Monthly Archives: March 2014

City looks at health care options for employees, chooses to stay put

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TIFTON The Tifton City Council heard from Skip Hill with Partners Benefit Group at last weeks workshop concerning changes in health care.

City Manager Larry Riner said Hill has been handling their health care benefits for quite some time now. He said he finds the best bang for their buck. Hill discussed changes in health care due to Health Care Reform and the Affordable Care Act.

Based on the recommendation from Partners Benefit Group, it is in the best interest of the city to stay with Cigna insurance company at this time. Due to Health Care Reform and the claims history, staff will incur an increase to be shared between employee and the city. However, exact numbers will not be known until open enrollment is completed due to different plans that employees may choose.

Hill explained the waiting period for an employee to be eligible for benefits is no more than 90 days. The city will now be required to offer insurance to employees once they have completed 60 days of employment on the first of the month following that date.

He said whether covered under the city or another plan, all copays or any out-of-pocket that an employee pays going forward must be included in that out-of-pocket maximum. The only exception in 2014 will be prescription copays, which will count toward that out-of-pocket maximum in 2015.

He said for this past year, the city had a 130 percent loss ratio. Additionally, with that loss ratio, there are some taxes and fees that the insurance carriers are having to pay due to the Affordable Care Act, one which is called a transitional reinsurance fee. This fee is paid to the government and will be dispersed to insurance companies that are covering high risk individuals.

That tax will be $63 per year per covered person on your plan, which means that if Ive got a family of four, then the city of Tifton through premiums will pay a tax of $63 for each person in my family for that 12-month period, Hill told the council.

He said the increase that was handed down from Cigna, which includes these additional taxes, equates to a 20.79 percent increase for this coming year.

A mandate is coming in 2015 that if you employ more than 100 employees, you must offer health insurance to anyone who works 30 plus hours a week. Thats considered full time and youre not going to be allowed to charge them more than 9.5 percent of their W-2 income, whatever on a per pay period basis that theyre paying, Hill said.

He added, We made a recommendation to Mr. Riner and Ms. (Carla) Cooper (human resources director) that we go ahead and offer a plan, a third option. He said currently, employees have two options as far as health insurance one is a copay plan and the other is a higher deductible plan.

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City looks at health care options for employees, chooses to stay put

Oakwood Healthcare, Beaumont Health System and Botsford Health Care begin $2.8 billion alliance

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By Erica McClain The News-Herald

Oakwood Healthcare, Beamount Health System and Botsford Health Care have agreed to form a new $3.8 billion heath system spanning Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

The three health care systems CEOs began discussions about a merger in late 2013 and yesterday signed a letter of intent to begin the due diligence process, which is projected to take 90 days.

Botsford CEO Paul LaCasse said that while the Affordable Care Act that compels health care systems to reduce costs and inefficiencies through mergers and alliances, it was not the driving factor for the three organizations.

We saw the cultural fit and recognized that we could improve safety and reduce cost structure those were the driving factors, LaCasse said.

The three health care systems span Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties with Oakwood headquartered in Dearborn, Botsford in Farmington Hills and Beaumont in Royal Oak.

The geography we have is not overlapping, its complementary, LaCasse said. Our physician practice models are very similar, and we have a very strong commitment to private practice we want to perpetuate.

The cultural fit is fabulous. We know each other weve known (each other) for a long time and have a mutual respect for one another.

There are no plans to close any hospitals, according to Oakwood CEO Brian Connolly.

However, an inventory will be taken on each facilitys age and locations to review facilities and maintenance costs, Beaumont CEO Gene Michalski said.

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Oakwood Healthcare, Beaumont Health System and Botsford Health Care begin $2.8 billion alliance

The Times & Technology, They are a-Changing: Global Futurist Jack Uldrich to Keynote American Technical Education …

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Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) March 25, 2014

Following numerous keynote speeches around the world, including the Ohio Educational Technology Conference in February, Jack Uldrich, global futurist, and best-selling author, will kick off the ATEA conference on March 26th with his keynote "Why Future Trends in Technical Education Demand Unlearning."

Hosted by Dunwoody College of Technology, postsecondary technical educators will convene in St. Paul from March 26-28, for the 51st American Technical Education Association (ATEA) Conference. The conference aims to provide various opportunities for technical educators, administrators and business partners to tackle the ever-changing opportunities and challenges to meet workforce needs.

