Abstract This paper explains that managed health care influences customer service and health care delivery by providing a blueprint in which the customer is more valued than ever in this dynamic environment. The author points out that, although the system has drawn criticism from both those working inside the health care industry and this industry's consumers, it is generally accepted that the increased competition, combined with cost-control initiatives, will result in better quality care for the consumer. The paper states that the main obstacles in the managed care system are Medicare HMOs, which dropped many older, unhealthy individuals from coverage to remain cost-effective, and other HMOs, which have adopted a marketing stance that appeals primarily to healthy individuals and denies those that are unhealthy the option of managed care.
Table of Content
History of Provider
Current Role of Provider
Current Provider Characteristics
From the Paper "In the current environment, a widespread change in healthcare that occurred in the late twentieth century and is still getting settled today in terms of permanency and consistency, further divides political debate on the issue of national healthcare. "Professional dominance in healthcare delivery had long favored the supply side of the market equation. With the growth of managed care, the balance has swung towards the demand side. This change has happened not just in the private sector but in the public sector as well". The current system is a managed care system that expands healthcare options for many individuals, but critics state that this system still leaves too many people out in the cold when it comes to healthcare."
This paper discusses that the World Bank has contributed positively towards the achievement of growth and sustainable development for many of the poor nations in the world.
Abstract This paper explains that, after the world wars, the beginning of internationalism saw the formation of the World Bank, which became the United Nations? special agency. The author points out that, over the years, the World Bank has evolved from its initial role of an investment agency to a developmental assistance agency. The paper relates that the World Bank has been the target of environmentalists in many nations because of its approval and financial assistance involving projects that carried serious environmental risk factors, such as the construction of dams and mining operations, ignoring the dangers to the ecosystem, and the effects it has on the lives of the people in the region.
Table of Contents
Thesis
Introduction
History of World Bank and IMF
World Bank's Important Achievements
Problems
Misfired Policies
Conclusion
From the Paper "The World Bank is at the forefront of fighting against the AIDS epidemic that is ravaging the African continent. The bank has already approved $1 billion in 2003 and through the multi-country AIDS program it has already allotted $600 million for 15 projects in Africa. Bulgaria was another economically ailing nation, which has benefited immensely from World Bank loans. The country, which was struggling in the early 1990?s, has managed to achieve economic stability with a 4% GDP growth in 2002. From 1990 till 2002, the nation has received more than $1,167 million in loans from the World Bank."
Abstract There are about between 700,000 and 3,000,000 homeless Americans, depending on the factors used to define "homeless". This paper examines the factors that contribute to homelessness and develops a road map for providing affordable housing as an alternative. A summary of the research is provided in the conclusion.
From the Paper "Nevertheless, negative community reactions to the homeless continue to increase. Police in Seattle, Washington, actually bulldozed an encampment of homeless people thereby destroying their temporary homes and their few meager possessions. In Atlanta, Georgia, residents opposed building a homeless shelter (despite the fact that it was scheduled for an industrial area). Other cities have passed "quality of life" types of laws that impose restrictions on activities such as panhandling, camping, and sleeping on sidewalks. Further, police in many communities across the country are increasingly concentrating on enforcing these laws on the homeless, even though there are an estimated 500,000 more homeless people than there are beds in shelters on any given night (Forte, 1997, p. 151)."
Abstract The literature on the subject is vast and ranges from such major studies like Rosentraub's Major League Losers to numerous short journal articles. The overwhelming consensus in the literature is that policies directed at funneling public money into sports stadiums do not reap the benefits needed or hoped for by the cities. However, this paper argues that these articles and studies are misdirecting the failure to achieve benefits and have not truly determined the successes from publicly-funded sports stadiums. All of the studies have failed to recognize the shortcomings that the cities, not the policy, possessed. This paper answers the following question: in favorable economic, political, social, and structural conditions, can a publicly-funded sports stadium reap benefits for a city? In short, in the best of circumstances, can incentives for sports stadiums pay off? In answering this question, this paper presents a quick review of the literature on the subject recognizing the faults and shortcomings and analyzes the city of Denver, Colorado, in relation to its experience with Coors Field. The paper argues that, in the favorable conditions of Denver and the smart policy choices made by local officials, Coors Field proved a useful tool for revitalizing an area of downtown, facilitated the creation of new businesses, and spurred the development of housing in downtown. The sports stadium is a successful policy if it brings tens of thousands of people to the area for game day. To capture the benefits takes smart policy makers within the cities in question. The paper includes maps and tables.
