Pilot's fate unknown in fighter jet crash – News, Weather and Classifieds for Southern New England

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By ALAN SUDERMAN Associated Press

DEERFIELD, Va. (AP) - An experienced pilot was missing Wednesday after the flier's F-15 fighter jet crashed in the mountains of western Virginia, shaking residents but causing no injuries on the ground, military and law enforcement officials said.

The pilot of the single-seat jet was headed to New Orleans for radar installation as part of routine maintenance and reported an inflight emergency, then lost radio contact, authorities said. The pilot and jet are with the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, officials there said.

It was unclear whether the pilot had ejected and the plane had no munitions onboard, Col. James Keefe said at a news conference in Westfield, Massachusetts, home of the fighter wing.

Just before 9 a.m., residents near Deerfield - with a population of just 130 people, about 135 miles northwest of Richmond - say they heard a series of explosion-like booms.

"It's the loudest noise I've ever heard," 63-year-old Rebecca Shinaberry, who lives on a farm about two miles away, said. "(It) just shook the ground, and from my house we could just see a big plume of smoke."

Her husband, turkey farmer A.D. Shinaberry, said that from the first two booms, he thought a plane had broken the sound barrier. But 10 seconds later he heard a third boom - the crash, he said.

Then, "it was like a mushroom, black smoke came up," Shinaberry said.

From the smoke, Virginia State Police said, they located the crash site, in a heavily wooded but level area adjacent to a mountain in the George Washington National Forest.

A deep crater and a large debris field are on the site, and state police are searching, spokeswoman Corrine Geller said.

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Pilot's fate unknown in fighter jet crash - News, Weather and Classifieds for Southern New England

Military jet bound for N.O. crashes; pilot's fate unknown

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Aug 27, 2014 4:48 PM by AP

A search helicopter lands close to the scene where an Air Force F-15C fighter jet based in Massachusetts crashed near Deerfield, Va., on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014. The jet was on a standard training exercise to receive a system upgrade and had no munition onboard, said Maj. Matthew Mutti, from Barnes Air National Guard Base. Officials said the pilot's status was unknown. (AP Photo/The Staunton News Leader, Griffin Moores)

DEERFIELD, Va. - An experienced pilot on a standard maintenance mission was missing Wednesday after the flier's fighter jet crashed in the mountains of western Virginia, shaking residents but causing no injuries on the ground, military and law enforcement officials said.

The pilot of the single-seat F-15C reported an inflight emergency, then lost radio contact, authorities said. The pilot and jet are with the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, officials there said.

It was unclear whether the pilot had ejected from the jet, Col. James Keefe said at a news conference in Westfield, Massachusetts, home of the fighter wing. He noted that all pilots received ejection training every six months.

The plane had no munition onboard and was headed to New Orleans for radar installation as part of routine maintenance, Keefe said.

Just before 9 a.m., residents near Deerfield - with a population of just 130 people, about 135 miles northwest of Richmond - say they heard a series of explosions-like booms.

"It's the loudest noise I've ever heard," 63-year-old Rebecca Shinaberry, who lives on a farm about two miles away, said. "(It) just shook the ground, and from my house we could just see a big plume of smoke."

Turkey farmer A.D. Shinaberry said that from the first two booms, he thought a plane had broken the sound barrier. But 10 seconds later he heard a third boom - the crash, he said.

Then, "it was like a mushroom, black smoke came up," Shinaberry said.

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Military jet bound for N.O. crashes; pilot's fate unknown

Pilot's fate unknown in fighter jet crash

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By ALAN SUDERMAN Associated Press

DEERFIELD, Va. (AP) - An experienced pilot was missing Wednesday after the flier's F-15 fighter jet crashed in the mountains of western Virginia, shaking residents but causing no injuries on the ground, military and law enforcement officials said.

The pilot of the single-seat jet was headed to New Orleans for radar installation as part of routine maintenance and reported an inflight emergency, then lost radio contact, authorities said. The pilot and jet are with the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, officials there said.

It was unclear whether the pilot had ejected and the plane had no munitions onboard, Col. James Keefe said at a news conference in Westfield, Massachusetts, home of the fighter wing.

