I read today that Bird Flu has been detected in a Hong Kong market. The government has suspended the sale of all live poultry in Sham Shui Po residential district until the source of the outbreak can be traced. They have even suspended all shipments of live fowl from mainland China. Isn’t that where the Olympics are going to be held in a couple of months?

Being in the media business, I sometimes question how we cover stories. With the emergence of the Internet, news is at a premium since it can be accessed all day, every day. Is the media accurate in its reporting? Many times yes. There are times when stories are sensationalized just for the sake of selling another newspaper (to those who still buy one) or creating more web traffic. In sports, these stories change the gambling odds in Las Vegas, but what about in the healthcare segment?

Having just come back from Las Vegas recently, it got me thinking... Are we prepared yet for a pandemic? More importantly, which pandemic will it be, and can you put money down on it? There is a saying about Vegas—NO, not that one! The saying goes something like, “you can bet on anything in Las Vegas.” There will come a day when you can walk up to a window at Caesar’s Palace and place a $10 bet on Bird Flu at 5 to 1 odds. Maybe that day is already here. Does anyone know?

Trade show season is here. For publishers, this season never seems to end. The months of April, May and June can usually be brutal travel months, but it is all worth it when we have the opportunity to meet the readers of our publications.

This month started out with a trip to New Orleans and the annual UCAOA Conference. We were pleased to participate, and delighted to hear how well accepted our journal was among the numerous professionals that stopped by our exhibit booth. It is gratifying to learn that readers of your publication have learned so much from the business acumen that we have published in Immediate Care Business. Professionals from urgent care centers across the United States made it a point to stop by and say hello. Just yesterday a board member from UCAOA told us how informative our publication was and that he enjoyed reading every issue.

I wanted to pass along a big kudos to the staff at UCAOA. You put on a great conference this year, and you should be pleased with the attendance. The staff members we spoke to and dealt with were extremely accommodating and a pleasure to work with! The staff at Immediate Care Business is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to participate and support the next annual conference which will be held in Las Vegas.  Until next year........

I have been reading over the last couple of days articles pertaining to the subject of water. What a precious commodity this has become. Growing up as a child, I never would have dreamed of someone selling bottled water. What’s next, air? You can imagine my shock when in the late 1970s I saw bottles of Evian and Perrier being sold in stores. Both were from Europe, so I figured they new something I didn't.

I remember my mother constantly reminding me to turn off the trickling water while I was brushing my teeth, but to me I wasn't really saving anything.

The 1990s brought about awareness of a shortage of water, water rationing and days that you couldn’t water your lawn. Paying my first water bill also made me realize how much water I used, but more importantly, how much was going down the sewer.

The late 1990s was when I first heard of water reclamation and what a big deal it was for carwashes to re-use the water they were washing cars with. Imagine that, re-using something you’ve already used before.

Yesterday I read an online article on how cities and states are starting to fight back when companies try to move into town to bottle up their water, only to turn around and ship it out for sale across the country. This past weekend I read that the Georgia House and Senate both passed resolutions to relocate their border one mile north, all in an effort to access the Tennessee River for water—something this drought ridden state needs. This dispute has been going on for more than 190 years, but has become more significant for one reason—WATER. Arizona, Nevada and California have long been battling over the water supply from the Colorado River.

I guess many in this country are finally starting to realize how much we really do need to conserve our resources--as always, Europeans seem to be ahead of us yet again. We’ve been fighting over land since the beginning of time. Oil is in short supply and is costing more everyday, and water is now taking center stage. It really does make me think about that whole selling bottled air theory. Does anyone want to join me in this venture?