Covid-19 has exposed vulnerabilities in health care systems across the United States and world. To reduce infectious risk to patients and providers, and conserve critical resources such as personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and intensive care (ICU) beds most states in the U.S. enacted a temporary ban on elective surgery from March through May 2020.

The ban has resulted in a backlog of uncompleted procedures that had been scheduled over this three-month period, as well as a dynamic backlog of surgeries that continue to be delayed as the health system experiences diminished capacity. The problem is that the elective in elective surgery is largely a misnomer, serving only to distinguish between emergent care and non-emergent care. While elective implies optional, most elective surgical cases fall somewhere between vital preventative measures (e.g. screening colonoscopy) and essential surgery (e.g. cataract removal). Ample literature across surgical specialties demonstrates worse patient outcomes and higher costs when these treatments are delayed.

Together, these factors have resulted in an astounding number of patients failing to receive the medical attention they need. (One recent study predicts that the post-pandemic backlog will exceed one million cases for spinal fusions and joint replacements in the field of orthopaedic surgery alone.) This anticipated demand in combination with health providers decreased capacity will likely result in creation of wait lists and potentially worsened health impacts on patients.

Now that most states have lifted restrictions on elective surgery, hospital leaders across the country have been rushing to implement ramp up strategies. Covid-19 exposed that healthcare systems have been largely unprepared to deal with this shut down and ramp-up. In addition to addressing the growing patient backlog, the motivation to restart elective surgery includes tempering revenue shock from decreased surgical volume, a substantial contributor to the margin of hospitals and medical centers. In fact, deferment of medical care has a broader impact on the national economy, as approximately half of the annualized 4.8% U.S. GDP decline in the first quarter of 2020 is attributed to health care services, especially delayed elective procedures.

While there are many good reasons to ramp back up quickly, it is important that speed does not overtake strategy. Restarting elective surgery haphazardly may result in unintended consequences. Ambiguous policies and procedures for scheduling and distributing resources across elective surgical cases can create bottlenecks that impede overall hospital operations. Ramp up strategies that do not prioritize equitable access to care may inadvertently favor patients with socioeconomic privilege, reinforcing existing disparities in access and quality. For example, racial and ethnic minority patients have historically had lower rates of elective operations such as knee replacement and the Covid-19 pandemic may result in further reduction in access to health care for minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.

As clinicians and health care leaders work to address the backlog and treat new patients in ways that are consistent with the clinical, financial, and ethical goals of their organizations, they need a more systematic approach. Developing this approach now is beneficial for the current state of health care and may be beneficial in potential future surgical suspensions as well.

Here we suggest five strategies that health care leaders can employ today to meet their clinical objectives, while aiming for better operational efficiency and equity in access to care:

Develop consistent, transparent, and bias-aware algorithms for surgical prioritization.Since elective surgeries were given the green light to proceed in May of this year (though some states are reversing course on this decision), most health systems have introduced broad, rudimentary guidelines for surgical prioritization. However, the prioritization decision in many cases is left to individual surgeons or a small group of health leaders who use their personal heuristics or preferences for decision making. A consistent and transparent prioritization framework has generally been missing from these efforts.

To address their growing backlog, a gold-rush mentality has emerged among surgeons and surgical groups who are vying for operating room (OR) blocks based on first-come, first-served and loudest voice wins methods. This mentality can unfortunately lead to tribalism among different surgical specialties, with each group trying to expand their footprint and claim more surgical resources (e.g., OR time, surgical beds, and ICU beds). This local-optimization approach is not in the best interests of the health systems and may put patients of less vocal surgeons at risk.

A prioritization framework that is ethics-driven and takes into account the values of multiple stakeholders is necessary to maximize patient benefit and minimize Covid-19 exposure. One potential silver lining of Covid-19 has been a growing acceptance among clinicians and health care leaders of digital transformation. This change in attitude may help facilitate algorithmic approaches to surgical prioritization.

There are already algorithms being developed to auto-prioritize patients in real-time. For example, one such prioritization algorithm, being developed through work at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Hopkins Business of Health Initiative, is inspired by multi-criterion decision analysis and considers three types of factors: surgical risk factors (e.g., patient age, surgical urgency), capacity requirement factors (e.g., OR time, PPE consumption, ICU bed requirements), and Covid-19 risk factors (e.g., Covid-19 status, case transmission risk, and Covid-19-specific comorbidities), in order to provide consistent, systematic prioritization decisions among the population of patients in need of elective surgery.

Of course, such algorithms must be keenly aware of potential biases to ensure they narrow, rather than widen, existing disparities in access to care across patient groups. Regardless of the specific algorithm adopted, these tools will need to be transparent, consistent, and bias-aware.

Expand surgical capacity by transitioning to outpatient care.Transitioning care from historically inpatient to outpatient settings may aid in expanding surgical capacity through decentralization of care from hospitals to less-intensive care centers or physician office settings. These lower-acuity outpatient settings may increase patient throughput and result in streamlined and focused care given the capacity-constrained, resource-intensive hospital setting.

Fields such as ophthalmology and dermatological surgery have long embraced this strategy and done so successfully. For instance, dermatologists treating skin cancer are able to perform Mohs micrographic surgery whichcombines tumor removal, complete margin evaluation using frozen section histopathology, and advance reconstruction techniques all in one visitusing local anesthesia in an outpatient office suite. Covid-19 has illustrated the value for more traditionally hospital-anchored surgical specialties to venture into these spaces for lower-acuity cases.

Accomplishing this shift would require lobbying state legislators to waive certificate-of-need requirements that have been historical roadblocks in the use of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Further, health systems are frequently reimbursed by insurance companies at higher rates for the same patient care delivered in a hospital vs. in an ASC. Renegotiating contracts to achieve better rates in the ASC setting may both boost the health systems financial viability and provide improved access for patients.

