My Philosophy of Leadership

MY PHILOSOPHY OF LEADERSHIP Christine Harris Byrd In my own definition, leadership is an attitude, not a position or routine, and not based on one certain formula or method. It is based on one’s experiences and personal values, and therefore no two leaders will never be the same. There are only a few characteristics that categorize them together. Leaders are those whose actions reflect their heart. They inspire themselves and others in a way that creates a chain reaction of positive events, thoughts, changes, and of course, attitudes.Whether their attitude affects a whole society or one single person, they are a leader because they genuinely care for the well-being of others and live according to their own principles. Most importantly, a leader is one who does not settle. They are always striving to grow as an individual, learn more, accomplish more, and challenge the norm. Based on my personal experiences it is prevalent that I will become more of a transformational leader ve rsus being a transactional leader. So much of my growth has been based on inner-challenges and the influence of other leaders.I agree with the concept that stresses the importance of â€Å"powerful personal characteristics† and using your talents and skills to help and influence others. I have a fiery personality, which means I become very passionate for what is important to me and let my emotions dictate how I think, feel, and act. Most distinctively I believe that the main purpose of our actions is to aspire for happiness. One cannot truthfully portray leadership if his actions do not make him happy. To put it simply, I believe that being a transformational leader is a lifestyle.Never does one reach an end point or master the skill. As they strive to transform others, they too continue to grow. There are five main components of my personal leadership philosophy. The first and foundational component on which it is built on is â€Å"hard work. † An important part of ha ving a leadership attitude is by illustrating your words through tangible actions. Rolling up your sleeves and diving in or â€Å"going the extra mile† establish both credibility and respect. In my experience, hard work can also come in the form of a weakness.I am most content when I can just put my head down and work, but I have learned that when working together with others, I have to be conscious of other’s opinions and pace. I believe that it also means that one has to be resilient because the harder you work and the more times that you put yourself out there, the higher the chances are that you are going to fail. The difference between someone who succeeds and someone who does not is how one reacts to the situation. The second component is to be a â€Å"forever student. † John F.Kennedy defined this perfectly when he said, â€Å"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. † Whether we are working in our area of expertise, teaching someon e else, or simply living there is always room for improvement. I believe that everyone has a story to tell and by listening we are exposed to a new perspective that changes the way we see things or strengthens our standing beliefs. This also ties in to the idea of not being an individual who settles. Being curious, asking questions, and purely just listening are some of the most essential habits a leader can have; they are the spark plug for creativity.Components three and four are closely connected. To â€Å"be happy† and â€Å"have passion,† as previously mentioned, are two characteristics that are naturally intertwined with our personalities and functional needs. Often time’s leaders struggle with their conscious over taking the path that they are expected to take and the one that makes them happy. In a society where â€Å"time is of the essence† we as leaders must prioritize. Happiness is the key to what makes each of us tick and passion is the specia l ingredient that creates determination, energy, focus, and a servant heart.I know that I am going to have more respect and admiration for an individual who is steadfast and passionate, regardless if their beliefs and priorities align with mine. The fifth and most personal component for me is to â€Å"take risks. † Every situation we approach in life involves some sort of risk. Every decision, experience, action, goal, and emotion has both a positive and negative outlook. The final lines of a quote that has become my personal motto can best define this component: Risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.The person, who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn feel, change, grow, love, or live. Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave, he has forfeited freedom. Only a person who risks is free. As individuals who continue to strive for that leadership attitude, we h ave to be able to throw all cards down on the table, and continue to do it over and over if we ever expect any gain or satisfaction. Of course as the most challenging component, it is also the most important.Ultimately is all boils down to the question of â€Å"did I give everything; do everything that I possibly could to make the outcome positive? † If so, then regardless of the outcome, you have shown positive leadership. The leadership theories that best describe my personal philosophy are servant and authentic leadership. The life-changing experiences and memories that have had the most significant impact on my life are the ones that challenged me to become a better person and that came from the kindness of others.I have seen firsthand how hard work, learning, happiness, passion, and taking risks can change one’s purpose in life and have learned that when we surround ourselves with those components and others who share them, it creates a positive chain reaction. I value the opportunity to live based on my personal values and firmly believe in leadership that is modeled to serve and benefit from each other. I have always believed that effective leadership encourages everyone to participate in the decision making process.The effective leader is one who can clearly articulate the vision of the organization to all stakeholders in a meaningful and accessible way. The simplest way to describe my personal belief about effective leadership is that , â€Å"the (leader) needs to model what management researcher Robert Greenleaf called servant leadership- a philosophy that encourages collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and ethical use of power and empowerment. † (Krajewski, 2004). My mission is, as a leader and a follower, to empower those around me to use their natural alents to assist the organization as well as themselves. I believe that the foundation of effective leadership is personal integrity. My actions will serve as an example f or others and will be based upon honesty, respect and fairness. I will keep my word and will treat people fairly and with respect for diversity and the rights of each individual. I will trust the members of my team to make sound, ethical decisions and I will guide and support them. I also aim to develop, through example, a learning community among my co-workers. As a leader, my goal is to be a collaborator.Everyone has something unique to bring to the table. It is my hope that they environment that I co-create encourages awareness and cultivation of this authenticity. DePree (1989) defines leadership as follows: â€Å"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor. † References: . De Pree, Max. The Art of Leadership. New York: Doubleday, 1987. Leadership . Krajewski, Bob. . In Their Own Words. Learning From Urban Schools Pages 14-18. March 2005 | Volume 62 | Number 6

