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Kert Anzilotti, M.D., Appointed President of the Medical Group of ChristianaCare

Kert Anzilotti, M.D., MBA, FACR has been appointed president of the Medical Group of ChristianaCare. Anzilotti has served as interim president since June 2024. He will also continue in his role as system chief medical officer of ChristianaCare. As president of the ChristianaCare Medical Group, Anzilotti will seek to improve every aspect of care for every person the Medical Group touches. He will focus on the optimization of care delivery, strategic visioning, network development, clinical technology implementation and leveraging medical informatics. Anzilotti will continue to develop new care models that transcend settings, promote value-based care and improve the patient experience across the clinical enterprise. Among his priorities are the adoption of population health measures, the embedding of health equity into care delivery and workforce development, further expansion of access points for patients and the continuous enhancement of patient and caregiver experience. “Dr. Anzilotti is exceptionally qualified to lead the Medical Group of ChristianaCare,” said Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, president and CEO of ChristianaCare. “His passion for our mission and vision for the future strength of our Medical Group is unwavering. Since joining ChristianaCare in 2011, Dr. Anzilotti has earned a well-deserved reputation as a thoughtful and collaborative leader.” Anzilotti has served in numerous leadership roles at ChristianaCare, including as chief medical officer, acute care; chair of the Department of Radiology; medical director of Imaging Services; and physician leader of the Neurosciences Service Line. He also previously served as Interim President and CEO for the eBrightHealth ACO with responsibility for physician leadership and network operations. He is board certified in Neuroradiology. “Over the many years I have been at ChristianaCare, I have had the privilege of witnessing the dedication and compassion of my Medical Group colleagues as we served together with love and excellence,” Anzilotti said. “I am honored to lead this incredible, dynamic group that is reshaping the future of care, ensuring everyone we serve can achieve their best health.” Anzilotti earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He earned his MBA at the University of Delaware, completed the Managing Health Care Delivery Course at Harvard Business School and graduated as Physician Executive Fellow in the Health Management Academy, GE Fellows Program. The Medical Group of ChristianaCare consists of over 2,200 dedicated doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other caregivers. This highly skilled team delivers exceptional care through ChristianaCare’s community-based primary care and specialty care practices serving Delaware and surrounding states. Additionally, the Medical Group collaborates with ChristianaCare hospitalists to ensure seamless continuity of care for our patients, from primary care to hospital care and back again.

Ask the expert: The constituencies who will determine Michigan’s election results

