Representatives of state workforce development agencies recognized the businesses for their accomplishments at the 28th annual Pennsylvania Partners Employment, Training & Education Conference, being held at the Hershey Lodge & Convention Center through Friday.

“The businesses recognized today are what Pennsylvania needs to strengthen its economy and improve its workforce,” Labor & Industry Secretary Julia Hearthway said. “Their dedication to workforce development and to overcoming workplace employment barriers will aid Pennsylvania in building a strong economic future.”

Hearthway was represented at the awards ceremony by Michelle Staton, deputy secretary for workforce development.

“We’re pleased to honor groups from our workforce who provide inspiration and opportunities for older adults, as well as employers who make an effort to seek and retain older employees,” Department of Aging Secretary Brian Duke said. “We thank employers for their dedication to providing opportunities for older Pennsylvanians re-entering the workforce after personal challenges.”

Duke was represented at the awards ceremony by David Gingerich, acting deputy secretary for aging.

“These innovative employers have created successful business models that will directly impact our state’s success,” Department of Public Welfare Secretary Gary D. Alexander said. “Their commitment to individuals and the community are the building blocks that Pennsylvania will continue to support and build upon.”

Alexander was represented at the awards ceremony by Tim Costa, executive deputy secretary of the Department of Public Welfare.

“Bradford Area School District’s collaboration with the local petroleum and natural gas industry is an excellent example of a public-private partnership in action,” Department of Education Secretary Ron Tomalis said. “Our public schools are meeting the needs of a critical industry for Pennsylvania’s growth by providing students with career skills that will benefit them well into the future. This working relationship ensures that graduates can meet the region’s workforce demands, as well as provides high-paying jobs in one of the fastest growing career areas in Pennsylvania. This partnership is to be applauded.”

Tomalis was represented at the awards ceremony by Lee Burket, director of the Bureau of Career and Technical Education.

The awards are jointly sponsored by state workforce development agencies – the departments of Aging, Labor & Industry, Education, and Public Welfare – and Pennsylvania Partners to recognize exceptional employers and training providers who promote outstanding hiring and workforce development practices.

Pennsylvania Partners, an association of workforce development professionals in each of the state’s 23 workforce investment areas, sponsors this annual conference, which attracts more than 800 private and public job training experts.

Department of Labor & Industry and Pennsylvania Partners

Governor’s Workforce Development Awards

Eastern Pennsylvania

• Michael Foods, Inc., Schuylkill County

Central Pennsylvania

• Metaldyne Sintered Components, Elk County

Western Pennsylvania

• Acutect Precision Machining, Crawford County

Department of Labor & Industry Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

Governor’s Award for Employers Hiring Workers with Disabilities

• U.S. Department of Defense Commissary Agency, Carlisle Barracks, Cumberland County

Department of Aging

Hall of Fame of Champions of Older Workers 2010 Outstanding Employer

• Lowe’s Home Improvement, Schuylkill County

Department of Education

Education Workforce Leadership Award

• Bradford Area High School, McKean Count

Department of Public Welfare

Employer Honor Roll Awards

• Wash Cycle Laundry, Philadelphia County; nominated by Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation
• Walmart, Delaware County; nominated by the Delaware County Office of Employment and Training
• Dollar General, Luzerne County; nominated by EDSI of Luzerne County in Wilkes-Barre

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Tech news from Finally Fast

Even when it comes to their own health, consumers trust online information, with three in ten Americans reporting that they “always” or “frequently” turn to the Internet to find answers to medical questions and 65 percent of those seeking medical information online saying they trust the information, according to a new survey from Wolters Kluwer Health. Among consumers seeking medical information online, 63 percent claim to have never misdiagnosed themselves when using online medical information resources.

Easier access to online medical information may also have a positive impact on the doctor-patient relationship, with two-thirds, 67 percent, of Americans that seek medical information online stating that this has made them better informed as patients. Nearly half, or 48 percent, of consumers say they turn to the Internet to find answers to medical questions in order to be more informed about a medical condition before a doctor’s visit. Interestingly, with so many consumers seeking medical information online, only 4 percent report having experienced “cyberchondria” – a term coined to describe how people become convinced that they have an illness or condition they don’t actually have based on information they read on the Internet.

