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Q: Java Swing: how to fire an event when a right-click menu gets *dismissed* without a selection having been made? I have been going through Google for two days now, somewhat lost.
I can easily fire an event when a right-click get triggered. That isn't a problem. My problem is that I also need to fire a similar event if/when that right-click menu gets dismissed without any selection having been made.
This boils down to a business need: there is a list of items in a table, the table has checkboxes in the left most column to show which rows have been selected. Because these checkboxes are meant to be the UI key to determining which rows will be processed, any processing action looks at the state of the checkboxes instead of which rows have been selected.
The users can select checkboxes directly to make an action on one or more rows (either via buttons in the footer of the window or via the right-click menu). However, there also needs to be the option of just making a single active selection via the right-click event itself, without needing to explicitly check off a checkbox.
In this case, triggering the right-click on an entry will auto-check that checkbox (whether or not it has been already selected). However, if the user decides not to conduct any action on that row, that checkbox needs to be brought back to its prior state (either checked or unchecked, brought through from the firing of the right-click).
By only bringing through the original state, I don't have to care about the original state, only that it is being re-applied when the right-click is abandoned. This allows both checked and unchecked original states to be restored successfully. Essentially, this allows an accidental right-click to be dismissed without leaving that table row with a checkbox checked off each and every time - this would be undesired behaviour.
Unfortunately, I have not found any examples on the Internet that talk about targeting the dismissal of a right-click menu, and how to hook an action into that event.
My code so far is something like this:
private void setListenerForItemsTable() {
    tblItems.addMouseListener( new MouseAdapter() {
        public void mousePressed( MouseEvent evt ) {
            if ( view.showMaybePopup( evt ) ) {
                rightClickEvent(); // Fires needed code on right-click popup appearance.
            }
        }

        public void mouseReleased( MouseEvent evt ) {
            if ( view.showMaybePopup( evt ) ) {
                rightClickEvent();
            }
        }
    } );
}

Which works wonders on the creation of a right-click pop-up. It works wonderfully.
As an FYI, the code also has a listener for the right-click menu itself, which allows the selection of any item in that right-click menu to be handled:
private void setListenerForRightClickMenu() {
    // Preview
    mnuPreviewItem.addActionListener( (e)
            -> {
        previewItem();
    } );

    // Resend Fax
    mnuResendItem.addActionListener( (e)
            -> {
        resendItem();
    } );

    /// etc...
}

However, any attempt to use something like addFocusListener on the right-click menu in the same way that addMouseListener was attached to the table causes a Null Pointer Exception; presumably because the right-click menu isn't available until the right-click is actually triggered.
Suggestions?

A: In a nutshell, my solution involved adding a second listener to the setListenerForItemsTable() method above. Particularly, the addPopupMenuListener() listener:
tblItems.addPopupMenuListener( new PopupMenuListener() {
    @Override
    public void popupMenuWillBecomeVisible( PopupMenuEvent evt ) {
        // set checkbox
        if( rightClickRow >= 0 ) {
            mdlItems.setValueAt( true, rightClickRow, model.COL_CHECK );
        }
    }
    @Override
    public void popupMenuCanceled( PopupMenuEvent evt ) {
        // return checkbox to prior value
        if( rightClickRow >= 0 ) {
            mdlItems.setValueAt( rightClickValue, rightClickRow, model.COL_CHECK );
        }
    }
} );

However, there is a rub: if the table is smaller than the window that contains it, your right-click might not actually involve the actively-selected row (if you right-click within that area, but not on any row within the table itself). As such, you need to target whatever row you are actually right-clicking on, if it exists, and then save both that row number as well as its checkbox's current state (for reversal if the right-click is abandoned).
As such, at the root of our class we set some default containers to hold these values:
private Boolean rightClickValue = false;
private int rightClickRow = -1;

and then target the addMouseListener() to see if we are actually clicking on a row, and if so, to record which row it is and what its checkbox's status is:
tblItems.addMouseListener( new MouseAdapter() {
    @Override
    public void mouseClicked( MouseEvent evt ) {
        rightClickRow = tblItems.rowAtPoint( evt.getPoint() );
        rightClickValue = mdlItems.getValueAt(rightClickRow, model.COL_CHECK) == Boolean.TRUE;
    }
}

So in the end, we have the following:
    /**
     * Listener to decide between showing right-click menu OR calling Preview Item after double clicking a row
     */
    private void setListenerForItemsTable() {

        tblItems.addMouseListener( new MouseAdapter() {
            @Override
            public void mouseClicked( MouseEvent evt ) {
                isPreview( evt );
            }

            @Override
            public void mousePressed( MouseEvent evt ) {
                processRightClick( evt );
            }

            @Override
            public void mouseReleased( MouseEvent evt ) {
                processRightClick( evt );
            }
        } );
        itmMenu.addPopupMenuListener( new PopupMenuListener() {
            @Override
            public void popupMenuWillBecomeVisible( PopupMenuEvent evt ) {
                processCheckbox( true );
            }

            @Override
            public void popupMenuWillBecomeInvisible( PopupMenuEvent evt ) {
                // do nothing
            }

            @Override
            public void popupMenuCanceled( PopupMenuEvent evt ) {
                processCheckbox( rightClickValue );
            }
        } );
    }

    /**
     * Checks whether a preview of the line item is warranted, and provides it
     *
     * @param evt
     */
    private void isPreview( MouseEvent evt ) {
        if ( isRow( evt ) && isDblClick( evt ) ) {
            previewItem();
        }
    }

    /**
     * Checks if the item that was clicked on was a viable table row or not
     *
     * @param evt the MouseEvent
     *
     * @return Boolean
     */
    private Boolean isRow( MouseEvent evt ) {
        return getClickedRow( evt ) >= 0;
    }

    /**
     * Checks if the click action was a double click or not
     *
     * @param evt the MouseEvent
     *
     * @return Boolean
     */
    private Boolean isDblClick( MouseEvent evt ) {
        return evt.getClickCount() == 2;
    }

    /**
     * Gets the index of the table row that was clicked on
     *
     * @param evt the MouseEvent
     *
     * @return Integer
     */
    private Integer getClickedRow( MouseEvent evt ) {
        return tblItems.rowAtPoint( evt.getPoint() );
    }

    /**
     * Bringing everything together: storing the row index and value of the checkbox, and triggering the pop-up menu
     *
     * @param evt the MouseEvent
     */
    private void processRightClick( MouseEvent evt ) {
        int row = getClickedRow( evt );
        if ( row >= 0 ) {
            rightClickRow = row;
            rightClickValue = ( Boolean.TRUE ).equals( mdlItems.getValueAt( row, model.COL_CHECK ) );
        }
        view.showMaybePopup( evt );
    }

    /**
     * Setting or unsetting the checkbox in the active row
     *
     * @param value the desired value to apply to the checkbox
     */
    private void processCheckbox( Boolean value ) {
        if ( rightClickRow >= 0 ) {
            mdlItems.setValueAt( value, rightClickRow, model.COL_CHECK );
        }
    }

