The first wave of nearly 40,000 layoff notices went out to public employees in Minnesota yesterday a move which may signal that the state government is on the path to shutting down. 800 law enforcement officials received the notices and another 30,000 will go out at the end of this week if no budget agreement [...]
IBM is expanding its Health Analytics Solution Center. The center will be adding new technology and doubling the number of technologists focused on health analytics. The group works on IBM solutions for electronic medical records and remote patient monitoring through devices like smart phones.
Seattle is pushing broadband providers to bring service to its Pioneer Square neighborhood. The city is a new construction project as an opportunity to lay conduit pipes for broadband providers to lease and bring service to the area. The pipes are for fiber-optic service or broadband which is nearly 100 times faster than DSL which [...]
Illinois is working to build up its startup economy with the launch of the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN). The network is supported by by the Governor’s Illinois Innovation Council, a public-private partnership launched in February to accelerate innovative economic development and job creation efforts in the state’s startup sector. The network will also be connected [...]
Maine has passed significant health insurance reform allowing for more interstate purchasing and insurance subsidies for some citizens. Amendments to the bill include measures to keep rates from rising in rural areas and will ensure that people do not have to travel long distances for health care. The measure passed the state Senate 24-10 and [...]
New York City has released its plan to become a digital hub. Mayor Michael Bloomberg was joined by Rachel Stern the city’s new Chief Digital Officer in announcing the plan which is also detailed in this report. The plan includes wireless Internet access in city parks, more open data and live chats with 311 agents.
Massachusetts is investing nearly $1 billion in road and bridge projects statewide. The initiative kicked off last week in time for the summer construction season and will have an immediate job creation impact in the state. The funding will go to nearly 450 projects that are a mix of new and on-going construction work and [...]
Washington passed a package of legislation designed to implement health care reform in the state. Under the terms of the package, state health care payments will be based on patient outcomes, a new collaborative will be implement to cut waste, fraud and abuse and the state will begin requiring increased transparency of insurance providers. Washington [...]
The Vermont legislature has passed a bill that will move the state to a universal, publicly funded health care system. The measure is strongly supported by the Governor and he is expected to sign it. Last week the House approved the bill 94-49. Under the terms of the bill, every resident will be covered under [...]
New Jersey is releasing grant funds to a group of New Jersey hospitals and clinics in order to advance a statewide electronic health records initiative. The grant money comes from a federal award of $11.4 million that the state received in 2010. The money will be split between electronic health records projects and the creation [...]
