GLOBAL FORUM ON FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) held a policy roundtable on working with faith-based organizations. Over 41 faith-based organizations and 12 U.N. agencies met to agree on priority actions to be pursued jointly in areas such as migration, climate change, HIV and AIDS, women's empowerment, and gender-based violence.
Building on previous consultations, UNFPA has launched the first Global Interfaith Network and Directory for Population and Development, http://www.unfpa.org/public/News/pid/1320, and developed Guidelines for Engaging Faith-based Organizations, http://www.unfpa.org/culture/docs/fbo_engagement.pdf.-News release from [email protected] Accessed 08/06/2009.
TEEN PREGNANCY ON THE RISE?
After decades of decline, the pregnancy rate in the United States among 15- to 19-year-olds increased 3% between 2005 and 2006-the first jump since 1990 according to the Guttmacher Institute, the nation's leading reproductive health think tank. This translates into 743,000 pregnancies among teenagers, or about 7% of women in this age group. The abortion rate also inched up for the first time in more than a decade-rising 1%.
Whether this is a reversal or simply a blip on the radar screen is unknown. Some say the increase points to a failure of abstinence-only programs. Supporters of abstinence programs say the findings provide powerful evidence of the need to continue to encourage delayed sexual activity. Sarah Brown, CEO of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, commented, "Clearly, the nation's collective efforts to convince teens to postpone childbearing must be more creative and more intense-and they must begin today," noting these trends provide those concerned about too-early pregnancy a fresh opportunity to make their case to policymakers, parents, practitioners, and others.-The Washington Post, January 26, 2010, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/01/25/AR2010012503957_2 and The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, January 26, 2010, http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/press/press-release.aspx?releaseID=130/Access.
MEDICAL STUDENTS PROVIDE TMI ONLINE
In an anonymous poll of student affairs administrators from schools across the country, 60% said they were aware of incidents in which medical students had posted unprofessional content online and 13% said the incidents involved breaches of patient confidentiality.
Federal law prohibits disclosing a patient's health information unless the patient has provided consent. Researcher Katherine C. Chretien, MD, of the Washington VA Medical Center, reported to WebMD that online posts by medical students and residents often include descriptions of medical situations that could identify a patient, even when the patient is not named. "We need to do a better job of making medical students aware of what is and is not OK," states Chretien. "Keeping a patient's name out of a post may not be enough."
http://www.webmd.com/medicare/news/20090922/med-students-put-unprofessional-info.
REAL-TIME LOCATION SYSTEMS
A study of the use of a real-time location system (RTLS) indicates the technology can save hospitals significant money, improve clinical outcomes, and boost staff morale. The study, conducted by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, analyzed the use of RadarFind's RTLS system. The results show that the technology saved Southeastern Regional Medical Center nearly $750,000 in indirect costs, as well as reducing the time spent by staff in searching for medical equipment by 96%.
RTLS systems are being activated in hospitals around the country to keep tabs on equipment, from beds and wheelchairs to IV stands. These systems, employing radiofrequency identification technology, allow staff to quickly locate equipment and cut down on wasteful uses or lost items.-http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/study-rtls-technology-can-save-hospitals-ti.
LAUGHTER
"It has been said, quite correctly, that laughter is God's medicine. But sometimes, amid the stresses of the day, we forget to take our medicine. Instead of viewing our world with a mixture of optimism and humor, we allow worries and distractions to rob us of the joy that God intends for our lives."
"Today, as you go about your daily activities, approach life with a smile and a chuckle. After all, God created laughter for a reason. Joyce Meyer writes, 'Laughter is like internal jogging-in many ways as good as physical exercise. '"-From Promises and Prayers for Women, p. 133, Family Christian Press, 2006.