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text:
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Solmux-Broncho
United Lab
SELECT Concise Prescribing Info Full Prescribing Info Contents Description Action Indications/Uses Dosage/Direction for Use Overdosage Contraindications Special Precautions Use In Pregnancy & Lactation Adverse Reactions Drug Interactions Storage MIMS Class ATC Classification Regulatory Classification Presentation/Packing
Concise Prescribing Info Full Prescribing Info Contents Description Action Indications/Uses Dosage/Direction for Use Overdosage Contraindications Special Precautions Use In Pregnancy & Lactation Adverse Reactions Drug Interactions Storage MIMS Class ATC Classification Regulatory Classification Presentation/Packing
Full Prescribing Info
Salbutamol, carbocisteine.
Each capsule contains: Salbutamol 2 mg, Carbocisteine 500 mg.
Each 5 mL (1 teaspoonful) suspension contains: Salbutamol 2 mg, Carbocisteine 500 mg.
Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics: Salbutamol: Salbutamol is a selective short-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist with preferential effect on beta2-adrenergic receptors found in the respiratory tract. It stimulates adenyl cyclase, the enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to cyclic-3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). cAMP mediates cellular responses such as bronchial smooth muscle relaxation resulting in bronchodilation.
Carbocisteine: Carbocisteine, a derivative of Acetylcysteine, is a mucoregulating agent. Its major action is thought to be on the metabolism of mucus-producing cells. The mucus produced under the influence of Carbocisteine has an increased content of the less viscous sialomucin and a reduced content of the highly viscous fucomucin. Sialomucins influence the rheological properties of mucus and may also, through the inhibition of kinins, reduce or prevent bronchial inflammation and bronchospasm.
Carbocisteine's ability to inhibit invasion of human pharyngeal cells by Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli was determined in vitro. The study showed a significant decrease in the number of bacterial colonies observed after 1 hour incubation with Carbocisteine compared with placebo. Increasing amounts of Carbocisteine decreased further the number of bacterial colonies observed.
Pharmacokinetics: Salbutamol: Salbutamol is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract after oral administration. Salbutamol's onset of action is within 30 minutes, peaks in 2 to 3 hours and persists for 6 hours after a dose; the plasma half-life is from 4 to 6 hours. It is extensively metabolized in the liver, being converted to salbutamol 4'-O-sulfate. Salbutamol and its metabolites are rapidly excreted in urine and feces. After oral administration of Salbutamol to healthy individuals, about 75% of a single dose is excreted in urine within 72 hours, mainly as the major metabolite; about 4% of the dose is excreted in feces.
Animal studies show that Salbutamol crosses the blood-brain barrier and the placenta. It may be secreted in breast milk but concentrations are not known.
Carbocisteine: Carbocisteine is rapidly and well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Peak serum concentration of 13.88 mg/L is achieved 1 to 1.7 hours after administration of 1.5 g Carbocisteine. Plasma half-life is 1.33 hours. Carbocisteine penetrates well into lung tissues and respiratory mucus, suggesting local action. Carbocisteine undergoes acetylation, decarboxylation and sulfoxidation. Most of the drug is excreted unchanged in the urine.
Indications/Uses
For the symptomatic treatment of productive cough associated with acute and chronic obstructive airways disease, such as acute and chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma and bronchiectasis.
Dosage/Direction for Use
See table.
Click on icon to see table/diagram/image
Or, as prescribed by a physician.
Overdosage
Salbutamol: Symptoms of Salbutamol overdose include extensions of the common undesirable effects (e.g., tremor, nervousness, headache, dizziness, sleeplessness or insomnia, hypertension or hypotension, palpitation, tachycardia, arrhythmia, angina, dry mouth, and nausea). Hypokalemia has also been reported; thus, plasma potassium concentrations should be monitored.
Discontinue Salbutamol and institute appropriate symptomatic therapy in cases of Salbutamol overdosage. Administration of a beta-adrenergic blocking agent may be appropriate, but use with caution if the patient is asthmatic. There is no adequate evidence to support the use of dialysis in the treatment of Salbutamol overdose.
Carbocisteine: Gastrointestinal disturbance is the only likely symptom of Carbocisteine overdose. Gastric lavage followed by observation may be beneficial therapy for overdosage.
Hypersensitivity to any ingredient in the product.
Active peptic ulcer.
Paradoxical bronchospasm, a potentially life-threatening event, may occur with the administration of oral Salbutamol. If it occurs, discontinue use of the product immediately.
Use with caution in acute severe asthma where concomitant therapy with steroids, xanthine derivatives, or diuretics, and by hypoxia may result in hypokalemia; plasma potassium concentrations should be monitored in severe asthma.
Therapy with Salbutamol and other beta2-agonists may produce decreases in plasma potassium concentration possibly through intracellular shunting resulting in cardiovascular adverse effects.
Use with caution in patients with the following conditions: Cardiovascular disorders including coronary insufficiency, cardiac arrhythmias or hypertension; Convulsive disorders; Gastric or duodenal ulcer and gastrointestinal bleeding; Hyperthyroidism; Diabetes mellitus; In patients who are unusually responsive to sympathomimetic amines.
Use In Pregnancy & Lactation
Pregnancy: There have been reports of congenital anomalies (e.g., cleft palate and limb defects) in children of patients treated with Salbutamol. Some of the mothers, however, were receiving various medications in the course of their pregnancies. Since there is no consistent pattern of congenital abnormality development, a relationship between the use of Salbutamol and the development of congenital anomalies cannot be established. Therefore, Salbutamol should be used in pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
Lactation: Salbutamol may be secreted in breast milk. Therefore, do not administer to breastfeeding women unless, in the opinion of a physician, the potential benefits of the drug justify the possible risk to the baby.
Salbutamol: The most frequent adverse reactions of oral Salbutamol include tremors (particularly of the hands), nervousness, headache, dizziness, sleeplessness or insomnia, weakness, drowsiness, restlessness, irritability, tachycardia, palpitation, peripheral vasodilation, flushing, chest discomfort, nausea, dyspepsia, difficulty in micturition, and rarely muscle cramps.
Erythema multiforme or Stevens-Johnson syndrome has been reported rarely with administration of oral Salbutamol in children.
Potentially serious hypokalemia has also been reported.
Hypersensitivity reactions (including urticaria, angioedema, rash, paradoxical bronchospasm, anaphylaxis, oropharyngeal edema, and collapse) and arrhythmias (including atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, and extrasystoles) have also been observed with the use of Salbutamol.
Salbutamol, like other sympathomimetic agents, can cause vertigo, central nervous system stimulation, angina, hypertension, unusual taste, and drying or irritation of the oropharynx.
Carbocisteine: Carbocisteine is generally safe. The most common adverse effects include nausea, headache, gastric discomfort, and diarrhea. Gastrointestinal bleeding and skin rash has occasionally occurred. Other isolated reports include dizziness, insomnia, myalgia, dyspnea, palpitations, urinary incontinence, mild hypoglycemia, dry mouth, flatulence, atrial fibrillation, and minor psychiatric disturbance.
View ADR Monitoring Form
Do not use with other oral sympathomimetic bronchodilators or Epinephrine to avoid deleterious cardiovascular effects.
Concurrent administration with monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants may increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmia, tachycardia and increased or decreased blood pressure.
Do not administer with beta-blockers since these agents inhibit Salbutamol's effect.
Store at temperatures not exceeding 30°C.
MIMS Class
Cough & Cold Preparations
ATC Classification
R03CK - Adrenergics and other drugs for obstructive airway diseases ; Used in the systemic treatment of obstructive airway diseases.
Regulatory Classification
Presentation/Packing
Cap (glossy, size #00, green-colored) 100's. Oral susp (homogeneous suspension with the color, odor, and taste of orange) 60 mL.

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Most of the products that we sell are legal for purchase and use in California by homeowners and unlicensed individuals unless it specifically states on the products information page that the product is Not For Sale in California.
We do not sell products labeled as "restricted use" pesticides by the EPA. In some cases, California has more restrictive requirements, so that particular product may require licensing. Also, not every product that we sell is registered in California. Again, the product information page will tell you if it is legal for sale, etc.
In most cases, no license is required for the products that we sell.


