Archive for October, 2007

Integration of Employee, Customer, and Financial Data

Wednesday, October 31st, 2007

By Jan Stringer It is well known that high employee satisfaction contributes significantly to high customer satisfaction, which drives intent to return, and therefore, financial results. High employee satisfaction expresses itself as enthusiasm in one’s work, which directly impacts the experience of the customer. Likewise, high customer satisfaction expresses itself as enthusiasm toward a particular organization, its products or services, which directly impacts the intent to return rate. It is a short leap, then, to understand how a high intent to return rate among customers impacts financial results. But with so many variables affecting employee and customer satisfaction, how does one determine those of greatest importance, so that interventions aimed at increasing satisfaction are of maximum effectiveness? The answer is in the root cause analysis derived from employee and customer survey data. We begin by acknowledging the fact that we are assessing ‘human perceptions’ when we conduct customer surveys and employee satisfaction surveys and that to each person, perceptions of the way things are create a personal reality. Right or wrong, Perception = Reality. In addition, some perceptions dominate and propel (’drive’) other perceptions, and perceptions as a whole determine human behavior. The employee root cause analysis is designed to identify those perceptions in the employee population that drive the greatest number of other perceptions to the greatest extents, because it is those core, or root, perceptions that are driving employee behavior. With appropriate interventions to the root perceptions, or root causes of employee behavior, we change the perceptions and therefore, the behavior. The Root Cause Analysis involves high-level statistical analyses, such as correlations, stepwise linear regression analyses (modified, proprietary), and psychological path analyses. We require a confidence level of 99.99% and a sampling error of less than 1% in these analyses. From this process, we are able to identify the one, two, or three overriding perceptions commonly held by each population that are driving behavior, and with appropriate interventions to just these one to three issues, Clients experience increases in 40% to 80% of all issues addressed by the employee survey. The same is true of customer surveys. The customer root cause analysis can assess the perceptions of customers and identify those that drive customer behavior. From the correlations, regressions, and path analyses, we identify the one, two, or three overriding perceptions commonly held by each customer population that are driving behavior. With appropriate interventions to just these one to three issues, Clients experience increases in 40% to 80% of all issues addressed by the customer survey. The ‘third leg of the stool,’ so to speak, is to identify those employee attitudes, opinions, or beliefs (perceptions) that drive employee behaviors directly impacting customer intent to return. This analysis process is similar, although all employee data is correlated and regressed against only the customer data relating to intent to return. These root causes are almost always different from those driving employee satisfaction. So, clients are now armed with extremely powerful means of simply and directly impacting customer intent to return, and therefore, financials: Root causes of employee perceptions that will increase employee satisfaction (and indirectly increase customer satisfaction), Root causes of customer perceptions that will increase customer satisfaction and intent to return, and Root causes of employee perceptions that will increase customer intent to return. Each Root Cause Analysis, whether employee or customer or both, is unique to the client organization. No two RCAs are the same. As Organizational Psychologists, we understand that these all-important employee and customer perceptions are a function of the culture, climate, management style, communication styles, and other dynamics within each unique organization. In addition, as targeted interventions improve certain organizational dynamics, root causes will change. It is imperative, therefore, that action be taken quickly in order to attain the intrinsic dramatic gains of the process, and that the momentum of continuous improvement be ingrained in the psyche of the organization, beginning with Senior Management. When recommendations are followed, the Total Organization Scores from the Employee and Customer Surveys will each increase a minimum of five (5) normative percentiles within 6 months, which represents a statistically significant difference, i.e., not due to chance, but rather, caused by direct intervention. Dr. Jan Stringer has over 20 years of experience in survey design and implementation. She is also the founder of the National Business Research Institute, Inc. Click here to view a free Web-based Employee Attitude Survey Demo Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jan_Stringer http://EzineArticles.com/?Integration-of-Employee,-Customer,-and-Financial-Data&id=260839 zolpidem sale online what is ambien and stilnox the same ambien pharmacy online buy zolpidem on the net

