Oil race fuels new Falklands chapter

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Christ Church Cathedral on Ross Road in Stanley, on the Falkland Islands, where hopes are high for an oil industry. Photo: Bloomberg

Stanley:The Falkland Islands are not an easy place to reach. Flights come only weekly. Cruise ships making the trip brave frigid seas, freezing nights and recently, harassment from Argentine dockworkers.

When cruisers drop anchor outside Stanley Harbour, if the water is too choppy, the tenders from the ships cant bring passengers ashore. Passengers then see the barren hills of the island only through their cabin windows.

This may change if oil exploration in the undersea waters around the islands develops into an industry. Not only could a port be built to allow tourists to disembark in any weather, but more goods could come to the islands, ending the frequent shortages.

Oil companies are funding the construction of a temporary dock to accommodate exploration of oil and gas in the Falklands' waters. Photo: Chris Zappone

Everything, in fact, would change for these windswept islands, including the calculus around the Falklands' self-determination.

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It really is about long-term economic security, explains Stephen Luxton, the director of mineral resources for the Falkland Islands government, who boasts a family history on the islands going back 150 years. Its about ensuring we can carry on looking after the interests of the Falklands and being self-sufficient and maintaining our self government . . . which is very important to us.

While the people of the Falklands welcome the progress that could come with oil, Argentina, which invaded the islands 32 years ago this month, is less than enthused. The South American nation has cranked up diplomatic pressure on the Falklands, focusing not just on the British, who handle the territory's defence and foreign policy, but on any companies doing oil business with the islands.

'Operatic': Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has ramped up pressure for the Falklands to be recognised as Argentinian territory. Photo: AP

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Oil race fuels new Falklands chapter

Chaos Causes Beauty

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April 11, 2014

Image Caption: Osuga Valles. Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin

ESA

Beautiful streamlined islands and narrow gorges were carved by fast-flowing water pounding through a small, plateau region near the southeastern margin of the vast Vallis Marineris canyon system.

Images captured on 7 December 2013 by ESAs Mars Express show the central portion of Osuga Valles, which has a total length of 164 km. It is some 170 km south of Eos Chaos, which lies in the far eastern section of Valles Marineris.

Osuga Valles is an outflow channel that emanates from a region of chaotic terrain at the edge of Eos Chaos to the west (top in the main images). Such landscape is dominated by randomly oriented and heavily eroded blocks of terrain. Another example is seen at the bottom of this scene, filling the 2.5 km-deep depression into which Osuga Valles empties.

Catastrophic flooding is thought to have created the heavily eroded Osuga Valles and the features within it. Streamlines around the islands in the valley indicate that the direction of flow was towards the northeast (main color, topographic and 3D) and sets of parallel, narrow grooves on the floor of the channel suggest that the water was fast flowing.

Differences in elevation within the feature, along with the presence and cross-cutting relationships of channels carved onto the islands, suggest that Osuga Valles experienced several episodes of flooding. The perspective view, which is oriented with the direction of the water flow towards the top of the image, shows the details of the grooved valley floor and the channels carved into the islands more clearly.

Close to the northern-most (far right) part of the channel in the main images, two large irregular-shaped blocks appear to have broken away from the surrounding terrain, but do not seem to have experienced as much erosion as the rounded islands.

The floodwater eventually emptied into the deep depression of chaotic terrain at the bottom of the main images, but it is not yet known whether the water drained away into the subsurface or formed a temporary lake.

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Chaos Causes Beauty

"Reinventing American Health Care" — A Book Discussion with Ezekiel Emanuel and Thomas A. Farley – Video

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"Reinventing American Health Care" -- A Book Discussion with Ezekiel Emanuel and Thomas A. Farley
On March 24, 2014, Roosevelt House held a book discussion featuring Ezekiel Emanuel, author of the just-published Reinventing American Health Care: How the A...

By: Roosevelt House

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"Reinventing American Health Care" -- A Book Discussion with Ezekiel Emanuel and Thomas A. Farley - Video

Health-care changes seem to be paying off

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And in that regard, B.C. ranks the highest in the country. While we sit second-tolast in per-capita spending, (only Quebec ranks lower) we beat most other provinces in all kinds of areas: best cancer survival rates, lowest heart attack rate, longest life expectancy, lowest infant mortality rate, etc.

Have we finally wrestled that voracious gobbler of tax dollars the public health-care system to a standoff, if not to the ground? By that I mean the days of the system automatically devouring increasingly large amounts of money every year to feed itself may be drawing to a close, at least in British Columbia.

Of course, I dont mean the health-care system will stop being the biggest area of government spending by far.