When it comes to how Michigan has voted in modern presidential elections, a majority of voters have voted for the Democratic nominee for president. In recent years, however, Michigan has become more competitive as a key swing state. In 2016, former President Donald Trump won by just over 10,000 voters and in 2020 President Joe Biden won by just over 150,000 voters. After Vice President Kamala Harris replaced President Biden as the Democratic nominee, she has had a thin lead over Trump and, now, many pundits are saying Michigan is a toss-up. For Harris to win the presidency, she likely must carry Michigan and that includes needed margins with key voter groups such as young voters, as well as Arab American and Black voters. Nazita Lajevardi is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science in the College of Social Science. She is an expert in American politics, and her work focuses mainly on issues related to race and ethnic politics, political behavior, voting rights and immigration. Here, she answers questions on key groups of voters and the issues they care about that could determine who wins Michigan — and likely who will win the presidency. Responses and excerpts are from an article published in Brookings. Where does the election stand in the final days? Since Biden stepped down at the end of July, Harris has enjoyed a steady — albeit at times uncomfortably thin — lead over Trump in Michigan. However, polling from the end of September onward suggests that Harris comfortably winning the state on Nov. 5 is not a foregone conclusion. With just three weeks left to go in the 2024 presidential race, the polling website FiveThirtyEight indicates that as of Oct. 24, 2024, Kamala Harris is ahead of Donald Trump in Michigan by only 0.6 points — 47.6 compared to 47.0. This narrowing of the race appears to be closing the gap that Harris gained over Trump in August. Diving deeper into specific polls feeding into these estimates, it becomes clear that while Harris maintained a solid and consistent lead over Trump by between one and up to eight percentage points in the middle half of September, polls from the third week of September onward have either had Trump leading the state, Harris winning the state by a slim margin, or the two of them being evenly split. What issues do Michigan voters care about? A September 2024 New York Times/Siena College poll found that the three issues Michigan voters cared most about were the economy (24%), abortion (17%) and immigration (14%). Trump, for one, has campaigned heavily in recent weeks about two of these three issues. For instance, he has appealed heavily to Michiganders whose jobs were lost to globalization and automation by promising to revive the American car industry and bring back car factories that have closed in recent years. Groups like Duty to America are highlighting Trump’s strengths on illegal immigration by airing ads across Michigan arguing that it has hurt white people who have been “left behind.” And, while Harris, on the other hand, has great strengths on abortion rights, success in the 2022 elections in amending the state constitution to secure the right to abortion and other reproductive health services may have reduced abortion’s importance as a central voting issue in the state. What impact will Black voters have on Michigan’s result? Among Black voters, experts have identified an enthusiasm gap between those who are part of the “Black leadership class” and deeply connected to the Democratic Party and those Black Michiganders without those same connections, who are more working class, poorer, more fatigued, less interested, and therefore more susceptible to sitting out elections. Many Black voters are also deeply concerned about the economy, and as Michigan State University political scientist Meghan Wilson has noted, Harris could attract Black business owners and holders of student debt by discussing plans to infuse capital into small businesses. The Harris campaign appears to agree. Recently, Harris not only unveiled economic proposals appealing to Black voters but also traveled to Detroit to participate in a radio town hall with Charlamagne tha God, whose program The Breakfast Club has a nationwide audience, much of whom is Black. But attention should be paid to one particular effort to stifle Black turnout. Recently, it was revealed that Tom Barrett, a GOP candidate for the U.S. House, ran a newspaper advertisement in the Black-owned newspaper Michigan Bulletin that incorrectly informed the readership, most of whom are Black, to vote on Nov. 6, when Election Day is Nov. 5. What impact will Arab American voters have on Michigan’s result? Harris is in a deeply precarious position vis-à-vis Michigan’s Muslim and Middle East/North Africa, or MENA, electorates. Without a doubt, these groups will have an outsized impact in deciding how Michigan’s 15 electoral college votes will be cast. According to political scientist Youssef Chouhoud, Michigan is home to more than 200,000 Muslim registered voters. Over the past year, Muslims’ support for the Democratic Party has plummeted. In a recent poll fielded between Aug. 25 and Aug. 27, the Council on American Islamic Relations found that Jill Stein is leading Muslim voters in Michigan; 40% of Muslims surveyed in that poll supported Stein, 18% supported Trump and only 12% supported Harris. And, as Harris’ support for Israel remains steadfast while Israel continues its assaults on Gaza and now Lebanon, she has arguably alienated these voters who could have been a reliable source of electoral support for her. What will the role of youth voters be in Michigan’s outcome? Young voters in Michigan present a potential stream of untapped support for the Democratic Party. Though young voters have historically turned out at lower rates than older Americans, young voters in Michigan stand out from their peers. Fifty-four percent of Michiganders 18 to 29 years old voted in the 2020 election, a 20% increase from 2016. In the 2022 midterms, when young voters aged 18 to 29 in Michigan recorded the highest voter turnout in all the country, they demonstrated how impactful their votes were in enshrining abortion and voting rights in the state constitution. That year, about 75% of students who were registered voters at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University cast ballots. This year, however, how successful Harris has been in activating the youth vote remains to be seen. Certainly, young Michiganders are more enthusiastic about her candidacy than they were Biden’s, but recent analyses by Michigan State University political scientist Corwin Smidt indicate that so far youth turnout in Michigan’s November 2024 election lags behind their 2020 levels. What’s more, young voters were a key part of the “uncommitted” coalition who sent a strong message to then presidential nominee Biden over his enabling of the Israeli war in Gaza during the February 2024 primary election. But Harris is making strides to connect with young voters by establishing offices at campuses across the state. Importantly, young voters could not only shape the outcome of the presidential election, but also the partisan balance in Congress, given that young voters at Michigan State University will have the opportunity to cast a ballot in the race for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, which is among the 26 toss-up districts in the country. It will be all eyes on Michigan Tuesday - and if you are covering, Nazita Lajevardi is available to help. Simnply click on her profile below to arrange an interview today.