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ResearchPatientsDoctorsNursesAdvocatesCaregiversPTSDChronic Pain
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Editorial Info
© 2022 MJH Life Sciences and Cannabis Patient Care. All rights reserved.
© 2022 MJH Life Sciences™ and Cannabis Patient Care. All rights reserved.
One Nurse's Battle with the Stigma Against Medical Cannabis Use and Chronic Pain
Madeline Colli
Cannabis Patient Care, March/April 2021, Volume 2, Issue 1
Eloise Theisen, a board certified Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner who specializes in cannabis therapy, shares her unique insight from helping patients.
An interview with Eloise Theisen, a board certified Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner who specializes in cannabis therapy and the president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association.
Chronic pain has been described as an "unpleasant sense of discomfort" (1), which may persist or continue to progress over an extended period of time. In the case of acute pain, it arises rather quickly as a result of a bodily response to an injury and is often treatable. With chronic pain, the discomfort is typically resistant to medical treatments. Medical conditions such as fibromyalgia, cancer, shingles, arthritis, diabetes, previous injuries, and so forth are among the many ailments that can be connected to chronic pain. Environmental or psychological factors have also been found to aggravate and worsen chronic pain.
Eloise Theisen, an Adult Geriatric Primary Care Board-certified nurse practitioner, who has been in the nursing field for more than 21 years is now using her medical expertise to assist patients in using medical cannabis to treat their chronic pain. Aside from Theisen's medical experience she is also the Chief Nursing Officer at Leaf411, which is a free cannabis hotline for anyone who wants to call and discuss their cannabis use or inquire about cannabis use with a nurse (2). Theisen is also the president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association (3). Originally, Theisen began her impressive nursing career in oncology. In this department, it was quite common to see patients experiencing chronic pain issues from the illness or cancer treatments. When she first began seeing patients using cannabis, she didn't have much of a curiosity to explore it further. However, seven years ago she saw an increase in patients interested in using the medicinal plant as part of their cancer care treatment plan and decided to use the knowledge she gained from her personal experience with cannabis to help patients. Thus began her journey into the medical cannabis landscape.
"It became really clear to me that most healthcare professionals did not have good knowledge of cannabis and how to help patients access it safely and effectively," said Theisen. "Because of my personal experience, I decided to create a practice designed to help patients navigate cannabis as a medicine."
Cancer patients suffer from treatment side effects such as chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy or severe bone pain related to their cancer diagnosis. Through the help of the internet, patients were doing their own research to find alternatives to alleviate or manage their symptoms. Theisen mentioned that patients were also turning to her for guidance. "I started to really help these patients answer questions, help them determine how to find a safe product," she said. "This was prior to legalization in California. We didn't have good regulations in place around testing."
Before the legalization of cannabis in California, there weren't quality control (QC) or quality assurance (QA) regulation standards to ensure that customers were being offered a safe product. "Products could be sold to patients and they could have high levels of molds or bacteria in them," said Theisen.
Conventional treatment options have started to lose some of their appeal to those suffering from chronic pain conditions. More and more patients have been seeking out medical cannabis to treat their conditions rather than use traditional methods. Over the past seven years, Theisen has witnessed a lot of chronic pain patients who were on treatment plans containing medications such as opioids to manage their pain, become ineffective or have extreme side effects that greatly diminish their quality of life. Cancer patients were being told to reduce their opioid prescriptions due to the growing epidemic of overdoses and addiction. With these reductions, patients weren't being offered any alternatives to help ease their discomfort. Being in pain, this was spurring the uptake in patients looking into medical cannabis as a treatment option. "When my patients come to me for cannabis, for chronic pain, many of them are looking to also reduce their pharmaceutical intake," Theisen explained. "I see them improving their symptom management and also reducing their overall pharmaceutical burden."
By helping patients switch over to the medicinal plant, Theisen was seeing their quality of life and medical conditions improve.
Medical Cannabis Challenges: Stigma, Dosing, and More
Due to the stigma surrounding cannabis, there are still patients who are hesitant to try it. Often, these kinds of patients have gone through conventional treatment plans and are at their last resort for seeking relief. Theisen said that there is still a part of them that carries the stigma of pot heads or stoners. "Most of my patients are older adults, so their average age is around 76. They were the generation that really did tell their kids to say no to drugs. They generally had harsh consequences if they found their kids were consuming drugs, particularly marijuana. They really struggle with allowing themselves to try it because they feel guilty about all these years that they demonized cannabis and now they're trying to come to it for their own condition management, symptom management," said Theisen. "It's often their grandkids that are trying to encourage them to use it, to look at it differently. It can definitely inhibit their ability to really explore the plant. That stigma can carry over in ways. For example, they may try it and they don't get results right away. They just say, see, I knew it and then they give up."
For new patients, Theisen goes through their health history and inquires if they've used cannabis in the past such as in high school or college and if so how they reacted to the plant, negatively or positively. Particularly, most negative experiences she heard were from edibles containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Most patients who come to Theisen though, haven't tried cannabis prior to seeing her. Occasionally, there are also patients who come in and are reluctant to use cannabis due to little information on medication reactions with the plant. When this situation occurs, Theisen describes the experiences she has had with the more than 6500 patients she has treated. She also monitors her patients regularly and follows them along their medical cannabis journey. By providing that extra layer of calm, this helps give her patients a little bit more confidence in their treatment plan. "There are times though where people are taking certain things and I'm like we have to limit your use because there is a potential for drug-drug interaction," said Theisen. "One example is immunotherapy and THC. In the cancer population, we do have patients who want to use high doses of cannabinoids to treat their cancer. Again, this is sort of the internet's version of what cures cancer. We do have some animal data to demonstrate that the cannabinoids can play a role in cancer treatment. But there's been some small studies demonstrating that if you're using high amounts of THC with immunotherapy, that it can decrease your response rate to that immunotherapy treatment."
She also mentioned that using these products didn't affect the overall survival rate, but that there are times when the amount or dosage could have an affect on their other treatments. It is very important to educate patients on the proper dosing of cannabis so they can better understand that the plant also has bidirectional effects. Theisen explained that by starting patients out on a lower dose and slowly increasing that dose, it helps avoid negative side effects and also aids in them finding their therapeutic window so that they are not over-consuming and are getting the best benefit with the least amount of side effects.
As we age, our ability to process medications decreases by around 30%. This may begin happening in our 40s and 50s. Theisen started recognizing that standard dosages being provided in dispensaries were inappropriate for her most common clientele—the older adult. "I really started to look into reducing those. Again, there is no real standard out there for cannabis dosing. The studies that we have with some dosing comes from either Sativex—that one-to-one tincture out of the United Kingdom—or Dronabinol, which is a synthetic THC, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medication," she said.
Theisen explained that her dosing recommendations have changed over time. "I've evolved with THC and cannabidiol (CBD). I've gathered information around gender differences. There are definitely different protocols based on your gender and your age," she said. "We've also been really fortunate to have an evolution of cannabinoids available to us like cannabigerol (CBG), delta-8-THC, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA). The more information that comes out, the more the dosing regimen evolves and changes."
Lack of Support from Medical Professionals and Insurances
With the legalization of cannabis growing in the United States, you would think that medical professionals would become more open to prescribing medical cannabis to their patients. Theisen has been witnessing a shift in the healthcare field, but still sees a majority of healthcare professionals as not being fully on board with the medicinal plant. They will often mention that there's not enough research to support this method for treatment. Theisen believes that there is still a lot of fear and stigma among healthcare professionals because of its Schedule 1 ruling and status (4). "Often I hear from other healthcare professionals that they don't want to discuss it or even learn about it because of that schedule and status. It does prohibit them from exploring it. I've seen more nurses and nurse practitioners' sort of lead the change and get educated, which is not surprising," Theisen said. Nurses have a boots on the ground mindset and are usually with patients the most. Physicians typically say that if they want to use cannabis that is fine, but that they cannot prescribe it which leaves patients without the proper resources to safely and effectively access this plant medicine.
When patients come to Theisen for their chronic pain, they already have it in their minds as to what type of regimen they want and that usually involves CBD. They do not want to smoke it and they do not want to get high from it. What Theisen and other medical professionals have found is that THC may also play a vital role in their treatment. "We find that a lot of the research that does come out around Sativex for chronic pain does demonstrate that THC is a very important part of that regimen also, especially if they're coming off some of their opioids or other pain medications, the THC can really help with the withdrawals," said Theisen. "Their protocol might change from the time they begin to the time that they come off their medications. If that's their choice. It evolves during that. I think cannabis is best when it is personalized. We can certainly have best practices around it, such as stating which is the right cannabinoid for a certain condition and a good starting dose. But the more we personalize it, the better outcome we'll see."
In order for a patient to begin their medical cannabis journey, Theisen is very thorough on going through their health history to see what they have tried in the past, what worked, what didn't work, what helped their condition, what made their condition worse, medications they may currently be taking, and so much more. Drinking alcohol, water intake, and diet are also factors that play a role in regulating your endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is important to detail because the ECS is where cannabinoid receptors are located and play a role in how the body processes the cannabinoids found in cannabis (5). Theisen also likes to have this information aside from the benefit of the ECS, because as great as cannabis can be, it isn't a silver bullet or cure-all treatment. There are often multiple factors needed to help manage chronic pain.
Unfortunately, insurance companies and the government do not offer financial assistance plans or discounts to medical cannabis users because of its scheduling. For patients who are beginning to research their treatment options with Theisen, all hope is not lost. Her patients are able to get reimbursed for their visits if they have a health savings account (HSA). This may be an option a patient can use with other healthcare professionals involved with cannabis. Theisen remained hopeful that this may be an area in the healthcare industry that changes in the future. For a patient to have everything be out of pocket, it definitely puts a financial strain on them. Cannabis has a stigma around it, which makes insurance companies uncomfortable to cover it. Theisen stated that it should be a patients choice to use their coverage for what they feel is best for their chronic pain, whether that is medical cannabis or opioids. Insurance companies still view the medicinal plant as a drug of abuse, though this plant has various therapeutic properties and should be viewed as a means to provide a patient with a higher quality of life.
Cannabis Resources for Patients and Healthcare Professionals
Aside from meeting with chronic pain patients, Theisen is also the cofounder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Radicle Health (6), which is an education and training company that she cofounded with Timothy Byars. Radicle's mission is to educate healthcare professionals on the benefits of medical cannabis for various health conditions. Theisen explained that the lack of education out there is by far one of the biggest gaps in the industry at this moment. Without the education, consumers also aren't educated. There is a lot of misinformation spreading as well. Radicle uses evidence-based research and compiles it into different levels of education that can be purchased by a healthcare professional or the consumer but is geared more heavily in the science category. Theisen mentioned that their goal is to standardize education and training so that patients, consumers, healthcare professionals, and the general public as well as policy holders are all provided with the same information to try and bring change to the stigma and increase safe access. The Radicle Health Clinician Network is Theisen's practice with Dr. David Ferrera located in California. This is where she sees patients who are solely looking to use cannabis as a treatment, helping them to develop a treatment plan that is focused towards cannabinoid therapies, and work in collaboration with other healthcare professionals to reach their goals. Referrals are not required to meet with Theisen because all fees are out of pocket.
Theisen is also president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA) which celebrated their 10-year anniversary last year. The mission of the ACNA is to advance excellence in cannabis nursing practice through advocacy, collaboration, education, research, and policy development. In the last year and her first year as president, Theisen worked on increasing some of the committee work that the organization was lacking. They had an education and research committee as well as a communications committee, but there was no diversity equity and inclusion committee. Theisen felt this was an important piece to the organization and has begun assessing the institution and work towards being an anti-racist organization. "We're also looking at policy, government affairs, and how can we increase advocacy for nurses. Give them the tools that they need to be advocates at the local, state, and national levels," said Theisen.
Another aspect Theisen is working towards is credentialing. In many nursing specialties, you can become credentialed. An example of this would be for an oncology nurse, where you can be oncology certified. Although this is a big goal to achieve, ACNA is in the beginning stages of this plan and will continue to push forward. Theisen mentioned that with these credentials, it may help legitimize the work that nurses are doing in the space and help advance their goals of education and dispelling cannabis myths so that misinformation becomes less and less for consumers and other healthcare professionals.
Theisen co-authored, Pain Free with CBD: Everything You Need to Know to Safely and Effectively Use Cannabidiol, with Alice O'Leary Randall who was the main author (7). In this book, Randall and Theisen educate patients on using CBD to treat medical conditions. One of the topics covered is drug-to-drug interactions, which serves as a reference guide to patients. Often, Theisen is asked about interactions with medications and cannabis. Not much is known due to lack of research as there aren't large studies performed on drug-to-drug interactions. This does not mean that there is no help in sight. Clinical decisions can be made such as whether a patient needs to be monitored or how unlikely it is that they will experience an interaction. Theisen expanded on this in her reference guide. "That was something that we were really proud to offer so that patients had that reference and at least could bring that to their healthcare professional and say, I'm taking CBD and it looks like I might need you to monitor me a little bit closer," she said. "It helps them open up that conversation with their practitioner. Even if that practitioner doesn't know, at least we are providing help, trying to help start that conversation, to reduce harm if there is going to be a potential interaction."
Future Cannabis Aspirations
Over the next few years Theisen hopes to see the federal decriminalization of cannabis. She believes that decriminalization at the federal level is what is necessary for increased access and acceptance within the medical community. "I would like to see more healthcare professionals become educated on this because their patients are using it. It's our job to keep them safe. I would like us to help with dispelling the misinformation and working together as an industry. I do still think we're a little bit divided as an industry in terms of working together to make sure that we're providing safe access and reducing harm for patients," she said. "I recognize that healthcare professionals for decades have been missing from the cannabis industry and the work is primarily done by other advocates and educators. I'd love to see us come together more for the common good and common goal."
Although there is a cloudy haze surrounding cannabis, the cannabis industry is gaining respect for the plant's medicinal properties. If given the chance, cannabis can serve as a treatment plan for a plethora of health conditions and help many patients live a better quality of life so that there is less reliance on prescription medications.
https://www.medicinenet.com/chronic_pain/definition.htm.
https://leaf411.org.
https://www.cannabisnurses.org.
https://www.dea.gov/drug-scheduling.
https://www.healthline.com/health/endocannabinoid-system#how-it-works.
https://www.radiclehealthcare.com/.
A. O'Leary Randall and E. Theisen, Pain-Free with CBD: Everything You Need to Know to Safely and Effectively Use Cannabidiol (Rockridge Press, Emeryville, California, 2019).
Read this article in Cannabis Patient Care's March/April 2021 digital edition.


