An Unsung ER Hero Named Cedric Wyckoff

October 30, 2022 — Medical, People

The ER at Beaumont Troy, the second busiest ER in southeastern Michigan, possibly averted a major bloodbath last August when an eagle-eyed hospital security officer confronted a visitor he suspected was carrying a concealed firearm. The man was roaming the ER’s main treatment area.

Turned out, the visitor was carrying a loaded gun, two clips for the firearm, and two large pocketknives.

The security officer was born to become a hero, as he was previously involved in three other acts of life-saving heroism.

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The Looming Cyber Shutdown of U.S. Hospitals

October 29, 2022 — Medical, Technology

Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan’s teaching hospital, is as good as it gets when it comes to healthcare in America. Unfortunately, when it comes to cybersecurity, Michigan Medicine appears as inept as its lesser rivals protecting its IT and patient information, underscoring that even top-tier hospital managements are out of their depths when it comes to safeguarding their technology.

It’s likely only a matter of time before hackers decide to hijack all U.S. hospital IT operations in one fell swoop. Federal intervention is required, but unfortunately the U.S. government is no better protecting its IT than U.S. hospitals.

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Ford’s $105M Patent Spanking Is a Very Big Deal

October 28, 2022 — Business

Ford Motor Co. for decades has demonstrated a hearty appetite for litigation risk, which explains the more than 50 safety recalls the company has issued this year. Investors would be wise to take note of two significant legal defeats that recently resulted when two of America’s top litigation lawyers chose to take Ford on.

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When Hospital Nurses Must Call 911

October 27, 2022 — Medical

At St. Michael’s Medical Center in suburban Seattle earlier this month a charge nurse working in the hospital’s problem-plagued ER was forced to call 911 and ask the fire department for backup support. There were reportedly five nurses on duty and 45 patients in the waiting room.

At Ascension Saint Joseph’s Medical Center of Joliet in suburban Chicago three nurses were suspended and escorted from the hospital after voicing concerns about ER staffing. According to the Illinois Nurses Association, there were only four nurses available to treat 46 patients. The unit’s staff requirement was 14 nurses.

In Dallas, a maternity ward nurse and a case worker at Methodist Dallas Medical Center were shot and killed when a gunman on parole and wearing an ankle bracelet opened fire. The gunman reportedly hit his girlfriend while she was in labor and then opened fire on the hospital staff.

Although the three incidents in different regions of the country seem unrelated, what binds them are the inept managements overseeing U.S. hospitals.

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Barron’s & the Sorry State of General Motors

October 26, 2022 — Business, Technology

If electric vehicles are the future of automotive, General Motors CEO Mary Barra continues to suffer major missteps, admitting this week that her ambitious EV sales promises will be delayed another year. As well, Barra has issued yet another recall for her monster Hummer pickup, this one for a faulty battery seal allowing water to seep in.

One upon a time, Barron’s would be the publication sounding the alarm and warning investors about Barra’s track record of broken promises and GM’s history of shoddy manufacturing. Now it’s just another voice in the legacy media’s EV choir.

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Gavin Newsom’s Misguided EV Mandates

October 21, 2022 — Politics

Many Americans are under the mistaken belief that the transition to electric vehicles is being overseen by intelligent leaders who have applied considerable thought on how best to blow up a century-old technology.

Here’s some insight on one of the politicos leading the charge.

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Mark Solheim: The Dale Carnegie of ESG Investing

October 18, 2022 — Business, Media, Politics

I’ve long opposed ESG, or so-called socially responsible investing, because it legitimizes the activities of some companies that do very bad things. So when I retrieved the November issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance this past weekend and found the publication touting ESG on its cover, my instinct was to toss it in the garbage and cancel my subscription. Reading editor Mark Solheim’s justification for the cover story decision didn’t change my views on ESG, but he made me feel good about subscribing to Kiplinger’s.

Solheim is the rare journalist who knows how to win friends and influence people. His column is a masterful example of engagement. Corporate governance commentator Nell Minow and Toronto Globe and Mail reporter Rita Trichur would be wise to read it.

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When Advertising Was Brilliant and Evocative

October 15, 2022 — Business

The launch of Michigan’s Corewell Health last week and its tag line, “Together, we are now” marked a new low in American advertising and marketing. The earth rumblings you possibly felt was David Ogilvy rolling in his grave.

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