Just before 9 a.m., residents near Deerfield - with a population of just 130 people, about 135 miles northwest of Richmond - say they heard a series of explosion-like booms.

"It's the loudest noise I've ever heard," 63-year-old Rebecca Shinaberry, who lives on a farm about two miles away, said. "(It) just shook the ground, and from my house we could just see a big plume of smoke."

Her husband, turkey farmer A.D. Shinaberry, said that from the first two booms, he thought a plane had broken the sound barrier. But 10 seconds later he heard a third boom - the crash, he said.

Then, "it was like a mushroom, black smoke came up," Shinaberry said.

From the smoke, Virginia State Police said, they located the crash site, in a heavily wooded but level area adjacent to a mountain in the George Washington National Forest.

A deep crater and a large debris field are on the site, and state police are searching, spokeswoman Corrine Geller said.

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Pilot's fate unknown in fighter jet crash

World Molecular Diagnostics Market Is Expected To Grow To $8,020.1 Million From 2014 To 2020: Grand View Research, Inc

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San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) August 26, 2014

The global market for molecular diagnostics is expected to reach USD 8,020.1 million by 2020, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing demand for personalized medicine and theranostics, and the subsequent introduction of advanced cancer diagnostic technologies are expected to be key factors driving market growth over the next six years. Moreover, the growing global base of geriatric population and chronic diseases such as cancer, coupled with disease triggering lifestyle habits such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption will positively impact market growth.

Molecular diagnostic reagent products dominated the overall market, accounting for over 50% of global revenue in 2013. Reagent market revenue is expected to reach USD 4,739.9 million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 9.9% from 2014 to 2020. High consumption rates of molecular diagnostic reagents and the growing number of research and development initiatives pertaining to the field of molecular diagnostics are two key drivers of this product segment. The point of care end-use market for molecular diagnostics is expected to be the fastest growing product segment, at an estimated CAGR of 13.3% from 2014 to 2020, on account of factors such as the growing demand for point of care diagnostic procedures as an effective diagnostic tool rendering rapid and accurate results and the introduction of government initiatives such as CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) waived tests.

The report Molecular Diagnostics Market Analysis By Product (Instruments, Reagents), By Technology (PCR, In Situ Hybridization, Chips & Microarrays, Mass Spectrometry, Sequencing), By Application (Oncology, Pharmacogenomics, Infectious Disease, Genetic Testing, Neurological Disease, Cardiovascular Disease) And Segment Forecasts to 2020, is available now to Grand View Research customers at http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/molecular-diagnostics-market.

Request free sample of this report at http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/molecular-diagnostics-market/request.

Further key findings from the study suggest:

Browse all reports of this category by Grand View Research at http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/biotechnology.

For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global molecular diagnostics market on the basis of product and region:

Browse all ongoing reports by Grand View Research at http://www.grandviewresearch.com/ongoing-reports.

About Grand View Research

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World Molecular Diagnostics Market Is Expected To Grow To $8,020.1 Million From 2014 To 2020: Grand View Research, Inc

Every user should keep it in mind that social media is used by families also and uploading substandard items is …

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Social media, especially Facebook, perhaps the most powerful medium, can become an effective source for dissemination of useful information, provision of entertainment and obtaining knowledge, but in our society it is being misused by most of the people for spreading baseless news, fabricated photos and sketches just to defame others.

Few years ago when a limited number of people had Facebook accounts, they used to share only historical, useful and interesting information and photos but now the situation has totally changed.

The number of Facebook users is increasing with each passing day and several persons have more than one account with different names. The fake Facebook accounts are usually used for negative activities like blackmailing and propaganda.

The experts of social media are of the view that most of the youth are using fake names with attractive but fake photos of girls to get fast and massive response.

Facebook has become a Hide Park where everyone can use whatever language he/she wants to use. Sometimes one can observe very indecent words against known personalities, mainly politicians. There is no restriction on uploading photos, texts and comments against anyone.

The political workers seem more active on Facebook as they use it mostly for propaganda. The most lamentable aspect of the situation is that people have started disgracing political and religious leaders by uploading their caricatures.

