text:
Holiday Sickness Claims & Illness Compensation
Legionnaires' Disease Claims
Legionnaires' disease, a serious lung condition caused by infected water, is preventable with basic water management practices. If you've developed this avoidable illness while abroad, whether for work or a holiday, our lawyers could help you claim Legionnaires' disease compensation.
The disease is caused by bacteria called Legionella, which is fairly common in natural water supplies. However, when the bacteria are in the right condition to multiply, it can spread quickly and cause Legionnaires', a form of pneumonia.
There are two factors that help Legionella spread:
A water temperature between 20 and 45°C
A food source in the water for bacteria – such as limescale, rust or algae
Large buildings with more complex water systems – such as hotels, museums or spas – are at a greater risk of legionella contamination.
As the disease is usually preventable, you may be able to claim compensation if it was caused by the negligence of another party while abroad. Tour operators should ensure that hotels they use during your holiday are meeting health and safety standards, and should warn you of the risks.
Most of the international personal injury claims we handle are made in England & Wales. But in some cases it may be beneficial to make your claim abroad. We can advise you on this in a free initial consultation about making a claim.
Compensation claims in England & Wales are normally funded through a No Win No Fee agreement. This means that there's nothing to pay upfront, and that you won't have to pay any legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful*.
Our lawyers have helped thousands of clients successfully make international personal injury and illness claims, securing over £100 million in settlements. Call us today on 0800 056 4110 for a free initial consultation about your case, or contact us online and we'll get back to you.
Over £100 million claimed for overseas accidents and illnesses
Longstanding links with foreign law experts
Offices across the UK
How can we help?* Enquiry type Legionnaires' Disease Claims Holiday Sickness Claims & Illness Compensation Cruise Illness Claims
Suki Chhokar
Legionnaires' Disease Claims - More Information
How Much Compensation Can I Expect?
How much compensation you receive after an accident or illness abroad will depend on a number of factors related to your injury or illness, its circumstances, and the support and rehabilitation you need.
The amount of compensation you could claim is based on:
Your condition, and its severity
Psychological trauma experienced
Current and future loss of earnings if you've had to stop working in the short or long-term
Medical expenses you've had to or will have to pay both abroad and in the UK, as well as travel expenses to any appointments
Your care and support needs – both now and in the future
Modifications to your home
The amount you had spent on your holiday or travel abroad, and the loss of enjoyment you've experienced
Your pain and suffering
Other financial loss or expense due to your injury
For more information, call us on 0800 056 4110 and we'll be happy to discuss your options in a free initial consultation.
What Happens When I Make A Claim?
To make a compensation claim for an accident or illness abroad, the first thing you need to do is get in touch with us for a free initial consultation. We'll discuss the circumstances surrounding your accident or illness, advise you on whether or not we think you can claim, and whether you could benefit from a No Win No Fee arrangement.
If you choose to go ahead, your claim will usually go through the following four stages:
Investigation. We'll establish who's responsible for your accident or illness, and arrange for a medical examination to find out the full extent of your condition.
Rehabilitation. If you have any medical care or support needs, we'll help you to access the necessary treatment and advice that you are entitled to.
Compensation. We'll work out how much compensation you should get based on the severity of your injuries and your pain and suffering, any medical expenses you've had, and your ability to get back to work. We'll put this amount to those responsible, and they can either accept blame or contest the claim.
Conclusion. If your opponent accepts blame, you'll be awarded compensation. If not, the case will be settled in court – although this is rare. If you do have to go to court, we'll be there support you every step of the way. If we agreed to handle your claim under a No Win No Fee arrangement, then you won't have to pay anything if you were unsuccessful.
If you have any questions about the claims process, please contact us today on 0800 056 4110 and we'll be happy to discuss your options in a free initial consultation.
Can I Make A No Win No Fee Claim?
Many of our cases are funded with a No Win No Fee agreement. This means that there's no financial risk to you when making a compensation claim.
At the start of your case, we'll discuss funding options with you, advising you which we think is most suitable. If you have legal expenses insurance (LEI) or are covered by a trade union policy, these may be best for you. Legal expenses insurance is included in many household, travel or car insurance policies, so it's always worth checking whether you're already covered.
If we think you're best supported by a No Win No Fee agreement, we'll explain the process clearly. You'll only have to pay anything if your claim is successful – even then your opponent will pay most of our fees, with the remaining costs coming out of your compensation settlement.
Please visit our No Win No Fee page for more information on how it works.
Can I Claim In The UK?
Even if your accident or illness occurred abroad, you can often make a claim here in the UK, though this will vary depending on your circumstances. For example, if you suffered an accident or illness while staying in a hotel as part of a package holiday, you should be able to make a claim against the tour operator here in the UK.
You can also usually claim in the UK if you're claiming against an individual insurer or employer that is based in the UK, or a business or insurer based in the EU. The law around compensation is different in each country, so we will consider where it would be best to make your claim in order to get the best possible result for you.
If you do have to make a claim abroad, there's nothing to worry about as we have years of experience in helping clients to claim in more than 80 countries around the world. We work with an international network of law firms to represent and support our clients and their families when they need to claim, no matter which country the accident or illness occurred in. Most claims are settled out of court, so it's unlikely that you will need to travel abroad for a court case. If this is necessary in your case, we will support you every step of the way.
If you have any questions or concerns about making a claim abroad, contact us on 0800 056 4110 for a free consultation. We'll be able to advise you on your options, and talk you through the process.
Our personal injury team deals with thousands of successful claims each year, and our award-winning lawyers are recognised as leaders in their fields.
Meet our team of accident and illness abroad lawyers.
I am relieved that our legal battle is finally over. Our holiday was a nightmare and we were so disappointed. We're glad Irwin Mitchell has managed to achieve a successful outcome for us"
David, client
Client Story - Frank & Patricia Standen
Airlifted to Hospital From Luxury Cruise
We secured a five figure settlement for a retired man who had to be airlifted to hospital after contracting Legionnaires' disease on a luxury cruise.
Frank and his wife Patricia, both in their 80s, booked the cruise on the MS Black Watch for a relaxing holiday break together. The ship sailed from Southampton to the Cape Verde islands just off the coast of Africa. But just days into the trip, Frank began to get headaches and suffer from fatigue.
He was prescribed antibiotics on board but his symptoms only became worse. By the time they reached Cape Verde, his condition was so bad that he was taken to hospital for a chest x-ray.
Back on board however, he continued to deteriorate. He was airlifted by helicopter a hospital in Las Palmas and put in intensive care, where he was unconscious for three weeks.
Doctors confirmed he was suffering from Legionnaires. The disease is usually caused by water systems – like air conditioning units – not being maintained properly, and can be deadly in many cases. Frank's age made him especially vulnerable, and the whole experience was terrifying for both him and his wife.
We secured an out of court settlement for the couple from Fred Olsen cruises, to compensate them for their ordeal and the damage to Frank's health.
Read more about Frank & Patricia's story here.
"I feel really lucky to be alive but the whole experience of the cruise, being airlifted from the ship and spending so much time in hospital was absolutely dreadful and really shook me up." - Frank, client
"Legionnaires' disease is an extremely serious disease and can, in some cases, lead to fatalities. We are delighted to have secured Frank and Patricia a settlement from Fred Olsen Cruises but it is disappointing that the cruise operator denied liability and waited until just before the case was due to go to trial to agree to settle." – Clare Pearson, Associate Legal Executive
Read More Client Stories
Who Can Claim Compensation For Legionnaires' Disease?
If you've caught Legionnaires' disease while abroad, then you may be able to claim compensation. Sadly, the disease can sometimes be fatal, and you can claim compensation if a loved one has died from Legionnaires' too.
Because the condition is easy to prevent by following proper health and safety procedures, cases are often the result of negligence on the part of someone else.
Legionnaires' disease is not contagious, so if you or a loved one has been diagnosed, it must have come from inhaling particles of contaminated water. This means you may be eligible for compensation.
You usually have three years from the date you developed Legionnaires' to make a claim, although this time limit may be different depending on the country you were in when you contracted the disease. Because of this, it's important to seek legal advice as soon as possible.
Call us today on 0800 056 4110 for a free initial consultation about your case. We'll discuss your condition, assess whether you're able to pursue compensation through the UK courts or abroad, and advise you on whether we think you'll be able to make a claim.
Read More... Read Less...
What Is Legionnaires' Disease?
Legionnaires' disease is a form of pneumonia, caused by inhaling water contaminated with a large amount of the bacteria Legionella. Legionella is found in very small amounts in a range of natural water sources, but when it's in the right conditions inside man-made water systems, it can easily spread and grow to dangerous levels.
Initial symptoms of the disease are similar to flu:
Headaches and muscle pain
Tiredness and exhaustion
When Legionnaires' begins to develop, symptoms become more serious, in line with other types of pneumonia:
A persistent cough with greenish, or even bloody, mucus
Chest pains
You may also have suffered from gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea.
Legionnaires' disease can be treated with antibiotics, but in roughly 10% of cases the condition can be fatal.
Because of the similarity of symptoms with other forms of pneumonia, many cases of Legionnaires' are not properly recognised. If you've developed the above symptoms after a stay abroad, and they can be linked to Legionnaires' disease, you may be able to claim compensation. If you have any questions, call us today on 0800 056 4110 for a free initial consultation on your claim.
Why Choose Irwin Mitchell For A Legionnaires' Disease Compensation Claim?
Claiming compensation for something that happened while you were abroad may seem daunting because of potential language barriers and confusion over local laws. But we believe no one should be put off claiming compensation for conditions like Legionnaires', which are so easily avoidable if correct health and safety guidelines have been followed.
Our team of specialist international personal injury lawyers is the largest in the UK and we've secured over £100 million in compensation for our clients who have been injured or become ill abroad.
We have helped many clients to claim compensation after contracting Legionnaires' disease both at home and abroad. Our experience means you can trust us to get the best possible result for you.
By working with an international network of partner law firms, we're able to support you wherever in the world you need to make a claim. As your single point of contact throughout the process, we'll handle every aspect of your case for you, our advice in plain English without any legal jargon.
If you have any questions about the claims process, or how else we can help, contact us online or by phone on 0800 056 4110 for a free initial consultation about your case.
Related Information - Legionnaires' Disease Claims
I Am Able
Accident & Illness Abroad Claims Guide - Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about making a claim Read More
Package Holiday Claims Guide - If you've suffered on a package holiday, you could claim compensation. Find out more. Read More
Group Claims - If more than one person has been affected, we may be able to help you bring a group claim Read More
Cruise Illness Claims - Cruise ships can be subject to illness outbreaks if hygiene standards aren't maintained. Find out how we can help you claim if you've been ill. Read More
* Subject to entering into a No Win No Fee agreement in conjunction with our Allianz Litigate insurance policy and complying with your responsibilities under its terms.
"The A Team... the lawyers feel at home with every foreign jurisdiction around the globe."
Chambers & Partners, 2018
The firm you want on your side
The "'passionate and experienced' team at Irwin Mitchell... is the 'firm you want on your side if you had a serious accident overseas'"
Legal 500, 2017
We truly value and appreciate the feedback we receive from our clients, as we look to improve the services we offer on an ongoing basis.
Maldives holiday claim.
We would like to say a big thank you to Jatinder and Dawn at Irwin Mitchell – Birmingham.
We have just won our claim for a terrible holiday experience. We did try and deal with this ourselves initially…
Amanda and Ian Wesley
Amazing lawyers
Jatinder Paul in the international personal injury team was my solicitor and he recently secured me a large settlement for an injury that it is likely to effect my future in terms of my career. I would recommend Jatinder and Irwin Mitchell…
Bradie Perkins
Great service, great law firm
I have pleasure in giving Sarita Sharma and her supervisor Jatinder Paul in the IM Birmingham office a 5- star rating for the fantastic outcome they secured for my case. It was a difficult case but they pushed for a settlement…
Kirandeep Kaur Sangha
Our International Expertise
Our lawyers are recognised as leaders in the field of international personal injury claims, and we bring this expertise to your claim. Members of our team regularly lecture internationally, are consulted on law reform issues, and hold key positions in several leading international organisations, including:
The Pan-European Organisation of Personal Injury Lawyers
Travel and Tourism Lawyers Association
The American Association for Justice.
We also have a long history of campaigning for improvements in health and safety. Our aim is always to improve the quality of life and levels of compensation for those who have suffered illness or been involved in an accident on holiday.
Start Your Claim Today
To begin your claim for compensation, or ask any questions regarding personal injury claims, contact us today for a free consultation.