But the rate of growth in spending is slowing down significantly. The annual hike is down to 2.6 per cent this year, compared to just several years ago when it was above five per cent.

Now, there are those who think this is bad news. After all, shouldnt we be plowing even more money into the system rather than less? If we dont, wont health-care standards suffer? The answers are: a) not necessarily and b) no.

The ideological defenders of the public health-care system everything is to blindly think the only measuring stick worth anything is per capita spending. In other words, B.C. should spend more dollars per person than anywhere else, and things will take care of themselves.

But those with experience in the system, who study it and come up with good ideas for change, point to another and far better measurement: health outcomes.

And in that regard, B.C. ranks the highest in the country. While we sit second-tolast in per-capita spending, (only Quebec ranks lower) we beat most other provinces in all kinds of areas: best cancer survival rates, lowest heart attack rate, longest life expectancy, lowest infant mortality rate, etc.

When it comes to wait times for certain surgeries, theyve been mostly going down and not up. The median wait time for a hip joint replacement has declined to 13 weeks from 19 weeks over the last 10 years, while a knee joint replacement has gone from 25 weeks to 18 weeks over the same time period.

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Health-care changes seem to be paying off

Sebelius Resigns After Health Care Rollout Fiasco

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WASHINGTON (AP) Embattled Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is resigning as the White House seeks to move past the election-year political damage inflicted by the rocky rollout of President Barack Obama's signature health care law.

Sebelius' resignation comes just over a week after sign-ups closed for the first year of insurance coverage under the so-called Obamacare law. The opening weeks of the enrollment period were marred by widespread website woes, though the administration rebounded strongly by enrolling 7.1 million people by the March 31 deadline, exceeding initial expectations. Enrollment has since risen to 7.5 million as people were given extra time to complete applications.

Even with the late surge in sign-ups, the law remains unpopular with many Americans and Republicans have made it a centerpiece of their efforts to retake the Senate in the fall.

Sebelius' resignation could also set the stage for a contentious confirmation hearing to replace her. In a sign that the White House is seeking to avoid a nomination fight, the president was tapping Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, to replace Sebelius. Burwell was unanimously confirmed by the Senate for her current post.

A White House official requested anonymity to confirm Sebelius' resignation and Burwell's nomination ahead of the formal announcement. Obama has not nominated anyone to replace Burwell as budget director.

Obama remained publicly supportive of Sebelius throughout the rough rollout, deflecting Republican calls for her resignation. But she was conspicuously not standing by his side last week when he heralded the sign-up surge during an event in the White House Rose Garden.

The official said the 65-year-old Sebelius approached Obama last month about stepping down, telling him that the sign-up deadline was a good opportunity for a transition and suggesting he would be better served by someone who was less of a political target.

A spokeswoman for Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican from Sebelius' home state of Kansas, called the resignation "a prudent decision" given what she called the total failure of Obamacare implementation.

Sebelius dropped no hints about her resignation Thursday when she testified at a budget hearing. Instead, she received congratulations from Democratic senators on the sign-up surge.

A popular former governor of Kansas, Sebelius has been one of Obama's longest-serving Cabinet officials and his only HHS secretary. She was instrumental in shepherding the health care law through Congress in 2010 and implementing its initial components, including a popular provision that allows young people to stay on their parents' insurance plans until age 26.

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Sebelius Resigns After Health Care Rollout Fiasco

Ohio considers legislation to control its health care

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Ohio is one of 21 states that have introduced legislation to control its health care, which includes controlling federal dollars and changes that could affect health care in the state.

Legislation would allow states to join a federally created health care compact that would transfer the authority and responsibility to make health care decisions from federal control to the member states. So far, only North Dakota has failed to pass legislation through its statehouse to join, and three states Arizona, Minnesota and Montana have had their governors veto legislation. There are eight states with legislation approved by their governors, and Ohio is one of eight states with legislation still pending.

Republican Reps. Terry Boose, of Norwalk, and Wes Retherford, of Hamilton, introduced House Bill 227 this past June, which would allow Ohio to be a member of the health care compact. The bill passed out of the State and Local Government Committee on April 2 by way of a 10-8 vote. The vote was down party lines, though Republican Bob Hackett, of London, voted with the Democrats. Committee member Rep. Matt Lundy, D-Elyria, said this bill is not right for Ohio.

The proposal is so extreme and has such a negative impact on the health of our citizens that even Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed (a similar bill), said Lundy. Arizonas state legislature passed its version of the health care compact bill in 2011, but it was vetoed by the controversial governor who became criticized in the national media for signing Arizona Senate Bill 1070, known as the show me your papers law. The U.S. Supreme Court in June 2012 struck down key provisions of SB 1070 but upheld a provision that allows police to check a persons immigration status in certain circumstances.

