Latest news with #DavidJordan
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Barriers to maternity care in rural Kansas leave many moms-to-be miles from services
A graphic from a report on maternity care deserts shows the number of facilities offering inpatient obstetrics care across the state of Kansas. (United Methodist Health Ministry Fund/KU School of Nursing) TOPEKA — Maternity care is becoming out of reach for many in rural Kansas counties, where birth rates are higher than in urban areas, hospitals face closure and obstetrics services are few and far between. The new report from the University of Kansas School of Nursing and Hutchinson-based United Methodist Health Ministry Fund examined Kansas' maternity care deserts, or counties without nearby access to prenatal and obstetrics care. The findings 'paint a stark picture of the current landscape of access to maternal health,' said David Jordan, president and CEO of the health fund, which commissioned and funded the report. The report was based on statewide data from 2022-2024. 'The data also emphasize the critical importance of addressing this challenge before it gets worse, as well as recognizing that the location of services is one piece of the puzzle,' he said. More than 40% of Kansas counties don't have any maternal care services, and most Kansans live 30 miles or more from a high-risk delivery facility, the report found. Plus, most rural counties in the state do not have an obstetrician/gynecologist. In western Kansas, Grant and Wallace counties, which sit on or near the Kansas-Colorado border, have the highest birth rates in the state. Wallace County, home to roughly 1,700 people, has no hospitals, birthing centers or facilities offering prenatal services. The closest facility offering inpatient maternity care is at least 50 miles away. In Grant County, maternity care isn't available at existing facilities, the report found, and the closest maternity care facility is at least 24 miles away. Labor and delivery services and high-risk care are most difficult to access, the report found. About 30% of Kansas ZIP codes are 100 miles or more from high-risk pregnancy services. Medicaid, the joint federal and state public health insurance program, pays for about 40% of all births in Kansas. After delivery, mothers are eligible for continued coverage for a year if they make an annual income less than or equal to 171% of the federal poverty level, which amounts to $47,453 or less for a family of four. The report also revealed the unrecognized costs associated with providing maternity care, which requires the constant presence and attention of teams of nurses and clinicians. Reimbursement rates through public insurance programs can be lacking. Addressing maternal care deserts requires sound data, said Karen Weis, the lead author of the report and dean of KU School of Nursing-Salina. 'Kansas legislators, health care systems, foundations, professional organizations and educational institutions are all working hard to address the concerns of access to care and the health care workforce,' she said. The report highlight four priorities to improve the state's maternal health care. Providers could use telehealth more frequently as a way to expand maternal health options. Rural areas could create regional models of care so providers can more easily collaborate. The Legislature could increase reimbursement rates for maternity care services to ease affordability concerns and retain care providers. 'Eighty-six percent of Kansas hospitals experienced a loss of services in 2023, 63% are at risk of closing and 32% are at risk of immediate closure,' the report said. The report encouraged further engagement and research to maximize scarce resources. Jordan said Kansas needs new, innovative solutions 'to complete the puzzle in order to provide women, children and families across the state with better access to the services they need to thrive.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why China's J-10C 'Vigorous Dragon' fighter jet is having a moment
The Chengdu J-10C jet is a key component of China's air power strategy. The jet is easily manoeuvrable in dogfights. The J-10C is being used in the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict. China's Chengdu J-10C fighter jet, also known as the "Vigorous Dragon," has come to prominence following its involvement in this month's conflict between India and Pakistan. The single-engine, multirole aircraft flown by Pakistan's air force was involved in the shooting down of several Indian fighter jets this week, Pakistan's foreign minister said on Wednesday. Some of the downed Indian aircraft included the French-made Rafale fighter, according to the Pakistan government's news agency. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that India and Pakistan has agreed a "full and immediate cease-fire" following US mediation. About 80% of Pakistan's military gear is made by China. The country received its first batch of the jets — upgraded versions of the original J-10 — in 2022. They can carry bombs, air-to-air missiles, and rockets. Relentlessly upgraded since its debut in the 2000s, the J-10 is Beijing's answer to Western light fighters such as the American F-16 and Sweden's Saab Gripen. The Chinese-designed and manufactured jet could prove to be a game changer on the global arms market. David Jordan, a senior lecturer in defence studies at King's College London, told Business Insider: "Think of the J-10C as roughly equivalent to a late-model F-16, but with some features — like its long-range missile suite — that could give it the edge in certain scenarios." The J-10 was China's first major attempt to produce a modern, homegrown combat aircraft. It entered service in 2004 as the J-10A, a single-engine, multirole fighter