NJ court says hospitals can keep internal error reviews private
By Anne Zieger | October 1, 2014
Dive Brief:
A New Jersey Supreme Court ruling has concluded that hospitals’ internal review reports written after adverse events occur should remain private. The ruling relies on the 2004 Patient Safety Act, which protects healthcare worker confidentiality in an effort to let them be more candid when errors are made. The ruling allows Valley Hospital of Ridgewood, NJ to keep a memo to itself that was written after events that led to allegations in a medical malpractice case.
Dive Insight:
According to the court, there is abundant reason to protect these privacy privileges. In its ruling, it noted that the legislators who drafted the Patient Safety Act had created an “absolute privilege,” bearing in mind that “healthcare professionals and other provider staff are more likely to effectively assess adverse events in a confidential setting, in which an employee need not fear recrimination for disclosing his or her own medical error, or that of a colleague.”
Nazi Death Camp Survivor Responds To California School’s Ban On Popular Holocaust Book By Justen Charters
charter school in California is stirring up major controversy after banning a popular book about a woman who helped saved Jews during the Holocaust.
Fox News has more:
Springs Charter Schools in Temecula, Calif., not only had a problem with “The Hiding Place,” they also took issue with any other book that was written by a Christian author or included a Christian message.
“We do not purchase sectarian educational materials and do not allow sectarian materials on our state-authorized lending shelves,” Superintendent Kathleen Hermsmeyer wrote in a letter to attorneys at the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI).
“The Hiding Place” is a best selling book written by Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom, a woman who even after living in a concentration camp made it her life’s work to help rehabilitate other survivors.
I had the opportunity to talk with my friend Alter Wiener (a Holocaust survivor who wrote his own book about his personal story surviving the Nazis) and here’s what he had to say about the ban:
The papers or TV do not bring good news. Violence, corruption, prejudice are on the top of the news. I am saddened and frustrated and feel like reading something uplifting. I had been inspired reading The Hiding Place twenty years ago. The book came to my mind now when I am eager to find a source of light in the darkness. While reading it, for the second time, I gained a respite from exposure to the disparaging current events. Being riveted to The Hiding Place, I am hiding ephemerally from the ominous world.
In today’s modern culture selfishness prevails, youth show no respect for the elderly. The ten Boom family’s moral conduct is the antidote to the corrupted people in today’s society.
As a Holocaust survivor, I just don’t understand how somebody wishes to ban a book such as The Hiding Place that has a message of love and compassion, and banned the book because of its Christian message of love and tolerance.
In addition, the Pacific Justice Institute has threatened to take legal action if the ban isn’t reversed, citing that is a violation of the 1st Amendment. Perhaps the school can just reverse the ban and allow the readers the freedom to choose what they want to read.
Bergen freeholder hopefuls debate centers on Sheriff Departments use of MRAP’s
“I don’t want them on our streets,” Candidate Bernie Walsh
SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, 7:55 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, 10:06 PM BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN STAFF WRITER NORTHJERSEY.COM
The four candidates for Bergen County freeholder sparred in their first debate Tuesday over the budget, armored vehicles, and consolidation of law enforcement.
In the 90-minute forum at the Teaneck Library, Republican candidates Bernadette Walsh and Robert Avery took issue with how the Democratic-controlled freeholder board avoided a tax increase this year by dipping into county trust funds.
Avery contended the move would leave the county in the red at the beginning of 2015.
But Democratic Freeholder Chairman David Ganz said only about $1.5 million of the nearly $100 million in the trust funds was tapped as revenue this year.
Fellow Democratic Freeholder Joan Voss said those funds will be replenished next year.
The mostly civil debate came amid a campaign in which control of the freeholder board is at stake. Democrats hold a 5-2 majority.
The forum — which drew about 50 people — was held by Bergen Grassroots, a citizen activist group best know for successfully pushing the county to adopt pay-to-play reforms that limited campaign contributions by professionals with no-bid county contracts.
That issue came up only at the very end of the forum. Instead, the debate over Sheriff Michael Saudino’s plan to accept a mine-resistant military surplus armored vehicle from the federal government was a much hotter topic.
“I don’t want them on our streets,” Walsh said, to some applause.
Just received this email from the district superintendent. Dr. Stotsky’s views of Common Core are substantially aligned with that of Dr. James Milgram–in a word: Negative.
I think Common Core is a ‘happy name’, meant to inspire confidence in ordinary citizens who don’t have the time to do their own research and are inclined to defer to so-called ‘experts’. In reality, the slightest interest paired with cursory research and at least some independent thought and analysis would reveal to almost every citizen and voter in Ridgewood that while we were busy doing other things, K-12 education in this country has devolved into a true farce.Some derive substantial monetary profit from this circumstance (remember our dalliance with the new superintendent and his wife who turned tail and fled when they found the path into Ridgewood was not paved with rose petals?).
