Copyright law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Copyright law - Essay Example â€Å"Work made for hire† is defined under  § 101, Chapter 1 of Title 17 on Copyrights of the US Code as work, which is either prepared by a person as part of his work during his employment or works which are especially commissioned. The ‘work made for hire’ rule constitutes an exception to the general rule that copyright ownership naturally belongs to the author or creator of that work, implying that in such cases, the employer or the person for whom the work is done or created for is deemed the copyright owner of the work.However, this can be true only if there is no express agreement in writing signed by the parties indicating a contrary intention ( § 210, Chapter 2 of Title 17, USC). Under the first definition of ‘work made for hire,’ the term employee is constructed in accordance with the holding of the Court in Community for Creative Non-Violence v Reid, 490 US 730 (1989). In that case, an artist’s help was solicited by a non-profit o rganization to aid in their campaign against homelessness. The artist acceded, but no agreement between them as to copyright ownership over the sculpture was entered into. When the artist later claimed copyright ownership, the organization went to court. The US Supreme Court held that the term ‘employee’ should be taken in the context of the conventional employee-employer relation, without resorting to the control test often employed in common law. The SC’s decision relied on the agency law, where agency is determined under a ten-factor test. Since the conditions in the case did not satisfy this, the Court held that it was not within the ambit of the ‘work made for hire’ and copyright ownership belonged to the artist. On the other hand, ‘work made for hire’ under the second type, or the especially commissioned works, is easier to determine because the law itself confined it to nine types of work: â€Å"as a contribution to a collective work; as part of a motion picture or other audiovisual work; as a translation; as a supplementary work; as a compilation; as an instructional text, or; as an atlas, if the parties expressly agree in a written instrument signed by them that the work shall be considered a work made for hire† ( § 101, Chapter 1 of Title 17, USC). Q2 Under  §102, Title 17 on Copyrights of the US Code, there are eight kinds of works of authorship upon which copyright protection can be had: literary works; musical works, including any accompanying words; dramatic works, including any accompanying music; pantomimes and choreographic works; pictorial, graphic and sculptural works; motion pictures and other audiovisual works; sound recordings, and architectural works. Copyright registration may be made either online or using paper forms, although online registrations can only be made for basic registrations. For non-online registrations, each type of work of art must use a corresponding form. Liter ary works, whether published or unpublished, for example, must use Form TX. Specifically Form TX is used for non-dramatic literary works such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry, textbooks, reference works, directories, catalogs, advertising copy, compilations of information, and computer programs. On the other hand, visual arts, published or unpublished, must use Form VA, with ‘visual arts’ comprising pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works. Works of artistic craftsmanship and design are also registrable under Form VA, but protection extends only to their form and not to their other aspects. For works of performing arts, published or unpublished, Form PA is used for registration. The performing arts category include within its ambit musical works, dramatic works, pantomimes and choreographic works, and motion pictures and audiovisual works. Form SR is the form used for the registration of sound recordings, published or unpublished, but may also be used to simultaneously r egister the underlying musical, dramatic or literary work accompanying the sound recording. Sound recording, however,

What does Weber mean by charismatic authority How and why does he Essay

What does Weber mean by charismatic authority How and why does he contrast it to bureaucracy - Essay Example Much progress had been made, but he was not at all confident that that progress could raise human beings to the required moral status that was needed to ensure the world would be a livable place. One problem he had was the way current social scientists were analyzing history and social activity. They all seem to think that the world was on a route of progress, hence their evaluation of history was framed from valued, or normative points of views. Weber created the use of "ideal type" to analyze social data and activity such that values could be separated for observations and theorists could make empirically based views. An ideal type became a concept marking regularities of meaningful action. The ideal type model would enable precise definitions for comparison and measurement of social reality. In his analysis of leadership ideal types that have evolved through history, he created three models. These were the legal or bureaucratic leader, the authority leader, and the charismatic lea der. This report will concentrate on "charismatic authority" and will contrast