Business Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Business Economics - Essay Example The manufacturers also are faced with a situation where they have to lower the supply of laptops and instead focus on the production of tablet computers. An example of tablet computers is the iPad. In the last one year, netbooks and laptops have been hit the hardest by the new consumer appetite. Due to this; netbook shipments declined by 53%, while desktop PC’s demand fell by 15.4%, over the same period. (Halliday, 2011) The process above can be explained economically using the demand and supply theory. Demand is simply the purchaser’s desire and ability to pay for a price of a given commodity. Supply and demand meet due to one thing- Supply. Thus, where a seller is offering to dispose a commodity at the level of price that a purchaser is ready to pay; then, the purchaser and the seller are at an agreement point known as market equilibrium. (Ball and Seidman, 2011 pp9, 10) Demand and supply concepts are basically the most primary concepts of the field of economics. It forms the core of a market economy like that of the U.K. Price serves as a reflection of the effects of demand and supply on the market. This relationship that exists between supply and demand is the one that drives resource allocation. To understand this concept further, and to be able to understand it in the context of laptops, the laws of demand as well as supply are going to be looked at. The demand law, simply states that, ceteris paribus, the higher a commodity’s price is, the less will the demand be for that commodity. That of supply states that, the higher the price of a commodity, the higher the supply of the same commodity will be. Therefore, the higher the levels of prices, the lesser the demanded quantity of a commodity. In the scenario of the study, it is the demand of laptops that declines due to an introduction of a new substitute product in the market. Due to this, the demand curve would shift leftwards to reflect a decline in laptop’s demand. Also, as the laptops

Manu Soccer - Case Study Essay Example for Free

Manu Soccer Case Study Essay Situational Problem Tom Owen is working towards increasing his business and profit by the means of changing his current services and products or offering new ones to meet his customers needs, or by keeping his current products and services the same, but offering them to new markets. S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths: †¢Tom Owen himself is an asset in his knowledge of soccer and his ability to get along with the kids hes teaching. †¢Hiring instructors with similar qualities to create a good workforce. †¢MANUs market penetration of the Fort Collins area ensures that all soccer players age 11 to 14 are aware of his soccer program. Weaknesses: †¢MANUs dependence on Tom Owen in all of its functions offers little opportunity for him to expand to other locations. Opportunities: †¢The close proximity to three large cities that offer limited soccer training camps. Threats: †¢Some parents may consider soccer as a luxury that can be eliminated in face of economic downturn and growing unemployment. †¢The emergence of new soccer training programs in direct competition with MANU. Market Situation Approximately 90 percent of MANU’s customers live in Fort Collins which has a population of 110,000. Greeley and Longmont are about 25 miles away by interstate highway and have a population of approximately 80,000 each. Loveland is a city that is also about 25 miles from Fort Collins and has a population of approximately 60,000. Competitive Situation There is almost no direct competition for MANU in Fort Collins. The surrounding cities of Loveland, Greeley, and Longmont offer even less developed soccer programs. Target Customer The target customer for the MANUs services would be competitive soccer players from the ages of 11 to 14. However, the ultimate purchaser of these services would be the mother or father of the soccer player. This would necessitate the need of a market strategy that caters to both the parent and the soccer player. Potential Solutions †¢Develop programs that are aimed at kids over the age of 14 since the majority of the kids move on to other sports upon reaching that age. oPro These kids are already familiar with Tom and are the most likely to sign up for programs in this age group. oCon Most kids in this age group do not find soccer as appealing as other sports and are unlikely to pursue soccer. †¢Develop a marketing strategy to encourage more product purchases from his existing customer base. oPro Availability of good and recommended equipment would make soccer more appealing. oCon Extra costs can be a deterrent when the economy is bad. †¢Develop new programs to cater to the 6 to 9 age group market of Fort Collins that is still low. oPro Having more children from this age group would ensure a larger, future enlistment from the 11 to 14 age group which has shown to already be considerably large. oCon Children from the 6 to 9 age group are very different from the 11 to 14 age group and have to be treated and taught differently. Tom and his instructors have proven to be more effective with the latter age group and would have to work up a way to be appealing with the younger age group. †¢Develop programs to attract the kids of Loveland, Longmont, and Greeley. oPro These three cities have a combined population that is twice that of Fort Collins. Which in turn, offers the potential of Tom being able to triple his current enrollment. Also, these cities have little to no soccer programs in place that would be of major competition to Tom. oCon The 25 mile distance would be a large deterrent for many parents to desire driving to. Tom cannot be at all of these places at once to supervise the programs. Recommended Solution The best solution for Tom would be the fourth option of expanding into the nearby cities of Loveland, Longmont, and Greeley. Considering his current good market penetration of Fort Collins, it would be unwise to spend his resources on trying to acquire more customers from this existing market rather than entering new markets. This course of action would also not require Tom to change or recreate his products, but to continue using what he is already familiar with. Potential Marketing Strategies Tom could offer his current instructors the chance to head up the MANU soccer programs in each of the new markets. Tom had already hired them based on their qualifications and personalities being similar to his own. This course of action would not require Tom to be in four places at once, but the close proximity would allow for him to stay involved. Tom could reach out to any of the existing soccer programs in these towns and offer them the opportunity to sign on with him if he found their instructors to have a compatible program to his own. This would allow an easier entrance into these new markets as the current soccer programs already have a customer base to work with and build on. This would also decrease any potential competition he may have had to contend with upon entering these new markets.

Financial Aid Essay :: Financial Scholarship Essay

Since the day I was born, I have enjoyed story telling. My first memories are of my father spinning me tales, as I nodded off. Every night I traveled back in time through his stories. I learned of Nero's sadistic burning of Rome, Adolph Hitler's maniacal reign, and Sojourner Truth's brilliant speech. All elements of our historical heritage, for which I have great affection. When I was quite young, my father purchased our very first computer. Through his hobby, I grew to love the technical side of the world in which we live. Through the years, we have owned many computers and they each taught me something new. Due to these two loves, I have chosen to double major in history and computer science. "Jewel, you have to make it. I want you to finish what the rest of us have started. You must finish college," my grandmother has stated to me many times. No one in my family has completed a four-year degree. It is my intent to blaze a trail for my posterity, as also is my grandmother's ambition. As long as I can remember it has been my fondest dream (and my furthest goal) to attend college. From the beginning, I knew it would be an uphill climb to gain admission into a prestigious university.

Ivanhoe :: Essays Papers

Ivanhoe Ivanhoe Written by Sir Walter Scott Narrative Text Structure Characters: Wilifred of Ivanhoe Maurice De Bracy King Richard â€Å"Black Knight† Prince John Robin Hood â€Å"Locksley† Isaac of York, the Jew Cedric the Saxon Lady Rebecca, daughter of Isaac of York Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert Lady Rowena Reginald Front-de-Boeuf Wamba, the jester Sir Philip Malvoisin Gurth, servant to Wilifred of Ivanhoe Templar Friar Tuck Location: England, more specifically- â€Å"In that pleasant district of merry England which is watered by the river Don there extended in ancient times a large forest covering the greater parts of the pleasant town of Doncaster. The remains of this extensive woods are still to be seen at the noble seats of Wentworth, of Wharncliffe Park, and around Rotherham.† -Ivanhoe, Sir Walter Scott Time: A period of time toward the end of the reign of Richard I, which lasted from 1157-1199 AD Protagonist: Robin Hood â€Å"Locksley† Goal: To defeat Prince John and have him exiled or executed Antagonist: Prince John, Maurice De Bracy, and Reginald Front-de-Boeuf Problem: De Bracy and Front-de-Boeuf capture Cedric the Saxon and all the people traveling with him and the household of Isaac the Jew, with whom was Wilifred of Ivanhoe Climax: When Locksley announced that he was Robin Hood to King Richard Resolution: Richard is restored to the throne and Prince John is given what he deserves Plot: There is to be a jousting match and other such games sponsored by Prince John.

O Captain! My Captain! Essay

Every decision concerning the ship and the crew is made by the captain; he has great responsibility for his people. By carrying the title ‘captain’, he agrees to attend to all duties as leader of the ship. Part of the captain’s job is to give orders and to demand that they will be followed accordingly; his main concern is the safety of his crew. Sometimes, the crew doesn’t seem to agree with the rules and limitations that were made by the captain, and that makes it difficult to obey them. These rules can create fear and distance between the captain and his people. But, eventually, the crew will realize that the captain had made those rules for their own good. Once they will come to this realization, they will start to respect and to trust their captain completely. They will feel safe when he is around them; they will start looking at him as their anchor. A father is much like a captain, yet, different. A father, like the captain, takes his kids on a journey, the journey of life. He is responsible for their safety and well being through out the journey. In order for this journey to be a successful one, the father has to give rules and to create limitations for his kids. Growing up, the kids understand that every rule and every limitation that was made by their father was for their own good. They start to respect and trust their father; they seek advice from him and they view him as their source of comfort. A father differs from a captain. How so? A father loves his kids. Every decision or rule that he makes is enveloped with warmth and love. The distance that is created between the captain and his crew due to the rules and limits will not be as strong when it comes to a father and his kids; his eternal love for them will allow him to break the rules sometimes. The kids’ love for their father will allow them to get closer to him; closeness that can never exist between a captain and his crew. Whitman sees Lincoln as the captain of the ship but also as the father of the citizens. To him, Lincoln was a unique leader; he had the qualities of a captain and the qualities of a father. Lincoln was able to set the necessary rules and restrictions in order to overcome the challenges arose by the civil war. He knew how to lead the country in the right direction towards victory. But, he was also a father. Every one of his acts and decisions were enveloped with true love towards his citizens. I have recently watched the movie â€Å"Dead Poet society†. The movie talks about an English teacher who comes to teach a group of privileged students. Through out the movie, the students refer to their new teacher as their captain. They feel for their teacher what Whitman felt for Lincoln. They view the teacher as the person who guides them through the learning process of poetry, but they also, like Whitman, feel that every act or step that was made by the teacher is enveloped with love for his beloved students. Whitman refers to Lincoln as a father only in the second and third paragraphs but not in the first one. The first paragraph talks about the victory, the steadiness and the happiness of the country and its citizens. Whitman doesn’t see Lincoln in his weak moments; he sees him as a captain, a strong figure that every one admires. The other two paragraphs talk about the death of the strong man, the captain. In these moments, Whitman feels close to him, he cares for him like a son cares for his dying father; he wants to help him.