Some, like former Assistant Superintendent Regina Botsford, have been ‘All In’ on this development from the start due to their ideological bent being in favor of warping K-12 curriculum and policy toward their goals and dreams in other areas of life. For example, deliberately disadvantaging boys in math has long been a tool for those who wish to reduce what they see as a stubborn performance disparity in STEM academic subjects and perceived under-representation of women in relatively high-paying STEM jobs.
Still others, like Bill Ayers, and in the decided opinion of this anonymous author, Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett, Rahm ‘Never Let a Crisis Go to Waste’ Emanuel, and Eric Holder, have found comfort and strategic advantage in creating and maintaining an environment of doubt and uncertainty, and if necessary, chaos. They envision a fundamental transformation of this country and are simultaneously targeting every institution that arguably represents or upholds a worthwhile tradition in the realm of Civil Society, be it religious, social, cultural, educational, moral, or otherwise, for degradation and destruction. And yes, you are right to observe that none of these people has articulated even a murky vision of what it is that they intend to build on the rubble they leave in their wake.
Finally, we have the Foundations, and the wealthy backers of same, like Bill and Melinda Gates, that are obsessed with perceived global overpopulation. Any collection of relatively well-heeled or at least arguably well-credentialed misanthropes with a sufficiently anti-social agenda, including most reform math zealots and other promoters of substance-denuding constructivist educational theories will be at or near the top of the list when it comes to attracting funding and other types of largesse from these organizations, who see themselves as citizens of the world and therefore do not concern themselves with the niceties of local accountability.
With this much firepower on the side of limiting the depth, breadth, value and utility of our children’s K-12 education, it is easy to become overwhelmed and leave it to the next guy or gal to show up at a local panel discussion that, likely as not, is intended to provide nothing more than the appearance of objectivity as Ridgewood and other New Jersey towns continue the process of throwing themselves headlong into the destructive morass of modern constructivist educational theory.
Werner Foerster, killed during a traffic stop in 1973, escaped East Germany as a young man. Who would have thought that in 2014 the USA would be more like Police State East Germany ?
Widow of N.J. trooper disappointed by court decision to parole husband’s killer
SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, 6:41 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, 11:41 PM BY ABBOTT KOLOFF STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
She has been largely quiet over the decades about the murder of her state trooper husband on the New Jersey Turnpike as his death became entangled in a crime involving a black anti-government movement and an armed prison escape by a woman who remains one of the nation’s most wanted fugitives.
But as one of Trooper Werner Foerster’s killers moved a step closer to freedom this week, his wife agreed on Tuesday to discuss some of their life together. She touched on her husband’s escape from communist East Germany as a young man and his reason for joining the state police after the couple moved to New Jersey and had a son.
“He just wanted to have a better life for us,” said Rosa Foerster, 73, who lives in Florida.
On Monday, a panel of appellate judges overturned a 2010 state Parole Board ruling denying parole for 77-year-old Sundiata Acoli, a member of the Black Liberation Army who was traveling with Joanne Chesimard and another man when they were pulled over for a faulty taillight by police in East Brunswick on May 2, 1973.
In case you missed it Sept. 29 was National Coffee Day , but for some of us everyday is coffee day
SEPTEMBER 29, 2014, 10:43 AM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2014, 11:04 AM BY ELYSE TORIBIO STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
(Originally published May 12, 2014)
It can be hot- or cold-brewed, strong and bold or light and sweet, with or without foam, flavored naturally or with the syrupy stuff. At Ridgewood Coffee Company, you can even get your latte with a side of art; the shop specializes in “latte art” using the pouring method.
What makes a really good cup of coffee? Terry Jung, who has owned the place since December, said it’s paying close attention to consistency and the “variables”: coffee to water ratio, brewing temperature and the quality of your beans.
“Making coffee is an art — and fun,” Jung said. His personal favorite beans? Ethiopian. “It has a fruit taste note and it’s not usually strong. I don’t add anything to it.”
Brave enough to be your own barista? Follow these steps for a simple — but perfect — cup of coffee.
* Buy high-quality coffee beans
Ridgewood Coffee Co. gets most of its coffee from Intelligentsia, a renowned roasting company based in Chicago. For prime freshness, Jung said, “we like to use the coffee seven to 10 days after it’s been roasted.”
The National Coffee Association says buying ground coffee in small batches is best, so that you always have a fresh supply. And if you have a grinder at home, toss in the beans just before you brew.