Form dedicated teams to improve operating room efficiency. A patient does not expect to have their hernia repair performed by their orthopaedic surgeon. Yet, when it comes to the surgical staff, specifically OR nurses and surgical technicians, the same care team members often work on cases covering a variety of surgical specialties. Frequently, the expectation from the hospital and surgical leadership is that staff should cross-train to work interchangeably with a diverse range of surgical teams. Though intended to pool limited resources and ease staffing constraints, these traditional models can generate significant inefficiency within the OR. A particular surgical technician may not be as familiar with a given surgery and thus hinder surgical efficiency compared to a seasoned technician who is experienced in the same type of surgery. This lack of familiarity and pressure to master-it-all may also increase the risk of error.

In response to revenue losses from Covid-19, hospitals leaders may be tempted to cut their workforce and focus on cross-training and deploying a smaller pool of staff more broadly. Yet, in light of the operational challenges post-pandemic, doing so may prove self-handicapping as hospitals move forward. Substantial research shows dedicated OR teams helps increase throughput, lower error rates, reduce waste, and improve satisfaction among team members. Strengthening dedicated teams can help hospitals achieve a speedy recovery to pre-pandemic efficiency levels.

Think beyond the traditional five-day work week. Disease progression does not pause on the weekends. Yet, most hospitals run ORs only from Monday through Friday, reserving weekends slots for emergencies. The obvious rationale for this is workforce scheduling. However, expanding scheduling can improve equitable access for patients, especially those struggling to take time off work for their elective surgery, and flexibility for staff who may be facing challenges with childcare or other responsibilities at home.

As surgery restarts in the wake of Covid-19, it is clear that OR slots are a major bottleneck. A quick win for many hospitals working through their elective surgical backlog would be to expand access to OR time on the weekends. Expansion does not mean that any given surgeon or perioperative team member works seven days a week, but that providers and patients are allowed the flexibility of performing surgical cases on the weekends. In addition to immediately expanding operating room capacity and increasing equity in access to care, this solution will decompress the weekday schedule and allow for better social distancing.

Focus on simplifying patients surgical care experience. Ultimately, the prime focus of healthcare ought to be improving patients quality of life. Unfortunately, the pandemic has resulted in significant fear of catching the virus by going to the hospital, leading many patients to avoid seeking health care. Health care leaders ought to design strategies that make patients lives easier such that seeking care does not feel like an undue burden. For instance, telemedicine has expanded substantially in response to the pandemic and has proven to be a powerful means to connect with patients and families. Even as clinics start to reopen, we should continue to leverage telemedicine for preoperative counseling and clearance to continue to offer the incredible convenience it entails.

At the same time, an unfortunate consequence of the pandemic has been increased unemployment amid the economic downturn. Historically, a major problem in health care has been price opacity. Patients frequently have to jump through multiple hoops to get an estimate of out-of-pocket cost. While not all aspects of cost are predictable, simplifying this process to provide median expected out-of-pocket costs with confidence intervals may instill confidence and allow for better planning for patients and families.

One strategy that may improve patient experience is to deploy dedicated surgical navigators employed by the health system who help patients with logistical planning and provide critical financial and clinical information. This individual could assist with preoperative appointments and requisite workup including Covid-19 testing, telemedicine logistics, day-of-surgery arrival and drop-off details, and postoperative care coordination. Thinking carefully about the patient experience and designing strategies to ease some of these challenges can go a long way in increasing patient care outcomes and satisfaction.

The disruptions due to Covid-19 provide an opportunity to rethink many aspects of health care. To avoid a haphazard ramp-up and address the large surgical backlog, it is important to adopt strategies that are operationally efficient and ethically sound. Certainly, these issues are multifaceted, and require solutions that draw from multiple stakeholder communities and disciplines. We are optimistic that a dedicated community of professionals can come together to address these challenges and restore high-quality surgical care to those in need.

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Covid-19 Created an Elective Surgery Backlog. How Can Hospitals Get Back on Track? - Harvard Business Review

John Mathewson, Chief Operating Officer, Americas Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)

Age:61

Education: He earned a masters in health services administration fromGeorge Washington University with a concentration in policy, planning and marketing. He has a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Howard University.

About him:Mathewson serves as chief of staff, head of business operations, and helps to drive AHIPs strategic planning. Before joining the association in 2018, he held several leadership roles for a variety of healthcare groups including health insurance providers, hospital and home care companies. He also served as executive vice president of strategy and operation for the HSC Foundation & Health Care System, an integrated health system and health plan for young people with disabilities. In addition, he had roles at Cigna and Kaiser Permanente in commercial markets and national accounts.

Today, hes shaping AHIPs focus on equity and diversity, impacting the nearly 1 million employees and millions of patientsserved by AHIP members.Forget incrementalism and try to go legendary by putting on your cape, turning on your superpowers, and those of others, he said.

In the last year, he helped lead AHIPs Project Link, a social determinants of health program that outlines best practices for the health insurance industry. In addition, he expedited turning the annual AHIP Institute & Expo 2020 into a full virtual format due to COVID-19 and expanded association webinar offerings.

First job:After college, I worked in the clinical laboratory as a medical technologist before moving into marketing, and, later,management. I had a great boss and many others who sponsored me along the way.

Accomplishment hes most proud of:First and foremost, being a husband, and the dad of an awesome daughter who is a scholar athlete. Also, he said, he's groomed multiple direct report leaders that later ascended to the C-suite and top leadership roles.

Problem hes most passionate about trying to solve: Generating a vibrant economy based on the social determinants of health in the midst of COVID and major unemployment across the nation. Also, ensuring that there is diverse leadership in healthcare across boards, C-suites, the larger workforce, and suppliers to help create a more equitable healthcare system.

Book he recommends: Authentic Leadershipby Bill George. This book is one of many a leader needs and its even more relevant now as leaders must rely on their deep, personal resolve to successfully address COVID-19 and pervasive health inequities," he said.

