text:
summer rosters all over hockey change, some dramatically and some
slightly. The hardest part for fans is
keeping the contracts straight. Who's
staying? Who's leaving?
Below is a
list of the Rivermen who are under contract for next season and those whose
contracts are expiring on June 30.
Under Contract=the player is signed by the St. Louis
Blues (or the Peoria Rivermen) for the 2012-13 season. While they played for
the Rivermen in 2011-12, they can also play in the NHL (if signed by the Blues)
or the ECHL during this upcoming season.
Restricted Free Agent=this player will need to sign a new
contract before the start of the 2012-13 season. The Blues have the option to
offer this player a qualifying offer to retain negotiating rights. If a
qualifying offer is not made by July 1, this player will become an unrestricted
free agent.
Unrestricted Free Agent=this player is free to sign with any
team in any league for the 2012-13 season.
Allen - G
After a
slow start to his sophomore season (4-10-0-1), Jake Allen returned to his
all-star form down the stretch. He
started 19 of the team's last 21 games following Ben Bishop being traded to
Ottawa and posted a 2.53 goals-against average over that time. He finished the
year 13-20-0-2 with a 2.94 GAA and 0.915 save percentage. Through two years of
his entry-level contract, the Blues second round pick in 2008 will be a
restricted free agent following the 2012-13 season.
Bruton – RW
unrestricted free agent following the 2011-12 season, the Rivermen signed Chris
Bruton to a one-year, AHL contract for 2012-13 on May 21. He originally joined
the Rivermen on a tryout contract from ECHL Alaska and earned an AHL deal for
the final months of last season. He posted 66 penalty minutes – 9 fighting
majors – and five points in 38 games with Peoria.
Cole – D
starting the season with the Rivermen, injuries forced Cole into action at the
NHL level early on. He finished with 22 games played in Peoria and 26 for St.
Louis but spent the majority of the season with the parent club. He will be a restricted free agent following
the 2012-13 season.
Cracknell - C
Rivermen captain in 2011-12, he posted the best offensive numbers of his career
with 23 goals, 26 assists and 49 points.
With his contract set to expire on June 30, the St. Louis Blues chose
not to risk him in the free agent market and signed him to a one-year extension
in March. Not just an important
contributor on the offensive side, Cracknell was a plus-18 which was the best
mark among all Rivermen forwards.
Cundari – D
appeared in just 48 games in 2011-12 for Peoria but was still fourth on the
team in points by a defenseman (15). He will be a restricted free agent
following the 2012-13 season.
Della Rovere – LW
checking-line winger, Della Rovere cracked the 100+ penalty minute plateau
(116) for the second straight season. He
was a key cog in a Rivermen penalty killing unit that finished third best in
the AHL at 84.5 percent and also chipped in 10 points (four goals, six assists)
offensively. He will be a restricted free agent following the 2012-13 season.
Fairchild – D
The Blues
fourth round pick in 2007 turned out to be one of the top defenseman in the AHL
this season. He was named to the AHL's All-Rookie Team and to the Western
Conference All-Star Team. His plus-26
rating led the Rivermen and was fourth best in the league. A rookie from the University of Minnesota,
Fairchild earned five games on NHL experience this season.
Grachev - LW
in a trade from the New York Rangers last summer, Grachev began the 2011-12
season with the Blues. He recorded four
points (one goal, three assists) in 26 NHL games before joining the Rivermen in
December. The Russian-born winger turned
22 during the season and compiled 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 39
games with Peoria. He will be a
restricted free-agent at the completion of the 2012-13 season.
Hensick - C
One of the
most gifted AHL forwards to ever wear a Rivermen sweater, Hensick led the team
in points for the second straight year. His 70 points finished first in the
Western Conference and fourth overall in the American Hockey League. His 49 assists set a AHL Rivermen
single-season record were fifth most in the AHL. His two-year contract expires at the end of
the 2012-13 season.
McRae – C
In just
his second professional season, Phil McRae was one of six Rivermen to reach the
20-goal plateau during the 2011-12 campaign. His 23 goals were nearly double
what he put up during his injury-shortened rookie year. The son of former Rivermen/Blues enforcer
Basil McRae, Phil will be a restricted free agent following the 2012-13 season.
Nesbitt – LW
Due to be
a UFA on July 1, the Rivermen rewarded Derek Nesbitt's career season with a new
contract on May 18. He set AHL career-highs in games played (75), goal (22),
assists (33), points (55), and penalty minutes (14). Playing alongside T.J.