text:
BAE Systems plc
You face a whole new driving test if you want one of these cars
New study says you should have a specialist licence to go behind the wheel in a driverless car
Alex Wood
(Image: Getty)
Tough new laws should be brought in to cover new driving tests and specialist licences for anyone who wants to sit behind the wheel of a driverless car, a new study says.
The research says the laws would be to ensure drivers pay attention while they are being carried in an automated car.
And the proposed new driving test would cover how to take back control of a driverless car, reports Bristol Live.
The recommendations were made following a series of tests at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol.
It comes after a woman in the US became the first pedestrian in the world to be killed by a fully autonomous car, after being struck by an driverless Uber vehicle in Arizona in March.
A recent report by the Venturer study, which is being completed at UWE, has questioned whether motorists or manufacturers are ultimately responsible if a crash were to occur during a vehicle's "handover" period – which is the time it takes for a driver of an autonomous vehicle to take back control.
A Gateway driverless pod demonstration in Bristol (Image: Michael Lloyd)
The report referred to research conducted at UWE in 2016, which found it took just under two seconds for a driver to regain control of an autonomous car when travelling at 50mph.
Cars can travel about 45 metres in this time.
The Venturer consortium, which includes insurance firm AXA UK, UWE, Bristol University, and BAE Systems, is now in its final year of testing.
Self-driving car hits and kills pedestrian in US
David Williams, technical director at AXA, said: "AXA has supported the advent of driverless cars from the very beginning.
"It is exciting, through projects like Venturer, to be at the forefront of a change that could have a profound, positive effect on society.
"People must understand, however, what the vehicles are capable of and, very importantly, what the law allows us to do (or not do) when travelling in them.
Former Tesco staffer lifts the lid on what it's like to work for supermarket giant
"Handover presents a complication for the basic liability model: how can we apportion responsibility between human driver and the vehicle fairly?"
Professor Sarah Sharples, who works in the at Nottingham University and is a specialist in future design, has suggested introducing a law which makes it compulsory for drivers of autonomous vehicles to pay attention at all times – even though they are not driving.
"It may also be necessary for the roll-out of highly autonomous vehicles to be accompanied with the advice, or even law, that in some or all circumstances the driver must maintain attention to the driver situation and that other activities should be minimised or avoided."
Are your kids 'flossing' in the playground? The craze explained
She added people planning on using a self-driving car should have "an appropriate level of competence through a driving test".
"There is a need to consider whether any such driving test includes an understanding of how an autonomous vehicle will behave," Ms Sharples explained.
The Venturer project has tested self-driving car technology in a series of trials since the summer of 2015.
It is hoped UWE's findings will feed into the development and safe implementation of driverless car technology in the UK in the years to come.
Find out when Leicestershire's secret beach will reopen
The Government has commissioned a detailed three-year review of driving laws to ensure the legislation can cope with the new technology once it is rolled out.
The Treasury has said it hopes the driverless car industry "will be worth £28billion to the UK economy by 2035".

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


"University of Northern Iowa Faculty Senate Meeting Agenda, February 26" by University of Northern Iowa. Faculty Senate.
University of Northern Iowa. Faculty Senate., "University of Northern Iowa Faculty Senate Meeting Agenda, February 26, 2018" (2018). Faculty Senate Documents. 1205.


Welcome to the International Department of the UE ENSAM !
This website is currently under construction. You are or you will be a foreign student at the ENSAM, and you have any question? Don´t hesitate to contact us !
The UE ENSAM: Our activities?


Our enterprise insists all along the standard policy of "product good quality is base of organization survival; client gratification could be the staring point and ending of an enterprise; persistent improvement is eternal pursuit of staff" and the consistent purpose of "reputation to start with, purchaser first" for Collapse Bbq Grill Tools For Picnic , Collapse Bbq Grill Tools for Picnic , 13pcs Bbq Grill Tools for Picnic , high-quality and transparency for our buyers. Our moto is to deliver top quality solutions within stipulated time.
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text:
David Alexander Antonites (born ) is a South African rugby union player that played first class rugby for  and the  in 2016. His regular position is lock.

References

South African rugby union players
Living people
1991 births
Rugby union players from Johannesburg
Rugby union locks
Eastern Province Elephants players
Griquas (rugby union) players

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Proussy est une ancienne commune française, située dans le département du Calvados en région Normandie, devenue le  une commune déléguée au sein de la commune nouvelle de Condé-en-Normandie.

Elle est peuplée de  habitants.

Géographie
La commune est aux confins de la Suisse normande et du Bocage virois. L'atlas des paysages classe la plus grande partie du territoire sur le synclinal bocain dont les paysages aux « larges panoramas » sont caractérisés par « de hautes terres partagées entre bois et bocage éclairci. ». Proussy y forme un appendice sud-est inséré entre l'unité du bassin de Vire caractérisée par « un moutonnement de basses collines schisteuses […] ordonnées en bandes alignées à l'est », sur une frange ouest, et celle de la Suisse normande caractérisée par « un relief particulièrement vigoureux » aux paysages « parmi les plus emblématiques de l'image touristique de la région », sur une frange est. Son bourg est à  au nord de Condé-sur-Noireau, à  à l'est de Vassy et à  sud de Thury-Harcourt.