Advice he would you give his younger self:Dream bigger. Dreams are 100% free and you can never fail. Find your lifes work and learn to laugh a lot. Try to do something legendary, at least once," he said.

What hed do with his career if it wasnt this:He said hecant imagine a career that didnt follow his desire to impact millions of people in a positive way. Hed like to serve as a venture capitalist that does something industry changing, such as creating a new category or sector that further helps stimulate and grow the social determinants of health economy.Its inclusive and equitable throughout its infrastructure and redefines health as a better resource for living. It reaches urban streets, main streets, cul de sacs, and dirt roads.

Advice hed give to healthcare leaders seeking to make a real impact on the systemic problems of racism:Start with personal courage and resolve. Its impossible to emphasize enough how deeply strong leadership matters for this work. Find your greatest authenticity and use your courage to hear, learn and act decisively. Be brutally honest and act boldly, overcoming your fears.

He also emphasizes that the journey takes everyone in the room, so make allies from every spectrum.We all know its a marathon and wont be fixed today or tomorrow, but start anyway and find the fuel to not stop.

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AHIP's John Mathewson is shaping the association's strategic planning, focus on equity - FierceHealthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic has uprooted much of the globalized system of trade and has challenged the viability of key international institutions. At this uncertain time, what is needed now, more than ever, is co-operation between like-minded countries with shared values and priorities to rebuild better systems of trade and international governance.

In this context, its in Canadas interest to support Taiwans efforts to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

As the COVID-19 crisis has proven, many countries are very dependent on trade to secure crucial medical supplies, such as personal protective equipment (PPE). However, with much of the worlds PPE manufactured in China, importing countries were plagued with quality control issues, lack of access, threats of restricted access, and other concerns.

OPINION: Lessons on handling the COVID-19 outbreak from Taiwan

Clearly, the health and well-being of all people, including Canadians, requires a better system of trade that is less dependent on bad actors. Rather than turn to isolationism or inefficient self-reliance, democracies must find better solutions to work more closely with one another on trade so as to satisfy shared needs.

Enter Taiwan.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Taiwan has ramped up its production of PPE and other medical supplies quickly, placing it in the fortunate enough position to act as a significant provider of the crucial material. This includes the donation of 1.7 million masks and other PPE items to Canada, as well as direct support from Taiwan to help develop Canadas domestic mask-manufacturing capacity.

By integrating Taiwan into agreements like the CPTPP, Canada could stand to reduce its trade reliance on countries that do not share the same values, instead placing its trust in a like-minded partner with a proven track record on trade. Such a move would further strengthen the rules-based, free, open, and multilateral trading system that is the basis for the global economy.

Moreover, the benefits of Taiwans ascension to the CPTPP go beyond the immediate crisis. Indeed, even if the world were not subject to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fundamental logic of including Taiwan in this important international partnership remains the same.

Compared to current CPTPP members, Taiwan has the fifth-largest economy. Adjusted for purchasing-power parity, Taiwans GDP per capita would be the third-largest of this group. Consistently, Taiwan ranks as among the best countries in the world in trade, investment, ease of doing business, economic freedom, and more. This means that Taiwans ascension to the trade partnership would be of significant multilateral benefit to all members.

Particularly for Canada, Taiwan makes sense as a trading partner. Taiwan manufactures precisely the kinds of high-tech products that Canada imports, and Taiwan imports precisely the kinds of high-quality commodities and natural resource-based products that Canada exports. From both import and export perspectives, strengthening this trading relationship would be of significant mutual benefit to both countries.

If Ottawa were to support Taiwans ascension to the CPTPP, it would hardly be acting alone. Japan and other major players have already indicated that expanding the pact to more Asian economies remains a priority. It is a sensible move with broad support within existing CPTPP members.

While the CPTPP ministerial meeting would touch on the issue of new members, Canada can help strengthen this important international trade partnership. In so doing, Canada could bolster economic diversification, reinforce access to key goods, and, ultimately, hasten the post-COVID economic recovery through the well-established economic benefits of free trade between free nations.

Supporting Taiwans ascension to the CPTPP is a win-win at a time when closer co-operation between democracies with shared values is desperately needed. It is our hope that we can count on Canadas support.

Winston Wen-yi Chen is the Representative at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada.

The views, opinions and positions expressed by all iPolitics columnists and contributors are the authors alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of iPolitics.

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Canada should support Taiwan's admission to the CPTPP - iPolitics.ca

A newly released standard - IEEE 1547.1-2020 -creates nationally applicable guidance for distributed energy resource (DER) manufacturers on how grid support functions in their products will be tested. This paves the way for U.S. states to adopt more modern interconnection requirements for DERs on the grid, contributing to the grid modernisation that will be needed to support high levels of renewable energy and energy storage.

Brian Lydic ischief regulatory engineer at the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), a US-based organisation which aims tobuildthe foundation for rapid adoption of clean energy and energy efficiency to benefit people, the economy and our planet.

As the grid evolves and more distributed energy resources (DERs), like solar and energy storage, are added, the dynamics of the grid are becoming more complex. As we look towards a future where renewable energy supplies a large proportion of electricity, new grid support functionality in DERs (including inverters) will be important to help ensure that the grid functions reliably.

In recent years, some U.S. states have begun to require that inverters with these functions (smart inverters) be used when connecting DERs to the grid (interconnection). Smart inverters can see information about the grid at their location (i.e. voltage and frequency) and can respond autonomously in ways that help maintain grid stability. However, to date there have been no test procedures that hardware manufacturers could look to for guidance on how smart inverters could comply with a national standard, complicating the process of bringing compliant products to market.

A newly released, but long-awaited, standard from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)Standard 1547.1-2020establishes these testing procedures. This gives much needed certainty to manufacturers so they can create products they know will be compliant with requirements that are now being put in place by leading states adopting new national standards.

