under each plan there are different coverages. For example under a PPO you pay less for use of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers that belong in your plan’s network. If you choose to go elsewhere you’ll pay a larger premium. With an HMO, you can’t get your health care from any doctor, other health care provider or hospital. You must get your care and services from providers in that network (Medicare.gov, n.d.). Per Medicare News Watch, the annual estimated out-of-pocket costs for Medicare Advantage Plan members in 2013, including applicable copayments, deductibles, and premiums will vary from state to state. This website ranks all plans within the state and gives you an average on how much you’ll play per plan whether your health is â€Å"good, fair or poor†. For Massachusetts, a citizen can pay anywhere from $727-6712 on average per year depending on their health status. In the West Palm Beach area of Florida, it will costs between $106-4178 a year (Hmos4seniors.com, 2013). Considering a good majority of these patients don’t have much expendable income it’s hard to think that these prices may increase and that there will be fewer options as well. I personally know elderly and disabled on these types of plans and they have expressed that any increases will be a hardship on all of them. The health status is defined per the chart below (Hmos4seniors.com, 2013): Health Status: GOOD Requiring occ. routine care| Health Status: FAIR Requiring episodic care for non-chronic conditions| Health Status: POOR Requiring chronic disease care and management| Low annual utilization- 4 Doctor office visits (in-network) – 1 Urgent care visit (out-of-area) – 0 Inpatient admissions – 0 Home health visits – 6 Prescriptions (30 day supply) – 1 Vision, hearing exams – 1 Dental prevention visit| Moderate annual utilization- 12 Doctor office visits (in-network) – 1 Emergency room visit – 1 Inpatient admission (5 days) – 4 Home health visits – 24 Prescriptions (2 per month) – 1 Vision, hearing exam – 1 Dental prevention visit| High annual utilization- 24 Doctor office visits (in-network) – 2 Emergency room visits – 3 Inpatient admissions (15 days) – 12 Home health visits – 72 Prescriptions (6 per month) – 1 Vision, hearing exam – 1 Dental prevention visit| References Hmos4seniors.com (2013). MedicareNewsWatch.com – Medicare Advantage Plan Cost Comparisons in Major Cities throughout the United States. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.hmos4seniors.com/costcomparisons.html [Accessed: 25 Feb 2013]. Medicare.gov (n.d.). Medicare Advantage Plans | Medicare.gov. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/medicare-health-plans/medicare-advantage-plans/medicare-advantage-plans.html [Accessed: 25 Feb 2013]. Associated Press (2013). Health insurer stocks slip over possible Medicare Advantage payment cuts. The Washington Post, 19th February.

Edward Hopper essays

Edward Hopper essays Edward Hopper was a painter, who depicted life in America in the 1920's, and the influence of the events of those times on people. Hopper inspired other artists, after his time, to paint in his style. The paintings he did showed the reaction of americans to events happening in the 1920s. By looking at his work, one can feel the emotions that people felt during these years, and the atmosphere in America all together. Hopper was a ground breaking artist of his time, and created new aspects in art, while influencing others. Edward Hopper was able to depict the scenes of the times, because he had an extreme good background in painting and drawing. He got involved with art as a child, and then attended the New York School of Art, from the years 1900 to 1906, while being trained by Robert Henri, one of the fathers of American Realism - a man whom he later described as 'the most influential teacher I had' (qtd.in Lucie-Smith 67) . From the years 1913 to the year 1923 he worked as a commercial illustrator to support himself, but it was not his real interest (Craven 435). Between the years 1906 and 1910 he made three trips to Europe, but these seemed to have very little influence on his style (ibiblio.org). After these years, Hopper started to concentrate more on the art that made him gain widespread recognition as an "American Scene painter". These are the works that are most known, and used to represent life in the US. Though his works were always interpreted in this way, the artist himself claims " I don't think I ever tried to paint the American scene; I'm just trying to paint myself" (qtd.in ibiblio.org). And technically this is exactly what the painter did. All the models used for his paintings were images of himself and his wife Jo (Beckett 136). He believed that people in the 1920s acted as if clones, and therefore the same image, of himself as the typical american, were used in the paintings. The perfectly proportionate...