it to "bureaucracy". It will view how charismatic authority may contribute to a sociological understanding of power in modern society. Discussion How has the concept of ‘leader’ risen in society and in what way has it became an authority figure? Weber attempted to not make value judgments as he outlined his leadership types. Hence he was able to accept as a fact that the bureaucratic leader existed, alone with the traditional and charismatic ones. Although the route that the leader took to authority may have involved injustice or arbitrary actions, Weber's task was to describe the various types and how they came to be accepted (Titunik 65). The bureaucratic or legal leader represented the impersonal type leader that worked efficiently in such organizations as businesses, schools, and even church hierarchies and hospitals. They were the officials of an organization who ruled not on personal lo yalties, but on clear hierarchic chains of command that were organized on systems of intentionally created abstract rules. There were rules of conduct and specified roles were marked out. There were distinct spheres of ownership and staff and staff was paid more or less for skills that were acquired and recognize to operate on the position. One of the problems dealing with bureaucratic leadership was that many times it could be seen as lording over an emotionless 'iron cage' (Weber 181). The traditional leader evolved from a historical patriarch whose position was that of a personal master who ruled over his subjects. He was more or less limited by traditional laws and his rule was held up by faithful followers who had received benefits. It is the charismatic leader whom Weber seems to spend much time on. This particular leader came to power through recognition of his exceptional powers as a hero, as a person who took the ultimate self-sacrifice. His followers are mesmerized before him and had accepted his otherworldly nature. He has exemplary character. He is able to bring meaning into the lives of his follower and he can give them goals and images to internalize and believe in to "transcend their own limited existence" (Conger et al 751). The charismatic leader releases his followers from "custom, law and tradition", even from family responsibilities and, most importantly, from their own conscience (Conger et al 751). Dow sees it as an ideal type and an emotional life-force that "remains forever beyond the reach of bureaucratic domination† (Dow 85). Charismatic leadership directly contrasts bureaucratic leadership. Dow suggests that Weber celebrated ‘charisma as an â€Å"emotional life-force† antagonistic to the dreary construction of the iron cage’† (Dow 85). Yet, today they both can be seen operating easily in tantrum. One

California, Eames house Essay Example for Free

California, Eames house Essay Constructed in 1949 in pacific palisades, California, Eames house is a landmark of mid-twentieth century modern architecture. It was owned by design pioneers, husband and wife, Charles and Ray Eames. The Eames’ gracious live-work life- style continues to be an influential model. ( Eames house) The design of the house was proposed for a case study house program for Art and Architecture magazine. The idea was to hypothesize a modern household, elaborate its functional requirements, have an architect design the home, use modern materials and construction processes, and then actually build the home. The Eames’ proposal reflected their own household and their own needs, a young married couple wanting to live, work and entertain in one undemanding setting in harmony with the site. (Eames house) A site near the coast, on Pacific Palisades, once a part of private estate was selected. The initial design proposed consisted of a raised steel and glass box projecting out of the slope. According to the final design, the house was tucked into the slope with a concrete wall on the uphill side. A mezzanine level was added, making use of pre-fabricated spiral stair that was to be the lower entrance. The upper level holds the bedrooms and overlooks the double height living room. A courtyard was also introduced, separating the residence from the studios. The revised scheme only required one additional beam. The 17 feet tall facade is broken down into a rigidly almost Mondrianesque composition brightly colored panels between thin steel columns and painted black. The entry door is marked with a gold leaf panel above. The row of eucalyptus trees was preserved along the exposed wall of the house, providing a visual contrast to the bold facade of the house. The Eames house is considered the most successful both as an architectural statement and as a comfortable, functional living space. ( Eames house) Works-cited page Eames House, wikipedia the free encyclopedia, 6-12-2006, Retrieved on 10-12-2006 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Eames_House

What Is Sales Forecasting Marketing Essay

