Healthcare system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Healthcare system - Essay Example There are a number of health care systems within a nationality that may include the occupational safety and health, military medicine and school health services among many others. The health care systems have identified a number of goals to meet to ensure the health concerns of the population are met. Health systems seek to ensure good health among the people, to help the people to have a fair system of contributing their finances towards the system, and to increase the rate of responsiveness in order to meet the expectations of the beneficiaries of the system. To meet this goals therefore quality of service provided, the efficacy of the provision of these services, their acceptability among the people and their equity in dealing with the target population must be on the forefront of all the health systems. England has adopted a health system known as The National Health Service (NHS) which has the mandate to provide healthcare for English nationals. Serving under the department of health of the government of the United Kingdom, this body is publicly funded and it provides most of its health care services for free apart from some medical services that relate to the eye tests, prescriptions and the dental care as well. This body provides health services like in-patient care, dentistry, primary care, ophthalmology and long time health care to the patients in need. The body has a private clause as well where the patients can privately pay for their medical care. This system of private medical care has been used to expand the services of the National Health Services. Most of the funding used to cater for the services in the National Health Service comes from taxation among other sources. The largest portion of the expenditure of the department of health is taken up by the National Health S ervice. Main body The National Health Services (NHS) is driven by a number of goals in its service to the people of England. It has identified its core value as the provision of quality medical attention to the people regardless of their ability to pay for the services they require. It provides a great number of services to the people including the fore mentioned dentistry services, optical services and the overall medical care among others (Brodie 2003). It aims at providing medical services that are customized in relation to the needs of the people, their preferences and those of their families as well as those of their careers. Some of the aims of the NHS include to; utilize public funds to offer healthcare services to the patients in the NHS system; support and treat staff as valuables; be sensitive to the needs of the different sections of the population; to adopt a collaborative approach to ensure optimal provision of medical services to the patients; and to assist with ensuring the physical as well as emotional well being of the people in the process mitigate inequalities of health among many other aims. Structure The department of health of the government of the United Kingdom has been charged with the control of the NHS. It provides a political inclination to the NHS representing the will of the government in its jurisdiction. Under the department of health are a total of ten Strategic Health Authorities which directly take up the overseeing

Transaction And Translation Exposure In International Finance Essay

Transaction And Translation Exposure In International Finance Essay Foreign exchange exposure is a measure of the potential for a firms profitability, net cash flow, and market value to change because of a change in exchange rates. Types of Foreign Exchange Exposure Transaction exposure measures changes in the value of outstanding financial obligations due to a change in exchange rates. Translation exposure deals with changes in cash flows that result from existing contractual obligations. Operating (economic, competitive, or strategic) exposure measures the change in the present value of the firm resulting from any changes in future operating cash flows of the firm caused by an unexpected change in exchange rates [via changes in sales volume, prices and costs.] Impact of Hedging MNEs possess a multitude of cash flows that are sensitive to changes in exchange rates, interest rates, and commodity prices. These three financial price risks are the subject of the growing field of financial risk management. Many firms attempt to manage their currency exposures through hedging. Hedging is the taking of a position that will rise (fall) in value and offset a fall (rise) in the value of an existing position. While hedging can protect the owner of an asset from a loss, it also eliminates any gain from an increase in the value of the asset hedged against. The value of a firm, according to financial theory, is the net present value of all expected future cash flows. Currency risk is defined roughly as the variance in expected cash flows arising from unexpected exchange rate changes. A firm that hedges these exposures reduces some of the variance in the value of its future expected cash flows. However, is a reduction in the variability of cash flows sufficient reason for currency risk management? Opponents of hedging state (among other things): Shareholders are much more capable of diversifying currency risk than the management of the firm. Currency risk management reduces the variance of the cash flows of the firm, but also uses valuable resources. Management often conducts hedging activities that benefit