Supply Base Reduction Efforts Regarding Laboratory Reagents within Hospital Networks

The Air Force Medical Operations Agency currently has contracts for laboratory reagents at approximately 75 Air Force medical treatment facilities; however, each medical facility has a separate means used to procure these reagents. AFMO Awants to know how other hospital networks are purchasing their reagents and see if it could be applied to the Air Force. The goal of this research was to use the case study methodology to showcase how other hospital networks applied supply base reduction to laboratory reagent purchases. We examine what drove the organizations to begin supply base reduction, how they transitioned to a smaller supply base, the barriers and success factors of the process and what advantages and disadvantages were seen once the process was complete

At a Crossroads: MidTown, Inc. 2005-2015

Established in 2005, MidTown, Inc., a self-identified community development organization, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2016. After a decade’s work, the organization is presently reviewing its activities as it takes a moment to consider its future trajectory. To facilitate this process MidTown, Inc. partnered with Columbus State University’s Columbus Community Geography Center to support MidTown, Inc.’s efforts. In fall 2015, nine students in CSU’s urban geography course, taught by Dr. Amanda Rees, researched and completed this report including: Celeb Ashburn, Cheltzie Brown, Eric Derhammer, Jessica Dixon, Kelsie Hughes, Rachel Knapp, Morgan Robinson, Anastasia Romain, and C.E. Sturgeon. An online report summary is also published at CSU’s Archives In approaching this project, students developed two questions: What is Midtown (the region), and what MidTown, Inc.? To address those questions students prepared a short overview of Midtown’s expansion between the 1830s and 1970s and developed demographic date exploring age, racial and ethnic mix, and levels of education in each of Midtown’s block groups to better understand the population within this 6-square mile district. Students created a short history of community development in the U.S. to place MidTown, Inc. within that broader context. Having conducted and then transcribed nine oral histories with people involved in the creation and evolution of MidTown, Inc., students drew upon those documents to develop a timeline of MidTown, Inc. along with a narrative history of the organization’s evolution

The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on lung cancer surgery in Queensland

Background: The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic poses unprecedented challenges to global healthcare. The contemporary influence of COVID-19 on the delivery of lung cancer surgery has not been examined in Queensland. Methods: We performed a retrospective registry analysis of the Queensland Cardiac Outcomes Registry (QCOR), thoracic database examining all adult lung cancer resections across Queensland from 1/1/2016 to 30/4/2022. We compared the data prior to, and after, the introduction of COVID-restrictions. Results: There were 1207 patients. Mean age at surgery was 66 years and 1115 (92%) lobectomies were performed. We demonstrated a significant delay from time of diagnosis to surgery from 80 to 96 days (P < 0.0005), after introducing COVID-restrictions. The number of surgeries performed per month decreased after the pandemic and has not recovered (P = 0.012). 2022 saw a sharp reduction in cases with 49 surgeries, compared to 71 in 2019 for the same period. Conclusion: Restrictions were associated with a significant increase in pathological upstaging, greatest immediately after the introduction of COVID-restrictions (IRR 1.71, CI 0.93–2.94, P = 0.05). COVID-19 delayed the access to surgery, reduced surgical capacity and consequently resulted in pathological upstaging throughout Queensland

Frontier basins of the West Australian continental margin : post-survey report of marine reconnaissance and geological sampling survey GA2476

This report (Record 2009/38) contains the description and preliminary analysis of datasets acquired during Geoscience Australia marine reconnaissance survey GA2476 to the west Australian margin. The survey, completed as part of the Federal Government's Offshore Energy Program, was undertaken between 25 October 2008 and 19 January 2009 using the German research vessel RV Sonne. The survey acquired geological, geophysical, oceanographic and biological data over poorly known areas of Australia's western continental margin. Data from the marine reconnaissance survey (GA2476) and the concordant regional seismic survey (GA0310) will improve knowledge of frontier sedimentary basins and marginal plateaus and allow assessment of their petroleum prospectivity and environmental significance. These data will be used to improve resource management and underpin decisions regarding future acreage release in offshore Western Australia and marine zone management. Four key areas were targeted: the Zeewyck and Houtman sub-basins (Perth Basin), the Cuvier margin (northwest of the Southern Carnarvon Basin), and the Cuvier Plateau (a sub-feature of the Wallaby Plateau). Over the duration of the survey a total of 229,000 km2 (26,500 line-km) of seabed was mapped with the multi-beam sonar, 25,000 line-km of digital shallow seismic reflection data and 25,000 line-km of gravity and magnetic data. A variety of sampling equipment was deployed over the duration of the survey, including ocean floor observation systems (OFOS), deep-sea TV controlled grab (BODO), boxcores, rock dredges, conductivity-temperature-depth profilers (CTD) and epibenthic sleds. A total of 62 stations were examined throughout the survey, including 16 over the Houtman Sub-basin, 16 over the Zeewyck Sub-basin, 13 in the Cuvier margin, 12 over the Cuvier Plateau and four in the Indian Ocean. This report is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the survey activities, equipment used and preliminary results form survey GA2476