Educational Coaches Essay

Educational or instructional coaches – also called â€Å"master teachers† – in elementary and secondary education are facilitators who train other teachers to improve instructional practices and generate higher levels of student achievement (Buly et al, 2004). Specifically, they are trained to serve as support for schools and districts experiencing â€Å"market failure;† i. e. , that have large numbers of students unable to meet state and federal achievement standards (Buly et al, 2004). This document is written as an outline to provide qualitative and quantitative evidence (in economic and real terms) that justifies educational managers (elementary, middle and high school principals, superintendents and school board members) utilizing educational/instructional coaches to achieve the following goals: (1) improving aggregate output through schools’ and districts’ overall level of student achievement on state- and/or federally-mandated testing, and (2) improving micro-level behavior through resource allocation, individual classroom management, implementation of learning strategies and instruction of subject matter. The following is a summary of the main points of this document: †¢ Discussion of what educational/instructional coaches are and their estimated microeconomic impact on students’ and teachers’ performances †¢ Discussion of district and schools’ economic costs and factors including fiscal policy, funding sources, overall output and the impact of budgetary decisions such as hiring educational/instructional coaches †¢ An econometric case study: regression analysis of schools in Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Florida that utilize educational/instructional coaches Definition The field of education, unlike some markets, is not perfectly competitive. Individual buyers (students) and sellers (teachers) do have the ability to significantly influence the cost and quality of education. Consequently, educators continuously strive to make the educational marketplace more efficient and productive; i. e. , they search for methods and tools that improve the process of and environment for learning and address the diverse and changing needs of teachers and students. Unfortunately, the field of education is constrained by limits, and the equitable and efficient distribution of income (state and federal funding) and other resources (teachers) remains an issue that managers (educational administrators such as superintendents, school board members and principals) must address annually. In 1989, an educational organization called the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) developed America’s Choice, a school design model based on high quality instructional materials, technical support and professional development for teachers (NCEE, 2009). Educational/instructional coaches are a central component of America’s Choice (NCEE, 2009). The goal of this paper is to determine whether or not educational managers are making the most fiscally responsible decision when hiring educational/instructional coaches to meet district- and school-based needs. While educational/instructional coaches are an often-used solution in some school districts, managers have other alternatives available to provide support to teachers and students in the classroom. These options utilize different methods of resource allocation. One alternative to â€Å"classroom coaching† is making capital improvements. An example of a capital improvement is upgrading a district’s and/or school’s technological infrastructure. This would involve purchasing computers and/or networks with more memory and larger capacities for data storage and manipulation, increasing the value and useful life of a district’s or school’s technological infrastructure. This could also involve purchasing software such as web-based educational tools for both students and teachers to use. Another option is additional training for teachers through in-service workshops (training provided during the school day) or additional education courses (college and/or university level). A third alternative is realignment of the student-teacher ratio based on aggregate demand; i. e. , the total demand (number of students) for goods (teachers/classes) and services (instruction) in the educational market (classroom). A fourth alternative is awarding financial bonuses to teachers with high or greatly improved student achievement rates. Educational/Instructional Coaches: Their Economic Costs and Factors When evaluating the benefits of using educational/instructional coaches, educational managers must ask themselves, â€Å"What are the accounting and opportunity costs of this decision? † In other words, managers need to determine expenses like salary, benefits, health insurance for the educational/instructional coaches; they also must construct the benefits of other educational options. According to payscale. com, a global, online compensation database, the average salary for K-12 public school teachers in the United States is $42,000 annually for a nine-month school year (Payscale, Inc. , 2009). Educational coaches are often at the top tier for teachers’ salaries and make on average $52,000 each year (Payscale, Inc. , 2009). Thus, the opportunity cost of hiring an educational coach at a school is, on average, $52,000 annually. An educational manager have an additional $52,000 (plus the cost of insurance and benefits) within his/her budget to invest in computer hardware, software, training for existing teachers, or actually hiring a new teacher (thereby reducing the teacher/student ratio). If a school principal hired more than one educational coach – many schools have one for every major academic discipline – the costs would be even greater. Across a school district, the aggregate costs would be much larger. For example, Duval County Public Schools is a school district in Jacksonville, Florida, has 160 schools, and uses America’s Choice, employing educational coaches at all 160 schools (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). At the very least, Duval County Public Schools’ accounting cost for hiring 160 educational coaches would be (on average) approximately 8. 32 million dollars annually, not including benefits and insurance. While educational managers must consider costs, they must also contend with economic factors. There are a wide range of economic factors that affect educational managers’ ability to hire educational coaches. Some of the most important are federal and state government policies, school district management, taxation, and student achievement levels. Before educational managers can make hiring decisions, school districts must meet state and federal approval through accreditation (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). Accreditation is the process by which â€Å"an official body gives authority to something when recognized standards are met† (Lindberg, Ed. , 2004, p. 8). The governing body for public schools in the southern part of the United States is the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools (SACS). In October 2008, SACS awarded Duval County Public Schools full accreditation, which indicates the district complied with meeting state and federal standards for student achievement (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). Schools must be accredited to hire new staff. Thus, the accreditation process was necessary before educational managers could hire educational coaches. Another factor affecting the hiring process is district management. Before principals can finalize hiring any new educators, including educational coaches, the new hires must be approved by the school board (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). The school board is â€Å"a local authority responsible for the provision and maintenance of schools† (Lindberg, Ed. , 2004, p. 1220). In Duval County Public Schools, for example, the school board must vote on whether or not they approve principals hiring educational coaches. Another factor affecting the hiring of educational coaches is funding. Funding for school districts is a fiscal policy issue and comes from a combination of local, state and federal sources (Howell & Miller, 1997). Local funding is generally financed by property taxes (Howell & Miller, 1997). State financing is generally through sales taxation (Howell & Miller, 1997). Both local and state taxation are affected by state policy decisions and voting decisions of the population (Howell & Miller, 1997). For example, a governor may issue a proposition to reduce property taxes across a state. If the population votes to accept the tax reduction, the funds available to make hiring decisions are reduced. While federal monies are financed through national income tax, these come to schools and schools districts via an assortment of federally mandated programs, often for at-risk student populations (U. S. Department of Education, 2007). For example, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is the most recent federal education legislation. Enacted in 2001, NCLB is an initiative of former U. S. President George W. Bush and it authorizes the distribution of educational grants for low-income students, textbooks, professional development for educators and more (U. S. Department of Education, 2007). Often a school’s student population determines how much and if that school can receive federal funding (U. S. Department of Education, 2007) Thus, government policy decisions at the local, state and federal levels affect educational managers’ decisions to hire educational coaches. A final factor that determines whether or not educational managers hire educational coaches is actual student achievement. If a school has a significant number of students not meeting state and federal achievement standards, educational managers seek solutions through options like educational coaches. For example, in Duval County Public Schools, William M. Raines High School has a student population characterized by low-incomes and low test scores (Duval County Public Schools, 2009). The school district also contains Stanton High School, rated