It also paves the way for more states to require grid support functionality for DERs connecting to the grid, because they can be confident that compliant products will soon be readily available. In this way, the release of IEEE 1547.1-2020, will contribute to progress on the grid modernisation efforts needed to support high levels of DERs including energy storage.

In this article, I explore the significance of the IEEE 1547.1-2020, the timeline for its implementation, and the status of state-level adoption of modern DER interconnection requirements enabled by this new development.

In April 2018, IEEE published base standard IEEE Standard 1547-2018, which laid out many sweeping changes to the technical rules of interconnection for DERs, compared to the previous version from 2003. The capabilities of modern equipment connecting to the grid had advanced substantially, especially for smart inverters which were adapting to higher penetration around the world, and IEEE 1547-2018 modernised interconnection requirements to reflect the need for these capabilities.

However, the test procedures for dealing with those new capabilities needed major revision before any equipment could be certified for the new standard. Product engineers typically rely to a large extent on the test procedures during the design phase to ensure the product they are building will pass the tests once the design is finalized.

On May 21, 2020, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) published IEEE Standard 1547.1-2020, IEEE Standard Conformance Test Procedures for Equipment Interconnecting Distributed Energy Resources with Electric Power Systems and Associated Interfaces. This is the test standard for grid interaction for solar PV and battery storage inverters, as well as other DERs, based on the requirements of IEEE 1547-2018. That day had been long anticipated by states and utilities preparing to implement advanced or smart inverters (or doing so already).

Now that IEEE 1547.1-2020 is published, inverter and other equipment manufacturers can re-engineer existing products as needed, or design new ones to meet the requirements of IEEE 1547-2018. There is also now greater certainty for states and utilities working to adopt IEEE 1547-2018 because they have a clearer timeline for when they can expect certified products on the market.

Today, most U.S. states and utilities have yet to adopt DER interconnection requirements based on IEEE 1547-2018; most continue to use requirements based on the 2003 version. One reason for this is that it would be challenging to implement the new standard without certified compliant products (e.g. PV or storage inverters) on the market. Now, with the publication of IEEE 1547.1-2020, states and other stakeholders have a clearer picture of when they are likely to be available. This will help those working to adopt the new standard understand when it can actually be implemented.

PV and storage inverters and some other products are listed to the safety standard UL 1741, which requires grid interactive equipment to pass the tests in IEEE 1547.1. UL is preparing to publish updates to this standard in early August to reference the new tests in the 2020 version. After that, manufacturers will be able to certify inverters to the requirements of IEEE 1547-2018.

Note that in the past, updates to UL 1741 (the Standard for Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use with Distributed Energy Resources) have been given a grandfather period, typically 18 months, during which either the older or newer requirements may be used for product certification. This gives the manufacturers time to develop the products to meet the new requirements. However, this is the first time IEEE Standard 1547 has been revised, and with such major changes it is unclear how it will be adopted throughout the nation. For the time being, UL 1741 will leave the grandfather period open-ended and allow the manufacturer to certify to either the 2003 or 2018 requirements. Over time, once it is clear that most jurisdictions require the 2018 version of the standard, UL 1741 will be updated again to remove any reference to the old standard and manufacturers will have to meet the requirements of IEEE 1547-2018 moving forward.

Although UL will provide a grandfather period in which manufacturers may continue to use the older testing requirements for product certification, we may see products certified to the new standard before the end of 2020, with more coming to market in 2021 to meet requirements already in place in leading states.

It should be noted that UL has a supplement (UL 1741 Supplement SA) that defines some test procedures for advanced inverter functions similar to those now required by IEEE 1547-2018. These test procedures have been used by California, Hawaii and some other locations for certification of inverters since September 2017, in advance of IEEEs new standards being developed. IEEE 1547.1-2020 supplants most of the tests in Supplement SA, so inverters will not need to be tested to both sets of procedures. Most or all of the supplement will be removed from UL 1741 after the grandfather period has closed.

As the grid evolves and more distributed energy resources (DERs), like solar and energy storage, are added, the dynamics of the grid are becoming more complex. Image: 8minute Solar Energy.

Maryland updated its interconnection rules (Code of Maryland Regulations 20.50.09) this year with a requirement that DER systems must utilise inverters certified to IEEE 1547-2018 in order to be approved for interconnection to the grid starting January 1, 2022.

The Hawaiian utility Hawaiian Electric already required advanced inverters tested to UL 1741 Supplement SA, and has been working to harmonise its interconnection (Rule 14H) requirements with the new IEEE standard. They recently released inverter capability requirements, noting those which differ from IEEE 1547-2018 for frequency support due to the island nature of Hawaiis electric system (Source Requirements Document Version 2.0). Those requirements, in addition to the rest of IEEE 1547-2018, must be met for interconnections beginning January 1, 2022 as well. 3

This gives manufacturers about 19 months from the publication of IEEE 1547.1-2020 to be certified for those markets. This may be just enough time for many products to be certified.

Minnesota was the first state to undertake the significant lift of modernising its technical interconnection rules to reflect advanced grid support functionality now reflected in IEEE 1547-2018, helping to ensure that high levels of DERs can be integrated without adverse effects on the grid. Minnesota both created technical interconnection rules from scratch and adopted IEEE 1547-2018 in the process (State of Minnesota Technical Interconnection and Interoperability Requirements, or TIIR).

However, the state opted to wait to order implementation of elements of the TIIR that require IEEE 1547-2018 certified equipment until a later date when it is clear that such equipment is readily available on the market. This perfectly illustrates the significance of IEEE 1547.1-2020 in enabling states to move forward with modernising their interconnection requirements to enable a smarter grid with more renewables and energy storage.