Le bourg de Proussy est relié au centre-ville de Condé-sur-Noireau par la départementale  qui se prolonge au nord vers Cauville et Caen. Il est accessible également par la  et la  qui le relient à l'est à la  (ancienne route nationale 162 Caen-Angers, passant par Condé-sur-Noireau et Flers). Le GR 221 traverse la commune.

Le territoire est principalement disposé sur deux vallons rejoignant la Druance qui sert de limite avec Condé-sur-Noireau et Saint-Germain-du-Crioult au sud-ouest. Le ruisseau la Jeannette arrose le vallon ouest, tandis que le vallon est, où est situé le bourg, est occupé par celui des Goulandes. Les Monts culminent entre les deux à 231 mètres, mais les hauteurs de la commune se situent en limite nord, le point culminant () surplombant la carrière de la Haute Bruyère, sur une pente qui atteint  sur la commune de La Villette voisine. Le point le plus bas () est à la sortie de la Druance du territoire, au sud.

Le climat est océanique, comme dans tout l'Ouest de la France. La station météorologique la plus proche est Caen-Carpiquet, à . La Suisse normande et le Bocage virois s'en différencient toutefois pour la pluviométrie annuelle qui, à Proussy, avoisine les .

Toponymie
La forme Proceium est attestée en 1180. Le toponyme serait issu de l'anthroponyme roman Procius.

Le gentilé est Proussien.

Histoire
À partir du , la paroisse est partagée entre deux seigneuries : celle de Proussy et celle de Montbray.

Le , Proussy intègre avec cinq autres communes la commune de Condé-en-Normandie créée sous le régime juridique des communes nouvelles instauré par la loi  du  de réforme des collectivités territoriales. Les communes de La Chapelle-Engerbold, Condé-sur-Noireau, Lénault, Proussy, Saint-Germain-du-Crioult et Saint-Pierre-la-Vieille deviennent des communes déléguées et Condé-sur-Noireau est le chef-lieu de la commune nouvelle.

Politique et administration

Le conseil municipal est composé de onze membres dont le maire et deux adjoints. Ces conseillers intègrent au complet le conseil municipal de Condé-en-Normandie le  et Lionel Lerch devient alors maire délégué. Il est remplacé quelques jours plus tard par Patrice Mèche.

Démographie

Au premier recensement républicain, en 1793, Proussy comptait , population jamais atteinte depuis.

Économie

Lieux et monuments
 Église Notre-Dame du .

Activité et manifestations

Personnalités liées à la commune

 Jules Radulph (1874 à Proussy - 1952 à Proussy), député du Calvados, maire de Proussy.

Voir aussi
 Liste des communes du Calvados

Notes et références

Notes

Références
 Altitudes, coordonnées, superficie : répertoire géographique des communes 2013 (site de l'IGN, téléchargement du 19 mars 2014)

Bibliographie

Liens externes

 Résumé statistique de Proussy sur le site de l'Insee
Inventaire des archives communales sur le site des Archives départementales du Calvados

Commune déléguée dans le Calvados
Condé-en-Normandie


text:
Q: Tcl/Tk: How to auto expand frame to fill a row in grid I am trying to create a tk window which has two frames. First on top and another below. The Frame on top should contain a text box which needs to fill out the entire frame.
But using the code below, I found that the frame is only half filling the window and the text box is only half filling the frame. I am using the grid approach so that it auto expands but neither did it not auto expand nor did the widgets fill out their respective containers. I am wodnering if the grid approch correct for this purpose?
namespace eval RESTLogVwr {}
toplevel .t
wm geometry .t 1500x800+10+10
wm resizable .t 0 0
grid rowconfigure .t 2 -weight 1
frame .t.f1 -bd 2 -relief groove -bg blue
text .t.f1.text -state disabled -bg black
pack .t.f1.text -fill both -expand 0
grid config .t.f1 -row 2 -column 3 -columnspan 1 -rowspan 1  -sticky "snew"
grid config .t.f1.text -row 2 -column 3 -columnspan 1 -rowspan 1  -sticky "snew"
grid rowconfigure .t 2 -weight 1

A: toplevel .t
wm geometry .t 1500x800+10+10
wm resizable .t 0 0
frame .t.f1 -bd 2 -relief groove -bg blue
text .t.f1.text -state disabled -bg black
pack .t.f1.text -fill both -expand 0

Here .t.f1.text is already managed by pack: you don't need to manage it by grid.
grid .t.f1 -row 2 -column 3 -sticky snew
grid rowconfigure .t .t.f1 -weight 1
grid columnconfigure .t .t.f1 -weight 1

By setting weight for both column and row, you enable the frame to expand in both dimensions.
Documentation:
frame (widget),
grid,
pack,
text (widget),
toplevel,
wm

A: The problem is that you've asked the row containing frame .t.f1 to expand, but haven't asked the row containing text .t.f1.text to expand. (The -sticky option describes how the widgets expand to the space they've been given, but not not how much space to give the cell containing the widget in the first place.)
I'm guessing that the problem is that you say:
grid rowconfigure .t 2 -weight 1

twice, which is redundant and an indication that you've got the configuration wrong; change the second one (at the end of your sample script) to this to fix things:
grid rowconfigure .t.f1 2 -weight 1

General point: I find it helps to keep grids as shallow as possible when designing things, and to draw out (on paper if necessary) where the cell boundaries are supposed to be. Each level needs its own designing, and only very complicated designs (where I'd want to just not use the complexity at all) need extra frames.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
'Racist' whistleblowing nurse wins compensation for unfair dismissal
Health alert over drying your laundry inside home
Drying laundry inside the home could pose health risks, according to a study.
Saturday, 3rd November 2012, 6:00 am
Research carried out by the Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit (MEARU) at the Glasgow School of Art revealed that laundry habits could also create economic problems.
Hanging washing on airers and radiators is common practice and is responsible for one third of moisture in the home.
Experts say these conditions encourage mould spores and dust mites which are known causes of asthma.
Professor Colin Porteous, of MEARU, said: "Because of increased awareness of the energy consumption of tumble dryers many people are choosing to dry clothes passively within their home.
"This results not only in a severe energy penalty, because of increased heating demand, but also a potential health risk due to higher moisture levels.
"Minor changes to the wording of the regulations would have multiple beneficial consequences. Our research gives strong justification for the changes both in terms of health and wellbeing, and associated economic impacts.
"It is our hope that current statutory and advisory standards will be modified to take them on board, ensuring a healthy and economically sustainable living environment."
The study also showed that indoor drying causes environmental and economic problems which house builders should take into account. The trend for airtight construction and smaller homes contributes towards moisture build-up, it said.
The study suggests separate drying spaces should be included in the design whether they be communal or as part of individual properties while a short-term solution would be to improve ventilation.
Vets believe virus is causing a mysterious illness affecting... Health
Teacher at private school in Yorkshire died from alcohol mis... Health
Anti-vaxxer who almost died of Covid-19 celebrates his retur... Health
Grandmother in coma on holiday left stranded as insurers ref... Health
Man who had heart attack forced to "get lift" from his son t... Health


A system of quality management ISO 9001 helps monitoring continuously and administer the quality in every process.
A system of environment management ISO 14001 enables the company to comply with any evaluation of environment risks.
Standard ISO 14001 is meant to support environment protection and pollution preventing, in balance with socioeconomic needs.
FSSC 22000 and TS 22002-4:2012 specifically target food producers.
These certifications help standardizing food security and safety within the production process as a link in the supplying chain.