Nursing Home Carez Advocacy, Inc Marketing Plan

MM522 Marketing Plan Of Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. Sherry Y Montique December 11, 2011 Marketing Management 1. 0 Executive Summary Where would you want to live if you needed daily assistance? In your home, of course. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy aims to be a guiding factor in transitioning you or your loved one into that new home. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities have become an indelible part of our health care landscape. These facilities provide 24 hour inpatient nursing and supportive care to residents whose disability or condition necessitate the availability of nursing care on an extended basis. It is estimated that over 40% of Americans will use one of these entities at some point in their lives. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc is committed to helping people live better. Simply put our goal is getting the community the help it needs to care for the people they love. The nucleus is to educate the elderly population who are in transition from one phase of their lives to another. Through specialized training and experience, of the two personnel the operation of NHCA is to assist the unwilling aging and disable population with the unwanted transition of being admitted into a nursing home or assisted living community. Because this of life altering process can be deemed traumatic because of the unfamiliarity, many of the residents are confused and unhappy with the impending experience that lies ahead. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy will be there to walk the resident and families through this process with as less stress as possible as they adjust to their new home with as much pride and knowledge possible. As the services of NHCA are uncharted there will be critical issues to overcome however; to ensure that the business is successful Nursing Home CareZ will create an aggressive market strategy to include direct marketing, networking, and creating community relationships to continually garner referral sources. Staying on top of the ever changing needs of the aging population and following the Medicare and Medicaid regulations will keep Nursing Home CareZ aligned with the target market. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy’s marketing mix will comprise the approaches of pricing, product, promotion and distribution. The 1st years start up cost to include the integrated marketing communication budget is $13,320. 00. Market research showed the need for this service because of the continual growth of the aging population and the inability of family members being able to take care of their loved ones at home. With this reality, long term care facilities will continue to be the place required to provide the care to our seniors and persons with disabilities or short term medical care. The marketing plan will assist NHCA in the following areas to gauge performance: * Revenue and Expenses monthly * Customer satisfaction * Success of community involvement and relationship building Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. will position itself as the premier first line of contact to long term care transition. The positioning will ensure leveraging to gain a competitive edge in the industry with knowledge, integrity and a passion to help others. NHCA, expects to become profitable by the end of the 1st year, and has projection of $240. 000 in gross revenue for year two. 2. 0 Situation Analysis: Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. time line for inception is immediate, with a targeted goal of 6 months to 1 year. Issues facing the successful creation of this company would be the lack of education and knowledge of long term care and regulations, laws, rights and processes of Medicare and Medicaid. The community partners could contribute to the critical issues if social worker and community case managers and such failed to refer potential consumers to the company for services. However, the management skills, experience and vast knowledge base of NHCA, Inc. will provide a solid base for the target market to have a successful transaction into any long term care facility. 2. 1 Market Summary In this century, the rate of growth of the elderly population (persons 65 years old and over has greatly exceeded the growth rate of the population of the century as a whole (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). The elderly increased by a factor of 11, from 3 million in 1900 to 33 million in 1994 (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). In the comparison, the total population, as well as the population less than 65 years old, tripled (U. S. Census Bureau,). Under the Census Bureau’s middle series projections, the number of persons 65 years old and over would more than double by the middle of the next century to 80 million (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). According to the U. S. Census Bureau, it reported the aging population of persons 65 years and older, numbered 39. 6 million in 2009. They represented 12. 9% of the U. S. population, about one in every eight Americans. By 2030, there will be about 72. 1 million older persons, more than twice their number in 2000. People 65+ growth will report as 19% of the population by 2030. (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011 and Administration on Aging, 2011) Today’s census reports that the total US population in 2010 was 308, 745,538 up 9. 7% from 2000. Of that number 13. % are persons 65 years and older. This is makes up for more than 50% of the adult population. The Census Bureau projections seem to be heading in the right direction. (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011) Shirley Chisholm once said, â€Å"Service is the rent we pay for the time we live on this earthâ€Å". (Women’s History, 2011) Changes in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid may force older adults to ma ke unforeseen changes in their lifestyle in order to remain independent. Long term care is an option that most dread due to the lack of affordable and accessible placement options available to them. Today, almost 80% of Americans are living beyond the age 65. Forty percent of Americans age 65 or older will require Long Term Care before death (McMahon, 2009). With this impending implosion in growth of baby boomers, nursing homes and assisted living will continue to be the option for ongoing care of our elderly. As families are forced to place their loved ones into nursing homes and assistant living facilities, there is so much to take in and they will need to have a full understanding of their options in this transition. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. ill be there to assist those residents and family members with understanding the woes of the transition into their new life and hold their hand through the process. 2. 2 SWOT Analysis Strengths: * 20 years in the health care industry with 10 years of strong middle management experience * 5 years in the long term care industry as a Business Office Manager * Vast knowledge of what is needed for successful transition/admission and s tay at nursing homes * Strategic alliance with hospital case managers, social workers and community agencies and lawyers * In house Notary Public Strong knowledge base of existing governmental regulations as they relate to long term care Weaknesses: * Company has no brand recognition * Owner has very limited experience as a full time advocate in this field * Low to no financial capital; limited startup funds * Owner is not a licensed social or case worker * In home startup business * No establish network connections for community resources Opportunities: * Expand business to cover larger geographical area * Possible growth potential to bring on employees based on need and experience * Find location and create building space to accommodate larger client base * Potential growth through use of social media and client referrals * Potential contract/ referral source with existing long term care facilities to act on their behalf Threats: Recessionary economy means the potential clients may not be willing to spend * Target market financial resources may hinder their ability to seek the services of the company * Competitive market of existing adult and aging services may prevail because of brand name * Governmental rules and regulations may change and the need for advocacy may diminish * Nursing homes and assisted living organizations may employ staff to provide the same services 2. 3 Competition The Department of Health and Human Services under the guidance of the Security of Health and Human Services, created Medicare and Medicaid programs with grant funding to assist families of all ages to live and survive on a dignified level. With our aging population, the need to focus on their care came to the forefront, so Medicaid State programs were created to pay for home health services including skilled nursing care, home health care, personal care, chore services, and durable medical equipment. (Center for Medicare & Medicaid 2011) The target market can qualify for Medicaid in order to receive the following services through the referral source of Aging and Adult agencies. Depending on the needs of an individual, the target market may receive help with personal needs such as bathing, dressing, cooking, and cleaning from a home health agency while at home with family members. Because of certain insurance guidelines, licensed healthcare workers can only give these skilled nursing services and other medical services. Skilled nursing care ncludes services and care that can only be performed safely and correctly by a licensed practical nurse (LPN), registered nurse (RN), or physical therapist. Most seniors and families are unfamiliar with these types of services and do not have a clue how to obtain them. That is where organizations such as those listed below come into play. Aging and Adult Services, located in Norristown, Pa offers their services to the residents of Montgomery County Pennsylvania, is one of the compe ting agencies that Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. (NHCA) has to contend with. AAS offers many different services to the senior market such as care management, family caregiver support program, domiciliary care, nursing home transition, and protective services to their clients. 2 services that AAS provide which are direct threats or competitive to the existence of NHCA are the Information and Referral (I&R), and Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, and Pre-Admission Assessment services collectively. These services assist the community with the pre-knowledge base of the potential admission into nursing homes or assisted living facilities. The Information and Referral service attempts to link consumers with appropriate resources. I & R are available to the consumer by calling or visiting any of their agency’s five offices. (MCAAS. montcopa. org 2011). The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and the Pre-Admission Assessment services offer the consumer assessments to determine whether they are appropriate for placement into long-term care facilities and at what level. With these services Aging and Adult can then refer the consumer or their loved ones or families to nursing facilities in their geographical areas. They then can provide them with a list of items that will assist them with this new change in their life style or transition. (mcaas 2011) COSA is the other agency that will be a threat to NHCA as it provides very similar services of Aging and Adult but, to the consumer or residents of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Their mission/goal is to provide or enable senior citizens to maintain their independence and dignity, while living on their own with community resources available to them. (COSA 2011) COSA receives federal and state funding because they serve as Area Agency on Aging. COSA is slight different from Aging and Adult services because their main goal is helping the senior population to remain in their home as long as possible, even when they are eligible for nursing home care. They are encouraging the families of the senior to help provide the care that is needed in a home based as opposed to in a long-term care facility. COSA is an informational resource service for person of any age needing assistance on benefits and services available to the older person. COSA 2011) With each of these two organizations services they offer many community based services for seniors and their families, but with Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. , it will provide the personal one on one care that the resident and family need to make the transition into the nursing home or assist living. Nowhere in the market research was it uncovered that this type of service is offered or provided with Aging and Adult or COSA. Now, is there a possibility that there is a potential for th is service to one day be added, yes. However, the target market is plentiful enough to allow for this. The population of the aging adults continues to grow which will allow for the need of referral resources, which the aging and adult program will continue, just as NHCA can expand and grow with the population. With researching potential competition to this new company, it was found that The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in association with Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) sponsored the Nursing Home Transition Demonstration Program which is designed to provide transition options to nursing home residents who wish to move back into the community. The grant funded service was given to 12 states in 1998 with Pennsylvania being one of the state’s fortunate to participate. (ASPE. HHS. gov 2011) This type of service is not considered a threat to the organization however, it is very similar but works on the back end of residents that are living in nursing homes or assist living. These are great resources to return into the community to continue to live happy and productive lives. 2. 4 Product (Service) Offering Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. s an independent company that will be there to assist those in need of understanding the process of being admitted into a long-term care facility. This process is considered life altering and many people are confused and unhappy about what is about to happen to themselves or their loved one. Services being offered are designed to help alleviate the stress of dealing with the pressures of this change. The service will assist families and the target market while transitioning and adjust ing into a new phase of life. There are many questions and situations that come with moving into long term care nursing and often the families and residents are not prepared and need someone to hold their hands during this process. Families of newly admitted residents into nursing homes, find themselves unknowledgeable of what to expect and thus unprepared to place their loved one in the home. Because of this they make decisions that could backfire and cause damages or add additional stress of the move. Some families have a power of attorney, some are guardians and some are just the family and they are not sure what they can and cannot do for their loved one. Through extensive research it was determined; there is a need for this service. Experience and working practice of the potential owner of NHCA revealed the need was great and something was missing from the target markets’ transition process into the long term care facility. Intervention was required to assist the consumer so the business solution was created. As the Business Office Manager of a nursing home, the target market and families come into the facility with questions as to the appropriate way of handling the admission process according to the guidelines and rights set by Medicare and Medicaid. The major concern often that residents and families have is related to the financial aspect of being admitted into the long-term care facility and how to handle the legal process. Nursing home admission personnel and the social workers of the hospital are often unknowledgeable of this aspect and cannot provide the correct answers. When the medical need for a person to transition into a nursing home or assisted living has been determined, the referral process beings by searching for an appropriate facility based on the need of the resident. One factor that comes up in the search is the cost of the facility and most importantly, who will pay for this stay? This question can easily be answered with throwing out numbers or by saying; â€Å"you will not have to pay for a thing, your health insurance will cover it†. Well, the truth is, that is not totally correct. This is where the expertise of Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc. ill come into play. Explaining this process in detail and walking the client through the steps is a part of the benefits of the company. There is more to transitioning into a long-term care facility, then health insurance. The consumer has to have an assessment done to determine if the resident was appropriately placed and for how long. Once this happens then the resident can be made a ware of the financial responsibility. There may be internal personnel that can assist residents and families with this information, but they can only intercede to such level, because it becomes a conflict of interest. Nursing homes can only assist to a point without affecting the rights of the resident. With NHCA, the resident will have the personal care of someone being there to help gather all of the necessary items, to make the stay at home successful. This would not be limited to, use of a notary public a minimal or no cost. Direction and assistance on completing Power of Attorney request. Help with completing the Medical Assistance Long Term Care grants and gathering of the documents needed to ensure eligibility of the grant. Residents often require a guardian over their person and medical needs and NHCA can assist with locating attorneys to assist with this process. Some of the target market have homes or apartments in the community and they are assessed as appropriate to return to the community after a short stay in the home and they are unsure of how to handle the payment of household bills while in the nursing facility, NHCA services can explain the most helpful way of approaching this obstacle by contacting those vendors and arranging the most appropriate solutions. Listed below are some examples of the services Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. will provide, to the target market: * Medicaid long term care grant application completion assistance * Notary public * Financial Management assistance * Power Attorney guidance * Guardianship Process assistance * Hands on assistance with documentation gathering * Notification to community vendors of residents’ inability to pay * Assistance with selling of home in the community and placement of personal possessions * Personal banking assistance Assistance with setting up transportation for personal needs outside of nursing facility * Referral source for family services to cope with the stress of loved ones being in the home * Attend resident medical care conferences with the family to provide additional support * Referral source to personal care aides while in nursing facility * Home Modification assistance (designed for return back home to community) * Question filtering (provide answers to all qu estions or direct to local answers) When doing the market search development, it was discovered that this need was not totally being met. Two examples were: Rosemarie has a sister who recently entered into a nursing facility and the sister has a trust fund that determines her to be a private pay resident for about one year. Towards the end of the year, Rosemarie will need to complete a Medicaid application for her sister and she truly was confused as to what was needed and the steps to follow in completing the application. She requires assistance to complete the application and she had many questions. The nursing facility was only able to assist to a certain degree, but Rosemarie still needs help. This is where Nursing Home CareZ Advocate Inc. could assist Rosemarie to help her sister to continue to receive the care she receives and deserves while in her nursing home. Another, example is Virginia. Virginia has been admitted into a nursing home with her medical insurance as her primary payer source. The consumer was given the information that her insurance will cover the stay in the nursing home for the entire time. The resident found out that the information was false. The health insurance decided to stop paying in the middle of the stay. The consumers’ personal finance was not as those of Rosemarie’s sister. Virginia did not have the money and thus she needed to apply for a Medical Assistance grant for the nursing home. She also did not understand her responsibility and was not comfortable with the staff of the nursing home to provide her with the correct information for her benefit. Again, this would be a great opportunity for her to utilize NHCA, an outside neural party, to walk her through this process while providing her comfort in knowing she is secure in making her decisions. 2. 5 Keys to Success For Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. to be successful, the company must continue to stay on top of the ever changing needs of the aging population. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid regulations are very important to the viability of long-term care services and NHCA must be able to provide services that align with the rights of said target market. This being said means, having a vast knowledge of the regulations and the rights of the consumer once in the nursing facility. The main selling point is being available to answer any and all road blocks that the target market may encounter. Having the resources and referral knowledge is a critical piece to the success of the business. The competition provides a huge referral base to the target market, so NHCA will need to keep the networking window open to expand the knowledge offering. Another factor NHCA will need to be success is to maintain a high level of ethics, trust and moral character while working for and with the target market. The aging population came from a time when your work ethics and your loyalty meant something. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. ill be based with the desire to help the target market of the aging population and make the transition and stay in the long term care facility as comfortable as possible and stress free as possible. Communication will be another key factor to success. 2. 6 Critical Issues Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Inc. as a service based company will need to do the following items to get the word out and advertise its’ benefit to the potential target market, the aging population. The marketing strategy will begin by utilizing the internet by creating a web page describing the company’s service ability. It will also utilize networking with nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and continuum care facilities, local hospital social workers and community case workers, community event planning, in-services’, visits to senior centers and adult day centers, and by creating relationships with the community areas on aging referral agencies. 3. 0 Marketing Strategy The key to the marketing strategy is to focus on meeting the needs of the elderly persons, persons requiring inpatient long term care needs and the families who love them. The children would like what is best for their parents and loved ones along with peace of mind, and relief from guilt while assisting them with the transition into long term care nursing. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc can provide this service to them and more while ensuring their loved one maintains their existing quality of life, dignity, respect and pride. NHCA is able to address the questions and concerns of the market segments because, of the compassion it possesses and the vast knowledge foundation of long term care services. . 