Why was the Supreme Court built in 2010 and how effective has it been at upholding civil liberties?

The Supreme Court was introduced in 2010 as a replacement for the House of Lords as the top law court of justice in the UK, Wales and Northern Ireland. This court has cost approximately 59 million pounds to build and was officially open on 1st October 2009. The enactment of the Supreme Court came about under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (The Supreme Court [Online], 2010) and currently stands as the chief justice in the UK. The main focus of this essay is to examine how The Supreme Court prioritises in the development of the United Kingdom Law thus playing an important task at maintaining fundamental individual rights. Being the most prominent judiciary in the UK, it is also vital to see the difference between The Supreme Court and the previous House of Lords Committee in which The Supreme Court has replaced. The major differences are visible in terms of power and the impact it has on the British Constitution. The main reason The Supreme Court was built is due to the Government’s decision on separating the judicial making functions and the legislative duty of the House of Lords, making this the last step in separation of powers. Lord Philip, 2009) stated that it has come to a situation where the adjudicator are absolutely separated from the Legislature and Parliament. (Raynsford, 2010) claimed that it was right for the Prime Minister, prior consultation from the Parliament, to relocate the Ultimate Court of Appeal (The Supreme Court) from the House of Lords as to avoid confusion between the role of the House of Lords and the role of the Court of Appeal. In addition, this separation of power avoids the judiciary from holding absolute power, thus discouraging corruption and bias from the judiciary through politics and media. (Casciani, 2010) stated that after the running of the Supreme Court, 12 Law chancellor from the House of Lords who were hearing appeals in the Parliament is now the Justices of the Supreme Court and are no more partaking in the House of Lord’s affair. Before the enactment of the Supreme Court, senior judges that are currently in the House of Lords were nlightened to apprehend cases that are of great significant to the public and constitution inside the House of Lords itself (The Supreme Court [Online], 2010). They were eligible to vote for the outcome of the cases and sometimes, if any, would have a major relation to personal political interest. However, with a new key reform in place, Parliament will be responsible for making law on favour of the electorate whilst the judges from the Supreme Court focus on the fairness of the new law when applied to cases (BBC News, 2010). Lord Falconer, 2009) suggested that this new reform would strengthen the judiciary, making it possible for the judiciary to go against the executive’s decisions (Prime Minister and his Cabinet) Moreover, a leading judge has told BBC that Britain’s Supreme Court could be more authoritative than the House of Lords department and Lord Neuberger anticipate that the new court of appeal could hold more power than the government (Rozenberg, 2009). It is believed that the judgment of the justices from the Supreme Court will affect the decisions in the lower courts which, in this case, apply to all the courts in the UK (BBC News, 2010). The Supreme Court also emphasise on corruption issues involving governing authorities in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, making sure that they abide and commit within the powers granted to them or whether they successfully complete the duty given to the authoritative government in each state. Lord Neuberger argued that there is a real danger that judges will seize more power than what they currently have (Rozenberg, 2009). Therefore, it is likely that the Supreme Court operates the way the United State’s Supreme Court functions which, upon the Court’s decisions, bind every local law in individual states. For instance, if The Supreme Court decides to change the laws in London (the Capital city), other cities have to follow. (Lord Philips, 2009) stated that such situation is ‘possible’ but is ‘not probable’. However, although the Supreme Court has shown many advantages so far in America, criticisms have arisen on the decisions made by the Supreme Court claiming that it weakens the Court as an institution where the institution is the ultimate guardian under the Constitution of the rights and liberties (Fraenkel, 1960). Lord Phillips who has commented on various contentious subjects in the past states that there was no reason to why Sharia law could not be used to resolve disputes amongst Muslims provided that the sanctions complied with the laws of England and Wales. Furthermore, he openly defended the Human Rights Act, calling it â€Å"a crucial constituent of the basic of our fight against terrorism† and was responsible for handing down the judgement requiring the Director of Public Prosecutions to clarify with certainty the law on assisted suicide (Mitchell, 2011). Lord Phillips added that the decree of the Human Rights Act by the previous administration was an absolute contribution to the maintenance of the rule of law in this country and one for which it deserves great credit (Rothwell, 2010). The Human Rights Act 1998 has played its part since the World War on protecting civil rights and allowing immigrants into the UK where Human Rights are not considered vital in their own country. (Lord Philips, 2009) emphasised on the importance of Human Rights, claiming that the rise and support of terrorism lies in the feelings of discrimination in individuals. Therefore, the need to protect every individual’s family members from discrimination in their foster country is vital. However, Charles Clarke criticised the Supreme Court, claiming that the judiciary do not hold inconsiderable accountability for defending the public and occasionally ignorant about their decisions on how it would affect the public society (Rothwell, 2010). Lord Philips defended the liberty of The Supreme Court stating that the judiciary is only responsible for applying the laws that have been constitute by Parliament, not creating it (Rothwell, 2010). Another case reported in BBC news where the Supreme Court is proven to be effective in its duty to defend individual rights is shown when two homosexual men who said they faced persecution in their homeland have the right to asylum in the UK as ruled by the Supreme Court. According to the judgment made by Lord Hope in the case, to restrain a homosexual person to act that his state does not suppress the attitude by which to distinct itself is to deny his domestic right to be who he is hence homosexuals are as much entitled to the freedom which are given to the people who are traight (BBC, 2010). Ultimately, this essay has thoroughly examined the historic foundation of The Supreme Court, its motive to why the government took a stand on separating the Court of Appeal (The Supreme Court) from the House of Lords as well as the colossal impact it has ranging from the public society to the British Constitution. Even though the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, some disadvantages should be considered such as one stated by Charles Clarke, the previous Lord Chancellor in the House of Lords, claiming that the judiciary does not consider the public’s well being. I am very conscious that I have failed to spot on a few vital and intriguing points and other matters on this subject. The Supreme Court is credibly to be not perfect and widely opens itself to criticism, Although the Supreme Court is new (2010) it may seem to remain as the highest court of appeal for all UK’s domestic cases and criminal cases from Wales, Northern Ireland and England, flourishing as the top court in the UK and uphold its liberty as the forefront in the case law world (The Supreme Court, 2010).Biblography * Casciani, D., 2010. Supreme Court quashes Treasury terror assets order. [Online] Available at: < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8482630.stm> Assessed on May 1st 2011 * Fraenkel, O.S., 1960. The Supreme Court and Civil Liberties: How the Court has protected the Bill of Rights. p.4. * Mitchell, N., 2011. Pen Portraits – Lord Phillips. UKSC Blog. [Online] Available at: < http://ukscblog.com/pen-portraits-lord-phillips> Assessed on May 1st 2011 * Raynsford, N, 2009. Creation of the Supreme Court [Online] Available at: < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ojsQA2W81I> Assessed on May 2nd 2011 * Rothwell, R., 2010. Lord Phillips defends Human Rights Act. Law SocietyGazette. [Online] Available at: < http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/lord-phillips-defends-human-rights-act> Assessed on April 25th 2011 * Rozenberg, J., 2009. Fear over Supreme Court impact. BBC News UK. [Online] Available at: < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8237855.stm> Assessed on May 2nd 2011 * Supreme Court, 2010. Gay asylum seekers from Iran and Cameroon win appeal. BBC News UK. [Online] Available at: Assessed on May 4th 2011 * Supreme Court, 2010. Role of the Supreme Court, [Online] Available at: < http://www.supremecourt.gov.uk/about/role-of-the-supreme-court.html> Assessed on May 4th 2011