text:
First Mining Announces Board Changes and Appointment of Vice President, Investor Relations
April 2, 2020 – Vancouver, BC – First Mining Gold Corp. ("First Mining" or the "Company") (TSX: FF) (OTCQX: FFMGF) (FRANKFURT: FMG) is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Directors – Mr. Richard Lock and Ms. Aoife McGrath to its Board of Directors (the "Board") effective immediately. In addition, the Company announces the retirement of Dr. David Shaw and Mr. Michel Bouchard from its Board. Dr. Shaw has served as Director of the Company since its inception in March 2015, and Mr. Bouchard joined as a Director in April 2016 post First Mining's acquisition of Clifton Star Resources Inc.
Keith Neumeyer, Chairman of First Mining, stated "On behalf of First Mining's Board of Directors, we are delighted to welcome Richard and Aoife to the Company. Richard brings corporate experience and technical expertise gained from developing some of the largest mining projects in the world. Aoife brings significant public mining company experience on both the technical and corporate development fronts from her many years working on a vast number of global gold assets. Both bring complementary skill sets to our Board as we advance our portfolio of development-stage gold assets in Canada. I would also like to thank David and Michel for their extensive contributions to the Board and the Company over the last several years. We wish them both great success in all their future endeavours."
First Mining is also pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Spiros Cacos as Vice President, Investor Relations and the transition of Mal Karwowska to Vice President, Corporate Development. Dan Wilton, CEO of First Mining, stated "We are excited to welcome Spiros to the First Mining team and to have Mal focus on First Mining's corporate development activities. Spiros brings 20 years of experience and relationships in investor relations to the role, which will help us broaden our investor base and marketing reach. We continue to focus on value-enhancing opportunities for our broader portfolio of gold assets, including finding partners to fund and advance some of our assets as evidenced by our recent earn-in transaction with Auteco Minerals on our Pickle Crow Gold Project. This transition of responsibilities better aligns our resources with our corporate objectives."
Board Additions
Richard Lock is a veteran mining executive with more than 30 years of experience in project management, development and operations for major mining companies including Rio Tinto, Western Potash, DeBeers and Anglo American. Richard is currently serving as the Senior Vice President and Project Director for the NorthMet mining project in Minnesota being developed by PolyMet Mining Corp. His most recent prior roles include Construction Director for KAZ Minerals' Peschanka open pit copper mine in Russia and executive and project director roles at Arizona Mining's Hermosa Zinc Project in the U.S. (acquired by South32 Limited in 2018 for $2.1 billion). He has been involved with numerous projects including Yara International's Dallol potash project in Ethiopia, Western Potash's Milestone potash project in Canada, and several of Rio Tinto's projects including the Resolution and Keystone copper assets in the U.S. and the Diavik diamond mine in Canada's Northwest Territories. Mr. Lock holds a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering from Cardiff University in the U.K.
Aoife McGrath is a geologist with more than 20 years of experience in the international mining sector, predominantly in gold exploration. Throughout her career she has worked and led teams in Africa, North America, South America and Europe, with her experience spanning the full spectrum of company size and stages of exploration. She has been involved in a number of exploration discoveries including at the Geita gold mine in Tanzania, at the Chirano Project in Ghana and at the Mulatos Project in Mexico. She most recently served as the Head of Exploration and Geology for Beadell Resources Ltd, an ASX-listed gold producer acquired by Great Panther Mining Limited in 2019. Immediately before that, Aoife spent more than five years with Alamos Gold, serving as Vice President, Exploration and prior to that as Director of Exploration and Corporate Development. During her tenure she was a member of the corporate team that assessed global business opportunities, reviewing approximately 50 opportunities annually, both project and corporate. Additional previous roles include Executive Director of Exploration at Carbine Resources Ltd and Exploration Manager at the Chirano Mine for Red Back Mining Inc. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Peru-based, private exploration company Pucara Resource Corp. Ms. McGrath holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology from University College Dublin, a Master of Science in Mineral Exploration from the University of Leicester, and a Master of Science in Engineering Geology from Imperial College London.
Investor Relations Addition
Spiros Cacos has 20 years of investor relations experience working with public mining companies, ranging from early-stage exploration and development to production. Over the last two years, Mr. Cacos served as Vice President, Investor Relations for Group Eleven Resources Corp., a mineral exploration company listed on the TSXV and OTC, focused on advanced stage zinc exploration in Ireland. His prior roles include serving as Director of Investor Relations for Great Panther Mining Limited (formerly Great Panther Silver Limited), a primary silver mining company listed on the TSX and the NYSE with two mining operations in Mexico, and serving as Corporate Development and Communications Director for International Enexco Limited, a North American exploration and development company. Mr. Cacos has an M.A. in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Schiller International University in Paris, France and a B.A. from Simon Fraser University in Canada.
About First Mining Gold Corp.
First Mining Gold Corp. is a Canadian-focused gold exploration and development company advancing a large resource base of 7.4 million ounces of gold in the Measured and Indicated categories and 3.8 million ounces of gold in the Inferred category. First Mining's primary focus is the development and permitting of its Springpole Gold Project and the advanced exploration of its Goldlund Gold Project, both located in northwestern Ontario. Springpole is one of the largest undeveloped gold assets in Canada, with permitting and a Pre-Feasibility Study underway. Goldlund is an advanced exploration stage asset where drilling in 2020 is planned to define both the extension of the existing resource area and to better define the regional scale potential. First Mining's eastern Canadian property portfolio also includes Cameron, Pickle Crow, Hope Brook, Duparquet, Duquesne, and Pitt.
First Mining was created in 2015 by Mr. Keith Neumeyer, founding President and CEO of First Majestic Silver Corp.
ON BEHALF OF FIRST MINING GOLD CORP.
Daniel W. Wilton
Spiros Cacos | Vice President, Investor Relations
Toll Free: 1.844.306.8827 | Email: info@firstmininggold.com
www.firstmininggold.com
This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "intends", "estimates", "envisages", "potential", "possible", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the Company's focus on advancing its assets towards production; and (ii) realizing the value of the Company's gold projects for the Company's shareholders. All forward-looking statements are based on First Mining's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: failure to obtain regulatory approval; demand for the Units and FT Units; fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in the currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities, indigenous populations and other stakeholders; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; title to properties.; and the additional risks described in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, and in the Company's Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on EDGAR.
First Mining cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to First Mining, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. First Mining does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law.
Cautionary Note to United States Investors
This news release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve estimates included in this news release have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum 2014 Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the SEC, and mineral resource and reserve information contained herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term "resource" does not equate to the term "reserves". Under U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. The SEC's disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources" or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves" by U.S. standards in documents filed with the SEC. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. U.S. investors should also understand that "inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimated "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. The requirements of NI 43-101 for identification of "reserves" are also not the same as those of the SEC, and reserves reported by the Company in compliance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as "reserves" under SEC standards. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards.