1 Mission Statement Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc is committed to helping people live better. Simply put our goal is getting the community the help it needs to care for the people they love. The nucleus is to educate the elderly population who are in transition from one phase of their lives to another. Founded in 2011, NHCA’s vision is to provide assistance, guidance and knowledge to the desires of long term care bound individuals. Nursing Ho me CareZ strives to challenge the perceptions of long term care. The NHCA team passionately pursues excellence, and accountability in providing future residents and families the tools necessary for a happy, healthy and productive life in the nursing facility. With the goal of arming the clients with the knowledge required to promote independence and self-esteem, the Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy team will help people live better lives, one life at a time. Values are fundamental to every organization’s success. It is with this in mind that Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc will effectively demonstrate the core values of respect, integrity, pride, compassion, responsiveness and dignity. These principles will guide the actions and foundation of its existence. We strive for a nurturing atmosphere that encourages this organization as it ensures these values are touched by all in the community it serves. 3. 2 Marketing Objectives * Build Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc Name Recognition in the community and among referral sources. * Become #1 choice among referral source with assisting families in transitioning into assisted living or skilled nursing services * Focus on relationship marketing techniques Develop/implement marketing ideas to increase professional referrals * Inform target audience (those needing immediate in-patient nursing care) about features and benefits of our product and its competitive advantage, leading to a 10 percent increase in sales in one year. * Develop campaign/program to build the Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy brand consisting of (but not limited to) special events and relationship-building tactics. * Increase a steady stream in marketing pre sence * Maintain positive and strong growth each quarter (based on hospital and assisted living census) 3. 3 Financial Objectives * Raise adequate funding for start-up Begin development implementation for the on-going funding needs of years two and three * To acquire 60 to 70 clients/potential residents within the first six months of start-up * Increase the profit margin by 1% per quarter (based on hospital census) through effective marketing relationship with community based organizations To fund the start up cost Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy has secured a low interest loan for $20,000 and pulled personal finances of $10,000. One of the largest items that NHCA will acquire in the start of the start-up budget is a computerized medical records system to track the client base. The other start-up needs are minimal in cost and can be managed. The cost for each client to receive services from NHCA will range $250. 00 for minimal services to $1000. 00 for full service. A successful first year would bring in $120. 000in revenue. In order for NHCA to meet the goal of the first six months target of $60,000, the client base will need to be at least 60 residents at $1,000. 00 per case. However, the business would be on track for its goals if the six month mark would come in at $45,000. That would allow for 10 clients at $750. 00 per case. If the business begins on this track, the target goal of 1% in the 3rd and 4th quarter will be met. 3. 3 Target Markets The overall populations we wish to serve are older people (65 and older), in need of daily assistance, who value community and the contributions of their peers. According to the US Census Bureau the 2010 census poll reported persons 65 years and older to be 1,959,307. (US Census 2011) â€Å"The percentage of the population over 75 is growing rapidly, thanks to better nutrition, preventative health care, and living conditions in our country over the course of the last century, not to mention the Baby Boomers. At the same time, the increasing kinds of career opportunities for women, and the growing cost of health care, have contributed to a nursing shortage which threatens the quality of professionally-provided elder care. † (Bplans – 2011) â€Å"Almost half the workforce today is female, meaning that most workers male and female have no one at home to provide care to older ailing or infirm relatives. † (Bplans 2011 – â€Å"Moen and Yu 2000†) As families are forced to place their loved ones into nursing homes and assistant living facilities, they will need to have a full understanding of their options in this transition. The Census analysis of the 20 mile-radius of the business base area indicates a large concentration of individuals over 65 years of age (38. 5%). This target area will include a cross over into two adjoining counties; Montgomery County and Delaware County. This is a combine population of the 1,388,853 county residents in Pennsylvania. Total population in Montgomery County in 2010 was 799,874. Demographics include 79. 0% Caucasian; 8. 7% African American, 6. 4% Asian, 4. 3% Hispanic or Latino and 2. 0 % of persons reported as other race or two or more races. 51. 5% of the population was female. 8. 5 were male. 26. 1% of the target market lives alone and 9. 95 living with others (family members). The age breakdown of seniors is 60-64(4. 0%), 65-74 (7. 4%), 75-84 (5. 5%), and 85 years and older (2. 0%) totaling 165,924 persons. (US Census 2011) Total population in Delaware County was 588,979 in 2010. The demographics include 14. 3% persons were 65 years and older. The age breakdown for seniors is 60-64 (5. 3%), 65-74 (6. 7%), 75-84 (5. 1%), and 85 years and older (2. 5%) totaling 109,394 persons. 52. 1% was female and 47. 9 were male. 72. 5% of the population was white; 19. % was African American; 4. 7% was Asian; 3. 0% was Hispanic or Latino and 2. 2% was persons of other races. Median household income in 2009 was $61,848 and home ownership was 72. 2%. Persons below poverty level reported at 9. 3%. Persons aged 25 years and older with graduate degrees reported 34. 4%. 27. 4% of the target market in Delaware County lives alone. (US Census 2011) Of the 275,318 potential target market needing the services of Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, has been reduced by 60% given the factors of persons healthy enough to care for themselves and having family member to care for them. The number becomes 96,361 persons 65 and older in both counties. This number may appear low but in actuality it is significantly high. These people will need nursing home care or already receive care base on their medical needs. The target market of 96,361 can become potential clients/customers in need of answers and solutions to the process of admittance into a long term facility. Of these potential clients who live in sub-counties which are within 12-16 miles of the home office, it is estimated about 35 %( 26,499. 28) will have the means $250 to $1000 ($68,333. 50 average Median income) to pay for the services. Based on the 2010 census data from US Census. com) The target market also refers to the influencer, the family member of the persons needing long term care services. An Adult child of the prospective resident, 35– 70 years of age, married with children, and lives nearby or in another city or state. He or she currently provides some assistance to the parent and their s earch for a long term care facility is prompted by an incident or recommended by healthcare professional. Their need is quick and they are usually on a schedule – most often come to us in a crisis mode. (phdmkt. om 2011) During the research process to zero in on the target market, it was discovered the market could be expanded to cover persons aged less than 65 years of age, because of the mounting need for nursing home services based on medical needs. Based on marketing conversations there are persons who live alone and are unable to care for themselves or require more than a home aid every so often to care for them. NHCA has the potential to expand the market base to include those persons. This market group could produce a quick turnaround by getting well faster and discharging home, thus allowing for new clients. Medical care needs will never cease and long term care needs will always be at a forefront therefore, Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy can easily develop a large client base and expand to more counties inside Pennsylvania within the next three to five years. 3. 5 Positioning Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc will position itself as the premier first line contact of long term care transition. This positioning will be achieved by leveraging NHCA’s competitive edge: existing industry experience and knowledge, integrity, community relationships, and a passion to help others. NHCA is a hands-on resource service that aims to assist the elderly population with transitioning into the long term care phase of their lives with ease and self respect. Dealing with health issues is worrisome as it is without having to enter into a nursing home or such, and not understanding all that is involved in the process. With the impending implosion in the growth of baby boomers, and unexpected medical needs, nursing homes and assisted living communities will continue to become an option of the future. With this being the case, the management team of NHCA will be able to use its vast industry knowledge, practice skills and personal passion for helping others to assist the clients gain the understanding required to help the transition into long term care become a difficult free and dignified occurrence. 3. 6Strategies The single most important objective of Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc is to position itself as the premier long care term advocacy informational provider, serving the elderly and medical needs targeted market even if they are not in the age bracket of the senior population. The marketing strategy of NHCA will focus on meeting the needs of the elderly persons, persons requiring inpatient long term care needs and the families who love them. The company will focus on creating customer awareness concerning what services are being offered, which will support in developing the customer base. The point that NHCA will seek to communicate to its target market is that it offers the best education and personal service to the elderly population who are in transition from one phase of their lives to another. Providing future residents and families of long term care the tools essential for a happy, healthy and productive life in the nursing facility is the primary goal. This message will be transpire through a variety of methods. The first will be the Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy Web site, which will provide a source of service information and offer the consumer the opportunity a free consultation to discuss their concerns. Time will be devoted into ensuring the site will provide as much information about the company, the owners, and its professionalism so the customer will come away with a since of comfort n knowing that they will be taken care of during this unexpected time in their lives. Other avenues of marketing methods will be local advertising. The target areas will be local nursing homes, community resource services, hospitals, senior center, and day programs and doctors offices. The goal is to leave brochures, business cards and leaflets with the social workers, office managers o r care workers of each entity. Information will also be sent out at the request of those who viewed the web site. The cost to produce the printed literature will be minimal as it will be on the need bases and much will be found on the web site. Another method will be the use of the social media. This is where the cost of advertising will be the least to non-existent. Social media sites of today have thousands of people on them and it will be a brilliant way of promoting the service and the company. Word of mouth will also be an excellent communicator. 3. 7 Marketing Mix Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc’s marketing mix is comprised of the following approaches to pricing, product, promotion, and place/distribution. Pricing – The pricing strategy used by NHCA is a mix between penetration and psychological pricing to capture a gain in the market share and once this is achieve the price will increase slightly. This will also be based on a sliding scale of financial qualification and the service needs of each client. When the idea was created it was determined that the focus was not on high profits, rather on serving the greater good and those who require assistance at living a more. It was mentioned that the cost for each client to receive services from NHCA will range $250. 0 for minimal services to $1000. 00 for full service. A successful first year will bring in $120,000. 00 in revenue. In order for NHCA to meet this target goal at the end of the first fiscal year, the client base will need to be at least 120 potential residents at $1,000. 00 per case. However, business would be on track to cover its expenses and still maintain a place in the market if at the end of the six month the rev enue is at $45,000. That would allow for 10 clients at $750. 00 per case per month. As the business grows, the revenue budget can increase to double in year two to $240,000. 0 which constitute additional 120 clients or more based on the service needs required. Place/Product – Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy, Inc will be a direct channel service provider. With the sensitivity of medical care and needs, which are private and personal in nature the market segment for NHCA, as consultant of services will be best suited at handling the distribution of service. Many of the clients will come through referral sources. The location of the company is a home office, set up to accommodate 2 desks, a conference table for 4 and seating for 3. The approach to potential clients will be hands on. After receiving the referral of a person requesting help or has concerns with transitioning into a long term care facility, they will be contacted via telephone to introduce the company, determine the need and set up a meeting. For those families that are unable to come to the office for a meeting, NHCA will go to them. Meeting the resident at the hospital or nursing home will never be an issue. Assuring the resident or family is extremely comfortable with the process is important. The outcome of success knows, the client has a full understanding of what happened to them or their loved one and the transition was smooth and done with dignity. Educating and empowering the client is a number one goal of NHCA and this will happen as the client is walked through the move. Once the client accepts the services of NHCA, the next step is answering all questions, assist with paperwork required for the admission process or with the Medical Assistance application based on financial need. A transition into a long term care facility can be nerve raking, confusing and full of anxiety for the strongest and healthiest person however, with that being said finances always becomes an issue. Past knowledge and statistics show that nursing homes or assistant living facilities have gained reputations for taking everything from their residents upon admission to their facilities. Educating and empowering the client on their rights and responsibilities is a number one goal of NHCA and this will happen as they are walked through the new phase of life. If the resident requires assistance with banking, guardianship or contacting community vendors, NHCA will be there to handle this for the resident or family member. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy will assist the resident or family until all matters have been conducted and the residents’ stay is secure and free of financial concerns. IMC Promotion â€Å"Your way home is through our caring hands†. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy will be dedicated to providing the highest level of quality service with compassion and commitment through exceptional standards for the aging population. It is the hope of NHCA, that the residents and families who seek assistance will receive thoughtful, quality care today and tomorrow. Integrated Marketing Communications Budget Quite a few advertising efforts will be used to promote the business. The marketing mix will consist of direct marketing, social media, the company’s web site and some advertising. Promoting the business will start with promoting myself as the owner and founder. Creating a bio to hand out to the local referral sources will begin the promotional stage of getting off the ground running. Exposing the business to Special Events, Open Houses, Healthcare Fairs, Senior Expos, etc, identify local groups, churches, senior groups, etc. nd build Nursing Home CareZ’ reputation as â€Å"source† for aging issues through seminars/lectures, and educate the local communities about senior living options. The promotional process will follow as: * Print advertising * Direct mail * Broadcast advertising on radio (or Internet sites or social media) Advertise by visiting the local hospitals, senior community centers, local churches, the area M edicaid public assistance offices and adult and aging organizations to introduce myself and hand out business cards, flyers or brochures. There is minimal cost in visiting with the exception of handing out business cards and brochures. Cost of purchasing 5000 business cards is $55. 00 and the creating custom brochures cost is $800. 00. Advertise on several of the social media sites to utilize the word of mouth affect. Face Book, Twitter, Blogs, Linked In, Biznik and on Craig’s List. The social media has been prone to take the smallest post and spread it like wild fire. Even though many of these sites are young than the target market target, they can still reach the families of the target market and those you may work in the industry of which NHCA is catering to. Advertise by hosting or attending several community events that are geared towards healthcare services. * Participation in community projects * Fairs – Health Fairs or Job Fairs * Give-a-ways of pens or pencils, and post-it notes * Coupons at the bottom of the flyers giving a 20% discount within a 2 month time span * Trade Shows – local convention centers host shows which the target market or family members attend such as arts and crafts, flowers, cooking lessons and pet shows. The cost of attending the community events will be $3000. 00. Most community fairs for free to participate as many are awareness driven. The cost to purchase custom pens, pencils and post-it note pads to distribute are as follows: 2000 pens $365. 00, 500 pencils $227. 00, and 500 post-it notes $230. 00. The coupons does not generate an expense and the cost of trade show for 2 days at 7 hours each day averages $2000. 00 Advertise in The Times Herald daily newspaper weekly newspaper and on the web viewer ship: 1/4 page 6 columns x 5† inch ad for 2 months, then monthly for two additional months. Cost: $1100. 00. Advertise in The Delaware County Times daily newspaper, weekly: 25 words per week for 12 weeks. Cost: $900. 00. The company’s website will be utilized to advertise and promote the business by informing them of the services. The target market will have basic information designed to peak their interest enough to want to place a telephone call to inquire further. Building the web site with the initial start up cost: $120. 00 Found a web designer and web host in one for a minimal cost. Steps taken to launch the web site are: submitting the website to search engines like Google, Ask Jeeves, and Bing and to web directories. Putting the website address in the email address, on the flyers, brochures, and on the business cards is the next step. By registering the company’s website for more than one year, will keep the search engines from classifying the company as a spam organization. Collecting and analyzing the data will assist in further developing the marketing strategy. Becoming a member of the Social Medias such as Face Book, Twitter, You Tube help strengthen the community relationship with the social workers of the hospital, assist living communities, and the referral based resources. Using multimedia devices on the website will assist in further interaction with the target market. The design of the website will be user friendly as the target market may or may not have experience with computers. 3. 8 Marketing Research As stated previously in this plan, the growth rate of the elderly population persons 65 years old and over has greatly exceeded the previous census predictions, an as they are getting older they are requiring more medical care. (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). The elderly increased by a factor of 11, from 3 million in 1900 to 33 million in 1994 (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). Today, almost 80% of Americans are living beyond the age 65. Forty percent of Americans age 65 or older will require Long Term Care before death (McMahon, 2009). Families are unable to care for mom or dad, aunt or uncle so the nursing homes and assisted living will continue to be the option for ongoing care of the elderly. In trying to determine if this service business would be a worthwhile endeavor, the owner sat down to asked a few questions with an existing nursing home administrator, wound care nurse, community case worker and a marketing director. As a result of the questions asked such as; can you tell me when families are approached at the hospital for discharge planning as their loved one just fell and fracture their hip, what is the attitude or knowledge base of what happens to the elderly in the home? The response was; ‘the first thing that came to the family members mind was abuse or neglect, or that the home was going to rob their mother or father blind. This comment is common to many who do not have a full understanding of what happens as their loved one transition into long term care. Another most important question is how or who will pay for my loved one to stay in the nursing home? Will her rights be protected and how much say will I have in the care of my parent or loved one? The last comments that came up, was the guilt the families feels when having to decide place the mother or father into a long term care home. As families are forced to place their loved ones into nursing homes and assistant living facilities, there is so much for them to take in; they will need to have a full understanding of their options in this transition. Nursing Home CareZ Advocacy has the good fortune of being affiliated with existing nursing homes and has an excellent work history and knowledge base to have recognized the issues current residents of nursing homes were facing. As a Business Office Manager for the last 10 years, the owner has the leverage of understanding the ins and outs of admission processes of long term care and the steps taken to make for a smooth transition. In the final decision process in this impending situation, the owner of NHCA also talk with case managers, county assistance office employees and several local attorneys’ who handle the guardianship processes on behalf of nursing home. All agreed, with positive feedback, there was a problem. An outside liaison is needed to assist residents and their families with coming to terms with their new home. By offering the service, it is allowing a sense of empowerment and a sense of peace. Transitioning into a long term care facility for these residents, with a knowledge base of what lies ahead and knowing their new home will truly be their home will make it all worth it. References 1. Advanced Marketing: One Stop for Newspaper Advertising. (2011). Retrieved from https://www. le-services. com. 2. Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE). (2011). Help for People in Nursing Homes. Retrieved from http://www. carie. org/programs-services/advocacy-services/help-for-people-in-nursing-homes 3. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 2011). Nursing Homes Overview and Payments 4. Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging (COSA). (2011). Retrieved from http://www. co. delaware. pa. us/depts/cosa. html 5. Department of Health & Human Services: Administration on Aging. (2011). Aging Statistics. Retrieved from http://www. aoa. gov/aoaroot/aging_statistics/index. aspx 6. Eiken, S. & Heestand, A. (2003). Pennsylvania Transition to Home Program . Retrieved from http://aspe. hhs. gov/daltcp/reports/2003/PAtrans. htm 7. Green Leaf Health Care Assisted Living. (2011). Professional Healthcare Development Marketing Plan. Retrieved from http://www. phdmkt. com/images/sample%20marketing%20plan%2007. pdf accessed 8. Keller, K. & Kotler, P. (2009). Marketing Management. Pearson Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ 9. Lewis, J. (2011). About Women’s History: Shirley Chisholm Quotes. Retrieved from http://womenshistory. about. com/od/quotes/shirleychisholm. htm 10. Marketing Plan Objectives and Strategies. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. smallbusinessnotes. com/starting-a-business/marketing-plan-marketin