* Clean your equipment
There should be no leftover grounds from your last coffee fix. Jung prefers to use the hand drip (or pour-over) method with a funnel-shaped tool; you can use whatever you’re comfortable with, like a French press or Moka pot.
* Use the golden ratio
However much coffee you use, you need about 17 times that amount in water. For example, one spoonful of dry coffee grounds calls for 17 spoonfuls of water.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/food-and-dining-news/sept-29-is-national-coffee-day-1.1098275#sthash.rbayxy3j.dpuf
Northeast loses 40% of House seats as people flee high-tax states
BY PAUL BEDARD | SEPTEMBER 30, 2014 | 11:21 AM TOPICS: WASHINGTON SECRETS TAXES HO– USE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONNECTICUT MASSACH– USETTS NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW JERSEY NEW YORK PENNSYLVANIA
The Northeast, once the nation’s political engine that produced presidents, House speakers and Senate giants including the late Edward M. Kennedy, is losing clout in Washington as citizens flee the high-tax region, according to experts worried about the trend.
The Census Bureau reports that population growth has shifted to the South and the result is that the 11 states that make up the Northeast are being bled dry of representation in Washington.
Critics blame rising taxes in states such as Massachusetts and Connecticut for limiting population growth in the Northeast to just 15 percent from 1983 to 2013, while the rest of the nation grew more than 41 percent.
The biggest impact comes in the loss of congressional representation.
the apple dose not fall far from the tree Keith Jr. picking up where his father left off
Bear Standoff Ends Happily with no Causalities in Ridgewood
SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, 10:47 AM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, 5:10 PM BY STEFANIE DAZIO AND CHRIS HARRIS STAFF WRITERS THE RECORD
Wildlife officials have finally captured an elusive bear that romped around the village for nearly six hours.
The bear was tranquilized around 3 p.m. Tuesday as it rested in a tree on Lake Avenue. Police officers waited below with a net to catch the drugged bruin, who struggled to hang onto the branches for 30 seconds before falling out of the tree with a large thud. It was then carted away.
The standoff between man and beast had been going on throughout the day and nothing worked until now. The goal is to relocate the bear.
At the police’s request, media outlets with helicopters in the air tried to scare the bear out of a tree on Godwin Avenue but that failed and the helicopters backed off.
A spray of water from the fire department finally got him to leave the tree but he escaped up another tree with animal control officers and their German Shepherd in hot pursuit. Even the bear could be seen panting.
An earlier attempt to shoot a tranquilizing dart at the bear as he climbed down from a tree on West Ridgewood Avenue missed the mark.
CDC: Working to identify anyone who had contact with sick patient during infectious period
Everett Rosenfeld | @Ev_Rosenfeld
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first case of Ebola in the United States at a Tuesday news conference.
The CDC said that the patient had come from Liberia, and did not show any symptoms when he arrived in the United States on Sept. 20. The organization said it is closely monitoring the situation.
“It is certainly possible that someone who had contact with this individual…could develop Ebola in the coming weeks,” said Tom Frieden, the CDC’s director. “But there is no doubt in my mind that we will stop it here.”
Frieden said public health officials will be working to identify all of those who may have had contact with the patient while he could have been infectious. Once identified, these individuals will be monitored for 21 days to see if they develop symptoms, Frieden said.
Watch Bill Gates Confirm Everybody’s Worst Fears About Common Core
Rather than defend Common Core from accusations of creeping nationalization, Bill Gates finally confirmed that yes, this is exactly what Core proponents are trying to accomplish—less local autonomy is a good thing.
Robby Soave|Sep. 30, 2014 10:42 am
Common Core critics contend that national education standards will erode local decision-making on school issues while promoting a national curriculum of sorts. Most Core proponents generally dismiss these concerns as unfounded.
But Bill Gates, a major financial backer of the standards, was atypically direct about what peddlers of standardization are trying to accomplish during aPolitico event on Monday. Rather than defend Common Core from accusations of creeping nationalization, he finally confirmed that yes, this is exactly what Core proponents are trying to accomplish—less local autonomy is a good thing, as he says in the video:
“Common Core I would have thought of as more of a technocratic issue. The basic idea of, ‘should we share an electrical plug across the country?’ Well, you can get partisan about that I suppose. Should Georgia have a different railroad width than everybody else? Should they teach multiplication in a different way? Oh that’s brilliant [sarcasm], who came up with that idea? Common Core, the idea that what you should know at various grades, that that should be well-structured and you should really insist on kids knowing something so you can build on it, I did not really expect that to become a big political issue.”