Hensick, Nesbitt also scored eight power-play goals.
Nigro – C
Arguably a
candidate for most-improved player, Anthony Nigro flourished in 2011-12. He was one of Peoria's best faceoff men and
played in nearly every role. He improved
in every statistical category – most notable a minus-8 as a rookie was morphed
into a plus-12. He also recorded 10 more
points (15 vs. 25) in his second year than his first. He will be a restricted
free agent following the 2012-13 season.
Ponich – D
at 6-7, Ponich is the tallest defenseman in Rivermen history. He appeared in 61
games for the young defense corps and posted an even plus/minus rating.
Shattock – RW
putting up 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) as a rookie in 2010-11, Shattock
matched that total in 2011-12 (seven goals, eight assists). A defensively-responsible winger, he saw
increased ice time this season and reduced his penalty minutes from 60 to 20.
He will be a restricted free agent following the 2012-13 season.
Shields – D
to ECHL Alaska to start the season, Shields returned to Peoria and made an
impact. He earned increasing ice time over his 47 games with the club and
finished with four assists.
Barriball – RW
limited the rookie to just 21 games this season but Jay Barriball was effective
in his limited action. He had 13 points (four goals, nine assists) and had
speed that makes opposing defensemen nervous. While he has only played one full
season of professional hockey he is a restricted free agent because he turns 25
in May. Barriball spent five seasons (including a medical red shirt year in
2009-10) at the University of Minnesota.
Peluso – RW
A true
heavyweight, Anthony Peluso set a career-high with 159 penalty minutes while
also posting a career-best plus-2 rating. He collected 13 fighting majors
against other team's toughest players. He has 34 AHL fights in three seasons
with the Rivermen.
Sonne – C
third-round pick by the Blues in 2007, Brett Sonne has seen his role change
since his 24 points as a rookie. A constant presence on the penalty-kill, Sonne
chipped in 17 points from a defensive-center position.
Cheechoo – RW
It wasn't
56 goals but Jonathan Cheechoo's 56 points were enough to put him second
(behind only Hensick) on the Rivermen.
His 25 goals were the most on the team. His offensive production picked
up as the year went along and Cheechoo - who will turn 32 in July – showed no
signs of slowing down.
Evans – D
stay-at-home defenseman Brennan Evans finished the second and final year of his
deal with the Blues/Rivermen in 2011-12.
He ended the season with a plus-1 rating and logged a lot of ice time
against other team's top forwards. The 6-foot-4-inch, 220-pound Evans also
accumulated 125 penalty minutes.
Gannon – D
Injured on
Nov. 11, 2011, Jake Gannon missed nearly the entire season. Poised for his
first full season in the AHL, Gannon saw time in only 12 games before a
concussion kept him out the rest of the season.
Hagel – RW
Coming off
a season where he led the AHL in fighting majors with 32, Kyle Hagel's season
ended in October following a shoulder injury. He saw time in only seven games
and fought three times.
Heshka – D
A great
pickup in November, Heshka joined the team from the Binghamton Senators in
exchange for future considerations. He proved to be a trustworthy defender who
added 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 60 games with the Rivermen. He was
also a plus-3 rating. Heshka signed a
contract for 2012-13 with Ässät in
Finland on April 26.
Polacek – RW
A former
Hobey Baker finalist, Chase Polacek bounced back and forth between Peoria and
Alaska before his injury in December. He had a goal and an assist in 16 games
with the Rivermen and two goals in two games with the Aces.
Sterling – LW
The team-leader
in goals with 22 was loaned to Portland at the trade deadline in exchange for
Patrick O'Sullivan. Sterling finished the season with 30 goals, 32 assists and
104 penalty minutes between Peoria and Portland.
Syvret – D
Syvret finished ninth in the American Hockey League in points by a defenseman.
His 42 points were sixth on the Rivermen while he appeared in 75 games. He logged more ice time than any other
Rivermen while playing on both the power play and penalty kill.


text:
Author Affiliations: Department of Surgery, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut.
To determine the impact of standardized critical care documentation tools on charge capture by intensive care unit (ICU) advanced practitioners (APs).
Prospective charge capture analysis of AP critical care charges (Current Procedural Terminology codes 99291 or 99292).
Neurosurgical, general surgical, and cardiothoracic ICUs in a level I, 800-bed hospital. The AP provider to patient ratio was 1:6, with 24-hour surgical intensivist oversight.
Advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants in the ICU.
Standardized templates were developed to simplify documentation and optimize billing of critical care. All APs participated in comprehensive educational sessions on billing compliance and documentation.
Main Outcome Measures
Charge capture was collected for 3 years, and comparisons were made between the first quarter before (fiscal year [FY] 2008), during (FY 2009) and after (FY 2010) implementation. The number of ICU patient-days, length of stay, and of beds was collected.
During the implementation/education phase (FY 2009), there were no differences in charge capture compared with FY 2008. Each unit demonstrated an increase in charge capture after implementation, and an overall increase of 48% for all 3 ICUs was seen. The number of admissions and length of stay were not statistically different. The total number of ICU beds increased from 42 to 45 during the evaluation period. The salary offset for APs increased from 62% to 80%.
Advanced practitioners represent an important component of the critical care services provided to patients in high-acuity surgical ICUs. Standardized critical care documentation and comprehensive education on evaluation and management guidelines significantly increased charge capture.
Between 2000 and 2005, the number of critical care beds in the United States increased by 6.5%, accounting for greater than 13% of hospital costs, 4% of national health expenditures, and 0.6% of the gross domestic product.1 As capacity and health care costs increase, hospitals must identify methods to enhance revenue generation, ensure appropriate and adequate clinical coverage, and maintain compliance with reimbursement guidelines through adherence to proper coding of evaluation and management (E&M) services. These codes determine reimbursement according to the complexity of the patient evaluation and the type of service delivered. For critical care providers, these services are based on time and typically reflect the aggregate time that a provider cares for a critically ill patient during a workday.
Compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations for documentation is essential for institutions to avoid penalties and repayments due to lack of agreement between documentation of care provided and charges submitted for Medicare/Medicaid patients. Standardized template forms with compliance guidelines have been used to enhance compliance and increase billable income by appropriately representing the care provided.2,3 Templates permit reproducible and consistent documentation by health care providers at multiple levels and can be easily modified to fit a specific patient population or service area.
Although compliance with CMS guidelines and the knowledge of specific E&M coding details is essential to clinician documentation, many training programs struggle with how to incorporate this skill set in a consistent manner. Moreover, the limitation of resident work hours imposed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has driven many hospitals to employ increasing numbers of physician extenders (advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants, ie, advanced practitioners [APs]) to maintain workflow, ensure patient safety, and maintain high-quality patient care.
As critical care needs and capacity increase, the use of APs in intensive care unit (ICU) staffing models has also increased, although their role in the critical care setting has not been extensively investigated. Physician extenders, as direct providers of patient care, are able to generate revenue from their E&M of patients and may serve as an important resource for revenue enhancement. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of standardized critical care documentation tools and comprehensive E&M education on charge capture by APs in the surgical ICUs at a large tertiary referral hospital.
We performed a prospective, charge capture analysis of all critical care bills with the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes 99291 or 99292 that were submitted by the APs providing care in the cardiothoracic (CTICU), neurosurgical (NICU), and general surgical (GSICU) ICUs at Hartford Hospital.4 Hartford Hospital, the largest teaching affiliate of the University of Connecticut Integrated General Surgery Residency Program, is a level I trauma center with 800 beds, 42 of which constitute the surgical critical care service.
In the NICU and CTICU, 24-hour coverage is provided throughout the week by the APs (provider to patient ratio, 1:6), with additional 24-hour oversight by a surgical intensivist. In the GSICU, care is provided by residents, fellows, and APs, also with 24-hour oversight by a surgical intensivist. Throughout fiscal year (FY) 2009, all APs participated in comprehensive educational sessions that focused on E&M coding, documentation, and billing compliance. Providers were given feedback from supervising attending physicians as needed regarding documentation practices. Daily audits were performed by the director of critical care, and random audits were conducted by the Office for Professional Services of Hartford Hospital to assess compliance with CMS guidelines. Net revenue for critical care bills submitted with the CPT codes 99291 or 99292 were collected for 3 years, and comparisons were made between the first quarter of FYs 2008, 2009, and 2010 to assess the impact of the education, documentation, and billing (EDB) process. These periods represent, respectively, the evaluation period before, during, and after implementation of the EDB process.
