The U.S. healthcare system was in crisis even before COVID-19 turned the world upside down. Despite spending more on healthcare than other industrialized nations, the U.S. had the highest number of preventable hospitalizations and avoidable deaths.
“Even before the pandemic, HIMMS research was talking about the fact that likely 25% of rural hospitals would fail,” said Mary Edwards, president of the Provider Division at NTT Data Services. “Fast forward only a couple of months from that, and research being published across the industry [shows] outpatient revenues are down 11% year over year, inpatient revenue down as well, labor expenses up by nearly 18%.”
Some higher education institutions are turning to a hyperconverged infrastructure to improve connectivity.
Education’s New Normal? Building a Better Infrastructure for Remote Learning
The pandemic has shifted education from the classroom to the home, with many students across the country – from kindergarten to college – now engaged in remote learning.
During a recent CoMotion discussion, officials from companies like Uber and Wisk Aero discussed the opportunities and hurdles presented by small, electric aircrafts as a means of shuttling riders through cities.
Visions of the flying car overlapping with ride-hailing services have been generating more than just skepticism and raised eyebrows. There are actual policy questions that need answering as the nascent technology continues to advance.
Weiterlesen: US: Flying Taxis: Experts Balance Enthusiasm Against Reality
The growing laundry list of connected devices and vehicles continue to make the case for platforms that pull all of the data into one easily accessible system. Two projects are doing just that in Georgia and South Dakota.
Whether cities are managing a crisis, or just trying to get the buses running on schedule, bringing various data streams under one umbrella can lead to easier management and broader insights.
Weiterlesen: US: As Smart Cities Grow, Data Consolidation Efforts Should Too
The less secure nature of home networks has exposed local, county and state governments to new risks during the COVID-19 crisis, experts say, but those risks also set the stage for new opportunities for collaboration.
With so many government employees still working remotely, IT officials focused on cybersecurity and network safety say the new work environments have introduced new threats. But they've also introduced opportunities for training, awareness building and collaboration.
Weiterlesen: US: North Carolina: Remote Government Work: A Challenge and an Opportunity