Ancient and Prehistoric Medicine

Ancient and Prehistoric Medicine Free Online Research Papers It is difficult to imagine anything other than modern medical treatments. Medicine today is so advanced. Researches are finding new and better things for every kind of illness known. The study and practice of medicine seems like a modern day fixation. The truth is that for thousands of years humans have become ill and for the same amount of time people have tried to cure them. If you had to be ill in ancient times, one of the best places to do so would be in Egypt. The Egyptians were advanced medical practitioners of there time. They were masters of human anatomy and healing mostly due to the extensive mummification ceremonies which also led them to have a basic knowledge of organ functions within the human body. The Egyptians believed that most illnesses, other than the ones caused by an obvious accident, were mysterious. The Egyptians explained them as the work of the gods, caused by the presence of evil spirits or their poisons, and cleansing the body was the way to rid the body of their influence. Incantations, prayers to the gods – above all to Sekhmet the goddess of healing, curses, and threats, often accompanied by the injection of nasty smelling and tasting medicines into the various bodily orifices, were hoped to prove effective. (Nefertiti) There was not the separation of Physician, Priest, and Magician in Egypt. Some of the preventive measures included prayers and various kinds of magic, and even the wearing of amulets. An example of this could be the Egyptians cure for cataracts. In order to cure cataracts the Egyptians believed you had to: mix brain-of-tortoise with honey. Place on the eye and say: There is shouting in the southern sky in darkness, There is an uproar in the northern sky, The Hall of Pillars falls into the waters. The crew of the sun god bent their oars so that the heads at his side fall into the water, Who leads hither what he finds? I lead forth what I find. I lead forth your heads. I lift up your necks. I fasten what has been cut from you in its place. I led you forth to drive away the god of Fevers and all possible deadly arts. (Brier) The Egyptian priest-physician had a number of important functions. They first had to discover the nature of the particular entity that possessed the person and then drive it out or destroy it. This was done through some sort of powerful magic or sometimes wearing a certain amulet. â€Å"Though Egyptian medical practices by no means could rival that of the present day physicians, Egyptian healers engaged in surgery, prescriptive, and many other healing practices still found today† (Brier). The Egyptians used many types of plants, animals, and mineral compounds for curatives. The use of these compounds led to curative recipes, some even available today. â€Å"The prescription for a healthy life, which was almost always given by a member of the priestly caste meant that an individual undertook the stringent and regular purification rituals, which included: much bathing, and often times shaving one’s head and body hair, and maintaining their dietary restrictions against ra w fish and other animals considered unclean to eat† (Crystalinks A). Egyptians are credited as being the first to use and record advanced medical practices. The Egyptians recorded some of there techniques on papyri. Some of the most famous are: the Edwin Smith Papyri, the Ebers Papyrus, Kahun Papyrus, Berlin Papyrus, London Papyrus, and Hearst Papyrus. The treatments of the text are often organized into groups. For instance, the Edwin Smith Papyrus begins with eight texts concerning head wounds, followed by nineteen treatments of wounds to the face, six descriptions of how to deal with injuries to the throat and neck, five dealing with collar-bones and arms, and seven with chest complaints. Surgery was believed to come to the Egyptians through the care of traumatic wounds and autopsy. The use of autopsy is believed to come from the long and extensive embalming and funerary practices. Surgery was considerably advanced when considering the technology available to the Egyptians. â€Å"The Edwin Smith Papyrus deals extensively with the setting of bones, traumatic injury such as dislocation of the jaw, arm or shoulders, bruises, various fractures which include those of the limbs, ribs, nose, and skull† (Showcase). The Egyptians were also very mindful that they could not treat every injury or disease that they faced. If such a case was to happen then usually they would write, â€Å"An affliction for which nothing can be done†. An Egyptian medical kit consisted of: knives, drill, saw, forceps or pincers, censer, hooks, bags tied with string, beaked vessel, vase with burning incense, Horus eyes, scales, pot with flowers, shears, and spoons. The Egyptians often would heat the blades of their knives before cutting so that the knife would cut as well as seal the blood vessels. Prostheses were generally of a cosmetic character or added as a preparation for the afterlife. There were mummies found with artificial arms, artificial forearms, artificial toes, artificial feet, and some even had an artificial penis. Even things like a glass eye has been found, which was more likely used to fill an empty eye socket of a mummy rather than used by a living person. â€Å"Physicians performed other cosme tics as well. Apart from prescribing lotions, salves and unguents for skin care, they also produced remedies against the loss of hair and graying, which was combated by an ointment made with blood from the horn of a black bull. Hair loss was hoped to be stopped by a mixture of honey and fats from crocodiles, lions, hippos, cats, snakes, and ibex† (Nefertiti). The Egyptians diet was consisted of much abrasive materials which caused them to have teeth which were in a very poor state. Destruction of the enamel caused some to lose teeth at an early age and even sometimes was the cause of death. â€Å" Mutnodjmed, pharaoh Horemheb’s second wife and sister of Nefertiti, had lost all her teeth when she died in her forties. Djedmaatesankh, a Theban musician who lived around 850 BCE suffered from thirteen abscesses, extensive dental disease and a huge infected cyst, which probably killed her, aged thirty-five† (Nefertiti). People that were of more stature in society were more likely to have caries as opposed to the people that were of less stature. A person of the people was limited to what they could eat and thanks to the lack of sugar in their diet were more likely to have a clean slate of teeth. The Egyptians referred to caries as â€Å"a worm gnawing a tooth†. They sometimes treated the tooth with fillings made of resin and chrysocolla. â€Å"Swollen gums were treated with a concoction of cumin, incense and onion. Opium, the toxicity of which was well known, might be given against severe pain. At times holes were drilled into the jawbone in order to drain abscesses. But extraction of teeth, which might have saved the lives of many patients, was rarely if ever practiced† (Nefertiti). They also would sometimes use gold wire as a means to bind a loose tooth to a neighboring tooth that was sound. Fertility was important to Egyptians and they had many tests listed in the Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus. There was an existence of need of planning pregnancies also. Some Egyptian women would soak cotton in a paste of dates and acacia bark which was a spermicidal effect. They also devised the first known pregnancy test: Means for a knowing if a woman will give birth: Put some barley and some wheat into two bags of clot which the woman will moisten with her urine every day, equally barley and grain in the two bags. If both the barley and the wheat sprout she will give birth. If only the barley germinates it will be a boy, if it is the wheat which alone germinates it will be a girl. If neither germinates she will not give birth. (Nefertiti) Some of the upper-class women would give birth in birth houses. The houses were attached to temples that had pictures of Hather, the goddess of healing, and Bes, the god of pregnant women. In one temple there is a picture of a pregnant woman sitting in a birthing chair, in which the baby would drop through a hole in the seat and was caught by a midwife. â€Å"Birth itself was dangerous both to the mother and the baby. Infant mortality was high, probably around thirty percent, and complications and childbed fever killed many women† (Nefertiti). So one must admire the ingenuity of the Egyptians, which undoubtedly has its place within human medical history. â€Å"Although many of the treatments used had a little or no value from our modern vantage point, Egyptian medicine had a well deserved reputation throughout the Ancient World, with, for instance, Hippocrates and Galen acknowledging that part of their information came from Egyptian works which they had studied at the temple of Imhotep at Memphis† (Crystalinks A). Ancient Greece was much different from the Greece of today. In Ancient Times Greece was a collection of City States. Although each was independent from the others they all still shared a similar culture and religious beliefs. By 1200 B.C., Ancient Greece was developing in all areas: trade, farming, warfare, sailing, craftsmanship etc. Their knowledge of medicine developed accordingly. Greek Medicine, like the Egyptians, was advanced for its time. The early works of people like Hippocrates, Aristotle, and Alcaemon and many others show an advanced knowledge of physiology, surgical, and medicinal practices. Greek ideas influenced ideas in the Western medicine for times to come. The Greeks had an influence in the progress and changes in ideas on cures and diseases, and also influenced the attitudes towards doctors and healthy living and even medicine in general. According to mythology, the Greek god Ascelpius was a trained doctor. Along with his daughters Hygieia and Panacea, he was worshipped in a type of healing temple called asclepeia. Asclepeias was: built for those in poor health. These were like temples and here people came to bathe, sleep and meditate. The poor were also allowed to beg for money in these buildings. Those who went to asclepeias were expected to leave offerings to Asclepios. The asclepeias were run by priests. Patients to asclepeias were encouraged to sleep as it was believed that during sleep they would be visited by Asclepios and his two daughters, Panacea and Hygeia. A visit by these three was expected to cure all ailments. Those who were not cured could stay at the asclepeia where they were. (Trueman) There have been some written accounts of those who have supposedly been cured; â€Å"Hermodicus of Lampsacus was paralyzed in the body. When he slept in the temple the god healed him and ordered him to bring to the temple as large a stone as he could. The man brought the stone which now lies before the abaton where people slept† (Trueman). Such admiration for doctors and healing was not restricted to the gods. â€Å"Many people believe Greece was the home of the first Western medical science, when doctors stopped relying on superstition and diving cures, and replaced them with rational curiosity about the causes of illness† (Wikipedia). The ancient Greeks also greatly admired Ancient Egyptian medicine as well. The Greeks had respect for Egyptian medicine and imported some of the Egyptian substances into their own pharmacopoeia. The Greeks had an extensive knowledge of herbs and were aware of many herbal properties. They did perform scientific observations, but did not perform scientific experiments. Some of the herbs used by the Ancient Greeks were: anise, black hellebore, cassia, root of cucumber, cumin, root of cyclamen, frankincense, germander, honey, wild lettuce, myrrh, olive oil, opium poppy, parsnip, and seseli. â€Å"The first known medical school opened in Cnido in 700 BC. Alcmaeon, author of the firs t anatomical work, worked at the school, and it was here that the practice of observing patients was established† (Wikipedia). Although births that were depicted in art mostly involved men; in most cases of childbirth in Ancient Greece a woman was the deliverer. Midwifes became popular when women were no longer able to become doctors. The majority of the deliveries were taken care by the lady of the house and her servants. Women did use an obstetric chair for the process. Two women would hold the mother in the chair while a third kneeled in front to receive the baby. The equipment that a midwife normally must have for labor were: olive oil (clean, not previously used in cooking), warm water, warm fomentations (ointments applied to the body), soft sea sponges, pieces of wool, bandages (to swaddle the infant), things to smell (pennyroyal, dirt, barley groats, apples, quinces, lemons, melons, cucumbers; these were used as people today use spirits of ammonia to revive someone who has fainted), a midwife’s stool or chair (this was the property of the midwife; she brought it with her to the home where the delivery was to take place), two beds (a hard one for use during labor and a soft one for rest after delivery), and a proper room (of medium size and moderate temperature). (French) At the onset of labor all this equipment was made ready and the midwife summoned. In order to ease labor pains, the midwife would give a gentle massage with a cloth soaked in warm olive oil laid