North SA Chamber offers online, on-demand training

 

North Chamber logo 4c stackedcoggno logo (1)As part of our efforts to improve business resources for our members, the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce offers an online training web shop – thanks to a partnership with Coggno.com, the premier Internet source for thousands of online training courses that businesses can access anytime, anywhere. Now member businesses can utilize online courses to create a well-trained, knowledgeable workforce in an efficient, convenient and cost-effective manner; and courses can be accessed at computer workstations, as well as from home computers, tablets and even smart phones. All that’s needed is an Internet connection and a desire to learn.

“We understand that our member businesses are operating in a fast-paced work environment and can’t always send every employee out for essential training,” says North Chamber President/CEO Duane Wilson. “Through the delivery of this comprehensive, online training catalog that aggregates courses from the top online training providers, we’re addressing the need for a more prepared workforce and time scarcity with on-demand course availability,” he adds.

The North SA Chamber online training catalog features hundreds of high-quality affordable courses created by world-class training developers, and covers virtually all industries including human resources, management, healthcare, safety and many more. Most staple HR and compliance courses are available for about $20, while other, more specialized courses range in price.

Additionally, members receive a free Learning Management System (LMS) along with the training they purchase. The LMS allows organizations to distribute courses easily to their employees with just a URL link; track and monitor employees’ training progress; and report and archive training results for compliance purposes.

Top Benefits of Online Training

  • Reduced costs: no need for travel, employee down time
  • Access to talent: highly specialized curriculum
  • Geographic reach and scalability: ability to train employees with distance learning
  • Compliance: for organizations that are required to comply with a multitude of regulations
  • Mitigate risk: training helps to prevent failures, liabilities and litigation
  • Focus on core business: outsource training development, management and delivery
  • Convenience: courses available on-demand, are self-paced and supervisors may distribute to and track courses for each employee via the free Learning Management System (LMS)Take advantage of this opportunity to build a more productive, skilled workforce. Visit the North SA Chamber Training Online Shop today.

Follow these steps to access training

  • Visit www.northsachamber.com and click on Training Online Shop to explore the online catalog
  • Click on a course category from the topic menu
  • View the course options
  • Click “Add to Cart” to select a course for purchase
  • Click “Checkout” when you have selected all the courses you want to purchase

Oh, Deer! (A timely warning to drivers on rural roads this fall)

EPS metallic background

Ranch Hand Truckfitters has a motto for promoting our truck accessories: “Be on the Safe Side with Ranch Hand.” We say that because safety, strength and durability are built into all of our products for maximum benefit to our truck customers.

This fall, that motto, “Be on the Safe Side,” is also an appropriate warning to drivers on rural roads during the height of deer season — particularly during October through December when deer and other large wildlife collisions are most prevalent.

Consider these facts:

  • The odds that drivers will hit a deer “doubles” during the Oct.-Dec. period.
  • For the eighth year in a row, West Virginia tops the list of states where a collision is most likely, with odds of 1 in 39, nearly a 5% increase over 2013.
  • Ten percent of the country’s deer collisions occur in Pennsylvania, 123,941.
  • Periods of daily high-deer movement around dawn and dusk plus seasonal behavior patterns (such as the Oct.-Dec. breeding season) increase the risk for auto-deer collisions.
  • In 2012, 175 deaths resulted from collisions with animals, with deer being the animal most often struck.

Consider these tips for drivers in deer country:

  • Always wear your seatbelt.
    At night, when there’s no oncoming traffic, use your high beams.
  • Avoid swerving when you see a deer. Of course, you could always lower your odds of hitting a deer by moving to Hawaii, where there’s just 1 chance in 10,281 of colliding with Bambi!However, if you’d rather stay put, then Ranch Hand advises you to be extra cautious and extra aware of what might be just ahead or just around that next turn on rural roads. It’s better to be on the safe side, instead of having to suddenly shout, “watch out!” — “Oh, Deer!!!”

Our thanks for the information supplied in this article go to Kevin Jones of Hard Working Trucks; the Insurance Information Institute and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; and Ron Regan, Executive Director for the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies.

