Latest news with #KevinFoster
CBS News
04-08-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Contact burn injuries rise as sweltering summer temperatures create hotter pavements, playgrounds
With heat warnings popping up across the United States, rising temperatures are turning pavements and playgrounds into burn zones. The burn center at Valleywise Health in Phoenix, Arizona, treated a record number of contact burn patients last year, including 15 deaths. "It is definitely related to temperatures," said Dr. Kevin Foster, the medical director of the burn center. "No question about that." When Foster and his team analyzed 16 years of data, they found a connection between rising summer temperatures, driven by climate change, and an increase in burns. In 2008, when the average summer temperature in Arizona was close to 107 degrees, there were nine contact burn cases, according to Valleywise Health. By 2023, with the average temperature at 113 degrees, burn cases jumped to 120. "Once it gets super-hot, then the number of burns goes up and the acuity, the seriousness of those burns, likewise goes up," Foster said. Phoenix, a city grappling with the impact of heat on health, has applied a special asphalt coating on 140 miles of streets that reduces surface temperatures. "The ground is a lot hotter than the air," Robert Wooley, who had a burn contact injury, said. "That contact with the hot ground is potentially lethal. " When Wooley, 76, lost his balance in his Phoenix backyard, it was a scorching day. He sustained contact burns on 20% of his body. "I just couldn't get back up and I looked at my hands in the skin that peeled off my hands, like the skin from an onion and looked like raw hamburger underneath," he said. The burns can be severe for children as well. A toddler suffered first-degree burns on his feet after running on hot pavement, but fully recovered after treatment. "You really have to think about it ahead of time," Foster said. "It happens so quickly and once it's happened, you can't go back. "
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Hundreds call for Paignton ambulance station to be saved
A petition signed by nearly 900 residents calling for the preservation of an ambulance station in Devon will be presented to the board of an ambulance Totnes Road station in Paignton houses four emergency ambulances and shares its premises with St John Ambulance, said campaigners. However, the building's lease is set to expire and will not be renewed, leaving the future of the station uncertain, they Western Ambulance Service Trust has been contacted for comment. The petition will be delivered to the board later by health campaigner and former Torbay MP Kevin Foster launched the Save Paignton Ambulance Station campaign in April, urging the trust to work with local partners, including Torbay Council, to secure a new site within the town. Campaigners said despite the trust confirming it was exploring "alternative arrangements", no commitment had been made to maintain a dedicated station in Paignton."The loss of the current site should not mean the loss of Paignton's ambulance station," said Mr Foster. "There are alternative locations available, and the trust must ensure ambulances remain based in Paignton."
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Devon heart attack care trial pulled to review feedback
A proposal to trial changes to heart attack services in part of Devon has been withdrawn to allow time to consider feedback on the Devon's Integrated Care Board (ICB) was due to discuss a "test and learn" process for out-of-hours services in Torbay and Exeter during a meeting on part of the move, the trial could have seen patients driven to hospital in Exeter rather than Torbay to help cut costs and release resources to cut treatment following concerns raised locally, NHS Devon said it had decided to delay the proposal so comments can be reviewed before an updated plan is presented to the ICB in July. 'Deeply concerning' A report which formed part of the trial from NHS Devon said it believed consolidating centres might "provide increased value with minimal and clinically acceptable impact on safety and quality".However, the idea was criticised by Liberal Democrat MPs Steve Darling and Caroline Voaden who both raised the issue in the House of MP Darling said the proposal put patients at risk of not receiving treatment fast enough while South Devon MP Voaden said it would put people in critical Torbay Conservative MP Kevin Foster also raised concerns with the trial, which he described as "deeply concerning". In a statement on Wednesday, NHS Devon said its chair and chief executive had decided to pull the plans from the board meeting off the back of "wide-ranging" comments from politicians, health professionals and patients."This will enable the feedback to be fully considered and allow time to reflect on whether such a process will lead to clarity on future commissioning arrangements to ensure the long-term sustainability of this important service," NHS Devon added its key priority was to commission "safe, reliable and sustainable" services for the future of healthcare in the Devon said: "We will engage with our clinicians and partners to design this and find the most effective solutions for the whole population of Devon."An updated proposal will be presented to the board in July, taking into account the valuable feedback received."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cash use declines as cards rise: Atlanta Fed