over abdomen and genital area. Once the cervix began to dilate, the midwife would gently rub the opening with her left forefinger that is smeared with olive oil in order to encourage the process of dilation. After the cervix is dilated to the size of an egg the patient is moved to the midwife’s stool. The baby would safely be delivered and then the midwife would carefully inspect it for any congenital deformities. The midwife would make the initial recommendation about whether the newborn was healthy and fit. In order for the midwife to make this decision the baby would engage in several tests. â€Å"First, when placed on the ground, it should cry lustily; babies that do not cry, or cry only weakly, are suspect. Second, its body should be normal; the openings for the nose, ears, ureth ra, and anus should be clear; its arms and legs should bend and stretch readily. Finally, by pressing her fingers against the skin of the newborn, the midwife should be able to elicit a reaction, indicating that the infant is sensitive to such sensations† (French). Not all congenital defects were regarded as unfit. The midwife would make a determination about the infant’s survival and likely recommend that any infant with a severe congenital problem would be left outside to die. Perhaps one of the most important Ancient Greeks when dealing with medicine is Hippocrates. He lived 400 years before the birth of Christ and is known as the father of medicine because of the many things he discovered is still practiced today. Hippocrates stated that: Medicine is not philosophy, and therefore must be practiced on a case-by-case basis rather than from first principles. In The Sacred Disease, he stated that epilepsy (and disease in general) does not have divine causes. He advocated clinical observations, diagnosis, and prognosis, and argued that specific diseases come from specific causes. Hippocratess methodology relied on physical examination of the patient and proceeded in what was, for the most part, a highly rational deductive framework of understanding through observation. (Jouanna) He told his students to carefully observe their patients and learn from the things that they observed. He said that the human body could heal itself and could return itself back to good health. Some more things Hippocrates said would be things such as telling his patients to eat in moderation. A moderate amount of exercise was recommended. Doctors were told to make sure that when they treated patients their hands were clean. He said that the operating rooms should be well lit and seem cheerful. He believed that patients in good spirits would heal faster. He encouraged his physicians to be men of honor that worked as hard as possible for the good of sick. The Hippocratic Oath was named after him. The existence of the Hippocratic Oath implies: That this Hippocratic medicine was practiced by a group of professional physicians bound (at least among themselves) by a strict ethical code. Aspiring students normally paid a fee for training (a provision is made for exceptions) and entered into a virtual family relationship with his teacher. This training included some oral instruction and probably hands-on experience as the teachers assistant, since the Oath assumes that the student will be interacting with patients. The Oath also places limits on what the physician may or may not do (To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug) and intriguingly hints at the existence of another class of professional specialists, perhaps akin to surgeons (I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art). (Wikipedia) The Hippocratic knowledge was widely distributed, highly influential, and marked as the rise of rationality in both medicine and the physical sciences. The Ancient Greeks themselves did not have a concept of germ theory; rather their view of human physiology was predominated by the ideas of essentialism. Essentialism was the belief that every living organism alive contained certain mixtures of the four elements. The Hippocratics and many other Greeks also believed in the theory of the four humours. This theory had its roots in the belief in four elements which, Empedocles argued, made up everything in the world: earth, air, fire, and water with their associated qualities of dryness, coldness, heat, and wetness respectively. These, in turn, were linked to the four seasons; dry autumn, cold winter, hot summer, and wet spring (it followed that you were more likely to suffer from a particular humour in the corresponding season). Among other corollaries, this theory meant that for some diseases, remedies to purge excess humours, such as bloodletting or vomiting, seemed advisable. (Wikipedia) These ideas influenced Western medicine for over 1500 years. As the exact relationship between the illness and humours, beliefs were varied. â€Å"The Hippocratics taught that an imbalance of the humours, or dyscrasia, was symptomatic of an illness. Aristotle (384-322BC), however, suggested that it was the cause of illness. It was believed that one could only be in perfect health when the humours were in balance, known as crasis or eucrasia. The natural tendency towards balance, or recovery, was called pepsis or coction† (Wikipedia). There was a major impact on Greek medical ideas and practices when Alexander the Great founded Alexandria, Egypt in 332 B.C. It was here that the Library of Alexandria was soon established, and its collections of important scientific and philosophical texts became famous throughout the Hellenistic world. â€Å"Alexandria was also the only city in Ancient Greece where dissection and maybe even vivisection of criminals sentenced to death was legal, which meant that doctors could gain a far more detailed knowledge of the workings of the human anatomy† (Wikipedia). Early Romans had a religious, yet fundamental understanding of medicine. â€Å"Deriving knowledge from the Medical Treaties and Methods of the Greeks, the Etruscans, the Egyptians, the Persians and other conquered peoples, the Romans came up with one of the best and most sophisticated Medical Systems of the Ancient World. The science of medicine and the human body was evolving† (Crystalinks B). The Romans started by learning what the Greeks thought about medicine, and in fact most Roman doctors were from Greece, or of Greek origin. Like the Greeks the Romans believed in the four humours. One of Rome’s most important doctors was Galen. He lived in the 100’s and wrote a book about medicine. Galen repeated a lot of Hippocrates’ work on the four humours, but also added a lot of observations about how the human body worked, which he learned from looking at the insides of human bodies. He saw the insides of people by looking at wounded soldiers and gladiators, and he cut open a lot of animals to see how they worked. Galen certainly knew more about anatomy than Hippocrates did. Galen understood that the blood was pushed around the body be the heart, for instance. And he knew that nerves controlled the movement of the body, and that people thought with their brains. He did not make any real advances in treating people. He still thought that blood-letting was a good idea. (Jungman) Ancient Roman medicine was a combination of physical techniques using various tools and holistic medicine using rituals and religious beliefs. The Ancient Romans, like the Ancient Egyptians, believed that diseases were brought on by the disfavor of the gods. They believed that superstition, rituals, and spells would rid them of the disease. Religious cures were rare, but magical treatments were common. â€Å"The practice of reading livers was common in the Roman world. After an animal was sacrificed its liver was examined by a priest who would interpret the liver. Looking at the liver, the priest would reveal good or bad omens from it. It was thought that the gods responses were communicated through the liver and other internal organs of sacrificed animal† (Crystalinks B). Ancient Romans had hospitals that were originally built for the military. Soon the influence of superstitious quackery begin to die and Ancient Roman medicine begin to take on a more practical and logical ap proach. It was still a trial and error, patient by patient thing, but the medics were more observant and carefully noted down anything that worked or was effective. The knowledge from the notes could be passed on and could be used by the next doctor. The Ancient Romans were led to significant medical innovations after the fifteen-year civil war that began after the assassination of Julius Caesar. This war was fought by the best armies of the world that resulted in so many injuries that the new emperor, Augustus, formed a professional military medical corps. Before this event doctors had a very low status in society. Augustus, realizing that they were the key in an empire and especially an army gave all physicians that joined his new army medical corps dignified titles, land grants, and special retirement benefits. For the next five hundred years, fueled by the motivations and opportunity for medical advancement supplied by the many battles, and supported by the powers that be, this serious group advanced the study and practice of medicine to a level not seen again until late in the nineteenth century. (Crystalinks B) After Emperor Augustus formed the first Roman Medical Corps and gave land grants, dignified titles out, and special retirement gifts to the doctors, the profession changed from being low in society to being a respectable occupation. They increased their success rates in treatments by making the medical professionals train at the Army Medical School and could not practice until they passed. Like the modern medical practice, Ancient Roman medicine was split among different specialties, such as internists, ophthalmologists, and urologists; so all the surgical tasks would be performed by the specialist of the injury. Some of the same tools the surgeons would use are the same ones that doctors used only just 100 years ago. Some of the tools in an Ancient Roman tool kit would include: forceps, scalpels, catheters, and even arrow-extractors. The Ancient Romans had a large variety of painkillers and sedatives to help in surgery, including extracts of opium poppies which is morphine, and extracts of henbane seeds which is scopolamine. â€Å"There is little doubt that the many folk remedies used throughout the Roman Empire were tested in battle by Roman physicians on wounded and ailing soldiers, who sifted through and found the treatments and methods with the most useful effects. Further, the bureaucracy of Rome ensured that the treatments were recorded and taught in medical school† (Crystalinks B). Although the Romans never really understood how germs were related to disease, they used many of the techniques that killed germs. Some examples of this would be before the Romans used a tool on a patient they would boil it; and they would not ever reuse the same tool on another patient until they reboiled it. The Romans also washed wounds with acetum which was a great antiseptic. The fact that arteries and veins carry blood was common knowledge to the Ancient Romans. â€Å"All surgeons knew how to use tourniquets, arterial clamps, and ligatures to stem blood flow. They also used amputation to prevent gangrene† (Crystalinks B). Not only did they have knowledge of all this, but the Roman war doctors also learned how to prevent many battlefield epidemics. They would do so by placing their forts away from insect infested swamps and they also installed drains and sewers to transport the sewage away from the men. The Ancient Romans would build sophisticated permanent hospitals that had heating and good ventilation to help the patients; the also had certain rooms for certain tasks and separated patients from others in order to prevent the spreading of disease. In the case of the Roman army it is clear that it was the wartime doctors that created most of the innovations because they were organized, they were distributed throughout the Empire, they were careful about capturing and spreading any new information or technique that worked, and they were highly motivated by the great loss of life suffered by their soldiers during the many battles. (Crystalinks B) The Romans obtained some of the most important techniques that our modern civilization uses today. Ancient people sometimes called upon supernatural spirits to heal their sick while modern medicine relies on science. DNA and research has replaced spirits. The history of medicine shows how ideas have developed over the centuries. Medieval barbers were the fore-runners of todays skilled surgeons. Todays medicine has evolved over thousands of years as each generation built on the knowledge of earlier times. This will continue to happen. Our understanding of the human genome will lead to fresh treatments and new discoveries may open the door to unimagined advances in medicine. The Ancient people may have had a very broad understanding of medicine, but they set the pathways to today’s knowledge. Research Papers on Ancient and Prehistoric MedicineCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Genetic EngineeringThe Spring and AutumnQuebec and CanadaBringing Democracy to AfricaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayWhere Wild and West MeetThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use