The portraits and photographs of leaders are reshaped in different poses with girls and then uploaded to tarnish their image in public. Political workers, especially women, are disgraced by changing their shapes in photo-shop with strange captions. Most of the viewers are now well-versed with the entire process and know that people are using Facebook as a propaganda tool.

The Facebook users are educated people and many of them can become opinion makers but they too indulge in the negative activities and not only misuse this powerful platform but contribute no good to the society. The misuse of this powerful social media has caused unrest among many of the people because the threat of fake accounts is also on the rise.

Several known personalities, government officials, politicians and even judges have denied having Facebook accounts but IDs in their names do exist on Facebook. Many of them have clarified their position after appearance of objectionable stuff on the site.

Tagging of photos on others timelines is another serious issue because sometimes someone is tagged in a very disgusting photos and stuff against his/her will.

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Every user should keep it in mind that social media is used by families also and uploading substandard items is ...

Windows to New Worlds

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Theres Money in the Middle

Welcome to what economists now call the middle skills jobs gap, where theres a dire need for people to fill jobs that require workers with more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year college degree.

Some 69 million people work in middle-skills jobs, representing about 48 percent of the U.S. labor force. That about squares with South Carolina, wheremiddle-skills jobs account for half of all jobs, according to figures from the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.

And yet, as baby boomers retire, the middle is also shrinking. According to the Harvard Business Review, as many as 25 million, or 47 percent, of all new job openings from 2010 to 2020 will fall into the middle-skills range.

In other words, theres a great demand for people to fill solid, reliable and well-paying jobs that only require a high-school degree and some additional training of one to two years.

At Midlands Tech, a one-year certificate program runs an average cost of $5,000 for tuition and books; the cost is about $7,500 for a year and a half diploma program, and about $10,000 for a two-year associates degree. Scholarship assistance may be available through either a federal Pell grant (about $5,500 a year) depending on need or S.C. Lottery Tuition Assistance ($2,000), which is available to most applicants. Hot Fields: Health Care, Advanced Manufacturing, IT and Energy Midlands Technical College President Sonny White says there are as many as 12,000 jobs in the Midlands in four cluster areas of health care, advanced manufacturing, information technology and energy.

The boom in middle-skills jobs is reflective of what has long been an economic reality: a four-year college degree no longer guarantees a job. Thats part of the reason, White says, why 80 percent of his students start at age 25 or older. Theyve either gone to college and quit or stuck it out and found their diploma just didnt have that much purchasing power in the modern job market.

Among the top middle-skills jobs in the Midlands, White cites the boom in information technology jobs, particularly ones necessary to Columbias booming insurance industry.

A job as a web developer, network analyst or network administrator requires a two-year associates degree, and generally pays between $35,000 and $100,000 annually. The job prospects are outstanding in our area, White says.

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Windows to New Worlds

Best cheap compact camera

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You don't have to spend a fortunet to get a better camera than the one on your phone.

Buying a compact camera can be a tricky business thanks to the mind-boggling range of models to choose from, so here's our pick of the best budget-conscious models available today.

All have at least 10x optical zoom with image stabilisation to give them an edge over a camera phone. If your budget can stretch slightly further, a 22x focal range can be had, meaning even the most distant subjects will fill your frame.

Each camera also packs wireless image sharing that'll make it a breeze to fire an photo across to your phone or tablet and upload it to the web. Add NFC pairing to the mix and the connection process is even quicker, providing your mobile device has compatible tech.

But what really matters is image and video quality. It's easy to get sucked into the megapixel myth that more pixels equal better results, but that's not always true. Extra resolution is important when it comes to video recording though, as while you'll be hard-pressed to find a camera that won't record HD video, not all offer the highest Full HD quality.

149.00/$179.99

If you're after an easy to use compact camera for taking on holiday or capturing a night out, something from Canon's IXUS range has long been a smart choice.

The IXUS 265 HS isn't a flagship model, but it still packs a 16-megapixel sensor that's back-illuminated to improve low light performance. There's also a 12x optical zoom lens squeezed into the sleek chassis that provides a useful focal range of 25-300mm (in 35mm camera terms).

