Posted on August - 27 - 2011

Kauai’s Wilcox Hospital named Level III trauma center

The Hawaii Department of Health has named Wilcox Memorial Hospital    Wilcox Memorial Hospital Latest from The Business Journals HMSA, Hawaii Pacific Health finalize three-year contractHawaii hospitals receive federal fundingHawaii Pacific Health announces board changes Follow this company on Kauai a Level III trauma center.

The designation means that Wilcox has met a new level of stringent criteria to provide trauma care services for Kauai residents, the Health Department said.

To meet the requirements of a Level III center, Wilcox went through a thorough review by a verifying agency and has commited to the quality of care necessary to serve residents and visitors who do not have access to a Level I or II center, the department said.

Level III trauma centers provide prompt assessment, resuscitation, emergency surgery and stabilization and arrange for transfer to a facility that provides more advanced care if necessary.

The Hawaii State Trauma System was established to provide a pre-planned, comprehensive and coordinated statewide and local network with the capability to care for the seriously injured.

Posted on August - 26 - 2011

Chelsea sets mortgage pace with low 10-year fixed rate

Here to stay: Chelsea’s move reflects a market belief that rates will stay low

Chelsea Building Society today launched Britain’s cheapest-ever 10-year home loan, amid growing conviction in the money markets that a rate rise is a long way off.

The building society this morning introduced a new mortgage charging 3.99% interest, fixed for the next decade, which leapt straight to the top of the best-buy table.

The 10-year deal is available only to home-buyers with a 30% deposit, and comes with an arrangement fee of 1,495.

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Posted on August - 26 - 2011

Christine Lagarde calls for European banks to find more capital

The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) has thrown its weight behind a call from Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, for European banks to be forced to recapitalise to help prevent another financial crisis.

Fears of a sequel to the 2008 credit crunch are growing because of banks’ exposure to weak economies in the eurozone, where countries such as Italy, Spain and Greece are struggling to maintain international investor confidence.

Angela Knight, chief executive of the BBA, said that she agreed with Lagarde, who suggested at the weekend that European banks should be forced to accept capital injections.

Knight said: “I think she is right: some European banks should hold more capital as action is urgently required to stabilise the situation inside the eurozone.” But she thought that British banks would not have to recapitalise “because they already did so in 2009-10″ and that further strains on the banking system were “more apparent on the continent than here”.

But Knight admitted that if Europe lurched into a significant slowdown and the US also faltered, “even British banks will be minded to hoard cash” rather than lend it to companies and individuals.

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Posted on August - 26 - 2011

AT&T’s bid for T-Mobile USA will no doubt ramp up service

ATT’s much-maligned wireless service is expected to improve in Colorado and across the country after its proposed acquisition of T-Mobile USA.

But ATT subscriber Patrick Mahoney doesn’t want the federal government to approve the deal because it would further consolidate an ever-shrinking wireless industry.

“When I think about the industry contracting down to three main companies nationwide, it seems to me like that would only be a losing situation for the customer,” said Mahoney, an engineer in Fort Collins.

That’s the dilemma facing regulators reviewing a merger that has garnered as much scrutiny as any in recent years.

ATT says acquiring T-Mobile USA’s cell sites and radio spectrum would bolster its coverage and allow the carrier to deploy a 4G mobile broadband network to 97 percent of the U.S. population. But critics say the merger would essentially knock out a quarter of the wireless phone competition and lead to higher prices for a ubiquitous service.

The Federal Communications Commission has received more than 43,400 public comments about the deal, according to the agency’s website.

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Posted on August - 26 - 2011

You Are What You Say You Are….

Leadership is an elusive quality and few people ever really get it, but as the figurehead of a company you are supposed to know what it means to be a leader and a motivator even if it wasn’t taught to you.  In my industry I see a lot of individuals who were really good at their chosen profession and that skill got them thrust into the management arena.  Leadership is an elusive quality but interestingly enough the people who want it usually aren’t leaders.   I think sticking to these points will help you encourage your inner leader and learn how to actually lead your staff.

Lead by Example

This should go without saying but many of us in leadership positions leave the less desirable tasks to our subordinates. This gets us into trouble because our subordinates generally equate their worth to their assigned tasks.  As a leader you should always be willing to do what you have asked and I make sure that if I want something done I learn how to do it as well,  which brings me to my second point..

Learn from Your Staff

Many times your staff is extremely accomplished in areas outside of their professional life, so tap into that expertise. Thinking

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Posted on August - 26 - 2011

Old company finds new ways

Small business Small Talk profiles and related news.

HERCULES — Diane Griffin knows that if you don’t adapt to a world in flux, you will be left behind.

That’s especially the case in her world, where her company, Radstons Office Supply has gone through a makeover in an industry that has seen similar firms put out of business by big-box retailers such as OfficeMax, Office Depot and Staples.

“Most of those that tried to go toe-to-toe with them and didn’t adapt aren’t around anymore,” Griffin said.

Radstons Office Supply is the conduit between wholesale distributors and the customers Griffin serves. Among the 30,000 items in its catalog is everything from paper and office furniture to snacks and bottled water. Because it’s part of a cooperative buying group, the prices are competitive with many of the big-box retailers, Griffin said.

“We are the grocery store for businesses,” she said. Read full post…