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Voices February 28, 2020

Technology will always pace healthcare (and it should)

By TERRY LYNAM // Healthcare has always been at the forefront of technological development; robotics and artificial intelligence are no exception. Science fiction may spur images of sentient robots living seamlessly among us, but the reality is also remarkable, in unexpected ways. At Northwell Health, AI is revolutionizing not only the practice of medicine but also good health far beyond hospital walls, enabling providers to analyze healthcare data through complex algorithms. When coupled with advanced…

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Voices December 13, 2019

Employers sink or swim as the ‘Silver Tsunami’ rises

By TERRY LYNAM // For years, business owners and anyone who follows the business world have been preparing for Millennials – and soon after, Gen Z – to enter and transform the workforce. But in all the excitement over young people changing the way we work, we’re losing sight of another fundamental shift in workforce demographics. The American workforce is, in fact, getting older. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 25 percent of…

Voices December 6, 2019

On whiskey in winter: Some like it hot

By AMBROSE CLANCY // It was raining horizontally, with sleet, driven by a December gale. We could hear the sea pounding the concrete strand one street away as we ducked down an alley with the sharp smell of turf fires on the wind. No one was around, except the two village dogs crouched in a doorway, just their noses sticking out to the wind. Soaked, shivering, we made it into the safe harbor of the…

Voices November 22, 2019

As channels evolve, brands need a grip on social media

By DAVID CHAUVIN // Thanks to the proliferation of social media, the relationships brands share with their target audiences have changed drastically. Researchers suggest that consumer/brand relationships psychologically mimic personal relationships; professionals measure how consumers feel about a brand based on categories including Passion, Commitment, Intimacy and Trust. This relationship is measured by the Brand Relationship Quality Index. Without giving away the secret sauce, I can say marketing teams use this measurement to develop messaging…

Voices November 8, 2019

When workforce development met entrepreneurism

By ROSALIE DRAGO // This has certainly been a busy year for workforce development – especially if you know what workforce development truly is. In 2019, in this space, we’ve discussed key tools for robust and impactful workforce development, including equitable and inclusive growth strategies; leveraging relationships between economic developers, employers and high-school educators; and evaluating the work-first and college-first paths. But we haven’t focused specifically on one of the most critical components of workforce…

Voices November 1, 2019

Keeping it real, in a world of med-tech marvels

By TERRY LYNAM // Healthcare embraces constantly evolving tools and processes to help those who are sick and vulnerable – and to continue fulfilling this purpose, we need technology companies and venture capital firms to understand and appreciate our mission and business models. Healthcare-related technologies and product concepts would often benefit if their developers had a better handle on real-world applications. Hospitals are ecosystems of humanity’s highs, lows and in-betweens – all day, every day….

Voices October 25, 2019

As teacher shortage grows, a virtually ideal substitute

By HARRY AURORA // It’s no secret the teacher shortage facing school districts across the county is a legitimate crisis. A widely distributed 2019 study by the Economic Policy Institute called the teacher shortage “large and growing,” and analysts point to two key issues: Public schools are hiring fewer teachers and fewer people are pursuing teaching careers, a perfect storm for a public-education epidemic. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 60,000…