Doctor-Assisted Suicide and the Hospitals Bottom Line :: Euthanasia Physician Assisted Suicide

Euthanasia and the Hospitals' Bottom Line      Ã‚   An important factor in debates over health care and treatment strategies is the issue of cost. It is tremendously expensive to provide the state-of-the-art care that the modern hospital offers. Concerns about where the money will come from to care for elderly citizens appear to be making the case for "mercy killing" even more compelling. Under financial pressure, hospitals are exercising their right to deny such expensive healthcare to the aged or seriously ill.    We reserve the right to refuse service: Most people have seen these signs at restaurants and retail shops. But now, metaphorically, some hospitals are hanging such notices over their entryways by promulgating "futile care" protocols that grant doctors the right to say no to wanted life-extending medical treatment to patients whose lives they consider lacking in sufficient quality to justify the cost of care.    Unnoticed by the mainstream press, a disturbing study published in the Fall 2000 issue of the Cambridge Quarterly of Health Care Ethics reveals how far the futile-care movement, in reality the opening salvo in a planned campaign among medical elites to impose health-care rationing upon us, has already advanced. The authors reviewed futility policies currently in effect in 26 California hospitals. Of these, only one policy provided that "doctors should act to support the patient's life" when life-extending care is wanted. All but two of the hospital policies defined circumstances in which treatments should be considered nonobligatory even if requested by the patient or patient representative. In other words, 24 of the 26 hospitals permit doctors to unilaterally deny wanted life-supporting care.    How is such medical abandonment justified? Advocates of futile-care theory cleverly shift the focus away from the physiological effect provided to the patient and toward whether the patient has the "potential for appreciating the benefit of the treatment." Thus, the Cambridge Quarterly reports that 12 of the 26 hospitals surveyed prohibit treating people diagnosed with permanent unconsciousness (other than comfort care) based on these patients' supposed inability to know they are being treated. Never mind that several medical studies demonstrate that this condition is often wrongly diagnosed (40 percent misdiagnosis according to one British report). And never mind that such patients sometimes awaken unexpectedly, as recent headlines attest. What is most disturbing is that these policies, if enforced, would prevent profoundly brain-damaged and dementia patients from receiving tube-supplied food and water because such care is considered medical treatment.

My Best Friend Essay

â€Å"Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow; don’t walk behind me, I may not lead; Just walk beside me, and be my friend†. I’m going to describe someone who means the world to me and also has a huge impact in my life. I have one such good friend who walks beside me and who extends her hand, when I am about to slip and fall. She is my greatest asset in life, which I treasure more than anything else in this world. She is my best friend. My best friend is Mahliet Mersha. We come from the same neighborhood. Our houses are situated close to each other’s. Both Mahliet and I are of same age and belong to more or less same economic background. In fact, what has cemented our friendship deep is that our families have been close to each other for a long time. My father and Mahliet’s father were good friends back in Ethiopia. Another reason, which probably helped us to become good friends, is that we have grown together. We have spent our childhood days playing, fighting, learning, and enjoying together. Mahliet and I generally go to school together but I will be leaving Mahliet because it’s going to be my final year. Mahliet has many excellent qualities of heart and mind. Her simplicity, smartness, neatness, intelligence, straightforwardness, cool temperament, pleasant behavior, gentle ways, dutifulness, etc. have made her one of the most liked and popular students in the school. Mahliet’s sweet temperament is her greatest quality. She never hurts others or speaks ill of others. She has an amazing personality. She also helps me more than anybody. She tries to do all she can to make me come up to her level. She never goes to any movies or party without me. I do the same for her. My best friend has been through a lot she is currently living with me sometimes and also living with my other friend Helen. I’ve helped Mahliet from day one; she was having problems at home and not living a healthy life. Whenever I am sick, she is the first to come and see me. There is no function in my home without her presence. All these have combined to make our friendship deep and lasting. The best trait that I admire and like most in my friend is her disciplined life. She gets up on time, does her homework always, attends school regularly, respects her teachers and elders and never indulges in unhealthy ways such as, smoking, taking alcohol, idling away time, skipping classes etc. Her principle of ‘duty first- enjoyment second’ is something that I find difficult to follow, yet try to imitate. She corrects me whenever I commit any mistake. For me she is a source of inspiration, support and also a role model to imitate. I am ever grateful to the almighty for having given me such a good friend. I cherish it as my greatest treasure. I am sure our friendship will grow deeper and deeper in the years to come. I wish everyone had such friends in life. I know I can always count on Mahliet whenever I need her and she also feels the same way. My best friend brings joy to me.