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Hospital health issues in cleaning up after katerina by industrial hugienist - Case Study Example The water supply of the hospital contains raw sewerage, lethal bacteria, pesticides and insecticides. Furthermore, we have to immediately deal with mosquitoes and other insects to prevent the spread of malaria, west Nile disease etc. We are also faced with a serious problem regarding infectious waste and the possibility of exposure to biological and toxic contaminants. On the other hand, our team faces a high risk of Carbon Monoxide poisoning because the premises is unable to provide its own power supply. Therefore, all operations are powered using large FEMA portable energy generators. I carried out analytical tests on air samples from different parts of the hospital. The results are very alarming as the hospital air is contaminated with high levels of lethal air borne bacteria particularly the air sample taken from the hospital diagnostic laboratory and the operation theatres is extensively contaminated. Lack of ventilation is the major reason why air contamination has exaggerated over the last six weeks. In addition, most areas of the hospital are covered with mold therefore mold exposure is a serious issue as well. Furthermore, we need a fresh supply of vaccinations so all our workers can be immunized against disease which prevail after Katrina. (Richardson et al 2008; Nims 1999). Recommendations and Guidance: Spread of water borne diseases such as cholera needs to be controlled immediately. Clean drinking water is a basic necessity. Therefore, I strongly recommend that water for drinking and washing purposes should be boiled to kill lethal water borne pathogens. On the other hand, combination of chemical methods can also be employed to effectively remove harmful pathogens which cause diseases such as dysentery and cholera. I recommend the use of Personal Protective Equipment in order to minimize the incidence of problems associated with Carbon monoxide poisoning and exposure to air borne pathogens. However, improper use of PPE imposes serious health hazard s therefore I have planned to counsel members of our team who are not familiar with proper PPE usage. I recommend that all clean up recovery workers should use respiratory protective equipments and protective goggles while working in or near the vicinity of diagnostic lab, operation theatre and the pharmacy. It is mandatory for everyone involved in the clean up process to wear gloves (Nims 1999). I recommend that hospital cafeteria/kitchen on the first floor should be subjected to cleaning process immediately in order to prevent workers from eating in contaminated areas. Moreover, we will only be able to run one refrigerator on energy provided by the FEMA generators. Therefore, it is advisable to cook small portions of food in order to limit the use of the refrigerator. To increase ventilation I recommend the installation of portable units of Local Exhaust Ventilation systems, which would prove tremendously beneficial for long term management of air borne pathogens. (American Hospit al Association.1979). In addition, long term recovery efforts should involve the use of portable air cleaning devices which would significantly reduce the incidence of air borne diseases once the hospital service is re established. Hospitals floors should be disinfected by using combinations of disinfectants and in order to effectively eliminate molds it is necessary to dry all indoor areas. I