Theme of the Yellow Wallpaper Essays

Theme of the Yellow Wallpaper Essays Theme of the Yellow Wallpaper Essay Theme of the Yellow Wallpaper Essay 2000. Blooms Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. April 5, 2010.

Life of John Rolfe, Husband of Pocahontas

Life of John Rolfe, Husband of Pocahontas John Rolfe (1585–1622) was a British colonist of the Americas. He was an important figure in Virginia politics and an entrepreneur who played a significant role in founding the Virginia tobacco trade. However, he is best known as the man who married Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan, head of the Powhatan confederacy of Algonquin tribes.   Fast Facts: John Rolfe Known For: British colonist who married Pocahontas  Born: October 17, 1562 in Heacham, England  Died: March 1622 in Henrico, Virginia  Spouses Names: Sarah Hacker (m. 1608–1610), Pocahontas (m. 1614–1617), Jane Pierce (m. 1619)  Childrens Names: Thomas Rolfe (son of Pocahontas), Elizabeth Rolfe (daughter of Jane Pierce) Early Years Rolfe was born on Oct. 17, 1562 to a wealthy family in Heacham, England. His family owned Heacham manor and his father was a successful merchant in Lynn.   Not much is known about Rolfes education or life in England, but in July of 1609, he left for Virginia on the Sea-Venture, the flagship of several vessels carrying settlers and provisions and the first group of government officials to the new colony at Jamestown.   Shipwrecked in Bermuda Rolfe brought with him his first wife, Sarah Hacker. The Sea-Venture was wrecked in a storm on the Bermudas, but all the passengers survived and Rolfe and his wife stayed on Bermuda for eight months. There they had a daughter, who they named Bermuda, and- importantly for his future career- Rolfe may have obtained samples of West Indies tobacco.  Ã‚   Rolfe lost both his first wife and daughter in Bermuda.  Rolfe and the surviving shipwrecked passengers left Bermuda in 1610. When they arrived in May 1610, the Virginia colony had just suffered through the starving time, a grim period in early American history. Over the winter of 1609–1610, the colonists were beset by plague and yellow fever, and sieges by the local inhabitants. An estimated three-quarters of the English colonists of Virginia died of starvation or starvation-related diseases that winter.   Tobacco Between 1610 and 1613, Rolfe experimented with the native tobacco at his home in Henricus and succeeded in producing a leaf that was more pleasing to the British palate. His version was named the Orinoco, and it was developed from the combination of a local version and seeds from Trinidad that he had brought with him from Spain or perhaps obtained in Bermuda. He is also credited with inventing a curing process to prevent rot during the long sea voyage to England, as well as the dampness of the English climate.   By 1614, active exports of tobacco were being sent back to England, and  Rolfe is often credited as the first person to suggest cultivating tobacco as a cash crop in the Americas, the major source of income for Virginia for centuries to follow. Marrying Pocahontas Throughout this period, the Jamestown colony continued to suffer from an adversarial relationship with the Native American inhabitants, the Powhatan tribe. In 1613, Captain Samuel Argall kidnapped Powhatans favorite daughter, Pocahontas, and eventually, she was brought to Henricus.  There she received religious instruction from the settlements minister, Rev. Alexander Whitaker, and converted to Christianity, taking the name Rebecca. She also met John Rolfe.   Rolfe married her around April 5, 1614, after sending a letter to the governor of Virginia asking for permission to do so, for the good of the Plantation, the honor of our Country, for the Glory of God, for my own salvation, and for the Converting to the true knowledge of Jesus Christ an unbelieving Creature, namely Pocahontas.   A Temporary Peace After Rolfe married Pocahontas, relationships between the British settlers and Pocahontas tribe settled into a time of friendly commerce and trade. That freedom created opportunities to build up the colony as it had not seen before.   Pocahontas had a son, Thomas Rolfe, born in 1615, and on April 21, 1616, Rolfe and his family joined an expedition back to Britain to publicize the Virginia colony. In England, Pocahontas as the Lady Rebecca was received enthusiastically: among other events, she attended The Vision of Delight, a royal court masque written by Ben Jonson for King James I and his wife Queen Anne.   Return to Virginia In March of 1616, Rolfe and Pocahontas started for home, but she was ill and died aboard the ship before it left England. She was buried at Gravesend; their infant son, too ill to survive the voyage, was left behind to be raised by Rolfes brother Henry.   Before and after Rolfe returned to his estate in Henricus, he held several prominent positions in the Jamestown colony. He was named Secretary in 1614 and in 1617 held the office of Recorder General.  Ã‚   Death and Legacy In 1620, Rolfe married Jane Pierce, the daughter of Captain William Pierce, and they had a daughter named Elizabeth. In 1621, the Virginia colony began actively raising funds for the College of Henricus, a boarding school for young Native Americans to train them to become more English.   Rolfe grew ill in 1621, and he wrote a will, which was drawn up in Jamestown on March 10th of 1621. The will was eventually probated in London on May 21, 1630, and that copy has survived.   Rolfe died in 1622, a few weeks before the Great Indian Massacre of March 22, 1622, led by Pocahontass uncle Opechancanough. Nearly 350 of the British colonists were killed, ending the uneasy peace which had been established, and nearly putting an end to Jamestown itself. John Rolfe had a significant impact on the Jamestown colony in Virginia, in his marriage to Pocahontas which established an eight-year-long peace, and in the creation of a cash crop, tobacco, on which the fledgling colonies could use to survive economically.   Sources Carson, Jane. The Will of John Rolfe. The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 58.1 (1950): 58–65. Print.Kramer, Michael Jude. The 1622 Powhatan Uprising and Its Impact on Anglo-Indian Relations. Illinois State University 2016. Print.Kupperman, Karen Ordahl. Apathy and Death in Early Jamestown. The Journal of American History 66.1 (1979): 24–40. Print.Rolfe, Jo. Letter from John Rolfe to Sir Thos. Dale. The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 22.2 (1914): 150–57. Print.Tratner, Michael. Translating Values: Mercantilism and the Many Biographies of Pocahontas. Biography 32.1 (2009): 128–36. Print.Vaughan, Alden T. Expulsion of the Salvages: English Policy and the Virginia Massacre of 1622. The William and Mary Quarterly 35.1 (1978): 57–84. Print.