Public Private Partnership in Healthcare - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 16 Words: 4755 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/09/19 Category Health Essay Type Argumentative essay Tags: Health Care Essay Did you like this example? Transforming Singapore Health Care—MK Lim 461 Commentary Transforming Singapore Health Care: Public-Private Partnership†  MK Lim,1FAMS, FRCP (Edin), MPH (Harvard) Abstract Prudent health care policies that encourage public-private participation in health care financing and provisioning have conferred on Singapore the advantage of flexible response as it faces the potentially conflicting challenges of becoming a regional medical hub attracting foreign patients and ensuring domestic access to affordable health care. Both the external and internal health care markets are two sides of the same coin, the competition to be decided on price and quality. For effective regulation, a tripartite model, involving not just the government and providers but empowered consumers, is needed. Government should distance itself from the provider role while providers should compete – and cooperate – to create higher-value health care systems than what others can offer. Health care policies should be better informed by health policy research. Ann Acad Med Singapore 2005;34:461-7 Key words: Health care costs, Health care regulation, Health economics, Health reform Introduction Should health care services be publicly or privately funded? And should these services be publicly or privately provided? The answers to these questions largely depend on whether one considers health care a public or a private good. Most people would consider the provision of street lighting and national security to be a public sector responsibility, and luxury items like cars and annual holidays abroad to be private consumption goods best left to the individual to purchase and the private sector to provide. When it comes to health care, however, the issues become highly contentious and the answers are not as clear-cut. While consulting a doctor is a very personal matter, the thought of denying a fellow human being access to the same level of health care because of his or her inability to pay, stirs deep emotions. Historically, the pendulum in the health care debate has swung back and forth between the state and the private sector. Definitions In this paper, the term â€Å"public sector† refers to that part f the economy concerned with providing basic government services while the â€Å"private sector† is that part of the economy not controlled by the government. The latter could be â€Å"for-profit†, or â€Å"not-for-profit† in nature. The term â€Å"public-private partnership† in health care finance refers to the situation where the government mobilises private sector sources of funds to finance health care services. Correspondingly, public-private partnership in health services provision entails government encouragement of private sector participation in the delivery of public services. The possible combinations of publicprivate mix in the health sector are shown in Figure 1. International Experience The ke y questions surrounding health care systems around the world are: (a) how to raise revenues to pay for health care; (b) how to pool risks and resources; and (c) how to organise and deliver health care in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. Whether the strategies adopted rely on public sources like taxes and social insurance, or private sources like private insurance and out-of-pocket payment, Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine National University of Singapore, Singapore Address for Reprints: A/Prof Lim Meng Kin, Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, National University of Singapore, MD3, 16 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597. Email: [emailprotected] edu. sg †  Based on an invited lecture delivered at the 30th Medico-Legal Society Annual Seminar: Transforming Health Care at the Grand Hyatt, Singapore, 6-7 November 2004. 1 August 2005, Vol. 34 No. 7 462 Transforming Singapore Health Care—MK Lim Provision Public Publi c Finance Private Publicly financed Publicly provided Privately financed Publicly provided Private Publicly financed Privately provided Privately financed Privately provided for this include insufficient government resources and poor performance on the part of the public sector. State-run institutions are notoriously bureaucratic. There is a growing realisation that involving the private sector in health services provision could lead to improved systems efficiency. Even in Europe, the sustainability of health care systems founded on egalitarian welfarism is increasingly being challenged as growth in demand outstrips supply. 3 The debate is no longer about â€Å"who should pay? † or â€Å"who should provide? † but â€Å"who can do the job more efficiently? †. Singapore’s Experience Health Care Finance Singapore’s experience exemplifies an evolving publicprivate partnership in health care financing and provision. In the 1980s, the Singapore gov ernment reexamined from first principles the role of the state in health care financing and provision, and concluded that a British-style National Health Service was neither a viable nor a sustainable option. It decided that while the government would continue to subsidise health care (along with other important social areas like housing and education) to bring prices down to an affordable level, the people would have to share in the costs of the services they consume. The â€Å"3M† system — Medisave (1984), Medishield (1990) and Medifund (1993) — which forms the centrepiece of Singapore’s health care financing system, was therefore premised on the philosophy of shared responsibility, and the economic principle that health care services should not be supplied freely on demand without reference to price. In persuading the people to accept this hard-nosed policy, the government reasoned that the question â€Å"who pays? was not the right question to ask, f or â€Å"whether it is the government, Medisave, employers, or insurance, it is ultimately Singaporeans themselves who must bear the burden† — since insurance premiums are ultimately paid by the people, employee medical benefits form part of wage costs, and taxes are paid by taxpayers. Over the years, the demand for health care has increased in tandem with the key drivers of health care costs, such as the rapid ageing of the population, advancing medical technology resulting in the increased range and number of possible interventions, and rising public expectations. Singapore’s innovative 3M system of health care financing has proven to be very effective in mobilising private financial resources. Medisave, the state-run medical savings accounts, which is compulsory for the working population, today stands at a staggering S$30 billion, an amount that can underwrite Singapore’s total health care expenditure for the next 5 years. A most remarkable achieve ment has been the gradual Fig. 1. Public-private mix in health care provision and financing. will have a profound impact on heath care costs, quality, and access. In making the choice, technical efficiency is an important, but not the only consideration. Most health care systems in western industrialised countries assume a high degree of responsibility for personal health care because they are driven by values which lean heavily towards notions of equity, fairness and solidarity. With the notable exception of the United States, all the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries (including Japan and South Korea) have opted for publicly financed health care systems that provide universal coverage. The United States relies heavily on the private sector to finance health care, with the result that in 2002, 15. 8% of its population (or 42. 3 million people) were not covered by health insurance of any form. 1 The Europeans and Canadians (and indeed many A mericans themselves) consider this to be highly inequitable. At the same time, they are saddled with runaway health care costs from which they are struggling to break free. The facts on the ground are often different from the official rhetoric. Thus, although the British in theory enjoy free health care under the National Health Service, 10% of the population have purchased private health insurance, with one-fifth of all elective surgery being performed in the private sector. Likewise, although New Zealanders may enjoy free health care, one-third of the population have private health insurance, with one-fourth of all surgery being performed in private hospitals. 2 In Canada, where the single-tier health care system is mandated by law, increasing numbers who are frustrated with the growing waiting lists for surgery simply cross the border to the United States to buy more esponsive, private health care. In fact, all the welfare states have, without exception, found it necessary to impose arbitrary limits on health care spending and to ration access to expensive medical technology — to the extent of compromising on health care quality. In recent years, the trend in both the developed and developing worlds has been towards greater private sector involvement in health care provision and financing. Reasons Annals Academy of Medicine Transforming Singapore Health Care—MK Lim 63 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 Year Government expenditure Private expenditure Fig. 2. Public versus private health financing, Singapore (1965-2000). shift of the financial burden from the government to the private sector (Fig. 2). 5 Since access to needed care is explicitly guaranteed for the poor,6 and the state-run Medishield insurance scheme protects against financial ruin from catastrophic illness, the system is on the whole no less humane than a state-funded one. Health Care Provision Health care provision comprises a mix of 8 public h ospitals and 5 specialty centres which together account for 80% of inpatient beds, with 13 private hospitals accounting for the remaining 20%. Primary health care is easily accessible through an extensive and convenient network of private general practitioners (80%) and public outpatient polyclinics (20%). In addition, an estimated 12% of daily outpatient attendances are by traditional Chinese practitioners in the private sector. The successful corporatisation of Singapore’s health care institutions between 1985 and 2002 has resulted in better efficiency and improved service levels. Market mechanisms and structures have replaced old bureaucratic ones. Presumably, better and more informed decisions are being made at the local level, compared to central planning by the Ministry of Health (MOH). Patient responsiveness today is a far cry from the overcrowded wards and specialist outpatient clinics of yesteryear. Patient satisfaction is reportedly high (85%); average waiting time for elective surgery is apparently a mere 2 weeks; and the average length of stay in a public hospital is 5 days. With first-world standards of health attainment (an average life expectancy of 78. 4 years and an infant mortality rate of 2. 