with a canard-delta wing configuration — a design choice that prioritizes agility over stability, giving it manoeuvrability in dogfights. The J-10 was designed to be flexible and equally capable in air-to-air combat and ground-attack missions. It can carry a mix of precision-guided bombs, anti-ship missiles, and medium-range air-to-air weapons. While ultimately a homegrown Chinese project, it drew inspiration from abroad, including input from Israeli designers and Russian engine tech. By 2008, the upgraded J-10B had been given a redesigned intake to reduce radar visibility, the addition of a passive infrared search and track sensor, digital radar warning receivers, and a revamped cockpit featuring full-color multifunction displays and a wide-angle heads-up display. The J-10C, which started rolling off production lines around 2015, marked another big step forward. This version introduced an AESA radar — a significant leap that boosted detection range, targeting precision, and electronic resistance. It also brought in datalink systems, satellite comms, missile approach warnings, and tweaks to reduce radar signature even further. The fighter still has a Russian-made AL-31F engine, which is seen as a limiting factor, but more recent versions are reportedly testing the Chinese WS-10 engine. The Pakistan-Indian conflict is one of the first times the jet has been used in live combat. Chengdu Aircraft Company stock soared by more than a third this week on the Shenzhen stock market, suggesting investor confidence in the J-10C. Jordan said: "You may well see a very viable competitor to Western products entering contests for the purchase of new fighter aircraft," added Jordan. That could pose a challenge for Western defence manufacturers, he added. Although the J-10C is not China's most advanced fighter — that distinction belongs to the fifth-generation stealth J-20 — it may well be the most commercially viable. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
10-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Why China's J-10C 'Vigorous Dragon' fighter jet is having a moment
China's Chengdu J-10C fighter jet, also known as the "Vigorous Dragon," has come to prominence following its involvement in this month's conflict between India and Pakistan. The single-engine, multirole aircraft flown by Pakistan's air force was involved in the shooting down of several Indian fighter jets this week, Pakistan's foreign minister said on Wednesday. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that India and Pakistan has agreed a "full and immediate cease-fire" following US mediation. About 80% of Pakistan's military gear is made by China. The country received its first batch of the jets — upgraded versions of the original J-10 — in 2022. They can carry bombs, air-to-air missiles, and rockets. Relentlessly upgraded since its debut in the 2000s, the J-10 is Beijing's answer to Western light fighters such as the American F-16 and Sweden's Saab Gripen. The Chinese-designed and manufactured jet could prove to be a game changer on the global arms market. David Jordan, a senior lecturer in defence studies at King's College London, told Business Insider: "Think of the J-10C as roughly equivalent to a late-model F-16, but with some features — like its long-range missile suite — that could give it the edge in certain scenarios." The J-10 was China's first major attempt to produce a modern, homegrown combat aircraft. It entered service in 2004 as the J-10A, a single-engine, multirole fighter with a canard-delta wing configuration — a design choice that prioritizes agility over stability, giving it manoeuvrability in dogfights. The J-10 was designed to be flexible and equally capable in air-to-air combat and ground-attack missions. It can carry a mix of precision-guided bombs, anti-ship missiles, and medium-range air-to-air weapons. While ultimately a homegrown Chinese project, it drew inspiration from abroad, including input from Israeli designers and Russian engine tech. By 2008, the upgraded J-10B had been given a redesigned intake to reduce radar visibility, the addition of a passive infrared search and track sensor, digital radar warning receivers, and a revamped cockpit featuring full-color multifunction displays and a wide-angle heads-up display. The J-10C, which started rolling off production lines around 2015, marked another big step forward. This version introduced an AESA radar — a significant leap that boosted detection range, targeting precision, and electronic resistance. It also brought in datalink systems, satellite comms, missile approach warnings, and tweaks to reduce radar signature even further. The fighter still has a Russian-made AL-31F engine, which is seen as a limiting factor, but more recent versions are reportedly testing the Chinese WS-10 engine. The Pakistan-Indian conflict is one of the first times the jet has been used in live combat. Chengdu Aircraft Company stock soared by more than a third this week on the Shenzhen stock market, suggesting investor confidence in the J-10C. Jordan said: "You may well see a very viable competitor to Western products entering contests for the purchase of new fighter aircraft," added Jordan. That could pose a challenge for Western defence manufacturers, he added. Although the J-10C is not China's most advanced fighter — that distinction belongs to the fifth-generation stealth J-20 — it may well be the most commercially viable.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kansas Medicaid advocates share dire forecast of potential congressional funding cuts