Work Skills. Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Work Skills. Business - Research Paper Example People that have bachelor’s degrees can become proactive by seeking a professional degree or a master’s degree. The globalization movement has shifted a lot of jobs from the developed countries to the emerging economies. Workers in many professional fields are facing competition for jobs from foreign candidates as the United States has become more proactive in giving work visas to foreigners with specialized skills. To build a success team in the workplace the first step is to find a good leader. Teammates that are not able to communicate well or connect with each other diminish the chances of synergy ever being achieved by the group. The use of technology in the workplace has allowed employees to become more productive. Technology has helped improve the working conditions of disabled people which increased the job opportunities for this special group of people (Cohn, 2000). Introduction Employers look for employees that are assertive because assertiveness can help work ers make better decisions. Aggressiveness is not a desirable trait recruiters seek in their employees. A person that takes a proactive career approach has a better chance of succeeding than people that are inactive and passive. The globalization movement has changed the workplace forever as diversity increased and international labor competition threatens the jobs of many blue collar American workers. Synergy is a characteristic present in many successful teams. Technological advancements increased the efficiency and productivity of employees around the world, but it also increased the pressures of workers due to higher managerial expectations. 1. Being Assertive instead of Being Aggressive at Work Being assertive is a great attribute to have in the workplace. Assertive people are characterized by making bold and confident statements (Merriam-webster, 2011). They can help other coworkers by inspiring them to improve their performance at work. Managers and leaders in the workplace te nd to be assertive people. The majority of successful entrepreneurs are for the most part assertive people (Adams, 2001). Employees that are assertive tend to be more motivated and their actions improve the corporate culture of a firm. Companies should target assertiveness as a desirable characteristic in the employee recruitment process. Assertive employees can outperform passive employees because they are more active and motivated. Contrary to the virtues of being assertive aggressiveness at work most of the times lead to bad results. Aggressiveness often leads to miscommunication among the workers. The perception that someone is being aggressive can create tensions in the workplace. Aggressive managers are not able to connect well with their employees. Normally an employee feels threaten by a manager that displays aggressive behavior. Yelling in the workplace is an example of an aggressive undesirable behavior in the workplace. People do not speak back when aggressive co-workers interact with them for fear of retaliation (Lloyd). Sometimes aggressiveness can work in a person’s favor. During a negotiation process is better to take an aggressive stance in order to gain a psychological advantage over the other party. Overall I would rather have an employee that is assertive than an aggressive worker. When aggressiveness is not controlled by a person it can implode and lead to disasters. Physical violence can occur when an aggressive person loses control of his emotions. Managers should incorporate anger management training in order to

Discuss genocide as it was experienced in the Balkans (Sarajevo, Essay

Discuss genocide as it was experienced in the Balkans (Sarajevo, Bosnia, Kosovo), drawing on the readings in Jones Drakulics S A Novel About the Balkans the - Essay Example According to Carl K. Slavic, there are other external factors that fuelled the genocide in Bosnia. These are; public relations firms, the US media, &the US state department. Slavic points out that the ethnic, political and religious conflicts in Bosnia were caused by exclusive national and political agendas of different Bosnia factions: Bosnia Serbs, Bosnia Muslim and Bosnia Croats; all speaking the same language but divided by religion, culture and national visions. (Sells, 1996.) The Bosnia Muslims sought to be detached from Yugoslavia but maintain borders and political structures as it existed in the Yugoslavia federation. Bosnia Serbs on the other hand saw the destruction of the Yugoslav federation would necessarily result to destruction of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The US and Germany advocated for unilateral and unconditional recognition of the internal borders of Yugoslavia. These different views were the major causes of the conflict and crisis. (Propadovic, 2003) Lack of diplomacy and political agreement resulted to," politics by other means" war. The US and Germany did nothing to prevent the war. This led to a very protracted hatred between the Serbs and the Bosnians Muslims. Drakulic in her novel refers to Seida's parents being a Muslim father and Serbian mother. This was as a result of a propaganda that was making rounds, insisting there were no Bosnians only Serbs and people of Islamic faith. (Askin, 1997) Even before the war, Bosnian Muslims had hired prominent American public relations firms as well as members of the congress and senate. So had the Kosovo Albanians and the Croats. An American P.R firm initiated the 'atrocities stories'. This was later to become very common in the war. Propaganda rent the air during the whole conflict. This fueled violence among the warring factions. A US PR firm actually admits having been retained by the Bosnia Muslims, Kosovo Albanians and Croats to wage a public relations war against the Serbs. This was referred to as info war. (Sells, 1996.) In fact it is reported that the three factions paid a total of $320,000 for six months of work, between June and September 1992, Rudder Finn firm organized various activities on behalf of the Bosnian Muslims . For example, 30 press group meetings were organized and 37 last minute faxes sent. It also organized meetings between various high ranking people on the government of the US including the then vice president and Bosnian Muslim representatives. Rudder Finn considered its greatest success in propaganda as having succeeded in moving the American Jewish opinion in favor of the Bosnian Muslims, Croats and Kosovo Albanians. Osama bin laden Mujahideen forces were also involved and were part of a Bosnian army. (Askin, 1997) The US state department, who were the overseers of the fall of the Soviet Union, wanted Yugoslavia to go the same way. The new Balkan states such as Bosnia and Herzegovina were equated with batalic states, though erroneously. By going this divide and rule way, the US would be able to state its command on the political, military and commercial interest in the Balkans. The state department's goal was to create a weak Bosnia Muslim ruled state. A Bosnia dependent on the US for security, development and political viability. A State that would represent America's interests in the region. This was to be achieved by

OSHA Laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

OSHA Laws - Essay Example Authorities, later, proposed a fee of $12,000. They began an investigation following a grievance that an employee had been brutally beaten and jeopardized by a customer at the centre on September 28th, 2011. The employee filed a police report at the Racine County Department. The investigation exposed that workers at the centre had been assaulted a couple of times. In regard to OSHA, the health centre is to blame for a severe breach of the bureau’s "general duty clause" for failing to offer a workplace free from hazards, prone to cause severe harms or death (OH and S 1). The OSHA bureau also stated that these violations could have been avoided if the hospital maintained a complete record of the state/government standards. If the health centre had kept these standards, then the violence scenarios would have been avoided. The laws clearly states that workers should not be mishandled within their working centres. The case would have also been avoided if the hospital’s management followed up on the previous fighting cases. This would have used the previous cases to come up with ways of preventing future occurrences. In conclusion, managements could also log in to the OSHA website to download materials, handbooks, articles, and supplies that will assist them to avoid violations of the OSHA laws. OH and S. Worker Beaten by Patient at Health Center, OSHA Issues $12K Fine. NP, 2011. Web.

NURSING & OTHER RELEVANT THEORIES- USING INFORMATION GATHERING TO Essay

NURSING & OTHER RELEVANT THEORIES- USING INFORMATION GATHERING TO IMPROVE NURSING PRACTICE - Essay Example In efforts to explain how practitioners can use modern technology to improve their practices as they ensure that they deliver high quality services, theorists such as Everest Rogers and Ludwig von Bertalanffy have derived the diffusion of innovation and systems theories respective. In focusing on these two theories, this essay seeks to relate each of them to healthcare delivery and nursing practices especially in the United States. The Relationship between System Theory, Healthcare Delivery and Nursing Practice As earlier mentioned, Ludwig von Bertalanffy is the founder of the systems theory. In his definition, Bertalanffy states that the system theory is a theory that can be applied in the healthcare science as it suggests that a system as a whole is composed of small components that are related. Therefore, by describing these components, an individual from the medical profession can be able to describe the nature of certain systems and apply the principle of the system theory to en sure delivery of reliable healthcare services and practice of good nursing practices (Collopy, 1999). In the modern times, the healthcare sector has been known to apply the system theory. This is especially in the United states among other developed nations where scientists and practitioners have realized that the theory could be very effective in ensuring that the dynamic healthcare sector is effective in the implementation of high quality healthcare services. As per the views of Willard (2005) states, these professionals in the medical industry have used the theory in order to provide new developments with emphasis on the living organisms. This is because they believe that modern approaches can be developed using new technologies thus improving the general system especially through provision of three main aspects that include better information, better communication channels, and provision of feedback. Consequently, since the theory is composed of these three aspects, this would t hen result in the provision of improved methods of healthcare delivery and better nursing practices. In focusing on how the system theory has benefitted the healthcare and medical industry in the recent past, Willard(2005) further states that in the United States, healthcare delivery and nursing practices have been faced numerous challenges. However, while some of these problems are due to the dynamic changes witnessed in the modern society, most of them are related to the process of transferring knowledge from an professional to the other. This is in the sense that professionals have had problems transferring knowledge and skills on to other people due to lack of better methods of communication, unavailability of adequate information and lack of immediate feedback channels. In agreement with the views by Willard, Collopy (1999) notes that this is a big channel in the medical industry as the process of transferring knowledge in the healthcare system is very crucial. He explains that this is because it assists in ensuring that strategies and practices are implemented effectively. However, he notes that through the system theory, this problem can be resolved. This is because this theory provides a new mechanism through which scientists and researchers transfer knowledge to each other through sharing information. This is in the s

What is Federalism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What is Federalism - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that these great United States were founded on the idealism and dreams of a people who dreamed of a federal society governed by the rules of freedom and democracy. The present research has identified that we live in times when the sacrifices of our forefathers helped to shape the nation that has nurtured and protected our forebears and will hopefully, also be called home by our successors. Yet for all the dreams and aspirations that we have as a nation, for all the history that helped to create the United States of America, we know very little about the federal form of government that governs our existence. The author has rightly presented that we acknowledge the fact that our country has been run under a federal system of government for over 200 years. It is a system of governance that works for the American people because it has its basis deeply rooted within our lawful constitution and has continued to evolve with the changing times that our country goes through. Yet it is highly doubtful that the average American will know what federalism is all about and how it functions in terms of governance of our country. It was Roche who explained that â€Å"federal ­ism refers to the division of au ­thority and function between and among the national government and the various state governments. But it has come to possess a wider meaning in American political his ­tory†.