Start a New Career

Tuesday, October 30th, 2007

By Debra Thorsen After coaching hundreds of people on how to break free from the corporate world, I have created 7 fundamental practices to help you successfully start a new career. I share them with you here. 1. Center Yourself When you are trying to start a new career, you may encounter inner resistance and self-doubt. Before self-talk sabotages your dreams, learn to disconnect from your negative thought patterns. I recommend centering throughout the day to help you be a kind and patient observer of your thoughts. Learning to center will help you to stay positive and relaxed. Meditation, walks at lunchtime, yoga, and focused breathing can help you to stay centered throughout the day. 2. Focus on the Positive Television broadcasters, newspapers, and magazines make their money on advertising. They sell advertising by focusing on the negative and what is not working in the world. Turn off your TV. Stop reading newspapers and news magazines. Surround yourself with positive people. Read autobiographies of people you admire and who have overcome adversity. If you pay attention to negative thoughts and events, you will attract negativity into your life. Stay focused on the positive. 3. Live from purpose and commitment Do you have a personal mission statement? What is your purpose in life? Does your work forward that purpose? Spend some moments on reflection and create inspiring and exciting purpose and mission statements for yourself. 4. Perform essential actions that are on-purpose If you are living from purpose and commitment, then it is much easier to stay focused on essential actions that will further your purpose and to eliminate actions that dont help you to achieve your purpose. 5. Have the courage to live your truth Many people waste time avoiding negative consequences instead of pursuing possibilities. Pursuing possibilities takes courage. Our definition of courage is staying true to your values no matter who disagrees. It also means being open to the world, not closed in a loop of habitual thinking and behavior. 6. Jealously Guard your Energy Evaluate all of the relationships and activities in your life based upon whether they give you energy or take your energy. Eliminate activities that take your energy. Eliminate negative people. Try to shift relationships that take your energy or limit your exposure to these people. To start a new career takes lots of energy. Jealously guard your energy during this critical time and eliminate all energy vampires. 7. Be grateful I believe that we have all chosen to be here in this physical world. Our non-physical being chose to manifest here and now. And every day that you walk on this earth is a miracle. Count your blessings. If you find yourself in despair or unable to get out of a funk, start keeping a gratitude journal. Every evening before you go to sleep, spend some time counting your blessings. What are you grateful for in your life? You can do this as a mental exercise or you can start keeping a gratitude journal. Every day, write down five things that you are grateful for. You might be surprised by how abundant your life really is. Find out how to break free from the corporate world. Debra Thorsen is a happy corporate escapee who helps individuals create real wealth and happiness without 9 to 5 jobs. Visit http://fearlessguides.com for free tips on career change, wealth building, and living without fear. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debra_Thorsen http://EzineArticles.com/?Start-a-New-Career&id=95125 buy low cost carisoprodol carisoprodol domain online smtp ru carisoprodol onlinereltopnet order site where buy carisoprodol