REACH Healthcare Foundation and United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, health-related philanthropies serving Kansans, said potential cuts in federal spending on Medicaid could slash health coverage of low-income Kansans and threaten financially struggling hospitals. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Analysis of potential congressional cuts to Medicaid indicated Kansas' loss of nearly $350 million in the first year and more than $3 billion over 10 years could shrink coverage for vulnerable populations, escalate family medical debt and raise the risk of hospital closures. Reductions in federal financing of Medicaid could lead to downsizing by 5% to 15% the number of Medicaid enrollees in Kansas and trigger a decline of 22% in Medicaid funding to hospitals in the state. Kansas has two-dozen rural hospitals at risk of immediate closure. Shrinking federal funding to Medicaid could add to the burden of uncompensated patient care and threaten hospitals operating on narrow margins. The findings were in a report released Tuesday by REACH Healthcare Foundation and United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, both health-related philanthropies serving Kansans. The report incorporated analysis from Manatt Health, which provides strategic, policy and legal advisory services in the health care industry. Impetus for the projections was upcoming debate in Congress on a goal of cutting $880 billion in federal spending on Medicaid in the next decade. 'The data is clear and deeply concerning,' said David Jordan, president and CEO of United Methodist Health Ministry Fund. 'We will all pay the price – higher costs, increases in local taxes and less access to care – to offset these cuts. It's critical that lawmakers, health care providers, advocates and the people of Kansas recognize the consequences before it's too late.' United Methodist Health Ministry Fund is a statewide foundation that has worked since 1986 to improve the health of Kansans. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program offering health coverage to lower-income Kansas children, seniors, people with disabilities and pregnant women. Medicaid enrolls 366,000 Kansans, including 31% of the state's children. Medicaid supports four of seven nursing home residents in Kansas as well as one in four working-age adults in the state who have a disability, the report said. There is interest among congressional Republicans in adopting a national work requirement for recipients of Medicaid. The Kansas Medicaid program, known as KanCare, doesn't extend coverage to working-age adults regardless of income unless the recipient was a parent, caregiver or a person with a disability. 'Medicaid is the largest source of federal funds in Kansas and any cuts to the program will have severe economic and health impacts felt in every corner of the state,' said Brenda Sharpe, president and CEO of REACH Healthcare Foundation. REACH is a charitable organization striving to improve access to quality, affordable care for uninsured and medically underserved residents of Johnson, Wyandotte and Allen counties in Kansas and Jackson, Cass and Lafayette counties in Missouri. Manatt Health relied on computer modeling to produce one-year and 10-year projections for Medicaid based on the idea of reducing federal expenditures by $880 billion within a decade. The work by Manatt Health was released before Congress completed work on spending adjustments, but the assessment aligned with policy parameters, options and effective dates outlined by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TD SYNNEX to Announce First Quarter Fiscal 2025 Results on March 27, 2025
FREMONT, Calif. & CLEARWATER, Fla., March 06, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TD SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX) today announced it will report its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 before the U.S. market opens on Thursday, March 27, 2025. A conference call to review the results will be held at 6:00 a.m. PT / 9:00 a.m. ET the same day. The quarterly earnings press release and a live audio webcast of the earnings call will be accessible at and a replay of the webcast will be available following the call. About TD SYNNEX TD SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX) is a leading global distributor and solutions aggregator for the IT ecosystem. We are an innovative partner helping more than 150,000 customers in 100+ countries to maximize the value of technology investments, demonstrate business outcomes and unlock growth opportunities. Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, and Fremont, California, TD SYNNEX's 23,000 co-workers are dedicated to uniting compelling IT products, services and solutions from 2,500+ best-in-class technology vendors. Our edge-to-cloud portfolio is anchored in some of the highest-growth technology segments including cloud, cybersecurity, big data/analytics, AI, IoT, mobility and everything as a service. TD SYNNEX is committed to serving customers and communities, and we believe we can have a positive impact on our people and our planet, intentionally acting as a respected corporate citizen. We aspire to be a diverse and inclusive employer of choice for talent across the IT ecosystem. For more information, visit follow our newsroom or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. Safe Harbor Statement Statements in this news release that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to be materially different from any future performance that may be suggested in this release. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release. Copyright 2025 TD SYNNEX Corporation. All rights reserved. TD SYNNEX, the TD SYNNEX Logo, and all other TD SYNNEX company, product and services names and slogans are trademarks of TD SYNNEX Corporation. Other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on Contacts David Jordan Investor Relations510-668-8436ir@ Emily MoseleyGlobal Corporate