Massachusetts utilities are currently at work developing proposals for adopting the interconnection requirements established in IEEE 1547-2018. This work is being led by a task force as part of their Technical Standards Review Group (TSRG). It is envisioned that the proposals will develop into revisions to the TSRGs Common Technical Standards Manual, but no specific date is yet targeted for implementation.

California is just beginning its efforts to harmonise its interconnection requirements (Rule 21) with IEEE 1547-2018. Since Rule 21 already contains advanced inverter requirements, Californias Smart Inverter Working Group (which helped create the requirements) will convene to determine how to revise Rule 21 and transition to utilizing IEEE 1547-2018. It is anticipated that revisions to Rule 21 will be submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission in February 2021. Determining the implementation date for the new requirements will be part of that process.

Now that a fully developed national standard exists (IEEE 1547-2018, paired with the testing procedures in IEEE 1547.1-2020), there is a standard that all states can adopt. This means that individual states will no longer have to undertake the arduous process of developing their own requirements, as California did. The national standard has caught up to where forward-looking states were heading on their own.

Now that equipment certification for IEEE 1547-2018 requirements is available through IEEE 1547.1-2020, the stage is set for more states and utilities to adopt these modernised interconnection requirements that will enable greater DER deployment in the long term. The publication of IEEE 1547.1-2020 provides greater clarity on the realistic timeline for implementation. Over the next year or so we will get a better picture of the developing market for products certified to the new standard.

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners adopted a resolution [2]recommending that states adopt the current IEEE 1547; and align implementation of the standard with the availability of certified equipment. If states were waiting for a starting gun for beginning the adoption and implementation of the new standard, the publication of IEEE 1547.1-2020 is exactly that.

Notes: [1]More information about Hawaiis implementation of IEEE 1547-2018 can be found on Hawaiian Electrics Customer Energy Resource (CER) Equipment page.

[2] Resolution recommending state commissions act to adopt and implement DER standard IEEE 1547-2018

Cover Image Credit: GlidePath.

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The long-awaited IEEE standard that paves the way for more energy storage on a smarter grid - Energy Storage News

The Center will be based at the NSSTC facilities in Al Ain, with Airbus supporting NSSTC during the design, outfitting and commissioning of the facility. Airbus will also manage the procurement, installation and operational qualification required for the equipment. The collaboration was established and facilitated by Tawazun as part of its important role as an industry enabler dedicated to driving a collaborative defense and security ecosystem, securing and progressing technology development, and building national competencies and skills within the UAE.

This is our second project after Yahsat, and there are many more projects to come, as Tawazun works to further develop the UAE space sector, said Matar Ali Al Romaithi, Chief Economic Development Officer of Tawazun. The UAE is building and acquiring the knowledge required to become a regional hub for space activities and advanced research and development. This Center is an integral part of those plans and consequently Tawazun has worked to make sure that it operates as a sustainable resource for the next five to seven years with a view to becoming permanent.

We also value the significant contribution that Airbus is making to the Centers sustainability, as well as to the increase and development of our Emirati resource and expertise. NSSTC will accumulate critical knowledge from Airbus through this project, and our national competencies and skills will increase significantly, added Al Romaithi.

The space industry is an important and strategic sector for the UAE, as it enables the development of high-level skills and drives innovation, said Mikail Houari, President Africa and Middle East, Airbus.

Airbus remains committed to supporting the advancement of all key elements of the UAEs aerospace industry. For many years, we have worked closely in partnership with the nations leading industrial entities to help create new technological solutions and provide global expertise and experience to local talent. This new collaboration will support the future growth of the UAEs space and satellite sector, contributing to the countrys economic diversification strategy. It will also support the continued efforts around Emiratisation, which will be vital for ensuring long-term sustainable development of the sector, added Houari.

Currently the UAE space sector has provided 3,000 jobs at 50 space related entities, five space research and development centers and three universities offering space degrees. This new project will create 32 new jobs (at least 22 of whom will be UAE nationals) with significant know-how transfer and training being conducted at Airbus facilities in France as well as locally.

Saeed Ahmed Ghobash Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University emphasised the importance of the scientific research collaboration with Tawazun, which he says is aligned to the vision and strategic direction of the University. The NSSTC is an entity created by the UAE University alongside the UAE Space Agency, and Chancellor Ghobash said that UAEU has established a credible standing and reputation among national, regional and international institutes because of its continued strive for excellence.

This is in line with the vision of the UAE government, achieving the goals of the national agenda through the implementation of contemporary, sustainable developmental projects, said Ghobash, UAEU possesses distinctive scientific and technical capabilities that enable it to keep abreast of global trends in applied scientific research, the fourth industrial revolution, the requirements of artificial intelligence, and space science and technology. The universitys work contributes to the development of a knowledge and digital based economy.

Part of the mandate for NSSTC was to develop satellite AIT capability, and it is a pleasure to form this partnership with Tawazun and Airbus to achieve that very objective, said Dr Khaled Al Hashmi, Director of NSSTC. The UAE will soon have a fully autonomous AIT satellite capability, and this will benefit the countrys satellite programs as well as further enhancing space-related skills within the country. The NSSTC will become the center where the knowledge that Airbus has imparted will come together to support the UAE space sector.

The UAE Space Agency is funding the first two projects that will be completed under the management and operation of NSSTC. The first project will be a satellite that will augment navigational capabilities for the UAE and the second will be the Arab 813 Satellite; a project announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Both projects are currently underway with the support of Airbus and will be completed at the new facilities.

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Tawazun to create satellite assembly, integration and testing center - SpaceWatch.Global

Communication is about sharing information with others. The evolutions of communications technology has enabled us to be more connected than ever before, meaning that information can be shared anytime and anywhere.

In mobile communication, a business with a well-established global ecosystem, from equipment manufacturers to telecommunications operators, common rule is essential to keeping the ecosystem moving forward collaboratively. This is where the process of standardization comes in, which sets internationally agreed-upon standards to give users access to better products and services at lower prices. A representative example demonstrating the benefits of international standardization is the global roaming service, which allows users travelling to foreign countries to use their mobile devices as they are.

