Arizona State University recently moved its Biomedical Informatics department to Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. The move is part of an effort for the two organizations to collaborate more on healthcare, medical research, and education.

Biomedical informatics is a fairly new field that combines information science, computer science, and healthcare. Professionals in the field are working to make new discoveries in healthcare, including new ways to treat diseases and new methods to treat patients.

“Making BMI’s home at Mayo Clinic will advance biomedical informatics education and research in new and exciting ways,” ASU President Michael Crow said in a statement. “By doing this, we are connecting students, faculty, researchers and clinicians in ways that will lead to advancing the science, technology and usefulness of biomedical informatics.”

ASU and Mayo Clinic are working on a number of other collaborations, including:

• A joint nursing education program
• A variety of collaborative research projects
• Joint faculty appointments
• Dual degree programs including M.D./J.D. and M.D./M.B.A
• Joint work on the new Proton Beam Program
• Sharing in development of Mayo’s new Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery

The 2011 IT Salary Survey from Janco Associates, Inc. found that many IT companies are recovering nicely from the economic downturn. Many companies have been able to increase salaries and bring on more employees over the last year.

This positive trend should help the number of IT jobs Phoenix (Click here) has to grow and make a full recovery from the economic recession. The local area is home to many prominent tech companies that could be looking to hire.

The survey found that:

• Average pay for all IT employees increased by .35 percent to $77,873 per year.
• Pay for all IT employees in mid-size companies grew by .43 percent to $74,253.
• Pay for CIOs has increased by 1.73 percent to $184,681 in large companies and by .49 percent to $163,106 in mid-size companies.
• Salaries in mid-sized enterprises have grown the most, increasing by 1.44 percent to $61,924 per year.
• Managers and executives are not benefiting from salary increases.
• IT companies are making fewer layoffs and looking to bring many outsourced operations back in house.
• Companies are hiring more part-time and contract workers to complete critical projects.
• IT employees are receiving fewer benefits and paying more of the cost.
• More employers are offering flexible working schedules.

With the right education and experience, you’ll be able to find a great job in hotel management. These positions are typically high-paying and offer plenty of job security and career advancement opportunities.

The first step in becoming a hotel manager is to get the proper education. The most logical path is to pursue a master’s degree in hotel management, which will teach you how to operate a hotel, manage finances, and create unique marketing campaigns.

According to Education-Portal.com, the top 20 schools for hotel and hospitality management include:

1. Ohio State University
2. Michigan State University
3. Pennsylvania State University
4. New York University
5. Purdue University
6. Florida International University
7. University of Houston
8. Temple University
9. University of North Texas
10. Texas Tech University
11. University of Nevada – Las Vegas
12. University of South Carolina – Columbia
13. Iowa State University
14. University of Massachusetts Amherst
15. Oklahoma State University
16. University of Delaware
17. Cornell University
18. Saint Louis University
19. University of New Orleans
20. Johnson & Wales University

Officials with the City of Phoenix are considering whether or not to give the Arizona Cancer Center $14 million to build a new outpatient clinic on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. If the project is approved by all the parties involved, the new center is scheduled to begin treating patients by the end of 2014.

The new outpatient clinic would be located in 250,000 square feet of space on the northwest corner of North Seventh and East Fillmore streets in downtown Phoenix. The clinic will support thousands of local healthcare-related jobs and bring millions of dollars into the local economy.

Phoenix is currently the largest city in the country that does not have a Comprehensive Cancer Center as designated by the National Cancer Institute. The center will create a much-needed clinical healthcare aspect to the biomedical campus and will strengthen the existing bio-related organizations there.

However, plans for the outpatient clinic must first be approved by the Phoenix City Council, which is expected to make a decision on the funding at its meeting tonight. The project also must be approved by the Arizona Board of Regents’ Capital & Project Finance Committee, which will make a final decision on May 25th.

The funding would be given over a six year period to cover design, construction, and other costs. The money would come from the Genomics Facilities Operations and Maintenance Fund, which is made up of lease payments and fees that tenants of the Phoenix Biomedical Campus pay to the city.

The Kroger Company, which is the parent company of City Market and creates many Denver job (Click here) opportunities, recently released the winners of the company’s Supplier of the Year Awards. Companies named to the list are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to the Kroger Corporate Brands business.

Companies involved in Kroger’s Corporate Brands, which offer many high-quality products at affordable prices for consumers, include everyone from Private Selection and HomeSense to Comforts and Kroger’s own private brand.