During the evaluation period, 2 template notes for documentation in the ICU were introduced. The first note represented the daily progress note completed after performance of a 12-hour shift (eFigure 1). This note incorporated systems reviews, system-based plans of care, and documentation of aggregate time devoted to patient care. The second note, the critical care event note (eFigure 2), was used to capture acute events that required time-based critical care intervention not reflected by the daily progress note. The charges were entered into an electronic billing system (PatientKeeper, Inc, Newton, Massachusetts) by the provider or an administrative assistant in the Department of Surgery.
Net revenue, number of surgical ICU patient-days, length of stay, and number of surgical ICU beds were collected for the first quarter of the evaluation period. Fiscal year totals for net revenue received as a result of charges submitted by the GSICU, CTICU, and NICU and the percentage of the AP salary offset were also collected. Data are expressed as mean (SEM) and were analyzed with a paired, 2-tailed t test where appropriate. P < .05 was considered significant.
During the first quarter of FYs 2008, 2009, and 2010, 33 APs provided care for 2004 critical care admissions to the GSICU, NICU, and CTICU. The mean overall length of stay was 5.3 days. The number of beds increased only for the CTICU between FY 2009 (12 beds) and FY 2010 (15 beds), representing a 25% increase in capacity during the study period (Table).
Figure 1 details the charge capture for the first quarter of the 3 periods: FY 2008 represents the period before the intervention; FY 2009, the period during the intervention; and FY 2010, the period after the intervention. During implementation, all units reported reduced submitted charges; however, after implementation of the standardized process, combined charges for CPT codes 99291 and 99292 for all 3 units increased 48% from FY 2008. Independently, each unit demonstrated an increase in charge capture after process implementation: 70% in the CTICU, 39% in the NICU, and 25% in the GSICU.
First-quarter total charges per intensive care unit (ICU) before (fiscal year [FY] 2008), during (FY 2009), and after (FY 2010) implementation. Charges were decreased for all units during implementation, with improvement noted after implementation. CTICU indicates cardiothoracic ICU; GSICU, general surgical ICU; and NICU, neurosurgical ICU.
After implementation, the overall net revenue collected at the end of FY 2010 for all units showed a 40% increase from before implementation of the EDB process (Figure 2). To account for the changes in the number of total beds (because of the 3-bed increase in the CTICU), we analyzed the net revenue per bed for each unit (Figure 3). After implementation of the EDB process, all units showed an increase in the percentage of net revenue per bed. This increase indicates that the improved revenue generation was a result of process improvement and not simply of increased capacity. The GSICU demonstrated the greatest increase in percentage of net revenue per bed (54%) among all 3 units. The AP salary offset (without fringe benefits) increased from 62% to 80% (data not shown).
Total revenues by intensive care unit (ICU) per fiscal year (FY). Net revenue captured per unit was greater after implementation. The neurosurgical ICU (NICU) demonstrated the greatest increase. CTICU indicates cardiothoracic ICU; GSICU, general surgical ICU.
Total revenue per intensive care unit (ICU) bed. Net revenue per bed demonstrated an increase in revenue irrespective of an increase in ICU capacity. CTICU indicates cardiothoracic ICU; FY, fiscal year; GSICU, general surgical ICU; and NICU, neurosurgical ICU.
The results from this study demonstrate a significant improvement in critical care charges submitted and net revenue collected with E&M education and implementation of a standardized critical care documentation practice. This practice resulted in 3 important benefits: a 40% increase in net revenue at the close of the FY following implementation, an 18% increase in ICU AP salary offset, and a 54% increase in the GSICU net revenue despite a mixed staffing model of postgraduate physicians and APs.
Our institution has previously shown that AP staffing in the ICU is an important resource for providing direct and indirect patient care activities, particularly in this era of work-hour restrictions imposed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.5 Unlike the postgraduate physician workforce, APs represent a stable cadre of providers in the ICU and are therefore more amenable to maintaining consistency of documentation following educational intervention. Sprtel and Zlabek6 reported an approximately 15% increase in billable income when internal medicine residents were educated on medical documentation and when standardized history and physical examination forms were used for hospital admissions during a 6-month period. However, their study did not include critical care codes and examined only the billing codes generated from history and physical examination documentation (CPT codes 99221, 99222, and 99223). Nevertheless, their results underscore the importance of education and repeated use, a paradigm easily incorporated in the surgical ICU when APs replace residents as the primary workforce. In the ICU setting, the use of nonresident providers results in more consistent documentation practices because the APs do not rotate monthly and therefore do not require repeated instruction on basic concepts of E&M documentation. This staffing model not only eliminates the need for monthly educational sessions but also may minimize the negative financial variance that we observed during the implementation phase. Once the process was fully implemented, we further optimized charge capture and prevented overbilling by providing immediate feedback on documentation practices. This feedback strengthened the APs' existing knowledge base of E&M guidelines. More important, these outcomes also occurred in the GSICU where, despite the mixed staffing model, net revenue increased to 54% after implementation.