By Mavis Arambula-Medellin

Methodist Healthcare FIRST hospital system to pilot CDC Ebola Microsite to aid in educating U.S. healthcare workers

methodist hcs logoThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reached out to Methodist Healthcare System in San Antonio to be the first hospital system in the U.S. to pilot the CDC’s Ebola Microsite for U.S. health care workers on its health care system’s website www.SAHealth.com .

The only other two entities hosting the microsite are the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  The microsite is geared at targeting U.S. health care workers on up-to-date Ebola guidelines and recommendations.  This microsite project includes dozens of CDC web pages, a news feed, and a Twitter feed that has been pulled into Methodist Healthcare’s website.

This collaboration with the CDC reinforces Methodist Healthcare’s commitment to the absolute safety of its own health care workers and those in the community it serves.

Though NO cases of the Ebola Virus Disease have been found in San Antonio, Methodist Healthcare is following all recommendations of the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services in the event that they should receive a patient infected with Ebola.

At Methodist Healthcare the safety of patients, staff, volunteers, physicians and visitors is always a top priority as the health care system has a robust infection control system, with a staff trained and prepared to take care of patients with a variety of infectious diseases, including Ebola.  In addition, the System has an epidemiologic emergency policy in place.

Methodist Healthcare’s standard policy is to use universal precautions for every patient, in addition, they have specific practices for Ebola, which include:

  • Isolation of patients with suspected Ebola from contact with unprotected persons
  • Wearing of protective clothing (including masks, gloves, impermeable gowns, and goggles or face shields) by persons who care for Ebola patients
  • Limitation of people who have access to the areas where the Ebola patients would be treated
  • The use of other infection-control measures (such as complete equipment sterilization and routine use of disinfectant)
  • Avoid touching the bodies of patients who have died from Ebola Methodist also has specific practices in place to help identify and manage potential cases.

Methodist also has specific practices in place to help identify and manage potential cases. These include:

  • A screening tool to document contagious respiratory illnesses or fever combined with recent travel outside the U.S.
  • Isolation precautions for patients who exhibit symptoms and have recently traveled to affected areas
  • Use of personal protective equipment by caregivers
  • Rigorous use of effective cleaning and disinfection practices for equipment surfaces, supplies and other items used in providing care for the patient
  • Internal communications among care-givers to limit potential exposure
  • Immediate reporting to our local health departmentThe public is invited to look up the most current news and education pieces on Ebola by visiting Methodist Healthcare’s website at www.SAHealth.com, and by following them on Facebook and Twitter.

About Methodist Healthcare
Methodist Healthcare System of San Antonio (MHS) began as Methodist Hospital, chartered in 1955 by the United Methodist Church.  Since that time, MHS has grown to what is now the largest health care provider in South and Central Texas with 27 facilities, including nine acute care hospitals serving over 90,000 inpatients and 390,000 outpatients annually, expanding its vision of world class health care to San Antonio and 26 surrounding counties.

 

The System’s ownership structure is a 50/50 co-ownership between not-for-profit Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) and for-profit Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). With equal partnership control, MHS assures a dynamic balance in its mission: serving humanity to honor God by providing exceptional and cost-effective healthcare accessible to all.

 

Led by a culture of Methodist Excellence, the over 8,000 staff and volunteers combined with a medical staff of over 2,500, dedicate themselves to continuous quality improvement by committing to live by Methodist Excellence mission,vision and values.

Methodist Healthcare has achieved many awards for clinical excellence and quality outcomes as well innovation and people’s choice awards. Receiving the Texas Award for Performance Excellence in 2014 is a testament to Methodist Healthcare being selected as the most preferred and trusted health care system each and every year.

MPO to conduct traffic congestion and safety workshops

AAMPO Logo1The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) staff will conduct Traffic Congestion and Safety Workshops at the Seguin-Guadalupe County Coliseum (950 S. Austin St., Seguin, TX) on June 16, at the New Braunfels Civic Center (375 S. Castell Ave., New Braunfels, TX) on June 17 and at the Boerne Civic Center (820 Adler Rd., Boerne, TX) on June 19. Residents that drive, walk, ride or use transit are encouraged to join the MPO at these important public meetings as we update the region’s long range transportation plan.