Digital Contracting Is Broken. A Little "Friction" Could Go a Long Way in Fixing It

In mid-October, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a final “click-to-cancel” rule, which, after its provisions go into effect, will make it easier for consumers to cancel recurring memberships and subscriptions. The rule is an undoubtable victory for consumers who have run into roadblocks attempting to protect their wallets amid the flurry of oversubscription in today’s world, but it also begets an important question: Why is oversubscription occurring in the first place? “One important reason for that problem is that getting into contracts is frictionless, it’s too easy,” said Brett Frischmann, JD, the Charles Widger Endowed Professor in Law, Business and Economics in Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law. “The FTC is addressing a real concern in making it easier for people to exit agreements of this sort. But while making it as easy to unsubscribe as to subscribe sounds great – we all like even playing fields and symmetry – it might be better to also make subscribing a little more burdensome, so people understand what they are getting themselves into in the first place.” This idea is the focus of Frischmann’s recent paper, titled “Better Digital Contracts with Prosocial Friction-in-Design,” the publication of which coincides with public dissatisfaction over digital contracting processes. In August, Disney attempted to have a wrongful death lawsuit blocked, citing print in terms and conditions from a one-month Disney+ free trial the plaintiff signed up for in 2019. Since then, other companies have succeeded in recently blocking the commencement of similar lawsuits. In the research, Frischmann and his co-author, Rice University computer scientist Moshe Vardi, describe these contracts as “dehumanizing” and that they “undermine human autonomy and sociality, by design,” citing how they elicit behavior in a pre-determined manner (such as clicking on cue) and often include side agreements with other entities, unbeknownst to the users. “One-click” contracts rely on legal fictions, such as presuming that clicking an “I have read the terms and conditions” button actually means that they have. They are structured this way intentionally. “The idea behind digital contracting is ‘Let’s make the contract as quick as possible before people leave or change their mind,” Frischmann said. “They only want to do the minimum that the law requires, and all the law requires is notice of terms and action that says, ‘I agree.’” For these reasons, he argues, modern digital contracting contradicts the purpose of contract law in the first place; enabling people to reach genuine agreements and cooperate. “It’s antithetical to the underlying values of a contract,” Frischmann said. “Autonomy is undermined because people are not able to exercise autonomy in a meaningful way when they are not actually capable of deliberating about the terms to which they are agreeing. As for being cooperative, there is no relationship. Digital contracts are completely one-sided.” So what can be done to combat this? “Speedbumps,” Frischmann says, referring to measures that can cause friction in the contracting process to better protect the user. Physical road speedbumps represent a useful analogy, because while they make things slightly more inconvenient for the user, they are deployed strategically where other values are at stake, like the safety of children playing outside. “People tolerate speedbumps,” Frischmann says, “because they serve a social purpose. Friction in digital contracts is similar.” With respect to improving digital contracting, there are multiple measures that can be taken that inherently have such friction, but not all of them are always appropriate. Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHAs), for example, are a type of friction-in-design that serve a useful social purpose (security) and have become normalized and tolerated, but some CAPTCHAs are ableist and others may generate proprietary data. Where he sees the most beneficial friction existing is in comprehension, which in software form could be completing a task or passing a test to prove an individual understands the agreement. Comprehension is the basis for one of Frischmann’s proposed alterations to contract law. Currently, the oft-criticized concept of informed consent is utilized. He argues it should be replaced with demonstrably informed consent, in essence requiring entities to further show that people truly comprehend what they are agreeing to. “Right now, individuals assent to contracts, going along with terms someone else insisted upon,” he said. “But assenting to terms is very different than being informed and consenting. To demand demonstrably informed consent shifts the burden on the provider to generate evidence showing in fact a person understood and agreed.” In the recent Disney case, for example, demonstrably informed consent would have required not just clicking an agreement when signing up for Disney+, but that Disney somehow explained to an individual that if they sign up for a free trial, they cannot take the company to court, and further generating reliable evidence that the individual understood that. If that were the case, perhaps the individual would not have signed up. “Or, they may not have ever gone to the Disney park if they had [signed up],” Frischmann said. This proposed change in contract law, along with the various potential methods of engineered friction in digital contracts all circle back to the same goal: slowing down contracting where it affects people in ways they do not understand. “You can’t have digital contracting built like a highway, where it’s all as fast as possible all the time,” Frischmann said. “For our digitally networked environment, it needs to be built like a neighborhood.”

Villanova Professor Releases Study on Gender Dynamics in the Beer-Drinking Community