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module 2 homework cost in chapter 4 of fundamentals of healthcare finance you read about cost and different methods of allocation please download and complete module 2 assignment submit the completed assignment worth 5 points in this drop box by s
M2. Cost Concepts Homework
Module 2 Homework: Cost
In Chapter 4 of Fundamentals of Healthcare Finance, you read about cost and different methods of allocation.
Please download and complete Module 2 Assignment. Submit the completed assignment (worth 5 points) in this drop box by Sunday before midnight EST.
Save your homework assignment using the following file-naming format to receive full credit: HSA3170_Mod 2HW_Last Name.
HSA: Health Care Finance
Module Two Assignment
In Chapter 4 in your book, you learned about cost.Use what you have learned in your readings to complete the following problems.Show all work for full credit.
1.(2 pts) Assuming that your fixed costs for a Rehabilitation Center are $125,000 per year.Your average variable expenses come to $25 per procedure.
a. What are your total fixed costs if you perform 10,000 procedures?
b. What would they be if the volume increased to 20,000 procedures?
2. (2 pts) Assuming that you have two departments in this Rehabilitation Center, PT and OT.The cleaning crew that services the building spends 30% of their time in PT, and 70% in OT due to the square footage that each department uses.
a. What would be the allocation be to PT if the total annual cost of housekeeping is $20,000?
b. What would be the allocation be to OT if the total annual cost of housekeeping is $20,000?
3. (1pt) If you looked at billing for this center, and decided to use the Activity-Based Costing method, what would the allocation of Check-In cost be to PT for 6,000 procedures considering the following information:
ActivityAnnual CostCost DriverTotal Volume of PT and OT
Check-In$20,000Number of Visits10,000
This is CH.4 –
ESTIMATING COSTS
THEME SET-UP: COST STRUCTURE
As you know from chapter 3, Big Sky Dermatology Specialists is a small group practice located in Jackson, Wyoming. Jen Latimer, a recent health administration graduate and newly hired manager for the group, completed her review of Big Sky's revenue sources. Now she wants to take a closer look at Big Sky's cost structure—that is, the way Big Sky's total costs change as volume changes.
Jen remembers from her healthcare finance courses that a business's costs can be classified in several ways. The major classifications are (1) the relationship of the cost to the amount of services offered (does the cost increase as volume increases?) and (2) the relationship of the cost to the subunit being analyzed (does the cost go away if the subunit is abolished?).
As she thought about these classifications, she breathed a sigh of relief. Big Sky was not formally divided into departments (subunits), so she would not have to develop a system to allocate overhead costs, such as billing expenses, to separate departments in the practice. Still, she had to identify the costs that are unrelated to volume (fixed costs) and the costs that are tied to volume (variable costs). By identifying these two types of costs, Jen would be able to forecast Big Sky's profit potential under different assumptions about volume (number of visits).
By the end of this chapter, you will have an appreciation for the costs inherent to healthcare businesses and how those costs are classified. Then you, like Jen, will be able to apply this knowledge to estimate the cost structure of Big Sky Dermatology Specialists.
After studying this chapter, you will be able to do the following:
Discuss the nature and purpose of managerial accounting.
Explain how costs are classified according to their relationship with volume.
Describe how costs are classified according to their relationship with the unit being analyzed.
Explain why proper cost allocation is important to healthcare organizations.
Define the terms cost pool and cost driver, and describe the characteristics of a good cost driver.
List the three primary methods used to allocate overhead costs among revenue-producing (patient services) departments.
Describe three methods used to cost individual services: the cost-to-charge ratio (CCR), relative value units (RVUs), and activity-based costing (ABC).
Articulate the differences between traditional costing and ABC.
Healthcare managers have many responsibilities. The more important ones include planning for the future, overseeing the day-to-day activities of line employees, and establishing policies that control the operations of the organization.
For example, the practice manager of a primary care practice must estimate future demand (volume) and see to it that the practice has the facilities, staff, and supplies necessary to meet this demand. He does so primarily by creating budgets that use forecasted future volume to estimate the resources needed to meet expected patient demand. As the future unfolds, the practice manager must monitor operations to see if the volume estimates were correct. If not, supplies and staffing requirements must be adjusted to reflect variations from forecasts. Finally, he must constantly review the resources used to ensure that they are being used appropriately and efficiently and are being acquired at the lowest possible costs.
All of these activities require information—a great deal of it. Furthermore, it has to be compiled in a format that facilitates analysis, interpretation, and decision-making. Without timely and relevant information, healthcare managers would be making decisions essentially in the dark. Of course, accurate information does not ensure good decision-making, but without it, the chances of making good decisions are almost nil.
The foundation of a good information system is the manager's ability to estimate costs with confidence. This task is not easy. You may be able to precisely estimate the cost of your college education—just add up the costs of tuition, books and supplies, room and board, and so on—but what about the costs of healthcare organizations? Their overall (total) costs can be measured with some precision, such as the total costs of running a hospital or a medical practice. However, what about the costs of running the emergency department, or the costs associated with Medicare patients, or the costs of treating patients who have had heart attacks? Estimating these costs with confidence is essential to sound management, yet many factors complicate the estimation process.
Although cost estimation comes with a multitude of problems, it is far too important to the financial well-being of healthcare providers to do in a sloppy way. Thus, organizations put a lot of time and effort into doing the best possible job.
4.2 THE BASICS OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING
Cost estimation is an accounting function, so our coverage begins with some accounting basics. Accounting is split into two primary areas: managerial accounting and financial accounting. Whereas financial accounting (discussed in chapters 11 and 12) focuses on the reporting of operational and financial results to outsiders, managerial accounting focuses on the development of information used internally for managerial decision-making (see "Critical Concept: Managerial Accounting").
Managerial accounting information is used in routine budgeting processes, to allocate managerial bonuses, and to make pricing and service decisions, all of which deal with subunits of an organization. In addition, managers can use managerial accounting data for special purposes, such as assessing alternative modes of delivery or projecting the profitability of a particular reimbursement contract.
Because managers are more concerned with what will happen in the future than with what has happened in the past, managerial accounting is for the most part forward-looking. However, because most of the future is unknown, compiling managerial accounting information requires making many assumptions about future events. For example, as managers create budgets, they often must make assumptions regarding utilization (volume), reimbursement rates, and costs.
A critical part of managerial accounting is the measurement of costs. One issue that makes this task difficult is the fact that no single definition of the term cost exists. Rather, different costs exist for different purposes. As a general rule, for healthcare providers, a cost involves a resource use associated with providing, or supporting, a specific service. However, the cost per service identified for pricing purposes can differ from the cost per service used for management control purposes. Also, the cost per service used for long-range planning purposes may differ from the cost per service defined for short-term purposes. Thus, when dealing with costs, managers have to understand the context so that the correct cost is identified. To complicate matters further, costs do not necessarily reflect actual cash outflows.
Costs are classified in two primary ways: by their relationship to the volume (amount) of services provided and by their relationship to the unit (i.e., department) being analyzed. This chapter focuses on these two cost classifications. In chapter 5, we add revenues to the mix and show how to convert cost estimates into profit estimates.
CRITICAL CONCEPT
The accounting function in businesses is broken down into two major areas: managerial accounting and financial accounting. Financial accounting, which is covered later in the book, involves the creation of financial statements that report what has occurred at the organization. Managerial accounting concerns the creation and use of data needed to manage an organization's current and future operations. Thus, managerial accounting produces reports used at various levels in an organization, such as department operations, contract negotiations, or specific services delivery, to enhance financial performance.
SELF-TEST QUESTIONS
What is the primary purpose of managerial accounting information?
What is meant by the term cost?
What are the two primary ways that costs can be classified?
4.3 COST CLASSIFICATION 1: FIXED VERSUS VARIABLE COSTS
One way to classify costs is on the basis of their relationship to the amount of services provided, often referred to as volume or utilization. Future volume—the number of patient days, visits, enrollees, laboratory tests, and so on—is almost always uncertain.
Volume may be forecasted in a number of ways. One way is to review historical trends, say, over the past five to ten years. In many situations, the past is a good predictor of the future. If the manager believes this to be the case, then she can apply statistical analysis (linear regression) to the historical data to predict future volumes. If past data are not available or if significant changes in the operating environment are taking place, then volume forecasting becomes more difficult. In that situation, the manager must evaluate population and disease trends in the service area, actions of competitors, pricing strategies, the impact of new contracts with insurers, and a whole host of additional factors that influence future volume.
If a provider's volume forecast turns out to be inaccurate, the consequences can be severe. First, if the market for any particular service expands more than expected and planned for, the provider will not be able to meet its patients' needs. Potential patients will go elsewhere, and the provider will lose market share and perhaps miss a major opportunity to maintain or increase its business. On the other hand, if projections are overly optimistic, the provider could end up with excess equipment, supplies, and staff, and hence costs that are higher than necessary.
In spite of the difficulties in forecasting volume with precision, managers typically have some idea of the potential range. For example, the manager of Northside Clinic, a small walk-in clinic, might estimate that the total number of patient visits for next year will likely range from 12,000 to 14,000 or from about 34 to 40 per day. If utilization is not likely to fall outside of these bounds, then the range of 12,000 to 14,000 annual visits defines the clinic's relevant range. Note that the relevant range pertains to a particular period—in this case, next year. For other periods, the relevant range might differ from this estimate.
Some costs, called fixed costs, are more or less known with certainty, regardless of the level of volume in the relevant range. For example, Northside Clinic's labor force would be increased or decreased only under unusual circumstances. Thus, as long as volume falls within the relevant range of 12,000 to 14,000 patient visits, labor costs at the clinic are fixed for the coming year. The actual number of visits might turn out to be 12,352 or 13,877, but labor costs will remain at their forecasted level as long as volume falls in the relevant range (see "For Your Consideration: Cost Structure and Relevant Range"). Other examples of the clinic's fixed costs include expenditures on facilities (e.g., rent, property taxes, utilities), diagnostic equipment, and information systems. After an organization has acquired these assets, it typically is locked into them for some period regardless of volume fluctuations, so these costs are known beforehand.
Of course, no costs are fixed over the long run or over large volume changes. At some level of increasing volume, healthcare businesses must incur additional fixed costs for new facilities and equipment, additional staffing, and so on. Likewise, if volume decreases by a substantial amount, an organization likely would reduce fixed costs by shedding some of its facilities and parts of its equipment and labor base.
Cost Structure and Relevant Range
In general, an organization's underlying cost structure is defined for a specified relevant range. For example, assume that Atlanta Clinic's underlying cost structure is given as follows:
Assume that the expected number of visits next year is 75,000 and the relevant range for this cost structure is 70,000 to 80,000 visits. Now, assume that a new payer makes a proposal to the clinic that would increase next year's volume by 10,000 visits, which would increase the expected number of visits to 85,000. The financial staff presents you, the CEO, with an analysis of the costs under the new proposal that was calculated as follows:
What is your initial reaction to the analysis? Is it valid or must it be redone? What variable in the underlying cost structure is most likely to change at a volume of 85,000 visits?
VARIABLE COSTS
Whereas some costs are fixed regardless of volume (within the relevant range), other resources are more or less consumed as volume dictates. Costs that are related to (depend on) volume are called variable costs (see "Critical Concept: Fixed Versus Variable Costs"). For example, the costs of the clinical supplies (e.g., rubber gloves, tongue depressors, hypodermics, bandages) used by Northside would be classified as variable costs. Also, some of the clinic's diagnostic equipment is leased on a per-use basis (a fixed payment each time the equipment is used), which converts the cost of the equipment from a fixed cost to a variable cost. Finally, some healthcare organizations pay their employees on the basis of the amount of work performed, which would convert labor costs from fixed to variable. The bottom line is that fixed costs are independent of the volume of services delivered (within the relevant range), while variable costs depend on volume.
Fixed Versus Variable Costs
One way to classify costs is by their relationship to volume. Fixed costs are known and predictable regardless of volume (within some relevant range). Conversely, variable costs depend on the volume of services supplied. Consider a clinical laboratory. The costs of the building, equipment, and personnel to run the lab are known with some certainty for the coming year. Furthermore, these costs are independent of the number of tests actually conducted. Such costs are fixed. However, the annual costs of reagents and other test supplies depend on the number (and type) of tests conducted—the greater the number of tests, the greater these costs. Thus, the accounting system would classify these costs as variable.
UNDERLYING COST STRUCTURE
Healthcare managers are vitally interested in how costs are affected by changes in the amount of services supplied. The relationship between costs and volume, called underlying cost structure (or just cost structure), is used by managers in planning, control, and decision-making (see "Critical Concept: Underlying Cost Structure"). The primary reason for defining an organization's cost structure is to provide managers with a tool for forecasting costs (and ultimately profits) at different volume levels.
To illustrate the concept, consider the hypothetical cost data presented in exhibit 4.1 for a hospital's clinical laboratory. The cost structure consists of both fixed and variable costs—that is, some of the costs are expected to be volume sensitive and some are not. This structure of both fixed and variable costs is typical in health services organizations as well as most other businesses (see "Healthcare in Practice: The Cost Structures of Medical Practices"). For illustrative purposes, let us assume the relevant range is from zero to 20,000 tests. (Of course, the actual relevant range might be from 15,000 to 20,000 tests.)
As noted in exhibit 4.1, the laboratory has $150,000 in fixed costs that consist primarily of labor, facilities, and equipment. (We have purposely kept the numbers unrealistically small for ease of illustration.) These costs will occur even if the laboratory does not perform one test. In addition to the fixed costs, each test, on average, requires $10 in laboratory supplies, such as glass slides, blood test tubes, and reagents.
The per-unit (per test, in this example) variable cost of $10 is defined as the variable cost rate. If laboratory volume doubles—for example, from 500 to 1,000 tests—total variable costs will double from $5,000 to $10,000. However, the variable cost rate of $10 per test remains the same whether the test is the first, the hundredth, or the thousandth. Total variable costs, therefore, increase or decrease proportionately as volume changes, but the variable cost rate remains constant.
Fixed costs, in contrast to total variable costs, remain unchanged as the volume varies. When volume doubles from 500 to 1,000 tests, fixed costs remain at $150,000. Because all costs in this example are either fixed or variable, total costs are merely the sum of the two. For example, at 5,000 tests, total costs are Fixed costs + Total variable costs = $150,000 + (5,000 × $10) = $150,000 + $50,000 = $200,000. Because variable costs are tied to volume, total variable costs, and hence total costs, increase as the volume increases, even though fixed costs remain constant.
The rightmost column in exhibit 4.1 contains average cost per unit of volume, which in this example is average cost per test. It is calculated by dividing total costs by volume. For example, at 5,000 tests, with total costs of $200,000, the average cost per test is $200,000 ÷ 5,000 = $40. Because fixed costs are spread over more tests as volume increases, the average cost per test declines as volume increases. For example, when volume doubles from 5,000 to 10,000 tests, fixed costs remain at $150,000, but fixed cost per test declines from $150,000 ÷ 5,000 = $30 to $150,000 ÷ 10,000 = $15.
With fixed cost per test declining from $30 to $15, the average cost per test goes down from $30 + $10 = $40 to $15 + $10 = $25. The fact that higher volume reduces average fixed cost, and therefore average cost per unit of volume, has important implications for profitability related to volume changes. (In economics, the state of declining average cost as volume increases is called economies of scale.)
The cost behavior presented in exhibit 4.1 in tabular format is presented in graphical format in exhibit 4.2. Here, costs are shown on the vertical (y) axis, and volume (number of tests) is shown on the horizontal (x) axis. Because fixed costs are independent of volume, they are shown as a horizontal dashed line at $150,000. Total variable costs appear as an upward-sloping dotted line that starts at the origin (0 tests, $0 costs) and rises at a rate of $10 for each additional test. When fixed and total variable costs are combined to obtain total costs, the result is the upward-sloping solid line parallel to the total variable costs line but beginning at the y-axis at a value of $150,000 (the fixed costs amount). In effect, the total costs line is nothing more than the total variable costs line shifted upward by the amount of fixed costs.
Note that exhibit 4.2 is not drawn to scale. Furthermore, the relevant range is unrealistically large. The intent here is to emphasize the general shape of a cost structure graph and not its exact position. Also, note that total variable costs plot as a straight line (linear), because the variable cost rate is assumed to be constant over the relevant range. We assume throughout the book that the variable cost rate is constant, and hence total variable costs are linear, at least within the relevant range. For most healthcare organizations in most situations, such an assumption is not unreasonable.
Before we leave this illustration of underlying cost structure, we should mention that fixed and variable costs represent two ends of the volume classification spectrum. Here, in the relevant range, the costs are either independent of volume (fixed) or directly related to volume (variable). A third classification, semifixed costs, falls between the two extremes. To illustrate, assume that the actual relevant range of volume for the clinical laboratory is 15,000 to 20,000 tests. However, the laboratory's current workforce can only handle up to 17,500 tests per year, so an additional technician, at an annual cost of $35,000, would be required if volume exceeds that level. Now, labor costs are fixed from 15,000 to 17,500 tests and again at a higher level from 17,500 to 20,000 tests, but they are not fixed at the same level throughout the entire relevant range of 15,000 to 20,000 tests. Semifixed costs are fixed within ranges of volume, but multiple ranges of semifixed costs occur within the relevant range. To keep the illustrations manageable, we do not include semifixed costs in our examples in this book.
The underlying cost structure of a business defines the relationship between volume and costs. To illustrate, assume you plan to sell customized pens to your classmates to make some extra money. To get started, you pay someone $50 to design the logo for the pens. Then, you pay $1.75 for each pen. The cost structure of your pen business consists of $50 in fixed costs and a variable cost rate of $1.75. Thus, the cost structure of the business can be written as:
If you sell 100 pens, your total costs are $225:
HEALTHCARE IN PRACTICE
The Cost Structures of Medical Practices
Different healthcare organizations have different cost structures. Even in the same type of organization, cost structure differences occur. For example, medical practices that are hospital based, such as some radiology groups, tend to have low fixed costs (the hospital pays those). Other practices, such as cardiology, can have a great deal of diagnostic equipment and hence high fixed costs. In addition, the size of a practice influences its underlying cost structure.
Still, by examining the costs associated with a typical practice, we can get some feel for the cost structures involved. We have chosen a primary care practice to represent a typical medical practice. Because the costs involved in the practice are a function of the number of physicians in the practice, most of the data presented here are on a per-physician basis.
In 2011, the most recent data available, the average primary care practice employed roughly five full-time equivalent (adjusted to account for part-time staff) physicians. In addition, each practice, on average, employed two nonphysician providers, such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners, and a support staff of about 20. Thus, if we count the nonphysician providers as support staff for the physicians, each physician had about 4.4 individuals working to support her patient services activities.
The total operating cost to support each physician was about $325,000, not including physician compensation. Of these costs, about $160,000 were labor costs, with the remaining costs devoted to facilities, equipment, malpractice insurance, and supplies. Thus, practice costs (again, excluding physician compensation) were about evenly split between labor and nonlabor components. Taking a closer look at support staff costs, about 47 percent of the labor costs were for clinical staff, 34 percent for front-office staff (e.g., receptionists), and 19 percent for business office staff (e.g., coding, billing, collections).
On average, each primary care physician handled about 2,300 patients, who represented about 5,300 encounters (visits), during which the physician performed about 11,000 procedures. Thus, if we use patient visit as the unit of output (volume), the operating cost per visit averages out to be roughly $325,000 ÷ 5,300 = $61 per visit. The data do not break out fixed versus variable costs.
However, variable costs, which consist mostly of administrative supplies (e.g., forms, letterhead) and medical supplies (e.g., rubber gloves, needles, vaccines, dressings), were relatively small, say, $10 per visit. Thus, the underlying cost structure for an average primary care physician looked something like the following:
Total costs = $272,000 + ($
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Americas|Canadian Commander Videotaped Murders
Canadian Commander Videotaped Murders
By Ian Austen
OTTAWA — In a revelation shocking even in a case already rife with details of aberrant sexuality and twisted psychology, prosecutors on Tuesday described how Col. David Russell Williams, the former commander unmasked as a thief and killer, videotaped his extended, brutal assaults on the two women he murdered — and how he sent a condolence letter to the family of one.
For a second day, prosecutors, partly to limit any chance of parole, presented a detailed and often disturbing account of the crimes drawn from Colonel Williams's own meticulous records of his two-year rampage, which began with home break-ins to steal girls' and women's underwear for his sexual arousal, and culminated in the murders.
On Monday, Colonel Williams, the former commander of Canada's busiest air force base, in Trenton, Ontario, pleaded guilty to the murders, two other sexual assaults and 82 break-ins.
As was the case with his robberies, prosecutors said Colonel Williams used a digital camera to carefully document the two murders. But they said he also videotaped the killings, along with the multiple rapes and beatings he inflicted on the two women for hours beforehand. During one killing, the court heard, he brought extra lamps into a room to improve its lighting.
Prosecutors only described the videotapes to the court, in Belleville, Ontario. They had displayed the photos from the break-ins — showing Colonel Williams wearing the stolen underwear while masturbating or aroused — on large monitors.
The first murder victim was Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, an air force flight attendant from Colonel Williams's base. After hours of repeatedly being raped and beaten in the head with a large flashlight, prosecutors said, she begged for her life, pleading, "Have a heart — please."
She suffocated after Colonel Williams covered her mouth and nose with duct tape.
After Corporal Comeau's body was discovered, Colonel Williams sent her father a letter of condolence in his capacity as base commander.
The court heard that Jessica Lloyd, a school bus line administrator, complied with numerous degrading demands from Colonel Williams apparently in an attempt to avoid being killed.
When it became increasingly clear to her that she would not survive the attack, Ms. Lloyd made one request, the prosecutors said. "If I die," she begged Colonel Williams, "will you make sure to let my mom know that I love her?"