management at the expense of the shareholders (agency conflict), i.e., large FX loss are more embarrassing than the large cost of hedging. Proponents of hedging cite: Reduction in risk in future cash flows improves the planning capability of the firm. Reduction of risk in future cash flows reduces the likelihood that the firms cash flows will fall below a necessary minimum (the point of financial distress) Management has a comparative advantage over the individual shareholder in knowing the actual currency risk of the firm Management is in better position to take advantage of disequilibrium conditions in the market. Transaction Exposure Transaction exposure arises when a firm faces contractual cash flows that are fixed in a foreign currency. Whenever a firm has foreign-currency-denominated receivables or payables, it is subject to transaction exposure, and the eventual settlements have the potential to affect the firms cash flow position. Since modern firms are often involved in commercial and financial contracts denominated in foreign currencies, management of transaction exposure has become an important function of international financial management. Measurement of Transaction Exposure Transaction exposure is simply the amount of foreign currency that is receivable or payable. Since MNCs commonly have foreign subsidiaries spread around the world, they need an information system around the world, they need an information system that can track their currency positions . Identifying Net Transaction Exposure Before an MNC makes any decisions related to hedging, it should identify the individual net transaction exposure on a currency-by-currency basis. The term net here refers to the consolidation of all expected inflows and outflows for a particular time and currency. The management at each subsidiary plays a vital role in reporting its expected inflows and outflows. Then a centralised group consolidates the subsidiary reports to identify, for the MNC as a whole, the expected net positions in each foreign currency during several upcoming periods. The MNC can identify its exposure by reviewing this consolidation of subsidiary positions. One subsidiary may have net receivables in Mexican Pesos three months from now, while a different subsidiary has net payables in Pesos. If the Peso appreciates, this will be favourable to the first subsidiary and unfavourable to the second. However, the impact on the MNC as a whole is at least partially offset. Each subsidiary may desire to hedge its net currency position in order to avoid the possible adverse impacts on its performance due to fluctuations in the currencys value. The overall performance of the MNC, however, may already be insulated by the offsetting positions between subsidiaries. Therefore, hedging the position of each individual subsidiary may not be necessary. Although it is difficult to predict future currency value with much accuracy, MNCs can evaluate historical data to at least assess the potential degree of movement for each currency Standard Deviation The standard deviation statistic is one such possible way to measure the degree of movement for each currency. Notice that within each period, some currencies clearly fluctuate much more than others.

Grendel and the Importance of Human Values :: Grendel Essays

Grendel and the Importance of Human Values In Grendel, by John Gardner, there is considerable disquietude, but there are also moments of pleasure as well. The cause of these contrasting feelings is most often Grendel himself. As he changes from a purposeful and almost kind creature to a very cruel monster that scorns hope, we find ourselves feeling both pleased and upset at different times. In this element, though, lies a much greater purpose than simply good literature - it helps the reader understand the importance of human values. Pleasure in the book comes mainly in realizing how much Grendel acts like a human, and how much more rational he is than one would expect for a cruel monster. After seeing the deer in the beginning of the novel, Grendel points out why he kills cows instead of deer: they have more meat and are easier to catch. Although it's not necessarily a pleasant thought, it's somewhat comforting to know that Grendel appears to kill for the practical benefits (food) and not simply for the sake of killing. This is no worse than we might do. He seems especially human-like when he listens to the Shaper's song. Crying, he says that he was "filled with sorrow and tenderness" (44) and that he was "torn apart by poetry" (44). Another moment of pleasure comes as he is talking to the dragon and expresses a sort of hope and purpose. In defending his resolve not to scare humans so much just for fun, Grendel says, "Why shouldn't one change one's ways, improve one's character?" (72). In all the dragon's insist ence that everything is worth nothing, Grendel refuses to believe him. He even says, "Nevertheless, something will come of all this" (74). His hope makes the readers think all the better of him. Even if, at first, Grendel seems almost kind, and the reader is pleased with his character, he soon becomes more and more evil, and his actions bring about a feeling of uneasiness, to say the least. Before, the killing of people for no apparent reason disgusted Grendel. However, when he brings Unferth home, he kills the two guards "so I wouldn't be misunderstood" (90). Later, in probably the most disturbing scene of the book, we see how meaningless killing has become to Grendel. He brutally attacks the queen and is determined to kill her.

