Demand for food delivery has soared amid the pandemic, but restaurants are struggling to survive. In a fiercely competitive industry, delivery services are fighting to gain market share while facing increased pressure to lower commission fees and provide more protection to their workers. Video/Photo: Jaden Urbi/WSJ
Category Archives: Services
Investigation: Why The Emergency ‘911 System’ Is Broken’ (CNBC Video)
More than 80% of calls to 911 come from a cellphone and often from a high-rise. But the over 5,000 locally run 911 centers, or public safety answering points (PSAP) aren’t easily able to track those callers. Fixing the system could save more than 10,000 lives and $97 billion per year according to the FCC.
Major companies like Apple, Google, Motorola and startups like RapidSOS have tried to fill the technology gap, but so far, that’s not enough. Watch the video to understand the conundrum of a large and fragmented national system that is run and funded locally, and how the federal government may be its only hope for a complete overhaul. “We’re talking about diversity of equipment connecting across these IP networks in a very complex manner,” said Capt. Mel Maier of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan.
“And if there are proprietary interfaces anywhere in between there, they’re not going to be able to talk. … Our technology is continually trying to catch up and playing catch up.” A number of companies including Apple, Motorola and start-ups are trying to fill the technology gap. RapidSOS is a data integration platform that has been adopted free of charge in about 4,800 PSAPs. According to the company, it covers about 92% of the country and assists in 150 million emergencies per year.
“We’re just scratching the surface of the amount of data that we could be using,” said Michael Martin, CEO of RapidSOS. “We’re passing precise location for most 911 calls now. But you can imagine all the capabilities, like in a fire if your building could talk or if your device could detect a heart attack and immediately transmit that through.” According to Maier, who is also chairman of the Public Safety Next Generation 9-1-1 Coalition, the tech industry can’t do it on its own.
He says carriers also have a responsibility, especially when it comes to addressing the altitude problem. But in the end, he says, the federal government is needed. He’s hoping Congress will pass legislation for $15 billion toward a complete overhaul. In July, a $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill that included $12 billion toward 911 passed the House but stalled in the Senate.
Business: ‘Why The USPS Loses Money’ (CNN Video)
It’s no secret that the United States Postal Service has been losing money for a long time, but that’s not entirely its fault. Here are the real reasons it’s in the red.
Produced by John General Supervising Producer Bronte Lord
Health Care: VillageMD Opens First Primary Clinic Called Village Medical At Walgreens In Houston
From a Becker’s Hospital Review online release:
The VillageMD primary care clinic, called Village Medical at Walgreens, is the first of five sites to open in Houston. Four more clinics are slated to open by the end of the year. The Village Medical clinics are located next to Walgreens stores and offer services including annual preventive care, women’s health services, vaccinations, diagnostic testing, smoking cessation, chronic care management and some specialty care. The clinics offer same-day, walk-in appointments, as well as house calls and virtual visits. The clinics are staffed by primary care physicians, nurses, pharmacists and social workers.
Chicago-based primary care company VillageMD is celebrating the opening Nov. 20 of its first primary care clinic at a Walgreens store in Houston, the company announced on Twitter. The Village Medical at Walgreens opening comes just weeks after Walgreens announced plans in October to shutter nearly 160 in-store health clinics.
Seniors Health Care: AMA Launches New Medicare Insurer “Zing Health” To Focus On Patient-Physician Relationship
From a Fast Company online article:
Zing’s plan will give seniors access to a network of clinics in Cook County, Illinois, starting in January. The company hopes to expand to three states by 2022. It’s a managed care plan, which means the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will pay a single monthly fee per member in exchange for a more holistic approach to nurturing patient health. Zing is working with a network of community health centers, including Oak Street Health, which recently raised $65 million for its senior-focused facilities. Continue reading Seniors Health Care: AMA Launches New Medicare Insurer “Zing Health” To Focus On Patient-Physician Relationship
Boomers Online Services: “Nesterly” Finds “Qualified Housemates” (Podcast)
In Boston, a web app called “Nesterly” matches would-be renters with people who have a room to spare and could use a little help around the house.
(NPR Podcast Series)
Website: https://www.nesterly.io/
Boomers Retirement: “Umbrella” Is An Online Home Repair & Services Marketplace For Seniors
From a Pymnts.com posted article:
“Umbrella is an app that’s meant to connect these people with each other, through a marketplace with a membership model. The app lets seniors sign up for “jobs” and provide their services, like mowing a lawn or painting a fence.
The jobs are charged around $20 an hour, and Umbrella keeps $4 of that. The neighbors can choose to make less money, and the difference goes toward cheaper work for lower-income seniors.
Umbrella costs $199 a year to join. The startup was co-founded by CEO Lindsay Ullman and President Sam Gerstenzang. Both worked at Sidewalk Labs previously, among other places.”
Umbrella website: https://www.askumbrella.com/
To read more on article: https://www.pymnts.com/mobile-applications/2019/community-boomer-app-umbrella-raises-5-million/
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