Earlier this month, thousands of revelers donned dirndls and lederhosen to mark Oktoberfest, the annual celebration of Bavarian fare, oompah music and, above all else, beer. The fall festival is just one of many occasions, including happy hours, brewery tours and sporting events, where Americans enjoy the beverage. In fact, based on a recent report by the Pew Research Center, the U.S. population consumes approximately 6.6 billion gallons of beer each year, which averages out to about 26.5 gallons per adult of legal drinking age. However, while ales, lagers and stouts remain popular choices that bring people together, not everyone feels equally included. A new study by Shelly Rathee, PhD, the Diana and James Yacobucci '73 Assistant Professor of Marketing and Business Law, highlights a gender-based divide within the beer-drinking community, with female consumers often feeling overlooked and left out. "Due to the structure of the beer industry and marketplace, there is reason to believe that firms overproduce products that appeal to male audiences and overly communicate masculine aspects of beer consumption," says Dr. Rathee. "As a result, female consumers are made to feel (and may continue to feel) excluded by beer culture, on average. From a business standpoint, the beer industry may be limiting its total market potential in the process." As Dr. Rathee explains, the beer industry and marketplace are predominately populated by men, and academic literature has long indicated that male dominance in a social or business setting can alter the behaviors of women in myriad ways. In her project, "The Female Consumer Response Implications of Male Dominance in a Product’s Online Community," the professor sought to understand how this trend might manifest itself in an internet forum for beer aficionados, hobbyists and critics. By examining customer review data from the online community BeerAdvocate and conducting tests aimed at assessing gender-based differences in contributions, Dr. Rathee found that female consumers are inclined to defer to the male majority in such settings. In general, women either refrain from sharing their perspectives on products or adopt language characterized by what are commonly referred to as "masculinity themes." "Masculinity and femininity themes were drawn from the text of the online reviews and were identified using dictionaries derived from previous research on these topics," shares Dr. Rathee. "For example, if the consumer liked the taste of the beer, a more feminine way of describing this might be 'pleasant,' while a more masculine way might be 'strong.'" In these terms, the difference in expression might seem subtle. However, as Dr. Rathee contends, the prevalence of tens of thousands of reviews that lean toward a more masculine tone, with few offering a counterbalance, can have noticeable effects. A quick look at the beer aisle in your local supermarket reveals its impact, with bottles and cans featuring images of axe-wielding warriors, dinosaurs and gargoyles. "We found in our research that male dominance in a marketplace leads to lower trial intentions [plans to try or buy something] and brand attitudes among women," elaborates Dr. Rathee. "Therefore, we can argue that companies are likely to produce products, and marketing appeals, that are more targeted at male audiences." Although men are currently more than twice as likely as women to name beer as their preferred alcoholic beverage, Dr. Rathee suggests that there is potential to create opportunities that encourage more female drinkers to engage with beer culture. By fostering environments where women can express their preferences and perspectives, she believes the beer industry can become more inclusive and representative, ultimately enriching the community as a whole. "When featuring reviews on websites, an effort to balance out the presentation of ideas from male and female voices could be helpful," Dr. Rathee says. "Special categories could also be created to drive interest based on demographic characteristics that may include gender, among other factors. A more extreme measure would be to simply avoid including gender as a reviewer characteristic that is publicly viewable." Much like opening tents beside a beer hall, these steps could provide the necessary space and conditions for a more open and robust discussion of products to take place—to the benefit of both consumers and the industry. In the event they're increasingly pursued, that's something to which we can all raise a toast.

Don't Retire - Re-wire!

