Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Free Essays on The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory It is always a mystery about how the universe began, whether if and when it will end. Astronomers construct hypotheses called cosmological models that try to find the answer. There are two types of models: Big Bang and Steady State. However, through many observational evidences, the Big Bang theory can best explain the creation of the universe. The Big Bang model postulates that about 15 to 20 billion years ago, the universe violently exploded into being, in an event called the Big Bang. Before the Big Bang, all of the matter and radiation of our present universe were packed together in the primeval fireball-an extremely hot dense state from which the universe rapidly expanded.1 The Big Bang was the start of time and space. The matter and radiation of that early stage rapidly expanded and cooled. Several million years later, it condensed into galaxies. The universe has continued to expand, and the galaxies have continued moving away from each other ever since. Today the universe is still expanding, as astronomers have observed. The Steady State model says that the universe does not evolve or change in time. There was no beginning in the past, nor will there be change in the future. This model assumes the perfect cosmological principle. This principle says that the universe is the same everywhere on the large scale, at all times.2 It maintains the same average density of matter forever. There are observational evidences found that can prove the Big Bang model is more reasonable than the Steady State model. First, the redshifts of distant galaxies. Redshift is a Doppler effect which states that if a galaxy is moving away, the spectral line of that galaxy observed will have a shift to the red end. The faster the galaxy moves, the more shift it has. If the galaxy is moving closer, the spectral line will show a blue shift. If the galaxy is not moving, there is no shift at all. However, as astronomers observed,... Free Essays on The Big Bang Theory Free Essays on The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory It is always a mystery about how the universe began, whether if and when it will end. Astronomers construct hypotheses called cosmological models that try to find the answer. There are two types of models: Big Bang and Steady State. However, through many observational evidences, the Big Bang theory can best explain the creation of the universe. The Big Bang model postulates that about 15 to 20 billion years ago, the universe violently exploded into being, in an event called the Big Bang. Before the Big Bang, all of the matter and radiation of our present universe were packed together in the primeval fireball-an extremely hot dense state from which the universe rapidly expanded.1 The Big Bang was the start of time and space. The matter and radiation of that early stage rapidly expanded and cooled. Several million years later, it condensed into galaxies. The universe has continued to expand, and the galaxies have continued moving away from each other ever since. Today the universe is still expanding, as astronomers have observed. The Steady State model says that the universe does not evolve or change in time. There was no beginning in the past, nor will there be change in the future. This model assumes the perfect cosmological principle. This principle says that the universe is the same everywhere on the large scale, at all times.2 It maintains the same average density of matter forever. There are observational evidences found that can prove the Big Bang model is more reasonable than the Steady State model. First, the redshifts of distant galaxies. Redshift is a Doppler effect which states that if a galaxy is moving away, the spectral line of that galaxy observed will have a shift to the red end. The faster the galaxy moves, the more shift it has. If the galaxy is moving closer, the spectral line will show a blue shift. If the galaxy is not moving, there is no shift at all. However, as astronomers observed,...
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Tribute Speech Essays
Tribute Speech Essays Tribute Speech Paper Tribute Speech Paper I.       Introduction A.           Attention-getting statement: â€Å"Anyone who has lost track of time when using a computer knows the propensity to dream, the urge to make dreams come true and the tendency to miss lunch.†This is one famous quote of the person behind the phenomenal World Wide Web. B.           Thesis statement: Let me take this opportunity to talk to you about the great mind of Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee, whose intelligence, creativity and innovation made the whole world unite through a unique medium called the World Wide Web. C.           Preview of main points: First, I will talk about Sir Tim Berners-Lee’s education and work background, second, I will let you know of his major contributions in the world of technology, and lastly, I will enumerate some of the great awards and recognitions he received from different bodies and organizations. Transition: Let us first talk about his background. II.     Body A.           Main Point 1: Background 1.      Sir Timothy â€Å"Tim†John Berners-Lee was born on June 8, 1955 in London, England from a couple who were both mathematicians. 2.      Sir Berners-Lee graduated from The Queen’s College, Oxford University, England. He took up Bachelor of Arts in Physics and finished the course in 1976. 3.      During his stay in Queen’s College, he made his first computer using only an M6800 processor, TTL gates, soldering iron and a television. 4.      In 1976, he worked at Plessey Telecommunications Limited with a role of a programmer. He then left the company for D. G. Nash Limited in 1978 where his main responsibility is to write typesetting software and a multi-tasking operating system. 5.      He also worked at Image Computer Systems Limited with technical design work before he took up fellowship at CERN, the European Particle Physics Laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1984. Transition: Now, let’s take a look at Sir Berners-Lee’s work and contributions to the world of technology. B.           MainPoint 2: Contributions 1.      When he was a consultant at CERN, he proposed a project based on the idea of hypertext for easy file sharing and updating among researchers, and built a prototype system which he named Enquire. 2.      When he returned to CERN as a fellow, he saw the opportunity to integrate his idea of hypertext with the Internet, thus the formation of the World Wide Web in 1991. 3.      The first web browser and editor called WorldWideWeb was designed and built by Sir Berners-Lee. He developed this browser on NeXTSTEP. He also built the first web server called the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol daemon or httpd. 4.      The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) was established by Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1994 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. W3C’s mission is to create standards and improve the overall quality of the Internet. nbsp; Transition: Last but not the least, let me tell you about the different awards and recognitions he received because of his great contributions. nbsp; C.           