What Is Sales Forecasting Marketing Essay Forecasting is a little more scientific than looking into the crystal ball . The scientific basis of forecasting lies in studying past , present and future trends , present and future actions and their effects . What happened in the past is relevant to what is happening now and what could happen in the future . Forecasting  is defined as the process of making statements about the events whose actual outcomes have not yet been observed . A common example might be  the estimation  of some variable of interest at some specified future date .  Prediction  is similar , but it is more general term. Both might refer to formal statistical methods employing   the time series ,  cross sectional  or  longitudinal  data and alternatively to less formal judgemental methods . Usage can differ between areas of application for example in  hydrology , the terms forecast and forecasting are sometimes reserved for the estimation of values at certain specific  future  times , while the term prediction is used for more general estimates , such as the number of times the floods will occur over a long period . WHAT IS SALES FORECASTING ? SALES FORCATING : Sales forecasting is estimating what a companys future sales are likely to be , based on the sales records as well as  the market research . Information used for sales forecasting must be well organized and may include information on the competition and the statistics that affect the businesses customer base . Companies conduct sales forecasting in hopes of identifying the patterns so that the revenue and the   cash flow  can be maximized . Sales forecasting is a difficult area of management . Most managers believe that they are good at forecasting . However , forecasts made usually turn out to be wrong . Marketers argue about whether sales forecasting is a science or an art . The short answer is that it is a bit of both. Sales forecast should be conducted regularly and all the forecasting results need to be measured , so that the future methods can be adjusted if necessary . Before the forecasting process begins marketing , sales or other managers should determine how far ahead the forecast should be done . Short term forecasting is a maximum of three months and is often effective for analyzing budgets and markets . Intermediate sales forecasting is between a period of three months and two years and may be used for schedules ,  inventory and production . Long term forecasting is for a minimum of two years and can be used for long term forecast period and is good for dealing with growth into new markets or new products . Basically sales forecasting is analyzing all the parts of a business from total inventory to the strengths and weaknesses of sales people . Managers must think about changes in customer sales or other changes that could affect the forecasting figures . They must be competitive when they are assessing the competition and how they can surpass the competition to better meet the needs of the target market . IMPORTANCE OF SALES FORCASTING Sales forecasting is the basis of all the business activities . All the business activities may it be a sales related matter , production related matter , finance , advertising etc depend on sales forecasting . Any business firm starts its plan with sales forecasting . Sales forecasting is a self assessment tool for a company . A sales forecast reports , graphs and analyzes the pulse of any business . It is a vital basis for a companys budget . The future direction of the company depends on the sales forecasting .   Sales  are the lifeblood of the business .  Its what helps you pay employees , cover operating expenses , buy more inventory , market new products and attract more investors . Sales forecasting is a crucial part of the  financial planning  of the business . Its a self assessment tool that uses the past and the current sales statistics to intelligently predict the future performance . Sales forecasts are also an important part of starting a new business . Almost all new businesses need loans or start up capital to purchase everything necessary to get off the ground office space , equipment , inventory , employee salaries and  marketing . You cant just walk into a bank with a bright idea and lots of enthusiasm . You need to show them numbers that prove your business is viable . In other words , you need a business plan . The importance of Sales forecasting can be stated as follows : 1 . Overstocking and the under stocking of materials can be maintained by a good inventory control. 2 . With the help of sales forecasting , sales opportunities can be found out on the basis of the forecast . 3 . All the activities in an organization , are controlled on the basis of forecasting . 4 . Advertising and sales promotion expenses are based on sales forecasting . 5 . Sales forecasting is also important in the field of personnel department . The number of sales persons , executives etc can be increased or decreased on the basis of sales forecasting . 6 . Sales forecasting is the basis for financial Planning . 7 . In the field of production , with the help of sales forecasting , producer is able to adjust his production schedules and avoid idle time which leads to efficiency . 8 . Supply and demand of the products can be easily adjusted .   9 . It helps in knowing when and how much to buy . 