Director of Education, Falkland Islands

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The Falkland Islands are set in a unique and dramatically beautiful environment In the South Atlantic Ocean. The Falkland Islands Government is seeking a Director of Education who will be responsible for the strategic and operational management of all departments within the Education Directorate, including the Islands Training Centre.

We are looking for a pragmatic leader and decision maker who will drive forward the implementation of effective strategic and practical measures to help shape the future direction and effective delivery of all education and skills development across the Islands at a key time in its history.

The appointment will be fixed term for either two or three years in the first instance with the possibility of extension of this term if mutually agreeable. The salary package is inclusive of a (taxable) 2 5 % gratuity element upon satisfactory completion of contract. Additional benefits include a lower tax regime than in the UK, a relocation grant and a yearly return flight package to the country of recruitment for the successful applicant and any dependants who accompany them to post.

For an application form, further information and a job description please contact: Falkland Islands Government Office, Falklands House, 14 Broadway, London SW1H OBH Tel: 020 7222 2542, E-mail: recruitment@falklands.gov.lk

Further information about the Falkland Islands can be found by visiting our website at http://www.falklands.gov.fk

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Director of Education, Falkland Islands

23andMe aims to be Google for genetic research

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MOUNTAIN VIEW -- In less than a decade, biotech company 23andMe has turned a refrigerator full of spit into one of the largest databases of personal genetics information in the world.

The brainchild of Anne Wojcicki, the wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, 23andMe began in 2006 as a startup mailing DNA testing kits to customers' front doors and asking them to mail back a vial of saliva. Eight years later, the company is the gatekeeper of a database of hundreds of thousands of people's DNA -- a self-described Google for genetics information.

"It's actually bigger than anything else I can think of, way bigger," said Lisa Brooks, program director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

23andMe has begun selling that genetics data to researchers and pharmaceutical companies to conduct large-scale medical studies, making it an emerging leader in a largely underexplored, and at times hotly debated, area of scientific research. In the last couple of months, 23andMe has announced a joint effort with Pfizer to research inflammatory bowel disease, released findings from a joint study of more than 100,000 people that made new discoveries on Parkinson's disease, and received a $1.4 million grant from the NIH.

But as the guardian of a very lucrative set of data -- the accuracy of which has come under question -- critics say the Mountain View company also may pose a threat to consumers' privacy.

Most medical studies take months or years to solicit enough volunteers. But 23andMe puts the genetic information of 700,000 people at researchers' fingertips, allowing medical studies to be fast-tracked and new treatments to make their way into hospitals sooner, experts say, giving patients with chronic diseases a better quality of life.

"Instead of actually having to do clinical trials the old-fashioned way, we can enable researchers to get their answers instantaneously," Wojcicki said in an interview with this newspaper. "And they pay us for that."

But some experts worry 23andMe users have no idea where their own genetic information will end up. Because the company is relying on data sales to become profitable -- selling $99 home genetic testing kits doesn't pull in the big-dollar revenue -- 23andMe may disseminate consumers' genetic information not only to government agencies and research institutions, say legal and bioethics experts, but also to big pharmaceutical companies, marketers and advertisers.

"There are a lot of people who would want to use that data. There's a lot of money potentially locked up in that data," said Charles Seife, a professor at New York University and longtime science writer.

Indeed, in a 2013 interview with The New York Times, Wojcicki said, "I remember in the early days of Google, Larry (Page) would say, 'I just want the world's data on my laptop.' I feel the same way about health care. I want the world's data accessible."

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23andMe aims to be Google for genetic research

Webinar: Decision Making in Healthcare Contexts- Supporting People with ID/DD – Video

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Webinar: Decision Making in Healthcare Contexts- Supporting People with ID/DD
"Speaker: Samantha Crane, Director of Public Policy Autistic Self Advocacy Network "Too often, people with I/DD are denied health care or forced into guardianship arrangements as a result...

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Oakwood Healthcare, Botsford Health Care and Beaumont Health System complete merger

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By Erica McClain Digital First Media

The new system officially launched Sept. 2 and was approved by federal and state regulatory officials and granted tax-exempt status as a new $3.8 billion nonprofit health care organization.

