Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Remix – Kingdom Hearts Re: CoM – Episode 13: Destiny Islands – Video

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Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Remix - Kingdom Hearts Re: CoM - Episode 13: Destiny Islands
Be sure to LIKE and COMMENT. Your support matters. Playlist: Due to Sora #39;s douchiness, he #39;s by himself. So it means that he #39;s going to have to go solo as we ...

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Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Remix - Kingdom Hearts Re: CoM - Episode 13: Destiny Islands - Video

Islands on I-293 get sprucing up in Manchester

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MANCHESTER Traffic islands at the I293 interchange at Granite Street are getting a sprucing up as city parks workers remove ovregrown weeds that have crowded out the flowering perennials and shrubs.

A crew began clearing the three islands and median strip Friday and should be finished with the landscaping makeover by the end of next week, said Peter Capano, chief of the parks division within the citys Highway Department.

The clean up is partly the result of a nudge from West Side resident Jane E. Beaulieu.

Beaulieu said she began alerting highway and parks officials they were not maintaining the median and islands at the Exit 5 interchange as they were supposed to under an agreement with the state.

They signed off on the project saying they would maintain it and they dropped the ball, said the Ward 10 state representative and former city conservation commission member.

Capano said the neglect was partly due to lack of staff, who devoted most of their time during the summer and early fall to maintaining high-traffic parks and athletic fields.

We were planning to go there. It was on our radar, Capano said.

He said crews should be done clearing the site of weeds, making room for perennials and shrubs and bringing in bark mulch by Friday.

Its amazing what one taxpayer can do to make things happen in our city, Beaulieu said.

Capano said the city relies on the volunteer Adopt-a-Site program to enlist individuals, groups and businesses to help keep parks maintained. But he said the Exit 5 interchange with its multiple traffic lanes and highway ramps is too dangerous to allow individuals to tend. A professional landscaping firm, however, would be able to handle the job, he said. Anyone interested should contact Jessica Chambers at the parks office at 624-6444.

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Islands on I-293 get sprucing up in Manchester

Governor-General to visit Niue and the Cook Islands

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The Governor-General, Lt Gen Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae, is to visit Niue and the Cook Islands later this week to reaffirm New Zealands close ties with the two South Pacific nations.

The Cook Islands and Niue are self-governing in free association with New Zealand and, along with the territory of Tokelau and the Ross Dependency, form part of the wider Realm of New Zealand.

The Governor-General and Lady Janine Mateparae will leave New Zealand for Niue on 18 October before travelling to the Cook Islands on 20 October, and returning to New Zealand on 24 October.

Sir Jerry Mateparae said the visit was an opportunity to reinforce the ties between New Zealand and Niue and the Cook Islands.

"New Zealand, Niue and the Cook Islands are partners in the Realm of New Zealand. We are bound together in an enduring relationship that is founded on our close constitutional ties, a shared Polynesian heritage, a shared history and a common citizenship. In 2014 Niue marks 40 years of self-government in free association while the Cook Islands will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2015," he said.

"What gives the relationships with Niue and the Cook Islands their fundamental strengths, however, are the many cultural, economic, family and people-to-people links. New Zealanders are increasingly travelling to both nations for holidays while many Cook Islanders and Niueans have chosen to live in New Zealand and make a significant contribution to our economy and society."

Sir Jerry and Lady Janine Mateparae will provide high-level representation at the celebrations on 19 October marking Niues 39th Constitution Day, the anniversary of the establishment of self-government in free association with New Zealand in 1974. The centrepiece of the celebrations will be the Flag-Raising Ceremony, where the Governor-General will give an address reaffirming the special nature of the bilateral relationship and the unique ties that bind New Zealand and Niue. While in Niue, the Governor-General will also promote New Zealands support to build the Niuean economy, particularly in tourism.

In Rarotonga, Sir Jerry and Lady Janine Mateparae will call on the Queens Representative and other political and chiefly leaders. The Governor-General will also receive a full ceremonial welcome at Atupare Marae, during which he will be honoured with the Tapu of the Kiriti-Maro-Tai ceremony. This is a significant honour and underscores the close cultural links between the Cook Islands Mori and New Zealand Mori.