NURSING & OTHER RELEVANT THEORIES- USING INFORMATION GATHERING TO Essay

NURSING & OTHER RELEVANT THEORIES- USING INFORMATION GATHERING TO IMPROVE NURSING PRACTICE - Essay Example In efforts to explain how practitioners can use modern technology to improve their practices as they ensure that they deliver high quality services, theorists such as Everest Rogers and Ludwig von Bertalanffy have derived the diffusion of innovation and systems theories respective. In focusing on these two theories, this essay seeks to relate each of them to healthcare delivery and nursing practices especially in the United States. The Relationship between System Theory, Healthcare Delivery and Nursing Practice As earlier mentioned, Ludwig von Bertalanffy is the founder of the systems theory. In his definition, Bertalanffy states that the system theory is a theory that can be applied in the healthcare science as it suggests that a system as a whole is composed of small components that are related. Therefore, by describing these components, an individual from the medical profession can be able to describe the nature of certain systems and apply the principle of the system theory to en sure delivery of reliable healthcare services and practice of good nursing practices (Collopy, 1999). In the modern times, the healthcare sector has been known to apply the system theory. This is especially in the United states among other developed nations where scientists and practitioners have realized that the theory could be very effective in ensuring that the dynamic healthcare sector is effective in the implementation of high quality healthcare services. As per the views of Willard (2005) states, these professionals in the medical industry have used the theory in order to provide new developments with emphasis on the living organisms. This is because they believe that modern approaches can be developed using new technologies thus improving the general system especially through provision of three main aspects that include better information, better communication channels, and provision of feedback. Consequently, since the theory is composed of these three aspects, this would t hen result in the provision of improved methods of healthcare delivery and better nursing practices. In focusing on how the system theory has benefitted the healthcare and medical industry in the recent past, Willard(2005) further states that in the United States, healthcare delivery and nursing practices have been faced numerous challenges. However, while some of these problems are due to the dynamic changes witnessed in the modern society, most of them are related to the process of transferring knowledge from an professional to the other. This is in the sense that professionals have had problems transferring knowledge and skills on to other people due to lack of better methods of communication, unavailability of adequate information and lack of immediate feedback channels. In agreement with the views by Willard, Collopy (1999) notes that this is a big channel in the medical industry as the process of transferring knowledge in the healthcare system is very crucial. He explains that this is because it assists in ensuring that strategies and practices are implemented effectively. However, he notes that through the system theory, this problem can be resolved. This is because this theory provides a new mechanism through which scientists and researchers transfer knowledge to each other through sharing information. This is in the s

Pelvic Floor Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pelvic Floor - Literature review Example This study shall discuss the importance of pelvic floor exercises for the antenatal mother. It shall consider literature on this topic on the benefits of pelvic floor exercises. It shall also discuss possible recommendations for the use of pelvic floor exercises in the future practice. This study is being carried out in order to establish a clear and comprehensive understanding of the current subject matter. Discussion In a paper by Reilly, et.al., (2003) the authors set out to establish whether the supervised pelvic floor exercises during the prenatal period would decrease postpartum stress incontinence in primigravida mothers with bladder neck mobility. Their study was carried out as a single blind and randomized controlled trial in the prenatal clinic in a UK NHS Trust Hospital. It covered about 260 primigravida mothers seeking prenatal care in the clinic at about 20 weeks gestation with bladder neck mobility (Reilly, et.al., 2003). The study called for the respondents to attend s upervised pelvic floor exercises as assisted by a physiotherapist on a monthly basis from 20 weeks of pregnancy. The control group did not undergo any pelvic floor exercises. The study revealed that, as compared to the control group, less postpartum stress incontinence was reported by women who underwent supervised pelvic floor exercises. ... In another study Morkved and colleagues (2003) set forth that urinary incontinence is a major health issue which often decreases the quality of people’s lives. Risk factors for this condition include pregnancy and vaginal delivery. Their study set out to establish whether intensive pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy could prevent urinary incontinence. The authors carried out their study as a single-blind randomized controlled trial at the Trondheim University Hospital with about 300 nulliparous women who were assigned to undergo either pelvic floor exercises muscle training program or no pelvic floor training at all (Morkved, et.al., 2003). The study revealed that there were fewer women in the training group who experienced urinary incontinence at 36 weeks of pregnancy and 3 months after their delivery. The study established that the intensive pelvic floor exercises assisted in preventing urinary incontinence among women during and after pregnancy. In a study by Oli veira, et.al., (2007) the authors set out to assess the impact of pelvic floor muscle training among 46 pregnant women. The authors divided the women into 2 groups, the exercise and the control group. The assessment of the pelvic floor muscle was carried out through the digital vaginal palpation via the strength scale. The study revealed that the pelvic muscle strength became stronger for women in both groups during the pregnancy period; however it proved to be stronger among women in the exercise group (Oliveira, et.al., 2007). The authors concluded that through pelvic muscle floor training, an increase in the pelvic floor muscle pressure and strength at pregnancy was made possible. This is an important development for pregnant women because stronger pelvic muscles help ease the delivery

Traditional Business Concepts Essay Example for Free

Traditional Business Concepts Essay Business concepts of marketing and economics have proven to be valuable to the success of many business organizations. This is due to the fact that business concepts know the techniques of understanding and reaching out to clients. Thus, it is useful to integrate some of these concepts into the healthcare industry, with the aim of further improving the delivery of healthcare services.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Understanding and application of economic concepts to healthcare are useful in solving many of the controversies in the field. Healthcare is an aspect of government that is always on crisis. For example, one recurring crisis in healthcare is the huge number of population that is uninsured. This crisis could be better understood and addresses through the application of the economic concept of demand. Thus, the number of people who wants healthcare coverage increases because they want to be healthy (Drummond, 2001). Moreover, there is a corresponding increase in incomes and improvements in medical technology, which affect their expectations on healthcare coverage. Since this understanding gives insight to the reason for increasing demand for healthcare, healthcare organizations would have a better starting point when dealing with their clients, thereby further increasing the care with which they deal with the latter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another important business concept that could aid healthcare organizations is Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM), which helps organizations manage their customers. CRM is useful because it would allow healthcare organizations to ensure that they could access customer information at any point and at any time within the organization. Having information at one’s fingertips would, without a doubt, help healthcare organizations personalize their services according to the specific needs of their clients. Thus, while CRM is initially a business concept, it would not reduce the caring aspect of healthcare organizations (Garcà ­a-Murillo Annabi, 2002). References Drummond, M. (2001). The Use of Economic Evidence by HealthCare Decision Makers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The European Journal of Health Economics 2(1), 2-3  Garcà ­a-Murillo, M. Annabi, H. (2002). Customer Knowledge Management. The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Journal of the Operational Research Society   53(8), 875-884