2 per 10007) at an affordable 3% to 4% of GDP for the last 3 decades, Singaporeans appear to be getting good value for their money. Singapore Health Care at the Crossroads Looking ahead, a number of challenges place Singapore’s health care system squarely at the crossroads. These include (a) the need for cost containment on the domestic front; (b) Singapore’s push to become a regional hub of medical excellence; and (c) the ongoing quest for quality and patient safety. After years of continuous growth averaging 8. 0% between 1965 and 2000, the Singapore economy began to flounder during the 1997 regional financial crisis and the subsequent economic slowdown in 2003 associated with the SARS outbreak. Although it has since bounc ed back (8% to 9% projected growth for 2004), Singapore’s maturing economy faces tough times ahead, including the effects of lobalisation and increased competition from China as the emerging economic powerhouse. The government is committed to restructuring the Singapore economy and some recommendations of the Economic Review Committee (2002) have implications for the health sector such as (a) the reduction of the Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution rate (thus affecting the Medisave contribution rate) and (b) the identification of the health sector as an important sector to target economic growth – in other words, to further commercialise medicine and turn it into a money spinner for the Singapore economy. Challenge of Cost Containment In theory, rising health care costs should not pose a problem if the rate of increase is matched by rising national income, just as the legendary Milo of Crotona grew stronger each day by lifting his calf every day — as th e calf grew, so did his muscles! Unfortunately, in Singapore’s case the calf is growing faster than our ability to carry it. Health care expenditure cannot remain at 3% of GDP for long. For one thing, as the economy matures and GDP growth inevitably slows, the masking effect of an expanding GDP denominator will disappear. Another factor is the rapidly ageing population, now constituting a mere 7. 7%, but projected to increase to 14% in 2010 and 25% in 2030. The 3M formula was not designed to take into account the long-term care needs of the elderly. Advancing medical technology in the era of genomic medicine will add to the mounting cost pressures. New schemes like Eldercare and Elderfund have been added. The government has acknowledged that the key parameters for Medishield (since 1990) such as premiums, deductibles and benefits have not been sufficiently updated to reflect the increased cost of hospitalisation. Hence, a major revamp is underway to fine-tune Medishield and to broaden its risk pool. However, a more fundamental weakness of Singapore’s cost containment strategy that has not been adequately August 2005, Vol. 34 No. 7 Percentage 464 Transforming Singapore Health Care—MK Lim addressed is its almost exclusive focus on the demand side. The 3M system was explicitly designed to curb overconsumption and to counter the â€Å"moral hazard† associated with fee-for-service, third-party reimbursement. The result has been the successful moderation of the government’s share of total expenditure, but not private spending. It can be observed that total health care spending has in fact risen exponentially, despite the 3M system being in place (Fig. 3). The focus has been on how to pay for health care, not how to purchase health care wisely. It is pertinent to point out that every dollar spent on health care is a dollar earned by health care providers. Hence, there is inherently no incentive for health care providers to want to contain costs. Indeed, providers could be expected to exhibit entrepreneurial behaviour. Casemix was introduced in 1999 as a cost containment measure to check supply-side moral hazard. But alas, since E = P x Q (where E = expenditure, P = price and Q = quantity) controlling price (P) alone (which is what reimbursement based on DRG attempts to do) is not going to curb the quantity (Q) of services supplied. There is also no evidence that the splitting of Singapore’s heath care institutions into 2 competing clusters has resulted in competition of the healthy kind that would justify the increased overheads of having 2 clusters, or that Singapore’s doctors are rendering health care at the economically optimal point, where the marginal benefits to patients would justify the marginal costs of treatment. Challenge of Becoming a Regional Medical Hub The fact that Singapore’s major private sector health care players are listed on the Singapore Exchange refle cts the government’s favourable disposition towards the commercialisation of health care services. The government has in recent years also allocated billions of dollars to attract foreign pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to Singapore, including multinationals like ScheringPlough, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Sharp Dohme, Aventis and Pfizer. Realising that Singapore doctors enjoy a good reputation, as attested by the 200,000 foreign patients who came from the surrounding region in 2003,8 it wants to turn Singapore into the premier medical hub in the region. The Economic Review Committee, charged with making recommendations to improve Singapore’s competitiveness, has set an ambitious target of one million foreign patients a year by 2010, which would bring in an estimated $3 billion annually and create 13,000 jobs. In 2004, the Economic Development Board, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and International Enterprise Singapore (IE) announced the launch of Singapore M edicine, a multiagency government initiative aimed at developing Singapore into one of Asia’s leading destinations for health care services. Who should drive the regional push: the public or private sector? As with health care financing, focusing on â€Å"who? † is to ask the wrong question. To use Deng Xiaoping’s metaphor, what matters is not the colour or breed of the cat, but its ability to achieve results. The challenge is not only to achieve the set targets, but to do so in a manner that enhances Singapore’s standing in the international arena and its relations with its neighbours. The last thing we want is to become a high-priced medical â€Å"tourist trap† founded on activity-based, rather than evidence-based medicine. This means a focus on the basics — ethical, cost-effective medical practice, with emphasis on quality and patient safety. This leads us to the third challenge, which has implications for both the domestic and regiona l/international fronts. Challenge of Quality and Patient Safety There is growing concern worldwide that the health care industry is plagued with unnecessary and inappropriate care, even replete with medical errors. The Institute of Medicine’s 1999 report, â€Å"To Err is Human†, has put the issue of patient safety and quality firmly on the public agenda. The 2001 sequel, â€Å"Crossing the Quality Chasm†, has described the wide gulf that exists between what is and what should be in terms of quality health care. 10,11 How does medical care in Singapore measure up in terms of safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timely care, efficiency and equity? To safeguard patient safety and ensure quality care, it is essential that these unknowns about our health care processes and outcomes are measured — for what we do not measure we cannot manage. Singapore’s journey in quality and patient safety has been discussed elsewhere and will not be repea ted here. 12 5 4. 5 4 3. 5 $ billion 3 2. 5 2 1. 5 1 0. 5 0 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 Year Government expenditure Private expenditure Total expenditure Fig. 3. Trends in national health expenditure, Singapore (1965 to 2000). 4 Annals Academy of Medicine Transforming Singapore Health Care—MK Lim 65 One thing is clear, however: while professional selfregulation is important, it is insufficient. Regulatory structures external to the doctor-patient relationship are needed to protect the public interest and to align provider behaviour with desired goals. However, government regulation is also of limited effectiveness, for the government, too, faces the same problem of information asymmetry as the patient — given the large grey zone of clinical judgment and the delicate nature of the doctorpatient relationship, which precludes over-intrusive monitoring. What is needed is a new paradigm of health care regulation involving the participation of empowered consum ers, more of which will be described later (Fig. 4). Regulator Empowerment Price and Quality transparency Patient Trust Performance indicators Provider Fig. 4. Tripartite regulatory framework. The Way Forward The three challenges highlighted above — cost containment, developing a medical hub and ensuring quality and patient safety — are interrelated. A focus on costs without a corresponding focus on quality and patient safety is meaningless. Care that is cheap but of poor quality is surely not what Singaporeans want or deserve. Neither will a reputation for expensive or inappropriate treatment propel us towards our goal as a medical hub. Both cost containment and quality of care are critical factors to Singapore’s success as a regional medical hub. The international market competition, as with the domestic market competition, will ultimately be decided on the basis of both price and quality. A first step towards achieving all of these goals is to create the r ight conditions for (a) competition, (b) consumer choice, and (c) provider cooperation. Competition The literature on the effects of hospital competition in the US reveals that competition has been beneficial, lowering cost and increasing quality. Market competition is conducive to innovation and continuous improvement. It provides a more appropriate equilibrium of prices, technology, and capacity than would be possible by central planning. Furthermore, studies have shown that private delivery of health care services has efficiency advantages over public delivery. Still, whether private hospitals are more efficient than public hospitals is beside the point; what is important for market competition to work is that there is a level playing field for both public and private providers. Such a competitive model provides strong incentives for both technical and allocative efficiency. Those providers (public or private) unable to compete in terms of price and quality of their service s should bow out and let others step in. The government’s role would be to monitor and enforce contractual arrangements. It should provide oversight, not micro-manage, and should intervene only when there is market failure. It is telling that the imperative for cost control and increased efficiency has driven even the welfare states of Europe to introduce competition in their health care systems. In tax-based systems (e. g. , the UK), this has meant the establishment of â€Å"internal market† mechanisms, enforcing a split between purchasers and providers. The evidence from Scandinavian countries shows that competition and a split between providers and purchasers improve productivity, access and quality. 