You get plenty of features too, like Full HD video recording and Wi-Fi image sharing, with the added bonus of NFC pairing that'll let you connect a compatible device with a simple tap. Another nice touch is the Hybrid Auto mode which captures a couple of seconds of video before each shot and compiles everything into a funky montage.

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Best cheap compact camera

Cogeco Cable Canada Launches New High Speed Internet Packages in Saint-Georges de Beauce and Baie-Comeau

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MONTRAL, QUBEC--(Marketwired - Aug. 29, 2014) - Cogeco Cable Canada ( Cogeco ) announces the launch of its Turbo 20, Ultimate 55 Unlimited and Ultimate 120 Unlimited High Speed Internet (HSI) residential packages in Saint-Georges de Beauce and Baie-Comeau. Customers are able to benefit of these new packages today.

The newly launched Turbo 20, Ultimate 55 Unlimited and Ultimate 120 Unlimited High Speed Internet packages offer upload speeds of up to 10 Mbps. In addition, Ultimate 55 Unlimited and Ultimate 120 Unlimited packages offer peace of mind to heavy internet users by giving them access to unlimited bandwidth.

"We always strive to offer our customers more flexibility, speed and bandwidth. Now, the whole family can use the Internet at the same time for online banking, video gaming, shopping or for downloading videos or uploading pictures onto their social networks, and all with the same service. Cogeco's HSI Turbo 20, Ultimate 55 Unlimited and Ultimate 120 Unlimited packages meet those needs", stated Anne Isabelle Roussy, Vice President Marketing and Product Development at Cogeco Cable Canada.

To obtain more information on Cogeco Cable Canada and its service offering to Qubec communities, visit http://www.cogeco.ca.

ABOUT COGECO CABLE CANADA

Cogeco Cable Canada (www.cogeco.ca) regroups the Canadian cable operations of Cogeco Cable Inc. Cogeco Cable Canada is the second largest cable operator in Ontario and Qubec in terms of the number of Basic Cable service customers served. Its two-way broadband cable networks provide to its residential and small business customers Analogue and Digital Television, High Speed Internet (HSI) and Telephony services. Cogeco Cable Inc. is a telecommunications corporation and is the 11th largest hybrid fibre coaxial cable operator in North America operating in Canada under the Cogeco Cable Canada brand name in Qubec and Ontario, and in the United States through its subsidiary Atlantic Broadband in Western Pennsylvania, South Florida, Maryland/Delaware and South Carolina. Through its subsidiaries Cogeco Data Services and Peer 1 Hosting, Cogeco Cable Inc. provides its commercial customers a suite of IT hosting, information and communications technology services (Data Centre, Co-location, Managed Hosting, Cloud Infrastructure and Connectivity), with 20 data centres, extensive fibre networks in Montral and Toronto as well as points-of-presence in North America and Europe. Cogeco Cable Inc.'s subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:CCA).

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Cogeco Cable Canada Launches New High Speed Internet Packages in Saint-Georges de Beauce and Baie-Comeau

AdWords' New HTML5 Feature Makes It Easier to Create Mobile Content

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Now, Google AdWords users can create HTML5 content for mobile using Google Web Designer and upload directly to Google Display Network campaigns.

In today's digital world, 25 percent of global pageviews now occur on smartphones and tablets, according to a post on Google's AdWords blog this week. And more consumers than ever before are viewing ads in HTML5-compatible environments rather than Flash-compatible environments.

To address this, Google is giving marketers the ability to upload HTML5 ads built with Google Web Designer straight into Google Display Network (GDN) campaigns. This is good news for the industry, as the new feature will make it easier to target mobile and tablet users.

Publishers can use the tool to create animated and interactive content without having to code, simply by creating content in Google Web Designer, saving it as an HTML file, and uploading it right into GDN campaigns.

AdWords already offers the option to convert Flash files into identical HTML5 format, but the new feature will make it easier to publish on Flash-incompatible devices.

According to the blog post, the tool will enable advertisers to "run custom, engaging ad units across smartphones, tablets, and desktops, engaging consumers in more places with clever and interactive ad experiences."

The introduction of this feature highlights a growing demand for content made with mobile and tablets in mind. Will the change make a difference in your marketing campaign?