Billabong Business Report

Billabong Business Report Billabong was established in Queensland as a private company in 1973. In 2000 it was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), becoming a public company with shareholders. Over the years it has established operations across 4 continents with distribution to over 60 countries worldwide. Billabong has firmly established its brand at home and abroad with its focus on innovative yet functional products. Acquisitions of other brands such as Von Zipper, Element, Nixon and Honolua have helped the Company diversify their product range. The Company has managed to remain competitive in a receding global economy in the past year aided by strong growth sales in the Europe and Australasian sectors. Billabong employs over 1750 staff world-wide and has a strong commitment to all their stakeholders in terms of integrity and governance. (Cory, 2008, website) Introduction Founded on Australias Gold Coast in 1973 by surfer and surfboard shaper Gordon and Rena Merchant, Billabong has since established itself as a prominent Australian icon. The Company sprang from humble beginnings, with the couple designing boardshorts in their flat overlooking Burleigh Heads, cutting them out on the kitchen table and then carting the finished product around to the local surf shop to sell. Gordons no frills, practical approach to boardshort manufacturing paid dividends, as Billabong grew steadily until his little homespun factory literally burst at the seams. (Pacificshop, 2006, website) From those inauspicious early days the Company has grown rapidly to become a publicly listed international company. Today, Billabongs core business is the design, production, marketing, distribution, wholesaling and retailing (through shops and agencies owned by the Company) of surf, skate and skiing apparel; accessories; and eyewear. This report is an analysis of Billabong Internationa ls business framework. Business Model and Organisational Framework By the 1980s, Billabong had firmly cemented its place in Australian surf culture and was international expansion was in its sights. The Companys first international operation was established in the USA in 1983, followed by New Zealand in 1985 and Europe in 1987. A range of other international operations were established in subsequent years, with Japan opening in 2000 and Brazil in 2001. Through the 1990s the surf industry grew exponentially and professional surfing gained a newfound respectability. The Company also followed its core customers into other boardsports markets, including skate and snow, where it replicated its proven business model. By the close of the decade, Billabong had been restructured to capitalise on the growing global opportunities in all boardsports sectors. The restructure set the foundation for an initial public offering in Australia in mid 2000. The move saw the Companys shares publicly listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in August of that year. Shortly after the public float the Company demonstrated its growth plans with a number of acquisitions including Von Zipper sunglasses brand and the emerging Element Skateboards brand. The successful integration of those businesses saw the Company add to its stable of brands in following years, with Honolua Surf Company acquired in January 2004, Kustom footwear and Palmers Surf in September 2004, a controlling interest in the beach culture airport-retail business in November 2005 and Nixon watches and accessories in January 2006. Other businesses were also established, including the Element footwear range, the California-based Beachworks retail business and various branded concept stores around the world. (Global Village Partnerships, 2009, website) Business Mission/Vision Billabong Internationals values remain consistent with its foundation objectives, which include: a commitment to brand protection and enhancement the manufacture of design-relevant and functional products marketing in the core boardsports channels such as sponsorship of events and athletes, as well as advertising in selected print media to expand into new geographical markets to expand the product range, particularly in the core board sports and youth fashion markets the professional development of staff and ongoing customer service and relationships and to deliver returns to shareholders Leadership Gordon Merchant has consistently had a hands-on role in the designing, marketing and sales of for the Company and brand. He currently sits on the board of directors along with Derek OHYPERLINK javascript:;HYPERLINK javascript:;Neill the CEO, and Paul Naude the Executive Director. The other board members consist of: Ted Kunkel Margaret Jackson AC Allan McDonald Colette Paull Tony Froggatt (Billabongcorporate, 2009, website) Financial Position According to Billabongs full year financial report, the Companys profit for the year ended31st June 2009 was $160.2 million. This was down 9.2% from the same period last year. This is largely in line with the decline in the global economic activity over the past year. The decrease in net profit meant that earnings per share was also down 11.2%. Although net profit decreased, there was a rise in sales revenue. This was largely due to new acquisitions made by the Company and the adverse movement of the Australian dollar against other major currencies such as the US dollar and the Euro. Operations in North America felt the heaviest impact from the economic slowdown. However, this was offset by strong sales growth is the South America sector. Europe was the star performer, with an almost 24% increase in sales revenue. Australasia also managed sales revenue gains of almost 8%, largely helped by the resilience of the Australian retail market and supported by the governments economic stimulus packages. Given the lack of retailer confidence, the steep slowdown in consumer spending in various global economies and the extreme volatility in exchange rates, the Company has performed reasonably well. The forecast for the coming year seems to be conservative in light of the current uncertainty of the global economy. Europe and Australasia are predicted to remain stable, and despite the initial reduction of forward orders in the US, there are promising signs of a recovery. (ONeill D, 2009, website) Human Resources and Stakeholder Management Billabong International has a diverse group of stakeholders that both influence and are impacted by the operations of the Company. These include employees, shareholders, business associates, athletes, suppliers, opinion leaders and customers. Billabong International employs over of 1750 staff worldwide, with the greatest concentration of staff in Californias Orange County, Australias Gold Coast and Hossegor in France. Employees are the main stakeholders in any company and building and maintaining relationships with employees is vital to maintaining effective relationships with business partners, customers and the community. Staff are encouraged to expand their skills and potential, and have access to and receive support for further training and to experience opportunities. Programs for managers to develop vital skills with an emphasis on innovation, planning, leadership and teamwork are a focus of the business. The Company also has guidelines and policies for remuneration to ensure a fair approach to rewarding employees. The Company also has a consultative committee comprising staff representatives and senior managers to discuss issues and consider improvements to the workplace. Billabong International is also committed to conducting business in an ethical and socially responsible manner. This is defined in employee work agreements that effectively form a code of ethics that governs acceptable workplace practices. The Companys corporate governance policy states that the maintenance of all environmental, social and health and safety issues is to be the responsibility of the Board of Directors. As a public company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange Billabong International is required by law to hold an Annual General Meeting of shareholders to discuss the Companys business. The Company also addresses shareholders at least twice a year to update trading conditions and provide a forward business outlook. The Company also consistently interacts with stakeholders through the staging of events around the world. These range from the elite World Championship Tour professional surfing contests, through to professional skate and snow competitions and a range of junior and amateur surf, skate and snow events. At a supplier level, the Company undertakes regular factory visits to conduct audits. During these audits, workers from the shop floor are randomly selected for interviews to help understand workplace standards. Large posters outlining Billabongs supplier Code of Conduct are fixed to high profile locations within factories to ensure workers are aware of their rights. Multi-stakeholder meetings that bring together staff from the Companys geographically diverse regions are also held twice annually. These provide a forum to discuss the direction of the business and gain a better understanding of the motivation that drives business decisions. International Nature of the Business From its origins in Australia nearly 30 years ago, Billabong has evolved into a global business that operates on four major continents. Its name-Billabong International Limited-now reflects this focus and the promotion and protection of its brands and name are a major component of the business around the world. The original market for boardshorts and wetsuits was limited in its size, so Billabong (along with several other similar companies) looked to expand their product range to include clothing and accessories. Originally, these were manufactured in Australia. The drivers for Billabong included the need to expand to new and larger markets in order to increase sales and profits, improvements in technology that led to better production and communication, and the advent of global consumers because of the increasingly popular surf culture and lifestyle. This is essentially a global strategy using global branding in that the same, standardised product is sold in all markets. Deregulation of markets and government influences had minimal impact on Billabong. Billabong also achieved economies of scale through its increase in production, as well as some cushioning of the economic cycle-having operations in both hemispheres, which have opposite seasons, allows the development of products to suit summer in Australia, which can then be sold in the Northern Hemisphere four months later. The globalisation of Billabong was achieved through: seeking cheaper sources for manufacturing (in Hong Kong and China)-factories were established to produce garments for sale in Australia exporting and distributing in the United States (initially in surf areas, such as California) exporting and distributing in France and then in the rest of Europe establishing operations in the United States, France, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong and Brazil that are responsible for importing, distributing and wholesaling Billabong products. This is a form of foreign direct investment the acquisition of other businesses so that they became wholly owned subsidiaries of Billabong. This occurred with Element and Von Zipper-these companies retain their name (brand) but are wholly owned and controlled by Billabong licensing, which allows distributors and some retail outlets to use the Billabong name as part of their operations. There are several key areas which are important in the management of a business at a global scale: Financial Exposure to foreign exchange is a concern for all global companies as well as methods of payment and credit risks. However, the establishment of operations and distributors in various countries ensures that Billabong is in a position to access borrowed funds from overseas if required. Operations In order to reduce production costs the majority of Billabongs manufacturing occurs in China. This is a form of outsourcing and strict procedures are in place to ensure quality control. Billabong has offices in Australia (Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria), the United States (California), France, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong and Brazil. By adopting a global web approach and using subsidiaries, Billabong can move products more easily, avoid some government regulations, be closer to its markets and customers, and avoid some foreign exchange risks. Employment Relations Billabong needs to be aware of differences in labour laws and cope with pressures relating to minimum labour standards. The Company also must adhere to the global standards covering factory inspections (on general human rights and environmental issues) and laboratory tests. Conclusion The original Billabong business focused on gear for local surfers, before diversifying into clothing and accessories for surfing, snow skiing and skating. Billabong now has over 2200 product lines and is the leading surfwear brand in Australia with its products being distributed in more than 60 countries internationally. Despite the doom and gloom of the current economic environment, Billabong has managed to largely steer clear of any major short-comings, enjoying success in most of its global sectors. From a small backyard operation in 1973 to todays multi-national publicly floated company, Billabong is certainly an entrepreneurs dream come true.

Problem With The Media Essay -- essays research papers

Problems with the Media There has been an ongoing dispute concerning the media's perception of how people are supposed to look. It seems that every year, the expectations of looking thin becomes harder and harder to meet. I know this from a personal experience of my own. A few years ago, I would look in magazines and see girls wearing size one or size two clothes. By look at this at least once every month, I started to feel that I was inadequate and I had to loose weight. Unfortunately, I took my dieting to far and over used diet pills. Because of my abuse to the pills, I almost became addicted and that's when I realized how distorted the media's idea of looking good was. Fortunately there are numerous amounts of people that agree with me. This would include a woman writer, Susan Bordo, who wrote about the media's ideas of being thin, and how she thinks that they are wrong In the essay "Never Just Pictures" by Susan Bordo, she discusses the issue of the media's promotion of being skinny and what affects this has brought. The media claims that the phobia of being fat is a disease that you are born with, but that is not always the case. Bordo, like many other people, believe that the media is mostly to blame. Bordo brings up a few arguments, such as Freud's opposing thoughts along with the ads cutting back the use of make-up, but never goes into Yarbrough 2 great detail with the opposing side. Throughout the essay, Bordo uses many examples, along with pictures, to help prove her point. By using her emotions, evidence, and experience as a writer on similar subjects, she reaches her audience and gives and effective and convincing argument. Bordo proves her creditability throughout the paper. She demonstrates that she is an intellectual woman with a grasp on current events. She mentions articles from highly renowned newspapers, such as The New York Times and The New Yorker, along with referring to newscasters' comments from the 1996 Olympic games. She also justifies the writing by mentioning her pervious work in the 1993's Unbearable Weight, where she discusses similar issues. The book, published by the University Press, shows that she had obvious academic knowledge and support. Bordo's targets an audience of younger to middle-aged women by using termi... ... though it might not seem completely fair, Bordo saves the media's responses and mentions them at the end. The reason why she does this is not only keep the reader interested but not going back and forth on the issue, but also build up the audiences agreement with her. This way she can get more response from her reader up against the press. When Bordo does mention the opposing side, anything that the media says and/or does just isn't good enough because they are causing people to get sick and sometimes die. This would force the audience to agree with her more, which is what she wants. Bordo does a great job with getting in touch with the reader. This article, however, is not very effective unless the reader cares about the issue before they pick it up and read it. She does a good job of arguing with the opposing sides, so if someone reads the article and their beliefs are against her beliefs; there is a possibility that they would change their minds. The reason for the possible change of heart from her lists of examples, her reasoning with it being backed up by media proof, and how much feeling she puts into the essay

Inner and Outer Beauty :: Sociology, Power, Attractiveness

Beautiful is a praising and admiring description which most people would love to hear about themselves. Although some people believe inner beauty is more important than outer beauty, the truth is that most people love outer beauty. As stated by Emerson, â€Å"if eyes were made for seeing, then beauty is its own excuse for being† (â€Å"Ralph Waldo Emerson,† par. 28). People not only want to be beautiful, but they also tend to seek physical attractiveness. In fact, this is a culture consumed by beauty and attractiveness (Bennett, par.3). From mass fairy-tale stories and Hollywood movies, most people have learnt the stereotype of being beautiful is good and being ugly is bad. The stories and movies always show attractive actors and actresses defeating wicked, ugly villains. This strong stereotype, which powerfully influences each person’s concept of beauty, causes people to believe a beautiful person is more successful and superior. Dr. Herron states that â€Å" the ‘Beauty = Power’ formula is deeply entrenched in our psyches† (Herron 109). To be sure, beauty is a capital power which can determine and improve one’s life (Bennett, par. 1) since it can influence the clubs they join, the friendships they make, the people they marry, the jobs people get, and the salaries they earn (Berry 3). Attractive people are able to have many advantages and positive outcomes, such as having more popularity, greater confidence, more dating opportunities, more promotional chances, and higher salaries (Patel, Utpal, and Rebecca, par.4). Being attractive is important nowadays because it affects people’s interpersonal relationships and workplace experiences. First of all, attractive people are more likely to have better relationships in societies. The author of the article â€Å"Women’s Beauty: Put Down or Power Source?† mentions that â€Å"beauty is a form of power (Sontag 94),† which is true, especially in building relationships. To have good social and interpersonal interactions, the essential factor is physical attractiveness (Patel, Utpal, and Rebecca, par.1). Of course, inner beauty is necessary, but most people would not want to understand and know others deeply who are unattractive or give an unpleasant first impression. For example, I am one of those people who choose their friends by their good looks, and I would say even though some of my friends are plain, none of them would be categorized as homely. In fact, attractive people can have more benefits and positive outcomes than plain or unattractive people in interpersonal relationships.