Main Point 3: Awards and Recognitions 1.      The first to recognize Sir Berners-Lee’s contribution in developing the World Wide Web was the University of Southampton. 2.      He was appointed Officer in the Order of the British Empire in 1997, was a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2001 and in 2002, received recognition from the Science and Technology Foundation of Japan. 3.      Also in 2002, he was given the Principe de Asturias award in the category of Scientific and Technical Research. 4.      In April 2004, Sir Tim Berners-Lee bagged a cash prize of one million euros when he received the first Millennium Technology Prize award of Finland. 5.      In July of 2004, Sir Tim Berners-Lee was awarded the rank of Knight Commander by Queen Elizabeth II. The rank is the second highest in the Order of the British Empire. nbsp; Transition: In conclusion†¦ nbsp; III.   Conclusion A.           In conclusion, I have just talked about a man who have made a huge impact on how people communicate today and made the whole world unite by his creation of the World Wide Web: Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee. B.           The things that I have told you about are: first, his education and work background; second, his great works and contributions; and third, the awards and recognitions he received. C.           Just think about how the world could have been today had the World Wide Web not been formed and widely used by every person across the world. Thanks to the excellent contribution of Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee! nbsp; References: 1.      World Wide Web Consortium [w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/Longer.html] 2.      Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Berners-Lee] 3.      Brainy Quote [brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/tim_bernerslee.html] nbsp; nbsp; 1. Why are you speaking? I am speaking to let my audience (my fellow students) know the person behind one of the greatest works in the history of mankind. I want my fellow students to know his background and work that he may serve as a role model for us. 2. How will you adapt to your audience (your fellow students)? My speech is plain and simple that talks about Tim Berners-Lee’s background, contributions and recognitions. The way I will be delivering it is simple and the topic is quite general that all my fellow students would understand. 3. Where and when will you be speaking? I will be speaking in a classroom setting. 4. What ideas and information should you include? Since my speech is a tribute to a person who has done a great work that made an impact to the whole world, I am including relevant information about his education and work background to know how he started. His different contributions and awards are also included in the speech to prove how great his works are. 5. How should you arrange your content? The contents of the speech are arranged in such a way that there is organization of thought. Framing the speech first, meaning giving an outline of what is to be talked about will give the audience an idea of what they are about to hear and, more or less, give them an idea of how long the speech will take. The main points will be discussed in detail. These points should be arranged in chronological order so as not to confuse the audience. After which, a summary will be provided to repeat the main points and thesis statement of the speech. nbsp; 6. Are you believable? (i.e., What makes you credible to speak on this subject?) I have the credibility in speaking about this subject because I have a number of sources where I got all the information from and this is quite a general topic that anyone knowledgeable about the internet can talk about. 7. How should you deliver your speech? I should deliver my speech in a way that is not too formal since my audience is just my fellow students, yet not so casual also to still maintain my credibility as a speaker. The speech should also be delivered in a lively manner so the audience will not get bored listening to it. nbsp;
Thursday, November 21, 2019
LAW OF THE EUROPEAN UNION--- ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES Assignment
LAW OF THE EUROPEAN UNION--- ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES - Assignment Example The Court ruled upheld the petition. Unlike the EU Commission-led Article 258, Article 259 allows aggrieved Member States to petition the Strasbourg Court for direction. The latter provision was tested recently in Hungary v Slovak Republic Case C 364/10 (2012), where the Strasbourg Court ruled that Slovakia did not breach her duties under Article 21(1) of the TFEU requiring unhindered movement of EU citizens within the region. If the case was decided in favour of Hungary, appropriate sanctions would have been taken against Slovakia for limiting Hungarian President’s visit in the country during national holiday. The sanctions are usually binding, considering that any failure to conform to them attracts follow-up actions and penalties under Articles 260 of the TFEU. These responses show that the ECJ’s primary roles under the direct action are to enforce EU law by enhancing cooperation among Member States and slap punitive action where. However, delays in enforcement, which run into many years, are major set backs. Complimentarily, indirect actions under Article 267 of the TFEU usually enhance smooth cooperation between or among EU Member States. Under the latter platform, the Court can make decisions on the interpretation of various bodies of the EU law including the Treaty. As such, it accepts and determines cases referred to from national courts. In Foglia v Mariella Novello C 244/80 (1981), for example, the Court considered the verdict in Pretura di Bra, Italy and determined that the tax measures on liqueur wines were valid. In addition, purpose of procedure enhances collaboration between courts with EU in what is a key trigger of smooth administration of justice. The vertical relationship between the European Court of Justice and national courts through the principle of supremacy has created an effective arrangement where the courts work in synergy to resolve disputes arising from trade and movement of people and goods across the EU or
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Is business collaboration, rather than market competition, becoming Essay