Each workshop will begin at 6:00 p.m. and all will be similar in content and format. Attendees will receive an MPO overview briefing and then will be asked to share their traffic congestion concerns during a mapping exercise. Participants will tell the MPO where, when and for how long they experience traffic congestion. Next, participants will do a second mapping exercise sharing their concerns about safety issues related to traveling throughout their neighborhood, city and the region.

In 2012, Alamo Area drivers suffered 52,990 vehicle crashes resulting in 23,179 injuries and 218 fatalities. The MPO has been working with the Texas Department of Transportation’s Crash Records Information System (CRIS) and now has 2010-2012 crash data available on its website under the safety section.

About MPOs: Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are created by federal law to provide a comprehensive, cooperative and continuous transportation planning process that brings our region over $200 million annually in state and federal transportation funding for roadway, transit, rideshare, bicycle and pedestrian projects. For more information on the MPO, please visit our website at www.alamoareampo.org.

The San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization

 

North SA Chamber now offering online, on-demand training: SPECIAL OFFER – members receive 1 FREE course

North Chamber logo 4c stackedAs part of our efforts to improve business resources for our members, the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce is now offering an online training web shop – thanks to a partnership with Coggno.com, the premier Internet source for thousands of online training courses that businesses can access anytime, coggno logo (1)anywhere. Now member businesses can utilize online courses to create a well-trained, knowledgeable workforce in an efficient, convenient and cost-effective manner; and courses can be accessed at computer workstations, as well as from home computers, tablets and even smart phones. All that’s needed is an Internet connection and a desire to learn.

“We understand that our member businesses are operating in a fast-paced work environment and can’t always send every employee out for essential training,” says North Chamber President/CEO Duane Wilson. “Through the delivery of this comprehensive, online training catalog that aggregates courses from the top online training providers, we’re addressing the need for a more prepared workforce and time scarcity with on-demand course availability,” he adds.

The North SA Chamber online training catalog features hundreds of high-quality affordable courses created by world-class training developers, and covers virtually all industries including human resources, management, healthcare, safety and many more. Most staple HR and compliance courses are available for about $20, while other, more specialized courses range in price.

Additionally, members receive a free Learning Management System (LMS) along with the training they purchase. The LMS allows organizations to distribute courses easily to their employees with just a URL link; track and monitor employees’ training progress; and report and archive training results for compliance purposes.

Top Benefits of Online Training

  • Reduced costs: no need for travel, employee down time
  • Access to talent: highly specialized curriculum
  • Geographic reach and scalability: ability to train employees with distance learning
  • Compliance: for organizations that are required to comply with a multitude of regulations
  • Mitigate risk: training helps to prevent failures, liabilities and litigation
  • Focus on core business: outsource training development, management and delivery
  • Convenience: courses available on-demand, are self-paced and supervisors may distribute to and track courses for each employee via the free Learning Management System (LMS)Take advantage of this opportunity to build a more productive, skilled workforce. Visit the North SA Chamber Training Online Shop today.

Follow these steps to access training

  • Visit www.northsachamber.com and click on Training Online Shop to explore the online catalog
  • Click on a course category from the topic menu
  • View the course options
  • Click “Add to Cart” to select a course for purchase
  • Click “Checkout” when you have selected all the courses you want to purchase

Online Training Launch: Special Offer – 1 FREE Training Course per Member Business As a special promotion to kick-off our new online training program, we are giving away a free online training course* valued at $100 or less, to every North SA Chamber member (one course per company). Just follow these quick few steps…

  1. Create a free Coggno account here.
  2. Browse our online training section for a course you would like to share with your employees.
  3. Send your Coggno username to info@coggno.com with the course title and our chamber’s name.
  4. A Coggno representative will send you a coupon to get your free course.

* For courses $100 and under, offer expires in 30 days (Wednesday, May 28, 2014). Courses valid for up to a year!