Findings come from a recent Wolters Kluwer Health survey conducted by IPSOS among more than 1,000 U.S. consumers ages 18 and older. Survey questions focused on uncovering consumer perceptions of and practices around using online resources and information to answer medical questions as well as exploring consumer self-diagnosis habits.

An earlier survey conducted in late 2011 (Wolters Kluwer Health Point-of-Care survey of more than 300 U.S. physicians, also conducted by IPSOS) shows some interesting comparison points between physician online habits and views and those of consumers. Like consumers, physicians also turn to the Internet for much of their information, citing general browsers such as Google and Yahoo as a frequent source of information for 46 percent of survey respondents. Professional journals remain the number one resource for physicians, however, used by 68 percent as a frequent source.

While consumers claim to rarely misdiagnose themselves, physicians will often change a diagnosis based on information they find online. In fact, 63 percent of physicians surveyed reported having changed an initial diagnosis based on new information accessed via online resources and support tools. Meanwhile, while most physicians believe easier access to medical knowledge by patients has had a positive impact on the doctor/patient relationship, one in five say that this has been detrimental, leading to misinformation and incorrect self-diagnosis.

“The prevalence of online resources and information in the healthcare industry has led to significant changes in how physicians and consumers alike research and access healthcare information and has even impacted how clinicians practice medicine,” said Linda Peitzman, Chief Medical Officer, Wolters Kluwer Health. “Clinical decision support tools have changed the medical industry for the better in many areas, eliminating manual errors and measurably improving quality of care, but all resources are not created equal. This is why it’s critical to always consider the source.”

Among other findings:

• Among Americans who would rely on the Internet to diagnose an illness, more than three-quarters (77 percent) say they would then discuss the information with their doctor to verify a diagnosis
•  Only 15 percent of Americans who turn to the Internet for medical information say they at least sometimes misdiagnose themselves
•   Twenty nine percent of those who go online for medical information, including 38 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 34, cite “accessibility” as the reason they would turn to the Internet versus visiting a doctor to diagnose or treat an illness

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Gardening Homeowners are 10 percent more likely than all homeowners to be Baby Boomers* and 33 percent have at least a college degree. Forty-seven percent of gardening homeowners hold full-time employment and 26 percent have an annual household income of $100K or more. Twenty-two percent of Gardening Homeowners are retired.

Where do these Gardening Homeowners live? The top local markets for adult homeowners who have gardened in the past 12 months are Seattle, WA (63 percent are homeowners who have gardened); Portland, OR (63 percent); Salt Lake City, UT (62 percent); Milwaukee, MN (58 percent) and Columbus, OH (58 percent). The local markets with the lowest penetration of gardeners among homeowners are St. Louis, MO (43 percent); Mobile, AL (40 percent); West Palm Beach, FL (40 percent); Miami, FL (38 percent) and Las Vegas, NV (37 percent). For the complete list of Gardening Homeowner local markets, see the end of this press release.

Gardening isn’t the only home improvement these adults made in the past 12 months. Thirty-one percent of Gardening Homeowners made interior paint or wallpaper improvements and 15 percent of Gardening Homeowners made carpeting or floor covering improvements in the past 12 months. Gardening Homeowners also showed their preferences for other green activities as they are 25 percent more likely than all homeowners to pay more for eco-friendly products and 25 percent more likely than all homeowners to donate money to environmental causes. Gardening Homeowners are 26 percent more likely to buy locally grown food.

Marketers looking to reach Gardening Homeowners will find them spending ample time shopping online. Thirty-seven percent of Gardening Homeowners who access the Internet spend 10 or more hours per week online and those who have made an online purchase in the past year spent, on average, $910. Gardening Homeowners are 23 percent more likely than all internet-enabled homeowners to shop for pet supplies on the internet in the past 12 months, 19 percent more likely to shop for furniture online and 16 percent more likely to shop for health and beauty items online in the past 12 months. Fifty-seven percent of online Gardening Homeowners have engaged in social networking online in the past 12 months.