Sir Jerry and Lady Janine Mateparae will also visit a number of projects in Rarotonga that are being supported by New Zealand. They will also visit one of the outer islands, Mauke, where the Governor-General will unveil a new war memorial and attend a wreath laying ceremony as well as learning of assistance provided by the New Zealand Aid Programme.

The flights between New Zealand, Niue and the Cook Islands will be provided by the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

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Governor-General to visit Niue and the Cook Islands

Australian, Japanese miners seek resolution on Solomon Islands nickel rights

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ABC The companies say a nickel mine on Isabel Island could be 10 times the size of Solomon Islands' biggest current mine

A major court case in Solomon Islands is seeking to resolve a long-running dispute between Australian and Japanese companies over nickel rights on Santa Isabel island.

Japanese company Sumitomo and Australian miner Axiom are appearing at Honiara court house to argue they each have the right approval to start mining rich veins of nickel bearing ore.

Sumitomo began prospecting first, but a deal between landowner groups and Axiom has landed the rights in dispute and in court.

Sumitomo and Axio both claim support of different landowner groups, while another landowning company has also sent its own representation.

Australian judge, John Brown, who has extensive experience in Melanesia, has been brought in to hear the case.

Lawyers say it is exceptionally important to determine issue of land-ownership and processes around starting future mining operations.

The Solomon Islands has one operating gold mine - Gold Ridge in Guadalcanal.

During a visit to Japan, Sumitomo told Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo the mine on Isabel could be ten times the size of Gold Ridge.

The Solomon Islands Government believes that once this case is resolved the country has a bright mining future.

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Australian, Japanese miners seek resolution on Solomon Islands nickel rights

Solomon Islands Opens High Commission In Kuala Lumpur

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KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- Solomon Islands opened its high commission office here today, marking a new chapter in Malaysia-Solomon Islands bilateral relations to provide greater impetus to the relations for mutual benefits.

In a statement here, the foreign ministry said the diplomatic mission was opened by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo. Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman was guest of honour.

The visit of the Solomon Islands prime minister is in conjunction with the opening of the country's high commission office in Malaysia.

This is Solomon Islands' ninth diplomatic mission established worldwide since its independence in 1978.

According to the statement, Anifah welcomed the Solomon Islands Government's decision to open its first diplomatic mission in South East Asia, assuring that Malaysia was committed to work closely with Solomon Islands, to promote bilateral collaborations in all sectors.

He said Lilo's visit was a milestone in Malaysia-Solomon Islands bilateral relations and was indeed timely, as Malaysia embarked to strengthen and expand further its cooperation, beyond the scope of the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme.

Diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Solomon Islands was established in 1988.

Anifah also underscored several potential areas that both countries could tap into, namely education, fisheries and tourism, respectively, as well as encourage people-to-people contacts through exchanges of visits and private sector links.

He also offered to share Malaysia's development agenda through the Government Transformation Programme.

Anifah also requested for Solomon Islands' support as Malaysia was vying for the Non-Permanent Seat in the United Nations Security Council for 2015-2016.

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Solomon Islands Opens High Commission In Kuala Lumpur

Local Health Care Changes Limited So Far, Doctors Say

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VOL. 128 | NO. 201 | Tuesday, October 15, 2013

The Oct. 1 start of enrollment in health care exchanges may be the most visible part of the Affordable Care Act so far.

But changes to insurance and health care nationally already are about something other than lowering health care costs or widening access to health care and health insurance coverage.

I think for most people, they assumed that this was all about providing care for the poor, said Church Health Center founder Dr. Scott Morris on the WKNO-TV show Behind The Headlines. What I think people will find jaw-droppingly unbelievable is that at the Church Health Center, which sees effectively 100 percent of our patients working and uninsured, 80 to 90 percent of our patients it will have no impact on whatsoever.

Thats because so far, the impact is on health care exchanges and doesnt involve a Medicaid expansion.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam initially said no to the expansion, which would be funded fully by the federal government for the first three years and then be 90 percent federally funded for three years after that. Haslam has been negotiating terms for an expansion since initially turning it down.

So health care exchanges whether federal or state apply to those who are at least 138 percent above the federal poverty index.