Standardization is one of main driving forces behind the growth of the mobile communication industry since a new generation has been introduced once every decade. Large-scale investments into mobile communication have been triggered when each new generation of communications is commercialized, explained Dr. Han. When certain countries or companies run their businesses with proprietary solutions, the risk of failure increases. This means that the chance of success can increase only when the stakeholders of the mobile communication ecosystem come together to define the most relevant technologies and discuss aspects like implementation early enough. Determining communications standards and developing products following these standards is an equitable process, noted Dr. Han. These standards are crucial.

Standardization is two-fold: the de jure standards obligated by regulators and the de facto standards established by the global communications industry which, while not compulsory, specify unified ways of operation for stakeholders around the world to follow. The Standards Research team of Samsungs Advanced Communications Research Center oversees both standards.

For example, in order to utilize the extremely high frequency band (mmWave) for 5G, de jure standardization is a prerequisite for the commercialization of any device using the band, which includes assigning a set of frequency bands to mobile communication, setting regulated conditions such as maximum transmission power and out-of-band emission, and ensuring its safety for the human body and existing devices, explained Dr. Han. We are also simultaneously developing protocol technologies and working on de facto standardization to include these technologies into the standards by participating in standards developing organizations such as 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). Dr. Han emphasized that both de jure and de facto standards are equally important.

Frequency bands are a limited resource. It is inevitable that different parties will clash over acquiring such an in-demand resource, which is why each frequency band is already allocated to a specific purpose, e.g. fixed communications, mobile communication, broadcasting, satellite, or other uses. The extremely high frequency band adopted for 5G was an unexplored territory from the perspective of mobile communication. When Samsung initially proposed it, there was pushback at first.

Standards experts are supposed to take the initiative of reserving such new spectrums for the mobile communication industry. By stressing mobile communications contribution to the economy, we managed to persuade the governments of each country, and attracted more supporters by showing them the feasibility of applying this extremely high frequency band to mobile communication, recalled Dr. Han. We actively presented many details to justify our claim, including the simulation results of a coexistence study. As a result, we were able to have this extremely high frequency band assigned to 5G.

There is no almighty judge when it comes to fairly determining which technology among many candidates should be selected as a part of the standard. Moreover, any technology has its own pros and cons, said Dr. Han. There is a decision-making process inherent to standardization. Proposals are first made by companies, intensive and technical debate on each proposal then follows, and participants finally build a consensus to reach a conclusion. We have to avoid sticking to our own interests. Instead, we are trying to communicate with other stakeholders to find the best way forward based on an understanding of the industry as a whole. When we take care of the ecosystem, proposals that we develop to make it healthy and sustainable will be supported by the majority as a result.

Similar to the role of the diplomat, standardization experts participate in global standardization conferences and will there represent their company or their country. They are expected to be the best in their own field. As we are contending at the forefront of these international discussions, technical competitiveness is the key requirement for Samsung delegates, explained Dr. Han. Therefore, in our projects, anyone who is most competitive in a certain area is designated as the champion of the area, regardless which team he or she belongs to.

4G is a communications technology designed to enable the wireless broadband service for smartphones. In particular, 4G as a universal communications platform aggressively adopted the Internet protocol that was popularly used in past wired packet communications. Therefore, many Internet-based services could easily migrate to cellular systems. 5G, then, is designed to expand its territory from the broadband service for smartphone users to vertical markets including the smart factory, automobile, healthcare, private network, smart city, and more. 4G as a universal solution led to a huge growth of the communications market. On the other hand, 5G aims to create new markets based on its new design principle of customizable networks to fulfill the specific requirements of a particular industry sector.

To realize the innovations that 5G has promised, Dr. Han and his team have been working on Rel-16, the second version of 5G. Rel-15, the first version of 5G, laid a new framework for the technology and focused on how to provide differentiated experiences to conventional customers, i.e. smartphone users, noted Dr. Han. We joined the global collaboration to develop Rel-16 in order to realize the 5G vision. Rel-16 introduces and enhances 5Gs features for vertical markets. For example, V2X1 is for connected cars, industrial IoT communications is for smart factories and the data analytics function has been improved for network AI.

Even though 5G has been commercialized, the standardization of 5G for further enhancements will never stop. Until the launch of 6G, the 5G standard will continuously evolve in order to improve and expand 5G. As soon as we concluded the development of 5Gs second version, we immediately began work on the third version, Rel-17, commented Dr. Han. We have discovered some areas to improve commercial 5G networks with, including coverage expansion and NR-MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output). These will be amended and enhanced in the upcoming versions. Furthermore, we will continue to discover new features to add in order to enable new 5G applications. Innovations we are looking at include media delivery for AR glasses-type devices and edge computing enablers for low latency services from cloud servers close to users.

Samsung is constantly pushing the boundaries of 5G in order to bring its unique experiences to users. One key characteristic of 5G is its ultra-low latency, brought about by its nine-tenths latency reduction in the radio access link between terminal and base station as compared to the previous generation. In order for users to experience the quality of ultra-low latency services, the end-to-end latency between the user terminal and the cloud server should be reduced. Samsung believes that edge computing will solve the rest of this puzzle, this being latency reduction in the backbone network, by placing the server closer to users. Thanks to 5G and edge computing, users will finally be able to enjoy 5Gs signature service on their devices.

The link between a device and its server was out of 3GPPs scope, said Dr. Han. But it is also hard for other standards organizations who are not experts in 5G to develop the standard for edge computing without a complete understanding of 5G systems. Due to this difficulty, attempts were made to develop edge computing-enabled communication using proprietary solutions which would lead to serious market fragmentation. Samsung initiated discussions on edge computing inside 3GPP and persuaded other participating companies. We are now leading the standardization effort for enabling edge computing in 5G systems as one of the key items of Rel-17.