Offline, Gardening Homeowners are 11 percent more likely than all homeowners to read the home and garden pages of the newspaper and eight percent more likely to read the food and cooking section. They are eight percent more likely than all homeowners to watch documentaries on television, six percent more likely to watch local morning news, and eight percent more likely to watch reality talent shows. Twenty-seven percent of Gardening Homeowners listen to adult contemporary or news/talk/information radio.

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Lottery Executive Director Todd Rucci presented a ceremonial check for $107,533,278.27 to a group of employees of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), who elected to take the cash value of the jackpot. This amounts to $2,240,276.63 for each of the 48 shares, less federal withholding.

The group of winners, also known as SEPTA 48, put money into an office Lottery pool for the $172.7 million April 25 drawing, as they always do for a jackpot over $100 million.

“We always try to go to different retailers to buy our tickets,” Vaders said.

The group’s ticket, purchased at the Newsstand at the Gallery at Ninth and Market Streets in Philadelphia, matched all five white balls, 04-25-29-34-43, and the red Powerball, 29, to win the third-largest Pennsylvania Lottery prize ever awarded.

“I was really busy when I got a call from Bryant that the winning ticket was sold at the Gallery,” said Pamela Schurgot, another group organizer and manager of contract grant compliance at SEPTA. “I thought he was messing around, but I dropped everything to check the tickets.”

“We won!” Schurgot yelled from her office. She began writing an email to announce the news, but before she could finish, employees flooded her office.

Schurgot and nine other winners presented the ticket for validation Wednesday afternoon at Lottery headquarters in Middletown, Dauphin County. Lottery officials confirmed it was the jackpot-winning ticket after examining the ticket and executing proprietary security measures.

“It’s exciting to have a Pennsylvania resident win a Powerball jackpot, but having this jackpot prize of $107.5 million split among a group of 48, multiplies the excitement by just that much,” said Rucci. “Not only does Powerball provide the Pennsylvania Lottery opportunities to create millionaires, but Powerball sales this fiscal year have generated about $69 million for programs that benefit older Pennsylvanians.”

Last fiscal year, the Lottery contributed nearly $215 million to programs that benefited Philadelphia County older residents, including property tax and rent rebates, low-cost prescriptions, free and reduced-fare rides, long-term living services and a myriad of social, educational and recreational programs offered through the 52 Area Agencies on Aging and hundreds of senior centers across the state.

Through Lottery funding, last fiscal year SEPTA provided more than 25.3 million free-transit and reduced-fare shared rides to older residents of Philadelphia and surrounding counties.

Each member describes the SEPTA employees as one big family that looks out for each other, and the group has received well wishes from many fellow employees who didn’t buy into the pool.

“No one plans to quit their jobs,” Schurgot said. “This money will just make everyone’s lives comfortable and free of financial stress.”

This is the 15th Pennsylvania Lottery Powerball jackpot win since the state joined the multi-jurisdictional game in June 2002, and the $107.5 million April 25 Powerball prize ranks as the third-largest prize ever awarded by the Pennsylvania Lottery.

The largest prize ever awarded to a single winner in Pennsylvania was a $110.2 million Powerball jackpot prize from the May 8, 2004, drawing, which was awarded to a couple from Skillman, N.J. The largest Powerball jackpot ever awarded was a $365 million jackpot from the Feb. 18, 2006 drawing; a group of co-workers from Lincoln, Neb. opted for the $177.3 million cash prize.

Newsstand at the Gallery will receive a $100,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. Newsstand at the Gallery has been a Pennsylvania Lottery partner since 2001.

Powerball tickets are sold in 44 participating jurisdictions. Drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

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Technology news from the Finally Fast Team

While Earth Day is celebrated once a year, at campuses throughout North America served by ARAMARK, Every Day is Earth Day, thanks to ongoing sustainable practices focused on reducing waste, conserving resources, purchasing responsibly and operating environmentally friendly spaces.

One initiative, trayless dining (removing trays from college dining halls), is having a measurable impact on reducing waste and conserving natural resources.  According to a national survey conducted by ARAMARK Higher Education, trayless dining reduces waste by approximately two ounces per person, per meal. As of spring 2012, more than 300 colleges and universities served by ARAMARK throughout North America have removed trays from their dining halls, diverting more than 15 million pounds of food waste from landfills this year, while reducing trash hauling needs, decreasing water and chemical use, and reducing electricity consumption.