Marill et al7 reported similar benefits of standardized documentation. Marill and colleagues prospectively evaluated the impact of a documentation template used in the emergency department. Outcome measures of physician evaluation time, change in gross billing, and provider satisfaction were evaluated. Overall, they found that the use of a template for documentation in the emergency department was associated with higher gross billing and improved provider satisfaction and had no effect on total physician evaluation time. Our study similarly highlighted the importance of educational programs to increase compliance and improve documentation. Our study did not examine provider satisfaction with the process; however, compliance with submission of documentation was monitored daily, and feedback was given when deficiencies were identified.
Kuo et al8 reported their experience on benchmarking E&M coding in an academic division of surgery to increase their revenue stream. Using an internal standard (their transplant service) as a comparison, they were able to project an annual gain of $400 000 to $600 000. Of note, their study did not include critical care or emergency department services. Hendershot et al9 reported that missed surgical ICU billing could be identified with an electronic documentation and billing process. Although their study hypothesized that missed night and weekend billings might justify everyday, 24-hour in-hospital attending physician coverage of the ICU, their financial analysis demonstrated that capture of these charges would be insufficient to cover the cost of adding in-house intensivist coverage. The most important difference from the present study is the staffing model in the ICU. In the study by Hendershot et al, the surgical ICU was staffed with residents and supervised by critical care fellows, with oversight by the intensivist. The significance of the present study is the employment of APs in all our ICUs. In fact, even in the GSICU, which does not have everyday, 24-hour AP coverage, we were able to demonstrate a significant improvement in net revenue return. This further underscores the importance of APs, particularly in teaching hospitals, where postgraduate physicians provide most patient care. Advanced practitioners are able to submit E&M charges for aggregate time dedicated to the care of the critically ill patient; this is time that cannot be captured economically by postgraduate physicians.
In conclusion, our results highlight the importance of education and standardization of documentation tools in critical care and the significant role of APs as direct bedside providers in the ICU. Their independence provides an important opportunity to enhance revenue streams that may be missed with a traditional staffing model of postgraduate physicians. In this era of mandated duty-hour restrictions for postgraduate physicians, teaching hospitals must meet the challenge of decreasing availability of residents by providing alternate resources to maintain workflow and ensure the safety and quality of patient care.
Correspondence: Karyn L. Butler, MD, Department of Surgery, Hartford Hospital, 80 Seymour St, Hartford, CT 06102 (email@example.com).
Accepted for Publication: December 20, 2010.
Author Contributions:Study concept and design: Butler. Acquisition of data: Butler and Calabrese. Analysis and interpretation of data: Butler, Tandon, and Kirton. Drafting of the manuscript: Butler and Kirton. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Butler, Calabrese, Tandon, and Kirton. Statistical analysis: Butler. Administrative, technical, and material support: Butler, Calabrese, and Tandon. Study supervision: Butler and Kirton.
Financial Disclosure: None reported.
Previous Presentation: This paper was presented at the 91st Meeting of the New England Surgical Society; October 31, 2010; Saratoga Springs New York; and is published after peer review and revision.