13 Singapore’s health care environment is presently competitive in form but not in substance. Despite restructuring, the Singapore government still multi-hats as regulator, policymaker, asset owner, and major purchaser and provider of services, remaining ef fectively in control of the 2 health care clusters. This makes arms-length regulation difficult. The inter-cluster competition is somewhat artificial and may even be counterproductive. The government should further distance itself from the public provider role and confine itself to being a policy setter and unbiased regulator, applying a consistent approach to all service providers. Public sector providers should be given greater exposure to market forces, including having to compete with the private sector for a share of statesubsidised patients. Consumer Choice Singapore’s regulatory framework should not merely consist of 2 parties, namely the regulator (MOH) and the regulated (public and private providers). It should ideally be tripartite, in which empowered and well-informed consumers play their rightful role in selecting health care providers on the basis of price and quality of care provided (Fig. 4). Information asymmetry would not be an insurmountable barrier on ce the full power of information technology plus the role of the media is brought to bear. The government’s role should be to ensure transparency of key performance measures across the system so that consumers will be well informed and able to make sound August 2005, Vol. 34 No. 7 466 Transforming Singapore Health Care—MK Lim decisions. The publication of selected prices of certain procedures on the Ministry of Health website in 2004 has already led to some dramatic price reductions. Once government websites start publishing reliable and valid provider data on quality, safety and health outcomes in addition to pricing, there will be a major shift in the balance of power, resulting in a more stable equilibrium of provider accountability. Providers would be motivated to improve responsiveness to consumer preferences, and consumers would be empowered to choose freely between providers, both public and private, on the basis of cost, quality and other desirable attribute s. Cooperation The twin notions of competition and cooperation among providers need not be contradictory. Providers already know there is advantage to be gained by cooperation (which was what â€Å"clustering† of public sector hospitals was supposed to do, except that it would have worked better if the cooperation had been spontaneous rather than forced). â€Å"Coopetition†, or cooperation amidst competition, should be the watchword as Singapore strives to become a regional medical hub. Ultimately, Singapore’s health care institutions must compete successfully with the â€Å"competition out there† on the basis of clinical quality and price, in addition to other desirable service characteristics such as â€Å"one-stop, seamless care†. For this to happen, Singapore providers must first get their internal act together. Only by cooperating can they leverage on the respective strengths of the public and private sectors, and can they hope to innova te and create higher-value health systems than what others offer. The Electronic Medical Records Exchange (EMRX) is a fine example of inter-cluster cooperation. In addition, Singapore’s first Cyclotron (at a shared cost of $5. million) to support the operation of positron emission tomography scanners is a good example of cooperation between the public (SingHealth) and private (AsiaMedic and MediRad Associates, a subsidiary of Parkway Holdings) sectors, contributing to the common goal of enhancing Singapore’s standing as a hub of medical excellence. Continuous dialogue is needed to build trust and to evolve a common strategic vision. Just as cooperating with competitors in the local market brings mutual advantages, avenues for strategic alliances with external partners or competitors to achieve win-win situations should also be explored. Conclusions Strength: Public-Private Partnership Foundations Already in Place Prudent policies involving public-private partnership s in both health care provision and health care finance have conferred on Singapore a distinct advantage over other nations facing similar challenges of diminishing resources in the face of increasing demands: It is far easier to set priorities when patients are conditioned to cost-sharing rather than free health care, and when the range of policy options available is broadened by a healthy mix of public and private providers. Weakness: Insufficient Evidence Base for Policy Making A key weakness of Singapore’s health care system is its lack of a culture of rigorous and transparent evaluation. For example, no major effort has been undertaken to gather relevant data in a systematic manner over time to assess the full impact of hospital corporatisation. Neither has the 3M system been subject to critical analysis with all the relevant data at disposal. Likewise, to be the market leader in health care provision in the region requires in-depth knowledge nd an understanding of th e nature and behaviour of crossborder trade in health care services, the cost and quality performance of self versus the competition, and the healthseeking behaviour of local and regional consumers. Formulating health policies without the benefit of health policy research is like flying an expensive passenger aircraft without instruments. Given that Singapore spends $5 billion on health care annually, and is set to invest millions more to build the base to attract the regional health care clientele, it would seem penny wise, pound foolish not to invest a tiny fraction of that to find out what works and what doesn’t. Going Forward If Singapore’s health care system is to be transformed into a modern and responsive 21st-century health care system, it needs to be decidedly consumer-focused. In particular, it needs to be competitive in terms of price and quality because that is what consumers everywhere expressly look for. A tripartite model of health care regulation, in volving the active participation of empowered consumers, is Singapore’s best hope for containing costs and ensuring quality of care. Getting the internal (i. e. , domestic health care) and external (i. . , regional medical hub) acts together are two sides of the same coin, involving the same principles of competition, consumer focus and cooperation. â€Å"Who (public or private) does what† is not as important as â€Å"what gets the job done†. Recommendations The devil is (as always) in the details, but it is proposed that the following broad principles should form the basis of strategic planning and structural reform aimed at getting our internal and external acts together: Annals Academy of Medicine Transforming Singapore Health Care—MK Lim 467 1. To contain health care costs, both sides of the equation must be simultaneously addressed: supply side control mechanisms in addition to demand side constraints. 2. To achieve greater efficiency, public sect or provisioning should be exposed more to market forces. 3. To grow as a regional medical hub, a coordinated effort involving greater public-private, private-private, and public-public partnerships is necessary. 4. To ensure a level playing field for market competition to take place, the government should further distance itself from the public provider role and confine itself to being a policy setter and unbiased regulator. . To empower consumers to choose providers on the basis of price and quality, the government should actively pursue a policy of transparency of information on the price and quality of care of providers. 6. To balance the need to grow commercial medicine on the one hand, and keep domestic health care costs affordable on the other, health policy makers need to pay attention to the alignment of incentives with goals, and anticipate unintended side effects. 7. To improve health policy-making, the evidence base should be strengthened considerably. Health policy needs to be informed by health policy research. REFERENCES 1. US Census Bureau. 2003 Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2003. Available at www. census. gov/ apsd/techdoc/cps/cps-main. html. Accessed on 9 November 2004. 2. Goodman JC, Musgrave GL. Twenty Myths about National Health Insurance. NCPA Policy Report No. 166, 1991. 3. Duffy K. Final report of the HDSE Project. Opportunity and risk: trends of social exclusion in Europe. United Kingdom: Council of Europe Publishing, 1998. 4. Lim MK. Health care systems in transition II. Singapore, Part I. An overview of health care systems in Singapore. J Public Health Med March 1998;20:16-22. 5. Lim MK. Shifting the burden of health care finance: a case study of public-private partnership in Singapore. Health Policy 2004;69:83-92. 6. Goh CT, 1996. Speech by the Prime Minister at the National Day Rally on 18 August 1996. 7. Ministry of Health, Singapore. State of Health the report of the Director of Medi cal Services. Singapore: Ministry of Health, 2001. 8. Singapore Tourist Board Press Release. Singapore set to be health care services hub of Asia. Available at: https://www. app. singapore medicine. com/asp/new/new0201c. asp? id=881. Accessed October 20, 2003. 9. Anonymous. Singapore faces new competitors in services. The Straits Times. 2003 January 24:1. 10. Kohn LT, Corrigan JM, Donaldson MS, editors. To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Washington, D. C. : National Academy Press, 2000. 11. Institute of Medicine. Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001. 12. Lim MK. Quest for quality care and patient safety: the case of Singapore. Qual Saf Health Care 2004;13:71-5. 13. Hjertqvist J. Competing hospitals and providers work miracles confirmed by Swedish experience. Policy Frontiers, September 13, 2004:12. August 2005, Vol. 34 No. 7 Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Public Private Partnership in Healthcare" essay for you Create order