Free Essays on AI

Artificial Intelligence Recently, the media has spent an increasing amount of broadcast time on new technology. The focus of high-tech media has been aimed at the flurry of advances concerning artificial intelligence (AI). What is artificial intelligence and what is the media talking about? Are these technologies beneficial to our society or mere novelties among business and marketing professionals? Medical facilities, police departments, and manufacturing plants have all been changed by AI but how? These questions and many others are the concern of the general public brought about by the lack of education concerning rapidly advancing computer technology. Artificial intelligence is defined as the ability of a machine to think for itself. Scientists and theorists continue to debate if computers will actually be able to think for themselves at one point (Patterson 7). The generally accepted theory is that computers do and will think more in the future. AI has grown rapidly in the last ten years chiefly becau se of the advances in computer architecture. The term artificial intelligence was actually coined in 1956 by a group of scientists having their first meeting on the topic (Patterson 6). Early attempts at AI were neural networks modeled after the ones in the human brain. Success was minimal at best because of the lack of computer technology needed to calculate such large equations. AI is achieved using a number of different methods. The more popular implementations comprise neural networks, chaos engineering, fuzzy logic, knowledge based systems, and expert systems. Using any one of the aforementioned design structures requires a specialized computer system. For example, Anderson Consulting applies a knowledge based system to commercial loan officers using multimedia (Hedburg 121). Their system requires a fast IBM desktop computer. Other systems may require even more horsepower using exotic computers or workstations. Even more exotic ... Free Essays on AI Free Essays on AI Artificial Intelligence Recently, the media has spent an increasing amount of broadcast time on new technology. The focus of high-tech media has been aimed at the flurry of advances concerning artificial intelligence (AI). What is artificial intelligence and what is the media talking about? Are these technologies beneficial to our society or mere novelties among business and marketing professionals? Medical facilities, police departments, and manufacturing plants have all been changed by AI but how? These questions and many others are the concern of the general public brought about by the lack of education concerning rapidly advancing computer technology. Artificial intelligence is defined as the ability of a machine to think for itself. Scientists and theorists continue to debate if computers will actually be able to think for themselves at one point (Patterson 7). The generally accepted theory is that computers do and will think more in the future. AI has grown rapidly in the last ten years chiefly becau se of the advances in computer architecture. The term artificial intelligence was actually coined in 1956 by a group of scientists having their first meeting on the topic (Patterson 6). Early attempts at AI were neural networks modeled after the ones in the human brain. Success was minimal at best because of the lack of computer technology needed to calculate such large equations. AI is achieved using a number of different methods. The more popular implementations comprise neural networks, chaos engineering, fuzzy logic, knowledge based systems, and expert systems. Using any one of the aforementioned design structures requires a specialized computer system. For example, Anderson Consulting applies a knowledge based system to commercial loan officers using multimedia (Hedburg 121). Their system requires a fast IBM desktop computer. Other systems may require even more horsepower using exotic computers or workstations. Even more exotic ...

Analysis of Dulzara Poem by Sandra Cisneros Essay - 5

Analysis of Dulzara Poem by Sandra Cisneros - Essay Example She wants to soothe him with her love and affection. She wants to sing the night song for him when they are together expressing her true affection for him. The poem follows a natural and conversational style. In this poem, the writer is talking to her lover in a simple tone and asks him to show his emotions in her favorite language. The use of two different languages i.e. English and Spanish shows her wide range of ideas and thoughts incorporated into her words. In the next few lines, the writer expresses her love for her lover. It is natural that boys express their love first followed by the girls. So the first lines inquired the lover to show his love, and now the female part of the couple is coming out of her shell to show her warmth of love. She desires him to stay in her heart forever. â€Å"Mouth of my Heart† is a beautiful phrase that emphasizes that staying in the heart is a broad term, and specifying the exact portion of heart carries a deep meaning. As mouth carries special significance for our body, hence â€Å"Mouth of my Heart† may be considered as the main portion of the heart that contains the imaginary tongue to express the feelings of love and affection. In the next stanza, Sandra continues to show her love for her lover that she wants him to be encompassed in her hands forever. She doesn’t want to leave him at any cost. He carries great value in her eyes that’s why it is very difficult for her to leave him. She gives the resemblance of the meat of the wrist to the sweetness of the mango. She wears the gold ornaments and jewelry that dangles time and again from her ears and neck as she meets him. In the last few lines, the writer demands her lover to call her name with love and affection. Her name should be called with true emotions and love. The way it deserves to be said means that the lover should call her with names like darling, cutie pie, dear etc.  

THe importance of the notion of the ideal body in contemporary culture Essay

THe importance of the notion of the ideal body in contemporary culture - Essay Example Art is believed to depict the events of its time and also anticipate the future events. Thus, art is viewed as a concept rather than a mere object portraying beauty. Capturing the complexity and beauty of the human body in forms of art, such as paintings, sculptures, or even in poems, has been the most interesting and sought after objective for artists from the known historical times. This is said to have attained its peak during the middle ages, including the Early and the High Renaissance, as evidenced by different types of portrayal of an ideal human body in various paintings and sculptures of ancient time. The most famous artists, both painters and sculptors, of this time known today are Giotto, Masaccio, Donatello, Leonardo Da Vinci, Giovanni Bellini, Christus Rex, and others. This period has evidenced rebirth of art and literature, rise of knowledge and intellect in many aspects. Artists during the Renaissance period had acquired technical knowledge of study of anatomy and had achieved new heights in sketching portrait, landscape, and mythological and religious paintings. While these explain the notion of ideal body in ancient art, the same has quite drastically transformed in contemporary art. Research and study on contemporary art are based on various media such as the magazines, television, video and photography besides paintings and sculptures. The base of contemporary art also seems to have changed to a great extent. The notion of ideal body and beauty in contemporary is that of outwardly beauty that incites sexuality and trend of fashion, unlike values or ethos of ancient art. In general, the Renaissance artists depicted joy in human beauty and pleasures of life in their paintings. They also tried to show different perspectives of things that they wanted to portray, which seemed to have descended from Giotto’s work. This art had much more meaning than beauty. Art informs life and produces