Over-cutting the forests of Indonesia, Philippines and Sabah Essay

Over-cutting the forests of Indonesia, Philippines and Sabah (Malaysia) - Essay Example Yet, clear cutting, deforestation, and over cutting of the timberlands has resulted in severe shortages of lumber in countries such as the Philippines where 9 percent of the forests were cleared in the period 1980 thru 1990 (Ascher 13). There are a myriad of forces at work that create a climate where short-term gain outweighs the sound long-term management of a countrys natural resources. Flawed government policies and a failure to understand the implications of the economic driving forces has resulted in forest ove4r cutting in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The generic and overly simplistic viewpoint that over cutting the forests in under-developed nations is a combination of greed, corruption, and ignorance marginalizes the effect of government policy. While it is true that these can have a significant effect, such as Malaysia where over $1 billion was unaccounted for in 1994, it is more often the well-intentioned, though misguided, government policies that result in forest mismanagement. In addition, governments have failed to enact strict enforcement and accountability policies that would limit the influence of special interest groups and hold government officials more responsible for the budget. Ascher illustrates the extreme case of Indonesia where President Suharto engaged in the "off-budget pursuit of development strategies ranging from downstream wood products to aerospace" as well as "†¦motives such as political campaign finance and personal aggrandizement" (81). The redistribution of resources without sound budgetary con trol disrupts pricing as well as contributing to over production. One of the more clearly misguided efforts at managing the forestry sector output has been the proliferation of export bans of raw timber around the world. The Indonesian economy lost $400 million in 1981-82 when it banned the export of raw timer in an effort to spur

