The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 17

Once he got outside, Stefan remembered that Elena had taken his car. Turning into the woods, he began to run, using his Power to speed his pace. The pounding of his feet seemed to thud, Guard her, Guard her. He knew where Tyler Smal wood had lived. After Tyler had attacked Elena at a dance, it had made sense to keep an eye on him. Stefan burst from the woods at the edge of the Smal woods' property. They owned an ugly house, in Stefan's opinion. An inaccurate portrayal of an old Southern manor estate, it was too big for the lawn it sat on and bulged with unnecessary columns and twisting rococo decorations. Just looking at it, Stefan had been able to tel that the Smal woods had more money than taste, and that the architects who'd designed it weren't educated in true classical forms. He rang the bel at the front door, then froze. What if Mr. or Mrs. Smal wood answered the bel ? He would have to Influence them to give him as much information as they could about Caleb, and then to forget Stefan had been there. He hoped he had the Power to do it: He hadn't been eating enough, not even of animal blood. But no one came. After a few seconds, Stefan sent questing tendrils of Power through the house. It was empty. He couldn't go in, couldn't search Caleb's room like he wanted to. Without an invitation, he was stuck out here. He wandered around the house, peering through the windows, but finding nothing out of the ordinary other than entirely too many gilded frames and mirrors. Behind the house he found a smal white shed. Sending Power toward it, he felt something slightly†¦ off. Just the slightest tinge of darkness, a feeling of frustration and il intent. The shed was padlocked, but the lock was easy enough to snap. And as no one lived here, he didn't need an invitation to enter. The first thing he saw was Elena's face. Newspaper clippings and photos were tacked al over the wal s: Elena, Bonnie, Meredith, himself. On the floor was a pentagram with more pictures and roses. Stefan's certainty that something was wrong solidified. Elena was in danger. Sending Power before him, searching desperately for any trace of her, he took off running again. As she drove away from the florist's, Elena turned the conversation with Stefan over and over in her mind. What was going on with him since they'd come back to Fel ‘s Church? It felt like there was part of him that he was holding back, hiding from her. She remembered the loneliness, the sinking, dizzy feeling of isolation that she had sensed when she kissed him. Was it Damon's loss that was changing Stefan? Damon. Just the thought of him was enough to cause an almost physical pain in her. Mercurial, difficult, beautiful Damon. Dangerous. Loving, in his own way. The thought of his name, written in water plants across Meredith's legs, floated through her mind. She didn't know what it meant. But there was no hope. She needed to stop lying to herself about that. She had seen Damon die. Yet it seemed impossible that someone as complex and strong and seemingly undefeatable as Damon could be gone so quickly and so simply. But that was the way it happened, wasn't it? She should know that death didn't often come with a grand show, that it usual y came when you were least expecting it. She had known that before al this†¦ al this stuff with vampires and werewolves and evil mysterious opponents. She had known al about the suddenness and simplicity of death for years, back when she was just normal Elena Gilbert, who didn't believe in anything supernatural, not even horoscopes or fortune-tel ing, much less monsters. She glanced at the passenger seat next to her, where there lay the bouquet of pink roses she had picked up to give to Margaret. And, next to them, a simple bunch of forget-me-nots. Like I'd ever forget, she thought. Elena remembered riding in the car toward home with her parents and baby Margaret on an ordinary Sunday afternoon. It had been a beautiful sunny fal day, the leaves of the trees by the roadside just beginning to be painted with red and gold. They'd gone to lunch at a little inn out in the country. Margaret, who was teething, had been cranky at the restaurant, and they'd taken turns walking her up and down on the porch of the inn for a few minutes at a time while the others ate. But in the car she was quiet, half drowsing, her light golden lashes fluttering down to rest for longer and longer periods against her cheeks. Elena's father had been driving, she remembered, and the radio had been tuned to the local station so he could catch the news. Her mother had twisted to look at Elena in the backseat, her sapphire blue eyes so like Elena's own. Her golden hair, touched with a little gray, was pul ed back in a French braid, elegant and practical. Smiling, she had said, â€Å"Do you know what I think would be nice?† â€Å"What?† asked Elena, smiling back at her. Then she saw a strange glitter, high in the sky, and leaned forward without waiting for a reply. â€Å"Daddy, what's that?† She'd pointed upward. Elena never found out what her mother had thought would be nice. Her father never answered what that was. The last things Elena remembered were sounds: her father's gasp and the screech of the car's tires. Everything after that was blank, until Elena had woken up in the hospital, Aunt Judith by her bedside, and learned that her parents were dead. They had died before the paramedics had even pried them out of the car. Before they restored Fel ‘s Church, the Guardians had told Elena that she should have died in that accident, and that her parents should have lived. The glitter had been their air car, and Elena had distracted her father at the worst possible moment, causing al the wrong people to die. She could feel the weight of it now, the guilt at surviving, her anger at the Guardians. She glanced at the dashboard clock. There was stil plenty of time before she had to be at Margaret's recital. Turning off the highway, she pul ed into the cemetery's parking lot. Elena parked the car and walked briskly through the newer part of the cemetery, carrying the forget-me-nots. Birds were chirping gaily overhead. So much had happened in this cemetery in the last year. Bonnie had seen one of her first visions among these tombstones. Stefan had fol owed her here, watching her secretly when she thought he was just the gorgeous new guy at school. Damon had nearly drained an old tramp under the bridge. Katherine had chased Elena out of the cemetery with fog and ice and a far-reaching, far-seeing evil. And, of course, Elena had driven off a bridge to her death here by the cemetery, at the end of that first life, the one that seemed so long ago now. Elena picked her way past an ornate marble memorial to Fel ‘s Church's Civil War veterans and down to the shady glen where her parents were buried. The tiny wildflower bouquet she and Stefan had left two days before had withered, and Elena threw it away and put the forget-menots in its place. She picked a bit of moss off her father's name. The lightest crunch of gravel sounded from the path behind her, and Elena whirled around. There was no one there. â€Å"I'm just jumpy,† she muttered to herself. Her voice sounded oddly loud in the quiet of the cemetery. â€Å"Nothing to worry about,† she said more firmly. She settled in the grass by her parents' graves and traced the letters on her mother's headstone with one hand. â€Å"Hi,† she said. â€Å"It's been a while since I've actual y sat here and talked to you, I know. I'm sorry. An awful lot has happened†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She swal owed. â€Å"I'm sorry, too, because I found out that you weren't supposed to die when you did. I asked the Guardians to†¦ to bring you back, but they said you had moved on to a better place and they couldn't reverse that. I wish†¦ I'm glad you're happy wherever you are, but I stil miss you.† Elena sighed, lowered her hand from the gravestone, and trailed it through the grass by her knees. â€Å"Something's after me again,† she continued unhappily. â€Å"After al of us, I guess, but Bonnie said I brought it here when she was in a trance. And later she said he wants me. I don't know if it's two different people – or whatever – after us, or just one. But it's always me the bad things focus on.† She twisted a blade of grass between her fingers. â€Å"I wish things could be simpler for me, the way they are for other girls. â€Å"Sometimes†¦ I'm so glad to have Stefan, and glad I could help protect Fel ‘s Church, but†¦ it's hard. It's real y hard.† A sob was building in her throat and she swal owed it back. â€Å"And†¦ Stefan's always been there for me, but I feel like I don't know al of him anymore, especial y because I can't read his thoughts. He's so tense, and it's like he needs to be in control al the time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Something shifted behind her, just the slightest hint of movement. She felt a warm, damp breeze like a breath on the back of her neck. Elena whipped her head around. Caleb was crouching behind her, so close they were almost nose-to-nose. She screamed, but Caleb slapped his hand over her mouth, muffling her cry.