10 . It helps in the product mix decisions . SALES FORECASTING ON THE BASIS OF PAST Many businesses prepare their sales forecast on the basis of their past sales . Past years Sales forecasting is done with the help of Time series analysis . Time series analysis involves the breaking of past sales down into the four components : The trend are the sales growing , flat lining or are in decline ! Seasonal or cyclical factors Sales are affected by the swings in the general economic activity . Seasonal and cyclical factors occur in a regular pattern . Erratic events these include strikes , fashion fads , war scares and other disturbances to the market , which need to be isolated from the past sales data in order to be able to identify the more normal pattern of the sales . Responses the results of the particular measures that have been taken to increase the sales (e.g. a major new advertising campaign) . Using the time series analysis to prepare an effective sales forecast requires the management to : Smooth out the erratic factors . Adjust for the seasonal variation . Identify and estimate the effect of the specific marketing responses . SALES FORECASTING ON THE BASIS OF PRESENT MARKET As a starting point for estimating the market demand , a company needs to know the actual industry sales that is taking place in the market . This involves identifying its competitors and estimating their sales . An industry trade association will often collect and publish the total industry sales , although rarely listing the individual company sales separately . By using this information , each company can easily evaluate its performance against the whole market . This is an important piece of analysis , Say for example that Company A has sales that are rising at the rate of 10% per year . However , it finds out that the overall industry sales are rising by the rate of 15% per year . This must mean that Company A is losing the market share , its relative standing in the industry . Another way to estimate the sales is to buy the reports from a marketing research firm such as AC Neilsen , Mintel etc . These are usually good sources of information for the consumer markets where the retail sales can be tracked in great detail at the point of sale . Such sources are less useful in the industrial markets which usually rely on the distributors. SALES FORECASTING FOR FUTURE MARKET So far we have identified that how a company can determine the current position . How can the future market demand and the company demand be forecast ? Very few products or the services lend themselves to easy forecasting . These tend to involve a product whose absolute level or the trend of sales is fairly constant and where the competition is either non-existent ( e.g. monopolies such as public utilities ) or stable ( pure oligopolies ) . In most of the markets , the total demand and company demand are not stable which makes the good sales forecasting a critical success factor . A common method of preparing the sales forecast has three stages : Prepare the macroeconomic forecast   what will happen to overall economic activity in the relevant economies in which a product is to be sold . Prepare an industry sales forecast   what will happen to overall sales in an industry based on the issues that influence the macroeconomic forecast . Prepare a company sales forecast   based on what management expect to happen to the companys market share . Sales forecasts can be based on the following three types of information : What the customers say  about their intentions to continue buying products in the industry . What the customers are actually doing  in the market . What the customers have done  in the past in the market . There are many market research businesses that undertake surveys of the customer intentions and sell this information to the businesses that need the data for sales forecasting purposes . The value of the customer intention survey increases when there are a relatively small number of customers , the cost of reaching them is small and they have the clear intentions . An alternative way of measuring the customer intentions is to sample the opinions of the sales force or to the consult industry experts .

How Jack Bellews Speech Affects the Plot of Nella Larsens Passing

The term "passing" is shorthand for a racial passing which means people of one race passing for another. Nella Larsen's Passing is the story about two light-skinned women, who both have African blood. Clare Kendry is one of them who chooses and succeeds at "passing" and Irene Redfield is one who doesn't. They drive into each other twelve years later in a restaurant and Clare invites Irene to the tea party. The tea party which appears in the beginning of the story plays an important role throughout of the story because Jack Bellew enters the story at that moment. Jack is the white man who has a strong revulsion to African-Americans. He marries Clare, without knowing her secret ancestry. Jack's statements at the tea party lead the main characters' transformation throughout the story and shape the ending as well. Jack's disgust in colored people and assertion of his hate toward Negroes impact Clare Kendry, his wife, to re-estimate her value of life. When Clare and Irene run into each other at the restaurant, Clare is confident of her `passing' and is even sorry to those who didn't do the same thing. Passing to the white society is "even worth the price" to Clare (160). She believes that wealth is everybody's final desire and by passing she achieves that in a "frightfully easy" way (158). However she doubts her confidence on her passed life since the tea party in her house. At the tea party, Jack says words which humiliates African-Americans and shows how he hates Negroes (171-172). Against