Is business collaboration, rather than market competition, becoming the key to success Discuss in relation to two sectors - Essay Example Townsend and Shelley (2008) opined that, competition and collaboration exists in a business side by side and provides interdepartmental competition within the collaborative organizations. In many times it has been proven that, collaboration with the rival firms creates stronger business even with apparent competitor. In the current business scenario, getting away from the competition is quite tough. A business cannot resist itself from entering into a market competition. But collaboration is more active to inject aviation and fitness within an industry, more importantly in providing better experience to the customer. Organizations those are not able to form collaboration, are not much effective to encourage innovation towards the business growth and strategic capabilities. As businesses are becoming more close to the global world, collaboration is becoming increasingly important to ensure long term existence. The two industries where business collaboration can be experienced and observed in plenty are the IT industry and the Automobile industry. Collaboration among the IT industries has resulted to deliver IT based solution that are more flexible and tailored to meet changing business and customer’s needs. Examples of collaboration in IT sectors are Microsoft to Nokia, Google to Motorola etc. On the other hand, focusing on the collaboration technique, Auto mobile industries also gained high production capacity and margin to the high volume. Some major collaboration that already has taken place in automobile industry is general motor to PSU, Tata to Jaguar etc. Undoubtedly, collaborative strategy and dynamic is more effective in comparison to competition to provide innovation and business growth. Collaboration is more appropriate to competition in creating better future for a business. Ring et al. (1994) opted that, global competition may send a business to the outer space from the industry, but
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Educator Resume Essay Example for Free
Educator Resume Essay EDUCATOR Sociology / Psychology / Human Services Goal-oriented Professional with an education in Social Services pursuing a teaching career at a local junior college in the areas of sociology, psychology, and human services. Currently completing a Masters Degree in Social Work and an Internship as a Group Facilitator at Brighton Rock. Prior professional experience includes 10 years with DePaul Medical Center and a part-time position at Sentara in the Healthcare Administration field. Dynamic Leader known for being caring and compassionate, who enjoys helping the community through case management, referrals, needs assessment, and goal setting.  Excellent communication skills with an ability to provide superior social services to individuals, families, and community organizations in a faith-based setting. In-depth knowledge of Medicare, Medicaid, and third-party payment plans. Technically proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and Window’s Operating Systems. Functional Areas of Expertise                            Personal Assets  Fundraising Grant Writing Skills Psychosocial Assessments Program Development Support Group Facilitator Case Management Medicare / Medicaid Knowledge Community Outreach Programs Event Planning Office Management Customer Service Excellence Highly Organized Detail-Oriented Analytical Skills Hard Working / Reliable Self-Motivated Team Player / Positive Attitude Caring Compassionate Excellent Time Management Skills Oral / Written Communication Crisis/Problem Resolution Skills Excellent Interpersonal Skills EDUCATION Norfolk State University Masters Degree in Social Work, Graduating in May 2008 Bachelor Degree in Social Work, 2005 Tidewater Community College Associates in Applied Science in Liberal Arts, 2002 COLLEGE COURSEWORK Human Behavior in the Social Environment Social Work with Individuals Social Work with Groups+ Social Work with Families Fundraising and Grantsmanship Differential Assessment for Social Work Practice Community Mental Health Policy and Services Case Management in Social Work Advocacy and Social Planning Research Method Continue†¦page 1 of 2 INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE Brighton Rock, Inc., Portsmouth, VA                                                                                                           2007-2008 Social Work Internship Serves as Facilitator for Grandparents as Parents Support Group. Assists with fundraising and grant writing projects. Effectively plans conferences and workshops for grandparents. Sentara Norfolk General, Norfolk, VA                                                                                                          2006-2007 Social Work Internship Assisted in providing Psychosocial Assessments and Counseling for individuals with chronic illnesses and providing them with community resources. Evaluated, monitored, and assessed client outcomes and maximized the ability of families to move through the assessment process. Determined psychosocial stresses, coping mechanism and long term adaptation to chronic illness. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE  Gethsemane Baptist Church, Norfolk, VA                                                                                            2006-Present Director of Ministry Provides leadership development and oversight for ministry staff and volunteer services. Oversees the ministry programming and consults with ministry leaders in the implementation of a comprehensive ministry strategy. Recruits ministry staff and trains servant leaders in their specific area of ministry expertise. Develops community outreach programs. Transplant Sentara Norfolk General, Norfolk, VA                                                                                  2002-2006 Financial Coordinator Conducted the initial financial interview with patients. Screened and educated them on transplant process, policies, and procedures. Utilized established procedures for pre-certification, preauthorization, and letters of medical necessity. Coordinated the process for all transplant services. Maintained a comprehensive library of resource materials for patients, families and medical staff. Identified patients who qualified for indigent programs such as medications and charity care. Assisted patients with billing questions and collection notification.  DePaul Medical Center Rehabilitation, Norfolk, VA                                                                               1998-2002 Office Manager Managed all daily office activities, provided administrative support for the site Director, and prepared monthly budget reports. Created and implemented office administrative procedures. Effectively mediated and resolved patient complaints and problems. DePaul Medical Centers Clinic, Norfolk, VA                                                                                               1990-1998 Office Administrator Conducted interviews with patients to establish eligibility at Clinic. Provided educational materials for uninsured and underinsured patients. Significantly increased patient experience and provided administrative support to medical staff. COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER SERVICE Norfolk Drug Court Foundation Norfolk Detention Center Advisory Board Member Second Chances Ex-Offenders Fundraising Campaign Norfolk State University Community and Outreach Program National Association of Social Worker Association of Black Social Worker, Norfolk, VA Gethsemane Baptist Church, Norfolk, VA Kinship Connection Inc.