The three health care systems CEOs began discussions about a merger in late 2013 and signed a letter of intent in March.

The integration planning to create a new health care organization from three separate organizations has gone extremely smoothly, which is a credit to the leaders and staff of Beaumont, Botsford and Oakwood, stated Brian M. Connolly, president and CEO of Oakwood Healthcare, in a press release. This demonstrates our shared dedication to improving quality and delivery of care, making exceptional health care more accessible to our communities. Beaumont Health has a unique opportunity to become a local and national leader, and we are well on our way.

Beaumont Health consists of eight hospitals with 3,337 beds, 153 outpatient sites, 5,000 physicians, more than 33,000 employees and about 3,500 volunteers, according to a press release. In 2013, the combined organizations had 168,047 inpatient admissions, 15,997 births and 492,677 emergency visits.

The new system officially launched Sept. 2 and was approved by federal and state regulatory officials and granted tax-exempt status as a new $3.8 billion nonprofit health care organization.

The three health care systems CEOs began discussions about a merger in late 2013 and signed a letter of intent in March.

The integration planning to create a new health care organization from three separate organizations has gone extremely smoothly, which is a credit to the leaders and staff of Beaumont, Botsford and Oakwood, stated Brian M. Connolly, president and CEO of Oakwood Healthcare, in a press release. This demonstrates our shared dedication to improving quality and delivery of care, making exceptional health care more accessible to our communities. Beaumont Health has a unique opportunity to become a local and national leader, and we are well on our way.

Beaumont Health consists of eight hospitals with 3,337 beds, 153 outpatient sites, 5,000 physicians, more than 33,000 employees and about 3,500 volunteers, according to a press release. In 2013, the combined organizations had 168,047 inpatient admissions, 15,997 births and 492,677 emergency visits.

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Oakwood Healthcare, Botsford Health Care and Beaumont Health System complete merger

Mandatory Policy Boosts Flu Vaccination Rates Among Health Care Workers

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Newswise DETROIT Hospitals can greatly improve their flu vaccination rate among health care workers by using a mandatory employee vaccination policy, according to a Henry Ford Health System study.

Citing its own data, Henry Ford researchers say the health system achieved employee vaccination rates of 99 percent in the first two years of its mandatory policy, in which annual vaccination compliance is a condition of employment.

Nationally, 63 percent of health care workers were immunized against the flu in the past two years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Allison Weinmann, M.D., a Henry Ford Hospital Infectious Diseases physician and study co-author, says it was only after the health system went to the mandatory policy for the 2012-13 flu season did the vaccination rate substantial improve. Ongoing employee communication and having available vaccine were also key factors, Dr. Weinmann says.

The study is being presented Saturday at the 54th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Washington D.C.

As expected we got push-back from employees. But we always believed it was the right thing to do for patient and employee safety, says Dr. Weinmann, who leads the health systems immunization task force and was an early champion of the mandatory policy.

The health and safety of our patients and employees is paramount, and requiring employees to receive vaccination every flu season will help reduce the spread of infection to our patients. We also were proactive in vaccinating hospitalized patients.

More than 9,600 people were hospitalized for the flu during the 2013-14 flu season, and 60 percent of them were between the ages 18-64, the CDC says. The CDC recommends vaccination for anyone six months and older.

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Mandatory Policy Boosts Flu Vaccination Rates Among Health Care Workers

Local officials work together to reform mental health care

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By Kevin Tustin STAFF WRITER

Medical professionals and mental health advocates testified Wednesday afternoon before the Democratic Policy Committee asking to bring reform to mental health coverage in the state.

Rep. Margo Davidson, D-164, of Upper Darby, hosted the hearing in the council chambers of the Upper Darby Municipal Building, joined by policy committee Chair Mike Sturla, D-96, of Lancaster, and other state leaders to discuss better access and treatment for those with a mental health diagnosis.

We have to fix this system, said Davison, there has to be parity so people have access to deal with their brain disease and brain illness.