In 2009, Samsung began the early stages of 5G research with the question of how can we improve cellular networks to be 10 times better than 4G LTE? Samsung will continue to develop further enhanced technologies for the future of 5G. Samsung plays various key roles in the influential standardization organization for mobile communications and leads those standards and related technologies, explained Dr. Han. Based on our perseverance for over 10 years in this field, we will overcome whatever obstacles we encounter and will make 5G a big success.

Dr. Han began working in this field because when he was a student, he was extremely curious about who made standard specifications, the ground rules that were akin to a communications bible. And today, he is leading the team shaping the future of communications with standards. What resolution has he set?

When we worked on LTE standards, we did not even expect that the term LTE, back then only used by selective standard engineers, would become a common and popular term, noted Dr. Han. This experience reminded me that the technologies we create can change the world and the daily lives of people. We are also aware of high expectation from 5G that we have developed. I firmly believe that our work will benefit the world.

Dr. Han is also working on promoting Samsungs 6G vision to inspire people in this field. In the future, the main customers in the communications market wont just be human, but will include robots and other machines, too, explained Dr. Han. People will start to enjoy hyper-connected experiences and be able to explore reality in a virtual world without temporal or spatial constraints. 6G will present fundamental technologies for such innovations. We will begin communicating with stakeholders as per Samsungs 6G White Paper, published on July 14. Our 5G experience and the insights captured in our 6G vision will help us prepare for the long journey toward another success story with 6G.

Moreover, the sustainable growth of society and the communications industry will be key considerations for shaping 6G.

Read more:

[What's Next in Communications Technology?] Defining the Boundaries of Communications - Samsung Newsroom India

As we walk the road of reconciliation together, the federal government remains strongly committed to creating economic opportunities for Indigenous businesses and communities.

Government of Canada supports Saskatchewan Indigenous Economic Development

In celebration of this important day, Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Mlanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada(WD), today announced $895,000 in funding to support initiatives that aim to bring culturally-relevant programming for Indigenous peoples to fully participate in the economic growth of Saskatchewan.

Delivered by WD, this funding will support two made-in-Saskatchewan projectsled by Indigenous communities, businesses, and organizations in the region. It will create good local jobs and spur entrepreneurship and career development by helping the Ya'thi Nn Land and Resource Office develop training and employment opportunities for residents of northern Saskatchewan affected by the slow-down of uranium mining in the Athabasca Basin. Funding will also support the Gabriel Dumont Institute Training and Employment Inc. to build on a successful entrepreneurship pilot program focused on Mtis entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan.

Quotes

"True reconciliation means supporting Indigenous communities and businesses by providing opportunities for their success. This investment from WD will do just that helping Indigenous business people to seize opportunities, helping Indigenous organizations deliver important local projects and supporting Indigenous communities on their path to self-sufficiency and prosperity. I'm excited to see the difference that this investment will make for Indigenous communities across Western Canada."

-The Honourable Mlanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada

"Our government is making strategic investments to help communities and businesses capitalize on economic development and growth opportunities and kick-start the country's economy. Indigenous small- and medium-sized businesses exemplify the ingenuity and drive that is at the core of the region's entrepreneurial spirit."

-Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada

Quick Facts

Associated Links

Stay ConnectedFollow the department on Twitter: @WD_Canada

WD Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-WEST (9378) TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 1-877-303-3388

Backgrounder: Western Economic Diversification Canada's investments support Indigenous skills development and jobs in Saskatchewan

As we walk the road of reconciliation together, the Government of Canada remains strongly committed to creating economic opportunities for Indigenous businesses and communities.

The Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD), is investing $895,000 to support Saskatchewan Indigenous communities.

Indigenous-focused projects supported by WD

Gabriel Dumont Institute Training and Employment Inc. $745,000Build on a successful entrepreneurship pilot program focused on Mtis entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan. The intent is to train 350 individuals, while creating 20 jobs and completing 13 community-based projects. The funds will also help in the creation or expansion of 100 Mtis-owned businesses.

Ya'thi Nn Land and Resource Office $150,000Create training and employment opportunities for residents of northern Saskatchewan affected by the slow down of uranium mining in the Athabasca Basin. The intent is to train 50 Indigenous participants while creating 25 jobs. Training will be tailored to employment opportunities available in northern Saskatchewan such as health, trades, hospitality and aviation.

SOURCE Western Economic Diversification Canada

For further information: Alexander Cohen, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, [emailprotected]; Rhonda Laing, Director, Policy, Planning and External Relations, Western Economic Diversification Canada, [emailprotected]

http://www.wd.gc.ca/

Go here to see the original:

Government of Canada invests in Saskatchewan Indigenous businesses and communities - Canada NewsWire

Illinois public health officials on Monday announced 1,319 new confirmed case of COVID-19 and one additional death.

The numbers came after the statewide count surpassed 2,000 in Illinois for two straight days on Friday and Saturday. The state has now reported 195,399 cases overall and 7,637 confirmed deaths.

Starting Monday, Illinois renters who have been unable to pay their rent due to coronavirus-related financial difficulty can apply for one-time grants of $5,000 through a new state program and relief for homeowners is next.

In the last few months, research has evolved from the early days of the coronavirus, when it was shown that wearing masks protected others youre with, Pritzker said. Now, study after study after study has shown us that if you wear a mask, it protects you too.

Heres whats happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:

3:33 p.m.: CPS will reduce funding for school resource officers by half and wont pay for police while schools are closed for remote learning

With the campaign to end school police only gaining traction since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Chicago Public Schools introduced a budget Monday that would cut in half funding for school-based officers.