Summary: Retirement is being redefined as more retirees embrace "re-wirement"—pursuing new passions and purpose instead of settling into a passive lifestyle. This shift helps retirees maintain emotional, psychological, and physical well-being by staying engaged and mentally stimulated. Re-wiring offers practical benefits like enhanced self-esteem, social connections, and mental health. By engaging in activities like volunteering, lifelong learning, or passion projects, retirees can experience a fulfilling post-career life, redefining their sense of purpose and contribution. Retirement has long been framed as the final chapter of our professional lives—a time to rest, relax, and enjoy the fruits of years of labour. For decades, the traditional narrative has been that individuals reach a certain age, wrap up their careers, and then move into a quieter, more passive stage of life. However, this concept is being fundamentally reimagined. Today, more retirees are rejecting the conventional notion of retirement. Instead, they opt to "re-wire" their lives, discovering new passions, purposes, and contributions that continue to bring vitality and meaning to their lives. The decision to re-wire after retirement is more than just filling time or avoiding boredom. It's about finding another calling that reignites the spark of purpose and connection that so many retirees fear they will lose once they leave the workforce. This shift in perspective is crucial not only for practical reasons but also for retirees' emotional, psychological, and physical well-being. Let's explore why the notion of “re-wiring” instead of retiring is so powerful and how it can transform the post-work experience. The Emotional Challenges of Traditional Retirement For many, the decision to retire comes with mixed emotions. After decades of working, a person's career often becomes deeply intertwined with their identity, self-worth, and daily structure. When the day finally comes to step away from the workforce, it can leave some individuals grappling with a sense of loss—loss of routine, purpose, and, sometimes, relevance. The job provided a paycheck, social interaction, mental stimulation, and a sense of accomplishment. Many retirees may feel isolated or adrift without these elements, unsure how to fill their days meaningfully. Some may experience depression, anxiety, or a deep sense of emptiness after their working years conclude. The emotional toll of this transition can be overwhelming, leading to a decline in mental health and well-being, not to mention very confusing for the people around them. However, by shifting their mindset from retirement to re-wirement, individuals can bypass these emotional pitfalls and instead focus on new opportunities to grow, engage, and contribute. This rewiring process doesn’t just stave off feelings of uselessness—it can bring new levels of fulfillment, joy, and emotional stability. Redefining Work and Purpose in Retirement The traditional view of retirement often suggests that we leave behind productivity in favour of leisure. However, re-wirement challenges this notion by suggesting that retirement can be a time to transition into new, fulfilling endeavours that aren't necessarily tied to a career but still provide purpose and structure. Purpose is a fundamental human need. Research shows that a strong sense of purpose is linked to better emotional health, increased longevity, and greater happiness. For many, the purpose in life was tied to their career; their job was where they made an impact. Re-wiring is about finding new avenues for that impact, whether through volunteering, hobbies, mentorship, creative pursuits, or even part-time work in a different field. The transition from traditional work to new pursuits isn't about downgrading one's efforts; it's about reshaping how we define meaningful work. Instead of seeing retirement as a time to disengage, re-wirement allows retirees to reinvent themselves by pursuing activities that align with their passions, values, and interests. These activities don’t have to generate income or adhere to the traditional concept of a "job"—they need to add value to the retiree’s life and others, giving them the same emotional rewards that their careers once did. The goal is to acquire a sense of achievement, impact, relevance and contribution. The Emotional Benefits of Re-Wiring 1. Renewed Sense of Purpose Purpose is more than just staying busy—it’s the reason to get up in the morning. For many, a career provides a strong sense of purpose, and losing that can feel disorienting. Re-wiring allows retirees to channel their energy into new roles where they feel needed, whether volunteering in a community, starting a passion project, or mentoring others. The emotional reward of having a purpose is enormous, contributing to a more profound sense of fulfillment and overall happiness. 2. Enhanced Mental Stimulation One of the most significant emotional benefits of re-wiring is staying mentally active. Engaging in new activities and challenges stimulates the brain, keeping it sharp and agile. Whether learning a new skill, teaching, or tackling a project, staying mentally active helps stave off cognitive decline and creates a sense of accomplishment. This mental engagement can increase emotional resilience and a stronger sense of self-worth. 3. Improved Social Connections Retirement can sometimes lead to isolation as individuals lose the daily social interactions that come with their jobs. Re-wiring offers opportunities to meet new people and build new social networks. Whether volunteering, joining a club, or starting a small business, staying connected to others is essential for emotional health. Social solid ties reduce feelings of loneliness and depression and increase feelings of support and belonging. Re-wiring encourages retirees to maintain or even expand their social circles. 4. Greater Self-Esteem and Confidence Accomplishing new goals and learning new skills in retirement can foster renewed self-confidence. When retirees take on new roles or responsibilities, they prove to themselves that they still have valuable contributions to make. This boost in self-esteem can carry over into all areas of life, helping individuals approach their post-career years with a positive mindset and confidence. 5. Positive Emotional Health Re-wiring can combat the negative emotional states that sometimes come with traditional retirement. Boredom, loneliness, and a sense of purposelessness can lead to mental health issues, but by staying engaged, retirees can ward off depression and anxiety. New challenges, goals, and social interactions help balance the mind and emotions, providing a more stable and positive emotional state. Practical Ways to Re-Wire So, how can retirees flip retirement to re-wirement? There are countless avenues for re-engaging with life in meaningful ways, but it all starts with identifying passions, values, and interests. Here are some practical ideas: 1. Pursue Lifelong Learning Learning doesn’t have to stop when your career does. Many retirees find that they have more time to explore subjects that they’ve always been curious about. Expanding your knowledge can be incredibly rewarding, Whether through online courses, local college programs, or personal study. Learning new things keeps the mind sharp and opens opportunities for engagement and social interaction. 2. Volunteer Your Time Many organizations rely heavily on volunteers, and retirees are uniquely positioned to offer their time and expertise. Whether working with local schools, non-profits, or community centers, volunteering allows retirees to give back while maintaining a sense of purpose. This can be an enriching way to spend time, as it connects individuals with meaningful causes and new social networks. 3. Start a Passion Project Retirement is the perfect time to dive into a passion project that may have been on the back burner during a busy career. Whether writing a book, starting a garden, or building a small business, passion projects offer a chance to engage with something that profoundly resonates personally. The sense of accomplishment and joy that comes from pursuing a passion can fuel emotional well-being for years. 4. Mentor or Coach Others Retirees often have a wealth of knowledge and experience from which younger generations can benefit. Mentoring or coaching allows individuals to share their expertise while helping others grow. Whether through formal mentorship programs or informal relationships, guiding others can be a deeply fulfilling way to stay engaged. 5. Part-Time or Freelance Work For some, retirement doesn’t necessarily mean giving up work entirely. Many retirees find joy and satisfaction in part-time or freelance work that aligns with their interests or skills. This can be an ideal way to stay active while earning income and remaining professionally engaged. The idea of re-wiring instead of retiring is a decisive shift in mindset that recognizes retirement as a new beginning rather than an end. It offers retirees a chance to continue finding purpose, joy, and fulfillment long after their professional careers. By staying engaged, mentally active, and socially connected, retirees can enjoy a rich, emotionally rewarding life that rivals the sense of purpose and satisfaction they experienced during their working years. Re-wiring is about finding another path, a new reason to wake up with excitement and curiosity each morning. It’s a reminder that the human spirit thrives on growth, purpose, and connection—no matter your life stage. Don't Retire---Rewire! Sue

