Obama reform Resuscitates Healthcare leaders to fix core systems

Healthcare leaders in the US have agreed to meet in California at the end of September at The Next Generation Healthcare Summit

There has been much speculation over the recent months on Obama’s new healthcare reform. Media coverage across the globe has detailed both negative and positive opinions, and yet the arguments in the US appear to be escalating. Recent protests against the new President have caused concern to the White House, but where should Obama go from here?

The healthcare system in America is in need of addressing, but it appears that whichever direction Obama takes, criticism is not far behind. It seems to be a case of management versus leadership and in light of this, Healthcare leaders in the US have agreed to meet in California at the end of September at The Next Generation Healthcare Summit, to discuss the future of their businesses and the healthcare system.

Impresarios such as Dr. Divya Shroff - Associate Chief of Staff - Informatics, for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Dr. Phillip Smith - CMIO of Adventist, Bill Ferra - CMIO & VP of Medical Technology for UPMC, Dr. William Bria - CMIO for Shriners Hospital, and Sunmay Mukhopadhyay – CIO for the LA County Department of Health Services, have all confirmed attendance amongst 50 other Healthcare visionaries from across the country.

As healthcare costs continue to rise, health providers are feeling a sharp sense of urgency in deploying information technology to lower costs, reduce medical errors, enhance outcomes and spur efficiency in this crumbling industry. It is obviously not going to solve all the problems facing the Obama Administration at the moment. But if the Healthcare sector can start working at its core, by reducing errors and creating a much more efficient system, a reformation may be able to take place. The question is, will it be too late for Obama?

Obama’s ‘Greener Dollar’ creates a State lottery

North America’s Leading Utility bosses meet at the NGU Summit to talk about real solutions

Recent reports have shown that the Utilities industry in America is struggling. Profits in the second quarter have fallen and experts say it may not be until 2011 that any improvements can be seen. Consumer demand has decreased dramatically since the economic crisis first began, as housing and commercial construction markets have seen a severe drop in business.

But is there too much pressure on the industry during the downturn? Most sectors are struggling just to make ends meet, and yet Utilities are still expected to spend money on innovating new and renewable energy supplies with the knowledge that Government funding can only go so far. With the economic crisis looming over the globe, can the industry help produce a ‘Greener’ world, or will their attempts sink profits lower creating a collapse in the system?

On the flip side, some companies are beginning to reap in the positives of Obama’s reform where funding has been made available for them to innovate new renewable energy. They are thriving under the ‘greener’ resources readily available to them to undercut competitors and lower the prices for the consumer in their area. The problem is alternative energy resources differ dramatically geographically based on the environmental limitations. There may be a substantial amount of funding available for innovation, but it depends on where each utility company is based as to whether or not they can use it to their advantage.

With this in mind, Utility leaders are meeting in California to discuss renewable energy strategies and future plans to increase profits at the industry leading Next Generation Utilities Summit. Leaders in the industry across America will gather to discuss the positive and negative impact Obama’s ideology has had on their businesses, and how as a nation we can move forward. Impresarios such as Andres Carvallo, CIO of Austin Energy, Scott Kicker - VP Engineering & Construction for AES Corporation, Cris Eugster - EVP & Chief Sustainability Officer for CPS Energy, Thomas Fair - VP Renewable Energy for NV Energy and Raman Raj, COO of Los Angeles Department of Water &Power are amongst 50 other industry visionaries to confirm attendance.

In a world where utilities, power and energy have the potential to change the way we operate, it is rare that the people who actually make it happen take the time to talk about real solutions. Many different companies will need to work together in order create a ‘path to smarter power’ that will support all American States. Platforms like the NGU Summit need to become available to the industry’s figureheads for discussions and collaborations to occur more frequently, especially as profits in certain areas are evidently not rising.

The future of Utilities - a single EU energy market?

The Capacity Allocation Service Company for the Central West European Electricity market (CASC-CWE) has integrated the five electricity markets of Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and The Netherlands into one.
Corne Meeuwis, CEO, CASC-CWE believes the results – increased liquidity and competition in the five markets, and resolution to the problem of scarce capacity – will speak for themselves in the next 6-12 months.

In an interview for MeettheBoss.com, he explains that the success of CASC-CWE has led to other countries seeking a similar solution: “The central east region is in the process of setting up an auction office like CASC [and] there is a discussion going on in the central south regions.”

Clearly the next question is why have three capacity allocation services? Meeuwis feels there is a “strong drive for one European energy market”, and this may result in a sector-changing shake out.

“Today there are multiple power exchanges dealing with the day ahead markets and focusing on intra-day activities. Perhaps in the future there will be simply one organization,” he says.

“There is a fundamental question underlying all of this: how should you regard these kind of activities. Are they commercial activities? Then there will be a shake-out. Or should you consider this as a regulated business, like Transmission Systems Operators are a regulated business.” He continues: “And if it’s decided to go in that direction, well you will see all these organizations have to move into one bigger organization.”

Either way, it looks like there are plenty of changes ahead for Europe’s energy utilities.


Watch the full interview: http://www.meettheboss.com/Broadcast-Player.aspx?Play=1&MediaID=122

African Telecom – The Time is now

Improved communications could soon see Africa’s business profile escalate - But is the Industry up for the challenge

The Telecommunication industry in Africa has experienced explosive growth over the last decade and is unquestionably amongst the most exciting regions for Telco solution providers right now.