If youre a single individual and you make less than $16,000 a year, or you are a family of four and your income is less than $32,000 a year, when you go to the exchanges and you pop in your data, what will come back is that you will get nothing. The poorest people get nothing, Morris said. The assumption was absolutely that every state would expand Medicaid. So if you are working in a near-minimum-wage job, youre going to have to pay full bore, same as you would today, for health insurance. And they just cant afford it.

Dr. Richard Thomas, a consultant to several local hospitals, estimated 25,000 to 30,000 Memphians without health insurance could be covered through the exchange. And he added that if the state had taken the Medicaid expansion, the uninsured with access could have increased by another 80,000.

Thomas said the Affordable Care Act has made some difference with adult children remaining on their parents insurance and payments of several hundred dollars each to consumers from insurance companies who in the past did not allocate 80 percent of the premiums paid them to health care costs.

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Local Health Care Changes Limited So Far, Doctors Say

VNA Health Care helps residents navigate new requirements

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Fox Valley residents appeared to put a timid toe into the new pool of insurance coverage options offered during the first week of the exchanges created by President Barack Obama's new health care law.

VNA Health Care hosts one of the larger contingents of "navigators" in the Fox Valley. The organization has about 25 trained, background-checked navigators who are assisting local residents in determining their medical coverage options now that the exchanges are open for business. VNA hopes to eventually have 50 navigators in the field assisting residents.

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Interviews with some of the current navigators show local residents have been somewhat slow to come to the exchanges, but the pace is building as more information becomes available.

Nadia Daley is one of the VNA's navigators. She helped about 10 individuals and families in the first week of the exchanges.

"When people come in, most say, 'I heard I can get insurance, and I really, really want insurance. So, I'm here for you to help me get insurance,'" Daley said. "That's their main concern, especially if they have somebody ill their family or have a pre-existing condition. Basically, the door to insurance has been opened, and everyone is just pushing to get in."

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VNA Health Care helps residents navigate new requirements

Dignity Health and Optum Launch Company to Simplify Patient Billing, Modernize Health Care Administration

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MINNEAPOLIS & SAN FRANCISICO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

To meet the growing demand for greater transparency, simplicity, and value in health care billing, Dignity Health and Optum have formed Optum360, a major new venture that combines the companies industry-leading revenue cycle management capabilities. Optum360 is dedicated to transforming the registration, documentation, billing, and payment system so it works better for hospitals, health systems and other care providers, and delivers a better patient experience.

With a workforce of more than 3,000 employees from Dignity Health and Optum, Optum360s revenue cycle management services can meet the large-scale needs of major hospitals and health systems, and enable new care delivery and risk-sharing models, such as Accountable Care Organizations. The venture joins Dignity Healths proven revenue cycle operations expertise and scale with Optums market-leading technology, expertise in ICD-10 readiness, and a client base of thousands of hospitals and physician groups. Optum serves more than 300 commercial and public health plans, and its deep payer operations expertise will be applied to making administrative processes between payers and providers more direct, faster, and simpler.

Optum360s patient-centric approach to revenue cycle management has the potential to fundamentally transform both administrative processes and revenue yield and accuracy from patient registration to financial resolution of payments in ways no other solution can. It is designed to reduce costs and make medical costs more transparent while helping hospitals, health systems, clinics, and physicians modernize administrative processes and ensure appropriate revenue yield. Importantly, the Optum360 solution provides a complete view of the care experience from the patients perspective, helping providers deliver a simpler, more satisfying experience to their patients.

The health care billing process is too often a source of stress during a time when healing should be the primary focus, and together through Optum360 we are committed to being part of the solution, said Lloyd Dean, president and chief executive officer of Dignity Health. Our goal is nothing less than to modernize the revenue cycle so that it is intuitive and easy to manage, and allows patients and providers alike to focus their attention on healing.

Approximately 1,700 employees from Dignity Health and 1,300 employees from Optum make up the initial workforce of Optum360, which will be the exclusive revenue cycle services provider to Dignity Healths hospitals, clinics, and physicians. Optum360 is also working with additional major health care provider partners nationwide and plans to announce these relationships in the months ahead.

