Chuck Ross

Sign of Medicaid Improvements to Come?

Chuck — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:06:59 +0000

In 2006, Massachusetts instituted a plan requiring its residents to have health-insurance coverage, whether from their employer or self-paid. This program is the model for the Affordable Care Act (ACA — also known as “Obamacare”). Two years earlier, the state began a program to promote coordinated health care and social services for “dual eligibles” — those qualifying for both Medicare and MassHealth (what Medicaid is called in Massachusetts). Called Senior Care Options (SCO), the plan is free to participants — no premiums, copayments or deductibles are involved. And the results reported so far show it’s another health innovation worth attention.

Read the rest of this article on AARP’s TakeCare blog.

Another Flu Season – Ahh, the Memories

Chuck — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:11:37 +0000

Flu season will forever remind me of my father.

“That’s an odd association,” I can almost hear you saying. “Was he particularly prone to the illness? Did a particularly bad case of it hit him hard?” Well, no to both those questions –aside from all his chronic conditions, Dad was generally healthy as a horse. The connection resides in his lifelong refusal, in the face of nurses’ please and doctors’ dire warnings, to ever get vaccinated. Those conversations arose at almost every doctor’s appointment and ER visit, and his consistent response provided an important lesson: in the end, no matter how hard a caregiver tries to maintain a loved one’s health and well-being, that patient’s own will trumps it all.

Read the rest of this article as it ran on AARP’s TakeCare blog.

Caregiving and Learning to Breathe

Chuck — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:15:24 +0000

One goes through so many emotions as a caregiver- fear, sadness, anger, joy, surprise, just to name a few- but the one emotion I probably felt most often was simply, overwhelmed. It wasn’t really until Dad already had spent six months or so in his nearby nursing home that I finally learned how to just breathe, instead of react. With this in mind, I was fascinated to read of a new course now being offered to both caregivers and professionals that, in the end, seems to be all about breathing.

Read the rest of this article as it originally ran in AARP’s TakeCare blog.

Hybrid Technology: It’s Not Just for Cars

Chuck — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:46:11 +0000

Conversations about renewable energy often come down to a comparison — solar versus wind, for example, or hydroelectric versus geothermal — as though one technology, alone, could provide the single answer to our need for safe, emissions-free electricity production. However, a new utility-scale approach to renewable-energy generation is turning this idea on its head, bringing together multiple solutions at the same generation site. As shown by several such projects now coming online in the United States and around the globe, pairing technologies on the same site can improve overall efficiency and, as a result, its bottom line.?

Read this article as it originally ran in the February 2013 issue of Electrical Contractor Magazine.

Current Technology: Interest in Direct Current Increases

Chuck — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:41:00 +0000

DC power is becoming a player again, in settings ranging from high-voltage transmission down to commercial-building and data-center distribution systems. In many cases, its revival also has brought back the Edison versus Westinghouse either/or debate, as though DC’s newly re-appreciated qualities will somehow push AC aside. But what we likely will see moving forward will be both/and, rather than either/or, as electrical designers explore the benefits both technologies have to offer.?

Read this article as it originally ran in the February 2013 issue of Electrical Contractor Magazine.

Managing Life’s Wounds

Chuck — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:21:17 +0000

Wound care is a tough job, for many reasons. First, there’s the “ick” factor — many of us can get squeamish around open wounds. Second, there’s a real fear that doing something wrong could mean more pain or a serious infection for a loved one. I had to meet both these reactions head-on while Dad was living with me.

Read the rest of this article as it originally ran on AARP’s TakeCare blog.

Validating the Smart Grid

Chuck — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 15:53:24 +0000

While the smart grid has been the topic of much conversation lately, specifics on what this supposed technical marvel will do, cost or look like in actual utility installations have been notably lacking. The largest smart grid demonstration project to date has just gone live in the Pacific Northwest to provide those specifics. It could establish a framework for other regions to follow as next-generation equipment is deployed across the nation’s electrical infrastructure.?

Read this article as it originally ran in the January 2013 issue of Electrical Contractor Magazine.

Made in America Making a Comeback

Chuck — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 15:49:49 +0000

With doom and gloom being the predominant message regarding U.S. manufacturing these last few years, it’s somewhat surprising to hear news of optimism in that sector lately. But suddenly, companies seem to be rediscovering the appeal of the “Made in America” label, even when attached to high-tech products that seemed lost forever to a maze of inexpensive Chinese subcontractors. Electrical product-makers are touting the U.S. roots of their wares, a move distributors and contractors are applauding along their sales channels.

Read this article as it originally ran in the January 2013 issue of Electrical Contractor Magazine.

Two Needs, One Turbine: Combined Heat and Power Could Help Reduce – and Meet – Energy Demand

Chuck — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 15:10:42 +0000

It’s no news that coal-fired electricity generation is in decline in the United States. Falling natural gas prices and increasing pollution regulations are combining to put aging plants in many states out of business. While natural gas-fired generation likely will pick up much of the slack, energy-efficiency advocates say more efficient and distributed generation should play a role, as well. Combined heat and power (CHP) systems offer a promising option that could boost efficiency and reliability of local electricity supplies.

Read this article as it originally ran in the November 2012 issue of Electrical Contractor Magazine

Partner Up for Profit: Working With an ESCO

Chuck — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:58:23 +0000

With commercial and residential business still lagging in many parts of the country, electrical contractors seeking a bottom-line boost may find better luck in municipal and institutional projects. Owners in this sector often are more concerned about lowering long-term operating costs than short-term payback and are investing in large-scale energy-efficiency upgrades. But your entry into this work may come through an energy-service company (ESCO) rather than direct owner contact, so understanding how such companies work could help your business development efforts.

Read this article as it originally ran in the September 2012 issue of Electrical Contractor Magazine.