Friday, March 29

Month: April 2015

Healthcare Data Breaches Put 29 Million Patient Records at Risk in 3-Year Period, Analysis Finds
Business

Healthcare Data Breaches Put 29 Million Patient Records at Risk in 3-Year Period, Analysis Finds

As the Obama Administration continues to advocate for a nationwide network of electronic health records that would allow for better information sharing among healthcare providers, a new analysis shows that millions of electronic patient records have been compromised in the past years in data security breaches. According to the analysis, published April 14 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, healthcare organizations put 29.1 million patient records at risk between 2010 and 2013 as the result of 949 reported security breaches. “The personal information of patients in the United States is not safe, and it needs to be,” Dr. David Blumenthal of the Commonwealth Fund and attorney Deven McGraw of the law firm Manatt Phelps & Phillips wrote in an editorial published alongside t...
The Second Most Important Event of the Football Season Is Coming Up
Sport

The Second Most Important Event of the Football Season Is Coming Up

Football is a huge deal in the United States. According to the National Football League (NFL), its 2014 season had 17.6 million viewers on average per game, and about 205 million Americans watched at least one football game that season. Most impressive, 34 of the 35 most-watched fall TV shows in the U.S. were football games. The only non-NFL program to rank was the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which only came in at number 22. According to the Nielsen Company, some 114.4 million people tuned in for last January's Super Bowl XLIX, making it the most watched TV event in history. What many don't realize, though, is that there's another huge event every football season besides the Super Bowl: Draft Day. Last year, the NFL Draft drew a record 45.7 million viewers across its three days of co...
The Future of Solar Power in Brazil Just Got a Little Sunnier Thanks to a Severe Water Crisis
World

The Future of Solar Power in Brazil Just Got a Little Sunnier Thanks to a Severe Water Crisis

Solar power systems -- both commercial and residential -- have become so popular that by 2016, it's estimated a new solar power system will be installed every 20 seconds. However, although the popularity of solar power has exploded in recent years, Brazil is just now beginning to consider it a viable source of sustainable energy -- and not necessarily by choice. Despite being one of the sunniest countries on Earth due its close proximity to the equator, Brazil has only recently begun turning to solar power to meet its energy needs due to a devastating drought, which is the worst the country has experienced in 80 years. Prior to the drought, solar energy was called "a fantasy" by President Dilma Rousseff. In fact, a mere 400 homes in Brazil are equipped with photovoltaic (PV) panels due t...
Annual B2B Web Usability Report Finds Social Media and Blogging Ineffective
Business

Annual B2B Web Usability Report Finds Social Media and Blogging Ineffective

B2B marketing is different from B2C marketing campaigns on a fundamental level -- everyone in the industry knows that, and it's why there's a small uproar every time a new report is released claiming that B2B is "becoming more like B2C" in terms of marketing and conversion strategies. As Practical eCommerce contributor Marcia Kaplan recently stated, "[o]nline B2B sellers now recognize that the customer experience in a B2B environment is just as important as the customer experience in B2C." B2B companies, Kaplan argues, are starting to pick up the marketing strategies that B2C companies typically use -- most notably, B2B marketers seem to be using social media and content marketing more than ever before. But according to the annual B2B Web Usability Report conducted by KoMarketing and Buy...
Organization Helps Underprivileged Kids Get Some ‘Fresh Air’ at Summer Camps
Lifestyle

Organization Helps Underprivileged Kids Get Some ‘Fresh Air’ at Summer Camps

UPDATED 7/17/20 Each year, children all over the United States attend summer camps in order to stay active while on vacation from school. But for some children, choices for overnight camps are limited if they have disabilities or are from low income families. Although there are many summer programs for low income families, not every community offers a local summer camp for underprivileged kids. Fortunately there are many benefactors and volunteers that help to provide summer programs for low income families at no charge. andnbsp; But the Kiwanis Club of Knoxville, TN, aims to change that with their Fresh Air Camp for children who would otherwise miss out on this crucial summer activity. This Kiwanis summer camp serves underprivileged kids from all around the greater Knoxville a...
Obamas Could Move to NYC in 2017 — and Snub the Windy City
Lifestyle

Obamas Could Move to NYC in 2017 — and Snub the Windy City

Where a President chooses to move with his family after his term is over is usually a subject of interest and leaves at least a few cities vying to be the new home of the recent former first family. Most people assumed that after the White House and Washington, the Obama family would return to Chicago -- but sources say that they may be considering a move to New York City. According to gossip-columnist for the Chicago-Sun Times Michael Sneed, people close to the family have said that the Obama's definitely want to be in New York City after the President's term is over in 2017. Many people (40%) never move from the place they're born and many prefer to return to places they've lived before when relocating. Otherwise, 44% of people say that they choose a new place because of a job opportun...
Do It Yourself Web Design Becoming More Popular With Businesses, Web Designers
Business

Do It Yourself Web Design Becoming More Popular With Businesses, Web Designers

Web design has traditionally relied heavily on programming code -- until now. Techcrunch.com reports that code-free web design platforms are becoming increasingly popular with businesses and web designers alike. Platform companies such as Wix and Squarespace offer a "hassle-free" method of web design that requires no knowledge of coding or web design. Some platforms, such as Webydo and Webflow, are geared toward professional web designers that lack the desire or patience to write code. Webydo, the Tel Aviv-based platform developer, was created in order to aid web designers by eliminating the need for busywork. "We initially felt enslaved to an old process that depended on developers to manually convert graphic design into handwritten code," said Shmulik Grizim, the CEO and co-founder of...
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Opens Its Doors to Animals
Business

The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Opens Its Doors to Animals

Given the kind of patients The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine has recently admitted, one wonders whether the eponymous founder had any pets himself. The Baltimore Sun reports that over the past couple of months, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine has been treating animals in addition to humans. Veterinarians not affiliated with the school have been able to order cutting-edge diagnostics tests such as MRI scans and request special treatments for animals. So far, the school has mostly seen cats and dogs but has also admitted birds and other exotic animals to its Center for Image-Guided Animal Therapy (CIGAT). Though The Johns Hopkins University is not affiliated with any veterinary schools, administration officials claim that the animal treatment fits in with its research mission. Doct...
Spending Time With Kids Pays Off When Quality Is Valued More Than Quantity, Study Shows
Lifestyle

Spending Time With Kids Pays Off When Quality Is Valued More Than Quantity, Study Shows

Parenting has never been the easiest task in the world, but it certainly doesn't get any easier when dealing with a full-time job as well. For women in particular, managing the work-home balance can seem downright impossible,. But according to a recent study, which is set to be published in the April 2015 issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family, quantity really doesn't matter as much as quality when it comes to spending time with young kids. As the Washington Post reports, this study is the first "large-scale longitudinal study of parent time," analyzing quantity and quality for time spent with young children (approximately ages three to 11). The study reportedly found that the amount of time spent with kids at a young age "has virtually no relationship to how children turn out" in t...
State Mental Hospital May Turn Patients Away During Renovations
Local

State Mental Hospital May Turn Patients Away During Renovations

Kansas' Osawatomie State Hospital may be freezing admissions in the near future as they attempt to finish mandatory updates and renovations. Medicaid and Medicare funding are in jeopardy, as Federal regulators threaten to cut the hospital off if conditions do not improve. An inspection in October found the facility to be in unsafe condition and operating 25% over capacity. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services will be spending $3 million to make the required renovations. The jeopardized funding makes up approximately 25% of the hospital budget, so it is crucial that the obligatory remodeling is completed. Additionally, here are some last-minute things to do around the house before a new baby arrives! Specifically, the hospital will be updating the ceiling, beds, and bathr...