“Trayless dining is just one high impact example of how engaging an entire community can yield significant results for the environment,” said Christopher Stemen, Associate Vice President of Sustainability, ARAMARK Higher Education.  “Our goal is to involve the campus community in sustainable practices that they can incorporate into their daily lives. By making Every Day Earth Day, we can positively impact our campuses, local communities and planet all at the same time.”

Throughout Earth Week, ARAMARK is hosting several campus events that highlight the importance of environmental stewardship, including:

•  Weigh the Waste-What’s in Your Garbage.  Learn how to identify types, quantities, and origins of waste and understand opportunities for waste reduction, recycling and composting.
• Meatless Monday.  By cutting out meat once per week at a single meal, you can help reduce your impact on the environment
• Know Your Recyclables Speed Recycling Game. Play and understand how to properly dispose of waste and avoid contamination.
• Dim or Turn Off the Lights.  Save energy and generate awareness about the importance of reducing energy consumption.  Energy consumption currently accounts for approximately 39 percent of all greenhouse gases emitted, a major impact to the environmental footprint on campus.
• Get Caught Green Handed.  A game that instantly rewards students, faculty, employees, staff and guests who are spotted participating in sustainable practice
• Farm 2 Fork Meal. Local farmers will be on campus to talk about where food comes from during a special meal that features more local, seasonal, vegan and vegetarian offerings.

Beyond campus events, ARAMARK partners with the Student Conservation Association (SCA), a nationwide conservation force of college and high school students who protect and restore America’s parks, forests, refuges, seashores and communities.

During the month of April, ARAMARK and SCA will host several volunteer events throughout the country where hundreds of our employees will complete conservation service projects at natural resource management areas nationwide, including urban parks and green spaces.  Projects include habitat and riparian restoration, tree planting, trail building and maintenance, and more.

Additionally, in partnership with SCA, ARAMARK is offering career opportunities to young professionals through its Environmental Sustainability Internship Program. The program provides participants with hands-on environmental job experience as they help implement solutions for clients at schools, universities, businesses and other locations across the country.

ARAMARK Higher Education is committed to protecting and improving the environment. We strive to develop innovative environmental stewardship programs within the areas of Sustainable Food; Green Buildings; Blue Cleaning; Waste Stream Management; Responsible Procurement; Energy and Water Conservation; and Transportation.

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Technology news from the Finally Fast team

Genetics researchers have identified at least two new gene variants that increase the risk of common childhood obesity.

“This is the largest-ever genome-wide study of common childhood obesity, in contrast to previous studies that have focused on more extreme forms of obesity primarily connected with rare disease syndromes,” said lead investigator Struan F.A. Grant, Ph.D., associate director of the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “As a consequence, we have definitively identified and characterized a genetic predisposition to common childhood obesity.”

The study, by an international collaborative group, the Early Growth Genetics (EGG) Consortium, appeared online today in Nature Genetics.

As one of the major health issues affecting modern societies, obesity has increasingly received public attention, especially given a rising prevalence of the condition among children. Research indicates that obese adolescents tend to have higher risk of mortality as adults. Although environmental factors, such as food choices and sedentary habits, contribute to the increasing rates of obesity in childhood, twin studies and other family-based evidence have suggested a genetic component to the disease as well.

Previous studies have identified gene variants contributing to obesity in adults and in children with extreme obesity, but relatively little is known about genes implicated in regular childhood obesity.

“The Center for Applied Genomics at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has recruited and genotyped the world’s largest collection of DNA from children with common obesity,” said Grant. “However, in order to have sufficient statistical power to detect novel genetic signals, we needed to form a large international consortium to combine results from similar datasets from around the world.”

The National Institutes of Health partly funded this research, which analyzed previous studies supported by many other European, Australian and North American organizations.