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VSLA Gives Hope to a School Dropout
Written By: Priscilla Sogah
It is a quarter past 10 in the morning and women, both young and old, are trouping to the community center in haste, chatting breezily, and faces full of joy. Read More
KGBV Education Builds Responsible Youngsters
Written By: Sharon Panackal
I met Mohini Singh, a KGBV teacher who teaches science, computers and art, at a KGBV in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. She has been working at the Read More
Farmers in West Africa Face Down El Nino
Written By: Priscilla Sogah
It has been a scorching season of little rain and dry farms. The usually green leaves have turned brown and the once lush cocoa trees are pale looking without Read More
Finding Ways around Brick Walls
Written By: Sharon Panackal
Mamta Chaudhary and Varsha Singh are two alumnae from a KGBV in the Balrampur district of Uttar Pradesh. Both of them had joined KGBV seven years ago and are now Read More
One day I will
Written By: Henry Mhango
Gloria Phiri doesn't have an alarm clock to wake her up and yet each day when the sun rises she is ready to help her foster mother with household chores – the most Read More
KGBV Education Empowering Pre-Teens
Written By: Sharon Panackal
I walked into a senior students' classroom at KGBV Pachpedwa in Uttar Pradesh to a warm round of applause and a short welcoming song. Sitting with the class for Read More
Forever Friends since KGBV
Written By: Sharon Panackal
Friendships in KGBVs begin, flourish, and at times come to an end within the bounds of the school. This is often the result of the large distances between the Read More
A Minute Walk to School! Thanks to Cargill & General Mills
Written By: Priscilla Sogah
From a distance I saw Lydia Obosu and her friends jumping with excitement on the school playground. It was half past 10 in the morning, the usual time for the Read More
Defeating Disability with the Support of Friends
I met Mansi Misra at Aouriya Nidhan, a primary school in Uttar Pradesh that Join My Village supports through CARE India. I had heard about Mansi and her learning disability which makes it hard for Read More
CARE Inspires Better Teaching
It was a cold afternoon when I saw Aftab Alam, science teacher at a KGBV school in Uttar Pradesh, teaching the students outdoors in front of their classroom. A handful of students were seated on Read More


text:
Thatcher reviewed in the Architects Journal
April 14th, 2015
A good article from the 11th in the AJ which makes good if uncomfortable reading for those of us who remember the years before it was all dismantled.
The biggest impact on the profession was the closure of the vast majority of public sector architect departments. In-house council teams had employed thousands of architects across the country.
The issue of estate regeneration has not gone away, it continues apace and it has been my privilege over the last few years to meet people actively involved in the struggle to keep council tenants in place against the rapacious demands of unscrupulous politicians and boroughs so desperate for cash they sell public land from under the homes of council tenants for the benefit of wealthier incomers.
In recent weeks I have had the pleasure of meeting the residents of and walking around a small estate in South London which is itself now under threat but not withstanding this there is a determined and well informed body of people ready and willing to protect their interests.
It has been a pleasure to devote time and energy to researching and writing up the story of Cressingham Gardens – a village within a city and I sincerely hope you enjoy reading what is my 300th article in four years.
Golden rules – scratchpad thoughts
April 30th, 2014
A considered look at artistic composition.
a) a winding path, brook, river or canal which leads the eye into the distance.
Stonebridge Park estate
A.W. Cleeve Barr – 5/10/10 – 30/5/00
March 19th, 2014
This is not intended to be an article, just as a series of links about an interesting architect.
"The production of high-rise council flats was at its height in the 1960s when AW Cleeve Barr, who has died at the age of 89, rose to be the most powerful housing architect in British government service.
As such he fought, but failed, to control the proliferation of contractor-led housing systems, and his reputation was tarnished by public reaction after the collapse in 1968 of Ronan Point. A technocrat with an instinct for social justice and a streak of obstinacy, he had enthusiasms that belied his puritan convictions."
The days of mass housing are over – updated
February 10th, 2014
"A ghastly and unforseen programme of gentrification undertaken with the excuse of creating mixed communities"
* I have been asked by a student of architecture . . .
I want to know what Single Aspect thinks makes a good design for mass housing. Is it a 24h concierge service?
The knowledge base on which this article builds may be found in the two films High Rise Dreams and Homes for Heroes with a more in depth look over two hours in the magnificent City of Towers.
World Service Radio Archive prototype
October 13th, 2013
Today while searching for details of a programme recorded on cassette over twenty years ago I came across the World Service Radio Archive prototype. It is necessary to sign in but having done so you will be treated to a small archive to search, which is available to hear, and some of which is possible to download with a little manipulation.
On reaching the page of interest you can listen to the programme by clicking the arrow provided, and in addition if you right click the page to View Source and then search for mp3 you can right click the link and Save As thus downloading the programme to your computer.
The student room
September 6th, 2013
In response to:- Do student housing standards need an overhaul? from Building Design online.
A well lit student room – Fitzwilliam Cambridge
In case you haven't read or are not able to read the article it is an exchange between Michael Chessum President of University of London Union and Dav Bansal Director at Glenn Howells Architects in response to the question in the link above.
Open plan offices and why I dislike them
August 1st, 2013
What follows is a compilation of thoughts originally expressed on Twitter. For more context listen to Lucy Kellaway talking about office space in this programme here:-
Forty years of UK housing in one graph
March 7th, 2013
The Guardian published a selection of results from the General Household Survey and the graph below caught my eye showing as it does the fall in council housing occupancy over 40 years.