his statements, Irene exposes that Jack is "surrounded by three black devils" (172). It is significant that Irene includes Clare as one of the "black devils." This implies that Irene classifies Clare as a part of the black community even... ...at Jack didn't show up frequently during the story but his words which had spoken at the tea party remain and continuously affect Irene and Clare. After the tea party Clare finds her happiness is no longer coming from being an upper class and having wealth but she confirms that she belongs to the black society and is happy to mingle with them. Also Irene who always concerning safety and put it up as the most important thing in her life turns out to thinking about others beside security; those are considering herself and relationship with husband . Clare's death, the ending of the story, was already foreseen at the tea party by Jack and followed by his words. Without doubt Jack Bellew was the character who opens up the story and also, finishes up the story. Work cited Nella, Larsen. Quicksand and Passing. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University press, 2002

International Development Ethics Essay -- Ecology Ecological Environme

ABSTRACT: I discuss the nature and genesis of international development ethics as well as its current areas of consensus, controversies, challenges, and agenda. A relatively new field of applied ethics, international development ethics is ethical reflection on the ends and means of socioeconomic change in poor countries and regions. It has several sources: criticism of colonialism and post-World War II developmental strategies; Denis Goulet's writings; Anglo-American philosophical debates about the ethics of famine relief; and Paul Streeten's and Amartya Sen's approaches to development. Development ethicists agree that the moral dimension of development theory and practice is just as important as the scientific and policy components. What is often called "development" (e.g., economic growth) may be bad for people, communities, and the environment. Hence, the process of development should be reconceived as beneficial change, usually specified as alleviating human misery and environmen tal degradation in poor countries. The Nature of Development Ethics National policymakers, project managers and international aid donors involved in development in poor countries often confront moral questions in their work. Development scholars recognize that social-scientific theories of 'development' and 'underdevelopment' have ethical or as well as empirical and policy components. Development philosophers and other ethicists formulate ethical principles relevant to social change in poor countries, analyze and assess the moral dimensions of development theories and seek to resolve the moral quandaries raised in development policies and practice: In what direction and by what means should a society 'develop'? Who is morally responsible for bene... ...n, MA: Lexington Books. Nussbaum, M. and J. Glover (eds.) (1995) Women, Culture and Development, Oxford: Clarendon Press. ______ and A. Sen (eds.) (1993) The Quality of Life, Oxford: Clarendon Press. O'Neill, O. (1993) "Ending World Hunger," in T. Regan (ed.) Matters of Life and Death, New York: London: Allen & Unwin. Segal, J.M. (1991) "What is Development?" in C.V. Blatz (ed.) Ethics and Agriculture: An Anthology on Current Issues in World Context, Moscow, ID: University of Idaho Press. Sen, A. (1984) Resources, Values and Development, Oxford: Blackwell; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Streeten, P. with Burki, S.J., Haq, M., Hicks, N., and Stewart, F. (1981) First Things First: Meeting Basic Needs in Developing Countries, London: Oxford University Press. Streeten, P. (1994) Strategies for Human Development, Copenhagen: Handelshojskolens.

American Retirement Corporation Essay

American Retirement Corporation (ARC) is an operator of senior living communities. The company is a senior living and health care services provider offering a broad range of care and services to seniors, including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and therapy services. The company operates around 65 senior living communities in 14 states, with an aggregate unit capacity of approximately 12,900 units and resident capacity of approximately 14,500. Across the United States, the company owns 19 communities, leases 41 communities, and manages five communities pursuant to management agreements. The company operates in three distinct business segments: retirement centers, free standing assisted living communities (ALCs), and management services. The company operates large continuing care and retirement communities (CCRCs) and independent living communities (retirement centers) that provide an array of services, including independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer’s and skilled nursing care. The company’s retirement centers are the largest segment of the company’s business and comprise around 27 of the 65 communities that the company operates, with unit capacity of approximately 8,100, representing approximately 63% of the total unit capacity of the company’s communities. The company’s free standing ALCs provide specialized assisted living care to residents in a comfortable residential atmosphere. Most of the free standing ALs provide specialized