The Challenge Facing Managed Care Organizations

The greatest challenge for managed care organizations (MCOs) in our current time is how to obtain lower priced medical fees. As we all know, American health care should essentially be a nonprofit enterprise. However, the privatization of American health care holds that health care in general and hospitals in particular are increasingly operating on a for-profit basis. In fact, the for-profit hospital sector has accounted for a relatively constant share (about 15 percent) of hospital beds over the last twenty years (Morrisson, 1999). This is why recently the U.S. Congress tries to push more â€Å"consumer-directed† health plan options to avoid cash-strapped managed care organizations (MCOs) to boost their deductibles, raise premiums and even defy federal law by authorizing policy holders to buy prescription drugs from low-cost vendors in Canada (Smith, 23 September 2004). Managed care organizations (MCOs) often apply the traditional fee-for-service models, which do not provide adequate financial controls and utilization incentives for physicians and hospitals to contain the costs of providing healthcare. Under managed care, the needs of the patients are balanced with efforts to provide cost-effective care. Typically, MCOs enroll subscribers by promising to provide all necessary medical care in exchange for a fixed monthly premium. The MCO also contracts with hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers to dispense the necessary medical care to its enrollees at a discounted reimbursement rate. In exchange for accepting reduced fees, the caregivers gain access to the MCO’s enrolees (Kirby, Sebastian & Hornberger, 1998). A problem with managed care is that employers who offer a health maintenance organization (HMO) to their employees often pay the premium as long as the HMO premium was not higher than the fee-for-service premium. This behavior by employers creates distorted incentives for the HMO in controlling its costs. Enthoven (1993) suggested that this incentive distortion can be corrected when employers design better alternatives for their employer contributions. The employer could contribute a fixed-dollar amount for health insurance with the employee paying the full difference between plans. The greater the portion of the marginal premium paid by the employees is, the stronger the incentive is to choose lower-cost plans. For example, if the employer pays 80 percent of the premium and the employee pays the remainder, then the employee pays only 20 percent of the difference between the low (let’s presume here) HMO premium and the higher fee-for-service premium. HMOs and other managed care arrangements are organized on a prepayment basis that appear in a wide variety of forms. An HMO could hire physicians on a salary, contract with a preexisting group practice of physicians, or contract with physicians who maintain a fee-for-service practice. According to Luft (1991), â€Å"Because specific social, legal, historical, political, and economic aspects of the medical care environment have shaped delivery systems such as the HMO, it is not reasonable to expect that the typical HMO could be transplanted intact to another country† (p. 173). The key to HMO cost savings is the organization’s wide range of medical services, both inpatient and outpatient. In this way, the HMO can receive the cost savings implied by reduced hospital use. This may be difficult to manage in systems where there are separate financing mechanisms for primary care physicians and inpatient care. As Luft (1991, p. 180) remarks. â€Å"If there were no way to shift funds from the ‘hospital side’ to the ‘physician side,’ it would be difficult to reward clinical decision makers for the development of more cost-effective practice styles.† This is why three areas appear to offer a magnitude of opportunities where MCOs can assist patients, these are ambulatory care, mental health and the alternative therapies. Firstly, ambulatory care-sensitive conditions reflect the quality and availability of primary care services, since they are readily treatable without the need for hospitalization. There are differences in the hospitalization rate for ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Shenkman et al. (2005) had indicated that specialty ambulatory care is important for many children with chronic conditions. However, access to such care may be constrained within managed care environments. The use of primary care providers (PCPs) as gatekeepers for managed care organizations (MCOs) is one commonly used strategy to control specialty care use. Studies of the impact of gatekeeping on children's receipt of specialty care have resulted in mixed findings. Some studies found more specialty care use in gatekeeping MCOs, compared with non-gatekeeping MCOs. Other researchers found that the replacement of a gatekeeping system with an open-access model increased specialty visits among a group of children with chronic conditions. Although the focus on gatekeeping in general yields some important information, MCOs use many other strategies concomitantly with their PCP gatekeepers, such as capitated payments, financial incentives, and prior authorization procedures. The use of these concomitant strategies may meet the unique needs of children with chronic conditions, including their need for specialty physician care. On the other hand, managed care had been significant contributor on delivery systems for mental health services. Taylor et al. (2001) had indicated that direct and indirect persuasion to provide more cost-effective treatments has been one consequence. The cost-saving qualities and the effectiveness of group interventions have produced clear expectations for an increased use of therapy groups. In the research of Taylor et al. (2001), they compared perceptions and uses of group treatments on a national sample of managed care organizations and mental health providers. Implications of differences and similarities between directors of managed care organizations and treatment providers are examined and discussed across five response categories (familiarity/training perceived effectiveness, likelihood of reimbursement/referral, daily use and expectation for future use). Taylor et al (2001) favored the approach where MCOs calibrate treatment referral/reimbursement decisions. Recently published comparison outcome studies and meta-analyses can and should empirically guide the present treatment delivering systems. Lastly, many managed care organizations have already begun to integrate complementary and alternative medical therapies (CAM) with conventional medical providers. Medical practitioners are obligated to assess CAM therapy with patients. Alternative therapies require professionals to rethink staff competency, patient assessment, and patient-focused care. Medical leaders must understand CAM trends and therapies to better integrate these concepts into health care policy, standards of care, and ethical decisions (Parkman, 2001). Among ambulatory care and mental health care, alternative therapies, or CAM, offers the most favorable and cost-efficient strategy for MCOs. This is because the aging â€Å"baby boom† generation is beginning to experience chronic but non-life threatening conditions, such as joint pain, headaches and menopause-related complaints and they are willing to explore options other than prescription drugs. For health plans, the attraction of offering alternative care products lies in retaining and attracting new members, diversifying their services from competitors in a congested managed care market and in attempts to address current or proposed state mandates (West, 1997). In 1997 alone, expenses for professional services were $21.2 billion, a 45% increase over the earlier 1990 data. Expenses for professional services, herbals, vitamins, diet products, books, and classes totaled $27 billion. Five surveys conducted since 1990 have reported frequent use of CAM, ranging from 30% to 73% by patients suffering from conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, HIV and AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Furthermore, the demand for CAM by the general public is increasing, despite the fact that its use is largely paid by consumers without coverage by third-party payers. In 1997, Americans spent an estimated $13 billion for visits to CAM providers and an additional $2 billion for commercial diet supplements and over-the-counter megavitamins (Pelletier & Astin, 2002). Managed care should not only focus on cost savings, but they should also look into diversifying their services. MCOs have generally contributed to the decline in the U.S. health cost growth rate. Their potential will continue to be limited to the extent that employers fail to offer true financial advantages to consumers who choose the low-cost health plans. Thus, more reforms in the policies should be reviewed and revised so that more people could benefit from the quality health care everyone deserves. References Enthoven, A.C. (1993). The History and Principles of Managed Competition. Health Affairs, supplement, 24-48. Kirby, E.G., Sebastian, J.G. and Hornberger, K.D. (1998, Jan/Feb). The Effect of Normative Social forces on Managed Care Organizations: Implications for Strategic management/Practitioner Response. Journal of Healthcare Management. 43(1):81-106. Luft, H. (1991). Translating the U.S. HMO Experience to Other Health System. Health Affairs 10:172-186. Morrison, I. (1999). Health Care in the New Millennium. NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Parkman, C. (2001, February). Alternative Therapies Are Here to Stay. Nursing Management, 32(2): 36-40. Pelletier, K.R. and Astin, J.A. (2002, Jan/Feb). Integration and Reimbursement of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Managed Care and Insurance Providers: 2000 Update and Cohort Analysis. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 8(1): 38-44. Shenkman, E., Tian, L. and Schatz, D. (2005, June). Managed Care Organization Characteristics and Outpatient Specialty Care Use Among Children With Chronic Illness. Pediatrics, 115(6): 1547-1555. Smith, C. (2004, Spetember 23). Senate Panel Examines Health Care Choices, Insurance Costs. Knight Ridder Tribune. Taylor, N.T., Burlingame, G.M., Kristensen, K.B., Fuhriman, A. et al. (2001, April). A Survey of Mental Health Care Provider's and Managed Care Organization Attitudes Toward, Familiarity With, and Use of Group Interventions. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 51(2): 243-264. West, D. (1997, November 10). MCOs Integrating Alternative Care. National Underwriter, 101(45): 58.