Friday, November 15, 2019
Media Images Essay -- Body Image, Beauty
I confess that I am one of those women who look forward to monthly magazines telling me the new month’s facade of â€Å"beauty†. Starting at a very young age, women are convinced that in order to be happy, accepted, respected, successful, sexy or beautiful; they must fit a particular mold that society has formed for them. The media defines the accepted and changing representation of beautiful and perfect that women feel they must achieve. As mentioned in the video Killing Us Softly 4, we’re told that women are acceptable only if they’re young, thin, white, perfectly groomed and polished, plucked and shaved. Any deviation from this is not ideal or acceptable. This standard of attractiveness for women that is portrayed in the media is not only unrealistic, but unattainable by most women. This body type that we see in advertisements as acceptable or desirable is one that fewer than 5% of American women have, According to Juan-Hwan & Lennon (2007). Women enga ge in a comparison between their bodies and these unrealistic images on beauty. There are so many images of â€Å"beautiful†women, which people try very hard to mimic. These images are everywhere and hard to ignore as the average woman sees 400 to 600 advertisements per day. According to Millard (2009), â€Å"advertising heavily influences beauty standards and that women in particular compare themselves with models despite the gap between retouched perfection and reality.†(p. 147). These standards emphasize unrealistic body types and because most women are not gifted with the ideal body size and shape, conforming to these ideals of female beauty is difficult. These messages of ideal beauty are difficult to ignore. Millard’s article on Dove’s â€Å"Real Beauty†Campaign stated the following: When... ...of beauty and women are oppressive in that they contribute to the limitation and restriction of women. In advertising, women are portrayed as being inferior which is false and objectifying. The obsession with thinness, the ideal image of beauty and oppression of women are all public problems that affect us all, man or woman. Inner beauty is forgotten and deemed unimportant in our society. The problems leave us with nothing but a shallow, depressed, miserable, unrealistic society with standards that leave people feeling inadequate and rejected. The media should give a more realistic body type for women to look up to. Women need to work together to help change attitudes, and neutralize the negativity that society and the media create. We can refuse to take the media so seriously and try to challenge the idealistic images in advertising and their demeaning messages.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Othello Critical
Travis Gordon ELA 30-1 October 3rd, 2012 Jealousy, the universal feeling we’ve all experienced at one time or another. Whether it be the newest piece of technology that someone has that you don’t and wish you did, or that kid on the playground that had those new light up shoes that were all the rage. Jealousy is not something that can be avoided, only controlled. It sneaks up on you, like a tree root sneaks up on concrete before it breaks to the surface.In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, jealousy is a key component used by many characters as a weapon that is twisted and manipulated to serve their own ends. Iago, a deceitful and manipulative snake or the ironic pseudonym â€Å"Honest Iago†uses jealousy as a way of getting what he wants without realizing nor caring about the backlash of repercussions his actions have on the people around him. ‘O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock The meat it feeds on.Th at cuckold lives in bliss Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; But O, what damned minutes tells he o'er Who dotes, yet doubts–suspects, yet strongly loves! â€Å"(III,iii,) He refers to jealousy as a â€Å"green-eyed monster†, because it is a scary thing to behold when it gets out of hand. Once it is unleashed, it is not easily contained. Once he contaminates Othello’s mind with the thoughts of Desdemona being unfaithful to him, and sneaking around behind his back with his lieutenant Cassio, it spreads like a wildfire inside Othello’s head.He begins to doubt himself. Although he knows in his heart Desdemona to be true to him, he can’t help but think about the false accusations Iago has impregnated his mind with. Another character Iago manages to control with the raw power of jealousy is Roderigo. Iago manages to convince Roderigo that if he puts â€Å"money in thy purse†, Iago will make it so Roderigo can be together with Desdem ona. This is a clear example of how easy it is to control a person once you give them a false hope of something that could never be. What should I do? I confess it is my shame to be so fond; but it is not in my virtue to amend