AU expert talks Hurricane Helene’s impact on the supply chain

Hurricane Helene tore a path of destruction beginning at Florida’s Big Bend region and stretching up through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. As those affected have slowly been able to grasp the scope, a different form of trouble in the aftermath is creating a ripple effect that will be felt around the region, country and even the world. Western North Carolina is at the heart of the problem leading to sourcing, transportation and disruption issues. While still trying to understand the full scope of the impact in the most remote areas, ongoing recovery efforts continue following the storm where the death toll has risen to over 250 as of Oct. 14. According to Rick Franza, PhD, professor in the James M. Hull College of Business and an expert on operations and supply chain management, said lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the Port of Baltimore incident earlier this year can help with mitigation of risk and recovering during these problematic times. “The biggest thing you’re always dealing with in situations like this is uncertainty,” said Franza. “You can’t expect everything. You can’t anticipate everything, but we learned a lot from COVID and then the Baltimore bridge collapse and the supply chain disruptions those caused.” Franza said North Carolina is a case study in disruption to the supply chain at three different points: the source, manufacturing and transportation. “When we think about supply chain disruptions, people don’t typically think about it affecting the physical supply, but rather the transportation and logistics,” said Franza. “This one’s a little trickier because you have one industry affected by the supply of raw materials, another affected by the manufacturing of supplies and so many more will be affected by transportation problems.” Problems in manufacturing One industry that has been heavily impacted by the storm is the medical field, particularly the manufacturing of IV fluid bags. Baxter International, one of the largest producers of IV fluid bags in the country, has a manufacturing plant located in Marion, North Carolina. According to the American Hospital Association, the Marion plant produces 1.5 million IV bags per day, which equates to 60% of the country’s supply. “There are two big questions affecting the supply chain for those IV fluid bags,” said Franza. “If you lose a manufacturing facility, like the one in Marion, does another facility or a competitor have the ability to add capacity, even if it’s just a short term? The other piece of it is, even if they have the capacity, do they have the raw material inputs? So it’s a ripple effect.” In the wake of the storm, Baxter announced its other manufacturing facilities would increase their capacity. Thanks to its new Mount Carmel Mega Distribution Center located in Mississippi, the company feels confident it will be able to meet the needs of hospitals across the country. Baxter plans to increase allocation levels for direct customers from 40% to 60% and for distributors from 10% to 60%. They are also increasing allocations for designated children’s hospitals by 100%. Problems at the source Just outside the town of Spruce Pine, a town of less than 2,200 people located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, are two mines that produce an estimated 80% to 90% of the world’s most pure quartz. The quartz found in those mines is used in the manufacturing of semiconductors for microchips for everything from smartphones to cars to medical devices and more. The two companies that manage those two mines, Sibelco and The Quartz Corp, shut down operations on Sept. 26 ahead of the storm. As recovery efforts continue in the region, there remains more uncertainty as the full scope of the damage continues to be realized, and there is no certain timeline for when things will get started again. “The issue with natural resources like quartz is, unless you’ve come up with some method of producing an artificial version of it, you can’t really make it somewhere else,” said Franza. “Since there isn’t currently an alternative, it then becomes a question of is the mine accessible or how long until it is accessible and people can get back to regular operations?” Problems with transportation In Western North Carolina, entire roads along with buildings and other structures were wiped out as streams and rivers surged and mudslides occurred. On top of getting the mine back up and running, there is also the problem of getting the raw quartz where it needs to go. “Once you are able to access the ability of the mine to get back online, you then have the problem of whether the raw material can get where it needs to go to be processed,” said Franza. “A big problem in western North Carolina is entire roads are gone, and it’s not a simple repave. On top of that, Interstate 40 is estimated to be shut down until sometime next year, so transportation in that area is going to be extremely difficult for quite a while.” The good news is that quartz and the microchips that it is used in are not perishable items, and some chip manufacturers may have several weeks’ worth of quartz supply built up to be able to continue production. But an extended shutdown will likely mean even more chip shortages, similar to the global chip shortage that began in 2020 and lasted through 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the tightened restrictions in the countries that manufacture those chips. The loss of roads is not the only source of recent transportation problems, as immediately following the during the storm there was a three-day disruption in imports at 36 ports, including shutting 14 down stretching from Maine to Texas, as 45,000 dockworkers went on strike over pay. While that disruption could have caused serious issues, particularly for the upcoming holiday season, Franza said many companies have learned from previous disruptions, and most of the goods needed for Cyber Monday, Black Friday and preparing for the holiday season were already in the country. “I have heard that somewhere between 80% to 90% of the items for the holidays are already here, so the dock workers’ strike would not have been as much of an issue for the holidays, but there would definitely have been things you’d run out of.” Franza said the biggest problem during situations such as this is misinformation. “One of the biggest problems is most people are uninformed,” Ranza said. “Look at the toilet paper shortage at the beginning of COVID. If all of a sudden people rush to buy everything up and hoard it all, you can’t meet that demand so it causes even more problems. People need to be better informed because rumors start and then more problems are caused.” But Franza reiterated that companies have learned from past events, and that planning has made the supply chain stronger. “I think we’re better than we were four years ago because each of these crises builds our toolbox on how to plan for and deal with disruptions. It has built resiliency.”