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AdWords' New HTML5 Feature Makes It Easier to Create Mobile Content

Implementix Adds New Assessment App to its Brand Management Software

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Denver, CO (PRWEB) August 27, 2014

Implementix continues to enhance its brand management software, ix Technology Solutions, by adding a new module allowing companies to identify and catalogue over 150 specific branded items used in a variety of industries.

Rebranding a large corporation is complicated, since the corporations brand appears on wide variety of physical and digital assets everything from ID badges to websites. The new app allows organizations that are planning or currently going through a merger or acquisition, brand change, or brand enhancement to upload detailed descriptions of every branded asset, including photos, into a specialized brand management database. The app contains 14 broad brand asset categories and over 150 specific items that are applicable to most industries, ranging from employee items (uniforms, badges and business cards) to different types of advertising and social media essentials. The app also includes specialized lists for banking, healthcare and retail industries.

The new app supplements Implementixs current signage and vehicle modules, which have been used to streamline nationwide rebranding projects for numerous publicly traded corporations. Because branded assets are often spread across multiple departments and locations, the new, easy-to-use app was designed with corporate employees in mind. An employee in the marketing department can input data about advertising and social media touchpoints while someone in the accounting department can identify and catalogue customer invoice and statement templates that display the companys brand. For industries with multiple locations, like banking, branch managers can ensure that branded assets specific to each branch arent overlooked during a rebranding.

Our large corporate clients need to have up-to-date information about all of their branded assets in order to rebrand, but often lack a centralized database, said Scott McLean, CEO of Implementix. By offering employees in different locations an easy-to-use tool that allows them to gather and upload information about their own touchpoints, nothing gets overlooked during rebranding projects.

Because the new app allows corporations to capture data on all branded touchpoints, they can plan the transition to the new brand and see differences that occur by region, division or location. Since photos are stored in the database, corporations can also use visual data to decide if certain touchpoints need to be replaced or eliminated because the asset is outdated or no longer needed.

About Implementix Implementix is a nationwide rebranding company that streamlines complex brand implementation projects to help corporations complete brand rollouts on time and on budget. Whether launching a new brand or rebranding after a merger or acquisition, Implementix provides project management services, ensuring the new brand identity looks professional in the marketplace. The Denver-based company works with national, regional and local companies in industries such as hospitality, telecommunications and cable/satellite, healthcare, financial services, food and beverage, and energy. To learn more about Implementix, visit http://www.implement-ix.com.

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Implementix Adds New Assessment App to its Brand Management Software

U. of C. Medicine gets state approval to build Orland Park outpatient center

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University of Chicago Medicine has received state approval to build a $66.9 million outpatient center in Orland Park and spend $123.5 million to develop the third and fourth floor of its flagship hospital in Hyde Park.

The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of the Orland Park project despite criticism that it could hurt other southwest suburban hospitals with similar specialties.

A lot of sick people and parents of sick people don't want to spend an hour and a half on the Dan Ryan, review board member Philip Bradley said.

In a letter to the review board opposing the project, south suburban Affiliated Oncologists LLC listed 11 nearby facilities offering radiation oncology and infusion therapy, two specialties U. of C. officials said they will feature in Orland Park.

U. of C. Medical Center President Sharon O'Keefe defended the location, saying the project had not prompted opposition from nearby hospitals, and it received letters of support from local officials, patients and physicians.

The university's market research data show the area, with a growing and aging population, is expected to need additional exam rooms and physicians by the time the project is completed, O'Keefe said. She also said it would provide a more convenient location in the south suburbs. To remain competitive, University of Chicago needs to improve accessibility to specialty care.

Some critics at the review board meeting said University of Chicago Medicine should open an adult trauma center on Chicago's South Side before planning a more lucrative expansion in the suburbs.

University of Chicago Medicine said in a statement Tuesday that it is deeply committed to the South Side, citing its emergency rooms, burn unit and children's trauma center. But we also believe all our patients deserve to have the chance to benefit from our expertise in treating very complex disorders, in their own communities, the university said in the statement, adding that developing a Level 1 adult trauma center would be a massive undertaking that could hurt other Cook County trauma centers.