Uldrichs keynote presentation will address many of the challenges ATEA members face through the concept of unlearning. As well as highlight how they can, and should, begin embracing the coming technological trends.

"Every year, the higher education landscape becomes more complex to navigate, both for students and providers," said Sandra Krebsbach, ATEA executive director. "The conference is one of the best opportunities in the country for educators and employers to meet and discuss these challenges and share best practices."

Uldrich will discuss best practices for adopting the coming technological changes and share insights from his best-selling book, "Higher Unlearning: 39 Post Requisite Lessons for Achieving a Successful Future," and his latest book, "Foresight 2020: A Futurist Explores the Trends Transforming Tomorrow." Uldrich will also touch on why these future trends will require unlearning, and address how these technological changes are upending long-standing educational and funding mechanisms.

The keynote is designed to provide ATEA education innovators a solid and thought-provoking foundation upon which to conduct future strategic planning. An overview of many of the coming changes can be found in this article: 10 Quotations on the Future of Higher Education.

Uldrich's addresses have been said to be, "inspiring, thought provoking, motivational, and practical all at once." By infusing a "huge dose of practicality," drawn from a wide spectrum of industries outside the educational establishment, Uldrich will ensure his message of unlearning "sticks" with his ATEA audience. A sample of some his ideas on the future of education can be found in this article, The Future of Higher Education: A Cloudy Forecast.

Celebrated as a national and international speaker and scholar, Uldrichs most recent keynotes have been delivered to the American Medical Association, TEXPERS, the Idaho Technology Council, Wells Fargo, the Allan P. Kirby Lecture Series at Wilkes University and The Million Dollar Round Table in Kuala Lumpur.

Some of Uldrichs other clients include General Electric, IBM, Cisco, United Healthcare, PepsiCo, Verizon Wireless, General Mills, the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Pfizer, Healthcare Association of New York, Southern Company, St. Jude Medical, Dressbarn, AG Schering, Imation, Lockheed Martin, Fairview Hospitals, Touchstone Energy, The Insurance Service Organization, and hundreds more.

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The Times & Technology, They are a-Changing: Global Futurist Jack Uldrich to Keynote American Technical Education ...

Rick Warren 1st Amendment protects freedom to practice one's faith in full

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Does our Constitution guarantee the freedom of religion, or does it merely allow a more limited freedom to worship? The difference is profound. Worship is an event. Religion is a way of life.

Specifically, does the First Amendment guarantee believers of all faiths the freedom to practice their ethics, educate their children and operate family businesses based on their religious beliefs, moral convictions and freedom of conscience? Do Americans have the freedom to place our beliefs and ethics at the center of our business practices or must we ignore them when we form a company?

These questions will be brought before the Supreme Court today. The outcome of Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby will affect every American because any religion allowed to be practiced only inside a house of worship, and not in the day-to-day business of life, is a worthless faith.

Since I wrote The Purpose Driven Life 12 years ago, I have received more than 500,000 letters and e-mails from people trying to live in ways they believe honor God. For millions of Americans, faith is something you live by. It colors every decision and action, both at home and at work. It is personal, but it is not private.

David and Barbara Green are one example of a purpose-driven family leading a purpose-driven business. From the time the Greens started Hobby Lobby in their garage, building picture frames with their sons, they committed themselves and their company to one simple purpose: Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating our company in a manner consistent with biblical principles.

Hobby Lobby has grown into a multibillion-dollar business with more than 550 stores and nearly 16,000 full-time employees. David Green has written, We had faith that we would succeed if we lived and worked according to Gods Word.

The Greens live their religious values and ethics in every aspect of their business: by providing salaries and benefits far above average industry levels and by their commitment to helping employees maintain a healthy work-life balance, which includes closing on Sundays so workers have more time with their families.

Every year, Hobby Lobby gives a portion of its profits to charities, educational institutions, community ministries and churches around the world. My own congregation was a surprise beneficiary of the Greens generosity a few years ago, and that is how I first met this amazing family.

There is massive evidence that everything Hobby Lobby does is predicated on the Greens deep belief that they must honor God and obey his commands in their business. Every Christmas and Easter, Hobby Lobby takes out full-page ads to share the Greens faith in the communities where they have stores. Hobby Lobby is not a secular, publicly traded company. Rather, it is the personal, purpose-driven mission of one of the most devout families Ive ever met.