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Mobiles iOS iPhone 7 Latest News: 5 Things to Know Right Now About Apple's...
iPhone 7 Latest News: 5 Things to Know Right Now About Apple's 2016 Flagship Phone – Release Date, Design, New Images
Darsh
As with any iPhone launch, some information always gets leaked. Ahead of the official launch event of the much anticipated Apple's 2016 flagship smartphone, several rumors are already doing the rounds on the internet. Rumors are of course rumors and must be taken with a grain of salt. But the leaked information from reliable sources is almost always likely to be true.
When originating from reliable sources, leaks of several highly probable changes can be trusted. Here we have gathered top 5 things about iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus which the customers should know at the point of this time.
1. What will the new iPhone be called?: Will the new 4.7 inch iPhone be called iPhone 7 and the 5.5-inch variant be called iPhone 7 Plus? This is very likely, going by Apple's history of naming phones. But there are rumors about the new iPhone carrying a different name. Informed sources have learned that Apple may name the next flagship device the iPhone 6SE, owing to minimal changes in the phone.
2. No Headphone jack: This one has been debated an endless number of times. Rumors claim that the new iPhone will not feature the classic, traditional, omnipresent 3.5mm headphone jack. Samsung VP took a jab at Apple dropping the 3.5mm headphone jack during the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 launch event. Justin Denison took to the stage to talk about Samsung's latest phablet and on a lighter note said – "Want to know what else it comes with? An audio jack. I'm just saying". Apple fans also downplayed this strange move by Apple. The company is likely to introduce a pair of Bluetooth headphones with the iPhones.
3. Dual Camera Setup: The camera will get a major upgrade in the new iPhone 7. If rumors are to be believed, the bigger variant of the iPhone, the iPhone 7 plus is expected to come with a dual camera setup. The camera is expected to be much better when compared to predecessors, with much more details.
The famous Taiwanese pop star, Jimmy Lin, who has been showing off iPhones before their release dates, has now again appeared in public with the new iPhone 7 Plus. As you can see the image below, Lin is holding the new iPhone 7 Plus with dual-camera setup (the same setup which we have seen in the rumors from the last couple of weeks).
Jimmy Lin with iPhone 7 Plus (Image Credits – Yeah1)
4. More Storage Space – finally!: You always run out of storage space on Apple devices. Whether it's an 8GB or a 16GB iOS device, storage gets filled too soon. While most android devices offer in-built 64GB storage or at least an inbuilt 32GB with expandable storage, the base variants of iPhone still come with 8GB or 16GB storage. Looks like this will change with the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus. These phones are expected to offer 32GB storage in the base variant.
5. Release Date & Pre-Orders: Both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will hit the stores in no time. If we follow the rumors, Apple is all set to unveil its 2016 iPhone on September 7th. As far as pre-orders are concerned, the devices will be up for pre-orders through Apple's online store starting September 9th.
Popular tipster Evan Blass has also confirmed the date when the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will go on sale. Tweeting to its followers, Evan said, I am very confident for Friday, Sept. 16th.
Newly Leaked Images
The new set of iPhone 7 Plus images has surfaced on the Chinese Weibo site, courtesy of @KJuma.
As we mentioned, these rumors must be taken with a grain of salt. Nothing is confirmed until the official announcement is made by Apple. And the wait for iPhone 7 launch event continues!
iPhone 7 features
iPhone 7 headphone jack
iPhone 7 launch
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Home/World News/Asia-Pacific/Iran, China discuss JCPOA, all-out relations on SCO sidelines
Asia-PacificChinaIran
Iran, China discuss JCPOA, all-out relations on SCO sidelines
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has conferred with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on a multilateral nuclear agreement Tehran signed with the P5+1 group of countries in 2015 and mutual relations, particularly in economic and trade sectors.
During the Sunday meeting, held on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Chinese port city of Qingdao, the Iranian president said China played an important and effective role during the negotiations between Iran and major world powers which led to the conclusion of the historic nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
"Now, Beijing has also a very important role in the reinforcement of the JCPOA and fulfillment of the other sides' commitments," Rouhani said.
Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China – plus Germany signed the nuclear agreement on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.
However, US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement, vowing to reinstate nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose "the highest level" of economic bans on the Islamic Republic.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also threatened Iran with the "strongest sanctions in history" if it did not comply with a list of steep demands, including ending uranium enrichment.
In a Saturday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit, the Iranian president said Russia plays a key role in maintaining the nuclear deal.
Rouhani: Russia key to JCPOA survival; Putin vows support
The Iranian president says Russia plays a key role in keeping the 2015 nuclear deal alive as Putin underscores Moscow's support.
"After the US unilateral and illegal exit, Moscow has an important role in the reinforcement of the JCPOA and fulfillment of the opposite sides' commitments," he added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani said Iran welcomes Chinese firms' investment in the upstream energy sector.
He also pointed to fruitful cooperation between Tehran and Beijing in the fight against terrorism, extremism and smuggling which promoted regional stability and urged the two sides to further continue interactions.
China has been the first trade partner of Iran over the past years, he said, adding that enhanced banking cooperation would support the implementation of bilateral agreements.
Rouhani also stressed the importance of developing bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture, science and technology and expressed hope that the Chinese government would facilitate issues for Iranian businessmen and students including in the banking sector.
JCPOA signatories must remain committed to deal: Xi
The Chinese president, for his part, said his country is determined to boost strategic cooperation with Iran and added that the JCPOA is a great achievement of multilateralism which guarantees regional peace and cooperation.
Xi emphasized that the US seeks to change the international order through unilateral approaches and violation of regulations.
He also voiced Beijing's strong opposition to Washington's unilateral move to withdraw from the nuclear accord and re-impose sanctions on Tehran, emphasizing that the remaining signatories must fulfill their commitments under the JCPOA.
The Chinese president said Tehran and Beijing must boost cooperation at the United Nations, the SCO and the Confederation of International Contractors' Associations (CICA) in order to counter the US unilateralism.
Speaking at a joint press point with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Brussels on June 1, the European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the bloc and China share commitment to preserve the nuclear agreement and to work for its continuation.
EU, China resolved to preserve Iran deal: Mogherini
The European Union's foreign policy chief says the EU and China share commitment to preserve the Iran nuclear agreement.
"Indeed, we are one hundred percent determined to continue cooperation between China and the European Union, but I can add also with Russia as it belongs to the signatory countries, but also with other partners internationally who are committed to preserve the nuclear deal and its full implementation," the senior EU official said.
Iran, China sign four memoranda of understanding
On the sidelines of the two presidents' meeting, Iran and China also signed four memorandums of understanding for cooperation in various fields.
The first agreement was about joint research cooperation between the Office of Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology and China's Ministry of Science and Technology.
The second MoU pertained to Iran's cooperation with China for preventing and fighting illegal production, smuggling and abuse of all kinds of narcotics, psychedelic drugs and their precursors.
The third memorandum of understanding was signed between Iran's Securities and Exchange Organization and the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) for cooperation.
The last MoU stressed the formulation of a plan for cooperation between Tehran and Beijing within the framework of China's Belt and Road Initiative.
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Arab world views Imam Khomeini as great hero: Lebanese journalist