As Davidson reminded committee and audience members that because her son, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, didnt fall into one of the insurance companys three boxes - hospitalization, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient she had to fight nine months with her insurance company to allow him to get the level of care he needed when first diagnosed.

It was a nightmare from start to finish, Davidson said.

Of those to testify before the committee was Alyssa Goodin, director of policy and advocacy at the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, who spoke at length about proper care for those who need it.

One of the most expansive ways we can increase access to behavioral health services is through the acceptance of federal dollars to expand our current Medicaid program, said Alyssa Goodin, director of policy and advocacy of mental at the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Goodin stated that Medicaid expansion will not only be beneficial to the states economy and job growth, but that its a safety net for those whose insurance doesnt cover comprehensive behavioral health coverage.

Currently, Gov. Corbett has not yet expanded Medicaid in the state, instead proposing his own alternative called Healthy Pennsylvania, what promotional materials on the states website calls a common sense approach to reforming Medicaid.

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Local officials work together to reform mental health care

Genetic Medicine | Department of Pediatrics | University …

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Leadership

Michael Bamshad, MD Professor Division Chief

The Division of Genetic Medicine is committed to providing an outstanding level of patient care, education and research. The faculty have diverse interests and are drawn from several disciplines including clinical genetics, molecular genetics, biochemical genetics, human embryology/teratology and neurology.

A large clinical program of medical genetics operates from Seattle Childrens Hospital staffed by faculty from the Division. These clinical activities concentrate on pediatric genetics but also encompass adult and fetal consultations. At Seattle Children's full IP consultations are available and general genetics clinics occur regularly. Consultative services are also provided to the University of Washington Medical Center and Swedish Hospital. In addition, a variety of interdisciplinary clinical services are provided at Childrens including cardiovascular genetics, skeletal dysplasia, neurofibromatosis, craniofacial genetics, gender disorders, neurogenetics and biochemical genetics as well as others. A very large regional genetics service sponsored by state Departments of Health are provided to multiple outreach clinical sites in both Alaska and Washington.

Our research holds the promise for both continued development of improved molecular diagnostic tools and successful treatment of inherited diseases. Research in the Division is highly patient-driven. It often begins with a physician identifying a particular patients problems and subsequently taking that problem into a laboratory setting for further analysis. The Division has a strong research focus with established research programs in medical genetics information systems, neurogenetic disorders, fetal alcohol syndrome, neuromuscular diseases, human teratology, population genetics/evolution and gene therapy.

The Division offers comprehensive training for medical students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows in any of the areas of our clinical and research programs relevant to medical genetics. Medical Genetics Training Website

Margaret L.P. Adam, MD Associate Professor mpa5@u.washington.edu

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Geologist, Historian, Humorist, Futurist | Richard Gibson | TEDxButtePublicLibrary – Video

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Geologist, Historian, Humorist, Futurist | Richard Gibson | TEDxButtePublicLibrary
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Hear the ideas of using the future to present the value of preserving the past AND using the past to...

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Geologist, Historian, Humorist, Futurist | Richard Gibson | TEDxButtePublicLibrary - Video

Homes of Tomorrow, Retro Futurism 1940s-1960s, Gadgets, Kinolibrary Archive Footage – Video

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Homes of Tomorrow, Retro Futurism 1940s-1960s, Gadgets, Kinolibrary Archive Footage
From the Kinolibrary archive film collections. To order the clip clean and high res visit http://www.kinolibrary.com. Clip Ref Homes of Tomorrow.

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Homes of Tomorrow, Retro Futurism 1940s-1960s, Gadgets, Kinolibrary Archive Footage - Video

1960s Retro Futurism, Predicting Internet Shopping and Skype, Archive Footage – Video

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1960s Retro Futurism, Predicting Internet Shopping and Skype, Archive Footage
From the Kinolibrary archive film collections. To order the clip clean and high res visit http://www.kinolibrary.com. Clip ref CI12742 1960s home of tomorrow, people using computers, girl...

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1960s Retro Futurism, Predicting Internet Shopping and Skype, Archive Footage - Video