Two years ago, the Greens commitment to practicing their religious convictions in their family business required that they object to just a few of the contraceptives the government requires providing to employees under the Affordable Care Act. They believe that a few specific drugs and devices have the potential to terminate life that has been conceived, and they view this as morally wrong based on Psalm 139:13-16, which says that God planned the purpose of every life before we were born. Represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, they went to court, and now the case has made it to the Supreme Court.

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Rick Warren 1st Amendment protects freedom to practice one's faith in full

Freedom Day part of aborted 1958 plan

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Speaking at a book launch in the presence of President Emeritus Fenech Adami, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat stated that Freedom Day thirty-five years ago had been part of the plan which had been aborted in 1958 by the resignation of Dom Mintoffs first government. Independence and the Republic were stages along the way. All led to the life we live today.

The book which was officially launchedIL-ELSIEN: Il-mixja lejn il-31 ta Marzu tal-1979 (FREEDOM: The road leading to 31 March 1979)was researched and written by historian Mark Camilleri, and published by SKS (Sensiela Kotba Sojalisti).

The book is packed with new historical information backed by documents freshly unearthed from the British national archives in London and the Labour Partys internal archives at amrun.

It reveals new facts about what made Mintoffs undertakings during the sixties and seventies at all possible.

During the event, Prof. Dominic Fenech stated that Freedom Day had been an independence beyond Independence itself.

He said that the new publication excellently provides the residential context of Maltas freedom from foreign rule.

The event was also attended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and various Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries.

The new publication brings new historic material out in the light.

It discloses for the first time documents shedding new light on the legendary Labour meeting in Gozo of May 1961, on the extensive foreign connections forged by the Labour Party while in opposition during the sixties, Che Guevaras 1964 reference to Maltas anti-colonial struggle, Mintoffs correspondence with Bertrand Russel, and more.

It also features many photographs related to Freedom Day which have never been publisehd before.

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Freedom Day part of aborted 1958 plan

ISO Modular Data Centers afford flexible design, maintenance.

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According to Mark Awdas, Engineering Manager with Cannon Technologies, the new ISO standard container options offer clients a wide range of advantages - including free cooling, low PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) ratios and medium/high density facilities. Key features of the new ISO container units include 95% power efficiency (98% in ECO mode), plus low power LED lighting on a single and highly resilient circuit - replacing the power-hungry twin circuit systems seen on legacy installations.

The unique raised floor system, says Awdas, supports features not normally available in previous containerised offerings, such as enabling cooling water pipe work and other services - to operate below floor level. In responding to client requests for these new units, our engineering team have developed an ISO standard container that gives clients "room to breathe" in a plug-and-play data centre environment and with drop shipping times as low as seven days, he explained.

The team has also developed a modular infrastructure that gives clients a range of unique configuration options that are available, quite literally, off the shelf. Our aim when developing the new range was to create the Holy Grail of modular data centres - namely high levels of flexibility for client installations, but without shoe-horning clients into a one-size-fits-all system," he said.

A choice of formats: the best of both worlds

Awdas went on to say that the development of the ISO container range offers customers a range of size and format choices - including a clamshell option, which features two, or even three open sides that bolt together meaning that businesses really can have the best of both worlds. And at a highly cost-competitive price, he notes.

Cannon is especially proud of its clamshell option with the new ISO container series, as the units feature an outer and an inner skin design that - once sited - offers a larger data centre floor area, but without the lead times that legacy modular systems traditionally require. This innovative approach with the new units, says Awdas, has extended to the design of the lighting system - with a robust and hot-swappable low-power LED lighting circuit that replaces the twin-circuit systems seen in legacy modular data centres.

"Despite the ISO containers being modular in nature, flexibility was the name of the game when our design team sat down to develop these units from scratch. We started by throwing away the book on conventional data centre limitations and developing an ISO container series that offers all the advantages of small and mid-sized data centres - but on a drop-ship and power-efficient basis," he said.

Cannon's engineering manager says that most competing modular data centre options represent something of a compromise. With the Cannon ISO range clients get a wide choice of options available on a mix-and-match basis ranging from ISO standard to WISO and all the way to dual or triple ISO clamshell sizing in the TMDC range, he said.

There is also an ISO stack family of multiple 2.4 x 12m modules in our MDC range that can be transported in a standard ISO format - using a crane if stacking is required, in order to create a data centre campus, he added.

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ISO Modular Data Centers afford flexible design, maintenance.