The current meta-analysis included 14 previous studies encompassing 5,530 cases of childhood obesity and 8,300 control subjects, all of European ancestry. The study team identified two novel loci, one near the OLFM4 gene on chromosome 13, the other within the HOXB5 gene on chromosome 17. They also found a degree of evidence for two other gene variants. None of the genes were previously implicated in obesity. “The known biology of three of the genes,” added Grant, “hints at a role of the intestine, although their precise functional role in obesity is currently unknown.”

“This work opens up new avenues to explore the genetics of common childhood obesity,” said Grant. “Much work remains to be done, but these findings may ultimately be useful in helping to design future preventive interventions and treatments for children, based on their individual genomes.”

The co-first author of the paper, Jonathan P. Bradfield, is from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Two senior investigators from Children’s Hospital, Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Hospital’s Center for Applied Genomics, and Robert I. Berkowitz, M.D., director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Research Program, were also among the study co-authors.

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Economy news from the Finally Fast team

While American retirees are more concerned about retirement risks than in previous years, a new study by the Society of Actuaries (SOA) shows there has been little change in their risk management strategy over the past two years and concern among the survey researchers that many may be at risk of running out of assets.

“The 2011 Risks and Process of Retirement Survey,” sponsored by the SOA, is the sixth biennial study of post-retirement risks and offers insight into Americans’ awareness of retirement risk, how their awareness has changed over time, and how these perceptions have affected the way they manage their finances.

The survey of 1,600 adults, ages 45 to 80 (800 retirees and 800 pre-retirees), found the greatest retirement planning concerns include protection against inflation, the ability to pay for healthcare, and the cost of long-term care.

“Except for health coverage, insurance products such as annuities and long-term care insurance are not seen as major components of retirement planning,” said actuary and retirement expert Anna Rappaport, FSA, MAAA, who serves as chairperson of the Society of Actuaries’ Committee on Post-Retirement Needs and Risks. “As a result, many retirees continue to be at risk of running out of assets and having to rely solely on Social Security.”

The retirement risks that most concern both retirees and pre-retirees are:

• Keeping the value of their savings and investments up with inflation (69 percent of retirees, 77 percent of pre-retirees)
•  Having enough money to pay for adequate health care (61 percent of retirees, 74 percent of pre-retirees)
•  Having enough money to pay for long-term care (60 percent of retirees, 66 percent of pre-retirees)
•  Being able to maintain a reasonable standard of living for the rest of their life (59 percent of retirees, 64 percent of pre-retirees)
• Varying income as a result of changes in interest rates (57 percent of retirees, 64 percent of pre-retirees)
• Depleting their savings (54 percent of retirees, 63 percent of pre-retirees)

“Notwithstanding this increased concern, retirees and pre-retirees are no more likely than in previous years to report they have used the various risk-management strategies examined in the survey,” said actuary and retirement expert Carol Bogosian, ASA.  “However, retirees are more likely than in 2009 to report they have cut back on spending, saved as much money as they can, and purchased a product or chosen an employer plan option that provides them with guaranteed income for life.”

A major concern is that many people have a shorter planning horizon than their future expected lifetime, according to the SOA. Despite this, retirees are more likely than in 2009 to say their planning horizon is at least 10 years (34 percent, up from 23 percent), while pre-retirees are more likely to say it is at least 20 years (19 percent, up from 13 percent).  Meanwhile, more than one in three pre-retirees feel retirement will not apply to them due to finances or a desire to continue working.

Still, Bogosian points out while more people expect to delay retirement, the “how” and “when” people retire remain key factors pre-retirees need to carefully consider. And, many pre-retirees may be ignoring the possibility of involuntary early retirement.

“There is a major disconnect between when people say they plan to retire and when they actually do,” Bogosian said. “The survey found half of retirees had retired from their primary occupation before age 60. And, though other studies show an increase in the percentage of people over age 65 who are employed, many who lose jobs in their 50s and early 60s experience more difficulty finding new employment than younger people.”

If they were to live five years longer than expected, retirees indicated they would be more likely than in 2005 to:

• reduce their expenditures significantly (64 percent, up from 53 percent)
• dip into money that might otherwise have gone toward an inheritance (49 percent of retirees, up from 42 percent), and
• deplete all of their savings (45 percent, up from 35 percent).