However, communication throughout the continent cannot be solved quickly and will not be driven by one company alone. In order for the Telecom market to rise, competition, and most importantly collaboration between service providers and operators needs to be addressed and the creation of a stable environment for foreign investment is key.

The Next Generation Telecom Summit taking place in Nairobi at the beginning of October is aiming to provide such an environment. The NGT Summit will focus on how to improve communications and will become the main platform for international telecom visionaries to discuss innovation in the industry and lead Africa through the global economic crisis.

Confirmed attendees include Christopher Anthony Gabriel, CEO Africa, Zain Africa; Alieu Conteh, Chairman of Vodacom Congo; Hans Paulsen, CCO, Uganda Telecom; Mickael Ghossein, CEO, Telkom Kenya; Sameer Dave, Group Executive & CEO, Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation; and Diego Gutierrez, COO Ghana, Millicom International Cellular. Other Telecom leaders from Cell One, Orange Botswana, Virgin Mobile SA and MTN SA are amongst the other 50 visionaries attending.

Major reformation of the Telecom industry is vital for the continent as a whole to move forward. If the leaders of this sector can collaborate effectively and the outcomes bring about new innovations and improved communications, the world could soon see Africa’s business profile escalate within the next year. The potential is high – but is the industry up to the challenge laid out before them?

‘Antiquated’ systems means the Government is not delivering

Dr. Terry Mason, Commissioner for Chicago’s Department of Public Health (CDPH), famously started his tenure by telling City Hall to shape up – but he soon discovered that waistlines weren’t the only thing that needed to be leaner.

Poor organization meant grants were not being used effectively, and service delivery to the public was subsequently below par.

“We had an organization that was a bunch of castles trying to exist in one kingdom, and each castle had its own siloed operation and it duplicated a lot of things,” says Dr. Mason in an interview for MeettheBoss.com.

“Always at the 11th hour we were scrambling because we had unspent grant dollars and because our systems were antiquated, we didn’t know.”

Dr. Mason estimates that some 10% of all healthcare grant dollars were returned.

CHPD was reorganized with “a structure and the technology and a methodology” that means it can still carry out the functionality and the requirements of each of the grantors, explains Dr. Mason, but that 10% is now “almost less than one percent”.

Dr. Mason isn’t finished there: “Government has to figure out how it’s going to make all of that [its grant management data] transparent, not only internally but externally,” he says.

Watch the full interview: http://www.meettheboss.com/Broadcast-Player.aspx?Play=1&MediaID=121

No Money In Voice – Welcome 4G - As profits dwindle, telecom giants join forces at the Next Generation Telecom Summit to cash-in on the new 4G world

The last five years has seen unprecedented change in communications. The European consumer has a plethora of handset choices and packages. The average handset has evolved from the humble voice-box, to the total media centre. As a result thousands of start-up companies are profiting out of the sector’s advances, supplying the various add-ons which inevitably accompany any new wave of technology.

Such innovations were used by the operators to supplement the pricey voice packages as values-add-ons. However, the operators are now finding themselves in the hands of the ever-creative software/hardware companies; they are having to include their own meal ticket - Voice minutes - within the set packages in order to build new custom, which is clearly hurting them. iPhone appstore and Nokia’s Ovi have been the first to take advantage and make millions from the operators’ customer, creating a financial redistribution within the mobile industry. With the telecom giants left to maintain the costly infrastructure that supports this ever growing new-media industry, the outlook for today’s communication service providers is set to get worse in a new 4G world where broadband is everywhere (LTE, WiMax, FTTX and cloud services). How can the giants sustain such costs and avoid being relegated to the sidelines as bit-pipe providers?

Undeterred, the industry has decided to take action. Vodafone have announced the launch of their Appstore which will charge pay-monthly customers for all bought downloads. T-Mobile, Orange and many fixed line/mobile operators across Europe are set to follow suit and have announced a meeting to discuss such technology strategy and new business models at the influential Next Generation Telecom (NGT) Summit in Portugal next month.

Harri Koponen President and CEO of Tele2, Ugo Benzi, Global Chief Client Integration for Telecom Italia and Morten Karlsen Sorby, EVP & COO of Telenor Mobile are amongst 50 other visionary leaders have confirmed attendance, and are set to take a lead in the debate to find a consensus in the new 4G world. They will be joined by impresarios such as Jens Backes, VP of Mobile Broadband for T-Mobile, Ger Coolen, CTO of Vodafone Netherlands, and Pierre Marin, Group IT COO for Orange.

“We are in exciting times for the Telecom industry in Europe, as advances have allowed for diversification into other revenue streams,” says Fraser Jameson – NGT Summit Director. “Transformation to a low-cost operating model isn’t enough to ensure survival for the larger operator, it merely provides an entry ticket to the new digital economy. The real value will be created by continuous innovation and becoming highly customer centric.”

The European Telecom industry awaits with baited breath the results of the summit. Will this redistribution of wealth continue, or can the industry find a solution? If so, what kind of market and business transformation will this unleash?

For more information www.ngtsummit.com