I'm not feeling up to it today. By 'it', I mean 'life'.
I struggled to get out of bed, feeling horrendously tired, again, as I felt this huge weight weighing down on my chest. It's hard to explain the pure fatigue endocrine issues give you, unless you experience it firsthand. It's easy to see why it causes low motivation and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
I didn't want to be at work today. I felt fuzzy headed and like a dead weight. I struggled to function properly. It was real hard work.
At the moment, I feel constantly stressed. It's a constant battle to try not to be stressed. It's like a catch-22.
'Stressed' is my default mood right now and trying not to be stressed kind of causes more stress. Even subconsciously. I can't explain it well.
I'm worst in the mornings, where every little thing feels like it's going to topple me over. I tell myself it's fine, it doesn't matter, don't get stressed, but the effort I'm putting in to not get stressed and remember to stay calm, in effect, makes me feel more tired and stressed. It's mentally and and physically draining and time consuming. It's a vicious cycle.
I feel like my stress is from my persistent high cortisol, which you already know about, but also the irregular periods, suspected imbalanced progesterone and oestrogen and my ongoing battle trying to get to the bottom of that. Dealing with the acne is also pretty stressful and upsetting at times. You can't imagine what all of this is like to juggle, unless you've experienced it all yourself.
I feel drained, fed up and demotivated.
I'm also experiencing a funny stomach at the moment, and I'm not sure why.
I started magnesium glycinate today, too, which I'll be taking at night. The magnesium malate seems to be helping, but Thyroid UK mentioned in their most recent magazine that glycinate is the most easily absorbed and good for endocrine health.
I'm going to look into meditation and de-stressing tips as well.