Management Control Systems Case Study Las Ferreteri­as de México, S.A. de C.V. - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 816 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2018/12/15 Category Business Essay Type Case study Level High school Did you like this example? 1. Introduction La Ferreterias de Mexico de C.V 2. Company History The company Las Ferreteri ­as de Mà ©xico, S.A. de C.V. (Ferreteri ­as) was the second-largest retailer of lumber, building materials, and home improvement products and equipment in Mexico. Ferreterias operated 82 stores in Mexico City and throughout most of the northern regions of Mexico. Each of Ferreterias stores of ered between 10,000 and 20,000 stock keeping units (SKUs) in a retail sales area, an outside lumberyard area, and a garden center. The total store areas ranged from 10,000 to 35,000 square feet. Ferreterias was founded in 1902 in a suburb of Mexico City by Fernando Gonzalez grandfather. Over the years, the company added more locations. It was listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange in 1983. In 2012, Ferreterias had sales of 2,210 million pesos and profi ts of almost 120 million pesos (see summary fi nancial statements in Exhibits 1 and 2 ). 1 Starting in the late 1980s, Fernando Gonzales launched a major company expansion to take advantage of the growth in the Mexi can economy. He thought that his company needed to emulate the methods of the large American homebuilding retailers, such as Home Depot and Lowes, in order to survive. Thus, improving market share and improving operating efficiencies became Ferreteri ­as strategic priorities. The store managers enjoyed considerable autonomy. They were responsible for hiring, firing, and supervising their stores personnel. While the stores had the same architectural designs and some basic stock keeping requirements, the individual store managers were allowed to adapt their merchandise of erings, their inventory levels, and their advertising and promotional activities to their local markets, which were quite diverse. The store managers were given considerable latitude to reduce prices to move excess inventory or to meet competition. They were responsible for making credit-granting decisions, although for large accounts they were expected to ask finance personnel at headquarters to perform a credi t check. And some aggressive store managers tried to generate new business by calling on prospective customers themselves. The 82 stores were organized into nine geographical regions. The regional managers, each of whom was a former store manager, provided oversight and advice. Their role was seen as an important part of the management structure because most of the store managers had little formal education. Only a few were college educated, and few of those had formal business education. Each region also contained a regional sales of ce with specialists who worked with larger customers, primarily larger contractors, in selecting materials and estimating costs. Sales to these customers, however, were made through the store nearest to the job. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Management Control Systems Case Study: Las Ferreteri ­as de Mà ©xico, S.A. de C.V." essay for you Create order 2. Issues Las Ferreteri ­as de Mà ©xico, S.A. de C.V. income statement as of 12/31/2012 (Ps 000) Net Sales 2,216,540 Costs of Sales 1,582,670 Gross Margin 633,870 Selling, General and Administrative Expenses 377,580 Depreciation Expense 65,740 Interest Expense 14,320 Total Expenses 457,640 Earnings before Taxes 176,230 Income Tax Provision 58,240 Net Earnings after Taxes 117,990 Las Ferreteri ­as de Mà ©xico, S.A. de C.V. balance sheet as of 12/31/2012 (Ps 000) Assets Current Assets Cash and Cash Equivalents 79,880 Short-Term Investments 5,430 Accounts Receivable 16,550 Merchandise Inventory 387,550 489,410 Property, Less Accumulated Depreciation 857,650 Long-Term Investments 8,720 Other Assets 14,060 Total Assets 1,369,840 Liabilities Accounts Payable 211,260 Other Current Liabilities 57,860 Long-term Debt 384,350 Other long-term liabilities 67,140 720,610 Shareholder Equity Preferred Stock ($10 par; 300,000 shares issued) 30,000 Common Stock ($20 par; 1,000,000 share issued) 200,000 Retained Earnings 419,230 649,230 Total Liabilities and Shareholder Equity 1,369,840 STRENGTH Excellent sales staff with strong knowledge of existing products Good relationship with customers Good internal communications High traffic location Successful marketing strategies WEAKNESSES Reputation for innovation Currently struggling to meet deadlines too much work? High rental costs Market research data may be out of date OPPORTUNITIES Similar products on the market are not as reliable or are more expensive Loyal customers Product could be on the market for Christmas Customer demand have asked sales staff for similar product Cash flow problems Holding too much stock Poor record keeping THREATS Competitors have a similar product Competitors have launched a new advertising campaign Competitor opening shop nearby Downturn in economy may mean people are spending less 3. Recommendations As with domestic marketing, Las Ferreteri ­as de Mà ©xico, S.A. de C.V.) , have to decide how they are to compete in their chosen market. According to Porter, the principal sources of competitive advantage are lower costs of production and a differentiated product offering. Lesser financially endowed usually have the former, but may have to work hard to obtain the latter. Should firms not be able to obtain a cost advantage, one possible option is to outsource production. This is a very common phenomenon of developed countries. However, it does take careful coordination and setting up if it is to be successful. There are other strategies available to marketers other than low cost, these include market leadership, market challenger or market flanking. All these strategies require information on competitors as well as on environmental conditions.