Pre-retirees show no significant change from 2005 in the consequences they anticipate should they live five years longer than expected. In fact, only one-third (35 percent) of pre-retirees have a plan for financing their retirement. Meanwhile, nearly six in 10 retirees (57 percent, up from 44 percent in 2005) report they have a plan for how much money they will spend each year in retirement and where that money will come from.

Since this question was last asked in 2005, the increase in reported prevalence of plans for retirement is encouraging; however, the percentage without plans indicates there is still a long way to go, according to actuary and retirement expert Cindy Levering, ASA, MAAA, EA.

“Retirees who use all of their assets or accumulate debt they cannot realistically expect to repay may face major difficulty,” said Levering. “This can be particularly troublesome for the survivor of a couple after the spouse’s death.”

Planning to use home equity to finance retirement is a precarious strategy, especially in times of reduced housing prices, considering the illiquid nature of real estate, Levering added.

Both retirees and pre-retirees are significantly more concerned about inflation than in 2007, the year the question was previously asked, said Levering. More than four in 10 retirees (43 percent) and pre-retirees (47 percent) report they think inflation will affect the amount of money they will need in retirement a great deal.

“Although Federal policy and unemployment have worked to keep overall reported inflation low in the last few years, retirees feel seriously affected by increases in health care costs, their share of these costs, and by food and energy prices,” Levering said.

The survey also found maintaining a healthy lifestyle is preferred to the purchase of insurance as a means of managing health and long-term care costs. About four in 10 own or plan to buy long-term care insurance, while, just one in 10 indicate they have turned to or will turn to a continuing care retirement community.

“The survey results continue to show the importance of earlier and better planning as well as a more systematic approach to managing all aspects of retirement risk,” Rappaport said.

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Business News from the Finally Fast team

AT&T has announced the launch of a new $250 million, 5-year financial commitment aimed at helping more students graduate from high school with the skills they need to succeed in college and careers. The funding for AT&T Aspire – already among the most significant U.S. corporate educational initiatives, with more than $100 million invested since 2008 – will be available for organizations and institutions with a proven track record of success that are looking to use technology to connect with students in new and effective ways. Between now and April 18, 2012, AT&T is encouraging Pennsylvania organizations to apply for funding through the Local High School Impact Initiative Requests for Proposals (RFPs).

“AT&T Aspire works toward an America where every student graduates high school equipped with the knowledge and skills to strengthen the nation’s workforce,” AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson said while announcing the extended commitment during a keynote address at the second annual Building a Grad Nation Summit.

The Washington, D.C., event convened by America’s Promise Alliance (http://www.americaspromise.org/), Civic Enterprises (http://www.civicenterprises.net/home.html), The Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University (www.every1graduates.org/), and the Alliance for Excellent Education (http://www.all4ed.org/) brings together nearly 1,200 U.S. leaders to discuss progress and challenges in ending the high school dropout crisis.

“This is a significant investment in preparing the next generation of Americans to succeed in the increasingly competitive global economy,” said J. Michael Schweder, president of AT&T Pennsylvania.  “We hope organizations across Pennsylvania with a passion for dealing with this problem and a proven track record of success in increasing graduation rates will apply for funding.”

AT&T is looking to fund local programs that have strong, evidence-based practices grounded in the What Works Clearinghouse Dropout Prevention: A Practice Guide and data-driven outcomes demonstrated to improve high school graduation rates.

Pennsylvania organizations interested in getting additional information or applying will find complete details on the RFP process at www.att.com/education-news by clicking on the “Aspire Local Impact RFP” option.  Applications will be accepted between now and April 27. AT&T Aspire is already among the most significant U.S. corporate educational initiatives with more than $100 million invested since 2008.  The initiative has impacted more than one million U.S. high school students, helping them prepare for success in the workplace and college.

Through Aspire, AT&T has invested $1,077,900 in Pennsylvania since 2008. Organizations that have benefited include the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania; Communities In Schools of Pittsburgh/Allegheny County; Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania; Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania; the Philadelphia’s Children First Fund; and the United Way of York County, among others.  In collaboration with Junior Achievement, students across Pennsylvania also have participated in job shadowing events at AT&T facilities in the state, giving students a chance to make the connection between school and the workplace.