Benefits of Early Childhood Education - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1891 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/03/13 Category Sociology Essay Level High school Tags: Childhood Essay Did you like this example? If school is about learning, and learning starts at birth, then the idea that we expect Kindergarteners to meet their first teachers at age five is all wrong (English, 2018). There is increasing research being facilitated on early education with specific emphasis on the overall benefits it has on children. The range of benefits discussed in recent research include academic achievement, behavior, educational progression and attainment, delinquency and crime, and labor market success, among other domains (RAND, 2005). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Benefits of Early Childhood Education" essay for you Create order While much research is available on the outcomes of early childhood education, it is the objective of this paper is to focus on the range of benefits and outcomes of early childhood education on disadvantaged and underserved children. In this literature review, I will discuss scholarly research findings which cover several elements of effective, quality early childhood education in underserved communities. This research covers topics such as how high-quality early education would narrow achievement gaps, lower involvement in the criminal justice system, and provide adequate return on financial investment for communities. What is Quality Early Childhood Education? Although there is substantial research data detailing what early education programs need to have in order to provide effective, quality education through Kindergarten; one study, synthesized by the RAND corporation (2005), had some interesting and promising findings. In 2005, the RAND Corporation did a research brief outlining scientifically based, published research on the benefits of early childhood education. The brief compared twenty early education programs throughout the nation, which provide varied, but effective approaches to early education. These programs used various interventions which span from prenatal services through Kindergarten readiness programs. According to an article, How Pre School Fights Poverty, Cynthia Lamy of ASCD.org, while the programs had various success in their methods, the research was able to conclude that each of the programs included a combination of the following elements: adequately trained, professionally educated caregivers/educators, smaller child-to-staff ratios, comprehensive and intensive services for children and families (Lamy, 2012). The information provided by this report details more about intervention features that generate better outcomes for children. This is significant because it equips policymakers and educators with valuable, scientifically sound data to achieve optimal designs for the children and families that they serve. Early Education Can Narrow Achievement Gaps The overwhelming evidence shows that children who enter kindergarten behind are likely to remain behind throughout their educational careers and beyond. These gaps in achievement are difficult to close with K-12 education alone. An article published on Every Child Matters.org, discusses the importance of early education and closing long-standing achievement gaps. This article references a report by Presidents Obamas Council of Economic Advisors titled, The Economics of Early childhood Investments, in which it discusses why high quality, dependable, affordable, and accessible child care for children early on is important as we continue to see growth in both the opportunity and achievement gaps children face nationally. Although still an issue, the research on achievement gaps shows promising results-in with the black-white disparity. In an analysis by President Obamas Council on Academic Advisers (2015), early childhood education increases cognitive and achievement scores by 0.35 standard deviations on average, or nearly half the black-white difference in the kindergarten achievement gap. Since higher income children are currently more likely to have access to high-quality early education, expanding access to underserved children would likely narrow the achievement. Although we know narrowing the achievement gap is a focus of early education, it is also important to understand what skills promote Kindergarten readiness and how to get children there. The above-mentioned article on the importance of early childhood education also states how communities can help ensure children show up to kindergarten ready to learn by providing options for accessing high-quality early childhood programs where they can develop the full range of skills necessary to be successful in school and life (Beaver, 2016). In addition to this, an infographic provided by the Zero to Three organization (2012), informs that a child who has received effective, quality early childhood education and is Kindergarten ready, will have the following attributes: healthy relationships with adults, varied experiences (especially with words/vocabulary), appropriate emotional responses (empathy, resilience, self-control etc.) and learn through play and be good problem solvers. These children, according to Mike English of Pre-KC, will now be ready for Kindergarten, they will also be more likely to read proficiently by then end of third grade, and ultimately graduate high school prepared for college or the workforce (English, 2018). Lower Involvement in the Criminal Justice System Research shows children who enter school at higher levels of readiness have higher earnings throughout their lives, they are also healthier and less likely to become involved with the criminal justice system. These positive effects suggest that investments in early childhood can benefit society. In research published by New York University Psychologys Adolescent Pathways Project, professor Hirokazu Yoshikawa discusses how early childhood education programs have long-term positive effects on social outcomes and delinquency. This research also states that improving cognitive and socio-emotional development and investing in early childhood education may reduce involvement with the criminal justice system. Lower crime translates into benefits to society from increased safety and security as well as lower costs to the criminal justice system. Early childhood education programs accompanied with family supports, provide a range of emotional, informational, and/or educational support to families with infants and preschool-age children. Early education programs are usually center based, and their core service is usually to provide an educational curriculum to groups of preschoolers or infants and toddlers, but they can also provide services as varied as basic preventive health care, informational support regarding parenting and child development, and emotional support (Yoshikawa, 1995). This literature states that programs which address multiple risk factors of delinquency in youth (ex: low-income households, single parent, low parent education level, low birth weight/preterm) and that blend aspects of family supports, and early childhood education are the foster the most promising results when it comes to steering youth away from involvement in the criminal justice system. Early Childhood Education Provides Adequate Return on Investment for Communities A common argument for supporting early childhood is that it is a good investment. To explore the idea of return on investment, the rationale behind the economic and business case for spending on early childhood would need to be explained. Early childhood programs cost money, of course, but studies show that the benefits associated with such programs also come with monetary gains and savings (RAND, 2005). In other words, the original investment generates a financial return. According to the RAND brief, if a low-income parent can secure a place for her child in a high-quality daycare program, that child is likely to benefit from exposure to a wider array of learning opportunities than he or she might have at home. Enrolling her child in daycare may also open the door for the parent to take on employment or further her education in order to improve her career prospects. Those individual benefits can be substantial, and life-changing. Other benefits of early childhood programs include state and local government, and society at large. Because high quality early childhood programs promote healthy development, they can generate savings by preventing the need for more expensive interventions later in a childs life .For example, studies show that participation in high-quality early care can help children avoid special education, grade repetition, and incarceration â€Å" all outcomes that imply large costs for government and for society (RAND, 2005). Furthermore, children (over the long term) and parents who participate in such programs are more likely to be employed; thus, revenue from their taxes and enhanced buying power can positively contribute to the economy (The Center for High Impact Philanthropy, 2018). For example, the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs has found that high quality early childhood programs can yield a $4 â€Å" $9 dollar return per $1 invested. According to Early Childhood researcher, Larry Schweinhart (2012), a 2009 study of Perry Preschool, a high-quality program for 3-5 year olds developed in Michigan in the 1960s, estimated a return to society of between about $7 and $12 for each $1 invested.The research is clear, early childhood stands out as a particularly noteworthy area for investment mainly because so many interventions appear to save money in the longer term. Trends and Issues in Early Childhood Education Although the research