8 Reasons Why you May Not be Losing Any More Weight

Monday, October 29th, 2007

By Wayne Mcgregor 1. Drinking too much alcohol or pop.Although there is no fat in most alcoholic drinks they contribute to fat gain because of the calorie content of alcohol. The energy in alcohol must be burned immediately, while your body is busy burning the extra calories from the drink your body will have no choice but to store most other the calories ingested from healthy meals. Alco-pops are even worse they supply calories through the alcohol AND tons of extra energy through the added sugars. Even normal pop or soda should be cut out or at least severely restricted because of the effects on blood sugar levels. You should be drinking more bottled water instead of soda if you want to keep losing fat weight. 2. Too little exercise or less effective routines.We all know we need to exercise in order to stay trim but many people still dont do enough activity to burn off the energy from food or overcome a slow metabolism. You should strive to be active for the most part of your waking hours, or exercising for 20-30 minutes at least 3 times a week. If youre very overweight and struggle to exercise then you need to be doing more low level recreational activities. Many people get fed up with going to the gym and doing the same old routine. When a routine becomes boring you should change it as constantly repeating the same routine can ruin its fat loss potential. Our body adapts very well to exercise and repeating something your body can complete easily wont cause any physical changes. Yes, you will still burn calories but if your body has adapted to your present, daily calorie intake then youll not lose any more weight. A great way to boost results is to re-challenge the body by trying different kinds of activities; swimming, ice skating, dancing salsa or even rock climbing. If an activity becomes fun youll do it for longer and end up burning much more energy to lose weight. 3. A reduced metabolismLow calorie diets tend to work well during the first few weeks then they become ineffective for losing further weight. The reason is they cause the metabolism to slow down, thus your body adapts to the limited calorie intake. If you respond by lowering your calorie intake further youll probably end up losing even more muscle and hitting a weight loss plateau again. This cycle may continue until your resolve finally breaks and you go back to your previous eating habits. The secret is to lower intake slightly while providing good nutrition with plenty of protein to limit muscle loss. Doing some weight training will help boost the metabolism and speed fat loss. 4. Skipping meal too oftenIt sounds simple, if we eat less we should lose weight. For this reason many people skip meals but the body responds by going into starvation mode, the muscles break down in order to maintain the amino acid pool, the result is a lowered metabolism. Also if you let your blood sugar drop too low youll end up with strong hunger pains and probably end up eating far too much at the next meal. Try to eat healthy, small meals or snacks 5 6 times a day, starting with a good breakfast that contains good quality protein. Learn to stabilize blood sugar levels through the G.I. way of eating 5. Eating too much sugar and saltExcess sugar and salt are often combined together in many processed foods. Eating too much sugar in one meal causes increased blood sugar levels; the body must respond and lower it back to normal. The result is most of the excess sugar is eventually stored as body fat. This is where some people get confused because they eat sugary foods or drink lots of soda which contain little fat content, and dont realize how it can cause fat storage. Salt can be confusing too because it contains no energy but can result in weight gains, albeit water gain! Salt causes the body to hold water so too much salt makes some people believe theyre getting fatter. Its possible to be carrying an extra 5 pounds of weight just through consuming too much salt in the diet. Remember to cut down on processed, convenient foods; try to follow a diet plan full of natural, unprocessed foods. 6. Not drinking enough waterDuring an average day many ordinary people become slightly dehydrated because they lose more fluid than they drink; they often dont realize it because the thirst centre is not very accurate. Sometimes dehydration can cause hunger pains as many of us obtain a large proportion of the daily water supply from foods. If you dont drink much water and seem to be frequently hungry your body may be craving the water rather than food. Water also helps boost energy levels so you can workout more effectively to burn extra calories and lose weight. You should be drinking 8 large glasses of water every day. 7. Incorrect portion sizesWhen dieting to lose weight the old philosophy still rings true eat less to lose weight. Although you shouldnt skip meals, as discussed in point 4, the answer may be to eat little and often. Eating more meals or snacks must means small sized portions! 8. Unrealistic GoalsSetting goals that are too difficult to achieve or goals that are totally unrealistic is a common reason for failure to lose weight. Its silly trying to get the figure of a super model if you have an endomorph body type. Achieving your goals is important for continued success. If you dont reach your goal you may end up feeling like a failure and this can cause some people to comfort eat. Aim for small, easily obtainable goals to help build some momentum for success. Losing the recommended 2 pounds each week may sound too slow but at least you should be able to achieve this target without difficulty, then youll feel like a winner, and youll be one step closer to your main goal too! Wayne Mcgregor has written hundreds of articles on ways to lose weight. His website provides tons of free weight loss information and help. http://www.weightlossforall.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Mcgregor Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Mcgregor http://EzineArticles.com/?8-Reasons-Why-you-May-Not-be-Losing-Any-More-Weight&id=177282 where to buy phentermine without buy phentermine on line without prescription no prescription for phentermine buy phentermine us

