The Daily Beacon

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60% chance of scattered thunderstorms HIGH LOW 87 72

Nashville duo keeps it in the family

Lady Vols softball stun Michigan in Ann Arbor for WCWS bid

Friday, June 4, 2010

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Issue 01

E D I T O R I A L L Y

PUBLISHED SINCE 1906 http://dailybeacon.utk.edu

Vol. 114

I N D E P E N D E N T

S T U D E N T

PAGE 3

N E W S P A P E R

O F

T H E

U N I V E R S I T Y

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T E N N E S S E E

Updated bus system works to conserve energy Metropolitan Planning Commission, said. In order to have non-attainment status, an area must have air quality that does not

“Most individuals make the remark that they already ride the bus and take their bikes when they can, but the logging is the only way to

ments work closely with Knoxville Area Transit to ensure that individuals take into consideration alternative transit available in the area.

on air quality alert days. “Air quality action days are funded through the CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) program,

meet federal government requirements. Individuals can log on to the Smart Trips website, and there is a college portal for students. The program takes out the hassle for citizens to get started with carpooling through Smart Trips’ matching database found on its site.

track the improvement of air quality,” Ashouri said. The website allows all participants to track their own progress and to really visualize how they are personally improving the air quality of the area. Both the City of Knoxville and Knox County govern-

KAT general manager Cindy McGinnis said the organization applies all of the efforts of the Smart Trips initiative, including promoting an increase in biking and pedestrian activities. “We coordinate all the time with Smart Trips,” McGinnis said. This includes free fare

designed to encourage people not to make as many auto trips,” she said. When the grant money goes away, so will the free fare program. For complaints on bus schedule irregularity, McGinnis said that with help from the new transit center on Church Street and a new

automated vehicle locator system, individuals can look for the real time location of each bus using a desktop computer. “Dispatchers will also have access to that information and will be able to space the buses out more evenly.” she said. McGinnis also said that once a new rider gets over the hurdles of understanding the bus schedule, it will become easier. “I personally ride the bus,” McGinnis said. “My goal is to ride the bus exclusively for one year.” University students receive a discount on semester bus passes through the Central Ticket Office. To make the pledge on reducing personal energy use, visit http://smarttrips.knoxtrans.org.

Discussion to aid health care workers

‘Art’ seminar centers on stress management Brandi Panter

Kevin Letsinger News and Student Life Editor The month of May is dedicated to the Smart Trips program. Smart Trips has existed since 2003, working to map commuter routes to better conserve energy for routine trips. With more than 70 businesses participating, up from just a handful when the program first started, Smart Trips has drastically reduced the air pollution in Knoxville. “The results are quite effective, considering that only a few years back the greater Knoxville area had non-attainment status, and now we have the results that show that we are in attainment,” Alisa Ashouri, Smart Trips coordinator with the

Tara Sripunvoraskul • The Daily Beacon

The Baker Center is to host on June 15 the program “What Health Care Reform Means to Doctor: A Program for Doctors and Administrators” that will talk about issues about federal health care reform legislation.

Chris Barber Staff Writer The UT Baker Center will host a summit for the medical community and related fields on June 15 to discuss the impact that the new federal health care reform legislation will have upon their practices. The bill, more than 2,000 pages, undoubtedly contains a depth of technical and broader instructions and regulations leading to improved health care for the American public. The program, “What Health Care Reform Means to Doctors: A Program for Doctors and Administrators” is a collaborative effort among professionals in the field to learn and utilize the most from the new law. Dr. Michael R. Caudle, senior fellow and director of the health policy program at the Baker Center, said the purpose of the event is to “create an ongoing dialogue between the Baker Center and physicians about which policies need to be worked on.”

Caudle has operated his own practice for 25 years. The event will also feature Stead Health Group Inc. president Dr. Stan Stead, as the keynote speaker. Stead is widely regarded as a national authority on health care economics and payment systems for physician and hospital services, information technology and quality health care. Stead regularly advises the federal government on a sundry of health care issues and has an expansive history in both academics and as a practicing anesthesiologist. He currently holds an academic appointment at University of California, Davis. The June 15 dinner will have a panel discussion moderated by Caudle. Panelists will include Stead, Dr. Jack Lacey, senior vice president and chief medical officer for University Health System and Dr. Doug Leahy, who practices with Internal Medicine Associates of Knoxville. The program will also be broadcast via webcast. “(The event is) not a political rally for or against the new reforms and that there is a lack of understanding of the details,” Caudle said.

The health care legislation will demand adaptability and pragmatism from both the local and national medical community. On this, Caudle said “many of the opportunities and challenges presented are in the eye of the beholder.” One of the new reforms are the new incentives provided to doctors for transitioning from paper to electronic records. This is an attempt to provide better coverage to patients by keeping a more accurate record of their medical histories and avoiding difficulties such as lost documents and illegible handwriting. The Baker Center is striving to host a bipartisan, unbiased avenue leading to mutual clarity toward the new legislation. The June 15 event is not a conclusive gathering but rather the beginning of a continuing endeavor to better understand the law and thus provide better coverage, more support for primary care and preventive medicine to all people. Ultimately, as Caudle noted, “the health care reforms are still a work in progress.”

Managing and Chief Copy Editor One of the world’s largest non-profit organizations visited Knoxville on Wednesday night to educate locals on the importance of stress management. Members of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, located on Kingston Pike, and other residents were treated to a workshop entitled “Health and Happiness,” sponsored by the Art of Living Foundation, founded in 1981 by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. “The program stresses humanitarian work, workshops on self improvement, non-violence and stress relief,” said M.K. Anand, Art of Living faculty member. The workshop, Anand said, is part of a statewide initiative to promote non-violence and non-aggression by means of educating students with simple re-centering exercises. The program, which targets at-risk groups such as students and incarcerated individuals, operates under the philosophy that a stressfree environment leads to a less hostile attitude and execution of actions. “We believe that behind every criminal, there is a victim, a victim of stress and circumstance,” Anand said. Anand himself testified to the importance of stress-management skills. As a nuclear engineer, he often found himself geared towards stress and aggression, part of which he said came from an intense curriculum and competitive work environment. After participating in stress-relief exercises, Anand said, “I was able to handle myself better, become re-centered, more focused and less stressed.” The evening, which was led by Swami Pragyapad, focused on deep breathing and meditation exercises. See ART on Page 2


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