it. †(I,iii,317-318) Roderigo admits to Iago that he is overcome with jealousy for Desdemona, but it isn’t within his character to change the way he feels towards her. Iago sees an opportunity to make a profit from Roderigo’s misfortunes and sets him on a mad quest to be with the woman he loves. The idea’s Iago plants into Roderigo, once they are rooted deep inside him, start to teem like weeds in an unkempt garden.It is a dream that in the end costs Rodrigo more than just his wealth. He pays the iron price, with his life. Jealousy, when set upon a person who has already harboured inside them, it spreads. Once it spreads, it is no easy task to eliminate or control. We see this in Othello, as it costs many of the characters their liv es, because of a feeling false hope and manipulation, in the hope that what they wanted would be theirs.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Examine the Changes in Location and Development of Tourism Activities Essay
The changes in location and development of tourism activities over the past 50 years can be linked to advantages in air travel, economic growth and the development of technology linked to the internet dangers in the type and availability of accommodation for tourism has also been responsible for changes in the development of tourism activities. Population growth must also be considered when explaining changes in the development of tourism. Booking flights and hotels is now much easier. You can use a travel agent, but increasingly more people are going online to book their own flights and hotels and flights either directly or through agents. It is also possible to look at customer reviews so you can assess the quality of hotels, tours, etc. As communication and transport improved, more people hear about and travel to new places. At the same time that new destinations are discovered, more and more people are going on holidays on these places. Improved communication has not only made booking holidays easier, it has also meant people can now keep in contact much easier while abroad. This has removed the worry from many families. You can now update your status on Twitter or Facebook or send e-mail or texts to family letting them know where you are or what are you doing. It is now just as easy to communicate with your family half way around the world as it is from the next street. English is slowly become an international language – it is the most widely spoken second language. As the number of English speakers increase, more and more people are confident about going on holiday and knowing that they will be able to communicate. As the tourism industry develops the amount of multilingual guides is also increasing so it is possible to visit a foreign country and go on a tour in your native language. Even with the on-going global economic downturn, the world economy is growing. This economic growth is being led by the so called emerging economies e.g. China, Russia and India. With economic growth ore individuals are removed from poverty and are able to afford to go on holiday. People can afford holidays when there disposable income increases. Disposable income is the amount of money left over after all bills are paid for. Over the past 50 years the relative cost of transport has fallen and the ease of moving between countries has increased. Car ownership has increased, new train networks have been built and new airports opened. In the last decade low-cost airlines have emerged and increased tourism. Low-cost airlines offer cheaper flights that normal airlines by removing added extras like airport check-in, in-flight meals, checked baggage and seat selection. The growth of transport has meant people can go on more holidays and also go on shorter holidays (weekend breaks). We are now saturated with advertising on billboards, in magazines, on TV and increasingly online. These adverts make us aware of new destinations and persuade us to visit new places. There has also been a growth of TV programs just about holiday destinations. The emergence of credit cards has made it much easier to pay for holidays and it has made it easier for people to buy things once on holiday. Credit cards can be used to pay for hotels and flights online and can be used to pay for things on holiday or take local currency out of ATMs. Credit cars remove the worry of carrying large amounts of money and the time of exchanging currencies. In conclusion, the growth and changes in location of the tourism in the last 50 years it is caused by thing that went occurring by the pass of the year but the most important is the technology that it grows allot in the last 50 years. The tourism grow because booking flight and hotels is now much more easier, the communication improved so now the people can keep in contact being in any country in the world, the transport is better and cheaper, credit cards has made it much easier to pay for holidays.