Falling Flat: The Consumer Price Index

Following a surprising jobs report, inflation didn't ease as much as anticipated. The Consumer Price Index fell to 2.4% year over year last month. Although this was not the desired number, inflation is still declining towards the Fed's target of 2%. What do these numbers mean for the upcoming election and future of the U.S. economy?  Dr. Jeff Haymond, economic expert and dean of the Robert W. Plaster School of Business at Cedarville University, has provided insight on recent U.S. economy updates in a recent interview: The consumer price index was higher than expected in September, but the recent interest rate cut and a hopeful jobs report still provide some good news for the economy. Will inflation continue to ease in the right direction? Experts, such as Haymond, acknowledge that the recent interest rate cut by the Fed was a political move. The cost of living is a crucial issue for U.S. voters as they prepare for the election and hope for eased inflation. How will this and other economic updates affect the decisions of voters as the elections draws near?  If you are covering the U.S. economy and need to know more, let us help with your questions and stories. Dr. Jeff Haymond is an expert on this subject and is available to speak to media regarding the U.S. economy and what recent news means for families in the United States – simply click on his icon or email mweinstein@cedarville.edu to arrange an interview.

Repairing Boeing's relationship with the FAA

The Boeing Corporation is the recognized pioneer in aviation and aircraft manufacturing, but significant quality control concerns have mounted in light of near disasters associated with Boeing's planes, including notably the Alaska Airlines door flying off in January. David Primo, professor of political science and business administration at the University of Rochester, is available to tackle some of the regulatory, crisis management and reputational questions related to Boeing's safety and production problems, including regaining the trust of the Federal Aviation Administration: “The challenge Boeing faces is how do they rebuild safety, rebuild the relationship with the FAA, but keep the business going? And that’s a very tough balancing act. The FAA is going to give Boeing much less in the way of the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the design of planes, which could very much constrain its production system. So it’s going to mean that planes might take a little longer to get off the production line and into the hands of airlines."