According to plans filed with the review board, the 120,000-square-foot facility in Orland Park would offer specialized treatment in radiation oncology, with 80 exam rooms for other medical specialties, including orthopedics, women's health, pediatrics, cardiology and surgical consulting.

Review board approval was the final regulatory hurdle for the project, which is expected to break ground this fall and open in 2016, said Lorna Wong, a University of Chicago Medicine spokeswoman.

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U. of C. Medicine gets state approval to build Orland Park outpatient center

The wonders of Dok Alternatibo

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An employee at a Dok Alternatibo clinic shows the health drink turmeric juice and camote rolls that form part of the natural food program of the thriving health enterprise. GERMELINA LACORTE

Edgar Delibos foray into alternative medicine was driven by the search for a cure to his wifes many ailments.

She had asthma since she was a child. She had myoma after childbirth. She was diagnosed with a rheumatic heart, hypertension and hyperthyroidism. She had insomnia, migraine and a lot more, said Delibo, who is now known here as Dok Alternatibo.

Doctors told the family that they had only two optionssurgery or maintenance drugs. Delibo, however, refused to accept that he was limited to the two choices.

The cost of operation was so huge for a media man to afford, so I started to look for solutions somewhere else, said Delibo, who had worked as a broadcaster before his involvement in alternative medicine.

He spent long hours doing research on the Internet and reading medical books, but they simply corroborated what doctors had told him about his wifes ailmentsthe choices were just surgery and maintenance drugs.

Eyes of faith

It was only when I stopped my search using my eyes and began to search using the eyes of faith that I began to see, Delibo said.

He said a voice inside him kept telling him that the very food that they (doctors) dont allow patients to eat may be the ones that can bring about healing.

So while doctors told him root crops were bad for patients with toxic goiter, which his wife had, he gave his wife camote, pounding it and mixing it with scraped coconut meat.

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The wonders of Dok Alternatibo

Who Will Pay For Proactive Medicine?

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Last week I posted about the huge, neglected value of proactive medicine. Afterwards I talked with Bret Jorgensen, Executive Chairman of MDVIP, the pioneer Concierge Medicine company. We talked about the results that different intensive primary care models are demonstrating, and the challenges they face when they attempt to convince payers to invest resources in proactive medicine in order to enjoy those benefits.

Proactive Medicine refers to medical services that focus heavily on engaging patients while they are healthy or early in the disease process, developing strong relationships, and providing early treatment or driving behavior change that prevents or delays serious illness. Intensive primary care, often called Concierge Medicine or Direct Primary Care, has emerged recently as one of the most effective forms of Proactive Medicine. Entrepreneurs/start-up companies have led the way here: MDVIP, Iora, OneMedical, among others. (1)

Intensive primary care is important because 1) primary care impacts almost 100% of the population and 2) the benefits are big. Jorgensen reports that MDVIP has seen reductions of 80% plus in ER and hospital utilization and in hospital readmissions among a large group of Medicare patients that benefit from MDVIPs particularly intensive primary care service. This generated ~$300 millions of savings; most of the savings benefitted the Medicare program. More important, it improves the health status and quality of life of patients.

But [always a but], to implement intensive primary care someone needs to spend more money up front. Health insurance plans typically budget $25-$30 per member per month (PMPM) for primary care. Intensive primary care costs at least $65 PMPM. Total Total U.S. healthcare spending is about $700 per person per month. Spending $35 more on primary care pays off if the other $670 can be cut by 5%. Data that I have seen, both published and unpublished, indicates that intensive primary care saves 10%-20% of total health care cost (e.g.: 1, 2). At national scale, that opportunity adds up to $300-$600 billion. In addition there is the economic benefit of a healthier, more-productive population, and the social benefit of longer, healthier lives.

The bottom-line question is: who will pay for the up-front investment in primary care? In the beginning it was the patients themselves. MDVIP has 220,000 members in 41 states who pay about $135 PMPM on top of their health insurance, mainly from personal funds.High-end self-insured employers are starting to invest in intensive primary care. OneMedical has successfully sold its moderately-priced Concierge Medicine service to a number of employers, particularly silicon valley companies that compete aggressively for talent and regard benefits as a way to attract employees and keep them productive and happy. Comcast Comcast is investing in Direct Primary Care for its employees.