indicating benefits on early childhood education are promising, there is other data presented by research that is worth mentioning in this paper. Research has shown that children enrolled in Head Start programs benefit by receiving formal education before kindergarten. Likewise, it was shown that children enrolled in Head Start programs learned quicker than children not enrolled in these programs. In an interview with Kandace Buckner, the Educational Director of Innovators Prep Academy, a local early childhood program, children who attend early childhood programs enter kindergarten with a stronger sense of self and are acclimated to the structure of school. These skills are essential for boosting children who are disadvantaged (personal communication, October 12, 2018). However, the critics of early childhood education claim the differences between children enrolled in these programs and children not receiving early childhood education are only obvious during kindergarten, first, and second grade. During following years, children whove not received formal education prior to kindergarten test at the same level and behave like their peers with pre-kindergarten formal education (RAND, 2005). Therefore, these children may be at an advantage for a couple of years, but after that, their classmates perform at similar levels. Another major problem with some early childhood programs, such as Head Start, is that children qualifying for these programs usually come from families living below poverty-line, so these programs are not readily available for children from all backgrounds (RAND, 2005). Overall, the critical opinions seem to promote parent responsibility for properly educating their children over government/state funded programs for early childhood. Reaction Personally, the conclusions I drew from the research studied about early childhood education are that individuals and societies greatly benefit, in terms of social, economic, and other benefits, from it. The research shows that having greater emphasis placed on early education is one strategy to improve substance abuse, criminal behavior and cycles of poverty that plague many adolescents and young adults in underserved communities. With more schools moving toward implementing data-driven practices, it is important as educators to use that same method of data/research to improve the outcomes for underserved/disadvantaged children to help promote school readiness- access to quality early childhood education is one of the best ways to achieve this. Conclusion While parents, educators and even politicians have become active participants in the advocacy for early childhood education, much still needs to be done to address the issues and eventually reap the benefits discussed in this paper. Modern research on the benefits of early childhood education have brought to light how it impacts the achievement gap, reduces youth involvement in crime and presents a more than adequate return on investment for communities. We know that early childhood education benefits disadvantaged children, the task now is to convince society that the benefits surpass impacting only underserved, communities-but its reaches stretch across socioeconomic lines and racial barriers. It was the founder of the immensely popular Montessori program, Maria Montessori, who poignantly sums up the essence of the research on early childhood education when she stated, Early childhood education is the key to the betterment of society- a notation I adamantly agree with.

Types Of Interviews From The University Career Center

There are many types of interviews and according to the UTSA University Career Center; there are over fourteen types of interviews ranging from individual interviews to group interviews to behavioral and clinical interviews. Dictionary.com defines interviewing as â€Å"a formal meeting in which one or more persons question, consult, or evaluate another person.† As a future Human Services professional interviewing will most likely be a major part of my career and since I am currently working with teens and young adults I have decided to focus and explore interviewing with adolescents. Adolescence is manifested by the onset of puberty â€Å"marked by dramatic changes in hormone levels and in physical appearance: physical growth, changes in facial structure, and appearance of secondary sexual characteristics. Over the same interval, adolescents experience numerous changes in social and other environmental influences, and typically enter a stage of profound psychological transiti on. The end of adolescence is said to occur when an individual has attained a stable adult role.† (Burnett, Blakemore, Dahl 2010, pg. 926). The onset of puberty can start as early as six years old and go as late as twenty-one years old. For many teens that is a period of trial and error, testing boundaries, values and establishing their own identities. For many it is a time where there body is awkward lengths, acne is barring its teeth and voice starts to crack at the worst times possible. The stage ofShow MoreRelatedCareer Journey For Success : My Career Path941 Words   |  4 Pages Career Journey to Success My career path was rerouted after the birth to my son. I was managing a 24-hour Alarm Monitoring Call Center with two years of college education in Psychology. 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Persuasive Essay On Abortion Pro Choice Example For Students

Persuasive Essay On Abortion Pro Choice AbortionsAbortions should be illegal if you are going to go out and have unprotected sex, then you should be willing to take responsibility for your actions. The unborn child that is conceived has done no wrong and shouldnt have to suffer because of the mothers actions. Women shouldnt have a right to kill their preborn child. The word choice shouldnt be used in regard to abortions, since killing a preborn child offers the child no choice at all. If you think about it nearly 30 million preborn children have been slaughter in their mothers wombs. Millions of women have been traumatized both mentally and physically by their decision to exercise their so called right to an abortion. The number of reported legal abortions from 1972 through 1992 has risen each year. The percentage of teenagers having abortions began to drop in the 1980s because of the law requiring a parents involvement. The highest abortion rate is among eighteen to nineteen year old women. Each year about 15,000 abortions attributed to rape and incest this about one percent of all abortions. Allowing abortions is promoting values that encourage crime, illegitimacy, and the breakdown of families. Why would anyone want to put themselves through this procedure if it could be deadly? A woman from Brooklyn, New York died from a legal abortion and the police engaged in cover up. Tamika Dowdy, 22 was pronounced dead after having a legal abortion at Long Island College Hospital on Wednesday (reported in the case of http://www.roevwade.org/rvw//. html). Dowdys fiance Rudy Alston waited in the waiting room for six hours the abortion practitioner told him that Dowdys heart had stopped. Dowdy and Alston were planning on a January or February wedding and the couple didnt want a child because Dowdy wanted to go to a two year accounting school. The police officials tried to squelch news by omitting the tragic abortion death from their daily report that Dowdy died after an abortion(according to the case of http://www. roevwade.org/rvw//.html). They included only the address where the incident took place, not even mentioning an abortion was involved. I feel that abortions should be illegal just because of cases just like this one many other cases happen just like this one all the time. Why put yourself through an abortion when you could get help taking care of your child. There are more than 3,200 crisis pregnancy centers across the nation offering women the choice not to abort their children. These centers offer everything to carry the baby to term: cloths, furniture, parenting classes, and a very important thing, love. If these centers are out there then why would anyone want to abort a preborn child. When an abortion is performed at a non hospital the average cost was $296 as of 1993(Jacobs, Landes, Siegel, 1996) . The farther along you get in the pregnancy the more expensive the abortion cost. When an abortion is performed in a hospital the average cost was $1,757 as of 1993(Jacobs, Landes, Siegel, 1996). Paying for the abortion could get expensive and be a burden. Some private insurers will cover abortion expenses. Most middle class women can usually afford an abortion, but is often a burden for poorer women. For women whose lives were endangered by rape or incest 99 percent of the abortions are government funded. Abortions should be performed in the first trimester by vacuum aspiration (suction). The physician widens the cervix and inserts a tube into the uterus. The tube is connected to a suction machine that empties the contents of the uterus, this procedure takes about five minutes. In the second trimester, a similar procedure called dilation and evacuation (DE) is the most common method. .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8 , .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8 .postImageUrl , .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8 , .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8:hover , .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8:visited , .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8:active { border:0!important; } .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8:active , .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8 .