There you have it. Gates views the education system—the many myriad ways Americans could pass on knowledge to their children—as akin to choosing the correct railroad track size. The implication is obvious: after all, there is only one right railroad track size! Similarly, there is only one correct way to teach children, and all children must be taught that way, according to Gates.
Here’s a look from @News12Chopper at the bear up in a tree in #Ridgewood MORE INFO> Lions tigers and yup… a bear ! In a tree in town! Megan Vega @MeganVegaTV
Ridgewood Nj,Bear tranquilized near Ridgewood schools; Students free to leaveABC news reported that students are now being held at 3 schools: GW Middle School, Orchard Elementary, in addition to Ridge Elementary because of bear in tree.
The bear was contained in a tree in a residential backyard .New Jersey Department of Fish and Wildlife is on the scene.
NJ Department of Fish And Wildlife are deploying nets in preparation of tranquilizing the bear.
Village ROBO calls went out warning residents especial after the bear attack last weekend residents need to know if there was one in their neighborhood.
Per the Reverse 911, the bear was spotted near Ridge School. Do not approach, call police at 201-652-3900.
Ridgewood PD is now reporting on twitter that the bear is on the loose again. Leaving his tree on Godwin Avenue . Children at Ridge school will not be released until it is safe to do so.
Residents have reported the Bear has been running rings around Ridgewood, from Megan Pace .
Ridgewood PD is now reporting on twitter that the bear is on the loose again. Leaving his tree on Godwin Avenue . Children at Ridge school will not be released until it is safe to do so.
Readers report It’s quite a circus ,Police blockades with lights-a-flashin’ 3 or 4 helicopters and a dozen news trucks in full regalia.
In North Jersey’s suburban jungle some animals thrive, others struggle near humans
SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, 6:49 AM BY JAMES M. O’NEILL STAFF WRITER NORTHJERSEY.COM
Canada geese get sucked into the engines of a jet, forcing it to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River. The carcasses of struck deer dot the shoulders of Bergen County roadways. A groundhog slashes the face of a family’s pit bull in Wayne. A black bear kills a hiker in West Milford.
For a variety of reasons, suburbia is growing more wild. Some species are learning to thrive in this human-engineered landscape, leading experts to warn that the number of conflicts between people and wildlife will only increase.
The issue is forcing officials to assess how best to manage these species in places where traditional methods of wildlife management – hunting and trapping – are unpalatable or impractical.
At the same time, as suburbia expands its footprint, other species – those that need specific habitat to survive – struggle to hang on. The bobwhite quail, once common, is virtually extinct in New Jersey, as its grassland habitat disappears. Another bird, the piping plover, crowded out by beachgoers, now numbers about 120 nesting pairs in the state.
“The suburban environment has changed the makeup of wildlife,” said Stewart Breck, a wildlife biologist at the National Wildlife Research Center in Fort Collins, Colo.
Researchers are still learning how suburban development alters ecosystems, and what the impacts could be.
Garrett hosted three roundtable discussions with a bipartisan group of Members of Congress and key financial services leaders and CEOs. The purpose of our talks was simple: protect your retirement investments and ensure that all Americans can continue to invest in great businesses and ideas.
Rep Scott Garrett Makes top-5 committee attendance record September 29,2014
Rep Scott Garrett named as top-5 committee attendance record in DC .
“I take my responsibility to ensure that New Jersey’s Fifth District has a voice very seriously. I’m proud of having a top-5 committee attendance record because— as this piece from the Washington Examiner points out—committee meetings, hearings and markups are where the real ‘nuts and bolts’ work of Congress gets done.”
SEPTEMBER 30, 2014 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, 1:21 AM THE RECORD
Having a brewski just might be good for your brain
A new study suggests that an element in beer may be good for your brain.
Scientists discovered that xanthohumol, an ingredient in beer, seems to help cognitive function in young mice.
Xanthohumol did not have the same impact on older mice, according to the study, whose results were published this month in Behavioral Brain Research.
The scientists noted that the dose they gave the mice was quite high. A human would have to drink 2,000 liters of beer a day to equal what the mice consumed.
Bear near Ridge Elementary School in Ridgewood is surrounded
SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, 10:47 AM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, 11:31 AM BY CHRIS HARRIS STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — A bear has climbed a tree along West Ridgewood Avenue across from the Ridge Elementary School, authorities said.
Dogs are being used to keep the bear in the tree until representatives from the state’s Division of Fish and Wildlife “can come get him,” Mayor Paul Aronsohn said.
There is a significant police presence in the area. Tyco Animal Control was called in to assist, the mayor said.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/bear-near-ridge-elementary-school-in-ridgewood-is-surrounded-1.1099112#sthash.z2c9r1Yw.dpuf