How to make a documentary – Fifties War Films:Days of Glory
January 2nd, 2013
Simon Heffer is a man in love with his subject. This personal documentary sets the standard by which future documentaries ought be made and stands head and shoulders above many lesser films of recent years.
It is a personal journey through the war films of his youth which dramatised the events of the Second World War and made stars of the actors involved reminding us of the heroism of those they portrayed.


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Most Recent Articles by Ellen Keohane
ComScore: Traffic to health information sites growsSep 10, 2008
Health information Web sites have grown 21% as a category in the past year, according to a recent report from ComScore. For the month of July, ComScore reported that WebMD Health remained the leader within the health information category with approximately 17.3 million visitors.
The skinny on sweetsSep 08, 2008
This Halloween, candy marketers will have to compete with thousands of other tasty products to satisfy consumers' cravings.
T-shirt search engine PleaseDressMe.com launchesSep 04, 2008
PleaseDressMe.com, a new T-shirt search engine, launched on September 1. There is no easy way to search for specific T-shirts on the myriad sites that sell them, said AJ Vaynerchuk, a senior at Boston University who started the site with his brother Gary Vaynerchuk, a wine video blogger; and friend Joe Stump, a lead architect for Digg.com.
Publicis Groupe acquires Seattle-based agency PBJSSep 03, 2008
Publicis Groupe has acquired Seattle-based digital marketing and events agency PBJS. PBJS was formed about two and a half years ago, following the merger of Insight Creative and Optimobius Inc., and currently employs 26 people. Its clients include Microsoft, AT&T, Intel, Sephora and the Boys & Girls Club of America.
Bound printed matter mailings to be paid by permit onlySep 03, 2008
The US Postal Service will require all he US Postal Service will require all bound printed matter (BPM) mailings be paid by permit only as of September 11. Postage payment for all BPM mailings, which include "carrier route, presorted, and non-presorted (single-piece) flats and parcels, regardless of volume," will be limited to permit imprint, the USPS said.
More Articles by Ellen Keohane
Google launches new open source browser ChromeSep 02,2008
'Google killer' remains elusiveAug 29,2008
USPS seeking comment on detached address labelsAug 27,2008
Eye on the environmentAug 25,2008
SES San Jose: Keyword tips and pitfallsAug 21,2008
Circuit City bets on social mediaAug 18,2008
Yahoo appoints two new seats to boardAug 15,2008
Most Recent Blog Posts
Company of the Week
SK&A is a leading provider of U.S. healthcare information solutions and databases. As part of IMS Health, SK&A researches and maintains contact and profiling data for over 2 million healthcare providers, including 800,000+ prescribers. SK&A's data supports research and marketing initiatives for life sciences, medical device, managed healthcare, direct marketing, publishing, education and more. SK&A's proprietary databases are telephone-verified twice per year from its world class Research Centers. SK&A enables multi-channel marketing and sets the standard for data quality and reliability. SK&A's customers include many of America's most recognized healthcare, publishing and pharmaceutical institutions.


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Source: All Things D [Consumer Preview announcement]
quote: Windows 8 features an extensively redesigned "Metro-style" user interface, optimized for touchscreens as well as mice and keyboards. A new "Start screen", similar to the one in Windows Phone 7, includes live application tiles. The start screen replaces the Start menu and the Start button, being triggered by the Windows key, and is also the first screen shown on start up. The user can go to the regular desktop, which is treated as a Metro app with its own "Desktop" tile on the Start screen. Starting a traditional desktop-based application also switches to the desktop. The Start screen also displays the user's name and picture.The Windows Store will also allow developers to publish their Win32 or "traditional desktop" applications; however, the store will only provide links to such application on their websites.


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"Decorator Solution Blue Contemporary 8-Piece Wall Art Set" is not available for sale online.
This item may be discontinued or not carried in your nearest store. Please call your local store to check in-store availability before heading there. For informational purposes, the product details and customer reviews are provided.
- Each piece is canvas wrapped on 1 1/2" deep stretcher bar.
- Set includes one 24" x 36" piece, one 12" x 36", one 16" x 24", three 12" x 16" and two 8" x 10".


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- Buying an annuity: how to turn your pension fund into an income
- The pros and cons of different annuity options, including enhanced annuities
- Tips on shopping around to increase the amount you'll get from your annuity
- Want to avoid buying an annuity? We explore the alternatives available
What's in this guide
What is an annuity? Video guide
Which? explains what an annuity is, how they work, types of annuity, who they're appropriate for and when you should buy an annuity.