Nine and a Half Ways to Get Yourself Fired From an IT Department

Sunday, October 28th, 2007

By Gerry McLaughlin There are a lot of fools around who will do many of these things automatically without this advice. Perhaps this advice may make them think twice. 1. Produce work that constantly falls over in Systems Testing and in Production. 2. When the manager gives his weekly/monthly talk to the department, make sarcastic comments to those nearest to you that the management cant hear (or so you think). 3. Under pressure, put a couple of changes into Production untested. After all the back-ups are run, the program falls over again, and there is no time for a further back-up. Systems will be up late in the morning, and the big boss will be telling your boss to make sure it doesnt happen again. He will not be very pleased with you to say the least. 4. Use your lunchtimes (and work times) to look at porn on the net. The Internet is not very secure and Technical Support is normally the biggest rumormongers and gossipmongers in the building. 5. Keep checking your share prices on the Internet or over the phone and tell your fellow workers things like, I made five grand today. 6. At the Christmas Party make a play for your bosss wife, challenge him to a fight when he complains, or better yet, say he is no good at his job in front of his wife and those who work for him. He wont get rid of you right away. That would be too obvious. Hell wait for just enough time to elapse so that it doesnt seem that hes dumping you for that reason. Certainly, dont expect a contract renewal if you are a contractor. 7. Go behind your bosss back to your big boss. Rat your boss off for incompetence, giving examples. The Big Cheese now has to decide whether your boss goes or you go and youre the hot favorite. The Big Chief wont like employing someone who does the dirty on his bosses. After all he might be next. 8. Refer to the full time employees as Permies and make derogatory comments about their abilities. They have better access to the boss than you have and will use it. 9. Have a go at one of the senior users on your project (preferably the Project Sponsor) saying that he or she knows nothing about IT and would be much better to leave the project to you and your colleagues. It is better to do it while the IT manager is there, too. 10. Bring disks or CDs into work that you dont bother to check for viruses. Eventually you will bring one in that will infect everything. Better yet, if the CD doing the infecting is a porn CD. Ive seen all of these things happen. I wonder if our readers have seen them happen too or can add fresh ones to the list. Gerry McLaughlin has fulfilled every role in Software Development from Trainee Programmer through Systems and Business Analysis, Project Leader and Manager, Systems Manager and Chief Information Officer with a department of 80 people. Tens of thousands of IT Contractors visit http://www.ITContractor.com each month to keep themselves in touch with the market. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerry_McLaughlin http://EzineArticles.com/?Nine-and-a-Half-Ways-to-Get-Yourself-Fired-From-an-IT-Department&id=181822 soma carisoprodol buy diazepam online buy mexican valium online pharmacy valium carisoprodol diazepam online pharmacy

