Leaked Docs: Amazon's One Medical Failing Patient Safety

Amazon's One Medical: Convenient or Concerning? 🤔

Amazon promised to revolutionize healthcare. Turns out, it might be more complicated than a Prime delivery.

Since taking over One Medical, Amazon's cost-cutting measures are raising eyebrows and red flags. Here's the lowdown:

• Call Center Chaos: Instead of talking directly to doctors, elderly patients are being routed to a call center staffed by contractors with limited medical training. The result? Over a dozen documented cases where urgent symptoms – think blood clots and severe stomach pain – weren't escalated for immediate medical attention. 😬

• "Mission Not-So-Control": While Amazon claims the call center (internally dubbed "Mission Control" 🙄) improves efficiency, former employees are calling out inadequate training and a disregard for patient safety concerns.

• Frustrated Families: Patients and their families are reporting long wait times, communication breakdowns, and a general feeling of unease. One patient's daughter, whose mother sadly passed away, put it bluntly: "I don’t want Amazon taking care of me."

Bottom line: Amazon's focus on efficiency and cost-cutting seems to be coming at the expense of patient care. Whether they can course-correct and live up to their healthcare promises remains to be seen. 🏥

Key takeaways:

• Potential for harm: Call center errors could have life-threatening consequences for vulnerable patients.

• Training concerns: Are call center staff equipped to handle medical triage? Evidence suggests not.

• Patient experience: Long wait times and communication issues are causing frustration and anxiety.

• Amazon's track record: This isn't the first time Amazon's healthcare ventures have faced scrutiny.

The question remains: is Amazon prioritizing profit over patient well-being? 🤔

Source: Washington Post

Southwest: Stuck in the Golden Age of Aviation? ✈️

Remember Southwest Airlines, the airline that made flying affordable and fun? Well, things are looking a little turbulent for the OG budget carrier. 😥

Here's the deal: Hedge fund giant Elliott Investment Management, now a major Southwest shareholder, thinks the airline is stuck in a time warp and wants BIG changes, including booting the CEO!

Elliott's beef? Southwest's iconic "no-frills" model (think open seating and free bags) just isn't cutting it anymore. They claim:

• Profits are lagging behind competitors.

• Expenses are soaring, partly due to delays in new planes.

• Passengers want more, like assigned seats and extra legroom (imagine that!).

Southwest is feeling the heat. 🔥 They're actually considering assigning seats and even offering premium options (gasp!). But they swear they won't abandon their loyal customer base.

This is a battle for the soul of Southwest. Will they ditch their beloved model or stick to their guns and risk falling behind?

Key takeaways:

• Elliott Investment Management is known for playing hardball. They've forced CEO changes at other companies, so this is serious business.

• Southwest's famous culture is at stake. Employees are like family, but will cost-cutting measures change that?

• This could change the way we fly. If Southwest caves, will other budget airlines follow suit?

Stay tuned, aviation enthusiasts. This is one flight you won't want to miss! 👀

Source: Wall Street Journal

Pixar is Back, Baby! 🎉 "Inside Out 2" Smashes Box Office Expectations

Hey there, movie buffs! Remember Pixar, the animation studio that used to print money with heartwarming hits like "Toy Story" and "Finding Nemo"? Well, after a string of streaming flops and a couple of theatrical misfires, they've finally bounced back with a vengeance.

"Inside Out 2" raked in a whopping $155 million domestically in its opening weekend, leaving analysts (who predicted a $90 million debut) speechless. That's the second-biggest opening EVER for a Pixar film, trailing only "Incredibles 2." 🤯

Here's why this is HUGE:

• Pixar needed a win. After several straight-to-Disney+ releases and the "Lightyear" debacle, the studio needed to prove it could still draw crowds to theaters.

• Sequels aren't always sure things. While "Elemental" performed decently, "Inside Out 2" proves audiences are hungry for nostalgic comfort – and willing to pay for it.

• Disney knows how to market. That sneaky Disney+ promotion with Fandango? Genius move to incentivize subscribers to hit the theaters.

Bottom line: Pixar is officially back in the big leagues. And with "Toy Story 5" on the horizon, it looks like they're just getting started. 🚀

Source: NYTimes

China's AI Chatbot Boom: More Like a Bust? 🤖📉

Hold onto your algorithms, folks, because China's AI scene is going full-on price war. Remember the cutthroat battles in ride-sharing and bubble tea? Yeah, this is that, but with chatbots.

Here's the tea:

• China's AI scene went from zero to 100 real quick. Just a year ago, they were lagging behind the US. Now, they're churning out powerful AI models (think ChatGPT rivals) faster than you can say "large language model."

• Competition is fierce, leading to insane discounts. Think 97% off! Some companies are even offering their models for free. 😳 Free AI sounds great, right? Not so fast...

• This price war could stifle innovation. Developing these AI models is expensive, and razor-thin margins mean less cash for research and development.

The Big Picture: This could be a classic case of "too much of a good thing." While a wave of new AI companies initially seems exciting, the brutal price war might leave only a handful of giants standing – and innovation could be the biggest loser.

Source: The Economist

Want to Hook Your Audience From the Get-Go? Start on Slide 2! 🤯

This isn't your average PowerPoint tip. This article, inspired by a fiction writing technique, argues that technical presentations should start on the second slide. 🤯 Why? Because nobody wants to sit through a boring background section when they could be immediately engaged with a juicy problem.

Think of it like this: would you rather read a story that starts with character descriptions, or one that throws you right into the action? The same principle applies to presentations!

Here's the gist:

• Ditch the traditional intro: Skip the background info on slide one and jump straight to a compelling problem or intriguing data point.

• Pique their curiosity: By presenting the "mystery" upfront, you'll keep your audience engaged even when you circle back to the technical details later.

• Think like a programmer: People are hardwired to problem-solve. Tap into that instinct by presenting the problem first and then unveiling your solution.

Bottom line: Starting on the second slide creates a sense of intrigue and instantly hooks your audience. It's like adding a plot twist to your presentation – everyone loves a good plot twist! 😉

Source: Substack | TidyFirst