Optum360 is singularly focused on helping care providers nationwide transform the registration, billing and payment system so it works better for them and their patients, said Larry Renfro, chief executive officer of Optum. The unique combination of Optums leading technology and Dignity Healths proven expertise in revenue cycle management will allow us to partner with hospitals, health systems, clinics and physicians across the health care system to significantly improve performance and the patient experience.

Bringing Simplicity to Patients and Providers

Optum360 is focused on improving the patient experience through a unique combination of technology and superior customer service. For example, patients can expect a more streamlined admission process and access to secure online and mobile applications for benefits information, health management tools and financial statements. Optum360 service representatives will educate patients about their insurance benefits, provide financial counseling, and help them understand what they can expect from the payment process.

Dignity Health has always been committed to simplifying the billing process and helping our patients understand their health benefits, said Michael Blaszyk, senior executive vice president and chief financial officer for Dignity Health. With Optum360, we are taking these efforts to the next level by implementing Optums proven technology. We are excited to bring these resources to the patients we serve as well as to the broader health care marketplace.

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Dignity Health and Optum Launch Company to Simplify Patient Billing, Modernize Health Care Administration

Health Care Reform Paving the Way for New Technologies

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- "Obamacare" may not please everybody, but Americans of all political stripes already benefit from at least one by-product of the new law: innovative health care technologies that make it easier and cheaper to access quality health care.

A key driver for technology creation within Obamacare is the idea of "accountable care," where providers receive financial incentives for delivering high quality care at a lower cost. If the old economic model was to build a hospital and fill it with paying patients, the new model rewards medical professionals for keeping people healthy and out of the building as much as possible.

Accountable care requires that "hospitals defend the perimeter against avoidable admission," said George Pace, a health care industry executive based in North Carolina. "If I'm there because of a heart attack, okay, but it's not okay if it's because I forgot to take my medications. You have to expand the continuum of care into the community and identify and address symptoms, illnesses, and behaviors before they escalate."

That's where technology comes in. Just as doctors and hospitals leverage "physician extenders" such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants to provide a broad range of services, said Pace, "technology extenders" such as mobile telemedicine, real-time collaborative tools and electronic monitoring systems will increasingly be used to maximize the reach of medical professionals, all while lowering costs.

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Health Care Reform Paving the Way for New Technologies

Physician assistants fill in at the fringes of health care

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10 hours ago

Courtesy Venice Family Clinic

Carrie Kowalski, a physician assistant at the Venice Family Clinic in Venice, California, checks "Tarzan", one of the homeless patients she seeks out to care for.

Editor's note: This storyis part of NBC'sseries "Quest for Care" exploring the shortage of health care providers as the Affordable Care Act rolls out.

Ben Olmedo traveled from Afghanistan to Alaska to find the gaps he wanted to fill. Wisconsin-born Carrie Kowalski found her niche in Venice Beach, Calif. And Vicki Chan-Padgett found her space full of needy women and children in Las Vegas 30 years after she first trained as an Air Force medic.

The three physician assistants are already helping to fill the many holes in the U.S. health care system, providing tests, counseling and other basic care when a doctor is unavailable. They expect to get busier as health care reform starts making it easier for people to pay for medical care.

The three are deployed at the very edges of the U.S. health care system, where its already hard to find physicians. Groups such as the Association of American Medical Colleges project a shortage of 90,000 medical doctors by 2020 as the population increases and ages -- and as more people gain the ability to pay for treatment through new insurance marketplaces and expanded Medicaid programs.

Physician assistants trained in medicine and able to provide care with minimal supervision by a physician are already seeking expanded roles to help fill the gap.

Some of our patients wait six months or more to get specialist care, says Kowalski, who just graduated from her physician assistant program at the University of Southern California in May. The Venice Family Clinic sends Kowalski in a van to scour the streets of the southern California city, finding the homeless and near-homeless who need help.

Kowalski and her team provide basic care, tending to injuries, testing and counseling for HIV, and trying to persuade patients to come in for more comprehensive care. As the changes mandated by the 2010 Affordable Care Act take hold, Kowalski expects her job to get busier because California has embraced Obamacare wholeheartedly, expanding its Medicaid program and setting up its own exchanges where people can buy health insurance.

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Physician assistants fill in at the fringes of health care