From the Paper "Unlike many cities, the city of Denver seeks to invest in all communities to make them the best and most diverse that they can be. This crime rate decrease and community investment has set the necessary backdrop for capturing economic benefits from people visiting downtown. Since they feel safe, they are much more likely to want to visit local establishments and spend money, thus creating an economic benefit for Denver. This is the most fundamental core policy and achievement that many American cities are failing at. When other cities publicly funded sports stadiums are being analyzed, this particular factor is nonexistent. The crime rate surrounding a stadium is paramount to what level of interactions game attendees will have in the area before and after the game and any study that fails to recognize this, fails to achieve any tangible results from their analysis."
Abstract This paper explains that North Carolina is one of the states taking advantage of a federal program to bring more highly skilled, highly educated and highly trained officers into local community policing programs; this is particularly appropriate for the attributes of female police officers. The author points out that the recruitment of women and their progress in achieving equal status has slowed, especially at the highest ranks. The paper states that the biggest problem is that, when a department is notified of a woman officer's pregnancy, she is removed from her position, and often no efforts are made to find her a light-duty position.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Overview
Women Officers Are Better Than Men
Community Policing in North Carolina
Internal Affairs
Women Law Enforcement Officers and Pregnancy
Fitness in General
But Can They Cut It?
"Power Test"
Summary
Recommendations
Appendix A: Women Who Work in the Criminal Justice System, 1995
Appendix B: Women Working in Adult Corrections
Appendix C: Women Working in Juvenile Corrections
From the Paper "The physical demands of police work are one of the arguments used against recruitment of female officers. In 1997, the Chief of the Hackensack, New Jersey, Police Department spoke out against hiring women, noting their physical size. He said, ?I"m not a big supporter of a 100-pound woman trying to shove a 300-pound guy out of a bar. And in a small town like ours, when we have only one or two guys on the road, you need the extra beef out there" Kelly asked the Chief whether he could do it; the Chief refused to answer. Reluctantly, he said he would go along with hiring female officers if it meant he would get the $355,000 from the feds to hire five new officers."
This paper discusses the social work considerations in the provision of social welfare services to refugees and documented and undocumented aliens in the United States.
Abstract This paper explains that, while all immigrants are obviously not Middle Eastern in origin, the impact of September 11 on the national consciousness concerning immigration policies in general has resulted in a severe backlash against all immigrants, creating one of the toughest debate on how best to provide social welfare services. The author points out that, to ensure that all people in the U.S. are provided with minimum levels of social services, the social work community must organize on the national level and secure the assistance of key legislators who are in the best position to effect the changes in policy. The paper recommends that the national social work organization should provide legislators with personal and empirical observations about the importance and urgency of this issue for people who would come to the United States seeking gainful and legal employment.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Identification of Improvements Needed in the Existing Policy
Analysis of Published Empirical Data that Impacts Arguments.
Description of Current Political and Social Issues.
Proposed Policy Practice Strategy using Legislative Advocacy.
Identification of Actions Needed to Implement the Strategy.
Proposed Timeline for Strategy Implementation.
Phase One
Phase Two
Discussion of the Policy Practice Skills Required by the Strategy.
Conclusion
From the Paper "The terrorist attacks of September 11 were carried out by 19 Arab noncitizens, and many Americans have reason to believe that other Arab noncitizens are linked with these nationalities. The fear that pervades the American consciousness today is directly reflected in how the mainstream public views policies concerning immigration. "Citizens, it is said, are presumptively loyal; noncitizens are not. Thus, it is not irrational to focus on Arab noncitizens. Moreover, on a normative level, if citizens and noncitizens were treated identically, citizenship itself might be rendered meaningless". The part played by mainstream media and its impact on immigration laws have been pronounced; however, perhaps even more fundamental for the purposes of the provision of timely and effective social work services is the new mindset that emerged after September 11 that created two distinct and unmistakable categories for Americans: there is ?us,? and then there is ?them.? "
Tags: 9/11, noncitizens, policy, opportunities, control
Abstract This paper describes the organizational structure and the different levels of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and then goes on to point out the weaknesses and strengths of this type of structure. Next, the paper presents recommendations for improving the agency's structure based on the analysis provided of its structural weaknesses and strengths.
From the Paper "Another potential weakness with the structure relates to the range of departments within the structure. As noted, the National Institutes of Health has over 17,000 employees and a budget of over $27 billion. In contrast, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has 294 employees and a budget of $309 million (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, HHS: What We Do, 2003). The question this raises is whether the departments receive equal attention from the Office of the Secretary, or whether attention is related to size. If attention is related to size, it is possible to assume that the smaller divisions may be neglected. This could include not providing adequate control, supervision, or assistance."