Assessment of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Forces in the Baltic States: Credible Deterrent or Paper Tiger?
Mr. Callum Moore currently works for Intelligence Fusion, where he operates as an analyst focusing the Baltic States and Finland. Divergent Options' content does not contain information of an official nature nor does the content represent the official position of any government, any organization, or any group.
Title: Assessment of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Forces in the Baltic States: Credible Deterrent or Paper Tiger?
Date Originally Written: November 9, 2018.
Date Originally Published: December 10, 2018.
Summary: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces deployed to the Baltic States are severely unprepared to fight a conventional war with Russia. Their presence in the Baltic States is merely a token gesture of support. The gesture is not only a paper tiger, but exposes the deployed forces to the possible risk of annihilation by Russia. Despite this, there are valid arguments to suggest that a paper tiger is enough to deter hybrid warfare.
Text: In late 2016 NATO coalition members decided that they would send troops to support the Baltic States. This decision was made in light of the recent invasion of Crimea by Russian Federation troops in 2014 and the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008. At this time the Baltic States were left in a vulnerable position, being both former members of the Soviet Union and current members of NATO and the European Union. The NATO troops sent to the Baltic States came largely from the United Kingdom, Canada, America, Germany, Denmark and France. The United Kingdom sent a force to Estonia, consisting of 800 British troops with handheld drones, which were accompanied by four Challenger tanks and Warrior armoured fighting vehicles. Both the German and Canadian expeditions consisted of similar numbers and equipment.
The vulnerability of the Baltic States position in 2015 is highlighted by David Blair, a writer for the Telegraph. Mr Blair indicates that Latvian troop numbers consisted of 1,250 troops and three training tanks, Lithuanian forces consisted of 3200 troops and Estonian forces consisted of 5300 troops. Opposing these Baltic forces were 1,201 Russian aircraft, 2,600 tanks and 230,000 troops. It is clear militarily that the combined forces of the Russian Federation far outweigh that of the Baltic States, both in numbers and equipment. Altogether the coalition forces reinforced the Baltic States with 3,200 troops, with an additional 4,000 U.S. troops deployed just south in Poland. These troops pose little threat to the Russian forces. This lack of threat to Russia is especially true in light of Russian operations in Ukraine, were they almost entirely wiped out the Ukrainian 79th airmobile brigade in the space of a three-minute artillery strike. This situation begs the question to why these NATO countries have chosen to expose some of their most capable troops and equipment, leaving them in a vulnerable position far from their familiar training grounds in Western Europe?
The most evident argument for exposing vulnerable NATO troops to a Russian threat is that these troops are used as a deterrent; it's a message to the Russian Federation that Western Europe will support its neighbours to the east. If this token force in the Baltic States were to be attacked, the western powers would be compelled to retaliate and that they would likely nationally mobilise to fight. After the invasion of Crimea, it could be suggested that NATO was slow and unsure on how to react to a threat on its border. By sending these troops, it rids any notion that the Western Powers will sit back and allow their borders to be chipped away in order to avoid full-scale conflict. This view can be compared to that of Argentina during the Falklands war; they believed that the British would not sail across the sea in order to fight an expensive war for a small group of islands. Certainly this argument can be justified with conventional warfare rearing its ugly head in recent years. Despite conventional warfare becoming apparent, it has been accompanied by destabilisation tactics.
Acknowledging the conventional threats posed by NATO, the Russian Federation over the past few years has been successful in fighting a new type of hybrid warfare. This warfare employs conventional, political, irregular and cyber warfare and all under a single banner. Hybrid warfare seeks to first destabilise a country or regime before engaging through irregular or conventional fighting. Destabilisation takes many forms from cyber attacks to inciting civil unrest; this is what the world initially saw in Ukraine. During the initial Russian attacks, there was so much initial confusion within the Ukrainian government and the military that an effective response couldn't be coordinated. The deployment of foreign forces into to the Baltic States helps to mitigate confusion in a crisis. NATO troops would help deter and then stamp out early signs of the hybrid warfare and could be easily trusted by the Baltic States to help organise a response. The main advantage of having foreign NATO forces is that they are organised from outside of the Baltic States. So during a period of confusion or instability within the Baltic States, NATO's own organisation and loyalty will remain intact. This then allows the Baltic State countries to employ the help of these troops however they wish. Whether it is policing their streets, or moving to secure their borders to stop foreign forces and support causing further internal instability. This is highly advantageous for the Baltic States because a significant proportion of their population is of Russian descent and could therefore be coerced into action by Russia as was seen in Crimea. In a conventional war scenario the forces sent to the Baltic States are weak, but in hybrid warfare their influence is expanded.
An added advantage to the deployment of foreign NATO troops in the Baltic States is the legitimacy it gives to the government. In a time of instability and confusion, the civilian population can become confused with multiple actors rising up in order to gain local control. It would be clear to the local population that NATO troops will ultimately support the legitimate government. This helps to stop the population being coerced through propaganda onto the side of the aggressor in hybrid warfare. NATO troops would ensure that the legitimate government acts correctly and within the confines of law, making it the more desirable faction to follow.
In conclusion, it can be clearly seen that the NATO forces sent to the Baltic States are insufficiently equipped to fight a conventional war and threaten the Russian Federation with attack. Nor is the force much of a conventional deterrence, with its position being far away from sufficient reinforcement from the western countries. In this aspect the force is a paper tiger, although in the face of hybrid warfare, the detachments sent are sufficient for the task at hand. The NATO alliance has successfully acknowledged the latest threat and has acted accordingly.
Divergent Options is calling for national security papers assessing situations or discussing options related to countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, countries in the European Union, Russia, and the former Soviet Republics.
Please send your article to submissions@divergentoptions.org by December 14, 2018.
– Assess whether Russia will learn to cooperate with the other great powers.
– Assess the national security impacts of Brexit.
– What options remain to solve or address concerns related to the conflict in Ukraine?
– Assess the impact on North Atlantic Treaty Organization activities if the European Union were to deploy forces under the Common Security and Defense Policy.
– What options exist to ensure that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union's Common Security and Defense Policy complement each other rather than conflict?
– Assess whether U.S. President Donald Trump or Russian President Vladimir Putin will have more impact in determining the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
– Assess how friction between the United States, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the European Union over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action could affect other portions of the relationships between these countries.
– What options exist for the Baltic States to address the threats posed by Russia?
– Assess a national security issues that can be best addressed by working with Russia.
– What options are available to address threats posed by Russian cyber activities?
– Assess whether Russian cyber activities are part of an integrated national security strategy or a low-cost / high-gain pursuit of a country with a small economy.
– Assess the impact of nationalism.
– What options exist to address the re-emergence of nationalism?
Date Originally Written: July 15, 2017.
Date Originally Published: August 14, 2017.
Summary: For much of the last 800 years, the natives of the Baltic States and Finland were ruled by others, whether Baltic Germans, Swedes, Russians or Hitler's Germany. History shows these countries that, to retain independence, they must be willing and able to fight for it, and possibly join collective security organizations.
Text: Lithuania existed as an independent nation prior to 1918, in contrast to Estonia, Latvia and Finland. In 1385, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania joined with the Kingdom of Poland via a dynastic marriage. Although not specifically made for security purposes, the result was a great Central European power that eventually spread from the Baltic to the Black Sea. This was, however, an unstable union, with divergent interests between the Lithuanian and Polish halves. (Poland ultimately became the dominant power.) Efforts were made to strengthen the union, culminating with the establishment of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569. The commonwealth eventually succumbed to its own weaknesses and the machinations of neighboring powers, Austria, Prussia and Russia, which divided it among themselves in the partitions of 1772, 1790 and 1795. If ultimately unsuccessful, the commonwealth nevertheless provided security for the Lithuanians for centuries.
Upon gaining independence in 1918, the Baltic States struggled to navigate their security environment. For the most part, they sought refuge in the collective security arrangements of the League of Nations. Different threat perceptions, a territorial dispute over Vilnius between Lithuania and Poland, and the maneuvers of the Germans and Soviets hindered trilateral defense efforts. A proposed four-way alliance among Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Poland foundered on Finnish reservations. Helsinki elected to focus on a Scandinavian orientation. Estonia and Latvia managed to conclude a defense alliance in 1923.
The Soviet Union saw Baltic cooperation as a threat and worked to undermine it. The Baltic States concluded their own treaty of cooperation and friendship in 1934, although little came from it. Non-aggression pacts signed with Moscow and Berlin came to nought and the three nations were occupied by Soviet forces in 1940 and annexed. While Finland fought for its independence and survived World War II, Baltic failures to prepare, and the overwhelming strength of the Soviet and German states that opposed them, ended their initial experiment with independence.
Finland was able to maintain its independence during and after World War II, fighting the Soviet Union twice in the Winter War of 1939-1940 and the Continuation War of 1941-1944. The Finnish state was saved, though it lost the Karelia region to the Soviets. Viewing Moscow as a direct threat, Helsinki allied with the Nazi regime as Berlin prepared its own attack on the Soviet Union. The Finnish government took pains to portray its own war as separate from that of Germany's, without much success.
At the end of the war, Finland was left with an 830-mile border with Russia and a difficult position between its preferred partners in the democratic West and the Soviet Union. Moscow was able to dictate terms as the Finnish war effort collapsed in 1944 along with the fortunes of its German allies. In 1948, the Finnish government concluded a mutual assistance treaty with Moscow, including military obligations to come to the Soviet Union's assistance in the event of an attack by Germany or its allies, or an attack from Finnish territory. The goal was to maintain independence and reduce the chance of conflict in Northern Europe.
By resolving Moscow's security concerns, Finland was able to pursue trade with Western countries and play an active role in détente during the 1970s. The Nordic country benefited from trade with its eastern neighbor, while holding off Soviet efforts to tighten military relations. While this "Finlandization" policy ensured the nation's sovereignty during the Cold War, it came at a cost to Finland's freedom of action. Habits formed over those decades continue to influence national policy, including hindering those who might prefer new security arrangements in light of Russia's increasingly aggressive posture.
The Baltic States declared their independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. Remembering the lessons of 1940, they immediately focused on trilateral cooperation and integration with European security organizations to secure their freedom. Their security bodies focused on developing modern, capable forces on the Western model with the object of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). These goals were achieved in 2004. NATO's Article 5 pledge that an attack on one is an attack on all is seen as the cornerstone of Baltic security. Accordingly, all three countries recognize the United States as their most important security partner. The Baltic States also pursue regional cooperation with their Nordic neighbors. These multilateral cooperation efforts have, in some cases, detracted from trilateral endeavors. Small countries have limited resources.
Accession to NATO and the EU, which has its own security mechanisms, seemed to resolve the security concerns of the Baltic States. However, the election of Donald Trump in the U.S. has led to uncertainty about the wisdom of relying on Washington. Trump has threatened to assist only those NATO members who meet the alliance's defense spending goals and his commitment to Article 5 appears uncertain, despite efforts from other administration officials to reinforce American support for the Baltic allies. Trump's apparent ties to Russia cause additional discomfort in the region.
Officially, the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania emphasize the continued importance of security ties with the U.S. and a belief that Trump will live up to Washington's NATO commitments should it become necessary. So far, U.S. and NATO activities in the Baltic region have been unchanged from the previous administration, with multinational battalion task groups active in all three countries.