care such as Alzheimer’s, memory enhancement and other dementia programs. These communities are designed to provide care in a home-like setting. At each of its free standing ALCs, the company provide personalized care plans for each resident, extensive activity programs, and access to therapy or other services as needed. Jack C. Massey, Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Sr. , and a small group of prominent local businessmen founded American Retirement Corp. in February 1978. Historically, the company operated large CCRCs and independent living communities that provided an array of services, including independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing care in large, often campus style settings. The company formed American Retirement Communities in February 1995, through a combination of certain entities that owned, operated, or managed various senior living communities. American Retirement became a wholly owned subsidiary of American Retirement Communities in February 1997 (Datamonitor, December 2005). ARC began to develop and acquire a number of free-standing assisted living communities in 1999, most of which began operations during 1999 and 2000. In 2001, the company purchased assisted living residences in partnership with CNL Retirement, namely the Broadway Plaza at Pecan Park in Arlington, Texas and the Homewood Residence in Boca Raton, Florida. In Boca Raton, ARC could be availed through the Homewood Residence, a senior community designed to help those who need assistance with daily activities such as bathing, dressing and administering needed medication. According to the Homewood Residence Website, the service they provide is â€Å"just like family†, the extra assistance their clients may need with their daily activities, while helping them maintain the privacy, dignity and independence (Homewood Residence Website). Boca Raton, located in the Palm Beach County, has a healthy economy and wealthy retirees. Its primary growth is relying mainly on the tourism industry. Palm Beach County’s growth, on the other hand, is concentrated in biotechnology, electronics, and computer industries. The largest employers are in the public sector, federal and state government, public schools, and Florida Atlantic University. In Boca Raton, there is also an increased number of older populace. Businesses must deal with the shifts in demands for goods and services brought on by the desires and needs of older consumers (Howell, 1997). The issues facing the delivery of goods and services in general are magnified in the health care arena. Efforts to reach older consumers often are hampered by failure to understand the requirements and preferences of this population. According to the Boca Raton Comprehensive Annual Report (September 2005), the Milken Institute Index listed the Boca Raton market as the fourth in the â€Å"2004 Best Performing Cities Index† in the country for economic strength and job and wage growth. With a shortage of affordable housing, Boca Raton has introduced a workforce housing ordinance and is in the process of developing mixed use options as tools for providing additional housing in areas previously reserved for non residential uses. The Report also proudly states that Boca Raton is the location of several Fortune 500 companies and nearly 3,000 businesses, employing over 38,000 people because of its low taxes, strong employment base, and quality of life, Boca Raton’s business community is thriving (See Table 1). Table 1. Boca Raton’s Top Employers Among the three counties in Florida, Palm Beach has experienced the greatest population growth – in absolute numbers and in population density. It also has the oldest population. According to the 2000 US Census, Palm Beach County has 1,131,184 residents (See Table 2). Residents of Palm Beach County also have a higher per-capita income than in the other two counties. Miami-Dade County is clearly the largest of the three, in geographic size and population. Palm Beach and Broward Counties have similar proportions of their population that are uninsured, approximately 15 percent, and Miami Dade has the highest at 25 percent (Jackson & Beatty, 2003, p. 7). In the issue of income, Boca Raton has a high income per capita. Table 3 provides the data of income distribution by age group and by ethnicity in the year 1999. Table 2. Palm Beach Demographics PALM BEACH COUNTY FL US POPULATION Number Number Number Total population 1,131,184 Square miles (land) 1,974. 11 Population per square mile 573. 01 296. 37 79. 56 GENDER Number Pct Pct Pct Male 546,739 48. 3 48. 8 49. 1 Female 584,445 51. 7 51. 2 50. 9 AGE Number Pct Pct Pct 15 or younger 201,715 17. 8 19. 0 21. 4 16-24 113,057 10. 0 12. 2 13. 9 25-44 305,041 27. 0 28. 6 30. 2 45-64 249,295 22. 0 22. 7 22. 0 65+ 262,076 23. 2 17. 6 12. 4 Number Number Number Average age (years) 42. 55 39. 53 36. 22 RACE AND ETHNICITY Number Pct Pct Pct White 894,207 79. 1 78. 0 75. 1 Black or African American 156,055 13. 8 14. 6 12. 3 American Indian and Alaska native 2,466 0. 2 0. 3 0. 9 Asian 17,127 1. 5 1. 7 3. 6 Native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 692 0. 1 0. 1 0. 1 Some other race 33,709 3. 0 3. 0 5. 5 Two or more races 26,928 2. 4 2. 4 2. 4 Hispanic or Latino 140,675 12. 4 16. 8 12. 