“Our Supplier of the Year Awards recognize partners that support Kroger’s commitment to give shoppers an extensive selection of quality products at good prices,” Linda Severin, vice president of corporate brands for Kroger, said in a statement. “We thank all of these award recipients for embracing the spirit of our Customer 1st strategy and helping us drive innovation and excellence in our Kroger brands.”

The Supplier of the Year Awards include:

• Outstanding innovator: McCormick & Company in Maryland
• Outstanding design agency: Re:GENERATE Design, Inc. in Ontario
• Deli: Campbell Soup Company in New Jersey
• Deli/bakery: Maple Leaf Bakery in Illinois
• Drug/GM: Diversified Distribution Rhode Island
• Drug/GM: G&S Metal Products Company Inc. in Ohio
• Floral: Nature’s Flowers in Florida
• Meat: Birchwood Foods in Wisconsin
• Natural foods: Prime Choice Foods in Virginia
• Produce: Taylor Farms, Inc. in California
• Seafood: Trans-Ocean Products, Inc. in Washington

Kroger’s Corporate Brands also recognized a few self-operated manufacturing facilities for their outstanding quality, reliability, and customer service. Those plants include: America’s Beverage Company in Texas, Springdale Ice Cream and Beverage in Ohio, and Layton Dairy in Utah.

Kroger is currently the largest traditional grocery chain in the nation. The company has more than 338,000 employees in 2,458 stores throughout 31 states. Kroger also operates 786 convenience stores, 361 fine jewelry stores, 1,014 fuel centers, and 40 food processing plants.

As the economy continues to recover from the economic downturn and consumers feel a little more comfortable with their jobs and their spending habits, many experts are predicting that nonprofits will see a surge in donations this year.

The trick for any fundraiser is to figure out how to tap into that donation potential to make sure that your own nonprofit not only stays afloat, but succeeds, and maybe even has one of the best years since before the recession.

How can you do that? Take a look at these ideas from the Association of Fundraising Professionals on how to make 2011 your best fundraising year yet:

• Call all of your existing and potential donors.
• Treat all donors with the same respect you’d give somehow who made a generous gift.
• Throw a party to educate more people about your organization.
• Hold quick meetings that don’t require sitting.
• Don’t take the fundraising process too seriously.
• Spend the most time on the part of fundraising you enjoy the most.
• Ask donors why they want to donate to your nonprofit.
• Take the time to listen to other people’s thoughts and ideas.
• Don’t be afraid to tell people why you believe in your organization.
• Spend more time working on your website than social media accounts.
• Pay a professional web designer to keep up your website.
• Start a budget for yearly web development.
• Join professional associations and attend meetings to meet potential donors.
• Spend some time refreshing and updating your skills.
• Allow yourself to take breaks and exercise so you’ll be more effective at work.
• Take the time to visit and thank donors.
• Don’t be afraid to simply ask people to donate.
• Pinpoint your top 10 potential donors and focus on them.
• Trade in your ego for a more personable attitude.
• Send thank you notes when people donate.
• Start a yearly planned giving program for existing donors.
• Set an out-of-office visit goal each week and each month.

A report released last year by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies found that nonprofit employment actually increased during the economic recession, while for-profit employment continued to decline during the same period.

Between Q2 2007 and Q2 2009, employment in nonprofits increased by an average of 2.5 percent, while employment in for-profit companies decreased by an average of 3.3 percent during those two years.

Nonprofit employment during the recession also was better than it was between 2001 and 2007, when the sector’s workforce grew by an average of 2.3 percent per year. During that time, for-profit employment only grew by an average of .2 percent per year.

“That nonprofit organizations have been able to increase employment in the face of the most severe recession since the Great Depression is a testament to the effectiveness of the federal stimulus program, which channeled assistance to many nonprofit organizations, and to the resilience and determination of nonprofit leaders and those who support them in the public and private sectors,” Lester M. Salamon, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies, said in a statement.

The following nonprofit industries saw an increase in employment between 2007 and 2009:

• Arts and entertainment – 4.6 percent
• Ambulatory health – 4.2 percent
• Primary and secondary schools – 3.9 percent
• Hospitals – 2.4 percent
• Nursing homes – 1.8 percent
• Colleges and universities – 1.7 percent
• Social assistance – 1.4 percent
• Membership organizations – .4 percent

The report is based on data from 21 different states that represent a cross-section of the country. Of those states, Delaware saw the biggest nonprofit employment growth over the two years, increasing by 5.2 percent. Conversely, New Jersey saw the smallest nonprofit sector growth, at only .7 percent.