Mainstream commercial health plans and government payers, which together spend at least 2/3 of U.S. health care dollars, have not embraced intensive primary care significantly, however. Inertia and an awkward tax issue are factors. Beyond that, however, government and large insurers seem to be locked into the old-fashioned purchasing agent view of cost reduction: put the squeeze on every vendor every day. That approach produces short term results, but it does not capture the bigger savings that a systems view of healthcare would enable: by spending more on intensive primary care, payers can achieve a much larger savings in the cost of advanced medical care.

Another common objection goes: Primary care doctors are in short supply, so its impossible to provide more-intensive primary care. Thats a short-sighted argument. In the near term, capacity can be expanded by increasing the numbers of nurse practitioners and physicians assistants, and by exploiting the large, untapped potential of telemedicine in primary care. In the longer term increasing investment in primary care and its status will increase the supply of MDs, both from medical school and closely-related specialties.

Heres how we can accelerate enjoying the benefits of more-intensive primary care. Intensive primary care providers need to keep producing outstanding results, and they need to document those results with studies that are accepted by peer-reviewed journals and insurance actuaries. This is happening. Payers need to pull back a bit from their huge immediate challenges and take a longer term, system view of how to get more bang from the healthcare buck (2). It cant happen soon enough.

================

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Who Will Pay For Proactive Medicine?

New development in Chinese Medicine

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March 1, 2012, 3:58 a.m.

This week has marked the beginning of an exciting and new development in Chinese Medicine.

Hi everyone,This week has marked the beginning of an exciting and new development in Chinese Medicine.The Chinese Medicine profession is finally becoming registered nationwide and is compulsory from July this year, 2012.This means that for a practitioner to be able to practice Chinese Medicine anywhere in Australia they must be registered with the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia (CMBA).The website is http://www.chinesemedicineboard.gov.auCMBA is working under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).This is the same agency that overviews other health professions such as Western Medicine, Psychiatrist, Psychologists, Osteopaths, Dentists, Podiatrists and a few others.The website is http://www.ahpra.gov.auChinese Medicine has only ever been regulated prior to this, in one state and that has been Victoria.What does registration mean?This means that people, who want to practice Chinese Medicine, must apply to register with the board, where registration standards and codes of practice have to be met, setting a professional standard. What are the registration standards?To be eligible to practice Chinese Medicine one has to prove- Identity- Australian citizenship or working Visa- Completion of an approved Bachelor Degree - During 1 July 2012 to 1 July 2015, special transitional provisions, known as grandparenting provisions, are in place. This means that those who dont have the approved Bachelor Degree will still be considered for eligibility of practice provided that they can supply supporting information that proves their ability to practice. This is mainly for those who have been in the field before approved Bachelor Degrees were offered for study.- Professional Indemnity Insurance - Criminal record check- Prove ability to communicate effectively in English - Continual Professional Education known as CPEWhat does this mean for you the client?This means that you can check that a practitioner is registered and hence meeting the professional standards for Chinese Medicine. Hopefully it also means that Chinese medicine would be considered for Medicare. The other professions under AHPRA are all covered by Medicare.This would be a great step for alternative or complementary health practitioners.Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and counsellor Kim Bookarof promotes physical, mental and spiritual health and wellbeing, while encouraging awareness of health issues in the community.

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New development in Chinese Medicine

Weigh In: What's the Next Revolution for Medicine?

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Medicine looks incredibly different than it did a century ago (which I think we can all say thank goodness for that). From new technology such as MRI scanners and antibiotics, to improvements in logistics, such as widespread immunization programs and organ-donation schemes, medicine seems to be constantly modernizing.

But for every revolution in medicine thats complete, there must be a dozen more that havent even started. Quick lab diagnostics are great now how do we make those affordable for clinics in rural Africa? Patients are gathering their own genetic and lifestyle data now how can doctors use that to improve their medical care?