5 Sources: U. S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census; ePodunk Note: Hispanic ethnicity is a separate data category from race. This number should not be added to race totals. Table 3. Incomes in 1999 Boca Raton, Florida BOCA RATON FL US MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME BY AGE ($ IN 1999) Number Number Number Median household income 60,248 38,819 41,994 Householder under 25 24,080 22,861 22,679 Householder 25-34 49,871 39,021 41,414 Householder 35-44 73,110 46,291 50,654 Householder 45-54 82,033 50,347 56,300 Householder 55-64 71,315 42,971 47,447 Householder 65-74 52,321 32,398 31,368 Householder 75 and older 43,971 25,085 22,259 PER CAPITA INCOME BY RACE OR ETHNICITY ($) Number Number Number Per capita income 45,628 21,557 21,587 White 48,463 23,919 23,918 Black or African American 16,275 12,585 14,437 Native American 31,123 16,598 12,893 Asian 22,469 20,429 21,823 Native Hawaiian and Pacific islander 13,569 15,251 15,054 Some other race 14,023 11,431 10,813 Two or more races 20,589 13,514 13,405 Hispanic or Latino 25,476 15,198 12,111 Sources: U. S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census; ePodunk Moreover, the Health Care District of Palm Beach County provides a source of funding for low-income residents to gain access to health care coverage and maintains a comprehensive trauma system in Palm Beach County, Florida. Other services include: rehabilitation/long-term care, nurses in public schools, behavioral health professionals in public schools, senior services and children’s health insurance programs (HCDPBC Website). HCD’s mission is to â€Å"maximize the health and well being of Palm Beach County residents by addressing their health care needs and planning for the access and delivery of services. † Health care has become one of the most vibrant sectors of the American economy, frequently a leader in economic growth, and the largest employer. Its research-based medicine focused on the use of pharmaceuticals, mechanical devices, and surgery, intervention strategies that reflect an earlier view of the body as a machine, paying relatively little attention to internal processes of problem-solving that occur normally (Heirich, 1998, p. 343). According to Andersen, Rice and Kominski (2001), improving access to health care can be greatly facilitated by a new generation of access models and indicators. These should stress the importance of contextual as well as individual characteristics to promote policies to improve access for defined populations. Also, these should focus on the extent to which medical care contributes to people’s health. Access measures should be developed specifically for particular vulnerable population groups. These measures are especially important because of the cross-cutting needs of many of the vulnerable groups: persons with HIV/AIDS, substance abusers, migrants, homeless people, people with disabilities, and those suffering from family violence. Improving equity, effectiveness, and efficiency should be the guiding norms for research on access. Among the most important areas for research are: †¢ Promoting successful birth outcomes—research on the relationships among medical risk factors, the content of prenatal care and birth outcomes †¢ Reducing the incidence of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases—research on the relationships among race, barriers to access, and infectious disease †¢ Reducing the effects of chronic diseases and prolonging life—research concerning the differences in use of high-cost discretionary care according to gender, ethnicity, income, and insurance status and whether these differences represent overuse or underuse of these services. †¢ Reducing morbidity and pain through timely and appropriate treatment— research exploring methods to better define what constitutes timely and appropriate use of physician services References American Retirement Corp. (2005, November 5). Retrieved May 5, 2006, from Datamonitor Database at http://dbic. datamonitor. com/companies/company/? pid=BAC9B41D-2415-44CF-8228-1C8B736DCBA8 American Retirement Corporation Website. http://www. arclp. com/index. html Andersen, R. M. , Rice, T. H. , & Kominski, G. F. (2001). Changing the U. S. Health Care System. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Boca Raton Income Overview. Retrieved May 5, 2006, from Epodunk Website at http://www. epodunk. com/cgi-bin/incomeOverview. php? locIndex=8367 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the City of Boca Raton, Florida. (2005, Spetember 30). Retrieved May 5, 2006, from Boca Raton Government Website at http://www. ci. boca-raton. fl. us/city/Council3. cfm Heirich, M. (1998). Rethinking Health Care: Innovation and Change in America. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Homewood Residence Website. http://www. seniorhousingnet. com/seniors/search/brochure/pr_brochure. jhtml? pid=552999&name=hrbocaraton&trigger=shn&source=a1shzr2t070 Howell, W. C. (1997). Forward, perspectives, and prospectives. In A. D. Fisk & W. A. Rogers (Eds. ), Handbook of human factors and the older adult (pp. 1–6). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Jackson, C. A. , & Beatty, A. (2003). Organization and Financing of Indigent Hospital Care in South Florida. Santa Monica, CA: Rand. Palm Beach Population Overview. Retrieved May 5, 2006, from Epodunk Website at http://www. epodunk. com/cgi-bin/popInfo. php? locIndex=8814