Friday, November 8, 2019
HCA Hospitals Essays
Medicare Fraud Scandal with the Columbia/HCA Hospitals Essays Medicare Fraud Scandal with the Columbia/HCA Hospitals Paper Medicare Fraud Scandal with the Columbia/HCA Hospitals Paper One of the most pressing issues affecting the health sector is Medicare fraud. Based on the events that rocked the health community, which involved Columbia Health Hospitals, America has decided that it is high time to pay closer attention to one of the reasons why the Medicare is bleeding to death. This paper will try to look into the events that shaped the most controversial and biggest Medicare scandal that has awakened government to act before it is too late. To assist the readers, this paper will be divided into several parts: (a) Background of the paper where information about the case being examined will be provided. In addition, an introduction of the major issue(s) to be analyzed will also be presented; (b) Analysis Section will provide a detailed analysis of the situation(s) being examined and will outline recommendations for how the issue(s) could have been handled more effectively; finally, the (c) conclusion section where we will try to summarize the purpose of the project, the issue(s) examined and the major findings/conclusions/recommendations. II. Background For this particular paper, we will look into the kind of fraud that Columbia allegedly committed against Medicare and its members. To do so, we will need to first define what fraud is and how it is particularly committed. More importantly, we will look into how Columbia/HCA Hospitals allegedly committed the fraud and how it ultimately affected the American public as well as the American government. One fateful day in July of 1997, a series of raid launched by the government against a particular hospital conglomerate shocked America’s health care system and brought into the nation’s attention one of the biggest scandal that involved Medicare benefits of Americans. https://healtheappointments.com/private-hospital-vs-public-hospitals-essays/ In a raid conducted by federal and state agents, the main target was Columbia/ HCA hospitals in Florida. At issue were allegations that Columbia had defrauded Medicare, the deferral health insurance for the elderly and the disabled. Medicare was created by Congress in 1965 as a means to provide health benefits to Americans over the age of 65 and for the seriously disabled. In the beginning, it was said that Medicare had no effective cost control and while it did help the people it was meant to help (i. e. the elderly and the disabled), it also cost Uncle Sam a lot of taxpayer’s money. In the beginning, hospitals were reimbursed on a cost plus basis meaning that Medicare paid for the cost of service plus a fee for administrative overhead. However, in 1983, Congress passed the first significant effort to curb the skyrocketing costs of Medicare. Congress adopted a payment system based on diagnostic related groups (DRGs). Under the DRG system, hospitals would be paid per admission with an amount determined by the diagnosis instead of per day or per service. This new system helped check increasing Medicare costs but it also hurt hospitals and made them bleed profusely –at least on financial aspect. And while many hospitals saw this new change as a disadvantage, Columbia/HCA had another vision. They saw this new change as a way to increase their profits, albeit in a more fraudulent manner. In 1997, investigations were underway with regard to the alleged fraud practices employed by Columbia against Medicare. At issue in the investigation were several possibly fraudulent practices by Columbia/HCA and its managers. Among these were upcoding, cost shifting, unethical practices to pressure acquisition targets, and financial relationships with doctors. III. Analysis First things first: what is fraud and what act or acts constitutes fraud? When does one commit fraud? According to the definition of the Department of Health and Human Services, fraud is the intentional deception or misrepresentation that an individual knows to be false or does not believe to be true and makes, knowing that the deception could result in some unauthorized benefit to himself/herself or some other person. The most frequent kind of fraud arises from a false statement or misrepresentation made, or caused to be made, that is material to entitlement or payment under the Medicare program. The violator may a physician or other practitioner, a hospital or other institutional provider, a clinical laboratory or other supplier, an employee of any provider, a billing service, beneficiary, Medicare carrier employee or any person in a position to file a claim for Medicare benefits. Under the broad definition of fraud are other violations, including: the offering or acceptance of kickbacks, and the routine waiver of co-payments. According to the Find Law website, fraud schemes range from those perpetrated by individuals acting alone to broad-based activities by institutions or groups of individuals, sometimes employing sophisticated telemarketing and other promotional techniques to lure consumers into serving as the unwitting tools in the schemes. Seldom do perpetrators target only one insurer or either the public or private sector exclusively. Rather, most are found to be defrauding several private and public sector victims, such as Medicare, simultaneously. In Medicare, the most common forms of fraud include: Billing for services not furnished Misrepresenting the diagnosis to justify payment Soliciting, offering, or receiving a kickback Unbundling or exploding charges Falsifying certificates of medical necessity, plans of treatment, and medical records to justify payment Billing for a service not furnished as billed; i. e. , upcoding (Find Law, 1998) Now that we have an idea of what constitutes fraud, particularly the kind that can be committed against Medicare, we can now look more closely into the case that involved Columbia/HCA hospitals. Unlike many hospitals, Columbia/ HCA hospitals were obviously managed by a profit-oriented leader who put more emphasis on the money-yielding power of health care instead of the healing and caring aspect of the business. One key element that could have fostered the fraudulent behavior of the Columbia/HCA management is the company’s strategy of doctor ownership. Doctors were given the opportunity to become shareholders in the company –thus giving motivations to physicians to refer patients to its hospitals instead of its competitors. Moreover, as shareholders of the hospital, doctors had more incentives to hold down costs or to comply with managerial directives. It is, thus, not surprising to see how fraud could happen in such an environment. If doctors and hospitals are in it for the money, then there is no limit as to what they can do to get more financially. Just looking at the company vision or strategy of Columbia/HCA hospitals, we will see that ethics is clearly absent in the vision of management. Instead of aiming to provide quality health care to its patients, the doctors and management of Columbia/HCA are more interested in gaining more profit for the hospital and the corporation instead of giving excellent health