Over the last couple of months here at Citizen Science Salon, weve featured ten different projects in the Exploring a Culture of Health series, brought to you by SciStarter, Discover, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These projects aim to shake up medicine as we know it.

Some of those were directed at medical professionals. We asked nurses to share their on-the-job workarounds; we encouraged medical staff to imagine a better doctors office experience; and we solicited ideas for how charts and graphs could better communicate complex health ideas.

Other questions were posed to organizations, such as hospitals, governments and schools. We challenged orgs to think up ways to reuse wasted supplies, to ensure privacy for patient-supplied data, to improve their communitys overall health, and to provide support to kids whove faced childhood trauma.

Finally, the blogs posed questions to all of us as patients. Would you use a free online course to learn more about a health condition you or someone close to you had? Would you volunteer personal information to help scientists study a disease you have? Would you use an app to track your daily habits and report them to your doctor?

We live in an interesting time, where data is paramount and whole industries are built on its sharing. Our smart phones sync with wearable sleep-trackers and pedometers, and we can share that data socially. Wired clothing and smart contact lenses are in development to provide even more real-time vitals. These devices for the moment are for personal use, but someday doctors could, with your permission, also view these feeds and use them to help improve your health.

What are your ideas for how smart gadgets could make peoples lives healthier? Maybe a new app or a new device? Perhaps a reformed approach to medical charts that could integrate user-generated data? Maybe ways to use social networks to encourage healthier behaviors? Or maybe something we havent even thought of before now

We want to hear your ideas. Leave them in the comments below, or email them to editorial@discovermagazine.com. The most inspiring ideas will be featured in an upcoming print issue and may just bring about yet another exciting revolution in healthcare.

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Weigh In: What's the Next Revolution for Medicine?

Round two points for medicine courses drop further

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St Johns College Ballyfermot students with their Leaving Cert Results: from left, Dean Hogarty, Luke Noonan, Eoin de Lecy, Nathan Doyle, Robert Swaine, Jordan Doyle Mathew Murphy Kalim Teeling and Dean Cullins. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons/The Irish Times

Points in medicine have fallen in four out of five faculties in this years second round of CAO offers. New places were also offered by NUIG on 721 points, the same level as they were in round one last week.

The fallout this year from the restructuring of the Hpat marking scheme, to determine who gets undergraduate medical places, continues in round two offers this morning.

Points for medicine dropped from last year in all five medical faculties in round one last week, by between 14 and 18 points.

Amazingly, they have continued to drop in round two, with 64 places being offered this morning across all five medical schools, representing 15 per cent of all medical places available this year. Points are down by three in RCSI, by two in UCC and UCD, by one in Trinity and NUIG offered places to all applicants holding 721 points.

Students seeking places on other programmes in Trinity College will be pleased to find that 32 courses are offering places in round two. Points have decreased in 23 of these programmes. In contrast NUIG is offering places on only three courses, one being medicine. DCU offered a number of places in one programme, athletic therapy and training.

The large number of courses still to be filled in TCD may indicate that they offered insufficient places in round one and are now hoping to secure acceptances from those students still open to accepting a level eight programme.

Nursing and paramedical programmes have also seen a drop in points across a number of colleges. Nursing is down five points in UCC to 440 (random selection). Optometry is down five to 500 in DIT. Dentistry is down five in Trinity, as are radiation therapy and medicinal chemistry.

A number of places are offered under random selection, where not all applicants on these points got a place. These random selection offers include: veterinary medicine, down five in UCD to 575, as are veterinary nursing at 460, physiotherapy at 550, child and general nursing 490 and psychology 510. Some 38,239 applicants had accepted an offer from the CAO on round one by the closing date last Monday. This morning the CAO is offering a further 3,320 places to 3,125 people. The additional places offered by universities, institutes of technology and private colleges bring good news to these 3,125 students. Some 1,494 course places are offered at level eight and 1,626 at level seven/six. A number of students therefore have received offers at both levels.

For 761 students at level eight and 1,256 at level seven/six, todays post brings an offer of their first choice on their list of course preferences. The number of applicants who will receive an offer today represents a little over 6 per cent of those who did so in round one on August 18th.

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Round two points for medicine courses drop further