Minnesota: Individual State Report - State Level Field Network Study of the Implementation of the Affordable Care Act

This report is part of a series of 21 state and regional studies examining the rollout of the ACA. The national network -- with 36 states and 61 researchers -- is led by the Rockefeller Institute of Government, the public policy research arm of the State University of New York, the Brookings Institution, and the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.By the end of the second enrollment period in 2015, MNsure (the insurance marketplace) reported that more than 300,000 individuals had enrolled in health insurance coverage through the marketplace since its launch. Eighty percent of this new coverage is due to growth in public program enrollment, with the remaining coverage due to QHP (qualified health plans) enrollment. Between September 30, 2013, and May 1, 2014, the number of uninsured Minnesotans fell by 180,500 -- a reduction of 40.6 percent. Minnesotans saved $30 million on their insurance premiums through tax credits in 2014.While the increase in health insurance coverage was driven particularly by an increase in the number of Minnesotans enrolled in public health insurance programs, enrollment in private health insurance plans has also increased. As MNsure moves forward, it is important to maintain a strong private QHP market, as those premiums significantly contribute to the marketplace's revenues

Workaholism and Employee Well-Being

The term workaholism, patterned after the word alcoholism, first appeared in a book by Oates (1971) in which he described workaholism as a compulsive or uncontrollable need to work incessantly, resulting in negative consequences. Research has yielded mixed results in relation to the impact workaholism can have on people’s lives. Some authors view workaholism in positive terms (Machlowitz, 1980), while others view it in negative terms (Robinson, 1998). This study focused on the relationship between workaholism and health and well-being. An online, self report questionnaire, which included the Workaholism Battery (Spence & Robbins, 1992), was completed by 136 employees throughout New Zealand. Additional measures included work→family conflict, family→work conflict, family satisfaction, anxiety/depression, social dysfunction, positive psychological well-being, negative psychological well-being and physical health symptoms. Participants were classified into one of six groups, consisting of the enthusiastic workaholics, unenthusiastic workaholics, unengaged workers, disenchanted workers, work enthusiasts and relaxed workers. The unenthusiastic workaholics and the enthusiastic workaholics made up the “workaholic” group, and the unengaged workers, disenchanted workers, work enthusiasts and relaxed workers made up the “non-workaholic” group. The main finding of this study was that there were few differences between workaholics and non-workaholics in relation to family→work conflict, family satisfaction, positive psychological well-being, negative psychological well-being, anxiety/depression, social dysfunction and physical health symptoms. The only difference between the workaholics and non-workaholics was that enthusiastic workaholics reported significantly higher levels of work→family conflict compared to relaxed workers. Another important finding of this study was that different types of workaholics reported significantly different levels of psychological well-being. Unenthusiastic workaholics reported significantly lower levels of positive psychological well-being, and significantly higher levels of negative psychological well-being compared to the enthusiastic workaholics. These results suggest that, with the exception of the comparatively low levels of psychological well-being the unenthusiastic workaholics reported in relation to the enthusiastic workaholics, workaholism may not be as harmful as previously thought. They also provide support for the continued differentiation of multiple types of workaholics, as the unenthusiastic workaholics and the enthusiastic workaholics differed significantly on their reported levels of psychological well-being. Having an excessive drive to work was significantly associated with poor health and well-being, whereas enjoyment of work was associated significantly with high positive levels of health and well-being. Work involvement was much more inconsistently related to health and well-being. On this basis, it may be inferred that excessive drive to work may be the harmful element in workaholism as it produces negative health and lifestyle outcomes, while enjoyment may be a productive factor. Finally, a number of significant relationships were found between the health and well-being variables, suggesting that an individual’s physical, mental and emotional health might be related to one another. The present data suggests that differentiation between different types of workaholics is important. The present data also challenges the negative stereotype of workaholism, and emphasises the importance of developing strategies to better manage workaholism within the workplace

Distress regulation in infancy: attachment and temperament in the context of acute pain

Through this study, the relationship between attachment, temperamental fear, and distress regulation during infants' 12-month immunizations was examined. Two broad research questions were answered: (1) Are attachment, temperamental fear, or the interaction between the two associated with pain-related distress reactivity or pain-related distress regulation? and (2) Do infant or caregiver behaviours pre- or post-needle predict attachment? A subsample of 130 caregiver-infant dyads was recruited from an ongoing longitudinal study. Dyads were videotaped during infants' routine immunizations at 12 months and subsequently invited to participate in an assessment of attachment and temperamental fear when infants were 12 to 18 months old. Immediately prior to immunization, avoidant infants exhibited significantly less distress than secure infants. Temperamental fear moderated the relationship between attachment and pain-related distress regulation; under conditions of high temperamental fear, avoidant infants regulated distress more slowly than secure infants but under conditions of low temperamental fear, secure infants regulated distress more slowly than avoidant and disorganized infants. Infants' efforts to snuggle into caregivers following immunization increased the odds of being secure rather than avoidant or disorganized. These novel findings indicate that pain-related distress regulation at 12 months of age is influenced by a dynamic interplay between attachment and temperament. None of the analyses in the current study distinguished organized from disorganized infants, underscoring the need to identify specific behavioural markers of disorganization within the pediatric setting. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed

Using Graphic Design to Create Packaging for Myers-Briggs Personality Candles

Throughout history, art has been used to communicate ideas, stimulate the imagination, and engage the senses. In recent times, with the advancement of graphic design in the art industry, creative boundaries have been pushed in the pursuit of innovative design approaches. Design is utilized not only to convey artistic meaning but also to engage the viewers’ senses and influence buyers’ decisions. Some consumers associate designs with different moods or feelings, and color and visual design can powerfully encapsulate personality. This paper and associated creative work show the versatility of graphic design to create candle packaging inspired by each of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types

Medieval sources in the early work of Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso drew inspiration from diverse artistic traditions. This thesis argues that the medieval art and heritage of Catalonia was among his earliest influences and that it proved instrumental to Picasso\u27s development of that revolutionary approach to painting, known as Cubism. The topic has amazingly received little attention over the past decades and this thesis is an attempt to fill the glaring gap in Picasso scholarship. My work combines formal analysis with an investigation of the broader cultural context in which Picasso was operating in order to demonstrate how the young artist was influenced by the figurative and stylistic execution of Catalan medieval art. Although the Blue Period (1901-1904) is the focus of the thesis, because it constituted Picasso’s first major moment of impact with medieval art, I trace the progression of Picasso’s relationship with medieval imagery throughout his early career, from subtle references in the 1890s to more direct appropriation between 1902 and the dawn of Cubism 1907

Letter from Mittie Elizabeth Creekmore Welty to Mittie Horton Creekmore (undated)

Mittie Elizabeth Creekmore Welty writes to her mother, Mittie Horton Creekmore, from Jackson, Mississippi regarding news, including: an update on the family; mother\u27s trip; Elizabeth\u27s illness and recovery; caring for mother\u27s garden and flowers; sending word from Mary Alice and Elizabeth to family.https://egrove.olemiss.edu/creekmore/1890/thumbnail.jp

Nurse Educator Perceptions of Using Simulation for Evaluation of Nursing Competencies

Over the past 10 years, simulation technology has been increasingly used in clinical settings to evaluate nursing competencies and ensure safe patient care. However, not all simulation laboratories are used consistently by hospital nursing education departments to support learning. The purpose of this qualitative case study, framed by constructivist theory, was to identify nurse educators’ perceptions of the value of using simulation to evaluate nurse competence. Research questions addressed how nurse educators decided what teaching methods to use when evaluating nursing competencies. The participant sample included 8 nurse educators responsible for the education of new and practicing nurses in the organization. Data collection included one-to-one interviews to elicit responses to questions about use of simulation for evaluation of nursing competencies. A document review of educators’ assessments of nurse competencies was used to enhance accuracy of the data. Interview responses were coded by hand and analyzed through interpretive thematic analysis. Six themes emerged related to simulation: experience, competency options, teaching methods, technology, challenges/barriers, and advantages/disadvantages. Participants discussed the usefulness of simulation to assess competence but identified challenges and barriers to using the technology. Findings from the study were used to create a professional development program for nurse educators to implement effective strategies for use of simulation for teaching in the hospital setting. Implications for positive social change include using simulation to improve the development and competence of nurses in the hospital setting, thus helping to ensure a culture of safety for patients

Letter from Mittie Elizabeth Creekmore Welty to Mittie Horton Creekmore and Hiram Hubert Creekmore (undated)

Letter from Mittie Elizabeth Creekmore Welty to Mother and Daddy [Mittie Horton Creekmore and Hiram Hubert Creekmore] with an update on her trip with Walter [Welty]; family news; and Elizabeth Welty. Written on The Portland Hotel, Portland, OR letterhead.https://egrove.olemiss.edu/creekmore/1906/thumbnail.jp

Letter to Mrs (Elizabeth) Leake from Elizabeth Pridden Horton

Letter from Elizabeth Pridden Horton, wife of Captain Samuel Horton of Ross and addressed to Mrs Leake: regarding emigrants at Jericho, servants, good rains that winter, windmill water pump to irrigate their garden, possibility of a vineyard. Dated 12 July 1842. From the Leake Family Papers L1/B434. Letter transcribed by Daniela Fantini 7th August, 2014