CPS had a $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department for the previous school year. But in the coming year, the school district will no longer pay $7.5 million for 48 officers on mobile school units and will receive at least $10.5 million in credit for remote learning days, when officers arent assigned to schools, according to CPS budget documents.

CPS CEO Janice Jackson said the cost will be pro-rated based on the number of days of in-school instruction. Remote learning will continue in CPS for at least the first quarter of the school year.

(Updated: 1:04 p.m.) 12:08 p.m.: 1,319 new known COVID-19 cases, 1 additional death

The Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday reported 1,319 newly-confirmed cases of coronavirus and one additional death, raising the statewide totals to 195,399 known cases and 7,637 deaths since the pandemic began.

The seven-day statewide positivity rate as of Sunday was 4.1%, and as of Sunday night, 1,481 people in the state with COVID-19 were hospitalized. Of those patients, 352 were in an intensive care unit and 138 were on ventilators.

The daily tally of new cases reported on Sunday was slightly higher 1,382 after two consecutive days of daily case counts that reached past 2,000.

On Monday, the state reported 32,353 tests conducted during a 24-hour period.

Daily test totals were higher over the previous few days the department reported on Sunday more than 41,000 tests conducted over the previous 24 hours.

On Saturday, the state reported 48,016 tests during a 24-hour period, as well as 2,190 newly-confirmed cases that day. And on Friday, the state reported 46,869 tests during a 24-hour period and 2,084 newly-confirmed cases of COVID-19.

12:18 a.m.: Big Ten officials are nearing a decision on college football, but no votes have been taken at this time

With the Big Ten football season on life support, some players are speaking out on social media using #WeWantToPlay.

But they face long odds, especially if Dan Patricks reporting is true.

The longtime radio/TV host said Monday that based on information he received, the Big Ten and Pac-12 will cancel their seasons Tuesday. The ACC and the Big 12 are on the fence, and the SEC is trying to buy time to see if it can play.

11:46 a.m.: Wisconsin-based Epic Systems backpedals, makes return to office voluntary amid coronavirus concerns

Epic Systems has told its employees they will not be required to return to in-person work on Monday at the health care records company based in Wisconsin.

11:14 a.m.: Chicago Public Schools proposes $8.4 billon budget for 2021 as it copes with financial impact of COVID-19

Chicago Public Schools is proposing an $8.4 billion budget for the 2021 school year, according to budget documents released Monday.

Despite the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, CPS expects revenues to increase this year, in large part because of substantial levels of federal emergency relief funding to cover emergency expenses and offset previously anticipated revenue increases that will not materialize, the district said.

The greatest funding stream continues to be local property taxes, which are based on the prior years assessments.

Yet that outlook still does not elevate the districts revenue collection enough to provide students with everything they need, and CPS would still require more than $1.9 billion in additional state funding in order to fully fund schools based on the states assessment, according to CPS.

10:27 a.m.: This has been our busiest year: Crowded Lake County beaches struggle to maintain social distancing

Social distancing is becoming a challenge at Lake Countys beaches as crowds are getting larger after a hot July, and beaches are becoming smaller because of rising Lake Michigan water levels.

Lakefront beaches from Illinois Beach State Park, which stretches from the Wisconsin state like to the northern end of Waukegan, to Highland Park are adjusting their regulations to contend with the coronavirus pandemic and visitors from Chicago where beaches remain closed.

Officials at the state beach as well as in Waukegan, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest and Highland Park all said visits to their beaches are more frequent this summer and harder to accommodate because of pandemic-related social distancing.

10:26 a.m.: Around the world, the pandemic is wrecking Class of 2020s hopes for landing a first job

Around the world, young people armed with new degrees, diplomas and professional qualifications are struggling to enter the workforce as the pandemic pushes the global economy into recession. COVID-19 has thwarted hopes of landing first jobs important for jump-starting careers as employers cut back graduate recruiting plans or even revoke job offers.

The latest U.S. job numbers Friday underscored the murky outlook: 1.8 million jobs were added in July, a sharp slowdown in employment growth from the month before. It means the worlds biggest economy has regained just 42% of jobs lost to the coronavirus.

9:45 a.m.: Illinois renters can apply for $5,000 grants to cover unpaid rent due to COVID-19 starting today and homeowners are next

Illinois renters who have been unable to pay their rent due to coronavirus-related financial difficulty can apply for one-time grants of $5,000 through a new state program beginning Monday and relief for homeowners is next.

The state will give $300 million in rent and mortgage grants this fall to people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, offering one-time grants of $5,000 for tenants and $15,000 for homeowners. The programs, administered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, are funded through federal money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed earlier this year.

Applications for renters are available until Aug. 21. Homeowners can apply for grants Aug. 24-Sept. 4.

6 a.m.: COVID-19 shutdowns create mad dash for ACT, SAT spots as college application season looms

When it has come to getting a standardized test score during the onslaught of COVID-19, fate has been cruel to Illinois rising high school seniors. They werent able to take the SAT at their schools in April, and many ACT sittings were canceled over the spring and summer after test sites, mostly schools, closed their doors.

That led to a mad dash last week as aspiring test-takers swamped ACTs website trying to reserve a spot this fall. ACT officials wont say how many were left in the cold, but judging by social media chatter, the number could be considerable.

Two hours in queue, one parent wrote on ACTs Facebook page. When (I) got my turn ALL September seats in Illinois and neighboring states are TAKEN. First available date is December!!! Whoever is the genius who came up with this solution should be looking for a new job.

The bedlam is happening even as colleges seek to assure applicants that standardized test scores will be optional this year. About 350 have made that declaration since the start of the pandemic, including big names such as Northwestern, Notre Dame and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

But parents and students interviewed by the Tribune dont buy it. Theyre still convinced the lack of a good score will be a disadvantage at a competitive school.

Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.

Here are three things that happened this weekend related to COVID-19.

Link:

COVID-19 in Illinois updates: Heres whats happening Monday - Chicago Tribune