To be eligible for complete rehab or an emergency repair, the applicant must own the single-family home for which they are seeking funds and be able to provide proof of ownership. The home must be at least 5 years old and the present owner must have resided in the home for at least 1 year. Taxes and insurance must be current.
The Alpena County Home Improvement Program receives funds from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority to administer the CDBG Homeowner Rehabilitation Program. Funding is also received from Rural Development's Housing Preservation Grant program (HPG). All funds are available to assist low and very low income residents with rehabilitation of their home. All funds will be recaptured. Deferred loans are available for those who fall at or below the 50% of area median income. Applicants with slightly higher income may qualify for loans ranging from 0 - 3% interest. All homes receiving CDBG and HPG funds will undergo a complete inspection to determine what improvements need to be made to bring the home up to local and BOCA code. Homes built prior to 1978 must be inspected for lead based paint.
No homeowner labor will be allowed on any project funded with CDBG and/or HPG funds!


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Home » Last Call: Trust Me or Fire Me
more... Gigging Advice • Pro Advice • How-Tos • Last Call • November 2018
Last Call: Trust Me or Fire Me
John Bohlinger
The Real Country band: From left to right, in the front row is drummer Sarah Tomek and Natalie Murphy, who plays violin, mandolin, acoustic guitar, and percussion. Pictured in the back row is pedal steel, guitar, banjo, and resonator guitar player Eddy Dunlap; guitarist and keyboardist Michael Hughes; bandleader John Bohlinger; and electric and upright bassist Rob Cureton.
When Johnny Depp was filming the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Disney executives thought his interpretation of Captain Jack Sparrow was way off the mark. According to Britain's The Independent, Disney's then-CEO Michael Eisner ranted: "Goddammit, Johnny Depp's ruining the film! What is that thing? Is it drunk; is it gay?"
Depp reportedly told Disney execs they could trust him with his choices or let him go. The gamble paid off brilliantly for all involved. Depp earned a Screen Actors Guild Award and Best Actor nominations in the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Depp also earned a ton of dough and a sweet pirate-themed Gibson J-200 as a gift from the studio. Disney grossed over $650 million for each film in the franchise. Perhaps more importantly, Depp and Disney created something wonderful. (I'm talking about the first movie. I only made it through part of the second and gave up after that.)
I thought about Depp's very baller, trust-me-or-fire-me move last week when I was recording a session with some friends. The four of us play a semi-regular, live-band karaoke-ish club gig in Nashville twice a month when we can make it. It's super fun, no pressure, and good for the brain—like Sudoku or a crossword puzzle, but without the torture. These loose gigs where we can stretch, blow, and not sweat mistakes have made us comfortable with each other. When we're on, we're really on, so sessions together tend to be low pressure and fun.
On this particular session, one friend who was leading handed out charts, we talked about the feel, tried out a few grooves, and then we blew down a take that was kind of magical. I was ready to walk into the control room with my bandmates to pat each others' backs while listening to a rare, exotic bird one rarely sees in the studio: the keeper first take. Right before I took off my headphones, the engineer in the control room said on the talkback, "John, take it again. They want you to think more '80s rock."
Same planet, different worlds.
There are times when customers don't know what they're talking about.
I'm not knocking '80s rock. There's some amazing guitar playing that came out of there, but I don't speak the language very well. I feel as silly faking it as I would squeezing into leopard-print spandex pants. The direction felt inherently wrong, because a bombastic guitar part would not fit the cool, understated groove that the drums, bass, and keys had laid down. But what else could I do?
I strapped on humbuckers, stepped on a chorus, 'verb, lots-o'-dirt, and dweedle-dweedled my way through some very unsatisfying takes. It was not great guitar playing. Perhaps it was not even good guitar playing. I felt ashamed and kind of hated myself. "Oh well," I thought, "the engineer can probably fix my part in the mute."
My philosophy in business has always been "the customer is always right." Here's the rub: There are times when customers don't know what they're talking about. Maybe if they'd listen to the people they've hired, who have more experience and knowledge, they could expand their vision and ultimately get to a place that would be far more satisfying than what they imagined. Often, we need a little guidance to get beyond our limited vision. The best producers/employers are those that give direction, but are open to the vision of musicians and trust their judgment.
Currently I'm working as the music director/bandleader on a new TV series called Real Country, created by the producers of The Voice. It's truly a dream gig. I'm working with a wildly talented group of producers who push us to go outside the box, give us just enough direction to see where they want it, but ultimately trust me and the band to get it there.
I've hired an amazing band of friends I've known for years. Although this lineup has never played together before, it feels like an established band because everybody listens. When we start to work on a song, I hand out my charts and ask the band to point out any mistakes. Our keyboardist, Michael Hughes, usually corrects me in a friendly, non-pedantic way, like "in measure 4, that D7 is actually a Bm13 with an F# in the bass." Piano players, right? His way is usually cooler. Next, we'll talk instrumentation and who plays where so we're not walking on each other. After that, I pretty much leave them alone.
A good band is like the title characters in the children's book The Five Chinese Brothers. The members have their own superpowers. Let them do what they do and stay out of the way. If you don't trust his or her abilities or inherent taste, hire someone else.
John Bohlinger is a Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist best known for leading the band on NBC's Nashville Star, serving as music director for the CMT Awards and specials on PBS and GAC, and of course for his appearances in PG Rig Rundown, Review Demo, Axes & Artifacts, and What Bohlinger Plays videos.
Recent Articles by John Bohlinger
Last Call: Live, Without a Net
First Look: Aclam Dr. Robert
Rig Rundown: Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
Rig Rundown: Arielle
Last Call: Space Is Music, Too
Last Call: Instagram Me, Wabi-Sabi
Making $ome Dough Re Me with Your Mu$ic
Last Call: Time Is on Your Side
Last Call: What Would Keith Do?
Last Call: Hitting the Curve