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u42d46b1ed9dc0fb300b936d7ec705ca8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Courtly Love and Social Institutions Essay The reason a different procedure is because the fetus is larger and the cervix must dilate. The process of dilation can take several hours or even overnight. Once the cervix is dilated, a suction machine is used to empty the uterus. Sometimes the physician scrapes the lining of the uterus to make sure the fetus is totally removed. Abortions performed later in the second trimester, physicians use medical induction which is when a saline solution is injected into the uterus, causing contractions to expel the fetus(Family, 1998, February). After reading how an abortion is done this sound like it would be very painful and uncomfortable. If something goes wrong you could die from this procedure so why even put yourself though this instead use your head before you loose your life. When performing a late term/partial-birth abortion a technique called the Dilation and Extraction (DX) is used. This involves two days of dilation of the cervix. Then an ultrasound probe is used to find the lower extremities of the unborn baby. Large grasping forceps are worked through the mothers vaginal and cervical canals and into her uterus. With the forceps a leg of the infant is pulled into the mothers vagina. Then the surgeon uses his fingers to deliver the opposite lower extremity, then the torso, the shoulders, and the upper extremities(Family, 1998, February). The skull lodges at the internal cervical. While clutching the babys shoulders, the abortionist takes a pair of blunt curved Metzenbaum scissors. Carefully he advances the tip curved down along the spine and under his middle finger until he feels it contact the base of the skull. Then the scissors are forced into the base of the skull after safely entered in the skull the scissors are spread to enlarge the opening. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted into the hole and the content in the skull is evacuated. With the catheter still in place traction is applied to the fetus removing it completely from the patient(Family, 1998, February). This procedure is very sick how could anyone think of sticking a baby with scissors and killing it when it is almost ready to be born. Anyone to do this has to be sick, if an abortion is going to be done it should never wait this long. Abortions should never have to take place anyway if good enough to have sex then you are good enough to have a baby. Going through each one of these steps just makes you ask why over and over especially the partial-birth. The baby has never done anything wrong it was the mothers fault and the baby has no chance. Abortions should be illegal no one except rape or incest patients should have them. After finding out that nearly 4,400 legal abortion occur each day in the United States, this is a very high number of babies that never make it into the world they are just killed. Reference Brooklyn Woman Dies from Legal Abortion, Police Engage in Cover Up. Retrieved February 23, 2000, From the World Wide Web http://www. roevwade.org/rvw//.html Jacobs, N.R. , B.A., M.A. , Landes, A., B.A., Siegal, M. A., PhD (1996). Abortion an Eternal Social and Moral Issue. New York: New York Status of Abortion in America. (1998, February) Family, 1-3

Analyzing The Interfaces of Coca Cola Company †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Analyzing Interfaces of Coca Cola Company. Answer: Introduction Coca-Cola Company was started many years back and the company has seen tremendous growth since then. The companys history dates back to the year 1886 where John Pemberton a drug specialist had some interest to transform peoples lives positively. While making some fragrant mix-up i.e. a fluid called caramel hued he decided to share the fluid with Jacob a pharmacist. The fluid was mixed up by some carbonated water in the pharmacy and some clients after tasting it concluded that it was a beverage (Coca-Cola Company, 2013). Thats how Coca-Cola came to existence. The beverage was given the name Coca-Cola by Frank Robinson. The company is headquartered in Atlanta Georgia with co-partners close to 93,000. Currently the company is ranked as one of the biggest companies in the world selling refreshments. It has its operations in more than 200 countries and its market portfolio has more than 3000 drinks. The drinks are refreshments and sparkling juices like squeezes, water, espressos and bever ages. Coca-Cola company and operation infrastructure Coca-Cola Companys mission is to ensure the world is refreshed in the mind, body and spirit. The company also works towards inspiring moments of happiness ad optimism using their brands and actions also to create value and make a difference in the lives of their customers. However the company does not operate minus competition and its key competitors include Nestle S.A., PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Snapple group (Coca-Cola Company, 2013). The interfaces Interfacing among departments at Coca-Cola Company contributes greatly to their success in the beverage industry. The impact brought by logistics department to other departments cannot be assumed since this department is at the core of business operations. Interface between logistics and other departments at Coca-Cola Company Interface logistics with marketing department Marketing department plays great roles in regards to the branding and advertisement of various Coca-Cola products (Mollenkopf, Russo and Frankel, 2007b). This department however has to work in coordination with the logistics department to ensure success. If these two departments work together, hidden problems are likely to be uncovered and thus lead to an increase in customer satisfaction. This will also affect efficiency which will be greater and raise profit potentials. Logistics is the other half of marketing department and vice versa. This is because both departments work towards putting the end product into the hands of the end user who is the consumer. Looking at the marketing mix i.e. product, promotion, price and place its obvious that the buyer cannot buy any product of this company regardless of the efforts put in by the marketing department unless the product is physically and conveniently available for purchase which is the role of the logistics department (Mollenkopf et al., 2007b). Interface logistics with production department: Production department survives in the traditional sketch of the logistics system. This indication is often clearly stipulated in a flow diagram with detailed examinations (Charlesworth, 2009). Its therefore the role of the logistics manager to take keen interest in the system and work with an aim of not dictating the matters relating to the production system but only offer the needed assistance. With production and logistics there is a need to understand the impact of customized logistical designs on the overall performance of the company. Logistics department thus shares many responsibilities with production department (Sheth Uslay, 2007). Logistics department is tasked with overseeing transport activities, management of inventory and warehousing activities while production oversees the companys activities that ensure products are manufactured on time, manipulating of materials needed in the production exercise, quality control and overall maintenance. For manufacturing to be effic ient the process of production and logistics has to be well coordinated and the interface has to generate positive energy. Interface logistics and finance/ accounting department Finance department ensures activities within the companies are run smoothly because its the sector that deals with payment of workers, clearance of customer orders, purchase of equipment at the company and payment of suppliers on time (Schramm and Morschett, 2006). This department interfaces a lot with logistics department because for any activity to be done at the logistics department money has to be released by the accountants. For example any delays in the procurement department as a result of failure on the finance sector to release money leads to slugging of the entire processes done at the logistics department. Management of inventory by the logistics department is dependent upon the finance people to ensure stock is replaced on time and all the suppliers are paid with no balances (Wagner and Bode, 2008). Failure on the accounts department to update their records means some equipment may be delayed to be bought as per the request from production department and in return slow th e entire efforts of meeting the demands of their clients. Four Steps of Order Cycle for the company Order cycle simply means the process in which an order from the clients or customers is processed by the company (Delmas and Montiel, 2009). This process is often done in an orderly manner from the transmittal stage, processing, picking and packaging and then delivery of the order to the customer Order transmittal This is where a customer makes some request for certain products from the company could be coke zero fizzy drinks. This application is done online by filling a form. The orders are placed via an electronic data system (Lusch, Vargo and OBrien, 2007). The purchaser prints out the purchase order (PO) and makes it available to the authorized personnel at the various outlets of Coca-Cola Company so as to have it approved. Once the order has been approved, the PO is emailed to the suppliers. Purchasing order sample Order processing These are the activities that aim at completing the order received from the customer. The activities here include the role of production department which monitors completion of the order processing in an accurate manner and delivery of the finished products to the customers (Delmas and Montiel, 2009). In this stage its the responsibility of the accounts department to ensure the customer has paid for the requested products and the customer order is entered into the system. The marketing department is tasked with the role of designing the products according to the clients requirements. It also works towards enhancing long-term relationship with its customers the logistics department is then supposed to pick the purchased products and pack them ready for transportation to the customer (Grnroos, 2007). It also stocks up the shortage inventory within the shortest time possible. Transportation department then arranges for the delivery of the products with the appropriate transport means de pending on the fragility of the products and the weight as well as the urgency for delivery. Order picking and packaging The store department is at this stage in possession of the material list form the production department after clearance by the accounts department. The store manager collects the required products to either