Team Importance Week 3 Hcs 325

Introduction No management position is easy these days. There are many rules and regulations to follow, as well as many responsibilities that grow more over time. One of the responsibilities as a manager is to improve efficiency of the company and extend customer satisfaction. Not only does this take money, but time, skill, and teamwork. As the manager of a busy call center, the call volume has increased so much that there is an extra $20,000 to spend on improving customer satisfaction and efficiency. How can this be spent wisely to reach these goals? Teamwork is top on the list of importance because without a team, there is no business.Teams provide many things to a health care facility, as well as any other successful business. Teams are used in many different ways in other industries, such as the military, for example. This sets examples for the health care industry as to how teams might be used similarly there compared to somewhere like the government jobs. However, nothing is ea sy like saying the alphabet. In any industry, conflict does arise, and having the knowledge of problem solving is very good to have in order to make an educated decision for the health care organization. GoalsIn the call center, there is an extensive amount of money to be used for improving the quality of care, and customer’s satisfaction. Goals need to be set in order for the $20,000 to be used wisely. Teamwork is the answer to this. To improve quality of the product, and to increase customer satisfaction, everyone has to be able to work together very well to reach the goals of the company. So far because of this teamwork, the call volume has increased immensely. Managers in the call center have a process they follow, called the Five Step Planning process, which enables them to improve teamwork, which solely improves quality and satisfaction.Five Step Planning Process â€Å"At its most basic, planning is decision making†. (Donald J. Lombardi, John R. Schermerhorn, Bri an Kramer; 2007, John Wiley & Sons Inc. ). The five step planning process is used in order to make the best decisions possible when making decisions within an organization, as well as help out with any conflicts that may arise during the process. It is a support system for problem solving and breaks down how to do it with as little conflict as possible. Step one of the process is to identify and define the problem.This is where information is gathered, evaluated, and is deliberated. Doing so defines any problems correctly and can be taken care of efficiently without complications along the way. Step two of the process is to generate and evaluate possible courses of action. In this step, managers â€Å"can begin formulating one or several potential solutions†. (Donald J. Lombardi, John R. Schermerhorn, Brian Kramer; 2007, John Wiley & Sons Inc. ). More information may need to be gathered and analyzed before going to the third step of the process, which is choosing a preferred plan of action.In the third step, a decision is made with selecting a specific course of action. In the fourth step, implement the planned course of action, actions are established and implemented to meet the final goal. Nothing new is able to happen unless action is taken. Managers should have the ability to be able to have the determination and be creative in order to implement the planned course of action. Finally, the fifth and final step of the process is evaluating the results. What happens is the accomplishments with the original objectives are compared to what has been come up with.Both the positive and negative sides should be kept in an open mind, before a final decision is made to stick. Look Outside the box Looking at how other businesses are ran and how the make teamwork better is a way to improve customer satisfaction. Teamwork is used in different ways in other industries, such as the military, for example. They use teamwork to the full extent because in their world, it may mean life or death. Jane Dyer, a veteran, states â€Å"Teamwork is a fundamental lesson in the military. At basic training, you learn about being the member of a unit†.She also states that after you leave that basic training, you are still responsible for your unit and whether or not you like a team member, you will still honor and protect each other. The military is so tightly compact, they are like a family. This sets examples for teamwork in the health care organizations because whether or not you like a team member, that does not mean you cannot help the company you work for succeed along with yourselves. The military’s company is the United States. Should they not work together well, they could die and others lives would then be at stake.It is the same concept with businesses. Should the team not work together well and improve, then one, the company ends up dying, then everyone working loses their jobs. Just because one industry is different than the other, they could very well learn important lessons about team work from each other. Conclusion Industries around the world are very different but also alike in so many ways. The military is a great industry to look at for things like team work, because the health care industries can learn how to improve their quality of care and customer (patient) satisfaction.Having that extra money can benefit the companies when they focus on improving team work alone. Lessons are learned all around. References: Donald J. Lombardi, John R. Schermerhorn, Brian Kramer; 2007, John Wiley & Sons Inc, â€Å"Managerial and Supervisory Planning: Preparing for the Road Ahead†; retrieved from https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader. aspx Jane Dyer, 2010, â€Å"The military shows the importance of teamwork†; retrieved from http://www. mydd. com/users/jane-dyer/posts/the-military-shows-us-the-importance-of-teamwork

