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FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR THE LIFE |
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NEW
SCHEDULING TOOL |
Struggling to get a medical appointment will be a thing of the past once the Department of Veterans Affairs rolls out its Centralized Scheduling Solution (CSS).
Remember when trying to make an appointment involved talking to a clerk who might need to jerry rig an appointment and write it down in a notebook as a reminder to put it on the schedule later? Remember when scheduling personnel were given performance bonuses for the number of appointments made for the date the veterans wanted them ... while other appointment requests disappeared into the desk? Or the spreadsheets that showed certain areas of the country with extremely high percentages of veterans not getting an appointment within 30 days? Too many of us ended up with no appointment, or appointments that weren't on the date (or even in the month) we requested.
More modern methods and schedulers are using computers, but it has involved them making entries into multiple areas of the program. If you need to get an X-ray and see a doctor, that involves juggling times and availability for an X-ray slot, the equipment, a doctor's schedule and even a room to see him in. The schedulers struggle, they say, going from section to section to find all the matching parts of an appointment.
With the new CSS software program, schedulers will see color-coded sections on the screen with available slots clearly noted. One click and all the necessary parts and pieces of an appointment will fall into place and the appointment will be scheduled.
At this point, only one VA location (in Ohio) is set up with CSS, but more are coming.
The CSS software is part of the Electronic Health Record Modernization program, which electronically tracks all of a veteran's health records. Started in 2018, it will take 10 years to be fully up and running, but CSS is a good partial step.
Remember when trying to make an appointment involved talking to a clerk who might need to jerry rig an appointment and write it down in a notebook as a reminder to put it on the schedule later? Remember when scheduling personnel were given performance bonuses for the number of appointments made for the date the veterans wanted them ... while other appointment requests disappeared into the desk? Or the spreadsheets that showed certain areas of the country with extremely high percentages of veterans not getting an appointment within 30 days? Too many of us ended up with no appointment, or appointments that weren't on the date (or even in the month) we requested.
More modern methods and schedulers are using computers, but it has involved them making entries into multiple areas of the program. If you need to get an X-ray and see a doctor, that involves juggling times and availability for an X-ray slot, the equipment, a doctor's schedule and even a room to see him in. The schedulers struggle, they say, going from section to section to find all the matching parts of an appointment.
With the new CSS software program, schedulers will see color-coded sections on the screen with available slots clearly noted. One click and all the necessary parts and pieces of an appointment will fall into place and the appointment will be scheduled.
At this point, only one VA location (in Ohio) is set up with CSS, but more are coming.
The CSS software is part of the Electronic Health Record Modernization program, which electronically tracks all of a veteran's health records. Started in 2018, it will take 10 years to be fully up and running, but CSS is a good partial step.
(c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
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BADLY BEHAVED DOGS
NEED BASIC COMMANDS |
DEAR PAW'S CORNER: Every time I read an article about a badly behaved dog, the trainer says that the dog needs to relearn basic commands like sit, stay and lie down. Why would unrelated commands solve a behavior problem? -- Edward in Albany, New York
DEAR EDWARD: Every dog should be trained to respond to five basic commands: come, heel, sit, stay and lie down. Dogs need to obey their owner the first time and every time a command is issued.
That may sound a little harsh, but a dog that can't be controlled is a dog in danger.
Owners need to be able to recall a dog that has slipped its leash before it runs into traffic. They need to make sure their dog will walk beside them and will sit calmly on command, especially when another dog approaches. Their dog needs to stay in position when told to do so -- whether sitting or lying down.
Dogs aren't robots, though. Like us, their discipline and training will slip if not regularly reinforced. Think about how often you and I give in to temptation and take that second cookie (or third or fourth or fifth). Just as we humans sometimes need reinforcement of good habits, our dogs need regular reinforcement of basic commands.
When owners spend more time working one-on-one with their dogs, they frequently report that undesirable behaviors happen less often. The time and attention that owners give can quickly blunt attention-seeking behaviors.
The AKC has a good breakdown of the basic dog commands here: www.akc.org/ expert-advice/training/ and search for "5 basic commands."
Energetic young dogs can be a handful sometimes. If you are having trouble getting your dog to respond to basic commands, enlist the help of a professional trainer.
DEAR EDWARD: Every dog should be trained to respond to five basic commands: come, heel, sit, stay and lie down. Dogs need to obey their owner the first time and every time a command is issued.
That may sound a little harsh, but a dog that can't be controlled is a dog in danger.
Owners need to be able to recall a dog that has slipped its leash before it runs into traffic. They need to make sure their dog will walk beside them and will sit calmly on command, especially when another dog approaches. Their dog needs to stay in position when told to do so -- whether sitting or lying down.
Dogs aren't robots, though. Like us, their discipline and training will slip if not regularly reinforced. Think about how often you and I give in to temptation and take that second cookie (or third or fourth or fifth). Just as we humans sometimes need reinforcement of good habits, our dogs need regular reinforcement of basic commands.
When owners spend more time working one-on-one with their dogs, they frequently report that undesirable behaviors happen less often. The time and attention that owners give can quickly blunt attention-seeking behaviors.
The AKC has a good breakdown of the basic dog commands here: www.akc.org/ expert-advice/training/ and search for "5 basic commands."
Energetic young dogs can be a handful sometimes. If you are having trouble getting your dog to respond to basic commands, enlist the help of a professional trainer.
Send your tips, questions or comments to ask@pawscorner.com.
(c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
(c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.