Annuity options
Confused by the annuity options? We explain the basic annuity types you will have to choose between, and which ones could suit you.
Enhanced annuities
Find out how you could get an income boost of almost 50% if you've got a medical condition by buying an enhanced annuity.
Annuity rates
A number of factors can affect how much annuity income you'll receive, such as life expectancy and interest rates. Learn about them in this guide.
Buying an annuity
When you buy an annuity, make sure you shop around for the right provider and seek advice. Which? explains the different annuity options on the market.
Selling an annuity
From April 2017, you'll be allowed to sell your annuity. Which? explains how cashing in your annuity might work.
Which? Limited (registered in England and Wales number 00677665) is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Which? Financial Services Limited (registered in England and Wales number 07239342). Which? Financial Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 527029). Which? Mortgage Advisers and Which? Money Compare are trading names of Which? Financial Services Limited. Registered office: 2 Marylebone Road, London NW1 4DF.


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Denise Koessler, a doctoral student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, was quoted in USA Today in regards to Sheryl Sandberg's book Lean In For Graduates. Sandberg's "Lean In" movement seeks to promote women's leadership roles in business and technology fields. An update on Sandberg's book is planned for release in April. Koessler and other students launched Systers: Women in EECS, the first Lean In Circle sub-community, in the fall of 2013. Sandberg's updated edition will feature the UT group. To read the article, visit the USA Today website.
USA Today: New version of Sandberg book leans in to graduates


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Ice Age: Continental Drift
Release date: July 13, 2012
Manny (Ray Romano), Diego (Denis Leary), and Sid (John Leguizamo) set out on their greatest adventure when an entire continent is set adrift. Before the continent splits, Manny and his daughter Peaches (Keke Palmer) have a falling out. Although Manny tells Peaches she's not allowed to hang out with her crush Ethan, Manny catches her with him anyway and embarrasses her in front of all her friends. Soon after, the continent separates and Manny, Diego, and Sid are left stranded on an iceberg floating away from their loved ones.
After surviving a large sea storm, the three friends find Granny (Wanda Sykes), Sid's grandmother, who was asleep in a tree trunk on the same iceberg. But just as soon as they discover her, they are captured by a group of pirates led by Captain Gutt (Peter Dinklage) and his first mate Shira (Jennifer Lopez). Making a daring escape, the gang gets away from the pirates, only to encounter exotic sea creatures, explore a brave new world, and again come face-to-face with the wrath of Captain Gutt.
Additional details
Genre: Family
Runtime: 87 min
Directors: Steve Martino,Mike Thurmeier
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Producers: Lori Forte, John C. Donkin
Screenplay: Michael Berg, Jason Fuchs, Mike Reiss
Cast: Ray Romano,John Leguizamo,Denis Leary,Seann William Scott,Josh Peck,Peter Dinklage,Wanda Sykes,Jennifer Lopez,Queen Latifah,Josh Gad,Keke Palmer,Nick Frost,Aziz Ansari
Paranoid about privacyKim Foreman-Rhindress - Sep 25, 2016 / 12:11 amWhether you believe Snowden to be a hero or a traitor, this film is guaranteed make you more paranoid...
- AirPods will cost you...
- Fave thingamajigs
- Fighting for community
- Bride's entrance ruined
- Emotional Kesha thanks
- Miller 'in love' with Grande
- FBI investigating Brad Pitt
- Adele: 'my voice is weaker!'
- Daisy Ridley quit Instagram
- Crashing at Train Wreck


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A little harbor seal pup was rescued off the coast of New Hampshire on Tuesday.
The pup was stranded on Star Island in the Isles of Shoals for three days with no signs of a mother, and she was severely underweight.
A New Hampshire Marine Mammal Rescue team saved the seal and brought her to a rehabilitation center in Buzzards Bay.
The team named the pup Rose after the first boat to travel through the Cape Cod Canal.
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created by
Britta Ambauen
Britta Ambauen believes our thoughts have the power to shape our actions, outlook, and interactions. She likes to infuse the ideas she contemplates most into her jewelry, and hopes her pieces will help remind others of their own thoughts and wishes. Utilizing a wide variety of materials and techniques, including wire wrapping, bezel setting, and etching, her eclectic accessories balance simplicity and intricacy, sophistication and youthfulness.


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