Orthodox Sacrament of Marriage Exchange of the rings Essay

There are different cultural rituals which are performed by people of different cultures. A cultural ritual refers to an event or activities that are valued within a certain group of people or society and which they relate with in a way that is unique from other communities. The cultural ritual that I was able to observe and take some notes was a wedding ritual under the Orthodox Church. The wedding ceremony is known as the â€Å"Orthodox Sacrament of Marriage†, and is primarily made up of two major parts. The part that got me fascinated was at the point where the couples are required to exchange the rings. The ritual, which took place just at the point of entry into the church, is considered to be special. It is taken to be the point at which the couples leave the world and transit into another world as they get into the church. The events that take place in this ritual include prayers for the couples by the priest as a way of blessing the union of the couple. It was observed that there artifacts which are needed and involved in the ritual. These include the rings which the couples put on their right hand. During one of the wedding ceremonies, it was noted that after the rings have been obtained, the next step that is taken after the couples have been blessed by the priest is the placement of the rings. The rings are not just placed on any finger or hand. The right hand is used to place the -295275-47625000rings. From what the believers say as it emerged is that, under the Orthodox wedding, the hand where the rings are place is the one that is believed to be used in making of promises and oaths, that is, right hand of the bride and that of the groom. It later also emerged that the right hand is used because it is the one which is used to recognize the presence of God Almighty. Quite interesting, or may be be cause it is believed such as in Christianity, the right hand is the hand of blessings. During the wedding, it was observed that when the couples were progressing with the wedding, it is that the right hand was the one used to make the sign of the cross. A cross from my view is a symbol of some sort of belief in a sect or religion. According to the faithful followers of this church, the sign of the cross is made as a way of recognizing that there was God in that ceremony. It is to be note that after placing a ring on the finger of the groom, a ring is then placed on the finger of the bride. From the wedding ritual, the artifacts, in this case the rings are of great significance and are greatly treasured. Without the rings, there cannot be a wedding and the priest is not allowed to give permission uniting the couples. The participants, that is, the bride and the groom are expected to know what placing the rings on their right hand means to them. Rings are a symbol of unity between the marrying parties as well as the families of the bride and the groom. The bride and the groom are required to know that they are leaving the â€Å"outside world† by standing at the entry to the church, and they are entering a â€Å"new world†, that of Christianity. The exchange of the rings by the couple illustrates their commitment not only to uphold the principles of the church but also to continue with the faith and belief of the church. The couples are united to each other as well as the church since the wedding takes place inside and outside the church, whereby the move from the outside to the inside of the church, symbolizing transformation of lives. The exchange of the rings however, only takes place after all the parties are asked questions on their commitment to the marriage and they make a promise. The bride first makes the promise after which the groom makes the promise. At this point, the priest is seen to be very keen on what the bride and groom say, may be for future reference in case the couple run in to marriage problems or issues that may require the intervention of the priest. Furthermore, the bride and the groom are expected to be aware that the placing of the rings on their right fingers signifies their agreement, betrothal, stewardship and authority towards each other. It is the belief of the participants that the rings represent their agreement, service to each other, commitment as well as authority in their marriage. The use of the rings in the ceremony means that the couples will always strive to support and be there for each other and that each of the two will gain from their union in marriage. The bride and the groom are expected to realize that when they exchange the rings, they have total commitment to each other and are bound to share as well as have an exchange of their spiritual belongs and their physical belongs till death separates the two. The love that they pledge to one another is expected to be eternal with full devotion and service to each other. Therefore, it is important that the groom and the bride understands what it mean by having the rings placed on their right hands during this ritual conducted at the entrance of the church with the help of a priest. The Orthodox followers shun marriages without weddings and one is shown great respect when they marry or get married through a church wedding. The family members are expected to be present during this time when the couples exchange the rings and the absence of one or both parents is considered as a curse. It is believed that failure of the parents to attend, if