Busines organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Busines organization - Essay Example ts have regarded the debts of the corporation to be that of its shareholders, thereby piercing the corporate veil.2 The separate legal existence of a company was established by the court in the Salomon case. 3 As such, in Salomon v Salomon, 4 their Lordships created the rule that a company constitutes a separate legal entity that is distinct from its members. 5 This provided the direction to contemporary company law and the character of private limited companies. 6 European statutory provisions have incorporated this significant maxim. The objective behind providing for a separate legal persona and limited liability is to promote investment, foster trade and to furnish entrepreneurs with an incentive to commence new business. 7 In addition, in Adams v Cape Industries plc,8 a complete review of the Salomon ruling was achieved by the Court of Appeal. This case considered liability inside a group of companies. The claimant, moved the court to render the parent company liable for the obligations of the subsidiary company. The Court of Appeal lifted the corporate veil on the basis of the following considerations; namely, faà §ade, agency and single economic unit. 9 In its judgment, the Court of Appeal declared that the corporate veil could be pierced if there was an express agency agreement between the subsidiary company and the parent company. The presumption of an agency relationship, strictly relied upon the presence of such an agreement. 10 The Court, also held that the veil could not be pierced, merely because the defendant company was a member of a group of companies and the corporate framework had been adopted to avert the liability of the defendant company. 11 GHI Ltd was working as a subsidiary of its parent company ABC Ltd. As such, GHI Ltd can be deemed an agent of its parent company ABC Ltd. Furthermore, in DHN Food Distributors Ltd v Tower Hamlets London Borough Council,12 Lord Denning of the Court of Appeal held that the group of companies, in question,

Mona Lisa - The Enigmatic Meaning Essay Example for Free

Mona Lisa The Enigmatic Meaning Essay The Enigmatic Meaning They call her â€Å"The Enigmatic Woman,† yet the painting at first glance is quite banal. It looks a lot like any run of the mill portrait with the subject positioned in the center while she sits facing and staring directly at the viewer. Even the colors are boring in this painting with its abundance of earth tones with different mellow shades of faded green, brown, blue, and burnt orange. The picture itself is only 30†x21† which is about double the size of the average college textbook. With all of the hallmarks of a picture that most people would discard, it is quite an enigma as to why the world has been obsessed with the â€Å"Mona Lisa† for over 500 years. In â€Å"Ways of Seeing† John Berger, an art historian and novelist (only a tiny sample of the different ways I could title this Renaissance man), offers his readers a way into understanding the moment captured in paintings, especially mysterious paintings like the â€Å"Mona Lisa.† He suggests that viewers ask questions about and to the painting as way into entering into a sort of dialogue with the artist and his or her subject. By asking the appropriate questions, I was able to get a bit of a grasp on exactly why this enigmatic woman’s gaze has been capturing the rest of the world’s for so long, but I was also left questioning Berger’s theory. Berger encourages everyone with an interest in art to complete this process in order to fight against the â€Å"mystification† of classic paintings, but sometimes mystification is part of the experience of enjoying art and there is merit in that as well. As the title of the essay hints, Berger believes that â€Å"Every image embodies a Way of Seeing† (99 My Italics), meaning that every image also includes the perspective of the artist to the subject. Once a reader can start to grasp where the artist is coming from in relation to what he is painting, then the image may start to make sense. As an example of this process Berger examines â€Å"Regents of the Old Men’s Alms House† by Frans Hals, which is depicted below: Berger contextualizes the pictures by first inquiring into the artist’s social status at the time. During the commission of the painting Hals was â€Å"an old man of over eighty, [and] was destitute† (101). These wealthy men that Hals depicted gave him â€Å"three loads of peat† (101), or rotting vegetation, for this portrait. With those facts in mind, Berger comes to the conclusion that there is a sense of bitterness in the perspective of the painting, which may be why Hals depicted the third man from the right as being drunk. Berger argues that the man’s expression and hat are not necessarily a result of facial paralysis and fashion as art historians argue, but part of the â€Å"drama of these paintings† (102) which in this case is an old pauper struggling with his feelings of these men while trying to stay objective in his depiction of them; therefore, he let a glimpse of the truth out, a glimpse at these regents’ corruption. So, how does one begin to ask questions about the â€Å"Mona Lisa†? Perhaps it is best to start the same way that Berger does, by understanding who the artist was at the time of the painting. According to the Louvre’s official website, (the museum where the painting hangs) the painting is believed to have been painted between 1503 and 1506. Leonardo da Vinci, the artist, would have been just over fifty at the time. Kenneth Clark from The Burlington Magazine explains that â€Å"after he had lingered over it four years, [he] left it unfinished.† In 1516 the king of France invited him to work on a project. BBC contributor Bob Chaundy believes that da Vinci took Mona Lisa with him to continue working on it until his death in 1519. So what we have is man nearing the end of his life working on a seemingly personal project (since he took it with him everywhere), a project that he felt he never finished. The next obvious question: who is the woman? According to the Louvre, the model was Lisa Gherardini who was by all accounts an average Italian middle-class mother to five children. Her husband, Francesco Giocondo, commissioned da Vinci to paint the portrait as a way to celebrate the new Giocondo home and the arrival of their second son. Essentially, Mona Lisa, My Lady Lisa, is a housewife put on a pedestal. She is arguably the most glorified housewife of all time. With an understanding of the artist and the subject, it is time to ask, â€Å"what is the perspective here?† What point of view was da Vinci trying to give his audience? Knowing the information that I do, it is hard to even suggest that there was an audience for the painting. The accounts suggest that da Vinci painted and gave what he was commissioned to Gioncondo, but he kept one of the original sketches to keep working on. In other words, the Mona Lisa the world knows today was really for da Vinci’s eyes only. The portrait is an intimate depiction perhaps of someone who baffled da Vinci’s sensibilities. Of all the different subjects and models da Vinci painted, it was a middle-class mother who captivated his attention. Perhaps da Vinci could not even wrap his own mind around why she was so enthralling and so spent the rest of his life trying to capture that â€Å"it factor† she seemed to exude. In a sense, da Vinci was trying to capture the feeling of love at first sight, the feeling of being completely attracted to someone and not knowing why. So how does this feeling of awe-inspiring adoration flow over into the other stylistic elements of the portrait? Most people tend to comment on her eyes and her smile, and if you notice, they do not really seem to correspond to each other. If you only look at her eyes and cover her mouth, the eyes give a sense that she is giving a much broader smile than she actually is since the eyes are wrinkled and upturned. The high placement of the cheekbones also lend to this interpretation. The rest of the portrait with the conservative colored clothes and pose do not exude the sense of joviality that the eyes give. Those eyes that seem to contradict the other aspects of the portrait are also paradoxically the focus since many people comment on how Lisa’s gaze seems to follow you wherever you go. Her eyes tell you one thing, and the rest of her tells you another. She feels two emotions simultaneously, and that is mysterious. Many people also tend to comment on the background since it is not based on any real location (BBC). It is almost other-worldly, alien in that sense. In the same way that she can feel two emotions at the same time, it is as if she can be in two places at the same time since she is posed in between two  manmade columns on a balcony; she is simultaneously human and extraterrestrial. The colors of the background also give this sense since they are split into two. The top half is bluish green in its depiction of the sky, water, and trees while the lower half is brown and orange in its depiction of the land. Finally, her equilateral triangle pose really seems to seal this reading, for what is a triangle but the convergence of two opposite points on a single point? Mona Lisa is that point of convergence. She is place where two emotions can converge. She is the place where terrestrial and extraterrestrial converge. She is the point where a mundane housewife converges with an iconoclast of the world. She is the epitome of mystery since she cannot be pinned down to just one thing. Mystery, though, is what John Berger is fighting against. He wants to take what he calls the â€Å"bogus religiosity† (109) that mystifies art out of the equation by giving people the tools they need to make meaning on their own. He believes that art critics and historians mystify by â€Å"explaining away what might otherwise be evident† (103); in a sense they try to confuse interpretations that might be obvious through academic discourse and elitism. But what happens when the point is mystification? When the point of the painting is to leave the viewer confused? Is not there a place for that in art also? If it was not for this mysteriousness that Lisa creates, would anyone care? I think not. â€Å"Works Cited† page deleted