The governors in Montana and Minnesota exercised pocket vetoes by never signing the bills that passed each of their respective states legislatures.

Meredith Tucker, Ohio Democratic Party communications director, called the bill a partisan stunt.

Its sad that Ohio Republicans continue these partisan stunts when there are so many important issues facing struggling Ohio families, she said.

U.S. Rep. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, introduced House Joint Resolution 110 in February and has garnered support from 11 Republican congressmen, including Urbana Rep. Jim Jordan, who have signed on as co-sponsors. The Oklahoma Republican said this resolution is a breakthrough governance reform that allows states to clean up the health care mess created by the federal government.

Those member states are then free to implement their own health care systems without interference from federal bureaucrats, using federal health care funds already collected and spent in their state, Lankford said.

Because of their displeasure with the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare, Retherford said he and several Ohio legislators felt it necessary to work to join the health care compact efforts. And besides that, he said health care is an issue that should be taken care at the state level.

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Ohio considers legislation to control its health care

Business Journal: Health care changes offer challenges and opportunities for Conway Regional

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Health care is in transition in Faulkner County.

Conway Regional Health System is accountable to the community to provide high quality, compassionate health care services. The mission statement sets the expectations for every person who wears a Conway Regional badge.

This means the work lives of the Conway Regional staff should be dedicated to making decisions that will lead to the highest quality care for patients in Faulkner and surrounding counties. This level of accountability flows from the board of directors down to everyone in the organization including both clinical and non-clinical staff.

The challenge of delivering on these expectations is growing as we transition into a new era of accountability in providing health care. Health systems are encouraged to provide more creative, smarter answers to delivering on those expectations. The Conway Regional Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team are tasked with responding to these opportunities.

The way hospitals, physicians and other providers are reimbursed is changing.

Health care reimbursement is transitioning from a fee for service system in which providers (such as Medicare and Medicaid) pay based on the number of services or tests conducted, to a system where providers are paid more for improving outcomes and driving value. Under the new system, providers are being paid based on improved care experiences, improved health of populations and lower per capita costs.

The challenge currently is that most of the payment is based on volume but as more and more of the payment moves to outcomes or improving overall health, providers will have to change their focus and processes to respond. The challenge is to know when to shift from the fee for service model to the value based model when they have conflicting incentives.

Growing government regulations and expectations have begun placing about 5 percent of hospitals federal reimbursement at risk annually. Other payers are also moving more and more of their payment to a value based formula. We have seen and will continue to see different models (such as bundled payments, primary care medical homes and others) as we search for the best way to drive improved outcomes and reduced costs, said Jim Lambert, Conway Regional Health Systems President and CEO.

The Affordable Care Act has resulted in significant changes in the countrys insurance structure to help many formerly uninsured or under insured people pay for health care. The cost of uncompensated care remains significant for the nations health care facilities, including Conway Regional.

In 2013 Conway Regional provided more than $10 million in uncompensated care. This means medical services for which no payment is received. Uncompensated care includes charity care and bad debts.

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Business Journal: Health care changes offer challenges and opportunities for Conway Regional

Former health secretary tapped to carry out president's health care reform effort

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -

Shortly after Kathleen Sebelius was tapped to carry out President Barack Obama's signature health care reform effort, the head of Health and Human Services found herself in the crosshairs of Republicans determined to repeal the law.

The two-term Kansas governor-turned-Obamacare-chief-defender is resigning as health secretary. She's leaving after a problem-plagued rollout of HealthCare.gov, the federal website portal critical to the law's implementation, but with the administration taking a victory lap after unexpectedly reaching and then exceeding its sign-up target of 7 million.

A tweet by David Axelrod, former senior adviser to Obama, perhaps best sums up the tension Sebelius faced as she tried to navigate implementing the controversial law familiar as Obamacare.

"When all is said and done, Sebelius has lots to be proud of including the surprisingly strong finish on exchange signups after a rocky start," Axelrod wrote.

That sentiment is "a little passive aggressive," said Ryan Lizza, a CNN political commentator.

"They want the message to be: blame Sebelius with the problems with Obamacare especially as they go into a midterm election where this is going to be a big issue. I think that's a little unfair to her."

It wasn't always this way.

She once was seen as a Democratic Party rising star when she was tapped to deliver the Democratic response to President George W. Bush's final State of the Union address.

She was the Midwestern girl whose political blood ran blue but flourished in a red state. Her father was a former Democratic governor of Ohio.

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Former health secretary tapped to carry out president's health care reform effort