The Permanent Impacts of Corona on the Supply Chain and Beyond
I assume I am hardly the only one having a hard time keeping focused on normal work when the coronavirus is delivering its social, health and economic whammies all around us.
The INFORMS Analytics+ Conference showcased how companies are turning advanced analytics and AI into measurable operational results
In most emergency departments, beds are a hot commodity. But some patients don’t actually need a bed for their treatment – and accurately identifying those people is a low-lift but effective way to increase efficiency without sacrificing care quality, finds a study recently published in the journal Management Science.
The researchers developed a simple decision tree, informed by mathematical and machine learning models, to help staff decide whether a patient truly needs a bed or can be routed to a “vertical processing pathway” – that is, an area where they can be treated sitting up. Many hospitals already have such an area but don’t necessarily have a systematic way to decide which patients are treated there.
American teenagers start their school day too early.
Medical experts have been clear for years: sleep cycle changes during puberty make it hard for teenagers to learn in the early morning. Later school start times have been linked to better sleep, improved mental health, stronger academic performance and even safer driving.
Most school district leaders know about this problem and care about fixing it. But changing the schedule can feel operationally impossible.
An audio journey of how data and analytics save lives, save money and solve problems.

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I assume I am hardly the only one having a hard time keeping focused on normal work when the coronavirus is delivering its social, health and economic whammies all around us.
In the mad dash to meet Gov. Larry Hogan’s call for 6,000 new hospital beds for a potential surge of coronavirus cases in Maryland, patients with COVID-19 could end up in a new wing, an alcove or even a tent.
The U.S. may follow in Italy’s footsteps and be overwhelmed by the coronavirus unless we take preventive action now. The capacity of the American health-care system is already under strain — even without the COVID-19 pandemic — with emergency room overcrowding, long wait times to schedule an appointment, and a chronic shortage of nurses.
It’s official: The World Health Organization has declared that the coronavirus is a global pandemic. Currently, the CDC recommends against gatherings of 50 or more people, and President Trump is urging against gatherings of no more than 10. As universities switch to online classes and travel bans go into effect, it makes sense if you’re feeling sort of powerless right now. So far, everyone has been told to take basic precautions against getting sick: wash your hands, avoid touching your face, clean your phone. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO General Director, shared in a tweet that another step in prevention is to avoid crowded places.
During the Democratic debate on Sunday, Americans witnessed a rare sighting: Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden disputing potential solutions to the new coronavirus before an audience-free studio. This eerily quiet debate was fitting considering the current global pandemic that the world is facing. Even presidential candidates had to adhere to the new practices of social distancing, standing six feet apart, and limiting gatherings to no more than 10 people.

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