Abstract This paper explains that deregulation of the airline industry is one major step in attempting to have a free and competitive market, one which benefits customers, airlines, governments, and the community at large. The author points out that the liberalization of the airline industry has resulted in the birth of low-cost scheduled airlines, primarily aimed at providing cheap alternate modes of transport for the average citizen, thus increasing passenger traffic. The paper relates that one of the results of deregulation has been the privatization of airports, which were traditionally operated by the government; Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted airports in the United Kingdom are some examples of airports totally under private management.
Table of Contents
The European Airline Market
Deregulation of the European Airline Industry
Low-Cost Airlines
Hub and Spoke System
Airlines Consolidation
Privatization of Airports
Sustainable Aviation
From the Paper "European airlines are limited to a single market and thus often have to depend on a single hub for intercontinental services. This means that the companies cannot offer routes as they wish and may lose out on profitable opportunities. On the other hand, an US airline can have several hubs from where they can offer intercontinental services to several locations based on alliances with other airlines. Post de-regulation, airlines have the liberty to fix and revise fares as they wish. It could be seen that close to 85 percent of the commuters travel on reduced fares within the Union. On some routes, the fares are still higher and this deprives passengers of low cost options. Another drawback is the duplication of flight services on busy routes and lower size of aircrafts to increase frequency. These initiatives have increased the fuel consumption per passenger, raising energy conservation and environmental issues. Critics point out that the short-term and profits oriented approach of the private airlines is the main reason for this situation and governmental intervention is therefore required to stem further deterioration."
A look at the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) initiatives of the 1990s and the consequences of operating the resulting programs in terms of a cost-efficiency basis.
Abstract This paper discusses the creation of TANF, a part of the welfare reform program of President Clinton. The paper explains the purpose of TANF, how it was designed to operate, and the problems that arose as a result of its focus on cost-effectiveness. The paper also looks at the general public's perceptions of TANF, how the social worker must operate within the TANF framework, and outside interests influencing the operation of TANF.
From the Paper "Federal programs often operate according to a theoretical standard that tends to account for the reality of future situations in various degrees of viability concerning operation on state and even local levels. Programs begin and end rather arbitrarily in terms of time-lines and may appear exceedingly distant from the public they are intent on serving. On the other hand, without federal initiatives, development in terms of a common vision shared by these programs is lacking. It is a difficult balance between federalism and standardization that often results in the federal program going through a continuous process of being retooled as various powers come and go in terms of drafting, approving, and amending legislation. Welfare reform is not held separate from this process. With the instigation of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, initiatives in the mid nineties, welfare reform was set in terms of cost effectiveness. Since, the economy has undergone a downturn that has resulted in the termination of many workers who started working with the program, which highlights welfare-to-work incentives, and are not able to collect from TANF due to preset time constraints within the system."
The objective of this preliminary report is to present a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) plan that seeks to formulate recommendations to improve employee-employer relationships within the organization.
Abstract This paper develops strategies that prevent: (a) the high rate of employee turn-over in the company; and (b) expected loss of additional personnel in the next 10 years through projected retirements. The FGD provides insights about the sentiments, thoughts, and opinions of the participants/discussants concerning the presence/absence of motivation, satisfaction, and effectiveness in working in the state highway agency.
From the Paper "There will be a total of three (3) sessions for three different classes of employees that will be interviewed. The first session will be the group of maintenance managers and engineers, while the second session will be composed of the maintenance workers. Sessions 1 and 2 will have 6-10 participants each. The third session, however, will contain a mixed combination of maintenance managers, engineers, and workers. For each class, 4 participants will be selected, thus creating a session where 12 discussants will be participating.
The rationale behind these grouping of employees and the number of FGD sessions is to identify, in general, factors that affect employee motivation and satisfaction, as well as influences of employee retention and loyalty for the agency. The first two sessions that will be conducted (that is, those concerning maintenance workers, managers, and engineers) identifies the motivations and satisfaction of each class in relation to their jobs. The mixed group, session 3, aims to determine the relationship the agency has so far cultivated vis-?-vis its employees, i.e., over-all workplace environment and employee-employer relations."
This paper discusses that the fire department, the most important trauma-fighting service in the United States, has problems, which could be resolved by improving supervisory efforts.
Abstract This paper explains that the fire professionals have the highest stress factors in the United States, not only from the requirements of the job, but also deaths, accidents, racism, and sexism; therefore, adequate supervision is essential. The author points out that a lack of adequate supervision has made racism a problem in the fire department because, in many cases, supervisors simply do not know how to handle this problem and choose to ignore it; in other cases, supervisors are unaware that the problem even exists. The paper relates that women have been having difficulty being recognized as equals in the fire department because of issues such as physical strength, but many of the difficulties experienced by women in terms of equality in the fire department can be ascribed to a lack of unbiased supervision.