Multi-sector partnership leads to first practical pilot of vehicle-to-grid power

A multi-pronged effort led by corporations, industry associations and an academic research institution has launched the first practical pilot project of “vehicle-to-grid” power (V2G) set up so that industrial participants can scale it at low cost. Invented by the University of Delaware, V2G uses batteries in parked EVs to support the electric grid or to provide backup during power failures. This pilot is the first targeted toward large scale expansion, because it follows standards (by SAE and UL), uses production EVs (with UD modifications), complies with utility requirements, and qualifies for wholesale power markets. The pilot has been implemented by Delmarva Power (an Exelon Company), working with UD. The project has set up an electric utility fleet of EVs to begin providing power to balance the electric grid, using Ford Mach-E EVs in the Delmarva Power fleet, and following new rules of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for distributed energy resources. These Delmarva Power fleet vehicles are driving for utility operations during normal work schedule and provide wholesale grid services for PJM Interconnection when parked. The cooperative effort was organized by Prof. Willett Kempton, originator of the V2G concept. Kempton said the resulting demonstration is significant because it shows a cost-effective pathway for standards based, regulatory-compliant, mass-manufactured V2G. “Our close collaboration with Ford Motor, based on our joint Memorandum of Understanding, was very productive. Ford engineers’ advice helped us fully integrate the car’s CAN communications with LIN-CP,” Kempton said. “Ford already markets a production EV with home backup power, and they have a sophisticated understanding of potential EV synergies with the electric power grid. We hope that collaborations like this will also help OEMs like Ford to see a path to incorporation of these new standards and technologies into production EVs.” The new standard for V2G signal definitions were finalized and approved just this year thanks to UD Research Professor Rodney McGee, Task Force Chair of the SAE standards development for J3400 (NACS) and J3068. (SAE was formerly called Society of Automotive Engineers.) “These standards define the signaling to standardize low-cost AC charging, with all the functionality needed for safe operation of V2G and backup power from an EV. Both these standards implement a signaling method that is new to EV charging, called LIN-CP, yet is built from easy-to-implement automotive technologies,” McGee said. UD’s MOU with Ford Motor Company allowed the two parties to cooperate on implementing sophisticated signaling for low-cost, high-functionality V2G. UD designed a retrofit package for proof of concept. The design was led by UD Postdoc Garrett Ejzak and used a bidirectional on-board charger and the new LIN-CP commands to make the Mach-E capable of sophisticated V2G. After testing at UD, the design was installed in four Delmarva Power fleet Mach-Es, to test these systems in a real-world fleet operating environment. In addition to proving these new SAE standards, this project also shows that EVs can be high-value grid services providers to the electric system under the new FERC Order 2222 regulations. This new Federal rule enables small resources to collectively participate in electric markets to make the electric grid more reliable and more capable of incorporating fluctuating renewable power sources. PJM Interconnection, which manages the electric grid over 13 states, is participating under a Pilot Project agreement with the Delmarva Power demonstration, as an early proof of PJM’s new rules to meet FERC Order 2222 compliance. “The use of virtual power plants, such as aggregations of electric vehicles, is an emerging resource type that can contribute to managing the energy transition by providing flexibility and other services needed to reliably operate the power grid,” said Scott Baker, Sr. Business Solution Analyst – Applied Innovation for PJM. “We look forward to working with Delmarva Power and the project team to test the technical capabilities of V2G electric vehicles and understand how this use case integrates with PJM’s new market construct for virtual power plants and DER Aggregators.” Delmarva Power’s parent company, Exelon Corporation, is also a partner providing support for the project. Project partner Nuvve Holding Corporation (Nuvve) updated their charging stations for full LIN-CP and V2G capabilities. Then project partner Delmarva Power installed four Nuvve charging stations at their facility in Newark, Delaware. The four individual Mach-Es are virtually combined into one V2G “power plant” by aggregation software from Nuvve Holdings. Nuvve CEO Gregory Poilasne described this: “Our Nuvve charging stations now talk LIN-CP and implement the new SAE standards. This enables our GIVe aggregator software to tap high functionality V2G EVs,” Poilasne said. “By combining EVs as a single power resource, our technology is already serving as a “Distributed Energy Resource Aggregator” as specified by FERC Order 2222.” The EVs’ performance and provision of grid services will be monitored over the next year by UD and Nuvve to provide documentation on their use both as fleet vehicles and as grid resources.

MLB playoffs are back!

It's October ... and that means one thing in America:  Major League Baseball playoffs are set to begin. It means wall to wall broadcasts of games, massive advertising buys and gate receipts that means a serious stream of revenue for all of the teams, players and owners who made it through a long season and survived to be one of the dozen teams left to play for the Commissioner's Trophy. It's going to be a wild few weeks for baseball fans and the reporters covering the games. And if you're a journalist looking to know how important the marketing and business sides are to the the playoffs - then let us help with your stories. Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., is The Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing at Baylor University, where he is the Executive Director of the Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program in the Hankamer School of Business. Kirk is available to speak with media - simply click on his icon ow to arrange an interview today.