Being A Friend Through A Divorce

Saturday, October 27th, 2007

By Kim Dziobak We used to joke amongst the couples we are close to, “who would get custody of the friends in a divorce”. We are a very close group of friends that met in college around 20 years ago, and have remained close through many of lifes changes and transitions. Never did we think that our joke would have to eventually be addressed. The day that my best friend told me that her marriage was in trouble was devastating. Here was a couple that we shared our lives with. Her husband and mine had been roommates the same year that she and I lived together in college. We stood up in each others weddings. We were godparents for one of their boys, they godparents to our son. He helped us build our house. We spent weekends together, holidays, birthdays. Suddenly all that was going to come to an end and I had to think quickly about how I would find balance between two people that I cared about. Through some trial and error, here are some of the things I learned about being a friend to divorcing friends. A. Listen. It is sometimes very, very difficult, but key. You are not going to solve your friends problems, only they can. Allowing your friends to talk about their feelings, or talk through the situation, helps them to start the process of healing. Remember too that as a listener, sometimes the less said the better. Silence can be one of the strongest coach/counseling tools you have in your arsenal. More healing can be done in the silent times than in the talking. Let there be silence when there isnt anything to say. It is really ok. B. Focus on the person that you are talking to, not the spouse. My friend couldnt change her husbands behavior, but she could change how she was responding to him, or how she internalized the things that he said. These were things she could control and growth she could make. Beating him up behind his back will only go so far in making her feel good. C. Dont play favorites. This was the hardest thing for me and continues to be. My best friend was hurt terribly and I instinctively wanted to protect her and validate her. Though I wouldnt often bad mouth him to her, I would do it to my husband, which made things within our relationship stressful. Even though this divorce was the result of some bad decision making on the part of my friends husband, he was still someone she had devoted her life to for ten years, the father of their children and my husbands friend. I needed to always keep that in mind. If you have to rant and rave negativeness, it is best to find a third party or write in your journal. D. Make sure that you do things with your friend that takes his/her mind off their miseries. If you always get together and just talk about the divorce, soon you will get burned out and your friendship will start to struggle. You need to continue to groom the things that made your friendship strong before the marital problems started. Not to mention that your friend is probably eating, sleeping, living the divorce 24/7 and some time off from that will give them a renewed attitude and help them to see that there will continue to be life after their divorce. E. Find ways to continue traditions and make new ones. My friend and I started to get together for our kids to make gingerbread houses at Christmas time before her divorce began. We still do this and have expanded the day to included going out to cut our Christmas tress and exchange gifts. Even though we know that traditions help to normalize things for kids, they can do the same things for adults and again be a reminder that your friends and family are important. Divorce is a stressful and difficult time for both the couple and their friends. It is not unusual to hear that friends felt inclined to choose one person or the other because the divorce made things uncomfortable. With a little hard work and commitment, friendships can continue to grow, flourish, develop, and be successful. Kim Dziobak is a personal coach dedicated to working with individuals and families. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_Dziobak http://EzineArticles.com/?Being-A-Friend-Through-A-Divorce&id=14504 online order ultram ultram tramadol order buy tramadol without a prescription cheap pharmacy refill tramadol ultram