Drop-out rates are a serious issue in the United States. According to a report issued today by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America’s Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education, one in four students in the U.S. – more than 1 million each year – drops out. (AT&T is the lead sponsor of this report.)

Education experts believe that the lack of a high school degree significantly worsens job prospects, particularly in the challenging science, technology and math sectors. On average, a high school dropout earns 25 percent less during the course of his or her lifetime compared with a high school graduate and 57 percent less than a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

Although the problem is serious, there are signs of progress according to the report:

• The high school graduation rate increased by 3.5 percentage points nationally from 2001 to 2009.
•  In 2001, the rate was 72.0 percent; by 2009, it had risen to 75.5 percent. From 2002 to 2009, six states experienced large gains in their graduation rates; 14 states made moderate gains; and four states made modest gains

(Note: 2002 was the first year that state data became available.)

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Tech News from the Finally Fast team

Health care organizations need to do more to help patients realize the full benefits of electronic data from emerging health information exchange systems, according to a new study commissioned by Consumers Union that appears in the March 2012 Health Affairs.  The study examines how well five major California health care organizations are meeting the needs of patients and communities in the use of their electronic data and offers important lessons for the rest of the country.

“Electronic health information exchange holds great promise for improving patient care and outcomes,” said Mark Savage, senior attorney for Consumers Union, the nonprofit advocacy arm of Consumer Reports.  “Health care organizations are making progress developing these systems but they must provide patients with greater access to their electronic medical data and the ability to monitor who is accessing this information to maximize benefits and limit potential privacy risks.  Patient and public health must be at the center of these efforts.”

The study was funded by the California HealthCare Foundation and assesses the extent to which these efforts are meeting the needs of patients and communities based on a set of principles developed by California organizations representing consumers and patients.  The independent study was carried out by Robert H. Miller, Ph.D., a health economist and faculty member at University of California, San Francisco.

In June 2010, Consumers Union joined fifteen other organizations representing California patients and consumers to develop nine principles for electronic health information exchange.  The principles aim to improve patient and population health care by increasing the availability and use of patient data while protecting patients’ privacy.

The consumer principles balance patients’ various needs—for example, coordinating health care and information among the patient and diverse providers in multiple organizations; ensuring the security and privacy of personal health information; designing systems that can be easily used by non-English speakers and person with disabilities; and accessing safety and quality data about providers and treatments.

The 2009 stimulus bill passed by Congress provided up to $27 billion in incentives for physicians and hospitals to adopt electronic health record systems.  The law also provided an additional $2 billion for activities that encourage meaningful use of electronic health information exchange.  It set a strategic goal of achieving electronic health records for every person in the United States by 2014.

In theory, electronic health information should enable a patient’s providers to share information about the patient’s health status and current medications and to remind themselves about services the patient needs.  The patient should be able to review health records via a web-based patient portal; possibly correct or add information; communicate with providers; view reminders of needed services; and access educational materials tailored to various health issues.  Despite its potential benefits, electronic information sharing can entail risks for patients, especially loss of privacy and misuse of data.

The study examined five different health care organizations that collectively serve a full range of California patient populations:  Kaiser Permanente, Nautilus Health Care Management Group, Santa Clara Valley Hospital and Health System, Inland Empire Health Plan, and the Santa Cruz Health Information Exchange.

Each organization is considered a health information technology leader for the patient population it serves.  The study found that the organizations relied on different approaches and were at different stages of developing their systems, which provided varying benefits to both providers and patients.

Overall, exchange of electronic data among a patient’s providers in different organizations was limited, which limited benefits to patients from the use of that data for their care.  Moreover, of the five health care systems evaluated, only Kaiser and Nautilus had patient portals that enable patients to review some of their health record data.  But neither organization had done much to inform patients — particularly in their own language — about patients’ personal health information rights, remedies, and responsibilities.  Patients of the five health care organizations examined had little ability to monitor who was accessing their data.

The study found that a lack of clear “rules of the road,” including behavioral norms for health information exchange participants, legal agreements, and technical standards, was preventing quicker implementation of health information exchange systems that could benefit providers and patients alike.  Little progress has been made when it comes to using electronic health information to improve the health of the public and communities at large.