Table of Contents
Death in the Fire Department
Racism
Women in the Firefighting Profession
From the Paper "Interestingly, heart attacks are the leading culprit in firefighter deaths, numbering 44%. The second leading cause of death is head trauma and internal injuries at 27%, while death directly related to fire (by asphyxia or from burns) accounts for the least amount of deaths, at 20%. These statistics are also related to age, with younger men more likely to die from injuries than heart attacks. Motor vehicle accidents also cause a substantial amount of firefighter deaths, numbering between 20 and 25%. It was found that only 21% of firefighters involved in these crashes wore their seatbelts. The USFA has also found that firefighter fatalities per 100,000 incidents have increased over the last twenty years. This factor is what inspired the study in the first place."
Abstract This paper provides definitive proof that civil service should be mandatory at the age of eighteen. It explains that mandatory civil service would allow those that are not in the military to contribute to the well-being of the nation. It also argues that President Bush and his administration support the idea of civil service work for young people. The writer also states that civil service work could be very beneficial to young people aged 18 to 24 because it provides them with the stability and the skills that they need to help them for the rest of their lives.
From the Paper "The war in Iraq has spawned a debate over whether or not all persons should have to spend some time in the civil service when they reach the age of eighteen. There are huge sacrifices that are being made in Iraq and Afghanistan but they only really affecting working class Americans. Not everyone can be in the military but everyone can participate in various aspects of the civil service. The purpose of this paper is to provide definitive proof that civil service should be mandatory at the age of eighteen."
Abstract This paper describes the conflict between the inherent objectives of hospital administrators and hospital physicians and how this conflict is the source of the erosion of trust between the two groups. The paper explains that the administrators' goals of conserving resources and containing hospital costs conflict with those of the doctors. It explains that the doctors' goal is to provide their patients with the highest quality care possible and that methods for dealing with this conflict have thus far been inadequate and may even compromise patient care. The paper then suggests that the best way to deal with the problem would be to hire high-quality trainers to conduct world-class, trust-engendering seminars for management and doctors, since none of the current methods for creating trust between doctors and management seem to be effective.
From the Paper "As for administrators, their sense of trust with physicians, Succi asserts, boils down to one area ? ?cost/quality management.? When alluding to costs of providing services to patients, therein lies a very important factor in running a hospital, and there is little doubt that administrators are keenly interested in keeping costs from rising out of sight. And since hospital administrators are "rewarded for conserving resources and containing hospital costs" and physicians are gaining credibility for offering ever-higher levels of care, Succi believes these two conflicting concepts create an erosion of trust."
Abstract The criminal justice system in the United States, and indeed anywhere in the world, is a governmental tool to ensure the safety and security of the citizens of the country. The paper explains, however, that certain areas have been considered in research to steer away from this goal. The public has, for example, lost a considerable amount of trust in the system as a result of apparent oppressive practices in the system. It discusses how things like alcohol have been proved to be a factor in many crimes; yet many of the prisoners with drinking problems remain untreated, and crimes are perpetuated as a result. The paper points out that there are also significant developments within the system, including IT advances, which could help to create an increase in job opportunities in a variety of departments.
From the Paper "The United States prison system appears to be the icon of years of accumulated oppressive practices against especially African Americans. Indeed, according to Parenti, the 900 percent growth of the Justice Department's budget over the last 20 years seems to have mostly been used in order to build an increasing number of prisons. These are used to house an increasing amount of prisoners (currently around 60 percent of all prisoners) incarcerated for non-violent drug crimes. Furthermore about one out of every three black men in their twenties are under criminal justice control or are sought under warrant."
Abstract This paper stresses that government must take financial responsibility to control the rising cost of health care to HIV/AIDS patients. The issue isn't whether the United States can afford to treat, but whether the world can afford not to treat those affected by AIDS. The paper points out that, in the U.S., the cost of treating somebody who already has the disease costs between $20,000-$60,000 a year, depending on the available outpatient services. Pre-AIDS treatment now costs as little as $5,500 a year; but the cost of not treating a person with AIDS includes loss of income of patient and care givers, cost of treatment in homes, clinics, and hospital, funeral costs, deaths, survivor benefits, and the cost of orphans' care and support. The paper concludes that now there is no real solution to keeping costs manageable or to making sure that everyone, globally, who needs the drug treatments gets what they need.
From the Paper "The cause of so many people being infected with this deadly disease is due to irresponsibility. Drug and alcohol abuse, sexual promiscuity, ignorance, unsafe sex and unfaithfulness within the sanction of holy matrimony all contribute to the infection rate skyrocketing worldwide. In looking at the preset condition of the HIV/AIDS virus current status, we have come a long way from the individual outbreak of the 1980's but we still have a lot further to go in totally understanding what we're dealing with concerning this disease."