Grilling Hamburgers and Sittin’ on an Old Ice Cream Freezer

Friday, October 26th, 2007

By Steve Melton Hamburgers, one of my earliest backyard grilling memories. Our Family would get together, usually on the weekends, and have a hamburger and ice cream supper as we say here in Texas. I can fondly remember sitting on top of the old ice cream freezer while my Dad, Uncles and Granddad took turns at spinning the old hand crank attached to the water soaked wooden ice bucket. Today, the hoodless grill would resemble a throw away variety you would take to the beach, but then we were in tall cotton and in for some delicious eating. The ice cream would be flavored most of the time with a can of crushed pineapple. Or, just maybe, someone would have given us some fresh ripe peaches to mash and toss into the vanilla ice cream mixture. Cooking out then was a real big treat for the entire family, always with a lot of laughter, running and playing. Grilling the hamburgers soon became my responsibility, even though I was only about 10 years old at the time. Carefully building the charcoal fire in that old grill we had was a test of my better Boy Scout skills. Once the charcoal was covered in a fine white ash the grilling could begin. The ice cream was being packed in more ice mixed with a generous amount of rock salt mixture to be allowed to season, while we all ate our terrific tasting hamburgers always topped with lettuce, red ripe tomatoes and onions. The catsup bottle would be passed around as everyone would take their turn, shaking or popping the bottom of the bottle to get the thick tomato sauce from the jar. Ribs today are one of my favorite backyard treats, but the hamburgers still to this day come sliding across the plate for a delicious grilling feast. Ah the ribs, good tender slab of ribs with the meat falling off the bone, slathered with a generous portion of smoky chipotle barbecue sauce. Just enough heat in the sauce to add a nice warm blanket right on top of your tongue. Did you know the chipotle is nothing more than the Jalapeno smoked and dried usually with mesquite wood? They are quite delicious giving a nice smoky flavor to your food. Guacamole is also a favorite topping with just about any grilled meat, especially beef, pork or chicken. Creaming those fresh ripe avocados together with a nice garden ripe tomatos, chopped green onions, try a little chopped chipotle as well. Season your delicious concoction with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, toss in some cilantro, salt and pepper and call it a meal by it self. Thick juicy T-Bone steaks are a great treat as well as chicken fajitas. Fun to do because everyone gets to pile their own into a large flour tortilla made just to suit them. Yes grilling is just as much fun today as it was when I was growing up. The old three legged grill has long since been tossed onto the trash heap. Replaced with a big cast iron wood smoker and grill, sure I have a handy gas grill for almost daily use but nothing is better than firing up the old trusty smoker. My great nieces and nephews are now the ones running and playing. They are always beaming with delight as the scoops of homemade fresh peach ice cream is served up with one of Nanas homemade cookies. Someday though I think I will pull out the old hand cranked ice cream freezer. After all, they are missing one of the best parts of the family cookout. Sitting on the old freezer, holding it down while their Dad, Uncle and Granddad take turns cranking the old beast. I wonder if they would sit still that long? Steve Melton, aka, “Capt’n Salsa” has an ever growing collection of delicious homemade salsa recipes. Hungry? Go to the website now and you too will discover your favorite salsa recipe. Mouth-watering Mexican Food, too! Bookmark http://www.great-salsa.com today. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Melton http://EzineArticles.com/?Grilling-Hamburgers-and-Sittin-on-an-Old-Ice-Cream-Freezer&id=99984 where can i order xanax without a prescription online xanax buy xanax mexico xanax online pharmacy

How to Talk so Your Partner Will Listen

Thursday, October 25th, 2007

By Michelle Vasquez If you’re convinced that you and your partner don’t communicate, you may have tried many ways to improve your communication with each other, with poor results. You may think that telling him over and over will do the trick. You may believe that raising your voice will get her to listen. All that results is a shouting match that ends up in hurt feelings and silence, or worse. You are, in fact, communicating. It’s just not working like you want it to. Here is a list of ten ways to improve your interactions with your partner to increase your chances of a successful dialog with each other. Try them out and be patient with yourselves as you begin this journey. Remember, Michael Jordan didn’t become a professional basketball player in a day. It took years of work. So it is with relationships. You learn and work everyday to become the people you want to be, together. Enjoy the journey. It’s worth it! 1. Ask to schedule a time to talk. Wait for an answer and thank your partner for agreeing to a time. 2. Set a time limit. This should be no more than an hour, and preferably 15 to 20 minutes. If your partner realizes that you honor her/his time, she will be more willing to do this again (and perhaps for longer next time). 3. Stick to one topic per conversation. This is easier to do if you set a time limit and stick to it. Otherwise, you risk overwhelming your partner. If you want to talk about another subject, ask your partner if its all right. If not, ask to schedule another time to talk. 4. Timing is everything: Pick a time when you are both well rested and calm. It’s counter-productive to grab your partner as soon as he walks in the door or when she is tired. 5. Use Assertive Language. These are phrases like: “I would like _____________.”"I don’t like ____________.”"I would prefer ___________.”"I feel uncomfortable about ___________.” 6. Request what you would like instead of demand. Use questions like:”How would you feel about __________?”"What do you think about ___________?”"Would you be comfortable with __________?”"Would you consider ____________?” 7. Accept “no” as a valid answer. Your partner has a right to disagree and to say no. When you choose to argue with a “no” answer, youre saying that its not OK for your partner to disagree with you or to say no. 8. Ask for what you want, not what you dont want. This may seem confusing, but if you’re requesting that (not demanding) your partner change behaviors, express it in terms of what you want to happen:”I would like to make the housework more even. I would like to see you do more ___________. What are you willing to do?” 9. Respect yourself and your partner. Beware of statements that begin with “you.” Unless the words “are the most wonderful person in the world,” come next, “you” statements often are blaming, labeling, critical statements. 10. Express your appreciation about the things you like that your partner does. Appreciation is the glue of relationships. Your partner will listen to you easier when you give large doses of appreciation on a regular basis. Caution: it wont work if you only use appreciation when youre trying to get something done (”I love how you wash the dishes so thoroughly. Oh, look, theres a sink full now.”) Remember, these are guidelines to help improve your communication skills. They may seem stiff and artificial at first. Keep trying them out and you will develop your own, more effective style as you practice with the people you care about the most! Michelle E. Vasquez is a Licensed Professional Counselor in San Antonio, TX. She has been in private practice since 2001. She specializes in working with couples with relationship difficulties. Michelle believes that most relationships can be saved, even if only one partner wants to work on improving the relationship. She enjoys helping singles learn how to find the love of their life by teaching them what to look for in a potential partner. She believes that self-growth is of primary importance, since it helps people get close to the people they care about the most. Check out her web site at http://www.michellevasquez.com and sign up for her free newsletter, Relationship Success, today. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Vasquez http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Talk-so-Your-Partner-Will-Listen&id=418194 i want to purchase reductil buy dream meridia online pharmaceutical buy generic meridia wellbutrin both meridia andnot buy cheap pharmacy