The study recommends a number of policies to end the marginalization of patients and consumers in current health information exchange efforts.  For example, launching campaigns to increase health information technology literacy could increase patients’ demand for health information exchange, forcing organizations to respond better to their needs.

In addition, the study calls on state and federal governments to enact new policies that set timetables for organizations to offer patient-friendly web-based portals; create rules that enable consumers to easily understand who has accessed their information and correct data; and fund and publicize timely evaluations of health information exchange systems, including the benefits and risks for patients.

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Business news from the Finally Fast team

Consumer backlash against bank fees, coupled with poor service and unmet customer expectations, has fueled increases in defection rates among customers of large, regional and midsize banks, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Bank Customer Switching and Acquisition Study.

On the heels of “Bank Transfer Day” on November 5, 2011, the beneficiaries of the increased exodus from larger banks are primarily smaller banks and credit unions. Acquisition of new customers by smaller banks and credit unions has increased by 2.2 percentage points to an average of 10.3 percent in 2012 from 8.1 percent in 2011. Among big banks, regional banks and midsize banks(1), switching rates average between 10.0 and 11.3 percent, while the defection rate for small banks and credit unions averages only 0.9 percent, a significant drop from 8.8 percent in 2011.

The study, which examines the bank shopping and selection process, finds that 9.6 percent of customers in 2012 indicate they switched their primary banking institution during the past year to a new provider. This is up from 8.7 percent in 2011 and 7.7 percent in 2010.

The study finds that, not unexpectedly, fees are the main reason customers shop for a new primary bank. In particular, one-third of customers of big and large regional banks cite fees as the main shopping trigger.

“When banks announce the implementation of new fees, public reaction can be quite volatile and result in customers voting with their feet,” said Michael Beird, director of the banking services practice at J.D. Power and Associates. However, according to Beird, customers weigh the price they pay against the value of their experience.

“It is apparent that new or increased fees are the proverbial straws that break the camel’s back,” said Beird. “Service experiences that fall below customer expectations are a powerful influencer that primes customers for switching once a subsequent event gives them a final reason to defect. Regardless of bank size, more than one-half of all customers who said fees were the main reason to shop for another bank also indicated that their prior bank provided poor service.”

In capturing customers who are shopping for a new bank, several of the more successful banks achieve higher acquisition rates through the use of promotions and cash incentives. At one of the highest-performing big banks, 19 percent of customers indicate these promotions were the reason they selected their new bank. However, according to Beird, doing a good job for customers is not just about dollars, but also about loyalty and retention.

“Only 32 percent of customers who selected a new bank because of promotional offerings said they definitely would not switch banks again in the next 12 months,” said Beird. “In comparison, 46 to 51 percent of customers who chose the new bank because of either good service experience or positive recommendations say they definitely will not leave within the next year.”

For customers thinking about switching banks to find one that is better aligned with their expectations and needs, J.D. Power and Associates offers the following tipss:

• Shop around to compare terms and service before deciding on a bank, the same way you might before buying a vehicle. Don’t forget about direct online banks, as their competitive fees and rates may offset any inconvenience due to lack of physical branches.
• Don’t be swayed by promotion gifts/cash alone. It is more important to ensure the bank that you are selecting offers the right products to meet your needs and that the fees associated with the products are in line with what you are willing to pay.
• Read account brochures and disclosures carefully and don’t be afraid to ask questions about the products you are about to open. It is important to fully understand how fees are charged and how fees can be avoided.

The 2012 U.S. Bank Customer Switching and Acquisition Study is based on multiple evaluations from 5,062 customers who shopped for a new banking account or new primary financial institution during the past 12 months. The study was fielded in November and December 2011, and includes Bank of America; Bank of the West; BBVA Compass; BB&T; Capital One; Chase; Citibank; Comerica Bank; Fifth Third Bank; Harris National Bank; HSBC; Huntington National Bank; KeyBank; M&I Bank; M&T Bank; PNC Bank; RBS Citizens; Regions Bank; Sovereign Bank; SunTrust Bank; TD Bank; U.S. Bank; Union Bank; and Wells Fargo.

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