they are alive, means that the wedding is not blessed. The ritual of exchanging the rings at the entrance of the church is significant in the lives of the couple hence not taken lightly. The value that is placed on the exchange of the rings is noticeable even on the reaction that the bride and the groom display after the exchange of the rings. Joy and happiness is expressed through songs by the crowd that has attended the wedding as they exchange the rings. Generally, the wedding ritual of exchanging rings in the Orthodox Church is currently practiced even in other churches to signify unity of the couples. References Father Constantine Varipatis; Marriage and the Freedom of the Human Person (1995) viewed from http://www.saintstylianos.org.au/orthodoxy/marriage.html on 23rd November 2014 Our Wedding Ceremony viewed from http://web.mit.edu/manoli/www/wedding/ceremony.html on 23rd November 2014 Source document

Illusive Infatuation

Illusive Infatuation Growing up I did not believe in the concept of love and long term relationships. My family members consisted of mainly single women. All of which were bitter and unable to maintain healthy relationships with men. Divorce seemed to be second nature to me. My mother along with several other close female members have all been married three or more times. This made me want to stray away from relationships and love in general. As I got older I realized that most of the time they seemed to rush into love based off early infatuation, lust, and their biological clocks ticking.I have learned from all of their situations. I realized that many people, not just in my family, marry quickly based off â€Å"love at first sight. † It seems many don’t seem to take the time to know the person they are committing to. It makes me wonder what the rush is all about. I have decided to put a three year waiting period on any relationships I enter. I want to make sure I know someone and that I am marrying for more than love and infatuation. I do not want to fall in the deception of confusing â€Å"puppy love† with the real thing. I have based my realizations off of my personal experiences.I do wonder if there have been accounts of people marrying in short periods of time and actually staying together for 20 or more years. I have heard of instances of arranged marriages working out in that manner but most were kept for political or family reasons. I have yet to see a genuine story of a couple marrying during the fascination phase of early relationships and actually staying together. I would like to explore more into the depths of how and why we fall in love. Is it possible for someone such as myself to find happiness even when I have only seen the negative outcomes in relationships?Is loneliness the better option? As a child of a divorcee, it led me to feel hopeless and apprehensive towards commitment. In Eve LaPlante’s article entitled â €Å"Breakfast† she states that: â€Å"Like many offspring of divorce, I grew up with a poignant sense of loss. Besides  the trauma of the breakup and its aftermath, there’s the prolonged pain of missing  one parent and the security of an intact family. During my teens, I dreamed of a  future happy family, but believed my chances of ever attaining one were in? nitesimal. I felt inadequate as a potential marital partner; my parents’ divorce served  as a scar. (LaPlante, 476 ) This excerpt was comforting. This was exactly how I felt through most of my younger years all the way up until adulthood. I felt hopeless and considered any relationships that I pursued to be temporary. LaPlante, however, isn’t discouraged for long. She ends up falling in love. This article is actually written fifteen years after marrying her soulmate. She says her success is based off of â€Å"the ability to be grateful for comparative happiness (LaPlante,476 ). † I to ok this to mean that even though marriage is not perfect, if they compared their happiness to others they would be satisfied.This article definitely made me feel as if there is still hope for my own romantic future. The fact that her outlook went from a bitter young woman that dreaded the idea of marriage and was â€Å"almost turned off marriage forever† (LaPlante,476) to a charismatic happily married woman is astounding. She states that â€Å"Marriage is good for my body as well as my soul. I like my physical self more than I did before. David ? nds me beautiful, which helps me feel beautiful. To be   known by him is part of the pleasure: we have nothing to hide. I ? d every human  detail of him delightful, no less so as we age (LaPlante,477). † It gives me the feeling that my past does not have to determine my future. My outlook can change. Even with the success shown in LaPlante’s article I do realize that those results are not always typical. Is loneline ss the better solution? It would allow me to skip over the failures, heartbreaks, and all the awkwardness in between. In the article â€Å"Loneliness and Isolation† by Jean M. Twenge she states that: â€Å"Isolation and loneliness readily lead to anxiety and depression. A mountain of  scienti? evidence links loneliness (and being alone) with negative mental health  outcomes. Single and divorced people are signi? cantly more likely to become depressed or suffer other mental health problems. Even people in unhappy marriages are happier than those who divorce. † (Twenge, 456) This leads me to believe that even an unhappy marriage is better than going through life alone. I am not sure I entirely believe that. I understand that loneliness can account for severe depression but I think there are many other things we can focus on throughout life that make us happy.The reference to her friend â€Å"Peter† is very saddening. He spends his time being rejected via perso nal ads and spends his weekends alone. I honestly think he could take up another hobby, make friends, and enjoy life in other ways rather than just searching for a mate. A very good example of why spending all your time searching for love and maintaining relationships does not always work is displayed in the author’s story of Leslie: â€Å"The cycle of meeting someone, falling in love and breaking up is a formula for anxiety and depression. .  . In college, many people ? nd that their romantic relationships are a lifeline in an otherwise lonely place—until the relationship ends. Leslie, 20, went through a breakup a month ago. â€Å"He was basically my whole life besides school and family,† she says. â€Å"Now I am very lonely and depressed because I don’t have many friends and the friends I do have are all away at their colleges. †(Twenge,455) If Leslie did not devote all her time to her relationship and her quest for love then she would not hav e lost as much as she did. It seems as if it works both ways.Breakups and divorces can lead to depression just as fast as loneliness. It seems that either way you end up taking a risk. The fact that divorce rates for first marriages are at 41% (DivorceRate. org ) is even more a deterrent from marriage. I still believe I would rather take my chances with loneliness. I believe I would end up losing far less and involving less people. What exactly is love? I know that I cannot possibly keep up this idea of romanticism for a lifetime. There must be much more to real love outside of the idea of love based off romance and lust.In the article â€Å"Grown up love† by Joan Konner she states that: â€Å"In America we live in a culture that glori? es passionate, romantic love. Our  friends are in love, dreaming or daydreaming of it, waiting and dating to fall into  it. Women and men begin new lives in love. Romantic love is our inspiration, our  motivation—our reason to be . Romance is a cultural obsession, an imperial ideal. We believe that love can be found, here and now and forever, in an instant, across  a crowded room—or tomorrow, just around the corner. It can—but rarely. In reality, romance is more ? eting and more dangerous  than we are told, more complicated than we could have imagined, more elusive  than we’ve been led to believe. Love is a promise made every day only to be  broken tomorrow. †( Konner, 485) This goes deeper into the psyche that most of us have as we grow older. Our culture glorifies romantic love, lust, and passion rather than the actual hardships of maintaining real love. It makes us to believe that we cannot live a fulfilled life without it. We are fed fairytales of lifelong love, princes with magic kisses, and images of happy families in the media.We never truly learn the difference between infatuation, romance, and real love. The author states that she wants to â€Å"distinguish love f rom romance, to explore the ideal of true love, or real love (Konner,485). † We often cannot determine the difference between temporary infatuation and â€Å"puppy love. † This could be another main focus in the causes of divorce and breakups. The author goes on to say that â€Å"The fact that we say ‘romance’ when we mean ‘love’ shows  us that underneath our language there is a psychological muddle. .  . We are con- fusing two great psychological systems within us, and this has a devastating effect  on our lives and our relationships (Konner,485) . † This inability to separate romance from real life could be the reason why many tend to marry so quickly based off those initial feelings rather than taking the time to actually fall in love with someone completely. I have learned that no matter what lifestyle I choose whether it is being a wife or a happily single woman that it will come with hardships. If I am ever able to find someo ne that I am truly compatible with then I should take more time to get to know them.I should develop a foundation and wait for the initial infatuation and romance phase to subside so that I can make a clear decision on a lifelong commitment. I no longer believe that I am prey to the past of my family members when it comes to romance. I just need to make better decisions in choosing a mate and if I can’t find one then I can lead a happy life regardless. I should find fulfillment within myself rather than completely confiding in a mate for it. Works Cited Konner, Joan. â€Å"Grown Up Love. † The Aims of Argument: A Text and Reader. By Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell. 7th ed.New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 485-87. Print. LePlante, Eve. â€Å"Breakfasts. † The Aims of Argument: A Text and Reader. By Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell. 7th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 475-78. Print. â€Å"Marriage and Divorce. † Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 05 Oct. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. . Twenge, Jean M. â€Å"Loneliness and Isolation. † The Aims of Argument: A Text and Reader. By Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell. 7th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 454-57. Print.