This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. The percent of consumers who said last October that they'd recently made payments with cash declined to 83%, from 87% in 2023, according to the results of a survey of payment methods by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Similarly, the proportion of survey respondents who had used checks fell to 35% in 2024, from 40% in 2023. The most popular form of payment for all types of transactions, including purchases and bill payment, were credit cards, according to the report. Of all the transactions tracked in the survey, 35% were made with credit cards, followed by debit cards (30%), cash (14%) and bank account methods (13%), the results showed. Checks captured just 3% and prepaid cards 2%. 'Payment cards retained their dominance in the consumer sphere, representing two-thirds of payments by number and just over one-third by value,' said an abstract of the report by Fed researchers Kevin Foster, Claire Greene and Joanna Stavins. The Atlanta Fed report, called the 2024 Survey and Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, surveyed 5,583 respondents last October about their spending habits from the previous 30 days with help from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the Federal Reserve Financial Services. The percentage of consumer transactions made using credit cards climbed last year over 2023 for the month when the Fed survey is conducted, rising to 35% from 32%, according to the report. The percentage for debit cards remained the same at 30%. Nonetheless, the Fed noted the persistence of cash in a May 13 press release recapping the survey's results. 'Findings from this nationally representative survey showed that amid the increasing digitalization of payments, consumers continue to use cash and keep it handy,' the release said. 'Cash ranked third as a top payment instrument among consumers, a position it has held for the past five years.' The Atlanta Fed's research also illustrates the rise of buy now, pay later services, though perhaps some reluctance to use them. While more than three-quarters (76.2%) of survey respondents said they had heard of BNPL providers, half of them were offered BNPL in the past 30 days, but only 9.7% used the service during that period, according to the survey. BNPL providers have benefited from the rise in businesses offering the payment option. On of the biggest BNPL companies, Klarna, reported this week that the number of merchants using its platform jumped 27% to 724,000. Its customer base also increased by 18% by the end of March to 99 million users. The Atlanta Fed's survey also offered signs that efforts to shield consumers from fraud threats may be working. The proportion of consumers reporting credit card and debit card theft or fraud declined to 10% and 8%, respectively, according to the survey. Still, credit and debit card fraud remains a concern. Nearly three-fourths of financial institutions surveyed by the Federal Reserve Financial Services said debit cards were the top payment method for fraud attempts in 2024, followed by checks (62%), non-bank payment apps (36%), ACH transactions (31%) and credit cards (24%). Research reports suggest that payment fraud will become a greater headache for payment providers in the coming decades. An ACI Worldwide report released last fall predicts that authorized push payment fraud losses will rise to $3.08 billion in the U.S. by 2028. Furthermore, an analysis released in January from the research firm Nilson Report projects that card payment losses will surpass $400 billion globally over the next decade.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Charter renewed for Kansas City's Genesis School through 2030 school year
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Genesis School in east Kansas City will be able to continue operating after this school year, at least for now. The Missouri State Board of Education unanimously approved Saint Louis University's (SLU) proposal on Tuesday to sponsor Genesis School through the 2030 school year. Kansas City rejects $915,000 settlement for firefighter who caused deadly 2021 crash Under the new charter agreement, Genesis will be held to rigorous academic, financial, and operational standards over the charter term, according to Genesis School Executive Director Kevin Foster. 'The organization is energized by the opportunity to serve our students and families with a new partner and a renewed focus,' Foster added. 'We're grateful to our dedicated staff, engaged families, and community supporters for helping make this year a success. As we look ahead to a new chapter with SLU as our sponsor beginning in the 2025–26 school year, we're excited to build on our momentum and continue delivering a high-quality education for our students.' According to the Genesis School, they rank first in growth among 20 charter schools in Kansas City. They say they are second in improvement, 10th in overall academic performance, and their full annual performance report ranks ninth. Back in January, the previous sponsor, Missouri Charter Public School Commission, cited the school's academic performance and lack of an adequate plan for the future in their decision to end its contract with Genesis. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Before the last school year, starting in the summer of 2023, a judge ruled that the Missouri Board of Education's vote to revoke Genesis School's charter was 'unlawful and arbitrary.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