New Study Finds Big Pharma Hides Doctor Payoffs Well

Wednesday, October 24th, 2007

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Daly] Joshua Daly A new study by JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) found that even in states such as Minnesota and Vermont where gifts given to doctors by pharmaceutical companies are publicly viewable, documentation is hard to obtain and even harder to decipher. The new study was aimed to determine the accessibility and quality of disclosure data and the number, value, and type of payments of $100 or more to physicians. After research, the study found that in Vermont, drug companies did not release 61% of the payment details to doctors, because they were designated trade secrets. Of the payments that were released, 75% of them were missing information necessary to identify the recipient. In Minnesota, only 25% actually reported in each of the 3 years. JAMA found that, in Vermont, among 12,227 payments totaling $2.18 million publicly disclosed, there were 2416 payments of $100 or more to physicians; total, $1.01 million; median payment, $177 (range, $100-$20,000). In Minnesota, among 6946 payments totaling $30.96 million publicly disclosed, there were 6238 payments of $100 or more to physicians; total, $22.39 million; median payment, $1000 (range, $100-$922,239). Physician-specific analyses were possible only in Minnesota, identifying 2388 distinct physicians who received payment of $100 or more; median number of payments received, 1 (range, 1-88) and the median amount received, $1000 (range, $100-$1 178,203). This could affect you in several ways. First, gifts received by doctors sway what medication doctors are prescribing their patients, not based on the medical need of the patient, but on the personal greed of the physician. Second, excessive advertising to both the consumer and doctors has led to the over inflated price of prescription medication in America. Joshua Daly is the author of many health related articles as well as the President of ePharmacies.com. Joshua’s goal is to help consumers save money and make better informed decisions. Click here for more information on ordering from a discount [http://www.epharmacies.com] online pharmacy. Click here for more information on ordering [http://www.epharmacies.com] online prescriptions from discount pharmacies. Article Source: [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Daly ] http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Daly [http://ezinearticles.com/?New-Study-Finds-Big-Pharma-Hides-Doctor-Payoffs-Well&id=497773 ] http://EzineArticles.com/?New-Study-Finds-Big-Pharma-Hides-Doctor-Payoffs-Well&id=497773 online pharmacy tramadol 24 hours lowest prices buy tramadol without prescription tramadol 90ct no prescription buy cheap xenical vioxx valtrex ultram zyban order online