(case 1) human resources management (Employee Recruitment and Essay

(case 1) human resources management (Employee Recruitment and Selection) - Essay Example They company employees over 2 million associates. It is the largest employer in America. The selection process of the company is quite vast. It includes all aspects like the advertising, screening, selection process which includes interviews, assessments, testing etc. The company uses all the proven methods like interviews, qualitative testing and assessment centers. This is post the other steps like advertising and screening of applications, which form the basis to choose the candidates who would be a part of the selection process. The amount of monies that go into the entire process of selection and recruitment of employees is very high, since the process includes a number of different steps to choose the right candidate and choose the ones who would be great at what they do. The cost that can be incurred for filling in an open position is as much as $490,000. This however is the total cost which includes from advertising, until the training of the selected candidates and the figures that are provided are estimates and not the actual costs that are being incurred by the company (Bernthal, 2009). The table below provides a clear break up of all the costs. These form the direct costs of the selection process however there are a number of indirect costs that are also involved in the selection process of employees. These normally include costs which the organization incurs due to less rigorous selection method. Also another big indirect cost is the quality of the hires. The return on investment for the company can be calculated by [Benefits – Costs / Costs]*100 (Bernthal, 2009). This will provide for a clear view on the amount of return that the company makes out of the investment made into selecting, recruiting, training and paying each employee. This however includes a lot of estimations, which cannot be made by all companies. Hence it is seen that companies generally need to correctly and promptly

HCM337-0704B-01 Current Legal, Ethical, and Regulatory Issues in H - Essay - 1

HCM337-0704B-01 Current Legal, Ethical, and Regulatory Issues in H - Phase 1 Discussion Board 2 - Essay Example This paper describes the different laws and regulation concerning treatment and handle of patient’s medical records. There are various agencies, regulation and laws from the governmental and private sector that protect the integrity and privacy of medical records. The HIPPA regulation is a statute that protects the medical information of patients. HIPPA establishes a minimum standard for care of medical information which requires covered entities to evaluate their practices and enhance safeguards as needed in hospital settings to limit unnecessary or inappropriate access to and disclosure of protected health information (Hss, 2003). An organization that protects and regulates the handle of medical records of patients is AHIMA. The AHIMA is non-profit organization founded in 1928 dedicated to helping protect the health care information of people by provided professionals in the field with guidelines on how to realize the critical function of protecting medical record information (Myphr, 2007). Health care facilities provide patients with a document called the Noticy of Privacy Practice. This document tells the patient in how the medical record information of the patient will be utilized by the health care facility (Myphr, 2007). Patient’s right to have access to their medical records is protected by the Access to Medical Reports Act of 1988 (AMRA). The AMRA gives the right to the patient of obtaining their medical record for employment and insurance purposes. The person applying for the medical record must signed off a consent form before the information is released according to AMRA (Legalandgeneral, 2007). The Civil Rights and Liberty Union is an organization that is a supporter of medical rights privacy. The organization is a supporter, protector and representative voice of citizens which fight on a political level in congress to protect the privacy of medical records of US citizens