care. While this may not be a bad gesture in the over all scheme of things, it still says a lot about the ethics of Columbia management. It would seem that the managers and doctors have lost the essence of their profession. Let me qualify that there is nothing evil in wanting to work for money. What constitutes evil is applying fraudulent means to get more profit. Now that we have an idea of what the problem is and where it lies, one recommendation that can be forwarded is the strengthening of ethics and values formation in the medical community. Doctors as well as everyone involved in the medical profession should understand that medicine is a calling, a vocation where money should come secondary to quality health care. Second recommendation would be to pressure government into providing stricter procedure for health care, particularly for Medicare. As noted by the Concord Coalition website, wherever medical guidelines are hazy and judgment calls are required, it tries to ration claims through arbitrary rules, creating a feast-or-famine reimbursement policy. It imposes huge compliance costs and produces capricious results. Worst of all, despite the estimated 45,000 pages of regulations, the system careens toward bankruptcy as costs keep rising. (Concord Coalition, 1997) More importantly, it is important to set harsher penalties for Medicare fraud cases. This is to ensure that hospitals like Columbia/HCA will learn from their mistakes and will serve as an example to all. Penalties must send the message that fraudulent acts will not go punished and will be dealt with severely by the government. IV. Conclusion It goes without saying that the controversy surrounding Medicare, Columbia/HCA, and the health system in general is a disease that needs immediate diagnosis. The purpose of this paper is to heighten awareness of the problem affecting our health care industry with the ultimate goal of finding the perfect solution to the problem. Needless to say, Medicare fraud hurts not just the beneficiaries or the members but the taxpayers in general. In other words, it affects all Americans. The raids that took place in the hospitals of Columbia/HCA should serve as a reminder that criminal acts will, sooner or later, be revealed and perpetrators will be brought to justice. In addition, we have learned from the case presented to us, that there is still need for improvement in terms of implementing the Medicare system. More importantly, we have seen that ethics plays a huge part in the Medicare scandal. It would seem that the management behind Columbia/HCA has forgotten the real reason behind their organization. It is the belief of this author that a strengthening of ethics formation in the medical community will help in changing the tides of Medicare fraud. References: Find Law, 1998: Medicare Definition of Fraud [online] Available at: http://library. findlaw. com/1998/Feb/19/131383. html [cited on: June 14, 2006] Kansas Medicare, 2006: Medicare Fraud [online] Available at: kansasmedicare. com/policy/fraud. htm [cited on: June 14, 2006] Medicare, 2005: Medicare Fraud [online] Available at: medicare. gov/FraudAbuse/Overview. asp [cited on: June 14, 2006] Mutual Medicare, 2006: Help Reduce the Impact of Medicare Fraud [online] Available at: mutualmedicare. com/fraud/ [cited on: June 14, 2006] Senior Health, 2006: Medicare Fraud and Abuse Detection and Prevention Tips [online] Available at: http://seniorhealth. about. com/library/medicare/blfraud. htm? once=true [cited on: June 14, 2006] The Concord Coalition, 1997: Medicare Fraud: A Symptom, Not the Disease [online] Available at: concordcoalition. org/facing-facts/ff_fax42. html [cited on: June 14, 2006] The Qui Tam Online Network, 2006: Common Types of Qui Tam Fraud [online] Available at: quitamonline. com/fraud. html [cited on: June 14, 2006] United Government Services, 2006: Fraud and Abuse [online] Available at: ugsmedicare. com/about_ugs/fraud_abuse. asp [cited on: June 14, 2006]
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
4 Tips for Effective Classroom Management
4 Tips for Effective Classroom Management Classroom management is simply the techniques teachers use to maintain control in the classroom. Educators employ a variety of strategies and techniques to ensure that students are organized, on task, well-behaved, and productive during the school day. A lack of effective classroom management can cause chaos and stress, which can create an unsatisfactory learning environment for students and an unsatisfactory work environment for the teacher. However, these tips will help you master classroom management and create a quality learning environment. Know Your Students and How They Learn Implementing successful classroom management strategies creates a positive learning environment for students and ensure that they successfully master the materials presented. How this is done can vary depending on student ages and personalities. By understanding the strengths and needs of students, you can better plan activities and lesson plans that allow for a cohesive and collaborative classroom. Teachers always want their students to succeed and thrive, but what that looks like for each individual might differ. Knowing student capabilities can greatly enhance your ability to help each individual succeed, and allows you to offer varied assessments and assignments that let students work at their own pace. This can be a challenge in larger classrooms, but versatility in the material is vital to ensure that everyone in the classroom is well-served. You can proactively plan for a wide variety of learning styles and personalities but plan to adjust your approach once you have a better idea of the students in your class. You might consider inviting students to be a part of setting goals for themselves and assessing how they learn best if age appropriate. If not, beginning the school year with a variety of activities and assessments can help you more easily determine what your class will need from you. Have a Strong Lesson Plan A key aspect of effective classroom management is knowing what youre going to do. The better your plan, the better your class will likely run. Map out your intended flow for the semester or year when planning, so you can ensure that you cover everything you need to get through. Its often easier to manage your classroom when you plan well in advance, and build in flexibility should you get ahead of schedule or behind. To help improve the collaborative aspect of your classroom, you might consider presenting the year-long or semester-long plan with students from the start, if age appropriate. This can often generate excitement and help students understand what they are working to overall. Have Clear Expectations for Students Students learn best when they know what is expected of them, and what they can expect from the teacher. While they tend to need daily routines, they also need to know how much they are expected to participate, what needs to go into presentations and projects, when tests might occur, and what their grading structure is like. They need to know what the teacher is looking for when assessing mastery of material and exactly how they will be assessed in their work and in their behavior. In