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Basic Earnings per Share vs. Diluted Earnings
Investing for Beginners Income Statements
How to Analyze an Income Statement
••• Walker and Walker/Getty Images
When analyzing an income statement it's important to know the difference between basic earnings per share (Basic EPS) and diluted earnings per share (Diluted EPS). This is a particularly important area for stock investors because, if you aren't careful, you can end up using the wrong EPS figure and thus end up with a misleading price-to-earnings ratio, PEG ratio, and dividend-adjusted PEG ratio.
Why Have Two Different Earnings per Share Numbers?
When you dive into the profit and loss statement of a company, you have to do it on two levels.
The first is looking at the entire business. Namely, how profitable is the company as a whole?
The second is examining the profits per share. Publicly traded companies are cut up into individual pieces, with each of those pieces representing part of the overall ownership pie. How much of the after-tax income is each individual piece of the company entitled to receive?
For the individual investor, the second figure is what really counts. If a company generates more and more profit each year, but very little of that additional profit makes its way to the shareholders on a per-share basis, the prosperity of the business doesn't mean much, as it could still be a terrible investment. This could happen for a variety of reasons—such as new share issuances for mergers and acquisitions, stock options given to executives, or dilutive securities such as warrants or convertible preferred stock.
This is a fairly common problem and one you'll likely discover more often than not.
Truly shareholder-friendly management teams focus on the per-share results, prioritizing them over the size of the company. Such management understands that each time a new share is issued, the existing owners are, in effect, selling some of their current business assets and giving them up to whoever is receiving that share.
Fortunately, the accountants who develop the GAAP rules for financial statements found in the annual report and 10-K filing came up with a solution. It's not perfect, and it won't catch everything, but it's a great place to start. They decided to require companies to present two different earnings per share figures in their disclosures.
Calculating Basic EPS and Diluted EPS
The two figures required by GAAP are basic EPS and diluted EPS.
The first figure is known as basic EPS. Basic earnings per share is a straightforward, simple calculation that attempts to take the net income applicable to common shares for a period and divide it by the average number of shares outstanding for that same period. For example, if a business had $100,000,000 in net income applicable to common shares for its most recent fiscal year, and it started that year with 20,000,000 shares outstanding and ended that year with 15,000,000 shares outstanding, the basic EPS calculation would be $100,000,000 ÷ ([20,000,000 + 15,000,000] ÷ 2), or $5.71.
The second figure is known as diluted EPS. Diluted earnings per share adjust the basic earnings per share figure by including all potential dilution that, if triggered at present prices and conditions, would result in the reported earnings per share being lower than they otherwise would have been. For example, using our earlier illustration, if there were 5,000,000 shares of stock that could be issued at any time due to a convertible security held by an early investor being eligible for conversion at a price lower than the current market price, the formula would need to account for that. Diluted EPS would be $100,000,000 ÷ ([[20,000,000 + 15,000,000] + 5,000,000] ÷ 2), or $4.44.
Some Thoughts on Using Diluted EPS When Analyzing a Business
One thing to keep in mind about diluted EPS is the fact that antidilutive conversions are not included in the calculation. Doing so would increase earnings per share, which isn't likely to happen in the real world. (What sane person would exercise an underwater option or convertible security at a price that causes them to pay more than they could get if they went to the open market and bought shares?) This means, for example, that underwater stock options aren't included in the diluted EPS calculation, but stock options that are eligible for conversion and have a strike price below the current market price are.
From a practical standpoint, when you understand these calculations, the implications become clear: If a company has a lot of potential dilution on its books, and the stock price then declines either due to a company-specific situation, a recession, or a broad stock market collapse, all of that dilution could disappear from the diluted EPS calculation. If you don't account for the fact that higher future stock levels will suddenly reintroduce all of that dilution, your projected earnings could be far off the mark.
To some extent, at least as far as stock options go, if the stock price remains depressed for a long period of time, some stock options will expire, but that's usually cold comfort as management is likely to issue itself new stock options at the lower price.
A general rule of thumb to remember is that diluted EPS will always be lower than basic EPS if the company generated a profit because that profit has to be divided among more shares. Likewise, if a company suffers a loss, diluted EPS will always show a lower loss than basic EPS because the loss is spread out over more shares.
Looking at Intel as an Example
The figures below are from Intel, a technology company, in the aftermath of the dot-com boom, which demonstrated all of this quite well. Looking at the chart below, notice that in 2000, the difference between Intel's basic EPS and diluted EPS amounted to around $0.06. If you consider that the company had over 6.5 billion shares outstanding, you realize that dilution was taking more than $390 million in value from the investors and giving it to management and employees. That was a huge amount of money.
Later, in 2001, as the markets continued to collapse, a lot of the stock options went underwater, and thus the dilution effect evaporated temporarily in the calculation of diluted EPS.
IntelExcerpt: 2001 Annual Report
Earnings per share from continuing operations 2001 2000
Basic EPS $0.19 $1.57
Diluted EPS $0.19 $1.51
Net Income Applicable to Common Shares on the Income Statement
Confused by the meaning of "earnings per share"? Here's an explainer.
Using the P/E Ratio to Value a Stock
What happens when a company buys back shares of stock?
Understanding Top Line vs Bottom Line on Your Income Statement
Fundamental Analysis: Understand Earnings Per Share
What should you look for in a common stock?
Understanding Treasury Stock on the Balance Sheet
What Are the Top Tools for Fundamental Analysis
Investing in an Initial Public Offering (IPO)
Calculating the Dividend Payout Ratio
Learn Which Depreciation Methods to Use on Your Income Statement


L.V. CUAYA ET AL., PLOS ONEResearchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico have studied the brains of seven dogs trained to lie down but stay attentive inside an MRI scanner. The team presented the animals with photos of human faces or of objects. The object images elicited very little brain activity, but the human pictures triggered a burst of activity: the bilateral temporal cortex lit up the most, and the team saw additional activity in the frontal cortex, the caudate nucleus, and the thalamus.
"This portion of the temporal cortex in dogs could be anatomically and functionally similar to regions found in other species, like humans, non-human primates and sheep, which suggests a high degree of evolutionary conservation of the ventral visual pathway for face processing," the researchers wrote in their paper, published this week (March 2) in PLOS ONE.
Studies of how dogs recognize human faces, then, may inform our understanding of human facial perception. A study from February 2015, for example, tested dogs' ability to identify emotional expressions when shown pictures of just one half a human face, and the canines performed well.
"The recognition of human faces by dogs could be an essential factor for establishing attachment with humans," the authors of the new PLOS ONE study wrote in their paper.
The idea of putting dogs in an MRI machine to probe their brain activity during different tasks started with Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns, who in 2012 trained two dogs (including his own) to stay still while remaining alert, then presented the animals with an indication that food was coming. In this experiment, Berns recorded activity in the canines' caudate nucleus, a brain region associated with reward processing. Last August, Berns and his colleagues tested six dogs in the MRI scanner and found that their temporal cortices responded much more to movies of human or dog faces than to movies of objects, supporting the Mexico group's latest findings.
"[T]hese findings . . . may help explain dogs' exquisite sensitivity to human social cues," Berns and his colleagues wrote in their paper, published in PeerJ.


Saturday FM is aimed at families and takes place approximately every two weeks in St Thomas' school between 4 and 5 pm. There is plenty of fun with some physical and competitive activity alongside a quieter craft. We'll usually eat a light tea together, sometimes we watch a great video clip and chat about it. We'll pray and will even find time to include one of our favourite worship songs!
You can also check the dates of Saturday FM in our church calendar.


The rising popularity and controversy surrounding the celebrated Chinese television programme Les Interprètes (The Interpreters) got me thinking about other famous fictional interpreters in popular culture. Whilst there are always inaccuracies that can occur in fiction, such as the glamorisation or oversimplification of interpreting, programmes like this do raise awareness of what is a very highly-skilled and difficult profession, but which is still often overlooked. Our previous blog covered the top ten movie interpreters of all time but I want to share a few of my favourite interpreters from the worlds of film, TV and fiction.
Star Wars – C-3PO – Perhaps one of the most well-known and best-loved fictional interpreters, who speaks 6 million languages fluently. "Don't blame me! I'm an interpreter! I'm not supposed to know the difference between a power socket and a computer terminal. I'm not much more than an interpreter, and not very good at telling stories." Somehow I think interpreters around the world would disagree with this!
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – The Babel Fish – Whilst not technically an interpreter in the conventional sense, this small, yellow, leech-like fish, when placed in your ear, allows you to understand any language in the galaxy. This concept, developed in the classic books by Douglas Adams back in 1979, was well ahead of its time and technology is only now beginning to get anywhere close to it, with the advent of Skype translation and other interpreting tools.
Marvel Comics – Cypher – Cypher's power lies in being able to understand and translate/interpret all forms of communication, whether they be written, verbal or non-verbal, made by both humans and machines. Like C-3PO and the Babel fish, this is a long way from the truth of interpreting, where the best interpreters work only in their mother tongue and 1-2 other languages. This is definitely a talent that all of us wish we could have!
The Terminal – Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) – Viktor, who taught himself English whilst trapped in the terminal at JFK due to a technicality of International Law, serves as an interpreter between the US authorities and a Russian who has been caught by the customs officers. Seeing the development of second language acquisition here is interesting, even if the plot does not allow the time to fully cover the process.
Game of Thrones – Missandei – Missandei finds herself in an unenviable position when she has to interpret between the Masters of Slaver's Bay and Queen Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons, a conversation that, if some of the words were interpreted accurately, could cause great offense. She does this with great tact and diplomacy, not realising that Daenerys speaks High Valyrian, the Masters' language, and had understood the insults being thrown her way all along, leading to a fiery death for Master Kraznys at the hands of one of the Queen's dragons. Whilst most real-world interpreters rarely find themselves in the room with a dragon, this is still a good example of the difficult and tense situations that interpreters often find themselves working in.
These are just a few of the great fictional interpreters out there, who whilst not always accurately portraying the profession, do a lot to raise awareness of interpreting amongst the general public.