As for Finland, it has eschewed its former relationship with Moscow in favor of closer security relations with NATO and the U.S., and strengthened ties with neighboring Sweden. Helsinki still sees a strong national defense capability as vital for its security. NATO membership remains politically challenging, although Finland potentially benefits from E.U. mutual assistance mechanisms.
The lessons of history for this region are simple. To retain independence, one must first be willing and able to fight for it. States as small as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania must additionally find allies to bolster their own defense efforts. If one cannot be a great power, joining a great power organization, such as NATO, is the next best thing.
 Kirby, David. (1998). Northern Europe In The Early Modern Period: The Baltic World 1492-1772. New York, NY: Addison Wesley Longman.
 Kirby, David. (1998). The Baltic World 1772-1993: Europe's Northern Periphery in an Age of Change. New York, NY: Addison Wesley Longman.
 Kasekamp, Andres. (2010). A History of the Baltic States. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
 Plakans, Andrejs. (2011). A Concise History of the Baltic States. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
National Security Situation: The Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania face an uncertain security environment due to Russian belligerence and concerns about the willingness of their North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to come to their defense. There is unease about allied reactions should Moscow undertake hybrid warfare actions in the Baltic States. This is further exacerbated by questions about the U.S. commitment to Baltic security under the Trump administration.
Date Originally Written: January 17, 2017.
Date Originally Published: January 26, 2017.
Author and / or Article Point of View: This article is written from the perspective of the three Baltic States facing the potential threat of an unpredictable Russia and concerns about the backing of their primary security guarantor, the United States. While the three countries are not as unified as they are often portrayed, this article focuses on collective efforts that can be made to enhance their security. The author's M.A. studies focused on the Baltic States and European security and he has continued to keep an eye on the region.
Background: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania regained their independence in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Since this dissolution, relations with Russia have been rocky. Points of contention include the treatment of large ethnic Russian minorities in Estonia and Latvia and the determination of the Baltic States to integrate with Europe, including NATO and the European Union (E.U.). (All three formally joined both bodies in 2004.) Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 and annexed Crimea, using the rights of ethnic Russians as part of its justification, the Baltic States have become increasingly concerned about the Russian threat. All of the Baltic States have been increasing defense spending and strengthening their defense capabilities. Lithuania has reinstated conscription. (Estonia has maintained mandatory military service since regaining independence, and Latvia has, so far, indicated it sees no need to reinstate conscription).
In addition, the Baltic States have been pressing their allies in NATO and the E.U. to increase defense expenditures and commit to the collective defense of the three countries. The election of Donald Trump in the United States in November 2016 has created uncertainty because of the president-elect's campaign statements deriding NATO and seeking friendlier relations with Russia. The potential to lose the U.S. as their most important ally threatens to leave the Baltic States vulnerable.
Significance: The Baltic States' small size, integration in European alliances, recent history as part of the Russian sphere of influence, and ethnic Russian minorities have made them a target for Moscow. As relatively weak, geographically vulnerable countries on NATO's periphery, the Baltic States are seen as ideal targets for Russian efforts to challenge the cohesion of European institutions, especially NATO. The opportunity to "right" some of the perceived wrongs of the dissolution of the Soviet Union is a bonus. Due to Russia's desire to project its power into the Baltics and NATO's requirement to defend the Baltics, the region is considered a possible flashpoint for a conventional conflict between the West and Russia.
Option #1: The Baltic States focus on further strengthening trilateral cooperation between themselves.
Risk: The Baltic States have limited resources. Focusing on trilateral efforts between themselves may come at the expense of activities that would boost ties with more powerful allies, such as Britain, Germany and Poland. Even enhanced trilateral cooperation may not be sufficient to deter or combat major threats emanating from Russia.
Gain: The stronger the three Baltic States are together, the better the deterrent to Russia. Enhancing joint military equipment procurement beyond small items such as ammunition could reduce equipment, logistics, and support costs, while improving interoperability between Baltic military forces. Better integration of Baltic military forces would enhance their ability to deter Russia and fight a delaying action while NATO mobilizes. By preparing strong defenses, the Baltic States can also reduce potential allied concerns about coming to their aid.
The Baltic States, while cooperating closely in some ways, each have their own viewpoints that have hindered cooperation in other areas. The recent acquisition of armored vehicles was one missed opportunity. Instead of coordinating a purchase, thus reducing procurement and joint logistics costs, each Baltic State procured their own models. Estonia purchased used CV90s from the Netherlands, while Latvia bought used CVR(T)s from the U.K., and Lithuania new Boxer armored vehicles from Germany. Cost and regional ties appear to have taken priority over trilateral considerations. On the other hand, a joint air defense system acquisition is currently being discussed.
Option #2: Upgrade regional defense ties.
Risk: The Baltic States relying on regional powers, such as EU partners Sweden and Finland or NATO allies, could fail to deter Moscow or effectively respond to Russian aggression. This failure might be because of external and domestic pressures, differing interests, or divergent threat assessments. In the worst case of a Russian invasion, some allies may find it more expedient to keep their distance than become involved in a bloody conflict. The costs of rotating forces to the Baltics or otherwise maintaining readiness for such operations may be hard for regional allies to sustain over the longer term.
Gain: The significantly greater combat capabilities that can be brought to bear in combination with regional allies can provide more deterrence than those available among the Baltic States alone. Regional support using both NATO and E.U. mechanisms can bolster Baltic efforts. Sustained political support can also enhance Baltic deterrence.
Option #3: The Baltic States seek rapprochement with Russia.
Risk: Moscow is not interested in anything but compliant, supplicant states. Reaching some sort of deal with Russia would likely result in a narrowing of policy options, some loss of sovereignty, and negative economic effects. Democracy would likely be curtailed and concessions would have to be made to ethnic Russian populations.
Gain: By preemptively reaching a deal with Russia, the Baltic States might hope to gain a better position than if it were decided without them in Washington and Moscow. Such rapprochement could also reduce the chances of conflict, at least for the short-term.
Other Comments: It should be noted that having enjoyed independence for only 25 years, the Baltic States are unlikely to surrender it easily. Acknowledging the limitations of their small defense institutions, all three militaries support volunteer defense associations and maintain significant reserves. From their perspective, any conflict on their territory will be conventional only in the initial stages. Domestic forces will quickly turn to insurgent tactics, following the example of the Forest Brothers fighting the Soviet Union during and after World War II.
 Ruin, Pahl, "The Forest Brothers — Heroes and Villains of the Partisan War in Lithuania," Baltic Worlds (Stockholm, Sweden), Oct. 25, 2016. The author also highly recommends the documentary "The Invisible Front," which is available on Netflix.
Barefoot Boomer is a U.S. Army officer and has served in both the Infantry and Armor. He is currently a Strategic Planner serving in Texas. Boomer has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history with an emphasis in military history from the University of Missouri at Saint Louis and a Master of Science degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University at the Defense Intelligence Agency. He can be found on Twitter at @BarefootBoomer. Divergent Options' content does not contain information of an official nature nor does the content represent the official position of any government, organization, or group.
National Security Situation: Deterring Russia through military exercises between the U.S. and Member States of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Date Originally Written: January 12, 2017.
Date Originally Published: January 23, 2017.
Author and / or Article Point of View: Barefoot Boomer is a Strategic Planner with the U.S. Army and has previously served in the Operation Inherent Resolve Coalition headquarters which leads the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). His current focus is mainly on Northern European and NATO security interests.
Background: For decades during the Cold War the U.S. and its NATO allies conducted REFORGER (REturn of FORces to GERmany) exercises in order to deter aggression and ensure U.S. military forces could respond quickly to a Soviet and Warsaw Pact invasion of Western Europe. REFORGER was also designed to be the operational defensive plan executed if a Soviet and Warsaw Pact attack occurred. Annually, large numbers of U.S. military forces would rapidly deploy from bases in the U.S. to Europe and conduct exercises with NATO partner nations at training sites across Germany. The last REFORGER exercise was formally conducted in 1993.
Significance: As tensions have risen the last few years between Russia and the West, NATO has begun to increase its defense posture as well as member's defense spending. Russian incursions into Crimea, their invasion of Ukraine, and operations in Syria have also strained Russia-NATO relations. In response, since 2014 the U.S. and her NATO allies have conducted Operation Atlantic Resolve, small-scale exercises and military-to-military training with northern and Baltic NATO nations. Examples include the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment executing Operation Dragoon Ride, a show of support to NATO allies by conducting a road march through six nations while training with host nation partner forces, and the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade sending units to train with their counterparts in the Baltic region. Other NATO countries have sent forces east to conduct joint air patrols and exercises with partner nations. These exercises and alliance contacts are designed to not only deter Russian threats to these partner nations but also to increase the capability, interoperability and responsiveness of the force.
Option #1: Continue Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Risk: The risk to continuing Operation Atlantic Resolve is minimal to NATO as well as to the U.S. overall yet could be higher to those NATO countries closest to the border with Russia. The small-scale deployments of U.S. forces to the Baltic region with NATO partners such as Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, as well as with larger ally Poland, have been conducted by forces regionally aligned to Europe. These deployments are focused mainly at the company-level or lower and concentrated on building partner capacity, military-to-mililitary cooperation, and integration into NATO command structures. These small deployments and exercises may not be substantial enough to enable NATO to deter Russia.
Gain: Any exercises conducted to strengthen NATO resolve and foster a more secure environment is a gain. Operation Atlantic Resolve has shown this to be valid as it has grown larger over the past couple years to include more NATO partners eager to participate. The positive response from the local population in each nation has also born this out. If Atlantic Resolve continues at its current size and pace any further gain may be minimal at best.
Option #2: Expand Operation Atlantic Resolve into a reconstituted large-scale REFORGER exercise.
Risk: The risk from NATO executing larger, more rigorous exercises is that this may further increase tensions between Russia and NATO. Even though NATO conducted large exercises in the past, and Russia has been conducting some themselves, increasing NATO's footprint along Russia's border may be seen as provocative and escalatory.
Gain: There is much to gain from conducting wider-scale exercises like REFORGER that may outweigh any increased risk. This gain includes everything from shrinking deployment timelines as our forces get better at rapidly deploying, sharpening the U.S. logistics capability, and increasing the cohesion of partner forces at higher command echelons. In essence, conducting exercises as large as REFORGER can do certain things that smaller exercises cannot. For example, decades of executing REFORGER were instrumental in the deployment of forces to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Storm. Moving thousands of pieces of equipment, men, and materiel and the logistics to support them is a large part of any exercise and must be trained along with combined arms maneuver. The deployment of an Armored Brigade Combat Team to Poland is a start but incorporating higher echelons of command, such as Divisions and Corps, should be a priority to ensure the interoperability and close coordination with NATO partner forces.
Other Comments: Deterrence only works when there is sufficient force behind it to threaten escalation and reaction, if required. Smaller exercises are good for conducting exchanges with partner forces but executing larger scale exercises and deployments ensures that, if deterrence fails, NATO forces have the ability to react with enough size, strength, and most of all interoperability, to defend NATO Member States. Larger exercises will also allow the inclusion of all members of the Joint Force, to include the Reserves and National Guard. It has been over two decades since NATO has conducted a REFORGER, and while NATO has experience working together from years of operations in Afghanistan, they have lost the "muscle memory" of executing large, coalition operations and must regain it in order to deter Russia.
 Scales, Robert H., Certain Victory: The U.S. Army in the Gulf War, Brassey's Inc., 1994, pg. 46.