deliver them to the production department if its for manufacturing or to the transport department if they are to be delivered to a customer. All the accuracy has to be observed by cross checking the request list before releasing the required products. The store manager then checks the inventories for the stock out (Delmas and Montiel, 2009). Its the decision of the store manager to request the purchasing department for restock of the products that have been taken by the production department or customer. Once al the required products are received by the production department it commences the production exercise and the finished products are transferred to the logistics department for delivery to the customer (Carter and Easton, 2011). Upon receiving the products from the producer the logistics department prints out barcodes and pastes on each packaging in a serialized manner. They then enclose the packaging list in the delivery order. Order delivery Its the final phase in the order cycle system. The right shipping mode is selected by the logistics manager to deliver the goods (Mentzer, Stank and Esper, 2008). They then arrange for transportation means as well as carrier time. They make a follow up until the goods are delivered to the customer. In case of any lost goods the logistics department takes the responsibility of tracing them back. Therefore the safe and timely delivery of goods to the clients is the role of the logistics department. Order delivery sample Recommendations The order cycle for Coca-Cola company as it is quite efficient however its recommended that the company invests heavily on the current technology in product delivery so as to cut down on extra expenses as a result of doing work manually as well as to save on time and resources. The company should maximize on the use of enterprise resource planning system for the tracking of its activities in the order cycle. Inventory management The role of inventory management is purely allocated to logistics department at Coca-Cola Company. This sector is very important in ensuring the companys records are up to date when it comes to in and out stocks. The personnel in charge of this sector have to ensure the company is stocked in line with the demands on the market. This is done so as to avoid overstocking which may lead to products going bad or under stocking which may fail to meet the customers demands on the market. Therefore a lot of capital is usually invested in inventory (Larson, Poist and Halldosson, 2007). A lot of cash can be tied up by the products if the inventory system is not well managed. Inventory in most cases takes up warehouse space, requires good handling and can spoil or even go out of style or even lost and to some extend stolen if the management is not careful. The manual means of handling inventory is likely to lead to data entry errors, mistakes in shipping and lack of knowledge on what should be done in terms of restocking the warehouse (Larson et al., 2007). This explains why inventory management at Coca-Cola Company is done using current means of technology with minimal paper works involved. This company uses continuous review systems to order items with the same quantity every time an order is placed. However inventory levels are always monitored and incase the quantity of an item drops below the set levels the stock has to be replenished (Krasnikov, Satish and Kumar, 2009). A cycle counting program is also in place to ensure the companys cycles count. The counting frequency, counting strategy and whoever is in charge are key things that the company considers while using the program. An inventory management system has been put in place so as to know the most important inventory levels that are beneficial to the flow of the business. I mportant data is tracked and such data include sales patterns, seasonality and the previous turnovers (Martinsen and Huge-Brodin, 2010). This enables the company to make more educated decisions regarding the business. Inventory management system flow-sample The company has embraced an early implementation of quality control strategies and this has had direct linkages to customer satisfaction and also growth of the company business (Lin Ho, 2008). Quality control activities involves things like asking workers to check for any signs of damage, ensure the product colors, styles and sizes are of good and right quality as well as crosschecking the terms of sale and prices. The inventory activities should not be impacted on negatively by the warehouse environment and therefore light, humidity and temperature are always right for Coca-Cola products storage (Homburg and Ove, 2007). A good inventory management should ensure the company optimizes on the stock levels and this is what Coca-Cola has always aimed at achieving. This is because it boosts efficiency and meets the customers demands that are always changing. When inventory control is giving first priority glaring inefficiencies at the company can be avoided and thus help the company to p repare accurately for the future. Conclusion From the operations of Coca-Cola company its evident that logistics department plays important roles in ensuring the success of the business. However its important to note that this department cannot operate on its own and therefore there has to exists a positive interface coexistence between logistics and departments such as production, marketing and finance. Once these departments work in coordination success is something inevitable. The order cycle also has to be done effectively with minimal delays in the process so as to retain their customers and improve on product and service deliver. All these activities at the company can be effectively done if inventory services are managed well. This is because its through inventory that one is able to tell how well the company is selling its products to the end user i.e. customer. References Carter C.R. and Easton P.L.(2011). Sustainable supply chain management: Evolution and future directions. International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management 41(1):4662. DOI: 10.1108/09600031111101420 Charlesworth, A. (2009). Internet marketing: a practical approach. Slovenia: Butterworth- Heinemann. Coca-Cola Company. (2013). About Us. Retrieved from https://www.thsblazers.com/marenas/coke/history.htm May 17, 2017 Delmas M.A and Montiel I.(2009). Greening the Supply Chain: When Is Customer Pressure Effective? Journal of Economics Management Strategy 18(1): 171201. DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9134.2009.00211.x Grnroos, C. (2007). Service management and marketing. Customer management in service competition. Chichester: Wiley. Homburg, C. and Ove J. (2007), The Thought Worlds of Marketing and Sales:Which Differences Make a Difference? Journal of Marketing, 71 (3), 124142. Krasnikov, A., Satish J. and Kumar, V. (2009), The Impact of Customer Relationship Management Implementation on Cost and Profit Efficiencies: Evidence from the U.S. Commercial Banking Industry, Journal of Marketing, 73 (6), 6176. Larson, P.D., Poist, R.F. and Halldosson, A . (2007), "Perspectives on logistics vs. supply chain management", Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 1-24 Lin, C. Ho, Y. (2008), "An Empirical Study on Logistics Service Providers Intention to Adopt Green Innovations", Journal of technology management innovation, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 17-26. Lusch, R., Vargo, S. and OBrien, M. (2007), Competing through service: insights from service dominant logic, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 83 No. 1, pp. 5-18. Martinsen, U. Huge-Brodin, M. (2010), "Greening the offerings of logistics service providers", in: Stentoft Arlbjrn, J., (Ed.), The 22nd Annual NOFOMA Conference Logistics and Supply Chain Management in a Globalised Economy, pp. 969-984. Mentzer, J., Stank, T. and Esper, T. (2008), Supply chain management and its relationship to logistics, marketing, production and operations management, Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 29 No. 1, pp. 31-45. Mollenkopf, D.A., Russo, I. and Frankel, R. (2007b). The returns management process in suppl chain strategy. International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management 37 (7), 568592. Schramm-K. and Morschett, P. (2006); The Relationship between Marketing Performance,Logistics Performance and Company Performance for Retail Companies. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research. v.16, n. 2, p. 277, 2006. Sheth, J. N., Uslay, C. (2007). Implications of the revised definition of marketing: From exchange to value creation. Journal of Public Policy Marketing, 26(2), 302307. Wagner, S.M. and Bode, C. (2008). An empirical examination of supply chain performance along several dimensions of risk. Journal of Business Logistics 29 (1), 307325

Im Sexy and I know it by LMFAO free essay sample

I use to think that the only song with more male nudity then female was Right Said Freds too sexy, which this song kinda ripped off, but the abominations of music known as LMFAO couldnt let that be so they made this song that Im reviewing today. Visually this song wouldnt be so bad if it was showing something not completely disturbing like their uh wiggling private parts. I think I died a bit after seeing that, but moving on the music is also pretty bad because it repeats the same beat over, and over, and over into oblivion. I think if youve heard any of their other songs you should know that they write lyrics the same way that fire knits sweaters, theyre bad and barely important to the song like this only one I will tell you, I work out, really? That was their choice, to pick something that anyone with eyes could tell is a lie just by looking at their bodies. We will write a custom essay sample on Im Sexy and I know it by LMFAO or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Perhaps a better title would have been, Im ugly and I show it. Last but probably most important is their incredible amount of smugness gets annoying, like the fact that you can outright tell they know that theyre not sexy or good, but they dont care theyre still richer then youll ever be. Oh well, in the end this probably wont change your opinion about it, but thanks for reading anyways.