terms of managing student conduct, outline what is considered positive and negative behavior in advance, and communicate with students quickly to warn them of inappropriate behavior. One middle school theater teacher in Virginia made up a clever series of hand signs representing a llama and her various moods. Depending on which lama sign the teacher aimed at the students, they would know that they need to pay attention, improve their behavior, and when they are really pushing the limits of proper classroom behavior. These signs helped students better understand how much they are positively or negatively impacting the class and were simple enough to allow the teacher to continue her lessons with minimal interruption, even while communicating with students on the fly. Her students embraced this system so much, that they asked for it to be used more often. Students need a variety of both routines and processes, as well as a balance of some free time. Its important to provide both the structured time and the free time to keep students engaged and feeling like they are part of the learning process themselves. Have Clear Expectations for Yourself Part of creating a positive learning experience and strong classroom management is ensuring that you have clear and realistic expectations for yourself. As the teacher, its important for you to have both routine elements, realistic expectations of student performance, and to know how to maintain your sense of humor when times get tough. There will absolutely days that wont go as planned, and remembering that this can be expected is vital to ensuring your own success. Managing a classroom is important to being an effective teacher, but it can take years to master classroom management skills. Younger teachers should actively look to more veteran teachers and administrators for advice and support when working to improve. Its important to remember that not every class will be a perfectly managed classroom, and how you learn from your mistakes and move forward is an important aspect of growing as an educator.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Methodology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Methodology - Research Paper Example The second phase of the research will involve collection of qualitative data seeking to establish the existing barriers in the context of knowledge sharing within the university environment. The research seeks to examine communication barriers and the impact of these barriers on knowledge sharing. Qualitative methods will be utilised in collection of information regarding the impact of the barriers on the information flow. Secondary sources of information will be utilised in the collection of qualitative data. The elements being researched will be effectively understood through collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. This remains the fundamental advantage for the utilisation of mixed methods in conducting research. The utilisation of mixed methods enables researchers to gain pragmatic perspectives towards understanding the elements being researched(Creswell & Clark, 2007). Data collection within the research will be conducted through two fundamental approaches, which will enable the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. The utilisation of interviews will provide the research with a platform for communicating directly with the participants and collect essential information for the research findings. The interviews will be conducted in different locations according to the requirements of the participants. Interviews are essential in providing primary information regarding the qualitative data required within the research(Cozby & Bates, 2012). The interviews will be utilised in the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data, essential for the research. The interviews will follow a structured approach in which the researchers will utilise written questions in data collection. The researchers will also utilise questionnaires in seeking to reach individuals from remote locations, who cannot be reached
Friday, November 1, 2019
Comparable Destinations, Different Paths Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Comparable Destinations, Different Paths - Essay Example The letters also explain why nobody else has been to Utopia. The reason is so ridiculous that it lends believability to the statement--someone had coughed and the exact longitude and latitude had not been heard, but Raphael was being sought to disclose the information. The first book tells of the traveler Raphael Hythlodaeus, to whom More is introduced in Antwerp and also explores the subject of how best to counsel a prince, a popular topic at the time. Plato doubtless did well foresee, unless kings themselves would apply their minds to the study of philosophy, that else they would never thoroughly allow the council of philosophers, being themselves before, even from their tender age, infected and corrupt with perverse and evil opinions (More 8). More tries to persuade Raphael that into the lucrative service of royalty, acting as an advisor to kings or lords. Raphael, however, seems to be saying that his views would not be listened to because such men are too corrupt to understand so pure a study as philosophy. Raphael speaks of Plato, of whom he seems to emulate the thoughts and ideals. The above statement screams of Platonic thought, suggesting that kings must be philosophers as well in order to rule fairly and wisely. More seems to consider it a philosopher's duty to ... While Raphael has chosen to embrace the idea of starting again, the character More desires to fix things as they are. "The difference is only a matter of one syllable," Raphael says as a way to illustrate the short distance from service to servitude (More 7). One syllable indeed. This simple sentence may offer a clue that can answer a question of much debate in regards to More's Utopia. The question is, as a reader, can one accept this imaginary society as a realistic blueprint for a working nation On the other hand, should one assume that More had no intention of his book being taken seriously One could arguably maintain either position. More's Utopia most definitely works if viewed as a satire. By taking into account More's use of these puns, one can deduce that his intention in writing Utopia is to reveal more about the current state of politics in 16th England than it is to offer a model for an ideal society. Support for such an argument can be easily supported by simply looking at the title of the book. The word "Utopia" has two roots. However, depending on which root is chosen, the meaning of the word changes drastically. "Utopia" is a combination of the syllable eu, which can be translated as "good," and the word topos, which means "place." At the same time, if one assumes that the ou prefix is used, which has a negating tone and translates into "no," then suddenly More's "good place" becomes "no place." The difference is only a matter of one syllable. More's hints at absurdity extend beyond simply the use of pun in the title/name of the island, being found in even his description of the island of Utopia. According to the
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