HIPAA Compliance 101

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007

By Chris Tolamalu What is HIPAA? The U.S. Congress ordained the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in 1996. Title I of HIPAA protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they lose or change their jobs. According to title II of HIPAA, the Administrative Simplification (AS) provisions, requires the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers. The AS provisions also address the security and privacy of health data. The purpose of all these standards is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation’s health care system by encouraging the widespread use of electronic data interchange in health care. The AS provisions are applicable to only covered entities. Covered entities are those health care providers (e.g. doctors offices and hospitals) which engage in electronic transactions as per the HIPAA/EDI rules, health plans (which includes health insurance companies and employer-sponsored group health plans), and health care clearing houses. Applying HIPAA Provisions Certain key provisions need to be followed for HIPAA compliance. Individuals should be able to access their records and request correction of errors. Also, they should be informed about how their personal information will be used. The protected health information (PHI) indicates that the information cannot be used for marketing purposes without the explicit consent of the patients in question. People should be able to ask their covered entities (which maintain PHI about them), to ensure that their communications with the patient are confidential. It should be possible for people to file formal privacy-related complaints to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights. Covered entities should document their privacy procedures, however, they have discretion on what to include in their privacy procedure. Covered entities are required to designate a privacy officer and train their employees. Covered entities can use an individual’s information without the individual’s consent if the purposes is to provide treatment, obtain payment for services and to perform the non-treatment operational tasks of the provider’s business. Chris Tolamalu is interested in HIPAA compliance. See http://www.hipaacompliancejournal.com for more information. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Tolamalu http://EzineArticles.com/?HIPAA-Compliance-101&id=109495 teen incest stories cp 3d incest 3d gay incest erotic stories forced incest

How to Eat Bee Pollen

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

By Laura Hence Before we address the question of how to eat bee pollen, it is best to understand what bee pollen is and where it is derived from. Bee pollen is the pollen that worker bees collect as they fly from flower to flower blossom. The bees collect the pollen on their bodies and on their hind legs. It has been known to contain bee saliva as well as nectar from the flower blossoms that they have visited. Scientifically designed traps that are placed in the entrance of the hive then collect the bee pollen. The trap gently brushes the pollen from the bees as they pass through to enter into the hive. These traps do not brush all the pollen from the bees as the colony in the hive are very dependent on the pollen that worker bees bring back in order to survive. Good, now we have some basic knowledge before we go on to answer the how to eat bee pollen questions. Can You Explain How to Eat Bee Pollen and Bee Pollen Products? There are many different theories and instruction on how to eat bee pollen. This is because there are many different products and dosages available. The reasons for beginning and maintaining a bee pollen therapy regime are different for each person. Some people learn how to eat bee pollen because they have heard it is a weight loss tool. And it is! Bee pollen serves as a natural dietary in that it provides the feeling of fullness after a meal. This is believed to be caused by the body receiving its proper vitamins and nutrients providing a sense of balance and causing the body to not feel hunger urges. Bee pollen also promotes fat burning metabolism and therefore aids in the burning of useless fats. Can You Tell Me How to Eat Bee Pollen With Bee Pollen Allergies?. Regrettably there is no set way on how to eat bee pollen if you suffer from a bee pollen allergy. This is because all bee pollen products naturally contain bee pollen and can cause severe reactions is such individual. The product we personally use, located in the pristine source of New Zealand, is the most natural bee pollen source we have come across - http://www.bee-health-product.com We have been using this supplement for over 3 years with excellent health results. We have achieved a general sense of well being and new improved energy levels. We highly recommend you learn more on our bee pollen supplement of choice for further information. Laura Hence is one of the editors for a series of nutrition web sites. Check out the recommended Bee supplement guide, for more information on bee pollen. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Hence http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Eat-Bee-Pollen&id=467256 buy cheap ambien zolpidem no prescription ambien zolpidem boards online qoclick generic ambien without prescription buy b ambien b