Flexibility Principle Essay Example for Free

Flexibility Principle Essay Our 16th President Abraham Lincoln once said that slavery was a â€Å"Peculiar institution†. Long after that statement about slavery he would amend the the thirteenth amendment that abolished slavery. This amendment secured the blessing of liberty for the African Americans. The constitution is built on six basic principles; popular sovereignty, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, and Flexibility. Out of the six basic principles the constitution is made up of, the flexibility principle is one reason why I am not a slave in America today. Why is that? The flexibility principle allowed the constitution to change as the times and the conditions for the country changed. The flexibility principle best secures our blessings of Liberty to ourselves and Posterity. This is exemplified in the elastic clause, the amendment process, and the act of Judicial interpretation/review. The first example of how flexibility in our constitution secures the blessings of liberty of ourselves and our posterity is the elastic clause. Otherwise known as the necessary and proper act. U.S. Constitution article one section eight allows congress to pass laws that are necessary and proper with the change in time and condition for the country.The Legislative branch is affected by the elastic clause because the clause decides whether the law being made is necessary and proper for our country. For example, an act that would show the elastic clause would be the ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act. This act was passed in 1990. The ADA prohibited the discrimination of disable people. Before this act was passed, disabled people were denied their blessings of liberty and their posterity. This act was necessary and proper because the disabled people did not have the same liberty as able bodied people. The elastic clause allowed this act to secure the blessing of liberty for disabled people. The second example of how flexibility in our constitution secures the blessings of liberty of ourselves and our posterity is the amendment process. The amendment process allows congress to add to or change the constitution. An example of the amendment process would be the nineteenth amendment. The nineteenth amendment prohibited a U.S. citizen from being denied the right to vote because of gender. Prior to this amendment women did not have the right to vote. With the principle of flexibility, the law was made by the Legislative branch which in essence secured the blessing of everyone’s liberty and posterity, not just men. The third and final example of how flexibility in our constitution secures the blessings of liberty of ourselves and our posterity is the Judicial interpretation or review. The Judicial interpretation decides whether what the government does is constitutional or unconstitutional. The Judicial interpretation is seen in the executive branch because the the executive branch implements laws that are created by the legislative branch. The first known use of the Judicial interpretation was during the Marbury v. Madison case. This case was the first decision by the supreme court to declare unconstitutional. The Judicial interpretation was the precedent set that gave the Judicial Branch the ability to declare laws unconstitutional. This secures our blessing of liberty of ourselves and our posterity. In conclusion, the abolition of slavery, the creation of women’s rights, and the passing of ADA were none of the things the framers of the constitution were actually planning on putting in the constitution. However, their wisdom allowed the constitution to be flexible enough to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, through the use of the elastic clause, the amendment process, and the act of Judicial interpretation or review.

Educations Impact on Social Class

Educations Impact on Social Class In the past centuries, education has been a field that often being related to various disciplines. This is probably because of its importance towards society thus making it an important area that a nation needs to addressed on occasionally. Having an education is important regardless of the types of education whether the education is formal, informal or non-formal. One of the functions of education mentioned by King (2004), education must incorporate human life concerning central as well as focusing morals. However, the result of education towards society varies. Therefore, various parties argue on the fairness of education system which should be more egalitarianism towards society. In this essay, I will describe and discuss views by various parties regarding this issue in order to decide for myself on my belief of the education roles towards a better egalitarian society. Education has been an issue which requires a lot of attention from many disciplines such as sociology, psychology and so on. Most of the disciplines are in argument of what is the best knowledge to be put under education. Furthermore, the role of education towards producing a better and more egalitarianism society has often being questioned due to many factors. As a result, many parties are very concern of the many aspects of education such as the school curriculum, the syllabus of the subjects and the teachers training. Firstly, an important view about this matter is that school works as an important educational institution with the aim of promoting egalitarianism. School must serve three functions which are assisting one to assimilate into the society, producing a just competition and lessen inequality and thirdly, developing various individuals potentials (Dewey, 1916 as cited in Strathdee, 2003). The second function of school as stated by Dewey is seen as a good account of how education can help promotes social equality in society. Based on this view, the schools system which consists of a standard curriculum formed by various agencies is a way of offering equal opportunities to societies. Besides, standard examinations work as a standardised way of evaluating students performance in school. For instance, the New Zealands National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) are national qualifications for senior secondary school students. In a way, the national standards constituted by the aut horised party such as the Ministry of Education helps promote egalitarianism. Other point of view regarding this matter comes from a very famous sociologist, Durkheim who has a similar view with Strathdee. Durkheim, 1905 (as cited in Filloux, 2001) brings the notion of the underlying purpose of education through schools in order to build societies according to specific needs. An article written in 1905 on secondary education stated: Any school system is made up of two kinds of components. On the one hand, there are a whole series of fixed stable arrangements and established methods, in a word, institutions; but, at the same time, within the machine thus constituted, there are underlying ideas at work, urging it to change. Seen from the outside, secondary education appears to us as a series of establishments whose physical and moral organization is fixed; but, seen from another angle, that same organization harbours aspirations seeking fulfilment. Underlying this fixed, consolidated existence there is a life on the move which, though less visible, is by no means insignificant (Là ©volution et le rà ´le de lenseignement secondaire en France, in: Education et sociologie, 1905, p. 122). Furthermore, Durkheim sees school as the best place to seek for the importance of social relations involving the members of the society through knowledge acquiring. Durkheim (2001) also mentioned about teacher training that should contain psychological culture as well as gaining guides from the sociologists work in order for teachers to have a clearer picture of their role in the educational process. Teacher training is a part of educational system to standardise the teachers qualifications before going to school to teach. Therefore, teacher training is regarded as a form of equality towards developing a better educational system that society can get benefits from. Another view about this matter discussed the role of social capital in terms of benefiting the societies. According to Sandefur, Meier and Hernandez (1999), the quality of social capital and forms of social capital is an important aspect to be addressed on. This is right since they can affect the outcome of students performance in education thus affecting their future undertakings in the job market. Therefore, the quality of the relationship between teachers and their students is an important aspect to focus on. Not only the teacher can play this role but other school personnel can be parts of the social capital in the educational environment. The implementation of rules in order to discipline the students is one way to make sure every student is treated equally in the school settings. This is according to Durkheim (as cited in Filloux, 2001): Moral discipline is not only useful for moral life as such; its action extends beyond that. It plays a significant role in the shaping of character and of the personality in general. Indeed, what is most essential in character is the aptitude to exercise self-control, the faculty of restraint, or, as they say, inhibition that enables us to contain our passions and desires and to call them to order. () Discipline is useful, therefore, not only in the interest of society and as an indispensable means without which there would be no regular co-operation, but in the interest of the individual himself. Especially in democratic societies like ours children must be taught this healthy moderation. This is because the conventional barriers which forcibly curbed desires and ambitions in societies organized differently have partly fallen away and so only moral discipline is left to exercise this regulatory function (Là ©ducation morale, pp. 9-42) On the other hand, opposing view of the fairness of education towards society is raised by other academician. Curriculum does not only work to standardise the content of schools educational system but it sure has its hidden purposes. According to Vallance, 1991, p.40 (as cited in Carpenter, 2001), hidden curriculum is: †¦those practices and outcomes of schooling which, while not explicit in curriculum guides or school policy, nevertheless seem to be a regular and effective part of the school experience. (Vallance, 1991, p.40) Hence, schools hidden curriculum is perhaps considered as a form of unjust towards society. In some way, school educates students to face selected and specific positions in the workforce that might have no difference from their parents job. For instance, different expectation that a teacher has towards the students in the classroom might affect the students performance especially for those in a lower streamed class. So, students are preparing themselves for a work that will suit their qualification as well as preparing themselves for social positions alike their parents. Based on three initial views in this essay, the arguments seem to be more on supporting the education role in promoting social equality in society. Most of the views are showing the equal opportunities that educational settings have offered to societies in order for them to gain success regardless of the background of the learners. In my opinion, the educational system is giving its best to serve society by its occasional development so that the system can fit into different sorts of societies. Since equal chance has been offered, what is left is the effort that the society can demonstrate in order to grab the opportunities so that individual skills can be developed. To be successful and to gain a better social status in the society, one must grab all the opportunities that have been offered especially by the government who has been providing vast chances for the people to be learned society. Therefore, societies need to help themselves in order to achieve success and improve their w ay of living.