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The Twins and outfielder Byron Buxton agreed on a new contract Sunday, checking off the organization's major offseason agenda item before Major League Baseball heads into a potential work stoppage Thursday.
According to a source familiar with the negotiations, Buxton's new seven-year, $100 million contract extension comes with a full no-trade clause and a lucrative set of bonuses. The center fielder was American League player of the month in April, putting on an offensive and defensive show before injuries derailed much of his season, and the Twins finished in last place in the AL Central after winning the division in 2019 and 2020.
Buxton appeared to confirm the news on Instagram, posting a picture of lit-up Target Field at night captioned with a heart emoji. The team has not confirmed the reports.
Once official, the deal will rank among the richest in team history. Buxton's contract would fall between Joe Mauer's eight-year, $184 million deal signed in 2010 and Josh Donaldson's four-year, $92 million contract last year.
The Georgia native will earn a $1 million signing bonus, making his 2022 salary $9 million, according to the reports. He will make $15 million per season from 2023 to '28. He also has the potential to achieve large bonuses for where he finishes in AL MVP voting: $8 million for finishing first, $7 million for second and so on, down to $3 million for finishing sixth through 10th.
The 27-year-old could also rake in an additional $2.5 million annually simply for staying healthy. He will earn an additional $500,000 for 502, 533, 567, 600, and 625 plate appearances each season. He had a career-high 511 plate appearances in 2017, when he played 140 games, the only season he has played more than 100 in the majors.
The Twins had been working on this deal for months, as Buxton could have become a free agent after next season. He made $5.125 million this past season.
Buxton, whom the Twins drafted with the No. 2 overall pick out of high school in 2012, played in only 61 games this year but hit .306 with 19 home runs. It was his strongest season yet since making his MLB debut in 2015, but injuries have curbed his potential.
The outfielder missed significant time in 2021 because of a hip strain and a fractured hand. He played only 28 games 2018 because of migraines, a fractured toe, a wrist sprain and a demotion to the minor leagues. He also had surgery to repair a torn labrum in 2019.
Buxton returned to the lineup last summer in late August and heated up at the plate after a cool start to his comeback. He hit .283 with a .619 slugging percentage in 29 games in September and October, including nine home runs. On the last day of the season, a dreary day in Kansas City, Buxton's outlook was sunny. "I'm pretty pumped," he said.
On the contract negotiations and the talk of a potential trade, he said that day: "It's nothing I've worried about. The only uniform I know is the Minnesota Twins. It's the only thing I really cared about."
Megan Ryan is a Minnesota Twins beat reporter.
megan.ryan@startribune.com theothermegryan
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The gorgeous Abu Dhabi International Airport is a major transit hub of the Middle East, and one of the most glamorous airports in the world.
Earlier this year, the airport launched a brand new option for tired travelers to get some rest in transit. The new sleeping facility is by Aerotel of Plaza Premium Group. They now have two properties at the airport in Terminal 1 and Terminal 3.
What is Abu Dhabi's new Aerotel?
The new Aerotel is open 24 hours a day and offers flexible hourly booking slots, so you can get a quick power rest whenever you need it. They offer a 2-hour day package deal between 9 am and 8 pm and a 4-hour night package deal available from 8 pm to 9 am.
The Terminal 3 location has Double Lite rooms which offer a comfy escape for two guests who require a quick snooze. This room is equipped with a bunk bed and comfortable bedding (2 single mattresses). It comes with complimentary wifi, various pillow options, and a wake-up call service.
Unfortunately, bathrooms are not available, but Aerotel staff can direct you to the nearest airport shower and bathroom facilities.
The Terminal 1 location has 38 rooms divided into three categories. Solo (1 person, one bed), Double Plus (2 people, two beds) and Double Squared (4 people, two beds). So whether you're traveling alone or with the whole family, you can get the rest you need.
The rooms in Terminal 1 also have bathrooms with fresh towels and complimentary toiletries. The Solo Room has a shared bathroom while the Double Plus and Double Squared rooms have private bathrooms.
With natural woods and warm-hued design details, the rooms cultivate a simple, minimal aesthetic that creates a calm, welcoming space.
Aerotel is one of a few brands carving out a new category of sleeping options at airports. They're responding to the need for flexible short-term bookings by travelers that may not be looking for all the bells and whistles of a full hotel stay.
When you just need an hour or two to unwind, take a nap, and get some calm alone time in your hectic travel schedule, this is the place to come to Abu Dhabi Airport.
Have you tried an Aerotel room? Let us know in the comments below. Don't forget to tag #ITravelWell to find out about all the new openings of flexible napping spaces at airports around the world.