The Kroger Company, which is the parent company of King Soopers, recently reported that sales during Q4 2010 increased by 7.4 percent to $19.9 billion. The company earned a total of $278.8 million during the quarter.

Not only did Kroger see sales growth at the end of last year, but the company also continued to reduce its net total debt. The company’s total debt during Q4 2010 was about $7.3 billion, a decrease of $243.5 million from Q4 2009.

“Our customers appreciate the distinct blend of friendly service, variety and value that Kroger’s family of stores offers, and our strong fourth quarter results show we are on the right path,” David B. Dillon, chairman and CEO of Kroger, said in a statement. “Thanks to the Kroger team, we increased identical supermarket sales, gained more loyal customers and strengthened our competitive position among grocery retailers.”

Ohio-based Kroger is the largest traditional grocery retail chain in the nation. The company employs more than 338,000 people throughout 31 states. Kroger operates 2,458 supermarkets and department stores; 786 convenience stores; 361 fine jewelry stores; 1,014 supermarket fuel centers; and 40 food processing plants.

During 2010 as a whole, Kroger’s sales grew from $76.7 billion to $82.2 billion, an increase of 7.1 percent. The company’s net earnings came in at $1.12 billion, which is a large improvement from the $70 million in earnings Kroger saw during 2009.

“Kroger’s business proved resilient in 2010, weathering a challenging environment that continued to affect many of our customers,” Dillon said. “We achieved solid positive identical supermarket sales and market share growth, which demonstrates that we can strengthen our business and increase earnings by placing our customers’ needs first.”

Looking ahead to this year, Kroger expects to see sales growth of 3 percent to 4 percent, with net earnings ranging from $1.80 per share to $1.92 per share.

Earlier this month, state officials approved a law allowing the City of Glendale to annex a piece of property belonging to the Tohono O’odham Nation. That law will prevent the tribe from constructing a new casino at that location.

However, attorneys for the tribe are now suing the state, claiming that the new law violates state and federal constitutional provisions, according to an article by the Arizona Daily Star. The tribe hopes to repeal the law and stop Glendale from annexing the property.

The new casino is expected to create 6,000 temporary construction jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs and bring about 1.2 million visitors to Glendale every year. The property would initially include 54,750 square feet of gaming space, sports bar, food court, 400-seat buffet, 24-hour 150-seat cafe, and events center.

The Tohono O’odham Nation purchased the land to house the new casino in 2003. The purchase was allowed under a 1986 federal law that says the tribe can purchase land in Maricopa, Pinal, or Pima counties in order to replace land that was damaged when a dam flooded.

That law allows the tribe to add any new land to its reservation, where casinos must be operated, as long as the land is not within city limits. However, state officials argue that part of the land purchased by the tribe is within Glendale city limits, although 54 acres – enough room for the casino – is not.

Existing state law requires that a majority of landowners agree to the annexation of any property, but the new state law allows any community with at least 350,000 residents to annex any land on three sides if the land owner has petitioned the federal government to make the land part of a reservation.

When a patient is undergoing treatment for cancer, there are typically a number of medical professionals assigned to that individual’s radiation oncology team. These employees work together in an effort to diagnose and treat the cancer.

According to the American Society for Radiation Oncology, the typical members of a radiation oncology team include:

• Radiation oncologist – This is the main physician responsible for a patient’s cancer treatment. After evaluating the patient, reviewing tests, and talking to the patient’s other doctors, the radiation oncologist organizes and oversees all aspects of the patient’s radiation therapy. They monitor the patient’s condition and identify and treat any side effects during the course of the treatment.
• Radiation oncology nurse – This nurse is responsible for teaching a patient about the side effects of radiation therapy and monitoring their progress during the course of treatment. They often act as a point of contact between the patient and radiation oncologist in order to make sure the treatment is going smoothly.
• Medical physicist – This highly-trained, highly-skilled physicist works with the radiation oncologist to plan a course of action for the patient’s treatment. They maintain radiation therapy equipment and make sure that all courses of treatment are accurate and efficient.
• Medical dosimetrist – This highly-skilled employee works with both the radiation oncologist and medical physicist to deploy a patient’s course of treatment. They are mainly responsible for electronically calculating the exact amount of radiation that should be given to a patient.
• Radiation therapist – This therapist works alongside the radiation oncologist to operate internal and external radiation therapy equipment. They are responsible for making sure equipment runs accurately and efficiently and may help to monitor the patient’s condition during the course of treatment.