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Careers at Medtronic
Medtronic is a publicly-listed medical technology development company and medical device manufacturer. Its products and treatments are designed to treat more than 30 chronic diseases, including heart failure, chronic pain and diabetes.
Medtronic was founded in 1949 by Earl Bakken and his brother-in-law, Palmer Hermundslie, initially operating as a medical equipment repair shop. The Company began developing modifications to existing pacemaker designs shortly after its establishment, after a young patient of Bakken's friend Dr. Walton Lillehei died during a power outage.
While Medtronic focused initially on selling products manufactured by third-parties, the Company also developed its own devices, notably the first battery-powered external pacemaker. The Company continued this work throughout the 1950s and by 1960 had developed an implantable pacemaker for its customers. This was a landmark moment for the Company, following which it began to develop methods of using electrical stimulation to treat other parts of the body. Medtronic has since developed a range of products and solutions designed to treat chronic illnesses, and has established itself as one of the world's largest pure medical technology manufacturers.
Medtronic has historically been a regular inclusion in the Fortune 500 list but was not included in the most recent publication, having moved its corporate headquarters out of the US to Ireland. The Company, however, remains a significant market player. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and has a current market capitalisation of $144.95 billion.
Benefits at Medtronic
Health insurance Dental insurance Vision insurance Life insurance Disability insurance 401k Plan Employee stock purchase plan Vacation & Paid time off Paid holidays Paid sick days Volunteer Time Off Employee assistance program
Business model of Medtronic
Medtronic provides medical devices and medical treatment solutions to patients – including sufferers of more than 30 chronic diseases, caregivers, medical professionals, hospitals and healthcare organisations. The Company operates in more than 460 locations across more than 155 countries.
Medtronic has provided medical and hospital solutions to a number of healthcare facilities, primarily in Europe, since its 2014 acquisition of Italian hospital services company NGC Medical. This includes long-term contracts with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and University Hospital South Manchester in the UK, Maastricht University Medical Centre and the Cardiac Centre of Excellence in the Netherlands, the Sacco Hospital in Italy, and the Cardiance Clinic in Switzerland.
Medtronic's key value is in its line of products and solutions – one of the largest and most diversified portfolios in the medical technology industry – which it is continually seeking to improve and develop. The Company purports to provide innovative and effective medical products and treatments that it produces from start to finish and that are not available from other manufacturers. The Company promotes a collaborative approach the healthcare and medical solutions and has a number of active partnerships that seek to develop new products and solutions.
Medtronic also provides healthcare data management and reporting software solutions which the Company claims can improve clinical outcomes and reduce overall costs for hospitals and healthcare facilities. Medtronic also provides education and training resources free of charge and has a reimbursement policy in place for customers that are not satisfied with the quality of the Company's products and services.
Customers can browse Medtronic's products and services on its mobile and desktop websites at www.medtronic.com. The Company also operates regional online stores for the sale of its diabetes products and solutions.
Other products and services can be purchased from Medtronic by contacting the Company's sales team directly, or via third-party distributors and authorised resellers. Medtronic also provides several mobile apps that are available on iOS and Android platforms.
Medtronic operates several online stores that allow customers to purchase products on a self-service basis. Other products can be purchased from the Company directly, via its sales team.
Customers of the Company's data management and clinical outcome solutions packages receive a greater degree of personal care as their individual needs are met.
Customers can access personalised after-sale support by contacting Medtronic's support team either over the phone or through an online contact form. Customers can also interact with Medtronic directly through its Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn profiles.
Medtronic is a medical technology company and medical device manufacturer. It produces and sells a range of products to hospitals, physicians, clinicians and patients in over 155 countries worldwide.
The Company's activities are divided into four operating divisions: the Cardiac and Vascular Group, which produces and sells products designed to treat cardiovascular conditions and provides a range of technology-based clinical outcome solutions products; the Restorative Therapies Group, which produces and sells products related to spinal and musculoskeletal conditions; the Diabetes Group, which develops and markets treatments and devices for the management of diabetes; and the Minimally Invasive Therapies Group, which develops procedures that that treat a range of conditions with minimal disruption to the patient's body.
This last business segment was added to the Company's business model following Medtronic's acquisition of healthcare product manufacturer Covidien in January 2016.
Medtronic partners with a range of companies, including medical device manufacturers, healthcare organisations and facilities, technology companies, educational institutions and non-profits. This includes a partnership with Singapore Health Services to develop a center to treat diabetes in Southeast Asia, a partnership with Samsung to develop neuromodulation implant apps for smartphones, a partnership with Qualcomm to develop disposable, connected Type 2 diabetes continuous glucose monitors, and a partnership with Ford and WellDoc to develop in-car diabetes management solutions.
In 2013 Medtronic launched its Global Non-Communicable Disease Initiative, which aims to assist in the development of solutions to treat chronic non-communicable diseases worldwide. Through this initiative Medtronic has partnered with a number of research organisations and charitable foundations, including Bienmoyo Foundation, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, Save the Children, Rwanda Heart Foundation and University of Cape Town. The Company also manages a network of suppliers and has a number of manufacturing partners, including local governments in China.
Medtronic's key resources are its products, its software platforms, its manufacturing facilities, its IT infrastructure, its personnel and its research facilities.
The Company states on its website that it has more than 53,000 patents worldwide. This includes patents filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office entitled 'Adjustable catheter for ostial, septal, and roof ablation in atrial fibrillation patients', 'Diagnostic guidewire for cryoablation sensing and pressure monitoring', and 'Patient specific data driven safety interlocks for medical devices'.
Medtronic incurs costs in relation to the research and development of its products, the maintenance of its software platforms and IT infrastructure, the operation of manufacturing facilities and acquisition of supplies, the distribution and storage of products and the retention of its personnel.
The Company's research and development costs are particularly significant, amounting to $1.6 billion in 2015, around 8.1% of the Company's total sales.
Medtronic also operates a network of offices across and education centres which incur costs in relation to rental and utilities.
Medtronic generates revenue through the development and sale of medical devices and treatments. Its revenue is divided into four business groups: the Cardiac and Vascular Group, the Restorative Therapies Group, the Minimally Invasive Therapies Group and the Diabetes Group.
Medtronic's largest revenue generator is the Cardiac and Vascular Group, which sells products designed to treat cardiac diseases, provides fee-based data management and reporting solutions – namely its HEARTmark Service, Rethinking Blood Conservation Initiative and Connect HF Solution – and medical operations optimisation services. This business segment generated $9.4 billion in 2015, accounting for around 46% of Medtronic's total annual revenue. Medtronic's Restorative Therapies Group – which develops and sells medical devices and implants used in the treatment of the spine and musculoskeletal system, implantable neurostimulation and targeted drug delivery systems, and products and therapies designed to treat ear, nose, and throat diseases – accounted for approximately 33% of the Company's annual revenue in 2015, generating $6.7 billion.
Medtronic's Minimally Invasive Therapies Group and Diabetes Group accounted for 12% and 9% respectively, generating $2.4 billion and $1.8 billion in annual revenue. These proportions may change, however, as 2015 revenue figures covered only one quarter of operations following Medtronic's acquisition of Covidien, which now operates as the Company's Minimally Invasive Therapies Group.
Omar Ishrak,
info: Omar has been the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic since 2011. In his early career he held a number of engineering and product development roles within the medical ultrasound field, including at Philips Ultrasound and Elbit Ultrasound Group, where he served for a spell as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing and Product Development. In 1995 Ishrak joined General Electric, developing the company's ultrasound products and services. He went on to become a long-serving employee of General Electric within its healthcare divisions, serving as Head of the Healthcare Systems Division of GE Healthcare, President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Healthcare Ultrasound and BMD, and Chairman of Intel-GE Care Innovations. His final role before joining Medtronic was as Chief Executive Officer and President of GE Healthcare Systems from 2009 to 2011.
Gary Ellis,
info: Gary has served as Medtronic's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 2005, overseeing the Company's treasury, tax, controllership, internal audit, IT, operations and investor relations functions. He is also a member of the Company's Executive Committee. Ellis first joined Medtronic in 1989 as Assistant Corporate Controller. He has since held a number of financial roles within the Company, including Vice President of Finance for Medtronic Europe, Vice President and Corporate Controller, and Vice President, Corporate Controller and Treasurer. Ellis is an accountant by trade, and held a number of financial accounting roles prior to joining Medtronic. Notably, he served as a senior audit manager at Price Waterhouse where he managed the Medtronic audit for around 10 years.
Michael Coyle,
Executive Vice President and President of Cardiac and Vascular
info: Michael was appointed Medtronic's Executive Vice President and Group President for Medtronic's Cardiac Rhythm Heart Failure, Coronary and Structural Heart, and Aortic and Peripheral Vascular business units in 2009. Prior to joining Medtronic, Ellis held senior roles at St. Jude Medical, including President of its CRM Division and President of its Daig Catheter division. He is also a former executive of pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company. Ellis' last role before joining Medtronic was as a leadership consultant leadership for private equity, venture capital and medical device technology firms.
Jobs at Medtronic
Therapy Sales Rep, Structural Heart - GA
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Sales Representative, ENT Therapies - Montana (Billings / Bozeman / Helena)
Bigfork, Montana, United States
Full-Time Sales HR
Transport Innovation Technology Training
Sales Representative II, Deep Brain Stimulation - Tampa, FL
Full-Time Sales Marketing
Management HR Innovation Management Technology Training Consulting Compliance
RTG IP Legal Assistant III
Fridley, Minnesota, United States
Finance Management Management
Surgical Sales Representative-Combined Bag Specialist (Fort...
Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
Strategy Accounting Management HR Leadership Management Technology Analytics Training
Marketing Manager, Hernia
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Marketing Sales Marketing
Strategy Finance Management HR Leadership Management Technology Analytics Training Salesforce Collaboration
Peripheral Sales Rep - Philadelphia
Finance Management Management Technology Compliance
Sales Representative, Pain Therapies (Intrathecal Baclofen Pump Therapy) - Southern Florida (Tamp...
West Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Sales Marketing Management
HR Innovation Leadership Management Technology Training Consulting Compliance Negotiation Teamwork Collaboration Entrepreneurial
HR Technology Sales Marketing Strategy Management + 24 MORE
Leadership Training Full-Time Transport Innovation Consulting Compliance Finance Accounting Analytics Salesforce Collaboration Negotiation Teamwork Entrepreneurial Logistics SAP Testing Budgeting Prioritizing Audit Database Construction Auditing
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